Suzie's 365 photos day 175: nature

It's difficult to believe that we're already up to day 175 with Suzie's 365 photos, but here we are and Suzie is asking for us to show 'nature' today. Having been out into the garden to try and catch the sun (ha ha - went behind the cloud again, didn't it!) I thought of taking pictures in the garden, but then I remembered that I took a few photos when we were on holiday in Eastbourne recently showing little clumps of wild flowers growing at the edge of the pebble beach, so here are a couple for day 175:

Suzie's 365 photos day 174: sunshine

'Sunshine' has been in short supply recently. I didn't get round to doing anything yesterday for Suzie's 365 day 174, so thought I would catch up with it this morning. The sun has been out, but just when I go outside with my camera it decided to hide behind a cloud once again - but it is there somewhere behind it!

CHNC challenge 78: let's get inky

Challenge 78 on my CHNC blog today is 'let's get inky' - I'm asking you to use ink in some way on your Christmas card, whether it is stamping, distressing, spraying ... whatever, as long as ink is used.

I've made an easel card, starting with a white base card and a white scalloped circle with gold foiling. I stamped on to this using the lovely Penny Black fantasy tree and distressed first with dusty concord and then with chipped sapphire distress inks.

The base of the card has been covered with a Nancy Watts paper that I got some while ago with Making Cards, which was covered with a piece of vellum with gold stars that was run through my xyron. I then added a piece of pearlised card with a lilac ribbon dotted with gems and a couple of strips of glittered gold. The Happy Christmas sentiment was swiped with the dusty concord ink to match.

The card was loosely based on the merry Monday sketch 25 for Always playing with paper:

This is also for:

One stop craft 188: Christmas in June
Sundays with Santa facebook group: more than one fold
Crimbo crackers 18: anything goes
Sugar creek 17: circles
Craft your passion 115: flips & folds
Stamp dreams 138: let it sparkle and glitter
The squirrel and the fox 20: make it sparkle
Hooked on craft 21: all that glitters
Woodware UK week 56: purple and gold
Desert island crafts 32: I chose: lots of purple, ribbons, no more than 3 colours
Christmas crafting 12: purple Christmas
Hotshot craft 9: distress inks
Tammy scraping corner 15: ribbons or bows
Stampin' for the weekend 12: show us your style - I love stamping, embossing and using distress inks
Stampin' sisters in Christmas 144: create something reflects you - my love of making Christmas cards, stamping, embossing and using distress inks
Challenge up your life 72: no lines technique
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Hiding in my craftroom 50: embossing
Pattie's 46: monochromatic
Victorine 36: anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Delightful: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
2 sisters 97: anything goes
ATCs and cards with attitude 16: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 64
52 card pick up 25

A hole in one

'A hole in one' is this week's Daring cardmakers challenge (just scraping in on time - again!). We were encouraged to use punches and die cuts in the reverse, use the part that's left, the hole!

I used a nestie label die to cut the aperture in a shaped card blank, randomly stamping with the Lindsay Mason cherry blossom stamp and colouring with copics. I then used a smaller nestie label die to cut the shape to go into the middle, stamping and colouring the fan, edging the die cut and then framing it with a larger cut out.

I'm not happy with this and would make it again if I had time (perhaps I'll do that tomorrow). Having coloured the front of the card with copics I found, of course, that the colours had bled through the card, so I tried to cut a corresponding piece from another card blank to stick on the inside to cover up the copics bleed, but it isn't precise enough. If I made it again I would cut the hole in the front and the spare piece for inside at the same time so it matched perfectly.

Update: I've made another one that was a bit more successful, this time using a white card blank - oh well, I tried!

This is also for:

Corrosive 151: feeling punchy - 2 or more punches and/or dies
Try it on Tuesday: anything goes
Tuesday throwdown 103: window cards
PaperPlay 25: use a die

Summer birthday

It's the longest day today, so 'high summer' - what a joke! Although, to be fair, following the rain and the dull day, the sun is actually out now. When thoughts turn to summer we tend to think of hot days and ice creams to cool us down, hence this card.

This is based on Sketches by Carly 58:

All papers used are from my offcuts box - another one for  Pixie's crafty snippets 25  - and, no, Di, my snippets pile doesn't seem to be any less - perhaps it's because I keep adding to it - lol! The sentiment panel is DCWV and all the other papers are Basic Grey cupcake.

This is also for:

My craft spot 60: cool treats
Penny's 82: ice cream
The crafty pad 175: food
All kinds of cards 56: card with no stamp
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 9: summer
Love to create 20: summertime fun
Crazy amigo: summer colours
Deep ocean 28: welcome summer
The stamping boutique: jump into summer
Cute card Thursday 222: here comes summer
Fun with shapes and more 111: summer (label die shapes at the top and cut out ices added to the sentiment panel
LiaStampz 19: summer
Raise the bar 107: hello summer
Our daily bread 112: summer
Sparkles 33: summer fun
I brake for challenges: I brake for summer fun
Totally Gorjuss 136: holidays
Going grey with scrap-creations: vacation
Lexi 67: happy birthday
Moving along with the times: happy birthday
PaperPlay 25: use a die
Great impressions 4: die cuts or punches
Divas by design 40: to 'die' for
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

My cup of tea

Did you see this picture on my facebook wall? Mug and somewhere to put the tea bag from Poundland - I couldn't resist buying these:

One layer Wednesday 93 challenge is asking us to make a card based on something 'in the kitchen'. I had a little 'light bulb' moment and thought about making a card with a cup of tea, so I've used a Kanban stamp, simply inked with memento tuxedo black, with just the tea coloured with a copic. With the addition of the sentiment and the steam, both from the Kanban 'coffee shop' set, the card was finished.

I have to admit though that this was my third attempt because I got black marks in wrong places on the first and second attempts - however, the cards won't be wasted because I can fully cover with patterned papers.

Very difficult to get a photo of the white card, especially as it's a rainy day here.

This is also for:

Ruby's rainbow 31: black, white + 1 other colour only
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
Crafty ribbons 22: clean and simple
Whoopsi Daisy: use those swirls
Blog a doodle: swirls
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 112: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Delightful: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

Graduate George

For this card I've loosely used Lizzie's sketch given for the sketchy challenges 25 on Pinkink:

Papers are from my offcuts - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 25 - the retro black and white background paper is DCWV from years ago, the strip with scalloped edge created on my rotatrim is guy's life and the torn oval behind the image is MME Andrea Victoria black damask. The card blank is a navy blue.

The digital image is from Charmed cards and crafts called 'graduate George', cut with a nestie die.

Colours are for The play date cafe challenge: black, white, blue:

This is also for:

Perfect sentiments 37: graduate
Amusing challenges: father's day (any male card)
Dream valley 34: for that special guy
There's magic in the air magical Monday: one for the boys
Crafting for all seasons 29: for man
My mum's craft shop 62: about the boys
CCEE 1225: masculine cards
Bloggers challenge: for the men
Crafts4eternity R76: dashing dads or male
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude
Stuck on u die cut challenge: all about fathers (male)
Nutcrafters 20: spots and/or stripes
Divas by design 40: to 'die' for
PaperPlay 25: use a die
Card mad fairy's digi days 35: father's day or something masculine
Delicious doodles 21: for the fellas
Cardmakin mamas 47: father's day or special man
My Sheri 87: father's day or any masculine card
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys
S J crafts 5: all about the boy + extra: use up something old that's been in your stash a while - everything!
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men
Di's digi designs: we're going spotty and dotty
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
Crafty ribbons 22: clean and simple
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 112: anything goes
Daisy doodles 62: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Delightful: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

I think I need another cuppa now!

Summer paper piecing

I don't very often paper piece (I find it fiddly and I'm not very good at it), but decided to take some time this

morning and give it a go again. I chose a stamp that has had very little use, mainly because I can never think what to do with it. It's by Magenta - I love their stamps, which is why I bought it in the first place.

I found some yellow snippets in my offcuts box and stamped and cut out etc. I then paper pierced (yes, with an 'r' in it this time - lol!) the top and bottom of a piece of DCWV textured card using part of a template that I've had for years (don't know when it was last used). This is another opportunity to play hopscotch in the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 25.

The background polka dot paper is froom the Raspberry Road designs papers that came with a recent Cardmaking & papercraft magazine. A scalloped strip of birthday greeting and the card was done.

I'm linking this for:

Annabelle: say it with paper piecing
Wags n whiskers 81: paper piecing
Allsorts 159: paper piecing and piercing
Dare to be sassy 130: fun in the sun - monochrome yellow
PanPastel UK 23: summertime
Celebrate the occasion 67: welcome summer

Suzie's 365 photos day 173: same ... but different, final day

I have to admit that my photo for day 173 was taken yesterday (while Ellie was in a photo shoot mood!). She was naughty because she hopped up on to the kitchen work surface to get at my yummy chocolate:

I think she needs to go back on to her shelf now before she causes any more mischief!

Suzie's 365 photos day 172: same ... but different day 6

Day 172: John decided to sit in the garden for a while this afternoon and ... yes, you've guessed, Ellie wanted to get out there too:

I don't who is sillier, me or John!!

Suzie's 365 photos day 171: same ... but different day 5

Yesterday turned out to be 'one of those days' so I didn't get round to showing what Ellie got up to. Having had a taste of going into the garden, she wanted to go back again, but this time insisted on having a cushion on a chair ... and she wanted my iPad ... and she wanted to see a picture of herself on my blog.

So this is for day 171:

WOYWW 159

Wednesday has come round again with amazing speed, although actually perhaps this last week has seemed a bit longer because some days have been quite fraught - enough of that! So it's time for WOYWW 159 (don't know what I'm talking about? Click on the link, find out and join in!).

It's no secret that most of the time I like to be organised and so I tend to show my workspace that reflects that - it's just the way I am. But today, you can see that in between the tidying up I do get in a mess, so, without further ado, here is my space that I've woken up to this morning:

Having admitted that I like everything organised, I admit that I'll clear this up soon so that I have a clear workspace to craft in.

Apologies if I didn't get to you last week - I tried my best, but 'real life' did get in the way! I actually started last week at 101 and went forwards, intending to get back to the earlier numbers later, but it didn't happen in the end.

Thanks to all who take the time to visit and leave me comments - it is much appreciated.

Cherry blossom

This is yet another ATC (preparing these for swaps with some regulars on WOYWW). This time I've used the Personal impressions stamp 'cherry blossom' designed by Lindsay Mason, coloured with flexmarkers. The geisha is a cut out from a kit that I bought quite some time ago and have never used any of it (seemed like a good idea at the time!).The edges of the main panel were brushed with tattered rose DI and then mounted on to a piece of DCWV snippets from my offcuts box - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 25.

This is for:

Think Monday think ATC: cherry blossom
Wicked Wednesday ATC 36: express feelings without words
Crafty creations 174: how charming
Hotshot craft 9: distress inks

Once upon a time

This is another ATC, this time using a Crafty Individuals stamp (another I bought in Eastbourne) coloured with flexmarkers and promarkers, cut out and mounted on a snippet from my offcuts box - my first entry into Pixie's crafty snippets 25 this week - together with a piece of gingham ribbon and some gems.

This is for the following challenges (and will be sent to a WOYWWer as a swap):

Simon says stamp and show: a bit of brown
There she goes 161: winged things
Stampavie and more 170: something with wings
Paper crafting journey: colour it up - hand coloured image
Crafty Ann 67: it's a girl thing
Bunny Zoe 25: girls, girls, girls
Desert island crafts 32: I chose: wings, no more than 3 colours, anything but a card
Gingerloft 42: vintage
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 112: vintage
The squirrel and the fox 20: make it sparkle
Robyn's fetish 112: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Freshly brewed 100: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
The paper shelter 68: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Make it Monday 94
Inspire me Fridays 63
52 card pick up 24

Suzie's 365 photos day 170: same ... but different day 4

The adventures of Ellie continues for Suzie's week of 'same ... but different' day 4 on 365 photos day 170.

Ellie seized the opportunity to go into the garden when I went out there to get a photo of my latest ATC. She hopped on the table as quick as lightning and then to a different position because she thought it would show her in a better light!

Just as I thought the photo shoot was over for today, she swung off the table and into the garden - naughty monkey:

Flowing blue again

I wasn't happy with the previous ATC I made (although perhaps it isn't as bad as I first thought) - anyway, I decided to have another go at using the gorgeous 'flowing blue' Sweet pea stamp, colouring with flexmarkers and promarkers, with some lines of silver dots here and there. This time I kept to paler colours for the butterfly and didn't use any distress stickles.

This is once again for:

Wicked Wednesday ATC 36: express feelings without words (I think this is showing shyness and perhaps apprehension)

also for:

Make my Monday 54: a midsummer night's dream
Fashionable stamping 24: nature
Alota 85: colour challenge: blue +1 (lilac)
There she goes 161: winged things
Paper crafting journey: colour it up - hand coloured image

Flowing blue

I wasn't feeling too great last night. I decided to try and make an ATC for a swap, but I'm not really happy with how it turned out so I'll be trying to make a better one today.

I've used one of the new stamps I bought recently at Eastbourne 'flowing blue' by Sweet pea stamps. I've coloured with flexmarkers (like these so much better than promarkers - they are more like copics and easier to use than promarkers). I used a bit of distress stickles here and there and made a few dots with a silver metallic pen.

I'll see if I can make a better one today - this one won't be sent to anyone.

I'm linking this for:

Wicked Wednesday ATC 36: express feelings without words (I think this is showing shyness and perhaps apprehension) - I hope to be back with a better version later
Stampin' for the weekend 11: bugs and butterflies
Stampavie and more 170: something with wings
Southern girls 46: things with wings
Crafty Ann 67: it's a girl thing

Simply shiny gold and black

This is a clean and simple card in response to Anne's challenge for the Christmas Card club. It's also for Sunday's for Santa on facebook for today where the theme is to use die cuts.

I bought these dies when I was in Eastbourne - visited That Craft Place a few times and stocked up on some lovely goodies.

I simply used some sparkly shiny gold Centura paper - I ran it through my Xyron first so that the back would be adhesive, otherwise it would be too fiddly to apply adhesive on to the dies afterwards - and then ran through my cuttlebug. I was tempted to add something more, but decided to keep it really clean and simple.

I'm also entering this fo:

Less is more 72: something shiny
My mum's craft shop 61: clean & simple
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple

Suzie's 365 photos day 169: same ... but different day 3

Ellie's been waiting for the opportunity to have a look on the internet and see what this 'same ... but different' is all about. She wants to catch up with the adventures of 50/50, 30/30, Bubbles and lots of others and is particularly interested in Hudson's frolics - she would love the opportunity for them to get together!

So here she is for day 169, having a nose at the computer (think I'd better move the mug before she gets interested in the remainder of my tea):

A music card for a special man

Yesterday a neighbour asked me to make her a birthday card for a special friend who is a musician. I've made cards before for her to give him, so am running out of ideas. I remembered that I made a card that I showed here that featured part of a larger stamp called Keys to music by Troy Crisswell, Stamps Happen, colouring just the piano and the black keys with copics. I tried to remove the sentiment carefully so I could add a different one, but that wasn't successful, so I ended up rescuing the actual jigsaw pieces and using them on some fresh background paper.

The music background paper is 7 gypsies and the red back section is Papermania Hampstead. The sentiments were printed on to pieces of Serif Picnic in the park paper stack.

As I've recycled part of one of my own cards this is for Love to create 19: use something recycled!

As it's Father's Day tomorrow there are lots of challenges asking to see cards for dad - sadly, my dad died towards the end of 2003 so I no longer make Father's Day cards, but these challenges give the alternative of other cards for men:

Dream valley 34: for that special guy
Sentimental Sundays 106: for a special guy
The pink elephant 152: masculine
Take time for you 69: boys/men's cards
Tammy scraping corner: for the boys
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: one for the boys
Celebrate the occasion 66: for special men
Clear it out: male project (used papers that I've had for quite a long time)
L E J designs 7: male projects
Crafting for all seasons 29: for man
Papercraft star 101: male
Delightful: for the boys
Do you stack up 76: boys/men
Bloggers challenge: for the men
Crafts4eternity R76: dashing dads or male
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude
Simply create too15: for a male
The crafty pad 174: let's hear it for the boys
Penny's 81: masculine
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men
Cardmakin' mamas 47: special man
S J crafts 5: all about the boy + extra: use up something old that's been in your stash for a while - the papers
Desmet June: for the men and boys
My Sheri 87: masculine card

It's also for:

Creative stamp friends 53: birthday
Lexi 67: happy birthday
Emerald faerie garden 26: chipboard (the jigsaw pieces are chipboard)
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Freshly brewed 100: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
The paper shelter 68: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 18: anything goes
Simon says stamp and show: anything goes
Craft your passion 114: anything goes
Make it Monday 93
52 card pick up 24
Inspire me Fridays 63

Suzie's 365 photos day 168: same ... but different day 2

For day 168: same ... but different day 2 Ellie sat on the window sill with her nose against the window wondering what it would be like to go into the garden - far too windy today to venture out there! It has to be said, however, that she is in her Ellie-ment knowing that she is going to feature every day in a different situation.

I wonder what she'll get up to tomorrow?