Black and White Simplicity

Hi everyone!  Thanks for the great support in the blog candy contest.  I love reading all your really fun comments!  How about this card for a simple layered creation for a special friend?  I just love black and white cards, they are so classic, aren't they?  This one uses the new Spellbinders lattice rectangles, elegant posts, grommet tags and label 20 shape dies.  The black corners are part of the elegant posts that I cut the top bit away.  The centre black parts are another elegant post where I have removed the end of the posts and attached it so it hugs around the top and bottom of the label shape.  All the layers have been mounted up with foam pads for dimension.  I added black rhinestones and  some of our frilly edge white organza ribbon and one of the beautiful organza ribbon roses.  I am in love with those roses, they are so elegant, aren't they?  A little FYI too, we are adding new colours to the line and they will be in stock soon!  Just finished the card off with a couple of our white triple pearl pins (cuz I love them!).  If you like your frilly cards like I do, this will be right up your street.  I hope you like it! Let me know what you think?  All for now, Sue x

NEW CANDY!!!!

It's time for new candy, what do you say!  Isn't this a fun lot of goodies to have a play with?!  Wouldn't you just love to get your hands on this batch of crafting fun?!  All you need to do is sign up to become a follower of the blog (if you haven't already) and email me with your postal details in case you win (sue@particraft.co.uk).  If you are a follower, then you just need to leave a comment after each new post and you will get an extra entry into the blog candy contest each time you do.  That way I know that you have been around to look at the blog so it is fun for me too.  It's that simple.  We will draw a winner for this when we reach 1700 followers!

Go ahead, tell me what you think about this lot of candy and what you'll do with it if it lands on your door step!  Or just leave me a comment about anything you like!  All for now, Sue x

WE HAVE WINNERS!!!

Hi everyone!   We have blog candy winners and a card.  My thinking is that even if you aren't one of the winners, then at least you might enjoy the card sample (hopefully).   First I would like to say how much I have enjoyed all of your kind and lovely comments, both left here on the blog and through emails.  You have no idea how much it means to me to hear that you enjoy my demos and cards!  So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now, on to the good stuff here! 

The THIRD place prize goes to................
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...Lisa AKA Myran

The SECOND place prize goes to.............................................................................
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Soo!!!!

The GRAND FIRST PLACE PRIZE goes to...................................................................................
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C. Camp!!!!!!

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone for playing along.  If your name was drawn, you need to email me to confirm your postal address at sales@particraft.com  to claim your prize.  The blog candy contest will keep on going with the next drawing at 1700 followers.  I will post the new candy selection soon.  All for now, Sue x

Another Show

Hi everyone, I would like to say a great big thank you for all the wonderful comments and support that you have given me throughout these past POTW shows.  The response has been overwhelming to say the least!  I am doing at least one more show Tuesday evening at 7pm and possibly a final show on Wednesday evening, depending on how things go.  There was a massive stock of the Bird Santuary set of dies that they added to the Picks of the week.  I haven't actually done but the odd demo using any of them so far.  They are all that is left of all the Spellbinders that were on the shows to begin.  I believe that all of the new products have sold out also.  I was very excited to show off some of my finds!  You seem to have loved them all so thank you so much for that.  I have been given the go ahead to source new and interesting products to bring you on Create and Craft and in the retail shops and I am really looking forward to some more of the new embellishments coming in very soon.  There are a couple more surprises on the horizon, that is all that I can say for now (I know, it's killing me too!)  I hope you will tune in Tuesday evening but all for now, Sue x

POTW at Noon on Friday

Hi everyone, this is the last chance for a sneaky peek before the POTW shows start Friday at noon.  This card is one of my favourites of the bunch and I thought that I would make it my first demo of the day.  I absolutely love this large butterfly die which is part of the "Fanciful Flight" set in one of the bundles and I don't think it is going to last very long!  The bundle also has two different flower sets and a foliage set which is the one that I have used here.  I have to say, though, that I think you will be hard pressed to make a decision amongst these bundles as they are all outstanding!
  There are 11 POTW shows scheduled at the moment that I am doing.  Tomorrows shows begin at 12 noon, then 3pm and a two hour show beginning at 6pm.  Saturday kicks off at 8am, 1pm and 3pm.  Sundays shows start again at 8am then I have a long break until 4pm and the final weekend show is at 6pm (I hope I'm making sense still by then!).  A day of rest on Monday and I am back Tuesday evening at 7pm for the last scheduled show of the week.  If you are interested in seeing the Spellbinders shows, though, do check the schedule on Ideal to make certain nothing has changed. 
I would love to know what you think of it, please leave me a comment.  All for now, Sue x

How About A Green Sample?

I am very excited as we get closer to Fridays shows.  I have been busily working away on all my demos for the shows too.  I just love this card because it shows how so many of the elements work together for a great look, very simple to put together too.  The colours are stunning when you see it in real life.  I wish I could take a better picture for you.  This label is my absolute favourite, I could not get enough of it.  If you were lucky enough to get Labels 18 from the last POTW shows I did, you need to put it together with this one!  That is the only disappointment of this lot, that I couldn't use my Labels 18 with them.  I probably won't demo this particular one as I have a few others that are similar in the technique and styling (these are so up my alley, aren't they?), but I will show the ribbon ruching on one or two other demos.  We have this really neat new natural cotton hemp ribbon that I will use for it.  This stuff is so much fun, I can't wait for you to see it!  Just another one of the several new products that I have found for you that will be on the show (note the excitement!).

   On another note, I am holding workshops on Sat. July 9th and Sunday July 10th in Kettering.  They were all full, but I have had two cancellations on Sat. and two cancellations on Sunday.  If you are interested in finding out more of the details, please email me directly at sue@particraft.co.uk and I will give you all the info.
 
 Just to remind you that I am still running my blog candy contest and the more comments you leave, the more entries you receive, remember!  I love to hear what you think!  All for now, Sue x

As promised, here is another sneaky peek at one of the sample cards for the upcoming POTW shows beginning next Friday the 17th. I haven't been given the schedule for the shows yet, but they do kick off on Friday at noon I know for sure. Just feast your eyes on that gorgeous Spellbinder die in the centre. Just yummy, isn't it! It is difficult to tell in my pic, but there is a butterfly die that I have cut out of two pieces of decorative paper in the top corner of the die too. The sentiment is part of a new stamp set on the show as well. I used dies from four new sets that will be available on the shows. I am absolutely loving that foliage die too. Spellbinders have truly outdone themselves this time!  What do you think of the new dies, thumbs up?  All for now, Sue x

Back To Work

Hi everyone, I have just sent my daughter home after almost a week of sightseeing here and in Paris (insert motherly tears here!).  It was amazing to be able to show her around while she was here, but I must get back to work now.  I thought that I would be starting the prep for the POTW shows beginning on the 17th, but Jo Channon has taken ill and I'll be filling in for her tomorrow.   I have two shows tomorrow, at 9am and 3pm, that are featuring some new Tatty Button stamps.  So I will be holed up in my craft room all day working on samples and demos.  Since I don't have anything ready for that show yet, I have chosen to show you another sneak peek from next weeks POTW shows.  I love the nesties in this one, especially the one with the focal sentiment on it.  I seriously had to hide that one so I wouldn't use it everytime! What do you think?  By the way, the photo from the last post was the rock tomb ruins at Myra (Antalya, Turkey).  You guys are good!  All for now, Sue x

Just Checking In

I am back from a much needed holiday feeling relaxed and rested!  I didn't get a chance to make a new blog post before I left so I know it seems like you have been looking at te last card  pic forever!  I don't have any new cards to post today but I thought that I would post a holiday pic and have a little game to see if anyone could guess where it was taken!  I meeting my daughter who is coming over for my birthday  and we are heading out for some sightseeing in Paris while she is here.  I promise more sneak peeks for the POTW shows that I have been working on when I return.  By the way, those shows begin on June 17th.

Any guesses?

All for now, Sue x

Shhh, Don't Tell, A Sneak Peek!

I just had to show a little sneak peek of what I've been working on lately.  There are four different Spellbinder die sets (new from their January release)that I have used on this card which will be featured in my next POTW shows in June.  I am loving these as they really play nicely together.  I will  have this vintage ribbon, the mask that I have used to emboss the frame and the Cosmic Shimmer Pearl PVA glue used on the edge of the card on the show as well.
In fact, I am very excited to announce that there will be several brand new products brought out on these shows this time around.  I do have to keep quiet about those (although it's really killing me!)  I know it's quite a way off, but trust me you will want to pop in to take a look that week.  That's all I'm saying for now!  I hope you like it, let me know what you think?  All for now, Sue x

At Last New Candy!

At long last, new blog candy for the contest that will end when we reach 1600 followers.  I know, I know, you have been patiently waiting to see what new goodies are up for grabs.  What do you think about six rubber stamp sets, a Tim Holtz mask, Big 'n Juicy inkpad, Tim Holtz grungeboard set, Dimensional Art Book, sticky fingers tape runner, Adirondack pigment ink pad, Distress ink, gold embossing powder, Medallion stamp, four colours of vintage ribbon, copper tape, Cosmic Shimmer mister, Tim Holtz embellishments, and an assorted silk flower pack?  What would you do with all that haul? Remember, extra entries into the contest for your comments left after each post.  Let's hear from you on this!  All for now, Sue x

Demo Card Explained

Here's another card that I found recently that has never been posted on my blog.  I'm not sure how I missed this one as it is one of my favourites. It was supposed to be one of my demos from the past POTW shows but since I never got that opportunity, I'll describe what I did to create this card .   I have layed up several of the new Spellbinder dies to create the centre focal point using labels twenty one and a faux nestie as the back piece.  I ran the label 21 through our lattice embossing folder while still in the die (cutting edge up) and an embossing mat over it but with the folder open so as not to cut into it.  That is how I kept that pretty little embossed edge on it.  Then I added the fleur de lis doily motif and topped it with labels eighteen stamped with the sentiment and three small pearls.  I used the fleur de lis border to cut into the bottom of the background paper creating the negative pattern, then added a red mat behind it.  Then used the actual border that was cut out below it to create the bottom edge of the card.  I offset the border so that you can see both the red fleur de lis and the patterned paper ones also.  That stripe is the reverse to the little floral pattern on the background paper I used (October Afternoon paper).  The card is finished with a red satin ribbon and two red felt rolled flowers with small pearls added to the centre.  I cut two leaf shapes from green card and folded them in half and ran them through my paper crimper to add "veins".  The two red fleur de lis corners were added as well as the paper piercing to frame and add the finishing touches to the card.  I hope you like it.  What do you think?  All for now, Sue x