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

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

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

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

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

Ageing Disgracefully

 Morning all.  I was so impressed by all the fabulous entries to my 'Shades of Blue' challenge but it's time to move on over at Cardz4guyz. Our new theme is 'Age is just a Number'.  I am fully intent on not acting my age.  I always said I would grow old disgracefully. Despite my body screaming at me that I am the wrong side of 50, Wednesday evenings see me scampering (ok, scampering may be pushing it a bit) about like a kid on the local cricket pitch.  The under 11s think it's hilarious to make me run about.  I try to teach them to do as I say not as I do.  I can't throw for toffee but I can teach them the technique.  I bowl at least one wide every over but I can show them how to do it properly.  As for my batting - well, nowadays I take my glasses off, hand them to the umpire, squint and pray.  They still love it if they can get me out.

Anyway, you don't get many lady cricketing images - and besides it's Cardz4guyz - so I used this fabulous image from Dr Digi's House of Stamps.  

I am no where near 60 yet but I know someone who will get there sooner than me.

Please pop over and join in the challenge.  We love to see your projects.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Father's Day

 I always knew that June was going to be hard this year.  Cardz4guyz inevitably want a father's day card and that's the theme for this fortnight.  This will be the first father's day without my dad, and to really finish me off, Dad's birthday was always the same week.  I decided to get through this by going for a totally 'not my dad' card. Dad loved sport but was never a golf fan.  So, golf it is.

I cut the background on my cricut and the sentiment and golf clubs are from Dr Digi's House of Stamps. It's more suitable for my son than my dad, or my other half, but I'm way too young to be a granny yet! Yes, both my younger sisters have grandchildren.  Yes, I am still too young, so there!

Please pop over to join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

But First, Coffee or Chocolate

 Are you ready to kick start your day with a new challenge.  You have a choice of 'Coffee or Chocolate' over at The Alphabet Challenge. Or both, if you are so inclined. I can't start the day without my Earl Gray but my Other Half needs his 'proper' coffee.  None of that instant rubbish.  He buys his beans by mail order and grinds his own.  I suppose I could have chosen chocolate - which I love more than coffee - but I'm on a diet!

I bought a whole sheet of coffee sentiments from Dr Digi's House of Stamps and just picked one.  After cutting it out and inking it with some distress inks I wasn't sure where to go next. I liked the backing paper I had picked but didn't have a contrasting one. I also felt it needed a little embellishment. In desperation I found a sort of collage

sheet of kraft and black.  It had a little cup on it so I cut it out.  However, the kraft looked daft against my other paper and the inks I'd used. I also felt it was a bit dull and boring.  Out with the alcohol markers.  I coloured my cup red and added it to my sentiment circle.  I was so pleased with how it came out I then cut a square of the kraft paper and coloured the whole piece red.  It turned into one of those cards that I keep looking at and smiling.  It wasn't what I had started out doing but I love how it turned out.

Please pop over and join in the fun.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Masculine Monday

 Morning all.  I'm sorry you didn't seem to enjoy my emergency services theme over the last fortnight.  Hopefully, today's Make My Monday topic will be more appealing.  We would like to see your 'Masculine' projects please.  I always enjoy these cards more than I like to admit.  For a start off you can get away with some fun images.  I have loads and most of the 'male' themed ones seem to come from Dr Digi's House of Stamps.  I had real fun colouring this one for my card.

I'm not sure who I would give it to as most of our friends have scooters.  I suppose I could have used a scooter image as, although you can buy this stamp on it's own, I bought the whole transport set.  I added it to some paper that matched my colour choices and popped on some die cut spanners.  I hope you like it.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  For those who struggle with cards for the boys the design team have some lovely inspriation.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

The Old Ones are the Good Ones

 Good Morning all.  We have a new challenge today over at The Alphabet Challenge and it's one of mine.  I have chosen the topic of 'O for Old Folk'. 

I have so many options for this topic and some inspiring old folk of my own.  They can be such fun.  It's the 'old enough to know better but young enough to not care' mentality. I fully intend to grow old disgracefully. 

I went with Mobility Malcom from Dr Digi. There are a whole section of oldies on his site.  I always have such fun with these sorts of images.  I started off with a red, white and blue idea in my head but ended up with more red, white and grey.  Oh well, grey fits the theme doesn't it.

OK, over to you.  Lets see your old folk please. We are in tier 2 lockdown here at the moment and I can't get to see my old folks.  This could be the bit of light relief I need to keep me going until I can go and see them again. Luckily dad can still tell me his rubbish jokes down the phone.

Mum and Dad are always up for a laugh.

Thanks for reading.  

Love Dawn x

CAS for a Guy - Oh Balls

 Morning all.  I can't believe how quickly the last two weeks have gone.  I had such a brilliant time checking out the entries for my Dragons or Dinosaurs theme but it's time for a new challenge so we have to move on. Julie has chosen the theme of Clean and Simple over at Cardz4guyz. Thanks Julie!  What am I going to do for this one?

I decided that a sports theme would be a good idea. We are talking a 'guy' card after all. I chose this digital stamp from Dr Digi's House of Stamps and laid the balls out carefully with the sentiment before printing them off. I carefully coloured the images in an attempt to create a one layer card.  Then the orange bled out and ruined that idea.  Oh Balls! 

Take two - cut out the sentiment and the balls and arranged them around a blended circle. Et Voila. What a save.

I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out in the end. My track record for remembering birthdays is really poor (unless my mum remembers to remind me) so I'm sure this will come in handy at some point. Don't worry Tyler (my nephew) mum reminded me it's your birthday on Monday.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  The design team have some fabulous inspiration for you.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Controversial?

Morning all.  We have a new subject for you today over at Cardz4guyz.  Jane would like you all to be inspired by the songs of The Beatles.  My heart did sink a little at this one.   I may court a little controversy here but I'm not really a Beatles fan.  I don't mind their music and individually I quite like what they've done.  However, I was put off in my teens by a boyfriend who was obsessed.  

Anyway, I digress, the subject is what it is so I'd better get my thinking cap on.  Now, having said that I wasn't a fan, one of my all time favourite tracks is 'While my Guitar Gently Weeps'.  I knew that George Harrison had written it so I wondered if it would count.  Anyhow, I've done a little research and it was on The White Album, yeah.

When Patrick moved to University he started teaching himself to play the guitar.  One of my favourite things is that he rings me up and plays to me down the telephone.  I have given him a wish list of songs I would like him to learn and this one is on the top.  I'm not holding my breath.  He's still playing Hendricks and Jonny Marr.

For my card I used a fab image by Dr Digi and mounted it on the stencilled background.  I've just discovered texture paste and added a few droplets to the background using a stencil I created from a raindrops die.  I'm really pleased with the result.  I think it fits the bill quite nicely considering.

And now, for your listening pleasure:

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Music to my Ears

Morning all.  Who's up for a new challenge at Cardz4guyz? There's lots of scope with this week's subject of 'Music'. 

I've got tonnes of potential stamps for this one.  The hardest part was deciding on which one.  In the end I went with this brilliant Jukebox from Dr Digi purely because I'd bought it and never coloured it.  I don't know why 'cause it was so much fun to colour.  Plus, I had the perfect background papers to use.  They were a freebie from a long forgotten magazine but they screamed out to be used with this stamp.  Here's the result.

And I have to say it's a relief, after a few weeks of mojo malfunction, to be pleased with the result.

The Design Team have created such a diverse group of cards for this subject you just have to pop over and check them out.  And whilst you are there you can join in the fun.

Thanks for reading. 

Love Dawn x

As Derek Drives off into the Sunset

Morning all.  We have a very male theme for you today over at Cardz4guyz.  We are looking for your 'Transport' cards. Now you could argue that girls like vehicles too.  My first proper date with the OH was to see the touring car races at Donnington Park (his dad was mortified that he'd taken me to a race meeting but I loved it).  However, you don't really see many girly vehicle cards do you?

Anyway, this was ideal for me as I needed a retirement card for a colleague.  After persuading him again and again that he really didn't want to go, Derek finally put his foot down and stuck his notice in.  The office really isn't going to be the same without him.  Derek loves his motor bike so there really was only one option for a card as far as I was concerned.  I found a suitable image over at Dr Digi and coloured it in.  I created a sunset background using an embossing folder and this is how it turned out.

I'm going to miss his insights into the Superbike Racing on a Monday Morning.  And his endless trips to make tea and coffee.  And about a million other things too.

Enjoy your retirement Derek.  You've definitely earned it.

Derek, the Legend!

Anyway, I've digressed a little bit.  Please pop over and join in the fun.  We do like to see what you come up with.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x