RED + February Challenge at By the Cute and Girly Challenge Blog

Morning folks!  Its the 1st day of February and here on the northside of Dublin the sun is shining and there is a hint of Spring in the air.  Its also time for a new challenge at By the Cute and Girly.  This month the challenge is hosted by the gorgeous Ayelet and she has chosen "Red and one other Colour" as the month's theme.  Now I know you're thinking Valetine's Day but it doesn't have to be a lovey dovey make - just dig out some red crafty bits and combine them with one other colour.  All types of crafts (Baking/Cardmaking/Scrapbooking/Jewellery/Tags/Knitting/Crochet etc, etc) are invited - you can get the full details here - and see all the DT's red + makes, especially Lisa's Gingerbread Couple  and how they spent Valentine's Day.

Great prizes on offer from
                                      Simon Says Stamp
                                      Joanna Sheen
                                      Little Snippets
                                      Stamp Fairy.com

I choose red + chocolate brown for my makes.  The card uses a digi image from the StampFairy:  "Love"  paper is by Bo Bunny.

An altered biscuit tin left over after Christmas.  I used Websters Pages Garden Gala,the most beautiful papers I've ever come across, available  from here, and my own Little Snippets butterflies.  I made up some red net roses, added some pearly swirls from Prima  and finally some trimmings I inherited from my mother (a great woman for altering things or "getting at something" as she called it).  I punched two holes in the top of the tin and strung beads on wire through them for a handle.

 Have a great day and cheer yourselves up with a touch of red!
Geraldine x

A touch of the Orient

This month has been very busy.  Real life has taken over and I am going to have to think about WHAT exactly to concentrate on in the future.  I have been asked to do a lot of different things recently: Give papercraft classes/do wedding invitations/undertake personalised embroidery for a clothing company...(big NO to the last two!).  I have given craft classes/workshops for several years now but I do not charge (or like charging) for them because crafts have given me so much pleasure and direction in my life and I feel it is wrong to charge for spreading the good news!  I have fallen out with people over this attitude in the past but when when profit comes in Joy and spontaneity fly out the window.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings...here are a few of my Geisha cards made recently just for fun!

Papers used are all Papermania Oriental with MS punches and my own crochet/embroidered embellishments

Geraldine x 

Bling it on! New challenge for January from By the Cute and Girly

This month the challenge at the By the Cute and Girly Challenge Blog set by Tammy is  -   Bling it on!    Lots of great prizes to be won if you enter this month from
                         Simon Says Stamp

                         Joanna Sheen

                         My Grafico

                         Little Snippets

Adding lots of bling to crafty projects is no hardship so get blinging up your makes and enter here before the end of January!

Here are my Blingy makes:
First a Happy New Year card made using the My Grapico Stick Fairies digi images:

Calendar and Notepad sets made using the butterflies from the same set of digi images as the card.  The background paper is from Craftwork cards and the glittery card is from the Papermania A4 Glittered paper pack.

A pair of Swarovski crystal earrings ideal for blinging in the New Year!

That's all for today. Have been so busy working on this blog post that I've forgotten to feed the dog and he is now prowling around me looking starved.  

 Dont forget to enter and show off your bling!

Geraldine x

Christmas Decorations for 2010

 As soon as this cross-stitch picture comes down out of the attic it is Christmas in our house.  It is at least 15 years since I made it and it is one of the items that I would save in a fire!  Please excuse the shadows but it is very hard to get a good photo with dull light and the glass etc

 A selection of little stocking decorations made out of bits of cardboard, scraps and left overs.

Machine embroidered Christmas decorations.  These were all flat enough to pop inside a card and post.  Every year I try and find something different to make in the way of Christmas decorations.  Anything as long as they are not shop-bought.  This year I didnt crochet many decorations-the thought of stiffening them with  PVA and trying to dry them out was just too much.  You have to be in the humour for it.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you all a great crafting year for 2011!
Geraldine x

Challenges etc

It has been ages since I entered any crafty online challenges so here goes :

 A Christmas card in the non-traditional colours of duck egg blue and brown.  I am entering this in the following challenges:
Moving along with the Times "Lots of Spots"
Papertake Weekly "Red & Green must not be seen"

A little Christmas stocking made from card board from a Dog food box.  It uses up lots of scraps, one of my snowman lace embellishments and crochet flowers.
I am entering this in the "Incy wincy Christmas Decoration Challenge"
Geraldine x

December makes for the By the Cute and Girly Challenge Blog

Apologies for the lack of posts recently but myself and the dog have had to move out of my house owing to building works.  We spent 5 weeks down the country with no internet access and only a TV and mobile phone for contact with the outside world and then the snow came......

But it was a great opportunity for crafting and I made lots of Christmas decorations which I'll show in my next posts but back to the BTC&G  December challenge.  The topic this month is CHILDREN  and the sponsor is Fred she Said where you can find lots of wonderful digi images.  This months prizes (all gift certificates vouchers) are as follows:
$20 from Fred she Said

$20 from Simon Says Stamp
£10 from Joanna Sheen
$15 from Little Snippets

Card made with sponsor's "Emma in her Frills"

Also used:  Mariposa cardstock, MS branch punch, Little Snippets smiling sun, flowers from local garden centre and some of my own crochet flowers.



Card made featuring "Emma and the Chickadee"

Also used: Card from Payperbox, MS doily punch and a
Little Snippets Snowflake.

Crochet outfit for 2 year old girl.

 

 The pattern used here is King Cole No 3250 and some DK yarn if you feel like making it for your favourite toddler this Christmas.

Now for a photo of Herbie enjoying his winter break.

That's all for now,folks.  Stay warm and cosy!

Geraldine x

Makes for Novembers By the Cute and Girly Challenge

This month's theme at BTC&G challenge blog is Jungle-something to warm you up during the November nights when its starting to get a little chilly.  This months prizes are sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, Johanna Sheen and Little Snippets. My first card uses ROXI from Fairy Dust Crafts.  The background paper is Basic Grey Origins and the leaves are heart-shaped felt pieces that I cut out with the Cuttlebug and then chopped up.

The Elephant is a Magnolia stamp and the  papers are a selection from Cosmo Cricket.  The "fur" is old yarn left over from a scarf.

 My last make is a Jungle Drums necklace which was inspired by the 3 large drum-shaped beads from Yellow Brick Road.

It was great to get the opportunity to use natural colours before the glitz and sparkle of Christmas/New Year crafting takes over.
All the best
Geraldine x