Euan is 6......already!

And to celebrate his birthday, I made him a card and matching frame. The image is called Baron and Butch and is from Mo's Digital Pencil. It really is the perfect image for Euan - he loves our border collie, Buddy and he loves his iPad mini!!

I've coloured everything to be authentic - Buddy's markings, his favourite ball, Euan's socks and iPad.....and I loved making a custom iPad with Euan's fave apps: Safari, Minecraft and music!!!! I used promarkers to colour the image and Clearly Besotted 's Basic Alphabet and Geometric Style for the named bunting.

I love making things personal and special to the recipient! Here's a close up of the card:

 

Dream Valley - Boys/Men

Happy New Year, folks! Did you have a good break for Christmas and New Year? We had a lovely time - Santa was extremely good to us and we had a fantastic break up in Aviemore - bliss!

So, at Dream Valley this fortnight, our challenge is Boys / Men. I had a few items I could show for this theme as December and January are petty busy for us with male birthdays, but I finally decided on this little guy, Striker. I love him almost as much as Aviator! This is a birthday card with a tag that holds a gift card, like so:

Hopefully I've not lost the bit of paper I used to record my measurements!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - Cards for Men

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

 

Dream Valley DT - Halloween

Good morning, peeps and how are you all? Apologies, first of all, for not blogging or visiting many blogs lately. I'm preparing for a Christmas Fayre and have had a few changes to my normal weekly routine, so blogging time is reduced just now. If you're on Facebook, though, you can have a look at some of the items I've been busy making on my page SusieLou Designs.

And now for my Dream Valley Halloween project........I decided that some Halloween corner bookmarks would be just the thing! I LOVE making these bookmarks and the little Woodware owl is the perfect addition. Louise and Euan love their books, so they'll use a bookmark too (at least, Louise will if it's in the same vicinity as one of the ten books she's reading at any one time!!!!). The tutorial is fab, although I've tweaked it a little to suit my own style. I've used bits of Halloween paper I had left, some Gorjuss Girl stripy packaging, and some scraps of ribbon.

And yesterday, I finished my owl gift card / money / sweet pockets. I made them for Christmas and birthdays, but then Mel suggested that they would also be good as Halloween treat pockets, so I thought I'd show you them too!

And with some filled:

 

 

Dream Valley DT - Buttons

For my Dream Valley DT project this fortnight, I thought I'd use my favourite Sugar Nellie fairies, which I have coloured with promarkers, gloss and Stardust Stickles. I adore these beautiful girls and their little wildlife friends. Their frames have had a few flowers, leaves, butterflies and buttons added....such fun!

I would definitely like to enter the Sugar Bowl challenge - I haven't entered a challenge for ages!

Looking forward to seeing what you make with your buttons for Dream Valley!!

 

Dream Valley DT - Autumn

Good afternoon, folks.....did you have a good weekend? We were enjoying the sunshine yesterday in the garden and walking with Buddy. And there was a bit of colouring done afterwards too!

At Dream Valley, our theme is Autumn and we are sponsored by Paper Shelter. I had so many ideas for this theme and finally rested on making a framed picture. I've used the Waking Up Birdie image from Robyn's Fetish, coloured with polychromos. I have used Papermania Birdsong papers, teamed with some sunflowers, leaves and hearts from Hobbycraft. A sentiment has been burned onto the hearts with my pyrography tool, and i've added some Platinum Stickles. I tried a few additional leaves in various places, but liked it better this way......I'm in even more of a simple mood than normal, methinks!

I'm looking forward to seeing what beautiful autumnal projects you show us at Dream Valley.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - photo inspiration (autumn colours)

Crafting When We Can - Seasons (autumn colours)

Susie x

 

Cute and Cuddly for Naomi

Funky Kits' Cute and Cuddly image is my new favourite image for baby cards.......I especially love the giraffe! I've coloured it with promarkers and polychromos and the balloon has been glossed. I have also used by fabulous Clearly Besotted Basic Alphabet stamps, which I love as they stamp clearly and easily line up. The layout, as ever, is relatively simple, with just a bit of texture and bling added to the image.

I would like to enter the Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes

Just a wee update....Buddy, is now 5 months old - getting big but still cute! Here he is now:

 

A Pink Balloon

I adore this ever so cute image, SugarNellie's Cute and Cuddly, don't you? I've coloured this one with promarkers and polychromos - I think the layering makes the colour more vibrant. I decided to colour the mouse ear as a bear ear and drew another bear ear to match....I couldn't handle teddy not having any ears, although I WOULD like to try doggy ears and see if that works too!!

The papers are First Edition Spring Drop and I have used some ribbon and the diamanté heart slider to add a bit of bling and "love". A little bit of Stardust Stickles and pearl wand dots add the finishing details.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sugar Bowl Blog - Anything Goes

SugarNellie Facebook challenge - Summer Days (the colours and flowers are summery to me)

I've been having lots of fun with my children during their summer holidays - garden picnics, visiting friends, Girly day shopping, different sport activities, crafting, baking - I love having more time to spend with them and time to chill with them a bit more too! And Euan has been loving getting things ready for him starting school - thankfully, he is extremely excited and would happily start tomorrow. What have you been up to, crafty peeps?

Susie x

 

Patchwork Baby Girl

It's been a while since I coloured up Patchwork Daisy, but that was my choice for the baby girl card I had been asked to make. I've coloured the teddy with promarkers and the daisy and grass with polychromo pencils. The papers are First Edition Summer Breeze and I've used my favourite Spellbinders Foliage and circles dies. The layout is from the Sketch 'n' Stash challenge - good to join in again.

I would also like to enter the following challenges:

Divas By Design - Anything Goes

CRAFT - For the Girls 0-150

I'm off for a Girly trip to Glasgow today with my not so wee wee girl, while Euan has a lovely time getting spoilt at gran's. hope you have a love day today too!

Susie x

 

Dino-Mite Dad

I've been using these cute little Clearly Besotted Dinosaurs again, this time for a Father's Day card.  I've coloured him with my Distress Inks (and it's one of the latter ones so I'm happier with the colouring on this one!!) - Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and a tiny bit of Worn Lipstick for his tongue. 

The papers are Papermania Birdsong, with a little bit of scrim over that and the white background.  The Dinosaur's background has been embossed with a Sizzix plate and the chipboard hexagons are from the Basic Grey set I've had for ages. 

The Dino-mite sentiment is also from the Clearly Besotted set and has been stamped in Peeled Paint DI, with a little gloss on that and the die cut letters.

I would like to enter the Clearly Besotted challenge (and try to remember, this time, to put GD in the title so that I can be considered as a guest designer....how amazing would that be?!!).

Anyways, off to the information session for Euan starting Primary 1!  Have a good day.

Susie x

Euan's Birthday Card

Can't quite believe that my wee boy has turned 5, but he has! On the day, he had lots of fun with his archery set, some cars and his Olympics DS game, had a Greggs sausage roll, a birthday haircut and was suitably excited about his first ever party!!

He had advised me that he wanted dinosaurs on his birthday card and that it was to be "a standy-up one"!  Just as well he said as I wouldn't have chosen dinosaurs for him - probably transport or pirates!  So, I tested out my new Distress Inks (in Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint and Faded Jeans) on the rather cute Clearly Besotted Dino-mite stamps and enjoyed some painting.....it was great fun but I was sadly out of practice!

I've used the fab Freshly Made Sketches layout for the top part of the easel card, using a variety of papers, a bit of twine and a little gloss.

The bottom part of the easel card uses sentiments from the dinosaur set and chipboard letters from the Basic Grey set I've had for ages and were perfect for propping the easel part up, and another dinosaur (this was the first and, therefore, the worst coloured one!!)

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - sketch

Clearly Besotted - Anything Goes

Katie's Trip to Park

I adore this cute SugarNellie image! She is called Trip to the Park and I have paper-pieced her with paper scraps and coloured her with promarkers. The dogs have been coloured to reflect Katie's labrador puppy, Indie and her gran's dog Daisy. The papers are Henbury Park, matted onto some spare purple card. I particularly like the design of the front flowery paper!

 

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sketch and Stash - Sketch

Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes

SugarNellie Facebook challenge - flowers

One Stop Craft - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - 3 (papers), 2 (dogs), 1 (image)

Everybody Art Challenge - Flowers

Papertake Weekly - If the Paper Fits (paper piecing)

Passion for Promarkers - Anything Goes

We have had an extremely busy time lately, with lots of extras on at school, nursery and dancing, plus getting the garden levelled, moving top soil and putting up a fence..........and enjoying the sunshine. The bulk of the garden levelling was completed just before the lovely weather started on Monday, so we've had picnics, dinner outside and lots of "sports" outside - brilliant! So that's my current excuse for my lack of blogging presence!! I hope you are all fabulous! xx

 

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A Cute Little Frog

Our challenge at Dream Valley this time is Animals and we are sponsored by Robyn's Fetish. The cute little frog image is called Don't Rain on my Parade and I've coloured him with Promarkers, polychromos and gloss. The paper is from the Studio Calico Darling Dear pad, matted onto bright red paper. The sentiment is from L of the Valley and seemed apt.

Looking forward to seeing what you create for us at Dream Valley!

 

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Sketch Saturday Teddy

A very quick post from me, so that I don't miss the deadline for Sketch Saturday. I used their awesome sketch for this card and decided to keep it very CAS. I think that the focus remains on the cute image.

The papers are scraps from my Forever Friends Kraft pad, with a little scrim and some Hobbycraft twine added. There is also a little platinum Stickles on the sunflower. Oh, and I've coloured it with my promarkers this time.

Hope everyone has had some nicer weather today. After the gales and rain of the last few days, we've been thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and warmth of today: park, bike, scooters, walking.....gotta enjoy it while it lasts!!

 

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Ceara's Trip to the Park

I soooo loved making this card, which was for one of Louise's friends, who loves all animals, especially dogs. And, like Lou, she's not so keen on pink. Who knew that turquoise and orange go so well together?!

I used the beautiful Trip to the Park, coloured with promarkers, stardust Stickles on the shoes and bag and paper-pieced bag. The gorgeous papers are Forever Friends Kraft Notes, with a Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish and a couple of blooms. The sentiment I'd from the Clearly Besotted Dinomite set.

So, our theme at Dream Valley this fortnight is a super simple one......Happy Birthday! And our sponsor is Bugaboo. Looking forward to seeing all your birthday creations.

Susie x

 

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Freshly Made Aviator

I just LOVE this little guy and I LOVE the sketches at Freshly Made Sketches! The little guy is, of course, by Sugar Nellie and is called Aviator. I have stamped him onto my new Ryman's 200 card (which I am very impressed with!) and coloured him with my promarkers and gloss for the goggles, plane and wings.

I've used my new Kaisercraft Journey On papers, some cord/thread, a button and a sentiment to complete my card. The sentiment has been made using my Clearly Besotted Just for You set.

So, I would like to enter the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - sketch

Sugar Bowl - Anything Goes

Sugar Nellie Sugary Sunday Facebook Challenge - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

 

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A New Little Mermaid

This exquisite little mermaid is "Under The Sea"....Isn't she beautiful?  I have coloured her with my hallowed Polychromo pencils, with Stickles in Stardust, Silver and Platinum.  The adorable turtle has had his shell glossed too.

The watery blue and green paper, and the brown one, is First Edition Up, Up & Away.  The front turquoise paper is from Nitwits Joyful Hearts.  I have severed a Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish to make some reedy leaves and added some rafia and a couple of punched flowers.  I haven't added a sentiment yet.....I'll wait until I know who will receive it.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sugar Bowl - Sketch and "Wet, Wet, Wet" theme

Addicted to Stamps - Animal Friends

The Crafty Pad - Use and Animal

Totally Gorjuss - Bling it On

Cute Card Thursday - Got Glitter

Susie x