Easter Blessings

Good morning friends - hope you are well! I can't believe that we're already half-way through the school Easter holidays :o( I've been having fun with my girls, and fitting in some crafting time too :o) I have scheduled this post, so I hope all goes well - had major internet connection issues yesterday afternoon ... grrrrrrr!!!!!

This is my second post as a GDT for Delicious Doodles, and it's time for a new challenge this morning. This one is nice and easy - with the Easter weekend looming, we'd like to help you get prepared and see your Easter creations!

Teri has once again allowed me a free run in her shop so that I can showcase her awesome designs ... Mr Mojo has been on an overactive spurt (again! And without consulting me ... again!!!!) and decided that he (OK, we) would like to produce a diorama card! Teri very kindly allowed me to pick 2 of her digis which I put together with another which I already have safely stashed on my hard drive, and this is the result:

My card recipe is as follows:

Top Layer:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl in Ivory which I have cut to 23cm x 18.5cm. Along the 23cm edge,I have scored 5cm in from each end which I then folded to make a flap. In the centre of the middle panel I used the largest arch shape on my Crafter's Companion Ultimate Pro to emboss the shape, which I then cut out to reveal an arch shaped aperture.
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and this one was part of April 2012 club. I have die cut this using my fourth largest Framelits Oval Die.

Middle Layer

• Card base - is Centura Pearl in Ivory which I have cut to 18cm x 18.5cm. The flaps on this layer are 2.5cm in from each end along the 18cm edge. Again I used my Crafter's Companion Ultimate Pro and this time embossed the smallest arch shape in the centre of the middle panel which I cut out to reveal a smaller arch shape.
  
• Images - are both by Teri at Delicious Doodles and they are Daffodils and Crocus, of which I printed 2 copies (one which I flipped in my word processing package) before bringing them to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours - the shading details on Teri's images makes it really easy to know where to use a darker colour!:
• Daffodils - GB3, GB4, GB5, JG3, JG4, BT1
• Crocuses - HB1, HB2, Colourless Blender, GB3, JG1, JG2, BT1

Base Layer

• Card base - is Neenah Solar White onto which I've directly printed my image, after a little bit of twiddling in my word processing package to get the placement right so that the image appears through the windows of the card! 
• Image - is, of course, by Teri at Delicious Doodles and this one is called Gothic Church Window. This image is so reminiscent of the windows at my own church, that I have tried to recreate them here using my Spectrum Noir Pens in TN1 and TN2 to try to recreate the warmth of the stone. The sky through the window is BT1.

I hope you'll come over to the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog and enjoy the gorgeous Easter inspiration from the Design Team and my fellow guests. Don't forget to then come back and show us your creations - you don't need to use a Delicious Doodles image to enter the challenge but if you do, you get a second entry in the draw to win 5 of Teri's images AND your work may be Spotlighted on the challenge blog! This challenge will end on Thursday 17th April 2014 at 6pm BST (UK time!)

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

• Challenge #206 - Easter at Robyn's Fetish Challenge Blog
• Challenge #64 - Easter at Card Mania Challenges
• Easter at Crafty Boots Challenges
• CWLC 79 - Easter at Created With Love Challenges
• Challenge 79 - Easter at Dream Valley Challenges
• Monday Challenge #132 - Happy Easter! at My Craft Spot
• April Challenge - Spring Flowers at Stamp and Create
• April Challenge - Easter or Spring at Sunflowerfield Designs
• Easter at Sweet Stampin'
• April Facebook Challenge - Floral at Crafter's Companion Second Entry

I'm off to firstly give Mr Mojo a good slap (!) and then I think I need a lie down in a darkened room with a mug of tea!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside .... !

Good morning my crafty friends and welcome to Diana, my newest follower!

It's time for a new new challenge again at Lexi's Creations and I do so hope that this fortnight's challenge brings the nice weather back to the UK - this morning is looking promising here! This time, we're asking you to show us At The Beach.

The fabby team at at Cropstop are sponsoring our challenge again this week and they're offering our lucky winner a $15 Gift Certificate. Here is a little about them:
"If you’re passionate about paper-crafting whether it be scrapbooking your memories, making cards or altered art, CropStop is your one-stop solution. We offer an extensive selection of dies, embossing folders, inks, stamps and punches by all the popular manufacturers and the CropStop die and embossing folder storage solutions Pocketz Pages™ to keep everything organized. Our selection of embellishments and adhesives is continually expanding and we are excited to be the home of the colorful Ribbon Candy™. CropStop ships internationally as well as domestic. Our personalized customer service is only one of our strengths. Call or come visit us at www.CropStop.com and see what’s new in the world of paper-crafting."

Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts has given every DT member free choice on what image they'd like to have on their cards. Here is the card I've made to share with you today:

My inspiration for this card layout came from Diane, one of my DT friends over at The Crafty Pad who made an awesome diorama card for our challenge on 10th June. So I had a play too in order to come up with this beach scene!

For each layer my card recipe is as follows:

Front Layer

·         Base Card - made from 160gsm white card, cut and folded to a 13cm by 8.5cm rectangle (finished size).

·         Aperture - I embossed an oval shape onto the card using the largest oval on my Ultimate Pro Embossing Board Snowman Delight and Candlelight, and cut this out.

·         Design Paper - is called Sand Hills, and is part of a kit called "FlipFlop-sicles" by Summer at Summertime Designs. Once I had fixed the paper to the card, I then cut round the aperture so you can still peek through it!

·         Image - is called Beach Ball Element and is also from the same "FlipFlop-sicles" kit.

·         Sentiment - is by Debbie at The Crafty Pad Designs

·         Sky - light blue chalk, having made a "mask" using the clip art on my computer to make the right sized cloud shape, which I then printed onto a sticky note and cut round. I then stuck the cloud mask at various places in the sky and simply dabbed my chalk around, leaving white fluffy clouds in a pale blue sky!

Middle Layer

• Base Card - made from 160gsm white card, cut and folded to a 13cm by 8.5cm rectangle (finished size).
• Aperture - I embossed an oval shape onto the card using the smallest oval on my Ultimate Pro Embossing Board, and cut this out.
• Sea - is paper-pieced from Blue Grungy Paper (from the "FlipFlop-sicles" kit) using the sea on my main image as a "template". I then cut this out and offset the waves from the main image so it gives the impression of moving waves!
• Water Droplets - dabbed in using my Spectrum Noir Pen in TB5
• Sky - light blue chalk and my "mask"

Rear Layer

• Base Card - made from Neenah 216gsm Solar White Card, cut and folded to a 13cm by 8.5cm rectangle (finished size).
• Image - This gorgeous fluffy water baby is Splashing Fun Ollie Duck and he has been created by the lovely Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts - you can find Ollie and a whole host of other great images by clicking the link and heading over to Lexi's store. I brought Ollie to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Feathers - GB3, GB4, GB5
• Bill - OR1
• Rubber Ring - CG4, CR11, IG2
• Snorkel & Goggles - CG1, FL3, IG1
• Water Droplets - TB6
• Outline - IG2
• Sky - Chalk in Royal Blue and Light Blue and my cloud "mask"
• Sea - is paper-pieced from Blue Grungy Paper (from the "FlipFlop-sicles" kit).

This card is for my niece who celebrated her first Birthday last Thursday - according to her Dad she just loves Ollie!!!!!

Head on over to Lexi's Creations and see what my team mates have created At The Beach. Don't forget to come back and then show us your beach themed creations! You've got until Saturday 7th July 2012 to link your cards up.

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

• Challenge #103 - Window Cards at Tuesday Throwdown
• Happy 3rd Birthday at Moving Along With The Times
• Challenge #222 - Here Comes Summer at Cute Card Thursday
• Challenge #113 - Farmyard or Zoo at Digi Doodle Shop ... so Ollie Duck is on holiday from the Farm and is having a great time beside the sea! :o)
• Challenge #24 - Summer at Charisma Cardz
• Challenge #77 - Say it With Sentiments and Anything Goes at Paper Playtime (2nd Entry)
• Challenge DCC #620 - Head for the Beach at The House that Stamps Built
• Challenge #28 - Here Comes Summer at Deep Ocean Challenge
• Challenge #95 - By the Sea at 4 Crafty Chicks
• First Monthly Challenge - Anything Goes at Chalk 'n' Stock (2nd Entry)

Have a crafty week!

Hugs, Helen x