How do you like the new look? {Look what I managed to make- and it isn't a card!}

My blog has looked the same for nearly a year and I thought it was about time for a change. To be honest I was afraid to mess with it, based on the 'If it ain't broken, don't try to fix it!' principle.

Anyway, I took the bull between the horns earlier this week and tried a new background and added a header for the first time. After a few panics with the header I had it all on and looking right! I lived with it for a few days and then decided it wasn't quite what I was after!

So I looked again and found another design, made from a Summertime Designs kit that I love. (I have got really into downloading Digi Scrapping kits lately, but all I do with them is resize and print the papers for my cards. I have ambitions to try digi scrapping but I don't really know where to start.) With more confidence this time I put it on my blog and I like it.

Don't know what happened to me last night, but I started looking around the internet and admiring the really co-ordinated blogs with signatures and post dividers etc. and found a few tutorials. I had a go at making a post divider using Photoshop but could not figure out a few things. After a few questions to my very computer literate husband, who seemed amused that I was trying to have a conversation about transparent backgrounds and PNG files, I had another go this morning. I managed to create the post divider and saved it!

That was only half the battle! Now I had to get it onto my blog after each post! According to the tutorial I had to alter the HTML code of my blog to do this which was really scary, especially for someone who had been afraid to change the background only a week ago! So I backed up the template, as instructed, and began- I don't think I breathed again until I previewed it and there it was! I was so excited when I went through to tell my husband and all he could say was "See, it wasn't hard was it!"

I know this might not be rocket science for some of you out there but this was huge for me, so I just thought I would tell you about it!

Guitarist Birthday Card...

Another card for a member of my church housegroup. This is for Ben who is away at University at the moment so I will take it this week for us all to sign so he knows we are thinking of him. I wanted to use this image but did not want the card to look too young so I used dark design papers from two free downloads by Summertime Designs- Vintage Oreos and a Year to Shine. I always ink the edges of printed papers as it takes away the sharp white edge and gives them a 'finished' look.

I am entering this card in Allsorts recipe challenge of 1,2,3 as it has 1 image, 2 design papers and 3 stars.

My first easel card...

...I know I'm miles behind everyone else to try this one but now I have I can see me making more!I have recently joined a housegroup at church and we were sharing out roles- one was to remember birthdays and get a card and cake so I volunteered! This is for Rachel as she mentioned getting some new plants for her garden at our last meeting.

It fits in with lots of challenges:

I have followed the great sketch at One Stop Craft. The colour combo of 'green + one' comes from My Time To Craft, my plus one is pink. The theme at Spoon Full of Sugar was 'springtime' and the papers I have used are called 'Sweet Springtime', also I think the little flower hints at the start of spring. The papers also fit with 'something old that's new' at OCC because I downloaded them from Summertime Designs months ago and have only just used them. The card is easel style which makes it multifold- the challenge at Secret Crafter. Finally, the ribbon is Pink Elephant's challenge and the brads fit with Cute Card Thursday's 'metal mania'.

Two Valentines for the men in my life...

...don't get excited! I mean my husband and my son!

This cheeky little number is for my husband. I thought I might be pushing it with the image AND the sentiment but it made him laugh when he opened it this morning! You see he is rather 'cuddly' and this Murray and Ethel image reminded me of him- in the nicest possible way! I love that Murray and Ethel sentiment too. We have always said "Do you love me?" and replied "I'm still here, aren't I!" so you get the picture of what we are like! The papers are a free (for personal use) download from Shabby Princess.This is for my son so it had to be boyish rather than the traditional Valentines colours. I found the right papers in a recent download which was a free collaboration called Dr Love from Collies Corner and Sweet Digi Scraps. 'Billy' images from Pink Cat Studio are perfect for him right now and this set has mini stamps for the center of the heart- I chose 'Hug me' because I love hugs from him and dread the day when he decides he is too big for them!

Not surprisingly, quite a few of the challenges have Valentines as their theme this week so I am entering these cards for My Time to Craft, Cute Card Thursday and Dutch Dare. Charisma Cardz has 'male' as their theme so I am also entering them both for this.