CAS Koala

OK, for anyone reading my post of yesterday I couldn't resist colouring another Koala.  It's from the same set from My Grafico and, as I had my spectrum noirs out anyway, it's coloured in the same colours (mainly BGRs and CRs).  Anyway, once I had it coloured I wasn't sure what to do with it.  There is a Sketch Challenge this week at Less is More  so I thought I'd have a go and see how it came out.  Here's my take on it:

and here's the sketch:

I left my panel white on white because I wanted  to keep it simple.  I think I should have put a coloured edge around it.  I coloured my hearts in the same set of colours as the ears and heart on the image.  I did try to ombre the colours but the edge wouldn't soften but I quite like the pattern it made. I wasn't sure how far my sentiment would stretch and I should have started it a little further over but it was hard enough to stick down in the first place so that's where it's staying.  The little flowers are the off cuts from a corner punch I have but they seemed to fit the bill.  I hope you like my interpretation.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Yes, I am that soft in the head

This morning's card has been made for the current challenge at As you like it.  I need to make a card with my favourite animal on and explain why it's my favourite.  Heaven knows what you are going to think when I've finished my explaination!

My favourite animal is a Koala - but don't tell Christopher he'll get big headed over it.  I've used a digital image I've had forever from My Grafico and here's what I've done with it.

It needs a sentiment and it will probably be a father's day card but I want Patrick to choose what to put on it.  I'm fairly sure my other half doesn't read my blog so we should be OK.

When Patrick, my son, was little he had two very special bears from the Build a Bear Workshop.  Francis was a normal bear and Christopher was a Koala and they sort of became Patrick's alter egos.  Francis was a good boy who did his homework and was very clever and nice to everyone.  Christopher...well Christopher wasn't.  He was a bit of a one, was fond of the ladies and the odd 'Tinny' and referred to me as 'mummy Sheila bird'! That kind of makes it sound like Patrick was a terrible child.  He wasn't, and still isn't, but it was Christopher's personality.  I have my own bear - at Patrick's insistence - and so does his dad (Edward and Monty).  Even though Patrick is now grown up we still persist in projecting these personalities on the bears.  Maybe this will help you understand.

The 'boys' were watching the Superbowl   Francis is wearing a Patriots top, Christopher - well I suppose he's easy to spot.  Edward is next in his Saints kit and Monty is a Sea hawks fan like his dad.

Yes, we are all that daft in this family and I would never admit to Christopher that Koalas are my favourite but, well they are.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

ConGRADulations

Just a quicky post tonight for a card I'm entering into The Paper Players Challenge.  This week it's a sketch and this is what I've done with it.

The image is from Digistamp Boutique.  I cut a panel and embossed a stripe across it with an embossing folder.  All I had to do after that was add my image (coloured with spectrum noirs) and my die cut sentiment.  Here is the original sketch:

I do hope you like him.  He looks to me as if he has very tired eyes.  To many late nights out whilst at University me thinks.  Not unlike my very own son who will be coming home for the summer in a few weeks.  I think he will need to reset his body clock when he gets home.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Say Cheesy

I did mention on my Flamingo card that I had coloured up another of Dustin Pike's fun images on Sunday. It's from the same set as before (I don't think it is available any more).  I have to say that Dustin's fun images really do lift the spirits.  As I didn't have a challenge in mind with this one I am entering it into the 'anything goes' challenge over at Crafting from the Heart.  I have no idea why I don't enter there more often as it is always so full of fabulous inspiration. Go and have a look.

Here's my daft and very cheesy creation.

The background colours look a bit washed out on the picture.  It's so vibrant in real life.  I couldn't be more pleased with how it came out.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Books for Guyz - DT card

This week's challenge over at Cardz4guyz is World Book Day.  Apparently, in England we celebrate it wrong.  UNESCO have designated it as 23rd April so we should be ok this week.  The challenge is to use books or book titles as the inspiration for your project.  So, not up my street at all - she lied!  Oh my goodness where do I start?  So many books and I only need to make one card. Argh, the frustration!  In the end I glanced over at my very neglected wood mounted stamps and the book title just screamed at me.  I love this stamp.  I've had it for ages and rarely get an excuse to use it.  I also love the books that inspired me.  I have to admit to binge reading all three at once.  My card is inspired by 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson.  I hope you like it.

I scanned the picture so it looks a bit cut off.  Sorry, I'm trying to improve the quality of my images.  I used a bokeh technique for the background and added some sequins to finish it off.  The stamp is from Creative Expressions but it's so old I doubt it's still available.  I hope you will join us for this fun challenge.  I really love checking out what everyone else comes up with.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Pink Goes with Everything

Have you ever spent an entire evening trying to make one card work?  Well that was me yesterday.  I spent ages going over it with layers of colours.  I cut it out.  I ruined three card blanks trying to get it to work and finally... I threw it in the bin.  So today, I decided to chill out and make something silly that I couldn't get stressed over.  Dustin Pike's images over at Doodle Dragon Studios are always good for a grin.  I bought a set ages ago - I think it was for a fund raiser he was doing - and I've never coloured them up.  Today I coloured two.  I may blog the other one at a later date but this one I decided to enter into this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  After yesterdays fiasco I was grateful to feel happy with the result.  What do you think.

Daft isn't he.  Here's the sketch I was following. I admit to making it a square card rather than a rectangle.  What can I say - I'm a rebel.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x

Raining Cats and Frogs

OK, I lied about the cats but I do have a frog for you.  In fact we have a pond full but none of them are as cute as the one on my card.  I used an image from 2 Cute Ink (I can't link it as Heidi is taking a break at the moment and her Etsy shop is empty) so I could enter the Weather Challenge at Sparkles Monthly Challenge.  The green paper is a Lawn Fawn one that I won a while ago and someone gave me a few of the frames and I was unsure what to do with them.  I think they turned out OK once I'd added Mr Froggy.  He looks way too cheerful to be under the weather but I decided the sentiment would be suitable.  I finished it off with a couple of die cut clouds and a streak of lightening and added the pearls to cheer it up a little.  I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading.

Love Dawn x