It's a Girl Thing

Time again for a new challenge at Di's Digi Designs Challenge Blog, this time we'd like to see your "Girly" creations.  I made a card to welcome a baby girl.

I've gone about as girly as I can go... and still managed to not go pastel - I did try to go pastel but , hey I "like" colour, what can I say? lol.  

The image is Baby Balloons, available here, and isn't it the cutest??  As You Like It want to see our Favourite Digi, and to tell them why; if I'm honest I just love digis 'coz they're so flexible... this one's a Favourite just because it's so cute!  Papertake Weekly have Oh So Cute as their challenge theme so I'm entering there and Delightful Challenges have Cute and Cuddly, so in there too.  I did the basic colouring with Copics and added the shading with Prismacolor pencils, though it seriously took about five minutes total to colour this little beauty up!  I coloured where I thought the pink balloon would be "under" the purple balloon so that they look more translucent, at least I think they do, I added Glossy Accents too - I think I'd prefer a less glossy finish so I might try my Satin gloss from back in my art days - if it's not a solid lump in the bottle, that is, lol.  Pile It On want to see "Shiny" so I'm in there.

I added some clouds to the background using Copics (I prefer them done with ink and a sponge dauber though, so I'll revert to using that next time)  I used the sketch from Sketch n Stash... I like a nice sketch, I used my new Cottage Cutz "baby" die as my sentiment, which I went over with a Sakura Clear Glaze pen - it looks good IRL but was impossible to capture in a pic.  Cuttlebug Mania have an Anything Goes with Die Cuts challenge, so I'm entering there.

The background paper is Prima, Faerie Florals, I can't get hold of any more, and I LOVE it so if anybody out there knows where I can get some pleeeease let me know :-)) Of course I'm entering Hazel's Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge  The horizontal strip is Kaisercraft, it has glossy hearts on it, and I punched the white border using Martha Stewart's Doily Lace punch. Cute Card Thursday and My Mums Craft Shop have Punches and or Dies challenges, so I'm entering them.

The pearl strip is  Portacraft, the flower is a punch my Mum and Dad brought back from Malaysia with some Card Candi in the centre and the flourish is my trusty Memory Box Corner Bow die - love that thing, lol.  OSAAT and Creatalicious Challenges want to see some Flowers, I'm in!  The ribbon is from a pack I just bought in Spotlight.  Some pearls from my stash to take the plainness away from the top right hand corner, card finished! Crafty Cardmakers want to see Ribbon Lace and Pearls... I have Ribbon if my Doily Lace punch isn't "lacy" enough :-)

I followed the same sketch for the inside of the card, as usual!  the Congratulations is another of my new sentiment dies, this one from Spellbinders Shapeabilities Sentiments One set and that, as they say, is that. Through the Craftroom Door, Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge,  Crafty Girls Challenge, Inky Chicks, Art by Miran and Simon Says Challenge all have Anything Goes Challenges running so I'm entering them.I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge this time around, I know a lot of you love "Girly", so there's no reason not to; There's a great prize on offer from Paper Sweeties and don't forget if you use one of Di's scrummy images - or a Candibean stamp for those rubber-lovers, you go into an extra draw :-))  Pop over to the Di's Digi Designs Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the team's work... there's some serious scrumptious-ness there - and some of the girls have actually managed to "do" pastel, lol

We're working hard in the garden at the moment, trying to get as much done as possible before my operation on Friday... I know I won't be able to do much at all after, it worries me a great deal.  I'm trying to get all the paperwork for the business and the housework up to date as well, so not a lot of time for crafting; I'll post when I can and do have a few things made that I will schedule posts for.  I am sincerely hoping I'll be up to using my laptop after a week or so.

Either way, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Dance Like No One is Watching

Well hello! I have had so much going on - appointments at the hospital mainly in preparation for my Total Hip Replacement next Friday.   I decided this evening to drag one of my cards out of my drafts... this was the card I gave our Daughter-in-law for her birthday (last December!! 

The gorgeous image is Abi Ballerina from All Dressed Up, there are two versions I think, a freebie with Abi's eyes open and this one with her eyes closed - I can't see any other differences. The All Dressed Up challenge wants to see our Favourite Colour, Turquoise is my DIL's favourite colour, and I'm surprised how much I use it... I do like most colours, but the combinations in this paper from Kaisercraft's Chapter One just "work" extra well for me :-) so I'm entering the challenge.  The floral paper has gloss accents, it really is lush IRL, Clear It Out has a Birthday Theme and wants to see some Glossy Accents, definitely in there, Pile It On has Shiny so in there too.  Papertake Weekly have Oh So Cute, I'm in!  Without Words has a Celebration theme, while this card is not exactly CAS, there are NO embellishments... not so much as a pearl, so I'm hoping it's in the spirit of the challenge and I'm trying it out there.

The Creative Colors Challenge this time is to use at least three of the colours in the inspiration pic, and Polka Dots... I have the three shades of turquoise so I'm in, Whimsy Inspirations Challenge is Monochrome, so (apart from the skin tones, which I think are allowed) I'm in there too.There's a new Sketch challenge on the block... Die Sketchanten or the Sketch Aunt's (cute name!) I think this fits their sketch pretty well (flipped) so I'm entering there in their very first challenge; even though this card was made before the date it hasn't been "blogged" until today so I think it should be okay.

I coloured the image with Copics, and Prismacolor pencils, adding loads of Stickles to the tutu, Crafty Little Fairies have Sparkle and Bling so I'm entering there.  I used Nestabilities Scalloped Circles to cut the Kraft mat for the image panel, which was cut with a Standard Circle Nestie; My Mums Craft Shop has Punches or Dies and Cuttlebug Mania has Anything Die Cut, so I'm entering there.  The sentiment is from Craftworks cards.

The card was also a gift card holder... the card we bought for her from one of her favourite shops came in it's own box, so I made a gusseted pocket on the inside front to hold it - and made sure I had a gusset in the fold of the card to accommodate it when shut.  

I followed the same sketch for the inside proper, adding a Marianne Design die cut flourish as an embellishment to the jotting panel.  This card is "me on a plate"; I like to make my hand coloured image the focus, tend to use patterned paper in rich or strong tones and add very little in the way of embellishments - even though I've got a scrap room full of them, lol, so I absolutely am entering Crafts 4 Eternity's "My Style" challenge :-)) Allsorts Challenges theme this time around is Movie Titles, my movie title is simply Ballerina (which was a fascinating film about the Kirov ballet) so I'm in there and  I'll be entering Through the Craftroom Door, Crafty Girls Challenge and Inky Chicks Anything Goes challenges too.

That's it for today's card.  I'm trying hard to get some DT cards up for the next few weeks.  I anticipate being in hospital for four or five days, though I have been quoted anywhere from four to eight... I sincerely hope it's not eight as I have cajoled my hubby into not working for a week with the idea that he be home with me when I most need help and he being home while I'm in hospital is a bit pointless  I am an absolute wreck about this operation, almost sick with nerves.  

By all accounts the first two weeks are the hardest, with pain and disability being at their worst and the narcotics wreaking havoc with your system.  I sincerely hope it's all worth it, I have already "stressed off" two kilos.  The recovery seems very arduous, my surgeon wants me to observe "hip precautions" for twelve weeks - which is twice what my original surgeon wanted.  These include sleeping on my back, which I can't do so God knows how I'll cope, not bending more than 90 degrees, so no bending to get things from low shelves, no stretching up, no crossing the midline, no sitting on soft or low (substitute "comfortable"!) seats, etc etc etc  I've been practicing using my "reacher" but it's incredible the impact these restrictions have.  I should be able to use my laptop (some of the forums I've read say they were up to that by the third week, I'm hoping for sooner of course!) The one thing you are allowed, in fact encouraged to do is WALK, so that'll be me.... wistfully WALKING around my craft room looking at all the things I can't reach, lol.

Well now I've shared (perhaps over-shared) I'll say good night, I'll be back on the weekend with a DT card for Di's Digis.... not that I've made it yet!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Breaking ALL The Rules !?

Now the title of my post suggests I'm some sort of anarchist, but I'm not really... but you knew that, lol.   I am referring to the fact that a few weeks ago as Guest Designer for Little Miss Muffet Stamps I broke one of the cardinal rules of my youth "blue and green should never be seen..." and today I get to break another; "Don't mix Checks with Stripes" for the Challenge starting at Di's Digis.  To be fair, it's not compulsory to be so daring - you can have Checks and OR stripes, I just thought I'd go the whole hog :-))

I've used the sweet image "Surprise", available here - can you see the fluffy little surprise in the box?  I did the basic colouring with Copics and added the shading with Prismacolor pencils, it's not showing the detail it has in real life; my picture is a bit dark as it was taken in the evening, maybe that's why. Addicted to Stamps wants to see Pastel Colours, I'm in, Cute Card Thursday has Too Cute as their challenge theme - definitely in there, Cutie Pie Challenge has Two's Company, entering there and Allsorts Challenges has Sugar and Spice, so in there as well.

I added pearl pen to the girls ruffles and iridescent sparkle to the gift box.  I added some pearl pen dots to the background of the image too, the jury's out on the success of THAT one, lol.

I followed the sketch from the Digi Sketch Challenge, you know how I like a nice sketch, their theme this time around is It's a Girl Thing, so I'll be entering with the Sketch and Theme.  I cut the image panel and pink and blue mats using my Lifestyle Crafts nesting dies, I love these things as having 21 dies in a set means you can have very small increments.  I stuck some lace (which I slit down to make it "flexible") to the back of the image panel before sticking that onto the pink mat.  I stuck more lace to blue card for the two vertical strips on the sketch.  Bunny Zoes Crafts has a Lace themed challenge so I'm entering there and Papertake Weekly has Repeat Repeat (use two of something) so in there too.

The papers are from DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies 8x8 stack... they're really heavy and nice to work with - the blue/green stripes are really glittery too, not that that's showing in the pic either, sigh.  The ovals on the stripy paper were white, but they didn't tie in with the theme so I coloured them with R81 Copic, which seemed like a fabulous idea... at the start!  Oh, it didn't take that long and it made it match :-)  Simon Says Challenge wants us to Make Our Own Background Paper, I'm not sure this qualifies, but I did make it at least different to what it was so I'm entering, and as I've basically covered my whole card (actually I DID cover the whole card, the blue paper is from the pad I used) I'm entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge

I fiddled around with other embellies for ages, in the end I coloured one of my basic white mulberry flowers with R81 and R85 Copics, stuck one of my favourite rhinestone/pearl embellies in the middle and added a couple of "leaves" punched with Martha Stewart's Forest Branches punch. The sentiment is from Craftworks Cards, I'll be entering the Seize the Birthday challenge. Some blue pearls on the corner of the DP panels, done! 

I used the same basic layout for the inside of the card, the stripes go the other way because it was an offcut from the piece I used on the front... and I was DONE with colouring little ovals, lol.  I used a brad in the centre of the flower and some linen textured card for the jotting panel.Catch The Bug, OSAAT, Crafty Girls Challenge, Divas by Design and Through the Craftroom Door have Anything Goes challenges (OSAAT is with a die, which I've used) so I'm entering them.

Well that's about it for today's card, pop over to the challenge blog and check out (did you see what I did there, lol) the rest of the team's inspiration.  Nice easy theme again so I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, with a super prize from Little Darlings on offer, it's well worth your time!  Don't forget the extra draw if you use one of Di's images too!!

I'll be back soon with another offering, I'm trying to get ahead with DT commitments as I have booked in to have my hip replacement on 3rd October, which isn't very far away really.  I am going to see the surgeon on 19th September, "my" surgeon is on Sabbatical Leave for six months and didn't want me to leave it until he returned (because of the Necrosis, I think) so I have to meet his Locum who is actually his Senior partner, don't know how it all works just want to get on with it now, though I am seriously dreading the process; operation and recovery are quite daunting.

I'll drag one of  the many out of my drafts to keep my blog ticking over, so I'll see you soon- ish! Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna 

Father's Day in the Land of Oz

It's Father's Day here in Australia, I have stacks of cards in my drafts still to post but thought I'd share the cards I made for my Dad and Hubby while they're fresh, well one of them anyway.  Today is the card I made for my Dad

I made an easel card, my Dad just loves them (as do I, so that's a bit fortunate, lol)  I used an image from the Stamp Fairy - this is Lenny Father's Day 2 available here - I just visited the site to grab the link and see that they're CLOSING DOWN, gasp, better go and get some of those super cute images before they're gone!.  It wasn't until I had it all printed out and ready to go that I realised I used a Lenny image for Dad's birthday card back in May; oh well, it is a cute image and he DID really like his birthday card :-) oh, and I ran out of time (yup, again with the last minute card making scenario!) 

The image comes with both teddies "au naturel" and it didn't feel quite right, so I paper pieced a dress for the little girl (just a free hand cut shape, I made sure it had sleeves and that made it look so much more like it belonged)  I paper pieced the tie (which was already on the image) as well. Crafts 4 Eternity has a Digital challenge, Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge and My Time to Craft have Teddy Bear challenges and Cutie Pie Challenge want us to use an image with two characters on, so I'm entering them; Hobbycutz and Corrosive Challenge want to see something for the boys so I'm entering there too.  I cut and embossed the image panel with a Crafts Too Squares die

I coloured the image with Copics and some Prismacolor pencils.  I used the sketch from Sketch and Stash this time around, I do like a nice sketch :-)  The papers are Kaisercraft, they really are beautiful IRL, with loads of gold foil, the brown cardstock is from my stash. I'll be entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge as my card base is (all but) covered in DP.

 The only embellishments on the card are the Kaisercraft Sparklets on the horizontal panel, they were clear - I coloured them to match the DP with one of my BG Copics, worked a dream, and they stayed nice and sparkly!  Totally Gorjuss has a Bling Challenge, so I'm entering there.

  I made the sentiment on the computer, Aud Sentiments wants to see a Sentiment Other Than Birthday, I'm in!  Clear It Out, OSAAT, Crafty Girls Challenge, Catch The Bug, Art by Miran and Papertake Weekly all have Anything Goes challenges running so I'm entering them too.

 That's it for my Dad's card.  I hope he had a lovely day - we had the family all over for BBQ breakfast, my sister is up from the bush so with her and the twins it got pretty noisy, lol. Happy Father's Day to everyone celebrating today :-)  I'll be back in a few days with my hubby's card (or one from my draft folder, gotta get into that soon!)  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna