Daring Cardmakers Challenge & Mini Giveaway

Hi there

I know.. I'm posting again, it is amazing for me but I've been busy in my studio lately!

Daring Cardmakers are having a challenge to create a Christmas themed card for a Papercraft Inspirations Magazine Party,  and as I'm on a mission to get lots of different Christmas designs done I thought I'd play along!  This one happened to be a lucky one of those 'here's one I made earlier cards' that fitted in with the challenge, don't you just LOVE it when that happens.  I have to be honest it's quite rare for me.  The reality is I make the card and then completely miss the deadline lol

I bought this background Basic Grey paper a few years ago when I was making my own Christmas cards for the year, but totally overestimated how much I needed and still have about 20 sheets left despite having made dozens of cards!

The Christmas tree is by Sizzix, which I have just embellished with thick silver glitter card, and mounted onto various sizes of Nesties.  I wanted it to have a bit of a Shaker style so added the gingham ribbon tied with twine to match the green distressed edges of the paper.

I'm still trying to work out what my card making style is.  I keep reading about the different categories. What do you reckon mine is?!  Fun & Cute, Clean & Graphic, Classy & Elegant, Shabby & Vintage

Leave me a comment  by Saturday 9th October, midnight, GMT, telling me what you think my cardmaking style is and I will select a random winner to receive these two stamps from SU!

For greater chances to win post a note in the sidebar of your blog about this mini giveaway and add another comment to let me know! 

Have fun, and if you haven't started making Christmas cards yet now's a good time!  I am starting early for a change, woohoo!!

A bit of the old

Hey there everyone

Tonight I have a quick card to share with you. I promise I will start posting longer posts when I get chance to!

This card is for the challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week, 'Die Cut Crazy' to use something with a die cut.  Well, now where do I begin?  I'm a die cutter queen lol (only joking!) but seriously you all know how much I love my die cutters!!!  I didn't have a clue what to make, the list was endless!!!

I was sure that the theme had to include some recycling, so I used some recycled lined paper that I aged,  but I've read that many blogs this week I guess I must have muddled it up with another one.   A bit different to my normal style but sometimes it's nice to mix it up a bit. 

Have a chilled out day/evening!

A Groovy Kind Of Love

Woohoo, I did manage to make a card today, how good is that! My friend took me to a little local craft shop yesterday and I just had to pick up this 'groovy' cutter as it inspired me to make something with the phrase, 'we got a groovy kind of love'. My other half said it's supposed to be 'we've got...' but if it is then I will just have to argue that I have used my artistic licence! My man is a darling, I don't know what I'd do without him, he cuts out most of my shapes for me to save me hurting my back. I think he secretly enjoys it, it's the operations management in him! He saves SO much card when he cuts out shapes it's not fair, he's so precise it's sickening. (Oh yes, and he can really cut squares, for some reason I just can't cut squares/rectangles, I always mess them up, that's my excuse anyway) He used to work over in Iraq. What would his army friends say if they knew, lol? ..hope he's not reading this, I will be in trouble ;o)

I really enjoyed making this card, I like working with bright colours. I saw an idea a while ago where you print the messages out and then mat them on different coloured cardstock and thought this would fit in well with the theme. I think it might have been a design on Pink Petticoat that had used this on a card (I hope I'm giving the right place credit). You should be able to see the hearts and word is 3d using foam pads, the rest of it is just stuck directly down.

Anyway, the inspiration behind this card was not just the 'groovy' cutter, but also I came across the Daring Cardmakers Challenge - 'Patterned Paper Passion' (love the name) where you have to use 3 different types of patterned paper, with the double challenge that you have to use 3 different makes of paper too. I set to work and then started to realise how tricky this could be. It's not so bad choosing patterned papers because generally companies are using colour themes, but when you cross brands it's a bit trickier. Some of the combinations required shades to view them, they were so hard on the eyes!! This one isn't much better, but then it is meant to be 'groovy' huh?!

Dies: Sizzix 'Hearts, Tandem', 'Phrase, Groovy'
Paper: Bo Bunny Sweetie Pie Smooch, Double Take by Collage Press, (lime floral) by KI Memories, Bazzill
Accessories: Scallop edge punch by Stampin' Up!

Sorry I can't give the name of the lime floral, I only had a scrap of it left and the name was missing!