Animal Party Tricks

Hello.  Welcome.  I decided to do something a little different this evening.  I have lots of things I have acquired over the years.  Loads of patterned papers I bought because they were pretty, and then not used, because they were pretty.  And I have stickers, and toppers and chipboards and well, the list goes on.  So tonight I have made my first stepper card, inspired by Dana's card which is the CASE at Coffee Loving Cardmakers, and decorated it with preprinted and cut Tilda pictures.   

 

These clip pictures were once very popular.  I think they used to come in sheets and you cut them out yourself.  I made my stepper card.  Gosh, that was fun!!  Me and maths seemed to be at odds, but we got there in the end.  I used Becky Higgins PL papers as layers and then arranged the images to make a vintage feel christmas card with a coffee loving twist.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at

Coffee Loving Cardmakers Caseing the DT #13

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 335
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - We're Going Round In Circles 

Make Some Noise

Hello.  Welcome.  Picked up a few stamps by Panduro on sale the other day.  Thought this one was perfect for the CASology challenge of Loud

I based my design on the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge sketch.  I stamped the deer drummer and masked him.  I added the musical notes and then used a Rubber Dance splat stamp and loud colours of distress ink to make the background.  I coloured the deer with distress inks and gave him a loud jumper.  The stamp has the word play on the drum but I masked that out and used some small Stamplortaion stamps to add the Happy Birthday.  I know a few musicians so I am sure this will be a very useful card.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
CASology - Loud
Stamplorations CAS Challenge May
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 174 - Sketch
AAA Cards Game 91 - Birthday 
Fashionable Stamping Challenges Challenge 123 - Let's Go Wild 

  

Rudolf Does Yoga

Hello.  Welcome.  Well, it's summer today in Norway with 28°C in the shade, 35°C in the sun and the greenhouse is like a nuclear accident site........  Best to just stay in there 30 seconds, stretch it to 45 maybe, then out again to cool down!!!  They have said we may have 2 days like this!!!!  Wow.  BBQ, bicycle race and cold drinks rule.  So in the spirit of summer, I decided to make a christmas card!!   Setting a new record!  This is the second one this month!!!  At this rate I will have 13 ready for the big day ROFL.  

Now ain't that the cutest little Rudolf you ever did see??  I used the sketch from CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  I stamped and masked the deer from a NBUS Panduro set and stamped the snowflakes.  I coloured the deer with distress inks and a waterbrush and edged the card with dark blue chalk ink.  Another contender for the yearly christmas card.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 174 - Sketch
May Rudolph Days Challenge 
CHNC Challenge 335
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Little Critters 
Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge 

Law of Cat

Hello.  Welcome.  The challenge over at Dies R Us is shaped cards, so I decided it was time for another outing with the Sizzix Fancy Chair die.  This comes with a matching embossing folder and is a really fun die.  It's quite nice to have a free standing chair, and since Lost Coast have a cat event going on, I decided to fill my chair with a cat.  A happy cat, of course......

How cool is that??!!!  I cut the chair from corrugated card, which gets compressed as it is cut, so gives a nice strong card front, but remains quite light.  I embossed with the matching folder and tinted with Frayed Burlap distress ink.  I embossed some hot pink card and fussy cut the 'upholstery'.  I highlighted some details with a red pen and added some lace to the edge of the cushion.  Went a bit crazy with the pearls!!!   Most of the embossed 'buttons' are covered by the cat so only two pearls on the chair back, so I decided to embellish the chair arms as well.  

The cat is Lost Coast's Happy Cat, stamped wth black archival ink and fussy cut.  I stamped the sentiment with Staz On ink on shrink plastic.  It reads

'she decided to schedule some time each day to be 

overwhelmed by the sheer amazingness of it all'

She is a very wise cat.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - Here Kitty Kitty
Dies R Us Challenge 73 - Shaped Cards/Projects
Scrapy Land Challenge 66 - Add pearls and/or Lace
More Than Words Mini Challenge - She 
Mixed Media Monthly Challenge 36 - Put a Stamp On It
Deep Ocean Challenge 171 - Fave Card Project 2017  cos I really like this one LOL.  Hugz

Flowers In Her Air

Hello.  Welcome.  I paper pieced the girl from the May KOTM.  Love the dimension this technique gives.  

It was a fun way to use some scraps.  I wanted to use warm colours.  The flowers are Sizzix Flower emboslit and gold mirror card.  These dies cut and emboss at the same time. 

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
CASology Week 249 - Warm I used warm colours and she's holding a cup of coffee
Dare 2 B Artzy - Girly Challenge
Hobbygarasjen Utfordring 48 - Blomster
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Floral Fantasy
Country View Challenges May 2017 - Flower Power

Green White Space and the Beauty of Dicentra

Hello.  Welcome.  A lovely inspiration photo over at the Stamplorations Cutplorations challenge.  Dicentra is one of my favourite flowers.  I love those dangly little heart shaped flowers. 

Keeping it clean with lots of green space.  The base card is green hammered card which I added some Mowed Lawn distress ink to to highlight the texture.  I cut a scrap of watercolour paper coloured with Brusho's using two of the Stamplorations Stitched Snowy Hill dies.  I cut Stamplorations Clustered Heart die from a scrap of white paper and coloured it with Picked Raspberry distress ink.  I wanted the bottom of the hearts to remain white, to reflect the colouring in the Dicentra flowers, so I used my waterbrush to add colour at the top and draw it down the die cut.  The happy birthday is a goldline sticker.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamplorations Cutplorations May Challenge
Stamplorations CAS Challenge May
Allsorts Challenge Week 416 - Happy Birthday
Kaboks Utfordring 13 - Bursdag 
Pixies Snippets Playground Week 281/282 

Save the Beez

Hello.  Welcome.  Yesterday was World Bee Day.  I have noticed the decline of our buzzy friends.  I have noticed when the weather turns cold and wet and they vanish, only to reemerged a month later to work hard again.  We need them so badly.  Please take care of the bees.  Don't use pesticides.  They kill the good with the bad and often the good take longer to recover, so you get more bad bugs, then you spray them again!!  Cherish your dandelions for the precious early nectar they supply and the happy colours they bring to the garden.  Be brave, go wild.  

I decided to join the PaperArtsy challenge where they want to see assemblage.  I liked the tin can man in the challenge post and also Carol Fox's garden sign made me think about making a tin can to put bits in in my greenhouse.   I sprayed my can with copper laquer.  I used a stencil and some yellow acrylic on burlap fabric.  The metal flowers are from Korthobby.no with a few half pearls.   The bee is from Rubber Dance, stamped and coloured on shrink plastic.  The legs and antennae were a bit of a shrinky dinky nightmare but we got there in the end.  I made the sentiment on ye olde typewriter.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Paperartsy - Assemblage
Korthobby - Anything Goes

Hoppy Birthday Bunny

Hello.  Welcome.  I have a hoppy bunny card over on the Rubber Dance blog today.  Do pop over and check out.  Hugz

Do hop over to the blog and remember, if you are shopping at Rubber Dance you can use my code GTfreeship you can get free worldwide shipping on orders over €15. 
Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Just Fluttering By

Hello.  Welcome.  New challenge starting over at Rubber Dance today and the theme is Rule of Three.  We want to see three of something, or many threes of things.  Here's a little idea I had

I used Butterfly Trio, stamped and fussy cut.  I divided my panel into three using Stamplorations Snowy Hills Stitched dies and embossed the central panel with a Sizzix embossing folder.  

Hop over to the blog for more inspiration from the team for this challenge.

Hope you feel like making a little something and joining the fun.  You must use stamping, but any brand of rubber or clear stamp is welcome.  We would of course love to see your creations with Rubber Dance stamps if you have them.  

Don't forget if you are shopping for Rubber Dance stamps you can get free worldwide shipping with my code GTfreeship for any order over €15.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz 

Joining the fun at
Stamping Sensations Challenge - Butterflies, Fairies and Fantasy
AAA Cards Game 90 - Embossing

A Boy and His Reindeer

Hello.  Welcome.  Wow, a christmas card already this month!!  Might break my record this month!!! 

I used I Love You So Much from High Hopes Stamps coloured with water colour pencils.  I fussy cut part of the image so I could use the Sizzix Mixed Media die behind the image.  I cut the panel with Simon Says Stamp Stitched rectangle die and backed it with some patterned paper.  The Merry Christmas is an MFP stamp.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
High Hopes Stamps May Challenge - Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper May Challenge - Anything Goes
CHNC Challenge 332 - Anything Christmas
Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge 
Scrapyland Challenge 65- Anything Goes
Scrappelyst Utfordring for Mai - Feiring

Hi Frank, Great Hair

Hello.  Welcome.  Murphy Nan reminded me it's Half-O.Ween.  That's halfway to that most wonderful time of the year...........Halloween.  So since Mr Mojo has returned with the rain, and there was this so lovely Frank die I just had to have.......

I cut a piece of Prima patterned paper, it had pink stripes on pale yellow with grey text, with Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle die.  Then I cut the end with Sizzix Torn Notebook die, which gives me a 4 x 5 and some journal card.  I used a large Pronty stencil and Picked Raspberry distress ink on the background and added some Picked Raspberry and Black Archival smears.  

I stamped the bauble garland from Unity KOTM and embossed with black embossing powder.  Uh,,, that's not very festive!  So I coloured the baubles with Galaxy Markers and used my gold Pilot marker on the strings and bauble hangers.  Much better.  Then I cut and paper pieced Frantic Stampers Frank die with some scraps.  Ain't he just so cool.  I added some extra stitching to his cardigan and shoes with a sharpie and gave him some gold bolts.  Ready to parteeeee.  

I generated my sentiment on a typewriter!!  A real one.  One of those little ones that were all the rage when I was young.  They called them portable!  Well, I suppose they were, but I wouldn't want to lug it up a mountain!!  We inherited this one recently and I grabbed it with joy.  No firing up the printer to waste a whole sheet of paper on six words.  And I bet it's more water resistant that printed ink.  Will experiment later!!  And when I messed up the 'new' whilst inking the edges I just typed it again, on the same scrap of card I had already chopped up.  Won't see a printer putting your sentiment on scraps, but my little typewriter will.  Limited fonts, and I maybe need to find a new ribbon, but a definite asset to the crafty stash.   But there is no spell check!!  Ah well, we aim for perfection but settle for reality.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Hint of Pink 
Scrapy Land Challenge 65 - Anything Goes
Dream in Darkness Challenge
Pixies Snippets Playground Week 279/280
Stamplorations May Mixed Media Challenge 

 

Headhunter Hello

Hello.  Welcome.  We have had a week of hot, hot, hot and sun, sun, sun so I have been muchly in the garden.  A little rain this afternoon reawakened Mr. Mojo.  The Mod Squad Challenge really caught my eye and then Mr Postman brought some Sugar Skull stamps I was lucky enough to win in the Sin City blog hop and well........

I stamped the Sin City Female Sugar Skull on black and white card using Versamark ink and embossed with black and white powder, cut and spliced them and then cut using Sizzix TH Stitched Oval dies.  I cut the frame with the same die set from some chalkboard papers.  The background panel is from the same chalkboard papers cut with Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle die.  I used Sizzix alpha dies for the Head Hunter greeting and added some stitch detail with my black and white gel pens.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Mod Squad Challenge - Positively Negative
Dream in Darkness Challenge 
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge 36 - Use Faux/Real Stitching 
Country View May Challenge - Flower Power
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - It's a Frame Up 
Scrapy Land Challenge 65 - Anything Goes 

Hare Mail

Hello.  Welcome.  A couple of new stamps sets being released over at Rubber Dance today and they are soooooooo cute!!  Well, you know I have a weakness for bunnies!  I have a little something I want to send to a crafty friend so I decided to decorate the envelope and make some bunny mail art.  Carrots anyone??

How sweet is that little Bonny Bunny face!!??!  The address, in that space that I doodled under the bunny face, is obviously not my friend's LOL.  Most of the stamping and colouring was done with distress inks and my water brush.  

Do hop over to the blog to see the full release and also lots of luscious samples.  Then hop over to the web site and snaffle yourself these little beauties at a bargain price until 8th May.  And remember if you use my code GTfreeship you can get free worldwide shipping on orders over €15 as well!!  Now that's a real bargain!!  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Scrappelyst Grublis for April - Vår
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - The Great Outdoors
Happy Little Stampers May Watercolour Challenge - AG
Kreativ Scrapping Utfordring 5 - Vår
Scrappiness Utfolrdring 4 - Fargerikt

Hello Bunny

Hello.   Welcome.  Just popping up to share the card I sent to LaVon for the April Card Chain Challenge.  In case you've missed it, this is an international card exchange where you make a card, send a card and get a card.  Everyone gets a card, everyone wins!!  

I used a dotty orange card base and highlighted the dots with orange distress ink.  I cut the banner using Simon Says Stamp Stitched die and some dotty paper.  I cut a piece of yellow card smeared with Twisted Citron distress ink using Stamplorations Stitched Snowy Hills die for the ground.  The bunny is an Anita's stamp coloured with Promarkers.  

If you would like to see all the cards that were exchanged in April the reveal is HERE

If you would like to join the May exchange the sign up is HERE and is open until 6th May.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity Challenge 36 - Faux/Real Stitching
Scrappelyst Grublis for April - Vår 
One Crazy Stamper Challenge - Anything Goes 
HeARTful Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes 
Dare 2 B Artzy Challenge - Anything Goes 

I See It In The Stars

Hello.  Welcome.  I have a card over on the Rubber Dance blog today.  Hope you have time to hop over and check it out.  Here's a peek.  Hugz

The new colour challenge started yesterday with these lovely yummy colours

Hope you feel like making a little something and joining the fun.  You must use stamping but any brand is welcome.  We would of course love to see your creations with Rubber Dance stamps if you have them. 

Don't forget if you are shopping for Rubber Dance stamps you can get free worldwide shipping with my code GTfreeship.  Just between us, there's something exciting coming to the shop on Thursday.  I see it in the stars LOL.  Well, actually, I read it in the carrots.....  Hugz

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

GIU Winners

Hello.  Welcome.  Thanks to everyone who commented on my Growing in Unity posts last week.  Your amazing comments made the days very special.  You all rock.  A special thanks to those who took the time to leave more than a word or two and to those who chose to become followers as well.  And here's what you have been waiting for....

From Day 1 : Kristiina Majuri

From Day 5 :  Dotty Jo

Congratulations ladies.  You have both won a 25 stamp grab bag from Unity Stamp Co.  I'm sorry you couldn't all be winners, but Lisa has announced her winners as well, so do hop over and see if you are lucky there.   There are 4 chances every week in 2017 to win a Unity Grab Bag.  Join the Unity Show and Tell or Unity GIU groups to find out who is GIU this week.  

Kristiina and Jo, please email me (craftynomad at gmail dot com) your snail mail addresses so I can pass them on to Unity

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Simple Solutions

Hello.  Welcome.  May already and flowers bursting out all over.  I saw this sentiment and it was love at first sight.  I mean, you just got to have it.  Haven't you??

Any excuse to eat cake, eh??  The flower is a Gummiapan die and the mini Bunny Tilda Baby was stamped, fussy cut and coloured with Wilted Violet distress ink.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Challenge - Floral Fantasy
Country View May Challenge - Flower Power
AAA Cards Game 89 - Bright and Beautiful
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Scrappelyst Grublis for April - Vår 

Birds Eye View

Hello.  Welcome. It's way past the witching hour so here's a simple bird inspired by Shirley

I cut the white panel using Stamplorations Double Crazy Stitched Rectangle die.  I stamped the bird uusing Versamark and embossed the top with black and the bottom of his legs with white embossing powder.  I coloured his bill with orange Promarker and paper pieced the body.  A googly eye and Stamploration sentiment to finish.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hugz

Joining the fun at
Stamplorations Cutplorations April Challenge I went with green and bird  
Stamplorations CAS Challenge April
Stamplorations April Challenge - Theme - Stamps and Wings 
Stamplorations Spotlight Project Showcase 
Stamplorations Things With Wings Spring Linky