AYLI (DT) One or Multi Layers

Yoo-hoo folks, it's Thursday, so that means a new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT

For this challenge we would like you to tell us about your preference of 

ONE LAYER OR MULTI LAYERS

This was a tough choice really as I quite like to play with both, but as my style is principally CAS I have gone with the one layer to show off the image more.

I've used LOTV's James with Umbrella stamp (retired)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and a sentiment stamp from My Favourite Things Blue Skies Ahead set

and that's all there is to it!

Our sponsor for this challenge with a £10 voucher is

Crafts U Love

You have two weeks to enter the challenge, but you must tell us why you chose one or multi layers for your make!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Nutty But Nice

Apparently that's what some people say about me.  A bit nutty, but quite nice really.

Just a little one to share with you today, made as a thank you card.

I've used a squirrel from the Clearly Besotted Nutty But Nice stamp set

and used the coordinating die set to cut him out

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Leafy Branch is a CC Cutters die

and the sentiment is from LOTV Quotables - Friendship - Set 62

Hugs to all

Nutty but nice, Squirrel xx

Just keep swimming, swimming......

I love Finding Nemo, it's up there in my Top 20 films.  Mind you, I love anything Pixar so my Top 20 is a bit crowded with their animations.

Anyhoo, I was thinking Finding Nemo when I made these two cards for the Lili Of The Valley Design Collective

The stamps are from the recent Little Critters release and this one is Little Fishes (you get all three fish, the bubbles, and more!)

Both cards painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Card 1 - papers are Wild Rose Studio and I used dies from MFT, Tonic and Memory Box

Card 2 - papers are Crafters Companion, the circle die is CC Designs and the "weed" frond is a Martha Stewart border punch

Sentiment is LOTV Vintage Labels Set 28 with a slight adjustment with the letter F

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Bling It On

It's another pink day chaps, and over at IN THE PINK this time the challenge is BLING IT ON

so we'd like to see your sparkle!

I may have gone a little over-the-top

OK, so I made the gift box with pre-glittered cardstock by First Edition

and bordered it with some beautiful cotton lace that I had in my stash

The enormous flower was punched from some self-adhesive holographic foil and then

I layered on the gorgeous fabric flower with the gemmed centre

The ivy swag is a Joanna Sheen Signature die which I cut from kraft card and then green glittered the leaves only, leaving the stems bare

I cut the sentiment from the same foil with Lawn Fawn Scripty For You die

Gems and pearls from stash

It's quite spectacular in the sunshine!

Of course, we have a sponsor for you too and it is the lovely Tracy

from DIES TO DIE FOR with a £10 voucher for the winner

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Bunny And Butterfly

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!  Tis a tad chilly over here in the east this morning, a lovely bright and sunny day, with a fabulous crisp frost.  What a day to be off to the dentist and then venturing back to work this afternoon (first time since Christmas Eve).  I'm still not feeling brilliant, but got to make a start somewhere in returning to some kind of normality while I await the hospital appointment.

Anyhoo, as an antidote to all this chilliness, here is something sunny and Springy for you.

I couldn't resist the recent release from Wild Rose Studio, and this one in particular

stole my heart - this is Bunny And Butterfly

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Shaped card and mats made with Crealies XXL32 dies

Backing paper is Dovecraft Back To Basics

Pearls from stash

Wishing you all a super Tuesday.  While I've been out of action I have got way behind with visits but I will do my best to get back on track as soon as possible.  Thank you all for sticking with me.

Hugs Squirrel xx

New Trios - coming soon!

Morning everyone.  Those of you who use Facebook regularly or who receive the Lili of The Valley newsletter possibly know by now that there is a release coming of some new Trios stamps.  The date is to be confirmed, but possibly end of this month, so keep your eyes peeled for details.

I was asked to sample the Birthday Trios, there's a cake, flowers, balloons and three sentiments that make them usable for many more occasions than birthdays.

Here's my card:

I have painted the two images with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and the sentiment is one of the three that comes with them

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Bonnets & Bowties (sadly retired)

Daisy border punch by Martha Stewart

Floral border punch (the bottom one) by X-Cut

Butterflies from Impression Obsession

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

As You Like It (DT)

Morning all.  As you might have twigged from the post title, I have been invited to join the Design Team of those super talented crafters over at As You Like It Challenge!

This is my first challenge for the team and the theme for this fortnight is

Paper or Non Paper Project

(and remember to tell us why you chose what you did)

Here is my first DT project

It wasn't a difficult choice for me, having tried many crafts over the years, some more successful than others, I have always come back to papercraft.  I love that you can create something so colourful and/or dimensional from a flat piece of paper!

I decided to have a go at making a perpetual calendar, which I did completely freestyle with no template.  It took the best part of a whole day to make but I am quite chuffed with the end result.

Papers used are all from the First Edition Sweet Owl pad, with the exception of the black card

Numbers done with Memory Box dies

Days with letters from a Clearly Besotted set

Months (cut down, they were too long otherwise) from a MFT Die-Namics die set

Flowers made with Woodware punches and an office hole punch

And some lace trim from my leftovers box

This challenge is sponsored by DIGISTAMP BOUTIQUE with a £10 voucher

digistampboutique.co.uk catalog

digistampboutique blogspot

So there you have it, do come on over and join in the fun - this challenge is wide open for you to make all sorts of projects, from a simple card through to a wedding cake (if you feel that ambitious!), it's all about your style of craft.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

I'm not Lion

Honestly, I'm not Lion.  Would I fib to you?

I've used the lion from the LOTV Faraway Friends mini stamps

The little tag is from LOTV Sentiment Tags - Set 24

(there's a nelliphant and a monkey too)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Memory Box Corner Bow die

Martha Stewart leaf punch

My Favourite Things Wonky Windows die

Papers are an allsorts mixture of old Basic Grey and ancient Papermania

Hugs, Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Anything Goes

OK, so we are a week into it now but still wishing you all a Happy Pink New Year!

It's the first IN THE PINK challenge of 2016 and to ease you in the theme is

ANYTHING GOES (so long as there's a lot of pink)

Yes, I was spoilt at Christmas and have had to make a lot of thank you cards!

So, this stinkin' cute little critter is a Stacey Yacula image from Purple Onion Designs

Icicle (Polar Bear)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are all Tonic "Woodland Friends" collection

Dies used are Crealies stitched rectangles

Cheery Lynn Celtic border

Martha Stewart heart border punch (just the hearts used)

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted Fancy Sayings

There is a super pink prize for the winner from our sponsor THE RIBBON GIRL

So now it's over to you, go and get pink!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

A New Thank You

I'd like to say that the New Year is going well ..... it was until last night when I cracked a tooth on a rather hard almond.  So that will be my crafting allowance spent on dental bills then.  Ever since I broke my jaw in three places (in 1988) I have had a very real fear of dentists so at the moment I am not sure which is worse, the pain or the treatment.

On a happier note, I did make a card yesterday, which I would like to share with you and enter into a few challenges.

This is Happy Twila, one of my new CC Designs stamps

and the sentiment is also a new one for me from Clearly Besotted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Matting layer papers from LOTV/Nitwits

Allsorts Challenge - What's New

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Something New

Crafty Friends Challenge - #22 Use Something New

Inkspirational - #99 Thank You With Something New

Just Us Girls Challenge - Thank You

Thanks everyone, see you soon.

Hugs, Squirrel xx