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

Little SnippetsGiveaway!! !!Handmade Doiley and Flower Giveaway!!

As this is my 100th post I am celebrating by offering these handmade,by myself, goodies as a giveaway....
To enter just leave a comment and I will draw a winner on Sunday 27 November.  Feel free to spread the news...
Geraldine x

!!Blog Hop Winner!!

Just popping in to announce the winner of my section of the BTC&G 2nd anniversary Blog Hop...

CONGRATS TO Lydiawalker who has won my Snippets Kit!

Lydia, if you could email me your address I will post it to you asap!
Ger x

Christmas Girls - By the Cute and Girly's November Challenge and Guest DT invite!

First I want to say a Big, Big Thank you to everyone who entered By the Cute and Girly's 2nd Birthday Blog Hop and who left such lovely, encouraging comments on my makes.  When I reach 100 posts (very soon!!) I'm going to have some candy/giveaways to share with you all! The winners of the Blog Hop prizes will be announced in the next day or two so keep an eye out! Back to Novembers challenge...this month the theme is Christmas Girls and we are being sponsored by Di's Digi Doodles. 

 She has lots of beautiful digis in her shop and has given the DT one each to work with.  I choose "Penguin Love",  made a card and a Christmas decoration:

Entering this in digital Tuesday Challenge No.153   Cute and Cuddly
Why not warm yourself up this winter by making something Christmassy and Girly to enter BTC&G's November challenge?  For details of how to enter please see HERE

Prizes sponsored by

We are also looking for two guest designers to join us for our January challenge.
If you would like to be considered for a guest designer spot, please add the letters GDT after your name when you link up your project.
One will be chosen by the design team and the other will be chosen at random, so everyone has a chance.
Happy Crafting!
Ger x