Daring Cardmakers 'Feeling Krafty'

This week it's the turn of Fran to set the dare. If you've not checked out Fran's blog yet it's a real treat - full of gorgeous pretty cards!
Fran has set us the challenge of creating a card with 3 'natural' elements. I'm already a huge kraft card fan, (great colour as a base and these ones I used are made from 100% recycled paper so that is another fab plus) so I began with a kraft card base then had a look around for other 'natural' items to use. I love these guinea fowl feathers they're so pretty with their natural little dotty pattern so I decided to use one of those. I also had some new stash to play with; some of the lovely 'Happy Days' from Echo Park. It's bright and fun with a 50's kitschy twist - my favorite kind of twist! I also got a little bit of the Amy Tangerine American Crafts - just the stickers. I'll be getting some more for the next Quirky Kits so I'm being good and waiting to use more of it then.

I don't know if the woodgrain sticker counts as 'natural' enough so I also added a little wooden heart embellishment and some wool felt making a matt with it for the sticker.

Head on over to Daring Cardmakers to get cracking with your own card and remember to add a link to your blog so we can come and see what you've made! www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com

DCM - Inspired by Banksy

This week on the Daring Cardmakers it's the turn of Samm and here's what shes's cooked up for us!

It's my turn to set the dare this week and my challenge is

'Inspired by Banksy'

If you're not aware of who he is, then pop on by Banksy.co.uk and take a look at some of his amazing street art across the world - you could also try a Google Image search on "Banksy" to find lots of fabulous ideas for your card.

So now is your chance to dig out those stencils, use that paint, throw in a few ironic sayings and give your card some 'street life' and show us what you've created.

So here's the card I came up with after lots of head scratching!

I started off with the idea of taking apiece of existing art work and doodling on it just like Banksy does adding his artwork as kind of like a comment on his surroundings..... but I couldn't get it to work in practice it just looked too random. I had to get my head out of literal Banksy style and get back to focusing on how I'd normally make a card but just adding a little bit of Banksy inspiration. I started off with the graffiti idea and used a Tim Holtz texture folder to give the white card a brick pattern. I then made a heart stencil and sprayed through some black ink and then added some water spray on top to make it run a little bit. I then added a bit of washi tape and the greeting then went about distressing it a bit more. I used the edge of a piece of card and scraped over some white paint to give it a bit more texture and sprayed over some white ink. I also rubbed some of the black ink back with a baby wipe. As a last touch I added the resin flower just to give it a focal point and I love the contrast of the bright red against the black too.

Have a go this week, it's a real challenge, maybe it'll help you break out of your comfort zone a bit, it did me! Check out all the details, www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com

Daring Cardmakers So Kawaii!

Hi!
This week it's my first turn at setting the dare over at The Daring Cardmakers.
I had a think and wanted to come up with something that was a little different and as I love anything kawaii I've set the dare to make a card using kawaii as inspiration.
Here's the cards I made this week:

I used some Kawaii Fruit cuts outs from Kitschy Digitals, funky foam cut out with a Nestabilities die and little bit of Sassafras Me Likey paper and some Paperchase stickers for the first card. The pink polka dot paper I've used on both cards is actually a Christmas one - the Echo Park everybody loves Christmas. It's not really Christmassy on this side but it's a fab bright colour! The little ice cream on the bottom card is a stamp from My Cute Stamps and the badge is from Paperchase. I fixed it on with a little bit of foam pad so it can be taken off the card. The embossing on the card is a Cuttlebug Folder.

Are you ready to create a card that's so kawaii? Head on over to Daring Cardmakers to see what the rest of the design team cooked up and join in yourself, www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com

Daring Cardmakers 'Flowers of August'

Wow, how weird is it to be in August already? It's weird to me anyway. Looking out of the window this morning it looks more like October, brrrr.

Anyway it's daring cardmakers time again and this week the challenge or prompt or dare (however you want to think of it) is to to use the flowers of the month as inspiration and the flowers of August are poppies and gladiolas.

I have a big love of poppies so I was instantly drawn into wanting to use them on my card. I also wanted to have a play with my new goodies I've just treated myself to and it just so happened that in one of the goodies I found a poppy! I got some of the cute Sassafras Foldies embellishments. The Sunshine Broadcast papers are super lush I got some for the August Quirky Kits so I've been having a play and wanted more so I treated myself to some of the Foldies and some other bits and pieces. I grabbed a couple of sheets of a new paper range from My Little Shoe Box 'Audrey' at the same time that caught my eye (and I thought) worked well with the whole pretty girly look of the flowery Foldies.

I added some glossy accents to the poppy and the cameo to make them stand out a bit against everything going on. It started off simple but I had a load of scrap paper pieces out on my desk so I just kept grabbing them and sticking them down, I can't bare to throw away cute patterned paper no matter how small the pieces are!

Pop on over to see what the rest of the design team have been up to & to get busy yourself with this weeks dare, daringcardmakers.blogspot.com

Have fun!
xx Leo