JB July challenge 2: flower power

Yesterday, Sue set this challenge on JB: OK ladies a REALLY easy challenge for this wet Wednesday. I need a card with FLOWERS - couldn't be easier.

I haven't done many JB challenges for a while - just like me to start with the most recent one!

The other day I had a session of inking and embossing pieces of card. I used various cuttlebug embossing folders, including this paisley one. I wasn't sure what to use this particularly piece on, but I found a gatefold card - quite unusual to have the fold across a landscape A6 card. I've added some embossed tezxtured rub ons (they look much more textured irl) and put one on the inside of the card where the gate fold opens. The card blank itself has a bit of a gold iridescent sheen to it, which doesn't show in th photo:





Thanks, Sue, for a challenge that spurred me on to use a piece of the embossed card.

A proper ice cream sundae card!

I suddenly thought that I might have some offcuts in my scraps box - and yay! there were some pieces of BG cupcake papers, so here is another card for the CBC challenge - the ribbon and brad is DCWV and the sentiment, I think, was in a Brenda Pinnick collection:

CBC ice cream sundae challenge 055

Ah, I thought, I've got just the right papers for this challenge - I remembered there's some paper in the BG cupcake range with ice creams all over it - then I discovered that I'd used it all recently.

So, in the end, this isn't exactly ice cream sundae, but it's summery strawberries, so I hope it will count. The main double-sided paper is from K & Co Berry sweet range and the stripey and spotty strips are from a DCWV paper. The embellishments - officially hearts, but I thought they might be seen as strawberries (whichever, they seemed to look OK) were some that I've had for ages - cut off a cheap bag from Primark.

Oh dear - nevermind!

This card was going to be for today's challenge on CBC: everything chinezse 056, but, having done the card (having a pink and plum day today!) I looked again at the challenge and it said: 'using the more traditional Chinese colours of Red, Black, Gold, or Green' - ooopps - oh well, I'll still show it - a very quick card:



As you can see - no red, black, gold or green in sight! Will try and do a proper one for the challenge later.

CBC template 053

Having made my box for the 6 cards for the Think Pink challenge 1, I had the piece of card spare that had cut out the aperture on the box lid.

I remembered that on CBC there was a template challenge (CBCC053) that featured an oval shape and I thought that my cut out piece of card could be used on a card for this challenge.



So I stamped it with Archival plum, using another of the foam stamps I recently acquired, inked the edges, and mounted on to a piece of BG sugared. The strip of ribbon is just a stray piece I had in my box that just fitted in nicely with th colours.

The card is actually square, although the photo makes it look an odd shape!

Think Pink

You will notice that I've got an additional picture link in my side bar - Think Pink. Please click on it to get more information and to see the fab creations that are being made for this very special challenge.

Di O on Bubbly Funk forum announced that the Cybercrop this year will be a fabulous charity event with proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care. In the run up to this there are weekly Think Pink challenges.

Those taking part on the BF forum are being asked to voluntarily donate
some of the items made for the fabulous "Think Pink Card and Gift Sale" to be held in West Sussex on 18 October 2008. 100% of the proceeds of the sale will go to Breast Cancer Care.

This is an incredible opportunity to raise funds for an amazing and worthy charity
that continues to work hard to provide the highest standards of treatment, support and care for Breast Cancer patients.

Read all about their work at www.breastcancercare.org.uk

You don't have to belong to BF forum to join in - just click on the Think Pink link for more info.

I didn't manage to do Week 1 challenge Six Pack in that week, but they can be done any time in the run up to the cybercrop, so I've now done my six cards - details of this challenge are on the Think Pink blog.

I used a newly acquired foam stamp (have bought a few sets of these recently from QVC - not bad quality for the money) and stamped on to a very subtle pale pink card (although it looks more white in the photos because of the poor light when taking them). I used Archival ink Sepia for the stamping. I then rounded the corners and inked the edges and across the hat and dress with a pink ink pad. The card blanks are from pda's designer range - light brown stone.



I found a craft robo template for a box on UKScrappers (thanks to the generous ladies on there who share templates with members), but it wasn't quite what I needed, so I adapted one for myself. It's not perfect, but I know that the results are better than if I'd done them by hand.



(The little white patches in the middle are reflection on the acetate lid).

Magazine free gift

I don't often subscribe to craft magazines (although I confess I still have a weakness for buying them), but I couldn't resist this free gift with sub to Papercraft Inspirations. It arrived a day or two ago - I actually thought I'd been forgotten because I've done delivery of two magazines since placing the sub.

JB chipboard swap

On Just Bex, Lis organised a naked chipboard swap. We were put into pairs and exchanged some chipboard. We then had to use the chipboard we'd received to show what we did with it. So there needed to be a 'before' as well as 'after' photo.

Ohhhhhh - I should have done this much sooner, so this afternoon I got started, completely forgetting to take the 'before' photo. So this is what it looked like after I'd been putting paper on the other side and actually had run the raw side through my xyron ready for sticking, except that it didn't work that well - which is why the naked chipboard looks in quite a state. I can assure you that when it arrived from Canne (my swap partner) it looked much, much better:



I used BG sultry papers, stuck on to the chipboard, cut round, sanded and inked with green chalk cat's eye. I then put matching sultry papers behind before sticking on to a main piece on the card.

Thanks, Canne, for a lovely swap and Lis for organising.

Bubblyfunk Bookmark swap

Today I've received my lovely bookmark from Janice as my partner for the swap on BF. We had to make a bookmark in yellow. One side of the bookmark has been embossed and inked and the other side is very cleverly paper pieced with gorgeous flowers. Thank you, Janice, for a beautiful gift:





There was also a gorgeous card from Janice:



And also a freebie Robbie Burns bookmark:





I've done mine to send to Janice, but won't show it till she's received it. I wouldn't normally have chosen to work with yellow, but sometimes it's good to do something a bit different, so I enjoyed doing the swap.

Well I never ....

I've just put my Salt LO for this time into the album and hadn't realised that it goes so well opposite the previous one I did for 'rejoice', using 'celebration'. I couldn't have planned it so well if I'd tried!

Salt: freedom

It's Salt challenge day and this time Casey set the theme.

Freedom in Christ is something we often hear about. But, I wonder how many of us really know what that means?

Just recently I attended a conference where an international Christian speaker presented the message to us. One of the things he spent time on was the identity messages we get from the world and our actual true identity. He said we often try and change our behaviour to match someone elses. But, it is essentially our identity message that we hear in our heads that will determine our behaviour. So, we need to gradually align our identity with the identity Christ has given us which says we are accepted, significant and secure. Then our behaviour will be changed and be more Christ-like . Knowing and believing the truth of these messages which Christ has died and risen for, will indeed set us free from all our striving and comparing.

The layout I have done uses the verse from John 8:32. I have used a different translation to the one you would normally hear which is "..You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

What does freedom in Christ mean for you?

We'd love for you to share in this challenge with us and leave us a message with a link to your blog. Our prayer is that this week you may be able to experience the freedom that

Christ has given us!

I've used a clipart photo from Publisher and a favourite song for my contribution. The background is Sandylion Water and the swirls are stamps by Rhonna Farrer, stamped with Stazon ultramarine. The Celebrate stamp on the tag is docrafts whisper.

Please take a look at Salt

Jackie (Okey-dokey) on CBC recently set a challenge: 'when all else fails ....' when all else fails... you don't have any images, stamps or paper with what you are looking for, you can still make a quick card using clipart. Today's challenge is to make a quick card or other crafty project on any subject and you just have to incorporate a piece of clipart. Thanks, Jackie, because it made me think of using clipart for the above.

So this LO kills two birds with one stone because I've also included it in the CBC challenge.

Brilliante Award

I've received this lovely award from Ellen - thank you so much.

The rules of this are:

1.the winner can put the logo on their website/blog

2. put in a link to the person who gave you the award.

3.send the award to at least 7 other blogs that inspire you with their layout-creations-themes

4.put a link to these sites on your blog

5. notify the people you nominate for the award.

Now comes the really hard bit - I know so many lovely crafty people who have such inspirational blogs that I love to visit. I'm nominating seven, but please don't be offended if I've left you out - I would love to nominate many more.

So I give this award to:

Joanne
Lythan
Kathy
Sue H
Janice
Di O
Jackie

Teacher cards

Our local primary school (where I used to be chair of governors - have friends working there, including the head teacher) are having a summer fair on Friday and I've been asked to take cards along.

So this afternoon I thought I'd make some quick 'thank you for being my teacher' cards. I used some of the papers that were used for my 'schooldays' CJ, some BG papers, some DCWV papers, plus some stickers, rub ons, sticky ribbons and dymo labelling:

Oooops!!

Oh dear, having finished my CJ last night I decided not to punch the holes and fasten it together, but to wait till I ws fresher this morning. Well, I definitely was still sleepy this morning when I prepared and punched the holes with my super duper big bite.

I managed to punch holes on the wrong side of the back cover! I couldn't face doing it again (and haven't got the appropriate bits anyway and those on there would be ruined if I tried to take them off), so I decided to tie ribbons that match up with some I've used on my DLO.





I must remember this for another time - check whether all the pages, including the covers, are the right way up before punching the holes!

Bubblyfunk CJ

A new CJ group has started on Bubblyfunk forum and tomorrow is the first posting day. The subject for mine is 'schooldays'.

I used some papers that I bought ages ago at Poundland and thought I'd never get round to using - they are bright - and seemed just right for this CJ. I also used various chipboard letters etc from a big lot of chipboard I bought from QVC.

Apologies for the photos, but evening flash and all that. Why is it that whatever I do red irl still looks too pink in the photos?

Front:



Welcome:



Rules:



My DLO left - there is a hidden journalling tag, but for the time being it will remain hidden:



My DLO right:



Sign in pages:





Back:

Tanda Teaser 'canine capers'

Wendy set the Tanda teaser this week: 'CANINE CAPERS - I would like to see dogs on your cards. Lots of lovely doggies - there are no restrictions with this one - use whatever products you have to hand.' Sorry to hear though, Wendy, that little Chloe is poorly - hope she's better soon. http://tandastamps.blogspot.com/

Well, no surprises from me really - used the Josey look-alike labrador stamp for this simle card (similar to one or two I've done before, but I love this stamp, for obvious reasons):



It's a poor photo because you can't see the gold effect on the white card - iridescent - but at least you can clearly see the lab, which is the main thing!

Satisfyng stamping session

The brief on CBC for this month's swap is to use card other than white or ink other than black. I like doing these rubber stamp swaps because it's an opportunity to do a few extra for myself at the same time.

The first stamp is a foam one I got in a set the other day from QVC - very good value for the size of the stamps (have to watch the ink on the edges though - I might resort to using the craft knife to chop them down, but they are on quite deep foam).

Wimbledon v Crafting

The last couple of days have been a bit up and down - back to the GP yesterday to get advice about the stye on my eyelid that won't go, so still can't wear my contact lenses, which isn't making me a very happy bunny - and also about the query of more vertebrae fractures - waiting for an appointment to see someone regarding the posibility of surgery to cement the vertebrae. Also time and thoughts taken up with family issues.

Anyway, there is also the big dilemma - Wimbledon v crafting!! It's been a very British day today, of course, although only Andy Murray now going through to the next round.

In between watching the tennis (and there's only so much you can sit and watch) I've been still working on my little houses.

Yay! I've got them finished - all 21 of them. The photos aren't brilliant because I've only just taken them, so they were flash, but here they are:







Btw I apologise to crafting forum and blog friends that I haven't been visiting as much over the past few days (and it's not just Wimbledon to blame, but a combination of reasons) - normal service will be resumed soon!

And I also remember that I was tagged and haven't done anything about it, so more apologies (although actually it's similar to one I've done a couple of times before).