As You Like It Challenge (DT) To Beach Or Not (Holidays)

 It's time for another new themed challenge over as the

AS YOU LIKE IT CHALLENGE

It's all about holidays, your favourite, to beach or not to beach!

I only live about 8 miles from the coast, so spent most of my childhood on beaches.  Our beaches though aren't beautiful soft, golden, sand, they're hard and lumpy pebbles!  I do like a day-trip to the beach, for a picnic or a paddle, but I couldn't spend a week there, I'd be bored rigid after one day.

So I have used one of the uber cute Dustin Pike dragons from Whimsy Stamps

Dragon Water Fun

and a tiny shrub from Colorado Craft Company

with the Mini Cloud Edges Stencil from MFT

all painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are a mixture of Sunny Studio Designs

Our sponsor for this theme is DIES TO DIE FOR

Hugs

Creating A Scene (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Thursday again peeps!  I'm not sure where the weeks are going, but I think the last time I checked the calendar it was only Easter.

Anyway, you know by now that alternate Thursdays mean a new challenge theme from the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and this time around it is to Create A Scene (Or Not) - the choice is yours, but please do remember to tell us about your preference.

I'm really lazy when it comes to creating scene cards - don't get me wrong, I will do them, but sometimes the faff required is more than I can face, so I do tend to make more subtle scenes, i.e. not much in them!

Ingredients for this simple card are:

CC Designs - Foxes CCD-0196

CC Designs - Create A Scene CCD-0148

MFT Birdie Brown - Greetings Galore MFT-CS-335

and lashings of Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I had trouble with the photo on this one, not sure what happened but the expose was off, and trying to tweak it so you can actually see it has caused the sky and foreground grass to fade to almost nothing.  Bah!

So, that's me done, but you will be wondering about the prize for the winner - one lucky person will get to be a Guest Designer with the AYLI crew for July!

Go on, go and get scene-ing.

Hugs to all (socially distanced of course)

Green Pastures (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello peeps.  It is Saturday, isn't it, I think it is, surely it must be?

I have no words.  I am slowly going insane.

Which actually explains a lot.

So, all the things I have used are:

MFT Birdie Brown - Green Pastures BB-098

MFT Die-Namics - Green Pastures MFT-1693

MFT Birdie Brown Greetings Galore CS-335

MFT Mix-Ables Stencil - Captivating Mandala ST-112

MFT Die-Namics Stiched Rectangle Scallop Edge Frame MFT-924

MFT 6x6 Spring Whimsy EP-61

MFT 6x6 Party Patterns EP-51

Little lady has been coloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers), Zig Clean Color Pens, and some paper piecing.  Stencil inked with Distress Inks and a finger dauber.  Yes, I know I have the fancy brushes but for some surfaces the dauber is still the best.

I'm off to rock gently in a corner until next week.

Hugs

DIES TO DIE FOR INSPIRATION BLOG

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

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

Flower Fairies (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello everyone.  To you all, if you are well and carrying on as best you can, if you are social distancing or self isolating, stay strong, we can beat this.

I've actually been on "holiday" this past week, but will be home-working next week (IT permitting).

Not quite sure what Rosie is making of things, having us both at home all the time, but she isn't getting any extra meals or treats, which is not pleasing her!

MFT Flower Fairies - CS454

MFT Die-Namics Flower Fairies dies - MFT1685

MFT 6x6 paper Spring Whimsy - EP61

This set of little cuties are so adorable, and so perfect for many occasions, and even though they are petite, they are still a joy to colour.

I used Zig Clean Color Brush Pens for these, with added water.

Hugs

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

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Abominable (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello chaps, happy Saturday, I'm popping in today with a couple of right little monsters for you.

When I say "monsters", I am using the term quite loosely, as these are

the sweetest monsters ever.

Snow cone anyone?

(now you might have guessed one of my favourite films!)

Aren't they gorgeous?!

CC Designs - Abominable stamp set

and matching dies

Card 1 - Lawn Fawn 6x6 Dandy Day

Card 1 - MFT Birdie Brown Greetings Galore

Card 2 - MFT More Essential Sentiments

Both of these little yeti have been coloured up using Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens

and an ordinary wet paintbrush

Hugs

DIES TO DIE FOR INSPIRATION BLOG

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

Morning Glory Bunny (DT) Dies To Die For

Hello everyone, Happy Saturday!

I'm popping in today with something cute and fluffy

Whimsy Stamps (Crissy Armstrong Collection) Morning Glory Bunny

My Favorite Things Essential Sentiments Stamp Set CS-137

MFT 6x6 Watercolour Wash

MFT 6x6 Tiny Check

Lawn Fawn 6x6 Spiffy Speckles

The circles dies are MFT Stitched A2 Circle dies but are no longer on the website (soz)

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Bunny hugs to all

DIES TO DIE FOR INSPIRATION BLOG

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

Ribbon or Flowers (DT) As You Like It Challenge

Well hello there chaps!  How are you on this fine Thursday?  You do know of course that with it being Thursday it is time for another fortnight's challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT gang.

This time, the theme is Ribbons or Flowers (Your Favourite and Why)

I have more of an affinity with flowers than I do with ribbon, although I don't use either that much really.  However, for this challenge I was going to make an effort and out came the flowers, only to find that my silicon glue is a solid lump in a tube!  So, I had to resort to flat flowers ..... (I can hear Red Leader grumbling from here)

So this ADORABLE little chap is new and he is

Stamping Bella Flowery Gnome

I don't have the die, but there is one available, so I had to fussy cut

He is painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

The leafy stem is a Tonic die and

the flowers are various sizes of Woodware punch, with Card Candy centres

(didn't have the right colour so inked up a cream one with a yellow pen)

The layered Hello die is from Create A Smile

Papers are Sunny Studio (purple) and Prima (blue)

So there you have it - except for our wonderful sponsor for this theme who is

£10 voucher from

Fantastic Ribbons

Hope you will take time in your busy schedules to come and join in the fun.

Hugs

AYLI (DT) Favourite Paper Pad

Hello peeps, it is Thursday again and another challenge begins!  Today it is AS YOU LIKE IT and the theme for the fortnight is Your Favourite Paper Pad (and why).

There is a paper mountain (possibly even the whole range of mountains) growing in my craft space.  I am a sucker for pretty papers.  I have lots of favourite pads, but my all time, take it to a desert island, last pad on earth, favourite is from Nitwits (when they used to sell through LOTV) and it is Petal Fresh.  It so makes me think of freshly laundered cotton sheets that I can almost smell then on the washing line in the sunshine - the sheets, not the papers.

So, I have used the Petal Fresh papers, and have teamed them up with Stamping Bella Tiny Townies Garden Girl - Sweet Pea.  Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)  Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted.

The sponsor of this challenge is

Lawn Fawn
A stamp set and 6x6 pad of the winner’s choice

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

You Have My Heart

Afternoon all.  It's been a quiet day at Squirrel Towers, so while I have been waiting for the Italian Grand Prix, I thought I would have a little play with this week's sketch challenge over at MFT.

MFT You Have My Heart

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and I have used again the Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

Papers are a mixture of MFT

Die-Namics Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Frame

X-Cut small heart punch

My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge # 348

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Fur or Feathers?

Morning all, hope things are going well for you on the run in to the Bank Holiday weekend!  Oh three glorious days in a row, bliss.

Ok then, it's a new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT and the theme for the next two weeks is FUR OR FEATHERS - your favourite, and tell us why.

For me, there is no contest, it is fur all the way, soft, strokeable, sniffable, snugglable, warm and cuddly fur, preferably when it is wrapped around an amenable animal!  Rosie simply does not accept my overtures for letting me dump her onto my lap for a cuddle session - how I envy those owned by lapcats.

Lili of The Valley - James Bear with Daisy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Clouds done with Distress Inks (pad)

Sentiment is from an old Hero Arts clear sentiments set

Papers from Papercraft House

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Sweet Stamp Store

$10.00

So, come on over and share your furry/feathery makes with us!

Hugs

Squirrel xx

Penny Black and More - All Creatures Great and Small

Happy Together

Morning (sorry, afternoon) all.  Well, what a morning!  I had prescription review with the doc at 8.40 in Woodbridge, Toad had dentist in totally the opposite direction on the far side of Ipswich at 9.45, and Rosie had her v.e.t. appointment five mins from home at 11.15.  We are all medic-ed out!

Apart from brief resistance to being bundled into the carrier head-first, and howling all the way to the v.e.t, Her Ladyship was the model of good behaviour today.  Mind you, she did get Dr Dreamy so I can't blame her for just sitting there and gazing at him!

Anyhoo, she is now sprawled out on the floor.  Her vaccinations always leave her a bit dopey for 24 hours so we will go out this afternoon and just leave her to be quiet.

Can someone please explain why I do this to myself?  I love the idea of a colour challenge, but by crikey I don't half have trouble with them!  Over at MFT Card Challenges the Color Challenge # 68 is:

Now, to me, that Lemon Chiffon looks pinkish, but it's name suggests yellow, so yellow I have used.  I've had to wing it and use the nearest colours I had to hand.

I have used

MFT Pure Innocence - Happy Together

Sentiment from the MFT Lots of Hugs set

Die-Namics Stitched Scallop Circle Frame

MFT Farm Fresh Gingham 6x6 pad

and a whole lot of Distress Inks for the stamped flowers

and watercolouring the image

All the linked MFT items were purchased from the Dies To Die For online store

Ok then, Rosie is sleepy and Toad is restless and, despite having a filling done, he wants

to go out for a cuppa and a cake.  Who am I to argue with that?!

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

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

Without Words (DT) October

First Monday of the month, so that must mean it is time for a new challenge over at Without Words

The theme for October is

PURPLE and GREEN (but NO Halloween)

For my CAS card I have used

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Fairy Twila

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Papers are an assortment of LOTV/Nitwits

The "hello" die and stamped sentiment are from the Hello Hero Arts set

Custom sized card base

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx