Couples.... and a Couple of Computer Issues

I am (finally) back today with a card.  I've been absent for the last three weeks (though I'm sure no-one noticed, lol) because of MAJOR computer issues, which I will describe, as a way of venting some of my frustration, later.  Here's today's card, which I found hidden during these computer woes; it was for my Mum and Dad's Anniversary in 2016, which turned out to be their last Anniversary

I used an image from Crafty Sentiments (Benson Bear) called Couples, available here.... unfortunately it is a victim of my computer problems, so I no longer own it, it's coloured with Prismacolor pencils, which I didn't do much in 2016, so a fairly early example :-)  
The background paper is from Kaisercraft, the tan strip is a scrap die cut with Spellbinders A2 Scalloped Borders 2 die.  The little pink hearts were from a batch of goodies my Mum bought for me on one of their holidays in Malaysia... it was "our little thing" and I miss it.  Thankfully I still have a LOT of stuff she sourced for me over the years, so it's not gone forever just yet

I stamped on the edges of the jotting panel inside the card, I liked the effect.... then promptly have never done it again :-)  I'll have to give it another go.
So that's it for my card today, I'd like to enter in the following challenges: 
Sketch Saturday Have this great Sketch, which my card fits to a "T"... well a sideways "T", lol

Aud Sentiments Has a Bingo Challenge, I have used the "Die Cut/Flowers/2 Patterned Papers" line

The Paper Shelter Has Make it Bloom (flowers on paper, and stamp on the inside)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Has Use Patterned Paper

Pixies Snippets Playground Has "Snippets" (the tan strip)

Simon Says Challenge Has "Stamp on it" (if the digistamps on the front don't count, I've stamped inside)

Crafty Cardmakers  Has All Creatures Great and Small - bears are creatures, and so are butterflies :-)

Hiding in- my Craft Room Has a Pastels theme

Creatalicious Challenges Has Anything Goes, Option: Pastels

Little Miss Muffet, Cute Card Thursday, Give a Crafter A Cookie, Catch The Bug, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft and Crafting With Attitude All have Anything Goes Challenges

If you'd like to leave me there, I'll be back when I can with another card, until then Happy Crafting, if you'd like to hear a sorry tale read on...

The *&**ing computer saga

I decided to save ALL my Crafting stuff, images, papers, photos of finished projects, mmm, ALL my crafting stuff to Microsoft OneDrive as I have had (reasonable) success with iCloud for my business backups (to my Time Machine Backups, work's well covered!) and have just had (those backups I had) for my craft stuff, on discs, USBs etc
Well!  Microsoft OneDrive then proceeded to DELETE ALL my crafting files - well not all, but over 200GB -  yes, GIGAbytes.  Including my family photos back to 2004, (not many between 2004 and 2009 to be honest, but LOADS from since the twins were born) Holidays to New Zealand, birthdays, loads.  
It has done this by deleting the contents of folders... so the folders are still there, looking at first glance like a legitimate backup of a drive, but they're EMPTY.  So, a purchased set of twenty digital papers would look like it looked on my Hard Drive... until you go to use one of the files in the folder, and it's not there.  Rinse, repeat for HUNDREDS of folders.  Including 250+Mb scrapbooking kits
I spent EVERY spare minute, and some that weren't spare, lol, rebuilding the Drive - got to three quarters done, checked progress.... and it was all deleted AGAIN.  The folders were there, but empty.  No, the info is NOT in the Recycle Bin, it's just GONE.  And no, Microsoft doesn't care when you contact them about it. 
I have had to rebuild my drive AGAIN - on the Hard Drive this time, from the individual camera cards I have used over the years, luckily a lot of the pics I have "liked" I kept on those discs when overwriting for more recent projects.  Of course some I haven't, and from our iPhones.  Also, my old laptop had some files on, and my last laptop is having the hard drive removed and mounted so I can see what's on THAT tomorrow.  Of course all of this info includes the stuff I have edited out (you know all those random pics you take on your phones!) once, and now it's all got to be trawled through again, time, time, time.  
One good thing (you've got to look for the silver lining!) is that I have sorted and tagged EVERY file I have put back on my computer so far.... so they are easier to find, and I found this ONE card in a folder on my old lappy that I had missed copying over.
Of course when I went to see where I got the sentiment for this card, I realized I no longer HAVE the sentiment, so I don't know where it was from, I also don't have the image (I remembered where IT was from) and it makes me realize there are probably hundreds of image and sentiment files gone for good - many purchased, many generous "freebies" and some prizes for challenges.  
Some purchased scrapbooking kits and image files are unfortunately gone forever, but I must give a shout out to Nitwits who (for only $10) reactivated ALL the links for products I have bought there over the years, well over $100, and to My Memories Suite where I could access my purchases for nothing.  I still have to check some of the companies I know I've made a lot of purchases from and a couple of USB sticks where I save zipped image files, hoping to find some more there.
I would say that the moral to the story is "Backup" - but that is where this whole drama started!!  Well, not really.  I should have just had a Time Machine hooked up to my craft lappy as I have to my work one - I have a spare drive that WAS on my last laptop but played up (turns out that was the laptop not the drive, so I could have used it - and obviously SHOULD have!!)  I am trying to be brave, it IS a "first world problem" for sure.  But I am really p1$$3D off with Microsoft.... and what I hate most of all that it is taking up all my "crafting" time
I have re-found 40 of the 57 cards I hadn't posted on my blog yet, so I do have some offerings in the works... once I get time to sort out the best pics - digital photography does make you a bit "snap-happy", lol
Be safe, BACKUP and Happy Crafting, Donna

Ruby Red

I thought I'd post a "current" card today instead of one from my Draft Folder... it was our - hubby and my - 40th or "Ruby" Anniversary on 18th February, I wasn't going to "do" a post on it but as I have made a card I thought... why not? especially as I enjoyed Debby's post about HER Ruby anniversary - and I enjoyed the "blast from the past" that the photos in her post brought so I've added some of ours in the hope you'll get a chuckle out of them... at how insanely YOUNG we look if nothing else, lol.  Here's the card

The image is from Lili of the Valley, it is a digistamp and I can't tell you how stoked I am that they are doing their fabulous images as digis... I've been drooling over them for years waiting and hoping that they'd come out as digis; I have to say I've gone a little bit mad in the Paypal department since they have, lol.  This one is called  "Hearts and Flowers" - you can see how I HAD to have it can't you??  I coloured, as usual, with Copic markers adding some shadow and highlights with Prismacolor pencils. 

I used paper from DCWV's "Glitter Basics" stack, it's fabulous... this actually is a snippet - it wasn't a snippet until I butchered it over and over trying to cut the wavy edge, (Lawn Fawn Stitched Borders die, I think) with the "stitches" on the right side - you know how it goes when you over think something.  I added a burgundy red heart brad that I wrote "40" on in gold gel pen, that with some fine gold twine finished the front of the card.  Incidentally "Ruby Red"... isn't, I mean turns out Rubies AREN'T that red; hubby bought me a gorgeous natural (as opposed to "created") ruby and diamond bracelet for the occassion, and the rubies are quite pink, not "Ruby Red" at all!  Who knew?, well not ME, lol
On the inside of the card I added a sentiment that I made up using Word... the blue-eyes part is a bit of an "in joke" and no, I'm NOT sharing, lol, and that was that
I'm going to enter the card in the following challenges: 

Cupcake Inspirations has these cupcakes and the theme "Pets"... these meeces look tame enough to me to qualify :-)

Cuttlebug Mania Ribbon and Bows - hope the bow in the twine is enough

Pixies Snippets Playground Snippets - yeah, like I DON'T have enough snippets already, I made some specially, lol

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper

As You Like It Single or Multiple Layers and Why - I really like multiple Layers, I think they give a  "hand made" look, but I also like the image to shine so am tending to more CAS... so I suppose "CAS with a layer or two" best describes it ;-)

Addicted to  Stamps Have a Heart - hearts on the image, heart brad

The Crazy Challenge Use Red

Cardz 4 Galz Furry Friends

Hanna and Friends Favourite Stamp - new "fave", and it's LOTV, eek!

Aud Sentiments Anything Goes Plus a Sentiment - the sentiment is on the inside
Cute Card Thursday,Catch The Bug, Little Miss Muffet, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations,  4 Crafty Chicks,  Creative Fingers, Crafting With Friends Challenge 62, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft, Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude and Corrosive Challenge

Now for "those" wedding pics

That Flower Girl is now 50!!!!!

With my lovely Mum and Dad.  Well... the carpet WAS the height of fashion in 1978, lol

... and now a kinda "Before" and "After" ;-))

.... well it IS forty years on, give us a break :-))  Oh, and that man to the right behind hubby is our son Matt, ye gods and little fishes where HAS that time gone?!


Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna xx

As We March Into March...

Yup, MARCH already, eek!!  Being the start of a new month means the start of a new challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, as always the "theme" is to use Patterned Paper somewhere on your creation.  I made a card for my hubby and my (not sure of the grammar there, lol) 38th Wedding Anniversary last week.  These colours were the colours we had for our wedding, so of course our anniversary card is always based on these :-)

I thought I'd do a cut-out card, using acetate - the photo isn't the best quality I'm afraid, I took this one in my photo tent and didn't get around to redoing it!
The cuter than cute image is from The Paper Shelter, it's called Jurassic Love (I said to my hubby that being married this long these days makes us practically dinosaurs in the marriage stakes!) it's available here.  The Paper Shelter  has "Animal Magic" as it's challenge theme this time around so I'm entering there.  Cutie Pie Challenge  has All You Need is Love, while Great Impressions has Any Celebration as their challenge theme, so I'll be entering them too.
I DID manage to re-take the picture of the inside, which shows that cute image off much better, I coloured - as usual - with Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  There's lashings of glossy accents on the eyes, toenails and hearts. 

The patterned paper is from Die Cuts With a View's Once Upon a Time collection, I love it - then again I would, wouldn't I? this being my favourite colour combo and all :-) Cute Card Thursday has Florals so I'm entering there. I used a textured paper to mat this time, it is really quite fibrous and has a nice glitteriness about it that is hard to pick up in photos.

I've added a detail shot of the eyes. If there's enough "room" in the image I like to finish the eyes like this, it just adds a little "something" - looks more realistic; not that I REALLY know what a dinosaur's eyes look like or whether the ladies wore ribbons in their "hair" lol.

The ribbon is from my stash, I used my Bow-Easy to tie the bow, Inky Chicks wants to see Ribbon and/or lace, The charm is from my stash too - it's quite heavy, which in this case is a good thing as it helps to keep it vertical. Creatalicious Challenge wants to see a charm and Polkadoodles has a Tic Tac Toe challenge; I've used Charms/Animal/Sentiment line.
I added the last of my self adhesive flat backed pearl "string" to the edge of the heart on the inside and outside of the card to neaten that up... these things are great, I really will have to try and source some more of them, especially in this size.

I stamped the sentiment directly onto the card, but it was very crooked.  So I stamped some squiggles on some cream card using the edge of a small floral die from Kaisercraft in different colours of Stazon; burgundy, black and Timber Brown - I took the excess ink off the stamp first so that it wasn't too strong - then I stamped the sentiment using brown pigment ink, distressing the edge with the same ink to soften the effect.  Actually considering it was to cover a botch up, I was quite happy with it.  I used my latest "tool", my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig.... and I still managed to get it a bit crooked, ah well, it's better than the version stamped on the card!! The sentiment on the inside of the card was a freebie from the ever generous Paulette at Created With TLC... one of my all time favourite places for sentiments; Aud Sentiments wants to see "Cute + a Sentiment", tick tick, and Winter Wonderland want us  to Use a Sentiment (this is the last challenge for the year where they don't have a Christmas theme too) so I'm entering there.
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge, Little Miss Muffet, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Simply Papercrafts, That Craft Place, Crafting With Friends, Creative Fingers, Art by Miran, Simon Says Challenge ,Craft Your Passion,  Through the Craftroom Door  all have Anything Goes themes so I'm in there too.

That's about it for today's card, pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the team's inspiration... I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, there's a great prize on offer as always, and it's such an easy theme :-)  I'll be back very soon with something a little different.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna 

Have a Heart

New challenge starting today over at Di's Digis Challenge Blog... we want you to include at least one heart on your creation.  Now, I do like to be thorough... so I've added "more" than one... try about a gazillion, lol.  I made a card for my Mum and Dad's Anniversary next Tuesday... their 64th!  I made an easel card because both of them LOVE easel cards, as do I, sweet :-)

The image is "Celebration Moments" available here.  I coloured with Copics, adding some extra shading with Prismacolor pencils, adding some Glossy Accents to the champagne glasses (pink champagne... of course!!) and the bubbles. Papertake Weekly has a Take Your Pick challenge, I'm picking Warm Colours and Fancy Folds 
 
The papers are all digital - a scrapbooking kit called Glitterati Cupid from Just Betsy, it was one of the very first digi kits I bought when I started card making, as the image is new I'm entering the Something Old Something New challenge at Crafty Creations and the Something New challenges at Top Tip Tuesday and Crafty Calendar  
You can see some of the "gazillion" hearts I've added in this close up of the paper used on the horizontal strip.  I punched a border for that strip using a Martha Stewart Doily Hearts punch... I've kept the little hearts that came out and I'm going to make a shaker card using them... one day, lol.  Bunny Zoes Crafts has a Hearts challenge so I'm entering there, Pile It On has Hearts and/or Flowers so in there too, while Little Miss Muffet, That Craft Place and Sweet  Stampin' have Love or Valentine's challenge so I'm entering them as well.  
I used ruby red cardstock from my stash, As You Like It want to know if we prefer Matt or Shiny card/paper... I like Matt as there's a much bigger range of colours, I like the image to "shine" and it's easy enough to add sparkle with embellies :-) I do use pearl paper... and sparkle sometimes, but usually matt.  Oh and I'll be entering Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge as the base of my card is covered in patterned paper!

I added some faux stitching using gel pens.  I followed the sketch from Moving Along With The Times, you can see the "following" better in this picture of the card closed :-))  The sentiment is a Kaisercraft stamp, the ink is Versamark, the pearl hearts are from my stash.  Aud Sentiments wants to see a Valentine's or Love sentiment, I hope an Anniversary is "Love" enough :-) 
On the "inside" of the card, I added a stopper to the centre of the horizontal strip by cutting a cardstock heart with an Mpress Heart die then gluing on a pink (it was white until I Copic-ed it!) resin heart - works a treat
The Paper Shelter and Winter Wonderland have "Lots of Layers" challenges running (and Winter Wonderland is in it's non Christmas phase) so I'm in.  Craft Your Passion, Simon Says Challenge, Paper Creator Crafts, Inky Chicks, Art by Miran, Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge and Through the Craftroom Door all have Anything Goes challenges running so I'm entering them.
That's it for today's card, hop over to Di's Digis Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the team's work - hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too; there's a great prize on offer from Jaded Blossom Stamps, and if you use one Di's images you go into an extra draw with a prize of a couple of digis, woo hoo!!
I'll be back in a few days - hopefully!  We are going to redeem a voucher tomorrow that my hubby got for his 60th birthday... nine months ago!  It's for a joy flight in a Tiger Moth... he's torn between being excited and terrified (he doesn't even "do" rollercoasters - he used to 'watch the bags' while I took the kids on fair rides!) I'll let you know how he goes.  Mind you we have to ring first thing because they don't fly in thunderstorms and - even though we are in the middle of summer and have had only 8mm (1/3") of rain in the last two MONTHS, you guessed it, there's a thunderstorm forecast tomorrow!  Sigh.
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna :-)

Make It Green

eta: sorry about the tiny font... I clicked on something and I can't change it back!
Well after my dramas earlier this week, I didn't think I had a chance of getting a card made for the Challenge starting today over at Di's Digis... but I did and here it is :-) Actually it's quite a simple card; the background paper (from Kaisercraft's Sweet Nothings pad) is pretty busy in a soft pastel kind of way so I didn't want to add too much else.  The image is Sweet On You (from here), I'm lovin' these little meeces - too cute!  The Paper Shelter has Animals for their challenge, I'm in, Crafty Calendar has Animal Antics and Sweet  Stampin' has Cute as theirs so I'm in there too.  Gem of a Challenge has Happy Anniversary so I'm entering there and Allsorts Challenges has Spring is Coming so in there too.I used the sketch from Catch the Bug (flipped) and  coloured the image with Copics adding some detail with Prismacolor pencils.  I cut  the image panel with Nestabilities Floral Ovals die, I finally got around to adding ejection foam to this die... but not until after I'd picked out all the little bits, grrrr.I inked the edges of the card with a gold metallic ink, adding the same to the edges of the image panel and the lace, which is from my stash.  The green ribbon is from my stash too, and I have only just got the little rhinetone/pearl button thingys one of which is in the middle of the bow,I added some pearls from my stash (toned down a bit with a Y28 Copic, which gives them a better aged appearance) and some Shaved Ice Frantage (which is also new to me, very glittery indeed!!) and that was it!  Divas by Design want us to Make It Sparkle, the Frantage and the rhinestone edged pearl mean I'm in there with a vengeance, while Crafts 4 Eternity and Cuttlebug Mania are interested in Texture so I'm in there too. I finished the inside off with more paper from the Sweet Nothings pad and another Floral Oval mat to use as a jotting panel.  I didn't have enough of the green ribbon left so I cut it in half lengthwise and made a slightly skinnier bow out of it too. The pearl detail in the middle of this bow is a brad.  Well like I said, pretty straightforward card, I happen to love it... it just came together so well :-) Tuesday Throwdown and Digi Sketch Challenge both have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'm entering them Why don't you go and check out the rest of the team's inspiration, fab as always :-) I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, you'll probably be just like me and think you have no green paper or embellies... until you check, lol.  We have a great prize from  My Craft Shop, and don't forget if you use one of Di's fab images you go in the draw for an EXTRA prize, gotta love that :-)The twins are coming over tomorrow... with their parents of course :-)  I haven't seen them for a whole week as I was in hospital on Tuesday when I normally go to their house and only came home Thursday evening when they would usually come to ours for dinner/bath/bed and I wasn't up to it.  They have colds at the moment, Emily's is hanging on but Nathan has improved a lot today (apparently... love those smart phones -just got a pic of Nathan being super cheeky - he pulls the childproof furniture bumpers off the edges of the TV cabinet and chews them while holding the remote control, I think the only "safe" thing about them is that they're non-toxic... or so we hope!)Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Tic Tac Toe-tally Happy With You

There's a new challenge starting today at Di's Digi Challenge, we have a Tic Tac Toe board with a great range of combinations.  As it's our anniversary (36 years!!!) on Tuesday I took the opportunity to make an easel card for my hubby :-)

As soon as I saw this image, "Seaside Moments" I knew it would be perfect for a card celebrating "us"... one of our very first dates was a day at the beach.  As we had eyes only for each other, I failed to note that my under-sunscreened legs were protruding from under the umbrella, as a consequence they got roasted - when I got home I got another roasting from my Mum for being so careless!  I've made sure that the lass in the image has got sunburned legs... it will be interesting to see if my husband recognizes the reference :-))
The line I have used from the Tic Tac Toe board is Digi/Sentiment/Embossing... or is it Embossing/Die Cuts/Stitching? Both!!  The image (coloured with Copics and some Prismacolor pencils) isn't the only digital element on this card, the papers are digital too - Shery K Designs Summer Fun collection.  The purple and black card are from my stash. 
I cut the wave with my new Memory Box Oceana Border die, which I embossed with Cuttlebug's D'vine Swirls folder - I think it gives a sense of movement to the "wave".  I also heat embossed the top edge with white chalk ink and Bridal Tinsel EP - very glittery IRL.  Craft Your Passion wants us to use any of their themes from the last year; I've used #195 which is Fancy Borders, Cute Card Thursday has Clever Cutting so I'm entering there.
I also embossed the Memory Box clouds with Cuttlebug's Tiny Bubbles folder, inking a little to give depth.  2 Sisters Challenge is Embossing, so I'm in.  The corner die is, you guessed it Memory Box (Macarena Corner). I pierced around the panels then used a black gel pen to faux stitch them, I added some tiny seashells (real ones) to the bottom corner of the image panel then made the sentiment on the computer... card finished :-)
Fab'n'funky Challenges, Divas by Design, Paper Crafting Journey, Totally Papercrafts, Card Mania Challenges,   The Crazy Challenge, Corrosive Challenge, Crafty Calendar, Crafting for all Seasons, Whimsy Inspirations Challenge  and Cutie Pie Challenge all have Love themes so I'm entering them, Kaboodle Doodles has For My sweetheart, which my hubby is :-) so I'm entering there too.  Colour Me Copic and Through the Craftroom Door have Anything Goes challenges - I'm in :-)
Well that's it for today, pop over to the blog and check out the rest of my teamie's work, it's awesome :-)  Hope you get a chance to join in the challenge - easy peasy and a great prize from Love Bug Creations to boot.  Don't forget that if you use one of Di's great images you go into an extra draw to win some more.
We started excavating for our new pool yesterday, of course we have to "undo" the garden first so it looks so much worse than it did, ah well, you have to break a few eggs when you make an omelette.  I'll post photos of progress, we're hoping to have it all but finished in time for my husband's 60th birthday in the middle of April, for which we're having a party here; we're still crazy busy with other people's pools so wish us luck, lol
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Happy Anniversary Dear Mum and Dad

Last Monday was my Mum and Dad's 63rd Wedding Anniversary, I KNOW... 63 years!!!!!
Anyway, I made them a card (of course!) and even though I have loads in my drafts to blog I thought I'd let this one queue jump, lol.

 Just as I was about to start this card, I received my (latest, me bad) parcel with some embossing folders in it from Scrapyland... this is Embossalicious Floral Frenzy and I thought it was perfect for my folks' card; I embossed both the front and back and because the folder is 6" square it did it in one pass - excellent!  Paper Crafting Journey and 2 Sisters Challenge have embossing challenges so I'm entering there.
The cute Tiddly Inks image is "Emma and Jake Love Fully", coloured with Copics with a bit of extra detail in Prismacolor pencils.  Cuttlebug Mania wants to see a touch of red and Allsorts Challenges wants to see colours beginning with B (I have Blue and Brown, as well as Beige and Burnt orange - I know, a bit of a stretch, lol) so I'm entering there.  Totally Papercrafts want to see cute, so I'm in there too :-)
I finished the inside to match the front, as usual. I had used the last of my orange card for matting so the inside circle is a different shade to the rest, but I think it still looks okay.  I used Nestabilities Lacey Circles and Standard Circles to, I got a Big Shot from Hubby for Christmas (misunderstood the Grand Calibur hints, sigh) and I'm not sure that I prefer it to my trusty Cuttlebug; it is a little wider so perhaps for these wider embossing folders it is a bit better. Which reminds me, I'm entering  Divas by Design's Die Cuts challenge and now (thanks for the tip, Brenda!) I'll be entering Brenda's Spellbinder challenge as my favourite tools are definitely my Cuttlebug and my Copics.
I used an old sketch from Papertake Weekly -challenge long gone, but they have a great range of easy to find sketches so I thought I'd link :-)  The floral paper is from Kaisercrafts Peachy Keen pad, the hearts are from a Merci pad, the matting is from my stash.  Simon Says Challenge, Addicted to Stamps, Papertake Weekly and Bunny Zoes Crafts have Hearts themes so I'm entering there, while Crafts 4 Eternity, Little Red Wagon, Corrosive Challenge, Catch The Bug, Crafty Calendar, Tiddly Tuesdays, Gem of a Challenge, Cute Card Thursday, The Crazy Challenge and Crafty Little Fairies all have "Love" themes so I'm entering there too.
Craft Your Passion has a pretty open theme this time around; they want us to use any of their challenge themes from the past year - I'm going with the last one (#199), you guessed it... LOVE :-)
I cut the flowers from some Peachy Keen scraps using a Carl punch, coloured some pearls from my stash with Copics to match as centres and added some teal leafy fronds from another (I think) Carl punch cut and more scraps.  Delightful Challenges and Through the Craftroom Door have Anything Goes challenges, so I'm entering them.
Well that's about it for today's card, I know I've been MIA visiting your blogs... well not strictly true; I've been popping in to my faves over breakfast but I just don't seem to get the time to leave comments on all of them... I am aiming for a bit of a catch up tomorrow - wish me luck, lol.
I'll be back soon, hopefully with a card out of my drafts pile, which is still growing.  Until then, happy crafting, Donna

Weddings or Anniversaries at Di's Digis

Well, I didn't get as much crafting time this week as I was hoping, but I DID manage to get my DT card up for the new challenge at Di's Digis Challenge Blog, where the theme is Weddings or Anniversaries.  We're in the middle of winter here, but as we still get plenty of sunny days and temperatures in the high teens/ low twenties (Celcius, of course!) weddings are still popular, and come September there's a veritable confetti explosion - so I made a Wedding Card :-)

I've used the lovely "Special Day Moments" image (from Di's Digi Stamps - as you would expect!!)  It was a difficult decision as there are so many sweet Wedding images to choose from. The sentiment is from the Desert Diva, one of Hannelie's fab freebies, thanks :-)

I coloured with Copics and made my own White Pastel Embossing powder (using equal parts clear powder to glitter) to emboss the brides dress and cowl. It's so hard to photograph, but looks really effective in real life.  Crafty Creations has Time to Sparkle and Delightful Sketches has Glitter and Bling as their challenge themes, so I'm entering there.  

I've used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday this time around, I love a nice sketch, and I've popped the floral panel and image panel up on foam dots, don't I always? lol Addicted to Stamps has a Lots of Layers challenge, so I'm in there too.  The image panel is cut and embossed with Nestabilities Labels Three, the mat is handcut, A Little Bit Crafty has "Die-ing for it" as their theme so I'm in!

I finished the inside of the card along the same lines as the outside, without the foam dots, lol.  

I used a lovely heavy textured card for the base, the "heart" paper is vellum lined with white card.  The floral print is Japanese Chiyogami paper, anyone who's used this type of paper would know the lovely texture it has - it's like rice paper and the print sort of "soaks" into it, even the gold outlining looks like part of the fabric - I love it, but it's a bit pricey so I tend to only use it on "special event" cards... like Weddings, lol.  I get all my speciality paper from Starfish Lane in North Perth; I have another voucher burning a hole in my purse - from Mother's Day back in May - there's just been too much going on for me to get down there and redeem it!  I do love to spend a loooong time choosing, lol.

The pearls and felt flowers are from my stash, Card Mania Challenges has Pearls and/or Gems for their challenge, so I'm entering there.  

I cut the gold floral-swirly-flourish-thing (!) using my new (as in hitherto unused, lol) Memory Box Nottingham Border die, cutting it up using some on the front and the rest of the inside, I think it worked okay :-) The Anything Goes Challenge has an Anything Goes theme, as does Tuesday Throwdown, so I'm entering them too.

Well, I'm off to Matt's, he's getting to that stage in his recovery where boredom and a bit of depression are creeping in; so we're going to shake it up a bit for him (as much as you can with a man with his leg in the air, two little babies and a no-alcohol diet, lol)

Pop over to Di's Digis Challenge  and check out the rest of the team's work, it's great as usual!  Hope you get to enter the challenge too, there's a great prize on offer from the Cutting Café - and don't forget, if you use one of Di's gorgeous images, there's an extra prize on offer too :-)

Well that's about it for today, I'll be back in a day or so with a card for a Guest DT position that I won recently.  Until then Happy Crafting, Donna

Flower Frenzy at Di's Digi Designs Challenge

Today we have a new Di's Digi Designs Challenge starting... the theme this time around is "Flower Frenzy".  Now we don't mind if you add flowers, use floral paper or, like me, have an image with flowers on, as long as there's a lot of 'em ;)

 The image I've used is Curly's Butterfly and you can get him here on Di's fab new website.  How cute is he? and very versatile too.  Craft Your Passion has Make it Cute as does Gem of a Challenge, so I'm entering there and Crafts 4 Eternity has Cute as you like so I'm entering there too.
I've coloured with Copics, adding some Ice Stickles to the butterfly and around the bouquet... not that they show in the pics of course.

I've used the sketch from Sketch and Stash this time around, you know I love a good sketch :)  I cut a scalloped border with Classic Border dies from Nestabilities to take the place of the lace in the sketch, and I haven't used a sentiment - I'm leaving it open.  I think it makes a super Anniversary card, so I'm entering the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge which has a theme of Fuzzy Friends (Anniversary or Wedding Card)
The papers are from a new (well new for me anyway!) pad from Kaisercraft; Botanical Odyssey, very lush indeed!  Digital Tuesday has Spring Colours for their current theme, so I'm entering there.

I followed the sketch for the inside of the card too.
The flowers are a set of Joy Craft dies, the two on the front are the large and medium, the two on the inside are the medium and small.  The centres are Card Candi... to get the smallest one to be a better scale I cut a piece of Card Candi using a Fiskars hole punch - it took me longer to balance the Card Candi on the punch than it did to cut and shape the flowers, lol.  The Paper Shelter and Simon Says Challenge both have Anything Goes themes, so I'm entering there.
That's about it for today's card, having such a nice easy challenge theme should mean I'll see loads of you entering the challenge; sure hope so :D  The prize is a goodie too, $10 from There She Goes Stamps, yay!
I'll be back tomorrow or Monday with one of the baby cards I made for the twins... I'm just about to go and see them (and their parents of course!) not allowed a cuddle today, they have lost a little too much weight :( For Nathan in particular that is a concern as he has now dropped under 2Kg, so they need to rest and they are now getting topped up with formula; my daughter in law is very keen to feed them herself so she is feeling a bit frustrated at the moment - but she does realise that the best way to monitor them is to measure their feeds - I'm sure it will all sort itself out in a few days. My son is being fantastic, he's sleeping at the hospital and keeping track of everything, doing the nappy changes (until Elaine can get out of bed at least), scheduling visitors, all sorts - we're so proud of him.  Before I go I have to wash some 00000 size clothes, the 0000 are still drowning Nathan :p
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna