A Bumpy Road

The current challenge over at the Hero Arts’ blog includes a thinking of you theme. So to symbolise “I’m with you”, I decided to connect two die cut bicycles to form a tandem.


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Flourish Background, Envelope Pattern and Everyday Sayings

To start with, I inked a piece of card with tumbled glass distress ink and then stamped the flourish background using the same ink. Then I applied distress inks (shabby shutters, pumice stone and antique linen) to another piece of white card to form the hills and bumpy road. This was stamped with the envelope pattern using shabby shutters distress ink. The bicycles, from Hero Arts, were cut using my new Silhouette Cameo (I’m in love!) and I just did a bit of welding and cutting to form the tandem. To finish I added some heart gems and baker’s twine.

90 Minute Mayhem aka 90 Minute Scramble

It has been too long since I've been able to take part in one of the 90 minute scrambles over at the Hero Arts Flickr group. But today the timing was right and I was able to join in on Janet's fun scramble.

The idea is to design, make, photograph and upload a card to the group in 90 minutes. 90 minutes sounds like a long time but it's amazing how quickly the time flies by. Today for the first time, I actually got to make two cards before time ran out. So please excuse the not so great photos as I was a bit rushed when I was taking them!


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Lattice Background and Right at Home

For the first card, I embossed the lattice background and applied distress inks (shabby shutters, faded denim, tumbled glass). The flower is one I had made a while ago and I added a gorgeous heart button from a pack of wood buttons which my friend Linda had sent me. The sentiment was stamped with walnut stain distress ink.


Stamps (Hero Arts) - Clouds Background, Woodland Creatures and Picnic

To make the background on the second card, I stamped the clouds on blue card using faded jeans distress ink. Then I added a strip of patterned paper and layered some ribbon (thanks again, Linda!) over it. I paper pieced the kite and coloured the raccoon with colouring pencils.

Hope you are all having a great weekend:)

Celebrate with Style and Crafting Ireland

When I saw all the fun challenges for Card Creations Week over at the Moxie Fab World, I thought I'd try to make a card for each of the five categories, but with the deadline looming tonight, it looks like I'm only going to manage to squeeze a card into three of the challenges!



Stamps (Hero Arts) - Sew Artsy, Classic Fabric Background and Birthday Messages

So for this card I went with the Damask and Brocade Challenge. I white embossed the background with the Classic Fabric Background. Then I had some fun making a dress for the dress form using some ribbon, beads and gems. I just added some more ribbon and a big gem to finish.

Recently Nicole Mullen of Crafting Ireland asked if I'd do an interview and pick some of my favourite cards for a feature in the free online magazine. Yikes it was hard to pick favourites and when I was looking back through my cards, I wondered what on earth I was thinking when I made some of them. Yes, the good, the bad and the ugly are all there in my Flickr photostreams and blog! Anyway if you'd like to see some of my favourites, you'll find them in Crafting Ireland Issue 10.



The magazine is brilliant as it's packed full of great tutorials, articles and tips. Also I've realised through reading it how many crafty shops I didn't know existed here - looks like I'll have to plan some more shopping trips!