I Saw a Mouse...

 Hey, just look at me posting for the second day in a row! I'm really enjoying my crafting at the moment and seem to be unusually productive. Long may it continue!

A while back I bagged this little Stampin' Up! mouse, and his equally cute buddies, from a Facebook sale site. Isn't he adorable? 

He was great fun to colour, although I didn't mean to stamp him in brown ink. I decided to stick with the brown and I have to say that I think it works with the kraft background. 

I stenciled with white Distress Ink through a TH/Stampers Anonymous Merry Christmas Layering Stencil and then added a sentiment from another bargain buy, which I think is from Hero Arts. 

I'm delighted to linking-up at a few challenges, having created my card using inspiration from:

Steph and Lauren are Getting TEXT-y With It for their current challenge.

The lovely crew at Christmas Craft Creations are looking for Stencils and Embossing Folders.

Edited to Add:

Thanks so much!

It's all about Christmas at Addicted to Stamps and More.

Just Us Girls are having an Anything Goes Stencil Week.

And finally, I'm tickled pink to see that the lovely Helen from Made by Helen has reopened The Rudolph Days Challenge! Congratulations, Helen, I hope this goes well for you. It's great to have a later in the month challenge with which to play along.

Time for a cuppa now. I hope you're all having a happy day and possibly even managing to squeeeeeeze in some crafty fun!

The Christmas Kickstart Challenge #78 - Chillin' with my Snowmies!

 

This month at Christmas Kickstart I'm thrilled to welcome the amazing Kimberly Wiener as our elf! This gals colouring is awesome - I wish I had even a quarter of her talent.

Our theme for this month is:

Challenge #78 - Chillin' with my Snowmies

You will LOVE what Kimberley has created for our challenge together! 

Here's what I whipped-up for my offering...

As you can see, I was in the mood for something very CAS. I'm still enjoying playing with new-to-me set Christmas sELFies from MFT. Aren't they cute!

My second card for this challenge is also on the CAS side. I do like this sweetie from Paper Smooches Swanky Snowdudes. Sadly, I can't find any links to this sweet set, but I guess it has been around a long, long time. It's such a pity Paper Smooches shut up shop.

The embossing folder background is Tim Holtz Simple Snowflakes and is still available from Sizzix. The sentiment is Waffle Flower Label Maker Holiday Sentiments. This is a great set and has a lovely selection of sentiments which you cut all at the same time and can then keep for future cards. I added some little black gems for his eyes and buttons.

Rudolph has chosen an adorable prize for his Random Raffle...

  

Kimberley and I both hope that you'll all be packing the linky gallery with your snow folk this month!

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #216 - O is for Old

The Sisterhood are playing with a fun, new theme: O is for Old and we'd love it if you came and joined the fun!

I love this Tim Holtz kitty and snarky sentiment combo. All I had to do was add a inky, circular background and it was job done. Soooooooooo easy.

My sistahs put in a bit more effort and I know you'll love their cards!

January 2022 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Wooo hoooo, it's time for the January 2022 Card Chain Challenge Reveal!

We had 27 participants who exchanged cards across the globe this month, bringing our total number of cards exchanged thus far by to a rather awesome 3,532.

 

All the cards exchanged this month used at least one of the following options:

Colour Palette Option

(Exact matching is not required.)

Sketch Option

(Orient as desired.)

Theme Options: New / Scraps / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Glitter or sequins / Embossing Folder

My recipient was Jeanne in Minnesota. I can't believe how quickly my card flew across to her part of the world as it seemed a very short time after I'd mailed it before she was in touch to say it had reached her.

I created a smooshy background with Distress Inks that were as close-ish to the colour palette. The flower is from Wildflower Stems Sizzlets set #664164 and the sweet sentiment is from Funky Fossil Designs Small Print #2.

My sender for this month was Lucille in New Jersey - her card is still on it's way, winging across the miles.

I hope you'll come and take a peek at all the gorgeous cards in this Reveal, and come join the fun by signing-up for our February Challenge. This is such a fun challenge as you send and receive beautiful handmade cards, and make new Blogland buddies from across the globe. 

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #200 - S is for Snarky!

 

It's a proud, proud moment for us girls over at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers as we reach Challenge #200! As always, we're doing it in fine style with an awesome graphic from our Graphics Goddess Sister Lee. 

I can't tell you what an amazing crew these gals are - witty, supportive and full of love, the sisterhood are just a fabulous bunch and I'm so grateful to be one of their number.

As you can imagine we've had heaps of fun with this theme AND we have a brilliant Queen of Snark on board to help us celebrate.

Here's my card for the challenge. For some reason a sarcastic rabbit just hit the spot for me!

I used sets from Picket Fence (Driving the Karma Bus and Peach and Piper) and a gorgeous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil called Scribbles to make my card. 

We're delighted to have a sponsor on board for this challenge, and it's a great company for those of you who love great images and snarky sentiments! It's Lost Coast Designs.

Lost Coast Designs is a rubber stamp company based in Spokane Valley, WA.  Along with its sister company, Carmen’s Veranda, it offers a sophisticated line of unique red rubber and clear polymer stamps in an extensive range of styles, including vintage, collage, gothic, shrine, angel, and many others, to excite your creative impulses.  

Please come on over to the Sisterhood and help us celebrate in style!

Let's Squash It! Challenge #10 - Simmer and Shine

 

If you love a little shimmer and shine on your cards then we definitely have THE challenge for you this month over at Let's Squash It!

My card utilises one of the panels that I made for our July Technique Time post here.

I really love this folder which is called Stained Glass by Kaisercraft. I love both the front and the reverse of the embossed panel, so decided to create a card which featured them both. The '25' in a bauble is from a Thinlets Die Cut set by TH.

I think the copper embossing looks good against the blue cardstock. 

We have a new Empress to inspire you, so why not head on over and take a look!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #30 - Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)

Greeting friends, I hope that you're keeping well and coping during these difficult times.
I'm finding crafting and blogging to be a huge comfort right now - I think us crafters are well equipped to keep our spirits up by getting inky and staying in touch with friends around the world.

It's new month over at Christmas Kickstart and we have a new theme AND a new elf.

Challenge #30 - Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)

I'm thrilled to welcome long-term blogging buddy Jane from Purplejet Loves Crafts as elf this challenge!

You'll love Jane's take on the challenge theme, so why not head on over and take a look!

Here's my take on the theme:

I love this fabulously haughty moose, which was a present from the lovely Gail. I've mixed two die sets, which are both Tim Holtz Thinlits from Sizzix.


My second card also uses the mountain die and features this adorable bear in his pom-pom jumper and hat from Sugar Pea Designs.  The set is called Hey Winter and I can see myself using it again and again as it has some lovely images.

The sentiment is a favourite oldie from Mama Elephant.

I'm linking both cards to Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge as their optional theme is Christmas Animals!

As always, there's a prize available over at Christmas Kickstart from Rudolph, so please come join the fun and make life in lockdown a little easier. 

Card Chain Challenge - January 2020

Hi there, I hope you are having a happy Sunday!

It's the second day of the month, which means it's time for another fabulous Reveal over at The Card Chain Challenge.

Our theme options for January were a fun sketch...

A palette of lovely colours...

Plus themes of Anything New, bears or friendship and dies.

I was delighted to send this card to the lovely Robyn in Australia. As you can see I embraced the option of bears and the colours. I loved using a cute Jane's Doodles set in combination with those beautiful trees from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous and couldn't believe how easily the card came together.

I was thrilled to receive this beautiful card from Greta in Oregon, USA. Greta was concerned that the card was a little muted, but I LOVE it and think the colours look soft and elegant against the kraft.

If you'd like to see the whole Reveal please head here and while you are there why not check out the challenge for February too.

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - F is for Family

Don't you just love seeing Edna's maternal side?

For this fortnight we're all about families over at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers and boy, did the gang have fun with this theme!

Here's my offering:

My idea was to make it look like an old photograph, but I'm not sure that really worked. It does look much, much better in real life but was impossible to photograph! The paper doll and the DPs are all by Tim Holtz and the sentiment is a bit of Google magic!

As always, we have a new Queen in residence and I know you'll love her card, so why not head on over and join in the snarky fun!

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #135 - I is for Ironmongery

Sistah Lee has done it again and we have yet another fabulous Edna graphic to launch our new challenge which is about all things Steampunk.

While I really love all things Steampunky, I struggle to create suitable cards. Hopefully this one fits the bill with a VLVS crow in a cute hat and a background of Tim Holtz cogs.

Please head on over to The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers blog to see the fabulousness created by the sistahs.

The Library Challenge #31 - Chocolat

I'm loving the last few days of the Easter break as I'm spending my time in my craft room.This means extra time playing in some of my favourite challenges. Today, I'm sharing a card made for Marina's The Library Challenge. 

This is a bit of a bus-man's holiday for me as I'm a real life librarian!

I can remember when this book came out and how we very quickly had long waiting lists for it in the library where I worked. The waiting lists grew again when the Juliet Binoche and Johnny Depp movie came out a little later.

Here's my card for this challenge: I knew I wanted to use this cutie from Personal Impressions.

I stenciled that gorgeous Tim Holtz rose stencil again after stamping and masking. I decided it would be fun to paper piece the chocolate box and the bow. I also had to stamp and colour a second head and a second arm so that the layers 'looked right'. What appear to be dirty marks on the card are actually raindrops on the window as we're 'enjoying' sunshine and showers today here in the UK.

Thanks to Marina for this fun theme. There are some lovely cards in the linky gallery, plus Marina's gorgeous inspiration cards, and the challenge continues until May 4th.

Seize the Birthday #163 - Anything Goes!

As you may well know I'm a big fan of Seize the Birthday and although I'm sure I should be making Easter cards, I'm in full birthday card mode today! I blame the Seize-ettes for having an Anything Goes Challenge on offer.

After seeing Jane's cards featuring this image on her blog, I decided to take the plunge and order the set from Making Cards Magazine.

Picket Fence also have this image available, but with only the one sentiment. Their version is slightly smaller.

I'm so glad I got the magazine version as you get several fun sentiments in addition to the sweet main image.

First of all I made the blue card. I was going to colour the girls, but got a little heavy handed with the stencil work (Tim Holtz Roses stencil). I decided to leave the image uncoloured as I quite liked the effect.

Card #2 turned out more like I'd imagined:

I think I prefer this version.

I tried to capture the sparkle of Wink of Stella on this shot - can you see it? Nope, nor me!

Thanks for dropping by and happy crafting everyone!

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #120 - P is for Pink Halloween

Another fabulous graphic from Sister Lee and another fabulous challenge from The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

October is very special for the sistahs: we go all pink and Halloweeny in order to celebrate all things spooky and to remind all us girlies about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

I wasn't planning to buy any new products for this Halloween as I have accumulated enough to last me a lifetime, but then I saw these brilliant Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations/Thinlits and before I knew it they'd jumped into my basket and I was clicking 'checkout'. Strange how that happens!

The sistahs would love you to play along with this special challenge, so please come and join us here.

Now, let's talk boobies.

Here's a little something I copied from the brilliant Breast Cancer Now website:

Why should I check my breasts?
More women are surviving breast cancer than ever before and the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed the better the chance it can be treated successfully. That's why it's important to check your breasts and go to your doctor if you spot anything unusual  - you won't be wasting their time, even if it turns out to be nothing. For information about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer please click here.