Saturated Canary: Butterflies.

Hi guys,

If you didn't know already I am a huge fan of  Krista Smith over at Saturated Canary, over on her blog today she has a heart wrenching post about some very special children, please, please, please, follow this link and take a look and see how you can help....  Saturated Canary: Butterflies.:  

 

Love and hugs

 

Dawn.W xxx

 

p.s. please take her banner and repost it on your blog..

 

 

 

          

Way too Girly..

Hi blog friends, I am bringing you a card today that is soo not my style but it worked out great and I may have had a little bit of fun, going way overboard with the glitz and sparkle.. but shhh don't tell anyone lol.. So here she is:

I started with a 6 x 6 card blank and matted a piece of  patterned paper from Prima Sparkling Spring, its an old collection but its so pretty. I then die cut the image with a circle nestie then matted that on to a piece of Core'dinations Whitewash Pink card stock that was die cut with Spellbinders Lacy Circles then sanded back to reveal the pink core. Next I die cut 2 flourishes, 1 Die-namics Fancy Flourish and 1 Cheery Lynn - Mini Fanciful Flourish, both out of Core'dinations whitewash Pink card stock, they both got a light sanding then were adorned with Stickles and Crystals.

 

The gorgeous image is Spring Bringer, from a Sylvia Zet Wee Stamps collection die cut sheet from The Hobby House. These are great for quick cards and oh so cute too. I added some Stickles to her wings to add to the sparkle.

 

The sentiment is from the Dreamy Days Circular Sentiments at Lili of the Valley. I go to these sentiments all the time, they are perfect for fairy and girly cards. I added a bit of colour and glitter and matted it onto a smaller Lacy Circle and sanded it back once again.

 

 

The whole card was topped of with some Aster Daisy's, 15mm Roses, Hip Rosebuds, 25mm Open Roses and finally some Rose Leaves. The little twiddly-viney bits are made from the wire stems I cut off of the flowers, which have been spiralled around my pokey tool.

So there we have it, my first over the top girly card lol :0)

 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

 

 Wild Orchid Challenge 57–Summer Flowers

Die-ing For a Challenge - Anything Goes

 

Love and hugs

 

Dawn.W xxx

 



Summer holidays and Inspirations..

Hi there, as I write this I am sat in the sun, having a fab holiday, we even ventured to the beach yesterday. It was so wonderful watching my little man playing in the waves, although I really miss my girls. But I guess I have to get use to the fact that they are to old to want to holiday with the 'rents now, although I have a feeling if I was to offer them to go to the Caribbean with us they would take up the offer, lol..

Anyhoo on to my card, this one I made as a thank you for my parents for the loan of their caravan for this wonderful holiday. And this digi from Krista Smith over at Saturated Canary was perfect.

I started with an 8x8 card blank I then matted a piece of American Crafts patterned paper (not sure of the collection) on to pink card stock. The scene was matted and layered onto kraft card then pink card stock, it was then lifted up on some 2mm foam pads. I finished of with a big bow tied from sheer wrinkled edge ribbon which I got from my last workshop with Leonie Pujol. I then made a little tag and stamp my sentiment from the Handwritten Phrases set from Lili of the valley. 

For background scene I created, I started by taking a 6x6 piece of IndigoBlu Perfect Stamping Card and created a summer sky using using Tumbled Glass and Squeezed Lemonade distress inks, an ink duster from Inkylicious, and my trusty cloud template, the grass was done in a similar way but instead of circular motions I used flicking motions, I used a mixture of green distress inks.

The tree stamps are Pilkington Woods from Stamps Away, I love these stamps because the trunk and branches are separate from the leaves, so you can use a myriad of different colours.The fence is a Marianne Design Creatables die which has been cut from kraft card then inked with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The rose's are 10mm roses from Wild Orchid Crafts which have been glittered with Stickles.

The cute little image is a digi from Saturated Canary and she is called Winnie. I have coloured her up using Copics and added some Glossy Accents to the windows (but its kinda hard to see in the pic's) then mounted her up on 2mm foam pads.

Do you like my new watermark on my photo's, I got it from Janet over at Pink Gem Designs. I think its real cute and so cheap too.

Hope you all have a great week, wherever you are, whatever you are doing.

Love and hugs

Dawn.W

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The challenges I would like to enter this card into are:

 Copic Marker Europe Challenge - A Summer Card

and Saturated Canary Challenge #23 - Photo Inspiration.

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Copic Marker Europe Challenge

Hi there, long time no blog.. again!! lol. I'm cutting straight to the chase today with a quick post. So here is a card I put together for the Copic Marker Europe Birthday challenge, the lovely Krista Smith from Saturated Canary kindly give away a free digi to colour up. I have only recently switched to Copics from Promarkers and only own 30! so this is the first image I have coloured ONLY using Copics and I am so happy with how it turned out, what do you think:

I used Kraft card and Dovecraft Princess papers.

The inside is decorated to compliment the outside.

The image is from Krista Smith at Saturated Canary.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, I add a little Frosted Lace Stickles to them for a little sparkle.

And just finished off with a sentiment from Lily of the Valley and a few gems.

Thanks for popping by, I'll be back soon with some cards I've been working on for a few weeks.

love and hugs,

Dawn.W xx

L.O.T.V Challenge- Anything goes!

Here is a card that I recently made for my Mum to cheer her up after being diagnosed with Diabetes, on the day my Dad had heart surgery! Our family are going through some trying times at the mo, but hey-ho we just battle on and support each other.

So here is my card:

Sorry the photo's are awful :'( . The paper's are Pion Designs-poem of spring. The die cuts are some freebies the the lovely Tracy over at Dies to Die for popped in with my Pion paper order. I also used L.O.T.V Grunge Corners stamp in the bottom corner and an Inkilicious script stamp an the opposite side.

The image is Lily of the Valley's Kitchen Herbs which I coloured with prisma pencils and die cut with my Spellbinders Labels Fourteen. Then finished of with a piece or ribbon and a charm from my stash.

Thank you for poping by today,                        

                                  love and hugs to you all,

Dawn.W  xxx

A Dedication To an Amazing Lady...

I have been such a bad blogger, its been so long since my last past but I have good excuses lol. I have been concentrating on my health, well my mobility actually and have started working with a physio. But its gone a bit pear shaped as I have been battling pneumonia for the past few weeks but I am winning and on the mend. Its been hard on my partner - who is my full-time carer, looking after me so I'm off into respite next week so we all can have a rest. Anyway that's enough about me, on to the real reason for this post.

I little while ago Krista over at Saturated Canary release a free digi called  "Boobie Love".  Its a gorgeous little digi that Krista designed to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. In her post Krista explained that she didn't feel right selling this digi so she ask that we use it to make cards to either sell and donate the profits to Breast Cancer Awareness or to give to someone you know who is fighting or a survivor of this awful and cruel disease.

My thoughts went straight to my neighbour Jean. She grew up with my Mum and I grew up with her son but as we got older life choices separated us all, as it does these days. Then 2yrs ago I was offered an adapted house in the village i grew up in, I had no idea who my neighbours would be at the point. While my partner was to-ing and fro-ing trying to get the new house ready (with a 2yr old toddler in tow) Jean and her husband Graham would always pop round with cups of tea or a snack, even asking them to join in a family barbecue. On the day I moved in she gave me a huge welcome and was so helpful. My little man was always disappearing next door to play with Max and Jake, Jeans beloved doggies. As well as being a great support to our family she also worked and was caring for her terminally ill brother, Martin, who was suffering from throat cancer.

In January '11 Martin sadly passed away, Jean was heartbroken but relieved that Martin's suffering was over. Unfortunately luck was not on Jean's side, within a month she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She started treatment and eventually lost her hair, but it didn't change her, she was still an amazing support to her family and mine. Jeans battle was not an easy one but she eventually able to return to work part-time. She even stepped in to taxi my daughter the 8 miles to school when our car died. So when Krista released her "Boobie love" digi I knew exactly who the recipient of my card would be.

So here is her card:                                                                                                     

The image is "Boobie Love" from Krista over at Saturated Canary. The papers are Melissa Frances 5th Avenue, I also used Spellbinders - Romantic Rectangles and Tim Holtz - Chit Chat stickers.

                I made an awareness ribbon from ribbon in my stash and popped that on too.



I coloured her in using Promarkers.

I didn't want to take anything away from the image and words so I kept the card clean and simple, justing adding a bit of faux stitching.

Sadly Jean passed away quite suddenly 2 weeks ago, it was a huge shock to her family and mine too. We all knew she was still poorly but never terminally ill. So this post is dedicated to my inspirational friend and neighbour, Jean...

Love and Hugs to you all xxx



LOTV Challenge - TRANSPORT

Hi guys,

I'm back with an offering for the LOTV challenge, which this week is, TRANSPORT. So here's a card I made for my Buster-boo's 5th birthday which was on Easter Saturday.

I was so proud of this card as it was my first ever attempt at doing a cloudy sky, I think it turned out quite well. OK so here's the how to;

I started with an 8 x 8 card base. I matted a piece of cloud designer paper (from American Crafts I think) onto a piece of blue mirri card (a pack from QVC and a bargain at only £10). Next I arranged card stock stickers (from Echo Park Little Boy Collection) down the side and along the bottom.

Next I took a 6 x 6 square paper super smooth white paper and a cloud template, the fabulous Bev Rochester has one on her wonderful blog HERE along with a great video tutorial. I took Tumbled Glass Distress and an Ink duster Blending Brush from Inkylicious and set about making my paper cloudy. I expected to have to have a few practise goes at it but the first try came out great, I was very surprised at how easy it was to do.

I then got out my Grand Calibur to start die cutting and because of its nice large cutting plate I could do everything at once. I used Marianne Design Creatables Tree, Fence Set and Grass Set Dies (which are available at crafts u love), I had to cut 2 of the fence, grass and the tree but for this I did 1 in green and 1 in brown and yes I did sit and cut all those little leaves off so the tree would green leaves, and yes, I think I must be crazy.. lol. I used Coredinations White Wash for the fence which I think looked great once it was sanded back. I also used Coredinations for the grass, I used 2 different greens which I tore for more texture. I then laid all the bits out and played around with placement before finally sticking the torn grass and tree down with Cosmic Shimmer PVA Glue, one of the best paper glues around I think. The fence was raised up on 1mm foam tape with the die-cut grass stuck to its bottom edge, which was then stick down flat long the very edge, to create a sloped effect.

The cute little chap is from one of the lili of the valley die cut sheets which I cut out and then applied Glossy Accents to his bike to make it look shiny. I let this dry before mounting it on foam tape and positioning it on the backdrop. This whole panel was then matted onto some green mirri and placed on the main card.

Buster-boo was very pleased with his card and with the huge heap of presents too.

Thanks for popping by today and if you have any comments, good or bad, please feel free to leave it.

Love and hugs

Dawn x

Being A.W.O.L...

Hi guys,

              I thought I'd write a post about my mysterious vanishing acts from blogland and a little catch up too. The conditions that wrack my body and test my spirit have been having a field day of late. Days have been spent wracked with pain or I have slept through for 2 or 3 days at a time, literally, not waking at all (not even to relieve my bladder... sorry was that TMI??!! lol), then when I come to, I feel so foggy and confused. I hate this part of the illnesses, it gets me so down, I feel like a failure at not being strong enough to stave of the darkness, I know my family understand but its harder for my little Buster-boo.

            My new physio has stepped in to try and help, drawing up a daily schedule for me to stick to with slight changes every few days. It is really hard for my partner (who is also my full-time carer) as he has to force me to wake, he has to literally sit me up and continuously talk to me until I come to. Sometimes its obvious to him that its not going to work, like when my tea, which he is tentatively trying to help me sip, just dribbles out the side of mouth as I start snoring! lol.. I  have to laugh at such things because i have wasted too many tears to these awful illnesses before.

           But I have now managed 10 straight days without zonking out, which I haven't done in over a year, it's been touch and go but Terry has stuck with it and coaxed me out of my sleep dimension (the only way I can describe it, is like being underwater and being sucked back under each time I break the surface..) everyday. He even managed to get me to church on Sunday - which was a mean feat as I had worn myself out on  Buster-boo's birthday the day before -, which meant so much to me and the icing on the top was that my Buster-boo was chosen to light the Easter candle.

           Easter is a special time for all of us, as Buster-boo was born on Easter and I know he was blessed by the lord to arrive on such a special day. Buster-boo was so proud to be chosen and he couldn't wait to Skype Nanna and tell her that his favourite present was from Rev. Shirley, when she chose him to light the Easter candle.

           I am happy to report that I have even managed to get a handful of cards completed too, including 1 for my Buster-boo's birthday. It'll take me a while to post them all to my blog though, I am so slow when it comes to technology.. lol. I can surf the net and doing some online shopping but that's about it, so you'll have to bear with me.

          OK its time for me to go, my schedule for this week only allows me a half hour of activity every 2 hours, so it's rest time now, which will mean lounging in my recliner watching Buster-boo play Skylanders (his second favourite birthday gift), watching Woo beaver away at her light box working on her Art coursework (which is amazing, I hope to post some pics when she has finished it) and itching to get up and so something, I hate being idol, I feel lazy and laziness is the 'quality' I loath the most after dishonesty, so no doubt I'll be told to "put that magazine down", and "sit back down", grrrrr this is the real hard part for me.. lol..

Love and hugs,

Dawn x

Just Magnolia Challenge #145 - Romantic Doily

Hi blog-friends, its an exciting day for me today as I'm going to enter my first blog challenge!! YAY!!

This is a card I made around valentines day, so I've left my 'cute pastels' comfort zone and opted for strong, romantic reds,  I've chosen the Magnolia stamp - Wrapped Heart, which I've coloured using Promarkers and Prismacolour pencils:

The papers are Magnolia, Vintage Red and Paris Red Peony from the Sweet Crazy Love collection at Dies to die for, along with the doily heart die cut. The ribbon and charm were from my stash but I think the ribbon was from Hobbycraft. I also used Spellbinders classic ovals and beaded ovals and the red pearls are little dots of Cosmic Shimmer Berry Red Pearl PVA Glue. 

I had to use the 'out of the box' technique for Tilda's bow, I think it looks cute though. I'm not a fan of strong colours usually and this was one of my first attempts at using Prismacolour pencils too but on the whole i was very pleased with the result.

The beautiful flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, I adore their flowers, they just make such an impact on your project.

Thank you for popping by, your comments are very welcome.

Love and hugs,

Dawn x

Hello Blogland!

Hi bloggers welcome to my new craft blog, I did have another blog but 'someone' mysteriously deleted my account.. hmm.. very strange I know.. lol.. OK, so I'm just going to post some of the Christmas cards I did for Christmas just gone and a few others just to brighten up this page, then I'll start posting new projects as and when I complete them.. okey dokey first up are my Lili of the Valley Christmas cards

So next up are my Humphrey's Corner Decoupage Christmas cards.

and finally a few winter birthday cards i did around Dec/Jan.

These Snowman images are hand coloured using pencils.

This little guy is from Lili of the Valley, this was 1 of my first attempts at using colouring pencils, it was for my nephews birthday.

And finally this little lass is also from Lili of the Valley. She was also coloured with pencils and finished with polar white Flowersoft and Cosmic Shimmers Pearl PVA. She was for my niece's birthday.