Papertake Weekly Challenge Sketch

Here is my take on the sketch challenge at http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com
I thoroughly enjoyed making this because the papers co-ordinate so easily - they are K&Co Bailey (and I need to get some more!) and the sketch is beautiful. The butterfly is K&Co Margo chipboard.
Thanks again for visiting.
Juliet xx

Most Distressed!

No, not me - it's the challenge over at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com Here it is.....

"Hi it's Keryn here and it's my turn to Distress you all, or at least your cards with this weeks dare. You can make a card for any season, any holiday, any occaision but you need to use either a fingernail, curled edges, sandpaper, tearing, anything you like really as long as looks like it's had a fair bit or wear and tear."

Well, to be honest I'm not sure if I went a bit overboard with this - is it distressed or is it just a grungy mess? You decide!
Papers are Papermania, I cut the flowers from templates then scrunched them before inking the edges and layering. Stamp is Heidi Grace, raffia is from the Works and sentiment is a rub-on.
I await your verdicts!

Just a Quickie!

I am absolutely delighted to have won two gorgeous stamps for my glitter card in the Papertake weekly challenge last week and I can't wait to get them. Check their blog out for a new challenge every Monday - http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com

Been so busy this week, no time for blogging OR crafting, but here is another card using George, the lovely little chappy, designed by Lou at http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com/ and available at http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk After watching a certain TV channel I decided to have a go at a slider card and it turned out to be quite easy really. I used funky foam for the background, coloured with Whispers pens and made the scarf from ribbon frayed at the ends. Hope to get back onto the challenges this weekend - thanks for visiting.

Juliet xx

All That Glitters!

This week's challenge over at http://papertake.blogspot.com is to use glitter on your card. The papers here are Paper Salon 'Garden Party' and DCWV 'Blossoms & Butterflies', which is lovely and glittery. Image and sentiment are Pink Petticoat and the felt flowers were on a roll from a £1 shop in Skegness. Colouring done with Whispers pens.
Just want to say 'Hello' to Lucina, Doreen, Susan, Margaret, Elizabeth, Yvonne, Sheila and Liz who are a lovely bunch of 'Happy Crafters' who attend my scrapbooking classes on Tuesday mornings. We have loads of laughs and I really enjoy being with them. xx

HOT AND SPICY!

Today's dare at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com is Hot and Spicy. Here is the brief...

This week's Dare theme is a team effort rather than a challenge just thought up by just one of us.
We'd like you to take the phrase"Hot and Spicy" and make of it what you will.
It could be colour themed, food themed or maybe have just a hint of saucy spicy-ness.

K & Co 'Mira' came straight to mind and all the papers are from this range. The border is made with punched out circles, I doodled an outline on the flowers on the circle, cut out the bird and added a tiny gem for his eye and suspended a little bell from his beak which really tinkles! A line of sequins, a few more gems, a rub on and lots of inky edges and that is it!

TAGGED!

The lovely Sarah of http://stillcrafting.blogspot.com/ has tagged me....

1. If a movie was being made of your life who would you like to be cast to play yourself? And why?
2. You are spending a whole month on a desert island for charity and you have to choose your favourite celebrity to spend the first two weeks with & your least favourite celebrity to spend the second two weeks with, who would they be & why?
3. What are your three favourite crafting products?
4. If you could invent something to do anything what do you think it would be?
5. What are the last three books that you read?
6. Qvc or create & Craft?
7. Docrafts or Dovecraft or DCWV?
8. What is your claim to fame?

And my answers....

1. This is really difficult - I think probably Julie Walters because she is a superb actress and everything she turns her hand to is fabulous.
2. The first two weeks would have to be with Mark Ramprakash because I love dancing and I love cricket (no other reason, honest!). The second two weeks would be pure hell with Angus (I am such a bighead) Deayton - he irritates me beyond belief and HE IS NOT FUNNY!!
3. An abundance of pretty papers, my Whispers pens and my Dottie and George downloads at the moment.
4. An efficient form of transport so I don't have to spend half my spare time sat in traffic jams.
5. The French Lieutenant's Woman, Wuthering Heights and the poetry of Dylan Thomas (for A level).
6. Depends who's on really, but on the whole QVC.
7. DCWV.
8. My DH's cousin is Andrew Dunn (Roger in Coronation St and Tony in Dinner Ladies).

Now to tag five others....

Dawn - http://allpinkgirl.blogspot.com/ because she inspires me so much and I love pink!
Adele - http://dillydallydingle.blogspot.com/ very talented lady.
Edna - http://ednasplace.blogspot.com/ unbelieveable work - love it so much.
Sian - http://themadthoughtsofacraftycow.blogspot.com/ another super talented lady!
Lou - http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com/ because without her there would be no Dotty or George and my inspiration would have dried up long ago.

Doodling with Patterned Paper

There is another fabulous tutorial this week on http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com - Doodling with Patterned Paper. I have done this before, but not to such an extent and the tutorial really made me realise how fabulous this technique is - you can totally change the paper by doodling, and I will be doing a lot more of this! These are yet more of the freebie papers in Simply Cards and Papercraft, and I doodled around all the buttons, all the circles and the polka dots, as well as inking edges. Brads are Dovecraft, but I can't remember the make of the stamp as I always throw the packaging away!!
Got the luxury of a day off work tomorrow and will be home alone, so it's a crafting day for me!!!

Two in One - Daring Cardmakers

First it's Rachel's turn for the 'Little Extra'...

"Now this weeks mid week dare is inspired by Rachel and is called 'Folded' ! This is not folds in the card blank itself, but rather folds ON the card- whether it be some kind of paper folding technique or folded embellishments or even just a folded over message of some type."

and for Friday, it's Jo's turn...

"I seem to like butterflies at the mo. This week therefore I would like you to put some butterflies on cards. Stitched, felt, shiny, bright, plain, paper pieced, stamped, drawn... you get the idea :) any theme of card but it must have a butterfly somewhere on the card!"

Seeing as I am a little later than usual I incorporated both dares into one card. The butterfly is folded (only a bit of folding, I know!), then hand cut. The image is the girl with no name created by Louise Brigden http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com coloured with Whispers pens. Papers are all freebies from SC&P magazine - never used any freebies as much as these! I made a bouquet from paper flowers tied with embroidery floss.

CCC Sketch Challenge #5

Here she is again, this time from the 'Dress Up Dottie' collection, a card which was made for the sketch challenge on http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk . The papers are free with this month's Simply Cards and Papercrafts magazine - the only mag (I think) which prints their freebies on good quality paper. I drew a circle and hand scalloped the edge to mirror Dottie's head-dress. The four smaller flowers I cut out and decoupaged.
Another card made using the same papers - I just love the colours of these papers, they are so inspiring on a grey day like today!
Just want to add a massive 'Congratulations' and 'well done' to everyone who completed the London Marathon today, especially Paul (Karen's DH) - I really admire you all!
Juliet xxx

GEORGE!

It's been a while I know, but I haven't been idle. I have been spending time with the new man in my life, and here he is...... This is Dottie's boyfriend, George, created by Louise Brigden http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com and I have to say, he is a pleasure to work with.

Just a quickie for now because it's an early kick-off at Elland Road.

Edwin and Tilda

Been a bad blogger again, but I did warn you! lol This is my first card using my new Edwin and Tilda stamps so I thought I would put them together. Watercoloured with Tombow Pens, the grass is a sissix die cut and the chip flowers are Dovecraft. Paper is Pooh Bear with balloons, just about visible.


I got some scrumptious blog candy today from Louise http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com and Karen http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk for my first Dottie card and I can't wait to see Dotties boyfriend George who will be available soon. Check out my new Dottie blinkie on the right for a link to see all the delightful Dottie images.

Speaking of which, I must nip over to Charmed right now because Karen promised some new goodies on the site tonight ........see you later and thanks for visiting.
Juliet xx

SHRINK TO FIT!

Intruiging title for this week's dare from http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ well I thought so (shrink plastic sprung to mind and I had a slight panic!!!) Breathed a sign of relief when I read this .....

"I used to be able to make cards with lots of "white space" around the designs, but lately when I've tried to do this my cards just look sooooo naked! So this week I'd like you to think small - not small cards, but small spaces of embellishment on regular sized cards. You are allowed to cover no more than a 5x5cms area of your card with paper or embellishment - the rest of the card must be left plain. How you use those valuable cms is up to you. So you may choose to split up those cms to use around your card, or use them in a block or a line. It might help to cut a few 5x5cm squares then cut those up to work out good ways of using your allotment. Making your whole card a miniscule 5x5cms is NOT an option!! Lets have no cheating (I know what you lot are like.....),but because I'm feeling generous, I'm going to let you add a SIMPLE greeting as extra to your 5x5 allowance! :-)"

I struggled at first, but really enjoyed making this card and it is such a change from the cards I seem to be making at the moment.

Stamp is a cheapy set, but I can't remember the manufacturer, watercoloured with Whispers pens, rub on is MM and paper is from DCWV Nana's Kids. Ribbon and button from stash.

I was delighted to receive this Award from Sue at http://sueskraftykards.blogspot.com/ and although I have received this before, it was at that really busy time when I was unable to blog. So, a massive thank you to all who gave me this in the past. Many of my blogging friends already have oodles of awards, and deservedly so, so I invite anyone who hasn't got this one to please take it as read that it's yours, with lots of love.Have a great weekend!

Juliet xx

CCC Challenge #4

It's Dottie again and this time she's got her crop-a-dile and stash with her. This is Lou's challenge on http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk and she has provided us with this FREE Dottie image to work with! Dotty paper is from a kit I received from Scrapagogo and I think are K&Co, embossing done with Cuttlebug folder, eyelets and buttons from stash and there are some tiny micro beads with her stash pile.

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Making Waves

Still on that roll and managing to join in with the Papertake challenge again this week, check it out here http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com

'This weeks challenge is nice and easy! 'Making Waves' - the challenge is to use scallops or zig-zags (or both if your really keen lol!) on your project! Looking forward to seeing your creations!'

This one's right up my street - you may have guessed that I love using scallops on my cards, so off doodling I went to create this using one of my Dolly Mamas stamps again and watercoloured with Whispers pens.

Pretty Pastels

The 'little extra' over at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com is a nice gentle one this week....

'The theme is Pretty Pastels, I think Jane was feeling all springlike and summery when she came up with this one!!! And you know what she was right - they do look scrummy all lined up on the blog don't they. We would love to see what you make of this theme!
'

Papers are Imaginisce and the ballerina and sentiment stamps are Penny Black. Unfortunately, the photograph was taken with a flash so the colours are much paler in real life (if you've seen the papers you'll know), and are very spring-like - which is more than can be said for the weather today!!