Kokeshi fun

Dia daoibh!

Had snow over the weekend. Driving at 6am not fun. Let me tell you, nothing wakes you up faster than sliding gently down a country road whispering sweet encouragement to your tyres like they can hear you. Black ice is out there living its best sneaky life while the rest of us are just trying to get to work with dignity intact. Sure look, we survived. Hero status achieved before breakfast.

Now. Onto my card.

Thanks to a few extra overtime shifts and a small moment of “go on, you deserve it,” I treated myself to the Spellbinders Kokeshi Dolls Die Set. Absolute joy in a packet. The minute I opened it I was grinning like I’d just found an extra custard cream in the tin. These wee dolls are the cutest things!! Cutting them out was pure therapy. Deciding where to place the wee blooms though… that was a full committee meeting in my head. Left? Right? Floating artistically like I meant it? In the end I just copied the picture on the front of the packaging. If the designers say that’s where the flowers go, who am I to argue? Confidence level restored immediately.

For the background I used the Spellbinders Cherry Blossoms BetterPress Plates. I coloured them with Distress Ink mixed with a splash of alcohol. Very technical altogether. A dab here, a hopeful blend there, and the occasional intense stare at the paper as if that helps. We are calling it artistic expression and moving confidently along. Then the embellishments arrived because self control and I are not on speaking terms. Flatback pearls. A few gems. Nuvo Drops White Blizzard for that soft frosty shimmer. If it sparkles, it made the team. I also added a layered hello die cut and coated it in Glossy Accents so it catches the light nicely without stealing the spotlight from the wee doll, who is clearly the real star of the card.

A few challenges: 

Spellbinders Monthly Cardmaking Challenge - February: Pop of Color

Classic Design Challenge - Feb/Mar - Anything Goes (option: blooms or butterflies)

Crafter's Cafe #327 - For the Girls (option: anything goes)

Moving along with the Times #186  - February - Floral

Make My Monday #271 - Use 2 dies

Beautiful Blossoms #38 - Anything Flowers Goes (optional mood board) 

Now if only I could drive to work in the snow as gracefully as she stands on that card. Until then, I will continue sliding gently into Mondays like a cautious penguin.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🌸

Rain or Shine: Make a Rainbow

Dia daoibh!

Picture this. A freshly stamped piece of cardstock. Perfect. Pristine. Untouched by the world. Enter the kitty cat. A full dramatic catwalk straight across it like she was late for Paris Fashion Week, leaving behind tiny pawprints like she’d signed the artwork. So I restamped. New sheet. Fresh optimism. And then I glued the topper on upside down. Instantly. With confidence. As if I’d learned absolutely nothing. With the white cardstock Amazon order refusing to arrive until after three today, there was nothing for it but to trim it down and adhere it to blue cardstock like a seasoned professional who definitely meant to do that. Moral of the story: confidence fixes everything. Almost.

Now onto the actual card before anything else could interfere. To brighten up the classic Irish weather I went full rainbow. If the sky won’t cooperate I’ll sort it myself. 

I kept it CAS (the card had already been through enough). The sentiment is from the Best Ever set from Simon Says Stamp from 2017 which is still earning its keep. I had a little play with die cuts and used a rainbow design from the Silhouette Design Store. I popped the cloud and rainbow up on foam pads for a bit of dimension.  finished it off with a few sprinkled gems. Sparkle is essential. I also added Nuvo Drops White Blizzard around the edges of the cloud for extra detail... I was feeling brave again.

A few challenges:

A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog  - January 2026 - Anything Goes

Make My Monday #270 - Clean and Simple

A Place To Start #202601 - Anything Goes (option: Rainbow)

Seize the Birthday #319 - Rainbow of colours

And just like that, the card was finished. A cheerful rainbow card created in between a catwalk moment, an upside down surprise, and a very late Amazon delivery. Crafting magic at its finest.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 😺

Candy Cane Kisses

Dia daoibh!

Christmas in Ireland is a great mix of sparkle, chaos, and pure charm... half the country is wrestling with tangled fairy lights while the other half is insisting they definitely didn’t open the “good biscuits.” And sure look, by Stephen’s Day we’re all fuelled by leftovers and sheer determination.

Challenge 101 over at Ally’s Angels is well underway, and the design team have pulled out all the stops. The creativity on display is so good you’d think they were powered by fairy lights and caffeine. Go have a peek—you’ll either come back full of ideas or convinced you need more craft supplies. (Spoiler: you absolutely do.)

For my card, I kept things lovely and CAS. 

The adorable Candy Cane Bear is from Mo’s Digital Pencil, coloured with Promarkers - my trusty go-tos. I added shimmery highlights with Nuvo Drops (White Blizzard) for a glittery touch. The scalloped border was made with a punch that hasn’t seen daylight in a long while. The whole panel is mounted on foam pads for a raised effect—like giving the card a little lift of confidence.

And to finish with a festive grin: may your tree behave, your wrapping paper cooperate, and your visitors arrive only after you’ve hidden the laundry.

Nollaig shona daoibh!

Sláinte,
Wendy R.🎄🎅