Summer’s here... at Dream Valley at least!! ;)

Hello there!! :)

I’m back again with another fab new challenge over at Dream Valley- and very timely it is too, seeing as the sun has decided to come out to play at long last here in my little bit of the UK at least!! :) So, if you haven’t already guessed, our theme this fortnight is ‘Summer’ and we are sponsored by Squiggle Stamps!! :)

Now, my card may not immediately scream summer as many of the gorgeous creations from the rest of our fab DT do but, as my health means no chance of going on a ‘sun, sea and sand’ type holiday (or even a ‘rainy English summer’ type one, come to that!!lol), I thought I would make my card reflect what this summer means to me... which, with the Jubilee last month and now the Olympics starting so very soon, is a celebration of all things British... oh, and a simply gorgeous SC digi ‘cause I love it!! :)

So, I have used my Portobello Road papers, stamps and buttons with some kraft card and Distress Inks to give this card a lovely vintagey-London feel... this is one of those cards that just came together so easily and enjoyably from the first moment of colouring to the last touch of embellishment- a challenge can be good but I just love the times when creativity just flows, don’t you!?!! :)

This image is my one of my fav SCs, I think- which is saying something as I love so many of them!! :) – I just think she looks so beautiful in her gorgeous dress, with that flowing long hair and the butterflies as the perfect finishing touch... everything about it just says summer to me, too, so perfect for this challenge!! :) I coloured with PMs, of course, using some new colour combos inspired by the Portobello papers... that’s what I love about paper packs- they challenge me to get out of my colour comfort zone... in fact, I have a pad on my desk at the mo’ which I would never have bought had I seen half the papers in it as it contains one of my most hated colour combos of purple and yellow... but, I’m actually still glad I got it as it has made me work with PMs which I have probably never even picked up before and, even if I don’t *love* the results, I’m pleased to have met the colouring challenge!!lol

I stamped Big Ben and the Postcard from the lovely Portobello stamp set on a piece of the Portobello paper, trimmed and distressed- the detail stamps so well, too!! :) - and then tucked them in behind the image... I was going for a bit of a clustered look with all my little extra embellies... not sure it was quite how I planned... but I like it anyway!! :)

Another of my little crocheted flowers with a button and twine and a little seam binding to finish it all off... I’m liking that I can have the Union Jack feel to the colours without necessarily needing to have bright red and royal blue as that’s not really me!! :)

The List:

• 6” sq. Scalloped cream card blank (Craftwork Cards)
• Saturated Canary digi- Cerridwen
• PMs (mostly) to colour (I actually can’t find my pic of the pens I used for this but have tried to piece it together from other pics/lists and my v dodgy memory, think it’s right, though!! :S): Dress- Cardinal Red, Antique Pink and Dusky Rose; Butterflies- Indigo Blue, True Blue, China Blue and Blue Pearl; Gloves- White Pearl (Spectrum Noir), Blue Pearl and Glacier Blue (FlexMarker) – had a bit of an indecisive moment over colour with the gloves!!lol; Skin- Satin, Blush, and Dusky Pink with Sunkissed Pink for cheeks; Hair- Caramel, Cocoa, Henna, Walnut, Umber, Burnt Umber; White Pearl around image and Ivory PM all over the white cardstock to tone in
• Spellbinders Nestie Labels 17
• Kraft card stock
• Papermania Portobello Road papers, stamps and buttons
• VersaFine Vintage Sepia
• Scissors to Distress
• Distress Inks- Antique Linen and Vintage Photo
• Tile Blue seam binding from The Ribbon Girl
• One of my little crocheted flowers in pink embroidery thread
• Ivory button twine from TRG
• Sakura Clear Stardust pen and waterbrush
• Ivory Flat-backed Pearls

...phew- long list!!lol

I’d like to enter this in the following challenges: Papertake Weekly - All Things Girly :) ; Fab 'n; Funky - Make Your Own Flowers :) ; Divas by Design - Anything Goes :) ; Allsorts - Distressing :) ; Charisma - Your favourite Animal (Butterflies, if they are big enough on my card to count?!) :)

Okay, that’s it from me for now- thank you so much for stopping by and reading my waffle and I hope you like this one!! :) Pleased pop over to the DVblog to see the rest of my teamies fab summer creations and I hope you get some lovely sunshine to inspire you to join in wherever you are!! :) Hope you’re all well and have a lovely week... I’m hoping to make the most of the sun out in the garden while we’ve got it!! :)