tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18676202209370891972024-03-13T20:32:17.117+00:00Apples & Pears CardsCarole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-65583447368472069922012-11-07T08:00:00.000+00:002012-11-07T20:34:54.733+00:00To You From Me<a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Melody-colouring.-428x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3054" height="320" src="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Melody-colouring.-428x500.jpg" width="272" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and having a good week. My week is going well so far, I've been colouring and crafting and managed to get a DT post done and published only a couple of hours late! ha haa. </span><br />
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So this is a Colouring Inspiration post for Make It Crafty, using the gorgeous Melody. She is available as a digi image and comes with the cushion as a separate image, so you can either use her alone, merge her with the cushion, or merge her with another background instead.
I decided to take up Zoe's challenge of non-related colouring mixing; that is, blending colours from different families. So often when we colour, we'll use shades from the same colour family to add our shading and highlights, but it's fun and interesting to mix it up a bit and shade with something from a different colour group.<br />
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<a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/dt-inspiration/non-related-colour-mixing/attachment/melody-card" rel="attachment wp-att-3053"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3053" src="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Melody-card.-500x464.jpg" /></a>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In this image, I've used copic markers to colour the dress in non-related colours. The background of the fabric is coloured with a turquoise marker (from the <span style="color: #45818e;"><strong>Blue-Green</strong></span> family) and shaded with a marker from the <span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>Blue</strong></span> family. And I used a marker from the <span style="background-color: yellow;">Yellow</span> family for the flowers and an orange (<span style="color: orange;"><strong>Yellow-Red</strong></span> family) to add shading. The cushion also has some non-related colour mixing, this time some pale orange (<span style="color: orange;"><strong>Yellow-Red</strong></span> family) and some browns (from the <span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Earth colours</strong></span> family). I think the end result looks a little more vibrant than my usual way of choosing colours to blend, so I'll be using this technique again. </span><br />
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These are the shades I used on this card:<br />
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3055" height="237" src="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Melody-card-colours-used-500x237.jpg" width="500" />
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Dress: BG13 + B05 + B34; Y17 + YR04 + YR07</div>
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Skin: E000, E00, E21, E11, E13; R20, R22</div>
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Hair & Boots: N2, N4, N6, N8, N10</div>
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Cushion: YR000, YR20, E31, E35</div>
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My good news is that I'm able to sit up at the table to colour again.....no more half-lying on the sofa working at odd angles and losing my markers down the sides of the cushions. And I celebrated my return to uprightness by promptly dropping a bright orange marker on my half-finished colouring (doh!!!!). I cleaned it up best I could, but I wasn't going to bin it just because of that, so if you do happen to see my little orange boo-boo on the card, pretend you didn't notice it (wink).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVeWhO_mBtc/UJmkKLuXtzI/AAAAAAAACK0/_wahUampx20/s1600/Melody+card2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QVeWhO_mBtc/UJmkKLuXtzI/AAAAAAAACK0/_wahUampx20/s320/Melody+card2..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Card Recipe</em></div>
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<em>Scalloped 15x15cm card blank</em></div>
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<em>Image: Melody Digi stamp, from Make It Crafty</em></div>
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<em>Colouring: Copic markers</em></div>
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<em>DP: Pocket Full of Posies by DCVW</em></div>
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<em>Stitched paper is some very old stash from Lakeland</em></div>
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<em>All mats are black cardstock</em></div>
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<em>Ribbon: Crafts U Love</em></div>
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<em>Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Circles and Standard Circles Large; Marianne Creatables 'Forest Branch'</em></div>
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<em>Sentiment is gift from a friend</em></div>
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<em>Heart from stash</em></div>
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<strong>I'd like to enter this in these challenges:</strong><br />
<a href="http://atcswithattitude.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">ATCs With Attitude</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://cardcrafterscircle.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Card Crafters Circle</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Patterned Paper</span><br />
<a href="http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Kaboodle Doodles</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Moving Along With The Times</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Stitching</span><br />
<a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Papertake Weekly</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Pink Elephant</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Favourite Colouring Medium</span><br />
<a href="http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Stampin For The Weekend</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://stamp-n-doodle.blogspot.ca/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Stamp N Doodle</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Use A Digi</span><br />
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Thanks so much for dropping by today and looking at my card - I hope you like it. Enjoy your week!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-1108745406803164102012-10-27T08:00:00.000+01:002012-10-29T21:36:31.480+00:00Sweet You<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7raT3cZ14tQ/UIqjKUVOL-I/AAAAAAAACKE/O3Soa3pJvhw/s1600/Something+To+Eat+card+colouring+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7raT3cZ14tQ/UIqjKUVOL-I/AAAAAAAACKE/O3Soa3pJvhw/s200/Something+To+Eat+card+colouring+resized.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hello everybody, hope everything is good with your world. Well, I'm ever so slightly sad because it's my last week as Guest Designer with <a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sweet Stampin'</span></a> (sniff) but only slightly sad because I've really enjoyed being a Sweetie for the month of October and I was glad of the incentive to get crafting again. And at least now I can enter their challenges again, he hee. Have you seen their prizes? Definitely worth winning. <br />
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The theme for this week's challenge is <span style="color: #45818e;"><strong>What's Cooking/Something to Eat</strong></span>. So I've made a card using this sweet little girl holding a bowl of fruit. How do you like them apples? <br />
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I already had this cutie coloured up, she's done entirely in pencils, not a copic marker in sight this time. A friend sent me this image and I have no idea what she's called or where she's from, so if anyone has an idea, please let me know so that I can credit and link to the artist. *<em>(Edit: the lovely <a href="http://quixoticpaperie.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Elaine</span></a> has again come to my rescue and told me that this is an image from The Greeting Farm, and she is called Twinkle Tots Lottie....thanks Elaine!)</em><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bB93WKN3Qlg/UIqj5EJgXZI/AAAAAAAACKc/9z0UDPiPQg4/s1600/Something+To+Eat+card..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bB93WKN3Qlg/UIqj5EJgXZI/AAAAAAAACKc/9z0UDPiPQg4/s400/Something+To+Eat+card..jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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I did my usual thing with the papers, and inked and handstitched them. Then, flushed with excitement at finally working out how to make these intricate Floral Oval dies cut properly in my cuttlebug, I went ahead and used them twice in one card! The smaller one is popped up onto some 3d foam pads for a little dimension, and the stamped image is popped up on another layer of pads. A strip of flower trim bisects the layout (there's a really nice sheen on these flowers which the camera hasn't caught), and a gauzy bow in apple green sits by a sentiment that I printed onto SafMat and affixed in the corner of one of the papers. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the sentiment and bow</td></tr>
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<u>C</u><u>ard Recipe</u></div>
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<em>Image: </em>Twinkle Tots Lottie, from The Greeting Farm </div>
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<em>Colouring: pencils</em></div>
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<em>Designer Papers: Memory Box 'Brioche' and Melissa Francis '5th Avenue'</em></div>
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<em>Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Floral Ovals</em><br />
<em>Ribbons from stash</em></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWh26ObXG2I/UIqjZGfpSyI/AAAAAAAACKU/YOt2DmGo2kM/s1600/Something+To+Eat+card2.+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWh26ObXG2I/UIqjZGfpSyI/AAAAAAAACKU/YOt2DmGo2kM/s400/Something+To+Eat+card2.+resized.jpg" width="381" /></a></div>
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<strong>I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:</strong><br />
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<a href="http://brownsugarchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Brown Sugar Challenges</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Delightful Sketches</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Stitching</span><br />
<a href="http://emeraldfaeries.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Emerald Faeries</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://fashionistachallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/fashionista-challenge-8-anything-goes.html"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Fashionista Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Papercrafting Journey</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> - Ribbon or Twine</span><br />
<a href="http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Poodles Parlour</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Stampin For The Weekend</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Stamptacular Sunday</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - No Rules</span><br />
<a href="http://thesquirrelandthefox.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The Squirrel & The Fox</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> - Use a Ribbon</span><br />
<a href="http://www.craftdoormagazine.com/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Through The Craft Room Door</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
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Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today, and I do hope you like my card. Happy crafting!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-77879939404434391542012-10-20T08:00:00.000+01:002012-10-20T08:00:02.166+01:00Halloween at Sweet StampinHi everyone, I'm here with my third Guest Designer project this month for <a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Sweet Stampin</span></a>, and the theme this week is <strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Halloween</span></strong> - wooo hoooooooo!!<br />
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This is actually a page layout that I did last year using images from Make It Crafty, I was trying my hand at colouring a dramatic sky. All the colouring - the house, sky, headless horseman and pumpkin in the corner - is done with Copic markers, and the bats were hand-cut from black paper. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl2uVte16ok/TnQJ_KJG6QI/AAAAAAAAB8g/TNknPBcvqTs/s1600/Black+and+orange..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl2uVte16ok/TnQJ_KJG6QI/AAAAAAAAB8g/TNknPBcvqTs/s400/Black+and+orange..jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'll be back next week with a new project, until then have a great weekend, and Happy Crafting! <br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-72032174640667442412012-10-13T08:00:00.000+01:002012-10-15T12:46:25.443+01:00Autumn Tilda<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4kSPyG-pO8/UHgoXZbYE1I/AAAAAAAACIQ/u134aaXy73o/s1600/SDC154190+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4kSPyG-pO8/UHgoXZbYE1I/AAAAAAAACIQ/u134aaXy73o/s200/SDC154190+resized.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hello everyone, aren't you just loving the sunny autumn days we are having right now? This weather was kind of the inspiration for my card today, which is my second Guest Designer card for October for <a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Sweet Stampin</span></a>. The theme is <span style="color: #b45f06;"><strong>Autumn Leaves/Trees</strong></span>, and I decided to go with an early-autumn feel where the leaves are just starting to turn golden. <br />
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My diecut leaves are green, golden and brown, much like they are in the gardens right now. I had to google sunflowers to check that they are actually in season at this time of year (they are!) because I really wanted to use this Tilda image....it's my favourite one to paper-piece (which very craftily gets me out of some colouring). I actually paper-pieced her clothes and shoes in 4 parts, and lifted the ends of the layers in her dress for some extra dimension. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dsj74XgJZ70/UHgo9fmEbKI/AAAAAAAACIk/Rmmsg3z2Rtk/s1600/SDC15490+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dsj74XgJZ70/UHgo9fmEbKI/AAAAAAAACIk/Rmmsg3z2Rtk/s400/SDC15490+resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Layers of paper-piecing</em></td></tr>
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The scalloped frame is a diecut mat and I cut an aperture in the centre through which you can see the image. However, now that the card is all assembled it looks like I simply stuck the image on top of a mat...doh! I should have done that, it would have been a lot easier and quicker LOL.<br />
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The backing paper was aged with ink, distressed and handstitched. A die cut with a sentiment, some lace, rose ribbon, pearls, rose and a little glitter finish it off. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iR2yih494X0/UHgpF49XYCI/AAAAAAAACIs/UDHO2MQz4ME/s1600/SDC15420.+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iR2yih494X0/UHgpF49XYCI/AAAAAAAACIs/UDHO2MQz4ME/s320/SDC15420.+resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:</strong><br />
<a href="http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">2 Sisters</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: #783f04;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://craftymesschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Crafty Mess</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://www.craftysentiments.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Crafty Sentiments</span></a><span style="color: #783f04;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Cute Card Thursday</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Paper Piecing</span><br />
<a href="http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Deep Ocean Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #783f04;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Divas By Design</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://www.gingerloftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Gingerloft Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #783f04;"> - Stitching</span><br />
<a href="http://magnoliastamplovers.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Magnolia Stamp Lovers</span></a><span style="color: #134f5c;"> - 2 different shapes of diecuts <em>(my Doohickey Rose Leaves, and the Spellbinders Nestie used for the sentiment)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #783f04;">Oldie But A Goodie</span></a><span style="color: #783f04;"> - Inspired by a song <em>(mine is All I Have To Do Is <strong>Dream</strong> by The Everly Brothers</em>) <em>(items more than 6 months old are: image, sentiment stamp, lace, all inks, rose ribbon, rose on leaves, leaf die cuts, scalloped mat, glitter, papers & mats.....almost everything! LOL)</em></span><br />
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I hope you like my card today - thanks so much for stopping by. Have a good weekend, and happy crafting!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-42198548251536426062012-10-06T08:00:00.000+01:002012-10-13T18:12:00.087+01:00Guest Designer at Sweet Stampin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello everyone - it's a busy few weeks for me as I'm Guest Designer at <a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Sweet Stampin'</span></a> for October....yay! I found their blog a while a go and it quickly became one of my favourites, so when they asked if I'd like to play along for a month, well you can imagine I was pleased!<br />
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The theme this week is <strong><span style="color: #38761d;">Through The Window</span></strong>, and I thought that this would suit a scene I merged up some time ago but never got round to colouring. It's an indoor scene, obviously, but there's another scene which can be seen through the window. The inspiration for this card came from the wonderful <a href="http://bigislandlady.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Joanne</span></a>, who used this cute <a href="http://robynsfetish.com/shop/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=c9ab4bd9201d528f6de7e9b3ae67be78&keyword=now+i+lay+me+down+to+sleep"><span style="color: #38761d;">Robyn's Fetish</span></a> image months ago and I fell in love with it. Of course, I had to do it my way so I added a few background images from <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/"><span style="color: #274e13;">Ma</span><span style="color: #38761d;">ke It Crafty</span></a> to create this cute little scene for a boy's Christmas card: <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzMXErHfCPI/UG7lW0jRGQI/AAAAAAAACG8/_5WssPlEdf0/s1600/SDC15399..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yzMXErHfCPI/UG7lW0jRGQI/AAAAAAAACG8/_5WssPlEdf0/s400/SDC15399..jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The background stamps are the window, table and flowers (called <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/by-the-window-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">By The Window</span></a>); the snow-covered tree that you can see through the window (called <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/winter-objects-digi-stamps.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Large Pine Tree</span></a>, from the Winter Objects collection of images), and the picture frame on the wall (from a digi called <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/fireplace-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Fireplace</span></a>). Do you see the picture inside the frame? It's a watercolour scene I did some years ago, and I quite like the thought that it possibly includes the same tree that you can see through the little mouse's window, just painted from a different direction. This is a scan of the watercolour:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eRBldJmvR-g/UHBtE48ygwI/AAAAAAAACH0/pn7XuGyPY-U/s1600/Part+of+picture8...jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eRBldJmvR-g/UHBtE48ygwI/AAAAAAAACH0/pn7XuGyPY-U/s320/Part+of+picture8...jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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I added some dots of silver ink to the sky to make stars:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BjsW9z-6s2o/UG7leswKvKI/AAAAAAAACHE/TPJiUC6BQvs/s1600/SDC15410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BjsW9z-6s2o/UG7leswKvKI/AAAAAAAACHE/TPJiUC6BQvs/s320/SDC15410.JPG" width="246" /></a></div>
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The papers have been distressed around the edges with distress inks, and one of the papers has been handstitched. The sentiment is printed on the computer and also distressed and aged with a little ink. The ribbon, poinsettias, leaf and pearl are from my stash. <br />
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This is also a Colouring Inspiration project for Make It Crafty, and you can read more about the colouring <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/?p=2698"><strong><span style="color: #38761d;">HERE</span></strong></a> (from 7th Oct). It was quite a challenge to colour the reflection of the lamp on the wall - I had to study my own bedside lamp and take photos to try and work out the colouring! <br />
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On a personal note, I wanted to say a big thank you for the comments, emails and even cards that lovely bloggers have sent, they meant a lot. I am still feeling weak and don't have any answers from the docs yet, but am sort of getting into a new routine with it all and as you see have even taking up a bit of crafting again. As I always say: you can't keep a crafter down! lol.<br />
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<strong>I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:</strong></div>
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<a href="http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Anything Goes Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - Animals</span></div>
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<a href="http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Bunny Zoe's Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Distressing</span></div>
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<a href="http://cardsformen.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Cards For Men</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - Animal Magic</span></div>
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<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - My Sentiments Exactly</span><br />
<a href="http://craftymesschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Crafty Mess -</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> Anything Goes</span></div>
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<a href="http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Deep Ocean Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Use More Than 2 Colours</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.gingerloftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Gingerloft Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - Stitching</span></div>
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<a href="http://inkyimpressionschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Inky Impressions</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Let's Hear It For The Boys</span></div>
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<a href="http://thepapershelter.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Paper Shelter</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - Distressing</span></div>
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<a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Papertake Weekly</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Anything Goes</span></div>
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<a href="http://pixieduststudiopixiechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Pixie Dust Studio</span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> - Anything Goes</span></div>
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<a href="http://tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tuesday Throwdown</span></a><span style="color: #b45f06;"> - Cute & Cuddly</span></div>
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Thanks for visiting, enjoy the rest of your day, and of course Happy Crafting!</div>
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-89074264812384327132012-08-24T03:48:00.000+01:002012-08-24T03:48:28.599+01:00An update, and thanksHi friends, firstly thanks for all the lovely comments on my last card. I've been pretty ill again and ended up in hospital after being taken to A&E one night last week. They kept me in a couple of days (the first time I've ever been in hospital, but at least there were a couple of hunky doctors!), and when I came home I was very weak and unwell. I've started to feel a bit brighter now so I wanted to come on and say sorry for not having visited many blogs. After the latest card, I was slowly getting round some blogs, a few each day, but I've not really been up to it since I came home - apologies if yours was one I didn't make it as far as. It's all I can do right now to feed myself and do simple basic stuff in the home, and I have to spend a lot of time lying down which doesn't help. Somehow, I will have to master the art of colouring in a horizontal position, ha haa. <br />
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Anyway, I read the comments on my card while I was in my hospital bed - it was soooooooooooooooooooo nice to be able to see them and they really made me smile. Thanks so much! <br />
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I've got to have some more tests, but you know how long you have to wait for appointments these days, so not sure when I'll know more. In the meantime, I'm taking really good care of myself and although I still don't feel up to crafting, I've been playing the piano when I've felt OK to sit upright instead. Also, I'm hoping to slowly pop along to say Hi and see what you've been up to. <br />
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I haven't got any new cards to show, so this is one I did ages and ages ago, just so my blog post isn't just boring text, he hee.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0c6oNv8ak8/UDbk--CbC_I/AAAAAAAACGA/mR3rvF-U1aQ/s1600/Just+To+Say....+card2+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0c6oNv8ak8/UDbk--CbC_I/AAAAAAAACGA/mR3rvF-U1aQ/s320/Just+To+Say....+card2+resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-16094654814265058292012-08-14T20:00:00.003+01:002012-08-15T00:49:41.506+01:00Guest Designer at Deep Ocean Challenge<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j-qOs-9NnkQ/UChNoosmL_I/AAAAAAAACEo/v2u5Sjp8YhU/s1600/Deep+Blue+Card,+sparkles+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkWjbEp3UCI/UChTX3dX5_I/AAAAAAAACFc/A2Y4Nu5NeFI/s1600/Deep+Blue+Colouring.+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zkWjbEp3UCI/UChTX3dX5_I/AAAAAAAACFc/A2Y4Nu5NeFI/s200/Deep+Blue+Colouring.+resized.jpg" width="170" /></a>Hello blogging friends, it's been a long while since I made a blog post - I have some health problems and haven't been well enough to do any crafting or blogging, I'm afraid. My card today is the first thing I've made in ages! I must say it's been nice to have a tidy work table these last weeks, lol, but having said that it was great to do some crafting again. Can't promise I'll be back any time soon, because apart from some Guest Design commitments, I'm going to wait till the urge to craft returns. <br />
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Now, when the lovely Franz asked me if I'd like to have a guest design spot at <a href="http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #351c75;">Deep Ocean Challenge</span></a> this week, I really couldn't resist - they have such a talented team over there that it was an honour to get to play along with them. The theme for the new challenge is <span style="color: #073763;"><strong>Deep Blue</strong></span>, and I interpreted this as the Deep Blue Sea. So I merged a couple of Make It Crafty Under The Sea images and made an underwater scene. The colouring is done mainly with copics, with a little pencil colouring on top in places. <br />
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I used some nice blue green shades of textured card for the background and the mats, and I embossed the paler shade with some dots. The embossing folder is actually snowdrops, but I think they look like bubbles. Some lace trim on one side of the card, and some gem branches, a flower and a bow made from some blue-green gauzy fabric finish it off.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1V0HWxPD9xU/UChPPDKuHXI/AAAAAAAACFE/aYvNMQRigRU/s1600/Deep+Blue+Card,+detail+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1V0HWxPD9xU/UChPPDKuHXI/AAAAAAAACFE/aYvNMQRigRU/s320/Deep+Blue+Card,+detail+resized.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Images used: <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/mermaid-lola.html">Mermaid Lola</a>, <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/mermaid-castle-digi-stamp.html">Mermaid Castle</a>, and <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/sandy-sea-floor-digi-stamp.html">Sandy Sea Floor</a>, digi stamps from Make It Crafty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here you can see the sparkles I added to the mermaid's tail, which didn't show up in the other photos. I also added some bubbles with a white gel pen after I took the pictures: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<em><strong>I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:</strong></em><br />
<a href="http://aandtsketchchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #073763;">A&T Challenges</span></a><span style="color: #073763;"> - Anything Goes </span><br />
<a href="http://scrapbitzcopics.ning.com/group/cmccopicchallengegroup"><span style="color: #274e13;">Colour Me Creative (CMC)</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> - Create a Background </span><br />
<a href="http://craftascene.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #073763;">Craft A Scene</span></a><span style="color: #073763;"> - Anything in the Great Outdoors </span><br />
<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #274e13;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> - Use A Digi </span><br />
<a href="http://emeraldfaeries.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Emerald Faeries Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Bling </span><br />
<a href="http://lovetocreatechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #274e13;">Love To Create</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> - Sparkle </span><br />
<a href="http://www.southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Southern Girls</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Water Play</span><br />
<a href="http://thesquirrelandthefox.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #274e13;">The Squirrel & The Fox</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> - The Sea</span><br />
<a href="http://www.totallygorjuss.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Totally Gorjuss</span></a><span style="color: #0c343d;"> - Lacy Lacy</span><br />
<a href="http://cutedaisymay.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #274e13;">Whoopsie Daisy</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
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I'm looking forward to visiting blogs this week, I won't be able to comment on every card individually, but I do look at all the ones I've missed since I've been offline. I better keep myself supplied with cups of tea and settle in for a long session, he hee.<br />
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Have a good week all. <br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-19100903982761134572012-06-21T00:59:00.003+01:002012-06-21T04:22:57.052+01:00Step-by-Step colouring of Tilda's curly hair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msGBYS_kuuM/T-JhvDH7y6I/AAAAAAAACCE/1jGKK6ASYCs/s1600/x3..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msGBYS_kuuM/T-JhvDH7y6I/AAAAAAAACCE/1jGKK6ASYCs/s400/x3..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Hello lovely bloggers, I have a little colouring tute to share today, but first some nice news.....I am being featured today on a fabulous blog called <a href="http://craftcorners.com/best-of-the-web-no-25/"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Craft Corners</span></strong></a> in their <strong>'Best of the Web'</strong> section. The blog is about all sorts of handicrafts, not just papercrafting, and it has some great ideas that I wouldn't mind trying myself. Nice if you want a browse round a new site sometime, it's the kind of place I like mooching around in when I can't sleep. There are a few other bloggers featured in this edition, too: a quilter, a mixed-media artist and a stitcher. <br />
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I've been colouring again. My good friend, the lovely <a href="http://trulychrissyxx.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #990000;">Chrissy</span></a>, sent me a Tilda image and asked how I would colour her very curly hair. I had no idea how to and I put it on the back burner of my mind to think over......for about a year or two! Anyway, in the mood to play recently, I found the image she sent me and decided to sit down and see if I could do something with it at last. I promised her I'd take some step-by-step photos and here they are.<br />
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I used this image recently to make a gift box...you can see the blog post about this box by clicking <strong><a href="http://magnoliasofmine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/from-friend-tildas-box.html"><span style="color: #0b5394;">HERE</span></a></strong>.<br />
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This Tilda looks as though she has African American hair, or at least very very tight curls, so my usual hair techniques would not work here. This is how I planned and coloured the image.<br />
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Such tightly curly hair is a mass of darkness, which I decided I'd colour using E47 as my main colour with E49 as shadows, but to begin I needed to define some curls - I decided to colour the curls with a lighter edge to define them from the rest of her hair.<br />
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<strong>Step 1</strong><br />
I began by mapping out some curls by using a lighter-coloured marker - I'm guessing and feeling my way at this point so if I make a mistake it won't be such a big deal because I'll be coming in with a darker colour soon. The drawing of the hair is made up of lots of curves, and I'll be using these as the curls. Leaving the outer edge of the curves uncoloured, I laid down some E35 in all the areas that are going to be coloured darker later:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9SRIUYL_rc/T9bD7LMAcDI/AAAAAAAAB8s/3V1AWK6NU4s/s1600/SDC15239+cropped+%2526+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9SRIUYL_rc/T9bD7LMAcDI/AAAAAAAAB8s/3V1AWK6NU4s/s320/SDC15239+cropped+%2526+resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mapping out with a lighter marker</td></tr>
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<strong>Step 2</strong><br />
When I'm happy with where the curls are, so I go in with the colour I want her hair to be: E47. I put this ink in exactly the same places where I mapped out my trial colouring, but if you are more confident you could miss out the mapping stage and go straight in with your main hair colour:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5NfNuvoHLDA/T9bGu-teGrI/AAAAAAAAB88/OYkBkVLPRJg/s1600/SDC15240+cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5NfNuvoHLDA/T9bGu-teGrI/AAAAAAAAB88/OYkBkVLPRJg/s320/SDC15240+cropped.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying down main colour </td></tr>
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<strong>Step 3</strong><br />
Next, I take my deeper hair colour that I am going to use for shadows (E49), and I add some to small parts of the image: round the bows and on the outside of the curves within the hair. This will give some depth to the image and accentuate the curls:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u3yWlZ4mJ6M/T9bIyvy1PSI/AAAAAAAAB9E/6xE9CvVZREk/s1600/SDC15242+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u3yWlZ4mJ6M/T9bIyvy1PSI/AAAAAAAAB9E/6xE9CvVZREk/s320/SDC15242+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding some shadow areas</td></tr>
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<strong>Step 4</strong><br />
Then I go back in with my main colour (E47) and blend in the shadows:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HoSlQ2Lh0ao/T9bJKeBSVjI/AAAAAAAAB9M/gI89SS4xBpc/s1600/SDC15244+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HoSlQ2Lh0ao/T9bJKeBSVjI/AAAAAAAAB9M/gI89SS4xBpc/s320/SDC15244+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blending the shadows</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
You can see that I did the 2 sides of her hair in different ways: on the left side I used the E47 minimally to blend in the shadow areas, and on the right side I actually coloured over the whole of the E47 area. At this point, I didn't know which side I preferred, remember I'm working this out as I go along.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">--------------------------------------</div><br />
<strong>Step 5</strong><br />
OK, so after this I want to add some colour to the curls themselves, so I use the paler colour E35 on the white areas only, I didn't blend in with the darker colour as I didn't want the highlight to get lost at this point: <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksRXNAw7W5A/T9bKKaU3cGI/AAAAAAAAB9U/BXBPswisc4A/s1600/SDC15246+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ksRXNAw7W5A/T9bKKaU3cGI/AAAAAAAAB9U/BXBPswisc4A/s320/SDC15246+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving the curls some colour</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
--------------------------------------</div><br />
<strong>Step 6</strong><br />
Now, at this point I switched to a dotted stroke for 2 reasons: as the image is now quite dark, it's harder to be precise about where the dark marker tip lands (for me anyway, maybe my eyesight isn't so great but I can't distinguish the end of a dark marker tip against dark colouring) so a dot is safer.....less ink comes out and less chance of messing up. PLUS dotted strokes add to the textured feel of the hair.<br />
<br />
So, I dot some of the darkest marker (E49) into the shadows again to deepen and extend them: <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-358sKbeQu_4/T9bL4mWlE8I/AAAAAAAAB9c/YP6oQwDQPEI/s1600/SDC15247+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-358sKbeQu_4/T9bL4mWlE8I/AAAAAAAAB9c/YP6oQwDQPEI/s320/SDC15247+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dotting to add in and extend the shadows</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
--------------------------------------</div><br />
<br />
<strong>Step 7</strong><br />
And then I dot some of the main (E47) colour around to blend the dark dots and add more colour:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6b3cs5ebRo/T9bMJl2UzFI/AAAAAAAAB9k/tSVQU9e775Q/s1600/SDC15248+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R6b3cs5ebRo/T9bMJl2UzFI/AAAAAAAAB9k/tSVQU9e775Q/s320/SDC15248+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More dots to blend</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
--------------------------------------</div><br />
<strong>Step 8</strong><br />
I'm not happy with the curls - there is too much E35 showing and I want to reduce the size of the highlighted areas. I take another colour, E44, and dot this around, extending into the highlight areas to make them smaller: <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OBqx4K6-L0M/T9bNAQBHR_I/AAAAAAAAB9s/bOcu2IC_f84/s1600/SDC15249+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OBqx4K6-L0M/T9bNAQBHR_I/AAAAAAAAB9s/bOcu2IC_f84/s320/SDC15249+8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reducing the highlights with a shade slightly lighter than <br />
the main hair colour</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
--------------------------------------</div><br />
<strong>Step 9</strong><br />
I could have stopped at this point as I'm happy enough with it. But I decided to take my E44 marker and again added some dots over and around the curls to tone them down a little, and you can see the result of this in the finished image below. The hair is still warmer because of the E35, but gives more the effect I was hoping for. <br />
<br />
Here is the finished image:<br />
<div align="center"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18t_p2m43os/T-JVxDAirdI/AAAAAAAACBM/2ADFtd4H3Ps/s1600/1++.+cropped+&+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18t_p2m43os/T-JVxDAirdI/AAAAAAAACBM/2ADFtd4H3Ps/s400/1++.+cropped+&+resized.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Hope this was of some use. Please let me know if you use it - I'd love to come and see your work.<br />
<br />
Happy colouring! <br />
<a href="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-24427137126773850102012-06-16T19:31:00.000+01:002012-06-16T19:31:54.109+01:00Needed a little Tilda loveHi everyone, I hope the gloomy UK weather isn't getting you down, and for those not in the UK I am <em>sure</em> that you have better weather than here!. Mind you, the rain has really made the gardens lush and green, which is so very beautiful. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I have a new project to share today which you can see <a href="http://magnoliasofmine.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">HERE</span></a>. Because I know that not everyone likes Magnolia images, I have made a new blog to indulge my love of all things Tilda, and will be putting my Tilda projects there from now on. Here's a little peak: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqkxM72LfD4/T9twEjRLdtI/AAAAAAAAB-s/RA0_lFdAJCg/s1600/1+cropped.+gradient+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jqkxM72LfD4/T9twEjRLdtI/AAAAAAAAB-s/RA0_lFdAJCg/s200/1+cropped.+gradient+6.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The photos are not great quality because my trusty camera has given up the ghost, so they were taken using my phone. Which means I can't blog any more till I get a new camera, waaaaaail!<br />
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Have a good weekend, all.<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-85007474634095177552012-06-11T01:25:00.003+01:002012-06-13T01:59:52.886+01:00Colouring Challenge: non-blended hair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-80MSsIBHnk8/T9BiiF-uUoI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/pVznV4epsIY/s1600/MIC+card+featured+image+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-80MSsIBHnk8/T9BiiF-uUoI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/pVznV4epsIY/s320/MIC+card+featured+image+resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend and that the week ahead has only nice things in store for us. Thanks so much for the lovely comments for my last card, you make my day you really do. <br />
<br />
<h3>News</h3>It's all change at Make It Colourful. The fortnightly challenges have now ended BUT the colour addicts still love a challenge so we've all moved over to the <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Make It Crafty store blog</span></strong></a> and have become Colouring Inspiration design team members. We'll be choosing our own colouring challenges from a list that Zoe has given us, and as we all post on the blog on different days during the month there is something new to see and hopefully be inspired by every couple of days. Look for us in the <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/category/colouring-inspiration"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">Colouring Inspiration section</span></strong></a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Also on the store blog, you'll find inspiration for using Make It Crafty projects in the <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/category/dt-inspiration"><span style="color: #990000;">Design Team Inspiration section</span></a>, and lots of colouring and craft tutorials in the <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/category/techniques"><span style="color: #990000;">Techniques section</span></a>. So something new to see every day.<br />
<h3><br />
My card</h3>My card today is my first project in my new role, and it is hopefully OK to blog as it should have arrived at it's destination by now (wink!). I chose Zoe’s challenge of <span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>Hair With Fine Detail</strong></span>, i.e. no blending, and I used Copic markers with a little pencil overshading in parts. The hair I did with Copics only.<br />
<br />
The digi image I chose to colour is <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/ginger-house-wife-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Ginger House Wife</span></a> and it doesn’t have a lot of fine detail in the hair, so it can be coloured fairly quickly without blending. I used short, light feather strokes with just the very end of the tip of my copic markers to achieve this layered look. The shades I used were: Y17, YR23, YR27, E37, and E19. Y17 is the colour that I wanted my hightlights to be – the parts where the light catches the hair and we see a shine. So I laid down a base layer of this colour first. Then I took the next colour (YR23) and made feathered strokes from the hairline <em>towards</em> the highlight and from the ends/outside of the hair towards the highlight, then with the next darkest shade I went over the same areas but with slightly shorter strokes so that the lighter-coloured layer underneath still showed through. To make sure that the inks didn’t blend I let each layer dry before putting the next colour on, just to be sure that I complied with the challenge!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KtlRgn92mi4/T9Mn5llEU_I/AAAAAAAAB7o/kjRe535nCUk/s1600/Hair+with+fine+detail+card..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KtlRgn92mi4/T9Mn5llEU_I/AAAAAAAAB7o/kjRe535nCUk/s400/Hair+with+fine+detail+card..jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger was merged with another Make It Crafty image, <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/home-sweet-home-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Home Sweet Home</span></a>. I think they go well together, don't you? </td></tr>
</tbody></table><h3><br />
Tip: Get the stroke right</h3>When making these feather strokes, practice using only the very end of the tip, keeping your stroke light – you are hardly touching the paper at all really. At the end of the stroke, lift the marker upwards so that the marks on the paper taper off to a point. This gives finer strokes with a tapered end so that you can more easily achieve the effect of strands of hair and texuture with strokes that are defined and not smudged together. This is the sort of line you are aiming for:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dtG9Ypdx3k/T9UhjZ9vU8I/AAAAAAAAB78/kUiva74TbJc/s1600/SDC15237+feather+strokes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dtG9Ypdx3k/T9UhjZ9vU8I/AAAAAAAAB78/kUiva74TbJc/s320/SDC15237+feather+strokes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>You can see how the copic marker brush tip makes a much finer tapered point than does the promarker regular tip, I don't have a fine promarker tip to compare (sorry).<br />
<br />
If you're going for defined layers, let your ink dry before putting the next colour on - you can see the effect of feathering onto wet and dry inks:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bfmqp2wKpZ8/T9UiF3or0PI/AAAAAAAAB8E/ktixc1lh0xI/s1600/SDC15238+-+wet+and+dry+comparison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bfmqp2wKpZ8/T9UiF3or0PI/AAAAAAAAB8E/ktixc1lh0xI/s320/SDC15238+-+wet+and+dry+comparison.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The wet ink on the left causes the strokes to blur into each other, whereas the dry ink on the right makes the strokes much crisper.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Marker Recipe:</h4><div style="text-align: center;">Hair: Y17, YR23, YR27, E37, E19</div><div style="text-align: center;">Skin: E00, E01, E11, R20, R22</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dress & Shoes: R32, R35, R37, R39</div><div style="text-align: center;">Stair carpet: YG61, YG63, YG67</div><br />
I kept the card fairly simple as the coloured image is quite large, so just a couple of sheets of Papermania paper, some gold mirri card and a Prima flower were enough.<br />
<h4><br />
I'd like to enter this in these challenges:</h4><a href="http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Bunny Zoe's Crafts</span></a> - Girls Girls Girls<br />
<a href="http://craftyannschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Crafty Ann's</span> -</a> It's a Girl Thing<br />
<a href="http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Oldie But A Goodie</span></a> - Anything Goes <em>(my papers are a few years old)</em><br />
<a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Papertake Weekly</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://stampinsistersinchrist.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Stampin Sisters In Christ</span></a> - option 2) Just an image on your card (no sentiment)<br />
<a href="http://touchtwinchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Touch Twin Challenges</span></a> - Getting Hairy<br />
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Thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you'd like to leave. Have a good day and happy crafting!<br />
<br />
<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-13239985882877567172012-06-07T17:00:00.008+01:002012-06-08T05:47:24.967+01:00Tags or Tickets at Sundays With Crissy<div style="border: currentColor;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--e6duHUzswI/T1lcWzuBQxI/AAAAAAAAA-8/ikmdgxhijdY/s1600/Rose+Butterfly+colouring+(brown).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--e6duHUzswI/T1lcWzuBQxI/AAAAAAAAA-8/ikmdgxhijdY/s200/Rose+Butterfly+colouring+(brown).jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></a>Hello everyone, how are you all? I'm here today with a card for our challenge at <a href="http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Sundays With Crissy</span></a>. The theme this month is <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Tags or Tickets</span></strong>, so if your project has either of these on it, or if your project IS a tag or a ticket then it fits the bill perfectly. I've used a tag in my project which is where I stamped my sentiment. </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">This was another chance for me to use this gorgeous image by Crissy, <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=429"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rose Butterfly</span></a>. I used it last month too in a different colour scheme, but it's too nice an image not to give it another outing. </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hdg-pyWBHaw/T1lcaFoH72I/AAAAAAAAA_E/FTbphNlJwMg/s1600/Butterfly+card+brown..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hdg-pyWBHaw/T1lcaFoH72I/AAAAAAAAA_E/FTbphNlJwMg/s400/Butterfly+card+brown..jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the tag tucked in place</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;">I wanted to create a Shabby Chic look, so I took these gorgeous papers by Prima and aged them by inking and distressed them round the edges, and added some handstitching. The image was coloured in copics and also handstitched. The tag is one I made some time ago for my DT project for Dream Valley Challenges which you can see <a href="http://applesandpearscards.blogspot.com/2011/06/dream-valley-challenge-8-stamp.html"><span style="color: #0b5394;">HERE</span></a>. The sentiment is by Tim Holtz and is stamped onto the tag.....it reads: "<em>What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it</em>". The tag was then tucked behind the sentiment and can be pulled out. </div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCBrL9Viw8g/T1lcdsft2lI/AAAAAAAAA_M/K2BmjtrBGpQ/s1600/Butterfly+card+brown2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iCBrL9Viw8g/T1lcdsft2lI/AAAAAAAAA_M/K2BmjtrBGpQ/s400/Butterfly+card+brown2..jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tag taken out - you can see the sentiment now</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>I'd like to enter this card in these challenges:</em><br />
<a href="http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Bunny Zoe's Crafts</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://www.comeandgetitchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Come And Get It Challenges</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> - Flowers and Butterflies</span><br />
<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Lace</span><br />
<a href="http://craftycardmakers.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Crafty Cardmakers</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> - Distress It</span><br />
<a href="http://papermakeupstamps.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Papermakeup Stamps</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Tic Tac Toe</span><br />
<a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Papertake Weekly</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Ribbon Girl</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Use ribbon or lace</span><br />
<a href="http://www.southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Southern Girls</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> - Things With Wings</span><br />
<a href="http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Whimsy Inspiration</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Things With Wings</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">I hope you'll come along and show us your projects with tags or tickets this month. You have till the end of the month to enter and could win your choice of some fabulous digi images. Happy crafting!</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" /></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-40071118719562616372012-06-01T11:00:00.004+01:002012-06-02T21:50:48.424+01:00We're off to Hollywood!<div style="text-align: center;">Hi everyone - today I've got a card to show that I made for our latest blog hop at Make It Crafty, for which we've teamed up with Simply Betty Stamps. Details about the hop follow, and my card is further down my post. The hop is for a release of some fun images that can be mixed and matched to make great scenes, and I've used a couple of them in my card. Here's a little sneaky peak before the hop write up:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKvCG345nuo/T8fFRZl5S2I/AAAAAAAAB4s/RDCRbD5MHw0/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aKvCG345nuo/T8fFRZl5S2I/AAAAAAAAB4s/RDCRbD5MHw0/s200/12.JPG" width="132" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;">Make it Crafty and Simply Betty Stamps are really excited to be bringing you the combined Hollywood Release!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://simplybstamps.net/"><span style="color: #990000;">Simply Betty Stamps</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> has a range of characters from Betty Monroe, through to Action Chris the movie director!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Make it Crafty</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> has a range of background scenes perfect to switch and match with your famous characters!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="MiC & SBS Guess that Movie" border="0" height="152" src="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/MICSBS.jpg" width="254" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Of course we are going to have heaps of fun with this theme and June 1st & June 2nd we will be showcasing our stuff and then June 3rd we're bringing you a fun guessing game... Will you be able to guess the movie?? We'll be giving you some clues to help!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Join us for the two inspiration days and leave a comment along the way for your chance to win a selection of new images.<br />
<br />
There will be FOUR winners each day receiving a surprise character with matching background digi stamps.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Then on June 3rd, guess 6 out of 12 movies correctly and you will have a chance to win: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Grand Prize</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="280" src="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/prize-badge-sml.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;"> A DVD Movie of your choice <br />
PLUS the whole collection of MiC & SBS digi stamp Hollywood release images.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><strong>Second Prize</strong><br />
The whole collection of MiC & SBS digi stamp Hollywood release!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rs1kRQMCN3k/T8fJacb8YSI/AAAAAAAAB5E/KXMr0XR__bA/s1600/cinema+portion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rs1kRQMCN3k/T8fJacb8YSI/AAAAAAAAB5E/KXMr0XR__bA/s200/cinema+portion.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><strong>Can't wait?!!</strong><br />
<br />
But we know some of you just can't wait so both Betty and Zoe are offering you 25% off <br />
their Hollywood collections between June 1st and June 3rd!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://simplybstamps.net/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Click Here for Simply Betty Stamps</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> & </span><a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/digital-stamps/new-misc-digi-stamps.html"><span style="color: #45818e;">Click Here for Make it Crafty</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;">!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">We hope you have lots of fun with us this weekend!!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">You should have arrived here from <a href="http://greengoddescreations.blogspot.com/">Lelia</a>, but in case you want to go from the beginning, the hop order is included below.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SG-gbcb_qck/T8fORuuUs7I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/uhcigAA0TjI/s1600/4..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SG-gbcb_qck/T8fORuuUs7I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/uhcigAA0TjI/s400/4..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I made a shadow box card using Simply Betty's Little Usher Miller and Make It Crafty's Watching Movies. It's quite a big colouring as the card is A5 sized, and I made some filmstrip ribbons of paper to cover the frame. I've left it pretty simple, it was mainly about the images and the colouring. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-Hidt-Nv4/T8fOrPtisJI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/UnS6cSFmVZc/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz-Hidt-Nv4/T8fOrPtisJI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/UnS6cSFmVZc/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image is sunk about half an inch into the card</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the other stops in the hop:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://forgottenscraps.blogspot.com/">Barbara</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.distinctivetouches.com/">Colleen</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://scrappybetty.blogspot.com/">Betty</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://scrappychickcyndi.blogspot.com/">Cyndi</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://doggonecrazy-viv.blogspot.com/">Viv</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/">Alison</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://just4funcrafts.blogspot.com/">Jenn D</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mrsweyremaster.blogspot.com/">Suzi</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beccysbits.blogspot.com/">Beccy</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://greengoddescreations.blogspot.com/">Lelia</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carole (you are here!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you like my card, and don't forget to leave a comment if you're following the blog hop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy crafting!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" /></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-80336210407883100882012-05-28T02:33:00.002+01:002012-05-30T05:08:37.757+01:00When is a free blog not a free blog?<span lang="EN-GB"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.clipartguide.com/_pages/0512-0711-1616-2350.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Free Clipart Picture of Smiley Face Sun. Click Here to Get Free Images at Clipart Guide.com" border="0" height="157" src="http://www.clipartguide.com/_small/0512-0711-1616-2350.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Answer: when you've been a busy little blogger and filled it with too many photos - more on that in a second.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi all, well I think I gave you the wrong impression when I said I 'had the builders in' on my blog, I didn't have major changes planned - I did that a few weeks ago with my blog makeover. No, I was getting to grips with how photos on our blogs are stored in cyberspace and from there set about reorganising my albums. I deleted a lot of stuff in error so there were big black squares all over my blog while I tracked down the correct photos to replace the voids - didn't look very nice! I did move a few things round and tidied up a bit though, so maybe i should have said I had the de-clutterers and Feng Shui peeps in. I was intending to make this blog post before now but got ill again so it's taken a while to let you know the builders have left now.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, after reading <a href="http://melsanford29.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><strong>Mel's</strong></span></a> panicked post about messages she was getting saying that she'd used up all her storage space for a free blog and was being asked to pay for more storage (what the???) I had a look at the way it works when we put photos on our blogs, our <em>free</em> blogs. Turns out, they are only free up to a point. Photos we put on our blogs are stored at Picasa Web Albums and there is a limit to how much we can store - 1GB - and after that we have to pay, yes <em>pay</em>!! a couple of quid a month. 1GB is probably plenty for many bloggers but for us crafters the photos are pretty essential to our posts and a gigabyte won't go so far. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sounds worrying, but I did a bit of looking around and found out some useful bits which I've put here in case this is new to anyone else. It's a bit long, so I've broken it up into segments.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>Check your usage so far:</h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First off, check how much of your allotted storage you've used by visiting either:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/settings/storage/"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><strong>HERE</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span>(not really recommended, it seems to pluck a figure out of the air, but it does tell you what upgrade options there are, together with prices)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Or the better way, log into Picasa Albums </span><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/home"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><strong>HERE</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It's linked to Google so it may automatically log you in if you are logged into your blog, or you may need your Google log-in details. In Picasa, there are 3 tabs at the top of the screen: Home, My Photos, and Explore. Scroll down to the bottom of the Home tab and you will see how much space you've used. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had used 47% of my allowance, which considering I've only been blogging 18 months I thought was very high and would maybe give me another 18 months before I'd used all my free space.....not good! I began wondering whether I should delete a load of stuff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
</span><br />
<h3>What happens if you delete a photo from your Picasa Web Album?</h3><span lang="EN-GB"><u></u><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the photo that you are deleting is still used in a blog post, then deleting it from Picasa will leave a big black square in your blog post. (I had these all over my main blog page, sidebar and Top3 page when I got a bit carried away deleting stuff - and they looked horrible! So be careful with that delete button). If the black squares bother you, you’ll need to edit your blog posts or sidebar to remove those 'photos', even though they aren’t actual photos any longer. On the other hand, simply deleting photos or whole blog posts from your blog won’t remove them from Picasa, you’ll still need to actually delete them from the Web Album in order to free up some precious space.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
</span><br />
<h3>What could I delete?</h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew I could delete the oldest blog posts and photos but I didn’t want to do that, I like having an archive of older projects to look back on so I won’t do that until absolutely necessary. Fortunately, there were other things I could delete first:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had loads of <b>duplicate photos </b>at Picasa where I’d made mistakes uploading or making blog posts and had to redo them. As photos appear in Picasa albums in the order in which they were uploaded, it seemed logical that the earlier photos were the unwanted ones so safe to delete. However, as I found out many times this is not always the case, so be careful which one you get rid of. The only advice I have is to get rid of one and see if the photo on your blog remains: delete the photo in Picasa, then open your blog to see, but <em><span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong><u>Refresh</u></strong></span></em> your page first as changes don't show up that quickly. This is really important and I found that you have to refresh every time you open your blog page, not just once – something to do with the version of your blog that is stored in the cache or something, so changes you make don’t show up immediately. It's an idea to save a copy of each photo on your PC before deleting from Picasa, or make sure you have the photo on your computer so that if you do get rid of the wrong one you'll be able to replace it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had lots of photos of <b>DT projects</b> that I’ve uploaded to a <b>Design Team Blog </b>that I could safely delete and this free-ed up some more space. If you want to delete yours, they are easy to locate as they appear in their own album at Picasa, named for the DT blog you uploaded to (by the way, deleting the DT album photos won't remove them from the posts on your own blog). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I went live with my blog 18 months ago, I had a little play around uploading photos and also had a <b>practice blog</b> to get the hang of Blogger, so there were photos from that time that were also OK to get rid of. Have a look at your earliest photos in Picasa cos you might find some practice uploads in there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, there were lots of unneeded photos in posts that I pruned away…..photos of <b>candy</b> that I had advertised, photos of prizes and the like. Also, photos in the sidebar can also take up room, so I made sure only small pics remain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
<h3>Not all photos take up storage space…..yay!! </h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the commentors on Mel's post about this mentioned that images of less than 800 x 800 pixels don't count toward your storage allowance. I couldn't find verification of this on Picasa anywhere but I did try it out, and yes you do seem to have unlimited space for smaller images. However, although this is great for pictures that are to be shown at smaller size in your sidebar or blog post, if you like clearer or larger photos of your cards then this isn't quite good enough quality - I tested it and 800x800 pixel photos lose clarity and detail which is not great when you want to show your cards. But still, very useful to know! You can check the size of or <b>resize an image</b> to get it under 800x800 pixels by opening the image in Paint which should be already on your computer (click the drop-down menu in the top left of the screen in Paint, select 'Properties' and an info box should tell you the size in your choice of inches, centimetres or pixels, or Resize from the menu bar), or Paint.Net which is a free download (click 'Image' in the menu bar in Paint.Net and then 'Resize') and I should think other photo editing software too.</span></span><br />
<h3><br />
Images used multiple times <span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also found I could save space with images used multiple times, like DT projects that I upload to my blog as well as a DT/challenge blog, if instead of uploading them from my computer into each blog post, I upload them to my Picasa album first, and then each time I use the photo upload it to my blog post from my Picasa album. Here’s how to do it with your blog: open the Picasa album where you want the photo to be stored, click ‘Add Photos’, click ‘Add photos from your computer’, navigate to the folder on your PC where your photo is, double-click your photo, and then click ‘OK’ when it’s finished uploading. Then, when you are typing out your blog post and you click the 'Insert Image' icon and get the 'Select a file' dialogue box, choose ‘From Picasa Web Albums’ in the left-hand column, choose the album with your photo and select your photo. You need to have set the permission and visibility of the album where your photo is stored in to 'Public' to do this.<br />
</span></span><br />
<h3><br />
What NOT to delete <span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> One thing though......you will notice that your profile photo appears in your Blogger Pictures album about 4 times.......DONT be tempted to delete 3 of these thinking you've uploaded 4 times in error! I did this and ended up appearing as a little black square in comments lists and Followers lists all over blogland (I know, I know, an improvement on my regular piccie, don't rub it in, lol). I reckon Blogger places your pic in 4 different categories (e.g. to be placed on your profile page, next to your comments, Followers lists), so just leave that particular album alone. Even if you've changed your profile piccie, don't delete the old ones unless you're OK with that little black square replacing your piccie next to your name in comments you left in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<h3>Third party storage</h3><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m experimenting with using third-party storage and uploading to my blog from this instead. I’ve tried this with Photobucket and it does work and doesn’t eat into the free-of-charge space. The downside is that the photos come out REALLY big on my blog – they run way over the sidebar but I’m trying to find a way to solve that. If anybody knows how to make Photobucket images come out smaller can they let me know please. The other problem with Photobucket is that I gather they have a monthly bandwidth limit, which means that if a blog is viewed a lot there can come a time in the month when images may stop displaying – see an explanation of this point </span><a href="http://support.photobucket.com/entries/21101931-bandwidth-exceeded-look-who-s-popular"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;"><strong>HERE</strong></span></a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ha ha, much of that I learned by doing exactly the wrong thing and mucking up, but you do find out more when things go wrong, don’t you? My usage is now down to less than 35% so a reasonable saving, and in future I’ll think more carefully about how many photos of each card I really need to include in a blog post. I do NOT intend paying any fees just to annoy you lot with my ramblings LOL. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve got a few posts half typed out which I’ll try and get around to finishing so I can post them, I’ve just been struggling with a horrid new symptom and have spent much of the last fortnight out of it with the worst grogginess ever. I think my brain is solidifying in my head!!! Well it feels like it anyway. Hopefully it’s wearing off a bit so I can be a bit more active online again. Meantime, I hope all the UK bloggers have been enjoying the warmer weather of late. Make the most of it cos it’s bank holidays next week and you know what that means!! Hee hee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img height="95" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" width="200" /><br />
</span>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-70281442169436024272012-05-19T16:35:00.001+01:002012-05-19T17:50:15.151+01:00Please excuse my appearance....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YrXnK4wtJ2U/T7e9AJxpx1I/AAAAAAAABf8/DCyrLMAC5uk/s1600/construction+worker+free+from+www.freedigitalphotos.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YrXnK4wtJ2U/T7e9AJxpx1I/AAAAAAAABf8/DCyrLMAC5uk/s200/construction+worker+free+from+www.freedigitalphotos.net.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Royalty-free image from </em><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/"><em>freedigitalimages.net</em></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Please excuse the appearance of parts of my blog - </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have the builders in!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In other words.....I'm tinkering LOL.</span></div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; border: currentColor;" width="150" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-18119510441602893022012-05-12T20:56:00.001+01:002012-05-12T23:47:00.948+01:00"Error 503 - Service Unavailable"<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TxcFosIEhBQ/T669lweVDuI/AAAAAAAABKs/x2fXLDujVxs/s1600/Don't+kick+your+pc+from+clker.+com.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TxcFosIEhBQ/T669lweVDuI/AAAAAAAABKs/x2fXLDujVxs/s200/Don't+kick+your+pc+from+clker.+com.bmp" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So I'm trying to visit blogs and keep getting an almost blank white screen with the same old message:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Service Unavailable</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Error 503</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Does anyone else get this when you try to visit a blog? It's been happening a lot to me for the last couple of months, and I assume it's to do with the code for the new Blogger interface (don't you love it when they "improve" things?) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Anyway, I've found that if you simply refresh the page, the blog will load fine. Bit annoying to have to keep doing this but at least there is a way round the problem. </div><br />
Hope you like the little clip art piccie, it's how the computer makes me feel sometimes, lol. Feel free to save it and use it if you like it, it's free from clker.com<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">-------------------------------------------------</div><br />
Edit: I've been getting this error message as I've been leaving comments too but the comment still gets published. Just click your 'Back' button to get the blog to display again, and then refresh.....your comment should now be displaying. <br />
<br />
What a palaver! I suppose they'll never fix it grrrrrrrrr. Have a good weekend all. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" /></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-38009129634270399712012-05-07T17:00:00.013+01:002012-06-02T21:43:17.290+01:00Things With Wings at Sundays With Crissy<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSUA-HlDFh8/T1lVtfh1FvI/AAAAAAAAA-k/b2qxmtxM0O8/s1600/Rose+Butterfly+colouring+(violet).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSUA-HlDFh8/T1lVtfh1FvI/AAAAAAAAA-k/b2qxmtxM0O8/s200/Rose+Butterfly+colouring+(violet).jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></a>Hi everyone, I hope all those in the UK are enjoying their Bank Holiday Monday - I notice we have typical Bank Holiday weather, lol. Don't worry, there's another Holiday at the end of the month to look forward to.<br />
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Today I have a card that I made for our challenge this month at <a href="http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Sundays With Crissy</span></a><span style="color: purple;">.</span> The theme is <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Things With Wings</span></strong>, so that could mean birds, butterflies, airplanes, or anything else you can think of, as long as it has some wings it will be perfect.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I chose to use this gorgeous digi image by Crissy called <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=429"><span style="color: purple;">Rose Butterfly</span></a>, which I coloured with copic markers. I went for an overall colour scheme of purple and white, which are 2 colours I just love together, so I searched through my stash of papers and found 2 very old packs by Paper Cellar and Papermania with some nice papers in the right shades. A square doily and some leafy diecuts provide the white to go with my purples. No extra embellishments on this card, so just a little stitching around the inner mat finishes it off. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34hWwR49LCU/T1lVz3Z3xKI/AAAAAAAAA-s/A66pdmAxax0/s1600/Butterfly+card+violet..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-34hWwR49LCU/T1lVz3Z3xKI/AAAAAAAAA-s/A66pdmAxax0/s400/Butterfly+card+violet..jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6S72LWPFDcM/T1lV25bb-bI/AAAAAAAAA-0/nqS_tSioUlk/s1600/Butterfly+card+violet2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6S72LWPFDcM/T1lV25bb-bI/AAAAAAAAA-0/nqS_tSioUlk/s400/Butterfly+card+violet2..jpg" width="376" yda="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em><strong>I'd like to enter this is these challenges:</strong></em><br />
<a href="http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: purple;">2 Sisters</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://emeraldfaeries.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #351c75;">A & T/Emerald Faeries</span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: purple;">Anything Goes Challenge</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> - Things With Wings</span><br />
<a href="http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #351c75;">Aud Sentiments</span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> - Favourite Colour Combo</span><br />
<a href="http://craftycalendarchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #351c75;">Crafty Calender</span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"> - Things With Wings</span><br />
<a href="http://greatimpressionsstamps.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: purple;">Great Impressions</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://justtracyscraftschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #351c75;">Just Traceys</span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: purple;">Oldie But A Goodie</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> - Diecuts & punches <em>(leaf die cuts plus papers which are way over 6 months old)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #351c75;">Papertake Weekly</span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
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Hope you like my card today.....if you want to join in the challenge you have till the end of the month to upload your entry. Happy crafting! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" /></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-14451472562672854852012-04-30T00:16:00.004+01:002012-06-02T22:23:40.840+01:00Sepia-effect colouring --- A Man's Card<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAO0KDIOhdM/T51nhWvJzZI/AAAAAAAABH0/ZAareeAzV9E/s1600/Dare+card4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" oda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jAO0KDIOhdM/T51nhWvJzZI/AAAAAAAABH0/ZAareeAzV9E/s200/Dare+card4.jpg" width="153" /></a>Hi everyone! Is there anywhere where it isn't raining? Here it's been wet every day for the last week or so, and it's been constantly raining all day and all last night! Not that I mind, I actually like the sound of rain falling, but I'm wondering whether to start building an ark, he hee.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sorry I haven't been visiting many blogs recently - I've been feeling really wrecked and I log in with good intentions of dropping in on lots of buddy's blogs, but run out of energy too quickly and have needed a lot of rest again. I'm hoping to get round over the next week.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It's been a week of blunders for me....firstly, I hit myself in the face hard by opening a wardrobe door too quickly whilst bending over to pick up my shoes (idiotic); then I forgot to cancel a grocery shopping delivery and ended up with 2 deliveries in one evening (expensive and idiotic); and thirdly, I was reading a book on a Kindle, got to the end of my page and.......picked up the Kindle and turned it over like a page!!!!!! (inexplicable, lol). I assure you, I'm a perfectly intelligent woman most of the time but this week I've turned into a part-time buffoon, lol.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Anyway, this is a card I made for a special man in my life whose birthday it was recently. The image is one that I purchased specifically for this card: it's called <a href="http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/dare/"><span style="color: #990000;">Dare</span></a> and it's by Mo Manning - isn't she a very talented illustrator? The papers I bought specially to use with this image, so for a homemade card it was pretty expensive! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As the chap in the image looked like a pilot or a driver from a bygone age, I thought I'd have a go at colouring him in a sepia monochrome theme. I chose the E40's family of Copics because there are 7 available shades in that group and I luckily had them all. First of all I did a rough colouring on printer paper with a 6B pencil to get an idea of the tonal values I'd use, then I printed out the image on colouring paper and got to work with the copics. This is the rough colouring next to the finished one:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBgqAgrTrqs/T51oe2L9OeI/AAAAAAAABH8/p8Gu1GFV-5s/s1600/Dare+card+pencil+&+copic+colourings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBgqAgrTrqs/T51oe2L9OeI/AAAAAAAABH8/p8Gu1GFV-5s/s320/Dare+card+pencil+&+copic+colourings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The 2 papers are from Prima's Almanac pack, and I distressed the edges using a distressing tool. The quote by William Hazlitt comes with the Dare image, so I printed it out and aged the paper with some distress ink. The 'Expedition 1910' diecut is actually from a clothing label which was already deeply distressed. I simply used a nestie die to cut out a label shape and added some more distress ink around the edges. A chipboard cog from a set called <a href="http://www.mosdigitalpencil.com/dare/"><span style="color: #990000;">Gears Galore</span></a> by Make It Crafty, which I heat embossed with black powder, finishes it off. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iFbEJ96Axss/T6CGd7uK5dI/AAAAAAAABJ8/9NPIBLFFBz8/s1600/Dare+card5..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" mea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iFbEJ96Axss/T6CGd7uK5dI/AAAAAAAABJ8/9NPIBLFFBz8/s400/Dare+card5..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The card has gone down very well - I even sang him Happy Birthday in Welsh, lol. Here's a couple of close ups of the sentiment and diecut:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibJvY01pdLI/T51ssrl7DXI/AAAAAAAABIQ/Hdu1TQcCH9w/s1600/anigif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ibJvY01pdLI/T51ssrl7DXI/AAAAAAAABIQ/Hdu1TQcCH9w/s320/anigif.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'd like to enter this in these challenges:<br />
<a href="http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Anything Goes Challenge</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Time or Steampunk <em>(I went for a Steampunk look)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Aud Sentiments</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://blingitonchallenges.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Bling It On</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Monochrome</span><br />
<a href="http://copicmarkereurope.blogspot.co.uk/p/challenge-page.html"><span style="color: #990000;">Copic Marker Europe</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Monochromatic</span><br />
<a href="http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Crafts & Me</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Embossing <em>(heat embossing on the black gear wheel)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #990000;">Crafty Catz</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://craftymesschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Crafty Mess Challenges</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Distressing & Embossing</span><br />
<a href="http://www.cinspirations.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Creative Inspirations</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://herecometheboysblogchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Here Comes The Boys</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Hobbies <em>(flying/driving)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Lollipop Crafts</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Kaboodle Doodles</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Emboss It <em>(heat embossing on the black gear wheel)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #990000;">Poodles Parlour</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Simon Says Stamp</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Anything Goes</span><br />
<a href="http://thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #990000;">That Craft Place</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - One For The Boys</span><br />
<a href="http://trulyscrumptiouschallenge.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #660000;">Truly Scrumptious</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Distress & DieCuts/Punches <em>(my die cut is the Expedition tag)</em></span><br />
<a href="http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #990000;">Wags N Whiskers</span></a><span style="color: #990000;"> - Distressing</span><br />
<a href="http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Whimsy Inspirations</span></a><span style="color: #660000;"> - Distressing</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Thanks so much for dropping by today - I hope you like my card, and I look forward to seeing you on your own blogs in the next day or so. Happy Crafting!</div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-68310209696535704472012-04-18T01:28:00.000+01:002012-04-18T01:28:59.901+01:00I've had a bit of a makeover!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1-8IidUZMg/T44J7mWlGmI/AAAAAAAABHs/Zz0xx5UJd8A/s1600/oxfordshire_painters_decorators_mid_right_home.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" qda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1-8IidUZMg/T44J7mWlGmI/AAAAAAAABHs/Zz0xx5UJd8A/s200/oxfordshire_painters_decorators_mid_right_home.png" width="200" /></a>Hi everyone, I hope you noticed that I am sporting a new look. You didn't notice? Haven't you had your coffee today yet? LOL.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For ages I've wanted to make my own banner and apart from lacking the energy to get round to it I was also lacking the knowhow. Then I found <a href="http://www.cozylittlehouse.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Brenda's blog</span></a> where she shared how to make one and.......ta da! It wasn't too hard at all, but I had to be quick as Picnik, the photo editting site she recommends, is closing down tomorrow. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Anyway, let me know what you think - do the pics in the banner look bright enough? <br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-53103006575320370332012-04-07T17:00:00.005+01:002012-06-02T21:43:17.290+01:00Favourite Colour Combo at Sundays With Crissy<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6UyeNGxFPPg/T1lMOUvQwbI/AAAAAAAAA-U/EunZP4_BB1k/s1600/Newborn+June+colouring2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6UyeNGxFPPg/T1lMOUvQwbI/AAAAAAAAA-U/EunZP4_BB1k/s200/Newborn+June+colouring2.jpg" width="199" yda="true" /></a>Hi all, today I'm showing my card for the latest challenge at <a href="http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sundays With Crissy</span></a>, which this month is <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Your Favourite Colour Combo</span></strong>. Whatever colours you love combining, show us on your project and you could win your choice of some of Crissy's images.<br />
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One of my favourite colour combos is pink and green - I tried some different shades of these colours on my card. I chose a darker pink and a more muted green and I really liked the resulting combo. <br />
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I used Crissy's sweet <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=894"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Newborn Joon</span></a> again, this time merging it with her <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=892"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Meadow Background</span></a>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFZCQrAlVh4/T1lMMbari-I/AAAAAAAAA-M/qplTDUuSIaM/s1600/Newborn+June+green..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFZCQrAlVh4/T1lMMbari-I/AAAAAAAAA-M/qplTDUuSIaM/s400/Newborn+June+green..jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Images: </em></span><a href="http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Newborn Joon</em></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em> and </em></span><a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=892"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Meadow Background</em></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>, both by Crissy Armstrong</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Colouring: Copic markers</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>DPs and tag: Prima Annalee</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Dies: Spellbinders Lacey Circles and Magnolia DooHickey Rose Leaves</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Flowers and ribbon from my stash</em></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<strong>I'm entering this in these challenges:</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.doitwithdigischallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Cardmadfairy's Digi Days</span></a> - Die cuts and/or punches (<em>die cut leaves, circle and lacey circle</em>)<br />
<a href="http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Divas By Design</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://doyoustackup.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Do You Stack Up Challenges</span></a> - Friendly Critters<br />
<a href="http://littledarlingschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Little Darling Challenges</span></a> - Outside<br />
<a href="http://mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">My Mum's Craft Shop Challenges</span></a> - Easter or Animals<br />
<a href="http://partytimetuesdays.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Partytime Tuesdays</span></a> - Flowers<br />
<a href="http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Top Tip Tuesday</span></a> - Easter and/or Animals<br />
<a href="http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Wags 'n Whiskers</span></a> - Say It With Flowers<br />
<a href="http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Whimsy Inspirations</span></a> - use ribbon on your cards<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I hope you like my card today and that you might join us this month with your fave colours.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Happy crafting!</div><br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-31578490359663794992012-03-28T22:25:00.004+01:002012-06-02T21:59:17.271+01:00Tilda flies her flag<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PUqTlezUFEY/T3N2Cjb2fNI/AAAAAAAABC0/iEnh16TXm-k/s1600/Tilda+wallet+colouring+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PUqTlezUFEY/T3N2Cjb2fNI/AAAAAAAABC0/iEnh16TXm-k/s200/Tilda+wallet+colouring+close+up.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hellooooo everyone, hasn't the weather been lovely? It's very spring-like here, and it's just the right temperature for me - warm enough not to need to wrap up all the time yet still cool enough for a hot water bottle at night.....perfect! </div><br />
I have a Tilda card to show today, it's been a while since I made one. It's actually a gatefold card which is also a little image wallet and I thoroughly enjoyed making it, once I'd coaxed my mojo out from it's hiding place. I chose very spring-like colours of pink, green, yellow, blue and white.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This little rubber stamped Tilly is one I've never done before, she was a gift from everyone's fave crafting gent, <a href="http://mccraftys-cards.blogspot.co.uk/">Kevin</a>, so I'm not sure what she's called. I chose the spring colours and portrait layout especially for the TOMIC challenge (which had ended by the time said mojo would deign to make an appearance...doh!), but I managed to include some other challenge themes in there too.</div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vkA5fSX7dY/T3N5qb-xldI/AAAAAAAABDs/3LRpy7UXmWc/s1600/Tilda+wallet..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vkA5fSX7dY/T3N5qb-xldI/AAAAAAAABDs/3LRpy7UXmWc/s400/Tilda+wallet..jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Tied closed, but I havent pulled it tight so it's fallen open a bit</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CfMnSaGT6X0/T3N7CEw0l2I/AAAAAAAABEs/cmdpOIqZpsk/s1600/Tilda+wallet+open..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CfMnSaGT6X0/T3N7CEw0l2I/AAAAAAAABEs/cmdpOIqZpsk/s320/Tilda+wallet+open..jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>This is what the right side looks like, it's mostly covered when the card is closed</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The 3 gorgeous papers are all from Prima's Annalee pack, there's the main green paper, some pink paper which I used for matting, and some floral paper which was actually a little scrap piece. I made a tag from the papers too which you can see on the front of the card. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gsGhBOzWQE/T3N52dEJ10I/AAAAAAAABD0/eO0rKumUsws/s1600/Tilda+wallet+tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gsGhBOzWQE/T3N52dEJ10I/AAAAAAAABD0/eO0rKumUsws/s320/Tilda+wallet+tag.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>All the papers were handstitched, and because the card is a smaller one than my usual (C6 sized) I scaled the stitches down to a smaller size.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QcVfZU2HpLI/T3N6AcJ--aI/AAAAAAAABD8/1wxBtc7k3gg/s1600/Tilda+wallet+closed..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QcVfZU2HpLI/T3N6AcJ--aI/AAAAAAAABD8/1wxBtc7k3gg/s640/Tilda+wallet+closed..jpg" width="569" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The inside is decorated too, and you can see I've put some ready-coloured toppers in the wallet for the photos.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uERp1PsScxc/T3N6LVVXMhI/AAAAAAAABEE/OCftrONdhIU/s1600/Tilda+wallet+inside..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="206" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uERp1PsScxc/T3N6LVVXMhI/AAAAAAAABEE/OCftrONdhIU/s320/Tilda+wallet+inside..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oRzBOL1aMBY/T3N6SEkKzjI/AAAAAAAABEM/QL4x_35CSco/s1600/Tilda+wallet+inside+with+toppers+added..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oRzBOL1aMBY/T3N6SEkKzjI/AAAAAAAABEM/QL4x_35CSco/s400/Tilda+wallet+inside+with+toppers+added..jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The wallet contains some toppers</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhWMpl-B7RM/T3N6XSedLmI/AAAAAAAABEU/GSgZoXCaBFs/s1600/Tilda+wallet+inside+with+toppers+added+2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhWMpl-B7RM/T3N6XSedLmI/AAAAAAAABEU/GSgZoXCaBFs/s320/Tilda+wallet+inside+with+toppers+added+2..jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A Prima leaf, some roses, a butterfly, some pink ribbon and some white lace finish it off.<br />
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Even the back is decorated!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf6P7D8QyAU/T3N6iu7m4gI/AAAAAAAABEc/GFpXM1EefCo/s1600/Tilda+wallet+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kf6P7D8QyAU/T3N6iu7m4gI/AAAAAAAABEc/GFpXM1EefCo/s320/Tilda+wallet+back.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Not often I decorate an inside, let alone the back of the card!</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>A long project but I really like the finished result - I'm not usually one for pretty pastel colours, but I think that is <a href="http://june-yorkielover.blogspot.co.uk/">June's</a> influence rubbing off on me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiQd6io6_5M/T3N60n4Ww0I/AAAAAAAABEk/wdDILHMLnSw/s1600/Tilda+wallet+colouring..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiQd6io6_5M/T3N60n4Ww0I/AAAAAAAABEk/wdDILHMLnSw/s320/Tilda+wallet+colouring..jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br />
<strong>I'd like to enter my card in these challenges:</strong><br />
<a href="http://ceschallenges.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">CES, Crafty Emma</span></a> - Photo inspiration <em>(I used the colours, butterflies and roses)</em><br />
<a href="http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Creative Card Crew</span></a> - Spring <em>(spring colours and flowers)</em><br />
<a href="http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #e06666;">Divas By Design</span></a> - Stamp something <em>(Tilda is a rubberstamped image)</em><br />
<a href="http://justmagnolia.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Just Magnolia & hAnglar</span></a> - More than One Fold <em>(my gatefold card has 2 folds)</em><br />
<a href="http://littledarlingschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Little Darlings Challenge</span></a> - Outside<br />
<a href="http://lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Lollipop Crafts</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #e06666;">My Mum's Craft Shop</span></a> - Stamp it <em>(rubberstamped image)</em><br />
<a href="http://partytimetuesdays.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Partytime Tuesdays</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Simon Says Stamp</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Sweet Stamping</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://trulyscrumptiouschallenge.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #e06666;">Truly Scrumptious</span></a> - Use Lace<br />
<a href="http://trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Truly Madly Crafty</span></a> - Colour inspiration<br />
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That's it for me today. I haven't got any work in progress to show any time soon, so my next post will probably be my DT card for Sundays With Crissy. So till then, enjoy the weather, and Happy Crafting!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-83887563148583260052012-03-23T03:04:00.003+00:002012-03-23T16:32:17.040+00:00Tea anyone?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hi everyone, are you glad it's Friday? Thanks for the lovely comments on my gift box.....yes I do handstitch any projects with sewing on them - I don't have a sewing machine so I've no option, but to tell the truth I enjoy doing it. It's relaxing and absorbing and really therapeutic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I notice I have some new followers....thanks so much for visiting and following, I really appreciate it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So on to my project today.....Ok, this isn't my usual sort of thing, but you have to have a play sometimes, don't you? And I was so inspired by the gorgeous teapot cards I saw from some of the DT at <a href="http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.co.uk/">Top Tip Tuesday</a> that I just wanted to have a go too. Check out their cards, they are much better than mine (I'm hoping you won't look too closely at mine, I am rubbish at cutting out with a knife. I have cunningly placed my watermark over the wonkiest areas ha ha.).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viBj5Z7n_i8/T2uVU3X6HrI/AAAAAAAABCA/2nwIWVODaPk/s1600/Teapot..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-viBj5Z7n_i8/T2uVU3X6HrI/AAAAAAAABCA/2nwIWVODaPk/s320/Teapot..jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of this was cut out with scissors, but the handle had to be done with a knife....a big weak point of mine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The template for making this card was made by Deneen and you can find it on the challenge blog. <br />
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I had been hoarding this paper by Laura Ashley for several years, but when I saw this project I knew I had to use it - it reminds me of the patterns on blue china. I don't have a craft room and lots of products, so I just used what I had to hand....so the ink round the edges isn't quite the right colour, and I don't have any label dies so had to use a pre-printed sentiment, but as I said I was only playing. I might make another one of these - after I practice cutting in a neat line with a craft knife of course!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xhXm5GgZ5ks/T2uVZVZ-kMI/AAAAAAAABCI/UzpF8fzNfeI/s1600/Teapot2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xhXm5GgZ5ks/T2uVZVZ-kMI/AAAAAAAABCI/UzpF8fzNfeI/s320/Teapot2..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong>These are the challenges I'm going to enter my little teapot in:</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.bythecuteandgirly.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/march-in-kitchen.html"><span style="color: blue;">By The Cute & Curly</span></a> - In The Kitchen<br />
<a href="http://www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Craft Your Passion</span></a> - Just Sentiments<br />
<a href="http://www.cinspirations.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Creative Inspirations</span></a> - Anything Goes<br />
<a href="http://lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Lollipop Crafts</span></a> - Sentimentally Yours<br />
<a href="http://rainbowladyschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog</span></a> - House & Home<br />
<a href="http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Top Tip Tuesday</span></a> - Mothers Day/Craft Buddy<br />
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That's 2 consecutive projects without colouring! I have been doing some colouring this evening, so hopefully I'll have a card to show soon. Till then, happy crafting everyone.<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-6754335905103860402012-03-21T13:11:00.003+00:002012-03-21T18:37:02.086+00:00Mothers Day Gift Box<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FAxBxs6A6sM/T2ZX1G_cxFI/AAAAAAAABAM/kh8Iahvw1MQ/s1600/SDC15043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FAxBxs6A6sM/T2ZX1G_cxFI/AAAAAAAABAM/kh8Iahvw1MQ/s200/SDC15043.JPG" width="200" /></a>Hello there, I hope everyone is well today. Thanks so much for the great comments left for my St Patrick's card, I just saw that I won a Top 3 at Inky Impressions with that card, which makes me doubly happy cos it was the first card I've put in a challenge for some months. I mentioned that I felt 'off my stroke' with my colouring on it because I felt I could have done it better. You know what it's like when things don't turn out quite as you'd expected! It wasn't a bad colouring, just wasn't what I'd pictured when I started out. But why do we have to get three quarters of the way through a colouring before we realise it isn't gonna work out as planned? I don't have enough energy to be a perfectionist anymore so I never scrap an image, he hee. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, as it was Mothers Day last Sunday, I made this little gift box - it's just big enough to hold 6 little wrapped chocolates. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOb3hXFSDS0/T2ZwL3RHaoI/AAAAAAAABBM/i2Dnwb9DghM/s1600/Mothers+Day+Box4..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="283" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOb3hXFSDS0/T2ZwL3RHaoI/AAAAAAAABBM/i2Dnwb9DghM/s400/Mothers+Day+Box4..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a recycled project because I made it from one of those box blanks that chemist's use to put blister packs of tablets in - I just ripped off the label and decided to use it in crafting as it was in mint condition. Here is the 'before' photo with the papers that eventually were attached to all the sides:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J4H7JQ_KJN8/T2ZXwG_9a0I/AAAAAAAABAE/K407WuGorCE/s1600/Box+before+altering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="207" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J4H7JQ_KJN8/T2ZXwG_9a0I/AAAAAAAABAE/K407WuGorCE/s320/Box+before+altering.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I used some Papercellar paper and cut rectangles to fit on all 6 sides of the box. Then I aged them with distress inks in Tattered Rose and Weathered Wood, and handstitched around all the edges. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6oIbxJKoRHU/T2Zt7a_YomI/AAAAAAAABA8/0UthYO54QME/s1600/Mothers+Day+Box3..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6oIbxJKoRHU/T2Zt7a_YomI/AAAAAAAABA8/0UthYO54QME/s400/Mothers+Day+Box3..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Only the top of the box is decorated....I used some rose ribbon in white, and I quite liked the lacy fabric that the ribbon was attached to so I didn't cut that off and instead let it overhang the edge of the top side. Then I took a rigid epoxy sticker bearing the word 'Mother' that I found lying forgotten in a box, and tried to age it a little. I didn't have any ink pads with the sort of ink that would dry on smooth surfaces, so I took a copic marker and used that instead to add a faint bit of ink around the edges. Then I used a darker copic marker to colour a silvery metal flower and added this in the centre. The flower had lost it's original gem centre, so glued a pearl bead in the flower centre. A Tim Holtz adage ticket saying 'Love', a sequin heart with some co-ordinating ribbon, some pearls from a spray and some liquid pearls finish it off. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QhK9o_xAG4/T2ZuDjXSdFI/AAAAAAAABBE/ULVrXDMftbo/s1600/Mothers+Day+Box..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2QhK9o_xAG4/T2ZuDjXSdFI/AAAAAAAABBE/ULVrXDMftbo/s400/Mothers+Day+Box..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It was an easier project in one way because there was no colouring involved (although I did still manage to use my Copics, he hee) but in another way it was harder as it took a great deal of time to handstitch all the papers and decide on a layout. I'm happy with it though and it's nice to spend time on special projects. It was hard to photograph, so here's one final shot of the box:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmEgEtgdDc8/T2Zw2VUkxxI/AAAAAAAABBU/KyGulUEEFHY/s1600/Mothers+Day+Box2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="261" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmEgEtgdDc8/T2Zw2VUkxxI/AAAAAAAABBU/KyGulUEEFHY/s400/Mothers+Day+Box2..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The card that accompanied the box is my May project for Sundays With Crissy, so I can't show it to you yet (wink!).</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><strong>I'm entering this box in these challenges</strong></em>:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Bunny Zoe's Crafts</span></a> - Shabby Chic/Vintage</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Craft Your Passion</span></a> - Just Sentiments</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.cinspirations.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Creative Inspirations</span></a> - Anything Goes</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://glittergeeks.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Glitter Geeks</span></a> - Mothers Day</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://lollipopcrafts.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Lollipop Crafts</span></a> - Sentimentally Yours</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moving Along With The Times</span></a> - Special Lady</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Papertake Weekly</span></a> - Bingo (Gems - Free - Lace)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #741b47;">Sentimental Sundays</span></a> - Metal <em>(the flower in the middle)</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://thesquirrelandthefox.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Squirrel & Fox</span></a> - Love</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Top Tip Tuesday</span></a> - Mothers Day</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Till next time, keep smiling!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-67115167164513544602012-03-20T00:51:00.000+00:002012-03-20T00:51:38.634+00:00Make it Crafty is recruiting...Hi all, no card to show today, but I wanted to let anyone that is interested know that our beloved leader at Make It Crafty (Zoe) is having a DT call, woo hoo!<br />
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This is not for the Design Team at the colouring challenge, Make It Colourful, but for the store, so you don't have to be a top colourist or copic whizz - it's for anyone that uses and loves Make It Crafty products and would like to help promote the rubber stamps, chippies and 3D kits. I can tell you this would be a great DT to be on, not least because Zoe is a lovely lady and a fantastic boss, plus the products are absolutely fantabulous!<br />
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You can read about the DT call <a href="http://makeitcrafty.com/store-blog/news/make-it-crafty-store-first-ever-dt-call">HERE</a>. <br />
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Will be back in a couple of days with a project......here's a sneaky peaky:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBqwVtFv-aY/T2fS8H42I1I/AAAAAAAABBc/8n7IFpzbEk0/s1600/Mothers_Day_Box_+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBqwVtFv-aY/T2fS8H42I1I/AAAAAAAABBc/8n7IFpzbEk0/s200/Mothers_Day_Box_+circle.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br />
Bye for now!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" />Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-36827399482592057442012-03-17T16:44:00.004+00:002012-06-02T21:50:48.424+01:00Happy St Patrick's Day!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zOhofYHv37A/T2S8H29waEI/AAAAAAAAA_s/vXgZeb6uRYE/s1600/St+Patrick+colouring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zOhofYHv37A/T2S8H29waEI/AAAAAAAAA_s/vXgZeb6uRYE/s200/St+Patrick+colouring.jpg" width="160" /></a>Hi all, and Happy St Patrick's Day to you! I never mark this day usually or make any cards but I had to make this card, not for a DT project, but just because I wanted to use this new image. It's by Crissy Armstrong and it's called <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=1683"><span style="color: #660000;">Young Leprechaun</span></a>. I thought he was really cute and wanted to have a go at colouring him. I'm a bit off my stroke with colouring but I'm trying to keep my hand in, lol.<br />
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I merged him with a couple of background digi stamps from Make It Crafty: the <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/rainbow-dandelion-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #660000;">Rainbow Dandelion</span></a> and <a href="http://www.makeitcrafty.com/petals-and-palings-digi-stamp.html"><span style="color: #660000;">Petals & Palings</span></a> (which is one of my all-time fave images). </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I used copics as usual, and an off-cut of some Papermania paper. The leafy die cut was a gift from my friend Jean, the bow was made from some fabric from my friend Elaine, and the fabric-covered brad was in some candy I won from the wonderful <a href="http://mccraftys-cards.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #660000;">Kevin</span></a>. I downloaded a celtic-looking font from Dafont.com to make the sentiment, and just added a few gold sequins to complete it. I tried to include some gold in the image and embellies because the Irish flag colours are green, white and gold/orange. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sswKP_O_Gig/T2S8vpHXWEI/AAAAAAAAA_0/l9LOCOrHH6k/s1600/St+Patrick..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="340" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sswKP_O_Gig/T2S8vpHXWEI/AAAAAAAAA_0/l9LOCOrHH6k/s400/St+Patrick..jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NT07KA-A7oc/T2S8y0gZ9II/AAAAAAAAA_8/D21mtTLCTkM/s1600/St+Patrick2..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="304" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NT07KA-A7oc/T2S8y0gZ9II/AAAAAAAAA_8/D21mtTLCTkM/s320/St+Patrick2..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't entered any challenges for absolutely ages, so I'm gonna put this in a few:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.doitwithdigischallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Cardmadfairy's Digi Days</span></a> - Add a sentiment</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Fab N Funky Challenges</span></a> - Luck of the Irish</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://inkyimpressionschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Inky Impressions</span></a> - You're my pot of gold....use gold and bling (gold flower sequins)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://justinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Just Inspirational Challenges</span></a> - Photo inspiration (I chose the St patrick photo)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://justsomelinesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/spring-cleaning-at-just-some-lines.html"><span style="color: #38761d;">Just Some Lines</span></a> - Spring Cleaning - at least 2 items over 6 months old <em>(actually everything on my card is over 6 months old, the paper is a couple of years old and I've had the sequins for years! lol)</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Kaboodle Doodles</span></a> - Show us some green</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://rainbowladyschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rainbow Lady's Challenge</span></a> - St Patrick's Day</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://sassycherylschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Sassy Cheryl's Challenges</span></a> - Wearin' of the green</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Simon Says Stamp</span></a> - A bit o' green</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Sweet Stamping</span></a> - Use lots of green</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://wagsnwhiskersrubberstamps.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #38761d;">Wags N Whiskers</span></a> - Luck of the Irish</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have a great weekend all, and happy crafting!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" /></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1867620220937089197.post-42081182647692151062012-03-07T17:00:00.008+00:002012-06-02T21:43:17.291+01:00Animals at Sundays With Crissy<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Me7_xBRm0zo/T1eJl-__6bI/AAAAAAAAA-E/rpAPD01celo/s1600/Newborn+June+colouring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Me7_xBRm0zo/T1eJl-__6bI/AAAAAAAAA-E/rpAPD01celo/s200/Newborn+June+colouring.jpg" width="200" yda="true" /></a>Hello all, I have my DT project for <a href="http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #990000;">Sundays With Crissy</span></a> to show today. This month the theme is <strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Animals</span></strong>, so get out your animal images and join in!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Crissy has the cutest little fawn image, called <a href="http://whimsystamps.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_14&products_id=894"><span style="color: #990000;">Newborn Joon</span></a><span style="color: #990000;">,</span> and I thought I'd give it a go. I was a bit nervous because I do find animals more difficult to do, but this one was actually much easier than I thought once I got going. It's coloured in copics, and I used the E10's family as they gave a lovely red-brown set of shades which was perfect for a little baby red deer. In keeping with my kinda-new-years-resolution to use some of those neglected unloved shades, I chose a previously unused red violet (RV29, teamed with some reds) for the neck ribbon and bow. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
The card is very Clean and Simple, just some nice paper, a die cut circle and a little ribbon. The paper is Prima Annalee, die cuts are Spellbinders Lacey circles, Nestabilities Standard circles, and the ribbon was recycled from a chocolate box. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHuIxbaRk1g/TyoUDzGfzhI/AAAAAAAAA9M/bTb3cGqL1oQ/s1600/Newborn+June+pink...jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" sda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHuIxbaRk1g/TyoUDzGfzhI/AAAAAAAAA9M/bTb3cGqL1oQ/s320/Newborn+June+pink...jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going for the Clean and Simple look </td></tr>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you fancy playing along, you have till 31 March (noon US time) to upload. Hope you come and join us this month. Happy crafting!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><img border="0" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3006/tree1signature.png" style="-moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" width="150" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Carole of Brumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02904787081005727738noreply@blogger.com17