DCM Little Extra

"Well, as you know Tuesday is the day we have our new look Little Extra dare and this week the team have let me (Sue) loose to do my own thing, so I thought I’d ‘attempt’ to do a little tutorial for you….please be gentle with me!" (It's her birthday today :))

Check out Sue's fabulous tutorial on all the different dry embossing methods.......Well done Sue! My card uses two of the methods from the tutorial. One being hand embossing using a light box and the other is using an embossing folder.

Paper is K & Co, flowers are Prima and the ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis I'm not sure what make the stencil is as I've had it for ages. Once I'd embossed it I just swiped over it with a pale pink chalk ink pad.

I've also completed some of my samples for Nikki from Dewdrop Craftz and have a sneaky peek for you :)The stamp will be released on 1st October and £1 from the sale of each stamp will be going to the Macmillan nurses who do the most amazing work and certainly looked after my grandmother well during her last few months.

That's it for now, I need to scrap...........it's my brother's birthday in four weeks and I have done precisely two pages in his album!!!!

Take care and TFL

Papermania two in one!

Challenges/Dares that is. I've managed to combine the Daring Cardmakes challenge from Tuesday (This week we are looking at the 3rd Anniversary and traditional and modern gifts for the 3rd Anniversary is:-Leather or crystal/glass) with Di Hickman's blog sketch from WednesdayDH is working tonight and is DJing at a civil partnership function so this is the card I made for him.

Backing paper and squares are cut from the Exquisite Paper Collection 6 x 6 pad by Papermania, flowers are by Prima with little pearls in the centres ( a la DCM dare-glass!) tiaras and hearts are Quickutz cut from mirri card and the sentiment was generated on the pc.

I've made a couple more cards this week but can't show them yet as they are for the next four weeks sketches on Di's blog. Wait till you see them, they are fab!!

I am in the process of finishing 108 place cards for a wedding order then I need to make a birthday card for my great nephew who will be 3 on Tuesday and make a 30th birthday card for an order from a friend who wants anything to do with kayaking for her son!!!

A dare, a challenge and one for luck

I managed a couple of challenges before bed last night as I have a couple of orders to do, but was too tired to blog. The DCM Little Extra on Tuesday was

This week we are hoping to inspire you with the modern and tradional gifts for the5th Anniversary, which is Wood or Silverwarewhich has been randomly picked- just to keep you on your toes ! :)Do with it what ever you wish, it doesn't have to be aniversary card, just inspired by the gift theme.

I only just got this one in before the new dare comes out today! Papers are from the Antique Cream 6 x 6 Papermania pad and the glasses are from a Thin Cuts die.

The next card is for the challenge on the Cute Card Thursday blog. This is the remit this week Gems and JewelsThis week our challenge is to use gems or jewels on your card, it's as easy as that!The pink gingham paper is from the 'Kate' pad by Making Memories and everything else is from my stash. The image is Penny Black and was stamped for me by my friend Jo a little while ago. I wanted to see if I could do them justice with my colouring before I succumbed and bought some and Jo sent me loads! I decided that they were too cute to use which is why they haven't seen the light of day until now. :)

And here is the one for luck! I bought some stamps last week and this is the first time I've had the chance to use them.

The image is another stamp by Pixiedust on ebay. Sally-Ann is a fab seller and I love her stamps. I coloured the image with my sparkly water colours from the Works (UK) and matted it onto pale pink card. The papers are this time I think are by Dovecraft. I've lost the front cover from the pack which is why I'm not sure LOL Ribbon is from RIbbon Oasis and the crystals are from my stash.

I still have some cards to make so hopefully I will be able to use a couple more challenges for those.

Thanks for reading, take care.

Copper top!

I've just finished my card for the DCM Little Extra and.......................I love it!!! It's not very often I say that, but I'm really pleased with this one. The remit today is We are introducing a new series to our little mid week dares, based around traditional and anniversary gift themes to inspire a design. We are not necessarily looking for an anniversary card (although obviously that’s allowed :) the card can be for any occasion but it should be inspired by the gift theme of the chosen year.Now, we could start with 1st Anniversary, but that would mean you'd be able to guess the next dare in the series, and that would be too easy eh? :) So we've decided to pick the dare year randomly and we are starting off with'The 7th Anniversary'We’d like you to make a card inspired by the Traditional or Modern gift themefor a 7th Anniversary, which is……'Wool or Copper'
The papers are from the Sugared pad by Basic Grey and K & Co mat stacks. The sentiment was printed straight onto a piece of co-ordinating paper, using a selection of fonts, which was then cut up and edged with copper ink. The key was cut by hand from a template which was a freebie from PaperCraft Inspirations and the copper heart is from my stash. I can't remember where it came from as I bought it about four years ago! I've left the greeting off as I think it could be used for lots of different occasions.

I've done really well now and remembered to photograph these bookmarks before I've wrapped them in tissue (I usually have to unwrap them :))

They are both made using AB Swarovski crystals and Czech beads and sterling silver charms.

I'm now going to parcel them up and get them in the post.

BFN :)

Right outside of my box!!!

Crikey talk about tough! Today it is Lythan's turn to set the little extra over on the Daring Cardmaker's blog and she has come up with a fantastic tutorial which can be seen here and here is the starter :)
Hello there, it is Lythan here with the second in our occasional tutorials. I'm going to share something I absolutely love doing - adding a little extra to patterned paper.To do this you need to chose paper with quite a bold pattern. Papers such as those by American Crafts; the more modern K and Co; Sassafrass Lass and Scenic Route are good places to start. I am using Piggy Tales in these examples. I love these papers as they are so bright and colourful and also have a matching plain colour on the back. This technique works well for cards using punches and loads of white space. They often solve my problem of what to put on men's cards!
Here is my card and it is so not me!

The house and cloud images were downloads from Marieke's blog last year and all I did was to 'glaze' the windows and door with Glossy Accents. The flower is a silk one, not sure where from and the journalling circle is from Cherry Arte. It was in a cardmaking kit from the Scrummy Stash Cafe Again, this was bought last year! Not sure what the paper is as it was from a kit from Sarah's Cards I doodled around all the flowers with a black journalling pen and a white gel pen.This is what the paper looked like to begin with

Not much difference is there? I also doodled faux stitching on the Doodlebug page frill and the yellow Bazzill Bling square with a white gel pen. It doesn't show up very well though. I actually made this card for parents as they move house next Wednesday...............I shall let you know what the reaction is. LOL

My second card was made for a challenge by Nickynoo over at the JB blog and she says "Here we go with a nice 'n' easy card challenge for you.......... Make a card with a number on, any number! It doesn't have to be an age card, I'm thinking maybe 'text-speak', or some kind of play on words - in fact, I'd love to see what you can come up with that isn't an age card! Here's mine - ok, I went for the easy option."
And here is my creation again

This card was way out of my comfort zone too, thanks Nicky :) The papers and birds are from a Kate Hadfield download which I bought a few weeks ago. The letter U and the bookplate are both covered with the same paper and it has all been inked with a pink chalk ink pad. The greeting and number 2 are computer generated.

I finished a wedding order this morning too and that has been collected by the couple this evening. It has been mad here all day so I am going to bed shortly. I hope you are having a good one whatever you are up to.

Take care.

A template and a Dare!

My first challenge today is one of Sue's fabby templates on the Just Bex forum.

....and for this fab snowy day something to keep you busy a template you know what to do!! flip it shrink it etc etc The catch is that you must use something SHARP and some LACE.

The dress image was stamped for me about three years ago by a friend. I used so many of the images and promptly lost them and found four when I was sorting my drawers (!) the other week. The image has been mounted onto burgundy and silver pearlescent card. The paper is by Fancy Pants. My 'lace' is the broderie anglais round the greeting and my 'something sharp' is the silver brad in the middle of the Cuttlebug flower.

My next card is for the DCM Little Extra This is today's remit Now this weeks mid week dare is inspired by Rachel and is called 'Folded' ! This is not folds in the card blank itself, but rather folds ON the card- whether it be some kind of paper folding technique or folded embellishments or even just a folded over message of some type.
So here is my card

Ta Da!!! My very first waterfall card :) so lots of folds. Papers are Pink Petticoat again and the stamp was a freebie a couple of years ago from Anita's with a bit of added bling.

Back soon, thanks for visiting.

Birthday Fairy

Just look what the birthday fairy brought me...............I was just so chuffed when I opened them on Monday morning!!

They will be fab on holiday instead of wearing my flat ones all the time. I have black Scutes, pale blue Athens, a pair of dark blue fake Caymens and now these :) I shall be wearing them when I exhibit at wedding fayres too, I think they will look dead smart with my suit :)

I got loads of other pressies too and was spoilt rotten all day :)

I have a couple of commissions to show too as I think the single card fits the DCM Little Extra this week The mid week dare this week is another one by Mel - these are a few of my favourite things. What you need to do is use one of Mel's favourite things on your card (embroidery cotton/thread, buttons, felt or fabric) and combine it with one of your favourite things.

The 'thread' on my card is the fringing on the rug and the wool for the knitting. My favourite things used are ribbon, a girl can never have too much and I've just placed another order with Ribbon Oasis oh, and diamantes of course.

This one fits too as I have used ribbon and diamantes on these invitations too.

Must go back to work (it's a good job I don't have to go far ;)) I have 2 more commissioned cards to make which are being picked up this afternoon. I also have an exploding box to do. It's all cut out, it just needs decorating and putting together.

I will try to scan my birthday cards some time this week. I got loads of beautiful handmade ones. :)

I would love you to leave a comment as I really enjoy reading them.

Thanks for looking. XX

Perfect!!

With not being able to rise to many challenges at the moment, I was dead chuffed to see the Little Extra over on the DCM blog. I was making Easter cards for the shop yesterday and made an exploding box last night............and they all fit the challenge which is..........

Now on to this weeks little extra (just to keep you on your toes !) :) This weeks little extra is an idea from Mel. Oh sooo juicy -oh so juicy - make a card using lemon or orange toned colours.

Papers are DCWV and K & Co 6 x 6 pads

flowers are Papermania and Prima

Die cuts are all Quickutz

I made the exploding box for MiL's birthday tomorrow (last minute I know!)

All papers are Pink Petticoat and K & Co
Flowers are Dunelm, Prima and Papermania

Back to work now, thanks for looking. xx