Happy Birthday from the Party Animals

Well it's been pouring with rain all day today. What a shame,  I was so looking forward to going for a run (I hope the sarcasm comes through even though you can't hear the intonation in my voice or my expression...). Instead I have been more or less locked up in my craft room all day. Not a bad way to spend the day at all! 

Today's card is inspired by the current CAS(E) this Sketch and ColourQ. Im also linking up with Stamping Sensations where anything goes as long as it has a stamping, Simply Create Too where the theme is Special Occasion and Addicted to Stamps where the theme is CAS. This is quickly becoming yet another favourite Lawn Fawn set. I created the background by making a square mask from some scrap paper, coloured the Stampin' Up Brushstrokes stamp using markers and stamped through the mask. I coloured the critters using Copics and die cut them using the matching dies. Last, I created a sentiment using the Happy Birthday border die from a scrap piece of turquoise card, and die cut the front panel using Stitched Rectangles dies.

Card: White 300 gsm card, white 300 gsm linen textured card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Party Animals and matching dies, Stampin' Up Brushstrokes
Ink and colouring: Stampin' Write markers Bermuda Bay, Wisteria Wonder, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Happy Birthday border die

Shake that crazy bird

I am in heaven right now. Not only is it bank holiday Monday, but I cheekily took Tuesday off work as well. And that's not all, I am taking next Friday off as well! So I'm enjoying four wonderful days of freedom, two short (I hope...) days at work and then another three days doing nothing but being lazy! The bad news is that I'm trying to eat sensibly, which means I can't enjoy my days off by stuffing my face with chocolate and doughnuts. Sigh! But I can't really fit into any of my clothes (I'm suspecting a selective malfunction of our washer, it must have shrunk them all), so I have to try and be good for a while. So instead, I'm compensating by crafting. Crafting is great for anyone wanting to lose weight. You are so focused on what you do, you hardly have time to think about sweets. Except if you are using doughnut or macaroon stamps... 

I've been very busy crafting today, mostly getting ahead with my design team assignments, but I also got out the Cra-ha-zy Birds for a play with the current My Favourite Things colour and sketch challenge. I'm also linking up with Addicted to Stamps where the theme is Clean and Simple (I guess you could debate whether a shaker is CAS or not, but the layout of the card is pretty CAS in my mind) and last but not last Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where anything goes. 

I first tried the crazy bird and sentiment against the lilac background, but thought it was a bit too bland, so I decided to make it into a shaker for some added interest, and I think it turned out quite nice. Note to self though, don't buy mixed coloured sequins, buy each colour separate as it's really annoying to pick out only particular colours. 

Card: Coloured 240 gsm kraft card lilac and teal, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card

Stamps: Tim Holtz Bird Crazy, Stampin' Up Rotary Alphabet stamp

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz Black Soot, Copics

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Dies, sequins and seed beads from my stash

Floral bliss

We have had a few days of absolutely abysmal weather. Typically, we started a new study yesterday, so I had a few lost volunteers wondering around the hospital campus phoning me through the day. I had to brave the pouring rain to go and find my lost sheep, luckily everyone was retrieved and safely delivered to the research nurses. Note to self - bring a jacket and wear sensible weatherproof shoes on day when volunteers are booked in...

After getting home and drying out I made myself a bucket of hot tea and thought a bit of crafting would be the perfect way to rescue an otherwise depressing day. I recently received new goodies from STAMPlorations, and I could not wait to play with them. 

I stamped the gorgeous helenium, my absolute favourite from this stamp set, onto linen textured bright white card. Shery is so incredibly talented, and I particularly love her flowers, they are just so detailed and beautiful. I used the Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamps to create the splatters in Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint Sketch. I think Mermaid Lagoon is quickly becoming my new favourite Tim Holtz colour, overtaking my long time favourite Peacock Feathers. I also stamped the grungy frame from the stamp set to surround the flower. I used a sentiment from Lawn Fawn's Scripty Sentiments set, and stamped some more splatters around the sentiment. I matted the main panel using foam tape onto a blue card and attached everything to a dark blue card base. Last, I attached a few sequins for a finishing touch. I'm a bit undecided whether I like this card or not, but I'm leaning towards liking it quite a lot.

My inspiration for this card was the gorgeous card by this gorgeous card by Monika Skinner, which I found in one of the STAMPlorations Inspirations Project Post #33. I'm linking up my card to join the August CASEplorations. While I'm at it, I'm also linking up with the STAMPlorations Anything Goes challenge. I also thought the card would be good for this week's Shopping Our Stash where the theme is Splish Splash. Last but not least I'm linking up with the Friday Mashup where the challenge is to create a birthday card using any technique. 

Card: 300 gsm white linen card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card in navy, Hobbycraft 160 gsm card Three Shades of Blue

Stamps: STAMPlorations Floral Bliss, Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge, Lawn Fawn Scripty Sayings

Ink: Tim Holtz Distress inks Mermaid Lagoon, BluePrint sketch, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black

Other: sequins from my stash, foam tape

Let it snow in the woods

It's grey and pouring with rain outside. Yesterday was gloriously hot, sunny and wonderful. It was still warm late in the evening when I went out in the pitch black night to get something from the garage. We also finally made good on our promise to buy another tennis racket so we could go playing tennis. There is a free council tennis court about a 30 second walk from our back yard. I can't believe it has taken us two whole years to actually get around to trying it out. But better late than never I guess. I'm quite clearly the worse tennis player, but at least we are having fun and getting a bit of exercise at the same time. 

In addition to a very bad game of tennis, I also had time to put together this card. I stamped the scene using the Joy to the Woods stamp set. I used my Faber Castell watercolour pencils to colour the scene and added some snow using a white gel pen and dotted some Ranger Ice Stickles. I then cut the panel using a Stitched Rectangle die. I embossed the dark blue card with a swirly embossing folder and added the wintery scene. I created the snowflake embellishment using the Stitched Snowflakes dies and added some Ice Stickles. Last, I heat embossed the sentiment from Critters in the Arctic in white onto a purple banner.

The layout of the card was inspired by the current CAS(E) this Sketch challenge. I am also linking up with the Lawnscaping "Embossing" challenge. I would also like to link up with Addicted to Stamps where the challenge this week is "Holiday" and Sparkles Christmas Challenge where the theme is "No designer paper".

Card: Coloured 240 gsm kraft card navy, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper, 300 gsm white linen textured card, scrap of purple card

Stamps: Lawn Fawn Joy to the Woods, Critters in the Arctic

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Staz-on, Versamark, Faber Castell watercolour pencils, Signo white gel pen

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle dies, Stitched Snowflake dies, Ranger Ice Stickles, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, Sizzix embossing folder swirls

White embossing in a twisted citron kind of way

I have been contemplating my crafting lately. In fact, I have been contemplating more than crafting, which I'm sure is the wrong way around. I've been contemplating the justification of putting as much money into this hobby as I have in the last few years. I have been contemplating Facebook and other services constantly telling me I should grow my blog, advertise it, reach out to get more followers. But I don't want to! I'm perfectly happy doing this as a hobby, and I am not the type of person who wants to push my blog anywhere it doesn't want to go naturally. I just want Facebook to leave me alone, stop showing me those horrible "advertise your blog here" things. They stress me out. I have been contemplating whether my cards have "a look". Whether my cards would be recognisable as my cards. I have started to feel that after more than two years of crafting I have started to find my own look, at least in my head. It's all about watercolours and bright colours and cute critters and die cut sentiments and stitched die cuts and clean and simple designs. Most of the time. I think. At least that's how it's all in my head. Anyhow, they are my cards so if I say I have a look, that must be how it is. Right? Oh well, I take myself way too seriously most of the time.

I didn't take this birthday card too seriously though. I just stamped and watercoloured and had fun with the little Lawn Fawn party stamps. Too bad it was quite tricky to photograph, and it does look much better live than it does in the picture. I seem to have the crafting bit down a bit better than the photography bit.

I was inspired by the embossing challenge over at Lawnscaping.  I was also inspired by this weeks Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge where the theme is Citrus with a twist, which made me choose some very uncharacteristic colours for me. I was also inspired by the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. FMS is celebrating the 200th sketch with a major, major challenge and a huge amount of sponsor prizes. Happy 200th FMS, and here's to many more!

I stamped a mix of the small party stamps from the Lawn Fawn Party Animal set in Versamark onto watercolour paper (I have to start buying that stuff in bulk!) which I had die cut with a Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle die and heat embossed them in white powder. Then I took Tim Holtz distress markers in Squeezed Lemon, Twisted Citron, Pistachio Pudding and Peacock Feathers and smudged them onto a clear block. I picked up the ink with a watercolour brush and just played around to create the background. I die cut the sentiment from a leftover piece of coloured paper I had created with Tim Holtz distress paints for my crazy bird and doughnut card here. I then double heat embossed the sentiment with holographic powder before attaching onto the card. I attached the coloured panel with foam pads onto some linen textured card. For a little subtle bling, I added a few sequins in the same colour scheme as the card. I hope you like the card as much as I do, it's simple but I have to say it turned out quite nice, didn't it. Oh well, I'm off now to enjoy bread week on the Great British Bakeoff!

Card: 300 gsm white linen textured card, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine watercolour paper
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Party Animal
Ink: Versamark, Tim Holtz Squeezed Lemonade, Pistachio Pudding, Twisted Citron and Peacock Feathers
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle and Happy Birthday border dies, sequins from my stash, Papermania Seafoam White and Holographic embossing powder

Holly Jolly - Snowflakes and Sparkle

We have all heard about Einstein and about his theories that time is relative. Well, I'm no physicist (I did take physics in high school, because I had a bit of a crush on our very cute physics teacher but I wasn't very good at it) but I think we haven't quite been told all about this relative time thing. Sure, time slows down as you approach the speed of light, but I would like to postulate that time speeds up during the summer months. I mean, we are in mid-August already, what's the deal with that? The last three months have just sped by, I am even suspecting we might have been robbed of a few weeks, they may have disappeared down a black hole somewhere. And now, as we approach the dark months, time will again slow down, and it will seem like the darkness and cold is just endless. Winter is, indeed, coming. 

Are you all prepared with a huge whopping pile of home-made Christmas cards already? No? I can tell you that making one card every two weeks for the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge has provided me with a great big pile of Christmas cards already. And there are still many more challenges to go before Santa finally arrives. There is still plenty of time to jump on the bandwagon and ensure that by putting in just a little bit of time every two weeks, you will also be prepared come the Holidays. 

Our theme this week is great to allow many different interpretations. We are challenging you to craft something with "Snowflakes and Sparkles". It doesn't have to be a card, it can be anything as long as it's Christmas related. Our generous sponsors, who have provided the DT with great inspiration images and who will be giving prizes to our winners are Sami Stamps, QKR Stampede and Stitchy Bear. If you need inspiration to get your Christmas mojo flowing, why not hop over to Holly Jolly to see what the DT has created, and please also visit and support our sponsors who make our challenges possible. And don't forget to link up with us so we can see your gorgeous creations. If you participated in our Feathered Friends challenge, don't forget to scroll down from the challenge post to see if you are one of our winners for that challenge.

This time I got to play with the gorgeous Lake Winter digi from Stitchy Bear. I coloured it with my Faber Castell watercolour pencils. Then I added some snow using a Signo white gel pen. To add some sparkle, I added some Ranger Ice Stickles on the snow, it doesn't show very well in the main image but I tried to take another picture that shows it a little bit better. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in white. I matted everything onto dark blue card, and added some snow flakes die cut from sparkling white paper for that extra little snow and sparkle.

I am sharing my card with the following challenges:

Winter Wonderland - Christmas song/carol (Let it snow, let it snow let it snow)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge - Use something old (my Ranger Ice Stickles, and the Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflake dies)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - No Designer Paper

Christmas Cards All Year 'Round - Snowflakes

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes

Moving Along With the Times - Snow in Summertime

Card: White 300 gsm white card, Coloured 240 gsm kraft card in navy, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, white glitter card (no brand name, ordered from eBay)

Stamps: Stitchy Bear Lake Winter, Stampin' Up Endless Wishes

Ink and colouring: Tsukineko Versamark, Faber Castell watercolour pencils, Signo white gel pen

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes die, Ranger Ice Stickles, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

Happy Crazy Birthday

I am sitting on the sofa waiting for the Culinary Consultant to finish cooking dinner. We are having barbecue, for the third weekend in a row. I have absolutely no complaints! I am only expected to prep the sweetcorn and chunky oven baked chips and then all I need to do is enjoy. I love summer! I'm trying to not think about the fact that days are already getting darker again, and evenings are getting a bit nippy. I don't want summer to be over yet! I have a feeling this fall will bring with it some changes in my professional life, and my peaceful days of manageable workloads are coming to an end. But we never know what the future holds, so all I can do is wait and see and take things as they come. 

To keep my mind on happier thoughts, I made a Bird Crazy birthday card to a family member who is going through quite a crazy time right now. Hopefully the crazy little feathered friends will bring a chuckle to their face. 

I was inspired by the colours over at colourQ. I am also linking up with Addicted to Stamps where the theme is Make Your Mark, Bloggers Challenge where the theme is Birthday, Fab and Funky Challenges where the theme is Things with Wings, and the Anything Goes challenges over at Crafting With an Attitude, Simply Create Too and Crafting With Friends.

I started by stamping the present in Versamark and heat embossed in white. I then transferred some ink from Tim Holtz distress markers onto a clear block and used them to watercolour the present and the background. I inked up some splotches from Gorgeous Grunge and stamped them around the present. Then I die cut the background using Stitched rectangles, and inked around the edges using Walnut Stain. I stamped two of the birds onto white card in black ink and heat embossed in clear ink. I coloured the birds in watercolour, and die cut using the fantastically precise matching dies. Last I die cut the Happy Birthday from orange and brown card and adhered to the card. I also stamped and coloured one bird inside the card with the funny speech bubble from Just Sayin'. 

Card: 300 gsm hammered white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Early Espresso, Calypso Coral 

Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark, Tim Holtz distress inks Walnut Stain, Seedless Preserves, Peacock Feathers, Ripe Persimmon,  

Stamps: Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Birthday Blueprint, Bird Crazy, Stampin' Up Just Sayin', Gorgeous Grunge

Other: Lawn Fawn Happy Birthday border die, Stitched Rectangle dies, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, Ranger clear embossing powder