DSC # 111 Steampunk

It's time for a new challenge at

 Digitally Sweet Challenges

the Theme is 

Steampunk

sponsored by  Lunagirl

Hi Everyone, our challenge this week is completely out of my comfort zone, so much so that I had to find out what "Steampunk" meant, yes of course I have seen it around and greatly admired what had been achieved,  I didn't understand it, but that is what a challenge is isn't it? 

Anyhow, this is my offering and I have to apologise for my efforts. I did what I think it means. Science fiction with Victorian tendencies.  I think!  Perhaps someone could correct me, if I am wrong.

I have used Luna girl steam punk numbers 1,2,3,8,9,10,11, and Stitchy bear sailship and paper numbers 1,2,3,4.  

I placed the images into the surreal world of Steampunk, imagining that the ship was going up into the new world through the frame, which is a PS Brush by Elbereth-de-Lioncourt and the man was asking the lady with the bike to fly off with him, he already is halfway there with the flight! shapes on his feet.  The clock represents time she doesn't have to go with him.  The balloon leaflet is hanging from the frame, again in the surreal world.  I used a few PS masks, blending options, overlays etc, I won't bore you with the the how to's.  I may go back to this and play more when I have time, I think there is so much more than could be done. I'll blog it when I do.

This was hard work, but when I got into it I quite liked the surreal world, where imagination can be set free outside the norm.

This is a whopper of a plug!

Hi Everyone, I have enjoyed the free Dearie Dolls images so kindly given by Mary Ellen Smith on her blog Here for a few years.

Because of her kindness I felt it my duty to do a whopper of a plug for her book about a little pig who is frightened by Halloween.

This is the link to Amazon where it is available.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OP4V6CI 

I hope you don't mind me doing this, after all it's the only way I can thank her for all the images I have had.

Thank you Mary 

Christmas card

Hi Everyone. Here I am with my GDT post for Deedee's Digis with, would you believe it, a Christmas card, now that is something I don't usually do this early LOL.  I thought this magnificent Stag / Moose coming out of the forest looked so peaceful, it had to be the Peace on Earth sentiment included on the Winter Woods kit.

I printed and cut out the stag and background and printed his head and antlers again, which I cut out and 3D layered on the background layer, I added lots of glitter - of course.

I cut a 3D frame & box card on my Cricut with a file from Shirley's cards, I think it suited the image coming out of the woods.  I cut some snowflakes and added bling to the centre and a bow to one of them.   The sentiment colour was matched to the image and I embossed it in PS, the DP by A Heimann in 2012 was also matched from it's original colour to the image. I cut the included box and added the DP and a snowflake, plus a label for the addressee. I forgot to take a photo of the card in the box with the ribbon around it duh!

Black and Orange

Hi Everyone, as GD I saw that I could use another of Deedee's images, however, I have done a bit of playing in PS and have achieved something I haven't done before, nothing new on that front LOL.

I used the original image, clipped to a circle, added a layer mask to show the cat only, and a graphic pen filter, this way I left the original layer whole, but made the rest into a, shall I call it a "line drawing?"  I have to say this was all in "playing" I didn't know what I would come up with and something I hadn't done before, but I love the effect.

I then had to do something with it, I searched my files and came across one I hadn't used before, not unusal, as I have more than I should have!  The cutting file is by Krewella Kreations here. The paper is also from KK. I changed the colour in PS to match the card. I changed the sentiment from the file too, as I found this freebie (no longer available) by When the Scrap Hits the Fun blog, and liked it,  after cutting out I added 3D gloss to the nose and eyes of the cat and paw pads then added ribbon.

http://www.fairytalestamper.blogspot.de/2014/10/challenge-46.html Something New - 1. new use of PS filters. 2. Digi is new 3. Haven't used the cut file before, so I suppose that is new too.

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/challenge-229-too-cute-to-spook.html  Too cute to spook - Yep!

http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/challenge-72-halloween-or-use-lots-of.html  Use lots of Orange - Yep!

Celebration

Hi Everyone another GD card for Deedee's - subject Party Celebration for the challenge going on at the Outlawz.

I used the same sketch as Here love how they look so different. The DTs and image are all from the Fun and Festive kit at Deedee's Digis, it's a FREEBIE, go to the Try It section and download. The kit also has outline images so you could change the colours of the cake.

DSC # 110 Your Hero

It's time for a new challenge at

 Digitally Sweet Challenges

the Theme is 

Your Hero

sponsored by  Bugaboo Digi Stamps

My Hero, of course it is my Mum, a stylish, elegant, lovely lady who worked hard throughout her life, she was still working in her early 70's.  A fit, beautiful woman, who lived through hardship and still maintained her lovely smile.  

Due to what I call negligence, after a knee replacement, she had to have an amputation above the knee when she was 83.  The hours after the operation, one of my brother's and I entered her room imagining she would be very ill, in fact we didn't think she would survive the operation, but, we should have known better, with the temerity of this remarkable woman, she asked us "What have I missed today?".

Within 24 hours she was travelling around the ward in a wheelchair and never looked back.  She didn't take to a prosthetic limb so lived the next 8 years doing everything in her "little flat" (as she called it) in her wheelchair, on her own. She had carers come in, but they only went there for a chat as she had already done what they were supposed to do.  I was working full time and did what I could but, she insisted that I had enough to do than look after her!  She loved going out in the car each Sunday when she would tell hubby - "follow your nose" when asked where she would like to go. It didn't matter where, she just loved the countryside and the sea.

There is one story I have to recount, which I think shows how she loved to be centre of attention too.

 When she was 89, she told everyone she was 90 - just in case she didn't reach 90!  as she wanted to have a celebration, she certainly did, with at least a hundred cards, she was thrilled and couldn't stop smiling. One of her friends said to me "she doesn't look 90 does she?" I had to agree, what else could I do?  I didn't lie though, as she certainly didn't look 90! We, the family, had to laugh though.  

When her real 90th birthday came around, my youngest brother planned her 90th birthday celebration, which took place at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Newport, (NATO have been there recently) he arranged surprises all night, with over 100 family and friends invited from all over the UK and family from the USA, a Welsh Male Voice Choir from her home village singing for her, amongst other things, and fireworks  to finish the most memorable evening.  The evening is still talked about within the extended and close family.

She saw her 90th birthday and her 91st.  The Minister at her funeral also regaled the story of her twice over 90th birthday, which had people nodding and smiling in recognition, this was my MUM.

After sending the layout to the family, one of her granddaughters sent this reply which I thought I had to add.
"I miss her so desperately, and as I get older I miss her even more !  She was such a "Force" in my life, and maybe, some of her style did rub off on me ! haha
One thing Nana did,  which we all took for granted, was that she loved her children and family so much, it was at an exclusion of everybody else, we WERE HER LIFE !  A very selfless act, that we all took for granted, as she was always there for us, and especially for me!"

Baby Boy

Hi Everyone, my 3rd offering for Deedee's Digis is this baby card for my son's Community Psychiatric Nurse, who has just had a baby boy, well his wife has LOL.

I printed the image on printable acetate, so it hopefully looks like the stork is flying to the house, I then coloured the image from behind with marker pens to make it a stronger colour for the acetate.  The house is made from the blue paper from the same kit "Special Delivery" (it also has pink for a girl and different skin tones for the baby).

The house was prepared in PS, by adding the door and windows on top of the main background. I printed out another layer for the door. I added the included sentiment to the corner of the card.  The inside was also done in PS with the another sentiment included in the kit and of course the smashing stork again.

The roof is a cut file, so is the flower border to which I added red Stickles.

I know I use PS. but I'm sure this can be done in any program including Word, by you clever people but, which would baffle me LOL.

Inside - Baby delivered and hanging on door knob LOL

roof border by  Heather M 

flower border by SheryKDesigns