Teacher Appreciation - freebie PDF

 Supplies:  Printable Freebie PDF by Beth Proudfoot, Bassill Basics dotted swiss 

cardstock, Textured cardstock by  Papermania, Fiskars Notebook border punch, 

X-Cut scallop border punch, Tea dye distress ink and blending tool, 

docraft kraft card blanks and adhesive.

 Every teacher deserves treats.  Jennifer McGuire tweeted about these wonderful printable tags by Beth Proudfoot a few weeks ago.  I popped over, downloaded and got creating!.

Here is the link to the post on Beth's blog.

I used my blending tool and tea dye distress ink to aged them a little.

 I know I am going to need a few of these for school end in June, so I am trying to get organised now!.

Thanks for peeking, hope you are having a great day.

Connecting with Creativity - Card Sets

 When I saw this challenge on two peas in a bucket I just knew I had to play along because I love creating card sets.

Supplies:  pp - Hattie Stella Rose by My Minds EyeFiskars Upper Crest Punch, 

Fiskars Notebook top punch, X-Cut corner punch, PTI flower dies, PTI button, embroidery floss, 

clear gems coloured with copics, docraft kraft card blank, 

blending tool and tea dye distress ink.

Lots of punches and dies to make these cards. 

Thanks for peeking, hope you have a great weekend.

Paperplay - Blossoms and Blooms

 Paperplay Challenges day again - where does the week go?  This week's challenge is set by DT Member Rosie and it is "Blossoms & Blooms".

We are very kindly sponsored by Whiff of Joy and the winner will receive a WOF stamp.

 I used an image from Just Inklined and coloured it with copics - printed a second one, coloured, cut a portion of it and layered it on top with dimensional adhesive (pop dots!).

The sentiment is computer generated - Aquarelle font.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope you get a chance to play along with this fun Paperplay challenge this week.

Fluttering by to say Hello!

Supplies:  Winged Friends - Hero Arts Digital kit, Create with TLC sentiment, docrafts white card blank, copics and pop dots.

Some real quick Clean and Simple Cards today.  

I had some printed, cut and coloured "winged friends" sitting on my desk and decided to use them up to create a couple of cards.

Printed the sentiment directly onto the card blank and then added the "flutterbies and winged friends".

Sending prayers to those affected by the recent torandoes and flooding.

Challenges
A Spoon Full of Sugar - Things with wings
2 sisters challenge blog - Use a digi
Less is More - Butterfly/Butterflies

Thanks so much for peeking and thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy Birthday to my nine year old!

 Happy Birthday to my 9 year old!
This photo was taken when we arrived home from the hospital back in 2002 - where does the time go?

Spot the missing teeth!  Happy Birthday
He got a tweet (via me!) from "Hector on 2fm" this morning before going to school and he was soooo happy!

Welcome to Ireland - President Obama.  Air Force One touched down in Dublin this morning at 9.30 am and he is spending the day in Ireland on a bi-lateral visit.

Want to see some good photos of President Obama- keep an eye on The White House Flickr photostream here.  Hopefully they will post some of  his visit to Ireland.

Breaking news is covering his arrival here.  Coverage also available on RTE Player - here.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Happy 2nd Birthday to Waltzingmouse Stamps

 Did you know that Waltzingmouse Stamps are turning TWO tomorrow - 21st May.    Claire Brennan the owner of WMS is throwing a "tea party".  Full deets are here.  Still some time to play..... free templates available to make what you are bringing to the party.

I used the freebie teabag baggie template and created this fun summery pink baggie for my donation to the "tea party".  I decorated the back of the baggie too but forgot to take a photo in my haste to post it before the deadline.

I also stamped and coloured extra flowers to layer on top of the original stamped images (photo above). 

 Supplies:  WMS freebie tea bag baggie template, WMS Free Spirit Boy (flowers), 

WMS Holiday Label No 14, Spellbinders Labels 14 die, WMS 

Vintage Ornaments - With love sentiment, Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, 

pop dots, Memriemare Ribbon - Etsy, Black & pink cardstock - Folia, 

White textured cardstock - Papermania, Scor-pal, Copics RV02 RV04 and RV23.

I had some much fun creating this for the "tea party".  Thanks so much for peeking and a HUGE congrats to Claire and all the DT over on Waltzingmouse Stamps for lots of fun, inspiration and amazing products over the past two years.  

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for stopping by.

The Queen visits Cashel, Coolmore and Cork

Okay... I've been missing.... and I am gone again.. off to view the TV coverage of Her Majesty The Queen visiting Cork.

Some photos of her State Visit to Ireland are here.  

I don't think I am going to try to get to see her.  Lots of road closures and access issues.  

She is visiting the Old English Market in the heart of the City this afternoon.  It is one of the oldest of it's kind - a market since 1788.  I popped in there yesterday - lots of trees in planters looks like Westminister Abbey did for a recent wedding!.

Busy trying to get my "tea party" entry done for the Waltzingmouse Stamps 2nd Birthday celebrations tomorrow.  Byyyyyyeeee!

Another Thank you Card

I seem to be on a roll with Thank you cards at the moment!.

I used some Kaisercraft chipboard shapes that I had in my stash to create this quick and easy card.

Ran the kraft through my Big Shot using the stylised flowers embossing folder.  Then matted and layered some Folia cardstock and added an SRM thanks sentiment on top.  

Thanks so much for peeking.

Thanks - using packaging!

Supplies:  Tim Holtz Trimmings Packaging, Crackle Accents - 

Ranger Industries,  HA Thanks sentiment, Staz on ink, Distress Ink - 

Walnut stain and tea dye - Ranger, Blending tool, Papermania blue/aqua 

textured cardstock, 7gypsies clip, Fiskars Upper Crest punch, Docrafts Kraft 

card blank, Fiskars notebook border punch, pop dots and adhesive.

You will all very readily recognise Tim Holtz's flourish on the card above.  This is the backing from one of the packets of goodies I purchased recently that I decided to reuse!.  I inked around the edges, added crackle accents to the flourish, set aside to dry, assembled the rest of the card and love how it turned out.

I am entering it into the Inspiration Emporium Monthly Challenge - packaging!  Check out the Inspiration Journal for full deets here.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a wonderful day.

New Irish Crafting Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More irish crafts

Congrats to Nicole and Timi on this Issue One of their new online magazine.  

I got happy post!

I got this wonderful happy card from Chelsea this morning.  She decided to participate in the May CCC organised by Deborah and Vicky over on Lily Pad Cards and I got this!!! Woohooo!!!

It is just the cutest - thank you so much Chelsea. 

Hello Friend

Supplies:  Daler Rowney Bristol Board cardstock, Daffodils Digi - Jane Beljo, 

SRM Sticker, buttons from stash, embroidery floss, copics, 

kraft card blank - docrafts, pop dots and Spellbinders - Labels Eight.

I had this image coloured on my desk for quite a while, decided to run it through my Big Shot and make a quick and easy card.  You can purchase the digi here - Squigglefly.  I added buttons with floss and adhered to card base with pop dots.   I love this digi and have used it before here.

Thanks for peeking - hope the start to your week is going great.

Paperplay - Celebrate Summer now "Anything Goes"

Because Blogger ate my homework - literally!! ... I am reposting my Paperplay post from last Thursday.  This week's challenge on Paperplay was "Celebrate Summer" but due to the blogger issues late last week it has been changed to "Anything Goes".

We are sponsored this week by Meljens Designs and I used a freebie digi with a TLC sentiment on my card.

Thanks for peeking and I hope you get a chance to play along - full deets and DT inspiration is here.  Happy Monday!

Sending warm fuzzies

Supplies:  HA Friend Definition, HA Large Open Flower, HA Solid Flower, 

HA Everyday Sayings, BasicGrey Olivia Woolies, Faded Jeans - 

Distress Ink, clear embossing powder, Versamark ink, Kraft cardstock, 

heat gun, adhesive and machine stitching.

I always loved this fun sentiment by Hero Arts and was thrilled when it was included in the Everyday Sayings set CL342 recently released.  I stamped the Friend Definition with versamark and clear embossed.  I then used the blending tool to create layers of colour over the definition and then stamped the Flowers on top.  I let it dry, cut in four and machine stitched to my card.  I added the sentiment strip and woolies to finish.

I am entering this into this month's Hero Arts Challenge - the theme is Fabulous Flowers and ATC's.

Thanks for peeking, hope you are having a good day.

Having a bad hair day?

Remember the photo of the baby robin's in the nest that I posted last week?  

Well lookie lookie... they flew the nest on Saturday morning and when we returned home they were happily hopping around the garden.  It is so lovely to hear their little chirps and the responses of Mom and Dad.  I managed to track down two today so hope the other two are doing as well.

I managed to move in to photograph this little cutie.  I lay down flat! on the very very damp grass and edged my way in very quietly.  I just think the baby feathers sticking out at funny angles are hilarious!.

Hope you have a great week and enjoy this photo as much as I do.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy Mother's Day - USA

Supplies:  HA digital kit - Skyland Birds, Spellbinders dies, 

textured cardstock by Papermania, washi tape (gift from Jane Beljo), copics, 

gems from stash, pp received from Lucy Abrams, PTI Sentiment  and 

white card blank.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone celebrating in the USA today.  Especially to our dear friends in Chicago - hugs to all you Moms.  Thinking of you and sending lots of love.

I used the wonderful Hero Arts Skyland Birds digi kit for this card - the birds had been cut out and were sitting on my desk waiting to be used!  Came across this wonderful pp that Lucy Abrams had sent to me in some blog candy I won, well over a year ago.  I decided to colour the birds and put a card together.

Thanks for peeking and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy Mother's Day

Supplies:  HA H3257 Real Salvia stamp, glitter butterfly from Cathy Fong, 

PTI sentiment, Papermania gems, pp We R Memory 

Keepers Hippity Hoppity Range, machine stitching, 

Carson orange cardstock, pop dots, Faber Castell PITT 

artist pen big brush.

Did you see the recent video that Jennifer McGuire showed us the new Faber Castell Big Brush markers?  Check it out here.  I was very kindly given two to try out/demo.... and I must admit I love them.  I used the black one here on the Hero Arts Real Salvia stamp which I inked up and stamped on white cardstock.  I added colour to the stamped image by using pale green gems and a glitter butterfly.

I really liked the result and see myself buying more of these to "play" with!   Jennifer - stop enabling!! LOL!!!

Entering this into this month's Hero Arts Challenge.

Thanks for peeking, hope you are having a great weekend. 

Thank you for your friendship

Supplies:  Hero Arts Friend Definition Stamp, HA Large Open Flower, 

HA Everyday sayings, clear embossing powder, Adirondack Acrylic paint dabber -

sunshine yellow, Distress inks - spiced marmalade, barn door and fired brick, 

heat gun, red cardstock - Canson, A6 card blank by Anita's and adhesive.

The Card Chain Challenge (CCC) that Deborah used to run has moved over to Lily Pad Cards and has a couple of changes.  Now you must make your card, post the link and then you are entered.  

This month I followed the "theme" - friendship and decided to stay away from the sketch or colour palette.  Normally I would try and incorporate more than one aspect in my card but in order to meet the May 6th deadline - this is my card.  Lot going on this week!

I am also entering it into this month's challenge over on Hero Arts - Fabulous Flowers and ATC's.

Hope you are having a great Tuesday - won't be around much this week but will get caught up next week - I promise.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

What a way to start May!!!! Baby Robins!

So exciting to find little ones nesting in the garden.  Whilst standing at the kitchen sink in recent weeks I had seen robin's flying towards the back door but it wasn't until I saw them with worms in their beaks that I realised there must be little ones about!.

Enjoying the sunshine in the back garden last week I quietly sat and observed the Mom and Dad flying with food to feed their young.  I took a peek and captured the shot above... I thought there were three little babies... 

Then I counted the beaks in this shot and realised that there were four beaks - no wonder "Mum and Dad" were so busy with four little beaks to feed.

Then imagine my amazement when I counted six beaks in this shot!!!! (taken yesterday evening) aren't they just the cutest?  Looking forward to having little fledlings in the garden over the coming 7/10 days.

Thanks so much for peeking, hope you are having a terrific weekend.