Frida Loves Frosty (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning peeps, I hope you are all more prepared for Christmas than I am this year.  My Santa report probably reads something like "F - Must try harder".  I swear that as soon as the clocks change in March time simply accelerates to January and I am left floundering in the wake.

Anyhoo, there is always time for everyone to have a festive hug, including Frosty

Lovely things used to make this are:

Stamping Bella Tiny Townies Frida Loves Frosty EB580

and the matching Frida Loves Frosty Cut It Out Die CIO580DIE

Pink and Main Sunny Cover Dies PNM159

Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflake Dies LF995

MFT 6x6 Watercolor Wash EP-24

Sentiment from MFT Birdie Brown Secret Santa BB-64

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

This will be my last DT post for Dies To Die For this year, and I am having a small sabbatical for January so I shall be back at it again on 1 February.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2020.

Thank you for all you support throughout this year.

Hugs

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As You Like It (DT) Favourite Die

Hello peeps, it's time for our final AS YOU LIKE IT challenge of 2019 and hopefully it is one you will enjoy!

This time we would like you to share a Favourite Die with us (and explain why)

I love the variety of fonts that are available in stamp form these days and I have a huge collection of sentiment stamp sets, and whilst they are fabulous on their own I absolutely LOVE word dies, especially if they can match up with some of the sentiments I have

I am in love with this word die, I think it will be used an awful lot - a simple card but with just the right amount of impact

MFT Die-Namics Big Smile MFT-1666

MFT Clear Stamps - Smile Maker CS-444

MFT 6x6 Paper - Graphic Grid EP-43

and a little heart punch for finishing off

The sponsor for this challenge is

LILI OF THE VALLEY

Hope to see you there for this challenge, if Santa brings you a new favourite die that's ok, you will still have time to enter!

Hugs to you

Tiny Christmas (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello peeps, I am back, did you even notice I was missing?  I suspect not!  Sorry about last week's absence, but I have been laid low with a nasty chest infection.

Isn't this the cutest little Santa?!

CC Designs - Tiny Christmas CCD-0175

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Tag Corner Squares MFT-1225

Mama Elephant - Holiday Messages ME-18-95

Your Next Stamp 6x6 - Mint Cocoa Kisses

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Short but sweet.

Hugs

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CASE a DT member (DT) AYLI

Hello everyone, here we are at another Thursday and another As You Like It Challenge.

It's something a little different this time - we would like you to CASE a DT member and tell us why.

As we are all very short on spare hours at this time of year, I made a card that you can CASE really quickly, so handy for those last minute makes.

All you need for this is a stencil, a tag, and a cute critter!

MFT Birdie Brown - Polar Bear Pals BB-40

Sentiment from MFT Stacy Yacula - Warm and Feathered Hugs SY-02

Taylored Expressions - Nordic Snowflakes Stencil

a tag die from The Works

a smidge of organza ribbon, and a dash of Distress Inks

and the sponsor for this challenge is

POLKADOODLES

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Hugs

Santa's Elves (DT) Dies To Die For

To be brutal, this little Squirrel has felt totally cr@p this week.  I have had my share of cold germs over the years, but I swear they are getting more evil with each passing winter!

It's a miracle that I managed a make, but of course Birdie Brown came to the rescue.

and the ingredients for this are

MFT Birdie Brown - Santa's Elves BB-25

MFT Die-Namics - Santa's Elves MFT-782

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Circle Scallop Frames MFT-858

Impression Obsession - Holiday Bottom Word Edgers DIE233M

Taylored Expressions - Nordic Snowflake Stencil TE-TESN18

Mixture of craft papers

Snowflakes stencil with Distress Inks (Broken China)

and Elf painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

Anyone for a tissue?  Sniff.

Hugs

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Trio of Trees (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello everyone!  Happy Saturday to you.

I'm here with a clean and simple but still quite classy card.

(but I must apologise for the photo quality, there wasn't a huge amount of daylight when I took this)

So, for this I have used:
MFT Clear Stamps - Trio of Trees CS-346
MFT Die-Namics - Stitched Rectangle Scallop Edge Frames MFT-924

So, apart from Memento coloured inks for stamping the trees/sentiment, and the tiniest smidge of Distress Inks for grounding, that is absolutely it!

I am going to have another go at this one, maybe with a darker green for the trees, and heat-embossing the berries with gold instead of red ink stamping.  If it works, you might see it here soon!

Hugs

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As You Like It (DT) Favourite Way of Adding Snow

Morning everyone!  By now we, that's the AS YOU LIKE IT team, are hoping you are starting to get festive with your makes as our challenge for this fortnight is Your Favourite Way To Add Snow (and why).

I make a lot of cards with a vista of white, so favour adding my snowflakes by stamping with a pale blue ink, but for cards like this with a dark sky I do love to use snowflake dies, there seems to be an infinite variety of shapes and sizes so I am constantly collecting new ones!

So, for this one I have used

MFT Birdie Brown - Snow Buddies BB-87

MFT Die-Namics - Snow Buddies MFT-1642

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Snow Drifts MFT-546

Background paper from The Works

Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes Dies LF995

Imagines painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and, if you squint, you

 might just see a sprinkling of Glamour Dust (Crystal) under their feet

(all of the linked items above are from Dies To Die For)

Our sponsor for this challenge is the fantastic

FANTASTIC RIBBONS

Looking forward to seeing all your snowy makes!

Hugs

Toasty Greetings (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, I  hope you are well.  I'm a bit late today but am now popping in with a warm glow make for you.

I missed out on this set the first time around, so I have a real warm glow feeling from being able to get my little paws on it from the MFT Vault this time!  I struggle to resist Birdie Brown designs, as you might have guessed.

MFT Birdie Brown - Toasty Greetings BB-85

MFT Die-Namics Toasty Greetings MFT-1636

MFT Stitched Snow Drifts MFT-546

Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes Dies LF995

MFT 6x6 Hearts and Stripes EP-38

Images painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers).  Feeling quite chuffed with their reflected light tummies, I just hope that Snow doesn't melt too fast, but if he does, Pingu can grab his toasting stick!

I hope you are all keeping your marshmallows warm.

Hugs

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Sunflower Sweetheart (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello peeps, and happy Saturday to you.  It's a scheduled post today (as I'm about to dash off for a hair cut shortly).  I'm popping by with this sweetie to show that you don't have to use winter papers just for winter projects.

For this cutie I have used

MFT Birdie Brown - Sunflower Sweetheart BB-83

MFT Die-Namics - Sunflower Sweetheart

Lawn Fawn 6x6 - Perfectly Plaid Chill

Images painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers).  I'm really happy that the Lucky Clover and Fossilised Amber colours perfectly tone with these pretty papers.

Hugs

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Cute or Traditional - Favourite Christmas (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Well that fortnight went fast!  Here we are at Thursday with another new challenge from the As You Like It team.

So, for this challenge we would like you to tell us about what your favourite to make

is for Christmas - Cute or Traditional

I am a sucker for cute (not that you would everrrrrr guess), and Christmas presents so many

cute options, winter animals, penguins, Santas, snowmen, it is a cute-lover's paradise time of year.

So for this Christmas cutie I have used

MFT Stamps - Festive Friends CS-430

MFT Die-Namics Festive Friends dies MFT-1621

MFT Stitched Snow Drifts MFT-546

Papers from The Works

and a sprinkling of Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge is

CRAFTS U LOVE

Hugs to all

Franken-Chemist (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello peeps, I'm popping by this morning very quietly, I thought had better introduce myself gently in case a belated Halloween BOO scared you too much!

MFT Birdie Brown - Cute Chemists stamps BB-67

MFT Die-Namics - Cute Chemists dies MFT-1463

MFT Birdie Brown - Witch Way Is The Candy stamps BB-50

MFT Die-Namics - Witch Way Is The Candy dies MFT-1195

MFT Die-Namics Dripping Goo Edge die (retired) but there is one from

Your Next Stamp - Dripping Goo

A mixture of MFT 6x6 paper pads

Lawn Fawn - Cute Cobweb dies LF-1492

All the picture elements of this were painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The sentiment is from Clearly Besotted.

Which reminds me, if you heard screaming Wednesday night, it wasn't me practising, it was me being attacked by a big hairy spider, twice!  Aaargh!

Hugs all

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Squirrel! (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello peeps.  I'm hoping you can hear me this morning, there is a very loud rugby match in the background today!

Now that autumn is here, certain little critters are out

gathering nuts ready for the coming winter months.

Looks like this one is expecting the worst!

MFT Birdie Brown - Squirrel!  BB-75

MFT Birdie Brown - Sweet Birthday Wishes  BB-78

CC Designs - Create-A-Scene  CCD-0148

MFT Stencil - Mini Cloud Edges

There were a lot of Post-It Notes seriously harmed in the masking of this one, and a lot of watercoloured Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Oh dear, it has suddenly got all shouty behind me, and not in a good way (who thought a Welsh ref for an England game was a good idea?)  I think I may take my own stash of nuts and make like a squirrel!

Hugs

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Favourite Design Paper (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Just where did the last two weeks go?  Whoosh, they're gone, and we are heading rapidly towards November, eeeeek!

OK, so the theme from As You Like It Challenge this time is

Your Favourite Design Papers (and why)

I am in love with the Knit Picky range of papers from Lawn Fawn.  I could blame the crochet bug but I was using these papers before that started, and I got through a whole pad of the Christmas one last year.  I have moved heaven and earth to get hold of another one of those, and I am on my third of the Fall Knit Picky pads.  I really love the "knitted" pattern!

So as well as my favourite Knit Picky papers I have used

MFT Birdie Brown Stamps - Christmas sELFfies BB-84

Sunny Studio Scallop Tags Square

MFT Clear Stamps - Holiday Tag Talk

and so to our sponsor who for this challenge is

CRAFTY RIBBONS

On your marks......... see you there!

Hugs

Tag, You're It (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello chaps,  I am afraid to say it but the pre-Christmas madness has started here at

Squirrel Towers.  I may have seriously cut back on the number of cards being sent out, but the number of tags seems to be increasing exponentially!

MFT Festive Friends stamp set

MFT Die-Namics Festive Friends

MFT Die-Namics Gift Tag

MFT Clear Stamps Bitty Holiday Wishes sentiments

MFT 6x6 Tiny Check

Your Next Stamp 6x6 Mint Coco Kisses

Hugs

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Sweet Birthday Wishes (DT) Dies To Die For

I did warn you a few weeks ago that I was in love with this stamp set from Birdie Brown and you would be seeing quite a bit of it, so you will be seeing it again today!

You might (or might not) be pleased to know that I have got my mitts on another Birdie Brown re-released set so at least you will get a little variety.

MFT Birdie Brown - Sweet Birthday Wishes BB-78

MFT Die-Namics - Sweet Birthday Wishes MFT-1589

MFT Clear Stamps - Brush Spatter Background CS-413

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Snow Drifts MFT-546

With apologies, I used Lawn Fawn 6x6 Perfectly Plaid Spring papers on this but they have since been retired from the website, sorry!

I used Memento inks for the spatter background, but of course little lassie and her cakes are watercolour painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers).

Have a super weekend everyone.

Hugs

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Stitching - Real or Faux (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Well hello, how are you this morning?  It's time for another exciting challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team and this time we would like you to tell us all about your REAL OR FAUX STITCHING.

Normally when this theme comes around, I always opt for faux stitching, the stitched effect dies are brilliant for adding that extra touch to a card.  However, this year I have been learning a new skill and, ta-dah, you are getting REAL stitching from me!  Yup, I have been bitten by the crochet bug - these are mug coasters (although secretly I think they are too pretty to get tea stains on them)

The orange at the back and the multi-colour at the front were make with

Stylecraft Special DK

The blue on the left is Stylecraft Bellissima

and the blue/pink on the right is wool from Poundland

The pattern for these is Bella Coco Crochet Coaster - the original followed the pattern exactly but with the other three I made a slight change to the final round and got a slightly quirky border design.

I am not spending less time inking and painting, but more time being a hooker while I'm watching tv, sitting on the bus, lurking in coffee shops, it really is a portable hobby!

I have been taking part in the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness movement (Facebook and Instagram), started by the beautiful Olivia, and it is so satisfying to make a little flower that could change the perspective of someone's whole day without them knowing who has done it.

Anyhoo, the fabbie sponsor for our stitching theme is

LAWN FAWN

(what more encouragement do you need?)

Hugs to all

Cupcake Frog

Hello all - how are you?  It has definitely taken a turn towards autumn this week, my hairy little paws are starting to feel the chill!

Anyhoo, it was HisNibs birthday last week.  Many regular readers know that his nickname is Mr Toad so when I saw this stamp set it kinda had his name on it.  Combined with something yummy it worked a treat.

and what I used from the Dies To Die For store

Gerda Steiner - Frogs

Whimsy Clear Stamps - Calories Schmalories

MFT Clear Stamps - Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes

MFT 6x6 - Tiny Check

MFT 6x6 - Dots and Stripes Sorbet

For those of you struggling with masking, you have to work front to back - I stamped the candle first, masked it, then stamped the cupcake, masked it, and finally the frog.

I use Post-It Notes for masking stamps, there is just enough adhesive for them to stick, but not so much that it leaves a residue of yick.

The photocorner dies used are, I believe, one of the first dies I bought for my Cuttlebug many years ago - not even sure what make they are, there are four of them on a black square with foam facing (like the Sizzix dies were)

The combined images were painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

That's me for today

Hugs

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Hugs