Yawn ....

.... bit tired this week, 7am feels like the middle of the night!!  All those lovely holiday morning sleep-ins are a thing of the past!!  And as I can't seem to switch back into working week bed-times, despite having to get up early, I am officially a wreck!!!

It's Thursday and my team's week for doing the DT samples on PaperPlay.  Our challenge this week was set by Vera and it's called "Cutie Patootie" - use a cute image.

Well, I hit a bit of a wall on this one.  I pulled out my Tildas and my Sugar Nellies et al, and I just wasn't feeling the cuteness!!  Hmm, hmm, what to do?!!  Scrabbled around in the back of the wooden stamp drawer, and out came one of those never inked Peanuts stamps - it's called "Snoopy Kisses".  I think that would qualify for cute, don't you?!  And then I started thinking ahead - Valentine's Day - could this become the card for my hearts 'n' flowers hatin' husband?  Here's what I made (sorry about the light - very dark day here - I will have to try and retake):

I used the sketch from this week's Shabby Tea Room, and I'm also entering this card into Basic Grey Challenges ("Dots + Spots" - I've used Jovial papers), Crafty Cardmakers ("Use red and a die-cut") and Bunny Zoes Crafts ("Love is in the Air").

Here's a close-up of the Peanuts image - Charlie Brown is so funny with his eyes rolling up to heaven!!

And here's a side-shot of the embellishments.  I made these Xs and Os from cardstock, and put glossy accents on the red Os and black enamel accents (wonderful stuff!) on the Xs.

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Jovial

Stamp: Stampabilities "Snoopy Kisses"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Nestabilities Labels 2, Doodlebug brads, glossy accents, black enamel accents, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - I would be off for a nap now, but my mother-in-law is coming over for dinner, maybe I should tidy a bit!!

Last day of ....

.... freedom, we're back to school tomorrow, sigh.  It's been a lovely long relaxing three weeks off - now the house is clean, the laundry is done and tomorrow it'll all be a distant memory!!!

I went to a crop yesterday, had a lovely day chatting and laughing (and eating!), and making one card!!  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers.  I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Mo's Digital Challenge ("Going Retro"), Creative Cottage ("Something New") and Stamp Something ("Use a Digi").

I used papers from October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket.  I used a gorgeous digi image from Mo Manning and coloured with distress inks yet again. Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Thrift Shop" and Cosmo Cricket "Circa 1934"

Image: Mo Manning "Angelina with Balloons"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS Punch, ribbon and buttons from stash, needle + thread

 
Thanks for looking!
 

Slightly belated ....

.... but I'll say it anyway, Happy New Year to one and all - hope 2011 will be a good year for you and yours!!

I've seen lots of threads on message boards about New Year's resolutions.  Typically, my resolution is not to make a resolution, I find that's an easy one to achieve!!!  But really, the most improving thing I could do is to stop procrastinating!!!

This card is a case in point, one of the teachers at school asked me to make it in mid-December.  OK, the snow was a valid excuse, then Christmas itself and all the visiting and socialising that entails.  But by last weekend, when I was still ensconced on the sofa and the house was cleaned up after the New Year's party, I had run out of excuses.  So I dragged myself up to the craftroom and, what do you know, made something!  Here's the card:

I used the sketch from this week's Friday Sketchers.  I'm also entering this card into the following challenges: Shabby Tea Room (11 elements - mine are: 4 papers, 4 hearts, 1 image, 1 ribbon, 1 border punch), Lili of the Valley ("New Beginnings"), Paper Sundaes ("Something New" - my new is the ribbon) and Papertake ("Anything Goes").

I used Pumice Stone Distress Ink to ink the edges of the papers, I like the look against those pale pink papers, makes them stand out more.  I used the same Lili of the Valley stamp that I used on the last baby card  - it's so cute - just coloured with distress inks and highlighted with stickles.  Here's a close-up:

And here's a wee side-shot of the layers - lots of paper on this card, but I kept the dimension as flat as I could as the client is sending it through the post:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Sugared"

Stamp: Lili of the Valley "Baby Blanket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS Valentine Lace punch, Nestabilities Labels 4, diamond stickles, gingham ribbon, needle + thread

That's all for now- I'm going to go and make a start on taking down the Christmas decorations - such a gloomy job!

Thanks for looking!