Karma Chameleon!

As soon as I saw the theme at Just us Girls, I started humming the song!  Then I thought, erm.....what do I do?  Colour inspirations have never been my strong point, even simple ones.  I got my Mojo sketch, Stampin' Up papers, a Verve sentiment and 2 more of those glittery shapes from Lakeland.  You know the ones I told you about in a pack of 50 and I had 49 left.....Turns out it's a not a pack of 50, it's a pack of 80 *sigh*.

Stop laughing.

Inspired by some favourite challenges:

Craft for the Craic - Glitter
Fab n Funky - Christmas

Just us Girls - Red, Gold & Green

Mojo Monday - Sketch
Papertake Weekly - Take your Pick (Glitter/Red & Green)
Retro Rubber - Anything Goes

I really appreciate your visit and sweet comments, have a great day xx

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

One Layer Blues

Another one layer card to add to the list.  Not sure if I'm getting any better at them but at least I am making more!  This was the second attempt at this one, practice makes perfect you say?! Dashing off to keep making, time is ticking!

I had a look to see who made the stamp and it turns out to be a creative expressions one.  It also was reduced to £1 and I remembered a friend of mine calling me up and trying to describe a variety of stamps to me that were all on sale.  I think she bought loads for me that day, all at bargain prices.  Bless her.  A lovely memory just from a stamp and a reminder of my wonderful friend!

Inspired by some of my regular challenges:

Craft for the Craic - Glittery

Crafty Catz - Shades of Blue

One Layer Christmas - Silhouette
Papertake Weekly - Take your pick - Glitter
Penny Black & More - Christmas

Retro Rubber - Anything Goes (perfect challenge for me as ALL my stamps are older than a year lol!)

Thanks so much for dropping by,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Stella Saturday

I do love Stella from Bugaboo, she looks how I feel some days, her level of sarcasm is about equal to mine too, I think we'd be great friends in real life!

Now I'm not the most proficient colourer-inner but I try my best.  I thought I was doing ok until my in house critic said ' Mum, i'm not being mean, but you're really not very good at colouring hair'  

 Hopefully I have other redeeming qualities and my inability to colour hair won't hold me back too much in life....you gotta love 'em!

Inspired by the following fabulous challenges:

Aud Sentiments 145 - Anything Goes + Sentiment
Brown Sugar 173 - Anything Goes
Creative Corner - Happy Birthday

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Clean Ink-splattering

A brief visit to enter my card in to the appropriate challenges, I'm trying to keep up with them all but something might have to give this week!  I really rather like this one.  I was thinking about ink splattering for an interesting one layer background but couldn't work out how not to get it everywhere so I improvised.....I dabbed a purple ink pad on a cellophane bag and dabbed it on to the card with my hand inside the bag.  It sorta looks like ink splats, don't you think?  Then I stencilled over it with my aqua glitter paste and stamped my sentiment.  So simple but it appeals to me immensely

Inspired by the following challenges:

Craft for the Craic - Something Glittery

One layer Simplicity - Thank you or Gratitude

Shopping our Stash - Thanks

Thanks so much for popping by, I will be around to visit as soon as I possibly can.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Twice as fresh as usual

*Waves* Hi folks, hope you're doing well.  It's a bit manic in my house at the mo, so it'll be short posts and minimal comments from me for a week or two.  I missed getting my entry in for last week's Freshly Made Sketch so here it is now:

I'd love to enter in to the following challenges:

Brown Sugar 173 - Anything Goes

Crafting with Friends 11 - Anything Goes

Creative Corner- Happy Birthday

Then I got straight on with this weeks:

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch

Simply Papercrafts 18 - Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping by today, have a great day!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Mojo Mojo!

Yep, it's a double Mojo Monday for me as I somehow managed to miss entering last week.  This is my entry for today and I used it to make an urgently needed sympathy card.  I don't enjoy making these at the best of times, even less so when they are for personal use.  Aside from the obvious sadness, I always feel like i'm 'showing off' completely inappropriately and I feel uneasy receiving compliments on them.  Is that just me?  

Thisone has been inspired by the following challenges:

Male Room - Sympathy

Mojo Monday - Sketch

************

Now I had made this with last weeks Mojo sketch but didn't get it posted in time.  I dug out the old Twinkling H2O's, remember when they were the absolute must haves of every crafter?  Well I got mine after that.  I'm not one to jump on a fashion fad lol!

This one was inspired by:

Brown Sugar - No patterned paper

Crafty Catz - Girls Only

Just us Girls - Watercolouring

Mojo Monday - Sketch 423

I really appeciate your visit, I hope to get some blog hopping done tonight or tomorrow to catch up.  Meantime, thanks so much for dropping by to see me.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

There's nothing like a little rein-deer!

....must have been the maxim my OH was living by yesterday as he sent me out on a totally unnecessary errand in which I got drenched.  Guess who's in the doghouse lol?!

Anyway, I'm flying by with a super quick share using a Stampin' Up reindeer and sentiment, glitter and cardstock!  That's all.  I am busily playing catch up as the last few days have been a little unpredictable for me.  Hey ho, tis the way it goes and I am fit and well with a smile on my face so that's really all that counts.

Clean and uncluttered, I love this one. 

Inspired by the following fab challenges:

Brown Sugar - No patterned paper

Craft for the Craic - Glitter

One Layer Christmas - Reindeer

Papertake Weekly - Christmas Critters

Wishing you a clean and uncluttered day!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

CASS - Stars

Pfft, blogger does not like me today.  Two posts I've scheduled and neither published.  Maybe blogger isn't ready for so much Christmas chat?  I'm pretty well organised on the card side of things thanks to Christmas at Sweet Stampin' where the November theme is STARS, easy enough!

I've used a cute LOTV image & a mish mash of papers from who knows what company!

Now, this card was made using one of Jules' lovely sketches.  Jules has very kindly shared many sketches that she has created which are a great inspiration and starting point.  Here I've used sketch number 1.  Thanks so much Jules, mwah!

Inspired by the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge - W is for Wild (Polar Bear, although looks very friendly!)

Crafty Catz - Winter
Papertake Weekly - Christmas Critters
Sisterhood of Crafters - Beginning to look like Christmas

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Sketched Jugs of Allsorts

Just popping in with a quickie before bed otherwise I'll not make the challenges!  I've set myself a goal to enter several in order to help me build up stock for a Christmas Fayre.  I love these little chicks, they are from SJ's Little Musings although I can't find them any more on the site.  I couldn't decide on a sentiment, I think it needs something about 'having friends to lean on' but all suggestions welcome!

Inspired by the following fab challenges:

Allsorts - Ribbons and Bows

Just us Girls - Stripes

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Thank you so much for dropping by,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Freshly made sketch on Fire

Woohoo, another one layer card!  A one layer card for a man to boot, 2 difficult themes in one hit, go me!  Good job I accomplished something positive as this weekend has been stressful, one word for you......Teenagers!

Moving on, a lovely lighthouse from another company that's disappeared: Rainbow Studios and sentiment from a company that definitely hasn't: Hero Arts.  Other than that just ink.  Such a simple list.

Inspired by the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch (Ladies, I fear this may be a bit too much to be classed as freshly made and clean so please feel free to delete me, ignore me or send me to the naughty step but thank you for inspiring me anyway).

Shopping our Stash - Light my fire TOP 3!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Sweet Stamped Autumn Leaves

Every now and again, I like to get a bit inky.  Not too often as it's not my strengths but sometimes it's good to get out the comfort zone! I pulled out the Autumn Splendour set from Stampin' Up, some Autumnal inks and some embossing powder.  All credit goes to the talented Susan for suggesting the use of vellum as I didn't want to cover up all that background.

Unfortunately I have to blame Susan for suggesting the vellum too....while searching for this I found vellum glaore!  Vellum with stars, stripes, leaves, words, swirls, snowflakes, hearts, sparkles and blue vellum.  So much vellum!  Please leave your vellum usage suggestions in the comment box lol!

This card is made for the Sweet Stampin' challenge where we want to see your Autumn leaves creations this week and we've a wonderful prize for one lucky winner from Crafty Ribbons.  I'd also like to enter in the following fab challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (entry #2)
Simply Papercraft 17 - Anything Goes

The Male Room - Hardware (brads, eyelets, charms etc.....)

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

A slightly earlier Mojo Monday

Unless it directly impacts your life, there are many things we don't think of.  One of the things I'd never thought about was what cards looked like to partially sighted recipients.  I've learned that high contrast colours work well in this instance whereas those beautiful subtle toning cards don't.  Lovely as they are.  So I make a point of always having some made, this being the latest.

I've used a Verve image and sentiment and I very cleverly (for me!) inked up my stamp with pens to get green stems and coloured flowers.  

Crafting with Attitude 9 - Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet 124 - Anything Goes

Mojo Monday 422 - Sketch

Thank you so much for dropping in,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

A Christmas Sketch Saturday

Oh my goodness, what a totally miserable day it's been today.  Weather wise I mean, I personally am a little ray of sunshine!  Some days are just good, you know?  So while the mojo was working at full capacity I whipped up a card for this week's Sketch Saturday challenge.  It's a pick your own sketch which I am sure took longer than making the actual card!

Using up papers from an old Paper Cellar pack who (as far as I can see) no longer exist.  That gorgeous image is a Penny Black Stickeroo, love these for quick cards.  The backing is a fab brushed gold that I've had for ever but sadly it doesn't show in the photo.  I blame the weather.

Playing along with some great challenges:

Allsorts - Christmas
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (Option of Christmas Gift)

Penny Black and More - Christmas

Sketch Saturday - 

So pleased you dropped by, have a great day.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Freshly Made Triple CAS

Well I'm still playing catch up with my challenges but hopefully I am now getting there.  I totally missed last weeks Freshly Made Sketch with being away so this first card is my take on that and another olc to add to my tally!

This is also being entered in to Just Us Girls who have a One Layer Challenge

My take on the current FMS is this CAS card for someone who's passed their driving test and I'd also like to enter this in the Shopping our Stash challenge who this week are asking us to go paperless!

I know there are people probably gasping in horror at the use of peel offs on my card but they are in my old stash, need using and frankly I had not one stamp that said anything remotely driving test related so there we have it.

Then because I saw these flowers that needed using in the box with the peel offs, I thought I'd flip the sketch and make a simple card with them (partly because I have no other idea what to do with them).  I actually like this, it looks a lot happier than all the sympathy cards I've been making lately!

Thanks so much for dropping by, your comments cheer my day.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Mojo Stash Report

A ridiculously late entry for Mojo Monday this week and one of several sympathy cards I have been making.  Sadly they seem to be in great demand right now.

Using some very old Stampin' Up papers in Perfect Plum and a Verve sentiment.  I always feel simple is the way to go with sympathy cards.

Linking up with some fabulous challenges:

Brown Sugar - Flowers
Mojo Monday - Sketch

Now the Stash Report for October (lol, sounds like the weather!):

October has been another month where I haven't necessarily finished any old stash off but I have most definitely been using it.  I'm happy with my progress (even though I don't look like I'm getting anywhere) and my persistence!  So here's what I've noticed this month:

1. I have used very old stamps and even older papers!
2. I have used papers I don't like or find difficult to work with.
3. I've been trying to incorporate more ribbon on to my cards.
4. I've used up some of those dimensional toppers (£ shop buys!)
5. I've opened up a pack of stickers from the year dot and yes I made a card with them but no, I don't think I'll blog it!
6. A couple of the Lakeland crafty bits have been used up (I do know it's been a thousand years since lakeland did craft stuff, Susan kindly reminded me)
7. I'm working through the very old Making Cards magazine papers, stilll have ones from 2009!
8. I've had dies out that I've barely used despite having them for 7/8 years

One layer cards so far this year - 20

Thank you so much for dropping in, always appreciated,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx