Waltzing Mouse and the Nice List

  

 I'd like to show you a card made with Waltzing Mouse stamps and I'd like to tell you about Claire Brennan who owns it, and her "Nice List". 

Claire asked people to leave a comment on her blog before Christmas for a giveaway of stamps, asking for the person who would be top of your Nice List.  She told us about her lovely neighbour who has done a great job of restoring a kitchen dresser.  I'm having a sad time at the moment and was moved to leave a comment about how helpful my friends have been, especially my friend Morag.  Claire picked her random winner of a prize but also picked my comment for a spot prize.  The twist with this giveaway was that it was for both the commenter and for the Nice Person.  I am so lucky to have beautiful sets of WM stamps and also a sumptuous treat for Morag who is not a stamper.  

So this card is saying a big THANK YOU to friends everywhere, all my kind crafty friends who read my blog and a Thank You to Claire who I have never met but who is clearly a generous and kind person.  Oh and by the way her stamps are pretty amazing too!

Card uses Large Dainty Doilies stamps and sentiment from Say it Loud.  I've based it around this week's Waltzing Mouse sketch challenge.  Lace, gems and white heat embossing.

My card is for:

Waltzing Mouse - sketch

Shopping our Stash - lace

Craft your Passion - no patterned paper

Stampin' for the Weekend - embossing

Allsorts Challenge - free and easy

Drunken Stampers - something new (my gorgeous new stamps!)

Snow and skis

 

My card today uses a Lili of the Valley stamp belonging to my friend Val, love the jumper on the dog.  The knitting DP is Nordic Christmas? Winter? and the check is My Minds Eye.  I followed the sketch at Paper Pretties.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - anything Christmas

My Mum's Craft Shop - traditional Christmas

Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas

Colour Create - red, white, green, snowflakes

Simply Create Too - embossing

Crafts & Me - winter snow/snowflakes

The Pink Elephant - snowflakes and sparkle

Victorine Stamps - Christmas

Crafty Calender - cold and frosty

Tree-mendous stamps

 

 There are new stamps at Stamp Addicts and, as a tree stamp addict I was so excited to get the tree set, among others, to work with.  This is the willow, I've brayered the reflection onto the water and used the dotty stamp to extend the bank of the river.  Ink is Olympia Green Versafine and Distress Inks were used to coluor the tree and brushed on to the background.  Used the dotty stamp again in Memento Sand on hammered card for the background paper.  Sentiment is from Pink Petticoat.

My card is for:

Cute Card Thursday - Tree-mendous (great challenge name!)

Dutch Dare - sketch

Wags'n'Whiskers - Fall colours

The Artistic Stamper - Autumn colours

Stampin' for the Weekend - colours of Autumn

Tangled up mice

This week's challenge and House Mouse & Friends is Christmas Sparkle and I found this image stamped for me by a friend ages ago to use, as I don't have that many Christmas mice.  As I wasn't sure what it was stamped with I opted for watercolour pencils to colour but disaster struck when I added Stickles to the lights, which somehow bled around the lights.  I added lots of Distress Inks and some Copic dots to try to disguise it, hopefully the background doesn't look too much of a mess:).  I followed the layout from Sketch Saturday, adding some twine and some tiny punched stars that I also glittered with Stickles, though now I wish I'd kept them red not used clear...  DP is Cosmo Cricket and Memory Box, used a MS punch on the centre strip.

My card is for the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends Monday - Christmas Sparkle

Sketch Saturday - sketch

Simon Says - anything goes

Paper Sundaes - anything goes

Stampin' for the Weekend - what a cutie

Kenny K  - Christmas

Sparkles Forum -something that sparkles

Clearly Inspired - glitter

Card Making Mamas - punches

Bows 'n' Berries - glitter

Netty G - anything goes

Less is More - metal

I don't feel my Less is More card this week is quite "there" yet, but since the builders we've been waiting on since Spring arrive tomorrow (I hope) to take up and dig out the sitting room floor I think this may just have to do as we have lots of furniture moving around to do today and then for some time we'll have furniture where it shouldn't be and crafting time may not be easily come by...

The theme is Metal and really embossing is my only way to achieve this, so I went for a very minimal gold look. I had a few attempts and came up with the very minimal card above, however the two elements on it have nothing to link them together , they look a bit plonked down, despite several attempts, different stamps and agonizing!  So the next step was to mask off a top and bottom border and unify them with some inking.  I like this better, but the top border looks as though it has a tiny slope.  I measured and checked and it is indeed straight, so it must be the trees that are on a slope!  It's still quite pretty and if I get the chance I'll have another go at it.  Oh, I've made it a one layer card again, my own challenge is to make more of these.
My card is also for the following challenge:
Stampin' for the weekend - holidays

Tiffany Doodles Kraft Challenge

The Challenge at Tiffany Doodles this month is to use Kraft card.  We have some very talented DT members who produce stunning artwork on Kraft card, do check out the blog for some lovely work.  However I am not anywhere near as skilled so I've used Kraft for one of the layers and the mat my papers.  I used Pretty Petals, an old favourite, mounting it onto a large Nestie square with dotty edges, which has also been run through a Tim Holtz embossing folder of a wall.  The DP is Memory Box, the border under it is MS bubbles punch, ribbon and pink pearls are from stash.
My card is also for:
Make it Colourful - colour with pink
Paper Creators - say it with flowers
Stampin' for the weekend - spots and dots (dotty Nestie and border, dotty FP)

A House Mouse ATC

House Mouse and Friends has an ATC Challenge this week -now I've made lots of ATCs in the past but not for years - also quite a few of my HM stamps are rather bigger than ATC size!  I found this image, which a kind friend has sent to me, it's been sitting in a box ever since.  I was very careful colouring it because I think it just may be a pre-Copic image stamped with Versafine.  What an evil mouse he is to wake up his friend like that.  If there was room I'd have put a different sentiment:  "With friends like this, who needs enemies".  My ATC will probably become a card topper in the future, but for now, here's my first ATC for years:).

This is for the following challenges:
House Mouse & Friends - ATC
Stampin' for the Weekend - Paws for thought
Papertake - anything goes (optional metal) brads
Crazy Amigos - free theme

If money doesn't grow on trees, what about love?

Everyone with teenagers will be familiar with money not growing on trees, but this Phindy's Place image shows that, just maybe, love does:).  The image is coloured with Copics, Glossy Accents and some Forest Moss Distress Ink around the edges.  The card is based on this week's Sketch'n'Stash Challenge, my old stash is the octagon Nestie which I always forget about ans the Indian Summer pad which I found in the drawer.  I've stitched around the die-cut shape and also round the dry embossed stripes behind the image.  The zig zag stitching helps show the strips as I realised that they are quite a low contrast against the DP which is Basic Grey Indian Summer.  The pink card square is torn to add a bit of texture.

I had a bit of a wobble with my stash diet when I had to go to Wantage with DH who asked me if I needed to go the the craft shop (he's very well trained lol!) but I managed to hold out:).

This card is for some of the many Valentine challenges around, including:

Basic Grey - all heart

Sketch'n'Stash - sketch

Allsorts - it must be love, love love

Bee Crafty - digi and hearts

Crazy4Challenges - valentine

Secret Crafter - valentine

Do it with digis - romance

Raise the Bar - hearts

Stamp Something - digi

Stampin for the weekend - St Valentine's day

Simon Says - love is in the air

Tuesday Throwdown - stitching

Tuesday Taggers - feel the lurve

Flourishes - valentine

Christmas Cutie - surprise

I'm not feeling very creative right now, for obvious reasons.  But I have a few cards to post on here and crafting is a great distraction from life, so I may have a few things to blog over the next few days - or I may not.  One day at a time and all that...
Here's one of those adorable Christmas Cuties from Phindy's Place, this one is called Surprise.  I wonder what's in her stocking?  She's coloured with Copics, there is Fluffy Stuff and Stickles on her stocking, which is paper pieced.  The papers are Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses apart from the stripe, that may be Stampin' Up, not too sure.  The snowflakes are cut with Nesties, the tags are cut freehand and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.
I'm entering my card for:
Stampin' for the Weekend's Tag It challenge
Secret Crafter's Anything Goes theme
Stamp Something's digi challenge
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Sparkly and Glittery

Nothing grows in our garden, except washing. And babies.

Every time I think I've identified a favourite image from Phindy's Place, along comes another to usurp the previous favourite and this is no exception! Called Spring Breeze, it's a pretty, retro image that can be used for Mother's Day. We've already had Mothering Sunday in the UK but this card is certainly destined for my Mum. Mum always quoted and then misquoted Dylan Thomas about our garden when I was growing up. She changed the quote from Under Milk Wood to "Nothing grows in our garden, only washing. And puppies." I'm an only child, Mum far preferred puppies to babies and, to be fair, she bred some very good show dogs:). She's also no gardener, to put it politely.

Having finally steeled myself and cut into my Basic Grey pad of Kioshi, out it came again for this easel card, I am loving the soft colours of it. The flowers were bought at MakeIt in February, leaves are punched from scraps, ribbon and brads are from stash. Image is coloured with Copics and Distress Inks.

There are a couple of literary challenges to enter my card for: Stampin' for the Weekend has "Getting to know you" using one of your favourite books for inspiration, Under Milk Wood is one of those wonderful pieces of writing to come back to again and again; Charisma Cardz Challenge has "Quote me" for their theme. Dutch Dare's challenge is an easel card with something repeated; I've repeated the ribbons and the flowers. I'm also entering Totally Papercraft's Recipe Challenge, which is 4 embellishments, 3 papers, 2 ribbons, 1 image. I've got 4 types of embellie: flower, leaf, brad and ribbon, but more than 4 in total, hope this fits the bill:)

Easter Bonnet takes in a lot of challenges

What do you think of my lovely Easter bonnet? It's a gorgeous digi from Shirleys2Girls.

I've printed and coloured it twice, popping one up on silicon glue to give it dimension. Image is coloured with Copics, Stickles, Glossy Accents and two tiny flower buttons. Sentiment is also Shirleys2Girls, comes with the digi. The image is mounted onto a piece of Cuttlebigged cardstock that has been distressed around the edges (doesn't show up too well in the photo). The punch is a Martha Stewart pansy punch, with Liquid Pearls on the flower centres. All the DP is Basic Grey Cupcake, ribbons, buttons and thread are all from stash.

This card is for these challenges:
Papertake Weekly for a brilliant sketch
Just Us Girls for the colourscheme of light brown, light blue, yellow and light green
I Love Digi Challenge - Easter
Allsorts Challenge - Spring is in the Air
Crafty Cardmakers - Spring into Spring
Secret Crafter Sat Challenge - Spring has Sprung
Digital Tuesday - Happy Spring
Stampin' for the Weekend - Easter
Stamp Something - Distressed
Your Next Stamp - Distressing
Fussy & Fancy - Green
Simon Says - Easter or Spring with some Glimmer
Everybody Art Challenge - Easter
Incy Wincy Designs - Easter or Spring
Ooh-la-la Creations - a Button, a Bow and some Bling
Stamp with Fun - Easter
Crazy 4 Challenges - Spring
Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Spring is in the Air
Totally Gorjuss - Ribbon
Daring Cardmakers - use a bird (check out the bonnet!)
Paper Garden Challenge - Spring or Easter card

Is it the end of Winter?

I seem to be going through a monochromatic phase at the moment, here's a purple card I've made. I bought a lovely set of Inkadinkado clear stamps of winter branches from Stamp Attic and I've been waiting for the right moment to use them, they've been sitting on my desk for a few weeks :).

My card is based on the sketch at Card Pattern's Challenge, Crafty Creations has One Colour as its theme, as do Stampin' for the Weekend and Pile It On. The Quixotic Challenge theme is Leave It Out, to include leaves. I began this card with this challenge in mind, then panicked that there were no leaves on the branches. However on closer inspection there are leaves in the images - phew :).

I sponged Dusty Concord and Weathered Wood Distress Inks onto glossy card and overstamped the branhces and birds onto it. I added some berries with Stickles. The DPs are all Artylicious, I used a Big Shot die to cut the flower from the DP. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and I used some hand-dyed variegated thread from my sewing stash. It's a very cold looking image, but although the ice is solid on the horse's water the sun is shining and hopefully chilly scenes like this will sooon be just a memory...

Darling, look how much I saved in the sales!

This is another of my new Whiff of Joy stamps, from the City Girl set. The minute I saw this stamp I fell for it and it found its way into my basket alongside the Spring kit :). She's laden down with shopping but looks very pleased with her purchases.

Whiff of Joy's challenge this week is the colour scheme Coffee & Cream, this is monochromatic so it also fits Stampin' for the Weekend's theme. I've used the sketch from Sketch and Stash, my new stash is the stamp, the 'E' flowers from Prima (which are brown in real life, they look purple in my photo) and the new card candy that I bought last week at Make It - lots of new things there:). Stamp Something's theme this weekis Something Girly - what could be more girly than a shopping spree?

Image from Whiff of Joy coloured with Copics, shopping bags are paper pieced. Background DP of writing from Made By You, other DPs are Stampin' Up. Card Candy from Craftwork Cards, Martha Stewart lattice punch used on border, Prima E flowers have Stickles added to them.

Domino the dog does a dozen challenges!

Meet Domino, he's an Airedale terrier (I think) from Shirleys2Girls, he's a Christmas digi with a wreath and sentiment included, but I've used him along here for a "With Love" card. I was so pleased to get this digi, he's lovely and useful for lots of occasions, with the gift bag in his mouth. This card has the alternative title "A Dog Is Not Just For Christmas", in view of the Christmas digi :). I think I've broken my own record here, with a DOZEN challenges from one card! OK with all the "Love" themes around this week it wasn't as tricky as it sounds!

I don't really *do* Valentines cards, so a With Love is as close as it gets :). I've based my card on the sketch from Mojo Monday's Challenge and am also entering it for a few other challenges, including Papertake Weekly's Love Actually Challenge - great name for the theme! Cupcake Crafts has the theme Four Legged and Friendly and this is another entry for this theme, which is certainly a popular one with me. Stampin' for the Weekend's challenge is "love is in the air"and the ABC Challenge is N for New (the digi is new). I hope Dareu2Digistamp will accept this as a Valentine's card for their challenge, Charisma Cardz has I Love You as its theme, Stamp Something has Love Somethings, Double Dutch and Creative Card Crew both have Valentines for their theme, the Belli Challenge is to use ribbons and Pile It On's theme is "To the one you love".

Domino is simply coloured with a couple of shades of Copics, his present is paper pieced from Artylicious paper which is also used behind the Prima flower in layers. The sentiment is Elusive Images and the ribbon came from a box of chocolates. He's cut out with a deckle edged Nestie and the DP is also Artylicious. Isn't he gorgeous and adorable?

Holly Fairy

There seem to be wonderful new digi-artists to discover each day. Another new-to-me is Michelle Perkett, who has made beautiful rubber stamps for some time that I coveted, but which weren't easily available in the UK. Michelle specialises in detailed, glamorous angels - this one is the Holly Fairy, though I think she's more of a poinsettia fairy :).

I've followed the sketch for Sketch & Stash, who want new and old stash listed: New stash is the image and the card candy (bought at the NEC). Old stash is the Stampin Up papers I've used and the watercolour paints that I used for the background.

I'm also entering this card is Stampin' for the Weekend's Challenge, which is to use the traditional Christmas colours of red, green and gold. I like the way the traditional colours still work with a less than traditional image here.

Image coloured with Copics on a watercolour background, Stickles, Glossy Accents and Flowersoft "snow" added. Papers from Stampin' Up, card candy from Craftwork Cards.

Falling for Autumn

Stampin' for the Weekend has made a welcome return to the list of challenge blogs; this week there is a colour challenge to use orange, brown and leafy green, which also fits the challenge at the Secret Crafter to use autumn colours. I think this Whiff of Joy image epitomises Autumn, it was sent to me by my generous blogging friend Vanja.

Image was coloured with Copics and edged with Distress Ink in Peeled Paint. Image was cut out with Nestabilities, the border in the striped DP uses a Woodware punch. Apart from the plain orange cardstock, all papers come from Summer Drigg's generous free download sets. The sentiment is the centre of a Hero Arts stamp with the border trimmed off, the ribbon and brad are from stash.

Precious Moments

I've finished this card just in time for Stampin' for the Weekend's challenge this week: Anything Baby Goes. I've used the lovely sketch by Bev from Whiff of Joy's Challenge to make my card. This week's challenge at Spoonful of Sugar is to use Distressing; I've used my Distress inks to give a soft, vintage look to Willow on the card. Last but not least Pile It On has a Round and Round challenge that is covered by the dotty paper.

I do love the Willow and baby stamp from Whiff of Joy, I'm saving up to get some of the other stamps in this series, they are just beautiful. Willow's coloured with Copics and edged with Worn Lipstick and Mustard Seed inks. All the papers are Stampin' Up. The dotty border has been punched with my Martha Stewart flourish punch, the ribbon is from stash. The Precious Moments ticket comes from the Bearly Mine country designs CD - I must print some more from this collection, they're brilliant. The flower is a Prima one with a punched dotty flower in the centre and a spacer from Quixotic Paperie. I cut the leaves free-form from a scrap and gave them veins using my scoring board, I'm really pleased with the way they look.

Blog Candy Tilda

OK I'm back in my craft room after Festival of Quilts and normal service should be resumed shortly - with a card :).

The lovely Rach has been giving away lots of blog candy over the last couple of weeks, it seems like each day there is the chance to win a stamp from her. A couple of weeks back I was lucky enough to be the winner of a Tilda with kitten stamp. I'm not a cat person, I'm a dog person, but isn't she cute? I have quite a few friends who are cat lovers and this is an ideal stamp for cards for them. THANK YOU Rach!

When I saw that the Just Magnolia challenge this week uses a sketch by Rach I knew I HAD to use my new stamp :). Now, could I find any other challenges to enter? There's another, sister blog to this called Just Magnolia Two, which uses a very helpful 3D tutorial by Debby Yates to inspire its monthly challenge. The Roses on Paper challenge is to use punches and Stampin' for the Weekend's challenge is to use pink & grey. One more: Pile it On's combi challenge this week is Good Things Come in Threes.

Tilda and her kitten (oops, nearly went a bit Mrs Slocombe there!) are coloured with Copics. She's cut out with a Nestie, using Rach's out of the frame technique and edged with Distress Ink. I've stamped her several times and layered the kitten, her right arm and face, and her hair ribbon into 3 layers.

I struggled to find any grey paper and eventually found the pretty grey print in a K&K bargain paper pack. I used a Woodware punch along the paper's bottom edge. I've used a pink DP with grey-ish blue flowers on and then used Distress Ink to stamp tiny flowers over pink pearlescent card for my third paper, adding some Stickles to the flower centres and to Tilda's scarf. The sentiment is by Elusive Images.

There are three pale pink ribbons attached to the card, three brads and three flower petals on the Prima flower. I've used a spacer charm from Quixotic Paperie on the flower centre, the first time I've used one. It won't be the last time, I really like the effect this gives (see close-up) and can see me using these a lot, though I now know I *need* the larger size too :).

I found the colours hard to work with and get enough contrast, but I think I've got there in the end...

Chocolate and strawberry birthday

I've made a birthday card using Vicki's pretty sketch from this week's challenge at Stampin' for the Weekend, using one of my favourite colour combinations, pink and brown, which is Whiff of Joy's challenge this week. I'm also entering it into a third challenge, a new one called Crafty Cardmakers; their first challenge is called Blossoms.

The card uses a Whiff of Joy stamp, Melinda blowing kisses, an old favourite of mine, I've coloured her with Copics, pink Stickles and Glossy Accents (lots on her wings). The image is edged with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. Melinda is matted on to gold mirri card then onto card sprayed with pink Glimmer Mist. The two brown patterned papers are Basic Grey and the background pink is from a Bearly Mine Designs cd called Extreme Inserts. It's the first time I've used any of them, I've been drooling over them but not printing them out. I've also used them inside the card, which I've left plain apart from the papers. Lovely, aren't they?


The dark brown card behind the circle has been dotted with white, the flowers are Prima with pink foliage that was cut with a Halloween punch and trimmed, the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

Bundle of Joy - five challenges

Bizzy Bec's is a new challenge blog launching on 15 August (see my earlier post for candy details). They have an opening for two Design team members and have asked those interested to make a card using their sketch. I've stretched the card a tad into a rectangle, I wanted to use my new Elizabeth Bell stamp and didn't have a large enough square card to make my idea work :)

I've used masking on my image and am entering it for the Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge, as well as Pile It On, whose extra challenge this week is watercolours. My Time to Craft has the theme Floral Frenzy, which fits the flowers in the image and the lovely Prima flowers added on. Lastly Papertake has a colour combi challenge - I've used yellow, pink, green from their list.

So... I caved in and bought one of the exquisite new Women's stamps from Whiff of Joy. I kept passing them over as I didn't have any weddings/new mums/babies to make cards for but in the end I had to get one :). I wanted to give Willow some background so I masked her off and added trees from Elusive Images, grass from Stamps by Judith and flowers from Craftwork Cards. The sentiment is from a big squashy stamp that I was given when I began stamping, looks like a magazine giveaway stamp. The trees and grass use Versafine Olmpic Green ink and I've used Antique Sepia Versafine for Willow. She's watercoloured with Distress Inks and a waterbrush, baby's gown is Worn Lipstick, Willow is Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed. The Scattered Straw and Worn Lipstick are both used around the edges.

The papers are Basic Grey's Porcelain collection, just so soft and pretty. I've shaped the image, papers and card with my Martha Stewart Flourish punch. To get things to line up I measured and drew pencil lines on the back! The flowers are Prima and the brads Papermania. Love the image, I'm wishing I bought more of the collection, even if my credit card isn't :).