Harley the Hippo

Morning Folks!!

A quick post from me today, I'm running a bit behind schedule!! Just wanted to let you know our new challenge has started at CRAFT and we have this great sketch for you from our team mate Sheryl:

We have 3 great sponsors this week too:

The Stamping Boutique          Digi Darla       The Saturated Canary

I loved this sketch and I have once again managed to use up some old papers!! Small cheer because there are still lots to go...

The cute image with those gorgeous BIG eyes is Harley the Hippo from Sew Many Digital Stamps who are sponsoring the February Star of the month! He is coloured with promarkers and the sentiment, flower and card candi are all from Craftwork cards. The picture doesn't show the real colours very well, the candi is very pale blue and the flower is a silvery dove grey.

Must dash......Bye for Now!!

A  few challenges:

Paper Sundaes - Birthdays

Sketchy colours - Blue and grey

Incy Wincy - Birthdays

Lollipop Crafts - Anything goes

OSAAT - Digi or don't

The Crazy Challenge - Dies or punches

Paper Pretties - punches die cuts

Aud Sentiments - Happy

Delightful sketches - Patterned paper

Paper crafting journey - Make it cute

Prepare for take off.......

Good Morning!! How's your weekend going?!! 

If Mr Blogger is behaving himself I will hopefully still be under my duvet catching a few extra zzz's when this goes live!! Our new challenge at Here Come the Boys for this fortnight is: 

VINTAGE FEEL

which I must admit is not exactly my strong point - although I do find it easier to do 'masculine' rather than girly vintage for some strange reason!! 

Anyway, here we go.. prepare for take off......

I've had this Papermania stamp for ages and when I rescued it from the bottom of the drawer I couldn't think why I hadn't used it more. Seven attempts and a lot of cursing later, I remembered why it was in the bottom of the drawer... it's a real **** to get a decent image from, & it is now back in the drawer!! The papers are a really random mix from my brown scraps file, there's a bit of Nitwits paper in there, some Basic Grey and several odds and ends!! All a bit distressed with brown chalk ink!!

Thanks for looking today and please head over to Here Come the Boys to see the rest of the teams great cards and to check out the prize from our new sponsor Digi Doodle shop!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

Hotshot craft blog - One for the boys

Simon Says stamp & show - Anything goes

Inky Impressions - Punches & Dies (variety of nestabilities used!)

Kaboodle Doodles - Boys / Men

Creative card Crew - masculine

Shopping our stash - Metal  mania (brads)

Allsorts - Anything goes

DYSU - Layers

Delightful sketches - Use your scraps

Crafts & Me - Distressed

Sparkles Forum - Things with wings

Divas by Design - Wings and things

Fluffy Bunny Rabbit!

Morning Folks!!

Are you all sitting comfortably?? Then I'll begin ...LOL!!

Thursday already, this half term holiday is going way too quickly for my liking!! Good news though we have a new challenge starting over at CRAFT

NO DESIGNER PAPERS

We have 3 great sponsors this week :

Here's my card for this week using Fluffy Bunny from Meljens. I stayed inside my comfort zone on this challenge and just stuck to using plain cardstock with a bit of embossing to add interest!! 

I found this embossed bow ribbon in Hobbycraft recently and I thought it matched the bow on the bunny really well!! The ribbon wasn't that expensive and you get loads and loads of embossed bows in a metre, I just snipped them apart. They also done daisy and teddy bear designs too!! 

Thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you leave!

Hope you can find time to join us at CRAFT!!

I'd also like to enter:

Allsorts - Free & Easy February pt 2

CES - lots of layers

DYSU - Layers

Paper crafting Journey - Make it cute

Paperplay - critters

& Meljens Challenge - Anything goes

Love Hearts

Afternoon Folks!

Hello from a snowy Hampshire, hope you're keeping warm in this chilly snap. We only had about 2 inches of snow here last night which was a bit disappointing really!! I was hoping for a snow day and an early start to half term!!

Also wanted to share a little confession with you.... clears throat nervously...

"Hi, My name is Jacky and I am addicted to House Mouse stamps and am finding it increasingly difficult to not fall in love with all of them!!"

I couldn't resist this stamp which I bought in a half price sale (well it seemed rude not to!!) last month and I thought it would be useful for Valentines Day and also anniversary and engagement cards!! This is it's first outing!!

Here's a closer look at those cute mouses:

I'd also like to enter a few challenges too:

The Shabby Tearoom - Food and Hearts
House Mouse & friends Monday Challenge - Love 

The Alphabet challenge - A for Animal Antics

Crafts 4 Eternity  - Raspberry Delight Colour challenge

Fussy & Fancy Friday - With all my heart

Crafty Catz - Valentines

Jelly Park - Shades of love

DYSU - Love

Forever Friends Challenge - Valentines

Patties Creations - Valentines and love

Cute card Thursday - Pink Valentine

Rainbow lady - Have a heart

MAWTT - cute Critters

Paperplay - Love letters

Delightful sketches - Love

Creative Belli - Hearts (heart brads are about 3 years old!!)

Crafting for All seasons - Love is in the Air

Crafts and Me - Use a new image

Fab N Funky - Love is in the Air

Divas by Design - Love is in the Air

My Mums craft shop - Must be love

Simon Says stamp - Love is in the Air

Creative Inspirations - Lots of love

Stampavie & more - Love

I love Promarkers - Love is in the Air

Papertake weekly - Anything goes and optional love hearts

Tuesday Throwdown - Be my Valentine

Stamp and Create - Valentines / love

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Love is in the Air

Crafty Calendar - Love & marriage

Allsorts - One or more hearts

Truly Scrumptious - Love & hearts

The Pink Elephant - use Pink

Puppy Love

Morning Folks!

Yay!! Thursday - one day nearer to half term...!! It's also time for a new challenge at CRAFT and no prizes for guessing that this week our theme is:

VALENTINES!!

I've used a really cute image from our sponsor Bugaboo which is called Puppy Love Heart String

Here's my finished card, the papers are from a DCWV pack which I have had for a couple of years but found again when I was hunting for something else!! Thought I'd better use them quick before I lost them again!! The sentiment is a rub on from letraset.

I'm thinking of giving this to my husband, so I've left it quite CAS, he isn't one for flowery cards!!!

Hope you can join our challenge this week, we also have prizes from Truly Madly Crafty and Stitchy Bear stamps !!!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

Catch the bug - February Anything goes

Digital Tuesday -Pink and; red

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and optional hearts

Creative Craft Challenges - Bingo (Brown, brads, scallops)

Going Grey with Scrap creations - Valentines

Shopping our Stash - Hearts, Valentines (papers are about 2 years old!!)

Cards for Men - Seeing Red

Cupcake Craft - Pink and red

Die cut dreams - Pink, red and a heart

Lollipop Crafts - Valentines card

Come and get it - Love is in the air

Dream Valley Challenges - Love

Card Mad Fairy's Digi Days - Hearts

Dog tower!!

Afternoon Folks!

Hope everyone is OK??

Just wanted to share this card with you that I finished last night for the Penny Black Saturday challenge which intrigued me over the weekend. The challenge was to CASE this card made by Debby : 

which I thought was just sooo cute!! I'd also found one of my first ever PB stamps which is nicknamed Dog Tower in our house, but it's real name is Circus Act. It hadn't seen ink for a while but it seemed the perfect shape for this challenge. It's still a stamp that makes me smile, easy to colour and I love the way most of the dogs can't see what's going on!! I've taken inspiration for the shape, layout and faux stitching from Debbys card. The papers are by Nitwits with some doodlebug ribbon and card candi! 

Thanks for looking !!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - Animal Antics

Paper Pretties - Use ribbon or twine

Allsorts - Free and easy February

Crafty Ribbons - One for the Men / Boys

CYDA - Get stitchy with it!

Just some Lines - It's a dogs life

Edited to add:

BIG SMILES!!!

Love is in the Air!!

Evening Folks!

I hope you're all managing to stay warm and cosy if you've had snow today. We didn't get much more than an inch really, much to the disappointment of my son, and what we did have is now nearly gone!! I've managed to fit in lots of crafting time this weekend by ignoring the laundry mountain!!! 

I particularly wanted to make another House Mouse card because

a) I'm getting addicted to these mice

b) I bought this stamp in the sales and hadn't inked it up yet and

c) House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge have a great blog hop and challenge which I can't resist entering!!

3 good excuses for ignoring the ironing I'd say!!

Here's my finished card:

It's a bit unusual for me because it is 8" x 8" and with a lot of embellishments on!! Not my usual style but I love the end result !! 

 The stamp is called ' Lovely Confetti' and the papers are a mixture of Forever Friends Pink Parfait collection and Papermania Henbury Lane.

Now as you all know there are lots of Love challenges going on at the moment (can't think why??) and I can't resist a challenge so here goes:

Sweet Stop - sketch

Joanna Sheen Challenges - Love is in the Air

Crafty Calendar - Love & Marriage

By the cute and Girly - Love is in the air

Addicted to Stamps - Valentines / love

Stamptacular Sundays - Colour challenge

Crafter's Companion Monthly challenge - Love is in the Air

DYSU - Anything goes
Daring Cardmakers - Colour challenge

Tuesday throwdown - Use hearts

Top Tip Tuesday - Valentines
The Stamp Man - embellish it!

My time to Craft - Adorable 

Inky Impressions - Use pearls or bling

Truly Scrumptious - Love and hearts

Simon Says Stamp - Animal Antics

Allsorts Challenge - Free & Easy February

Saturday Challenge - Hugs & Kisses

Sweet Stampin' - The one I love

One stop Craft Challenge - For the one I love

Card Makin' Mamas - Valentine
MAWTT - Have a heart

Polka Doodles - Show some love
Dream Valley Challenges - Valentines

Sentimental Sundays - Feel the love
Come & get it challenges - Love

Ship Ahoy!!

Morning Folks!!

What are you planning today?? I'm hoping for a nice warm and cosy day at home with a nice dinner tonight and a bit of crafting this afternoon!! Perfect Sunday!!

The new challenge at Here Come the Boys starts today and this time the theme is

YOUR FAVOURITE SONG

Now I have to say, this was a bit tricky as I have quite wide musical taste and would find it impossible to ever pick a favourite song cos there are so many I love!! After a bit of head scratching I went for ...

SAILING by Rod Stewart

which gave me the perfect excuse to use this stamp!!! I know a little bit of a cheat!!

The image is of course from LOTV and coloured with promarkers. 

The digi papers are from Summertime Designs - The Freedom kit. I must say I'm getting to be a fan of digi papers, I especially like being able to just print another copy if I make a mistake or change my mind about a layout!! The sentiment is a Letraset rub on and the card is finished with card candi and this cute ships wheel charm from Ewe2can craft.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you can join us at Here Come the Boys!!

As usual I'd like to enter a few challenges:

Allsorts - Free and easy February

The Poodles Parlour - Anything goes

I love promarkers - Photo Inspiration (red, white and blue)

For fun challenges - Masculine birthday card

Shopping our stash - People

Cards for Men  - seeing red - hope this has enough red on!!

Dude time doodles - A touch of red

DYSU - Anything goes

Birthday Sundaes - Birthday card and sentiment

Edited to add:

Lucky winner at 

& top 3 at

& a Poodle pick at:

A colour challenge for you ...

Morning Folks!

Thank Crunchie it's Friday tomorrow and one day nearer the weekend - I can't wait!!

We have another of our fun colour challenges for you over at CRAFT this week, here it is:

Remember you can use all or just some of the colours shown! 

Once again we are lucky to have 3 sponsors:

so lots of chances to win a great prize!

These colours made me think of Valentines Day and I have used an image from The Crafty Pad, called Lady in Gondola to make a romantic easel card. I have to admit this is quite a small card, I cut out the shapes with my heart nesties, and it's not my usual style but I quite liked it ...until I came to try and get a decent photo. Grrrrr, easier said than done. These are the best photos I could manage! 

Once again I'm feeling proud that I used up some more odds and ends, the paper is DCWV and I think the sentiment was a magazine freebie!! 

Thanks for looking today and hope to see you over at CRAFT!!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges-

Allsorts - One or more hearts

Crazy 4 challenges - Layer it on

Cupcake Inspirations - Challenge  145

OSAAT - Anything digi

Paper Sundaes _ Valentines

The Crafty Pad - Show some love

Top Tip Tuesdays - Valentines

Ladybug Crafts - Loves me, loves me not

Crafty Sentiments - Punches / Dies

Digital Tuesday - Red, white and black

Stamping Boutique - Valentines

Truly scrumptious - Love and hearts

Creative belli - Hearts / valentines (I've been hoarding the lace for ages!!)

Fab N funky - Use a digi

Pennys Paper Crafty challenge - love is in the Air

Craft Us Crazy - anything goes

Delightful sketches - Punches & Dies

DYSU _ Anything goes

Paperplay Challenges- Get in shape

Digi Doodle Shop - Love is in the air