Make it Masculine at Di's Digis

Well here we are again... it's time for a new challenge at Di's Digis Challenge Blog, this time around we want to see you "Make it Masculine"

I used "Slouch Couch Ted with Dog" on today's card, you can get it (or without "Dog" if you want, lol) here  I coloured with Copics - the chair and lamp were paper pieced with paper from Bearly Mine's Just Plaid set, it barely shows in the pic but does genuinely look good IRL  Papertake Weekly has Oh So Cute as their challenge theme, definitely in there, while Paper Crafting Journey and Colour Me Copic both have Masculine themes so in there too.
I used the sketch from Digi Sketch Challenge, I can't get the pic to link up at the moment so here's "one I saved earlier"  I used Kraft for the card base, but the buff mats are Kaisercard, as are the blue, the ribbon is from my stash.  The ribbon mat was punched with Fiskars Apron Lace punch, which I seem to use a lot for male cards.The DP is from Kaisercraft's Madame Boutique pad. Fab'n'funky Challenges have a recipe; three Designer Papers (the paper piecing, plus two) Ribbon and Pearls / Rhinestones... I made my own Pearls/Faux Enamel Dots by melting plastic beads in the oven.  The ones I used on this card were pearl beads but I made several trays using translucent and plain coloured beads.  I got the idea here, and it was soooo easy!  I've now bought another big pack of smaller beads so I'll be making some more - what I'm going to do with hundreds of little plastic "Smarties" I dunno, probably add them to a Blog Candy, which seems somehow appropriate, lol.  
Here's a pic of the "process", it did create a bit of odour but nowhere near as much as I was expecting.
OSAAT have a Keep It Simple challenge, hopefully this is simple enough :-)  Addicted to  Stamps has Inspired by a Song, I'm thinking Muddy Waters' Take a Walk With Me... that puppy sure looks like he wants Ted to do just that!
I finished the inside of the card to the same sketch, using more paper from the Madame Boutique pad - and some more of my "enamel dots", of course.
Divas by Design, Little Miss Muffet and Through the Craftroom Door all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'll be entering them.
Well that's about it for today's card, pop over to Di's Digis Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the team's work - awesome as always :-) Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too, it's good to have a few "male" cards on hand, and with a great prize from Crafty Ribbons on offer (don't forget if you use one of Di's fab digis you go into an extra draw) why wouldn't you?
I am having my gallbladder removed on Monday, I've done so many Doctor/Hospital/Pathology visits in the last few weeks I'm actually glad to be moving towards some resolutions!  The kidney stone can no longer be found, so hopefully that's passed (though I've only had an Ultrasound, not a CT scan which is more thorough, so that may not be the case).  Once I recover from this operation I should be heading towards the Total Hip Replacement, THAT I'm anticipating with a bigger mix of dread and joy - it's a bigger operation and rehabilitation than Monday's but it will hopefully bring a bigger result in turn.  I will be a bit more captive than usual for a week or so, so it should translate to a bit more 'blogging' time... we'll see ;-)
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna 

Butterflies and Birthdays

Well I finally managed to pull one of the cards out of my drafts... it's the card I made for my sister's birthday... in December! Don't worry, I've got older ones than that to come too, eeek

I made an easel card, just because I like them, and used purple because Fiona loves it - and the fabulous Delicious Doodles image because Fiona loves fairies and butterflies too.  Allsorts Challenges has Fancy Folds, I'm in, and The Paper Shelter has Girly Girl so I'm in there too!  

The girl has pink hair because Fi in a previous carnation had pink hair... not quite as pink as this, but pretty out there, lol. She was 59 in December and has toned it down a bit, still wears a lot of purple, and orange, and yes, sometimes together - she is as outrageous as I am conservative and I love her 'coz you just gotta :-)

I coloured the image with Copics, adding a few highlights and some shading with Prismacolor pencils.  Gem of a Challenge want to see our favourite colour combo; I love all colour and this strong pairing is no exception, so I'm in.  There's lashings of Stickles on the fairy's wing and the butterflies too.  The floral paper is Chiyogami, I love this stuff, there was no pink on it though so I soon fixed that with my trusty Copic marker, really it didn't take more than a few minutes; that's my tip for Top Tip Tuesday - if you can't find matching paper, MAKE matching paper :-)  I'm entering the Here Comes Summer Challenge there too.  The luscious embossed purple came from my scraps folder (as did the Chiyogami when I come to think of it) and the watermarked background paper was from... my stash too! Clear It Out want to see a female card with flowers, so I'm entering there, Seize the Birthday and Tuesday Throwdown have floral challenges and Crafty Little Fairies has In the Garden, so I'm entering there too.

I layered everything up on black card (My Mums Craft Shop wants to see Lots of Layers) then added a computer generated sentiment, a net butterfly ex Malaysia (thanks Mum and Dad), a purple swirl cut with a Memory Box Corner Bow die, a punched flower and some sparkly rhinestones from my stash.  The stamped butterfly on the jotting panel is Kaisercraft (I think)  Crafty Creations has a recipe challenge, I used "Flowers, diecut and purple" and Crazy 4 Challenges has a Bingo challenge, I've used Flowers / Sentiment / Bling. Simon Says Challenge is Die Crazy so I'm entering there too (only one die cut, but a punched flower too, lol)  Digi Sketch,  Through the Craftroom Door and Stamping Sensations have Anything Goes challenges so I'm entering them.

Well that's it for today, I'm glad to have got to at least one of my Drafts, I've been busy busy at various Dr's appointments, another one tomorrow (gallbladder surgeon)  I just want that sorted now, the Orthopedic Surgeon on Tuesday said the hip replacement is of some urgency as I have Avascular Necrosis and the hip is seriously compromised - and that he can't do the surgery until the gallbladder and kidney issues have been resolved (he wants to make sure there is no underlying infection/inflammation at the time of surgery because of the chance of it "seeding" in the new joint)  I'm having another scan for the kidney next week, hopefully the stone's gone, otherwise I'll have to go to a Urologist too, gah!!  Good news... the Rheumatologist yesterday doesn't think it's RA, it may be a form of Lupus though - more blood tests to determine that, but I felt that it was positive news so I'm not worried.

I'll be back in a few days with another card; until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Use Those Markers

Lucky I'm on Di's Digidesigns Challenge DT or I'd never get anything posted on my poor old Blog!  There's a new challenge starting today, the theme is "Use Those Markers", lucky for me as I LOVE my markers :-)  

It's Mother's Day here in Australia tomorrow so I made a card for my Mum, Tuesday Throwdown has "Special Lady" for their challenge, so I'm in and The Paper Shelter has Love is in the Air (not just romantic love) so I'm in there too.
 I made an aperture card, I did one for my hubby's birthday but that's one of the many cards I haven't had a chance to blog yet... surely I'll get a chance to do some soon!  What I really like about these is that when you decorate the inside, you decorate the outside too - or vice versa :-)  I used this fab tutorial from Great Impressions and that means I can enter their challenge, excellent! 

The image is Kitty Cuddles, Di had removed it from the shop but has seen the error of her ways, lol, and is going to put it back in - why wouldn't you, it's so cute, and perfect for Mother's Day, I think.  Cute Card Thursday has Paw Pals as their challenge theme, my cute Paw Pals get me in for sure.
As it says "on the tin" the challenge is to use markers, I've used Copics; because it's a special occasion I made a list of the markers I used: RV04, RV13, RV16, R000, R01, R20, R22, Y21, Y28, Y32, YR31,C0, C2, C5, C7, T4, W1, W3.  Mmm, sounds like a lot, but some were just a touch and the Toner was used to desaturate the kitten, who was way too orange.  
The papers are from Nitwits, the Stuffed Love collection.  I scaled the paper I used on the front down and used it as a background for the image; the heart paper on the inside is from the same collection as are the horizontal strips. Delightful Challenges, Bearly Mine Challenges and the Simon Says Challenge all have Flower themes, so I'm entering them all and Colour Me Copic has a Pastel Colours challenge, Divas by Design has In the Pink and  Gem of a Challenge has Favourite Colour Combo for theirs... I love all colour, seriously ALL, so I'm in. 

The aperture was cut using Nestabilities Standard Circles and the edge detail with Nestabilities Lacey Circles.  The corner dies are Cheery Lynn the pearls are from my stash and the sentiments are gold stickers I've had for yonks that I'm trying to get some use from.  I don't use a lot of embellishments on my cards, I do use die cuts a lot but really love the colouring aspect the most; Clear It Out wants to see our Style, I guess this is mine, and our Favourite Product... gotta be Copics and Dies.  My Mums Craft Shop has Lots of Layers... there were so many layers for the aperture I could hardly get it to go through my Big Shot, in the end it went through the Cuttlebug (those plates are less warped, which probably helped!)
Through the Craftroom Door, That Craft Place, Stamping Sensations and Papertake Weekly  all have Anything Goes challenges, so I'm entering them too.
That's it for today's card, pop over to the blog and check out my teamies work, fab as always.  I hope you get a chance to join in the challenge, such an easy theme :-)  Great prize on offer too from Marker Pop, and don't forget if you use one of Di's fab images (plenty of new ones in the shop, and available as Candibean Rubber Stamps for the ink lovers among you too) you go in an extra draw, WooHoo!! 
I will try to get back soon, I have had more dramas - the gallstones found in the CT when I had the kidney stone (which I have to go for another scan to see where it's at, though it's given me no more trouble) have caused two gallbladder attacks last week, they are very painful, though not I think as painful as the kidney stone, still very unpleasant as they bring other symptoms.  I've only had one attack prior, last year, and didn't realise what it was - the pain went after about an hour and a half so I thought it was just killer indigestion. I've been told the gallbladder has to come out, I'm not keen but can't do too many of those attacks, I'm in a quandry that's for sure!  I'm going to the Orthopedic Surgeon and the Rheumatologist this week seeking solutions for my hip, which has been literally a pain for a whole lot longer. It's all started getting me down a bit to be honest, quite a bit.  
Just when I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, I read of one of fellow DT's Lorraine's son's friends dying of cancer at the age of only 9; man, did that make me wake up or what?!  I hear client's saying all the time "it's a nightmare" when they're describing the mess their pool excavation has made, the crane being a few hours late or the cost exceeding their expectations and I always say that your child having cancer is a nightmare, those other things are, in the end only inconveniences; I've decided to regroup and try to heed my own advice, the pain and mobility issues I have are certainly unpleasant and unwelcome, but "a nightmare" they are NOT, I am so grateful that we as parents have never had that nightmare.  Even Matt's accident last year, while serious, could not, in retrospect be considered a nightmare as we still have him almost whole and hearty - just minus a few minor appendages :-)
Anyway, enough of my waffle.  I'll be back soon, after all it's Mother's Day tomorrow so my time will be my own (ha, as if!) Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna xx