Shoot for the Stars

I had some narrow strips of scrap card on my desk after a project and I thought they would make a graphic pattern if I Washi-taped them onto a card while I inked through them.  I wanted to make a masculine card so after using the card strips as a stencil with Tumbled Glass distress ink, I used a Simon Says Stamp set 'Shoot for the Stars' to stamp a sentiment, some stars and some stitching. Quick and easy!

Then I decided I might as well make a more feminine version while I had the supplies out, this time using silver emobsssing powder, Worn Lipstick distress ink and adding some mirror stars.

I'd like to enter these into:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Ger x

Merry Christmas

This card was made for the Craft for the Craic design team card swap and I was late getting it into the post so I hope it has been received in time.  It was inspired by Jennifer McGuire's circle card here.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas and New Year.

Ger x

Hero Arts Nativity Card

This card was made in a hurry when I remembered someone I had forgotten LOL.  Broken China and Chipped Sapphire inked background, Hero Arts stamps silver embossed, some music notepaper, silver cord, and Tim Holtz dies inked with Tea Dye distress ink. Sorry about the flash - the light was fading.

The snow effect was made with Stampendous Frantage - I've learned to sneak up on it with the heat gun from behind the card!

Hope you have a calm Christmas Eve ;)

Ger x

Pajama Party at Waltzingmouse Stamps

Evening! Well I am very late to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party so I'll just cut to the chase so I'm not too late to enter!

Using a WMS bauble stamp silver embossed on acetate, I added a sequin, lace, silver cord and some beads from my stash.

I'd like to enter this into:

Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party - challenge 2 - Deck the Halls

and now it just might be time for bed zzzzzzzzzzz

Ger x

Favourite Colours at Craft for the Craic

Over at Craft for the Craic the challenge is Favourite Colours, and here is some mid-month inspiration.

This time I went for Pastels. I embossed a Tim Holtz folder and inked it with Tumbled Glass then stamped Waltzingmouse Stamps Vintage Ornaments, cut with Spellbinders Holiday Ornaments.  I added silver cord and some sequins.  Very fast and simple! I made 3 more, just changing the embossing folder each time:

I hope you'll join in the fun and show us your creative makes over at Craft for the Craic

Ger x

Tag Trio

Did you ever receive a craft package from the postie although you knew you hadn't ordered anything? When I saw Joanna Sheen on the envelope, I was like a kid on Christmas morning ripping it open.  Inside was a little red package (packed by Angela)  tied up with some of the pretty green ribbon you see on the tag on the right.  It was a gorgeous little set of 3 Poinsettia dies by Britannia from a crafty friend!

These dies are just so pretty, click on the picture for a close up of the lovely texture.  I think they would double as holly leaves, too.  I went straight to my craft table and made this trio of tags. Thanks Áine!

I'd like to enter this into:

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Tag with Ribbon or Trim


By the time you read this I should be on a Dublin bound train for the water meter protest and the forecast is dreadful.

I'll be missing this ....

but hopefully it will all be worth it.

See you Thursday with some more tags.

Ger x

Tea Light Easel

Today's card is an easel with a bauble aperture cut with a Spellbinders die.  This was covered with docrafts Gold Vellum and the easel leaves a space behind which you could pop one of those flameless battery tea lights for a cool effect.  The papers and brad are docrafts Silent Night.  The gold-embossed sentiment is also from docrafts.  The snowflakes were cut with a Whiff of Joy die.

Wow it's cold out there! Wind's picking up too.

See you tomorrow with some more tags and I'll tell you about the lovely surprise the postie brought on Monday.

Ger x

Clear Tag

Today's make is an acetate tag.  I started with a Hero Arts Elegant Pine stencil and embossing paste coloured a little with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, sprinkled with fine glitter while still wet.  Staz-On Cotton White was used to stamp the docrafts sentiment on the Tim Holtz Fragment and the edges of the fragment and the tag were distressed with the same ink.

I made the little dangler from beads in my stash and added some silver cord and ribbon and some dots of Glossy Accents for shine.  Glossy Accents spreads like mad on acetate! They were meant to be domed icy dots but didn't quite work out that way.

The whole tag lacked stability so I backed it with Peppermint Collection from Crate paper.

I'd like to enter this into:

Virginia's View Challenge - All Things Distressed
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Tags Tags Tags with ribbon or trim
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas/Holidays

See you tomorrow with another card!

Ger x

Bauble card

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.  Today's card was made with a Hero Arts stamp and embossing folder set.  I inked the stamp with Peeled Paint before wiping the ink off the berries, then stamped and embossed the card panel.  I then die cut a circle from the panel (this flattened the embossing a bit, if I was making another I would re-think the order I did this in).

I love the mottled look the distress ink gave to the holly.

I punched tiny circles from red card and added them where the berries should be then stamped the Waltzingmouse bauble twice with Festive Berries.  I die cut a circle from another card panel then sandwiched silver cord between the two baubles and then between the two card panels, so the inside of the card is smooth.  The sentiment is also from Waltzingmouse Stamps and I edged the tag with Festive Berries.

I'd like to enter this into:

Virginia's View Challenge - All Things Distressed
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Holiday Cards

See you tomorrow with another festive make!

Ger x

Snowman

This morning's Christmas card was made using Washi tape to mask off a border all round the card panel, before inking with Pumice Stone, Evergreen Bough and Stormy Sky distress inks.   The background was sprayed with water then blobs of White Enamel Accents were used for snow.

The happy little snowman (he looks drunk because I overdid the black enamel accents for his eyes) is from Penny Black, coloured with Inktense Watercolour Pencils.  The die cut snowflakes are from Whiff of Joy and I no longer remember where the sentiment is from but I love that font.  I made four of these cards to get some more mass-produced cards completed.

Thankyou for visiting and tomorrow's creation might be a tag or a card, I'm not sure yet.....

Ger x

December Challenge at Craft for the Craic

Good morning! The challenge this month at Craft for the Craic is Favourite Christmas Colours.  I decided to use frosty whites and blues.

The image is from Lily of the Valley, coloured with Inktense Watercolour Pencils.  the 'snow' was made with blobs of white enamel accents.

The background was made with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, a Hero Arts script stamp, Stampendous Frantage, Creative Expressions Gold Cosmic Shimmer Spray and Hero Arts snowflake stamps.  I also used a Hero Arts Elegant Pine stencil and embossing paste for some fun texture.  The bauble was made using Staz-On Cotton White Ink, a docrafts sentiment and Tim Holtz Fragments, backed with a circle of blue card.

I made the card base from some 300 gsm A4 white 'wedding card' I found in Easons for just under 10 euros for 100 sheets, it's lovely card, not as smooth as Neenah but very smooth just the same.  I also found the blue gems that look like fruit pastilles and the silver cord on the bauble was only 99c.  Worth taking a look around your Easons store!

I hope you'll play along with us this month at Craft for the Craic and I'll be back tomorrow with another Christmas card.

I'd like to enter this card into:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Holiday Cards
Virginia's View Challenge - All Things Distressed


Ger x

Aaaaand here come the Christmas cards

This card was inspired by a Debby Hughes' card in Holiday Card Workshop 2014.  The card panel was embossed with a Cuttlebug snowflake folder before using Tumbled Glass distress ink to add some blue.  The tag was cut with a docrafts die and splattered with Creative Expressions Cosmic Shimmer Spray.  The snowflake stamp is from Hero Arts and the snowflakes die is from Whiff of Joy.  I added some bakers' twine, sequins and a sentiment.

I followed Debby Hughes' advice and made 4 of this design, although she makes 10 of a Christmas card design at a time.  I get bored with more than 4 of one design.  How many do you make at a time, or are all your cards one-off designs?  I think I have about 20 Christmas cards made now using this method and I'll be sharing them in the next few days.

I'll be back tomorow with a card and a new challenge at Craft for the Craic so I hope you'll drop in!

Ger x

Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party

Evening! I am participating in the Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party today, and this is my last card, for the Bedtime Story sketch challenge:

I used Nordic Winter stamp set and Tumbled Glass distress ink.  For the shaker I used glitters, stars, tiny blue beads and sequins.  I hope to check out the other entries after I cook dinner!

Ger x

Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party

Splitting my original blog post below so I can enter all my cards in the Waltzingmouse Stamps pajama party challenge

Ger x

Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party

Splitting my original blog post below so that I can link all my cards to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party challenge

Ger x

Waltzingmouse Stamps Pajama Party

I am splitting my original blog post below so I can link all my cards to the Waltzingmouse Pajama Party Challenge

Ger x

Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party

Evening all! Earlier this week I noticed Waltzingmouse Stamps were having a Pajama Party and I've never participated before.  I dug out my WMS stamps and couldn't stop stamping!

I can only link one card, per blog post.  In the morning I will look at creating a separate blog post for each card.

(Can I apologise in advance for the camera shake?)

I had aimed for the 'Red and White' category but every time some other colour just snuck in there, so I'm opting for the 'Old Pajamas' category - use older WMS stamps.

I began by stamping with white ink on black paper, using the small and large snowflakes and the tree stamp from Nordic Winter to create a snow scene, adding some sequins for sparkle and mounting on kraft:

I liked the snowflakes background so much, for one of the cards I just added nested tags and used the little trees as leaves, adding ribbon and a button and mounting on white card:

I wasn't nearly done with stamping snowflakes, so I thought - red snowflakes - why not? This time I stamped baubles from 2011 Holiday Ornaments:

School runs and meals interfered with my plans at this point but I did get one last card made - for the moment - I was so inspired by digging out these older WMS stamps that I'm not nearly finished, and I hope to get at least one more made in the morning based on the sketch, check it out and have a go too! Anyway, the card. I used a leftover strip of the white-on-black snowflakes and added some gorgeous stitchery in red and white from Nordic Winter, and a label from the fabulous Seasonal Remedies set

My first WMS PJ Party and I had a lot of fun! Looking forward to seeing the other entries.

Ger x

Supplies:

WMS Nordic Winter

WMS Seasonal Remedies

WMS Holiday Ornaments 2011

Staz-On Cotton White Ink

Festive Berries Distress Ink

Docrafts nested tag dies

Scalloped squares dies

Cardstock: Neenah white, black, kraft, red

Birthdays at Craft for the Craic

November's challenge at Craft for the Craic is Birthdays and we want to see your crafty projects on that theme - cards, scrapbook layouts, jewellery, cakes, knitting, any kind of craft!

I went with a card because I'm going to need an 18th card next month.  Now I'm not saying an 18  year old should immediately go out and buy a drink ha! I just liked the image :)

I had some fun with embossing paste, using a Hero Arts stencil, and while the paste was still wet I sprinkled over some fine glitter.

I hope you'll take a break from creating Christmas projects to make something birthday themed and join us at Craft for the Craic.

See you tomorrow with some more cards.

Ger x

Something for a Child at Craft for the Craic

The ongoing challenge at Craft for the Craic this month is Something for a Child, or with a childish theme.

I just love this nativity play stamp from LOTV. I coloured it lightly with Antique Linen Distress Ink and added glitter.

I hope you'll join us this month at Craft for the Craic and check out the fabulous giveaway!

Ger x

Glass Baubles

Evening all! I know it's been a while but I've been busy, back at work.

I just loved the free stamps with October's docrafts magazine and had to have a play! I wanted to create the impression of glass baubles so I silver embossed onto heat proof acetate, hiding 3d foam behind the patterns.  To create the background I Versamark stamped the baubles onto white gloss card before swiping over with a pink Hero Arts ink pad.  I added sequins and a pink bow and 3d popped the whole thing onto a white card.

I hope it won't be as long before I blog again!

Ger x

Red, White and Blue at Crafty Bloggers Network

This month at Crafty Bloggers Network we are sponsored by Oak Pond Creations and I chose this image called Beach Crabs. I coloured with Copics and Spectrum Noirs and used a Spectrum Noir pen to colour some cardstock blue.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

We want to see your cards in the theme 'Red, White and Blue' so let's see what you come up with, and Happy Crafting!

Ger x

Favourite Colours at Craft for the Craic

At Craft for the Craic this month we want to see your crafty creations using your favourite colours.

I would have said I don't have a favourite colour but when I decide to get inky it does seem to be the blues I reach for.  I used blues and greys distress inks, Artemio flourish stamps, a stencil, embossing paste with distress stain mixed through for colour, Craftwork Cards papers, flowers and sentiment, and splattered some blue distress ink on card before die cutting the leafy sprig.  I used Spellbinders Labels 22 to cut the little frame out of a scrap of card I had lying around the craft table.  A gem, sequins and ribbon finished the card off.

So, reach for your favourite colours and share what you've made this month over at Craft for the Craic

Ger x

Summer or Flowers at Craft for the Craic

This month at Craft for the Craic we want to see what you've made with the theme Summer or Flowers.

Summer to me means long evenings and gorgeous sunsets, teenagers doing exams, off to college, first jobs - I'm hoping a Good Luck card will come in useful for some of those occasions.

I used two Tim Holtz stencils - Honeycomb and Rays, with Broken China and Wild Honey distress inks. The typewriter letters, die cut and twine are from Simon Says Stamp and papers are Papermania Orange Capsule Collection and My Mind's Eye 'Remarkable'.

Good Luck to everyone sitting exams and waiting for results!

Ger x

June Challenge at Crafty Bloggers Network

This month at Crafty Bloggers Network we're having a Bingo challenge

Just choose a column and get crafting! We are sponsored this month by Stitchy Bear Stamps and I used their Fuschia Digital Stamp and Paper Pack to create the card, using Column C.  My reading glasses decided to hide themselves so don't examine the colouring too closely lol.

I hope you're all enjoying the Bank holiday weekend and that you'll find some time to craft and enter your creation at Crafty Bloggers Network

Ger x

Pink with Ribbon at Crafty Bloggers Network

Over at Crafty Bloggers Network the challenge this month is to use Pink and a Ribbon.

Our sponsor this month is Art by Miriam and I chose this image, Happy Mail.  I decided to make a Get Well card.  I coloured the image with copics and Spectrum Noirs and made a card from two Papermania Capsule collection die cuts.  I added a Simon Says Stamp sentiment and speech bubble die, some pink ribbon, an EK Success border punch, some pearls and Papermania vintage notes flower and tag.

I hope you will enter your Pink with Ribbon cards this month at Crafty Bloggers Network.

Ger x

Something for a Baby at Craft for the Craic

At Craft for the Craic this month the challenge is Something for a Baby, and remember we love to see all types of crafts, not just papercrafting.

I made a Christening card for a baby girl, embossing some pink card with a docrafts dotty embossing folder and mounted it onto a square card.  I stamped the Lily of the Valley baby stamp onto a rectangle of white card with Hero Arts Bubble Gum shadow ink, using a 1" circle punch to 'bite' out the corners.  I added some lace, pink sheer ribbon tied in a bow, some pearls, a puffy heart and a glitzy gem.

Let's see what you're making for a baby this month over at Craft for the Craic!

Ger x

Wednesday Craft Club

At last night's craft club I brought along coloured card and patterned papers to create some cards inspired by a card set on Sarah Moerman's blog.  She has some very pretty card sets in that post.

Another Bank Holiday weekend on the horizon! So looking forward to it.

Don't forget to call back tomorrow when I'll have a card to show you for the new challenge at Craft for the Craic

More Spring/Easter Inspiration at Craft for the Craic

Over at Craft for the Craic there's still time to enter our Spring/Easter challenge.

Spring also makes me think of flowers and I wanted to try out the pop-up box cards that are popular just now. All the tutorials I looked at were quoting fractions of an inch and I'm not too keen on complicated measuring.  I wanted something simple I could score on my Hougie board and also could fit into an A6 envelope, so I made up my own measurements, and I can get two of these pop up box cards to an A4 card.

I'm hoping to have a tutorial after the weekend to show you how to make these.

I used Basic Grey Carte Postale papers, some flower punches, a butterfly punch and a border punch.

Have a Happy Easter and show us what you've made for the craic!

Ger x

Die Cuts or Embossing Challenge at Crafty Bloggers Network

This month's theme at Crafty Bloggers Network is Die Cuts or Embossing and this month we are sponsored by Rick St Dennis.  This month's winners will receive two images of their choice from Rick St Dennis store.

I coloured this image, called 'Flower Cart', with Copics and Spectrum Noirs.  I've used both die cuts and embossing on this card, using Spellbinders Labels 18 to cut the image, Tim Holtz on the edge butterflies, Simon Says Stamp Meadow Rue die and a Cuttlebug music sheet embossing folder.  The papers are My Mind's Eye Remarkable and the sentiment is LOTV.

I hope you can join in the fun this month at Crafty Bloggers Network.

Ger x

Hero Arts 90 Minute Scramble

Played along at another Hero Arts 90 minute scramble last night although the scramble was well under way before I remembered it was happening!  The challenge was to use a Hero Arts stamp, a die cut or punch or embossed background, and at least one embellishment.

I white embossed the magical dots background before using distress inks in a rainbow of colours.  Festive Berries, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire and Dusty Concord.  I spritzed the background with a mix of perfect pearls and water before cutting the piece down to size.  I punched a butterfly out of the spare piece, stamped the sentiment onto a vellum strip and added sequins.  All mounted onto a light blue Adorable Scorable card.

Hope you're enjoying a relaxing Sunday. Ger x

I'd like to enter this into: 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday/Birthday Celebrations

Spring Challenge at Craft for the Craic

This month at Craft for the Craic the challenge theme is something for Easter or Spring.

Spring makes me think of bright colours and I was inspired by this colourful paper pad from My Mind's Eye called Remarkable to die cut some butterflies.

I cut strips of the paper and layered them up, glueing some down and popping others up on 3D foam.  I just love the vivid colours!  I white embossed a Hero Arts sentiment on one of the strips.

Check out the rest of the Design Team's Spring creations and upload your own at Craft for the Craic - looking forward to visiting your blogs! 

I'd like to enter this into:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday

Ger x

Transparent Challenge at Simon Says Stamp

Over at Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge Blog the challenge is to use transparent item(s) on your card.  The Design Team have some absolutely stunning creations using all sorts of transparent things!

I took a sheet of acetate and folded it into a card before embossing, then die cut shapes from My Mind's Eye 6 x 6 Remarkable.  I stamped the Simon Says Stamp sentiment with Hero Arts ink and used butterfly punches and an EK Success border punch.

I'd like to enter this into:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Transparent Layers

Supplies:
Acetate 
Cuttlebug Lattice embossing folder
Memory Box dies: Fuschia Sprig and Marshmallow Clouds
X-Cut Butterfly Punch
docrafts palm punch
EK Success Border Punch
My Mind's Eye 6 x 6 paper pad Remarkable
Simon Says Stamp sentiment
Hero Arts Bubblegum Shadow Ink

Another Male Birthday

Needed another male birthday card this week and the muted colours in Basic Grey's Carte Postale paper pad seemed just right.  I also used Tim Holtz Gadget Gears die and a Hero Arts sentiment, white embossed.

See you soon with another card!

Ger x