Anneke's Attempts - The AA of crafting...

It is rare for me to try my hand at 'clean and simple'. I find it very difficult, as there is so little to hide any mistakes behind. Usually a card kind of shapes itself by forcing me to cover something or other up. Well, this one kind of led itself to this result. I seem to be getting a bit better at working neatly and thinking things through before acting. Also I am starting to find it easier to comfortably say the job is done, it's ready.

All this is a very good thing, since clean and simple is exactly the challenge set by One Stop Craft this week, which I would like to enter this into.

I also wish to mention my friend Miet, as this card was made for her and her family as her grandmother passed away. I hope the sadness of their loss will be overshadowed by the joy of their memories as time progresses.

You wouldn't believe how much thought went into this card before I ever started making it. The theme Emma set for us in her challenge was stripes. I didn't want to do anything obvious, or just happen to use stripey background paper, so in the end I thought something a little more abstract and playful was in order. This is what I came up with, with a sentiment that original said: "Seeing you makes it easy to smile" where I changed the second e into an a. 

I would also like to enter the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge, the animal part of it, obviously. I don't think I am advanced enough yet to have any meaningful tips yet, but at least I can enter a card. 

Order of the Opus Gluei who throw challenges for fun, also happen to have an animal theme going. So here's to them too.

And the great outdoors theme for Cards for Men this card should be good for as well. I have always considered browns, greys and darker blues to be masculin colours, and the stripes themselves as well, I guess they make me think of ties...

Phew! Ever since I heard the theme was floral I wanted to take part in the Crafty Blogger's Network Challenge. I had already missed a  challenge for which I had made a card when our internet connection went off for nearly three weeks, and now that is fixed, the lead to my mini-laptop is broken. This means I am very limited in coming online again, as I normally do this lying down in bed, and now I have to come downstairs and sit at my husband's computer, which is very difficult for me.

Anyway, this serves as a birthday card for my stepmother-in-law, who is called Malle. It is unusual for me to go this floral, another little step out of my comfort zone. I must say that zone is gradually growing, bit by bit.

So, just before the deadline, I would very much like to enter this card in the challenge.

When I do decide to make the effort to come downstairs, I have to make it worth my while. So I found another  challenge I think this card would suit.

Scrap Creations have one on the theme of flowers, so I am entering that one as well.

Of course there's always anything goes as well. Use your stuff is one of those at the moment. This card fits their spirit as well. I was sent these flowers in one of the many crafty packets my facebook friends send me. I wanted to do them justice, but as I said before, it's been outside of that comfort zone for me. I was always worried I would end up making something very old fashioned and naff. The same goes for the blue floral paper, which was part of my hunky dory packet. By weaving it with the pink paper, and colour coordinating the flowers, I actually very much like the result.

Make it Monday are experts on the anything goes theme, so this one os for them as well.

Happy crafting!

It's been a while since I blogged here. That's largely due to the telecom company who saw fit to cut us off from the internet for what seemed like ages. It is amazing how much we had come to rely on the internet, and how much we missed it!

Today is a very special day, as my cousin a few times removed (no idea how you're supposed to count that out) is getting married. We would have been at the wedding at the moment, if it weren't for our little boy getting an ear infection. He's coping well but very tired, and in no way up to celebrating, or being babysat.

So in her and her husband's honour I am posting the card I made for them, and entering it in a few challenges.

While I am at it I would like to thank Feline Playful for all the work they put in, making it so easy for me and many others to find these challenges.

At Bunny Zoe's Crafts the theme is: 'Celebrations'. It couldn't work out better, could it?

This shaped card from hunkydory fits nicely into this month's Hooked on Craft challenge of 'More than one fold', while it was absolutely perfect for the purpose of a wedding card as well.

And then there's That Craft Place with  'Anything goes' while they relaunch early. 

So those are the three I am entering, to try and get back into the swing of things. I must say it did feel strange, and I had to push myself a bit to restart.
Hopefully I'll be lucky.