Challenges!!

Here are two creations I made for my friend's 40th yesterday... Before making them I decided to make them for the following challenges this week....

CUTE CARD THURSDAY
and an exciting new site:
STAMP SOMETHING

1. 40th Birthday card

This card is for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge
"Challenge 9 - Gems and Jewels
This week our challenge is to use gems or jewels on your card, it's as easy as that!"

GREAT ... I just bought some of these about 1-2 weeks ago and have barely used them... I used some "skittles"/ "gem dots" and some stick on gems for my card. MAKE SURE YOU check out this fantastic challenge site... there are some spectacular cards from the DT there!!

The second challenge site is brand new (very exciting!!!) Have a look at the site and see the lovely examples from the DT at:

STAMP SOMETHING -

"OK, now to the challenge! This whole endeavor is a first for all of us, so in keeping with the theme of "Firsts," our challenge this week will be "First Somethings." Challenge yourself to try something entirely new. Attempt a new layout or color combination or a new technique or fancy fold/card style that you've been wanting to try but have been putting off. You could also just keep with the theme of "Firsts" and make a card for a first birthday, a first baby, a first house, a first car, or any other first you can think of. Keep it as simple or as complicated as you'd like."

the above card does fit in as I do not usually use those colours... but,

2. Notepad cover - never made one of these before - that's a FIRST!

FIRST: I rarely use GREEN on my work ... so not a huge fan, but I think it turned out OK ... I just bought the green ink yesterday as my friend having the birthday is from Ireland and likes green! I made my own paper (thanks for the idea - Robyn!) that's a FIRST for me (I had many attempts and was not liking them so kept on and on)!

Thanks for the challenges!!
and thanks if you have read down this far on this long post!! :)

AND a BIG THANKS to Karen at Charmed Cards and Crafts as she was so helpful in finding my Funtime Dotti order and resending the download too me after I LOST everything on my computer!! I am so stoked that I can use Dottie again!