Popping mouse!

Hi guys,

I have a fun but small card to share with you today.

The image was from a shop bought card and I simply fussy cut it out as I thought it was fun! I used a 3x3" card blank. I added button stickers to the corners and then adhesive pearls for the champagne bubbles, before using a sentiment embellishment to finish.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

DaringCardmakers - Take a flying leap

ColorMyHeart #383 Tic-tac-toe (Diagonal top left to bottom right - also using the greens)

MMM #116 Critters

TIOT - Go green or recycle something

AnimalFriends #83 Mouse

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Stitches for luck

Hi there,

I have made one of my finished cross stitch designs up into a picture for a work colleague who is leaving us tomorrow to go back to her old job. I wanted to give her something to remember us with that was a bit different to the usual.

The stitching was pretty much the correct size for the frame already so I simply added some bows (to go with the banner) and some flowers.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

613AvenueCreate #230 Banners and Bows

notjustcards - Anything Goes

MTTC #426 No digis

Thanks for taking the time to hop along to my blog,

Hugz Tinz

Floating squirrel

One of my colleagues is leaving to start a new job on Thursday and I wanted to make something a little different for them, and this is what I came up with.

I took a square piece of white card and added the snowy squirrel topper to it. I then measured a piece of foiled acetate to be 1cm bigger on the horizontal, so that I could make it into the front panel for the card. I then added the squirrel in fir tree partial topper to the opening edge of the acetate. Finally I stamped the Best Wishes sentiment from a Woodware Men's sentiment stamp collection. I was going to stamp it using StazOn ink, but I couldn't find it, so instead I had to use standard ink and then heat emboss with Hi-puff Heat it up embossing powder. This did bend the acetate slightly unfortunately, but I still really like the finished card.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

CCM #251 Embossing

MMM #116 Critters

SOS #414 The Great Outdoors

TheCardConcept #129 Warm Winter Wishes (colours and snow)

TheMaleRoom #130 Use embossing

MTTC #426 No digi's allowed

Notjustcards - Anything Goes

Thanks for taking the time to look at my creations,

Hugz Tinz

Birthday tiger

Hi guys,

We have a new challenge for you today at Creative Moments, with an optional theme of 'For the girls'. I do usually play the theme, but I needed a males birthday card, so unfortunately this one is for the boys :O.

My image is from Morgan's Art World, who is the sponsor this time. Please do check out the challenge blog to see the DT creations this time and the prize images on offer (I am on the other team :D).

I printed the image and trimmed to size. I then used distress inks in Evergreen Bough and Scattered Straw to make a blended panel. I then added a die-cut sentiment panel to this.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

SUYP #51 Furrything Goes

AYLI - Fav animal and why - My favourite animal has always been the cat. I love their wild nature and their aloofness, as though they have never forgotten that they were once worshipped.

MMM #116 Critters

TIOT - Go green or recycle something

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Sentimental Love @ Aud Sentiments

It's an Anything Goes challenge this time at Aud Sentiments - and of course my card is themed around love. But it is the love of a friend, rather than romantic love this time :)

I used a sentiment sheet from the Treasured Moments set by The Paper Boutique. I then simply added some 'monsters' in the form of ghouls. A nice, simple and unusual card this time.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

CuteCardThursday #622 Square

DaringCardmakers - Someone or something you love

SimonSaysWednesday - Add a sentiment

TheLibraryChallenge #52 Groggles Monster Valentine

CCM #250 Love is all you need

I also have an audio book review for you:

I was a Rat by Phillip Pullman

This is a story about a little boy who turns up on the doorstep of a cobbler and his wife one night. He cannot remember much except that he was a rat. The couple have never had children of their own and take him in for the night and try to find his parents the next day. After having no luck they decide he can live with them and send him off to school. Unfortunately, he struggles with the other boys, and when he is sent for tests he is scared off and runs away. The couple finally find that he is being tried as a monster by the high court and will be executed. Their only option is to go to the new princess and see if she can help them. They get an audience with the princess by bringing her a gift of the cobblers prized pair of slippers, which fit snuggly (hence the other name for the book of ‘The Scarlett Slippers’). The princess knows the boy and helps them to get him released from jail. This is an amusing short story and well worth a listen, especially at just over 3 hours long.

Hugz Tinz

Snow White @ I Love Promarkers

Welcome to another Wednesday and a new challenge at I Love Promarkers. Ok the optional theme this time is actually one for the girls, and we are sponsored by IkesArt. I have used  Snow White  for my card.

I used a patterned base card, coloured the image with Promarkers before fussy cutting and then added several sentiments from my stash. Nice and easy.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Daring Cardmakers - Someone or Something you love 

ATSM #377 Make your Mark

notjustcards - Anything Goes

ikesworld - N for Nice

I also have a little recipe to share with you for Italian-style Pork Chops.

Firstly, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan/skillet. Add the pork chops in a single layer and fry for 5 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan.

 Finely chop 1 onion and fry until softened and browned.

 Crush 2 garlic cloves and add to the pan with 1tsp fresh chopped Rosemary.

Add the zest of one lemon and 150ml Chicken stock to the pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

 Add the pork chops back to the pan, then add a can of chopped tomatoes and cook until heated through and the chops are fully cooked (about 10-20 minutes).

 Dish up and enjoy!

Hugz Tinz

Christmas cutie

Hi guys,

Yup I have another Christmas card to share with you today.

I used a patterned Christmas card to make the base - this was free with a magazine and had been kept in my stash for a little while. I then used the remaining stickers from my Forever Friends Christmas sticker set - consisting of the bear with present, the flowers, sentiment and the little diamantes.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

WinterWonderland - Anything Christmas Goes

Alphabet Challenge - W for anything you Wish

CraftyCatz #493 Critters

I would also like to share my Hognose Snake with you today:

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Sketchy flowers

I have a card to share with you today that is based around the current sketch at CheerfulSketches.

I used a flower fairies tag for the side panel and then die-cut a flower design from some Country Diary free papers, using a Marianne Creatibles die. Finally I added some dried flowers to the bottom to complete the sketch.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

CraftyCalendar - Use die-cuts/punches

Intaas #76 A favourite Song (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Wildflowers)

CuteCardThursday #620 Anything Goes

C4C521 Something that flies (fairies fly)

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

Some more Love over at Creative Moments

Yup we have a love themed challenge over at Creative Moments - getting you all in the mood for Valentines Day of course :). As always you can choose to play anything goes instead.

I have used Love Heart from our sponsor All Dressed Up.

I have used this as a page in my wedding album. I coloured the image using promarker pens (Aquamarkers actually), and then die-cut using X-cut nesting dies. I also die-cut some green foiled hearts and made a flower shape behind the image.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

CraftyCalender - Die-cuts/punches

Digi Doodle Studio #24 It's a love thing

MMM #115 I heart you

SimplyLessisMore #412 Less

CASology #361 Sweetheart

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

It's Valentines Day @ Aud Sentiments

Hi guys,

So Valentines Day is just around the corner, which means our theme for this challenge is Valentine/Love over at the Aud Sentiments blog. We are sponsored by Digi Doodle Studios and I have used Little Love birds.

  

I coloured the birds with Promarkers and then fussy cut the image. I used (Backing Paper info) Secret Treasures for a subtle background. I then added a decoupage rose from a Papermania country garden set, and some yellow rose stickers to the side. I used a sticker for the sentiment and then added another sentiment inside the card (again from the paper pack).

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

SimonSaysMonday - Floral Frenzy

CRAFT #543 Love/Valentines

ThePaperPlayers #476 Love is in the air
LibraryChallenge #51 Romeo and Juliet
MMM #115 I heart you
SOS #413 My heart is on fire
TIOT - Share the love
dragonflydreams - it's a love thing

Have fun and don't forget that all important sentiment guys,

Hugz Tinz

Love is in the air @ I Love Promarkers

Hi guys,

Challenge #403 starts today at I Love Promarkers and this time the optional theme really does have to be love/wedding (we are in the month of love after all). Our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps   and I am using Love Blocks Love Conquers All for my card.

I coloured the image using my Letraset Aquamarkers for a change. I don't use these very often at all. I then used Distress inks on the base card, using Squeezed Lemonade, Scattered Straw and Carved Pumpkin. I was using the colour wheel to really make the accents pop against the blue wash of the sky. To finish I added an orange butterfly and flower.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Catchthebug - Anything Goes

TIOT - Share the love

dragonflydreams - It's a love thing

DigiDoodleStudio #24 It's a love thing

Thanks for looking,

Hugz Tinz

No image

Hey guys,

Our new challenge starts today at MAWTT and the theme is 'No Image' chosen by Christine. This means that we want to see the sentiment as the focal point of your creations.

I used a stencil to dab gold ink through in a cherry blossom design, and then heat embossed with Heat It Up gold embossing powder. Then I simply added an Anita's foiled sentiment to the front. As this is on a pink base card it has made a very feminine creation.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

notjustcards - anything goes

SimonSaysWednesday - Anything Goes

catchthebug - Anything Goes

I thought I would also share with you all my Raspberry Fusilli recipe (as the raspberries were home grown). Cook 175g fusilli pasta in a pan of water with a little salt. While the pasta is cooking squash approximately 225g raspberries through a sieve to create a thick juice in another pan.

Add 2tbsp caster sugar and mix well over a low heat until it makes a thick syrup liquid (approx. 5 mins). Stir in 1tbsp lemon juice and set aside.

Add the remaining raspberries to the pasta and stir through before transferring into a serving dish.

Pour 3tbsp raspberry liqueur into the sauce and mix together until very smooth before drizzling over the pasta.

Thanks for looking all,

Hugz Tinz