...Happy holly days!

Since I started the stamp company, creating time is stretched and just gets thinner as time goes on. That's the one drawback. I find I'm in stamp drawing mode and then I want to make a few cards and the mojo needs warming up a bit! lol

Anyhow, something I want to start doing for myself is to make a 5 min card every day!!

Admittedly this took more than 5 mins, maybe got as far as 15 but it was quick for me, I usually take eons to produce a card. I can spend a whole evening making one card...lol

So I'm challenging myself to produce something fast every day! this'll be interesting...you may or may not get to see! lol!

I used one of the dotty frames from Vintage Labels No.4 to make the panel. I trimmed it with the co-ordintaing Spellbinders die. I stamped my sentiment in the blank space and then stamped a flourish from Seasons of love Tags over the top - I inked up my stamp in pure poppy, then cleaned it off! then inked it in versamark and stamped to get this lovely muted, distressed flourish image, in a very pale shade of the red, love that wee trick!

Holly leaves and heat berry from the Sewing Box Christmas set, I stamped the holly berries on the cosmo cricket paper and cut out the inside image, discarding the outside line, I love how the Sewing box images can be used in this way. Little bit of glossy accents on the berry.

Used a cuttle bug embossing border twice on the background panel, not crazy about the resulting crease that the edge of the embossing folder leaves but it was too late to try to come up with a solution...another time...


Anyhow I leave you with a couple of pics of the forest park we visited yesterday. It's a fab time of year to go for a walk, so long as you have wellies! - It's Glenariff Forest Park in Antrim.

Had to take the opportunity to have dinner at the restaurant at the foot of the hills, you can watch the waterfalls while dining! I think it's my favourite spot in NI!!

Hope it tickles!

...random blinkie user winner!!

I just had time for a quick race through the list of folks who have popped my blinkie on their blogs! My apologies for not having time to comment!!! It's 1.30am here and it's been a very long day! lol!

I intended to pick a random winner myself but how impossible is that when i feel like I 'know' so many of you folks?!!!

so, I did what i always do and chickened out - the random number thingy led me to Lynne Phelps of this lovely blog:
http://savvy-sisters-studio.blogspot.com/

Congratulations Lynne and do pop me an email with your choice of stamp set and address!!

...can't resist!

I love this stamp set. It might just be my favourite ever. Which is ironic because I can't openly use many of the stamps!

If you want to see the other stamps in this set, pop over to this post to get the deets!

Anyhow, I couldn't resist using the tree and snowflake stamps from the set on this card. I inked up the tree in versacolour inks, Atlantic first all over the stamp and then dabbed around the edge with the khaki. I liker versacolour inks for this because the pads are spongy and you can get things blended quite well. I find this nearly impossible with some other brands of ink pads.

Then I trimmed out the tree and ripped a bit of Enchanted evening cardstock into a rough outline shape of the tree as a mat. I lay the trimmed tree down and drew around it onto the Enchanted evening cardstock, then I tore it roughly just outside the line.

I mounted this onto a panel of card that roughly matched the Khaki ink, random card from back of stash, sorry. I had stamped the panel with the snowflake image in versamark first and wit the sentiment also from this set, in Enchanted evening ink.

Popped a wee bit of ribbon around to give it a bit of zest and coloured in another stamped tree (copic marker), just the star bit, and cut it out to layer over the tree on my card. Would have loved a ginger coloured star gem...but don't have any! lol

And see that background? It's a fab wee herringbone pattern cuttlebug folder that I picked up recently to match some stamps from my next release....oops! tee hee.

hope it tickles!

...check it out!

Look what Julia made for her thanksgiving table! The colour is just delcious! and peep in at Anya's for a really cozy card!

I'll be back later with something...

...Last chance!

If you haven't already seen it, you might like to pop over to here:

http://waltzingmousestamps.wordpress.com/

There are just a few of these left and I don't think there will be time to restock before Christmas when they sell out!!! lol. I will be restocking of course but if you'd like it in time for the big event, better get it now...

you'll need a password....

you might try...

ibelieveinsantaclaus

quick! this post is only here for a short while!!

...snowtime like the present!

With all that's been going on lately this is the only thing I got made this week!!!!

I'm itching to get at some stamps! Soo need to do more stamping this week!

Anyhow, inked up the snowman from Sewing Box Christmas, layered him as follows, used white card: first layer stamped in Enchanted evening ink , colored red with copic. Second layer stamped in Ocean Tides, stamped very lightly with versacolour pale blue ink with polka dot stamp from Off Beat Backgrounds. Third layer - hat - stamped in Enchanted evening ink onto Ocean tides cardstock.

Did the skinny tape and glitter trick on the hat to make a hat band.

Made him hold a little heart from the Sewing Box Christmas set. Which I glazed with my new possession! Ranger glossy accents!!!! ooh love this stuff!

Couple of page pebbles on top of the buttons (visit Bev at Precious scraps for these!).

Put the snowman on a panel cut with Labels 1 die and accented with a dotty border from the Vintage Labels 1 stampset, I inked up the outer dotty border only on the dotty border stamp. I also lightly stamped polka dots and snowflakes on this to give it a bit of grounding!

Papers are from Cosmo cricket mini stack Jolly by Golly and the ribbon is one I got from Bev ages ago and can't remember the name of!! sorry!

hope it tickles!

Back in stock!!

All sets except Very Vintage Christmas are back in stock in the store now!!

If you are in need of inspiration, flying the flag for WMS today are:

Julia,Belinda, Laurie and Anya!

pop on over and see what the ladies have made!! they'd be glad to 'see' you! lol

I'm getting orders out and doing paperwork and then some cards! I'm dying to use the stamps from the December release!!lol...must be patient!


On a sad note tho...

Recently Jak's family lost a tiny little guy to meningitis and Jak is fundraising for the cause. It is heartbreaking reading but maybe there's something we can all do to help the children of the future avoid this awful disease. Kop over to Jaks to see if you'd like to help out.

Pop over to Jaks blog at:

http://crafterskitchen.blogspot.com/