Lovely in Lavender

Hi there, I hope that all is well with you today. Thank-you for taking the time to visit.

A quick post showing I've reverted back to my more usual vintage style...

Papers: Pion Design 'Scent of Lavender' collection

Cutting Die: Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes - Flower / Leaf 4

Border Punch: Martha Stewart

Chipboards: Scrapiniec

Stencilling: Crafter's Workshop stencil and Faber Castell Texture Luxe paste

Metal embellishments: Clockframe is by Nunn Design and wheel centre is an Idea-ology hitch fastener

Bow: Melissa Frances

Other: Krylon Silver Gilding pen, Twinkling H2Os, Luminarte Silks, Silver pearl pen, wood butterflies (Painted), various Distress Inks, Glossy Accents, Prima glass glitter (Violet), muslin, laces, flower and wheat from stash

Thank-you so much for stopping by today.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Frilly & Funkie - Floral Infatuation
Noor Design - Flowers & Lace
The Ribbon Girl - September Card challenge - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge - O is for Open
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Pretty Pretty Ribbons
Crafty Cardmakers - Layer It Up
Dream Valley Challenges - Monochrome

Talking butterflies

Greetings from Sunny (hurray!) Dublin and thank-you for your visit.

A more colourful than usual card from me today...

Here's a step by step:

Stamped the background and embossed with black EP.

The Stamp wrapper is torn but I think stamp is 'Butterfly Script' by Hero Arts.

Die cut the stamped image using die from Sizzix 'Enchanted' set.

The other dies shown in snap are used later on.

Coloured in butterflies with a Tim Holtz waterbrush and various distress inks.

Stamped 4 different blue shades of distress ink onto craft mat keeping the 4 colours separate. Blended each of the 4 inks with a blob of glossy texture paste by Ranger. (Forgot to take pic at this stage). Applied the 4 varying shades of blended paste through stencil (by Agateria). Left overnight to dry allowing the paste to harden and turn transparent.

Diecut 2 feathers using Sizzix 'Writing Desk' dies. Inked them with distress inks as shown and decorated using Tim Holtz 'lattice work' stencil.

Also stamped feathers with some text using Prima stamps (Finnabair Vintage Vanity 4 and Sweet Fairy mix 2). Coated them with crackle glaze and left to dry overnight so that crackle could 'do it's thing!'

Diecut the inkpot and inked it purple. Coloured the chipboard text (by Scrapiniec) with markers. Coated both with glossy accents and left to dry overnight. (Take care adding any type of 'moisture' to the chipboard as it is very fragile).

Assembled card with layers of red and white cardstock. Affixed 4 brads to corners and ran red thread around each. Added metal embellishments to the stamped butterflies. 'Grounded' inkpot using black border diecut from the lovely Agnieszka Barska. Diecut some tiny butterflies using Tim Holtz / Sizzix 'Butterfly Frenzy' die, coloured them with same blues used in background stencilling, coated each with glossy accents and secured at inkpot. Splattered some Ecoline white and black inks about.


That's it! Hope you like!
Wishing all a lovely week ahead and thank-you so much for taking the time to stop by.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
A Vintage Journey - Stencil It
Scrapyland - Use image (digi / rubber) plus brand carried by store (Sizzix)
Allsorts - Use at least 2 dies
Inky Chicks - Lots of Butterflies
Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
Stamps & Stencils - Time to Take Flight
Crafty Creations - Words / Letters on background
Fussy & Fancy Friday - Let's Fly Away
Scrap & Craft - S.C.R.A.P. (Stencil, Chipboard, Paper)

Summer Garden

Hello. I hope this Friday finds you well.

I've made today's card to meet criteria of a number of challenges and enjoyed setting out a garden scene.

Paper: Maja Design with edges distress inked. Some stitching included along with my usual little sprinklings of Frantage

Die: Marianne Design (Ovals & Pop-Ups LR0371)

Embellishments - I made the birdhouse, birds and nest in silicone moulds using paper clay. The little house has then been treated to some paint and crackle to shabby it up. The birds and foliage have been inked with distress inks. Ivy chipboard is by Scrapiniec, again inked with distress ink and then coated with clear crackle. Metal elements are by Tim Holtz. Flowers and muslin from stash.

Stencils: Tim Holtz 'Flourish Stencil' filled with DecoArt white crackle. Two corners (behind rollbacks) are also stenciled using a 'Crafter's Workshop' stencil.

Thank-you so much for your visit,
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Nicola x


I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Simon Monday Challenge - Summer Fun (Favourite time in summer is to sit in garden and watch/hear birds)
A Vintage Journey - Stencil It
Scrap & Craft - S.C.R.A.P. (I've used stencil, chipboard and paper)
Happy Little Stampers - August Mixed Media - Use Metal
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Close to Nature
Everything Goes with Marianne Designs - option Summer / Holiday
Craft Heaven Shop - Anything Goes with option of sketch
Anything But Cute - Shabby Garden Mood Board

Pretty Ballerinas

Hello! Thank-you for your visit and a warm welcome to recent new followers.

Today's card is for lovely Sara who is celebrating her 9th birthday!

Papers: Melissa Frances '5th Avenue' collection

Stencilling: On background paper using a Dutch Doobadoo stencil and Faber Castell Texture Luxe in 'Pearl'

Dies / Punch: Edging strips are cut with a Martha Stewart 'Eyelet Lace' Edge punch. To accentuate a sense of 'frilliness' I've painted the punched edges with white ecoline and dried paint with heat gun so as to slightly bubble it. The flourishes at corners of frame are diecut using a Joy Crafts die - they seem, (to me anyway), to echo the ballerinas' arms

Frame: The frame is MDF which I painted a couple of times with gesso and then coated with Stampendous Frantage in 'Shabby Pink' and 'Shabby White' along with some pink glass glitter by Melissa Frances

Tutu: Made 'tutu' with Melissa Frances 'frou frou' tulle

Other Embellishments: I've made resin corners at left from paper clay in a silicone mould. Metal corners to right are painted white and topped with little venise lace bows. Flowers are by Wild Orchid Crafts and Prima and the stamens are from stash. The metal 'Happy Birthday' is by Making Memories. Pearls around edges are by Woodware and The Hobby House. A bow and Prima bauble are included too. Finally, dabbed Prima / Finnabair Art Sugar in 'light pink' onto flowers and corners for a touch more sparkle

Thanks so very much for stopping by,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Mixed Media Place, July Moodboard (inspired by hues, sugary roses and happy)

Simon Monday Challenge - Celebrate
Live & Love Crafts - Happy Birthday / Anniversary
Inky Chicks - Use 5 or more Flowers
Allsorts - A touch of Sparkle
ABC Challenge - M is for Maiden (card for young girl)
Card & Scrap - Alt er Lov / Anything Goes
Kort o Mania - Alt er Lov / Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner - Birthdays / Celebrations
Simon Wednesday - Fabulous Florals

One Deer A Leaping

Greetings to you, I hope your week is going well.

I'm thinking this card is too busy but the one I made before it ended up in the bin so I better not chuck another one! Just one of those days!!

Papers: An all Swedish lineup from Pion Design, Maja Design and Inkido (trying to use up various offcuts)

Dies: Sizzix 'Reindeer Flight', Die-namics 'Fishtail Flags' and 'Circles', Memory Box 'Berry Sprig', 'Joy' is from WPlus9 'Hand Lettered Holiday'

Punch: Martha Stewart edger

Stencil: Memory Box 'Tiny Snowflakes'

Media / Textures: Stampendous Frantage, Texture paste for stencilling which is then coated with Ranger glitter in 'clear rock candy', Krylon Leafing pen 18ct gold, Clear Crackle Accents on deer, Glossy Accents on diecut text, Splattered inks by Ecoline and Winsor & Newton, Prima / Finnabair Micro beads in 'Copper' and 'Bronze', Waco pen for 'snow' beneath Robins

Other: Berry embellishments, bell around deer's neck (decorated with stickles), velvet ric-rac and twine from stash

Wishing you joy even if it is still only July!
Thanks so very much for your visit,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Simon Monday - Add Some Texture
ABC Challenge - Lots of Layers
Winter Wonderland - Use your diecuts and punches / add a charm
Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes Holiday
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes plus a sentiment
Little Red Wagon - Christmas in July
Fussy & Fancy Friday - Christmas in July
Fab n Funky - Christmas

Lemon and Lime, Summertime

Hi there! Thank-you for your visit.

You might have seen a recent post of mine about a card that I made at a workshop with the wonderful Dorota Kopeć. We were given time to make a second card and tags but I held off on completing card so as to customise it at home.

Papers: I used black patterned sheet by Crate Paper. Decorated the watercolour paper at workshop with Ecoline watercolours and stamped with text stamps by Finnabair.

Embossing: Did stencilling using a Prima stencil and texture paste and then heat embossed the paste with Ranger EP.

Dies: I diecut the leaves with a Magnolia die and bird using Memory Box 'perched reed bird' die. The bird is double layered and has been coated with glossy accents for shine. Have inked most edges with Distress 'Black Soot'.

Other Stamping: I stamped sentiment with text by Anna Griffin. Leaves are diecut from a sheet that had been pre-stamped for workshop by the fabulous Agnieszka Barska.

Other embellishments: The paperclay clock, that I've crackle glazed, has been made by me in a Prima mould. Some black butterflies are rubons that have been in stash for an age. Cream berries are by magnolia and white stamens and flowers again are from stash. Flowers and cheesecloth are inked with Ecoline to match the background paper. I painted the lovely chipboard white - it's by Scrapiniec. Finally the black clock hands and all the micro beads sprinkled around ('Grass' shade) are by Prima.

Some ingredients

Thank-you so much for stopping by.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Anything But Cute - Summertime Fun
Scrapyland - Emboss It (heat or dry) - use dies carried by Scrapyland
Live & Love Crafts - Sprinkles of Summer
Mixed Media Mojo - Summertime
The Crazy Challenge - Summer Fun
Creative Artiste - Anything Goes
Artistic Stamper - All things bright and beautiful
ABC Challenge - Lots of Layers
City Crafter - Typically Tropical
Craft for the craic - Summer Breeze

Wrapped in Red

Hello and welcome!

My Christmas crafting has officially commenced and I'm delighted to welcome glitter back into my life!

I was most fortunate to win a beautiful stamp set ('Woolen Mittens' by Oxford Impressions) from lovely Lynne and it is finally getting its first inking. The stamps are wonderful to use with fab deep etching. Isn't this little sweetheart cosily attired?

I stamped mdf bell shape (by Creative Expressions) with bells and text using Ranger 'Vermillion Red' (having masked off area for figure) and then overpainted with well watered paint (Paper Artsy 'Nougat'). Stamped and embossed the little Girl (EP is Sparkle & Sprinkle 'Japanese Lacquer'). I wanted a lovely deep red for her coat and it took several tryouts to get it right! Made her booties a tiny bit darker. Added glossy accents over both and left to dry overnight. Stamped and embossed snowflakes on the bell (EP- WOW White). I'm no use at colouring in faces so just added a hint of blush to her cheeks from one of my own blushers (Chanel). Painted her bonnet, ribbon and socks with white Paper Artsy paint (again tried out other white products but they kept sinking into the mdf - guess I should have sealed the surface first). Glued twine around bell's rim and dabbed it with gold and red Stickles.

Stitched around the backing paper with my handy IKEA sewing machine having lightly stamped some green mistletoe at paper edges. The paper is by 'My Mind's Eye'. Stencilled Snowflakes over bell and background paper with Memory Box 'Tiny Snowflakes' stencil and coated the paste with my go to choice of sparkle (a girl has got to have one!). Added more stamped bells (both distress 'Candied Apple' and 'Festive Berries' were on my table at the end so not sure which one I used for which. Then the little girl went and grabbed one of those new Distress Crayons and scribbled 'Snow' - just as well she drew in the right place!).

Added bunting (by Melissa Frances I think) to top having dabbed them with Stickles along with some Tim Holtz greenery that I've given snowy effects to. Stamped some stockings too and splattered white paint around generally. Decorated further with teddy and mittens charms plus little wooden stars with a toothpick stick for little one to hold. Finally, a red bow and two jingle bells completed the picture.

As always, your visit and any comments that you leave are most appreciated.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with a Stamp and Ribbons
That's Crafty - Feminine challenge
Inky Chicks - Christmas in Summer
Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
ABC Christmas Challenge - N for No rules
Winter Wonderland Christmas challenge - Make It Cute
Sparkles Forum Christmas - Snowflakes
Christmas cards all year round - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments - For a Girl + sentiment
Deep Ocean Challenge - Christmas in July

Shabby Chic Tissue Box

Hi there and thank-you for taking the time.

I've an altered tissue box to display today. It began as kraft coloured cardboard but now it's a whole lot prettier...

I painted box white. Then used servietten technique to adhere an embossed white napkin to all sides (a lot of the raised detail of this was lost - unfortunately it got flattened as I stencilled etc). I tried some sepia text stamping for contrast but ended up painting over this as it looked way too busy. Instead I decorated with lots of Shabby White and Ivory Frantage.

Used stencils by Wendy Vecchi and Tim Holtz to stencil all sides with both pearlescent texture paste and crackled stencil paste. The Melissa Frances centre resin frame reminded me of "Ring a Ring o' Roses" so I've typed a more optimistic sentiment inside frame. The little resin angel is by Prima. All the decorative corners are made by me using paperclay and silicone moulds. Dabbed all the white embellishments with gilding wax.

Next, a twirl to the rear. The brass feet are by Graphic 45 (added extra gilding), ribbon is from stash and tissues are by Kleenex!

Many thanks for stopping by and a special shoutout of appreciation to the lovely peeps who leave a comment.

Have a great week!
Nicola x

I wish to enter tissue box to the following challenges:
Simply Neutrals - Challenge 26
A Vintage Journey - Texture or Embossing Paste
Country View Crafts - Crackle
City Crafter - White & Bright
The Crazy Challenge - R is for (Resin and Ribbon)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
Love To Create - Anything Creative / Mixed Media

Workshop with Dorota

Greetings and Welcome!

There are lots of craft bloggers whose work I admire, but very much top of the list of card makers I aspire to is the wonderful Dorota Kopeć. If you are not familiar with her blog then I'm sure you will know of her creations on Pinterest, where she is prolifically pinned - she must hold some sort of record there!

Dorota recently visited our shores to hold a workshop near Dublin, and yay I was able to attend. It was a brilliant day, impeccably hosted by the lovely Agnieszka Barska and a pleasure to meet lots of like-minded ladies. We made 2 cards, 2 tags and an album (although 3 of these are still works in progress with me as I've been otherwise diverted).

Just posting one of the cards I made at the workshop ...

Thanks so very much Dorota for visiting Ireland! If anyone gets the chance to attend workshops elsewhere then you are assured of a fantastic day.

Happy Weekend and many thanks for your visit!
Nicola x

Welcome Beautiful Baby Boy

Greetings from sunny Dublin, (yes you did read that right!). Forecast good too!

So pleased that a perfect little baby boy arrived safely recently. He is another darling beauty and here's the card I made to welcome him...

Papers: Maja Design
Dies: Spellbinders / A Gilded Life 'Petite Monarch', MFT Dienamics 'Stitched Fishtail Flags'
Punches: Martha Stewart Edge Punches 'Threader' and 'Doily Lace'
Embellishments: Silver charms by Nunn Design. White Metal Expressions by Making Memories. Buttons, Ribbons, Wool and Pearls from stash

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Have a lovely weekend,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Simon Monday - Monochrome
Scrapyland - Anything Goes (using die brand carried by Scrapyland)
ABC Challenge - I is for Important Event
Special Day Cards - Birthday card with stripes
Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes plus a sentiment
Craft Rocket Challenges - Monochrome
Crafty Sentiments - Gems or Pearls challenge