Penguin in Paradise

Hello to anyone who might be out there in blogland!  It's that bit between Christmas and New Year when no one knows what day it is.  I hope you were all able to enjoy the festivities.

I have something a little warmer than Christmas for you today:

I made this for the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge # 313

Here's the sketch

I have used

MFT Penguins In Paradise stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namics pierced fishtail flags stax

MFT Die-Namics stitched rounded rectangle stax

MFT Die-Namics stitched sentiment strips

Papers are from BoBunny

Keep warm, even if you are not on a tropical beach!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

'Elf and 'Appiness

Well, here we are, the penultimate working day for me before we break up for Christmas tomorrow.  I'm not sure what time we are finishing yet, in theory we're in for the whole day, but we are all secretly crossing our fingers that the senior partner gets fed up of the tinsel around 3.30!

I said on Monday that I had been playing with elves at the weekend and this is the second of them.  Part of my morning routine (and it's very decadent) if the bus doesn't get held up anywhere is to head for the local coffee shop for my favourite coffee and some toast for my breakfast.  I'm one of these people who can't face food immediately, so by the time I get into town I am feeling hungry.  When I called in last week, one of the barristas slipped something onto my tray - it was a Christmas card, addressed to "the lovely flat-white lady" - how sweet is that?!  So this one has been made for them, they are a great crew and always ready for a smile, as well as making great coffee and toast.

Another elf from the CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Elves set

Again painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Star corner die is MFT Die-Versions

Papers are all Dovecraft

The tag is from MFT Die-Namics Stitched Sentiment Strips

and the sentiment is Whimsy Stamps Holiday Mini Wishes

This will be my last post before Christmas, so I would just like to take the opportunity

of wishing all my faithful Followers

a very Merry Christmas and a happy and crafty New Year

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Your good 'Elf.....

Saturday was full on here, I'd like to say dashing through the snow, but it was just fog, and that doesn't have quite the same ring to it.  However, it meant that the nearest I got to craft was being in the middle of a mountain of wrapping paper, ribbons, sticky tape and tags.  I was missing my paintbrush!

So, yesterday afternoon I sat myself down in between the domestic stuff (yawn) and got inky with some elves.

Here's the first one:

This happy little chap is from CC Designs - Roberto's Rascals Elves set

Love all three of the elves - they are so cheeky

Painted as usual with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours, with some Polychromos Pencil for hair definition

Papers are an older set of Dovecraft Back to Basics - Modern Christmas

Martha Stewart border punch

Sentiment from the Whimsy Stamps Holiday Mini Sentiments

Custom sized card base

It's our office Christmas dinner today - looking forward to it, it's my first one with

this firm.  Eight months and it feels like home already.

Happy Monday to you all

Hugs

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Christmas Carol/Song

Hello peeps, how are your festive preparations going?  Mine are in their usual state of chaos I'm afraid.  I'm never sure how Christmas manages to sneak up on me every year like this.

Anyhoo, it's a new challenge from AS YOU LIKE IT today and the theme is Favourite Christmas Carol or Song.

For me it's a song rather than a carol, and it is a bittersweet one this year as Greg Lake has just passed away.  "I Believe In Father Christmas".  I have loved this ever since it was released, and the first hearing of it always reminds me of how close to Christmas we are.  The words are quite thought provoking.

High Hopes large Stackable Santa stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT stitched hexagonal dies

MFT Holiday Subway Art sentiments

MFT chevron die

Papers from Helz Cuppleditch - Dear Santa

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Crafty Ribbons
£10 voucher

This is our last challenge for 2016 but we'll be back bright eyed and bushy tailed in January.

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

SNSRC #3 - Then And Now (Part II)

Hi, all, for those of you who missed the start of Squirrel's Not So Random Challenge #3, you can find it here.

The theme is Then and Now, so we would like you to look back through your old stuff and remake one of your earlier creations.  It doesn't have to be an exact replica, but we would like you to use the same image as before.

On the original post, Annette, Jayne and myself shared our makes, so this time around it is Becky with hers.

NUTTY BECKY

Then

and now

We have found this challenge fascinating to see how we have all progressed and styles have changed, in one way or another, over the years, and we are looking forward to seeing who will be brave enough to share theirs with us.

The challenge link is on the original post, and you have until 30 January to enter.

Hugs to all

The Little Acorns xx

AYLI (DT) Gold or Silver

Yes, it's me again, twice in one day - this post is my DT for As You Like It Challenge

The theme set for this time is your favourite of

GOLD or SILVER

(and you must tell us why)

I've always been more of a gold girl myself, it suits my skin tone better

and I love the warmth and richness of its mellow tones.

Apart from that, it was one of the gifts brought by the Three Wise Men to the birth of

Our Lord Jesus Christ

so, if it's good enough for that kind of event, it's good enough for me!

Here's my DT make (steady yourselves)

Look at that, not a stamp in sight!

So, for this goldfest I have used

MFT Die-Namics Rectangle stitched scalloped frames

MFT Die-Namics Merry Christmas

Wild Rose Studio snowflake corner

Kraft card, and custom sized card base

The sponsor of this challenge is

Sweet n Sassy Stamps

$10.00

It is the time of year for all things sparkly and shiny, so off you go

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

SNSRC #3 Then And Now

OK, so not only is it December already (eeeek) it is also time for

Squirrel's Not-So-Random Challenge No 3

and our theme is

THEN and NOW

Oooh, be afraid, be very afraid.  We want you to trawl back through the achieves and find one of your early creations, and then we want you to make it again!  

NUTTY ANNETTE

The first inking, dated October 2010!  

and here's Annette's new version.....

NUTTY JAYNE

From 2012

and Jayne's new version

NUTTY SQUIRREL

Waaaaay back in 2009

and the 2016 version

NUTTY SUE

Nutty Sue is on the poorly step but she'll be here next week

NUTTY BECKY

Nutty Becky is on incredibly busy step, but will be back soon

I think we have all been surprised at the comparisons, it has been a big reminder of how much our styles have changed and our skills improved.

OK then, so that's the new challenge, what about the last one and our winner?

We didn't have many entries, it would seem the theme scared you all away,. The entries we did receive were superb, but there can only be one winner and that one is....

Marianne's Craftroom

Congratulations, your little owl looks superb in that pretty blue!

Please email me, Squirrel 

We really hope you are brave enough to join in the fun.  You have until 30 January, so once Christmas is over you can all get busy - unless of course you want to choose a Christmas card to remake!

Hugs to all

The Acorns

xx

An InLinkz Link-up

Everyone Should Have A Squirrel

Short and sweet, everyone should have a squirrel (or three), especially red ones!

I have used

CC Designs Rustic Sugar Snowman With Squirrels

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is Whimsy Stamps holiday mini sentiments

Background snowflake from a Personal Impressions set

Papers are Nitwits/LOTV Frosty Christmas

Snowflake punches are Martha Stewart and X-Cut

and a single pearl from stash to finish

Hugs to all for a happy Monday

Love

Squirrel xx

Personally, I think everyone should have a Jenson Button too - F1 is going to be poorer without him

Can't wait to see what he gets up to next!

I Knead You

Now then, I needed to make a thank you card for a fellow cat fan, so out came my two MFT cat stamp sets.  Then I went to have a look at the current MFT challenges and realised that I could combine all three elements!

So for this little cutie I have used

MFT I Knead You stamp set (for the boxed kitty)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namics stitched scalloped frame die

MFT Grateful For You (word/die set)

MFT Cool Cat stamp set (pawprint)

Papers from my scraps box

and the two challenges are

MFT Card Challenge Wednesday - Sketch 308

and

MFT Colour Challenge 58

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

One Of The Lads

I haven't attempted a post since Blogger went all weird and modern on us - don't they know how big a shock it is to do things like that without warning!

Anyhoo, a boy's card for you today.  My friend Pig's "little" lad turned 14 a couple of weeks ago.  I can't believe it, it only seems two minutes ago that he was chewing on my fingers, and now he's heading towards 6ft tall!

When CC Designs released this stamp set I had to buy it for this one image alone as it looks so much like Sam!

CC Designs Four Seasons stamp set - Boys

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a smidge of Polychromos in his hair

Cloudy sky paper was a magazine freebie from Making Cards

Stitched landscape die from Poppystamps

Grass border punch from Martha Stewart

and the stitched fence die......erm, I can't remember

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted

Hope your Saturday is a good one.  Toad has gone out to look at a new car (for him, I'm left with our nearly 20 year old Toyota!) and this afternoon we're off to visit the Oldies to make sure they are behaving themselves.  Some chance of that happening, bless 'em.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Cute and Cuddly

When we went Christmas shopping last week, there were four penguins.  Real, fishy smelling, penguins.  Now, I love penguins, they are seriously cute, but I am not sure I would want to cuddle one, unless it has been bathed, in Chanel No 5.

Where is this leading I hear you ask, well, it is leading nicely to my DT make for IN THE PINK and our challenge is CUTE & CUDDLY.

So, I have used:

Mo Manning's Snow Pals from Stamping Bella

A lot of pink Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers from Nitwits

Crealies scalloped square dies

MFT Die-Namics Goo border die

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

and our fabbie sponsor for this challenge is

DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

😻

Out of my depth

Twice in one day.  Today I made a toad-in-the-hole for the first time in nearly 20 years.  To say I was nervous sounds ridiculous, I mean, I cook dinners every day of the week, so why should something as simple as a toad upset me?  Well, Mr Toad got his name from a passion developed over my mother's version of, yes, you guessed it, toad-in-the-hole.  My past forays into batter making have not been all that successful, apart from keeping the Winter Olympics supplied with ice-hockey pucks, so it was a somewhat scared Squirrel that shoved the big glass dish into the oven.

And the other out-of-my-depth moment was today's card.  OK, so maybe the card wasn't out of my depth but the challenge I'm entering is:

I made this to enter at

MFT Card Challenges - Wednesday Sketch No 307

For the card I used

MFT Polar Pals stamp set

Masked with Post-It Notes to create the row of bears

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and fussy cut

MFT Die-Namics double stitched rectangle die

Sentiment from the MFT Merry Everything set

Papers are all Nitwits (Winter Wishes sold by LOTV) except

for the kraft matting layers (which are a recycled envelope!)

Snowflake dies are Memory Box

Oh, and the toad-in-the hole?  Enormous but absolutely yummy!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

😻

Christmas for Vegetarians

Afternoon all, how are you today?  Toad and I have taken a couple of days off work (my last until Christmas itself) and yesterday we went and made a start on the Christmas shopping.  We did quite well, and I managed to get everything that I had on my list to get that day, so we came home feeling quite chuffed.

However, a day on the feet, pounding the pavements, has played havoc with my arthritic knees so we are having a quiet day at home today.

Having said that, Rosie had her six month check-up at the V.E.T. this morning.  I devised a plan for getting her into the carrier that involved a trail of Dreamies but seriously, that cat is not daft.  She munched the first few and then sat and looked at the box, so we had to resort to the grab and shove method!

So, Christmas for vegetarians huh, yes, well, I have a couple of vegetarian mates for whom the roast turkey dinner is certainly off the menu, which could be why this chap is looking so pleased with himself.

I'd been rummaging through some older stamps and found this one

Tom Turkey from High Hopes

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers (some of which are glittered) are all from the

Dear Santa by Helz Cuppleditch (Trimcraft) collection

MFT Die-Namics stitched scalloped rectangle frame

MFT Die-Namics Merry Christmas word die

(the Christmas part is inside)

Whatever you are up to today, I hope it's a good start to your weekend

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

😻

AYLI (DT) Favourite Christmas Colours

Hello peeps, happy Thursday, and of course that means it's As You Like It day.

For this new challenge our theme is

Favourite Christmas Colours (and why)

So, this was another challenge that had my scratching my head.  I love all sorts of colour combos for making Christmas cards, but for Christmas itself with all the decorations at home, I don't think you can beat the traditional red, green and gold for warmth and richness.  It just makes Christmas feel so cosy.

This little lass doesn't look too impressed with her Christmas jumper this year

Stroppy Girl - Christmas Jumper stamp from LOTV

Painted in red, green, and gold - Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from Hobby Arts

Chevron die from MFT Die-Namics

Papers are magazine freebies from Making Cards

Red cardstock from Hobbycraft

The sponsor of this challenge is

Prize - £10.00 Voucher

digistampboutique.co.uk catalog

digistampboutique blogspot

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

I should write things down

Aftenoon/evening all.

I don't know if I have too much going on in my head these days, or my memory is beginning to fail (it's never been brilliant).  I saw a challenge this week with a theme of Ombre.  At the time I thought "eeeek", but today I made something that would fit that theme.  But can I remember which challenge it was?  Can I heck.

Anyway, challengeless, here is the card:

So for this one I have used

MFT Polar Pals stamp set

Lawn Fawn stitched landscapes

Little Claire circular sentiment

Paper from Making Cards magazine

Oh, and a smidge or two of Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

PS.  Thank you girls for being so brilliant!
Addicted to CAS - Ombre

In The Pink (DT) Winter

Morning all, hope your day is full of Pinkness because it's a new challenge from IN THE PINK.  The theme this time is WINTER.

It's up to you how you interpret this but I read it as winter, the season, rather than Christmas.

Anyhoo, this is my make:

As this challenge is being sponsored by BUGABOO I thought I would try something a little different with one of their images.

This is Sunbonnet Fireman Fire Hose - I bought mine in the rubber version from Little Miss Muffet

It was a lightbulb moment for the shower of snowflakes

The snowflakes are made with a Lawn Fawn die set cut from BoBunny double dots paper

Image has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from My Favorite Things

Custom sized card base

As I mentioned, the sponsor is BUGABOO STAMPS

Wintery hugs

Squirrel xx

Not for Cuddling (Really)

Morning all, and here we go again for another Monday ........ phfft.

Anyhoo, I hope you managed to have a good weekend.  Ours wasn't too bad thanks, and Rosie coped with the fireworks with a little help from the vet.  In fact, she was so relaxed, I had to check that she was still breathing!

I didn't have an awful lot of time for play, but I did managed to squeak in a quick one with some happy mail that arrived on Friday (grin).

No, it's not your eyes, this isn't quite in focus - I am blaming the lack of daylight!

So, although these bears look sooooooooooo cuddly, it is not recommended

MFT Polar Pals stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namic stitched snow drifts dies

LOTV Circular Christmas Sentiment

Lavinia Stamps snowflakes

and one of my few remaining sheets of BoBunny Christmas paper

I think you might be seeing these bears a lot over the next few weeks

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Trekking through the snow

I've already had an argument with myself about how to spell treking - or is it trekking?  I've gone for two k's, so apologies if my brain-fade has it wrong!

Anyhoo, inspired by the Lili of the Valley Facebook colour challenge for November, I made this little card.

I wish I could remember the name of the stamp, but he's an old one in rubber

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I think the sentiment is from HobbyArts

Snowflakes are Lavinia Stamps

and that's it.

Hugs to all

Vague Squirrel

xx

AYLI (DT) Fairies or Teddies

Now, the choice that AS YOU LIKE IT are asking you to make this week is which is your favourite, Fairies or Teddies ......

Having had a run of challenges where I have really struggled to make a choice, this one has been an easy decision.  With apologies to the Fairies, but if it is furry and huggable, then I am there, a Teddies girl all the way!

So this happy hula bear is by Lee Holland from Whimsy Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clouds are sponge inked with a homemade template

MFT Die-Namics double stitched circle die

Whimsy Dies double scallop doily die

Sentiment from Personal Impressions

Papers are Prima All About Me

Hobbycraft gold pearlised card

The sponsor of this challenge is

Dies to Die for

£15 voucher

I do hope you will be able to join us for this super theme!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

SNSRC #2 Midway Reminder

Morning all, just popping by with a midway reminder for Squirrel's Not So Random Challenge

One Colour (plus skin/fur/hair)

The Little Acorn who has made this is the adorable Sue (pop over to her blog for the details)

This festive little lady looks amazing in sepia, thank you Sue!

Come on guys, nothing to be scared off - and you still have until 30 November to enter.

Hugs

Squirrel & The Little Acorns

Clove Coffee?

I don't like the flavour of cloves that much.  They always remind me of having toothache.  Readers of a certain age will probably feel the same way.  Got a toothache?  Out would come the bottle of clove oil.  Blecch.

Anyhoo, this Clove is much nicer .....

It was a friend's husband's birthday yesterday, and being a lover of a certain UK coffee chain (you should be able to guess by the cup colour), this is what I made him - and attached a Gift Card from that certain coffee store to the inside.

CC Designs - Rustic Sugar Clove With Coffee

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers were magazine freebies

Coffee cup is CC Designs Cutters latte die

Die-Namics double stitched rectangle

Sentiment from MFT Perk Up set

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

It's Behind You!

Hello peeps.  I have been playing with dies, stamps and masking this afternoon.

This ended up being a bit of an MFT-fest

Stamped images from the MFT Merry Everything set, and masked together

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Stitched scalloped circle frame die

MFT Square grid cover up die

Sentiment from MFT Holiday Subway Art set

Papers and card are Dovecraft and Hobbycraft

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Christmas Decorations

At my old job, I had an office to myself.  On 1st December, all the tinsel, lights, Santas and other Christmas tat would come out and be spread liberally around the room.  However, at my new job I share an office with 4 other girls and I have a "cubicle".  It's bijou.  So there isn't much room for the normal Squirrel over-the-top deccies.  But there is enough room on my cubby hole walls for me to pin up some home made decs!

OK, so this banner started as an idea for a full MERRY CHRISTMAS banner with one letter per flag.  Then I realised how much work was involved.  So now it is a three panel job!

I have used

MFT BB Jingle All The Way, and Santa's Elves stamps

and the Deck Halls Sentiment from the MFT Holiday Subway Art set

Banner dies are Lawn Fawn

Papers are Dovecraft and red card from stash

Cropodile eyelets and some leftover narrow ribbon

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx