Scraps and Doodles for Sarah Hurley

Good morning, everyone.  I had a collection of scraps from Sarah's Dotty Papers and Watercolour Love collections and love the Doodle Home house stamps, so created this New Home card.  Take a look at Sarah's blog to find out more about how I created my card.  

Dream Valley - Anything But A Card

Good morning! I hope you're having a great week, so far.

 

It's time for a new challenge at Dream Valley and we have the theme "Anything But A Card". I LOVE challenges like this as it gives me a push to try those crafty projects I've been wanting to try..... Or have started but need to finish! (Pinterest has a lot to answer for, I tell you!!)

 

I decided to finish my denim picture. I had made a few denim flowers with circles and bead centres - very therapeutic doing the beads;0) and sewn the background of two scrap strips of denim. I decided to use some scrap chain as the stem and make a couple of leaves, adding more beads for detail. Then it was stretched and stapled onto the canvas. It will be placed in my craft room........unless my daughter steals it as she has a denim 'thing'!

 

So, have a think what you can make that isn't a card. Or browse Pinterest for inspiration: just don't get lost!! And I'll look forward to seeing your creations at Dream Valley.

 

And did you know that we are having a DT call? Details are here. Good luck. x

 

Dream Valley Challenges - No Stamps Allowed!

I took this viola photo last year and thought it would be pretty on a card, but it's taken until now to get that done - Dream Valley's "No Stamps Allowed" challenge gave me the push I needed!

 

I've also used scraps from various collections for the background, matted onto silver pearlescent card. And I even found a yellow pansy flower in my stash which, together with the Spellbinders Foliage leaves, has completed the card. A card suitable for lots of occasions and no stamps were inked in its production!!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations, folks! Good luck! Susie x

 

Sarah Hurley Guest Designer - iPhone Cover Inserts

Today, I am lucky enough to be back as guest designer for Sarah Hurley and thought I'd make something different. My beloved iPhone 5 has a clear cover and I decided that my existing paper insert needed changed. And I decided that some nice bright pink and teal was in order! These papers are from Sarah's A Few of My Favourite Things kits, as are the rose, flower and leaves.

 

To start with, I measured clear plastic part of my cover. For my iPhone 5 cover, this was 5.9cm wide and 12.4cm long.

I cut my chosen paper to these measurements and rounded each corner with my corner punch:

I'm a bit of a control freak, so I placed the paper inside the cover to check the fit. Whilst it was there, I marked the hole for the camera. Then, I removed it and cut out the hole with a craft knife:

I then checked the fit again and cut a tiny bit extra out.

Then the fun can begin and you can decorate however you like. BUT definitely keep it flat and with not too many layers, otherwise the cover won't fit the phone properly (I tried with a lovely bit of daisy ribbon, but it was too thick!). As you can see, I opted for a few paper layers, some stamped flowers/leaves and Stickles in Silver and Stardust to complete them.

 

Supplies:

Papers, flowers and leaves - My Favourite Things Kit

Sentiments - Doodle Dolls Dream A Little Dream and Doodle Doll Princess Girl

Stickles - Stardust and Silver

Happy crafting!

Susie x

 

 

Guest Designer for Sarah Hurley

My post today, is as a guest designer for Sarah Hurley - how exciting!!

Contrary to many crafters I know, I LOVE making boys' cards! My style is fairly clean and simple, definitely un-fussy and this, I think, suits male cards rather well.

So, for these cards, made for twins, I have used Special Editions Stamps Sid the Robot by Clare Brown. He has been coloured with Promarkers and Stickles - in my experience, boys like a little bit of bling too!

I have used scraps of paper from various A Few of My Favourite Things Kits, all pieced together to make a larger background. A strip of irridescent mesh (from A Few of My Favourite Things Kit) and ribbon from my stash has been added, which provides a little texture (and a bit more bling).

So, with the same character and ingredients, I have made two cards which are the same, but different!! Do you have a favourite?

Now, just a wee reminder that your fabulous creations can be added to the Sarah Hurley challenge and the current theme is Celebrations!!

Quick ingredients list:

Image - Special Editions Stamps Sid the Robot by Clare Brown

Papers and irridescent mesh - A Few of My Favourite Things Kits

Age and Name - Clearly Besotted Basic Alphabet and Basic Numbers

 

Happy crafting, folks!

Susie

 

 

 

 

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:

 

 

Folded Flower Embellishment - Dream Valley DT

Well folks, it's time for another challenge at Dream Valley and this time, we want you to show us your Fancy Folds! Now, in the past, I have made a lovely little 3d handbag, but wanted to stretch myself and try something different. I tried a spinner card but couldn't work out how the recipient would display it......I wanted to sew a fabric wallet, but time was way too short.....I've seen a fab upright z fold card and a tent fold card that I'd like to try......but then I saw this folded flower and knew that I had time to make it AND I will be able to use it on one of the bags I will make.

So, I have used red felt, white material (an old school blouse), button, twine and my hot glue gun. I plan to decorate a bag with it.

What will you make for our Fancy Folds challenge? I can't wait to see.

Susie x

 

Time For Tea

I haven't used these Summer Driggs papers for ages, but decided they'd be perfect for this tea inspired card. The teapot and cups are from my new Digistamp Boutique Time For Tea set, which I have paper-pieced and fussy cut. I have made a "table cloth" from scraps of paper, with stitching stamped using the Clearly Besotted Just For You set, stamped in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The sentiment has been computer generated and I chose a teal coloured ink to co-ordinate with the papers.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Sketch and Stash - sketch, which I have rotated

Totally Gorjuss - Happy Birthday

Digistamp Boutique - Anything Goes

 

Freshly Made Sunflowers

This card came together so quickly.....the Freshly Made Sketches sketch "spoke" to me, the scraps of the Prima papers were sat on my desk and the sunflowers caught my eye on my window sill....and this card was the result - extremely simple, but I love the bold sunflowers against the more subtle Kraft and Prima paper. I added a little sparkle to the sentiment to complete it.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - fab sketch

Charisma Cardz - Here Comes Summer

Creative Belli - Flowers

 

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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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A couple of simple thank you cards

Now, maybe you're not yet aware of this, but I have a major obsession with Clearly Besotted Stamps! And the Butterfly Wishes Additions set and the matching die is definitely one of my favourites.

I wanted to use up some of the scraps on my desk, so these are from my Kraft Collection pad. Before I stuck them down, I stamped the zigzag stitching, from the Just for You set, in Tumbled Glass Distress Ink. The butterflies were stamped, cut and layered, with a little Silver Stickles added. I also used some of the new Bakers Twine that I chose as my prize from The Ribbon Girl.

This was actually the first of the two cards I made and also features the stamped stitching, die cut butterflies, Silver Stickles and Bakers Twine.

I had such fun making these cards. I would like to enter the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS - Wings

One Stop Craft - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe's - Girly

 

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The Return of Dream Valley

Welcome to the return of the Dream Valley Challenge! I hope you've all had a great Christmas and new year, with a few crafty gifts thrown in?!

 

The first challenge back at Dream Valley is a perfectly easy one....Anything Goes. There were a few cards I could choose as I had a fantastically crafty few days before Christmas.....but I decided that we needed colour at this grey time of year and I wanted to showcase one of my favourite styles or techniques - the use of scraps.

This card was so easy...I "tiled" the scrap strips from a previous card together, matted it onto red paper, added some flowers and a sentiment and done!!

And this is one of the cards that the scrap strips came from:

 

I decided that I would look through my craft things and try to use something I haven't for ages....in this case, the heart embossing template, the card squares and the multicoloured flowers. Ad I loved the bright colours for this time of year!

So, I am looking forward to seeing what you create for us at Dream Valley this fortnight. Happy crafting!

Susie x

 

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Dream Valley - Celebrations.....and a DT Call

Our new theme at Dream Valley is Celebrations, which is really easy, huh!?! Birthday, baby, home, Christmas, wedding........ The list is endless!

I decided to show the birthday card for a fantabulous friend. I layered lots of scraps onto Kraft, then gold paper. All pieces were edged with promarker to define the edges. The sentiment s LOTV, the aeroplane die is (with some gel pen and gloss) and there are some buttons, ribbon and raffia from stash.

I really love using my scraps and this is one of 6 or 7 cards i have made embracing this technique. You can see the others on my Facebook page.

So, what will you make for our Celebrations theme at Dream Valley? Remember that it can be any craft as long as it fits the theme. And our sponsor is Digi Doodles.

We are also running a DT call to add to our lovely team. The details are here.

I look forward to seeing your creations.

Susie x