A crow and a chicken

It's been a dreary old damp day again ... our weather is completely up the left at the minute!  Snowy showers yesterday, rain and storms due again this week and then a colder snap towards the end of the week.  Not a bit of wonder half the country has the sniffles!  Good crafting weather though ;)

If you'd asked me a while back if I wanted a crow stamp, I would probably have said No.  But then again, I never knew that a crow could be so charismatic!  I love the slightly quizzical expression ... I'd love to know how Holly can draw such fab images with just a few strokes of a pen!
Crow stamp from Eat Cake Graphics ..
5073-E Crow Flapping Wings

Watercoloured BG;  weather die cuts from Lawn Fawn; Simon Says Stamp birthday die (cut using black funky foam).  Bling from stash.

• Layout from CAS(e) this Sketch #157
• Creative Card Crew #105 - anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Creative Knockouts #126 - birthday wishes
• Allsorts #348 - bring on the bling

My second card uses this fun farmyard set from My Favourite Things.  I popped my little chicken and nest up on dimensionals, and paper pieced the nest as I didn't have a pencil to match the yellow DP.
Dienamics photo frame die and wonky circles die.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch challenge MFTWSC265
• As you like it - one or multi layer - I usually go for a couple of layers as I like how the card feels more sturdy and I like how you can add colour with the DPs
• Simply Create Too #101 - something new (my circular dies and DP)
• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday January 2016 - something new (my circular dies and DP)

Baby Boy cards

I've no baby boy cards in my stash, and I figured that in future I'd make 2 to always be one ahead.  Sounds like a good idea eh?  We'll see  how that one goes ;)

For these cards I've used an older imge from Lili of the Valley which I love, he's such a cutie.  Both coloured with watercolour pencils.  I wasn't sure how they were going to go as I was using some old unloved DP from my stash, so I'm pleased with how they turned out in the end :)

Card 1: 

• Layout flipped from Share Joy #20
• Cardz for Guys #104 - spots / stripes
• CAS on Sunday #75 - paper piecing (the drum)
• Crafty Creations #307 - paper piecing
• Pixie's snippets playground #214

Card 2:

• Crafty Catz #309 - kids
• Layout from Seize the Birthday - I'm hoping a birth card counts as a birthday card!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Tuesday Throwdown TT278 - anything goes
• Crafting when we can #111 - celebrate an occasion

February calendars

I enjoyed making Mum's calendar last year, so thought I'd get in the act this year and have one on my desk in work too!  Mind you, it probably means that for most of the year I'll be late with 2 calendars instead of 1!!
I also have an issue with writing in a straight line - I see the dates are all on an upward tilt LOL.

Calendar 1: 
Images from Eat Cake Graphics ...
1016-J Main Squeeze
5039-C Daisy Mouse
Coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to his specs.  Clouds chalked in BG.

Calendar 2:
I've used an oooooold Stampin Up set here, but can't think of the name of it.  Coloured with watercolour pencils (and some white card coloured to match to make the banners and hearts)
Clear gloss added to his eyes.  Silver peel off and silver sequins from stash.
Water chalked in BG with a Simon Says stencil - it didn't reach all the way across and my 'join' was quite evident, so I framed my dates on this one.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Dream Valley #123 - something new (new month)
• Tuesday Throwdown TT278 - anything goes
• Bunny Zoe's challenge January - hearts
• Inspiration Destination #70 - anything goes

Quick kitty card

Hi All, just a wee quick card from me this evening.  I love these kittens from MFT, they're all sooooo cute!  I coloured mine with watercolour pencils and then fussy cut and popped up on dimensionals.  Background was splattered with watercolours in blue and red beforehand.  Simon Says Stamp birthday die cut; red sequins from stash.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - create with critters
• Addicted to CAS #80 - red
• Crafting when we can #111 - celebrate any occasion
• SUYP Cats Only challenge #2 - furrything goes
• Crafty Cardmakers #156 - punches / dies
• Tuesday Throwdown #TT278 - anything goes

Arthur Alooishus and a wee owl

Boo hoo Sunday evening already, I shouldn't be complaining though, I've already had 3 days off work last week!   It's been yet another dull damp day here, though I much prefer it to the crazy snow over in the US!

I had a nice time CASEing Michele's gallery over at Splitcoast, and ended up making not one but two cards!

Card 1
Here's Michele's original - I kept her general layout. I'd meant to emboss the brown panel but had it stuck down before I remembered!  My image is:
4005-E Arthur Alooishus in his stripe shirt 
from Eat Cake Graphics.  Coloured with watercolour pencils.

This is one of my new DPs and I'm not loving it, in fact, I'm not loving any of the 3 pads I bought.  Guess that teaches me to get the stuff I really really want instead of what's on sale :(

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - critters
• Bunny Zoe Crafts January - hearts
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge - January
• Addicted to Stamps #177 - make your mark

Card 2
Here's Michele's original - I kept her general layout again and I was inspired by her dotty DP to get out my Dienamics peek-a-boo dots die that hasn't seen daylight for a while!
Sentiment and image from Paper Smooches - coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to his eyes and to the hearts on the sentiment.

• Paper Smooches January challenge - 4 colours - pink / red / green / aqua (I'm hoping the different shades of pink still only count as 1 colour!)
• Allsorts #347 - Valentine's Day
• 613 Avenue Create #160 - anything goes

Butterflies, birds and blossoms

I had a couple of days off last week and got all my housework done and some spring cleaning, so I had a nice free day today.  Too dark, dreary and drizzly to go anywhere else but my craft room!

Card 1:

This card is based on Tracey's card over at the Muse Challenge - I used her general layout and colour theme.
My image is from Eat Cake Graphics:
1135-M Abundance (MMM - butterflies)
Coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to the butterfly wings.

• Muse Challenge #149
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - critters
• SUYP Cats challenge #2 - Furrything goes
• Penny's Challenge #261 - cats and or children

Card 2:

I was late to the Tim Holtz birds party, and I don't actually use it very much though I do like it!  This card is for my brother.  I watercoloured my background - looks darker in real life.  Simon Says sentiment die, and text from Paper Smooches.  Clear gloss added to his eyes and legs.  I was tempted to add a couple of blue sequins but I thought it might be a bit too girlie!

• Layout from Try Stampin on Tuesday #254
• Card 4 Guyz #103 - blue is the colour
• Addicted to Stamps #177 - make your mark
• Fab n Funky #288 - buttons or bows

Card 3

This card was inspired by the card over at CAS(e) this sketch ... I used these lovely stamps from Simon Says Stamp and coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to the flowers centres.  For my sentiment I die cut a strip using the large rectangle, and then used the same die to cut it again, kinda looks straight eh?   Green watercolour splashes to BG.

• Layout from CAS(e) this sketch #156
• Inspiration Destination #69- anything goes
• Creative Inspirations #343 - anything goes

Feelin the love

I had a good tidy of my stash cupboard today (yes, again!) and found this DP hiding in the back.  I thought I'd make a Valentine card, but I've already made one for His Nibs (I'll share that at another time).  I intentionally left the sentiment off so that it would maybe do for an anniversary card too.

My image is an oldie Whipper Snapper - coloured it with ordinary pencils instead of my watercolours for a change.  Red stickles added to the hearts.  Die-namics wonky stitched circle dies.

• Layout from Share Joy #19 - I also used hearts /glitter / embossing
• Creative Knockouts #125 - embossing
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - create with critters - though now I'm thinking of it, is a monster a critter?? 
• Addicted to Stamps #177 - make your mark
• Crafting when we can #110 - something new (my dies)
• Inspiration Destination #69 - anything goes
• Bunny Zoe's January challenge - hearts

Leaving Card

I had such fun making this card!  It's for a Spanish student in work who's been with us for a year but now his time is up.  It's been a joy to watch him having fun learning our colloquialisms and to hear him using them in his everyday speech.  Doesn't always go to plan though, so its even more hilarious when he uses a phrase incorrectly!   "The craic was ninety" translated in his head to "Nineties craic" which of course is absolute nonsense ;) Bwahahahaha (feel free to google it, it's not a rude one!)

I've used my Lawn Fawn weather dies and hand wrote in some of the sayings ... don't think I've ever shown my awful writing on the front of a card before!  I'll probably add in another few clouds but I'll listen to hear him saying them first as I just can't think.
Chalked clouds in sky.  Had to add in some raindrops as it seems like it's done nothing but rain all year here!  Image from Eat Cake Graphics: 8016-E Lewis and Trudy's wild ride - coloured with watercolour pencils.

• Tuesday Throwdown #277 - under the weather
• Cute Card Thursday #408 - a bit of fun
• Pile it On #99 - your first initial - L for Leaving card
• Inky Chicks #61 - anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - best friends

CAS Sympathy

I've had a bit of a run on sympathy cards from my stash, so need to get making these again.  It's definitely easier to make them when you don't know who they're for!

This one uses an oldie stamp from Cornish Heritage Farm - coloured with watercolour pencils and Wink of Stella added to the flower centres.  I added the dotty effect round my image with copic markers ... I decided after I took this pic that the bottom right corner was annoying me, so added a few random dots there too!

• Layout from Try Stampin on Tuesday #254
• CASology #181 - 'clear' (my mason jar)
• 613 Avenue Create #159 - anything goes

A three-fer

It's been a dark dreary old day today, but on the bright side the drop of snow that arrived on Thursday has long gone.  Hurrah.  A day or two of that nonsense is enough for me ;)
Anyway, I've had a busy card making day and have rediscovered some old oldies  ...

Card 1 - Wedding Birds
Now why haven't I used thise cute birdies from Art Gone Wild before now? ... I've no idea!   I added a touch of watercolours to my birds, and clear gloss to the beaks, and Wink of Stella to his bow tie and her flower.  Simon Says Stamp heart die.  My DP is an odd shade (sort of a sagey geen/grey) but I love how this card turned out!

• Layout / love theme from Share Joy #18
• Die Cuttin Divas #248 - bird
• Sweet Stampin - things with wings
• Bunny Zoe's challenge January - hearts
• Crafty Cardmakers #155 - 'new' baby / home / marriage etc

Card 2 - doggy theme

I bought this stamp ages ago thinking I'd use it loads, but I think this is maybe the second time it's been inked. I added some watercolouring to parts of the image (from Great Impressions) and then popped the little doghouse up on dimensionals.  Clear gloss also added to the bowl, bone and paw print. I also managed to use up a few snippets lying around my table :)

• Layout from Mojo Monday #430
• Cards 4 Guys #102 - male birthday
• Tuesday Throwdown #276 - add dimension
• Pixie's Snippets #212

Card 3 - card for Marlene

Using up some DP here ... I reckon it should have been horizontal rather than vertical, but beggars can't be choosers and it's good to get this used up.  Whipper Snapper image - coloured with watercolours.  Clear gloss added to the flower centres and mouse's nose.  WOS added to flowers.  Simon Says sentiment die - it was kinda lost in my snazzy DP, so I covered it with clear gloss and it looks much better.  New wonky stitched die from Die-namics.

• Get Creative #30 - something new (my die)
• Creative Inspirations #342 - florals
• Layout from The Sketchy Challenge #93
• Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #260 - anything goes

Blue sympathy

I've no sympathy cards in my stash, and I hate making them for such a sad occasion ... but then probably most crafters hate making them too!

Simon Says Stamp have an ombre challenge this week, so I thought I'd have a go.  I just used my chalks and layered it on a bit heavier at the top.  Whipper Snapper stamp - coloured with watercolour pencils.  Paper Smooches sentiment.  Die-namics scribble die.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club MFTWSC263
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - ombre
• Crafty Catz #306 - flowers
• Sweet Stampin' - flowers
• Addicted to Stamps and More #176 - anything goes

Robot party

I haven't got many masculine stamps, so this robot one is definitely a 'go-to' one for quickie makes!  They definitely look in the party mood!

Stamps from Eat Cake Graphics ...
1053-S The Boys (stick robots)
8151-D Happy birthday (fun text)

Coloured with watercolour pencils.  I also coloured a scrap of card in the same colours and used it to die cut my stars.  Clear gloss added to their eyes and buttons.

• General layout based on this week's featured stamper at Splitcoast, here's the card I chose to case.
• Stamping Sensations January - use a die
• Time Out #47 - Birthday
• Seize the Birthday - anything birthday
• 613 Avenue Create #158 - anything goes / option - birthday
• Simply Create Too #100 - it's party time

Super quick kitty card

Sorry, this isn't a great photo of my card, I hadn't realised my kittens were a bit fuzzy but I've sat down now and am not getting up again ;)

Anyway I felt I had to share it .... it's a rare day I get to finish a paper stack, but it's almost even rarer to finish a sheet of peel offs!  These kitten stickers have been knocking round my stash for absolute years, but no longer! Hurrah for me ;)  I had 2 kittens left, so one went inside the card and then I stuck the other to the envelope.
Sentiment and paw print from Paper Smooches.

• Layout from Try Stampin' on Tuesday #252
• CASology #179 - simple
• Creative Knockouts #123 - anything goes

ETA: Featured card at Try Stampin on Tuesday :)

Flowery giraffe

More new goodies on this card, this time my wonky stitched circles from Dienamics.
I've also used one of the new Stamping Bella images that I won in a recent hop ... Gigi the Giraffe Stuffie.

Coloured with watercolour pencils.  I think I need to change the colour of my leaves and grass to a greener green they don't look quite right here!
Clear gloss added to the flower centres, hooves and butterfly.

• Layout flipped from the Stamping Bella challenge 
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - something new
• Cute Card Thursday #407 - what's new
• Creative Inspirations #342 - florals

New Goodies!

Hurrah... my postie delivered my new crafty goodies today :)  I got these stitched star dies and another set of circle dies from Dienamics, a few DP pads, and enough gems to last me a lifetime LOL.  Reckon that's my crafty stash budget blown for a while ;)

• This week's challenge at Sketch Saturday #394 was a good one to practice my stars on!  
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - something new
• Natalie and Amy #40 - thank you
• Fab'n Funky #286 - something new
• Creative Knockouts #123 - anything goes

Guilty conscience ;)

Yip I've been shopping for crafty goodies, so thought I'd have a go at finishing a pack full of scraps!  Nearly made it with these 3, but there's still a few wee bits that still need using up.

Card 1: Hoppy Birthday
I found this sentiment when I was rooting round my stamps looking for something else, and then spent another 20 minutes looking for this froggy stamp!  Can't think of the maker, if I remember I'll add it in tomorrow.
Coloured with watercolour pencils; clear gloss added to his eyes; Wink of Stella to his paler green spots.  Gold, green and pink sequins from stash.

• Layout from The Challenge #55
• 613 Avenue Create #157 - anything goes; option CAS
• 2 Creative Chicks January - anything goes

Card 2: Missing You Doggy

This is another stamp that I can't remember the make of.  His expression is kinda like our wee Ruby today who had an unexpected visit to the vet and ended up getting a tooth out.  Think she's in a bit of a huff with us now :(

Watercoloured BG.  Clear gloss to the dog's nose.  Paper Smooches heart die.  Gold peel off strip and gold sequin from stash.

• Layout inspired by Michele's card over at the Muse Challenge #147.  I copied her strip down the side and the stitched die cut image.
• CASology #179 - simple
• My Time to Craft #312 - friendship

Card 3: Party Cow

Now this stamp I do know ... def a Penny Black oldie!  Coloured with watercolours.  Clear gloss added to her wellies and horns.  Green sequins from stash.  Sentiment from MFT.

• Pixie's Snippets Playground #210 - use a snippet
• Penny Black Saturday January - anything goes
• Layout flipped from Mojo Monday #429
• Creative Inspirations #342 - floral

January 2016 calendar page

Yes I know it's the 5th of January and I'm only getting round to my calendar page now ... but sure for the most of the month you've no idea what day it is anyway ;)  You might think it doesn't look very wintry, but we've had the mildest and wettest winter so far since records began!  Even the grass is still growing, and my daffodils are all pushing up like crazy, they've no idea what season it is, never mind what day!

I've tried a new technique for me with this one  --- yeah, go me! --- ink smooching!  I couldn't find any acetate type paper, so I just got a large dinner plate, added a touch of water and some splashes of watercolour paint, dipped the paper in, and Bob's your Uncle!  Love it!

I've used one of my new stamps from Eat Cake Graphics:  1074-G Stuart and puppy Scooter fly
Clear gloss added to the wheel centres and to his goggles.  Wink of Stella added to the raindrops.  I also added in some grass to the bottom (Martha Stewart punch) but it doesn't show up well in the photo. Lawn Fawn cloud dies.  I hand wrote my dates as I kinda like the effect, plus it means I can slot it in wherever suits.

• Crafty Calendar January - something new
• Stamping Sensations January - use a die
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - something new
• Creative Knockouts #122 - all things new
• Sweet Stampin - something new
• Allsorts #344 - what's new
• Cute Card Thursday #406 - anything goes

Tulip Congratulations

Well the news from last night is that I did win the Lottery .... bad news was that it was only 3 numbers so I'm afraid I can't give up work with £25 ;)

One of my crafty resolutions was to try some new techniques, so I thought it was about time I had a go at the watercolour background that's doing the rounds.  I read a great tip somewhere to tape your card down first with masking tape before watercolouring and then it doesn't distort so much.
Unfortunately my card didn't photograph well, my BG looks a bit darker in real life and I LOVE how it turned out :)

My image is an ooooooold Penny Black stamps, it may well have been one of the first PB stamps I bought and I haven't used it in such a long time.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and pink stickles added to the dots.

• Penny Black Saturday January - anything PB
• As you like it - anything goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #210
• Simon Says Stamp - party / celebrate
• Cute Card Thursday #406 - anything goes
• ABC challenge - Y for your choice

Kitty Snack

Ack I can hardly believe it's Saturday night already, one more day and then it's back to the grindstone!  Unless I win the super-dooper mega lottery tonight that is ;)  (I'll keep you posted on that one LOL)

My image and sentiment are from Penny Black and coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to their eyes and to the birdies beaks and feet.

• Layout from Share Joy #16
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge January - anything Penny Black
• Seize the Birthday - anything #birthday
• Naughty or Nice #23 - let's get silly
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - party / celebration