Carnlough yesterday afternoon

It's been a while since I posted any scenery photos of N. Ireland as I haven't been out and about much lately, but yesterday afternoon we both had finished what we were doing earlier than expected and jumped in the car. When we do this we almost always end up in Carnlough :) Such a lovely, quiet, relaxing place.

Easons, O'Connell Street demo to be rescheduled

Good morning. Unfortunately Easons, O'Connell Street, Dublin have asked me to reschedule my demo which was to take place on Saturday (2nd April). As you know I was looking forward to seeing lots of you there and was getting some lovely things ready to bring with me - but I'm sure I'll catch up with you very soon again.

My next planned retail demos are

April 28th - 30th - Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast

Sat 14th May - Crafty Angels, Newbridge, Co. Kildare

Sat 28th May - Paperworks, Linen Green, Dungannon

I also have a trade event scheduled in Dublin before the others listed and I hope to be able to bring you lots of photos and product news after that :)

Happy Birthday gatefold card - Pretty Posy papers from Trimcraft

 This is another one I made earlier :) I've used the beautiful new Pretty Posy 8x8 papers from Trimcraft to decorate a Dovecraft 5x7 Trifold card and embellished it with Trimcraft dies - Party and Border.

Cardmaking and Papercraft isue 155 - April

Good morning. Issue 155 (April) of Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine is now available in newsagents if you're looking for a good crafty read. This month I've got a couple of pages full of ideas using various corner punches and Grace Taylor Sherbet Sky papers by Trimcraft. I hope you  like them and will give them a try :)

How to make a 3 fold Princess card with Trimcraft's Simply Creative collection and First Edition dies

 When my Simply Creative papers and embellishments arrived from Trimcraft I looked through all the papers with the new Trimcraft First Edition dies beside them and thought this was a lovely combination :)

I have added all the steps below to show how I made this 3 fold card fit for a little Princess!

You will need:
Dovecraft white polka dot embossed 6x6 card
Trimcraft Simply Creative "Happy Days"  6x6 paper pad
Trimcraft First Edition dies - Pinking Edge Nesting
Trimcraft First Edition dies - Princess
Trimcraft First Edition dies - Wedding
Trimcraft First Edition dies - Weather
Dovecraft Glitter Glue - Crystal
Trimcraft Simply Creative Paper Blossoms (white)
Trimcraft Simply Creative Heart Buttons - (pink)
Trimcraft Simply Creative Round Gems (pink and purple)

white card
double sided tape
Dovecraft Crafters Glue
die cutting machine

How to make it:

1. Cut a piece of heart patterned paper to measure 14cm x 14cm and use the largest Pinking Edge nesting die to cut out the centre of the paper. *Reserve this inner shape to use on the inside of the card.

2. Glue the resulting "frame" to the centre of the card front. Use the next smallest die to cut out the centre of the card.

3. Cut a piece of white card to measure 15.24cm x 16.24cm (6"x 6.4 ") and score at 15.24cm. 

4. Add double sided tape and attach the folded to the back of the card .

5. Take the first nesting shape which you cut and *reserved and glue it onto the centre of the flap which you have just created. Use the next smallest die from the nesting set to cut out the centre of the card and paper together.

6. It will then look like this.

7. Cut another piece of white card to measure 15cm x 16cm and score at 15cm. Attach it to the inside of the card with double sided tape at the top to create a flap which will open from the bottom.

8. Cut a piece of zig zag paper measuring14.5cm x 14.5cm and attach to the centre of the flap with double sided tape. Cut a piece of  ombre paper measuring 10.5cm x 10.5cm and attach to the centre of the zig zag paper. Die cut two castles from the Princess die set  - one white and one silver. Glue the silver one on top of the white one slightly offsetting so that the white one is showing as a "shadow". Glue to the centre of the paper. Glue the little white scalloped line back into place on the sliver die cut. Add glitter glue around the edges of the ombre square, below the castle and add little lines at the top to resemble clouds.

9. Die cut the unicorn from white card and glue to the front of the left flap so that it overlaps the aperture. Add glitter glue to the mane and tail.

10. Die cut a cloud from the Weather die set and glue to the front of the card at the top right so that it overlaps the aperture.Add some glitter glue. 

11. Die cut the "Princess" from white and silver card and glue the silver on top of the white - slightly offsetting. Glue this across the top left of the card front. Die cut the heart from the Wedding dies from white card and glue the outer part above the "Princess" Add a white paper blossom with a heart button in the centre. Finish with a round gem.

12. Add three more paper blossoms at he bottom right of the card front with buttons and gems in the centre.

Thanks once again.

I feel as if I'm constantly indebted to my friends and family at the moment but I do need to say a big "Thanks" once again. Thanks so much to everyone who commented on my post, sent pm's, emails, texts and cards. I haven't been able to answer them all yet but I'm working on it now. Thanks so much too, to those of you who called at the house and came to David's mum's funeral on Saturday. We really appreciate it all. It's still hard to take in what all has happened in the last couple of weeks. As a family, we do really appreciate your prayers.

David's mum passed away very peacefully this afternoon. Her faith and contentment were an inspiration to us all over the last months and particularly over the last few weeks. She will be sorely missed but we know we will meet again.

Thanks very much to all who have kept in touch over the last while and kept us all in your prayers. We really appreciate it.

Demo cancelled - Art and Hobby, Blanchardstown

I'm sorry but I have to cancel my demo at The Art & Hobby Shop Blanchardstown on Saturday (19th March). Sadly, David's mum's condition has deteriorated quite a bit over the weekend and we need to be with her. She is being very well cared for at the moment in the Northern Ireland Hospice.

I've had quite a few messages which I haven't been able to reply to as well so please bear with me and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.

On Your Bike ;)

Good afternoon. I hope you're enjoying your weekend. 

I've been making lots of sample cards with all my new papers etc from Trimcraft and stopped to make one that I actually "need" for a change. 

I have somehow become a bit attached to this shape of card so quite a few of my makes over the last few days have been variations of it.

The papers I've used this time are Trimcraft's Simply Creative "My Guy" with dies from the Weather, Modern Sentiments, Pinking Edge Nesting, Border and Transport sets.

This card folds flat for postage.

Using Tonic Studios Layering Card Blank dies

The new Layering Card Blanks die sets can be used in various ways to make not only different sizes of card blanks but also mats and layers for your cards and other projects. If you have a piece of cardstock large enough eg A3, you can make your card from a single piece but you can also join two single shapes together to make one large card.

I have used both the Harrop and Bowscale die sets to make these cards.

NB - You will need an A4 die cutting machine to make the bigger size cards.

Using the Harrop dies with on an A4 piece of card;

You will need 

A4 white card

Harrop Layering Card Blanks Die Set

Woodland Walk 8x8 paper pad

Thinking of You  - Miniature Moments die

Filigree Flourish dies

double sided tape

tacky glue

gems

 1. Score and fold the A4 piece of white card in half and place the Harrop die which is the nearest size directly on top so that the little notches line up with the folded part of the card. Pass through your die cutting machine.

 2. You will now have a scalloped card blank.

 3. Choose smaller sized dies from the set to cut layers and cut these in contrasting paper colours.

 4. Cut two more, alternating the colours . Die cut Thinking of You from white card.

5. Cut a square of paper measuring 13cm x 13cm and attach to the card with double sided tape. Then add the mats and layers you have cut from largest to smallest at an angle on top. Glue the Thinking of You die cut on top of the smallest layer. Die cut a Filigree Flourish and add to the card at the right side with some gems.

The card measures 14.5cm x 14.5cm.

Using the Bowscale dies with on an A4 piece of card;

You will need:

A4 white card

Bowscale Layering Card Blanks Die Set

Woodland Walk 8x8 paper pad

Thinking of You  - Miniature Moments die

Filigree Flourish dies

Ornate Frame layering die set

double sided tape

tacky glue

gems

The Bowscale dies can be used in exactly the same way as the Harrop dies to make rectangular mats and layers but they can also be altered to create squares.

 1. Score and fold the A4 piece of white card in half and place the Bowscale die which is the nearest size directly on top so that the little notches line up with the folded part of the card. Pass through your die cutting machine.

 2. You will now have a decorative edged card blank.

3. Die cut a mat from green paper to fit the card front width wise.

4. Move the die cut down the die so that the top fits exactly into the next repeat pattern. Tape in place and pass through your die cutting machine. This will remove the part of the die cut which is overhanging the bottom of the die and result in a square die cut instead of a rectangle.

5. Cut 3 layers in total with smaller sized dies and attach to the card with double sided tape.
Use the 2nd and 3rd sized dies from the Ornate Frame die set (white for the larger one and green pattern for the oval one) create a frame for the greeting. Glue these to the card. Die cut the Thinking of You twice - once from white card and once from green patterned paper. Offset and glue the white one on top of the green one and glue to the card.
Add a Filigree Flourish die cut along the bottom with gems. 

Mr & Mrs - Trimcraft

 Good morning. Today's card is a gatefold with a centre insert panel using Trimcraft's beautiful new Pretty Posy papers, wedding dies, border dies and a gem die from the Princess set.

I've used some of the super little gems from the Simply Creative collection   ( I love all the different colours and sizes which are available in these!) 

It's Your Birthday!

 It's great to see so many die sets from Trimcraft which can be used to make men's cards as they are normally a bit of a pain (the cards, that is!). I glued two cream 6x6 cards together to give stability to this shape - one forms the back and the other is on its side so that the folds form the box effect.

I've used the Trimcraft First Edition Moroccan Spice papers along with Trimcraft dies - Numbers,Speech Bubbles, Modern Sentiments and Tools to decorate :)

Thanks - Easons, O'Connell St, Dublin today.

Thanks again to everyone who came along to my demo in Easons, O'Connell Street, Dublin on Saturday. It was a lovely day and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and got plenty of new ideas and stash for your projects. 

I made a lot of cards with the gorgeous new Dovecraft  Floral Muse collection by Trimcraft and also did some decoupage and chalk painting. 

I've also added some photos below the cards of some of the ladies who were there. Sorry if your photo is not there but I forgot to take some until after lunch when there was a "shift change" !