3 C'S FIRST EVER SKETCH CHALLENGE!!!

Brilliant news!!! My favourite friendly forum now has
challenges, hurray!

So glad Karen decided to start these challenges on 3C's - check it out http://www.charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk/ .

I love this Kelly Panacci range and all the chipboard elements and the paper are from this range. I cut the scalloped edge with scissors and heat embossed with Funstamps 'stardust' powder. The swirls are made with my favourite Heidi Grace stamps, brads from Dovecraft and the edges are inked in silver.

I really like this sketch and will definately use it again!

Got a new 'toy' to play with tonight. I decided it was time school bought some stash and tools of it's own instead of borrowing mine so I went shopping today. First on the list was a Cuttlebug and some dies and embossing folders, then I got a heatgun and all the gear for embossing, then I thought
maybe a shape cutter would be a good idea, a few stamps fell into my basket, so did some papers, brads, ribbon, glitter and some other bits and pieces. All essentials, you understand! Anyway, before you know it I had spent almost two hundred and fifty pounds - oops. Well, lots of children will benefit from the experience of papercrafting and I start teaching special needs next week on a 10 week enterprise course so they are starting up a small business in.............



CARDMAKING!

Can't wait!

DARING CARDMAKERS - SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER NO 6

From someone who said shes hates making
Christmas cards I am really enjoying
using this years beautiful papers. Another from DCM Little Extra today....

This week's Little Extra theme is:
"Hang Up Your Stockings"Obviously we mean the stockings we put out in the hope that Father Christmas will pay us a visit and fill them with little treats (not your fishnets and suspenders!).Maybe you're in a part of the world that has a different custom, for instance in some countries the children put their shoes on the windowsill rather than hang up stockings. Whatever you do, we'd love to hear about your traditions as well as seeing your cards, so please tell us a little about how you celebrate Christmas in your country and in your home.


The paper is Kelly Panacci as is the red frame and the square word panel, and the brads are Papermania. I cut the stocking from felt and the 'fur' from white foam and added some metal flakes to the felt. I attached a piece of fine silver thread with a brad to make the stocking mobile within the two foam mounted frames and finished off by inking edges in silver. Oh, I nearly forgot the file tab and 'JOY' is rub-ons!

Can't believe it's nearly time to get the Christmas tree out - putting mine up on Sunday!

SONG WITHOUT WORDS

The Daring Cardmakers weekly dare today gave me some problems in that I couldn't think what to do! Anyway, this is what I came up with, not so sure about it though.

Song without words
I would like you to create a card inspired by a song or a carol - it could be for Christmas or not! (you may have got all your Christmas cards done by now...) BUT there is a twist. the words of the song are NOT to be seen on the front of the card. You could leave it to us to guess! Have fun!

Paper is Crafter's Workshop Strawberry Swirls, handbag stamps Hero Arts and the dress is from Impression Obsession.

I stamped the images twice and heat

embossed with silver glitter, cut them out and decoupaged (I hate that word, and not something I do if I can help it!). I stamped and embossed the swirls with Heidi Grace stamp, added some ribbon to the bags and a bit of bling.

So, what's the song?????????

Handbags and Gladrags of course! :-)

Santa's Little Helper - BAUBLES, BELLS & BOWS...

Another big thank you for all your lovely comments - I love to receive them. Also, sorry for not being able to visit everyone elses blog this week - I have really missed looking at all your fabulous work and will start catching up immediately!

This weeks Santa's Little Helper from DCM is Baubles, Bells & Bows. My Christmas card box is looking really healthy now, thanks to the inspiration from these dares.

I reached straight for my new Anna Griffin for this one - it's a gorgeous collection. Cheated a bit because I didn't make the baubles myself, but I did add the bows, hanging cords and clips. The background paper has been highlighted with Sakura glitter pen and looks really effective and glittery in real life, but unfortunately doesn't show up too well in the photograph. I really like this mix of colours.

Right, must catch up on all your lovely blogs...

DCM Little Extra and Weekly Dare....

This week has been sooooo busy at work, which is why I haven't had the time or the energy to update my blog or even make any cards, well not for myself anyway! Yesterday I organised an enterprise day for 180 Year 7 students in school. Each pupil made two cards and the standard was amazing - much better than I could have hoped for. They have taken them home to sell to family and friends this weekend and have to bring the proceeds into school on Monday morning. Proceeds will be donated to Children in Need.

Anyway, I caught up on the DCM dares, which I love taking part in, and here they are - first the Little Extra.

Santa's Little Helper 4 - Piles of Parcels .....
'We'd like you to put some gorgeous, tempting, beautifully wrapped Christmas parcels on your cards this time.'

The paper is BG Figgy Pudding 'Toyland' and the tag is Kelly Panacci. I made the parcels by adding sticky ribbon and a few gems.

Next, the Friday Dare which is 'GOLDEN HIGHLIGHTS'

'Going back over my cards I seem to have a liking for gold
as an accent colour. So this week I'd like you to make a
card for any season or occasion but must include gold somewhere. It could be a brad, metallic card, heat embossing, ribbon, anything at all as long as it's gold.'

The paper is Anna Griffin, I used my Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder on Bazzil, mounted the Kelly Panacci chipboard 'Joy' onto gold mirri card and edged it with gold glitter. Added organza ribbon, a few more chip pieces and a bit of bling.

Brilliant job from the Leeds boys today with a 2-1 win over Swindon YEAH!!! and a really entertaining match. I may just stay in bed all day tomorrow, I'm soooooo tired zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Black and White Christmas

Been looking at Christmas decorations this weekend and
I am really loving the black and white look - I have always
shunned the contemporary look before, but can't resist this time. So, this inspired me to create some black and white cards and this is one of them. I stamped the Christmas Tree and embossed with silver then cut out the images. I am terrible at remembering papers, but this is double sided and gorgeous and this stamp is great because it is so versatile.

My next mission is to get hold of one of the Tilda stamps - they are just sooooo cute and would be great for little girls cards, so if anyone can point me in the right direction I would be really grateful!

Bought some of the new Anna Griffin Christmas stash this weekend too - it really is lovely and I intend playing with this later in the week.

Looking forward to a delivery from Scrapagogo too - I recently subscribed to their monthly kits and it is going
to be posted tomorrow! Looks fabby on the website. It's so exciting knowing you are getting some gorgeous goodies but not knowing exactly what. So watch out for some new creations in the next few days.

GETTING CORRUGATED - DCM DARE

Getting Corrugated...
Hi all :) This week it is Jo here to set the dare...
I seem to have developed a little bit of a fixation with old cardboard boxes....! My dare this week is to use some corrugated card on your card - it could be corrugated craft card or an old box etc. taken to pieces :) You could make the card blank from it or die cut shapes etc...

I am so fed up with not being able to get good photos these dark winter nights, so I apologise now and will hopefully get better ones tomorrow if its sunny.

Dotty paper is DCWV, stripey paper is BG and card Bazzill. I punched the flowers from corrugated craft card and added eyelets with my silent setter, as my Cropadile is at work :-( The small flowers were threaded onto cord and all tied in through the centre eyelet on the large flower so they dangle. The small flowers at the side are embellished with tiny buttons and the 'hi' is hand cut. I finished off by inking edges and adding a bit of bling!

Not happy about not having all my stash and gadgets around me, but they are needed at school for a card making day next Friday with 180 Year 7 children which I have organised as part of National Enterprise Week. The children take their cards home to sell and proceeds go to Children in Need. Anyone available to help?

DCM Little Extra.......

We've dragged Santa's Little Helper out of his cosy armchair again this week in an effort to help you (and us) get those Christmas card stocks heading in the right direction. This week we'd like you to make and share cards on a theme of
Snowmen and Snowflakes

As my craft room is looking bare at the moment due to a lot of my equipment being in school :-( I had to go 'back to basics' for this. I used some freebies from a magazine for the paper and snowman and went to town with the glitter, snow-writer, ribbon and rub-ons. All things considered, not too bad, but couldn't get the light right for the photo!

Just want to say again thank you so much for all your comments - they really do mean a lot xx.

and CUT!!!

The dare from DCM this week is soooo different and something I think we all avoid with all the gadgets there are about these days!

This week its Tracie setting the dare and it is to make a card and CUT!
Any theme goes, so for those of you needing a break from Christmas crafting this is the perfect opportunity to have a change. All styles are welcome but there MUST be an element of handcutting somewhere. It could be a greeting, a shape, letters printed on your pc and handcut, anything goes as long as you did it by hand.

I really enjoyed making this as I set out to create something much simpler than my recent style. I hope I achieved clean and fresh - that was my aim. The flowers were hand cut from Craftwork Cards Enchanted Fantasy Flowerburst 12x12 paper - absolutely lush with the glitter highlights and beautiful shimmer. I backed them with Papermania Lush Floral velllum, again hand cut. The stems are stamped and embossed with HOTP acrylic stamps as is the 'Celebrate'. The stitching is rub-ons and the flower centres are embellished with a button and gems (not very visible though).

RIBBON TOPPED RECIPE.....DCM Little Extra

A little later than usual, but with 'trick or treating' last night and other things, only just got a few minutes spare for this, you know how it is. Here's the Little Extra ......

...how about trying our Little Extra for this week. We're still playing with those wonderful Ribbon Oasis ribbons but this time we've got a Ribbony Recipe for you to play with.
The ingredients you need to use on your cards are:
4 brads/eyelets
3 circles
2 rectangles
and lashings of ribbon!
What sort of card you make is up to you this time - as long as you've got all those ingredients on there the choice is yours.

I was very brave and almost had my eyes closed when I cut up my Heidi Grace Wild Daisy Rd paper - eeeeek! But I did it! I think all the elements are there, three circles (the flower centre gem will have to count as one of them), two rectangles are the metal plate and the file tab and there are four brads there. Not exactly lashings of ribbon, but three 'bits' and a few gems - I love these brown ones from Papermania.

Gosh, it's almost 7 o'clock - better go and cook some dinner. Looking forward to tomorrow's dare and great news from Karen and Charmed Cards and Crafts - there will be a challenge on there this weekend - can't wait!!!