Party Kittens

I've fallen in love with these little kitties and their cheeky expressions!  I've also fallen completely in love with this new text die called Happy Wishes from Wplus9. The font is lovely and I like creating the mix of stamped and die-cut sentiment.

Because the image was quite large (this is my usual 6"x6" sized card-base) I kept the layout very clean and simple with some papers to bring out the hot pink accent in the image.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Party Kittens by Whipper Snapper
• Sentiment Die - Happy Wishes by Wplus9
• Colouring - Distress Ink Reinkers
• Nitwit Collections Papers Pastel Dreams
• Stazon Ink Pad
• The Langton Watercolour paper

I've been inspired by:

• Inky Chicks - Animals
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Coffee (in a Teapot)

It's my turn to showcase a project at My Mum's Craft Shop and I've got a cute little mousey from Whipper Snapper Designs called Colby's Caffeine.  I've made a teapot shaped card from a circle with shaped spout, handle and base.  The 'lid' is just an added circle with a brad on it.  I've cut the image out with a stitched circle stax die and kept the embellishments simple with just some flowers and a die cut '50'.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Whipper Snapper Designs called Colby's Caffeine
• Colouring - Distress Ink Reinkers
• LOTV paper pad (retired)
• Stazon Ink Pad
• The Langton Watercolour paper
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Viva Pearl Pen - Ice White
• Sizzix Sizzlits Graffiti number dies
• MFT Stitched Circles
• WOC & Mulberry Flowers
• Glossy Accents
• Large brad

Created for:

I've been inspired by:

• The Ribbon Girls - Card Challenge
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Beary Special Wishes

I'm a tad late posting this today, but better late than never, huh?  I'm sharing an image that is new for me from Whipper Snapper called Beary Special and I love his cute face and little ears.  I've also used a new Die-Namics Sunny Skies die and mixed it in with some stitched clouds.  Both the image and the sun die are available from My Mum's Craft Shop.  I've added some chalked clouds to my image using a home-made 'cloud' mask which you can download for free here if you like it.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Whipper Snapper Beary Special
• Typed Sentiment (Wendy Medium font)
• Colouring - Alcohol Markers
• Clouds - Dovecraft chalks with freebie template
• Die-Namics Sunny Skys Die
• Maja Design Papers
• Momento Stamp Pad Ink
• Memory Box Stitched Clouds
• Flat Backed Pearls
• Glossy Accents
• Cheery Lynn Designs LG Square Stitched Die

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Monday Challenge - Make a Wish
• Alsorts - Happy Birthday
• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Frosty the Snowman

Although it could double up as a card, this is actually a wrapper for a gift voucher, hence the shape. I've used an image that I've had coloured for a while and eventually I've now made him up into something.  I hope you like him.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Whipper Snapper Snow is Overrated
• Colouring - Distress Ink Reinkers, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Stazon Ink Pad
• The Langton Watercolour paper
• Viva Pearl Pen - Ice White
• Crystal Glamour Dust
• Simon Says Stamp Merry Christmas Die
• Simon Says Stamp Stars Parade Die
• Circle Stackable Dies
• Memory Box Frostyville Border die (for the tiny snowflakes)
• Aqua satin ribbon
• Glossy Accents

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Monday Challenge - A pinch of (Glitter)
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas Bingo (Snowman, Glitter, Ribbon)
• Cupcake Inspirations - Poppy, White, Blue
• The Sketchy Challenge - Sketch
• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy (I used 5 different ones)

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Welcome to Snowvember !!!

Well, before I move onto today's card, did you all make it safely through Hallowe'en?

All but 2 of my spooky treat pouches were gone by 7.30, and I was about to turn the pumpkin lights off at 8pm when two young witches arrived (one wearing a pink 'hello kitty' cardigan) to take the last two.  We had lots of witches, but also a mummy (although he did expressly tell me several times that he was a male mummy - just so I was sure), a werewolf (who'd lost his mask), Boba Fett (from Star Wars), a pumpkin and a skeleton.

The skeleton shook his treat pouch and asked me whether it contained an X-Box.  Methinks one little character might be a teensy bit disappointed when he opened it, but hopefully he liked the fun sized Mars bar instead.  In contrast, one of the first young witches to arrive was so excited about the treat pouch that she didn't realise there were treats inside, and she nearly burst with excitement to find a Twix fell out.

And as it was Friday, my dad popped over for his long-standing dinner invitation, but by the time he arrived I was already in full flow of 'open the door and shove a treat pouch through it', so he nearly got bag of Maltesers thrown at him.  Then I realised he wasn't in costume!  ;0)

Unfortunately the glow sticks I'd ordered from Amazon for some spooky glow-in-the-dark eyes to put in the bushes didn't arrive in time, so I've got 364 days to make them in time for next year.  But the tombstone I made with a huge box and some crinkled paper and put outside the front door was popular.  Unfortunately mainly popular with snails, who nibbled though the paper wrapping. Hopefully Stazon ink isn't poisonous to snails.

Anyway, for someone who doesn't like Hallowe'en, I enjoy the preparation, although I'm glad it's over now!

So, onto today's creation.  I can't believe how fast October has gone by and it's November already.

And we all know what November means ... without wanting to make you panic ... it's Christmas next month!!!

So to get us all in a Wintry mood, there is a new snowman themed challenge starting today.  You may remember back in September that the lovely Squirrel hosted 'The Great Penguin Challenge'.

Well November is Snowvember, so this month you need to make a snowman themed creation.

The challenge runs for the whole month of Snowvember, and there are some Christmassy prizes on offer for one lucky winner who links up to challenge.

So get your Frosty the Snowman images out and let your creativity flow.  The link and rules are on Squirrel's blog.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Snow is Overrated by Whipper Snapper
• One of my own Freebie Sentiments
• Colouring - Distress Ink Reinkers
• Cardworks Card base
• The Snowman Paper Pad (how apt!)
• The Langton watercolour paper
• Stazon Ink Pad
• Button Twine
• Pearls
• Viva Pearl Pen - Ice White

I've been inspired by:

• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Shaped Cards
• Live & Love Crafts - Favourite Christmas Colours (pink and aqua - I love pink on xmas cards and aqua for it's frosty feel)

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Watch you don't get stung!

I'm still on my mission to use existing stash, so I've inked up one of my Whipper Snapper images with a summery colour scheme.  This project is to support the challenge as As You Like It Challenge where the theme is to showcase your favourite season, and although Christmas is probably my favourite crafting season, the long warm bright days of summer are definitely my favourite season.

It's a clean and simple layout and although I'm the first to admit that yellow is not one of my favourite colours, I actually do quite like the finished card, and it certainly does seem to represent summer.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Curious Clyde from Whipper Snapper
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics
• Cardworks Card base
• Neenah Classic Crest White Stamping Card
• Momento Stamp Pad Ink
• Gold Organza ribbon
• Memory Box Nottingham Border die

I've been inspired by:

• Bunny Zoe Challenge - Summer Colours
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Penguin Nap

I know it's August, and still pretty warm and humid, but I've got something to cool you down today!  I bought this Whipper Snapper image a while ago and this is the first time I've inked him up.  The challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge is P for Penguins so it's perfect for the theme.  I love their cute faces.  The image was quite large so I've not added any embellishments, other than some stitching to frame the image panel.

Not even a pearl in sight.

Wow, I'm getting quite into this CAS malarkey!

Card Recipe:

• Image - Nappin' with Ike and Mike
• Colouring - DI Reinkers
• Cardworks Card base
• The Snowman Papers
• The Langton watercolour paper
• Stazon Ink Pad
• Glossy Accents
• Viva Pearl Pen - Ice White
• Wink of Stella

I've been inspired by:

• Southern Girls - Christmas is a coming
• That's Crafty - Christmas in July
• Winter Wonderland - Anything goes
• My Mum's Craft Shop - Clean & Simple
• Pile It On - Stitching
• Live & Love Crafts - Stitching
• Papertake Challenge - Anything Goes

Happy crafting
Annette
xx

Oranges and Lemons

Now orange and yellow are not my colours at all.  But this card kind of just happened that way! And I admit that I actually quite like it.

It is a summery kind of image, and once I'd coloured the mouse and grass, I pulled out some papers to choose what I wanted to use before I coloured the flowers something that might not match.  This paper just seemed to match the mouse, and I knew that I had some gold organza ribbon that would match which I teamed with some thin orange ribbon to create a band around the insert panel.

The gold organza was actually from a reel left over from my wedding invitations, so it's probably some of my oldest crafting stash because making my wedding invitations was my very first introduction to card-making nearly 10 years ago!

The new challenge at Top Tip Tuesday is to use 2 or more ribbons, which is covered as I've used 2 different style ribbons, and also created a double bow using a third piece of ribbon.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Miss Blossom from Whipper Snapper Designs
• Typed Sentiment (Wendy Medium font)
• Colouring - Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens.
• White gel pen
• Black glaze pen
• Cardworks Card base
• Papermania Bellisima Paper pad
• Neenah Classic Crest White Stamping Card
• Momento Stamp Pad Ink
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Gold Organza Ribbon
• Orange Ribbed Ribbon
• Orange gems
• Glossy Accents

I've been inspired by:

• Stampin' for the weekend - Anything Goes
• Bunny Zoe - Layers
• Penny Black & More - Favourite Stamp (I love this image 'cos it is so summery, which is my favourite season, and the little mouse is so cute and happy with his smiley face)
• Simon's Monday Challenge - Use this more (it is a crime to have not already used this gorgeous organza ribbon)

Happy crafting
Annette
xx