The times they are a-changin'

On the Daring Cardmakers blog we have, for the last few years, had a monthly colour challenge on the first Friday of the month. This year we are changing up a bit, with some Elemental Inspirations and Kathy has been the first to find something to base our card on.

Here is the inspiration from Victoria's Art Visions

and my interpretation

It strikes me that the inspiration reminds me of a very old Basic Grey collection - Fusion which I think was one of Kathy's favourites. I wish I had thought of that whilst putting my card together as I reckon I have still got a few sheets. Instead I cobbled together some random pink/red/cream/grey papers. Actually some were more white than cream so I added some Vintage Photo to them to tone it down a bit. There was then a further coating of Black Soot distress ink around all the papers. I cut some into strips and used an American Crafts border punch on another, before adhering them to a spare piece of card and stabbing that with a piercer to do some faux stitching. I've never tried the faux blanket stitch before, but quite like it. A hand cut heart was added on the top along with some enamel dots and this was stuck down to the top folding card base. The extra layer of card underneath gives some dimension and more was added with the hand written sentiment strips being raised on foam pads.

I do hope you will pop over to the DCM blog and maybe get inspired yourself. I love all the different details that the team have run with and look forward to seeing your additions to the blog too.

As my December blogging was woeful (ok, non existent) I should share the few Daring cards I managed to make. One of which I have just discovered I hadn't even put on the blog. Tsk! Its there now - my Shaker card (with extra warning)

It was made using Basic Grey papers, some of which were given a silver embossed outline. I used some Spellbinder dies to make my Shaker part, sandwiching acetate and some pretty sequins I had from a Quirky Kit a few back. So why (with extra warning)

Well, see how the acetate layer is a leetle warped? That will be becuse I decided to heat emboss the sentiment after everything else was stuck down. And a heat gun gives acetate the shrinkles. Sigh. still it meant that some of the sequins don't move, which I quite like myself!

The other card I managed to make was for the December colour combo

this was Dawn's lovely choice and I kind of took it literally

I die cut a circle from a panel of white card, and smooshed a few different blue distress inks over it. I then die cut a smaller circle and added embossing powder, glitter and distress ink to try and make a nice shiny bauble. The wreath was originally going to be behind but was too small so came to the front (die cut from silver card). I added berries (aka red stick on gems) and a Paper Smooches sentiment embossed with silver pearl powder. There are foam pads behind the bauble so it doesn't really swing. I have to say this is one of my most favourite cards ever. But it was more fiddly than it looks to make so may not be duplicated any time soon.

And that is a catch up :)
Will I keep up with the Dares every week? Tune in to find out....