AYLI (DT) Patterned Paper or Embossed

It scares me sometimes how quickly these Thursdays come round!  Blink, and suddenly it is time for another challenge from AS YOU LIKE IT.

This time around, the challenge for you is to choose your favourite between Patterned Paper or Embossed Paper.

I'm pretty sure that our Annette will have something to say about me and my love of patterned papers!  I have never really found the love for embossing, but I have certainly found it for pretty papers.  I love the challenge of being able to match the design to an image!

Here's my card

See, tiny pink cups!

Image is LOTV Jasmine Coffee

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT double stitched circle die

Tonic plain circle die for matting

Dovecraft Tea House papers with Basic Grey Kraft papers

Sentiment is LOTV from Set 103 Sweet and Simple

Martha Stewart border punch to finish off

It's a digi sponsor this time, so for all you digi lovers out there

The sponsor of this challenge is

All Dressed Up.

2 digital images of winners choice

from Wendy’s Etsy shop

All Dressed Up Challenge Blog.

Now it's over to you, you have two weeks to show us your make AND tell us why you made the choice you did.

Have fun!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

LOTV May Challenge

Hi All,  Well, May is here at last with, hopefully, some warmer and sunnier weather!

1 May saw the launch of the new Lili of The Valley Facebook Challenge

and this time you are being asked to follow a sketch designed by our very own Jen.

Here is my first make for the theme

I've used my favourite bear, James with Daisy, which is a retired LOTV stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from the Nitwits Bonnets & Bowties pad

Sentiment die is Clearly Besotted

Flower dies are MFT

with some gingham Card Candy to finish

Here's the sketch

The challenge runs until 15 May so you still have lots of time to get your entries in.  There are some super prizes for the winner.

Looking forward to seeing you there

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Senior Pest Control Officer

One of the pages that I follow regularly on Facebook is that of Felix, the Hudderfield Station Cat.  Felix is the Senior Pest Control Officer at Huddersfield Railway Station.

She even has her own name badge and hi-vis jacket, and she can often be seen out on the station platforms chasing away pigeons and hunting for mice, although she does seem to spend quite a bit of time mooching in the Station office!

When I received the Playful Kittens stamp set from Simon Says Stamp, there was one kitty on that set who, with the addition of a couple of pen lines, was also wearing a hi-vis jacket.

and here is Felix herself

Rosie asked me to post the card to Felix, which I did, and it is on her Facebook today, currently receiving more Likes than I could ever have dreamed of for one of my cards!

Have a super Bank Holiday Monday everyone.

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Surprise!!

Well, three surprises really - the first one is that I am actually here!  I have been a bad blogger lately.  Honestly, if anyone says changing jobs is a piece of cake, I would recommend that you slap them.  I am glad that I made the move, but two weeks in and I still feel like a complete novice, even after 35 years experience!

Second surprise was a envelope of amazing Happy Mail from a dear friend.  I am always cautious about naming friends who send gifts, just in case they don't want it known, so she will know who she is and will know how excited it made me - thank you sweetness!

And the third surprise is here:

Isn't she a doll?!

She is from the new CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Surprise stamp set,

OMG, I love this set sooooo much

I have painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and her hair is done with Polychromos Pencils

That perfect sentiment is from the Casual Fridays Exclamations set

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits (now retired, sorry)

It's a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, so that's a whole extra day of crafting, which means this little lady may well be getting inky again, lol.

Whatever you are up to this weekend, I hope you have a super time, and that we actually manage to get a little bit of Spring sunshine.  It is sunny here at the moment and Rosie has taken full advantage of it.

Speaking of Rosie, oh am I in the Cat House - guess who forgot her 7th birthday yesterday until suppertime.  Whoops.  She must have forgiven me though, because we had a Rosie first this morning.  She came paddling up the bed and gave me a tiny little head-butt/face-rub on my cheek!  She's not been that intimate before, and it was so darned cute.

Anyhoo, have a good one folks.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Animal

Morning all, time for another brilliant challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and this time the challenge is for you to use your favourite animal (and tell us why) for your make.

I found this a really difficult challenge as there are so many animals that I love to use on cards - cats, teddies, bunnies, hedgehogs, but when you have been called Squirrel for 30+ years then what else could it be?!

Loving these Nutty But Nice squirrels from Clearly Besotted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and cut out using the companion dies

Papers are stray sheets of Basic Grey and Echo Park

and I have used my favourite MFT inside out rounded corner stitched squares

The wonderful word die is a new one, to me, from Paper Smooches

The sponsor of this challenge is

Crafty Ribbons

£10 voucher

Hugs to all, and really looking forward to seeing your critters!

Squirrel xx

Belated Bunnies

I've been wondering which card to share with you today, and I realised that I've not shown you this one ... a little bit late, but better than never!

So, I made this using Gerda Steiner Happy Hoppy stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Cloud stencil and DI sponging for the sky

Sentiments are both from Whimsy

Harlequin and bunny face paper from stash

Well, it's a right gloomy day here, and I think it probably is over most of the country today.  I'm taking mum to the eye clinic at the hospital this morning and as she's not too quick on her feet these days I shall be going armed with a couple of large umbrellas, especially as you can't ever seem to park anywhere near the clinic you need to be at.  Which reminds me that I need to find some money for the parking machine.  I know hospitals have to raise funds these days, but paying to park when you are having treatment seems like the ultimate insult.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Pearls

Happy Pink Thursday everyone!  It's time for a new challenge from IN THE PINK and this time our theme is Pearls.

We have another super sponsor too, but more of that further down.  Firstly, here is my DT card.

So, what have I used then:

Stamped image is a clear set from Tiddly Inks featuring Ellie Says Be Happy

She's painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils but I have

paper pieced her dress.

Papers are all from the Wild Rose Papermania Capsule Collection

That fabulous sentiment is by My Favourite Things

Pearls are from my stash

Ta-dah!

As if pink and pearls weren't enough to tempt you, there is a prize for the winner from

LIVE & LOVE CRAFTS

You know the rules by now, you have two weeks to enter, please use predominantly pink

and follow the theme.  Easy peasy!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Hello Honey

I was at a loose end yesterday and just rummaging through stamps to see what would inspire me, and I found one that started the ball rolling.  Whether it was inspired or not remains to be seen!

You can tell that the camera doesn't know how to deal with a lot of white space!

So, I started with masking off the edges of the card and then in the centre panel

I stamped with a Woodware Old Letter stamp

Then I stamped, coloured up Honey from CC Designs and fussy cut her

and finally added the Memory Box hello word die

and that's it.

Hope your day is a good one.  It is piddling down here, has been since yesterday afternoon.  Rosie has an appointment with the v.e.t for a claw clipping this morning (if I can catch her) and then it's off to the garage again as the exhaust saga continues.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

update:  claw-clip cancelled. I'm bleeding and she's scarpered in a right hissy fit. The joy of cats. Sigh!

Ooh, Cheeky!

So I have no willpower ..... I hold my hands up to that.  If it's cute and it's rubber, it ends up living with me (grin).

New release from Clearly Besotted last week ...... here's a couple of quick and cheeky little makes.

Both cards using the new Cheeky Monkey stamps and dies

Sentiment on 1 is with the monkeys

Sentiment on 2 is from MFT

Paper on 1 is Dovecraft

Paper on 2 is First Edition

Both painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Don't Worry, Bee Happy

Morning all, how are you today?  It's a bit damp over here, and chilly, and we are having to have a new exhaust fitted on the car this morning.  I hate it when the car needs something done, why can't they make the parts of something stronger?!

Anyhoo, I have a happy little card for you today:

You know by now that I am a sucker for Roberto's Rascals stamps

This little chap is Bee Henry from CC Designs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Orange paper is a scrap of Basic Grey, that I edged with a Martha Stewart border punch

Matting layer and lettering cut from a sheet of chocolate brown Bazzil Bling card

The happy die is from a Paper Smooches Christmas set

The bee was cut using Memory Box Alphabet Soup dies

Sweet and simple but I hope he makes you smile as much as he does me.

Yesterday was my last day in my job of 11 years.  Crumbs.  It still feels surreal, like it has been happening to someone else, but today I am unemployed.  Don't panic, I start my new job on the 18th, but it means I have a week of "me" time to craft and relax.  Hurrah.  My beloved boss, the lady I have worked with all those years, has also left, and we are going to be starting a whole new adventure together!

Well, that's me for today, have a happy weekend.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Anything But A Card

Hello chaps.  It's Thursday, but not any ordinary Thursday, it's my last Thursday and penultimate day  in my current job.  Tonight, a gang of us are hitting the town .......I may have a sore head tomorrow, which considering I don't drink shows my current state of mind, lol!

Anyhoo, Thursday also brings us a new challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team and this time it's

 ANYTHING BUT A CARD (and why - you must explain why it's your favourite style).

I love the excitement of receiving interestingly wrapped gifts, so I always try to make the effort to give in the same way.  I am really into gift bags and boxes at the moment, bags for the awkward shapes of course!

By the time this post is read, this gift bag may be looking a little weary as I am filling it with yummy biscuits for my department colleagues!

I have used

Tiddly Inks - Cookie Wryn (she was perfect for this)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Tonic oval dies

Crealies stitched rectangle die

Papers from Nitwits and the gingham is from Create & Craft

Martha Stewart border and corner punches

L'il Inkers bow die

Purple gems/dots from Papermania

The sponsor of this challenge is
Lawn Fawn
A stamp set and 6x6 pad of the winner’s choice






Looking forward to seeing all your non-card makes!

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Lili's April Facebook Challenge

For all you fans out there of LILI OF THE VALLEY there is a new challenge happening over on the Facebook page.  It started on 1 April and closes on 17 April, so you have bags of time left to enter.

It's a colour themed challenge - choose any three of the following five:

• A - aqua
• P - pink
• R - red
• I - ivory
• L - lilac

Here's my card, I chose aqua, red and ivory

So, I have used April Fairy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT double stitched circle die, with Tonic plain circle die for mat

Crealies XXL die

Martha Stewart crochet loop border punch

Papers are Nitwits and a piece from my leftovers

Sentiment is from a set that Lili has now retired (sorry)

Right, that's me done, it's over to you now - looking forward to seeing your Lili makes.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Spring Gardening

Hello peeps.  You all know by now that I am an absolute sucker for the Twila and Nancy character stamps from Roberto's Rascals at CC Designs so when there is a new release I am there like a shot.  Unfortunately, my last few orders have all been held to ransom by the Royal Mail until a Customs fee has been paid - this is starting to make the stamps very expensive ........sigh.  Anyhoo, having paid the most recent exorbitant charge, I FINALLY got my hands on the last ones I ordered.

This is Nancy Gardens

I've painted her with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and got busy with the craft knife to fussy cut her 

The smile word die is also a recent addition, by Impression Obsessions, which I've stacked and covered in clear Wink of Stella

Papers are LOTV/Raspberry Road Baskets & Bunnies (retired)

6x4 card base

Hope you have had a lovely weekend enjoying the Spring sunshine!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Here It Is Anyway.....

Hello peeps, yep, it really is me - sorry that I haven't been around much over the past few weeks, there has been a lot going on, not least of which is me handing in my notice at work after 11 years!  Eeeek.  Don't worry, I haven't done anything ridiculously daft, I have a new job to go to.  In fact, I am moving with my boss - we both leave on the same day, and start at the new one on the same day too.  Anyhoo, it has meant a lot happening, and that means less crafting and blogging time.

So, this morning I saw the new Less is More Challenge which is White Space But Not White.  In a fit of insanity I made a card for it.  I've never been successful with this challenge, so I think my head was already defeated before I had even started.  I'm not overly happy with the end result either but a rather persistent friend talked me into posting it.  So here it is, judge for yourselves.

So, some Bazzil pink and green cardstock and white card from stash

A free tree die from Die-Cutting Essentials magazine

And the hello die from Impression Obsessions

Done.  Hmmmm.

See you again soon with something that is more "me".

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

It's That Girl Again

I was reminded on Thursday by FaceBook about a couple of cards I made this time last year.  I was in love with the stamp and couldn't decide on a colour scheme so I made two cards.  You can see those ones here.

Apart from astonishing me that a year has passed, it also nudged me into getting that stamp out again, because she is just too cute to resist.

Yep, it's Bunny Twila by Roberto's Rascals from CC Designs

The egg is from the Easter Funnies set, also CC Designs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and fussy cut

Papers are First Edition Hideaway

MFT double stitched rectangle dies

Sentiment from Crafters Companion

That's me done for today, we're off to take the Easter goodies to the Oldies this afternoon but have to make a detour to find some fat balls for dad.  Well, not actually for dad, he wants them for the birds!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Chirpy

Morning all, how are we today?  We'll be off to Mass this afternoon, with fish n chips on the way home, but at the moment Toad is playing with his new mountain range model train landscape, Rosie is sunbathing in the conservatory and I'm sat here still in my dressing gown!

Anyhoo, I thought I would share another little Easter card with you this morning.

Mr Toad bought me this Chirpy Chicks stamp set from Clearly Besotted

for Valentine's - he's finally worked out what makes this girl happy!

Sentiment is from the same set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Corner punch from Woodware

Matting card by DCWV

Simples, does what it says on the tin.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Line (Bingo)

Hello chaps, I wasn't sure if I would scrape this one or not but I managed it - thanks to my wonderful teamies at AS YOU LIKE IT for their support.  As you read this I shall be on my way back to the hospital for my follow-up appointment.  Keep your fingers crossed pleased.

Anyhoo, I am hosting this challenge and it is FAVOURITE LINE

from our Bingo Board (yep, I did that too)

Easy peasy, choose your favourite line and tell us why you made that choice!

The sponsor of this challenge is

Wild Orchid Crafts
£12 gift voucher

Here's my DT card (sorry, Fairy Squint was on photographic duty)

I opted for the Gems, Purple, Clean And Simple line - it was a no-brainer for me, I simply cannot do fluff!

The stamp is from Molly Blooms - had her a while but it is her first inking.

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Flower border is a Martha Stewart punch

Papers are from Nitwits/LOTV Snow Princess pad

Sentiment is Personal Impressions

and the lavender (yes, they are really lavender) gems are from my stash

I do hope you will be able to join in the bingo fun - you have two weeks

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Game On

You MUST know by now that Lili of The Valley have a new release out on 31 March featuring Jasmine and Oliver.  My teamies have been posting peeks like crazy so you may have seen some of them.

I only had the one image - Oliver Game Boy - to sample, I posted my first version of him a week or two ago, but have made two further versions since.  Here they are:

I got really inky with this one making the camouflage background with Distress Inks

Image is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Cog wheel dies from Memory Box

Sentiment is from Set 101 Teenage Boy Sentiments also being released at the same time

Again, painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The backing paper is from an old Basic Grey pad but the little critters reminded me of some of the Wii games that Toad plays, endlessly!

Spellbinders Nestabilities octagon nesting dies

Again, sentiment being released on 31 March alongside the image stamps

As you can see from the colour choices, you can use Oliver for the younger or older ends of the age spectrum.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Spring Flowers

Hello Pink Fans, it's that time again - a new challenge from those lovely ladies over at

IN THE PINK

As we are almost at the Spring equinox, what better time to look forward to SPRING FLOWERS

Here's my DT card

Sorry for the squint, there's been a lot of that lately!

Image is a retired LOTV stamp

painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Tonic Square Lattice die (you'll be seeing this more often) with pink card behind

Personal Impressions sentiment

MFT stitched rounded rectangle die

Woodware small retro flower punch

Our sponsor for this challenge is the fabulous

THE RIBBON GIRL

Just remember, you need to use lots of pink and follow the theme to qualify for the sponsors prize.

Unless my appointment is cancelled again, I shall be going into hospital tomorrow morning so won't be around for a little while but I hope to catch up with your entries before the challenge ends.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Game Boy

Morning all, how's Tuesday for you then?

There's a new release of stamps coming from Lili of The Valley at the end of the month, and it is a return of two characters, Jasmine and Oliver, but my how they have grown!  No doubt you will see sneaky peeks from my Design Collective teamies over the next couple of weeks.  However, there is something very new - these are available to PRE-ORDER NOW!  How cool is that huh?!

Anyway, I have made a couple of versions with the same stamp - Oliver Game Boy - and here is V.1 for you.

As the image has a sketchy feel to it, I left lots of white space around it to keep it

feeling like an illustration.

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The Just For You sentiment is from a new set - Set 102 Block Sentiments

I had a rummage and found my old LOTV ticket stamps and grunge words,

they seemed a perfect partner.

Can't remember the maker of the paper, but it makes my eyes wiggle!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sweet Stamping Challenge - Boys to Men

Besotted with Easter

Morning all, hope this finds you well!  I've been making a lot of Easter cards recently, in fact I think I have made enough to last about three years of Easters.  Every year I tell myself that I don't need any more images but then all these cuties get released and resistance is completely futile.  Sigh.

I am currently besotted with Clearly Besotted Easter stamps so you will be seeing a few of these in the coming days.

I adore these Best balloon designs - I already have Christmas and Birthday, so it was only right that I should complete the set with Best Easter (out of stock at the moment, due back on 22 March)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Quirky Quilts papers from Little Claire

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

SuperTed

You might have seen a rather dingy photo of this on Facebook the other night - I was too impatient to wait for daylight - and I'll be honest, this one isn't that much better, but at least you can see it a bit bigger!

Love this new set of Caped Cuties from Clearly Besotted

They are a bit wee though, so the Distress Ink (ReInkers) painting was a challenge

Background stamp is part of the Penny Black Skyline image

Papers are from my scraps box

Image is from the same Caped Cuties set

Doesn't he remind you a little bit of SuperTed?

Hope you are having a super weekend

Hugs to all

SuperSquirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Embossing

Hello chaps, time for another challenge with the super talented AS YOU LIKE IT team!

For this challenge we would like you to use EMBOSSING

either HEAT or DRY, and you must remember to tell us about your choice.

Here's my DT card

I used to heat emboss all the time when I first started card making but that was before there was the choice of so many inks to stamp with.  Since I've been using Memento I have hardly used the heat gun.  I've been experimenting recently with embossing cutting dies, some successful, some not so, but it is a fun technique and I am learning a lot about what will work and what won't.

So, the stamped image for this card is April from Penny Black

Fussy cut by me

The die that I embossed with is Die-Namics Chicken Wire

and the Hello die is from Hero Arts

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and I promise that the Hello is smothered in clear Wink of Stella

Our sponsor for this challenge is FRECKLED FAWN

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Spring in my step

Yoo-hoo!  Hopefully the scheduling has worked and you are reading this on Monday 7 March.  I should have been in hospital for surgery today but it has been postponed, twice.

Anyhoo, this is a toot for the LILI OF THE VALLEY FACEBOOK CHALLENGE (yep, over on Facebook) where the theme is SPRING.  There are loads of generous prizes to win and you have until Sunday 13 March to enter.  Get yourself over there for all the gorgeousness, and enter your Spring themed make (using a Lili product of course).

For my Spring card I have used Balloon Bunny (awwh)

and a retired grungy sentiment

Papers are Angelica and Adam (Female)

Diecut is a Nestabilities set but for the life of me I can't tell you what

the set number is

and of course the image has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

So, you still have quite a few days to enter, but don't leave it too late, Sunday will be here before you know it!

Hugs to all, and hope to see you soon

Squirrel xx