Challenge entries

Just in case the Gallery uploads don't work (and they aren't looking good at the moment) here are my entries.

Scrapbook.com Gallery Inspiration Anniversary Challenge
Tier 2 thank you card for my Mum. You can't see it on this photo, but on Mum and You there is major sparkle from my new clear Wink of Stella pen.

This is also for this week's Simon Says Stamp "anything goes" challenge.

Tier 1 birthday LO:

This LO is also for the ScrapJazz August Embossing Challenge. I embossed and sanded the pink Core-dinations whitewash paper behind Chris's birthday.

25th anniversary candle

On discovering that I recycle candles, a friend asked me to make one for her daughter's 25th wedding anniversary. She chose colours and decorations from my stash to make it very personalised.

I hope she gets as much enjoyment out of it as I did out of making it.

A little bug

1) Years ago I saw a design for a "get well" card with a jam jar on it, that stuck in my memory and I've been waiting for a chance to use it ever since.
2) I had a bit of a spending spree last week, including an American Crafts pack containing two pages of printed jam jars.
3) One of the basses in our church choir has been poorly sick with a nasty infection.

Now while I would never wish ill on anyone, it was uncanny how the planets seemed to align to make this card possible just when it was required.

and the inside:

Now isn't that pretty likely to bring a smile to anyone's face?

I'm entering it into these challenges:
CASology - picnic. 'Cos of the jar and the beastie. We usually end up with a jar containing at least one buzzing beastie when we go on a picnic. Is that too tenuous a link?
Simon Says Stamp - monochrome
Sketch Saturday - sketch

This weekend I'm off on my first ever craft retreat. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement! If I make anything beautiful that is worth showing you, I'll post photos when I get back. Or maybe while I'm there, as apparently the hotel has free WiFi. I'll see how much time, energy and decent light I have.

Have a great weekend!

Karate kid

DH's godsons are both into karate or taekwondo or some such kicky thing with white pyjamas and coloured belts. The older one is 12 this weekend, and we were only talking to him last week about it, and I still had to ask my DH today what colour belt he wore, for the card I was making him. I thought he would know, but he had to e-mail the boys' dad and ask! I'm so glad it isn't only me who doesn't listen properly to things that don't mean anything to me!

It turned out to be red. And then the next one is yellow. And that colour scheme doesn't match any of the styles we're familiar with so we had to look it up and it must be Shukokai Karate. I won't remember that next year either...

Anyway, it's for these challenges:
Sketch Saturday with this sketch that I have changed so completely that they may well disqualify me.

And the reason I've mangled it, is to fit into Stampin' for the Weekend's theme of no squares or rectangles. Cute Card Thursday's challenge is dies and punches, and there are both on this card. Charisma Cardz want stitching, which was also on the sketch (handy, otherwise I'd have forgotten that too).

I spent most of this afternoon trying to follow on-line directions on exactly how to tie a karate belt. Backwards. With slippery ribbon. And that is why this card took SO LONG but is ultimately so underwhelming. I think it will be appreciated though. He's a dear kid who has been taught to notice things.

Well? See the ribbon, tied in a proper, genuine karate knot? See it? That's OK then. In that case, it was worth it.

Bees and spiders!

I have two cards to show you today. The first is based on Less Is More's delicious colour scheme:

and is also for Simon Says Stamp's and Cute Card Thursday's "anything goes" challenges.

The idea is unashamedly lifted from here on Pinterest - I've been waiting for a chance to make this cracking design since I saw it. My card is not for Hallowe'en though, it is for a friend who has been going through a lot lately,  and I thought it might cheer her up.

The original uses a rather fun stamp to make the spiders, but I didn't have it, so circles, googly eyes and a marker pen did the job just as well.

While I was on Pinterest, as nearly always happens, I came across yet more inspiration and ended up with this for one of our favourite waitresses at our local sushi bar, who is leaving. Cute eh?