...oh look!!!!! a card!! lol

It's been a while!!!

Absolutely fabulous Cosmo Cricket papers from Beverly at Precious Scraps that I have been meaning to use for ages and didn't have time.

Had an hour (!!) last night and rustled this up - I deliberately didn't colour the wee cottage because I didn't want it to fight with the papers, I think I like this muted approach to a focal point.

Stamped in smokey Grey ink - Versafine. Lovely stuff, and then distressed and stitched away, dreaming that I was distantly related to Debbie Olson!! lol. I wish!

Anyhow, hope it tickles. Going to try (she said) and make a few more cards for while I'm away and also I might leave you all with some sneak peeks - got a lot to show you!! (FOUR sets when I get back) I'm hoping to have them all in stock upon my return so I should be able to kick off the release soon as I get back!!

Stamps are from the Irish Blessings set (soon to be back in stock).

Scroll down for DT info you might have missed.

...Launching Celtic Heritage and Irish Blessings

I was going to put up more samples this am but I figure everyone is just about fed up looking at samples and wants to see the stamps, so here they are!!

Celtic Heritage - Jam packed with essential Celtic images. Shamrocks aplenty, 3 and 4 leafed versions, a claddagh, a beautiful Celtic cross, babies, a heart, knotwork, a heraldic frame and even a thistle for all you Scots Irish folk.

Click on the pic to make it bigger and spend a moment or two reading all the handy sentiments, please note spellings are american, I think the only word different to english is 'Neighbor' tho.

Please be aware there was a last minute change to the supporting font - Irish style words and images are not affected - check it out here if you need to know more.


Irish Blessings - Blessings and Toasts for those all important occasions, my favourite bit? the wee cottage - can't wait to see what you folks do with that!! Have fun trying to pronounce all those Irish sayings!! lol. Luckily translations are given underneath. (no, i can't pronounce them either!)

Click on the pic to make it bigger and spend a moment or two reading all the handy sentiments.

Please be aware there was a last minute change to the supporting font - Irish style words and images are not affected - check it out here if you need to know more.

If you click on the pics they will get bigger!

Delivery information. Please allow the standard 14 days for delivery - although the sets are launching today and you will be able to purchase, the actual despatch will take place a few days from now when I receive the new stock. This is due to the last minute change to the supporting font. For more information see this post.

Click here to go directly to my online store.

Click on the pictures and they should get bigger so you can see the details.

In the store you will be able to purchase the stampsets and also read all of the other shipping and delivery information. Please take a moment to look at the entire page and then, if you have any queries,email me.

I will ship to US and Canada and Australia, UK and Europe, if you are somewhere else just drop me an email.

The stamps are top quality, clear photopolymer, self sticking stamps for use on clear acrylic blocks (not supplied). Supplied on clear plastic with matching printed image sheet, all in a polybag. They are priced £13 sterling which is roughly equivalent to US $21 and Euro 15.50 (though the exchange rate is subject to fluctuation as you know.)

Thank you. To everyone who has visited and is currently supporting me on my journey! your kind comments keep me going.

So, do you have the Irish?

There are a couple of Irish sayings in the Irish Blessings set that I felt you could use a little help with, they are given below:

céad míle fáilte - A hundred thousand welcomes
This is a very wee known Irish phrase - (pronounced kade meelah faultcha) Use it anytime you need to welcome someone - new neighbor - guests to your house/party etc.

Mo chuisle mo chroí - Darling of my heart
(pronounced muh kwish-la muh cree) The term more accurately translates as 'Pulse of my heart' but the 'Darling of my heart' version has been culturally accepted and is a more pleasant way of expressing the feeling. Use it for your nearest and dearest, a good alternative Valentine sentiment.

Go n-eírí an bóthar leat - May the road rise with you
(pronounced go nigh-ree on boat-or lat) Another well known phrase - part of an old blessing and great to use when someone is going away, or to wish someone luck with a task they are undertaking.

Sláinte - Good health to you
(pronounced - slawn-che)
Well known Irish version of Cheers! or Good health!

Top o’ the mornin’ to you and the rest of the day to yourself.
A quaint old Irish way of wishing someone good day and as an added bonus, hoping that they get to spend some time to themselves! No longer used in everyday speech, I thought this lovely old saying would make a great sentiment for a wishing you well card.

Let love and friendship reign forever
An Irish phrase particularly associated with the claddagh - the two hands clasped to either side of the crowned heart. The Claddagh is, traditionally a betrothal, also associated with friendship. Eminently suitable for weddings, engagements, valentines and friendships.


Last word
The last images you hadn't seen were the cottage and the celtic cross. I'm excited about the cottage as it is based on a hand drawing that I did for this card. The actual stamped image of the cottage in Irish Blessings is shown below.

Celtic Heritage Day 4 Second Post

ED - don't forget to scroll down - you might have missed something!!!!

Tonight's second post features a stamp that I really wanted but nearly didn't make.

I was concerned that the fine line of this Celtic border stamp (Celtic Heritage set) might make the stamp too flimsy for use. Certainly, compared to the solidness of say, the heart shape, this border stamp will require a little patience when you pull it off the carrier sheet but I have used it and washed it in the same way I do other stamps ( I use a soft bristled toothbrush and water straight afer I have finished stamping for the night. Very mild detergent and a good rinse if using chalk inks) and I am very happy with it.

I really felt it was worth the couple of seconds carefulness to be able to produce such a fine delicate border. Many Celtic inspired stamps can be clumpy which I find odd. When I look at the great illuminated manuscripts I see inch wide panels containing hundreds of lines, exquisite detail and fine lines. I wanted to capture a little of that in my stampset. I hope you agree.

The card also uses a sentiment from the Irish Blessings set and another shamrock from the Celtic Heritage set.

To answer a question that pops up from time to time - Of course these sets are going to be available to US residents!!! Also to European Australian and Canadian residents at present. You might like to pop over to the store and check down the left hand sidebar for information on shipping etc. Many thanks for asking.

The next card tonight is a simple and elegant St Pats card. Whipped up in a trice (been reading Enid Blyton!! lol) using the wee square from Irish Blessings and one of the shamrocks from Celtic Heritage. Sentiment stamps from Celtic Heritage also.

Hope they tickle!

Celtic Heritage Day 4

This little card uses one of my favourite sentiments "Top O' the Mornin' to you and the rest of the day to yourself." (From the Irish Blessings clear stamp set I'm releasing in a couple of days!!!)This old fashioned Irish greeting is such a quaint way of wishing someone a good day, with the extra bonus of hoping they get some time to themselves - we could all use a little of that!!! Lol.

I paired it with a lucky shamrock, there are 3 different styles in the Celtic Heritage set and here I used the knotwork version.

The background was made by stamping a little square celtic motif (Irish Blessings) in cream ink onto a Ripe avocado cardbase.

That little square motif measures 3/4 inches square and is so easy to use to build backgrounds. Such a useful wee shape.



This next card features a thistle image, handy for Scottish related cards - my card uses the sentiment Slainte (Meaning - Good health to you) which is used in both Irish and Scots Gaelic. Technically, the accent over the 'a' should face the other way for Scots but there simply was not enough room in the stamp sets for both versions.

Living in Northern Ireland I see references to the Scots Irish all the time. The stories of Scotland and Ireland are entwined throughout history and there are many folk here and in America who consider themselves Scots Irish, having ancestry in both lands. this was a good reason for me to include the thistle in my designs.

The thistle is framed by a delicate Celtic style border which is very like a heraldic shield in design. I envisaged this combination of stamps being particularly useful for Scrapbookers. The Heraldic shield frame can also be used to frame the shamrocks and heart images in the set, more on this later.

Not having any suitable tartan paper to put behind my image I made my own using copic markers - a few pics below illustrate how easy this is, you gotta try it!! You can make any colour combo you like but I picked copics to match the Bamboo (green) and Boysenberry (purple) Versacolour inks that I used for the thistle and shield stamped images.


You can build up the pattern colour by colour - I found a clear quilting ruler very handy for this but as long as your spaces are even you should have no problems. I made sure there was 1/2 inch space between each of my thick green lines, then left 1/8 inch between the green and purple lines. I used Vintage cream card as my base card.




The last card this morning is one of my favourites from this release - I love to stamp backgrounds and chose the solid lunette (Celtic Heritage) together with the mini shamrock (Irish Blessings) to make my backgeound. I inked up the lunette with either Raw Sienna ink or Cognac before rolling the edges a little in Pure poppy ink (all Palette inks, PTI). I used this as a background for one of the sentiments from Irish Blessings which I just finished off with a very delicate outline four leaf shamrock (Celtic Heritage).

Hope it tickles.


I'll be back later with more!!!

Celtic Heritage Day 2

If you're new to my blog - I'm showing samples this week of things I've made using my two NEW clear photopolymer stamp sets due for release early next week!!!

This mornings items feature a braid rope border stamp that I used to make the background of the gold wedding card yesterday.

I wanted to show you a neat trick to use with this stamp - because it is a clear long thin bendy stamp you can curve the image!!! I use a nestability circle die as a guide, placing it directly onto my acrylic block and then curved the stamp into place inside it - see?



I used this technique to help me make the circular border for the top of my welcome tin - I added my sentiment in the same way. I was really pleased with how this worked and also it guaranteed that my border would fit correctly when I cut it out with the die.

I then took the stamp off the block and laid it out flat to stamp a strip of card to make the border for around the outside of the tin, here I stamped the sentiment 'Be Happy' (Celtic Heritage) first and then a braid on either side - I trimmed it at the back to fit the tin.

I used one of the two lunette shapes I talked about yesterday (from the Celtic Heritage set) on the lid. I used the solid lunette for this project, stamping two close together, with the straight edges beside each other - so easy with clear stamps! When you stamp the image in this way it is so easy to just go ahead and punch it out with an EK success 1 and 3/4 inch circular punch (Whale of a punch - greeny/olive colour)

A very easy little altered project - this would make a good party favour container, I had this in mind for a new neighbour - I'm going to put a nice key ring in it and give it as a little welcome gift.

The second card this morning used the braid stamp as a very simple element on a quick and easy friendship card. It was gold embossed.

It features the Claddagh symbol which is a crowned heart between two hands - this is an old Irish betrothal symbol, commonly used on wedding, engagement, and friendship occasions. The most likely place that you will have seen a claddagh is on a ring - it is a common feature in Irish jewellery, traditionally given as a friendship or wedding ring. For this reason I chose to gold emboss the image here. Read more about it here. This info is from Wikipedia:

• The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart, and usually surmounted by a crown. The elements of this symbol are often said to correspond to the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). The expression which was associated with these symbols in the giving of the ring was: "With my two hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love." Yet, the expression, "Let love and friendship reign forever" can be found as another meaning for the symbols.

The phrase 'Let love and friendship reign' also associated with the Claddagh, the 'welcome' sentiment and the braid stamp are both from the new stamp set releasing early next week:

Irish Blessings

...cards at last

Ed - I used the heart shaped nestabilities to cut out 3 hearts for the shamrock.
It's either feast or famine with me - I do aim to post around 4 times a week as I'm not able to craft every day but sometimes it doesn't work out - you know how it is. Anyhow got a few very quick and simple cards made last night after I unpacked my new toys!! (PTI delivery)

I really needed to just stamp something and I didn't want to waste time 'designing' a card first - so I just went with the flow. Heathers new set Beyond basic borders is just great for when you're itching to do something - it creates a style all its own!!

And buttons...yum.

I think these are all easy to do but if you need to know anything leave a comment and I'll edit the post - many thanks for looking.

Also entered these for the current challenge over at A Passion for papertrey, if you're in Europe you might like to check it out!

Hope they tickle.

I used PapertreyInks gold shimmer card for these - I love how the ripe avocado ink looks on it - look at the close-up to see what I mean. Melon Berry ink, Dark chocolate ink as well and of course the Beyond basic borders stamp set.

On the St Pat's card I used the leaf textures tag from 'Tags for Spring' (also PTI) to stamp the shamrock leaves, while they were still in the die. Also used Journaling Lines for the pinstripes, sentiment made from Fresh and Simple alphabet sets.

The wee birdie is also from 'Tags for Spring'

...ahhh that's better

First - let me say thank you to all the lovely well wishes I received - I'm feeling much better and raring to go - also Lynn - how could you possibly know about Monday? Lol.

Now, since I'm carding again, I realise I'm in trouble!! - I spent a while looking at the January GSS submissions the other day, (all I was fit for was looking!) and I was so impressed by all the lovely bright, springy fresh cards. I realise I'm in trouble because I have spent my whole time gearing up to make Christmas cards, thinking that that was all I was going to be interested in and now I find I'm itching to make spring cards, St Pat's cards, birthday cards, you name it I wanna do it!!

There is a huge hole in my stash! - it's roughly the size of several packs of PTI raspberry fizz/spring rain cardstock and several new stamp sets, not to mention the non existent bright ribbons!! The size of the hole is sadly matched by the hole in my wallet so it may take a while to catch up!! Lol. In the meantime I expect to find that necessity will be the mother of invention and in the grand tradition of sensible households everywhere I will 'make do' with what I have.

I can say all this rather smugly and with no real sense of pain because, Lo and Behold - there's a birthday on the horizon and I have been dropping hints like rain.

Already I have had to make something up - I don't have any St Patricks stamps and I wanted to make this St Pat's type card - so I drew a wee pic of a cottage with a black fineliner and scanned it into the 'puter. I printed it out in several sizes on PTI cream cardstock and I will probably make another few cards with the image. I watercoloured it since there is also a copic marker shape hole in my stash, and then mounted it on PTI Ripe Avocado and a couple of delicious Cosmo Cricket papers sent to me by my pal Beverly of the soon to be Precious scraps store!! can't wait!! I stamped the sentiment Kindred spirits - which is perfectly suitable given who the card is going to - a good friend of mine who lives stateside but has a real affinity for Ireland.

I know all you stamp purists will consider this cheating!! Lol, but what's a girl to do? Be nice to have it made into a wee stamp along with a few other doodles I've done and I'm eyeing up a stamp making kit on ebay, thinkin bout it.

Pssst!! all you stamp company owners, feel free to snap me up now while I'm still real cheap!! Lol.

Hope it tickles.

...a few cards

The first card is a 'greetings from Ireland card' - This card was made with all you ladies from the PTI forum in mind - I have enjoyed all your kind words of encouragement and I am inspired by all your creations daily.

I didn't have the appropriate sentiment so I fudged "greetings" and "from" together from PTI stamp sets and wrote the word Ireland. I made the shamrock using nestabilities heart shapes, scalloped and plain and I used an pair of oval nestabilities to make the stalk.



The second card is a CASE - I think that's right - of a card that was made by Heather Nichols - It's in the Inkpad gallery - you can find it quicker if you go to the PTI online store, view snowflake serenade stamp set and click on the ideas link.

I have really admired that card (among many others) and wanted to make a version - I really wish I had designed it first, lol!!!

The third card was a trial at A2 size - haven't made one this size before - It's not earth shattering but it'll do. lol.