It's Metal or Embossing at Here Come The Boys

The theme for the challenge starting today over at Here Come The Boys is to use Metal or Embossing on your Male-themed project.  I've gone for a bit of both, but either would do.

I used silver foil card from my stash, embossed with Cuttlebug's Tiny Bubbles embossing folder.  The silver super finely-corrugated card is also from my stash as are the silver Card Candi, cowboy hat charm and twine "rope"
The hat is more pewter coloured than silver, so I toned down my silver board with Copics to match in better, then I had to do the Card Candi, which was trickier as they're so slick!

The papers are from Kaisercraft's Up and Away Collection and their Homemade collection, there's three different colours of brown cardstock used for matting because I used some of my scraps (seriously, it hardly made a dent, "must try harder", lol)  I love brown for "guy" cards (actually I like brown anyway) Crafts 4 Eternity has Coffee Cupcake as their challenge theme, with this great photo as inspiration, so I'm entering there.  Oozak wants us to use two patterned papers and at least two embellishments, which I have, so I'm entering there.
I made an easel card because I like them :-) and as I always decorate the inside of my cards, it's a chance to show off the "inside" at the same time as the "outside".    The strip of silver card is attached to the bottom of the card and acts as a stopper. The Crafty Pad has More Than One Fold and Craft Your Passion has Flips and Folds as their challenge themes, hope easels count :-) Stampin' for the Weekend has Show Us Your Style as their challenge theme; this card is pretty "standard Donna" with layers and quite strong colours and a less is more approach to embellishments, so I guess I'm "showing my style"

Sketch and Stash has a Free Choice (Pick any one of their previous sketches) Challenge - too easy, there's even a link to their extensive catalogue!  I've chosen this one, though it looks a lot like #8 too, lol.  Creatalicious Challenges has an Anything Goes challenge running, so I'm in there too.
The image is Jessi Jane from Kenny K Downloads, ain't she smokin'?!  The Kenny K Krafty Girlz (soon to be Krafty Krew!) want to see our Song Inspired projects, I had Cowgirls Don't Cry (by Brooks Dunn) going through my head for hours, so I'm entering there.
I had Jessi sitting on a swing; I took ages merging images, then chopped one of the ropes off when I was cutting around her... should have just coloured the space behind her blue, lol.  In the end I just "fussy cut" her out altogether and had her sit on the corrugated card... her momma obviously hasn't told her the pitfalls of sitting on cold metal, lol.  

Jessi is coloured with Copics, with the tiniest bit of Prismacolor pencil in her hair to cover up the bit of black pen that skidded across it when I was colouring the edges of my fussy-cutting aarghh!  My Mums Craft Shop has For the Boys and Colour Me Copic has Big Hair as their challenge themes; I KNOW this is "for the boys" and I hope there's enough hair here for the Copic challenge.  
I coloured the buckles and studs with silver gel pen.
The sentiment is computer generated (using Wild West font, how cool is that!)  I decided against adding anything specific like happy birthday as I thought it would make the card more versatile, and because I couldn't really think of anything pithy, to be perfectly honest!
Anyway, that's about it from Jessi Jane and me. Don't forget to pop over to the Here Come The Boys blog and check out my teamies creations...some really great Metal and/or Embossing ideas there.  Why not enter the challenge too, show us YOUR version, just make sure it's For The Boys.
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna  

Tissue Tubes and Titivating

Tissue Tubes and Titivating.... that's what's been taking up my time this week, mainly the "titivating" (Hubby and I have both been sprucing up our front porch area - well, we've made a good start anyway) but this little Tissue "Tube" took a disproportionate amount of time, I'm tellin' ya!! 

 

When I saw these tissues in my local supermarket, my crafty eyes lit up!  

The lids are removable, so when it comes to refilling - easy peasy, lift off old lid, insert new tissues, replace new lid!!  I've made this for our bedroom, as the really rather gorgeous (IMHO - H for Humble, lol) tissue box cover got ditched when hubby helpfully replaced the tissues - and as he dismantles everything for recycling thoroughly it was definitely a gonna :-(  I have left instructions re this one, lol.It really shouldn't have taken that long - but it did, don't know why, I think I was probably a bit distracted.  Anyway all I've done is cover the tube with some luscious Chiyogami  "Autumn Maples" paper from Starfish Lane- I've loved this stuff, particularly this pattern, since my son and daughter-in-law used it for their engagement invitations about six years ago!  I cut the DCWV cardstock scalloped circles with Nellie Snellen dies, and the plain ones with Nestabilities Standard Circles.  The strip around the tube is cut with  Martha Stewart's Doily Lace border punch, the gold cord trim is from my stash, the metal butterfly is also from my stash, but I remember getting it in a pack from Spotlight - for some reason the gold ones are big and the silver ones smaller, go figure! 

Crafty Cardmakers has a No Cards challenge, so I'm entering there, Craft Your Passion  has an Anything Goes challenge as does Creatalicious Challenges so I'm entering there too.  Sassy Cheryl Show Me Thursdays  like to see what you're doing, so I'm showing 'em, lol.

That's it for my Tissue Tube, half an hours work, eh? HAH!

What did take quite a bit longer was the decorating at our front door, I don't have any "before" pictures, suffice to say it was looking tired and the Indian Red Oxide/Cream combo was a bit dated.  Stripping the paint back was the worst bit, seriously it took days.  

 

Anyway while we were there, we thought we'd add a stone feature panel and some new pots, the plants are "fake" (good move if they're coming to stay at my house, I tend to love pot plants to death by over watering) but I'm really happy with them as they are so realistic, which is why they cost over $80 each!! three times the price of the pots.

We had some stone left over from when we did our al fresco area last year,and thought we'd use it up, only problem is we bought too much again, so we've still got some left... may stop trying to use it up now, lol.  I thought I'd add a photo of the al fresco because back in October I said I would when we'd got our new furniture, but forgot, so here it is.  We'll add cedar lining to the eaves at the front door the same as in the al fresco - time and money dictate when! 

 

Essential Equipment

 Well that's what I've been up to, I'll definitely be back with a card soon - it's more fun than dusty stone cutting, that's for sure!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Lavender and Lace for Lynda

Today I have a card I've made for my Sister-in-law's birthday.  Lynda is, well lets say not a little girl anymore, but she LOVES fairies and purple, so.....

I made this little purple number! WARNING... LOTS of photos, trying to explain what I did :-)  I actually scored the card in the wrong spot, then decided to use it anyway... making the front not as wide as the back (or inside, depending how you look at it, lol) 

I followed the sketch from 2 Sisters Challenge I still decorated as if I were working on a square with the square doily acting as a sort of flap.  I continued the decoration on the inside to line up with the front. I positioned the butterfly on the inside so it became part of the flourishes of the flower arrangement on the front when the card is closed.

The adorable image is one of the Baby Fairies set from Mo Manning... too sweet! Mo's Digital Challenge this time around is Anything Goes with a Mo image, so I'm entering there and   Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Stamptacular Sunday Challenge has Fairy Fever so I'm entering there too. 

Paper Crafting Journey wants us to use a Hand Coloured Image, I've coloured with Prismacolor pencils (adding some stickles and glittery embossing to the wings), so I'm entering there as well.

I dragged my sewing machine out again, and stitched, well just about everything!!  The Deep Ocean Challenge this time is Sewing, Sweet Stampin' has Stitching Real or Faux as does the Cutie Pie Challenge, I have REAL (though I spent longer faffing about with me new portable sewing machine than making the whole card, so I may be reverting to "faux" any day now!) so I'm entering those challenges.

The papers are from Kaisercrafts Magic Happens pad and Prima's Fairy Flora, which I've had foreva! Waste Not Wednesdays Stash challenge is always an easy choice for me, lol.  The lace and ribbon are also from my stash, Joanna Sheen has Lavender and Lace as their challenge so I'm in.  I've used a couple of new dies today... the Madera corner die (which I've used in with the flowers) and the Vivienne Butterfly die, both from Memory Box, Bearly Mine has a Bingo challenge, I've used the Lace/Ribbon/Dies line.  The Oozak challenge is to use two papers and at least two embellies.. which I have, so I'm in. 

Divas by Design has Summer as their theme, I think this card suits... sure hope so! as I'm entering there.

The flowers are from a stem I bought in a discount store, coloured up with the same ink I distressed the edge of everything else with.  Crafty Calendar has Flowers in Bloom, so I;m in.

Digital Tuesday has Butterflies and Stampin' for the Weekend has Bugs and Butterflies for its challenge, as well as my butterflies there's that gorgeous little bug the baby fairy is holding so I'm in there too.  Papertake Weekly has a "3,2,1" challenge; I've used three embellies (flowers, ribbon, lace), two papers and one image, so I'm entering.

I got the square doily from Poppy's Cabin, these are the last of this style I have so I'll have to get some more... or buy the punch around the page punch and make my own, lol. The Paper Shelter and Craft Your Passion both have Anything Goes challenges so I'll be entering those too.

Well that's it for today, I hope you like my card; I really enjoyed making this one, I'm sure my SIL will like it... I've just got to pop it in the post (which I missed coz I kept it to take my photos, oops!  I'll be back in a few days, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Who Can? .... Tou-Can!! at HCTB

Well it's that time again.... time for a new challenge over at Here Come The Boys!  The theme for this fortnight is "More Than One Fold", and I've got to say I've got a LOT more than one fold!
It actually is a pretty easy fold to do, I've used it before a couple of times - in fact the very first card I "blogged"  was a birthday card for my hubby using this fold.... it's a completely different style to this, here's a link in case you're interested (I don't think anyone ever saw it originally, lol).  I used this great tutorial from Splitcoast Stampers.The digi  I've used is Tucan from The Paper Shelter, they have some great images for "guy" cards - cute without being "cutesy", works for me!  I bought it AGES ago (as is the case with many of the hundreds of unused digis in my stash!) so I'm entering the Waste Not Wednesdays weekly Stash challenge. I've coloured with Copics, Paper Crafting Journey has Colour it Up - Use a Hand Coloured image as its theme so I'm entering there.
This picture shows how the card looks "shut", one of the other advantages of this fold is the fact that (provided you don't overload it with embellies) it fits in a standard size envelope for posting.
I made the card for a special friend of ours, John, who we have known for nearly 30 years, he really is one of "nature's gentlemen" and it is a privilege to be counted among his friends.  He also looks pretty damn good for 60, which is how the sentiment came about... "John... if anybody can make 60 look good... TOU-CAN", which I made on the computer.  Copic Oz has a Birthday challenge, The Crafty Pad has Lets Hear It For The Boys and  Di's Digi Designs wants us to make a Male Themed card, so I'm entering there.The papers are from my stash, as is the black card I used for matting.  The Pink Elephant has "Vibrant Colours" as its challenge theme... lucky for me; I LOVE vibrant colours :-)
Bizzy Becs has this Photo as inspiration for their challenge, so my Bright Colours fit in a treat  there too :-)  Totally Gorjuss has Sunshine as their theme, my Toucan is so evocative of sunshine, so I'm in there too.  The only embellishment on this card are silver brads - from my stash, of course!
Digital Tuesday has an Anything Goes challenge so I'm entering there and Papertake Weekly has an Anything Goes challenge with the option of making a card for a man or boy, so I'm entering there too.Well that's it for my Here Come The Boys inspiration.  Why don't you pop over and check out the rest of the team's projects... there's a great range of folds to be seen, why not enter the challenge too, there's a great prize from Ewe 2 Can Craft.  I'll be back in a day or so, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna.... and the Toucan :-)

Teddy Hello for Baby

Today I have a card for a new baby......girl, in case you couldn't tell, lol.

The cute image is "Louie and Teddy" from Digistamp Boutique, coloured with Prismacolor pencils, I meant to feminise the little teddy by adding a flower to "her" hair, but forgot... oh well, she is PINK - that's pretty feminine! Digistamp Boutique's challenge every month is simply to use one of their images, never a problem with cuties like these :-)  Sweet Stampin' want us to use our Favourite stamp.... I'm still hoping "one of" our favourite stamps will do (how can you choose between your children, lol)  Craft Your Passion has For a Baby as its challenge theme, so I'm entering there, and Fab'n'funky Challenges has Celebrations so I'm entering there too.  Bearly Mine Challenges has Animal Kingdom as their theme, now I'm not sure everyone would consider Teddies to be part of the animal kingdom, but I do so I'm entering there, just let me know if I don't qualify. 

The designer paper is from Kaisercraft's Lullaby collection, the sheet on the front is flocked and I didn't even realise until after the card was finished that there are storks on the pattern... they could just as easily have ended up standing on their heads, luckily they didn't, lol.  
The paper on the inside is not flocked and reverse colour... same storks though ;-)  I reversed the colour way of the lattice panel to match in better.
The image panel (and the jotting panel) was cut with Standard Circle Nestabilities, matted on an Mpress Scalloped Flower die.  The lattice panel was cut with one of my new Memory Box dies, Tessatina Border.  It cuts a dream! there are two and a half "cuts" on this panel. The Cutie Pie Challenge theme this time around is Die Cuts and Punches, plenty of die cuts here so I'm in, and the circle image and jotting panels means I'm entering the Crafty Creations Circles challenge.

The chipboard flourish is from Make It Crafty, I painted it in pale pink then embossed it with irridescent sparkle EP.  I cut the flowers from the same American Crafts Weave cardstock I matted with, using a Nellie Snellen punch set, I dampened the petals before giving them some extra texture using a ball tool.  Crafty Calendar has Flowers in Bloom, with the optional extra of using flourishes or swirls, so I'm entering there.  My Time to Craft has It Takes Two (use two of something) and Paper Play Challenges has Double Delight - same sort of thing-  as their challenge themes, so I'm entering there (apart from the two flowers, I do have two cute teddies on my image, lol)
I used a button as a slider on the front of the card and a teddy button on the inside.  By the Cute and Girly has Cute as a Button as its challenge theme so I'm entering there.  The buttons, ribbon and pearls are from my stash Waste Not Wednesdays so I'm entering Lisa's challenge to use Stash and The Crafty Pad's Ribbon challenge.

Divas by Design and Simon Says Challenge have Anything Goes challenges running, woohoo! so I'm entering those too.

Well that's about it for today's card, it's a long weekend here, and so far it's been a lazy one - in a good way, lol.  We're doing a bit of painting and decorating at the moment, tomorrow's mission should we choose to accept it, is to paint the front door~ we've done the cr**py stripping of the old paint using my heat gun and the special glass protection nozzle I bought... and we've replaced the glass in the sidelight that the special glass protection nozzle didn't protect!  "Only" three coats of paint and new door furniture to go!  
I may even get a bit of crafting in on our holiday, hahahahahaha who am I kidding......Until next time, Happy Crafting Donna

Pearls In Her Hair

I have a card today that I made for a friends birthday... then I gave her a different card that's been sitting in my stash, so I suppose this is now a card for my stash!  For some reason, I'm really happy with it... I mean REALLY happy :-)

I've made an easel card, just 'coz I like them!  The image is Pearls In My Hair from A Day For Daisies, I love the ethereal vintage feel of it.  The Paper Shelter has a Vintage or Shabby Chic challenge and Bizzy Becs and Corrosive Challenges have Vintage themes; while this is not Shabby Chic I think it's Vintagey enough, hope so!  The Joanna Sheen challenge is "Remember When", I think this is perfect for it... I hope they do too   :-) 
I also hope the birds in the image make my card suitable for the Bearly Mine Challenge this time around ; the theme is  "Animal Kingdom", the image is listed at ADFD under the Animals category, so I should be alright! I'm sure it will let me in at the Crafty Calendar... their theme is Things With Wings
I coloured with Copics and added (unsurprisingly) some pearls in her hair, they're from my stash.
The papers are from Starfish Lane (where I get my "special" papers from) the patterned paper ("Chiyogami Abstract") is glorious in real life, it has a real vintage/deco feel to it; the gold outlining gives a lovely enamelled effect.  The turquoise and garnet coloured card are heavily textured, they're from Starfish Lane too, as are,you guessed it, the ribbon and the garnet trim I've used as a stop for the easel (birthday gift voucher courtesy of my son, I had a ball picking out all my goodies!) Totally Gorjuss wants us to use  "Something New"... they said it would be an easy challenge, how right they are, lol.
I cut the image panel with an Mpress die (Petal Frames), then distressed the edges with Versamark ink, which I used to stamp the sentiment (embossed with Ruby Glitter EP) The Cutie Pie Challenge is to use dies or punches and 
The flowers and berries are from my stash, so I'm entering Lisa's Waste Not Wednesdays challenge to use Stash.  I bought a bough of the blossoms from Spotlight for $2.49, there were about 15 on it as well as leaves and buds... bargain!  I've inked them up to match and cut a couple of leaves down to suit.  Paper Play Challenges has Double Delight; Use Two Of Something, as does My Time to Craft, I've used two flowers, two leaves and two sprays of berries, so I'm entering there.
Not much more to say about my card :-) Crafty Sentiments, Divas by Design and Simon Says Challenge all have Anything Goes themes, so I'll be entering there.
I've been using my crafting time to tidy up my hard drive, print samples of all my digipapers (very time consuming to make "samplers" up, hope it pays off in the end!) organize my digi images and that sort of thing.  I did manage to print off a couple of images while I was at it, so I hope to get some colouing time in when I have finished repainting my front door (boring "real world" sort of stuff) and reassembled my office after the minor flooding we had in a thunderstorm earlier this evening (it doesn't rain often here, but when it does rain it's often very heavy, lol) On this occasion the water came down one of the office walls where my printer paper was touching... and funnelled straight into the printer itself - I picked the printer up to wipe under it and inky water ran out - can't be good for it, but it still seems to be working :-)  I'll be back in a day or so with the fruits of my labours!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna