Double dare for DCM and JB

Firstly, let me say that I'm going completely doolally - in my previous post I said that I was too late for the 'It's all in the game' DCM dare - well, I'm not, because there's not a new one till tomorrow! So I was in time.

Meanwhile, I've done something for the midweek dare: 'Our midweek Little Extra is titled ‘The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring’ and we would like you to create a card with flowers.

Simple? Aww but hold on…….there’s a little twist because we don’t want to make it too easy for you. We want your cards to have flowers on but we don’t want to see any Prima’s or shop brought blooms. The idea of this dare is for you create your flowers yourself, so let’s see what you can come up with.'

I used a template kindly posted on UKS and adapted it to produce one large and one smaller flower shape, with a circle to fit inside, which I then ran through with a CB embossing folder before inking. The holes around the edges weren't done on the robo - they were done with my crop-a-dile.

This also fits the Bank Holiday challenge on JB: 'Get stuck in': Lots of you have been mentioning having this weekend off and soooooo many of you have been boasting on here about all the new stash you've been buying lately

So this challenge should be quite simple really, although maybe not for some of you paper strokers.........you know who you are !!!!

Simply make anything, but it has to be using your most recent stash.....that means cutting into those new papers girls.

So I decided to use some of my new BG Two Scoops paper, as well as using DCWV textured for the flower. The middle layers of the flower are chipboard bits I had in stock (think they're Lisa Bearnson, but can't remember).

Had to make do with a flash photo, but too impatient to wait till morning:

DCM It's all in the game

This is past the date of the DCM dare (it was for Friday 21 March) but I couldn't resist using this picture of these teddies to do a card for 'it's all in the game'. They look like a right gambling pair! - an opportunity to add a couple of little playing cards (I seem to have a few packs of them):

CBC ATCs 'pretty in pink'

These are quite different from the previous ATCs - no stamping involved in these. Backgrounds are CB embossing folders - used various bits and bobs, including a gorgeous piece of sheer ribbon with butterflies (given to me by Annmarie on a recent visit).

The photos don't show the true colours - I think atm it's too sunny (can't win - it's usually too dull to get photos)!




Now the only outstanding crafty 'must' before the end of the month is to do my DLO on Nigel's (Freebird's) CJ - the last one in the group for CBC - and then it's no CJs for the time being - strange!

Need to make a few family birthday cards soon - might try to incorporate a challenge or two.

Tanda Mosaic ATCs

On the weekend I played with various versions of using a Fiskars Texture plate 'stones' to use as embossed mosaics. However, this morning, I had a package from the US with some CB embossing folders, including the mosaics one, so it would have been daft not to have used it for these.

The stamp is a Papermania one and I filled in the areas with a Versamark pen and then chalked - not totally happy with them, but hey ... they're going in the post:




Now I need to get the ATCs done for the swap on CBC 'pretty in pink' - watch this space!

Just like buses ...

I've gone days and days without posting any crafty efforts, and then ... two come along at once!

Over on TandaStamps the Tanda Teaser this week is Butterlfy Blue.

Quite a while ago I acquired this blue butterfly (not sure how or when or where ... think it was in a swap) - anyway, it had quite a fat body and wouldn't have been easy to stick to the card, so I carefully took the wings off the body and have used Poundland bling gems in between - I think it's worked OK:

Salt: Believe

The last fortnight has gone so quickly (and my crafting and blogging has been down a bit ... won't bore anyone with any non-crafty talk), and here we are again - it's a Salt challenge day.

This is what Esther said:

This week's main topic is 'Believe',
but I (Esther) also wanted to share with you a verse that
has particularly struck me recently which is taken from
Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

If only we truly believed in God's promises- we would worry so much less. It is such a reassurance to know that we have a great God who is in control of all things.

PLEASE TAKE THIS TOPIC OR VERSE AND MAY IT INSPIRE YOU TO CREATE.

It could be a card, layout, ATC, book, Inchie, altered art- anything; but please leave us a comment so we can come and view your work. Thanks!

Please take a look at Salt

As usual, I have to confess that I left mine till the last day ... and what a day I had yesterday ... over at mum's for the doctor to call ... I was there over nine hours in the end! So my contribution for Salt was done late at the end of an exhausting day.

Enough of all that!

I used a Scrapbook walls Den Weave double sided paper, cutting a cross in the middle and folding back the corners, and then mounted that on to a BG Scarlet's letter 'night'.

I've been reflecting on this verse since Esther let us know she'd chosen it. It's one that is very precious to me and, as you can see, reminds me much of my dear dad who died over four years ago.

I don't know whether I was brave or stupid to write my own journalling in my scribbled handwriting, but in some ways I feel it brings a contrasting simplicity to a profound topic. The quote in the left hand corner and the white flowers in the middle are rub ons.

Now I hereby declare that I'm going to get my contribution for the next Salt challenge done earlier than the deadline ... we'll see!

My new toy

I've been talking about getting one for a long while (last year's birthday money) - finally, I've got a bind-it-all - and so this is my first attempt at making something with it.

Poor John can't eat chocolate so I can't buy him an Easter egg and it's so difficult to know what to buy him, so I thought I'd give him this little book of gift certificates:











Net asked where I got the gift certificates from - I made them - designed them in Publisher on the computer and printed them.

Salt: His Princess

'His Princess' is the theme for the new Salt challenge launched today. Caaey says:

Welcome! It has been really lovely to receive lots of lovely visitors and comments for the RAK this fortnight! As for the winner, I'll get to that in a bit...Oh the suspense!

This fortnight at SALT, I (Casey) want you all to think about and maybe create a piece of art that conveys a message of being His princess! When I first heard that term (HIS PRINCESS) I thought it sounded a bit over the top...but then after reading the Bible and listening to other messages, I realised that we are daughters of THE King. So, daughters of a King are referred to as princesses. So, how does it feel for you to be His Princess? We'd love for you to share your "HIS PRINCESS" creations with us. You can do this by simply leaving a comment on our blog, so we can pop over and visit your blog!

Now, for the winner of the RAK......
Congratulations nancyjones...you are the winner

I used one of my favourite worship songs as inspiration for this LO. The song: 'King of Kings, Majesty' includes the phrase 'in royal robes I don't deserve ...'

I've used Be Blessed paper 'candied flowers' as the background and plenty of Poundland bling!



Please take a look at Salt

Diamond wedding card commission

The other day I was asked to make a Diamond wedding card for someone at church (she might be along to my sale tomorrow and collect it), so this afternoon I made this one:



and then realised after I'd made it that on the congratulations paper there were champagne glasses and I'm not sure whether the recipients might be tt and so it might be inappropriate.

So I thought I'd just make another one and that one could go in my general stock (and perhaps someone else tomorrow will need a Diamond wedding card - you never know!). The only trouble was that I wanted to use the same diamonte letters and found that I only had one 'D' left (even though I had three packets originally - 'D' had been in demand!) So I improvised and used the stem part of an 'L' with an upside-down 'C' - I think it worked:



Because of glare from flash, I had to scan rather than take photos (and there won't be time in the morning) - the '60' is silver, of course, irl, not black! The 'sticky up bits' have cast shadows on the surrounding papers, but you can get the general idea.

Just Bex Friday night challenge 'goes without saying'

Having just thought that I perhaps really ought to make one or two more get well cards suitable for men, I flipped over to JB and found that this evening's challenge set by Lis is: 'For this weeks challenge, please make a card without any letters or wording on the front whatsoever....BUT it has to be obvious what the card is for...birthday....Easter, new baby etc..... '

So here it is (papers are Guy's Life earthtones and the embellishments are read made from The Works - a very quick card - at this stage that's all I can manage:

Tanda Teaser 'under the weather'

Wendy on Tanda set this week's teaser: 'I decided on this theme as so many of my friends and relatives have been proper poorly of late and I am hoping to get some much needed inspiration from you guys on making cards for both the ladies and the chaps!'

Getting ready for tomorrow's sale, I was aware that most of my cards for 'get well' are more suitable for ladies than gents. I think this one could be for either - I used fairly old BG papers and a few bits and bobs including expoxy stickers that I didn't really know what to do with them:

Back 2 Basics

Sue on CBC has set a stamper's only challenge called 'back 2 basics'. Sue said: 'and I want you to create something with ONLY inks and or markers NOT an embossing Powder or heat gun in sight. Patterned Paper and other embellishments are fine'

So here's one from me - which is one more for my stock for Saturday (I've made a few today, but not feeling great, so I'm not sure how many more I'll achieve today). Some friends took us out by car for lunch - which was lovely because it meant John got out for a while (still not able to go far because he can't wear his shoe and has to be very careful not to knock his foot).

Anyway, back to crafting - I think the papers are from HOTP - been in my stock for some time - and the stamp is one of a set that I bought fairly recently, stamped with Stazon vibrant violet - irl the papers and ink match up better than they look on the scan (and there's no light to get a photo):

CBC ATCs just received

Two stunning ATCs just received from the swap on CBC. The one on the left is from Sue (Desperate Housewife) and the one on the right is from Carole (cazat81) - both gorgeous, thank you, girls:

Rip it up

Another challenge card - CBC 'Rip it up@: 'So now is the chance for you get rid of those frustrations and do some ..... ripping and tearing it doesn't metter what you tear - just getting ripping!'

These cards are all helping towards my stock for Saturday - did another couple similar to this while I was at it. Papers are K-Ology Addison range and the beautiful swan picture is one that I've had for ages - waiting to see what I could do with it:

Mix it up

Last Thursday's challenges on CBC is: 'We'd like you to make a card, LO or altered anything-you-like on any theme - the only rule is that you must use more than one font in your wording. So it can be a different font for each word or phrase, or for each letter in a word. You can write, type, cut, sticker, robo, die-cut, peel-off, transfer, stamp, etc, etc,'

So here are three more Easter cards which I think fit the bill:

I know, I know ....

... I should be making cards, but I remembered that I had said I would put photos of my fabulous Glamour CJ on here and hadn't yet done so.

This was the result of a CJ group on Bumbleberries forum - a group of ten of us, the largest CJ group that I've been involved in - so it's a bumper packed CJ.

Thank you to all the girls who took part in this - it is a journal that will be treasured:

Front:



Welcome:



Rules:



My DLO:




Nicky's DLO:




Kathy's DLO:




Karen's DLO:




Angie's DLO




Jackie's DLO:




Jacqui's DLO:




Caroline's DLO:




Beckie's DLO:




Rachel's DLO:




Sign in pages:




Back:



The photos just don't do it justice.It is a real crafting extravaganza!

(Now I need to get on with those cards!)