Surprise Party Guest at the Seize the Birthday ........

Happy Thursday! .......

It's challenge time again!

I was so pleased when I recently had my card chosen as Challenge Winner over at Seize The Birthday, and now I'm absolutely thrilled to be a Surprise Party Guest for their latest challenge.

As always the theme is Anything Goes - Birthday and for Challenge #272 the optional 'topping' is ......

Add a Sky

The brand new Tweet Life stamp and stencil sets from Concord & 9th just happened to arrive in the craft room this week ..... great timing or what!

I just had to give these little guys a try ..... how cute are they!?

I used Distress Inks and one of the stencils to create the bodies of the birds ....... Peacock Feathers, Spiced Marmalade and Twisted Citron

and then a second stencil and Distress Oxide Inks this time, to add the wings ....... Evergreen Bough, Crackling Campfire and Cracked Pistachio

All the finishing details came from the co-ordinating stamp set ........ simply stamped onto the birds with a black Versafine Clair ink ........ how easy is that! The stamps line up perfectly with the stencils.

It's a fabulous little collection, 5 stencils to create 11 different bird shapes, nine small ones like those above, and two larger birds, and the matching stamps include all the little details to bring your birds to life, along with a whole host of sentiments.

To add the sky I used a cloud stencil from MFT and Salty Ocean Distress ink onto a separate piece of white card

I stamped a simple sentiment underneath the birds,  fussy cut around the top edge of them,  and used foam pads to attach them over the top of the sky.

To finish off  I added some enamel dots here and there in matching colours.

Thank you again to Seize the Birthday for inviting me to be a Surprise Guest, it's been an absolute pleasure!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.

As its the first time I've used these fun stamps and stencils, I'm linking my card up to the NBUS Challenge #55

This may be the first time I've used them but, I can guarantee it won't be the last ...... I love them!!

Cheerio until next time ........

Hot Pink and Lime for Seize the Birthday ........

Yeah! it's the weekend. Happy Saturday .......

I hope you've had a good week.  Only nine more to go until Christmas ...... just saying!

We've actually started thinking about the festive season a little more this week.  

On Wednesday, the local garden centre launched their Christmas displays.  Well you know me, I love looking at Christmas decorations so, I had to pop in and check out the pretty colours for this year, and see what was new.  After all, there's always room for one more bauble on the tree! Or nine as it turned out!  You see I very, very rarely buy just one, it has to be at least three matching ones.  Then I have to finish with an uneven number in my basket so, nine it was! Like I said, you can never have too many baubles!

Then, on Thursday we went to the Christmas Wine Tasting event at our favourite little place in Douglas.

We had a lovely evening (I think!).  Many, many nice wines and bubbly were tasted, so that's one thing off the list ......... the drinks for Christmas dinner are sorted! 

Anyhow, enough of all that.  You'll be pleased to know that I have also spent time in the craft room again this week.  I'm enjoying getting back into the swing of things, albeit slowly!

I'm playing along with some Blog Challenges again.  First up is Seize the Birthday  

I got a lovely surprise when my card was chosen as the Winner in the last challenge  (I was so pleased that there just may have been a little happy dance in the craft room!)

It's their usual 'Anything Goes' Birthday challenge, and this time the Toppings option is a Colour Challenge.  Hot Pink and Lime ........ nice!

My first thought was flowers.  So, I did a quick rummage through my die cuts and this is what I came up with ......

Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems #1 Thinlits dies, cut from white cardstock, which I coloured using inks directly from the ink pad onto the die cut.  Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide for the flower head

and Twisted Citron oxide for one of the leaf stems and Verdant Versafine Clair for the rest ..... love the combination!

I added some detail onto the background using a stencil and the pink and green Oxide inks again, applied very lightly with a stencil brush this time, to give just a touch of colour.

I then attached the flower and stems over the top and finished off with a stamped sentiment, a few hot pink and lime enamel dots here and there, and a cute little twine bow

I'm always a bit of a pink girl, so I loved how it turned out

The challenge is open until Tues 24th Oct so there's still time if you fancy playing along.

Thanks for popping by ..... have a lovely weekend.

We've got nothing planned this weekend so, I think it's just going to be a quiet one at home.

Cheerio until next time ......

Happy Birthday Mum! ..........

Happy Thursday ........

I hope you've had a lovely week. 

It's been a quiet one here but, thankfully we can all start getting back to normal again as slowly one by one, we are all now COVID free again ...... yeah!!  

Just as well really, because birthday celebrations start at the weekend.

January is always a busy month for us ...... both kids have January birthdays, there's a couple from my my crafty friends this month too, and starting things off is my mother-in-law, it's her birthday today ......  Happy Birthday Mum!  

I don't think she reads my blog but I do know that she has received her card, so I'm safe sharing it with you

I kept things nice and simple ....... a pretty embossed background using one of the folders from Simon Says Stamp (Blossom Field)

The stamps are from Altenew (Ruffled Flowers), watercoloured using ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers (just got my hands on 30 brand new colours and they are gorgeous!), and then the flowers were all die cut using the matching dies ....... no fussy cutting needed!

A simple Happy Birthday sentiment added on strip of cardstock, strategically placed to hide the join on my embossed background ........

The finished card size was A5,  and the embossing folder wasn't quite big enough so, I simply embossed two pieces of white cardstock, cut them down to fit,  and joined them in the centre, hiding the join with the sentiment ..... simple!

And look ...... I did the inside too!

Well that's one birthday card done ...... better get back in the craft room to make some more.

Thanks for popping by ....... enjoy the rest of your week

Cheerio until next time .......

Supplies ......

Stamps: Ruffled Flowers (Altenew)(also matching dies); Sentiment stamps from my stash - front of card; Better with Age stamp set (Penny Black) - sentiment inside

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Delicata - Golden Glitz

Other:  Blossom Field Embossing folder (Simon Says Stamp); ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers

Happy 30th Birthday Chris ........ (now that makes me feel old!)

Happy Friday folks ........

It's the end of the week ...... finally,  and the start of a busy weekend.

First off, it's Christopher's birthday today ...... Happy 30th!!!!

Not quite sure where those years have gone .... I don't feel old enough to have a 30 year old son!!!  Well, maybe some days I do

We're off out this evening to celebrate .... although he doesn't know anything about it ..... it's a surprise (fingers crossed he hasn't decided to start reading my blog!!!)

Before all that though, I'm over on the Uniko Blog today, with my monthly Brand Ambassador Inspiration post.

I've been using the Uniko BIG & BOLD Happy stamp set, and the matching dies, to create a couple of colourful, fun birthday designs.  If you have the time, pop by and take a look.
How about this one for today's birthday boy .....

Not sure if he's happy at being 30 or not ...... that's why I've camoflagued the numbers.  Hope he likes his card!!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.

As I've said we're out tonight ...... food and a few drinks.  It won't be a late one for me though, I'm off up north tomorrow for a crafty day with the girls.  It's our first get together of 2020 so we've a lot to catch up on.
Then tomorrow evening hubby and I are off out again ...... it's Burn's Night at our favourite eatery!  We'll be piping in the haggis (well, Roy the chef will), and downing the odd dram or two no doubt.

Cheerio until next time ......

Products used:

Stamps: BIG & BOLD Happy stamp set (Uniko); Big Birthday Greetings (Simon Says Stamp)

Inks: Distress Oxide Inks - Blueprint Sketch, Mustard Seed; Versfine Clair - Nocturne

Other: Large number dies (Stampin Up!)

Welcome to Autumn ......

Happy Friday folks ......

Summer is officially over ...... it's blowing a hooley out there!!
I'm still refusing to accept it though ....... we haven't been on our holiday yet! Only 2 more sleeps to go then hubby and I are off.
We're going to Croatia for a week, for a little rest and relaxation.  It's our first time visiting that part of the world so not sure what to expect.  I just hope there's still a little bit of sunshine left.

I'm NOT taking the laptop with me so there'll be no blogging I'm afraid.  Well ...... there might be, the MacBook is going with us so you never know ..... there won't be any craft though! (I'm looking forward to the break after this last week!)

It's been non stop in the old craft room, getting everything prepped ready for when I get back.
Yes it's going to be October when we get home ..... how scary is that!

I had one very important card to make this week ..... it this little munchkin's 7th birthday (where has that time gone!)

Hubby and I took him for a midweek birthday pizza, as we're going to be away for his big birthday bash with his friends at the weekend. We couldn't leave the restaurant until he'd had a yummy birthday surprise from the waiters.
I did find time to make him a card .......

Neat & Tangled's Ink Splat ......... stamped using various colours of Distress Oxides

Lots of sparkly 7's die cut from glitter card ..... some were coloured using Copic markers as the only coloured card I had was red!

A die cut sentiment, coloured and heat embossed with clear powder, and a few dots of white enamel accents to finish

He loved it! (Thank goodness)

Oh well ... must dash.  I haven't started on the packing yet ....... still washing and ironing in between finishing projects in the craft room.  I've still got all day tomorrow though ...... no need to panic just yet.

Thanks for popping by .... .enjoy your weekend and I'll see you when I get back .... in October!!!

Cheerio until next time .....

Winter Blues ......

Happy Friday,

What a busy week ......it doesn't take long to get back in the swing of things does it.   
The last bits of the festive fayre has all but gone ...... there are a few chocolates and part of a Christmas cake, so the diet's off for another week (that's a shame! ...... she says with her hand in a large bag of peanut M&Ms).

Things are pretty much back to normal in the old craft room too.  The place is a tip, the 'To Do' list is growing daily, new stash is piling up because I've no time to play with it, I'm busy with DT stuff, and Blogger is up to his usual tricks! 
Not only has my Blog background disappeared (ok, ok .... that's not blogger's fault!) but now it's taking ages to save anything, and I can't preview things.  When I do leave the page (after making my own copy of what I've just blogged), log back in again, everything is there SAVED!!!! Arghhhhhh!  It takes me long enough to blog as it is without the site playing silly beggers.

Oh yes ....... and the Christmas craft stash is still out too!  Does that mean I have to keep it out all year now?
At least I stand a chance of making my ONE Christmas card every month then .......  I did say the same thing last year and look how well that worked out in 2013!
I'll keep you posted on how I get on ..... don't hold your breath though, it may get December before I make a start ........ and I might just get fed up of stepping falling over the stash box too!

One thing I have managed to do this week is a card for one of my favourite Blog Challenges -  Less is More

To start off the year the girls have given us a Colour Challenge .......

Winter Blues

they want us to use shades of Blue

Here's mine ......

My shades of blue are Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans and Stormy Sky Distress inks, for the background with the text randomly stamped in Faded Jeans

Then the pretty flowers have been stamped over the top using the gorgeous Cornflower Blue Archival ink from the Wendy Vecchi range.
I love this stamp set - Rose Branch Border from Stampendous.  It's been in my stash for ages and never been used (like so many other things!)

The words are also from the same stamp set and have been stamped using another of Wendy's Archival inks - Watering Can

Some satin ribbon finishes off the front, and of course the inside's been done too ....

It's now in the post on it's way to my Mother-in-law for her birthday on Monday (two jobs done in one!) Hope she likes it.

It's also my day to post on the DT Blog over at Creative Studios if you fancy taking a look - more ideas using Sam's new stamp designs.

Thanks for popping by today.  I see I have another new follower too ..... welcome Kelly it's nice to have you along.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend.  Are you doing anything nice?
Cheerio for now

Linda

xx

Doesn't Time fly ........

Happy Friday everyone,

Welcome to my new followers this week.  Thank you for taking the time to share in my crafty journey,  it's nice to have you along.

It's a little bit chilly on the Isle of Man today, and it's SNOWING!!!  Nothing like what parts of the UK are getting but the white stuff is definitely falling.  I don't think we're getting enough here in Douglas to cause any major problems (famous last words!) but, up on the mountain road is a different story .........

These are pictures taken this morning from the IOM Webcams up there ...........Brrrrrr!!!
We're off across to the UK tomorrow morning (hopefully!) I'd better wrap up warm I think.

The reason for our little trip across is Lauren's birthday.  She was 21 yesterday, and we're having a little family get together on Saturday.
Where has that time gone, I ask myself.  My baby's all grown up ......... and she now has a baby of her own. How old does that make me feel ........!!?!!

As it's a special birthday I had to make a special card ......

....... it's even got a box!  Here's what's inside ......

I hope she likes it ........ it's a 'more is more' sort of card.  I got a bit carried away I think.  There's a lot of my favourite products on there, Fran-tage, Mega Flakes, the Indigo Blu Vintage Flourish stamp  ......

I've used my Cricut machine for the numbers (Storybook cartridge), and a Tim Holtz Alterations die for the clock ....

..... which has been painted and crackled to give an aged look. 
Of course there had to be a key on there somewhere too, and I had to put lots of flowers, a handmade paper rose, ribbon, lace, beads, glitter for a bit of sparkle, you name it, it's on there ........

The inside has been decorated too, just to finish it all off ....

As I've said, I hope she likes it. 

Well, that's another busy week nearly over.  I've just to do my weekly post over on the Creative Studios DT Blog then I can close the old Craft Room until Sunday. 
Here's a sneaky peek of this weeks project ........

a little something for the guys again .... maybe.


Have a lovely weekend.  Stay cosy and warm.

Cheerio for now

Linda

x