Morning Sue

This could almost be me in the mornings - except I'm not that skinny and don't do PJs because I suffer from that strange "hot legs in bed" syndrome.  I can't bear anything on my legs at night because after half an hour I am wrestling to rip them off before my knees spontaneously combust.

Anyhoo, I made this for a friend's birthday - I am sure she is more glamorous in the mornings but it just made me laugh.

This is "Morning Sue" from Roberto's Amigas at C C Designs

Coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils

Matting layer from a pad of Forever Friends papers (because the stripes matched the PJs)

Paper Smooches sentiment

Happy Friday everyone

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Snowy Stepper

On Sunday afternoon, I had an urge to dig out one of the very first stamps I bought, way back in 2005.  My first love in rubber was (and still is) Penny Black and I could not resist owning this adorable snowman.  He has been used many, many times since he arrived here.

So, this is Penny Black "Snowy"

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and a good helping of Glamour Dust

Stepper die purchased from the lovely Sarah Wright

Snowy's panel die is Nestabilities Labels 11

Holographic card from stash

Snowflake paper is LOTV Frosty Christmas

Sentiment is Hero Arts

And a variety of snowflake punches to finish off

And of course he is the perfect thing to remind you about the SNOW-VEMBER challenge that is running here for the whole of November, so get those snowies inked up and come and join the fun!

 

I know that I don't need to apologise because so many of you understand but I will anyway.  I am sorry if I have not visited you recently.  I have been in quite a dark place since we said goodbye to Vince and I am finding it difficult to focus on much.  I promise that I will try to do better, and thank you for your patience and kindness, it means a lot.

 

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) November

Hello my little muffins, how are we on this first Monday of the month?  I had a fright and a half last week when I realised that is now only just over 7 weeks to Christmas.  SEVEN WEEKS!  Ohmygosh.  So if, like me, you are still in headless chicken mode, the challenge for November at WITHOUT WORDS might just help you out.

The theme is PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS - so we would like to see your festive makes this time.

Here is my DT card:

 Looks like Bamboo is busy getting his cards ready to post!

The stamp is Crafter's Companion: Party Paws - Sending Love

Papers are previous seasons' Dovecraft Back To Basics Christmas

Sentiment is erm, oh, err, oops, need to check that one for you!

What would a challenge be without a brilliant sponsor prize? This month we are pleased to welcome back the ultra-talented Elaine from QUIXOTIC PAPERIE with a £10 store voucher for the winner

As always, CAS cards please with a hand-coloured image, minimal or no embellishments,

and yes, you can use a sentiment.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Hugs

Squirrel xx

IT'S SNOW-VEMBER!

Yes, it's a new challenge!

We suspect you might have guessed from the countdown clues this week but the theme this time is
SNOW-VEMBER

That's snowmen, snowwomen, snowanimals - lots and lots of lovely snow.

My fellow Snowflakes have been busy so here is some inspiration to get your own flakes a fluttering

Squirrel

Annette

Jayne

Squirrel

Annette

Jayne

Squirrel

So you know the routine by now

• Get your snowy entries made
• Enter using the link tool below
• You can enter up to three times
• Any technique for your cards
• Please link your entry to your challenge card only, not your whole blog
• New projects please, no backlinking to something you posted a month ago
• No obligation to promote the challenge on your blog, but it would be fab if you could
• Challenge closes at 6.00pm (UK) on 30 November
• There will be a prize for the winner

Edited to add that Mary from THE RIBBON GIRL has very kindly offered to sponsor this challenge with a £10 voucher for the winner.  Thank you Mary, you are a star!

The most important thing of course is to have fun!

Snowy hugs

Squirrel, Jayne and Annette

An InLinkz Link-up

1....

See you tomorrow!

2....

3....

4.....

The Countdown Begins

A Squirrel First

Morning all.  It would seem that yesterday's penguins didn't really float your boat as much as they did mine!  Sorry about that.

Here is a real soft and cutie for you today, and a first for me.  I cannot believe that I had never attempted a rocker card before now:

LOTV stamp - Big Hugs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from a Hero Arts set

Slightly lairy cardstock from anonymous heap in my stash

Lacy edged circle die - Grand Nestabilities

Normal circle dies - Nestabilities Classic Circles

I was making this as a thank you card anyway, so maybe fortune smiles on the brave because it is a Thank You theme over at Crafty Catz this week

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

They are addictive

Morning all, or is it afternoon, hang on, yes it is, where has the morning gone?  Oh, yeah, I know, I overslept, oops.  Oh well, never mind, we had nothing much planned for today anyway.

You will no doubt remember The Great Penguin Challenge that was running here last month; I had no idea when this daft idea was spawned how many cute penguins there are out there, and I have just got my furry little paws on a new, ultra cute, pair of penguins.

Aren't they just adorable?

These are Holiday Penguins from CC Designs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a touch of white Polychromos for the highlights

I think the spotty paper is Carta Bella, but the matting layers are WH Smith and Papermania

MFT Fishtail Banner die

Paper Smooches Sentiment

I haven't entered many challenges lately but would like to pop this one into

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Christmas

Before I go, I must just mention the closing down sale at THE STAMP BASKET - not many days left but still plenty of bargains to be had, so get yourselves over there, you won't regret it.

Hope you have a very happy Saturday, and don't forget (UK) that the clocks go back tonight.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Hanging In There

Well I hope Gonzalez doesn't get you this morning - it is certainly wet and windy here although I think we are going to get away with it more lightly than some areas.  Stay safe my friends.

So, I had this daft idea (nothing new there) - Whimsy Inspiration Blog have a DT Call out at the moment and I thought I might as well have a try for it.  Part of the blurb about what they are looking for says they are wanting "excellent colourists".  There are so many ultra-talented colourists out there that I might be up against it, but I'll give it a go.  Anyway, it gave me a great excuse to play with one of my favourite Whimsy stamps.

 

There are so many designs from Whimsy, by amazing artists, that I have not yet had the pleasure of being able to use so to get a place on the DT would allow me to broaden my range and it would be a super reason to have to sit down and colour once a week - I'm sure Toad would understand why he's been landed with the washing up, again.  Anyhoo, as I said, this is one of my favourites -

This is Fluffy Hanging In There from Whimsy Stamps/Wee Designs

I spent three evenings faffing about with his fur and Polychromos Pencils

The flowers and basket are done in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Nitwits

Corner dies (that paper is purple, not black, I promse) from Whimsy

Woodware small retro flower punch

Pearls from stash

Sentiment from LOTV

 

 

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Without Words Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the Without Words October Challenge is BOO and runs until 31 October.

Squirrel xx

Plug-In Reindeer

Been having a play with Rodney, my favour reindeer

This is CC Designs - Reindeer Lights

I marked out the highlights with a white Polychromos (to act as a resist) and then painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas

Sentiment is Paper Smooches

Scalloped edged rectangle die from Tonic

Hugs Squirrel xx

Thank You Dear Friends

Hello everyone.  I have to start this post with an enormous thank you to you all.  I have only just been able to bring myself to read your messages posted following the loss of Vince, and I have been overwhelmed by your love and kindness.  We collected his ashes from the vet this morning so he is home with us again and although I do not yet feel ready to take on the world, I have taken comfort from having him back where he belongs.  

The tears are still flowing.  It has been a really tough week and although going back to work on Tuesday was hard, it was probably the best thing.  I am still having meltdown moments, like this morning when I walked into the living room and he wasn't sunbathing on the back of the sofa, but at least through those moments now I can find a smile at the memories he has given us.

I wasn't going to post this card because the image is the one I was using to occupy my time on his last morning, but I am going to, as a tribute to my beloved Vince.

The stamp is Winter Kisses from A Random Fan (Sherry T Designs)

Coloured with Polychromos Pencils (fur and hair) and Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are all LOTV/Nitwits

Thank you again dear friends for all your words of love and comfort.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

A Random Fan Challenge - Anything Goes

Good Night Sweet Vince

Today, after a short but sudden illness, we have had to say goodbye to the sweetest, gentlest, most loving little soul that God ever put on this earth, and I am heartbroken.

Good night sweet Vince, sleep well my love.

xx

Honestly, I'm Not Lion

I treated myself to a session of colouring yesterday, and this is one of the results.

This fabulous chap is a stamp from Whimsy called Jungle Bells Lion

Coloured with Polychromos for his mane, tail tuft and eyebrows but the rest of him

was done with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from a Little Claire set

Matting layer is a sheet of Carta Bella

I had a very happy two hours with him.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Shopping!

Morning all.  How are you today?  Tis a tad on the damp and chilly side here today and the ol' bones are feeling it a bit.  A great excuse to snuggle up in the craft room with some colouring.

Before I do that I thought I would share a birthday card with you.  I made this for a very special friend that I made through blogland.

So I have started with an 8x8 card base

Image is CC Designs Roberto's Rascals - Nancy Shopping

She is coloured in part with Polychromos and in part with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

the image plate was cut with a Spellbinders die

The papers are all LOTV/Nitwits Country Meadow

Sentiment is Whimsy

Corners are SCACD

Pearls are from stash

The inside (which I forgot to photograph) says

"The more candles, the bigger the wish"

Have a super weekend everyone

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Cake!

Morning everyone!  It's been a few weeks since I posted on a Wednesday but I am feeling reckless today so here we go.

I quite fancied entering the Oldie But A Goodie Challenge of 1 (image) 2 (papers) 3(finishing touches).  It sounds quite a straightforward theme doesn't it, but then I started to get myself in a muddle.  Is that just 2 patterned papers, and what counts as "finishing touches"?  This is what I came up with but I have a sneaky feeling I may have bent the rules a little.

I have used LOTV Rosie With Cake stamp

Painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Used two sheets of Dovecraft Tea House papers

But then I came unstuck with the kraft paper for the matting layers

A Personal Impressions sentiment

And 3 pearls to finish off

But I had forgotten about the Martha Stewart butterfly punched corners......

So my 3 finishing touches are the sentiment, the pearls and the butterflies!

My stamp, papers, pearls and punch are all over six months old, so I got that bit right.

Just so you know how old Rosie is, she is being retired!  OMG!  I think if I had to narrow down my LOTV collection to (this cannot ever happen) just 5 of my most used stamps, then Rosie With Cake would be very high on the list.  I think she is (sorry James Bear) my most stamped LOTV.

If you want to get your mitts on Rosie then you need to head over to LOTV sooner rather than later as she is being retired at the end of November, sooner if she sells out before then, and once she is gone, she is gone, sob.

Anyhoo, I've started to ramble so best I scuttle off now.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) October: Boo!

Morning all, you know the drill, first Monday of the month means a new challenge over at Without Words and this time the Word Weird Birds have gone all out to frighten you with our theme of Boo!

Actually, she's not all that scary is she!

This is a Tiddly Inks stamp from the Hello Pet set

She's been coloured with Polychromos Pencils for her hair, and Distress

Inks (ReInkers) for the rest of her and the dragons

Papers are from various pads of LOTV/Nitwits, plus WHS black card

I've used the Martha Stewart goo punch for the central border

and a Joanna Sheen Signature Die - Ivy Corner

(I could have sworn I had a cobweb die but must have dreamt it)

Because the ivy was so big, I trimmed a couple of leaves off and used those for the bottom accent

I do hope you will join in this month

The rules are simple

Handcoloured image on a CAS card

Ta-dah!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Right then, big knickers on

Morning all.  Thank you for all your kind words during my wobble the other day.  I've pulled the big knickers on and here I am again.

This stamp is LOTV Telephone Ted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from a Papermania Capsule Collection

Martha Stewart deep scallop punch for the top

Hobbycraft bow stamp

Penny Black sentiment

Everything looks squint in the photo, but really it wasn't.  I wish I could learn to take a straight picture!

If you haven't already heard the sad news, The Stamp Basket is closing down.

Janet has had a difficult decision to make but she's done it now and there is a big clearance sale with 50% reductions on hundreds of items.

Hugs Squirrel xx

I tried, I failed

Morning all.  I am feeling ridiculously low and fragile today.  My already appalling confidence levels have been severely hammered and even the offer of a pint of shandy from Jayne or a pink cocktail (with cherry and paper umbrella) with Annette isn't going to get me out of this one in a hurry.

You might remember that I told you my boss at work had bullied me into entering the Card Maker of The Year Competition that was in Quick Cards magazine.  Yeah, and against my better judgement I did it and really wished I hadn't.  Sigh.

The three obviously dire cards that I sent in I suspect haven't even made it to being donated to charity but are now languishing in the bottom of a very deep shredder bin somewhere (told you I was feeling fragile, and I'm not kidding!).

Here is one of them:

 

(see, I even tried a bl***y bow with ribbon!)

So there you go, the one of the three reasons for failure.

But you see, I'm a silly bugger and even in this darkness there is still a gleam of stupidity because I shall enter this card into the current Tiddly Inks Challenge (Make It Sparkle).- her dress is trimmed with Glamour Dust.

There is always hope, even it is a forlorn one.

Hugs

Squirrel xx