Weddings, oh how I love weddings...

As you prob know work in a pretty cool Paper/Wedding shop so I adore weddings. I'm a hopeless romantic and nothing makes me smile more then a bride all excited and happy. In the last few months two of my friends have got engaged and I LOVE IT! I get to indulge in making lots of invites, menus, placecard samples and I can make whatever I want. Woohoo love designing unusual invites.

Yesterday had a little play with some new metallic aubergine card I got and whipped up a sample for my cousin Lisa, we just won't tell her yet as my wedding organising skills are freaking her a bit. (it is normal to know where you can get 500 miniture white ponys isn't it?) So heres a sneak peek more to follow over next few weeks. Apologies for bad picture I still have a touch of the shakes and no one else to take photo for me...

My finished scarves!!!

Here of some pic's of finished scarves, Enjoyed making them. Might do some more, there so soft and cuddley and thank god you don't need steady hands to knit. My lovely mum took the pictures for me, (thanks Mum!). Finished them off with Lovely felt balls and shapes from blooming felt, really makes a differance.

Gonna make some inny scarves i.e scarves you can wear indoors, I think i'll need them over next while. Did I say the reason I'm shaky and can't do much crafting is I had an asthma attack over the weekend so recoperating at home. But the steriods and other meds have me shaking like crazy. So back to the sofa with me....

Felty Handbag

Was browsing online for cute handbags and look what a found! its a cute bag from felt balls from daisy daisy ethical gifts. Not only is it fab to look at its got my mind whirling with ideas for some felt i got hanging around...

Scarves Scarves Scarves

Under the weather at the moment so turning to wool to cheer me up, knitting scraves you know its autumn... Hopefully will have some to show for the next market. I love two tone colours been mixing up some fuzzy greens and Oatmeal aran wools with simple stocking stitch. Hopefully will have photos to show soon... Thinking of finishing them off with felt balls and beads? any ideas? would love some inspiration. The selection above is from bossy boots design...

Its that time again

Crafty market time, Its on again this sunday 11am to 5pm. Dublin Food Co-op on Newmarket square. Check out the website here, I'll be selling

Bookmarks
Jewellery
Paintings
Cards
Craft Supplies and more

I Felt Crafty

Have been doing a little bit of work since I'm home, making little felt bookmarks and decorative items. Have another Crafty Market on Sunday, Sept 6th in the Dublin Food Co-op on newmarket square. Love doing this market such a fun day out, live music, great food, and some great finds amoung the many stalls its almost got a carnivale atmosphere. A must do for a sunday afternoon, thers even face painting for the kids...

Ceri in Kerry

My Beautiful daughter Ceri in kerry

Torc waterfall in the Killarney national park

Check out Muckross abbey above, in killarney

Been AWOl for a while chilling in Kerry with my family. Its the first time I brought my 7yr old daughter and she loved it. Her name is Ceri (short for Ceridwen) but its pronounced Kerry so it was quite fun calling out for her in the street. All the kerry locals thought i was just loving the county. It was just the break I needed to recover from hectic wedding season and refresh me.

I'm home a few days but want to go back, Killarney national park is fab, get a bike, throw on some trainers and hike around it or for fun rent a horse and buggy, great craic. Went to fab resturant called Mac's on the Main st, would def recommend to all. The ring of kerry, what can you say but wow, its easy to get blase about irish scenery but the landscapes around the ring are out of this world.

When can I go Back?

Crafty market

crafty market is on is newmarket square on Sunday 2nd of August, this time I'l be bringing craaft supplies along with jewellery, greeting cards, paintings.. Fabulous venue in the food Co-op I can't wait for lunch there in one of the stalls. Come along and check it out. 20% discount if you mention the blog.

Nikki

Crafty Market

What a fun day! Weather was wild and wet, the crafts wild and weird. So vmany cool stalls and the food, my lord the strawberry shortcake kept us going for hours. It was myt first time doing this market and I had such a good time I'm going to apply again. Such a great mix of stalls. The Irish design shop was there with some fab silver jewellery and farrell & Chase cards. Bonny Babys little hampers were so cool, were awaiting news on a new cousin on will be buying one of those next time.

Here's the pic's of our lil stall, me ans Aoife Mooney did it together and I think it was here illustrations that got most interest. Cute little girls were a great talking point

Crafty market

I'll be at the Crafty Market this weekend, so next few nights will be spent on last minute crafting and labeling. If your in Dublin, Come on down and say Hi. mention you've read the blog to get your 10% discount...

Spa Spa Spa

Sitting here on a friday morining... and why am I here on a friday and not cutting wedding invites? Well I'm waiting for my friend Ciara to pick me up so we can go on a well deserved Spa break. Going to the carlton hotel in bunclody, where we will be massaged and oiled and made beautiful. Then tommorrow we shall come back up here to dublin and go out dancing to show the world our beautiful pores and soft skin.

Ok I'm giddy but its been a while since I've had a girly weekend, and given that I've the crafty market coming up along with other stuff this will be last relax in a while...

So as a wise child once said na na na na na..

Oh this is why I'm not answering emails til mon, oh must grab my camera

Doodle Stitch

Joy of joy's I have a new craft... I'm like a little craft heart breaker. i see them fall head over heels, pledge my life long devotion but then something pretty comes along and zooom I'm gone... Shallow yes?

But join with me in this one, Doodle sticthing, stitch what you like on to anything, no counting boxes, no searching for exact colours or fabrics... love it. Now pass me a hoop I shall be sewing me dears..

Really good book actually, got it on amazon. Clear instructions, step by step of each stitch and tips and hints on using each fabric. Shall I be displying some stitch ware at the Crafty Market? Time will tell....

Crafty market

Woohoo found out I've got a stall at the crafty market on the 5th of July...

Check it out here

More details to follow...

I'm a Winner

Look what I got in the post this morning, a fab little letterpressed notecard set. I won them from the Farrell & Chase blog. They are so nice I want to start sending notes to everyone. So Thanks Pamela... hmm wonder if she does them in Pink butterflys too my daughter would love them....

AWOL

I've been a very bad blogger last two weeks... been sick sniff sniff. Toyed with the idea of it being swine flu then kicked myself for being melodramatic about a head cold. Went to The lovely Julie from refresh on Camden St and got some manuka honey syrup and breath deep tea... Feel so much more alive now.

Read lots of books though to make up for my laziness, or did the just compond my laziness so have to say love The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, The other Queen by Phillpa Gregory, The secret scripture by sebastion barry, The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. Their this weeks books just started on Lady Jane grey by Alison Weir. Didn't know she wrote fiction too love her non fiction tudor works.

Craft wise I've been slooooowww, got some beautiful marble beads so been playing with them, Have a craft fair on the 23rd or 24th of june so must get stuck in... photos to follow I promise

Twisted Pepper

Went to a great Art expo on in the twisted pepper on middle abbey st, Its where the old traffic used to be. It was a showcase on some young Irish artists and their work. Loved a piece by Hugh Harte, a dun laoighire scupltor student, it was a sculpture piece made from driftwood, springs, stone and bone. Resembled the justice weighing scales statue. I'm so so sorry i didn't take a photo... wonder if he has a site....

twisted pepper is here they have regular art shows on thurs night...

I made a new friend

I actually made him... Meet Horace, my new friend. I had some scrap wool, some wadding and some free time hence Horace. Wanted to make him as ugly/quirky as my real friends... just kidding you guys. Gave him a fishbone mouth and button eyes, well one eye anyway... He's so soft because he's made from peter pan darling wool which is extra cuddly. Meant to be for baby knitting but I think Horace deserves the fluffiness...

Fabric Remants

I need fabric remnants and buttons for a new project, does anyone know where I could get some at reasonable price?

What I've been doing....

I've got a few days off at the moment from work, spending time with my little girl watching icarly. I secretly love this show and high school musical, I'm so glad I have a daughter or I'd be one of those sad women sneaking into kids films alone... anyway.... The ironing keeps calling me and I have been trying to tay faithful to it but craft room keeps calling so i've been making these little felt, button patches. will they be patches for bags, brooches? card toppers? time will tell... Oh postman just arrived with a big box of beads so ironing you will definately have to wait...

Urban Scrawls

Been spending some time working on my urban scrawls at the moment, exploring the theme of urban sprawl thru colour. There abstracted pieces ranging from light green, soft blues the the metallic greys, neon colours which make up our modern urban landscape.

itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Cards

Started to make teeny tiny cards from left over card and these really sweet puffy stickers I got from paperchase. each one measures approx 6.5cm x 9.5cm and comes with a pearly little envelope... Like everything else I'm making It'll take a while to put up on the website, currently between web engineers at the mo so a friend is going to teach me all the workings of dreamweaver etc so I can upload and adjust my site myself... So excuse the delay

Looky Looky

Look what I just got made for my daughter Ceri, Aren't they adorable? I saw Aoife Mooneys typographic cushions and stuff at the creative Heart Fair and asked her to make these up for Ceri. We have them hanging up in her room now, might get some more for my cousins they make such cool gifts. She does them as large pillows and letters aswell.... I just keep looking at them and going awww...

Check out Aoife's stuff here

I'm Still totally wrecked

from last weekend, god I'm getting old when it takes a week to recover. Well the Creative Heart fair was fantastic... so much fun and a fabulous buzz I so hope it will happen again. And!!! even better we raised €700 for the Irish Sudden Death in the young support group... A wonderful woman in a fantastic purple coat took home Heavenly abyss (which I decided to name my pink/blue painting from previous post) and I genuinely believe she will give it a good home.

Met lots of lovely people interested in my art and jewellery... made some pocket money too which helps with the "have to buy a house of my own before my daughter does" fund. Hmm won't start with the single mum/ mortgage complaints thing its too solemn....

My Big TV Moment

Finally... lol... On the City channel Dublin tonight at 7pm & 9pm talking about the creative heart of daintree fair. Was my first time doing anything like this, although it was only 5 mins I was so so nervous. But hopefully it does the Job and gets people along to see the fair.

The auction pieces are available to view online now and the lovely people from cake cafe are donating a cake for auction aswell..

www.creativeheart.eu

Sneak peek

sneak peek of one of the paintings I'm showing next week. still mulling over its title. Was trying to get across a kind of a struggle in colour, heaven vs hell, male vs female... God only knows who'll win that one... Answers on a postcard...

Painting Painting Painting

Guess what I've been doing last two days... No not the painting that makes my heart rejoice but the old fashioned crown and gloss. My lil bro recently moved out so we took the opportunity to repaint his room from dark beige to... light Beige. I know I know were too wild... Well one thing led to another and the painting of one room turned in to painting of sheds, benches, flower pots and doors... I was so so wrecked last night. But Oh so proud as only a day of hard work can make you...

Sooooo Today I'm treating my self and painting away on canvas in my usual manic abstract way... One piece has set my little heart alight... I will pop it up in a little bit but most of the work will make it into the Creative Heart Of Daintree Fair next Weekend so so excited about it....

Today I'm...

beading, got a big box of beads just calling to me, I've been collecting them for the last year but lately with the Creative Heart Fair inspiring me I've decided to do something. I adore beaded bracelets I wear them everyday, sometimes strings and strings adorn my arm... My new favourites are these marbled beads, there so pretty and modern... I'm mixing and matching them with Pearls.

Painting

needed some inspiration for my paintings so got creative with.... face paints... Was trying to recreate some of my landscape tones from my new Urban Scrawls Collection... I like it...

The Creative Heart Of Daintree

Taking part in the creative heart of daintree fair on the 16th & 17th of May. This is an arts & crafts fair showcasing some of the work of the very talented daintree paper girls. There'll be Photography, paintings, textiles and more on view so check it out...

It's being held in the Daintree building on camden st Dublin 2

For more details check out www.creativeheart.eu

New card designs

Will be up on the site soon, taking so so long to photograph everything and put it up. Using different camera so its trial and error for a little bit. Hope you like

Nikki

Barely legal

Exciting exhibition in the Dublin Art mill, gonna run from the 30th April til 7th may I think. great chance to check out the up and coming Irish artists... Gonna be heading down for look myself...

At the moment I Love

Margaux Lange's collection of jewellery based on pieces of barbies anatomy, there so stylish, fun and feminine. I wanna treat myself to one of the Barbie bust Heart chains... Its fabulous

www.margauxlange.com

The Crafty Market

This sunday I'll be paying a visit to the new crafty market in newmarket sq, Dublin 8. Looks really good. Its a market for Arts and craft stalls. Checked out there website, some of the stuff looks great.

Mosey on down and have a look
Its on 11am to 5pm.... Sunday 3rd may

www.thecraftymarket.com

Been Busy

Been quite busy last few months, Painting like a woman possessed... Was at the St.brigids car boot sale last sunday. Great day met some really nice people. There is a real need for craft classes in the northside of the city. Doing it craft party style works well bcause insurance is expensive. I'll explain concept of craft party to you.

Its like the old fashioned tupperware party or the naughty ann summers party. Someone must host it and I will bring up the contents of site, Toppers, buttons, card packs, paper and envelopes. People can browse prducts at leisure and I'll be there to demonstrate products and show you a few new techniques....

Presents for hostess and 10% discount card.

Contact me for more details....

Challenge packs

We are launching a challenge pack this week, this is a mystery pack of cards, papers and embellishments costing €4. These packs will have a theme and there will be a differant pack launched every 6 weeks. Now the challenge is that everyone receives exactly the same pack and must make up some cards with the materials. Send the photo in of your completed card, we'll post them up on the blog and its up to you the crafters to vote for the best one. The winner of the challendg recieves a prize pack of materials worth over €30.

The theme of this Challenge is Irish appropriate in the run up to St.Paddys day.
The button will be online in the next day or so so you can buy online or contact me @ info@ceriruadesigns.com for your pack


Brief recap:


Packs cost €4
Contain at least 2 cards and envelopes, mixed papers, embellishments suitable to theme.
Each pack is tthe same
send picture back to me for posting on blog
Voting is done by public.
Only materials in pack can be used for photo.
Winner recieves prize pack over €30
finall date for entrys is March 10th