Quick And Speedy Recovery

Good Sunday morning!  Many of you know that I am away at the Ally Pally show this weekend so I have had to schedule this post much earlier in the week.  The Sunday comment game winners will be a bit delayed this week because of it.  I will do the drawings when I return on Monday and post it at the bottom of Tuesday mornings post for you so don't forget to check!  Today's card is one from the Let Your Soul Sing set by Justrite.  I used the Flake and Glitter glue and covered my branch stamp with it and stamped it on to milk coloured card a couple of times. I stamped a few butterflies from the set and a bird too.  I cleaned my stamp well by running it under the tap.  You don't want this glue to dry on your stamps.  Next I covered my stamped images with Summer Meadow Gilding Flakes and used a small piece of Rubit Scrubit pad to refine them.  You just need to rub lightly in a circular fashion and the flakes will adhere and the pad will remove the excess.  I then covered it with a piece of sticky self adhesive sheet and added micro beads over it.  I love how the gilding flakes still show through so nicely but you get the added bonus of the texture of the clear micro beads.   I added my bird and butterflies with small glue dots for dimension.  I matted the entire piece on some soft gold card and then proceeded to make an embossed background for it.  I embossed a piece of milk card with my Sea Garden embossing folder.  I matted it on soft gold card as well.  I stamped my sentiment (from Get Well Labels 20 set) and embossed it with gold powder.  I cut it out with Vintage Labels four dies and made a soft gold mat with the larger oval from the set.  I mounted this in the corner of my beaded piece.  I added a bow tied from champagne coloured silky crush ribbon and a natural jute bow beneath it.  I finished the bow with the flatback antique gold buttons that will be in stock very soon (they sent me samples and I have been using them everywhere as they are gorgeous!)  I added three large flatback pearls to the background as embellishments.  Finally, a double milk mat finished the card and I added Pearl PVA glue dots around the edge.  Finished dimensions are 8" x 9" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Be A Traveler

Hello all!  I think it's about time we had another one for the guys today, don't you?  I started this one by embossing my background on Aqua card using one of the That Special Touch masks called Maskmap.  I used a light inking of Broken China through the mask to accentuate it a bit.  I stamped the Journey background in Coffee Archival ink and distress ed the edges.  I ripped the image down the right hand side and mounted it on top of the embossed background.  I stamped the car stamp from the Explore Vintage Labels Four set by Justrite in coffee archival and stamped it again without re-inking for a faded look.  I stamped over that one with an Aqua Adirondack ink to give it a slightly different tone. I added some of the wording in Aqua ink as well.   I die cut pieces of both images using varying sizes of circle dies and matted them with slightly larger chestnut brown circles.  I mounted them in the centre of the card .  I wrapped some pastel Bakers Twine around the card and tied it.  In the lower corner, I added my sentiment on a small flag tag.  I distressed all the edges with my scissors before matting it on milk card.  I added my final chestnut brown mats and finished with Choco brown PVA glue dots all the way around the edge of the card.  Finished dimensions are 7" x 7 1/4" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Best Wishes

Hi everyone!  This was one of my demo cards from the past weekend shows.  I started by stamping the Lace Vintage stamp by Justrite on coconut white card and heat embossing with white powder.  Once the entire background was done, I sponged Peacock feather distress ink all over the background.  The white embossed areas resisted the ink.  I added some Forest Moss distress ink to the centres of each stamped image to create depth.  I dried it thoroughly with a heat tool and dusted it with an anti-static pad to remove any moisture.  I then covered it with a sticky self adhesive sheet.  I peeled the backing paper off and covered the background with clear micro beads for texture.  I used the Delicate Doilies to die cut my focal element shapes.  I cut one of each of the solid and the lacy dies from each size in the set.  I inked the solid pieces. One with Peacock Feathers, one with Forest Moss and one with Tumbled Glass and glued the matching lacy piece on top.  I mounted them in a cluster, added a flatback pearl to the centres and stamped my sentiment on a strip that extends from them.  I added a messy bow tied from three colours of seam binding, green gem, turquoise and green zircon, topped with a small pearl embellishment.  A final double white pierced mat finished the card.  I hope you enjoyed the demo on this card if you were able to catch the shows last weekend.  Finished dimensions are 7" x 9" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Miss You

 Hi bloggers!  Purple, black and white make up the colours for today's card.  I started with the white background and did a white on white embossing using the Lace Vintage Labels three stamps from Justrite Stamps for this.  I like how it gives a bit of detail but doesn't take the focus away from the main event so to speak.  I cut an Elegant Labels four die out of black card and embossed it together with the purple card to form a backing frame for it.  Next I stamped the larger stamp in the Lace Vintage set in clear and black embossed it.  I cut it out with the matching Vintage Labels three dies to create a frame.  I stamped my sentiment on purple card and cut it out with the oval from from Resplendent rectangle set.  I used some white frilly edged ribbon and threaded it across and under my sentiment.  I tucked the edges of the oval under so it held my ribbon in place.  I tied a double bow with it and added it at the side of my card with a lavender Dazzler and black stick pins as embellishments.  I finished the card with a double white mat and white PVA glue dots all the way around the edge.  Finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" in size.  All for now, Sue x

Happy Anniversary

Hello crafters!  How's this for an anniversary card! I simply embossed a white background with my Heart Lattice embossing folder and matted it with silver card.  Then,  I stamped the Lace Oval Frame Background from Justrite several times and heat embossed them with Silver Shine powder.  Rather than using these as backgrounds, I cut them with the Grand Oval dies to create off set rings.  I didn't line the dies up so that I got an even oval frame, but rather, I pushed the dies closer together so they were almost touching on one side.  This allowed me to create a sort of buckle card from them, with the fatter end of each oval showing more.  I cut two slightly smaller and one larger size for the centre of my focal element.  I stamped my sentiment on a strip of white card and embossed it in silver as well.  I backed it with a mat of silver card too.  I wove the end of it through the ovals and fanned them out.  I taped it into place from the back then added a strip of mounting foam to it and attached it to my card.  I tied a messy bow from silver seam binding, added some thin metallic cord and white tulle to my bow and attached it to my card with glue dots.  I finished the bow with a small pearl embellishment and two pearl stick pins.  I decide that the two corners needed a bit of something so I glued all three sizes of our flatback pearls in each corner for a subtle bit of bling.  Of course, it wasn't finished without it's white double pierced mat.  How about this one for a silver wedding anniversary!  Finished dimensions are 7" x 8 1/2" in size.

I bet you thought I forgot.... no, just keeping you in suspense (naughty, aren't I! LOL)  The winner of the card giveaway from Monday's post is Magpie (Karen)!!!  Please email me at americansue1@gmail.com to claim your prize!  I'll do another card giveaway next week after I return from Ally Pally.  I do hope to see a whole bunch of you there!  All for now, Sue x

Get Well Soon

 Hi there everyone!  Skipping around a bit between the bundles and back to the Labels 20 set.  I couldn't quite capture this one on film as well as I had hoped, but it is really pretty in real life.  I had been looking at this piece of decorative paper for awhile, trying to decide what I wanted to use it with as I just loved the mix of colours in it, aqua, peach, rust and black, very unusual.  I decided to micro bead it (as I do! LOL) and use it as my background.  Next I cut two of the Scalloped Borders Two set in black, using one of the lacy inserts with two cutting edges.  I backed them both with our peach card and left a border showing on the bottom using one of the more decorative cutting edges.  I glued them across the corners of the cards and trimmed them even with the card edge.  Next I stamped the Labels 20 Get Well stamp by Justrite  on black card using a clear perfect medium.  I used black embossing powder on it.  This, by the way, is the only time I ever use black embossing powder, when it is on black card.  I always use a black ink and clear powder whenever I want to emboss anything else that is black.  Those pesky little stray bits of powder that sometimes get on your card are far less obvious if they are clear.  I cut the stamped image out with the matching Labels 20 die and mounted it in the centre of my card with foam pieces.  I stamped the two smaller stamps from the set on the peach card and cut them out with their matching dies.  I stacked them in the centre for a straight forward build up of the dies.  I made a rose using the same paper as my backing paper (which I think was Graphic 45, but I am not positive on that) and mounted it on my card with some black tulle.  I added a black swirl cut from the Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose die set around my rose and a black rhinestone swirl in the opposite corner.  Finished the card with a double mat of peach card with my usual piercing technique around the edge.  Certainly doesn't have to be used just as a get well card, but I thought I would show how the sentiments look so nice inside the stamps from the set.  Finished dimensions are 7" x 8" in size.  All for now, Sue x

BLOG CANDY WINNERS!!!

Hi bloggers!  I'm back as promised with the winners of the latest blog candy on offer.  It does seem like forever since I last drew winners names too, so I really enjoyed doing this today.  You know the drill by now, I'll announce third place, then second place and then the grand prize winner.  If you haven't seen today's card, just scroll down to the post below this.

The THIRD PLACE winner is..........................................................................
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Fame01!!!


The SECOND PLACE winner is ........................................................................
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Clare W!!!


And now, the GRAND FIRST PLACE winner is.......................................................
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Brenda Lello!!!

Congratulations all!  You must email me at americansue1@gmail.com to confirm your address and claim your prizes!

 The Blog Candy Contest rolls over and we will pick more winners when we reach 4600 followers!
 Don't forget, though, that you can be eligible to win a weekly prize just by leaving a comment any day after a blog post, one per day gives you seven chances to win (way better than Vegas odds too!)  Thanks for playing everyone.  All for now, Sue x

Thinking Of You/ Giveaway

 Good morning all!  What a lovely day I had yesterday with all your amazing emails to welcome me back! As a sort of thank you, I thought I would do a card giveaway today.   If you would like a chance to win this card, just leave me a comment.  I will post the winner's name on Wednesday's blog post. I did seven days of sneak peeks, but there were eight different bundles so here is a card from that last set.  I started with a piece of coconut white card and I embossed it with the Dainty Dots Embossibility folder.  I matted it with a thin mat of raspberry card from my stash (I am working on finding this one to add to our line).  Next I stamped the Dotted Fronds background designed by Becca Feeken for Justrite stamps using a clear Perfect Medium pad.  I heat embossed it with white powder.  I decided to give it a bit of texture so I embossed it with the Dainty Dots folder as well.  I stamped the Lace Vintage Labels Three stamp using a black Archival ink pad and cut it out with the matching dies to create a frame.  I stamped my sentiment (from Large Elegant Sentiments by Justrite) in black on white card and mounted my frame over the top of it.   I cut one of the Delicate Doilies dies out of coconut white card and cut it in half and added the halves to the sides of my focal element.  I decided to create a border so I used the Scalloped Borders One set.  I used an insert and one cutting edge to cut it out of black card.  I cut a very thin strip of white card to add to the top of the border and ran 5mm flatback pearls across the strip.  I tied a messy bow out of black seam binding and added a black jute bow underneath. I added a felt flower to the centre of my bow which I made by cutting a circle and then spiral cutting it to the centre.  I rolled and glued it into place and added a flatback pearl to the centre.  I finished the card with a double white pierced mat and some flatback pearls in the corners of my focal element.  Thanks again for a truly lovely Sunday crafting with you!  Finished dimensions are 6 1/2" x 8 1/2" in size.

I am going to be getting the blog candy drawn and posted later today, so don't forget to check back in the afternoon!   All for now, Sue x