New Christmas goodies

I'd been looking for some Christmas quickie makes inspiration, so when I spotted this Lil' Inker die I thought it would be perfect for some sparkly card I have.  But now that the postie has delivered it, I'm kinda stumped as to what to do with it!!
I'm not loving these not-very-inspired cards, feel free to contribute any suggestions!

• Layout from CAS Colours & Sketches #287
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #350/351 - anything goes
• Creative Inspirations August - holidays
• ABC Christmas - P is for plain

And this is my second effort, again all constructive criticism welcome.  I embossed the background to snazz it up a bit but I'm not lovin it!

Bunny love

It's been a yeucky damp old day today, definitely not a going out type of day!  I spent the morning clearing out cupboards (one of my favourite jobs, I love a good clear out!) and had a bit of crafty time this afternoon.
This one is inspired by Mandy's card, this week's featured stamper over at Splitcoaststampers.

I kept her bunny theme and added some pale pink sponging round the outside of my image but it doesn't really show up very well.
Image is an oldie from High Hopes, coloured with watercolour pencils, sparkle added to the bow, and gloss/glitter added to the flower and bitty hearts.

• Word Art Wednesday #348/349 - anything goes
• Sweet Stampin - birthday
• Seize the Birthday - any birthday
• Cute Card Thursday #544 - just for girls

Hey Gullfriend and thank you flowers

We've a nice long Bank Holiday weekend ahead, though I'm always kinda sad to see this one as there's no more freebie holidays this side of Christmas!

I've had no time or inclination for card making this past week as we've been getting work done in the house - the builders have all been really great but don't you just hate having them in the house. I never quite know what to do with myself!  I've a wee bit of painting to finish off, but then I'll also have to paint the hall/stairs to cover up some plaster work, and then once I've done that, all the woodwork and the doors will need done too.  Aarrgghhh!

This first card uses a scrap of this birdie DP I've been hoarding for a while.  I've used my seagull from Jane's Doodles and paired it with an MFT sentiment and MFT porthole die.  I popped my gull on foam pads and added some sparkle to his jumper and clear gloss to his beak etc.  Sentiment stamped on dark blue card.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #399
• Word Art Wednesday #348/349 - anything goes
• 
  

I don't think I've ever used white embossing on an image before, usually just for sentiments.  I just puddled in my watercolours and then fussy cut the flowers.  

I had a good clear out of all my bits and bobs of scrap paper today, but this little blue scrap of DP turned out to be the perfect size for what I needed! 

My flowers are an oldie set from Simon Says Stamp.

• Layout from Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge #SC711
• Pixies Snippets Playground #333
• Pile it On #145 - new technique
• Happy Little Stampers August watercolour challenge - flowers

More homework

Yippee, that's me caught up with all my homework for the MFT Summer School :)
Today's challenge is ombre.  Stephanie has a great video on the blog ... I always suffer from stash envy when I'm watching their videos!  Not only for the stamps and dies, but for stuff like all their ink pads, tacky tape,coloured card, and the list goes on and on and on!

For my card, I only have one blue ink pad (my dauber fell apart today which didn't help!) so I inked up my card the best I could and then used a couple of different shades of blue chalk through a wave stencil to help with the ombre effect.  I also added a few splashes.
Big fishies from Avery Elle and the little one from a Jane's Doodles set.  All popped up on foam pads, sparkle added to their fins and clear gloss to their eyes and teeth.  A few enamel dots to finish.

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - splatters
• Crafty Creations #372 - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #348-349 - anything goes
• Allsorts #480/1 - masculine

Summer School Homework

I've been catching up on my homework for MFT Summer School, not the easiest to do with a throbbing finger after catching it in the door and pulling a chunk out of it :(  Ouch!  Ah well, at least it took my mind off my toothache!  #oneofthosedays

This first one is for focal point.  I loved Karolyn's shaded background and layout too.  For mine I used this Whipper Snapper zebra - coloured with watercolour pencils, clear gloss added to his hooves and sparkle to the green bit on the umbrella.  I kinda wish I hadn't added the sentiment at the bottom though.

• colour theme from Just Us Girls #454 - green, aqua and pale yellow
• Creative Knockouts #259 - sparkle and shine
• Daily Marker 30 Day colouring challenge

This one is for rainbow.  Stephanie's tutorial was on how to use card strips to make a rainbow background.  

I have ready-made washi tape in rainbow colours, so I lined up a few strips onto card and then cut them with this Gummiapan flower die.  The strip in the middle is a dark navy, popped up on foam pads.  Bottom section embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. 

• Layout from Less is More #378
• Crafting by Designs August - anything goes
• Moving along with the times #78 - texture

And finally, for visual triangle.  

When I cut my flowers above I thought the leftover bits looked kinda like raindrops and they were too pretty to throw away!  

• Cardz 4 Guys - get well
• Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

Blues and greens

It's Summer School time again over at MFT and today's theme is monochromatic

Laurie has a gorgeous card over on the blog mainly using different coloured card, but I don't have such a fabulous collection so I used my watercolour pencils instead.  I pulled out 3 similar blues to colour her jumper.  I'd some snippets of white card stock left over so used it for a few die cuts and then coloured them in the same pencils.

• Pixie's Snippets Playground #332
• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #466
• Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

I'm not sure why my stamped leaves look a bit sludgy here, they're definitely greener in real life!!  I would get up and take a better pic, but I'm watching Orangutang Jungle School on telly and it's just the cutest thing ever!

Anyway, this card was made for the Library Challenge and the current book is The Jungle Book.  I've actually read the book this week ;)  And the film, in my opinion, gets the top award for the best song EVER ... you can't help but sing along with it and feel happy!
I used an oldie High Hopes stamp and added clear gloss to his teeth and eyes, and some sparkle to the vine leaves.  Background stamp from Simon Says Stamp.

• That's Crafty - animal magic
• 
  

Double take snowdudes

It's been a dark damp old evening, we seemed to have the lights on really early.  Come back sunshine!!
Anyway, I've been playing with my little MFT snowmen dies again.  I made the one on the left first, then figured the dimensions weren't quite right, so made the smaller framed one on the left.  For my next effort I'll make the scene on the right and use the sentiment from the left, and maybe that'll please me then ;)

• Happy Little Stampers August Anything Goes with Dies challenge
• Christmas with the Cuties #18 - add some sparkle
• Tuesday Throwdown #404 - anything goes
• Sweet Stampin Christmas in August

Animal Magic and Snow dies

I went crafty shopping today and had almost spent a small fortune, when I thought of all the goodies I already have in my cupboards, so I emptied my shopping basket and rooted out these oldies instead!

This little magician is from High Hopes, I really love all their old stamps :)  Coloured with watercolour pencils, sparkle added to his pink bow tie etc and clear gloss/glitter to the bunny's tail.  I found this bunny DP in my stash which was perfect for my image.  Little pink stars from stash.

• Layout based on CAS(e) this Sketch #284 though I flipped the sentiment/image panel
• That's Crafty - animal magic
• Tuesday Throwdown #404 - anything goes
• Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

This little snowdude die set was a gift from a bloggy buddy last year.  LOVE him, but he's a bit of a faff to put together!  It didn't help that I messed up the first snowman and had to cut another, but it gave him a bit of extra dimension so I'm happy enough!  The matching MFT snowglobe die was one of the goodies I almost bought ... but there's time yet for me to cave in and get it anyway ;)
Paper Smooches snowflakes; Simon Says Stamp sentiment.

• Layout from Your Next Stamp #95
• CHNC #398 - Christmas
• Paper Smooches August 2018
  
  anything goes
• Rudolph Days July

Retirement cards

These are some cards for members of our Board in work who's term is up, and these are the thank you cards from the staff.
First up is for Joe, he's always been super busy for us, so I reckon he'll be ready for a lie down!  I used this oldie from Penny Black.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and clouds chalked in the background.

• Cardz 4 Guys #200 - relax
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - make your own background
• Moving along with the times # 77 - for the boys
• That's Crafty - animal magic

Daily Marker Colouring Challenge

Next up is for Maire.  Apparently she's planning to spend more of her free time sailing.  My little sailboat is an oldie from High Hopes, Starfish is even older from Stampin Up and the little fishie is from my new Jane's Doodles set.

• Creative Inspirations August - holidays
• Crafting by Designs August - anything goes

And last up is for Cathy and I just took the floral route for this one - stamp from Prima - coloured with watercolours and sparkle added to the long purple flowers.  I'd a snippet of the pink card left and thought it needed a wee something, so after a lot of faffing about I added a few butterflies.

• Word Art Wednesday #346/347 - anything goes

Silly Simon

Ooooh I'm in love!  I came across Jane's Doodles stamps on a recent hop and couldn't resist a wee order!  I love the pure silliness of this set (called 'Simon')  I'd been lacking mojo recently, so this was just what the Craft Doctor ordered!  I reckon I need to get another wee order in before Brexit comes and knackers our customs and God knows what else!

Coloured with watercolour pencils.  MFT wonky circles die.

• Layout from Sketch Saturday #525
• Sweet Stampin - travel
• Crafty Calendar August - dots and stripes
• Die Cuttin Divas #380 - anything goes.

This card just makes me smile.  It features the seagull dude and smiley fish from the same set.  Burlap stamp from Swedish House Crafts and then blue splatters added.  Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

• AAA Cards #121 - friendship
• Word Art Wednesday #346/347 - anything goes
• Penny Black and More August - I spy - B = burlap
• Stamping Sensations August - your 'current' favourite challenge (this made me laugh, my newest set is always my favourite LOL)

August calendar

Yumm doesn't that watermelon look delish!  We had some in Alicante last year and couldn't believe the difference in the price, it was a tiny fraction of what we'd pay here.  Guess when our climate wouldn't normally grow them then you gotta pay the postage!!
I've been making these calendar pages for my Mum for a few years now - so you'd think I'd know by now how much space it takes to write the dates in!  I was cutting this kinda fine and only just managed to squeeze in Saturday ooops.  I've totally lost track of which stamps I've used, so I've no clue if I've used this cutie before or not.  She's an oldie from High Hopes, coloured with watercolour pencils and sparkle added to the watermelon.  I extended the grass line to make it fit my page better.
Sorry for the crappy photo, it's been a dark damp old day today.

Oh and I see that Kathy from the Daily Marker has a new colouring contest up, so that will keep me busy for August ;)

• Addicted to CAS #141 - summertime
• Make My Monday #76 - coloured image
• Word Art Wednesday #346/347 - anything goes