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December 14, 2011

Unity Stamp November Challenge: Let it Snow

I wanted to enter this card I did using Unity Stamps I just got in their November Kit of the Month. I used the snowflake background and sentiment from the set and Bo Bunny Snowfall papers.

I am just loving the style of these stamps and it could be very dangerous shopping too long on that site, but check it out!

November 18, 2011

November update!

I sure do let weeks go bye without thinking about my poor neglected blog... My quilting and knitting have taken a back burner, but I am still working on some projects...I've recently restarted a hand pieced hunter star project, and promise to take some photos soon...

As usual, I am always working on cards and paper crafting projects...here is another collage of many items I did for challenges on the Flying Unicorn forum... The owner, Alda, is always hosting challenges each month with excellent giveaways, check it out here...

I also decided to enter this tag in a challenge on Scrapbooker's Anonymous to use 7 or more ribbons on a project...I have one that is turned into a rose, one glued to the tag and 5 at the top of the tag!

I also was invited by a lovely friend to join another great site, that I am just getting to know...Bella Creations 
Here is a card I made for the Voila ink! group on the site...it needed to use Crimson, White and Gold colors and inking...I used a stamp and clear embossing powder to stamp the butterfly script stamp and then inked the background with fired brick distress ink and sprayed it with autumn maple crimson starburst spray from Lindy's Stamp Gang...

My oldest girl, Aine has just turned 9 and we threw an X-Factor Pizza Party for her...here are some photos from the party...lots of craziness!

October 20, 2011

I Lied...

What am I like? More than a month since I updated my blog... I should just give up, except I like using this as a record of my projects as well as saying hello to folks out there! Let me just do a quick update on my scrappy projects, which take up most of my creative time, though I am knitting, crocheting and sewing still on a weekly basis!

I have been published again in September Enchanting Creations magazine, which is associated with my favorite online scrapbooking store, Flying Unicorn...

The themes this month were Famous People from History (Jane Austen layout) (page 13)

and Steampunk creations (matchbox) among others... (page 21)

I was so excited that both my entries were chosen for the magazine this month, my last month's submission wasn't selected. I find it a great challenge to turn in an entry each month, and hopefully some months they'll be published, some months not...it is a great way to learn!

I am always working on cards and projects for challenges on the Flying Unicorn shop forum... It was the first place I found that offered free worldwide shipping, lovely things to buy for my scrapping obsession, and some amazing artists to help me learn the ropes of my new hobby... There are generous prizes for several challenges each month, and so I always try to do as many entries as I can... Here are a number of my cards, layouts and other projects that I have done since last I updated...

I'll take some photos of my quilt I just finished hand piecing and some of my knitting and crocheting projects soon...ish!

One thing I did actually do was start losing weight...joined Weight Watchers again and down 16 lbs!!

September 5, 2011

Change of Plans...

My blogging is very sporadic and when I do update I have to do mega updates to catch up with all the projects...or big photo mosaics like this of the cards and projects I've done since my last update.

Here is one: lots of cards, some Halloween and Christmas ATCs, some matchboxes, a notebook and a tshirt!

My idea is to update more often, probably not daily, but a few times a week with shorter projects and updates... Sewing, knitting, papercrafting progress...another go at trying to lose weight again...some fun crafty shopping updates...wish me luck!

July 30, 2011

Exciting News!

The layout that I made for the magazine challenge for Enchanting Creations, won the giveaway and was published in their magazine! I just started doing layouts in May or June, so am beyond excited that they added my layout to their magazine! Here is an image of the page with my giveaway goodies and my layout!
I have done a few layouts this month...here is one I did for a challenge that wanted you to cut a photo in an interesting way...I made waves for this lake cruise layout!

Here is a second one I did for the same challenge...


I got a few cards done lately as well...





I did a bunch of gifts for people and made lots of simple vintage tags...




I received this gorgeous steampunk tag made from the top of an altoid tin!!

Since I am so new to papercrafting, I have only joined one forum, the one attached to my favorite store, The Flying Unicorn Store! I joined them because I was so excited to find a scrapping shop in the States with free International shipping for orders over $75 (and sometimes for lesser amounts on special sales!)  I have really appreciated the inspiration and challenges that the members of the forum and the design team and shop owner Alda have set up. They did a flower swap last month which I joined...I showed my flowers last month, but here is a photo of the gorgeous flowers I received!!


I have joined two swaps this month, due in August, a Butterfly embellishment swap, here is one of the ones I will make, a crocheted butterfly!


I've also joined a stick pin swap on the forum! I have had such fun doing these and am now waiting for some more pins and beads to finish up some more!


I got inspired this month and made this canvas as well...I used Lindy Stamp Gang stains and sprays, Tim Holtz goodies and stamps... I am pleased with how it turned out!


And I still managed some quilting! Two liberated checkerboard blocks for the Block Lotto.

 And two Lady of the Lake blocks for a swap that Katy and I have been doing, one for me and one for her!

I need to work on my double sided quilt some more and my Rouenneries quilt! I will do some hand sewing on a DJ lap quilt I am doing while we are on holidays...

Sorry I tend to do so many picture heavy posts... We head off to Cornwall this week with Katy and family and can't wait to see everything, but we have already researched some shopping sites too! 


July 9, 2011

Catching up with myself!

Well, I continue to learn and create with my papercrafting...days are flying by this year, busy with activities and daily life in general with the girls!

I have done a few more cards! I had started to put them up one at a time until I realized there were way too many since last I posted and didn't want to bore you, so here is a collage of cards I have made :)  I was doing a Christmas in July challenge at the Flying Unicorn Scrapbook Store forum, in case you were wondering about the Christmas cards!

I haven't done very much work on quilts this past month, but I have done some patchwork baskets and about 5 hairbands for Aisling and the girls friends. I think all their friends will expect a headband whenever they come over for playdates now...maybe I shouldn't have started doing that! Here is a collage of the baskets I have done for thank you gifts and birthday gifts for teachers and friends and kids friends!

On this scrapbooking site I participate in now, they are doing a flower swap...in June I produced 48 flowers to swap, yikes! But I do get 48 flowers back...that is very exciting!! Here is a collage of most of mine, though I did miss out on photos of a few!

I have also worked on a few more page layouts... This is an 8 x 8 inch layout of a favorite W.B. Yeats poem, Stolen Child... made as a thank you gift for a friend...

This next layout is my favorite so far, made for another challenge...



I am having fun learning as I go!

I also did one more vintage tag with my favorite dress form stamp!


I have been having lots of card and tag making sessions with the girls friends, here are the girls and a friend sporting some tags they made...


Being here in Ireland, we miss out on the 4th of July, so in honor of the day I worked on this layout of Aine in 2008 at an Oregon 4th of July parade!



I have plans to do a few quilt blocks this month and work on a bit more of my big Rouenneries quilt...and some hand piecing and quilting...but nothing big and beautiful to show. I don't think I will ever give up my quilting, knitting (still working on those socks....slowly, I promise!) and now crocheting too, but right now I am loving my new hobby!  

Dave is in the States for work but will visit my brother in Baltimore...I may have done a little (LOT!!) of shopping for some big and small items...Dave is bringing an extra suitcase for me, bless him! I also have some orders coming here to show in the future as well, lol! Looking forward to our holiday in Cornwall with friend Katy and family, there will be some sewing, and shopping as well as other fun things I am sure!

Hopefully it won't be so long between posts next time!

July 2, 2011

Blog Hop at my favorite scrapbooking store, Flying Unicorn!

I am a bit under the weather today, so am having some sofa time while Dave and the girls have gone to Waterford for the Tall Ships festival! (nothing MS related, just tummy bug...)

As many of my followers here might have noticed, I have definitely let papercrafting take over my life since February and back in May I discovered an international friendly scrapbooking store, which offers free shipping on orders over $75 and from time to time special days with free shipping with no minimum! Flying Unicorn  has tons of paper, embellishments, stamps, all kinds of goodies!!

And this weekend they are doing a blog hop with a grand prize of a Silhouette SD Die Cutting machine!! This is the same machine I have using for my tshirts and cards, it is awesome! Have a look at the store and the forum and join in to see if you could win!! The blog hop starts at the owner's blog here...

June 11, 2011

Time Sure Flies!!

...when you have small kids! How did it get to be mid June already?

I have been crafting of course, still mostly cards and some scrapbook layouts to show in this post, but I have also been working on ballet legwarmers, my crazy Beowulf socks, some more Block Lotto blocks and have even completed a baby quilt for no specific baby! My first quilt top finished with no destination...I feel so productive! Now if I can just get some more movement on the Rouenneries quilt top or the Ocean Waves quilting....

Here are the Block Lotto blocks I've done:
May Blocks: Pineapple Blossom
June Blocks: Simple Rectangle with focus on color...

I like the simplicity of the rectangle blocks and decided to do a baby quilt size quilt in gender neutral colors...here is how it turned out!

Now for the slightly insane amount of card making going on since the last time!

Here are some communion cards...

A collage of a bunch of Father's Day cards, teachers thank yous and birthdays...



Some thank you cards for Aine's Communion gifts with a photo of her stuck to a magnet backing for everyone to put on their fridge if they want...

She was so beautiful on the day...it inspired me to make my first scrapbook layout of my favorite photo!

And I also had to do a scrapbook layout for Aisling!

So I have been working away and we have been busy getting ready for Aine's First Communion and little party afterwards... Next week we have visitors from the States for the week and lots of sightseeing, and the day after they leave we have Aisling's birthday party! No rest for the wicked, but I go at my own pace and we still manage to get it done.