Tissue Paper Background

Hi bloggers!  Today's card was a sort of experiment and I was very pleased with the results so I decided to show it off in a video.  It is quite easy to do and gives beautiful textural results!

The winner of this week's Wednesday Card Giveaway is:

Chaffinch!!!

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

 The finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x  7 1/2" in size.  All for now, Sue x

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For Someone So Special

Hello there my crafty friends!  Today's card showcases the Heated Pearl technique.  This is a really great technique to use when making those pesky male cards as it has a decidedly masculine feel to it"  You need to start with a piece of gloss black card for the optimal effects.  Spread Cosmic dries clear glue over the area that you would like to cover.  Make sure that it is filled in and there are no holes showing, but it doesn't need to be too thick, just enough to cover well.  Tap mica powder all over the area. I used the colours from the metallic set of powders so gold, silver, bronze, copper.  Using an old paint brush, lightly tamp the powder into the glue so it won't fly away when heated.  Next, turn your heat tool on and allow it to get very warmed up, then heat the glue.  It will start to bubble and rise and fall.  This process will take a while, but you need to keep heating it until it stops bubbling, probably about five minutes, depending on the size of the area you want to cover.  Allow it to cool well before touching.  The results are a very textural sort of background.  I created a stair stepped, layered frame using the Double pierced Noble Squares and added it over my heated pearl background.  I stamped my sentiment then cut it out with the oval from the a Zoe die and added a gold edge with a paint pen.  Then I cut the Zoe die in white to seat it on and placed it in the centre of the card, allowing a good deal of my background to show from behind.  The card was then completed using my usual pierced layer, and mats.  The finished dimensions are 8" x  8" in size.  All for now, Sue x

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Make it Square

Hi bloggers!  You can change the way that a die looks so easily by cutting it down in size and it is so easy to do!  Your rectangular shaped dies look great as squares and you just need to hide the cut lines. Today's video shows you how to do this easily.

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

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Wednesday Weekly Card Giveaway

Hi crafters!  Today's giveaway card is one that I had planned to do as a demo, but I don't think that I actually had a chance to do it (if my memory serves me!)  I started by cutting the Cathedral Background out of coconut white card.  I used the larger oval to cut an aperture in the centre.  I sprayed the back of it with spray glue and added a piece of wisteria card to back it with.  I used the slightly smaller oval to cut another opening in the centre to create a frame.  I stamped my sentiment on white card, then embossed it for texture before mounting it behind the frame opening.  Using the open petal Orange Blossom set, I cut several flowers out of Iris card and placed three larger ones at the bottom of the frame and three at the top of the frame to accent it.  I created a larger frame for the card by using the actual Cathedral background die and cutting around it with a sharp exacto knife.  I trimmed the sides on my paper cutter to create an inch border on the frame and added mounting foam to raise it for dimension.  I completed the card with a pierced mat, a wisteria mat, a thin iris card mat and a final white mat.  The finished dimensions are 7 1/4"  x  9 1/4" in size.  Leave a comment on this post and you will be entered into the drawing to win this card.  I will announce the winner on Saturday's blog post.  All for now, Sue x

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Colour to Match

Hi bloggers!  Today's card shows you how to use your Colour Cloud inks to match felt (or even ribbon) to your project.  I hope you enjoy it!

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

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Best Wishes

Hi there my crafty friends!  Thank you so much for all your touching and heartfelt condolences.  Your comments and emails have been a real lifeline for me, it has been a tough week, but I wanted to let you know that I am doing better.  It does come in waves though and I'm sure it will for some time to come.  It is just really lovely to have such a wonderful blog family to help me through this difficult time.
  I thought I would share this card with you today as it was one of my favourites from this launch and it makes me smile! The Pierced Rose mini background die was cut in white for the base of this card.  I attached it to another piece of white card that had a sticky adhesive sheet adhered to it.  Next I cut the die in sky blue card.  I used just the fallaway pieces from this and removed them and placed them into the same place on the background on the white version.  The sticky sheet that was exposed held them into place.  I cut the die once more in a dark green and used the fall away pieces from it to fill in the leaves.  Once the entire design had been paper pieced back together with the different colours, I coated it with spray adhesive and covered it with Iced Snow.  I added small 3mm white pearls to the centres of all the roses.  I made a frame out of white card, by using an exacto knife and tracing the edge of the die.  I added mounting foam to raise it.  I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with the oval from the Lauren die, then added a thin frame using both the ovals from the Lauren die.  I completed the card with mats and layers of coconut white and sky blue card.  The finished dimensions are 6 1/4" x  7 1/2" in size.

I have had numerous emails about the Beaded Fanfare Embossing Folder.  I also wanted to let everyone know that it is finally back in stock so please contact your local retailers to stock it for you.

I probably won't get to the comment game until next week, but I did draw a winner for the Wednesday Card giveaway.  This weeks' winner is:

Karen Derbyshire!!!

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

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For You

 Good Sunday morning all!  Here's another way in which to use the Intertwining Circle Striplet.  It makes a great Stained Glass feature on your cards.  I cut the striplet in white and glued a piece of acetate to the back of it.  From the back, I filled in areas with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue and added glitter to them, then tapped off the excess.  you need to start with your darkest colours first, then work towards the lighter ones, that way the glitter won't change colour if you put the lighter colour over the darker ones that were done first.  I used various shades of polished silk glitter for this in shades of gold, copper, bronze and silver.  I let it dry overnight then added it to the bottom of my card.  For the focal element, I cut the Grace die in white and added a ginger card backing to make a frame with the larger die.  I cut the smaller one just out of the card so it can be seen through the frame.  I stamped my sentiment and used the smallest die to give it a frame and mounted it on foam and placed it in the centre.  I also used the outermost die and embossed it into the backing of the card for a little extra detail.  Finally I cut two of the corners from the Elegant Lace Edger and added them to the sides of the frame as accents.  I completed the card with a pierced white mat, a thin ginger card mat and another white mat layer.  The finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x  8" in size.  All for now, Sue x

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