Xtra. Xtra...

The Alphabet Challenge has a new letter for you today.  We are looking for X - as in Xtra Embellishments.  Time to throw everything at it.

I went all out with this one.  You've got sequins and gemstones and I even threw in some sparkle on the wings of my butterflies.  The butterflies are the ones I'd coloured up and then decided not to use for the critter challenge last week.  Once I'd decided to use them I just went through my stash looking for colour co-ordinating elements. I'm actually quite chuffed with the result.

What do you think?  It'll cost a fortune to post. It's got dimension to the shaker element and then gems on top.  

OK, lets see what you've got hidden away in your stash.  Time to use all those xtra embellishments.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Shoes - It's really not just a girl thing

You would think that, as a girl, then I really should have a thing about shoes.  After all, isn't it genetic?  The current challenge at Cardz4galz certainly thinks they are a suitable subject for a girl.  However, if you live in my house, then the norm is not the norm.  I tend to have one black pair for winter plus a pair of boots.  In summer I'll have a black pair and a neutral shade (although I have had a lovely blue pair from Moshulu that have lasted me years).  In my son's bedroom, however, you can't move 2 inches without tripping over a pair - and he's only ever here in the holidays!  Heaven knows how many pairs he's got at university. As shoes are a bit of an obsession with him, several years ago, I bought a brilliant woodware stamp.  I decided to drag it out for today's challenge and how do you turn a pair of sneakers girly?  Colour them bright pink and paint them over the top with sparkle pen of course!

Having said I'm not much into shoes, I really fancy a pair of these.  You would see me coming a mile away if nothing else.  They also look far more comfortable than the heels I used to wear in my long distant youth.

Over to you ladies and gents.  Let's see your footwear creations please.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Red, White and Blurgh!

Morning all.  Time for you to get your 'inks and paints' out for this week's Cardz4guyz challenge.  Anesha, this has got your name written all over it so I'm looking out for your card. No pressure, lol.

Sian has chosen the topic of 'inks or paints' - I've gone off you Sian!  This is way out of my comfort zone and I've spent the entire morning trying to do something blokey with paints. I now have a bin full of rubbish backgrounds (no, they really are terrible). And a phone cover, skirt and desk covered in paint splatters.

Anyway, having started with blues and purples and a bit of black - possibly a night sky - I eventually switched to blue and red.  I created a background and left a bit of white in there and picked an old (might be one of the do craft brands) collage stamp with London images.  I embossed it onto my background with a really dark blue embossing powder which worked really well.  So obviously that went in the bin as well.  OK, I liked the image and I liked the embossing so I did that again.  Then I painted it after I'd embossed it.  This one I could work with.  I tried creating a striped background for it to go on but messed that up so I gave up and this is what you've got.

I'm still not convinced it's very me but I'm not totally ashamed of it.  Let's have a look at how you use your inks and paints.  I'm seriously in need of inspiration.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Critters

Morning all.  Are you ready for the new Make My Monday Challenge?  Critters are the order of the day.  They can be birds, animals or insects.  I have to say that when I hear the word critter I think of something that scurries.  Don't know why.  I'd got some sweet butterflies coloured up to go on a card but they didn't fit, in my mind, to the word critter.  Off I went in search of mice.  Mice would definitely fit the bill.  I ended up digging out an ancient stamp from Penny Black.  

I'm trying to take inspiration from Anesha at Crafting Queen and use some of the endless unfinished bits I've got lying around.  I'm not sure I will find some of the stunning stuff she seems to find but I have got a basket of pre-done layouts I've made with scraps of papers.  I found a colourful one and coloured my image with pinks and yellows and blue (the blue was a bit of a fail as it wasn't as green when I coloured it as when I'd swatched it beforehand). Anyway, here it is.

I'm not very good at fur but I'm quite pleased with this.  I did cover some of the image, along with the sentiment, in sparkle pen.  I also added bling because that's what I do.  I can't seem to leave the gemstones alone, can I. Anyway, now it's your turn.  Let's see your critters please.  You can even use butterflies if you wish.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x 

Thank U

Morning all.  It's the 15th so we are due a new challenge over at Sparkles Monthly.  This month's challenge is to say Thank You with your projects.  Thank you cards are always handy to have and I find that sending them makes the recipient feel really appreciated.  It's so much more personal than a text.

I've been trying to sort my craft room into some sort of order.  I know, I'll never find a thing!  However, the advantage of sorting through your stuff is that you find things you'd forgotten you'd got.  I found some pretty backing paper that was neglected in a drawer.  It's so pretty that it didn't really need much doing with it.  I added my 'thank you' onto a piece of parchment - which I'd also found lurking - and popped on a few butterflies.  I think I get hung up on having to create all the time when, in fact, sometimes you just need to put a few bits together.

It's a pity you can't really see the sparkle on the flowers.  I'm kind of sad that this is the last piece of this paper.  It is so pretty.  Mind you, if I keep tidying the craft room then I may find some more.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Whatever you Wish

How long have you got.  I've got a wish list that's way longer than the traditional three - starting with more time.  Today's Alphabet Challenge allows you to make 'whatever you wish'.  It's probably a good job as February is heavy for birthdays and I am working such long hours at the moment that I could combine this challenge with a card I really needed to make.  I think I've mentioned before that Will's step mum volunteers for Cat's Protection and loves her moggy's to bits.  When I saw the Laurel Burch cat stamps I had Viv in mind as I bought them.  I adored colouring him and making the messy, throw everything at it background.  It's so not my style but I had such fun. I've only just managed to get the ink off my fingers.

I used distress inks of various shades on the background and sprayed it with water.  I then flicked some sparkle from a spectrum noir sparkle pen before adding my stencilled texture paste.  I added embossing powder to the texture paste and heated it to give a sort of bubbled texture (it's not really clear in the picture).  I then added my cat - isn't he handsome - and a bit of bling.  I then ran out to the car to meet her at the pub for a birthday lunch.  Did I mention I was short of time at the moment.

Anyway, I'm sure you have lots of wishes to fulfil our criteria.  I'd love to see what you create.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Black and Bling

Morning all.  New Challenge day at Cardz4galz and I don't know many Galz who don't love a little bit of bling.  Lynda, however, would like you to team your bling with black - very classy.

I love a bit of jewellery but tend to stick to what I like and what I like is silver.  So, I've used gold! I'm a contrary Mary at times.  I've had this card in my head - in a fashion - ever since I bought the Moroccan tile dies from Xcut.  I just think they'd make an awesome screen background for an oriental type stamp.  I have several but my absolute favourite set came from Lakeland way back when they used to do some bits of craft.  It's still in really good condition and I love to go back to it when I'm in an oriental frame of mind.

Having backed my tiles onto gold glitter card, I heat embossed the stamp in gold embossing powder.  I then fussy cut it and mounted it on foam pads.  I did add the obligatory gem stones and that was that.  I am so pleased with how this turned out.  I really don't think it would have worked as well in silver.

Please pop over and join the rest of the Galz.  I'd love to see your take on the theme.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x