Happy Bird day!

Morning all.  I'm really excited to share the news that I have been accepted onto another design team.  The Back to Basics and Beyond Challenge hopes to inspire readers, especially new crafters, to use techniques that we all had to learn once. The fabulous design team offer inspiration and there is often a link to a tutorial for those who have never tried something before.

The new challenge today is to use a Mask or a Stencil.  I have to admit that I have only recently started using stencils myself.  So, if you are new to the technique, I know how you feel.  Dawn's tip of the day - tape your card and your mask down.  My leaf stencil is by far my most useful one so far and, having inked it in a couple of green inks, I then die cut a circle out of it.  I used another circle behind and mounted my bird on the front.  The stamp is an ancient digi from Doodlepantry (I don't know if they still trade in the States but EU changes to VAT regulations meant that they stopped selling in Europe so I can't link to the site - sorry).  I added my sentiment and some sequins and gems and that was it.  Job done.

I hope you like what I did with my stencil.  Die cutting the circle allowed me to use one but still fit my 'style' of card making.

Please pop over and see what the DT ladies have created.  There cards are very diverse and will give you loads of inspiration.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Triangle Tangle

Morning all.  It's that time again.  We have a new challenge over at Cardz4guyz.  This time we have to use Triangles.  I have to admit to being a little bit stumped for this one.  Triangles aren't a shape that usually inspires me.  However, I did find a card on the Cricut Design Space that had numerous triangle apertures so I thought I'd give it a go.  Me, being me, cut the card shape then chopped it up so that I just had a panel for my card.  I inked a background in peacock feathers distress ink and placed it behind my panel.  I think, if I did this again, I'd use a contrasting colour.  I'm amazed at how similar it is to my patterned card base.  Anyway, after that I added the happy birthday and thought I was done.  I kept looking at it and I wasn't sure about it.  I felt it just needed something.  I'd been using a new stamp set from Gerda Steiner Designs (I've linked it on the Dies to Die for site because that's where I had mine from) and I couldn't help adding the cute little mouse so I stamped him a few more times and popped him into my triangle apertures to add a little interest.  I'm much happier with it now.  I hope you like it too.

Pop over to the challenge blog and have a look at the fabulous creations from the talented design team ladies.  I'm sure they will inspire you to join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Autumn Leaves

Morning all.  It's time, once again, for a new challenge over at Cardz4guyz.  We're very seasonal at the moment and the challenge is 'Autumn/Fall Leaves'.  

I walked into work yesterday and the trees were looking stunning in their autumn finery.  There are acorns and conkers all over the place and some colourful berries on the bushes.  

Anyway, back to the business in hand.  My mum used to do parchment craft and she would create lots of flowers and leaves and paint them in lovely shimmery colours. She kept them in a little box to use on future projects.  When she stopped creating with parchment (she's turned to crochet nowadays) she gave the little box to me.  I was at a loss as to what to do with them but, it turns out, they are perfect in a shaker card.  The image is from 2 Cute Ink but it must have been a club exclusive as I can't find it in the shop.  I think it goes really well with the leaves - although I know they are maple leaves, not oak leaves.  You can't have it all.

I hope you like what I've created.

Please pop over and join us.  The very talented ladies on the Design Team have created some wonderful inspiration.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Pooh Bear

I've been itching to make a card for the Library Challenge since it went live but I've been a little bit busy lately.  Anyway, today gave me a chance to have a go.  I love Winnie the Pooh and I've had a clear stamp set for ages (heaven knows who made them) so I dug around and showed them the light of day.  When I first got pregnant with Patrick - all those many years ago - Pooh Bear was the first teddy we bought him.  Come to think of it, his bedroom was decked out in Pooh Bear too.  Anyway, back to the present.  I cut a honeycomb background with my cricut and mounted it on the same colour card blank.  Then I added the rest.  To be fair, I think I should have made the whole card smaller as I added the bling to fill the space.  I'm not sure I'm convinced by it but it needed something.  What do you think?

When I've got time I may do a smaller version.  That's the trouble with clear stamps instead of digistamps, you're stuck with the size.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

All at Sea

Morning all.  Time for a new challenge over at Cardz4guyz and this time we are 'All at Sea'.  It's funny how this one stumped me.  I think because there are so many possibilities, I couldn't settle on one idea.  In the end I just went through my digi stamps and found the first thing that fit the bill.  I bought the Sea Life Set from Digistamp Boutique ages ago.  For those of you who don't know, Digistamp Boutique images are now available through the LOTV site.  I love Sally Ann's cute designs and use them a lot.  I have way too many (is that even possible) and she's one of the places I look first when I need something.  Anyway, I chose a cute whale from the set and coloured him with my Spectrum Noir pens.  For the sea I sponged Salty Ocean distress oxide onto some card and splattered it with a couple of different H2O's - and I haven't used those in forever!  I'm really chuffed with how they turned out.  I hope you like it too.

My original plan was to make this a 'Get Whale Soon' card but he's far to happy to be ill so I used one of the sentiments from the set.

Pop over and join us.  It's really not hard to create male cards and there is so much fun inspiration from the DT ladies.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Say Hi Dragonfly

Morning all.  It's time for a new challenge over at Cardz4guyz.  They do seem to come around quickly.  The challenge this time is Bugs (the insect variety, not the VW variety).  I have to admit to being stumped for a while.  I knew that some of the DT ladies had already chosen bees so I wanted to do something else.  Anyway, after a lot of searching, I found the cutest dragonflies over on Etsy by SLS Lines.  I've matched it with a sentiment from a set I have from Polkadoodles and just popped it on a panel of washi paper.  I paper quilted the background panel to give it a bit of a lift and finished it off with the obligatory bling.  You can't see it very well but I used a spectrum noir sparkle pen on the wings and they really shine,  I've only used one dragonfly on this card so I have two more that I can use for other cards.  I hope you like it.

We'd love to see your interpretation of the theme so please pop over and join us.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Crafts and Books...My Idea of Heaven

As my regular readers know, I'm a bit of a one for blog stalking.  I especially love the odd challenge blog.  Can you imagine how I felt when I found The Library Challenge .  Oh my goodness, I'm in heaven.  If I'm not crafting, I'm reading - and this covers both bases.  I've been stalking it for a few weeks now but this week's I just had to join.

Several years ago (over twenty but who's counting) I did a home study course in A level English Language and Literature.  I know I have an odd idea of what's fun but learning to me just is.  One of the books we studied was Maya Angelou's 'I know why the caged bird sings'.  I'd not come across her before this but I've read all her biographical books since.  I also had the chance to see her on stage in Manchester.  Unfortunately, and to my eternal regret, myself and my friend chose to go by train.  We got on the train but it didn't move.  We couldn't afford a taxi and we'd left it too late for a bus so I never got to see this amazing women.  Anyway, as this is the subject of this current challenge I chose to pay tribute to her in my own way.

The card is made using an old Sheena Douglas Stamp from the Kimono set (I don't think it's available any more).  I decided not to use the cage in the set but to keep it simple with this gorgeous bird.  I hope you like it. 

I added the simple sentiment and a few obsidian dots over the inked background.  I must have been psychic as I bought the Spiced Marmalade distress ink on the way home from work this evening and it was just what I needed for this challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn