Adorable Adventures (DT) Dies To Die For

  Assuming you're not still in a queue for Primark or Debenhams, good morning - honestly, I think the world has gone mad.  Rushing into town to buy a new pair of flip-flops has been pretty low on my agenda for this week.

Anyhoo, I am here with another Birdie Brown make.

Stuff used

MFT Birdie Brown - Adorable Adventures stamp set MFT-BB-108

MFT Dienamics Adorable Adventures die set MFT-1797

MFT Birdie Brown Greeting Galore MFT-CS-335

MFT Stencil Slimline Cloud Edges MFT-ST-149

MFT Stencil Slimline Drifts and Hills MFT-ST-150

Whole scene coloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Distress Ink pads.

Hugs

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Easter Wishes (DT) Dies To Die For

 Hello peeps, so here we are today on Holy Saturday (yep, Easter Saturday is actually next weekend) - you learn something new every day!

I do make a lot of cute Easter cards, but just occasionally there is a need for something more traditional, but why not mix the traditional with a little bit of cute.

Sunny Studio Designs - Easter Wishes stamp set - SSCL-150

MFT Stencils - Mini Cloud Edges - MFT-ST-100

MFT 6x6 paper

A bit of masking, and a good slosh of Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and that really is it, simple but sweet

Whatever you are up to this weekend, take care, don't go crazy, and stay safe

Hugs

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Tea Party (DT) Dies To Die For

  SNOW!  We finally have snow (we're usually the last, or miss out entirely), so this little Squirrel was very excited to see it all beautiful, crisp, pristine, and white, this morning.  Mind you, it's all slushy and horrible now so not quite so much fun!

Anyhoo, from the sublime to the ridiculous, last week I used about a billion items on my DT make, this week just three.

This dinky little card features:

MFT Stacey Yacula Tea Party stamps - MFT-SY-27

MFT DieNamics Tea Party dies - MFT-1890

MFT Stencil - Micro Cloud Edges MFT-ST-145

Images painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours, clouds stencilled (DI Broken China pad), and grass splodged on (DI Peeled Paint pad) with a finger dauber.

And that's it, just like me, short and sweet, LOL!

Hugs

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Woof Pack Catastrophe (DT) Dies To Die For

 Hello peeps, I hope you are all doing your best to keep safe and well in these troubling times.  For anyone who is unfortunately ill with this damnable virus, I wish you a good recovery.  For the rest of us, HANDS-FACE-SPACE, it is important, now more than ever.

Right then, on with today's make

Lots of goodies used on this one, all from DIES TO DIE FOR of course

MFT Birdie Brown - Woof Pack stamps : MFT-BB-105

MFT DieNamics - Woof Pack dies : MFT-1765

MFT Birdie Brown - Catastrophe stamps : MFT-BB-104

MFT DieNamics - Catastropher dies : MFT-1764

MFT DieNamics Stitched Rolling Cloud Edges dies : MFT-1791

MFT Clear Stamps - Loveable Leopards : MFT-CS-203

MFT 6x6 papers - Gift Wrap : MFT-EP-73

MFT DieNamics - Grass Edges

Phew, a lot of stuff for a wee card!

Images were stamped onto Langton Hot Press (Smooth) watercolour paper, painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours, and die cut.  The bird from the Leopards set was direct stamped onto the background paper (MFT Watercolor Wash - sadly no longer on website).

Right, I'm off to rescue a pork loin joint from the oven - guess what we are having for dinner tonight!

Hugs to all

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Favourite Stencil (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Aarrgh!   I keep being forced to use the new version of Blogger and I absolutely HATE it.  Does anyone else feel the same way?  How is this an improvement?  Mumblemumblegrumble.

Anyhoo, it is AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE day and our theme for this fortnight is

Your Favourite Stencil (and why)

I've collected a "few" stencils over the past couple of years, and the one that is the inkiest (and therefore used the most) is my MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil.  It seems to have been out for almost every other card lately.  I love that you can keep a card clean and simple but still have some background interest.

MFT Birdie Brown - Up In The Air

MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

MFT DieNamics Double Stitched Circle Stax

Assortment of MFT 6x6 papers

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

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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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Stone Path (DT) Dies To Die For

Sorry I'm later today chaps, this little Squirrel has had a busy morning!

OK, brace yourselves, I've gone grown-up today

I have used:

Whimsy Stamps - Stone Path

MFT Stencil - Mini Cloud Edges

MFT Clear Stamps - Bitty Thanks & Gratitude

MFT 6x6 - Petit Plaid

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Kraft card base from Hobbycraft

Plain matting layers from DoCrafts

and that's me done!

Hugs

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Friendly Foxes (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, happy weekend to you!

It's been a week of typical British weather, humid, sunny, wet, thunderstorms, breezy, you name it, we have (almost) had it all these past few days.  We had one storm this week, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, that was realllllllly loud, one clap of thunder woke me up so suddenly and I was all discombobulated and had no idea who I was, where I was, or what time of day (or night) it was.  The only comfort was that everyone at work a few hours later looked as bleary as I felt!

Anyhoo, last weekend was of course Father's Day in the UK, and I had been saving this set to make my dad his card - he is a country boy to the core and he has such a love of wildlife that it seems right to use this cheeky fella for him.

So the ingredients that I used from Dies To Die For are

MFT SY Friendly Foxes stamp set

and there is a matching Friendly Foxes die set available too

MFT 6x6 Tiny Check Brights

MFT Stencils - Mini Cloud Edges

Again this week, I have had the C word mentioned in respect of my colouring - guys, I don't use Copics, I wish I could but I don't have those skills!  99.9% of my images are watercoloured painted using Distress Inks (ReInkers) as my paints.

Hugs to all

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Party Like A Pirate (DT) Dies To Die For

Arrrrrrrrrh!!  Ahoy there me'arties!

There will be a party going on in the Squirrel-Oldies household this week as they

celebrate their Diamond (60 years) Wedding Anniversary but I'm not sure

that they will Party Like A Pirate

MFT BB-46 Party Like A Pirate stamp set

Lawn Fawn 6x6 Really Rainbow Scallops

MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

MFT Make Waves Stencil

Image and background all done with Distress Inks (ReInkers and Pads)

That's all today folks, I have to get some rather sparkly presents wrapped!

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It's that time of year folks ......

Somehow, despite a great deal of resistance, I have agreed to be thoroughly humiliated again this year, it will be 2017 on repeat, GroundHog Day, deja vue, and all that jazz.

Yes, it is time for the MFT 2018 Card Design Superstar Challenge.  Sigh.

Last year I wept buckets over the Colouring Virtuoso category, so we are giving that a definite miss this time, but instead will pop something of very little hope into the Clean And Simple Genius (ha) category.

Probably not enough white space, but there is lots of sky...... who am I kidding.

MFT ingredients used are

Furever Friends stamp set

Brushstroke Expressions sentiments

Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

6x6 Lucky Prints

Black card from PDA Card & Craft

and the whole thing painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I must be insane.

Dies To Die For (DT) Furever Friends

Hello everyone, I'm here today with a double dose of some furriness to share with you.

Now, we all love our friends, but how may of us take the time to tell them we do?  I really enjoy making random friendship cards, those ones for no particular reason but just because, and this super cute stamp set is perfect for that.

So for this one I have used

MFT Clear Stamps - Furever Friends

Your Next Stamp - Smiley Happy Alphabet

MFT DieNamics - Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

MFT 6x6 - True Blue Houndstooth

Your Next Stamp 6x6 - Fabulous Fall

and because I was having so much fun

again the

MFT Clear Stamps - Furever Friends

MFT Clear Stamps - Sassy Pants Best Friends

Both cards are painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours but rather than use my

usual Bristol Board this time I have pushed the boat out and used proper watercolour paper.

I normally stamp with Memento Tuxedo Black, which dries really fast on the BB, but the trick with watercolour paper is to plan ahead and stamp one day and paint the next, it gives the ink a chance to dry properly and stops it bleeding into your colours when you get it wet.

I've been asked about the clouds using the Mini Cloud Edges Stencil - I do these with Distress Ink Oxide Broken China - I used to do it with my finger, but found it was too mucky and I was getting blue ink in places no squirrel ever wants to find it, so I experimented with a few things and, after some trial and error, I have found that for me the Tsukineko Finger Daubers are the best thing EVER!

The background paper on the second card is from an old Papermania pad that was purple and green themed.  This "sunburst" design is the last page of that pattern, which is a shame.

Hugs to all

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(new releases from MFT and Stamping Bella now available guys!)

Baseball Squidgy (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, or should I say Strike One!

I am getting to be a terror at forgetting birthdays until after the event, so this little chap works well for my newly acquired but really annoying failings,  It has become something of a joke these days so that's what I am turning it into "Yeah, I failed again, but I know I did"

Lovely things used

Stamping Bella - Baseball Squidgy

Honey Bee - Blah Blah Blah

My Favorite Things - Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

Versafine Onyx Black Inkpad

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInker)

Red cardstock from Rymans

Enjoy your Bank Holiday (UK) weekend folk!

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Good grief, a challenge card

OK, so, I've been off work this week and whilst it has been baking hot and in between

going out to different places and laying on the floor like a limp lettuce, I have been making

Christmas cards (aaargh) for my mother's order.  Feeling a little underwhelmed, I decided

it was time I perked things up with a challenge so had a mooch around to see what I could

find and, lo, what should behold me but a Wednesday Sketch Challenge from MFT Card Challenges

and here is the sketch

I am a sucker for these Pure Innocence little girls so when this one popped up in the new

release I knew that she would be coming home to me.

So, I have used for this:

MFT Pure Innocence Birthday Cutie stamp

and the matching die

a retired Die-Namics Window die

MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

MFT 6x6 Dots & Stripes Sorbet

Black card is from PDA Card & Craft and the brown for the

window frame is Papermania pearlised

I did the clouds with Broken China Distress Ink Oxide and a finger dauber

and the image (the bits not paper pieced) is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with

Polychromos Pencils for her hair

Twice in one day is a bit much for a little squirrel so I am off to find a cool, dark, room

to whimper in for a little while!

Hugs to all

You can find my earlier DIES TO DIE FOR post here

DTDF (DT) Lovey Gnomes

Morning all, happy weekend!

If you have seen the new Stamping Bella release then you will know that there is an awful lot of gnome-ness coming your way.

I am finding these little critters irresistible so I made my parents' anniversary card using a pair from the last release.  It's their 59th in a couple of weeks, and honestly, this could be their wedding photo, lol!

And the list of loveliness that I have used to make this is:

Stamping Bella - Lovely Gnomes

Die-Namics Pierced Circle Stax

MFT Essential Sentiments

MFT 6x6 papers - Sweet Celebration

MFT 6x6 papers - Bundles of Blossoms Brights

MFT 6x6 papers - Tiny Hearts Pastels

MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

The gnomes and the background are painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

It's pretty obvious but the hills are freehand!

Hugs to all

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DTDF (DT) Puddle Jumping Twila

Hello chaps, hope this Saturday finds you fine and dandy.

Sorry for the absence from blogland and social media over the past ten days, I've been a

"bit" under the weather, but am hopefully now on the mend.

Speaking of under the weather, my DIES TO DIE FOR make today shows that

even the weather needn't get you down

With the right pair of wellies, a girl can do anything!

And the lovely things used are

CC Designs stamp: Roberto's Rascals Puddle Jumping Twila

My Favorite Things: All About You sentiment set

Die-Namics: You Trio

MFT 6x6 paper: Graphic Grid

and the MFT Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

Image has been painted, as always, with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and I used the Faded Jeans Distress Ink pad for the clouds

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

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Almost a midway reminder

Hello folks, just dropping by with an almost midway reminder for Squirrel's Not So Random Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes - the challenge runs until the end of September so you still have loads of time to enter.

The word has got out at work that I make cards, so I was really chuffed when one of the ladies asked me (I've only been there four months) to make a birthday card for her golf-mad husband.

So for this I have used:

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Golfing Tom

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I cut around his head and shoulders so I could slip the die cut cloud paper behind

Paper is Nitwits, but darned if I can remember the make of the die

Sentiment is from Lili of The Valley

Grassy background sponge inked with Distress Inks

I'm pleased to say that the husband really liked it, and apparently sat for quite a while trying to work out how it had been made!

Anyway, reminder delivered, it's an Anything Goes theme, so nothing to stop you.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx