First day of ....

.... Autumn, yayyyy!!!  The heatwave ended after about 3.5 weeks, and now we've got the usual kind of summer weather - bit of rain, bit of dry, bit of rain, bit of dry, etc., etc.  I'm hoping it's not going to lash rain tonight - husband and I are going to an gig (and it's outdoors, so really, it's bound to rain!).

My daughter has just turned 19, this is the card I made for her:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Cute Card Thursday, Creative Inspirations and Party Time Tuesdays all have "Anything Goes" challenges.

I bought some new crafty stash recently for the first time in many month, including some new paper pads.  This card is made from a new Basic Grey line "Carte Postale" - lovely colours and patterns. I made a computer-generated sentiment, embellished with some tiny Hero Arts flowers and coloured slightly with Prisma pencils.  I love the Tim Holtz filmstrip - it made a nice frame for the 19 stickers.  Here's a close up of some of the detail:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Carte Postale"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Row of Perky Flowers"

Other: Basic Grey "Mellow?" button, Tim Holtz Idea-ology Filmstrip ribbon, MM Tiny Alphas

Thanks for looking!

Completely ....

.... unseasonal post today.  It's Sunday, and I've finally caught up enough to join my teamies on this week's Sentimental Sundays on our challenge this week, which is "Christmas in July".

This week's Sponsor is:

Silly Dilly Bean Challenge Blog 

Silly Dilly Bean Store
Donating: 3 images, winners choice

I have to say, it felt particularly strange making a Christmas card with the sun blazing away outside  - now I know how our crafting friends Down Under feel!! And yes, our heatwave is still going strong, I think we're on week 3 now - impossible!!

Here's what I made:

I used this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following challenge: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Green" - there's the colour green, also I've used recycled corrugated card and hairy string, which is more burgundy than pink in real life).  Here's a closer look at the little squares on my card with the Christmas tree and bauble made from the aforementioned card, with ink and glitter added, followed by a side shot of the dimension on the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Wassail" and "Figgy Pudding"

Sentiment Stamps: Fancy Pants "Happy Holidays"

Die Cut: Cheery Lynn Doily "English Tea Party"

Other: Hero Arts gems, platinum stickles, hairy string

Right, that's enough of the "C" word from me until at least October!!  I'm off to enjoy what's left of the summer, surely this weather can't go on for much longer.  I've been having such a lovely time, meeting friends for coffee, eating al fresco, have managed so far to avoid getting sunburnt which is a minor miracle!! 

Thanks for looking!

Sweltered in an Irish ....

.... heatwave!  All those reading in the USA will be laughing hysterically at our definition of a heatwave - it's been getting as far as the high 20s Centigrade for about a week now (that translates to about 80 Fahrenheit).  I know it's hitting 3 figures in the west and mid-western USA right now - well, bless all your hearts, I would just keel over and die in that!!!!  We've been opening all the windows (whilst keeping the new cat indoors - a masterpiece in organisation!), and bought an electric fan today to try and keep a bit cooler in the afternoons.  On the plus side, the garden looks amazing, my strawberries and tomatoes are giving a bumper crop, and everyone is in a super good mood because, of course, when the sun is shining there is nowhere in the world as nice as Ireland!

I went to a friend's house yesterday - she had put out a 10ft inflatable pool in the back garden for the kids, and the adults were in the garden too - crafting under the gazebo.  I enjoyed playing with her extensive collection of stamps, and got the makings of a few cards done, one which I finished today:

I used this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering Cupcake Craft ("Anything but Square"), Papertake Weekly ("Old, New, Borrowed or Blue" - mine is the borrowed stamps) and ABC Challenge ("Q is for Quite a Few" layers).

Here's a side shot of the card - I love that crackle background stamp.  I stamped the flower on kraft a few times and cut out extra blossoms, coloured and crumpled them and stuck them down for added dimension.  I made the letters using a computer font, printed out on card, stuck down on a few more layers of card, then cut out and inked.

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Mr. Campy"

Stamps: Not sure - borrowed from Jackie - thanks, hun!

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor pencils, distress inks.

Other: Ribbon from stash.

Thanks for looking!

Screeeeeeeaaaaaaaaamm ....

.... I'm on me hollyers!!! At last, thought 12 noon today would never come!!  Now I can spend the next 9 weeks doing whatever I want (ha!).  Have had my wings slightly clipped by the fact that last week, we got a cat, and she has to stay inside for at least a month and gets a bit whingey when we leave her at home on her own.  What was I thinking?!!!  Will post a pic soon when I get a nice one of her.

Yesterday, I did a speedy-ish thank you card for my son's teacher.  Here's what I made:

Recipe:

Papers: MME "Sky's the Limit"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Lazy Afternoon"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Making Memories stickers

Very bad photo, taken this morning in a rush on the way out the door.  I used the sketch from last week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into Shopping Our Stash ("Oldest Embellishment" - min are the sparkly brads), Creative Inspirations ("Anything Goes + ribbon"), Simon Says Stamp and Stampin for the Weekend ("Anything Goes") and Lili's Little Fairies ("1 image, 2 papers, 3 types of embellie - brads, ribbon, letter stickers).

Thanks for looking!

Still scrambling ....

.... around, trying to get my mojo up and running.  Only one week and four days left of school, I am looking forward to having time to do things - have the usual ambitious (overly ambitious?!!) to-do list of people to see, projects to do, once-a-year cleaning jobs to undertake, etc., etc.!!  Let's see!!

My son is away this weekend at his friend's birthday party/sleepover - they went quad-biking yesterday (the horrors!), but friend's Mum kindly texted to let everyone know their sons were still in one piece afterwards!  Here's the card I made for the birthday boy:

Update 18th June: This card was given a Spotlight Artist Award on City Crafter - many thanks!

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Creative Inspirations ("Father's Day/Male Themed"), Papertake Weekly ("Hello Boys") and City Crafter ("All About Him").

I did a lot of doodling on this card - all the lettering, numbers, arrows, etc.  See the MS "Drippy Goo" border punch - remember a few years ago these were like gold-dust and everyone wanted them - I got one then and this is the first time I've used it!!  Here's a side-shot of the drips, doodles and dimension on the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Get Happy"

Punch: MS "Drippy Goo"

Other: Black and white gel pens

Thanks for looking!

Only 13 days ....

.... late with my brother's card - I'm very lucky he's so laid-back!!  I hope I made up for it by inviting him round to dinner, making him a cake, and piling on some grovelling apologies!!  I made this card for him:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp ("Masculine"), Creative Inspirations (Colour challenges), Crafty Creations ("One for the Boys"), ABC Challenge ("Open" - Anything Goes), Make it Monday and Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes").

I used a stamp from a Verve set that I won a while back - have printed the centre on the computer and popped it up for dimension.  Here's a close-up of the stamp, followed by a side-shot of the dimension:

Update 12th June: This card was picked as the weekly winner on Creative Inspirations.  Thank you!

Recipe:

Papers: Echo Park "Times + Seasons"

Stamps: Verve "Sweet Treats"

Other: Buttons from stash, hairy string

Thanks for looking!

Buon Giorno ....

.... after the mayhem of work on the house, we escaped to Italy for four days.  Had such a good time, packed an awful lot in, but did some really good relaxing in the times when we weren't doing other stuff.  The weather was perfect for us, bit of rain (warm rain!) on the first day, then the sun came out, but it never got higher than 26 degrees, thank goodness.  I've been doing Italian lessons over the past 9 months or so - got a chance to practice a bit on this holiday.  My son's friend, who is only four but has a masterful command of both English and Italian, was only too willing to correct me at every occasion!!!  We took a lot of very random photos, here's a small selection:

The view from the playground of our friend's son's school:

 

My son on the climbing frame:

 

I'll take this one, Mum!

Whilst we were there, the Mille Miglia vintage car race actually came through our village.  Fantastic old racing cars, racing on normal roads.  With typical Italian disregard for safety, the roads aren't closed, there are no safety barriers or crowd control - it was great fun!!!  There were over 400 vintage cars in the race, and they were preceded by a load of modern Ferraris - my son and I were standing roughly where the small group are, but on the wrong side of the barrier, when the Ferraris came through - we were flattening ourselves against that barrier, glad we didn't get our toes run over!!Here's a few old cars coming through, see the guy on the bicycle crossing the road behind them!  We were heading into Rome that night, and ended up driving in the race for about 10km, right behind a stunning 1954 Mazerati - what a memory!

Cappucino time - spot the tourists under the awning!

La famiglia!

Laundry day in Narni:

Spot the whitest person in the village:

We came back to cleaning up the house after the workmen had finished, and to major reconstruction of our garden that's still ongoing.  I finally have my craftroom back, just have to get some time to make things!

Thanks for looking!