Anything Goes For Christmas (DT) As You Like It Challenge

 Well, here we are then, the last challenge theme of 2022 at

As You Like It Challenge

The theme for this one is Anything Goes For Christmas

(no favourite to choose from - it's all up to you this time)

I love the leadup to Christmas in that there is always new crafty stuff just begging to be bought and who doesn't love new craft stuff?  My excuse is that I need something that the husband won't have seen

before, and I am sticking to that one!

So I have used

MFT Coolest Friends

MFT Bitty Holiday Wishes

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

LawnFawn Snowflake border die

Mixture of random snowflakes for the background

Matting card and paper from stash

The sponsor of this challenge is

Polkadoodles

This might be the last challenge of 2022, but don't forget to watch out for 2023 when we start a whole new year of challenges for you to have fun with!

It's not been the best year for me personally, so I am looking forward to January and a fresh start, hopefully I'll be blogging a bit more too.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

Hugs

AS You Like It Challenge (DT) Non-Traditional Christmas Animal (penguin free zone)

 Here we are again, for a new themed challenge from

AS YOU LIKE IT

This time it is Non-Traditional Christmas Animals

(and it is a penguin free zone - so no penguins at all please)

I'm sure there will be many arguments and discussions about what is "traditional" and how long does something have to be used before it becomes traditional.  For me, traditional Christmas animals are donkeys, robins, teddies, deer, but I am not sure that mice fall into that category so that is what I have used.

I've had this Penny Black stamp Carolling Trio for many years and absolutely

love it, it just feels sooooo cosy

Stormy night sky done with Distress Inks (Oxides) and the

mice watercolour painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Word die from Sue Wilson, and cut from glitter card

Matting layer from an ancient Dovecrafts Back To Basics Christmas pack

Our sponsor for this challenge is the lovely Tracy from

DIES TO DIE FOR

Can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Hugs

Knights In White Satin

 Now I have reached that certain age where I just don't give a fig what anybody thinks, I believe it is time for me to admit that for absolutely years I thought the Moody Blues song was Knights In White Satin.  It was always a puzzle because surely Knights are roughty toughty and wear armour and don't go rolling around on silky bedsheets.... 

Anyhoo, I made this for a friend's husband for his birthday

Whimsy Stamps (Dustin Pike) Knight Dragons stamps

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

Matting paper is MFT 6x6 Floor To Ceiling

Sentiments are from a retired set of Clearly Besotted stamps

Thanks for popping by

Hugs

 

 

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Non-Traditional Colour for Christmas

Hello peeps, so here we are, heading towards mid November and only

six and a half weeks to Christmas.  Eeeeeeeek!

So, if you are behind with your Christmas makes, AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

are here to encourage you with the new challenge of

Your Favourite Non-Traditional Colour for Christmas

For me, it's purple, I think it just feels a little bit luxurious, especially if it

is paired with with a glint of silver or gold

So, for this one I have used

High Hopes Stamps - Stackable Santa

Nitwits (LOTV) Snow Princess papers

Spellbinders Large Scallop Circle dies

Sentiment from Lili of The Valley

Mini snowflake punch from Hobbycraft

Santa watercoloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lawn Fawn

 

Hope to see you there

Hugs

Oddball Teacher

 Are you keeping up with me?  I'm not sure that I'm keeping up with myself, must be a rush

of blood to the head this week.

So, another made but not posted card.  This one was for a dear colleague who left work for new pastures last month.  I do miss him a lot, a really dry sense of humour and a little bit whacky.  As I said to a junior once, when you get past the weird you will love him.

Yes, I know this is a "teacher" stamp, but the similarity to my colleague is scary

Stamping Bella Oddball Boy Teacher

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Polychromos Pencils

Old sentiment frame and stamp from Lili of The Valley

Hugs

Birthday Witches

 Three days in a row, whoop whoop, don't worry, it won't last and will soon

revert to the usual chaos.

A friend and work colleague has a Halloween birthday.  She is also addicted to coffee, you rarely see

her around the office without a mug of java in her hands, usually in a takeaway cup.

Told you there would be another witch from the

Clearly Whimsy Stamps So Witchy set

Sentiment made up from an older Honey Bee set that I can't find a link for any more

Papers from Honey Bee 6x6 Fresh Brewed

Image painted as watercolour in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Will I make it back for another posting this week, or will I make you wait until the weekend...guess it'll be a surprise!

Speaking of surprises, a few years ago I bought a Halloween themed bowl from a local discount store.

I'm going to fill it with Toad's "favourite" things for this evening ..... heheheh.

Hugs all

And Another One...

 Hello peeps, yes, me again (twice in two days, aren't you the lucky ones) with another

card made but not previously posted.

When Toad worked in London, one of his team was a fabulous Brazlian lady who we are still friends with and keep in touch with, even though it has been almost three years since he left that job.

She lurrrves Halloween and witchy stuff, in fact Toad used to call her Witch (in affectionate

terms of course) so it has become a tradition that I sent her a witch themed card at the 

end of October.

When Whimsy Stamps released this set, I just knew I had to have it

Clearly Whimsy Stamps So Witchy

sentiment from the same set

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Purple paper from an old Dovecrafts Back To Basics set

Green and black card from stash

There'll be a different witch from this set here tomorrow

Hugs

Another Catch Up

 Morning all, hope you are ok today.  I'm pleased to report that apart from some bunged upness in my nose and ears, and being very tired, I am just about back in the land of the living after Covid.

So, I'm here with another catch up post and this one was a birthday card for my BFF.

I've combined two stamp sets with some masking

Gerda Steiner Designs - Monster Party

Sentiment from the same set

Whimsy Stamps Calories Schmalories

Papers are Echo Park Birthday Girl

Purple card from stash

Images watercoloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Fave Christmas Image or Animal

 Would you credit it, just as I start getting things into a routine again, I finally go down with Covid!  I'd tested positive for 9 days and was beginning to give up hope but today is my third negative day so I'm back at work, even though I still feel a bit ropey.

Anyhoo, you didn't come here for that, you came for the

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

and our theme for the next fortnight is

Your Favourite Christmas Image or Animal

This stamp is a new one to me, but it has already become a favourite - what's not to like, it has a cute bunny in a sweet Christmas scene, and it's relatively quick to colour up.  I shall be going into production shortly.

Colorado Craft Company (Anita Jeram) Getting Ready

Whimsy Stamps Merry Christmas Sentiment Assortment

MFT 6x6 Christmas Text

Snowflake punch from Hobbycraft

Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

The winner of this challenge will receive a digi prize from:

Amanda Jayne Designs

Hugs

All Hail

 Yes, I know, I know, I have been totally rubbish at posting lately, but there has been so much going on that crafting has rather had to take a back seat, even though it was probably the one therapy that I really needed.

Anyway, there's going to be a few catch-up posts and this is the first one.

A while ago I made a card with an Oddball stamp that caught the eye of a FB friend and she asked if I could do one for her but as an anniversary card rather than birthday.

Stamping Bella Oddball Julius

MFT SY On Solid Ground

MFT Stencil Mini Cloud Edges

Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

Sentiment computer generated

Reports back are that the Roman era obsessed husband was pleased!

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Traditional or Contemporary Christmas

 Hello chaps, I'm finally back in the AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE saddle, having missed the last few challenges.

For the new challenge starting today, AYLI would like you to share your

Traditional or Contemporary Christmas makes (please explain your choice)

I tend to make quirkier Christmas cards so contemporary suits me well, it allows me to use all sorts of cute character images, some tongue-in-cheek sentiments, and to avoid the traditional red and green combo.

A very clean and simple design 

Lili of The Valley - James In The Snow rubber stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Background paper from The Works (Fairytales I think)

and a vertical Merry die from MFT DieNamics

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lee Holland

You have two weeks to enter, looking forward to seeing you all there.

Hugs

Catch Up

 Hello everyone, if there is anyone still out there.  You may have noticed that I have been missing for a month since my last post.  A week before that post (which was scheduled) I had both parents ambulanced to hospital - after seven hours on oxygen mum was discharged same day, but dad was admitted.

He was discharged the next day, Thursday, but readmitted on Friday following a call-back after some blood test results had been rechecked.  Dad didn't make it, he died in hospital on 18 August.

Needless to say, our world has crumbled.  Dad was my hero, my rock, my Yoda, he was my everything, and I am struggling so much with the grief of his loss but trying to stay strong for mum at the same time.

In amongst all the tears and sadness, the world has moved on, mum had a birthday, and we had our wedding anniversary.

Trying to make mum a birthday card this year, between dad's passing and his funeral, was awful.

I eventually settled on this Stamping Bella Tiny Townie Garden Girls Sweet Pea,

Keeping with the pink and blue theme, I used some MFT papers

A Sunny Studio lattice die, a Cheery Lynn butterfly

and a very simple MFT sentiment

Yesterday, the Queen's funeral, was our 24th Wedding Anniversary

Another Stamping Bella image, this one is Mini Oddballs on A Tricycle

Papers are MFT Festive Celebrations

Sentiment is from an MFT Essentials set but can't remember which one

Both cards were painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs

========================================

My darling Daddy Bear

18-2-1934 - 18-8-2022

==========================================

  

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Domestic Animal

 Hello chaps, hope you are ok.  I'm sorry I've not been around much (well, not at all) but we've had a bit of a family crisis.  I won't bore you with the details but it might be a while before I'm posting more regularly again.

Anyhoo, you came here because it's AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE day so let's crack on.

The theme for the new challenge is

Favourite Domestic Animal (and tell us why)

This is always a great theme so looking forward to seeing your entries.

I'm an amateur crazy cat lady.  I say amateur because we only have one at the moment, Rosie Pudding, but she is big enough to actually be two cats on her own.  I've always had a cat in my life, even when I had dogs, and even when they haven't always lived in the same place as me.  I cannot imagine my world without a small, furry, demanding, cute, demonic, overlord to look after.

I've used one of the stamps from

Whimsy Stamps Cat Trouble clear stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Cheers word and the word bubble are from an old retired Whimsy set

MFT 6x6 papers - Pawsome Prints

Background stencil from Amazon

and our sponsor for this time is the lovely Tracy from

DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) African or Australian Animal

Time for another challenge from the

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

and this time the theme is

Your Favourite African or Australian Animal

I had to think long and hard about this because I have a lot of favourite animals, so I had to narrow it down by working out which was the one I was most likely ever to get a cuddle from.

Koala!

Except there is a rumour they'll wee on you.  I'll chance it.

 

So I have used

Gerda Steiner Designs - You're Koalafied

Simon Says Stamp hugs die

Sunny Studio 6x6 neutral papers

Lawn Fawm 6x6 papers Flower Market

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lawn Fawn

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Fur Feathers or Scales

 I wasn't going to mention this week's weather, but by crikey it has been exceptional - on Monday it was dear old Suffolk that broke the UK high temperature record (obviously exceeded on Tuesday), and I have to say I HAVE HATED EVERY SECOND OF IT!  The forecast for tomorrow is 19C and I cannot wait to be able to breathe again.

Anyhoo, it is time for a new theme at AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE and this time

it is Your Favourite - Fur, Feathers, or Scales (and why)

Soft and fluffy fur!  I quite like feathers themselves, but am nervous of birds, they are so delicate, except for chickens, chickens are sneaky and evil.  Scales are attached to things that freak me out (sorry to the tortoises), so fur it is, it's soft, it's strokeable, it's warm, it's usually wrapped around something I'd like to cuddle.

For this one I have used the Bears set from CC Designs

painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

teamed her with some papers from Lawn Fawn and Sunny Studio Designs

and a die from Crealies

Corner punch is unlabelled so can't tell you what that is

The sponsor for this challenge is the ever popular and talented

Lee Holland

Hugs

As You Like It Chalenge (DT) Warm or Cool Colours

 Yoo-hoo (waving madly), how are you?  I hope everyone is well.

It's time for another new theme from

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

and this time the theme is Warm or Cool Colours

(please tell us about your choice)

I had to have a think about this, because I like all colours, and I'm not afraid to mix it up, but on balance I seem to favour the cool shades more, the blues and purples.

So for this one I've used

Whimsy Stamps/Wee Stamps "Sarah" rubber stamp

MFT DieNamics Modern Serif Alphabet dies

A dotty background stencil, and while I was inking the stencil, I inked up some stripes

from which to cut the SNOW lettering

Sarah is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT 6x6 gingham paper

and I think the Let It Snow is MFT Snow Globe Sentiments (maybe)

In case you're really not sure what's hot and what's not, here's a simple colour wheel to help

And just before I go, our sponsor for this challenge is

Lili of the Valley

Hope to see you there

Hugs