A Jar of Love

Hello again friends!

This week seems a bit like "blog post fest", as my two DT's coincide with having new challenges launching!

This time, I'm sharing the new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs and this time we'd like to see your creations that say Get Well or With Sympathy. 

We're being sponsored this time by the lovely Tammy from A Day for Daisies, who is offering the random winner of this challenge a $12 Gift Certificate to the store. And even if you're not the lucky winner of this challenge do drop by the store as Tammy sometimes has some freebies on offer .... ;o) ! And there's always plenty of inspiration from the ADFD Design Team at A Day for Daisies Blog.

Tammy has also kind been enough to give each member of our DT their choice of image to showcase for this challenge, so here's my With Sympathy card, featuring an image from A Day for Daisies:

I don't know about you, but I always find sympathy cards the hardest to create and they take me a really long time. Maybe it's because I'm trying too hard to make something that's right for the occasion. I've kept this one really uncluttered and I shall keep it stashed safely so that the next time I need a sympathy card, I'll be able to send it straight away instead of being a day or two late whilst I create!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 6 inch square card base. I've then embossed directly onto this using my Embossalicious Geometric Motif embossing folder, sadly no longer available from Crafter's Companion.
  
• Image - is Jar of Wild Poppies by Tammy at A Day for Daisies which I have brought to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed shades together with a tutorial from the Elements of Nature colouring class from Kit and Clowder before die cutting it with my largest Sizzix Framelits Scalloped Square Die.
• Poppies - CR6, CR11, DR5, DR7
• Stems - DG2, DG3, DG4
• Jar - IG1, IG3, IG5, CR11
• Sentiment - comes from a set by Kris at Imagine That Digi Stamp called Thoughts and Prayers Sentiments which I was lucky enough to win from their blog earlier this year. I've cut the sentiment into a fishtail banner, and then very lightly run my CR11 Spectrum Noir Pen around the edges of the banner for definition.

I hope I've inspired you to have a go at making either a Get Well or With Sympathy project. If you're in need of further inspiration, then do head over to Incy Wincy Designs and feast your eyes on the projects which have been made by my fabbie teamies. Then don't forget to come back and share your creations with us. This challenge ends on Saturday 3rd September 2016 and we'll be back on Monday 5th September 2016 with our next challenge.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

• Challenge #44 - Mason Jars at Scribbles Designs
• Hip to be Square Card Challenge at Cards in Envy
• Challenge #50 - Keep it Simple at Paper Creator's Crafts
• L is for Love at Alphabet Challenge
• Challenge #327 - Embossing (Heat or Dry) at My Time to Craft
• Week 33 - Anything Goes at Digi Choosday

Whatever you're up to today, I hope you have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

Under 'de Sea

Well howdy crafters! Hope you're all well and, if you're in the UK, enjoying both the fantastic weather and tremendous performances of our Olympians!

Sorry it's been sooooo long since there was a post from me, but the end of the summer term brought the usual frenetic madness to Casa Mia, and then we flew straight off on a holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida to "do" the theme parks! I think everything that could go wrong did in our first 24 hours, from a suitcase being damaged on arrival, to there not being a live booking for us at the car rental company, 2 out of 3 credit cards being declined at the supermarket to my mobile going in to "lost/stolen" mode!!!!!!! Anyway, by the time we got most of these sorted out on our second day (the hire car took several emails overnight and then 2 hours of me being rather assertive before we left with a car for the remainder of our holiday!) we were ready to go a have fun with Mickey & Co., plus going to the many other parks in the area.


There were so many highlights, from accompanying "adrenaline junkie" eldest bambino on the most terrifying rollercoasters I think I've ever seen, to the magical parades at the Magic Kingdom, "mum dancing" with Mr Incredible (fortunately there are no photos of that one ;o)!) and the most amazing time swimming with Okai the dolphin at Discovery Cove.

Phew, think I've come back home for a rest because we sure had an action packed 2 weeks away!



Today sees the start of a new challenge time at Feeling Sketchy and as usual we've got a great sketch for you.


Our sponsor this time is the lovely Nikky and team from Polkadoodles who are offering the lucky winner of this challenge a prize. And even if you're not our winner, go and check out the website as there are always some great offers on ....... !

So here's the sketch:

and here's my project using it:

I've compiled a digital layout, featuring some holiday snaps ;o) !

My layout recipe is as follows:

• Base layer - is the Wood Paper from Marisa Lerin's Coastal Papers Kit available at Pixel Scrapper
• Photograph Frames - are from the July 2015 Crafter's Companion Club Inspire monthly download called Sea Breeze. Into these frames, inserted some photos from our holiday: from left to right, going "Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid" ride at Disney's Magic Kingdom, a Disney "stock" photo from our PhotoPass of Ariel in the "Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade", and the 2 Bambinos on a "meet and greet" with Ariel in her clam shell. I then digitally layered the frames together and added a shadow to make them stand out from the wood paper.
• Starfish Brad - is another element from the Club Inspire monthly download Sea Breeze. I've just layered this onto the paper, and added a shadow underneath it.
• Journal Card - is also from the Sea Breeze download. I've added a blank text box over the top of the journal card and then added the wording so it sits within the lines of the card.

This sketch is perfect for both scrapbookers and cardmakers alike, but if you're in need of further inspiration, then do head over to the challenge blog and see the other great creations (both cards and layouts) by my wonderful teamies. I hope that I've inspired you to play along at Feeling Sketchy - don't forget that you can change the shapes of elements and rotate the sketch to suit your project ... we just need to see that you've been inspired by sketch! We'll be back with our next challenge on 1st September 2016.

I have been inspired by and would like to enter the following challenges:

• Cookie Challenge #50 - Photo Inspiration at If you Give a Crafter a Cookie - I've been inspired by the colours and also the flame haired mermaid; it looks like Ariel might be her twin ;o) !!!!!!!!!!
• #35 August Challenge - Anything Goes at Not Just Cards
• Photo Challenge at Make My Monday
• Challenge #40 - Anything But a Card at Crafting Musketeers
• Challenge #325 - Always Anything Goes at Craft Your Passion

I'll be along later with another challenge post - no holiday photos though, promise!!!!!

Whatever you're up to today, I hope you have fun.

Hugs, Helen x