It's Written In the Stars....

My crafty tasks list is huge, I don't know quite how it happened but there you go. Somehow I got the notion that I wouldn't have so much to do once we got back from our hols, so signed myself up for another CJ, a "Where I live" page swap and a decorated notebook swap.
I've still pages to do for an existing CJ (though these are the last ones for this circle), a 6x6cm squares swap is still ongoing and now a certain bossy bullying type, who will remain nameless - you know who you are - has nagged me into doing something I've sworn I would never get involved with - ATCs grrrrr ;-)
Obviously, because I've signed up for all these fun things I then get 2 emails with orders for special cards - which I love to do, actually - well except for Bob the Builder Christmas cards and what was that other one? A Christmas card with a Parisian theme and some fireworks - remember those? Anyway, I've added several Thank You cards, a Christening card, a Moving to New Zealand card, a 60th birthday, aand a 70th birthday card to my list - and there was me feeling smug because I managed to get the wedding card order all done and dusted AND neatly tied into the last DCM challenge!

There are other cards I have to make too, plus of course those for the wonderful Daring Cardmakers, which brings us nicely to today's new dare, set by NZ girl Keryn with a bit of help from her sone Lachlan. Keryn announced it like this:

"I was discussing what to have for my next dare at the dinner table tonight and amongst the other lame suggestions - such as 'power tools' Lachy was nearly down on his knees pleading for 'Space'. They have been doing Space as their topic for school for the last month.

To make it easier I have widened it to 'Celestial' giving you the planets, sun, moon, stars as well as the star signs and anything else you can think of that lurks in the stratosphere.

It will be interesting to see what you come up with because at this point I have absolutely no idea. Lachy better be able to give me some inspiration."

Well, the cards the girls have made are just out of this world (got to get that one in somewhere!), but boy, did I struggle to come up with anything and to be honest I'm not happy with either of my attempts. But I do like the paper I used for the first one - I quite like the idea behind it too - it's the finished product I don't like - especiallly the weird colour scheme!
Shopping for "space" themed chocolate I did find something new - Mars Planets - a bit like Revels, but with chewy, crispy and soft centres (think, the bottom bit of a Mars bar in one, the top caramel bit in another and the thirds is a bit like a Malteser....) Nice.
Paper is from Karen Foster, glittery and textured gold card from pda, ribbons and ricrac; various

I like the 2nd card a bit better, but I'm still not "over the moon" (got another one in, there....) I decided to go down the pink and frothy route.
I used gorgeous pink plaid vellum from pda and sewed it on with silver thread and silver beads they're supposed to look like stars, you see!. I made a mulberry paper wrap which stands loose from the base card - it's sewn on down the left side with silver thread, tiny punched glittery stars and beads/
The vellum quote is from a sheet by Sharon Ann. I added pink glaze pen to the word "star" and glittered it as the white original wording didn't show up very well.

It was a strange dare really - I had loads of ideas, but none of them really got any further than a little nugget of a thought. I can't do cutesy kiddy cards - they just look like the kids themselves made them but I'd have liked to have done something space-themed to give to Nephew 4 for his birthday at the end of the month, or a nursery rhyme "cow jumped over the moon" one, then I even sat down and started cutting the paper for a "Catch a Falling Star and put it in Your Pocket" card before giving up on that one too - but maybe someone out there will have a go at these....

We've had such a fantastic response to the last few dares, it's been absolutely wonderful to see all your messages, your fabby cards and to know that you enjoy taking part. I don't think Jane had any idea how successful and how much fun her idea would turn out to be when she first mooted it back last October. It really was a stunner of an idea! Anyway, please check out all the cards from the DCM All Star Design Team - we'd love you to have a go at this one and can't wait to see your own supersonic creations