Thank you

 Morning all.  Today we have the last challenge of the year for 2022.  Appropriately enough it gives me a chance to say Thank You for your support throughout the year.  We are asking to see your 'Thank You' projects over at The Alphabet Challenge today.

Here's mine:

This year promises to be a huge challenge for me and my family.  Now Patrick has flown the nest we are downsizing in a huge way.  Watch this space for more exciting news on this.  I may have to take a couple of months off as I pack up my craft room and adapt to a tiny craft space but I will still be crafting.

Please pop over to the challenge and join in the fun.  I love to see the inspiration you all provide.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

To Bee Continued

 Morning all.  For those of you who saw my gift box post, I have now completed some notecards to go inside it.  Which is quite handy as I needed a card for today's Cardz4galz Challenge.  For the last challenge of the year you can chose any of the previous challenge themes from 2022.  For my card I chose 'Things with Wings' challenge from February 24th.

I used the same papers as the gift box and I've made 6 bee cards to go inside it.  I will be giving it to a friend as part of her birthday present.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  I will be missing again soon (we've sold the house and will be packing my craft stuff away whilst I move in with mum for a few weeks) so it will be nice to see your creations before I disappear.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's a gift

 Morning all.  Only one week left before the big day.  Have any of your created your own gifts this year.  Over at Make my Monday we are looking for gifts.  It could be a gift you've created or a card with gifts on it.  I chose to use this tutorial by Sam Calcott to create a lovely gift box.

I'm using the same set of papers to create a set of notecards to go inside.  Unfortunately, I haven't finished them yet so I can't show you. I'd love to see other gift ideas.  Please join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's Snow Joke

 Morning all.  I hope you are keeping warm.  Much as the snow is pretty to look at it can be a pain when you have to go to work in it. However, it's always pretty to look at on a card and today, over at The Alphabet Challenge we are looking for exactly that.  S is for Snow folks.

I love the look of white on kraft so I just chose a couple of snowflake stamps and used white embossing powder on them.  I'm really pleased with the result.

Please nip over and give this one a go.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It' Snow Fun

 Morning all.  Are you warm enough. I'm fed up of the white fluffy stuff already, aren't you.  It's great until you have to go to work in it.  Anyway, today we are looking for 'fun in the snow' over at Cardz4galz.  I chose to go with this Cute little fella from Lee Holland Art.  To be honest with you I bought a whole set of cute little Christmas Pigs.  I couldn't resist.  Merry Pigmas!

He looks so happy skipping along in the snow, he's got to be having fun, right?

Please pop over and join in the fun.  I promise I won't complain about the white fluffy stuff on your projects.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

'O' Christmas Tree...

Morning all.  Are you ready for a new challenge for the guyz in your life.  Check out today's theme at Cardz4guyz .  We would like to see something beginning with 'O' please.  And, 'o' my goodness, I struggled with things beginning with O.  In the end I chose to do some Origami and made a pretty Christmas tree.

My card blank was a pre-embossed one I've had forever.  I just added a few gems and a snowflake and I'm really happy with it.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Winter - not Christmas

 Morning all.  I know it's now December (how did that happen!) but we aren't at Christmas yet so today, over at Make My Monday, we would like Winter cards (but not Christmas Cards).  Think of all the other things you love about this time of year.  Like hot chocolate and...hot chocolate.

Oh look - Hot Chocolate!

I'm sure there are other things to but I'm off to make a hot chocolate.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Reduce to make it CAS

 Morning all.  Thank you for the comments I've been getting.  It's nice to be welcomed back.  Today, over at The Alphabet Challenge, we are up to R for 'Reduce'.  We want you to reduce the amount of things on your project so it becomes CAS.  Perfect.  I'm trying not to get too much of my stash back out.  My dies have all gone into special boxes on their magnetic sheets but they are, at least, on my desk. I grabbed some scraps and an embossing folder and this is the result.

OK, let's see your reduced creations.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

A Colourful Christmas

 I disappear for months and then look...two posts in one day! 

As it's the first of the month we have a new Sparkles Christmas Challenge and we are looking for 'Non Traditional Christmas Colours' please.  Luckily, as I needed to do some Christmas cards, I had dug out a freebie set of papers from last year. They were perfect.

I have a feeling they were Crafter's Companion but don't quote me.  I got them with a magazine.  I love the illustrations on the whole set and I wish I had more of them.

Please pop over and give the DT some love.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

...and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

 Morning all.  Today over at Cardz4galz we would like to see any of the following on your projects please.  Are you ready for this:

 On the twelfth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Of course, you could be extra ambitious and add them all.  I just chose the one and I'm really pleased with the result.

The image is one from The Lovely Studio and I don't think she's open any more. Please pop over and join us.  I would love to see your creations.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

                                                     

I'm back...for a short while

 Morning all.  I disappeared for a while as we are selling the house and I'd packed up most of my craft stuff.  It's all up in the air at the moment so I've unpacked some of it.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Cardz4guyz has a new challenge this morning and we are looking for 'birds' on your creations.  I had some freebie papers from a magazine hanging around which were perfect for this one.

Please pop over and give the DT some love.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

As if by magic

 Morning all.  It's my turn to choose for today's Alphabet Challenge and I've gone for 'M for Magic'.  I've managed to clear enough space on my desk to conjure up this creation.

I'm wishing that he will magically pack all my craft stuff into a small, neat and organised pile.  I don't suppose it will happen now I've told you.  I should have kept my wish secret.

OK, please show us your magical creations or I won't be able to pick a winner.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Shades of blue

 Morning all.  The Galz at Cardz4galz are feeling a little 'blue' at the moment.  'Shades of Blue' is our challenge for this fortnight. I am keeping things very simple at the moment as I am sorting my stuff out with a view to moving house.  It's not going well.  I'm surrounded by piles of stuff and can't see much of my desk.  We are looking to downsize, dramatically.

I will not be getting rid of this beautiful paper pad.  I adore the oriental feel of the patterns.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

To Stress or to Distress

 Morning all.  Today's challenge at Cardz4guyz is 'distressing'.  Not my usual style and I did stress a bit about what to do.  I was over thinking it a bit.  To be fair, the situation in my craft room at the moment is less than ideal.  We have made some plans - watch this space - which will seriously restrict my craft space.  I'm in the process of reducing my stash and finding suitable storage solutions for what remains. I'm also hoping that being more choosy about what to keep will help me focus on what I want to create.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed by everything I have.  I spend more time sorting it out than actually creating.  Anyway, less stress and more distress.

In the end I just used a distressing tool on the edges of my paper and kept the layout very simple.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  Also, if you have any brilliant storage solutions I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

  

Are you a Fun Guy?

 Morning all.  We have a brand new theme for you over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge. We are looking for your 'mushrooms or other fungi' on your projects please.

The patterned paper I've used on my card is from an autumnal paper pad I had last year from The Range.  I honestly didn't think I'd ever use this side of the paper. As it is probably the only thing I've got with fungi on it I'm glad I kept hold of it.

The leaves and little gnome girl are foam stickers - also from The Range.  

Please pop over and join in the fun(gi).   Sorry.  Couldn't resist.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Life is better with Friends

 Morning all.  I was so pleased with the lovely entries on my 'back to school' theme at Make My Monday but all things must come to an end and we move on to the new top of 'friendship'.  I already had a sentiment (from an Etsy company called Colorspacecutfiles) printed out.  Sometimes, when I'm printing digital stamps I add extra files to the sheet so as not to waste card.  Quote files are always a good filler.

I just added the sentiment to some pretty papers I had already put together from scraps.  The only other thing was the sweet little brad heart to finish it off.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Leaves

 Over at The Alphabet Challenge we have reached the letter L for 'leaves'.  The leaves are definitely falling where we are.  Autumnal weather has arrived really quickly this last week.  I am still stash busting so I've found some die cut leaves and kept this very clean and simple.

I really don't think there are many pure white leaf cards out there.  Stash busting does lead you to challenging the usual designs.  I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Baby Galz

It is my turn to choose today's topic over at Cardz4galz and, once again, I have no recollection of choosing it.  Oh well, apparently, I want to see your 'Baby Girl' projects please.

As you know, if you are a regular reader, I'm on a mission to sort my craft room out so, once again, I've pulled a very old topper from my stash.  The hardest part was finding some papers to go with it.  It's frustrating when you can't find the right shade of red.  I've got hundreds of red backing papers.  How hard can it be?

You have to admit red and orange are not your typical baby colours.  I really like how it turned out though.  And I have the added bonus of using another one of my many bits of stash.

Please pop over and join it.  I would love to see your baby galz.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

The wrong sort of bowling

 Morning all.  We are looking for your 'sports and hobbies' on this week's Cardz4guyz projects.  

I'm on a mission to organise my craft room at the moment (yes, I know. Again!) I've put all my little toppers and ephemera in a drawer together and I found this guy in amongst some stuff I've had printed for ages.

I had a whole set of these sporting characters from Crafts u Print.  It's about time he got used.  I've got a matching lady too. I just popped him onto one of my pre-made card fronts and he was done.

I was on my way to a junior cricket match one evening and had to pass the local bowling green.  I was approached by a gentleman who asked me if I was interested in bowling.  I had to tell him I only bowled overarm as I made my way to the cricket pitch next door.  I'm not sure if he was relieved or disappointed!

OK, let's see what the guyz in your life get up to in their spare time.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Simply the start of the chaos

 Morning all.  So, September is upon us already and I know that the mince pies are already in the shops.  It's time to start preparing for the Christmas chaos by getting our cards started.  OK, I know some of you started at Easter and I've been doing this challenge all year but I refuse to get serious about it until the end of August.  We are easing you in gently over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge by keeping things 'Clean and Simple' this month.  I'm grateful, to be honest, as I'd just come back from a few days away and had to throw this one together at the last minute.

I probably should have used glitter card for the holly but I didn't have any green left.  

OK, you have a month to join in so there is no excuse.  Please pop over and see what the DT have come up with.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Time for Frazzled Parents Everywhere to breathe out

 How many parents out there are ready for your offspring to go back to school?  Why not send them off with a 'back to school' card or project.  I've chosen this as a new topic for the Make My Monday challenge.  My darling little one is now in his twenties and starts a new job tomorrow.  Good luck Patrick.

I've had this stamp of ages (Tiddlyinks) and I've only ever used it once.  I think it's so cute and it's nice to be able to get some use out of him.  He's such fun to colour.

OK, now you've got them packed up ready for school you'll have plenty of time to join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Krafty

 Morning all.  We are up to 'K for Kraft' over at The Alphabet Challenge today.  This one came quite easily for me.  I was already halfway through colouring my image (a digital stamp from Twinkle Lane Designs) when I checked my list of upcoming challenge themes.  I thought it would look stunning against a Kraft background.

I wanted to keep it simple as I love this stamp. However, for added interest I used an embossing folder to bring a little interest to my panel. I stamped the sentiment and cut around it before adding it in two halves.

Let's see your Kraft projects please.  We'd love for you to join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Take 3

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4galz today we want you to use '3 of something' on your projects please.  I'm not sure how I came to this card as it certainly wasn't what I had thought of first...or second...or third.  I'd got flowers, die cuts, embellishments and all manner of stuff scattered around my desk but I wasn't feeling any of it.  Sometimes I think I have too much stuff.  There is so much potential that I can't just see the wood for the trees, or the card for the craft stash.  I ended up at my printer staring at my wood mounted stamps on the shelves above.  They rarely see ink as I use so many digital stamps.  In fact I'm not sure that the one I chose has ever seen ink.  It just sits there looking pretty.

The stamp has 5 of these pretty flowers in a row but I chose to use three and fussy cut them out. The backing paper was just hanging about on my desk.  I didn't even need to cut it.  It was a perfect size.

I just added the sentiment and a couple of gems.  I'm really pleased with it.  I now need to put all those flowers, die cuts and embellishments away before they get lost.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x 

Bamboo for you

 Over at Cardz4guyz today we are looking for 'stencilling' on your projects please.  I love the stencils from Funky Fossil and was so happy to be able to use one on my card for this challenge.  I stencilled a whole field of Bamboo for this one but, in the end, die cut a piece and paired it with some oriental script paper.

I printed out and cut the topper (available from Crafts u Print) absolutely ages ago. It's been sitting in a box waiting for inspiration.

I'm sure you've all got tonnes of stencils that need an airing.  Please  pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Not ready to give up summer just yet.

 So, in case my earlier Christmas post depressed you a bit, here's a little bit of summer for this month's Sparkles Challenge.  Our theme this month is 'on the beach'  I couldn't get seashells out of my mind for this one and did have a go at stamping some.  They turned out ok but I couldn't get them to look right on a card.  I found an old Hunkydory card kit with some seashell paper and ended up using one of the toppers and a sentiment as well.  I did find an old shell bead to add in amongst my bits and bobs.

My lady is definitely a beach babe with all that seaweed in her hair. It's funny how I don't look quite that glamourous on the beach.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Christmas in ... August?

 Just so you are well ahead with the Christmas cards you started last month we have 'Christmas in August' for you at Make My Monday.  I still can't get in the mood for seasonal cards.  If it wasn't for these sorts of blog challenges I'd be still making cards on Christmas Eve - and it wouldn't be the first time that had happened.  I kept this simple and used an image I'd coloured and not used (image from Bugaboo and no longer available I'm afraid)

So there he sits, waiting for Santa.  He's got a couple of months yet.  

Ok, over to you.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Juvenile antics

 Morning all.  Over at The Alphabet Challenge we are up to 'J for Juvenile'.  We would like to see something made for the youngsters.  Kid's cards are probably the ones I make least often.  Apart from my great nieces all our kids are grown up.  So, did I make something for a great niece? Of course not.  I went with a boys theme.

You could argue that girls like dinosaurs too and there is a coral colour in the leafy background.  Anyway, I had a rawsome time colouring them in.  I found the set over on Etsy by a new, to me, artist.  The shop is called Jo Kavanagh Designs. She's got some really sweet images if you are looking for something for the juvenile in your life.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Check this out!

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4galz today we are looking for 'checks or plaid ' on your card.  I'm not a huge fan of checks but I did sort through my vast array of papers and had a surprisingly large selection.  I chose pink as I needed a special card for one of the girls in the office who is moving on to another department.  It seems that, for special occasions, this is my new go to fun fold card.

I love how it folds down to an ordinary envelope but it looks so spectacular when it's displayed.  The butterfly is Memory Box stamp that I got free in a recent magazine.

I do hope that you will be inspired and come over to join in our challenge.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Let's get down and dirty!

 Morning all.  Time for a new theme over at Cardz4guyz.  We want you to 'get dirty'.  Time to go a little grungy.  What could be more perfect for a guy card.  Now most of you know that I can't stand to get my hands dirty.  This is not my thing at all.  Saying that, I quite enjoyed this one.

I smeared some distress oxide ink onto a grey backing paper and then used my glue eraser tool to rough up some of the patches.  I screwed it up and distressed the edges before layering it onto my card blank.  I stamped the centre panel - do you know how hard it is not to stamp a perfect image when you want something to look messy - and adhered it to the front of my card. I had some little word panels that I couldn't resist adding and then dotted my die cut tools around the front.  I'm really pleased with the result.

Ok, time for you to get your hands dirty.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

The first Noel...

 Two posts in one day.  How luck are you?  Or not, as the case may be!

As it's the first of the month we have a new theme for you over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge.  We would like to see 'your sentiment as a focal point' please. My card may be the First Noel but it wasn't my first idea. I originally wanted to use a square die with lots of Christmas bunting across it.  I was trying to layer the snowflake bunting with a metallic card but it was so fiddly I left it and started again.  I used a layout I found on Pinterest and it worked out pretty well, in my opinion.

I can't remember where I got the die from.  I think it may have been one of those cheap ones from the Range. I used washi tape in the background and a few gemstones.

Please pop over and check out the challenge.  You get a month for this one.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

In the Spotlight

 Morning all.  Over at Make My Monday we have the 'spotlight technique' as our new theme.  I chose a slightly different way to do this by creating my card with a stencil.

I love the stencils over at Funky Fossil but I've always struggled a bit with this one.  My other half bought it for me and I think it's so pretty.  I've no idea why it defeats me so often. For my idea this time it was perfect.  I used grey distress ink for the most part and the red colour for my spotlight.  I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Are you Interested?

 Morning all.  Today, over at The Alphabet Challenge we have got to 'I for Interests' so, what interests you?  Do you have any interests or hobbies.  You must have, don't be shy.  Let's see what you like to do when you aren't crafting.

Me, I'm not so much interested but totally obsessed with reading.  I always have a couple of books, at least, on the go. Well, I need at least a couple to match whatever mood I'm in. At the moment I am just about to finish a Reacher novel by Lee Child.  I have Possession by A S Byatt about half way through and I've just started The Paris Library.  I've also got a book about Penguins on my Kindle app and I've got Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch on the Libby App (audio books from the library). Told you.  Obsessed!

I used an image by 2 Cute Ink (it doesn't seem to be available anymore) which just about sums me up.  The more books the merrier in my opinion.

OK, let's see your interests and, if you have any recommendations, let me know what you're reading.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Black, white and...

 Morning all.  Time for a new challenge over at Cardz4galz.  We want black, white and one other colour on your projects please.  You can choose which ever other colour you want.  For my card I decided to die cut some floral elements.  I cut the main flower in blue and the rest in white and used various amounts of pressure with a brush loaded with distress ink.  This way I get various shades of blue but it is the same blue.

I found a scrap of black and white paper to use as a background and added the flowers and sentiment before finishing with a few gems.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Reduce, Re-use, RE_CYCLE

 Morning all.  Over a Cardz4guyz today we are wanting a 're-cycled' element on your project please. I was unsure what to use for this one.  I have a few Christmas cracker bows and some beads and buttons I've saved over time but, as this needed to be a guy card, they didn't seem to fit the bill.  Eventually, I found an old book that Will had rescued for me from work one day.  

I'm not sure what was going through his mind when he saw the old and battered copy of Kirsty Allsop's book about handmade home decor other than it had crafts in.  You know when you say a book looks slightly foxed.  I think this one had been had by a rabid wolf!. There was water damage and pages stuck together and it may have been used as an alternative to a football in the absence of anything more spherical.  Anyway, I'd had a flick through it at one point and left it on the floor of the craft room. Time to put it to use then.  

I tore out some likely looking pages and used one in my printer to print the corkscrew image on.  Then I distressed the edges - given the state of the book I'm surprised it was necessary.  I'm quite pleased with the result.

Usually, I would be dead set against such wanton destruction of literature but, seriously, if it moulded away any longer it was in danger of starting to grow it's own eco system.

I hope you find something to re-use on your creations and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Zoom!

 I'm anything less than zoomy at the moment.  I should have posted this morning but I didn't finish my card until late and then I was at work at 7am.  Over at Make My Monday we are looking for 'outdoor sports'.  I'm not sure sport is such a good idea in this heat.  Our under 17s cricket game has been called off to keep the kids from heat stroke.  This really isn't a typical British summer.

I suppose cricket would be the obvious choice for my card but my hubby needed a birthday card for his boss.  Apparently, she's a big fan of formula one.  OK, that solves that then.

If you want the instructions for this type of card have a look at Sam Calcott's Tutorial on You Tube.  I've done a couple of these recently and I have struggled to get them to line up.  Sam's measurements are for an A4 sized piece of card.  I had some larger card stock and altered this one to measure 6 x 6 inches and it lined up easier.  The images were cut on my cricut and, before it goes off with hubby, I will add Michelle's name and age (Big Birthday).

Please pop over to the blog and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

I'm ready for my holibobs

 Me again.  Today, over at The Alphabet Challenge we want to see 'holiday' projects please.  I don't know about you but I'm ready for a holiday myself.  Somewhere quiet and peaceful.  My card suggests a beach holiday.  In this weather I may have to travel a bit to find a quiet beach.  🌞🌞🌞

OK, time for you to step away from the paddling pool and get creative.  Let's see what you've got.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Magical Shaker

 Morning all.  Are you ready for a lovely new challenge over at Sparkles Monthly, and with this one you can really add some sparkle.  We would like to see a 'shaker' element on your projects please.  Once again, this challenge offered me an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.  I needed a birthday card for a Harry Potter fan.  I found this cute image by Zekesami on Etsy. 

My intention was to do a small shaker window behind the image and add a sentiment.  However, I was wandering through You Tube, as you do, and came across this idea from Sam Calcott.  I love how it turned out.  I may make a few more full shakers.  It was so easy to do.

Please pop over and check out what the DT have for you this month.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x