CD Storage

Hi

Thanks for stopping by today.  It is great to have visitors and I really do appreciate all of the fabulous comments you leave.

Over the years I have acquired quite a lot of crafting CDs and their storage has become something of a problem, so I decided to make a box to hold them all and at the same time free up two shelves on my bookcase.

I made the box out of mount board and some fabric from my scraps bag.  I put all of the CDs into plastic wallets to prevent them from getting scratched and I left a little space around them so I can get them out easily.

Have a great weekend.


Dionne

Vote for Mrs Beez and Raise Money for Amy and Friends

Hi

There is a distinct feeling of autumn in the air this morning but there was also a hint of the fabulous day that followed.

I had a wonderful surprize last Friday.  My very kind, and generous, friend Lisette (who is known to most of you as  Mrs Beez) sent me a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers.

I am afraid that my pathetic attempt at photographing them does not do them justice, you are just going to have to take my word that they really are fabulous.  (By the way, I have since found a much more suitable vase for them, which displays them far better.)

The reason for this very thoughtful gift was not that it was my birthday, or my wedding anniversary, but to say thank you for all of the butterfly cards I made last month.  Regular visitors to my blog will remember that Lisette decided that all of her projects for a month would feature a butterfly to show support for the charity Amy and Friends.  (Amy and Friends supports children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome, and their families, and the butterfly is the symbol they use to represent those whose lives have been cut short by this illness.)  I was over the moon when Lisette invited me to guest on her blog and I set to making as many cards featuring a butterfly or two as I could. It as tremendous fun and it was great to think that we were doing this to raise awareness of such a deserving charity.

There was another reason for all of this activity. You can help to raise money for this charity by voting for the first project Mrs Beez made for Gecko Galz and their Create for a Cause showcase. All you have to do is email them at geckogalz@yahoo.com and tell them your favorite design. Gecko Galz will then send money to the chosen charity of the winner. You will get a little gift just for voting.

Thank you.

Dionne

Christmas in August

Hi

A new challenge starts at Crafty Boots Challenges today and I am so excited about it because the theme of this challenge is 'Christmas in August', it was was chosen by the lovely, and very talented, Sandra.

So many crafters like to make their Christmas cards at this time of year and this Challenge might just be push you need to get motivated.

After years and years of making my Christmas cards in August it all went horribly wrong last year and I found myself battling against the clock to get them made in time.  I am determined this is not going to happen this year!

Last year I bought this stunning snowflake Bigz die from Stampin' Up but I did not use for my cards at the time.  It makes short work of cutting through glitter card, and everyone knows how much I love a bit of glitter on my Christmas cards.  I am also enjoying using my embossing folders.

It looks equally as good, if not better, on a contrasting sheet of glitter card.

Right, that's three down and another 147 to go.

The rest of the Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team have been very busy making some inspirational pieces, please pop by and take a look.

Dionne

Tattered Lace Stilettos

Hi

Over at Crafty Boots Challenges the current challenge is 'Die Cuts', it can be anything you like, as long as it contains at least one die cut.

The first card I made for this Challenge featured the Tattered Lace stiletto die and my second the pretty Memory Box heart shaped die.

As you can see, today's card is a marriage of the two.

I chose two very different embossing folders to create contrast and I used the same colour pearl card as I had used to cut the stilettos shoes, to make the paper lace ribbon using a Martha Stewart punch. Both the corner punch and the butterfly punch I used on this card are also from Martha Stewart.

Finally, I added a few tiny pearls to the butterflies.

Don't forget to pop over to  Crafty Boots Challenges and enter your own project into the Challenge.
Good Luck.


Dionne

Two Hearts - Believing in Just One Mind?

Hi

The current challenge at  Crafty Boots Challenges is 'Die Cuts', it can be anything you like, as long as it contains at least one die cut.

I have another card featuring die cut to share with you today.

I embossed white card using my Grand Calibur and then cut two heart shapes with a Memory Box die.  I cut two more heart shapes out of red glimmer card and placed them behind the La Rue Hearts die cuts.  I used some red ribbon from my stash and a little more red glimmer card.

Do not forget to pop over to  Crafty Boots Challenges and enter your own project into the challenge.

Good Luck.


Dionne

Lift Off

Good morning

Today is the final day of Mrs Beez's personal challenge to to show support, and raise awareness of, the charity Amy and Friends and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome.  Amy and Friends adopted the butterfly to represent those whose lives have been cut short by this terrible illness and therefore Mrs Beez has been placing a butterfly on all of for projects for the past month.

I really admire what Lisette - aka Mrs Beez, has been doing to raise awareness of this charity and it meant so much to me when she asked me to be a guest on her blog.  I want to thank her for giving me this fabulous opportunity.

As these are my last butterfly cards for a while I thought it appropriate that they, once again, should feature the outstanding Stampin' Up Swallowtail Butterfly stamp.

I watched a You Tube clip by Brandy's Cards, which showed me how to make this style of card.  As you can see, it has dimension and looks as if it is elegantly peeling away from the page.

Regular visitors will know that I take out my own form of insurance policy when I stamp images and always make two impressions (at least) and, if nothing goes wrong, I end up with two very similar cards.  I managed not to mess things up this time, so I made one card in SU Midnight Muse and the other in Cherry Cobbler.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is raising awareness and, whilst you are there, check out her blog candy giveaway, it is the last day today, so hurry.


Dionne

Butterfly and Thistle

Hi

I have another butterfly card to share with you today.  As you know, my friend Mrs Beez and I have been raising awareness of the charity Amy and Friends, and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome, by placing their butterfly emblem on our projects.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on silver Mirri and Midnight Muse card.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  Finally I added some flat backed gems.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness.


Dionne

Killer Stilettos!

Hi and a big welcome to anyone visiting my blog for the first time.  It is so great to have new visitors, but it is even better when someone chooses to come back again.

A new challenge starts at Crafty Boots Challenges today.  The theme of this challenge is 'Die Cuts', it was was chosen by the very talented Helen.  Your design can be anything you like, as long as it contains at least one die cut.

I little while ago I bought several large embossing folders to use with my Grand Calibur.  However, I have not really used them that much and this challenge seemed like an opportunity not to be missed, so I got my favourite dotty one out for this card.

Having embossed some white card I then got out my dies.  These fabulous stiletto sandals are from Tattered Lace and the flourish is from Marianne Design Creatables.  As you can see, the sandal straps are made up of tiny butterflies so  I added a few more butterflies to the design with the aid of a Martha Stewart punch.  I then added a few flat backed gems, a bow and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.

The rest of the Crafty Boots Challenges Design Team have been very busy making some inspirational pieces, please pop by and take a look.

Good luck.

Dionne

Three Little Maids

Three little maids who, all unwary

Come from a ladies' seminary

Freed from its genius tutelary

Three little maids from school

(From Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado - Three Little Maids From School)

Hello my friends

I hope that your weekend is going well.  It is cooler here but very pleasant nonetheless.

There is something about a Gilbert and Sullivan tune, I am not sure how well their work travels, I doubt they are as well know as Rogers and Hammerstein or Cole Ported, but they are rooted deep in the British psyche and today I thought that I would get you humming one of those tunes that just gets stuck in your head - even if you cannot remember the words!

My friend Lisette (aka Mrs Beez) and I have recently been posting projects featuring butterflies.  It all started when Lisette decided to raise awareness of the charity Amy and Friends, and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome.  Why butterflies?  Well, Amy and Friends adopted the butterfly to represent those whose lives have been cut short by this terrible illness.

I have a simple card to share with you today.

My three little maids are three Marianne Design Creatable swallowtail butterfly die cuts, which I cut from silver mirri and backed with some pretty papers from my stash.  I curled their wings to give them dimension and finally added some lovely green flat backed gems to their bodies.  The backing paper is from a Papermaina stack featuring Lucy Cromwell's designs.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness of this condition.  Whist you are there, take a look at her anniversary blog candy giveaway.


Dionne

Butterfly and Lupin

Hi

It's the weekend, hooray!

By now regular visitors to this blog will know that my dear friend Lisette, aka Mrs Beez, has decided that for a month all of her projects will feature a butterfly, this is to show support for the charity Amy and Friends and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome.  Amy and Friends uses the butterfly to represent those whose lives have been cut short by this terrible illness.  I have a thing about using butterflies in my crafting, so I was thrilled when Mrs Beez asked me to make some cards to help her raise awareness.

Today's card features this lupin and butterfly image from Eureka Stamps called Butterfly and Bluebonnet.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on pearl card, unfortunately the pearl card made my stepper card hard to photograph.  Let's try another angle.

The flourish die is by Marianne Design Creatable and the butterfly dies are by Memory Box.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness of this condition.


Dionne

Feeling Blue

HI

Thank you for dropping by again, I really appreciate the support you have been showing over the past few weeks whilst I have been  posting cards featuring butterflies.  I should like to say a very special thank you to Michaela for all the support and encouragement she has been giving to me.

As you know, my friend Mrs Beez and I have been raising awareness of the charity Amy and Friends, and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome, by placing their butterfly emblem on our projects.

For some time I have been admiring this style of card on other people's blogs and with the help of Stamping With Jill, I finally worked out how to make one .... or two!

My stamping can be a bit hit and miss, so I have got into the habit of making two impressions, just in case I messed one up.  However, this Stampin' Up Swallowtail butterfly stamp is such a treat to work with, I do not think I have ever ruined an impression, but that it way I keep showing you two very similar cards whenever I make something with this stamp.

Everything I used to make this card, other than the white card, came from Stampin' Up.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness.


Dionne

More Sunflowers

Hi.

Today I should like to say a special hello and welcome to Sandy D.

Wow, it is the 1st of August, before we know it, it will be Christmas again.  I really must make a start on my Christmas cards, I don't want to leave it to the last minute, like last year.

For the past weeks I have been posting cards featuring butterflies and I have been telling you how my friend Mrs Beez and I have been raising awareness of the charity Amy and Friends, and the work they do to support children suffering from Cockayne Syndrome.

Today I have another card featuring butterflies and sunflowers or cone flowers.

This fabulous image is from Eureka Stamps, it is called Butterfly and Sunflowers.

After colouring it with Promarkers I mounted it on silver mirri and dark blue card.  The backing paper is by DoveCraft.  The sentiment is an old one from Kanban and I think the ribbon is from Stampin' Up.

Please visit Mrs Beez's blog to find out more about the work of Amy and Friends and how Mrs Beez is trying to raise awareness.


Dionne

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicited to Stamps and More - Challenge #56 - Anything Goes!!!
Tammy Scrappin Corner Challenge # 73 Theme Use a Digi