Wednesday Weekly Card Giveaway

Hello crafters!  I absolutely love this card.  There is just something about it that sings to me!  I wanted to share it with you today so I have decided to put it up on offer as the card in this week's giveaway.  I started by stamping a piece of coconut white card with the flower from the Justrite stamp set called Stitched flower.  I used clear Perfect Medium and heat embossed it with True White detail powder.  Using the Decorative Frames set B from the California Collection, I cut an aperture in the centre of the card.  I added mounting foam to the background and added it to another piece of white card.  I recessed the die cut from the aperture and glued it into place.  I stamped the tag from the Baking Labels set and heat embossed it with white powder as well.  I cut it out with the matching Vintage tag and used Shaded Lilac Distress ink to highlight it.  I stamped my sentiment from the Bold Sentiment set and cut it out with the Set A from the California Collection.  I inked it with Shaded Lilac as well.  I mounted the pieces up in the centre of the aperture, then started work on the floral embellishment.  I used a piece of the purple felt from the Vintage felt pack and cut out the Filigree Ribbon and glued it in place across the card.  I made a rolled felt flower and added it to the side on top of some white tulle.  I cut a faux quilled leaf and cut it into pieces and used them around the flower.  I finished the flower with a pearl in the centre and a couple of matching stick pins that I made from my crafty stash.  Double white pierced mats finished the card nicely.  The finished dimensions are  7 3/4" x 8 1/4" in size. Leave me a comment if you would like to be in the drawing  for this one!  I will post the winner on Saturday's post.   All for now, Sue x

High Low Stained Glass

Hello crafters!  Today's card utilises a great technique that I call "the High-Low Technique"  If you haven't tried this technique, now is the time as you can follow along with me to give it a try.  Don't forget to click on the subscriber button and you will be emailed when new videos are added to our channel!
I landed safely yesterday and really enjoyed reading all the comments when we finally got in,
 thank you so much!  It's a double card day today for you so don't forget to scroll down to see card number two (after you watch the video of course!) LOL

Finished dimensions are 7" x 7" in size.  All for now, Sue x

 This second card today uses the Lavish Corners Background stamp by Justrite.  I stamped it on to coconut white card using the flake and glitter glue.  Once I cleaned the glue off of the stamp, I gilded the background using the Verdigris Gilding Flakes.  I used the Vintage Labels Six die and cut an aperture in the centre.  I added mounting foam to the back for dimension.  I cut one of the tags from the Bracket and Label tag set in black and added just the end of it to the inside of the aperture, just adding a bit of detail above my sentiment.  I stamped the sentiment (from What Defines Us) in black and mounted the background over it.  I used two of the Decorative Labels Eight cut in white to add a decorative edge around the background.  I added a black mat to give it some contrast before adding my white pierced edge layer.  I finished the card with a soft gold, black and then a final white mat.  Finished dimensions are
 6 3/4" x 7 3/4" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Thanks

Good morning crafters!  I thought I would share one of the cards made with the Spanish Collection today.  This is the Cordoba die set and it is unique in that it has an outer cutting die that leaves a pretty aperture that you can use.  I have cut the die out of coconut white card here and have added mounting foam to the aperture to raise it for dimension.  I love the way the open dots from the aperture really draw the eye in to the centre of the card.  I used the inside of the die cut and recessed it down on to peach card.  I cut the centre oval out of peach and added it to the centre of the card.  I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with the tag from the Spanish Collection and lightly inked it with Tattered Rose before removing it.  I mounted it in the centre with foam for dimension.  I used the Faux Quilled Blooms and cut several flowers out of peach card ad layered them up.  I seated the largest flower on a messy bow tied from white seam binding with which I decided to try an experiment  by cutting the loops in half.  It gives the overall finished bow a shabby chic appearance.  The remaining few flowers were scattered in the opposite corner.  I made a couple of pretty stick pins and added them to my bow.  The card was finished with a double white pierced mat with a thin peach mat in between.  Finished dimensions are 7" x 9" in size.  I hope you like it!

Thank you for all the wonderful hearfelt messages left for me yesterday!  It was a perfect weekend between the die shows being received so very well and the great big crafty hug I felt coming from everyone on the blog, thank you!  All for now, Sue x

You Light Up My Life

 Good Sunday morning all!  This happens to be the second card that I made when my die prototypes arrived in my hands.  (The first card was my daughter's birthday card last October!)  I just fell in love with this background from the Italian Collection and couldn't wait to see it all done up!  I cut it in coconut white card and inked the leaves with Shabby Shutters distress ink through the die to bring out the embossed vein.  I used Spun Sugar to add some pale pink to the flowers.  I decided to leave a wide border on the background so that I could add mounting foam and raise it for dimension.  I added the background over a piece of white glitter card so a bit of the bling shows through the die cut.  Using some white felt, I rolled it and made two flowers for my card.  I stamped my sentiment and tucked the end under the roses which I seated on some white tulle and added some pearl strings.  I finished this really simple card with a double white mat with a pierced inner layer.  Finished dimensions are 7" x 9" in size.

It is time for the Sunday Comment Game winners.  This week's winners are:

Grannysue!!!
Foxyg!!!
Margaret Corgi owner!!!

For the extra qualifying post of April 16th, the winners are:

Helen Barker!!!
Gingernuts!!!
Lynda McKittrick!!!

Congratulations all!  Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prizes.

I think that I need to address some of the issues that were brought up a few days ago.  When I moved to the UK eight years ago, I didn't know many people and because my work is done from home, didn't have a chance to really get to know anyone to make friends.  When I started my blog  and it began to grow, it was truly the first time that I felt connected to friends here, even if I hadn't met most of you in person, I began to get to know you through the comments left on my blog.  You, my blog family,  became my lifeline here and continue to do so. People always ask me if it is hard to keep up a daily blog and my answer is always the same, no, it is the easiest thing in the world to do.  What is hard however, and sometimes really heartbreaking for me, is to get to know so many people through my blog, read their comments every single day for months or even years and then they leave.  I always notice and sometimes I email them to see if they are okay, but the truth is that I never know why and often I see these same people commenting on other blogs.   It becomes very evident when I need to look back in the blog for something and then I see the names that have left and wonder why. Was it something I said or did?  Who knows, but I don't want anyone to stop commenting please because it is one of the things that keeps me blogging daily.   I always know that you are there reading the blog when you leave a comment and it just feels so much more personal to me then.  When I finish a card I really like, I actually get excited about being able to share it on the blog because I know I will get your feedback on it.  I don't want to lose that, it is so valuable in my life.    However, I also think we all need support in our lives at some point.  You were all there for me when my father passed away a few years ago, you helped so much, I cannot tell you.  I love the fact that my blog feels like a great big extended family and everyone cares for each other, everyone rallies to help with charitable causes, everyone is lovely and warm to each other.  It does pain me when I feel like someone doesn't feel welcome here as I want it to be a welcoming place to come for absolutely everyone.  I know that I cannot please everyone all the time, but it is in my nature to try.   I don't really know what is considered blog etiquette in this situation either, but I do know that I don't want anyone to stop coming to the blog.   While I don't really have any issues with anyone leaving the comments about issues in their life, perhaps we could just try to keep it more positive and that might help everyone feel like it is a little less weighty and more upbeat.  I truly hope that doesn't offend anyone, but hopefully will just bring about a sort of compromise that everyone can live with.   I will say that  I have been checking into adding a forum to the blog but I am reliant on the computer skills of others to help me bring this about, perhaps that is the answer here, I do not know.  If you have any suggestions , please email me directly.  All for now, Sue x

Congratulations

 Hi guys!  Today is the day that I have been looking forward to for quite a while as I'm really excited about actually showing off my dies on tv (wish me luck!)  I know that they have been out for several months now but I have been making cards with them since October so there are loads of samples that I haven't shown off yet!  This card is one of my favourites and would have been perfect for the wedding shows I just finished!  Using the Heart Striplet die, I cut it four times using the outside cutting edge each time.  Next I used just the outside edge and cut four backing pieces out of silver card.  I glued the decorative striplet piece (which I cut out of milk card) to the silver backing piece and added mounting foam to the backs.  Using my Basketweave embossing folder, I embossed a piece of milk card and matted it on silver.  I arranged my striplets so they were in a square and overlapping on one end.  I thought they made such a pretty frame like that.  I cut a length of silver satin  ribbon and made a flower from it following the exact same technique that I showed in my very first video found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu4JS2HlCb4   I seated the flower on some silver seam binding and added a stick pin and some dried baby's breath.  I stamped my sentiment and cut it into a flag and tucked the end under the flower.  I finished the card some flatback pearls around the striplets and a double pierced milk mat.  Finished dimensions are 8" x 8" in size.  I hope you can tune in for today's shows at 9am, 12 noon and 6pm and Sunday at 11am and 2pm!

I didn't forget either to do the drawing and  the winner of the Wednesday card giveaway is:

Julie laz!!!

Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prize!

You may have noticed (how could you miss it! LOL) that I have put up a link to all my YouTube videos on the right hand side of the blog.  If you click the link, then look in the upper right hand corner, you can click to become a subscriber.  This means that when ever there are more videos loaded on to You Tube, you will be sent an email notifying you of them (no need to wait until they are posted on my blog that way!)  If we can get the subscribers up, I think I shall have to celebrate that with a giveaway too!  All for now, Sue x

You Are So Sweet/ Sneak Peek

Good morning crafters!   I thought I would show you a card featuring my Faux Quilled Leaves die set.  They are finally back in stock and on the shows this weekend. This card is flat and uses a technique that I call "inlaid die cuts".  I have done a video using another set of dies on this technique so if you prefer the visual method of learning, then it will be along in the next few weeks sometime.  I started with two pieces of card, one periwinkle blue and the other coconut white.  I stamped my sentiment (from Bold Sentiments from Cr. Exp.) on the lower piece of the white using a black Archival ink pad.  I put a small piece of double sided tape between the two colours and lined up the edges so they were even.  I cut the leaves out three times in a row so that the die went through both pieces of card at the same time.  This is necessary because, once cut, you will carefully take the pieces apart and nip any area that is still attached, then reassemble the card with the top from the blue card and the bottom from the white card.  They should align perfectly back around the die shape.  You then just need to cut three more of the leaves out of the desired colour.  I picked black as I loved the way it just pops out at you.  There are two basic ways you can finish this card from this point.  The easier way is to glue a piece of acetate to the back of the now reassembled background, then you can just put glue on the back of your die cut and carefully slot them back into place.  Or you can tape the dies in place from the back, just catching the edge of the die so the tape doesn't show.  You could also use a sticky adhesive sheet and fill in with glitter the area that is still exposed.  They will all give similar looks, it just depends on how much shine or bling you want to show.  I wanted a simpler look for this card, so I taped the dies back into place (which did take a while to do) but there is no shine from acetate.  I finished the card with a bit of matting and a double white pierced mat layer.  Finished dimensions are 7 1/2" x 8 3/4" in size.

Double Stacked Aperture

Hello crafters!  I think you will like this one as it shows the California collection and one of the
 matching stamps and how to create different sized apertures.  Those beautiful Faux Quilled Blooms
 make an appearance as well!  By the way, the stamp that I have used on the card today is called "Golden Gate" as we had not yet named any of the stamps when we filmed the videos.
 In case you didn't see, I did the drawing for the blog candy so if you missed it, please scroll down
to the post below this one.

Finished dimensions are 7" x 8 1/2" in size.  All for now, Sue x