"All that I am...I owe to my angel mother"

No, this is not a quote by me...it is in fact by Abraham Lincoln but it does say what I want to say on this card for my lovely Mum on her birthday, the whole quote is in the oval frame at the top left corner of the card.

Firstly I should warn you, I love the way my card looks...so there are a LOT of photos :-)

I used the sketch from The Sugar Bowl Challenges and I used the option "Lace".  The Sugar Nellie digi I used here is "Joy", I think she is perfect for the vintage look I was after, Digistamps 4 Joy wants us to use an image of a child, so I'm entering there.  Joy is coloured with Copics, Copic Creations has Use Pastels...this is pastel...and I'm pleased 'coz I don't "do" pastel very often!  I used paper from Kaisercrafts collection.  The image panel is cut with Classic Oval Nestabilities and the mat with Scalloped Ovals. Totally Gorjuss has Use a Punch or Die, so I'm in! Bizzy Becs has Borders and Frames as their challenge, I think this fits the theme nicely.

I coloured some of the lace and the doily, which are from my stash, with E51 - adding some to the edge of the image panel.

Stamp Something want us to Stamp Something Embellished, there's plenty of embellishments here...the oval frame is from a set of Christmas ornaments I've had for years, the sprays of crystal drops were part of my birthday goodies from my lovely son Chris.  The stunning flowers are frosted resin with crystals and pearls in the centres, I bought them at the big annual craft show we have in Perth...my mum bought them for me, after I drooled over them, so I think it's appropriate that she gets to see them in use.Cupcake Craft Challenges theme is Shabby Sparkle, I think this vintage style card with rhinestone centred flowers fits the bill, I hope so!  Creative Craft Challenges has 3D as its theme, this is VERY 3D so I'm entering there. 

For the inside of the card, I used the corner from a piece of 12" scrapbooking paper, adding some papers from the front of the card and some pearls.  The cameo is one I've had in my stash for years...at least ten years - I bought some when I first started egg decorating, and have used a few for jewellery and now I made up this little charm.

It's been pretty overcast today, and we had some more rain...though checking with some family in the UK, it's still warmer here than there.  Anyway, the point is that it means some of my (many) photos are a bit dark.  I would take them again tomorrow, and re-post but my dh and I are going "down south" to Margaret River wine country for a week and I don't know if I'll get internet coverage there; I bought a dongle today from Telstra as they claim to have better coverage than Optus, (how desperate am I???!!!)...we'll see!

I may not have time anyway, there's all that world class wine, cheese, fantastic wineries/restaurants, and art and craft galleries, the mud brick chalet (with luxurious fit out, of course, my "camping" days are a happy but distant memory!!) set in acres of bushland walks with resident kangaroos and other native wildlife, we're going whale watching,  and....so are ya jealous yet? lol. Did I point out the forecast is rain?! mmm, there's always the wine and cheese in front of the log fire...'tis winter after all!  If my internet works, I may be secretly happy if it rains, and can claim that I'm pleased only because it will add to our (admittedly pathetic) dam levels ;-)

Anyway, enough babble from me, until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee 

Denny and Her Dog

Today I have the last card I've made in my stint as Guest Designer at Karber Digital for July.  I've used another new-to-me type of card....it's a "joy fold card" and it was a lot of fun to put together but seriously difficult to get the effect into a photo!

I found this tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers...it's brilliant, so clear and easy to follow.  The plan was to enter a couple of challenges that had Fancy Folds as their theme but...you guessed it - missed the deadline!  Never mind, it's added to my catalogue of card types :-)  Likewise the interesting choice of hair colour: Make It Colourful had Do Wild Coloured Hair...this is pretty wild but note the "had" - again, never mind -it made me go outside of my comfort zone...and anyway it means I can enter the ABC Challenge this time around which is Y is for Yesterday (I've used the P is for Pink challenge from November 2008; you don't get much pinker than this, lol)
Digital Tuesday had this great sketch...it fitted in really well with the joy fold.  
The image is "Pet Denny" from Karber Digital, she's coloured up with Copics with Ice Stickles on the bag and dog collar and gloss on her sunnies.
Sweet Stampin' has F F F F Fashion as its theme, Denny's the epitome of fashion in my opinion, so she's in!
Some of the papers are from Echo Parks Walk in the Park collection, one of the pads I bought with a voucher I won...I'll be cracking out some of my other newbies very soon!  and some is American Crafts City Park collection...which I won from Tracey; sounds like I win all the time, lol
I've used stripy ribbon from my stash - definitely bought that :-) to tie in with the stripy paper behind the image.

The mat is cut using my new Wonky Squares Nestabilities die and backed up with a mat from DCWV Endless Summer mat stack...it's nice and glittery.  Totally Gorjuss has Die Cuts and Punches so I'm in.  Everything is mounted on American Crafts hot pink cardstock, ...lots of layers here, which is just as well as Creative Craft Challenges has 3D it as its challenge theme.
I've put a few extra photos in to try and show (for those who don't already know, of course!) how this type of card "works"...I'm not sure I've managed it to be honest, you'll just have to check out the video tutorial.

I've added a lovely metal butterfly as a "stopper" for the front of the card to tuck under, so I'll be entering Flutterby Wednesday's Open challenge.  Stamp Something wants us to Stamp Something Embellished, as well as my butterfly I've used a great metal embellishment inside the card...it's actually recycled from one of my son's 30th birthday cards from earlier this year and is probably going to go to my niece who is thirty in a few days (I've made this card for her, but I'm not entirely convinced it's "her"; time will tell - as in if I don't get time to make another this card will be PERFECT, lol)
Well, that's it for my probably-my-nieces-birthday-card.  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee.

Cockatoo Rules the Road

Today's card is for the new challenge at Here Come The Boys...starting today; the theme is "Travel"

I've made a side step card - this is the first one of these I've done.  I found a good tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers, but it was in that cursed Imperial (aaghh), so I've translated the template to metric, tweaking it a bit to get the size I wanted.  I will put my version on my "Templates and Tutorials" page when it looks a bit tidier -as in you can read it, lol.  Creative Craft Challenges has "3D" it as its challenge theme...this DEFINITELY qualifies! These things are super fun to decorate, I can see the potential to embellish them within an inch of their lives!

The background paper is from Flavia and all the tags, trims and borders are from  Kaisercrafts Up and Away 6" collection, pre-cut and ready to go, what could be easier?

This fabulous image is (a digi, of course!) from The Paper Shelter...and he's called Cockatoo Rules, which of course with that 'tude he DOES!  I'm Australian, so I felt a particular affinity with this Sulphur Crested Cocky...when I was first married the people over the back had one of these guys, and let me tell you they're LOUD!!!  By the Cute and Girly has Things with wings as its challenge theme this time, so I'm entering there and  Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has Animal Antics so, you guessed it...in there as well!

The background image is part of the "Rainbow Land" set of digis, one of many that my li'l Aussie mate Zoe has for sale at Make It Crafty.  I coloured Cocky with Copics and the background image with Prismacolor pencils (though the rainbow itself is coloured with Copics).  I made the little signpost by printing an outline using Microsoft Word...Insert Shapes, a cylinder and some arrows - too easy!  It says "Home" one way and "Adventure" the other, I coloured it up using, wait for it, Copics!!  Make It Colourful, Zoe's challenge blog, has "Colour your own embellishments" as its current theme, I think this counts...hope so!  Sir Stampalot has Anything Goes as its challenge theme this month, my last entry was my little notebook set so I can enter this card there too.

Craft Your Passion has Text It (use text) as its challenge theme, I have my little post card tag as well as my signpost, and the inside of the card is covered with text, so in I go!  I cut the postcard on the inside of the card (to use as a jotting panel) from one of the sheets of paper from the Kaisercraft pad, I don't think it needed any more embellishing than that.

Well that's about it for my side steppin' Cockatoo card...hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed making it.  Why don't you pop over to Here Come The Boys and check out the rest of the Design Team's inspiration...and why don't you have a crack at the challenge while you're there!

I'll be back tomorrow with another card with a different kind of fold tomorrow, for my Guest spot at Karber Digital, Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee (oh, and the Galah!)

 PS My card IS straight...I put it on the top of my barbecue to take this picture, because it was actually raining (yay! we're still way under average) and the barbie's undercover; the barbecue lid slopes - honest!! Dee

A Note for the Teacher

Today's post is a short one....as promised!  This is the third project I've made as Guest Designer for Karber Digital...it's a little notebook and pen set that would make the perfect gift for a favourite teacher. 

 I bought the notebook (actually I bought half a dozen, when you find a good thing and all that!) and pen set in my local supermarket....just snuck them in with my groceries, which means they didn't cost anything, lol  (Actually they cost $1.47 per set, even in Australian Dollars that is practically nothing!)  
This one was pink but the pen is a nice red which went with the colour scheme I had in mind as soon as I saw the apple on the Karber Digital image "Lovely Teacher" 

I started out by covering the book inside and out with some lovely self-patterned red paper (in a pack from the $2 shop, yup I'm a cheapskate!) Then I coloured the image with Copics, adding a good dollop of gloss to the apple and earrings...and as lip gloss to the Lovely Teacher, who is popped up on foam dots (but of course!) 
The tags are from Kaisercrafts Class of 84 collection...I added one to the inside so you can write a little "note to the teacher". Craft Your Passion has Text It (use text) as its challenge, there's text on the tags, so I'm in.  Both  Simon Says Challenge and Sir Stampalot have Anything Goes as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there too.
The metal apple embellishment on the front is a sticker...in a pack from a discount store :-) and the paper one on the inside is punched out of one of the sheets from the Kaisercraft pad. 

The little pens that came with the notepads are so cute...you lever the clip up and it extends the nib for you to use...dinky!  I just thought I'd take a pic so you could see what I mean!

That's it for my little project for today,  I'll be making a few more of these, firstly because it was quick and secondly because I love little useful somethings as Christmas "stocking fillers. 

Moving Along With The Times has "Favourite Things" as it's challenge theme this time around...this project has a few of mine...I love digis, I love Copics, I love red, strong patterns and most of all I LOVE A BARGAIN!!
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee.

Get Well Ethyl

This is a "Get Well Soon" card for a lady named Ethyl who lives in Canada who I do not know, but who I heard about through my blog friend Brenda....
Brenda, in turn learned of Ethyls story through Sheree's blog;  In short Sheree was asking for Get Well cards for her friend Ethyl who had suffered a terrible accident and was dealing with the aftermath with fortitude and grace. 

I used an image from The Paper Shelter, I saw it on Lisas blog and thought it was soooo cute - and very versatile.  I've coloured with Copics, adding some Stickles to the centre of the flower and gloss to the little fellows nose.
The papers are from Kaisercraft's Hippy Girl collection, while in this photo you can see the glitter on the stripy paper you can't see the more subtle glitter on the background paper.  I stamped the sentiment with Brown ink and embossed that with more glitter....even the ribbon is glittery, but I don't think it's too much - just cheery!
 Do It With Digis has Spots &/or Stripes as it's challenge; I've gone with stripes - my paper.  I've mounted the panels at different levels with foam dots, my fave!
Cupcake Craft Challenges has "choose your favourite challenge" - from their first 150 that is! - as it's theme this time around, I've chosen #40 Green Pink Brown Animals and Flowers as my theme, though  #110 Pink and Brown would have done just as well!  A Spoon Full Of Sugar has exactly that: Pink and Brown, so guess what? I'm in!!
I've used this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday, the embellishment at the top right seemed superfluous with the big flower on the image, so I added a little (glittery, of course!) butterfly.  
The image panel is cut using Nestabilities Standard Circles and the brown mat from Nesties Lacey Circles....Cute Card Thursday has Going Round in Circles and Digital Tuesday has Spellbound (use Spellbinders or similar) as its challenge, so I'm entering there.  
Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenges  has Get Punchy as its theme,  as well as my Nesties I've used Martha Stewarts Doily Lace border punch to cut the pink and brown strips across the card, and my MS butterfly, so I'm in!!
Simon Says Challenge has Anything Goes as its theme, easy peasy, lol.  Craft Your Passion has Just For You and while this is Just for Ethyl, I'm sure they'll let me enter!!

 The inside of the card looks very simple, there is nothing particularly technical about it but it took a lot of cutting...I cut the mats, die cut openings in them, then die cut the lacey circle frame with a die cut circle to fit inside...if I'd thought it through I would have stuck the mats together first and then cut them out as one, duh!
Well that's all the details on my card for Ethyl, while her story is hers it resonates with me on a personal level:
Some four years ago, my nephew was in a horrific industrial accident; his arm was crushed in machinery while he was working on a very remote drill site in the Outback of Western Australia, it took several hours for the Royal Flying Doctor to get to him, then several more hours for them to evacuate him to Darwin....this delay led to severe complications and a fight to keep initially his life, then his arm.  Still, without the RFDS he would certainly have died so we are eternally grateful to them. 
While he has kept his arm, it is no longer functional and is severely disfigured.  He was in hospital for sixteen weeks, he underwent more than twenty surgeries;  he had, among other things, muscle tissue taken from his back, veins taken from his leg (to try and make an artery for his arm) and skin taken from everywhere!!
The vast majority of his time in Hospital after he'd been flown back to Perth were spent in isolation because of a MRSA he picked up in Darwin Hospital (actually a tropical disease of "unknown" origin then a MRSA),  
Of all the procedures he went through, the debriding of necrotic tissue and skin grafts - going through the cycle of graft and rejection that is common to these sorts of injuries - were the toughest to endure physically and mentally. Many steps of this process seem to have been replicated in Ethyls story, and so I hope that getting cards from people she doesn't know will help her feel she is in the thoughts of others...that sort of RAOK certainly helped my nephew, and his mother - my sister - to cope at a difficult time.  For this reason I applaud Sheree for taking the time to organise it all.  
I'll be back tomorrow with a little project I've made....and it will be a very short post PROMISE!!
Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Sittin' and Swingin'

Today's card uses another new release digital stamp from Christine at CC Designs...this is the Swiss Pixie "Summer Birgitta" and she is sitting on her very own tree swing, though as the images are available separately (from 15 July at All That Scraps) , you could just as easily have her sitting anywhere!!

One Stop Craft Challenge has Summer Time and Crazy 4 Challenges has Summer - as this is Summer Birgitta, guess who's entering a challenge?!'

I didn't use a sketch this time around (gasp) I really wanted to use this paper from Kaisercrafts Chanteuse collection and so needed a very straightforward layout.  I love the soft colours in the paper,  Divas by Design has Pastels as its challenge theme so I'm entering there.  A Spoon Full Of Sugar has Pink and Brown and Whoopsi Daisy Challenge is We Love Pink...there's plenty of pink and brown here, so in it goes!

I coloured Birgitta with Copics...I gave her blonde hair, not a "usual" for me!  I got another ten Copics in the mail yesterday so my collection is increasing (I'm adding refills too, so it's a balancing act between getting new colours and actually being able to use the ones I've already got, lol)   I've added quite a few browns so my tree has five browns on it! 

Birgitta was cut out and popped up on foam dots -of course, it's what I do :-)  The image panel was foam dotted and the sentiment (which is from the same paper pad) was originally just round: I cut and embossed it using the smallest die in my Lacey Circles Nestabilities set, then mounted it on a plain pink circle...you guessed it, that was foam dotted too!

I made the tiny pink flowers using a punch, then run the ball end of a stylus in the back of each petal to give them some shape.  I added tiny rhinestones to match the rhinestones that were in the pink polka dotted daisies (which came in a mixed pack from KMart!)

The polka dot ribbon is from my stash.  I cut some flourishes using my Marianne Creatables die for the flower arrangement and added a few more of the tiny flowers to help fill it out. 

Digital Tuesday has "Spellbound" - use at least one die as its challenge theme, there's more than one used here, so in it goes.

Creative Craft Challenges this time around is Pretty Blossoms, these are definitely blossoms....and I think they're pretty, so I'm in!  Craft Your Passion has Just For You (a general card, which this is) Simon Says Challenge has Anything Goes, YAY!  I'm In.

I finished the inside of the card pretty plainly...though possibly not plainly enough!  I cut a window out of some patterned paper, backing it up with some pearlised pink card, added a bow, so far so good....I added a couple of the Marianne flourishes and it didn't look quite right, so I drew some more in with a brown metallic pen, mmmm, definitely didn't look right now!....I know, I'll add some brown pearls. MMMMMM, suffice to say the inside may be getting an overhaul! 

Anyway folks, why don't you go over to the All That Scraps blog and have a look at the rest of the DT projects...there's always a prize on offer, so well worth the look.

I'll be back soon with my great nieces card (I know, I keep saying that!) and a little project I have made as Guest of Karber, very simple but what fun it was to make!

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Anyone for Cupcakes?

This is the second card I've made in my term as Guest Designer for Karber Digital Stamps..this is Cupcakes Denny.

I cut and embossed the image panel using my Nestabilities Labels Four, Divas by Design has Die Cuts and Punches as its challenge theme, so I'm entering there.  I coloured Denny using Copics, adding some Ice Stickles to her stack of lovely cupcakes,  My Time to Craft has "A La Carte" (use a food image) as it's challenge this week, I would say that Cupcakes are food, though some would argue not, lol.  

I used this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday, you know I love a symmetrical sketch!   I distressed the edges (of all the panels and the card itself) with Kaisercraft ink, in an unnamed purple colour!  Fab 'n' Funky   has Purple Haze as its challenge theme, plenty of purple here, so in it goes.  Die Cut Dreams 3shapes, 2colours, 1 ribbon for its challenge, I have the Nestie shape, Rectangles and a square as my three shapes, and essentially the card is purple and pink = two colours (hopefully my little bit of lemon won't disquallify me!) and there's a ribbon, so... I'm in!

The papers on this card are from all over the place! The purple card for matting is from DCWV, the card base is from my stash, the hearts is from Kaisercrafts Made With Love collection (I think Denny's cupcakes were made with love, lol) the pink card, embossed with Craft Concepts Cupcakes folder is from American Crafts and the cupcake paper is from a digikit by Gina Jane I got as a Freebie from The Daisie Company...it's got cupcakes and candy and is very useful!!

As well as background papers, the kit has some individual cupcakes in it; I printed one of these on to shrink paper and then, well, shrunk it!  That's what is in the centre of the flower, I thought it was a nice change from a brad or a pearl...it's hard to see in the photo, but it is quite thick and glossy...and it was easy peasy! I inked the petaloo flower up to match my papers, added some Kaisercraft pearls and polka-dotted-purple organza ribbon from my stash (try saying THAT three times fast!)  As usual, everything is popped up on foam dots for dimension.  Craft Your Passion has Just For You (a general card for anyone) as their challenge theme this time; Allsorts has Free and Easy, so I'm entering there too.

The sentiment on the inside is a digistamp from Hobby Palais, they have about a million to choose from!  I altered the colour to purple using Word (Format Picture, super easy no skills required, lol) then coloured it up with Copics. Originally I just sponged the background with various inks, but it looked way too plain...so I took the piece of cupcake paper I had printed first up and didn't use on the front as it was too pale (because I had printed it on too low a resolution, duh), cut it into strips and glued them on to some of the purple DCWV card edge-punched with Martha Stewarts border punch.  The pearls just finished it off nicely, as they're on a strip Too Easy!!!

Well folks, that's it for my card today...there may be more purpleness in the next day or so as I have a card to post that just happens to be purple; I didn't think I even LIKED purple that much, but I chose it for this card and the one to come I chose it for because it most certainly IS my great-nieces favourite...then again, she is eight!

Until next time, Happy Crafting and I hope you have a cupcake kind of day, Dee

  

Surfin' Stefan

Well, it's challenge time again at Here Come The Boys, and the theme this time around is "Sporty".  The cool dude on my card is Li'l Lad Stefan from Tickled Pink Stamps and I had to get him because he shares my darling husband's name....and looks quite a bit like he did when I met him in 1975 - except MY Stefan had REALLY long hair....seriously!!

The base of the card is Kraft, the patterned papers are from Kaisercrafts Seaside Collection.  Crafty Cardmakers has Spots and Stripes as it's theme, Spots and Stripes on the paper(s)... I'm in!  Everything is matted on Blue textured cardstock from DCWV.

I coloured the image up with Copics, with some Prismacolor pencils on the "sand" and have put a coat of gloss on the sunglasses since I took this photo...I couldn't be bothered taking the photo again, I'm sure you can use your imagination, lol.

I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash this time, stretching it out to suit the card (which is standard size for a DL envelope)...I don't have a sentiment, it means I can use the card for any number of purposes - always a good thing in an emergency!  The new stash on my card is the Kraft paper and the stamp...one of many bought and waiting!

The only embellishments on the  whole thing is the pair - and they ARE a pair, left and right - of red thongs (which is what we call this type of footwear in Australia; flip-flops in Britain, Jandals in New Zealand, what are they where YOU are?!)...how cute are they?

The inside could not have been finished more simply...it looks crooked in the pic, but trust me it IS straight! 

Totally Papercrafts has The Beach as its current theme...here's beach, One Stop Craft Challenge, Totally Gorjuss and Crazy 4 Challenges all have Summer or Summertime and Whoopsi Daisy Challenge is Hot Hot Hot...while Stefan is Hot Hot Hot (yes mine, still, after all these years, lol) - they're probably referring to the weather too, mmm, yes probably :-)

Papertake Weekly and Craft Your Passion both have Anything Goes...so again, I'm in.  Gem of a Challenge has Lets Hear It For the Boys, so lets hear it for Stefan, the Li'l Lad and my not-so-little hubby who is still to me the blue eyed boy I met all those years ago (yup, I coloured this little lads eyes blue too...of course!).

I really enjoyed making this card, and to be honest it was good to use a stamp that has been sitting on my cyber shelf waiting patiently.  All I have to do now is get into the other 200+ unused images!!!  I know, I know, I have a problem (do the maths; if I buy no more and use four a week I have enough for over a year)...how did this happen?! and I've just been looking at some seriously must-have stamps that are only a click away, so you know it's not going to end there!  Just as well I don't smoke or drink or have any OTHER expensive habits, lol.
Why don't you pop over to the Here Come The Boys and check out the rest of the DT inspiration...and maybe have a go at the challenge while you're there!

Until next time, tomorrow in fact when I'll be back with my card for Karber, Happy Crafting, Dee

I Frogot Your Birthday

Do You like my sentiment: "I Frogot your birthday….hope it was Toadally awesome", do ya? Well, do ya? (I can hear you groan from here!)

Today’s card is a centre stepper card…the first of these I've ever done.  Not difficult and a really effective way of putting a few more words than normal on the front of a card.  Crazy 4 Challenges has Make a Centre Step Card as its challenge this week, they even have a link to a tutorial (which I used, thank you very much), and The Crafty Pad  has Use a "Special" type of card, so I'm entering in both those challenges.

I’ve used the new digistamp release from CC Designs “Froggie Balloon” which is available at All That Scraps tomorrow, Friday 8^th July, I’ve coloured with Prismacolour pencils; he was very easy to colour J  There’s glossy accents on his eyes and on the balloon, I built it up on the balloon so it’s quite 3D.  Why don't you go to the All That Scraps blog and check out the rest of the teams work, there’s a chance to win this little cutie while you’re there.  You could use it on their challenge this week, which is Anything Goes!

The papers are from my stash (12” scrapbooking paper and DCWV textured cardstock for matting.  Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has Double Up (use two of something) as its challenge; I’ve used two acrylic flowers, which have been in my stash for YEARS, as well as two pearls in their centres, technically I suppose you could see Doubles of lots of things on this symmetrical card, lol.  
The ribbon is from my stash too, as are the pearls - I coloured them up to match with my Copic G07.Copic Oz has "Colour Your own embellishments (using Copics)" as its theme, so I'm entering there.

Stamp Something has its July Digi Day challenge on at the moment, this is a digi so I’m in….Allsorts Challenges, Papertake Weekly and Craft Your Passion all have Anything Goes so I’m in there, there and there too! 

The inside of the card is finished very simply indeed…this is another good thing about these stepper cards; there’s loads of room for sentiments on the front, so it leaves extra room for writing your message inside. 

Well that’s about it for my simple little card, I had fun making it.  

I’ll be back on Sunday with a card for Here Come The Boys challenge, and Monday with another Karber Digital GDT spot…or maybe even before that with a card I helped my Mum make (helped by making it, lol) for her Great granddaughter’s birthday (sounds so much better than my grandniece, which makes me feel very OLD!)…depends if I get my other “stuff” done.   Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Hope Your Day Is As Fabulous As You Are

Today’s card is my first as GUEST DESIGNER for Karber Digital Images.  Berenice, one of the owners asked if I’d like to be their guest for the month of July and of course I jumped at it….

This elegant lady is Denny, she comes in many guises -this is Cocktail Denny.  She is a digi (from Karber Digital Images of course!) and I coloured her with Copic markers.  Stamp Something's current challenge is its July Digi Day, so Dennys in….and Craft Your Passion has Anything Goes; so in there too!

The paper on the card base is from Kaisercrafts After Five collection, the one with the Deco style arches is from Kaisercrafts Shaken Not Stirred collection the black stripy paper is in fact corrugated.  The red panel is the last L of my fabulous textured pearl paper – I’ve made three or four cards out of one A4 piece, not bad!!  I’ll have to get into Starfish Lane and get some more, I LOVE IT!  The black card for matting is from my stash.

I used this sketch from Crafting Life's Pieces...the part of the sketch representing the flowers made me think of feathers….so that’s what I used! 

I've never put feathers on a card before; I think it suits the style of the card.  Delicious Doodles has Flourishes and Bling as its challenge theme this time, along with my feathers I have flourishes cut out with a Marianne D Creatables die and pins I made up myself using quilting pins, beads and some Swarowski crystals with a crimp on the end to hold everything on (it’s the first time I’ve used pins too, I ordered some “proper” stick pins from the US but they seem to have got lost – I’ll have to chase them up)  

Totally Papercrafts has this Bingo grid for its challenge this week, I've gone with the  Ribbon/Glitter Glimmer/ Gems line.  Divas by Design has Die Cuts and Punches as its challenge theme, my die cut and the lace cut with a Nellie Snellen border die get me in there!  Crafty Cardmakers has Spots and Stripes as its theme my spotty ribbon gets me in there (as well as the stripy background paper, of course!) As Allsorts Challenges has Anything Goes, I'm definitely in there!!  I made the sentiment on the computer.

The inside of the card was finished very simply with papers from the front, with some bling added to the lace.  

That's it from Denny and Dee!  I'll be back  in a few days with a card for All That Scraps and a few days after that with one for Here Come The Boys....busy busy busy, lol.

Thanks for looking at my card, until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Just a Note

Today I have another card that I made just because I felt like it.....and I had the time!!

Of course I use the term "had the time" very loosely, I don't really have the time at all!!  It was the last day of our financial year yesterday, and to say that I'm not quite up to date with my financials (or my son's, whose business I do the paperwork for too) is an understatement!  My son has been away in Europe for five weeks, so I haven't had the ongoing pressure to do his work, generating invoices etc, consequently I've done basically none of  it at all.....and he's back tomorrow night, woops!  Guess what I'm doing today? lol

The sentiment is a sticker, I've got an expanding file full of stickers that I hardly use, so I am making a point of using them when I can...it was a good sentiment for this trilling bird, the right colour so I used it...only about two thousand left!!  It's a Digistamp Boutique image from the Cute Bird Collection, I've had it for ages (I bought a load when I first started card making a year ago and haven't used most of them yet, me bad) It's so sweet, and lends itself to the clean look that I like; Stampin' for the Weekend has My Favourite Things as its theme, so I'm entering there (digistamps are my first favourite and the colours and style are favourites too)  I coloured this little fellow with Prismacolor pencils and solvent; it seriously took me only about ten minutes to finish it, Prismacolors are becoming a favourite too, it would seem.  The papers are from My Minds Eye (I think, I won them from Tracy a while back, I love the fresh colours of them, the Dew drops on the corners are from that little win too!!)  

 I used this great sketch from A Gem of a Challenge, turning it 90 degrees.  It's not totally symmetrical, so I've really gone out on a limb, lol.  Sweet Stampin' has Something Old & Something New as it's challenge theme, the stamp is old...or is it new if you haven't used it before? and the yellow flower is new, it was white and I coloured it with Copics to match the DCWV Bright Mat Stack card (embossed with Cuttlebugs Swiss Dots folder) used to mat the DPs .  The centre of the flower is a brad that even predates my card making; I bought them for some other craft project yonks ago.  Digital Tuesday Flower Power as its theme so my card is going there too.

The Crafty Pad has Bold and Bright or Pretty Pastels as its challenge theme, I think this qualifies as Bold and Bright!  My Time to Craft and Moving Along With The Times both have Here Comes the Summer as their theme this time around, the bright colours and singing bird are testament to that, so I'm entering there.

Divas by Design has Die Cuts and Punches, that's a pretty easy challenge to meet, I am a bit die cut crazy; I've just ordered a new Nestie and am seriously thinking about ordering a few more as the exchange rate is with me....and it does offset the inevitable extortionate shipping from the US.  We're even good against the pound so I may just "have" to buy some stuff from the UK!

I've used Nestabilities Labels Nine On this card, I'm liking this using the negative of the die cut inside the card...I cut the mat stack as well then mounted it on foam dots to give it a real window feel, and just finished the rest with papers from the front.

Well, I've now spent waaay longer than I was going to (on a very simple card!)  I'm off to do my "real" work....I have a bit of Design Team work to do too,  Here Come The Boys have asked me to join the permanent DT, which I'm rapt about!  So as well as making some "inspiration" for the next challenge I'm spending a bit of time getting myself on board.   As well, I've been asked by Karber Digital Images to be their Guest Designer for July: my first card will appear on Monday and then every Monday for July...hope you pop back to "have a sticky beak" (Aussie term, pretty self explanatory, lol)...and All That Scraps have a new release for us "digi girls" to showcase next week....so, like I said at the outset having the time is open to interpretation!

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee