Special Delivery... From The Dog

Hello.
I'm excited today, to be a Guest Designer over at the 

AAA Birthday Challenge

where the theme is 'die cuts'

This was right up my street. I LOVE using die cuts.

For my card I've used this cute pup. Yes, he's supposed to have skis, but I had other plans.
Instead of the ski poles, I've got him to carry this birthday present.

I wanted to use some more die cuts for the background, but still keep the overall look pretty simple.
So I went with cloud and grass dies, and a couple of extra presents - one is never enough!  :o)

You've got a whole month to play along and show us your die cuts.
Do you alter yours?
I'm always looking for ideas to stretch my supplies,
so I'd be interested to know how you do it.

Thanks to AAA Birthday for letting me guest design this month.
It's been fun  xxx

• waffle flower - cool pup
• spellbinders - landscape edges dies / handmade holidays (presents)
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitched rectangle
• distress ink - tumbled glass / twisted citron
• concord & 9th - poolside (sentiment)

Tied Up With A Bow

Hello.
I'm excited to be joining the Allsorts Challenge  today
as a Guest Designer.

This is such a fun and friendly challenge, and I hope you'll find time to play along. 
 Sarah has chosen the theme...

Add a Ribbon or Bow

Ooh, this one had me scratching my head for a while.
I haven't used ribbon on a card for AGES! But when I went digging through my stash I found it all beautifully packed and organised. Go me ! (I've added a pic below to show how tidy and organised I used to be)  :o)

Back to the card.
And I couldn't resist a little box of sweet doughnuts all wrapped with ribbon and a bow.

The doughnuts are stamped and die cut. The sprinkles were added with Copic markers and some glossy accents. Then I added a layer of acetate to my scalloped edge die, and taped ribbon and a bow onto the corners.

Allsorts Challenge

Add Ribbon or a Bow

• the greetery - sweet tooth
• distress ink - salvaged patina
• altenew ink - maple yellow / fuchsia
• pinkfresh studio ink - warm buff / doe / gathered twigs
• copic markers, glossy accents
• sentiment - sugar pea designs - summer scoops

Small Heroes Bring Big Joy

Hello.

Today our very own super hero grandson is 5 years old.

I had so much fun making this card for him - he is a huge fan of superheroes, and is always coming up with bits of information about them. I don't know where he gets it all from.
So this little group of  warriors is right up his street.

Those cute heroes, are stamped and fussy cut, coloured with Copics and popped up with foam tape.
I kept the background skyline neutral, so that it didn't all clash.

Batman and Superman are fitted with mini wobbles for some extra fun interaction.
(check out my Instagram post here if you want to see it )

Challenge

A Place To Start

Anything Goes with optional twist small critters

• clearly besotted seriously super
• copic markers
• mini wobble
• pink fresh studio diagonal stitch rectangle 

A Sweet Woodland Birthday

Hello.

For a minute, when I got up this morning, I thought it wasn't raining.
False alarm. 
It's still raining  :o)

That makes more than 40 + days of rain in the UK this year. 
What's a person to do, other than get comfy in their craftroom.

I couldn’t resist inking up Bugsy and Jessie from Purple Onion Designs -  they’re just too sweet.
Bugsy with his balloon and Jessie clutching that birthday present, with a stencilled birch tree background - it’s basically a little woodland party waiting to happen.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - treemendous times stencil
• purple onion designs - bugsy and jessie
• time 4 tea designs - walrus (green die cut)
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• distress ink - shaded lilac
• copic markers / white gel pen

Life Is Sweeter With You... And Doughnuts!

Hello.
Here I am with another Valentine's Day card, featuring these cute, doughnut pals.

This time the challenge at Allsorts, was to create your own background.

I used some pink ink with a stencil, for that drippy effect, and then stamped it with hearts in various pink and white shades.
It doesn't come out too well on the photo, but it's really pretty IRL  o:)

Then I stamped and fussy cut those doughnut pals, and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

Allsorts Challenge

Create Your Own Background (Or Anything Goes)

• clearly besotted - donut worry / splat it stencil
• distress inks - worn lipstick / pickled raspberry / festive berries
• white ink
• copic markers / white gel pen

All You Need Is Love... And Doughnuts

 Hello.

Today I'm playing along at AAA Colourful, and using their pink, colour palette.
Perfect for a Valentine's card.

What's also perfect for Valentine's day?
That's right - doughnuts.  :o)

I used strips of pink card on my base and layered it with a 'peek-a-boo striped heart'.
Then, I fussy cut those cute animals, coloured them with Copics and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• clearly besotted - donut worry
• my favorite things - peek a boo striped heart die
• the greetery - valentine wishes sentiment from sweet tooth
• copics / white gel pen

A Little Card To Celebrate The Fun

 Hello.

I was meant to be following a sketch today.
You know when you have it in your mind, and you make your card, but it's not quite right.
It's close though - if you squint :o)

This is a Valentine's card for my dh. 

After 40 years of marriage, we're kind of over the red, love hearts and roses, so  I think this cute Eddie and Ethel stamp is more our thing.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I converted this to portrait and moved those stripes a bit. 
By which I mean a lot. It still looks a bit like the sketch though, right?

• purple onion designs - eddie and ethel
• memory box - parker alphabet dies
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• mft - sentiment from frost loving friends
• copic markers, white gel pen

Eat you Own Weight In Cake

 Hello.

Today I needed a card for a little girl, so I reached for the pink card and some cute 'pawty time' stamps.

I white heat embossed the sentiment and streamers onto the pink cardstock, which gives it a lovely crisp contrast and a little texture.

Then I added my cute animals (a dog and a cat ???)  and a huge cake.
It's not really a birthday unless you eat your own weight in cake, is it?

Challenge

Krafty Chicks Challenge

• my favorite things - pawty time
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• lawn fawn - stitch hillside borders
• versamark ink and hero arts white embossing powder
• copics and white gel pen

Just Zoomin' By To Spread A Bit Of Happy

 Hello.

Today I'm trying to get back to my old CAS style.
So, this card has a simple background, some cute animals and a sweet sentiment.

How did I do?

I am never going to win any colouring prizes, but I do enjoy getting my Copics out-
and these little, trees and critters are just perfect size for having a play.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• lawn fawn - scootin' by
• clearly besotted background trees
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitched rectangle
• copic markers - white gel pen

Driving By With Birthday Wishes

Hands up who else doesn't want to put their Christmas stash away yet?
You can't make me  :o)

Today, I've used a couple of Christmas sets to make this cool, birthday card.

The background is a snowy hills stencil.
Yep - you can see I STILL haven't got the hang of lining those trees up.
I'm gonna call that snow  - on the edges :o)

Then my van and presents were stamped, die cut and added with foam tape.

Challenge 

I've gone for the optional theme this week, because I really need to up my game for
masculine cards this year.

Allsorts

For Boys or Men

(or Anything Goes)

• the greetery - christmas care-a-van
• waffle flower crafts - snowy hills stencil
• colorado craft co - citrus berry cupcake ( sentiment)
• ranger distress inks - tumbled glass, cracked pistachio, carved pumpkin, mowed lawn
• memento ink - grey flannel
• versa color ink - vanilla, lagoon blue

Celebrate With A Cupcake

 Hello.

I'm sticking with die-cuts again today, for this simple birthday card of a girl and a cupcake.
Hmm.. is one cupcake ever enough?

I kept the background subtle, with this pretty, pierced line texture die, and then had fun stamping her top with shades of pink, orange and green.
I should have moved the sentiment over to the left a touch, but by the time I noticed my girl was stuck fast.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord and 9th - celebration squad
• waffle flower crafts - piercing lines texture die
• ranger distress ink - spiced pumpkin, pickled raspberry, twisted citron, mowed lawn.

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