Sunday, December 20, 2015

Anything Christmas at Di's Digis... and I'm gutted!

The new challenge started over at Di's Digis Challenge Blog yesterday... and I didn't get a chance to publish my post; proving that I learned nothing last fortnight when I neglected to press "Publish" on my "not going to get caught out THIS time" scheduled post, ah well, all I can do is apologize to Di and the team for the delay; 'tis the season and all that.  
The reason I'm gutted is I've lost 3 Followers this week!! I don't know what I did to offend you guys, if you're reading this anyway - again all I can do is apologize.... "must  try harder"
Back to today's post... My "Anything Christmas" ended up being a card; I'm so short on Christmas cards some of my friends will be getting "bought" cards - those that love me will forgive me I'm sure :-)
The cuter than cute Santa cooking his steak and snags (sausages) on the barbie is just perfect for our Aussie Christmas... thanks Di for thinking of us Hot Christmas peeps :-))  He's called Barbeque Santa and you can get him here  I coloured the image with Copics and added lashings of gloss to the steak and sausages (that's one juicy steak, lol)
I followed the sketch from Bugaboo's Stella Says Sketch challenge, I've flipped it and the sentiment is not right down the bottom, but I did follow the sketch, honest :-))
I've used papers from Kaisercraft... the Christmas Carnival pad.  The curved panel at the top is cut from one of the sheets in the pad... it's great as it looks like I've spent ages cutting curved strips from different papers whereas I took about 30 seconds to follow one of the lines :-)  
The card base is green card, I added Spruce Stickles to the same card to make the mat for the image a bit more interesting.  You can see in this pic that I coloured Santa's boots with a combo of brown and Warm Greys... I like this better than just using Cool Greys as I think it looks more like leather, well it does to me, lol.
I added some Gold Stickles to the belt buckle and would normally add Ice Stickles to the fur trim... but I got distracted and forgot, lol.  Worked okay though.
I used the same layout for the inside of the card... it's how I roll, lol, adding red stickles to the red card for matting in place of the green as there was already enough green on the inside.  Another piece of the border print page at the top .. great value as I've still got enough for a card or two -from one piece of paper!
The twine is from my stash, well technically... I only bought it last week but it wasn't "bought for purpose" so "stash" and the snowflake is a wooden laser cut that I added some silver stickles to, and a red rhinestone to the centre.
The Ho Ho Ho are stickers... well they were ONE sticker that I cut into three bits :-)
That's it for today's card, I tend to keep my Christmas cards pretty simple, to be honest because I'm generally running out of time to get them all ready not because of some artistic "rule".
I'll be entering this card in the following challenges: 
Crafty Creations Happy Holidays
Gem of a Challenge Anything Christmas
Inky Chicks Merry Christmas
Sweet Stampin' Merry Christmas
Corrosive Challenge Merry Christmas
Jingle Belles Christmas
Hiding in my Craft Room Favourite HIMCR challenge (#228 Christmas Colours)
Pile It On Anything Christmas or Winter
OSAAT Anything Goes with the Colour Red
Sweet Stampin' Christmas Father Christmas
Little Miss Muffet Holiday Cheer
Without Words Feeling Festive
My Time to Craft Last Minute Makes
Creatalicious Challenges Something Old (paper) Something New (image)
Bunny Zoes Crafts Glitter/Sparkle
Sparkles Monthly Challenge Favourite Christmas Colours
As You Like It Favourite Christmas Colours and Why (I like "non traditional colours but I just can't use them... as soon as I see "Christmas" out comes "Red and Green", lol)
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
Art by Miran Anything Goes
Polkadoodles Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown Anything Goes
Clear It Out Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter Anything Goes
Phew!!
Pop over to Di's Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the team's inspiration... worth the trip :-)   I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too, great prize on offer as always - from the fabby Crafters Companion this time around - and (as always) if you use one of Di's gorgeous images, whether a Di's Digi or a Candibean rubber stamp you go into an extra draw for a further prize... with so many cute images to choose from why wouldn't you??
I'll try (though I have been trying, still lots going on here, more than just the Christmas thing) to get back in a few days and get the last of LAST year's Christmas cards blogged before the end of THIS year... maybe that's why  I dropped 3 Followers, I don't post often enough ?  Anyway, until then Happy Crafting, Donna 

Saturday, December 05, 2015

When is a "Winter Holiday" a "Summer Holiday"?

Well as the title of this blog suggests not all things are equal for all people. The challenge starting today at Di's Digis has the theme "Winter Holiday"... now when most of the world thinks of a Winter Holiday they think of Christmas, here in Australia Christmas is in the height of summer; but as this cute image is PERFECT for "our" Christmas I decided to make a Christmas card ... and the "Holiday" can be the holiday from "Winter" that Santa (and his little penguin mate, lol) is having on that surfboard :-))
 

The image is called Surfing Santa and you can get it here.  I coloured with Copics, adding some extra shadows with Inktense pencils, Ranger's Glossy Accents to the water drops and HEAPS of Stickles to the fur trim and buckle - 
I've taken a pic in low light to at least TRY to show how much sparkle and shine it has... one day I'll work out how to photograph sparkle... then I'll patent it and make my fortune, rofl
I used the "Stella Says Sketch" this time, turning it at right angles.  The papers are from Kaisercraft, the baubles on the background paper have a gloss finish too - though of course you can't see it in the pics, sigh.  I cut the image panel with Nestabilities Labels 12, cutting the first mat from gold foil and the red mat freehand, the border at the bottom was cut with a couple of the dies from the Nestabilities Classic Borders set... I've had these for years and hardly ever use them.  I embellished them a little with some faux stitching in gold and some gold Stickle dots.... not that you can really see it, but it IS there, honest :-)

The sentiment is from Create with TLC, one of the many freebies Paulette has offered over the years; I coloured the "Jolly" with an Inktense pencil.  I cut it out with the smallest Nestabilities Labels 3 die, hand cutting the gold and red mats. The Card Candi is from my stash - I didn't even realize until I'd finished the card that I'd used different dies for the image and the sentiment, oh well, it looks okay.
I finished the inside of the card very simply... the only way to go with Christmas cards really, in the interest of getting the required amount readyin time!  What I did on this occasion was to make a red frame that was cut from the centre of the background panel on the front of the card, the square cut from the middle of THIS piece I used for the mats on the front... no waste at all!
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:
Clear It Out Theme: Holiday - Christmas Stash: Glitter
Fab'n'funky Challenges Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Use a Santa image)
Little Red Wagon Traditional Christmas Colours -I've used red and green AND aqua is appropriate to an Aussie beach Christmas :-)
Creatalicious Challenges Merry Christmas
Cute Card Thursday Festive Colours
Pile It On Use Red and Green
Inky Chicks Merry Christmas
The Crazy Challenge Anything Goes
Addicted to  Stamps Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge... like I said MOST of you would find this a particularly Seasonal theme... for the rest of us, we improvise, lol.  There's a great prize on offer as always, and if you use one of Di's cuties (digi or one of the Candi Bean rubber stamps) you go into an extra draw, woohoo!!
Hopefully I'll be back soon with something out of my drafts... even if it's one of the few cards I've still got in there from last Christmas.
My crafting time has been at a premium because, while my lovely Mum is now home from hospital, there are the usual litany of follow up appointments and diagnostics going on.  Her problems are compounded by the fact that she weighs 38kg which is just UNDER 6 stone (83lb) and so doesn't have much in reserve... unlike her daughter, lol 
Anyway, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Wednesday, December 02, 2015

It's December!

Firstly, this post is a day late... I'm sorry :-(  All I can say is "Save" is NOT "Publish".  
Yup, it's December... time for a new challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge.  Being DECEMBER, it HAD to be a Christmas card... here it is :-))
 The paper I've used is from Wild Rose Studio... the Annabelle's Christmas Paper Pack.  It's a really nice collection of prints, the paper is lighter weight than I usually use, but it cut "cleanly" which is my main reason for using heavier paper, so all okay.
I have had the image "Christmas Fairy Holly" in my cyber stash for a few years now, I just think she's gorgeous!  It's a Mo's Digital Pencil image available here.  I've used my usual combination of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils to colour and added gloss to the snow globe... it looks quite "globular" in real life, lol.  I also added gloss to the berries in her  hair and the bells on her sash -  and Viva Pearl pen (Creme) to the ruffles on her petticoats; you all know these things look better in real life, right?? :-)  I used Viva's Ice White Pearl pen to add the falling snow.

Those Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Border dies have come into play AGAIN... what can I say? I love 'em, lol.  I used Memory Box's Frostyville border die in gold glitter card to add interest to the top of the image matt.  Obviously I used gold glitter for the other matting too.  The ribbon is from my stash... though I remember buying it in Spotlight for a song!  Hope they've still got some because this was three short lengths I had in my scrap box!
I have stamped the sentiment, yup, STAMPED... not digital - an actual rubber STAMP, hehe.  I rarely stamp directly on the image panel, because I'm really BAD at it, crooked nine times outta ten, lol... but not anymore; I bought a Stamp a Ma Jig, who knew a (alright let's face it, overpriced!) bit of plastic could make SUCH a difference?!  Of course, doesn't matter what it cost now, lol.  Another of course is it didn't stop me from getting ink everywhere... which is the reason I added the inked border- to cover a fingerprint, so not quite the CAS I was aiming for at the start, but I actually think it softened the whole look, so a happy accident :-) 
I added some red rhinestones to the sentiment, and three to the other side to balance it out - don't worry, once I saw the pics of the card I moved that top rhinestone so they're straight now, I just couldn't be bothered taking another photo, lol.
The stamp (yup, rubber + Stamp a Ma Jig) on the inside is from a PortaCraf set I've had for years, I've got quite a few rubber stamps that might just get an outing now.  I used the Frostyville border die again, isn't it amazing how different it looks cut in white compared to gold/glitter?
That's it... another really simple card, the look I'm favouring at the mo. I have had some real problems with Photoshop (as in Editor won't open, well it will NOW, but it took some fixing) and have had to use Photoscape to resize and watermark this card... bit of a learning curve, taking time I didn't really have, but I think I might use it more often now I know how.  It's good to have a backup plan too :-)
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges.

As You Like It Favourite Season and Why (Christmas - Family get togethers and the feeling of goodwill, just LOVE Christmas!)
Clear It Out  Theme: Holiday - Christmas Stash: Glitter
Cute Card Thursday Fairies and Angels
Gem of a Challenge Inspired by a Christmas song or carol (I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas… Holly looks like she is with that snowglobe!)
Sweet Stampin' Sparkle and Shine
Pile It On Use Red and Green 
Creatalicious Challenges Merry Christmas
Cutie Pie Challenge Simply Cute and Christmassey
Pixies Snippets Playground Use snippets… of Anything (card, ribbon etc) -The white die cuts are from "those" bits of card leftover when you make a card base :-) and it's the last of my ribbon (it was in three bits, only just managed to get the bow!
Jingle Belles Use Leftovers (see above) 
Aud Sentiments Anything Goes + a Sentiment 
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Anything Goes, optional Twist: Christmas 
Inky Chicks Merry Christmas
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge Anything Goes Holidays 
and all the following are "Anything Goes" challenges: 
I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, it's SO easy... and a great prize on offer as always.  Check out the rest of the team's inspiration here
Other things have been occupying my time too.  My Mum has been very ill.  She has ongoing high blood pressure problems, that they just can't figure out; she weighs only 38.1 Kg (which is 83lb or just UNDER 6 stone) and has been fit as flea all her life, really looking after her health... Last Sunday she rang me quite distressed saying she felt very unwell; for her to ring me is unusual, she never complains.  My sister happened to be up from the country so we took Mum to the Doctor - he took her blood pressure and it was 244/115; he called an ambulance, I went with her, my sister saw to Dad (who is a little lost these days) it was awful.  The Paramedics were lovely, but they were clearly very concerned.  Her blood pressure didn't drop below 238/110 all day... then it dropped like a rock to 124/60 which they said was not good (it dropped too fast) so they took the Nitro patch off - which is when "the" headache came back, sigh
Anyway long story short, Mum was in hospital until Friday, she's had a barrage of tests and they've decided she must be "one of those people who are just Hypertensive"....d'ya think??  They have got her blood pressure down to 151 in the mornings - she has the reverse of most people, her blood pressure rises when she gets up - so relatively speaking she's good.  Seeing Dad in that situation has brought up a lot of issues; he is so dependent.  My sister stayed with him for the week, but she lives 400km away - I don't know what will happen if Mum is in hospital for any length of time or worse... I just don't see how I'll be able to do it all myself.  Oh well, I suppose we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.  It is the curse of having extremely elderly parents - but the blessings of having them with us fit and healthy AND independent for so long far outweigh the pitfalls.
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Cute and Cuddly at Di's Digis

Well here we are again... another fortnight's FLOWN by and it's time for a new challenge at Di's Digis.  The theme this time around is Cute and Cuddly, too easy!!  
My hubby's cousin, the one we went to see recently in New Zealand, and his wife had no grandchildren until last week... and they have another TWO on the way due in two and four weeks, phew!  When I saw this cuter than cute image with three babies in the pram I knew it was PERFECT for a "Congratulations" card for them.  I am superstitious so it won't be getting sent until bubs number three has arrived, but I'm happy to share it here :-)
The oh-so-cute image is called Nursery Mice, you can get it here.  I coloured with Copics and just a touch of Prismacolor pencils, as usual, lol.  I inked the clouds in with some Kaiser ink and a homemade stencil... that smudge of golden yellow on the top right is the sun... it looks heaps better IRL, honest!
There's no glitter or gloss on the card at all... I wanted the gold detail on the paper (from Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings collection) and matting to literally shine; and it fits better with the pastel tones I think (well it's pastel for ME, lol)  Baby one is a boy so I was happy to add the blue, Baby number three is a boy too... but I'm not sure if Baby #2 is a boy or a girl... if it turns out to be a girl I'll have to work some pink into the card somewhere
I'm really loving this cleaner look for my cards I've been favouring recently... actually it's feast or famine for me - CAS or the box cards I've got a couple of in my drafts - I don't think I've quite nailed the look I want yet, but I am getting closer :-))  
I used my Stitched Hills border dies again for the patterned paper and the gold foil "edge", the strip of cream ribbon with gold detail is from my stash, and the Congratulations is a Sizzix die
The sentiment on the inside is just something I made up on the computer, the couple involved have a great sense of humour, they'll "get it" 
Anyway that's it... another good thing about the CAS style; there's not a lot of detail to describe, lol.
Hope you get a chance to pop over to the challenge blog and check out the rest of the Cuteness... and a chance to join in the challenge too.  Great prize on offer as always, this time it's from Taylored Expressions... and as always if you use one of Di's images you go in an extra draw with an extra prize, woohoo!!
I WILL be back in a few days, I've still got (an ever increasing pile) stuff from last Christmas and before in my Drafts that I just HAVE to get out... and it's my son's birthday on Tuesday which means another card, another cake to add to those drafts - and my DIL's birthday in two weeks, ditto! 
In the meantime I'd like to enter THIS card in the following challenges: 
Southern Gals Challenge Use Patterned Paper
Corrosive Challenge Add a Sentiment (on the front)  
Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes
Crafting With Attitude Anything Goes
Creative Fingers Anything Goes
Simply Papercrafts Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge Anything Goes
Art by Miran Anything Goes
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes 
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Saturday, November 07, 2015

Tic Tac Toe-tally Challenge Time

Yep, it's that time of the fortnight again... time for a new challenge at Di's Digis Challenge blog; this time around we have a Tic Tac Toe or Bingo Board.  I made a Christmas card, I read somewhere that it's only 7 weeks until Christmas, 'bout time I got serious about the card making :-) I made an easel card, nothing unusual in that, but at least this one is round for a change
I used one of Di's newer digis.. this is Jolly Reindeer Cheers, you can get him here... isn't he the cutest??!!  
I thought the oval die cut on the circular card looked like a stripy Christmas ornament, the main reason I used it though was because I wanted to show the "fold" of the easel and have the image stand out more... this is how it looks set up
I  coloured with Copics and, instead of adding Stickles and Glossy Accents as I usually do, I heat  embossed the fur on his cap with a white glitter EP I mixed myself (oh so technical; clear EP and white glitter, lol) and Ranger Clear on his nose and the ornaments... it is a more subtle finish than the "liquids" I usually use, but it looks quite nice :-)
Ooh, now for that all-important Tic Tac Toe Board... I used the line "Die Cut/Digi Image/Hand Coloring" or was it "Fancy Fold/Hand Coloring/Sentiment", lol
The snowy sky background I made myself in Photoshop, feel free to grab it... I'll have it on my Freebies Page too if you want to come back later... I have it in two shades and is 15cm or 6" square so prints up to quite a good size 
I used Lifestyle Crafts Circle Dies to cut the card and DP (which is from Basic Grey) and a Spellbinders Oval Floral Die (not to be confused with Spellbinders Decorative Elements Floral Oval die for the image mat ... really?? couldn't come up with a different name Spellbinders, geez!)  The plain red oval is from that set too but the gold mat was cut free hand as was the image panel. Here's a pic from the back
Actually I have half the set of these Oval Florals... I was in my LSS and trying to decide whether to get the set, coz they're not cheap, and I only use the bigger dies in all my sets and hate the waste; another lady was pondering the same set of dies, I mentioned (coz I'll talk to anyone, anywhere, lol) that I only want the big ones, she laughed and said I only want the small ones, I suggested we buy one set between us, she smiled and we left it at that... then when I was paying she approached me asked me if I was serious and we did exactly that; both left happy and even the shop owner was pleased as neither of us would have bought a set so one sale is better than none! 
I used a nice cream pearl card for the mat, it embossed beautifully too.
I used another Spellbinders die on the inside, it's one of the Banners set that has sat unused in my craft room for well over a year, oops! The embossing on these dies is what makes them a stand out... I cut a mat for the sentiment as it just didn't look finished without one.
The (digi) sentiment is from Pink Petticoat's Traditional Christmas Greetings set, the gold beaded thread and gold flatbacks are from my stash.
Well, phew, that's it.  If you made it this far, WELL DONE... I did manage to fill a page with info on what is a VERY basic card, but hey ho :-)  Hope you get a chance to check out the rest of the team's inspiration... and a chance to enter the challenge too of course, great prize on offer as always, and there's extra opportunities if you use one of Di's cute images... a digi from her webstore or one of the Candibean stamps if rubber's your thing ;-)
I'm entering my card in the following challenges 
Crafty Creations Colourful
Fab'n'funky Challenges Die Cuts and/or Punches
Cute As A Button Winter
Pink Gem Christmas Critters
Sweet Stampin' Christmas Christmas Travel (Reindeers = Christmas travel, hope so!)
Graphit Colour Challenge Christmas Sparkle 
Great Impressions Bling on the Holidays
Pile It On Anything But Square or Rectangle
Wags n Whiskers Not a Square
CCEE Stampers Circles (apart from 
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends Anything Goes
Creative Fingers Anything Goes
Art by Miran Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Anything Goes
I'll be back soon.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Time for a New Challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge

Yup, it's the first of the month... time for a new challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge... you know the one where all you have to do is use Patterned Paper on your project - too easy!!  
I made a card for my friend Jenny who turned 50 - she loved it, I hope you do too. 
 It's a stair step card, well I think that's what the fold is called, which looks like a "normal" square card on the front - the "fancy" bit's inside; here's the great template and tutorial I followed and here's a pic of that all important inside before I go into detail
The papers are all from Kaisercraft's Hey Birdie collection, the green detail on the leaves is foiled, it really gives it a lift that's hard to see in the pic :-)
I've used an image by Teri Sherman I've had for a while called Beautiful Blossom... I bought it from Delicious Doodles, before the stoopid EU laws that shouldn't affect me, living in Australia shut down that and many more of my favourite digi stores - fortunately you can now get Delicious Doodles images in Teri's Etsy shop here.  
It's printed on Versa Linen card, giving a nice texture.  I rounded two of the corners on all of the panels I used, inside and out using a 1" corner rounder.
I coloured, as usual with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, added glitter to the butterflies, her nails and some Viva Liquid Pearls to her bracelet.
I used brown cardstock as the base for the card and pink cardstock for the matting, embossing the small squares on the steps with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots embossing folder and inking the edges with some brown ink.
The "Happy" and "Birthday are Spellbinders dies, cut in brown cardstock then covered (carefully!) with Glossy Accents, the "5" and "0" are wood painted with Acrylic paint then lashings of Gloss - I just cut the "th" from the middle of another "birthday" die cut :-)
The ribbon on the front is from my stash, the pink scroll underneath is Memory Box's Ivy Tendril die.  
I used a couple more of the Ivy Tendrils in brown to the inside of the card.  The pearl and rhinestone embellie on the front was from ebay, the gold flatbacks are from my stash.
That's it for the workings of this card... I thought it was a good card to use for a Patterned Paper Challenge with the amount of patterned paper on it! - but you don't have to use anything LIKE as much pp as I have, you just need to have SOME on your project to join in.
Pop over to the blog, check out the rest of the team's work and join in, great prize on offer and always such an easy theme!
I'd like to enter my "stair step or whatever the fold's called" card in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations Colourful 
As You Like It  Pastels or Brights and why (I like pastels, but end up "Bright", lol)
Moving Along With The Times Leaves and/or Trees (Both!)
Polkadoodles Sparkle, bling or glitter
Sparkles Monthly Challenge Pearls or Lace (Pearls on embellie, and gold flatback "pearls")
Addicted to  Stamps Things with Wings (Butterfly)
Papertake Weekly Take Your Pick (product: Score Board)
Aud Sentiments Birthday Sentiment
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes
Art by Miran Anything Goes
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes
Until next time (still got to get something out of my drafts folder!!) Happy Crafting, Donna

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Pumpkin Pie, you are my, my Pumpkin Pie

There's a new challenge starting today at Di's Digis Challenge Blog... the theme is "Add a Pumpkin".  I didn't want a Halloween card (I've got a load in my stash and we just don't celebrate it here) so I've made a birthday card and simply added some pumpkins to the little picnic scene.  For some reason my pics are a bit "grainy"... I think a setting has been changed on my camera, I'll have to get my son to check it out for me... suffice to say it's "fresher" looking in real life!
I've made a big card... it measures 21cm x 15cm; it fits a standard large envelope so pretty straightforward from a postage point of view :-)
The image is Daisy Cupcake Time, though on the "original" image there are flowers where the pumpkins are... I scaled down some pumpkins from CC Designs and put them over the top of the flowers; one way to fit the Add a Pumpkin brief, lol.
I coloured with Copics, adding some extra shadows with Prismacolor pencils and loads of gloss to the pumpkins, puppy's nose and of course the cherry on top of the cupcake.
The patterned paper is from Die Cuts With a View... from the very first pad I ever bought: the Far East Mat Stack; The matting is gold foil - bottom panel is cut with a number of Spellbinders A2 Curved Borders dies, the Happy Birthday is a Memory Box Grand die.  I didn't have any ribbon matching the image or paper, so I coloured up some ivory ribbon with an E08 Copic I've got about a kilometre of this stuff left from my Son and DIL's (2009) wedding cake, to say I "over calculated" is an understatement of the century, lol. I made the bow using my new Bow maker; I looked up a couple of tutorials on YouTube, one made better bows... or perhaps it just made more sense to me.  I wasn't convinced the first couple of efforts, but I'm pretty glad I've got it now - at least the bows are consistent in size.
The inside of the card is finished in similar fashion, as usual.  I used Memory Box's Nottingham Border at the top of the card in place of the sentiment. In fact that's what I intended to do on the front; I didn't intend having the bottom panel on the front cut down so far, I've been drooling over Netty's cards for a while and was gong to shamelessly CASE one; having a large image panel with a fancy top edge... but the Nottingham border I was going to use on the top edge of the image panel just wouldn't cut, so the damn panel just kept getting shorter and shorter... in the end there was just too much patterned paper showing, it looked out of balance so I introduced the curved borders - at least I don't feel like it's a copy of Annette's now :-))
Anyhow, hope you get a chance to enter the challenge this fortnight; if you're into Halloween it shouldn't present any challenge at all.. but even if you're not, it's not that difficult to get a pumpkin into the mix - just add it to a picnic scene like I did, it's only "odd" if you think about it :-)  Great prize on offer as always, with extra opportunities if you use one of Di's oh-so-cute images.
Just by coincidence, it's my pet name for the grandkids... hence the title of this post; I sing to them "Pumpkin Pie, you are my, my Pumpkin Pie", they smile indulgently at me... they know they're not pies of any kind, but it makes Nanna happy to call them that, so they let me :-))
I'm entering the following challenges with this card:

Crazy 4 Challenges Autumn Colours
Crafty CardmakersAutumn Colours
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge Autumn Colours or Christmas (Autumn colours, obviously!)
Crafty Creations Don't be Blue (Don't use blue or a cheer me up card) (No blue here, even the sky is Warm Grey)
Aud Sentiments Birthday Sentiment
As You Like It  Pastels or Bright Colours and Why (Bright colours I suppose... I LOVE pastels, just can't seem to get them - I always add "just a bit more", pastel gone!)
The Crazy Challenge Orange and Green
Pile It On Fabric, Lace or Ribbon (Ribbon)
Addicted to  Stamps Bling Bling Glitter and Shine (All that gold foil, shines baby!)
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Anything Goes
Art by Miran Anything Goes

Well I still haven't managed to drag anything out of my draft folder... maybe this week.  I've done all the End of Financial Year stuff, and the Quarterly returns - even for my son's business, and he's usually the last-minute-pull-your-hair-out client from hell.... but he's gone on holiday for a couple of weeks and they're due while he's away so he HAD to get the numbers to me before he went; it'll be the first one of his returns sent on time for quite a while, not sure what the Tax Office will make of that, lol.  
Until next time, happy crafting, Donna