Sweet!

I am sneaking this one under the radar for the soon-to-end challenge over at House Mouse & Friends.  The theme is House Mouse and A Friend OR Anything Goes, and I have chosen the latter option.

This stamp from House Mouse is called "Carry Mints"

The sweets reminded me of those yummy fruit and yoghurt candies, hence the colours.  

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from Personal Impressions

Coloured cardstock from Papermania

Custom sized card base


I am also going to "squeak" this in at As You Like It for their Fur or Feathers challenge.  So why do I prefer fur to feathers?  Well, I have had some strange experiences with birds - for one, I am scared of chickens.  Yes, chickens, they look at you sideways just before they attack you.  When I was little, our budgie fell off his perch halfway through The Archers, I have been sworn at by a cockatiel, and as for seagulls!!!  Anyway, I prefer the comforting softness of a warm and furry body, that I can stroke, and cuddle and sniff.  And then find the Savlon afterwards (cheers Rosie).

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

March

This is the last of my sneak peeks for the Lili of The Valley release on Saturday, and this little lady is the March Fairy.

Don't you wish Easter Eggs were really that size?!

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Striped paper from a Papermania Capsule Collection

Spellbinders loopy square die

Woodware flower punches and a smidge of Card Candi

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Simplicity

I have another couple of cards for you today that I made using the November Calendar Fairy that is being released, along with her 11 sisters, on 31 July from Lili of The Valley.

The key to these two is simplicity!

Fireworks always make me think of bright and vibrant colours!

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Glamour Dust

If you order the full set of 12 Fairies, you get the set of word stamps too as a bonus.

Again, simple little card but this time with some paper piecing of her coat to match the matting layer

Distress Inks for the rest of her with Glamour Dust wings and sparkler

Sentiment from Hero Arts

Papers by Dovecraft

Speech bubble die from Die-Namics

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

July

Yes, believe it or not, it is still July, brrrrrrrrrrrr.  Lol, you just can't win with the British weather!

Anyhoo, you might have twigged by now that at the end of this week, there is another super duper Fairy and Christmas stamps release coming from Lili of The Valley.

I am officially in love with the Calendar Fairies.  Here is a little peek of a summer one for you.

This little lady is the July Fairy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Bonnets & Bowties Solids

Thinking of You die and Butterflies dies are Impression Obsession

Border die is Joanna Sheen "Samantha" Signature die

Custom sized card base

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

September

Do you remember, dancing in September?!

I've had that tune in my head (Earth Wind and Fire) for days now, and there is a good reason why.  At the end of this month, Lili of The Valley have another release, and part of that release are the Calendar Fairies.  I have already showcased one version of my sample stamp, November, and although I resisted, I ended up with the full set of Fairies.

Oh you are going to love these little cuties!

Stamp: Fairy September from Lili of The Valley

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Leaf paper from an old DoCrafts pad

Coloured cardstock is DCWV

Stitched Leaf dies from Lawn Fawn

September die from Die-Namics Accent It Months Of The Year

Stitched circle die from MFT

Scalloped edge circle die from Tonic

There will be another couple of Fairies to come from me before the launch next weekend.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Odd

Morning all.  Wow, what a night, wind and rain from midday yesterday right through the night and into this morning.  Last night was brilliant, as I laid in bed with Rosie, the wind was howling through the bathroom window and the rain was lashing against the glass.  It was so good!

Anyhoo, I have something a little sunnier for you today.

This is Odd Dog - Flowers for You from Lili of The Valley

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Speech Bubble die

Lawn Fawn Scripty Thanks die

Papers are scraps from the box

A simple little card, but, love it or loathe it, that's the way I roll.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Strum Along With Me

This is my third July posting for the Lili of The Valley Design Collective, and today I am showcasing a stamp and papers that have been around for a little while now, but are still absolutely adorable.

Stamp:  LOTV Annabel Music To My Ears

Papers: LOTV/Nitwits On A High Note

Sentiment: LOTV Set 27 Vintage Labels

Medium:  Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Extras:  X-Cut Postage Stamp die, MFT Music notes die set

Card Base: Custom sized Advocate 300gsm Brilliant White

What tune are you now humming?

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sneak Peek 1

Guess what?!

There is another new stamp release from Lili of The Valley at the end of the month!  Whoop whoop!

You will be getting Part 1 of the Christmas release, AND a whole new batch of Fairies, in fact a whole year's worth, and I cannot begin to tell you how cute they all are.

As a member of the Design Collective, I was lucky enough to be assigned a Fairy to showcase for you, and here she is

This is November Fairy - isn't she just darling?

I have painted her with my beloved Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a smidge of Polychromos for her hair

Her wings have A Wink Of Stella which the camera hasn't picked up but which looks so pretty shimmering in sunlight so you will just have to trust me on that one

The papers, which made me think of fireworks, are all First Edition New Bloom

The sentiment is from LOTV Set 23 Girlie Banners, which I trimmed down to remove the curls

Stitched stars are from Memory Box, and the smaller stars are an X-Cut punch

My fellow DC pals have the other 11 Fairies to share with you, and some have the Christmas stamps, so there will be loads of sneak peeks for you to look out for over the next 10 days before the release.  Perfect amount of time for you to decide which ones to buy - it's going to be hard to choose, I promise.

Hugs to all

Squirrel (LOTV DC)

xx

Garfield and Gnomes

In my feelings for Mondays, I'm with Garfield on them, and this one will be worse because it is the first day back after a lovely relaxing week off.

Thankfully for me, and for everyone else around me, the feeling wears off by the afternoon!

Anyhoo, I thought I would start Monday with a smile for a change.  I shall go into work beaming, and that is really going to worry them.

And let's start the week here with a smile too.

So, this is an MFT stamp from the You Gnome Me set

thankfully I got the matching dies, although he's easy enough to fussy cut

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Background paper is Maja Designs - Life In The Country

Sentiment by Dovecraft

Shaped dies are by Spellbinders Nestabilities

Hoping your Monday is a good one folks

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Fancy a Cuppa?

Morning all, hope this finds you well on what is, in Suffolk, a beautiful summer's morning, very sunny, very warm and a light breeze.  I feel as if I ought to be out there but the call of the studio is too strong to resist!

There is something very British about having a cuppa.  It seems to solve so many things.  I stopped drinking full strength tea and moved over to decaff about ten years ago, (roughly when I started card making, lol) and I could never go back to real tea now.  I did try a variety of the herbal, fruit, flower, who-knows-what teas, but they really didn't float my boat.  I never tried acorn though.....

Lili of The Valley - Fairy Tea

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Dovecraft Bright Spark (green) and True Blue (brown)

Sentiment made up from one of the new LOTV sets but I can't find it on the website now

Border punch by Martha Stewart

Dots punch by Rymans Office Stationery

That's put me in the mood for a cuppa now - anyone else fancy one?

There's bisquits.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Midway Reminder for Without Words

It's halfway through July so the perfect time to fly-by with a midway reminder for our challenge over at WITHOUT WORDS where the theme is BLUE & BROWN.

There have been some superb entries so far, but there is always room for more!

Oh yes, it is my most favourite Christmas bear EVER, it's James Snow Angel from LOTV

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV Frosty Christmas

Papermania Kraft Card

Sentiment from Paper Smooches

Snowflake die from Noor Design

Some of you will no doubt mention the snowflakes.  Yes, they are embellishments, but minimal.

Don't forget that you have until the end of the month to enter, so even with the school holidays (bah) you should still have enough time, and there is a fabulous prize on offer from our new sponsor

CLEARLY BESOTTED

Hope to see you there

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Yay!

Morning all.  How are you?  I can't believe that it is already over halfway through my holiday week, sob.  Still, it has been a lovely and relaxing week, which is just what the doctor ordered, and I have managed to get some crafting done, not much, but some.

I could not resist this little guy from the latest Stamping Bella release

He is called "Milton"

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from Paper Smooches and just seemed to match his expression so well

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Butterfly Kisses

Hugs to all

Birthday Squirrel xx

Dainty Dancing

Morning all, how are you today?  We are having a relaxing, mooching about, hollibob day - Toad has popped out to get some stuff to repaint the shed so that will be a fun (!!) job for this afternoon if it doesn't rain.

In the meantime, I am popping by with my second July card for the Lili of the Valley Design Collective

Sorry, I should have warned you it's a bright one!

Stamp:  LOTV Dainty Dancing

Papers: LOTV/ Nitwits Sunny Side Up

Sentiment: LOTV Set 91 All The Best

Extras: Nestabilities Superellipse dies and Poppy Stamps simple banner die

Medium:  Distress Inks (ReInkers), Polychromos Pencils and paper piecing

I am so sorry that I haven't been around much, and certainly huge apologies for the lack of comments over the past few months.  Some of you may know that my mum has been really unwell so it has meant, naturally, that blogging has had to take a back seat.  It has been all I can do to keep on top of my DT commitments.  Thankfully, mum now seems to be on the mend at last so I am hoping that I shall soon be able to have the time needed to come and visit you all again.

Hugs to anyone still out there who visits

Squirrel xx

Front Step?

Hi all, slightly later than normal for a weekend but I am here at last.  We took my best friend's son to the cinema to see The Minions Movie as a treat for him.  I think it is the first time I have seen an animated film accompanied by a child!!  Mind you, it's not fair to call him a child any more, he is taller than me and a lovely young man.

Anyhoo, earlier in the week I bought the Quick Cards magazine and noticed the Front Step cards that had been designed by the lovely Kitty Frampton, and I really wanted to give one a try.  However, I kind of added in some adaptations...... so now it is a Front Step Easel Secret Drawer card!!

Apologies for so many photos:

Stamped image:  Stamping Bella Tiny Townies Hayley The Hero

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Little Claire Quirky Quilts and Ombre

Sentiment from My Favourite Things

All mistakes entirely my own

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

For all of you .....

I was feeling a bit sentimental when I made this one, and it got me thinking about all my friends, at home and here in blogland, so this one is for you guys.

Stamp is LOTV Little Pals

Hugs die is from Lawn Fawn

and so is the cloud border die

Butterflies are Impression Obsession

Papers are LOTV - blue (Nitwits) Bonnets & Bowties Solids, and pinky orange (Raspberry Road) Baskets & Bunnies

Painted by my own fair hand in Distress Inks (ReInkers) on Daler Rowney Bristol Board

Pearls from stash

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Beach Baby

If I had a choice today, this is what I would like to be doing

Yes, the squinty, one-eyed, wonky photographer is back in town!

Stamp is CC Designs Roberto's Rascals - Beach Babe Twila

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Papers are a mixture of Dovecraft and First Edition

Sentiment is Paper Smooches

Doodling by Squirrel

Who knows, I might even get the chance to do this next week!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) July

Welcome!  It's the first Monday of July and it means the launch of a new challenge over at WITHOUT WORDS

The theme is

BLUE and BROWN

and here is my card, which I am doubling up as my first July Design Collective card for
Lili of The Valley

This little chap is Super Striker from LOTV

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Country Gent and Dress Shoppe

Sentiment tags are from LOTV Set 24

and, oh my goodness, embellished with one pearl from my stash

The Word Birds are joined by a new sponsor too

If you haven't shopped at CLEARLY BESOTTED yet, then you are missing out!

Hope you are all able to fine some time to come and play - challenge starts at 8.00am this morning

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

A Review of Peeks

Morning all - yes, it's today, the Lili of the Valley release

I feel I have overwhelmed you with sneak peeks this week so I am simply going to do a round up

1, 2, and 3 - Summer Bunches

Odd Dog - Balloon

Odd Dog - Sleepy Book

Odd Dog - Handwritten

Odd Dog - Mug of Tea

Odd Dog - Sweet Dreams

I must just make it clear that Summer Bunches was my sample stamp, the Odd Dog stamps I bought myself because they were just too darned cute to resist.

Have fun choosing which ones you will buy!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Mug of Tea

Only one more sleep!

The new Lili of The Valley release of Odd Dogs, Flowers, and Teenage Girls

plus other exciting new things will be tomorrow - 4 July

Odd Dog - Mug of Tea

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from Mama Elephant Sunday Sentiments set

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Balloon

So only two days to go now before the new stamp release from

Lili of The Valley

Have you chosen your favourites yet from all the sneak peeks?

This little chap is definitely one of mine

Odd Dog - Balloon

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers - LOTV/Nitwits Romance & Roses

Sentiment - Vintage Labels Set 28

Pearls from stash

One more Odd Dog to come from me tomorrow

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Summer Bunches - Take 3

Happy 1st July everyone!

Popping by with a third version of the new Summer Bunches stamp, soon (very) to be released from Lili of The Valley

Have kept this one fresh and clean and simple

Summer Bunches stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from All The Best Set 91

Will be back again tomorrow with another Odd Dog for you.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx