Butterfly Fun!

Hello to everyone in blogland!  I had almost forgotten about this card I made as it was the last sample I finished before Ally Pally last weekend.  By the way, if you were able to make it to the show, you know how it went, but if you didn't, you missed two amazingly fun filled days of crafting!  It was truly lovely to meet some of the faces to go with the names that I see on my blog regularly.  Thank you so much for that! 
  This card uses the Spellbinders dies that were featured on the POTD shows last week too.  Those fun flowers were made from the spiral flower die (the goldish one) and the edgeabilities (the black one with the button on top), plus I added one of our new zipper roses for variety!  What can I say about those postage frame dies!  I just love the edginess they give a card, not too feminine, not too masculine.  I had to have a bit of fun and added  in some of our new swirly pearls and Bakers Twine too.  I am loving all the new embellishments we have, they make crafting a delight.  I can't forget a mention for the black (non pearl) Cosmic Shimmer PVA glue I used around the edge of the card.  To answer a question left on the last post, when it dries it is very hard, not tacky or squishy at all.  You will have no problem putting your card through the post with them on it.  I finished the card with the new Wonderful Wings dies from Donna Salazar.  I used one of the solid dies first and cut the butterfly in black, then cut the matching frilly butterfly in the coordinating decorative paper from the background of the card.  These are great die designs, you should see them in vellum, they're stunning!  I hope this card tickles your fancy!  All for now, Sue x

Autumn Has Arrived!

Hi there blog friends!  How is this for bringing in the feel of autumn?  I just love the colours of autumn and this card is no exception.  It is so warm and rich with its rust and golds, it just makes me feel like I need to be sipping hot chocolate and wearing mittens! The background of this card was made using the new A4 autumn leaves mask, but with a twist.  I used the mask to emboss the paper, but I used a decorative piece of paper to begin with.  Then I used the Vintage Photo Distress ink direct to the paper in a soft circular motion  to bring out the leaves.  You get a really nice mix with the decorative paper showing through in spots, a sort of Jacob's Coat technique.  This is also a great way to use those papers you end up with in mixed paper packs that you aren't always crazy about.  Often times there is just enough of the pattern showing to give your piece interest without overtaking the whole piece.  I used the edgeability as a border, but made two slits on either side of my teardrop circle nestibility to slide it through.  I added a few shades of the vintage ribbon to make a bow and topped it off with some Bakers Twine and a black button.  The finishing touch for this card was the addition of the new PVA Dimensional glue dots in Bronze.  Aren't they just scrumptous!  If you like these, I will let you in on a little secret.  I have just added these to the next set of shows in October along with the new gold and silver PVA Glues.  All brand new and a gorgeous way to finish off your cards.  What do you think, does it pass inspectiom?  All for now, Sue x

More Zipper Roses!

I just love these zipper roses!  Aren't they fun and funky?  Just the kind of thing that makes you look twice because you aren't quite sure what you have just seen!  That is my kind of embellishment.  Three is probably a bit of over kill,  but once in a while, you're allowed to just splurge on something fun for your hobby, right!  Behind the zipper roses, I used some of the new sulphur blue vintage ribbon with the chalk white seam binding and the red Bakers twine for impact.  Just a simple layout sketch, but I love the frilly little edgeablility border, it just makes it so much more interesting.  I cut the heart square out of the same decorative paper as the bottom of the card and topped it with a couple of smaller label shaped dies for my focal sentiment.  I added a pearl swirl to the top corner and Cosmic Shimmer white pearl PVA glue to create my own faux pearls all the way around the edge to frame and finish the card.  Have I told you that I love polka dots (you wouldn't have guessed, huh?! LOL)  All for now, Sue x

Not My Usual Colours!

Good morning to all!  This is such a girly girl card, it is right up my alley and one of my favourites from the last batch of samples that I made.  I used the large scallop edgeability with the half circle insert  (I was strangely drawn to that one all the time!) as a fancy edge around the entire card as well as for a border.  The background was embossed with our new A4 sized mask called retro.  I cut a frame for my sentiment using the Labels 23 as my focal point.  As the title says, not my usual colours but I love these together.  I used three colours of the vintage ribbon (primrose yellow, peach fizz and toffee beige) to weave through the edgeability border and tie a messy bow.  I finished the bow with a wooden button and a bit of peach bakers twine.  All three flowers were cut from felt using the spiral flower die.  I like the versatility of that die if you want different sized flowers.  For smaller flowers, just wrap your flower using less of the spiral. For larger flowers, cut two and add an extra bit from the second spiral.  Make sense?   It makes a lovely grouping that way, don't you think?  I hope you like the card, I would love to get your feedback on it.  All for now, Sue x

It's All About The Edgeabilities!

Good evening to all the blog readers!  How's this for a ruffly card?!  I was definitely having fun with the new edgeabilities here.  I do like the look it gives though, kind of like a big petticoat to the card.  I cut an extra black layer to go behind each layer to show them off and make them stand out a bit more.  At the bottom of the card, I added a ruched layer of the American seam binding in chalk white for dimension.  Loving the Bakers Twine here in the pastel aqua colour wrapped around the card.  I used one of the new A4 sized masks (triple scallop) to emboss the top of the card and give it some interest.  Again, I have used one of the smaller nesties for my sentiment and a faux nestie in black behind it.  I finished off the card with a bow from the same seam binding and three organza roses in the new lt. blue shade.  I hope you like it!  All for now, Sue x

It's A Pink Day

Hello to everyone!  Some of you are "pink" people, some of you are not, but I decided to post this sample because I had a request on a comment for some ideas for the smaller pieces in the Nesties .  Tags!  They make great tags on your cards.  This one is very small so I have used it with a small phrase, but I like the way it looks when hanging from the bow on my card.  I did try to get a closer picture of the centre of this card, but blogger was only allowing one pic per post this morning!  You can sort of see that I used the same die that I cut the background negative space with to emboss the pattern on to the white behind it.  It's a little tricky to line up unless you leave your white piece oversized and then cut it down with the embossed area lined up just so.  There are some more of our new pearl swirls that I have used over top of the edgeabilities here too!  Hope you like it (even if you're not a pink person!).  By the way, this is the first post ever that I am scheduling for my blog as I am  (or will be when this goes live) at the Ally Pally show in London sans laptop!  All for now, Sue x

Ally Pally Here I Come!!

Good evening all!  I had a great time today with the POTD shows I did. Thank you all for your support and lovely emails.  A big thanks to Jo Channon for handling the bulk of the shows this time too.  I have had my hands full getting two booths packed and ready to go for our Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show this Saturday and Sunday at the Alexandra Palace in London.  If you are planning on attending, please stop by and say hello as I am demonstrating on the Rubbernecker stand just inside the door to your right.I would love to put faces with the names that I see visiting the blog!  As you all have been very good at leaving comments and we almost hit 100 (94 at last check), I have decided to give you this one and do the drawing early.  I was trying to put off posting for just a wee bit longer to see if we hit that magic goal, but the show must go on as they say.  I put all the numbers in a basket from 1 to 94, mixed them all up and I have drawn out NUMBER 27.  As I count down the comment list, I see that "Julia" is our first winner of the new comment game!  Please email me your details and I will post off your prize!  Don't forget the game is ongoing, leave a comment after every post to keep playing.
 A quick rundown on the card sample that I've posted.  I used our new A4 sized mask (autumn leaves) to emboss my background.  I then took the black soot distress ink direct to the paper and swiped over the top lightly to bring out the embossing.  I inked around the edges with it too, giving the whole background an interesting haunting look.  I used the new postage stamp nesties to cut the centre focal point and matted and layered them, as well as using the new postage stamp edgebilities to create a border.  I cut my flower out of several sheets out of an old dictionary that I purchased in the States, inked the edges with wild honey distress ink and mounted it in the corner with some black vintage ribbon.  I added some black swirl rhinestones  and I used our new gold PVA dimensional glue  (both of which are brand new and will be on the stand at Ally Pally!) around the edges to frame and finish the card.  I hope you like it!  Let me know what you think.  All for now, Sue x

POTD Sneak Peek!

Hi everyone!  I thought I would see if I could get in a quick post before the POTD launches at 9pm tonight.  It's all about the brand new Edgeabilities!  I think you will absolutely love these when you see what they can do!  There are 6 sets of three and they all mix and match as they have all been designed with one inch increments in their respective patterns.  According to the Spellbinder owners, there are 75 ways in which to mix and match them, so imagine the creativity that will add to your cardmaking and crafting projects!  There are more brand new Spellbinder shapes on the show as well, including these heart square and spiral flower dies I've used on this sample.  We have been able to get a bit more stock on some of the ones that sold out last time too, so if you missed your chance then, you may be able to get them tonight (but save something for me to demo with in the morning, okay?! LOL)  The blue vintage ribbon I've used on this sample is new to the show as well as several other colours you will see.  All in all, there are some lovely new items on the shows and I hope you will tune in tonight to see all of Jo's shows as well as my three shows Wednesday morning at 8am, 10am (both on Ideal World) and noon on Create and Craft.
   Enough shameless plugging the shows, you guys are within a handful of comments to having one of you win some crafting goodies.  Don't forget to leave a comment on the new post as well as the one below this so we can get it over the top and reach 100!!  I'm itching to give stuff away, please help me scratch that itch (corny, I know, but it's true!)  All for now, Sue x

Wanna Win Some Stuff?!!!!

Hi everyone!  I was thinking.....

it seems like an awful long time between blog candy contest draws so what if.....

you were able to potentially WIN stuff from EVERY post I make!  Wouldn't that be great!  Well, here is the plan.  I will give away something, either a stamp set or some embellishments or some other crafting goody everytime there are 100 comments left after a blog post from this point forward.  You say that sounds like a lot, but I have noticed that I routinely get over one hundred comments whenever I post new blog candy so I know you can do it.  In fact, I will make this very first time a little sweeter by adding something more to the prize(I will have to have a think and get back to you!).  In return, I will try to post more often because I know it's fun when you get to see something new.  The game will apply to the top two posts, so that if I make a new post before the comment number reaches 100, you will still be able to add to the newest post and the one below it.  Once it drops to the third post in line, then it will no longer be in play.  Make sense? When the comments hit 100, I will draw a number randomly and if your comment corresponds to that number on the comments section list, you will win.  If you leave more than one comment, you will only be counted as one, however.  Think of it like audience participation. a little work on your part and a little work on my part and everyone wins!  The comments can be anything you like, just let me know you were here.  Let me know what you think of the card I've posted or what you would like to see more of on the blog or even what you don't like (just be gentle),  that sort of thing is wonderful.

After my brush with "blog death" (okay, it's a bit dramatic, but I was devastated when it all went away)  on Friday, I have come to realise how much I enjoy doing my blog. I would like to make it better and more fun for you to come visit.   I don't do facebook or twitter or any of the other social networking sites so this is really my only means of letting anyone know what I'm up to.  So, what do you say, you wanna play?

Oh and about the card sample, I have used the new Samantha Walker Ornate Tag die.  The purple background started life as a piece of white card from which the die was cut.  I left the die in place and inked the entire background with Dusty Concord Distress Ink.  Removed the die to get that lovely white edge.  I mounted the purple background piece using foam mounting pieces over black card.  Then the inner focal die is also part of the Ornate tag set but it gets cut away.  I stamped my sentiment and lightly sponged it with the same ink and mounted back into the centre on mounting foam.  I added a bow out of the white crinkly edged ribbon and finished it off with the Anemone die, cut three times.  I removed the inner petals and mounted them together and added a fancy pearl button for the centre.  I matted and layered it with some paper piercing to finish it off.

If you have any questions about my new comments game, please feel free to email me at sue@particraft.co.uk .  All for now, Sue x

As Requested

Good Sunday morning to all!  I had a request from follower Craftypurpledragon (love that name!) to put this card up on my blog.  Ask and you will receive, huh? LOL  See, I do read (and love) all the comments you leave!  I do have to apologise for the crooked pic, though.  I had planned to take a better photo of it before I put it up, but the card is not in my possesion any longer so this one will have to do.  I used the ironworks borders, eight of them to be precise!  There are two on each side of the vintage ribbon ruching on this card.  The focal die is the Picot edged circle.  It is dificult to tell from my 'er "photography" but the turquoise background is the negative from the die and I have raised it up with mounting foam pieces.  The very centre circle with the text is also raised.  I inked the inside of the text circle with a combination of broken china and forest moss Distress Ink to match the background.  Just add a bow, couple of decorative stick pins, pierce around the edge and you are finished.  Not a difficult card, but not a quick one either, but it was a whole lot of fun to make!
On another note, I would like to say a huge thanks to Mandy and Dawn who emailed me yesterday about how to go about fixing my blog!  I was beside myself trying to get it back and they talked me through it.  It still isn't how I would like it, but it is 100% better than it was.  At one point on Friday, I had lost all my followers, my blog candy and my counter for several hours but I managed to find them!  For now, I think I will leave it be for awhile, but I did manage to add a few new features including an email alert you can sign up for so it will let you know when I put up a new post, a search button, a list of popular posts and a fun traffic feed! Thanks again for your help ladies, it was much appreciated!  All for now, Sue x

A Three-Fer Post!

 

Hi everyone!  I still have a bunch of the samples that I made from the last shows that I haven't posted on my blog so how about a three card post today?  All of these are simple in design and easily constructed if you are in a pinch for time.  I have used a new product on each one of them, though, called Nestabling!  I was given these new shaped samples when I went to CHA in July so they aren't actually available here yet, but are due to ship at the end of September.  Nestabling is bling (pearls or rhinestones) done in the exact shape as the Spellbinders Nestabilities.  What a great idea, huh?!  I thought that it would be fussy to put on, but it really holds its shape nicely and allows you to position it just at the very edge of your die cut.  I think it is a nice addition to your cards to give them a little extra fun!

The third card was done using the Holly Motif design dies, but I nipped off the holly so I just ended up with a scrolly type die.  Its really nice that you can use it for those non holiday type cards too if you wish.  The seam binding dyed to match, a handmade rose, some pearly swirlies and a couple of decorative stick pins finish this one off.   There are a few extra bits on these cards that I have used that I can't say anything more about just yet, but you can have a guess if you like!  Let's see who is the most observant!  If I get enough correct guesses, I'll just have to spill the beans, huh?!  LOL  All for now, Sue x

Big New Candy Prize

Morning all!  Here is the latest collection of blog candy up for offer!  I have added a few new things into the mix this time which I hope everyone will enjoy.  What do you think about all this lot?  We have six sets of A5 size rubber stamps, a leaf mask, a set of primary coloured Bakers Twine, a non stick crafting mat, a roll of easilift tape, a pack of black metal, a set of zipper roses  (a bit of glare on them in the photo), a pack of crystal decorative hat pins, two packs of fantasy film, Tim Holtz grungeboard pack, two sets of pee wee glitters, two Distress Inks, a set of Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Inks and  a set of Cosmic shimmer watercolours.  What do you like best?  What kinds of items would you like to see added to the candy?  And finally, what would you do with the lot if you won?  I want to know your thoughts on it so please leave me a comment.  I love to know that you have been by the blog and that I'm not just alone out here in cyberspace!  We will draw the winner when we reach 1800 followers and everytime you leave a comment, you receive an extra entry into the candy contest!  All for now, Sue x

New Shows Coming Up

Hi everyone!  Just a real quick post for tonight, but I wanted to let you know about a few things.  First of all, Jo Channon and I are going to be doing the POTD next week beginning on Tuesday evening the 20th.  You are going to want to stay tuned for this launch as Jo Channon will be up first showing off some more brand new Spellbinder dies for you.  I will be handling the first three shows the next morning starting at 8am.  I won't spill the beans on which ones just yet, but you will love them!  There are also a few returning dies from the last POTW shows as we have been able to get a bit more stock in. 
   I wanted to show this card from the previous shows because we will have a new product available for the first time on these POTD shows too.  Last year sometime, I made a flower from a zipper and used it on a card.  I loved the way it came out even if it took absolutely forever to make.  It has taken me quite a while to do this, but I have finally been able to source a supplier that can make these for us.  The best part about it is the the cost of a four pack of these flowers is less than it cost me to make one single flower myself!  I couldn't believe my luck in stumbling in to these.  We will have these zipper roses  available in six colours so there is something for all tastes.  What I really like about these is the versatility.  If you are in to your altered art projects, they look great, your vintage cards, they look great or if you just want to make a nice elegant card, they look absolutely smashing.    I just love having fun new stuff to add to my crafting arsenal and I hope you will love them too. What do you think?   There are also a couple more new items that I've used on this card which will be popping up in the next few weeks so keep your eyes open and on the look out. 
   I will be popping back in the next few days with new blog candy too, but remember the contest is ongoing and you are entered each time you leave a comment on the blog.  All for now, Sue x

White On White and a Cutie Pie

Hi everyone,  Finally a few stolen moments to update my blog.  It has been a hectic past week and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down anytime soon with our Ally Pally show just looming around the corner.  I had been asked by several people to post my white wedding card from the last shows.  Here it is for you.  It was one of my favs from the shows too.  Now if I just had a wedding to go to so it would go to good use!  I used the florish embossing folder in the background and the flowers were made using either the Anemone dies,  the Daisy  dies, the Floral Lace border or the Ironworks border.  The Focal sentiment dies were the Picot edge circles, alternated with the Ironwork accents.  Just so much fun stuff on it, I love all the business (as in busy-ness) to it!  I just had to finish off the edges with the Cosmic Shimmer Pearl PVA glue.  I just LOVE that stuff, it is so easy to use.

 I was working all weekend, but I did get some time to finally meet my new Granddaughter, Leah.  Isn't she a sweetheart!  I hope Sam doesn't mind me showing her off on the blog, but she is just so darn cute!  She is such a good baby too.  She slept all the way through the night, which at six weeks is not that common (as I recall from 25 years ago when mine looked like that!)I just love the little hand up by her face!

Here she is posing for the camera with her little mischievious smile.  Can't you just seeing her breaking hearts already!

I know, I know, I'm a gushing Grandma, huh?!  I can't wait until the next time I get to play with her all weekend (then send her back home with Sam).  Isn't being the Grandma great?!!!  I was made for this role!  All for now, Grandma Sue x

We Have Winners!!!

Thanks for waiting everyone!  I know that this long overdue, but sometimes things just can't be helped.  If you have been following the blog for any time at all, you know the drill.  If you are new, here is how it works.  I will announce the third prize winner, then the second place winner and then the grand prize winner who will receive the whole kit 'n kaboodle shown.  There will still be lots of dots, cuz I love doing the dots, sorry about that!

Without any further delay, the winner of the third place prize is............................................................................................

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Claio1  !!!!!!

The winner of the second place prize goes to..................................

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Rachel's Mum  !!!!!

And, now, the winner of the Grand First Prize goes to.........................

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Lynn (delphinoid) !!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to all!!  Please email me at sales@particraft.co.uk with your postal address so that I can get your prize out to you.  If you didn't win this time, don't worry, your name will roll over to the next contest and you will receive extra entries for each comment you leave on the blog after a new post.  All for now, Sue x