Pastel Colours Challenge at Di's Digis

A new challenge started today at Di's Digi Designs Challenge Blog, the theme is Pastel Colours.  I made a Christmas card... then read the theme, duh, and THEN made this wedding card :-)  The Christmas card will wait for another day, lol.

The image I've used is called To Have and To Hold and is available here.  I decided to colour with Prismacolor pencils only this time around, I seem to be able to maintain the pastel-ness with pencils better than I can with my Copics :-)  I added lashings of Ranger's Bridal Tinsel Embossing Powder to the bride's dress, and a little pearl to the bodice.

Fl

I made a "window" card, I like the effect and it makes the inside of the card as interesting as the outside.  As I only had enough of the Kaisercraft Magic Happens paper for the front of the card I used another paper for the inside; I can't remember what pad it came from... it was in my stash of separate sheets...I think it might be from  Basic Grey's Indian Summer pad; it has the same tones at least.
For some reason this card took ages to get together (probably because I only realized my error as I was about to load my Christmas card onto the challenge blog, last minute of course, and knew I was under time pressure)  The colouring didn't take long, but cutting all those oval holes and frames (Spellbinders Oval Floral dies, as opposed to their Floral Oval dies... why did they do that? give two of  their sets such similar names... just to confuse us peasants I feel!! ) seemed to take forever!  

There's one on the inside of the aperture as well as the outside as well as around the image, all of which I embossed with the same glittery EP as the dress, of course it hardly shows in the pics :-(  I thought that sticking double sided tape on the back would make it easier and less messy to glue them on after cutting, which it possibly did... what it definitely did was make it VERY fiddly to get all the little bits out of the die cut and I'm not sure I'll bother again!  

I decided to make a jotting space on the back of the card, with another frame, but was flagging with the whole thing by then, so it got a basic pink matt, stuck down with UHU glue and a plain oval whacked on top; it serves the purpose I suppose -sorry about the over-exposed pic, few issues with my camera I think... like Operator Error!!
I used a spellbinders die for the Mr and Mrs and I think it's a Kaisercraft stamp for the "Congratulations" on the inside of the card, stamped with a Versa ink.  

The flowers I used have been in my stash for a while, coming from various places, the leaves I remember getting from Mulberry Crafts.  I finished the sprays by adding a few sticky backed pearls from my stash.  That's it.
I hope you get a chance to stop by the Challenge Blog and check out the team's work, and that you get to enter the challenge too; great prize on offer as always - from the Cutting Cafe this time around - and as always if you use one of Di's cute images (a digi or one of the Candibean rubber stamp range) there are extra opportunities to win.
I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges,

Addicted to  Stamps Pastel Colours

Southern Gals Challenge Patterned Paper

Crafty Cardmakers 1 image 2 papers 3 different embellishments (flowers, die cuts, pearls)

Moving Along With The Times Spring Flowers
Cute As A Button, Crafting With Friends Challenge 19, Craft Your Passion,  Through the Craftroom Door, Creative Fingers and Art by Miran Anything Goes

 I'll be back soon - I HAVE to be... the first quarter of the year is our family birthday time and I've been making cards like a maniac, gotta get something out of my drafts folder soon or my laptop will buckle under the weight, lol.  Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

NOT a card

When I saw the challenge at As You Like It with the theme "Favourite Non Card Project" it was a toss up between one of my cakes or a painting.  In the end I thought I'd show one of my paintings. I painted this panther some time ago for my hubby's birthday, it's one of my favourite paintings because I made it for one of my favourite people, aaw, and he loved it, which made me proud.  
It was his birthday again last week and I only just managed to get a card made for him; how I ever found  the time to do a project like this I don't know... then again I was teaching decorative painting from home at the time, and card making hadn't taken root, lol.  I do hope you like it; ... it hangs in our al fresco area now, uplight by a lamp that really brings out those eyes

The whole thing is one piece of MDF, a platter I suppose you'd call it.  I used a pattern from Folk Art and Decorative Painting magazine and Jo Sonja Acrylic paints.... the "woodgrain" effect on the pseudo frame was done using cling film!!
There are a LOT of tiny strokes (using a tiny liner brush) involved to get the look of the fur, as with all things crafty (in my experience) it looks better in real life!

The eyes "follow you", very hard to capture in a photo... very effective irl.
I thought while I was at it I'd share my painting in Craft Your Passion, Through the Craftroom Door, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends and Bizzy Becs Anything Goes challenges.  I think they're all okay with Non Paper projects, apologies if that's not the case.
I painted another picture about the same time as this one, of a clown, it's the one picture I painted that he has been keen on keeping on display (as well as this one, which was made for him and therefore a "given", lol)  I will show that another day soon.
I'll be back in a few days... with a card.  Until then, Happy Crafting, Donna

Dry or Heat? Embossing That Is!

ETA:  I have spent 4 hours trying to edit and publish this post... it is now gone 2 am and I have no energy to spend trying to get it to publish all the pics and links ... Blogger doesn't want to play!I will return later in the morning to edit it.... must sleep now! Donna
Time for a new challenge at Di's Digi Challenge... and the theme, as the Post Title implies is "Embossing".  You can either crack out your embossing folders and go for Dry embossing or fire up the heat gun and grab your embossing powders.  I've done both, but either or is fine... I'm just an over-achiever, lol.

I've gone for a Christmas card, partly because I KNOW you can never have too many Christmas cards, and it IS only just around the corner - it's ALWAYS just around the corner - and partly because I just LOVED this image, one of Di's newer ones called Santa's Buddy and available here.  I've coloured with Copics, adding some Prismacolor details.

The heat embossing on the image is using Ranger's Clear Detail powder on the belt and Rudolph's nose, Glittery gold on the belt buckle and Ranger's Bridal Tinsel on the hat trim.
Of course the "main" embossing is found on the goild foil card I've used in place of patterned paper.  I used an Embossalicious Die'sire embossing folder "Let It Snow"... I can't tell you how pleased I was with the effect - it really does look great in real life.  
I embossed only half of the bottom panel, making it easier to attach the jotting panel (much easier to glue to flat card than embossed card, for sure!)  The black matting is from my stash, actually from a new pack I bought from Riot Art and Craft that comes with black, white and chipboard... really cheap!
The white card is from my ENORMOUS stash of "bits' left over from cutting my card bases out... it was exactly the right size, provided I used the right Lifestyle Crafts nested circle die of course, lol.

The green card for the holly leaves is also from my stash; I wish I could remember where I got it as it looks FABULOUS in real life, I cut the holly sprigs using a Cottage Cutz Winterland Holly die.  The red pearls are from my stash: they're self adhesive, but when I shaped the leaves (the die cuts little slits making this easy and desirable, they look so much better not being flat!) the "berries" kept pinging off... so I used clear craft glue and stuck them down good and proper, lol.
I think the sentiment is Kaisercraft, but don't hold me to it... and that's it!  Easy peasy and really quite effective.
I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:  

ABC Christmas Challenge	G is for Green or Gold
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra Challenge	Anything (Christmas) Goes
Cute Card Thursday	Something Shiny
Little Red Wagon	Celebrate
Tuesday Throwdown	Furry Friends
My Time to Craft	People and their Pets
Simply Papercrafts	Anything Goes (Always)
Creative Fingers	Anything Goes
Art by Miran	Anything Goes
Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends	Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion	Anything Goes
That Craft Place	Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet	Anything Goes

I hope you get a chance to check out the blog, and a chance to enter the challenge too; great prize on offer as always, with extra opportunities to win if you use one of Di's Digis or a Candibean rubber stamp, if rubber is your thing.... I've decided this evening that rubber really ISN'T my thing; I spent two hours trying to stamp two images from a set I got in the mail yesterday.... between not getting a crisp image and smudging ink onto where it wasn't needed I had twelve failed attempts.  It just confirms to me that I AM, as suspected a digi kinda gal, lol
Until next time, Happy Crafting, Donna

April Already!!

Yup, like the title says... it's April already - eeeek!!  Whatever!!  It's time for a new challenge at Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge, as always the "theme" is to use patterned paper somewhere on your creation.  I have a (pretty simple) Christmas card to share

The gorgeously cute image was from Tiddly Inks it came as a freebie with another image, though I can't find any reference to it on the site now.  I coloured with Copics and Prismacolor pencils - with the obligatory shiny nose (Glossy Accents)
The papers are from Basic Grey's Jovial collection (well the tartan is, not sure about the other one)  The image panel was cut with a Lifestyle Nesting Circle the image mat with Spellinders Lacey Circles using cream pearl card, and the "noel" was cut with a Tim Holz die, using red card from my stash with LASHINGS of Glossy Accents on it.  I added the red dots on the image mat with Stickles.  The festive looking braid is from my stash, and I've had the Kaisercraft Twinklet for ages... it looks so much better IRL, but I gave up trying to capture the sparkle and still keep the image at least reasonably in focus!
I know the rectangular tartan panel looks crooked, I have no idea why as it was definitely straight!
As usual I added a bit of detail to the inside of the card... I never add too much to the inside of Christmas cards as I'm always behind the eight ball time wise; now of course that's NOT the case this year but old habits die hard, lol.  The sentiment is a wooden stamp I've had for-eva!  I have no idea of the origins, it does stamp really well :-)  I kept the reindeer theme going with a small wooden reindeer coloured to suit with Copics
That's about it for my card, pop over to the challenge blog and check out the rest of the team's inspiration... and why not join in while you're there... it really IS the easiest of themes and as always there's a fab prize on offer. 
I'll be back soon, until then here's the challenges I'd like to enter this card in ... and Happy Crafting until next time.
Challenges: 

Fab'n'funky Challenges Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge (Christmas) Use Your Stash

Jingle Belles Santa or any other "North Pole" character

Sweet Stampin' Christmas Cute Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge (Christmas) Use a Sentiment

Hiding in my Craft Room Any Holiday

Crazy 4 Challenges Use Circles

Pixies Snippets Playground Use Snippets

Crafting With Friends Challenge 17  , Little Miss Muffet, Li'l Patch of Crafty Friends, Simon Says Challenge, Creative Fingers, 4 Crafty Chicks, Through the Craftroom Door and Craft Your Passion  Anything Goes

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