The Early Bird - is definitely not me!

 

Hello

 

So I'm back to being late posting my challenge card for the Daring Cardmakers, Sorry Miri, its just a bit of a struggle keeping things going at the moment, for no good reason.  Hopefully my energy levels will get better now the days are longer.

Miri has a lovely theme for this week's challenge to the Daring Cardmakers!

What I like a lot about spring is the fact that it’s no longer dark when I get up and that I can enjoy the first morning sunshine on my way to work. (At least until Sunday when the clocks go forward to Daylight Saving Time 😉).

So the topic for this week is:

The early bird catches the worm.

On your card, use whatever comes to mind when you hear this saying, such as birds of any kind, sun rays/sunshine/sunset or even a worm!

You can see lots of inspiration from the Design Team by clicking this link

I've used a smooth white square card base trimmed down to a fat rectangle plus extra of the same for the upper panel which is matted onto pale blue card

O stencilled the white panel with sunrise shades of ink, which I then sprayed with water to blur them a bit.

The dies for the bird and birdhouse and the grass are from a couple of old Spellbinders sets.  My little bird is on the lookout for worms for his breakfast!

The sentiment is from a Tim Holtz  added a few green and pink pearls nearby

To finish I found three tiny mulberry paper flowers in matching colours - its been a very long time since I used any of those!

Thank you so much for coming by. 

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

 

supporting Ukraine

Celebrating Springtime

 

Hello

I hope Friday finds you well and enjoying some Spring sunshine 

The news is still horrendous with the atrocities in Ukraine continuing, and Covid deaths going over SIX MILLION

 

What. A. World.

Sometimes I just despair or things ever getting better, of people living together in a respectful way

I feel like pulling up the drawbridge and declaring a state of independence.

If only I had a moat, a drawbridge and some battlements

Anyway before I get even more maudlin, I need to remind myself of the birds singing in the morning, the days growing longer and signs of Spring in the garden...

...and Shabneez's perfectly timed challenge to the Daring Cardmakers!

Hello Spring!

It's almost the first official day of Spring here in the UK and what better way than to celebrate with a challenge!  

I’d love to see anything related to the season be it lambs, rabbits, daffodils, tulips etc.

You can see lots of inspiration from the Design Team by clicking this link

I thought I'd make this challenge work hard and make it for MiL's Mother's Day card.  

I've used a smooth white card base plus extra of the same for the upper panel which is embossed using the good old Swiss Dots folder from Cuttlebug

This panel was adhered over a length of narrow pink satin ribbon

I inked more white card with shades of green and pink Nuvo Embellishing Mousses to cut the tulips.  The die is by Joanna Sheen, but I cut it a few times, cut away sections and layered them into a taller, narrower arrangement.

I think its good to get creative and make your dies work harder for you!

I made the sentiment on the pc and added a few green and pink pearls nearby

To finish I tied a messy double bow and glued in place

 

I love the soft sheen of the mousse but it does make photographing a bit trickier, and no matter how often I tried I couldn't really get the embossing to show very well.  But it is there!

Thank you so much for coming by. 

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

 

 

Standing with Ukraine

Cover background is from a digital download called Spring Flowers by

 Ukrainian Etsy seller DigitalArtDreams

 

 

for Ukraine

 

All around the web people are trying to show they care about the people of Ukraine and show in whatever way they can that we stand against the devastation Mr Putin is hell-bent on doling out.

This week the Daring Cardmakers are joining crafters all around the world who are trying to show solidarity with our friends in Ukraine

 

 

What is happening in Ukraine is shocking and utterly wrong.
We want to show support for the Ukrainian people by filling our blog with the blue and yellow colours of the country's flag and masses of sunflowers; the national flower of Ukraine

The power of the internet means our crafting and working community often encompasses people from all over the world and most of us will know at least one fellow crafter who is living through such terror and heartache.  

Suddenly it's our friends and colleagues  - not strangers who are suffering,

Se this week we're asking you to join us and show support for the people of Ukraine by filling the crafting world with
 

Sunflowers, Blue, Yellow and HOPE

 

Please share this week's cover wherever you can

 

For my card I inked pieces of white car with shades of yellow and blue,  I cut these into rectangles and then randomly cut those into strips before arranging onto the base card.  In my head it's symbolic of whats happening over there.

To me sunflowers really are a symbol of hope and brighter days - they are big and showy and full of pride - and not afraid to stand tall.  I wish I had their confidence.

I made mine by first inking some 80gsm card with several shades of yellow ink, then die cutting with a die set from Spellbinders for the larger ones, and from Joanna Sheen for the small one.

 
The sentiment is created on the PC and I added some tiny copper gems to highlight the flower centres and a few clear and yellow dew drops to symbolise tears

 

Thank you so much for coming by. 

Just to reiterate the 'friends and colleagues, not strangers' - one of OH's co-workers is Ukranian, she lives in Prague but her family are in Ukraine. Every day must be more like a nightmare of worry and fear.

  I would be thrilled if you would join in in some way so that we can show support albeit in this very small way

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

March Elemental Challenge

 

Hello

Another Friday rolls around - I hope you’ve had a good week, despite the world seeming to lurch from disaster to catastrophe. The events in Ukraine are utterly shocking, how dare that greedy, posturing Russian Megalomaniac decide that another country is a sweetshop  and it’s ok for him to steal from it.  I can’t help thinking that we’ve been here before

It’s weird to just try to get on with everyday stuff when such atrocities are happening. What can ordinary people do apart from voicing our condemnation of Putin’s actions and offering our support to the Ukrainian people in whatever way we are able. 

So we will make monetary donations (my OH’s company are generously matching any donations it’s employees make to some of the charities helping ‘on the ground’), I buy a fair number of digital crafting downloads via Etsy, so I’ll be seeking out those created by Ukrainians to show my support. And we should all be making a noise on our blogs, on Instagram and everywhere else we can think of. 

It needs to stop

 

March Elemental Challenge

The first trip I ever took with  the man who would become my hubby was to Paris, so it holds some special memories for us.  A few years ago (before the world went mad) we decided it was time to go back.  This time we found a cute little apartment to call 'home', hopped on the Eurostar and set off early in March for week in Paris 

So I thought as its March again a trip down Memory Lane would make a fun mood board for this month.  I've pulled together a random mix of photos from our Paris visit which I hope will inspire you.  

Just choose a minimum of 3 elements from the pictures to use when you make your card.   Obviously your card doesn't have to have anything to do with Paris though, I've added some suggestions below the picture

Suggestions: Layout, Landmarks, Tower, Triangles, Clocks. Rose, Pastries, Beads, Paintings, Bicycle, Bright Colours, Lips, Water, paving patterns, Materials (wood, metal, canvas, glass etc) ...

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with, and to get you started, don’t forget to check out the ideas from our wonderful designers 

I took my inspiration for the background from the bright colours on the painting in the Montmartre photo, added some still bare tree die cuts and an Eiffel Tower one from the main photo and a bicycle from the photo of a shop window display in one of the Passages Couverts - which we loved exploring 

 

I used small ink cubes to create the background

Tree die by Memory Box

Eiffel Tower and bicycle dies by Spellbinders

 

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

In the Nick of Time

 

 

Hello!

I've surpassed myself in my lateness with this one.  Earlier today I posted my Daring Cardmakers project for this week - and now here I am posting the one I made for last week's challenge.  I'm so sorry Rizwana. how ironic though that the subject of this challenge was Time!

 

In the Nick of Time

It's Rizwana here with this weeks new challenge. 

Time is of the essence! 

Use clocks or anything to represent time on your card, including watches, hourglasses, sundials or pocket watches.

Click here to see the lovely projects the design team made:

 

I used one of my precious little pocket watch charms on my card - though I doubt it will still be there when I send the card!  I find it hard to part with tiny treasures like these!

 

 

Info

I've used a smooth white card blank, but trimmed about 1.5 cmx off the edge to make a fat rectangl. 

In my bag of black and white printed bits I found a small piece with a chevron pattern on to use to offset the pastel colours I wanted to use for the rest of the card.  The Tonic Scribbled Circles die was  cut from a pearlescent pink card.

For the flowers I used inked card and a lovely Hunkydory set of flower dies.  The butterfly is also from a Hunkydory die set

For the lettering I cut 'Time to' in a block capitals font and the word  'celebrate' (Spellbinders) tin a script font

I threaded some green ribbon through the loop of the pocket watch charm and fixed it in place, then to  complete the card I added some die cut leaves behind the flowers

 

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

FEB Word Play

 

Hello!

Hope you've had a good week.

The last few weeks have been 'trying'.  I don't know whether its  really February's fault or my preconception that February is always a pain in the derrière!

That is my excuse for feeling fed up, under pressure and not managing to get anything done all at the same time.

 

This week it was Joanne's turn to choose a challenge for the  Daring Cardmakers - and this one stretched the brain cells a bit.  Rather klike a crafty Wordle!

Word Play

 As we wave farewell to February, let’s use the month for inspiration in a different way. Make a FEB card! 

Use something beginning with each of those letters in your creation. 

So it might be a foiled elephant juggling a ball, a blue fairy with an embossed background, a baby card with flags and embroidery thread… 

what can you come up with that’s FEB? 

Don’t forget to tell us which items you’ve used in case we don’t spot them!

 

 To help get your creative cogs turning, click here to see the clever ideas the design team came up with!

Four Easter Bunnies

Info

I've used a smooth white card blank, cut to fit the four bunny die cuts - I wanted to use five, but that would have made the card a bit of a weird shape! It already means I'll need to make a custom sized envelope, but never mind!

I taped off a border using Washi tape and filled in the remaining area with a couple of shades of Nuvo Embellishing mousse

The Rabbits are cut using a vute Spellbinders die set from a few years ago.  The ears, eyes and noses were stencilled through the dies and I folded a few of the ears for a quirky look

The eggs are made using a Poppy Stamps die; I glued a few pieces of patterned paper to bits of card before cutting them out.

To finish I coloured some white card with pink Nuvo Embellishing mousse then die cut the 'HOPPY EASTER' letters

 

 

 

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

 

Heartfelt!

 

 

Hello! 

Happy Friday

 

Hope you had a good week - to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure where this one went!  Maybe too much time spent watching the Winter Olympics!  I do love watching - though you wouldn't catch me throwing myself off those ramps and doing death defying multiple spins and somersaults!

Anyway, its Friday so time for a new Daring Cardmakers challenge

Its Dawn here with this weeks challenge

My Sweet Valentine

Valentines day is nearly here so I would like you to show me the love and share your Valentines makes.  Make sure your cards feature lots of shades of red and pink and of course love hearts.

We can't wait to see what you make you can see what the Design Team made HERE

 Info

 

I used a tall thin card for this one, and cut a panel of the same kind of card for the upper layer.

The 'squares' were created by using torn Washi tape to mask the borders and filling in the 3 unmasked areas with a couple of shades of Nuvo Embellishing Mousse

I punched and die cut lots of hearts from red, pink, blue and silver card (the ones that look black are actually silver)

I added some loops of silver thread to the reverse of the sentiment before gluing it in place

A row if silver gems was adhered down one edge and more gems glued randomly around the hearts for a bit of bling

 

 Thank you so much for coming by, it would be fab to hear what you think of this one.

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

February Elemental Challenge

 

 

  Hello! Happy Friday

So, we made it through January!

However,  February has never been my favourite month - which upsets my Hubby as its the one with his birthday in it 😃😃

I've a busy couple of months for cardmaking and present shopping coming up. with a few birthdays and of course Valentines day too

I should be coming up with some ideas, but I'm really not that organised!

Anyway, its Friday so time for a new Daring Cardmakers challenge

 

This week we welcome in the new month with Enfys's beautiful mood-board

February Elemental Challenge

 I've chosen a leafy mood-board with cool greens and aquas, warmed up with pink red and yellow.  But its not just about colours, check out all the little details on the image and you're sure to find the minimum 3 elements you need to use when you make your card.

 As usual if you use the colour combo it counts as 1 element 

To help get you thinking, click here to see the lovely projects the design team have created using ideas from this mood-board

 

 For my card I chose the pleats of the skirt, the leaves and the thread that weaves around in the background.  I've also used a simialr colour palette of pinks, greens and yellows (well gold in my case) and a tiny splash of red

 Info

 

I've used patterned papers from a Studio Light 6x6 pad for the background and the rosette.

  The filigree flowers are cut in gold vellum paper using a die set - I can't remember where its from, I bought it, put it in my folder and threw away the packaging (oops).  This is the first time I've used it despite owning it for several months!

The leaves and the rosette die sets are both by Spellbinders, the flower on the centre of the rosette by Hunkydory and the small flowers in the upper right by Tonic

To complete the card I added some loops of gold thread over the small sentiment, plus a bow made with the same thread, then some coloured 'pebbles' scattered around

 Thank you so much for coming by, it would be fab to hear what you think of this one.

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe,