Happy Easter Sunday and new challenge day

It is my turn to set the challenge at Quirky Crafts and in honour of my soon to be born Grandson, I called it a Quirky Happy Event.

This card is made using two images from the challenge sponsor: Stitchy Bear Stamps, called Baby Sleeping and Toy Bunny. I paper Pieced my images with blue and white gingham, you have to use gingham in any form, and added novelty buttons - another must. The theme is either a soon to be happy event or a new baby. The background paper is by Dovecraft, the nursery rhyme ribbon was from Crafty Ribbons I think. Die cuts by Spellbinders, and coloured with Hero Arts Shadow ink. The gingham paper is some from a pick an mix merchant, I think Payper Box, and it is strange with a backing that looks almost waterproof.

I may manage another example soon, there is one more image to be shown that the DT didn't use.

To see more wonderful examples, see the full details and to join in with the possibility of winning a $10 voucher from Stitchy, hop on over to the Quirky Crafts Challenge blog.

This card is not what I started out making, I was going to make my first ever word book cut out by the ecraft, and use several images and sentiments, and I cut the card book but then came to cut the paper letters to decorate it. Well - I bought the ecraft when they first arrived over here, and at first there were a lot of teething problems, then there were software updates and it seemed to sort the problems out. Still I didn't really use my new toy, I tried it out a couple of times, wanted to design on it and just didn't get round to it when I was working full time.

Recently I decided that there are so many good cutting files out there to buy that I would buy a few and get started with those, then when I got more confident decide on some new software and get designing. The problems started when I tried cutting paper, it tore, it got all rucked up, it was terrible! So I thought I would check out the Craftwell site and there are some great video tutorials there now that weren't around when I first got the machine and one was on cutting paper. So I watched it and tried again, with a little more success, I needed to add a "mat" or stabliser in the form of a piece of card and change the tab settings. My file with letters A and B partly worked, both letters were cut out but the centres of the B were not. Then I turned the paper and tried on the unused part, disasterous effect, the paper all screwed up and got into a mess.

So I watched the video again, and saw that the paper was not the full width of the card mat, so I trimmed my paper to make it narrower. Now it feeds in perfectly and out again, and the ecraft traces the letters but doesn't cut them one little bit, oh dear. I posted for help on the forum and then started thinking what else I could make, and this was after waking yesterday with small migraine that became a large migraine and one I couldn't shake off all day despite taking co-codamols and trying to sleep which was impossible, we had a houseful for the weekend, and there was just too much noise even after they all went out in the afternoon, just as I was getting off to sleep (and I really needed to sleep to shake it) the phone rang and woke me up!

At least today my migraine was gone, maybe I should have gone for the Zapain right away yesterday but I feel so awful after I have taken them.

We had a lovely big family barbeque on Friday afternoon, the sun had gone by then unfortunately but everyone sat out in their coats and all enjoyed it. Today we had a nice roast lunch and mid afternoon all of our visitors departed leaving us alone again. So after making my card ready for the challenge we took the dogs out round the fields for a long walk.

I have entered this card in the Kaboodles Doodles Monday challenge - New Life