DARING CARD MAKERS - SHRINK TO FIT

I have finally taken the plunge and decided to try one of the dares from DCM.

Shrink to Fit by Kathy

So this week I'd like you to think small - not small cards, but small spaces of embellishment on regular sized cards.
You are allowed to cover no more than a 5x5cms area of your card with paper or embellishment - the rest of the card must be left plain.
How you use those valuable cms is up to you. So you may choose to split up those cms to use around your card, or use them in a block or a line. It might help to cut a few 5x5cm squares then cut those up to work out good ways of using your allotment. Making your whole card a miniscule 5x5cms is NOT an option!! Lets have no cheating (I know what you lot are like.....),but because I'm feeling generous, I'm going to let you add a SIMPLE greeting as extra to your 5x5 allowance! :-)

Well here is my attempt.



I have been asked a few times if i make Wedding Acceptance cards and i always say no - but when i seen the challenge I knew what I wanted to do. I just love white space on cards and I don't do them very often.
The flourish is a font dingbat that I coloured in using my Pilot Gold Pen. http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/

I hope to take part in more of these challenges - if time is on my side!

21ST BIRTHDAY CARD

My friend who asked me to make the 40th card rang me again to see if I would make a 21st card for a lad. She doesn't need it till Wednesday but I thought I would get it done early.



Now some of you know me by now - how critical I am of my cards. I will probably put this to the side, as I am not totally happy with it. I just don't think it looks right if you know what I mean. I think its the stripes on the numbers to be honest. I tried to get them to match, as in the stripes were in line with each other on each of the numbers (hard to explain). Can you see what I'm on about! But it hasnt worked right.



Hubby says its fine but.... well what does he know???? He is even more critical of my cards than what I am. LOL!

I used the Dovecraft Masculine Paper Pack, Dovecraft Brads, computer to print off the numbers and the words. I also used my new Creamy Brown Chalk Pad that I got yesterday to go round the edges and I also used it to colour the brads.

HE'S BACK

WOOHOO



Images are from http://david-tennant.com/

The Doctor is back in the house!!!!

I admit, I was never a fan of Dr Who. Then David Tennant took over and all I can say is YUM!!!!

I thought tonight's episode was so funny - especially the bit when he spots Donna and she spots him and the 'conversation' they have through the window and door. Brilliant!!!
And how cute were the ADIPOSE??? I can see them being on the shop shelves soon - if they are, Caitlyn wants one and maybe me ;o)

Sorry to witter on, but at last, something to watch on telly on a Saturday night!

40TH BIRTHDAY CARD

One of my mates rang me earlier tonight to see if I could make a card for her. One of her friends will be 40 on Saturday (last minute as usual). She let me know that her friend likes pinks and browns and I knew straight away what paper I would use.



Last year I made a card for a friend on a forum for her 30th and lucky enough i had a piccy of it on my computer. It is near the same as this one, except that it said 30 and I also used brads. So this turned out to be a quick card to make as i had something to follow!

I used my computer once again to print off the 40, cut the numbers out and covered it with the paper, then cut it out again. I inked the edges with my brown chalk pad (love that ink pad), added some ribbons, some flat backed gem stones and attached it to the card with sticky fixers. The card is 13.5cm x 13.5cm. I have the insert to do, but that can wait till tomorrow.

The papers are DCVW Adhesive Paper Prints.

YOU MAKE MY DAY

The lovely Julie over at http://juliesinkspot.blogspot.com has given me this award - and it came at a time when I really needed cheering up. So a BIG THANK YOU Julie!



Now I have to pass this on to 3 people who Make My Day - its getting really hard to choose now as there are so many lovely blogs out there that I visit everyday!!! So I have had a flit around and here are my 3:-

1. http://pasjemarszy.blogspot.com/ - You have to see this girls books, they are just gorgeous. There is also a tutorial on how she makes them.

2. http://willowandpaisley.typepad.com/ - Great blog with wonderful creations - check out her March 06, 2008 entry - beautiful card with ribbons.

3. http://craftsbylouly.blogspot.com/ - Fabulous creations, amazing inspiration - this lady can do anything with a Dottie ;)

So here are my 3 - so please go visit them as you wont be disappointed!

BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY

If you head on over to http://nikkiscardsandnews.blogspot.com - Nikki is giving away some blog candy for reaching 15,000 visits. Well done Nikki!

HARD CHOICE TO MAKE

I will show you this card first before I go into what I have been up to.

Made this last night and I think it is my favourite of the Thank 'U' cards so far.



The swirl paper is by K&Co that I got at my LCS. I added the glitter to the swirls using my Quickie Glue Pen and yes, once again I managed to get glitter all over the table (It didn't help that i had a sneezing fit whilst adding the glitter on the card.)



The pink card is Bazzill and I edged it with my biscuit ink pad. I also ran the ink pad around the letters - again to lift them as they seemed very pale. I hope the lady likes it when she gets it!

Julie - regarding cutting out the letters - For me it has to be practice makes perfect!!! I spent 12 years (out of 14 years) as a graphic artist for the local newspaper and I had to use a scalpel everyday. Don't get me wrong, I have lost count of how many times I slit my fingers open (OUCH) using those things in the beginning. I ended up keeping plasters in my draw just in case! ;O)

SAD BIT NOW! :( Sorry for the downer!

I had to take my eldest dog to the vets last night at 11pm. She had had a stroke that was quite bad and she was so disorientated she was trying to walk, but ended up walking into the doors and the wall. So I decided to ring the vet and he told me to take her straight up. When I got there he just took one look at her and said it was time for her - It was one of the hardest things i have ever had to do! I cuddled her as he gave her the injection and it was heartbreaking to feel the life go from her.
She had had a great life as she was 16 1/2 and was never any problem - she didn't chew, make a mess nothing at all!!!
So this morning - I had to break it to the kids as hubby had gone to work.
Caitlyn just collapsed in a heap on the floor sobbing and then Avie started crying, as she had heard me tell Caitlyn. I ended up keeping them off school as they were both so heartbroken. The school was very understanding and said it was no problem.
But I still have my other 2 dogs - so as you can understand they got lashings of affection today from the kids and me.

So I will apologize for going on and I hope I haven't upset anyone. And I hope I have no more horrible news to post!

Tassie & Alinka - please bear with me. I have received your addresses and I should hopefully have your prizes in the post tomorrow.

AND THE WINNER(S) ....

It has been great reading all the lovely comments that you have all left - that I decided to draw 2 names.

The second name out of the jar will win a selection of card, paper, ribbons and papermania 3D stickers.

So all the names were put in a jar and I got the kids to pull out 2 names.



And the first out, picked by Caitlyn was...



And the second name to be drawn by Avie, was...



CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!!!
Can you both please email me your snail mail addresses and I will get your candy off to you asap! (my email is in my profile).

Thank You to everyone for visiting my blog. Its great to know i'm not talking to myself ;o)

LITTLE UPDATE ABOUT OUR DAY YESTERDAY!!

We had a lazy morning as the kids were at my dads - and did a bit of shopping before going to pick them up. We got to my dads about 12ish and sat down to have a cuppa when the door goes and this bloke asks who the car belongs to that is parked outside. He had only reversed into it!!! Gutted to say the least! The drivers door is bashed in and the worst bit is right at the lock so you can't open the drivers door. Have to say he could have drove off and we wouldn't have known - but he came to the door and he exchanged his details.
So yesterday afternoon my hubby spent over 2 hours on the phone to our insurance company trying to sort stuff out. We have been told that the accident repair place are coming to pick ours up tomorrow and drop off a hire car, but they cant tell us how long it will take as they are a bit snowed under with work.

THANK U!

Its been so peaceful in the house tonight as both the kids are at my dads and hubby is at work! So I thought - do I do the ironing, do I start cleaning out my eldests room - then I thought NAH!!! get some crafting done.

I enjoyed making the Thank U card the other day that I thought I would do another one. I used the same swirly paper and dotty one from the mum card, but instead of hand stitching, I added glitter to the swirls.



I have just realised how different the colours look in the photos - the colours are actually more like the top one.

This photo shows the glitter better.



The only problem is, glitter is now all over the place - LOL!! I should be more careful.

Can I also say thank you to everyone who has visited and left lovely comments - its been great reading them. Please remember that the blog candy giveaway finishes on the 29th march at 12 midnight GMT! I will do the draw around 7pm GMT on Sunday - so please check back to find out who has won!

CHOCOLATE & COOL BLUES...

Today when my dad came round to see me, he asked if I could make him a Thank You card. So I decided to do one using the same colours and papers as the Bookmark. I just love these colours at the moment!!



I used DCVW Retro Papers, DCVW Neutral and Brights Matt Stack. I made holes on the blue card using a needle and a ruler and then hand stitched in brown thread. I inked round the edges of the letters with my Dark Brown ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpad (that's a bit of a mouthful) and then tied some ribbon round the 'U' and used sticky fixers to raise the letters up.



The letters I used were printed off my computer and then cut out. I then stuck the DCVW Retro Paper over the top then cut them out again. I really didn't want to use the HOTP Monograms that I have - I prefer to stroke them!!!!

CAN SHARE NOW

I can share this with you now as I know it has been received.

This is the bookmark that I made for the Crafts Beautiful Swap and the lovely Sewdelish was the person to receive it.

The papers used were DCVW Retro Prints and I also used DCVW Matt Stack. I made the card and attached the bookmark to it with the ribbons and also stamped ENJOY under the bookmark using my Studio G Stamps, so when you moved it you could see the enjoy part. I printed the poem out onto matching card and then layered it. I punched a hole, added a flower, then an eyelet and then threaded the ribbon through so the bookmark can be removed from the card.

The poem on it reads:-

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The Miracle of Friendship

There's a miracle called friendship

that dwells within the heart,

and you don't know how it happens

or how it gets to start...

But the happiness it brings you

always gives a special lift

and you realise that friendship is

God's most precious gift.

- Author Unknown -

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And this is the lovely one I got from Sewdelish. I love the paper she has used and also the paper pricking around the border.

So thanks you - it is being used at this very moment as I have just started reading TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.