Ribbon (DT) As You Like It

Yes, you read that title right, I am being forced to use ribbon!

The new challenge theme over as As You Like It is your favourite way of using ribbon.

I rarely use the stuff, mainly because I can't get to grips with it, and it always looks like I have just thrown it at a card, so when I do have to use it, I keep it really really simple.

So, for this I have used

MFT Birdie Brown - Happy Pawlidays (stamps)

MFT Die-Namics - Happy Pawlidays (dies)

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers from Lawn Fawn and Bo Bunny

AND a piece of 6mm red satin ribbon from Fantastic Ribbons

Speaking of which, our sponsor for this challenge is

FANTASTIC RIBBONS

The irony here is that it was me that chose this theme!

Hugs

On The Bookshelf

"On the bookshelf" is a commonly heard phrase in this house, usually in response to "Have you seen my ......?"  Don't get me wrong, there a a LOT of books on the bookshelf, but somehow a certain someone always manages to find a space to put down his treasures!

What there isn't room for on any of our bookshelves is Rosie.  Bless her, she is rather rotund in her physic (it runs in the family) and the overhang plus gravitational pull would be too much for her.

Anyhoo, where is all this leading ...... a sweet friend bought me a stamp set for my birthday and this is its first inking.

Gerda Steiner - On The Bookshelf

Papers are from (I think) and old Bo Bunny collection

Clearly Besotted - Brushed Sentiments

I used seven of the stamps from the set, and all are coloured up with

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

It was fun to do, if a little nerve racking getting things lined up.

I had toyed with the idea of the Gerda Steiner Design Team Call but I just checked and I am two days too late, so it wasn't meant to be!

Hugs to all

Penguin in Paradise

Hello to anyone who might be out there in blogland!  It's that bit between Christmas and New Year when no one knows what day it is.  I hope you were all able to enjoy the festivities.

I have something a little warmer than Christmas for you today:

I made this for the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge # 313

Here's the sketch

I have used

MFT Penguins In Paradise stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namics pierced fishtail flags stax

MFT Die-Namics stitched rounded rectangle stax

MFT Die-Namics stitched sentiment strips

Papers are from BoBunny

Keep warm, even if you are not on a tropical beach!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Winter

Morning all, hope your day is full of Pinkness because it's a new challenge from IN THE PINK.  The theme this time is WINTER.

It's up to you how you interpret this but I read it as winter, the season, rather than Christmas.

Anyhoo, this is my make:

As this challenge is being sponsored by BUGABOO I thought I would try something a little different with one of their images.

This is Sunbonnet Fireman Fire Hose - I bought mine in the rubber version from Little Miss Muffet

It was a lightbulb moment for the shower of snowflakes

The snowflakes are made with a Lawn Fawn die set cut from BoBunny double dots paper

Image has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from My Favorite Things

Custom sized card base

As I mentioned, the sponsor is BUGABOO STAMPS

Wintery hugs

Squirrel xx

Not for Cuddling (Really)

Morning all, and here we go again for another Monday ........ phfft.

Anyhoo, I hope you managed to have a good weekend.  Ours wasn't too bad thanks, and Rosie coped with the fireworks with a little help from the vet.  In fact, she was so relaxed, I had to check that she was still breathing!

I didn't have an awful lot of time for play, but I did managed to squeak in a quick one with some happy mail that arrived on Friday (grin).

No, it's not your eyes, this isn't quite in focus - I am blaming the lack of daylight!

So, although these bears look sooooooooooo cuddly, it is not recommended

MFT Polar Pals stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Die-Namic stitched snow drifts dies

LOTV Circular Christmas Sentiment

Lavinia Stamps snowflakes

and one of my few remaining sheets of BoBunny Christmas paper

I think you might be seeing these bears a lot over the next few weeks

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Beary Fun

Monday, ugh!

Anyhoo, as Saturday's post didn't appear in the Reading List until 1.00am Sunday, I am hoping this one actually pops up at the right time.

I had a cute critter weekend, and this is the first of them.

This little fella is from the Beary Fun set - Lee Holland Collection from Whimsy Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sky sponged with Distress Inks and a cloud stencil I cut with a die

Sentiment is from MFT

Papers are BoBunny

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Shy Calum

Morning all!  Hope this finds you well and ready for your weekend.

Today I have the last of the chameleons to share with you (for a little while anyway).  I would like to introduce you to Calum.  Calum is quite shy and artistic, and his shyness is why he would not appear without his cousin, Charlie, for company.

Despite Toad's best plans of my having a Kindle reducing the number of books that find their way into the house, I cannot resist a real book!  Of course, reading a real book means needing a bookmark so I shall have Calum and Charlie to keep me company.

Colour Chameleon stamp set from Clearly Besotted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Your Next Die bookmark dies

Sentiment stamps from the Chameleon set

Papers are BoBunny and Basic Grey

A lazy day ahead, when Toad gets back from his haircut we'll be toodling over to see the Oldies, and then back for some Tour de France and a Chinese takeaway this evening.  Perfick.

I'll be back tomorrow with a make created from my birthday presents!

That's all for now folks

Hugs

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Food or Drink

Hello chaps - it's another Thursday, and that means another new challenge from

AS YOU LIKE IT

This time the challenge theme is FAVOURITE FOOD OR DRINK

(and you must tell us about your choice)

Here is my DT make

Oh I do like me grubs, but I find nothing perks me up more than a delicious coffee, hot if the weather is cold, or iced if it is a really hot day.  My current addiction is a Costa Flat White (other brands are available)

So, for this I have used

Image stamps from Your Next Stamp - Hammie: Coffee and Tea

and the die word is Your Next Stamp - Fancy Coffee Die

Happiness is a good... sentiment and the coffee beans from

Sugar Pea Designs Espresso Yourself

Papers are BoBunny Double Dots

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Dies to die for

Prize - £15 voucher

I very nearly resigned my DT position so that I could enter the challenge and try and win this prize!

Right then, it's over to you to go and get delicious - looking forward to seeing your makes.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Sail Away With Me

Happy Monday all!  No, really, I want it to be a happy Monday - so if we all wish hard enough, it just might work out that way.

Unless you have been living in a cave with no wi-fi lately then you know that Lili of The Valley have brought back some of the most popular stamps that had been retired a while.  They are limited in numbers, so if you want one, best order early.  Anyhoo, I was particularly pleased to see two of my favourite boys come back, and this is one of them.

So, this is the Sailing Boat stamp

Painted, as always, with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are BoBunny Double Dots

MFT double stitched rectangle die

and the die-cuts are Die-Namics Sea Charms

Custom sized card base

There's something happening over on the Lili Facebook page tomorrow, so do keep an eye open for that, it's going to be fun!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Making A Stand

Hello chaps, I hope this finds you well and a little bit warmer than frosty yesterday!

Today the time has come, I am making a stand!  Facebook has become a menace to Blogland with all the immediate and instant gratification, along with the one click Like without the need to make an effort to leave a comment.  However, many of us have been forced into using it as a way to get our work seen and, like it or loathe it, it seems to be the place to be.  However, Facebook has done untold damage to Bloggers and this is where I make my stand.

I used to post here, and add a link with a photo to Facebook.  In my naive little world, I had thought that this might bring more traffic to my blog but, in the one-click world, it has had the opposite effect.  So, from now on:

• I shall be seriously reducing my Facebook time 
• I shall only post a link back to the blog post for that day with a partial photograph
• Yes, I shall probably continue to post Rosie updates if anyone is interested enough but otherwise they will be here, on my blog

How many hours do I waste trawling through posts about who had what for dinner and where they have been shopping?  Is it really funny to have the F and C words used so much?  What does that really add to anything?

One voice in millions won't change the way Facebook works, but if more of you are brave enough to take the same stand, we might make Blogger the thriving community it once was, without all the dross.

Anyone out there prepared to join me to try and make 2016 a Blog Year?

When I was rummaging for stamps last week, I found poor old neglected Henry and thought it was about time that he came out to play again.

This is Skating Henry from Whiff of Joy (retired I think)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are from a pad of BoBunny that is at least a couple of years old

Sentiment die from Clearly Besotted

Starry Night Edger from Joanna Sheen Signature Dies

Hugs to all, and solidarity to Bloggers!

Squirrel xx

Pollycraft Candy (Before and After)

Morning all.  Cough cough splutter sneeze.  What a way to start a Monday.  Poor ol' Toad has been really poorly over the last few days with an absolute stinker of a cold, and the rotten meanie has passed it on!  

Anyhoo, some of you may have seen on Facebook on Saturday that we had an inky paws incident.  Here's the evidence.

I thought that I had positioned my elbow in an anti-Rosie place, but she can be a determined little devil.  So, she jumped up, over my arm, and front paw into the inks.  The picture shows Walnut Stain, but my craft bench and her white fur also showed more than a bit of Salty Ocean!  

I almost binned this to start again but a very encouraging blogging buddy convinced me that the image was saveable, and she was right (of course).

So, this is Candy from Pollycraft (CC Designs)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Grand Merry Christmas from Memory Box

Scalloped circle from Tonic

Double stitched circle from MFT

Red card by Bazzil

Snowflake paper by BoBunny

Snowflakes by X-Cut Palm Punch

I may rename her Phoenix

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

A Party Needs A Balloon

Flying visit this morning chaps, I meant to do this last night but had such an awful headache that I couldn't face turning the computer on.  Feeling much better after a good sleep.

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals - Birthday Twila

Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

BoBunny Double Dots papers

Can't remember where the sentiment came from

As this is pink, blue and yellow, it will act as a final reminder for the WITHOUT WORDS colour theme challenge!

Right, gotta dash, need to get ready for work!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Bear And Back Again

Monday morning.  Normally all you would get from me at this time of day is a blerrgh but today it is just meh.  Funny that, I'm not at work but still have that Monday morning feeling.

Anyhoo, to cheer myself up, I have been playing with James again.

So this is LOTV James - Deck The Halls

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a good dollop of Dovecraft fine glitter

Sentiment is Lindsay Mason from Personal Impressions

Papers are BoBunny Double Dots

Stitched edge die is MFT Die-Namics from the Blueprints 13 set

Border punch is Martha Stewart

That's the arty angle shot, here is the close up

I'm off for a haircut now, and the gasman cometh this afternoon to service the boiler.

Who said I don't know how to find the fun!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx