ABC Z Zany

It’s our final challenge for 2014 at ABC, and our challenge is Z for Zany! We are sponsored by Sherri Baldy and I have used her Fancy Pants Chillin Out image for my card.

I wanted something really bright and in your face as it’s for my childhood friend who, like me, has a December birthday, and it’s always a bit dull in December so I thought I would brighten her day a bit.

I coloured her with copics, and used my white Sharpie to add some dots to the fabric of her skirt, pants, and hat.

My flowers and fibres are from my stash and my Papers are from First Edition’s Hideaway pad. The diecut is from Couture Creations and is called Tied Together.

I am entering this into:-

Alphabet Challenge – V for Variety (3 diff papers, the two patterned and the matting paper which was pale green and I glittered it with glamour dust)
Copic Europe – Anything Goes
Digi Galore – Birthday Time
DL.Art - December Linky Anything Goes
Fairytale Stampers – #48 Bling, Bling, Glitter
Moving Along With The Times – December Birthdays
My Besties Norway – #30 Christmas/New Year/Celebration (Birthday card for my friend)
OSAAT – #226 Anything Goes With Glitter
Seize The Birthday – Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays – #237 Anything Goes
Sister Act – #87 Anything Goes
That’s Crafty – Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge – #214 Anything Goes

DV 97 Christmas

Our final challenge of the year at Dream Valley is Christmas and this will run for one month.

We are sponsored by multiple sponsors for this challenge please see the challenge post for details.

My image is from one of our Sponsors, The Paper Shelter, and is called Decorating the Mushrooms. I used the pre-coloured image as I was so busy I didn’t have the time to colour one in first, and then overlaid it on one of the papers, which are all from Bearly Mine Designs, apart from the Turquoise Matting layer which I created on the pc to match. The image layer was then overlaid on the background layer, which I also created using two of the papers from the pack. I used the shadow tool on my graphics program to give the illusion of dimension. The sentiment was also created on the pc and overlaid across the background paper prior to printing. After I had printed it out I added glitter to the lights to give them some added sparkle. This will be a lovely flat card for posting, but has the added advantage of looking dimensional.

I am entering this into:-

Chocolate Coffee and Cards – #80 Christmas
Crafts4 Eternity – #206 Christmas
Crafty Catz – #259 Last Minute Christmas
Digi Designs – Christmas
Digitally Sweet – #118 Non Traditional Christmas Colours
Jo’s Scrap Shack – #69 Happy Holidays
Kitty Bee Aloha Friday – #38 Unusual Coloured Christmas
Order of the Opus Gluei – #198 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Robyn’s Fetish – #242 Winter Cards with Glitter
That Craft Place – Christmas

CCM 129 Christmas

A little predictable I know, but our challenge at Crafty Cardmakers this time around is Christmas! The challenge will run for three weeks instead of the normal two, and I am also running a Design Team call at the same time, so if anyone reading this fancies a go, please add DT after your name in the linky list.

I embossed my background with Spellbinders Holiday Magic M-Bossability, and matted it onto blue glitter card. The sentiment banner was a freebie with a magazine.

My image is Rubber Stampede and just his face and hat coloured with copics. I applied glitter glue to his eyebrows, fur edge of his hat and beard.

I am entering this into:-

AAA – #29 Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas
Come and Get It Challenges – Merry Christmas
Craft Hoarders Anonymous – #21 Celebrate the Season
Crafty Boots – Merry Christmas
Cuttlebug Mania – Anything Christmas
Loves Rubberstamps – #130 Winter or Christmas
Stamp and Create – Dec: Christmas
That Craft Place – Christmas
That’s Crafty – All About Face Challenge
The Crazy Challenge – #186 Christmas

The Mirror Crack’d 04 Recycle/Upcycle or Make a Gift

I can’t believe it but we are already on the fourth challenge at The Mirror Crack’d. It’s my turn to host so I will be checking out all the entries! Anyhow we have chosen a theme of recycle/upcycle or because it’s Christmas and you might be pressed for time, we would also love to see your hand crafted Christmas gifts.

I am also running a DT call, so if you fancy getting down and dirty with us, then just add your entry and put DT after you name.

I guess my project falls into all three categories as it ended up as a gift for my Daughter.

I started with a somewhat tired looking mahogany coloured jewellery cabinet I purchased from the local tip for pennies! I took it all appart and gave it a couple of coats of gesso, and then another of plain white paint. In hindsight it might have been better to attempt to sand it down a little first as it did seem to take much more pain to cover it than I had anticipated.

When it was dry I cut to size some gorgeous self adhesive fabric that I think was by DoCrafts, and stuck that all over the cabinet.

I am entering this into:-

7 Kids College Fund – #114 Anything Goes
All Crafts Challenge – Dec/Jan: Anything Goes
Altered Eclectics – Dec/Feb: Anything Goes
Creative Moments – #57 Anything Goes
Decorate to Celebrate – #89 Anything Goes
DL.Art - December Linky Challenge Anything Goes
Mixed Media Mojo – Dec: For the Winter Holidays (Does a Christmas Gift Count?)
Not Just Cards – #7 Anything Goes
Recycle, Re-purpose and Re-invent – Dec/Jan: Anything Goes
The House That Stamps Built – DCC123 Anything But a Card
The Outlawz Twisted Thursday – Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps – #78 Anything Goes

DV 96 Shades of Blue

Our challenge at Dream Valley for the next two weeks is Shades of Blue, and we are sponsored by Lacey Sunshine.

I used a Lili of the Valley stamp and coloured it with copics. My papers are from the Joy Winter stack, diecut is also from Joy. I trimmed (not awfully neatly) an mat around the patterned diecut as it was disappearing into the paper beneath too much before. When it was all put together I added ice glitter glue to the blue dots on the background paper.

I am entering this into:-

AAA Cards – #29 Blue Blue Christmas Both because of the colour and because well, I’m blue As Elvis sang ‘it’ll be a blue, blue Christmas without you’
Crafty Calendar – Nov: It’s All about Christmas
Fairytale Challenge – #105 Christmas With Animals
Fantasy Stampers – #24 Cute Christmas
Fussy and Fancy – #128 Happy Holidays
Graph’It – #48 Two Colours (Blue and White)
Inkspirational – #70 Christmas with a Twist, no red or green
Outlawz Friday Colouring Challenge – Optional Twist Christmas
Paper Creators Crafts – #33 All About Christmas
Winter Wonderland – Dies and Punches

Shades of Blue is a very apt title for this post as I am feeling very blue myself. I lost a very dear friend on Thursday to cancer. Some of you may have come across her blog about her life and illness called Jane’s Journey. We only met once in real life, but have known each other for a few years online. I am sure most of you will have experienced how strong a friendship you can grow with someone you hardly know ‘in the real world’. Anyhow Jane was an exceptional human being, loving, warm, funny, creative and very wise. If you know anyone embarking on a cancer journey of their own, or are the friend or relative of such a person I highly recommend her blog.

Also if you knew Jane, or are just feeling generous please support her Just Giving page. This was typical of Jane, as she approached the end of the line she set up a page for donations to the Make a Wish Foundation. Typical that she would want to be remembered by putting a smile on some child’s face.

This is the most unflattering image of me, showing as it does my double chin, but sadly we didn’t have time to get better shots. Jane is the one in white, the hairy one is Poppy and that’s me on the right.

Jane my life is better for having had you in it. I just wish it could have been for so much longer. May the angels bless you and keep you safe.

ABC Y Yule

Our challenge at ABC for the next two weeks is a nice easy one for the time of the year, Y Yule. We are sponsored by The Paper Shelter and I have used their gorgeous image Holy Night, which I have coloured with copics.

After colouring I ran it through a cuttlebug snow embossing folder and then added glue where the embossed dots were and to the ground beneath her feet and added glitter.
I followed the sketch (96)  and optional theme of green and blue from Papertake Weekly

My papers are from First Edition - Silent Night and Joycrafts- Winter. Die cuts are Doohickey Slender Firs and Joy Snowflake.

I am entering this into:-

Crafty Hazlenut – #205 Santa is On His Way
Creative Corner – Winter Wonderland
Fashionable Stamping – #87 Winter Wonderland
Glitter N Sparkle – #113 Use Some Snow
My Sheri Crafts – #147 Oh Christmas Tree
Order of the Opus Gluei – #197 Let it Snow
Papertake Weekly – Take Your Pick
Sparkle Creations Christmas Card Challenge – #53 Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin’ – Let It Snow
The Paper Players – #224 Tic, Tac, Toe Centre Line Horizontal Snowflake, Embossing, Patterned Paper