The Answer Is.....

I thought that I would post another card for the show and officially announce the winner to yesterday's game.  Thank you Jayne Owen for being the first person to leave the correct answer in a comment on the blog.  Yes, I used the jellyfish tentacles (stamped him upside down) to create the seaweed on the card in the post.  That was the answer that I was looking for, but I did enjoy all the comments (especially the one about the sand looking like toast.  I hadn't noticed it until it was pointed out, but it does kind of! Made me chuckle!)  There were two layers of sand (actually it is artificial crushed coral) that I added to two pieces of torn cardstock.  They looked different because I used two different shades of cardstock.  I wanted the one in the back to be more in the shadow so I started with a darker colour of card to begin with.  The seashells were, indeed real seashells and a couple of them were broken shells.  I wanted a tiny starfish to put there, but I couldn't find one anywhere.  That, of course, means they will turn up everywhere I go after the show and I am no longer looking for any.  Isn't it always like that!

The card above isn't out of focus, but the fish, seahorse and the snorkeler are done so they are peeking in the portholes from under the water.  Time permitting on Thursday, I am planning on demoing a similar card so you can see the step by steps then. (If I don't get to it, then I will post it and give the steps).  If you haven't seen these stamps sets yet, they are available of the Particraft website now.  I can pretty much say that you will really enjoy working with them, I know I did!  Happy stamping, Sue x

Dive Right In!

I have been asked to do another Create and Craft show next week.  The theme for this show is the new underwater life stamp plates designed by Sam Poole.  There are three new plates full of fun underwater themed stamps.  They are called Mermaid and Friends, Sea Life and Dive Right In!  I've been having a bit of a fun today with them, getting samples made for the show and just playing around with some new techniques and ideas.  Whenever you are working with anything that involves an underwater theme, there is so much you can do in the way of different card ideas.  I immediately thought of water cards for one and then using real seashells and sand as embellishments.  The card above has a real sand base to it (not sure if you can tell from my pic though).  Acetate gives you so many options too.  I've made a dozen or so cards for the show already and I still have lots of ideas that I haven't even gotten around to doing yet!  So many ideas, so little time!

 How about a little game?  There is a little prize for the first person to leave a comment that can tell me what is unusual about the card above?  Hint:  There is something that you are looking at that isn't what it appears to be and you must identify what it is?

 The show is scheduled for Thursday the 29th at 11am.  I'll try to put a few samples on my blog between now and then, but I will be saving most of them for the show so you'll have to watch!  All for now, Sue x

All New Blog Candy!

Here is the latest offering of blog candy.  There is a great big selection of fun crafting goodies for one lucky follower to win.  This candy includes a clear stamp set from Fancy Pants, five of the new stamp sets available through Particraft including the Wine Plate, Oh Nuts, Spring Florals, Garden Delights and Button Florals. There are a couple of Tim Holtz items including his trinket pins and an alphabet mask.  There are several Cosmic Shimmer products including the Bondable Angel Fibres and the iridescent Glitter Film, Shimmering Watercolour set, Ultra Thick embossing crystals and a set of twelve embossing powders.  There is an eco-green dimensional art deco book, fancy pants ribbon set, an adirondack ink pad, luminarte polished pigment set, a sticky thumb adhesive tape runner  and a package of variegated gold leaf.  All in all, a whole lot of loot!  All you need to do to enter the contest is sign up to become a follower and email me your contact details.  If you leave a comment on the blog after each post I make, you will receive an extra entry into the contest.  I will reward you if you let me know you have been to visit the blog, in other words.  There is also a second and third prize name drawn each time also.  Don't despair, if your name isn't drawn it rolls over to the next contest each time.  So for now, onward to 800 followers.  The sooner we get there, the sooner I get to give away all the goodies, so tell your friends to stop by for a visit!  All for now, Sue x

It's That Time Again!!!

Yeah, my favourite time when I get to draw names and make (some) people happy!  Sometimes it feels like it goes by very quickly and sometimes not, but I feel like I was just doing this days ago!  Thanks again, for everyones support, comments and praise.  I really do appreciate all of it.  So let's get on with this so as not to keep you in suspense too much longer.

The winner of the THIRD PRIZE drawing is................................................................................
...........................................................................
..........................................................
............................................
..............................
....................
..........kimmie_35

The winner of the SECOND PRIZE drawing is...................................
..............................................................................................
............................................................................
.............................................................
...............................................
....................................
..........................
...................
.......
Judi

And finally, the winner of the FIRST PRIZE drawing is................
...........................................................................................
....................................................................................
.........................................................................
................................................................
....................................................
...........................................
.............................
.........................
..................
..........
.....
...
Lorraine

Congratulations to all of you.  You know the drill, send me an email to confirm your shipping addresses and I will post off your prizes to you.  We will roll on to the next blog candy drawing at 800 followers!
All for now, Sue x

Caught In Crystal (see Oct. 13, 2009)

I just survived another fabulous Ally Pally show in London this past weekend.  It was so much fun demoing and meeting some of the friends of my blog.  Thank you so much for your support and praise.  I did promise a customer (I'm pretty sure she told me her name was Peggy) that I would post the instructions (and hopefully a few pics too) for the caught in crystal technique that I was demonstrating on the stand.  For some reason, everyone still wants to see this even after demoing it twice on Create and Craft.  It is a wonderful technique that is quite easy to do but provides you with lovely spectacular results though. 

Start by drizzling clear crystal lacquer on to a piece of acetate (I use the heat embossable type so that I can stamp and emboss on it to finish the card quickly)

Next, drip drops of alcohol inks randomly over the crystal lacquer.  Choose three colours for this (here I have butterscotch, lettuce and red pepper)

After the alcohol inks, use Cosmic Shimmer mica powder and tap the powder in a coordinating colour over the entire piece using the brush enclosed with the set.

Lastly, crumple a piece of white tissue paper into a ball.  Open it back up but do not smooth out the wrinkles.  Lay it over the piece and use a piece of kitchen roll to tamp it down.  The lacquer and ink will come through the tissue paper.  Set aside to dry.  This will take several hours.  Once dry, cut the piece to the desired size in your paper cutter.  NOTE: the tissue is to stay on the back, do not try to remove it.  Using black Archival ink, stamp on the front of the acetate.  If you have used the heat embossable type of acetate you can emboss your image with clear embossing powder.  If you have not, you will have to let it air dry overnight.  Then mat and layer, add a sentiment, ribbon, brads or whatever you desire to complete your card!  The result of this piece was posted on my blog on October 13th, 2009 if you would like to see it.  The phrase on the card says you are a friend for all seasons.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at sales@particraft.co.uk .   Happy stamping, Sue x

Almost Time For Ally Pally

I hope everyone has a really enjoyable Easter holiday, I know I have!  I've had the past few days free to do nothing but stamp, stamp, stamp! I've been finishing up my samples for the Ally Pally Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show in London next weekend.  Particraft will have a stand there with several of our demonstrators showing the latest in stamping techniques and products. 

I've been having a bit of a play with the new Frilly Things stamp set and the Shoes and Handbags.  There is so much that you can do with these sets!  They just love to be used with punches and nestabilities, ribbons and all kinds of embellishments.  They make stamping so fun.  You can see that all three samples got a little touch of my Tim Holtz ruler with piercing holes.  I just love that thing!  What did I ever do without it!  I got a bit carried away with my new Martha Stewart punch too (Particraft doesn't carry these, though), but you can see how nice they look with these stamps.

I will be at the Ally Pally show the weekend of April 10th, but I have my own stand there.  So if you are coming to the show, please stop by at the Rubbernecker stand (right in front as you enter) and say hi.  I would love to be able to put a face to my blog followers!  I will be demoing all weekend using the new Distress ink colours among other things so if you want to see them at last, there is your chance!  All for now, Sue x

Just A Quickie!

I had a little bit of free time tonight and I had the greatest urge to make a card using gray and yellow.  I found that I only had a very dark gray cardstock so I substituted silver for gray and this is what I came up with.  I was using our new Perfume Stamp Set (called You Look "Scent"-sational!)  I found a small piece of yellow polka dot card in my crafting stash, used an embossing folder to create the shaped dimensional background, did a bit of piercing, and added some ribbon and a flower to complete the card.  Quick and easy, hence the title.  What do you think of my colour urge?  All for now, Sue x

Busy Busy Busy!!

I'm usually a pretty good blogger, but the past few weeks have been a complete blur there has been so much going on!  I planned to spend the entire past weekend stamping samples for the upcoming Ally Pally Stamp and Scrapbooking show.  I did get a few done on Saturday, but Sunday's plans went awry.  Sheena was scheduled to teach at a Creative Expressions Road show and she had an emergency and I filled in for her (in Bristol several hours away).  In case any of the lovely ladies that attended that class are reading this, I passed my test on Monday!!  

Here are a couple of cards that I have made recently using the new shoe and handbags rubber stamp sets.  If you like what you see, these are finally available on the Particraft website.  They are both fairly simple, but nice cards.  I did enjoy using my new favourite tool, the Tim Holtz design ruler to do a bit of piercing on the first card.  I hope you like them and hopefully I can get a few more done using some of the new designs for you to see very soon.  All for now, Sue x

Two Shows For Me!

Hi everyone,   I have just been told that I am not only doing the wildflower show on Create and Craft on Wednesday, but I am also doing a second show that day too!  Since Sheena is on a short holiday this week, they have asked me to do a Spellbinders nestability show as well.  This is a first, my first Spellbinders show and my first time doing two shows in one day.  Ususally I do a show about once a month so for me to have two shows in one day is big!  Although I haven't had much notice, I  have been hard at work making samples for these shows (which means I haven't had too much time to play with the new stamp sets.  Those new stamps are just sitting on my table staring at me and laughing!! Soon, I hope, soon!)  The wildflower show is set for noon and the Spellbinder show is scheduled for 3pm. 

I did say that I haven't had  a lot of time, but I have had a little time to play and I managed to make a few more military cards and one card from our yet unreleased religious stamp sets. 

I was rather pleased with my religious card as I was able to make it look like a miniature Bible by stamping it on vellum four or five times, cutting it out and curling the pages slightly and  layering it like a book.  I've included a pic showing the side view so you can see what I'm talking about.  I used a small piece of satin ribbon to make it look like a bookmark and edged the pages using a gold paint pen.  I know that both the military stamps and the religious stamps are more specialised but I think it is very difficult to find stamps to fill those needs.  I am hoping that you like these designs and even if they aren't for you, you might know someone who would enjoy these.  What do you think?  I've got to get back to my show prep.  All for now, Sue x

It's Candy Time Again!

Here we go yet again!  We've added a few different items this time too.  Just to give you a list of everything (and hopefully to keep your mouth watering at the goodies too!) we have five of the latest release A5 stamp sets including the girly corset plate, shoes and handbags and the scent-sational perfume plate as well as two of the three new underwater life plates.  We are also offering several fun Tim Holtz items including a decoratable lunch tin, philosophy tags, and a rather large pack of the grungeboard digits and punctuation.  There is clear shrink plastic, a Primary Elements starter kit, Stow and go, Luminarte Twinkling H20's, Theresa Collins clear ribbon, gingham ribbon  and box book.  There are several Cosmic Shimmer products including a set of ultra thick embossing powders, fuseable fibres and film, ultra fine glitter set, shimmer mist and a pot of embossing powder.  There are paper flowers, sticky fixers, decorative wire, rub ons, Fancy pants ribbon set and crochet flower buttons.  In other words, a whole lot of crafting goodies just waiting for a good home with one lucky follower.  A couple of things to remember, if you are already a follower, your name is entered and will roll over to the following draws each time.  You can up your chances of winning by leaving comments on the blog.  After each time I post, if you leave a comment to let me know you were here, you get an extra entry in to the current contest.  That way, you are rewarded for your support and I know that there is someone out in cyber land that is reading my babble!  (Cuz you just never know about those things!)  Also, would love to hear your comments about card samples and posts that I make too. And finally remember there is a second and third place winner that receive rubber stamp sets (not as great as the Grand prize, but free is free, right?!)  Here is a quick sneak peek at our new Vintage Wine plate that is going to be released next week.  Just a little teaser for you.  The plate is lovely and this card only shows one of the images (a vintage wine label) pyramaged for you.  All for now, Sue x

We've Hit 600!!!

   It's that time again!  Time to draw our first, second and third place winners!  Everyone has been so very supportive, I just want to say a great big thank you to everyone that has become a blog follower and spread the word about the Particraft blog.  You guys are the best!
   As usual, we will announce the third prize winner first and work our way up to the big grand prize.  The follower who has been picked for the third prize is..............................
............................................................................
..............................................
Terriavidreader

The winner of the second prize is............................................................
.......................................................................
..............................Mad Moose

And now, without further delay, the winner of the grand first prize is.......
.......................................................................................
..................................................................................
............................................................................
........................................................................
............................................................
.....................................................
............................................
..............................
....................
..............
.......
..
BonJen3

 If your name was drawn, please email me at sales@particraft.co.uk so that I may verify your shipping details before posting your prize.  If you weren't lucky enough this time, don't forget, your name rolls over to the next candy contest.  Maybe 700 will be your lucky day!  All for now, Sue x  

More Fruit!

I was hoping to start playing with some of the new stamp sets, but alas, it is going to have to wait a tiny bit longer.  I've been recruited to do a show on the 17th so that we can give Miss Sheena a bit of a break after her "Sheena-athon" last week!  The only thing is that they haven't told me what I am doing on the show, but only that it will be either the wildflowers again or a show featuring the new military stamp set designs,  Hopefully I will find out which one early in the week.  I have spent most of the weekend making military cards since I only had a few finished.  That way I will be ready just in case.  I can't show you any at the moment, however,

because I have misplaced my camera cable to put them on my laptop! 

So here are a few more fruit samples from Sheena's Spellbinders show last Wednesday.  I really had fun making these, even though they aren't my usual style of stamping.  The Plum card was done using distress inks to create a background and then removing some of the colour by stamping with water spritzed on the stamp, then blotting and then overstamping with swirls.  The fruit card was done by stamping the fruit with a clear perfect medium pad on ivory card, then using the cosmic shimmer watercolours  (lime twist and pale russet) and washing over them to create a resist.  The apple was also painted with Cosmic Shimmers but stamped in walnut ink Distress ink first to give it a vintage feel.  They all featured the Spellbinder Nestability dies, of course!  Hope you enjoy them!  All for now, Sue x