Another Catch Up

 Morning all, hope you are ok today.  I'm pleased to report that apart from some bunged upness in my nose and ears, and being very tired, I am just about back in the land of the living after Covid.

So, I'm here with another catch up post and this one was a birthday card for my BFF.

I've combined two stamp sets with some masking

Gerda Steiner Designs - Monster Party

Sentiment from the same set

Whimsy Stamps Calories Schmalories

Papers are Echo Park Birthday Girl

Purple card from stash

Images watercoloured with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Hugs

As You Like It Challenge (DT) Fussy Cut, Dies, or Machine

So yet another two weeks has whizzed past and it is time for another new theme over at the

As You Like It Challenge

 And if you hadn't already twigged, our theme this time is

Fussy Cut, Dies, or Machine

I do a little bit of mix and match with fussy cutting and dies, it depends on how intricate the shape is.  My poor old hands can't cope with the ultra tricky fiddly stuff these days, so that's where I will use dies, but for simpler shapes I can manage to do with scissors then I will fussy cut.  I used to use a craft knife all the time, but I changed to a much thicker watercolour paper that makes a knife a real white-knuckle-ride.

So, the die in the centre is

MFT Die-Namics Birthday Centrepiece MFT-1924

and the fussy cutting is the little bear in the centre

Cleary Besotted Pawly Plushies

Papers are from an old set of Echo Park

and our fab sponsor for this theme is

DIES TO DIE FOR ONLINE STORE

Hugs

AYLI (DT) Flora or Fauna

'ello my darlin's, how are you today?

So, it's time for another challenge from the talented team at AS YOU LIKE IT and this fortnight's theme is Flora or Fauna.

I do seem to create an awful lot more fauna than flora cards, and I find it is difficult to cuddle a flower, so I guess it has to be fauna for me, although I'm not sure that I want this particular chap on my lap or curled up on the bed

Neat & Tangled - Prehistoric

Echo Park - Birthday Girl (candle paper)

MFT Die-Namics Mini Cloud Edges Stencil

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and of course the bit you all want to know is the sponsor of the challenge

Lawn Fawn

Prize:

Hugs to all

DTDF (DT) Doggie (not Dodgy) Artist

Morning all, as it is Saturday it is my day to share a design for the DIES TO DIE FOR blog and this week it is a typical Squirrel CAS affair, although not quite as CAS as last week.

I'll be honest, I was a little bit lost with this stamp (even though I just had to have it) but

his cheeky little smile rather dictated the covers-most-events sentiment

Whimsy Stamps - Doggie Artist

Echo Park - Birthday Wishes 6x6

MFT Die-Namics Cause For Celebration

All the linked items are available from the Dies To Die For online store

The only extras this time are

my beloved Distress Inks (ReInkers) and

the custom sized card base

Hugs to all, and happy weekend

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Stamp Brand

Hello all, hope you are ok - there is a new challenge over at AS YOU LIKE IT starting today and it is (for me) a stinker!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us about your FAVOURITE STAMP BRAND.

Our Team Leader might as well have said "Oh, just choose your favourite pet"!

Good grief, favourite stamp brand?  Impossible.

OK, so I did the thing of "what do I have most of?" - erm, yeah, that went well, the answer is rubber.

So, next "what have I used most in the last twelve months?" - erm, ok, getting warmer.

This could go on for some time so I am going to plump for CC Designs because I adore the Roberto's Rascals range, especially Twila, Nancy, Sue and Henry, they are cheeky, funny, and just that little bit sassy.

So, when I eventually chose a stamp it was CC Designs Roberto's Rascals Chicky Henry

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) with a smidge of Polychromos

Papers are Echo Park - Sunny Days Ahead

Matting layers are just white card edged with an orange marker

Sentiment from Clearly Besotted

Our sponsor for this challenge is

Crafts U Love

£10 voucher

OK, get your thinking caps on, and let's be seeing your favourite (and the reason!)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Forgotten What It Feels Like

Morning all, how are you?  I've been away from work for a couple of days with the lurgy, but by the time this posts, I should be shackled to my desk again.

It seems such a very long time that I made a card just because I wanted to (rather than for a DT or for an order) so I really rather enjoyed myself.  Probably disproportionately considering the small size of the card!

Not many ingredients for this one:

CC Designs - Carrot Love

Echo Park papers - Sunny Days Ahead

MFT Die-Namics Double Stitched Rectangle die

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Sponged clouds using a homemade stencil

I have added a sentiment since, but it was personal to the recipient, so I took the

card photo first.

Hope your Tuesday is a good one.

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Tessie The Teacher (DTDF DT)

Morning everyone.  Welcome to the world of germs, well, certainly a house of germs.  How is it, that everytime the schools have half-term, full term, PD days, and the kids are roaming loose around the world (instead of being held in captivity, which they should be until at least the age of 14) there is an almighty outbreak, within three days of them being released, of hideous germs that sweep through civilisation like a wildfire?!

This house has been infected with germs since just after the start of the last half term.  Toad came home with it.  To be fair, he may not have been the carrier, as the office is also riddled with coughs and sneezes.  I travel to work on public transport and for weeks those journeys have been like travelling with a TB epidemic.

I kid you not - anyone under 5' is infected with every germ known to mankind, and some that aren't yet discovered.  Seriously, every childless adult should be issued with a free-for-life supply of Dettol Wipes.

Anyhoo, it's Saturday, so it is my day to share a DIES TO DIE FOR make with you, and as I have been grumbling about children, here is Tessie The Teacher, who doesn't look as if she has been near a germ in her entire life!

Stamping Bella - Tessie The Teacher

Echo Park - For The Record 2 Documented

Die-Namics - Stitched Scallop Basic Edges

Memory Box - Parker Uppercase Alphabet

Memory Box - Varsity Numbers Background

The image, as always, has been painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and I have stamped and painted on Daler Rowney Bristol Board

Hope your weekend is sneeze free

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Dies to Die For on-line store

For my daddy

I love my daddy to bits, he is my hero.  Next weekend will be his birthday, and I always like to try and make him a card that is really relevant to either our relationship (amazing), or his hobbies and interests.

He has always been a bit of a handyman, although as mum often says "whatever your father makes never falls apart"- his items do tend to be rather heavy duty!

He has his sheds, of course, but he also has a part of the house that has evolved over the years into "the  Cubbyhole", which is where you can often find him hiding, tinkering with something or other.   I have many happy memories of spending hours with him, just pottering, and emerging smelling of wood shavings.  When I saw this stamp I had to have it just for him.

The ingredient for this are:

Lili of The Valley "The Workbench" stamp

and LOTV For Him Circular Sentiments (retired)

Spotty paper is Echo Park Birthday Wishes Boy

and I picked out one of the colours to use as the matting layers, a ProMarker on white card

I used the same colour for the buttons which are Impression Obsession dies

Image painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) used as watercolours

And as Sweet Stamping Challenge have a "Masculine" theme, it would be rude not to enter

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

In The Pink (DT) With Love

Yes, we know it's coming up - so over at IN THE PINK we are helping you get ready for the Day of Lurrrrve - our theme is, naturally, With Love.

Of course you don't HAVE to make it for your partner, it could be for a friend, your mum, your dad, whoever you want to say "I love you" too, and actually, in this strange ol' world we live in, I think it needs to be said a lot more often.

Here's my With Love themed card

(warning: it's quite pink)

Pink enough?!

So, I have used

CC Designs - Meoples Meowy (stamps and dies)

Die-Namics Inside-Out Stitched Rounded Corner Square

Echo Park papers

Hobbycraft heart punch

Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The sponsor for this challenge is DI'S DIGI STAMPS

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

Beary Special at DTDF

Happy Saturday everyone!  I'm pacing the floor a bit today as tomorrow is the Sincerely Yours Papercraft Show in Thetford and if all goes well, I'm hoping to visit.  Not only will the fabulous Tracy with her Dies To Die For be there, but I am hoping to be able to meet some of my new teamies AND my BBFF (that's Best Blogging Friend Forever)!  I have butterflies!

Anyhoo, down to business, it's my day for the Dies To Die For Design Team and here is my make:

So, I have used

MFT Beary Special Birthday
Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)
Sentiment from the Beary set - embossed in white

Echo Park Birthday Wishes Girl

Die-Versions Express Edges
I used the Birthday word but the Celebrate one would work equally well
Custom sized card base

Right then, I'm off to run around like a headless chicken - catch up with you soon
with a post Show report!

Hugs to all
Squirrel xx

Dies To Die For On-line Store

DTDF - the debut!

Morning all, thanks for calling by today, and a huge thank you for all your good wishes!

It's all happened rather quickly, but I have had over a week of grinning and itching to tell you all.

So, today is my debut appearance for the design team at

DIES TO DIE FOR BLOG

and I cannot thank Tracy and the girls enough for the opportunity

So, here we go with my first make

So, I bought this cheeky little chap last year as I thought he could be used for so much more than Valentine's but in the end he didn't get inked until this year - and it's still not for Valentine's

Stamp - CC Designs - Roberto's Rascals Valentine Henry

Sentiment - Whimsy Stamps - Bold Statements
Design paper - Echo Park - For The Record 2

I have painted Henry with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

The only extra ingredient is the black card for the matting layer to make him

pop out from the flowery background (which I absolutely lurrrve)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

DIES TO DIE FOR online store

Summer Sunshine

Hello chaps!  I'm in holiday mode now (for this week anyway) and thought I would start my break with a dose of sunshine for you.

I had been patiently waiting (ok, maybe not so patiently) for the arrival of my CC Designs June release and they plopped onto the doormat this week.  Naturally I was straight into them.

So, what do we have?

Image from the CC Designs Roberto's Rascals "Splashies" set of clear stamps

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers) and Polychromos Pencils

Papers are all old Papermania Colossal collections, except the green which is Echo Park

Dies used are:  MFT double stitched circle, Crealies stitched squares, MFT Sunny Skies and Impression Obsession Sunshine word die

So that's a little dollop of summer sunshine for you - I'm off to watching the qualifying session for this weekend's British Grand Prix.  (Wave to mate, Karina, who is there)

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

AYLI (DT) Favourite Animal

Morning all, time for another brilliant challenge from the AS YOU LIKE IT team, and this time the challenge is for you to use your favourite animal (and tell us why) for your make.

I found this a really difficult challenge as there are so many animals that I love to use on cards - cats, teddies, bunnies, hedgehogs, but when you have been called Squirrel for 30+ years then what else could it be?!

Loving these Nutty But Nice squirrels from Clearly Besotted

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

and cut out using the companion dies

Papers are stray sheets of Basic Grey and Echo Park

and I have used my favourite MFT inside out rounded corner stitched squares

The wonderful word die is a new one, to me, from Paper Smooches

The sponsor of this challenge is

Crafty Ribbons

£10 voucher

Hugs to all, and really looking forward to seeing your critters!

Squirrel xx

Chocks Away!

It's not often that I get to play along with challenges these days, but I had one of those "lucky" moments when a stamp I have had for ages and have been wanting to use just fitted perfectly with a challenge that posted at the weekend.

Less Is More #220 Up Up And Away

So, the stamp is Molly Blooms Chocks Away MB-0270J

Painted with Distress Inks (ReInkers)

Striped hillside is Echo Park Bundle of Joy, Dots & Stripes

Stitched border is Lil'inker Designs Border Builders set

Best Wishes sentiment is Clearly Besotted Sentimental Type clear sentiments set

Hugs to all

Squirrel xx

PS.  Adventurous cat's paws and Gathered Twigs DI ReInkers are not compatible with blue/grey dining room carpet.