CAS Male Card

Sorry I haven't blogged recently, or visited many of your blogs. I've been making plenty of cards lately, but seem to have had no time to blog anything! Hopefully, I can get this rectified yet again very soon!

So, I have a new obsession (like I need another one!!!!!!)......Clearly Besotted Stamps. They seem to have lots of stamp sets that I need like the Twinkle Toes ballerina set - perfect for the dance mad children I know......Going Places vehicle set - perfect for the little boys I know.....Dino-mite dinosaurs, Butterfly Wishes Additions and I've just ordered the Stepping Out and Just for You sets for a few orders and personal birthday cards I need to make! The quality of these stamps is excellent and the service superb. I highly recommend them!

Anyway, best get on talking about the card, huh!?! This one uses one of the Going Places stamps. I've added a tiny bit of shading with my promarkers and some Platinum Stickles. I am definitely in a bit of a Clean and Simple phase, hence the style of this card. The sentiment is from the Going Places set. The blue paper is from my stash and has had a few "clouds" stamped and shaded - these are actually thought bubbles from a Studio G set, which I think I bought from Michaels in Florida for $1. A little bit of twine, some piercing and a sewn on button complete my simple card.

I would love to enter the following challenges:

The Ribbon Girls - Add Ribbon and Twine

Crafting When We Can - Earth, Air, Fire, Water - the air bit!

Addicted to CAS - Masculine

A Gem of a Challenge - Button It

 

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Dream Valley - Ribbon and Bling

I am soooo late with my Dream Valley post, but I promise I've good reason!  My lovely sister, Lindsay and my gorgeous nephew, Jakob were over visiting us.  We've had a fantastic time catching up and having fun and now I have the chance to write my post!

For Dream Valley this time around, our theme is Ribbon and Bling.  I decided that this was a perfect opportunity to give this a try.....  which I found through a google search for bracelet tutorials:

I've made mine with 5mm satin ribbon and sewn beads and spacers into it.  Here is a pic of the full bracelet:

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you all make for our Ribbon and Bling challenge.  And you have an extra week to play for the chance to win a ribbon bag from Crafty Ribbons.

Happy crafting!

Susie x

Vintage Violet

I have had this little cutie, Vintage Violet, coloured up for a few weeks now and have finally had the opportunity to use her! I've used the colour palette from the Saturated Canary challenge, using MME papers from 2 different pads (whose names have temporarily escaped me) and Kraft card blank. Violet had been coloured with pro markers , gloss and Stickles. This was my first attempt at pink hair and I will DEFINITELY be doing it again as it is so much fun!

I've attempted a more vintage feel with some lace and twine. And I threaded some sequins onto the twine to kind of reflect the headband.

I have used the fantastic sketch at Sketch 'n' Stash - it's been a while since I played along but this sketch seemed to suit my image and papers perfectly.

 

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Freshly Made Sketch and Some Birds

I really enjoyed using the Freshly Made Sketches sketch last week, so decided I'd have another go this week. And I'm really glad I did, as I've end up with a card that's a bit different to my norm:0)

I've used my new £1 bird stamp from Hobbycraft, which has been paper-pieced with some scraps of Memory Box Spearmint papers. They've been cut and matted onto Spellbinders Labels 2 die cuts. The label is a tag from Tesco that has had some washi tape added before going through the Cuttlebug Hearts embossing folder. Some washi tape was added to the black label too. The tag had a scrap of ribbon and a button sewn onto it to add a bit more colour and texture. The For You sentiment is from LOTV. Some Silver Stickles complete the simple card.

I would also like to enter:

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

My Mum's Craft Shop - Valentines / Love

 

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A Family Valentines Picture

For my birthday, my mam and dad got me a pyrography (wood burning) set. And I must confess that it has taken a further 4 months to actually use it.....shocking!

But I have finally used it to burn a flower pattern and some writing onto the wooden hearts, which I bought at Hobbycraft. I have added some Platinum Stickles to the designs too as you need a bit of bling, don't you?! The paper hearts were cut using my Sizzix Framelits die and Que Sera Sera paper. The frame has been recycled from an old family picture pre-Euan and had some Hobbycraft roses and gold leaves glued to it. I have it hanging in my kitchen, where I see it almost all the time.....I spend ALOT of time in my kitchen!

So, as you will probably have already guessed, our theme at Dream Valley this fortnight is Valentines / Love and we are sponsored by Meljens Designs. The team have made some gorgeous creations using a few of their designs. I'm looking forward to seeing your creations too.

Susie x

 

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Princess Zella

Well, it would seem that I AM getting back into blogging, huh?! And the commenting will follow soon too, I promise! Keeping my iPad handy in the kitchen seems to be doing the trick;0)

Anyway, back to the very beautiful (Saturated Canary) Princess Zella. I've coloured her with pro markers and challenged myself to do long blond hair....I am very comfortable with brown hair, less so with blond, but I'm reasonably pleased with this effort. I think I used Pastel Yellow, Buttercup and Primrose.

I've used Memory Box Spearmint paper, with some silver mesh from Hobbycraft, my beloved Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flouish die and xcut punched flowers. The flowers have French knots sewn into their centres and there are a few cross stitches (although I'm not sure that the effort of sewing through all the layers was worth the final effect!).

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Everybody Art - Monochrome Blue

Moving Along With the Times - Punch it Out

One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Totally Papercrafts - Make your Own Embellishments

 

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Sketch Saturday Ballerina

I need to blog this ASAP to make the Sketch Saturday deadline......

I've used the LOTV Little Ballerina, coloured with pro markers and paper-pieced. I love making these little tutus - running stitch along some ribbon, together with some sequins and beads gives a lovely effect for something so easy! I've used the beautiful First Edition Spring Drop papers, some Hobbycraft twine, star charm from stash and the all important Stardust Stickles. "Living the Dream" is the name of the show that Aimee, together with my two kiddlywinks and lots of their friends are starring in next week.

I would also like to enter :

Inky Chicks - Bingo (image, flowers and die cuts)

One Stop Craft Challenge - Sparkle and Bling

Stamping For the Weekend - Something Metal (star charm)

Totally Gorjuss - Flowers (lots on the papers)

 

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A Trip to The Park

It's been quite a while since I've inked up this cutie, but A Trip to The Park has been duly inked, coloured (with promarkers) and paper-pieced. I've been in a bit of a digi phase lately and haven't yet attempted to print onto scraps, but I LOVE paper piecing!

I have kept the layout simple as the papers are quite bright - MME Fine & Dandy Girl, i think. I'm sure I followed a sketch but I can't seem to find one that matches what I've done so maybe I went "off-piste" and made it up! (But apologies if you DO recognise it.) The ribbons are from my stash and the flower is a cheapy from The Works, with a card candi centre.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Girly

Sweet Stampin - Ribbon

 

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Somewhere Over the Rainbow

This is another of my recent Saturated Canary purchases, Pigtails. I've coloured her with polychromos and Stardust Stickles, but I think the blue bit of the dress needs a bit more shading.....

I've used the Freshly Made Sketches sketch for the first time. I've flipped the sketch and hope that that is allowed. The papers are scraps from my lovely MME Everyday Flair pad, which I LOVE!! I decided to stick with the CAS layout, rather than add more papers and embellishments......tried that over the last week and it wasn't right for little Dorothy!

I would also like to enter:

Creative Card Crew - Girly

Stamping for the Weekend - Girly

Saturated Canary - Movie Inspiration (Wizard of Oz, obviously!!)

 

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Sketch Saturday Harvest Princess

I decided that I would have a go at the Sketch Saturday challenge - haven't done it for ages!! I used the gorgeous Saturated Canary Princess Harvest, coloured with polychromos. I've used my new paper, my new die and flowers and charm from stash.

I would also like to enter the following:

Creative Card Crew - Girly

Stamping for the Weekend - Something Girlie

Apologies for the short post. Louise has a show tonight......if we can get there safely now that the snow has finally arrived with us!!!!

 

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Girls, Girls, Girls

Oh, what an exciting and easy challenge we have for you at Dream Valley today - Girls, Girls, Girls......and we're sponsored by Robyn's Fetish!

I decided that this challenge was a fantastic excuse to print and colour some of my lovely Saturated Canary images. I've coloured her with my pro markers and decided that she needed black hair....which let me use a forgotten colour combo: black, cool grey 5, 4, 3 and pastel blue - great fun! I thoroughly enjoyed colouring my Princess Honor and wanted to ensure that she took centre stage, so I kept the layout and embellishments very simple: A First Edition paper, some Cheery Lynn Vines, some flowers and text card candi. There's still room for a sentiment...once I decide what it will be!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Saturated Canary - Movie Inspiration (Pochahontas)

Card Mania - Oh So Girly

Divas By Design - Make It Girly

Inky Chicks - Anything Goes
Stampin' for the Weekend - Something Girly

I'm looking forward to see your Girly creations for Dream Valley!

Susie x

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Joggers into a Shoe Bag

Louise had outgrown her dancing school joggers, but they seemed in too good condition to bin and we don't know another Louise to pass them on to, so.........

I made one of the legs into a shoe bag to hang up her gym shoes at school! I cut off one of the legs and sewed up the bottom part. Then inset some cord (from a battered gift bag) and sewed the edge, using Fly / Y stitch to be decorative. The flower is made from part of an old leotard, gathered with running stitch, sewn to the shoe bag with a sparkly button sewn in its centre. Fantastic fun, a practical item from an unusable one, made in less than an hour! Now to think of what to make with the rest of the joggers and leotard!!

A close up of the fly stitching and flower - my mam taught us well!!!!

I would like to enter the Cupcake Craft Challenge - Anything But a Card

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In My World

Ok, I'm being brave here and showing one of my Smash pages. I LOVE smashing but don't often feel confident in blogging them. But I had a Saturated Canary colouring fest just before Christmas and was determined to enter the challenge. This time it's song inspiration.

A while back, Krista had explained a game she plays with her kids where they imagine a fantasy world. I had a go with Lou ages ago and it was loads of fun. This page was originally going to reflect my fantasy world........zip wire from house to wherever, cycle paths, dance studio, control of time, everyone being nice, etc.......except it changed!

As I did the first 2 parts, which were the nice body and landscape parts, I realised that actually, I'm lucky enough for lots of my fantasy elements to be real.........I just need to appreciate them more or to make time to enjoy them! I WOULD still like to control time, but I am going to try to change my outlook a little. I know that I get hung up on details and like perfection, but it is not always necessary to set such high standards for myself....I need to be ok with lower standards and expectations sometime, then I may have more time to enjoy my children, or the hills, or exercise, or whatever more! Wish me luck:0)

So, I have used a page in my Pink Smash Book, together with some fab Darling Dear papers and elements. I've used Saturated Canary Krafty Kate and Jamie Workout. Both have been coloured with pro markers. I've also used my new Spellbinders Foliage die, which I'm loving!

So, I would like to enter the Saturated Canary challenge - Song Inspiration ( In My World by Moody Blues - my dad will be proud!!)

And here are a few close-ups:

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Blossom

I hadn't used this little lady for AGES, but I think I'll be using Blossom more often, now that I've rediscovered her. She's nice and quick to colour and would suit any age or occasion.

I coloured her with pro markers and layered her onto scraps of MME Everyday papers. I computer generated the sentiment.

I've also stamped her ready to colour with my distress inks......I haven't coloured with these for sooooo long, I'm not sure I'll remember how!!!!

So, I would like to enter her into the following challenges:

The Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes

My Mum's Craft Shop - Anything Goes

 

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The Return of Dream Valley

Welcome to the return of the Dream Valley Challenge! I hope you've all had a great Christmas and new year, with a few crafty gifts thrown in?!

 

The first challenge back at Dream Valley is a perfectly easy one....Anything Goes. There were a few cards I could choose as I had a fantastically crafty few days before Christmas.....but I decided that we needed colour at this grey time of year and I wanted to showcase one of my favourite styles or techniques - the use of scraps.

This card was so easy...I "tiled" the scrap strips from a previous card together, matted it onto red paper, added some flowers and a sentiment and done!!

And this is one of the cards that the scrap strips came from:

 

I decided that I would look through my craft things and try to use something I haven't for ages....in this case, the heart embossing template, the card squares and the multicoloured flowers. Ad I loved the bright colours for this time of year!

So, I am looking forward to seeing what you create for us at Dream Valley this fortnight. Happy crafting!

Susie x

 

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My Bairn' Cards

I finally had time to make cards for my kiddywinks. In the hope that I wouldn't be last minute for these, I'd coloured the images at the end of November/beginning of December .....that worked well, huh!?!

Louise's uses the beautiful Stockings from Saturated Canary. Louise loves her onesies, hence the choice if image. And her hair has been cut shorter too!




Euan's uses Sugar Nellie's My Friend Flakey. I chose this image as Euan has a red Pom Pom hat like the boy in the image. And I used my new pearl pen for some snow.

For both cads, I've used my promarkers to colour and the lovely Dovecraft Back to Basics Modern Christmas papers. Used Kraft card blanks too, which I'm loving! Wasn't sure what Lou would make of the Kraft but she lived it and thought it made the bright papers stand out better! And Euan loved his card too. Phew!!

Have a wonderful Christmas, peeps....I hope Santa is good to you all! x


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Dream Valley - Christmas

My, I'm a bit late with this.....time has slipped away into another realm and I got a little mixed up!  But my lovely team mates have provided lots of lovely Christmas samples for the super easy Christmas theme for this month.  And we have 3 sponsors for this challenge!!

I had lots of cards and even some floral decorations I could share, but I have decided to share this card that I made for my mam and dad.  I have woven some scrap paper strips, matted onto red paper, added some ribbbon and a bow, sequins, beads and some beautiful gold leaves and a rose from Hobbycraft.  I really loved making this card and I'm sure my mam will love the rose and design, even though I've mounted it onto a Kraft card and mam doesn't like browns!!  (But it looked right, and more modern on the Kraft rather than white card.....!)

I would also like to enter this card into the Anything Goes Challenge - Traditional Christmas Colours

A Sugar Bowl Entry!

Finally, I am blogging one of the many cards I have been making! This card uses the gorgeously cute SugarNellie Warm Winter Wishes, coloured with my polychromo pencils, Stardust Stickles and Picket Fence Distress Stickles. I just know that this is going to be one of my top Christmas images this year!!

The papers are my new Dovecraft basics, which I love.....the colours are fab!

I'll decide on the sentiment soon but decided to blog while I have half a chance!!

I'm trying BlogPress from my phone, so there are no links at the mo......maybe it is possible but my sleepy brain can't work out how yet! Maybe next time. Will add the links for my challenges tomorrow:
SugarBowl Blog - sketch and Winters Tale theme
SugarNellie Facebook challenge - Glitter

Ok, so here it goes.....will it work?!
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Non-Traditional Christmas

 Phew, a fortnight has passed and I haven't been able to blog but I HAVE been really busy........ and had a fantastic time in Austria with my family and my sister, nephew and brother in law!!  So good to spend some time with my sis again!

Anyways, the new challenge at Dream Valley is Non-Traditional Christmas,  The team have, as always, provided a wealth of ideas and inspiration.

Whilst I was in Stainach, my sister took me to the flower shop her friend owns.  Wow, I was like the proverbial kid in a sweet shop....so many gorgeous creations to behold....wall hangings, floral displays, table decorations, candle holders, cones, leaves.....and wicker type decorations.  So I was brimming with lots of enthusiasm and ideas but not really sure what to make......until I entered Dunelm Mills and saw these wicker hearts!!  Then I knew that I would me making a decoration for my home!

So, I have wrapped ribbon through the outside of the heart - more fiddly and time-consuming than I thought it would be!!  I bunched up some rafia into a sort of bow, or "leaves".  Then I added the beautiful roses I got from Hobbycraft.  But it was missing something....So I had some fun with some floristry wire and beads and added the mint and teal "leaves".  I love red and teal/mint/turquoise together - fresher and more "me" than the traditional red and GREEN.  The original white hanging ribbon was jazzed up with red ribbon, sequins and beads sewn onto each side of it (so that It looks nice when it's hanging.  All the bits were secured in place with my fantastic glue gun.

So, what are you going to create for us at Dream Valley?  I'm looking forward to seeing!

Susie x

Hand Me Down Picture

 

 

Hello peeps! It's Sunday and time for another challenge at Dream Valley.....this week is super easy......Anything Goes!

 

So I decided to use the gorgeous Hand Me Down from Krista. I've coloured her with polychromos and added her to a wee picture frame, just for a change! I've even distressed the edges of some paper......and added odd buttons to add to her hand me down appearance and name.

 

Apologies for brevity and lack of links just now, but I'm in Austria visiting my sis and ran out of time before I left. Will update on my return!

 

Take care ,and have a lovely Sunday.

 

Susie x