Craft for the Craic #1

Hello again,
Hope you are enjoying your weekend :)
Here is a step by step of the card I made for the first challenge on the new challenge blog I started, Craft for the Craic. Have a look at Michelle's beautiful projects and why not take part?!

This is the card I made, it's an A5 landscape card. First I used some distress ink and a mask to do the dots on the background.

With a heart doily I inked the edges with the same ink. Using my nested dies, I cut out the largest heart shape and a smaller one within the large heart. Roughened the edge of the heart with a broken scissor (very advanced tools I use :D ) and then inked the edges with the same distress ink as per the background and doily.

 I also die cut out the doily from a different paper pad that had complementary shades. 

I got these beautiful wooden words as a Christmas present, and couldn't wait to use them on a project! It worked really well with the colours and shades of this card.

 I am a huge fan of washi tape. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! This is a roll I got to push myself out of my usual colour comfort zone. The shades of peachy/pink and light teal are not a colour combo I would use often, if ever, so it was a great way to adventure with it. I cut the arrow edge on it, and did the inverse of it on the top left hand corner (photo below)

I couldn't make a card without some buttons, so I glued some in the middle of the die cut heart. I remember years ago some bride-to-be informed me that, anything wedding wise/love should have three - it represents three words 'I love you'. But alas, I am not that romantically-inclined and just felt the uneven number suited the look of the card!! :D

Thanks for stopping by, and would love you to join in the challenge.

Have a wonderful, crafty day :D

Eithne

Here Comes Christmas with Penny Black :)

Good morning! It's Christmas week, agghhhh!! Can't believe how close it is :) Woohoo :)

http://pennyblackinc.wordpress.com

This week's challenge is Here Comes Christmas with Through the Purple Haze Challenges and we are sponsored by the amazing Penny Black Stamps.

Penny Black Facebook Page

One lucky winner will receive these 3 stamp sets - how beautiful.

This week I choose to do a layout, again I'm using a 8" x 8" layout.

I used a doily stamp to add a bit of colour to my white 8" x 8" sheet. As this was a pigment ink, I heat embossed it to seal it in. (Can you guess the embossing powder used?!!) I embossed a strip of paper with a circles folder. I haven't dry embossed in ages, and forgot how lovely it looks after embossed. I will make sure in future to do more embossing!!

I stamped the cute little hedgehogs onto a bauble in black ink, that I hand cut out slightly smaller than the die. With some mirrored card I cut out the bauble and layered them. I used a combo of watercolour paints and some fine nibbed markers to colour them in.

I used some green snowflake paper, and real doily to layer my frame. I die cut the 'garden trellis' in grey board to make the frame. I sprayed it with some Rangers ink, and then put lots of glitter glue on it. I used some washi tape and buttons, and star charms to finish off the layout.

I put a photo of one my little elves in it!! :)

The photo does the layout no justice! Just can't get the light right in these short dark days. Over Christmas I have great hopes to make a light tent, and hopefully my problems with light will be gone :D 
I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the second last Monday before Christmas. What crafty stuff are you up to?
I hope to enter this in a few challenges. Why not pop over and enter the Through the Purple Haze Challenges. Have a brilliant Monday and week.
Eithne

Cards with Tickets or Tags

Hello,

Hope you are having a lovely weekend. Here in Ireland, it is our August Bank Holiday. I'm afraid it is a very, very wet one! Thunderous downpours and floods :( Thankfully it's great weather for crafting ;-)

This week, Team A at Through the Purple Haze Challenges, have a challenge of "cards with tickets or tags". Our wonderful sponsor, Craft Sentiments Designs are giving three digi's for the winner's prize.

This is the card I made with the beautiful digi, Kaye, Thinking of You.

Please don't laugh, but this is actually my FIRST digi image to use, EVER!!! I was so nervous working with her, as I never painted or coloured skin tones before. I don't even have any markers that would do her skin tone justice. So I semi-cheated! I printed her out onto cream paper, to resemble my own skin colour. (if only my complexion was as even as a cream sheet of paper!!)

I coloured her waist sash and trimmings in a teal blue marker, and paper pieced her dress and hair. (another technique I am new to) It was so rewarding putting her together, and I just love how the printed paper of her dress make it pop out! As she was on cream paper, I needed to isolate her entirely from the cream sheet of paper. So I cut her out and stuck her on the circular frame, on top of a doily.

For the ticket, I used a beautiful "a Birthday Wish' tag, printed onto the same colour paper as Kaye's hair. I then got a few teal strips of paper, and stuck them onto the yellow polka dot paper for the background. I cut out two of the 'styled labels', inked the back one with distress ink, and frayed the top layer.

I used a few paper flowers, and stuck some buttons or gems in the middle. I also spotted a few flower gems around the card and a button.

Being it my first digi image, I am delighted with how the card turned out. I love the combo of colours, although it wouldn't be my usual choice.

I hope to enter this card in a few challenges.


For your chance to win three fabulous digi's, why not enter in the challenge - at Through the Purple Haze Challenges?

I hope you enjoyed reading my process of making this card. If you make one similar, I would love to see it, please leave a comment with a link! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day :)

Eithne

Thank You, thank you, thank you ;-)

Hello there :)

Hope you are having a wonderful day. Today, was filled with laughter and sunshine. Hearing two children laughing and playing together really heals the soul!

I have been busy recently making cards, but not able to get to the computer to blog about them. I will try to catch up!

I recently had the pleasure of making some thank you cards, for three ladies from my local "mother & toddler" group. Not wanting to make the same cards (or able to restrict myself to three the same), I chose a few papers, die cuts, doily and other few bits and made similar, themed cards.

 I cut out some canvas with a Nellie's Multi frame die, and inked it with blue to create the flower.

 (sorry this shot is a bit blurred - I heat embossed the sentiment with red embossing powder. It has such a WOW look when embossed)

I used some foam pads to stick down the tag, to give it a bit of depth.

No. 2:

 Again, I heat embossed the sentiment, this time onto the actual tag. This flower was created with a smaller die from the Nellie's Multi frame's die set.

I used my Sizzix Circle Scallop Lace die to cut through some vellum, and then used a circular die to create a frame.

No. 3:

 I used the 'negative' of the die cut paper to create a frame.

I inked the edges of the circle and the doily with a blue ink pad and blender tool.

What I used (from what I can remember!)

Sizzix Bigz Die - Circle, Scallop Lace

Nellie's Multi Frames

Prima 6x6 Doodle Deux Collection

Kraft Card blanks

Papermania Bare Kraft Gift Tags

Buttons from stash and doilys.

I am entering the first card in the following challenges:

 Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Scrappers Delights Challenge - Die Cuts or Punches
Crafts and Me Challenges - Anything Goes
Crafting for all Seasons Challenge - Make it Girly

Thanks for stopping by, hope your Wednesday is filled with fun.
Eithne