Spring into Spring with Di's Digis

I've done it again... posting my DT card for the new challenge at Di's Digis Challenge Blog a day late; all I can say is I'm sorry :-( I've been ridiculously busy and I'm still working out the nuances of my new laptop; I had to buy an updated version of Photoshop as my antique version just wouldn't function and I don't have time to learn Photoscape or one of the other freebies I've had lurking for a while waiting until I got a "Roundtuit".  Anyway I'm done now, here's my watermarked-in-Photoshop Elements 13-card :-))  The challenge theme is "Spring", I've gone for Spring colours and flowers.

I made this card for my granddaughter... can you believe my darling Twinnies are TWO already?? boy that went fast!!  I haven't blogged their first birthday cards yet, have to get onto that, lol.  This image is perfect for Miss Emily, she loves teddies and she loves pressies, it's called Teddies Pressie, you can get yours here.  Sparkles Monthly Challenge has a "Teddies" theme, I'm in!  As You Like It wants to know if we like "Lines" or "No Lines" ... I like "Lines", but then, I haven't tried "No Lines" yet... so who really knows? lol

I coloured with Copics, adding some Stickles to the big bow on the pressie. Bunny Zoes Crafts, Crazy 4 Challenges, Crafty Cardmakers, Corrosive Challenges and Card Mania Challenges have Spring Themes, so I'm entering them and Send a Smile for Kids wants to see Pastel Colours for Kids so I'm entering there too. I've got Stripes and Dots... and I've used the colours in the pic from Cupcake Inspirations, so I'm entering there.  
I followed the sketch from the Digi Sketch Challenge I cut the image panel and the purple mat (using watermarked silk effect card from my stash) using Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circle Dies, Papertake Weekly have "A Cut Above" for their Challenge, so I'm entering there too.  Whimsy Inspirations Challenge want use to Use a Die Cut, so I'm entering there.  The papers are from Pool Party Collection and Kaisercraft's Save the Date. I'll be entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge and Clear It Out's Challenge which has Theme: birthday and Stash: Polka Dots.  
I finished the inside of the card using the same papers and a "reduced" version of the sketch. 
The flowers were punched from textured vellum then inked with Kaisercraft Ink, the pearl centres are from my stash.  and that, as they say, was that!! The Paper Shelter has "Blooming" as their theme so I'm entering there.  Craft Your Passion, Through the Craftroom Door, Seize the Brthday, Simon Says Challenge, Little Miss Muffet, Creatalicious Challenges and Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'm entering them too. 
Well that's it for today.  I'll be back soon, with something from my drafts... as well as all those cards I I have three birthdays cakes (including the Twin's first birthday cake, yup - from a year ago, YIKES) that I'm pretty proud of I've gotta say :-))  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Gotta be Green to be Seen

Hi everyone.  I'm a bit late (and it's a bit rushed!) with my post for the new challenge starting today at Di's Digis Challenge Blog as my laptop died... actually I fried it!  I spilled a teensy weensy bit of water on it and the keyboard it toast.  I bought a new one yesterday afternoon and I have to say I REALLY hope it gets better!   I was seriously considering a Mac, but didn't think it warranted the extra expense, but after 20 plus hours of frustration primarily with Windows 8.1 and Office (including an hour on the phone to Microsoft help) I'm thinking of biting the bullet and selling this one to my folks for half price... good deal for them as they only use a tiny portion of their computer's capabilities anyway, and just "more"expense for me, sigh.
Phew, vent over (for the time being, lol) Like I said there's a new challenge starting today at  Di's Digis Challenge Blog the theme is Use Lots of Green.  As I had this image printed already I've gone with a Christmas theme :-)

I love this sort of fold, especially if you've got a cute image like this one (Candle Light Mice, available here) and some nice paper - and you get to use some scraps too, if you've got some available that is - and who hasn't?  These papers are all from Kaisercraft, the gold glitter matting is from la carte... and next time I'll spray it with fixative before I use it... I've got glitter EVERYWHERE!
I coloured the image with Copics, adding some extra shadow with Prismacolor pencils and Glossy Accents to the flame and berries and Perfect Pearls to add a slight shimmer to the candle.
The crystal brads are from my stash, the sentiment is a wood mounted stamp I've had forever... with my sister owning it before that :-))

Like I said, I love this fold, it's a tri-shutter fold... here's a link to a fabulous Splitcoast Stampers tutorial if you're interested  You get to show off your papers, your image still holds pride of place and it folds flat for postage (well it does if you're like me and don't use a lot of embellishments!)
They look pretty good when they come out of the envelope too... bonus :-)
I've taken more photos, may add them as I don't really know if these are any good or not... the resolution on the new computer is completely different to the old... not as good sadly, so I can't see all the detail that I know is there in the image.  It's the first time I've realized that not everyone sees what I see when I'm looking at an image on the screen - this looks "flat" compared to real life, what can you do? sigh.
I have spent two hours this afternoon (as well as five times that in the last few days!) trying to get my Onenote package over from my old lappy.. it has all the links to challenges that I like to keep an eye on, all my links, picutures of sketches, you name it on it and I CAN"T get it to transfer, (not helped by a toasted keyboard that adds extra letters in all the time!) so I've just had to 'guess'at some of my favourites,   these are the ones I'm entering

Craft Your Passion	Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes
As You Like It	Favourite;  Digi or Rubber (digi...every time - flexible, easy to store, reliable to print etc etc !)
Little Red Wagon	Cute Cute Cute
Art by Miran	Anything Goes
Crazy 4 Challenges	Bring on the Bling
Catch The Bug	Anything Goes
Pile It On	Green
Great Impressions	March: Go Green
Hiding in my Craft Room	Freestyle
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper  (and how!)
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge	Use a Sentiment
Cutie Pie Challenge	Cute with Fancy Folds
Crafty Calendar	Add Some Metal (Brads)
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge	Mainly Green

Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, there's a great prize on offer from Crafter's Companion, and don't forget if you use one of Di's cute images you go in an extra draw, WooHOO!!

I'll be back soon... as soon as I've transferred the photos of my unblogged cards I'll get them onto my blog... it's just too risky having 35+ cards worth in your drafts (I should just get them into drafts on Blogger... never thought of that!

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Second Post

As indicated earlier... here I am with my Second post for the day.  This time I have a card I made for my last Guest Designer spot at Sketch Saturday. Thanks for having me ladies :-)

Well here's another digital image I had fun fun fun colouring up... he is "bunny with gift", a freebie, I grabbed from Sugar Nellie... "free with purchase" I think is the term ;-)   

I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, adding some Glossy Accents to bunny's nose and eyes (which I added an extra highlight to with a white gel pen) and some Star Dust Stickles polka dots to the present.  The purple matting is from my stash (Kaisercraft), the largest mat is cut with Spellbinders Floral Ovals, the pink mat is Spellbinders Scalloped Ovals and the image is cut with Spellbinders Standard Ovals.  

Now here's that all important sketch, isn't it a beauty?  I sure think so :-)  I'm entering Cupcake Inspirations challenge "cute critters", here's the inspiration pic too. The flower is MFT Plentiful Petals, inked up with some Versamark ink and with some stickles added to the centre before one of my melted bead centres. The paper is digtital, from Nitwit Collections Fairytale Too "pack", the horizontal strip has paper from the same collection... not that you can see much of it with the glittery purple ribbon over the top (from my stash).  I cut the edge of the horizontal strip with Martha Stewart's Doily Lace Border Punch, the sentiment is from Craftworks

The inside got much the same treatment, paper from the same pack, different pony bead :-)

Well that's it for today, phew.  Hope you get to join in THIS challenge too, such a versatile sketch - do go and check out the rest of the team's inspiration... why not have a go at the challenge yourself? Great prize on offer, bonus!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges: 

Papertake Weekly	Take your pick; cool colours/ sketch/use Kraft (cool colours)
Send a Smile for Kids	Punches and/or Die Cuts 4kids
Sweet  Stampin'	All or Nothing (one layer or lots of layers) LOTS
Cupcake Inspirations	Cute Critters
Bunny Zoes Crafts	For the Girls
Inky Chicks	Flowers
The Paper Shelter	Make It Digital (image AND paper)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper
Sugar Bowl Challenges	Anything Goes
OSAAT	Anything Goes with Birthdays
Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes
Simon Says Challenge	Anything Goes
Art by Miran	Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown	Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion	Anything Goes

I'll be back in a few days, I am determined to get some "stuff" out of my drafts... not just keep adding to it!!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

First Post

I have two posts today... my goodness, something of a record for me in recent times - it's been more like two posts a fortnight :-))  The first is my DT card for Di's Digis Challenge, where we have a new challenge starting with the easy peasy theme, "birthdays"

As the acetate was still on my desk from my last creation... I've used it again!  I wanted to show off that super cute image (Cute Cupcake Tower, available here) as I was really pleased with my colouring on this one, I've coloured as usual with Copics and Prismacolor pencils (though I've bought a couple of Rembrandt pencils so they're in the mix too, lol)
I added lashings of Star Dust Stickles to the icing... of all the cakes - on the image and the papers inside and out!  I also added Glossy Accents to the cherries (even those eensy teensy ones on the paper on the inside!) and the candle flames.
I used paper from a Merci pack, the "doily" was already printed on the green background with the cupcakes in the corner... I just used my Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circle Dies to cut an aperture in the white card (fussy cutting around the cupcakes to keep them whole!) and to cut the pink "ring" to finish it off.  I backed the whole inside of the card with acetate then decided it looked better with the pink "lining".  The aperture in the lining became the mat for the image, perfect!  It's amazing (I think) how different the image looks with green around it, with the front closed, to a lot of pink around it with it open.
The sentiment is from Create With TLC, the little 'resin' cupcake holding it on is actually from a digi paper kit I have, printed on shrink plastic then, well, shrunk!  It looks really good IRL but was difficult to capture on film :-)  A couple of pearls, card finished!
That's it for this post, hope you get a chance to check out the rest of the team's inspiration... and I hope you get to enter the challenge too... as always there's a great prize on offer and, again as always, if you use one of Di's great images you go in a draw for an extra prize, wow!
I am entering this card in the following challenges

The Paper Shelter	Make It Digital
Send a Smile for Kids	Punches and/or Die Cuts 4kids
Catch The Bug	Picture (Keep Calm and Bake Cakes)
Cupcake Inspirations	Cute Critters
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper
Bunny Zoes Crafts	For the Girls
OSAAT	Anything Goes with Birthdays
Simon Says Challenge	Anything Goes
Art by Miran	Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown	Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion	Anything Goes
Sweet  Stampin'	All or Nothing (one layer or lots of layers)... it's actually "lots" :-)

I'll be back in a few minutes with my second post for the day 

Donna