Wednesday 29 May 2019

Doing the Triple

Morning all.  We are going Back to Basics and Beyond today with a new challenge.  Unfortunately, our shrink plastic challenge didn't seem to excite much interest so we are moving on to 'Triple Stamping'.  The technique is a fun one and easier to do than it looks.  There are plenty of tutorials on You tube if you aren't familiar with this style.  Most of the example I've seen are for normal rectangles but I'm a Contrary Mary and I wanted to try something a little different.  What do you think?


I'm hoping that you can see the image ok.  I've had the stamp, which was from Chocolate Baroque, for ages but I've only used it a couple of times.  This is the first time I've used embossing powder on it.  I'm still not sure if I should add colour to the koi in the middle.  It looks so effective in real life.

Please pop over and have a look at what the Design Team have created, and whilst you are there maybe you could join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Monday 27 May 2019

Can you dig it?

Well, yes you can!  Because my card is interactive and all the digger's little arms move about.  And that's exactly what we need from you in today's Make My Monday Challenge - something interactive.


I've used metal brads to join the pieces together.  This allows the joints to move.  I'm really pleased with the background as it's fitted loosely to the card so that the digger bucket can pass behind it.

I'm really impressed with the options this challenge gives.  Please nip over and see what the design team have made.  They are all so very different.  I'd love to see what you come up with too.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Now come on, admit it.  You sang along with the title didn't you.  Well I did when I typed it.  And that's exactly what we want you to do for this week's Cardz4guyz Challenge.  Simples, right?

There has got to be loads of scope for this challenge so you have no excuse for not joining in.  I was spoilt for choice.  I couldn't decide between seagulls, beaches, boats or fish, so I went with a lighthouse instead.  I've had this sweet digistamp from Tiddlyinks for years and I think I've only coloured it once.  It may get a few more outings as I really enjoyed colouring it.  I think, when I bought it, I was a bit daunted as I hadn't been colouring long.  I'm really chuffed with how it turned out this time.  


The backing papers were in my drawer full of scraps and I just added the clouds and the wave for a bit of detail.  Originally I added a couple of eyelets but I hated them.  No points for guessing where I left the holes when I removed them.  I don't think you can tell and I'm pleased with the result.  Please pop over and join in the fun.  The DT have some wonderful inspiration for you.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Wednesday 15 May 2019

The Colour Purple

Now there's a book on my to do list, but not today as I'm busy with the new challenge at Sparkles Monthly.  And that is the challenge.  The colour purple. Easy right!

It did turn out very easy to me.  I've just received some happy mail from Seven Hills Crafts.  I'm a bit addicted to Altenew stamps at the moment and Tara and Rick are feeding my addiction nicely.  I'd gone looking for Macintosh Roses and popped a little lavender bud into the basket, as one does, because it was only a few quid.  Well, I can't stop using it.  It's one of those serendipitous things.  It was obviously meant to be.  

Here's one of the results.


I dotted the bud with a couple of different purple inks to give it a bit of texture.  It's not very obvious in the photo but it works really well like this.  

I hope you like what I've done.  Please pop over to the challenge and see what the other girls have done.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Honey I shrunk the die cut

Morning all. Back to Basics and Beyond have a new challenge today and it has just taken me back.  The challenge is to use Shrink Plastic.  I first encountered this in my old ATC days and I'm not sure that I've ever used it on anything else.  I knew that I'd got some somewhere but it took some finding.  I'd put it in a bag of bits to send to the local kids club.  Luckily, I'd not gotten around to taking them.

For my card I decided to use a die cut rather than a stamp.  I cut it in card and then again in shrink plastic.  After colouring both I got out the old heat tool and let the magic happen.  Yeah, right!  My first attempt curled up on itself and wouldn't straighten so I did it again.  If I'd realised how awkward that thin stem was going to be to shrink I'd have done something else.  Anyway, I kept at it and this is the result.


I didn't want to distract from the simplicity of the card so this is it in all it's glory.  

Apparently, shrink plastic isn't a new thing.  My better half tells me that he and his sister used to bake sweet wrappers when they were little and they would shrink in the oven.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Monday 13 May 2019

A Colourful Monday Challenge

Happy Monday morning everyone.  Are you all ready for a new challenge at Make My Monday.  We have a colour challenge this time.  Red, Yellow and Green.  My first instinct was Christmas but I couldn't decide where to go with it.  After that I had traffic lights in my head.  Yes, I know it's amber and not yellow but I had and orangy/yellow card to use so that's what I did.

The stamp is an old one from Digistamp Boutique (unfortunately, no longer open).  It's the first time I've used the stamp.  It originally had balloons on the back but I didn't want it to look like a wedding car.


It was a great card for using scraps of colour on and I've had those brads for donkey's years too.  Please pop over and see the very varied cards from the DT.  I'd love to see what you come up with for these colours.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Friday 10 May 2019

Not So Very Distressing

Morning all.  Alphabet Challenge day today.  The letter D brings us to the word 'Distress'  You can use distress inks, distressed papers or you can do what I did and distressed the edges of my papers.  I do like to have a defined edge to my papers when I make a card.  I will either use matting and layering, a stitched die cut shape or even embroider a border with cotton.  One that I don't do much is to distress the edge.  Don't know why.  I have a special tool and everything.  I even like the effect.  Anyway, here is my DT card.


I chose the papers and created the layout before I decided which stamp I was going to use.  Strangely, it made colouring it much easier as I had my colours before me.  The image is from  Bugaboo but it must be an old one as I can't find it in the shop.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Tuesday 7 May 2019

It's a Man Thing

Morning all.  Time for another challenge over at Cardz4guyz.  This time we would like to see anything you would find in a 'Man Cave'.  Now this has caused some debate in our house.  I have gone with the card I made originally for this challenge and I've done so as I've seen my son and his mates all round the PS4 in his 'cave'.  However, both my husband and my son have said any man cave should have beer in it.  Surprisingly, in my husband's case, as he is tea total.  He suggested I create a sign with the Man Cave Rules on and I did intend to go with that but the sign stamp I ordered hasn't arrived so I can't use it.  When it does I may upload it as a bonus.  In the meantime, here's my card.


The image is from LOTV and I think it's perfect for my nephew Charlie.  I'm not sure he's old enough to have a 'man cave' yet but he's certainly been in Patrick's.

Strangely enough, as the only man in a house with 4 women, I think my dad probably had the original man cave.  His escape involve a shed at the top of the garden full of canaries.  Well, in those days PS4s and the like didn't exist.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Wednesday 1 May 2019

Basically, it's a Gatefold

Morning all.  It's a new Back to Basics and Beyond day today.  The challenge is to create a gate fold card.  Now there's something I haven't done in years!

The challenge for me was to make my card look like a gate fold.  As I scan my cards it's pretty hard to tell.   I created a 5x5 gate fold blank and covered it in pretty paper.  I added a fancy edge to each side of my gate and used a silver peel off to cover the other edge.  The frame is stuck to one half of the fold and the middle is stuck to the other so that they separate when open.  I then dug out some old decoupage  and added it to the middle.  I can't remember who the sheet came from.  I have a box of decoupage bits and other toppers that I cut out and then discarded.


I wish I was better at taking photos so you could see the full effect.  I got the idea from this card on Pinterest.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with for this challenge as I don't do fancy folds as a rule.  I'm looking to you lot to inspire me.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x