...a wee flower - tutorial

Well, thank you all for asking for a tutorial - I sometimes put up a tutorial and then think it seems a bit conceited - as if I imagine everyone will want one! I was glad to see that sometimes people do like to know how things are made!!

Anyhow, this wee flower is just the sort of thing I love to come up with - It looks like it takes a lot of time and effort when really it's the easiest wee thing to make.

My tutorial is based on a card I made for my daughter - she likes bright things (sigh).

The card in the tutorial makes a single round of petals - In order to make a card like the one above just draw 2 concentric circles at step 1 and make the cuts around these. Read on and you'll see what I mean.




Step 1
On the wrong side of the card, draw a circle about the size you want the centre of the flower to be. Decide how many petals you want in this round. - I chose 6 for the example so I made 6 equally spaced marks round my circle.

I have a Making Memories slot punch tool that came with a little semicircle tab punch and this is what I used to make the cuts. Each cut was centred on one of the 6 equally spaced marks. - I arranged it so that the little cut bulged out away from the circle - this is vital to making the ribbon sit properly.

If you are making a card with two or three rounds of petals - draw another one or two circles outside this centre circle - make sure they are centred and at least 3/8 of an inch apart. - cut the first row of slits and then cut the next row of slits so that they sit 'between' the first slits. If you look at the photo of the cream flower you will notice how the petals of the second row fall between the petals of the second row.

TIP - I used two different sizes of ribbon - the wider one (2nd row petals) was just over half inch and the smaller one was 3/8 of an inch (1st row petals).
Step 2
Take a length of ribbon about 3 inches long - you can cut it shorter when you've practiced a couple of times. I used 15mm (just over 1/2 inch) wide ribbon for this example.

Fold the ribbon round on itself - see pic 2 - to make a little pointy loop and then flatten the loop between your fingers.

Step 3
Push the ribbon, point first, through the curved slit. Pull it out the other side just far enough to allow the loop through. - If you pull it back a tiny bit, the petal will sit up nicely.

Step 4
Repeat step 2 until all 6 petals are made. Note the position of the ribbon in step 4 - if your petals aren't sitting properly check that your ribbon is the correct way round.

Step 5
When you are happy with the petal arrangement, turn the card over and secure the ribbon to the back of the card, I used an extra strong tape.

Step 6
Turn your card over and admire your work.

For the red flower - I made a centre by stamping a tiny circle with a flower centre from the Boxes Bags and Tags stamp set from PTI . I then stuck a little brown ruched ribbon behind it. I cut up a kraft card die cut snowflake (wizard die) to get the four little stamen thingies - not sure if this is what they are really called.


Anyhow - hope this is ok - I would really love to see if anyone makes these.

I'm heading off on holiday in a few days but I'm gonna try to have a few posts scheduled to go up while I'm away.

...a wee flower

It occurred to me the other day that I haven't yet made any cards that have flowers on them. I'm not good at growing flowers and the ones I like best are the wild flowers that grow along the hedges - I particularly like the fuschia that grow everywhere all over Cork and Kerry in the south -I have a big bank of fuschia in my back garden and every time I look at them I think of holidays in the South.

Anyhow - here's a wee flower card I made using ribbon. - I don't have a good selection of ribbon and I'm hoping to get my hands on some lovely ribbon from America very soon.

I have a mini tutorial for this in case anyone is interested - I took the photos when I made a wee card for my daughter - she wanted bright colours!!! AAggghh! I like just about any shade of any colour as long as it's not bright!!

Anyhow - If you fancy having a go at one of these - leave a message in the comments and I'll draw up the tutorial.

...a wee note about Halloween.

Hi - Thanks to everyone who left a comment on my Blog hop lantern - I really love to hear your views. One lady wondered why I like Halloween so much and a couple of other folks asked if we celebrate Halloween here in Ireland.

Well, you might be surprised to know that Halloween originated in Ireland!!!! Yep - It's true - check out this link Halloween - Wikipedia.

When I was small there wasn't much going on in the way of organised celebrations but we cut lanterns out of turnips (pumpkins have only been widespread since I've been big!) and went trick or treating, dressed up in home made costumes.

Now, it's a major holiday with loads of organised events and plenty of shop costumes and accessories...and plenty of pumpkins!!

I like the fun element of it and we always have a party for the kids - I'm way to much of a scaredy cat to be interested in really scaring anyone.

NB - If you leave a question in the comments - I try to answer - but sometimes I can't track the person down if there's no email or contact - So If you asked me something and I didn't reply - please come back to me with a contact - Many thanks.

and an award

Wanted to say thank you to Michele of I am Derby for giving me an award - Michele has been really positive about my wee things - It's always good to hear from her and she has some pretty neat stuff over on her blog - check out her recent hummingbird cards - I can't figure out how she gets the ink like that.

I'm not going to pass it on just now because I'm still adding to my blogroll and have found a whole lot of sites recently that I'm adding links to, I can't choose!! I love them all - so what I'm saying really, is check out the links to other blogs in my sidebar - they're all good!!

...a Lantern Card for Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to my Blog entry for the PTI July bloghop. Thank you to PTI - this is so much fun and I learned loads from the last one.

I'm sorry - I apologise - it's another Halloween card!!

I have a confession - I don't actually have the PTI Vellum yet - It's on an aeroplane over the Atlantic somewhere - It'll be with me in a few days hopefully. So I used a piece of vellum I had that looked as though it was similar to the PTI stuff - hope that's ok.

I made this lantern card to fit a jam jar - I'm not happy about putting little votive candle holders next to paper. The jam jar completely surrounds the candle and flame and so I thought this was the safer way to go. If you make one of these I would urge you to do the same and use a small candle - make sure the flame is nowhere near the top of the jar.

I made my lantern card foldable so that it could be posted or stored until needed.

I have included a wee tutorial in case anyone is interested. (and I promise I will be putting up a tutorial for the previous magic halloween card soon).

I used my favourite set - Boards and Beams to make a spooky halloween house - Bats from the Spooky sweets set and two tiny little bits of foliage foliage from Spiral bouquet and my Punny valentine (the grassy bit).

Hope it tickles.



Lantern card tutorial


If you click on the pic it should get bigger.

Step 1Decide what size you want the card to be (I made mine fit a jam jar I had )- you need to have 4 sides of equal width and a small flap for gluing. You can just about see the pencil lines in pic 1 where I marked the side divisions before I stamped anything. The four pencil lines will become your 4 outer corners eventually.

I used an A4 sheet of black card (I can't wait for PTI Black!!)

I stamped my house image in Pallet Noir ink and clear embossed it. I stamped in the second section so that my join would end up at the back.

Step 2
Mask the adjoining sections, I used post-it notes.

Step 3
I added fences and foliage (- gleaned from the Spiral bouquet set and the My Punny Valentine set) I also clear embossed these.

Step 4
Cut out the window at least a quarter inch in from the sides and around the house and foliage. I ended the top of my window at least an inch from the top of the card. Cut out the house windows too.

Step 5
Stamp the house image onto a piece of red or orange vellum. Cut it out roughly - only the windows will be seen.

Step 6
Adhere the orange house to the back of the black one making sure the windows are in place.

Step 7
Cut a piece of white or pale yellow vellum just slightly larger than the window - take care that it doesn't extend over the corner (pencil lines) or you'll have trouble folding your card.

Step 8
Turn the card over so's it is right-side up and stamp a few bats (spooky sweets) - I added a moon using the large single polka dot from the polka dot basics set. I also embossed the moon with white embossing powder.

Step 9
Make a little base flap using any old sturdy card you have lying around. Measure the width of one of your sections and take off one eighth of an inch - draw a square based on this measurement. on one side draw a little flap for sticking. Cut it out and fold up the flap.

Step 10
Fold your card - remembering that the pencil lines are your outside corners. The two sections on either side of the house section get a little extra fold down their centre - make this fold inwards. It should look like the pic in step 10.

Add the flap to the back section, right at the bottom.

Step 11
When the black card is glued together down it's flap, push the base flap up into the card - It helps to give the card a little rigidity when you are displaying it without the jar inside.

Step 12
Stamp a little spider onto a piece of frosted shrink plastic - I cut mine out with an oval nestabilities die. cut two slots in the top end - I used a making memories slot punch tool. Shrink it in the oven or use a heat gun.

Step 13
Cut a tiny strip of orange or red paper to match the with of the slots on the spider tag and thread it through both slots - Adhere the tag and paper strip to the front of the card - Stamp a sentiment above - I used Spooky from Spooky sweets.

Steps 14, 15, 16
Your card is now ready to be lit. Please use a safe container for your candle and ensure the flame does not peep out over the top. Alternative lighting ideas: battery operated candle, glo sticks, (we had purple glo sticks in it one night and it looked really eerie - some idiot forgot to take a picture!)

Step 17
When you want to store or post the card - push the base flap out the bottom and squash flat - see how my 4 year old does it!!

...couple more Christmas cards

I got a Scorpal from PapertreyInk - It's great - I haven't had a chance to really experiment with it yet - I'm dying to make all sorts of grids etc but I had a few moments the other evening to make a few cards and had an idea to use the Scorpal to make a star accent on a Christmas card.

I love all the fuss that surrounds Christmas and I go out of my way to make it extra special for the wee folk but I do like to take time out to think about the real reason for Christmas. With that in mind I made a card based on a little Bethlehem scene. I did two versions of it because I couldn't decide what layout I liked best and it was just as quick to make the two.

I cut out the wee town silhouette with a scalpel and put a wee spot of yellow paper behind the windows. Then used the scorpal to make the star and the radiating lines on one card and the star and a border on the other. Stamped Joy (from the Snowflake serenade PTI stampset) in white Ink. The cardstock is most likely from The Papermill Shop, my card supplies are a bit random at the moment - really need a good supplier - have ordered some from PTI but the shipping nearly made me cry...lol.

Think i like the first one best. Thanks for looking.

...friends

I've only been stamping a short while but I had the good fortune to 'fall in' with the ladies at the PTI forum at the very start . They are the friendliest bunch of folks I've met. Through them and links on their blogs I've met other lovely folks...makes you realise that the world is full of good people aswell, we get too used to hearing about so many bad things on the news.

Anyhow the point of this post is that I want to say thank you to all the ladies I have 'met' over the internet - I am so grateful for all your encouragement and kind words. Special mention must go to Lynn Mercurio , Lynn has been a source of constant encouragement from the word go. She sent me an incredible RAK, and then a delicious Thank you card - you can see them both below. Lynn's interest and enthusiasm led me to create a blog which I am thoroughly enjoying and through which I've met so many lovely people.


Special Mention also to Beverly of Precious Scraps who sent me this goody stack of fantastic papers and ribbons and one of her hand-made checkbook covers - as a gift!! - out of the blue. I have 'chatted' to Beverly a couple of times and I find her a real inspiration - she really is the sort of person we all aspire to be. I am humbled by her kindness.


Also wanted to mention Annapurna who has been a lovely visitor to have on my blog, thank you for all your kind comments. Annapurna's blog is one of the bunch that I visit regularly - she really knows how to think creatively, I love to see her cards - she gets inspiration from the most amazing places. Thank you for the award Annapurna.

And last but not least I want to thank all the ladies at PTI Forum and everyone who has left a comment on my blog - each and every comment has encouraged me to move forward . I really love to hear what you think.

...a tag

I've been tagged!! - Being new to blogging I have never seen this before - but it looks like fun - A really talented lady called Katie of KatiesPaperHaven 'tagged' me - I have to give 7 random facts about myself and tag 7 other folks - well, I'm going to give the facts but I can't possibly choose 7 out of the loads of fantastic blogs I look at - I'm still compiling my blog roll!!

* I absolutely cannot operate without socks.
* My obsession with making things (and my stash of fabric/craft stuff) is the reason my poor wee son has no bedroom! Having said that he's only one year old - I'll have it cleared by the time he needs it...honest!
* I could iron fabric for quilting all day but I'll go to any lengths to avoid ironing actual clothes.
* I once drew a whole city.
* I can make anything except money.
* My favorite food is ready salted crisps(potato chips) with vanilla ice-cream.
* I really need to dye my hair.

...something good

Wow - today I found out that I got an honourable mention from Nichole Heady for my card (...another christmas card, see below) that I had entered in the PTI Guest star stamper competition!!!! I was really over the moon - i found out when I got a PM from Sarita on the PTI forum - what a great way to find out!

I am seriously addicted to PTI - and I have a little card to show you that uses more of their stamps - it will be quilte some time before I make a card using any other stamps as i am trying to collect all of the PTI stamp sets.

Because I'm still on that learning curve, I find it is easy to get lured away by fancy techniques and lots of fuss but I liked the idea of getting back to the beginning and just stamping...

So I used the Guidelines set with the wee fence and the topiary tree from Boards and Beams to make the background pattern. I added the word 'home' to the grid and then stamped the sentiment onto a plain rectangle. I stamped the wee topiary tree and used the teeny weeny heart from My Punny Valentine to decorate the pot. Punched a few holes along the top and added a red mat.

I really liked the retro look of this wee card, hope it tickles.

...a thank you card

This is a thank you card for my very best friend Bob who very kindly let us stay in her tent over the weekend. They were camping in Sligo and we went down to visit Bob and her family for the day and didn't go home!! We had a great time - our kids are all friends - and the craic was great. Edit - craic here refers to the banter/chat/fun that people have when they get together - i'm kinda scared to ask what it means in the US... I had to change the post because i spelled it as it sounds earlier and aparently that means something I don't want to be associated with!!

I'm going to give this card to her later today but there's just a chance she might see it here before I get to her house! lol, she sometimes reads my blog - so if you're there Bob - a big thank you from all of us - we loved camping with you!!!

I stamped the red squirrel from the My Punny Valentine onto shrink plastic and roasted it with the heat gun (on loan from Bob ). I made the background patterned paper using the PTI Guidelines set and a stamp from the Faux ribbon set. The Guidelines set is so good - I spent a while playing around with it and the possibilities are endless.

The sentiment is from Year round Puns - also PTI - stamped on a little square cut with scalloped nestabilities. I used a making memories slot punch tool to cut the tiny flaps to hold the square in place. Plain brads hold the chocolate ribbons on.

Hope you like your red squirrel Bob. see ya later.

...another christmas card

ED - actually - as Donna just spotted the smallest snowflake stamp was not from the Believe set but from the Holiday treats set (Also PTI) - tried to contact you Donna, can't find your contact details.

I'm just grabbing five mins while the family are out to put up this christmas card I made - the snowflakes are from PTI stamps from the set Snowflake serenade, I arranged them into one big snowflake and then embossed them. Then I stamped around them with a wee snowflake from the Believe set (also PTI), these are stamped in versamark - finished with a bit of chocolate brown ribbon and a sentiment (It's also PTI). I can't wait for all the chocolatey goodies coming up on the PTI website next tuesday!!

I didn't intend to put the sentiment over the centre of the large snowflake but I just thought it looked better that way.

Phew! - I am struggling at the moment with how long it takes me to make a card - I seem to be only able to make one in an evening and I can't craft every evening - I bet that's real slow compared to everyone else. There is the problem of having to unpack all my supplies and then pack them away again when I'm finished -i'm finding this a major chore - wish I could win the lottery and build a craft room!!

Anyhow, have a lovely weekend - i'm hoping to have some new pics of Ireland to post next week

...cards with Boards and Beams

... and an award
My PTI box arrived on the 4th of July and I've been in it all weekend, here's what I've come up with, all christmas of course. The moment I saw this set on the PTI website I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I love wee houses - I used to carve them out of clay years ago and what a treat it was to see this set - It is my idea of perfection. - I can't wait to see what the next release will be.

The first card uses 'selective' embossing with white embossing powder to make it look as if the house is covered in snow/frost, the idea is that it's night time and the winter moon is highlighting the frosty house. I have made up a mini tutorial to show how I did this incase anyone wants to know. I used a large spot from polka dot basics to make the moon.

I coloured the shadows with watercolour paints and pencil and I added fine glitter to give a snowy sparkle.

Both cards have snow (glitter) on the roof and one 'lighted' window each.

In the second card Santa flies high above the house in the moonlight. I curved the Believe stamp on my acrylic block before stamping it in white on the card - I like the way it echoes the tiny shape of Santa on his Sleigh, I had to paint this on, but I would just love it if Nichole of PapertreyInk decided to include a teeny Santa and sleigh in her intended Christmas add-ons for this set.


Selective Embossing Tutorial
I made up this wee tutorial in case anyone wanted to know how I did the card. I'm sure this is probably a well known technique to all you pro's out there but I thought I was pretty nifty when I thought of doing this.

Step 1. Stamp the house in Indigo ink - pour over white embossing powder. Stamp and powder the fence on either side.

Steps 2 and 3. Take a very fine brush and start to brush the powder off in the areas that would be in the shadows - for example under the front porch, and a little off the fence under where the trees will be. Don't forget the eaves and to the right of the windows. Use the heat gun to emboss the remaining powder. Indigo ink will show where you brushed powder off - this is good.

Step 4. Make a mask of the fence using scratch paper.

Step 5. Stamp and powder the tree. Repeat on the other side.

Step 6. Use your brush to dislodge a little powder on the underside of the trees to make shadows. Stamp and powder a moon - I used a large dot from the polka dot basics stamp set (bear in mind the final size of the card you are making when deciding where to set the moon.). Use the heat gun to emboss the remaining powder.

Step 7. Use the colouring method of your choice to add depth to the shadows.

Step 8. Cut out the windows - I cut the bottom windows out completely and just the panes out of the top three windows so that the snowy window sashes remain.

Step 9. Stamp the windows from the bottom of the house onto your window material - I used sparkly vellum in a grey/blue. Cut out the window material so that there is enough vellum to cover the 4 bottom windows.

Step 10. Adhere the windows to the reverse of the house ensuring that the bottom two windows are in the correct place. Stick a piece of yellow card behind the top window. Add glitter to your image as you please.

Your image is now ready to be trimmed and added to your card.

If you click on the image it should get bigger.


awardI want to take the opportunity to Thank Emily Davis of Ems closet for giving me an award. http://inemscloset.blogspot.com
Emily has been extremely positive about all my work and I am very grateful. It gives me great encouragement to continue posting my stuff. I haven't seen this before so please forgive me if it takes a few days to pass it on.

...a 4th of July card

Happy 4th of July to all you ladies from the PTI forum and also to my pal Bob who sometimes reads this blog.

I used stamps from the Holiday Treats (nugget label stamp) set, Believe (star) and the Spooky sweets set (star in an oval) as I don't have any actual 4th July stamp sets . Cut the number 4 with sizzix - stamped 'Happy' using spooky sweets stamp and wrote 'of July' with a pen. lined the card with red paper.

Hope you all have a great 4th weekend - I'll be sitting here...twiddling my thumbs... waiting for a PTI parcel...lol.

...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.