Saturday 29 December 2007

Big News

Well I have some big news I've been waiting to share with you, and as we got to tell all the various family people over the Christmas holidays I can finally tell the world ;-)

Joe and I are engaged to be married in December 2008. I got the most gorgeous ring, it's a 1930's antique platinum ring, and I love it.



Friday 21 December 2007

Happy Christmas

Can you believe it's that time of year again already?

I want to share a very special Christmas card I made with you this week. Its for my Gran and is a collage using gel transfer techniques, stamping, inking, aging and lots of embossing.

As this piece came together I found myself thinking how the little girl looks quite like my Gran as a child. She too had dark, slightly curly hair. So the piece came together with her in mind, and I chose the brads which anchor the ribbon as her initials - "MB" - Maureen Bruton.

There is a little door at the back tied with ribbon, and the message inside reads "I hope all your Christmas Wishes come true".

 

Christmas

Happy Christmas to All My Friends!!!

Monday 17 December 2007

Birthday Cards

Here's a few more birthday cards I finished last week.

SW - My World

The theme for ScrapWest last week was 'My World' - although I struggled a little to come up with the idea, I was pretty happy with the final result.

Wednesday 12 December 2007

Dad's Birthday Card

It's my Dads birthday on Monday so here is the card I'll be sending in the post tomorrow.


Monday 10 December 2007

Christmas Cards

Here's a few different christmas cards I've made up...

It's been ages since I played with my alcohol inks and I was trying to figure out something new to try with them. While thinking about what I could try I thought how Utee should take alcohol inks well. So here's my christmas tree effort using alcohol inks. I'd love to hear what you think.



This next card is based on my SW LO last week. I really liked the cosy image that I took last christmas and wanted to make it into a card.



Finally this is a really simple cut out christmas tree, on a patterned paper background. I wasn't sure, but find I like the non traditional colours for this image.

Saturday 8 December 2007

Fan

I made this birthday card for a very special friend of mine recently. I was so pleased with the result I wanted to share it with you.

SW - Winter White

The ScrapWest theme this week was Winter White. I seem to have an alcohol theme running through my LOs as all I could think of this week again involved wine!

I also used the A4 format again, which is nice for a change. The idea was to reflect a christmas wreath on a traditional style front door.

Worried that I would start getting a reputation over the alcohol ;-) I also came up with 3 cards on the same theme.


Monday 3 December 2007

All Inked Up

I started messing with some alcohol inks and some of Carrie's amazing stamps a couple of months ago, and finally got around to finishing off a couple of cards over the weekend!


The main image of the girl is stamped with dark Purple Staz On, onto Stamp Board, and highlighted with a selection of green and yellow pigment inks. The background paper is patterned paper, overstamped with a daisy pattern in chalk inks (I love these inks).



The "NOEL" card is again Stamp Board coloured with a selection of alcohol inks, edged with gold metallic pen. The letters are stamped with Staz On, and floated on Basic Grey paper, and an old gold embossed cardstock.

Happy Birthday to Me ;-)


34 today ;-)

Fairly quiet as birthdays go, but as I'm recovering from a rotten flu I really didn't feel like celebrating much. Saying that I got some lovely cards and pressies through the post from friends and family, and also at work.

After work Joe cooked a yummy dinner and followed it with chocolate birthday cake. I took a photo of the cake with the amazing new lens I got as a present ;-)

So not a bad day really - thanks to everyone who thought of me and made it a special day!

Saturday 1 December 2007

SW - Mellow Yellow

Jackie set the theme this week, and after a lot of image searching I decided on this one.


There is journalling tucked behind the photo which reads:

During our holiday to France in 2004 we spent a wonderful week in Pauligne with Carmel & Miriam. During this time we got to tour the visitor centre at Sieur d'Arques the main cave in Limoux. At the end of the tour we had the opportunity to taste some of the fabulous local wines, including the Blanquette, the Cremant and the Toques et Clochers.

"Toques et Clocher"- started in 1990. The Sieur d'Arques villages each donate two barrels of chardonnay, these are then auctioned off on the weekend of Palm Sunday to audience of restaurateurs and wine negotiators from all over France and the world who are assembled to taste and buy last year’s vintage. The proceeds from these 82 barrels is then used to restore the bells and bell tower in one of the villages- 2002 Pauligne, 2003 Campagne-sur-Aude. The label "Toques et Clocher" can be found on many of the local wines from the cave and for the whites particularly is a mark of excellence.



Sunday 25 November 2007

SW - Books

I set the theme for last week over at ScrapWest, and I used it as an excuse to scrap this rather silly photo from when we moved house.


The journaling reads;
"I never thought there'd be a day when I'd ask myself if I had too many books, but recently when we moved house and spent 2 days lugging boxes of books up 2 flights of stairs I had to stop and wonder, do I have too many books?"

Sunday 18 November 2007

Scrap West

It seems most of the crafting I've done recently is either for Circle Journals or birthday cards, so I haven't been able to show them.

But here are my last two ScrapWest efforts. Just the two of us was for last week, and I got the chance to use the yummy Heidi Grace papers and embossed chipboard embellishments.


The previous week on SW was use a colour you don't normally use. I don't often use this bright blue, and thought it was a great opportunity to complete another page for my 'chakra book'

Monday 12 November 2007

Thank You Carrie

I came home to this gorgeous card from one of my favourite artists tonight...

My lovely friend Carrie made this card for me to congratulate me on my new home. And although it looks well in the photograph, it really doesn't do justice to the real life card!

It is so tactile I can't put it down. The front is the most lovely papers, inked and stamped and the details of the key and the leaves are all delicate metal embellishments. The back is embossed metal finished with alcohol inks, and the inside is lined with velvet. You just have to Touch this card!!!!!

Thanks Carrie - this is getting pride of place in the craft room.

Sunday 4 November 2007

Alton Towers

The highlight of our recent holiday was going to Alton Towers, and although it was half term it was just busy enough to add to the excitement and not make it a drag. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys funfairs!


We went with my friends Richard and Mark, and it was so much fun having a group to intensify the excitement.


I had the most fun on the Flume ride - sitting in a bath you are taken round a very wet ride.













It involves plummeting downwards into cold water on a number of occasions, as well as a giant rubber duck jumping out at you in the dark, and it finishes up with a shower! We were absolutely soaked at the end, but I laughed so much it was well worth it.

Our first ride of the day was the Runaway Mine Train, which is an exciting roller-coaster ride and quite exhilarating, although not in the same league as the big boys it was a good starting point to test the vocal cords and get the adrenalin flowing.
















Nemises was our first big ride. As we queued up we noticed lots of debris on the floor of the rocky canyon, including peoples shoes!!! The lads all took the precaution of removing their glasses before boarding!


You are strapped in with your feet hanging loose below you. The floor drops away and you are sent on a crazy ride though rocks and rivers of blood while being whirled around in all directions.


With barely a chance to catch our breath we headed for 'Air' - a ride which apparently defies gravity as you almost literally 'fly' around the route.










After this we took a trip on the Corkscrew, one of the oldest rides at Alton Towers, and although a bit rough and tumble, its great fun. Then we took a break for lunch a stroll around the grounds.













Just in case things were getting too pleasant our stroll found us at Oblivion. In all honesty I was in two minds about even going on this, but as Joe and Mark were both hyped, I thought I couldn't not.













I don't think I can find the words to do justice to the Oblivion ride, only to say my first thought on wobbling off this ride was 'Now I know what a Pangalactic Gargle Blaster is like'.

For those of you not familiar with this is drink here's what Wikipedia has to say about it....

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is a fictional alcoholic drink which is mentioned in Douglas Adams's humorous science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Below is a brief excerpt from chapter two of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which describes the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster:


Here's what the Encyclopedia Galactica has to say about alcohol. It says that alcohol is a colourless volatile liquid formed by the fermentation of sugars and also notes its intoxicating effect on certain carbon-based life forms. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also mentions alcohol. It says that the best drink in existence is the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. It says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick. The Guide also tells you on which planets the best Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters are mixed, how much you can expect to pay for one and what voluntary organizations exist to help you rehabilitate afterwards. The Guide even tells you how you can mix one yourself. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy sells rather better than the Encyclopedia Galactica.

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster has also been described in the novel as the alcoholic equivalent to a mugging: expensive and bad for the head.

We finished the day with the River Rapids trip, where we all got a bit damp and so thought we'd go the whole distance and try out the Flume (as above) and warmed ourselves with hot chocolate and cakes before getting the bus home.

It was a great day, with great friends, and I hope we can do it again soon.

Friday 2 November 2007

SW - Halloween

This week saw the spooks come out over on ScrapWest. Although I didn't have any Halloween photos I created a suitable witchy theme with this photo of Rachael and I at the Harry Potter book launch during the summer.

I was very happy with the finished image using the fun Basic Grey 'Mellow' Papers, Die-cut Shapes and Mini Monograms.

Wednesday 31 October 2007

SW - Focus on the Photo

I got these wonderful papers at Scrap-a-ganza earlier this year, and knew I wanted to use them with this photo. The focus on the photo theme over at ScrapWest seemed like the perfect opportunity.


We've been on holidays for the last week so thanks to everyone who has left comments and tagged me - I'll be catching up with you all really soon.

Sunday 21 October 2007

The Botanic Gardens



Last October Bank Holiday we visited the fabulous Pumpkin Patch at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. We had such a lovely time I really wanted to visit again this year. As we're off for a break next weekend, we went a week early this year.








We were lucky enough to catch some of the Sculpture in Context display which just finished up.









Given how much I love Autumn colours I just couldn't resist so many wonderful opportunities for glorious autumnal shots.










I really liked this shot, it somehow captured the warmth of a lovely autumn day, without seeming like another boring landscape.


One of my favourite things about the Gardens is watching the squirrels scamper about and play. They always make me smile.


And of course I couldn't resist a few dramatic 'arty' shots ;-)












Finally while I was downloading the shots from the day at home, I looked out the window to this scene and had to capture it.

You just have to appreciate life when you have a day like this. I hope you enjoy looking at my photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

SPS


It feels like forever since I've taken photos and had fun with the camera. So this weekend I decided to make up for lost time!

Here's an idea from Her Space: My Space, which I like to check in on every so often, and it's called, SPS (or Self Portrait Saturday).

Well after a good walk around the wonderful Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, I sat down to chill out and thought here's a perfect opportunity for some lazy photography! Here are 2 SPS shots from me......