As You Like It Challenge (DT) Your Favourite Person To Make For

 Hello chaps, hope you are all keeping your toes toasty warm in this

little cold snap, anyone would think tomorrow was December!

So, before I tell you about the theme for this challenge, I have a little bit of news for you.  This is my penultimate post as a DT member for AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE.  After several years of putting up with my scatterbrainedness, insanity, and hysteria, the team have finally sacked me.

KIDDING!  But I am stepping down, it wasn't an easy decision, and I'm sure I will regret it by January, but I need some time to recharge some creative batteries.  I have had a blast with the team, will miss all my teamies, and I should say that I will miss Red Leader, but she doesn't get rid of me, mwahahahahaaaaa.

ANYWAY - the theme for this challenge is

Your Favourite Person To Make For (and please tell us why)

For me, it's my darlin' mum, she loves receiving something unique that she knows has been

hand crafted just for her, and I know she stashes all her cards in a drawer in the dining room (she thinks I don't know about that)

What could I use for Mummy Bear other than the adorable James Bear from LOTV

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment is from a set of rubber stamps (ancient now) from C C Designs

Papers are from two different Christmas sets from Dovecraft

Star punch from Hobbycraft

Red cardstock from somewhere random on Amazon

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lee Holland

I do hope you will be able to pop over and join the fun, after all, everyone has someone to make for

Hugs

And Another One...

 Hello peeps, yes, me again (twice in two days, aren't you the lucky ones) with another

card made but not previously posted.

When Toad worked in London, one of his team was a fabulous Brazlian lady who we are still friends with and keep in touch with, even though it has been almost three years since he left that job.

She lurrrves Halloween and witchy stuff, in fact Toad used to call her Witch (in affectionate

terms of course) so it has become a tradition that I sent her a witch themed card at the 

end of October.

When Whimsy Stamps released this set, I just knew I had to have it

Clearly Whimsy Stamps So Witchy

sentiment from the same set

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Purple paper from an old Dovecrafts Back To Basics set

Green and black card from stash

There'll be a different witch from this set here tomorrow

Hugs

Gnome With A Candy Cane (DT) Dies To Die For

  Afternoon all, a very tardy Squirrel here today so apologies for the delay in posting.

So for this I have used a stamp I had been coveting since it was released, and now it is mine, mwahahahahaaa

Stamping Bella - Gnome With A Candy Cane

DieVersions - Corner Concepts - Merry Merry DVCR-009

MFT 6x6 paper - Gift Wrap : MFT-EP-73

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Backing paper from an ancient Dovecraft Back To Basics collection

Green cardstock from Rymans

Hugs

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As You Like It Challenge - Inspired by Your Favourite Christmas Film

 Blimey, there aren't many Thursday left this year, and this is the penultimate

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE for 2020.

This time our theme is Inspired by Your Favourite Christmas Film

My favourite film, produced by Aardman Animations (creators of Wallace & Gromit) was released in 2011, so only 9 years ago, but I think I must have seen it a minimum of 15 times.  It has become a Christmas Eve tradition at Squirrel Towers that once work is over, we settle down with a cup of tea and a bun, and enjoy all over again the fun that is Arthur Christmas.

Things used

Penny Black stamp - Santa's Helper : 4359J

Impression Obsession - Merry Christmas : DIE330-R

Simple Stories 6x6 paper - Classic Christmas : #7322

Dovecraft 6x6 paper - Krafty Christmas

"Arthur" has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge theme is

CRAFTY RIBBONS

Hugs

Birfday Dragons (DT) Dies To Die For

  Hello peeps, hope you are ok today.

I was running a bit tight on time this week so today's card is my traditional

CAS style - you don't always need a lot of stuff to make a card with impact, sometimes it is simply a matter of colour to create a statement

The image and the sentiments are all from the

Whimsy Stamps - Birfday Dragons stamp set WS-DP1052

I paired two of the sentiments from the set, and painted Dragon with Distress Inks (ReInkers).  The "icing" came out more red than pink, so he looks a little water-melon-y!

Paper is from a Dovecraft Back To Basics set that I fell in love with because of the cheerfulness of the designs and rainbow colours

Hugs

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Feathers or Fur (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Morning all, how are we today then?   After a brief respite from the UK heatwave, it seems that temperatures are on the up again, so I shall be reverting to limp lettuce mode any minute now.

Before that happens, let me tell you about the new challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE and this time the theme is FUR OR FEATHERS (and why)

Whilst I love watching birds at a safe distance, I'm not so keen on them flapping about too close to me, too many run-ins with budgies, pigeons and seagulls perhaps, but I absolutely lurrrrrrrrrve anything in a fur coat.  So, anyway, this is an experiment in furriness

and an attempt to get some texture

So this was made using an old rubber stamp from LOTV featuring that very

furry James Bear

I have painted the bed and stocking with Distress Inks (ReInkers) but I have done

James with traditional watercolours but quite dry so I could get "thicker" paint and the each brushstroke had its own definition

Papers are from old Christmas collections from Dovecraft

Anyhoo, whether you prefer feathers or fur, you may like to know that the winner of this challenge will be invited to join us as a GDT for the first of the September challenges!

Hope you can join us.

Hugs to all

Favourite Celebration (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Morning all, it's a new theme from the AS YOU LIKE IT team (I'm in charge on the challenge blog today!) and it is Your Favourite Celebration (birthday, Christmas, wedding, etc) but please do remember to tell us about it.

It was a tough choice and I do like making special occasion cards, and my favourite makes are for birthdays and, believe it or not, for Christmas (that is unless I am still racing around with snowflakes mid December).  I am being uber organised this year, well actually no, that's a big fib, I managed to get mum to place her order early, lol, so I have made a start on those.

CC Designs : Carollers stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Papers are Dovecraft, I think the pack is called North Pole

Crealies loopy circle die

Die-Namics double stitched circle die

and I will check on the word dies - it's a set new to me but I have used it a fair bit already, shame I didn't write the name down!

Our sponsor for this challenge is

PolkaDoodles

Come and celebrate with us

Hugs

AYLI (DT) Shape or Fold

It's Thursday (almost the weekend, hurrah) and you all know what that means,

it's a new challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team

Our theme this time around is Your Favourite Shape or Fold

(please remember to tell us about your choice)

So, I did consider a shape for this challenge, but as my favourite shapes are square or

rectangle I thought I would push the boat out and go for a fold.  My favourite fold for a card

is a good old easel, it's easy to do but still has the impact factor, but I forgot

what a bugger it is to photograph!

So for this I have used

Stamping Bella: Nancy Reads A Newspaper

MFT: Stay Tuned

Dovecraft Basics: Perfectly Pink

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and our sponsor for this fortnight's challenge is

CraftsULove

Hugs to all

DTDF (DT) Rosetta

It's me with a scheduled post this morning because I'm hopefully on the way for a haircut, snow permitting!  I'm sure we used to cope with more snow than this when I was younger, but I guess we're out of practice - or the local authorities are actually now so short of money that they can't get the gritters/ploughs out.

Anyhoo, it's always good to push yourself now and again so I decided to challenge myself and create something more "delicate" than usual.  It was so hard to resist adding more colour!

Whimsy Stamps/Wee Stamps - Rosetta

The butterfly die is old but this one would work beautifully

Memory Box - Rhone Butterfly Wings

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Old papers from Dovecraft with an oriental theme

Hugs to all 

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AYLI (DT) Anything Goes

It doesn't seem two seconds ago that AYLI was wishing you all a good Christmas, and whoosh, here we are with the first challenge of 2018

AS YOU LIKE IT challenge has an ANYTHING GOES theme for the next fortnight, so it

really is up to you, make what you want to show us your style!

I knew I needed a birthday card, and it gave me a great reason to use one of my new stamps too

Lili of The Valley - Dragonfly

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

My Favorite Things Mini Cloud Stencil

Magazine freebie word die

Dovecraft design paper

Big furry bear hugs to all

xxx

AYLI (DT) Box or Bag (non card project)

Hello chaps.  I'm having a bit of a panic right about now as I have just realised what the date is and how flippin' far behind I am with the preparations for you-know-what.  I'm beginning to reach the stage of "what the heck"

However, for those of you far more organised than I am, there is the start of another new challenge with the

AS YOU LIKE IT blog, and this time the theme is BOX or BAG (this is a non-card project)

I love making boxes, there are endless variations on size, and it is so much fun

to make one tailor made for the gift it contains.  I think I have just about cracked

the square/rectangle, so maybe now it is time to be more adventurous!

So for this cutie, I used my Martha Stewart score board to make the

box, and of course I still forgot which piece was top and which was bottom!

Stamping Bella: Tiny Townie Frida Loves Frosty

A variety of Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas papers

Nestabilities snowflakes

and Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Sweet Stamp Store

$10.00

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Christmas Colours

Good morning peeps, happy Thursday to you.  It's time for another challenge

with AS YOU LIKE IT and this fortnight the theme is Favourite Christmas Colours (and why)

Although I do enjoy venturing into the world of pink and purple Christmas

occasionally, I really prefer the more traditional colours of red, green and beige.

They remind me so much of the seasonal plants we bring indoors to

decorate with, the holly, the ivy, the mistletoe, and they

just make me feel so warm and cosy

I have used

MFT Personal Innocence: Nice List (stamp and die)

Die-Namics: Merry Christmas Circle Frame

and some Dovecrafts Christmas papers from a couple of seasons ago

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I do hope, now that we are all getting into the swing of the festive cards, that

you will find time to join in the challenge.

Our sponsor for this one is

PolkaDoodles

Prizes: - 3 digi stamps voucher

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

DTDF (DT) Peppermint

Morning all.  I'm now officially on my "summer" holidays and am therefore very much in denial until at least October about that thing that's coming ......

CC Designs Pinkies Peppermint

Your Next Stamp Bold Alpha Die

and additional bits are

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Some quite aged Dovecraft Christmas papers

and a sprinkling of Crystal Glamour Dust

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

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Puff!

Showing my age here this morning (and certainly feeling it) with a trip down memory lane to Junior Choice!

One of the songs that was regularly played was Puff The Magic Dragon ....

 I have used

My Favorite Things - Magical Dragons stamp set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

"Charming" sentiment from the MFT set

"Thank You" from Clearly Besotted

Green matting layer is a scrap of Dovecraft Back To Basics paper

6x4 card base - custom cut to landscape format

Hope you have a magical Monday

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

'Elf and 'Appiness

Well, here we are, the penultimate working day for me before we break up for Christmas tomorrow.  I'm not sure what time we are finishing yet, in theory we're in for the whole day, but we are all secretly crossing our fingers that the senior partner gets fed up of the tinsel around 3.30!

I said on Monday that I had been playing with elves at the weekend and this is the second of them.  Part of my morning routine (and it's very decadent) if the bus doesn't get held up anywhere is to head for the local coffee shop for my favourite coffee and some toast for my breakfast.  I'm one of these people who can't face food immediately, so by the time I get into town I am feeling hungry.  When I called in last week, one of the barristas slipped something onto my tray - it was a Christmas card, addressed to "the lovely flat-white lady" - how sweet is that?!  So this one has been made for them, they are a great crew and always ready for a smile, as well as making great coffee and toast.

Another elf from the CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Elves set

Again painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Star corner die is MFT Die-Versions

Papers are all Dovecraft

The tag is from MFT Die-Namics Stitched Sentiment Strips

and the sentiment is Whimsy Stamps Holiday Mini Wishes

This will be my last post before Christmas, so I would just like to take the opportunity

of wishing all my faithful Followers

a very Merry Christmas and a happy and crafty New Year

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Your good 'Elf.....

Saturday was full on here, I'd like to say dashing through the snow, but it was just fog, and that doesn't have quite the same ring to it.  However, it meant that the nearest I got to craft was being in the middle of a mountain of wrapping paper, ribbons, sticky tape and tags.  I was missing my paintbrush!

So, yesterday afternoon I sat myself down in between the domestic stuff (yawn) and got inky with some elves.

Here's the first one:

This happy little chap is from CC Designs - Roberto's Rascals Elves set

Love all three of the elves - they are so cheeky

Painted as usual with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours, with some Polychromos Pencil for hair definition

Papers are an older set of Dovecraft Back to Basics - Modern Christmas

Martha Stewart border punch

Sentiment from the Whimsy Stamps Holiday Mini Sentiments

Custom sized card base

It's our office Christmas dinner today - looking forward to it, it's my first one with

this firm.  Eight months and it feels like home already.

Happy Monday to you all

Hugs

Squirrel xx

It's Behind You!

Hello peeps.  I have been playing with dies, stamps and masking this afternoon.

This ended up being a bit of an MFT-fest

Stamped images from the MFT Merry Everything set, and masked together

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT Stitched scalloped circle frame die

MFT Square grid cover up die

Sentiment from MFT Holiday Subway Art set

Papers and card are Dovecraft and Hobbycraft

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Christmas Decorations

At my old job, I had an office to myself.  On 1st December, all the tinsel, lights, Santas and other Christmas tat would come out and be spread liberally around the room.  However, at my new job I share an office with 4 other girls and I have a "cubicle".  It's bijou.  So there isn't much room for the normal Squirrel over-the-top deccies.  But there is enough room on my cubby hole walls for me to pin up some home made decs!

OK, so this banner started as an idea for a full MERRY CHRISTMAS banner with one letter per flag.  Then I realised how much work was involved.  So now it is a three panel job!

I have used

MFT BB Jingle All The Way, and Santa's Elves stamps

and the Deck Halls Sentiment from the MFT Holiday Subway Art set

Banner dies are Lawn Fawn

Papers are Dovecraft and red card from stash

Cropodile eyelets and some leftover narrow ribbon

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

MFT Afternoon

Hi all, happy Sunday!  Rather late in the day for me, but what the heck.  It's been a lovely lazy Sunday here at Squirrel Towers, after Church it was bacon butty, and a catch up on The Apprentice (they are shaping up to be a right bunch), followed by a leisurely crafting session whilst watching the Japanese Grand Prix.  Naturally there will be Poldark to round off the day later (grin).

I've had a bit of a My Favorite Things afternoon, which was lovely.  I've built up quite a collection of the character stamps and don't use them half as much as I want to.  So today, I pulled out three sets and got inky.

The card I am sharing today is:

So, this has been made using the MFT BB Jingle All The Way set

Panted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Matting layer is Dovecrafts Winter Blooms

6x4 custom made card base

Now, before you say "that green isn't a Distress Ink colour", well....it's kind of every DI green!  I was trying to match it to the paper, so there was a sploop of every green shade went into the mixing palette!

We had an adventure yesterday afternoon in that Hobbycraft has now opened it's first store in Suffolk - and it happens to be only a mile and a half away.  Now, this will shock you, it was Toad's suggestion to go!  He wanted to check out their modelling section.  I warned him that I thought it would be busy, but wow, it was HEAVING!  OK, they had only been open three days, and everyone is starting on their Christmas makes, but crumbs, it was packed.  The queue for the tills was right around the store.  Toad was ready to leave, but by then I had a "tiny" collection of bits.....

I might leave it a while before the next visit though, rofl.

Back to work for me tomorrow, having had a lovely week off.  Not sure that I actually want to get up at 6.00 in the morning again.  Bah!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Fave Colour Combo

So, it's AS YOU LIKE IT challenge day today, and this one really had me scratching my head.....we would like you to use your favour colour combo please!

I thought I knew what my favourite colours were until I started, but then I had several combinations competing with each other to be used, so I went back to my ink palette to see which colours I use most often, and they are .....

Pink, turquoise and purple

So, I have used one of my favourite stamps - this is Happy Twila from CC Designs

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

MFT stitched circle frame

Dovecraft Happy Birthday banner stamp

and the box made with my WRMK Box Punch Board

Papers used are an assortment of whatever was to hand in the right colours!

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Wild Orchid Crafts

£12 gift voucher

OK, so off you go to find your favourite colour combo, and then come back and share it with us

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx