As You Like It (DT) Favourite Christmas Critter

 Hoorah!  It's Thursday, it's challenge day, and I'm ON TIME!

Yes folks, it's another challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team and this time around

the theme is Your Favourite Christmas Critter (and why)

I do love a teddy at Christmas, they're cuddly, cosy, and oh-so-comfy to squeeze, there is

something reassuring about a snuggly bear, especially a slightly plump one

So we have

Whimsy Stamps Teddy Bear Christmas Eve

painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

absolutely no idea about the Christmas word die (sorry)

the wishes word is from a Clearly Besotted typeface set

Matting layers, including Lawn Fawn 6x6 papers

and please don't ask me about the stencil

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lawn Fawn

Hugs

Knights In White Satin

 Now I have reached that certain age where I just don't give a fig what anybody thinks, I believe it is time for me to admit that for absolutely years I thought the Moody Blues song was Knights In White Satin.  It was always a puzzle because surely Knights are roughty toughty and wear armour and don't go rolling around on silky bedsheets.... 

Anyhoo, I made this for a friend's husband for his birthday

Whimsy Stamps (Dustin Pike) Knight Dragons stamps

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) as watercolours

Matting paper is MFT 6x6 Floor To Ceiling

Sentiments are from a retired set of Clearly Besotted stamps

Thanks for popping by

Hugs

 

 

Pawly Plushies

 Happy Saturday everyone!

I've been a busy little Squirrel this morning and already have a mahoosive pan of Squirrel Stew bubbling away on the stove (for those who don't know, it's a hybrid of bolognese sauce and chilli - it goes with rice, pasta, and jacket potatoes beautifully).  So that's tonight's dinner sorted, and about six boxes for the freezer.  The whole house now stinks of onion and garlic!

Anyhoo, today I bring you a get well card.  My boss of 17 years has recently been in hospital for surgery and is now, thankfully, recovering at home.  I wanted to send her a card from our team at the office so got busy the other weekend and made her this,.

I used the Clearly Besotted Pawly Plushies stamp set, and because I couldn't choose just two or three bears I used them all.  My fingers after fussy cutting them all were a wee bit sore!

I used a MFT Die-Namics Cover-Up die, lots of Lawn Fawn paper, and sentiments from Personal Impressions.

A fair quantity of Distress Inks (ReInkers) was also used.

Hope your weekend is a restful one.

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Non-Easter Easter Character

 So, here we are again, almost officially Spring!  And in the Spring mood, the AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE team are asking for you to share your

Favourite Non-Easter Easter Character (no chicks, no bunnies) and remember that you must tell us why you made your choice to qualify for a sponsor prize

As you are probably learning to expect from me, I have gone a bit off-piste with this but simply because I have fallen in love with these Dustin Pike gargoyles and am trying to use them for every possible occasion!

Whimsy Stamps (Dustin Pike) Gargoyle & Friends

Impression Obsession Happy Easter word die

Clearly Besotted grass border die

MFT Die-Namics Fine Finish Edge die

Mixture of MFY 6x6 papers

Gargoyle and his pals coloured up with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and our super sponsor for this theme is

DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Colouring Medium

Hey everyone, it's time for another challenge from the
AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE
and this time our theme is (my personal favourite) Your Favourite Colouring Medium (tell us why!)

Like all my teamies, I've played with so many different colouring medium over the years.  My first love was watercolours, then I veered off course for a short affairs with Copics and ProMarkers, and then came the discovery of Distress Inks (ReInkers).  All the full of watercolour painting but with inks - I was like a pig in s....... very happy indeed.  I have lost count of the number of years I have been inking now but it is a lot.

I've raided my old Lili of The Valley stash and used this fabulous rubber stamp (remember those?) and collection of NitWit papers.

Oval dies are from Crealies XXL range

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

and corner die is an old unlabelled one

I do hope you will pop over and share with us your happiest way to colour.

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Fussy Cut, Dies, or Machine

So yet another two weeks has whizzed past and it is time for another new theme over at the

As You Like It Challenge

 And if you hadn't already twigged, our theme this time is

Fussy Cut, Dies, or Machine

I do a little bit of mix and match with fussy cutting and dies, it depends on how intricate the shape is.  My poor old hands can't cope with the ultra tricky fiddly stuff these days, so that's where I will use dies, but for simpler shapes I can manage to do with scissors then I will fussy cut.  I used to use a craft knife all the time, but I changed to a much thicker watercolour paper that makes a knife a real white-knuckle-ride.

So, the die in the centre is

MFT Die-Namics Birthday Centrepiece MFT-1924

and the fussy cutting is the little bear in the centre

Cleary Besotted Pawly Plushies

Papers are from an old set of Echo Park

and our fab sponsor for this theme is

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

Hugs

Rubber, Clear, or Digi (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Oh gosh, sorry I'm late chaps, I've been so disorganised this week!  Right then,  AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE and the theme is Stamps - Rubber, Clear, or Digi.

Well, if you could see how MANY stamps I have in my collection (both rubber and clear) you wouldn't need me to explain, lol, but it is stamps every time for me.  I just love the feel of them, the whole process of inking, stamping, cleaning (yes, I even enjoy that bit).  Somehow, for me, digis feel a bit, well, soul-less.  And I can stamp on anything, paper, card, wood, fabric .... I can't imagine trying to feed a canvas bag through a printer somehow.

And this little sweetheart is an old Clearly Besotted mini set called Cupid Cuties, when matching dies were available.

Sentiment is from MFT stamps, and the paper is from a pad from The Words, full of soft pink and peach tones.

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

And so to our sponsor for this challenge

FANTASTIC RIBBONS

Marvellous, take care peeps.

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Stamp or Digi

Hello everyone (well ok, hello Annette and Faith 😏), welcome to another alternate Thursday and a new themed challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team.

This time our theme is Stamp or Digi (please explain your choice).

For me, it is always stamps.  Don't get me wrong, I have tried digis, and yes, I appreciate the convenience of storage, but for me (and this is very much my personal preference) they take away something of the creativity.  It might be something to do with working with computers in my day job and the urge to get away from the screen, but I thoroughly enjoy the rummaging through boxes, the choosing, the inking, the cleaning, the putting it away in a different box...... and I like to be able to play with the positioning of the stamped images as I am creating rather than walking away from the computer with it set in stone ink.  Call me old fashioned if you like, but it is definitely stamps for me.

So, for this little cutie, I ripped a hole in a sheet of paper to create the "splotch" and then gently inked it in Distress Ink Vintage Photo using one of my Picket Fence Blending Brushes directly onto the card base.

On watercolour paper, I stamped the elephant with his pen, and the separate pencil pot, coloured them up with Zig pens, fussy cut them, and fiddled with the position until I was happy enough to then stamp the "ink splat" and the sentiment in Memento ink.

Once that was done, I committed to gluing the two image pieces.

The elephant, pencil pot, ink splat and sentiment are all from the

Clearly Besotted - Little Notes stamp set

We have a lovely sponsor for this challenge and it is

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

Looking forward to seeing what you create!

Hugs

Milton With Daisy

Yes, I know it's Monday, yes, I know I don't normally post on a Monday these days, in fact, I don't know what has come over me.  Well, actually I do.  I was checking emails this morning and I get notifications from Addicted To CAS and I spotted that their challenge theme this time is Animals.  It has been such a long time since I entered any kind of challenge, and I had intended getting inky anyway, so what the heck.........

Here is my CAS make with an Animal on it (grin).

I've used an older Wild Rose Studio stamp - Milton With Daisy

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted Many Messages

and a tiny strip of Lawn Fawn Dandy Day paper edged with Martha Stewart grass border punch

Milton was painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and his daisy with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

I shall enter Milton into two challenges

Addicted to Stamps And More : #384 Clean And Simple

Addicted to CAS : #183 Animal

That's all folks

Hugs

Buttons or Pearls (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Is it Thursday?  Honestly, this working from home lark has totally screwed all sense of place and time, and it's only my first week of it!

Anyhoo, after a quick consult of the calendar, I can confirm that it is indeed Thursday and that means it is AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE day, and we have a popular theme for you this time, which is Buttons Or Pearls (and please tell us why).

I do like buttons and pearls, but I tend to use buttons for boys and pearls for girls, and as I make more girls cards than boys, I guess that makes pearls my favourite!

Disclaimer:  It is a complete coincidence that Red Leader Annette and I used the same image for this challenge.

So, the ingredients for this card are:

CC Designs Rockabilly Girls stamp set (love this sassy lass)

Bit of a mixture of Sunny Studio 6x6 papers from different collections

Memory Box Nottingham border die

Martha Stewart arches border punch

Martha Stewart grass border punch

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted Laugh Out Loud Again

and a sprinkling of shimmery pearls from various sources

Little lassy has been coloured using Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens as watercolours

There is no sponsor for this challenge BUT the prize is still pretty special - the winner of this challenge gets to Guest Design with the team for April.  Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee, that is exciting!

Right then, I'm off, you need to go and get your buttons and pearls sorted.

Hugs to all

As You Like It (DT) Colour Combo

Well hello AYLIers, it is time for another challenge over on the

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE blog.

We have a colourful challenge for you this time - it's your choice between

Pink & Green OR Blue & Orange

I like both combos, and it was a difficult choice, I had images that would have suited either, but I have been itching to get this pretty stamp inky so I went with Pink & Green

Isn't this just darling?

Clearly Besotted - Beautiful Friend stamp

MFT Clear Stamps - Bitty Birthday

MFT DieNamics - Stitched Scallop Basic Edges 2

Papers from The Works

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

Kraft card base

Our sponsor for this fortnight is

Lili of the Valley

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Flowers

It's time for another challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and this time we would like you to share your Favourite Flowers with us (any why they are your favourite).

There are a lot of flowers on my favourites list, with daisies right up at the top, but there is a Squirrel family trait for growing dahlias, they remind me so much of home.

Clearly Besotted - Darling Dahlia

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT 6x6 papers Petite Plaid

Sentiment from a Your Next Stamp floral set

and our sponsor for this challenge is

Fantastic Ribbons

Time to get your petals on!

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Favourite Animal

So, here we are at Thursday, crumbs they come around fast, anyone would think that

we get one at least once a week.  What do (alternate) Thursdays mean?  Of course they do, it's

a new challenge with the AS YOU LIKE IT crew!

The theme for this fortnight is Your Favourite Animal (and why).

I am a huge animal lover, and if it is furry it has a place in my life.  I have shared many more years than I care to count with cats, and on a day-to-day domestic level I wouldn't choose anything else, BUT if I could then it would have to be Sciurus vulgaris, the Eurasian Red Squirrel.  They are such endearing little chaps, and as a rare native British squirrel, they deserve a lot of love and care to ensure the survival of their species in this country - it would fill my heart with joy to see a glimpse of red amongst the tree branches

Clearly Besotted - Nutty But Nice stamp set

and the matching die set

Your Next Stamp 6x6 Summer Plaid

Your Next Stamp 6x6 Fabulous Fall

Impression Obsession Greetings Bottom Edgers

I had a happy Sunday afternoon colouring up the squiddles with Distress

Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

and the sponsor for our animal theme is

CRAFTS U LOVE

Hugs to all

Your Favourite Colouring Medium (DT) As You Like It Challenge

So, it's time for another new challenge with the AS YOU LIKE IT team!

Our challenge this time is for you to share your Favourite Colouring Medium with us, be it marker pens, pencils, paints, you name it, if you can colour with it and it is your favourite then we want to hear about it.

I'm fairly sure that it won't come as any surprise to you that my favourite medium are the Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours.  I have tried many options over the years but ever since the discovery of the DIs they have become my happy place and I come back to them time and time again.

So I've had a go at the no-lines technique (hmmmm, not cut out for this I think)

Clearly Besotted : Apples & Pears

Stamped with MFT Hybrid Grey Grout ink on Langton Hot Press (Smooth) Watercolour Paper

Bazzil Basics cardstock

and an old Clearly Besotted sentiment set embossed in white detail powder

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lee Holland Digis

I do hope you will be able to pop over to the challenge and join in the fun

Hugs

Buttons or Pearls (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Well hellooo there Thursday!  Morning all, hope you are feelin' fine and dandy.

So, off we go with another challenge from AS YOU LIKE IT

and our theme for this one is

Buttons or Pearls (your favourite and why)

I like using both, buttons particularly for "younger" cards, but for a little bit of sophistication I think pearls just take the edge, particularly for feminine cards.

A simple card

Wild Rose Studio - Milton With Tulips which I have

watercolour painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clearly Besotted - Laugh Out Loud

MFT leftovers from scraps box

and a good old fashioned sprinkling of pearls

The sponsor of this challenge is: 

Crafts U Love

Hugs to all

Squirrel

Anything Goes (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Morning peeps, Happy January to you all!

Well, it is the first AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE of the New Year and

we are starting you with an easy one with Anything Goes

I have been busily making a lot of thank you cards after Christmas and this is the

one that I am sending to my Oldies, not just for Christmas but for being such

wonderful (if worrisome) parents

So for this one I have used

Clearly Besotted Perfect Peonies stamp

with the matching die

Personal Impressions sentiment by Paula Pascaul

MFT 6x6 Proper Pinstripes Pastels

MFT Die-Namics Stitched Hexagon Stax

MFT Die-Namics Stepped Up Chevron

Image was coloured, as always, with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

We have a fabulous sponsor for this challenge, and one of our leader's favourite stores:

Lili of the Valley Digis

(prize is 3 digis from the Digi Shop)

 

Now all the fuss is over and the kids are back at school, you should have some time

on your hands to be able to join in - looking forward to seeing you there!

Hugs to all

Have I Been Good Enough?

Every month, on the 1st, I get twitchy for the new release from Clearly Besotted, and 1st October was a biggie, what with it being full of Christmas goodies.  I may have indulged a little bit .....

This year all my cards are CAS for Christmas, that way I stand a vague chance of actually having enough ready in time - although sometimes the colouring is taking far longer that chucking a heap of embellishments in the air.

So for this one I used the Clearly Besotted Winter Plushies set (darn it, they are cute, and will be used a LOT), and teamed it with a sentiment from the Say It's Christmas sentiment set.

I painted the Plushies with Distress Inks (ReInkers).  Recently I have changed my painting paper from Bristol Board to Langton Smooth Grain (a proper watercolour paper) - you might not have noticed the difference but I certainly have, especially as the Langton looks so cream against the white base card!  That aside, it really has helped with moving the colour around the paper and getting a smoother grading.  I may have to remake this card as I can see where I haven't been able to blend very well to get rid of the hard edges.  It's all a learning curve huh.

Hugs to all