Welcome to Saturday challenge day

Hi there,

 

How are you all? Hope you've had a good week and that the weather hasn't inconvenienced you too much.

Last night saw hubby making a from scratch Mexican fajitas - yummmmm ... messy, but oh so tasty! Just wish we knew of a decent Mexican restaurant in our area - ah well! At least we know of several which, sadly, are NOT so local!

 

Anyway, it's challenge day so, without further ado, here's the challenge card I should like to share with you today ....

 

Here's my card with lots of "little ones" on it!

And my co-ordinating insert and envelope

And the little sets I used!

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white card (2), black card, lime card
• On the smaller white snippet I used numerous shapes from the Stamplorations "Mod shapes" and the following inks:- Ranger Archival jet black, versacolour silver, Hero Arts neons in green and blue
• From the Stamplorations "Celebrate Artsy" I used just the sentiment and stamped in on my banner using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• I then matted my panel on the lime and then the larger white panel (by this time coloured with Hero Arts neon blue DTP method) and then black .... this snippet only needed cutting down one side - perfect!!!

I've left an inner sentiment off as I feel it could fit several occasions

 

I'll be entering the above card for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - "Little Ones"
2. Crafts4eternity - "No patterned paper" ..... all mine started life plain!
3. Stamplorations never ending challenge - "Anything Goes" but Stamplorations products must form the bulk of your card design

Happy Saturday ... I'm well happy as I just discovered I was a winner over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Card Challenge - Woo Hoo! Thank you Hazel. FYI their latest challenge is to produce a Christmas project featuring something beginning with "B" ... in case you fancy trying it out.

 

Another weekend? Already?

Morning readers,

 

We made it to another weekend! Got plans? Me? I'm having enough trouble getting my head around the concept that we're virtually at the end of January already .... can anyone tell me what happened to January? Did I fall asleep and miss most of it? Should I be starting my Christmas shopping in case the rest of the year gallops away at the same speed?

Yesterday was a sociable day .... I had a lovely natter with a pal in the morning and then a great visit with my aunt and  uncle in the afternoon - though we had to resist their urges to press cake upon us!!!As we headed home we were thwarted at every turn .... our usual route (the ring road) was a car park so we thought it wouldn't matter, we would simply take the "old route" .... yep, CLOSED!!! We ended up going along country lanes and through a veritable maelstrom of weather from wind to sleet and then on to full blown snow/wind ..... it didn't last the customary 30 minutes to designate it a blizzard but it sure was unpleasant for the duration! If you have woken to similar weather again this morning then do take care out there.

 

I've had occasion to use rather a lot of Get Well cards lately and my regular readers will know that when I find a technique I like then I tend to make several projects using it .... I find this sort of "seals" the technique in my head so ... without further ado, here's another "bouncing brayer" Get Well make for your perusal - hope you enjoy it ... do take a few minutes to watch the video if you are curious about this super fun and super easy technique ..

 

 

My "bouncy" card

 

And my co-ordinating insert and envelope

 

Materials used:

• White C5, 300gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippet of white card on to which I used the bouncing brayer technique and the Brilliance peacock tricolour ink pad
• Snippets of navy and lime coloured card, for matting
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped numerous times using the pearlescent lime segment
• Penny Black "tulip" image stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Deep Red grungey border stamped using the pearlescent lime section of the peacock pad
• Imagine That sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card using the pearlescent sky blue section of the peacock pad and then the pearlescent lime section of the pad for the Paper Artsy splatter image .... the sentiment panel was then matted on to a snippet of the navy card

 

                 

I'll be entering the above card for the following challenges:-

1. Cute Card Thursday - "Stamping Mad" - I used four stamps on this project
2. Simonsaysstamp - "Anything Goes"
3. The Crafters Café - "Make your own background" ... bouncing brayer + splatter (who doesn't love splatters ... I know several crafters who DO!)
4. Digistamps for Joy - "BINGO" .... I used the Flowers/free/2 or more layers squares ... count those layers ... I make it five, six if you count the base card!

   

   Digistamps4Joy

I hope you will all feel better soon ....... Lovely Ron, Sally and Liz.

I had a couple of comments about my bouncing brayer card from Wednesday's post ..... hence not only did I decide to make another card for today's post but I also thought I would post a technique video ... so, here's an 8 minute video from youtube which shows how to do it ... you can use glossy or non glossy card stock and you can use single or multicolour ink pads - depends what you want for the finished effect - have a look and then have some fun!

 

And now for the Friday Funny which comes at you this week courtesy of my trading card buddy, PatG  .... there are 24 one liners to take in here so settle in and ENJOY!

 

24 Jokes to Make You Smile :)

 

1. My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.

2. I don't suffer from insanity -- I enjoy every minute of it!

3. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

4. Don't take life too seriously -- no one gets out alive.

5. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.

6. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

7. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

8. I'm not a compete idiot -- some parts are missing!

9. Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

10. God must love stupid people -- He made so many!

11. The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

12. Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.

13. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

14. Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it.

15. Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.

16. Procrastinate now!

17. I have a degree in Liberal Arts -- do you want fries with that?

18. A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

19. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.

20. He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

21. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.

22. Ham and eggs -- a day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

23. The trouble with life is there's no background music.

24. I smile because I don't know what the heck is going on.

 

Have a fabulous weekend peeps

Welcome to What's On Your Desk Wednesday and a new challenge ....

Morning readers,

I was recently invited to be a guest member of the Design Team over at Crafting by Design and was delighted to accept, thanks for the invite peeps. Their challenge goes "live" today and has the theme of " Inspired by a Movie". My problem then was, which movie to pick? Hmmmm ..... there are so many fabulous movies ... as it happens, a new issue of Craft Stamper had landed on the mat the morning I was thinking about this challenge ..... and I sat looking at the fab JOFY stamp on the front and came up with the idea of putting a crown on top, which immediately reminded me of the black and white movie "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (can't remember the movie? It was on between Christmas and New Year too!! Check out this trailer) . However, I decided that, as it was coronets (plural)  I needed more than the single heart JOFY image which had inspired me so I set off for a rummage through my stash and came up with this, which used an image I seldom reach for ... and yet I don't really know why as it's pretty fab, so here's my Guest Design Team Member make:-

Here's my Kind Hearts and Coronets card
It's very CAS but then, why wouldn't it be????

My insert - can you guess who it might be for?
Fortunately, I don't think he reads my blog so I THINK I'm safe but ... shhhh ... don't tell!

And my co-ordinating envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panel matted on to red mirri card with my trusty 1/16" perfect layering template and a craft knife
• Crafty Impressions sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Kanban "coronets" stamped using Versamark ink and Rubbadubbado Roman Gold embossing powder, heat set
• Post it to mask the coronet
• Inkadinkado hearts stamped using Versamark ink before sprinkling with PSX red embossing tinsel and heating
• The insert was printed using my computer and the font "Invite engraved SF"

Hope you will feel equally inspired (by a movie) to head over to their blog and have a go too!

I'll also be entering the above card for the following challenges (since I plainly CAN'T enter the Crafting by Design challenge with this card!):-

1. Crafty Sentiments - "Love/Valentines"
2. Just Inspirational - "Heat embossing"
3. Shopping our Stash - "Love me Do"
4. Addicted to Stamps and More - "CAS"

And, since it IS What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday I am HAPPY to share a photo of my messy desk ... but at least it means someone works, sorry PLAYS there!!!

And, following a conversation with a crafting buddy, I was reminded of how much fun the bouncing brayer technique is ....

My "bouncy" card



And a close up of the embossed image

And here's the co-ordinating inside and envelope

Materials used:

• White C5, 300gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippet strip of white card (left over from cutting 2 x 13½cm square panels for 15cm square cards!
• Snippet of black card (left over from matting of the above squares!)
• Kraft card coloured with pro marker in cocoa - to make a closer colour match
• Kaisercraft bar code sentiment stamped using Brilliance rich cocoa across the front of the card blank, around the edges of the coloured Kraft card and on the insert and envelope
• Brilliance "tiramisu" tricoloured pad used with my speedball brayer to produce the "bouncing brayer" effect and set aside to dry thoroughly (actually, I went grocery shopping to ensure I stepped away for long enough for these pigment inks to dry!!!)
• Inkadinkado guitar and note images (from the fabulous rock star clear set) stamped using Versamark ink before sprinkling with Sparkle 'n Sprinkle golden follies embossing powder and heat setting. The guitar image was stamped on the insert and envelope using Versafine onyx black ink
• Anita's birthday sentiment stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using the black section of the Brilliance tiramisu set

the colours of the tiramisu ink pad by Tsukineko

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:

1. The Pink Elephant - "Anything Goes"
2. The Scrapbook Stamp Society - "Anything Goes + twist of Happy Birthday"
3. WhoopsiDaisy monthly challenge - "Anything Goes"
4. Pan Pastel - "Happy Birthday"
5. Through the Craft Room Door - "Anything Goes"

Have a great Wednesday

Monday again - have a good week!

Morning readers,

 

Good weekend? Mine was interesting ... what with hubby being away Friday night and having guests due to dinner on Sunday it was a busy old weekend - the catering department (aka the hubby) did a grand job yesterday and turned out his usual excellent standard ... we went Thai with a lovely green curry with rice and stir fried veg followed by a delicious home made maple pecan bread and butter pudding - very nice but VERY rich.

 

Light lunch due today methinks!

 

Anyhoo, yesterday was Rudolph Day and I took the opportunity to start on my 2015 Christmas Card Quota .... and here's another I'd like to share with you ...

 

My card

Yes, rather unusually I went both CAS and dimensional!!!

And my co-ordinating inside and envelope

 

Materials used:

• White C6, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Personal Impressions snowie image stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Brusho turquoise (left in my palette from a previous water colour excursion) water colour crystal, Distress Inks in black soot and festive berries used water colour fashion with a water brush
• I used a snippet of card to make a mask which I taped in position with low tack tape before applying Distress Ink in stormy sky around my image panel, using an Inkylicious ink duster
• Dimensional foam pads to secure my image panel in place
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Stardust stickles to highlight the snow

 

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Hiding in my craft room - "Any Holiday"
2. Patti's Creations challenge blog - "must feature snow" .. check! Snowman AND it's snowing!
3. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - "Joy to the World" - who DOESN'T smile when they see a snowman??
4. Craft Bubble 2½- Craft Mad & Loving It (membership required) - Sketch - see below

 

 

 

Be sure and stop by again on Wednesday as I've a surprise for you .... and, no, it's NOT just a tidy desk!

 

 

 

Welcome to a not so lazy Sunday and RUDOLPH DAY!!!

Hey there readers,

 

How's your weekend coming along?

 

I can't believe that we have already reached the first Rudolph Day of 2015!!! At the end of 2014 the talented Sarn stepped down from presenting Rudolph Day each month and ScrappyMo stepped up to the plate for 2015. She has unveiled her plan for 2015 which is going to be a monthly "Anything Goes" challenge, which suits me ......

 

My card

My co-ordinating inside and envelope

And my snippets!!!

Materials used:

• White C6, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Penny Black image tree image stamped on to a snippet of white card using versamark ink and then black sparkle embossing powder liberally sprinkled over, excess shaken off and then heat embossed
• Brusho's in emerald green and turquoise used to colour wash image and background
• Bo Bunny holly border stamped using Distress Ink in broken china
• Stardust stickles to highlight
• Black card, green check and sage green card snippets used to mat and layer
• Inkadinkado sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink

 

I'll be entering this make for the following challenges:

1. Scraps of Life - RUDOLPH DAY - "Anything Goes"
2. Craft Mad & Loving It (membership required) - RUDOLPH DAY - "Sketch" - see below
3. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - "Snippets Challenge # 161"
4. Addicted to Stamps and More - "Holiday"
5. Happy Little Stampers - "Water colour"

 

And here's the sketch from CMLI and Clare, the talented crafter who designed it this month

 

Gotta go - got a dining room to clear and then a general tidy up as we have guests due this evening and they'll be expecting to eat .... something more substantial than a Christmas card too!

Another weekend - it's Challenge Day!

Hello readers,

 

Well it's Saturday once more and I hope you all have nice things planned for this weekend .... ? Me? Well, hubby left home yesterday for a boys night out and I had 24 hours to myself ..... first of all I thought I would go shopping ..... BIG mistake. I planned to hit a small shopping area less than two miles from home but it took me 20 minutes to drive there!!! apparently there was something going on locally that resulted in a detour along my chosen route - wish I'd known that earlier as I would sooo not have bothered but, being dual carriageway I was kind of committed! To add insult to injury I then didn't find anything to buy!!! Came home and thought I would trawl the internet instead perhaps snagging myself some crafting goodies in the sale .... my PC decided to go on strike and demanded a re-boot so, whilst I was waiting, I decided to overhaul the cupboard that I keep my gift wrap/tags/etc - two hours later and it's ever so much tidier and I've thrown out all those pretty little bits of ribbon and those fab little bows and things that are too nice to throw away but which you know (in your heart) you will never recycle! There's another trash bag to head to the tip now!

 

Most of my "regulars" will know that I often spend my Saturday mornings crafting, working on newly launched challenges - the weekend presents quite a few of those! Anyhoo, with hubby away I felt I could treat myself to some crafting without guilt and just got plastered .... with ink! check out my make ......

 

My "neon" card AND it's just ONE LAYER too!

And my equally neon insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Inks:- Hero Arts neons in pink, blue and green and Versafine onyx black
• Images:- Kaisercraft grid, Paper Artsy "splatter" Visible Images "larger splatter", Woodware sentiment

 

I'll be entering the above for the following challenges:-

1. Cute Card Thursday - "Colourful" - check! Doesn't get MUCH more colourful!
2. Red Rubber Inspirationals - "Focus on the stamping" - check! No fewer than five stamps on this baby!

 

In the meantime it's off to my table of craftiness ... over at Simply Less Is More they've a cool sketch, heaven knows I DO love a nice sketch.
 

 

My card

 

And co-ordinating inside and envelope

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Visible Image polka dots stamped using Hero Arts neon green ink
• Kaisercraft distress image stamped using Hero Arts neon orange ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Hero Arts neon blue ink
• Inkadinkado flower stamped on to a snippet of white card using Hero Arts neon pink and then die cut in to a circle
• Woodware sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink

 



And the sketch from LIM..........................................................

 

Happy Saturday - ENJOY

Welcome to Friday - it's the WEEKEND!!!

Morning readers,

After all the cold and all the wet weather we've had lately I have just GREY to report in the past couple of days ... dull and grey!!! Hmm, I would almost (note I said ALMOST) rather have the frost and snow but, I shouldn't complain as I've not had to defrost the car in order to leave home and that's a big plus at this time of year!, especially since some of my blogging buddy's are more likely to have to dig their cars out of the snow - so I'll try not to sound ungrateful! That said, there's a hard white frost out there this morning and I'm so glad I've nowhere particular to be today!!!

Anyhoo, the grey has not encouraged me to go  out simply for the sake of it so what I've been doing instead is .... crafting which, as you surely all know, is something that I love to do - it makes me happy. I'm retired (yes, rather early I know) so HAPPY is GOOD! Want to see what I've been up to since my last post?

 

I've some pals with a special anniversary coming up .....

 

My card

My co-ordinating insert and envelope

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square  and a 14½cm square of white card (I edged the larger panel with Versafine crimson ink - to co-ordinate the image panel)
• Black card for matting
• Heidi Swapp heart stencil, gloss gel medium and copper watercolour powder mixed and then applied through the stencil, using a plastic spatula
• Inkadinkado hearts stamped multiple times using Versafine crimson
• Imagine That sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card using Versafine onyx black ink, the Inkadinkado heart added and then matted on to a larger snippet of white card which I edged using the crimson ink

The Hearts set I used

I'll be entering the above card for the following challenges:

1. That Craft Place - "Love/Valentine" - I went with an anniversary card / LOVE
2. CAS on Sunday - "Stencil It"
3. Simon says stamp - "Have a Heart"
4. Penny's Paper Craft - "Anything Goes"

 

Someone's got a birthday coming up in the not too distant future and was out one afternoon this week ... so I set about wrapping his giftie and making a tag ...

 

He'll NEVER guess what's inside - trust me!!!!

 

And my hand made tag to co-ordinate

 

Materials used:

• IKEA gift wrap
• Stretchy yarn to embellish wrap
• White card snippet
• Go Kreate fancy tag die cut .....
• I drew around the very outside of the tag so I knew where the die cut would be ...
• Narrow double sided tape - to add "stripes" to co-ordinate with the wrap
• Red tinsel embossing powder heat embossed
• We R Memory Keepers plane image stamped on to another snippet using Versafine onyx black ink
• Dimensional foam tape to attach plane to tag

 

Now all I have to do is the card - I can't believe I'm so ahead of myself this year with his giftie - hope he likes it!.

My card

And, as usual, the co-ordinating insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• WE R Memory Keepers "plane" image stamped on to a snippet of white card using Versafine onyx black ink and again on to a post it to use as a mask
• Unknown manufacturer (whilst it's wooden mounted I can no longer read the name!!) "cloud" image stamped over masked image using Memento London fog ink
• I matted the image panel first on to snippets of red and then on to black card using my perfect layering rulers (1/16" and 3/16") and a craft knife
• Using double sided tape I made my stripes on to another snippet of white card (first dusted with talc to avoid as many "stray" specks as possible before sprinkling red tinsel embossing powder, dusting off the excess and then heat embossing.
• The striped panel was then matted on to yet another snippet of black card to create a 1/16" border
• On to the base card I stamped my Inkadinkado "Party" sentiment twice,  using Hero Arts Neon pink ink and then, using Versafine onyx black ink I stamped my Imagine That sentiment

Loadsa snippets used again for this card - HUZZAH! I wasn't sure about the neon pink when I first did it but, boy, is it growing on me? So much so that I went on to start another neon card later ...

I'll be entering the above card for the following challenges:-

1. Crafty Gals Corner - "Let's Hear it for the Boys"
2. Crafting for all seasons - "Things with Wings" - planes have wings!!!
3. MooMania - "Anything Goes" - doesn't HAVE to be a Moo
4. The Paper Players - CAS (Clean And Simple)
5. Left of Centre - "Layer it up" .. count them, there are five ... six if you count the double sided tape/embossing powder!
6. Fussy and Fancy challenge - "Things with wings"!

Having had a few days where my mojo had gone walkabout it would seem to have gotten bored and come home ....

My card

And my co-ordinating inside and envelope

Materials used:

• White DL, 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado sentiment stamped on to a snippet of white card using Ranger Archival cobalt blue ink
• Brusho's water colour crystals in orange and emerald green colour washed on to my image
• Crafters Companion Spray and Shine, to seal the water based colours
• Snippets of black card and green card for matting and layering in conjunction with my perfect layering templates (1/16" and 3/16")

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - "Friends"
2. Happy Little Stampers - "Water Colour"
3. Uniko Studio - "Love and Friendship" - using the friendship element
4. CASology - "Friend"

MORE snippets used too!!! And, if Darnell's NBUS challenge hadn't closed I'd have been able to enter it as that Friends image has just seen ink for the first time .... but hey .... enough of the crafting though I confess, I'm so glad the mojo's back! ..... now for the Friday Funny - brought to us this week courtesy of ScrappyJacky - thanks matey - keep 'em coming!

 

Subject:- Profound Thoughts

~ John Glenn...

As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder.

 

~ Desmond Tutu...

When the white missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land.

They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes.

When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.

~ David Letterman...

America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believes that professional wrestling is real but the moon landing was faked.

~ Howard Hughes...

I'm not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. I'm a billionaire.

 

~ Old Italian proverb...

After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box.

 

~ Betsy Salkind...

Men are like linoleum floors. Lay 'em right and you can walk all over them for thirty years.

 

~ Jean Kerr...

The only reason they say 'Women and children first' is to test the strength of the lifeboats.

~ Zsa Zsa Gabor...

I've been married to a communist and a fascist, and neither would take out the garbage.

 

~ Jeff Foxworthy...

You know you're a redneck if your home has wheels and your car doesn't.

 

~ Prince Philip...

When a man opens a car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife.

 

~ Emo Philips...

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing.

~ Harrison Ford...

Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself.

~ Spike Milligan...

The best cure for Sea Sickness, is to sit under a tree.

 

~ Robin Hall...

Lawyers believe a person is innocent until proven broke.

~ Jean Rostand...

Kill one man and you're a murderer, kill a million and you're a conqueror

 

~ Arnold Schwarzenegger...

Having more money doesn't make you happier. I have 50 million dollars but I'm just as happy as when I had 48 million.

~ WH Auden...

We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea.

~ Jonathan Katz...

In hotel rooms I worry. I can't be the only guy who sits on the furniture naked

~ Johnny Carson...

If life were fair, Elvis would still be alive today and all the impersonators would be dead.

 

~ Warren Tantum... (School photo album).

I don't believe in astrology. I am a Sagittarius and we're very skeptical

~ Steve Martin...

Hollywood must be the only place on earth where you can be fired by a man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a baseball cap

~ Jimmy Durante...

Home cooking. Where many a man thinks his wife is.

~ Doug Hanwell...

America is so advanced that even the chairs are electric.

~ George Roberts...

The first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone

~ Jonathan Winters...

If God had intended us to fly he would have made it easier to get to the airport.

~ Robert Benchley...

I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it.

 

Enjoy your weekend - hope you're not sitting in a hotel somewhere and wondering about the Johnathon Katz comment!!