DCM Challenge - It's a Wrap!

Oh I do love doing the DCM challenges, but just recently I'm afraid I've been having to give them a miss. Not this time though, I managed to get one done. Here's the brief...

It's a Wrap

No, not the kind stuffed with Chicken & Cesar Salad or the woolly kind you put around your shoulders to keep you warm, mind you, the way our summer is going I think we could all do with one of those!I would like you to give your card a coat made of acetate, vellum or anything for that matter. As long as it ‘wraps’ around the outside of your card, anything goes!

Well, this card took me aaaages because I was making it up as I went along, I came up with this herring bone style pocket card, I've never seen one quite like it before so who knows, I might have a new invention- probably not though, who knows.

I cut three sections which I 'wrapped' around the middle piece to create the herring bone effect.

I then made some tags which I printed and cut out via my Silhouette. The images are from the Charmed digital download -cat collection. and the papers and brad are K&Company.

It may have taken ages and it nearly went in the bin but I'm glad I persevered.

Thanks for looking.xxx

Hot Stuff Baby! DCM & Charmed

Here I am!!!! I bet you wondered where I was, well you know how it is but I won't bore you with the details, I'm here now and here's a surprise; It's not George, It's not Dottie it's........hot stuff baby!

The challenge from was to go with the theme 'Hot and Spicy' and the challenge set by my forum pal Mellie at Charmed Cards and Crafts is to use some Fimo on a card. Well, I haven't used any Fimo in years but you know what, I think Mellie has opened a can of worms here, I could very possibly be addicted! That's the beauty of challenges isn't it? They introduce you to things you probably wouldn't have tried otherwise.

Anyway, I'll stop waffling now and show you what I came up with.

As you can see I used the Fimo to make a chilli pepper.
This card will be perfect for my husband who loves very hot, spicy food.

DCM - Butterfly Flutterby CCT - Wings

I haven't done many challenges recently, but I made time for this 2 one because I love butterflies. Here's what Jo from DCM said;
I seem to like butterflies at the mo. This week therefore I would like you to put some butterflies on cards. Stitched, felt, shiny, bright, plain, paper pieced, stamped, drawn... you get the idea :) any theme of card but it must have a butterfly somewhere on the card!

I used dream Street Die Cut paper, prima flowers, Flower Dottie and my Metamorphasis butterfly stamps for this one.

DCM - Favourite things

Back to challenges, Yay!!! this is what the challenge is over at DCM.....The mid week dare this week is another one by Mel - these are a few of my favourite things. What you need to do is use one of Mel's favourite things on your card (embroidery cotton/thread, buttons, felt or fabric) and combine it with one of your favourite things.

I decided to go for thread from mel's favourites and for my favourite thing of the moment, what else? Dottie of course.

This is cat Dottie, I made her look like a tiger but you could just as easily colour her grey to look like a tabby. The thread comes down from the ball of yarn and is continued around the frame.

I've used snow writer on the white chest, it looks really effective IRL but it's hard to see it on the photo.

All papers again are from my Brenda Walton - Mira matt pad, it's my fave paper at the moment, I keep on buying it just incase I run out.

DCM - I am Woman

I haven't done many DCM challenges lately because I've been busy with other things but I made a point of making time for this one.......As its coming up to Mothers day in the UK here’s a chance to make a card that celebrates women and girls . So I’d like to see a card with at least one feminine image on it . And that's it for rules really.Apart from this one.And it is sneaky. No Tildas, Sugar Nellies or Bellas please. I love them all. But there are loads of great challenges out there using them so for this challenge you can give them a well earned rest!

I was totally inspired by Lythan's example card, she did some fabulous doodled scalloping and I just had to have a go so thank you Lythan for the inspiration.

I didn't have any suitable stamps so I drew an image myself, I tried to capture the care free nature you see in children. We could learn an awful lot from them. This of course is a woman not a child but shouldn't we all splash in puddles? I love doing the doodled scalloping-it's sooo easy.You can't have a splash or a puddle without Glossy Accents.
If you would like to use this image please do, I'd love to see it get used (pleases mention where it came from though)

DCM - Tempting Template

This friday's challenge at DCM is to use this template to base your card on.

Here's what I came up with. As you can see, I'm really into these images from Pink Petticoat and I love the phrases that go with them too. I came up with the magnifying glass idea for the circles but I'm not sure if you can tell that they're supposed to be magnifying parts of the picture????Still I'm really please with the over all result.

I used mini brads for the currant detail - I love these brads.
Again, I couldn't resist using my glossy accents, I think they work really well on the hair.

DCM/Charmed/Di Hickman!!!

Yes you read correctly I've done a 3 in 1!

The DCM challenge was to make two cards with the same embellishments but different layout and occasion.

The Charmed and Di Hickman challenges were both sketches.

Here's what I did with the sketch from Charmed -I turned it around - of course!

Below is what I did with the Di Hickman Sketch, yes, you guessed I turned it around!

As you can see, I used the same papers and embellishments for both so that's the DCM one achieved.

All products are from the K and Company range and are available here.

DCM 4 of the Best

I'm a bit late with this one but as I always say (too often just lately) better late than never. Anyway, here's the challenge Today we have decided to revisit your most favourite dares of 2007. The four top dares, decided by the number of comments you made on them are (in no particular order): 'buttons', 'ribbons', ...'and cut' and 'frames'. We would like you to use this week as many of those dares as you like to make your card in any theme and any style.

I've gone for using hand cutting- the chicks and the card and paper edges with fancy scissors. And also ribbon, as you can see.

The Chick stamp is one of my latest toys, isn't it sweet? and it's only 75p! The papers are BG and the sentement is from Brenda Walton - Grand Adhesions
Thanks for looking.xxx

DCM - I'm Free

Ooh I've had fun this morning, making this card for the DCM challenge. The challenge was to use something that you got free with a magazine. Well I subscribe to Crafts Beautiful so I had loads to choose from as they give you something every month. I really like the free Paper Nation Decoupage papers that came in the January Issue, so I decided to use them.I shaped the card like a fan and trimmed it with lace. The background paper is BG Phoebe.

DCM - Hang Up Your Stockings

DCM's Little extra this week is to use a Christmas stocking on your card.

Here's mine.....

I Googled again to find this stocking which I printed out and layered on some BG fruit cake papers. Simple but sweet, I think.
This was my last card for my guest spot at DCM, I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 weeks with them. Thanks for having me ladies.

DCM - Baubles, Bells and Bows

This should have been such an easy one but I really struggled this week.....This week we'd love to see you making cards on the theme ofBaubles, Bells & Bows See how much of a dent you can make in the "I need to make X number of Christmas cards" list with this one.

I've ended up using an idea that I saw in the CB supplement, It's not a straight copy (promise!) but it was a huge inspiration.I've used BG Fruitcake papers and a selection of jewels and velvet ribbon.

DCM - Guest designer! -YAY!!!

I was so thrilled when the lovely Kathy asked me to be DCM's guest designer for a couple of weeks (thanks Kathy, you're a real sweetie).

This week's dare- Golden Highlights was set by Keryn, here's what she said;Going back over my cards I seem to have a liking for gold as an accent colour. So this week I'd like you to make a card for any season or occasion but must include gold somewhere. It could be a brad, metallic card, heat embossing, ribbon, anything at all as long as it's gold.

Here's what I came up with for my example...

The gold accents don't seem to show up very well in the photo, it's the buckle, the two eyelets, some gold glitter and some gold embossing on the letter.
The card is covered in red felt with a black felt belt added. I added fluffy, white Marabu at the bottom.

DCM - Getting Corrugated - Di Hickman Sketch

I got in early this week Yeah!!!!
Here's the brief...... I seem to have developed a little bit of a fixation with old cardboard boxes....! My dare this week is to use some corrugated card on your card - it could be corrugated craft card or an old box etc. taken to pieces :) You could make the card blank from it or die cut shapes etc...
I'm not sure if i've cheated a bit because mine uses corrugated paper instead of card (oops).
I made it a double dare and used this week's Di Hickman sketch (which i've turned around).
I left it without a sentement because I just couldn't decide on one. It's always handy to have a card for any occasion.
The papers are BG Mellow, I've done some stitching in red and added some red velvet Ric Rac. Oh yes the corrugated bit........the flower and the two squares at the top.

Thanks for looking, your comments mean so much to me.

DCM - Cut

It's that time again so here's the brief from DCM....Any theme goes, so for those of you needing a break from Christmas crafting this is the perfect opportunity to have a change. All styles are welcome but there MUST be an element of handcutting somewhere. It could be a greeting, a shape, letters printed on your pc and handcut, anything goes as long as you did it by hand.

I saw This idea in Crafts Beautiful magazine and thought it would fit well with this dare. Each layer of the tree is snipped by hand to create the frill. I thought it looked really simple in the magazine but it was a real faffing about so I think this may be my first and last.

The papers are BG Phoebe.

DCM - Ribbon Topped Recipe

Yeah!!!! I love recipes!!!! and that's what we got this week for te DCM little extra. Here's the recipe.......

4 brads/eyelets
3 circles
2 rectangles
and lashings of ribbon!

The pig's head, body and nose are the circles, the legs are the recatangles, the eyelets and ribbons are in the corners.
I got my first cuttlebug embossing folder yesterday so I just had to use it (I now think I might be addicted!) they give such fab results.

I also got the blue paper yesterday and I love, love, LOVE it (I think it's Papermania, I need to check).

DCM - Ribbons Galore!

Ooooo (rubs hands together) I just lurve ribbon, in fact i'm a complete ribbon nut! So this weeks DCM dare is just perfect for me. Here's the brief.....here's a little sweetener: Bea is giving a ribbonful prize to one lucky darer this week. All you need to do is make a be-ribboned Christmas Card especially for the DCM (no doubling up of challenges this week....), post a link to say where we can see it, or send it by email to daringcardmakers@hotmail.co.uk for the gallery and you'll be in with a chance of winning. Couldn't be easier, could it?

I used the Gift Stack template from Crafty Templates to create the shape then jazzed it up with the red ribbon (curtesy of my pal Patsy, thanks Patsy)

The colours don't seem to show up very well in the photo, it definately looks better in real life.

DCM - Tempting Template

Hi, I'm back from my two day break! And it sure is good to be back, it was sooooooo cold in Blackpool.

It was so great to go onto DCM and see that it was a sketch for the little extra this week - I LOVE sketches! Here's how it goes....It's ages since we gave you a sketch to play with so that's what we've got for you this time you can use the sketch any way you like, just as long as we can still see it in there somewhere - so stretch it or shrink it or do whatever else you can to make use of it. As usual we have some cards from the Design team to help get you thinking:

Here's the sketch......

And here's what I did with the sketch, it screamed Noughts and Crosses at me. I'm not sure if people from around the globe will be familiar with noughts and crosses but basically the first person to get a row of three is the winner.

Lol! i've just noticed you can still see the wet glue in the photo! I was in such a rush to take the photo before darkness fell!

DCM - Circle of Friends

Happy Birthday DCM! Thankyou for introducing me to the wonderful world of challenges and giving my card making a new purpose.

I think it's very apt the DCM have chosen Frinds at the theme for their birthday because I have been blessed with so many new friends through DCM.

Anyway, enough Waffle and onto the Dare.......The subject is, as in our original dare "friends", but this time the title is CIRCLE of FRIENDS and we'd like you to incorporate at least one circle into your card.

The trouble with these acetate cards is they are so difficult to capture in a photograph, this is the best I could get but I think you get the idea. In case you hadn't guessed the centre of the flower is my circle for this challenge.

TOP TIP! Never, under any circumstances use brown glitter on an acetate card!

DCM - Santa's Little Extra Helper no 2

The DCM little extra was nice and easy this week, we had to use a Christmas tree on our card. I decided to do another of my curvy cards for this dare, I used BG paper and my Silhouette to cut the trees.
News
I've been asked by TJC Designs to create a template and instructions for my Curvy Cards. As soon as they have it on their site I'll let you know (as I know some of you wanted to know how to make them)......

And as if by magic, here it is. The only thing is i'm not sure if non members to the forum will be able to access it (the link's in a forum post) you can try it and find out I guess.

DCM - Wild Thing!

What a wild dare there's been this week over on DCM, it's all Kathy's fault, here's what she said....Hellooooo, Kathy here to set you a really Beastly dare this week! The theme is ANIMAL and you can use anything that's animal inspired - not those diddy little ones like bugs, birds and butterflies (though you can include them in your design of course) but what I'd really like to see is bigger, wilder, more fabulous or fantastic creatures So you could maybe use animal die cuts, animal prints on paper or fabric, or maybe animal words or phrases "grrrrr get down tiger"!!!! You could invent your own wild and wonderful beasties, or go back in time for dinosaurs, or into the world of mythology for all sorts of incredible creatures. How about a card in the shape of a tiger, elephant or monkey? Now, there's a challenge for you.... I'd love you to all go really wild over this one and have loads of beastly fun

I made the tiger out of funky foam, a bit fiddly bute cute I think

The writing is done by hand because when I went to my clear alphabet set I discovered that i've managed to lose my 'h' grrrrr.

I even gave him a little tail for the inside view!