Caardvarks, Gutter Girlz and more

While the U.K. is hit by some severe gales, rain and floods, there is no better excuse for me to stay in an scrap my little heart out. Even Lyndon is not tempted right now to bug me with his usual "let's go out for a walk..."

So, I pulled out my scissors, glue at the ready, challenge blogs sourced and got stuck in.

First of is the recent challenge at {caardvarks}. I haven't played along there for donkeys, which is a shame as their challenges (and their DT, in particular {natalia}) are wonderful.

So, this week they have the {colour it} challenge going. It is pretty much a free for all, as long as you colour in a stamped image. You see, I still need LOTS of practise with the colouring, so this was a good excuse for me to join in.

Both the flowers and the butterfly were stamped and coloured. The flowers being from a Stampin' Up set and the butterfly a digital stamp from Hero Arts. How I managed to get the colour of of the butterfly to almost totally match the MME die-cut paper is beyond me.

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill; Papermill; Stampin' Up
Embellishments: Die cuts - My Mind's Eye; Liquid pearls
Tools: Border Punch - Fiskars; Edge scraper, tracing wheel - Making Memories; Punches - Stampin' Up; Markers - Promarker; Ink - Stampin' Up, Ranger
******************************************************************************

Then there is a new challenge blog I discovered. Well, ok they are not new as in just started, but as in new to me. One of my {scrapmuse} teamies {kristy} is on the DT for {gutter girlz} and quite frankly, with a name like that you just know it HAS to be up my alley...

The current {challenge #31} is so cool - go hop on their blog to find out what prompted me to create this layout.

Is my glass half full or half empty? Honestly my glass is always filled right up to the top - there is no half either way. I try to enjoy each day as it comes, crying over things that have happened in the past or worrying about things that may happen (or not) in the future, is a waste of energy. So here is to full glasses all around!

For the title I used the line "Thank You Clarity" from the Alanis Morrisette song "Thank You" when Lyndon pointed out - "why don't you call it, thank you Claret? After all you ARE holding a glass of red wine". Who can argue with a logic like that? I have also used quite a bit of my new love {cosmic shimmer} on the layout. It is like Glimmer Mist - only 50% cheaper...at this moment in time Cosmic Shimmer is only available in the UK though.

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Papers: My Mind's Eye
Embellishments: Pearls - Papercellar, Katycards, Kaisercraft; Embroidery Floss; stamp -  Kat Queen by Anam Stubbington
Tools: Glimmer Mist - Cosmic Shimmer; Edge distresser - Making Memories
******************************************************************************

But there is still more...oh yes.
Over at the {scrapmuse forum}, some girls are doing the {december daily}. Meaning you take a picture every day in December up until (and including) December 25. You also scrap a page every day, so by the end of the year you can look back at the days leading up to Christmas. Sounds do-able and I figured if I keep the pages kinda small it will not stress me out.

So I prepared my book and my day numbers already. The most difficult part is now to wait until December to get started...he he

The book is a Kraft ringbound 10 x 10 which I got from {paperchase} and I quickly spritzed the cover with some Cosmic Shimmer before I got some gorgeous MME papers stuck on. These papers by the way are an EXCLUSIVE to the UK. That makes a nice change, and I already have the whole collection of wood stamps and other bits and bobs on my wishlist...before long they will so jump into my shopping cart.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
Cardstock: Bazzill, Stampin' Up, Papermill
Papers: My Mind's Eye
Embellishments: Stickers - Rusty Pickle, Jenni Bowlin; Chipboard - Rusty Pickle
Other: Glimmer Mist - Cosmic Shimmer; Glitter Glue; Button; Twine; Holly Punch - XCut; Sewing Machine