Kraft, Vellum and Roses for a Baby Girl

I have a card today that is, while not laden with embellishments, at least a few steps away from the clean and simple ones of my last couple of posts. 

 It all started when I printed the cute Pink Gem Baby Girl Teddy digistamp on Kraft and coloured with Prismacolor pencils, it gives such a lovely soft finish, and I thought a vintage feel was what was needed... I know I could have gone  a lot further but the image was disappearing :-)  
I used the sketch from Gem of a Challenge, but didn't realise until I took the photos that I had rotated the panels, but not the rest of the sketch... I hope it still "counts". 
I cut the image panel from Kaisercraft paper with an Mpress Antique Frames die, distressing the edges with some gold ink; the die the next size up was much larger so I hand cut the mat using American Crafts cardstock.   The vertical panels are more of the Kaisercraft paper covered with some patterned vellum from my stash.  The ribbon is also from my stash Stamping With The Dragon has Ribbons and Bows for their challenge so I'm entering there.  The roses and blossoms are stash again, as are the pearls, so I'm entering the Waste Not Wednesdays Stash challenge.

Cupcake Inspirations has this great Photo Inspiration, I used the colours and the roses for my card so I'm entering the challenge.  Di's Digi Designs has Pile on the Flowers and Bizzy Becs has Flower Power for their theme so I'm entering there too.  
The flourishes are cut from Marianne Designs die, The Paper Shelter has a Swirls and Pearls challenge - I'm in! and the sentiment is from Craftworks.  Totally Papercrafts wants us to use Lots of Layers, that's never really challenge for me - I LOVE layers!  On this occasion though I haven't popped my layers up on foam dots as I usually would, it just didn't seem to work.  

I finished the inside with more of the vellum over a pale pink paper from my stash, Digital Tuesday has Inside Out (to decorate the inside of your card) and That Craft Place has an Anything Goes challenge so I'm entering those.  I'm going to pop a link on Sassy Cheryl Show Me Thursday, though this isn't the only thing I've been up to this week;  My arthritis has been bad (it is winter here, and so not unexpected, but still unpleasant) and we have an outdoor spa which is really good therapy - the only thing is it needed a good clean so I emptied it and scrubbed it with descaler for FOUR hours which set my arthritis off BIG TIME.... do you see the irony?  

Anyway, don't know if it's because I was so stiff (or that I was on the phone to my sister so a bit distracted, lol) but, long story short, I fell in to the now-spotlessly-clean-but-still-empty spa and hit my back on the seat resulting in me needing a hot spa even more, luckily it filled and heated by 8pm so hubby and I had a good bubbly soak and nice glass of wine.  The bruise is coming out now, and believe it or not I've got whiplash out of it.... I used to be a labourer installing swimming pools, without serious injury and now I can't even clean a spa without injuring myself - I wish someone had seen it - at least that way someone would have got a laugh out of it!!!
Anyway that's it for today - until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Red Velvet Acceptance

Well, as discussed in my previous post, here's the "other" Acceptance card I made for my neighbour's daughters 21st... though I am thinking of not using it for that after all and using the "leftover" paper to make a more casual card instead... at this rate the RSVP date will have come and gone and I'll have 25 Acceptance cards in my stash, lol

As with my last card, it's DL size (which is a third of A4) which makes it standard postage rate... handy as I'm going to give it to my friend across the street, lol.  The background paper is a faux velvet, it's REALLY lush IRL, but you know you can never capture that in photographs.  It came, as did the lovely pearlised butterfly print, from Starfish Lane, my go-to place for "fancy" paper!  The ribbon came on a gift - my son loves to wrap his gifts elaborately, which is a great source of goodies for me, lol - so I'm entering Lisa's  Waste Not Wednesdays Stash challenge.

The sentiment is computer generated using Splendid Ornamenty font, which includes the flourishes in it's character set.  I finished off with a  butterfly punched from the velvet paper using a Martha Stewart punch.

The inside was finished with the same elements as the outside... too easy!  Digital Tuesday has Inside Out as its theme, I always decorate the inside as well as the outside of my cards, I just  hope the computer generated sentiment is "digital" enough; I also hope one word is enough of a sentiment to enter the Moving Along With The Times Make it Sentimental and Corrosive Challenge Sentimentally Yours challenges!!

One thing for sure, I can enter Crafty Creations, That Craft Place and Creatalicious Challenges  as they have Anything Goes challenges running. 

That's it folks, I'll be back soon with another card... I've got some images coloured ready and I've made another Clean and Simple job, but I may keep that for a rainy day blog-wise, lol.  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

Less is More Gold

I have a super quick post today (nice change for you all, lol) and a departure from my usual colour-laden offerings.  The theme over at Less is More is Gold... I had an Acceptance card to make, so I thought I'd make a nice formal one... white and gold scream classic to me :-)

I ended up not using this one, as it's for a neighbour's daughter's 21st (where DID the time go?!)  - even though the invite gave only a mobile # to RSVP too , so I've made one that's a bit more casual (only a bit, lol) and in the same colour as the invite.... I'll add it to my blog tomorrow - hopefully :-)
This card was super easy... but still surprisingly time consuming.  The thing about clean and simple is... there's nowhere to hide, lol.  So you have to take a bit of time making sure it's all nice and clean and lined up.
I used smooth white card, embossing the panel with Cuttlebug's Textile folder.  The gold (finely corrugated card)  is from my stash, just to add a little interest I have the "grain" running in opposite directions for each mat.  I'll be entering Waste Not Wednesdays challenge to use your Stash.

When it came to the inside I made sure the embellishments had the grain running contra to the mat for consistency.  Digital Tuesday has Inside Out (to decorate inside as well as the outside of your card) as their challenge, easy peasy for me, I always decorate the inside.
The sentiment is computer generated using Spelendid Ornamenty font (which includes the flourishes) and the colour suggested on the Less is More blog... works a treat!   Moving Along With The Times has Make it Sentimental and the  Corrosive Challenge is Sentimentally Yours, so I'm entering those.
The corners inside are cut with Memory Box Macarena Corner die.

Crafty Creations has a Free For All challenge, That Craft Place and Creatalicious Challenges also have Anything Goes, so I'm entering there too.

That's it for my Less is More card, I'm really happy with it, as I have found them a bit challenging in the past :-)

I'll be back with my "other" acceptance card tomorrow (?)  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Tag Time at Here Come The Boys

Well I don't use tags on my cards very often, but as the theme for the challenge starting today at Here Come The Boys is to use a  Tag on your card I've used one on this card.... it certainly won't be the last time I use a tag, they're pretty nifty!

I've used a Gus image from Bugaboo Stamps again, love this guy's 'tude!  This is Gus, At My Age and he comes with the sentiment.... which my hubby can relate to (he said). Bugaboos Catch The Bug challenge this time around is an Anything Goes, so I'm entering there. I've coloured with Copics adding gloss to the beach ball and Gus's glasses.  By The Cute and Girly (which Gus is NOT, lol) has "A Day At..." as their challenge, Gus is having a day at the beach so I'm entering there, Crafty Calendar has "Fun in the Sun, The Crafty Pad has At the Seaside, Craft Your Passion has Chillin' and Grillin' and Paper Crafting Journey and Totally Papercrafts have Summer as their themes so I'm entering there too.  Cards for Men and Paper Play Challenges both have birthday challenges - I'm in there too!
I've used this fabulous sketch from Sketch and Stash this time around, love a good sketch!
The papers I've used are digis from Shery K Designs, this is the Summer Mega collection... 20 completely different patterns for $3.00, I LOVE a bargain, and they print out a treat.  The red matting paper has a light corrugated finish, which adds a little interest.  I didn't have enough red card to make the Circular mat, so I coloured some orange stuff I had with Copics.... guaranteed to match my image :-)  The Joanna Sheen challenge this time is "Going Round in Circles", so I'm entering there, Allsorts Challenges and Divas by Design have Red White and Blue challenges and Crazy For Challenges has The Colours of Your Flag... you guessed it, the Aussie flag is red white and blue, so I'm in!  (Our sporting colours, for example what our athetes will wear at the Olympics are Green and Gold, so I suppose I could use those too, lol, but our flag is definitely red white and blue!)  Oozak has Bright Colours as their theme so I'm entering there too.
The image mat is cut with Standard Circles Nesties, and the mat is cut using Scalloped Circles.  I cut the tag freehand, but seems as I'm going to use tags more, I think I might invest in a tag die.... or two :-) The Simon Says Challenge, is Tags or ATCs and Stampin' for the Weekend is Tags, so I'm entering there.
The ribbon is from my stash, as is the little acrylic (modern word for plastic, lol) starfish and the Card Candi... which is a relatively new addition to my stash, it's Carnaby Street, with gold stripes on it, very nice, and I've Copic-coloured it to match as well.   I used a gel pen for the faux stitching on the tag.  As always, I qualify to enter the Waste Not Wednesdays challenge to use our stash!

I've finished the inside of the card a little differently, being channeling Joey here, I've used a digi image that I've had for an age, Beach Borders from Whimsie Doodles set in a square with a red border and dashed blue border (even easier faux stitching than my gel pen, lol) added in Word - all set on top of a sheet of the digi paper from the front... so it's all on one sheet, no waste at all as the digi paper that's covered by the white square doesn't get printed... if that makes sense.  Cupcake Craftroom has Layers as their challenge theme, lucky for me there's plenty of layers on the Front of my card, lol.
Sassy Cheryls Tuesday Challenge, Papertake Weekly and Creatalicious Challenges  all have Anything Goes challenges, so I'll be entering those too... my goodness plenty of challenges to enter today :-)
Well that's it for today, pop over to the Here Comes The Boys blog and check out my teamies-tags, there's some great inspiration there.  Hope to see you join in the challenge.
I'll be back in a day or so, in the meantime, Happy Crafting, Donna

Does it Swing or Flip Flop?

The card I have to show today is the first Swing or "Flip Flop" card I've ever made... once I got the dimensions right it was really easy to do... taking photos of the way it works (for the uninitiated) was way more of a challenge - these things are harder to photograph than easel cards!  This one is going to my Mother in Law who's in England on holiday at the moment... she's celebrates her 84th birthday on Saturday... Happy Birthday Norma! 

I used this great tutorial I found on Splitcoast Stampers as starting point, it's always a great source of information and inspiration!
I've used a couple of images from the Louie collection from Digistamp Boutique, they are Louie with Cupcake on the front and Louie with Present on the back... or is that the inside?... well the OTHER side anyway, lol.  Here are some photos of the card "swinging" from one side to the other... or is that "flip flopping", lol, it does sit a little "flatter" than in the last pic, but I liked how the light was bouncing off Louie's nose in this photo, so I decided to use it :-)

The papers are from Kaisercrafts Hippy Girl collection, the sentiment is from Craftworks Cards.  I've coloured the images with Prismacolor pencils, adding some Stickles and Gloss accents and gel pen faux stitiching.  I wrote my MIL's name on the gift tag with pencil... should have used a fineliner, too late!  The pearls are from my stash. I've popped the Louie on the inside (?) up with foam dots... he sits on the rear of the card when it is shut, so not a problem, but I suppose you have to think about where you place any 3D embellies.

I'm entering Digistamp Boutique monthly challenge; all you have to do is use a Digistamp Boutique image... I've used two (I'll only enter once though, lol).  Totally Papercrafts want us to use a digi... just about the easiest of challenges for me ... I LOVE digis! 
Craft Your Days Away and Crafts 4 Eternity both want to see our Teddy Bear images, so I'm in and Moving Along With The Times has Happy Birthday so I'm in there as well.

Oozak and Bizzy Becs both want to see nothing but Bright Colours for their current challenges, nothing but bright colours here, I'm in!  Sassy Cheryls Tuesday Challenge, Papertake Weekly and Charisma Cardz all have Anything Goes challenges so I'm entering those too.

That's it for today's card, I have another couple of little images coloured up that I think will sit perfectly on a swing card like this one, and as they've been coloured for OVER A YEAR (they're coloured with "normal" pencils as they were done before I even owned a Prismacolor!) I think they deserve to make it to a card soon, lol.

I'll be back in a day or so, quite possibly with a card with an unusual fold (found so many ideas when I was trawling the net the other night....mmmm) until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Get Well Gill

Well hello there... long time no see!  You know how it is - life getting in the way, etc.  Amongst other things happening is that we've heard my husband's sister Gill, who lives in England, is quite seriously ill - I made this card to send to her.

 

Actually, neither my husband nor (obviously) myself has ever met Gill... my Mother in Law gave her up for adoption at birth and after much research they were reunited... more than 50 years after the adoption... I can tell you it was VERY emotional.  My in-laws came to Australia in 1963 and Norma (MIL) now goes back to England to see her "other" family every couple of years.  It is three years since her last visit as she has decided to go to the Olympics while she's over... she travels alone and it's pretty impressive for an 84 year old, I think!  Unfortunately Gill suffered an embolism two days before Norma was going, and the family didn't want to distress her, so they just let her proceed with her travel plans; it must have been a nasty shock to arrive to the news her daughter is in hospital... and she's in Newcastle where there has been some bad flooding - I seriously hope her trip improves, and that Gill (whose daughter and family we DID meet when they came over last year, lovely people!) gets better soon too.

Anyway, on to my card!  I've followed the sketch from Papertake Weekly Sketch, love a good sketch :-) The cute image I've used is a digi from Karen's Doodles, Digital Tuesday has Amazing Animals as their challenge theme so I'm entering.  I've coloured with Prismacolor pencils adding Gloss to the eyes, thermometer and cuppa. Oozak has Bright Colours as does Bizzy Becs, never a problem for me, lol, and Cupcake Craftroom wants us to use Layers, again never a problem, so I'm entering there too.   

The papers are "Ouchies Too", digital, from Nitwit Collections. That Craft Place has It's All Green as their challenge, plenty of green here, lol especially on the inside.

The Paper Shelter wants us to use Punches and/or Dies; I've used Fiskars Apron Lace punch on the front and Nestabilities Scalloped and Standard Ovals on the inside, so I'm in, Sweet Stampin' wants us to Use Scallops, so I'm in there too.

The hydrangeas are from my stash (one of those $2 stems I hoard) as are the gold stamens,  Allsorts Challenges wants us to Use Flowers as does Crafty Calendar so I'm in.  Over at Waste Not Wednesdays Lisa just likes us to use up our Stash, so I'm entering there, and Bearly Mine Challenges, Charisma Cardz and Creatalicious Challenges all have Anything Goes challenges so there too. Cheryl likes to see what we're up to on her Sassy Cheryl Show Me Thursday challenge, and as I think a photo of me doing the end of financial year reports (I do bookkeeping from home) is guaranteed to put her to sleep, I'll send a photo of this instead and hope it doesn't have the same effect, lol.

Well, that's the end of the story for today.  I'll be back in a day or so with the card I've made for my Mother In Law's birthday which I'll be sending with this one as her birthday is next weekend... and she's in the UK until September!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna