Almost a midway reminder

Hello folks, just dropping by with an almost midway reminder for Squirrel's Not So Random Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes - the challenge runs until the end of September so you still have loads of time to enter.

The word has got out at work that I make cards, so I was really chuffed when one of the ladies asked me (I've only been there four months) to make a birthday card for her golf-mad husband.

So for this I have used:

CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Golfing Tom

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I cut around his head and shoulders so I could slip the die cut cloud paper behind

Paper is Nitwits, but darned if I can remember the make of the die

Sentiment is from Lili of The Valley

Grassy background sponge inked with Distress Inks

I'm pleased to say that the husband really liked it, and apparently sat for quite a while trying to work out how it had been made!

Anyway, reminder delivered, it's an Anything Goes theme, so nothing to stop you.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite - Shaped or Standard

Morning all, time for a new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT - and our theme this time is to choose your favourite card base - shaped or standard.

My most used card base is a square, doesn't matter what size - I just find the space so adaptable and I love the symmetry of it.  I think there must be a teeny weeny (and I mean microscopic) bit of neat-freak in me that makes the square so appealing!

OK, so I went a bit MFT loopy piggy mad with this one, but it was for my best mate, Pig.

MFT Hog Heaven painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and MFT sentiment from Big Birthday Sentiments

Nitwits papers

MFT double stitched rectangle die

Cheeky peeking piglet was fussy cut by me!

and a few Post-It Notes for masking the stamps

and our sponsor is

Sweet Stamp Store

$10.00

Don't forget that you must explain your choice of shaped or standard!

Hogs to all

Squirrel xx

Cute Alert

Morning all (well, it should be, I'm scheduling for morning so we'll see.....).  It's midweek, so I thought we could do with a dose of cuteness to get us through the next few days to the weekend.

On Monday, I mentioned the Lee Holland Collection from Whimsy Stamps - Lee is a very talented artist and his observations of wild animals are so gorgeous.  I have fallen in love with far more of his little critters than I dare to admit (they are slowly finding their way here, lol).

Go on, you said "awwwh" didn't you?

This is Mouse And Butterfly

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with the teensiest touch of Polychromos Pencil for more depth of shading

The sentiment stamps are from MFT Simply Fabulous Sayings

And finally a little matting layer of some pale blue paper

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Beary Fun

Monday, ugh!

Anyhoo, as Saturday's post didn't appear in the Reading List until 1.00am Sunday, I am hoping this one actually pops up at the right time.

I had a cute critter weekend, and this is the first of them.

This little fella is from the Beary Fun set - Lee Holland Collection from Whimsy Stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sky sponged with Distress Inks and a cloud stencil I cut with a die

Sentiment is from MFT

Papers are BoBunny

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

English Rose

I seem to have gone a bit flowery lately, not sure what's got into me but, don't worry, there will be some more cute characters here soon!

When dad retired from work he had spent over 42 years with his employer, Notcutts Garden Centres (founded in 1897 and now the UK's largest family owned garden centre business).  Dad worked out on the plant fields, driving his tractor, lifting roses, cutting hedges, all the heavy stuff.  Before that he did a spell with the landscaping team, and before that on the HGVs until migraines meant he couldn't do that any more.

The boss of the firm, Charles Notcutt, later Sir Charles Notcutt, was a fabulous man.  In the days when there was just the Woodbridge centre, and latterly when they started to expand, he knew just about everyone by name who worked for him.  He certainly knew my dad very well.  Sadly, Sir Charles died this year.

This week mum and dad were invited to a Celebrating the Life Of garden party at the home of Sir Charles and Lady Notcutt, along with several of the "old" employees who were there, back in the day. They had a lovely time, catching up with old pals, and Lady Gill had done them proud with her generous hospitality.

Anyhoo, mum asked me to make her a "nice" thank you card.  I'm not sure what other sort she thought I would make!  And this fitted really well with a rather large package of happy mail that arrived this week.

Notcutts won many gold medals at Chelsea Flower Show for their roses so ........

I've used my new English Rose stamp set from Clearly Besotted

and the matching die set

Inks for the roses are Altenew

and I used Memento inks for the leaves

Crealies stitched rectangle die for the image plate

I inked a scrap of card with the midtone rose colour and cut the MFT Thanks word die

and a piece of grass green Papermania for the matting layer

Heading off to the Oldies to deliver to mum.  Hope she likes it!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Flower

Morning all, time for another new challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team

This time we've gone all green fingered and are asking you to show us your

FAVOURITE FLOWER

and don't forget to tell us about your choice

Here is my make:

Oh my, another difficult choice to make - if they were in-the-ground flowers then I would choose daisies every time as they are just such happy little blooms - but if I were to receive a bunch for a vase then it would be roses, especially if they were scented.  Mum always cuts some from the garden to have indoors and they make the house smell so lovely.

For this card I have used the bunch of roses and rounded vase from a Clearly Besotted set called

Delightful Day

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Papers are Dovecraft Bloom and Grow

and the sentiment die is a top edger from Impression Obsession

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Wild Orchid Crafts

£12 voucher

Off you go, bloom where you grow!

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) Anything Goes

It's Thursday, it's Pink Day, it's Anything Goes!

It is also IN THE PINK birthday celebrations

4 years and our 100th challenge - whooooo, pink rocks!

This very simple card was made using

CC Designs Cupcakes & Balloons stamp

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I'm pretty sure that the Wish sentiment is by MFT

Bazzil card for the matting layer

Scalloped edge card base

Now, this is where I would normally tell you about the sponsor, but this time is a little bit different and the Pinkies are creating their own little bundles of pinkness for prizes!

Anything Goes - so long as it is pink

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

SNSRC (1) Anything Goes

Well, would you look at that, 1 August.  Not only does that mean that we are a month closer to the C word, but today is (drum roll, trumpet fanfare) the first

Squirrel's Not-So Random Challenge!

To kick things off, and welcome you all aboard, we're going with an easy theme to get us started

Anything Goes

The challenge will run for two months, ending on Friday 30 September at midday, so there is no excuse for you not having time to enter.

We don't have sponsors (yet) but of course there will still be a prize for the winner, and the option of a GDT spot for a future challenge if you fancy it.

Anyhoo, enough with the woffle, let me show you what the Little Acorns have created for you with their amazing inspiration pieces.

In alphabetical order, we have:

Nutty Annette

Nutty Becky

Nutty Jayne

Nutty Squirrel (that's me)

Nutty Sue

Thank you team, absolutely gorgeous makes!

Now, that means it's your turn, here's a tiny rules thingie

Maximum of two entries per person

Follow the theme

Please link back to this challenge post

and that's it

Get making!

Hugs

The Little Acorns

xx

An InLinkz Link-up

Ramona Loves Cake (don't we all)

It seems really odd posting this on the same day that the challenge I made it for is posting, on my own blog, but otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about the card!

Today is the launch of Squirrel's Not-So-Random Challenge.  Regular readers will know about Squirrel's Random Challenges, and they have become quite popular so we're going to be regular now, once every two months, and today's the day.  The challenge post will appear at 8.00am so do come back for it!

Anyhoo, here is my first DT card for my own challenge (I can't tell you how weird this feels).

I just lurrrrrrrve these Ramona stamps from Stamping Bella

This one is Ramona Loves Cake

Painted entirely with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

I've used the Lawn Fawn Puffy Clouds die for the top border

and some luscious red paper from Nitwits for the matting layers

The totally appropriate sentiment is from My Favourite Things

Thanks for popping over - don't forget to come back in a bit for the challenge launch

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx