As You Like It Challenge (DT) Autumn or Winter

 Hello folks, it's time for another new challenge over as AS YOU LIKE IT and the theme for this fortnight is Autumn or Winter (please explain your choice).

Autumn is my most favourite season of the whole year, although I don't mind winter that much.  There is so much loveliness about autumn, the cooler mornings, the temperate days, the cooler nights.  I love the warmth of the light, the rich colours, the smells, I don't even mind it getting dark early, I just close the curtains and snuggle up indoors with himself and the cat.  I love being able to get out and about without having heatstroke, and on the cooler days I am happy to pull on a woolly pully.  I am definitely an autumnal squirrel.

Stamping Bella - Curvy Girl Loves Autumn (no die available, she was fussy cut) sb-eb989

Newton's Nook Designs - Shades of Autumn (background leaves, fabulous linen effect on these) NN1709S04

Lawn Fawn 6x6 papers - Watercolor Wishes LF-1355

MFT 6x6 papers - Keep Me In Stitches MFT-EP82

Spellbinders (Nestabilities) Tall Scallop Oval die

Crealies - Open Scallop Square die CLNestXXL70

Distress Inks (ReInkers) and pads

With Love sentiment die might be Tonic, but I have no packaging for it now

Our sponsor for this challenge is the ever adorable LAWN FAWN

Come on over and share your favourite (autumn or winter) season with us.

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Purple Plus One

Hello peeps, it's another alternate Thursday (yes, it really is Thursday) so that means a new challenge theme from the AS YOU LIKE IT team.

This time around we have a colour theme and would like you to combine

PURPLE PLUS ONE (that is, one other main colour)

Please do remember to tell us about your choice for your entry to be a valid one.

You might have guessed that I would go for a bright choice - I have combined purple with yellow as, not only are they complementary colours, they are also so happy and remind me of Spring flowers, like the ever cheerful crocus.

So, the things I have used for this little card are:

MFT Birdie Brown Drink Up The Sunshine MFT BB-74

and the matching die MFT-1562

Central papers are from a couple of Sunny Studio pads

and the purple paper is from an old LOTV/Nitwits pads

The Cheers sentiment die is a Simon Says Stamp die

and the loopy scallop square base die is an old Nestabilities

Image painted with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

PS.  The little fish was cut from a page of very fishy Sunny Studio Summer Splash paper

Our sponsor for this challenge is for the digi users amongst you

Lili of The Valley

Looking forward to seeing all your colourful creations.

Hugs

AYLI (DT) Box or Bag (non card project)

Hello chaps.  I'm having a bit of a panic right about now as I have just realised what the date is and how flippin' far behind I am with the preparations for you-know-what.  I'm beginning to reach the stage of "what the heck"

However, for those of you far more organised than I am, there is the start of another new challenge with the

AS YOU LIKE IT blog, and this time the theme is BOX or BAG (this is a non-card project)

I love making boxes, there are endless variations on size, and it is so much fun

to make one tailor made for the gift it contains.  I think I have just about cracked

the square/rectangle, so maybe now it is time to be more adventurous!

So for this cutie, I used my Martha Stewart score board to make the

box, and of course I still forgot which piece was top and which was bottom!

Stamping Bella: Tiny Townie Frida Loves Frosty

A variety of Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas papers

Nestabilities snowflakes

and Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Sweet Stamp Store

$10.00

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

DTDF (DT) Jungle Bells

Morning chaps, it's my day for the DIES TO DIE FOR inspiration blog

We are into autumn now, so that means the C.... cards begin with serious purpose.  However these two aren't really all that serious.

Elephant Card

Whimsy Stamps: Jungle Bells Two - Elephant

Lawn Fawn: Knit Picky 6x6 Paper Pack

Die-Namics: Stitched Sentiment Strips

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Scalloped Circles

I decided to have another go with the no-line colouring technique for the next one but......

Lion Card

Whimsy Stamps:  Jungle Bells One - Lion

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Tonic Dies

Clearly Besotted

As you can see, I did't achieve the no-lines, I never learn.  Memento Ink acts like a sponge

for Distress Inks (ReInkers) and soaks up the colour, so the sections have lines, but they are the right colours!  His nose, hat and eyebrows show this particularly well.

Happy weekend to you

Hugs

Squirrel xx

All linked items (and many many more) can be purchased from the

DIES TO DIE FOR online store

Game On

You MUST know by now that Lili of The Valley have a new release out on 31 March featuring Jasmine and Oliver.  My teamies have been posting peeks like crazy so you may have seen some of them.

I only had the one image - Oliver Game Boy - to sample, I posted my first version of him a week or two ago, but have made two further versions since.  Here they are:

I got really inky with this one making the camouflage background with Distress Inks

Image is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Cog wheel dies from Memory Box

Sentiment is from Set 101 Teenage Boy Sentiments also being released at the same time

Again, painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The backing paper is from an old Basic Grey pad but the little critters reminded me of some of the Wii games that Toad plays, endlessly!

Spellbinders Nestabilities octagon nesting dies

Again, sentiment being released on 31 March alongside the image stamps

As you can see from the colour choices, you can use Oliver for the younger or older ends of the age spectrum.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Spring in my step

Yoo-hoo!  Hopefully the scheduling has worked and you are reading this on Monday 7 March.  I should have been in hospital for surgery today but it has been postponed, twice.

Anyhoo, this is a toot for the LILI OF THE VALLEY FACEBOOK CHALLENGE (yep, over on Facebook) where the theme is SPRING.  There are loads of generous prizes to win and you have until Sunday 13 March to enter.  Get yourself over there for all the gorgeousness, and enter your Spring themed make (using a Lili product of course).

For my Spring card I have used Balloon Bunny (awwh)

and a retired grungy sentiment

Papers are Angelica and Adam (Female)

Diecut is a Nestabilities set but for the life of me I can't tell you what

the set number is

and of course the image has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

So, you still have quite a few days to enter, but don't leave it too late, Sunday will be here before you know it!

Hugs to all, and hope to see you soon

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) So Cute

Morning all, it's PINK day - yes, get your Pink on, it's another challenge from those lovely ladies over at IN THE PINK

This time our challenge is SO CUTE - that leaves you a huge scope to craft with, but remember please, more pink than anything else!

Here's my DT make:

So, for this one I have used

Stamping Bella - Especially For You, Petunia

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Background flowery paper made by me!  I used a Tapestry stamp and two colours of Memento ink

Matting layer papers are old Papermania ones

Nestabilities dies for the scalloped die cuts

Wish I could remember where I got the word stamps from .....

Sparkling gems from Papermania

The sponsor for this challenge is PAPER NEST DOLLS

OK, you have two weeks to get pink - looking forward to seeing your cute makes!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Scootin' along

Happy Monday folks!  The start of another working week for me, which is really difficult at this time of year with so much still to be crafted for Christmas!  Never mind, tomorrow we can start on opening the advent calendars - and if that doesn't fill you with fear, the chocolate countdown, then very little will, lol.

Mind you, all that Christmas stuff still to be done, and here is me with another non-Christmas card!

It feels like a very long time since I used a WRS cutie but this one was a gift from a dear bloggy friend, and it is just too sweet to ignore!

Stamp is Wild Rose Studio - Bunny On Scooter

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits

Corner die is also Wild Rose Studio - Corner Flourish

Sentiment is LOTV

Die cut shape is Nestabilities Labels 18

Pearls from stash

Have a good week everyone!

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Garfield and Gnomes

In my feelings for Mondays, I'm with Garfield on them, and this one will be worse because it is the first day back after a lovely relaxing week off.

Thankfully for me, and for everyone else around me, the feeling wears off by the afternoon!

Anyhoo, I thought I would start Monday with a smile for a change.  I shall go into work beaming, and that is really going to worry them.

And let's start the week here with a smile too.

So, this is an MFT stamp from the You Gnome Me set

thankfully I got the matching dies, although he's easy enough to fussy cut

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Background paper is Maja Designs - Life In The Country

Sentiment by Dovecraft

Shaped dies are by Spellbinders Nestabilities

Hoping your Monday is a good one folks

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Dainty Dancing

Morning all, how are you today?  We are having a relaxing, mooching about, hollibob day - Toad has popped out to get some stuff to repaint the shed so that will be a fun (!!) job for this afternoon if it doesn't rain.

In the meantime, I am popping by with my second July card for the Lili of the Valley Design Collective

Sorry, I should have warned you it's a bright one!

Stamp:  LOTV Dainty Dancing

Papers: LOTV/ Nitwits Sunny Side Up

Sentiment: LOTV Set 91 All The Best

Extras: Nestabilities Superellipse dies and Poppy Stamps simple banner die

Medium:  Distress Inks (ReInkers), Polychromos Pencils and paper piecing

I am so sorry that I haven't been around much, and certainly huge apologies for the lack of comments over the past few months.  Some of you may know that my mum has been really unwell so it has meant, naturally, that blogging has had to take a back seat.  It has been all I can do to keep on top of my DT commitments.  Thankfully, mum now seems to be on the mend at last so I am hoping that I shall soon be able to have the time needed to come and visit you all again.

Hugs to anyone still out there who visits

Squirrel xx

Dress Shoppe

Yoo-hoo, it's Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiday!  Phew, and I think it's going to be an interesting one, lots of storms so keeping fingers crossed for an office based power cut.  It mustn't rain at home though as our garage flat roof is being replaced today!

Anyhoo, you must have noticed that there is a Summer Event at Lili of The Valley tomorrow, and there is a launch of some new paper pads too.  Oh my, every page of the three pads is delicious and as soon as I get paid on Monday I shall be whapping that order in!

Just to show you a few of the papers from the Dress Shoppe pad, I made this simple card:

Something you don't often see from me, I have used an Art Pad!

This one is No 23 James & Jenny Bear

Papers are all from the forthcoming LOTV/Nitwits Dress Shoppe pad

Nestabilities Labels 18, and retro flower punches with pearls

I wish I could have showed you more of the paper that I punched the flowers from on this one, it is absolutely to die for, in fact a whole pad of that and I would be a happy  girl!

So, what I would like you today is stay at home and away from the computer.

Reason - save your pennies and get ready to spend at Lili

The new products will be irresistible!

Have a happy Friday

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Spring Bella

It's a beautiful Spring morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers are starting to bud and bloom - oh, and yeah, it's piggin' Monday!

Anyhoo, as an antidote to Monday, and in celebration of Spring, I have a delicate little number for you all today.  Remember the order for an elephant card?  Well this is the customer's accepted version, thank goodness, I was getting a little ellietwitchy.

So we have Bella With Daisy from Wild Rose Studio

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Nitwits and sentiment is LOTV

MFT Stitched Circle die and Nesties Classic Circle die

Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch to finish off

We had a really good and rewarding weekend with Rosie.  I can't believe she has been with us a week today.  Having lived previously in a bungalow, noises from upstairs were freaking her out a bit but she has been brave and ventured up on her own and discovered a whole new and exciting world that includes beds for jumping on in the wee small hours.  It's a good job I am already on beta blockers for my blood pressure!  We bought her lots of new toys, and each of them has taken a hammering, and she has also taken quite a shine to my Glitter Pot cardboard box.

Hugs to all



Squirrel xx