Liebster Award

Hi there,

I'm delighted to say that my very talented French blog friend Coco has generously awarded me and my little blog The Liebster Award. The Award is a means of highlighting blogs that you admire so that others may discover them too. Thank-you so much Coco for your own beautiful blog, for liking mine and for speaking excellent English! Please pop over to Coco's lovely blog here.

About The Liebster Award

It is designed to be a blog award in the pay it forward fashion. Once you've been nominated, you award it to five blogs that you like (that have fewer than 200 followers) to encourage new visitors to visit these blogs. If the award has been received already then the nominator can elect another recipient blog.

Rules for Acceptance

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers who you appreciate that have fewer than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this lovely award!

My nominations for the Liebster Award

I admire the following five wonderfully inspirational blogs and I would love for you to check them out:

- Anne at http://bollyanne.blogspot.ie/

- Maria at http://cardcreate.blogspot.ie/

- Laura at http://laurabomber.blogspot.ie/

- Geraldine at http://cardsetalia.blogspot.ie/

- Elin at http://elinshobbykrok.blogspot.ie/





Thanks again Coco for such a lovely compliment! This was a difficult choice to make as I follow so many amazing blogs and don't want to offend anyone I've left out. In choosing my nominated blogs I've steered towards those that are less than 2 years old.

Also, I've been absent from blog visits over recent days as it has been a rather tricky week. Hoping to catch up with you all very soon.

Have a lovely St Patrick's weekend.

Nicola x

Time for Green

Hi there and welcome.

The current challenge at Frilly and Funkie is 'William Morris Style'. I associate William Morris and the Arts & Crafts Movement with textiles, stained-glass art and wallpaper designs. I thus tried to incorporate all three elements into my card today.



To salute the textile element, I stamped my most appropriate botanical stamp (Anna Griffin 580K06) with DI Bundled Sage (my only green DI) onto Lesley Riley's TAP (Transfer Artist Paper). I then ironed the TAP paper onto some muslin to transfer the stamped image to the cloth.

Next coloured some white stamping paper with Bundled Sage and some pinkish DIs till I'd achieved the required murky shade for the 'frame'. Stamped the frame using Walnut Stain DI ( Hero Arts 'Long Branch' and Impression Obsession 'Sm Leaf Filligree') and Bundled Sage DI (Hero Arts 'Fairy Fern'). As a nod to wallpaper design I stamped the frame's side panels with a vertical bird stamp from a set by Cavallini & Co (Birds and Nests) - well it seems wallpaper like to me anyway!

I had some rub-ons by Kaisercraft that I think resemble stained glass so these were added to the four corners. Stamped a little bird from the Cavallini set and again using TAP transferred it to muslin. Sat this atop a diecut branch (Memory Box) atop a pale green bow. Don't think William Morris would have chosen the bow but hey it is my card!

Matted it all for some colour variation including cutting the green bottom edge with a Magnolia lace edge die - referencing the wonderful lace making associated with the Arts & Crafts Movement. Finished off by adding a dragonfly charm. That's it!

Thank-you so much for spending a little part of your day at my blog. I hope you like!

Nicola x

I wish to enter my card to the following challenges;
Frilly and Funkie - 'William Morris Style'
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - Go Green
Stamping Sensations - March 'The Great Outdoors'
Simon Says Stamp - A Bit O' Green

Birthday Boy!

Hello and welcome! Thank-you all so much for your phenomenal response to my last post (here) and a warm welcome to my new followers. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

This week I had to make a dreaded masculine card - I find these so difficult! Not surprisingly, it didn't go according to plan either! But never mind, here it is;



The part that didn't work out was that I wanted to colour the embossed/raised edge ridges in blue. I attempted markers but couldn't maintain a clean even pattern. I then tried to ink inside the embossing folder prior to embossing but couldn't achieve clean lines so had to abandon after several messy attempts. Maybe I should buy an ink brayer? Or go back to the classroom!

The ingredients:
Embossing Folders are from Sizzix Mail Set (I fussy cut out the embossed wings)
Stamps: Paris metro map by Artemio (Paris by Night) is tucked into the envelope and Kaisercraft 'Postmarks' for main image - all stamped in DI Salty Ocean
Papers: Melissa Frances (Countdown to Christmas) and Blue Faux Leather Paper from stash
Embellishments: Wheels are by Karen Foster Charms, Zipper is by Prima Junkyard Findings, Metal tab is by Making Memories
Cardstock and Brads: Bazzill
Blue Velvet ric rac by May Arts and Satin Ribbon from stash

Thank-you so much for visiting.
Nicola x


I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Lawnscaping Challenge - #53 Texture
Crafty Cardmakers - Masculine Birthday feat. tech/gadget
Cards for Men - Monochrome
Anything Goes Challenge - Make It Manly

For A Lady

Greetings from Dublin. Firstly, heartfelt thanks to everyone who left such lovely comments on my last post - you ladies are warm rays of sunshine and your kindness means a great deal to me. Secondly, I've missed my magical mystery tours around your blogs and I'm hoping to venture back as much as possible.

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to attend a class hosted by the lovely Eve who taught us to alter a Tim Holtz configurations box using the delectable Graphic 45 'A Ladies' Diary' papers, together with a matching mini album. Thank-you Eve for hosting such a friendly, fun filled day - looking forward to more. It was great to finally meet the wonderful Shirley and other crafty ladies too.

Eve's box had a clear top lid so that the lovely lined drawers could be seen below with the album hidden beneath them. She showed us how to 'hinge' the top and bottom parts in order to double the box height. I've arranged my box a little differently though and made it with a paper covered lid. Here is my version;



Back at home I covered all sides of box and drawers (inner and outer) with the beautiful A Ladies' Diary papers. Also painted the drawers with Paper Artsy's fresco finish in Nougat. The lid is simply made from a square of Ladies' Diary paper on top of a square of cardstock. I sealed the papers with Claudine Hellmuth multi medium matte and found this product super as it forms an invisible seal with no visible brushstrokes. I then edged the lid with lace and decorated with lots of Ladies' Diary images, roses by Prima and Jeans (available here), silk ribbon (tied using Boweasy), pearls and charms. (A little inking is also in the mixture using Distress Inks). Also added Tim Holtz game spinners to clocks on two sides.



For the inside of the box I've used the space in the top lid to create a little stamped scene showing a seamstress busy creating all those fashions modelled on the outside. The stamped square is backed by a square of cardstock for reinforcement. I've used stamps from the gorgeous set 'Sew Much To Do' by Chapel Road Artstamps. You can see I've also used some 'A Ladies' Diary' cutouts to form the scene as well as lace, stitched buttons, sewn ribbon, wound spools, pearl string, roses, seam binding, ribbon measuring tape and I stamped the Magnolia die cut tag for the shop sign.



I recently bought the Tim Holtz dressform die and cut some spools from chipboard and used one as the box 'closure'. I decorated it with seam binding and a really fabulous scissors charm that I bought from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. Eve's kit also included the Tim Holtz Foundations 'feet' that really finish off the box wonderfully.

I'll be giving this box to my Darling Mum next Sunday for Mother's Day.

I wish you all a lovely week and thank everyone most sincerely for visiting. It's great to have you along!

Nicola x


I wish to enter box to the following challenges;
Sugar Creek Hollow - #51 Lovely Lace
Simon Says Stamp and Show - By The Numbers (clocks, dates,tape)
Country View Crafts - Pick and Mix
Stampin For The Weekend - Lace
Vintage Udfordring - #55 Decorate with Flowers
Joanna Sheen - Layer It Up
Moving Along With The Times - Lovely Ladies
Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog - Mother's Day
Sunday Stamper - Oh You Pretty Things
Allsorts Challenge - For A Lady
Inspiration Emporium - Add A Little P.O.P.

Best Pals

Hi there and welcome to another blog post.

Unusually I'd like to say a little bit about myself personally. I've been living with ongoing serious illness for several years and achieve a certain level of functionality by maintaining a quiet and carefully paced life. Starting up my blog last September was a big undertaking for me but all the extra activity has been taking its toll healthwise. Unfortunately I have decided to resign from my Design Team post at Eclectic Ellapu and I thank Elaine and all the ladies there for being so understanding. I hope you will also bear with me as I won't be making so many visits to your blogs over the next while but I do hope to be able to keep making and posting my little card productions.

So without further ado, here's my card today made in a shabby style;




I've decorated the side panels with Dreamweaver texture paste through a Crafty Individuals 'Leafy Border' mask. The last time I applied texture paste over distress inks I found that the paste absorbed the ink but this time I wanted to keep the raised paste white so I waited till the paste was dry and then sponged over a blend of distress inks to colour the cardstock panel, wiping the raised paste with a baby wipe as I went along. The paste acted like a resist and remained white. Tore the cardstock whilst wet to give a ripped shabby look.

The centre panel is layered with some aqua tissue paper and then some scalloped doily strips. I've stamped the central image (Crafty Individuals CI-084) using Coffee Archival ink. I restamped a couple of times onto some patterned papers (Melissa Frances and Maja Design) and then paper pieced dresses onto the little girls. Also arranged some roses in the flower basket. I cut a frame from Silver Stardream CS using a Spellbinders die and then dry embossed this. Added frantage in shabby blue and blue fragments to add further interest. I then shabbily painted some corrugated cardboard with Paper Artsy's Snowflake paint and sprinkled more frantage. Decorated further with metal charms from Nunn Design and a broderie anglaise bow. Finally dabbed some metal words (by Making Memories) with Brilliance Ink (Pearlescent Chocolate) to highlight.

Wishing you all a lovely day and thank-you so much for your visit.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Crafty Individuals - For My Friend
The Shabby Tea Room - A Silver Lining
Sugar Creek Hollow - Metal Mania
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Metal-ology
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Blues, Brown and Beige
Stampin' for the Weekend - Distressed
Happy Daze Challenge - Love Is All Around
365 Cards Word Wednesday - Sister
Addicted to Stamps and More - Vintage
Polkadoodles and Studio 12 - Shabby Chic

Happy Valentine's Day

A sunny hello to all who visit - each and every one is much appreciated. I'm afraid I have yet another pink card to share but I promise to change colour for the next post! I'll keep this post short as I'm pressed for time.



Papers: My Mind's Eye (Be Happy collection) and various size doilies. Papers have been distressed, sponged and stamped with Kaisercraft Clear Stamp (Distress CS877) and various Distress Inks
Image: Free courtesy of Magic Moonlight (I also made some sepia and tone adjustments in Photoshop)
Dies: Cheery Lynn (Heart Chain Border), Magnolia (Heart Swirl), Spellbinders (Fleur de Lis Squares)
Venise Lace Heart from The Funkie Junkie Boutique (and card thus entered to The Frilly and Funkie Sunday Share)
Charms, lace ribbon, pearls and roses from stash

May you receive at least an extra little spoonful of love in your day today.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Nicola xx

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Frilly and Funkie: Lacy Heartsy Valentine
Cheery Lynn Designs - Frame It
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - Put your heart on it!
Anything Goes Challenge - Vintage/Shabby Chic
Crafts and Me - Doily Heaven

Happily Ever After

Hello and Welcome! Thank-you for stopping by. I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

Today it's a new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu and Sheena has chosen the theme of 'Girly'. Any project that suggests 'Girly' to you is more than welcome in the challenge here. A special Happy Birthday to Sheena's little sister today (occasion being the inspiration for challenge theme).

The base CS is Bazzill - I've shaped the top with a Tim Holtz On The Edge 'Ornate' die. The next pink layer has been embossed with a Cheery Lynn plate 'Petite Hearts' and its corners are shaped with a Fiskars punch. I then wrapped it in white tulle to resemble a cummerbund. The dress is a stamp by Stampington and Company (Apron S7342) stamped in Archival ink (Rose Madder) and embossed with Ranger Antiquities EP (Rose Quartz). I've edged that white card using Magnolia's Old Swedish lace die. I also used Cheery Lynn's Sophia's Heart die to cut a pink doily - I snipped out just the outer edge and used it to frame the dress layer. The Prince is from my printer (a free vintage printable) - he is layered on some cheesecloth. The 'Cinderella' label is from an Impression Obsession stamp (Cinderella Shoes D6543) also stamped and embossed as before. I coated all layers liberally with Frantage (Shabby Pink and Shabby White embossing enamel, pink colour fragments and glass glitter). For definition I ran a cotton bud inked with Archival Rose Madder around most edges. The finishing touches are several flourishes made using Cheery Lynn Mini Fanciful Flourish die, rosebuds and prima fairytale rose, May Arts silk ribbon and charms from stash. (The crown charm was toned down with some pewter stain and the shoe is propped on a punched heart). That shoe charm was a perfect fit for Cinderella - I hope your Prince is good to you this Valentine's Day and brings you lots of 'shoes'!

Don't forget to check out Eclectic Ellapu's 'Girly' Challenge - the Pink Team have lots of gorgeous inspiration for you here. We look forward to oodles of prettiness, or maybe not, just pop over with whatever 'Girly' means to you!

Nicola x

Thank-you to the Hosts, Sponsors and Design Teams at the following challenges that I wish to enter;
Simon Says Stamp & Show - Ever After
Cheery Lynn Designs Challenge - Add A Flourish
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes With Ribbon
No Matter Which Challenges - Ribbons and Bows
In The Pink – Pink Valentines
Simon Says Stamp - Have A Heart
Stampin for the Weekend - Something Metal
Inspiration Emporium - Spread some L.O.V.E.

Madame Butterfly

Greetings from Dublin. Welcome to my blog and very many thanks to those who have signed up as followers - it is really lovely to have your company.

I seem to be going through a butterfly phase with yet a third butterfly card but with all the challenges about love at the moment how could I possibly leave out Madame Butterfly?

My background is collage stamped with Distress Inks (Spun Sugar, Milled Lavender, Victorian Velvet) using Stampers Anonymous Papillon stamp set. (I recently bought these stamps from The Funkie Junkie Boutique from whom it is a joy to receive a package as Linda wraps everything so prettily and often adds an extra goodie or two. I thus am entering card to The Funkie Junkie: Sunday Share). I next dry embossed the background with Cheery Lynn's embossing plate Petite Hearts - these plates are the width of the Big Shot and so give better size embossing than most folders.

The beautiful Madame Butterfly is by Stampington & Company (P2201 Pucinni's Muse). I stamped her on silk tissue paper using Archival Rose Madder and embossed her with Sparkle n Sprinkle EP (rather fittingly shade is my fave 'Japanese Lacquer'). I cut two different Japanese Chiyogami Papers using Vintage Cabinet Card die. Rubbed each edge as I went along with gold gilding wax for definition. I matted Mme Butterfly onto the darker shaded paper and then framed her with the lighter pattern. Next 'Frantaged' a little using Shabby Pink embossing enamel. Also applied some diecuts that I made with Cheery Lynn dies (Heart Chain Border and Love You More Heart). The way the diecuts isolate her sadly is deliberate. Also placed some gem hearts as her tears. Added more pretty butterflies and hearts. Completed with various charms including a clock - particularly relevant given Madame Butterfly's desperate wait.

Thank-you for visiting - I hope you have a great weekend.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Inspired by Stamping - Colour Challenge # 44
Cheery Lynn Challenge - Tickled Pink
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Show Some Love
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Vintage
Craft-room Challenge - Monochrome
Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Monochrome
Flutter By Wednesday - Open Challenge
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Only from your heart can you touch the sky
Sugar Creek Hollow - Romantic Love
Crafts and Me - Favourite Embellishment (Butterflies)
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
The Artistic Stamper - Hearts and Flowers

Tulip Butterflies

Hello and a warm welcome to another blog post.

Well you sure can tell that my Big Shot is still novel to me with the amount of die cuts that I've included today - hope I havn't overdone it!

The flower and script panel has been created by stamping with Versamark (onto speciality stamping paper) and then clear embossing the image to form a resist. The stamp is by La Blanche 'Tulips Script'. Then sponged on a melange of distress inks including the new Peacock Feathers. Had fun with lots of spritzing and flicking. Die cut image with Spellbinders die BUT hadn't allowed ink to dry sufficiently so managed to rip the edges to bits! I wanted a shabby look but not ripped to shreds! So I redid the stamp resist, die cut the rectangle and then enjoyed more inking all over again. My tip today is to make sure paper well dry before doing a detailed diecut.

Printed out the lovely sentiment kindly created by Cec for a recent win at Sugar Creek Hollow. Got the die cutting done and then used the die to mask the image and sponged on even more ink. Also diecut butterflies and circle from corrugated CS and ink them to match.

Using my new butterfly stencil I added some texture paste butterflies to link various panels of the card together. I decided to leave the white paste as is for contrast although I see that the paste has absorbed some of the underlying distress ink whilst drying.

I assembled lots of layers including papers from Prima Firefly collection that were a great tonal match, doiley, tissue paper and some flourishes. Mounted the two main butterflies onto embossed CS to add further dimension. Added some gems and a little bow to complete.

Thank-you for visiting today - it was lovely to have you stop by!
Nicola x

Thanks to the hosts, sponsors and DTs at the following challenges that I wish to enter;
Sugar Creek Hollow - Lots of Layers
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Lavishly Luscious Layers
Twisted Tuesday Challenges - Anything Goes
Flutter By Wednesday's - Anything Goes
Perfect Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Die-Cut
Whimsy Stamps Inspiration Challenges - Fancy Edges

Loving Correspondence

Hi there and welcome to another blog post.

I'm really thrilled to announce that I've been invited by the super talented Elaine to join her Design Team at Eclectic Ellapu. Needless to say I am absolutely delighted and honoured to be asked and hope that I can live up to the challenge. Today is my very first design team slot as part of Eclectic Ellapu 'Pink Team'. The theme this week has been set by Dawn and is 'Black & White and Read All Over'. The quest is to use black and white only and to incorporate text into your project. Do pop over to Eclectic Ellapu to see the beautiful and inspiring work created by the rest of the team. We would be so glad for you to join in - go on - stretch those abundant talents of yours!

Here is my take on the challenge;

I've made an easel card. The black background of each 'half' is cardstock that has been embossed with my Cuttlebug 'Script' embossing folder. Both white coved rectangles have been cut using a Cheery Lynn die. The lovely stamp on the top part of the card is by Frantic Stamper (Stamp FRA-CLG-3801). (In fact I bought this stamp when I saw it as I thought it would fit well with the precious pen nib that Lynn sent me last year as part of a very generous candy win - I love that ribbon can be threaded through the nib). I stamped and embossed the image twice and paper pieced the parts that fit a) under the pen nib and b) under the metal frame that I've added around the lady's face. Both of these are then mounted on foam squares for dimension. The script stamp on the lower part of the card is by La Blanche (#1174). Next I cut a fleur de lis square with a Spellbinders die, formed an envelope and inserted a little letter (script stamp by Andy Skinner). Also stamped/embossed and die cut the 'Paris' label from an Artemio stamp set (Vintage Paris). I punched some little butterflies and gave them white roses for 'hearts'. Added some tiny black gem hearts running from the writing hand of the lady down to the letter below. All stamping done with black Archival ink and embossed with Stamp n Stuff EP (Detail Black). Some pearls, lace, velvet and organza ribbon added to finish.

Thank-you so much for spending time at my blog. I hope you like what you see. Don't forget to pop over to Eclectic Ellapu to join in the challenge as we would love to see your creations.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;
Simon Says Stamp & Show - What are you known for? (Embellishments)
Simon Says Stamp - Paper Piecing
Craft Room Challenge - Monochrome
Crafts & Me - Vintage
Vintage Stamping Challenge - Vintage
Polkadoodles / Studio 12 - Monochrome
Little Red Wagon - Text Me!
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Valentines Day / Love
Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Show Some Love