Happy Easter

Hot off the press, my last Easter card of the year .. me? Last minute? Never!  LOL

 Bunny with Gift and Easter sentiment - both from High Hopes - stamped with Memento Black and coloured with pencils.  Though I just realised I forgot to fluff up his tail, so I'll have to get my white flowersoft out.

Hope you have a good Easter whatever you're up to ... we'll be heading down to Mum's for the usual family feast!





Sketch from Papertake Weekly - though at the last minute I had to flip the sketch BG as my carrot ribbon looked a bit odd when it was vertical!

Crafty Creations #215 - Easter
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Totally Papercrafts #160 - metal (I used staples to secure my ribbon)
Creative Inspirations #207 - Easter Wishes
The Squirrel and the Fox #40 - Easter or Passover

J+C Creations March challenge - Easter

Purrfect Pressies

Hee, I love this fun kitty set from Paper Smooches - doesn't he look like he's just received his purrfect pressies!
Did lots of paper piecing here, right down to the little fish, so although it's CAS it took aaages to make.

Sketch from Annabelle Stamps #159
Polka Doodles #13 - paper piecing
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Party Time Tuesday #130 - anything goes

CAS Balloons

I'm just about to get dinner ready so this is just a quick post - Caribbean Pepperpot Stew ... super tasty and perfect for a chilly day!  (I think it's my fave Slimming World recipe!)

This card was inspired by this week's Muse challenge #10.  I chalked on some clouds and added a few balloons from an old Creative Inspirations set - the large lilac one is popped up on dimensionals.

Charisma Cardz #12 - Happy Birthday
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Creative Card Crew #32 - masculine


ETA: Honorable Mention at Muse Challenge!

Hoppy Easter

Ohhh, I'm so looking forward to complaining about it being too warm LOL  My toes are like slabs of ice.  I shouldn't complain though, at least the snow where I live is rightly melted, but its still bitterly cold.  In some parts of Northern Ireland there are still awful snowdrifts and roads impassible - the military are helping with air drops to farms.  Unfortunately its lambing season here, so a lot of the animals are really suffering.  Not good. :(

I think this bunny is one of my favourite Paper Smooches stamps, and the alpha set is one of the most useful. I was inspired by the current Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge - I took the main colour theme, fancy edge, and mostly white base; I didn't have any card pale enough for the centre panel, so had to use some kraft stuff.  And the buttons in the pic reminded me that I had this wee button embossing folder in my stash, I think it was maybe one of the first embossing folders I bought and have rarely used since!

Party Time Tuesday #113 - anything goes
Cuttlebug Mania - Easter Inspiration
Oldie but a Goodie - Easter
The Pink Elephant #192 - Clean and simple
The Squirrel and the Fox #40 - Easter or Passover

ETA: Runner up at Cuttlebug Mania!

Eggstravaganza 3

Last bunny for the evening!  Again coloured with pencils - bow in image paper pieced.
I made a bit of a boo-boo when I was sticking down my central panel and didn't stick it straight. Doh!
Image and sentiment from High Hopes.
CC designs fence die; Martha Stewart grass punch.

Layout flipped from Freshly Made Sketches #78
Simon Says stamp - Easter / Spring
Dies to Die for March challenge - Spring

Eggstravaganza 2

I found this carrot ribbon in my stash that I bought years ago with the intention of using it on my Easter cards, and I don't think I ever have :)

Bunny coloured with pencils, and central panel popped up on dimensionals.

Simon Says stamp - Easter / Spring
Pile it on #12 - dots
Papertake Weekly - Easter treats
Totally Papercrafts #159 - Easter Eggstravaganza
Cute Card Thursday #261 - Easter Parade
My Mum's Craft shop #3 - Spring has sprung

Eggstravaganza

Brrrr, it's an awfully cold night.  Thankfully there's a bit of a thaw on, so hopefully this snow won't last much longer (couple of days of it is enough for me LOL) and at least there won't be the chaos trying to get to work in the morning that there was on Friday!

Lots of Easter cards to show you this evening ... I tend to make the cards for my family (Christmas too) using the same image, so that I know next year not to use that one!  This year's choice is Bunny with Gift and Easter sentiment - both from High Hopes.

This bunny is coloured with promarkers; whimsy butterfly die and CC designs fence die; flower soft on fluffy tail.

Sketch from Monday Lunchtime #255
Papertake Weekly - Easter Treats
Passion for Promarkers #190 - butterfly
I love Promarkers - anything goes
Penny's Paper Crafty challenge #119 - gingham/checks
Simon Says stamp - Easter / Spring
Charisma Cardz #11 - die cuts

Snow Day and School Days

Well the weather men got it exactly right, so I take back all my scepticism! ... it started snowing last night and it's been blowing a blizzard ever since!  I spent 2 hours this morning trying to get down all the usual routes to work, but they were all blocked and even the motorway was totally stationery.  So back home I went.  And our heating promtply went off!!  How's that for Sod's Law LOL.  But an emergency fill of oil later and we're all nice and cosy.
Apart from Ruby that is ... she loves nothing better than maggoting about in the snow head first!  Daft dog.  We're due more of the same tomorrow, so it may turn out to be a crafty day :)

My card today uses an old High Hopes image - School Boy and A+ sentiment
I actually got my heat embossing gun out for the sentiment (gasp, I was expecting it to have rust on it, it's been so long since I used it) I couldn't find any white embossing powder, so ended up using some sparkly stuff.  School Boy coloured with pencils and popped up on dimensionals; clear gloss added to his apple.
Dienamics notebook edge die.

Sketch flipped from Card Crafters Circle #67
Stampin for the Weekend - Child's play
Charisma Cardz #11 - die cuts
Creative Card Crew #32 - masculine
Penny Black at Allsorts March Challenge - one for the boys

Baby Girl

Well we're preparing to batten down the hatches here!  There's a forecast for over 30cm of snow tomorrow ... considering we panic and come to a standstill if there's more than a couple of inches, this could be very interesting!! Mind you, our weathermen tend to be a bit excitable, so we'll see, though the wind definitely is getting a bit wild out there and it's bitterly cold.  I do hope we DON'T get another pile of snow, I've officially had enough of winter!
ETA The weather men were right!  Will share pics later if I get out at all)

I've plenty of birthday cards in my stash, but not much of anything else, so here's a wee baby girl card for you.  Coloured with my pencils, fence and scallop dies from Taylored Expressions.  Paper Smooches sentiment and Wild Rose Studio image.

Charisma Cardz #11 - die cuts
Divas by Design - babies and toddlers
Bunny Zoe's March challenge - girly
By the Cute and Girly March challenge - your favourite things (pretty DP's, butterflies, bling, die cuts)
A Blog Named Hero #22 - freestyle

Dots and Stripes

It's Tuesday, so it's time for a new challenge at High Hopes, and this week it's

Dots and Stripes

(you have to use a High Hopes stamp and the prize is a new HH stamp of your choice)

I still have a few Easter cards to make, so you might be seeing Bunny With Gift again!  My light grey copics have expired, so I coloured my bunny with pencils and then my egg and grass with promarkers. Flowersoft added to his fluffy tail.
Sentiment also from High Hopes: Dot Happy Easter

Other Challenges:
Layout from Sweet Sunday #180
House of Gilli #51 - anything goes with flowers and/or ribbon
Cute Card Thursday #260 - anything goes
Sweet Stampin - Easter
There She Goes #199 - anything goes
Tammy's Scrapin Corner #54 - Easter

Whaley sick?

And finally for the evening, a wee get well card.  I've had a lovely 'stampy' weekend, but back to the grindstone tomorrow. Booo.
Ah well, not long till we're off again at Easter :)

Image from High Hopes: Spoutin' Off
Paper Smooches alpha set.
Little anchor from stash.
Wave border die from Taylored Expressions.

Layout from Retro Sketches #55
One Stop Craft #220 - anything goes
Crafty Catz #174 - are you up for a laugh
Natalie and Amy's March challenge - die cuts

Xmas Card #06

Brrrr, its cold enough for snow again here.  I'm not long back from a walk with Ruby-doo, and even she wasn't hanging about for a sniff!  Definitely an evening for turning the heat on and getting my cosy socks out :)

This card was inspired by this week's featured stamper at Splitcoast - here's Nancy's original
My image is from Sugar Nellie, and sentiment from Paper Smooches.

Merry Monday #18 - snowman theme
Totally Gorjuss #175 - something old (my stamp and my embossing folder)
The Sugar Bowl #101 - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge #116 - merry and bright
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra March - anything Christmas
No matter Which #7 - anything goes

Miaaaaow

I love these sweet kitties from Paper Smooches.  I masked off my central one to stamp the other two, and then popped the image up on dimensionals.  I was trying to make it look like they were sitting howling on the fence (do cats howl? LOL)  I meant to add some musical notes, but kinda ran out of room!

Layout based on sketch from Paper Smooches SPARKS
Kaboodle Doodles #162 - 3D
Fab'n Funky #162 - add a sentiment
Cute Card Thursday #260 - anything goes
Colour theme from The Play Date Cafe #173 (though in my photo my DP looks a bit reddy than coral!)
Stamp and Create - fur or feathers
Stamping Sensations March challenge - the great outdoors

Happy St Patrick's Day

No drowing the shamrock for me this year, these days St Patrick's Day just means a free day off work, plus I treated myself to Friday off too, so it's a lovely looong weekend :)  It's a bit brrrrr-chilly though, we'd sleety snow this morning, hopefully the weather wises up a bit for the St Patrick's Day parades.

My cute Paddy is from High Hopes - Leapin Leprechaun - coloured with promarkers and gold glitter added to his buckle details.  Shamrocks have green stickles added to centres, the odd one is popped up on dimensionals, but doesn't really show up in pic.

Sketch from Simon Says Stamp
Card Crafters Circle #66 - Everyone's Irish
Cute Card Thursday #260 - anything goes
Creative Inspirations #205 - good luck / St Patrick's Day
Passion for Promarkers #189 - from around the world (Ireland)
Party Time Tuesdays #111 - luck of the Irish
Tammy's Scrapin Corner #53 - include a shamrock
There She Goes #198 - shades of green

'Celebrate'

Our new challenge at High Hopes is a nice easy one ...

Celebrate

So Birthday, Retirement, new baby ... any celebration with your High Hopes stamps!

My card uses Watson - he's coloured with pencils but I couldn't quite tell you what colour he is though!  I started off with orange to match my DP but he just looked sick, so then I added some umber, still not right, so in went a wee touch of dark brown, and I think he looks like he doesn't quite need a visit to the vet now!
Sparkly black peel off sentiment; card candy coloured with black marker and black stickles added to match the sentiment.  Little silver bone from stash.






Other Challenges:
Critter Sketch challenge #155 - Twine
Totally Papercrafts #157 - Punches/Dies
Stamping Sensations March challenge - the great outdoors
Stamptacular Sunday 206 - to DIE for

Happy Mother's Day

Just a quickie post tonight, there's a good evening's viewing on the telly (...for a change!)
This is the card I gave my Mum - image from Lili of the Valley, coloured with promarkers and central panel popped up on dimensionals.
The layout was inspired by the Muse challenge, but I'm too late to enter it now.

Everybody Art #226 - butterfly
Passion for Promarkers #188 - for a lady
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Cuttlebug Mania #01 - butterfly
Creative Inspirations #204 - Happy Mother's Day
Simon Says - a bit o' green
Lili's Little Fairies - a card for Mum
Totally Gorjuss #174 - for Mum
Joanna Sheen - Mum's the word
Dream Valley #52 - Mother's Day

Baby Boy card

Remember I said Spring was on it's way?  Well I take it all back,it's absolutely Baltic today!
Perfect for staying in with the heat on and crafty stuff on the table ;)  This is the only project I have for show'n'tell - I've spent most of the day working on Wedding invitation cards for a friend but I'll not share them till they're finished.

Image from Wild Rose Studio coloured with pencils;  orange balloons and clouds popped up on dimensionals; hand stitched border.

Crafty Catz #173 - all stitched up
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday #96 - up, up and away
Penny Black at Allsorts March challenge - one for the boys
Stamping Sensations March challenge - the great outdoors

Welcome Spring

Gasp, I don't know what's wrong with me ... no glitter, no bling, no baker's twine!! :)
I got this lovely Paper Smooches in the post today from a candy win from Simon Says Stamp blog and I couldn't wait to get some ink on it!
Other than the tree trunks, everything else was paper pieced.  Couldn't get a decent pic though, for some reason my fence turned out a bit greeny rather than bright white.
Trees and birdie popped up on dimensionals.

Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club MFTWSC114
Simon Says ... a bit o'green
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Crafty Creations #212 - green
Oozak #12 - anything goes with spring

Anything High Hopes

This week's challenge at High Hopes is

Anything Goes

(High Hopes images only)
I think this little snow dude (Snowy Portrait) is one of my favourite HH images - coloured with pencils, though I added the details in his face with copics.
Marianne Design snowflake die.





Other Challenges:
Natalie & Amy's Challenge #7 - diecuts
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra March - anything Christmas
Joanna Sheen challenge - layer it up
Papertake Weekly challenge - anything goes

Hippy Car?

Is it just me, or is Blogger acting up tonight?  I can't see my header and my sidebar settings seem to be a bit up the left, and I've noticed a few other blogs look a bit odd too.  Ah well, hopefully he'll sort himself out!

This week's challenge at There She Goes is to CASE a Trendsetter - I chose Torico's 'Scootin By' card from this post.
I bought this stamp at the craft show in Belfast quite a few years ago and don't think I've ever actually inked it up.  Bad me.  I paperpieced everything on the wee car, including the wheels and headlights!
Sentiment from Paper Smooches.

There She Goes #196 - CASE a trendsetter
Cute Card Thursday #258 - something old
Simon Says ... anything goes
Tammy's Scrapin Corner #51 - paper piecing

Pink Kittiness

I'm in a definite CAS mode this weather!  I thought I'd have a go at the polaroid effect, not sure if it actually looks like a photo or not LOL!
I've inked this fabulous kitty from my new Paper Smooches set for the first time and have used the inspiration from their current SPARKS picture perfect challenge.  I interpreted the pic as a 'love' theme ... I reckon this kitty would love to have ate all those fishies, he certainly looks pleased enough with himself!  Added a wee heart from another PS set.

CAS-ual Friday CFC92 - make your own wallpaper
The Pink Elephant #188 - anything goes
Use it Tuesday #50 - an uninked stamp
Simon Says - anything goes
Totally Gorjuss #173 - anything goes with pink

New Goodies

I was lucky enough to win some candy from All That Scraps a few weeks ago, and chose this cuuuuute Kitty set from Paper Smooches and this fab fence die from CC Designs.

I was following the colour theme from the 10 minute craft dash for this one ... the trick of this challenge is to have a definite idea of your layout (mine usually changes as I go along, so this is a toughie for me) and have all your dies and stamps ready to use.  (Though I must confess that I have a stash of these clouds pre-cut)
Total time: 9 mins 34 seconds.
I decided later that it needed 'something' so added a couple of pink butterflies up in the top right corner, but I took my pic before I added them as that would have put me outside the 10 minute deadline.

Colour theme from 10 minute craft dash #12
Sweet Stampin - it's all embossing
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes