Hubbie'll fix it

Around here there are certain jobs that fall under the jurisdiction of hubby jobs, anything involving rubbish (although I also enjoy trips to the tip, love the feeling of chucking stuff in the skips lol), anything that needs fixing (normally because clumsy clot here has dropped, kicked or tripped over it) and finally getting rid of anything with more legs than I have.

So as soon as I saw this image I knew it would be perfect for his card. For those of you not old enough to remember Jim'll fix it was a very popular saturday night programme in the seventies and for those of us old enough to remember did any of you write in and even better get picked lol. I thought this sentiment fitted Hubby perfectly.

Lots of new stuff tried on this card, the holes (I was trying to make the cork paper look like a peg board) were coloured using a sharpie marker using my Stampin up mat stack as a guide. The tools are MFT dies and the little black brads were actually pink before the sharpie coloured them. Lots of inking again I am loving my splodgeaway and also gathered twigs ink is deffo my favouite.

I thought his t-shirt looked a little plain so I stamped a sentiment from the Geek Guy set from MFT, as hubby works in IT I am sure this will bring a smile to his lips, probably not as much as owning a real yellow DeWalt drill though.

I am hoping he likes it though and I wanted to wish him a very happy birthday, love you all the monies XXX

Ingredients

Image: Mo's Digital Pencil too

Papers: "Note to Self" Echo Park Digital

Tools: MFT die-namics & Stampin up Mat Stack

Cardstock: Walmart

Words on T-Shirt: "Geek Guy" MFT stamps

MIA again

Sorry I have been MIA again but every year in September there is a large event at work that I help organise that seems to consume every waking moment, and even wakes me up in the middle of the night too. So apologies if I haven't visited your blogs and commented like I normally try to, it is a good job that I had quite a few cards already made otherwise there would have been tumbleweeds across the screen.

Hopefully by the beginning of next week it will all be over and I can relax again.

hugs

Amanda

The tortoise and the golf cart.......

September is certainly a busy birthday month around here and I made this card for my boss. He is a keen golfer and you may have thought I would make him a golfing card but I did that last year so I decided as you can buy cards with golf on but cards with tortoises on are harder to find I would make one for his other passion.

As soon as I saw this tortoise at Create with TLC I had to get it, normally digi stamp tortoises are more caricatures so this one seemed more real iykwim lol. Coloured with my copics and an airbrushed background and of course the glossy accents too. I wasn't sure what to do with the background but eventually decided on these Echo Park papers, some from the snippet folder and some I printed and used my flagstack die-namics to cut them out. The cardstock is called chocolate brownie and is a textured card from elzybells, wish I had bought more of this now and have had it a while and this is the first sheet I have used, must say though even the smallest pieces went in the snippet folder.

Ingredients

Image: Create with TLC

Sentiment: in the same kit as the image

Papers: "This & That" Echo Park

Cardstock: "Chocolate Brownie" Elzybells

Brad: Laura Ashley

Nailheads: Josy Rose

Challenges: Snippet Playground
Cards for Men

                                          

Another driving test passed....

Well yesterday I have made a card for my cousin who passed her driving test recently, the roads will never be the same again lol.

I apologise about the awful picture but at the moment I seem to be making the card late at night and needing to get it in the post the next morning and as there is no real light until about lunchtime I will have to make do. I think I need to be a bit more organised as I didn't start this card until 10:30pm.

No inking on this one as there just wasn't time, you may recognise the papers from a card I made a while ago and some are the left over bits but I did need to print the large paisley one.

Ingredients

Images: Digistamp Boutique

Papers: "Gypsy" Sassy Designs Inc

Cardstock: Snippet folder

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Monkey DIY

I don't know about anyone else but the word Monkey always reminds me of the 70's BBC 2 TV series, where the monkey was magical and rode around on a cloud that he summoned by blowing on his fingers. Although it was badly dubbed and made absolutely no sense it was unmissable TV.

Anyway enough waffling back to the card, I printed this image ages ago and realised after I did I made him a bit big so he has sat in my image draw ever since. I was in a colouring mood and he was the first image I grabbed so he had to make it onto a card lol.

I have used left over papers from Echo Park and Sassy Designs, I don't normally combine papers but as both were sat together in the snippet draw and seemed to match perfectly I decided to give it a whirl.

Ingredients

Image: "DIY Chester" Pollycraft

Papers: "WoodWork" Sassy Designs and "This & That" Echo Park

Cardstock: Snippet folder

Ink: Gathered Twigs Distress Ink

Challenges: Snippet Playground
Cards for Men

Mmm Crumb Cake

Sometimes our inspiration comes from challenges, sometimes from things we see around us and sometimes it comes from the need to clean out the snippet draw lol. So I have had these papers in the snippet draw for almost a year so I decided they finally needed to be used. Since I now love inking I inked the edges with Spun Sugar and Antique Linen distress inks and used my splodgeaway too.

I have had the skin and hair coloured on this image for such a long time and had the pink copics on my desk from the baby girl card so decided to colour her in pinks, the brown/beige was coloured once I had decided which papers to use.

I tried the patp on this too and must say I was impressed with the finished look, kinda wish I had used crumb cake now instead of white though, I know it doesn't look white cos I inked it lol.

It is also straight in real life but by the time I realised how wonky the photo was she was already in the post.

Ingredients

Image: Gorjuss Girl stamp

Papers: "Grin n Bear it" Nit Wit

Cardstock: "Crumb Cake" Stampin Up

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Poppy Fields

I have been making CAS cards again, now I expect for some these are quicker than the other type to make but for me cos they are so cas and show every error they take a whole lot longer. I have used a ready coloured image from the "The Next Big Thing" cd by Just Inklined, I printed the first one direct onto the card base then printed a few more and cut and decoupaged them. I really enjoyed making this card and I hope the recipient likes it too. I know they like poppies as they have pictures everywhere.

Ingredients

Image: Just Inklined CD

Cardstock: Walmart Snippet Draw

Gems: Studio G

Sentiment: Freehand 591 font

Challenges: Snippet Playground

A la mode - Girl Talk

I have used another of the "a la mode" stamps from MFT for this card as it reminded me of my friend, these stamps are so easy to colour too. I have used the papers from Sassy designs again and even paper pieced her little top. I found the perfect red cardstock in my snippet folder and this card came together really quickly, not my most fabulous original creation but I hope the recipient likes it all the same.

Ok so I have made a few cards but my mojo is still in hiding. I bought a roll of wax paper to try a few new techniques and it is still sitting unopened on my craft table.

Ingredients

Image: MFT Stamps A La Mode "Girl Talk"

Papers: "Christy" Sassy-Designs Inc

Cardstock: Snippet Folder

Brads: Glitter gems from Papermania

Challenges: Snippet Playground

A Get Well Wish

One of my very good friends is off work at the moment poorly and I wanted her to know I was thinking of her. I made this card yesterday and it was made mostly from items I was waiting to put away. I had been practising my inking using my splodeaway mat and was about to put the papers in the snippet folder when I thought actually I will use them up instead. This isn't typical get well colours but I thought it looked classy.

I am ashamed to say I have had this image a while and this is the first time I have coloured her, I have been trying to not buy anymore images until I have used some of the hundreds I have but it is so hard when the companies keep tempting me with sales lol. My willpower is weak lol.

Is anyone else like me, I see something all these ideas whizz around my head and I have to have it, when I get it home I can't think of a single thing to do with it and sometimes it can be months before I use it.

Ingredients

Image: "Wryn" Tiddlyinks 

Papers: 'Keita" & "Antique" Sassy Designs Inc

Cardstock: Snippet Folder

Brad: Eyelet Outlet

Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs

Challenges: Snippet Playground

I don't normally review products I have bought but thought I would give you my opinion on the slodgeaway mat. I played with Sue's mat at a playday and even I was surprised how good I was inking, Sue has a review here which explains it better than I ever could. Well I had to have one and ordered that night, It took a long time to arrive almost two weeks which I thought was a little excessive but they are a two man team and they have been inundated with orders. It was worth the wait though and inking has become something I want to do rather than hubby saying why have you got all those inks when you don't use them and feeling I had to use them to justify the storage space they were occupying. Expect to see lots more inking on my cards as not only does it give a lovely look but it is also really therapeutic.

Less is More - Pink & Brown

Ok so those who know me have probably guessed that I am not really into embellishments on my cards but I do still struggle with CAS cards. I love the look of these type cards but always think they are too simple when I make them, if you know what I mean. I was inspired by the cards I have seen on Squirrel's blog so decided to have a go at one myself.

Ingredients

Image: "Hershey" Paper Make Up

Sentiment: Elzybells

Cardstock: Snippet Folder
Gems: Studio G 

Challenges:

Snippet Playground

Less is More - Pink & Brown

Fabulous News

You have probably heard me mention my cousin before and yesterday I received the call I have been waiting for she is expecting her first baby. I was so pleased for them both, she will make a fantastic mum and that is one lucky baby. She sent me a picture of the scan and I can't wait to meet this new little person and give them lots of cuddles. I will also be the one who buys all the noisy toys and gives them the hyper sugary stuff, well you have to keep a tradition going lol.

I remember reading her a book at bedtime called "Will Cwac Cwac" and I used to do all the different voices and accents and she used to love it, in fact she still talks about it to me, I would love to find a copy of this book for the new baby but it seems to be out of print, such a shame too as it was a lovely book.

I used snippets from the Keita kit from Sassy Designs and have made three cards all from the same papers so far, can't you tell I like them lol. Even the image and sentiment were stamped on snippets lol.

Ingredients:

Image: Elzybells

Papers: "Keita" Sassy Designs Inc 

Cardstock: From Margaret (ArumLily)

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Hubbie's Hobby

Morning all, I thought I would show you what hubbie gets upto when I am in my craftroom. I spend quite a bit of time in my craftroom and as his main hobby is pottery but he didn't have anywhere to do this properly he decided he needed to find something else.

He bought a 3d printer kit and build the printer himself and has been merrily printing, calibrating, learning and printing things for a while now.

I saw this model on "thingyverse" and when I came home from work he was waiting on my craft desk. Isn't he adorable, his propeller even turns.

Hubbie has suggested converting our garage into a hobby room, with 2 thirds for me and a third for him and his printer so that when we are both concentrating on our hobbies we can still chat, just need to work out where all the stuff currently in the garage is going to go.