Sunday's stuff

 A late start today, but after breakfast and a look at yesterday's comments on the conkers (thanks Janette and Carol), we vinegared them and what a difference to the hardness.  Hanging out to dry:

Ian & Rhi having a go:

The leaf prints Rhiannon made yesterday are dry and looking good.  Made with a roller and acrylic paint onto white card.

Rhiannon used the kit I got yesterday to make a giant easteregg, and there was chocolate over to make some buttons covered with hundreds and thousands.

After lunch we walked down the road (well I walked whie Rhi skateboarded) to the church on the corner to wander the cemetery.  There are some interesting stones there and this wonderful angel in marble.

Rhi has been having lots of opportunity to skateboard around on the smooth roadways and cycle/walkways.

It was a bit gloomy and looked like rain so we walked down the the clubhouse theatre and watched Billy Connolly's "What we did on our holiday".  One of my all-time fave films, and we had the theatre to ourselves.

When we got back we played dominoes, lots of games, with me losing.  Then put together make-your-own-burgers for dinner.  After icecream, we watched the latest Jumanji film, now it's time for bed.

More making stuff

 Today (Saturday) we stopped off at Grace's (another grandchild, now 16) with her birthday presents and had morning tea.  Then we went to Spotlight where Rhiannon bought some chain and easter chicks with the plan to make a necklace.  I bought an Easter egg kit.  Then we went to a cafe for lunch.

When we got home R put her design together to make her necklace.  A parrot beak clasp and jump rings to attach the chickens.

Isn't that festive?  And she still has a length of chain to make something else.

Rhiannon looked up on google about conkers - how to make, how to play. After that she drilled holes in some of the chestnuts to make conkers.

So we've been out playing conkers for a while, until one went flying off somewhere and we decided that maybe they need to dry first.

After a BBQ dinner Rhi has been out skateboarding and printing leaves ready for tomorrow.

Well,  what will we get up to tomorrow?

Creating stuff

On Friday, our grandchild Rhiannon (14) came to stay.  We went for a walk and found horse chestnuts.  We brought a selection home to play with.

Rhiannon drew the different stages

Rhiannon is only 14, isn't this drawing fabulous?

Rhiannon remembered reading about making soap from chestnuts, so she researched it and began the process.  Apparently chestnuts contain saponin which is the soapy part of soap.

Rhiannon peeled the chestnuts then we put it in the food processor to grate, finishing it off by hand.  The it got put in a cheesecloth and covered with warm water and soaked for a couple of hours.  In that time the mixture separated.  She squeezed the grated chestnuts, mixed them with stuff from the garden (finechopped mint, rosemary and rosepetals) and pressed them into a silicon mould.

The result was a jar of liquid that could be used for washing dishes or clothes, and the solids pressed into soap.

The soap shapes are outside drying which could take a couple of days.  They look pretty.

More later...

Go confidently

 

A graduation card kept simple and suitable for any gender or age.   It has a hole window (outlined with doodled stitching), with the same patterned paper and mortarboard hat showing through.  The patterned paper is black and white with some random silver dots.

Circle Die: Spellbinders        

Hat die: Impression Obsession

Sentiment: Unknown, is out of my bits box

Also: p.paper, sequins, white and black pen

Shared on challenges:

cupcakeinspirations-565-black'n'white

kraftychicks-656-alloccasions

creativeknockouts-490-add-sentiment

crafterscafe-295-circles

CRAFTchallenge-672-anything-goes

avenue613-march-anything-goes-woptionalCAS

creativefingers-251-anythinggoes

die-cut-divas-march-anythinggoes

lovetocraft-73-anything-goes

letscraft&create-193-ag-opt-add-buttons

HM 386 Spppriiing time

 

House Mouse & Friends are feeling Spprriiingy.   I thought a spring image could also have a sppriing sentiment, so made a paper spring to go under the sentiment circle.  Here in NZ we are going into autumn, so not likely to see spring flowers anytime soon, but something to look forward to.

Check out the challenge and the design Team inspiration here:  housemouse-challenge

Image: House Mouse                

Stencil: Rosie's Studio

Punch: unbranded

Sentiment: Craft Wise

Also: Copics, D.Inks, Stickles, white pen

Shared on challenges:

sweetstampin-spring

craftycatz-629-anything-goes-opt-goforgreen

colorfuloptions-march-green

creativeinspirations-march-spring-blooms

welovestamping-march-sppringisintheair

allsortschallenge-720-anythinggoes-perfectpastels

digichoosday-10-anything-goes

pennyschallenges-542-anythinggoes

pammiesinkypinkies-2311-anythinggoes

lilpatchofcraftyfriends-202-anythinggoes

Eeeeekkkkk!!! Welcome back House-Mouse FANS!

We are here with a new challenge for you

Anything goes with the option theme of First Day of Spring!

Hosted by our Talented Teamie   Sue Kment 

Please use any House-Mouse, Happy Hopper or Gruffie image 

We are  Generously Sponsored by

We are thrilled to be welcoming back our AWESOME sponsor,

the Official Mousey Family, House-Mouse Designs(R)
 
HMD is offering a Lucky player a $20 Gift Certificate to go shopping at the official House-Mouse Designs(R) site!   House-Mouse Designs(R) 

Many thanks to our generous Sponsor for their continued support.  

Quilted Mug Mat

 

Made for a cardswap with quilted theme; I made a mug mat that can be detached from the card to use.  Underneath the quilt is a stitched panel with a stamped quilt topper, so that when the mugmat is taken off, there is still a card (forgot to photograph it and now it's sent - but see a sample at bottom).

I hope the person who received it thinks of me when she uses it and that way we can have a virtual cuppa together whenever she wants.

Diecut word: Wplus9   

Tea bag tag: Kim Macfarlane

stitched die: unbranded

square patchwork stamp: FunStamps

Also: snippets of fabric, thread, embroidery floss, pellon, D.Inks, paperclip     

Shared on challenges:

CRAFTchallenge-671-female

creativeknockouts-490-add-sentiment

pixiessnippetsplayground-449 snippets of fabric

wordartwednesday-anything-goes-587-588

craftsgaloreencore-109-anycrafts

creativefingers-250-anythinggoes

lovetocraftchallenge-73-anything-goes                                           

                                        

    Here is an idea of what the underneath looked like, but with the topper coloured in, with a teacup in the middle square and a sentiment under - I can't remember what the sentiment was.

Beeautiful

 

A splattered frame die, laid over pretty patterned paper.  I thought it looked like the frames in a beehive.

Bee stamps:   Magazine freebie?         

Die:  unbranded

Sentiment:  Magazine freebie? 

Also: Copics, p.papers, black acrylic paint splatter, WoS on wings

Shared on challenges:

dreamvalley-289-things-with-wings

cupcakeinspirations-564-bees

allsortschallenge-719-anythinggoes/trio bees

Stamping Sensation-march-wings&tails

welovestamping-march-anythinggoes/spring

pennyschallenges-541-anythinggoes

polkadoodle-10-anythinggoes

ellibelles-crafty-wednesday-march-anythinggoes

Dinosaur Friendly Green

 

Green.  The technique is torn edge stamping.  Tear paper, lay it out with a gap and stamp the gap.  Inkblended edges and a bit of splatter too.

I made this card for a friend, we are both dinosaurs and I thought she would enjoy the joke.  She did.

Image:  unknown     

Sentiment:

Also: Copics, DI's, EP, Kindyglitz   

Shared on challenges:

DoubleD-everything-is-coming-up-green

cleanandsimpleonsunday-252-friendship

colorfuloptions-march-green

inspirationstation-green insp by green scene

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aaacards-235-inkblendingedge

Stamping Sensation-march-wingstails lots of tails

qkrstampede-462-anythinggoes

pennyschallenges-541-anythinggoes

artydivaschallenge-february-AG

HM Grapefull

 

Mousies have such fun together and it seems they like to eat too.  This is a birthday feast.

The House Mouse & Friends challenge #385 is  Anything Goes option of Use a Die.

Check out the design team inspiration and enter here:  housemouse-challenge

Image: House Mouse       

Label dies: mPress

Pocket punch: McGill

Tag die: NCraft

Stencil (on pocket): sequin waste

Sentiment stamp: Fundamentals

Also: Copics, p.paper, buttons, twine, white pen, black pen, WoS, Stickles               

Shared on challenges:

aaabirthday-47-stripes-andor-dots

colorfuloptions-march-green/rainbow

letsCraft&Create-193-ag-add-buttons

inspirationstation-47-photoinsp.  green background and with mice to make the scene.

craftycalendar-march-buttonsbows  buttons & a bow

creativeknockouts-489-lots-of-layers

stencilfun-march-anythinggoes/ opt.CAS

StampingSensations-march-wings/tails three tails

rabiscochallenge-march-43-anythinggoes

digichoosday-9-anything-goes

Eeeeekkkkk!!! Welcome back House-Mouse FANS!

We are here with a new challenge for you.

Anything Goes with the optional theme of Use A Die

Hosted by our Talented Teamie KARIN .

Please use any House-Mouse, Happy Hopper or Gruffie image 

We are  Generously Sponsored by

Welcome back our Generous SPONSOR

SIMON SAYS STAMP

Winner will receive a RANDOM ASSORTMENT of Premium Dye Ink Pads

Many thanks to our generous Sponsor for their continued support.  

Fly v Cat

 

This cat will wait forever to catch that fly.   

The black base card is stencilled, then layered with panels.  The cat is stamped and coloured.

Image: snarky cats        

Stitched Die: unknown

Stencil: Ranger

Also: Copics, DOxI's, charm, twine, black pen, white pen

Shared on challenges:

wednesday-simon-says-slimline-cards
do-allkreatives-75-katzen-cats

stencilfun-february-stencil opt heart

crafterscafe-294-cute

polkadoodle-8-anythinggoes

qkrstampede-462-anythinggoes

Eye Rolls

 

Critter Crazy challenges must have animals, check it out here:  crittercrazychallenge

Gotta say, I love these crazy cats.   I made the background by smooshing Distress Inks and making a doodled border. I stamped this cat onto a snippet of patterned paper and cut it out; some stacked layers make a little shadow.  

Cat & Senti: Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous    

Also: p.paper, D.Inks, black pen

Shared on challenges:

pixiessnippetsplayground-448 cat snippet of p.paper

asyoulikeit-favourite-freestyle background smooshing is such fun, a great time to get inky

incywincy-pets-andor-happiness

digichoosday-8-anything-goes

pennyschallenges-541-anythinggoes

qkrstampede-462-anythinggoes

classicdesignchallenge-3-anythinggoes

craftssgaloreencore-109-anythinggoes