Free Papers

Good morning all, hope you are having a sunny Saturday.  After the most awful week of wet (my shoes are still drying out after their drenching on Tuesday), today we have wall to wall light and warmth.  Lovely job.

Now then, I bet many of you will have bought Simply Cards & Papercraft this month because of the free gift - the LOTV/Nitwits papers and birthday stamp - yep I bought them as well, in fact I bought two copies as I love those Bonnets & Bowties papers, and I was thrilled to discover some of the new "solids" papers in there too, which promptly lead me to buy the proper pad from LOTV, and the other two pads as well while I was there of course.  I think I need to learn the meaning of restraint!

Anyway, here is what I did with my free papers:

Stamped image is Whimy/Wee (Sylvia Zet) "Emily"

Coloured in Distress Inks (ReInkers) with Polychromos pencils for her hair

I patiently measured and cut 21 rectangles (with scissors I must add)

I found my Nestie oval die was the wrong shape for Emily so I used my old but faithful

WS Template oval, which again was hand cut (so a bit of a wobble)

And of course the sentiment is the free one that came with the papers

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Have yourselves a super weekend, whatever you are up to

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Look!! No Inks!

After yesterday's admission that I had posted a card off without taking a photo of it, imagine my delight when I actually discovered a pic on my phone!  OK it's not the best pic in the world, and it needed a little help with Auto-Fix, but at least I have one.

 

You might want to sit down for this.

 

 

Not a Distress Ink in sight!

This cute Woodware owl has been entirely paper pieced

LOTV/Nitwits Always & Forever papers

Ditto for the matting layer

Hero Arts sentiment

 

And I am pleased to report that it was very well received by a pink loving owl fan!

 

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

 

Going Out

Evening all, here I am with a late production for today but I wanted to enter the challenge of Spots n Stripes over at Little Claire Designs

I fell in love with this Little Claire "Going Out" stamp a while ago but it's the first time I have

been brave enough to use it

Part paper pieced and part Polychromos pencils - I added blue shading to the coat to give it more depth and make it more puffa jacket

Papers are Dovecraft Back to Basics

Those wee little houses are Memory Box Tiny Village dies

Sentiment is from Hobby Arts

Thanks everyone for your continued visits and support, your comments always cheer me up and I appreciate each and every single one.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sugarpuffs and Cheesecakes

This isn't the card I was going to blog today.  Oh no siree, little ol' numpty squirrel here has just discovered that the one she wanted to post was sent on it's merry way without me taking a photo of it first.  Aaargh.  And it was a little cracker too.  Oh sugarpuffs and cheesecakes!!

Oh well, not to worry, as I have another little cracker for you here.

This is Crafter's Companion - Angelica With Flowers

Painted with Distress \Inks (ReInkers)

Background stamp is a wooden one but I can't remember who by, stamped in a pink Distress Ink onto plain pink paper

Wild Rose Studio Corner Florish die

And a Die-namics With Love border die

One of my work-mates saw this and liked it so much that she ordered one "exactly" like it.  I don't do exact!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Elephants come in brown too ......

Good morning folks, and welcome to Wednesday - and yes, that means it is my DT day for The Stamp Basket blog.  For those of you developing an allergy to ellies, best you take an anti-histamine now, because here is another one, but a bit different!

The ingredients used for this card, which are available at The Stamp Basket store are:
Wild Rose Studio stamp -  Bella With Daisy
Wild Rose Studio papers - Antique Library
Painted with Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Inks (ReInkers) and edges "aged" with Pads
Sentiment is Wild Rose Studio Birthday Greetings

And from my own stash Memento Espresso Truffle inkpad (halfway between black and brown)

That's me done, so I hope you like Bella today, and I shall see you next week.  My super-talented teamies, Debs and Annette, and of course Janet, will be here between times with loads more beautiful inspiration to share.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Practice Does Not Always Make Perfect

A rare statement from me today - Happy Monday!!  Yep, it is a UK Bank Holiday so the majority of UK residents have a bonus day away from work.  Sorry to those who are being forced to go in to work today, I hope it's not too awful for you.

Now then, practice makes perfect.  Apparently.  You see, my problem is I gaze longingly at blogs of very talented crafters and am inspired by many of them.  Today's card was a stamp purchased because of one of those drooling sessions (thanks Coops) - the moment I saw it I just knew I had to have it.  And that's where the trouble starts you see.

Despite spending hours looking at what these inspiring bloggers create, and trust me, there are some truly gifted colourists out there, and I do mean gifted, I practice and practice and practice like a good little squirrel, and somehow, I just don't seem to ever be able to get the end result to look how I want it to.  Is it the perfectionist in me?  (it's a very small part, believe me)  Who knows.  Here is the end result of several hours with the pencils.

The stamp is Sugar Nellie - Dress Up Games

Painstakingly coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Shabbyshack

Memory Box Bamboo die

Unbranded tiny butterfly punch

We're popping out now to try and find some bedding plants.  Toad put together one of those temporary small greenhouse arrangements - a plastic tent over a metal framework - so we at least have somewhere to protect the baby plants from torrential rain and inquisitive starlings, and hopefully hungry slugs.

Hope you are having a super duper day folks

Hugs, Squirrel xx

By The Tips Of My Whiskers

Hello again!  I don't know how you do it, but when I am blog browsing during the week, I keep a little notebook beside me and jot down the challenges that I think I might like to enter - and it is always the theme that interests me, rarely the prize.  So when I was going back through my notes this morning I had a little panic when I realised that the current challenge at Tiddly Inks Challenge is about to end.  I do hate leaving things until the last minute, but I was determined to enter.

Tiddy Inks Challenge - Head In The Clouds

And I guess it was because I was all flustered, but it took three attempts to make this one small and simple card!

I have used the Tiddly Inks Hello Sunshine clear stamp set

Tiddly image coloured with Polychromos pencils and fussy cut - so glad her ankles aren't any thinner!

Clouds done by making Post-It Note masks with Joy Crafts cloud dies

Sky done with Shaded Lilac and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks and an ink duster brush

Beach simply water coloured in various shades of Distress Ink oranges and browns

Matting layers are from leftovers box

5x5 card base

This is my second post today - if you fancy a peek at my earlier Lucky Pants

then you can find that one right here

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Lucky Pants

Morning all, happy Bank Holiday Weekend to all my lovely UK Followers - three days, whooooooo!  And this is traditionally the weekend for the F1 Monaco grand prix, bear with me, there is a link between probably the most famous motor race in the world and today's card.

A long time ago, I remember seeing an interview with David Coulthard when he was just starting out on his career as a racing driver and someone embarrassed him intensely by asking him about the day he'd had an accident and had to be cut out of his race suit, only to display the "lucky pants" he was wearing.  Unfortunately, they weren't so lucky that day as not only had he crashed heavily, but those lucky pants were very old and, erm, holey, in places where pants don't need to have holes.

So when I saw this fabulous image, that lucky pants story came to mind - and it just so happened that I needed to make a good luck card for a gentleman who is starting a new job soon.  So here it is:

Isn't he just brilliant?!  This is CC Designs/A Random Fan (Sherry T Designs) Underwear Hero (rubber stamp version)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The alphabet stamps are an old set of wooden Hero Arts 

Memory Box Lucky Charms clover leaf dies

Forever Friends Best of British papers

When this posts I shall be on my way for a tail trim and retouch on the colour - this old red squirrel is definitely heading towards the grey these days.  Then it will be back home for a crafty play before the Monaco qualifying.  

Come on Jenson - we need a good weekend mate

!

Hugs to all, whatever you are up to

Squirrel xx

Elliephase Part IV

Now then, you only have yourselves to blame for this, as you have said that you aren't bored with the elephants yet - so here's another one!

My virtual partner-in-crime had a birthday last week and this is the card I made for her, with lots of purple:

Yes, it is sweet Bella With Presents from Wild Rose Studio 

If I were forced to choose just one Bella stamp then I think this would be it

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Pebbles Chalks for the sky

Papers are from the Wild Rose Studio Bluebell collection

Tiny flower and vines are Tapestry Stamps (don't ask which set, they are all in one box)

And the birthday sentiment circle is from Little Claire Stamps

I think this may be the last elliephase card for a little while, unless of course I make another one at the weekend.  It must be about time that my James Bear stamps made a reappearance instead!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Bluebell Does Christmas

Morning everyone!  And a Happy Wednesday to you.  It's my day to DT for The Stamp Basket and I have something a little bit festive for you.

Ingredients which are available from The Stamp Basket store

Wild Rose Studio stamp - Bluebell With Presents

Memento Tuxedo Black inkpad

Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Inks (ReInkers)

BoBunny papers - Silver & Gold 6x6 pad

Shapeabilities Pendant snowflake dies

 

Other ingredients used: White base card and Polychromos pencils

 

Have a great day, whatever you are up to.

 

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Hello Petal

I don't know where I picked up the habit, but a long time ago I started to call people "petal" or "flower".  It's frowned on a bit here in Suffolk, to use terms like that, but I have never shaken it off, and probably never will now.

 

So when I saw one of the new fairy stamps was called Petal, well, she had to come home with me.

So this is LOTV Petal stamp

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are all freebies from Making Cards magazine

Sentiment is Personal Impressions

 

It is set to be another scorcher here today, and my office faces the sun, so I shall be a tad wilted later.

 

But not as wilted as the poor devils who are trying to get to London by rail today on the Greater Anglia line.  Apparently the "meticulously planned" engineering works have overrun and they are this morning advising people not to travel "unless it's essential".  Toad is out there somewhere, trying to get to work, and knowing him, he will try every option, no matter how ridiculous, before he surrenders and has to come home. 

Elliephase Part III

I did warn you about these elephants ...... Morning everyone, hope this finds you all well.  After yesterday's wall-to-wall sunshine, it's a bit overcast here but still very warm, so I have hope of the sun popping out later, once he is washed and dressed, and not flumping about in his dressing gown.

I made this one as a thank you card for a very dear and special friend who recently overwhelmed me with her kindness.  As the little tab on the side says, "a thank you isn't enough".

This Wild Rose Studio stamp is Bella With Daisy

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Nitwits/LOTV Promises

Sentiment is Hero Arts

Side sentiment I did on the computer

Papermania sparkling gems, and silver borders from stash

Martha Stewart border punch for the top

Hoping you have a super day, whatever you are up to

Hugs to you

Squirrel xx

Petal Fresh Cobweb

Want to know a secret?  You have to promise not to tell anyone else .......

My new batch of rubber arrived from LOTV on Wednesday and last night I managed to sneak in a little play with this cutie (and no, that's not the secret)

This is Cobweb from LOTV - awwwwh!

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV/Nitwit Petal Fresh

and a scrap of dark pink from my leftovers

Woodware daisy punch

Wild Rose Studio Corner Flourish die

Personal Impressions sentiment

Clouds done with chalks and a handmade stencil

And actually, there are two secrets to share ......

It's my crazy mate Jayne's birthday (Tea Cake & Crafting) so why not pop over and sing Happy Birthday to her,  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

and the big secret is..........

IT'S FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAY, WHOOO!

But, shush, you promised not to tell.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Time For A Reminder

Morning everyone, how are we all on this fabulous Thursday?  Well, I am saying it's fabulous but it's early yet so I am being hopeful.

I have a midway reminder for you today for two challenges and I am cheating by using the same card:

A Little Bit Crafty - Flower Power

Crafty Little Fairies - In The Garden

Both challenges are monthly, so you have until the end of May to enter

So we have Penny Black Lazy Daisies

Stamped onto Papermania Kraft Card and coloured with Polychromos

Papers are a mix from the leftovers box

Martha Stewart flower border punch

And lots of white card for matting layers

It looks squint but IRL it isn't - I seem to be having a wonky camera angle issue!

Hugs all

Squirrel xx

Elliephase Part II

I'm here today to share one of my most favourite Bella stamps with you.  You could use this little cutie for any occasion that involves gifts - she could be coloured for birthday or Christmas, but for this one I have gone for a candy coloured girlie birthday

Isn't she sweet?

Wild Rose Studio - Bella Carrying A Pile of Presents

Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Memento - Tuxedo Black

Dovecraft - Back To Basics II Pink

Wild Rose Studio - Corner Flourish die

Craftwork Cards - Scalloped Edge

All of the above ingredients are available from The Stamp Basket store

I thought I would be clever with the circles and make a false aperture but I might as well have just layered there up in the end!

I fussy cut Bella to lay over the circles as I didn't want a lot of white around her.

Greeting is a Whimsy from my stash of sentiment stamps

Hugs all

Squirrel xx

Friendship Ties

Afternoon all.  Just finished watching the Spanish Grand Prix and realised how late in the afternoon it is now.  Mind you, anyone would think it was October instead of May, it was dark so early yesterday.

So today I have another pencil piece for you.  I am trying to practice with these at least once a week but they can be quite time consuming - I started this one yesterday.

I adore this Sylvia Zet for SCACD stamp called Friendship Ties

Just look at the blissed out expression on the ladybug!

Faber Castell Polychromos pencils

LOTV sentiment

and Modern Miss papers from BoBunny

Hope your Sunday is a happy one, despite the gloomy weather!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Elliephase

Afternoon all.  I seem to be having a bit of a phase with elephants at the moment - on cards you understand, nothing untoward.  I mean, what could you do with an elephant?  I can't see me being able to take one to work with me on the bus, f'instance.

Anyhoo, one of the cutest elephants around is little Bella, and this morning I spent an hour or so making a mess of a step card with her:

This is Wild Rose Studio's Bella Carrying A Pile of Presents

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Dovecraft Back to Basics

Card base cut from an A4 sheet of pearlised blue card

Stepper die purchased from Sarah at Craft All Day

Woodware small retro flowers and Hobby House pearls

Paper Smooches sentiment

The twine bow and string is from a Lucy Cromwell stamp set

Hope your Saturday is a fun one.  Sunshine and showers here.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Just A Note

Are you missing the weekly dose of the Fairy challenge?  Don't forget we have gone monthly at Crafty Little Fairies and the current challenge is In The Garden and, as it only started last week, you still have tons of time left to enter.

 

It felt really stange not having to make a DT card for today as I seem to have been posting on Thursdays forever, so here, just to keep the tradition going, is this little sweetie:

 

I have stamped the LOTV image Just A Note

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) just for Annette

Top border punch is Martha Stewart

Papers are Papermania Capsule Collection and a squeak of Nitwits

Sentiment is Hero Arts

 

I thought I would enter this into the As You Like It - Feathers or Fur challenge

And for me, it has to be fur, there is nothing I love more than the warm soft and silky feel of Vince's fur when he is laying on my lap, draped over my arm, it's so comforting and reassuring. 

And also at Cute Card Thursday - Paw Pals

 

 Hope your Thursday is a happy one!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

 

Hang in there ....

Here we are at Wednesday again, my how the weeks are flying past, and it is time for another Stamp Basket DT card from me

Stamp is Wild Rose Studio - Teddy With Gerbera

Stamped with Memento - Tuxedo Black

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Dovecraft - Curiosity Corner

Distressed with Distress Inks Pads (Frayed Burlap)

The frame around teddy I cut from one of the Curiosity Corner papers

Sentiment is Wild Rose Studio - Birthday Greetings

All of the above ingredients are available at The Stamp Basket store - the links should take you to the right pages

Sorry to photo is so dark - I think I need to get Toad up a ladder to wash the conservatory roof!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Flower Power

Evening all.  Just thought I would pop by with a little card that I made for the Tiddly Inks Challenge - Flower Power

I seem to have a fair bit of colour distortion on this from the camera as the card I punched the flowers on, to the naked eye, more or less matched the colour I used for the image

The girl stamp and the separate flower stamp are both from the clear set Celebrate Joyfully

Sentiment is Hero Arts

Nestabilities lacy square die

On a 5x5 scalloped edge card base

Coloured with Polychromos pencils

Woodware retro flower punch and Card Candi to finish

Hugs all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) MAY: Colour Theme

Our new challenge at Without Words starts today and as we haven't done it for a while, our theme is a colour challenge.

Pink and/or Purple with Green

Stamp is Whimsy/Wee - Shelley

Faber Castell Polychromos pencils

Papers are: Pink from a Papermania Capsule Collection and

green from my leftovers box

Sentiment is Hero Arts

Small Woodware retro flower punch

Poor turtle is looking a little seasick - he wasn't intended to be quite so "green" and I have tried to tone him down.  What I should have done is start again but I had spent rather a lot of time on the rest of her.  So you have a pea-soup turtle!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Mary (ReMix) & Candy Winner

Mary had a little lamb

It's fleece was black as jet

He went out after dark

And she hasn't found him yet

Afternoon everyone, hope the sun is shining for you as much as it is here on this gorgeous May Sunday.  I have been playing with the pencils again today and one of my new Wee stamps.

This is Whimsy/Wee "Mary" by Sylvia Zet

Isn't she an absolute doll?

Polychromos pencils

Tim Holtz Simple Sentiments

Matting layer is white card coloured with the same pencil as her apron

A long way from perfect, but the practice is slowly starting to pay off I think.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

And the winner of the £20 Bunny Zoe's voucher is

That's Sarah-J W @ Mallows Crafty Bits

Congratulations Sarah, please email me to claim your prize

And thank you to everyone who took part

One of Many

Hello everyone, hope this finds you well.  I am just popping by with a card I made this morning.  The May theme at Penny Black Saturday Challenge is Your Favourite Penny Black Stamp.  Well, that is impossible to choose as there are many I could not do without, so this is just one of them.

This little cutie is Rosy from Penny Black

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are all from the same Papermania roses pad

Sentiment is Tim Holtz

Not much else you can say about it really

Hugs, Squirrel xx

My candy offer closes at 6.00 tonight (UK time) so you still have two hours left if you are a Follower and would like £20 to spend on stash of your choice from Bunny Zoe's

Dodgy Diagnosis

Back again, second card today - you can tell I'm not at work and am ignoring the housework, lol.

Two challenges for this one as well:

The ABC Challenge - Keep It Simple

The Male Room - Give Us A Giggle

And it really is simple as it's a one layer card

High Hopes stamp - Cat-Ching Rays

Hobby Arts sentiment

Polychromos pencils

Ultramarine Marvy le Plume pen for stitches

My crafty pal Jackie at Craft Designs made a comment the other day about me having "hundreds" of stamps.  I love how she has given me the benefit of the doubt.  Given how long it took to track this one down, I even scared myself.  I did a rough calculation - how many years crafting x stamps per month = eeeeeek.  Do you think our council would grant me planning permission for a change of use to stamp store?  Strange thing is, I still struggle to find the right one for the right occasion and just have to invest in another piece of rubber!  My excuse and I am sticking to it.

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Today's earlier post can be found here if your scrolling finger is too tired.