The Aurora Watcher

Hello friends, and a particularly warm welcome to Carole who is my newest follower and also a fellow DT member over at All Dressed Up. I hope you enjoy my crafty ramblings Carole!

Today sees the start of our new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs and this time our challenge is All That Glitters. I love a bit of sparkle, don't you?:oD !!!!!!!

Our kind sponsor for this challenge is Mi Ran who is the artist behind ArtbyMiran, and she'll is offering the lucky winner of a prize pack.

Mi Ran was also kind enough to offer the DT a choice of digi to showcase for this challenge, so here's my card featuring one of her gorgeous images:

OK, so it's time for some "Ramblings" from Casa Mia. Earlier on this summer, the BBC screened a series by Prof. Brian Cox (yes, he who "messes with my head"!) called Forces of Nature. If you've seen the programme, I guess you'll be in step with me and know exactly how this card came to life. If not, read on .... In the very last episode of the series, Prof. Brian was explaining about the Aurora Borealis and there was a segment filmed with a British family who live in the Aurora oval in Norway. The segment showed Mum, Dad and 4 children all piling into their motor home and going Aurora chasing. When they were filmed with the Aurora Borealis light show overhead, the children's faces were just filled with absolute wonder. So, when this image popped up as one we could use for this challenge, I just had to try and create my own Aurora Borealis for you.  Oh, and if you want to know more about the family in Norway, you can follow their antics on their own blog Aurora Addicts.

My card recipe is as listed, following this Bendi Fold tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers to create the card:

• Card back - is a 5½ x 4¼ inch piece of Neenah Solar Crest Card which I have coloured in a representation of the Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights following a bonus Background Tutorial with the May Monthly Class by Alyce at Kit and Clowder. The Spectrum Noir Pens I used to create this background are CG4, CG3, LY3, PP2, BP3, PL3, PL4, TB7, TB9 together with a white gel pen for the stars.
• Snowy banks - are made from a 5½ x 2½ inch and a 5½ x 1¾ inch piece of white glitter card which I had in my stash. I cut a slanted top edge to each piece, embossed one of the wavy embossing lines on my Ultimate Pro and then cut this out to make the top edges of the snow banks.
• Snowflake - is the middle sized snowflake from the Festive Wonder Snowflake Trio die set, part of Sara Davies' Signature Collection and sadly no longer available. I cut this from the same white glitter card as the snowy banks and then adhered it to my Aurora background.
  
• Image - is the enchanted Girl wearing Hat and Scarf by Mi Ran at ArtbyMiran. I have brought this awestuck girl to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours, before fussy cutting her out and attaching her to a snowy bank.
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, TN4, FS8 (Blush)
• Hair - TN3, EB3, EB8
• Hat, Scarf & Mittens - LY3, CG3, CG4
• Top & Tights - IG1, IG2, IG3
• Skirt & Boots- TB1, TB4, TB8, TB9
• Sentiment - came from a stamp set which was a freebie with Crafter's Inspiration Magazine - Issue 8 and I've stamped this in Black Memento Ink directly onto my glitter card.

So, there you have it ... my glittery card. To check out more gorgeous glitteriness, please head over to Incy Wincy Designs and take a peek at the lovely creations by my teamies. Then come back and show us your creations that are All that Glitters. We'll be back with our next challenge on Monday 17th October 2016.

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

• Christmas with Crafter's Companion Products at I'm a Crafter's Companion Facebook Page
• Challenge #129 - Anything Goes with the Optional Twist of "Make your own Background" at Digistamps4Joy
• Challenge #68 - Anything Goes at ArtbyMiran Challenge
• All of a Sparkle at That's Crafty Challenge
• Challenge #31 - No Patterned Paper at Make My Monday Challenge - Second Entry
• Challenge #85 - Let it Shine! at Card Mania Challenge
• October Anything Goes Challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra
• Challenge #14 - Anything Goes at World Wide Open Design Team Challenge
• Challenge #07 at Classic Design Team Open Challenge

Hugs, Helen x

Polar Bears are a Girl's best friend ... obviously!!!!!!!

Good morning my crafty friends!

If you celebrate Valentine's Day, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We went into town and purchased (from the same department store) 2 new frying pans, a kitchen timer and voile/net curtains .... boy, we sure know how to live on what's supposed to be the most loved up day of the year!!!!! :D

Anyway, it's new challenge time at Feeling Sketchy and we've got another great sketch for you, courtesy of Michelle.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Nikky and the team at Polkadoodles who are offering the lucky winner of this challenge a prize pack. Even if you're not lucky enough to win the prize for this challenge, make sure you go to Digi Choosday Blog where Nikky regularly offers discount codes to the Polkadoodles Store, as well as the special offers that are already in place! Hands up - who likes a discount to get new crafty stash!!!!!!!!!

Here's the sketch we'd like you to follow for Challenge #139:

and here's my card using the sketch and featuring a gorgeous image from Polkadoodles:

I must confess that I found this card rather a challenge, as it's quite a lot fussier than my normal card making style. However, I'm pretty pleased with it!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is a 14.8 cm square, pre-made card base in white
• Design Papers - are from the Nordic Christmas CD-Rom by Crafter's Companion, which doesn't seem to be available any longer :o(   I've used a red snowflake paper on the front of the card, and I ran my paper back through my printer to print the brown chequered paper on the reverse as this paper matches the background on my button. I've used Kraft card for matting and layering.
  
• Image - is the uber-cute Polar Family - Octavia Frosted Winter by Nikky at Polkadoodles. I've brought this lovely family to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens and Clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen before hand cutting the image out and attaching it to my card. Unfortunately, I didn't keep a note of all the colours I used - sorry!
• Tag - is embossed from Kraft card using my Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats Ultimate Pro Embossing Board and I then cut this out by hand, and re-embossed the edges to give definition. The bow is made from jute twine I have in my stash, and tied using my Ultimate Pro. A faux button made from an embellishment I found on the Nordic Christmas CD-Rom which I then cut using the heart shaped die from my Die'sire Essentials Button Box die set (also no longer available). I cut out 3 further heart shapes, glued them all together ensuring my printed heart was on the top, and then covered the white edges using my EB7 Spectrum Noir Pen.
• Sentiment and Snowflake - are both dies available in Sara's Signature - Festive Wonder Collection and are both cut from Centura Pearl Snow White Silver card. I cut the words away from the initial letters of "Merry Christmas" to follow the sketch.

I hope you'll come over Feeling Sketchy and check out the amazing creations by my talented team mates. Then don't forget to come back and show us your cards or scrapbook pages following our sketch. We'll be back with our new challenge on 1st March 2016.

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

• Add a Button (or Buttons) at CD Sunday
• Trend Week #330 - Add a Tag to your card/project at Just us Girls Challenge
• Challenge #121 - Anything Goes with an optional twist of "Add a Tag" at Digistamps4Joy
• Have a Heart Challenge at Winter Wonderland - my faux button is heart shaped and there is heart on the button too!
• Challenge #120 - Die Cuts at Addicted to Stamps
• Challenge #101 - Homemade Embellishments at Pile it On Challenges - my faux button is homemade!
• B is for B - you pick! at ABC Challenge - B is for Brown, Button, Bow and Bears!
• Challenge #311 - Use Red as your Main Colour at Crafty Catz Challenge

We're on half term now here at Casa Mia, and I'll be waiting in for my gas man to service our boiler. Gives me some crafting time me thinks!

Whatever you're up to today, have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

Glittery Snowflakes

Well folks, we've made it! It's Friday again .... yippeeeeeeeee!!!!!

I've been on a First Aid course for the last 2 days, and this afternoon I was re-certified for another 3 years; great, because that means I can continue doing my job!!!!! ;o)

Earlier in the week, a challenge popped up in my blog feed, and in my mind's eye I could instantly see the card I wanted to make. Don't you just love it when that happens? And, as I'm now in full Christmas card mode (it being only 2 weeks until my Church's Christmas Fayre where I shall be selling my hand made cards to help raise funds for the Church) it's another Christmas card!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - premade card base in white, approx 14.8cm square
• Background - a 13.8cm square of Sheena Douglass White Stamping Card which I embossed using a Christmas embossing folder that was a magazine freebie last year, I think! On the screen printed side of the folder where the design is, I used a pearlescent blue Brilliance Ink Pad to provide relief from the embossed design. I matted and layered this onto a square of black card
• Snowflakes - are the largest and smallest flakes from the Festive Wonder - Snowflake Trio Die which are part of Sara's Signature Collection. I've die cut these from silver glitter card, which I've had for a while and can't remember where it came from ... ooops! I've "strung" the snowflaks around the sentiment using some clear stick on gems which came from one of the £1 shops.
• Sentiment - is part of the set which came with last year's Winter Edition of the Crafter's Inspiration Magazine. I've stamped this into the centre of the oval using the same pearlescent blue Brilliance Ink Pad.

Here's a closer look at the sparkly snowflakes and pearly sentiment:

I've been inspired by and would like to take part in the following challenge:

• PP270 - Black + White + Silver or Gold + One other Colour of your Choice at The Paper Players

I would also like to take part in the following challenge:

• Challenge #45 - Christmas Sparkles at Digi Choosday - Second Entry

Hope you have a lovely evening and weekend!

Hugs, Helen x