DCM: all mixed up

Tracie set this dare this week:

'This week's theme is All Mixed Up.
How come the majority of girls' cards are pink and flowery and the boys are blue and have absolutely no flowers at all?
What about cars for girls??? hmmm?
This week Tracie wants you to mix up those genders and create cards with a little bit of something not normally found for that sex.'

I don't think I've really mixed up enough, because I realise now that I used a predominantly blue colour scheme, which is usually stereotyped for a man's card, but I thought the addition of the cuttlebug embossing border with the flowers, inked with blue iris chalk pad, mixed it up a bit - mmm, I'm not convinced, but it was another excuse to play with a new embossing folder.



I'll try and do another card for this dare - perhaps a pink card for a man - got an idea for one.

JB September challenge 1: K.I.S.S.

NickyNoo set this challenge: '.........you know the saying, Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Well, here's a simple little mid-week challenge for you - make a card, any occasion, using 1 piece of patterned paper, 1 embellishment, and 1 sentiment.

K.I.S.S.!!'

I thought while I'd got the K & Co pads out I'd use a piece of Roam for the background. The sentiment and embellishment bits are Branda Pinnick, I think.



Thanks for a good challenge, Nicky. I think I need to make a few more of these.

JB September challenge 2: 15 minute template

On JB Bex has challenged us: 'Ok this is an easy one.
We are all pushed for time so this challenge you only have 15 minutes to produce a quick card for any occassion based on this very simple template.'



Spurred on by what Bex had done, I got out a pad of K & Co amy butler papers that I've had for ages and never used and used one for the background of my card. I used bits from two others from this pad and also a picture from a BF kit from Dream Street papers Hugs n Kisses - postmark. The turquoise strip was embossed with one of my new cuttlebug border folders that arrived this morning - a good opportunity to use it straight away:



Thanks for this challenge, Bex - that's another one in the box ready for next Saturday.

And I just about got it done in the 15 minutes.

Ruby Anniversary card: CBC 14 September challenge

I made this for a friend's anniversary - it didn't look this pink irl:



Thanks to Rachel, I now know that the challenge was set on CBC by Tracy:

' want you to make a card or LO or whatever you like, just as long as it includes a number on it'

BF Think Pink challenge 12:decorate a gift box or bag

On BF forum this week Di set this challenge for Think Pink:

'There are alot of people who simply hate wrapping presents so I thought it would be nice if we had some decorated boxes or gift bags to sell.

So you challenge this week is to Decorate a Gift Box or Bag in any theme you choose.

You can either use a plain gift bag and jazz it up or maybe even make your own.'

Well, I haven't actually decorated a box or a bag, but I've tarted up a tin which could be used to put a present in, or just to keep bits and bobs.

I started off with a tin that I got free with some Boots expert toiletries a while back (I've been wondering what to do with it, but was put off by the writing on the top):



I used alcohol inks (a mixture of stream and red pepper - the nearest I had to pink) on the lid:



and covered the inside with a piece of card (because the lettering was embossed all the way through):



I stuck a band of paper around the tin:



and then added a piece of ribbon around the paper (used Scotch vellum tape so that there was no adhesive showing), a piece of sticky gingham ribbon around the lip of the lid and blooms and big brads stuck on the lid to hide the embossed words:





Most of what was used was from a BF kit - some from the July kit and some from a TP one.

HS:MS enjoy

'To take delight or pleasure in an activity or occasion. Find something you enjoy in your space today.'

The first photo is a cheat - I didn't take it - and it was taken quite some time ago (you can tell that because I'm much slimmer!) - mum and I having enjoyed a share dessert:



The next one I did take, but a while ago while on holiday abroad. This is to show that you can ejoy a cuppa anywhere at any time: