Sooo late!

 Good morning blogland,

You're not going to get much waffle from me today - this card was supposed to have been done for the challenge over at Sweet Stampin' that started Saturday just gone (12th Sept).

However, due to TTT shenanigans and her going back to University this coming weekend - can you believe it Year 2 already! - I'm seriously lacking in the old time for me department.

Anyways, with sincere apologies to my wonderful Teamies, here's my 'Clean and Simple' card for the the challenge.  As I'm sure you know by now, this is a 'for fun' challenge - so no prizes - but to get a badge for your blog you do have to follow some very simple rules.  Stamp somewhere on your project (can be rubber or digital stamps), don't backlink and follow the theme.

Here's my card:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Lili of the Valley - Lili of the Valley - Party Chimp

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Your Next Stamp - Cheeky Monkey

Dies:

un-branded stitched rectangle

MFT - Die-namics: Stitched Inside & Out Squares

Time for Tea Designs - Simple Birthday

Anything else:

scrap of designer paper

blue card

Tell you what tho, I hadn't realised until I finished colouring, just how sad I've made him look! I'm off to see if I can squeeze any 'me' time out of today, fingers crossed eh?

And that's it folks.

Sarah

challenge/s:

The Neglected Stuff Challenge: September 2026 - so in order of most neglected to pretty new.  The backing paper is probably more than 15 years old - it was brought as part of a set from a TV craft channel that no longer exists; the die-namics dies maybe 10 years old? not used very often at all (I lack inspiration for small square dies); the 'birthday' die is going to be a year old (brought in a sale and not used); the stamped sentiment, also part of a set, brought at a craft fair 18 months ago.  The newest thing is the digi stamp itself - that was brought in a sale earlier this month.

AAA cards: #323 It starts with 'M' - my 'M' is for monkey

Crafty Catz: #719 - AG

Simply Clean & Simple: September 26 - Jungle Animals

Seize the Birthday: #334 - AG Birthday / optional 'add a sentiment strip'. Awww I would say 90% of my cards have a sentiment strip, this one time not! So I'm going AG birthday only.

I'm so late with this one!

 Hi Blogland,

This is going to be super short - just to get the card up - as this is my post about it being new challenge that started over at Sweet Stampin' Challenge but it started Saturday just gone (15th)!

I will probably go into the weekend woes at some point that meant I had next to no time to craft, but not now.

So this fortnight's challenge theme is 'Summer Fun!' - anything you associate with happening in the Summer.  This is a 'for fun' challenge so no prizes and the rules are really simple: you have to stamp, you have to follow the theme and no backlinking but it really doesn't have to be a card you enter. Just stamp!

Having said that - here's my card!

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Polkadoodles - Vacation Winnie Special Moments

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Tonic Studios: Say it with Sentiments

Dies:

un-branded stitched rectangles

Creative Craft Products - Stitched Nestables

Anything else:

Distress Inks

blending brushes

Scrap of designer paper from BoBunny 'Surprise' collection

homemade cloud stencil

white pen

And that's about it folks!

Again absolute grovelling apologies to my Teamies and 'The Bosses' at Sweet Stampin' for being so super late with this card and post.

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Retro Rubber: Challenge #278 - Off to the tropics.  I've asked for the entry to be removed - I hadn't realised it was tropical flowers not colours, apologies

Try it on Tuesday: Inspired by a Song - In the Summertime (by Mungo Jerry).  It's one of my favourite Summer songs, tho I doubt it would be approved by my daughter today!

As You Like It: Favourite colouring medium (and why?) Can you guess, no go on really - I hardly ever mention what I like to colour with the most!! :-) Did you guess? It's Copic markers - they are just such fun and you get a great look from them and I love them and I will use them for ever! Seriously though, once you've got the hang of them they are wonderful marker pens, they blend so well, so many colours and just a wonderful finish.  I was swayed by Polychromos pencils for a while (and I do still have my box of them) but I still went back to Copics.

Cardz 4 Galz: #282 Blue Skies - Is the stencilled panel enough blue sky?  No problems if it doesn't 100% fit your theme.

The children take the spotlight

 Good morning blogland

Saturdays are rolling around almost as fast as Tuesdays are - here were are with another Saturday and so another Sweet Stampin' Challenge appears as well.

This time the theme is 'For the children' and, as always, these are 'for fun' challenges so no prize but we do have 'Top 5' with a badge.  It's also a really friendly challenge with very few rules - you only need to make sure you stamp (whether that's rubber or digi), follow the theme and don't backlink.

So what did I make for a child - this card:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

The Greeting Farm : OA Happy Day

coloured with my Copics

Time for Tea Designs : Bold Sentiments set

Dies:

Creative Craft Products : Stitched Nestables - Stitched Circles Set

Honey Doo Crafts - Connect the Dots nesting dies

Time for Tea Designs : Bold Sentiment Co-ordinating Dies

Paper:

Polkadoodles : oh boy!

Anything else:

Cuttlebug embossing folder : Seeing Spots

Distress Ink

That's quite a long list - for a fairly simple card - isn't it!

It was really nice pulling out my old stamps (this card and the last two CaS) and I had forgotten how quick they are to colour.  I think/hope (?) I've done both sets of images more justice now that my colouring skills have improved over the 15 to 20 years (oh my God - how long!!) since I've been colouring.

So I do hope you find time to pop on over to Sweet Stampin' and take a look-see at the lovely cards my Teamies have made.

And I will see you on the other side of my holiday - we are off to Inverness for a week.  All three of us!  That will be interesting ;-)

Sarah

Not birthday wishes!

 Hello blogland,

Apologies for being late with this post, Chez Sarah is in chaos mode right now. I will get business out of the way and then explain.

So, why the blog post title?  Well that's because it's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' and the theme this week is 'Anything but a birthday' - not such a bad theme, eh!  Let all the other stamps and sentiments shine for once - and that is a big part of this challenge; stamps!  To join in you must stamp somewhere on your entry, which does not have to be a card.  The stamp can be digi or rubber, sentiment or image, but it must be there somewhere.

So my card:

Supplies used:

Digi stamp:

Pollycraft (long since shut down) - Love Monster

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

Neat & Tangled - Together

Dies:

Creative Craft Expressions - Sue Noble: Double Stitched Squares

MFT - Inside & Out circles

Paper:

My Mind's Eye - Lucky in Love

Anything else:

self-adhesive pearls

So there we are - a Valentines, Love or Anniversary card, not birthday. I am looking forward to what cards people go for and it was lovely looking at my Teamies wonderful cards.

So why is Chez Sarah in chaos?  Well, as you know today is Father's Day but what you don't know is that tomorrow (Monday 22nd) is Trouble's birthday.  Her last year as a teenager is coming, no idea what nickname I'm going to give her from next year.

So Father's Day meant presents; Birthday means cards, cake, presents and the eternal question; what does a quiet only child with minimal friends want to do on her birthday!

I've been making cards since last week (in-between being interrupted by said young person  - who is home from Uni and wants company - and having to go to work), I've been baking all day today (in this heat!) and I'll not be finished until this evening.  We've still got the wrapping to do (seems almost pointless now).

Add into that we went to a concert in Lincoln Castle Thursday evening and didn't get back until early Friday morning, oh and we are going to another one next Thursday - anyone up for a Rick Astley concert! This week has been especially busy and not much time for DT cards to be made.

There's that's almost my life story and now I'm going to go decorate some cakes!

Hope to see you at the challenge,

Sarah

Flowers in bloom

 Good morning blogland,

New Saturday - new challenge and this week it's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' with the theme this fortnight being 'Flowers'.  As always there are no prizes on offer but the joy is in the taking part and also being awarded a Top 3 pick.  The rules are very simple - you must stamp (rubber or digital is fine), no backlinking and follow the theme and, other than that, we are a very easy going challenge so what you enter is entirely up to you.

Now me and flower stamps don't really get along that well - every time I try using proper flower stamps something always goes wrong. Generally when the theme of a challenge is 'flowers' I would go down the route of flowers on the paper, flower embellishments or the stamp I use being a person with flowers.  This time I thought, nah I'll try for proper flowers again - disaster!

I'll show you the cards first:

Card one:

Card Two:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

My Favorite Things - Magnolia Blossoms

coloured with my Copics

Sentiments:

Card one - Taylored Expressions (a matching sentiment set and die from Simple Strips)

'Happy Birthday' and 'well-rounded'

Card Two - a very, very, very old pre-printed/pre-cut sentiment from Craftwork Cards

Dies:

Card one: Honey Doo Crafts - Triple Dots and Dies & Polkadoodles Botanical Foilage Dies

Card two: Honey Doo Crafts - Connect the Dots & un-branded stitched dies

Backgrounds:

Card one: Distress Ink and blender brush

Card two: Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister and spattered Distress Ink

Anything else:

Card one: self-adhesive gems

How much can you take of my tale of woe with the first card I wonder?  Well, I mis-cut the die and had to do it again, and didn't get it quite right (the bad bit is hidden!), my glue dispenser bottle was very low -- so I filled it and, obviously, made a complete mess of my work mat and the bottle.  The fine nibs for the differing glues I tried (I was trying to get glue on the back of those delicate dies) were bunged and took me ages to wash them out and get them working again.  I used a pre-cut matt for the card and I do not like it - I really miss the stitched edge and, finally, the Distress Inking went wrong.  I was going for a particular look and I completely got it wrong. I do not like that card.

Feeling empowered that I could push through - I made card two.  So much relief - I made it and liked it!  Yay! 😂

I am not touching flower stamps again for a good long time! 😂

I know my Teamies cards are really wonderfully flowery as well, not nearly as traumatic as mine, so please pop on over and take a gander, we'd appreciate it.

Until next time,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Allsorts challenge: Challenge 850 - Anything Goes

Cut it Up: #356 - Flowers

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #821 - CAS (I'd like to enter card two)

I love Promarkers challenge: #607 - Special Occasions (Card one is more specifically birthday, so I'd like to enter that one)

What, when, how?

 Good morning blogland,

So it's a Saturday and time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' but that's about the only thing that feels right about today.  Have you seen what theme we have to work with this time?

'Christmas in April'

Noooooooooo! Not a good theme for poor old moi - I don't like Christmas cards at the best of times and I thought I'd be safe from them for at least another couple of months. Maybe July, when some bright spark thinks, I know let's have a 'Christmas in July' theme! Then I'd do one card and put all supplies away again until it's actually nearly Christmas. Bah, humbug!

So now I've got that out of my system.  This is the theme for this fortnight and so, if you want to pop in any entry, it's what you've got to make! It doesn't have to be a Christmas card, but it does have to have stamping on it somewhere and be Christmas themed.

This is what I made:

Supplies used:

Stamp:

Stamping Bella - Bundle girl and penguin baking a cake (I used the stamp and sentiment)

coloured with my Copics

Dies:

Memory Box - Bianca Snowflake and Crystal Snowflake

Creative Craft Products - DL Card Builder die set

Paper:

Crafwork Cards - Sorbet Souffle foiled paper

Anything else:

self-adhesive gems

My first (and last for a very long time) Christmas card of 2026.

I'm sure there are lots of you out there who love making Christmas cards and this challenge will be very popular.  Just don't tell me about it!! 😁

See you all soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Crafty Catz: challenge #712 - anything goes

As You Like It: Brights or Pastels - Oh bright colours definitely. I do try pastels sometimes (or those 'wishy-washy' colours as my Mum used to call them) but I never seem to get them right, they always end up being the bright side of pastel!

Now it's hoppity, hop, hop, hop!

 Morning blogland,

There's a new challenge started today over at Sweet Stampin' Challenge blog and this fortnight the theme is 'Spring or Easter creations'.  

As always this is a 'for fun' challenge, so no prizes on offer, other than the kudos of being picked as a Top 3, but we do have a few simple rules.  Those being - you must use a stamp (digital or rubber), follow the theme and no backlinking.

So what did I make?

Supplies used:

Digital Stamp:

Polkadoodles - Eggcited Chick

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamps:

Catherine Pooler - All around wishes

Dies:

un-branded stitched rectangles set

MFT - Fishtail Foundations

Pretty Pink Posh - Scallop Borders 1

Paper:

First Edition 6x6 paper pack - Hideaway

Anything else:

Basic Grey - micro-chip stickers

I will confess that this card was not an easy make - the image / colouring / layout - all fine.  Until it came to the word Easter.  I have no Easter themed stamps (digis yes, but nothing that would fit the space or my design) so I went for a die-cut alphabet to make the word Easter.  Biiiig mistake! Suffice it to say - there is a banner with stickers that spell out Easter because of those die-cut letters. 

If I hadn't spent quite so long colouring the image - the whole thing would have gone in the bin!  With a complete do-over commenced to replace.  But I had spent quite a long time colouring, so it was saved an ignominious end in the bin.

Anyways, moving on - hope everyone is good and see you for the next challenge,

Sarah

challenge/s:

Allsorts Challenge blog - #846 Springtime (or AG)

Crafty Catz - #710 Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday - Challenge 3 / Week 4

Strong women!

Hello blogland!

It's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' and this fortnight the challenge is 'A special woman' - as you may know it'll soon be Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday as my own mum insisted it had to be called!) and we are fully expecting to see lots of Mother's Day cards.   

HOWEVER we aren't saying your project has to be only for your mum (step-mum / mother like person in your life) - we are more than happy if you extend out the theme to include any woman in your life.  Whether that is your Grandma, Auntie, best friend, sister or basically just a female orientated card.  The main thing, for the challenge, is to remember to stamp somewhere on that project.

Now, as for me, my Mum died just after Covid and 'Im Indoors Mum died nearly 20 years ago - we have a severe lack of mothers in our lives.  So this card, whilst fun to make, is really made just because, and mostly 'just because' I found a stamp I had not inked before and I loved the sentiment.

Hence, this card:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamps:

Stamping Bella - Mochi Girls: Bride of Frankenstein

coloured with my Copics

matching sentiment also used

Dies:

Un-branded stitched rectangles

Craft Addiction UK - Luxe Rectangle Inverted Scallop Frames

My Favorite Things - Die-namics: Inside & Out stitched circles

Anything Else:

Indentz A6 embossing folder -Swirls

sequins

As I said to my Teamies - this card is not a Mothering Sunday card, nor is it a Halloween card (even though the stamp might say differently!).  It is a card made by a woman who has realised that sometimes she looks at a stamp which is sold as one thing but she sees something else!

It was also a bit of a moment for me when I was making this card, that I realised (on being asked for a card for a birthday that this would not have been appropriate for) I have 3 large plastic boxes of handmade cards that, on the whole, will never see the light of day.  They are made for DT's and sometimes challenges, but very rarely someone in particular when they are going to see the light of day.  Of course, if they ever do manage to see the light of day, they are gone (and I like that) and I honestly don't mind what the recipient does with them.  I am trying very hard to see those cards in boxes as little works of art in storage, not unused cards that will be made and never again see the light of day! It's the never seeing the light of day bit which I find a depressing thought.

Anyways, I'm going away to live with that thought and not depress either myself - or yous lot - any further.

Have fun and do what makes you happy!

Sarah

Crafty Catz: #708 - Anything Goes

The Neglected Stuff Challenge: March 2026 - Indentz embossing folder (are they even around anymore?) and Stamping Bella: bride of Frankenstein brought I cannot remember when, but it must be years and I only opened the packet and inked it for this challenge! Hope that is enough for the challenge?

Just Add Ink: #780 - Stencils and Dies.  Hope it's OK, only dies no stencils.

Love is...

Making a card, or two!

Good morning blogland,

It's time for a new challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge where the theme is (as you may have guessed) 'Love'. As always with Sweet Stampin' this is 'for fun' challenge - so no prize - but there is the kudos of being in with a chance of a Top 3 badge/spot.

We have only two rules - stamp (old fashioned rubber or fancy digi) and follow the theme!  Also 'Love' doesn't have to be 'Valentines', it can be any sort of 'love' - family, romantic, friendship, take your pick!

So here's my my Love themed card:

Supplies used:

Digital Stamp:

Pollycraft - Cuthbert Heart

coloured with my Copics

Pollycraft closed up shop many years ago (which was a real shame) so nothing to link to.

Rubber stamp:

A very old sentiment stamp that I masked bits off to use some of the sentiment

(please don't look too closely - it went a fair bit wobbly!)

Dies:

TimeForTea - Love Intertwined Sentiment Die

unbranded stitched rectangle

2026 is still being a bit of a pest so far, won't whinge on but I'll be happy when the equilibrium is restored, oh and I get my blooming car back!

Anyways, there's some lovely cards over at Sweet Stampin' - why not pop over to take a gander and get a card in, if you feel like it.

I will see you again soon,

Sarah

With a New Year finally here

 We start the New Year with a bang - two new challenges!

So to kick things off here's my card for the new Sweet Stampin' Challenge, as it's New Year we'd like to see your 'new' theme cards.  So that could be a card for a new home / baby / job / year or how about some new stash?

Not needing a card for any 'new' reason - I went with the new craft supplies theme.  This is what I've made:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

DigitalLenaStamp (an etsy seller) - Peeking cats

my 'new' part of the challenge

Rubber stamp:

taylored expressions: Simple Strips - Man, Myth, Legend

Dies:

taylored expressions: Simple Strips - Well Rounded

unbranded stitched rectangle

Whimsy Stamps: OMG! word die set

This is super easy challenge to take part in - there are only two rules which are follow the theme and use a stamp (digital or rubber) and that's it!

Would be great to see your entry and your take on 'new'.

Sarah

And in the rear view mirror!

Good morning everyone

I'm here to rectify an omission - I was very late with my card for Sweet Stampin' and thought I'd have a moment to do the accompanying catch-up post but - guess what - nope!

So here I am post Christmas Day, taking a moment to have a sit and do my blogging.  As you are no doubt aware the challenge theme is 'Christmas' and, to give everyone a festive break, this challenge runs right round until 2nd January 2026.

This is my card, apologies if it's not 100% sharp I'm working on a new laptop (that was my Christmas present!) and I've had to borrow my own image from the blog as I've not transferred everything over yet:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Set of 'Gingerbread kittens' pre-coloured images from an Etsy seller

Rubber stamp:

Creative Expressions - Festive Wishes (sentiment)

Dies:

unbranded stitched rectangles

Pretty Pink Posh - Scallop Borders 1

Anything else:

Red glitter card

extremely old 'Create and Craft' (anyone remember them?) Rhinestone decals

Hot Off The Press - Forever Christmas Cards paper stack

And that's it folks.

All that remains is to say - to whoever might be left watching my bog - I hope your Christmas was whatever you hoped it would be and brought some joy and peace into your day.

I will be back in January (2026 - gulp!) and am determined to do better next year with keeping up with challenges and posting cards.  Plus getting back into Instagram as well, I don't think I've posted more than 6 times there this year!

So with all best wishes for the New Year, signing off until 2026

Sarah

It's all about the birthday

 Good morning blogland,

It's that time of the year - no not 'that' time of the year just yet- it's Birthday Time! Sweet Stampin' challenge is celebrating their birthday and I believe it's quite a big one!

So to celebrate both Teams were invited to join in with the celebrations and this is the card I made for the occasion. As always the challenge is a 'for fun' only one so no prizes on offer - other than earning yourself a Top 3 badge of course - but there are a couple of simple rules.  You must a stamp somewhere on your entry and you must follow the theme of the challenge and, of course, the unspoken rule - have fun!

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

Whimsy Stamps / Time for Tea stamps: Ruffles

coloured with my Copics

taylored expressions : Simple Strips - Birthday

Dies:

Creative Craft Products : A2 Landscape Card die set

Time for Tea Dies : Smile Inverted Scallop Die set

Julie Hickey : Birthday profile die set

taylored expressions: Simple Strips - well rounded

Papers:

BoBunny - Isabella

and some random striped paper

Anything else:

sequins for the shaker element

And that's about it.

It's hard to comprehend sometimes just how many years I've been making cards (ok with a bit of a significant break) but at times like this it's brought home to you.  I can remember making cards and invitations for TTT's various birthdays over the years and using them as my DT card for Sweet Stampin' and now Sweet Stampin' is celebrating a big birthday and TTT has flown the nest and living in Lincoln.  How time flies - next thing you know I'll be heading for retirement (ha - I wish!!!).

See you soon,

Sarah

Sentimentally yours

 This is not what this post was meant to look like!  For some reason (I should really face up to things here and say it was more than probably me not putting the dates in right!) Blogger decided not to post this when it should have - so I am so, so, so late with this. However, you do still have just under a week to get an entry in - and to be honest so few people come to my blog now that me being late probably didn't make much of a difference!

Hello blogland,

It's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' and this fortnight the theme is 'Feature a Sentiment'.  As always please remember this is a stamping challenge and so your entry does need to have some stamping (old fashioned rubber or modern digital) on it somewhere.

Here's my card:

Supplies used:

Stamp:

Catherine Pooler - Everybody Say Happy sentiment stamp set

Dies:

Creative Craft Products - DL card builder set

Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels Two

Pretty Pink Posh - Scalloped Borders 2

Stencil:

Creative Expressions - DL Stencils: Party Confetti

Anything else:

Polkadoodles - Stencil Butter Frosting: Sunbeam Shimmer

sequins

Paper:

First Edition - Let's Celebrate

And that's it folks - not actually sure that I like this card, I feel something didn't work right but I can't put my finger on just what's wrong.  Maybe I should have used black card for the stencil paste - it doesn't show so well on the picture but in real-life it's very pretty.

Anyways off again now, see you soon.

Sarah

Christmas in July

Late with this post so no waffle,

Hi all,

It's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' Challenge and this fortnight the theme is 'Christmas in July'.

As always we are a 'for fun' challenge so there are no prizes, just Top Picks, but to enter you do still have to follow two simple rules. These rules being - please stamp (rubber or digital) somewhere on your project you are entering and follow the theme!

So here's my card:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

an etsy shop called PoppyLane Digital but they have since closed up and gone

coloured with my Copics

and the sentiment I made in Publisher

Dies:

Creative Expressions - Noble Collection : Double Stitched squares

Creative Expressions - Pearly Snowflake Border

Anything else:

self adhesive pearls

A little bit of honesty here - you may have guessed (or not who knows!) this wasn't made specifically for this challenge.  I don't start Christmas cards early.  This was made for Christmas 2024 for TTT and, for once, it's a card she actually liked!

If there's anyone left out there who is actually reading the stuff I post - I thank you! You've been great to keep coming here when I've not got the time to give back to you at all and please pop on over to the challenge blog where my Teamies have done wonders with the theme.

Sarah

Dreaming

 Hi blogland

And here I am catching up, again! This time I'm a week late with my card for the Sweet Stampin' Challenge that started last Saturday.  It does run until the end of the week, so you do still have time to join in.

It's a really simple challenge - use a stamp (digital or rubber) and follow the theme, it's a 'for fun' challenge so there's no prize but you do get to be in with a chance to be a Top 3!

So the theme this fortnight is 'Rainbow Creations' and this is what I made:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

Lili of the Valley - So Mice

coloured with my Copics

Sentiment is a rubber stamp but I've no idea who by - it was a bargain buy dump bin at a Lincoln stamp show.

Dies:

un-branded stitched rectangle set

Stencil:

Lawn Fawn - Corner Rainbow Stencils

Anything else:

Distress Inks

blending brushes

I really feel the proportions are out on this card, either the mouse is too big or the rainbow too small, but it doesn't quite give the look I was going for.  But then, that's a constant whine of mine, I know, that 'it doesn't look quite right'! Please there ignore me and pop on over to the challenge blog - my Teamies have a done much better things with their cards!

Anyways, off again now.  Gotta sort something out for Father's Day - tomorrow! - with TTT who doesn't actually, really, honestly want to get out of bed!

See you all later.

Sarah

Has Spring sprung?

 Evening blogland,

This is me - still catching up, so I'm not going to hang about and waffle on, just get the post up and head on out.

This post was supposed to done when the current challenge over at Sweet Stampin' started a week ago, but my card wasn't ready in time.  I got the card done - three days late! - but then forgot to do this post to go with it.  I only remembered when I did the post yesterday for another card I hadn't shared!

So here's the things you need to know - there is a challenge over at Sweet Stampin'. it runs until Friday.  The theme is 'Spring has sprung', so anything Spring.  It's a stamping challenge, so use a stamp (digital or rubber) please and that's about it! No sponsors, no prize - just a friendly challenge and the knowledge you can display our badge if you are one of the top picks!

Here's the card:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

Polkadoodles - Butterfly Chick

coloured with my Copics

The sentiment is also from Polkadoodles - Easter messages

Dies:

unbranded stitched rectangles

Time for Tea - Clouds Die Set

Anything else:

striped card

And that's it folks.  Life is really getting in the way of crafting right now and my mojo seems to have done a bunk, I'm keeping my fingers crossed it all works out soon.

Sarah

Easter is a-coming!

Good morning blogland

Still here, even if I don't post that often, and still playing catch-up.  The catch-up part is that this is a joint post for one challenge, the challenge being Sweet Stampin' Challenge the joint part being that my first card is for the current challenge and my second card for a challenge that my blog never made live.

So current challenge is 'Easter Creations' as always this is a 'for fun' challenge so there is no prize but you could get picked for a 'spotlight' badge.  There are two rules as well for the challenge, which are use a stamp (rubber or digital) and follow the theme.

My card for the current challenge:

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

It's an image brought off of an etsy seller - these are sold as 'wraps' and/or svg cutting files but they work perfectly well as digi stamps for card making.

All I did was add a little bit of shading with my Copics to ground the image.

Rubber stamp:

An ancient 'Happy Easter' sentiment that I'd almost forgotten I had and don't know the make of

Dies:

Pretty Pink Posh : eyelet borders

Creative Craft Products : A2 essentials portrait card die set

Anything else:

self-adhesive pearls

I do like these random etsy sellers I come across - this  one had a sale on their shop and I got 26 little unicorns coming out of eggs and a 'mega bundle' of various Easter images for around £2.00.  All delivered digitally and ready to use within the space of 5 minutes. Win, win!

Shame is, I don't use Easter cards - never have and don't know anyone who does - so this is going to be another card sitting in a box that I don't use!

And here endeth the first post! :-)

Moving onto the card that was for a previous Sweet Stampin' challenge and that it now appears never made it to my blog:

This challenge was for a 15th March 'St Patricks or feature a drink' challenge.  I am not Irish and don't 'do' St Patricks so that was a nope for me, and therefore ended up with the 'feature a drink' part of the challenge.

I was, again, running behind hence another pretty simple card, again, supplies used were:

Digi stamp:

Another etsy seller and just a few additions, for depth, with my Copics

Lili of the Valley - watercolour background

Rubber stamp:

taylored expressions: Simple Strips - background

Dies:

Creative Expressions - Noble Collection: double stitched squares

Sunny Collection - Stitched circles

taylored expressions: Simple Strips - well rounded

One of these days I'm actually going to be on time, or even (draw in sharp breath!) ready early, for a challenge and it'll be something better than 'running late, did something simple'!

If I were you I'd pop on over to the challenge and take a peep at my Teamies makes, they are all so much better than mine - and they even blogged them!

Right am off again,

Seez ya later,

Sarah

All about the men

 Morning blogland,

It's time for a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' and this fortnight we'd like to see those 'Masculine Makes' - as always there does need to be stamping on your project (be that rubber or digital) but it doesn't need to be a card.  This is a 'for fun' challenge, so no sponsors or prizes - other than the kudos of being a Top 3 pick!

I've been running around a bit like a headless chicken again this week - you can blame that on the fact that we are now pulling down the the wall at the back half of our kitchen to open it all up.  What used to be on the other side of that wall was a corridor with small rooms and what will become is one big kitchen with integrated appliances, a 2nd sink, a large larder unit, coat cupboard, broom cupboard and bin storage  / shoe changing / bench perching area.  This all means that crafting time is a little compromised so this is a relatively quick card.

Supplies used:

Stamps:

Honey Bee - Bitty Buzzwords

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: Man, Myth, Legend

Dies:

Creative Expressions - Nobel Collection: double stitched squares

Creative Craft Products - Nestables stars die set

Creative Craft Products - A2 essentials: Landscape card die set (there are 'additions' to card blank die with this set and that's what I used to cut the happy birthday out)

Taylored Expressions - Simple Strips: well rounded

Anything else:

Lisa Horton Crafts - 3D embossing folder: numerical

bakers twine

Bo Bunny - Weekend Market 6x6 paper pad

Craftwork Cards - paper dots

I wouldn't have called it the most 'masculine' of cards, which is why the 2nd sentiment was added but I have to admit I like the look of a 'double' sentiment so I might well do that again.  Took all of 20 mins to make, once I'd actually decided what to do and that part took most of the afternoon!

Please take a wander over to Sweet Stampin' and see what my Teamies have made - there are some wonderful masculine cards on display.

To go back to life chez Sarah for a moment, we've had quite a lot of ongoing house renovation over the last few years, what with the gym extension, the upstairs bathroom renovation, and now the kitchen being re-done.  One day, I'm sure we will finish but that day isn't quite yet! I will post some progress pictures at some point as well of the kitchen work, so you can see the chaos we live in!

Bye for now,

Sarah

Thank you

Good morning blogland,

So here I am with my first Sweet Stampin' Challenge of 2025 and the theme this time is 'Thank you cards' - hence the title of the blog post! As always with Sweet Stampin' this is a 'for fun' challenge so no prizes on offer but do please use a stamp (digital or rubber) somewhere on your project and follow the theme.

I figured for Thank You cards you either go into a total one-off unique really heavy on the personalisation side or you go mass-production.  So, as I don't have any particular person to thank, I went mass-production.  I'm not saying these were really quick cards to make, but they were pretty easy. 

I used the stencil with Distress Inks to create a background, which I then stamped the sentiment directly onto, die-cut it and mounted onto black card and then onto the card blank.  Stamped (from the same set) a sentiment, die-cut that, foam pads on the back to 3d mount it, add some gems and viola! Straight forward and easily repeatable in as many different colours as you have Distress Inks (other background creating inks may be used :-)!)

Here's the card:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamps:

Altenew - Mega Greetings : Thanks for everything

Dies:

My Favorite Things - Fishtail Foundations

un-branded stitched rectangles

Stencil:

Honey Doo Crafts

Anything else:

Distress Inks

blending brushes

self-adhesive gems

You may also note that although I used my favourite 5x7 top-fold card blank, I turned it on it's side.  Added a bit more interest and worked better with the absolutely huge sentiment stamp!

Why not pop on over to the blog - my Teamies have made some wonderful cards which I'm sure will inspire you!

Aaaand that's it from me, folks - see's ya soon!

Sarah

So, so, so late!

Evening blogland,

I've just realised I haven't posted my DT card for the new (well relatively new now!) challenge over at Sweet Stampin' - such a bad, forgetful Teamie!

So without all the usual waffle, I'll just say this is a month long challenge - instead of the fortnightly ones we usually do - so it runs until early in the New Year, it's 'Christmas' themed and, as always, you have to stamp somewhere on your entry.  It doesn't have to be stamp and colour like I do, that's just because I love colouring, you can stamp and emboss, just stamp - anything really that involves either rubber and ink or a digital image.

This is my card:

Supplies used:

Rubber stamp:

Stamping Bella - Tangled Yeti

coloured with my Copics

sentiment created in Publisher and printed

Dies:

Creative Craft Products - A2 essentials landscape card die set

My Favorite Things - Fishtail Foundation

Anything else?

flat backed sparkles and pearls

And that's it folks - I could tell you that I've had a wonderful visit to the dentist (not!) for two fillings, that TTT was off sick from 6th Form last week (ear infection) and only went back today, that hopefully we should have a builder turn up sometime this week to look at our leaky door / windows and that I watched the Strictly Final on Sat, first time ever, and thoroughly enjoyed it  - but I don't know that I've got time to impart that information!! So I'll just rush on and say apologies again for the late post and see you soon!

Sarah