Challenge YOUrself.

Challenge Yourself



Looking through some photos from last year I uncovered this one of me in Darwin with a lizard.
It shows my admiration for animals and how I'm inspired by all things natural eg plants, flowers, seasons, animals, birds etc.
Because it was my outback trip, I've chosen oranges etc.
I used a pagemap sketch as the basis for this.

It is also entered in a cyber crop at Mystical scrapbooks.
I never thought I'd use that "safari" chipboard, but there you go!
                                                                          *****************
I had some of that strip of dots left over so have used it on a card for Sketch 'n' scrap. and also for 4 crafty chicks


The background card has a sheen as does the copper/bronze strip at the left.

The sequins are wooden and the grey is a paint chip.

If you give a crafter a cookie.

Over at If you give a crafter a cookie this is their picture.



I still have 3 penguins left. I've decided to use one on this card for a male.

Cut it up challenges

Cut it up challenges want music including a die cut.
I've used 3 die cuts on here. The 2 flowers plus the purple scalloped circle saying sassy.
The music strip is along the bottom.

Cardz4guyz

I'm ploughing through cards this month and happy to be using random items and papers from my stash.
At Cardz4guyz they want shades of brown.
I have several 8x8 papers in vintage brown tones.
I used them on this card. One featured a compass circle which I cut out.
 Lurking on my desk was the tag featuring the elephant and the bronze metallic brad.
Here's the final product.

 

I'm also entering this at Use your stuff where they want eyelets and brads. One BIG brad used.

City Crafters & Pink Gem challenge

A great big celebration is underway at City crafters.
This time we are asked to case this card.


I was inspired by an animal singing with musical notes behind.

Here's my penguin singing

 

Meanwhile at Pink Gem challenges they want a stamped image plus ribbon or lace.

I've used a clear rubber stamp featuring a fairy from Some odd girl clear stamps.

I didn't colour it but enhanced her eyes using a black drawing pen.

I've layered green coloured papers and used a striped ribbon from Craft Queen under the image.

As my birthstone is Peridot and my favourite colour green, I think this is a good fit for this challenge.

The 5 is a transparency I had.

 

 

I just found out I'm in the mailbox at Cards in Envy.

Mystical challenge

At Mystical scrapbooks they have a 1245 challenge.
It consists of :
1 piece of cardstock
2 pieces of string,jute or ribbon
4 patterned papers
5 bits of bling.

While I was misting the brick wall for the previous card I misted the white cardstock.
(It is red, not pink as it has appeared in the scan)
I had a photo Erica took at University when she had a photography assignment.

There are 2 pieces of string stapled to the 4 patterned papers-2 matts plus the clocks and the arrows running across the bottom.(Actually there are 5 if you count the large yellow brackets.)
Bling was a problem and I didn't want to use flowers.
However I found these Kaiser sparklets in orange which are subtle)
Above my journaling is a rub on saying Where when who.

My title is Basic Grey lettering in 2 different sizes.

Cas on Sunday and paper players.

My next card uses a brick wall stencil through which I misted in Antique gold on Kraft.
It provides a neutral background.
I misted a 2Crafty bicycle with green.

This is for CAS on Sunday where they want Use a stencil.

 
 Also on paper players they want use a vehicle.
I've made it a simple thank you card.

challenge #1 FRESH

https://mlogandesigns.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/fun-times-friendship-and-laughter.html by blog hopping I found this post by Michelle Logan.

Next to my desk I have a plastic crate full of alphas, that no longer form words. Lots of J,X,W etc.
I've used a chipboard set.
 Next, I've used LIME paint then white Gesso through a dotted mask.
After waiting for that to dry I added my 2 photos plus the Basic Grey tree sticker and a scrap of floral botanic paper at the bottom.
At this stage I misted and smooshed gold mist.
It gave texture to the background but unfortunately fine mist landed on the bottom photo....adding dimension I don't want! We all make mistakes!
My title is from We R memory keepers and the washi tape adds a final touch.
I think it looks Fresh.

I'm entering this at http://picturethischallenges.blogspot.com.au/ where they want green +black or Green + white.

Crazy for challenges and In the pink

Here is the sketch at Crazy for challenges this week.
I've used it to create this card.
Also at In The Pink they want pearls so I've added a pearl flourish to qualify.

 

I also made this card just for fun, totally from scraps.

 

 

Scrapping4fun

http://scrapping4funchallenges.blogspot.com.au/ wants buttons and bows.

I've chosen green and cream for my theme.
The ribbon bow I tied myself from old baby ribbon, in fact Mum had it so it might be 60 years old!
My buttons are an eclectic mix from my collection. I also used 4 corners I had on my desk.

Paper minutes

https://paperminutes.blogspot.com.au/ wants brads and flowers this week.

I've used some pastel alphas from last month's Counterfeit kit on this card which just says AMAZING. It can be used in a variety of circumstances I think..........as a love card (You are amazing) or perhaps after good news such as a graduation or some other achievement.
I've chosen co-ordinating flowers and brads.

Cards in Envy

http://cardsinenvy.blogspot.com.au/ wants floral and fantasy.
I've had transparencies from Alice in Wonderland characters for a while.
It has been just the ticket for this card.

I chose a pale floral background, then placed my transparency in the centre.
Notice that it features flowers too.
 It looked bare, so I added a halo of yellow pearls around the edges, added my sentiment and here it is.

2 cards several challenges.

http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com.au/ has a challenge where they want 4 legged animals.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Birthday
http://cardz4guyz.blogspot.com.au/ wants animals

I'm right away from dogs and cats and bunnies on this one.
Yes, I chose a rhinocerous!
 It also features 2 die cuts for http://unstampabelleschallenges.blogspot.com.au/ (no birds sorry)

 

Next, I made a spring get well card

 

It is for the following challenges

 Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge: Anything Goes with Patterned Paper

WordArt Wednesdays: Anything Goes

If you're looking at this post please comment.

Show us your stuff.

Show us your stuff has a



I've found some old photos of my daughter that show her juggling apples.
Lime green features big in the 2 photos.

My patterned papers are an October afternoon one named Wax bottles from 5 and dime collection.
plus a  Bo bunny shaped paper named Peridot.
Lime green paint was smooshed over the paper, followed by white texture paste through a mask of dots. I added washi tape that tones in.
I added another lime green embossed paper, plus a strip of black stars paper.
A rub-on saying random became my title.

My handmade item is the felt apple which I hand cut and stitched to the layout.

Stick it down single sketch

 

This is the sketch this month at Stick it down for the single page.
And here's my belated layout for the Design team entry.

So if you are one of my followers, why not join in the fun at Stick it down.
We also have a double page and a card sketch you can do.

In the pink and Tuesday Throwdown.

In the pink challenge wants flowers and Tuesday Throwdown wants tropical animals.
Enter the flamingo paper someone donated to me!

I feel I must set the record straight at Tuesday Throwdown. Koalas are NOT tropical animals.
They live in temperate zones and prefer cooler weather.
I'm an Aussie, I know this fact.

I've made this birthday card which satisfies both criteria.
Bit bright, but a pinkaholic out there will love it.

April Counterfeit mini kit

Our kit to Counterfeit is https://www.cocoadaisy.com/product/february-2017-ashton-court-scrapbook-kit/

Ashton Court by Cocoa Daisy.

 

Looking at the papers, 2 caught my eye first.

They were the white with big yellow spots and the tiny red "granny " floral.

I dived into my stash thinking I had similar papers and found a reversal.

Big red spots and tiny yellow floral.

To these I added 2 other co-ordinating papers.

 

Next I matched some other paper scraps from a Kaisercraft range named "On the dot"

 

Using these combinations I added co-ordinating embellishments.

 

This is a LARGE mini kit but I like choice.

 

My choice of project this month is a concertina album.

(I made a pink one last month).

 

This one is featuring Christmas 2015 but isn't in Christmas colours.

My daughter has a pet rat and a weird sense of humour.

Have I made you curious? Here's the album page by page.

Starting with the cover.....

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the furry creature!

 

 

A close up of the chickens eating enamel dots (LOL)

 

 

Another close up of a punched heart

 

 

And that is the last page. Hope you like it, I had fun making it and used gesso, paint, inks and my cuttlebug as well as the kit.

 

Two more cards

I'm off to have my flu vaccination this morning which is never fun.
To take my mind off that, I made 2 cards.
My first is for SPRING theme at As you see it. 
A new challenge site for me

 My answer is flowers.

I mixed media the background y spraying 3 mists then smooshed it with a sponge.
The flowers and tea cup button flair were on my desk so are random.
I think they look ok though.

 

I'm also entering this at http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com.au/

Next is a card for Shopping our Stash where they want twine, thread, ric rac etc.
I've made a purple toned card using ric rac plus 3 shield shapes with a threaded button on each.

Now to go to the doctors. gulp!

Mojo Monday

I'm doing things back to front with my Counterfeit Mini kit this month.
Come back tomorrow to see my project.

I made this card for Mojo Monday using the left-overs .Another male card.

 

and here's the sketch

Scrap our stash and Use your stuff

It is funny how you start off doing one thing, then it changes your whole layout.
At Use your stuff they wanted polaroids and at Scrap our stash there is this.



My first thought was I'm not doing bunnies (Easter)

I cut a polaroid frame then looked for a photo to fit in it.................the rabbits from my recent holiday.
You guessed it, I've done bunnies.

 

The chevrons, bunnies and punched border (Top right) are all there,