Paper Play - Back to School

Ok, so mine is more finished school than back to school but it's for a guy who's going to be a teacher - so it is back to school in a sense....
"Spring fold" card - embossed with Cuttlebug herringbone folder, it adds gorgeous texture, The tassel came off Marina's cushions (she gave them to me, I didn't go round with my scissors and surreptitiously castrate her scatter cushions). Scroll is a scrap of paper and red ribbon, sticker letter on nestability circle.

paperplay challenge, procrastinating and new rubber

So I should be making 140 wedding invitations but I've run out of little sparkly crystals - I know I have them somewhere but they are eluding me and so rather than face the tedium of insert printing I thought I'd blog instead.
Here's my this weeks paperplay challenge - set by Mandy, she gave us a sketch to work with and I thought I'd use it to show a preview of the new rubber stamp line that crazy crafts will be showcasing. Don't you think Alana is just the cutest and she's homegrown Irish to boot. The card has a nestabilities aperture inset with a cuttlebug panel, the new Morrocan folder - and wow, the new folders are fabulous - all the embossing is so deep and crisp, I'm using them on everything.
The paper is old Sassafrass "In Stitches" and the borders are by - oops I forgot, possibly very old sassafrass now I think about it.
tfl

My poor neglected blog

I'm struggling to find the time to do all I want. Things that get made are last minute and gone, so never see a camera - while other things are piling up - not least 140 wedding invitations for mid week, eek!
The potatoes are being dug and I'm replacing them with purple kale and some green cabbage - I admit I am no gardener but I love going out and then bringing in something we can eat. Other than my spasmodic efforts the slugs, snails and nettles are welcome to the rest of the space, I just invade the wilderness now and again but so far this year we have had radish, lettuce, sorrel, potatoes,carrots, peas, beetroot,runner beans,onions and blackcurrants - the cauliflower and courgettes were a disaster but still it's not too bad for the first attempt by a city girl.
A little flower card I did in the week - the greeting is in the text on the leaves - I thought it was cute. Card base by petaloo.

CRAZY CRAFTS, Ennis are looking for a DESIGN TEAM!

Mary and Bendy at the Ennis based craft store, Crazy Crafts are looking for a design team - I have to say I am over the flippin moon that they have asked me to be part of that team already. They are looking for 4 talented crafters who can each bring their unique style and design to the fore to create beautiful cards, layouts and projects. The requirements are simple - you have to love to craft! Entries are being accepted from any part of the globe, even interglactically - so get the entries rolling in and make it hard for them to choose.
The chosen team members get free craft goodies - Mary and Bendy are currently working hard to bring a brand new line of rubber stamps to Ireland but that's all the info I have for now. Both Bendy and Mary will be at the GBCE in Athlone along with the shop. So if you are interested click the link on the right and you'll find all the info you need on their blog.
later,

cheeky cow

Just a bit late with this weeks paperplay - didn't think I'd get it done at all but I had another train to do and they wanted a cow in the carriage, so I did a quick cow card. Not a lot to say other than - I really must go to bed or I'll meet everyone coming back in the other direction!

baby pram

I'm really enjoying shapes at the moment and I'm half way through a couple of other things but I made this last night, after seemingly hours of trying to get baby to bed. She is a little minx and I think I need Jo Frost to teach me how to get her in a bedtime routine - I react emotionally and too quickly to her crying and so she has me totally sussed now - somedays I don't mind and she only takes half an hour to feed and get to sleep, other nights(and always when I have things to do!), it can take over 2 hours and by the end of it I'm drained.
Anyhow, I cobbled together this little pram using the same build as you go technique as the train (honestly it is easy - I can never find a ruler so there's no measuring or stuff). I started with the a box for a base and then drew around a bowl to make a circle, I cut each circle in half and then folded and glued it together to make - A SEMI CIRCLE! Difficult stuff huh? I took a strip of card wider than the base and cut tabs along both sides then using double sided tape stuck it along each side of the curved part of the semi-circles to make the hood. This was then taped to the base. Nestabiliites made layered wheels and I added a jewel brad to the centre and I curved strips of card over a apray can to make the handles.A little cardboard coverlet with some lace went inside and I lined the hood and covered the exposed tabs with pink gingham card. A bit of embellishing and I was done, just as well as it was way past bedtime - I'm going to rework the handles, I tried using a wooden piece with beads but it was too heavy and I never like the look of the wire ones. The finished pram is just the right size to tuck 3 pairs of newborn socks into or perhaps a baby mini album, if you have time for more creating!
tfl and enjoy the rest of the week.

treating myself

To my first proper day off since Brie was born, she is nearly 10 months now and what with breastfeeding and letting her sleep in my bed (can't get her out of it now though!), I think it's time for a bit of me time. So I booked my class today at the An Siopa Bui Extravaganza next weekend - I'm doing advanced cards with Philomena Sullivan and then a Flowersoft class with Helen and I can't wait. It's practice for the main event - The Great Big Craft Event in Athlone at the end of September, I'm teaching a two hour class using the new Spellbinders dies and nestabilities - my dies should arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed - DHL has them at their depot....all I need is time to play.
Quick anniverary card with the sizzix pop up platform inside, forgot to take a pic of that bit though. duh.

Do I like a challenge?

Well I do and I have the best of intentions but then real life catches up and lately the only cards have been sample invites that take all my time and energy, then come to nothing. I've had nothing left over for "fun" makes.
But by some miracle both my children went to bed by half eight last night and I made this little train with cards. It's a First birthday card for twins - I made congratultaions cards for them last year, they were very premature and I can remember worrying about suitable wording in the circumstances but now they are two bright nearly toddlers and their Aunt, Marie, wanted a special card.
I didn't use a template, I just tried a prototype (the one with A on the front) and then put it together as I went along. It's literally a series of boxes or part boxes for the basic shape and then nestabilities circles for the wheels, cylinder ends and buffers. I made little boxes for carriages and each carriage has a simple monogram card - one for each boy. To package it I made a 2 inch deep box base with 2 card loops that went over the front and back, then wrapped cellophane over the whole thing.I've left it open at the back, as I thought it would be nice to add chocolate buttons or something into the back of the train.
It was a really fun make - dd wants one (of course) - it's her birhtday next month and time permitting my aim is to try a purple one (her fave colour) with Dora the Explorer in the train and Boots and entourage as passengers in the carriages... watch this space.

wild west wedding

Tis been a long time since I blogged but I have been keeping my blog eye on everything! With CHA in the US I have been too busy drooling over peoples creations and making yet more wish lists to actually make anything.
Our friends are getting married in November and are having a wild west themed wedding - Yeeeehaaaa! So here's my first attempt at their wedding invitation - it needs tweaking, I've added real rivets but still think it needs a bit more dimension. The white background is for the photo and not part of the invitation - it's just on a brown mat.

salad days

Not a card to be seen lately - busy trying to keep the slugs at bay - I had an attempt at growing veg this year. The spuds are doing magnificently and I'm waiting patiently for a crop of white floury potatoes but my peas befell the cows from the field next door, they broke through and seemingly bored with grass took the top of my pea patch but there is still a nice crop coming on.
And so to why I have shown you my lunch - this is my first from my garden dinner. The salad leaves, scallion, beetroot and garden mint are all grown by me - the tomato came from a friend's greenhouse and had that gorgeous, warm smell that a tomato should have.
I thought it looked so bright and colourful, I could make it into a card!