Anything Goes - CD Sunday

Thanks to the crafters that supported my choice of theme at the CD Sunday Challenge Blog over the last 2 weeks. I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any Facebook entries this time. I usually post about the challenge in numerous Facebook groups, but I’ve not had much spare time so wasn’t able to do it so perhaps that explains why there were no Facebook entries. Never mind I have a prize waiting for the winner who will be announced next Sunday 29^th July.

On to the new theme which has been chosen by our lovely teamie Meg and she has opened it right up for you by choosing ‘Anything Goes’. As long as you include something from a CD rom you can enter, either via the blog or on the Facebook page.

I’m from a large family of 9 and have 5 brothers but I have one that is my favourite because he’s such a really special person. So for his birthday every year I make him a card which he always tells me he loves. He was born in South Wales but our Mam moved, with the 3 youngest children, to Telford in Shropshire when my brother was about 13. He’s fiercely proud of being Welsh and would have loved to move back ‘home’ but work commitments have gotten in the way. I always make him a card with a Welsh theme and look out for things to add to my craft stash throughout the year that are suitable. This year’s card is quite simple and didn’t take long to make.

 I’d recently bought a dragon die and matching stamp by Apple Blossom which I intended using on the card. The dragon is meant to be a mythical beast but I think I’ve gotten away with using it as a Welsh dragon! The green mat was cut using a die from the Card Making Magic range that I recently won in a Facebook competition. I then just covered my base card in a paper from a Sharon Duncan CD called Embossibilities Elegance. Each of the designs on the CD are available in several colours but I just had to choose yellow for these daffodils!The easel card ‘stopper’ is just a rectangle of card covered in more daffodil paper and a sentiment added. The Happy Birthday was also part of my prize from the Card Making Magic range. I then just finished the card by adding various peeloffs and die cuts that are all Welsh related images and words.

Don't forget that the CD Sunday Challenge is about making items using something printed from a craft CD Rom. You can use other craft items on your card/project, such as a stamp or die, but you must include something from a craft Cd. So if you like colouring stamped images or digis you can still enter the challenge but you must include something from a CD such as a backing paper, a sentiment or a butterfly for example. In your blog post/Facebook entry you must give the name of the CD you've used. This is important if the items you've used can be bought as a download as well as a CD as the Design team can't tell which has been used unless you tell us. Your entry can't be considered for a prize if you haven't used a CD or if you haven't told us the name of the CD in your post. The Design team still leave comments on your blog but there's no chance of winning if the above hasn't been followed. We now have a Facebook page if you don't have a blog - The CD Sunday Challenge.

CD Sunday - A Gardener's World

Have you all been outside enjoying this hot, hot weather instead of inside crafting? We only had a few entries for the last theme at CD Sunday which surprised me as I thought it was a theme that could be used for lots of card occasions.

This time it’s my turn to pick the theme and I’ve gone for A Gardener’s World. Hopefully more of you will find this fits in with your card making designs and the hot weather (and Wimbledon) won’t stop you from joining in. I thought it would be a good choice for cards to give to the men in our lives but of course it will also be useful for women.

I decided it was about time to try and use some of the many Hunkydory kits that I have in my stash. Most of which I haven’t bought but have won them in magazine competitions /giveaways. The one I’ve used was a free gift with a Hunkydory boxed magazine. I decided I wanted to make a ‘U’ shaped card as I like how it ‘shows off’ the design and will fold down to fit in an envelope.

 

I covered all the sections of the card with things from the kit and then realised I hadn’t used the vital ‘something from a CD’ LOL! So, I started looking through my dies for something suitable such as a watering can or wellies when I came across a set of dies that was in an Apple Blossom boxed magazine. It was a small trellis die with a trailing vine and tiny flowers – perfect to finish of my card!

                                                       

 I printed off 4 textured backing papers from a CD by Creative Crafting World called Perfect Papercrafting Companions disc 2. This is my ‘go to’ CD for when I want a plain paper. I printed them onto thin card and then die cut the items including 32 purple flowers and 32 orange flowers! I layered 2 flower die cuts to make them thicker before adding them to the card and then finished off with Tonic Nuvo Glitter Drops, in Yellow Bird, for the centres of the flowers.

Unlike me don't forget that the CD Sunday Challenge is about making items using something printed from a craft CD Rom. You can use other craft items on your card/project, such as a stamp or die, but you must include something from a craft Cd. So if you like colouring stamped images or digis you can still enter the challenge but you must include something from a CD such as a backing paper, a sentiment or a butterfly for example. In your blog post/Facebook entry you must give the name of the CD you've used. This is important if the items you've used can be bought as a download as well as a CD as the Design team can't tell which has been used unless you tell us. Your entry can't be considered for a prize if you haven't used a CD or if you haven't told us the name of the CD in your post. The Design team still leave comments on your blog but there's no chance of winning if the above hasn't been followed. We now have a Facebook page if you don't have a blog - The CD Sunday Challenge.

Things To Eat - CD Sunday

This time it’s Jane’s turn to pick the theme for the CD Sunday Challenge – she’s picked Things To Eat. I decided not to make a greeting card but instead have made single page cards (like playing cards). 

I searched the internet for images of food with funny sayings.

They say things like: ‘You’re my butter half’, ‘We make a great pear’, ‘Muffin compares to you’ and ‘I cherry–ish you’.

I copied these into Serif Craft Artist and resized them. I then added a black frame around them to look like they’re matted onto black card. These were then printed off and cut out.

I then rummaged through my box of papers and used up ones I’d printed off and not used I have a habit of printing off several papers at a time when I’m making cards but then only use one of them! The papers where then matted onto black card and the image added on top.

The CDs the papers were from are Perfect Essential Companions and Perfect Forever Companions by Creative Crafting World. And several Craft Artist kits – Born To Shop, Festive Fayre, A Merry Little Christmas and Birthday.

I then did a bit more stash busting by cutting up A6 card blanks and adding them to what I’d already done. The A6 cards I’ve had a very long time – they were free with a magazine I used to subscribe to and every month you had 6 card blanks and embellishments. 

I’ve made these cards to give to my husband to try and lift his spirits when the time comes. Sadly the bowel cancer has returned and also spread to other areas (his lungs and peritoneum). It can’t be operated on or cured. He’s just had his first session of chemotherapy but it may only delay the spread of the cancer and will not cure it. We’ve been told the chemo may add a further 3 – 6 months to his life, without chemo they’ve told us he may have 18 months. We’re both trying to deal with the news which has turned our world upside down.

I’m going to try and continue being on the CD Sunday Design Team although there may be times when I’m unable to make something for a challenge. I’m very grateful for the support and understanding from my fellow team mates – you’re all amazing people! Thank you.

Second time around/recycled - CD Sunday

I hope you all enjoyed the Beautiful Blooms theme at CDSunday – it was lovely to see so many entries for Jocelyn’s theme.

This fortnight it’s Carol’s turn to pick the theme and she’s chosen ‘Second time around/recycle’. This is a favourite theme of Carol’s and mine. I once made 10 ATCs for a recycle theme – we were only supposed to make 2 LOL!

I made my card sometime ago and at the time I was seeing a lot of 'bow' cards that were embellished with lots of lace, pearls and flourishes so decided to have a go at making one. I used a template to make the pieces for the card which I bought from someone on the internet. You’re emailed files for the individual pieces to be printed onto card and hand cut out. You also get files you can use in various electronic cutting machines which I guess makes it a lot easier, and faster, to cut them out. At this point you’re probably expecting me to say where I bought the template from………………. but I’m not going to give the link. I’ve heard, around various internet sites, that there’s a dispute over the ownership of this template. I’ve spent a lot of time looking but can’t find anyone else selling the template other than the person I bought it from. I’m sure they’re the legitimate owner/designer because the templates all come with a copyright printed on them. So if you want to make a bow card you’ll need to search the internet and decide for yourself if you’re buying from a legitimate source.

 

 The base card is hexagonal shaped and cut from pale green pearlised card. You get a template for this but I used a Tonic die from the Secret Spring Hexagon Kaleidoscope Box Lid and Base Set. Both layers of the bow are cut from card that was printed with designs from Craft Artist kits. The pale green striped paper is from a kit called Posy Party and the floral paper is from a kit called Occasions. They’re both designed by Victoria Nelson. The ‘tails’ of the bow are made from a base layer of pale green pearlised card and then a layer of Tonic’s Craft Perfect card in Coral Pink. I wasn’t happy with this colour, I think it swamps the rest of the colours and I should have changed it. I ran the coral pink card through a flower embossing folder and dotted the centre of each flower with Ivory Seashell Nuvo Crystal Drops by Tonic.

 

Once the basic bow card is made you can move onto the fun bit – adding all the embellishments and frills! The 'lace'  in the middle of the bow is a panel cut from a camisole. It was far too pretty to throw out, so I’ve had it in my stash for quite a while. I stitched the sides together and fussed with it until I was happy with the way it sat on the front of the bow. I then topped it with a paper rose and added some pearls threaded onto wire. Then I cut flourishes out of dark green card (Emerald Hessian by Tonic), chopped them into smaller pieces and arranged them around the bow.

 

 The card was made for a very dear friend who I’ve known for several years (possibly since 2006?) and who was due to have a milestone birthday – hence the number gems at the top of the card!

I dotted some resin flowers around the edges of the card and placed pink pearls in the centre of them. I also added strings of clear gems around the straight edges.  

The inside of the card was decorated with the same papers/card that was used on the front. The sentiment is a die from Creative Crafting World’s Paper Boutique range of cutting dies – collection number 3.

 

 I now had the problem of getting it to my friend, still in one piece, through the mail system. I found a very old box in my craft room that was almost the perfect size but was very faded and battered – so I decorated that too! Another item that was used for a second time and recycled. I’m pleased to say the card arrived safely and intact.

 

I hope you have fun with this theme and can’t wait to see what you all reuse/recycle. Don't forget that the CD Sunday Challenge is about making items using something printed from a craft CD Rom. You can use other craft items on your card/project, such as a stamp or die, but you must include something from a craft Cd. So if you like colouring stamped images or digis you can still enter the challenge but you must include something from a Cd such as a backing paper, a sentiment or a butterfly for example. In your blog post/Facebook entry you must give the name of the Cd you've used. This is important if the items you've used can be bought as a download as well as a CD as the Design team can't tell which has been used unless you tell us. Your entry can't be considered for a prize if you haven't used a Cd or if you haven't told us the name of the CD in your post. The Design team still leave comments on your blog but there's no chance of winning if the above hasn't been followed. We now have a Facebook page if you don't have a blog - The CD SundayChallenge. 

Beautiful Blooms - CD Sunday

Over the last 2 weeks we had some really beautiful entries for the Art Deco theme at the CD Sunday Challenge. I don’t envy Margaret having to choose a winner. It’s Jocelyn’s turn to pick the next theme and she’s chosen Beautiful Blooms. Very appropriate for this time of year with 

I knew I had some parchment flowers in my stash that I’d made on a Groovi workshop last year so decided to base my card around them.

I embossed a piece of Raspberry Kiss coloured card (from Limetree Crafts) using a Die’sire embossing folder called Rose Vine. This was fixed onto an 8 by 8 white card blank leaving a border of 1 cm. I then attached another layer of white card again leaving a 1 cm border.

Next was the CD element of my card. I printed a backing paper onto printable vellum. The CD is a Creative Crafting World Cd called Perfect Papercrafting Companions and I chose a Textured backing paper which was printed in Dusky Rose.  The vellum was then put through a Tonic embossing folder called Just For You. It has one pattern at the top and another at the bottom but I only wanted the bottom rose pattern. So I embossed two pieces of vellum with just the rose pattern and then cut along the wavy line. I then hid the join with the swirly banner part which is a separate die from the same set. The embossing didn’t show up as much as I wanted so I did the same embossing on a piece of white card. I then matched up the embossing on the card with the embossing on the vellum and this seemed to make it more noticeable. This was layered onto the card and glittery peel offs attached around the edge.

I then laid out the parchment flowers and leaves, rearranging them until I was happy and glued them to the vellum. They’re made from coloured parchment and just embossed using a Groovi plate then cut out. I finished off with some sparkly pink gems in the centre of the flowers and on the edge of the card. 

I'm sure lots of you can think of someone who you could make a card for that has Beautiful Blooms on it so please enter Jocelyn's theme. Don't forget that the CD Sunday Challenge is about making items using something printed from a craft CD Rom.You can use other craft items on your card/project, such as a stamp or die, but you must include something from a craft Cd. So if you like colouring stamped images or digis you can still enter the challenge but you must include something from a Cd such as a backing paper, a sentiment or a butterfly for example. In your blog post/Facebook entry you must give the name of the Cd you've used. This is important if the items you've used can be bought as a download as well as a CD as the Design team can't tell which has been used unless you tell us. Your entry can't be considered for a prize if you haven't used a Cd or if you haven't told us the name of the CD in your post. The Design team still leave comments on your blog but there's no chance of winning if the above hasn't been followed. We now have a Facebook page if you don't have a blog  - The CD Sunday Challenge.