Be mine, Valentine?

Yep, Valentines is our new challenge over at Sweet Stampin'. Not a favourite theme of mine as I'm not a terribly romantic person!  I'm very practical and if OH sent me flowers for Valentines, I'd likely just think what a waste of money they were!  I might also be thinking that the money he's spent could have bought me that MFT smart phone die that I'm tempted by but (wo)manfully resisting!  Or on a VERY practical day, I could be thinking that it's 25% of a new Fridge freezer!  See, not romantic at all.

Anyhow, eventually I came up with this card using a cute kangaroo from SU and some gorgeous papers from Authentique.  I won't be sending it though!

Inspired by the following challenges:

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations 13 - Anything Goes

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Thanks for dropping by, I plan on some blog hopping time later to check what you've been up to!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

A Golden Mojo

Morning, just flying through as I'm sneaking a quiet bit of blog time while I'm the only one up!  Have you got anything lovely planned for the weekend?  I'm on housework and cards because I've set myself a goal again....I had 113 days from the beginning of the year and want to make a minimum of a card a day.  Ideally I'd like to reach 150 in those 113 days.  I suppose it depends how my ratio of housework to cards works out.....

I ned to find one of those little countdown thingies that goes on my blog! *ETA* Look, I found one lol!  That should keep me on track hopefully.

Inspired by the following challenges:

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Shopping our Stash - 3, 2, 1. (3 hearts, 2 Circles & 1 Sentiment)

Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Enjoy your weekend folks, I'll be out visiting you all later,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

It's a bit.......BLAND!

Sliding in with a late Mojo Monday entry, I really couldn't decide where to go with this sketch and ended up going WOW (white on white).  Unfortunately it didn't 'wow' the OH who took one look at it and said "It's a bit.......bland!"

Can't win 'em all eh?  Best slap some colour on the next one!

I was inspired by the following fab challenges who hopefully like my 'bland' card a bit more than hubby does!!  

Allsorts - Girly & Sparkly

Craft for the Craic - January Blues

Mojo Monday - Sketch

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

New Stash Alert.....

Hello again!  Yes, I did say a NEW stash alert and NO, I'm not breaking my resolutions already.  It was a Christmas gift so I haven't spent anything! Everything else is old I promise.  This pretty stamp was found in the Sir Stampalot sale.  I love this company, super friendly and their parcels always arrive well packed and swiftly too.

See that panel with the orange crackle on it?  I HAD to have that stamp (Stampin' Up) after seeing it used as tree bark on a card.  I may have had it 3 or so years, do you think I've ever used it as tree bark?  No bonus points for the correct answer lol!

Inspired by the following fab challenges:

Allsorts - What's New
Brown Sugar 180 - Anything Goes
Craft for the Craic - january Blues (I'm chasing them away with this bright flowers)
Crafty Catz - Flowers

Mojo Monday - Sketch

Appreciate you dropping by, I'll make cakes for next time.  Chocolate ok for everyone?!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

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

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

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

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

I'm late, I'm late....for Mojo Monday

It's fair to say I don't like tags.  I never know what to do with them and they just look like a card with a tag on, know what I mean?  So I nearly backed out of this weeks Mojo challenge when I saw the sketch!  I am very glad I didn't now as I'm really pleased with this effort.  

It used up some very old stash in the shape of that tag, ribbon and butterfly!  In fact I also used the sketch to make a get well card so that's two tags down, 22 to go!

I was stunned to discover I didn't have any pale orange card.  I had every other possible colour under the sun! I resorted to colouring white with promarkers and job done.  

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Ribbon

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet - Tags

Mojo Monday - Sketch

I really appreciate you popping by, have a great day,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

CASS - Christmas Travel/Transport

Morning!  Christmas is drawing ever closer.  I know there are people who are counting down in weeks and days!  I am not one of those.  I am however fairly well in to my gift shopping.  Not because I am a fanatic, because I just think ahead.  On my Summer holidays I purchased no fewer than 3 Christmas gifts.  I love that it spreads the cost too.

Now although this is my Christmas at Sweet Stampin' DT card I decided to keep the Mojo Monday sketch until today and I had seen a challenge by Jingle Belles where they donate $2 to the BCRF for each card entered in the linky.  Pretty cool & a great way to help by doing something we love.  So unless you're Susan, get your pink out and go enter a card, you still have a week

The bonus is, it also used up some very old paper & a Christmas tree that came from Lakeland (yes, it is THAT old!), only 49 more to use ;-)

Love to play along with:

A snowflakes promise - Anything Goes

Craft for the Craic - Inspired by Song (Driving home for Christmas by Chris Rea)

Jingle Belles - Pink for breast cancer awareness

Mojo Monday - Sketch
Unicorn - Think Pink

Thanks so much for dropping by, see you over at CASS with your Christmas Travel/Transport cards and don't forget the pink ones too!

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Mojo Monday/Tuesday

Mojo Monday on a Tuesday.  Had such a busy day yesterday I've only just finished the card this morning!  Still it was all busy in a good way and nice things so no complaints from me. 

I knew I needed more sympathy cards so that's where I went with the Mojo sketch.  Always a difficult one but hopefully I've carried it off.

Linking up to a challenge or two:

Fashionable Stamping - Words (entry #2)

Just us Girls - Sympathy

Mojo Monday - Sketch
Robyn's Fetish - Leaves

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you have a lovely day.

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Still feeling BOLD!

Well it looks like I'm still feeling loud this morning!  Efficient too as I've cracked straight on with today's Mojo Monday sketch.  As soon as I saw it I knew exactly the papers to use.  They're from K&Co called Faded China.  I love these papers but do struggle using them. and this for me waas the perfect sketch to show them off.  I love a good start to the week :-)

So I'll join in with a few challenges:

AAACards - Word Play



Amusing Challenges - Anything Goes
Come and Get It - Clear it Out/Use Stash (Paper, had it for about 7years!)

Fashionable Stamping - Words

Mojo Monday - Sketch
Robyn's Fetish - Square or Rectangle

Who got up to see the lunar eclipse/blood moon this morning then? I did, despite OH thinking I am nuts lol!  I only meant to get up at 2, have a look and return to bed.  Was so enjoying it, I stayed up until 4!  It was pretty amazing and although I'm tired today, I'm very glad I did.

Thanks for dropping by, always a pleasure to read your comments,

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx

Major Mojo Monday!

An unusual occurence today....a post from me that isn't a DT post.  It's a completely random, just because, no particular reason post!

Also a not so unusual occurence today.....it's raining.  Clearly brightening up the day was in my mind when I picked the colours.

I was inspired by the Mojo Monday sketch so I'm entering over there with thanks for kicking my butt after a totally uninspired weekend!

Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes + Sentiment

Crafty Catz - Special Occasion

The Genius (Occasionally!) xx