Clear out

Do you remember when you remember when you first started making cards? I started December 1, 2000 after taking a class at Nash's in Glasgow and have LOVED it ever since. But I have accumulated more stash than I could possible EVER use. You know when you see something, love it, buy it, get it home and think 'now what?' Well I've been threatening to have a clear out for years now and the other day after tripping over yet another box in my over crowded craft room (it started out 10' x 10' and I swear it's about 3' x 3'!) I thought now is the time. I decided to start with my beloved Stampin' Up stamp sets. I have 3 drawers full plus more in boxes and the embarrassing thing is most haven't seen ink! Some sets are ink free, some with only one or two stamps inked.

I have set up a new page at the top called (funnily enough) $tampin' Up For $ale. Click on that page and you will see some current sets that are in the 2012 catalogue as well as some from as far back as 2002! If there's a set that you wish you had bought but it retired before you got the chance it could well be there. I do have more sets that I have to dig out and will add as and when. If there's anything that tickles your fancy email me at ladybugcraftsink@aol.com (better to start an email than click on the link)

Eventually there will be more pages dedicated to other crafty stash such as Sizzix, Quick Kutz and many more. My aim is to restore my craft room to at LEAST 8' x 8' lol.

Catch ya later x

TLT - Catherine's Challenge - Pink & Girly!!

Well I'm thunking by the comments you loved the bloghop and the new images? Thank you to everyone who hopped and left comments and of course guessed the word was Chrysanthemum. It was so much fun and if you want to see if you were one of the Challenge or Bloghop winner's head on over lickety split to the Challenge Blog to see if your name is there :-D The entries were all fabulicious too... VERY talented crafter's you are!

Today's challenge comes from one of our newly promoted Ladybugs, the lovely Catherine and she has chosen one of my favourites...Pink & Girly {squeal}!!!! Now who DOESN'T like pink OR girly...don't answer that Tams lol!!! Tam's will tell you she doesn't do pink but I think she is slowly coming round to the idea that yes pink is yummy ;-D Please remind her of that when she posts yet another WOA with pink splashed all over it tee hee.

So I knew exactly what image I wanted to use and I'm so glad I did. Every time I use Gossip Nikki I love her more and more. This is what I came up with...

Well it's certainly pink! I used my MME 6 x 6 A Happy Heart paper pad....I just love it. I cut the corner circles with my Nesties, placed and trimmed them then stitched everything together not forgetting to stitch around the circle. I stamped and coloured Gossip Nikki  with my Copics...added glitter to the hairband and tops and some light pink Swarovski crystals as an earring, button and diamond bracelet.

Sparklicious!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend :-D

I got this fabby Die-namics die from My Mum's Craft Shop. I won Kitty's challenge at the beginning of the year and was thrilled to be able to spend my voucher on a few (read that as 4!) dies. I love these speech bubbles. My next purchase is going to be the long skinny ones :-D

The Large Rolled Rose was another die I picked up with my voucher...It's big and beautiful!

I carried the circle theme inside

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Creative Mondays - Anything Goes

Love To Create Challenge - Add Stitching

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

My Grafico Challenge - #122 Flowers

NettieG's Digital Gems - Anything Goes

Just Some Lines - Girly Girl

The Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes

Divas by Design - Bling it Up

I've had a sneak peek at the Ladybugs cards and projects and you will not be disappointed...there's enough inspiration to last you weeks!

That's it from me for today. Hope you have a great week :-D

Catch ya later x

The Complete Guide to Digital Crafting

Have you seen it? Do you have your copy? What am I talking about? Well, it's a new craft magazine The Complete Guide to Digital Crafting aimed at digital stamps, papers etc and guess who's in it??? Ladybug Crafts Ink!!! I was so excited when I was asked last year to be a part of the first issue. I'd totally forgotten about it as I was approached back in late October (I can't even remember yesterday!) It came out on February 23rd and I just received my copy this morning...it looks FABULICIOUS!!! There is digital content and software (2 cd's) from 11 companies showing you how to use digital images from when you first buy them to downloading them and then uploading them to your project. I think this is going to be an invaluable guide to those of us that are afraid of doing more than sending emails and surfing the internet. There are also discount offers throughout the magazine which is always a bonus :-D

You can buy it at most WH Smith stores and some large newsagents. I've got the kettle on and once I'm finished here I'm going to settle down and have a good look through it.

I've got a Valentine's card to show you I made for hubby. He said it was the nicest one I've ever made him but then he says that every time I give him a card lol. See what you think...

 

I'm not sure why it's so squint...I wasn't drinking when I took the picture honest lol. I got these fantastic Cheerylynn heart dies from Frantic Stamper...there are two in the pack and I've used the small one. They are gorgeous...very delicate. I cut out the hearts from two different pp from my MME 6 x 6 A Happy Heart paper pad. I stamped 'love' from the SU! Tiny Tags set and punched it out with their Tiny Tags punch adding a Swarovski crystal. I stamped coloured and cut out the heart in a box from the Magnum Add On set and stuck it to the heart using a foam pad

 

 

The detail of the heart is gorgeous :-D

Ok...I'm going to love you and leave you. The kettle's boiled and the magazine is calling my name!

Have a great week :-D

Catch ya later x

Wedding Whirlwind!

What a busy 3 days we had! Our flight to Dublin was Monday at stupid o'clock..7am... so I had to be up and out of the house and picking up Nicole, Ben and Moira (Ben's mom or MOG as she's affectionately now known as lol) at 5. All went smoothly this time...I didn't lose my passport in the toilet...I'm sure Mr Custom's man appreciated that lol.

FIL picked us up and we headed to their apartment where we had our first appointment at 10:30 with the makeup girl Claire...she had just finished working on a movie with Glenn Close! Nicole's makeup was gorgeous...a bit more than what she would normally wear but still very natural and will look fantastic in the photographs. After that we had to see the florist. He was supposed to have a sample for us to see but forgot and to make it up gave each of us a rose...the biggest rose I've ever seen! He also arranged for an arrangement to be at the food tasting on the Wednesday.

Tuesday was the hair trial which was brilliant. Michael started out doing Nic's hair one way then before you knew it he had it in another style so effortlessly. Again she looked beautiful (I guess I'm going to always say that lol) Then I got in the chair and ended up with a do I wasn't thinking of having but loved so now I'm sorted :-D BIL picked us up and we headed to Wicklow to the registrar then were dropped off at a mall to meet SIL for a quick bit of retail therapy for the girls in Dunnes and Penny's and a pint for BIL and Ben. LOLOLOL...BIL and Ben...get it!!??

We were all looking forward to Wednesday....the food tasting!!! Emily (hubby's sister) drove us to the hotel where we were met by the in house Wedding Planner Ciara. It was MOG's first time to see the venue and I think she was very happy indeed :-D

There's a Gordon Ramsay restaurant in the hotel and that's where we were headed. Ciara said she had a surprise for us and I thought Gordon himself was going to cook for us lol. In fact she had arranged for us to sit at the Chef's Table in the kitchen!!! What an amazing experience...have a look...

The Chef's Table... Apparently you can book this table for a special occasion 

This is the view when sitting at the table. The kitchen to the right is for the Gordon Ramsay Restaurant and the one on the left is for the hotel. The gentleman on the left was our server for the afternoon

This was us all settled in waiting impatiently lol. From the left Ciara, Fottini (she's on 'work experience' for a few months) Moira, Nic, Ben, Me, Emily

This was the head chef...we got our first starter to try and he'd forgotton something and came running up...it was very funny lol. After we tried everything I wanted to take him home!

The flowers arrived and although they weren't the ones we're having (not quite in season yet) they were stunning and I don't think we'll be disappointed.

Emily and I...it was Lent so we had ashes on our foreheads!

It was fantastic, the food was amazing and it was hard to choose what to put on the menu but we managed in the end. Luckily we're having BOTH desserts :-DD

I'm going to finish off the rest of the wedding invites today and once they're out on Monday I'll show you what it looks like.

The blog hop ends on Tuesday with lots of prizes to be won so if you'd like to be in with a chance to win there are only a couple of days left.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by

Catch ya later x

Tuesday without the LT!

This is a pre-post which I've done plenty of times before but it would be just my luck it wouldn't work while I'm out of the country!

I think this has to be my favourite card so far using Floral Delights...not sure if it's the colours or the Aida or what??

I got this embossing folder in the bargain bin at Craft World and think its perfect with the FD's

Hope you're having a good week.

Catch ya later x



Bon Voyage

This was the first card I made using the new Floral Delight release and although it says Mother's Day it was for Jan's DIL but I just put a temporary sentiment on it lol. By all accounts DIL loved it so that makes me happy :-D

As I said before Nicole, Ben, Moira (Ben's mom) and I are off to Dublin at Stupid O'Clock on tomorrow (Monday) ... I have to pick them up at 5am!!! We've got 3 days full of all things wedding. Monday is the makeup trial and flowers, Tuesday is the hair trial and registrar and Wednesday is the tasting of the food!!! THAT I can't wait for lol.

The ironing is done and the fridge is full so the boys will be fine. If they don't want to cook there's a chippy 5 minutes away :-D

Must get going...haven't even packed my bag :-S Have a great week and if you haven't already make sure you check out the blog hop here, the Ladybugs have outdone themselves with this release.

Catch ya later xx

Let's hear it for the weekend yaaayyyyy!

Just a quick one from me today! Don't roll your eyes..it IS quick for me...mostly pictures although there are a lot of them lol.

Thank you for your lovely comments on the new release and I'm glad you're liking Floral Delight. I found out it was Jan's (FD illustrator) birthday today and because I was so thrilled with the images thought I'd make a few things for her. This is what I came up with...

A sketch book, a Post It Note pad and of course a card. I received an email from Jan this morning and she loved them all...phew!

I'd love to enter the following challenges please:

Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge - Don't Be Square

Card Makin Mamas - Birthday

Delicious Doodles Challenge - Pink

The Poodles Parlour - Mother's Day or Female

Scrapbookaholic by Abby - Birthday

Crafty Purple Frog - Flower Power

Digi Doodle Shop - Anything GoesShelly's Images - Anything Goes

Now I said this was quick and I meant it. I don't have time to sit here and chat all day!

Hope you have a great weekend. I'm off to Dublin on Monday until Wednesday but I'll tell you about it over the weekend.

Catch ya later x