Totally Gorjuss # 60 - It's Snowing!

Morning all, hope you are ok and that if you are one of the poor souls still swamped in the white stuff you have plenty of food and warmth. 

Thanks for all your entries last week with Net's super sketch, check out the lucky winner on the main blog.

Another Saturday nearer to Christmas and at TOTALLY GORJUSS we are continuing the Christmas theme by asking you to show us your SNOWY cards and creations this week.  The DT have produced their usual high standard of cards for you so it would be nice to snow them (geddit?) your appreciation (oh all right, I'll shut up). 

But before I do, I must tell you that our sponsor this week is Meyer Imports - a website well worth checking out if you've not come across them before.

Here is my DT card:

Still having camera issues so it is the photo that's a tad fuzzy, not your eyes!  Image is from the Mimi Christmas clear stamp set by Penny Black, coloured with ProMarkers.  Papers are from an old DCWV Christmas Stack, small snowflakes are an EK Success punch and the large blue one is Martha Stewart which I punched from a sheet of glittered Papermania paper.

Thank you for taking the time to pop over and see me and I do hope you manage to squeeze in a go at the challenge amongst all your Christmas planning.  Next week, challenge 61, will be our last challenge of this year so craft now while you have the chance!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 55 A Sketch (DT)

Morning all!  And welcome to another challenge from TOTALLY GORJUSS.

As it is the first Saturday of the month it is sketch time we are being sponsored by JOANNA SHEEN.

Thanks for all your Spooky entries last week - is is safe for me to come out from behind the sofa yet?  We had some fantastically imaginative entries so please do check back to the blog to see who won the lush prize from Wild Orchid Crafts.

So here is Net's sketch for you:

And here is my DT card:

The stamp I've used is Emmilou's Cool Ride from High Hopes and the papers are from the Basic Grey Wander collection.  I thought all was lost with this card when I applied 3d glaze to the car as it flooded out of the bottle.  I was so cross I walked off and left it but when I came back later and picked it up there was an ominous cracking noise.  So by a total accident I had achieved a crackle glaze effect which I thought actually worked quite well!

Anyhoo, the design team have come up with some fab inspiration for you so do have a peek.

Looking forward to seeing your entries.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 54 - Spooky (DT)

It's Saturday, it's TOTALLY GORJUSS day and I'm back!  So many thanks to Net and my fellow Gorjussettes for allowing me a little break from DTing but I'm back now and raring to go!

Now it is that time of year when the ghosts and ghouls all come out to play so we have a theme of SPOOKY for you to play with - it doesn't have to be a Halloween card, just something a bit creepy (eeeek).  And to counteract all this scariness, we have a bunch of loveliness by way of our sponsor WILD ORCHID CRAFTS.

Here is my DT card:

I've had this Tilda a while now but not really used her much.  I think she is meant to be a winter one but that hat just screamed Halloween at me!  Coloured with ProMarkers and a touch of pencil for shading.  The cobweb is a Cuttlebug embossing folder, on Coordinations cardstock and I swiped over the web with white VersaColor to lift it from the page.  Papers are a mixture of Making Memories and Little Sizzlets.  Sentiment is Paula Pascaul from Personal Impressions.

So, now I have scared you silly, I reckon you ought to be getting on with some crafting and show us all your spooky creations!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 46 - Sketch

Happy Saturday everyone!  What are you all up to this weekend then?  Got time for some crafting?  I certainly hope so, especially as it is the first Saturday of the month which means that TOTALLY GORJUSS are bringing you another fabbie sketch to play with!

Thank you everyone for your fantastic Christmas In August cards - my word you lot are getting yourselves organised early this year.  Some wonderful entries so please do check back to the TOTALLY GORJUSS blog to see who was the winner of that challenge.

Right then, on to THIS challenge - the Gorjussettes are thrilled to be sponsored by JOANNA SHEEN and we all know what Joanna stands for = fabulous crafting goodies!  Whoo-hoo!  Here is the sketch for you....

And here is my DT card

Can't believe it is only 4 September and the light for taking photos is appalling already!  Anyhoo, this is the first inking of this little love by Gillian Roberts from Stampavie, spotty background paper is, erm, err, Dovecraft I think, but the old grey cells are whithering, the text is Friends Definition stamp from Hero Arts (one of their Clings) and the splotty sploggy matting paper is what I did with ink and a sponge.  Think it came out quite well really.

Hope you do find time to create - we'd love you to come and join us - see you there!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Congratulations - Totally Gorjuss # 40

Keep your fingers crossed - I've scheduled this post so ....... if you are reading it, then it worked, and I'm heading towards the Lake District for a certain lady's wedding tomorrow (Samantha of Penrith Crafts) and a few days pootling about in our glorious English countryside.  And yes, I have packed rain jacket, storm-proof umbrella and wellies as well as t-shirts, bug spray and flip-flops!  I understand now why we don't go away very often - it's just so darned stressful!  Next year it will definitely be days out from home.

Here we are, the weekend again and the weekend means TOTALLY GORJUSS - and our challenge this week is a simple one - CONGRATULATIONS.  The big question is, who are you congratulating, and what for?  Passing their driving test, new job, wedding, baby?  The choice is endless so I can't wait to see what you create.

Here is my DT for this challenge

I love this Cheerleader from Sugar Nellie - she's just that little bit sassy, and I think she'd work for a male (you know how they like long legs!) or female congrats card.  Papers are Basic Grey and stars and mats done with Nestabilities.  A little Rhinestone Stickles glitterglue around the edges of the pink stars.

I won't be available to comment on the challenge cards this week so I hope you will make sure that you keep my other teamies busy and provide them with loads of fabulous entries to look at!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Thinking of You - Totally Gorjuss Challenge 39

Ooh my word, you ladies loved the water theme!  Now I've dried out a bit I can say thank you for all your wonderful entries.  Do check the TOTALLY GORJUSS blog to see who was chosen as our winner.

The theme for this week's TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge is one of my favourites, Thinking Of You.  This covers so many areas - it could be a sympathy card, an I love you card, a friendship greeting or simply I'm thinking of you.

As always, the DT are providing you with some wonderful inspiration so do check our those beauties.  Here is my little offering:

I love this little Tilda with her flower from the Wedding Collection, she's such a sweetie and a dream to colour with Copics.  DPs are all Basic Grey and matting card is DCWV Bright Stack.  I've used my new set of Nestabilities labels 10 and a couple of Martha Stewart punches with the sentiment from Lili Of The Valley.  Pearls are from stash.

Thanks so much for popping over to see me.  I was at work all day yesterday on my birthday and the Toad has abandoned me today (he's on a course - no, not golf - until late this afternoon) so after I've had my tail trimmed and re-touched, I'm having lunch with my wonderful parents and then an afternoon of creating.

Hope you all have a super weekend.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 37 - A Sketch

What a scorcher of a week it has been!  Technically I ought to be half a stone lighter than I was last Saturday - I have perspired puddles.  I work in an old building with low ceilings and no air conditioning.  We have a bay window with 24 panes of glass - only one of which opens, an inch.  It's been like working inside a sweaty gym sock all week.  You would never believe that I was a summer baby would you?!

So, Saturday, that must mean it is time for TOTALLY GORJUSS and as it is the first week of the month, our Great Leader Net has come up with another of her brilliant to work with sketches for you.  So here it is:

Do pop over to the TG blog to check out who won last week's Gift Bag challenge - we had some absolutely super entries.

Here is my DT card for this week:

I had a request to make a retirement card so I snaffled Net's sketch as the base for it!  DPs are Basic Grey, Tilda and her clover are coloured with Copics, matting card is Bazzil Bling and has a fab sheen to it that you can't see but trust me, it's there.  The text paper is from a pad I've had since I started crafting.

As always, my fellow Gorjussettes have left me in the shade with their wonderful creations - it'd be lovely if you could spend a moment to have a look at what they have created to inspire you.

And the rest of my weekend?  I've got a three week date starting with 228 young men in Lycra shorts later on this afternoon - yes, it is the start of the Tour de France - Bring. It. On!!!

My hero, Lance Armstrong, 7 time winner of the Tour.

And not, forgetting the British - we have a very real chance of having a Brit on the Podium for the first time in 106 years. Go Bradley!

Can you tell I'm excited?

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 36 - It's In The Bag!

For some reason I have the TISWAS song going around in my head ....... so that must mean it is Saturday morning!  And you know what Saturdays mean?  Of course you do, it's TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge day!

First of all, thank you so much for all your fabulous Sugar & Spice entries last week, you were loving that one.  Do check back to the TG blog to see who has been selected as the winner.

And on to this week - I think it was my teamie Sarah who suggested this one initially (she always likes to live dangerously does our Sarah) and our Captain, Net, agreed it was a corker so we are asking you to have a go at making a simple gift bag.  Let's face it, for me, the simpler the better LOL! 

So here is my little effort

After many failed attempts with scrap paper with folds in strange places, I gave in and worked out a template.  I used a sheet of 12x12 Making Memories paper which I cut down to size, scored, folded and glued.  I stamped Tilda with her gifts, coloured with Copics, cut her out and glued to the front of the bag.  I folded over the top of the bag, punched two holes and used Dovecraft flower brads as fasteners.  The little tag I cut with a Cuttlebug die.  Told you it was simple!

Now I know that there are squillions of you out there with more talent than me so I shall be expecting to see loads of gift bags entered into the challenge.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 35 - Sugar & Spice

Welcome to another TOTALLY GORJUSS week!

Wow did you stun us with all your totally brilliant male cards last week - for a gang of crafters who say they hate male cards, you pulled out all the stops!  Don't forget to check back to the challenge blog to see who has been selected as the winner.

And so to this week's challenge.  We'd like to see some Sugar & Spice please - entirely up to you how you interpret that but you will see from the DT cards that we've pretty much all thought along the same lines!

I ended up making two cards for the DT and couldn't decide which one I really liked the best so I'm showing you them both.  Both Tilda, both coloured with Copics.  The papers on the first are Basic Grey, sentiment is Craftwork Cards.  The "wishes" that Tilda is blowing have been highlighted with a Sakura glitter pen but that doesn't show in the photo.

The papers on my second card are a mixture of Wild Rose Studio and Forever Friends.  Again the sentiment is Craftwork Cards and the flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts with the leaves being a Martha Stewart punch.

Thanks ever so much for stopping by to see me.  Hope you are having a great weekend whatever you are up to.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 34 - Cards For Boys

Hopefully, if Mr Blogger is playing the game, this post should be scheduled to pop up on Saturday morning as I'm having a weekend break with the Toadster!  Feels very strange writing this for the future.

As it is a new week, it must be a new challenge from TOTALLY GORJUSS and this week our challenge is Cards For Boys.  Stop groaning!  I can hear you all now "don't like doing male cards", but that is no excuse.  Sorry, but no.  There are so many brilliant images out there that I want you all to get crafting.  Right now!

As always, the Design Team have created some super inspiration for you to please make sure you pop over to take a peek.  Here is my DT card - I have used High Hopes image "Dwight" and he is coloured with ProMarkers.  Papers are a mix of Basic Grey and Bazzil.  Sentiment is Lili Of The Valley.

Looking forward to seeing all your wonderful creations (just think of all the crafting time you'll have now the blinkin' football is on for a month)!!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 33 - A Sketch

Has summer arrived at last?  The past few days have been glorious but I hear a nasty rumour that we may get rain this afternoon and it's all downhill again tomorrow!  I am not a heat lover but I have to say that my poor old creaky knees are enjoying it being dry weather.  Cold and damp does nothing to help the scampering!!

Anyhoo, enough of my drivel, it's Saturday and that means it's TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge day, whoohoo.  Thanks for all your fabulous wingy-thingy entries last week - I didn't realise there were so many images with wings on!  Don't forget to check back to the TG blog to see who is the winner of last week's challenge.

As it is the first Saturday of the month, Net has produced another wonderful sketch for you to play with.

Now I'm not quite sure what happened to the sketch when I imported it to my page but I think you get the idea - if there is any doubt then do hop over to the blog to see Net's sketch uncorrupted.  Here is my take on it.

I have used one of the sweetest little bears I have seen in a long time - she's from the Busy Bears range of stamps from Lili of The Valley.  Ain't she cute just sat there preening?!  Papers are all Basic Grey and the sentiment is handwritten.  Image coloured with Copics.

I do hope you all can find time between the BBQs to squeeze in some crafting and I shall look forward to seeing you over at TOTALLY GORJUSS

Hugs, Squirrel xxx

Totally Gorjuss # 31 - Bling It On!

Happy weekend everyone! Hope you are all well and enjoying this brief burst of good weather.  As it is Saturday, you ought to know what that means by now ..... yes, it's another challenge from TOTALLY GORJUSS and this week we are hoping to be dazzled by your bling in our Bling It On challenge.

Don't forget to check the blog to see who won last week's Round and Round challenge!

The Design Team have come up with some stunners this week (don't they always?) so please do check out their individual creations.

Just before I show you my DT card for this week, I have a personal plea to make - if you use Word Verification as a security measure, would you please consider turning it off?  You can still have Comment Approval turned on if you need to vet your comments before publishing but Word Verification is such a pain in the bum.  Right, off the soapbox, here's my card

Now, this card looked much better in my head than it does in real life, not sure what went wrong!  I apologise for the poor quality photo, it's quite difficult to get a decent shot of all that shine.  Anyway, the black holographic glitter card was a gift, it came as a huge, rolled up, A2 sheet and once card has been rolled it sort of turns into a spring so it was a bit of a challenge in itself to get it to lay flat!  The pink glitter paper was from WHSmith and the blue holographic mirri card from Create and Craft (can you tell I raided my stash this week).  Tilda is coloured with Copics, the daisy border punch is Woodware and the gems are from stash too.  Sentiment is Craftwork Cards.

Thanks so much for dropping by to see me.  Hope to catch up with you all over at TOTALLY GORJUSS - I'm off to have a play and see if I can actually enter some challenges myself this weekend!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss Challenge # 30 - Round And Round

Did anyone else see that penguin waddling past?  Mr Toad said it was a magpie but I'm convinced it's been cold enough for it to have been a penguin!  Even me, part Eskimo (although my parents won't admit it) has been finding it a tad chillsome.

So, what can we do to warm up?  How about a good old fashioned crafting session with TOTALLY GORJUSS ?  That should do the trick!  Welcome to another challenge with the Gorjussettes.  Thank you so much for all your entries last week - you really rocked with the pink and green theme - don't forget to check the TG blog to find out who has been chosen as our lucky winner.

And so, this week's challenge is Round and Round - yes, we'd like to see circles on your cards.  But before I show you my card for this week - has anyone spotted something a little bit different about my blog?  Well, here's a clue - I have removed the word "guest" from my sidebar.  Still not got it?  The TG team have asked if I would like to become a permanent DT member, having now served my three month probation period and not killed anyone!  Yay me!  Anyhoo, enough of my waffle - here is my DT card for this challenge

A very simple card but LOTS of circles lol!  Papers with the circles are Making Memories, the others are from stash.  Dotty circle stamp is a Hero Arts I think and Tilda is coloured with Copics.  Sentiment is LOTV.  If you don't yet have their sentiment sheet I would highly recommend it. 

Hope to see you all over at TOTALLY GORJUSS very soon.
Hugs
Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 28 - A Stitch In Time

Morning all, it's the weekend at last AND a Bank Holiday one too, bonus!

The TOTALLY GORJUSS girls would like to thank you for showing us your Gorjuss Girls last week, they were fabulous! And thanks again to the Gorjuss Girls designer herself, Suzanne Woolcott, for sponsporing that challenge.  Don't forget to check the TG blog to see who won.

And so to this week's TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge and we would like to see some STITCHING on your cards, if you are brave it can be real stitches or, if you are like me, faux stitching.  So get the needle and thread out and off you go!

Once again the DT have come up with some stunning inspiration for you so don't forget to check out their individual blogs.  Your visits mean a lot.

Here is my card for this week:

I have used Sprinkles With Attitude from Pink Gem Designs and I have to thank Janet for creating such a little darlin'.  Papers are leftovers from stash, but I think the patterned ones are Daisy and Dandelion and the plain is Dovecraft (but don't quote me on that) and the sentiment is Craftwork Cards.   Image is coloured with ProMarkers and then I got busy with the ProMarker fine liner for all those stitches.

Thanks ever so much for calling in, lovely to see you as always.  Don't forget that the winner of my blogoversary candy will be announced tomorrow, that's if Mr RNG can cope with the number of entries!

Going to have a sociable weekend - we are off to see The Hairy Bikers Big Night Out tomorrow night and on Monday we are out for lunch with my parents - so you may not see as much of me as usual (what do you mean, "hurrah"?)

TTFN, hugs, Squirrel xx

http://www.pinkgemdesigns.com/catalog/index.php

Totally Gorjuss # 27 - Simply Gorjuss

It's Sat-ur-day!  Phew, thought it would never get here this week!  And that means it is time for another wonderful week with TOTALLY GORJUSS - thank you all for your charming cards last week, they were really fabulous.  You certainly know how to push RNG to the limits so don't forget to check back to see who has been selected as the winner of the charming challenge.

So to this week, which for us Gorjussettes is a very special week indeed as we have an amazing sponsor on board.  It is (drum roll please) none other than the original Gorjuss Girl herself, Suzanne Woolcott, designer of these little cuties.  So glad to have you with us Suzanne.

So the challange is - Simply Gorjuss.  If you have a Gorjuss Girls stamp we'd love you to use it to show Suzanne how fantastic her designs are.

The DT are all a bit nervous this week but have really pushed the boat out and come up with totally amazing creations, please do check out their individual blogs.  My card for this week uses two Gorjuss Girls ....

I have used the masking technique to get these two to play nicely together.  Coloured with Copics/ProMarkers.  Papers are from the Forever Friends Pink Parfait collection (thanks Zippy hun) and the pansy border punch is from Martha Stewart. Sentiment is Craftwork Cards with the peel-offs and tiny gems from my stash.

Come on girls, let's see you getting Gorjuss with us this week at TOTALLY GORJUSS

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Totally Gorjuss # 26 - Charming!

Another weekend, another challenge!  Yes it is TOTALLY GORJUSS challenge day, wheeeeeeeeee!

Thank you all for getting so busy with the textures last week, we received a HUGE amount of entries, gosh you lot are so creative and resourceful!  Don't forget to check the TG blog to see who won last week's prize, Net will be kicking Mr RNG as we speak (he's got a lot to cope with this week).

Now you know that my fellow Gorjussettes are just full of charm at the best of times so this week we are asking you to be Charming too - (in a dirty old man voice) "Come on girlies, show us yer charms then!"  (don't mention it, I worry myself sometimes).  As always, the DT have created some stunners to inspire you so please do visit them and pay credit where credit is due, they are all hard working lasses who do it all for you.

And so to my card - I think I had a bit of a "mojo madness moment" with this one, but hey, it's bright!

Can't tell you where the paper came from, it just sort of appeared in my stash.  Butterfly Tilda is coloured with ProMarkers, the flowers are yet more from my Marcea goody bag (it's never ending), as is the adorable butterfly charm (thanks hunny, you saved my life for this challenge!).

So, come on crafters, turn on the charm and come and join the fun at TOTALLY GORJUSS this week.

And while I'm at it, with the flower and the buttons and the charm, I'd like to enter this into this week's Cute Card Thursday Touchy Feely challenge and Our Creative Corner Beautiful Butterflies.

Hugs, Squirrel xx

High Hopes Challenge AND Some Exciting News!

Bet you didn't think I'd be back again today did ya!  Could not resist having a go at this weeks High Hopes Challenge - it's a recipe of orange and brown plus a circle.

I thought long and hard about this one, all of thirty seconds anyway, and I just knew this was the perfect excuse to use my fabulous Leo stamp

How handsome does he look?  For a long and complicated reason to do with cycling, all lions in our house are known as Alan, so I've imaginatively renamed this stamp as Alan!  Worrying isn't it,  He's coloured with ProMarkers, the brown and orange cardstock is from Joanna Sheen and the animal print paper is from a pack that sadly has no title but I think its by PaperMania.

And my exciting news?  Well, those insane girlies over at Totally Gorjuss have asked me to go and play with them on the Design Team!  How mad is that?  Do they know what's coming their way?

I'm just a teensy bit excited and I shall be expecting you all to have a go at as many of their Saturday challenges as possible.  Else I shall be sending the girls round, right?!

Hugs, Squirrel xx

Earlier Post Today: Penny Black Saturday Challenge