LOTV - Sketch by Domi

Can anyone tell me what happened to Saturday?  I'm sure it was there, between Friday and today, but crumbs it went by in a flash!

This week over at LILI OF THE VALLEY there is a sketch by the fabulous Domi for us to play with.  Can anyone tell me how from a sheet of NitWits paper that looks like quilted fabric I ended up with a Christmas card?  No, me neither.  I worry myself sometimes.

Isn't this little chap adorable?  I wonder if he thinks there is a treat in that cracker just for him.  Papers all NitWits (that came free with a magazine), bow is LOTV, sentiment from a Fizzy Moon stamp set, EK Success retro flower punches and pearls from stash.

And by the tip of my whiskers, I think I can sneak this in for ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - O for Oldie - as the stamp is last year's Christmas issue.

Right then, bacon sandwich and Hungarian Grand Prix here I come ........

Hugs Sxx

Ahoy There Me Hearties!

This is my second entry for this week's LILI OF THE VALLEY Fun & Games challenge.  Can you tell I'm not in the mood for facing the Christmas cards yet?

I've used LOTV's Land Ahoy and painted in, yes, you've guessed it, Distress Inks.  I've used a fabulous set of Nitwit papers that were free with a recent magazine - perfect partner for the stamp.  Sentiment is Hero Arts.

Hugs Sxx

Stop Press! Read All About It!!

An interesting challenge from SIMON SAYS STAMP this week with a theme of Newspaper!

Here's my rather brown take on it:

Two gorgeous stamps from Elzybells (no longer available), Distress Ink painted, papers from a coverless pad of K&Co and matting card from stash.

Hugs Sxx

When Less Is More isn't

Morning all, what are you up to today?  I'm patiently waiting for a bacon roll, and will then settle down to watch the German Grand Prix and a bit of cross stitching.  After that it'll be off to the craft space to play for a while and watch the final stage of the 2011 Tour de France, and then dinner and a dose of Top Gear.  Feels like the perfect day!

Oh the shame of it, I missed last week's LESS IS MORE challenge.  I just could not find any inspiration for it so sorry to Chrissie and Mandi.  But I'm back with an entry for this week's Recipie challenge of Button or Ribbon.

Now, the challenge is in the singular - Button - not Buttonssssssss so I may get my wrists slapped for this one (even though it does mention plurals on the challenge).

I've used two Magnolia stamps - the tree and the presents - and a Penny Black sentiment.  Then I got carried away with decorating the tree with the contents of my button box. 

Hugs, Sxx

When You Wish Upon A Star

Happy Saturday peeps, hope all is well out in blogland today.  Had a frantic week back at work after my holiday - I swear if they don't recruit someone else soon I may implode!  I cannot tell you how pleased I was to see Friday night arrive.

And there is nothing like a bit of crafting for some rest and relaxtion is there?  Has to be the best tonic in the world.

Today over at PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE the theme is Starburst and, unusually for me, I knew immediately where I was going with this one

It's only a little card (6x4) but I think it makes quite a statement!  Have used PBs Catch A Star stamp (one of my earliest PBs) and the PB Make A Wish sentiment.  Papers and blue card are from Little Sizzlets Country pad and the yellow stars are from scrap box.  Martha Stewart border punch to finish.

Feeling a bit blue just now - I think it is the realisation that we are almost at the end of July and Christmas cards are looming.  Oh well, best I buckle down and get on with them hey?! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hugs Sxx

The Innocence of Childhood

Remember the days when you were never happier than when you had a big old cardboard box to play with and it could turn into anything you wanted it to?  A racing car?  A fire engine?  A tank?  A huge lorry?  Yeah, I bet even girls wanted to drive one of those enormous lorries!

So, with that in mind, I knew exactly what stamp I wanted to use for LILI OF THE VALLEY "Fun & Games" challenge this week

I've used LOTV's Little Lorry Bear and painted him with Distress Inks.  I've used a mixture of Basic Grey and Dovecraft papers and some Papermania cardstock.  The card is from the Christmas pack and is supposed to be gold but it looks like yellow/mustard to me!  I tried to distress the edges of the layers with Tea Dye ink but think I've been too cautious with the colour, it doesn't look strong enough now it's all togethre.  Sentiment is also LOTV from their Clear Additions range.  Finishing touches are handcut photocorners in Basic Grey and some Pebbles Inc Candy Dots.

As I think this would be great for a Little Bear of any age, I'm also entering him into CUTE CARD THURSDAY For His Eyes Only challenge.

Just before I go, here is a better pic of that bear!

Hugs, Sxx

PB @ Allsorts - Flowers

Happy Wednesday everyone - halfway though the week, yaah, soon be the weekend.

This is my second entry into this month's PENNY BLACK AT ALLSORTS challenge who have the theme of Flower Power for July.

I've used a PB Slapstick called Thinking of You, not my normal kind of stamp but she is growing on me a bit.  The sentiment comes with the image.  Coloured with Copics.  Papers are from a Wild Rose Studio pack that is Japanese themed.  Martha Stewart butterfly punch and pearls to finish.

Hugs Sxx

All About Boys

Well, this is only the second time I've entered the TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge since I got kicked off the Design Team for bad behaviour earlier this year (only kidding, honest, I stepped down voluntarily) and I thought it was about time I annoyed the Gorjussettes and had a go.

The theme of the challenge this week is ALL ABOUT BOYS - here's my card

 Image is a Nellen Snellen called Celebrate - I'm not sure if the cat is trying to steal his present or flick his ear!  Aaargh, forgotten the papers - Fine & Dandy I think but can't remember who by but I've used them a lot for boy cards.  Sentiment is an LOTV calendar stamp and the stars are silver peel offs that I coloured with a black ProMarker, stuck on the paper and then cut out.

Not sure if there are enough circles on the card to qualify for this week's CUTE CARD THURSDAY Going Round In Circles challenge but I'll enter anyway, they can always disqualify me if needs be!

And CUPCAKE CRAFT CHALLENGE are asking us to Wish Upon a Star so I hope two stars are enough.

Wish I'd done his parcel and ribbon different colours now but hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Is it just me or is it very quiet in Blogland at the moment?  Feel like I've been talking to myself for the past couple of weeks and it's not even school holidays yet.

Hugs Sxx

Pot Plant Emma

I can't believe where the last week has gone!  It's back to work tomorrow (groan) and it only feels like two minutes since I was there.  Do you think they would understand if I phoned in tomorrow and said I needed another week?  No?  Nah, me neither.  Sigh.

As the reaction to my first entry in this week's LILI OF THE VALLEY blue and pink challenge was, shall we say, restrained, I thought I'd have another go and see if this one goes down a bit better ......

This time I've used Emma Pot Plant and she is, of course, painted in Distress Inks

Papers are My Minds Eye, I think it was a free pack with a magazine and it's Spring themed.  Gorgeous, wish I'd got a second one! 

Felt quite pleased with myself for managing to curve the Hero Arts sentiment to fit the edge of the circle.  I used the waste from the Nestie, stuck it with tape to an acrylic block and that gave me the border to line up my sentiment with, took away the card, inked the stamp, took a deep breath and there it is.

Also tried the faux doilly edging for the first time today - don't think the result is too bad but I need to work out what to do with the ends to get them a bit neater.

Matting layer is simply white cardstock coloured with a Ruby ProMarker - I was trying to get it to tie in with the colour of the roses.

Here's the arty shot complete with cat hair (you can tell I don't dust often in the conservatory)

And the inside (again using the MME papers and a Hero Arts sentinment)

And just in case you aren't completely bored already, here's a close up on Emma and her pot plant

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs Sxx

Birthday Bunting

Hello Peeps, hope you are having a super Saturday so far.  The glorious sunshine of yesterday has given way to clouds and rain but I don't mind, I'm still having a good day!

Before I get to my card for today, I have some special thank you's to say to the following wonderful friends (in no particular order): Helen, Samantha, Kaz, Jackie, Pauline, Cynthia, Alison, Zippy, Debs and Kay for your gorgeous birthday cards - they are all on display for everyone to see and I am so thrilled to have received each and every one.  My thanks also to Chrissy, Marianne and Lisa for their sweet birthday wishes.  You all really know how to make an old girl feel very special!

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE have a real summery feel to their challenge this week with the theme of Bunting - and I think there is a particular stamp set that is going to take a real hammering - I've used it too!

Oh I do so love Penny Black hedgies, this one is Hedgy Delivery and is one of my first ever PB stamps (worryingly I can remember the first time I used it too - so the memory hasn't gone completely, even at my age, lol).  Coloured with Copics (yellow bicycle - well it is the Tour de France!) and teamed with a mixture of PaperMania Capsule papers and some from scraps box.  Bunting is of course Hero Arts, as is the main sentiment.

Hugs, Sxx

Doing It The Hard Way

My dad always reckons that if there was a hard way to do anything then it would be me that would find it.  I think that's a slight exaggeration but this time I think he might have it right!

This week over at LILI OF THE VALLEY it's a colour combo challenge, and one of my favourites - Pink and Blue.

Yesterday, because it was so cold, wet and windy, we abandoned the idea of visiting the zoo and stayed local.  One place we did get to was The Range.  I wanted to stock up on Bristol Board but also fancied having a try with one of the X-Cut glass cutting mats and, yippee, they had them in stock so as soon as we got home it was out of the box and I had A&E on speed dial.  Now, logic says that with it being glass it will be slippery - but until you put a craft knife to it you don't appreciate just HOW slippery!  Anyhoo, I had the idea of paper piecing for this challenge and was pleasantly surprised at how precisely the glass mat let me cut.  Here, let me show you

I would have been struggling to get it that precise with scissors I can assure you!

It was at this point however that I realised I'd done it the hard way.  It would have been far easier to have cut out Milly Flower Power and matted her onto the blue!  Anyway, here is the end result

Sorry that the picture is on the squint - I was trying to get all of it in the patch of sunshine (failed) on the work top.  So, there is Milly, teamed with PaperMania Capsule Collection Blueberry and some stonkingly pink Coordinations card and a tiny bit of Pink Petticoat.  Martha Stewart border and leaf punches, LOTV corner, WOC flower.

Thanks for popping over for a look-see, it is always lovely to see you.  Off to the seaside today for a fish and chip lunch and a game of crazy golf.  Oh it is going to be so painful going back to work on Monday.

Hugs Sxx  

Bumpity Bump!

Morning all - hope you are ok.  I'm pacing the house like the most nervous squirrel you have ever seen - got a dental consult at the hospital this afternoon.  Eeeeeeeek.  Now, you know me and dentists - we don't see eye to eye at the best of times but the hospital is the very place that started this phobia anyway (when I broke my jaw 23 years ago) so I am certainly not looking forward to renewing the acquaintance!

So, to try and take my mind off it all for a little while, here's a happy card for you

I've used this adorable stamp from Lili Of The Valley called Birthday Bumps and painted with Distress Inks.  Again did the clouds with an Ink Duster and Tumbled Glass ink, and the grass I did with a brush that's had a bad hair day.  Papers are all Echo Park Summer Days.

I'd like to enter this for three challenges:

SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything Goes

PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Hot Hot Hot

CRAFTS AND ME - Summertime

And just before I go, we heard the brilliant news last night that Toad's nephew has got a First in his Mechanical Engineering degree!  Way to go Michael!!  So I had to make a quick card to pop in the post didn't I?  This one uses the less-is-more principle

Oh how I do miss Elzybells stamps!  Love this mechanic bear.  Hero Arts sentiment, and another one inside that simply says Let's Celebrate.

Back to pacing ............

Hugs, Sxx

Come And Get It

Morning all - just a quick sneaky post while Toad is out getting petrol for today's jaunt.  No idea where we are going but I just know that he won't sit still for long.  Sigh.

Anyway, I am officially addicted to the new range of Pip stamps from Sugar Nellie - this one is Candy Pip

Painted in Distress Inks, papers are Pink Petticoat Wild Blooms and the sentiment is Hero Arts.

Would like to enter this into this weeks COME AND GET IT CHALLENGE who have a colour theme of light pink, light blue and light green.

Right gotta dash, he'll be back soon.

Hugs Sxx

Geography Test

Right then class, pay attention - who can tell me where I've been today ......

Struggling to work it out?  This last one will give you a massive clue!

Beautiful day at the seaside - had a super lunch on the pier, a wander around some horribly expensive shops, toodled up into the town where Toad fell in love with this brewery jug and just had to have it for his home brew (he has ambitions that boy), into a few more scary shops including a craft cooperative where Toad picked up a fairly ordinary coffee mug that was priced at - gulp - £25!  I made him put it down very carefully, lol!

Tired, sore feet and sun scorched cheeks, but happy.

Hugs, Sxx

Colour Overload!

Morning all, hope this Sunday finds you happy and well.  Toad has a cold.  A really annoying cold.  How do men manage to cough so loudly?  I'm a bit snuffly today so I am hoping it is merely hayfever and not his germs.  Vince is at his usual station in front of the pc screen so I can't see much of what I'm typing as there is a large lump of furriness in the way.  An exciting sports day today - British Grand Prix and a mountain stage for the Tour de France.  Wish I was at Silverstone cheering on the Brits.......... wishing for another Jenson win.

Anyhoo, I ramble - what I came to show you was my card for this week's LILI OF THE VALLEY  challenge which is a sketch by Donalda.  I'll warn you now - I've gone a bit bright with this one.

Warned you!  LOTV image, Distress Ink painted.  Echo Park Summer Days papers, a sheet of Basic Grey for matting and flowers, Card Candi for flower middles, and black peel off borders from stash.

Hugs, Sxx

Sixteen Legs - and no, it's not two spiders!

Afternoon all - busy day so far, what with Church, shopping, British Grand Prix qualifying, getting dinner sorted and the Tour de France ...... but I managed to sneak in some me time for this week's LESS IS MORE challenge.  It's a one layer card challenge with the theme of Something With Legs!

Just to be different, let's start with the second card I made today

FOURTEEN LEGS

Inspired by Chrissy's sponging technique, I used this cute little Sugar Nellie stamp, masked it off with Post-It Notes and with my Ink Dusters did the background with Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks.  I've only part coloured the image but that is deliberate.  Sentiment is Hero Arts.

AND THE OTHER TWO

This is the card I made first today - it is for a friend of ours who is mad keen on river fishing so I'm not sure if he would celebrate or cry if he actually caught a goldfish that size in our rivers!  Wild Rose Studio stamp and a Hero Arts sentiment, image painted in Distress Inks.

Thanks for popping over to visit, I really do appreciate the time you take to come and see me and thank you for all the very kind comments you leave.  Once again I apologise for being so behind with my own commenting - I'm trying hard to keep up!

Hugs Sxx

For Every Cloud ......

Evening all - no card to show you tonight, but a sort of a sneak peek of what I'm up to - anyway, I've been playing with Bev's cloud technique and this is my very first attempt (my Ink Dusters arriving in the post this week) and I'd be grateful to know what you think - am I getting it or not?

I can see now that the one above her head is too uniform - that's my fault for not making my template better - but other than that, I'm quite pleased with it for a first attempt.  Be honest though, what do you think?  Should I have varied the blue tones more?

Catch up with ya tomorrow.  Hugs, Sxx

Late For Everything!

Oh my!  No, it's not a mirage, it really is a frizzy tailed Squirrel, just popping by very quickly.  Spending my whole life chasing my rather ample hindquarters just now - in fact I should be lean and mean, like a whippet, instead of a chubby (most of it is fur, honest) rodent!

Only one more day of work to get through, and then it's HOLIDAY TIME! Wheeeeeeeeee!  I am so behind with so many things that I think I may spend the week just trying to catch up.

And here is one thing that I am embarrassingly late with - a thank you card.

Love this Fizzy Moon character, but still finding him a colouring challenge.  Painted in Distress Inks and partnered with Dovecraft Back To Basics papers and lots of Pebbles Inc Candy Dots and the perfect LOTV sentiment from the Clear Additions range.  EK Success retro flower punch for the flowers.  Layout was inspired by a Papertake Weekly challenge that I was also too late for.

I am hoping that if I let Toad have his way with days out til about midweek, I reckon I could wangle a couple of crafting days by way of payback, especially as it is my birthday next weekend and he'll be being nice to me!  Well, he'd better be anyway (grin).

Hugs, Sxx

The Pencil Pot

Thanks to everyone who offered assistance or recommended sites for making a pencil pot last week.  After a couple of failed attempts to make one from card and struggling with stability and rigidity I had a brainwave and ended up with a piece of altered art.  Here it is

This pot, what my glucosamine tablets came in, was sitting there right under my nose and I didn't even realise it.  I soaked the label off and then found this fabulous striped paper from my stash.  Dinner Tilda was begging to be used so she is coloured with ProMarkers and I used the out-of-the-box technique with an oval Nestie and then mounted that on a slightly larger one cut from a sheet of Basic Grey.  Before sticking the whole lot to the pot I covered it in good old fashioned sticky backed plastic to protect it all.

Hugs Sxx

Two By Two By Two

No, not animals - cards and challenges!  I have two cards for you this afternoon, for two very different challenges, and it is my second attempt at each of them.

The first is LILI OF THE VALLEY Celebrate challenge

I've used Milly Cuddle Time, painted her and her pals in Distress Inks, papers are a mixture of MME and Dovecraft Sugar & Spice and Papermania Henbury Lane.  Sentiment is Penny Black and pearls are from stash.

And the second is LESS IS MORE Shades of Blue challenge

I'm much happier with this one than yesterday's, much simpler and cleaner.  Woodware Clear Magic stamps Woodland Mushrooms and a Hero Arts sentiments, again painted in Distress Inks.

I won't be around much this coming week, but I will try and pop in for a bit of commenting when I get a few minutes.

Hugs, Sxx

Less Is More - Shades of Blue

Hi All, just a quickie this evening as Toad is burning a stir fry downstairs and I'm supposed to be on extinguisher duties!

LESS IS MORE - Colour theme this week in SHADES OF BLUE

I think it's too busy personally.  White card, sponged with Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, over stamped in same colour with Hero Arts flourishes, overstamped in Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire Artemio flower silhouettes, layered on white card sponged with Broken China.  Scrap of polka dot paper with edges inked in Tumbled Glass.  Will have another attempt tomorrow with something simpler.

Hugs Sxx

This Is What Happens When .....

......... you don't think an idea through properly!  Morning all, hope you are having a happy, sunny, Saturday so far.  After a week of searing heat, thunder storms and sudden downpours I am hoping that today's sunshine is going to stay around for a few hours at least.

PENNY BLACK AT ALLSORTS July Challenge is Flower Power and I thought I would use the same stamp that I used bits of for last week's Less Is More challenge.  It's from the Penny Black Flower Gallery clear set and it's so pretty.

But this is where the idea when a bit doolally.  I settled on colouring it in Copics, and having tried out various colours I ended up with lilac.  Nothing wrong with that I hear you say.  No, true enough, lilac is a very pretty colour, but my card has ended up like a sympathy card, which wasn't the original intention!

I thought I would add some pearls to try and lift it a bit, but now it just looks like a Victorian sympathy card.

Me thinks I shall have another go at the challenge and make something more cheerful!

Hugs, Sxx

Maisie Two Balloons - LOTV Celebrate!

Evening all (is there anyone out there not watching Wimbledon?) hope you are ok.  Just popped up to the pc during the second set as it was all getting too much for one little squirrel.

Well ....... it's been one of those weeks, and I'm feeling ..... feeling.....what's the word I'm looking for.....grumpy......contrary....stroppy...difficult.....mardy.....oh yes, that's it, ar*ie!  Yes folks, I'm turning into what my darling, delicate, daddy refers to as a right ar*ie mare.  I need a holiday!

Anyhoo, on a lighter note - LILI OF THE VALLEY are looking for Celebrate cards this week and (as some of you may have noticed from my whoopsie posting last night), what better image for a celebration than little Maisie Two Balloons

I've used papers from the Dovecraft Tea Shop collection and paper pieced Maisie's balloons and dress from the same papers I used for the backing and the flowers.  Hopefully it means it all coordinates!  What's left of Maisie I have painted in Distress Inks and the little "celebrate" sentiment is from a Hero Arts set.  Glittery borders from stash.

It's a simple card, but hey, what else can you expect from a simple squirrel!

Hugs, Sxx