Saturday 30 September 2017

3D Fireplace



Hi bloggers!  You just saw this set on the double day, but the video will show you how to assemble it if you were unsure.  It is very easy and it will fold flat for posting too!

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

Carolyn B!!!

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












The finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x  8 1/2" in size.  All for now, Sue x





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Friday 29 September 2017

September 2017 Die Release Winners

Hello bloggers!  A great big thank you for such a wonderful reception for this release.  The comments left on the blog and emailed to me were wonderful and left me feeling over the moon.  I wanted to do a few sets that were a bit different and you really seemed to like the entire release so thank you so much for your support.  It does mean the world to me.  Without further ado, here are the winners for each die set:


Lavish Accented Hexagon Noble:  Ann Toppcards!!!
Classic Adorned Hexagon Noble:  Holly Berry!!!
Double Stitched Hexagon Noble:  Yvonne May!!!
Petite Petal Striplet:  Val C Cumbria!!!
Cheeky Monkey:  Karen Ladd in Ca!!!
Baby's First Pram:  Dragonsnap2!!!
Sweet Dreams Little One:  Lynda Mellor!!!
Make A Cake:  Viki Banaszak!!!
King Of The Grill:  Kiraneries!!!
In The Tool Box:  Stella Munn!!!
Stitched Square Pegboard Frames:  Sandie Braithwaite!!!
Celebrations Square Shadow Box: Krafty Runner X!!!
So Many Candles:  Steph Cotterill!!!
Alphabet Grid;  Jackie Trinder!!!
Ecliptic Edger:  Sued99!!!
Intermediate Weaving Die:  Pam Dwight!!!
Twinkle Twinkle Cloud and Stars:   lindyloo12!!!
Domed Snow Globe:  Marianne Craftroom!!!
Hot Air Balloon Snow Globe Scene:  Betty McAlister!!!
Fairy Snow Globe Scene:Beverly W (Kent)!!!
Ella:  Jeannie Donnelly!!!
Scarlet:  Snuffy Snoo!!!
Jennifer:  Sandra Holmes!!!
Victoria:  Vanessa Hodgson!!!
Sagitta Gemini die:  Karen Keen!!!
Cetus Gemini die:  Nattyboots!!!
Columba Gemini die:  Muriel Kelly!!!
Windswept Grasses:  P Austen!!!
Nasturtium Cluster:  granny sue!!!
Pinwheel Florals:  Magic Maggie (Yorkite)!!!


Christmas Double Day



Hello bloggers!  Today's Christmas double day features a couple of cards that I demonstrated last weekend on the Takeover shows.  Starting with the 3D Fireplace card.  I cut the fireplace twice out of tan card and once out of Rich Red card.  I inked through the die on all of them with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink.  I cut away all of the fireplace except for the brick on the red one and glued it atop one of the tan ones.  Then I just cut out the mantle area on the other tan one and added it with foam over the one for a bit of dimension.  I folded it along the score lines to create the 3D look.  I cut the fire out of white and gray card and I inked the white one with yellow and orange to give it the look of fire and cut the basket off the gray one and glued it in place, then added it to the slit in the fireplace.  Next I inked a small piece of gray card with Fossilized Amber distress oxide to give a soft glow behind the fireplace and glued it behind attaching it to the folded hearth and mantle areas.  I used a background of white card and a strip of decorative paper with a tan base and a small gold polka dot in it.  I added a gold star garland across the two pieces as a border.  I glued the fireplace in the centre of the bottom of the card.  I cut two poinsettia flourishes out of green card and added two red poinsettias to the centres.  I glued them into place hooking them together in the centre.  I cut the Our House sentiment in red and glued it above the fireplace.  The candle and clock were cut and added to the mantle area.  I made three red and white stockings, adding iced snow to the tops and hung them across the fireplace.  I cut the wreath in both green and red, then cut the bow out of the red one and glued it to the green one, and then hung it off the corner edge of the mantle piece.  I completed the card with white on white mats.  The finished dimensions are 6 3/4" x  7 1/2" in size.  Scroll down for card number two.









Card number two is a cute gingerbread man card.  I just love the way he is popping out of the hexagon shapes!  I started with a piece of tan card and cut three apertures using one of the hexagons from the Lace Snowflake Frame die set.  I used the two larger centre hexagons to cut white frames to go around them too.  I added mounting foam to the back to raise it for dimension.  Next I cut three of the gingerbread house roof die in white and flicked the shingles up a bit on them and mounted them behind each of the aperture openings.  I cut three gingerbread men and inked them with worn lipstick for their cheeks, tummies and smile and added their eyes in with a pencil.  I added red bow ties to each of them and inked the edges with Walnut Stain oxide ink.  I put each of them into an opening with mounting foam (the legs need to be trimmed slightly too).  I cut the Our House sentiment in red and glued it to the lower corner of the card and added a white snowflake corner in the upper corner.  White, tan and red mats and layers were used to complete the card.  The finished dimensions are 7 1/2" x  8" in size.

Don't forget  to check back later today for the list of Sept. die release winners!!  All for now, Sue x









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Thursday 28 September 2017

Thankful For You

Hi bloggers!  This sentiment is for all of you!!  I started this card by doing an embossed background using the Jacobean Floral folder on a piece of white card.  Next I cut a wide band of aqua card and stamped the Stamp To Die For (STDF) called Strawberry Swirl all over it using a clear perfect medium pad to get a watermark look. I dusted it with some silver mica powder for a soft look to it (you can see better in some of the close ups)  I matted it with white and peach and added it across the centre of the embossed card.  Next I stamped it again on to white card with a Black Archival ink pad.  I used Distress markers to colour the image (tumbled glass, peacock feathers, mustard seed and Tattered Rose)  I cut it out with the matching die called Azores from the Atlantic Ocean collection and mounted it with foam in the centre of the card.  I stamped my sentiment and cut it out with the centre die from the Atlantic Tag die set.  I added it to the centre of the stamped image with foam.  The card was completed with white, peach and aqua mats and layers.  The finished dimensions are 7 1/4" x  8 1/2" in size.

As the last week or so has been a complete whirlwind with Ally Pally and the takeover shows, then I filmed videos for a couple of days, I have completed forgotten to mention my exciting news!  I was recently notified that I have been nominated in several categories for the Craft Awards.  I have been recognised and nominated for best Die Cutting Line, Best Overall Designer for 2017 and Best Craft Blog.  I am very excited to have been nominated and would like to ask everyone to please place a vote for me.  You can find the awards here by clicking this link.

https://www.crafts-beautiful.com/awards/


Phill Martin, part of our Creative Expressions demo team has also been nominated in several categories (Favourite craft celebrity, best workshops and best stamp line) and Creative Expressions has been nominated for best international craft range and best craft show (Ally Pally).  I would love to hear that you have ticked the boxes for all of these as well!  The winners will be announced in early 2018 so there is plenty of time, but don't forget to vote!









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Wednesday 27 September 2017

Wednesday Weekly Card Giveaway

Good morning crafters!  Today's card giveaway is another stained glass card (I have loads of them!)  I started by cutting the Poinsettia Stained Glass in black card and attaching it with spray glue to a piece of clear acetate.   In the traditional stained glass technique, I used Polished silk glitters of varying colours applying them to the back of the acetate in thee different sections.  You need to start with the darkest colours first then work your way towards the lighter colours.  I started with the green for the leaves, then the red for the flowers.  I used gold for the edges and white for the background, filling in the sections with glue, covering with glitter then tapping off the excess.  I set it aside to dry overnight when it was completely filled it.  When all the glue dries and turns clear, the glitter colour will show through the front of the acetate.  I cut another of the Poinsettia Stained Glass dies in white and overlaid the black one with a slight offset.  The original black die did have a wider border on it so it shows from underneath the white die on top as well.  I cut the Twinkle Frames in white and added a white backing and seated the stained glass in the centre, adding flatback pearls to the twinkle stars around the edge (and the centres of the poinsettias).  I stamped a sentiment and cut it into a tag shape and tucked the end under a white crystal dazzler that I added to the middle of a red organza bow.  I added the bow in the corner of the card and the card can effectively be used either vertically or horizontally.  White and black mats and layers were used to complete the card.  The finished dimensions are 6 1/2"  x   8" in size.  Leave a comment if you would like to be entered into the drawing to win this one.  I will announce the winner on Saturday's blog post.  All for now, Sue x









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Tuesday 26 September 2017

Blog Candy Winners!

Hello there blog friends!  Thank you so much for your patience as it has been a rather hectic few weeks.  I finally have had a chance to get the blog candy drawing done and here are the winners! 

Starting from THIRD PLACE...........................................................................................
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Jackie Durrant!!!

The SECOND PLACE Winner is:
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Karen Watts!!!

And finally, the GRAND FIRST PLACE Winner is:
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June Fletcher!!!

Congratulations all!  Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prize.  The next blog candy drawing will be held when we reach 5100 followers on the blog!  All for now, Sue x

Reconfigured Cross Card


Hi bloggers!  One of the things that I love most about using die cuts is that you can create completely different things just by nipping them in places and reassembling them.  When is a cross not a cross?  When you have reconfigured it!

Just a quick note to let you know that I will do the Blog Candy drawing and post it later on today so don't forget to check back to see if you are a lucky winner!!  

You do still have a few days to add any comments to the blog launch posts to be entered into those drawings.  I will post the winners for those in the afternoon on Sept 29th.






























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