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

Flower Bouquet Bunny (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello chaps, it's the weekend, yaaaaay!!

There has been an explosion in the size of the bunny population (which is what happens when you have more than one bunny) here this week and there will be more of those to come soon (they are all incredibly cute!) but today I have one from that very talented designer and illustrator, Lee Holland

So this absolutely adorable little chap is

Whimsy Stamps (Lee Holland Collection) Flower Bouquet Bunny

Your Next Stamp 6x6 Summer Plaid

MFT Birdie Brown Greetings Galore

MFT Stencil Mini Cloud Edges

Image watercolour painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Have yourselves a very "hoppy" weekend

Hugs

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Lee Holland Mouse On Flower (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease tell me that this is actually the weekend!

I didn't receive any flowers for Valentine's this week - vegetation in this house either gets nibbled by the cat, or quickly shrivels.  I'm not good with indoor florals.  However, this little chap seems to have developed better green paws than I have!

Whimsy Stamps: Lee Holland Collection - Mouse On Flower

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Sentiment Strips

MFT Safari Friends (sentiment)

Sunny Studio 6x6 Spring Sunburst

Sunny Studio 6x6 Flirty Flowers

As usual, the image has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and I just used a simple single hole punch to add coordinating dots of colour.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Hugs

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Teddy Birthday Message (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, I'm here today with a (cough) birthday message from Teddy, the sort that I am sending more and more often these days.  Whoops.

Ingredients for this make are:

Whimsy Stamps - Lee Holland Collection : Teddy Birthday Message

Whimsy Stamps : Cheeky Sentiments

MFT Die-Namics MFT-969 Stitched Flowers

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Basic Edges 2

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Scallop Basic Edges 2

MFT Dots & Stripes Sorbet

I used kraft card for the base - can anyone recommend a good quality one?  This one is a bit wibbly so I've had to strengthen it, nothing annoys me more than a card that bends/curls/sags when you stand it up!

Teddy painted with, of course, Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Happy weekend to all

Hugs

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Squirrel With Flower (DTDF DT)

Yippee!  It's a three-day weekend, AND it's the Monaco Grand Prix, AND Jenson is back for this race, AND we're having takeaway tonight, AND it's my Dies To Die For day!

I have some woodland cuteness to share with you all

Oh my word, that tail was interesting!

Here's the list of linked ingredients from the Dies To Die For online store

Whimsy Stamps (Lee Holland Collection) Squirrel With Flower

MFT Tribal Prints 6x6 pad

Die-Namics Stitched Sentiment Strips

Die-Namics Tag Builder Blueprints 6

Die-Namics Stitched Scallop Basic Edges

MFT Friends Furever

The only extras were a custom sized card base, and of course my Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Whatever you are up to, have a wonderful weekend

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Mouse With Rose (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello chaps, it is the weekend (yay) and Spring really does seem to have sprung now, at last!  We have a busy weekend ahead, what with Mother's Day tomorrow, Church twice, the start of the 2017 Formula 1 season (yippee!) and I have some special design work to get on with.  So without more ado, here is my make for the DIES TO DIE FOR blog today.

Whimsy Stamps: Lee Holland Collection - Mouse With Rose

MFT Die-Namics Double Stitched Circle Stax

MFT Die-Namics Dainty Doily Die

MFT Watercolor Wash 6x6 pad

Your Next Stamp Hugs And Kisses 6x6 pad

All the linked ingredients are available from the

Dies To Die For on-line store - the links will take you to the right pages

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and I used the off-the-page technique

with the rose.  It proved a little tricky with the double-stitched die but I got there

in the end

Heart punch from the bargain bin at Hobbycraft

I have made this for my Oldies' wedding anniversary for this coming Tuesday.

A little while ago I had a phone call from my dad, it isn't often he will make a call so I was a little concerned, but I had to have a chuckle.

Dad:  You know what this year is?

Me:  Yes dad, it's 2017.

Dad:  Me and your mum have been married 60 years.

Me:  No, you haven't.

Dad:  We have.

Me:  No dad, you really haven't.  It's 58.

Dad:  Are you sure?

Me:  Yes dad, you got married in 1959, that's 58 years.  You have 2 years to go.

Dad:  Oh bugger.

😕

Bless his little heart.  But it did give me the opportunity to remind him that it might not be an 0 anniversary, but it is an 0 birthday for my mum.  He was grateful that I had mentioned it, and asked me to remind him again nearer the time!

Hope you have a super weekend, whatever you are up to

Hugs, Squirrel xx

DIES TO DIE FOR

Woodland Bunny (DTDF DT)

Mornin' all, how are you?  I'm popping by with a huge dollop of cuteness for my DIES TO DIE FOR Design Team make today.

Brace yourself for a large moment of "awwwwh"

Ain't he just the cutest wabbit?!

Things that I used ....

Whimsy Stamps (Lee Holland Collection) Woodland Bunny

Maja Design Coffee In The Arbour

MFT Die-Namics Stiched Scalloped Basic Edges 2

MFT Love Is In The Mail

all available from the Dies To Die For on-line store

Other ingredients use are Distress Inks (ReInkers) and

Customs sized card base (5 1/4 x 5 1/4)

Hope you have a super-duper weekend.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Fairies or Teddies

Now, the choice that AS YOU LIKE IT are asking you to make this week is which is your favourite, Fairies or Teddies ......

Having had a run of challenges where I have really struggled to make a choice, this one has been an easy decision.  With apologies to the Fairies, but if it is furry and huggable, then I am there, a Teddies girl all the way!

So this happy hula bear is by Lee Holland from Whimsy Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clouds are sponge inked with a homemade template

MFT Die-Namics double stitched circle die

Whimsy Dies double scallop doily die

Sentiment from Personal Impressions

Papers are Prima All About Me

Hobbycraft gold pearlised card

The sponsor of this challenge is

Dies to Die for

£15 voucher

I do hope you will be able to join us for this super theme!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Cute Alert

Morning all (well, it should be, I'm scheduling for morning so we'll see.....).  It's midweek, so I thought we could do with a dose of cuteness to get us through the next few days to the weekend.

On Monday, I mentioned the Lee Holland Collection from Whimsy Stamps - Lee is a very talented artist and his observations of wild animals are so gorgeous.  I have fallen in love with far more of his little critters than I dare to admit (they are slowly finding their way here, lol).

Go on, you said "awwwh" didn't you?

This is Mouse And Butterfly

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with the teensiest touch of Polychromos Pencil for more depth of shading

The sentiment stamps are from MFT Simply Fabulous Sayings

And finally a little matting layer of some pale blue paper

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Beary Fun

Monday, ugh!

Anyhoo, as Saturday's post didn't appear in the Reading List until 1.00am Sunday, I am hoping this one actually pops up at the right time.

I had a cute critter weekend, and this is the first of them.

This little fella is from the Beary Fun set - Lee Holland Collection from Whimsy Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sky sponged with Distress Inks and a cloud stencil I cut with a die

Sentiment is from MFT

Papers are BoBunny

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