Friday, January 06, 2012

Long Time No Blogging!

We'll call my total lack of blogging over the last couple weeks a Christmas Holiday I think! 
With the DCM taking a couple of weeks break over the festive season, I didn't even have that to push me to updating my blog at least once a week.  I have still been doing the odd bit of crafting and have Christmas photos to share too, but what with one thing and another blogging was way down the to-do list - so there's a bit of catching up to do. 
Our next lot of building work starts on Monday so I'll be hiding away in the study for a few weeks - so my blogging (and my crafting) output should improve!  This is the big one - remodelling the downstairs areas of the extension added by previous owners - so it includes an inner hallway, utility room, shower/cloak room and the kitchen!  As soon as our visitors left on New Year's Day it was a case of clearing their rooms, clearing away "Christmas" and making a start on emptying those rooms affected by the work.  We're getting there slowly, but there's still a way to go and only a couple of days left before Keith and his merry band of builders move in!
Keep tuned for updates.......

Anyway, the Daring Cardmakers are back after our Christmas break which gave me the push I needed not only to do some crafting, but also to blog it! 
We have a fab new year-long series which we hope everyone will enjoy and feel inspired to join in with.  This year, the first dare of each month will feature a Colour Combo Challenge, with each of the DT taking a turn at choosing the colour palette we use.  January's colour palette  has been chosen by Fran - her choice of colours is indicated by the photo and shown below it

Aquas and teal shades are often quite "cool" colours - but the gorgeous creams and creamy-browns really take away that chilliness and make them feel much warmer and cosier, don't they?
Having sorted out a great big pile of possible papers that might work, I ended up finding that pretty much everything I needed was in the gorgeous "Breeze" 6x6 pad from MME's Lost and Found series.
Materials:
Brown 14cm sq card blank, light beige dots textured cardstock, 
Mid-shade teal Bazzill,
Patterned papers and Sentiment; MME's Breeze 6x6 pad 
(from Lost and Found collection),
Cream and teal papers for rosette are textured handmade Lokta paper,
Cream lace, Cream velvet ric-rac, Aqua satin ribbon,
Prima sequin flower centre
Tools:
Memory Box rosette die, Spellbinders "Floral Doily Motifs"

*I made the rosette by cutting the shape in the two Lokta papers, then sticking one on top of the other, I didn't want my rosette to be as wide as this die cuts, so once the two papers were suck together I cut the strip down to about 3cms wide, then made the folds and formed the rosette.
*Ribbon flower centre is made by twisting and coiling a length of satin ribbon fairly loosely around from the centre of a card circle.  I use bookbinding glue for this, but Cosmo Cricket make "Gloobers" (I think that's what they're called) if you want the "ready-to-use" option!
Sometimes it's hard to find the mojo after all that intensive Christmas Crafting, isn't it? Well there are some gorgeous cards using these colours to see on The Daring Cardmakers Blog this week - please pop over and have a look - hopefully it'll be just the thing to  inspired you to join in and get started on a brand new creative year.
Thanks for looking

11 comments:

mckinkle said...

Hello Kathy,

Happy New Year!

Good luck with your exciting renovations, it will all be fabulous when its over and done with!

Love your card! The colour palette is quite beautiful and it matches a little something Ive made too so hope to join in this also.

Keryn x

tracy said...

beautiful kathy:)

Hazel said...

Superb card - I love the combo of the muted colours - so cool and lovely x

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy,
I love these colours together and your card is STUNNING!! The building work sounds so exciting - the mess will be awful but so worth it in the end!
xx

Angelnorth said...

Lovely card and I agree - definitely a "warm" feel when you mix in those creamy browns!

Loopylou. said...

hiyah kathy!
oh hun wow wow wow, this is just gorgeous, I love the rosette flower and the colours are stunning.
Hope everything goes ok with the building work!
huge hugs Lou xxx

Kaz said...

This is such a beautiful card Kathy, I really love these colours together. Good luck with all the building work, it sounds like it will be fantastic once finished xxx

Karen said...

I agree with you about kick starting the new year crafting...it takes ages doesn't it? But it is nice to be able to do something thats not Christmasy! I love this colour combo...its so relaxing to look at xxx

Janice said...

Some of my favourite colours there Kathy. Lovely card, your rosette is great.

Sharon (glitterangel) said...

Wonderful card Kathy, I just love that rosette x

Jackie said...

Your card is beautiful Kathy. I hope Keith and co have turned up! x