Happy Birthday

 Good Sunday morning all!  This one happens to say Happy Birthday, but could easily be for a wedding, anniversary or just thinking of you (it was probably just the handiest sentiment stamp at the time!LOL)  Using the Bevelled Glass striplet, I cut a background by continuously cutting the die three times across a piece of coconut white card.  It is amazingly easy to line up and cut each time so you have a quick background ready to go.  I placed a self adhesive sticky sheet behind it so the adhesive was exposed through the cut out areas on the front.  I coated it with Diamond Sprinkles for a blingey tone on tone white card.  Next I gave it a thin white mat and added white flatback pearls to the some of the cut out areas.  Using the Delicate Daisy Open Petal die set, I cut several and layered them up to make two different sized white flowers.  I added a pearl to the centres then seated them on a piece of white tulle to the left side of my card.  I stamped my sentiment (from the Cr. Exp. Bold Sentiment stamp set) using a clear Perfect Medium pad and heat embossed it with Silver Shine embossing powder.  I cut it into a strip and ran the Brushed Pewter Distress stain dabber along both sides to edge it.  I added some mounting foam to the back and tucked the end under my flower.  I completed my card with a white paper pierced mat, a thin silver card mat and a final white mat.  The finished dimensions are 8" x  8" in size.

Now for the Weekly Comment Game winners.  This week's winners are:
Helen Bell!!!
Nina Spear!!!
Margaret M!!!

From the extra qualifying post of Wed. Jan. 21st, the winners are:
Carol Quinn!!!
JJ!!!
Icelady!!!

Congratulations!  Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prizes.  All for now, Sue x

Double Butterflies

Hello there my crafty friends!  I have a two-fer for you today.  Both butterfly cards.  They are both really simple styled cards and I just didn't think that giving them each a separate day was worthwhile.  I know you like the two-fers too so two it is!  First up, is a elegant distressed card.  I selected three soft pastel shades and tore on side of each, staggered them and taped them into place on to a larger piece of white card.  I stamped a sentiment (looked everywhere for a butterfly related sentiment, but alas, no luck!) in black Archival ink in the upper left corner.  I covered a small piece of white card with a sticky adhesive sheet.  I peeled the backing off and coated it with Diamond Snow.  I used the largest butterfly from my Magical Butterfly die set and cut it out for a bit of bling.  I glued white flat back pearls down the body, bent the wings up and glued it into place in the right hand corner.  I finished the card with my usual pierced white edge with another white mat to finish it off.  The finished dimensions are 6 3/4" x  8" in size.  Scroll down for card no. two.

Card number two is a remake of a card that I did about three years ago.  This time I used my butterfly dies and one of my Pinpoint embossing folders. I really liked that card and wanted to see it done with my dies.  The butterflies are going up the card the opposite direction of the original, but it is virtually the same card.  I embossed the lower portion of the card by running a piece of white card through with my Floral Brocade embossing folder.  I hand cut a diagonal edge and then attached it to another piece of white card on which I stamped my sentiment in black in the upper left hand corner.  Using another one of the butterflies from the Magical Butterfly die set, I cut five white ones using the decorative insert and the outer cutting edge.  I selected five pastel shades of card and used just the outer cutting edge to cut one butterfly from each of the colours.  I glued them together only down the body, allowing the wings to move freely.  I added small white flatback pearls down each of the bodies after attaching them along my diagonal hand cut edge.  I finished this card the same way with a single white mat layer that I paper pierced and a final white mat.  Both simple cards, but I like the clean look of them.  The finished dimensions on this one is
 6 1/2" x  8" in size.  Do you have a favourite?

Also, I have a quick question for everyone.  I have been very surprised by the number of emails that I have received about putting my You Tube videos on to a DVD.  We have checked into doing this and a double disc DVD with roughly about 20 of my demos on the two disc set would have to retail for about £14.99.  How do you feel about that?  Is it still something that you would be interested in?  We are of two minds about this so I thought I would ask the question to all my blog followers.

And finally, the winner of this week's Wednesday Card Giveaway is:

Alimecca!!!

Congratulations!  Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prize. All for now, Sue x

Never Far From Home

Hello bloggers!  Today's card showcases a bit of stamping for a change.  I started with the background and embossed the Quilted Flower in coconut white for a bit of texture.  Next I stamped the Tulips in black and coloured them with Distress markers, using Milled Lavender and Forest moss.  I cut the flowers out with the Auvergne die, leaving in the die and inking the edges with Milled Lavender distress ink for a soft frame effect.  I cut a piece of mauve card using the larger die in the set for a mat.  I stamped just the tulips again, coloured them and cut them out to add on to the original flowers with mounting foam.  I shaped the flowers a bit with a stylus too to give them dimension.  I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with the Justrite tag die from the  Vintage Labels Seven die set.  I shaded it with Milled Lavender too before removing it from the die.  I mounted it across the stems with foam.  I added an Itty Bitty Mosaic and Classic bow made out of mauve and white card.  The bow is just the right size for these flowers, don't you think?  I cut an Austrian border in white and added it below my die cut for a little extra detail.  I mounted this piece on a wide white border and filled it in with my Paved Pearl technique using Cosmic Shimmer white PVA glue dots in varying sizes to achieve the effect.  A thin mauve mat and a finally white mat completed the card.  The finished dimensions are 7" x  8 1/2" in size.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!  All for now, Sue x

Geometric Squares

Hi crafters!  Lovely simple card today that shows off one of the matching stamps for my New York Collection.  It adds a really nice touch to the focal piece and requires very little work, but gives a real Wow element to the card.  It's a short one today so I hope you will be able to take a few minutes and give it a watch!

The finished dimensions are 8" x  8" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Wednesday Weekly Card Giveaway

 Hello everyone!  It's time for another card giveaway (they do come around quickly, don't they?)  If you would like to be entered in the drawing to win this card, just leave me a comment.  There is one disclaimer, however, this card cannot be posted out until after I do my shows on the 7th and 8th of Feb.  Mainly because I forgot to leave enough cards for the giveaway to be posted out while I am away, sorry about that!  Hopefully it will be a nice surprise for the winner when it finally arrives!  Using the Scandinavian Background, cut it in coconut white card and leave a wide margin around the edge.  Add mounting foam to the back edge and around the centre for support.  Mount it over another piece of white card for a tonal look.  Stamp your sentiment in black and cut into a strip and add a forked end to it.  Lightly ink the edges with Dusty Concord distress ink.  Using the Complete Camellia die, make several flowers using the same method as the Blossoms Five Flower tutorial at the top of the blog.  I used Lilac card, then inked the petal edges with Dusty Concord distress ink.  Add to the centre of the background seated in some white tulle, along with the sentiment strip.  Cut several Mosaic Leaves and Twigs (from the Holly Accessory kit set) and seat them around the flowers as embellishments.  Pierce a white mat layer, add a thin Lilac mat, then a final white mat to complete the card.  The finished dimensions are 6 3/4" x  8 3/4" in size.  Don't forget to leave a comment.  I will draw the winner and post the name on Saturday's blog post.  All for now, Sue x

Quilt Card

Hi there bloggers!  You have seen a similar card before, in fact, there is a tutorial at the top of my blog that shows this technique.  This card however, has been done using a slight adaptation to that technique and it also uses my New York Collection so the finished card will look slightly different.  If you are a visual learner, the video might be an easier way to come to grips with the quilting technique too.  I hope you enjoy it!

 The finished dimensions are 7 1/2" x  7 1/2" in size.  All for now, Sue x

You Made My Day

Hello crafters!  Today's card offering has a rather unique background treatment.  I used the Austrian border die and cut eight of them out of coconut white card.  On a piece of mauve card, I glued four of them in place horizontally.  Next, I glued four more in place over the top, but this time I set them vertically.  The total effect has a sort of spirograph (did those make it across the pond or are you scratching your head, asking "what is she talking about!" LOL) look to it.  It was very busy so I decided to soften it a bit by adding a piece of vellum over the top of it.  You can still see it, but it doesn't compete with the focal element this way.  I used Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue in the corners to attach the vellum.  If you just put a drop in the corners then wipe it flat, it doesn't show when it dries.  I always add pearls to the corners though as I just think it looks unfinished otherwise, but it is nice to know that it isn't necessary to hide the glue!  I used the Innsbruck die set to cut a frame for my focal element.  I cut the decorative top piece out of white card, then backed it with a mauve card piece, glued them together, then cut the centre out of both pieces together.  I added mounting foam to the back and raised it for dimension.  I stamped my sentiment in black then cut it out with the oval from the Vienna die set.  I inked it lightly with Dusty Concord distress ink before removing it from the die.  I cut an Austrian tag to seat my sentiment on and attached them both in the centre of my frame.  I tied a messy bow from mauve seam binding and attached it to the lower right side of my frame.  I made two matching stick pins for my bow and topped the bow with a white crystal sparkler.  To finished the card, I added a wide white mat where I used Cosmic Shimmer white PVA glue to dot all the way around the edge.  A thin mauve card mat and a final coconut white mat completed the card.  The finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x 8" in size.  All for now, Sue x