Special Birthday card

I'm forbidden to mention whose birthday this was for but trust me, getting those chickens the right colour wasn't easy and I did a LOT of lurking and going through blog photos . Not that I'm sayin' anything at ALL, on pain of a Gibbs slap - whatever one of those is, it doesn't sound too good :(

I used:

- 6" x 6" white scalloped square card

- stamped image from Sugar Nellie, designed by Elisabeth Bell and called 'Scattering Love'. Coloured with chalks and Dove blender pen - and I almost lost the will to live trying to mask the single chicken at the front and then re-stamp to have two. In the end I stamped, coloured and cut them out before sticking 'em on!!

- image then die cut and backed with pale blue paper by tracing round the outside edge of the die and hand cutting

- the patterned paper is by Wild Rose Studios, called 'Annabelle's Meadow' - some really pretty papers in this stack too

- sentiment was a digi-freebie from Karen ages ago

- blue seam binding, bakers twine and little 'Made with love' charm all came from my crafting goodies 

Edit - this is so funny, Mr Blogger published this earlier than planned! I was waiting until after I'd met up with 'the recipient' later today - however, she's not likely to see this before we meet up, I hope :) Better take a hard hat just in case - I just read what a Gibbs slap is!

Di

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Less Is More - One Layer - Script - Week 58

I'm beginning to really look forward to the LIM Challenges, even if it takes some time chewing over what to make. This week's challenge got me thinking a bit - do I stamp the script and a flower separately, or resort to a lovely and very rarely used stamp peering at me accusing from a shelf and begging to be allowed to play? It won in the end :)

 

I used:

- 4.75" x 4.75" square white card stock

- image stamped in 'London Fog' using the 'now happy' stamp, it's a Penny Black one called 'Letters & Flowers'. Softly coloured using lilac and green chalks with that wonderful Dove blender pen that I've raved about on here before

- a piece of lilac organza ribbon from the ribbon box

All done - and I'd like to enter this into  the Less Is More Week 58 Challenge.

That piece of ribbon has been on and off the card more times than enough - in the end I opted to keep it :) My in-house critic had the deciding vote in the end!

Di
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Card for Baby Luke

Our neighbours had a new baby boy, called Luke, recently - the image I was colouring with chalks and the 'newly discovered' Dove blending tool was lying on my desk on WOYWW last week.  This is the end result:

I used:

- 6" x 6" scalloped edge square card stock (from Craftwork Cards)

- image by LOTV called 'Special Delivery' - it comes with the sentiment which is handy. Stamped in Memento and coloured using Pebbles Chalks and the 'new toy' Dove blender pen. I need a lot more practise, but Rome wasn't built in a day

- plain blue backing card from stash, punched with SU scalloped circle punch to go behind the sentiment and punched using a MS PATP set to go behind the image

- blue gingham paper from Wild Rose Studio's 'Gorgeous Ginghams' paper pack'

- printed 'baby boy' ribbon, blue and white bakers twine and the little blue dummy are all from stash. If anyone wants to know where the dummies came from (they come in clear, pink and blue) just leave a comment and I'll dig out the hidden 'file that I'm dead meat if Len ever finds it 'cos it has all my craft receipts in' and let you know :)

- 'Luke' was printed using the PC and then just a couple of little Josy Rose stars to finish off

I nipped round with it but just popped it through the door and ran away - it needed a box so maybe they thought it was a Luke-sized pizza coming through the letter box :))

Di
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WOYWW - 142

Not a squeak from me about 'where has this week gone' (but did anyone pinch it?).
Here's what I was up to yesterday afternoon - it looks just the same right now too:

Correction, the mug of coffee has gone :) Last week I spotted a comment from Eileen on Sarn's blog which referred to Pan Pastels so, being a nosey little crafter, I Googled them and came up with lots of information. Then, I spotted a link to using chalks, such as Pebbles chalks which are on my desk above, using a Dove blender. Whoop, whoop - I was totally enamoured by the idea of digging out the long forgotten chalks and using them. Off went the order for a refillable pen, spare nibs and a bottle of blending fluid - and this is what I've been playing with:

I need a card for the arrival last Friday of a neighbour's baby boy so what a great excuse! The Dove blender pen is lying beside the cute LOTV image I was working on and it has a really lovely to use, flexible and fine tip. You can use it 'with all water based markers, watercolour pencils, watercolour paints, chalks, embossing powders, dye pads, and pigment pads. The blender never has to be replaced, it is easily refillable and the nibs are replaceable. But most important the Dove Blending Fluid will make your work Permanent when it is allowed to dry'. I lifted those words from the Dove website :)

This tutorial is brilliant too - so if you have any chalks languishing in your stash, take a peek and be inspired - I was! I don't say that chalks will replace your other colouring mediums, I love my Pro Markers too much, and need lots more practise, but they sure are fun to use this way. The soft results are great, I have yet to try really strong colours though.

Just thought I'd share and maybe help you to spend some money! Tee, hee!!

Right, time now to hop over to Julia's here to see if the garden fork is still stuck in the ground outside her craft room window and to gasp look at her desk and say 'Hi' before hopping off again to see what other desks have been linked up! It's time to be nosey!! Beat you, I've just checked and not only the garden fork but the ladders are still there too :))

Happy WOYWW!

Di
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