Dream Valley- No Designer Paper

Hello, peeps! Hope you're all fine and dandy on this wet and miserable Sunday.

Over at Dream Valley this fortnight, our challenge is No Designer Paper. At first, I made the card for my best friend's birthday. I stamped the circle background using the Inkylicious Tiny Text and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink - I adore this colour! I then stamped the Inkylicious Make a Wish in black over the text and added Silver and Stardust Stickles. The white fishtail background has been embossed and matted onto silver card. There's a little bit of twine been added and the sentiment is from Clearly Besotted. I followed the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

I then had a bit of fun sewing. Haven't had time to just sew and create and test for a while but I loved doing these. The smaller one is perfect size for an iPod (although just a touch too small for an iPhone, so I'll be making the next one slightly larger) and the larger one is big enough for my phone, cards, change, lipgloss and a few other items - it'll be great for the gym so that those items don't get lost in the depths of my bag! I've added an inner pocket to each and a keyring clasp - useful for clipping to a large bag or onto a zip, or whatever. I'm going to enjoy making a few of these in some of the fabrics I have. Just need more bias binding and zips. Oh, and I decided to add a bow to the smaller one, so it now looks like this:

 

So, what will you create for Dream Valley this challenge?

 

A Special Handbag

I was lucky enough to spend Friday night away at a spa and hotel to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday. It was fabulous fun and I loved the opportunity to get dressed up and wear heels!

I wanted to make a special card for her, so made this handbag, with a pocket on the inside for all our little messages to be held. Here is the link for the brilliant instructions. They are fairly easy, but very time-consuming to make, but I really enjoy them. I have the card and paper cut for another two, so will (hopefully) have a couple to add to my Facebook page.

It's been a rather busy week this week..... ..we collected our 17week old Border Collie puppy on Sunday, so it's been a roller coaster ride this week whilst he settles in and we get used to what he needs and likes and how we will all work together. But he's lovely, very clever, affectionate and we are definitely all completely smitten with him!

But this is the reason that I haven't managed to make a Dream Valley DT creation that completely follows the theme of Monochrome.......this handbag MOSTLY follows it but does have some green too. But I will be making a truly monochrome card very soon....honest!

In the meantime, here are the pics of the inside:

I've used part of Krista's Saturated Canary Princess Peanelope, coloured with polychromos, Inkylicious Make A Wish (the dandelion) stamp and Clearly Besotted Butterfly Wishes die.

And here are a few pictures of our Buddy:

 

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