Playing along....

Gosh - who knew I would enjoy scrapbook challenges!  WOW, its a surprise for me!  Last Saturday we went to a family day in Clontarf and there was a long walk between the fun things to do.  So we walked the full length of the Seafront from Hollybrook Road to Vernon Avenue and along the way I got the two small girls to pose for me in the shelters, and the colour of Lea's top matched the colour in the shelter quite by accident.

On Monday morning I took delivery of a Grab Box from Handmade Hannah, and the box was stuffed to the top with lovely stash, and there was a range of papers from The Girls Paperie which I adored.  So I printed the photo, played with the TH bird cage that I had used at a crop and had cut 2 which no real plans for them but this LO just came together over a few sessions and I think it just might be the favourite of all time.

For those of you who know Lea - she is very strong willed, a little firecracker who looks so calm and beautiful but OMG has the most terrible temper and knows how to cry and scream! (but we love her to bits!)

 The journalling is quite short, but it does get to the point and uses the word ADMIRE which is part of Bird is the Word challenge.

 Kinda fun that I used a bird too!  Hey - whats a cage without a bird to put into it!

 I cut a strip of the paper and weaved it thru the cord to make it look like a vine growing up the cord.

 I gave the Birdcage some dimension and I love the effect it gives - Think this one might stay out on display, can't bare the thought if it getting squashed in my albums.

I cut some of the birdcages from the paper and mounted them on foam to give them some added dimension.

Last week I was having some Blah days, just busy with nothing nice happening, so I stood in front of the mirror and told myself that something nice was going to happen.  The two days gave me two really good reasons to smile, the first was that I got promoted in Camera Club and the second was to do with the wedding that I photographed recently!  So I guess that Power of Positive Thinking stuff does work!

Father's Day card and gift....

This is no help to you all, but for next year it might give you a little inspiration.  I cannot take any credit for the gift idea, I was browsing a site called Not on the High Street and I found this frame.  It was going for mad money and I thought it was a cute idea.  I also remembered that I had a bag of these Scrabble style tiles that have been in my stash for years, so in about 15 mins I had the gift made (Shhh, don't tell Eamonn and it only took minutes!)

Spare patterned paper from my scrap bag, spare cardstock and I cut a small white strip and butted the edges together to provide a frame to the word section.  The tiles are stuck on top of the plastic/glass section of the frame from Ikea for silly small money!  Easy and quick!

(Oh! sorted the dark photo - Sorry it was very bright in the kitchen and of course I was taking the photos the minute before I was wrapping it and then delivering it with a cooked breakfast on Sunday morning)....

This is the card that I made with the corrugated card that I recycled from a delivery I received.  Love the stuff!  I had cut the DAD and computer printed the sentiment.

Last few days have been so amazing.  Thank you so much for all the comments, I have very little spare time at the moment so I will get around to visiting all your blogs and returning the compliments.  I was very excited that my card was selected by Melissa Frances, but to see it showcased on their blog was just the most amazing thing.  Hopefully it will spur me on to have a little more confidence in my hobby and try to put myself "out" there a bit more.

A very humble and heartfelt thanks again!  Michellexxxx

Oh! Pinch me I must be dreaming!

I knew this was coming, but I thought it would be tomorrow and I got such a shock when I realised that it was today that I was being featured on the Melissa Frances Blog.  So really - Pinch me as I must be having that nap that I promised myself after singing my heart out at Take That (aka The Robbie Williams Show!) last night.  Two highs in 24 hours - too old for this sort of excitement!

This is the card that they are featuring -

My happy place....

We have a very casual group of crafters who meet up to crop on the second Saturday of the month.  I don't always get there, due to family commitments, my photography, camera club, but when I do it is so lovely to be spending the day with the girls, chatting and scrapping.

Now packing for the crop is a problem for me - I stand in the office, and I start putting things into the bags and keep adding and adding till the bags are full, and I am not sure whats in there, but in my sad mind I need everything and have probably left the thing I needed the most at home.  So last Saturday, I got to spend the day with the "girls" and I arrived with my 2 huge bags and still ended up asking "anyone got gray cardstock, or a mini mister" - so have to get better at packing for crops.  I also arrived with no photos to scrap, and when I had a good rummage around in the bag I found this photo of my Mother In Law on her wedding day.  At the same time I saw one of the girls had brought her Tim Holtz dies and the idea for the Lo just came together.

I used 2 TH dies, the sewing one and the Tattered Florals that I just got for a bargain from a crafter who was selling theirs.  Some of the girls were finishing their 3rd and 4th LO and there I was still faffing around with this one.  Takes me ages, I have to go slowly, agonise about everything and try and make it perfect.  Again when I came home as there was a sewing theme on the LO I wanted to sew on the edges and the Bl00** sewing machine threw a wobble and just kept skipping stitches, getting stuck and snapping the thread.

 My little one was 3 last Sunday, we took her out for dinner (a bit of a laugh as she does not eat and has a stomach feeding system that we feed her thru tubes at night) to TGI Fridays, she loved standing on the chair and they sang Happy Birthday to her.  On Tuesday I invited some of the mums around with her friends for a little tea party.  The night before I made Brownies, and two different lots of cookies, and then after I cleaned up I went to the office and had an idea about making a string of bunting (a bit obsessed with it at moment!) and I remembered I had a few sets of Crate Paper, Paper Dolls left over, and I cut the sheets up, arranged them, and then sewed them in place using Seam binding.  After I added some of the stickers on the plain flags, it made a lovely addition to the kitchen and I love it!



After cutting the bunting out I was left with small pieces, not enough to do anything with so I punched flowers with 2 types of punches and sewed them in a string and lay this out on the party table - not the best photo but you get the idea! (It was only a small tea party, so not much on the table!)

Here is a snap of the little madam at her party - she was so excited and had great fun!  I will dress her up and get some better photos of her but the day was very busy for me, and photography took a back seat to being the party mom!

Exam time!

I still wake up in a pool of sweat at times thinking of the Leaving Cert exams.  Mostly the dreams would be about my Irish and German tests where I just looked at the papers and could not even understand the questions!  I suppose there is someone out there that can deciper what the dream means, but really I am so very happy those days are gone and it's not me doing the exams!

When I sat down to do these cards I had an idea that I might find a digital kit and do a hybrid card, so I searched the net for some exam themed digital kits and could find none!  That left me in a bit of a muddle but after a quick scoot thru my stash I made a decision and these cards fell into place.

Blah! These images look blurry but are crystal clear from my original file!  Anyway you get the idea.

Cuttlebug star embossing folder, Nestabilities stars die, titles computer generated, seam binding from Ribbon girl, and border punch Fiskars.

These cards are for my niece Shaunagh and my friends daughter Rachael - hope they like.  Good luck girls!



Altered Candle - step by step!

Hi

I've come down with a sinus infection and feel mega yuck - sleeping is not an option as I just cannot breath when I lay down, so I am up and at it, but creepy pains, sore throat and flowing nose that makes me sound like a 90 yr old man when I try to blow it!  Lovely eh!! 

Really need to be well for today as I have a press pass to Bloom in the park in the Phoenix Park - it's a gardening show and I cannot wait as I really love my garden and love taking photos so the two together is just mega!

Here is the altered candle that I made as part of my DT work with Fiskars, and a step by step on how to make it.  Jump over and have a look at how it was made and leave me a comment.  Had some mega good news a few days ago, but will have to keep it secret for a while!  End of June I should be able to share with you!