Felicia the Artist

There is a lovely line in Pride & Prejudice where Mrs Bennett tells one of the Miss Bennett’s that if she can not think of anything nice to say she should kindly confine her comments to the weather.

Well….. the weather is the topic of most unkind comments today. We are having the worst weather here, there was a closest thing to a hurricane that I have seen since “that storm” in England in 1985 today. There are trees down on every road, we amazingly still have power but most don’t, thankfully I haven’t heard any reports of injury but there is a lot of structural damage. My poor Mum watched her greenhouse fly away bit by bit and there was nothing she could do, and the local nursing home was evacuated because of damage to the roof.

Anyway, I am thanking my lucky stars that we are all safe and I hope you are too.

Now, did you hear that Kate is having a CHA party on the 15th & 16th March? well she is! In the Hodson Bay hotel in Athlone and I get to teach a class (woohoo!!!)

Have you seen the releases? oh wow! I have fallen in love with a Prima collection ( I know, Prima?!) it is
“Stationers Desk ” and it looks like this:

and so I am going to use that to make one of my favourite things…….Bunting!”!!!!!!
but not just any bunting, oh no, this is going to have something extra special, it going to have some of my Polly Dollies on it ( at least I hope you think that is special?)
I am working away here on the final thing, there will be Dollies, lace, that gorgeous paper, buttons, seam binding, charms, ribbon – just a big shabby chic mess of yumminess!!
I have a little sneak peek for you but bear in mind its a work in progress, I haven’t got my mits on that paper yet!!

Want to see it?

Here is my altered project that was featured on Kates blog this week…

Guest Blogger 🙂 ..7 Gypsies Vintage Receipt Holder.

Can’t believe February is here already, but we are kicking it off with a great start, a super project by our guest blogger, the gorgeous Felicia from Scrapzville.

Felicia will be teaching a workshop at our CHA Release party on the 15/16 March so for those who aren’t familiar with her work you will get a sneak peak at her creative mind 

__________________________________________

Hi, its Felicia here from Scrapzville, doing a little guest blogging today.

Once upon a time, the lovely Kate said “What would you do with this?” and handed me the 7 Gypsies Vintage receipt holder…..

I love anything from 7 Gypsies, so I was delighted with this challenge!

She also gave me some mini file folders,

so off I went to make something lovely and creative ( You should have seen the mess in my craft room when I was finished!)

I decided to make a birthday calendar – there are only ten compartments on the holder and since there are twelve months I had to double up a couple of times, but i’m really pleased with how it turned out!

I used odds and ends from my scrap box, covered the back of the receipt holder first and then started work on the file folders.

(Prepare yourselves for photo overload..!)

I used one little folder for each month and then listed all of my friends and family’s birthdays in it. So, now I have no excuse for forgetting anyone!

As you can see March & April and August & September had to share a compartment –

I used the Sizzix Mini clock key & Pocket watch die to make this watch. I cut it from Kraft paper, added someblack dabber, UTEE , some Tim Holtz Ideaology and a chain. This was a really good project for using up that stash!

I’m loving this new  ”Flora” die from Sizzix Bigz collection  -, it makes beautiful flowers. I cut two the same size, scrunched them up and added a centre. I put UTEE on the leaves and then cracked them to add some texture. This is the middle size which is about 3″ across.

and this is the smaller one, which measures 1 1/2″ across:

If you fancy creating something similar, Here are the links to shop for the products I used

7 Gypsies Vintage Receipt Holder

7 Gypsies ATC File Tabs

DIY Thickers

Thank you Kate for letting me play!!

________________________________

Love it !!!

Thanks a mill Felicia for sharing your creativity with us

Kate x

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                                                                 Told you it was pretty!

I have had this burning everyday since I got it and I don’t notice the wax going down yet (when I say burning, I mean heating – there is no flame so its safe to leave on all day) I think it will be more cost efficient then scented candles.
I’m still waiting on the Scentsy fairies to tidy and organize my house….. perhaps they come in a separate delivery??!!
 xxx

Look what arrived this morning!

My friend Aideen who lives in Galway has just become an agent for Scentsy. I have only heard of this concept from various American friends who mention them on Youtube. You know those amazing house organisational videos with the tidy larders and laundry rooms that aren’t full of dust bunnies and odd socks, well those women all talk about their Scentsy fragrances.

So, when Aideen announced she was going to have this product I thought, “Aha! I will have a nice smelling home and the Scentsys can tidy it for me!” (obviously the smelly stuff must have something to do with the tidyness right?)

Being the Sweetheart that she is she sent samples……. and being the fussy bag that I am I said, “nothing fruity, flowery or vanilla” I am impressed that she still had this many to send me!

I think i’m leaning towards Basil, or maybe one of the cinnamon or clove based ones. I have picked out my burner – its one without a light, picking the scent is really hard!

So, if you are in Ireland and want a nice whiff to your home contact Aideen, “scentsational by Aideen” on facebook (and no, she hasn’t paid me to say these nice things about her product!!)

I’ll invite you all over for a smell when the Scentsy elves have cleaned and organized everything!

Those yellow things on the right are tulips, they weren’t  on the list but they were pretty!

So, today we are having Shepherds Pie, I have to make two, one veggie, one with real shepherds (!)
Tomorrow is curry and rice, then Lasagna (again two) and then Bangers and Mash (Quorn sausages for me, they insist on Yorkshire puddings, peas and gravy with it which is actually yummy!)

I’m mad impressed that i’ve gotten this far! There are the makings of a cake in that lot too, if I make it now I can test it with a cup of tea, just to make sure I won’t poison them you see……

Here are the tulips so you can see how pretty they are.

Every January I get this longing to put my house and life in order – I write lists (I do this all year, but especially in January) these lists cover all manner of things, things i’d like to achieve, things i’d like to do regularly. By the end of the year some things have been done, some started and then forgotten and some things just keep turning up on the list because I never do them!

These are some of this years list:

Organize every inch of storage space in my house – this means in the kitchen and the dreaded Cupboard under the stairs.

Learn how to take decent photos so that I can document the progress of the above.

Run a bit more often.

Get my accounts in order – this is one of the re-occurring ones, but this year I have a tip or two to help.

Get to grips with the meal planning that I started and gave up last year and do only one food shop a week*

* – this may be normal to most people but I hate food shopping, I don’t plan ahead and consequently end up shopping for each dinner EACH DAY!!!! so my lack of organisation is making my least favourite activity happen more often.
WHY AM I NOT LEARNING FROM THIS???!!!!

Another recurring one – blog more often. If I write about more subjects then I will obviously have more posts to share. ( Am I a genius or what?!) so, I intend to include any renovation projects, maybe the odd recipe, better quality photos and lots of art. These will all be blogged about honestly, so if it goes wrong you will see it, if I’m working all day in my pyjamas with my hair looking a terrible mess, thats the photo you will see, because trying to be perfect is bloody hard work!

So, the “Accounts” one – well, that means both business accounts and household spending. I am a disaster for keeping business accounts up to date, when I started my business I was told ” Do the accounts every week” “Of course” I said, and I meant it……. suddenly three months had passed and I had one entry in the book.

Now, thanks to one of my beautiful Youtube friends Marlene I have been inspired to keep up with things  by making them pretty to look at – I know, its a bit fluffy, but she makes everything sooooo pretty. (you should see her house its beautiful! she decorates for every celebration, have a look at her channel, Valentines was one of my favs last year.)
Anyway, if I make a nice binder I bet I do the work more often…….. maybe!

Also, I found this on Pinterest today I found this:

This photo was taken on Christmas day, all of us, my Mum and the dogs (Boo is in Molly’s arms but hiding behind me.) Toby is wearing a paper hat from dinner!

 And this one was taken on St. Stephens day (or Boxing day) while I was out and about in the Hags Glen. Tim was busy climbing Carrontuohill for the 35th consecutive St. Stephens day, ( !!!!!) but I didn’t much like the look of the sleety, snowy, cold, slippery mountain so I went for a lovely long, low level walk instead.
( I am officially a light weight!)

This  year has been eventful….. its had ups and downs as most years do, I have considerably fewer fingers then I started the year with….. but it has been pretty good, everyone is healthy and happy.
I have a huge list of goals and wishes for 2014, there will be a good bit of house renovation (I’m getting itchy feet about the hallway, Pinterest is a killer!) some kitchen cupboard reorganising and some vague idea about sorting paperwork properly (if I spent as much time doing it as reading blog posts about it I would be the Queen of organised!!)
There are the usual threats of learning to speak French, of drinking more water and keeping my car tidy. But I think I shall put “appreciating what I have ” at the top of the list and that will be a good one to achieve.

Oh yes, my word of the year is…..ABUNDANCE!!

I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. xxxxx

 I was in Athlone for the Create with Kate Christmas party (sooo much fun by the way!) and I had all these different paper collections in my hand…. I couldn’t decide which ones to use, traditional or fun? and then I saw this. Its by Bo Bunny (who else?) and it has lime green and red which is my favourite colour combo, its 8×8″ and comes with all sorts of cute inserts and dividers and so on.
You should have heard the scorn that was poured on me!….. “you’re going to BUY an album???” “You’re not MAKING it???” (Yes Midi, that was you!!) so I procrastinated for a while and then thought, Yes, I am going to buy this ready made, just put it together kit because a. its pretty. b. I don’t have time to make one. c. This way I might actually complete my first December Daily!
And so far its going well 🙂

In other news, last Thursday was my one and only craft fair for this year. I wasn’t going to do any, but this was a fund raiser for a local school so I did. It was held in the Aghadoe Heights (which is a beautiful hotel, tres posh!) It turned out to be a great evening – there was a cookery demonstration and it was really well supported.

 Thats me (in case you didn’t know!)

 Now, when you go to fairs your stall neighbours are very important – these two were the best!! That is Guy Hulbert from Tralee – he makes chutneys and the most delicious vegetarian pate I have ever had (in fairness its the first time i’ve ever tasted any, but oh my it was FAB!!)  I bought two from him, one was beetroot,cashew and ginger and the other was Harvest pate which has lentils,garlic, thyme,sage, basil….. lets just say, Nom, Nom, Nom!!!!!

 and this is Caroline O’Connor, also from Tralee. she makes Christmas puddings, prize winning puddings with brandy and whiskey. They are so beautifully wrapped that it would be a shame to open them! I’m not a huge pudding fan but when I came home and told Himself about them he was horrified I didn’t get one, so I will be down to the food fair in the Outlet centre next Friday to make my purchase!!

Last night was a bit of a do for the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team. It was held in the Beaufort Bar and it was very well supported, (nice to see so many people that I haven’t seen for ages) anyhoo, there was a raffle and to my surprise and delight I won first prize!!

This hamper is huge!!! so we shall have a very merry(!) Christmas now, call in for a drink, we have loads!!

 Here are the Ladies in Caroline’s beautiful home studio in Bunmahon – making Christmas boxes to their hearts content! Yet again everyone had exactly the same kits and everyone made something different. Thank you all for coming, I will be back on Saturday 11th January for the Organizer class.

 The next gathering is in Athlone on 1st December, there are all sorts of good classes going on, I really want to do Carolines soap box class. All the details can be found at Create with Kate. Midi and I are working on the decorations, there is a lot of glitter in my house at the moment, but I think its going to look beautiful!

 So, you know the way you make plans, you fill up your day with doing all these jobs? then this happens and everything changes….. No one was hurt (which is the most important thing) but I am car-less for a while.

And this is just to prove that he can fix anything.! that is my sewing machine, since the Knit n Stitch show i have been sewing like a mad thing, and then the machine gave up. However the Mighty Tim fixed it and now I am making bits and pieces for the one and only fair i’m doing this year. Its at the Aghadoe Heights Hotel on Thursday 5th December, its a fund raiser for Fossa school. As its the only one I have lots of bits and pieces ready, so come over if you can.
I also have a kids class at home next Saturday – 1-3pm there are 2 spaces left if you’re small person would like to come (8- 11 year olds).
Now i’m going to make the most of this beautiful but freezing cold day before I get back to making stuff… its a hard life!!!!!