As You Like It Challenge (DT) New or Recycled

 Sorry that I have been low-key for a while, I've just had so much else filling my time that my poor old blog has been sorely neglected.

Anyhoo, it's time for another new theme over at AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE and

this time it is NEW OR RECYCLED (pleeeeeeeeeeeasse tell us why)

So, I'm really keen on recycling at home - our blue bin is always packed, and if I can use something again for a new purpose then that's a win BUT for crafting, I admit it, I do love using new stuff - everything fresh and shiny new.

For this romantic wittle wabbit I have used

Whimsy Stamps Wee Bunny

A selection of my precious NitWits papers

MFT sentiments

and a stencil of roses

All inked up with Distress Inks (ReInkers and Oxides)

Our sponsor of this theme is

POLKADOODLES

I hope you can come over to the challenge and join us.

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Non-Easter Easter Character

 So, here we are again, almost officially Spring!  And in the Spring mood, the AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE team are asking for you to share your

Favourite Non-Easter Easter Character (no chicks, no bunnies) and remember that you must tell us why you made your choice to qualify for a sponsor prize

As you are probably learning to expect from me, I have gone a bit off-piste with this but simply because I have fallen in love with these Dustin Pike gargoyles and am trying to use them for every possible occasion!

Whimsy Stamps (Dustin Pike) Gargoyle & Friends

Impression Obsession Happy Easter word die

Clearly Besotted grass border die

MFT Die-Namics Fine Finish Edge die

Mixture of MFY 6x6 papers

Gargoyle and his pals coloured up with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and our super sponsor for this theme is

DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs

Dracula

 So, I'm sat here swearing at the laptop (situation normal) as I'm trying to transfer a chunk of photos from my phone to the hard-drive, and I have spotted a few cards that I haven't posted yet, mainly because they were for customer orders rather than DT posts, so I thought I'd drip feed them to you.

You will notice that they will appear to be out of season!

This one was an order from a friend who wanted a card for her brother who had his birthday at Halloween, and she wanted to make something of that.

So we have a real mash-up of products used here

Dracula is from CC Designs

painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Oval dies are Crealies

Happy is half of a Impression Obsession Happy Easter die

40 is MFT Die-Namics stitched numbers

Papers are whatever was to hand in the right colours

Goo border is a Martha Stewart punch

Apparently he was thrilled with it and, rumour has it, it is still on display even now.

Hope you have a fab weekend.

Hugs

As You Like It (DT) Interactive Or Not

 Well hellooooo and welcome to another Thursday!

Over at As You Like It this time the new challenge is

Interactive (at least one moving part) or Not

For me, it's a not.  I have tried many, many, times with the ol' interactive but we really don't see eye to eye so for me, I'll stick with what I do best thanks.

I've used one of the Rockabilly Gals from CC Designs

and the sentiment that comes with the set

A stencil by Stamperia and a lot of Distress Ink (ReInkers)

The sponsor for this theme is

Lawn Fawn

Hugs

Wonder Woman?

 Hello peeps, I hope everyone is ok this morning after Storm Eunice.  I've checked on the Oldies and they are all in one piece, which is more than can be said for the felt on our shed roof, but that's such a minor issue in comparison to what many have suffered.  Did you see the photos of the O2 Arena roof?  I'm guessing that won't be a cheap fix.

So, I have said it before, the Oddball stamps from Stamping Bella are growing on me, and one or two might have snuck their way into my collection.

This one makes me laugh, particularly the sentiment, as I often find myself saying

"I wonder......."

This is Mini Oddball Superhero from Stamping Bella

and I think she is adorable, even if I do need more practice colouring her cape!

The sentiment comes with the image.

Martha Stewart stars border punch, with some of the punched out stars used for accents,

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers from my ever growing stash

And no, it's not your eyes, she does seem to be a little out of focus

Hope you have a good rest of your weekend

Hugs

AS You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Occasion

 Well hello, how are you diddling?!

I've been on annual leave from work this week - you know, this wet, windy, stormy, week.  Oh well, not to worry, it's been a great excuse for some additional crafting time (grins).

Anyhoo, this time over at As You Like It Challenge the new theme is

Your Favourite Occasion (any why)

As I get older, there are fewer and fewer times this happens in my circle of friends now, but I do love being able to make a new baby card (even though I'm allergic to children) - it's a good excuse to go extra cute!

This is one of my most favourite baby stamps, it's an old rubber one from Lili of The Valley, no idea what is called, but I have used it several times.  I know the little chap is most readily identifiable as a boy, but I have coloured it up in pinks and lilacs before now and it works equally well for a girl.

I really am rubbish, as I can't even tell you who the papers are by - could be Echo Park but I'm not sure any more.

I can tell you that I painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) though!

Our sponsor for this theme is

FANTASTIC RIBBONS

I do hope you will be able to pop over and share your favourite occasion card with us.

Hugs

As You Like It (DT) True Love or Fabulous Friends

 Hellooo (waving), Happy Thursday peeps.

It's the start of a new theme over at As You Like It Challenge and for this fortnight we're asking which type of cards you like to make, either for your True Love or Fabulous Friends.

I prefer making cards for my friends, although the hubby does get his share of lurrvve cards, because I can be quirkier with them and they don't have to be too mushy.

I have used Whimsy Stamps (Lee Holland Collection) Mouse With Rose

A Li'l Inkers sentiment stamp from an old set called Between The Lines

(you need to read the small print)

Doodlebugs gingham paper

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Scallop die

and mouse painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

I cut part way around the rose so that I could tuck the gingham paper behind it.

You have a fortnight to enter the challenge, so looking forward to seeing what you come up with,

Hugs

Oddball Cinderella

 Hello peeps, hope you are ok.

Since I stepped down from DTDF I've had a little bit of a breather from crafting so intensively but am back in the saddle now.  Looking back over my camera reel I see that there are some things I haven't shared with you yet from the end of 2021, and this is one of them.

I've used Stamping Bella Oddball Cinderella - sb-EB972

Oddball Hamlet started my collection, and Oddball Cinderella came next - I've gone from not liking them very much to actually liking them a lot.  The same cannot be said for Marmite.

I have no idea whose the brick wall stencil is (now packetless)

Ditto the papers I used.

Sentiment comes with Cinderella.

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Oxides

Hope all is well in your world

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Colouring Medium

Hey everyone, it's time for another challenge from the
AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE
and this time our theme is (my personal favourite) Your Favourite Colouring Medium (tell us why!)

Like all my teamies, I've played with so many different colouring medium over the years.  My first love was watercolours, then I veered off course for a short affairs with Copics and ProMarkers, and then came the discovery of Distress Inks (ReInkers).  All the full of watercolour painting but with inks - I was like a pig in s....... very happy indeed.  I have lost count of the number of years I have been inking now but it is a lot.

I've raided my old Lili of The Valley stash and used this fabulous rubber stamp (remember those?) and collection of NitWit papers.

Oval dies are from Crealies XXL range

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

and corner die is an old unlabelled one

I do hope you will pop over and share with us your happiest way to colour.

Hugs

Peeking Dragon

 No, you're not imagining things, I really am posting on a Sunday evening.

I've had a little crafty spurt since New Year, and today I actually managed to make something to enter into a challenge!

I have used Whimsy Stamps Dragon Holiday Peekers

which were a Christmas present from Himself and this is the first inking

I also used Whimsy Stamps Slimline paper pad - Taffy

for the first time.

The sentiment set is Whimsy Stamps - You're Birthday

Tiny punches from Hobbycraft created the dots and heart from the leftover scrap of Taffy paper

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and entering into the "New" challenge over at

Sweet Stampin'

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Decorative Gift Wrapping

 Happy New Year peeps!  I hope you managed to have a wonderful

Christmas and New Year break.

So, the AYLI team are back in harness for the first of this year's challenges and this

fortnight's theme is

Your Favourite Decorative Gift Wrapping

(box/bag/pouch etc, but please tell us why)

I really like making and decorating gift boxes, but being the disorganised little Squirrel that I am, I usually don't leave myself enough time to create a quality box, so my safety net is a gift bag, ideal for the smaller gifts like jewellery.

For this I have used

Whimsy Stamps Burfday Dragons

Crealies XXL oval dies

Hobbycraft papers

L'il Inkers small bow die

and a tiny Hobbycraft flower punch

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Hugs

Cupcake Cutie (DT) and cheerio to Dies To Die For

 Yoo-hoo, hope you all had a super Christmas and were

on Santa's naughty list (much more fun!).

 This is it then folks, the last DTDF make from me.

Whimsy Stamps - Big Hugs Die Set - WSD390a

MFT Tiddly Inks - Cupcake Cutie stamps - MFT-TI-006

MFT DieNamics - Cupcake Cutie dies - MFT-2043

MFT DieNamics Fine Finish Edge die - MFT-2147

MFT 6x6 papers Festive Celebrations - MFT-EP-85

Memory Box Open Studio Christmas Fairy Jewels - mb-JWL005

Tiddler stamped on Canson Bristol Board and inked with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

So, I would just like to finish with a THANK YOU to Tracy and my

team mates for the opportunity, and for putting up with me over the years, it's been a blast, and

you all have a very special place in my heart.

And a very big THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to pop over on a Saturday to see what I have been up to.  It's all been for you actually.

BIG HUGS

One final time

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Mini Snowflake Oddball (DT) Dies To Die For

  Hello peeps, just popping in today, with my penultimate post for DTDF, before I pop over for a welfare check on the Oldies AND (drum roll please) get my first haircut since February 2020!

Stamping Bella Mini Oddball Snowflake sb-EB1086

Mama Elephant Snow Flurries dies me-MEL-162

MFT 6x6 paper Perfect Plaid MFT-EP79

and a sprinkle of enamel dots

Oddball has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a little help from Polychromos pencils for her hair.  I went back to Bristol Board for this one instead of watercolour paper as I wanted a bright white background.

Hugs

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As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Christmas Sentiment

 Only one more week and you'll hear me screaming, but for now it is simply a whimper!

It's time for our last As You Like It Challenge of 2021 and the theme is

Favourite Christmas Sentiment (and why)

I use all sorts of sentiments at this time of year, some are chucklesome, some sarcastic, but my favourite is any one that mentions Christmas, whether it is Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, or, in this case Best Wishes for Christmas.

Your Next Stamp - Very Merry Wise Men

Lawn Fawn 6x6 papers

HobbyArts Christmas Sentiments

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and badly fussy cut!

Our fabbie-dabbie sponsor for this challenge is

LEE HOLLAND DESIGNS

The AYLI team are taking a brief break at the end of this challenge, but we will be back in 2022, coming soon to a craft room near you.

Hugs

Deck The Halls (DT) Dies To Die For

  Hello peeps, how are you on this chilly Saturday morning?

In amongst the chaos that is my dad, mum had a drama.  A couple of years ago she surrendered and accepted that she was struggling with her hearing.  She invested in some very expensive hearing aids, and has looked after them better than she would a new baby.  However!  On the night of dad's last fall, she was so confuzzled that she didn't put them on charge in their usual place.  This time she put them on the set of drawers outside the bathroom door.  The next day, the ear pieces were missing, along with the wires that connect them to the magic parts.  She said it was odd because one of them wasn't even sat in the charger properly.  The only conclusion we could come to, having searched high and low for the missing bits, is that the mice have made off with them.

They are all repaired now and working again but the big question is what the heck the mice would want with them in the first place!

Clearly Whimsy Stamps Deck The Halls Mice WS-DP1079

MFT Stencil Card Sized Star Confetti MFT-ST-120

Impression Obsession word die Ho Ho Ho IO-DIE595-B

Lawn Fawn 6x6 paper Snow Day Remix LF2083

Stars inked with Distress Oxides (Fired Brick and Rustic Wilderness) and mousie was painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

There are only two more posts to come from me before I step down from the Design Team at Christmas.  I've been working with this fabulous team for several years now and it has been a really hard decision to make, but I will still be around on the Facebook pages, you don't get away that lightly!

Hugs

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Dies To Die For (DT) Gnomes With A Secret

Morning all.  Well, another dad episode I'm afraid, he had another fall this week and we were woken by a phone call from the neighbour at 5.00am Thursday morning.  Dashed over there to find him on the floor but seemingly unhurt, the neighbour didn't want to move him (and would have struggled on his own) so between the three of us we got him up and into a chair.  There is some mystery as to how this happened but he'd been off-colour for a couple of days with a chill, so it's possible he woke up disorientated and wobbly, and down he went, bless him.  My gift to him this week has been a Zimmer frame.  I can hear the protests now but I'm not taking any nonsense from him!

Oh, and mum is missing the ear pieces for her hearing aids.  She thinks mice might have made off with them.  Sigh.

Anyhoo, on to this weeks make for Dies To Die For

Stamping Bella Gnomes With A Secret sb-EB802

MFT Background Stamp Best Friends MFT-BG-140

MFT DieNamics Stitched A2 Circle Stax MFT-1675

MFT DieNamics Stitched Mini Slimline Stax MFT-2117

Lawn Fawn papers

Great fun inking this one up with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs

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As You Like It (DT) Favourite Christmas Embellishment/s

Wow, it's the first Thursday into December and time for another new challenge

from AS YOU LIKE IT

Our theme this time is perfect if you are, like me, still frantically making cards

Your Favourite Christmas Embellishment/s (and why)

For me, it's SNOWFLAKES!  I do love a nice snowflake, they are so pretty, and make me feel festive, especially if I am snug and warm by the fire while they are doing their thing outside.

 So for this one I have used

CC Designs - Stack of Snowmen (long since retired)

MFT DieNamics Stacked Merry die MFT-1832

MFT DieNamics Sweet Snowflakes dies MFT-1852

MFT DieNamics Stitched Snow Drifts dies MFT-546

A splash of Distress Inks (ReInkers) and an assortment of card and paper from my stash

Our sponsor for this challenge is

LAWN FAWN

Looking forward to hearing all about your embellishments

Hugs

Snowman Friends (DT) Dies To Die For

Morning chaps, hope this finds you well.

A quick update on dad's poorly arm - he was discharged from the hospital care a couple of weeks ago as he no longer needed wet dressings.  He has been handed over to the care of Nurse Mum who is very experienced with dry dressings, and making sure he does what he's told.  How that horrible wound has healed is nothing short of a small miracle.  He showed it to me last week, and I have to say that it looks marvellous.  Still not quite there, but not far off now.

Thank you for all your good wishes to him, I have passed them all on.

Anyhoo, I seem to be a little bit obsessed with snowmen this year!

Gerda Steiner Designs - Snowman Friends gs-GSD-445

Whimsy Stamps Sentiment Assortment - Merry Christmas CWSD391

MFT DieNamics A2 Stitched Circle Stax MFT-1675

MFT 6x6 papers

Distress Inks (ReInkers) for snowman, a scrap of Dovecraft paper for the snow flecked blue behind him, and a couple of Woodware corner punches to finish off.

Chilly hugs

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