Follow your Dreams for the Craft Stamper Challenge .....

Whoo Hoo!!!  it's Friday ......

I hope you've had a good week.
I had all sorts planned for this week but, has anything got done ...... no!!!  I've been enjoying what's left of the summer.  It's not quite as warm as it has been but hey! the sun's still shining.

As it's the first Friday in September that means there's a new Craft Stamper Challenge.
It's the usual Anything Goes theme ....... but remember, you MUST include some actual rubber stamping on your projects .... no digi images please.

The project is up to you ..... cards, tags, journal pages.  Canvases, home decor or even an ATC maybe.  The choice is all yours.

I've got a tag for you this month, using a recent Stampin Up! purchase ....... Follow Your Dreams, with the coordinating set of dies

I coloured a piece of white cardstock using Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints, and a damp baby wipe to spread the colours (Sky, Candy Floss and Smurf)
I then cut it down to size to create my tag.

Using the pretty dream catcher from the stamp set I added a touch of detail here and there onto the background, before following with a stencil and some crackle texture paste

 and then splatters of black and white paint ........

I stamped the dream catcher again onto a piece of card coloured using the Candy Floss paint, heat embossed with the WOW Rose Gold embossing powder ...... this is such a nice colour .... and then used the matching die to cut it out

Some of the feathers have been stamped and die cut, and some (the smaller ones) are actually cut from one of the dies from the set

I added my sentiment across the bottom ..... heat embossed again with the rose gold.  I think this is my new favourite embossing powder .... for now anyway!

Added a couple more feathers and a little matching thread .....

and a few coordinating ribbons to finish it off

As always there's prizes up for grabs ......

This month the Challenge Winner, randomly chosen from all the eligible entries, will win this fabulous set of 10 Ecoline Brush Pens ...... just look at those colours!!

And our Design Winner, chosen by the DT, will get their winning project published in the Craft Stamper magazine along with a Winner's profile, and a Guest Designer Spot on the blog .... how cool is that!

Speaking of the magazine, the latest edition hits the shelves today ........ have you got yours?
Check out the Craft Stamper website for all the details on how to get your hands on a copy

This month, as always, it's crammed with amazing art work, brilliant techniques and lots of fabulous ideas.  I'm in there this month too ..... as part of the Uniko Design Team.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day and have a fabulous weekend.
Hubby's got the day off today so we may just pop out somewhere nice for lunch.

Cheerio until next time ......

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge .......

Happy Sunday evening to you ......

And welcome to September! 
We've had a lovely weekend ........ I hope you have too.
 
Hubby arrived home from his business trip on Wednesday last week ..... a day earlier than planned which was nice.  Jet lag wasn't too bad either, he was back in work on Thursday.  Me, being the domestic goddess that I am (yeah right!) had his bags unpacked, all the washing done, dried, ironed and hanging back in the wardrobe in less than 24 hours of him arriving home!!! Doesn't take long to get back to normal!

It's the beginning of a new month so, that means a whole bunch of new Blog Challenge themes.
Over on the Happy Little Stampers Blog this months Watercolour Challenge is already underway, and tonight sees the start of their CAS challenge.

As you can see the theme is ....... Wild! 
I immediately thought of wild animals and was inspired by these two little guys, (or girls maybe ...... who knows), that seem to enjoy spending time running wild round our garden.

We're getting quite attached to them now.

I love rabbits and hares ..... and couldn't resist this little guy from Woodware. 
I've simply stamped him with a grey ink and then used ZIG Markers to colour him.  Really easy, and very Clean and Simple.

A few ink splatters here and there on the background .....

and the sentiment, which comes along with him, stamped across the bottom .....

I don't know about you, but I'm finding a few of those lately!!

I can't wait to see what you all make of this month's challenge .....  go on, go wild!  and I'll see you in the gallery!

As with all the HLS Challenges, there's a $20 Gift Certificate for the winner and, if they've used HLS stamps on their project then the prize is doubled!!

Happy stamping!

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

Cheerio until next time .....

A walk on the wild side .......

Happy Tuesday ......

I've got the little man here to keep me company today ...... there's only one more week left of the school holidays.  That six weeks has flown by!!  Luckily he's looking forward to starting junior school.
He's had a great summer break I think ...... he's been here there and everywhere. The beauty of this island is there's always something going on .... somewhere.
He even managed to grab a quick photo with the great John McGuinness, who's back on the island for the MGP/Classic TT.

Dare I say, the weather has improved, and racing has finally got underway.  You can see just how misty its been though, from the photo above.

Alex also had a couple of birthday parties to go to while he's been on holiday, and guess who got the job of making the cards?
Funnily enough I don't do a lot of kids cards so there were none in my stash (note to self ..... add childrens cards to the to do list!)

Here's what we came up with though .......

As one party was up at the Wildlife Park, that was my starting point.
I've had these stamps forever and they'd never been used.  They're old Creative Expressions Designs called Jungle Friends and Monkeying Around ....... I had great fun playing around with these, as you can see ......

Lots of die cut apertures  ........ various stamped and coloured jungle friends

A little extra foliage here and there and a few ink spaltters .....

And more on the insides too .....

I even decorated the envelopes ......

Oh well .... must dash I've got a lot to do.  Hubby is on his way home ....... Whoo Hoo!!
He's left Melbourne a day early.  They managed to get everything done that needed to be done work wise, so he changed his flights home by 24 hours. 
He's currently on a plane to Dubai .... and it's around half past midnight I think, Melbourne time (3.30pm here in the IOM).  Then, it's Dubai to Manchester, leaving Dubai in the early hours,  and finally Manchester to Isle of Man, hopefully arriving on home soil around 3pm tomorrow, assuming there's no delays.  It's a heck of a journey, even in Business Class ..... jet lag is going to be fun!
Looking forward to having him home though.

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

Cheerio until next time .....

Monday again ......

Happy Bank Holiday Monday ......

Yes, here in the UK we've got our last Bank Holiday before Christmas.  Scary isn't it!
I have been thinking about the festive season though ...... well sort of.  I put the idea out for a Christmas workshop last week, and everybody was very quick off the mark to get their names down.  Either they've been missing me (I don't think so), missing our monthly craft sessions (more likely) or,  they're also getting into the Christmas spirit!  I just need to play around with a few ideas now and then get the date sorted.

A few of us actually got together yesterday and had a lovely day round the craft table.  There were new home cards, a Jennifer McGuire inspired ...... Inside Shadow Box Card (Lyn mastered this one), a few Christmas ideas and some beautiful festive tags.  Me .... I wasn't that productive.  All I managed to do was to update my colour chart for the new Distress Oxide colours!!

I did have another play with the Alcohol Lift Ink though ...... and now everyone has a shopping list (sorry girls!)  It had to be done though, as I recently gave in and purchased that mahoosive stamp from Tim Holtz .... Glorious Bouquet.
The number of times I have talked myself out of this stamp, then I would see it being used, and well ..... now it's in the craft room, and it is beautiful ..... and BIG!!

It works well with the Alcohol Lift technique too ....... just look at the detail. Gorgeous!!

I haven't had chance to do anything with this yet but I'm sure I'll think of something!

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day, and if it's the Bank Holiday for you too then make the most of it.

Cheerio until next time .......

Twofer Card Challenge .......

Happy Thursday ......

We're heading nicely towards the weekend ..... and this time next week, hubby will be nearly home!
 
Today I'm playing along with this month's Twofer Card Challenge ..... two cards, for two occasions, made using the same stamp or die.
The theme for August is ...... Geometric

Hmmmm ....... took me a while, but I got there in the end (just in time too .... I think the challenge closes tomorrow)

I've used a Memory Box die ...... I think it's called Mod Squares Background ..... and yes it is on both cards.
First ..... the female version ......

This beautiful stamp from Unity is one of my current favourites.  Stamped and heat embossed in Rose Gold and then coloured using the new Spun Sugar Distress Oxide before being cut into using the Mod Squares die

I also cut the die again, three times, from white cardstock and then inlaid and layered the various squares back into the stamped image.
I varied the number of layers on each square so that they would be at different heights and add a little more interest and texture to the design

A simple stamped sentiment and a few ink splatters finish it off

Now one for the boys using the same die .....

This was so simple to do ....... I die cut the squares from a piece of black card cut to fit the front of my card blank.  I cut it again from another piece of black card and again from a couple of pieces of designer papers.

I layered up the various squares of card and papers and then inlaid them back into the main piece of card matching up the stripes on the papers ....

An embossed sentiment and few dots of Nuvo Crystal Drops and we're done!

Two cards, two occasions, same die!

I was out yesterday for a lovely afternoon tea.  I met up with some of our crafty group to celebrate Carol's BIG birthday ........ we couldn't let that one slip by now could we!

I can show you her birthday card now .......

Love this image from Stamping Bella ........ coloured with ZIG markers and fussy cut

The sentiment is from SU ....... and is a two parter.   This goes on the outside of the card ....

and I'm sorry, but silly me forgot to take a picture of the inside, which says ......

 ...... Like "WHY did I walk into this room?" 

(it made me smile)

That could actually be me at the moment ..... can't remember anything unless I write it down!!

Happy Birthday Carol ..... remember hun, it's only a number!

I do remember though we arranged another crafty get together at mine at the weekend which should be fun .... looking forward to that. There's going to be birthday cake!

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

The sun has just popped it's head out .... lets hope it dries up all the rain from the monsoon that we had about half an hour ago!  Typical Isle of Man weather,  all the seasons in one day.  There's supposed to be another practice session today for the Manx GP  ..... fingers crossed!

Cheerio until next time .....