Anything Goes at Here Come The Boys

The new challenge starting today at Here Come The Boys is everyone's favourite... Anything Goes, yay!!
Firstly though, I'd just like to thank everyone who entered the HCTB Birthday Blog Hop last time around and announce the WINNER of the prize on my Blog, the $10 Bugaboo Gift Voucher!  Drawn at random, the winner is..............
9 
Random numbers generated May 26 2012 at 14:26:7 by www.psychicscience.org 
http://donemark.blogspot.co.uk/ 
so that's you KAREN, Congratulations............. email me (using the Contact Me details in the sidebar) and I'll get your $10 Bugaboo Gift Voucher out to you.

Now on to the new challenge.... Anything Goes - for a MALE, don't forget!

I've made a birthday card for my Uncle who is turning 80.  He's going through chemotherapy at the minute and isn't feeling much of a party animal, but he really will get the irony so it's the perfect image for him.  The Simon Says Challenge theme is For a Special Male, Stamping With The Dragon is Male Birthday Card, One Stop Craft Challenge is One For The Boys and the Allsorts Challenges is Happy Birthday to Someone Special... so I'm entering those.

The image is "Dick Van Duck Party Animal" from Just Inklined, he's been on my cyber shelf for an embarrassingly long time! It was nice to get him all coloured up and on show. Totally Papercrafts has Animals as its theme and Lisa has her Waste Not Wednesdays Stash challenge, so I'm entering those.  

I've coloured with Copics adding Stickles to his hat and party blower and Liquid Pearls around the image (Lisa's been doing this and I shamelessly copied, lol)  Di's Digi Designs has a Bling challenge, as does The Paper Shelter, so I'll be entering there too.

I've used the sketch from Craft Your Passion, you know I love a good sketch, and this IS a good sketch! The papers are digis from Shery K Designs... I've just found this site and OMG, I'm hooked.  There's loads of papers to choose from, lots with the "clean" look I like and all such good value too!  These are from the Party Time Mega pack - not my only purchase for the day I have to say!  Totally Gorjuss wants us to use Something New (stash etc) for their challenge, so I'm in, Sassy Cheryls Tuesday Challenge theme is Favourite Colour combination... I love any bright and clean combo (actually I can honestly say that I don't know a colour combo I don't like) so I'm in there too.  The red cardstock is American Crafts Weave, the piece behind the image panel is a lovely metallic textured card "Pebble" I got from my fave speciality paper store, Starfish Lane (birthday gift voucher from son Chris, thank you darling!)

I cut the stars using a MFT die, using two sizes.  The buttons are from my stash and the sentiment is computer generated.  The Pink Elephant has Buttons Galore as their theme, buttons tick, and Sweet Stampin' has Moon and/or Stars -stars, tick- I'm in :-)  The Bearly Mine Challenges  theme is Anything Goes, in there too!  Well that's it from Dick Van Duck and Donna.... do check out the rest of the Here Come The Boys Design Team's makes... then get crafting, cute stamp set as a prize and Anything Goes (for a male).... you'll never get an easier theme :-)  I'll be back in a day or so. Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Grow a Little Love

Another "Mother's Day" type of card today, I was going to give this card to my Mother-in-Law for Mother's day... but actually couldn't find the image after I'd coloured it, so made her another instead!  While looking for yet another image that I've coloured (for a baby card) I found this little beauty again, so I've used it - makes it much harder to lose, lol.

 The image is Wrynn - Grow a Little Love from Tiddly Inks, there's some gorgeous images coming out of Tiddly Inks right now... Wrynn's definitely one of them :-)  Moving Along With The Times has Keep It Real (no fantasy images) as their theme so I'm entering there, the Tiddly Tuesdays challenge theme is Mom (or a feminine card) so I'm entering there, and Deep Ocean Challenge What a Wonderful Woman, so I'm entering there too.  The Secret Crafter has In the Garden, I think this image is a great garden reference, so I'm entering there too. 

There's a great sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday - there often is :-) they have a Photo as colour inspiration too, using it is optional, but it's so lovely, why wouldn't you?
I've coloured my image with Prismacolor pencils, I think I'm improving - I'm certainly trying to improve! I still use Copics for skintones, I love the smooth finish and haven't mastered it with pencils yet. The papers are from Kaisercrafts Magic Happens pad and Lilac Avenue pad, the cardstock for matting is from American Crafts.
The horizontal strip has been cut with one of my new purchases... Spellbinder Edgeabilities  (from here), actually it's two of them; the edge is cut with Classic Scallop die and the pattern inside is cut with one of the Classic Ric Rac dies. Bearly Mine Challenges has Dies as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there.
The ribbon is from my stash, as are the buttons and pearls.  Allsorts Challenges has Buttons and Bows as their theme, tick tick I'm in, Waste Not Wednesdays challenge is to use Stash - never really a challenge, lol,  so in there too.  Crafty Sentiments has a Bingo challenge, I've "used" two different lines; Patterned Paper/ Coloured Image/Punches or Die Cuts or Buttons/Coloured Image/Pearls or Gems.
I added some faux stitching around the image and the jotting panel on the inside.  I was going to crank out my new portable sewing machine, but I had the perfect gel pen colour, so I reverted to the faux stitching I'm so much more comfortable with, lol.  Colour Me Copic (where they generously let you use pencils as well as alcohol markers) has an Anything Goes challenge, so I'm in.
Well that's it for today's card, I was hoping to get another card made yesterday for posting in the week, but we went to "the" Air Show (hubby is a huge fan, his Dad was in the Royal Air Force for 19 years - being posted in Germany for several years, which is why my hubby was born in Germany but is a British Subject - actually he's an Australian now, lol) and it took more of the day than I thought.... plus FOUR hours to get home; three and a half of those were spent in the carpark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Suffice to say that knowing I was missing out on craft time did not help my mood any more than not having anything to eat or drink (the air force did hand out water, after about three hours) luckily we were with good friends so we passed the time okay :-)  I'll be back in a few days, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

I'm Not a Little Girl Anymore....

I'm Not a Little Girl Anymore... But You're Still My Lovely Mum.  That's what I wrote inside this card I made for my Lovely Mum for Mother's Day, I'm not just saying it either, my Mum is a really lovely person and I'm proud to be her not-so-little-girl.

Deep Ocean Challenge has What a Wonderful Woman as their theme, how apt! and The Secret Crafter has I love you Mum - I do so I'm in!!

Mum loves these Simply Adorable Sugar Nellie images (this is Victoria), digital of course (you know I love my digis!) I love them too!  The Sugar Bowl Challenge this time around is to use our Favourite Sugar Nellie stamp (or digi) and this great sketch: using the sketch was no problem - I love a good sketch -  but deciding which is my favourite image was a lot harder as I love them all the same... as any good Mum should with her children, lol.  Let's say that Victoria is ONE of my favourites.  
I coloured with Copics using the pinks and creams of the photo inspiration at Pollycraft  challenge.  Going for a vintage feel that I felt matched my image, I distressed around the edges of everything (except the pink velvet background paper, which was lush enough IRL!) with some Kaisercraft ink.  Bizzy Becs has a Vintage  challenge theme and Creative Craft Challenges has Distressed, so I'm entering there too.
The paper on the cream panel has a lovely soft glittered pattern on it, and is a translucent sort of paper, I got it and the velvet from Starfish Lane, love their speciality papers :-)  The patterned paper is from my stash (I think it's Basic Grey's Indian Summer) as is the peal card used for matting, the flowers, pearls and rhinestone trim, so I'm entering the Waste Not Wednesdays stash challenge - again!!
Copic Oz  and Sweet Stampin' have "Flower " challenges and Papertake Weekly has In the Garden, I think there's enough of a reference here, with my flowers, leafy paper and the sunflowers on Victoria's hat so I'm entering there.
I cut the image panel and the sentiment (which is a digi from Crafts 4 You) with Standard Circles Nesties, I embossed the image panel with the next size down inside it to give the ridged look; I quite like it and will use it again.  The mats (and the inside jotting panel) were cut with Lacy Circles Nestabilities.  Bearly Mine Challenges wants us to use Dies which I have, so I'm in.


I finished the inside very simply... don't worry, I stuck that horizontal panel on straight before I gave it to Mum, lol.  I kept this photo underexposed because it shows the cream paper's glitteriness off better :-)
Crafty Sentiments has a Bingo challenge:  I've used Patterned Paper, Coloured Image, Die cuts, Crafty Emma's Store and 

Colour Me Copic both have Anything Goes challenges so I'll be entering there too.

That's it for today, I'll be back in a day or so with a card using one of my recent purchases... hopefully using more than one, lol!!  So many digis, so little time!!
I hope you like my card, my Mum loved it.... but then again, she's my Mum and would probably love anything I gave her :-)  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Take It "Easel" It's the HCTB Birthday Blog Hop

Yup, it's official... it's our very First birthday at Here Come The Boys so we're 

CELEBRATING with a 

BLOG HOP!!!!

We have a special birthday challenge; make an easel card with a birthday theme (for a man or boy don't forget... it is Here Come The BOYS after all!)  We're sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, I've used one of the "Gus" images on my card which is for my Dad's 83rd birthday... Happy Birthday to you too Dad :-)

Bugaboo are offering 7 digis as the challenge prize...
 and there's loads of prizes to be had on the hop too... start at Here Come The Boys then hop along to each of the Design Team Members listed below and link up - there's a prize to win on each and every stop on the hop and a grand prize to be drawn from the entries but don't forget to enter at ALL of the hop spots and the HCTB blog!
I seriously love Bugaboo digis, I go for the "cheeky" ones, but there's a great range of cute and whimsical images too... something for everyone in fact.  With this in mind, the prize on MY blog is... a $10 Gift Certificate from Bugaboo.  Just add your link to the linky at the end of this post and in two weeks I'll draw a winner at random.
The Candy for the hop is AWESOME, here's a piccy to get you drooling: 
Before I tell you more about my card, I'll give you the Blog Hop order:
Here Come The Boys
Sharon
Karen
Donna (you are here)
Teresa
Di
Becky
Woo
... so if you've come from Karen's blog you're on the right track and your next stop is Teresa; if you get lost you can always pop back to the HCTB blog and find your place :-)
Now on to my card:

It's an easel, of course (I LOVE easel cards!) I've added the sentiment (which comes with this Gus image) on a tab attached to the base, so it props up in front of the card when open (maybe the picture makes it clearer!)  It's for a birthday, so I'm entering Joanna Sheen's challenge and it's for a Man - lucky for me as Stamping With The Dragon wants us to make a Male Birthday Card, Divas by Design has One For The Boys, Allsorts Challenges has For a Man or Boy and Totally Papercrafts has No Pesky Girls Allowed as their challenge themes so I'm entering all those challenges.  Stampin' for the Weekend has "At Least Four Layers" as their theme... at least four layers here, so I'm in!  
I've coloured the image with Copics and added gloss to the balloon and glasses as well as pearl paint to Gus's hair... we have the term "Silver haired bodgie" in Australia... and I think this suits Gus perfectly, lol.
I've used papers from Basic Grey's Lauderdale pad, double matted on card from American Crafts and Black Glittered Card from Merci.  The glitter hardly shows in the photo, but then it never does.  
I painted the wood numerals with Jo Sonja Paint then used Heat Set powder to emboss them with fine teal glitter I've had for years; they look chunky in the pic, but are in fact quite smooth - just very glittery, lol.  The border on the base is cut with a Nellie Snellen Die and the buttons are from my stash. Lisa's Waste Not Wednesdays challenge to use stash is one I NEVER have trouble with :-)  Creative Craft Challenges, The Paper Shelter, Crafty Emma's Store and Colour Me Copic all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'm entering all those too.
Well that's it for my Here-Come-The-Boys-Birthday-Blog-Hop-Easel card!!  What are you waiting for... register at Here Come The Boys site, then get hopping.
I'll be back in a few days with my Mum's Mothers Day Card - it's Mother's Day here today, Happy Mothers Day Mum and to all the Mum's celebrating out there :-)  - until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Happy Mother(-in-law)'s Day!

The card I have today is the one I made for my Mother-in-law for Mother's Day...  as we went to visit her last weekend she already has received the card even though Mother's Day here is not until next Sunday.

The cute image is "Teddy Bear Picking Flowers" from The Paper Shelter, Sweet Stampin' has Four Legged Friends as their challenge this time around so I'm entering there, and Papertake Weekly has Cute Cute Cute... definitely entering there ;-)   
I used this sketch from  The Paper Shelter challenge for last week but missed the deadline (not a first for me, lol), luckily they have an Anything Goes challenge this week so I can still enter!  It was a really great sketch; it made me think about fitting the image panel "behind" the horizontal panel, so what I did was cut around the bottom of the image, thus chopping off the bottom of the die cut, which was another of my new Mpress dies (Antique Frame from Craftonline).  Craft Us Crazy wants us to use our Favourite Stamp Company or Found Inspiration, I have a lot of "Favourite Companies", Paper Shelter is one of them and these new dies are an inspiration :-) so I'm entering there.  Stampin' for the Weekend wants us to use at least four layers - which I have - so I'm entering there too.

Inside of card

I've coloured the image with Copics, adding some Stickles to the flowers to tie in with the sparkle on the papers. Copic Oz  and Joanna Sheen have Flowers as their challenge themes... as well as the flowers on the image, there's plenty of flowers on the Kaisercraft Hey Birdie paper.  I cut the flower embellies with a Nellie Snellen cut and emboss punch and added Dew Drop centres, the sentiment is computer generated using Fiolex Girls font.
I CASED Joey (said I would Joey,lol) and printed a smaller version of the image for the inside of the card, printing the sentiment at the same time.  I used some more paper from that Hey Birdie pad, which has been in my stash for-EVVA!! Lisa's Waste Not Wednesdays challenge to use Stash, so I'm entering there too.

The Pink Elephant has All About Mum, Deep Ocean Challenge has What a Wonderful Woman and both Crafty Sentiments and Addicted to Stamps have Mother's Day challenge themes so I'm entering those, while One Stop Craft Challenge has Celebrations and Creative Craft Challenges has an Anything Goes theme so in there too.

Well that's it for my Mother-in-law's card, hope you like it, I was really happy as it looked in the end exactly as I had envisaged in the beginning... I didn't take forever chopping and changing what papers to use (seriously, the problem with having SO much to choose from, lol) and came together easily.

I'll have to get on to my own Mother's Day card now (as in my own Mother, not my own card, lol) I'll be back soon with that or the baby card I'm working on (more of my son's friends... still not my son!) Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Angled view,  showing shine and sparkle on paper and image

Just Because

I was going to make a Mother's Day card for my Mum today (really will have to get on to that, lol) but I  I decided to make a card "just because" instead.

 I used this cutest of cute images, one of the newest releases from Sassy Cheryl (actually I'm not sure it is the cutest of them, they're all pretty darn cute!), this is Sweet Little Avery ... don't worry, I didn't stop at one (you know I can't) so the others I picked will be featuring soon. To enter the Sassy Cheryl challenge, all you have to do is use Any SC image... easy-peasy, I'm in! Craft Us Crazy wants us to use our Favourite Stamp Company or Found Inspiration for their challenge; I have several "favourites", Sassy Cheryl is one, so on that basis I'm entering the challenge.  I've coloured with Prismacolor Pencils... except the flesh, which I prefer to use Copics for.

I've used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches this time around, I needed a really simple sketch to get away with using the paper I'd chosen, from Kaisercraft's Bubblegum Hills collection - then I used a different sheet, still from the same pad at least, lol. 
The pink and blue cardstock is by American Crafts and the buttons, pearls, rhinestones and ribbon are from my stash; meaning I'll be entering the Waste Not Wednesdays challenge. Crafty Sentiments has Spots and or Stripes for their challenge, my paper is spotty and my ribbon is stripy, so I'm entering there.  The Crafty Sentiments MONTHLY Challenge is Spring Creations, Stamptacular Sunday Challenge, By the Cute and Girly, Oozak andThe Pink Elephant all have Spring themes so I'm entering those too.
The inside of the card is finished very simply t match the front... I still managed to forget to add the stitching that I used on the front (that's TWICE I've used my sewing machine now!!), never mind it still "fits".
Gem of a Challenge wants us to use Pink Blue and Green - which I have, so I'm in there; Craft Your Days Away has Just for Children and Digital Tuesday has Bugs and Blooms... the little flower and couple of ladybirds may be pushing it a bit, but I'm entering there too.  
Papertake Weekly and Creative Craft Challenges both have Anything Goes challenges, no problem entering there, lol.
Well that's it for today, I've got a couple of images coloured up and ready to go - of course NONE of them is the one for my Mothers Day card or my Dad's birthday card (which is on Monday, better get on to that too, lol) I'll be back in a day or so, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna