Back to School with Meljens Designs

Another Back to School challenge.  This one is at Meljens Designs:
http://meljensdesignsdt.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/challenge-126-back-to-school.html

I have made a card that doesn't use an image that looks like a school image - no apples, backpacks, etc.

However, the star on the turtle's back made me think "You're a star" which was my starting point for this card.  In searching for a particular image for another card I was working on, I found these puzzle pieces that I had from Digi Ditto.  They were just perfect for adding some ABC stickers!

The image comes from Meljens Designs and is called Turtle's Little Star.  I have coloured this using three shades of blue copic markers and then circle die cut using Spellbinders.  The matting is blue cardstock.

The background paper is from Trimgym Digital Stamps and the sentiment from Sugar Paw Scraps.  I have added some little blue rhinestones to the right hand corners.

Back to school with Milk Coffee

Back to school challenge at Milk Coffee:
http://milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/going-back-to-school.html

Here is my card:

I have used Charlotte and her kitty.  We have a lot of school cats in our schools so when I saw this image I thought it was perfect. 

The sentiment is a digi stamp from My Sugar Paper.  I have outlined the die-cut with R27 copic marker.

I have also added a flower shaped rhinestone.  The gingham paper is one from a pack called Sweet wishes Paper Stack which I got with Australian Papercraft Essentials magazine.  Somehow, gingham always makes me think of school.  Probably because my school cooking aprons were always gingham - green at intermediate and brown at secondary school!

My first Tri shutter card

When I saw this tutorial on Shelly's Images I knew I just had to give this a try:
http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/tri-shutter-card-tutorial.html

I had found just the challenge for a card such as this at Sassy Studio Designs:
http://sassystudiodesigns.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/dare-to-be-sassy-thursday-141.html
But what images to use?  I hadn't done anything with the Week One image from the other Sassy Studio Designs challenge and now had the Week Two image.
http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/sassystudiodesigns/forum/topics/fabulous-freebie-friday-8-31-12-and-challenge
Problem solved nicely.
Since the current challenge at Shelly's Images is Anything Goes I'm able to enter it in that one too:
http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/ttt-terrifically-thrilling-thursday.html

So, I've told you about the challenges - now to have a look at my very first tri shutter card.  Here is it closed:

And this view fully opened out.

I have used some paper and cardstock from my stash for the base.  The paper was inspired by the colour of my school cooking apron at my intermediate school!

Images and Sentiments as follows:
Sassy Studio Designs - Backpack Brandy
Sassy Studio Designs - Back to School Brittany
TLC Creations - Perfect 10 x 6
TLC Creations - Judge a Book
Michelle Perkett Studio - Back to School Poem

I have also added some apples punched from green glitter cardstock using a Carl Craft Punch.

Chateau in Scotland

I have made a card depicting a chateau in Scotland.  I'm not sure if they actually have chateaux in Scotland - it's probably a castle there but as I live on the other side of the world hopefully they'll forgive me for getting it wrong!!

This card is going to be entered into the following challenges:
CRAFT Challenge
http://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/craft-challenge-171-inspiration-photo.html
Trimgym Digistamps Challenge
http://trimgymsdigistampsandimages.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/time-for-another-thursday-freebie-time.html

The inspiration for this card came from the photo that appears on both of these challenges.  For some reason, the image made me think of Scotland so I teamed the image with a lovely tartan paper from Trimgym.  I border punched this paper with a Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace Border punch.

The image is one from TLC Creations and is called Vintage Castles in the Sand.

I have added three blue rhinestones to give the card a bit of bling.

Christmas Parcel

I have made a card to look like a Christmas parcel!

This card is for the challenge at Digi Doodles:
http://digidoodleshopsbest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/challenge-124-handmade-flowers.html


I have used backing paper from Free Digital Scrapbook.  The image is from Digi Doodles and is called Full Bow Wrap.  I have so wanted to use this image for a while but just couldn't get it to work until I found this backing paper!

I have handmade a flower using Spellbinders dies.  I have used some scrap pieces from a scrap pack, die cut them and then put them together with a gold brad.  I then scrunched them up to give it some texture.

I'm hoping that my card meets the challenge criteria - it did say handmade flowers (plural) but when I put more than one on the card it looked too busy (probably because I made a large flower).  However, just looking at the DT cards now - one of them only appears to have one flower so I may be okay!

Cards for the Radke family

Anji's Antics has an appeal for cards for Jeremy Radke.  Her post can be found here:

http://anjisantics.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/cards-for-jeremy-important-post.html

I made this card for Jeremy:

And this one for his wife Jessica and their children:

Both cards are made with images from Anji's Antics.  The sentiment in the second card comes from Digital Doodling.  The background papers are from my stash as are the flowers and rhinestones.  Images have been coloured using copic markers and die-cut with Spellbinders.

Back to School Card

I have made a back to school card:

This card will be entered into the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Back to school
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/challenge-186-back-to-school.html
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch 170
http://sweetsketchwednesday.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/sweet-september.html

And this is the sketch that I followed:

As you can see, I've substituted books for the flower embellishment. 

I have created a background from elements from Scrapbookscrapbook.com.  I collaged these together to make a background.  The frame is from cardstock.  The paper comes from Free Digital Scrapbook.  I'm not sure where the books came from.  The image is one from Cre8tive Hands.

Sorry, the comment on the Sweet Sketch Wednesday blog was a bit after I posted this.  I posted this at 5am before taking my son to swim training and then on to school.  Ran out of time to do the comment so it had to wait until now when I'm back home.


Update:   This card won a Top Three award (3rd) at Sweet Sketch Wednesday.  It is my first Top 3 placing (not counting the time that I was the only entry in a challenge!) and I am so thrilled to have been chosen in the top 3.