Pot Plant Emma

I can't believe where the last week has gone!  It's back to work tomorrow (groan) and it only feels like two minutes since I was there.  Do you think they would understand if I phoned in tomorrow and said I needed another week?  No?  Nah, me neither.  Sigh.

As the reaction to my first entry in this week's LILI OF THE VALLEY blue and pink challenge was, shall we say, restrained, I thought I'd have another go and see if this one goes down a bit better ......

This time I've used Emma Pot Plant and she is, of course, painted in Distress Inks

Papers are My Minds Eye, I think it was a free pack with a magazine and it's Spring themed.  Gorgeous, wish I'd got a second one! 

Felt quite pleased with myself for managing to curve the Hero Arts sentiment to fit the edge of the circle.  I used the waste from the Nestie, stuck it with tape to an acrylic block and that gave me the border to line up my sentiment with, took away the card, inked the stamp, took a deep breath and there it is.

Also tried the faux doilly edging for the first time today - don't think the result is too bad but I need to work out what to do with the ends to get them a bit neater.

Matting layer is simply white cardstock coloured with a Ruby ProMarker - I was trying to get it to tie in with the colour of the roses.

Here's the arty shot complete with cat hair (you can tell I don't dust often in the conservatory)

And the inside (again using the MME papers and a Hero Arts sentinment)

And just in case you aren't completely bored already, here's a close up on Emma and her pot plant

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs Sxx

Birthday Bunting

Hello Peeps, hope you are having a super Saturday so far.  The glorious sunshine of yesterday has given way to clouds and rain but I don't mind, I'm still having a good day!

Before I get to my card for today, I have some special thank you's to say to the following wonderful friends (in no particular order): Helen, Samantha, Kaz, Jackie, Pauline, Cynthia, Alison, Zippy, Debs and Kay for your gorgeous birthday cards - they are all on display for everyone to see and I am so thrilled to have received each and every one.  My thanks also to Chrissy, Marianne and Lisa for their sweet birthday wishes.  You all really know how to make an old girl feel very special!

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE have a real summery feel to their challenge this week with the theme of Bunting - and I think there is a particular stamp set that is going to take a real hammering - I've used it too!

Oh I do so love Penny Black hedgies, this one is Hedgy Delivery and is one of my first ever PB stamps (worryingly I can remember the first time I used it too - so the memory hasn't gone completely, even at my age, lol).  Coloured with Copics (yellow bicycle - well it is the Tour de France!) and teamed with a mixture of PaperMania Capsule papers and some from scraps box.  Bunting is of course Hero Arts, as is the main sentiment.

Hugs, Sxx

Doing It The Hard Way

My dad always reckons that if there was a hard way to do anything then it would be me that would find it.  I think that's a slight exaggeration but this time I think he might have it right!

This week over at LILI OF THE VALLEY it's a colour combo challenge, and one of my favourites - Pink and Blue.

Yesterday, because it was so cold, wet and windy, we abandoned the idea of visiting the zoo and stayed local.  One place we did get to was The Range.  I wanted to stock up on Bristol Board but also fancied having a try with one of the X-Cut glass cutting mats and, yippee, they had them in stock so as soon as we got home it was out of the box and I had A&E on speed dial.  Now, logic says that with it being glass it will be slippery - but until you put a craft knife to it you don't appreciate just HOW slippery!  Anyhoo, I had the idea of paper piecing for this challenge and was pleasantly surprised at how precisely the glass mat let me cut.  Here, let me show you

I would have been struggling to get it that precise with scissors I can assure you!

It was at this point however that I realised I'd done it the hard way.  It would have been far easier to have cut out Milly Flower Power and matted her onto the blue!  Anyway, here is the end result

Sorry that the picture is on the squint - I was trying to get all of it in the patch of sunshine (failed) on the work top.  So, there is Milly, teamed with PaperMania Capsule Collection Blueberry and some stonkingly pink Coordinations card and a tiny bit of Pink Petticoat.  Martha Stewart border and leaf punches, LOTV corner, WOC flower.

Thanks for popping over for a look-see, it is always lovely to see you.  Off to the seaside today for a fish and chip lunch and a game of crazy golf.  Oh it is going to be so painful going back to work on Monday.

Hugs Sxx  

Bumpity Bump!

Morning all - hope you are ok.  I'm pacing the house like the most nervous squirrel you have ever seen - got a dental consult at the hospital this afternoon.  Eeeeeeeek.  Now, you know me and dentists - we don't see eye to eye at the best of times but the hospital is the very place that started this phobia anyway (when I broke my jaw 23 years ago) so I am certainly not looking forward to renewing the acquaintance!

So, to try and take my mind off it all for a little while, here's a happy card for you

I've used this adorable stamp from Lili Of The Valley called Birthday Bumps and painted with Distress Inks.  Again did the clouds with an Ink Duster and Tumbled Glass ink, and the grass I did with a brush that's had a bad hair day.  Papers are all Echo Park Summer Days.

I'd like to enter this for three challenges:

SIMON SAYS STAMP - Anything Goes

PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Hot Hot Hot

CRAFTS AND ME - Summertime

And just before I go, we heard the brilliant news last night that Toad's nephew has got a First in his Mechanical Engineering degree!  Way to go Michael!!  So I had to make a quick card to pop in the post didn't I?  This one uses the less-is-more principle

Oh how I do miss Elzybells stamps!  Love this mechanic bear.  Hero Arts sentiment, and another one inside that simply says Let's Celebrate.

Back to pacing ............

Hugs, Sxx

Come And Get It

Morning all - just a quick sneaky post while Toad is out getting petrol for today's jaunt.  No idea where we are going but I just know that he won't sit still for long.  Sigh.

Anyway, I am officially addicted to the new range of Pip stamps from Sugar Nellie - this one is Candy Pip

Painted in Distress Inks, papers are Pink Petticoat Wild Blooms and the sentiment is Hero Arts.

Would like to enter this into this weeks COME AND GET IT CHALLENGE who have a colour theme of light pink, light blue and light green.

Right gotta dash, he'll be back soon.

Hugs Sxx

Geography Test

Right then class, pay attention - who can tell me where I've been today ......

Struggling to work it out?  This last one will give you a massive clue!

Beautiful day at the seaside - had a super lunch on the pier, a wander around some horribly expensive shops, toodled up into the town where Toad fell in love with this brewery jug and just had to have it for his home brew (he has ambitions that boy), into a few more scary shops including a craft cooperative where Toad picked up a fairly ordinary coffee mug that was priced at - gulp - £25!  I made him put it down very carefully, lol!

Tired, sore feet and sun scorched cheeks, but happy.

Hugs, Sxx

Colour Overload!

Morning all, hope this Sunday finds you happy and well.  Toad has a cold.  A really annoying cold.  How do men manage to cough so loudly?  I'm a bit snuffly today so I am hoping it is merely hayfever and not his germs.  Vince is at his usual station in front of the pc screen so I can't see much of what I'm typing as there is a large lump of furriness in the way.  An exciting sports day today - British Grand Prix and a mountain stage for the Tour de France.  Wish I was at Silverstone cheering on the Brits.......... wishing for another Jenson win.

Anyhoo, I ramble - what I came to show you was my card for this week's LILI OF THE VALLEY  challenge which is a sketch by Donalda.  I'll warn you now - I've gone a bit bright with this one.

Warned you!  LOTV image, Distress Ink painted.  Echo Park Summer Days papers, a sheet of Basic Grey for matting and flowers, Card Candi for flower middles, and black peel off borders from stash.

Hugs, Sxx

Sixteen Legs - and no, it's not two spiders!

Afternoon all - busy day so far, what with Church, shopping, British Grand Prix qualifying, getting dinner sorted and the Tour de France ...... but I managed to sneak in some me time for this week's LESS IS MORE challenge.  It's a one layer card challenge with the theme of Something With Legs!

Just to be different, let's start with the second card I made today

FOURTEEN LEGS

Inspired by Chrissy's sponging technique, I used this cute little Sugar Nellie stamp, masked it off with Post-It Notes and with my Ink Dusters did the background with Spun Sugar and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks.  I've only part coloured the image but that is deliberate.  Sentiment is Hero Arts.

AND THE OTHER TWO

This is the card I made first today - it is for a friend of ours who is mad keen on river fishing so I'm not sure if he would celebrate or cry if he actually caught a goldfish that size in our rivers!  Wild Rose Studio stamp and a Hero Arts sentiment, image painted in Distress Inks.

Thanks for popping over to visit, I really do appreciate the time you take to come and see me and thank you for all the very kind comments you leave.  Once again I apologise for being so behind with my own commenting - I'm trying hard to keep up!

Hugs Sxx

For Every Cloud ......

Evening all - no card to show you tonight, but a sort of a sneak peek of what I'm up to - anyway, I've been playing with Bev's cloud technique and this is my very first attempt (my Ink Dusters arriving in the post this week) and I'd be grateful to know what you think - am I getting it or not?

I can see now that the one above her head is too uniform - that's my fault for not making my template better - but other than that, I'm quite pleased with it for a first attempt.  Be honest though, what do you think?  Should I have varied the blue tones more?

Catch up with ya tomorrow.  Hugs, Sxx

Late For Everything!

Oh my!  No, it's not a mirage, it really is a frizzy tailed Squirrel, just popping by very quickly.  Spending my whole life chasing my rather ample hindquarters just now - in fact I should be lean and mean, like a whippet, instead of a chubby (most of it is fur, honest) rodent!

Only one more day of work to get through, and then it's HOLIDAY TIME! Wheeeeeeeeee!  I am so behind with so many things that I think I may spend the week just trying to catch up.

And here is one thing that I am embarrassingly late with - a thank you card.

Love this Fizzy Moon character, but still finding him a colouring challenge.  Painted in Distress Inks and partnered with Dovecraft Back To Basics papers and lots of Pebbles Inc Candy Dots and the perfect LOTV sentiment from the Clear Additions range.  EK Success retro flower punch for the flowers.  Layout was inspired by a Papertake Weekly challenge that I was also too late for.

I am hoping that if I let Toad have his way with days out til about midweek, I reckon I could wangle a couple of crafting days by way of payback, especially as it is my birthday next weekend and he'll be being nice to me!  Well, he'd better be anyway (grin).

Hugs, Sxx

The Pencil Pot

Thanks to everyone who offered assistance or recommended sites for making a pencil pot last week.  After a couple of failed attempts to make one from card and struggling with stability and rigidity I had a brainwave and ended up with a piece of altered art.  Here it is

This pot, what my glucosamine tablets came in, was sitting there right under my nose and I didn't even realise it.  I soaked the label off and then found this fabulous striped paper from my stash.  Dinner Tilda was begging to be used so she is coloured with ProMarkers and I used the out-of-the-box technique with an oval Nestie and then mounted that on a slightly larger one cut from a sheet of Basic Grey.  Before sticking the whole lot to the pot I covered it in good old fashioned sticky backed plastic to protect it all.

Hugs Sxx

Two By Two By Two

No, not animals - cards and challenges!  I have two cards for you this afternoon, for two very different challenges, and it is my second attempt at each of them.

The first is LILI OF THE VALLEY Celebrate challenge

I've used Milly Cuddle Time, painted her and her pals in Distress Inks, papers are a mixture of MME and Dovecraft Sugar & Spice and Papermania Henbury Lane.  Sentiment is Penny Black and pearls are from stash.

And the second is LESS IS MORE Shades of Blue challenge

I'm much happier with this one than yesterday's, much simpler and cleaner.  Woodware Clear Magic stamps Woodland Mushrooms and a Hero Arts sentiments, again painted in Distress Inks.

I won't be around much this coming week, but I will try and pop in for a bit of commenting when I get a few minutes.

Hugs, Sxx

Less Is More - Shades of Blue

Hi All, just a quickie this evening as Toad is burning a stir fry downstairs and I'm supposed to be on extinguisher duties!

LESS IS MORE - Colour theme this week in SHADES OF BLUE

I think it's too busy personally.  White card, sponged with Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, over stamped in same colour with Hero Arts flourishes, overstamped in Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire Artemio flower silhouettes, layered on white card sponged with Broken China.  Scrap of polka dot paper with edges inked in Tumbled Glass.  Will have another attempt tomorrow with something simpler.

Hugs Sxx

This Is What Happens When .....

......... you don't think an idea through properly!  Morning all, hope you are having a happy, sunny, Saturday so far.  After a week of searing heat, thunder storms and sudden downpours I am hoping that today's sunshine is going to stay around for a few hours at least.

PENNY BLACK AT ALLSORTS July Challenge is Flower Power and I thought I would use the same stamp that I used bits of for last week's Less Is More challenge.  It's from the Penny Black Flower Gallery clear set and it's so pretty.

But this is where the idea when a bit doolally.  I settled on colouring it in Copics, and having tried out various colours I ended up with lilac.  Nothing wrong with that I hear you say.  No, true enough, lilac is a very pretty colour, but my card has ended up like a sympathy card, which wasn't the original intention!

I thought I would add some pearls to try and lift it a bit, but now it just looks like a Victorian sympathy card.

Me thinks I shall have another go at the challenge and make something more cheerful!

Hugs, Sxx

Maisie Two Balloons - LOTV Celebrate!

Evening all (is there anyone out there not watching Wimbledon?) hope you are ok.  Just popped up to the pc during the second set as it was all getting too much for one little squirrel.

Well ....... it's been one of those weeks, and I'm feeling ..... feeling.....what's the word I'm looking for.....grumpy......contrary....stroppy...difficult.....mardy.....oh yes, that's it, ar*ie!  Yes folks, I'm turning into what my darling, delicate, daddy refers to as a right ar*ie mare.  I need a holiday!

Anyhoo, on a lighter note - LILI OF THE VALLEY are looking for Celebrate cards this week and (as some of you may have noticed from my whoopsie posting last night), what better image for a celebration than little Maisie Two Balloons

I've used papers from the Dovecraft Tea Shop collection and paper pieced Maisie's balloons and dress from the same papers I used for the backing and the flowers.  Hopefully it means it all coordinates!  What's left of Maisie I have painted in Distress Inks and the little "celebrate" sentiment is from a Hero Arts set.  Glittery borders from stash.

It's a simple card, but hey, what else can you expect from a simple squirrel!

Hugs, Sxx

Plea for Assistance

Hi guys, no card tonight but instead a plea for assistance - can anyone guide me in the right direction to find instructions for making a pencil pot please?  Or a box that would work as a pencil pot? 

Cheers m'dears
Sxxx

I'm Sure There's A Word For It ........

I'm sure there is a word for when the man in your life takes over the computer to do something "important" and manages to slow it down to slower than the slowest slow thing!

I'm also sure that there is a word missing from the LESS IS MORE blog title, and this week I think that word is DIFFICULT!  How can one very simple sketch be so hard?  Chrissie and Mandi, I have to hand it to you girls, this one was fiendish! 

Anyhoo, here's my take on it:

I'm too embarrassed to tell you how long I was faffing around choosing papers for this, so I won't!  The images are all from the same stamp in the Penny Black Flower Gallery clear stamp set, I just moved it around and stamped different sections of it on the circles.  Coloured with Copics, matted onto a piece of Joanna Sheen Marble paper and layered onto a piece of PaperMania that matched the blue.  Hero Arts sentiment to finish.

Hugs Sxx

Lesson Learned? Was It Heck!

When I was 6, my mum had an old treadle Singer sewing machine.  Wanting to be like mum, I asked if I could have a go.  Within 30 seconds I had stitched my index finger to the footplate.

So why did I not remember that painful lesson this afternoon when I hoiked out of a very dusty box my Easy Stitch portable sewing machine?  I didn't actually sew my finger to anything today (but only because I had removed thread and bobbin).  However, I did manage quite a painful poke with a fast moving needle!

I shall be submitting my accident claim form to PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE Stitch It Up and BASIC GREY CHALLENGES Stitching!

So I resorted to faux stitching, lol - it'll hold about as much securely as my hand sewing anyway!  Penny Black duck stamp, coloured with ProMarkers, Basic Grey papers from Sweet Threads and Basics Manilla, with Hero Arts sentiment and washing label.

Dinner is just about ready so I'll be back tomorrow.

Hugs Sxx

Cappuccino Anyone?

Guess what?  I managed five straight hours sleep last night!  Yaay!  Still a bit sore on the old bones today but I at least felt a bit more alert this morning and no where near as grumpy, lol!  Fingers crossed I might manage the same again tonight.

Anyhoo, whilst Mr Murray does his Wimbledon thing downstairs I thought I would share with you a little card that I would like to enter into two challenges tonight:

ABC CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE - M is for Monochrome; and

LILI OF THE VALLEY - Donalda's Sketch

Love this James the Bear stamp with all those presents, isn't he gorgeous?  The colour scheme came from this sheet of double sided paper from a pad of 12x12s called Desert Blooms (can't remember who by) - it just reminds me of a frothy cappuccino.  I painted James in Distress Inks in Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap, they match the paper beautifully.  Hobby Craft snowflake punch (thanks so much Sarah) and a Martha Stewart border punch and hey presto, done.  Ooh, and I sponge inked around the edge of the white circle in Antique Linen too.

Right, back down to the tennis.  And it's a Grand Prix weekend - bet that won't be as exciting as the Canadian one was.  And as if that's not enough, the Tour de France starts next weekend.  I think I'm in sport heaven!

Hugs Sxx

Simon Says Stamp - Jane's Sketch

Evening all, sorry I've not been around much this week.  I've tried to keep up with comments but you lot are so prolific that it's a struggle!  I am completely exhausted, not slept right through the night for about a week (did you know the Dawn Chorus starts at something stupid like 3.15?) and I am full of arthritis pain at the moment.  And I won't even begin to bore you with what's been happening at work!

My only night for crafting in the week is Thursdays and what do you know, all my fave challenges have sketches this week so it was a decision to be made on which one to go for first .... so eenie meenie minie mo... SIMON SAYS STAMP has a wonderful sketch by DT member Jane this week - here's my card:

I've had this cute Anya stamp for a while and only used her once so tonight she got an inking!  Painted in Distress Inks to coordinate with these Wild Blossom papers by Pink Petticoat (free with Quick Cards this month).  A Hero Arts sentiment, Martha Stewart branch punch and some gorgeous Wild Orchid Crafts flowers with narrow black peel-off borders from stash.

Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.  Your kind words and encouragement always manage to lift a droopy squirrel!

Hugs, Sxx

Make It Colourful!

Now, I'm not sure if I've got the right interpretation of the MAKE IT COLOURFUL challenge of Colour Cast/Reflection but I thought I'd have a go and submit my first entry to their interesting and challenging challenge!

So, with the idea of reflecting the colour from the background (the papers I used) into the main subject, here is my card

I've used Maise Sitting Pretty from Lili of The Valley, and have watercolour painted her using Distress Ink ReInkers.  The rather bold papers are from Craft Too, the card stock is Bazzil.  Martha Stewart border punch (done twice - thanks Delphine for the inspiration for that) and Anita's ribbon for the lilac flowers.

I may get disqualified for not understanding the challenge properly but hey, I've had a go!  Here is the image in close up.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugs Sxx

Two More LIM Cards

I got a bit carried away with the LESS IS MORE theme this week and these two aren't so much Monograms as Text Speak!

I've used paper piecing for this first one, and the second is simply coloured with ProMarkers

Hugs Sxx

Just Magnolia - Paper Piecing

When it works well, technology can be wonderful ....... but when it won't play the game, there is nothing more frustrating!  Computers - aarrrrgh!

Anyhoo, got that out of my system - let's hope I can post this now.  This is my second post today, please scroll down for the earlier one.

Over at JUST MAGNOLIA this week the girls are asking for paper piecing so I had a good old rummage through my scraps box. 

Love this laying down Tilda, she looks so chilled out.  Scraps of paper for her clothing, the rest of her coloured with ProMarkers, Edwardian Country Lady paper for the background (as I had the pad out) and a scrap of Basic Grey punched with Martha Stewart for her to lie on.  Note to self - domed flowers don't work on a dark background!  The orange flower is much more orange really but the colour just disappeared once it was stuck. 

Have remembered to take the cheesecakes out of the freezer to defrost for tonight - just hope I don't get caught in a downpour with them!

Hugs Sxx

Less Is More # 20 - Monogram

Morning all, hope it's a happy Saturday so far for you!  Off for a tail tidy later and then this evening we are over for a meal with some friends and to sit and see Dave's photos from his month-long trek in Nepal last autumn (yeah, we don't get over to see them too often, lol!).

But first, this week LESS IS MORE have a themed challenge of Monogram.  Now, I love my letters - I even got an A+ at school for lettering in art, but that was about 400 years ago and my hand isn't as steady as it was, lol!  And our printer is out of action so no fancy work from me, I had to rely on good old fashioned rubber for this one.

I bought these alphabet stamps from Create & Craft ages ago and I adore them but keep forgetting I have them so this was a great excuse to hoike them out of the cupboard.  Edwardian Country Lady papers that were free with a mag - the pad fell open at the poppy paper so I just went with it!  So simple.  Black pearl card base (did toy with embossing it but the Toad said it was too much) and the rest is self explanatory.

I will also enter this into the SIR STAMPALOT June Challenge who have a photo inspiration challenge of poppies.

I will be thinking of other ideas while I sit in the hairdressers so there will be other attempts at this challenge later in the weekend.

Hugs Sxx

A Simple LOTV Card

It's FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAY !!!!  Wheeeeeee, it's the weekend at last!  And we have rain too!  Our lawn is finally starting to look like grass again instead of Shredded Wheat (other straw like cereals are available).

Just a quickie for you tonight - my new LOTV stamps arrived on Wednesday (24 hours after ordering - impressed? I was) and last night was my first chance to grab one for a play.  I needed a simple get well card for a friend's sister who is having a carpel tunnel operation next week ......

This is Milly Just For You - isn't she such a sweetie - I love the way she is peeking in from the side.  Painted in distress inks with a strip of Dovecraft Back To Basics II for contrast and some Coordinations card for matting.  Gems from stash and a Hero Arts sentiment to finish.

Hugs, Sxx

Lili Of The Valley # 101 - Bring On The Music

Evening all - how's your day been then?  I've had two Thursdays this week - woke up yesterday convinced it was today and just could not shake that feeling off, so it's been a partial Groundhog Day today.  Thank goodness tomorrow is definitely Friday!

This week, LILI OF THE VALLEY are asking us to Bring On The Music - use a song to inspire your card.

I thought long and hard about it, but there is only one that will really fit so I'm going to stick with it (even if some of the lyrics are a bit suspect) - George Michael's Father Figure! 

I decided to have a go at a joy fold card for my Father's Day card and this LOTV bear (Dad's The Word) was the perfect size.  He's distress ink painted.  The papers are DCWV.  I've used Craftwork Cards metalic gold Candi for accents and a screw head brad as a fastener.  Here's the inside

Yep, another LOTV bear (Mini Bear), and an LOTV sentiment as well!  Used my smallest Nestabilities star and some Bazzil cardstock to finish off.

Well, if this publishes it'll be a miracle - internet has decided to throw a hissy fit.  So much for broadband being faster than dial up!

Hugs Sxx

And The Candy Winner Is .......

Hello All!  And a special BIG HELLO to my new Followers - not had a chance to pop round and visit you yet but I will do soon.  Just wanted to say welcome, and hope you enjoy your time here.

So, has anyone noticed that since I mentioned a Summer themed candy that the weather has gone downhill?  I hope you are not actually blaming me for that one.  Only 54 entries for the candy, which is a little disappointing but I guess it increases your chances of winning!

Yeah yeah, I know, cut the chat and get on it with woman.  I was going to ask Vince to choose a winner but he told me to crank up the old Random Number Generator and the result is ............

So, let's have a look see who 24 is and ...... ooh, it's you..... well blow me down and fancy that ......

The winner of my summer themed surprise candy is ...........

DELPHINE!

Yes, that's you my delightful little bundle of Frenchness :oD

Could you email me please sweetie, to confirm where you would like me to post your package, and I'll tootle off to the Post Office at the weekend to get it on its way to you.

Thanks to everyone who took part - I think the next milestone will be either 500 followers or 100,000 hits so there is a way to go yet - how quickly we get there is all down to you guys!

Hugs, Sxx

LOTV Anything Goes - 2nd Entry

Just couldn't resist another entry into LILI OF THE VALLEY's 100th challenge this week - Anything Goes.

It all looks a bit squint in the photo, but I am blaming my phone camera, it is much straighter than this really!  I've used the adorable LOTV Spring Swing - what a sweetie, painted with Distress Inks.  Papers are all Basic Grey Marjoleine - a total fluke that they match in with the image as I am one of these daft crafters that paint first and think about papers later!  The sentiment is also LOTV.

And, unless you have been living in a coal mine somewhere, you will know that today LILI OF THE VALLEY have released their Summer Girls collection.  I'm not telling you what time I got up to place my order .... but it was EARLY!

Hugs, Sxx

Whoops - Should have gone to Spec-Savers

Just goes to show that you should not attempt to colour an image in poor light when you are tired ...... this is what happens!

Yes, you end up with a maroon bear!  That'll teach me.  Mind you, he's been sitting on my desk for a couple of days now and, worryingly, he's starting to grow on me!

Hugs, Sxx

Men!

OK, I didn't anticipate being back again today (scroll down for earlier post) but Toad dropped it on me this morning that he needed a card for a colleague who is leaving this week!  When I asked if she had any particular likes the answer I got was dogs and flowers.  Right, thanks then.  So I had a rummage in my stamps and found this neglected little cutie from Elzybells:

I'd love a pup that cute!  Painted in distress inks. Basic Grey papers and Coordinations cardstock.  I tried to match the flowers to the one next to the kennel by using my retro flower punches.  Martha Stewart branch punch for leaves and LOTV New Job sentiment.

And while I had the inks out I had the urge to paint something just for the fun of it:

This little chap is Romeo from Lili Of The Valley.  Not sure what I'll do with him yet but I'll let you know what he ends up as.

A back to front day today - it's evening Mass, so dinner mid afternoon, and Canadian Grand Prix clashes with church so I'll have to record it and watch it later.  I'm all of a muddle!

Hugs, Sxx