Bear or Beer - you chose

Bear or Beer?  or anything else beginning with B.  That's today's challenge over at Make My Monday.  Pick something with the letter B.  Funnily enough, this stamp was sat on my desk so it must have been meant to be.  I think it's a dovecraft or a trimcraft one.  Sorry, I'm not sure which.  I just used some colourful backing paper and a bit of card candy and it just came together.

I wish all cards came together that easily.  So, what's your letter B?  I can't wait to see what you chose.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

All Washi'd Up

Alright, hands up, who's got dozens of rolls of unused washi tape?  Yep, thought so.  Me too.  Well, now is your chance to get it out and use it.  This week's challenge at Cardz4guyz is to use the stuff.  I buy it 'cause it's pretty but then I'm at a loss as to what to do with it.  Anyway, my oldest washi tape has a lovely diamond pattern on it.  A bit like the Pringle design you get on golfing jumpers.  I have the same design in two colourways so I got it out and stuck some to the front of my card.  As it was another golf card I've dragged out my little pigwit golfer again.  He's no longer available, I'm sorry to say, as the artist passed away some time ago. He is perfect for the golfers in you life though.  What do you think?

As the challenge was to use the tape I left it fairly plain and simple.  The sentiment inside came with the set and it's perfect for this.  It just says 'May the Course be with You'.  

Please pop over and show us your ideas.  I've still got tonnes of the stuff lying in wait ready to be used.  I could do with the inspiration.

Thanks for reading. 

Love Dawn x

No Patterned Paper

They didn't say I couldn't create my own pattern though.  So that's exactly what I did.  My card is for the new theme over at Sparkles Monthly Challenge.  As I couldn't use patterned paper I decided to use up all those little scraps of coloured card that 'might come in handy'.  You know the ones.  You've got a box full, right?  Too small for normal card fronts but too big to just throw away.  I spent an age cutting lots of squares and rectangles and a couple of frames and then spent even longer trying to piece them into something I liked.  Once I'd done that I had a look through my stamps to see if I could find something to use on it.  I decided on a pretty patterned cat from My Favourite Things.  It was one of those stamp sets that I absolutely had to have when it came out.  I think this is the second time I've ever used it!

Anyway, this is how it looks now I've finished it.

I really pleased with the end result.  I think I might have to visit my bits box a bit more often.  It seems that they do come in handy every now and again.  

Please pop over and join in the fun.  It's always fun to see what your take on the challenge will be.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

It's Nail Polish - But Not as You Know It!

Time for a new technique challenge over at Back to Basics and Beyond and I have to admit to never having seen this one before.  It's called the Nail Polish Technique.  There are tutorials on You Tube if you want to see it done but it's basically putting nail polish into a bowl of water, swirling it around to make patterns and then dropping a piece of card onto the top.  When the card comes out the patterned polish makes a lovely abstract background.  Apparently, cheaper nail polish is the best to use as it's runny.  Brilliant, I only own cheap nail polish (which is probably why you don't see me with painted nails).

I used a red and a glittery gold in my water and that's where I should have stopped.  Instead I also dropped in some pearly white which was a bit of a disappointment.  I used acetate rather than card for my first attempt and I'm pretty pleased with the result.  I also dipped a piece of pearlised white card.  I'm not so keen on that but my husband loves it and says it's very 'Chinese' looking.  Apparently, I've got to use my Chinese dragon stamp and mount it on the background and it'll look awesome.  'Yes dear' but not today as I need to get this other one done.

I kept it pretty simple for my card and chose a nice bit of the acetate to go behind a panel I'd cut in two.  I just added a die cut sentiment and a couple of glittery gem thingies and left it at that.
Now, where did I put that dragon stamp?

Please pop over and have a go.  It's a really fun technique to try.  Even I enjoyed it and I hate getting messy.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Lots of Flowers

The title says it all this morning.  The new challenge at Make My Monday is to use Lots of Flowers. We want to see at least five on your project in order to count.  I think I've managed to fulfill the conditions.  I certainly seemed to be cutting the things for an awfully long time before I started to put it together.  I think the die I used is a Sue Wilson one but don't quote me as I never keep my dies in their packaging.

See if you can spot what's wrong with it.  I'd taken my scan of the card and noticed it straight away.  I've rectified it on the original but I thought I'd give you all something to do, lol.

Please pop over and join in the fun.  I'd love to see your take on the theme.

Thanks for reading.  

Love Dawn x

You can never have too many Mackintosh roses

You can never have too many Mackintosh roses.  That is the rule of thumb in our house.  I love them.  Well, to be honest I love anything Art Deco and I'm a fan of all his work, but the roses are my favourite.  So my hubby can't exactly moan when I find that Altenew have a gorgeous stamp set.  It was only to be expected that I would succumb to temptation.  So one or two other items happened to fall into my basket at the same time!  To be fair, that was probably to be expected as well.  Anyway, I'm digressing.  

As I had bought them anyway, it seemed appropriate that I should use them for today's Alphabet Challenge - F for Flowers.  Now, come on.  You have no excuse for not joining in this one.  There must be millions of ideas rushing around in your head right now.  Flowers.  What could be more simple.

I had so much fun with this stamp.  I can see it will be getting some major use.  What do you think?

Please have a look at the Design Team projects.  They are a brilliantly talented bunch of ladies and constantly inspire me.

Thanks for Reading.

Love Dawn x

Father's Day

Morning all.  I will admit to being in a bit of a rush with this morning's Cardz4guyz post.  I thought I was fairly up to date with my DT cards but this one slipped past me.  The theme is 'Father's Day' and, instead of making a card, I was busy doing my Dad proud on the cricket pitch!  My love of cricket comes from my Dad and it's something we can share.  I wish he'd been there to see me take my first hat trick (it will probably be my only one to be fair) as a bowler on Sunday.  Anyway, when I finally got back to the craft room panic set in and I needed a fairly simple and quick card.  I found a set of Father's Day stamps that came free in a magazine about a million years ago.  It does stamp beautifully so I may use it again.  I stamped it in peeled paint distress ink and coloured it in promarkers - going for a sort of ombre effect.  Once I'd done that it looked so plain I tried stamping some stars to add some interest.  Well, that was a disaster!  In the end I found some equally ancient star brads and added them instead.  The one thing I can say for being late with a card, it makes you use your stash up instead of buying more.

Here's the result.

It's a little more 'stripped back' than my usual stuff.  I'm pretty pleased with it but I keep thinking it's too plain.  What do you think?

Please pop over and join in the fun.  I would love to see what you come up with.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x