Challenge corner!

Cor crikey, talk about catch up at great speed! I have actually started putting Christmas cards together today and the challenges are such a great help. I've managed 10 cards today and done seven assorted challenges :)

The cards below are all for challenges on the Just Bex forum
The first one is for
October Challenge 1 - On the Straight and Narrow
Make a LO or card please using blocks, squares, grids or and lines.
The backing paper used is a striped one from one of the older K & Co boys bads (how's that for a description!?!) The embossing was done using a set of Christmas Cuttlebug folders and mounted onto the striped paper then onto silver mirri card. The sentiment is a small Studio G Christmas stamp.
FRIDAY CHALLENGE 3rd October 2008
SING LOUD and while you are singing craft a LO or a card or an altered item whatever BUT the song you are singing MUST influence your design

The image is one of the downloads from Sally-Ann's site

I coloured the image with Sakura Glaze glitter pens and used Debbi Moore's Rainbow Special glitter (is gorgeous and fine) for the snow. Cuttlebugged background again and another Studio G sentiment stamp which actually says "let it snow" which I stamped three times.......it's a wonder you didn't hear me singing as I was making this card :)

October challenge 3 - The White Stuff I've had a LO in mind for some time. My pic was printed, my journaling written and was just left to paper shuffling. I just couldn't feel happy with it though and kept sticking it back on the pile again. Then during a 'QOTD' discussion, Lythan mentioned about liking white space on projects and this was exactly what I was wanting to achieve on my LO. Great idea for a challenge I started thinking and suddenly the same afternoon, the LO was finished and a card was made too.... My wedding anniversary card below fits that challenge ;)

Friday Night Challenge - 10th October - Animals
Anway, back to the plan A challenge. Quite a simple one, no twists....simply make a LO or card featuring at least one wee animal please. How tough can that be eh??!!!

The paper used on this one is from the Anita's Classiic Christmas Red Papers pad. There are some lovely papers in this pad and best of all it was free...........my mum gave it to me :) Rudolph was in a RAK I received from a friend a while ago, I just added his googly eyes and nose.

I'm going to upload each challenge in it's own post as I don't know how to make the post title "clickable" so I can place a link on the relevant blog, so that's it for this one!

I'm back...........

........and crafting!!

We arrived back from Cornwall last night after having an absolutely fab time (despite leaving DS at home alone for the first time-well he is almost 19!!) The weather was perfect and the apartment was just superb, oh and the company wasn't bad either ;) I went off with all good intentions. I took enough beads and findings to restock Ernest Jones and what did I produce?...... Zilch!! Well that isn't quite true..................I made half a necklace and approximately 1" of a bracelet but they were both made from seed beads. I also knitted 2 baby cardigans, (one on the way down and one on the way back) a pair of bootees and a wooly hat all prem baby size for the local hospital.

I've spent today doing all the usual mundane things which have to be done after a holiday-food shopping, washing, throwing away all my dead hanging baskets and house plants which DS forgot to water! I was supposed to be cleaning the house too but the motivation hasn't been there yet so I thought I would browse the internet, as you do :))

This evening I thought I would have a go at a couple of challenges to break myself in gently and managed to combine the DCM challenge and Di Hickman's template. This is the first time I have tried one of Di's templates. I've been meaning to for ages though. The DCM brief was Hi all *waves* It's my turn (Jo) to dare this week. here is my dare...You must make a card with a frill - it could be some lace, frilly ribbon, a hand cut or decorative scissor edge or a folded paper frill - or what ever you choose to make.... you decide!

This is Di's template

For this card I used paper from the English Paper Company, pink card is from a K & Co mat stacks, flowers are a mix of Prima and other (a wonderful description but I don't know what make they are but I bought them off ebay!) and the fabby Page Frills are by Doodlebug.

The template below is from Beate Johns blog and I have used Beate's templates once before.

Materials used on this card are Bazzil Bling card in yellow, stripey card is from the Twirl collection by Crate Papers, button is Papermania, teddy stamp is from the Stamp Boutique on ebay and the Hello stamp is from a Clear Choice set, ribbon is from stash.

Well I am now going to have a look at the Just Bex forum and see what I've missed and have to catch up on!

BFN

RAK

I received a parcel this morning from a lovely fellow crafter in Scotland. I have wanted a set of pearlised paints from the Works for ages and haven't been able to get any (I didn't realise that they had a web site and never thought to look for one!!) Anyhow, I got a pm on a forum from this lovely person and she said she would get me some and refused to take payment for them so a little pressie will be winging it's way north of the border any time now. I won't name her as I wouldn't want to cause embarassment but she knows who she is :)) Thank you kindly, you made my day.

I have finally managed to get a challenge done from the JB forum. This was set by Est last Saturday and this is what we had to do

Okay ladies I hope you are ready for the latest challenge This is to complete a "sleeping" scrapbook page Your photograph could be of a sleeping child...ahhhhhh a sleeping animal or a sleeping (or crashed out adult!!!)

and here is my page

Base card is from the large card pack from DCWV. Papers are from the Let's Kit Together Baby Boy kit by Doodlebug, these are really lovely packs and a really good price from A Card 4 U

The large 'd' is Pizzazzill and the rest of the words are Curly Gurly.
Off now to catch up with the other challenges on JB and the midweek 'Little extra' from DCM.

DCM/SWOT

Gosh my title looks cryptic.............but it's not really!

I missed out on the mid week dare this week as I have just been up to my eyes in work. However, tis now the weekend. Hubby is working tonight and tomorrow night so they will be Jackie craft time LOL We were supposed to be going camping today but I am a fair weather camper and didn't fancy sleeping in a boggy field (if I wanted that I would have gone to Glastonbury!)
Well this week I have been crafty (no pun intended!) again and combined the DCM challenge and a SWOT from the JB forum

This is Sue's WO Template

This week it was Rhi's turn to set this challenge: Now onto this weeks dare...Everything we buy has packaging, some of it excessive, some of it beautifully designed. Tags, labels, stickers... all sorts of bits and bobs that we can recycle onto cards.I dare you to make a card using a tag, label, sticker or anything else you can find, thats from packaging and would normally end up in the bin. Of course you can ink it, change it, distress it and add anything else you like!If you're feeling brave, I DOUBLE DARE you to make it a card for a man!

This is my card

I double dared! I made my card for a man using the tag from one of DH's new t shirts, card from DCWV Neutrals Mat Stack, rub on and vellum is from stash and the screw brads and happy birthday tag are from CBC

I would just like to say thanks to everyone who reads my blog and leaves lovely comments. I can believe that my stats show over 1000 people have looked!

I may be back later as I still have a couple more challenges to complete and I have completed quite a few orders this week so have cards to add too.

These are my additions to my craft folder for the June challenge on Just Bex, my diary and divider.

The third part of the challenge will be announced shortly. I'm looking forward to seeing what Bex has in store for us tonight!

DCM dare/Just Bex Challenge

This is the brief from the DCM web site

This week we have a recipe challenge for the Little Extra. There's an old rhyme that tells brides what they should wear on their wedding day to be sure of good luck, it goes:
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue.This week we'd like you to incorporate these four things into your card -
It doesn't have to be a Wedding card, despite the verse - just as long as your card features each of those things on it.
Borrowed could be borrowed from another card, some ribbon from a chocolate box, a tiny piece "borrowed" from a child's hair ribbon, even a postage stamp from an old envelope, it could also be an item or technique borrowed from a different crafty sphere...And before you ask - whilst you're allowed to use a sewing machine to make your card - it CAN'T be your borrowed item - as that would be just TOO EASY and this is supposed to be a challenge, isn't it! hehehe

Here is my card

So my something old is the vintage image from Joanna Sheen's Romance cd, my new are the mat stacks by K & Co, my borrowed is the template from JB challenge and the blue is the colour which pulls it altogether.

The brief from Just Bex is

We want you to use this template and complete BOTH our tasks.

Here's your template and we need a LAYOUT - minimum size 8 x 8 and a CARD BUT you must remember the template rules - there are NONE twist it, flip it shrink it YOU DECIDE

Finally managed the layout too :)

Friday challenge

Just a quick visit to add a card I've made for Nicky's Friday night challenge on the JB forum. The brief is

Create a card using only one sheet of paper. Double sided paper is allowed and recommended. NO inking, doodling or any other embellishments allowed. All components of the card HAVE to be made using the paper only...You can die-cut, punch, decoupage etc.

So here is my first card.

I have used a sheet from my new 12 x 12 Sparkly Sweet pad by K & Co. The papers are just gorgeous. The flowers are just cut from the sheet and decoupaged. The word BLOOM at the bottom was cut using the Thin Cuts Small Stuff alphabet and mounted onto circles cut with the small circle punch by X-Cut.

I've just realised that I haven't uploaded the DCM challenge for today. Today was Keryn's turn to set the challenge and here is what she said.

Hi it's Keryn here and it's my turn to set the dare this week. This time I asked my family for ideas for this weeks dare and the best amongst a lot of ideas including power tools etc, etc was Lachlan's ideas for Space. It's been his topic at school this term. (Lachlan is seven and in Year 3). To make in a little easier on you all I've called it Celestial to also include horoscopes as well as planets, spaceships, stars, suns etc. How you use these items is up to you.

The image for this card is bt Elzybells and is stamped onto pale pink paper and coloured with Twinkling H2Os It is backed onto a piece of pink striped paper from the first Colossal pack by Papermania. The sentiment is printed onto vellum and held on by mini buttons. The pale pink paper and vellum quote is from a mini album kit I bought a long time ago and found when sorting my drawers looking for something else!

Maze Book 2

After making a Maze Book last week for one of the Just Bex challenges, I decided to make another for a very special friend who celebrates her birthday on Saturday. I really enjoy putting the books together, they are so simple but very effective. I'm into brown at the moment so the card base on this one is brown Bazzil too!

Front cover
Pages 1 & 2

Pages 3 & 4

Pages 5 & 6 Pages 7 & 8

Back cover and tags

I would love to know how other people stop their pages from 'flopping' out when the book is open. I have tried gluing or taping some of the pages together but this just seems to make the book incredibly tight when open!
I have used various papers from old SA Kits, spotty Prima Flowers from Craft Obsessions, Quickutz dies, ribbons from my lovely stash from RIbbon Oasis and my lovely new Cuttlebug embossing folders.
Thanks to my gorgeous kitty cats, housework beckons. One of them has just knocked a plant over in the conservatory so I have to go and clean up the soil. I wish I could get them to use a dustpan and brush, it would make my life easier. LOL

Challenge 5

Three more cards from me. This time we were challenged, on the just bex forum, to make three (would be good but 10 would be better!) cards for 'no reason' and they must be bright and cheerful. And here they are, I hope they fit the bill LOL