MSE Card Swap - August

Our theme this month for our card swap was using a recipe of one image, two papers and three embellishments.  This is my card that is winging its way to Claire.

I love this house mouse image and I've coloured it with Promarkers and the papers I have had for a while and if anyone recognises them, please let me know. (The fab rainmac recognised them, she is our Basic Grey expert!) I've inked up the edge of the card and the paper with a Tim Holtz Dried Marigold Ink pad. The flowers are from my stash.  Sadly, it was too windy to take a picture outside as I do prefer natural light.

I would like to enter this card in the challenge over at

Lorraines Loft Unmounted House Mouse Candy sponsored by Simon Says Stamp

and also

Crafty Emma's Store Challenges  #1  Anything Goes

I've been busy........ shopping.

When my OH goes onto his early shifts I don't get much time to make anything. Me 'n the dawg have to be as quiet as church mice as he is a very light sleeper. However, I do spend the time doing all the completely necessary shopping that every crafter is compelled to do! I've been on a stash diet for a month but did treat myself to some new mega Nestabilities.  Also, my darling OH has bought me the Cricut and Gypsy package. This is for Christmas, my birthday etc for the next five years he says. Yeah! Right! I'm looking forward to playing with these.

This little card has been made for one our Red Hat chapter members, Gill,  whose birthday is very soon. The stamp is from the Nostalgia range designed by John Byers and it has such a wistful air about it. Sort of.... have I really got to go to school?   The background is printed directly onto the card and is a Pink Petticoat paper from the Flourishes range in mocha and the image has been stamped with Versafine vintage sepia ink.

I would like this little card to enter the following:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge 3 - Vintage

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #18 Clean and Simple

little red wagon  Challenge #43 Back to School

The Pixie Cottage Challenge #33  Sketch and/or Back to School

Stamp Something:  Back to School Somethings

Simple Doodles #25 Back to School

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #18 Back to School

Stamping Vacation; Very Vintage Challenge

Totally Paper Crafts Challenge #31 - Let's Keep It Clean and Simple

Queenie's Birthday

Today I'm off to a birthday party at Queenie's Castle.  (It's the birthday of Queen Mel who heads up our Red Hat chapter)  On her card I've used a background print from Pink Petticoat - Tiny Leopard Spots and used another Clarity stamp.  The print could have been a little overwhelming if I had put much more embellishment so I've left it with very little, a couple of pearls and a bow.  Unfortunately, the light was really bad here and the day was mostly overcast so the true colours of the paper are not showing up, it is much brighter than this and the golden glints in the embossing powder do not show.  Never mind!  Bring on the fun and laughter, the jelly and ice-cream and CAKE.

I'd like to enter this card into the following:-

Cafty Cardmakers Challenge 27   it's our birthday

Ooh la La Creations Blog  Spots and Dots

Twenty one cards made this month and still a few more to go

A Cherry On The Top!

The fab DT member for Craft your Days Away, Sarah aka rainmac has given me this award and I am thrilled to bits, thank you Sarah.

I now have five things to do.

1, Thank the person who gave you this award, Thank you, Sarah.

2 Post the award on your blog.  It's there on the left.

3. List three things I like about myself.  Hmm.. I've learned to be myself and not what others have expected of me.  I happy that I've reached the age I have and I still want to learn more about everything and everyone.  I'm happy with what life has given me, a fabulous family and wonderful new friends.

4. Post a picture I love.  Well, there's two, the six grandchildren of my heart.

and last but by no means least tag five people you would like to have this award.

ikki of ikki's cuttlebug cupboard    who's blog is so helpful and inspiring.

Monica of My Many, Many Passions    I'm always having a peek.

Carmen of Whooopidoo..ings   Just have a look, it's awesome stuff she does.

Steph of  Stamping & Sharing   Such a kind and giving person.

Julie of  *** Bits 'n' Blogs ***   Fabulous colouring and cards. 

Fourteen little birdies all in a row.

The theme for my US Red Hatters card swap for August was 'Friendship'.  Here's some of the line up, just four more to make and then I'm done.

An easy peasy card with a printed design from Pink Petticoat, my own sentiment with a little flower stamped on and the bird is a Stampin' Up punch supplied by the fab Monica and is brilliant to use up lots of left-over pieces of paper.  The most time consuming is getting them all labelled up for overseas post.

These are a few of my favourite things.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens!  Now I can't get the Sound of Music song out of my head, I shall  play at being  Maria all day now!  The talented Sarah is now a DT member of the Craft your Days Away Challenge Blog and the challenge this week is Favourite Things.  My favourite seems to be Vintage, I love soft and muted tones of papers and flowers and script images.    This card is for my Mother in Law whose birthday it will be very soon.

The inspiration for this card came from Antonia's Attic and the gorgeous card Toni made.  I've used an 8" square card to show off the gorgeous paper from a pad called Ella Bleu.  The image is from a Clarity Stamps and I wanted all the tones to be muted like the paper so I've stamped her in brown onto blue card from DCWV Linen Closet and embossed her with some Gelly Powder that is supposed to have a coffee scent..  The roses are from my stash and Wild Orchid Crafts.  Sentiment is from Craftworks Cards.

I'd like to enter this card into the following

Craft Your Days Away Challenge ~ Favourite Things

Simon Says Stamp ~ Sing It Baby  (they've not heard my voice!)

Chillaxin'

I love House Mouse stamps and, when the smashing Rusty sent me some stamped images, I just had to do something with this one.   The background paper is from DCWV Linen Closet and the flower I picked up from a dollar store in Canada. I coloured the edges of a Craftworks Card with a Promarker pen to tone with the paper.  A big thanks to Melissa who keeps a brilliant list of current challenges.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

KAH-Wink-E-Dink Digi Stamps It's Cool
Crafty Creations Challenge # 78 Summer Lovin'
Creative Inspirations Challenge 71 - Animals
Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog Challenge 20 - Lazy Hazy Days of Summer
Alphabet Challenge Blog - N is for Nature
Cowgirls Sunday Stamp'en Challenge - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge 2 - Summer Days
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Sisterhood Challenge Funnies
Totally Gorjuss Challenge 38 Water Water