Strictly Come Challenging!

I managed to fit in a bit of a craft sesh yesterday evening, but haven't had chance to upload anything until now as I have just got back from a trip to see "Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour" at the M.E.N. Arena - what a fab show!! my feet still haven't stopped tapping, but I'll try to get my fingers into gear to type up this post. I'd also like to start by apologising for the photos ... I have decided to start taking better resolution pics with my digital camera instead of my camera phone , but unfortunately having spent a while loading them onto the PC I encountered some problems with my editing software, so it's back to the camera phone pics for now, so in the meantime please do bear with me ...

My first card was inspired by Friday Sketchers #36 - the whole thing revolved round the need for a slider or buckle, as I had only one suitable thing in the house and it was bright pink!!! (though I must say not as bright in comparison to the papers as it looks in the photo!)

I loved this sketch, and thought I would also like to tie the card in to a few other challenges , namely ....

One Stop Craft Challenge #13 - which this week is charmed - hopefully you can just about see the little heart charm dangling from the flowers. I have been thinking a bout getting into using charms for a while, and last week ordered my first several sets from ebay ... so they will now be appearing regularly lol!

Charisma Cardz Challenge #3 is Love - well this card is really to send love to a friend, so I hope that counts.

I am still feeling enthusiastic about decorating the insides of my cards, even moreso because I have discovered it gives me much more opportunity to use my neglected sentiment stamps.

Recipe:
Stamps: WOJ "Melinda Blowing Kisses" (image kindly given to me by Cathy) - coloured with watercolour pencils & decorated with Papermania gems and Stickles; ge studio clear stamps sentiment(outside); Hero Arts sentiment(inside); distressed swirls stamped with free stamp from craft magazine.
Papers: BasicGrey "Sugared"
Supplies: Prima flowers; Papermania pearl brads; ribbon & slider from M&S; Leone Em Ash Branch punch; charm from ebay.

My second card is for the Sugar Bowl Challenge #2, which is three - you have to use three patterned papers and three types of embellishments. I received this gorgeous new Sugar Nellie image last week from my friend Helen, and when I saw this paper pack I just felt they went so well together... so I decided to make a wallet where I could use two papers on the front and a third different one inside. I was also inspired by the sentiment, which was part of a pack my frined Lil brought me back from America. My three types of embllishment are flowers, brads and ribbon - I was desperate to use another of my charms but managed to resist this time lol!


Recipe:

Stamps: Sugar Nellie "Talking to the birds" - cloured with watercolourpencils, decorated with Stickles; sentiment by Character Constructions
Papers: Papermania "Venetian Skies"
Supplies: flowers & pearl brads by Papermania; ribbon from Hobbycraft.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend - I've already spent so long sorting this post out i've no more time for blog-hopping but will be back tomorrow.