Sketch Time at Here Come The Boys

The new challenge starting today over at Here Come The Boys is a Sketch challenge... I LOVE a nice sketch, I find a sketch is a great starting point to a card, and this is a nice sketch :-)

The sketch has lots of room for interpretation, as you can see if you visit the Here Come The Boys blog. 
I've gone with different papers for each layer - from Kaisercraft's Save the Date, Echo Park's Walk in the Park and DCWV Animal Crackers,  Addicted to Stamps has a Lots of Layers challenge so I'm entering there. 


I used the cute digistamp "He is Loved" from Sassy Cheryl, featuring the darling Noah and his best friend Patches, coloured with Copics. Sassy Cheryls Tuesday Challenge has Best Friends as their theme, so I'm in, and Digi Makeover have Colour It, which I have so I'm in there too :-)

I didn't use any punches or dies on this card, most unusual for me, but I did crack out the ol' sewing machine and stitch around the background paper and the image panel... again, most unusual for me, lol (and I can see why; as a seamstress I make a good bookkeeper, lol) I did more (very uneven!) stitching on the inside too... All that effort meant I just had to find a stitching challenge to enter, and I did! The Monday Challenge # 105 at The Craft Spot is Sew Fun, "sew" I'm in (see what I did there? lol) 

The tiny red buttons on the front were from my stash,as were the metal sentiment badges (bars? whateva!) I've got loads of them still in my stash, they must have been a bargain, lol.  Craft Your Passion and Inky Impressions both have Birthday challenge themes, so I'm entering them.

Divas by Design, Anything Goes Challenge, Crafts 4 Eternity, Colour Me Copic, The Paper Shelter and Pile It On all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'll be in there too :-)

Well that's about it for today's card, pop on over to the Here Come The Boys blog and check out what the rest of the team made of Woo's fab sketch; 

I hope you get a chance to join in the challenge, we've got a great new sponsor in Dr Digi who's offering one of his quirky images as the prize for this challenge, yeehaw :-)  Don't forget it's all about the men or boys in your life at Here Come The Boys - hints in the name I s'pose :-)

Talking of the boys in my life, Matt is healing well, he has started at a Scar Management Clinic (yup, it's real!), he'll be starting physio in the next week or so, that'll make him feel less like an invalid.  He went out for the day today with Elaine and the twins, the shopping centre they went to's management provided a motorized scooter for him to get around on, completely free of charge - I certainly didn't know this facility was available and what a godsend, as Elaine had enough to deal with navigating the twin pram; Matt did hit the end of a huge set of shelves when doing a three point turn... he said everything on the shelves got a wobble up and he visualised himself on You Tube as "Maniac Mobility Scooter Hoon Wreaks Havoc in Joondalup Shopping Centre" in the end it was all good, they enjoyed the day and even though the babies took a bit of settling at bed time (over tired/stimulated) they looked the better for the outing.  

Our youngest son Chris had his annual Christmas in July party last night, it was really successful as always - thanks Chris and Amna (his faux wife) for the invite, we look forward to next year!!  It is an opportunity for us Aussies to celebrate in a traditional fashion as it is winter here now, so it was mulled wine and egg nog 'til you drop - and my hubby nearly got lynched when he tried to carve the turkey; all I can say is one turkey into 45 party-goers doesn't go, not without a blood bath anyway, lol.  It's not as if there wasn't enough other food, Chris will be eating seasonal fare for daaaayyys (ah, the tradition, lol)

Anyway it's late, I'm outta here, until next time Happy Crafting, Donna

Bella, Blossoms, Butterflies and Bling

The card I have today came about when I was showing my sister how I colour my images... she used to come to my Decorative Painting classes, and still paints up a storm but has never used Copics or Prismacolor pencils and was interested to see how it works ;)   

I had this cute image printed and ready to go, it's Bella's Flower from Sassy Cheryl, Fab'n'funky Challenges has Cute and Cuddly so I'm entering there 'coz Bella is Cute AND Cuddly. As I said I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils, then fussy cut Bella and her cute little bug friend.
I made my favourite kind of card; an easel!  The papers are from a pack I got in Spotlight called Gelati.  Simon Says Challenge is to use a Bit o' Green and Crafty Creations has Show us some Green - plenty of green here, I'm in ;)  
I cut the image panel with Standard Circle Nestabilities and the mat with an Mpress Scalloped Flower Die. Totally Papercrafts has Punch It (Use Punches or Dies) as their theme so I'm entering there and The Paper Shelter has the same, so in there too. 
I made the larger flowers using a Nellie Snellen punch, and the smaller ones using a punch from my LSS shaping and  colouring them with some light yellow ink before heat embossing them with iridescent sparkle EP (those tiny flowers were FIDDLY!) I then added centres with pearls from my stash that I coloured to suit with Copics.  
Sassy Cheryls Tuesday Challenge theme is Flowers Flowers Everywhere, Addicted to Stamps has Bring on Spring (lots of flowers), My Mums Craft Shop has Spring has Sprung, Allsorts Challenges has Springtime, One Stop Craft Challenge has Spring and Oozak has Anything Goes with Spring; so I'm entering all those.

I used a Martha Stewart punch to cut the butterflies before giving them the same treatment, the leaves are from a punch I've had for yonks.   Cupcake Craft Challenges has Sparkle, Corrosive Challenge has Sparkle or Glittter Digital Tuesday Buttons or Bling - obviously I'm going for BLING ;)
I added a jotting panel to the inside of the card, the ribbon is from my stash, and the sentiment is a die cut from Craftworks Cards, the edges are embossed with the same Iridescent EP as the flowers and butterflies.  
Bearly Mine Challenges has Mother's Day or for a Special Lady, as does Creative Craft Challenges, Joanna Sheen, Totally Gorjuss and Crafts 4 Eternity so I'm entering there.  Papertake Weekly, Craft Us Crazy, Stamping With The Dragon, Colour Me Copic and That Craft Place all have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'm entering there too.
Well that's it for today's card. I'll be back soon, until then Happy Crafting, Donna

Wish Upon a Star

Well I've managed to grab five minutes from my renovating to "blog" a card I made last week.

I used the gorgeous Star Bear from Sassy Cheryls.  I just LOVE this image!  I printed it on linen card, as I wanted to keep a "textured" look to the bear, which I coloured with Prismacolor pencils.... it was a bit hard to get even coverage but worth it as he has a distinct fabric look.

I used the sketch from the 2 Sisters Challenge, rotated 90 degrees.  I hope I can get this post done in time to enter (I just fell asleep while typing, for about 40 minutes!) 

I've used papers from Kaisercrafts December 25th Collection, red card from my stash for the mat which was cut using Nestabilities Fleur De Lis Rectangles dies, and gold card also from my stash.  Whimsy Inspirations Challenge is to use Traditional Christmas Colours, so I'm entering there, That Craft Place is to Use Red, so entering there too.

The star trim under the (computer generated) sentiment is also from my stash, as is the burgundy and gold  flower/star on the corner.  By the Cute and Girly has Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as their challenge theme, and My Mums Craft Shop has Inspired by a song - can you guess which song inspired this? lol, so I'm entering those too.

The inside of the card is finished very simply with more papers from the December 25th Collection, the patterned border is in fact one of the preprinted ones from the pad, the mats were cut freehand.
Crafty Creations has Christmas is Coming for their challenge and Crafts 4 Eternity has Midnight Magic (bedtime theme, moon, stars etc... I've used stars)  so I'll be entering there too.
That's it for today's card.  I've a very busy day tomorrow (well later today now as it's gone midnight, lol); it's my son's birthday and as well as decorating his cake and going out for his birthday dinner (which means picking up my folks ahead of time), we are finishing removal of our kitchen... we have taken out all the cupboards, knocked down the brick wall that was the "backing" for our breakfast bar and have taken up some of the floor tiles (we have to get up enough for the new kitchen "footprint".  We did that this afternoon, but I spent HOURS emptying cupboards before that... I've decided we have way too much "STUFF"!! and we'll NEVER move from here, lol.
I'll post some reno pictures soon, and I'll be back on Sunday with a card I've made (which I really like!) for the next Here Come The Boys challenge, until then Happy Crafting, Donna

My Best Friend is You

Today's card is a "just because" card... my Mum is away at the moment and I've been thinking a lot about how (after my darling hubby!) she is my best friend, is that strange, to have your 82 year old mum as a best friend?  She likes this image, and I was going to use it on her birthday card but didn't - so I've used it now.  I probably won't even give her the card, but she'll be chuffed that I made it "for her", if that makes any sense, lol

The super cute image is a digi (Sassy Sally Reads To Teddy) from Sassy Cheryl, I thought they look so cozy - like best friends so I wrote "my best friend is you" as the book title.  I'm continuing my mission to perfect colouring with Prismacolors, I am improving, albeit slowly. I used pencils for the face this time but don't think you can beat Copics for faces so I'll probably stick with them in future, I do like the somehow-nostalgic look pencils give to images though, so I will persevere with them for non skin bits, lol.  The Joanna Sheen challenge was to try something new, I have so I'm in! 

I finished the inside of the card with more papers from the front and a digital sentiment from Create With TLC, such a great site with fabulous digis and so many freebies... as this was.
The papers are from Kaisercrafts Class of '87, cardstock is DCWV.  I used Martha Stewarts Doily Lace border punch and  buttons from my stash.  The metal embellishments "Friends" on the front and "Forever" on the inside are also from my stash, I wish I  could remember where I got them as they're very handy, The Crafty Pad has Show Us Some Metal so I'll be entering there and in the Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays stash challenge too.

I used this sketch from Totally Gorjuss, but missed the deadline (a common practice!) still it was a nice sketch so thanks :-)  This fabulous photo from Cupcake Inspirations inspired me too, mainly the colours but even the little ladybirds captured my imagination (great cupcakes aren't they? btw)
After I had finished the card, it looked a bit bare so I added some faux stitching with gel pen... it's definitely easier to do that BEFORE you've added all your layers, so some of my "stitching" is wonky - I assure you it's not as wonky as it would have been had it NOT been "faux"!!
Divas by Design has For a Female as their challenge, so I'm entering there, and Craft Your Passion, Deep Ocean Challenge , Papertake Weekly and Catch the Bug all have Anything Goes challenges running so I'll be entering those as well as Sassy Cheryl Show Me Thursday fun challenge.

The Simon Says Challenge is a Bingo board, I've used the Punches Free Buttons line. 

Well that's it for today's card. I'll be back soon, I have another couple of images coloured and ready to go, all I need now is time ("and a cry rang out", lol)  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Just Because

I was going to make a Mother's Day card for my Mum today (really will have to get on to that, lol) but I  I decided to make a card "just because" instead.

 I used this cutest of cute images, one of the newest releases from Sassy Cheryl (actually I'm not sure it is the cutest of them, they're all pretty darn cute!), this is Sweet Little Avery ... don't worry, I didn't stop at one (you know I can't) so the others I picked will be featuring soon. To enter the Sassy Cheryl challenge, all you have to do is use Any SC image... easy-peasy, I'm in! Craft Us Crazy wants us to use our Favourite Stamp Company or Found Inspiration for their challenge; I have several "favourites", Sassy Cheryl is one, so on that basis I'm entering the challenge.  I've coloured with Prismacolor Pencils... except the flesh, which I prefer to use Copics for.

I've used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches this time around, I needed a really simple sketch to get away with using the paper I'd chosen, from Kaisercraft's Bubblegum Hills collection - then I used a different sheet, still from the same pad at least, lol. 
The pink and blue cardstock is by American Crafts and the buttons, pearls, rhinestones and ribbon are from my stash; meaning I'll be entering the Waste Not Wednesdays challenge. Crafty Sentiments has Spots and or Stripes for their challenge, my paper is spotty and my ribbon is stripy, so I'm entering there.  The Crafty Sentiments MONTHLY Challenge is Spring Creations, Stamptacular Sunday Challenge, By the Cute and Girly, Oozak andThe Pink Elephant all have Spring themes so I'm entering those too.
The inside of the card is finished very simply t match the front... I still managed to forget to add the stitching that I used on the front (that's TWICE I've used my sewing machine now!!), never mind it still "fits".
Gem of a Challenge wants us to use Pink Blue and Green - which I have, so I'm in there; Craft Your Days Away has Just for Children and Digital Tuesday has Bugs and Blooms... the little flower and couple of ladybirds may be pushing it a bit, but I'm entering there too.  
Papertake Weekly and Creative Craft Challenges both have Anything Goes challenges, no problem entering there, lol.
Well that's it for today, I've got a couple of images coloured up and ready to go - of course NONE of them is the one for my Mothers Day card or my Dad's birthday card (which is on Monday, better get on to that too, lol) I'll be back in a day or so, until then, Happy Crafting, Donna