One For the Girls at DigiDesigns

Not even going to go to the "yet another two weeks has passed" place (or did I just go there? lol) Anyway.... it's time for a new challenge at the DigiDesigns challenge blog, this time we'd like to see you make something "For the Girls".  I made a birthday card, coz you can never have too many cute birthday cards :-)  I'm having a bit of trouble with my camera giving a slightly grey cast on my pics... I don't want to edit them too much so you'll have to believe me when I say it's a bit more 'defined' in real life.  I'll have to work out why it's happening

Once again I've gone with a large format, A5, I like this size as it  means I can print the image up nice and big (one of the many reasons I love digis!) which makes the colouring easy... and in this case add a big sentiment too... without losing all that lovely patterned paper.  This too-cute image (I LOVE Di's mice images!) is Doughnuts and Sprinkles and you can get it here at Di's Digi Stamps store.  I coloured with Prismacolor pencils, I've been practicising and it's a shame the photo isn't clear as I'm really pleased with how much detail I got with just pencils.  Polkadoodles has Cream and Sugar as it's theme, this fits the "Ivory, pink, sugar" idea so I'm in!

I added lashings of Ranger Glossy Accents to the glass cake cover, then decided to step away from the gloss/shine/glitter so it could be a focal point... again, it looks heaps better IRL.
The patterned paper is from The Paper Mill, I just bought this pad, and couldn't believe that the ribbon I've had in my stash for YEARS matched it so well!  It's nice and "girly" which means as well as "our" challenge I'll be entering Sparkles Monthly Challenge with the same theme and The Crazy Challenge which has a Floral theme
The pearl/metal embellies on the corner of the image panel are brads, the pearls were cream but my trusty Copics soon changed THAT, lol.
The fabulous sentiment is from Created with TLC, I got it as a freebie (from the ever-generous Paulette) but I have since bought the Birthday Mega Bundle from the store and it came in that too - along with loads of other great sentiments.
I finished the inside of the card very simply with elements from the front, nothing unusual in that :-)  Craft Your Passion.  Through the Craftroom Door, Simply Papercrafts,  Crafting With Friends (#17), Creative Fingers, Art by Miran, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, That Craft Place and Corrosive Challenge all have Anything Goes Challenges so I'm entering there.
All in all this is a very simple card, very reliant on the super cute image (have I said how much I love Di's meeces? lol)  
Pop over to the challenge blog and check out the rest of the team's girly inspiration... you'll see it doesn't have to be pink to be girly!  I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge this time around, great prize on offer - this time we have two sponsors: SVG Attic and Dies R Us... Woot WOOT!!  and as always if you use one of Di's images (digi or a Candibean stamp) there's an extra opportunity to win.
I'll be back.... SOON I hope!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Layer It Up

Time for a new challenge at Di's Digis... the theme this time is "Layer It Up", no challenge at all really; I love adding a few layers even if I don't add a lot in the way of embellishments.  I thought I'd add another baby card to my collection, here it is

The image I've used is called  "Cute Cradle" and it's available here.  This is one of the images I coloured when we were "Down South" recently, as i had left my Copics at home it's coloured completely with Prismacolor pencils... I'm getting happier with the results I'm getting with my pencils - and as I've got another half a dozen ready coloured you may be seeing more in the near future.  Then again I've got LOAD of cards in my drafts so they may get an airing first.

I followed the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches, I don't "do" asymmetrical as a rule, this is the closest I get, lol.
The theme for this challenge is "Layers", and I've got plenty on here; the cardstock is from my stash, it has a lovely texture.  The papers are all Kaisercraft, from various pads.  I love embossing - the dry variety! - I think it adds interest without the "noise" that another pattern would bring.  I used a swirls folder on the background paper and the purple feature panel... it embosses really well... a little TOO well, it practically cut through this paper, card would be better as it is sturdier!
I used my newest acquisition to cut the mats with those gorgeous borders; this was the Sue Wilson Mini Gemini "Aquila" die... actually it's a set of three dies, very clever as you can cut into the border, have the border as an "outie" (like I have for the mats on the front) or cut the whole shape out to use as a die cut... like I have on the inside of my card.
The flowers were cut with the textured card using a Joy Crafts die, the centres are from the batch of melted pony beads I made a while back.
I just found the "baby girl" embellishments in my LSS, I found "baby boy" as well so of course two packets (well four actually, pink and blue versions of each) found their way into my little basket.  These were actually much paler so I used a RV Copic to match them up with my papers... I thought I'd lose the sparkle on them by colouring them over, but they still sparkle nicely
That's it for my card today, really quite simple, layering isn't difficult - hope to see your efforts in the challenge.  Pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the team's work, we've got some new team members so there's a real variety of inspiration there for sure!  There's a fab prize on offer from Magnolia-licious, and don't forget if you use one of Di's cute digis, or one of the Candi-Bean rubber stamps you get to go in an extra draw with an additional prize of two digis, Woo HOO!!
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges: 

Clear It Out Theme: Anything Goes Stash: Paper more than a year old (try more than 5 years old, lol)
As You Like It Favourite Type of Embossing and Why (Dry, less mess, more user-friendly!)
Moving Along With The Times Purple Haze
4 Crafty Chicks 7 Layers (I have 7 plus embellishments)
OSAAT Fancy Borders
Card Mania Challenges Polka Dots and/or Stripes 
Whimsy Inspirations Challenge, Hanna and Friends, Simply Papercrafts, Creative Fingers, Art by Miran, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Craft Your Passion and Through the Craftroom Door all have Anything Goes

I really hope to be back in a few days with something from my drafts; I have been adding regularly to it and not getting the opportunity to get anything OUT, it's getting a little crowded in there.  
That said, my nephew is getting married on Friday and I have to get their card made, my sister (his Mum) is up from the country for the week so we "do" stuff while she's up and hubby has got a super quiet week at work, more stuff lol... along with the twins' 3rd birthday (yup, 3... where did THAT three years go huh?) coming up in two weeks with a cake to consider, I'm not sure how much time blogging is going to get!!
Either way, until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

As We March Into March...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time to Use Two or More Dies

New challenge starting today at Di's Digis Challenge Blog (yup, another fortnight has WHIZZED by, lol), the theme is "Use Two or More Dies".  I've made a card for a Christening/Baptism

The image is called "Christening Day, Girl" ("Boy" is available too, of course) and it's available here
I took my colouring with me when we went away for a few days last week and I had great plans to colour up a bunch of images... of course when we got down to Margaret River I realized  I'd left my Copics at home - I'd remembered my refills, but not the pens, duh!  I had taken my pencils and solvent so I did get a few images coloured with them, this is one of them; it's not often I use only pencils, but I'm reasonably happy with the ones I did... even this one :-)

I always use coloured card for matting, so this was a bit of a departure... I used a really nice quality paper to cover the base of the card, I think it made a nice backdrop for the patterned paper; the paper on the top half of the card is from Starfish Lane (so of course it's really lush IRL, even though it doesnt' show on the pic) and the bottom half is from Kaisercraft - could be the Vintage Timeless collection, may not be, lol.
The diecuts are all made using cream pearl cardstock - it looks nice in real life, but hard to capture in photos

Now, the all important - for a dies challenge - are; Spellbinders Floral Oval for the image mat (actually I made a frame with the image panel glued behind it), Memory Box Magic Flourish to the right of the image and MFT Crochet border for the "lace" across the centre (I think it goes really well with the Floral oval)  The rhinestone and pearl embellishment was sourced from a Wedding supplies place on the internet.
The sentiment is from Craftworks Cards, I may change it for a personalized one when I need the card, I attached it with a pearl brad from my stash.  The pearl "string" - actually it's a thread of sticky backed pearls - is also from my stash... sadly these are the last I had, I'll have to get more SOMEWHERE, they're so easy to use!
As always I've used elements and papers from the front of the card on the inside, sorry about the quality (or lack thereof!) of some of today's pics... some  were taken with my photo tent, the paper didn't like the lighting, or the lights didn't like the paper!
Well that's about it for today's card, a little different in style for me, it was a nice chance to crack out some of my favourite dies... at which point I found all my "new" dies, it's already practically March and I haven't cut one thing with the dies I got for Christmas, even though I've made a few cards over the last couple of weeks, must try harder, lol.
I will be entering the following challenges: 

Stella Says Sketch Sketch 

Addicted to  Stamps Die Cuts

Cute As A Button Shabby Chic

Inky Chicks Ribbon and/or Lace

Great Impressions Any Celebration

The Paper Shelter Animal Magic

Little Red Wagon Furry Friends

Aud Sentiments Cute + a Sentiment

Creatalicious Challenges Favourite Colour Combo

Hanna and Friends Favourite Stamp

Craft Your Passion, Simon Says Challenge, Through the Craftroom Door, Simply Papercrafts, Crafting With Friends, Creative Fingers,  Art by Miran, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, That Craft Place,  Little Miss Muffet and Whimsy Inspirations Challenge all Anything Goes

Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge, it'll give you a chance to dust off those dies :-)  There's a great prize on offer as always, from the fabulous Crafty Ribbons this time around, and (again as always) don't forget that if you use one of Di's awesome digis, or a Candibean rubber stamp if rubber is your thang, you get extra opportunities to win, yeehaw!!
I'll be back in a couple of days with my Crafty Hazelnut's DT card, until then Happy Crafting, Donna

Birth-Day vs Birthday at Di's Digis

So yet another fortnight has whizzed by and it's time for a new challenge at Di's Digis.  The theme this time around is "Birthdays", but I'll be honest and tell you I got distracted half way through making my card, which was going to be for my grandson's birthday in March, when my husband's great niece had a baby boy on Tuesday - I got all excited having such a cute image all coloured up ready and decided to use it for a "baby" card.... so this is stretching the theme as it's for a "Birth-Day" vs a "Birthday".

The image - told you it's CUTE, lol - is called Animal Crew and is available here.  As usual I used Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils to colour the image, quite a bit of pencil this time around - I'm really happy with the lion's mane and just couldn't get this effect without using the white pencil.  I added gloss to the balloon, think I might add some to the lion's nose, not sure yet.

This is quite a big card (21.5 x 14.5 cm or roughly 81/2" x 6"), it's one of the things I love about digis; the ability to scale them up or down to suit your card size.  Right from the outset I was determined to make this a "one layer" style card, I've been admiring Netty's work for some time and this is the look I've been trying to emulate (err, alright, copy, lol) without much success... I am definitely closer this time!!  Still a ways off though, oh well something to aspire to :-)
I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch  it really lends itself to this style of card. 
The patterned paper is from Die Cuts With a View, the Animal Crackers pad; it's an 8x8 pad so it fit the card without matting (in fact it's cut down).  The blue cardstock is leftovers from my stash, the star punch is one my folks brought back from one of their Malaysian trips, and the star safety pin embellie is from a pack I've had for years.  
The twine is from my stash too; the day after I finished this card I found a pack of blue paper string which actually looks better, but it's too fiddly to change so I'll stick with the twine.
I used the "Congrats" die from Sizzix Celebrate Words die set, I added gloss to it: I think it looks more "finished" that way.
As always I finished the inside of the card to suit the front, I stamped the sentiment inside using Memento ink and stamps from a couple of sets (Kaisercraft both, I think) that have been gathering dust in my CD holder (that's how I store my clear stamp sets) until I bought my Stamp-a-Ma-jig... now I'm stamping all the time 'coz I can get them straight... I know this doesn't look that straight, but trust me IRL it is!!
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges;

Great Impressions Any Celebration

Simon Says Challenge One layer, can add embellishments

Hiding in my Craft Room Super Scraps Saturday

Clear It Out Theme: Anything Goes Stash: Twine

Simply Papercrafts Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

That Craft Place Anything Goes

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes

Addicted to  Stamps Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends Anything Goes

Creative Fingers Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes

Well that's it for the card, loving this style; it lets the image shine, and as colouring images is my favourite part of card making I'm happy because I get to spend more time colouring and less time assembling!

I hope you get a chance to enter the challenge this time around "Birthday" is an easy theme - even if you are me and stuff it up a bit :-))  There's a great prize on offer from Craftin' Desert Diva's shop and also a prize from SVG Attic and dont' forget if you use one of Di's fab digis OR a Candibean rubber stamp you go into an extra draw with it's very own prize, yeehaw!!

I'll be back soon; my Drafts folder is burgeoning I really DO have to sort it out and get it published!  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

It's February Already

Yup, it's February ALREADY, eek.  It's the first of the month so it's time for a new challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge... where it's really no challenge at all as all you have to do is use patterned paper somewhere on your creation :-))  I made a sympathy card as they're the sort of card we all need at some point and are loathe to make "on demand" as it were - good to have one or two on hand.

I cut two of the corners with my 1" corner cutter... I rarely use this, now I see how much it cuts the card down I can see why, it looks alright when used as a feature though, in my opinion anyway.

The background paper is GORGEOUS in real life, the green foil is really lush against the charcoal background; it is from my "special" papers box... most of those come from my favourite shop Starfish Lane... either as treat-myself purchases or with the proceeds of gift vouchers from my lovely son Chris - as this was :-)  The image is from Beccy's Place, it was a freebie  called simply  "Magnolia"
I broke with tradition this time around and used only Prismacolor pencils to colour the image... well not really broke; I printed the image on Versa Linen card and I usually use pencils on the heavier textured card as I have found that gives a nicer finish than Copics... well I think so! 
I did manage to get some Copic action happening though; the pearl in the centre of the embellishment on the ribbon was cream, I coloured it to suit with a Yellow Green Copic.  The ribbon is VERY glittery (let me translate, it loses fine black glittery bits all over the place!!) and didn't look good tied in a bow, or even a knot, so all I did was gather it with a little cotton and plonk the embellishment on, as I only had a little bit left it worked out well as I ended up with (just!) enough for the inside
The sentiment is from a set I've had for years; stamped in green pigment ink and embossed with clear... not that the gloss shows.

I cut the image panel with Spellbinders Standard Ovals and the mat (which I embossed with homemade black glitter EP) with Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Ovals.
As usual I finished the inside with elements from the front of the card... instead of the rhinestone/pearl embellishment from the front I used three flat back pearl embellies... they started life cream too, lol.  I didn't gather the ribbon this time, so it needed more pearls.
That's it for today's card, pop over to the blog and check out the rest of the team's inspiration, hope you get a chance to join in the challenge this time around: great prize as always and the theme is so easy, why not??
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Hanna and Friends Die Cuts

Crafty Cardmakers Die Cuts and/or Punches

As You Like It One or Multi-Layer (I'm going for "Multi-Layer" coz they're easier, lol, but I love One layer too!)

Pixies Snippets Playground Snippets (ribbon, I have about 2cm left, sob)

Aud Sentiments Anything Goes with a Sentiment

Hiding in my Craft Room Freestyle

Little Miss Muffet Anything Goes

That Craft Place Anything Goes

Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends Anything Goes

Addicted to  Stamps Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends Anything Goes

Art by Miran Anything Goes

Simply Papercrafts Anything Goes

Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown Anything Goes

I'll be back soon (with something from my drafts I think, or maybe the cake I did for the twin's first birthday, seems as I'm already thinking about their THIRD which is on Easter Monday)  I have been press ganged into making a cake this week for one of my son's friends; I made a cake just before Christmas, now it only seems right that her eldest daughter get the same sort of cake - Sep's a nice lady so I said yes even though I don't do cakes "commercially" any more; three years of wedding cakes for a shop cured me of THAT, lol
Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna