Look Around

As always, Friday is Daring Cardmakers Day and this week it's my turn to set the dare - and if you're not already scared just hearing that, then you should be, because this one is real challenge. Well, I think it is, but I'm happy to be proved wrong - go on, I DARE you!

This week you can make any card you like - so it can be for Christmas, or for any occasion you like, but I'd like you to look for your inspiration right there, in your home.
The idea is that you look around your home and find a pattern, design, motif etc - or just part of one that you can replicate and use as the inspiration for your card design
You could use the pattern of the floor or wall tiles in your kitchen or bathroom, or even your patio tiles
Or maybe there's a pattern/motif that's used on a picture frame, wallpaper or curtains.
Or how about checking your crockery, a vase, an ornament for a motif you could develop into a design for a card

Once you start looking around, you'll see loads of little design motifs that can work for you - at least I hope you will!
And now I'm going to be really greedy and say that it would be especially good if you could add a photo of the original item when you write your blog!
I don't ask for much, do I? hehehe

The Design Team were very quiet after I posted this dare for them - I was beginning to think it was A Dare Too Far! You can see the cards the Brave Ones came up with over on the DCM blog, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Darers rise to the challenge. I used the border tiles in the bathroom as my inspiration for this card. It's for my brother's birthday and I thought a design like this would work well for a man's card - and you all know how hard men's cards can be! I just added a monogram to the design and it was done, and it's not even his birthday for a week or so. That's got to be a record!

I've used a mix of Blonde Moments and Junkits papers for this card. I cut the shapes and the monogram with the Craft. The mosaic shapes were cut once in paper and a couple of times in thin card then stuck together it would be great if Mr Robo cut thicker card, but it doesn't and this is my way around the problem when I want some dimension. The a"real" tiles are quite glittery - I resisted the urge to glitter the paper version but I did add a bit of black Stickles to the "M". A while ago I showed some sewing projects made using the latest pack of ribbon sent by Bea over at Ribbon Oasis. I also made a few cards using these lovely red, green and white ribbons and trims, but I forgot to post them on here. This is a version of the "noel" card I showed a few days back, this time with a bit of added zhoosh from ribbon and brads I'll save the others for another day - it's a bit hectic around here so it'll be good to have some reserve cards to share! Or is that just too sneaky?