Quick cards aren't my forte

First of all, thanks to all who joined in with the dare I set on The Daring Cardmakers blog las week. The cards were all wonderful and full of interesting and inspirational details - which is, after all, what all these challenges are about. This week the DCM have been challenged to make cards quickly. It was Tracie's idea for a dare and it was a really tough one for me. I faff and dither and change my mind about papers/embellishment/layout all the time - which is probably why I have that stack of half-made cards I spoke about on my blog a few months back! At the third attempt I managed to rein myself in and step away from the desk, finally resisting the urge just to add an extra ribbon/brad/button. I thought I'd done really well to make my card in 30 minutes till I heard how quickly some of the others had made their cards.
In my defence, I didn't get everything out first and I didn't plan exactly what I was going to do - all I had in my head was that a chipboard birdie and a circle would be involved. So within my half hour I chose the papers, covered the bird, cut all the bits and pieces and printed the message as well as working out where it was all going to go - I think that's pretty good actually. So there!
The paper is all from Crate's "Sweet Branch" collection. I cut the scalloped circle with the Robo. The branch is from the punch out sheet that comes in the collection pack, as are the rub-ons.
I mucked up the left hand corner when a bit of rub-on that I didn't want decided to attach itself to the card - so I had to add some flowers to cover it....and then I had to balance that by adding a bit of stuff in the top right as well.
Bummer - it would have all been done in 20 mins if I'd not spotted those rub-ons lurking in the bag. Chipboard bird is from Bubbly Funk
Please pop over to the DCM blog to see the super-speedy cards the other girls have come up with, they are all fab and I'm sure they'll give loads of inspiration for when you need a card in a hurry!
The card below was my first effort. I did actually make it in under 30 minutes but I discounted it because I faffed about with the ribbon trying to work out how to do it, and then the knotted piece took forever to "persuade" through the loop in the button, because I'd pulled the lower ribbon through the holes of the button too tightly to allow me to prod the short piece through. If I'd used this as a dry run and made another to the sam design it would probably have only taken 15 minutes, but that seemed like cheating! Papers are MM Noteworthy. Flowers are more of my new Primas from Creative Treasures- wow, what a colour match! The flower centre is a cuttlebug die cut from gorgeous spotty velvet paper that came in an old Bubbly Funk kit and is only used in tiny bits like this because its sooooo gorgeous! Ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis - I've got this ribbon in several colour combos and I think it's the most used design, somehow one of the colourways always manages to fit in with my projects - and the design is on both sides so none of that irritation trying to tie it so only the pretty side shows! Jewels, button and shiny eyelet all from stash There's another not-quite-quick-enough card, but I'll save that for another day Thanks for looking
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