CCC Chicken & eggs

  Hi Everyone, my DT make today is for -

Critter Crazy #116

 Anything Goes but they MUST feature a critter as the main focus 

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 

Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter.

 

I made a mistake and posted Novembers card here instead of today, so as I had made a birthday card for a GNephew, I have used his card today.

 

A while ago going through the web for something else, I saw this quote and thought it's great for him, as he is Deputy Head of Maths in a Secondary school at 28, a great achievement, I think. I don't have chicken stamps, but do have numerous chicken images, so I took two and made them into this image in Photoshop, cutting the original chicken off the eggs. 

 

It was then taken into Silhouette to cut out twice, with the basket an extra layer, cut once, I also did the sentiment and shape at the same time. Once printed and cut, I inked around the image, with Oxide vintage photo for the basket and Oxide antique linen for the chicken. I then printed some digi paper and cut to size, they were then inked around the edges, with Oxide ripe persimmon and Oxide crackling campfire.

 

The papers were added to the base card and the chicken added with 3D pads, then the sentiment also with 3D pads. I did the insert in Photoshop, using the chicken image, the sentiment is made from "I would have baked a cake" I have seen around often, and I added the rest to suit. I know he will appreciate the humour in it.

 

images - the eggs - Hugware Hen House 2005, & chicken - Something to Crow About 2003

inks - Distress Oxide, ripe persimmon, antique linen,

 crackling fire, vintage photo

sentiment - Pinterest

papers - Marisa Lerin Digital Scapbooking.com Autumn Papers 2 

 

 

 

 

this is the insert, 

"I would have baked you a cake for your birthday, 

but the chicken wouldn't let me have the eggs!"

What Critter will use at the Challenge?

Shades of Autumn WLSC mid month

     Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme of

Shades of Autumn

 

 

A few months ago I had seen a design of a card using a stamping Acrylic block, to add a shape of colour, I made it and then smudged it. I found the spoiled piece tucked under some card! I attempted to do it again with trembling hands!

 

I didn't use the block this time, I chickened out after trying it again, and die cut a square shape, then blended some autumn colours through it, seen on another blog I saw for inspiration, here. I then stamped the tree and using the same blog, I went looking for leaves to stamp onto the tree. Nuffin that small, then I remembered I had ordered stamps and when they arrived I couldn't remember why I had ordered them, well, one of them came in handy. 

 

I used it in different colours turning it to add the dot colours. I found a small leaf attached to a sentiment and proceeded to ink the leaf and stamp it on the side of the tree, I then stamped the line under the tree. Stamped the sentiment and clear embossed it.

 

I was happy with it, BUT, I then thought a touch of gold would look OK, I placed two pieces of card onto the image, so I could add the gold paint in between them. However, the touch turned into a few blobs. I didn't have time to do another card, so I decided the soil and leaves had been turned up, because it was a windy day. Artistic licence, I believe!  

 

The last thing was to add some orange cord. I do love the tree, thanks to the inspiration. It goes to my dear SiL, whose birthday it was as few days ago, and who lost my brother recently.

 

stamps - tree, dropped leaves and tree base - Autumn Days, an old SCP mag freebie

leaves/dots stamp - Silhouette Art Marianne Designs CS1120 

inks - Distress Oxide gathered twigs,mowed lawn,mustard seed,carved pumpkin,candied apple

sentiment stamp - Amazon LAMX

gold paint - Kuretake Starry colours 

orange paper - Lidl

clear embossing pdr - Papermania

cord - The Range 

 

 

 

 

Don't forget we are a stamping challenge.

I hope to see you at the Challenge, with your Autumn Shades.

We have two wonderful prizes this month from Sweet Poppy, stamps and stencil.

     

Geometric TMR #215

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for

The Male Room Challenge
 

I had two hours before being picked up to go out with old colleagues and decided to fill the time with some card making. I looked to see what the theme was for The Male Room and was stumped, then thought of an old embossing folder, that was just right. I also went onto the web and searched for geometric shapes, - there's lots that I wouldn't have thought of as being geometric. You learn something every day.

 

I cut a square and embossed it, then added DO's with a spray of water, in colours that I saw a blend of on the web for autumn, to my glass mat and placed the card onto it. I hadn't wet it enough, so more water and another placement on to it. Not the effect I was looking for, but went with it. I also splattered some gold paint onto it.

 

Again on the web, I have seen lots of large white Happy onto coloured card, so went to my Silhouette and cut it out of white card. I cut three layers, all glued together, then splattered with the same gold paint, and placed central onto the embossed card, which I had already attached to the base card. Next I stamped the sentiment in the same purple ink as the card, and then clear embossed it. I cut it to shape and placed it under the Happy. 

 

I was quite pleased with the overall effect after coming home. It's strange how something can be and mmm card, then a few hours later can be satisfying. I also have to point out that the coloured square is straight and square, but for some reason the camera wanted it wonky, maybe because of the embossing.

 

 embossing folder - Die'sire Argyle (old)

inks - Distress Inks, rusty hinge,villainous portion,scorched timber 

Happy - font  2Peas High Tide

sentiment stamp - SCP #240 

gold paint Kuretake 

 

I've added a closeup of the gold effect with the splatters. 

The colours are nearer to the original card too. 

 What will your Geometric shape be? Hope to see you at The Male Room Challenge

Shades of Autumn

    Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme of

Shades of Autumn

 

My autumn shades today are of a sunset, I used the colours used in K. Werners blog to use as inspiration. I shaded DO's onto white card, then stamped the seed heads in black. There was a butterfly included in the stamp set, so I decided to use that too, but I stamped it after I had stamped the sentiment, so it would seem to be flying to it? Then the layer was attached to the base card, a very simple card, but quite satisfying using the Oxides, for a change.

stamps - Woodware Collection, Autumn Pods

inks - Distress Oxide, mustard seed, abandoned coral, dusty concord 

black ink - Versafine Claire

white embossing powder - WOW

sentiment - Amazon - LAMXD

 (4PCS Words Clear Stamp, Silicone Stamp Cards Greeting Words Pattern for Card Making and DIY Scrapbooking Journaling)

 

 

 

I hope to see you at the Challenge, with your Autumn Shades. Don't forget to stamp.

We have two wonderful prizes this month from Sweet Poppy, stamps and stencil.

    

CCC Reindeer

  Hi Everyone, my DT make today is for -

Critter Crazy #116

 Anything Goes but they MUST feature a critter as the main focus 

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 

Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter.

It's near to Christmas, so a reindeer was chosen, I stamped it onto a sheet of card, took it into my Silhouette and cut it out. I then coloured it in DI's. For the background I stamped the trees and die cut them, then coloured the snow.

Next I coloured the sky on the base card with DO's, stamped the sentiment in white and embossed with clear embossing powder. The tree layer was added to the base card and the reindeer, to which I had added baubles to his antlers for a bit of fun. It was placed onto the tree layer with 3D pads for the body and I glued the legs. 

 tree stamps & Die - Chloes Creative Stamps, Winter Wonderland

reindeer stamp, sentiment, and baubles - SCP magazine freebie, old stamps 

 

this is the sheet of stamps, and the layout for this, and other cards, for cutting in Silhouette
 

inks as below 

 

white pigment ink - Archival Moonlight White 

clear embossing powder - Papermania

 

 

What Animal would you choose for the Critter Crazy Challenge?

 

My apologies Ladies this was supposed to be for December, posted by mistake. I'll keep it here as I have had comments already.  Better go and make another for November, pretty quickly! What am I like? I meant supposed to be for November, shows my mind set at the moment!

Trees & Leaves WLSC mid month

     Hi Everyone my DT make today is for 

We Love Stamping

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme from Emma

Trees & Leaves

 

 

On one of the hottest days of the year, 34C 93f, I decided to go into my North facing craft room, and craft in the shade, I should have just left things as they were and just read. 

 

However, I made 4 cards, 2 went into the bin, #3 I spoiled by smudging my hand over the ink, grrr, so my card today is my offering, but under the circumstances....

 

Anyhow, I shaded DO's over a piece of card, then using a leaf stencil I went over it with an alcohol wipe. Next I stamped the leaves around the left and top and stamped a sentiment into the space left. Even that I got wrong! I think I should have used the colour of the leaves, oh! well. I then clear embossed the sentiment. 

 

Next I placed the stamped piece onto a matching piece of paper and then added a pink layer with leaf shapes. The paper layers were edged with DI's in darker colours.  I then added tiny pink gems. It turned out OKish, I think in the end. 

 

Even then, the photo misshaped the card, taken twice, then straightening, it has made the sentiment look wonky! Told you I should have read instead.  

 

leaf stencil and stamps - Chloes Creative, mag freebie SCP#217 

inks - Distress Oxide, kitsch flamingo,lucky clover, mermaid lagoon 

sentiment - Woodware, It's the Little Things (old)

green paper - Lidl

pink paper - The Range, Happy Colours 

pink gems - stash 

Let's cheer ourselves up with the fabulous prizes. We have two wonderful prizes this month from

 Taylored Expressions & Penny Black

 

 

 

2 prizes, $30 store voucher from Taylored Expressions and Penny Black stamp set and stencil from Buddly Crafts (photo's not to scale).

 

Don't forget to use your stamps. 

Dots & Stripes TMR Challenge

 Hello everyone, my card today is for 

 

The Male Room 

 

I knew I had this stamp, and have never used it, so thought this was an opportunity to use it. I decided bright was my plan, I have yellow paper, I bought for a project and lots left over, a good time to use it. 

 

I stamped randomly in a sort of pattern, in different colours. Then horizontally, with a dots stamp and then again with the original stamp. With no plan as always, I went looking for a sentiment and luckily found this stamp, it suited my plan of bright. It was stamped onto white card. I then die cut a button, adding it to the stamped, and label cut sentiment. Next I die cut some candles, same as the button, out of gold mirror card. 

 

The background was added to blue mirror card, and added to the base card, next the candles and sentiment were added. For a randomly stamped card, I think it ended up bright as intended.  

stamps - Stamp Addicts, Vicky's Borders 

sentiment - Sissix, Catherine Pooler 

button die - years old! can't remember the makers

candles & label die - Magazine freebie SCP (old) 

inks - Distress Oxide, mustard seed,twisted citron,mermaid lagoon,spiced marmalade

gold and blue mirror card - The Range 

 

 

There’s great inspiration for your Male cards at the Challenge. 

Anything Christmas WLSC

  Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for

We Love Stamping.  

This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme of  

Anything Christmas

 

With no idea on such a broad spectrum to choose from, I decided to use a stamp and colour I saw in my subscription magazine. Not a colour I would normally use for Christmas, but I quite like the effect. 

 

With inspiration from Sarah Phelan in the magazine, I stamped the tree and embossed in gold, then blended seedless preserve distress oxide onto the card. I rubbed over the gold, but it didn't come up as bright as I wanted, so I stamped and embossed again. 

 

I then stamped and gold embossed the star corner and the stars on the right. The layer was attached to the mirror card. Next I blended a piece of white card, stamped and gold embossed the sentiment and die cut it. I decided not to layer onto gold.

 

tree and other stamps - Magazine Freebies SCP274

die - Card Making Magic A5 Nested Set

inks - Distress Oxide, seedless preserve 

embossing powder - Papermania gold

mirror card - The Range 

 

 

Wonderful prizes this month

Stamp Addicts, 2 prizes (photos not to scale)

 

Dogs and/or Cats TMR

 Hi everyone, my DT card today is for 

 

 The Male Room 

 

I've only got digital images for cats or dogs, so that's what's used today. The images were edited in Photoshop, adding a sentiment, then printed and die cut it. Looking for cat images in my files, I found a shape I thought I could use. I tried cutting it with Silhouette, but it was too fine and didn't cut properly, so I made a shape similar, but with thicker lines, in the design area, and cut it out of gold mirror card.

 

I embossed the edge of the printed background then decided to add splots to the background, after seeing another blogger do the same, but now I don't know who it was, sorry. I used hickory smoke and faded jeans DO's mixed to match the images, shame they don't show up in the photo. I attached the image layer to the card and then the gold frame. 

cat & dog - Creative Fabrica

frame - my own design

sentiments - my own

inks - Distress Oxide, hickory smoke, faded jeans 

gold mirror card - The Range

 

 

I have a few nephews on the cusp of old in the next few months, so I made another. Much the same but with a different sentiment and cut to the frame to hide a cutting error. You can see the splats more on this second card.  

 

 

I hope you can join us in the challenge, and get your creative juices flowing for those difficult male cards. There are great ideas from the DT to view. 

100th Birthday Bash CCC

  Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for the -

 Critter Crazy 100th Birthday Bash 

 

A Rule change for our 100th Challenge

Your card MUST feature a Birthday Critter as the main focus 

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 

Scaly, or Insect, there must be a Birthday critter.

 

And also don't forget to check in on the last day of the month again, if you are a winner or a DT-Favourite! #100's brag recognitions will have 2 extra winners! Read on for details: 

Since we have now reached the 100 challenge, we would like to thank all the participants and the followers from the bottom of our hearts for all the years, the inspirations and the kind comments. 

And 100 challenges must also be celebrated... so this month there are 3rd & 4th winners and a small rule change for the theme along with an opportunity for a prize winner visiting Becca's blog. (Use my blog link to get to my homepage and find my CCC post after 2am central time on July 1st for instructions on commenting and receiving a special prize package of animal-themed products!)

Special 3rd Winner: Entry #50 will be an extra Guest DT invite honoree in September 2025! Plus Special 4th Winner: Entry #100 will be an extra Guest DT invite honoree also for September 1st. There will be special badges available and these persons will be revealed on July 31, 2025. 

 

 

With no mojo, I was struggling to make a card, so I went through my digital stamps to see if anything jumped out to me, and this is it. I love this birthday sheep. I printed and cut, with Silhouette, 2 layers of the sheep and the sentiment, onto multi use card, then coloured it with DI's. 

I cut a piece of the same card to fit onto a 5x7inch base card, then blended the sky, and the grass, with DO's. Next, I used stencils for the grass and clouds. The clouds didn't work for me, but they are there, albeit faint, so I die cut some clouds and a sun. The sentiment was inked around the edge and then added to pink paper, can you guess this is for a female member of the family?

sheep - Bugaboo 2021, (sorely missed)

stencil, clouds and grass - Funky Fossil 

inks - Distress Inks

inks - Distress Oxide

dies - Magazine Freebies

Silhouette 

Fun Folds TMR

 Hi Everyone, my post today is for 

The Male Room 

I can't believe I pondered so long in doing this card, only just making it for the challenge. With so many beautiful folds, I decided on this one. Then went on to do 4 others, 2 went into the bin, so I decided to show you the 2 I'm not too happy with, I could have done better work methinks.

My first card is a Double Z fold, a super card designed by my blog friend Shirley, I didn't do her justice on this card. The tools and sentiment with white card, and the grass with the green of the base card, were cut with my Silhouette, the background paper was cut to size and then stencilled with DO, and added to the green background. 

The tools, shelves, and sentiment were coloured with DI's, when dry, the shelves were added, and the tools placed onto them, held with the bracket piece. Then the ladder, the gloves, the grass layer with the sentiment were arranged.

double Z fold Card - Shirley's Cards 

stencil - Funky Fossil brick, coloured with Distress Oxide hickory smoke

ink - Distress Ink (lots)

card - white 300gsm Craft Card Hobbycraft 

green card - Lidl

Silhouette

My second was a template from Craftworld, a Z fold, which I transferred into Silhouette, I cut the shape, then folded it and added the printed shapes and the rabbit centre. I really don't know where my mind has been on these folds, with so many other shapes I could have done. I spent a long while looking on the web to be able to do something different, it just didn't happen - sorry.

images - Creative Fabrika

Go see what the DT have done, they are amazing.

  Great ideas for the men in your life. 

Close to Nature WLSC

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme chosen by Karen of  

Close to Nature

trees, animals, flowers

 

 

A lovely theme, don't you think? I have had this stamp, a long while and thought it perfect for this subject. A dragonfly. 

My mind went off on a tangent and I thought of stamping on acetate, I have had the heat acetate for many years and had a hunt, where I thought it was, and thankfully it was. I stamped and heat embossed in gold, then cut around it. 

The first step complete, what do I do next, you may know by now I am not a planner with my cards, I just go with the flow, so to speak. I thought of the colours of a dragonfly, so added DO ink to my glass mat, sprayed with water and placed my card onto it, I was thrilled with the result of just one pressing. 

I wasn't too keen on the sentiments with the stamp, so went looking for a simple one and came across this, it was stamped with Stazon. Then the card was cut with a die, the dragonfly was glued onto it and was 3D'd to the card base. 

heat acetate - Hobbycraft

stamp - Imala, Be Brave

sentiment - magazine freebie

inks - Distress Oxide chipped sapphire, lucky clover twisted citron

die - Card Making Magic 

 

you can see the shine of the acetate here

 

A fabulous prize this month with a 

Glorious Bouquet, a large Tim Holtz floral stamp from Buddly Crafts

 

Under The Sea TMR

Hi Everyone, my card today is for 

I've gone overboard, literally with my card today, so many items on it, not like me at all, but I had to do it!

Anyhow, I started with embossing the shell images, then I decided to colour it, back it went into the ef after I added ink to the plain side. I then thought of sand, so blended some sand colour around the centre.  It was then I had a look at my dies and found the perfect ones, rather than use one or two, I used the lot. They were coloured with DI's. Next I looked through my paper pads and found one that looked like it was under the sea, I used that as the background. 

 I added all the die shapes, putting some at the back of the embossing folder. They were then added to the "sea" layer and all added to the base card. I couldn't find my stamp sea sentiments, why do they disappear like that? I did have some digital sea sayings, but they wouldn't fit into the space, so I added a digital birthday sentiment, printed and layered 3 times and 3D'd onto the card. A busy card, but as I said, for some reason I had to.

embossing folder - Creative Craft Products, magazine freebie

ef ink - Distress Oxide uncharted mariner 

dies - I think they are Cut & Make, no packing

die inks - Distress Inks, lots of colours

birthday sentiment - Crafters Companion, mag freebie  

 

 

I hope to see you at The Male Room, great inspiration for those men out there, if you're having trouble making a card for them. 

Hello Spring mid month WLSC

Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme of  

Hello Spring

   

 

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my birthday and for the card. I had a wonderful birthday and an extra couple of days with #3 brother and SiL staying on. After they went back, hubby and I went down with something, I had a severe headache, like a migraine for 4 days, hubby wasn't well, but couldn't say why. We didn't have a Covid test kit to check and couldn't be bothered to go get one either. Saturday morning we woke feeling much better, so whatever it was the family haven't had it, thank goodness, and we are back to normal, well as normal as I can be!

My card today turned out to be about Spring Greens, which are so fresh. I had a few stamps to use, but decided on a clean and simple Lily of the Valley flower, I nearly missed it on the A4 sheet of Spring floral stamps.

I thought it needed to be layered, so I cut a mask for the leaves and the flower, then stamped the large leaf and then the flower and the smaller leaves. I wasn't sure whether to add more flowers or leaves, but decided no. Then I used an oval die to cut the flower, I used the same die and the next size up, to cut a frame. Feeling it needed something else I looked for green paper in my files, I came across this, that I liked. I decided on these sentiments and stamped them and the frame, then die cut them. A sparkle pen was added to the flowers.

The paper was printed, and the edges inked, it was glued to the base card, the flower, and the frame were added then the sentiments. An unexpected monochrome card, but I'm not too sure about the design. Oh! well, it's done now. 

flower stamps - Magazine freebie SCP#226

sentiment stamps and die - Julie Hickey, Birthday Message Stamp Set 

ink - Distress Oxide, rustic wilderness

digi paper - A.J. Roberts Winged Jewel Paper Pack 1 2008

sparkle pen - Spectrum Noir

  

this kinda shows the sparkle added to the flowers

 

 Don't forget, your image must be hand coloured. We now require At least one stamped element on entries. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

 

  Important - Please read the updated Rules of the Challenge Here

 

Our prizes this month are - Two Spring themed Penny Black stamp sets from Buddly Crafts