Friday, August 31, 2007

A Trio of Welsh Barbers.....(3 Dai Cuts, geddit?)

It's Friday, it's 10am (in the UK anyway!) and it's time for the Daring Cardmakers latest challenge....
This is our 101st post!
Da, da, da, Daaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!
Most people would have made a big thing of the 100th but we like to think that we are a little bit different. (It is not that we failed to notice it, oh dear me no!) So this is a great opportunity to once more thank you for making this such fun! You are all so talented and stretch our dare challenges in all sorts of inspirational ways.

As a reward for all the brain power that went into the Little Extra this week, this is a simple one. From simple Lythan
With a cryptic clue.
Which, as I discovered to my embarrassment, when I laid it on the team, is only really possible to understand if you live in the UK. And even better, are Welsh.
So... a trio of Welsh Barbers means that on your card you need to have 3 die cuts!
( Dai is a common Welsh nickname for David and as there are a lot of Dai's around they are known by their jobs so a Welsh barber would be known as Dai Cuts. I'll get my coat.)

The team roused themselves from their bafflement and came up with these brilliant cards - can't wait to see yours!
Here are Lythan's "simple" rules:
If you don't have access to die cuts in any shape or from, you can still play along. You can then use punches. And if you don't have punches then you can do hand cutting. See how nice I am?
BUT no cheating now! No reaching for the scissors if you have a machine to hand - or even some old die cuts you bought ages ago (that would be me then!) You CAN use punches and scissors etc as well as die cuts though. See, very nice!!

Yesterday morning I had no cards ready to show. I had a reject pile instead.
So, I went back to what's been my comfort zone of late and got the flowers out. I've been meaning to open (yes, I know....!) the packet with this cuttlebug set of a simple flower shape in graduating sizes for, oooh about a month now I think.
Papers are another comfort zone element - the gorgeous Vintage Brass ones came out yet again.
I built my flowers up using Primas some are the new ones I got yesterday from Artcards (thanks Karen for all the trouble you took sorting out my order) and some from my old favourite Essentials Lucid box, I also covered some of the DCWV Posies flower shapes with some of the VB paper, I've found they are fab for making nice curled petal shapes. I used 3 of the c-bug flower shapes for the centres of my flowers - I stuck the paper on some cereal-packet "chipboard" let it dry then cut through the lot - wow, it's so easy! And, I discovered that the waste also left me with a neat little template so I used those to draw some little flower shapes on the backing paper too.
The tag was cut with the Robo and the flowers in the corner were just handcut from some of the VB paper - so lathough it looks like there are loads of die cuts, there really are only 3

Now that the"Oh no, I've got NO cards for the blog" panic had subsided, I picked up the first effort - my plan had been to use this dare to make a card for Nephew Charlie's birthday but it had very nearly gone in the bin!
But now that the heat was off, suddenly I figured out that adding a bit of green chalk ink to that background paper would help, and how I could make the name tag work (that stripey border made all the difference) - and where to put those 3 QK footballs - and that if I just added a bit more B&W stripey paper at the top and bottom - and then I remembered the footballs ribbon and the gorgeous B&W striped ribbon and well, don't you just love it when out of what seems a disaster comes good?

You can see what the Design Team made of Lythan's cryptic challenge over on the DCM blog, and hopefully there'll soon be lots of 3 Die Cuts cards in our Links List to click on and view. We do love seeing all your cards, and we try to get to visit the blogs of everyone who leaves a message so please join in - it's fun - honestly!

22 comments:

Jo said...

Brilliant cards Kathy - (as usual!) I so love your flowers they always look so amazing. Love the stripey football one too.

Brilliant little bears - I made a bear this week for the first time in aaages, they are just so cute.

and Blackberries.... we have so many this year, my breadmaker is about to shut down I think with the amount of jam that it has made, my absolute fav being blackberry and apple...

jo xx

Sharon (glitterangel) said...

Gorgeous, I love those flowers and the papers are fantastic!

Dawn Wheeler said...

stunning cards yet again ,love the football card.Dawnx

Unknown said...

Fab cards as normal Kathy! I love your 'comfort zone' flowers too. The footy one is great for a young lad too.

Rika said...

These cards are both gorgeous!

Lythan said...

I thought this was going to be EASY! but you ahve made it look easy anyway Kathy. I just love these cards - spehsly the one for Charlie

Nick said...

love the cards Kathy-and especailly the stitching detail on the QK footballs!

Paula J Atkinson said...

Gorgeous paper on the top card.
Nice to see some male cards about too.
I had the whole Sindy bedroom set & all her clothes but never got the jeep despite asking Santa every year!!!
I made her a dress for my dare entry this week! Mojo is trying to make a come back.

Patsy Jackson said...

Lovely cards Kathy - I really like the black and white footie one - it's always great to see boys/mens cards!

Anonymous said...

Love your cards Kathy, fan as usual.
Not seen any blackberries this year - must go round with my eyes closed!

Emma said...

Your flower card is amazing, love the vintage look.

Sarah said...

Both these cards are fabulous Kathy! I love the detail on the footballs too.

Karen L said...

What a gorgeous card - your flower card looks amazing.

Keryn Campbell said...

Gorgeous cards as usual Kathy. I'm really liking the soccer ball one.

Anonymous said...

your cards are wonderful !!
and your DCM challenges : GREAT !! wish him a looong life !!!

Hazel said...

Kathy, what a gorgeous response to Lythan's crypitc challenge! And I love the happy birthday Charlie card - great use of black and white with the hint of green.

Juliet said...

Beautiful - I love the Vintage Brass papers - who makes them? That card is stunning!

Anonymous said...

Stunning Cards :)

mum-on-the-run said...

Great cards Kathy, the footy card you rescued looks fab!!

Samm said...

Gorgeous!!!! you always do so well with these challenges! I love your flowers, so pretty!

Samm
x

Louly said...

Super fab cards Kathy! Charlie will love that football one!

Leigh said...

Stunning work Kathy, the football one turned out fab in the end