Colours

 The theme for the latest Tag-along and ATC challenge is **your favourite colour** which I have to admit is a bit of a difficult one for me because there are so many lovely colours all around us that I find it difficult to settle on one which I'd prefer above all others.  I think a lot depends on the occasion or situation but one colour which I always think of as being cheerful and happy is perhaps a nice sunny yellow so that's what I've chosen as the background for this ATC.  The small card was trimmed from a snippet which was in my box of inky play backgrounds and I've simply added a couple of die cuts to make this, adding a small label which I produced on the computer.  Just a bit of fun really but I guess it fits the theme.

Frame - an unbranded die from a set of three in different sizes
Cat - die from a 'mixed bag' of random unbranded dies which I purchased a couple of years back
Label - produced using MS Word

Allsorts Challenge # 853

 The theme for the Allsorts challenge this time is **Stencil/s** chosen by Donna and of course there's the usual *anything goes* option.  There will be stencils featuring as prizes too and you can read full details on the Allsorts blog post.  For my DT card I've used a stencil of multiple circles to produce a Bokeh effect background and, not wanting to cover too much of it, I cut a frame and a simple sentiment, finally adding a small layered butterfly which was hanging around in my pot of 'useful bits' and happened to be the right colour.  The design was then matted onto two more toning layers.

Square Frame - die from Craft Addiction UK
Deckle Edge Dies - unbranded set from Amazon
Scalloped Die - from a Tonic set which I've had for many years
Butterfly - I think came from a Stampin' Up tutorial kit, again from a few years back
Bokeh - You Tube video by Susan Hardy, fairly recent
Sentiment - unbranded dies

Postage Theme

 I've had a play with my postage style die and this is the result using a selection of small stamps which I've had for a very long time.  I decided to go down the monochrome route here which I feel suits the images..

Postage die - unbranded from Amazon - I think (had it a while)
Stamps - from Chocolate Baroque designed by Glenda Waterworth 
Birthday Sentiment - from a recent Craft Addiction UK stamp set

Rudolph Days June 26

 Here we are at the Rudolph Days challenge and it's definitely flaming June with extremely high temperatures.  Never mind here's my Christmas card which might put you into a cooler frame of mind.  I've used a digital image which I resized so that I could group them together to look as if Daddy Rudolph has two younger family members to help him in his work.  I die cut a decorative window frame offset into the piece of white card and then popped the image into the frame.  The simple addition of a die cut tree and stamped sentiment complete the composition.  Happy Rudolph Days everyone - shame we can't go outside and roll in the snow 🤣🤣

Image - digital download from Craft Addiction UK (several variations in the set)
Frame Die - also from CAUK
Tree - unbranded die
Sentiment - from a long retired Stampin. Up set
Deckle Square - unbranded die from Amazon
Background - piece of seasonal paper from my oddments stash

Snippets Playground Challenge # 535

 I think I may be first through the Playground gates this morning because I just couldn't wait to try a new slant on an old technique.  Miss Di had spotted this 'game changer' way of making Eclipse style cards and showed us a wonderful example, also sharing links to a video.  This looked so interesting that I just had  to give it a try and this is my version using circles instead of narrow strips of 'Snippet' card.  The cream background is a fairly large snippet and of course the nine circles needed were also cut from my cream snippets.  A quite large stamp has been used, for the first time as it happens, because I was somewhat taken aback at just how large the stamps were in this set so they've not really been used as often as intended so it was great to have an opportunity to make use of this one.  There's a slight change in the way things happen the Snippets challenge as regards prizes - read all about it and catch up with news of Dudley's exploits as usual - always my first port of call on a Sunday morning 😉.

Coffee Time Stamp - Aall & Create # 642 which I've had for quite a while
Sentiment - computer generated

Tag-along

 Well, two posts in one day because I have another tag to share with the Tag-along and ATC challenge where the theme this time is to incorporate text within the project.  I started by cutting the tag from a very old paper pad which has a selection of black and white text pages - quite thin paper so I glued it onto a matching white tag before then cutting another one using red card.  This red one was offset slightly to give the appearance of a swinging tag.  A small black sentiment outline die was used, folded in half and glued to the top pf the tag rather than threading a ribbon through.  The birds on the  branch and also the ones on the wire were die cut from black card and glued in place.  A few small 'splodge' stamps were used on the background for added interest.  I think this one might well end up being used as a card topper, probably for a masculine card.

Tag Die - an unbranded one from Amazon
White Tag -  text paper pad by Papermania from many years ago
Bird dies - also unbranded ones which I've had for some time

Allsorts Challenge #852

 The theme for the Allsorts challenge this time has been chosen by Ellie and it is **Blooms and/or Bees** with of course the *anything goes* option.  Prize this time is from Buddly Crafts and you can see more details on the Allsorts post..  

I was reminded recently of an idea using circles so decided to re-visit the technique for my card this time.  I'm not sure if it has an actual title but I think of it as 'swirly circles'.  Circles in three colours and of different sizes are required and they are cut in half and laid out to form this design.  I then die cut and coloured some flowers and a couple of bees, adding a sentiment and that's my card finished.  

Flowers and Bees - die sets from Craft Addiction UK
Circles - cut from some pieces of  long retired Stampin Up design papers