sugar nellie

Hi everyone,

I have a card today featuring a digi stamp that I won during my very first week in blogland. I won it for commenting on a Sugar Nellie blog hop, before I had any idea they even existed, or what they were. I just commented on something I thought was pretty and hey presto! I had this most adorable image to play with.

Now, I didn't actually wait this long to make a card with her - I tried a couple of times before but I wasn't at all happy with the result either time. I was still new to colouring and struggled immensely to do anything I was happy with.

Well, third time lucky, because I am finally ready to "unveil" her, lol.

I used weather wood distress ink in the white panels, and Spun Sugar to ink the edges of the patterned paper.
I was especially chuffed with the shadow (done with distress ink, thank you again to Lou for showing how it's done!) It actually looks a little harsher in the photo than it does in person...

And of course I decorated the inside to match.

So there she is, finally! Such a cute image, and I fully intend to get the others in the set at some point!

Recipe:

Image - SA - summer Smiles - Sugar Nellie
Medium - Promarkers and distress inks.
Paper - Prima Botanical
Flowers - Large rose - WOC  not sure about the other ones as part of a "mystery bag" at a craft fair.
Glass "dewdrop" - WOC
Doily - Helz Cuppleditch "Riverbank Revels"
Sentiment - Little Darlings
Stickles
White card, peach card circles, lace and gems from stash.


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

The Sugar Bowl - Anything Sugar Nellie goes
Designed to color - Anything goes
Ladybug crafts - Anything goes


Have a fantabulous day!

Sammy-x

Look what I've got!!!

*Bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce*

*Bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce*

I guess hubby finally got tired of my subtle *cough*  hints, because he let me buy a die cutting machine today!
Sooooooo excited, and have already tried it out - naturally! There's now a lovely little pile of snowflakes on my desk :-)

Hope everyone else is also having a great day!

Sammy-x

Looks like fun!

Hi all, I have a fairly simple card again today, made with one of the Little Darlings stamps I won the other week.  I have to admit it looks like heaps of fun!

I enjoyed colouring this stamp, and I figured I ought to give them rosy cheeks, as it's bound to be cold in the snow :-)

Recipe:

Image - "Down the Hill" - Little Darlings
Paper - Nitwit
Sentiment - magazine freebie
White and kraft card, ribbon from stash.

Hope you all are having a great day!

Sammy-x

First go at paper piecing!

A couple of weeks ago, I won a set of stamps from Little Darlings, and amongst them was this Saturated Canary stamp.
Coincidentally, I had an as yet unused paper pad sitting on my desk I really wanted to have a play with, and the two just worked really well together. I paper pieced her skirt out of the cherry paper, though I did colour it afterwards with an ivory Promarker, as I didn't think it worked well bright white...

And I decorated the inside with the same papers...

I enjoyed my first outing into paper piecing, and I think I may well do a lot more in future!

Recipe:

Image & sentiment - "Cherry on top" - Saturated Canary
Medium - Promarkers
Paper - Dolly Mixtures - Amy
Card candi
Red and white card from stash.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Saturated Canary challenge blog - Paper piecing
CCEE Stampers - Fruit
Milk Coffee challenge - Paper Piecing

Happy crafting!

Sammy-x

Hello there!

Hi folks. Sorry I've not been around much and haven't commented as much as usual this week. After more than a year of feeling exhausted, I've finally been diagnosed with M.E. So I needed a few days to work out how I felt about that.
Mostly, I'm ok. I don't think I'm anywhere near as bad with it as a lot of sufferers, and I can still function more-or-less normally, as long as I don't overdo it. I find short gentle walks are still doable most of the time (though up-hill kills me!) and all-in-all I'm convinced I'll cope just fine.
Work is still not going to happen for a while, but hey... More time for crafting! :-D

Anyways, enough about that. I have a heap of cards again, but shall start with one I made for a friend whose birthday is coming up. He's a huge comic/super hero fan, so I found an adorable bugaboo digi to play with:

Please excuse my rubbish handwriting! lol.
I made the speech bubble on my PC and when done I decorated the inside to match. It's a very simple card, but I think it's just right for my friend.

Recipe:

Image - AKV superhero Shield
Medium - Promarkers
Paper - Let's make cards
Red and white card from stash.

That's it for this card. I'll be back later or tomorrow morning with some more.

Hope your day has been most excellent!

Sammy-x

Magnolia today...

I have another Magnolia card, as I managed to find this cutie on sale and couldn't resist!

Image: Magnolia - Tilda with Corkscrews
Medium: Promarkers
Papers: Dovecraft - Princess Fairytale
resin flowers: Dovecraft - Cupcake Boutique
White and pink card, charm and bling from stash.
Sentiment: Magazine freebie.

Now, the paperclip... Believe it or not, that one came from Staples. I was wandering around in there, looking for storage ideas, when I stumbled across this box full of huge stripy paperclips. I was instantly in love and HAD to have them! This one's turquoise, but there's also blue, yellow and red ones (which look very much like  candy canes and will likely make an appearance on a christmas card some time soon, lol!)


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Inky chicks - Pretty in pink


Have an excellent day everyone!

sammy-x

Another girlie Christmas card!

I have to admit... I'm really pleased with this one! It's very girlie, and actually a lot of fun to make (if terribly messy... distressing paper is as messy as it is fun! lol) And I am oficially in love with seam binding! It is soooooo much easier to use than other ribbon, and looks so lovely! Must get me some more!

I added Stickles to the girl's coat (the white part) as well as some of the the flowers.

I am especially pleased with how the flower arrangement turned out...

Recipe:

Image - "Festive post" - LOTV
Medium: Promarkers
Papers: Me to You "Winter Wonderland"
Flowers and pearl ribbon slider - WOC
Ribbon: Seam binding from The Ribbongirl
Sentiment: LOTV on a Papermania Urban Stamps tag...
Fran-tage
Stickles
White and pink card, lace and pearls from stash.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
LOTV ideas to inspire - Ribbon and lace (second entry)


Have a shiny day!

Sammy-x

Football mad!

We all know someone that fits that description, no?

I happen to be quite fond of the game myself, as are a few people I know, so I decided to colour this in "my team's" colours. The pattern is wrong, but at least the colours are right, lol.

I did decorate the inside of the card to match, but the photo didn't come out and the sun has gone so can't take another, lol

Recipe:

Image: "Super Striker" - LOTV 

Medium: Promarkers

Papers: The dark one is Grace Taylor, the other two, no idea!

Brad: Helz Cuppleditch "Riverbank Revels"

Sentiment: LOTV 

White, Black and green card from stash.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

The Male room - Sports and hobbies
Fussy and Fancy Friday challenge - Sport

Have a shine day!

Sammy-x

Lotsa cards on the way!

Hi folks. I've been steadily building up a supply of cards, but as the weather's been dismal here this week, there's not been a good enough light to photograph them by... But today there's been a weak yellow thing in the sky, so yay!

There will be separate posts for challenge entries, but in the meantime...

This little cutie has been coloured in and waiting to go on a card since the beginning of august!! I got a little distracted by LOTV. Oops!

Recipe:

Image:  Cherry Kisses Merry little Christmas Tree - Pollycraft
Medium: Promarkers
Paper and tree/snowflake stickers: magazine freebies
Sentiment: Forever Friends
Ribbon: Docrafts


Next up... A rather glamorous lady. Don't know if you can tell on the picture, but I added stickles to her top/dress, to make it sparkle. Looks great up close! I also added some to the top of her cocktail stirrer, which hubby thought was a great touch.

Recipe:

Image: Cocktail melody - Crafts and me
Medium: Promarkers
Paper: Papermania "Midnight Fairytale"
Sentiment: LOTV
Stardust stickles
Silver miri, blue and white card, ribbons & gems from stash


A LOTV lady next (didn't take me long to revert back, lol). This is the first time I've tried adding shadow with distress ink and I'm not too sure of the outcome... I shall have to practice more and experiment with the card I'm using...

Recipe:

Image: "Best Dress" - LOTV 

Medium: Promarkers and weathered wood distress ink.

Paper: Grace Taylor "Bright young things" and Crafty Bitz

Sentiment: LOTV 

White and purple card, ribbon and gems from stash.

And finally for this post, another LOTV, and a boy's one this time. This one is kinda special, as it was made by Random.org!!

Basically, what I did was make lists and randomise them, and using the top item in each list, so it chose the size and shape of the card, the sentiment, and the colours to use (I picked the top 3 in that case.).

Add in some hand-cut stars and a button and tadah:

Recipe:

Image: Astronaut - LOTV
Medium: Promarkers
Paper: MME
Sentiment: LOTV
White, blue and yellow card, button and twine from stash


So that's all the "just for fun" cards I made over the past few days. I'm currently working on a set of 5 identical Christmas cards I'll be sending to my mum for her to send out this year (featuring the LOTV "Holly Tree" stamp...) Watch this space...

I'll be back with some challenge entries shortly. In the meantime, have a shiny day!

Sammy-x

Good morning!

I promise, there will be non-Lili of the Valley cards forthcoming one day.

But that day is not today, lol.

I have to say, I can sympathise with this fella... I seem to be so tired all the time these days, and being able to have a mid-day snooze would be just wonderful... 

I was originally going to stick the image on straight, but then decided I liked it better wonky, like me! 

Recipe:

Image: LOTV "Lazy Afternoon"
Medium: Promarkers
Papers: First Edition "Family Ties"
Washi tape: Helz Cuppleditch "Riverbank Revels"
Sentiment: LOTV
White& blue card, buttons, twine.

Have a great day everyone!

Sammy-x

Ohhh, 50th post!

50 posts! Not bad for only a couple of months of blogging! lol.

I thought I'd share another Christmas card made with a new stamp... This one's, rather appropriately, called "Santa".

Image: LOTV "Santa" 
Medium: Promarkers
Paper: Crafts beautiful freebie
Sentiment: Magazine freebie
Stickles (for the snow)
White & red card, pearls

Sorry about the blue tinge to the whole thing... I think we have definitely established my hopelessness at taking pictures... Good thing I'm not a scrapper! lol.

Be excellent to one and other!

Sammy-x

Good day all

Well, it's been a busy few days, what with making cards, accidentally ending up at the LOTV open day (oops!) and job interviews and such...

The open day was fabulous! The wonderful LOTV DT Lou was there, showing us how she does what she does, and I for one picked up all kinds of new ideas and things I must try (chalking!).  Thanks Lou!

Now, if you've been to the shop, you'll probably know they sell these adorable mini ring binders there, which are perfect for storing your LOTV stamps in... Well, I had one, but far too many stamps for them all to fit, so I grabbed some more while I was there. Then spent yesterday decorating them!
There's one for Boy's stamps, one for Girls, and a Christmas one. (And I have one spare for couples and such when I get some of them! Erm... Gonna need one for animals too! lol)

Anyways, I decorated front, back and spine, and this was the result (once again I must apologise for my rubbish photography skills...):

And all three of the stamps on the front covers are new ones I picked up Saturday too.
The DP are (Top to bottom): Holly Hobbie, MME and Grace Taylor.

My girlie folder is still looking a bit anaemic, and the christmas one could do with bulking out a little too, but the boy's one is full! lol.

Also, I had a job interview yesterday, and should hear back some time this afternoon... Fingers crossed!

Have a fabulous day!

Sammy-x

Let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time, in a land not so far from here, lived a lovable young bear called James. He lived (together with Mummy Bear and Daddy Bear) in a cave in the woods on the edge of a beautiful valley.

Now, you have to understand that The Valley was in a magical land where the sun shone brightly every day and it was summer all year round. Trees blossomed and flowers bloomed and animals and people lived together in perfect harmony.

But James was bored.

Being an inquisitive sort of bear, James was always questioning everything around him, and he made friends with every weary traveller that passed through the Valley and stopped to rest. Through these travellers, James heard rumours and magical tales of a curious substance. This substance was said to be very cold to the touch, yet light and fluffy until pressed together into a more compact state, which could be used to build the most wondrous things.

“Well!” Said James to himself. “I must experience this for myself!” So off he went to ask Mummy Bear and Daddy Bear for permission to travel out of the Valley to locate this mysterious snow.

But Mummy Bear and Daddy Bear were not at all happy with the idea of James travelling through the dangerous world beyond the valley and forbade him to leave.

As James would not disobey his parents (he was an exceptionally good young bear you know!), he would have to somehow find a way to bring snow to the valley instead.

“I know!” exclaimed James. “I will ask the fairy Queen for help.” So off our enterprising young bear went on his grand adventure (which took him almost the entire afternoon, and is a tale for another time) and eventually he found himself before the fairy Queen. He explained his wish to see snow to her and the fairy queen was delighted with the request. She smiled and clapped her hands and small soft white flakes began to fall from the sky.

Wide-eyed with wonder, James hurried home as quickly as he could to share this wonderful discovery with Mummy Bear and Daddy Bear. By the time he got home, he was up to his knees in the cold, white snow.

“Mummy! Daddy! Come see!” He exclaimed. His parents rushed to see what the commotion was about, and found their son lying in the snow, excitedly moving his arms and legs back and forth. When he stood up and went over to his parents, Daddy Bear pointed and said “Look, you made an angel!”

James looked at the spot he’d just been lying in. “No, not an angel,” he said with a smile. “A fairy. A fairy Queen.” He hugged his mother and they went inside for a drink of hot chocolate, while outside the snow continued to fall, covering the entire Valley in a pure white blanket.

The end.

Hehe... Sorry about that... I was having some trouble getting my mojo kickstarted, so I decided to write a little something about James instead. It worked! lol.

Recipe:

Image - "James snow angel" - LOTV 

Medium - Promarkers

Papers - Crafts beautiful freebie

Stickles

Fran-tage

White & kraft card, pearls and glittery snowflake stickers.

Sentiment - Happy Holidays vintage Christmas stamps (magazine freebie)

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Christmas Card Challenges - Something new (Stamp)

Have an excellent day everyone!

Sammy-x

P.S.  So very chuffed! I came in the Top 3 at Card Crafter's Circle! :-D 

Pink and Girlie...

After seeing what the new challenge was over at LOTV's Ideas to Inspire, namely "Ribbon and Lace" I figured I absolutely needed some more girlie stamps! I'd been so obsessed with the boys and a few Christmassy ones, that it turned out I only had 3 girlie stamps! Oh dear...

So, meet this pretty lady:

There was much umming and ahhing, as there isn't a stamp in that shop that isn't adorable, but in the end she was one of the ones that had to come home with me!
This is also the first time I've played with Fran-tage. Photos never do this justice! I never realised before how incredibly pretty it actually is! :-)

Also, I adore these resin flowers from the cupcake boutique range! just gorgeous!


Recipe:

Image - LOTV "Pretty Bouquet"
Medium - Promarkers
Papers - MME "Lost and Found Two"
Resin flower - Dovecraft "Cupcake Boutique"
Other flowers - WOC
Sentiment - LOTV
Fran-tage
White & pink card, lace, ribbon & gems from stash.


I would like to enter this card into the LOTV challenge this month - Ribbon and Lace

Have a wonderful day everyone! I am off to craft some more!

Sammy-x

Yay!

Mini celebrations all around here today!

I officially have over 1000 pageviews (that's one milestone reached! lol) and my copy of Cardmaking & papercraft arrived today, and they printed my email! :-D That was a nice surprise!

Anyways, one more cute fella from LOTV to go today!

It's somewhat different from usual, with the main image coming off the card! I thought what it could really use was a die-cut swirl of some sort along the left side, so I decided to try to make up for my lack of machine by instead stamping some leaves and swirls onto the same green card (yes, it's green again, not kraft... Maybe it's just my PC, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to get it to show green correctly :-S ) as the mat and cutting it out roughly. I'm pretty pleased with the result! :-)

Recipe:

Image - "In the Country" LOTV

Medium - Promarkers

Papers (from top to bottom) - Paper Cellar, Papermania "Wellington" and Dovecraft "Garden Party"

Green & white card, button and twine from stash

Sentiment - Part of a LOTV sentiment stamp!
Leaf stamp - Hobbycraft

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

The Male room - The great outdoors 

My mum's Craft shop - Boys only 

Card Crafter's circle - For the boys 

Hope you all have a most excellent day!

Sammy-x

Music exams...

There's a lot of very musical people in both hubby's family and my own, so it's quite a regular occurrence for someone to be sitting (and passing!) a music exam of some sort!
In our house alone there are THREE guitarists! (And 6 guitars!) I'm the odd one out, lol.

So naturally, I *had* to get my hands on this stamp from LOTV!

I fancied playing with some different colours, and thought the papers that came with a mag this week were perfect!

Recipe:

Image - "Playing Guitar" LOTV
Medium - Promarkers
Papers - Hazy Days
White, yellow and dark grey card, button, twine and charm from stash.
Sentiment - Magazine freebie (coloured with Promarkers)

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Card Crafter's challenge - For the boys
My Mum's Craft shop - Boys only
That craft place - Music
Crafting with Dragonflies - For a guy
Challenges 4 everybody - Anything goes


One more card to go...

Sammy-x

A Christmas Carol...

Well, I did another few LOTV cards over the weekend (and am out of new ones again, lol). First up, is a Christmas card, featuring the "A Christmas Carol" stamp:

Sorry about the shadows, having another one of those days where I can't seem to get away from them! :-(
Hard to tell on the photo, but the ribbon is sparkly, and I added Stickles to the snow and the sentiment to carry that over. The Sheet music background stamp and the tag have been sponged over with Old Paper distress ink

Also, I just want to add that I'm stupidly pleased with how the bricks on the wall came out! As Most of you know, I'm new to stamping, having only really been doing it for a few weeks, and it still pleases me no end when something works the way I want it to! lol.


Recipe:

Image - "A Christmas Carol" LOTV
Medium - Promarkers
Stickles
Old paper Ranger distress ink.
Papers - Kaiserkraft and Holly Hobbie
Kraft and red card, gems, snowflake stickers, twine and ribbon from stash.
Sheet music background stamp - LOTV
Sentiment - Making Memories


I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute Christmas in September
That Craft Place - Music
Craft room challenge - Something new (The stamp is brand new, as is the sentiment)
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Sister Act - Anything Goes

Have a fabulous day everyone, and see you soon with the next card! :-)

Sammy-x