Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 13/12/10

Over at the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge this week the topic is "first and last card" ie you have to show one of your first cards made and one most recent.  Yikes - that's scary.  I started making cards in December 2004 but had no camera then so my first cards I have a photo of are the thank you cards I made for various people who had helped my husband when I was in hospital for seven weeks in January 2005.  I did look a few other photos but was so horrified I took the DVD of the images out.

  My 2005 card

 My 2010 card

I recently won some candy from a fellow blogger and part of the candy was some gorgeous double-sided paper.  I couldn't wait to have a play with it as it was such good quality - sorry I don't know the make.  I also won a challenge last week and won the choice of some images so have used one on this card of a gorgeous Charlston gil from Di's Digital Downloads.  I have coloured the image with Promarkers.  The papers I have well and truly hacked with Tim Holtz's distressing tool, used cut-and-dry foam with Tim Holtz's Brushed Corduroy and Rusty Hinge ink pads to ink well into the edges of the paper to give good definition.  Some off-cut strips I also distressed to layer over the image.  The card is then finished off with a Personal Impressions stamped sentiment, gorgeous square brads, three flowers and a sparkly brad.

I can't tell you how many days it has taken to make this card as you'd never believe me.  All I can say is that a dodgy tooth and infection can certainly do nasty things to a body.  My visit to the dentist yesterday was horrendous but I have been temporarily "fixed" until my next appointment on 13/1/11.  I've still got my antibiotics to finish and learn not to bite on my front tooth until it's all finished in six weeks' time.

This card fits the following challenges:

Fun with Shapes and More - Scalloped
Sew Many Cards - Flower power
Digis with Attitude - Anything goes
Stamp Something - Digi Day
Gingerloft - Distressing
If the Shoe Fits Scrap It - Texture
One Stitch at a Time - Surprise us
Simon Says Stamp and Show - a Lord Tim of Holtz technique
Created by Hand - Shades of blue
Creative Card Crew - Anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - Anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
Rainbow Lady's - Vintage delight
Ai Factory - Anything goes.