Maze Book Challenge

This has been my project for today - it's for a challenge I am taking part in and is for my youngest son. He is delighted with it and so am I - it is the first work I have done for any of my own children, I usually do things for other people's!! As you may notice, he is a big Leeds United fan!

ME AND MY SHADOW!!

'I want you to create not just one but TWO cards ! But wait........there's more ! I want both cards to contain the same embellishments and papers, ribbons etc- but arranged in a different way for a different occasion....the only thing being different is the wording....I'll let you have different wording ! (How nice of me eh?) I'm well aware this is a really hard challenge, and that I have thrown everyone into 2008 off the deep end....but go on- give it a go - I DARE YOU !'
The dare from http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com this week is to create not one, but two cards, so I have been busy all evening creating. I got the inspiration from the beautifully coloured scallop edged paper which I picked up tonight on my way home from work, but I forgot to look at the name and make before I stuck it down, doh!! The flowers are Prima, beautiful brad is K&Co Wild Saffron, the paper ribbon is K&Co Smitten, loads of inky edges, a bit of bling and a couple of buttons. I went to town a bit with my white Sakura souffle pen too, as you can see and added a few Lasting Impressions Scrappy Rubs.
So, here are the same elements arranged in a different way for a Mum's birthday or Mothers' Day Card. Did I mention I love these colours?

ANOTHER NEW TO ME!!

Must have got too much new stash recently as this is my second 'Little Extra' this week.

Paper is Imaginisce again - these new papers are just beautiful, in fact the whole range is lovely! Cuttlebug embossing folder used, Sizzix Heart Tab Die, Lakeland brads, peel off (!!!) stitching, lots of ink around the edges and a button from my little 'box of treasures'.

I am so fed up with not being able to get well lit photographs, because the colours are much lighter than this first picture shows, although the second one is a touch better. Oh well, the nights are getting a little lighter.

Bit of snow here today, although not enough to build a snowman :-( It would be nice to just have a couple of days pure white snow (and a couple of days off work so we can play), then lots of rain to get rid of it quickly.

Thanks for visiting again - happy crafting!!

NEW TO ME!

Really exciting day today - my first Circle Journal came back to me. I didn't realise when I began this journal how precious it would become. Every single layout has been created with love and feeling. I will post some photographs when I can get some good daylight.

As the weather is so cold and windy I created this card for http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ to evoke memories of Spring, which can't be too far away. Well, the daffodils and tulip bulbs are showing through and Easter is early this year, in fact the earliest it's been since 1913!



Mid week little extra...'New to me.....'
The first little extra dare of the new year is linking in with our main dare last Friday- still on the 'New' theme - think of it as a

'double dare!':)

We want to see your Crafty Christmas Presents ! Make a card using a new toy you had for Christmas, or in fact any crafty goodies that you received. Its a great chance to try out all your new toys/papers/embellishments! We'd love to see what crafty presents Santa dropped into your stocking.....

Papers are Imaginisce 'For Peeps Sake' from http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk/
with matching rub-ons, which were a Christmas present from me to me! The ribbon is DCWV Pocket Full of Posies and was a present from my Secret Santa on CCC Forum. Brads are new Papermania and sentiment is Heidi Grace.

WATERCOLOUR CHALLENGE

Something I haven't done much of before is watercolour painting, so when I saw this challenge on Nicola's blog
http://enjayscraftpages.blogspot.com/
I thought I would give it a go. I stamped the image with Stazon onto photo paper and used Whispers Pens with a water brush for the colour. I also added splishes of glitter glue, mounted onto silver mirri card and added the rub-ob greeting. Not the best I have ever seen, but not too bad for a first attempt!


The second card is an aperture and I put the H2O coloured image behind. The stamp is by Duo Designs. The single flower stamp is Hero Arts and this is embossed with holographic powder and the colour was added using a water brush and ink pad.
The flower is Maya Road and is also embossed with holographic. Love the H20 shimmer effect.

DCM Dare.....NEW!

This week's dare over at
http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com
is all about new.....

'For this weeks dare, I would like our cards to celebrate'New'So not only New Year, but maybe New Home, New Baby, New Job or maybe a card for someone who is starting a new chapter in their life.'

Paper is K & Co Wild Saffron, the house is made from Bazzil and the rub-ons are a mixture of BG and Foof-a-la. I chalked and inked to give a 'grungy' look and I love using buttons in this way.

I visited a couple of local craft shops today and found some great bargains which I will be playing with this weekend, so hopefully will have plenty to blog about!

Thanks for visiting, Juliet xx

HAPPY 2008 & Daring Cardmakers Dare

It is so long since I blogged - in fact it is so long since I made something, apart from mince pies, yule logs and trifle!!

A bit late again, but here is my effort for the DCM Dare of last Friday.....


'Team dare year end....4 of the best
Hi All. Today we have decided to revisit your most favourite dares of 2007. The four top dares, decided by the number of comments you made on them are (in no particular order): 'buttons', 'ribbons', ...'and cut' and 'frames'. We would like you to use this week as many of those dares as you like to make your card in any theme and any style.'

Paper and chick stamp are Imaginisce, ladybirds K&Co Wild Saffron, all available from http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk

I hand cut the chicks, so that is where the dare comes in. Can't wait for spring with the daffodils and tulips and a bit of warmth from the sun.

I have more cards to add over the next few days and have made a note to blog daily! I will also be showing my Charmed Cards and Crafts CJ which is coming home next week - yeah!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

A very Happy Christmas and prosperous,
healthy New Year to all my blogging friends!

I really want to thank everyone who has visited my blog and left such lovely, encouraging comments for me over the past few months. Also thank you for sharing your work - I love visiting your blogs and you really do inspire me so much.

This is the final DCM Dare before Christmas, and here it is........

'I'm free !!!'
Hello fellow darers !! Friday has come round again, and I expect you are all as busy as us as we fast approach Christmas. So we are going to keep things as nice and easy as we can for you through the next few weeks........firstly, we have decided to give the 'Little Extra' dares a holiday over Christmas/New year because life is just busy enough at the moment- and I can't see many of you getting up on Christmas morning to take up a new dare ! :) So the mid week specials will be back in January, but watch this space there are lots of exciting changes lined up of the 'Little Extra' but we will fill you in on all the details soooooooon. Now, on to this weeks dare. Christmas is an expensive time of year (although every day of the year can be potentially expensive to us Crafters ! ;) Anyway, we thought it would be a good idea to run a dare that was 'inexpensive'..This week, we the DCM team, would like you to design a card using a magazine 'freebie' . Either a craft magazine freebie, or indeed any other magazine freebie, papers, embellishments, tools, etc. anything really, as long as it came from a magazine.'

Papers are from SI Magazine ages ago and the glittery flower is K & Co. I have torn the heart layers and inked the edges in white. I really like the tearing look - it gives it a fabric effect!
I added some rub-on borders, ribbon and stickles to finish off.

MEGAN'S MAZE BOOK

Spent the day making this Maze Book for a gorgeous little girl called Megan Rose. She is 18 months old now and is developing her own little personality. When she was born she only weighed 4lb 10oz, then contracted scepticaemia whilst in the special care baby unit. On the 8th day after her birth we thought she wouldn't survive, but she fought and fought and eventually became well. She is our little miracle.

I did a scrapbook of her first few months and gave it to her parents at her Christening in February. I have started
a second scrapbook, but not finished yet,
so I decided to do this maze book to give
to Megan and her parents for Christmas.

DCM....INSIDE AND OUT & TAG TIME

Have an unexpected day off, so early

with the dare today! Still need a few more

Christmas cards, so great chance to catch

up. Today's dare is.....

'INSIDE AND OUT
Hi everyone Gillian here, and it's my turn to dare you all this week.
I dare you to take the design of your card to the inside as well as the outside.
Add a little finishing touch to match the theme on the outside,or Surprise the receiver with a flap, foldout, decorated journal block to write on,or one of those pop-out delights....It really adds so much to a card when there is attention to detail on the inside as well as the outside. I know some of you are finished your

Christmas cards already so this week it's any theme, Christmas or not, but make the inside count too :) '

Some of my BG die cuts came in handy here with a touch of glitter. The paper I found at the bottom of my Christmas craft box, the snowman is a metal embellilshment and arranged on white glitter card.

I also made a few tags and really enjoyed doing them. Here is one for the 'Little Extra'.

'Santa's Little Extra Helper no 8 Tag Time
This is the last Christmas Little Extra before we let Santa's Little Helper put his feet up and have a rest.
By now you've probably finished making you cards, so for a change we thought we'd get you making some gift tags. However, if you've still got cards to make, then you can always use tags on cards instead.It's up to you, as long as there's a tag involved it's fine by us!'

I used my Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder on Bazzil card, sanded the embossing and added irridescent glitter glue to highlight the snowflakes. I also embossed a piece of acetate the same, cut them with Bigshot tag die and attached with ribbon. The snowman is cut from white foam (Sizzix die) and the 'sparkles' are cut from white gllitter card using Sizzix die. I added features to the snowman with glitter glue.

CANDY STRIPES.....DARING CARDMAKERS DARE

Not quite so late with this one, and I got the chance to use my first Magnolia stamp which I recently won on ebay. Here is the challenge.........

'I love the stripey candy sticks that are around at this time of year so inspired by this I challenge you all to create a card featuring stripes of some kind, the occasion is up to you but you must use some form of stripes on your card. Maybe stamps, or paper, or ribbon...'

The paper is 'Paper Adventures Valentine Stripe' and the hearts are glazed. I cut the frame and the hearts with my Bigshot with new dies I got in the fantastic sale (bought so many that my Bigshot has a new lease of life!). I coloured Tilda using watercolour pencils and waterbrush and used basic Dymo tape for the greeting. I must get some watercolour pencils in paler colours next time I am craft shopping.

Crafting Overload!

Well, I didn't think it was possible, but with all
the cardmaking at school I just haven't been
inspired to do any at home!

Never thought it would happen to me, but here are three cards I made tonight.

The first one is really for the DCM challenge from last week (rather late!). I used BG Phoebe papers, hand cut the bird from felt and inked the edges. The stamp is Dovecraft.





For this card I used Anna Griffin Christmas papers. I stamped and heat embossed the baubles using a Docrafts stamp, layered them with foam pads and added bows and strings. This could also fit a recent DCM dare.

Back to BG for this one. The Christmas tree is stamped using EZMount Loopy Tree stamp, heat embossed and layered with foam. The lettering and tab are Kelly Panacci, brad Papermania and I used large scalloped scissors on the edge. Finished off with one of my B & Q bargain stars!

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!!!