CD Sunday - 'Anything goes' - chosen by Carol (me)

Good Morning
We run a strict challenge choosing rota system at CD Sunday and my turn to choose the challenge has come around again. It doesn't seem that long since my last choice back in April.
Anyway for this time I have chosen something that I think will appeal to all - 'Anything goes'. It couldn't be simpler AS LONG AS SOMETHING FROM A CD IS USED SOMEWHERE ON THE CREATION.  I have said it now and I won't keep on.

Hopefully we all like the work we produce - otherwise what is the point - but am I allowed to say that I love this card. It just seemed to go so well - be so simple but I hope appealing. I bought the panda die quite a while ago and as soon as it arrived  I made up two pandas. One I sent to a friend and the other was kept in my album of dies ready to use.  I also have one of those 'go to' CD's for oriental themes and I took it from there. The expression on the pandas face just says Oops Sorry!! doesn't it. So it had to be a belated wishes card.  I had the idea of having him peeking out from -  or rather hiding in -  the bamboo so I just needed the right background and found it on my CD.
Here is the card I have been waffling on about:

The CD used is my  'Japanese Papers' CD. The background is the green with the moon and some of the bamboo (the paler more silvery colour). The rest of the bamboo and of course the panda are die cuts. I used one of my graphic programmes to add the words and sentiment. Simples as they say.

I hope you enjoy my card and I haven't bored you.  Any comments you wish to leave are always appreciated and I look forward to visiting your blogs and leaving my comments. Please come and join us - with 'Anything goes' there is no excuse.
Carol
xx

'Buttercups and Daisies' - parchment pattern by Judith Maslen

Here is the second project completed at our last workshop - 'Buttercups and Daisies.'
The important point to this pattern was to emboss the buttercup petals from the front to give a curved and shaped look.  I think this works. My colouring was done with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils although Judith designed the pattern for the use of felt tip pens. As frequent visiors to my site will know - I hate felt tips and don't use them. Judith knows this only too well and there is a certain gleam in her eye when she hands me the pattern at the workshop.

Here is the finished work:

I love our trips down to Barton on Sea and I am looking forward to the next trip in September. Judith is such a fabulous designer and teaches us so well.
Hugs
Carol
xx

'Sepia Owl' - A Judith Maslen Workshop

A week ago was our 3rd workshop of 2017 with Judith Maslen down  in the New Forest.
We had two new patterns (as always) and this is the first - 'Sepia Owl'.
A beautiful design - as are all Judith's designs.  I worked away quite steadily and was enjoying the work but there was a 'likkle' problem.  In the border design Judith had used a 'moon' tool. Stupidly I have a thing about moon tools - I don't like them if they are to be embossed.  But I thought that if  I concentrated and took my time I would  conquer this stupid dislike......but I still made a pigs ear of it.
I tried to sort it out when I got home but made it worse so in desperation I 'took out' the owl which was OK and had taken a great deal of time to complete -  and then set about remaking the card.
I traced and embossed the pattern as before except that instead of the 'moon' tool I used a semi circle with 'sun' tool additions.  I embossed the greeting instead of using the sepia pen and where the pattern called for the tracing and embossing of the owl I used the owl I had saved from the first card.  I very carefully used perga glue on the very edges of the owl and stuck it to the pattern where the drawn owl would be.  So now I have a card I like with an owl that looks very 3D.
Here is my version of Judith's pattern. I hope she doesn't mind.

Hugs
Carol
xx

CD Sunday - 'Celebration' - chosen by Jocelyn

A broad field of choices for this challenge by Jocelyn  Could be - Wedding - Engagement -  Anniversary -  Birthday -  Special Birthday -  Graduation -  New baby- and I am sure many others.
I have chosen a Birthday celebration for my card. Not a special birthday but the birthday of a special friend.
Anne (the friend) and I are belong to a group of six who have been celebrating their respective birthdays together for more years than I care to remember. I first met Anne when we sold our house to her about 30 years ago. The birthday girl chooses where we go to Celebrate and we have an extra outing at Christmas.
I loved Anne from the first moment we met.  After they had looked round the house Anne said she loved it and wanted it. Her husband said very cautiously - we must be careful dear. You never know there could be an artesian well under the kitchen floor. I don't care says Anne.  I'll stick a pot of flowers on it and make it a feature. (you have to imagine the accents - they are both from Scotland) We have been friends ever since.
Here is the card I made for her. It was her birthday on 10th July.

I used MCS - 6th Anniversary Collection - Elegant Ladies - Design Set 4 for the beautiful background. It looks like velvet in reality. The stitch pattern came from I know not where. I would like to be able to attribute it but cannot - at the moment.. The little piece of lace and velvet ribbon I have had in my 'box' for sometime and it seemed perfect for this card. Gems and peel offs used for the finishing touches.

Anne opened the card early - at her birthday dinner - and loved it so I was pleased.
If any one would like the pattern just email me using the CD Sunday blog email address.

I will have been to another of our Judith Maslen workshops yesterday so hopefully will have some parchment work to show you fairly soon.
I'll catch up with you all on my visits.
Hugs
Carol
xx

More for the Christmas box

I found this image on the net. It was unamed and unclaimed so I do not know to whom to give credit. I printed it onto parchment, embossed it from the back and did one of my favourite borders which is very simple but I think effective.

Carol
xx

Christmas Snowman from La Pashe

A simple parchment border.  The Snowman has been embossed from the back and he has been backed with a square of snowy background card from La Pashe. The lovely brads and  silver supports are from Nellie Snellen. I used a simple silver peel off greeting. There wasn't room to emboss one into the parchment.

Two very different cards

This first card is for this Christmas.  The image is printed straight from a La Pashe CD onto parchment and then embossed at the back. The border was found in an old Parchment Magazine (2009) and was designed by Gwen Paxton. It proved to be a tricky pattern and I accepted the help of a couple of fellow parchers at our last Wednesday workshop. I finished it this evening and here it is:

This second card is so so different,  I was playing about with  'A Very Important Date' folder on MCS. I had something in mind as a Birthday card  and this is how it finished. I have one layer of decoupage to add but it was too hot this afternoon and it was making me fractious. I will add it later.

So a couple of very different cards but additions to the box.
Hope all are well.
Hugs
Carol
xx

CD Sunday -' Up the garden path' - chosen by Margaret

Well it certainly is a bit cooler whilst I am typing this and we have had some much needed rain - which seems appropriate for Margaret's challenge -' Up the garden path '.
I am off out to a Garden Party in a little while.  Our parchment tutor has a beatiful garden and every year about this time we 'parchers' gather in her garden and chat and put the world to rights.  We hardly ever chat about parchment.  Funny that!

Any way - my card for the challenge.  Much to our Wynn's amusement I have strayed from my 'square is a shape' philosophy and voila!

I used an image etc from the  Behind Closed Doors Pop Up Card CD  by La Pashe. To add drama I have made it as an easel card.
I had great fun making this but must confess there were a few mutterings - but what's crafting without them.  We do get more when doing parchment.  That's because you can't just print another piece and start again.
It really does look better in real life. I know we all say that - but it does. The lovely little sprigs of trailing flowers were from my embellishment pot. They are stitched and I bought them from a friend at a show many moons ago.
The stone paving effect backing card is brilliant.  It looks so realistic that when you touch it you expect bumps. It was a free download.
The folder on the CD is called ' Secret Garden' and HERE I found this beautiful music of the same name 

Our team have made some super cards to give you inspiration. I will be showing those when I do the blog. Please visit their own blogs and share their enthusiasm. They always seem to make the challenge come alive.
Bye for now - off for some eats and perhaps a glass or two.
Hugs
Carol
xx