As You Like It (DT) Birthday or Christmas

So, whilst ever other challenge in the world has probably gone for a Love or Valentine theme, the team at AS YOU LIKE IT have gone a little bit different!

Our theme for this fortnight is Birthday or Christmas (your favourite and why)

I am actually still twitching from the volume of Christmas cards that I made last year, so before I dive in and start the process all over again, I am really enjoying having some time to make fun and happy birthday cards.

Love this CC Designs stamp - Nancy With Cupcake

Teamed up with some gorgeous papers from Sunny Studio

a text die from Simon Says Stamp

and a frilly border from Crafters Companion

Nancy has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and some brown drawing ink pens for her hair

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lawn Fawn

Looking forward to seeing your wonderful makes.

Hugs

Baker Nancy (DT) Dies To Die For

Anyone for a slice?  Just look at the size of that cake.
I imagine it to be filled with big, fat and juicy, English summer strawberries.
Yum!

Morning all, I am a wee bit on the drag this morning, even with this ridiculous heat (can you tell I'm not a huge fan of summer temperatures) I managed to oversleep.  Oh well, it will go a little way towards making up for the Mon-Fri early starts.  Anyhoo, I am here to share a very industrious young lady with you.  I bet she was slaving over a hot oven to get this one made in time.

And the items used for this make are:

CC Designs : Roberto's Rascals Baker Nancy

MFT Die-Namics Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes

Your Next Stamp 6x6 : Birthday Boy

Image is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and I have used a variety of the cold grey Polychromos for her hair.  I do seem to have an addiction to these Rascals, and black hair does seem (to me anyway) to give them a slightly cheekier look!

What are your plans for the weekend?
Toad has popped out for some essentials (iced coffee and carrots), Rosie is (stupid animal) out in the conservatory snoring (don't worry, I am keeping a very close eye on her) and I'm doing domestic stuff like feeding the washing machine and roasting a gammon joint.  At least I have the Austrian GP to look forward to.  Ok then, I am off to rummage through the dvd collection to find something for this evening as telly is crap.  Anyone would think it was the World Cup.

Have a wonderful weekend all

Hugs

DIES TO DIE FOR INSPIRATION BLOG

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

DTDF (DT) Nancy Gardens

I am fretting about our grass, if it doesn't get cut soon I may never be able to get out of the back door.  Toad intended to cut it last weekend, but no sooner had he mentioned it and it poured with rain.  Sigh.  I guess he knows what job he will be attempting later today!

I bet Nancy doesn't have that problem, after all, she was born to garden.

Right then, the yummy stuff

CC Designs: Nancy Gardens

MFT A Tweet Hello

Frantic Stamper: Modern Happy

MFT 6x6 Party Patterns

Nancy and the Tweet flowers are painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with some

Polychromos Pencils to help detail her hair a little.

Speaking of hair, I am off for a tail trim now.  Maybe I should just lay down on the lawn.

Hugs to all

DIES TO DIE FOR INSPIRATION BLOG

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

AYLI (DT) Favourite Die

I'm scheduling this post for Thursday and our new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT - I hope by then we might have had a little bit of sunshine because, seriously, I am starting to feel like a mole with all this darkness.

Darkness is my excuse for a not very good photo this week, I had to take it under artificial light, which never gives a true reading of colour.

Anyhoo, our theme for this fortnight is FAVOURITE DIE (and why).  This was so difficult, it was like asking me to choose my favourite pet, impossible.  I use a lot of stitched effect dies, and I absolutely love these double stitched ones, they just finish the image panel off beautifully.  This simple square is one of my most used.

So, the things I have used to make this are:

CC Designs: Roberto's Rascals - Shopping Nancy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Die-Namics Double Stitched Square Stax

Not sure about the border die, so if anyone could shed light on that I'd be grateful

LOTV: Circular Sentiment stamp

Die-Namics Stitched Circle Stax

Tonic dies (it's a scalloped frame from within a set (label long gone)

MFT 6x6 Dots & Stripes

Lilac cardstock from Rymans

and our generous sponsor for this challenge is

Prize:

That's all from me folks.

Hugs

DTDF (DT) Baker Nancy

Good morning everyone, happy weekend!

What an exciting one it is, lots of Tour de France action, and the British F1 Grand Prix, and my birthday!  What more could a girl ask for.

Right then, Saturday, if you didn't know it by now, is my day to post over on the

DIES TO DIE FOR BLOG and I have a birthday themed card for you.

All of the links to the following items of loveliness will take you straight to the right places

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Baker Nancy

Die-Namics Stitched Basic Edges 2

Die-Namics Stitched Scalloped Basic Edges 2

Die-Namics Make A Wish

Die-Namics Brushstroke Birthday Greetings

MFT 6x6 Sweet Celebration

MFT 6x6 Graphic Grid

MFT 6x6 Lucky Prints

MFT 6x6 Tiny Hearts Brights

and additional items are Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Polychromos Pencils

and a custom sized card base

Hugs to everyone

Squirrel xx

Dies To Die For inspiration blog

Dies To Die For online store

Mugs And Kisses

Afternoon crafty peeps, hope this finds you well, or certainly getting better!  When Toad suggested a casserole for the weekend, it was 20C and sunny, and I thought he was nuts.  However, this morning is cold, wet and yucky, so maybe he's not so daft at all.  There is now a HUGE chicken casserole simmering away in the oven, I've got Rosie curled up on the sofa beside me, and I've got the Japanese F1 quali highlights on.  Almost a perfect day (grin).

Anyhoo, this little make is a first reminder for the Squirrel's Not So Random Challenge where the theme is ONE COLOUR (plus skin/hair/fur).  I've spotted several cards in blogland this morning that would fit the theme so we know it's not that scaring you away - maybe it is just lack of awareness of the challenge.

This one started as a bit of an experiment, but me being me, I made it into a card anyway.  Just a shame that one of the dies moved going through the Calibur.  More sticky tape next time!!

This is Cocoa Nancy by Roberto's Rascals from CC Designs (love Nancy)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Papers are Crafts Too

Sentiment from My Favorite Things

Lawn Fawn stitched border die

Die-Namics stitched scalloped border die

X-Cut small square punch

Scalloped edged card base

So, the experiment was stamping the image in Memento London Fog (grey) rather than my usual Tuxedo Black.  The thing with the paler Memento colours is they absorb the colour of the Distress Ink painted over them, which is why the image has different coloured areas of outline.  Her hair was the hardest as the Scattered Straw base just went an icky green colour, so I went over those lines again with Brushed Corduroy,  Her features were also a challenge - the grey was too pale and she looked ill so I inked over those with a dilute Black Soot.

I would also like to enter Nancy into a couple of other challenges

Allsorts Challenge Blog - #384 Colours of Autumn

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Autumn

So, there you have it, your first nudge that your one colour makes can be entered

at SNSRC!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Die

Hello everyone, hope this finds you well and itching to get crafty.  So, it is a new challenge day over at AS YOU LIKE IT and the theme this time is rather tricky......... we would like you to use your FAVOURITE DIE.

I think they should have renamed this challenge as Mission Impossible.  I started off with a huge pile of "favourite" dies on my desk, and gradually whittled them down by the number of times they have been used, and practicality.  They I got some back from the discarded pile, threw out (not literally) some others, started all over again, and I still couldn't narrow it down to just one favourite.  So, this is what you are getting

So, for this I have used

CC Designs Nancy With Sunflowers stamp

painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a few Polychromos for her hair

I have used two Crealies stitched rectangle dies

I believe the word die is an Impression Obsession word edger die

and as for the top border .......... hmmmmm (missing packaging)

Matting layer is First Edition cardstock

I made this for a very special friend who has been having a tough time lately

but she has received it so it is now safe to post here.

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Bunny Zoe

£10.00

So now you can go and give yourselves the same kind of headache I had, but don't forget to enter the challenge to show us what you made!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Big Bows or Little Bows

Hello my darlin's!  Welcome to another Thursday of fun, and of course it is fun, it's another challenge from 

AS YOU LIKE IT!

This time, we are asking you to choose between BIG BOWS OR LITTLE BOWS and tell us why you made that choice.

Personally, bows are the frippery of the devil, so I avoid them wherever I can, but, I had to use one for the challenge!  I prefer little to large, so, awkward as ever, this one is sort of medium sized.

So, for this one I have used

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Cake Nancy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Cardstock is Bazzil Bling that I had in my stash

Bow die is the smaller one from Lil' Inker Designs

(should not have checked for the link, just spotted there is a mini one too)

The sponsor of this challenge is

Sweet n Sassy Stamps

$10.00

OK, all you bow fans, get busy with the fizzy and join the challenge - you have two weeks!

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

AYLI (DT) Favourite Occasion

Happy Thursday everyone!  Over at AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE this time the theme is FAVOURITE OCCASION.

We would like you to make your favourite type of card AND tell us why that occasion is your favourite (if you don't tell us, your entry cannot be considered for the sponsor's prize, sorry).

Here's my DT card

I love making birthday cards for friends, to help celebrate their special day.  It's great that you can use such a wide variety of images, and even be really cheeky with them too.

So, I have used Cupcake Nancy from Roberto's Rascals

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Matting layer is from an old pad by Wild Rose Studio of oriental designs

Banner die from La La Land Crafts

Sentiment - anyone's guess but I think it's MFT!

That's all there is to it, a CAS card that does what it says on the tin.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the wonderful Nikki at BUNNY ZOE'S CRAFTS

You may have noticed that Nikki has decided, after many years selling fabulous products, to close this store.  However, there will be tons of bargains to be had there for the winner of this voucher as there is a big sale on right now.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Equality!

Morning all!  I had more happy mail arrive at the end of last week and I am not known for patience when it comes to Roberto's Rascals so out came the inkies, and yes, more of the dreaded red, it really does have a mind of it's own!

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Miss Claus

Who said Santa can't be feminine huh?

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with Polychromos for hair

Poppy Stamps Jumbled Merry Christmas die (the "Christmas" part is inside)

Crealies XXL rectangle stitched dies

Bazzil red cardstock

And that's all she wrote, sweet and simple.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Baker Nancy

Morning all.  Sneeze splutter snuffle.  Hayfever season is with us good and proper now!  Toad has been busy out in the garden this week, giving shrubs a haircut and potting up his tomatoes.  I think the pruning was a bit ad hoc to say the least, so I am a little bit nervous of what will thrive and what will go backwards now.

You would never believe that I was brought up in a gardening family.  I am hopeless.  I can identify lots of things, but I'm not too sharp on growing them.  We had a plant by our front door that was clinging on to life by it's leaf tips but I think the powdery mildew has done for him and he is now a stick in a pot.

Anyhoo, this card has nothing to do with gardening at all.  I own up to having a huge weakness for CC Designs Roberto's Rascals range of stamps, and there are two little ladies, Twila and Nancy, who have stolen my heart completely.  

This stamp is Baker Nancy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Basic Grey, including my last piece of that beautiful watercolour effect, sob

Dies are Double Circles from By DIEzyne

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

I can't believe my week's holiday is almost over.  We've not done much really apart from potter around but it has been really nice and I am not ready to be going back to work!  Oh well, lots to do today, including a builder popping in about 11.00ish, so best I crack on with it.

Hugs to all, hope your weekend is a brilliant one

Squirrel xx