CD Sunday - Rainy Days

A very quick post otherwise I'll miss the deadline for CD Sunday. The theme this week is Rainy Days.

I managed to link my posting at 1:05 pm so I'm a little late for this week LOL!

My card was created in Hallmark Card Studio and then printed out. I've spayed the image with a couple of coats of Spray and Shine from Crafters' Companion to make it look 'wet'. Then I matted it onto some silver card abd added a little umbrella charm. The full phrase reads 'when life gives you a rainy day...............splash in a puddle!

I came third with the above card.



Famous last words LOL!

In my last post I said 'hopefully I'll be blogging more'! Uuummm what happened there then? LOL! It's 6 months since my last post and 7 months since I posted a card. I have been making cards just not blogging them. I log on every day and read all the blogs I follow but never get around to putting my cards on here. The weather here is dreadful this weekend - wet, cold and we've even had hailstones. So I'm on the PC in my craft room, instead of the laptop in the lounge, and have been getting used to the newest version of My Craft Studio - Elite. I've made a christmas card, all done digitally, following the theme for this week's challenge at CD Sunday which is Christmas in Pink.

 

 

I've changed the colour of the backing paper to pink added baubles, pieces of spruce and a sentiment. The baubles have had a shadow effect added to them. The text has been surrounded by a rectangle vignette which I coloured as near to the BP colour as I could get it. I must have done something else to it as there's a white line around the text box but I can't remember what I did - possibly a faded edge? The MCS cd was free from Steph's own web site (just p&p of £2.95) and is called 'Christmas with My Craft Studio'.

This week is a sponsored week on CD Sunday - the sponsors are Dreamees . I've not heard of them before but I've had a quick look and there's some very tempting things there!



2012 London Olypmics Torch Relay

I've always watched the Olympics and even set an alarm to get up at 3am to watch Alan Wells win the Gold Medal in the men's 100 metres. When I heard that the Olympic flame would we coming through a town near me I wanted to see it. The weather was very hot and we walked to the location and then stood for over an hour to wait for the flame. I was very surprised at the number of people who turned up to support the runner. There was no advertising in the area and on the day none of the radio broadcasts mentioned that the flame was going through Pyle. The route was only 300 metres long with the flame being on the bus before and after the 300 metres but I thought it very remiss of them not mentioning it. Hubby and I both took cameras and as his was the better camera he took stills and I used the video feature on my little camera. I'd never taken a video with it before and the sun was so bright I couldn't see the image on the screen very well but we both managed to get very good pictures.
Here's some of the photos hubby took:

One of me when we first arrived, sitting down having a rest after our walk.

Note the handmade flags! 

Some of the people waiting

A group of scouts

More onlookers plus wedding guests waiting for the bride who was caught up in the road closure

Two of the many police who were part of the entourage

The Olympic mascot - anyone know what it's called (or even what it's meant to be!)? 

Another of the very many vehicles in the parade

And finally the runner with the flame

I've never added a video to my blog so fingers crossed this works! It's only a short video of the runner going past me. There was supposed to have been a 21 year old girl carrying the flame but this lady looks older than that so I don't know who she is.

If you turn the sound on you'll be able to here me shouting 'Go! Go! Go! LOL!

I hope you all enjoyed it as much I did and if you're not able to get to see the torch for real I hope the above has helped you to feel part of the occasion.

Finally - hello to the people who've become followers of my blog whilst I've not been posting, hopefully I'll be blogging more regularly now.

Guest Designer at Debbees Cds

As my card won the February challenge at Debbees CD DT Delights I was asked to be Guest Designer for the month of April. As usual Debs has provided lots of lovely papers that can be downloaded for free. So pop over to her blog and get your thinking caps on because there's one of Debs' cds as a prize for the winner. I made 2 cards - the first one is a pop up card.

For the second card I decided to use 2 of the backing papers and do some paper weaving. I also did some tea bag folding for the cenre piece. I'm really pleased with how fresh and spring like this card turned out.

I hope lots of people enter the challenge - you have until 25th April to enter.

1 card style - 2 cards (part 2).

If you've read my previous post then you'll understand what the title of this post is referring to! I found a card style I liked and have made 2 cards using it - the one in my previous post and now this one. This week is the last in my month as being Guest Designer for the CD Sunday Challenge Blog. The theme this week is 'Spring has Sprung' and the day I made this card it was more like summer! I sat at the dining table with the patio doors open making quilled flowers whilst the sun shone and the temperature increased - very nice! I wanted to make a flowery card for this theme but couldn't decided on a design until I came across an article in a craft magazine with a tutorial on how to make a box card. The card in my previous post was a prototype for this one!

And the view from the side to show the depth of the 'box':

I printed a backing paper, from Sharon Duncan's Embossibilities Celebrations cd, onto card so the pattern would also be on the back of the finished card. The design is called mini flowers and was just what I needed for this card. The gradient BP behind the central image is also from a cd rom but it's been in my scraps box for so long I don't know where it's from LOL! The 'branch' is actually a tree image cut out on my eCraft electric die cutter. And the flowers are, of course, quilled! I've enjoyed my time as GD for a second time. It's good to see lots of people entering the challenges recently. I've noticed a couple of people that I know from the Craft Telly forum joining in and hope that you'll continue to support the blog.

1 card style - 2 cards (part 1).

I've recently been looking through old craft magazines for some quilling designs for a card I wanted to make. I came across a tutorial for some card styles and liked the look of one they called a 'box' card. I would call it a 'box frame' card as it provides a frame for a central image. As the days are rushing by I needed to make another card for the challenge at Debbees CDs DT Delights blog before it closes on 25th March. So I decided to have a go at the box card. Deb's provides free papers to download and I used the card topper/decoupage base. I cut the frame from around the topper and used it on the border of the card. The middle of the topper was then used as a central image. I resized the topper using MCS to make a square as it was initially a rectangle. I then went to town with peel off borders and corners and pink pearls!

And the card from the side showing the depth of the 'box'.

I was very pleased with how the card turned out and I knew the style would suit the quilling I was thinking of doing....... but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see that card LOL! It's my last week as a Guest Designer for the CD Sunday Challenge Blog and the card is for the new theme from Sunday.

March challenge at Debbees

Deb's has had a few problems with Mr Blogger this month - first he wouldn't let her post pictures and then when people downloaded the papers they were to small and pixelated if you enlarged them. Debs has now managed to twist Mr Blogger's arm and all is sorted - you can find this month's papers here. When I see fans I automatically think 'Oriental' and I've heard it said that oriental is making a big come back this year. So I've made a screen shaped card - I printed one of the papers straight onto card and used a template for the screen. I then put fan shaped peel offs onto another paper and cut them out. I've also gone around the edges of the card with some peel offs.

A very quick and simple card to make. I have an idea for another card and hopefully I'll finish it before the challenge closes on 25th March.

Spots before my eyes!

The theme for the CD Sunday challenge is Spots 'n' Dots and I knew straight away what style card I was going to make. I've made a patchwork card before (here) and it won me a prize in a forum card challenge. I spent ages going through my cds looking for 2 spotty papers that could be used together. The first card is made using the V.Funky cd from Funky Hand. I added a brad to the middle of the star and finished it off with a rub on.

This second card is a large 8 x 8 card. The papers are from Nikky Hall's Polkadoodles cd Candy Doodles (the original cd). I coloured the middle of the star embellishment with a black promarker and added the crystal brad.

This is my third week as Guest Designer for the CD Sunday Blog - next week will be my final week and once again I've enjoyed it.

A long time in the making!

Most years there's a craft show held in Cardiff in October (Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts). I always go and one of my sisters comes with me. The first stand we go to is Card Creations Plus as I like their CD roms and Nigel gives good show discounts. Well back in October 2009 Nigel was demoing the Musical Theatre cd and my sister pointed to the Phantom of the Opera design and told me she'd like me to make her next birthday card using that design. I think she meant her birthday in March 2010 but due to circumstances beyond my control I didn't make the card until this year! I hope she thinks it was worth the wait!

It was quite a fiddly card to make as you have to match up the design on the front while trying to stick the spacer to the top and base of the card. I finished off the frame by colouring peeloffs with a promarker.

I chose roses and musical notes to tie in with the opera theme.

The theme for the CD Sunday challenge this week is 'From me to you' so I thought I'd make a card from me to my sister for my Guest Designer item. I just need Royal Fail to do it's job and get the card there in time for her birthday. Hope you have a good day sis - Happy Birthday Audrey!

Backing papers

After making a card a few weeks ago with paper weaving on it I've been having fun folding paper. The sponsors for this week on the CD Sunday Challenge Blog provided us with some images and backing papers. I really liked the backing papers and printed them off several times - printing the design on both sides of the paper. My favourite paper was green with a vine on it called spiral leaves. I went back to a favourite card style of mine that I haven't used for quite some time.

It looks more complicated than it actually is. A square of double sided paper with the corners folded into the middle and the tips then folded back on themselves. The green mat is made from Bazzill card and punched with a Martha Stewart punch around the page punch. The rosette is made with the same card using a Sizzix rosette die. I then decided to look up some new (to me) tea bag folding designs and liked the look of this star shape:

The backing paper is called grungy flower circles and reminds me of the bubbles in Aero chocolate! The pink hexagonal mat was cut from mirri card on my Ecraft machine. I've not had much time to get used to the machine but this was easy to cut using a design on the sd card that came with the machine. I'm not sure I like this card - I think there's 'something' missing ? The third card I made came about just because the papers were lying on top of each other on my desk and I liked the contrast between the black card and backing paper. This paper is called fairy stars and it's really pretty.

The card was really easy to make, just layers of black card and BP. One of the black mats was punched with a Martha Stewart punch around the page punch (I like the effect of these punches - can you tell?) and another was embossed with an embossing folder. I've enjoyed my first week as Guest Designer, although it was a bit of a rush to get the cards made. The challenge is sponsored this week so make sure you enter as you could win a crafting cd from Elegant Inspiration called Imagine.

Another Tag

The Design Team over at the CD Sunday Challenge Blog take it in turns to decide on the theme of the challenge. This week it was the turn of Wendy P and she chose Wings and Legs. An unusual theme and I don't know what Wendy had in mind but I'm sure it wasn't a zebra with wings! I turned to MCS and Tinkering with Steampunk as I've not used it and it's the only MCS that I've had time to install on my new desktop PC.

I printed a background onto card and cut it into a tag shape. I then printed the wings, clock face, birdcage and zebra onto vellum and placed it over the background. The vellum is held in place by some brads of various sizes and shapes. I need to find some ribbon to thread through the hole at the top to finish the tag off.

Paper weaving

I printed off some papers several days ago and they've been sitting on my desk as I couldn't decide how to use them. They were a free download from my friend Debs' blog . Yesterday I cut them into 1 cm wide strips thinking that I'd use them for iris folding - but I changed my mind. I decided to have a go at paper weaving as I'd never done it before and I must admit I like the result.

I then printed another sheet and made a paper rosette which was layered onto a piece of white card that I'd punch with a Martha Stewart Punch Around The Page set. The card was finished with some ribbon and gems.

I've probably broken all the rules of the challenge by only using one freebie paper and chopping it up LOL! Hope Debs isn't too upset with me after seeing what I've done with her lovely papers. There's only a couple of days left if you want to enter the challenge, closing date is the 25th February. EDITED TO ADD: Debs wasn't upset with me chopping up her papers as the DT chose my card as the winner! I now have to chose a cd from Debs on line shop as my prize.

L is for..........

............Lady! The theme at the Cd Sunday Blog this week is 'L is for...'. I've made a card with an image of a woman on so I thought I'd be cheeky and enter it! It's good to see so many entries this week, especially as it isn't a sponsored week with a prize.

The backing paper and central image is from a Debbie Moore cd called Evergreen. I used a Martha Stewart Punch around the Page on the white mat. The rosettes were made using a Sissix die and I added beads to crystal and heart hatpins. I've been experimenting with making hatpins but this is the first time I've used them on a card. It took me 3 attempts to make this card and even now the white mat isn't 100% straight. Hopefully I can 'rescue' the other 2 cards so as not to waste them. I've had several visitors to stay recently so not had chance to do any crafting. I'm hoping to rectify that over the weekend as I've a couple of challenges I want to enter.

Tag you're it!

The CD Sunday Challenge Blog has a theme of Tag You're It! this week. I decided to decorate a tag and I've really enjoyed it.

I've used a tag from Artylicious Filigree Fusion but increased the size to have a larger area to decorate. The bird on a branch is a Marianne Die coloured in with Distress Inks. I've also coloured some ribbon with a Walnut Promarker to make it dark brown. This is the first time I've pleated ribbon and I like the effect. I've finished off with green card candi and ribbon. I enjoyed making this so I'm going to do a few more.

New style easel card

I belong to several craft forums and recently a member of one of them hasn't been posting for quite some time. So some of the members have got together and sent her hand made cards to try and cheer her up. I was watching Create & Craft the other day and Dawn Bibby was showing a new style easel card blank - so I had a go at making my own. You cut up both sides of the front of the easel and a little way down the back. Then make folds so the middle section sits back a little (a bit like a stepper card). Not sure I've described it very well and I forgot to take a piccy from the side!

The scene and lady are from Debbi Moore's Enchanted Christmas Cd and the blue backing paper is from Crafter's Companion A Touch of Christmas Cd. It's been finished off with some peel offs and card candi. I'm entering this card into the CD Sunday Blog Challenge as the theme this week is Enchantment.

Debbee's CDs Blog Challenge.

A friend of mine has just started a monthly blog challenge - It's called Debbee's CDs DT Challenge Blog. She provides free downloads to be used in the challenge. I intended entering this challenge before I went on my holiday but didn't have time to blog it - so here it is:

I made my favourite card shape - an easel. The card is for hubby's aunt's birthday, without whom we couldn't have got through the last couple of years while looking after her brother - my FIL. She loves shopping and these images are perfect for her card. I was going to name the shop after her but didn't have enough 'e's in my rub ons so used a sticker from a very old QVC kit. There's still time to enter until the 25th January and the prize is a free cd from Deb's web site (http://debbeescds.co.uk/). Good Luck!

Olympics

I think crafters out there will be busy this year with many Olympic themed challenges and swaps! It's the theme for the Cd Sunday Blog Challenge this week and also this month's ATC swap on Sharon Duncan's forum. I've combined both of these with another ATC swap I do where the theme is 'O' is for......

Two of the Olympic Sports ATCs were made using images from a cd by CardzCardzCardz and the third one is from Joanna Sheen's ATC cd rom. The Olympic medals image is from the internet. A very short blog today as I'm quite busy at the mo.