Chop Chop, it's your birthday

I've made this card for our friends' son for his birthday.  It's been quite a while since either of my sons was eleven, so hopefully this will hit the mark.

The photos are a little dark, I just realised I'm down to the wire on one of the challenges I'm going to enter, so I've had to post these photos and hope for the best!

I've used the sketch from Gem of a Challenge, you know how much I love symmetry, and this one is pretty much symmetrical...except for that little triangle, which adds a bit of derring-do, lol.  The papers are all from Kaisercrafts Chapter One collection, the green foil lifts the overall effect, hopefully enough!  Craft Your Passion has Green Yellow Black and White as its challenge theme, I don't know if my yellow/green is yellow enough but I'm entering there in hope!

The image is Karate Boy from Mo Manning, but it seems only to be available from Digital Pencil Too not from Mo's Digital Pencil as many of her other images are. It's coloured with Copics...not a lot of them either, lol.  Lexis Creations has "Card for a child" as its challenge theme so I'm entering there, and Cards for Men has Sports as its theme so I'm entering there too.

Bearly Mine Challenges challenge this time is to use three backing papers, easy peasy, I'm in :-)  I used my Nestabilities Labels Twelve to cut the image panel, and I made the embellishments up by cutting and embossing circles of the foiled paper with Standard Circles Nestabilities and sticking Crystal stickers (that I got ages ago in BigW) in the centres, I used just the stickers on the opposite corner of the image panel.  I put one of my little embellies in the inside of the card too... partly to tie it in to the front but more to cover the join in the strip of foiled paper I put along the triangle of black (which has a tinge of green along the outer edge.  Whoopsi Daisy Challenge has Make Your Own Embellishments as its challenge theme, even though these embellishments are very simple I did make them myself, so I'm entering the challenge.

I cut the sentiment panel using the same nesties as the image on the front, adding a bit of the black and the foiled paper to finish it off; alright, the truth...to cover the inky thumbprint on the bottom, lol.  I only glued the outside edges of the stripy triangle so that I had a pocket to put Andrew's gift card in (I usually try not to give kids gift cards, but not only has he reached "that" age when you can miss horribly with your gift choice, they have moved to the country so I got something I knew he could use on the internet...for which he has a passion!)

Creatalicious Challenges, Digi Stamps 4 Joy, Simon Says Challenge, Crafts 4 Eternity and Sweet Stampin' all have Anything Goes as their current challenge themes, so I'll be entering there too.

I hope you like my card, I really enjoyed making it - everything fell into place, which is a nice change, lol.  I'll be back on Sunday with another bit of DT work for Here Come The Boys, until then Happy Crafting, Dee

Little Boy Blue

My card of the day is....this one!

Well, the last card I made was Clean and Simple and this one is....not, though it was in the end easier to get to a level I was happy with, in fact I like it, which isn't always the case :-) It looks so much nicer in real life, you'll just have to trust me, lol.  The Whoopsi Daisy Challenge this time is Shabby Chic, I think this qualifies so I'm entering there.
I made this card for my son (at his less than subtle request) to give to his new-parent friends.  He wanted a multilayered card, I'm sure this is  multilayered enough...lots of layers here!  The super cute image is Tiny Baby from Some Odd Girl, I love it! Stampin' for the Weekend  has What a Cutie as its theme, you don't get much cuter than this so I'm in! 
I coloured the image with Copics, adding Royal Coat Gloss to his eyes, and some Sparkly Fluff to his nappy, hard to see in the photo, but it adds a great texture.  Lexis Creations has Card for a child and Digital Tuesday has People images; this little chap is both so  I'm in and in, lol.
I made up some more little pins, I'm loving these things. I used some beads I've had kicking around for years, including the little blue butterfly and some Swarovski bicones. it really catches the light IRL, but of course I can't capture that in these pics!  There's even sparkle on the white feathery foliage (part of my birthday gift from my lovely Chris, funny to be sending some of it back to him, lol) Creative Craft Challenges has  Buttons and Bling as their challenge, this definitely qualifies!
I didn't follow a sketch this time, well only the one in my head! I've used more of the goodies I got from Poppys Cabin; the square mat (which I embossed with Cuttlebugs Swiss Dots embossing folder for extra texture) and the border strip across the centre, which I glued ricrac to.  The image mat was cut using Nestabilities Classic Ovals backed up with a Scalloped Oval nestie in blue.  Inside the card I punched the edges of the jotting panel with Martha Stewarts Around the Page Modern Garland punch.  Simon Says Challenge has Use Dies and/ or punches as its challenge theme...I've used 'em in spades!
I've used papers from Kaisercrafts Lullaby collection, the top one is flocked - more lovely texture. The sentiment tag's from the same pad.  The "oh boy" paper is from my stash...and I'm coming to the end of it, nooooooo... it's so useful!
The little bear inside is a button from one of those mega packs you get in Spotlight, I distressed him with a bit of the blue Kaisercraft ink I used on the edges of all the white elements as he was a bit bland. Buttons, Card Candi (also inked up for extra depth) and the flower are all from my stash.
Moving Along With The Times has a recipe challenge: 3 Designer Papers,  2 Types of Embellishments and 1 Image ... I'm hoping that means at least two types of embellishments , 'coz I've got about five!  No problem deciding if my little blue wonder fits in Digi Stamps 4 Joy, Sweet Stampin' and Creatalicious Challenges; they've all got "Anything Goes"

That, as they say, is the end of my story for today.  Feeling a bit flat at the moment, for a number of reasons, our footy team getting belted out of the finals today didn't help (you know how it goes, my hubby's feeling a bit flat so, little emotional sponge that I am I've soaked that up as well!)

I'll be back in a day or so with more craft...when I've made some! 

Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Sweet Baby Boy

Well I have something a little different (though still a card) today, it's clean and simple...or supposed to be, simple that is!  I like quite tailored cards and struggle with vintage, though I love it when done by someone who "can" ...and it would seem I struggle with Clean and Simple too!   Having it look finished was the trick, not sure if I pulled it off or not.

I made a rectangular card, mainly so I could fit this little train in!  It's a digi image from Angels Landing called Alphabet Train.  Actually each element is seperate, and there are numbers as well as a couple more carriages with animals in.  Being a digi made it possible to scale it down to a reasonable size (this fits a DL envelope). The last dolly in my train comes empty, I made the blocks up using Word and plonked them on there.  I used Word for the smoke cloud and "sweet" too.  
Totally Gorjuss has Nothing Square about me and Cards for Men Anything but a square, so my rectangle is in!
Totally Papercrafts has Clean and Simple and Less is More has Anything Goes Clean and Simple so I'm entering there.
Not much more to say about this little card really, the image is coloured with Prismacolor pencils, some stickles on the wheel hubs and smoke cloud.  I stamped around the edge but it was crooked so I cut a frame from blue check paper and added that instead...it looks a lot more "finished" than it did.  The Secret Crafter has a One Layer Card as its challenge theme, I hope my tiny border doesn't disqualify me from entering there!
I don't know why it took so much fiddling to get the scale right, though I have made a few variations of it while I was at it...so you'll be seeing this little guy again soon!
The inside is very simple too, as it has to be for this style of card.  I generated the sentiment on the computer and printed it straight on to the card, adding a border to match the front.
Lexis Creations has  A Card for a Child as their theme this time, hope this fits, and Digi Stamps 4 Joy and  Creatalicious Challenges both have Anything Goes...KNOW that fits so I'm in!
Well that is it for my one layer clean and simple card.  It may or may not be my one and only OLCAS card...I've got an urge to try and  perfect it. However, my son (who wanted a card to give to his friends who have just had a little boy, as yet unnamed!) "really likes" my "normal cards" "you know Mum, the ones with lots of layers" and still needs a card, mmm, looks like I'm making a multi layered baby card for my son who's friends who have etc lol.
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

Tea and Bingo

Today's card was made for my Dad for Fathers Day, which was earlier this month in Australia.  I used the opportunity to use the Bingo Board that is Here Come The Boys challenge this fortnight.

This card could use a couple of lines on the board; I've gone with Die Cuts /Charms or Buttons/2 Squares (my metal ribbon sliders are square if you don't count my Wonky Squares Nesties used to cut the image panel with the square of polka dot paper), but it could have been Rafia Twine String/Cute Image/2 Squares or Die Cuts/Cute Image/Metal....so you see the board is very flexible!  As well as the Wonky Squares die I've used Nestabilities Standard Circles, Paper Play Challenges has Punches or Dies as their challenge this time so I'm entering there.

I've used the sketch from Crafting Life's Pieces for their September challenge.  You know I like a good sketch! The background paper is from my stash, and the rest is from Kaisercrafts Up, Up and Away Collection, including the die cut scroll under the image.  The mats are from American Crafts and DCWV card.  I used string from my husbands shed!  I plaited some to make it more substantial through the sliders and just used it single strand to hang the charm.  The brown pearls are also from my stash.

The cute image is Jim Relaxing from Digistamp Boutique, all you have to do to enter their monthly challenge is use one of their images...no hardship at all, great images...so I'm in!  Once again I've coloured with Prismacolor pencils, I did colour this some time ago, so it's not as smooth as it could be but I think it suits the shabby chic sort of style of the card.  Digistamps 4 Joy has Colours of Fall, which I think this has (though we're in Spring here so I can hardly remember Autumn!) as its challenge, so I'm entering there.

My cute little teapot...the charm, that is, not my Dad (though he IS a little teapot - he's only 5'2" and he LOVES his tea, in fact one of the things their budgie says is "do you want a cup of tea Dad" - must hear it a LOT, lol) is from Sharon at Ewe 2 Can Craft...thanks again Woo!  The Simon Says Challenge this time is "Sing It" - inspired by a song; the song this card was inspired by (apart from "I'm a little tea pot",lol) is "Have a Cup of Tea" by the Kinks - probably before your time - and now I can't get it out of my head!  Sundays With Chrissy has Friendship as its challenge theme, I think my "feel like a cuppa" fits the bill, so I'm entering there.

The sentiment ticket on the front is a digi from Bizzy Becs A Little Bit of Everything; they're really great, come 21 (different sentiments) to a sheet and I just use the Crop function in Word to isolate one and print it on scrap.  I distressed the edges (of basically everything!) with Ancient Page ink.  Stamptacular Sunday Challenge this time is Just Sayin' (use some words on the front, easy peasy!)

The sentiment inside is made up of alpha stickers, I think by Weave.  Creatalicious Challenges, Becs challenge blog, has Anything Goes as its challenge theme, as does  Cute Card Thursday so I'm entering there  too.

Well that's about it for my card today, don't forget to pop over to Here Come The Boys and check out the inspiration by my talented teamies, why not enter the challenge too and I'll come and visit you to check out your Bingo line!

I'll be back soon, no doubt with one of those baby cards I have to do (I know one's a boy now, born on Friday- Congratulations on the arrival of your little man Sue and Andy!) Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Baby Love

The card I've got today will be going to my son for one of his friends who is due her baby any day...we know it's a girl so I went VERY pink!!

The image is one of the digis I bought recently from Some Odd Girl, this is Snuggly Baby Kaylee...ain't she cute?!
I coloured Kaylee with Prismacolor pencils, I still have a way to go before I'm completely happy with the results, (still doesn't come close to Copics) but I do feel I'm improving and as I am about to expand my collection considerably that should help.  Mainly I am determined to master pencil colouring!!

I've used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday, I love symmetry so this is definitely the sketch for me!  
Stampin' for the Weekend has Tickled Pink as its challenge this time, so I'm entering there.  Simon Says Challenge this time is Sing it and The Secret Crafter has Inspired by a song, the song for this card is by the Supremes:  Baby Love which is Pollycraft's challenge this time so I'm in there too.
I inked the edge of the card with Kaisercraft ink then used a panel of quilted white card that has a lovely ultra smooth finish.  The patterned paper is from my stash. the pink matting is from Grace Taylor. 
I used Nestabilities Labels Four to cut and emboss the image panel, the border piece down the middle is one of the goodies I got from Poppys Cabin along with some doilies, Teresa uses them so beautifully I thought I'd have a go (now... I dunno!), thanks Teresa for the link! 

The "Girl" on the front is from Kaisercrafts Lullaby collection, originally that was the paper I was going to use for the card, but in the end this is all that I used.  I was also going to use another of the tags from the pad, but it wasn't quite strong enough in colour, so I made my own version:  I typed the sentiment on the computer, cut out the tag shape freehand and stamped pale pink dots all over it; then darker pink around the edge with one of my border stamps (that I've had for ages, finally cracked it out)  The four little pearls, from my stash, mirror the four pearls on the outside.

I changed the centre of the flowers to these lovely Sparklets from
Kaisercraft.  Moving Along With The Times has Sparkle as its challenge theme so I'm entering there. Craft Your Passion has Use The F Word as its challenge theme...I've used Flowers as MY F Word!
I made the pins up using some textured heart beads, seed beads and a couple of Swarowski crystals...I've finally bought some longer pins, but I think these ones are long enough in this "arrangement".
Creatalicious Challenges has Anything Goes, so I'm in...Stamp Something has Anything Goes as its theme this time too -as it is their last challenge I will be entering there for the very last time :-(
That's it for my card today, I'll be back in a few days with my next Here Come The Boys card... or before with yet another baby card for another of my (same) sons friends who is due a baby (don't know whether to go pink or blue at this stage so I may do TWO more baby cards, lol)
Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee

Somebirdy Likes You

I have a very simple card today, using one of the fun new release digis from CC Designs...this is "Tweetie Fall", isn't he "tweet"? I know, bit corny :-)

Tweetie, in several guises, is available tomorrow from All That Scraps.  Why not hop over to the ATS blog the blog and check out the rest of the DT inspiration?  Their challenge theme this time around is Anything Goes, why not enter while you're there?!  

I used Copics to colour the image, paper from Kaisercrafts Chapter One collection for the base, and some "special" paper my lovely son Chris got me last Christmas for the panel.  Allsorts Challenge theme this time is Green and Blue and Bizzy Becs is Blue Green and White ...I'm in!

The sketch, which had to be simple because this card is LITTLE (I think its A6) came from Totally Gorjuss, I think it's perfect!  I made the card this size, partly as a change from the square cards I normally make, partly because Crafty Creations has Anything But a Square as its challenge theme this time and partly because I didn't have a lot of time to make the card (busy, busy, that's me!) and this size leaves little room for embellishment. 

My Time To Craft has Just Between Friends as it's theme this time and Sundays With Chrissy has Friendship; my little friend card fits the bill nicely (though my son said that the "Tweet" could stand for anything!  You KNOW I meant "sweet" didn't you? Didn't you?!!)  I made the sentiment on my trusty laptop, using free font if you like it you can grab it on my freebies page.

Sweet Stampin' has Anything But a Birthday card as its challenge, so I'm in there too.  The only other elements on this card (other than the foam dots, love my foam dots!) is the blue card for matting (from American Crafts) and the Bakers Twine, which was part of my haul from Tracy a while back...I tell ya, she's been keeping me going with "stuff" on my cards for ages!  By The Cute and Girly has All Creatures Great and Small as its theme this time, this is my interpretation of the theme, Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has The Sky's the Limit...how appropriate is my little birdie?! Though I think they really mean anything goes ;-) which is exactly what Papertake Weekly has!

That's it from Tweetie and me, I'll be back soon with another little offering...or perhaps a square one!!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Dee.

Sunshine and Happiness

I'm a Sweetie!  Well, that's what the lovely ladies at Cupcake Inspirations tell me - I'm their Guest Sweetie (aka Guest Designer) for this week and this is the card I've made using the Photo Inspiration for this week's challenge.

The uber cute image is Beachy Tia, a digi from Some Odd Girl. Stampin' for the Weekend has Holidays as its challenge theme, this little beach babe is CLEARLY enjoying hers, so I'm entering there. Ellephantastic Challenges  theme is Here Come the Girls, so Tiny Tia is entering there too.

I bought a few Some Odd Girl digis recently, this is the first chance I've had to get one coloured up and I thought Tia was just perfect for the colours and style of Cupcakes photo inspiration (they always find some seriously rockin' cupcakes for their inspiration!), she is coloured with Copics -after I took this photo I added some gloss to her sunnies, but I haven't taken another photo so just "think" glossy, lol. Stamp Something has its Digi Day challenge on, so I'm in!

I used the sketch from Papertake Weekly this time, very nice sketch - thank you very much ;-)  The papers are from American Crafts City Park collection (that I won from Tracy in March!!!) and my Echo Park Walk In The Park pad, man I LOVE that pad, I'm going to have to buy another one it just is so usable. 

The image panel is cut and embossed using Nestabilities Classic Ovals, I used Nestabilites Scalloped Ovals for the purple foil mat.  I used the same foil to mat the sentiment ticket (which was a blank ticket digi from Bizzy Becs, I added the sentiment on the computer) I used my smallest circle punch to clip the ticket/mat into shape - I really want a ticket die, but the one I want has been unavailable, I digress.... 

Cute Card Thursday wants us to Pinch and Punch (use at least one punch) and Crafty Creations has Use Three or more Different Dies or Punches as it's theme, this time so I'm in.

Well, even if there weren't enough punches on the outside of the card, the inside makes up for it: I used my new (literally opened the mail, and used the test cut!) Nellies Choice Floral Punch for the flowers on the inside, as well as my EK Success Doily Lace edge punch. 

Paper Play Challenges has Make your own flowers, Moving Along With The Times has Hand Made flowers, as does Craft Your Days Away  so my mail man arrived just in time for me to enter all those challenges, lol. 

The ribbon, pearls and flowers on the front are from my stash.
Digi Stamps 4 Joy and My Time to Craft has In Full Bloom and Bearly Mine Challenges have Flowers as their theme...but you don't have to make them yourselves so even the paper and the flowers on the front would get me in there!
Simon Says Challenge and The Paper Shelter have Anything Goes and Totally Gorjuss has As You Like It, so I don't even need the flowers to get in there, my colours cute image and great sketch are all as I like it, so I'm in!!
Well, that's it for Beachy Tia and me! Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT inspiration, all Sweeties, and have a go at the challenge too - so much inspiration to be had from those gorgeous cupcakes! 

I'm sorry this post is a bit lacking in the formatting department, Blogger is giving me a LOT of trouble (including not publishing my scheduled posts!)

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Dee

DIY King

The card I have today is for my husband for Father's Day.  Not only is he the DIY King, but, as it says on the inside of the card he is "Dad to our Incredible Young men".  It's a shaker card ... my first one!  

I've made it a shaker card, because that's the challenge theme this fortnight over at Here Come The Boys ...actually the theme is Slider or Shaker.  Hop on over  and check out the rest of the DT inspiration ...cute! 

The image is  "DIY King" - a digi (but of course!) from Just Inklined, perfect for my husband; especially right now as we're in the throes of Doing Ourselves a project in the al fresco area ... not today though, I'm letting him have a day off - to cook the barbecue for the family :-) I've coloured the image with Copics.  Stamp Something has its September Digi day challenge so I'm entering there (next week is their last challenge, I'll miss their challenge blog as it's one of my faves)

As I'd never made a shaker card before, I went trawling blogland and found a couple of good tutorials, here's one (so there's no excuse!) and to be honest it wasn't that hard!  I didn't use a die, I just cut the frame out using my trimmer; Sir Stampalot has "It's a Frame Up" as it's challenge theme, so I'm entering there.
The papers are Echo Park's Walk in the Park (yes, again!) and blue card from DCWV.  My mum and dad got me the trim last time they were in Malaysia on holiday, they just got back from their latest trip...I now have a whole new set of goodies! (this is the way they "pay" me for budgie sitting while they're away, lol) 

The sentiment is computer generated, the "DIY" uses Alpha Wood font (free from dafont.com) and I think it's perfect for this theme.  The little clear plastic beads have rainbow colours on them, they look for all the world like soap bubbles or water drops.

The inside of the card is basically an exact copy of the front, all in all a very easy card (once you get your head around the shaker thing, of course!)  The Paper Shelter and Simon Says Stamp have Anything Goes as their challenge this time...too easy, I'm in!  Sweet Stampin' has Anything But A Birthday so I'm in there too.
I've made a card for my Dad for Father's Day...it will make an appearance soon :-) I'd like to wish him, my hubby and all the Dad's celebrating Father's Day today a very happy day.

I have another post coming up (well as soon as I've typed it, lol) for a GDT spot for Cupcake Inspirations, I hope you'll come back and visit... until then, happy crafting, Dee