Falling for Autumn at Di's Digi Challenge

Autumn is my absolutely favourite time of the year, so it's somewhat ironic that I live in Western Australia where we have a short and not very spectacular autumn, and are in fact in Spring right now!  However at Di's Digis Challenge Blog there's a new challenge starting today with autumn as the theme, so I'm getting my fill of autumn (or fall) lushness.  

As I said I don't have a great deal of autumnal splendour to base my ideas on, but I did plant a couple of Japanese Maple trees a few years ago (when I lost the battle with hubby over the HUGE Liquidamber that used to reside in our front lawn... I got to replace one rather muddy deciduous tree with two (very much smaller) spectacularly rich coloured ones, they are predominantly red, hence my card is. 

I've used one of Di's newer image, this is Fairies Storytime and you can get it here... cute isn't it?  I've coloured with Copics and there's lashings of Crystal Stickles on the wings (which of course you can't see), the white dots on the toadstools are Viva Decor Pear Pen.  I made a mistake and started trying to add coloured pupils to the fairies' eyes, so they look too dark; next time I'll just leave them as they are drawn.  I used my Lifestyle Crafts nesting circle dies to cut out all the panels and mats.

 I added a jewel ladybird to the bottom right hand corner adding Viva Pearl Pen eyes then swirls cut with a Memory Box Trailing Vines die that I was lucky enough to win in the fabulous Crafting Vicky's Candy recently (thanks Vicky)... I smothered it in Stickles too and it looks pretty good IRL, and of course doesn't show in the photos at all!  The little metal "Thanks" tag is from my stash - if need be I can change it out for another sentiment - they're handy like that.

The papers are Basic Grey's Indian Summer (not sure they do it any more), the deep red matting is from my stash.  I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches,

I followed the same sketch for the inside of the card, used more of the paper from the Indian Summer pad, and used some of the pattern used for the diagonal strip to cut the swirl - it shows up better than the paper I used on the front but as I only remembered to make this card late yesterday afternoon I ran out of time to change the one on the front, I will when I get time.

 Well that's about it for my very simple card, I hope you get time to join in the challenge, there's a great prize on offer from Marker Pop, and as always if you use one  of Di's lovely images you go into an extra draw with its very own prize.
I would like to enter the following challenges with this card: 

Through the Craftroom Door	Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly	Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet	Anything Goes
Art by Miran	Anything Goes
Paper Creator Crafts	Anything Goes
Tuesday Morning Sketches	Sketch
Hiding in my Craft Room	Fall colours
Sparkles Monthly Challenge	Fall or Autumn Colours
Great Impressions	Thankful Thoughts
Totally Gorjuss	Warm Colours
Divas by Design	Bonfire Colours
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge	Use Patterned Paper
Delightful Challenges	Patterned Paper
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge	Leaves

On a Personal Note: I feel I have "turned a corner" with my recovery; Surgery was 5 weeks ago yesterday.  I had a consult with a Physio on Thursday and she told me (well confirmed really, I knew it already just didn't want to accept it) that I was doing too much and not medicating enough; she gave me better stretches and she also gave me acupuncture in the painful IT Band, Quadriceps, and my pectineus muscle (I think that's right, basically the one that joins your leg to your pelvis! it's been sore since day one which is very common in Hip Replacement Surgery).  I wasn't going to get acupuncture done as I considered it so much snake oil, but I was in so much discomfort in just about everywhere but my hip! and have been progressing so well in every other way I was pretty desperate... she used only nine needles on the Quads, and when the third one went in I felt a slight "popping" sensation (not painful, but like being flicked with an elastic band) and the relief was immediate!  Another four went in the Pectineus and I finally lost the dragging feeling, yay!!   I've slowed down a bit, medicated regularly (still only need Paracetemol, so not "heavy" medication) and I feel heaps better - back to the land of the living, doing all my chores :-( I'm walking around the house without any assistance, but do use a cane if I'm going for a long walk or to the shops as it gives me a bit of security.  One more week and I get to see an Xray of my bionic hip, and hopefully get cleared to drive.  What would be really nice is if my Surgeon thought I had healed so well he could lift the rest of my restrictions and I could sleep on something other than my back - not having to do that for the extra six weeks would be like winning the lottery I reckon :-))  I know he hasn't given me the extra restrictions to "punish" me, but 12 weeks IS a long time... still if needs be, sigh
Anyway until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Saying Thanks at Di's Digis

I'm a little late with today's post - for the new challenge at Di's Digi Designs; the theme is Thanks/Thanksgiving/Harvest.  As we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia I've made a general Thank You card.

I used the super-cute "Hi Have You Dropped This?" image available here, coloured with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.
The sketch is from Sketch and Stash, it's a great sketch - I ended up using it a few times - so versatile.
The papers are Kaisercraft's Madame Boutique, lots of lovely foil - that doesn't show in the pics, of course!!  I matted onto gold foil card and added a Memory Box Corner Bow die cut using the same, Totally Papercrafts has Add a Bow and Addicted to Stamps has Punches and Dies for their challenges so I'm entering there.
The flower is a Joy Craft Daisy die with a gemstone brad centre - the surround was silver... until I coloured it with a YR07 Copic :-) The little sprays of blue pearls were sprays of white pearls, until I coloured THEM with a Blue Copic.
The sentiment is from Craftworks Cards, mounted on a hand cut gold foil mat, everthing is on it's own layer, and of course it looks much nicer IRL.  Aud Sentiments has Any Sentiment so I'm in!
The inside of the card is finished more or less to the same sketch, with more or less the same everything else, lol.
The bow on the inside was cut with the gold surface up and has resulted in a really smooth metallic look, to get the one on the front to face the "right" way I cut it with the white backing facing up, the gold on this one is sort of wrinkled as a result and actually looks kinda cool :-)
Digi Makeover, 2 Sisters Challenge. Creative Belli,

Pile It On, Papertake Weekly and 

Crazy 4 Challenges all have challenges along the "Thanks" line so I'm entering them and Oozak has Anything Goes with Thanks while Through the Craftroom Door, Whimsy Inspirations Challenge and Colour Me Copic have Anything Goes challenges so I'm in there too.

Well that's it for today, it's past 2am here and definitely time for bed!!  I hope you get a chance to share a project in our new challenge, head on over and check out the rest of the team's inspiration.  The sponsor this time around is the Cutting Café and as always if you use one of Di's images you go into an extra draw, Woo Hoo!!

I'll be back in a day or so - I really have to sort out some of the posts from my Draft folder!

Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Colours of Halloween at Di's Digis

The new challenge starting today at Di's Digis Challenge Blog has a "Colours of Halloween" theme.... so we want to see Purple, Orange, Green and Black. Here's my card:

I've used Mechanic Ted available at Di's Digi Stamps, coloured with Copics and a coat of High Gloss to the headlights.  Paper Crafting Journey wants us to Use Halloween Colours too, so I'm entering there, 4 Crafty Chicks has Crazy About Wheels and The Male Room has Transport and/or Travel so I'm entering there too.

I've used the sketch from Sunday Sketch and Stamp, it lent itself to the "cut away" front that I find myself using regularly - the lazy man's way of decorating the front of the card while decorating the inside, lol.
I used digi papers on this card, fabulous freebies from Shery K Designs, they print up a treat :-)
The card itself is from DCWV and the black matting is from my stash.  
The Card Candi on the front is from my stash too, as are the pebbles on the "inside" of the card (from Scrappers Must Haves the aptly named "Boo" collection) and the spanner charm that I have placed over a spanner that is in that position on the image.  Craft Your Passion have "Heavy Metal" for their challenge so I'm entering there, The Paper Shelter have Charm Us, so in there too and Totally Papercrafts have 1 image 2 papers 3 embellies (Candi, Pebbles and Charm) so I'm in there too.
The sentiment is something else I've had in my stash for ages... it came with Happy Birthday inside, I changed it to Thank You and altered the colour (in Word) and have had it sitting in my printed folder (I use as much of the space on a page as I reasonably can when I print images, having small sentiments available is handy!)  Clear It Out have Thanks as their theme with a Left over sentiment, so I'm entering there.
I cut and embossed (not that it shows in the pic!) the image panel with a new set of Crafts Too dies I bought from Scrap Dragon... I like the way they cut so I may add some more to my collection. The sentiment is cut with a Fiskars lever punch that I've had for-eva! Paper Creator Crafts has Dies or punches as their challenge, so I'm in!

I've got quite a few layers here, it's a bit hard to see in the pictures, but as I do have at least three I'm entering the Divas by Design 3+ Layers challenge.
Creative Craft Challenges, 2 Sisters Challenge, Stampin' for the Weekend, Oozak, and Through the Craftroom Door all have Anything Goes challenges so I'm entering them too.
Well that's about it for today's card... sorry it's been posted a bit late in the day (it's 1am here - I scheduled it but clicked the wrong time so only discovered it hadn't gone live when I checked after coming home from an evening out, ah well you get that sometimes lol)  Check out the rest of the teams creations at Di's Digis Challenge Blog, I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too - as you can see it doesn't even have to be a Halloween card, just the colours.  We're sponsored this time around by 
Markerpop... with a fabulous $10 store voucher - you can buy Di's images there in rubber form; CandiBean Stamps.  Don't forget, as always, if you use one of Di's images on your entry (and there's plenty of gorgeous images to choose from) you go in an extra draw to win 2 digi images of your choice from her store, what are you waiting for?!

I have quite a few cards made now just waiting to be blogged - as soon as I get time I'll be back with one of them.  Life is still a bit busy, but in a good way - my son Matt started back at work full time this week, he did two days last week but his foot swelled up like a balloon, it's not as bad this week.  I do the paperwork for his business so my time in the office is ramped back up - my other clients have been very understanding, but the time has come to get back to work.  

I've got to say I've never been so glad to be snowed under with paperwork, it means Matt's life is back to normal (or close to it, he still has some adjustments to make, he finds it difficult to do some of the climbing that earthworks involve as he has no forefoot to use as leverage, but he will adapt I'm sure)  I'm back to helping his wife with the babies a couple of times a week, and even though it was soooo intense when he was off work for so long I miss seeing them every day. Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Beautiful Borders

There's a new challenge starting today over at Di's Digis... we want to see your Beautiful Borders.  I made a card for my Mother to send to the hospital she was in last week, the staff were lovely and she wanted to thank them - as do I, so "Thanks" to the staff at Joondalup Health Campus :-)

 The image I've used is Nursing Ted, (from Di's new website, here) so sweet, Robyn's Fetish wants us to use a digi this time around - no challenge for me, that's for sure! I've coloured with Copics.  Creatalicious Challenges theme this time around is For the Girls, so I'm entering there too.

I've used the sketch from Sketch and Stash this time around, it's a great sketch and there's plenty of stash on this card - the pearls, braid, cardstock and patterned paper are all from stash.    Crafty Friends has a Bingo challenge, I've used Pearls, Ribbon and Yellow.  Cutie Pie Challenge has a 3 2 1 recipe challenge; I've used 3 pearls at the top, 2 papers and 1 image - the 3 pearls may be a bit tenuous, so I'll understand if it's not allowed!
The paper is from a pack I got from Spotlight ages ago, really good value though some of the sheets are designed for scrapbooking, the spotty sheet I used is one of them, I just used the part of the sheet that didn't have a big teddy on it - if that makes sense ;-)
Joanna Sheen's challenge this time is to use Spots and Stripes, so I'm in and Pile it On has Stripes and/or Plaid, so in there too.    

I cut the mat behind the image and sentiment using Nestabilities Lacey Squares, and the border die is Nestabilities Classic Scallop Borders - I tried to use my new Memory Box Nottingham Border die, but I just can't get it to cut cleanly - I've had a similar problem with one of their butterfly dies, I hope I can solve it because they're beautiful.  Bearly Mine Challenges, My Mums Craft Shop and That Craft Place all have Dies and Punches challenges so I'm entering there.
The sentiment is a chipboard die that I received as a freebie from the lovely Zoe at Make It Crafty when I bought some of her chippies recently - the store is no longer going to carry them so I made sure to stash-up, lol.  I embossed it with Sky Blue Versamark ink and Iridescent Embossing Powder.  Aud Sentiments has Any Sentiment for their challenge, so I'm in and Great Impressions has Leave a Little Sparkle, so in there too!

For the inside, I followed the sketch and used more of the papers from the front.  Catch The Bug, Little Claires and Papertake Weekly have Anything Goes challenges running, so I'm entering there.
Well that's it for today's card, pop over to Di's Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the team's "Beautiful Borders", I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too.
I'm in the car on the way Down South for a week's break... Margaret River is one of my favourite places in the world, 260kms from Perth in the middle of Wine Country with fantastic wineries, cheesemakers and artisans nestled in hidden valleys; we stay in a mudbrick cabin with a log fire (it's winter here, and while not cold definitely cool enough for a log fire if you like one, which we do) and bush all around.  There's little or no phone coverage, except in the town 5km away) the only downside for a blog addict is that the internet coverage is dismal, so I won't get much opportunity to visit you all until Friday when we get back home - to be honest the odd glass of excellent wine will probably help me cope, lol.
Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Sometimes Life Makes You Think Thanks

Well I finally managed to grab a few minutes "me" time and decided to spend it crafting... it really is a case of learning to ignore the ironing, lol.  My Mum and Dad have both been quite unwell recently, and while taking them to hospitals and various appointments I realized how often there were people to thank, it got me thinking about Thank You cards and how few I have in my stash; so here's one!

Totally Gorjuss has Thank You as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there.  Allsorts Challenges have Inspired by a Song  as does The Crafty Pad, I love the Randy Newman song "You've Got a Friend in Me", I don't know if it's the same song that was in Toy Story - my kids were "before" Toy Story, lol. 

I've used the adorable Wryn and Mo image from Tiddly Inks, coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils.  The Tiddly Tuesdays challenge is to "Make It Like Asa"; I used the layout and the same girl-with-friend  sort of image as my inspiration. Corrosive Challenge has Animal Companions as their theme, so I'm entering there.  Fab'n'funky's Challenge is to use something Starting with F, I have Friend but I also have Flowers, so I'm in there too. The purple flowers are from my stash, the small lemon ones are punched (a Carl punch, I think) then given some shape with a ball tool and Stickles centres. Stampin' for the Weekend has Feeling Floral and Digital Tuesday has Say it with flowers, so I'm entering those as well.  Gem of a Challenge has a very particular set of challenge parameters: Use Lilac, Lemon, Two Butterflies and a Bow... I have 'em all, so I'm in, lol.  Tying that miniature bow for Wryn's hair was a challenge in itself!  
The larger purple butterfly started life as a pink one with silver glitter, I recoloured it (and the originally-white pearls) with Copics, I was really surprised how readily everything took the colour.  The swirls "under" the floral arrangement are stickers that I got on a sheet from my LSS (not so "L" any more, all my Local ones have both closed and I do have to travel a bit to get to one now, sadly)  They started life as white too, I wasn't sure if the glitter would dull down when I recoloured it, but no problem.

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge and That Craft Place both have Bling it on as their challenge themes, I have bling aplenty; as well as all the glittery goodness the Kaisercraft Made With Love paper has foiled hearts on it, and the image mat (cut using Nestabilities Labels Eleven) is lilac foil card from my stash, I'll have to get more of this stuff, if only I could remember where I got it, lol.  

The small lemon butterfly is from Martha Stewart's 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch, I used more of the Stickles from the punched flowers as a body.  I used the largest of the three punched butterflies on the inside of the card.  I'm going to post a pic of my card on Sassy Cheryl Show Me Thursday, where they like to see what you've been up to - it is infinitely more interesting than all the waiting rooms I've been in the last couple of weeks with the old folks!  Creative Craft Challenges, The Paper Shelter, Craft Us Crazy and Simon Says Challenge all have Anything Goes themes happening, so I'll be entering those too.

Well that's it for today, it's been fun to "play" on Blogger, but I feel a bit guilty now!  Hopefully, things are settling down a bit here.  I'll be back in a few days, until then Happy Crafting, Donna

Blue and Green.... Can Be Seen Here!

The old saying "Blue and green should never be seen..." doesn't apply at the Less Is More challenge this week, so I thought I'd give it a go.

I bought the papers from Starfish Lane with the birthday voucher my son gave me... I bought a lot of what I call "special" paper, the base is a really rich colour IRL, and very textured.  
The Chiyogami panel is mounted on a strip of micro corrugated gold board, the edge of which is punched with Fiskars Apron Lace punch.  
I used this paper on the card on the left (in this post), isn't it amazing how different it looks when used with a different contrast colour?!  
The sentiment is stamped with Versa Mark clear ink and embossed with gold embossing powder - and was the hardest part of the card!  I was thinking of making a set of these cards as a gift, but as the stamping is so hard to get even on the heavily textured card, I may use stickers (or peel offs) of which I have about a zillion in my stash, lol.

I finished the inside with elements from the front, very simple, to suit the style of the card.  As well as the Blue and Green challenge at  Less is More, I'm entering the Clean and Simple challenge at Cute Card Thursday and the Anything Goes challenges at Craft Your Passion, Papertake Weekly and 2 Sisters Challenge.
I've been colouring some images up, I really have to get some on to cards and out of my embarrassingly-large stash.  The problem is I'm amassing a stash of made cards too;  I've sold some previously, via my son and a friend, but I think I'll have to get some sort of system in place to keep it ticking over... to make room for more, if nothing else :-)  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

I'm Fairy Excited!

I'm excited.....again!  I've been asked to be Guest Designer for March by one of my favourite challenge blogs, Cute Card Thursday.  This card suits their challenge due on Wednesday 9 March (8pm GMT to be precise, I love GMT: I always have to try and work out "Mountain Time" or Pacific Daylight Saving time or whatever time to Western Australian time - GMT is MUCH easier, lol).

Actually I got "the" email weeks ago asking if I was interested in the Guest spot and completely MISSED IT!!  I was sorting out my inbox yesterday and found it... I dashed an email back telling Caz "Of COURSE I'm interested, and was I too late, sob". They obviously took pity on me and I"M IN! (March has five challenges this year, so I'm there for the next four anyway) I got this card made as quickly as I could, it may still get posted for this challenge, albeit late - not as an entry, of course!!

Phew, that was a bit long winded, wasn't it?  The rest will be short and sweet, promise (well short and sweet for me, lol)

The gorgeous image is Fairy Fae and she is from Tiddly Inks whose byline is "the spot for cute digitals" - got that right I reckon!  Fae was coloured with Copics including some of my new ones that came in the post TODAY, Yay!  Some Ice Stickles (Diamond) on her wings give her a little lift.  The light source is from the top left, which I never use; I was going to enter the challenge at Make It Colourful which was to use this light source, but I missed it, oops! Oh well, now I've tried something different.
I embossed the pink mat the image panel is sitting on with Cuttlebugs Textile embossing folder then sponged dark pink on it: hardly any of it shows, but I still think it adds a nice frame and some texture.

The patterned paper is from Prima "Faerie Florals" it's gorgeous, I've used it before on a few cards and, as there are three or four sheets of each pattern in the pad I've still got plenty left, goodie!

The tiny rosebuds at the bottom of the sentiment add a bit of texture too, as does the lace (which I scabbed - Aussie term for begged or scrounged) off someone in the family.

 I cut into the lace so that it would fit around the sentiment oval more easily and stuck pale green flat backed pearls in the centre of each little shell shape on the front (well I don't know, if it's not a shell what is it? - I didn't want to call them lumps, lol) and alternate pink and green on the lace in the inside.  The oval for inside the card was cut with Spellbinders Nestablities Classic Scalloped Ovals

I used this sketch from 

Sketch and Stash for their challenge this week, and a whole load of challenge blogs like Fab'n'funky Challenges, Delightful Challenges, Die Cut Dreams, By the Cute and Girly have "Spring" or a variation of it as their challenge theme this time around, so I'm entering there with my "springy" card.

Flutterby Wednesday has an open theme this time, so my Fairy Fae is going there, Creative Craft Challenges has "Thankyou", Totally Papercrafts has Pearls and Lace, Copic Oz, a challenge just for Aussies, has "A Little Magic" this month and  Stamp Something has it's Digi challenge this week - always a favourite challenge for me!  That's 10 challenges, THAT'S a lot of challenges, I love going and seeing how other folk in blog land interpret challenges - oh and I love showing off my little creations too, let's be honest!!
Until next time, tomorrow with any luck, Happy Crafting, Dee

Butterflies and Lace

Hi, today I have a card that is unusual for me: it is pastel (well, not pastel pastel but pastel by my standards!) and has lace on it.  I've never done a card with lace, fabric lace, before - now I know it's not that scary!

I used Prima paper from the Fairy Flora collection for the card front.  The image is Butterfly Birgitta, one of CC Designs Swiss Pixies collection (available here).  I love her, where I was brought up, pixies were not this pretty!  I used my usual combination of Copic and Bic markers, with a bit of ink in for good measure, to colour her. I just about always colour her little wings the same as the wings on the butterfly, on this card I added some Stickles after I'd taken the photos, I added them to her hair bobbles too - it looks cute (no point in photographing it again, I can never get the sparkle to show anyway, lol) I cut a pink circle as a mat then used my Lacey Circles Nestie to cut the panel for the image, technically it's not mine yet - I put it away for Christmas but just had to make sure it worked first ;-) 
As the image has a butterfly on it, I am entering Flutter By Wednesdays challenge for this week "Thanks"
I used the Sketch For You To Try at i heart 2 stamp, loved it.  Normally I would have put a contrasting strip of paper down the side, but this image seemed to lend itself to something softer so I sponged some Kaisercraft Orchid ink on the edge of white lace and used that instead, I think it worked well.  I used the same ink on the sentiment and sponged some around the edge of the sentiment mat too, which is punched from a 2" scalloped Fiskars punch and Sullivans 1.5" circle punch .
Sweet Stampin' had Buttons and Bows as it's theme this week, this card has one bow -I'm sure one is enough :-) using ribbon from my stash, and the three flowers at the bottom have tiny pink buttons in their centres. I inked the ends of the petals with the Orchid ink to tie it all together.
Bizzy Becs, a great Aussie site, has "Cute and Sweet" as its theme this week and Delightful Challenges has "Flower Power" as its theme , so I'll enter it there too.

I cut two strips of pink paper with "oh sweet" printed on it for the inside of the card, punched the edge with an EK Success border punch.  I backed the punched out area with the offcuts of the paper from the front as it looked a bit "bald" with the white showing.

Thanks for looking at today's offering, and Happy Crafting, Dee.

A Hundred Thank You Notes

If one "thank you" note says "Thanks", what does a notepad of a hundred say?  This Post-It note and pen holder has a magnet on the back so it can sit on the refrigerator - handy for shopping lists and of course it still fits in your handbag nicely where it is handy for EVERYTHING!!

This project is going in a few challenges: All That Scraps Wednesday Challenge had "make a magnet" as the theme this week.  Hopefully this project, with its magnet on the back, qualifies.  I am also entering it in the Stamp Something challenge for this week "use a digi".......as I use digital stamps 99% of the time - that was EASY!!  Sweet Stampin' has an "Anything But a Card" challenge so guess where my little Post-it Note holder is going:-)
I was going to enter Flutter By Wednesdays challenge for this week, which was anything goes, and the Simon Says Stamp Challenge with the theme "thanks"- but I got distracted when I was typing up my blog and didn't get it entered in time - ME STOOPID!
The cardstock that  the Post-It note holder is made from is from the Die Cuts With a View "Mariposa" collection, I am loving it and it is so much more versatile than I thought it would be when I got it. I used the basics of a template from Dawn Griffith I saw on YouTube, but I had to metricate it as I don't even own a ruler with inches on anymore!!  It took longer to convert (even using an online converter) than to do one from scratch - so I have made a metric version.  I'll put it in my Tutorials and Templates  page when I've tidied it up a bit. The pen came from BigW in a pack of ten, they are gel pens and multicoloured - I wish I could get some black ones, but that is proving impossible here.
I used a strip of gold metallic card (some people know it as Mirri or Mirror Board, I think) punched with Fiskars Apron Lace border punch for Emma to sit on -she needed a seat or she appeared to just "float"- the red polka dot ribbon is from my stash.  
I have used the digital stamp Rose Emma from CC Designs Sugarplums "Take a Seat" collection, available at All That Scraps, coloured her with Copic and Bic markers (I have ordered some more Copics, so the colouring should get easier and my palette broader, soon!) I cut her out and pop dotted her in place.  The sentiment is made up of gold letter stickers.
I'll be making more of these - they are really easy, quick and use offcuts, YAY, I always have offcuts- don't we all!  What's more, they can be as cute or elegant or masculine as you like - very versatile.
Happy crafting, Dee

Butterfly Birgitta

I have made this card in response to the Wednesday Challenge at All That Scraps.  The challenge was to use fruit in the design.  The Kaisercraft pad I used ( the Hey Birdie 6"x6" collection) had this beautiful paper with foiled apples on it.  The image is Butterfly Birgitta from All That Scraps, it's by CC Designs - her Swiss Pixies collection.  They're all really cute, this is the first time  Birgitta has featured on one of my cards, but I can see that it won't be the last!!  I may put this card in Two Peas in a Buckets Finally Friday Challenge too, as that challenge is to make a Thank You card - which this is ;)

I used cardstock from  DCWV Neutrals collection in a sort of buff colour.  The tag for the sentiment came from the Hey Birdie collection, as did the border paper at the bottom and the top of the card (both these came off one sheet with loads of border type prints on it - great value, apart from being so perfectly matched!!)  The little flowers on the top border match those on Birgittas pants, tying the images together nicely.  The image is coloured with a mixture of Copics (the three I have at this stage, lol), pigment inks and some felt tipped pens I've had lurking about for ages!!  The mat is from DCWV Neutrals Mat stack cut and embossed with my Cuttlebug and Large Scalloped Ovals Nestabilities.  Mounting the elements on foam dots really helps give the card some "dimension".  Thanks for looking and happy crafting, Dee