PUCKER UP!

Good morning everyone - remember me - I used to be a blogger! Lol!

I found that things were just getting too hectic in the run up to Christmas so I took an unplanned blogging break, and I have to say, I think it's done me the world of good - this blogging lark can take over your life a bit and you can start to feel under pressure about entering challenges, but I'm back because I have really missed you all and I am feeling all refreshed and raring to go!!

I'm not one for making New Year resolutions but with regards to my crafting life, I would like to do a bit more sewing this year and I'd also like to get back into tracing my family tree. 2-3 years ago before I started card making, genealogy was my hobby. It's just as addictive as crafting and just SO fascinating. 

Anyway, I'm here today with a wee tag for the new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers.  The theme is "Create a Fairytale Scene".

I don't have any suitable 'fairytale' type stamps, so I used my Silhouette to cut out an image of "The Princess and the Frog".  The tag was made with DP on card, which I edged with DI, then I just added some star gems, a bit of ribbon and a sentiment from Inkadinkado.

Our sponsors for this challenge are :

Di's Digi Downloads  and The Stamp Man

       




















Okay dokes, thank you so much for coming to visit me. I have a lot of catching up to do but I will come see you - promise!!

Take good care

Suze xx

Christmas Wishes

Hi everyone,

It's me, the absent blogger :0)  Just popping in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  Hope you all have a relaxing festive break - I'm certainly going to and hopefully I'll be re-energised to get back into my blogging and crafting.

Here is a Christmas Angel to watch over you.

courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Merry Christmas everyone!

Suze xx

If you could save time in a bottle ..

If I could capture time in a bottle, I'd love to go back in time and meet my ancestors and get a glimpse of what their lives were like.  I find the past fascinating and before I caught the crafting bug I spent a few years doing my family tree.  I'd love to get back into it but unfortunately there are only 24 hours in a day!

Anyway, the reason I'm asking is that the new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers is to use the song "Time In A Bottle" by Jim Croce as inspiration for your piece.

Originally my idea was to make a collage of old family photographs but I don't have many really old photos and I just ran out of time to dig them out and scan them in, so instead I sat down in front of the telly with my small journal and did a sketch ...

I just drew it freehand with pencil then coloured in with Promarkers and outlined it with a fine black pen. I wasn't too picky about which colours I used, I just went with the flow! Pretty basic I know, but I wasn't going to stress myself out about producing a masterpiece! :0)

This was quite a tricky challenge but if you need a little inspiration, please pop on over to the CC blog where you will find the complete lyrics of the song and see everyone has done a totally different interpretation.

We're sponsored this time by Kim who has kindly donated this bunch of goodies
and also Milk Coffee Digital Stamps have donated 5 digi images


 and the challenge will be open for a month.






Thanks for coming to visit - I hope to resume normal blogging duties very soon - life has just taken over the last few weeks - I so admire all you talented folks who manage to keep up with challenges AND real life at this time of year!!

Be back soon,

Take care
Suze xx

Origami Christmas Tree

Hi Bloggers,

It's time again for a  new challenge (#80) over at Crafty Cardmakers.

Fiona is our hostess and the challenge is to make a card or project inspired by this photograph.  You can take inspiration from any part of it, be it the actual image or from the colours.










Our sponsors are Di's Digi Downloads who are offering a $10 gift voucher

and Crop Stop who have kindly donated a $15 voucher.

I've taken inspiration from the colour combo and the Christmas tree and make a tag ...

I made an origami Christmas tree (you can find plenty of tutorials online) from one sheet of 6x6" paper and glitzed it up with some glitter, gems and a chipboard star.  I mounted the tree onto an oval (die cut from embossed DP) then onto a Stampin Up die cut (using Co-ordination card) which I again edged with glitter.

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Artful Times - Anything Goes
Craft Room Challenge - Punches & Die-cuts

Sorry I've been a bit thin on the ground the last few weeks, I've been busy making stuff for a couple of local Christmas fairs.  Here's some other Christmas trees I made ...

Chocolate Brownie Christmas Trees

Okay dokes, thanks for popping in, hope you can join us this time over at Crafty Cardmakers.

Take care

Suze xx

Christmas Felt Decorations

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .....

Hi bloggers, I've been busy this past week or so making felt Christmas decorations. First time I've had a go at these and it's not often I say this, but I'm rather pleased at how they've turned out.

I had to refresh my memory for doing blanket stitch.  The actual stitch is easy enough, it was joining the thread that was tricky.  After trying various ways, I found that tying the threads together, then hiding the knot in between the layers of felt worked best. (Sorry, if you don't follow what I mean, I never thought to take a photo but I'll add one in later).

They're all handstitched - no gluing - and all cut using various dies ...

         

I'd like to enter these into the following challenges ...

Addicted to Stamps & More - Red and White
Anything But a Card - A Stitch in Time
Let's Craft & Create - Getting Ready for Christmas
Out of a Hat Creations - Use some of your stash (I have so much felt!)

Okay, that's me for today, thanks for popping and I'd just like to send good wishes and hugs to those of you who are feeling a bit under the weather at the moment.

Take good care

Suze xx

Santa's Magic Key

Hi All,

It's time for another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers. Challenge #79 is being hosted by BettyC  and she would like to see MORE THAN ONE PUNCH OR DIECUT.

You can have a combination such as 1 punch and 1 diecut as that equals two, or two punches, or two diecuts.  You can use more if you wish as long as there is at least two in combination or two of either on your creation.

There are super prizes on offer from our sponsors Hobby Art and Milk Coffee Digital Stamps 

Ages ago I bought a necklace from Primark which had a load of lovely keys on it - I knew I would use it for something one day - and today was the day ....

I'm doing a couple of school fairs in the next couple of weeks so with kiddies in mind, I've made a "Magic Santa Key" (if your house doesn't have a chimney, Santa can use the key to creep into your house to deliver your pressies!)

First I die cut a Tim Holtz label then stamped the Kanban Santa and house stamps with black Archival. The sentiment  on the front is computer generated, which I punched out with an oval punch and mounted onto a circle punch of red miri.  I then mounted this onto some red SU card which I'd silver embossed with little snowflakes.

Back of the tag

The back of the label is made with some christmas DP, the stamped sentiment is from American Crafts, which I again punched out.

I then laminated the whole thing to make it waterproof.

I used my Crop-a-dile to punch a hole top and bottom and then I attached the key and a little bell with some sparkly string and Christmas ribbon.


I'd like to enter my little Christmas hanging into the following challenges ...

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes
Out of a Hat Challenge - Locks and Keys
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Diecuts/Punches, Ribbon and Charms
Stampotique Designers Challenge- SDC73 Hanging Decoration

Sorry if I haven't been round to visit you all as much as usual the last couple of weeks, I'm trying to focus on getting my stock ready for the fairs - I've got stuff piled up everywhere, my problem is I keep jumping from job to job - everything is only half done! Oh well, no doubt it'll be alright on the night!

Thanks for coming to visit, hope you can join in with us over at Crafty Cardmakers. 

See you all soon,
Suze xx

More Calendar Catchups

Hi all,

Hope I find you all well today. 

I'm doing another quick catchup with The Craft Barn Calendar Challenge ...

Week 5 - Paper Tape

I covered some card with Tim Holtz tissue tape then die cut the TH snowman. Added some colour with Promarkers and Distress Ink.  Added Glossy Accents to the hat & arms and added a touch of tartan for Hogmany. Made a snowy background with Stormy Sky DI and Glimmer Mist and added a little chipboard robin.

Week 6 - Felt

I silver embossed a Hero Arts background stamp, bought two Christmases ago and has never been used! Die cut two Sizzix Gingerbread Men with felt and added seed beed eyes and pearl 'buttons'.

Okay Dokey, must dash, see y'all later.

Suze xx