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December 31, 2012

SOUS Card Sketch

I was hit with a stomach flu yesterday which left me on the sofa sleeping all day while Dave and the girls headed up to Dublin to exchange our gifts and see their cousins...we were meant to be up there New Years Eve, but they are coming home to hang with mommy, who is much much better after her 24 hours of albeit broken sleep!! I managed to finish up a layout I started a few days ago and make this card today, now that I am eating a bit more and have energy again...

Here is the sketch I used for the card.


And here is my card:

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve tonight, whatever you do! I plan to play board games with the girls and just chill and recuperate! 2012 has been a wonderful year for me of learning and growing with my cardmaking and especially with my layouts...I hope to only continue to improve in 2013!

December 29, 2012

San Francisco Adventure

I did this layout for my first go at the Prima PPP (color challenge). Every single thing on it is Prima, except for one little doily lol!! Here are the Prima PPP colors:

And here is my layout:

I used the beautiful sketch by Amarylis from Scrap That. I just joined the forum and am having fun looking around!

I will also be entering this in the "Tick Tock I Used A Clock" Challenge at Scrapitgirl too :)!

December 28, 2012

Holiday Joy


I did this layout for the Stuck on U Sketches challenge and just spun the circles around so they are going from bottom left to right instead... I am using the C'est Magnifique kit again and lots of stash goodies. I am loving the look of the prima branches and the nest was a fun addition. This is a photo of my girls when they were little, sporting their Christmas dresses.


I am also entering this in the Bird is the Word Holiday challenge, Scrapit Girl Tick Tock I used a clock challenge and the Scrap Friends color palette challenge.

Creating Memories

I'm very excited to say this has been featured on the Prima blog for the December challenge!!


This is my first time doing the Prima BAP, and after several gorgeous but soft layouts from Pion Paper's Silent Night range, I really felt the need to have some color, so chose the beautiful Zephyr paper from Prima and a little Sun Kissed paper behind the photos.  There are lots of Prima goodies here, bulbs, zips, alphas, sugared flowers, canvas resist. The damask mask I used under the photos is a Prima mask as well...I did this to imitate the chevrons in the sketch... This did the trick for me...a splash of color and summer after some soft wintry layouts!

Here is the lovely sketch for this months Prima challenge.


I am also entering this in the Bird is the Word Create Challenge.

Thanks so much for looking!

December 26, 2012

December Snow

This layout was featured on the Manor House flowers blog and
was on the Watch List for CSI!!


Here is my layout I did for Once Upon a Sketch and CSI! I used my gorgeous December C'est Magnifique Kit and some flowers and embellies from past CM kits to make this layout. It is a photo of Aine starting a snowman during a very rare December snow back in 2010.

Here is the gorgeous OUAS sketch:


The challenge for CSI is here:

I used the colors and circles, texture paste, glitter, snowflakes, beads and puffy pain for my evidence and journalled on a tag for my testimony! I don't seem to have too much luck at CSI, but I sure enjoy doing the challenges!

December 22, 2012

Little Snow Birds

This was featured on Scrap for Help, C'est Magnifique sketch challenge, 
and made the watch list on CSI!



I absolutely love the papers in the December C'est Magnifique kit, gorgeous colors, delicate beautiful designs as always from Pion Design papers... This is the layout I did using the yummy CM December sketch.


As part of the challenge for Scrap for Help (I won their November challenge, so exciting, my first time ever and amongst some gorgeous competition!) we were supposed to incorporate a paper bag into our layout! I used a paper bag to make several bitty blossoms flowers and sparkled them up with my new Donna Salazar fairy dust glitter...

I also did this layout as part of the CSI challenge for this week. I rolled up and tied my journalling with ribbon for something fun and different...


I am also entering this in the Scrap Africa challenge which you are supposed to add filmstrips.

December 12, 2012

C'est Magnifique Bits & Pieces Giveaway


If you follow C'est Magnifique Kits Blog and drool over their kits every month like me, you probably know that every month they give away some bits and pieces of their latest kit.

Like every one of their Bits & Pieces Giveaways, this giveaway will include full and partial sheets of the Silent Night collection from Pion Designs that is featuring in this month's kit, as well as embellishments from the kit, the flower add-on, and the embellishment add-on.

Head over HERE to join in!

December 3, 2012

PaperHaus Magazine!!

Come check out the Winter 2012 issue of PaperHaus magazine!! My talented friend Frank Garcia has founded and produced this amazing publication with the support a great team of designers and contributors! Come check out my review article on page 111 but don't forget to take in all the amazing inspiration in between. Click on the magazine cover to take you there!




December 1, 2012

December Reveal for Paper Mixing Bowl!

I am so very proud to be on the DT for the clever recipe challenge at Paper Mixing Bowl! The monthly colors, sketch and recipe ingredients really inspire you to pull out stash and get creative. Here is this month's sketch.

And here is my take on it:

I used beautiful Riddersholm papers from last year, some Simple Stories and MME die cuts...I wrapped up a present (Wrap it up) and tied a pretty red satin bow (Stick a Bow on it)... I used metallic elements (Jingle bells which also count for buttons baubles and bells) and used the lovely snowflake ornaments for my Let it Snow utensil! For the directions I journaled about our tradition of going somewhere fun in Ireland for our Santa visit...we have seen Santa at a zoo (Fota Island in Cork), a CAVE (Ailwee Caves in Galway) and a Castle (Bunratty Castle in Clare). This is a photo of the girls at the Zoo visit going down a slide!!  I used twine and clipped the photo and journaling on and hung the snowflakes and bells like ornaments. I had a lot of fun working on this!!

November 30, 2012

My Little Domestic Goddess

I have been busy all month with the girls, my husband has been travelling and busy with audits at work, so have only gotten a chance to pull out my yummy November C'est Magnifique kit 2 days before month's end. I already have my next kit waiting in the wings!

I didn't want to skip a sketch challenge though because I have loved all of Nadia's sketches and am finding new sketch designer Michelle Singh's sketches amazing as well. Here is a look at the gorgeous sketch.


And here is what I did with the sketch using the gorgeous November kit. This is a photo of my youngest daughter Aisling trying to make up a bottle of her formula in the kitchen... Since the paper is 7 Dots Domestic Goddess, beautiful papers by the talented Finnabair, I thought a domestic goddess baby image would be fun to scrap!


Joyce Lawrence on the DT issued a challenge on the CM forum to use staples and to use brads, and I kept that in the back of my mind here, adding some staples on the left and two screwhead brads under the cluster on the right. I had fun taking out my Tim Holtz mini paper clips and the little metal pick that is holding the sweet sticker...I think this is the first time in ages getting those out!

I also used the copper paint included in the kit to do some masked chevrons, for some reason I keep adding them to layouts!! Though my clusters covered almost all of the chevrons on the right, I see a tiny bit peeping behind the butterflies lol!! I will enter this into the Scrap Africa chevron challenge this month too...

My daughter Aine turned 10 this month (see layout below, lol!!) and we got a few photos of her and her buddies at the local roller rink...I thought I needed to add back a bit about my family and girls in the blog, I started blogging about my crafts and my kids and need to go back to including a bit of both I think!!

November 23, 2012

CSI 46 - 10 years old!

Time sure flies, I can't believe my oldest daughter Aine is now 10!! I really haven't been taking photos often enough this year, but managed to get this great one of her on her birthday! Her party and sleepover are just happening this weekend (give me strength!) but we celebrated the actual day with a little cake and celebration.

I did this layout for CSI, I am really enjoying pulling out the stash to get these layouts done.  I used paper and flowers from my new Scraps of Elegance November Kit, a gorgeous lavender sheet of the Fabscraps Marie Antoinette line, but the rest came from my ever growing stash!!

Here is the case file: 

Evidence Used: pompom trim, textured element (texture paste) and something that glimmers and glows (leaf, stickpin and sparkle texture paste)

Testimony: 18 things about my quirky ten year old and inspiration word quirky!



I am also entering this in the Scrap Africa chevrons challenge!! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Best Kind of Friends - My Creative Sketches


I used the October and November Swirlydoos papers and some stash to put together this layout. It is a photo of my girls and my friend Kate's children. Both Kate and I went to university together in Maryland and both of us ended up in Europe, she is in London... Our families often take holidays together and our kids have grown up together and have a great time on these holidays. It is wonderful to see the growing up so close! This is a photo from our trip to the Eden Project in Cornwall.


I am also entering this in the Bird is the Word challenge, my journalling says how SWEET it is to see these kids grow up together, since me and their mom have been friends for so long!

November 17, 2012

Jump! November Once Upon a Sketch Challenge

I had a great time yesterday pulling out my October Swirlydoos kit and some elements from the new November kit that arrived and set to work on this months sketch at OUAS. Here is the gorgeous sketch from Nadia...

And here is my take on the sketch...
Lots of Prima goodies here, old book pages, some Kaiser Periwinkle and Simple Stories Fabulous paper... My hidden journaling on the tags behind the photo talk about the wonderful time the girls and I had this summer hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend Nupur (fellow jumper in the photo!) in Astoria, Oregon! I really wanted to scrap this wonderful photo.
I thought I would focus in on the flower cluster...I love that sunflower vine, those bulbs and the clock, but what I wanted to show was the book page! Jane Austen is a favorite author of mine and her novel Persuasion is one of my favorites...my second hand copy I had since my teen years fell apart and I decided it would be perfect to add to scrapbook pages! The page I tore out today has a great quote on it, mentioning the hero of the story and his looks, "Irish, I dare say"!!! Wonderful to have that extra bit of specialness on the layout!

I also found a lovely new challenge site to me, Scrap the Girls! Since I have two girls that I always scrap photos of, I thought it would be fun to enter. This month's challenge is teal, orange and white, perfect for these Swirlydoos papers, so I would love to enter this in their challenge too!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!

November 15, 2012

Kitchen Comfort - CSI 45


I solved the case this month by using the colors (grey butterfly and word comfort...I think I need more in my stash!)

Evidence: trees misted using CW template in background, lots of wood and woodgrain in the door, photos, wooden buttons and woodgrain alphas, book page behind the door, buttons on the flower, and vintage text on the PP

Testimony: I documented a favorite room and used IW comfort and family

Here is a close up of the journaling: 



I love my kitchen, and especially this corner!We bought that gorgeous dresser at an auction for our first Irish home, all banged up and full of character, it houses crafts my friends have made, and my daughters wonderful works…souvenirs from my trips, my daughter’s violin, the basket I made myself that holds our fruit… antiques picked up at flea markets and car boot sales… My friends and my family feel at home when they come here, it is not a show home, it is a wonderful comfortable lived in home.

November 11, 2012

Live Laugh Love - SOUS November 7th Card Sketch

Here is this weeks gorgeous sketch:

And here is my take on it:

I went through my stash and pulled out my hoarded Butterfly Garden papers and embellies, used a stickpin from a swap done last year at Flying Unicorn (I still have dozens beautifying my workspace...another thing I hoard) and tried out a pretty new crochet lace trim die from Cheery Lynn. 

Thanks for looking!!

Cardmaking Day and A Request!!

I had to replenish my stock of cards at our local cafe (I love when that happens!!) So I had a fun afternoon making cards and challenging myself to use up as much as I could of papers and scraps on my desk. I think I have used every last inch of the 12 x 12 G45 Ladies Diary papers I got from Scraps of Elegance in a kit this year, good thing I have an 8x8 pad if I need some more later!! I got a layout, an ATC and a whole bunch of cards with the paper!!



I really love that I am able to sell my cards here locally, the little bit of money I earn is always reinvested in scrappy goodies LOL!!

On an unrelated note, my husband is growing a mustache for the month of November in aid of Men's Cancer research...if you are able to help out at all Dave would really appreciate it!! Just click HERE to donate!

November 8, 2012

I Love Your Costumes!!

Another cool sketch from Stuck on You Sketches!

Here is my take on it! Lots of gorgeousness from my Scraps of Darkness kit and two cute girlies. Aine went as a devilish (see horns) 80s girl and Aisling and I had fun making up her costume with a felt hat and straw glued onto her clothes, she is my cutie scarecrow!

November 6, 2012

Design Team Call at Paper Mixing Bowl!!


We are having a DESIGN TEAM CALL!!!

I am pleased to say I am staying on another term with the Paper Mixing Bowl,
but we are looking to add more cooks on our team!!!

Come check out our fun challenges every month and join our team!!

November 5, 2012

Summer Beauty - CSI Case 43

I have been joining in with the Scraps of Elegance CSI challenge, trying to do my layouts using a good amount of Scraps of Elegance and Scraps of Darkness items on my layouts. This is my 4th and final one I am doing for the challenge but I plan to do at least one hopefully two each month from now on...they are fun!!
Here is this weeks case file:
And here is how I solved it:


For my evidence: black and white damask, a frame, a patterned brad on my ribbon, foliage, and a rub on.
For my testimony: I did a formal letter talking about how much Aisling had changed since that photo was taken in Cornwall the summer before last.

I am also going to enter this in the Bird is the Word challenge for "Summer" and in the Scrap for Help challenge to use music paper, which is layered behind my photo.

November 1, 2012

Thanksgiving Leftovers - November Paper Mixing Bowl DT Reveal -

It is time for the November reveal for the Paper Mixing Bowl's new challenge! Here is the wonderful sketch and recipe!!

Here is my take on the sketch!!


I kept the all neutral tone for the recipe, using lots of shades of cream and browns.

For my utensils: My found object is the metal filagree I have at the bottom of the photo under the butterfly, that was a thrift store purchase for pennies, I got a bunch of great metal pieces and broken jewelry for using on layouts and projects! My element from nature is a branch from a tree in our back garden up at the top of the page!! I added a nest up there for fun, and did some stamping of leaves, another ingredient! I made my own background by using a damask stencil and molding paste, and my final ingredient was the use of fiber which is there below the photo.

For my directions: I did a layout about my family, for which I am always thankful!! I included many elements of natures and outdoors, including a real branch and the beautiful backdrop of the Shannon River and Clare hills behind my family in the photo... I used a stamped sentiment for my journalling.

I had a lot of fun putting this together and used some flowers from Zva Creative and Manor House... I love those Prima light bulbs too and was fun to use those!! The paper clip is an embellie from Melody Ross, love it!!

Thanks for looking!!!