Julia Watts has shows today on Create and Craft at 11am and 4pm using new Christmas stamps. Be sure to tune in and see her exciting new ideas and demos! All for now, Sue x
A daily papercrafting blog which features my handmade cards showcasing Creative Expression's products including my own line of cutting dies and embossing folders, Cosmic Shimmer, Ranger and more which use various techniques and ideas to hopefully inspire the creativity in you.
Tutorials
- Home
- My Ribbon Flower Tutorial
- Fancy Nestie
- Blossoms Five Flower Bud
- Blossoms Five Full Flower
- Easel Tutorial
- Wax Paper Embossing Folder Tutorial
- Caught In Crystal
- Shaving Foam Tutorial
- Quilt Card Tutorial
- Paved Pearl Technique
- Faux Leather Technique
- Plaited Ribbon Wreath Tutorial
- Paper Rose Tutorial
Friday, 31 August 2012
Sweet Thoughts
Thursday, 30 August 2012
It's Like Mardi Gras!
Hi everyone! Do you feel like you have just stepped into New Orleans for Mardi Gras when you look at this card? I sure do! I just loved the way the mask from the Venetian Motif set mixes with the harlequin papers from Canvas Corp (these sold out before I even had a chance to show them off!) I started with a piece of milk coloured card that I embossed with the Venetian embossibility folder. I lined it up and extended it a bit to fit my needs. I cut three strips of harlequin card of varying lengths and cut forks into the end of each of them. I matted them with black card and taped them to my embossed background. I cut a vintage lace border for the top of the card and ran it across the tops of my strips. I cut a Venetian Motif in milk as a background for my mask. I cut the mask in red and added a matching bow tied from Lipstick red seam binding. I added my mask with a black boa feather and a couple of gems to my motif as my focal element. I cut one of the fancy framed tags in black using the centre piece to make a frame out of it. I stamped my sentiment on milk card and mounted it in the tag frame. I added some mounting foam behind it for dimension and placed it in the lower corner. I finished the card with some black rhinestone swirls and paper piercing around the edge. A little tip too, if you just need a small swirl to use, nip off the ones on the sides of the mask to use as they are perfect! All for now, Sue x
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
What You Do
Morning all! I can barely look at this card without remembering the hours and hours I spent looking for my Venetian Motif die that went missing after the first use! You see, I had wanted to use it twice on this card, but it decided to play hide and seek with me so I ended up changing the game plan and actually really liking how it came out. It turns out the die, which still had a bit of sticky tape on it (I get them sent to me attached to a piece of copy paper with the stickiest tape ever!) was stuck between two rolls of seam binding that were on my desk at the time! It only took me three times sorting through my waste bin because I was certain I had thrown it away by accident. So this card was a sort of happy accident as it turned out. I started with a piece of background paper I had (I'd cut it for something else then changed my mind). I cut two of the Asian borders and glued them facing each other on the side of my card. I ran a piece of sky blue seam binding down the centre and added a messy bow to the bottom. I decided to cut one of the smaller dies from the Venetian Motifs for the centre of my bow, kinda cute isn't it! I added a flatback pearl to the centre and two stick pins. Now for the focal element. I started with a large labels 28 in pale blue and a Venetian Motif in milk. I cut the motif in half and glued it to the top and bottom of the labels 28, clipping the curly edges over. next I cut an Asian Motif in milk card. It was far too big so I performed a bit of surgery on it and brought the size down. I nipped each one of the corners off at the second scallop. Next I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with Labels 27 turned to an "X" shape. I then glued my Asian bits to each of the corners so they were peeking out from behind my sentiment. I added a flatback pearl to the centres of each of the pieces. I also inked my sentiment with weathered wood distress ink while it was in the die and used a bit of mounting foam to raise it up. I finished the card with a few pearls in the two right hand corners and pierced the edges. I was really pleased with it when it was all said and done although I didn't end up finding that die until late the next day! All for now, Sue x
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
The Finished Flower
Monday, 27 August 2012
Flower Bud Tutorial
A pair of tickets to the Ally Pally Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show in Sept goes to:
Linda Simpson!!
Jan Dunham!!!
and
Vie Carter!!!
SallysBitz!!!
You will needemail me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your tickets! Please let me know if you won't be able to use them and I can draw another name. All for now, Sue x
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Easel Tutorial and a Card
Now for the weekly comment game winners (I told you it was going to be a long post!)
The winners are:
Linda Jones!!!
Marion Turner!!!
Bosquie!!!
Congratulations all! Please email me to confirm your postal address and claim your prize! Don't forget to check Monday's post to see if you have won tickets to Ally Pally!
All for now, Sue x
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Double Cut Aperture Card
Friday, 24 August 2012
Winners and Exciting News!
Hi guys! Welcome back today. I finally got everything caught up to do the blog candy drawing! First, however, I want to share some exciting news that I was just given. I have been notified that I was nominated for the Crafts Beautiful Crafting Awards! I was nominated for two categories: Best Craft Blog and Best Overall Card Designer. I was very excited to hear the news and want to say a great big thank you for this honour. The competition is very stiff so I am asking for your help on this to go to the site and vote (sorry to sound like such a politician!). The link is http://www.crafts-beautiful.com/craftawards/index.php
Now for the blog candy drawing you have all been waiting for. In reverse order, as always, the winner of third place is.....................................................
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Teresa Candler!!!!
The Second Place Winner is.............................
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Kim Williamson!!!
And finally, the Grand First Place Prize Winner is...........
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Rosemarie Fishlock!!!
Congratulations all! Please email me to confirm your addresses and claim your prizes. The game rolls over, no need to send your address if you have done it at some point. we will draw new winners when we hit 3500 followers! In the meantime, I have been itching to give something else away so I am going to pick four winners, each receiving a pair of free tickets to the Big Stamp and Scrap Show at Alexandra Palace in London in Sept. from those of you that leave comments on Saturday's or Sunday's posts this weekend (two from Sat and two from Sun). All for now, Sue x
Now for the blog candy drawing you have all been waiting for. In reverse order, as always, the winner of third place is.....................................................
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Teresa Candler!!!!
The Second Place Winner is.............................
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Kim Williamson!!!
And finally, the Grand First Place Prize Winner is...........
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Rosemarie Fishlock!!!
Congratulations all! Please email me to confirm your addresses and claim your prizes. The game rolls over, no need to send your address if you have done it at some point. we will draw new winners when we hit 3500 followers! In the meantime, I have been itching to give something else away so I am going to pick four winners, each receiving a pair of free tickets to the Big Stamp and Scrap Show at Alexandra Palace in London in Sept. from those of you that leave comments on Saturday's or Sunday's posts this weekend (two from Sat and two from Sun). All for now, Sue x
Yesterdays Flower
Good morning blog friends! First of all I would just like to say a big thank you for all your support, kind words and wonderful emails after my POTD shows, I really truly appreciate all of them! I see that we have reached (and exceeded) the blog candy goal so I will be back later today with a second post listing the winners, so be sure to check back. For today's card, I thought it would make sense to show the card that yesterdays flower was supposed to have been used for. You can see how the ultra thick, even though it is "clear" does add a yellowish tint to the flowers. Sometimes it doesn't look out of place, but with the blue decorative paper I used, it just looked too green for me. Oh well, I ended up with two sample cards and that is never a bad thing as far as I'm concerned! Today's card was one of my favourites from the show. I love blue and brown together, so I was quite happy with this one. We were supposed to have the silky crush ribbon on the show, but there just wasn't enough of the stock. I had already made the card so it just didn't get into the "demo" pile. It is pretty self explanatory though, I think, nothing too tricky here. I used the Fancy frame Tag Two die templates to create a repetitious look for my sentiment. I cut three of them with the centre die in place creating little frames for my wording. I stamped them on decorative backing paper that corresponded to my backing paper. I think it created a bit of interest without being too overwhelming since the pattern was so fine. I used a bit of mounting foam on the frames and recessed the wording. I stacked them horizontally and added some of the brown silky crush ribbon up and down the side. I tied a double bow and added a matching flower made using Sam Poole's button floral stamps (there is a tutorial I did for these on the Creative Expressions website under the workshop section). There is a close up below of the flower too.
I added a couple of crystal stick pins and some pearlie bling on my ribbon strip and below my sentiments, pierced the edges and the card came together for me. I hope you like it! Don't forget to see if your name gets drawn later today! All for now, Sue x
Thursday, 23 August 2012
More Botanical Swirls
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
A Day To Celebrate
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Best Wishes
Monday, 20 August 2012
Miss You Times Three
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