Embellished Bag

Well folks, it is the start of our summer holidays and the beautiful sunny weather has changed to rain.....but it'll change back soon, won't it?! And it is also time for another challenge at Dream Valley. This fortnight, we would like you to Make your Own Flowers or Embellishments. Aha......a perfect excuse for die cutting some flowers and using up some beads and sequins!
In addition to my obsession with card making, I have developed an obsession with sewing, especially upcycling garments that are no longer fitting and/or used. Ahem, I am hoarding clothing and fabric in case it becomes useful and this bag started life as a pair of trousers and one of hubby's old shirts. The handles are from old gift bags too. I am proud that I have even succeeded in sewing French seams, so that the raw edges are completely hidden. I decided not to line this bag as it was already quite thick and felt perfectly useful as it is.

Then the jewellery and bead obsession kicked in! The flowers were cut using the Sizzix Wedding Flower die. The hearts were from a bargain buy from some high street shop and I added beads to eye pins and then to the hearts. And there was a bit of stitching that I wasn't happy with as my bobbin had run out part way along the top of the bag and I had to re-do it.......so I hid the untidy bits with some more beads, eyepins and sequins.......mmmm, maybe didn't need to share that imperfection with you!

So, what flowers or embellishments will you make for our challenge? I'm looking forward to seeing.

Happy crafting!

Susie x

Time For Tea

I haven't used these Summer Driggs papers for ages, but decided they'd be perfect for this tea inspired card. The teapot and cups are from my new Digistamp Boutique Time For Tea set, which I have paper-pieced and fussy cut. I have made a "table cloth" from scraps of paper, with stitching stamped using the Clearly Besotted Just For You set, stamped in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The sentiment has been computer generated and I chose a teal coloured ink to co-ordinate with the papers.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sketch and Stash - sketch, which I have rotated

Totally Gorjuss - Happy Birthday

Digistamp Boutique - Anything Goes

 

A Couple of 80th Cards

Alf is pretty cool, isn't he?! I've coloured him with promarkers and polychromos and the clouds have been stamped using a thought bubble stamp and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. They have also had a bit if Stardust Stickles added too. The papers are the gorgeous Kaisercraft On the Move - I love the colours in this pad!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Digistamp Boutique challenge - Anything Goes

Cards for Men - Sports

Stampin For the Weekend - Anything Goes

I was also asked for I an 80th card for a man who likes reading, travel and fine red wine. I saw the Freshly Made Sketch and thought that it might work for this card. (Unfortunately, I am too late to enter the challenge.)

I've used a Sizzix embossing plate to add texture to the background and the twirly border was from a Basic Grey pack. The aeroplane has been cut using a Sizzix die and some gloss. The wine bottle and glass is from the Digistamp Boutique Fancy a Tipple set, coloured with my beloved polychromo pencils, Platinum Stickles and gloss. I've also made a little book, using Inkylicious Tiny Text for the pages (unseen) and a bird picture cut from some RSPB address stickers. (I've cut the twine ends shorter now, so they no longer hang over the wine glass.)

I would like to enter Joanna Sheen - Father's Day / Male Card challenge.

 

A Travel Inspired Father's Day Card

At Dream Valley this fortnight, our theme is Father's Day / For A Man. And one of the cards I was asked for was a card for a dad who likes holidays and weekends away........bit tricky to start with until I was looking through all my stash and came across the Travel Smash Book journalling sheet......so I cut out the suitcase and shortened the note part.....and used the LOTV tickets and sentiments....and the Clearly Besotted Going Places set for the train and sentiments.....some sticky tags that I've had for ages and twine completed the card. Once again, I have used my Distress Inks for the stamping: Antique Linen, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and Frayed Burlap.

I would love the enter:

Clearly Besotted challenge - Anything Goes (again!)

Creative Belli - Father's Day

Simon Says Stamp - Transport (train on the background)

Papertake Weekly - Hello Boys

Dino-Mite Dad

I've been using these cute little Clearly Besotted Dinosaurs again, this time for a Father's Day card.  I've coloured him with my Distress Inks (and it's one of the latter ones so I'm happier with the colouring on this one!!) - Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and a tiny bit of Worn Lipstick for his tongue. 

The papers are Papermania Birdsong, with a little bit of scrim over that and the white background.  The Dinosaur's background has been embossed with a Sizzix plate and the chipboard hexagons are from the Basic Grey set I've had for ages. 

The Dino-mite sentiment is also from the Clearly Besotted set and has been stamped in Peeled Paint DI, with a little gloss on that and the die cut letters.

I would like to enter the Clearly Besotted challenge (and try to remember, this time, to put GD in the title so that I can be considered as a guest designer....how amazing would that be?!!).

Anyways, off to the information session for Euan starting Primary 1!  Have a good day.

Susie x

Euan's Birthday Card

Can't quite believe that my wee boy has turned 5, but he has! On the day, he had lots of fun with his archery set, some cars and his Olympics DS game, had a Greggs sausage roll, a birthday haircut and was suitably excited about his first ever party!!

He had advised me that he wanted dinosaurs on his birthday card and that it was to be "a standy-up one"!  Just as well he said as I wouldn't have chosen dinosaurs for him - probably transport or pirates!  So, I tested out my new Distress Inks (in Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint and Faded Jeans) on the rather cute Clearly Besotted Dino-mite stamps and enjoyed some painting.....it was great fun but I was sadly out of practice!

I've used the fab Freshly Made Sketches layout for the top part of the easel card, using a variety of papers, a bit of twine and a little gloss.

The bottom part of the easel card uses sentiments from the dinosaur set and chipboard letters from the Basic Grey set I've had for ages and were perfect for propping the easel part up, and another dinosaur (this was the first and, therefore, the worst coloured one!!)

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - sketch

Clearly Besotted - Anything Goes

Prairie Scene

I decided that I would like to try something different, so I inked up my Inkylicious Prairie stamp with Antique Linen Distress Ink and added some darker Frayed Burlap to the lower part of the stamp. I rather liked the simple effect!

I inked the edges with the Antique Linen, layered onto white, then some cream Prima paper. I added some Platinum and Stardust Stickles to the image here and there. There is a Clearly Besotted butterfly, Cheery Lynn Vines and Memory Box Hibiscus added. And the sentiment is from the Clearly Besotted Just For You set- love it!

I would like enter the following challenges:

Crafting When We Can- punches and/or die cuts

Stampin For the Weekend - Monochrome

Totally Papercrafts- Anything Goes

And I loved the card so much that I decided to make a second using Worn Lipstick and Brick Red DIs.

 

Sports

Another fortnight has passed and I have been able to blog a little more - hurray! And today, for our Sports challenge at Dream Valley, I would like to share a card I have made using the fab Lili of the Valley image, Riding My Bike. I've stamped him with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and coloured it in my polychromo pencils.

The background has been stamped using a freebie car and the Clearly Besotted bike using Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass, Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap. I've ended up using this process for quite a few cards recently and particularly like this combination of colours. Everything has been mounted onto Kraft card, with only a little twine, buttons and a charm to complete it.

What will you make for our Sports challenge? And......would you like to apply for our Design Team call? Details are here. Good luck, folks!

 

Design Team Call At Dream Valley

Hello everyone,

 

Just wanted to let you all know that Dream Valley are having a design team call - details are:

Some of our lovely ladies have moved on to BIGGER things and now we need YOU!!

Now We'll miss you all so much but understand, health and family come first! So I know you will wish them all well for the future and hope they pop by from time to time!

Looking for some fab new teamies to join our wee team (slightly mad but all lovely)!!

To be part of the team these we ask the following:

**Have a active blog**

**Make a Crafty Creation every 2 weeks**

**Comment on your share of entrants**

**Pick a Top 3 whens its your turn**

**HAVE FUN lol**

If that sounds like you and you feel you can join our awesome team, add your name in the linky On the challenge blog! You have a two weeks to enter the call!

Good Luck!