Krafty Cardmaking

Do you ever have a period when getting to sleep at night isn't a problem, but staying asleep is? All week I've been waking way too early, I reckon I must have lost out on at least a couple of hours sleep every day this week - and believe me, that's not a good thing. I need my sleep! So if I'm grouchy - that's why, ok? lol

It's Jo setting the challenge on the Daring Cardmakers this week and this has been a tricky one for me. Ahhhhh, maybe that's what was waking me up - stressing over what to do.
Nope, I can't blame Jo, because I was awake before any hint of daytime this morning too and yesterday I made two cards for the dare.

I thought that it would be fun to use a product that seems to be 'Bang on Trend' so this week my dare is....

Using Kraft cardstock :) Either as a card base or somewhere on the card - if you don't have any you could use some card board such as corrugated or even a brown kraft envelope...

You know, I'm not convinced by this whole "Kraft" thing (why do they spell it that way, does anyone know? It bugs me in the same way as using a 'z' instead of an 's' at the end of a word, makes me grind my teeth it doez!) - I love the things other people make with the stuff, but when I try to use it myself it just looks dreary and dull. I made a card for my uncle's birthday in September and it was sooooo dreary I was embarrassed to send it - but obviously I'd left it too late to make something else, you know how it is!
So anyway, this is the card I finally came up with yesterday morning
I thought I'd try to brighten the "Kraft Kuts" paper (Fancy Pants) up a bit with some white doodling - but I think I overdid it rather. lol lol
I don't know why the sight of a paper or chipboard owl makes me absolutely have to use a pun, but it happens - you can see one of my favourites HERE - I've not been able to send this one and it makes me chuckle every time I come across it - it's sooooo sad laughing at your own jokes though, isn't it?
Little owls cut from one of the paper designs holding flowers from another on spirals of pink wire. A line from the Beatles song with a couple of extra owls as the beribboned backing vocals, some small Prima flowers and a few blobs of glitter.
Inside, another of the papers for the background, then an offcut turned the other way over with the MS Hearts border bunch used on the long edges/
It looked ok in my head, and not too bad in the real, but on the photos it looks a right dog's dinner.
After lunch I took more photos using different backgrounds - the dark blue was the best of the bunch but by then I'd gone right off the card!

So I started over and made this one

Took about half the time of the first and I'm much happier, the colours are stronger and I think that looks much better against the Kraft background
Background paper is from Bo Bunny's Kitchen Spice range, inked up and distressed with the Tim Holtz distresser tool. As it's Jo's dare I "made a nod" in her direction with the corrugated card from a cardboard box and the big button.

My current favourite design of lace, the vibrant red apple charm and the sweet filigree "cup" that the little orange rose sits in are all from the lovely Tracy at Creative Treasures - you can find all sorts of interesting and unusual things for you projects over there - definitely worth taking a look.

I hand-cut scalloped edges on a strip of black Bazzill to go behind the lace and card - it helps pull it all together. Small brads in Autumn shades for the centres of the lace flowers
The large flowers are a mix of Bo Bunny and Primas and there's some heavy patterned twill ribbon and a scrap of raffia in there too.

We'd love it if you'd join in with this week's dare - there are some wonderfully inspiring ways to use the Kraft papers and cardstock on the DCM BLOG this week, so please check it out.
We waved a fond farewell to our lovely October Guest Designer, Janice (thanks for working so hard this last month, Janice, it's been great) during this week and today we welcome Vicky (aka Dolly) who's not only going to be our November Girl, but our December Girl too - you'll find her first card, and the link for her fabulous blog on the DCM blog too.
That's it for today.

I'm determined to have a good blog-hopping session this weekend - I do miss it when I can't get around to see what my crafty blog-mates are up to, but this week has been busy - and in the evenings I've been taking my lenses out early because by then I'm too tired to cope with them!

Thanks for visiting and for your lovely comments - they really are appreciated