Ewek no DP...

Hi there, I hope this post finds you all well. I have had a very non productive week with making cards as my Mojo seems to have gone walkies. Also on Monday it was my birthday, hit the big 32 so we were busy celebrating with the family and friends. I got very spoilt by everyone around me. I promise this week to be more productive, have a few unfinished cards sitting in my drawer, very unusual for me, so I will hopefully get them finished.

Today being Thursday means it is Lil Lolita Boutique challenge day and this week Kel decided no DP was in order. Now by all the conversations going through our group some have flourished in this and others like myself have really struggled. A while ago I never used any DP on my cards but appears I am now quite reliant upon them. Anyhow here is my card based on this weeks sketch from Sketch Saturday:

It is a little dark this card and once again the photography has not done it much favours. There is a red circle behind the doillie (which has been smudged with black ink) but the photo does not really show this well.

I coloured my Lylah with watercolour pencils, embossed my black background with cuttlebug embossing folders, used my French Script background stamp from Stampin Up, lace and ribbon, kaisercraft droplets, kaisercraft flowers which I have inked and coloured with my copics and stampin up cardstock. Think that is about it.

Be sure to pop by each of the Dt's blogs and check out what they been up to there are amazing cards this week. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Lil Lolita Challenge 2 - Inspiration Challenge

Hello there. Well it has been a few days since my last post but I have been playing around getting this new blog site set up.

What a great response we had to the first Lil Lolita challenge last week, thank you to everyone that left me such lovely comments. I was also one of the DT members that had blog candy to give away. We used Mr Random thingy to choose from our comments and my lucky winner, is Dee Sprytebyrd. Well done chick you have won Evie. Please send me an email with your snail mail address and I will pass it onto Kellie who will send it to you.

This week Kellie set us a an inspiration challenge:

Immediately when I saw this photo I picked up on the swirls, the brown ribbon and pink roses so off I went to make my card. The card did not come easy to me but I am fairly happy with the end result. I decided to try and go for a sepia effect with just a splash of colour (like you see on some of those fancy photography shots).

please excuse the photo but we have had no sunshine here this week for me to take the photo in.

I have used Lilith and coloured her in with water colour pencils, patterned paper from Pink Paislee Queen Bee collection, cuttlebug swirls embossing folder, kaisercraft pearls and rhinestones, hair pin with beads, ribbon and some doodling.

Be sure to pop over to each of the DT's blogs and see what they have been up to this week.

Oh yeah before I forget there is a Guest DT call  out for Lil Lolita if you are interested you can find the details on the challenge blog but be quick entries close this Sunday.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week and hopefully I will be back in the next couple of days with something else to show you.

Thank you for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Darby & Penelope

Hi there, I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. We have a long weekend here in Australia which I love. It is nice knowing that there is no saturday morning sports or going through the morning routine for school and to be able to doing things at a lazy pace.

Yesterday Michael worked so after spending most of the day cleaning I decided to sit down and make a card. It is my gorgeous friend Kirsty's daughter birthday next week so I sat down to make her a card. I looked for sketches and although there are plenty of great ones out there none of them were pulling me in so I decided to think outside the box and come up with my own. I have to say that I am quite happy with the layout of this card.

I wanted to use the Darby & Penelope stamp as I can imagine Elizabeth and Kira sitting on a fence of wall and having a good yarn like a couple of old ladies! They have known each other since they were born (Kirsty and I met through mothers group) and although they may not see each other all the time when they do it is never strained.

I am going to enter this into's this weeks challenges for:

Anya Ink - Button & Bows

All That Scraps Challenges - Buttons & Ribbons

Stamp Something - Happy something (I think the image symbolises happiness)

I have used Darby & Penelope Stamp from CC Designs, kaisercraft ribbon, lace, kaisercraft pearls, October Afternoon Paper, sprays from spotlight, button from stash and spellbinders Labels Nine.

I have a couple of hours now till we need to go out again so will see if can get a sketch challenge in.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Wow another card......

My Mojo must have really set in this week as I am about to bring you another card!! It has more to do with the fact that it is wet and cold and hubby went out last night so could sit down and make some cards and not feel guilty.

My nephew is turning 4 on Monday and is currently going through a superhero stage. When I was at Kirsty's on Monday night she had the Superhero Ian stamp and I knew straight away it would be perfect for him. I coloured the image on Monday at Kirsty's meaning it really did not take too long to make the card last night. I decided to use this weeks sketch over at Sketch Saturday as I have not been able to do one of their sketches for what seems like ages.

 

and here is my card......

 

I have used Superhero Ian and sentiments from TGF and coloured him with copics, silver string, red buttons, coloured cardstock from Stampin Up!, kaisercraft Thrill Seeker paper and Spellbinders Labels Nine and of course some faux stitching!

I hope he will like it. Something tells me he should.

I hope you are all keeping warm or if you are over the other side of the world keeping cool!

I will be back later today with my post for the Lil Lolita Boutique's first challenge, be sure to pop back and not miss it.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

 

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Lil Lolita Challenge 1 Blog Hop

YEY, I am so excited as this is the first of many challenges for these gorgeous stamps.

All week us DT Ladies have been sharing our cards, excitement of the growing number of followers and of course the new Lolita's that will be released soon. Now we cant wait to see what you all come up with for the first challenge.

To celebrate our first challenge we are having a blog hop.  Hopefully you have come to me from Amy if not be sure to go back there to start the hop. Somewhere in our blogs is some candy (5 to be exact), being the image the person has used on their card but it will not be revealed who has the candy until the winners are announced next week.  All you need to do is  follow the blog hop, leave a comment on each of our blogs along the way (something I am sure you will want to do when you see the cards anyhow) and then wait and see. From here (after you have read my post of course!) you should hop along to Carisa's blog. Good luck!

This week we were eased into the challenges with the theme being  "anything goes" which means there is lots of diversity in the cards something I love seeing. I look at the other DT cards and think WOW they are so good but I would never have thought to do that. So do you want me to stop rambling and show you my first card?! I have used the sketch set this week over at Totally Gorgeous as the base for my card.

 

And here it is:

 

As the weather is dark and gloomy here in Melbourne this week I struggled to get a picture that really showed the softness of the colours in my card but this gives you a better idea:

 

I have used October Afternoon papers, Evie which I coloured with my watercolour pencils, droplets, mesh ribbon, so saffron ribbon and Kraft cardstock from Stampin Up!, flowers are handmade and the edges have been distressed and lightly inked/smudged with brown.

If you don't own any of the Lil Lolita's yet, WHY NOT, lol!  Pop over here and order them so you can hopefully join us next week for challenge 2.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

****See below for my other post of today******

I am so cold...

Last night I went to my gorgeous friend Kirsty's house for a bit of a card making, which always ends up more in talking and colouring some images than anything else, and it was so nice to catch up with her. I will have a few cards coming over the next couple of days to show you using the images I coloured.

While I was there I picked up my new coriander fairy by Sweet November Stamps. As it is cold wet and rainy outside and I am up-to-date with my washing and housework I thought I would sit down with a cuppa and play with my new stamp. The card I ended up making  is based on the sketch at Papertake Weekly this week. As you all know I am a huge fan of Dawny's sketches they always seem to inspire me. 

 

 

Today I took on some advise from Kellie  ( she got from Kristy Young)  which is to make your card first before adding the image. This is the second time I have done it and the cards have comes together so much quicker, I have found that I am not so tormented. 

While I am reasonably happy with my card I am not sure if it is missing something. I have coloured the image using my watercolour pencils, added kaisercraft flowers and rhinestones, lace and ribbon, October Afternoon paper, glitter to the wings and smudged edges with brown ink.

I am also entering this card into:

- Oh Alice - What's Your Muchness - faux stitching and ribbons/lace

-Cupcake Craft challenges - Dazzle Us - glitter on Wings

Tomorrow afternoon is our first Lil Lolita Boutique challenge, be sure to tune in to see what we all come up with I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Until next time xoxo

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My last Anyone for Anyone Guest DT Card

Today I am bringing you my last card at Guest DT at Anyone for Anya :-( I have enjoyed being part of this blog because it is one of my favorites. As I mentioned previously Dawny is handing the blog over soon so it would be great if everyone could go along and join in her last couple of challenges.

Anyhow this week the challenge was Hot Hot Hot, now I can tell you this was very hard for me to get in the mood for as it is cold cold cold here! It was pouring with rain and very dark and gloomy when I was making this card and as such I struggled. I also struggled as using bright colours is not something I do a lot of . I finished my card feeling very disappointed with my efforts, but also knowing I just did not have the time to make another knew that it would have to do, but my hubby and beautiful daughter assured me it was good and that I should not feel ashamed! Sometimes I think we are our toughest critics. Without further ado I will now show you my card:

 

 

Please excuse the photo but it was the best I could get with the lighting I had.

I have used Surfing Ian from TGF which I coloured with my copics, Stampin Up cardstock together with patterned paper from Paper Inklings - H20 ooh. I have given the card some distressed edges then added some hand stitching and doodling, kaisercraft pearls and string.

Anyhow I better be off now I am going to start my first DT Card for the Lil Lolita Boutique challenges, which start this Thursday. Be sure to pop over and enter in the blog candy which ends on Wednesday and of course be sure to come by on Thursday and check out the cards, I am sure you will not be disappointed!

Until next time xoxo

Would you like to win some Blog Candy?

If so then be sure to pop over at Lil Lolita Boutique. We have posted a blog candy which gives you the opportunity to win all 5 of the Lil Lolita's. If you have already got all of them then you can have the option of waiting and being one of the first to receive the new range coming very soon. Wish I could enter, LOL!  What is that you need to do you may ask? Just follow these few simple steps:

• Become a follower of the challenge blog, already are? Then bonus your one step ahead.


• Add our challenge badge to your side bar that is up the top in our sidebar.... Already have this too, then your almost there.


• Last of all add your link to your blog in Mr. Linky and you are DONE....

Entries close Wednesday 9th June at midnight with the winner being announced with our very first challenge on the 10th June.

Look forward to seeing you all over there and joining in with the challenges.

Until next time xoxo

Willow meets Sketch & Stash

Hi all again. Hopefully you have all had a great week, mine seems to have flown by and it appears it is now Thursday evening and I have no idea how I got here! If anyone can fill me in on the last few days that would be great, LOL!!!

Late this afternoon I was itching to play, isn't it funny some weeks you don't get the inkling at all but others it is at you all the time, so I decided to join in the current challenges at Tickled Pink (using Ribbon/s) and Sketch & Stash:

 

I have had this patterned paper sitting in my stash for so long now I can not even remember where I brought it from. However I do know that it is called Red Olives from Jenni Bowlin Studios, not a brand I have heard of before, but I think it matched the theme of this card quite well. I have used Willow from the Lil Lolita range which you can buy here and coloured her with my copic markers, ribbons, rhinestone and flowers I also had laying in my stash and of course it would not be one of my cards without some hand stitching (I just feel  the stitching seems to bring all the layers together).

Off to work tomorrow and then its the weekend so I will be back on Sunday night (if I don't get a chance to be back before) with my last Guest DT Card for Anyone for Anya. Did you hear that the lovely Dawny is handing the blog over? She feels that she is not spending enough time with her family and sometimes something has to give. It would be great if we could get lots of people over for her last few challenges as a farewell for her.

Anyhow I better dash.

Until next time xoxo