Seeing double

Now, I own up, I get addicted to things very easily, I have that type of personality.  Find me something I like and I will come back to it time and time again, until I find the next addiction to add to the list.  

I am addicted to caffeine (especially chilled espresso lattes), nicotine (oh the shame), chocolate, M&S gooseberry fool, lemon sherbert popcorn (try it, it's amazing), and of course rubber stamps.  One of my addictions in the rubber stamp category is C C Designs Roberto's Rascals and, in particular, a little character called Twila.  She is such a cheeky little minx.

So, when CCD released Bunny Twila I was right there with the PayPal button and got very impatient for her to arrive.  When my happy mail did arrive, she was the first one to get inky and I used her twice on the same day.

So, both painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

with added Polychromos Pencils for hair detail

Papers on both are Nitwits/LOTV

Dies on first are Nestabilties Labels 18 and

on second are Tonic layered ovals

Sentiment on first is from Clearly Besotted

Custom sized card base for both

I hope little Twila has made you as happy as she does me.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Besotted ..... Clearly

Every now and again, I will discover a new stamp company and amuse myself for weeks exploring hitherto unknown delights.

One such company is Clearly Besotted, and I have been using a lot of their amazing sentiments  sets recently.  I have now discovered their stamps with matching dies - which may, or may not, be a good thing.

So, this adorable chap is from the Cute & Cuddly stamp set

and of course the matching dies

Painting with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Scrap of paper from a Papermania collection

Sentiment this time from Hero Arts

I have no connection with Clearly Besotted other than being a customer very impressed with their service and super happy with the quality of their products.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Fancy Sunbonnet

The challenge over at Little Miss Muffet (#107) is Anything Goes so I thought as I have been swelling my collection recently then I really ought to enter.

There is something about the Sunbonnet characters that really makes me smile so here is Fancy Sunbonnet Birthday Cake featuring as the star of my CAS card:

She has been painted, as per usual with Distress Inks (ReInkers).  I think I ended up with such rich, earthy tones because the matting layer just happened to be handy and I fired off from that.  Custom sized card base and a Clearly Besotted sentiment to finish off.

Also entering at Addicted To Stamps And More #136 Anything Goes

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Love Carrots?

If you love carrots, how about some Carrot Love from CC Designs?

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted

Custom size card base

Less Is More - OLC include an animal

AAA Cards # 35 - Bare Naked

Hugs, Squirrel xx

 

Without Words Midway Reminder

There are still a couple of weeks left for you to enter our March challenge over at Without Words - the theme is Easter and/or Bunny

The stamp is Daffodils from Lili Of The Valley

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from a couple of old K&Co pads

Sentiment is Clearly Besotted

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Art Challenge

Is anyone else watching The Great Art Challenge on Sunday evenings?  Is it just me that is getting really cross about who leaves the show at the end of each episode?  Right at the beginning of each show, one of the judges says "my husband calls me Miss Blunt".  I think he needs to change that to "Miss Downright Rude".  Some of the comments she made in the last show were quite nasty.  Yes, I know she is a professional artist but I have been looking at her work and, sorry love, but it ain't all that! 

Art is strange, so subjective, what appeals to one person does not appeal to the next, so it is really difficult to judge, however ...... one of the two ladies asked to leave was so much stronger than one of the ladies who has been left in.   In previous weeks, people have left who I felt were better than this one particular lady who seems to survive, no matter what.  She was criticized this week for poor perspective,  poor drawing skills and poor colour choices, yet she is still in the competition.  Beggars belief.

And breathe.

Anyhoo, here is a little something that I knocked up at the weekend and it is back to my default CAS mode:

So, this is Bunch of Balloons from Wild Rose Studio

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is Clearly Besotted

Matting layer is First Edition - think it is Desert Blooms

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

PS.  Can someone please teach my beloved that there is an enormous and important difference between lowercase and uppercase - especially when he writes his desktop password in the wrong one.  I feel that when it comes to computers at the moment, I may be a Squirrel on the edge!

Spoke Too Soon

The laptop glitch is back.  Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!  That was me screaming, not the laptop sticking.  Yesterday was a day for consigning to the tip.  The appointment with the kitchen design was disappointing - we had originally been told they could deal with the building regulations and garage conversion work, but now we have been informed that we should never have been told that because they don't.  Believe me, if we had known to start with, we wouldn't have gone back to see them!!!  The only light in the dark tunnel is the prospect of a Smeg range oven!

Anyway, you didn't come over to hear me ranting and raving so let me show you a card.

I'm sure everyone is aware by now of the most recent release from Wild Rose Studio

This one is Fox On Branch

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) (what else would you expect?!)

Papers are Doodlebug

Corner die is a magazine freebie

Image panel and mat shaped dies are Nestabilities

Pearls are from stash

Have a fun Sunday everyone, whatever you are up to

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Showing You My Bunny!

Yoo-hoo!  Tis me, hopefully returned from the IT wasteland full of tumbleweed and ridiculous behaviour of the naughty laptop.  Probably just shot myself in the foot for saying it so keep your fingers crossed!  Of course, the real test will be the next time I try and log in and we may well be baccccccccccck to sqqqqqqqqqqquarrrrrrre onnnnnnneeee!

When I saw the challenge at Moving Along with The Times (Show Us Your Bunnys) there was no way that I could resist that one.

A very dear friend, who spoils me far more than I deserve, treated me to a pile of the cutest, chubby bunnies ever, all of them from Scrapberry.  I have shared two previously, Cherry and Plum, but this is one for the boys.

Custom size card base

Scrapberry stamp is Summer Joy: Boat Tour

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Blue knots paper is from a Papermania collection I think called Ahoy There

and the matting layer is from the leftovers box

Sentiment stamps by Clearly Besotted

Office hole punch for three coordinating dots to finish

Even if I do say so myself, I am quite pleased with how the colourwork went!

Anyhoo, that's me showing you my bunny!

Today we have an appointment with a kitchen designer - heaven help us.

I have fallen in love with a bespoke kitchen in solid oak, but today's visit is nowhere near so grand.

Wish us luck.  My nerves are shredded already.

Wishing you all an absolutely super weekend.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Giddy With Excitement

OK, this is a random post because I am currently giddy with excitement - I dare not form the words for fear of scuppering the whole thing ..........

So while I am here, raving oddly, I am going to grab the chance to enter the March challenge at High Hopes, which is Anything Goes

I have been making a series of elephant themed cards - a customer wanted one for a relative but wasn't "exactly sure, but I will know when I see it" - which doesn't help much.  So here is an elephant!

So, this is a High Hopes stamp called Ele-Fun

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are BoBunny Double Dots and Basic Grey

Sentiment is Clearly Besotted

Dies used are MFT Pierced Circle Stax, MFT Pierced Fishtail Stax, Nestabilities Pinking Circles

Right, time to get a brew on, find the biscuits, and settle down to The Muskateers!

Happy Friday night everyone

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) March: Easter / Bunny

Happy Monday everyone.  It's time for another monthly challenge at WITHOUT WORDS and this time around we are looking for either

Easter or, for those who do not celebrate it, a bunny rabbit!

I recently took delivery of some of the sweetest bunnies in the world so simply had to use one for my DT card for this challenge

OK, hands up, how many of you said awwwwh?

This little darling is "Plum" by Scrapberry

She's painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) and that rather spectacular colour

is Seedless Preserves

Sentiment is by Clearly Besotted

Matting layer is Papermania cardstock

Pearls are from stash

If you would like to come and join in the fun and be in with a chance of winning a super prize from our sponsor, then you need to follow these simple rules

A CAS design

Must feature a handcoloured image

Minimal or no embellishments

You may use a sentiment

At some stage in the future I will find the strength to explain minimal!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

What happens when your card is too long.....

.... and you can't be bothered to cut it too size?  You get a little bit crazy with the bone folder and come up with a fold that doesn't even have a name yet.  Or does it?  Perhaps the more experienced out there can tell me.

It's sort of a concertina not-quite-gatefold thing!

Anyway, this is Russell from Pollycraft

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is Personal Impressions

and papers are a very old Papermania Colossal pad 

I've papered the inside as well but you can't see that from the photos

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Long time no Bella

Do you go through phases of using certain styles or brands of stamp?  I know that I do, it's like the needle getting stuck on an LP when it used to take a gentle nudge to get things moving again.  For younger readers, LP records came before CDs and downloads!!

It ages since I used this little lady and it was an absolute delight to get her out to play again.  I did apologise to her for leaving it so long.

This is Bella With Presents from Wild Rose Studio

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is by Dovecraft

Papers are all Nitwits/LOTV - from Always & Forever and Woodland Wishes pads

Bella's background shape is a Nestabilities die

I have a couple of days off work, using up the leftovers of 2014 holiday, and Toad is also off tomorrow so today is my one chance of a Me day, and I shall be getting inky later.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Another Happy Bear

We still haven't had a chance to get the laptop fixed.  Not only has it taken me a disheartening 40 mins to log in this morning, something random is now happening with the keyboard.  If you find there are a load of repeated letterssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss (yes, like that) I do apologise.  I am too scared to press the delete key and I have lost whole posts before now.

Anyhoo, as I am here I had better share a card with you:

Yes, it's another one of those Happy Bears from Lili of The Valley

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from the same set

Cloud shaped die is from L'il Inkers Border Builders set

Papers are from a pad of Forever Friends

We are planning on a vegetable weekend, similar to being couch potatoes but without so much tv.  In a moment I shall be headed to the conservatory to be a crafting carrot as I have some orders to deal with, and Toad is currently being a model train turnip in the spare room.

Whatever vegetable you are being this weekend, I hope it's a tasty one.

Hugs to you all

Squirrel xx

Pressing The Embelly Button

Now, you know me and embellys - they don't naturally go together, so you can imagine how I must have been feeling when I had the sudden and desperate urge to use some flowers.  This is a direct side effect of inhaling too much of the steam from cooking cabbage apparently!

 

 

This Uptown Girl is Fiona Loves Flowers from Stamping Bella

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a few Polychromos for her hair

Dies are from MFT (oval) and Tonic (scalloped rectangle)

Sentiment is Personal Impressions

Wood effect paper from Joy Craft

Flower from Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls from stash

 

See, I even sat and fiddled with curling the wires on the flower stems,

I feel all lightheaded now.

 

Have a super day

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

 

Everything's Looking Rosie

OK, so it's Monday, and I am back at work today so you wouldn't think things were too rosie at all.

However, having failed miserably with the New Year Resolution of cutting back on spending on rubber, I thought it only fair to share one of the culprits that had me falling off the wagon so soon, and she certainly is rosie.

 

This little lady is Rosie from CC Designs

with matching die

Coloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

The cross stitch border dies are Memory Box

and the double sided blue graph/chevron paper is Doodlebug

The little hearts are the punch waste from a Martha Stewart corner punch

 

So that's me done.  Hope you have an absolutely super Monday.

 

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Smart Cookie

Now then, I thought I was being a smart cookie taking a day off work for Friday 13th - not that I am superstitious or anything but it never hurts to play it safe does it.  All was going well, until I got out a new set of dies that were all tagged together with those little bits of wire.

I couldn't find the wire cutters so, as I have done before, I reached for my sturdy scissors.  It's amazing how much finger can be snipped with those scissors.  The wire cut quicker than I anticipated and the scissors managed to take a rather large chunk out of the knuckle of my left index finger!

Anyhoo, the day did improve as the postie delivered my new Tiddly Inks stamps and I just had to play.

So this little cutie is

Tiddly Inks - Smart Cookie Wryn

Coloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and with Polychromos Pencils for her hair

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

Stitched scalloped border is Lawn Fawn

Paper is LOTV/Nitwits Solid Promises

Chocolate Chip pearls are from Crafty Devils

Hope you have a super weekend.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (GDT) CAS or FAF

What an honour, to be asked to GDT for AS YOU LIKE IT challenge!  I was rather bowled over as those girls are a serious bunch of talent.

The theme (and the reason why) is CAS or FAF (Clean And Simple or Fussy And Fancy).  Funny isn't it how we all know what CAS means, but you rarely see anyone use FAF.  I think it is the perfect acronym really, because if I add embellies it is what I end up doing, FAFfing around!

Anyway, here is my style, and of course it is CAS:

Oh you just have to love that bear!

Peek A Bear from CC Designs

Painted entirely in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is by My Favourite Things

And the papers are from my leftovers box

I was asked by AYLI to define why I prefer the clean and simple style to fussy and fancy.  Blimey, I never thought it would be so difficult but this is what I came up with (sorry if it sounds pompous, it wasn't meant to).

Am I an artist?  Technically, no, I can’t draw for toffee, but I am a colourist and, despite opinions to the contrary, this is an art-form in its own right.

I find that there is something magical, almost meditative, about taking a black and white line drawing and breathing life into it with colour, light and shade.  I can spend hours with inks and brushes, losing myself in the joy of seeing something transform by my own hand.  I can often come back to a coloured image after a couple of days and find it hard to believe that I created it.  A dear friend calls it a “warm glow” effect, and I cannot disagree with that.

So why clean and simple instead of fussy and fancy?  After spending hours painting, the last thing I want to do is hide the image under a ton of fluff, I want it to be front and centre and allow the artwork to sing solo and be heard rather than being a small voice in the back row of a large choir.

So there you have it folks, CAS - definitely showing my style!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Smile! (It's Monday)

Flying visit for a Monday morning - a very joyful little bundle plopped on to the doormat on Friday so even though you probably saw enough of these in sneaky peeks, here is what I did with them:

One of the LOTV Happy Bears

Painted in Distress Inks

Die-Namics Stitched Snowdrifts border

Basic Grey papers

and another Happy Bear, again ReInkered

Whimsy tag die

Clearly Besotted sentiment

Hope you all have an absolutely super Monday!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Life's Gremlins And A Bunny

So, I've not been around that much since October, and for a variety of reasons.  The start of the decline was losing our precious Vince, that really knocked me for six and I miss him so much every day.  Then mum was really unwell.  Then it was the laptop playing silly beggars, that still hasn't been fixed because of the next reason - we are trailing all over the place looking for someone to do our kitchen (complete rebuild), and then the bathroom leaked which meant three visits from a plumber.  We are only one week into February and I am exhausted already!

The really worrying thing is that the longer I have been away from blogging, the less I am missing it.  I really need to get my act together and attempt to blog more often, even if it does take me an hour to get the laptop running.  I notice I have lost a couple of followers recently, and I am not surprised.  What does surprise me is that more of you haven't given me up as a lost cause, so a huge thank you to those who are sticking with it.

Not blogging does not equate to not crafting though.  I am still beavering away happily, and I would like to share with you a card I made last weekend for someone special.

 So, what we have here is

Scrapberry "Cherry" stamp from Funky Kits

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment by Clearly Besotted

Papers are Dovecraft Back To Basics

Border punch by Martha Stewart

Challenge

In The Pink - Love Is In The Air

and I do love my fabulous friends

Sweet Stampin Challenge - Add A Heart

Plenty of pretty hearts on this one

Crafting Muskateers - #22 Cute

I challenge you to say this is not cute!

The Sugar Bowl Challenge - 121 Anything Goes

So, that's me, a whole post!  And I have a special one lined up for Thursday too.

Hugs to you all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) February

Hello chaps!  What a wonderful way to start the week - a new challenge from Without Words!

As it is February, the month of lurrrve, our theme at the challenge is Je t'aime

Yes, we want you to be saying "I love you"

It doesn't have to be Valentine, it could be for a friend, a parent, a sibling, or even a pet, but we want to see you getting loved up and romantic.

Here is my DT card

So, this is one of the four Wee Playful Kittens by Sylvia Zet

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is Paper Smooches

Shaped die is Spellbinders

Stitched circle die is MFT Die-Namics

and that really is it - small but perfectly formed, lol

We would love you to join in with the challenge but please do remember to check on the rules first, and step away from those pesky embellishments!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sneakin' up on it.......

Yoo-hoo, it's me! Anyone home?

Hello everyone, you are probably just about ready to give me up as lost!  I must have taken this belligerent laptop by surprise this morning because it let me in quite quickly, so perhaps sneakin' up on it is the way to go.

Anyway, after scheduling a couple of posts, I suppose I ought to share something with you today before you all UnFollow me.

Yes, it's another Tiddly Inks stamp - this one is Willow Greetings Fairy

Just look at the length of those legs!

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps

Heart border punch is X-Cut

Papers are BoBunny Double Dots

And if you have very good eyesight you might find the Wink of Stella on her wings

I hope you are all ok - I am trying to keep an eye on what you are up to, either from the computer at work or via my phone.

Huge hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Conspiracy

Morning all - just popping by quickly to say hello.

It must be a conspiracy - not only is the laptop still playing silly buggers at home (it should have gone to the doctor last weekend but I was poorly most of Saturday so it is still sitting there sneering at me) but now I find that I cannot add pictures to posts from my work computer.  Don't know if it is the computer or Blogger, to be fair, but the way things are going with electronics, I have my suspicions!

 

Anyway, hope you are all well, and I hope to be able to resume normal service soon!!

 

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) Dreaming Of Spring

Happy New Year to you!  I must apologise again for not being around much in blogland - this laptop has an unpredictable fault (it only took 5 mins to log in instead of the usual 30-40 mins, but there is no telling that when you turn it on) and is going off to the man with a screwdriver shortly.  So, while I have the chance I am scheduling my post for the new challenge over at WITHOUT WORDS.

As we are in the middle of winter, we thought we would cheer things up a bit with our theme of Dreaming of Spring.

Here is my DT card:

So, the stamp is A Random Fan - Tree Friends

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers), ProMarker (Caramel) for the base coat of her hair, and Polychromos Pencils for the hair detail

Papers are a mixture of Nitwits/LOTV Up Up And Away and Basic Grey Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe

Sentiment is LOTV Mixed Circular Sentiments

Banner die is from Die-Namics Blueprint 13 set

I'm going to call it quits while the going is good, rather than risking another

bout of intense swearing!

Hope you will be able to find time to come on over and join the challenge.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Was, Wasn't, Isn't

Evening all, just a quick flyby post from me tonight while I am patiently waiting for a pan full of onions to caramelise to go with the leftover roast beef for dinner.

I noticed that Tiddly Inks have another DT Call open.  I tried for it last time and missed out so I thought I would try again.  Then the old wobbly confidence kicked in and I talked myself out of it after I had made my card.  Then I read the requirements more carefully and as I don't use digi images (I'm a pure rubber girl me) it rather sealed the issue.  

So here is the card that was, wasn't, isn't.

I used the Bloom Beautifully clear set of stamps for the image

and a clear sentiment from one of my many (now unlabelled) sets

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and a touch of pencil to define her hair

Papers are white card coloured with Mustard ProMarker and the chevron paper is Basic Grey

I'm not sure what road signs are like outside of the UK, but this turned out rather

like an AA information sign!

That's me done for tonight - better go and give the onions a prod.

Hope to see you in the morning for the new Without Words challenge.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

A Year In Cards

Afternoon all, and a Happy 1st January to you.  Now I'm not  much taken with retrospectives but as we are sitting here just flumping and Toad is winning all the piggin' medals on Wii Play I thought "why not" for a change, especially as I actually managed to log on within 10 mins today.

Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy this short trip down memory lane.

January

February

March

April

May

June

June (2)

July

August

September

September (2)

October

November

December

So there you go, my 2014 in card.  Thanks for stopping by for a look.

Hoping 2015 is a happy, healthy and prosperous one for us all.

I'm also not a great one for making resolutions (well, I make them, I'm rubbish at keeping them) but I'm trying again this year.

1.  To be more restrained in my crafty spending

2. To shift some of this lard

3. To use my old stash before buying new

Not earth shattering, but any bets on which one crumbles first?

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx