Anything Goes at ATSM

Evening all.

I'm back with a card for the latest challenge over at ATSM.

This week its -

ANYTHING GOES

Absolutely anything at all, let your hair down, try something different or not, just as the fancy takes you.

Here is my card.

My son's best friend has just got himself a new house with his girlfriend, so I thought I would make a card for Ben and Holly to celebrate. Using the sketch from this week's LIM challenge and the picture at Time Out as inspiration this is how I went about it.

On some scrap white card I stamped the cluster of houses from STAMPlorations and coloured them with Copics before fussy cutting them out. Placing them on a circle of card to match the base I thought they needed grounding so added some sky and ground before attaching the circle over a die cut lattice panel and stamping the greeting.

For more inspiration , check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at-

Masculine Tag

Good morning.

The last day of February and I can't believe its come around so quickly! Tomorrow is the meteorological first day of spring. Well here the blackthorn is out, the lambs are in the field and the early daffs are in bud, but more of that later.

Today sees the start of a brand new challenge over at Cardz4Guyz. Today we would like to see your projects on the theme of -

TAG IT

So, anything with a tag on or just a tag. I went with the simple tag.

a

I took my inspiration from the latest challenge at Tag You're It, but made it masculine by using cogs and gears instead of flowers.

The cog stamps I got from Port Sunlight a couple of years ago and are by Crafty Roo Designs.

The gear die cuts are a set by X-Cut cut from scraps of gold and kraft and some split pins. The black edge was cut using a Avery Elle die and attached to the bottom of my Poppy Stamps tag die. A simple stamped sentiment from STAMPlorations and some butchers twine with added Copic colouring complete.

Please check out the rest of the DT here for some fabulous inspiration and join in.

I'm joining in over at -

My gears connect to each other!

Creations for Males

PS On the subject of the track, we still have a stream running down it and now also around the edges. More stone has been added to raise the level again and in doing so the contactors caused us some problems on Sunday as some visitors were unable to travel down, Al had to let them in the back way. We were not informed that there would be a blockage so could not warn our visitors, just typical! One more thing to add to the ever lengthening list of complaints!

As I mention above the lambs are arriving rapidly now. Here is a photo I took of our first set of twins that arrived early last week.

Mum was very wary and I had to keep my distance, she was the second to lamb here before the rest of the flock went up to the lambing pens. We had our first set of returning ewes with their lambs yesterday but too late for a pic!

Big Hugs for you

Morning all.

I managed a trip to the garden center in the warm springlike temperatures yesterday but didn't hang around as it was half term and busy with Nannies and Grandpas entertaining grandchildren! There was also a couple of coach loads of OAPs on some sort of tour. There I go, OAPs indeed, that's me according to the Teachers Pension people who have recently contacted me to inform me that I am entitled to a pension, pittance though it may be! Appears that teacher's can claim as before and not follow the rules for the new state pension!

However, they don't make life easy to claim it as the web site is a nightmare. Even my computer savvy daughter agreed it was poor. I was talking to a very nice young man who was talking me through it but we got cut off and well then I was left to my own devices. 

Onto cheerier topics, our first lambs arrived earlier than expected. The flock was due to be taken to the lambing sheds last week but there was no transport available until today. Yesterday morning I saw a ewe who looked to be in labour up against the fence as I walked the dog. I let my hubby know and off he went to investigate only to find a pair of very wee lambs gamboling in the field. The ewe I had seen was not the mother! Anyway all is well with those two. let's hope no more arrive before they are taken home!

Over at Cardz4Guyz it's time for a new challenge. This week it is -

UNDER WATER

I wasn't sure I had anything in my stash to go with this topic but after flicking through some images from a mag I came across this image of a cat in a rather deep puddle!

He is rather more under than above the water in this picture!

After printing out the image I coloured him with Copics and fussy cut him before gluing him over an aperture in a piece of linen card. The background is a circle of card inked up with DI and splattered with water fo create the texture. Gluing the circle to my base card I popped the sinking puddy tat top panel up on pads. The sentiment is from STAMPlorations and I thought went rather well with the image.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here and why not join in?

I'm joining in over at -

     

PS   On the matter of the track, we don't appear to have made any progress despite our meeting with the contractor's representatives. Basically we were told that an agreement had been reached with the landowner and sucks boo to us. Our access is owned by the neighbouring farm and we only have right of way. We do have to maintain it, requiring agreement between the 4 parties or to appoint an experienced surveyor to arbitrate in the event of a disagreement. Not wishing to go down the legal route, we thought we could discuss the problems reasonably but 7 days later the drain has been fractured further up the track and is again running down the new surface, clarting every thing in mud!

Yesterday afternoon an empty wagon got stuck returning up the drive, resulting in even more hardcore being added but no attempt to cure the real problem.

Having pointed out to the contractor the basic problem, offered a solution and pointed out the fact that they are no longer keeping to the original track but have encroached onto our land, cutting away the verge, and as a result damaging the drain, they don't seem to want to do anything about it.  We shall wait to see what happens next.

STAMPlorations reminder

Welcome back peeps.

It's time for a reminder that there is still time to play along at this month's sketch/theme challenge over at STAMPlorations.

Here's my card to inspire you.

I've used the theme but looking again I probably used the sketch as well!

Whether you choose one or the other or combine them we'd love to see what you've been inspired to make.

Having been there and done the 'retro' thing when it was up to date fashion, I wanted to remind myself of one or two things I remembered about the 50's, 60's and 70's, so I went trawlling Pinterest and Google images. What I was looking for were fabric and pottery images as I'd previously gone down the wallpaper route for my first post. I found lots of images but was struck by the way that black outlines were used with splodges of colour.  A few of the designs that appealed to me are

here, here, here, here and this card here.

I used the leaves and one of the flower heads from Blooming Buds and stamped them randomly in black across a panel of white card. Using the large and small solid circle stamp from Retro Mod Shapes, I stamped some circles in shades of green and using a homemade stencil I inked some larger ones with some soft tealy blues.

Rather than do the same as in this card, I decided to add a strip across the bottom in matching green and a fine strip of black. On a small scrap of the same green I stamped and embossed the Happy Birthday from the Balloons and Banners set and added a shadow mount in black to one half.

The rest of the DT and GDs have some fantastic inspiration over at the STAMPlorations site if you need more inspiration, you'll also find all the Ts and Cs there as well.

PS Don't forget to use my code if you are buying your goodies

I'd like to join in over at -

no topping this time!

CASEing Therese

Good morning folks.

It's been a busy week in the old craft room and this isn't the last post of it!

Today see's the start of a new theme over at the Alphabet Challenge.

Today and the next 13 days our theme is -

Y is for - YOU CHOOSE!

Free rein then for you to enter what ever YOU want!

Here is my choice.

I wanted to have a go at Caseing the inspiration from Therese Calvird over at the Flower Challenge.

I've done one using the same layout here but not with a flower. This one also uses the colours from the latest challenge at The Paper Players, although the only suitable grey card I had has a sheen to it. 

The die I used here is a Memory Box die, English Rose Corner . The technique is the same as my heart card here but I used a larger piece of ink blended paper so that the edge pokes out from under the top panel. The Happy Birthday was a die cut which I covered with Versamark ink and embossed with copper EP. I needed a couple of goes to ensure that the white card was totally covered and the embossing even. A few dots of Glossy Accents coloured with Copic to match the backing paper completed the look.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

     

 

                                                 inlaid die cutting

Gorjuss

Good morning.

It's time for another challenge over at Cardz4Galz. Or theme this time is -

CARDS FOR TEENZ

I was struggling with what to do for this challenge as it's not a theme that I make very often but then I remembered some Gorjuss images I stamped when my friend Di popped by for a crafty day.

I used the sketch at Sketch Saturday for the layout and a panel of NitWits paper for the colours.

Regular readers will know that I'm pretty much a clean and simple sort of gal, so I didn't add too much in the way of embellishments but I did incorporate a strip of ribbon as the horizontal in the sketch. I have an extensive stash of ribbon and a smaller one of lace but it doesn't get reduced much as I only ever use little bits, if at all, but for a girlie card and in the correct place this ribbon (over lace) fits the bill!

After colouring her in with Copics, I fussy cut and placed her on the ribbon above an embossed panel of white card, a panel with the sentiment was attached to the side of that.

For more Teenz inspiration, check out the rest of the team.

I'd like to join in over at -

Ribbon or Lace

CAS Mix up, Guest Designer

Good evening everyone.
This is a scheduled post 'cos I'm out having fun with like minded ladies at my craft class.
Love to get together for a bit of light hearted banter and an hour or so of crafty delight!
A fortnight ago I was in the same position and today sees me back with a reminder for you for the CAS Mix Up Challenge that I'm GDing on this month. Thanks for asking Bonnie, Loll and the rest of the girls.
 Anyway here is my card to remind you that you have just over a week to get your corrugated card projects linked up

This time I took the colours from this month's challenge at Altenew, using their gorgeous 'Remember This' set. I stamped a large bloom, a couple of buds and some leaf outlines and embossed with white EP. I then coloured them with my Zigs and fussy cut them out.
I took some cardboard from a packing box and ripped a corner off, also removing most of the top layer of paper to reveal the corrugations. Last time I left the corrugated card it's usual brown colour but this time I painted it with white acrylic and when dry added some platinum Inka Gold wax with my finger. On a die cut white card panel I glued the painted card in the bottom left corner, then grouped the fussy cut flowers and stuck them down. From a scrap of matching card I cut the always (STAMPlorqations) and also one from some funky foam, although I cut away the a so it would lie flat over the c. card.
Using my Misti, I positioned the always where I wanted it to be and placed the & Forever stamps (STAMPlorations). Removing the always, I stamped and embossed the words in silver before placing the always back and gluing it in place.
The finished panel was then attached to my base card.


My choice was Inka Gold Wax, Heat Embossing, Watercolour and die cut

Please check out the wonderful artwork from the CAS Mix Up team here and join in.

I'd like to join in over at -

Hearts and/ Flowers

Rain or Shine

Evening all.
Its time for another challenge over at ATSM. This week is -

CLEAN and SIMPLE

So minimum embellishments, layers and lots of 'white' space.
Here is my card using HLS stamp set 'Rainy Days'

I started by stamping and heat embossing the cloud, sun and raindrops with white EP on a piece of mixed media paper. After washing in some colour using my Zigs and a water brush. I stamped the sentiment in black and embossed it with clear EP.

Simples!

The starting point was the latest challenge over at Less is More, where the challenge theme is OL, 'Opposites Attract'. Hope this fits the bill!

Over on the  ATSM blog there are lots more of CAS inspiration from the wonderful DT, check it out.

I'm joining in over at -

Masculine Anniversary Card

Morning all.

The weather was positively spring like with all the sunshine streaming in through the windows, showing up all that dust, but the wind chill was something else. A hat and a pair of warm gloves were the order of the day when I took Max out. It's looking a little better wind wise today and the thermometer is set to rise into double figures tomorrow, fingers crossed.

The saga of the track continues. On Saturday when I walked Max up the drive there was an enormous lake in the dip on the lane, so much so that Max had to tiptoe around the edge. My husband had a word with the surveyor acting for Railtrak  and they are come to see us yesterday so that they could hear our thoughts. Anyway, whatever Al said must have encouraged the site manager to do something because by the time I went out in the afternoon the lake had gone but they had not fixed the drain but bulldozed a good 6"of road planings over so the lake was buried! 

The guys who came yesterday didn't seem to be aware of the problems other than what we told them so they went with Al for a walk an were a little sheepish about the encroachment onto our land by the wagons. Watch this space!

OK, over at Cardz4Guyz its time for a brand new challenge and its my choice -

NO PATTERED PAPER

Here is my card.

I'd seen a card a while ago on Pinterest, using cut out numbers but for a birthday. I really thought it a great idea so this is my CASE of it. In the original the hilighted numbers were pink but as it was for a fella, silver sparkle was much more suitable. You could change the colour and the numbers to suit.

I die cut a selection of tumbling numbers with MFT's little numbers then fit a snippet of glitter card behind the 25 before popping the top panel over a black base card on pads. The sentiment was free with a mag a couple of months back, which I embossed with white EP. I replaced the fiddly bits cut from the number centers and that was it.

For more inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

Anything Goes

CUTplorations Clustered Hearts

Hello again.

The saga of the lane to our house continues. The post man struggled down this morning as did the Parcelforce guy who said he partially grounded his van on the way down despite a shed load of granite rocks being laid yesterday by the engineering crew. The heavy wagons have again displaced the stone and formed a central ridge which is quite high for a standard van or car clearance. My husband is talking to the surveyor involved this afternoon, as the site manager was a little aggressive when he went to complain on Monday, so hopefully something will be done sooner rather than later. 

OK back to the happier side of life and some more Valentine's inspiration. 

This time it's for the brand new challenge over at HLS Anything Goes with Dies.

If you saw my earlier tag you will recognise the clustered heart die from STAMPlorations. This time I cut 5 of the same but cut the smaller hearts off 2 and arranged all of them onto a panel of Spritzed Zigs and Brusho. I used a magenta, hot pink Zig markers and a sprinkling of crimson Brusho to get the colour which I then spritzed with water to blend. Over at Less is More they are celebrating their 6th Birthday and would like to see 3 adjacent colours on the wheel, so for my background I used the top left 3.

After gluing the hearts down I decided I wanted to add some dimension by adding some infill hearts both flat and raised on pads. I cut these from some scrap to which I made using the same technique and colours as the panel. I finished off the design by stamping and embossing in gold the 'Love You'.

For more die cut inspiration please check out the rest of the team here.

I'd like to join in over at -

            

Just the picture for me

    

                                                        Hearts

Clean and Simple, using the heart shaped choccies as inspiration for my popped up hearts

Love TAGplorations

Hi and welcome to the start of a fun Valentines blog hop at STAMPlorations.
Shery has launched some fab new stamps and dies for the Valentine period and decided a blog hop would be just the thing.
Here is my contribution using the clustered hearts and always dies.

After die cutting my tag, I scribbled some Zig marker in red and pink then just spritzed it with water and let the water do it's magic. When mostly dry, I added some fine splatter from a red Zig to the white part of the tag and some white paint over the red. I simply die cut the hearts from some white card, using both the outline and solid hearts and the 'always' from linen effect gold card.
Some scraps of matching ribbon and chord complete the tag.

Now it's your turn!

Leave a comment here before you leave and check out the rest of today's inspiration here. You'll find all the T's and C's here as well.

I'd like to join in over at:-