As You Like It Challenge (DT) Your Favourite Person To Make For

 Hello chaps, hope you are all keeping your toes toasty warm in this

little cold snap, anyone would think tomorrow was December!

So, before I tell you about the theme for this challenge, I have a little bit of news for you.  This is my penultimate post as a DT member for AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE.  After several years of putting up with my scatterbrainedness, insanity, and hysteria, the team have finally sacked me.

KIDDING!  But I am stepping down, it wasn't an easy decision, and I'm sure I will regret it by January, but I need some time to recharge some creative batteries.  I have had a blast with the team, will miss all my teamies, and I should say that I will miss Red Leader, but she doesn't get rid of me, mwahahahahaaaaa.

ANYWAY - the theme for this challenge is

Your Favourite Person To Make For (and please tell us why)

For me, it's my darlin' mum, she loves receiving something unique that she knows has been

hand crafted just for her, and I know she stashes all her cards in a drawer in the dining room (she thinks I don't know about that)

What could I use for Mummy Bear other than the adorable James Bear from LOTV

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from a set of rubber stamps (ancient now) from C C Designs

Papers are from two different Christmas sets from Dovecraft

Star punch from Hobbycraft

Red cardstock from somewhere random on Amazon

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lee Holland

I do hope you will be able to pop over and join the fun, after all, everyone has someone to make for

Hugs

Christmas Animal - Favourite (DT) As You Like It Challenge

So, here we are again at Thursday, and it is the start of a new theme at the

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

This time we are asking you to share your Favourite Christmas Animal with us

I've had a love affair with this bear since he first appeared, several years ago now, and every Christmas he has made an appearance in at least one of his many adventures.  It wouldn't be Christmas without him now.

Lili Of The Valley : James Bear Big Star

CC Designs : Snarky Christmas

MFT 6x6 papers : Fresh Squeezed Chevron and Graphic Grid

and our sponsor for this challenge will be

PolkaDoodles

Hugs to all

AYLI (DT) Favourite Die

I'm scheduling this post for Thursday and our new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT - I hope by then we might have had a little bit of sunshine because, seriously, I am starting to feel like a mole with all this darkness.

Darkness is my excuse for a not very good photo this week, I had to take it under artificial light, which never gives a true reading of colour.

Anyhoo, our theme for this fortnight is FAVOURITE DIE (and why).  This was so difficult, it was like asking me to choose my favourite pet, impossible.  I use a lot of stitched effect dies, and I absolutely love these double stitched ones, they just finish the image panel off beautifully.  This simple square is one of my most used.

So, the things I have used to make this are:

CC Designs: Roberto's Rascals - Shopping Nancy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Die-Namics Double Stitched Square Stax

Not sure about the border die, so if anyone could shed light on that I'd be grateful

LOTV: Circular Sentiment stamp

Die-Namics Stitched Circle Stax

Tonic dies (it's a scalloped frame from within a set (label long gone)

MFT 6x6 Dots & Stripes

Lilac cardstock from Rymans

and our generous sponsor for this challenge is

Prize:

That's all from me folks.

Hugs

DTDF (DT) Happy Pawlidays

Happy Saturday folks.  The arrival of this weekend is so welcome!

Don't tell Faye but over at the DIES TO DIE FOR inspiration blog

things are starting to look a lot like Christmas C*mas

I imagine that now we have only four and a bit weeks to the C*mas event, us crafters are

probably up to our elbows in festive stuff, so here's a small contribution to this year's

C*mas card mountain - still many more to make, eeeek

And the yummy things used are

MFT stamp set: Happy Pawlidays

Die-Namics: Stitched Square Scallop Edge Frames

Mama Elephant: Snow Flurries

Whimsy Stamps: Holiday Mini Sentiments Clear Stamps

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Polychromos Pencils

LOTV Frosty Christmas papers (retired)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Dies To Die For online store

DTDF (DT) Whimsy/Wee Sarah

Yoo-hoo chaps!

Here I am with my DIES TO DIE FOR inspiration blog make, on what is (here) a rather nippy November day.  It's warm hat, coat and boots weather - all you need is a furry friend to finish it all off

So, the yummy things used here are

Whimsy/Wee Stamps: Sarah

Mama Elephant: Snow Flurries dies

Impression Obsession: Let It Snow DIE593-B

Whimsy Stamps: Double Scallop Doily Die

I painted the image with various shades of Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and the papers are LOTV Krafty Christmas

Right then, when did I put my bear ....

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Dies To Die For online store

for all of the above and a huge amount more

AYLI (DT) Flowers or Ribbons

Hello gang, hope this finds you well.  There's another new challenge starting

over at AS YOU LIKE IT today and the theme for this fortnight is

Your Favourite - Flowers or Ribbons

(and purrrleeeeeeeeease tell us why)

OK, so, here's the dilemma, I don't often use ribbons or flowers!

I have tried in the past, but "dog's dinner" comes to mind, froo-froo just isn't

my style.  So, I furtled about in the stash to see which of the two evils I have the

most of, and was horrified to find a rather sizeable collection of flowers, so I thought I had better use some!

The lovely things I have used

Stamping Bella Tiny Townies Garden Girls: Rose (stamp and die)

Nitwits paper pad (LOTV) Always & Forever

LOTV Krafty Christmas

Die-Namics Bold Stripes Cover Up

LOTV Circular Sentiments

Wild Orchid Crafts - small flowers and rose leaves

Image painstakingly painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Crafts U Love
£10 voucher

and all that remains is to wish our beloved leader, Annette, a VERY happy birthday for today!

Hope you will have a rummage in your own stash and then share your

fabulous makes with us.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Happy Birth Day

No, it's not a typing mistake, I really did mean Happy Birth Day.  My mate at work has become a second time grandma and I made this to celebrate the birth of baby Jack and his safe arrival.

I have entered it as a twist on the Happy Birthday theme on the Lili of The Valley FB Challenge (1-14 May)

I think the stamp is perhaps called Special Delivery but it is one that I forgot to write the name of on the packet when it arrived.  It is most definitely LOTV though!  (EDIT: "Just Arrived")

I have painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from an el-cheap-o pad that I bought from The Works, but they

seem to be ok and certainly cope with wet glue so I may well get some more

Die-Namics Double Stitched Circle Stax die

Die-Namics Stitched Sentiment Strips die

Crealies Double Dots Squares die

Tonic Scalloped Squares dies

Clearly Besotted sentiments from their baby stamp set

Stars done with a shaped hole punch

For a simple card it seems to have a lot of ingredients!

Anyway, my mate was thrilled and she has had it on display on our reception desk

all week for everyone to see, even our clients, bless her

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

For my daddy

I love my daddy to bits, he is my hero.  Next weekend will be his birthday, and I always like to try and make him a card that is really relevant to either our relationship (amazing), or his hobbies and interests.

He has always been a bit of a handyman, although as mum often says "whatever your father makes never falls apart"- his items do tend to be rather heavy duty!

He has his sheds, of course, but he also has a part of the house that has evolved over the years into "the  Cubbyhole", which is where you can often find him hiding, tinkering with something or other.   I have many happy memories of spending hours with him, just pottering, and emerging smelling of wood shavings.  When I saw this stamp I had to have it just for him.

The ingredient for this are:

Lili of The Valley "The Workbench" stamp

and LOTV For Him Circular Sentiments (retired)

Spotty paper is Echo Park Birthday Wishes Boy

and I picked out one of the colours to use as the matting layers, a ProMarker on white card

I used the same colour for the buttons which are Impression Obsession dies

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

And as Sweet Stamping Challenge have a "Masculine" theme, it would be rude not to enter

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Thank You

As we have had a really quiet Christmas, and neither of us have had to go into work, I have managed quite a bit of play time since Boxing Day - which is good, in many ways, but especially as I had rather a lot of thank you cards to get made!  You may spot a theme over the next week or so, lol.

This first one is for my boss, Emma.  Regular readers will know that Emma is not only my boss, and I went with her when we changed firms in April, but she is also a good friend.  There is a story behind this card, but unfortunately it is not one I can share with you here.

I wish I could remember the name of the stamp, but I can't - 

it's from Lili of The Valley from a few years ago.

Sentiment stamp is a magazine freebie.

Snowflake is an X-Cut small palm punch

Pink card stock from Rymans

and a custom made 6x4 card base

What little colouring there is has been done with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I shall be entering this in the LOTV Facebook Challenge - Anything Goes

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

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

Oxford Blues

Morning all.  It's the last day of my holiday before the weekend, and we're mooching.  We had all sorts of plans for today but I had a rough night coughing and feel a bit limp lettuce, so we haven't really got motivated yet.  Toad has just make me a frothy coffee so I thought I would use the time and bring you a blog post!

I made this card a little while ago but for some reason it didn't get posted, so here we go:

Love this little fella

This is Oxford, a Mo Manning image from Stamping Bella

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from Basic Grey, I think the pad is also called Oxford

Not sure about the blue stripes, they could be from the same pad

Sentiment is LOTV

and a much used Spellbinders die Labels 18

I didn't have anyone in mind when I made this but guess it could work equally as

well for a new job card or starting university

Hugs to all, and welcome to my new Followers who have joined this week

Squirrel xx

Going Crackers (Christmas, of course)

Afternoon all, hope this finds you well.  It finds me sneezing and snuffling, but what else would you expect now that I am on holiday from work.  Grrrrrrr.

Anyhoo, I haven't used many of my Lili of the Valley stamps since I stepped down from the Design Collective but now that I have started making my C cards I am back on track, and here I am today with a James which I am going to enter into their Facebook challenge, even though my CAS style doesn't suit the Lili look apparently.  My stamps, I'll use them how I want!

So, this is James with Christmas Cracker

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clearly Besotted sentiment

Crealies stitched rectangle die

MFT Die-Namics chevron die

Moss green Bazzil cardstock

Custome sized card base

and that's it, sweet and simple.

Feeling much happier now I have seen the Malaysian GP and Rosberg has stretched his lead over Hamilton by 23 points.  Good result for Jenson too on his 300th race start!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Flower Power

I was going to say good morning, but it isn't any more!  Where has the day gone?  Anyhoo, it feels an age since I blogged (it isn't really) and I have something new to share with you 

Professor McSquinty is alive and well!

So, I have used a Whimsy stamp from the Lee Holland Collection and 

this one is called Flower Bouquet Bunny

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from LOTV pads

Flower corner punch is Martha Stewart

Butterflies are an Impression Obsession die

and the sentiment is from Lil'Inkers Read Between The Lines set

for the short-sighted of you the sentiment says

YOU'RE NOT

just

MY FRIEND

you are my best friend ever

As well as Prof McSquinty taking his usual squint photo, he seems to have done something whacky with the colours too - I swear the rabbit wasn't that orange when I put the card in the mail!

Anyhoo, that's me done for today.  I'm just about to take the roast chicken out of the oven and this afternoon we are going on a broad-bean raid in the Oldies garden.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Lilac Blossoms

I am exhausted.  So far today, I have done the Silverstone Grand Prix, a mountain stage of the Tour de France, and the Men's Singles Final at Wimbledon.  I'm pooped!!

Honestly, armchair sport is hard work!

Anyhoo, I did have time for some inky play

So, I have used a retired LOTV stamp of Lilac Blossoms

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Those delicious papers are Dovecraft: Berry Burst

and that's it, no die, no sentiment, just very simple layers

There is a LOTV challenge running on Facebook called Summer In The Garden.  I am entering this, although my style doesn't fit with Lili's.  I'm probably speaking out of turn, but do feel it is a shame when a company feels it can dictate how their images should be used by only promoting one look.

C'est la vie.

Right then, tomorrow is the last day for anyone interested in becoming a Little Acorn, so be quick if you would like to be considered.

Oh, and I draw the line at football as well ......!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sports - LOTV reminder

Hi all, just dropping by with my second design team inspiration card for the Lili of The Valley June Facebook Challenge - not many days left now to enter so you need to get your skates on!

So this rather colourful card was made using

LOTV Water Babies Little Folk stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The rather loud papers are a mixture from various Basic Grey pads

The ornate oval frame is a Spellbinders die

And the lettering done with the Memory Box alphabet soup die set

Pre-scalloped card base

The challenge closes at 6.00pm on 15 June so better get busy if you want to be in with a chance of winning the fabulous prize.

That's the happy part of this post.

The sad part is that this will be my last ever post for the LOTV design team.

I was over-the-moon when I was asked to join the Design Collective last year, but nothing stays the same forever, and there have been a lot of changes, so, after a lot of careful thought and conscience wrestling, I decided it was time for me to step down.  Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave comments or visit me for my Lili posts, it wasn't a decision easily made but c'est la vie.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sports! Lili of The Valley FB Challenge

Hi all, if you haven't seen it already, there is a new challenge running over on the Lili of The Valley Facebook page for June, and the theme is Sports

Lots of the Lili stamps feature sports, or can be adapted to be sporty, so although this seems like a more difficult challenge than usual, it's really not that bad.

My first design team make for inspiration features a retired image......

I love this little karate kid, and I don't know why I haven't used him more often

I think I had it stuck in my head that his outfit had to be white, but I did some research and it doesn't!

The colours I have used are student colours - painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are leftovers from my scraps box

and white cardstock edged with a yellow Copic marker

and I really should stop removing my sentiment sets from their packaging!

So, be a sport, join in the challenge - the ball's in your court

Challenge closes at 6.00pm on 15 June

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Lili of the Valley May Challenge

Hello peeps, happy Tuesday!

1 May saw the launch of the new Lili of The Valley Facebook Challenge

and this time you are being asked to follow a sketch designed by our very own Jen.

Here is my second make for the theme

I've used a favourite baby image for this one, taken from the Babies clear set (sadly retired)

but still available in rubber as Baby Blanket

The shoes are from the same clear set - they were also released in rubber but have been retired now

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are leftovers from a girl themed baby paper pad I had

Sentiment stamp is also from that much missed Babies set

Here's the sketch

The challenge runs until 15 May so you still have a little bit of time to get your entries in.  There are some super prizes for the winner.

Looking forward to seeing you there

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Patterned Paper or Embossed

It scares me sometimes how quickly these Thursdays come round!  Blink, and suddenly it is time for another challenge from AS YOU LIKE IT.

This time around, the challenge for you is to choose your favourite between Patterned Paper or Embossed Paper.

I'm pretty sure that our Annette will have something to say about me and my love of patterned papers!  I have never really found the love for embossing, but I have certainly found it for pretty papers.  I love the challenge of being able to match the design to an image!

Here's my card

See, tiny pink cups!

Image is LOTV Jasmine Coffee

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT double stitched circle die

Tonic plain circle die for matting

Dovecraft Tea House papers with Basic Grey Kraft papers

Sentiment is LOTV from Set 103 Sweet and Simple

Martha Stewart border punch to finish off

It's a digi sponsor this time, so for all you digi lovers out there

The sponsor of this challenge is

All Dressed Up.

2 digital images of winners choice

from Wendy’s Etsy shop

All Dressed Up Challenge Blog.

Now it's over to you, you have two weeks to show us your make AND tell us why you made the choice you did.

Have fun!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx