Time for a new challenge at I Love Digi and some fab news!!

Hello my blogging buddies, and a very happy Thursday to you all.
Well actually I'm gonna do the fab news first.  Last week I opened my email to find one from Elaine at I Love Digi asking if I would like to be a permanent member of the DT for I Love Digi!!! Wooooohoooooo!!  Obviously I said Yes - so thank you Elaine for asking - I'm one chuffed blogger!!!! Not only that but Elaine also asked the other three GDT's if they would like to become permanent members too - and guess what ......... they all said Yes too.  So congrats also to Ali, Jane and Jennifer - now we're just one big happy family!! Wayhay!!
So on to this fortnight's challenge which is Easter - make a card and gift or both. 

Firstly I made my little hanging basket.  I have used a Digital Mandala Stamp from Softpencil (which I have also used for my Softpencil GDT spot). 

I printed it out four times exactly the same size and then cut them all out.  I have coloured them in with Promarkers, Marvy Markers and watercolour pencils.  I have adhered each one to a little box which forms the "basket" and glued each of the four edge of the mandala's around the inner box.  I have added green and yellow ribbon at each corner so that the basket hangs level and added a green and yellow flower at the top where all the ribbons join (so you can't see the join!!).  I'm gonna put some Pot Pouri in the basket to hang in my craft room - so it's a gift from me to me!!

Then I went for the card. For this I have used a fabulous little image called Jenny with Easter Egg from Wendy at Digital Doodling (a major achievement for Wendy at the moment because she is struggling with her hands and wrists - so a very special thank you to Wendy) 

I have coloured the image using ordinary pencils and watercolour pencils (but with no water) in similar colours to my Mandala Basket.

I have printed out some spring like papers from the sadly now defunct Funky Fairy and backed these onto green card. 

I have added two shades of ribbon at the bottom, two little green butterflies and four flat backed green pearls in descending sizes.