Island Paradise

My challenge this week is 'Island Paradise'.  Now as most of you know I live partially on Bermuda so I am sure you expected Bermuda as my Island Paradise..... but no.....Hawaii is my Island of choice every time.
I have been many times and just love it there.... why could Geoff not have got himself a job there I ask myself ?    lol..... sorry must not sound ungrateful as Bermuda really is a lovely Island.

The background is an actual photograph of Malini Beach on the Big Island and was taken by the lovely Andrea Foulkes -  http://www.andreafoulkes.co.uk/ .
Andrea is a Past Life Regression Therapist and Soul Freedom Therapist and has appeared on British TV many times.  She is in Hawaii at the moment and has kindly given me permission to use her fabulous photo as a background for my card.
Hawaii is a very spiritual place hence the visit by Andrea.
Many thanks Andrea and lots of love, twinkles and rainbows to you.

So - I started with the background which is larger than A4, and added the Plumeria flowers (also known as  Frangipani to some) cut out and decoupaged over the beach.
Note the black sand on the beach as Hawaii is volcanic.
Plumeria is a flower seen everywhere on Hawaii and is the flower that Leis are made from.... mmmm  they smell divine.
I stamped my Hawaiian doll, from Limited Edition Stamps, coloured her with Promarkers and attached her arms and legs with silver brads to help them move.
I created the flowers at the top using an MCS template and added the Luau and Hawaiian Paradise which was created using my design Runner.  I edged the main white card with Victorian Velvet Distress inks and cut the fancy edges with my trimmer.

I do hope you like this little glimpse of Island life and a little education for those who did not know about the wonderful place that it is.
Please do go check out Andrea's website too for some interesting reading.

It's Martini Time

Here is my DT card for my 'Use a cd' challenge this week which is sponsored by Amber Inks.  They gave the DT some lovely digis to work with - the martini glass being the one I chose for this card.  The background is from My Craft Studio... 'Womens Images' .  I coloured with Copics and decoupaged the glasses over the top.  The wine bottle and glass are stickers from a wine set from QVC.
Do check out my challenge - you could win some lovely digis yourself.

New design easel card

Crafty  Ann asked us to produce a new and different shaped easel card this week so here is my DT card.   I really don't like making shaped cards for DT cards as they never come out on a photo as well as they do when you scan them but hey ho this is the best I can make it come out..... I cut out the strange shaped diamond card after playing around with some paper and quite liked the result.  The background card is from Kanban and as you see the light is reflected off the wonderful mirri swirls.  I added some glitter sparkle paper to the bottom of the card and added the cut out corners from the diamond shape to the corners.  The image is from Crafty Ann manipulated in MCS to make the tower of cupcakes , embossed with clear sparkle meltdust and coloured using Copics and Promarkers. I added the flowers from Prima to the base of the card.
Do pop over to Ann's blog and enter the challenge yourself - you may win some of her lovely digi images.  Check out the other DT cards too they are all fabulous.

Take a trip to Fantasyland with me - with an added twist

Here is my latest challenge card - for my own challenge today.  The main card was created using my new MCS Illustrious Illusions cd (changing the colour scheme) - I love it.  I wrapped the printed ribbon from the cd round the back and left hand side of the gate fold card and mounted the topper over it. Then I made the tag colouring with Distress Inks, Broken China and Faded Jeans then overstamped the door from Lavinia and the fairy from Clarity with some added swirls and stars in blues and black.  I attached the tag using a blue brad in the centre of the blue flower and added the chipboard Dream from DCWV.
I hope you like my fantasyland trip as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Digital Punched Border

The topic this week at Bah Humbug is     'punched borders'.  Now as I am overseas at the moment I don't have any punches with me so decided to do my card totally on My Craft Studio Professional.  Hah can't get me girls...... So I created the background then added the santa image, message and a little section of holly then set about creating a digitally printed border from the flower image on the CD.
Hope this is acceptable this week for the challenge.

CHRISTMAS FOOD

Here we have my first card for Bah Humbug 'Christmas Food' challenge this week. Yes - candy canes are food ladies. Now at the moment I am over the waters and the temperature yesterday was 76 degrees F and here I am making Christmas cards!!!!
When you don't have all your stash you have to improvise so I created my candy cane backing paper using MCS, tore a piece and added to a red holographic patterned card. The tree I cut out from another sheet of backing paper and mounted on foam tape.  I added the parcels die cuts and the postage stamp from Vintage Cards Christmas special book last year that I brought over here (not having used it before) and the green ribbon to finish it off. So thanks for makng me use something new ladies.

Artfully Asian - CD Sunday

Here is my DT card for CD Sunday weekly challenge - this week the topic being 'Artfully Asian'. I created the backgrounds using MCS Professional and swirled the symbol for happiness using  pink on blue background for the inside and purple on pink for the main outer section of the card.  After adding Flower Soft to the trees and blossom I printed them out and created a different fold - just made it up using the scoreboard - then added the blue sheet as an insert.  The main image is Pyramage from Debbi Moore Oriental cd stacked onto blue sparkly mirri card.  I Cuttlebugged using the new Oriental designs on silver mirri and attached to the left hand side of the card and added pink and silver ribbon.  A pink velvet ribbon tie and a chipboard sentiment from DCWV complete the look ooh and chomped corners too.
Do pop over and check out the challenge and have fun.

Card for Someone Special

Here is my DT card for Crafty Ann's challenge to make something for someone special.  I made this for my sister-in-law who is going through chemo treatment at present and is feeling very tired a lot of the time.  The sentiment is from a Fancy Pants double sided paper sheet and I thought it very appropriate.  I printed out the heart backing paper from Ann and ran it through the Cuttlebug embossing folder and added to the stubby diamond fold card overlaying the sentiment and added some lovely glittered flowers with gem centres.
I took the rose image from Ann's digi images and manipulated it in MCS to lay it over the same backing paper then coloured with Copics and Promarkers.  I added silver Sakura to the edges of the hearts, petals and leaves and cut out the shape with Nestabilities. I added a simple red gem and three pearls for embellishment.
Do check out Ann's challenges and you may win some digi images for yourself.

Sweet enough to eat???

Here is my DT card for CraftyAnn's challenge this week of Pink, Lemon and Lilac.  I transferred the lovely cupcake image (one of Ann's digi images)  to MCS then made the stack of cakes, printed them on lilac meltdust paper and embossed them.   I coloured using Copics and Promarkers  and added to the lemon card after punching with a Martha Stewart corner punch. The border is from a QVC cupcake set and the chipbaord embellishments are from the DCWV Sweet collection. I also added a little pink corner top right and ribbons from my stash and highlighted the hearts on the cakes with Glossy Accents.
Do pop over to Ann's blog and enter her challenges and have fun.
I am entering this into Gingersnaps Creations 'Celebrate' challenge too.

Something Different for Crafty Ann's DT

This week the challenge at Crafty Ann's was to make something different or try a different technique so I invented my  own version of the diamond fold card for my DT card. For the top photo I used some of Ann's lovely digi images of apples and created a border on the swirly paper using MCS and covered the bottom of the card with it.  I cut a circular mat and added the decoupaged apple which was coloured with Promarkers and Copics and added Stickles glitter glue of course.  I folded the top edges in and added the ribbon and text and added the top layers of decoupage to the opening flap to use as an opener if that makes sense.  The bottom photo shows what the card looks like with the top edges opened.  The back message reads Get Well Soon.
Do check out Ann's challenges yourselves - you may be lucky and win some of her lovely digi images.  Good luck.

If Music be the food of Love...

Here is my DT challenge card for Crafty Ann - this week the topic is 'If music be the food of love'.  The pink background paper and the lovely guitar are Ann's digital downloads.  The guitar was coloured using Promarkers and decoupaged.  I printed the background onto die cut jigsaw card and removed one of the pieces and popped a love sticker underneath.  The music flourish is from MCS, together with  flourish, heart and love glittered stickers and  a couple of photo corners to finish it off.
Do check out Ann's challenge blog and enter - you may just be lucky enough to win a prize.
This is also for Alphabet challenges and Sew Many Cards challenges and C.R.A.F.T  challenge, Pile it On and Ooh La La challenges

Friendship is the essence of life

Here is my DT card for Crafty Ann's challenge this week which is Embossing.  The lilac background paper is one of Ann's star papers run through the Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots.  Over this I placed the lovely frame embossed on blue mirri card - the frame from Crafts Too.  I popped Ann's digital image of the  lily  into MCS added a pink background and a pink frame and printed it out.  The white highlights show up really well in real life.  I added a few pink gems and pink and blue glittered ribbon and a couple of sentiments printed on my Design Runner, which I love.  Do go to Ann's blog , check the DT entries and enter her challenges - you may just win a prize.

A recycling challenge

 Over Christmas we all seem to accumulate lots of packaging and boxes so I thought this week my challenge would be RECYCLING.  I had some lovely purple (of course) socks bought which were in little cupcakes stuck into this wrapper and I thought hmmm I can use this in my cardmaking rather than throw it away.  So here is the result.  I simply created a gradient background paper in MCS then stamped with purple Stazon using some Asian characters from Hero Arts.   I added a couple of Asian sticker ladies and a good luck sticker which I coloured with the Stazon.  As you may be able to see from the bottom of the card it will stand up by folding the bottom back (if you see what I mean).
If you have not entered my challenges before please check out my challenge blog for more details.

CRAFTY ANN'S NEW CHALLENGE DT CARD

My DT card for Crafty Ann's NEW challenge this week has a few new bits. The Xyron Design Runner and the new Butterflies Cuttlebug embossing folder are two of them and the Copics are new too. Firstly I took the bird on the branch digi image, one of Ann's of course and popped it into MCS then added the graduated background in blues and turquoise to create the shaded effect.  I then coloured with my new Copic pens, love them, and decoupaged the flowers.  I ran some of the same paper through the new embossing folder , tore the top edge and added some blue patterned mirri card to the left hand side.  I created the wording using the Xyron and added to the card. Do feel free to join in the challenges - you may just be lucky and win a prize.

Colour Challenge DT card

Here is my DT card for Crafty Ann's Colour Challenge to use any colours except red and green. I took the lovely digi image of the daffodils (you can find it on Ann's web site) and popped it into MCS Die Cut Studio, changed the colours added the graduation then printed and pyramaged it adding a couple of scalloped layers in similar colours. The background papers are also from Ann's website so I added a couple of different coloured torn papers and just added the epoxy stickers for embellishment.

You could win some of Ann's lovely images and papers if you enter her challenge this week so go ahead - give it a go and enjoy the challenge.

Pink and Yellow for Daisy May

Here is my DT entry for this week's challenge over at Cute Daisy May - 'Pink and ?' as you can see my other colour is yellow. You don't have to use Daisy May images to enter so for a change I have made my card using a My Craft Studio cd. I created the background on some shaded pink and yellow card and overprinted the pink swirls. The lady was printed twice and decoupaged and I just added a pink flower with pink gem brad and a little glass lookie like sentiment for decoration. I also cut the corners with the corner rounder from We Are Memory Keepers. Do pop over and enter the challenge and maybe win a download of your choice and have fun.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT - ME AND MY SHADOW

This is my DT card for the 'Monotone' challenge over at Cute Daisy May. I printed the images onto white then coloured them sepia in Picasa and raised them on foam tape. Oh, I added a little sepia Promarkers to her dress and shoes and bows. The spotlight background is from the MCS Hollywood CD and I just added some sepia Stickles and the wording to finish the look.
Do pop over and join in the challenge to win a Design sheet of your choice and a blinkie. You do not have to use Daisy May images - as long as your card is cute that is fine.

Christmas in May

This is an early Christmas card made for my DT card for Cute Daisy May 4th May Sketch challenge. I so wanted to use this background card, created using sticky stuff and overlaid gold foil, and it really shouted Christmas to me - sorry. I printed out the little man and coloured him using Inktense pencils and a blender pen, edged the card with red ink then added the santa hat printed from MCS cd and covered it in cotton wool for the fur and glitter sprayed. The swirly oval was from an aperture card set coloured with red ink then glittered with CC Gold Glitter Spray. The red strip of pearlised card has trees on and I added another gold strip, a reindeer and the tree stickers. I printed the parcel from MCS cd. The message, star and corner just to embellish - yet another card done for Christmas.

Which Gem Today???

Here is my DT card for the Cute Daisy May 'Gems' challenge this week. I printed out the sky circle adding the gems using MCS cd then printed out the gems onto acetate and added stick on gems over the top of each gemstone. I attached the acetate slightly offset with a jewelled brad in the corner and sat Daisy May in the centre trying to decided which gem to wear today. I had embossed her in silver and coloured her using metallic pencils. I embellished with the words and the corner acetate flower.

Can you decide which gem she should wear today?

YOU NEED HANDS

Here is the card I created for my challenge this week the topic being HANDS.

I printed the background from MCS having changed the colour to a very light pink then overlayed the couple as a black silhouette. I printed this on cream parchment and attached to a pink card, having cut the edges with my Purple Cows trimmer and added a few gold peeloffs. I stamped out the hands and sentiment from Sharon Duncan who is kindly sponsoring my blog this week with a prize for a lucky someone. I coloured the hands using chalks then sprayed with the new Gold Glitter Spray from Crafter's Companion - a super product which gives this light gold glittered effect. I also sprayed the sentiment then attached both to the card.