Sponsored dare - Sparkle and Bling

Wow it's Friday again and we can't quite believe that it's November! Just where has this year gone? Before we get going with the new dare we would like to introduce you to our guest designer for November - the fabulous Ruth (Tip Top). We were thrilled when Ruth accepted the invitation to join us this month. Do make sure you check out her blog it is well worth a visit!

This week its Jozza's turn for the Dare and as its Fireworks week here in the UK she has gone all sparkly - so the brief was lots of bling!! We are sponsored this week by Louise Brigden (the designer of Dottie and George plus a whole host of other fabulous images) and Charmed cards and Crafts (the shop who sell the downloadable images).

Louise was kind enough to supply us all with a selection of Dottie and George images and it's fair to say that we are in love! As it is a sponsored dare this week, we will choose a random winner who will win 2 download collections of their choice or the Dottie and George Christmas download. In addition to this fabulous prize, Karen who owns Charmed Cards and Crafts is going to put together a little something extra from her shop making it 2 prizes up for offer this week so it is going to be well worth taking us up on the dare to be in with a chance to win! The download can be won by anyone worldwide, but sadly the extra prize can only be posted to within Europe as Karen doesn't ship worldwide. We think you should make your card just for us this time - so please, no combined challenges for our prize dare.

SO have a go and see what you can come up with with some sparkle and bling and leave us a link for a chance to win some fabulous goodies. Here's what the design team made...
KerynRachel

VanessaRuthJozzaReinKathyLythan
Sue

Jo

Scaredy Pants!!

We couldn't really choose any other theme could we!!!!!

So what we would like to challenge you with today is producing something with a Halloween, or scary theme - it can be a card or something else (well not everyone sends Hallowe'en cards do they!) so bags, boxes, lanterns or whatever!!!

We put all the names of those who made a card for Kathy's Sketch Challenge into a random number picker and the winner is....
Sarah C

Congratulations Sarah, the wonderful 3 Bugs in a Rug Caboodle kit will be on it's way to you from our fab sponsor Creative Treasures very soon.

We's love to see your spooky creations, so please come back and leave a message when you're done with a link so that we can come and see how scared you've made us!

Rachel
Kathy

Sue

Vanessa

Rein Jozza

Forever Autumn

Hi all, it’s Sue here and it’s my turn to come up with a dare for you this week.

But before I do, the team would like to say a huge thanks to everyone who left messages and made cards for our birthday dare last week and also for Kathy’s Little Extra……..your creations are amazing.
We are so pleased that you all still enjoy coming to play each week and we look forward to celebrating our third birthday with you all next year!

Now onto our new challenge.

Forever Autumn.

I decided on this one after hearing the Justin Haywood song of the same name playing on the radio. I couldn’t get it out of my mind and kept singing it as I was working.

So now I’m daring you to make a card that depicts Autumn.
It can be an Autumn scene or it can be something completely different but using a palette of Autumn colours……the choice is yours!

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a few of you are singing along by the time you’ve finished either, I know some of the DT were!

To help you along your way here's a few cards from the design team and if you're still in need of a little inspiration you could always have a go at using Kathy’s template from the Little Extra as I have for my card. The main thing is to have fun and whatever you do, don’t forget to leave us message in the comments box so we can come and see all your creations.

Keryn Sue Using Kathy's Sketch from TuesdayKathy
JozzaLythan

Vanessa using Kathy's Sketch from Tuesday

ReinRachel

Around the World Sketch!

Hello
Kathy here this time with a new card sketch to tempt you with for our Little Extra challenge. If you need a little extra temptation to have a go, then maybe the words "Prize Draw" will! The names of everyone who joins in with this sketch challenge will go into a virtual hat and a lucky winner will be drawn at random.
Our prize is this 3 Bugs in a Rug "Oh What Fun" Caboodle kit donated by Creative Treasures. This fab online store is owned and run by Tracy Gibson and is filled to the brim with delicious goodies for all sorts of papercrafts. Anyone who has met Tracy knows how much she loves her crafting (and shopping) and she's filled her store with beautiful temptations reflecting this!

I thought it would be fun and inspiring to invite some fabby "new - to - the - DCM" cardmakers to play with this sketch. So I've been unashamedly selfish and asked just a few of my own favourite designers to make a card using my sketch. You'll probably recognise some of them, but maybe some will be new to you. Please pop over to their personal blogs and see their other work, I'm sure that, like me you'll find something to drool over!

So. to begin with, here's your sketch
Our first version of the sketch is from Belgian papercrafter Godelieve who is a fantastic inspiration. Her blog is filled with her amazing projects and tutorials and she's always happy to share her tips and techniques.
Godelieve's card:
Tracy of Creative Treasures here in the UK is such a talented papercrafter. We snapped her up to be a Guest Designer way back and it was fab to see her cards on our blog! If you visit Tracy's blog you won't be disappointed. There'll you'll soon notice her love of colour, ribbon and flowers - and her use of which always makes for delicious LOs and cards.
Tracy Gibson's card
Now it's over to Quebec in Canada to meet Holly, aka Arts by Flowers, who's work is just so beautiful. I love her use of stamps and the way she manages to convey fun and humour in her work. Holly's blog is definitely worth a visit, you'll find so many different styles and much inspiration over there.
Holly's card
Back to the UK for our next little work of art. I've only recently discovered Tracy Gough's fantastic blog and the cards she shows on there. I just love the bold, bright and funky look she achieves and I wish I could make things look as funky as Tracy does!
Tracy Gough's card
Phew! We're flying off to New Zealand next to visit the Wonderful World of Judy Fowler. Judy was Guest Designer on here at the end of last year and I'm so pleased she said she'd give this template a try. Visit Judy's blog and you'll find lots of collage work with fab stamping and an eclectic mix of media. Don't miss Judy's Gothic Arches, they are fantastic!
Judy's card:
We'll stay over in the Antipodes and ask the Fabulously Talented Carole Janson to step forward! I was thrilled to bits when Carole agreed to join in with this challenge. I just love all the things she makes and if you've somehow missed out on seeing her work then get over to her blog now and put that right!
Carole's card

OK, there's one card left and guess who's bringing up the rear!
Kathy's card:
I hope you've enjoyed this little tour to some of my fave cardmakers' blogs and have been inspired to have a go with this sketch. I just want to add a HUGE THANK YOU to Godelieve, Tracy, Holly. Tracy, Judy and Carole for being so supportive and saying "Yes" when they got my begging email! Now I can't wait to see what everyone else come up with.
Remember, you can shrink it, twist it, turn it upside down when you use the sketch - and, don't forget, make a card using this sketch, pop back here to let us know where we can see it and you might just win that gorgeous paper pack from Creative Treasures!

Paint the Town.....

Thanks to everyone who joined in with Lythan's "Bright" dare, the cards were fantastic and we've so enjoyed visiting your blogs to see all those bright and beautiful creations.

This dare is Dare 52 of Year 2 for the DCM so we hope you'll help us celebrate our 2nd birthday and join in with our new dare! Team member Rhi has decided to have a little break from cardmaking (we do hope she'll be back soon though!) , but she's come up with the idea for this dare and it's a great one for a Birthday Celebration, She'd like us all to

Paint the Town........
red, green, sky blue pink with yellow dots on, or any colour you fancy, with acrylics, H2Os or watercolours, with brushes, sponges or splatters. We don't mind, as long as you use paint on your cards. So have some fun with the DCM and get Painty this week.

Leave us a message with a link to your blog and we'll be sure to come and check out your Painted Creations. Go on, celebrate our birthday with us and Paint the Town any way you like!

Kathy
Vanessa
Lythan
JozzaRein
Jo Sue

Gotta Wear Shades

This week your challenge is to be

Bright!

Clashy is good, hot colours are good, anything super duper bright is good too.

If you want to double dare then why not use the sketch that Vanessa made for her marvellous mid week dare?
I can't wait to put on my shades to visit your blogs!

Rein

Kathy
Lythan

Jozza Sue

Jo

Take 3!

Hello everyone, Vanessa here with another one of our occasional midweek Little Extras, but don't forget Keryn's Scallop dare is ongoing until Friday and we're loving the cards - keep 'em coming!! :)

Following on from Lythan's Little Extra a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good idea to draw a card sketch and show how it can be used to produce 3 very different cards (or at least I hope so!!).

I love using sketches, sometimes I follow the sketch rigidly but then sometimes I flip it or just take elements from it to use - that is the beauty of them, they're so versatile. You can use them just as a starting point as well as for getting you going if your mojo is being rather elusive!!

Please do join in and use the sketch (you don't have to do 3 cards!) and pop your link into the comments section for us to come and have a peep at. :-)

Here is the sketch :-

And here are my cards :-

Thanks, Vanessa.

What a Load of Scallops!

Thank you to everyone who pointed us in the direction of the cards you made for Jo's Crowning Glory dare. It's Keryn here and it's my turn to set the dare this week.

I'm just loving all the new scallop punches that are out at the moment, circles, ovals, squares, edges etc, etc and then there's the corner rounder and slit punches that can be used to scallop edges as well.

Use your imagination, your scallop punches, your corner rounders, your cricuts and cuttlebugs to create any card to fit any style as long as it shows scallops.

Please leave us a comment on this post to point us in the direction of your scallop cards.

Keryn Rein Jozza
Sue
Vanessa
Kathy
Jo

Lythan