224

I was having a look through so old photos and came across this picture of me taken about 10 years ago now when I first arrived in Ireland.  I am sitting on the steps outside my first flat that I shared with my best friend. I remember how excited and yet afraid I was on my first trip abroad.....I also remember how cold it was :o)  After growing up in Africa the Irish summers are just NOT warm :o)  Alot has happened since that day, some good, some bad but all of it worth while so I was driven to scrap that picture to always remember where my Irish adventure began......I have sooo many good memories about that place!!!

My new kits had just arrived from The Scrap Room and I absolutely LOVE the new Pink Paislee line called 'Queen Bee' so I decided to use these papers.  I cut strips of patterned paper which I added a zig zag to using one of my Martha Stewart punches I got over on Cardz n Scrapz I cut and mounted my photo using my new megabilities nesties (these are the dogs pyjamas!!!) and added some jeweled brads and paper buttons using yet anothe Martha Stewart punch!!!  I added the title 224 which was the number of the house our flat was in.  At the top I added a strip of pleated material also from Pink Paislee! and finally I added some hidden journaling under the photo and the layout was done!!

Something a little different

I am a HUGE fan of Jennifer Mcguire I love her scrapbooking and card making style and she does really brilliant how-to videos.  So when I saw her demo a technique she called pearlized stamping I just had to try it out :o)  Especially as she used several things I love like Hero Arts stamps, Tim Holtz Distress inks and perfect pearls!!!!  This is my take on the card that Jennifer made.

I randomly inked my background hero arts stamp called Silhouette Grass with the following Distress Inks (peeled paint, bundled sage, tea dye and wild honey), I then sprayed it with some water mixed with perfect pearls and stamped the image.  It looks a little weird and watery but when it dried it was just GORGEOUS and all shiney (which doesn't show up to well in the piccie).

I then distressed and inked the edges of the card with more Tea Dye distress ink.  I mounted the image onto some green card stock and added some string and a button.  This was then mounted on a cream card blank to which I added my Thank You sentiment which I stamped using the Just Rite stamps I got from the lovely Marina of Cottage Crafts in Craanford.

Thanks for looking ;o)

Communion Cards

So the marathon card making session continues :o) This time it was for my niece's communion, I had to make several cards from various members of the family so again they had to all be different.  Don't get me wrong I rarely make the same card, I like to do things a little different but these had to be completely different from papers to stamps to layout etc.  Again I had help and inspiration from many crafty friends to whom I am eternally grateful!!!

In the first card above I used the handmade rose technique and ribbon threading that I learnt at Jackie's workshop. The roses are SOOOOO easy to make and look so pretty.  This one is made using white paper which I inked and stickled!!! The image is called 'Spring has Sprung' and she is part of the Sugar Nellie range from Funky Kits. As is the image on the card below, she is a Gorjuss Girl and one of my favourite girlie girl images!!

The next card is made using a whiff of joy stamp that a friend Pam kindly stamped for me.  LOVE this image, it is sooo gentle and pretty. Plus I got to play with my new roses embossing folder which I inked with my distress inks!!!

And finally a some more religious cards, the first of which I did in white and silver, using a bible that another crafty friend Jess kindly cut out for me.

  The second one is made from a kit I got at Jess's workshop last weekend!!!

thanks for looking :o)

CONFIRMATION CARDS

boy its been a while since I was blogging!!!  My niece and my two nephews had their confirmation on the same day and I made loads of cards for them from various family members.  No easy feat cause they all had to be different!!!  Tis a time when you really appreciate your crafty friends as thanks to some wonderful crafty girls on one of the forums I belong to who helped me out with stash, ideas and inspiration I managed to make about 16 different cards for the same wee kiddies.  Here is a selection of cards, starting with the easel card I made for my niece.

and here are some more

thanks for looking :o)