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Even though this was a relatively simple and very enjoyable card to make, for the very first time since I have started this crafting, I really ran into my dyspraxia wall.

Having chosen the elements, stuck, dusted and cut the butterflies, and prepared the base card, to go ahead and stick the butterflies on, I then wanted to go and embellish. I had dark blue stars and sequins, and brightish blue roses, and I wanted to stick them on with glue gel. It's always difficult to use this, as there is no cap to put on the end of the tube, so the glue dries up into it. So far though, I have always overcome it with some fiddling and sheer force. 

This time I was beaten by a tube of glue! The thing with dyspraxia is the emotional response that goes with it. The more I read about it, now that our boy has been diagnosed with it, the more I realise I am not alone with this and never should have been. Anyway, the card went flying across the room, and all the embellishments followed behind it.

This morning, as I gathered my courage to get back to it, they seemed to have disappeared. The card was there, but all the fancy bits are missing. Time for a reshuffle. It has turned out more simple, but possibly also more effective.

As I told Emma, one of my dear facebook friends, a great craft talent always ready to support, advise and care, I very much liked this theme of her very first ever challenge: shades of blue. I like the look of monochrome cards anyway, and blue has always been one of my favourite colours. So this one is for Emma's challenge, with which I wish her every success!

Challenge up your Life  happen to have monochrome as their new theme as well. So obviously this card will be entered in theirs too.

Because of the embellishments, and particularly how they came to be there as they are, I am also entering this card in the stamp man's embellishment challenge.

The stamping sisters in christ  are all about Love. When I designed this card it just so happened I had in mind exactly what is described in that challenge as well. That is why I added 'With Love' to a blue card, rather than being focussed on red. When feeling blue, just that little word can work wonders. So that fits nicely into their challenge too.

That closely resembles the thought behind crafty ann's challenge Love is in the Air. There is also this realisation that love is about more than Valentine's alone. So that's another one I am taking part in with this card.

So, a lot of challenges for just one card. Let's hope it is successful.

 
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So to really set a challenge, Crafty Bloggers Network  decided on the theme Oriental. You would be surprised how hard that is, and I really needed the design team's examples for inspiration this time. This card has been cooking in my mind for so long, that the next one I had lined up to make has gone past its date now. I even had a sleepless night where my mind kept going to this oriental card.

I had plenty of stuff. The HunkyDory card shape immediately jumped out at me as having Eastern style. i also have loads of peel-offs that fit the theme. My crafty facebook friends all keep sending parcels of crafty stash, for which I am extremely grateful! Sylvia's had included several oriental ones, in different colours. But how to put it all together?! I scoured google images for inspiration, and saw things I liked, but beyond me to create.

Then when tidying around our kitchen I came across these cards, one of which I cut up to use. Once that decision was made, the card kind of made itself. Phew!

Fingers crossed now that it will be approved of and liked.

While I am at it I've decided also to enter it in the Ditzy-Craftymess Challenge . I find Anything Goes such an overwhelming theme, I think the history of this card suits it.

 
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So here's this morning's make, entirely inspired by the Fab'n Funky Challenge . This is so far from my usual style, and really challenged my creativity, but I am happy with it.

It has a few firsts, my first bit of distressing for starters. I tried earlier on, but made a bit of a bosh of it. Today it seemed to work. I would love to get some feedback from people who know about distressing, whether this is done ok. I have purposefully kept from posting a close-up for know, as really it is the overall impression that matters.

It is a small thing, maybe, but it is also the first time I have curled the paper. I was quite amazed how much difference that made. Those butterflies really came to life, and I regretted having left those two at the top flat, just plain raised.

I used sticky ribbon for the body of the main butterfly, so I am entering the Do You Stack Up Challenge  again. That too is a first: the first challenge I have entered more than once.

Entering the Sweet Stamps Challenge  is another. Stamping in itself still scares me so much. I only tried it once with a sentiment, and that's a while ago now. I think this sweet stamps blog and their challenge may well give me that extra push. Watch this space... 

In any case the challenge is shaped cards, so this should be perfect. Would the distressing be considered a form of stamping? 

Apart from the stamping itself, I also have an enormous threshold for using the promarkers. I feel I need my hand held and taken step-by-step through it. If anybody feels they wish to do that, and have the patience (!), please let me know.

Another new one to me is the Try it on Tuesday Challenge . I am always interested to make cards that are textured, touchy feely, as my son and my father and other males in the family have a visual disability, of which I am a carrier. I had our boy, who is now five, feel his way across this card tonight. He went from the ribbon in the middle, with the smoothness of the gold, and the roughness of the fabric to the gems and the butterflies themselves with his little fingers. He was asking particularly about the gems, I guess they are the most obvious protrusion. On the other hand the intricacies of the black butterfly sticky ribbon, eventhough that is relatively flat, seemed to fascinate him as well.

That's it, I'm off to make some more, now, hopefully. Please do leave me your comments, ideas, feedback.

 
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Yesterday I had another look around the challenges I now know of, and found a fair few had new themes. So I got all my crafty stuff set out and went through it thinking of all these different subject and selecting goodies to use. I got a bit overwhelmed eventually.

One immediately spoke to my imagination, which was the glitter geeks  with Myths and Legends. I have some foam fairies I have been wondering what to use for, and I thought they would do just the job. Then, going through my stash, I found angels, pyramid and decoupage fairies, cupids, and so on. So what did I end up making? An Easter bunny card... Well, it is a myth, it should fit, and it was great fun to make.

I also had in mind Jackie's potential to sell it. You know by now I am sending her cards to raise funds to improve the lives of Charmaine and Maddy who live with cystic fibrosis. I am aiming for ten cards and will then send them as a packet. So I thought an Easter card would be well in time. I also happened to have the right sentiment to go with it, saying 'Some Bunny Loves You', so that closed the deal.

Then this morning I was looking at more challenges, and lo and behold, the card I made yesterday happens to be just right for three more:

- Creative Card Crew  with Fantasy which is highly similar;

- Colour Create Challenge (http://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/) with pink and green, exactly the colours I happened to use, as if it was meant to happen.

- and Do You Stack Up  with Ribbons, and again I used two pieces of ribbon, carefully chosen with the white dots to match one of the background papers.

So I would like to enter all those this time. I did want to add another picture, because the reflection of the light on the shiny paper was different on it, so you got to see a bit more of the card, but the blog has voted against it for some reason.

Now I will  get on with designing the others I was inspired to make last night. Hopefully I will have more to show you by the end of today.

 
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Another card to raise money to improve the life of this girl who lives with cystic fibrosis, made to be entered into the Crafting for all Seasons (http://www.craftingforallseasons.blogspot.com/) blue and white challenge. Made with peel offs with the darker blue saying 'Thinking of You' as I thought that applies for so many things and might appeal to people to buy it easily when Jackie Newport (Craftyspecials) comes to sell it for her fund.

It was a surprise to me that the butterflies were sticky on both sides, took a bit of working out. Thankfully I had white sparkles from my New Year's HunkyDory stash, which I thought was very effective in adding that litle extra. It is much more obvious in real life than in the picture, as I am sure you can imagine.

 
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When I first saw the Sarah Hurley Challenge  , I really thought that was out of my league. But when I started on my batch that I want to make for Jackie Newport from Craftyspecials to sell to raise money to improve the life of a little girl who has cystic fibrosis I came across a bit of paper in my stash that reminded me of the Lists and Me challenge. In fact I think it is one of the papers Jackie herself sent me, but I am unsure about that.

It has five princesses on, called the little angels. I was always one of those little girls who wanted to be a princess and I have always hung on to that angelic innocent bit inside me, even though it has been joined by a whole load of other stuff as I grow older. The first one is a ballerina. I did ballet for a little while when I was little. I dreamt of elegance, but was much more taken with the outfit in the end, than with the discipline and the strict teacher who tried to implement it. Add a few ankle sprains and I'd had enough.

Next is cupcake princess. Baking is one of the things I miss very much. I love it, but being bedridden for the last few years has meant I have had little chance to. Whenever I do see a chance, I grab it, preferably as an activity with our little boy. He is only five and already tells of his memories of us baking together. It definitely applies!

Angel is in the middle - need I say more?

Then there is pink princess. She's a bit far out for this card, if I am honest. So I will let her be symbol for my whimsical girly side.

And Cutie is at the end of the row. Well, everybody always says how much our boy is like me, and everybody that meets him immediately remarks what a cutie he is! It makes me smile, as I do recognise myself in this little princess to, and am happy to admit it!

With the embellishments I was careful to follow the theme as well. There's a bow, as I love wrapping presents, always have done. Mum used to keep them for me to do. Love hearts, as love is another word people have used to describe me which I find an enormous compliment. Stars - you have to admit I'm a star, come on! Last but by no means least flowers. Our Friends have been working so hard to change our jungle back into a garden, so that when I can manage to get outside a bit there will be nice flowers and plants to look at: food for my soul.

I think I did well, I hope Sarah and her team do too.

 
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After feeling pretty rotten all day, I managed to get into gear to make another card tonight. For some reason it is always at night time the urge gets me. So I set about making a card I had planned for a while, congratulating a friend who is setting up a brand new cupcake and birthday cake baking business.

For the design I used the sketch from the pink gem challenge (http://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com/). I did find this a real challenge. In theory it should be so easy, the thinking is all done in advance, all you have to do is follow the scheme. I find it easier though just to go with and almost let a card design itself. Then if I bosh up somewhere, I can hide it with some embellishment, or something. Now it had to be right.

I think I did well all in all. I'm certainly very happy to send this to my friend. The trouble is I have made it just a tiny bit too big to fit in an envelope, so it is going to have to go into one that is far too big, unless I make one to go with it. Ah, well. 

Oh, and it was also my very first ever go with the promarkers. I admit it was a minor attempt, but at least I'm past that threshold now!

 
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A quick little one I made last night, specifically for putting in challenges. The card will then go to be sold for a cystic fibrosis fund.

I am not sure if two entries are allowed by the Crafter's Companions (http://ccmonthlychallenge.blogspot.com/) but if they are, then I would like this to be my second. It definitely still fits the Love is in the air theme.

Ever since I heard about the black and red theme over at Cards Galore (http://cards--galore.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-chalenge.html) I fancied giving it a go, and I have finally gotten around to it. Our little boy is visually impaired, and due to his condition to him red and black or much the same colour. Therefore I wanted this card to have a touchy-feely element with the jewels, the felt letters and the hearts.

Aud sentiments (http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/challenge-46-and-winner-of-45.html) I have only just heard of, and it was their suggestion of a card that must have the word love in it that gave this card shape.

Another new challenge to me is the Creative Card Crew (http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/),  and they happen to ask for red as your base colour at the moment.
So is Anything goes (http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/) with 'To the one I love'.

So those are the five I would like to enter with this card. Fingers crossed. Comments welcome!

 
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It is quite a few weeks ago now we received an invitation by a lovely young couple to their wedding. It came out of the blue, and we are so happy for them and chuffed to be invited. So I have been wanting to make a special card for them to congratulate them and to let them know we will most certainly be coming to celebrate them!

Because I've been in hospital, it has taken this long to get around to making it, so it needs to be sent off quickly, before they start to think we've forgotten all about them.

It just so happens Crafter's Companions (http://ccmonthlychallenge.blogspot.com/) have a challenge running called 'Love is in the Air'. When I came across it I immediately thought of entering this card. There's loads of people entering this challenge so I guess my chances are slim...

By the way: Proficiat means Congratulations, but you had probably gathered that.

 
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Yesterday I finally got around to making the wobbler card for our card swap. I say our, because I am involved in organising, from a facebook group called 'We like Card Swaps'. Come and have a look and join us if you like. There is no pressure or commitment, you join in when you want to. We have a monthly swap for adults, where we alternate styles and themes, and one for children with themes only. We are also very proud of the fact that we are an international group!

Then I thought, I wonder if I could meet the Crafty Bloggers Network (http://craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.com/) requirements for their challenge this month. Their theme is monochromatic, and I think I managed to stick to how they discribe what they meant by that. So this will be my first ever entry into a blog challenge! Fingers crossed.

As I was looking around I saw another challenge, which I thought I could aim for with the same card. The glitter geeks (http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/) want to see cards with more than one image on. I think I fulfilled that too. They also had very few entries last month, so I felt it was important to make the effort and support what they are doing.

Hopefully this will be the start of a long run of different challenges to enter. We'll see if this is any good first... Please do leave me a comment, and let me know what you think.

Thanks

Anneke