As You Like It Challenge (DT) Harvest Colours

 So, here we are, just over halfway through September and into the

very beginning of autumn.  This time of year is always the time of harvest festivals

and that is why for this challenge at AS YOU LIKE IT

we're asking for your favourite Harvest Colours

I love the warmth of harvest colours, the golds, reds, and greens of ripe

fruit and vegetables, a season of plenty, a full table of tasty things,

Like this little chap with his golden beetroot, delicious!

Stamping Bella - Gnome Farmer

Honey Bee - Giddy For Gingham

MFT - Diagonal Gingham

Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

Polychromos Pencils

Sentiment by Penny Black

Our sponsor for this theme is the ever fabulous

DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Two Colour Combo

 Oooh, it's a colour challenge theme over as

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

this time, and we would like to see (and hear about)

Your Favourite Two Colour Combo

I have lots of favourite colour pairings, but I always seem to come back to

blue and brown, I don't know why, to me it's just a comforting combo, and can be

used in so many different ways.

I've used one of the Lili of The Valley Spring Gnomes stamps

Teamed with a mix of Honey Bee and Sunny Studio papers

and a sentiment from Clearly Besotted

Gnome coloured up with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

The sponsor of this challenge is

Last Minute Manda

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

Happy (no, really) Birthday

 My favourite cousin and I are only 10 weeks apart in age (he's the eldest), and we've done a lot together over time - right through school together, learning to drive at the same time (I passed first), you get the idea.  And even though we are now heading towards a certain age, we still like to remind each other of how old we're getting.

I don't know why, but this just made me laugh - I hope he saw the funny side too.

A very simple card but I used

Stamping Bella Oddball Mom And Dad

Stamping Bella Oddball Family Pets

Stamping Bella Happy Birthday To You sentiments

Coloured with a mix of Distress Inks (ReInkers), Zig Clean Color Pens, and Polychromos Pencils

Honestly not sure what make the striped paper is

Hugs

Art Is (DT) Dies To Die For

  Hello peeps, hope you are ok.  It's been a bit of a damp start to the weekend, but actually, I really don't mind.  It gives me a great reason to park my ample behind at my craft bench and get inky without feeling too guilty!

I seem to be having a phase of extra CAS cards at the moment, and here's another one

Colorado Craft Company - Art Is.... stamp set ccc-AJ503

Colorado Craft Company - Art Is..... die set ccc-AJ504-D

The cute little squirrel in the portrait is a separate stamp within the set, and I could not resist stamping him onto the easel to be immortalised by the rabbit.

This is a large stamp, and I found it difficult to get a clean image with a traditional block, so you might want to use a stamping platform for this one.

Main image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers), terrible grass done with Polychromos Pencils

Blimey

Hugs

BTW, the new MFT release, including the first Vault Release of Birdie Brown stamps, is now in store, if there is anything left by now that is.

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Best In Show (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, I hope this finds you all safe and well and with a good stock of loo rolls.

Just lately we have had occasional visits from my boss's dog to the office, Bertie is so much fun and just loves people.  He's a very happy dog but has a cheeky streak.  Only yesterday we had a small chase around trying to retrieve a roll of green ribbon that he'd run off with.  He thought it was the best game ever.  His energy and good nature inspired this tiny make.

MFT Birdie Brown Best In Show MFT-BB-69

Combined stamp set and dies offer

scrap of MFT 6x6 paper

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and a scribble of Polychromos shadow

Stay safe

Socially distanced hugs

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Summer or Autumn (DT) As You Like It

Here we are again, another alternate Thursday which brings a challenge from AS YOU LIKE IT.

This time our theme is Summer or Autumn (your choice, but please explain)

I'm not a huge fan of summer (surprising really as I was born slap bang in the middle of it, today in fact) as I struggle with the intense heat.  I much prefer the more mellow days of autumn, the warmth is kinder, the light is softer, and I love the rich tones of the foliage changing from green to gold.  I don't even mind the evenings getting shorter, it's nice to be able to close the curtains on the world and be safe and snug indoors.

I have used Playful Henry from CC Designs.  The stamp is no longer available but you can get him as a digi.

I stamped Henry and his leaves onto kraft card and coloured the leaves with Polychromos pencils.  I stamped Henry again onto watercolour paper, colouring him with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Zig Clean Colour Pens, fussy cut him, and laid him over the previously stamped outline.

For the leaves, I got messily inky with some Distress Inks and then die-cut with some Lawn Fawn stitched dies.

The sentiment stamps are a Whimsy set.

Finally, some matting and layering with autumn tones of plain papers.

Our sponsor for this challenge is

CRAFTY RIBBONS

I do hope you will find time to come and join us.

Hugs

Harvest Mouse (DT) Dies To Die For

Yes, it's me, sorry about last Saturday's hiccup (did you even notice?), but I am back now.

I have been really struggling with my mood during lockdown, some days I'm fine, bright and chirpy, but other days, such as most of last week, I'm low and tearful and wanting to hide under the duvet.  Working from home in splendid isolation is not suiting me at all.  I really miss the interaction with my colleagues and the buzz of the office.  For heaven's sake, I am even missing my boss!!

Some weeks I find it difficult choosing what to use, I must have bought THOUSANDS of stamp sets from Dies To Die For over the years, and I am not exaggerating on numbers, so this week I had a little rummage through the slightly older, but still available, sets to see what I could find and came across these little cuties.

OK, they are out of season but who cares that it's not autumn yet, let's face it, no one knows for certain what day/week it even is!

And the lovely things used

MFT Birdie Brown - Harvest Mouse MFT BB-24

MFT Die-Namics Harvest Mouse MFT-759

MFT Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings MFT CS-319

MFT Stencil - Mini Cloud Edges MFT ST-100

MFT Stencil - Grassy Edges MFT ST-111

Honey Bee 6x6 paper - Great Outdoors HBPA-004

So, colourwise, I used bog standard Distress Ink pads and finger daubers to use with the stencils for the clouds and grass, and for the mice they are a multi-media mash of Distress Inks (ReInkers), Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens, and Polychromos Pencils.

Hugs to all

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The Gnome & The Letter (DT) Dies To Die For (UPDATED)

Happy Weekend everyone!

I'm hoping that by the time this posts, the DTDF website problems will have been resolved, but at the time of writing they aren't so I will pop back to add the ingredients links for you.
UPDATED:  ALL THE LINKS NOW ADDED

Stamping Bella - The Gnome and The Letter

Your Next Stamp 6x6 School Days

MFT 6x6 Spots and Stripes Sorbet

MFT Die-Namics Happy Greetings MFT-1103

Gnomie coloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

I decided to stack the HELLO so cut four layers of thick white card, and one of the MFT paper, and got sticking.  Shame you can't see the "popping off the card" effect in the photo!

Hugs to all

Squirrel

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Dies or Stencils (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Hello my lovelies, and here we are at Thursday again!  I can't believe we are already halfway through March - just what is happening to this year?!  Anyhoo, this brings us to a new challenge with the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and the theme for this fortnight is Your Favourite Dies or Stencils.

So, I use dies.  I use them a lot, but just recently I have rediscovered the joy of stencils, especially as there are now some really clever and imaginative ones out there, they are not just background any more, they are an integral part of your design.

So I have used

CC Designs Merkini mermaid stamp

MFT Card Sized Confetti Stencil (2 part set)

Watercolour effect background paper from Hobbycraft

The "bubbles" were inked with two shades of Distress Ink and the Mermaid was

painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours.

The detail of her hair has been added with Polychromos Pencils.

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Crafty Ribbons

See you there!

One Layer or Many (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Morning all, well, it is another Thursday, and I'm guessing you will know what that means?

Yups, time for a new challenge over with the AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

Our theme for this fortnight is

One Layer or Many (and please tell us why)

I'm more of a middle ground kind of girl, two or three layers at most, but this time I

chose to challenge myself with a one layer make, mainly because I really wanted

to use some of my new kraft cardstock

So this cute is

Wild Rose Studio - Birthday Llama

The sentiment is an old one by Kaisercraft

Llama coloured by Polychromos Pencils

Cardstock from PDA Card & Craft

The sponsor of this challenge is

Prizes: - 3 digi stamps voucher worth £6.75

Hugs to all

Rockabilly (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello all, finally made it here this morning (just) - it's all a bit behind so this is

a clean and simple card for you today, even though it wasn't that quick -

her hair was more tricky to deal with that my own!

CC Designs: Rockabilly Girls

Stamping Bella: Happy dies (x3)

MFT 6x6 Farm Fresh Gingham

Imagine painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and highlighted/shaded with

Polychromos Pencils

and that's it!

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(Tracy and Andy are taking a short summer break but you can still place orders)

Breakfast (DT) Dies To Die For

Happy Saturday everyone!  Well, this has been a week of treats, lots of nibbles out and about, and this morning a leisurely breakfast, which is why I'm now covered in crumbs and smears of jam.

Yes, I am a messy breakfaster, but then so are these two cheekies, just look at that floor - my mother would be out with the vacuum immediately!

A small but tasty little card

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals "Breakfast" stamps

MFT "Perk Up" sentiment set

MFT 6x6 Tribal Prints

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours and

Polychromos Pencils for those impossible hairstyles!

Coffee you say?  I'm now coming.....

Hugs to all

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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

Surprise! (DT) Dies To Die For

Well actually, it's probably not much of a surprise to find me here again,

it is a Saturday after all

However, this is a bit more of a surrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-priiii-iiiiise!

( I know it says Party, but the more I look at it, the more it looks like Pasty )

So for this party on a card I have used

CC Designs : Roberto's Rascals Surprise! clear stamp set

Die-Namics : Stitched Scallop Edges

Die-Namics : Party

Lawn Fawn 6x6 : Perfectly Plaid - Spring

Those little Rascals are painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

and I have just used some generic red card for that pop of colour

Have a super scorcher of a weekend, and hopefully some playtime

Hugs

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Sue's Birthday Wish (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning all, hope you are ok and ready (in the UK) for another sunny weekend!

I'm off for a tail trim and colour this morning, then scampering back for the British GP qualifying, and then hopping over to France for the start of three weeks with my boys in lycra!

Anyhoo, I have popped in, as is usual at this time on a Saturday, to share my DTDF make with you and it's a birthday celebration today

It's a typical Squirrel CAS card but I think that really suits the fabulous image

and the big sentiment

and because it is CAS there are only a few ingredients

CC Designs Sue's Birthday Wish

My Favorite Things - Birthday Greetings

MFT 6x6 - Hearts & Stripes

I have painted the stamped image with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours and her hair has had the helping hand of Polychromos Pencils

Hug to all

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