Good Cheer Star - Retrosketches #84

Hello peeps!

Well, it's a wet and windy day here in Norfolk. As I look out of my craft study window, I can see a wood pigeon clinging onto a branch for dear life, bobbing around like it's at sea!

I've been inspired by this weeks retrosketch #84.

Isn't it fab?

Check out http://retrosketches.blogspot.co.uk/ for the DT take on this sketch. They are so cool. There are also many great entries into this weeks challenge.

Here's mine...

What you need...

Card stock: black, white

Dies: Framelits Primitive Stars 657910 - Sizzix

Washi tape: black/white vertical striped; lime; red/white diagonal striped

Stamps: Christmas Sampler - Paper Smooches

Ink pad: Onyx Black - Versafine

Felt holly leaves

Buttons: red

Twine: white

Gems: clear

Adhesives

What you do...

Cover a piece of card, slightly smaller than A6 in strips of washi tape. Tear one of the strips near to the bottom of the card and stamp the greeting. Attach the covered panel to the blank.

Glue holly leaves and three buttons tied with twine onto a star die cut in black card. Fix to the top left of the blank and finish with a few gems.

If I am in time, I might enter this into this weeks retrosketch challenge.

I shall say ta ta for the nonce and I will be back soon with another make. Take care xxx

Scooting By To Say Hi

Hello Peeps!

Hope you are all fit and well! Before I show you the card for today, I want to thank you all for all the lovely comments you leave me, not only on here, but also on Busymitts. I really appreciate it :o)

So, onto my card. I am absolutely mad about Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, especially from the 1950's and early 1960's. I have been watching a few of late (on my laptop whilst being creative) and I was inspired by the quirky backgrounds on some of the toons.

There is this fantastic stamp set by Paper Smooches called Spiffy Scooters which I've had for a while and have been dying to use.

You know what it's like when sometimes you don't have inspiration, then suddenly something pops in your head. Thanks to Looney Tunes it did! I also have some WRMK stamps from the Tiffany collection called On the Town, they are a little set of houses which again are very 1950's retro, perfect for what I wanted.

Here is the grand masterpiece...

The set came with a little flag for the scooter, which is wonderful, but I had the idea of making one out of white florists wire and red/white striped washi tape.

What you need...

Stamps: Spiffy Scooters - Paper Smooches; On the Town (Tiffany Collection) - WRMK

Card stock: turquoise, white, lime, grey

Ink: Onyx Black - Versafine

Embossing powder: Detail Clear - Stampendous

Promarkers: Eggnog, Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 5, Icicle, Poppy, Pumpkin

Washi tape: red/white diagonal stripe - MT

Florist wire: white

Glitter dots

Adhesives 

What you do...

Create a white 13cm x 15cm top fold blank. Stamp a row of houses along a piece of turquoise card. Adhere to the blank at an angle and trim the excess. Cut a piece of lime and grey card at an angle and attach under the row of houses, again trimming any excess.

Stamp and emboss the scooter, two large and two small cloud shapes, colour and cut out. To make the flag, bend over one end of a length of florists wire, lay in the centre of a piece of washi tape and fold over so it sticks to itself, then trim into a triangle. Secure onto the reverse of the scooter.

Attach all the elements to the blank and finish with the sentiment stamped in the bottom right corner and glitter dots on one of the clouds.

You can use any little house or town landscape stamps for the background. I didn't stamp them perfectly straight to help give the 'quirky' look.

I love this card, the inspiration came at the right time and it's perfect for the 'oh so difficult to make for' men. Sorted!

Right, me lovelies. I'm scooting (sorry - bad pun) off meself now. Take care, have a great weekend and I'll be back soon enough.xxx

   

Caught A Bug?

Hey folks!

How are you all doing? Brrrr, it's freezing here today, and it's windy - not good :o(

I was looking through the RetroSketches site last night and I came across this layout - #53

I knew exactly what stamp set and colours would look good with this, so here is what I came up with...

What you need...

Stamps: Healthy Vibes - Paper Smooches

Card stock: white, plum

Ink: Tuxedo Black - Memento

Promarkers: Ice Grey 1, Lime Green, Plum, Sunflower

Washi tape: plum, lime spotty, yellow line/dots

Punch: corner rounder

Buttons: plum, lime, yellow

Baker's twine: plum, lime, yellow

Adhesives

What you do...

Create a 13cm x 15cm white top fold blank and round the lower right corner. Attach three pieces of washi tape in varying lengths towards the left side of the blank, cut a notch from the bottom end of each.

Stamp the bugs and sentiment onto white card and colour in. Trim and mount onto plum card. Attach to the blank with foam tape. Tie three buttons with corresponding coloured baker's twine and fix to to the top of each strip of washi tape.

As you have probably noticed, I'm into the washi tape thing at the moment. I have had some for quite a while, but never really got round to experimenting with it. It's so cool. There's tons of stuff you can do with it and there is so much choice in colours and patterns.

I just love the colour combo of this card, it's so bright, fresh and zingy. At this time of year when there are a few 'bugs' going round, this card is quick and simple to make and will surely put a smile on the face of the most grotty feeling peep.

Well that's me for another session. Thanks for calling by, until next time....

  

Bottom's Up

Well hello me ol' chums!

Hope you are all fit and well on this bright, breezy and cold March day.

As I mentioned in my last post, it was His Lordship's birthday yesterday, and by order of the cat (with supervision) I had to do him a card from her. So with Bazoo's laser eyes upon me, I came up with this...

What you need...

Stamps: Nine Lives - Penny Black; Li'l Grumpies Occasions - Smeared Ink

Card stock: white

Embossing folder: Spots & Dots - Cuttlebug

Ink: Tuxedo Black - Memento

Promarkers: Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 3

Washi tape: black/white stripe, red/white diagonal stripe - MT; He Said Decorative Tape (He Said She Said Collection) - Teresa Collins

Baker's twine: red

Button: black

Adhesives

What you do...

Create an 8cm x 11cm top fold blank in white card. Emboss a piece of white card 7.5cm x 10.5cm with Dots & Spots.

Cut three lengths of washi tape and fix to the card from the top right, folding the ends over to the reverse. Cut a notch from the end of each one and then rub gently to allow the embossing to show. Attach centrally to the blank with foam tape.

Stamp the cat and sentiment onto white card and colour in. Trim and mount over the washi tape at the upper right corner of the blank.

Wrap baker's twine around the base of the card several times and tie in a floppy bow at the left. Finish with a button threaded and tied with baker's twine.

It's only an iddy biddy card, but ever so cute.

Anyone who is owned by a cat or has been owned by one will know this pose very well. It's the 'I'm listening to every word you are saying, but I choose to ignore you never the less' pose.

Bazoo does it very well. Infact you know when she is ignoring you from another room, you can feel the vibes - whoooOOOoo! If she isn't wearing this pose, she's doing the Hypno-cat laser eye thingy.

Oooh! Don't forget this month's Blog Candy ends on March 31st! Good luck!

Right, me lovelies, I'm off for a cuppa tea. Thanks for popping by xxx

You're Old

Hello peepsicles, hope you are well ;o)

Today is my lovely Simon's birthday. He's had a great day and received some lovely pressies and cards, one of which is mine. I wouldn't exactly say it's 'lovely', it's more, er.. to the point. It's a good job he has a fantastic sense of humour.

Without further adodoo....

What you need...

Stamps: Li'l Grumpies Occasions - Smeared Ink

Card stock: white, turquoise, lime

Ink: Tuxedo Black - Memento

Promarkers: Cool Grey 1, Lime Green, Marine

Washi tape: lime, turquoise - MT

Brad: black

Baker's twine: black

Adhesives

What you do...

Create a 12cm x 15cm tent fold blank in turquoise card. Mount a slightly smaller piece of white card onto it, lining up with the fold. Tear off two strips of turquoise washi tape and one lime and attach from the top of the blank down the centre.

Stamp the Li'l Grumpy and sentiment onto a piece of white card, colour in and trim. Mount onto lime card and trim leaving a narrow border. Tear a strip of turquoise washi tape, attach to the upper left of the image, by folding over sandwiching the image panel in between, then insert a brad. Mount the panel centrally near the top of the blank with foam tape.

Wrap baker's twine around the base of the card a few times and tie in a floppy bow at the right. Finish with a small torn piece of lime washi tape just above.

I think he's really cute, as are all the Li'l Grumpies. I especially love his little sticky out tummy button (I think they all sport them). I've been really lucky to get hold of these stamps in unmounted rubber, but I believe you can download digi images from the Smeared Ink website.

By the way, Simon isn't so old - he's only 43. Bless him.

Tomorrow I will post up the card Bazoo sent him for his birthday ( I made it, but only with her guidance).

Okay me sweeties, I'm going to sign off and have a glass of the bubbly I bought for the birthday boy. thanks for calling in and nighty night xxxx

                                                       

Happy Easter

Happy St Patrick's Day to all you lovely Irish peeps! Hope you are having a lucky and Guinness filled day!

A special Irish hello to June & Stephen :o)

I have another Easter Card for you, this one is a bit more comical.

  

What you need...

Stamps: Picoti Picota - Artemio; Claudine Hellmuth Doodles - Ranger

Card stock: white

Promarkers: Cool Grey 1, Lime Green, Magenta, Mandarin, Summer Sun

Ink: Tuxedo Black - Memento

Washi tape: lime - MT

Baker's twine: orange

Rub-on sentiment

Adhesives

What you do...

Tear three strips of washi tape and stick to the right side of a white 12cm square top fold blank.

Cut a strip of white card, 12cm wide and stamp a standing chicken on the left and a running chicken on the right. Stamp some eggs behind the running chicken. Stamp the chickens so they are off the edge of the card. Colour in and attach to the blank, overlapping the washi tape.

Stamp, colour and cut out the scallops. Adhere under the chicken border on the right. Wrap and tie baker's twine around the card along where the scallops and chicken border meet. Finish with a sentiment.

I wanted to use bright colours again to really add impact on a white background. I adore this stamp set, it's so funny and it's not just for Easter. The images are perfect for anyone who loves chickens. I love the chicken's face on the left, it looks like it's wondering why the other is legging it!

Hopefully, I'm getting my chickens around May time - I'll keep you posted and let you know when I get my 'girls'.

So my lovelies, that's me for now. Thanks for visiting xx

Beautiful

Howdy chums!

Hope you are all well and happy :)

I'm on a roll mojo wise at the moment. Ideas keep popping in my head left, right and centre. So, here is another one of those 'ideas' (which came from the left, I think).

What you need...

Dies: Flower Layers #9 - Sizzix; Grunge Flower #1- PaperArtsy

Patterned paper: Soho Garden 6x6 Paper Pad - American Crafts

Stickers: Doodle Deux Typeset Tiny Alphabet - Prima

Adhesive tape: Washi aqua, lime - MT

Card stock: aqua, lime

Buttons: pink

Baker's twine: pink

Punch: corner rounder

What you do...

Create a top fold A6 blank and round off the lower right corner. Apply a length of aqua and lime Washi tape from the top left of the card, cut a notch in the ends.

Die cut one large, one small and two medium flowers in brown floral paper, then die cut one medium and two small flowers in aqua card. Use the leaf from the Grunge Flower set and cut two in lime card. Scrunch all the pieces up and then layer.

Attach the flowers and leaves to the card over the top of the Washi tape. Tie baker's twine through three buttons and stick to the centre of each flower. Apply a word sticker over the bottom of the Washi tape, just above the notches.

There you have it! I'm pleased with the way this card turned out. I did initially have it the other way round - a side fold landscape, but I like the way the Washi tape looked coming from the top, rather than the side. The photo turned out really well too. I didn't have to do much tweaking. Overall I'm a happy bunny - woo hoo!

Well thanks for stopping by today. I'm going to make a nice hot cup of tea. Until next time. xxx