AWOL

Just to let you all know that I have not dropped off the edge of the planet.  My computer has died - grrr.  I've just pinched my son's for a few minutes. I'm getting filthy looks as I type.  New machine is on the way so normal service will be resumed shortly, God willing.

I'm still following blogs on Bloglovin (I've just followed you Vi - thanks for following me).  It's frustrating as I can see all your lovely work but it won't let me comment.

Hopefully, see you soon.

Love Dawn x

'This week we are setting you a real challenge'

The title of today's post is a direct quote from this week's challenge at the Sweet Stampin Challenge blog.  How prophetic that turned out to be!  I lost my marbles completely and did something I've never ever done before.  I created a card which relied totally on my colouring skills.  I've always used something else - designer paper, embossing folders, die cuts etc.  I've never ever just coloured.

The challenge this week was 'Terrible Teens'.  I had a suitable Kenny K image already printed so I was ready to go.  However, I couldn't decide what to do with him.  He needed a cool background, not some pretty paper so I nipped over to Make it Crafty  and bought a brick wall background stamp.  That, I decided, was way to plain to be cool so off I trotted to Little Miss Muffet Stamps for some suitable graffiti to adorn the boring wall.  In the end I had three different stamps from three different companies but they came together brilliantly.  Just my dodgy colouring to worry about in the end.  Here is my card:

I daren't ask my terrible teen what he thinks.  I think it turned out OK.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Too much life...not enough craft

Well, all my plans this week went out the window very early on.  I had lots of ideas and challenges I wanted to attempt but it wasn't to be.  I literally had about an hour yesterday to do one card so I have decided it should be for the From the Heart Sketch Challenge as it is the one I do most regularly.  Unfortunately, I didn't read the 'twist' and just grabbed an image I'd already printed so it isn't enlarged or cropped - unless you count the fact that I had printed it larger than I normally would so I had to make an A5 card!  I did take a bit of a liberty with the inner panel on the sketch by placing it more in the middle.  I had to do it this way as my Birdbrain was stood in the middle.  At the time of posting the image I used was a freebie - thank you Faith.

Here's my card:

and here is the sketch:

I suppose I did cheat a bit as it's not really a panel it's a frame.  I do like how it turned out though.

I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Cheers!

I don't know if you noticed but From the Heart stamps have a whole new set of Pigwit stamps in the shop this month.  I'm totally besotted with them.  They are so cute.  Anyway, as I purchased a couple (well, maybe more than a couple) last week it was kind of inevitable that I used one for this week's sketch challenge.  Here he is:

and here's the sketch:

I hadn't originally intended to use a hand written sentiment on the card.  However, I seriously messed up the stamped one - hence the panel.

I hope you like it.  I'm really pleased with how he turned out.  Hey, that's two cards I'm pleased with in two days.  I'm on a roll!

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Afternoon Tea

I've been itching to join this week's challenge at Less is More this week but, frustratingly, life hasn't gone as I planned it.  However, I have managed to finish early today so, better late than never.

I love the idea of an old fashioned afternoon tea.  You know the type of thing - pretty little cakes and sandwiches on colourful china.  All dainty and nice (I can dream can't I).  I bought the image from the digistamp boutique last week.  I sort of fell into my basket when I was browsing!  It wasn't the only one either.  It was perfect for what I had in mind.  I think I should mention at this point that this week's challenge is pastel colours.  This is what I came up with.

I'm pleased with it.  I hope you like it too.  The photo doesn't show up the gemstones that well but I was looking for something to add a finishing touch and, in a totally serendipitous moment, found some pastel pink and green stones I didn't even know I had.  I just embossed the panel across the middle, added the die cut frame and stuck the image on.  I wish all my cards would come together as easily as that.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Burger it!

Have you ever had one of those weeks were nothing goes right.  I had the whole of last week off and had great plans to craft and blog every day.  Well, once the first couple of cards didn't go to plan the rest of the week swiftly followed. I can't say it was a total write off as I did get to see a couple of friends for a change and I had a lovely day at Chatsworth House on Wednesday. This week's card for From the Heart Sketch Challenge did seem to want to give me some grief though.  I wasn't even sure I was going to enter but here it is:

and here's the original sketch:

It should have been fairly simple.  I did try to put the image in a circle but it looked too squished up so I fussy cut it - like I normally do.  Then I couldn't get the colours to stand out on the original backing paper I'd chosen so I picked out the red from the ketchup and went with that as a backing.  I did add both a button and a bow but, just before I took the photo, I went mad and ripped them both off.  I'm not convinced but it's staying like it is.

I hope you like it better than I do.  I'm back at work tomorrow so inspiration will be hitting me from all angles no doubt.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

CAS!

One of the first blogs that I started to follow was Simply Less is More.  They have a clean and simple challenge every Saturday.  I'm not sure why I was drawn to follow it as CAS is a style that I find difficult and I certainly wouldn't describe it as 'my style' at all.  I have, very rarely, been tempted to have a go and, as I had a week off this week, I decided to give it a go.  The challenge this week was to create a CAS card with patterned paper on it.

Here's my effort

I used the colourful flowers set from Digistamp Boutique and printed the branch and some flowers onto card stock.  I coloured the leaves with promarkers before printing the flowers onto patterned paper.  I layered my panel and the sentiment on the same paper and added large brads or small gems to the flower before assembly.  I need to thank Hannalie from the Desert Diva Blog as the sentiment is one of her freebies.  Now there is a lady who has nailed the CAS style and I'm in awe of her work. I stalk her blog on Bloglovin and I would definitely recommend a visit.

This week's posts are all turning into a fan fest. I'm obviously spending too much time on Bloglovin.

I hope you like my card.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Pretty Paper

I have to admit that I'm just a little bit awestruck having found that Pauline Bird is following my blog.  Please take a look here and you will realise why I'm so pleased.  Thank you for following me Pauline, I'm going to have to up my game now!  There is a reason that I mention this - it's not just some crazy blog stalker being overwhelmed and grateful.  It was through Pauline's blog that I discovered another challenge blog.  Crafty Hazlenut's Patterned Paper Challenge is a new discovery for me and a good excuse to use up some of my ample paper stash.  I pretty much always use designer paper on my cards but it's always as a background to whatever stamp I'm using.  Well, I've been inspired to focus on the paper this time instead.  A crafting friend of mine gave me a Laura Ashley paper stack at least a year ago and, although I love the papers, I just couldn't think of what to do with them.  Here's what I did with one of the sheets.

It is such a pretty paper I didn't want to cover the pattern up like I usually do.  I printed a digital sentiment (from Pink Petticoat - who are unfortunately no longer trading) and added it to the ribbon and finished it off with some grey gum drop things (they are sparkly but is doesn't really show on the photograph).  I have to admit to loving the final card so much I made two more - one for Church and one for spare.

I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

A Mice Surprise

I've been a very bad blogger recently.  I have allowed life to take over and neglected my crafty/blog time. My long looked forward to Saturday without the boys went totally pear shaped.  Would you believe my son got on the team bus to play American Football before he realised he'd left his pads and helmet on the dining room table!  Cue one unexpected trip to Birmingham and no blog entry to From the Heart Stamps sketch challenge last week.  That, coupled with the ELO concert over-running, and my husband not returning from London until Sunday afternoon - meaning I had to take Patrick to Cricket as well - meant my entire weekend went down the Swanee.

Oh well, that was last week.  This week I have a week off work so no excuses.  Here is my take on this week's Sketch Challenge.  I die cut the top panel as well as the banner so I covered the 'twist' as well as the sketch.

Here's the original sketch

I hope you like it.  I really missed playing last week.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x