An explosion of boxes

Good morning friends on this Saturday morning
Hi hope you are all enjoying a lovely start to the weekend, or being well into the weekend, or even just thinking of the weekend, depending on where you are in the world.
I also want to extend a warm welcome to the new followers and friends that I have made. So good to see you and hope you will be back often, and please let me know what you think of my creations, I always love to read what you say.
Well as the title of my post indicates, I have made a couple of exploding boxes...I did a workshop on these recently and I also got a pattern for one from Annettes Creafarm. There is a monthly challenge, where you request the pattern of the month, and then enter your creation.
This is my box, made from the pattern I received

I used cream and brown cardstock. On the lid I used a selection of Marianne Design dies for the flowers, leaves and also for the trim around the lid of the box. On the inside Nellie Snellen dies were used for the doilies. Some ribbon and pearls to finish off the small cake boxes

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For the next box I used a similar pattern, but this time I did something different on the inside. I cut small butterflies attached them to a strip of acetate and positioned these on the inside to resemble butterflies in flight.

Again I used a selection of Marianne Design dies, for the butterflies, the heart and tags. The flowers, some of the small butteflies and the cutout on the top of the lid were all Nellie Snellen dies.

Around the edge of the lid I used an X-cut edge punch to create a lovely edge. Finished off again with pearls, ribbon and some bling.

I really enjoyed making these and had great fun. Hope you will let me know what you think about them. I am going to see if I can enter any challenges with these.

Wishing you all a most enjoyable weekend...and tomorrow the start of a new month.. Watch out that you don't  get caught out with anything tomorrow.

Have fun and see you soon. Take care.

Last week of Mahvelous March

Good morning friends,
Yes we are into the last week of March and so the last challenge for this month at The Outlawz colour challenge...Mahvelous March. This week our colours were chosen by my teamie Teresa, and they are such a lovely set to work with...the added twist is to add a gingham pattern.

Our sponsor this month has been Guylous Inimitability and if you enter  his week you still have a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from her store, there are also some other lovely prizes...

Here is my card made with these colours

The papers are Bazzill, DP is from Scrapsheets...icing sugar, check.

The image is "Leah is gardening", coloured with Aquarelle pencils, used flower soft for the tree and shrub, punched out a few small flowers with a bling centre. Cut out with a Nellie Snellen MFD.

The ribbon from my stash, was a perfect colour match.

The sentiment is from Just Rite Stamps, puched out with a tag, added a flower, brad and charm.

It came together so nicely....BUT I didn't follow the instructions and had to redo it, as I used a pretty floral DP the first time round...not a gingham as required......At least all the detail was already worked out, so no big effort to redo.

Hope you will go and have a look at the cards made by my teamies. They really are awesome and then you can be inspired to join us this week. We would love to see your creations.

I am entering this in a few challenges

Totally Gorjuss...spots and stripes. ...spots on her boots and hope the stripes in the gingham count

The Crazy challenge...add a sentiment

One Stitch at a Time...anything goes

That's all from me today...see you soon and take care

Trees, birds, butterflies..........

Good morning friends,
It is a beautiful Sunday morning here, and I hope you are having a fantastic day wherever in the world you are. Our weather is just gorgeous at the moment. Lovely crisp mornings, and then the days go up to about 25degC. Wish one could just stop the weather clock for a while...but winter is lurking out there, so we are enjoying these early autumn days.
My card today is a stairway card that I made in a workshop a couple of weeks ago. Love doing these as it gives me a different way of looking at... and using what I already have....thanks Jenny for your lovely ideas.

Plain cardstock was used and most of the diecuts...tree, birhouses, birds, fence are from Marianne Designs. The butterflies are Nellie Snellen, flowers a small hand punch and the flourish on the front is a Memory box die.

The sentiment on the front was given to me, so do not know whose it is, the inside is from a local supplier and was stamped onto an X-cut.diecut.

It is a very easy card to put together as long as the correct cuts are made for the staircase.

I am looking to enter this into a few challenges:

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards...fancy folds

Stamping for the Weekend...anything goes

Cute Card Thursday...anything goes

Paper Play challenges Spring colours

Craft your Passion challenge...Just sentiments

Get Hippity with Ippity..Things with wings

Hope you like it and will leave a comment which I would love to read.

Take care and see you soon

It is spring somewhere.....

Happy Friday fellow bloggers....
Yes I am sure many are experiencing signs of spring, but here in the Southern Hemisphere, definitely Autumn...certainly lovely weather here in South Africa.
Lots of challenges are calling for spring themed cards, so I decided to use the lovely image by Anne from The Outlawz freebie challenge in my card.  If you haven't visited The Outlawz you will love this challenge. You receive to digi images, make a card with at least one in the alloted 2 weeks and then you will receive your next set of images. Anne and Sandi are amazing artists and you will love their images

For my card I used a template for a "Card with Flower closure" that I received as a free gift  from  Cards etc Shop for joining their facebook page.

The paper I used came from a pad of My Mind's Eye...Lost and found.

The digi was coloured with aquarelle pencils. and on the inside I coloured a second digi and just cut out the flowers to place on the diecut.  On the inside I used Nestabilites and Nellie Snellen dies and the sentiments were from Whiff of Joy and a local supplier. The corners on the front were a Cuttlebug die and I used ribbon and pearls from my stash.

I will enter this in a few challenges

Hooked on crafts...more than one fold

My Craft Spot..Spring scallops

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, enjoy the good weather if you are having some and take care. See you back here soon.

Water, Water everywhere.....

Happy Wednesday everyone.
A very happy day here in South Africa as we are having a holiday today...Human Rights Day. Today is also International World Water day so our challenge at DS4J this week is a Theme/Colour challenge....Blue/Water. 
My card this week is a tent card

The papers I used were from my scraps box, so no name there. The image I printed twice, coloured with H20's, for a bit of a sparkly effect. One I attached to the inside of the card and the other I hung with a small ring attached to a piece of twine across the top. It does seem to be swimming in the opening. I used the Marianne dies to create some underwater life...sea urchins, coral....and a piece of netting attached. A small seahorse charm and a tag attached with a paper clip to finish it off.

 I quite liked the final look of this card. We would love for you to join us in this challenge. You do not have to use a DS4J image, but you get an extra chance to win if you do, so please have a look at the lovely images and the cards made by the other members of the DT. Hope to see you there.

I will see if I can enter it into a challenge or two.
Love to Create Challenge...Anything goes.

Take care, I am off to enjoy the day with my family.

If it's Tuesday, it must be Outlawz

Good afternoon friends, Yes Tuesday already and officially tomorrow starts the beginning of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. I must I love this time of year, but our palette for the colour challenge at The Outlawz today is definitely not Autumnal. The colours were chose by my teamie Roxanne

This is my card for the challenge:

Cardstock ...Bazzill, DP was a piece from Wilson & Macglaglan, a local range, I cut the doilies with a Marianne design die. and also the hearts. The sentiment is from a Just Rite stampers range. Finished off with a some lace, ribbon and pearls. I invite you to have a look at the lovely cards made by the other members of the DT and join us in showing your creation. Lovely prizes can be won and our main sponsor for the month is Guylou's Inimitability where you can win a $20 gift certificate. Hope to see you soon, take care.

Tuesday's Outlawz Colour Challenge

Good Morning all,
Tuesday has come round again and it's time for another colour challenge over at  The Outlawz This week the colour palette was chosen by Guylou, with the twist of including a Fuzzy Friend on your project.

Here is my card for this challenge.

The blue cardstock I ran through the cuttlebug, for some texture. I cut a strip of paper with a cuttlebug die and a black and white rectangle with a Nestability.
The image is a Penny Black, coloured with distress inks, cut out and mounted with silicone.
Stamped the sentiment and cut with an X-cut label, mounted with brads. The "wheel" in the corner is a button, with a silver centre card button cut with a Marianne Die. It does give the effect of a wheel.

The sponsor this month is  Guylou's Inimitability and the prize is a $20 gift certificate from her store. It is well worth giving it a go and entering this challenge.  Have a look at the lovely cards made by my DTeamies, and that will surely give you plenty of inspiration.
I am also entering this in the following challenges:
 Cute Card Thursday...I used this sketch
 Polkadoodles...Let's hear it for the boys
Totally Papercrafts.....Favourite things....My cuttlebug and the colour blue.
Penny Black Saturday challengeThe young ones..for a child
My Craft Spot..Manly Man cards

I hope you will let me know what your think about it, I love to hear your comments. Enjoy the rest of the week, take care and see you soon.

Just a flower

Good afternoon friends,
Hope you are having a good weekend and enjoying whatever you are doing. We are having lovely late summer weather, still warm, even quite hot and a little cloud...maybe a rain shower later...just such nice weather right now.
Today my card is made for CDAC progressive challenge. The image is from Glitterbabe..just a flower.

I printed 2 sizes of the flower and coloured with distress ink pads and added a bit of glitter to the centres. It doesn't show up too well here on the photos. I cut then out and mounted them next to the  sentiment which was stamped and cut out with a Nestability die. I matted it onto yellow and cut the same shape.
Mounted it all onto DP from Marianne designs...Songbook. I punched one of the corners with a daisy corner punch and added a bling to the centre.
Happy Birthday was stamped and cut out with an X-cut label die.

I used the sketch from   Wednesday sketch challenge at The Outlawz..so I will enter it there just for fun.
I was quite happy with the end result, and will enter it in the following challenges:
All sorts challenge..say it with flowers
A Muse Studio challenge..Bloom where you are planted
One stitch at a time challenge... use a digi
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and take care...see you back soon

A new dress for Ms Spring

Good morning friends,
I hope you are all having a good week,  and as it is Wednesday today  it is time for a new challenge at  DS4J, and the theme...A new dress for Ms Spring, using the colour GREEN.

This is my creation for this week's challenge

I decided to make a step card, using paper that I bought while on holiday. It is from Studio Light in the Netherlands.
Image is Cindy from DS4J, coloured with Distress inpads and cut out with a Nellie Snellen MFD
The sentiment was also stamped and cut with the smaller die from the set.
The leaves, flourish and heart are cut using Marianne Design dies and I finished it all off with a bow, some roses and beads.
Considering I don't often  use a lot of green, I rather enjoyed making this card and it came together very easily.

I urge you to have a look at the cards made by my fellow teamies. They are awesome, then have a go yourself. You do not need to have a DS4J digi, but if you use one you get more chances in the draw.

I am entering this in a few challenges

Papertake Weekly...anything goes
Craft your Passion challenge ...anything goes
Crafting for all Seasons ...green and yellow
Aud Sentiments..Happy Birthday
Hope you have a wonderful week, and that if you are in the areas experiencing, floods, storms etc, you are all safe. Take care and see you all soon.

Join the Outlawz......

Good morning friends,
I started by askin if you have joined the Outalawz...if not, why not.   There are different challenge groups so I am sure there must be at least one to grab your attention. My card today is my DT contribution for the Tuesday colour challenge, and this is the pallette that was chosen by Sara and the "twist for March" is ....add a rosette. You might want to have a look at what my fellow teamies have created for inspiration. The sponsor this month is Guylou"s Inimitabilty and she has some awesome digital images...by participating you stand a chance to win $20 voucher from her store, and there are other wonderful sponsors as well.

This is what I came up with .... not colours that I normally work with...so another challenge.

The DP was a sheet from a local store, but has no name on it. It is double sided and ws very good value...and bonus had the colours that I needed.  The plain colours are all Bazzil, that I cut with a small Nestability. I stamped some and decorated some with brads and buttons.

The rosette was made with the DP, a ribbon attached and the sentiment stamped on a punched out flower.

That's my story for today. Hope to see you back soon...take care

Roses and .......

Happy Sunday friends,
Hope you are all enjoying a relaxing day, and I am thinking specially of the crafting friends in the storm belt hitting the USA. Hope you are all safe and not had too much damage.
Today's card was made with a freebie by Anne  from the  Outlawz Creative Challenge team. She and Sandi give us amazing digi images, which we need to use before getting more free ones. If you haven't joined this group, head on over and you won't be sorry.

I coloured my image with Aquarelle pencils, cut it out with a Nestability die, mounted it onto green spotted  DP...Tulip selection by Andrea Jayne. Tore a strip of the same paper for the side, and matted all onto a striped paper from the same paper pad. I just love all the papers in this pad, and will be using them in the next few weeks.
The sentiment is from Whiff of Joy also cut with a small Nestability die and the edges inked with distress ink.
Finished off with pearls.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

 Tuesday Throwdown...Paper Tearing
 Sassy Cheryl...spots
 Cute Card Thursday...Signs of spring
Polkadoodles....spots or stripes
Shelley's Images ....seeing spots

Have a fabulous week everyone and take care. See you soon.