Celebrating Love

Morning all (it is, just) hope this finds you well.

I struggle to remember birthdays, I can write them down all over the place but then forget to look at the notes.  I have developed a reputation for delivering cards over a week late.  So if I can't remember birthdays, imagine how hard it is for me to remember other dates, like anniversaries.

Well, I did remember this one, and I had the card all made, enveloped and ready to go.  I even took it to work with me to post.  So why was it still in the office post tray the day after it should have gone?!  It's a conspiracy I tell you!

Stamped image is Tiddly Inks

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and a touch of Polychromos

Papers are all LOTV/Nitwits

Sentiment and Scroll are both LOTV

Memory Box Precious Hearts dies

Have a super weekend - see you all on Monday for a new Without Words challenge

Hugs

Squirrel xx

You've had the girl, here's the boy - super!

The other day I posted Winnie's card featuring Super Girl from Whimsy stamps, illustrated by the very talented Krista Heij-Barber - love this lady's work, and I have several more of her stamps on my wish list.

Anyhoo, I am popping by today with my version of another of her stamps.

Self explanatory I think - this one is Super Boy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and a touch of Polychromos

Cardstock is all from That's Crafty

Custom card base - it opens just to the left of the stars

Sorry for the poor quality photo, I took it Tuesday evening and must have just missed the decent light.  Will try and get a better one at the weekend to replace it with.

I have a couple more of Krista's images still to ink, so look out for those coming in the

not too distant future!

Kerrpow!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Happy Mail Wryn (updated)

Hi all, sorry it was such a rushed post this morning!  I meant to schedule this last night for this morning but then I fell asleep in the chair and by the time I woke up it was way past my bedtime.  I thought I would have more time before I went off to work but Rosie was demanding mouse football, so I'm afraid the post didn't happen then either!

So, on Sunday, I made a couple of order cards and then decided to sit down and have a colour of a Wryn just for the fun of it.

This is Happy Mail clear stamp from Tiddly Inks

She has been painted with my favourite colours in Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Her hair is a base coat of ReInker and then overlaid with various shades of orange in Polychromos Pencils.  I could have gone a shade darker at the roots and tips but didn't want to dull down the gingerness!

Papers are Dovecraft Pretty Ink Pink

Border punches are both Martha Stewart

Sentiment is from a Hero Arts clear set

Tiny flower punch and the corner rounder are Woodware and the pearls are from stash

Top Tip Tuesday - It's All About The Hair Colour

Got there in the end!

TTFN

Squirrel xxx

Winnie's 100th

A couple of weeks ago I saw an appeal on the BBC Radio Sheffield Facebook page - Winnie, a resident in one of the local care homes, will be celebrating her 100th birthday at the end of May.  Winnie doesn't have any family or know many people outside of the home so Radio Sheffield asked for help in making her day a special one.  So far, cards have been sent by the 1000s from all over the world.  I think Winnie may be opening them for many months to come!

Here is the one I made for her:

I decided that you had to be a certain kind of "super" to reach 100

Whimsy Stamps - Super Girl

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) with Polychromos hair

Dovecraft Pretty In Pink papers

Hero Arts sentiment

Gold stars and borders from stash

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Patchwork Balloons

Hello everyone, just dropping by with my second card for May for the Lili Of The Valley Design Collective.  I still have a little giggle to myself about this, I can't quite believe that I am part of it!

I made this one for a sweet friend who has left work (last day yesterday) to move on to pastures new.

Stamped image: LOTV Patchwork Bunch of Balloons

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers: LOTV/Nitwits - Up Up And Away

Memory Box Stitched Cloud dies

Sentiment unknown

Hope you all have an absolutely super duper weekend

Hugs to you

Squirrel xx

Going freestyle

Morning all.  Hope this finds you well now that we are on the downward slope towards another super Bank Holiday weekend.  I may start a campaign to get one a month!

Anyhoo, I have been lucky with my entries for this challenge in the past, but am not sure that luck will hold out for this one.

IN THE PINK - Stitching - Real or Faux

I have loads of "stitched" effect dies now, so heaven knows why I decided to go freestyle

Image stamp is Sugar Nellie: Best Day Ever (minus the mouse)

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted - it's a straight line one so I did it half at a time

Papers are Dovecraft: Pretty In Pink

Tiny Woodware retro flower punch, and office hole punch

Custom sized card base

Note to self: use a ruler next time!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Gnome from Gnome

OK, so you have seen these little chaps popping up all over the place, I know, but as soon as I saw my first one that Mrs Fluff did, I could not resist.  Fair enough, I had to wait a while for them to come back into stock but the gang arrived on my doormat at the weekend, hurrah!

My Favourite Things - Gnome Stamp Set

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Dovecraft: Bright Spark papers

DieNamics Stitched Oval Stax dies

And a custom sized card base

The gnome and the mushroom are in the same set so I masked them together.  Well, he has to be leaping over something doesn't he?!

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

Antiques Reminder

Morning all.  Well, Toad has been delivered to the train station so should be well on his way to the wedding by now.  At least, I hope he is and that he didn't get on the train to Norwich.  There is a football match going on today, the second half of the local derby between Ipswich and Norwich, for a chance at promotion to the Premiership.  There were an awful lot of footie fans milling around the station entrance, and quite a few policemen too!

So, anyway, we are halfway through May so it's time for a reminder about the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW CHALLENGE (use your old stuff).

A very simple card but made with men in mind, and we know they don't do complicated!

I don't know how long I have had this stamp but I bought it second hand and it has been buried in a pile on the dining room table for well over a year, maybe two.

Penny Black - You Make Me Bob

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sentiment was a magazine freebie

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Country Gent

Matting layer from stash of scraps

You still have until the end of the month to enter!

Right then, I am off to continue the search for the missing MoJo.  Rosie says she hasn't seen him but she thinks he is still hanging around because she can smell him.  Perhaps I should try and tempt him out with some Dreamies - they work well enough on her!

Hugs to all and have a super weekend

Squirrel xx

Missing

MISSING

Reward Offered

“MoJo”

MoJo is quite old and getting very slow these days.  He used to be quite a busy little soul and was always thinking about colours, shapes, rubber stamps and patterned papers.  He was last seen over a month ago after a badly planned incident with a glue gun and stranded glitter.

You might think MoJo is my invisible friend, but I used to be able to see him out of the corner of my eye, and he does talk to me about all sorts of things.  At least, I think it is his voice I am hearing.

If anyone has seen MoJo, or has knowledge of where he might be, there is a reward for information leading to his return.

Thank you
MoJoless Squirrel xx

All of a dither

Morning all.  Hope this finds you well - halfway through the week (almost) so nearly the weekend, wheee!

Actually, it's the weekend that has had me all of a dither.  There is a wedding on Toad's side of the family, his nephew in fact, so there was a certain amount of implied pressure for a wedding card to be made.  However, it wasn't all that straightforward as we have been lead to believe that the bride has either been married before, or in a long term relationship, and she has children.  The wedding is a registrar affair in a country house, so it's not all meringues and flounce, well, we don't know for sure, so the card was a bit of a puzzle.

Did I do a normal wedding, a more modern theme, something completely different?  There were two or three dry runs and in the end I thought, oh to heck with it, a wedding's a wedding after all.

So, I have used Whimsy/Wee Stamps - Love Me Do

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers), Polychromos and A Wink Of Stella

Sentiment is from LOTV Quotables: Love clear stamps set

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits Petal Fresh and Frosty Christmas (the blue, honestly)

Love die from Whimsy, corner die a magazine freebie

MFT In & Out Stitched Rounded Corner die

and a smudging of Antique Linen Distress Ink around the layers to soften it all up

Toad will be travelling down to the wedding by train.  I'm not going, for various reasons, but we don't feel that we can leave Rosie for such a long day on her own just yet.  Which means, she and I get a crafty day together!

Anyhoo, that's me done for midweek - hope the rest of yours goes well.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Pssssst......

Morning all.  Just popping by with a first reminder for the WITHOUT WORDS challenge - it's a colour theme that seems to be scaring you but, honestly, there is nothing to be afraid of!

Tim Holtz - Bird Crazy stamp

(yes, I finally got hold of them!)

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Paper Smooches sentiment

and following the WW theme of Pink, Blue & Yellow

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Baker Nancy

Morning all.  Sneeze splutter snuffle.  Hayfever season is with us good and proper now!  Toad has been busy out in the garden this week, giving shrubs a haircut and potting up his tomatoes.  I think the pruning was a bit ad hoc to say the least, so I am a little bit nervous of what will thrive and what will go backwards now.

You would never believe that I was brought up in a gardening family.  I am hopeless.  I can identify lots of things, but I'm not too sharp on growing them.  We had a plant by our front door that was clinging on to life by it's leaf tips but I think the powdery mildew has done for him and he is now a stick in a pot.

Anyhoo, this card has nothing to do with gardening at all.  I own up to having a huge weakness for CC Designs Roberto's Rascals range of stamps, and there are two little ladies, Twila and Nancy, who have stolen my heart completely.  

This stamp is Baker Nancy

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Basic Grey, including my last piece of that beautiful watercolour effect, sob

Dies are Double Circles from By DIEzyne

Sentiment is from Clearly Besotted

I can't believe my week's holiday is almost over.  We've not done much really apart from potter around but it has been really nice and I am not ready to be going back to work!  Oh well, lots to do today, including a builder popping in about 11.00ish, so best I crack on with it.

Hugs to all, hope your weekend is a brilliant one

Squirrel xx

Teensy Bit Late

OK, so it is May, so a teensy bit late for April Showers but we have had a few this week ......

This little chap was made for the LOTV Design Collective.

Ingredients

Stamp: LOTV April Showers

Papers:  LOTV/Nitwits - Up Up & Away and One Birdie Lane

Sentiment:  LOTV Vintage Labels - Occasions

Medium:  Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Doodling: just Squirrel

And if you didn't already know, there is a 15% off SPRING FEVER discount on Spring themed products at LOTV until noon on Saturday 9 May!

Hugs to you all

Squirrel xx

Springtime

Morning all.  Well, me and Rosie have been to the vet this morning for her vaccinations.  I had bought a pair of leather gardening gloves in readiness for getting her in the carrier but with a little encouragement from some Dreamies treats I didn't actually need them.  I am pleased to say that even though she howled all the way there, she was putty in the vet's hands (I would have been too, he's very handsome) and she had her vaccine and worming tablet without a squeak.  I am very proud of her.  The return visit in three weeks for the top-up might be a different matter though!

It's said that great minds think alike, and I notice that my bloggy pal Annette has posted a card using the same image today!

This cutie is Springtime from Whimsy/Wee Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I have used my favourite dies of the moment

MFT In & Out Stitched Rounded Corner Squares

a border punch from Martha Stewart

Petal Party dies from Memory Box

and a lot of Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet Distress Inks with a blending sponge

Sentiment is from LOTV

and the sparkly gems from my stash

In The Pink - Fussy And Fancy or Clean And Simple

Hope you are having a super day

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

It's A First!

Morning all.  Yes, I am posting live at 10.15.  No, I'm not at work this week. Yes, I am on holiday!!  Whoop whoop.  Toad is on hollibobs too for a much needed break from the hamster wheel.

I have a first for you today.  You may, or may not, have noticed the rather obvious logo at the top of my side bar.  I am now a member of the Lili of The Valley Design Collective!!  It came as a surprise to me too, having missed out on the original selection, but a vacancy came up and it was offered to me.  It would have been rude to say no wouldn't it!

Anyhoo, here is my first Design Collective outing:

So, the ingredients for this are:

Lili of The Valley stamp - The Potting Shed

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are LOTV/Nitwits - Country Lady

Sentiment from LOTV clear set - Handwritten Phrases

Flower punch is a Woodware one, with Card Candi centres

Twine from stash

Banner die from Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners

The weather forecast for today isn't fantastic so I might have a little crafty session this morning.  Toad wants to go to the seaside this afternoon but I had heard "gales expected on exposed coasts" so that should make for a bracing experience!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Without Words (DT) May: Colour Challenge

Happy (UK) Bank Holiday Monday!  And a happy Monday to everyone not lucky enough to have the bonus day off work.

Right then, first Monday means a new WITHOUT WORDS challenge and this month is is a colour theme of PINK, BLUE & YELLOW.  There is an optional extra of floral if you fancy it.

Here's my DT card

So, the image stamp is from CC Designs and is Robertos Rascals #selfiegirls

Painted in Distress Inks (ReInkers) with Polychromos hair

Sentiments are CC Designs Amy R Teen Scene

Papers are a mixture from  my scraps box

The date stamp is completely random, no significance

Just loved working on this stamp

Hope you will be able to join us!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Antiques Roadshow Challenge

Morning all!  Welcome to the first random challenge of this year - so many of you enjoyed the Snowman and Penguin challenges from 2014 that we decided to do it all over again.

This time the theme is ANTIQUES ROADSHOW

which means that we would like you to create your projects using up your neglected stash (a minimum of a year old please).  Obviously this will be impossible for us to police, so we are having to trust you to play fair!

So, here are some inspiration items for you from the Old Crocks

Squirrel

My first card features LOTV's Playing Golf and he is one of my favourite "male" stamps, and he has been teamed with some old papers from Dovecraft and Basic Grey.  Painted with good old Distress Inks (ReInkers)

And this is probably one of my very first Wild Rose Studio stamps, called Milton With Tulips. Again painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and teamed with some Basic Grey papers using octagonal Spellbinders Nestabilities dies.  Sentiment is an old Hero Arts one but still much loved.

Annette

Penny Black stamps were the images that started my addiction to stamping; I just adored those little hedgies and mice.  The border die I've used is also one of my oldest, and I've even had the green pearls for about 2 years (I bought a bag of 100 so even by using them in trios, they're lasting me a while!)

Lili images were my next addiction in rubber. This image is now sadly retired, and I've not even used it very much.  The sentiment stamp is an oldie too; a freebie from a magazine I think.  The flowers and the Go Kreate die that I've used to cut the card-base and image panel are also favourite oldies.

Jayne

So, over to you, there is a link-tool below so off you go!  It would be lovely if you could spread the word on your own blog or Facebook page but there is no obligation.  

Challenge closes at 6.00pm (UK time) on 31st May and you may enter up to three times.  The winner will be chosen a couple of days later and announced on this blog.

Hugs to all

Squirrel, Annette and Jayne

xx

An InLinkz Link-up

One more sleep .....