*********************** A very different challenge

A very happy and creative new year to all my visitors.

This week I took part in another challenge from http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/, a little different to my usual style but I really enjoyed it.
The base card is from Craft Creations, the beige card from Coordinations, blue and beige paper from my box, the cherry red card from The Paper Mill and the plum paper is from a recycled envelope (I keep all the coloured envelopes from received cards to use) and I embossed it with the Cuttlebug Paisley folder. I punche one side of the patterned beige paper with Fiskars daisy border punch.
The hat was cut and drawn on Pazzles, feathers, beads and ribbon from my craft box. I used a Spellbinders beaded circle and the sentiment is done on the computer.
Sorry the picture is not better but the light here is terrible.
Also a big thanks to everyone for visiting my blog and leaving such wonderful comments

************************ A fun card

Last summer I drew a cow for someone and the image was resurected yesterday after seeing a cow card on Cely's blog http://creatingincarolina.blogspot.com/  Thanks Cely for the inspiration
The cow is drawn and cut with Pazzles, I used Spellbinders beaded ovals for the background, a Spelbinders die for the flower, the sentiment is done in word and cut with a circle punch, the papers and ribbon are from my craft box. Base card from Craft Creations.
TFL

****************Early Valentine

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to the new year.
This week I wanted to take part in the  http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ challenge but oh dear, no stamp..... -as I'm not very good at stamping- so I decided to draw an image myself. The image is drawn in Pazzles and coloured with watercolour pencils. I used the beaded spellbinders squares to cut the image out, all the papers, gems and ribbon are from my stash.

The sentiment is made in word and cut with a circle punch.

**************Happy Christmas

 For everyone who has been dreaming of a white Christmas a few pictures of beautiful Donegal.  A very Happy Christmas and a peaceful new year to everyone.

**************** 40th birthday card for a lady that loves shoes and handbags

Normally I do one or the other, shoes or handbags but this lady is crazy for both of them and her favourite colour is green

. Everything is drawn and cut on Pazzles.

Base card from Craft Creations, green card from DCWV, Blossoms and Butterflies, Ribbon and gems from my craftbox, the inside of the shoe is cut from  beautiful embossed gold card but I can't remember where it came from.

I've entered it in the 50th challenge at

                                                          http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/
                                                                               TFL

********************************Reindeer food

Normally I make litlle bags of reindeer food, but this year I had so many other things happening I forgot all about it untill my friend asked if I could make one for her little girl.So I made one for each of the children in her family and this one for the little niece of a friend of mine.
I used Spellbinders Beaded Squares,  cut the name with Pazzles, Ribbon thanks to Elisa and all other materials from my stash.
 Note to self for next year, "Make it your first Christmas project"
TFL
I've entered it in this weeks http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ challenge

*****************Another Christmas card

As it is still snowing here another Christmas card seem just right. The sentiment is printed and I used Spellbinders beaded circles to cut it out. The ribbon and papers are from my craftbox, base card and bling from Craft Creations. Snow flakes are punched.

TFL

 I'm entering it in a couple of challenges.

http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/

http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/

***************Baby card

After all the Christmas cards it was lovely to make a baby card. I've used my latest Sizzix embossing folder,

the ribbon and the little pram are from a forgotten box.

****************************Christmas Bear

On saturday afternoon I realised I had a craft fair on so my Pazzles had to do overtime. I cut lots of bears and other seasonal stuff and took everything with me yesterday to the fair.  Sitting there putting my cards together created lots of interest with people and I managed to make about 12 cards. Here is my favourite.
The bear is drawn and cut with Pazzles, the circle is beaded nesties, oval greeting is nesties and the dotted paper is from stash so are the stars.

**************************** Some Christmas cards

Some of the Christmas cards I've done so far. Most of them are cut on Pazzles and the embossing is done on the Big Shot with various brands of embossing folders.

.

New cards

It has been soooo... long since I was here, but I was not idle.

 A 40th wedding Anniversry, Initials drawn and cut with Pazzles,& Spellbinders lotus die

Birthday card for a guy who loves playing the flute and makes wedding cakes, everything drawn and cut with Pazzles

I liked that card a lot, not so fussy and I love the message. There were some nice free message tags in a cardmaking magazine and decided to try and make similar ones in word, it is easy to do and they look different.

Another card I like very much, he wants to become an architect and loves hurling.

The Donegal Ladies are playing a very important match this week-end, I got this order yesterday  for the 5 cards wishing them luck.
Good luck from me as well Ladies.

*******************Some pictures of our garden

As it has been such a beautiful week it would be a shame not to take any pictures of the garden, it is looking very well for the moment, I sometimes wish I could stop time.

A red dragonfly sitting on my hand.

Alfie enjoying the shade, I had to sit on the grass.

I managed to capture the dragonflies laying eggs, there appear to be much more dragonflies this year than

previous years 

From this bug crawling up a flowerpot in the greenhouse to...........

A few minutes later

It is shaping up slowly...

This one is not perfect

Nearly there

A beautiful Ermine moth

The whole process took just over an hour and I felt realy good about having seen this in real life instead of on wildlife programs. My only regret is that I'm not a better photographer.

Peony rose, perfect blooms this year as we've had no rain for ages.

The Clematis Montana is the most beautiful I've ever seen it, perhaps the cold winter helped to make it bloom so well

**************Paperplay challenge- weddings-

Wedding card for a friend, colours match the invites, monogram cut with pazzles, background is Fleur de Lys die from Spellbinders and the border is punched with the fiskars hears. Rings and ribbon are from my stash

*********************Birthdays, wedding, new home..the last few weeks work, just a small amount of it

 The last few weeks have been very busy in this house so no time for blogging or even uploading the pictures.

I had lots of cards to make, mostly personalised birthday and communion cards, some I never had time to take a picture. Here is a small selection of what's kept me away from blogland, after this I'll have a snoop around all my favourite blogs to see what is happening. Enjoy


Anniversary card made with my new Spelbinders die, I love it, so elegant and versatile








Same hat different colours, cut with Pazzles

No explantion needed,he loves greyhounds.

A variation on the ever popular shoe, I've made lots of these this month.

One of the many confirmation cards, I won't bore you with the others.

A wedding card made for a challenge but it never got there. 

**************************Crafty Ribbons prize

A couple of weeks ago I entered the Spring Challenge for Crafty Ribbons and became second with an Easter card created for a friend

and here is the prize......

As someone who loves ribbons this was  perfect and I can't wait to use them on some of my cards. The ribbons have spring blooms on them and the colours are out of this world.

Thank you to the team at Crafty Ribbons.

Also a big thank you to Lindsey for the blog awards, I will send them on as soon as I have the time, everything seems to be happening at once this week. I am going to Belfast to the Creative Stitch and paper crafts show on thursday so I need to make a list of wanted items as I get sooooo excited that I forget half of what I need.

***************************************New shoes?? Yes please.

With spring well on the way it was time to design a new shoe in spring colours. The shoe is drawn and cut on Pazzles, the paper is from the Citrus Stack and the ribbon from my ribbon box.





challenges
Sassy designs Boots & shoes nr 42

******************Easelcard 2

My best friend in Belgium loves our cat Alfie so I made her a special card that she can put on her sideboard. I've kept it in the Irish colours and put some shamrocks on it to complete the theme as she loves Ireland.
It is an entry to
 Crafty Catz Weekly challenge nr 26.
 magical Crafts challenge nr 12

*************************First easel card

After seeing lots of these cards on various blogs I could not resist trying to make an easel card. It was so easy and I realy enjoyed making this card. the paper is Laura Ashley, the pink butterfly was drawn and cut with Pazzles, the flowers are cut with Sizzix. Embossing is with a cuttlebug folder and the green butterfly is a charm.

Paperplay challenge and the cuttlebug Spot 

********************Paperplay challenge week 10. Seeing double by Elisa and Magical Crafts Challenge 10 "With Wings"

This card was made for my friends little daughter, she loves butterflies. The butterflies and her name  are drawn and cut with my pazzles, the borders are punched with fiskars borsrepunch and the embossing is done with Quickcutz embossing folder. The jewels for the body are" Sticky bindi's"  (they are used to decorate your face)I bought them in Singapore a few weeks ago.

*************************Paperplay Challenge Just because.....

When I saw this image from Elisa I had to try and make a card with it. I am no good at stamping and her digi images are perfect. My colouring is not so good so I decoupaged her dress and her hair.

*************************Alterd project

A box I altered for a birthday girl, the box is from TK Max but missed something.....

A few trials for party invites but I'm going to rework the hand bag  so it  will serve as a birthday card as well. I've some more ideas but time ...........

TFL

*******************************Snow is still falling

Just as spring was promising the first crocusses and the snowdrops were barely out we had another load of snow today. At first it looked as if it was going to melt straight away but at lunchtime it started snowing again and now we have a good couple of inches. As usual I could not resist taking some pictures this morning, it was also a good test for my new camera. Enjoy....

Our 2 cats enjoyed themselves for a few hours, they love playing in the snow

A thrush waiting for lunch, normally they are very shy but with this cold weather they have joined the usual garden visitors. I gave her and the other birds dried fruit, nuts, some fat and fresh water, they need all the help they can get in these cold conditions.