What, no image?

This is a card I made to add to my emergency stash; my kids are often in need of a card in a hurry and this contemporary style suits them - and I don't mind it either!

 The idea for the colour combination is from The Outlawz Tuesday Colour Challenge for this week, they have "Include Bling" as an element of the challenge, the dots on this card are silver, and of course there's the rhinestones!  I may not have thought of putting these colours together (I don't use green a lot) but I do like strong colours with black, so I probably would have got there eventually!  

This isn't black, to be fair, it is charcoal.  Totally Gorjuss has "Black + Another Colour" as its challenge this time and I hope "charcoal" is the new Black, lol!
All the papers were from my "scraps file": the top one with silver dots on it I have used about five times - not bad from one sheet of 12" paper!  The strip at the bottom is from paper I bought recently and used on this card for our friend Dave; I love the texture of it!  I use scraps a LOT, If it's bigger than a couple of centimetres square I don't throw it out - I keep all of them in document files according to colour groups, it works well for me!
My son (who could wrap gifts for Australia) used the lime green ribbon on a gift to "someone" in the family; usually gift opening (and candle extinguishing/cake eating!) happen at our house and so the ribbon etc gets offered to me - especially if I look pathetically needy, lol.  I must look sufficiently pathetic often, as that's where the rhinestone trim AND the lace came from too!  Delightful Challenges has "Use Your Scraps" as it's theme this week, never a problem for me and nice to get to have a challenge to enter my "scraps" in!  
I used scraps (of my scraps!) to decorate the inside of the card.  The stamp was a Kaisercraft mini set stamped with Stazon ink.  The sentiment on the outside of the card was from Kaisercrafts After Dark 6" collection.

This was the easiest card to make, no image means no colouring and so cuts the time right down - not that my colouring takes the time, it's the getting out, spreading out and replacing of about thirty colours that takes the time!!!!!!!
I absolutely loved making this card, and I'm going to "get on" to making a few more for different occasions.....I may even make a few more in this colour scheme, after all I DO have a load of lime green ribbon to hand!
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Big Sister Emma

I think this looks like a Big Sister and Her Little Brother, what do you think?

This is my third post for today, it is the last of the CC Designs digistamps in the latest release from All That Scraps that I am showcasing.  This is Sailor Emma Standing and Sailor Trevor Sitting, aren't they just the cutest? Check out my out my other posts for this release here and here, or just scroll down of course!!  Pop over to All That Scraps blog and see what my fellow Design Teamies have done too, well worth a look.
I love CC Designs Sugarplums, they have that touch of innocence I suppose.  The seat Trevor is on is from a previous Sugarplums release "Take a Seat".  They're really useful images too, giving the little guys a "proper" place to sit: sometimes the little details help show off the main image.
I coloured the image with Copics, then "fussy cut" them and mounted them on foam dots for that extra dimension that I like.  You can see in this photo how I "pulled" Trevors feet out - it looks for all the world to me like he is swinging his legs, you know in that rather annoying fashion little boys do (especially when they're all dressed up and made to sit for a family photo!)
I used this sketch from Crafting Lifes Pieces, so I'll be entering their challenge with this card, great little sketch, eh? The paper are from Kaisercrafts new 6" "Magic Happens" collection - though they have changed the size to 6 1/2", don't know why but more is (sometimes) more, so I'm not complaining!  This is an absolutely gorgeous gaggle of papers, beautiful colours, fairies, butterflies and flourishes - not one paper in the collection that you can't imagine being able to use - great!

Digital Tuesday has "use punches" as it's challenge this time, I punched the border on the bracket shape on the edge of the card with a punch my Mum and Dad brought back with them last time they went away (I look after their rather spoilt budgie while they're gone, so it's a little reward for me) They have actually gone away again this evening - you never know I may get another darling little punch!  I used the same punch on the inside of the card.
Totally Papercrafts has "Do it With Digis", I usually do (do it with digis that is, lol)  so I'll be entering there and Delicious Doodles has Glitz Glitter and Bling - the stars on the paper are purple foil, the bracket has been coated with Ice Stickles and the stripy paper has silver foil, so that's pretty glittery!"  My Time To Craft has hats" as it's challenge theme, I rarely use hats in my images, so these have come along at just the right time!  Crazy 4 Challenges has use a die: the sentiment on this card (which was embossed - more shimmer!) was cut using one of the smaller Nestabilities Labels Four dies, it's not much - but it's a die!!
Hope you have enjoyed my projects this time, until next time Happy Crafting, Dee

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

"Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, watching the tide roll away....."  That's what this young lady is doing, or is she just thinking?

This is another of the digistamps in CC Designs February release, due in All That Scraps store on Feb 25th, isn't she just adorable?  This is Emma, one of the Sugarplums from CC Designs that I love so much, the Feb release has Emma as a Sailor, the Dock she is sitting on is another one of the stamps in the release.  My first post for the day here is also from the current release.
I used this sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches for this card, I wanted a simple layout to showcase the darling image.  The background paper is from Creative imaginations (I think, I got it in my LSS and was so excited to get something to match up to the Life Preserver that I chopped and pasted without taking note!)
The mat that Emma is sitting on is from Kaisercrafts Peachy Keen collection, it was just the right shade of blue/green, I cut and embossed it using my Nestabilities Labels Twelve.
After colouring my images with Copics I cut them out, then popped them up on foam dots - it's my favourite way of using images - I love the extra dimension and "fussy cutting" really doesn't take that long.
The stripes on the coffee coloured paper are a lovely brown shiny foil - it doesn't show in the photos, it never does, does it?  It is from Kaisercrafts Made With Love collection.  The red is actually a file cover I got in my local Officeworks store, it's got a lovely texture. I cut the edge with my Fiskars Apron Lace border punch, as Digital Tuesday Challenge this week has "Use a punch" I'll be entering there.  
The anchor (which I've used to replace the bow in the sketch) looks metal but is plastic - it means it's nice and lightweight to stick on (sometimes I have "droop" issues with the heavy stuff 'coz I'm always in a rush and don't leave the glue long enough to dry!!) Me bad!
My Time To Craft has "hats" as it's theme this time, so I'll be entering there, Simon Says Stamp has "coffee and cream" that's definitely how I'd describe the basic colour of my papers (the Kaisercrafts Made With Love collection is FULL of papers in this colour range - and I love 'em all so I could be making a few more entries for Simon at this stage, lol) 
Totally Papercrafts has "Do it with Digis", yay, one of my favourite challenges (I do love my digis) so I'm entering there and Crazy 4 Challenges has "Use a Die", again NOT a problem.  Actually, I was thinking about that the other day, I bought a Texture Boutique because I only ever wanted to emboss, then I invested in a Cuttlebug and now I use Dies on just about every card, anybody want a barely used Texture Boutique - going cheap, lol? 
Thanks for having a look at Emma on the Dock.  If you look here you'll see her in another pose with her little friend Trevor, I think it's just as cute - go and see what you think!
Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Rock-a-bye Baby

This little Rocking Horse seemed just right for a Baby Boy card - and I need a few of those at the moment, it's Boys Boys Boys around here!

The cute little image is one of CC Designs February release Digi Stamps from All That Scraps, available in store on February 25th.  Go and check out their blog where you can see the rest of the Design team's fabulous efforts, not only with this image but the others in the release!  I will post my other offerings later today.  Please come back and have a looksie, they're very sweet, interested? Here's a link, and here's another.
I cut the mat for this image with my Nestabilities Labels Twelve which means another entry in Bizzy Becs competition - for Aussie customers only sorry (well, sorry that you can't ALL be Aussies anyway, lol)  and coloured the  image with Copics, I've ordered more so I'll have an even greater range of colours soon -I really AM addicted!  
I used some Grace Taylor paper I've had for ages as the background of the card.  Because this paper is pretty flimsy I find it doesn't always "edge" nicely: for this reason I covered the back and front of the card in one piece, less raw edges.
I used the sketch from Do It With Digis for their challenge this week: I do like a nice straightforward sketch!
The little safety pins and bow were part of my christmas present from my son, he included some really cute little elements like these and that lovely paper with the circles on.
I stamped and embossed the sentiment, added a bit of bling on the stirrup and rockers, popped a few things up on foam dots and that, as they say, was that.
The inside of this clean and simple card got a clean and simple finish too.
Digital Tuesday has punches as it's theme this week, this card has a die cut on the outside, but two border punches on the inside, so I'll enter there.  Totally Papercrafts challenge #54 is Do it with Digis - I am so THERE! Crazy 4 Challenges has "Use dies", again, there....and Totally Gorjuss has "Checks" - "check" out that blue paper behind the image, "check", Checks....well I think it's check, maybe a grid hmmm, we'll give it a try or I may "check" and see if it is enterable!
Well come back later, and "check" out my other posts for the ATS release... until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Happy Anniversary To Us!

This is a card I made for my Darling Husband on our 33rd Anniversary.  The sentiment says it all: "Our Love is More than a Story, it's a Legend.....Long May the Legend Continue"

This gorgeous image, which gave me the whole Love Legend idea, is from Tiddly Inks.  It's called "As You Wish" and I love it!  It's coloured with Copics, surprise!  The papers are from Die Cuts With a View "Once Upon a Time" 12" collection.  The colours peach and brown reflect the colours of our wedding party, aww!
I made the sentiment on the front of the card using Word on my computer and ivory pearl paper, then cut it out using a Classic Scalloped Ovals Nestabilites, on the inside of the card I didn't cut it out, just embossed the centre of a square of ivory paper (around the sentiment) with an oval nestie, I cut the frame out of the green glittery paper with the largest nestie.  I distressed the edges of the die cuts and mats with Ancient Page ink to help with the aged look.  I cut the "ribbon" strip from the edge of one of the papers I used, threaded a bit of it through the buckle, then stuck the buckle on top of the strip, it looks like the real thing!  I "fussy cut" the image, pop dotted it onto a mat with storybook text on it, then pop dotted the image mat and the sentiment to give some depth....and that was basically it.  Very straightforward, but still for some reason I love this card, I'm just so happy with the way it came out.

I'm entering a few challenges with this card: Allsorts Challenge Blog has "Its All About the Sentiment" as it's challenge theme this week, so this card will definitely be entered there, as this card is all about the sentiment!  
I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash (#55), I love these simple sketches, 365 cards day 349 has "Muted Colours" as its theme so I'll be entering this little darling there.
Digital Tuesday has "Use a Die Cut", no problem.  Totally Gorjuss, One Stop Craft Challenges and Sundays With Chrissy all have "Love" and Whoopsi Daisy has "Free and Easy", which is, well, EASY!

Thanks for looking at my card today, until next time - Happy Crafting, Dee.
Edited to add: If you like the sentiment I made for this card, grab it from my "Tutorials Templates and Other Freebies" page here.  It is easy to change the size and/or colour in Microsoft Word, I don't know about other word processors :-)

My Little Man turns 30!

Alright, so tell me, where did the last 30 years go?!!  It was my eldest son's 30th birthday yesterday and I made this card for him.

The papers on the card are from Kaisercrafts Shaken Not Stirred 6" collection; I think these are really great papers for guys cards, strong and masculine. The fabulous image is "Pitstop Penny" from Kenny K Downloads.  I used sketch #141 from Friday Sketchers, I've missed the deadline for the challenge but wanted to credit it anyway - great sketch!

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz and My Time to Craft's challenge for this week is "Circles": there are circles aplenty here - there's a circle behind the image mat, the row of circles under the chequered paper were punched from the Kaisercraft paper using a 1" circle punch, the sentiment (which I made on the computer, I had to look up the relevant info re 0-60 as I know NOTHING about cars and my son is MAD about them!) is cut using the same punch.  
Another circle is the little tyre which has "Good Year" on it, which I thought was a nice touch on a birthday card.  This tyre came from "The Basket" in the toy cupboard.  "The Basket" contains loads of little cars that my son collected from the age of about 18 months when I used to get him one if he was good when we went grocery shopping - yes I know some people would call it bribery, lol, all I'm going to say is there are a LOT of cars in that basket, he was obviously GOOD on shopping trips - a lot!!  I added polka dot ribbon from my stash. The image is pop dotted, as is the sentiment.

We went shares with our youngest son Chris and bought Matt a voucher for a half day Rally driving experience, driving four different cars over 24 laps then being driven by an Australian Champion for a "hot lap": This, gauging by his reaction, is a good gift for a car-mad thirty year old!!  I printed the voucher off, laminated it then made a gift card holder for it.  As the voucher is A5 size, it is one big gift card holder!  I decorated it with the same paper as the card.  The inside of the card is decorated with a strip of chequered paper and another of the sheets from the pad, all I had to do was trim it to fit - really effective and soooo easy!
 I coloured Penny with Copics and mounted the image panel on a mat of black paper with a texture like sharkskin but shiny - it really is fab!  
The red on both the stripy paper and the art deco style semi-circles are foiled, giving the card a nice shiny look, not that it shows in the photos; Cute Card Thursday and Paper Play Challenges have "Add some Shine" as their theme this week, so I'm entering there.  Pollycraft has Special Birthdays, 30 is pretty special so I'm entering there too By the Cute and Girly has "Red and any other colour" as it's challenge for this month and this card is that: Red and black.  Whoopsi Daisy's challenge for this week is "Free and Easy", they really are the easiest challenges, aren't they? 
I hope you like Matt's birthday card, I had real fun making it.....and making his birthday cake too, photos to follow.  In the meantime it's our Anniversary, I'll post photos of the card I made for my darling hubby tomorrow: it's really cute and I'm pleased with it so come back and see what you think!
Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

60th Anniversary Cake

I thought I'd get this post up with a few photos of the cake I made for my Mum and Dad's Diamond Anniversary  on 3rd Feb. 

I made the cake in the shape of a diamond, quite funny really as I started with a square then cut it down: the only thing is I cut BOTH sides down -  so I ended up with.....a smaller square!  Finally I thought about the maths and got the diamond shape, lol.  
All the flowers are made of sugar.  The main ones are orchids, my mum and dad's favourite flower: "special people" are the only one's I'll make orchids for, the breakage rate (and therefore the frustration level) is high.  These weren't bad, I only broke a couple in the process - probably because there are not a lot of "filler" flowers; it's when you're jamming the little flowers in that you break the orchids!  
I have a couple of cards (for my son's 30th Birthday and Our Anniversary) that I'll be posting in the next day or so.... it's my son's birthday today so we'll be having dinner at our place tonight, celebrating our anniversary tomorrow and a PARTY at Matt's house on Saturday evening (helping set up in the day) - so it's just a case of getting time to blog :-)
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Bewdy, a True Blue word game

Now for something completely different....I was hopping around some of the blogs I follow this morning (because of course, I have absolutely nothing more pressing to do with my limited time, h-hmm)  when I spotted a post on Aussie Loz's blog about a game that fellow Aussie Zoe has going on.......a game with prizes; now isn't that the very best kind? :-)  The comp runs until Feb 26th.
All you have to do to enter is have a look at the list of Aussie slang terms Zoe has written, then give your definition for them, you don't even have to use all of them!  They don't have to be correct even, just "yours".
I've done my entry as a little story, (because I type faster than I craft!) the pertinent slang terms are highlighted.  Here we go:

My friend Sue came over yesterday, she brought chocolate cake, "You Little Ripper" said I.  "Well, I'll Be Buggered if I'm going to stick to my diet on my birthday" she said.  "Crikey it's hot", I said, "Fair Dinkum I'm as dry as a dead dingo's, well you know!".  "You've found yourself On A Good Wicket with that new bloke of yours, Sue, make sure you don't Make A Proper Galah of Yourself - he's years younger than you!"  "She'll Be Apples" said Sue, "He's a Ridgie Didge kind of bloke; Buggerlugs wasn't happy - I told him he shouldn't have divorced me then, should he"  "Oh well Sue, Give It A Burl, you're so lucky I reckon Bob's Your Uncle.  Another piece of cake?"  "Nah, I'd better not, I'll have to Go Like The Clappers to get to work on time as it is.  I can't be late again, feel like a right Ning Nong"  "Good Onya for bringing that cake, Sue", "No problem Dee, I know you've been getting the Rough End Of The Stick recently".  "No worries, Sue, she'll be right, Hooroo"

and that is the end of my story :-)  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee 

Somebunny Loves Honey

This cute little gal is the third of the CC Designs "Honey" images in the February digi release, ain't she cute??

 Her name is "Bunny Honey" and you grab your little digi darling, and Gymnast Honey and Hippie Honey at All That Scraps about.....NOW!  I coloured her (I call her Honey Bunny -did anybody else see Pulp Fiction?? This Honey Bunny is so not like the one in the movie!!) with Copics.  It is hard to spot in the photos, but I gave her a fluffy tail with Jo Sonja's Texture Paste.
The card itself is a luscious lipstick red, I embossed the square silver mirror board with Cuttlebugs D'vine Swirls embossing folder then matted the lilac paper (the little red hearts on it are foiled) from Kaisercraft's "Made with Love" 6" collection onto red.  The strip with the larger hearts is from the same Kaisercrafts collection, mounted on red.  The silver oval that April is pop dotted on was embossed using Cuttlebugs "Kimmie Luvs" embossing folder, cut with Classic Oval nestie, mounted on red card cut with the largest Classic Scalloped nestie.  I pricked little holes in each of the scallops - it just looked like it needed something "else", but I didn't want to make it any busier.  The flowers were white: I coloured them with Copics, the leaves are from a sprig of fern I got for about a penny, and I just use the tips, works just fine!!

The sentiment "Somebunny Loves You" is computer generated, I used a freebie downloaded font "slendergold" it is yummy.  The edge of the sentiment is inked with Fuschia ink, then mounted onto a red Classic Scalloped Oval nestie.  
Inside the card I stuck some plain pale lilac paper and a strip of the foiled hearts paper punched with EK Success "Hearts and Scrolls" border punch.  I was going to make the inside of the the card read "Somebunny is Me" but I found the little padded fabric heart which says "I Love You" in a pack from a craft store, and I just loved it.  I've got nine more, so they may figure strongly in my Valentines card repertoire for this year!
I used the Sketchy Thursday sketch from Eat Sleep Stamp, but as I had to delay this post I missed the cutoff for the challenge this time, still it was a great sketch to work with (love the simple ones).  Creative Inspirations has Valentines as it's theme, as does Crazy 4 Challenges, Stampin' for the Weekend, Do it with Digis and Digital Tuesday Challenge, so I'll be entering there too.  Crafty Creations has "Three Little Words": I have three little words on the outside and three little words on the inside, (technically six little words I suppose!) so in it goes.  Creative Craft Challenges has "Hearts and Flowers", as does My Time to Craft, this little Honey has both, so...you guessed! 
Follow the links if you'd like to see what I did with Hippie Honey and Gymnast Honey.  Well I hope you like what I've done with the Honeys for this release, this is my fave, but only just!!  Go over to the All That Scraps Blog and see what the DT have come up with, it's worth the visit!
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Fantastic Gymnastic

The card is another of the CC Designs Honey digis being released this week at All That Scraps.  This is "Gymnast Honey", though really I suppose it's "Gymnast Honeys", lol.  

 I can't believe my luck in the timing of getting this image, my son Chris's friend Tam has just spent two years coaching at the Danish Gymnastic Academy (or whatever it's proper name is, lol) and came home this week after fulfilling commitments there; we are very pleased to get her back and even though she loved it she is glad to be back - as one of our national songs says "no matter how far or how wide I roam, I still call Australia Home".  
I coloured the Honeys with Copic markers, and after cutting them out pop dotted them onto mirror card, I may be mixing my references up here, do gymnasts use a mirror, or is that only ballerinas?  No, apparently (after consultation with Tam) mirrors figure strongly in gym-world, oh and the little bit of eye shadow tickled Tam's fancy too!

The background paper is more of the lovely textured pearly card that I used on my Drummer Dave card.  The patterned paper is from Kaisercrafts Peachy Keen 6" collection, and the plain card that the mirror card is matted on and the circle (cut using Lacey Circles Nestabilites) are self adhesive (good and sticky, that textured card is quite hard to get a grip on, lol) from DCWV Brights mat collection
Pink Gem Challenge had a sketch challenge this time around.
It was in a square format, but to fit my two little Honeys on I stretched it out to a rectangle.  Does anybody else have the problem that cards folded this way don't "sit" properly, well, DON"T sit at all really, they sort of lay flat!!)?  Ha Ha.  If you know a "fix" let me know - I'd appreciate it!

The inside of this card, in complete contrast to the Hippie Honey card I did also from All That Scraps latest release, is super simple.  I just cut a strip from one of the Peachy Keen borders, mounted it on mirror card and stuck it in the middle of the card, it says "The road to a friends house is never long", though in this case of course the road for Tam to her friends house was about 20,000 km!!  Maybe it's nice that 20,000 km is not too long!  A blue flower brad each end, and some sponging around the edges of the card, "fini"!!
Stamp Challenges has it's Digi Day challenge this week, (now that really IS easy!) and Totally Papercrafts has "Friendship" as it's challenge theme so I'm entering these little fitness fans there.  
I used Hippie Honey for this card, she's a sweetie go and have a peep!
Until next time, which will be my final Honey from the release- and my fave - (Here's a link) , Happy Crafting, Dee

Hip Hippie Hooray for Honey

Today I get to share photos of the cards I've made as the February Guest Designer for the All That Scraps Digi Team.  This is my first foray into the world of Design Teams, I am really thrilled to be part of it and hope my efforts are up to the standard set by this great team in the past.
The images we got to work with this month are all Honeys, no, REALLY - they are all CC Designs Honey in various guises.  They are available in the All That Scraps store on February 11th

The first little lady is "Hippie Honey", giving us a "peace" sign.  How cool is she??!!!!  I love her little necklace too.  I coloured her with Copics, love my Copics, getting a bit obsessed with my Copics.......

I used sketch#87 from Sweet Sketch Wednesday , I love a straightforward sketch - they leave you so much more room to manoeuvre in the paper department!!  The paper I've used here is Kaisercrafts Hey Birdie 6" collection.  I thought it had a real retro feel (interesting term that "retro"; my kids use it about a lot of our stuff, it's funny how "retro" is acceptable now whereas it was just plain old fashioned a very short time ago, lol)    I used a Lacey Circles Nestie to cut out a plain cream circle to sit Honey on, embossed it with the Tiny Bubbles folder from Cuttlebug then backed it up with a plain pink circle using a, wait for it, Standard Circles Nestabilities.  The green and brown card are textured cardstock from DCWV Neutrals mat stack. I stuck tiny pink brown and green crystals in the "holes".

I wonder if you can guess which Nestabilties I used to cut the flowery circle out of, lol. The gros grain ribbon and pink foam flower were from my stash, as was the green crystal brad in the flower's centre. Loads of texture here, so I'm entering in Fab'n'Funky Challenges this week which has "Tempting Texture" as it's theme.

The inside of this card was "like Topsy" (is anyone else out there old enough to know that term?) - it just grew!!  I cut a frame using the Nesties I used on the outside of the card, printed a sentiment  on the computer using "Brandy" font.  It didn't look finished so I added the corner pieces in the brown polka dot paper, which helped a lot, it brought the brown over from the front (yes that plain paper at the top of the card is brown, I know, it doesn't look brown).  It still hadn't quite got there, so I added strips of the cream polka dot paper, and there it is finished!  Frankly, if I'd added much more there wouldn't have been any room left to write on, lol

Well, that's basically my first Honey for the day, Stamp Something has its Digi Day challenge on for Feb, so I'm going to enter my hip cool friend there, and the  ABC Challenge when I started this card was "N is for Nestie" - this card DEFINITELY is that: it is a multiNestie card, lol.  Unfortunately for me the challenge has moved along to "N is for Neutral" and this card is anything BUT neutral!!  Sweet Stampin' has spring flowers as it's challenge theme, and I love the springy feel that the flowers on this card have so I'm entering it there.

I'll be back later with another Honey (here), and if you're good (well, acutually, even if you're not good) I'll be back with a third one (here's a link)!!

Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Ivy Valentine

This is a Valentines card I made using Tickled Pink Stamps "Fashionette 20's Evie" image; I just realised I titled this post "Ivy Valentine", obviously it should have been "Evie Valentine", which brought to mind the song from childhood "Evie, Ivy Over" do you remember it?? Mmmm, not old enough?

I was under a bit of pressure to get the post up: I went to upload the photos and realised I hadn't taken any!! And I was only minutes away from a deadline!!  Does anybody else do that, or is it just me?  Oh well, I got it up in time to enter my Ivy/Evie Valentine in the Tickled Pink Challenge for this week which was "Punch it Out, use your punches". 
I've used my Labels Four Nestabilities (which may or may count as a punch) for the image and sentiment mats, I  left them in the die then distressed the edge with some pink Versa Mark ink, I've never done it that way before but I think I like it - the way it leaves the edge crisp and clean.
The lace down the sides is definitely punched:  Using Martha Stewart's Doily Lace punch to be precise, and the little heart "thought bubbles" (well that's how I visualised them to go with my sentiment, lol) were punched too.  I used an offcut of paper from the same pad that the rest of the papers on this card are from, namely the Kaisercraft Made with Love 6" collection and a small heart punch (the manufacturer of which I have no idea!!) then popped them up on foam dots for dimension.  The image was pop-dotted too!  Oh, and the corners of the card were rounded with my Carl corner rounder punch too!
I used this sketch from Pollycrafts Challenge "use the sketch and a love element", have I said before how much I love the simple sketches?  Pixie Dust Studios has "Be My Valentine and Creative Inpirations has Valentines/Love so I'll be entering there Totally Papercrafts has friendship, and as I often think of my friends with love I'm entering this card there too.  Stamp Challenges has it's "February Digi Day" happening, so as this is a digi stamp (like the vast majority of my stamps!) I'll be entering there too.  Creative Craft Challenges has "Hearts and Flowers", as does My Time to Craft: loads of hearts here, and YES a flower - on Evies dress! 

Because the card itself is really quite a dark pinky red, I've stuck some cream vellum inside it to write on.   I cut a frame out of pale lilac paper and the glittery hearts paper form the front.  Surprise, surprise the glitteryness (sort of) shows in this photo!
I made this card quite quickly, it really is a simple little thing and using die cuts and punches does speed things up a bit!!  I hope you like Ivy/Evie, and I thought I'd give you a heads up that I'll be posting my All That Scraps Guest Design Team projects later today!  I've had them made up for a while, to the point that some of the challenges I was going to enter them in have expired - oh well I'll just share them for sharing's sake!  They are really cute images, so come back and have a look later - there will be three YES THREE separate posts for them, that will be FOUR posts in one day!!  Have I got your interest piqued??
Good!  I'll see you "later" then; until then Happy Crafting, Dee

Weddings Old and New

As we've just celebrated my mum and dad's 60th Wedding Anniversary (and I haven't downloaded any photos of it yet) I thought I'd post some pictures of the cake I made for my son's wedding: it was in November 2009 so I suppose it's about time.

 In real life the flowers, which are all made with sugar,  were a beautiful soft peachy pink, I've made the photos low resolution and it seems to have washed the pics out, but you get the idea!!

I used Swarowski crystals and pearls as trim around the bottom of the cakes, and in amongst the flowers; I made bracelets and earrings out of the same for the bridesmaids - they looked very elegant with the black lace dresses and cocktail hats!
In addition to the cake - because I always think I can easily cover more than I actually can cover - I made the bonbonniere boxes and the sweets that went in them; 120 boxes which means 480 serves of sweeties!!  Well more, actually, because I HAD to taste test - A LOT, lol!!

The sweets were coffee-macadamia marzipan, chocolate coated mint fondant, Raspberry liqueur ganache and "Tablet" which is a Scottish form of fudge (my mother is Scottish as is the brides family, so it was a sort of tribute to our heritage, oh and it tastes REALLY NICE!!

I did use the computer to print all the names on the bonbonniere boxes (and the guide to the sweets on the insides of the boxes) then stuck them on sheets of double sided sticky paper, which made it a little easier.  I've got to say, if I had my time again I would buy the boxes pre-cut instead of cutting them myself out of sheets of card.  A lot of unnecessary work, oh well you live and learn!!
Well that's about all the info you need on a wedding cake, lol.  Hope you enjoy the photos, until next time Happy Crafting, Dee.