Crafting for fun!

 My mind is free of crafty stuff, my list is virtually done, and I can think freely and do what makes me happy! Oh happy days, this does not happen often and really helps my sanity as the other part of my life, the one where I am the "mom" is so full this week of things to do. We have 3 hospital appoitments, 2 parent teacher meetings, Library, Keyboard, Swimming, GP Visit for the teenager, Access for lea and all this along with the normal stuff that mom's do every day! Well at least I can't complain about being bored.

Looking now at the photos I am posting I really should have titled ths blog post "Variations on a theme!" as I think I have gone pink / ruffle mad!  Truely I have something more edgy and "Not me!" to post but the lighting has been so bad most days it's hard to get a good photo of it that makes the colours look right. 

On Sunday night my friend Jacqueiline (Hi hon!) asked if I had a wedding card, I did have one but it was not a special card, just a very normal everyday wedding card.  So I sat down and made her this card using a Pink Paislee collection of papers.  They are about a year old but I have been hording the pink gingham paper and found 2 sheets in an online shop and it killed me to cut into them - but I was brave and I did it! LOL.  Apologies now for strange lighting on these photos - It was late at night, I was tired, and both cards were out the door as soon as they were made so could not wait till daylight!


More ruffles and sewing - you can see I did'nt have to look far into my office to find these tools as they have been in use since the last crop.  On Saturday night (I am such a party animal!) I spent 5 hours cleaning and clearing out my office.  It looked fab for about 24 hours till I made this card - now it looks just like it always has!  Should have taken a photo!

With my little one being so ill over the last 2 weeks (she fine now! but on way to see specialists on Friday YAH!!) I was just wiped out every evening so did'nt get a chance to make my DH's niece Shaunagh a "Special" card.  So I sat down the other night and made this one.  I loved it, loved the style and the papers right up till I had to put the title on the heart bunting - and then I just could not the get alpha size and style to work for me.  So in the end I spent longer on this and ended up colouring them with pro-markers to get a deep dusky pink.

The butterfly is a Spellbinders Die - and it's a lovely 2 part die.

Right - have to practice very hard to be able to be in two places at the same time - any ideas how you can actually do that?!  2 project that need to be photographed, but lighting and dull  skies not working today! 



Class LO!

Morning all - not sure if you girls are still talking to me after the class last night.  I think you all have your ruffle edges done and the flowers underway, so after that the rest will fall into place.  Hope you enjoyed it, I know that I lost my body weight in stress sewing the LO's for you all, I take the responsiblity of making them perfect for you to heart, and was so sorry that the one I sewed for Isabelle ran out of bobbin and then got all gummed up with glue and did't turn out the best!! SORRY!!!

This little fairy is much better - the meds finally worked and she sorted her self out over the last 24 hours.  These photos were snapped in the kitchen while she played with her doll that Auntie Imelda bought her, and she loves her and is the special doll that gets dragged around.  So obviously the dolly might have needed her nappy changed as Lea felt the need to check with her nose!

 I had the need to make to with sympathy cards and used my new Cuttlebug Daisy Quilling die and the new Fiskars Upper Crest border punch to make these cards.  The quilling system is a bit fiddly but worth the effort but I need to do something about my cuttlebug as it's just not working right and I really could do with a new one if anyone is selling theirs!?!?!?!

 This was my second go at the flower - the first one was a casualty of not reading the instructions and ended up in the bin!

Have to share some photos of our trip to the Panto last week - we went on the last day of the shows and OMG it was so much fun.  Lea stayed at home with Daddy, so we got to sit and enjoy the show.  Beauty and the Beast in the Tivoli with Brian Dowling (Ultimate Big Brother winner!) and Alan Hughes.

 Brian playing Bridie..

 Gaston - OMG the best actor and he played his role to a tee!

 Alan Huges as Sammy Sausages, Brian and Thanks a thousand.

 Belle who had a magical voice and the beast!

Caoimhe and her friend were more impressed with the boy band "On the edge" who made an appearance during the final act.  Megan and herself nearly fell off their seats and suddenly became more interested in the show.  We had "Golden Tickets" for a meet and greet and the boys came out to meet the people after the show and they were thrilled to get to meet them and told them they were "Massive!"  Straight home to find them on Facebook and become friends!  All the way home - "Them chungfella's were massive!"

Right have things to do and places to go - have a good weekend, I have 2 LO's to share if I can ever get a moment to finish them.

bye all!

I nearly forgot!

 In my head I had my next blog post all planned, photos and what I was going to say. (yes I am that annoying!) Anyway, I was fiddling around with some photos on my computer and trialling a new system that I can put photos into files on my Mac and then pick them up on either my laptop or office PC - it's called Dropbox. While having a play with the system I realised I had not shared the special Birthday Card that I made for my friends DD who was 18.

In real life this is a lovely little card - lots and lots of handmade flowers with tiny seed pearls in the centre.  The photo does not really do justice to it.  The card was the only thing I had in my hand to give the girl, and this was not quite what I had planned to give her!  A few days prior I gave my teenager an envelope with some money inside to bring to my neighbour's daughter, who works in Brown Thomas (a lovely department store in the city centre).  She is a fab stylish girl, who has a great eye for fashion, and she was going to get me the "perfect" gift for my friends daughter.  3 days later, I received a text from my neighbour who asked was I not interested in getting the gift as she has not received any money from me!!!!  It was just after 12 and I woke my DD who then said that she "Forgot" to bring the money! OMG I was so very cross - so after all the plans to make it right, I still failed.

My DH's niece is also 18 soon and thankfully she only wants money from us to help pay for car insurance - that is so much easier!  Note to self - add her card to the list of those you have to make.

It's been a busy week and I have just finished working on a LO / Wall hanging that I will be teaching at Anna-Marie's crop  next Thursday.  Sneekie peeks here!  But since you twisted  my arm here are two more little snaps!

Last Saturday, while I had a few hours to myself at our monthly crafty crop I finished this LO.  I started it with no photo in mind.   The pack of photos I had taken with me had very few options in it, but I found one of my DD Caoimhe on her Confirmation day.  The photo was taken just before she put her makeup on and changed out of her school uniform - love her fresh face and happy smile.

So that's it for the moment - I will miss my Camera Club night next week in favour of teaching a scrapbooking class.  I've had a really good run, in the last 2 competitions, getting placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th and ahem..... last also in my group!  Nothing like consistency eh!

Right - That's all for the moment folks, we off to the panto on Sunday (without small one! who cried thru it all last year!).  My littlest one is really in a bad way at the moment, being tube fed gives you terrible constipation problems and I have been dealing with it all week long and it's required a trip to the doctors today.  He worried and will be calling to us tomorrow to see her.  She had 2 hospital visits this week, one for her ears and the other to see the psychologists - so it's been busy but last 3 days she has been sitting on my knee and very upset, hopefully tomorrow she will feel a lot better (I pray!).

Thanks for reading!



Getting to 18

I think there should be an award for parent who successfully get their children to the age of 18!  I also think that if you can give birth to a child without an epidural you should have a brand new car outside the door of the hospital with a big bow on it as a reward!  Anyway, my friend Audrey has the most wonderful goodnatured, beautiful daughter and I was asked by her best friend Lizzie to make a book for Rachael for her 18th Birthday.

I chose the Pink Paislee Sweeetness collection for the book, and when Audrey saw me working on it I saw that she was not convinced - but I think she liked the end result.

I wanted to go for a Shabby Chic look on the book, and made the little hand made flowers, and small details to keep the theme.

On the cover I ruched and sewed the ribbon in place on the acetate cover, and attached the lace and ric rack with glue - Hearts were cut from the die cut paper to create the bunting, and I glazed the letters with a Gelly Roll pen.

I am not going to show you the whole book, but bits of the book as there are lots of photos of the girls growing up and they deserve their privacy....

The At 18 page is waiting for my photos of her but as the light and weather has been horrible we will take them soon.





 Ok - It's my first time blogging on the Mac and I've had such a hard time.... This blog post is not nicely laid out, but at this moment I just want to pick it up and throw it out the window....  I will master this new machine if it's the last thing I do LOL!!!  Any tips gratefully received.

I have a card and a LO to share with you, we had a lovely crop day yesterday and I made a card, a LO and started another LO.... So very productive and happy to be in good like minded company.

Will share soon. Ta M