DARING CARDMAKERS DARE.....

Today's dare over at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com is based on a template and there's a prize for the lucky winner of a draw sponsored by Paper Pesto. Here is my creation using PM Colossal Retro papers, Dovecraft brad, Nana's Kids epoxy sticker and Imaginisce flowers and raffia ribbon. I love the colours of these papers, they remind me of Neapolitan ice cream.

More doodling and Charmed Cards & Crafts Challenge

I just loved the doodling dare on http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com so much that I made another card using the new PM Colossal Retro papers, Cuttlebug die, Imaginisce flowers and a bit of bling. I like the fresh colours of these papers.

It was my turn to set the challenge on http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk this month, one of which was to create a card which included the word 'love', at least one heart, a bird and hand stitching. The second card is for this challenge and I used K & Co Smitten and MM papers, bazzil for the punched hearts, Bazzil rub-on, and loads more doodling (I'm hooked on this now!). The second part of the challenge was to alter a container originally used to hold food - mine was an
M & S Rocky Road container which I painted with Adirondack acrylic paint and used K & Co embellishments and Sakura Souffle pen in white for the doodling.

My friend and I have booked a weekend in Harrogate to visit the fabulous Papercrafts Extravaganza at the Great Yorkshire Showground - in my opinion the best show in the North! Soooooo excited - get to go BOTH DAYS!

Thanks for visiting me again - I really do appreciate your lovely comments xx

Getting there and DCM Fantastic Midweek Tutorials!

Well at last I'm getting somewhere with my photo editing problems - why do they have to change something that works perfectly well?

Here is my card for the http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com midweek dare. There is a fabulous tutorial on doodling and I have used a couple of the examples on this card. Papers are BG Two Scoops as is the chipboard. Stamp is Dovecraft and embossed with holographic powder.
I really hope I can get back to blogging properly now!

Still Screaming....

at this ********* laptop and it's 'lack of' software for what I want to do, so I'm back on my DS's, much to his annoyance. Anyway, here are a few cards I made recently - off to PCW to see what I can buy to solve this frustrating problem!

CCC Sketch Challenge

Well, I got a new laptop and I'm having so much trouble uploading and editing pictures that it has nearly been out the window!! Anyway, this is an experiment really to see if it works.

This card is based on a sketch challenge from http://charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk my favourite online shop and favourite forum. The papers are from the new Dovecraft range - they are so affordable and the new ones are so bright and cheerful!

HIDE & SEEK!

Today's dare from http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com is to make a card with something hidden. I used a full sheet of 12x12 folded for this card and the inside is the 'hidden something', as well as the tag.


Okay, for my dare we're heading to the playground for a game of Hide & Seek.
I'd like you to make a card which has a hidden component of some sort.The hidden part could be a tag, a concealed photo, message or something along those lines, maybe a pull-out or pop-up.Anything goes as long as there's something extra for the recipient to find on your card that's not immediately visible when they open the envelope.

Papers are all Basic Grey, a mixture of ranges, rub ons and silhouette K & Co., sentiment stamp Anita's, small stamps Dovecraft, flourishes HOTP, flowers punched, loads of inked edges and MM sweet. I loved making this - hope you like it!!!

Our Mid Week Tribute! - DCM

Two members of the super talented DT at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com are moving on to pastures new, so the challenge on Tuesday was to pay tribute to Lynne and Gillian through our cardmaking......

'Now, as you are probably aware, both Lynne and Gillian sadly stepped down from the Design Team recently, and although the DCM team's door is always open for them, we thought it would be nice to pay a little tribute to them in appreciation for all their wonderful work during their time on the DCM design team. Lythan came up with an idea that we make a card in the 'style' of either Lynne or Gillian's cards. Or maybe pick your favourite of theirs and use an element from their cards on your own card. Everyone has their own style- we thought it might be a little challenge to try out a different style for a change!'

And it was!! I used BG Scarlet's Letter paper, embelllishments from the new luscious K & Co. Two Scoops range, various rub-ons and lots of inky edges. One of Lynne's trademarks is stitching, so I used my new mini sewing machine to attach the Bazzil (it is meant to be wonky!!).
Definately more Lynne's style than Gillian's, but Lynne's is probably closer to my own.
Anyway, good luck ladies with whatever you do in the future. xx

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!