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