Back 2 Skool!

I don't really need a 'back to school card', but I thought I'd make one anyway (just in case!) using my latest digi. Found HERE in my store. I once made a card for Oscar, Tom's (son-in-law) little 'nephew', only trouble with that digi was, hubby, who quickly became an expert on copy-writes and other digi artists, wouldn't let me put it in my digi store! (meanie) as he thought it was too much like another well known hedgie, so this year, I did a Mole, can't go wrong with a mole! Here's one of my Back to School hedgehogs on an ATC from last year Here what do you think?(Nah! It's nothing like it, is it!)

Anyway here he is, Digger the Mole, looking all Moley and off to school... Hopefully they'll soon teach him to spell and not make mole hills in the lawn!

Coloured with Promarkers. The brads are soft plastic. There's an Apple, a pencil, an A+, a star and there's also a little yellow school house and a yellow school bus, just like they have over in the USA (but not here in England)
The black and white backing blackboard type paper is a freebie, it's called back 2 school and you can download it HERE. Scroll down to the bottom of the sites page. There's loads of other things, so you'll want to book mark this site if you haven't already!

The light numbered papers (designed by Hot Off The press) was a freebie from Craft's Beautiful Magazine way back in 2007! Yes, I've found them for you HERE. Because it's wwwaay back there are no pictures and you will have to login/register so I would paste and copy the page first, which is...

http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/index.php/download/pattern_pack_backing_papers_crafts_aug07/

then login and then paste in the above address, otherwise you'll never find it! I don't think the paper is as large as they were in the mag, but you will get some templates too, which might be useful! Or, in the meantime CardMaking & PaperCraft Magazine have some fabulous pink banner papers HERE called Happy Days! I haven't used mine yet.

The sentiment I did on the computer using a black background and white writing and cut out with Nestabilities.
The font is a freebie I've used before, but if you missed it you can download Billy Bear's Crayons HERE where you'll find loads of kiddie type fonts to download!
I 3D-ed Digger The Mole to make him 'pop' a bit and added Glossy Accents to his glasses, so they shine! I also used my new thin ProMarker nibs to colour them! He'll be in my Digi Store very soon! 99p (quick plug there!)
New Followers: Hi and a big ((wave!!) to LauraB, who's a Crafty Little Woman fab blog with journals and other things, pop over and say hi! and Chris with no link and out the back and in the dark Lynn b! But I think this might be you, My cards n stuff ! Lovely blog! Now, I did type this out last week, so I hope all my challenges are still open! Thank you for popping by!

Challenges
Quick Cards Magazine Challenge-Back to School

Little Red Wagon- back to school

Pennys Challenges- back to school

Die Cutting Divas- back to school
Fairytale - back to school
2 sisters - back to school
Crazychallenge-back to school
Creative inspirations - back to school
Paper creators - red and blue (sort of!)
Cardsformen.-anything goes
Aud sentiments 35: anything goes

Paper crafting journey 17: anything goes

Paper playtime 53: anything goes

Try it on Tuesday: anything goes

Lothian crafts 17: anything goes

AiFactory: August anything goes
Craftuscrazy-anything goes
designed2delight-anything goes
Onestopcraftchallenge-bold and bright
Thecraftgarden-bold, bright and loud

Nice Iced Mice!

I know, I'm a rubbish blogger. My goodness what have I been doing? And where have the days gone? (Abducted by Aliens again I guess! I can never remember anything when that happens!) It didn't help that I thought yesterday was Sunday and today is Monday. Is it Monday!? (Lyn checks calendar on computer and then her phone...) It's Sunday! Happy Sunday! (of course, if you are reading this on Monday, happy Monday too!!)

At last I managed to get a little House Mouse card done, luckily no one is waiting for it.

Now, talking about Nice Iced Mice... I'm sure I've told you this before, but my Nan (a long time ago) told me that (look away if you're squeamish) they used to boil mice up in sugar water, until they were all nice and sugary, and you could hold their tails (like sticks) and crunch on them like a candy bar. (bones and all!) and this is where they got the idea for the sweet sugar mice you can buy these days...
Was she telling fibs? Did I just dream that up? I don't know, anyway! I'm hoping there's another week to go on the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge, and that it's still fruit! And that I'm not too late for Simon Says Stamp challenge, who wants to see food and drink!
Here's my little effort.. I've made another easel card, so it would fit into the I Love ProMarkers Challenge, using this cute little mouse, cooling down in a iced lemon drink. I always seem to pick green when I use a House Mouse image. Must try and use...pink next time! (Something tells me that'll never happen...but never say never!)
As you can see, I couldn't make up my mind on what colour backdrop to have for the picture, black (which is a hat box) or the cream (which is a pillow case)
Coloured with Promarkers of course, I've added Papermania self adhesive stones, to the flowers and card, whereas the white daisy chain ribbon, from stash, I added Anita's tiny gems fixed on with dots of PVA glue. (Not easy!) The wire beaded swirl was part of another topper I've had for years, I just pulled it apart and fixed it behind the bow.
The freebie Papers I used are all by Pink Petticoat 'When life hands you lemons..' And you can download them HERE (link also on side bar) or HERE
My printer has just run out of black ink, so the little black dots in the flowers don't show up, but I quite like it like that, and... maybe it's just my new(ish) printer or the lack of black ink but the pistachio green is 'limey-er' too, and matches very well with my lime green ribbon! I also added Stickles Glitter, but you can only see it on the very last little picture here. I added it to the ends of the ribbon as they'd started to fray, and my hand slipped, and suddenly there was glitter round the edges and on the flowers and down the side of the glass!
The Font is a freebie, it's called Adorable and you can download it HERE or here or just Google the name.
That's it I think. I have found a couple more challenges, so I hope my little mouse fits in okay!
New Followers Hi and a big {{wave}}} to Tamara Paddock (no link) and ...some one else...not out the back, but somewhere in the middle (blogger does that sometimes and muddles me up!) so I'm not sure who! Sorry if I missed you! Oh, hang on, it might be Mina at Pinkpuds?! I'm sure I would've remembered that name and seeing those fabulous cards! Pop over and say hi!
Thank you for stopping by!

Challenges
House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge-Let's Get Fruity
Simonsaysstampschallenge-food and drinks
Ilovepromarkers-easel card
Papertakeweekly-bingo
(I've chosen diagonal; gems, ribbon and blooms)
Thestampmanchallenge-anything goes with summer colours
Anythingchallenge- Happy Birthday
emeraldfaeries-birthday
Thepixiecottage-big on birthdays
(and or sketch)
Divasbydesign-birthdays
Craftuscrazy-anything goes
Scrappyfrogs-time for some bling

It's Wednesday WOYWW again!

Okay! Are you ready?! Get set... GO! Here's my Wednesday workbench, this WOYWW day, taken round about Midnight...so I might be having a lie in this morning!!

It's a bit tidier than it normally is...there's the digi I'm doing for this weeks Wednesday Freebie, not yet scanned into the computer and tidied up. A 'few' bits left from making some cards, a plaque I won from the lovely Christine, over on hope-chances.blogspot the other week. I still haven't decided how to decorate it yet, but seeing it's because of WOYWW and blog hopping that I won it, it might become a Woyww thingy, only I don't have enough W's! (There was only two in the packet!) Here's how Christine decorated her plaque (with a video too) There's also some new Ultra fine Promarker tips, some from Di thank you, who had candy and ended up sending three to everyone who commented!! (and some from Letraset thank you Gillian!)
And then we have an over head shot...There's some glue tubes flatten out and embossed... a House Mouse image from ScoopysStuff, (I won some blog hopping candy!) Thank You Sue!! I must get it coloured. The challenge this time, is fruit I think and he has a lemon! I was going to use that strawberry paper, but probably won't now.
And thinking of fruit, thank you to everyone who sent me blackberry jam recipes. I've now made some yummy jam, will post pictures later in the week! The shoe papers you can see are a freebie, links on an earlier post here
Well...that's it! Nearly one thirty in the morning, (I type real slow!) so see you later on today!! Meanwhile, off you go to see Julia, queen of all blog hops and the famous (infamous) Stamping Ground! Bye for now!

For Wednesday Freebie scroll down...

Sorry you missed This Week's Wednesday Digi!

Sorry you missed him...
I think I might draw a few more animals going back to school, what d'you think? Hedgehogs, Elephants, little mice!?! Eeeke!
This little Mole, who's called 'Digger' is here for a week and then he'll be gone! Please don't share my digi's, send people here to download them. I love to read your comments! Thank you for stopping by!!
You can now find Back 2 Skool Mole HERE
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Hats, Shoe's and Handbags, oh my!

Here's a little card I made to 'get my mojo' motivated! I was doing my Quirky DT card over the weekend... and had these papers I really wanted to use... hats, bags, shoes to go with the digi I'd just coloured, but, obviously, the yellow and red coloured digi (Sunday's post) and these blue and pink papers just didn't go!

Then I remembered I had some Lili of The Valley images, which came free with PaperCraft Inspirations last month. (20 images!)

Don't you just love Lily of The Valley images!? The making of this card just came together so easily!
And guess what?!? I didn't use my ProMarkers, no! I used some watercolour pencils I bought from a pound shop ages ago, (but I must get some better ones!!) and!!! I just used one colour, with a pastel blue ProMarker to go around the edges and to touch up the beads and socks.
I've also cut the card down a little, so it isn't square, and to make sure the papers fit.

The inside I've left blank at the moment but I will probably layer it up a little more when I get some more red Bazzil card!
No one has it near me unless I drive miles!! (I guess it would be cheaper on line!)
I have made a sentiment ready to go on the front but it's not fixed yet and I couldn't decide what font to use, or where to put it!! What d'you think?? Sticking out of the side or tucked in behind the image?

The fonts are both freebies. This first one is called 'Pea kevinandamanda Funky' and you can download it only from HERE

And the second font is called 'A Red Bucket' and you can also only download it from the same place HERE (A good place to bookmark for scrap booking fonts!) Also always on my sidebar.

I've used a matching paper inside, which has the shoes and handbags in stripes matted over the last of my red Bazzil card.

Freebie Papers The Shoe/handbag papers are from Craft's Beautiful Magazine, issue 225. You can still download them HERE (you will have to login, make up a cool name and look in on the forum too! Stay a while there's other papers to find)
The blue gingham papers are also a freebie from Activity Village (always on my side bar) This link will lead you to all 'Dark, Pastel, and Brights', gingham papers (I used the small pastel blue here)
I wasn't sure the gingham would go at first, but I think they look okay now. The flowers were cut out using an Xcut punch, which was one of the very first punches I ever bought. Never got on with it from day one. It's never cut and always tears, or jams but I do love the shape of the flowers. The packet was damaged when I bought it, so the price had been reduced. At least by using gingham, the flowers have a bit of a ragged material look about them, but they are paper.
Other punches used were Nestabilities large deckled rectangle, Martha Steward fern and lace punches. (and counting the sentiment, Woodware and Crafts Too scalloped edged Oval)
I've added Stickles glitter to the papers and the flower on the hat, added a ballerina charm and used red Bazzil card for the layering. I've also used blue and white eyelash wool and the thin ribbon? Weeelll, believe or not, came from a new red top I treated myself to! That's it for now, thank's for stopping by!

Challenges
Liliofthevalleythursday-Thank You
Thecraftypad-cute n girly
Cutedaisymay-anything goes
Aifactorychallenges-august-anything goes
Ribbongirls-ribbon
Theprettylittleribbonshop-very first challenge- ribbon.
Fussyandfancy-use a lot...(at least 3 of you fav Embel)
I've chosen Flowers 4 or the brads...I've used 8 brads
Don't forget Quirky Craft's has a Red Hat Challenge!

It's A Quirky Red Hat

It's time for another quirky challenge over on the Quirky Crafts Challenge Blog. It's Cazzy's turn to chose the Challenge, and seeing our Sponsors Robin's Fetish have some lovely sets of digi's called The Red Hat Society, she thought it would be a great idea to have...

A Red Hat Challenge!

The only thing your projects must feature, is a red hat or a hat with a lot of red on it, such as a wide red hat band, or red flowers, or a red feather...glitter etc... O...K, sez me slowly, someone, very close to me, who I shan't name, has just mentioned... Father Christmas and a ...gnome....right...onwards and up! The first thing I thought of was my sister-in-law's red hat at my daughter's Wedding. It was gorgeous!! So of course I just had to choose Jeanette Red Hat Gal from our sponsor. (Not that Debbie looks anything like Jeanette Red Hat Gal!) I sliced a little off the front of the card, to change the shape a bit and so you can see the yellow and orange dotty paper inside. I've 3D-ed and layered Jeanette Red Hat Gal, coloured her with red, gold, yellow and green ProMarkers, added loads of Stickles glitter, a red metal heart shaped brad, paper and felt flowers, red gems and a 'hat pin' to the bow. The bow/ribbon did look a lot redder in the dark hours of this morning, but once out in the sunlight to take the pictures, I could see it was a little closer to cerise pink than cerise red, but I don't think anyone will notice! The leaves were cut with a Woodware punch from a scrap of paper coloured with the same green ProMarker. The corner details were cut from a Provo craft diecut, using my trusty old BigShot. The papers I used were a free set exclusively from Simply Cards & Paper Craft ages ago, Nitwits The Never Not collection. (You can still buy them!) Think this is my first card using yellow, red and orange! (For my Tuesday tip you can see the white blu tac in this pic)

I've layered lots of different shapes up with red Bazzil paper. The sentiment, 'Have A Very Happy Hat Day!' I did on the computer. Nothing inside at the moment, until I decide where it's going, but it will be a Happy Birthday card...for someone who likes hats...(Debbie's birthday's in November) .

The Font I've used is a freebie, (some sites charge) it's called Troutkings BTN: or just Google the name. There's a background digi freebie at the moment from Robyn's Fetish, you'll find it here why not add it to your challenge make! A Tilda wearing a red hat, a Dustin Pike dragon would look spiffing in a red hat and not to forget...Robin's Fetish, The Red Hat Society digi's! I've found a few Challenges I hope this will fit into. One of my next cards coming up also has a red hat.. thank you for stopping by!

Challenges Robynsfetishchallengeblog- a different shaped card (I've cut the card shorter in front & used lots of layered shapes, hope that counts!) Makeallwithlove-Flowers Ellephantasticchallenges-add some layers (On the card and the image is 3D) Aspoonfullofsugar-happy birthday craftyourdaysaway-birthday celebrations**TOP SIX Tuesdaythrowdown-Birthday Cardmakinmamas-birthdays Anythingchallenge-birthday celebration Birthdaysundaes-its all about brads (I've used 5) Stampinfortheweekend-spots and dots Toptiptuesday-Straight Edges My Tip, if you've run out of silicone glue or 3d foam pads and just have to get your DT card finished, use Blu Tac instead! (shh! yep! She's suck on with blu tac...)

A Quirky peek and some distorted modern art?

I've been designing a logo for my 'new venture'...this is it, but distorted...any idea what's in this picture?? I love pressing the buttons and seeing what happens...hope I can untangle it!!
I do have a question...
I've saved the image as PNG with a 'clear' background, (Not blue as you see here) thinking that when I add this to my Web page, it will show the sites back ground, as it does if I place it over a printed background on my computer, but so far, it just turns black when I add it to the site. So any idea's on how to over come that, would be great!
Here's a Quirky sneak peek of my DT card, ready for the new challenge over on Quirky Craft's Challenge Blog, which starts on Sunday evening. Not clues, just another blurry picture and like the one above, it could be anything! Have a great weekend!

Latest Pictures of Mason Rain

As I've been a bit busy with my new 'venture', I've no cards to show you, so I thought I'd add a few pictures of Mason Rain... My little grandson is growing sooo fast! He'll be two next month.I want that one!

Watering the garden...


Where's the river?

It's Raining!

Riding the wagon


Could do with that boat now!