Éirinn Go Brách!

 Dia daoibh!

It is that glorious time of year again when suddenly everyone owns a shamrock somewhere on their clothing. Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all! The kettle is on, the craic is mighty, and the village is buzzing ahead of tomorrow’s celebrations.

Before the marching bands, green hats and general shenanigans kick off, I managed to sneak a few quiet minutes at the craft desk and make a card.

I kept this one CAS because sometimes simple is just perfect. The sweet Shamrock Fairy from Mo’s Digital Pencil peeks in from the side of the card like she has wandered in to see what all the fuss is about. She was coloured with Promarkers and I used the off the page technique so she looks like she is stepping right into the card. For a little sparkle I added some iridescent and green glitter ... because if there is ever a time when glitter is completely acceptable it is St Patrick’s Day.

The sentiment Éirinn Go Brách felt just right for this card. Ireland forever and a lovely little nod to the day that is in it.

A few challenges:

Aud Sentiments Blog Challenge #335 - Glitter/Bling and/or St. Patrick's Green + a Sentiment

Allsorts #845 - Things with wings or Anything Goes

Crafty Gals Corner #275 - Anything Goes  with optional twist of Make it Green

Color Dare Challenge #694: 

Inspiration Station #83 - Inspiration Photo: 

Tomorrow the celebrations begin. There will be parades, music, dancing, and someone somewhere attempting Irish dancing in shoes that absolutely were not designed for it. I am also fairly certain there will be at least one person proudly wearing green from head to toe like a walking shamrock field.

However you celebrate, have a wonderful St Patrick’s Day filled with laughter, a bit of sparkle and plenty of craic. 

☘️ Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit! ☘️

(Pronounced roughly: law ay-la paw-drig sunna ditch)

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 

Seas the day!

Dia daoibh!

March in Ireland is a strange little circus altogether. The kids are on their St Patrick’s Day break bouncing off the walls like caffeinated leprechauns, work is being managed one week roster at a time, the weather can’t decide if it wants sunshine or sideways rain, and the fuel prices seem to be climbing faster than a sheep on a mountain. Sure at this stage we are all just rolling with the chaos and hoping the kettle keeps working.

On the bright side, the parade is tomorrow and I am very much looking forward to it. There is something magical about marching bands and questionable dancing in the street.

So while the world outside is doing its usual Irish jig of unpredictability, I took fifteen minutes to switch off and make a quick card.

For this one I used the Küstenbande stamp from Creative Depot / Treeebird. The little sailor bear was coloured with Promarkers and I kept the design nice and CAS. A bit of baker’s twine wraps around the card with a small bow and I added a few Nuvo white drops for a simple embellishment. The whole thing came together in under fifteen minutes which was exactly what I needed to clear the head. Sometimes a quick crafty moment is the perfect cure for a noisy house, wild weather, and fuel prices that make you stare at the pump like it personally offended you.

A few challenges:

Little Red Wagon # 849 - Boy Inside the Man

Creative Knockouts #566 Birthday Wishes 

Passion For Markers - Week 828 - Anything Masculine

Girlz Make Guyz Cards #37 - Maritime

The Male Room #208 - Blue and Brown

CAS on Friday #329:

Right-e-o, I am off to prepare for the parade tomorrow and possibly adopt this bear’s life philosophy. Paper hat, striped jumper, and just SEAS the day.

🍀🍀 Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh! 🍀🍀

Sláinte,

Wendy R.

Top o’ the Morning!

Dia daoibh!

March in Ireland means one thing and it is not subtle. Leprechauns appear from nowhere. Everything turns green. Shops explode with shamrocks. And before anyone asks: no, we do not turn the Liffey green. We do not need to. This island is already about forty shades of green on a Sunday. Add a bit of March drizzle and you have fifty. At least.

With all that Irish magic floating around it felt only right to lean fully into the theme for today’s card and have a bit of craic along the way. Over at Ally’s Angels Challenge Blog we are on challenge #104 and the theme is always Anything Goes. Which is basically permission to craft with wild abandon and a cup of tea in hand.

For my card I used Paddy from Mo’s Digital Pencil. He was coloured up with Promarkers, added a wee touch of Glossy Accents, and kept the whole card CAS ... because every Paddy likes to be the centre of attention ;) Honestly they would not have it any other way.

A few challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: A Bit O' Green

Crafty Catz #709 Anything goes

Fab n' Funky #632 - Shades of Green

Crafty Gals Corner #275- Anything Goes (optional: make it green)

Inspiration Station #83 - Inspiration Photo: 

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #214 - Clovers are Green

Now before I toddle off there must be a blessing because March demands it:

May your tea be strong

May your greens always blend smoothly

And may your leprechauns never steal your last biscuit!

Be sure to pop over and check out the DT’s creative makes over on the Ally’s Angels blog. They are full of inspiration and a serious danger to your craft supplies.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 💚

Umbrella Bloom

Dia daoibh!

Well would you look at that. The sun has shown up for two whole days in a row. I checked twice out the window just to be sure it was not a trick. Even the birds are in great form, singing like they have just had three cups of strong Irish tea and a biscuit.

After soaking up a bit of that rare golden sunshine it felt like the perfect excuse to sit down at the craft desk and make a card. 

I used the Spellbinders Umbrella Bloom die set which is just adorable. There is something cheerful about flowers popping out of an umbrella that makes it feel like a little pocket of spring on a card. I kept the design nice and simple so the die cuts could do all the talking. For embellishments I only added a touch of Glossy Accents and a few flatback pearls. Sometimes a card just wants to be simple and elegant and who am I to argue with a piece of cardstock having notions. The sentiment comes from the A Selection of Sentiments stamp set by Tonic Studios and I stamped it using Versafine ink. Versafine never disappoints. It behaves like the reliable friend who shows up on time with biscuits.

A few challenges:

Alphabet Challenge -  W is for Wild Flowers

Craft Rocket Challenges #134 - No Design Paper

C.R.A.F.T. #775 - Spring / Easter / Anything Goes

Die Cut Divas - Spring is Coming

CAS Colours & Sketches #580 - Color Challenge:

And that is today’s little bit of crafty sunshine. Between the bit of sun and the umbrella blooms on the card I feel like spring has officially clocked in for duty. Now if the weather could kindly keep up the good behaviour we might all start acting suspiciously cheerful.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🌼

A Little Bit of Luck and a Whole Lot of Glitter

Dia daoibh!

March in Ireland is that lovely in-between month where the days get longer, the light gets brighter, and we all optimistically declare winter over… while still keeping the big coat within arm’s reach. Also, a wee fun fact: St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival in the world. Tradition is tradition.

Which brings me neatly to my card for Challenge #3 over at HQFCB, where the theme is always Anything Fantasy Goes. And really, with March rolling in and St Patrick’s Day on the horizon, there was only one sensible choice… leprechauns. Obviously.

I used the leprechaun from Mo’s Digital Pencil, coloured him up with Promarkers, and then had a bit of crafter’s craic with the embellishing. I added Glossy Accents for shine and a dose of gold glitter... because leprechauns without sparkle are just tiny men in green, and that won’t do at all! At this stage I’m convinced leprechauns exist solely to justify glitter in March – and I, for one, fully support that!

A few challenges: 

Fab n' Funky #632 - Shades of Green 

Colourful Options - March 2026 - Moodboard (Option 1: Green)

Festive Friday #204 - St Patrick's Day (Incorporate 3 of the items from inspo list)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #214 - Clovers are Green 

{PIN}spirational #335 - Use Color Combo from Inspiration Image  

The DT members over at HQFCB have absolutely amazing makes for this challenge; so much inspiration, it’s well worth popping over for a look!

May the road rise to meet you,

may the rain fall softly,

and may your days be touched with a little bit of Irish magic.

Sláinte,
Wendy R. 🍀

Llama Love

Dia daoibh!

There is something very civilised about baking a few scones on a Wednesday morning. Not a weekend. Not a special occasion. Just a random Wednesday where you decide the house deserves the smell of warm scones and the kettle deserves to be working overtime. The plan was to bake a few. The reality was eating one while it was still too hot, another for “quality control,” and suddenly the plate looked suspiciously empty. Pure mystery altogether.

Now onto today’s card. 

I used the Sizzix Llama Love stamp, kept it CAS, and let the llama do the talking. The sentiment “I’d never spit on you” was stamped with Versafine so it stayed nice and crisp. Which, coming from a llama, is basically the highest compliment imaginable. That is serious commitment right there. The llama itself was stamped with Memento and then coloured with Promarkers. For embellishment I kept it simple and added a few black gems and a bit of Glossy Accents. Just enough shine without taking away from the llama’s obvious charm. Sometimes simple really is best and this one came together quicker than a kettle boils for tea.

Onto a few challenges:

Critter Crazy Challenges #108 - Always Anything Goes

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SoSS #271 - B is for Black Black Heart

Crafty Animals #103 - Always Anything Goes

Sunday Stamps - SSC380 - Wide Open - Sketch by Claire:

ColorDare # 693 - Colour Palette

Right so I’m off now to check on the remaining scones. Purely for safety reasons of course. Would not want them going stale. That would be a tragedy of national importance.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 💖

Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Out of the Woods

Dia daoibh!

There is something downright lovely about getting a card in the post. A stamp costs the same as a chocolate bar, but a card lasts longer, causes no guilt, and will not leave you staring into an empty wrapper thinking that escalated quickly.

I am absolutely chuffed to bits to say I am the Guest Elf for March over on the Christmas Kickstart Challenge blog. Huge thanks to Jo for the invite, because I am thrilled altogether. The theme this month is Out of the Woods, which is great fun and gives plenty of room to play. Please do join in and pop over for a look, because the inspiration is seriously class and will have you digging through your craft supplies like you know exactly where everything is. You probably do not, but we can all pretend.

 

Now onto my card:

The background design is from the Lovely Studio, and it is a gorgeous kraft card with polka dots that does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. The stamps are from Purple Onion Designs, and I used Chilliezgraphy by Pei - Christmas Present, along with Stacey Yacula Studio - Lights, all stamped with Memento ink. The sentiment was stamped with Versafine ink for a lovely crisp result. Everything was coloured with Promarkers, then embellished with Glossy Accents and finished with Nuvo White Blizzard Drops, because Christmas cards should sparkle, even if the weather outside does not.

Do head over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge blog and have a look at all the fabulous inspiration and join in yourself. Go on, sure you might as well, because future December You will be walking around like you invented Christmas cards, casually mentioning you made them months ago, and pretending this level of organisation is completely normal.

Sláinte,

Wendy R.

February Card Chain Challenge

Dia daoibh!

March in Ireland arrives with leprechauns everywhere and pots of gold firmly on our minds. The shops are full of green, shiny things, and there is a strong feeling that spring is trying to show off. It is that time of year when everything feels a little brighter and a little more fun.

On to the February Card Chain Challenge. My card packed its bags and flew all the way to Greta in the USA, and I like to believe it enjoyed the trip and behaved itself the whole way. In return I received a gorgeous card from Julia in the USA, which was an absolute joy to open. The Card Chain Challenge really is international happy post at its best! 💚

For my card I used the 'xoxo' stamp from Penny Black and went with the bold colour theme of indigo, violet, and lime green. Apologies, the colours are acting up as my camera once again had other ideas.I created a stamped background using a polka dot stamp, then coloured everything with Promarkers. All the colour recipes I used are listed over on my Promarker Page. I added glossy accents, nuvo drops, flowers, glitter, gems, and flatback pearls ...because stopping at one embellishment is never an option! 

The Card Chain Challenge is one of those simple joys that never gets old. Sending a card out into the world and receiving one back always feels like a little pot of gold in the post.

Le Grá,

Wendy 🍀

Party Time

Dia daoibh!

Norovirus arrived into the house this week like it had a key and a favourite chair by the fire. No knocking, no manners, just straight in and causing chaos. At one stage I considered charging it rent and handing it the hoover. We survived on Dioralyte and flat 7 Up like true Irish warriors. Nothing humbles you faster than warm fizzy minerals and a deep appreciation for indoor plumbing. But we are on the mend, colour returning to our faces and bravery returning to our tea mugs.

Once I could look at cardstock without feeling wobbly, it was time for a bit of therapy at the craft desk.

This card went full monochrome teal. There is something very calming about sticking to one colour when the rest of the week has been dramatic enough to qualify for its own soap opera.

The watch bands are die cuts from The Stamp Market. Clean lines, stylish shapes, and thankfully completely germ free. I kept it CAS because frankly I did not have the strength for anything fussy. The only embellishment is a touch of Glossy Accents for that subtle shine. Just enough to say look at me without shouting across the room. The watches are mounted on foam pads for a bit of dimension because even when you are recovering from a dose of the dreaded lurgy, you can still manage a little lift. It gives the card that gentle pop without overcomplicating life. We have had enough excitement for one week.

Onto a few challenges:

Crafty Catz #708 - Anything Goes

The Male Room #207 - CAS

Cardz 4 Guyz #383 - Monochrome Color Palette

Make My Monday #272 - Card for a male

Alphabet Challenge - V is for Volume (Dimension)

Krafty Chicks #809 - Masculine

And if you are wondering, the house currently smells less like bleach and more like hope. Progress is progress.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 😷

Bloomin' Butterfly

Dia daoibh!

I do not know who needs to hear this but sausage rolls are a perfectly acceptable form of self care. I treated myself to a few today because the craving hit hard. You know the kind. The “I could demolish a Gregg’s sausage roll in three bites” kind. Sadly there was no time to leg it to Belfast, so I made do locally and told myself it was practically gourmet. If you close your eyes and believe, it is basically the same.

Anyway, fortified by flaky pastry and questionable self control, I headed to the craft desk.

Today’s card features the gorgeous Blooming Butterflies Stamp Set and Die Set Bundle by Gina K. Honestly, that butterfly deserves its own passport. I coloured it with my Promarkers, going bold with those rich blues and soft purples, and the flowers got the royal treatment too. I added glossy accents to give a bit of shine and popped on a few gems because if you are going to do sparkle you may as well commit. The background is kept nice and clean, with a few splatters of distress ink for a bit of artsy flair. Just enough to look intentional. 

The butterfly itself is raised on foam pads for that lovely bit of dimension. We love a card that refuses to lie flat. The sentiment is simple. Sending love. No essay required. Sometimes the butterfly does all the talking.

A few challenges: 

Cardz 4 Galz #270: Wings

Classic Design Challenge - Feb/Mar - Anything Goes (optional: Blooms or butterflies)

Crafter's Cafe #327 - For the girls (optional: Anything Goes)

AAA Colorful Challenge  #25: Colourboard: 

Triple B  - February: Anything with Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (optional Inspiration Image)

Right, I am off to pretend I do not want another sausage roll. If anyone sees me in Belfast clutching a Gregg’s bag, mind your business.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🦋