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Welcome to Squirrel's slightly nutty world of rubber stamping, papercraft, cats, Formula 1 and a variety of other off-the-wall topics. It's fabulous to see you and I hope you enjoy your time here. Please do pop back and visit me again soon!


Friday 31 October 2014

1....




See you tomorrow!

Thursday 30 October 2014

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Sunday 26 October 2014

A Squirrel First

Morning all.  It would seem that yesterday's penguins didn't really float your boat as much as they did mine!  Sorry about that.

Here is a real soft and cutie for you today, and a first for me.  I cannot believe that I had never attempted a rocker card before now:



LOTV stamp - Big Hugs
Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Sentiment from a Hero Arts set
Slightly lairy cardstock from anonymous heap in my stash
Lacy edged circle die - Grand Nestabilities
Normal circle dies - Nestabilities Classic Circles

I was making this as a thank you card anyway, so maybe fortune smiles on the brave because it is a Thank You theme over at Crafty Catz this week

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx




Saturday 25 October 2014

They are addictive

Morning all, or is it afternoon, hang on, yes it is, where has the morning gone?  Oh, yeah, I know, I overslept, oops.  Oh well, never mind, we had nothing much planned for today anyway.

You will no doubt remember The Great Penguin Challenge that was running here last month; I had no idea when this daft idea was spawned how many cute penguins there are out there, and I have just got my furry little paws on a new, ultra cute, pair of penguins.


Aren't they just adorable?
These are Holiday Penguins from CC Designs
Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a touch of white Polychromos for the highlights
I think the spotty paper is Carta Bella, but the matting layers are WH Smith and Papermania
MFT Fishtail Banner die
Paper Smooches Sentiment

I haven't entered many challenges lately but would like to pop this one into

Before I go, I must just mention the closing down sale at THE STAMP BASKET - not many days left but still plenty of bargains to be had, so get yourselves over there, you won't regret it.



Hope you have a very happy Saturday, and don't forget (UK) that the clocks go back tonight.

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Hanging In There

Well I hope Gonzalez doesn't get you this morning - it is certainly wet and windy here although I think we are going to get away with it more lightly than some areas.  Stay safe my friends.

So, I had this daft idea (nothing new there) - Whimsy Inspiration Blog have a DT Call out at the moment and I thought I might as well have a try for it.  Part of the blurb about what they are looking for says they are wanting "excellent colourists".  There are so many ultra-talented colourists out there that I might be up against it, but I'll give it a go.  Anyway, it gave me a great excuse to play with one of my favourite Whimsy stamps.
 
There are so many designs from Whimsy, by amazing artists, that I have not yet had the pleasure of being able to use so to get a place on the DT would allow me to broaden my range and it would be a super reason to have to sit down and colour once a week - I'm sure Toad would understand why he's been landed with the washing up, again.  Anyhoo, as I said, this is one of my favourites -


This is Fluffy Hanging In There from Whimsy Stamps/Wee Designs
I spent three evenings faffing about with his fur and Polychromos Pencils
The flowers and basket are done in Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Papers are Nitwits
Corner dies (that paper is purple, not black, I promse) from Whimsy
Woodware small retro flower punch
Pearls from stash
Sentiment from LOTV
 
 
Hugs to all
Squirrel xx


Monday 20 October 2014

Without Words Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the Without Words October Challenge is BOO and runs until 31 October.



Squirrel xx


Sunday 19 October 2014

Plug-In Reindeer

Been having a play with Rodney, my favour reindeer


This is CC Designs - Reindeer Lights
I marked out the highlights with a white Polychromos (to act as a resist) and then painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Papers are Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas
Sentiment is Paper Smooches
Scalloped edged rectangle die from Tonic

Hugs Squirrel xx



Saturday 18 October 2014

Thank You Dear Friends

Hello everyone.  I have to start this post with an enormous thank you to you all.  I have only just been able to bring myself to read your messages posted following the loss of Vince, and I have been overwhelmed by your love and kindness.  We collected his ashes from the vet this morning so he is home with us again and although I do not yet feel ready to take on the world, I have taken comfort from having him back where he belongs.  

The tears are still flowing.  It has been a really tough week and although going back to work on Tuesday was hard, it was probably the best thing.  I am still having meltdown moments, like this morning when I walked into the living room and he wasn't sunbathing on the back of the sofa, but at least through those moments now I can find a smile at the memories he has given us.

I wasn't going to post this card because the image is the one I was using to occupy my time on his last morning, but I am going to, as a tribute to my beloved Vince.


The stamp is Winter Kisses from A Random Fan (Sherry T Designs)
Coloured with Polychromos Pencils (fur and hair) and Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Papers are all LOTV/Nitwits


Thank you again dear friends for all your words of love and comfort.

Hugs, Squirrel xx





Monday 13 October 2014

Good Night Sweet Vince


Today, after a short but sudden illness, we have had to say goodbye to the sweetest, gentlest, most loving little soul that God ever put on this earth, and I am heartbroken.

Good night sweet Vince, sleep well my love.

xx

Sunday 12 October 2014

Honestly, I'm Not Lion

I treated myself to a session of colouring yesterday, and this is one of the results.


This fabulous chap is a stamp from Whimsy called Jungle Bells Lion
Coloured with Polychromos for his mane, tail tuft and eyebrows but the rest of him
was done with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Sentiment is from a Little Claire set
Matting layer is a sheet of Carta Bella


I had a very happy two hours with him.

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx



Saturday 11 October 2014

Shopping!

Morning all.  How are you today?  Tis a tad on the damp and chilly side here today and the ol' bones are feeling it a bit.  A great excuse to snuggle up in the craft room with some colouring.

Before I do that I thought I would share a birthday card with you.  I made this for a very special friend that I made through blogland.


So I have started with an 8x8 card base
Image is CC Designs Roberto's Rascals - Nancy Shopping
She is coloured in part with Polychromos and in part with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
the image plate was cut with a Spellbinders die
The papers are all LOTV/Nitwits Country Meadow
Sentiment is Whimsy
Corners are SCACD
Pearls are from stash

The inside (which I forgot to photograph) says
"The more candles, the bigger the wish"


Have a super weekend everyone

Hugs, Squirrel xx



Wednesday 8 October 2014

Cake!

Morning everyone!  It's been a few weeks since I posted on a Wednesday but I am feeling reckless today so here we go.

I quite fancied entering the Oldie But A Goodie Challenge of 1 (image) 2 (papers) 3(finishing touches).  It sounds quite a straightforward theme doesn't it, but then I started to get myself in a muddle.  Is that just 2 patterned papers, and what counts as "finishing touches"?  This is what I came up with but I have a sneaky feeling I may have bent the rules a little.


I have used LOTV Rosie With Cake stamp
Painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Used two sheets of Dovecraft Tea House papers
But then I came unstuck with the kraft paper for the matting layers
A Personal Impressions sentiment
And 3 pearls to finish off
But I had forgotten about the Martha Stewart butterfly punched corners......
So my 3 finishing touches are the sentiment, the pearls and the butterflies!

My stamp, papers, pearls and punch are all over six months old, so I got that bit right.

Just so you know how old Rosie is, she is being retired!  OMG!  I think if I had to narrow down my LOTV collection to (this cannot ever happen) just 5 of my most used stamps, then Rosie With Cake would be very high on the list.  I think she is (sorry James Bear) my most stamped LOTV.
If you want to get your mitts on Rosie then you need to head over to LOTV sooner rather than later as she is being retired at the end of November, sooner if she sells out before then, and once she is gone, she is gone, sob.

Anyhoo, I've started to ramble so best I scuttle off now.

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx




Monday 6 October 2014

Without Words (DT) October: Boo!

Morning all, you know the drill, first Monday of the month means a new challenge over at Without Words and this time the Word Weird Birds have gone all out to frighten you with our theme of Boo!


Actually, she's not all that scary is she!

This is a Tiddly Inks stamp from the Hello Pet set
She's been coloured with Polychromos Pencils for her hair, and Distress
Inks (ReInkers) for the rest of her and the dragons
Papers are from various pads of LOTV/Nitwits, plus WHS black card
I've used the Martha Stewart goo punch for the central border
and a Joanna Sheen Signature Die - Ivy Corner
(I could have sworn I had a cobweb die but must have dreamt it)
Because the ivy was so big, I trimmed a couple of leaves off and used those for the bottom accent



I do hope you will join in this month
The rules are simple
Handcoloured image on a CAS card
Ta-dah!

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Saturday 4 October 2014

Right then, big knickers on

Morning all.  Thank you for all your kind words during my wobble the other day.  I've pulled the big knickers on and here I am again.


This stamp is LOTV Telephone Ted
Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Papers are from a Papermania Capsule Collection
Martha Stewart deep scallop punch for the top
Hobbycraft bow stamp
Penny Black sentiment

Everything looks squint in the photo, but really it wasn't.  I wish I could learn to take a straight picture!

If you haven't already heard the sad news, The Stamp Basket is closing down.
Janet has had a difficult decision to make but she's done it now and there is a big clearance sale with 50% reductions on hundreds of items.

Hugs Squirrel xx



Thursday 2 October 2014

I tried, I failed

Morning all.  I am feeling ridiculously low and fragile today.  My already appalling confidence levels have been severely hammered and even the offer of a pint of shandy from Jayne or a pink cocktail (with cherry and paper umbrella) with Annette isn't going to get me out of this one in a hurry.

You might remember that I told you my boss at work had bullied me into entering the Card Maker of The Year Competition that was in Quick Cards magazine.  Yeah, and against my better judgement I did it and really wished I hadn't.  Sigh.

The three obviously dire cards that I sent in I suspect haven't even made it to being donated to charity but are now languishing in the bottom of a very deep shredder bin somewhere (told you I was feeling fragile, and I'm not kidding!).

Here is one of them:
 

(see, I even tried a bl***y bow with ribbon!)

So there you go, the one of the three reasons for failure.

But you see, I'm a silly bugger and even in this darkness there is still a gleam of stupidity because I shall enter this card into the current Tiddly Inks Challenge (Make It Sparkle).- her dress is trimmed with Glamour Dust.

There is always hope, even it is a forlorn one.

Hugs
Squirrel xx


Wednesday 1 October 2014

TGPC 2014 - WINNER!

Morning all, and greetings fellow penguin fans!



Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun with THE GREAT PENGUIN CHALLENGE 2014, and a special thank you to my two Penguinista Pals, Jayne and Annette, for all their hard work and promotion of this touch of madness.

There were lots of gorgeous entries, but there can only be one winner, so Vince tidied up his fur, put on his white tie and tails (not that you can tell, as he is black and white anyway) and he cranked up the Random Number Generator ............ drum roll please...........


and entry number 33 is


Well done Mary m'love, could you email me please so I can sort your prize?

If you haven't seen Mary's challenge entry, do pop over and have a look - more penguins than you can shake a stick at, and every one of them fabulous!

Thanks once more to everyone who joined in and, because this went so well, the insanity will be repeated in November (different theme of course).
Hope you will be able to come and have some fun with us again then.

Hugs to all from the Penguinistas
Squirrel (that's me), Jayne and Annette




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