That week inbetween.....

We had a lovely Christmas this year, very peaceful and relaxed. My parents came for dinner, which was delicious and too big, and the evening was spent playing "The Million Pound Drop" boardgame and drinking wine.

But now its that strange week inbetween Christmas and New Year, I never know what day it is during this time! its a completely relaxing week, the kids are still off school (till the 9th, I wonder will I be so relaxed by then?!) and I am getting muchos crafting time.

This mini album is for our next door neighbours who have just had a little girl, Caoimhe, I need to make some more tags and then deliver it. I used Graphic 45 Baby to Bride paper - love it, its so feminine!

I got my hands on a Tim Holtz pocket watch, it is the coolest thing! this is what I put inside it today, but since you don't have to seal it permanently you can make lots of differnt inserts for it....... ingenious!

Now I have to finish a commission that must be ready for New Year, its an A4 diary for Karen of Swinkydoo designs she said I could do anything I wanted but that means I keep changing my mind! I think i'm decided now though.

What are you all up to this week?????

Up close... and a recent event!

Issue 6 of Crafting Ireland is out this morning ( you can read it by clicking the link in the previous blog) but here is a close up of the finished  pages... dont' you just love Perfect Pearls???!

The printing onto organza gives a ghost like quality to photos, I love the way it creates another layer. There are so many projects in this issue, the recipe book is calling me in particular, but then so are the altered baubles - displaying them in the glass jar is fab!

I have been missing from my blog for weeks..... its been busy around here! there have been fairs every weekend but one of the best nights was at the Art and Wine night which is held by the Rotary Club in Killarney every year. Its a great fund raiser, because they have so many artists they set out the room with these metal grids, that way everyone gets "wall space". My Polly Dollies got a great reception, thank you everyone who stopped by for your kind words.

This week is busy again with making stock for next weeks craft fair in Kate Kearneys Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe, putting up the tree (finally) and I suppose i'd better do some Christmas shopping.

Have a great week, x x x

Crafting Ireland - issue 6!

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2012 calendar

I love these Meeces to pieces!!

I showed some little mice on my laptop keyboard on facebook yesterday - it was a lovely quiet Sunday afternoon and I had a notion to make something.... so out came the fabric scrap bag!

Many years ago, when I was about 10 (many, many years....!) I made a mouse pin cushion. It was made from a scrap of yellow Laura Ashley fabric, had pink ears and embroidered eyes, it also had a piece of elastic that made a wrist band. 

So, yesterday when I was making these little guys, I decided to add some covered elastic to form a band - you wear it on your wrist while you're sewing and your pins are always to hand!

My yellow mouse has disappeared (quite recently actually.... around the same time my eldest daughter left home......?) so I may have to keep one of these, the others  (ten so far) will be making an apperance at the Malton Craft fair this Sunday.

Tuesday...

This post was originally titled Monday - but the day past in a blur and it didn't get finished so i'm starting again!

I know I said I would post a video of the Crafting Ireland mini but I filmed my Halloween mini and then the battery died and the recharger isn't here ( and so on and so forth!) so that is my excuse for not having it up! I think I will fill it with photos first, it looks a but bare at the moment.

When we were at the Art Show in Dublin last Friday I was totally bamboozled by all the art. The styles were so different there was definately something for everyone, it was funny to listen to peoples comments and hear what they could see in things that there companions couldn't. I was drawn to many different styles but I couldn't resist this "Girls playing Chess" by Ludmila Korol. It is off to the framer tomorrow and then will hang on my wall ( i'm not sure where!) I love the detail in it.

Everyone has gone to school or work and its just Toby and I at home, its quiet other than the radio and I have tonnes of things to do. All of which make me a very happy bunny! I'm sure it wouldn't suit everyone and maybe i'll get bored eventually but at the moment I am loving being a stay at home mum/ domestic goddess/ artsy crafting nut!

Ok, the laundry is calling (yes I know, i'm weird, I like doing laundry...)

I hope you all have a lovely day! F x

Halloween Mini ...... a year late!

Crafting Ireland issue 5!

http://www.craftingirelandonline.ie/

Since the clocks went back on Saturday night it is now 4.30pm and dark outside. The fire is lit,(cosy, I love this time of year!) the kids are on mid-term break so there are no school runs, i'll make a cup of tea, click the link and read on!!

There are so many projects this month, lots of lovely Christmasy goodies, I especially love the cone christmas trees that Timi has made, these might just make an appearance on my Christmas dinner table!

My project this time is a "Twas the night before Christmas" mini album, I will make a little video of it and put it up tomorrow.

What else is new? well, this morning I got a chance to show case my Polly Dolly art at the Killarney Open Coffee meeting, its amazing that you can have blogs and facebook but sometimes the people in your own town don't know what you do, so thank you Maria Stack for the oppurtunity!

On Friday i'm going to Dublin to see the Art Show which is held at the RDS each year, it would be a dream to exhibit there but i'm really looking forward to seeing all the talent that is around. The lovely Amelie Gagne has taken a stand this year, she is a Canadian artist who lives here in Killarney so i'm going to be on "coffee delivering" duties, the best of luck to her, her work is amazing!

Thats all my news for today, the "Art & Wine" night is in 23 days....... i'm off to meet the framer again tomorrow, I remember last year thinking, i'd like to do that next year - I had a whole year to get organised and suddenly its around the corner!

Have a lovely evening,

F x

The Wedding Tree!

This is my friend Mel, she married Donogh on Saturday. It was a beautiful ceremony and a great day, didn't she look lovely?

She had asked me to paint her a "Wedding Tree" which I did, it was set out on a table in the reception room of the hotel with ink pads,  wipes ( for cleaning fingers)  and pens to sign it with.

At the end of the night, this is what they had! I will have it framed by the time they get home from honeymoon and they can have it as a memento of their day.

P.S. - I wore a strapless dress to the wedding, and I was thinking I didn't want it to fall down when I was dancing so I used Redline tape across the top to stick it in place.......... that dress didn't move, even twelve hours later when I tried to take it off!!! there is still a red stripe across my chest today, so be warned!

Quick and Easy.

Way back when, during the great bedroom re-do, I made this for Mollys room. It was a plain cork board from the local DIY shop, I painted the frame with acrylic paint and then covered the centre with some lining fabric. To cover up the not to neat edges I glued on some chocolate brown ribbon and then made lots of paper roses and a lollipop flower to decorate it with.

I added some Prima Bling and a button and that was that! Simples!!

Busy, busy, busy!

I have four craft fairs and one art show to do between now and the end of November - 'tis the season after all!

 I've been like a little elf in santas workshop making all kinds of pretties, there are notebooks and keyrings, cushions, prints, new framed prints, cards and the like.

I am not very disciplined though, I make two of something and then I want to do something else ( i've started to set goals for myself otherwise nothing would ever get finished!) I'm sure it would be more productive if I just made keyrings today and cushions tomorrow but I end of doing a bit of everything everyday!

Recently I got a notion to paint something, and here it is............

I love the sentiment - you never know whats in store for you, "Life is a delicious mystery!!"

I'm going to be putting this  up for sale in my Etsy shop.... there are so many things to go onto the Etsy, I will have to schedule a morning to do nothing else!

Anyway I hope you like it, and I hope your day is delicious!!

Wedding Card

My friend Mel is getting married this month and she loves all things hand made. As you may or may not know I am not a card maker - straight lines and myself don't get along very well! but I thought i'd see what I could do and this is it..........

The tag says, "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person"

The card is made from scraps and a lollipop flower, some pearls and some lovely ribbon that says, " love, honour, cherish" - I distressed everything with Vintage Photo ink to make it look old.

And this if the finished card, I hope she likes it - she doesn't blog so this won't spoil the surprise!

GCBE Report.

So, there were shops.......... many of which (thankfully!) didn't take credit cards, however there was a cash machine in the shop next door so my willpower was restrained only a little!

The only thing I actually needed was a new paper trimmer which I got from Kerrys' shop, An Siopa Bui. Kerry is the organiser of the whole event and seemed to glide through the whole weekend without looking flustered - well done Kerry!



I missed my last class as we had to leave early but Mandy kindly sorted out a kit for me. I was really looking forward to this one as I haven't caught the dress form bug yet, but I was sure I would when I took Mandys class. There were a whole lot of book pages and some decoupage with this to cover the dress in but they have been eaten by my desk and couldn't appear in this photo!

Then there was the Crafty Queen herself, the lovely Eve Louw, the kit for this mini book class was full of goodies, flowers, bling, lace and the Graphic 45 Magic of Oz 8x8 paper stack. As usual time flies when you're enjoying yourself and this two hour masterclass passed in the blink of an eye!

These window frames are Shabby Chic Treasures from Prima - love them! they are definately going into a Polly painting at some stage.

Now i'm off to play with my new goodies!!

Its here!!!!

The Great Big Craft Extravaganza starts tomorrow!!

We were asked to bring name badges, so this is mine......

I am supposed to be packing my craft supplies and choosing clothes, but I am the worst packer in the world! I always leave it until the very last minute and I am the only person I know who never brings enough clothes with me........ ( I blame Mr. RyanAir and his luggage restictions for that!) but since we are driving to Athlone I can bring as much as I like.

I've never tried to pack my craft stuff before, it proving quite difficault! exactly how many distress inks should I bring? will I need stamps? and if I do, which ones? As they say "its better to be looking at it than for it" so I think i'll just bring everything!


I recently got a pot of UTEE and now everything is being enamelled and cracked..... I know, years behind!

Little Bird.

I made this page in my art journal - I like the way it came out because I rarely use pink. The tree is stamped with leaf designs and the wording says,

" Little bird, please take all the negative thoughts that stop me being who I really am, and lock them away in a jar where they can't do any harm"

In the jar are the words, anger, self doubt, impatience and fear - I liked the idea of the bird flying around picking up all those words , flying back to its nest and locking them away, how it does it i'm not quite sure... what with wings instead of hands!

I hope you have a great week and that your little bird is keeping an eye on you!

GBCE!!

I am soooo excited, its only one week away - The Great Big Craft Extravaganza!!!!!!!!

Two nights away, lots of shops, demos, classes and friends - whats not to love?!

The first class i've signed up for is " how to photograph your art" ( or some similar title) this i'm really looking forward to, its something I need to learn about.

Nicole and Timi are taking Crafting Ireland to the show, I suspect that i'll be suffering a sore throat from all the chatting!

So now i'm off to make a name badge, if you read this and are going, come and say hello - i'll be the one with a big smile on my face who doesn't stop talking!!!!!

Ta - dah!!!!!

I am very pleased and proud to announce that I was asked to write a tutorial for Crafting Ireland and whats more Nicole and Timi have asked me to be a regular contributor!!!!!!

I have to tell you, I was nervous.... but today issue 4 is out and you can see not only the Back To School mini I made but a huge amount of tutorials, hints, tips, reviews and the like from a lot of talented crafters. There are even some digital papers to download!

There are 93 pages of crafting goodness here, so when you get some time to yourself, make some tea, click the link and settle back ....... I'm pretty sure it'll send you running to your craft table full of ideas!!

Thanks Nicole and Timi for producing such a great magazine!!

Ooh!

Hi again,

My teeny, tiny desk area got featured on "Where People Create" - the lovely Ann from AMG-Arts runs this blog that shows peoples studios, desks, kitchen tables, or wherever it may be that they make their art/crafts.

Send in your photos and answer the questions so that I can have a nosey at your space too!

Check out some of the older posts...... FABULOSO!!!! warehouses and beautifully decorated rooms, just the thing for nosey parkers like me!!!!!

Anyone???

Hello, the lovely Dee has requested a mini book swap - something that hasn't happened for ages!
So, if anyone is interested then leave a comment here and maybe the Scrapzville Swap will be brought to life again!!!

F x x

A little bit of randomness.........

So, I noticed on one of my visits to Youtube that Mr. Tim Holtz had brought out a die called "Artful Dwellings"- I am always so far behind the lastest trends so this may not be news to the rest of you, but it was to me!

Anyhoo, I thought, I like that, but its straight lines for goodness sake and since I am the proud owner of a steel ruler and a craft knife, I set off on a crafting spree....

Let me just say, this is NOT an anti Tim Holtz post, but apart from his round roof it looked pretty easy.

Here are the results, this project was such FUN!!! I used My Minds Eye Lost and Found papers. It was one of those collections that I was saving for "best" (why? why do I buy paper that I don't want to cut???) and then I opened up all the boxes of embellishments that are on my shelves and just used a bit of everything!

I used things I haven't used for ages like Stickles and Crackle Accents, I used stamps, buttons, beaded pins,lace and the paper roses that I am currently obsessed with making (another example of me being SO behind the current trends!)

The basic shape was cut from chipboard (they are 5" in height) and I used "Frayed Burlap" to distress the edges.

I don't know if any of you have tried cutting chipboard with a craft knife, but I would just like to say that if you get the die you will be saving yourself AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK!!!!!
Mr Holtz knew what he was doing!!!!!

But mine are cuter because they have chimneys!

So, this is what it looks like........

This is the wardrobe that we had made - because none of the furniture shops could deliver in less than six weeks, and its nicer! it was literally one centimetre narrower than the alcove it was to go into..... getting that up the stairs and in place was a challenge, the radiator had to come off the wall along with all the skirting, but now its in place, never again to move! (and yes, we're still talking!)

Not a great picture of the blind, but you get the idea, simple fold up blind - very easy to make and as there is no gathering uses very little material.

This is the blue chest that I HAD to have! thanks to the new motorway it is a three hour drive from here to Ikea, it was well worth it to bring this home. I am now an expert at assembling flat pack furniture!

The bedside tables are Ikea too (no point going all that way for just one thing!) the patchwork quilt was made a couple of months ago, its full of mistakes, but I love it!

So that is pretty much that! I know its kind of girly but I have a very patient partner so I'm making the most of it!!!!

You can never have too many cushions.......

F xx

The Great Transformation!!

Ok, so her room was always messy, but this what happened when we started to tear things out..... chaos!!
We have three bedrooms in our house and five people, while they were sharing the girls had the largest room, we had the middle room and Zac got the box room. Ebony moved out so I decided it was time to take back some extra space and move into the big room! (There is still room for her to stay over, you know, just in case!)

Zacs room got a makeover earlier in the year and when I asked if he wanted the middle room he declined, so it was eventually time to tackle The Great Transformation.....


Years ago we had built bunk beds (that were high enough to have desks underneath) on two of the walls, that meant the first day was spent deconstructing (is that a word?) those.

The Velux window had to be treated, which we did on a nice dry day.... only to have the heavens open and trying to put it back into place was fun I can tell you!

There are two windows in this room which make it really light, I chose Dulux Warm White for the walls and the new floor is a light maple, making the whole room light and airy.

Here is a sneak peak of the finished room - i'll add the rest of the photos in the next post.

While we were doing all that, Mollys room had to be finished since she is coming home on Monday (yeah!!! can you believe the time is up?) so we have been living in a DIY state of chaos for almost three weeks!

It is totally dreamy to wander into our new bedroom now - I keep opening the door to make sure it hasn't changed back to the way it was!

Anyway more piccys to come soon!

Thanks for looking in x x x x

the first day of my new life...!

Well, how are you? I am fine, more than fine actually!

Here is the latest Polly to join the family, " There is nothing worse than normal" the first lot of printing didn't turn out well, buts that the beauty of painting - paint over it and start again!
I have just made some prints of her to bring to the Ballylongford craft fair tomorrow. Along with cushions, fridge magnets, keyrings and notebooks its going to look like Polly World!!!!

What else? well.......... yesterday Tim retired from his job after 43years of service!!!! (well deserved i'd say!) and since my Etsy shop is empty, my blog is neglected, there are craft fairs that i'm missing because I dont' have time to make things, its probably the last summer that my son wants to spend time with me and I have a million things to catch up on........ I decided to retire too!!!!!!!!

That is actually an exaggeration! what i'm doing is taking the whole month of August off, and then in September I hope to get a part time job and make a serious attempt to sell art.... there i've said it out loud!!! its now out in the universe for everyone to hear...... scary!!!!!

There is a major decoration/ swapping of rooms going on at the moment, so i'm actually hoping it rains for the next few days. If the sun shines, i'll be gone and there will be nothing done! I have a sneaky suspicion that "the whole month of August" will turn into, "what? its september already?!"

Thats my news, i'm packing boxes for the fair tomorrow and will report back on all the things I bought while I was there!

Enjoy your weekend,
Felicia x

There she goes.......

At 4 o clock this morning Molly was checking her bag onto her flight at Cork airport. She stayed up all night since we had to leave home at 2.30am and decided that she would sleep on the long flight instead.
She should arrive in Nairobi at 6.30pm our time to a whole new experience, 42 degrees, different foods, staying with people she doesn't know, making new friends , meeting the children at the school and generally having a ball!!!!!



I was SOOOO good, I didn't cry!!!! she was so excited going through the gate, she hasn't been out of Ireland on her own before, let alone all the way to Africa, but she will be fine. She will be back in 4 weeks, and I will miss her, but what an amazing opportunity!
As soon as I get a phone call to say she is there safe I will relax a bit.... i'm sure all you Mums out there will understand that.
so that is how our Sunday has been, how about yours??
F x x x x x x

Maxi marathon!!

So Saturday was THE BIG RACE!! it started rainy and windy at 5.30 am when I got up to eat peanut butter and nutella sandwiches and a banana.....

I think I should say that "Maxi Marathon" is a bit misleading, am I the only one who thinks it suggests further than 26.2 miles?? I think it was because half marathons are "Mini marathons" and this was 15 miles. But getting back to the story.....

We (all 1000 and some competitors) were taken by bus through Molls Gap to the Sneem road, I had thought we were starting from the lake but we kept driving for another mile and a half. From there the rain stopped briefly and off we went!

Its amazing how fast the crowd thinned out, we could see the fast runners way off in the distance after half a mile. Judy ( my running buddy and good friend) and I ran 10 minute miles for the first 8 and then my knee decided to give up!! I was SOOO disapointed, Judy did very well and ran almost all of the course, but I walked/ ran untill the half marathon mark (13.1 miles) and then walked the last bit with a jog to the finish line!!

The atmosphere was great, so many happy people at the finish line, my time was 2 hours 48 minutes. I had hoped to finish in less than 3 hours so I was pleased with that.
On the back of the shirt they gave everyone it says, " I completed the worlds most beautiful road race" and I am very proud to have it!!!!!!

I spent Sunday painting and creating and taking it easy, then went to see Harry Potter, so all in all it was a great weekend!!

Today I learned to be careful what you wish for - cos you might just get it......
Scary? yes,
Exciting? yes
Can I do this?......... lets wait and see!!!!!!!

Why oh why???

Hello!!! remember me??
this morning i sat down to look at the blogs I follow and found literally dozens, I was delighted, I love reading all these posts.
BUT, every time I tried to leave a comment blogger wouldn't let me! "choose a profile! so I did, and then it says, " choose a profile" its the same profile i've been using since I started my blog!

So I would just like to say this, to Jane, Kay, Jenni, Christa, Ebony, Dharma, Ruth, Louise, Katherine, Amelie and all you other lovely ladies, I'm not ignoring you, I wanted to leave comments, it just won't let me...... so the next thing is.... does anyone know how to fix this???? is it just me?????

The Polly in the picture is still not finished, but she is getting there - she might have stood a better chance if I hadn't given in to the patchwork quilt!
I have never started quilting because firstly you need space (of which I have none left!) and secondly I knew it would become an obsession! so far, the quilt i'm making is REALLY simple, just squares, but really pretty ones. I will take some photos today when i'm working on it.

The other thing that is taking up all my spare time is running. I started running last March to take part in the Easter 5 mile fun run, and some how got ropped into a 15 mile run that takes place on 16th July!
I'm following a training plan but I find that if I run 6 miles for the first time I think its a fluke, so i have to do it again to prove i can do it. I'm up to 8 miles comfortably but yesterday when I attempted 10 my knee suddenly stopped bending and I had to hobble back to the car.

This is not good!! i'll go to the physio on Monday to see what can be done.

So, thats all my news,
If you can't leave comments for me here then maybe Facebook?

Have a lov-er-ly day! x

?????

What has been going on over here?? ( Just so you know, it wasn't the ironing that did it, but I am about as stressed as this poor women!!...)

Well, things have just landed in a heap and i'm chasing my tail to find time for everything!

BUT....

I feel my crafting mojo creeping back, there is definately some quilting planned (simple, very simple quilting!) there is another Polly dolly almost complete. There is that jumper that I started knitting not one, but two winters ago........! I need to take lots of photos and make an album for myself. My Etsy shop needs updating and the gallery on my website, I can't expect to sell pieces that folks can't see!

So, I will get to all of the above asap - and as soon as I do i'll have some piccys for you.

Thank you for still looking in, even though there has been nothing new to see.

F x x x

while the cat is away......

While the cat is away.... the mouse will craft!!


Tim has gone on one of his mountaineering expeditions that do not resemble a holiday in any shape or form! He is on the Isle of Skye in Scotland sleeping out on mountains in a bivvy bag having carried every drop of food and water , ropes and climbing gear for miles and miles......


He and 7 of our friends think that is fun, what can I say??





Sooooo...... while he went off to do that, I got to go to the craft fair in town. It wasn;t overly busy but I knew alot of the other people and so we had a lovely day in the sunshine, listening to live music and visiting in each others stalls (which were actually wooden sheds and very cosy!)


The Polly cushions are growing in number, but other then that I didn't take any photos.... what was I thinking?!






This is my desk this morning, the weather looks a little dull, so i'm painting and drinking coffee in my p.j's and thinking I might get dressed soon and walk the dog. A perfect start to the day!!

A Polly in progress! I'm not sure what she will look like in the end.... but since tomorrow is a bank holiday I have lots of time to think about it.

What are you up to for the weekend?

F x.