Birthday Card

I did say I would upload Chas' Birthday Card the other week and am finally getting around to it.  For some reason it would not scan at all well and so I ended up taking a photograph of it.

It started off like a card I had seen on the internet but I could not understand the instructions at all - you had four 'fanned' pieces of card (stay with me on this one - mountain and valley folds?).  You had to put glue in the valleys of one of the pieces and attach the other one to it.  Now how do you do that?  No cutting is involved so how does one piece fit to the other?

Anyway, 'dipsy doo' here had it firmly in her mind that she wanted to do this particular card for 'himself'.  So she set about making four card fronts - each one to be another layer attached with mounting foam.  This is the result:

The stamps are Elusive Images and Crafty Individuals and the colouring was with watercolour crayons - at least the painting was nice and restful.

What I realised after I had painstakingly cut each of these out, leaving the frame intact, was that I could have just stamped the images, yes I would still have had to cut them out, and then mounted them one over the other with different thicknesses of foam tape.

Then you wonder why I am blonde!!

Black, White & Silver

Over on Just for Fun Sam's additional colour this week is Silver.  So now we are challenging you all to make something in Black White and Silver.

I've always loved the folds of this card done in Black and White so with the addition of a silver square here is my entry for this week.

WOYWW

Nothing to show you on my desk because I am not there.  Had a night away from home in a hotel so done a scheduled post and hoping some kind soul will link me.  If you go over to see what Ms Dunnit has been up to you will find lots of desks where people have lots to show you so head over to the Stamping Ground but maybe linger here a while and tell me what you think of my handbag.

Recently I joined in a swap on Neil's blog where you had a matchbox (either size/choice yours) which you decorated and filled with "things" to show the recipient a bit about you.  Well, maybe it is the dizzy blonde in me that did it but I chose to decorate and fill the small matchbox.  I can upload it now as I think the recipient (who has not a clue who I am) has no link to my blog and should have received it.

One thing I like is handbags.  I collect them like other women collect shoes.  So turning my matchbox into a handbag seemed the sensible thing to do (a clue to me).  I like working with metal so the front piece was copper and I love art nouveau, hence the design.  The remainder of the handbag was coloured using my favourite -  Distress Inks!

The back had labels on a) because I like to Travel, b) because I like Vintage (Past) and c) because I value Friendships.

Inside were further clues about me

A cat printed on a piece of material (I like cats - like dogs too), a mini domino book (used to be well known for my domino stamping), a dumfing (just got into this) kite bookmark, a polymer clay (love clay) bead, a Shrink Plastic jigsaw piece, some Friendly Plastic (love these medias), cogs (love Steampunk), a clockface charm (love "Time" as a theme), a glass bottle with a message inside (lots of bits written on hand decorated paper about me), hearts to signify my health problem at the moment and a smiley face because Von said I had to include one.  Phew!  

A bit of a struggle to get everything in as it was just about chock-a-block.  Wonder what other peeps have done?

Thank You

This card is a "Thank you" for a guy named Phil who I have never met, and am never likely to meet, but who has kindly loaned me his wheelchair to help me get about whilst my breathing is so bad.  I need to pick up my new specs but the shop is a fair walk (for me) from the nearest car park and as for getting my hair cut - that would have been a complete "no no".

So big thanks to Jo and Dave for asking their friend Phil if I could borrow it.  Hopefully after the cardioversion in 6 weeks time I will be back to normal and able to get about without all the problems I am experiencing at the moment.

The card was one done at Vicky Stampers with Caz the other week - lost mine (really how can you lose a card?) so have had to make another one which bears no resemblance to the previous one.  This view is the front cover

Apparently Phil likes Action Movies and that is all Jo could tell me - I know this is not strictly "action" but it is film themed.  It opens out and there are tags with slide mounts inside them - for the purpose of showing you I have taken scans at various stages.  This is the inside before the tags are attached.

When we did it with Caz we stamped in bleach, went over with Chalk Inks and then used Lumieres over stencils and sequin waste to create pattern on the cover.  I used Brilliance Ink and stamps for this one! All the pictures and words are ones I once downloaded when I did an album for Chas for his birthday.

Here are the tags and the slide mounts that sit inside them.  The slide mounts were coloured with Lumieres and sequin waste/stencils whilst the tags were coloured using Distress Inks.

Each slide mount is double sided so there is another actor on each one.  

This is the inside of the completed card showing the tags attached.

I hope it is ok for Phil and he likes old movies as well as his "Action" ones.

White Plus ?

Some stunning work last week from both entrants and the other DT members.  Bet this week brings up some stunners too as it is Black and White on Just for Fun.  I have used inchies for my piece (think I am getting hooked on to those little blighters) but I also want to show you a card I received in the past - sadly not signed but it is just my cup of tea (know it was done by a member of Ready Steady Stamp).

This was mine

Now, not really wanting to be overshadowed but I do like this one, am sure you will too:

Here's a closeup of two of the tags

I love how she stamped on the check paper which is not too bold as to make you lose the image - I think this really does make Black and White look outstanding.

Thanks for looking - now off you go to make yours and I will be there like a shot with a comment for your blog.  Toodle Pip!

ps It was a shame to see some entries had to be disqualified last week but please read fully what the Challenge entails each week and then mistakes won't happen.

No Change for WOYWW

Nothing to show you on my desk, the pollen count has not been good for me and my breathing has really been suffering so nothing getting done.  Thought I would show you some beautiful work I have received over the past week though:

First of all, one of Jo's beautiful star cards - I really must get around to making one of these and Jo being Jo has given me some of the lovely little lace flowers to use on the edge.  What a treasure she is.

This is a tag from Marie - she had to queue for three hours in the Post Office to send it to me so that really is a labour of love.

And last but certainly not least Natasa May sent me this gorgeous postcard with Alice and the Cheshrie Cat depicted on it.  I will treasure this as it is an original from a young lady who I think will go far.

Was going to show you the birthday card I made for Chas but it came up terrible in the scan so no time to redo it as this show must get on the road.  Maybe another time.

Now it is time for you all to head on over to Julia's blog to see what she has been up to and visit the desks of others.  Well worth it to go to The Stamping Ground each Wednesday.

Again apologies if you have had to go to two links for me.  I am so angry - with me!

JFF - New Month - New Challenge

Well, here we are with a new month and a new theme for the challenges over on Just for Fun.  This time it is "Colour" and today it is "White on White". When I see what the other DT members have done I wonder why I didn't do something similar - there is some gorgeous work there. Instead I chose to do some Parchment Craft - something I have not done for ages.

Sorry the photograph is not very good but I found it difficult to get a clear picture.  It is the card I made for my friend's daughter's wedding but here it is not attached to its inner as I used black card to try to show it off better for the photo.

Not done this for such a long time and now I know why, it took me quite a while to produce.  Do like the craft and some of my other friends make the most beautiful things but I am afraid I have got a bit more "instant" of late than Parchment Craft allows.

Well, thanks for all the wonderful entries we had over the month, I loved those themes using materials and this last week was no exception.  Great work, great folks out there - you all deserve a big gentle pat on the back (and thanks for joining us with our challenges).  Anyone reading this who has not seen the entries over the past month pop over to JFF grab a cuppa and prepare to drool.