Christmas Kitties

 Hi all!  Gosh I can hardly believe it's already the end of November already, how did that happen!!! I really need to get a shift on with my Christmas cards, I am sooooo behind.  I've been shopping with Purple Onion Designs so hopefully that will gee me on! 

This one uses some die cut trees, white splatters to the background, some snowy sequins; image coloured with polychromos, popped up on foam pads and some sparkly glitter to the kitty's boots.

Simon Says Stamp Monday - trees

Fab'n Funky #605 - dies +/or punches

Addicted to Stamps #482 - Christmas 

Baby card for Patsy

 I think baby cards are one of my favourite type of cards to make, and made easier now I know how to personalise it with my printer instead of having to cut or stamp all the words!  (In case you're wondering, her name is Irish and pronounced eefa) This little baby image from Lili of the Valley is an old fave - coloured with polychromos and a wee touch of clear gloss added to the lettering on the label. I managed to find a scrap of pink card for the die cut hearts the same shade as my sentiment, one of those little things that just makes you happy! 

Crafty Calendar November - anything goes 

Addicted to Stamps #481 - make your mark

Word Art Wednesday #673/674 - anything goes 

The Cutie Pie challenge #200 - special occasion 

I haven't shared a pic of Miss Molly for a while, so here she is having a great time crunching through the leaves. 

A birthday bear for Sandra, and Betty's birthday card

Evening all!  Well such a beautiful bright sunny Autumn day we had today, made a nice change!! And I doubt it will be like it tomorrow with Storm Ashley on its way and gales and rain due.  We've had lots of Brent Geese arriving this past while, so hopefully the wind doesn't blow them off track!  I absolutely LOVE to see them flying in formation overhead, honking away to each other. 

Anyway, I haven't been very inspired recently so was pleased that I actually enjoyed making this card!  Image from Lili of the Valley, coloured with polychromos.

Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #778

Addicted to Stamps #479 - any occasion 

Fab'n Funky #602 - fur or feathers

Word Art Wednesday #669/670 - anything goes 

And just sharing this one for my own records, but it's very similar to another I made a while back... 

Ryan's birthday card

 Hi all, here this evening with my nephew's birthday card.  Unbelievable that he's 21 already, it's no time since he was only a wee nipper!  I was totally stumped what to put on his card so got out my star dies and got a bit carried away LOL 

The blue card has a bit of sparkle in it and the shiny numbers are double mounted and popped up on foam pads.  I also added some metallic paint splatters to the background, and a few red gems for good measure.  

Seize the Birthday #292 - celebrate 

Addicted to Stamps #478 - birthday 

Word Art Wednesday #667/668 - anything goes

Feel better soon

 Hi all, I'm back!  I've taken a bit of a break from blogging and haven't been making an awful lot of cards, but I'm determined to get back into the swing of things now the darker evenings are here.  

So here's a wee get well card - I couldn't think of what to use for a bloke but came up with this and then the inside reads "hope you're back to full strength soon", I think it works ok 🤪

Image from MFT, coloured with polychromos and popped up on foam pads; clear gloss added to the weights and his tache.

As You Like It - favourite die - my favourite die is usually my latest one (this burlap die) but my most used die is my stitched square set and I use them on 99.9% of my cards, mainly because I'm rubbish at cutting anything straight LOL 

Addicted to CAS #268 - masculine 

We Love Stamping September - colour something 

Ruth's birthday card

 Hi all, here this wet cold summer's day to share my sister's birthday card.  I can't believe it's almost the middle of July and we're STILL having to put the heating on!!!  Mind you, looking at the heatwave in America I don't think that would please me either! 

I've used my bunny alpha's from LOTV - coloured with polychromos and clear gloss + glitter added to the letters.  

Colour theme from MFT Colour challenge #240, a shame that they're stopping their challenges ☹️

Addicted to Stamps #471 - make your mark

Cut it Up #307 - critters

Snippets Playground #484 - my flowers were cut from some leftover card

Andrea's Birthday card

 Hi all, I can't believe it's been over a month since I last blogged.  I have made a few cards (forgot to take pics) but my mojo is sorely lacking so there hasn't been a lot created!  I'm blaming the weather - our summer so far has been rubbish!  I think we had 3 or 4 days of shorts weather ( which I spent fence painting!) and since then it's been fleeces and raincoats!  Awful that it's almost mid-summer's day and we still have the heating on!

Anyway, here to share this card I made for my sister-in-law.  I bought a few sets of these LOTV stamps in the sale, so you'll be seeing more of them, they're always a pleasure to colour.

Colour theme from MFT Colour challenge #238

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - bright and cheerful 

Make My Monday - B is for Birthday Bear

AAA Birthday #62 - cute

And seeing as I haven't shared one for a while, here's a wee pic of Miss Molly enjoying a snooze in the garden...

Guest Designing at AAA Birthday (Aunt Renee's birthday card)

I'm delighted to be Guest Designer over at AAA Birthday, and this month's challenge is a nice easy one ...

You can play along at AAA Birthday, hope to see you there!

For my card I've used this lovely cupcake stamp from Lili of the Valley, doesn't it look good enough to eat!  (I thought my entire life that I didn't like cherries and then last year tasted one and it was delicious!!). A wee bit of shading to the background, a few metallic splatters and a leftover diecut flower was all it needed to finish it.

Snippets Challenge #479 - my snippet is my flower which was cut from a little scrap of yellow card

Word Art Wednesday #645/646 - anything goes 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - feminine 

Floral kitty

 Hi all.  I was very lucky to win a Simon Says Stamp challenge recently and this cutie from Purple Onion Designs was one of the goodies I chose.  I wanted to use some spotty paper but didn't have any so just used some plain yellow paper (not sure why it looks darker in the photo as its definitely bright yellow), my falling snow stencil and a white gel pen.  I haven't decided yet what sentiment to use on this, I might just keep it in my stash for whenever it's needed. 

My pink wellies and spotty yellow theme came from the current challenge over at Inspired By #286

As You Like It - clean or fussy.   I always love the look of cards with lots of layers and bits and bobs on them but find them impossible to make myself!  It took me many years when I was starting to make cards to figure this out and I now know what bits and bobs to buy that I will actually use! 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes 

Addicted to Stamps - 466 - make your mark

We've had a lovely run of dry-ish weather this past week, spring has most definitely sprung!  So nice as well not to have to dry Molly's wee short mucky legs after every walk LOL.  No photo of Molly this week, but here's one of the pretty primroses in our local park, there was loads of wild garlic too.

Floral sympathy

Hi all!  I always like to have a few sympathy cards in my stash but don't have any at the minute, so I'm aiming to get a few made. For this one I've used this lovely floral stamp from Penny Black. Not sure where that background die was from.  Image coloured with polychromos and popped up on foam pads.

Floral/colour theme from The Card Concept #206 

Layout from Inspired By #IB284

Word Art Wednesday #643/644 - anything goes 

Snippets Playground #478 - the little bit of blue card leftover from my diecut was just the perfect size for my sentiment

I love this time of year with the brighter evenings and plants all springing to life, but our weather has been absolute pants! It feels like it has rained almost every single day since September.  The bright side of not being able to tackle the garden is that I've been having a good clear out!  My craft stashed is all sorted and tidied and this morning I raided out the crockery cupboard - next on my hit list is the good old junk drawer! 

Leaving card for Ryan

 Hi all. I'm here this windy old evening to share a card for a work mate who has a new job with a company who makes films for the farming community.  I don't think I have any farmer stamps in my stash but figured these critters from an old MFT set would be perfect...

Coloured with polychromos and the pig and chickens popped up on foam pads.  Grass and cloud stencils for the background.

Addicted to Stamps #465 - die +/or stencil

As You Like It - cute or floral.  Looking through my stash I do have quite a few floral stamps, but they're definitely well outnumbered by my cutest ones! 

Allsorts #775 - for the love of animals 

Miss Molly is fast asleep on the sofa as I type here.  So in her usual fashion of looking not one bit comfortable (and very unladylike LOL)....

Happy Easter

A very happy Easter to you all!  We've had the most glorious sunny spring day, and I'm delighted that the clocks moved forward today too! You definitely feel more like getting up and doing stuff when it's brighter outside!

My Easter cards were all a variation of this one, not a stamp or ounce of colouring in sight!  My cute bunny die was a purchase from Creative Depot (I think) a while back.  These were all cut with shiny silver card and then I added loads of chunky glitter to their sweet bunny tails.  The background embossing folder is from an old Simon Says Stamp kit.

Simon Says Stamp Monday - emboss it

Papercraft #104 - Easter 

CAS on. Friday - dies only

I haven't shared a photo of Molly lately, so here's a silly one of her sitting on the stairs.  She perches her butt on one step and then her feet are on the one below.  Doesn't look one bit comfortable!  Daftie.

Mother's Day card

Hi all, popping in with my Mother's Day card which I almost forgot to share.  I've used my lovely new bunny alphas from Lili of the Valley, aren't they the cutest! I added gloss and lots of glitter to the letters so it was really sparkly in real life.  I did have a green bank behind the bunnies but didn't stencil it dark enough and they kinda look like they're floating there 🤣

(PIN)spiration #311 - glitter

We Love Stamping March - feminine 

Daisy Chain #83 - animals

And sorry I've been on the missing list ... I've been taking colouring classes from Kit & Clowder and they have taken up my spare time.  One of the few New Year resolutions I've actually followed up on!  Here's a couple of my recent bits of homework...

Cards for John, David and Gertie

 Hi all! A few spring Thank You cards to share this evening.  These were for a couple of volunteers in work just to mark their long service.  They've always volunteered in the same team together and I wanted to make them both the same but different, so out came my Lili of the Valley daffodil stamps.  

Allsorts #770 - Spring

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes 

 Little Red Wagon #745 - stencil power - I've used my cloud stencil on both but it's not a great photo     

And this one is for a lady who has just had an operation on her foot, so this oldie from Helz Cuppleditch was just right for the job.

Layout from MFT Sketch Challenge #687

Retirement cards for Gareth, Gerard & Marlene

 Hi all!  Well it finally feels like Spring is almost here!  We finally got out to our back garden which has been sodden for months to get bushes pruned, dead stuff pulled out, grass cut and some lovely bright primroses planted up in my hanging baskets! It is so good to see the evenings on the stretch, I absolutely hate the long dark days of winter 😁

Anyway, just wanted to share some retirement cards for some ex-workmates of Mum.  The first two are for brothers so I kept the same vibe for them both.  So first up is this one using a Penny Black stamp...

Just Us Girls #715 - anything goes stencil week 

Word Art Wednesday #635 - anything goes 

I was hunting for a different hot air balloon stamp for this one but of course it was nowhere to be found, but luckily came across this unknown oldie instead.  The house border is an old MFT die

Allsorts #769 - things that fly

CAS on Friday #277 - male/boy

And finally, a nice bright spring card using one of my favourite Lili of the Valley stamps (I still have this one out to make a thank you card so you'll be seeing it again very soon!). I added some clear gloss to the daffs to make them pop a bit. 

Simon Says Stamp - beautiful blooms

Layout from Freshly Made Sketches #624 (just noticed my yellow panel should have been longer)

Snippets Playground #474 - my butterflies were cut from the leftover bit of yellow 

Greg's Valentine

 Hi all, here this grey evening to share Greg's Valentine's card... in my PJs, Molly pretending to sleep on my lap and a big box of choccies and a cuppa by my side!  Molly's nose twitches hopefully every time the box is opened, I think she's disgusted with us that we're not sharing the goodies.

I've used this oldie stamp from Gummiapan and paper pieced his outfit - I am amazed that this scrap lasted this long as it was the circular cut out from this card from 2021!!  For my background I used a heart diecut as my stencil.  Clear gloss added to the eyes and teeth and lots of glitter to the balloon.  Inside it just reads 'ME' and a big diecut heart.

Colour theme from CAS Colours & sketches #530

Addicted to CAS #251 - heart

Snippets Playground #473

Make My Monday #219 - love

Cardz 4 Guys #340 - love

Alexandra's birthday card

 Hi all, here this lovely spring day with a birthday card for my niece - I can hardly believe she is 14 already, it's absolutely no time since she was a wee tot!  

She's a St Valentine's Day baby, so this old Penny Black stamp with the heart balloons was just perfect.  Silver and blue metallic splatters added to the stencilled background. 

Layout inspired by Atlantic Hearts Sketch #563

Simon Says Stamp Monday - fun with stencils 

AAA Birthday #58 - hearts

Seize the Birthday #277 - splatter

When I was 14 on the 14th the Falklands War ended, that's a long time ago now!  I wonder will Alex remember in 40 years time what happened on her double-14 day! 

Some fishy cards for David & Greg

 Hi all, here this blustery evening with a few fish themed cards. This first one is for my brother - he keeps tropical fish so I thought these dudes from Simply Graphic would do the trick.  I stencilled in some bubbles using my snow stencil and added some metallic silver splatters too. 

Layout from AAA Cards #258 

My Time to Craft #526 hobbies

Allsorts #766 - from the grid I've used stencil / red / green 

And this is Greg's card ... I hadn't realised my stencilling was so wonky until I took the photo

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes 

Addicted to Stamps #460 - dies / stencil (sorry I can't remember the brand name of either)

For Greg's birthday I treated myself to a couple of days off work (let's face it, any excuse is a good one 😉).  Here's a wee photo of beautiful Ballycastle on a day out - the waves were so rough I could have watched them for hours.  Unfortunately it was blowing a gale and we had an urgent date at the local chippy LOL