Play Date Cafe Challenge Blog Hop, Challenge and some REALLY exciting news!!!!! :o)

Hi everyone

I have some REALLY exciting news to share with you today. I recently applied for the design team role over at Play Date Cafe and I am now on their design team!!! I am SOOOOOO excited. I did a little happy wiggle dance when I heard! I've been bursting to tell you all, but we had to wait until the announcements have been made.  One of my New Year resolutions was to get more active with my blogging and start applying for some DT roles.  I never thought it would happen this quickly!  Yay!!

The Play Date Cafe set weekly colour challenges.  Now as you know I do enjoy my sketches, but this is a great way for me (and you) to push your boundaries and start to explore new colour combinations.  I can't wait to start playing!!

Anyway, as the Play Date Cafe begins a new season of designers, they also say goodbye to Julie Campbell, who has been on their design team for the past 4 months.  To celebrate Julie's achievements and the new design team, (yes I know, I'm on it... woohoo!!!) they are having a BLOG HOP!  This is what you can win..

Isn't that a fabby prize?!!!  I am really into these fancy frames at the minute.  So to get started, you need to begin from The Cafe.

If you came here from Stephanie Kraft's blog, then you are in the right place.

There are THREE ways to give you the best chance to win:

1. You must stop at each designer's blog AND leave a comment
(this point is a requirement in order for a chance to win)

There are ONLY 9 in total and all you have to do is click on the name!

2. Become a follower of The Play Date Cafe...easy-peasy!

3. Play along with this week's color challenge. 

All the details on how to play are on the sidebar in The Cafe.

The winner will be chosen by random.org.

The deadline is 11:59pm EST on 3/16.  The lucky winner will be announced 3/18 as part of the regular challenge post.

This week's challenge is to create something using this picture as inspiration

I LOVE this picture, not just because of the colours, but because it conjures up 'me' time.  It makes me think of sitting in a relaxing candlelit bath, with a good book and a glass of wine... Mmm, I must do that this weekend (well it is going to be Mother's Day on Sunday, so it's the perfect opportunity!!)

I rarely work with pale colours so this was a good start for me to think in different colours than my normal brights.  Here is what I came up with...

... and here's how I made it

1. Round all corners of the card base
2. Cut a piece of patterned paper, round the corners and adhere to the card base
3. Cut a white flourish using the Sizzix 'Decorative Accent w/flower' cutter, adhere to the green patterned paper
4. Cut  'Flower 1' in black on Accent Blackout setting, using the Cricut 'Storybook' Cartridge
5. Cut 'Flower 1' in lilac Bazzill Bling on standard setting, using the Cricut 'Storybook' Cartridge, adhere to the black background and then pop dot
6. Stamp the sentiment in the bottom right hand corner
7. Add purple and pearl gems to finish

Dies: Sizzix 'Decorative Accent w/flower', Cricut Storybook cartridge
Paper: Lilac Bazzill Bling Cardstock, black cardstock, Prima Marketing - Angelique Collection - 'Angel Kisses'
Stamps: PSX 'Happy Anniversary'
Accessories:  Adhesive gems

I am truly honoured to be working with such a great design team, we all have quite different styles and I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with for each challenge.   Thank you to all at Play Date Cafe for the opportunity you have given me in joining the team!

The other members of the DT have some fab creations, don't forget to check them out...

Julie Campbell
Lisa Somerville
Savannah O'Gwynn
Sarah Anderson
Stephanie Kraft
Ruby 2 Shoes (that's me!)
Mona Pendleton
Suzanne Czosek
Julie Ranae

So pop along for the chance to win, and join in the weekly challenge.  You never know you might start using colours you had never even thought of putting together!  Have fun!