Without Rain There Would Be No Rainbows

 Good morning all.  Today's new Challenge at Make My Monday is 'April Showers'.  I seem to have done several cards on this theme recently so how was I going to come up with something different this time.  I thought I would concentrate on the raindrops themselves.  I downloaded this SVG file from Fantasy Clipart.  It also comes with a PNG image so, instead of cutting it, I printed it.  Once large and three times small.

I have to say colouring it became a bit of a love/hate thing.  I started out loving it but it took so long.  The smaller raindrops just got stripes of colour but I need to pay more attention to the colour wheel as the blending turned to brown in some bits.  Oh well, browns a colour I suppose.  I added some coloured bling and that was that.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Watch the Birdie

 Morning all.  I bet you are fed up with seeing me this week.  We have a new subject over at The Alphabet Challenge today.  We are looking for 'B for Bird' projects. I was spoilt for choice with this one as I have several bird images.  They always came in handy for dad cards as my dad loved birds.  He kept Yorkshire Canaries, like his dad did before him, but he loved all sorts of feathery friends.  He once walked my mum miles to show her a duck with a blue beak that he'd seen on a pond.  When they got there it had disappeared.  She didn't believe him so he found a picture of one in a bird book.  It was called a Ruddy Duck.  You can guess what my mum said. 'Ruddy Duck'! 

I'm digressing.  I chose a bird that you wouldn't usually see flying about.  Although we did see one walking up our street a couple of times.  I have no idea where it came from but several people said they'd seen it wandering about.

I mounted my Tracey Hey Peacock on a circle I created from strips of scrap card.  I spaced them out on acetate before die cutting the circle and popped it up on a matted square.  The peacock tail is sparkly but you can't really tell from the picture.  It's probably not a card I would have sent to dad.  It's a bit girly.  I never did find a stamp of a Ruddy Duck.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

I Love My Mum

 Morning all.  We have a lovely new challenge for you over at Cardz4galz this morning.  We'd love to see your projects for 'Mum' or projects for a 'Special Day'.  Mother's Day in the US is coming up soon so it would be an ideal opportunity if you are that side of the pond.  Even though we've had Mother's Day in the UK.  I chose to make an early birthday card for my mum.  She doesn't read my blog so I'm fine posting it. I think I've mentioned before that mum is trying to teach me to crochet.  Honestly, she's got the patience of a saint. I'm not the easiest of pupils. I've been practicing little bits at home and I'd recently managed a little heart.  I'd started to make another but the wool got in a knot and I gave up in frustration.  It had made a heart shape so I finished it off at that point.  They've been sitting on my table staring at me ever since. Not any more.  They are now sitting on my card.  

Sorry about the rubbish picture.  Because of the thickness of the hearts it wouldn't scan so I had to take a photo.  I kept everything very simple, stamping a 'with love' and die cutting mum. If she doesn't look too closely at the crocheting I think she'll love it.

OK, over to you.  Let's see what you've got for our challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It Wheelie is a Guy Thing

 Morning all.  Are you all ready for a new Cardz4guyz Challenge. This one is so perfect for the men in your life.  We want to see your 'Wheels' projects please.  Absolutely anything with wheels.  Check out the design team.  There's at least one wheel I guarantee you haven't thought of.  

I've got so many images that I could have used for this one.   In the end I went for this really old image from Splashcraft.  It just seemed perfect.  I printed it pretty large as I've run out of smaller square card blanks.  Everything is 8x8 at the moment.  It also meant I could get rid of some of my larger sheets of backing paper.  I kept it fairly simple.  What do you think.

I am really pleased with how the colouring turned out on this one. Occasionally I look at something I've coloured and think 'I can do this colouring lark'.  Then the next image proves me wrong!

Anyway, over to you.  Let's see your wheelie lovely projects please.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Showers

Morning all.  As it's a new month at Sparkles Monthly Challenge and that month is April, it is entirely appropriate that the new challenge should be 'April Showers'.  I did mention, on my previous 'Spring Rain' card that this little fella would definitely be getting another outing.  I think I've also mention my latest obsession with the quotes at Baer Designs.  Well, that's what you are getting for this one.

It doesn't really need much of an explanation.  I just coloured both and stuck them together. I added the coloured dots but I'm not sure I like them.  Oh well, they're on there now.

OK, let's see what you've got.  Please pop over to the blog and check out the DT cards.  The girls are awesome.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Check it out - it's Plaid

 Morning all.  Time for a new challenge at Make My Monday.  Let's see your projects with 'Checks or Plaids' please.  I had no idea where to go with this one and the obvious place to start was my paper stash.  I dug out all the checks and plaids I had to see if anything inspired me. I found a cute pink, green and a hint of blue and popped it on a card front before adding some layers of stitched squares.  I wanted to us a very old rubbishy plastic 'baby'  stamp that I've had forever and I coloured it to match.  The problem was it looked lost on my card.  I just didn't really know where to go with it.  I could have coloured a baby image (I have plenty) but I wasn't in the mood.  In desperation I went through my toppers box and found the absolute perfect image.  I had it from the Dollar Graphics Depot years ago (they don't sell to Europe since they altered the law a while ago - something to do with tax I think).  It's been sitting in that box forever. I'm not sure I could have made a better card if I'd started with the image.

I did make some smaller cards with just the stamp and the off cuts of paper which have gone in my Church card box.  

OK, it's your turn.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Happy Anniversary

 Morning all.  We start, once again, at the letter A over at The Alphabet Challenge and we want to see your 'A for Anniversary' projects please.  Both my husband and I (do I sound like the Queen) are a couple of soppy souls but we don't really do anniversary cards.  Our anniversary sits nicely between his birthday and our sons birthday - all in the same week.  However, if I was going to send him a card then I would like it to say exactly how I feel about him.

I am totally obsessed with the quote downloads over at Baer Design Studio.  This says everything I want my husband to know.  OK, it's a bit pink and girly so I may have to redo it before our next Anniversary but I hope you get the idea.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Slimline (in my dreams)

 Morning all.  We have a new challenge today over at Cardz4galz. We want you to go slimline.  Luckily, we only mean your cards.  Having regained most of the weight I'd lost before lockdown I can say with all honesty that a slimline card is the only thing slim going on in this house at the moment.

The stamp and backing papers I've used for my card came from a recent issue of Creative Stamping Magazine.  I stamped the feathery wreaths over the corners and then added some single feathers.  I decoupaged the single feathers and just added the sentiment and gems.  Simples.  

I do like a DL/slimline card for a change.  Let's see what you have to inspire me.

Thanks for reading.  

Love Dawn x

Ink Credible Art

 Morning all.  I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend.  Back to normal this morning but, before I go to work, let's check out the new challenge at Cardz4guyz.  Pamela would like us to use something new from your stash.  Now, if that isn't an excuse to go shopping I don't know what is.  To be fair, I didn't need to go shopping as I already had a lovely stamp set that Mum and Dad gave me for my birthday and I hadn't had chance to ink yet.  I totally fell for the cute art work from Tracey Hey and I will be getting more of her stamps in the future.  I regularly visit Kuni's Bastelblog as she often joins our challenge and it was her cards that led me to discover Tracey's stamps.  If you need inspiration please check out her blog.  You won't be disappointed.

Isn't he the cutest?  I really enjoyed colouring him and, once I'd finished, I decided to leave him be.  I really don't think he needed any adornment.  I just love his cute little boots.

OK, now let's see what you've got new in your stash.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x