Animals Acting Like Humans at Di's Digis

Whew, that's another fortnight that flew by..... Time for a new challenge at Di's Digi's Challenge Blog, the theme this time around is "Animals Acting as Humans".  I am having so many problems with Blogger.... it's a minor miracle if you're even able to see this, at last count it was my seventh attempt to publish!

I thought I'd take the opportunity to add to my Christmas card pile, and I just LOVE this cute image "Hark the Herald Micey Sing", available here.  I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, heat embossing some Ranger Bridal Tinsel EP onto the fur trim on the meece's hats.  Since I took this photo I also added some Glossy Accents to the holly berries as well, I didn't think it was worth taking another pic as you can rarely pick up the shine in pics anyway, lol.

The papers are from Kaisercraft's Christmas Carol pad... we stopped in Melbourne for a few days on our way to New Zealand holiday a few weeks ago and I found the Kaisercraft outlet store; all I can say is it's lucky for my wallet that there's a weight restriction on your baggage or we would have been cold in NZ after I made way for all the things I WOULD have bought if there wasn't a limit, lol... I did manage a paper pad - or three, lol.
The sketch I've based my card on is this little beauty from Tuesday Morning Sketches.
I've had the sparkly red ribbon in my stash for so long I can't even remember where it came from - it was really hard to get into a decent looking bow, even with my new Bow Easy... think I'll stick with finer ribbon in future.  The little jingle bell is actually from the Lindt chocolate bunny my youngest son bought for me for Easter this year... I have a whole pile of them in my stash still; he buys me a Lindt bunny every year, and I collect the ribbon and bells from everyone else that gets one too, such magpies us crafters, lol.

The fabulous sentiment is from Create With TLC; I can't remember if this was a freebie (quite possible as Paulette is very generous!) or if it came in one of the Christmas packs I've bought over the years... either way you can find it here.  I added the shadow to it in Microsoft Word, very easily done and it really does add some dimension.  

I finished the inside of the card very simply, which I tend to do with Christmas cards as a) they are less likely to be kept by the recipient and b)I'm usually under time pressure :-) The sentiment is a wood mounted stamp that was a gift from my sister years ago... before I even made my first card - as in she was having a clean out and I never say no to anything I think I'll get a use for one day; the reason I've spent more money on storage than anything else over the years - to keep my goodies organized and more importantly concealed, lol.
I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge this time around, there's so many images around of Animals Acting Like Humans - Di has a gazillion on offer herself, check them out here, so it's an easy challenge.  Great prize on offer as always, and don't forget if you DO use one of Di's cuties there's extra prize opportunities!
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges: 

Great Impressions Trick or Tree-t or Image (my meeces are on a tree branch.. hope that's enough!) 
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long Lots of Layers or Textures (The background paper is foiled, the floral paper has glossy accents, the ribbon is very textured AND there's a lot of layers... think I've got this one covered, lol) 
Winter Wonderland Traditional Colours 
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra Challenge Anything Christmas

Hiding in my Craft Room Any Holiday

Papertake Weekly Anything Festive

Aud Sentiments Christmas

Fab'n'funky Challenges Cute Critters and/or Christmas

Crafty Cardmakers Add Some Sparkle (The bow/ribbon and the fur trim all sparkle IRL) 
4 Crafty Chicks Sparkle and Shine 
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Anything Goes, Optional Christmas

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes

Cute As A Button Anything Goes

rt by Miran Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes
  Well that's it for today, I'm still sorting out all my pics from our fabulous New Zealand adventure; which didn't start too well when we missed our flight to Queenstown on Day one and ended not too well either when we landed back in Aussie to a Custom and Immigration go slow campaign resulting in it taking over one and a half (stressful!)hours to get out of the airport, then 45minutes waiting for a taxi into Melbourne- at which point we wished we'd bitten the bullet and flown straight through to Perth even though they're really awful schedule times

The two weeks in New Zealand though were AWESOME; we saw plenty of snow, blue sky and truly majestic scenery This first pic is in Queenstown at dusk, (we've been twice before but in April, very little snow then, amazing how different it looks) The second pic is one (actually a few not-particularly-well stitched together) sent to our sons while away - it's okay considering the limited resources available at the time, lol) of the Northern end of Lake Wanaka about halfway through our journey - LOVE Wanaka! Town and Lake

We had a very rainy Milford Sound experience, which while "mystical"will probably be back on the list of "one fine day" as the photos of it on a clear day look astonishing, and we missed out on the helicopter/glacier landing flight as the weather was too poor for the two consecutive days we were "in range", so that's still on the Bucket List.  Ironically they were the three days of rain we had the whole trip.  Ah well, gave us a chance to catch our breath... we drove 2700 kilometres in 11 days; and managed to do a lot of the hour-plus walks to scenic spots that I couldn't do last time because of my hip... my new hip made the world of difference I have to say.

We did get to Kaikoura on the East Coast of the South Island this time (we went inland up to the Abel Tasman park last time so missed it) We saw plenty of these baby seals on our walk up the hill from the town beach - too cute!  They are wild creatures so we left them alone... but this little fella was quite nosy and I have a picture of him sniffing hubby's Cousin's foot!

I also have to give a shout out to anyone in Christchurch; we spent the last four days of our NZ time there with my hubby's family, they took us in to see the damage in the city and some of the hardest hit suburbs.  We were there six years ago, such a pretty city - and it broke my heart to see the level of devastation;  it was hard to get your bearings as all the landmarks are simply gone. 

It wasn't until I stumbled on the tram tracks when taking a photo of the devastated Cathedral that I realised I was on the angled road that was once the thriving heart of the city... as far as I could see in most directions was NOTHING, it looked like a giant parking lot.  Any of you that have stayed deserve our admiration, I hope for your sake's the "tearing down" has ended and the true rebuilding can begin in earnest.
I will add some "happier" pics of our trip next time, I'll be back in a few days, until then Happy Crafting Donna

Fabulous Fall Colours at Di's Digis

Well here I am... the Deep South of New Zealand DOES have internet connectivity; albeit expensive and a bit flaky, lol.  So I get to publish my card "personally" instead of scheduling... here it is.

The new challenge theme starting today at Di's Digis Challenge is "Fabulous Fall Colours"... we don't have a 'big' autumn in Perth; having a temperate climate, yet autumn is my favourite season.  My card is one I made for my Dad for Father's Day... celebrated last weekend in Australia.  It's an easel card, of course, I love them and so does Dad

Dad's 86 and doesn't need the beer that this little cutie (Siesta Time, available here) has in his hand to drop off into a little slumber, what he needs is the opportunity... my Mum is (at 85) still VERY active and looks on with disdain when Dad drops off, so this sentiment (from Create with TLC) is a little tongue in cheek! 

I coloured the image with Copics and Prismacolor pencils... as I do, lol... and added some gloss to the beer bottle and bear's nose.  Second card in a row that I'm happy with the colouring on :-))  It's much more subtle in real life, like I said I'm happy with it.
The papers are from Kaisercraft's Up, Up and Away collection; I think these colours are great for guys, AND autumn!  Goes well with Kraft too.  
I've been eyeing off those wavy dies (Lawn Fawn's Hillside Stitched Borders) for some time, especially on Annette's blog :-) and finally got me some.  I'm so glad I did, they cut SO beautifully and the set of four gives some variation.  I raised the little hills up on foam dots, looks good IRL, adds to the "scene" feel. 
The circles were cut and embossed with my much-loved Lifestyle Crafts circle dies.  It doesn't really show in the pics but I inked around the edges with a copper die, it gives a nice vintage feel.

I didn't quite have enough of the patterned paper for the back or base of the card, not without having the front of the card laying almost flat at least, so I added a few layers of kraft and brown with those yummy border dies ...and I like it, lol 
The string is from my stash, as is the Card Candi.  I made the Happy Father's Day sentiment on the computer, in fonts to (at least try) to match the main sentiment.
That's it!  
Pop over to Di's Digis Challenge blog and check out the rest of the team's work... very nice autumn colours on show.  Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, even if it's not autumn but spring like it is here in Aussie, lol.  Great prize on offer as always, and don't forget if you use one of Di's images there's extra opportunities, yeehaw!
I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sparkles Monthly Challenge More than One Fold 
Little Red Wagon Use a Digi 
Gem of a Challenge Boys, Boys, Boys 
Without Words For the Boys 
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Hats 
Moving Along With The Times  Cute Animal 
Addicted to  Stamps Die Cuts 
As You Like It Favourite Die Cut and Why (like I said; the border dies 'coz they're new, cut well and give a bit of variation to a border, but my Lifestyle Circles because there's so many in the set I can make a big range of sizes and wide or narrow mats)
Craft Your Passion Anything Goes 
Art by Miran Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Clear It Out Anything Goes

Cuttlebug Mania Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Anything Goes

Catch The Bug Anything Goes

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes

Cute As A Button Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

I'll be back shortly with another card from my drafts... provided I have internet coverage of course, lol.  Meanwhile, until next time from VERY COLD New Zealand (well 8 degrees Celcius IS very cold compared to Perth, lol) Happy Crafting, Donna