Magnolia-Licious' March Blog Hop!

Stamps: #405 Wilma with Rose
(I don't see her in the store at the moment so email Diana if you want to order one.)
Paper: old old old stuff (lol) by Deluxe Designs
Other: Trim from Joann's; Pink Polka dot grosgrain, clear transparency sheet
Copics: E39,35,33,31---R89,85,83,81---Yg67,63, 11


Hello! Happy Monday! I hope that you are all doing well.
Welcome to the Magnolia-licious DT blog hop for March! Hopefully you started at the Magnolia-licious Highlites blog for all the deets. And by hopping along arrived here from Mindy's Blog. Mindy is one of the current guest designers for the next few months...Isn't she FAB?!

I saw this adorable little "animal cracker box" online and knew it would be perfect for today hop. We are all suppose to use acetate on our projects, so I made this little window.
The box was SUPER EASY to make using my Scor-Pal!!! You can find the instructions HERE, on Tracy Harp's blog. Thanks, Tracy!

So next up on today's hop is the MAGNIFICENT Suzanne Dean! I know that she will have an amazing project to share with you.

Don't forget to leave all the ladies some comment love for all their inspiration!

Have a Fantabulous Monday!

Is is Spring yet??

Stamps: Berry Tilda; Easter Egg with Bow; sentiment unknown
Paper: Memory Box Gossamer
Other: Nestabilities labels Die; Kaiser pearls; Star Dust Stickles; Trim from Joann's
Copics: RV95,93,91...BG13,11,10
Card Measures 6" sq

Hello! It's not spring yet around here...that's for sure!
March is one of the worst months of the year around here in my opinion. It doesn't matter that I grew up right here in New England...every year I find it hard to face the fact that just because the calendar has changed to March...Mother Nature is still giving us full on winter. Actually, I prefer a good Blizzard...it's exciting and very beautiful after the fact. But in March we don't get that. We get a wet snowing mushy snow. And it just looks dirty afterward. It makes your shoes, the bottom of your pants and your car FILTHY! The problem is, by March, I am ready for spring...in a bad way!! Particularly this year.

To help spring along, I thought it was time to start making some spring themed cards. Complete with posies and pastels and Easter eggs. Both Tilda and the Easter egg are available at Magnolia-licious. Diana has oodles of Easter stamps in. Plus, you can Pre-order the Hoppy Easter collection now.

This sketch for this card was provided by fellow Magnolia-licious DT member Jacque.
This is the Magnolia-licous sketch of the month. You can check out the deets on the Magnolia-licious highlites blog. You will also be able to view the other DT members fantastical cards there! So enjoy!

I want to thank the girls over at The Divine Influence for inviting me to feature my blog!
I am totally honored!! Check it out!



And finally, I said I would share a few photos of CHA again. Some more amazing stampers that I think of as my friends!!

Me with Kim Howard and Kristen Catalano:



Me and Suzanne Dean at the Magnolia (Sweden) Booth:



Me and Lisa Somerville:


Have an Astounding Tuesday!

Irish Eyes

Stamps: Irish Eyes by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD; front senitment is retired SU; inside sentiment by drs designs
Paper: totally forget! I have had it for a few years though--if you really want to know let me when you leave a comment and I will get back to you. :)
Other: All flowers from Prima; Swirl from Sizzlet; Nestabilities; gold rhinestones
Card Measures 6x6


Hello! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

I am very excited to be part of the blog hog for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!!! When my friend, Suzanne Dean invited me to join in I could not say no...after all, this sweet image is called Irish Eyes. She is part of the Sampler Edition 3 that is now being released over at SCACD. There are 7 stamps in this collection. Each one of them are ADORABLE!

If you are blog hopping along with us today, hopefully you arrived here via my wonderful BF, Kristen's blog. If this is the first you have heard of this hop, you can start at the begining HERE. You will have lots of eye candy long the way.

I always have to laugh that everyone associates me with St. Patrick's Day and Irish stuff---hmmmmm, I wonder why?! If this is your first time here, let me share with you that both my mom and my husband are Irish born and bred. The name of my blog "Three Clovers" represents my 3 cutest lucky charms: my kids. :)

My Irish culture has always been predominant in my life. I grew up going to Ireland for regular trips to visit family and friends of my moms. My parent's and sisters were/are fantastic Irish dancers ( I apparently got jipped on the dancing gene!!) So we use to spend many a Sundays at Ceili's. (pronounced: KAY-LEE)
Ceili's are gatherings celebrating Irish music and dance. Kind of like dances with a feel for family. Although, I confess as a nondancer, I spent most of the time sulking. :P
Then I met my husband, Patrick. The first day we met he invited me to his brother's wedding--in Ireland. 5 weeks later I was in Ireland with him. Most of his family is still there so we try to go as a family every other year or so. Not sure if we all will get there this year, as DH has been laid off from work for several months now.
I do enjoy our trips there. It is a beautiful place. Especially where my husband is from: Kerry!!! :) hee hee heeee
Below are a few pics from our last trip there in April of 2008. Just a few faves--I love to take photos and could show at least 100 of my faves. Note: these are all unedited photos.

Pat and Orla:


Pat's family's land. Much of this land belong to Pat's family's farm. Many of the houses belong to his brothers! They are almost their own village-lol:



Some friends we met in the road:


Behind the family house (Orla and Maeve):


Shoreline view:
Well, that's all the sharing I have for now. I have been up for almost 20 hours and I am falling asleep as I try to type this. I hope that you enjoyed the SCACD Blog hop!

Have a Fantastic Friday!!

Christmas Morning

Hello my friends! How are you today? I hope that you are not feeling stressed in these last few days before Christmas. Remember that if you forget a gift card or burn your cookies the world will not end. The 25th will pass and the 26th will come and life will go on. You can give that gift card for the New Year and buy some cookies at the grocery store.
It's easy for us to get caught up in all of the "stuff" and forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Anyhoooo...here is another ornament. I used my very favorite image from the So Jolly Magnolia collection: Christmas Morning Tilda. It looks like Magnolia-licious is currently out of stock of this particular stamp...but be sure that she will be back!
As a curly haired girl myself, 0I was thrilled to see Tilda with some curls! LOL! Then my pal Suzanne Dean told me that the this particular image looked like me. Now, although we email and chat quite a bit...we do not live near by one another...and have not yet met....so how did she know that I hardly ever get out of my jammies?! LOL! There were several other curly haired Tilda's in this collection...why did she choose the one in her nightgown as me?! We had some good laughs over that!

I took pics as I went along to share the EASY process of making these ornaments.
At this point, this tutorial won't be much use to you until next year. Although, I think that if you used Non-Christmas images you could hang it in your window or something like that for the whole year.
If you have any questions please ask. I will reply for all to see, as I am sure that someone else will have the same question.
Please click on the pics to see the image larger.
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Supplies needed:

• Flat glass ornament. Available at AC Moore for $1
• paper scissors
• 3/16" hole punch
• colored image on card stock
• patterned paper
• thin self laminating sheet
• 1/4" Scor-tape or memory foil
• microbeads (not needed if using memory foil)
  
• Ribbon and/or cord for hanging
  

Back of Ornament:



Blank Ornament from AC Moore:

(There are many different shapes and sizes!)******************************************************


Step 1: stamp and color image on card stock.
Remove the gold cord from the glass ornament as this will be in your way.
Center glass ornament over your image.
Lightly trace around the ornament.
Don't forget to trace the hole where we will insert the ribbon later.
Use this line to cut the image out. You can cut directly on the line.
Do not cut out the hole for the cord.

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Step 2: Choose a Patterned Paper to decorate the back of your ornament. This is especially important for people who use coloring mediums that soak through the card stock...like Copics. You don't want to have an ornament that is pretty in the front and icky in the back. I chose a pattern that was not too fussy.
***Because the glass ornaments are not symmetrical you need to place the image face down on the side of the paper that you want showing to trace it. Otherwise it will not match up well when you put them back to back.
The pencil lines will not show by the time we are through...so you need not worry.
*****Do NOT cut this out yet!! Read Next Step*****

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Step 3: Cut out a piece of the self laminating sheet slightly larger than the size of the ornament. Peel off the white backing and place the laminate over the outline on your patterned paper.
Now you can cut out the back of the ornament.
Here is a link to the kind of sheets that I have. Basically it's just a clear sticker. This will protect the paper on the back of the ornament from wear and tear.
If you want to personalize the ornament with a name or year on the back I suggest doing so BEFORE putting the laminate on.

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Step 4: Adhere the 2 pieces together back to back.
The laminated side should be facing outward.

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Step 5: Trim the excess from the back piece.

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Step 6 : Use the appropriate size hole punch to punch out the hole for the cord.
The 3/16" size is a perfect match.

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Step 7: Sandwich your image and glass ornament together. Be sure that it is lined up properly...including the hole at the top. If it seems not to be, than flip the glass over. As I mentioned, these are not always symmetrical. Try to trim off any pieces of card stock that is hanging past the edges of the glass.

Hold it in place and wrap your Scor-Tape around the edges of the ornament leaving a lip on both the front and the back.
I started at the top and wrapped it all the way around...I overlapped a little at the end.
This the trickiest part to explain so I took pictures of several views.

(I also think that you could use Ranger Foil tape instead of Scor-Tape.
If so then you do not need the beads)

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Step 8: Before peeling off the backing of the Scor-tape, run your finger along the edge to make sure there are no bubbles Then fold the tape over the glass in the front and the laminate. Press firmly and try to make sure there are few bumps. You don't want the micro beads to get under it. You can remove the tape backing now.

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Step 9: Cover the Scor-tape with beads. Make sure there is no tape showing. Use your fingers to press the beads firmly into place. You may have to dip and press several times to get full coverage. (In my sample above I used a mixture of blue, green and clear beads. I do not suggest using clear beads with colors...the clear beads look like empty spots.)

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Step 10: Put your cord or ribbon through the hole and enjoy your creation!
(I looped some gold cord through, then tied a bow around the cord.)

Below are the Copics that I used to color my image.
(additional colors like skin and cheeks are in my side bar)

I hope this was useful for you. They are quite easy to make!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Memories

Stamps: Penguin Hug from Motivet. Sentiment from retired from SU
Paper: oh gosh...I can't remember right now
Other: Gold Embossing Powder; Martha Stewart snowflake punch
and snow flake border punch; Nesties label die and snowflake die;
Gold Ribbon; Iridescent Gold glimmer mist; Kaiser White pearls; other gold pearls
Card Measures 6" sq



Hello Friends! Thanks for coming by today!
Wow another week is gone. One week until Christmas. Where has December gone? Remember as kids that December seemed so impossibly LONG...why now does it seem to be over in a blink? And why is it that now instead of feeling excited, I feel jaded?

Christmas is so magical as a child. Orla is eight this year...it is bringing back memories of the Christmas that I was 8. I think that was my favorite Christmas EVER. I remember that we had sold our house a few months before and was waiting for a new house to be built...so in the meantime the 5 of us live in a 3 room apartment. A kitchen, a bedroom and a living room. Usually we had lots of decorations around the house. We use to go cut down our tree every year. But that year due to confinement and stuff being packed away we just had a small "faux" tree. But we had lots of laughs. And Santa was extra good to us that year. It was 1983 and I, like most other little girls wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid! (hmmm...I wonder if that is when my desire to adopt a child some day began!?) I really wanted one with a pacifier too. :) Also on my wish list that year: Michael Jackson's Thriller cassette tape...um, and a something to play it on I got all three! I know there was other stuff too...I can't imagine a Christmas went by that I didn't want and get some Barbies. I LOVED Barbies. I also remember that my little sisters got Cabbage Patch Kids too. My mom now tells me that she got lucky and on several occasions had walked into a store and they had just gotten a shipment of CPK dolls in. So she would get what she could and even got some for her friend's kids.
It was only a few months later that I found out the truth about Santa. :( I hope that Orla still believes for a few more years. Speaking of Orla...she does not have much interest in dolls. Not even Barbies!!!! I am not sure if she is my kid. LOL! She, at the same age that I was hoping for a Cabbage Patch Kid, has dreams of Ipods and her own cell phone!! ACK! No way is she getting a cell phone!!!!!! I went back and forth about the Ipod. Finally I caved and bought her one. She has been told that she is not responsible enough for Santa to bring her an Ipod and that she should not expect one. So I think she will be SO EXCITED to get her pink Ipod. That and a few small things. She has never been much into toys. She has always preferred a pad of paper and a pen and writing her own stories or reading about polar bears or geography. She likes facts over fiction. I did get her a 2010 Guinness book of word records that I think she will find interesting. And a kids book about Barack Obama that I know she will love....she loves politics! :) I certainly wasn't thinking about Ronald Regan when I was her age and listening to my Thriller tape! LOL!

Enough of my blabber!! Today's card uses the Penguin Hug stamp from Motivet. And Oh my gosh...I LOVE IT!!! They are just so stinkin' ADORABLE all snuggled up together! I think this would make a cute card for a friend or your snuggle-muffin. Heehee I can see a valentine with this or a for a winter Birthday. I just love it!! Anyhoooooo, this card was made for this week's challenge over at the Motivet blog. Stephanie has a FABULOUS sketch this week! You can check out the deets HERE.

The patterned paper that I used has a really pretty shimmer to it. SO although I was happy with how the coloring of the image turned out...it looked a little "blah" when I but it in front of the shimmery paper. So I dug out my Glimmer Mist and sprayed it on. Ooohhh...aaaaah! Now I was happy! I took a close up of the the image trying to show the shimmer and Glimmer....but glitter and shimmer and sparkle don't translate well across computer screens. This is always so sad. But click on the picture to see it larger and try to get the effect. :) I definitely have to use my Glimmer Mist more often!!


Ok...well it is nearly 3 am. I still have to make Orla's lunch for school tomorrow. And iron school clothes before I go to bed. So I better finish this up.

>>>>>But before I go, I would love if you'd leave a comment and share your favorite Christmas memory. Or a beloved childhood gift. Or something that made your Christmases special as a child.
I always love reading your responses.
And I think it's fun to take a few minutes to remember the magic!


Have a Stupendous Weekend!!

Patting Myself On The Back...

Hello!!! Thank you so much for stopping by today!!!

Sometimes I think I am so clever! Heeheehee! Isn't great when once in awhile we impress ourselves? ;)
I am patting myself on the back for 2 reasons today. The first being that I convinced 8 talented, creative, kind-hearted, Fantabulous ladies to be on my 3 Clovers Thursday Challenge team!!
Not only am I lucky, so are you!! They share their creativity each week with you. Each of them have a different style that is unique to them...and I am so thankful for these girls!
If you can, please make an effort to visit their blogs and thank them for being a part of my team. It would really mean a lot to me and likely to them. Spread the joy during the holidays!

Ida P. Krause
Jane Bosi
Kristen Catalano
Lisa Somerville
Lorie Ames
Mary Jo Price-Williams
Sharon Caudle
Sue Kment

The next reason that I am patting myself on the back is that I bought this plain glass ornament at (AC Moore for only $1) and actually made something with it!! And I only bought 2 instead of 50. Heeheehee...we all know that I have a bulk buying problem. But here is exactly why: Now I wish I bought more!!! And I can't find any more now. :( Boo Hoo!! AND, I was even pretty impressed with how well the ornament turned out!! You know, sometimes I make things and I enjoy making them...but they look kind of cheezy. Or they are impractical. But this, I would actually give to others AND hang on my own tree! Hahahaha


When I emailed this to the lovely Diana Crick, to put in the Magnolia-licious store gallery, she asked me how I made it. So I tried explaining...but I don't think I did a very good job. The short answer is that the image (the SOOOOO PRETTY SILENT NIGHT TILDA) is done on regular cardstock and is under the glass. Also, I laminated a piece of patterned paper and put that behind the cardstock to make the back pretty too. (The laminate is to make is more durable)
This is all held together with 1/4" scor-tape. I then covered the scor-tape with microbeads.
If this isn't clear let me know. I will do a photo tutorial if their is enough demand. After all, I have a second ornament! LOL! If I knew how to use my video camera I would do that...but I only know how to video things...but not get it off the camera and onto my computer....YIKES! I still have stuff on there from when we went to VietNam to adopt Maeve in 2007!!!!!

I hope that you can come back tomorrow.
I have card to share that uses THE CUTEST Motivet image!!!!


Have a Tremendous Thursday!

Purple Kitty

Stamps: Lucy from Motivet; sentiment is retired from SU!; inside sentiment from Inky Antics
Paper: SU! Cottage Wall
Other: Prima Hydrangeas; Basic Grey Brads; spacer beads; Kaiser Plum pearls; Jolee's crystal flower charm; Martha Stewart Loopy Border punch; Nestabilities;
Card Measures 5.5" Sq






Hello! Happy Monday, my friends! I hope that you all had a delightful weekend. Maybe some Hanukkah or Christmas Activities? Pat and my mom took the girls to a Christmas party in my hometown. I stayed home with Declan. As he does not like that kind of stuff. He gets overwhelmed when there are a lot of people and noise and such . I had taken the girls to breakfast with Santa last weekend at Orla's school. (the pic is of the girls last weekend) Maeve isn't one bit afraid of Santa. She sat right up there and told him exactly what she wanted. A camera! It's the only thing she has been asking for so I think Santa will bring it. ;) (a kid's camera!!)
Of course I have been trying to get the elusive Zhu Zhu Pets for the girls too. Toys R Us is taunting me with daily emails saying that they have them in for the first 100 customers "starting at 3 pm" . Too bad I didn't get the email until 3:02! I live out in the country...I have drive over a half hour to get to TRU. They are really ticking me off by not letting me buy my zhu zhu pets online! I like to shop online. And I am sorry, but I am just not paying the silly prices on Ebay for one. With Pat not working, even if I wanted to pay those prices I couldn't. OK...that is my whining for today! LOL!

I made today's card for Motivet's Friday challenge. This week the challenge was to make a monochromatic card. (There could more colors in the main image...after all a purple kitten might be a little bit freaky!) This little kitty's name is Lucy. She is one of Motivet's most recent releases. Isn't she adorable hugging her little fish?! heeheehee! If you participate in the weekly challenge you have a chance to win 3 or 5 stamps of your choice! You can also win stamps weekly by just commenting on the blog. Cool Beans, huh!?! I love FREE! :)

Well, that's all I got for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Have a Majestic Monday!