Paperplay - Anything but a card

So the challenge this week on Paperplay is "Anything but a card!"

We are very kindly sponsored by La La Land.  Check out all the details and DT creations here.

The flower I made uses the Tattered Florals die by Tim Holtz.  I used an old French - English Dictionary for the petals.  I added some Papermania coloured gems in the centre.  I glued it together using glossy accents.  I needed the flower to cover a sticker on the packaging I was recycling!

Covered the other packaging sticker with Fancy Pants Designs - "Delight" collection patterned paper which I stamped on with a Waltzingmouse Stamps "say it loud" set.

 

 Close up of the packaging.

Fun! Tim Holtz Flower using an old dictionary - gems in the flower centre.

Mini Album close ups.

Made a mini meander album to co-ordinate.  The tutorial to make this little creation is on the SRM blog here.

Thanks so much for peeking.  Hope you have a great weekend.

Congratulations Card

Supplies:  MME - Lime Twist pp, heart shaped fimo button made by me!,  

JSL digital image, sentiment - WMS, XCut scallop border punch, embroidery floss, 

pop dots, copics and adhesive.

This weeks' challenge on Just Some Lines Saturday Challenge is "spotty dotty".

I used a fun digital image by JSL for this Congratulations Card. 

Short post today - kidlets finish school tomorrow for the summer holidays and trying to get all last minute errands done! Woohooo! May not be around blogland over the coming months (July/August) so I apologise in advance but will make it up to everyone on my return in September!.  So much happening and hopefully the weather will be nice and we will all be outdoors.

Happy Summer to everyone.

Thanks for peeking.  Hope you are having a good week.

A Day for Daisies - Pastels no pink

Supplies:  A Day for Daisies - digi image (freebie last week), 

AC ribbon, vintage buttons from stash, Aqua cardstock - Folia, 

copics, stickles - diamond, adhesive, pop dots.

I adore A Day for Daisies wonderful digital images.  They are so delicate and adorable.  This was the freebie available last week and I used it to make a card for this week's challenge - "Pastels but no pink"!.  I kept my colour palette to a monochromatic look rather than mix a range of pastels.  I used aqua (pale green) as my foundation.

Thanks so much for peeking and be sure to check out the ADFD website here.

Happy 21st Birthday

Supplies:  Pink Paislee Soiree Collection - pp, stick pin, labels and die cut, 

8x8 Card Blank, SRM sentiment stickers, Fiskars Crest Border punch, 

machine stitching, gems from stash, Silver stick pin by Oasis, 

AC Thickers adhesive and pop dots.

Don't know if I ever made a 21st Birthday Card before! How strange is that?  I was lucky enough to win an amazing package from Pink Paislee over on Moxie Fab World a while ago and have been just staring at it for weeks! unopened!

 I dug it out last night and created this large (8x8) 21st card using my sewing machine, stick pins and my go to sticker company - SRM.

Challenges

Wee Memories - Party time

 Hope you all have a terrific week - Online Card Class starts today - so exciting.

Thanks a "latte"

Supplies: 5x7 printable freebie by Jamie Carter (eighteen25), 

Caribbean Baker's twine by The Twinery, coffee sleeve from Starbucks, 

Aqua cardstock by Folia, stapler, pop dots and purple cows guillotine.

We are all looking for thank you gifts for teachers/helpers/coaches etc. at this time of the year.

I came across a very very fun blog on Wednesday - Eighteen25 with these adorable cards - thanks a "latte" with a printable freebie available here.  The girls over on Eighteen25 have full instructions on how to assemble.

I decided to scale the printout and put 4 on an A4 sheet and ran through my colour printer - it worked a treat.  Still room for the gift card to be slid into place behind the coffee sleeve (but warning - it will obscure a little of the sentiment! at the top and bottom) but it was worth the downsizing as I need to make a few of these!.

Thanks for peeking, hope you like this idea as much as I did.  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Ocean to City Race 2011

First Place - Harbour/Landscape Category (above) 

Second Place - Sports Category

Ocean to City Race 2011 - what is it?

A gruelling 15 mile/24 km row from Crosshaven - out to the mouth of the Harbour (Roches Point) around two navigational buoys and then back up the River Lee to the City. 

Some boats didn't follow this track but headed straight up the River from the start line in Crosshaven (depends on the boat/class).

When did it take place?

Saturday 4th June, 2011

What type of boats are in the photos above?

The boats above are currachs (spelt Curach in Irish).  Currachs are an Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal hides/skins were once stretched, though now they are made with canvas.

You can see in the photo above the sun shining through the "skin" of the currach revealing the wooden frame.

Currachs are called naomhógs in Cork and Kerry and a "canoe" in West Clare.  Depending on where they are built they size/design/shape can vary.

 

 Stuck in the Mud! Waiting for the start - Currabinny Pier (above)
 

(above) One of the fun images from the day - Dragon Boat!

This year the Ocean to City Race organisers held a photo competition on the day with three categories - Harbour/Landscape, Sports/Action and  Faces/Images of the Day.  They awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category and I was lucky enough to win two prizes (details at the top under my winning shots!) Woohoo!!! So thrilled.

 The winning photos will be on display in Cork City Library from 4 - 8 July.

Hope you enjoyed my captures of the day - the sun shone and over 200 boats took part.  All participants utilised the wonderful amenity on our doorstep - Cork Harbour, which, is the second largest natural harbour in the world.

Thanks for peeking - hope you have a wonderful day.

Stars & Stripes Birthday

 Supplies:  MME pp - Lime Twist, American Crafts Rascal Stamp set, 

Spellbinders dies, Stickles Diamond, Glossy Accents, AC Thickers, Bazzill Basics 

dotted swiss, Papermania ink - red, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, 

adhesive and 6x6 Card Blank.

You may have spotted on Paperplay Challenges yesterday that the challenge is Stars & Stripes!. 

Here is another card made along the same theme!

This card uses Stars and Stripes in a Birthday Card for my nephew.  Used lots of American Crafts and new papers from My Minds Eye on this creation.

Thanks for peeking and I hope you get a chance to play along with us this week.

Paperplay - Stars & Stripes

Supplies:  Just Some Lines digital image (sponsor), freebie sentiment 

by Marit Meijer, October Afternoon pp, polymer clay buttons - 

made my me!, Bristol Board by Daler Rowney, X-Cut 

scallop border punch, embroidery floss and copics.

Paperplay Challenges time again!  Where do the two weeks go?  Team B did an amazing job last week with "On The Beach" and this week the challenge is "Stars & Stripes".

I decided to make a cheery hello using "Stars & Stripes" with a freebie sentiment by Marit Meijer - Thanks Marit.

I adore this fun digi by "Just Some Lines" - who are this week's sponsors.

Hope you get a chance to play along with us this week.  Thanks for peeking.

Congratulations Card

Supplies: MME - pp, X-cut scallop border punch, Martha Stewart loopy punch, 

Ocean tides cardstock and buttons by PTI, Mami Doodles Rose digi, 

SRM sentiment sticker, machine stitching, pop dots, embroidery floss and white gel pen.

My Sister in Law requested a Congratulations Card for a family relative who has just qualified to represent her centre in the "Rose of Tralee" in August.  It had to feature a rose right?!

Here's what I came up with!  Am loving this new pp by My Minds Eye.  The rose is a digi by Elisa over on Mami Doodles.  Entering this into the Gallery Idol 2011 Open Auditions too!.

Thanks for peeking.

For some BUNNY special!

Supplies:  Jane's Doodles Digi - Boris the Bunny, BG pp - Basics Manila Paper Pad, 

Folia kraft cardstock, freebie sentiment by Marit, Ranger Black Enamel, 

machine stitching, 6x6 card blank, copics, stickles - diamond 

Spellbinders scalloped circles LG, Quickutz cookie 

cutter circle dies and glossy accents (nose).

My FLICKR friend Jane Beljo has just launched a new store/blog called Jane's Doodles.  You will know that I am a HUGE fan of Jane's creations.  She had an amazing blog hop yesterday and if you missed it be sure to start here at her blog.

I spotted over on BasicGrey Challenges that the challenge this week is a colour challenge - Hot Pink, Lime Green and Brown/Kraft.  I just knew I had to take part and use one of Jane's Digi's - Boris the Bunny (available on Squigglefly).  

I created eyelashes on Boris!! To do this I used black enamel by Ranger and a pin to "pull" the lashes out from the blob, I mean of course the artfully created eye!.

I paired it with a fun freebie sentiment from Marit Meijer available here.  Thank you Marit!

Challenges

Squigglefly - Use your favourite Squigglefly image

BasicGrey Challenges - colour challenge

Thanks so much for stopping by and peeking and do feel free to leave me a comment - I love reading them all.

Happy Father's Day

 

 Supplies:  Freebie digital image - Eric Dull - Operation Write Home, 

MME Lime Twist - Out of the Blue pp, 6x6 card blank, Bazzill Basics Kraft paper, 

Fiskars upper crest border punch, textured blue cardstock - Papermania, 

copics, BG Jovial buttons, Bristol Board by Daler Rowney, 

adhesive, pop dots and computer generated sentiment.

I never managed to post a card yesterday to wish all the Dad's a very Happy Father's Day - oppsss!  

Huge congrats to Rory McIlroy on winning the US Open yesterday - the entire country was shouting for him.

Quick card share today - I have a package of cards ready to go off to Operation Write Home so I used a freebie digi available here for this card.  

Don't know about OWH - check out the website here for further information.

Challenges
Stamp n Doodle - Masculine Theme/no flowers
Stamping Scrapping Challenge - Red, White and Blue

Thanks for peeking, hope you have a great week.

Try a new technique!

 Supplies:  Digi - Vintage Baby Bunting by A Day for Daisies, 

MME pp - Stella Rose Hazel Collection, pink textured cardstock by 

Papermania, Bristol Board by Daler Rowney, PTI sentiment, Memento 

Black Tuxedo Ink, Machine Stitching, white card blank and pop dots.

This week's challenge over on "A Day for Daisies" is to try a new technique.

  I decided to use the ADFD digital image without any colour rather than my usual full colour!.  So I printed this adorable baby image and put it on a very bright coloured pink textured cardstock.

I then machine stitched it to the pp, added the sentiment and adhered the image on top using pop dots.

Thanks so much for peeking.

Monster Thanks!

Supplies:  Digital image - Fluffy by Tales from Pollycraft, Orange cardstock - Folia, 

Bazzill Basics - dotted swiss kraft, Sentiment - Pollycraft and Hero Arts, 

white gel pen, copics, scissors and pop dots.

As you know - I love ORANGE! - so I had fun colouring and making this card.  Used the fun monster - "Fluffy" by Tales from Pollycraft.  Added the "Monster" sentiment from this set and the "Thanks" from a Hero Arts set.

I was spotlighted on The Paper Variety for my Masculine Birthday Card - woohoo!

Challenges
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz - Favourite Colour

Thanks for peeking.  Hope you have a wonderful day.

Paper Crafts Magazine - Gallery Idol 2011

Supplies:  MME Lime Twist pp, PTI sentiment, textured lime green 

cardstock - Papermania, BasicGrey button - Jovial range, embroidery floss, 

adhesive, white card blank, memento black tuxedo ink and  X-Cut scallop border punch. 

Have you heard about this amazing competition?  

Pop over to Paper Crafts Connection and find all the details here.

So at this moment it's Open Auditions time and the theme is "Congratulations!".  You have until July 4th to post your Congratulations card in the Gallery here.

Thanks for peeking.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Paperplay - Father's Day/Man's Card

Supplies: pp - Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride Collection, Digital Image - freebie from
Glamourie here,American Crafts Thickers, Dad Harley Sign sentiment 
- freebie from Bird's Cards, copics, pop dots, Folia Black Cardstock
and a Tall Card Blank.

Today is Thursday, so it's Paperplay Challenges Day.  This week we would like you to make Father's Day/Man's Cards or LO as your challenge.

We are sponsored by Love to Stamp this week - our own DT member's Angie Hunt's new store.
Be sure to check it out.

I wish I had taken another photo of this card.... the Thickers are actually glittered - but just have a subtle glitter given that they are black.  I hand cut the sentiment and raised it on pop dots over the card.

The sentiment and image are both freebies and the links/details are in the "supplies" section above.

I hope you get a chance to play along with us this week.  Check out all the fabulous DT creations here.

Challenges
The Stamping Boutique - Men Only
The Paper Variety - For the Guys

Thanks so much for stopping by and peeking.  Have a great day.

Good Luck - Day Three

Supplies:  MME - Stella Rose Collection pps, Computer generated font - Carrotflower, 

Hero Arts K5059 Big Owl, Memento - tuxedo black ink, copics, adhesive, machine stitching, 

6x6 card blank, prima flower and clear gem coloured with copic.

Today is the day that all Irish students sitting the Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate State Exams dread!.  Today is DAY ONE..... and their first paper starts at 9.30 am this morning.

I had to make some special Good Luck Cards - top one is for our neighbour and babysitter.  Wishing her all the very, very best today and for the rest of her exams.  This card is really fun in real life!  Don't know what the sunshine is doing with my camera!  I used ledger type pp for the owl's "top coat" and coloured random feathers with RV23.

The one below is for my God daughter and niece Ciara.  

Best of Luck Ciars - break a leg!.

Supplies:  MME - Stella Rose Collection pp, Computer generated font - Carrotflower, 

Hero Arts K5059 Big Owl, Memento - tuxedo black ink, copics, adhesive, machine stitching, 

6x6 card blank, prima flower and clear gem coloured with copic.

Thanks so much for peeking.  Hope Day One goes really well for all students.

Waltzingmouse - CASE Competition

Supplies:  WMS Free Spirit Boy, WMS Free Spirit Sentiments, MME pp - Stella Rose,

X-Cut scallop border punch, black textured cardstock - Papermania, 

Bazzill Basics dotted swiss in kraft, BG button - Jovial, pop dots, memento black 

tuxedo ink and Tim Holtz distressing tool.

Shock Horror... two posts in one day...... just have to enter this competition! and some other fun challenges.

I knew I had to take part in this fun Copy and Share Everything Competition on Waltzingmouse Stamps as soon as I read about it during the last SOAP day last week.  This set - Free Spirit Boy is one of my faves and has proven to be my "go to" set whenever I need a manly card!.

I adored what Kate Whelan made here (loved how clean and graphic the design was) and while I didn't create my own pp - I used the ideas to create the card above.

Challenges
Critter Sketch Challenge - Let's get Krafty
The Kraft Journal - It's a guy thing
Crafting for all seasons - Father's Day

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

Good Luck - Day Two

Supplies:  Scalloped A6 Card blank - papermania, MME Stella Rose pp, Bazzill Basics 

kraft cardstock, Papermania textured cardstock, Hero Arts Apple LP125,  
WMS Free Spirit Sentiments,Papermania gems, black machine stitching, 
memento black tuxedo ink and pop dots.

Quick and easy card share - used a pre cut scalloped card blank as my base.  Cut the pp and layered the textured cardstock on top, machine stitched with black thread.

Stamped the apple on kraft and cut out.  Stamped the sentiment, adhered apple using pop dots for added dimension.  Then to finish I added three tiny pink gems to the apple.

Challenges
Wee Memories - Free for all/anything goes

Thanks for peeking - pop back tomorrow for Day Three of my Good Luck Cards!

Good Luck - Day One

Supplies:  WMS Free Spirit Boy, WMS Free Spirit Sentiments, Glossy Accents, 

PTI Dark Chocolate ink, PTI Dark Chocolate cardstock, Distress inks - 

tea dye and walnut stain, blending tool, glossy accents and water.

I had fun creating these "boy" Good Luck Cards.  This week the State Exams start for Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate students and I seem to have lots of recipients on my list this year.

I used this fun set from Waltzingmouse stamps - Free Spirit Boy and Free Spirit Sentiments to create these two cards. 

I added glossy accents to the skater on the top card and to some of the circles/dots in the graphic design.  Then I added some drops of water on top of the inked image and the water erased the ink directly under it.  I then used a rag to lift the remaining water so the paper wouldn't warp.  It has a "bleaching" effect - which I like.

Supplies:  WMS Free Spirit Boy, WMS Free Spirit Sentiments, Glossy Accents, 

PTI Dark Chocolate ink, PTI Dark Chocolate cardstock, Distress inks - tea dye 

and walnut stain, blending tool, glossy accents and water.

Thanks for peeking - hope you will enjoy my three days of "Good Lucks!"  - Be sure to pop back tomorrow for some more Good Luck Cards.

Things to do this weekend - Cork City

So much happening this Bank Holiday Weekend in Cork and it's environs.

Firstly there is An Rás Mór - Ocean to City Race today that is raced over 24km of river from the mouth of the harbour to the City.  This starts at 13.00 from the Roches Point with lots of viewing points along the 24km stretch of river.

Full itinerary of events on Race Day and Sunday are here.

I am just about to grab my camera and go get some photos of boats and racers - will post some later if I manage to capture some fun ones!

Tomorrow, Sunday there is a photo shoot/launch for the Where's Wally - Cork Record Attempt which is taking place on Sunday June 12th at the Street Performance World Championships 2011 in Fitzgerald's Park.

 Love your Park Weekend -  Fota Wildlife Park.

Lots to do, sun shining... off to have some fun!  Hope you have a great weekend too.

Freebie by Nina Brackett

Supplies:  Digital image and sentiment by Nina Brackett, MME Stella Rose pp, 

Fiskars Crest border punch, PTI button, embroidery floss and copics.

I love what Nina Brackett aka Crafting in Croatia creates.  She also has some amazing freebies on her blog.  Thank you Nina.  I used the one above that she created to honour her Grandma.

I grew up with lots of hydrangea's in the garden - and one was a beautiful blue obviously due to the soil's pH!  Living next to the sea/salt water obviously didn't encourage some things to grow but the hydrangea's loved the conditions. Here's a photo I took in my parents garden in 2007.

I paired the image (coloured with copics) with pp from My Mind's Eye - Stella Rose Hattie Collection.  I also added a PTI Ocean Tides button with some embroidery floss.

Thanks so much for peeking and I hope you have a wonderful day.  Summer has arrived here in Ireland with temperatures expected to hit the mid 20's today and tomorrow.  So in case I am not in blogland I will be in summerland!

"Published" in scrapbooking.com

I am "published" in this month's issue of Scrapbooking.com - check out the full article here.  Thanks Jami and all the team at Scrapbooking.com.

What a great way to start a Wednesday and a new month.  Woohoo!