Animals at Sweet Stampin'

 Good morning, this is a scheduled post, all being well I should be sunning myself in Italy by the time it goes live! 

This is my DT make for this fortnight's challenge at Sweet Stampin' - the theme is animals. My favourite animal is a dog so when I saw this gorgeous stamp set from Aall and Create featured so beautifully on Brenda's blog, I couldn't resist the temptation! This is my favourite stamp from the set as I think it looks like a Labrador (or possibly  a Great Dane!) It's a large stamp, so large I had to cut his tail off (how could I???) to place it where I wanted to on my card! The background is created by inking in one colour through a stencil then placing another stencil on top and inking in another colour through both of them together- a great way to stretch your stencil-stash!

There's plenty more to see over at Sweet Stampin', as always my teamies have created some beautiful cards for you to enjoy.

Thanks for visiting- see you when I get back!

Chris

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Chris Moose!

 Good morning,  it's Friday again - and time for a new challenge at

  Crafty Catz.

 This week we're sponsored by 

Last Minute Manda

shop

https://lastminutemanda.sellfy.store/

Prize - 3 Sets from the shop

The optional twist for those who want to use it is CELEBRATIONS, chosen by our lovely Aunty Sue, who is hosting this week's challenge.

I managed to make a Christmas card at last- I've made several attempts recently and thrown them all away- using a cute sponsor image called Chris Moose. I've coloured him up with my markers and fussy cut him, with hindsight I wish I'd printed him a bit larger. I've used a sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday and embossed all the layers.

 

It's getting very close to our holiday now, this will be my last post before we go, we're off to Italy for a week and will celebrate our 51st Anniversary while we're there. It's the first time we've been overseas together for nearly 12 years as we usually prefer to stay in the UK so we can take our dog with us! 

Don't worry about Marvin though- he has a favourite 'auntie' to stay here with him and we've booked a holiday in June with him in mind-in the countryside but close to the sea which he adores! Not that he's spoiled or anything...

Thanks for visiting today

Chris

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Challenge entries:

sweetsketchwednesday2 #April Challenge

CRAFT #675

hollyandivy #138

Critter Crazy #73

HLS Christmas #April Challenge

April Showers

 Good morning, we have a new challenge for you  over at Fab'n' Funky,

 our lovely Ginny is the host this fortnight , her chosen theme is

 APRIL SHOWERS/MAY FLOWERS

- so umbrellas , flowers or both. As we have had a LOT of April showers here, or April downpours would be more accurate, I went for the umbrella option, mine has had a lot of use lately! The focal image is a rubber stamp from Whippersnapper, which I've had for some time. She's coloured with Copic markers, I've stencilled some clouds in the background. The duck is a magazine freebie stamp, also coloured with Copics and fussy cut. They both have a die cut puddle to jump in. Papers are from Polkadoodles, the sentiment is stamped.

I used this sketch from Cheerful Sketches

My lovely teamies have been busy creating fabulous cards to inspire you so please hop over and take a look, then it's up to you to get creative and join the fun.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

Challenge entries

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cheerfulsketches #119

craftinghappiness #141

paperdragonfly #16

craftrocket#102

shoppingourstash #494

thesisterhoodofcrafters April Showers

Birthday Girl

 Good morning, it's Friday again- can't believe it's a whole week since I last was here! It's been a busy time with lots of family get- togethers, my brother was visiting, we hadn't seen him for a year so it was great to able to spend some time together. It seems very quiet now that he's gone back home! 

A new challenge starts today over at

  Crafty Catz, 

 We are sponsored this time by

CONIE FONG

Bio

Conie Fong is a self-taught artist residing in California, USA with her husband, daughter, pet hamster and fishes. In her early childhood years, she was inspired by every kind of art and crafts. She loved watching demonstrations by artists on the streets and at festivals and spent most of her free time perusing arts and crafts books in the library, drawing, crafting and experimenting with her art supplies at home. Conie first started sharing her art with the world by selling ACEO reprints of her ACEO paintings of fairies, mermaids, and kitty art on Ebay in 2010. She was a full time account manager for a University before becoming a full time mom and part time artist. She currently enjoys spending time with her family traveling, exploring the outdoors, and designing beautiful, cute, and magical art for craft and coloring lovers.
Prize- 3 digital images

shop -https://www.etsy.com/shop/ConieFongArt

DISCOUNT CODE FOR ANYONE ENTERING THE CHALLENGE during 14th - 20th April

Your 25% off coupon code is all caps, one word.  APRILSPONSOR25

 

 It's my turn to host this week so I chose the optional twist of 'For a Child'. The team were generously given some of Conie's adorable images to play with and I chose to colour up this little sweetie- Molly's Basket of Love. I kept the card design very simple to show her off! 

Please hop over to Crafty Catz to see what the rest of the girls have been up to this week.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy your weekend

Chris

x

throughthepurplehaze #203

addictedtostamps #443

dreamvalley #291

mmmchallenge #198

alphabetchallenge - a for adorable

aperfecttimetocraft #4

classicdesign #4

Add some blue at Crafty Catz

 Good morning, Happy Easter weekend! I'm hoping we're going to see some sunshine like earlier in the week! I had a lovely time on Tuesday- an Easter Egg hunt organised by local traders in the shopping precinct. The girls loved it, counting the egg posters in the shop windows ( the posters were all coloured by local school children- some amazing budding artists and vivid imaginations! I wasn't that keen on the zombie egg- but each to their own) all the participants were given a chocolate egg - it was totally free and the sun was shining! A win/win situation. I've got loads of family stuff planned for this weekend, really looking forward to it as none of it involves me doing the cooking :))))

Anyway, back to the card, my DT make for this week's challenge at Crafty Catz, the optional twist, chosen by Janet is Add Some Blue, but as always, anything goes! We are sponsored this week by the fabulous 

Polkadoodles

 they are offering one lucky winner 3 digi images of their choice from their online store.

The DT were given some of their adorable digis to play with but I was desperate to use one of the Rebel set that I'd just bought- these quirky girls really appeal to me- such fun sentiments in the set too. So here is Rebel Rebel coloured up with Copics, then masked so I could add the blue panel and splats. 

There's plenty of inspiration to be enjoyed over at Crafty Catz, so why not hop over for a visit- you may be tempted to join in- why not?- it's Anything Goes and you could be the lucky winner of some cute digis.

Thanks for stopping by- hope you have a fabulous Easter weekend.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

creativeinspiration #1

throughthepurplehaze #203

thepapershelter #548

digichoosday #13

aperfecttimetocraft #4

classicdesign #4

Die Cuts at Fab'n' Funky

 

Good morning, there's a new challenge starting over at Fab'n' Funky today, hosted by our lovely Sue who has picked the theme of Add Die Cuts- a popular theme this week it seems! 

This is the card I made for my eldest granddaughter- my beautiful girl is 16 today! Seems like only yesterday she was a tiny baby and now, here she is a real 'Sweet 16'. She truly is the loveliest girl- and I'm so proud of her. 

I used a pretty digi, a Patreon freebie  from Krista Smith, coloured with copic markers. I've blended ink around the edges and added some die cut flowers (Memory Box- I think) which I cut from a panel of card that I'd previously smooshed with inks and Brushos, and some die cut and punched butterflies plus a few sequins for a bit of sparkle.

On the inside I've used the same colour ink as on the front with various stamps and stencils- Photos were taken in different light- hence the different colours.

Please pop over to Fab'n' Funky to see what my lovely teamies have created for this theme- then I hope you'll find the time to join in and share a creation of your own.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

stencilfun April Challenge

birthstonechallenge #2

mirtillamente #19 (birthday)

colorfuloptions - pastels

dreamvalley #291

avenue613 April Challenge- stencils

lilpatchofcraftyfriends  #203

Die cuts at Crafty Calendar

 Hello, I'm back again with my second card for today- this one is for our April challenge at 

Crafty Calendar 

-and would you believe it- the theme is also die cuts! 

 Our fabulous sponsor this month is 

LAWN FAWN

I made a circular tent fold card using several circular dies and some pretty  Dovecraft papers called Nature's Grace, I love the colours of these. I  stamped the sentiment inside before assembling the card. The little fairy is a Krista Smith image, coloured with Copics and fussy cut. I've added die cut flowers leaves and swirl. 

As always there are some gorgeous cards from the rest of the DT over on the challenge blog- just think you can make one card, with die cuts( and stamping ) and enter it into both my challenges today- that has to be a bonus! 

Thanks for visiting and have a super weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

Creative Creases #54

cutitup #274

TFATU April Challenge

countryview April Challenge

crafterscafe #295

sheepski #73

creativecrafters #62

Die cuts and/or punches at Sweet Stampin'

 Hello,  welcome to my blog this wet and windy Saturday- it's the first of April and I think it's the weather that playing the tricks on us  this All-Fools Day! It rained so hard yesterday that our patio was flooded, Marvin thought it was swimming pool!  Never mind, it can't last forever and soon we'll probably be moaning about it being too hot and needing rain if this is going to be anything like last year!

This is the first of two posts today, our new challenge at Sweet Stampin' is to use die cuts/punches on your creations...and of course you must include some stamping too- be it digital or 'real'. 

The image on my card is a digi- as is the sentiment both part of the Rebel set by Polkadoodles. I've coloured with makers and fussy cut the cute image and placed her onto the inked and splattered background panel that I'd already printed the sentiment on. I stamped the leaves in the right hand corner and added some die cut 'blossom'- ok not a lot of die cuts but they're there!

There are some fabulous cards from my lovely teamies this fortnight so don't miss your chance to hop over and take a look.

I'll be back later with another DT card.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

creativefingers #251

kraftychicks #657

craftygalscorner #241

thepapershelter.#547

digichoosday #12

PFM #683

mmmchallenge #197 P for Princess