Decorated Candle

When I saw that "Just us Girls" had a decorated candle sleeve challenge I couldnt resist entering this candle.  If only you could smell the clove/christmassy scent!  I have wrapped it in Prima North Country paper and added some of my own embroidered snowflakes.  Sniffing happily as I type...
Ger x

Happy Christmas to all my friends in Blogland and Card No 25

This is the Christmas card for Liam, my other half.  Just an embossed Christmas tree mounted on Kraft card.  The only tricky bit was treading the ribbon around the edges.  He was/is delighted with it.  Now, I'm off to put manners on the turkey!
Hope everyone has a peaceful, relaxed Christmas and that Santa did his best!
Ger x

Christmas Eve Countdown - 2 cards and a Tag!

 The tree is my way of using up all those bits of scallops that were left over from other projects.  The Gingerbread men are my felty snippets.

 Another card using the Inca candle/holly stamp.

This tag was made from the cover of a MME 12 x 12 pad.  You know how the covers show samples of the papers?  I just cut them out and used them.  Well, you pay for the cover too!  Various scraps and trims were added.
Entering this in Anything Goes Anything but a Card (Optional Tags for Christmas) Challenge No 56.
Ger x

Day 23..only 2 more cards after this one!

A very small easel card made with scraps, left overs and a snowflake made on my embroidery machine (it looks very like tatting!).
Entering this in "Cold and Frosty" Crafty Calenders Challenge
Ger x

Day 22...

  I have got great use out of this candle and holly stamp for this year's Christmas cards.  Add a square of red mirror card and a die cut....result a very quick easy card.
Ger x

Introducing Prince

We got a new addition to our 4 legged family yesterday; Prince, a 2 year old Pomeranian who is very gentle and quiet.  Yesterday morning he was chained up in a field....

Yesterday afternoon he was finding his way around our back garden with Herbie....

No comment necessary!  It will take lots of love and care before he is as confident and outgoing as Herbie.
Ger x

Card No 21

Another card made with a Forever Friends teddy stamp:

This card has two little bells dangling from the top.  When you shake it they ring!  The side panels are made from the inside of a GU cheesecake box.  When OH was tidying up he noticed that the inside of the box had a starry design on it....so I recycled it and added some tiny gold stars.
Entering this into Paperplay Challenges No 50
Ger x

Card No 20....

Lots of gold going on here: candle and holly is an Inca stamp while the darker gold leaves are from local Garden Centre.  Everything else is just scraps.
Ger x

Day 19 of Christmas Cards Countdown

Another Snowman with some sequins and snowflakes die-cut from left over paper.  Silver card background is embossed with Cuttlebug folder.
Ger x

Day 18 of Christmas Card countdown

Starting to prepare for the descent into Christmas......I have shut down my Etsy shop for the holidays as there is no way I can guarantee delivery overseas before Christmas and there are other things to get done.  Maybe a raid on a neighbour's garden for some holly?
Todays card has a Forever Friends teddy, Bigz tree die and MME papers.

Thats all, folks.
Ger x

Countdown card No.17

This day week will be Christmas Eve!
Here is my card for today but please remember that Emily, Aideen and Mary are playing along too and posting brand new cards every day.  So please visit their blogs and enjoy their beautiful cards.  Just forget about Mr H's the 12 tags of Christmas for a minute - thats just for cissies compared to the 25 Cards!lol!

Image is from a Dovecraft paper pack and the sentiment comes from local bookshop. 
Ger x

Christmas Countdown No 16

This looks like a very plain Christmas card...

 Until you open it...

After Christmas the snowflake can be removed and used as a tree decoration next year.
Ger x

Countdown card No 15

Card is made with MME papers and embellies that came free with a magazine, some Card candy and a scrap of Kraft card cut into a tree shape.  When I look at this card it reminds me to feed the birds especially the robin at the bottom of the garden.  Our robin has his own supply of a block of fat mixed with seeds.  It is inside a little wire cage and hangs from a branch of my Twisted Hazel tree.  Robins dont seem to like peanuts - they prefer solid fat!
Ger x

By the Cute and Girly "Let it Snow" Challenge

Nearly halfway thro the month of December folks!  Didnt mean to scare anybody but its time to remind you of the current BTC&G "Let it Sn*w" challenge. Details of prizes, rules and all info  HERE

My 2nd make is a little cute winter gift containing 2 packs of Hot Chocolate drinks and a gift tag made with an image (ice-skating Bear) from this months sponsor - Paper Shelter.  Paper Shelter have some fantastic digis; ready-coloured for that quick emergency card and black/white when you have the time to sit and get out the colouring gear!  I found the Chocolate/Marshmallow drink sachets in a local garden centre - they are made in Canada and have a lovely combination of French/English instructions!  Now, whenever I am stuck for inspiration I find the best idea is just to get out and wander around the local area...shops, noticeboards, the library etc can really lift you out of the creative rut.  Maybe it helps that I live fairly near the Botanic gardens but even having a good root around Tesco can be very useful.
Ger x

Day 14 of Christmas Card Countdown

As promised here is the cat lovers card.  I have since "altered" this card and added a sentiment to the right-hand side but here is the raw version:

Just lots of scraps and a snippety cat.  See the bell detail around his neck?
Ger x

Card No 13

This morning there were a few little flakes of the white stuff floating around.....the wind is shaking the house at the moment so here is Mr. Frosty to give you the shivers.

The stamp is a Magnolia: the background blue shiny papere and the little mirror trees are Papermania: the silver net is from a fabric shop and the crochet star is made by myself.  This card was published in issue 6 of Crafting Ireland.  This is a great online magazine with lots of tutorials and How to articles with plenty of photos.  Great for staving off the boredom over Christmas. 
Entering this in CYDY challenge No 35 "Snowmen" 
Happy Crafting
Ger x

Countdown Card No 12

Nearly halfway there!

A very plain card suitable for a man.  I embroidered the "Noel" on a piece of scrim (I think its called) and it is vaguely inspired by Tim Holtz' 1st Christmas tag for 2011.  
Getting there slowly....
Ger x

Countdown Card No 11

Going for a more traditional Christmas Card today.
The image is from a pack of Dovecraft papers and the sentiment is from Hero Arts.  If you look really close at the left-hand side you can make out a dog hair donated by Herbie.  Well, why leave him out of the Christmas Countdown?
Ger x

Countdown card No 10

For all the dog lovers out there....dont worry there is a cat lover's card on the way!

Lots of scraps plus Bigz die plus the doggy Snippet that Dianne uses for her PAWS  (animal charity) cards....see Here
Ger x

Christmas Countdown - Card No 9

More crochet and more fingers refected by the mirri card!
Ger x

Countdown card No 8

Lace Frosty with pearl trimming, embossed silver card and lots of Stickles on his hat.....
Getting nearer to day 25.....
Ger x

Countdown card No 7

Seems to be the year of Card Candy!  Card made with MME papers and lots of little bits n pieces from my scraps box.

Ger x

Countdown Card No 6

Used Spellbinders 2010 bauble die and a little bit of crochet.  There are glass beads in the center but they are hard to make out.
Ger x

Card No. 5

Plain and simple, with a bit of crochet.  Like myself....
Paper is Forever Friends, sentiment is from Hero Arts.
Loving the Card Candy this Christmas.....
Ger x

Card N0 4

Patchwork-style card.
Ger x

Christmas Countdown Card No 3 Warning! Crochet and bad Photography!

You can see the reflection of my hands in the silver card!  The tree trunk is made with 3 little bugle beads but these don't show up very well in the photo....

Ger x

Christmas Countdown Card No. 2 - the Man Himself!

My 2nd Christmas Countdown card:  this card is inspired by Santa Claus and all his doings:

The Jolly Santa (and  his 2 companions) is  available to buy here.  Hope you are starting to get a feel of the Christmas spirit!
Ger x

Let it Snow challenge and DT call

This month's challenge chosen by Tammy, (our brand new bride, congratulations!) at By the Cute and Girly is "Let it Snow".  Now, I dont know about you, but it wouldn't bother me if I never saw snow again after the last 2 winters here in Dublin....but the digis supplied to the DT by this month's sponsor The Paper Shelter are so gorgeous that I got over myself snow-ways and got crafting.

This card uses The Paper Shelters Snowman, PayperBox card, gems from Personal Impressions, charm from Whiff of Joy and the lattice fabric comes from the local craft shop.

Snowman again with more PayperBox card, ribbon from Forever Friends Timeless collection, the snowflakes and crochet flower are my own Snippets and the sentiment is part of a Stampendous christmas stamp.  Flat-backed pearl trimming from local shop but most haberdashery/trimmings places have something like it.

Once again there are some great prizes to be won in this months challenge...and the chance to apply to join the Design team!

$20 Gift Certificate from The Paper Shelter

$20 Gift Certificate from Simon Says Stamp

£10 Gift Certificate from Joanna Sheen

So why not hop on over to the By the Cute and Girly Challenge Blog where you can see all the Design Teams snowy creations and details of how to apply for the Cute and Girly design team.

Ger x

Countdown to Christmas - Card No 1

From 1st to 25th December I am going to join in with Emily and Aideen's "Countdown to Christmas" and post a Christmas card every day.  The first card is fairly simple: it has a sinamay background, one of my lace snippets and a chipboard sentiment from a set I bought in Bookstation about 2 years ago.
Why not hop over to the Emily and Aideen's blogs, view their creations and get the Christmas spirit out there?
Back later with By the Cute and Girlys December challenge.
Ger x

RESULTS OF MY BLOG CANDY DRAW!

Here we go..............the winner is Becky Dunham!!!   Congrats Becky and seeing as we are getting nearer Christmas there is a little runner-up prize.........................and Sylvia-Anne is the lucky lady!
I will try and contact both of you through your blogs and hopefully the candy will be with you before 25th December.

Thank you very much to everyone who entered and left such lovely comments on my blog.  I appreciate you all and you never know when another bout of Candyitis might occur!
Ger x

Red & White - Scandanivan Christmas style

Hi to everybody!

I was out and about doing a bit of Christmas shopping yesterday and I couldnt fail to notice that red and white and scandanivan christmas decorations were all over the place.  Well, its really putting the glitter and bling in its place (?) so I got working and made some red/white Christmas cards.

  I cut out the felt tree from Kunin Glitter felt with a Spellbinders dye.  Now, although its called Glitter Felt its more of a subdued shimmer felt - not in your face at all.  Available from Hickeys/HomeFocus... and I hand embroidered the trees free-style with crochet cotton -  no transfers, no outlines etc just went for it.   These are my style of cards..no fuss, handmade from scratch, no two the same...and a teeny, tiny bit of crochet (the hanging loop) AND most important of all recycleable -  the tree is backed with heavy cardboard and can be removed from the card and used as a Christmas decoration for future Christmasses!
Entering the last card in CreatewithKates Red and White challenge.

Happy Christmas Crafting!
Ger x

GrungePaper Album thanks to Crafting Irelands Ustream Class

How many of you tuned in to see Timi and Nicole's first ustream class on Saturday evening?  Well, I did and here is the result: a Grunge paper mini album  with the theme "Autumn"...

 The Winter themed album Timi made on the night used Bo Bunny Snowfall papers, Picket Fence Distress Stains, various other blue shades of Distress Inks and a TH Hitch fastener to close the album.  The inside pages were made from DL and C5 envelopes.  Now, I had the envelopes and the Grunge Paper but nothing else so I substituted Bo Bunny Forever Fall papers, gesso instead of the Picket Fence stain, sewn on velcro tabs instead of the hitch fastener....and my own embroidered embellies.  The beads and charms are all ancient bits of stash.

 Inside of album.  I glued small velvety flowers to act as tabs for the inside pockets.

 Details of spine and embellies.

 Tab fastening..the brad has its legs glued under the velcro.  I loved the whole experience listening/looking at the class and making up the mini album.  So much better than paying €25-40 for a workshop where you get a few bits of card etc and never get written instructions for finishing the item.  The class is recorded here and if you get stuck all you have to do is pop back and watch it again.  My only whinge would be the amount of paper scraps left afterwards...but you can get around this by using 12 x 12 papers rather than the 6 x 6 pads.  Anyway I used up my scraps by making these bookmarks.

Now I am dying to get my inky little paws on some of those hitch fasteners...and make the Winter version of this album!

Happy Crafting

Ger x

Christmas Girls Challenge - A Reminder!!

Who is the ultimate Christmas Girl???  Well, Tilda, of course!! So here is a little Christmas wreath I have created with Tilda as the centerpiece...

The polystyrene wreath is available in craftshops and florists.  I have covered it with Woolcraft Tango yarn and various trims and ric rack from my stash.  Tilda's clothes are paper pieced on to Doodlebug designs paper and some vellum from stash.  The flowers are from WOC and the leaves are punched from a Docrafts ivy punch.   All this is just to remind you of the BTC&G Christmas Girls challenge.  All crafts welcome.  For rules/info just click HERE.http://bythecuteandgirly.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-christmas-girls.html  Great prizes on offer but honestly do you need any encouragement when You could create a family Christmas heirloom?  To Be treasured for years/generations?  So get making and enter your masterpiece here  So much better than all those decorations with "made in China" on the back!!??!!  Perhaps this is the year to personalise your Christmas (or any other family/religious celebration you engage with?)

Ger x

Not exactly Christmas cards but....

My first card for today has a slightly christmassy feel even though it is a Good Luck in your New Home card.  It has a little gingerbread house with the Gingerbread man just about to pop out and do his shopping (or head for the pub!). 

 The Gingerbread man is one of my felt Snippets available here in a pack of 6 (2 different colourways).  The snow is white Perfect Pearls and all the little bows 'n bits come from my stash - I am trying to use up all the little bits that just accumulate around my craft room.
Entering this in Oldie but a Goldie "Buttons and Bows" challenge.

I'm glad to say that every bit of card and paper  I used making this card  came from my "Bits" box.  Sometimes I think that the whole house is turning into a bits box!  The angel is one of my own embroidered embellies and the sentiment is a Hobby Arts stamp.
Entering this in Flutterby Wednesdays theme "Friendship" challenge.

Little Snippets Advent Calendar-Published in CraftingIreland Issue 5 -

When I saw that Crafting Ireland magazine were looking for submissions on the theme "The Night before Christmas"  it got me thinking.   Well, as a child I always hankered after an Advent calendar but such fancy ideas were not welcome in our house.  Spending good money on a calendar that lasted for one month only!!!  What!?!  When you could get a FREE calendar for the whole year from the local bank......how things have changed - I guess the banks won't be handing out very many calendars for 2012!!
So this year I made my own Advent calendar using a selection of MME papers that I have collected over the past 2 or 3 years.  The centre piece is a 12" by 12" sheet with a beautiful Santa on it.  I surrounded him with tiny pocket that have concertinaed sides.  They are closed with sticky velcro and they can be opened and a small treat popped inside.  I used the Tim H vintage alphabet die for the dates and the Weathered Clock die for the clock.  Please excuse the shadows  -  it was a very sunny day!

Anyway my calendar was published in Issue 5 click here to read and I finally have my Advent Calendar to hang up on 1st December!

Don't forget my Giveaway!

Geraldine x