Thursday, 13 September 2012

The Brother-in-Law Card

I can't believe that it is over a month since I posted!  Where does the time go?  Anyway, as this is now the case I can, at last, show you the card I made for my Brother-in-Law, John.  John is a huge fan of motorcycle racing and it is his birthday tomorrow.  Now I do have various sheets of decoupage with motorcycle images on.  I'm sure, if I looked hard enough, I also have a couple of rubber stamps with motorcycles on.  However, and anyone who knows John I'm sure will agree, I think I found the perfect image at Kenny K downloads

She's called Roxie Racer.


Happy Birthday John

Thanks for reading

Love Dawn x

Sunday, 5 August 2012

Aren't Men a Pain...

...to make cards for.  It's much easier, I find, to create something pretty for a female but, just lately, I've had to put on my thinking cap and do several.  I particularly liked the challenge of the 'non sporting' man.  How awkward are they! Here are a few that I have come up with.

 using an image from Mo's Digital Pencil

Using a decoupage sheet I'd bought ages ago

Using Kanban card toppers

Using a pyramage sheet I downloaded years ago
(Sorry the site has disappeared so I can't link it)

Using a sticker from a sheet that was given to me years
ago and that I never thought I'd use


I'm really pleased with the results.  They are also a little different from my usual fair as I've only used one digistamp.  I have got another one up my sleeve for my brother in law using an image from Kenny K . I'm not posting it yet as it's not his birthday but if you want to have a look at the image I'm using click on the link and scroll down to Racy Roxie.  Some images are just perfect for particular men and this one ticks all the boxes for John.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x





Saturday, 16 June 2012

Twisted Tuesday Again

I couldn't join in last week's Twisted Tuesday Challenge as I didn't have any Baker's Twine.  Can you actually get it in England?  I've seen it on loads of cards on the Internet but never seen it on sale here.  Anyway, this week I was itching to join in as I knew exactly what I wanted to create.  The challenge this week was to use something clear and the twist was to use something you love.  Here's what I came up with.


I cut my card blank about an inch from the top with decorative scissors and inserted acetate to make the front of my card.  I then cut three nesties of the same size, one for the front, one to match it on the back so you don't see the sticky tape on the inside and one underneath to write on.  Take a tip from me, if you're going to do this put the one for writing on in first.  If you don't it'll be hell to line up!

I then coloured my image with watercolour pencils and added it to the front of the card.  My twist was to use digistamps.  I think they are awesome and I particularly love Mo Manning's images.  This is one I bought last week.  It's called 'Spit Happens' and is available from Mo's Digital Pencil.

Here's what it looks like standing up.




Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Thursday, 31 May 2012

Having a go at a challenge

Whilst I was off at Easter I managed a lot of the Splitcoaststampers challenges and, in doing so, discovered that there are lots of Challenge Blogs out there.  I've put several in my favourites list but, up until now, haven't had an opportunity to do more than look each week.  This week I'm actually going to have a go at one.  I have been eyeing up the new Michael Powell stamps for a while and took the plunge last week and bought two.  Imagine my delight when this week's Twisted Tuesday Challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to use one of them.  They also gave us an extra week to enter so I really had no excuse for not joining in.  The challenge theme was 'Vacation' and the twist was to keep it clean and simple.  Here's what I came up with



I added the retirement sentiment as it seemed perfect for a friend who is to retire soon.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Saturday, 12 May 2012

What do you know, it worked!

I thought I was doing OK with this blogging lark but, having just checked it's been nearly a whole month since I last posted.  As this is the case (and having nagged my sister-in-law for not updating her blog recently) I decided to throw in a quick post.  I was recently asked to create a card for a couple who were getting married.  I had decided to go with a simple ivory and gold theme and was using some pearlised card stock.  I had been asked to put the couples name on the card and I couldn't find my small alphabet die (it's still missing in action if anyone's seen it).  The obvious thing to do was to use my computer and print the wording but that meant black ink.  Well, I knew that, in theory, I could heat emboss using my printer but I'd never tried it out.  So I decided to give it a go and, to my utter astonishment, it worked really well.  Here is the result


I do think that it helped that the card stock was pearlised as the ink needs to stay wet for a short while in order to add the embossing powder.  It must have been OK though as my customer wants another one for the next wedding she's attending.  A very satisfying result I think.  Thanks for reading.  Love Dawn x

Sunday, 15 April 2012

What I did in the holidays

Well, I've just had a lovely break from work over the Easter holidays.  I've not done much at all but it did give me an opportunity to enter lots of challenges.  I'm a big fan of the Splitcoast Stampers website.  They have a couple of challenges everyday which can be found on the right hand side at the bottom of their home page.  I check out the card making posts daily for inspiration but I rarely have time to play.  Well, over the last few days I've had lots of time to play and I've had such fun.  Here's what I've come up with.

  this was for the clean and simple challenge which gave us a magazine cover full of pastel shades as inspiration


This was for the ways to use it challenge which gave 'colouring your image' as a theme


This was for the inspiration challenge which gave us a website to browse for inspiration.  I chose a plain Tshirt with the same sentiment as my inspiration.  What were the chances that I'd have a stamp with the same sentiment written on it?



This was for the sketch challenge this week.

I have done lots of other cards over the last week as well and even a few Atcs.  I've also found lots of new challenge blogs that I didn't know existed.  Unfortunately, I have to return to work tomorrow.  Oh Rats!!



Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x



Friday, 6 April 2012

Today, I will be mostly recycling

Well, so much for me keeping up to date on the blog.  Having figured out I could use my old phone to take pictures I then lost the lead to re-charge the thing.  Anyway, I've now found a lead to use instead so I'm back.  Just don't hold your breath between postings.

Anyone that knows me knows that I don't have a lot of spare cash to use for crafting...or anything else for that matter.  That's how come I like to use off cuts and I never throw anything away.  Not that I can always find it when I come to want it, but you can't blame a girl for trying.  One of the things I never throw away are old cards.  I've got a huge box of them.  They are handy for using the greetings or the inserts sometimes make pretty backing papers.  Not to mention the topper potential.  Recently, I seem to be recycling a lot.  My desk is often not visible below a pile of old cards.



I made a whole set of notelets out of the pink mum card.  I just cut small squares out and matted them before putting them on some of my off cut notelets.  The swirly pattern was quite abstract and I just added a couple of pearls in one corner of each.  They looked really pretty but my camera was dead at the time.

Here are a few cards that I did managed to take photos of.


I was really pleased with the results and they hardly cost me anything to make.  Just don't let on to anyone I might be sending them to.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x