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