It's all about the stationary at Top Tip Tuesday...

Hello!

It's time for another Top Tip Tuesday, and this time it is to use stationary... if I'm being 100% honest I really struggled with this one - I'm more of a flowers and bows kind of a crafter than a metal one.  Maybe I see too much stationary every day at work to get inspired by it when I'm trying to relax :-D

Anyway, after a bit of a think I dug out some paper fasteners/brads and started playing... as I needed a thank you card, and had unearthed a whole heap of scraps my card came together.  I guess I could have popped an image on here, but I quite like the simplicity of this one without!  The brad was a bit brassy for the papers, so I coloured it with a Copic marker, I think it looks OK, and is a good way of matching metal items to your project.  Although I would recommend more patience than I had first time round, and letting the ink dry, or you end up covered :-)

Anyway, hope you like my interpretation of this weeks theme...

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xxx

Clean and Simple at Top Tip Tuesday

Hello!  Long time no see :-)

I hope you had a great New Year!  Are you getting used to writing 2014 yet?  I'm still at the think about it before writing stage!

Right onto today's card for Top Tip Tuesday which is 

Clean and Simple

I will admit to New Year Blues when making this one, and my mojo is still obviously nursing her New Years Eve hangover...

I remembered seeing something quite cool with brads a while ago, I can't remember where or when though, so while I was tiding my craft stash up (OK... I'll admit, I wasn't tiding, I was trying to find something I'd lost!)  I found a pot of the things, and some circle punches and inspiration struck!!

I desperately need to send some Thank You cards and this was pretty quick and easy, once I'd stopped faffing and got on with it!  I can see a little production line of these being turned out!  Actually, as I'm typing this, wouldn't it be cool to make 6 of these and a little gift box to put them in... oooh... I think my mojo has woken up!!

Anyway, enough with the blah blah blah... here's my card

Oh, and if the bottom right brad looks a bit sparkly, it's because it is!  It seemed that I only had 5 brown brads and as I'd already punched the holes had to find something that toned in, fortunately I had one (thank goodness I'd not punched 7 holes!) dark gold sparkly brad.

A few circles punched out of corrugated card here and there and a typewriter style stamp and it was finished... don't know why I was faffing so much!!

Please can I enter the following challenges

(I'll add these later - I need to get to work now!!)

Thanks for stopping by... hopefully now my Mojo is up and running there will be more to share soon

Hugs,

Sue xx

Thank Goodness It's the Weekend!!

Oh my, anyone else grateful it's the weekend, I don't seem to have stopped at all in the last few weeks, but at least I have two days off, and at last my PC is nearly fixed and I should be getting it back on Monday... whoo hoo!!

Tomorrow I am off to the Scrapbook Sisters crop and am meeting up with my blogging buddy Pam for a crafty day... omg what if she doesn't like me in real life!! :-D

I'm pretty much packed and ready to go, I just want to print a couple of images and I'm good... the kitchen sink was a bit of squeeze but I got it in eventually :-D  As usual I know I have over packed but the worrying thing is that if you look at my craft area you'd hardly know that there was anything missing... hmm, not that it will stop me stocking up on a few must haves tomorrow you understand, jsut shhh, don't tell HB... I'm thinking I might try the "oh that, I've had it ages" line, not that he'll believe me :-D

Anyway, enough of my blah, blah, blah, I actually have a card to share, after days of nothing I got off my backside and made something

And I did an easel card, something I've not done in ages, should do more they are really effective, and are really popular with my regulars at work!!

Love these MME papers... so much I made a box to go with it too...

I'd love to say the decoration on the box is my own work, but no it's all on the papers, nothing much else needed!!

The sentiment panel is tucked away

And I used a Magnum sentiment on one of my new Memory Box Dies

Along with my favourite cat... Magnum... just love him, sooo usable!!  I love doing him stripey!!  I used the tuna can from the add on set, which turn this puddy into an all occaion cat :-D

Right, that's it from me, as I have SOOO much to get on with before I go to bed... have a great weekend
 
Sue xx

P.S.  Please may I enter these challenges
Crafty Ribbons - Paws for thought
iCopic Challenge - Animals
My Mums Craft Shop - Buttons and Ribbons

Getting Sketchy at Scrapbook Sisters!

Hello!!

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Challenge is one of my favourites - a Sketch!!

This is the rather fabulous sketch

I love sketches like this as they are so versatile!

Here's what I did with it

I hadn't coloured up this gorgeous mask - available from Scrapbook Sisters for an absolute steal, can you believe this gorgeous image for just 95p - wow!!

You can't see too well in the picture but there are stickles here there and everywhere on this card... hmmm why is glitter such a nightmare to photograph!!

I've embossed the centre panel with a script/butterfly background stamp, but didn't want to do too much as the paper is quite busy :-D

That's it from me today, sorry it's short and sweet but my head is fit to burst!!  Work getting in the way of crafting again... boo!!

Before I do, please may I enter these challenges
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Make It Sparkle
Lexi's Creations - Monochromatic
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Sue xx

Exciting news!!!!

Hello!  Hope you are having a great week!!

So my excellent news is that I am now a very proud member of the Southern Girls DT... WHOO HOO!!!  I am so excited to be joining such a great team, and getting to know all the other DT members :-D

Can you tell I'm pleased?!  Actually you should have seen me when I got the email, it was a good five minutes of doing the happy clappy dance round the house.  On second thoughts I'm quite glad no-one was pointing a camera at me, I must have looked like a right idiot!!  LOL :-D

Anyway, I promised I'd be blogging a bit more now that the kids are back at school and I'm determined to keep to my resolution, so todays card is a fairly simple Thank You card, as I find it's always handy to have a few on hand to send out, and my stocks were running a bit low.

 

 I figured out how to change the colour of the digi sentiment to better match my colour scheme.  Not a big thing I know, but I am a bit technically challenged, and I was absurdly proud of myself!!

You can just see in the picture that I have embossed the centre panel.  Isn't that odd, I haven't used my heat gun in ages, but it's been used a few times this week already!

Supplies: White card blank - Craftwork Cards; Bazzill "Brocade" CS; Basic Grey "Blush -  Admire" DP; 

Images: Bild Malarna stamp coloured with Copics, Whimsy Digi Sentiment

Tools/other :Martha Stewart border punch; Corner rounder; Versamark; Clear embossing powder; Heat Gun; Lace; Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!  Sue xx

Please may I enter these challenges

ECP Challenges - Thank You or Autumn

Whimsy Stamps  - Die Cuts/Punches

Nursery Graduation, a thank you card and a hug!!

Hello!!

Just a quick post from me as we are off to Mallory Park racetrack tonight to help the raceteam that HB's company sponsors in a race tomorrow... that sounds very jet set, but F1 this ain't!!  Fingers crossed they do well though

Today I am sharing a card I made for my youngest son's nursery school teacher who left on Friday.  It was also their graduation ceremony as they all start going to big school in the next couple of weeks.  An emotional day as he has been at the same nursery with more or less the same staff since he was 2 months old

Here's some pics of the card

 

I was pushed for time, so kept it simple and used the sketch from this weeks Simon Says Stamp Challenge

I used a Mo Manning Digi (think it is called You're my best...) and teamed him with some MME papers and dotty Bazzill, Whimsey ticket and Woodware sentiment, some twine and a big bold button.  I've cut him out and rolled a ball tool round the edge and adhered him with silicon

Please can I also enter

Bella and Bronte Challenge (Mo's Digi Pencil) - Back to School

(I'm hoping that this count as it's a leaving to go to school card)

I went to the ceremony, and he looked too cute in his mortar board

And I snapped some pictures of him with Kate, he made her cry by telling her he'd miss her!!  Having said that she is likely to still see him as she is going to the nursery that is attached to the school he is going to!

Right, gotta dash!!  Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Teacher's Thank You Cards

Good morning!!

Today is the first day of my holiday... hurrah!!  The last couple of weeks have been manic, what with all the end of term stuff, plus me trying to get ahead at work (despite the best efforts of some people... LOL!!).

James was in his school play in the last week of term, he did really well and I did shed a little tear!!  He didn't spot me though so his embarrassment was spared, LOL... he was an undertaker, a strange choice for a kids play I know, but it was a western, and there's always an undertaker in a western!!

Then at the weekend we had a thing at home for Sam cos it was his 4th birthday, so we had 10 kids and associated parents round, luckily the weather held out and we had a bouncy castle in the garden and I think everyone enjoyed themselves, Sam certainly did!!

We are planning on having a few days out, we might go away if the weather holds, but maybe not.  I'm taking a few days out to go through the wardrobes and kick out anything that isn't worn or doesn't fit, and my airing cuboard needs a good going through too!!  Don't panic though as I'll definately be crafting!!  And I also hope to spend some time having a good trawl through blog land (sorry to everyone, life got a bit hectic and I haven't had chance to have a good look for the last week or so!)

Today I'm sharing some of the cards I made for James' teachers... with teaching assistants there were 6 to do, so I kept it simple :-)

This one uses some Bo Bunny Papers that have a school theme (sorry can't remember what they are called!!),   Bazzill Kraft and Red Dotty CS, ribbon and button from my stash, and a Whimsey download ticket

 The next one uses Blue Bazzill, different ribbon, a spare ticket and MME papers - 29th Street Market - Original Bright Dot

LOL, look at these two, they look like twons... tee hee!!  I picked the Landon image from the Lollipops collection by Lori Boyd, cute huh???

Hope they liked them!!

Right got to get going!!  Thanks for stopping by... if everything goes according to plan, I'll try and post something tomorrow...

I'd like to enter my card into this challenge please

C.R.A.F.T - Thank You Teacher

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 44 - Thank You Very Much

 Hello!!

This week at Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge the theme is

Thank You Very Much

Now, I don't know about you, but I am shocking at sending thank you cards, but they are always so appriciated

I used some Fancy Pants Baby Mine papers from a recent scrapbook class - these ones are Adore and Little One, but there are plenty from the rest of the range on the website, and the layout is from this weeks Card Patterns sketch

Sentiment is a Whimse download and I have turned it grey in Photoshop - don't ask me how, I just fiddled until it looked the colour I wanted - a soft grey.  I printed it out and distressed it a bit!  The butterfly was a win from a little while ago - it's a embroidred one and quite pretty and I thought it went well with the feel of this card :-)

Before I forget, there is still time to enter this fortnights Scrapbook Sisters Giveaway, and you can win all these lovely goodies

Otherwise I hope you can join in with the challenge

Thanks for looking

Sue  xx

Please can I also enter these challenges
Craft Room Challenge - Butterflies
Crafty Catz - A Vintage Look
The Sisterhood of Crafting - Thank You

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 43 - Just for Teacher

Hello!!

This week the Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is the theme of

Just for Teacher

Perfect timing as I have a whole host to do for both my eldest son's school teachers to say thanks for teaching him this year and (getting a bit tearful here!) my youngest son who will be leaving his pre-school to start school proper this September - either way I have about 10/12 to do so need to get a wiggle on!!

Anyway, here's my card

I used some Near and Dear - Cameron by Dream Street Papers, some flowers from my stash and a Whimsy Ticket download, and a Mo Manning Digi, how sweet is he!!

I used a piece of saddle stitch ribbon from Scrapbook Sisters

I'll write something appropriate inside nearer the time :-D

Thanks for looking

I'd like to enter this card into these challenges please!!

Paper Sundaes - Stitching

A Spoon Full Of Sugar - Sewing

Sue xx

Gotta run!!

Good afternoon!!

It's been one of those weeks where I haven't seemed to have five minutes to myself, work has been busy, and then there's been the usual running around after the kids, plus making a spanish costume, parent/teacher talks, a school event yesterday, big son to cub camp last night and then I should put in an appearance at the school fete this afternoon, but I'll see how time goes  Oh and my fortnightly scrapbook class on Tuesday!!  My poor little feet hurt!!  I popped out to Scrapbook Sisters earlierfor a bit of me time (and just a little spend... well it'd been rude not too!!)  HB and I are planning on getting MIL/FIL to babysit the small one this evening and go out for a bit of adult conversation, and a bit of a chill out.

Anyway, one of the cards I had to make was for one of small sons nursery school teachers who was leaving to move away as her HB has a job miles away :-(  She looked after big son from when he was 2 and small son from when he was 3 months, so has been a big influence on them, and I wanted to make her a special card to say thank you.  Poor love spent most of her last day in tears, it must have been so emotional to leave.

Anyway, I thought I had a bit more time to make the card than I actually did, but head ladybug Kerry came to my rescue by getting Guilty Jack to me (thanks Kerry!!)

I toyed with using kiddy papers but settles for something soft and lucious instead

I've done similar before, but I was in a massive hurry to get this one finished and this wasn't the time to get all experimental :-D

Don't you just love Jack - how can you tell him off when he looks like that :-)

I did the inside too, and the sentiment seemed appropriate for her

I can't remember who the sentiment is by, but it is from a big set of boy phrases...

I wrote on the other panel, and made her cry again!!

In case you haven't spotted it Ladybug Crafts Ink stamps are the giveaway on the front of Simply Cards and Papercraft this month - I found a copy, but they are brilliant images and are sure to sell fast, so get your's quick!!

Anyway, that's it from me today, have a great weekend

Sue xx

 

I think I'm in love :-)

How can I have left this stamp uninked since I got it the other week at Ally Pally?!?!

OMG I love it now :-)  It's a Bild Malarna stamp called Rose Fence, and I am kicking myself for not getting some more of their gorgeous stamps at the time - fingers crossed they will be back at Ally Pally later in the year :-)

I have made this card into a thank you card for HB's boss and his wife as we went round their house last weekend for dinner, and I used the lovely sketch this week from Mojo Monday to kick start me, some Basic Grey papers, a Ladybug Crafts Ink sentiment, some Bo Bunny ribbon and white and dark rose Bazzill CS.  I also followed Mary J, my LCI teamie's instructions and had a go at adding some blue colour (actually it's a blend of several blues, greys and pale lilacs) round the top of the image - not bad for a first try!  Although bother my photography skills, as ever it looks SOOOO much better IRL!!

I was stunned that I managed to get the image to look like this on a first attempt - sometimes with new stamps it takes me a couple of attempts before I am happy, but this little baby was a breeze!

Right, gotta dash... last day of work this week before the long Easter weekend :-)  Although I have a horrible feeling that it's going to feel like a Thursday and Friday rolled into one!!  I think we are going to be out and about (I'm planning going for a fish pedicure on Saturday, I'll let you know how that goes!!) and also doing some work in the garden over the weekend... but I have made it clear I am going to be crafting at some point ;-)

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges please


Totally Stampalicious - Lean and Simple (hope this counts as clean and simple enough!!)
Ambers Crafts - Ribbons and Bows

Paper Shelter Challenge - Nature Inspired
Cards and Things - Colous Challenge
Karen's Doodles Netherlands - Punch
The Crafty Calendar - April Showers Bring Forth May Flowers
Basic Grey - Easter/Spring

Have a great day

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 19 - Thank You

Hi!

This week the Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

Thank You

Now I don't know about you but I think it's always handy to have a few Thank You cards to hand to send whenever you want to let someone know you appriciate them :-)

Strangely though, I like Thank You cards to be fairly clean and simple in style, as opposed to my usual style of layers, embelishments and images a-plenty.  No, doesn't make sense to me either!!

Here's my card

I've used Kraft coloured cardstock and stamped the Heidi Swapp sentiment in Timber Brown Stazon directly onto the card.  I used a panel of Bo Bunny Flutter Butter paper, mounted it on Brown Bo Bunny Double Dot Paper, and wrapped some twine round the card.

The image is from the Gayle Bond/Scrapbook Sisters Florals stamp set also in Timber Brown and then coloured it with Distress Inks, which is something I don't usually do, but I quite like the soft look it gives :-)  After a quick dig aroud in my button jar I tied it with twine and stuck it onto the card.

Looking forward to seeing your creations

Sue xx

Sunday quick post

Well it was meant to be Sunday, but looks like I have tripped into Monday morning :-)

I made a couple of cards today, which I'll save for later in the week, but thought I'd share a one of the quick thank you cards I made to send to people whose house we visited, or sent presents to us or the kids.  I've quite a few to make so they are all the same, more or less.

I've used some Kraft-ish CS that I got from the Paper Mill today - although I ended up having to go to the one in Medway cos the one in Ashford has shut down.

I couldn't resist doing the insides with the left over papers though :-)

Supplies

Kraft CS; Brown Bazzill; Paper - Abbey Road Vine, Bo Bunny; Gems; Ribbon; Sentiment - Woodware; Timber Brown Stazon

Hope you like it :-)

More tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Thank You

Cute Card Thursday - Thank You

Allsorts Challenge - Thank You

Sue xx

Blog Candy Update and 4 more teal cards!!

Evening I think this is nearly it for my teal cards before Saturday as I have got to get the banner made for the front of the table and more boxes for the cards that are too thick to go into envelopes than I care to think about!!  I'll see how I go, might sneek a couple more in yet!!

No idea what on earth I'm babbling about???  Check out this post to find out how you can win my now even-better-than-before-candy...  just take a peek at what you could win!! 

I'm so grateful to Kerry and Hayley for their really generous support, and to everyone who has sent me a card already, there are a few days left to enter - I need your card to reach me in time for the sale on Saturday

Right onto the cards

First up... a couple of simple little cards made using the sketch over at Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge 91.  I've used two of the Digi Stamps by Mo Manning - You're My Best and I Love It, and I got my sewing machine out for these two, cute huh?

I just adore this image, just like my youngest son, although he seems to have taken ownership of all cuddly toys in our house!



Again so reminds me of my son :-) 

Aged 3 he takes the philosophy of

"If it's mine it's mine,

if it's yours it's mine,

if I like it's mine,

if I can take it from you it is mine,

if I am playing with something ALL of the pieces are mine,

if I think is mine it's mine,

if I saw it first it's mine,

if I had it then put it down it's still mine,

if you had it then you put it down it's now mine,
if it looks like the one I have at home it's mine,

if it is broken it's yours."

I'd like to enter them for these challenges

Little Red Wagon Challenge 46 - Stars
One Stitch at a Time Challenge 31 - Happy Birthday
Mo's Challenge 49 - Bright White (I'm really hoping there is enough white on these cards to qualify)
Paper Romance Challenge - Birthday or Christmas
Creative Cottage Challenge 23 - Birthday Boy

Next up, a pair of Thank You/Thinking of you cards

I'd like to enter these cards for

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 130 - Tweet and Flutter

I Did It Creations Challenge 22 - Keep it Simple

Phew, that's it for today, thanks for stopping by :-)

Final 3 teachers cards

Hi!  I can't believe it's the middle of the week already!

I went to my regular class at Scrapbook Sisters last night... I won't do a spoiler (not until I run out of things to show you anyway :-)  ) but it was a great class and I made a very cheeky little layout... LOL... I think that is enough of a teaser!!  I'm back there on Saturday for their birthday crop (and mine as it happens as it's my birthday on Friday) as they are celebrating their 5th year this weekend (it's my 25th... ROFL!!!)

I've got to make a graduation card tonight for my mum to send out... I'm being nagged for it, so I must get it done - even at, ahem, 25 she still nags me :-)  

So apologies but I'm going to share the last three cards I have done for my son's teachers - only 3 more weeks of school left, I'm just glad I got these out of the way nice and early - last year the glue was still drying as he was trying to write them, oops, bad mummy!

Two of them are using the same papers as I used for the provious two and the third has Bo Bunny Love Bandit Papers.  The "Good Memories" are from a lovely set by Cloud 9 designs that are totally lovely and have been added to the growing pile of things that I must use more often!

Thanks for looking

Sue xx