Thinking of...Monochrome

 Morning all.  Over at the Alphabet Challenge we have reached M for Monochrome and we would love to see your ideas for this challenge.  I chose to got very simple - even creating a one layer card (that almost never happens).

I used a beautiful stamp that was free in a magazine a few years ago.  I inked it up in shades of green and just added a sentiment and some gems.

It's not perfect but I'm pleased with it.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.  

Thanks for reading

Love Dawn x

Take three ingredients

 It's my turn to chose the subject, and the winners, for today's Cardz4galz challenge and I've chosen to give you a three ingredient recipe.  I'm looking for 'a stencil, an image and a sentiment' on your projects please.  This gave me an excellent excuse to get my Tracey Hey Stamps out of storage as I think they look fab on a stencilled background.

I blended three colours of ink in the background but got a rainbow of coloured hearts to I was thrilled to fine the sentiment to go with it.

Please pop over and join in my challenge.  I'd love to see what you all create.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Reach for the Stars - then stick them on a card for a Guy

 Morning all.  We have a lovely new theme for you over at  Cardz4guyz at the moment.  We would like to see some 'stars'.  I've gone a little bit patriotic with my card and chosen a red, white and blue colour scheme.

I used some stars backing paper and stencilled the blue strip down the middle.  I then just added my die cuts and sentiment.

I hope you will pop over and join in the fun.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

We're all mad here

 Morning all.  Over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge we are all going bonkers - all the best people are.  This month our theme is 'Alice in Wonderland'. I used a digital stamp I've had forever from Dustin Pike.

I think any white rabbit image lends itself to a 'late' birthday card.  I'm really pleased with this one.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Hot in the City

 Morning all.  Over at Make My Monday we have the theme of 'In the City for you.  This one was quite a challenge for me but gave me an excuse to dig out a stamp set I've had for years.  The set contains lots of collage stamps of images from capital cities.

The images have a very grungy look to them.  It's not my usual style at all.  I've used the London and Paris ones and the smaller Moscow image to separate them. I wanted to keep it monotone but didn't really like the large black gems I'd got so used these grey ones instead.

I can't wait to see what you all create for this one.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Literally Literature

 Hello again.  Today we have reached 'L for Literature' at The Alphabet Challenge.  We would like you to create something inspired by a book.  So many choices for this one.  Reading is a true passion of mine. I went through all my printed images and came up with so many options.  In the end I chose to use 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden.  It's a while since I read this one but I had some oriental papers and a pretty image from Tiddlyinks.  

I would have liked to add some pretty detailing to her outfit to be more accurate but my artistic skills aren't really up to it.  

Right, I'm off to see what Ava's up to as she's gone quiet.  It's just like being a new mum again.  I'd forgotten how exhausting a new dog can be.

Please pop over and join in the challenge. I'm always looking for book recommendations.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Leaves it out

 Morning all.  Sorry I'm a day late.  We have a new arrival onboard Narrowboat Whisper this week and chaos reigns.  Ava the one year old rescue staffordshire bull terrier is ruling our lives a little.  My intention was to post this blog yesterday when I got back from mum's.  However, Ava chose yesterday morning to make her 'boat dog' title official by taking a dip in the water! Luckily, we were having our canopy fitted and the guy fitting it was able to haul her back aboard.  Cue everyone getting a soaking and all other things went by the wayside for a bit.  

Anyway, over at Cardz4galz we are looking for 'leaves' on your projects please.   I think it was meant to herald autumn arriving but summer just got here!

I was inspired by Cathy Zielski's video for this one and I love how it turned out.  I didn't have any large leaf dies so I used what I'd got.

And this is Ava, fresh from her dunking yesterday.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Remembrance

 Morning all.  For our theme this week over at Cardz4guyz we have 'Poppies/Remembrance'.  It's probably the most suitable way to create a floral card for a guy. I have poppy stamps but decided, once again, to turn to my cricut.

I used a piece of scrap backing paper to go behind the cut image.  I was going to use plain red paper originally but I'm so please with how this one came out.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Do you wanna build a snowman?

 Morning all.   Can you believe it's September already.  I wonder when we are going to get summer.  Anyway, as it's September the shops will be full of Christmas stuff already.  Our theme this month over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge is 'Build me a Snowman'.  I'm hoping that the entries for this one will be just as good as the ones for my Christmas food challenge.  I chose to build my snowman using a die that I had from The Works.

I went with red, white and blue for my colour scheme and used silver mirri card for the snowflake and sentiment.  I was going to use glitter card but it's still in storage at work.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

I like big books and I cannot lie!

 OK, today's theme over at Make My Monday  could mean only one thing for me.  We are looking for 'Hobbies' on your projects please.  For me, any time not spent crafting or work is usually spent reading. I have a 'to be read' pile that is so long. When we moved aboard the boat I bought a kindle to save space but I can't help myself when I see a bookshop, charity shop or table top sale. I signed up for two seperate reading challenges this year too. I'm 80% through the first one and 50% through the second.  Reading challenges have introduced me to some wonderful books that I wouldn't have read otherwise.

This is the first time I've used my cricut for a print and cut image.  I went through all the calibration stuff on my machine but ended up fussy cutting it as I didn't want to ruin the image.

OK, let's see what hobbies you all get up to.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Just Kitchen up

 Morning all.  Over at The Alphabet Challenge today we have reached 'K for Kitchen' and we will accept anything food related.  Some of the DT cards are so creative.  Please pop over and check them out.  I've gone all clean and tidy in the kitchen - well not really, just on my card.

I was sorting through my mum's pantry the other day and found a cute little apron that the grandkids and great-grandkids use if they're cooking at Mamma's.  Her's has got pigs on but I've gone a bit prettier for mine.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Such a cutie - and an apology

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4galz today we are looking for 'cute animals or insects'.  I had a look through my printed out digital stamps and came up with an adorable little mouse.  I created my card, watermarked it and uploaded it to the DT blog.  It's only when I came to look for it to link today that I realised that I've mis-credited the image.  I wish to apologise to RivusArt on Etsy as I'd obviously misfiled the image when I printed it with some Ram Designs images.  I'm so sorry.  As soon as payday comes around I will purchase some more images as a penance - lol, any excuse.

 

Isn't he the cutest.  I've left off a sentiment but I will probably go with 'Sorry you're under the weather'.  I feel that this would definitely cheer up anyone who was feeling ill.

OK, over to you.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Just Beachy

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4guyz today we have the lovely summery theme of 'Going to the Beach'.  Although, on my card, I've made contingencies for the British weather by using a beach hut.

I really love the small sweet images from The Lovely Studio and I'm so sad that the store is no longer open.  I could sit an colour these images all day long. I kept everything very simple so the image could star.

Please pop over and see what the DT have for you.  They really are a talented group of lovely ladies.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

All the 3s and Typically Tropical

 Afternoon all.  Chaos abounds aboard Whisper at the moment.  I've popped on to do today's blog to find that yesterday's blog is missing so, firstly, let's pop over to Make My Monday where we are looking for 'Three of something' on your projects.  I chose to go with 3 squares and also added 3 gems.

I couldn't resist this beautiful paper from The Range - I really must stop going in there!

And now for today's blog challenge.  As it's the 15th of the month we have a new Sparkles Monthly Challenge and we've gone from 'Christmas in July' to 'Tropical or beach themed' in August.  Not that there has been very much tropical about August so far.

I used my cricut again for the hibiscus and, bonus, some scraps from my many paper offcuts.

OK, over to you.  Please join in with us - on both challenges if you can - as we love to see your projects.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's a jungle out there

 Morning all.  I was so pleased to see all the gorgeous ice cream cards for my Alphabet Challenge over the last fortnight.  It was so difficult to chose my favourites.  For the next two weeks we have the theme of 'J for Jungle Animals'.  I do have some lovely stamps that would have done for this one but I'm on a mission to use up some paper scraps.  I had a fun piece of colourful zig zag paper sat on my desk that I thought would make a fabulous Kids card.  

I cut the animal faces on my cricut and cut the primary coloured balloons from some normal dies (can't remember the brand but I had them from The Range). I'm so pleased with how it came out.  I'm certainly getting my money's worth out of the cricut since we moved onto the boat.  It's sat on the table and I don't have to dig in my drawers for it so it's getting some hammer.  

Please pop over and check out the challenge.  

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Is it Summer Yet

 Morning all.  Shhh, don't tell anybody but the sun's out in Derbyshire.  Which is quite appropriate as today's challenge at Cardz4galz is 'a summer day'. I've gone a little tropical on you for this one.  Well, summer's been missing in action around here.  We do have lots of trees on the marina but I'm not sure if we've any palm trees.

I cut the silhouette with my cricut in white card as I've run out of black.  I then used an alcohol marker to colour it.  The background is distress oxides and a bit of white gel pen.  I really wasn't sure I was doing the right thing with this one but I persevered  and I'm so please with the end result.  OK, let's see what summer is doing your end.

Thanks for reading

Love Dawn x

Music for the boyz

 Morning all. Over at Cardz4guyz today we have the theme of 'music' for you.  This has such a lot of potential for Guy cards. I used the Pretender Strat from Dr Digi's House of Stamps - keeping it simple with a pop of colour.

My son started to learn the guitar when he was at university.  I used to love it when he phoned just to play some new bit of music for me.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Run, Run - as fast as you can...

 Morning all.  Over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge I have chosen the theme of 'Christmas Food'.  There are lots of things you could chose - turkey, Brussel sprouts, Christmas pud etc.  I've gone for a couple of cute Gingerbread figures for my festive favourite.  Of course, in our house gingerbread goes at any time of the year.  There is a local bakery in Ilkeston, where I grew up, where my dad would buy gingerbread for us all.  From kids to great grandkids.  Usually, in latter years, in the shape of a duck.  Dad's no longer with us but, even at the age of 25, I still by my son gingerbread for a treat and he still loves it.

My digital stamp is an oldy from Digistamp Boutique - I really miss that shop for cute images.  I've printed several of these cuties as they are a favourite of mine for sweet Christmas cards.

Please pop over so I can see your Christmas food creations.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Spaced Out

 Morning all.  Are you ready for a new Make My Monday Challenge?  We are looking for anything to do with 'Space Travel'.  I used a great UFO image from Dr Digi's House of Stamps.  I don't think it's available anymore.

I'm really pleased with this one.  I hope you will pop over join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Oops, I did it again!

 When you are miles away from your computer and you realise that, not only have you forgotten to schedule yesterday's blog post, you've forgotten your own themed challenge.  So, without any further ado, here is yesterday's Alphabet Challenge card.

I'd chosen 'I for Ice Cream' as my theme and I'm pretty chuffed with this one.  I used my Cricut to cut out the ice cream and the sentiment.  I love the bright patterned papers and I think they worked ok for the different flavours.  I covered them with a little sparkle pen to really make it tasty.

Please pop over and show me your ice creams.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

I'll have a P please Bob!

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4galz today we have a new challenge for you.  We are wanting 'Something beginning with P'.  I looked at my penguins and pandas but, when I came to put them together with patterned papers I found these.

Pink Peacock feathers...perfect! The papers where in with my pre-prepared backgrounds and I just had to add a die cut feather and a sentiment panel.  I've had the background forever.  It just goes to show that the perfect project will eventually turn up.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Water Water everywhere - well, I do live on a boat!

 Morning all.  It's my turn to choose the subject for this week's Cardz4guyz Challenge.  I think I must have been looking out of the window when inspiration struck.  I would like to see 'On the Water' themed projects please. Right at this moment, on the water outside, I can see lots of boats, duck weed and a coot.  What I am unlikely to see on the marina is anyone water-skiing.

A friend asked me for a water-skiing card so I bought This image from SVG Brooklyn on Etsy.  It has the water skier in a circle and was perfect for the card I made her - which I then forgot to photograph, doh!  Anyway, my first attempt at cutting the image had the circle going off my card as I'd not lined my mat up correctly in my cricut.  Waste not want not.  I cut the circle from around my silhouette and used a black die cut frame instead.  The papers in the background are some of my favourites from a pad I had from the Range.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out.  I would have thrown the messed up image away usually but my papers were out and it just came together.

Please pop over and join my challenge.  It will keep me inspired all week.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Stick a Hole in it

 Morning all.  Over at Make My Monday today we are looking for 'apeture cards'.  I used this fabulously easy tutorial from Sam Calcott.  She's a definite go to for me if I'm looking for something different and her showstoppers are stunning.  I really recommend giving her a watch as she's very easy to follow. 

I picked some pretty papers and put the base together before I decided how to decorate it.  The only issue I had was cutting the two frames equally.  The two apertures lined up perfectly but I had to cut a couple of frames before I got them to look even.  I ink blended some white card with distress oxides and cut my flowers and foliage.  I am so pleased with how it turned out.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Oh look, another Christmas in July Card

 Morning all.  Over at this month's Sparkles Challenge we are, just for a change, going with a 'Christmas in July' theme.  Got to get them in, there's only 31 days in July, and - by the time we hit August - you will be fed up of making Christmas Cards.

Here's another cute Christmas topper from Hunkydory.  They really do make quick and striking cards.  I just layered this lot up and added the star die cut.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Are you having a laugh?

 Morning all.  Over at The Alphabet Challenge we have reached 'H for Humour' so this should be a laugh.  I've used one of my pre-made backgrounds and used a funny sentiment from Dr Digi's House of Stamps.  They've got a couple of pages of silly sentiments and I've got both.

The only problem with facebook is that it doesn't give you chance to post the card.  It's way too late to remind me on the actual day.  Oh well, I can always post a Happy Birthday message on their news feed.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Being Catty

 Morning all. Over at Cardz4galz we would like to see 'cats or kittens' please.  Once again, I really am struggling for time at the moment, I've gone with a tried and tested topper sheet from Hunkydory.

I couldn't resist this one.  He's so cute and, like me, obviously likes a fish supper.  I would like mine with chips on the side though.

Please pop over and say hi.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

July - it must be Christmas

 Afternoon all (sorry - I'm late).  This morning we had a new Challenge go live over at Cardz4guyz. We are wanting 'Christmas in July' projects please.  I find Christmas cards really difficult to do.  I feel that they should all have the 'wow' factor. I figure the easiest way to do that is to get Hunkydory to do the work for me.  I bought a really sweet topper pack with gorgeous Christmas images and this is the first one from the kit.

Isn't he adorable.  I've done five cards with one topper sheet and I've got two tags left to put with a couple of them.  I added a few gold snowflake die cuts and varied the heights of the frames.  I'm so pleased with it.

Please pop over and show us your projects. 

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Happy Birthday to you

 Morning all.  Over at Make My Monday today we are looking for Birthday projects.  Come on, we've never got enough birthday cards in our stash.  Why not use this as an excuse to create a few extras.

I used a few scraps for my card so I'm doubly chuffed.

I grabbed a couple of pieces of colourful paper and some card stock to match and this is what I came up with.  Let's see what you can do for birthday cards.  I'm always on the lookout for ideas.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Going for Gold

 Morning all.  I'm afraid that I'm a day late but better late than never. Over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge we are looking for Gold on your projects please.  This gave me the ideal opportunity to try a technique I'd seen recently on You Tube.  I don't have a foiling machine and, since I've moved onto the boat, I've got no room for one either.  I was always going to be interested in a 'Faux Foiling' technique and I've link the tutorial I used here.

I tried a couple of my dies for this and this one was the most successful. Unfortunately the photo doesn't really do it justice. I finished it off with some gems and then, because it needed something, I added the peel offs in the two corners.

Why don't you give it a try, or at least join in the challenge.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

G for Green

 Morning all.  Over at The Alphabet Challenge today we have reach 'G' and that G is for 'Green'.  It must be the predominant colour on your project.  For my card I used a die I've bought recently from Spellbinders.  It fell into my basket - as they do - when I was ordering a really pretty bird die.  Unfortunately, the bird die went out of stock and they just sent this gorgeous shaped die.

I dare not go back to re-order the bird in case something else leapt into the basket.  

For my card I inked up three different green distress inks and cut loads of the panels.  I then covered a card piece in the different layers and added my banner.  I'm really pleased with the result. 

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

 

A 'cheeky' tribute to Mamma's budgie

 Morning all.  Over at Cardz4galz this morning we are looking for projects with more than one fold.  I chose to do a z fold card and use some gorgeous papers my husband bought me.  

I love the colours on the papers and there's one sheet with a cute pattern of budgies.  I really wish I'd had this paper before my grandma died.  She had a lovely blue budgie called Cheeky.  I'm not sure he was any more cheeky than my mamma was but she would have loved this card.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Keep it Clean Guyz

 Morning all.  Things are fairly chaotic on the boat at the moment.  We've spent the week painting the outside a gorgeous blue colour.  Well...when I say we I mean Will and his mate Rob.  I cleared off to mums for the week out of the way.  Now I'm back I just need to keep it clean.  Speaking of keeping it clean, we are after clean and simple for your Cardz4guyz projects this week.  Probably a good job as I've had to pack all my craft stuff away so we could turn the dinette into a spare bed for Rob.

It may look clean and simple but it took me a couple of attempts to line up that background image.  They're always harder to make than they look.  Why not have a go and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Flying by to say hi

 Hi!  Over at The Alphabet Challenge this morning we are flying about looking for projects that include 'F for Flying'.  Anything that flies will be lovely please.  

Obviously, I chose butterflies for my project.  I've got a bit of an ink blending thing going off at the moment.  This time I cut the butterflies first and added the ink to some of them later.  I was a bit heavy handed  towards the end.  Unintentially, I used the brighter coloured butterflies towards the bottom which created an ombre effect towards the top.  A little bit of serendipity there I think.  I stamped the sentiment and layered it and the square panel onto card stock that I'd inked with the same colours.  I'm really pleased with the result.

OK, over to you.  Let's see your 'f for flying' projects.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Stamping - Oh no you don't

 Me again.  As it's the 15th of the month we have a brand new challenge - and it was a challenge for me - over at Sparkles Monthly.  I don't really class myself as a stamper but when someone says 'no stamping allowed' I realise that, even if it's just a sentiment, I do stamp on a lot of projects.  It may be only a digital stamp but they aren't allowed either.  So off to see what I've got lurking in the boxes I've not unpacked yet.

These papers and the decoupage topper are the last remains of a paper pad I've had forever.  I think it's probably the first paper pad I've actually finished completely (yes, that's why most of my stash is still in the store room at work).  I very rarely do this style of card anymore.  When you first start card making you try everything and then find your style.  I think mine is still evolving but I'm not really a decoupage person anymore.  Anyway, this fit the bill for the challenge so I have to be grateful that I hung onto it.

Why not pop over and check out the challenge.  We do love to see your creations.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Dies and punches for the Galz

 Morning all.  Today, over at Cardz4galz, we are looking for projects using dies and punches. I do love my dies.  I never really use punches much so, when I moved, I got rid of them.  I had several DT projects to catch up on - having just returned from my holidays so I chose to case this card from Pinterest for my project.  

Although the balloons were a nightmare to glue without squidging, I'm really chuffed with it. I added a few gems and some left over circles from my balloons to try and hide the worst of the mess and spritzed it with my shimmer pen to make it look like I meant to active the distress ink background. There are so many cover up tricks when you've been card making as long as I have.  

Please pop over and have a look at the amazing DT inspiration and we'd love it if you'd join in too.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Oops, can you tell I've been on holiday

 Sorry guys, this post should have gone up at 9am.  I've been swanning around Scotland for a fortnight and forgot to schedule my post.  Over on Cardz4guyz this week we are focussing especially on the dads - as Father's Day is racing towards us.  We are wanting to see your 'Father's Day' projects please. 

I kept this fairly simple as I needed a card for my Father in Law and I've pretty much exhausted my ideas for wine and gardening.  

I cut some of my favourite oriental papers (featuring the wave design) into squares and rectangles and arranged them on a card base.  I then cut a sentiment - from Dr Digi - and inked it in blue.  I added a few gems and called it done.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.  I'm always on the look out for male card ideas.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Summer fun

 Morning all.  Are you ready for Summer?  Over at Make My Monday we are looking for a little 'Summer Fun'.  We've had some lovely weather recently on the Marina and It always makes me want to sit out on the boat something nice to drink and a good book.  I'd have to move the washing I've got hanging to dry if I tried it today.  Real life gets in the way a bit sometimes.

Here's a lovely summer cocktail to get you going.  I only had to colour the image for this one.  It was a free stamp in a magazine ages ago. It went perfectly with one of my pre-prepared backgrounds.  I can see I'm going to have to haul out some papers and make some more of those.  They are so handy to have around.

Please join in the summer fun and thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Easy easel

 Morning all.  Today we are looking for 'E for Easel' cards over at The Alphabet Challenge.  If you aren't sure how to do an Easel Card there are loads of tutorials on the internet.  It's one of my favourite types of fun fold. I decided to try one of the variations available and chose a Centre Step Easel Card.

Once again it's a really rubbish picture and in order to get it in an envelope you have to fold the images together.  I used an old pad of toppers and papers from Hunkydory and I think it turned out ok.  If you want to try this type of card have a look at this tutorial by Sam Calcott.  She creates some gorgeous show stopper cards and her tutorials are so easy to follow.

Please check out the other Design Team cards and we'd love it if you played along.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

The only slim thing around here

 Morning...again.  We have another new challenge for you today over at Cardz4galz.  We would like a 'slimline' card please. I wouldn't even qualify as slimline if I lost a couple of stone.

I really love how this one turned out.  Once again my photography skills are pretty pathetic. I think there's too much light on the boat and my pictures are washed out.  I used some pretty backing paper and added die cuts for this one and that's about it.  

Please pop over and join in.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Can't see the Wood for the Christmas Trees

 Morning all.  For my first card today I've created a mini forest of Christmas trees. And 'trees' is exactly what we are looking for over at Sparkles Christmas Challenge.  I've gone with non-traditional colours and I'm loving a bit of pink.

I need to add a sentiment but most of my Christmas items are still in the storeroom at work. I remembered to bring my tree stickers home but that's about it.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.  

Love Dawn x

Layering it up up and away

 Morning all.  We are looking for 'lots of layers -at least three' on your projects today over at Cardz4guyz.  My first instinct for this one was decoupage. I dug out some of my sheets and found a nice picture with birds on.  I layered it up and couldn't get it to look right on a card. I come to the conclusion that decoupage is not my style so I shall be getting rid of the rest of my sheets.  To be fair, I'm not much of a fan of my alternative idea but here it is.

I couldn't seem to get enough depth in my colouring on this image and the photo doesn't show it up well either.  I really need to sort out a proper spot for taking my photos on the boat.  

I matted the first layer then laid two circles over that.  The third layer is the white overlapping circle and the image finishes it off.

Please pop over and check out the DT projects and join in the fun as well.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x