A SPARKLING GEM OF A CHALLENGE

I'm bursting with excitement this morning crafters!!! WHY? 

This is my first GDT for A Gem of A Challenge - whoopie! When Mandy asked me to guest design for the challenge I was thrilled to bits and being close to the festive season I couldn't resist using this adorable image 'Mistletoe Kisses'. Aren't they just so cute wrapped up and snug.

Now if you follow my blog regularly you'll know I'm not keen on colouring - well I don't mind colouring it's all that blending and shading that bothers me BUT the beauty of Pink Gem Designs is you don't have to. You receive their images as a black outline and also pre-coloured, so job done.

I've used a pearlised card blank overlaid with a sheet of snow-patterned acetate for extra shine and to set the scene. I've added 2 Memory Box dies: the Country Landscape and the 'Happy' script. The word Christmas is a Pink Petticoat downloaded sentiment. 

I love my glamour dust so added some to the trees and little houses to make them shimmer and sparkle in the night sky plus a little drizzle on the penguins' bob hats finishing off with a piece of ribbon and metallic cord from my stash.

Hope you like it and please pop over to the other talented designers for some more inspiration.

CRAFTY TUESDAY

That's right I don't normally get to craft on a Tuesday with working but I've swapped a day this week and working Friday instead

On the plus side it felt like I had a bonus craft session today so here's my card entry for the joint CAS-ual Fridays and Curtain Call Challenges. I've got to admit that having seen lots of the Curtain Call inspirational photos, I've never sat down and entered their competition but the crisp weather today got me in the mood for a wintery Christmas tree. AND having used Clearly Besotted stamps for my card I'm going to be cheeky and pop another entry into their Christmas Challenge too.

I'm trying out a brand new challenge, for me this week, at Merry Monday and as the theme is 'Trees with Bling' I simply couldn't resist!

The Image & Sentiment are from the Clearly Besotted range - Autumn Flowers & Pretty Poinsettias stamps. Not sure if you can see from the photo but I've smeared fluffy stuff onto the 'branches' then heat embossed it to give a snowy impression. The 'baubles are some flower sprinkles from my stash with brads in the centre. I've also added some silver gems as sparkly lights.

   



Here's a second card which I couldn't decide whether to post or not but here goes - it's another entry from me to the Less is More challenge (using DP in a CAS way).

The design paper, ribbon and gems are from my stash, the sentiment is from Uniko Studio and I've used an MFT Die-namics sentiment strip for the greeting with a Cuttlebug swirly embossing folder.

Thank you for all your get well messages - my cough and cold seem to be clearing up so it's back to work tomorrow. Enjoy your evening.

DESIGNER LEAVES

I've been working from home today as I'm still coughing and spluttering so rather than spread my germs at the office I kept myself to myself. No time for crafting though so I've just finished off a card I started yesterday which is to enter the Less is More Challenge where the theme is 'use DP in a CAS way' and the Paper Players Challenge where the theme is 'Leaves.'

Not sure if my card is entirely CAS because I can't help myself with a bit of bling! On the plus side my DP does have a beautiful leaf design so hoping it'll slot in nicely with the Paper Players.

And as it's made up of plenty of odds and sods of papers I'm heading down to Pixies Playground for a turn on the swings and to show my card to my friends there too. In fact I've had this paper for so long I'm surprised it's not gone yellow! It's one of those buys where it ends up in your basket at the checkout and you've no idea how it landed there!!!! Then when you get it home you can't stop touching and admiring it to the point that it's simply toooooo gorgeous to part with even a little snippet on a card!

Anyway the day has come to 'cut' into it! My card is going to my friend's mum who has been in hospital for 3 weeks so hoping she'll love it.



Card Recipe:

Butterflies: Stamps & Dies from Clearly Besotted
Papers: The Paper Mill Shop & Pink Petticoat
Sentiment: Sorry unknown FREEBIE
Sparkling brad from Stampin Up and gems from my stash


Right off to catch up on some TV and chill time and may tootle around your blogs too.

LATE AGAIN!

Yes it's late but I did break off from crafting for my tea then ended up watching TV for a while so thought I'd quickly post this before heading off to bed.

My card combines a couple of challenges and isn't it great when it works out with a card you need to make anyway? Anniversary card needed and whoopie a challenge over at Addicted to CAS (thanks Darnell for reminding me) There's a 1 year anniversary celebration going on over there so couldn't miss it. I've also combined it with the sketch from CAS Colours & Sketches and the colour combo from ColourQ.

I've used a stamped horizontal panel using the Background Builders - Circles set from Uniko Studio to which I've added some glossy accents. The Sentiment and Heart stamps are both Clearly Besotted then a couple of candy dots from Stampin'Up. The white panel is raised on 3D foam adhesive but not sure you can tell from the photo.

So that's all from me for today. Hope to be back tomorrow with my Less is More card plus one other if I can get my act together! See you then.

 

A FRIDAY DUO

I haven't been able to get into gear today with crafting hence my very late post. Think it must be the cold I'm still struggling with but I'm reasonably pleased with my little cards so thought I'd get them up here before I change my mind.

It's got to be a quick post as I've been one messy crafter since the weekend and haven't put things away or cleaned up my stamps properly! Tut Tut! So one thorough tidy-up session needed in a minute.

Onto my cards, which are both commissions and I liked this first one so much that I decided to make 2! I've used the sketch from the latest challenge at Seize the Sketch although I've switched it slightly with my poinsettia on the left.

and YIPPEE! I've finally opened the packet on my beautiful Pretty Poinsettia stamp and die set from Clearly Besotted which I've been itching to play with. I bought some white embossing powder recently; not sure why I've never used that before as I love how these flowers have turned out. I stamped the image onto red vellum before embossing, then placed a sparkling brad from Stampin Up in the centre and raised the layers on 3D foam. The leaves are the same stamp, this time on green vellum with a deep green EP. 

The sentiment is part computer generated and part from the Peace on Earth stamp set from Uniko Studio. I've added some gems and bakers twine from my stash and a Crafts Too leafy embossing folder to the white panel.

Clearly Besotted have a Christmas challenge this month so I'm going to head over there too with my card.

 



My second card is to enter the Colour Throwdown and Freshly Made Sketches Challenges. I've used a digi image from Pink Gem Designs which I've shrunk, flipped, duplicated and added a sentiment before printing. I've paper pieced the image using the RGB colours from Stampin Up then coloured with sparkling gel pens (tried to match the colours as close as possible).

Finally I've added a couple of gems and pearls from my stash.

 


That's all for me - off to tidy up URGH! Hope you all enjoy your weekend and get chance to have some crafty fun!

LOOKING SHEEPISH

Hooray! That's my 'proper' work finished for the week! Didn't think I'd get through today as I've come down with a stinking cold so feeling particularly sorry for myself ... just feel like curling up under the duvet!

Anyway I did put a very quick card together last night which is for two challenges; first up is Less is More and the theme this week is a One Layer Thank You card and there's another One Layer theme going on at CAS on Sunday so I'm dropping in there too.

I've used a digi-image with sentiment from Pink Petticoat which I've coloured with promarkers & Sakura gel pens then added a tiny gem to the flower and some fluffy stuff to my sheep for extra 3D. I decided the woolly sheep looked too bright and clean against the Kraft card so I've made him look more natural (I hope) with a few smudges of promaker to his fleece.

Off to have a look round your blogs now.

CHRISTMAS TRIO

I'm afraid it's got to be Christmas again ... the weeks are passing me by! Think a couple of these will only be suitable for hand delivery otherwise I'll need a bank loan to pay the postage ... hee hee!

So here goes, following my busy crafting afternoon I've a trio to share and first up is my entry to CAS(E) this Sketch. I've half-sneaked an idea from the lovely Beverley at Uniko Studio by stamping one of the circles from the Background Builders set and using it as a bauble. I've also grabbed a trick I saw somewhere else (sorry forgotten where) which was to adhere coloured paper to a clear button so I've given this a go to make my bauble.

My 'papers' are Christmas washi tapes layered onto green and red cardstock then I've wrapped some metallic cord from my stash around the card, then a bow to top my bauble. The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted and there's a couple of silver pearls.





Next up is a combined entry to the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge, Color Throwdown and a brand new Christmas Challenge from one of my favourites ... Clearly Besotted. Have I told you I'm besotted with their products???

Card Recipe:

Image & Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Signature Christmas stamps & dies
Papers: Shelly K & The Papermill Shop
Gems and Metallic Cord from my stash.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo but I've layered my bauble up on several layers of cardstock to make it a bit more sturdy then added glossy accents to the bauble and glamour dust to the decorative centre.
Thanks to Michelle Short at The Card Grotto for her tip on layering up the die cuts, especially if you are adding glossy accents.


  


So last but not least, here's my entry to Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground and CAS Colours & Sketches. I ran another craft class last week for some friends and this card is similar to one we made. I had 3 friends over and they each made 3 Christmas cards. The standard was amazing so looks like I'm going to have some competition! OR maybe it's down the the fabulous teacher!!!!!!!!!!!

I've used the button trick again with a couple of clear ones glued to sparkly DP. I wish I knew where the idea came from so that I can acknowledge the blog here.

So I've used Buttons, Gems, Bakers Twine, Scraps of papers from my stash
Glamour dust at the snow level, glitter card and it's Clearly Besotted again for the sentiment
The tree is made from layers of triangle shaped dies using Sizzix Framelits




So that's all for me. Can't promise how many posts I'll have during the week but will try to pop around your blogs. Off for tea now then Sunday night TV is the best. Pity it's the last Downton Abbey tonight until the Christmas special though - I've only just got back into it! Typical.

Enjoy your evenings.

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Oh my goodness what a terrible blog buddy I am.

MONDAY when I last posted on here!!! Argghh! Must try and do better this week but you know how it is - life (work) have a nasty habit of taking over!

Anyway I have the house to myself shortly so hope to get my head down for some serious crafting. The eldest teen is at work until this afternoon and Mr Dazzle and our daughter are off to football. She's playing and he's coaching and they both LOVE it! Sadly, my enjoyment falls elsewhere and that suits them fine as the team tends to lose if I go! It's going to be bitterly cold for them as it's another of those mornings when you need the ice-pick out just to clear the windscreen! Love the crispness and blue sky though.

Anyway here's a card I've made for the challenge over at CASology where the theme is brown. Immediately a male card springs to mind and I adore the pre-coloured Vintage Boys Art Pad from LOTV so I've set it on a Kraft card with a little smidgen of DP from one of my amazing TK Maxx bargain paper pads, a couple of candy dots from Stampin Up some glossy accents to the cute pooch and a great birthday sentiment from Clearly Besotted. Think I may skip the recipe now!

That's all for now but I hope to have something else to post later if I can find my mojo!