Thanks for a great night, last night ladies,

will pop the cards up later today.

Yvonne xx

C5 Cut away Card

15cm Sq Easel card

Another wet summer's day here in Kilcoole

Yesterday was so lovely, I spent the day in Dublin visiting the museums, had an hour in  Stephens Green, back to Dunlaoire to the peoples Park for an hour, teddy's for an ice cream and then up to Killiney  for an hour in the park, well it was sunny, 3 parks in one day, but the kids had a ball, and slept well.

Back to the craft room for me today, I am still finishing kits, 

as I'm still waiting on a few items to wrap it all up.

What are you all up to any nice cards to share?

it's very quiet an all my blog friends blogs.

Say hello if you stop by today.

Yvonne xx

Good evening everyone

I have no cards to share today, as I am flat out making kits, 

for all the different workshops coming up.

I will have photo's to share for my Kilkenny class very soon,

there are still a few places available but you need to check with Marion. HERE

A few Wishes
Happy 60th Birthday To Anne Rowe
Happy Anniversary to Trish and John
Happy Belated 30th Anniversary to Margaret and George
Gell Well Soon Gary. thinking of you

It's lovely to get feed back, and comments,
so if you need any help just leave a comment under any of the posts, and I will answer next time I am on.

Kilkenny Art Festival

Wednesday 15th of August

At the Kilkenny Retail Centre
James St, Kilkenny

(I will add Directions very soon)
For Marion Kilbride
Crafty Bride Wedding Stationery Studio

Tele  087 6544737

Morning class 10.00 to 1.00

Theme; Elegant Delights

1. Simply Elegant Vintage Cone Posy

2. Twin Easel

Afternoon Class 2.00 to 5.00

Theme; Beautiful Baby.

1. Twisted Easel card for baby boy

2.  Acetate Encased Step Card
Beautiful in lace for Baby Girl

Full details are on my Workshop page.

Thanks for stopping by today
Yvonne xx

The winner of the July Friday Challenge

Is Shirley with 71 votes

and Camilla a very close Second with 69 votes, 

so you will both get a Christmas Card making goody bag

with all the other entries getting some Christmas Decoupage Sheets

thank you to everyone who took part

Yvonne

Will give the prizes out next time we meet.

My Next Creative Card Making Workshops
Is Sunday 12th of August 
Sunday 26th of August
Here in Kilcoole
Time 10.30 to 5.30

Small workshop with a Max of  8 people

Theme French Chic
Beautifully Elegant Cards With a French Ooh la la feel, 

perfect for ladies birthdays.

Card 1. Acetate Box Card
Encasing a handmade paper craft dress,  

perfect for birthday’s or Debs card.

This is a few design fold for me.

Card 2, Gift wrapped Handmade bouquet, very different from before. French vintage feel in cream and gold

Card 3. Cream and pink ballerina card, using ribbons, lace, flowers and more. with a shabby chic feel.
A few new techniques with this one.

Card 4. Handmade basque, saucy but nice. perfect for young ladies birthday’s in reds and black.

Card 5 will be a demonstration at the end of the day

while you relax with a nice cuppa before heading home..

  Surprise Card,  very French. Beautiful elegant lace card, with a really feminine image.

I have found the most beautiful images backgrounds and embellishments for this workshop,

And can’t wait to share the photos with you.

Everything needed supplied and a home cooked lunch provided

And yes I am making the Pear and Almond tart again for desert.

You just simply come along for a very relaxing day 

of card making magic
The smaller workshops suit all levels from beginners to advanced card makers, because we work in a small group, everyone get a lot of hands on help


Both Workshops are now Full
Thank you 

Yvonne xx

Brooch Wedding Bouquet

I had a little break today from Card making

A very Special friend called in with a box full of goodies for me to make

her Beautiful Daughters Wedding Bouquet,

As I hadn't made a bouquet in a while it was a most enjoyable afternoon

Getting started,

sorting through all the lovely goodies

And here is the finished Bouquet

We made little organza roses from the bridesmaids material

and added some heirloom jewellery to the centres of the large roses

threaded some silver hearts onto organza to trail,

but we feel it needs a few more pieces of jewellery,

so she is off to raid her family's costume jewellery boxes for a few more pieces of  sparkle

Sorry pictures aren't great

I will share the bridesmaid and flowergirls bouquets

 when I have made them.

I have been working on the Miniature dresses for 

My French Chic Workshops

And I am delighted how they have turned out.

 their exquisite, little couture masterpieces, 

and I can't wait to share them with you,

But you will have to wait until the 1st class to see them

You will see paper, ribbon and embellishments in a whole new light,

there are still 5 places available for the 5th of August.

Full details are on my workshop page HERE

July Friday Challenge

Friday Challenge for July

Theme; Congratulations on your Engagement
The Voting Poll is now open
please vote for your favourite card
many thanks Yvonne xx

Card 1. Camilla Lino

Engagement cards are hard for me as we don't have them back at home,in Brazil, so I did struggle with what image to use, so I've decided to go very romantic

The message ' Congratulations on your engagement' is on the inside of the card.

List of material:

Paper and Cardstock are from my stash

Image is Lili of the Valley stamp and I coloured it myseld (hence the bad job...)

Flowers are from wild orchird crafts

The paper doilies Poppy craft cabin uk. Ribbon from a friend's stash (an online group had a ribbon exchange recently and i've received a lovely parcel from a lady in US) Card candys, Spellbinders circle and circle scalloped.

Card 2
Sinéad Keogh

I used a basic A4 fold on an ivory coloured card.

I chose the colours gold and pink to give a sense of romance.

The decoupage champagne glasses show celebration and the doves for love.

I made a flower and bow from material I had at home. The flower signifies the growth of the young couple and the bow is the knot that secures their relationship.

Paper, decoupage and peel-offs crafts too


Card 3
Shirley Power

Here's my entry for the Card Challenge. It's for a first anniversary for a young married couple so I think it's got the 'young' feel to it. The card was made using a black 7" card for the base. Then I inserted my black & white image block into a document and placed it twice within a six and a half square shape, once on the top left and once on the bottom right. That way when I printed the backing image it printed off in one full square with the white blocks automatically included rather than having to join four squares together. I then cut two layering templates from the go kreate frilly#7 dies and layered them up on top of each other placing some lace on two sides of the back image to decorate. Next, I positioned some ribbon down on the card and then adhered the layering sections down onto the card using 3D foam, thus holding the ribbon in place underneath it. Lastly, I put the two silhouette images onto the topper front using 3D foam pads. These silhouettes are from the marianne creatables range of dies. Hope you like it, it's simple but very effective.


Card 4
 Phil Curran

 I chose the picture of this couple whose footprints signify the beginning of the journey of their new life together.  The poem reads

As you walk

along life's path
Together hand in hand,
May God's blessings

be upon you
In everything you plan.

Happy Engagement.

I got the arch from a free download on Lilac Garden, made it bigger and printed on photopaper.  I cut out the panes and stuck the window over the picture of the couple with double layer of double sided tape.  I then mounted this on gold card, and then on to lilac card which I punched with a border punch and again mounted this on purple card.

I typed the verse in Edwardian script font 24 onto the blank page from the same download from Lilac Garden which I printed on photopaper, and mounted on lilac which I again punched with a border punch, and then mounted on purple.

To make the base of the card and easel I scored an A4 sheet lengthwise at 4cm.  I attached another A4 sheet back and front of the 4cm side to form the base.  The other side I cut at 21cm to meet the centre and scored diagonally to attach the decorated photo card to.  I again scored the smaller portion diagonally to attach the poem card to.

I stuck purple and lilac card to the floor of the card.  The easel hold I cut with a die cut and mounted with a double layer of double sided tape.  I decorated with a flower and attached a bow underneath.

Card 5.
 Pat Long

 I used a basic A4 Fold Card in Ivory and a purple contrast card

The photo i took myself, the frame is from Marianne Creatables range.
Punches used are from stamping up along with the Ribbon.
Pat Walsh

Card 6. 

Helen Gibbs

 C5 landscape step card. I used background paper from my stash with little birds on it, to signify love birds and tie in with the love birds on the ribbon I used which is east of india ribbon ( i bought the ribbon on ebay) . I used hearts punched from crinkley paper along the right hand side.The red rose sinifies rommance and I also buy my roses on ebay. My topper is decopaged and is a character called Boofle from docraft, who i think is very cute! To finish off my card I added little gold hearts around my topper and stickles to some of my birds on the background paper (its hard to see the glitter in the photo's, but it is there!)

Thanks, Helen

Card 7. 
Aileen Mc Kenna

This engagement card is for a friend who love theatre, in particular the latest play by Peter Sheridan: 47 Roses. We went to see it during the week together! I think she'll love this card! The image is of a vintage Butlins and decoupage roses. I cut the 47 from the programme. It's a play well-worth seeing if possible. Many of you will probably have read the book.


Card 7. 
Kay Roche

Two Hearts

This is a simple card made with a Kate Knight designer paper layered

 on to silver and silver peel offs to frame it..

A die cut heart with two tiny heart stickers,

 a butterfly glitter sticker and the greeting to say Congratulations.

Kay

Card 8
Clare Honan

 

2 inch and 2 ½ inch Scalloped punch

Image Lily of the valley

Ek Success border punch

Plain card Papermill

Scalloped cards from Touch of crafts at the Belfast show.

Flowers Wild Orchid Crafts

Backgrounds Paper Mania Summer blossoms range

Card 9

Clare Honan

Image lily of the valley

Flowers and lace Wild Orchid crafts

Gems and pearls Mei Flower

The 4 different backgrounds are form Hot off the press

Please join in by sending your photo by email you will find my email link at the top of the right hand column.

the more people who enter the bigger the goody bag

I will start the Poll on the on Saturday the 21st of July at 6.00pm
voting will be open for 1 week.
Yvonne xx

Pear and Almond Tart Recipe

Pear and Almond Tart Recipe 

For the base,

1. Grease and Line a 12 inch flan dish with jus rol ready rolled short crust pastry.

For the Filling

1.. You need 2 tins of pear halves, drained and patted dry with kitchen roll.

Cut about a 1/3 of a block of marzipan (Tesco's finest range) in to small nugget size pieces, place a nugget under each pear, and arrange the pear halves around the dish, and the remaining in the middle,

if you have any almond paste nuggets left over sprinkle them between the pears

For the topping.

100g/4oz Plain Flour
2 Egg
100g/4oz Ground Almonds
4 tablespoons Milk
100g/4oz soft butter
100g/4oz Caster Sugar
Few drops Almond Essence 

Place all ingredients in a food processor for about 3 mins,

Spoon a dollop of the mixture on top of each pear, do not spread out, it will find it's own way while baking

Bake in a oven set at 190.c for about 35 /40minutes until risen and golden brown.

Leave in tin to “set” for 10 minutes, Dust with icing suger then remove and serve warm with cream or ice cream. custard is my favourite.




I have made this only twice but both time it has turned out delicious .
I promise it will be desert for next workshop on the 12th.
Enjoy Yvonne xx

Elegance in lace

C5 All White Lace Elegance Card

All lace used on these cards from Blue Bell Girl Crafts Uk.

8 inch Square Scalloped 

Cream Couture
Ribbon Rosette from Ribbon box

Punched Layered Flowers on a 

Die cut and embossed background

Embossing and die-cutting folder Marianne

Flourishes Sizzix

large Carl leaf punch

All flower punches from crafts too

Thinking of you in Cream and gold

Embossed background Crafts Too

Spell binders Fleur de lis die cutter, from Once upon a stamp

Thinking of you Embossing boarder bar, from a set of 3 from Darice, available at crafter's companion.

Daisy flower from wild Orchid crafts

This is a new fold for me

I have called this a Box Gate-fold Easel Card

Images and backing papers from Debbie Moore Art Deco 

Wedding Cd rom

Inside view before the Easel floor drops down

Card full opened with the Easel propped open.

I have added a tutorial for this card and the box measurements on my tutorial page HERE

if you want any information please get in touch.

Friday Challenge

Good morning from a very wet Kilcoole

God this weather is getting me down

but it's perfect weather to say in doors and craft

So I am setting another 

Friday Challenge

July Theme 

Congratulations on your Engagement

You can make any style of card, but with a young romantic feel.

Entries must be in by next Saturday the 21st of July by 6.00pm

I will open the Poll just after 6.00pm on Saturday evening.

I will have a lovely card making Goody Bag up for grabs.

Everyone who enters, will receive some 

Christmas Decoupage sheets.

this is open to everyone who views my blog and wants to take part.

Good Luck to you all

Please send the picture of your entry as a jpeg image attached to an email. with some details about yourself and what you used.

please follow the email link in the top of right hand column.
you will need to verify the code

Yvonne xx

A4 size card for someone retiring  

who likes Vintage Cars, Golf, Wine, and his Dog

where else could you get a card like this 

only from someone who shares my hobby.

You would never find a card like this in a shop.

21st Card

Letters cut on my cricut

21st Card for the same girl

I had 6 to make, 

and did shoes and handbags on the other one's. and was running out of ideas

so my Cricut is getting a bit of work this week.

Fancy Fold Cards

C5 Raised Oval Aperture card

This card has a main C5 card attached to the back for an insert

Tutorial for this card HERE

15cm Square Gate-fold Step card

Tutorial Added today HERE

Inside view

Back View

Click images for larger picture

Congratulations to the First Friday Challenge Winner

Shirley Power

who got 33 votes for her lovely Summer card.
In Total there was 87 votes

I will give you your prize when I am next in Kilkenny

and hand out the little embellishment goody bags to everyone else on the list as soon as we next meet up.

Thank you to everyone who took part.

I will have another Friday Challenge very soon

Yvonne xx

This is the Card I made for Ellie,

Niamh O Grady asked me to send her a card to cheer her up.

She is mad into Jedward

so hope she likes it.

You can find her story here.

http://www.cardsforellie.blogspot.ie/

Please send her a card if you have time.

1st Birthday Card

the letters have been die-cut on my cricut

A4 landscape Step easel card

images and backgrounds from 

So Sweet Download from Delightful doodles.

Flower Mulberry Paper Crafts .co.uk