Distress-ing

Thursday, almost the weekend, phew - it has been a relentless work week and I am feeling a bit limp.  Have done no crafting since last weekend and am getting twitchy now!

The challenge over at SIMON SAYS STAMP is Anything Goes, which is always ridiculously popular, but you have to be in it to win it, as Mr Winton would say, and the focus is on Timmy H products.

Somewhere along the line, something went horribly wrong with this card, but darned if I can put my finger on it.  I just know that I'm not exactly happy with it.

Anyhoo, I have used a Whimsy/Wee Stamp from the Playful Kittens set

Papers are a mixture from a couple of Nitwit/LOTV pads and Dovecrafts

Circular bunting is Whimsy dies and stamps

Flower border punch is Martha Stewart

Butterfly die is Cheery Lynn

Pearls are from Crafty Devils

And my Timmy H product .......Distress Inks (ReInkers) of course!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Peaches n Cream

Hi all - it's Liliday!

It is Team B's week so no card from me but just wanted

to let you know that the

LILI'S LITTLE FAIRIES CHALLENGE

this week is a colour theme of Peaches n Cream,

sounds delicious!

Hugs

Fairy Squirrel xx

Something a bit different (for me)

Thanks everyone who enquired about the safety of last night's dinner - I managed to save it in time and it was delicious, it was more Bubble than Squeak and had a couple of extra ingredients but was well worth the wait!

Now then, it is not often you will see a card from me that doesn't have a painted image on it so I hope you are sitting down and bracing yourselves for this ..........

Ta-dah!!  Isn't that Leafy Vines stamp from Hero Arts simply the most delicious flourishy stamp you have ever set eyes on?!  Yummmm.  Stamped in Danube Blue Memento Ink on a piece of Dovecraft Back To Basics IV paper (which IRL is more blue than grey), and matted on a lavender piece from the same pack.  Butterflies are my trusty Martha Stewart punch from a scrap of purple paper, with a LOTV sentiment.  All gems are from stash.

This is quite grown up and elegant for me, and I quite like it.  Don't get used to it though, it won't last and we will be back to cute and cuddly very soon!!

Hugs Squirrel xx

Lulu

Just a quickie tonight as things are not going to plan and I have Bubble n Squeak turning to charcoal in the pan downstairs!

This little doll is by Kraftin' Kimme from the Birthday Lulu set of stamps - painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and teamed with papers from Dovecraft Back To Basics IV collection.  Those delicious pearls I bought from Crafty Devils.  Sentiment is Hobby Arts.

Off to rescue the dinner ..........

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Anniversary Surprise

Afternoon all - another grey and snowy day here in Suffolk.  Well, I say snow, but really, it was a poor attempt, it was those little wispy bits like polystyrene bobbles, here and gone in seconds.  

I did Christmas yesterday with the polar bears, so let's have something a bit more Spring feeling today shall we?!

This young couple were in the latest LOTV release and the stamp is Anniversary Surprise, awwwwh!

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) - take a deep breath and here goes

Festive Berries, Fired Brick, Milled Lavender, Seedless Preserves, Antique Linen

Frayed Burlap, Dusty Concord, Weathered Wood, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint

Walnut Stain, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Tattered Rose, Old Paper, Scattered Straw

Papers are a mix from the Nitwit/LOTV paper pads of Promises and Petal Fresh

The sentiment is from the LOTV clear stamp set Simply Sophisticated

Flowers and leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Corner Die is ermm, yeah, oops

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Christmas Already?

Well I have discovered where my Mojo has vanished off to - the little devil packed his Speedos, got a cheap flight and has left me to my own devices!  Looks like he is somewhere much warmer than the Arctic conditions we have here today.

But, the snowflakes that are wafting past the window have put me in the mood for Christmas so here is a simple card for you that surprisingly fits several challenges:

Addicted to CAS - Masculine

Allsorts Challenge - Animals

Christmas At Sweet Stamping - Snowflakes

Cute Card Thursday - Simplify

Cards For Men - Wintertime

Christmas Stamping All Year Long - CAS

Totally Gorjuss - Happy

I bought this stamp in the recent LOTV sale - it is one I've hankered after for a while but now it's mine, all mine!  (mwa ha ha ha, evil laugh) Er-hmmm, anyway, it is called Sledging With Daddy.  

Have painted what little needed to be done with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Mowed Lawn, Iced Spruce, Festive Berries, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire, Frayed Burlap,

Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain and Weathered Wood

Snowflake is from a set of Hero Arts sentiments and the Christmas sentiment is who-knows

as I've thrown the wrapper away!  

Paper is a piece of leftover NitWit from the Candles and Cake paper pad from LOTV.

Thanks for stopping by today, I know it isn't easy at weekends to squeeze everything in so I really do appreciate the time you take to visit me.  And a big hello to my new Followers!  Hope you like it here enough to stay with me for a while.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Lili's Little Fairies (DT) Butterflies

Morning all, Mavis Cruet here with another Team A DT post for LILI'S LITTLE FAIRIES CHALLENGE and this week our challenge theme is BUTTERFLIES!

So without more ado here is my card for this week:

Isn't this little chap a cutie?  Ingredients are:

Lili Of The Valley stamp - Bear and Butterflies

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers), of course!

Card shaped using Grand Nestabilities Labels 11 and my Grand Calibur Christmas present (thanks mum!)

Larger butterflies are Martha Stuart punch, little one is a Cheery Lynn die - Bonnets & Bowties paper pad

Spotty paper is ..... errm, First Edition I think

Sentiment is from LOTV Mixed Circular Sentiments clear stamp set

Small pearls and black heart gems from stash, pink and green pearls from Crafty Devils

All you need to do, is use a LOTV image (stamp or die cut) and have butterflies on your card.  Simples!

Hugs, Sxx

Forever Friends

I am soooooo tired that my eyes feel like they have been sandpapered!  It's half term week which means not only is my boss on leave, it seems like 3/4s of the office are missing.  It has been Frantic, with a capital F, and it's still only Tuesday!

Anyhoo, here is a little card that I made at the weekend for the FOREVER FRIENDS MONTHLY CHALLENGE who have a theme for February of Animals and/or Butterflies and/or Birds - so I have an animal and two birds for you.

A lot of stamping on this one, but I loved it.  A while ago my mate Sarah was having a clear-out of stash and I was lucky enough to be able to buy this sweet sweet CC Designs rabbit stamp from her.  Oh so cute, but,  I notice now that I forgot to do his front paws!!  Ack!! (to quote Mary J).

The tufts of grass and the clouds are on one of those cube stamps that seem like a good idea at the time but I have small hands and usually end up dropping them, the sunshine is a Hero Arts stamp that I bought eons ago, and the two little birds are from the LOTV Geisha Girls companion set.  All stamped in Memento inks, with a splash or two of Distress Inks (ReInkers) for the hillocks, birds and bunny.  Matted with a contrasting paper from the scraps box.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Love Me, Love My Dog

First of all, a very BIG Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad, 79 today!  Love you dad!

The challenge at Totally Papercrafts this week is Pets - being an old softie for animals how could I be expected to miss out on this one.  And the ABC Challenge theme is Happy Birthday, so that works out nicely.

So, I've used a LOTV stamp called Puppy Love which was a Christmas present from my fellow Fairy, and very special friend, Jayne.  Thank you again sweetness.

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sorry, I was just too tired to list the colours this time around

Papers are all from the new Dovecraft Back To Basics IV collection

Liliac Gingham "brads" are Card Candi

Sentiment is Personal Impressions

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Air-Boy

Hello chaps, sorry I've been very low profile this weekend - I've not been well at all since Friday night and am only today starting to feel a bit perkier.  Not 100% but on the mend.  Toad said he knew I was ill because I made no attempt to craft yesterday at all.

When I started this card today it was with the intention of it being for the Less Is More Challenge of Up In The Air but I got a bit too carried away.  It is still a CAS card, but a bit more "more" than Less Is More will be looking for.  Undecided as to whether to chance my arm and enter in anyway.  It's probably not "in the air" enough either, but as I won't be challenging the Top 3 what the heck.

I adore this image called Air-Boy from Penny Black/Mo Manning, it is such a wistful look on his face.

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clouds are Woodware, sentiment is Hero Arts

Stars border from stash

Papers are Nitwits and Dovecraft

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Spring/Easter Candy

Evening all - well, I did mention a little while ago that I would run a candy over the Lent period so here it is - this will be for my Followers only and will run until

6.00pm (UK time) on 6th April 2013.

This will coincide nicely with  my blogoversary too.

So, what's on offer - I decided to make this interesting and have two prizes

Prize 1 - £20 Gift Voucher

from LILI OF THE VALLEY

Prize 2 - A Surprise Assortment Goodie Box

This will contain items chosen by me but will be a mixture of

papers, stamps and embellishments and maybe a surprise or two

So all you need to do is:

Be a Follower of my blog

 Leave your name with the linky tool below

Spread the word on your own blog (sidebar is fine)

Hugs, Sxx

Candy Cane Uru

Now most of you know that if you want to find a CAS card, then you can usually find one or two here, I love clean and simple cards and always have done.  I think you would classify my style as straightforward so when I came across a challenge that was new to me called ADDICTED TO CAS I signed up right away.

The current challenge launched yesterday with the Code Word of CANDY.  It's not often I know immediately what I'm going to do for a challenge without any humming and hahhing and faffing about but for this one I went straight to the stamp I had in mind.

I love these Norma Fickel gnomes from Whiff of Joy - this one is Uru and Candy Cane

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Mowed Lawn, Iced Spruce, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany

Tattered Rose, Weathered Wood

Teamed with a matting layer of Dovecrafts Back To Basics Christmas paper

and a sentiment from Hero Arts

I think I must have picked up a "Friday night" pad of Bristol Board at some point as I am noticing some of the pages are not as easy to paint on - the ink is soaking straight in before I can blend, which is a nuisance but it is too expensive to abandon!

Hugs, Sxx

Play On

This is my second post today - click here for Hall Stairs and Landing or simply scroll down.

I'm back with an entry for this week's LESS IS MORE Challenge.  It is One Layer Card week and the theme is Music.

I love the one layer challenges as it gives a real chance to show off the image, and although this is a slightly older LOTV stamp, it's the first time it has been used.  This is Playing Guitar.  As usual it is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) but scrambled-egg-for-brains forgot to list all the colours, sorry.  Sentiment is from a Hero Arts set.

Hugs, Sxx

Hall, Stairs and Landing

Morning all.  How are we today?  I know some of you are not feeling too well so I am sending you the biggest and warmest of furry feel better soon hugs.

I'm a little off-colour today too, but that's in my head, not physically, as I'm suffering one of those blue days when nothing feels right.  Sigh.

Anyhoo, enough of the self-pity wallowing, I came here to show you a card!  The current CRAFT challenge is Use A Bandage/Get Well/Sympathy and I've not been able to join in for so long that I thought I was about time I put that right.

So, I've used a Lucy stamp from a Kanban set, and the sentiment is in the same set

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Vintage Photo, Brushed Corduroy, Tattered Rose, Weathered Wood

Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord, Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap

Papers are all from the Nitwits/LOTV Bear Necessities pad

Around the edge faux stitching done with LOTV Little Stitches set

Now, I can hear you, "what's that to do with hall, stairs and landing?"  Are you sitting comfortably for a little squirrel tale?

When we bought this house in 1998 from a single gentleman, the whole house was top to toe magnolia.  Which is fine in itself, in small doses, but I was craving some colour.  We had slowly worked our way round, room by room, putting our mark on the place.  The sitting room is lavender blue and yellow, the dining room is mint green and white, the kitchen is custard yellow .... you get the idea.  

So that left the hall, stairs and landing.  Neither of us felt brave enough to get ladder and scaffolding out so when we had a man in to do the outside, upstairs window frames and barge boards we had asked for a quote.  Quote accepted, we then started to think about colours and I was determined to have something that coordinated with the living room, which you could see on the right of the hall, and the kitchen, at the far end of the hall, as we are not great fans of closed doors.  We settled on a soft and gentle pink.  I think you might be able to see where this is going now.  

We tried out several test pots and eventually chose the one that fitted.  On the morning the man was due, I went off to work, leaving Toad in charge and my parting words were "soft pink!".  However, on my return home, and Toad has quoted me on this many many times since, my first words on opening the front door were "Bloody hell, Elastoplast pink!!".

And that is what the colour of those papers reminded me of, sticking plasters!!

Hugs, Sxx

Lili's Little Fairies (DT) A Touch Of Romance

Hello Lili fans, and welcome to another Liliday with Team A at LILI'S LITTLE FAIRIES challenge!

This week, as it is that time of year, we are looking for A Touch Of Romance on your cards ..... it doesn't have to be Valentine's, it could a "just because I love you" card if you feel like it, but we would like to see some love in the air.

The Team A DT have created some wonderfully romantic cards, it just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy looking at them.  Oh, wait, no, that's me that's warm and fuzzy, but you get my drift!  Anyhoo, here is my card, quite a simple one for you, but that's what you get here, simple!

I've used one of the older but still gorgeous couples stamps called Together Forever

Yes, I know the swing is lop-sided, but I reckon he is heavier than she is .....!

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I did this a little while ago and have lost the list of colours, oops

Papers are from scraps box but the beige spotty one in the background I have overstamped with

a Penny Black clear heart stamp

I think the pink papers are Anita's, and the Love sentiment is from a Papermania collection

Borders and corners are from stash

Right then, all that's left is for you to use a LOTV image and get your love thing going!  Looking forward to seeing your entries this week.

Hugs, Sxx

Ready Teddy Go

Wednesday.  Back at work.  Halfway through the week so how can it still feel like Monday morning!!  Never mind eh, only three days to the weekend!

Always a sucker for a teddy bear, how could I resist this month's READY TEDDY GO challenge of Love Is In The Air .....

Awwh, just look at him, whispering sweet nothings to his girliebearfriend.  How cute?  

This little chap is Telephone Ted from LOTV,  

Bear is painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain, Tattered Rose and Spun Sugar.  

I've paper pieced the telephone with a scrap of Nitwits from the Perfect Pair pad

(which you can get from LOTV).  

The papers are from a magazine freebie Me To You pad, and sentiment is...

yes, you've guessed it, LOTV Scroll Sentiments.

Hugs, Sxx

He Shoots He Strikes He Scores!

Morning all, bet you didn't expect to see me on a Tuesday morning.  This is the second of my two days left from last year's holiday and although I shall be spending the morning at the doctors for routine check-ups I shall be back and crafting by lunchtime, hopefully.

Yesterday I had a day of getting ahead with some DT cards but felt the urge for a clean and simple card for a breather, so here it is.

And they don't come much more clean and simple as this!  I've used a Sugar Nellie stamp called Striker, a sentiment from Hero Arts, and some Dovecraft green plain paper for the matting layer.  Image has been painted with Distress Inks.

Finis!

Hugs, Sxx

Without Words (DT) February

Morning all - it is the first Monday of the month which means another new challenge over at WITHOUT WORDS - if you haven't given the challenge a try yet why not pop over and visit.

So, the FEBRUARY challenge is I LOVE TO LOVE and we are focusing on the reds, the pinks, romance and sentimental.  You don't need it to be a Valentine card, just one for someone you love.

And we have a new sponsor with us too, a perfectly named one for a romantic challenge I think, so let us give a big welcome to Teresa at MY CRAFTY HEART who has offered us a £10 store voucher for the winner.  Wonderful!

Before I get to my DT card I need a word ..... sadly a few entries have not been complying with our simple rules and whilst it is so difficult to have to discount them, discount them we must to make it fair for those who have played nicely.  So, to recap, this is what Without Words are looking for:

CLEAN AND SIMPLE

MUST BE A HANDCOLOURED IMAGE

MINIMAL OR NO EMBELLISHMENTS

YOU CAN USE A SENTIMENT BUT IMAGE MUST BE THE MAIN FOCUS

OF YOUR CARD

PLEASE FOLLOW THE THEME OF THE MONTH

So that is the strict bit over with, now here is my card for this month:

The stamped image is Her Heart - a Mo Manning design in rubber by Penny Black

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are all downloaded NitWits

Sentiment is LOTV

Do check out what the Design Team have done - wow, those girls are talented.  I am so blessed that they all agreed to join me on this adventure.  Thank you girls, from the bottom of my heart.

Hope to see you getting romantic in February!

Hugs, Sxx

Four Ears Two Noses

Afternoon all - are you having a restful Sunday?  For once, I am not getting all anxious halfway through the day because ...... I'm not working on Monday!!  Whooo!

Anyhoo, bit of a love-in for you today, awwwwwh, with a card for three challenges

Allsorts Challenge - Let's Get Cute

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Love and Marriage
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

This stamp - Daisy Bunnies - has to be one of my most used and loved Penny Black stamps, it comes out for wedding, anniversaries, engagements, and it never fails to enchant.

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain, Tattered Rose, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Fired Brick, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marigold

Papers are from a new pad from Nitwits/LOTV called Perfect Pair, and every single page is delicious.  This is the sort of paper that you want to sit and stroke instead of cutting into!  The sentiment is LOTV too from the Simply Sophisticated set.

Hugs, Sxx

Baby Boom

Now then, I'm not sure if it is because of the recession and people are staying at home and making their own "entertainment", so to speak, but there seems to be a bit of a baby boom going on!  Suddenly I am surrounded by expanding friends with tight clothes and odd dietary requirements. 

Anyhoo, one of the ladies at work will be departing soon for her maternity leave so this one will be for her:

I've used the adorable Walkie Time from LOTV - how cute is that little bear in the pram!!

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Scattered Straw, Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy, Frayed Burlap, Antique Linen

Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Spun  Sugar, Worn Lipstick

Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint

Papers are downloaded NitWits

Pearls are from Crafty Devils, and that fiendish Corner Bow die is Memory Box

I will do the inside to coordinate and have a good luck message for her.

I had a parcel of delights arrive from LOTV today with the new Spring Stamps and Paper Pads - when I have wiped the dribble off them I shall have a little play.  Watch this space for one of the cutest rabbits you will have ever seen!

Hugs, Sxx