Perhaps not what you were thinking....

Just a short post today, as I have been cropping, nattering and eating cake today, having a great time playing with my new stamps. The results will be shown when they are finished!
Here is a card I made for a challenge last year and lost before I could upload it....well, while looking for my paints, I rediscovered it, so here is a pic of Titam taken when he was about 2, and determined to fill up his paddling pool even though his Mum had said *no*....
Thanks for looking and have a good week!

SP6 - Single Layer Card

Help, I think I have forgotten how to make a basic card! For this one I used one of my all time fave stamps, my lovely owl from LaBlanche. The moon in the background has been stamped with resist ink, and then I distressed the card with TH Inks in marigold, brushed corduroy, ancient linen and Adirondack espresso. Tried to create a murky, misty night. The owl has been stamped in Archival black and clear embossed before brushing with perfect pearls in interference blue and gold and embossing again, to bring out colours in the feathers. The eyes have been dotted with stickles in cinnamon. Hand-doodled a leafy branch in black and gold. It was, as usual, fun to make, and has effectively kept me from doing the housework up till now - but now I can't avoid it any longer....help!
Thanks for looking and have a good day!

Creative Connections #4: Party Hats

“I am participating in a GC Creative Connection. I heard about this month’s GCCC - Party Hats - from Sharon Briss of http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com
Why not play along? Post a creation to your blog mentioning my post and the Creative Connection post on Gingersnap Creations. Let’s all craft it forward and see how far we can get this connection to go!”

For my card I used Shar's label technique again. I printed an A4 label sheet with an invoice from 1916, and used part of it to stamp my lion and window from LaBlanche. I used archival ink and clear embossing powder. Then I distressed the background with some TH inks before sticking on the labels. I gave the lables a *frame* made of sticky ribbon to give it all a window look. The party hat wearers are from a sheet of Men's images from June at *Dezinaworld*
I cut my three *men * out, gave them party hats and balloons, die-cut with Sizzix, and that was it. Was fun to make, as always.
Tomorrow I have to do things like housework and washing, not so much fun!
But had a wonderful time yesterday and today celebrating with my friends, so hope that will have given me enough strength to get at least the important things done!
Have a nice day, and thanks for visiting!

Flooded roads, hailstones and a quick 51st Anniversary card

Yesterday I had an appointment at the doctor's. I drove there, found a parking lot straightaway, parked, got out of the car and was standing in a puddle up to my ankles, together with two rather indignant pigeons who had evidently thought it was their bird-bath. Reached the doc with no further mishaps. Didn't even have to wait long. Had my tests and got prescriptions for my medis - strange how they seem to grow with each new birthday! As I left, it was pouring. My umbrella was high and dry - in the car. So had to run for it as well as I could. The huge puddle had not disappeared in the meantime, and it was impossible to access the car without treading into it, so once again, got wet feet. On the motorway it started to throw down hailstones, which pinged so hard on the roof of the car that I thought they would pass through it, really scary. Then I went to the chemist's to get my medis. Difficult to find a parking space, because those giant puddles were everywhere, and the park looked like a river. Anyway, never give up, found a dry place, threw some money in the ticket machine and ran to the chemist's. Got everything I needed, and managed to get back home without further problems. where I treated myself to dry trousers, a cappuccino and 2 current buns - delicious!
Then I realised I needed to make a card for some friends, who are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary today - congrats I & T!! I also baked a chocolate cake to take with me when I go there, so was a busy evening.
The easel card has been made from wine-red embossed card stock, and the front panel has been cut from the *Taj Mahal* stack (DCWV). Added TH die cut hearts and wings, and 2 roses, and of course a golden 51. Inside I put one of my favourite verses, which translated into English says *We are angels with just one wing, and can only fly when we embrace each other. Angel with just one wing -come, fly with me, embrace me.*
Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!!

Mona Lisa with Hearts and Roses - GCSP6, Take 2

Yesterday I made a card following Shar's inspiration of using labels. My friend B gave me a pile of A4 label sheets, so I will be able to have more fun trying this out in the next weeks, as it is a fun technique with lots of possibilities. I printed the whole sheet with a freebie background from June at *Dezinaworld*, and stamped my image over one part of it , so I can still work with the rest of the sheet. I used my Mona Lisa stamp from LaBlanche, and stamped with archival ink which was then clear embossed. Then I mounted the labels onto a scrap of white card, which I matted with wine red before mounting it onto a card, which I stamped with script in *aged mahogany*. Added some hearts and roses and gave her a touch of lipstick and eye shadow, and it was finished.
And another nice surprise from *Gingersnaps* today, as I was chosen as a Ginger Gem again for my *Polar animals* tag. Many thanks to the team for their never ending source of inspiration and ideas!
It was fun trying something new - as always - and I will definately try this again.
Thanks for looking and have a good day!

Ginspiration Challenge CCSP6

For this challenge I have made a black and white card, inspired by Stephanie's elegant cardigan. I needed a *good luck* card for a friend, and as cows are a big fave with me, I used them here. They have been die cut from Kaisercraft paper, and I have mixed and matched the heads to make them more interesting. They have been mounted on to a piece of white paper left over from die cutting a lace edge, and the background has been stamped with text in archival black. The cows have been fixed with foam pads to give them more depth. I added some black and white prima flowers, a border of the same scrap paper, I just altered the writing at 2 places to *Moo* instead of me. Then I mounted it all onto a black card, and that was it - udderly simple, and I hope the recipient will feel mooooooooooved by it. The eyes and flower centres have been dotted with a spot of liquid pearls in red, and then I added a matching tag with a sentiment. Was fun to make, I think I will try the other Ginspiration challenges, too!
Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Masking Challenge for *Simon Says*

This is my entry for the *Simon Says* masking challenge. The background has been masked with *garden ironworks* from *My Tattered Angels*, and sprayed over with *Juneberry wine* from the same company. I then cut the tag to match the contours of the pattern. Then I decided to keep it monochromatic, so cut the tree and birds in a matching colour using coredinations paper, which has been lightly sanded. The fence is also a TH die. The tree has been dotted with a few spots of liquid pearls in silver. As a finishing touch I added two stars in white with some lilac liquid pearls dotted in the middle.

It was, as always, fun to make. Thanks for looking & have a nice day!