Boo, Hiss & Pass the Sweets

Dia daoibh!

Here we are, halfway through October, which means Halloween is creeping closer and I am entering that very important time of year when buying enormous bags of sweets is considered preparation rather than greed. Here in Ireland the evenings are getting darker, the weather is doing four seasons before lunchtime, and the Halloween treats are being bought, hidden, found and mysteriously disappearing long before a single trick or treater has knocked on the door. 

It is also time for Ally’s Angels Challenge #111, where our theme is always Anything Goes. Basically, crafty freedom with absolutely no adult supervision. What could possibly go wrong?

For my card I decided to embrace the Halloween madness and pulled out the Spellbinders Trick or Snark stamp set. With those colourful little monsters, balloons, a pumpkin, a ghost and a bat who appears to have appointed himself Head of Operations, there was plenty going on before I even got to that brilliant sentiment. “Let’s eat candy and judge people.” Well now. Finally, a Halloween activity I am fully qualified for. 

I stamped the image and coloured everything with my trusty Promarkers, going nice and bright with the Halloween colours. I added a few flatback pearls and some die cut stars embellished with iridescent glitter. I have to admit, these little fellas make me smile. They have balloons, sweets and absolutely nowhere important to be. The bat has even managed to get himself a lift without holding a single balloon string. There is always one clever lad in the group.

Do pop over and join us for Ally’s Angels Challenge #111. Remember, the theme is Anything Goes, so raid that craft stash, rescue something you bought three years ago and definitely intended to use immediately, and come play along. There is loads of fabulous inspiration from the Design Team too.

And with Halloween just around the corner, I shall leave you with my annual survival plan. Buy sweets for the trick or treaters. Eat the sweets. Buy replacement sweets. Hide them somewhere sensible. Forget where I hid them. Buy more sweets. A flawless system. 

Oíche Shamhna Shona daoibh go léir! 👻🎃🍬

Sláinte,

Wendy R.

Card Chain Challenge May 2026

Dia daoibh!

June has landed, which means we are now at that stage of the year where you open the calendar and just laugh. Not a happy laugh. A slightly unhinged one. How is it June? Who approved this? I would like a word.

Now onto the May Card Chain Challenge! This one felt a bit special because I sent my card to Jo in the UK, who was actually the very first card chain buddy to send me a card when I joined last year. Full circle and all that… I love when things line up like that. In return, I received a beautiful card from Lucille in the USA. Proper “stop and admire it” kind of card. The kind you pick up again for a second look… and then a third… just to be sure you saw all the lovely details. Gorgeous work.

So here is my card:

I went with the chocolate, orange and slate, plus the floral theme (you can’t go wrong with flowers, ever! 😄). The background is embossed with a Spellbinders folder, with the Altenew Botanical Waltz elements layered up on foam pads for lift. I added iridescent glitter, Nuvo Stone enamel drops from Tonic Studios, and a generous splatter of Sparkle Splatter Effects. Not showing off much in the photo, but in real life it is sparkling away like it has something to say.

Why join the Card Chain Challenge? Because you send one card and get a surprise one back. It is basically happy post with benefits. Also, your postman will start thinking you are wildly popular… and honestly, why correct him?

Great craic, lovely people, and a perfect excuse to play with your stash.

Sláinte,

Wendy 💗

It’s Ally’s Angels Challenge #100!

 Dia daoibh!

Well lads, the Christmas countdown has well and truly begun — and you can tell because every shop in Ireland has turned into a shrine of novelty socks. There’s no escaping them!!! Santa socks, penguin socks, socks that light up, sing, or threaten to “jingle your bells.” Oh begorah, if I see one more “Festive Feet” display, I might start a support group for people traumatised by glittery toe warmers.

But before I get lost in a woolly rant ... it’s time to celebrate a proper festive treat: a brand-new challenge over at Ally’s Angels! 🎉 It’s Challenge #100 - a huge milestone running from November 15th to December 12th, 2025, and the theme is: Anything Goes!

For my card, I dusted off the trusty Spellbinders “Hiking Through the Meadows” die kit, cut from Tonic Studio cardstock, and layered it all up with foam pads for that lovely bit of lift (and to cover the bits that didn’t quite line up — we’ve all been there). I added a spritz of Distress Ink, a scattering of gems, and a few perfectly placed Nuvo Drops, because nothing says “finished” like those tiny golden blobs of joy.

A few challenges:

• Creative Fingers No. 312: Anything Goes
• Leigh SB Designs Inspirational Challenges - Nov-  No. 46: Colours Of Fall / Anything Goes
• Ellibelle's Garden Party #9:  Anything in (or from) a Garden
• Shopping Our Stash #560: A Few Of My Favorite Things  
• Neglected Stuff Challenge - November 2025 challenge: Anything Goes
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - November: Anything Goes 
• The Four Seasons Challenge - Fall Season 2025: 
  
  
  

Be sure to pop over to the Ally’s Angels blog and have a look at what the fabulous Design Team members have created ... honestly, their talent puts Santa’s workshop to shame! And while you’re there, join us in the gallery - we’d love to see what you come up with.

As for me, I’m off to wrestle last year’s fairy lights - it’s less “festive decorating” and more “competitive knot untangling.” Within five minutes I’ll be questioning all my life choices and threatening to bin the whole lot. And if you hear someone in the village muttering, “Why are there only seven working bulbs and six hundred knots?” - that’ll be me, spreading festive cheer, mild profanity-free despair, and enough static to power the Christmas tree.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 💗

Glitter, Splatters & Irish Weather Matters

Dia daoibh!

Ah sure, it’s that grand confusing time of year again in Ireland ... the season of “four weathers before lunch.” You leave the house dressed for frostbite, and by midday you’re peeling off layers like an onion with commitment issues. The washing line looks like a science experiment - socks flapping one minute, hailstones bouncing off them the next. Typical November - mother nature’s throwing tantrums and we’re just holding the umbrella.

Anyway! Onto something far more reliable than the Irish forecast: the Card Chain Challenge for October! I received a gorgeous card from Brenda in the UK, and in return my own creation packed its crafty suitcase and flew off to Alice in Finland, hopefully dodging reindeer traffic on the way.

For my card, I went with the Colour Palette: Pumpkin, Cherry & Chocolate (sounds like a dessert, doesn’t it?) - and also the Product/Technique option: Glitter & Splatters. My desk looked like I lost a bar fight with a bottle of Stickles, but sure that’s half the fun!

I used the Spellbinders “Hiking Through the Meadows” dies, cut from Tonic Studio cardstock, and layered it all up with foam pads for that posh 3D look (or, as I call it, “strategic height to hide the dodgy glue marks”). Then I added splatterings of copper Distress Ink, a few gems, glossy accents, and Nuvo Drops in Vintage Gold, because subtlety left the craft room a long time ago. The sentiment was stamped with StazOn, because if I’m committing to something, it might as well be permanent!

So here it is - a fine pair of hiking boots overflowing with autumn blooms. My real boots, on the other hand, look like they’ve survived a turf-cutting festival and lost the will to live.

A few challenges:
Beautiful Blossoms - #34 - Anything Flowers Goes (optional Mood Board)
A Perfect Time To Craft - November - Anything Goes
Classic Design Challenge - Oct/Nov - Anything Goes (optional Autumn Splendor)
Creatalicious Challenges - #294 - Anything Goes (optional Fall Colours or Halloween)
Love to Craft - LTCCB#89 Anything Goes 
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #210 - Fall Leaves /Turkey

If you haven’t joined the Card Chain Challenge yet, honestly, what are you waiting for? It’s like pen pals for crafters ... only with more sparkle, less guilt, and absolutely no chance of getting ghosted unless your postman’s on a tea break. You send one card, get one back, and end up grinning like you’ve just found a tenner in last winter’s coat pocket.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🍁🍂

Let’s Flamingle

Dia daoibh!

It’s time for Challenge #99 (Anything goes) at Ally’s Angels - and while we’re knee-deep in soggy weather in Ireland, the folks in the southern hemisphere are swanning about in their shorts and sunnies. Honestly, I think the flamingo on my card is plotting a one-way flight to Melbourne.

So, onto the card! 

I used Spellbinders Grand Flamingos die set, cut from gorgeous Tonic Studios cardstock. A splash of glossy accents and glitter, a sprinkle of caribbean blue nuvo glitter drops, and a dash of sparkly gems — because no flamingo worth its feathers leaves the house without bling.

I left off a sentiment so this card can sashay into any occasion: birthdays, celebrations, or even “sorry I nicked your paddling pool while pretending it was a lagoon.”

Onto a few challenges:

• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes 
• The Paper Funday #80 - Anything Goes/Optional of Cute or Creepy
• A Perfect Time To Craft - Anything Goes
• A Cut Above - Die Cut Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley Challenges #346 - Add pearls or gems or both

And let’s be honest — flamingos are meant to stand on one leg, but mine’s clearly knackered and leaning on the flowers for support. Diva behaviour at its finest!

Sláinte,

Wendy R.🌴

Crafting My Way to Christmas: A Year-Long Journey of Glitter and Glue

 ooooh, Christmas cards. The bane of my holiday season for the last six years. Every December, I’d find myself knee-deep in a pile of store-bought cards that felt as personal as a generic “Happy Holidays!” text from your dentist. But this year, 2025, I’m flipping the script! My mission? To craft at least three Christmas cards each month. By the end of the year, I’ll have a stash of handmade cards ready to dazzle and delight!

My card is for a dear friend who’s as obsessed with purple and gold as I am with avoiding last-minute holiday shopping. Coincidentally, these are the same colors as her Christmas decor, so I’m basically a psychic now.

For this card, I used a bauble diecut from the Spellbinders Festive Ornaments Etched Dies (Essential Holiday Collection). It's been lounging in the press for months, gathering dust like it's trying out for an episode of "Hoarders."   These dies are like magic — one crank through the diecutting machine, and boom, you’ve got festive shapes that’ll make Santa himself jealous.... Foam pads lift the bauble for a 3D effect.

The sentiment comes from the retired Honey Bee Season's Tweetings stamp set. It’s sweet, it’s seasonal, and it’s stamped with more love than a Hallmark movie marathon.

To give the card a little extra oomph, I added Ranger Glossy Accents and flatback gold drops. It's like the card decided to dress up for the holidays — a bit of sparkle here and there, just enough to catch the eye without needing sunglasses.

Now, to keep things interesting, I’m entering the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything goes featuring Spellbinders
  
• Christmas Kickstart Challenge: #94 Bring the Baubles
  
• ABC Christmas Challenge - January: A is for anything goes
• Park Hopping is My Happy Place : Inspired by 'FRIENDS'
• NBUS Challenge #70
• Ally's Angels #90: Anything Goes

And finally, a little nugget of wisdom to end this crafting saga: If you ever find yourself buried under a mountain of glitter, just remember — at least you’re not the one sweeping it up off the floor. 

Happy crafting, and may your glue guns never run dry!

Wendy R.