Mad For Markers Challenge 1 (Entry 2) + Copic Creations Challenge 26 + Anya Ink 2 + Cupcake Inspiration Challenge 54

Just a quick post for now as I want to get this card in before the 5pm deadline with the MFM challenge and its now 4;51pm!!

Nothing like a wee bit of pressure!!

I'll be back in a second to add all the blah, blah, blah. :)

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Okay.....I'm back (I made the deadline and can breathe again!!). :)

I have been wanting to make an Easel card ever since they first started appearing on blogs, but couldn't quite work up the courage to step out and do it until this week. I started this card on Monday night with a clear vision in mind and went about creating the base and the matted layers.....then my mojo up and left home. Its not back yet, but has popped in for a moment here or two and I've made the most of those moments. (In reality, I just stamped/printed several images and coloured them in using the three colours from the Mad For Markers challenge and was not happy with any of them. They're actually coloured in quite lovely, but I wanted to make this card for one of my BFF's who's having a birthday this coming week and I just wasn't all that ok with the images I'd coloured. They were either tooo young/girlish or in the end didn't match the DP I'd already started with.) I came home after a truly frustrating day yesterday (Friday) determined to get the card finished. Looking through my out-of-control collection of stamps, I happened upon one of the very first sets of TGF stamps I ever purchased, The Anya Collection. They were perfect because my BFF is well-known for her handbag/shoe collection and her love of all things related to SHOPPING!! My roomie and I were watching the brand new BBC version of Sense and Sensibility last night as well and I think this encouraged my mojo to come home!! :)

For this card I've blended a few different challenges. Copic Creations challenge for this week is "black hair", which is perfect as my BFF has lots of gorgeous, long, black hair. I'm also entering this into the Anya Ink challenge, which is Pink and Sparkly as there is some of that going on here, plus the current Cupcake Inspiration Challenge - I was inspired to use the lace on this card because of the beautiful lacy icing pieces on these cupcakes.

Anyway, there are a couple of firsts for me here too: my first easel card; and, my first time using flowers (not entirely sure they work for me tho). Once I was done colouring last night, I pulled out my Crystal Effects and coated Anya's shoes and handbag to give them the appearance of patent leather (see the piccie above left). Then it was off to bed so they could dry. I was off to my BFF's birthday brunch this morning and had a lovely "high tea" with some other darling girlies. Thanksfully, I hadn't planned on taking the gift or card with me today, which was just as well since the card was still in a gazillion pieces. I got home (via a stop at my local scrapping store) at 3:20pm and raced to pull it all together before the 5pm deadline at the MFM challenge!! Phew....my mojo definitely likes a challenge!!

That's it for me atm. I'm off to swallow some pain meds, have had an annoying headache all day (probably related to the fact that I didn't get my coffee in yesterday - remember I did mention it was a frustrating day - plus I was a little down on my H2O intake the past few days too).

Have another project on the go as well that I want to spend some time playing with tonight.

Hope your weekend is shaping up to be all kinds of lovely. :) Hugs, Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:

Images/Stamps: TGF The Anya Collection; Verve Birthday Surprise (Sentiment)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Choc Chip, Distress Ink Old Paper and Frayed Burlap

Copics: (See picture below - sorry for quality - used my iPhone)

Paper/Cardstock: SU Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Flourishes Classic White, Crate Paper Lillian Collection "Gathering"

Others: Fiskars Upper Crest Punch, KaiserCraft Rhinestones, Nestabilities (Label Eleven and Large Scallop Oval), Prima + Hero Arts + KaiserCraft Flowers (coloured with Copics to match), SU Crystal Effects, Glue Dots, Maya Arts Lace

Anya Ink & Club Anya WCW Challenges - Bling

This week's challenge on the Anya Ink blog was simple.....BLING!! So bling I did. :) And the colour challenge for Club Anya and Friends Wild Card Wednesday was this stunning pillow. I didn't have any paper that matched every colour so I picked out the pink and went with that.

I made this card to send to a dear family in the states that I've been praying for recently. Their gorgeous youngest daughter lost her battle with Neuroblastoma recently and I wanted to let them know they are still in my thoughts and prayers from the 'other side of the pond'. Beautiful little Layla Grace was often photographed with gorgeous little hats with huge flowers on them and so I knew this WS Dahlia would be perfect.

I hope you can tell from this smaller piccie that Miss Dahlia is absolutely blinged up. I used stickles on all the little flower blossoms and then got out a couple of my Spica Glitter pens and added some sparkle highlights in the lighter areas of her hair and around the flower in her hair. Her gorgeous skirt and stockings even have "metallic" thread in them, *thanks Spica*. :)

I also wanted to keep this card somewhat simple - not overwhelming and busy like my last card. So I simply cut out Dahlia and mounted her with some dimensionals and then wrapped some pink and silver thread around and added my sentiment on a matted punch on the bottom. (I've gone over the stamped sentiment with a Spica pen too so it has some shimmer to it.)

Anywho....that's it for this post. Mwah!! Love ya, mean it. xx

CARD DEETS:

Image/Stamps: TGF WS Dahlia, Verve Notes of Prayer (Sentiment)

Paper/Cardstock: SU Whisper White, Basic Black, Bazzill Textured Pink, Flourishes Classis White Paper (Image stamped and coloured on)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Others: Copics, Spica Glitter Pens (Clear & Pink), Stickles (Cotton Candy), Pink Thread, May Arts Metallic Cord (Silver), SU Scallop Oval & Wide Oval Punches, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Mama Update:

For those who are interested. I was blessed to be able to take my Mama home from hospital on Tuesday night. She's so much better than she was and I'm absolutely thankful for all who have been praying and thinking of us during this time. Sadly, she's fading with each month, but I'm determined to keep her as strong and as well as possible for as long as is possible too. And make the most of every moment we get without pushing both of us tooooo far trying to fit a billion things in. :) It's her 63rd birthday on Saturday and its gonna be so great to be able to celebrate with her somewhere other than a visiting room at the hospital. The weather is supposed to be stunning here over the weekend so we are going to have an early dinner at one of the local beaches with all the kiddies. YAY!! But before that, I'm heading out with her tomorrow night to see a gorgeous young Aussie Italian croon us all with his magical voice. I discovered the talents of Alfio a few years ago when randomly looking through the jazz CD's in my local Sanity shop....became a fan and have seen him perform several times since. Beautiful voice and funny, funny Italiano/Aussie fella too. Should be a great night tomorrow night. I gave Mum one of his CD's for Christmas a year ago and she fell in love with his voice too - she knows we're going out, but has no idea to what or where - though I think she suspects, lol.

M xx

Anya Ink Challenge & CIC47

I'm back.....and have finally managed to make a card worthy of participating in Anya Ink's colour challenge and, would you believe it......it worked with what I already had in mind for the current Cupcake Inspiration Challenge. Love it when that happens.

I've been making a few cards lately as I find it such good 'therapy'. Haven't had much energy or desire to get out there and face the shops or be around crowds of peeps, and its a good thing then that I love sitting at home with my great friends, Rubbah, Ink and Copic. There's a bit of a wait and see game going on with Mama in the hospital at the moment. Waiting to see what happens after surgery last week. I'm hoping things either improve slowly (or quickly, please Jesus) or don't get any worse in the least. The options available are slim and even those the surgical team can consider come with huge, huge risks.

Anyway.....I thought it was about time Flutter Anya saw some inky goodness and I just love, love, love how she's turned out. I followed this week's Saturday Sketch from Club Anya and have used the required Blue, Grey and Cream (off-white, in my case) for the Anya Ink challenge for this week.

This dear little Anya was so cute and asked me if I wouldn't mind adding a little Crystal Effects on her wings, which is a first for me. I've had it for months now and was yet to use it on any image. So, now her darling little wings are shiny, shiny, shiny and her little skirt is all sparkly, sparkly, sparkly thanks to my dear friend, Stardust Stickles. :)

And I picked up my new Cuttlebug baby yesterday and would you believe it - she's PINK!! I'm sooooooo excited. I 'broke' my green one and got a fab-o new pink baby in return!! And the "A" plate is the usual normal white plate you've all seen before. Only sad note is I had to take in all the plates from my former Cuttlebug baby......and now am missing my "C" plate as there wasn't one included with the new one. :(

Card Deets:

Image: TGF Flutter Anya

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White; SU Bella Bleu; Bazzill Card (base) & a random sparkly silver/grey piece of card that I have recycled from an invitation I received.

Others: Copics; SU Crystal Effects; Stickles Stardust; Nestabilities (Label 8), Cuttlebug; Kaiser Rhinestones, SU Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon, WeRMemoryKeepers Corner Chomper

I think that's it for me today. Thanks for popping by. :)

Hugs, Michey xxx