Retro Rubber #271 - Colour Challenge - Cotton Candy Spring...

Hey,

Welcome to another awesome Retro Rubber challenge.

This time we have a colour challenge for you - pretty springy candy colours!

These colours were so much fun to work with!

Of course, I had to grab my fave MFT Mini Cloud Edger stencil to create a pretty sky for the card I had in mind. I added a Taylored Expressions grass die-cut and then die-cut the whole panel using a stitched rounded rectangle die.

I love this Mama Elephant 'Little Line Agenda' set (I have had it since 2024). It's always so cute. I coloured one of the lines using the colours from the challenge and added a bit of grey for the bunnies. It's very easy to fussy cut, so I did that and popped it up with some foam tape. I mixed a couple of sentiments to get what I wanted.

How will you use the colours? I can't wait to see! Don't forget to pop over to Retro Rubber, and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends May 15th.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge, and please only enter 5 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx

The Library Challenge #81 - Drink, Read & Be Happy..

Hi,

Happy Wednesday to you!

I haven't played along with a card challenge in quite a while, but I saw that The Library Challenge had restarted and I loved the inspiration image.. so I made a card for it :)

Here is the challenge inspiration.

I was inspired by the diagonal design, the colours and just the idea of reading.

I have had these new-to-me Avery Elle stamps (Feels Like Home & Feels Like Home addition) on my desk for a while and aren't they just perfect for this challenge!

I stamped the chair first, so I would know where to add my blue diagonal paper piece. After I had finished colouring my little scene, I decided to add the bottom blue strip to anchor the chair and the table.

The sentiment is by Unity Stamp Co and from the 'Chapter One' set and sums up how I feel after work each night, when I sit in the lanai with a drink and my book!

Fab challenge, so happy it's back and that I carved out time for a play.

Cx

Fusion Card Challenge - Cloth Bunnies...

Hey,

Welcome to another fantastic Fusion Card Challenge.

This time we have 'Cloth Bunnies' for you! As always both the sketch and the inspiration image are awesome.

Which will you try?

You know I love to 'fuse'!

I love Bunnies! This 'Bunny Hugs' set by Unity Stamp Co is my FAVE of all my Bunny stamps. I think she is so elegant! I haven't been using her much, as I hate fussy cutting, but with the arrival last year of Big Sexy (my Brother ScanNCut) I have been able to cut her out a lot!

I love the white space in the sketch and tried to remain as true as I could to that. I stenciled a circle using a Tim Holtz heart stencil and cut it in half. The glittery strips are scraps from my desk (winning) and the sentiment is another all-time fave by Simon Says Stamp 'Square Sayings', so over used it has to be swiped with water to stick to the block!

Such a cute card and I loved it so much, I made two, well I did have the other half of the circle after all!

Make sure you check out all the rest of the inspiration by the DT over at the Fusion challenge blog, and play along with your own creation! When playing along you may use the sketch OR the photo to inspire your makes. OR, if you are feeling adventurous, you can fuse them together (see what I did there!).

Can't wait to see your makes. 

Challenge ends on April 12.

Cx

Happy Mail, Happy Easter...

Hey,

Happy Easter / Good Friday to all of you!

It's gonna be a weird one this year right? How will 'remote' church work?!

I love making Easter cards and last year I acquired the awesome 'All The Bunnies' set by Neat & Tangled (now retired). It's just so cute! I love the idea of the Bear dressing as a Bunny, which reminds me of a Liz Climo cartoon.

So I dug it out again along with a few other things and cracked out a ton of Easter cards that are already dropping on doorsteps.

Here is a version that I paired with the Neat & Tangled 'Eggciting' set - also retired. I added a strip of grass using my fave Lawn Fawn grass die.

This final shot is of some variants I did of a challenge entry, using the great Hema bunny stickers.

I did actually make a few other kinds of Easter cards, but foolishly forgot to photograph them (eye roll).

The main thing is that they are arriving and making people smile. That's what happy mail is about..

Cx

Retro Rubber Challenge #131.. Tic Tac Toe..

Hey,

Welcome to another awesome Retro Rubber challenge.

I hope you are all safe and well. My company is WFH across the globe for at least another couple of weeks.

I do hope everyone is finding ways to keep sane, during this period of enforced isolation, in one sense it is very hard and odd, but in another it means we have to find other ways to be social. The RR team are going to have an online date next weekend, it is the first time in our history that we will have seen each other 'face to face' - how awesome is that. Trying to find a silver lining is very important right now.

This time we have a fun tic tac toe board for you.

These boards are always such fun, because you get such different interpretations of each line.

I chose the bottom row - Easter / Pastel Colours / Pattern Paper.

I decided that I wanted to use the cute bunny from the Unity Stamp Co 'Bunny Hugs' set (I've had it since 2016) and built my card around her! I stamped, coloured and fussy cut my bunny. I used all soft pastel colours to colour her - including a super pale lilac (BV0000) for her fur.

I stamped, coloured and die-cut some Easter eggs from the Neat & Tangled 'All the Bunnies' set (now retired) - one of my fave Easter sets from last year.

I wanted to layer up some papers to create the background, so I chose x3 papers from a random 6x6 pad that I have, the soft pink worked really well as a backdrop for my bunny and the little eggs.

The sentiment is also from the Neat & Tangled set.

Love how it all came together pretty much as I had envisioned and now I have another card for my little pile of Easter cards. I like to send Easter cards, I am not sure why maybe it's because I get to use all my bunny stamps!!

Can't wait to see which row you will choose, don't forget to pop over to Retro Rubber and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends April 3.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge and please only enter 10 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx

Fab Friday: Happy Easter!

Hey,

Happy Monday!

Hope you managed to stay sane, whilst on lockdown this weekend.

I was ridiculously prolific at my craft desk..

Including my card for the Fab Friday challenge.

I love a sketch and I was so happy at how my card came out, I made another one!

I stamped the Concord & 9th 'Confetti Turnabout' stamp, I am totally obsessed with their turnabout stamps (now that I understand how to use them!

I then die-cut it out using a square stitched die and I used a slightly bigger size to cut out the other square. I cut a coordinating panel using a stitched rectangle die and layered up my squares, adding a bit of gold glitter washi tape and a small sentiment banner, that I stamped onto.

The bunny sticker is hilarious and from a set from Hema that I believe JT gave me at least 2 years ago. It was so nice to use them and make these quirky cards.

Hubby thinks the bunnies look guilty about something! What do you think?

Cx

TicTacToe: Thanks for Always Being There...

Hey,

Happy Saturday!

Hope you are all safe and well, wherever you are.

Today I am going to be having a skype playdate with JT, I think we both need a distraction, because this is not the normal WFH situation!

I am playing along with the current TicTacToe challenge..

The current board was created by my Retro Rubber teammate LeAnne and randomly, I didn't look at her card until after I created mine - wouldn't you know it, we chose the same row!!

Blue, Umbrella, Designer Paper.

I chose x2 great Mama Elephant sets to work with. The sentiment and the Bunny with the Flower Umbrella are from the collab with Simon Says Stamp from Stamptember 2017 'Rain or Shine'. The cute Bunny holding a cupcake is from their 'Little Bunny Agenda' set.

Pretty simple card really, I die-cut a circle from the gorgeous gingham paper by American Crafts and figured out where I was going to position my bunnies and then stamped the raindrops. I popped the bunnies and the sentiment up using foam tape.

Such a cute card that will be nice to send to a friend.

I love the fact that my chosen umbrella is a bit unconventional, but I guess if I was a bunny, it would make sense to use a flower as an umbrella right?!

Have a great weekend.

Cx

Retro Rubber Challenge #126.. It's Cold Outside..

Hey,

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the first Retro Rubber challenge of 2020 and in fact of the decade!!

Hopefully it's not too cold where you are, but if it is maybe it will inspire your card.

I thought it was high time I dug out my Lawn Fawn Winter Bunny stamp set (I've had it since 2016), it has been rather neglected.

I thought that it paired well with the Simon Says Stamp birch window die and their Hand Lettered Winter Wishes stamp set to make a really sweet wintery thank you card.

As you can imagine I didn't have to do a lot, it all came together really easily and I love the end result.

What wintery card will you make? Don't forget to pop over to Retro Rubber and get inspired by the things the DT have made.

Challenge ends Jan 24th.

Don't forget to tell us the age of your stamp, that is part of the fun of our challenge and please only enter 10 challenges including Retro Rubber.

Cx

NND Inky Paws: Snow Day..

Hey,

Today I am playing along with the current Newton's Nook Inky Paws challenge..

It felt like it was meant to be as one of my fave Newton's Nook sets is 'Snow Day' (which I don't think it's available anymore) AND on Monday when I made my card it was snowing..

I started by stamping and colouring the cute bunny from the set. I then die-cut some slopes using Lawn Fawn stitched border dies. I die-cut a stitched rectangle from blue paper and then heat embossed snowflakes from the set onto the panel.

I LOVE how the heat embossing came out.

I assembled the whole thing and then stamped the sentiment also from the set and added that to my card. For a finishing touch I added some stickles to the slopes.

Fun card to make me feel a bit better about the odious weather..oh and the fact that I am off to Florida tomorrow ;)

Cx

Inkspirational: Pop it Up!!

Hey,

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a nice weekend, I had a great first one back in NYC for like 3 weeks!

I got to spend QT with Hubby and at my desk.

I saw the current Inkspirations challenge -

I thought my special Easter card that I made for a friend fit this challenge really well.

There are lot of elements popped up on my card :)

I started by die-cutting the spotty panel as a background for my card. I then added a kraft tag - which I popped up with foam tape. I added the amazing Bear / Bunny by Neat & Tangled (All the Bunnies).

Then I die-cut the flower/grass using a die I got from The Works whilst in London and I coloured it using promarkers and popped that up, over the Bear. I added two smaller bunnies from the Neat & Tangled set and I popped them up too!!

I stamped the sentiment onto plain and spotty paper and cut it up and placed it randomly around my Bear.

I am so very happy with how this card came out. It's so Springy and happy.

Cx

The Paper Players: Happy Spring!...

Hey,

I thought it would be fun to try and enter a few challenges before I head to London on 22nd of March, as I won't have a full kit there, so it won't be possible.

Today I am entering the latest The Paper Players challenge -

Last year when my Momma came for a visit, she brought all the freebies from a couple of craft magazines that I had subscribed to. It was basically x2 years of goodies from x2 magazines = 24 freebie packs - YAY.

I was going to use a new stamp for this challenge, but then I remembered the big batch of goodies from Momma had a fun Spring scene in it.

I had great fun, playing with this little set. I die-cut the 'scene' die in white and then coloured the flowers and leaves. I die-cut it again in brown, so I could cut out the tree trunks, as I didn't really want to colour those in.

I die-cut the Fox, Rabbit and Butterflies and I added some details to the fox, as his face didn't really show up that well.

I used the scalloped circle mat die that came with the set, but added a smaller circle die of my own to create a frame.

To put my card together, I die-cut a piece of blue paper using a circle die and affixed that to my card blank, then I added the Fox, Rabbit and Butterflies to that.

I popped up the panel with the scene on it, so that I got some dimension. Foolishly I didn't add the sentiment before popping it up - ugh.

It's so out of my comfort zone, but I loved making it - really fun to make almost an entire card without any stamping and I have a recipient in mind.

Cx

Sending warm fuzzies...

Hey,

I wanted to send a friend who has not been too well a little card.

As she loves a Bunny, I thought why not recreate this card I made last year.

Instead of a gift in the basket, I added a bottle of wine and a glass - both by Heffy Doodle Stamps.

I also did a way better job with my cloud stenciling this time. Probably because I am totally addicted to this stencil (by Dutchdoobadoo) and have overused it since I got it last year!

The Bunny stamp and bike are by Poppy Stamps and again I added a road using Lawn Fawn stamps.

I have constantly got the Jenn Shurkus voice in my head when creating cards like this - you have a teeny tiny stamp somewhere that will be perfect for that basket.. It's a lesson she has taught me well and I totally stretch my stamps by mixing and matching way more than I did before I met Jenn (who is a legend and if you haven't been to one of her classes..find one and GO).

Final touch was the sentiment, I considered 'get well soon' or 'thinking of you' but I decided that 'Sending warm fuzzies' was perfect for this fuzzy card.

Cx

Bunnies like Ice-Cream..

Hey,

I discovered that it was my Insta buddy - Miami Kel's birthday last month and so I wanted to make and send her a card.

She is such a lovely warm person and her cards are DOPE.

I decided she would appreciate the awesome Studio Calico Bunny / Ice-Cream set that I spent 2 years tracking down...

I used it in a slightly different way here and pulled out a Simon Says Stamp fave set - Scribble Flowers and used the circles to outline the ice-cream scoops.

It's a fun bright card, perfect for Kelly's fun personality.

Cx

Hip Hop Hooray....

Hey,

Happy Friday!!

Following on from my post on Weds, here is another stamp that I made using the Silhouette Mint.

You can buy imagery in the Silhouette store that can be used to create stamps.

The minute I saw the Bunny image I knew I had to make a stamp, so I could write 'Hip Hop Hooray'.. awesome!!! I suspect Cara might want this stamp...

I kept the card super simple, just using x2 of a set of scalloped square nesting dies I have and layering them up.

Because I was being so specific, I decided to write out the rest of the sentiment by hand..a rare thing for me and it does work here, so I'm alright with it.

I'll be prepping for Boston and the Cape this weekend, along with seeing Cheiron for brunch and wiggling constantly with excitement at seeing JT for 6 whole days - ALONE!!!

WHOO HOO, bring on Tuesday.

Cx

Bunny Birthday...

Hey,

Happy Monday to you!

I had a great weekend - fun times with Hubby and on yesterday's Craftgang session. I also had a great session in the gym!

Today's card I made on Saturday, as I was putting all the new things away (which involves, labeling and adding to my online stamp library) I was watching Vicky Papaioannou videos and she inspired me to create a scene card. Vicky is AMAZING at doing this.

I started by die-cutting my main panel using a Simon Says Stamp stitched die and then I stenciled the clouds. I used a Dutchdoobadoo stencil and Stormy Sky distress ink.

I stamped, coloured and die-cut the Bunny and the bike - both by Poppy Stamps from a set called Mail Delivery, it is very cute.

I wanted my card to be a birthday card, so I pulled out the Avery Elle Skating By set and used the mini present stamp and die and the sentiment.

As I was assembling my card, I decided there should be a road.. I used stamps from the Happy Trails set by Lawn Fawn to create the road.

I used so many supplies to create this card, but it was totally worth it as I am very happy with the end result.

Cx

CASology: You're my SuperHERO....

Hey,

Happy Friday.

Today I am playing along with CASology -

The minute I saw the cue card, I knew that my The Cat's Pajamas My Hero stamp set would be perfect. I bought it last year to make a birthday card for my Dad, but it has had plenty of use.

I die-cut the panel first using MFT wonky stitched dies (new faves) and then I stamped and coloured the Big Eared Bunny and the sentiment.

Keeping the CAS feel by making my focal point the center of the card and leaving lots of yummy white space..showcases my Bunny Hero nicely.

I have a lot of these Big Eared Bunny stamps, as digital stamps and they are so gorgeous to work with, it has been nice to have a physical version.

This card is going to be given to my Hubby, who over the last 4 weeks has been a superhero, I have been unable to bend, due to a complication with my surgery and he has done absolutely everything in the house alongside working and caring for me. Nothing I give him will fully express my gratitude and love, but this Bunny Hero might make him smile.

Cx

Superhero Birthday...

Hey,

Today is the birthday of my friends Son, he loves Superheroes and is always asking if I have met Spiderman, as we live in the same City...

So I thought that I would make him a special Superhero card.

I stamped the Superhero Bunny (by The Cats Pajamas) and then masked it off using a Molotov masking pen - I love these pens, but they are pricey, so I keep an eye out for them in the sale.

No Superhero is complete without rays of light (right?!) so I stenciled in the rays using a Clear Scraps stencil and Mustard Seed distress ink.

Then you just rub off the masking fluid, I use an eraser to get the little bits that won't come off.

I coloured the bunny using distress inks and an aquabrush.

The sentiment was created using 2 stamps, the HB is by Clearly Besotted and I masked off part of the Superhero sentiment stamp from the same set as the bunny.

Really easy card to make, but the rays make it look trixsy.

Of course I included a personal note from Spiderman..

Cx

Happy Anniversary...

Hey!!

From Mexico (kind of)..

Today is the lovely JT's wedding anniversary..

So I am hoping that a) she is out celebrating and not reading posts and b) my card has turned up..

JT and her hubby and good friends to me and my Hubby, so obvs I pull out the stops for their anniversary card..

This year I decided to use a set that I bought for both of us (the Avery Elle bunny) and the 'magic' die that JT bought me (she has it too..)

I printed the sentiment out on my computer and die-cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die..I just about left enough room for the die-cut magic to fit on.

I coloured the bunny and die-cut him out and popped him out using foam dots.

I added some bling as a finishing touch because a) why not and b) it's for JT!!!

Purple was their wedding colour I believe, so I chose that as my accent colour here. I like the fact that the bunny has bling in his bow-tie!

Happy Anniversary crazy dudes, hope you have a great day..I'll drink a cocktail or two for you...

Cx

Retrosketches..You're Pure Magic..

Hey,

I really liked the sketch this time from the Retro Sketches team -

It made me think of a new stamp set that I just bought..it's a bit of a reveal, I bought it for JT and I, but she doesn't know about it...so when she reads this the jig is up!

She bought us both these wonderful dies on my last trip home -

JT said she really liked the 'magic' die and so I had to buy the Avery Elle 'Pure Magic' set for us to compliment the dies..yes that was my 'logical' thought process..

My card was simple to put together. I cut the stitched square in white, added red spotty washi tape and the die-cut magic, which I die-cut out of a scrap of glittery paper. Once the word magic was in place I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set.

It took a while to get my top hat bunny positioned right, but once he was in place I added black pearls and red blingy gems.

I love it! I have JT to thank, I kind of CASEd her thoughts....is that weird yet?

Cx

P.s anyone looking for a WOYWW post - ducking out this week, due to my workload...see you next week

Belated Easter Bunnies...

Hey,

Sadly no WOYWW for me today, it's super busy at work because I am off for 2 days from tomorrow.

I didn't think I'd have time to comment on desks, so didn't want people to come and say hi, when I couldn't return the hello!

Randomly I am showing the Easter cards I made for my cleaning lady and my cat sitter :)

I didn't get a chance to post them last week.

As I made them in a blind panic before we left for Tampa, everything was a scrap!

The card in the main photo took about 2 mins to put together LOL.

I only had to colour the bunny. Everything else was ready to go, the beautiful egg paper is a digital freebie I found online and I had pre-cut and corner rounded it for something else. And I love mini doilies for dressing up something.

The next card I took a die-cut tag and stamped bunnies all over it, for a bit of interest. I've been doing this a lot lately and I like how it looks -

Again another card that shows you don't have to use the stamps for their 'intended' occasion. The bunny stamps are by Stampin' Up and the mini bunny I used on the tag is by Simon Says Stamp.

Cx