Kazi's All Grown Up

The card I have today was made for a "girl" I have known all her life, in fact, I made her christening cake over thirty years ago, and I've known her dad for over 45 years! Kazi is indeed all grown up now and when she married her lovely husband Jon I couldn't wait to make them a card and wish them every happiness

My pics are a little dark again, I'm sorry... don't know why, I've undoubtedly fiddled with some settings on the camera, lol.  I've brightened them up with Photoshop but that has washed some of the detail out, never mind, sigh
I love this image, After the Vows, from Tiddly Inks.  
I coloured with Copics, adding some Prismacolor shading and Ice Stickles to the bride's dress... and a layer of Ice White Viva Pearls to the veil - hard to see in the pic I admit 
The patterned paper is from Kaisercraft, I cut the top with a Spellbinders Borderbilities die (A2 Scalloped Borders 1 I think - I've got three different sets and only labelled two of them)  The mat behind the patterned paper is actually a textured brown/black card, very nice IRL
Similar problem with the straight scalloped border on the bottom... I'm pretty sure it's a Lawn Fawn Stitched Borders die :-)
The baker's twine at the top actually came on a gift I received a couple of years ago, I squirrel away everything like that, lol.  I cut the little tags with the happy couple's names printed on and tied them on - I love personalising cards :-)
The "Congratulations" is a Kaisercraft stamp, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, it's nice and straight... courtesy of my lovely stamping platform, what a difference that thing has made - I used to avoid stamping now? woohoo!!
I finished the inside of the card along the same lines as the outside.  Lovely straight stamping... you guessed it, don't know the name of the stamp set, lol
That's it for my card, I'd like to enter into the following challenges:

As You Like It Favourite: Dies or Stencils, and Why... I prefer dies, because they're a quick and easy way to add a bit of pizazz - as opposed to the messy fun-ness of stencils :-)

Die Cut Divas Love

Daring Cardmakers Recycle It - the baker's twine came from a gift I received

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper

Crafty  Creations, Crafting With Friends  Challenge #1, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, Gem of a Challenge, A Perfect Time to Craft, Creatalicious Challenges, Crafting With Attitude and Corrosive Challenge All have Anything Goes

It's my lovely grandtwins birthday on Thursday... they're 6, already!  I am busy making birthday cards for them and decorating their cakes, yup two cakes... no getting away with the shared cake any more, lol.  The party is not until Saturday so I have a few days yet, and they've both chosen pretty straightforward cakes... it's just having two, large, fresh cakes to be ready for the same day does involve a bit of logistic juggling so there's not much time to do much else. 

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Engagement Wishes for Chantz

Well, I did a quick count today and I have (at least) 47 cards in my Drafts... so it really is time to get some of them outta there!  Today's card is one of the oldest ones; it was made for my son Chris's friends Chantelle and Jesse's engagement in January... two years ago!  As they are getting married very soon I thought it was time to share their engagement card

This is a deceptively simple card, well it was for me.  I scoured Pinterest looking for images and thought "how hard can it be?", hmph.  I cut and trimmed and glued and fiddled for hours with the damn thing, it looks okay in the end but tbh it should look spectacular for the time it took :-) at least it's a shaker card, so a little bit different

I used heavy linen card (which I like to use for my "special cards", Chantelle merits "special" - Chris has been friends with her since pre-school...  they are now 34 and still best buds.  Here's another card I made for one of her "special" birthdays :-)  I cut the glass shapes using an MFT die called Layered Champagne, I had to trim it up a bit as I had real trouble lining up the inside and the outside layers - I think the shaker effect is better shown by having the window see-through all layers, of course, next time it gets a shaker stuck to the front and I don't have to line anything up, lol

I filled the glasses with gold flatbacks from my stash, sticking a few extra ones to the outside of the card to represent bubbles escaping from the glasses, and a few on the corners of the gold foil card to make it look a bit more finished.  The "Congratulations" is a sticker.  Lastly I added a couple of bows in off white ribbon... this ribbon was actually from when I made my son and daughter in law's wedding cake (here's a pic if you're interested)  I added a couple of bows to the inside cover piece too... they actually cover the piece of tape I put across the top of the stem to stop the "bubbles" falling down to the bottom of the glass!
As you could see right through to the part of the card you'd write on I made a "flap" to cover that up, I just hinged it with a piece of gold card, and more of the ribbon and another bow, worked perfectly - though it is another step that wouldn't be necessary if I'd just stuck the shaker to the front... tell me it was all worth it!
And that was that (FINALLY) done 
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges

As You Like It Wants to know what's your favourite, Ribbons or Buttons and Why: I like ribbon because it can be used simply as ribbon or for bows, it keeps cards flat (for postage) and tends to stay stuck (unlike buttons on occasion).  That said I use ribbon sparely, despite having hundreds of metres (no exaggeration) I also tend to use it on more feminine cards... on masculine cards buttons are a definite go-to

Simon Says Challenge Use a Die or Punch

Crazy 4 Challenges Windows

Cardz 4 Galz Food or Drink

My Time to Craft Wedding/ Anniversary/ Engagement
Little Miss Muffet, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Crafty  Creations, 4 Crafty Chicks, Crafting With Friends Challenge #72, Creative Fingers, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, A Perfect Time to Craft, Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude, Corrosive Challenge and Card Mania Challenges all have "Anything Goes" challenges

That's it for today.  I will be back very soon (I am making a concerted effort to at least get to this year's cards in my Drafts!) I have made a couple of cards that I'm quite excited to share, using "different" techniques; of course by the time I DO share them they'll be old hat, lol.

Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

BBQ in a Box

G'day from WA :-)  The project I have today is a card-in-a-box I made for my son Chris's birthday... in 2015! (Well his birthday IS at the end of November so it's not as dire as it sounds, lol)  We bought him a barbecue as his gift so I thought I'd make a card that went with it

I thought the black and silver was "manly", and the papers I used were, in fact, part of the box of goodies said son bought me for MY birthday - he likes to know what he has chosen is "useful" to me so it gives him a buzz when he sees it "in action".  The black with silver glitter on it is a tissue sort of paper, the snippet of grey and white stripe is flocked and the silver and white on top is foil; all the food groups covered there :-)  The black and white polka dot strip is also paper, though I could just as easily have used ribbon.  The stars (MFT Die-Namics Stacking Stars) on the top are attached to acetate strips, 
I made the whole box from silver card, the decorative strip around the middle is cut using a die.  Of course the real feature of a "card-in-a-box" is what's IN the box... so here it is

Obviously, all the same elements used on the inside as on the outside... plus black leathergrain card. The barbecue is made from that card, the legs are black straws with an eyelet joining them and the wheels are Card Candi I've had in my stash for years.  
The controls on the bbq are silver flat back "pearls" and the red "light" is a hole-less pearl.  I used a jewellery finding (the type that you use to have a multiple string necklace) as a handle for the bbq lid.
Having a son called Chris is handy sometimes... the "Chris" on the right-hand panel was cut from a "Christmas" die, Memory Box I think, the Happy Birthday is an Elizabeth Crafts die and the 31 are Kaisercraft
The lid of the barbie opens too: I wish the plate of MY barbecue was as clean and shiny as it is on THIS one, lol

That's about it for my bbq in a box.  I would like to enter it into the following challenges:

As You Like It: Favourite Die and Why - "Chris", from the "Christmas" die... I love it because I love Christmas, use it a lot ... and the die cuts nicely too :-))

Card Mania Challenges Monochromatic
Crazy 4 Challenges #419 "Opposites" - black and white

Fab'n'Funky Challenges With a Number

Allsorts Challenges Old Favourites - the Christmas die, and those silver "pearls"

Pixies Snippets Playground Snippets (striped paper)
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper
Tuesday Throwdown, Aud Sentiments, Through the Craftroom Door, Digi Choosday, Creatalicious Challenges, Paper Creator Crafts, 4 Crafty Chicks, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, Crafting With Friends Challenge 59, Corrosive Challenge, Little Miss Muffet, Create and Inspire, Crafty  Creations, Creative Fingers and Simply Papercrafts all have Anything Goes Challenges

I'll be back soon (hopefully) with another offering, quite likely from my drafts... though I have been adding to THAT recently so it may not be an "old" make.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Simple Tidings

Firstly I hope you had a lovely Christmas, we did and as all the "duty" things are now out of the way I can relax a bit - may even have time to use some of the new goodies I got from the man in the red suit :-)
I have a "Twofer" today; for those non-Australians that is "Two for the Price of One"... both are really simple cards and I didn't think they (one in particular) merited their own post so, "Twofer" it is!!
Firstly I have one I made for Christmas this year; I bought a laser printer recently (and had a laminator) to get into the foil embossing "thang" that's going around, and BOY have I got into it :-)  This is the one of 19 I made using the technique somewhere on it this year!

Of course, I have now discovered that foiling is even harder to capture in a photo than glitter!
I used background paper that has foil strips on it; it was originally a 12" piece bought years ago.. I've slowly whittled it down and now have a very small snippet left, off this snippet, so I'm entering Pixies Snippets Playground challenge to use Snippets
I have a few pics here, not to show details; just to try and capture the shiny goodness of this foil
The sentiment is a freebie I got from the generous Paulette at Create with TLC, I added a shadow using Word - sometimes that just adds a shadow around the "outside" of the whole image, sometimes (like in this case) it adds it to each word.  Printed it using my laser printer then obviously then ran it through the laminator with Gold Deco Foil.  Ribbon from stash.

The second card is one I made for Christmas 2015 (I didn't make any last year) and was a bit embarrassed to "blog", it's so straightforward - I would like to say the biggest problem with this card was the photography - it looks so much better in real life.  I used Versa Linen card, edged with Gold ink.
I can't remember the source of the embossing folder, could be Sizzix, the snowflake border is a die from Memory box, as is the Candles (named, unsurprisingly "Memory Box Candles"), I inked those up after cutting too.  "Joy" is either a Sizzix or Memory Box die, I think Sizzix, cut from gold card
The sentiment on the inside is from the now-defunct Tickled Pink Stamps, the frame is from the same set: I love this stamp set, use it soooo much :-)
So that's it!  I am entering one or other of these cards in the following challenges, you pick which one :-)) Well, Cutie Pie Challenge  has "Stars and/or Snowflakes" as their theme, so that would be the second card with the embossing folder snowflakes (as well as the snowflake border) and Pile It On has "Non-Traditional Christmas Colours" as their theme so the first one with it's pink/peach/coral colour is the one for there... with the same card being for Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge (as it's the only one using patterned paper!),but all these other challenges apply to either card:
Sweet Stampin' Last Minute/ CAS Christmas

Paper Creator Crafts, My Time to Craft, Sweet Stampin' Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra Challenge, Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge, 12 Months of Christmas All have "Christmas" challenges and

Tuesday Throwdown, Simon Says Challenge, Cute As A Button, Little Miss Muffet, Through the Craftroom Door, Crafty  Creations, Crafting With Friends  Challenge #57, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Polkadoodles, Create and Inspire, Creatalicious Challenges, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Attitude and Corrosive Challenge All have "Anything Goes" themes

So that's all for today, I am going to go and get dressed now... it's 2pm and I'm still in my PJs, as is hubby; which is something we NEVER do, in fact I think this is a first - really enjoyed it tbh :-)  We have to go out in a while, we're having a few friends over to bring in the New Year and really should get the ingredients together for the promised "Pizza night".  The weather is great, not too hot but warm enough for a midnight swim if you feel like it (though as we've got older we all are less prepared to mess up our hair/makeup than we were when we were younger, lol.  One couple that are coming we've known for 25 years, we don't care with them and they us, lol, but some of the others haven't seen us at our "glorious best", so we may not want to dispel the myth, haha.

If I don't get back, enjoy your New Year Celebrations and I'll see you in 2018.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Di's Digis Monochromatic Challenge and /or Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper; take your pick or do 'em both

Well time has flown AGAIN, and not in a good way AGAIN... but so I don't get a reputation for being a misery guts I'll leave it at that... until the end of the post at least, lol.  It does mean that I haven't had a lot of Crafting Time, so today's card is doing "double duty" as my DT card for the challenges starting today at Di's Digis Challenge - where the theme is Monochromatic - and Crafty Hazelnut's monthly Patterned Paper challenge

I wonder if you can guess what colour I chose for my Monochromatic card, lol.  I used papers from Kaisercraft's Lullaby collection, the white detail on the background paper is flocked - it feels really nice.  I used one of the "sets" of stripes from the other patterned paper to paper piece the shelf, I added some shading "under" and on the ends of the shelf to emphasize the 3D effect
The cuter than cute image is called Animal Shelf and it's available here
for only $2.50.  I coloured, as usual, with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, adding some Ranger Glossy Accents to the balloon and some Sakura Glaze pen to the noses.  I inked around the image panel with Kaisercraft Orchid ink. 
I used Papertake Weekly's Sketch #64 - I love symmetry :-) The lace is from my stash, as are the tiny buttons and pearls.  The Baby Girl dies cuts are Spellbinders, as is the "Congratulations" on the inside of the card.  I added a layer of Icicle Stickles to the die cuts... I was going to heat emboss them with Bridal Tinsel EP, but did that to one of the "spare" die cuts I'd made and they were a different shade of pink... so in the interests of matching... they got the Stickles treattment.
That's it for today's card.  Really simple, best approach with a monochromatic card IMO, otherwise you spend (substitute "I spend") ages trying to match all the embellies.

Hope you get a chance to enter both Di's challenge and Hazel's... both have great prizes on offer - a nice paper pack from Hazel and Di has TWO sponsors; Crafters Companion UK and SVG Attic...also don't forget if you use one of Di's images - one of her digis or a Candibean stamp - you go into an extra draw with an additional prize of two digis.  That cant' be bad can it?
Pop over to  Di's Digis Challenge and Crafty Hazelnut's monthly Patterned Paper challenge and check out the rest of the DT's work... I'm sure you'll find it very inspiring :-) 
I'll be entering my card in the following challenges: 

The Crazy Challenge Monochromatic

Crafty Creations Use Four of Something (four critters, four buttons)

Gem of a Challenge Animals or Birds

Crazy 4 Challenges Include a Critter

As You Like It Fur or Feathers (Fur… I love colourful birds, but fur is FURRY :-)

Papertake Weekly Take Your Pick (Sketch, Product Lace

Paper Creator Crafts Dies or Punches

Hanna and Friends Lace and Pearls (four little pearls inside)

Cutie Pie Challenge Cute as a Button (four tiny ones)

OSAAT Anything Goes with Children

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge Anything Goes

Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes
Well I've managed to get this post out, bit later in the day than anticipated as we've been babysitting the kids again while their poor parents try and reassemble their house.  They moved back in on Monday after staying the weekend with us (their nine weeks having turned to 14 weeks meant their "holiday house" was no longer available)  but it's a long way from finished: The carpets got wrecked during removal, half have been replaced the rest come on the 12th August, the blinds also got wrecked during storage so they're being replaced not sure when, the main bathroom floor = wrecked during the plaster replacement fiasco, that's getting redone "whenever", the walls in the bathroom have to be redone, the spa same, the bench in the ensuite same.... on and on it goes. Stressful doesn't START to describe it.  and 104 boxes to be sorted, they were stored by the removal company but some got damp, some got dusty (how you can manage both I've no idea!) so a lot of washing of linen's been going on there and here.
My chest infection (while not unusual, I'm asthmatic and do get one most winters, though not at all for the last couple of years) just won't go.  It's been draining.  I changed from Windows to Mac for my business, had the hard drive fail (after I'd uploaded and sorted all my data, of course) downloaded Office 2016 for Mac onto the new hard drive - disastrous at this stage, no functionality and crashing constantly, then couldn't get the old version back - I spent over 50 hours THIS WEEK, trying to resolve (mainly email) issues, finally got the clunky-by-comparison-to-Windows-but-OH-so-much-better-than-the-new-version of Office back on my machine, and access to all my contacts back.  Let me tell you, when I just signed in to my laptop and they're pushing hard for me to take up Windows 10, I couldn't hit the "not now" button hard or fast enough
Everyone send a wish that things get boring for Donna, ta
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

My First Criss Cross Card

I have been threatening to make a Criss Cross Card for some time... I drool over Teresa's beautiful makes regularly, but do realize mine were never going to be in that style; I'm no good at it!!  I wasn't sure if a simplified version would work, I think it did - I made my first one for my Mum's birthday last year which is "fussy for me"... and this ISN'T it!!!!  I have to find the photos for that one on my old laptop, so in the meantime here is my first Criss Cross card to be blogged; it was for my son's friend Chantelle's 30th birthday... he met her in Pre school and they're still great friends  - now they're both now nearly 31, aaaw 

The photos aren't great... my son (who is a photographer!!) took them just before going out as I had forgotten to take any, oops, and he didn't have the best light or camera.. at least you can get the idea, though I have to say I've finally found a style of card that's harder to photograph than Joy fold cards, lol. 
Crafty Calendar has a Fancy Folds challenge so I'm entering there.
The image is a Deviant Art Image called "The Necklace" from Jade Dragonne, I love her stuff!  it was extra appropriate as Chris bought Chantelle a heart shaped locket as her gift.  I printed on textured card and used Prismacolor pencils to colour, adding a bit of bling to the necklace.
The papers are digital... from Shery K Designs, the set's called simply "Lace".  I used four of the patterns in the pack of 10... they're all nice and so well coordinated.
The card base was textured black card left over from the bonbonniere boxes I made for my son and DIL's wedding (in 2009! Here's a link if you're interested) To say I over estimated the quantity I'd need for them is an understatement... I'll be using the "leftovers" until Doomsday :-)) 

Hiding in my Craft Room have their Super Scraps Saturday challenge on, BOY am I in with this one!

 
The black mats, including the Spellbinders Floral Oval and behind the image and the smaller Floral Oval behind the jotting panel, are made from black card heat embossed with home made black glitter EP.  The wooden "30" was painted then given the same treatment, it's a bit hard to see the glitter in the pics... but it was EVERYWHERE in my craft room for DAYS, lol  Top Tip Tuesday  has Cut It Out and Tuesday Throwdown has Frame It so I'm entering there.  Corrosive Challenge has "Pile It On"... I'm using the number of layers I've "Piled On" to enter there
The turquoise cardstock is from my stash, it's called Tiffany Blue and is VERY "Chantelle" :-)   The VERY bling-y rhinestone trim is a gift from my folk's overseas trips... the two sizes came from two different trips!
I made an easel/stand for the back of my first criss cross card ...  I made it straight at the bottom but it didn't sit right so I kept trimming... very wisely I used it as a template so when it came time to make this card it was a very easy job, and I think it really helps display the card style to it's best advantage.
I'll be entering the Anything Goes challenges at
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Through the Craftroom Door, Art by Miran, That Craft Place and Paper Creator Crafts too
Well that's it for this card-from-my-drafts.  I'll be back in a few days with something else from my drafts (still got a stack in there, lol), or maybe one of my paintings.... or maybe one of the cakes I've made recently... well the twins' FIRST birthday isn't THAT recent, but you know what I mean.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Fairy Wishes for Fiona

Time for another card to make its way out of my Drafts Folder.  It's not the oldest, but I just fancied showing this one today :-))  It's the card I made for my Sister Fiona's 60th Birthday in December, apologies in advance for the photo-heavy post!

Fiona loves Fairies, Butterflies and Purple... got it all IN SPADES on this card, lol.
I used the absolutely gorgeous "A Little Bit of Gossip" from Sugar Nellie... available as a digi here, and in rubber too. I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, adding gloss to the ladybird and LASHINGS of Ranger's Bridal Tinsel Embossing Powder to the wings.  
Creative Colours Challenge has this pic as it's inspiration this time around... perfect for my card methinks!!
When I made it, it was based on a sketch from Sketch Saturday, couldn't believe my luck when I checked out the blog today and see that the current challenge is to use any sketch # 215 to 362, I used sketch # 241, albeit flipped.
The papers I used came from Kaisercraft's Lilac Avenue pad, I cut all the circles using my Lifestyle Crafts Nesting Circles dies, the silver card for the matting was from my stash.  The white lace with silver thread came from my stash too, as did the letters that made up Fiona's name, the twine and the numbers (which are foam, covered with Silver Stickles)  
I used a Martha Stewart punch for the butterflies, and the coloured rhinestones on the Fairy's wings are from the days when we were involved in ballroom dancing... the kids used to scour the floor between events and I scored a zillion of different coloured Zwarowski stones, don't worry, I also bought my share!!

This card was also a gift card holder, so I added a pocket to the inside front with textured cardstock, added some lace and a Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly die with some not-Zwarowski (so not so shiny!) rhinestones as a body.  I added a voucher to my sister's favourite craft shop... she's a quilter, lives over 400 km away from Perth and there's a branch of this shop in the town nearest her, so it was a pretty good choice :-) 
Obviously (only because I ALWAYS do) I followed the same sketch  for the inside of the card, using more of the same papers and embellies.
The butterflies on the jotting panel are from the same Martha Stewart punch as the little ones on the front of the card.
Next time, or at least once I've learned how to do it quicker than just loading pics, I'll do a composite shot of the "extra" photos, in the meantime... sorry 'bout all the pics, I just was really happy with the finished product and wanted to "share"!
I'll be entering my card in all the challenges listed below,  

Creative Colors Challenge Colour Inspiration (see pic)

Sketch Saturday Any Sketch from 215 to 362

Pile It On Focus on Colouring

Top Tip Tuesday It's All About Hair

Papertake Weekly Product: Glitter

Clear It Out Theme: Girls Stash: Die Cuts and Punches

Cuttlebug Mania Bling

Seize the Birthday No topping

Cute Card Thursday Too Cute

The Crazy Challenge Ribbon or Lace

Crafty Calendar Things With Wings

Creatalicious Challenges Butterflies

Great Impressions May: Celebrate Spring

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge Use Patterned Paper
Catch the Bug  Recipe (Canister #3 = Image/Die Cut/Bling)

Sugar Bowl Challenges Anything Goes

Hiding in my Craft Room Freestyle

Corrosive Challenge Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes

Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

That's it for this card, I'll be back in a few days, until then, 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