Just Hanging Around

I guess we all have our favourite pastimes and how we dream of spending that mythical day that no one else knows about.  I should imagine that if everyone reading this post were asked that question no one would not be surprized if the answer were crafting or card making, after all, it is what I would say.  A close second might be just lazing around with my feet up .....

Just like Teddy Bo here.  I have never slept in a hammock, but I do not think I would be very good at it, in fact, I may well end up doing what Teddy Bo has done and keep my feet on the floor.

I coloured this image with Promarkers and then mounted it on some silver mirri card.  As I intend sending this card to my friend's son, I have kept the layout pretty simple, just a few Craftwork Cards card candy and a sentiment.  The papers are from Studio Calico.

Dionne

Back to Nature

Half way through the week already, not long now until the weekend.

Today I have another one of my Design Team cards for the current Crafty Boots Challenge to show you.  The theme of the challenge is 'Summer Time'.

This lovely Saturated Canary image is actually called 'Springtime', but around here it is highly unlikely that you could sit in a meadow full of daisies and forget-me-nots in spring, the grass would be far too wet!  So, I have saved this image for our summer time challenge.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and then mounted it on gold mirri and red card.  The backing paper is from Stampin' Up, whilst the butterfly die is by Memory Box.  The lace and pearl trim are both from Wild Orchid Crafts  and the Card Candy from Craftwork Cards.  The sentiment is from my stash.

There is still plenty of time for you to enter this Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.

Dionne

A Scottish Castle

I apologise to all of my friends who are currently experiencing drought conditions, I know that my endless complaints about torrential rain and thunderstorms must be really annoying for you.  Whilst we are still seeing rain on a daily basis, the sun is shining between the showers and it is very hot and humid when the sun shines.

The theme of the current Crafty Boots Challenge is 'Summer Time' and I suspect one or two of you may be thinking that this card is not your idea of summer, but it does represent my experience of a British summer, with it's heavy skies.  It also represents something I always enjoy doing when I am on holiday and that is exploring old castles and ruined buildings from times long past.

This Delicious Doodles image is simply called 'A Scottish Castle'.  I coloured the image with my F&C pencils and then mounted it on silver mirri and blue card.  The papers are from Stampin' Up and the butterflies are made from gold mirri card using Memory Box dies.  The 'celebrate' die is a Sizzix one.

If you are currently on holiday, I hope you are doing what you like doing most.

Dionne

Beach Huts

It is already the midway point for the current Crafty Boots Challenge, which is 'Summer Time'.

Given our current weather, I think you would have to be quick to sun bath at the beach because we are experiencing an unusually large volume of thunderstorms at the moment, there are moments of warm sunshine but these are mostly rather muggy.  However, rain has never deterred the British, just as long as we had somewhere to shelter from the rain.  Therefore, rows of jolly beach huts line our favourite bathing spots.

My Design Team card today features the Delicious Doodles 'Beach Huts' image.  I coloured the image with pencils and mounted it on gold mirri card.  The papers are from Stampin' Up and the the other items are all from my stash.

We are very lucky to have three extremely talented Guest Designers today - Jane from 'Jane's Journal', Cicci from 'Cicci Vid Pennan' and Marlene from Cards Made by Marlene'.  Please stop by their blogs and show them some appreciations.

Dionne

Strawberry Picking Time

The weekend is almost here, I hope you have plans for for your weekend.

Perhaps, like TeddyBea here, you are going strawberry picking.  I have not been strawberry picking for a long time but I remember going with my parents when I was a child.  Every year my mother tried to make strawberry jam, but every year it failed to set.  As I recall my father sat in the field eating all of his strawberries whilst the rest of us picked away for the jam making.

When you open a new paper pack there are always one or two papers which I think I shall never use.  This almost florescent yellow paper featuring daisies from Studio Calico was one of those papers, but it turned out to be perfect for my version of 'TeddyBea Strawberry Picking' from Teddy Bo & Co. 

I coloured the image with  F&C polychromos pencils.  I them mounted it on gold mirri and some pink card.  The large butterfly die is a Marianne Creatable, whilst the smaller ones are all from Stampin' Up.  The gems and ribbon are from my stash and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

Don't forget to enter your 'Summer Time' projects into the Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.

Dionne

In the Harbour

Half way through the week already.  When I was young I use to laugh at my grandmother when she complained about how fast time passed.  Now I completely understand what she was saying!

This has to be one of my favourite images from Delicious Doodles, it is called 'In the Harbour'.  I look at pictures like this and fondly remember childhood holidays.  Although I suspect that this harbour is somewhere in Scotland (because that it where the artist ,Teri Sherman, is from) it always reminds me of Cornwall in the west of England.  I remember one Cornish holiday when my grandfather took me and my little sister out in a little boat, just like this one, to catch mackerel.  We caught so many he could not get them off the hooks fast enough for us.  That evening my sister and I walked around offering free fish to other holiday makers.

I coloured this image with F&C polychromos pencils and mounted it on some gold mirri and Night of Navy card.  The card and papers are both from Stampin' Up and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.  The little fish came from ebay some time ago.

There is still plenty of time for you to enter your 'summer time' projects into the current Crafty Boots Challenge.

Good luck.

Dionne

Summer Time

It is the start of a new week and it is also the start of a new challenge over at Crafty Boots Challenges.  For the next two weeks they are looking to see projects which that say summer to you.

With the amount of rain we have seen the past few weeks I did contemplate making something involving Noah's Ark for my Design Team piece, but I decided to be optimistic and chose an image representing something which makes me think of summer in the English countryside ....... the feel of the sun on your face, the sound of swallows on the wing, the soft buzz of a bee and butterflies on the buddliea - which is sometimes known as the butterfly bush' because it attracts so many butterflies.

This lovely image of swallowtail butterflies on a buddlia is from Delicious Doodles and is called 'Butterflies on Buddliea'.  I coloured the image with F&C polychromos pencils, then I mounted it on silver mirri and Wisteria Wonder card.

The backing paper, card and sentiment stamp are from Stampin' Up.  The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon and flat backed gems are from my stash.

You will find some stunning inspirational projects lovingly made by the rest of the Design Team over on the Crafty Boots blog, we look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Good luck.


Dionne