Birthday card and ATC's.......

I always forget to take pictures of any birthday cards I make as they usually have to be sent immediately. I'm unfortunately not one of those people who plan ahead and have the cards made weeks, or even days, before. I did take some pictures of a card I made last night so I can pop it on here now (before I quickly send it).

Dream Street paper on Green Bazzill Bling, both have been sanded down to give a distressed look. Chipboard heart inked in red and gold and decorated with pearls. Prima ribbon and flowers.

I recently made some ATC cards for a swap on the Charmed forum (Autumn theme). These were my first-ever ATC cards and I can see they could become rather addictive!

Thanks for looking xxx

Spotty Dottie

I only ever seem to post on here when it is about the Dottie's World Challenges. One day I will find some extra hours somewhere (I think I put some up in the loft last Christmas(!!!)) and perhaps craft something else!

This week it was my turn to set the challenge, and this is what I came up with:

SPOTTY DOTTIE
I want to see SPOTS. It doesn't have to be Dottie, you can of course use any of the downloads.

Well my mojo has gone into hiding and I just can't find it. I ended up doing two cards, one "Spotty George" and one "Spotty Dottie".

The download image here is George on his ladder hanging up Christmas decorations from the Christmas Collection. I also used the following: Basic Grey Blitzen Sugar Plum paper, Red Bazzill, K&Co Chipboard sentiment, K&Co candy cane (Inked), Blue velvet ribbon, large copper eyelets from my crop-a-dile kit. The eyelets were set using my Big Bite as it needed to reach further in on the card. Elements were inked using Tim Holtz Fired Brick Distress ink.

This download is Bathtime Dottie from the Dottie at Home collection. I also used: Pink Dots Cardstock, Green Dots Cardstock, various Tim Holtz Distress inks, Yellow Mulberry paper, Polka Dot Daisies, Jewel Brads, Glossy Accent, K&Co Just Jinger Duck tag.


I have to admit that I just tried to jam as much spotty stuff on that second card as I could, I was much more restrained on the George card.

Everything from both these cards can be found on the Charmed Cards & Crafts website.

Pop over to Dottie's World and check out what the other designers came up with :o)

xxx

Not a Card...

That is the challenge today on Dottie's World. Louise set the challenge this week and this is what she wanted:

Make something using one of the download images that isn't a card. Simple!

I decided upon a Halloween clipboard, and it gave me the chance to work with those wonderful Halloween colours again.

My main image was the Motley Crew from the Halloween Download.

Here's a little Dottie border created with Flying Witch Dottie from the Halloween download.

Products used:

• Dottie & George Halloween Download
• Clipboard blackened with ink.
• K & Company Halloween Die-cut shapes. The frog is from the self-adhesive chipboard pack.
• Large eyelets from my Crop-a-dile pack
• Twine (own stash)
• Black Diamond Stickles Glitter Glue
• Doodlebug Sequin Flowers
• Imaginisce Hallowhimsy Epoxy Brad and Studded webs
• Prima Ribbon (for the corner), mixed ribbons and fibres for the top.

Pop over to Dottie's World and enter this fab challenge. The other designers have created some wonderful ideas for you to help get those creative juices flowing.

xxx

My Baby Returns!!!

My baby has returned safe and sound from her school journey. I have missed her unbelievably but she has had a good time and has returned with just a wee bruise on her knee; which isn't at all bad considering the amount of activities. My mind conjured up broken limps and black eyes throughout the week and each time the phone rang I expected the worst; thank the lord my fears were unfounded. Well almost......

Apparently the holiday didn't start too well as the coach driver was totally incompetent and crashed the coach two miles down the road!! They then had to sit in a church year for FIVE HOURS until another coach was available, or rather another coach driver as they, thank goodness, insisted on another. Eventually they got to the place about 10:30pm totally worn out!

Here is a picture of Amber when setting off.

Amber also accidentally got left behind in a cave and screamed in anguish of the total blackness surrounding her! She said she had never been so scared in her life! The consequences of that is that she now has to have a light on to sleep, but hopefully that will pass in time. Poor little sausage :o(

But she is back, safe and sound and the family is once again complete :o)

Acetate with a Hint of Pink

Crikey, that was a close shave. Well not really a close shave as the deadline has passed and I didn't get my DT card for Dottie's World made in time. It has been a crazy weekend so far and I honestly haven't had any time, so I just TOOK half an hour to quickly make my DT card for Dottie's World, and half an hour is literally how long it has taken me, including taking pictures etc. Must be one of the quickest cards I have ever made so I apologise for any mistakes! Check out Dottie's World for some fabulous cards from the design team.

I love this cat image from the Cat Collection and grabbed the chance to use it today. Here is the challenge from Nicola:

A is for Acetate with a hint of pink!!It can be a whole acetate card,an aperture of acetate,an embellishment as long as Acetate is there some where & as October is Breast Cancer awareness month I'd like to see some pink!!!

My card is acetate folded in half and rimmed with Cotton Pink Stickles (not quite dry so excuse any stray bits). The cat was printed on a sheet of Prima Whisper "Sigh" paper and Cotton Pink Stickles has been applied to the circles. This is double-sided so it looks good from the other side too. I cut the ball out and matted it on a K&Co Wild Saffron Tag. It has a pink acetate flower in the centre with a Basic Grey brad in the middle.

The corner has been cut out from the same sheet of Prima paper and dotted with pearls.

Pop over and join in the challenge :o)

xxx

Love is.....

Love is a lot of things so the scope was open wide in the Sunday Challenge on Dottie's World. The fabulous Juliet set the challenge this week:

'Love is....' a card to tell someone you love them. This could be Anniversary, Christmas, Birthday, Valentines or just to say I Love You to someone special. The only other rules are to use at least one image from the collection AND I would like to see a journalling spot/message on the front of your card."

My card is a single sheet of folded Basic Grey Cupcake "Frosting; as it uses the full sheet is makes for a sturdy card. Acetate window. Imaginisce Baby Powder Fuzzy Jammies paper for the scalloped pieces, which I embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder. Imaginisce Baby Powder ribbon. Blue crystals from our fantastic value craft accessory boxes. Tim Holtz ink for edges. K&Co Self-Adhesive Baby chipboard - and last but not least a Dottie and George download from the Love & Marriage collection.

Online Class

As promised I have created an online class showing you how to make the pop-up card in my previous post. You can see the class here.


xxx

Dottie goes Geometric!

That is the Sunday challenge today on Dottie's World. The lovely Adele set the challenge this week, and by gum it's a good one!

When I first told my son Jack that I was on the Dottie Design Team, he asked loads of questions about what I needed to do. You can now blame Jack for this week's challenge as this was all his idea...but I have stretched it a little.

Jack suggested that I made a card using triangles but I am going to open up the possibilities and ask you to make creations with bold geometric shapes. This could simply be part of some patterned papers or a fancy shaped card...the choice is yours BUT I want to see some geometric shapes as a main part of your work....no cheating and telling me the brad is a circle!

Well I went geometric mad!! OK so my card does not have Dottie on it, but it does have plenty of dots LOL The Charmed download in this case is the Page Corner Cats image inside the card, these two adorable cats have lots of geometric shapes on them so perfect for this challenge.

This card is going to appear as a class very soon on the main Charmed Cards & Crafts website so keep your eyes peeled.

Materials used:

• Page Corner Cats image from the Cat download collection
• The pop-up card is made from a sheet of pink Bazzill.
• Paper on front of the card is Imaginisce All Kinds of Happy
• Large Cupcake on front is K & Company Just Jinger Cupcake
• Rub-ons inside - Imaginsce All Kind of Happy
• Cupcake Epoxy Brad - Imaginisce All Kinds of Happy
• Geometric Buttons

Thanks for looking xxx

Going Green

I set the challenge on Dottie's World for today and this was it:

Everything today is focused on environmental issues, so lets GO GREEN! Show me how green you can get! But this is a green dish with a few extra ingredients, sprinkle it with three buttons or brads, season with a little ribbon, and finally add that special little "recycled something. Plus of course it must contain at least one Charmed Cards & Crafts download".

So with these requirements in mind I made two cards:

Card 1 is on acetate:

A peek inside:

Requirements:

• DOWNLOAD is Ghost George from the Halloween Collection
• THREE glittery large GREEN BRADS from Imaginisce Hallowhimsy Collection
• GREEN Ribbon is K&Co Margo Felt Ribbon
• The "RECYCLED SOMETHING" is pink Scrabble letters from my daughters' old Scrabble set.
• GREEN double-sided papers from K&Co's Halloween Mat Pad
  

The Rub-ons are also K&Co Halloween, and the Haunted House Journalling piece inside (also green) is from the Imaginisce Hallowhimsy Toe Tags Sheet.

This second card has a green country feel to it, which ties in nicely with the "go green" theme.

Requirements:

• Puddle Love download from the Love & Marriage Collection
• K&Co Brookfield Floral Stripe Embossed GREEN paper AND Basic Grey Mellow Paper Sapid (plain GREEN paper)
• Maya Road GREEN Velvet Rick Rack RIBBON
• TWO GREEN Prima Cavalier BRADS and ONE heart BUTTON
• The "RECYCLED SOMETHING" is a flower I removed from one of the girl's old summer hats.
  

The hearts are from the Cosmo Cricket Hello Sunshine Heart Button Cover sheet.

Please do have a go at this challenge, I really love seeing what you come up with.

Karen xxx

Secondary School

I hated the thought of my sweet girl starting secondary school and now it has happened I hate it even more! We didn't alas get her into the school of our choice (don't know of any who did!) and she isn't faring too weell three weeks into the first term. It is an unbelievable worry!! It is not her ability that is a worry, she has been placed into all the top groups, it is more the interaction with the other girls, so many girls are downright nasty these days!! I am going to be watching her very carefully, any sign of anything untoward and I'll have her out of there quicker than a very quick thing.

Here she is on the morning of her very first day.

Don't you just want them to stay little forever??