Oh Baby!

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?!  My boss discovered that she has become an auntie again this week, a baby brother (as yet unnamed) has arrived for her niece, Isabella, so she asked if I would make a card for her to send to her brother and his partner (like I needed to be asked twice!).

And the card I have created fits perfectly with three of this week's challenges:

Creative Card Crew - New Beginnings

Dutch Dare Card Challenge - New Beginnings

Cute Card Thursday - Out With The Old

I simply adore this LOTV Baby Blanket stamp, I have used it soooo many times in the last year.  Image is stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink onto Bristol Board and then watercolour painted in Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  To qualify for Cute Card Thursday you have to use old papers etc, and these papers definitely fit the bill - they are from a DCWV Stack that I must have had for about four years.  The card stock is Coordinations and of course I used my trusted Nestabilities on the Cuttlebug for those perfect circles.  The sentiment is also LOTV.  Buttons and DMC embroidery thread from stash and finished off with Pebbles Inc Candy Dots.

Here's a close up of the little fella:

Thanks for popping over.  Just about to put the kettle on - anyone fancy a cuppa?
Hugs, Sxx

You might also like:

Lili Of The Valley - Lena's Sketch

Better Photos for LOTV Challenge

There is a glimpse of daylight this morning so I quickly snapped a couple of better photos for my entry into this weeks LILI OF THE VALLEY CHALLENGE - Rosie With Presents was just screaming out for her to be a little red head!  Unfortunately, Vince was trying to help me and I didn't notice the stray cat hair that had snuck into the picture until I uploaded it just now!

Not sure how well you can see the detail of her hair but I used one of those paintbrushes with long and short bristles, just damp, and it gives a lovely effect of hair strands I think.

Will pop back later with another card for another challenge.

Hugs, Sxx

Lili of the Valley Challenge - Lena's Sketch

Morning all.  Are we ever going to get daylight again?  I made this card last night when it was too dark to take a decent photo (hence the fuzzy one, which I will replace tomorrow) and it's nearly 9.00 Friday morning and it's still dark!!  Don't know about being a squirrel - think I'm becoming part mole!!

Anyhoo, a fabulous sketch by Lena over at LILI OF THE VALLEY CHALLENGE this week and I just had to have a play:

Now, you know me by now and how much I struggle with all these gorgeous embellishments - so it's another straightforward card for you this time, surprise!  This little lady was in my Christmas stocking and I've been itching to ink her up.

I've coloured her with distress inks using mostly Tumbled Glass, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Dusty Concorde and Tattered Rose.  There are a few highlight colours like Spun Sugar, Antique Linen and Worn Lipstick in there for good measure.

The papers are MME Fine & Dandy - True Blue, the corners are Sizzix Architectural Accents dies and the Candy Dots and gems are from the stash.

Thanks for popping over, hope to see you later.

Hugs, Sxx

Little Critters!

Last day of the holidays - boo, hiss - and himself decides that we'd go to the zoo.  Bearing in mind that it is January, perishing cold and bleak, you can image our shock to find on arrival that the carpark was at capacity!  It was more like sardine city than a zoo today.  Anyway, because it was so busy I've only a few pics for you.

It's back to the other zoo tomorrow, yep, work.  So I'll see you all again at the weekend.

Hugs, Sxx

My wish for 2011 is a .........

........ solar power camera so I never need to run round the house like a loony again trying to find rechargable batteries that have actually been charged!!  There must be someone out there with inventing skills - if you can come up with the goods I'll only charge a 10% lifetime royalty for the idea!

I was a bit late starting to play this afternoon because the Toad and I were playing Raving Rabbids TV Party on the Wii - there is one section where you have to dance along with the moves ....... it is certainly entertaining, especially as the beloved one has two lefts.  It's on your left dear, no, your other left.  Bless his cottons.

A belated birthday card to show you today and the photo is rubbish as I had to take it on my phone (due to lack of camera batteries!).

I received this adorable SugarPlums stamp from my mate Zippy in my Christmas parcel from her (she did spoil me badly this year) and she is a joy to colour.  She wasn't such a joy to cut out as, shock, horror, I accidentally cut off the bobble on one of her antennae.  Thank heaven for black gems!  She's coloured with distress inks, the papers are Making Memories and the sentiment is Paula Pascual from Personal Impressions.

Thanks ever so much for popping over, I hope you are having a lovely relaxing Sunday, whatever you are up to.  See you soon!

Hugs, Sxx

A Stitch In Time - Penny Black at Allsorts

Happy 2011 everyone!  Hope there aren't too many sore heads out there today.  I was tucked up in bed by 11.00 last night, but was woken again by the fireworks which went on for over an hour - obviously the financial crisis hasn't hit the pyrotechnics industry just yet!

My last card of 2010 featured a mouse and here we are with the first card of 2011 with more mice for you!  PENNY BLACK AT ALLSORTS January Challenge is All You Need Is Love and I think these little critters are certainly performing a labour of love with their stitching ........

I've used A Stitch In Time by Penny Black and painted with distress inks.  I've kept the layout of the card very simple as I think the image is enough without embellishments for this one.

The fabulous rich coloured papers are from Papermania's Persimmon collection.  I used my new pokey tool to make the stitch holes around the edge of the image panel and a Marvy le Plume pen for the green faux running stitch.

Thanks for popping by, hope to see you again soon.

Hugs

Sxx

Thank You - Cute Card Thursday

Can you believe that it is New Year's Eve?  What happened to Christmas?  And hasn't the "festive" tv been absolutely dreadful this year?  Or is that just me getting older and jaded?  On second thoughts, don't answer that!

As you may have noticed, I've stepped down for the time being from the DTs that were kind enough to have me.  Life gets in the way of many things and personal issues meant that I wasn't able to give the amount of time I wanted to so that I could be a good DT member instead of a skin-of-the-teeth one.  In the last ten days I have even considered, very briefly, selling all my stamps and stash (Samantha, sit DOWN!!) but then reason took over.  Put that nano-second of insanity down to too many chocolate brazil nuts.  But just because I'm not DTing, it doesn't mean I'm not crafting.

Here is a little card to end 2010 with for the CUTE CARD THURSDAY challenge whose theme is THANK YOU. 

I love this little House Mouse image, so useful for so many things.  Coloured with distress inks.  Sentiment is Personal Impressions and papers are a mixture of old ones from K&Co and Making Memories.  Corner die is a Sizzlets photo corner.  A very CAS card but it does what it says on the tin!

Edited to thank Delphine and Ann for letting me know about the Cupcake Craft Challenge and Phindys Friday Challenge who also have Thank You as a theme. 

Anyone making any Resolutions?  The only one that I can publish here is that I will make a bigger effort to hop round and visit all your blogs more often.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, and here's to a better, brighter, happier and healthier 2011 for all of us.

Hugs, Sxx

Christmas Wishes

I am back at work today,
even though my bed was tugging me back under the duvet,
having been laid very low by the lurgy for a week,
and am here until close of play on Christmas Eve so this will probably be my last chance to post a message until after the festivities so I'm grabbing the opportunity to wish each and every one of you, friends and
followers, new and old, a very joyful Christmas.

May the true spirit of the Season
fill your hearts with love.

Hugs, Sxx

A Magnolia (Tilda) Question

Hi all, just a quick question - has anyone in the UK bought from Magnolicious in the US?

If you have, were you happy with their service?

Don't want to put anyone on the spot but I'm always a bit cautious when ordered from an overseas store for the first time and would rather use one that is recommended.

Please email me if you would prefer not to post a comment.  squirrel1964@hotmail.co.uk


Thanks guys
Sxxx

Sketch & Stash # 51 - Your Choice (of Sketch) (DT)

Because I am full of germs today, and really not feeling very well at all, I've cheated with this post and simply cribbed it from the SKETCH & STASH CHALLENGE blog, so apologies to the Team for that.

We are celebrating Christmas early, and our almost 2 year anninversary ... yes the Sketch and Stash has been going for 2 years at the beginning of January, how amazing is that.  So we are doing something a little special this time for you.

 We also have some sad news for you.  Lols has stepped down from the team due to other comittments, and this will be Cathy's last challenge with us.  Cathy was guest designer fro the 1st 2 challegnes, before joining the team fulltime, and Lols was our 2nd guest designr, so both have been here since the beginning.  Thank you girls for you hard work over the last 2 years, and we hope you will find the time to join in our challenges.

OK on to challenge 51 ...

 Your Choice

Some of our regular sponsors are offering up some fab prizes for you and we also are running a scavenger hunt on the DT members' blogs. 

Here are our prizes ...

from our very regular sponsor Simon Says  Stamp we have this fab prize.

Katharina over at Whiff of Joy is offering a stamp of YOUR choice

Elaine from Quixotic Paperie is offering this fab embellishment pack ...

Whimsy Stamps are offering a $15 voucher for their store

Paula from Pollycraft Designs

is offering 2 of her fabulous new rubber stamps ...

As well as offering these fabulous prizes we are also running a scavenger hunt.  Hidden on some of the DT blogs are some mystery  prizes ... if you want to be in with a chance of winning one of these prizes, offered by Meljen Designs and Wags n Whiskers, you need to comment on the DT blogs and enter the challenge  (we will check LOL!!).

OK so to be in with a chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes all you need to do is make a card using one of our last 50 sketches ... yep it is your choice which sketch you use.  To find our sketch catalogue click on the link on the right hand sidebar ... all of them are there for you to peruse!    Please put a pic of the sketch on your blog so we can see which sketch you chose (we will check you have used one of our sketches, so no cheating LOL!!).

OK, so now it is back to me and my DT card - I've reused Sketch No 38

And I've rotated it 90 degrees to the left

I've used a Meljen Designs stamp called Snow Cat - isn't he just adorable?  He arrived in the post this week so he's very new stash.  He's painted with Distress Inks.  Papers are definitely old stash and are a mixture of DCWV from two Christmas Stacks.  The sentiments are also new stash, Personal Impressions.

Thanks for joining us, and we are looking forward to seeing your entries.

Hugs, Sxx

A Couple of LOTVs

As my last card for the LOTV Challenge was on the squint I thought I'd have another go and thankfully this one seems straighter!

And this one was a very quick one using an image I had already coloured and waiting to be used.

That's it for me today - full of coughs and cold and really not feeling very well.  Going to curl up in my armchair with a book and a box of tissues.

Hugs, Sxx

Totally Gorjuss # 61 - For Someone Special (DT)

Morning all!  Well, here we are at the last Saturday before Christmas - and I'm still not sorted yet.  Still got a week to go at work so no time for anything much else.  It's gonna be a tight squeeze to get it all done and I fear some of the niceties may fall by the wayside!

Anyhoo, let's get down to business - it is TOTALLY GORJUSS day, yaaaay!  Thanks to everyone who took part in our snow challenge last week - I hope that wasn't a premonition of what's to come.  Fantastic entries from you all.  Please check back to the main blog to see who was selected as the lucky winner.

And so to this week's theme and as it is our last challenge now until 8 January we would like you to show us your creations For Someone Special.

My fabulous teamies have been working their magic to bring you heaps of inspiration again and I think now would be a good time to express your thanks to them for all their hard work over the past year.  They really are a brilliant crew, and hats off to our Captain, Net, for keeping us all in order and keeping this challenge going.  Net, you are a complete star hunny.

So, enough of my waffle, here is my card (lots of pics)



Front Panel



Inside Panel 1



Inside Panel 2



And the whole thing













As you can see, I got a bit carried away with the Lili of The Valley James The Bear - sorry, but he is just too cute to resist.  I made this card with my darling parents in mind (there is a family joke about Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear) and James seemed perfect.  I've coloured him with Distress Inks and added some Art Institute gold glitter to his tinsel - this stuff is just so sparkly it almost hurts your eyes.  Papers are from a vintage Papermania pad.  I've had these years and love them so am a little sad that I am now coming to the end of the nicest ones.  And of course I had to use my fabulous loop edged Nestabilities for the matting.  The sentiments are both Lili of The Valley too from the new circular collection but, as you can see, I had to slightly doctor one of them!

My thanks to you all for your support during my first year on the Totally Gorjuss Design Team and for all your stunning entries in our challenges.  You are all winners in my eyes.

Looking forward to seeing what you create for your special someone and I hope you have a super Christmas and a stonking New Year.  See you all in January for the 2011 challenges!

Hugs, Sxx

ABC Christmas Challenge = Z for Zero Time Left and A BLOG HOP!

Well here we are, at the end of the ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE alphabet for another year - which means we are only 10 days away from Christmas!  Hope you are more organised than I am, lol!!

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Yuletide challenge, as always you produced some stunning entries and choosing the Top 3 is going to be a tough task for the team.  Do check back to the blog to see who the overall winner and the Top 3 are - it might be a day or two before these are posted so please be patient.

We have something a bit special for you for this challenge.  First of all the theme for Z is Zero Time Left, so this is your last card with us this year and we would like you to reuse your favourite ABC challenge from 2010.

And we are having a Christmas BLOG HOP, so there is even more at stake this time!  And we are proud to have two sponsors for the Challenge and the Hop in the shape of Simon Says Stamp

and Stamp Fairy

So, the rules, starting at ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE (if you have come to me first then you need to head back to the Challenge Blog) work your way through the Team and Sponsors, leaving a comment with each one as you go, and collect a letter along the way.  Once you have collected all your letters, work out the phrase, and then head back to ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE to leave a comment with your answer and your entry for Z!  Simples! 

This challenge is going to run until 10pm (UK time) on 1 January so you will have plenty of time to craft and enter.

You should have come to me from the lovely and talented LORRAINE and once you have done your bit here with me your next move is back home to ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE to leave your answer.  There will also be hidden candies along the way so do remember to leave your comment as you visit each blog, you never know, you might find you have won a nice surprise.

And my letter for you?  It is G.

Here is my card for the Z theme:

Techinically this qualifies for two 2010 challenges: F for Frosty and P for Presents, so maybe I'll have a new one of FP for Frosty Presents!  I adore this Lili Of The Valley James The Bear stamp, in fact I think he qualifies for my favourite stamp of the year.  I've painted him with Distress Inks and matted him using Nestabilities for the circles and the loop edged square.  Blue paper is Dovecraft, red is Anita's and I used an EK Success punch for the snowflakes.  The gorgeous circular sentiment is also Lili Of The Valley.

I think that's it then - thanks to each and every one of you who has joined us for all or some or only one of the challenges this year, we couldn't have made it this far without you all and we have loved seeing your amazing work.  I really do hope you are able to join in the Hop and see you in January 2011!!

Hugs, Squirrel xxx

It's Actually Not A Christmas Card

Honestly, it isn't a Christmas card - it's a winter birthday card

Is anyone having problems leaving comments at the moment?  I seem to be getting good visitor numbers but very few comments.  Just wondered if Blogger was playing up.

Move Over Mr MaGoo!

Over at the LILI OF THE VALLEY challenge this week there is a fabbie sketch from Dena that was so much fun to play with

I really wanted to use these cute little winter bunnies - they have been crying out to me ever since I bought them so this seemed like the ideal opportunity.  I rotated the sketch and then flipped it so that the sentiment came in the right place.

However ........ it wasn't until I was adding the final border that I realised the whole thing is on the squint!  I've been having trouble with my focal range for a while - yes, I know, I am overdue for an eye test - and I spend more time doing close-up work without my glasses than I do with them on.  But it was when I sat back from it that I thought "Oh ****".  Hey ho, guess that is one of the quirks of a handcrafted card!

The papers are old ones from a Papermania Vintage collection.  They have been sadly neglected but I don't know why as the majority of them are gorgeous with deep, rich colours.  Image is coloured with Distress Inks and I've stamped the LOTV sentiment with Paris Dusk Memento ink to try and match the background blue.

My other card today is just a fun one that I have made for the girls in my favourite coffee shop - what else could I use but Whiff of Joy's Henry?!

Again, coloured with Distress Inks.  Pink paper was from a pad free with a magazine, the blue glittered is Papermania.  Sentiment is LOTV and the border a is Martha Stewart punch.

Thanks for popping in for a visit.  I've now got to be a good girl and actually sit down and write some cards instead of sneaking off to make them!

Hugs, Sxx

"Surprise Candy" Winner!

Morning all - how are we today then?  I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself.  It seems that everyone around me has a horrible germ of one sort or another and, having resisted them so far, I think I am now coming down with the lurgy.  Oh well, at least it's be over before Christmas, I hope!

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my candy - it is so heartwarming to see how many of you "old" followers are still hanging on in there and popping in to visit.  I just wish I had the time these days to visit you as often as I would like to.

Right then, the "Surprise Candy" winner ..... well, I went for the low-tech option of choosing the winner this time (I printed out the comments, cut them into strips and put them in a brown paper bag).  After a good shake of the bag, I let Vince stick his nose in it.  He might be scared of mice but he LOVES a good brown paper bag.  After a happy ten minutes of rummaging around, the entry that he attempted to hide under the rug was .............. COOPS!  Yes, that's you Nic of Coops Cluttered Corner!  (Fanfare, drumroll, trumpets, hip hip hurrah!).  Coops is one of my earliest followers and has stuck with me through ups, downs and in-betweens.

Email me please hunny at squirrel1964@hotmail.co.uk and I'll let you in on what I have planned.

Hugs, Sxxx

Totally Gorjuss # 60 - It's Snowing!

Morning all, hope you are ok and that if you are one of the poor souls still swamped in the white stuff you have plenty of food and warmth. 

Thanks for all your entries last week with Net's super sketch, check out the lucky winner on the main blog.

Another Saturday nearer to Christmas and at TOTALLY GORJUSS we are continuing the Christmas theme by asking you to show us your SNOWY cards and creations this week.  The DT have produced their usual high standard of cards for you so it would be nice to snow them (geddit?) your appreciation (oh all right, I'll shut up). 

But before I do, I must tell you that our sponsor this week is Meyer Imports - a website well worth checking out if you've not come across them before.

Here is my DT card:

Still having camera issues so it is the photo that's a tad fuzzy, not your eyes!  Image is from the Mimi Christmas clear stamp set by Penny Black, coloured with ProMarkers.  Papers are from an old DCWV Christmas Stack, small snowflakes are an EK Success punch and the large blue one is Martha Stewart which I punched from a sheet of glittered Papermania paper.

Thank you for taking the time to pop over and see me and I do hope you manage to squeeze in a go at the challenge amongst all your Christmas planning.  Next week, challenge 61, will be our last challenge of this year so craft now while you have the chance!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

ABC Christmas Challenge Blog Hop Alert

Hi Guys

Just a quick heads up to let you know that the ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE will be having a super BLOG HOP starting on Wednesday 15 December.

It will be our last challenge of 2010 so join us if you can, we have super sponsors and some great prizes up for grabs.

See you there!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Sketch & Stash # 50 (DT)

Another Monday nearer to Christmas - less than three weeks to go now (eeeeek - headless chicken impression) but this should cheer you up - it's SKETCH & STASH CHALLENGE day!

Thanks to all of you who took part in Challenge 49 - wasn't that a brilliant sketch from Sue?  As you have been good, she has done another one for you!

Now, you might be thinking this is a simple sketch - well, let me tell you, it was a tricky little devil, so there is still some serious challenge going on!

We are thrilled to be sponsored by the wonderful Simon Says Stamp so surely you're tempted now?

So, that's the business end of it done, so here's the bit to make you laugh, yep, my card:

As you can see, I've swapped the tag over to the right side but that was because Whiff of Joy's Henry was skating the wrong way, silly mouse!  Henry is coloured with Distress Inks.  Sticky ribbon for trim with glitter gems as I can't tie bows even with a bowmaker.  Good job I'm not entering the challenge as I'd be booted out in disgrace LOL!  Henry is my new stash (actually he is my second Henry, I manage to lose the first one, sigh).  Papers are Dovecraft (I think - so old they've lost their ID card).  Peel-off twinkling lettering, gems and cardstock from stash.  Martha Stewart snowflake punch is last years but the Basic Grey brad is new.

Looking forward to seeing all your wonderful entries.  Wouldn't it be nice to win a Simon Says Stamp voucher in time for that crafting Christmas present to yourself?!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Well Would You Believe It - A Christmas Card!!

How is it that just when you think you are coming to the end of making Christmas cards you suddenly find another section in your address book that had slipped the net ...... hey ho!

Sorry for the slightly out of focus photo - my normal camera has thrown a wobbly so I've had to use another one but it has a weird macro that I just cannot get the hang of.

For this card I've used the Lili of the Valley Party Pup - Christmas Card stamp and painted him with Distress Inks.  Isn't he just the sweetest little fella?  Papers are a mixture from Christmas past of DCWV and Anitas.  Sizzix Architectural Corner dies and gold gems for the finish.

Right, off downstairs to tackle the next one ...... hope your weekends are going well.

Hugs, Squirrel xx