Kiss the Cook

Well, I'm still in Kuala Lumpur on "holiday"... home tomorrow (really looking forward to that, but that's another story!!)  The card I have for today is one I made a while ago for our good friend Dave and haven't shown yet.

 The image is from Just Inklined... they have so many images that are great for "guy" cards, this one is called Kiss the Cook and it was appropriate for Dave's birthday as we went there for a barbecue tea. I've coloured the image with Copics.  Copic Oz want us to make a B themed card... B is for BBQ so I'm entering there.  Cards for Men has Cheeky Chappies and Totally Papercrafts has Humour so I'm entering there too.
I've used digi papers from Nitwit Collections - the All Fired Up Too collection, printed on linen card for a bit of texture.  Bearly Mine Challenges has Dots for its challenge theme so I'm entering there.  The border is cut with MFT Zig Zag die, using American Crafts card and the matting is all American Crafts too.

The embellishments are from my stash... I used some of the bottles in a decorated egg I did for my son's 21st birthday, I'll have to put a post up of it one day - it's pretty cute (in a suitable-for-a-21-year-old-guy way, lol)  The cutlery was from a toy tea set I used for my other son's 21st egg!  I thought they suited the theme well,  Crafts 4 Eternity and By the Cute and Girly both have In the Kitchen as their theme this time around, and while BBQ cooking is specifically designed to keep cooking OUT of the kitchen I think the card qualifies so I'm entering there.
The sentiment is computer generated, everything is popped up on foam dots.
I finished the inside of the card with more papers from the All Fired Up collection.
Cute Card Thursday ,Colour Me Copic and Stampin' for the Weekend all have Anything Goes challenges, so I'll be entering there too.
That's it for today's card... I'm off to bed - up early in the morning to get to the airport (wait two hours. as you must) and away home.  Hopefully I can get some crafting in pretty soon after getting home, I have withdrawal symptoms, lol.  Though my husband is quite unwell (another reason we're so keen to get home) and has a hospital appointment (not related to the unwellness he's experiencing here) on Monday, so I may not be back until mid week.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna.

It's DIY at HCTB

DIY or Do It Yourself is the challenge theme starting today over at the Here Come The Boys blog... so we want to see your DIY images or embellishments, or like me both!

I've used this cute little image from Di's Digi Downloads, called - appropriately enough - DIY Puppy.  I've coloured with Prismacolor pencils, I received my new pencils just in time to make this card before I came on holiday (I'm posting this from my hotel room in Kuala Lumpur... just about "shopped out"....well maybe a bit left in me, lol) I would usually use Copics for the brighter/stronger colours I've used here, but as my new pencils are the brighter ones available I thought I'd give them a run... I'm pretty happy with the result; not as vibrant as Copics but on the plus side I didn't have to worry about bleeding as you do sometimes with the more intense Copics.  I added Gloss to the paint and puppy's nose and faux stitching with a Signo gel pen.  

Sundays with Chrissy challenge theme this month is Animals, so I'm entering there.
Cards for Men has Cheeky Chappies as their theme, now I am the DIYer in our house, but I think this is "Male" enough to enter and this pup is one Cheeky Chappy, so I'm in: I'm entering the Totally Papercrafts (Male Card) and Craft Your Days Away challenge (Just for men and boys + Buttons) on the same basis.

I've used the sketch from Crafty Cardmakers, you know I love a good sketch. The papers are from Kaisercrafts Konstruct collection, it's hard to see but the stripy paper on the top section has sort of paint runs here and there, which I thought went with the puppy's paint situation! The paper on the bottom half has foil highlights - which never show in photos!  The image panel and green mat (more of the Konstrukt paper) are Nestabilities Wonky Squares. Simon Says Challenge is Bit O' Green and Crazy 4 Challenges and Sweet Stampin' want us to Use Some Green, which I have so I'm entering those challenges.
I used one of the tags that came in the pad for the mat behind the sentiment, which is from Hobby Palais - I added the purple circle in Word before cutting it with Nestabilities Standard Circles.  The strip across the middle is also one of the precut borders from the pad, the double sided ribbon is from my stash as is the black card that everything is matted on; it's left over from my the boxes I made for my son's wedding, I've still got loads left!
The cute little DIY embellies come from my blog friend and HCTB teamie, Woo and the button comes from my stash... it looks like it has a crack in it, but it is just part of the colouring! 
The inside of the card is soooo simple: it's just one of the pages from the Kaisercraft pad matted on to more of the black card. 
The Craft Place has an Anything Goes  challenge, as does The Paper Shelter so I'm entering there. 
Well that's it for today's card, don't forget to pop over to the Here Come The Boys blog to check out the rest of the Design Team's inspiration... there are some real beauties over there, all different.  

The prize for this challenge is this fabby set of stamps courtesy of Sharon at ewe2cancraft, in addition she's offering a 5% discount for the duration of the challenge.
We're flying later up to the island of Penang until Wednesday to mix it up a bit, and to meet the people who run the hotel my folks stay in every time they go on holiday - 40 so far!! including taking each of the grandchildren in turn.  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna 

Take Time To Smell The Flowers

Taking time to smell the flowers is exactly what I'm doing at the moment... I'm on holiday in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, but I did bring my trusty laptop with me so I thought I'd "post" this card, which I made before I left home!

I've used the adorable Teddy Bo image 051 "Lazy Days", coloured with my current favourite medium Prismacolor pencils.  Totally Papercrafts has Favourite Things for its challenge as does Divas by Design so I'm entering there and Gem of a Challenge has Perfect Pastels so I'm entering there too.  I think the image evokes a feeling of spring so I'm entering the challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges and Digital Tuesday who both have Spring themed challenges. 

I've used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday, always a great place for sketches.    Sweet Stampin' has Show Us Your Layers for its challenge, as always it's hard to see but I've got plenty of layers here! The Teddy Bo challenge is an interesting one, its a menu.  I have chosen Blue and Cream for my starter, Flowers for my Main, Ribbon for my Dessert and a Charm for my Coffee course.  Crafty Emma's Store challenge is also to Use a Charm, so I'm entering there, and Allsorts Challenges has Say It With Flowers so entering there too.

The papers I've used are from my stash, the lovely pearly embossed paper came from Starfish Lane - most of my "special" papers do! the little flowers are from a punch I've had for YEARS with flat back pearl centres.  The image panel is cut using Nestabilites Label Four and I've used Martha Stewarts Doily Lace punch on the horizontal panel.  The spotty ribbon is from my stash, as is the slider and the heart charm.  Waste Not Wednesdays is getting us to use our stash, so I'm entering there.  The Paper Shelter and Paper Crafting Journey both have Anything Goes challenges so I'm in there too!

The inside of the card is finished with more of the paper from the front, a larger punched flower and some different ribbon... easy peasy!
That's it for today's card, I'll be back on the weekend with a card for the Here Come The Boys challenge, which I also made before I left home!!  Until then, Happy Crafting (I do miss my crafting, this holiday lark can be EXHAUSTING, lol) Donna

Teddy 'n' Teddy

Today I have a "New Baby" card in pastel blue, Gem of a Challenge has Perfect Pastels as their challenge theme this time around and as this little cutie is a Pink Gem digi image it's right at home there.

Crafts 4 Eternity has Use Something Digital as its challenge - I'm in!  The Sundays with Chrissy challenge is "Animals", hope Teddy Bears count :-) and Crafty Sentiments has Bear Time so I'm entering there too.  I've coloured the image with Prismacolor pencils, and I am happy with the result - I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of them :-)  I've ordered a load more pencils, can't wait to get them it will increase my range of shades threefold.
The papers are from Kaiser... the Lullaby Collection and my stash, the blue cardstock is from American Crafts. Divas by Design has a Spots and/or Stripes  challenge, I have stripes so I'm in. 
I've popped all the layers up on foam dots,  The Pink Elephant wants us to use Three or More Layers - which is never a problem for me, lol, so I'm entering there.

The swirl is cut with a Marianne D die and the pearls are from my  stash; Cutie Pie Challenge this time is Pearls and Swirls, so I'm entering there.  Crafty Calendar has Spring Clean - use scraps or stash and Lisa's Waste Not Wednesdays challenge is always to use up some of our Stash.  Now this image is pretty new (I won it last month) but the paper and pearls are most definitely from my stash.
I added another swirl, cut with the paper the other side up so that the swirl "faced" the other way to the inside of the card, along with papers from the front and a jotting panel edged with Versamark ink.

I did use the sketch from Papertake Weekly, but missed the deadline (again, I'm always doing that!!), luckily for me they have an Anything Goes challenge running so I can enter there anyway and still offer my thanks for a lovely straightforward sketch, lol.  Craft Your Passion, Simon Says Challenge and Paper Crafting Journey all have Anything Goes challenges on too, so I'll be entering them.
I think that covers my simple little card, I really loved making this one; the colouring was very therapeutic, and it just "fell" together. I have had a bit of stress this last week or so; my lovely hubby has some health issues - he feels fine, but had bad results from some of the tests run at his annual check up and so we've been to Hospitals for scans, blood tests, Ultra Sounds you name it and are now waiting to go to a Specialist; you really don't like to hear the word "urgent" in any of these places, so I'm a bit distracted at the moment.
We're going away to Malaysia on Monday (all booked and paid for) and got a letter from the Specialist telling us that we were extremely lucky and should consider ourselves honoured (basically!) that they've given us an urgent appointment next Wednesday - our second day in Kuala Lumpur!  So we've had to rebook for the day after we get back, which the snooty secretary made quite clear was a personal favour and definitely worthy of some grovelling.  I hope we can still enjoy our holiday as Stefan has wanted to go "away" for some time and I'm a don't-enjoy-flying and love-my-log-cabin-holiday type of girl.
Enough from me, I'll be back soon with... something :-)  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Super Hero

A new challenge starts today at Here Come The Boys... this time around we'd like to see your Comic Book or Super Heroes.  I made a twisted easel card - love easel cards, 'specially the twisted ones :-)  The Paper Shelter has Fancy Folds for their challenge, so I'm entering there.

The digi image is one of the Super Hero collection from Scrappin' Doodles, the sentiment is another one of the images from the collection, coloured with Copics. Creative Craft Challenges has a Boys Will Be Boys theme, so I'm entering there. Fab'n'funky Challenges has Lets Leap into Action (including Super Heroes leaping buildings, lol) and Digital Tuesday also has Things That Leap, so I'm entering those challenges.

The papers are from Nitwits Super Stuey Too Collection, Crafts 4 Eternity wants us to use something Digital - the image and the paper in this case, so I'm in, and Divas by Design has Spots and or Stripes as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there too.

The stripy ribbon, the brads on the corners and the red star trim are all from my stash... I think the trim may have been self adhesive at one point but it's so old that it is now just paper backed, lol.  Waste Not Wednesdays mission every week is to use up our Stash, this is a start albeit a tiny one :-) 

I used an MFT die (Stacking Stars) to cut the stars, I won it as a challenge prize and this is the first time I've used it... it cuts beautifully.  I used a couple just as decoration and stuck one half on the bottom of the card to use as a stop for the easel.

Simon Says Challenge and Paper Crafting Journey both have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'll be entering there too.

I think that's about it for my Super Hero Easel card, don't forget to pop over to the Here Come The Boys blog and check out the rest of the DT inspiration, it's SUPER :-)  Why not have a go at the challenge this time, there's a great prize on offer: 7 Free digis from the wonderful Bugaboo.

Until next time, hope you have a SUPER day, Happy Crafting, Donna

The Other Owl

The last card I posted (here) used the same image as I've used on today's card: in fact I used the same coloured pencils too... just to show the difference between colouring on Kraft (as I did on the last card) and on white card.

The image is one of the Love Owls digis from Pink Gem Designs, too-whoo ca-yoot, lol... coloured with Prisamcolor pencils.  I've coloured the clouds and sky with Copics... I've never done it before so I found a tutorial on YouTube and this is the result!  

Crafts 4 Eternity has "Digital" as its theme this time so I'm entering there and Sundays with Chrissy's theme is Animals... so I'm in there too.  I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash, always good for a nice sketch :-)  The papers are from Starfish Lane (Hi Anna!)- bought with the gift voucher I got for our Anniversary... thanks darling :-)  Flutterby Wednesday has an Open challenge, so I'm entering there. The polka dots on the white paper are metallic, it really is lovely IRL! Divas by Design has Spots and/or stripes as its theme so I'm in there, and Crafty Cardmakers has a recipe: one image (tick) two papers (tick) and three embellishments(Ribbon, pearls and beads... tick)  including at least one heart - tick, I'm in!!

Lisa is trying hard to get us to use our stash with her Waste Not Wednesdays challenge; The ribbon (which is a lovely double sided apricot/lemon number) has been in my stash so long I can't remember buying it... and that's still not as long as I've had the beads I made the stick pins up with!  The heads of the pins were yellow, I coloured them to match in with Copics.  The pearls are from my stash too, so I'm definitely in at WNW :-)  I punched the border on the mat with Martha Stewarts Doily Lace border punch.  

I've used more of the papers from the front on the inside of the card, positioning the stick pin so that it formed the body of a butterfly... it looks better IRL than it does in the picture which has sort of "grabbed' the pin.  The Simon Says Challenge, Paper Crafting Journey and Allsorts Challenges a;ll have Anything Goes themes, so I'm entering there,Well that's it for today, Blogger is being very uncooperative and not letting me edit as I'd like, so apologies for the big spaces  everywhere!   I'll be back on Sunday with a card for the Here Come The Boys challenge, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna