Sunday, 27 September 2009

My First Christmas Card for 2009!!!


Who's been to Church and lit a candle?.......

....here she comes......

Isn't she the cutest?

Ooh I just couldn't resist this little Tilda with her candle,
there is another stamp that is almost identical but I just
loved her tiny halo of flowers....
So onto this card, I have taken lots of photo's for a little
tutorial so you can see how it developed, I really don't
know what the outcome will be sometimes.....

Right, I really don't want to teach your grandmother
how to suck eggs so to speak, but lots of people are
really not aware of the time and effort we put into
our cards, some think that these images come ready
coloured and cut out and we just stick all these
ready made things onto our cards!!!!
NOT THE CASE!!! So here is my little Tilda,
Rubber Stamp stuck onto an acrylic block all ready
to be inked up with Staz On permanent ink. The
reason I have a 'New' sticker on this is, I have a few
that are not as wet, so rather than throw them out
I use them for any distressing or light stamping.
Here she is coloured-in using my Le Plume II
watercolour pens.


The idea for this card came when I was sorting
through my templates and found this beautiful Arch
shape, my original idea was of her looking
through the window (I will try that one next time)
then I thought I would have her coming through
the Church doors....

I cut the Arch shape out of the beautiful paper
that I would be using on my card (these papers
are My Mind's Eye signature Christmas glitter
Book and are a must)!!!
As my Tilda stamped image was not long enough
to reach the bottom of the door I used this blue
paper from Scenic Route. You can see that I have cut
the bottom of the white stamped image, just
leaving her feet, this is to give the impression that
she is walking onto the blue stone floor! I then added
to the outer stamped image distress inks from the
Tim Holtz range, Vintage Photo, Frayed Burlap and
then Antique Linen.

Next the doors; I cut the Arch Shape in half and
drew lines from top to bottom on both doors
with my Le Plume II Dark Brown water colour
pen and then using a little water on my brush
blended the lines. Each door was stuck-on in two
places with ds tape and left to run along the door to
look like panels of wood going in the opposite direction.
I then used the same pen to enhance the detail
of wood in certain places, I also drew some
fine lines and wood knots with a fine water
colour brush.

This is so you can see how fabby doo this paper is,
don't know if the glitter shows up much?

Ok, the doors have had another coat of Tim Holtz
Vintage Photo distressing ink to give it a deeper
colour. Don't you think this double sided tape looks
pretty good!! ha ha

Here I am measuring where Tilda will be once
the front of the paper and doors sit on top of
her and where she will appear when the doors
open. Also the little sentiment I got from the
internet, "Bless us Lord this Christmas with
quietness of mind, Teach us to be patient and
always to be kind"! Just thought that was so
sweet.

As you can see I have torn the edges of the sentiment
as it was too big, I then edged it with these two
colours and they made this fab teal colour, (I think
I will be mixing those two again).

The door handles were made from the stems of my
paper roses, I twisted one end around my
finger to form the circle and twisted again
to secure, then punched two small holes in the door
with my eyelet gun and threaded them through...

twisted them again twice and cut off the
excess. Here is the back of the paper with the back
of the door showing, you can see how the door is only
fixed in two places either side.

How fabby doo does this door look!! I am really
pleased with it.

I have then attached some lace (secured only at
the back) to form my trellis for my climbing rose,
this is so I can glue some of my beautiful white
leaves underneath as well as on top.

Now I stick my Tilda and blue floor together
before securing to the card, the paper with the
doors is then finally attached to the card.

Now I can decorate the trellis with these beautiful
leaves I have punched, my paper roses I have twisted
together for form a climber, sequins, hearts and a little white
butterfly. (I know there are no butterflies at
Christmas)! The ribbon on the sentiment is from stash
as is the little silver bell and diamante star.
I have then finished off with some beautiful glistening
stickles in Crystal, around Tilda, my roses and butterfly..
If you look on the third and fourth picture at the top
of this post you will also see that I have painted in some
stones for the floor on the blue paper.

Here she is all lit up!
Phew is this a record for the longest post?
I hope you all managed to stay awake?
TFL, and Happy Crafting to you all, Sue xx

Saturday, 26 September 2009

Scattered Pictures.....


Hello Everyone, Happy Saturday to you all, I thought I'd show
you the last card I made, which was yesterday ha ha, (I still
have three months worth to blog OMG)!!!....anyway getting
back to this card. I recently met up with one of my cousin's
daughters, he died when he was only 38 some 23 years ago
and I have not seen her since she was three; to cut a long story
short myself and another cousin sorted through all our old
photo's from our parents and found some fab photos of her
Dad when he was a little boy, her Nan and Grandad who she
never met and her Dads sister (her Auntie) so she has found
a whole new family. My Mum, her Nan's sister, was the youngest
of 11!
I thought I would make her a lovely keepsake wallet card
containing all the photos we found and send it to her.......

Papers are K & Co, distressed with emery board and added
Tim Holtz vintage photo to edges and tags. Printed sentiments
from Computer onto Velum, the tiniest of eyelets I used on
the top tag to secure. Lace was threaded with ribbon and
string of pearl beads. Craft paper punched with Fiskers heart
border punch the butterfly is MS punch....

Flowers from stash, peeled back papers and inserted 'Family'
sentiment, again printed onto velum, distressed cream
card underneath, heart punch from Woodware.
Hope she likes it! TFL Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Friday, 25 September 2009

Laughter is the Best Medicine!

Hello to all you lovely crafters!! I can only apologise profusely for
my lack of blogging! I know you are all probably sick and tired of
waiting!! so I thought I would start with making you all laugh out
loud at this fab video.....
.

..... hopefully you will come back soon to see some of my creations.
Happy Friday to you all and Happy Crafting, TFL Sue xx

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Sweet Dreams! zzzzzz



Good Morning and Happy Tuesday everyone. Ahh don't you think
this little stamp is the cutest? This is one of the stamps I won from
the very generous Mandi, how could you part with it?? Thank you
so much. I have water coloured the image, papers are from PM
signature Blueberry Hill and my local craft shop. Lace, buttons
and ribbon from stash. I am going to enter this into the
Colour Create Challenge this week which asks for Pistachio Green,
Aqua, and Powder Pink, with the optional extra of Buttons, well I
think this fits the bill just nicely. TFL Happy Crafting Sue xx

Monday, 29 June 2009

DL Wallet Card!


Hello everybody, a happy Monday to you all, well what beautiful
weather!! just right for sitting in your cool craft rooms?? I have
a little DL size wallet card to show you today. I have seen a few
square wallet cards so thought I would have a go at a DL shaped
one! I scored an A4 piece of card on my Eazi score board, first
line DL second line A5 half fold, this allows for the flap to sit just
above the the second score line (purse like), this is just a bit
wider than a normal DL card so I also made a box to suit.
I covered the outside of card with this beautiful 12 x 12 paper
from K & Co (Daffodil), edged the flap with lace and added
two pearls.

Tied this beautiful gingham organza ribbon on the inside flap,
I also tied around wallet with bow to secure, (see first piccie)!
For the inside I have used this lovely co-ordinating paper
to cover the side pockets, centre page and back of tag.
This is the view of it standing and also the sentiment which
is on the tag. TFL Sue xx

Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Guardian Angel!


Little close up of thier Twinkling H20 wings

Good Afternoon all you lovely bloggers, I have another card to
show you, this one I am entering into the Sugar Bowl challenge
this week (13) which is Lilian's sketch also to include the option
to use Kraft colour in your design which I have done. They have
a fabulous prize where you could win the Gorjuss Set 3!!! How
fabby do is that!!! So for this card I have used DCWV Mat
Stack, Once Upon a Time! Fiskas border punch used. Image has
been coloured with Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo
and Antique Linen, their wings I have coloured with Twinkling
H20s in Iridescent Blue, which really show up beautifully when
it catches the light. I also used a mixture of water colours to paint
the fluffy clouds that they are sitting on.
Lace was White initially but after soaking it in this little cup of
strong black coffee I have achieved the colour I wanted!

Once dry I ironed it and Hey Presto!
The flower I have made from different size punches and a
circle of lace I cut out. Centre flower is a button. Pearls on
the edge of picture are from stash.

Inside has a beautiful sentiment poem which I found here! Tag has been distressed in the same way, eyelet ribbon and lace from stash. Punched heart added to paper.
TFL Sue xx

Brad is Staying!!

Well as you all know, I normally have a little picture box at the
top right of my blog with up and coming occasions and a photo
to coincide!!! as there aren't any until Christmas and due to
popular demand, Brad is staying!! HOORAY!! so ladies you
can drool until I find a better picture??? What's the likelihood
of that? I might have to do a bit of photo editing and put a nice
Santa hat on him! TFL Sue xx

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You....

Right...I have a lot of Thank Yous to dish out today, firstly, I
won some fab Candy from the lovely Mandi!! (I'm a Poet as
well you know)!!Lol So a great big big Thank you, it arrived
today! and had no fewer than five fab stamps!! and some
bling to boot!! I can't wait to get those lovely little images
stamped up!! you can visit her fab blog Enchanted Occasions here.
My next Big Thank You is going to all these fab people for
nominating me for awards, I wrote them down on a piece of
paper which I have now lost!! so from memory here they are,

Mel - The exploding box Queen!
Charlotte - She works magic with Dustin Pike's images!
June - Lovely June whose colouring always inspires me!
Jennifer - For her fabulous and inspiring cards!

Sorry I have taken so long, Thank you all so much for thinking
of me, it really means so much. TFL Sue xx

Summertime... and the Living is Easy?


I wish!! Ha ha... Hello everybody, where have you all been?
I've missed you all!!Lol, Well I suppose it's me!! So by the looks
of things I haven't posted since mmmm Wow last Saturday!!
I have so many things to post and say as well!! You know
when you have so much you don't know where to start, so you
just leave it....and it gets bigger!!... a bit like the ironing!! Ironing!
How on earth would I know about that? I don't do the ironing??
Ok, any kind of work that starts piling up then!! Ramble ramble,
that's my trouble, sidetracked, rambling..etc; etc;..... So let's get
on with the show.... So today I have made this little card to coincide
with the Just Magnolia Challenge which this week has the theme
"Summer", Ooh my favourite time of year!!! ramble...
anyway, this card also incorporates a bookmark and what better
way to spend a Summer's day than laying on the grass reading
your favourite Book?

So here is the little bookmark out of it's holder. The papers
are from DCWV Garden Party (Summer)!!! ooh and they
are just my favourites at the moment!
Beautiful Ric Rak Trim (Summer)! in Red and White. Beads
I have tied onto the ends of the ribbon to give it a nice weight.
Punched Butterfly and Damsel Fly (Summer)! Lol!

I have punch a large heart and added the sentiment and it also
keeps the bookmark in place.
Inside I have punched a large flower and placed on a paper
Doily, centre stamp (Hugs) same as front, is from Anita's.
Back of Bookmark!

TFL Sue xx

Saturday, 13 June 2009

Peter Piper Pieced a Piece of Pretty Paper!!!


A little close-up of her pretty little top,,ooooh

Click to zoom in on this piccie, the little flower on the envelope,
the centre heart is from the border punch off cuts as I didn't
have a heart punch that small!! Waste not, and all that!!
Inside. Sentiments are doodlebug rub ons, front I have
rubbed onto parchment paper.
Ha ha ha, can you recite that?? Well over at Just Magnolia
this week the theme is Paper Piecing, I always thought it was
Piercing? a thing that was done with a type of needle tool?
Well it's not as difficult as you think and they have a fab demo
link over there if you are not too sure how to achieve this
fabby effect. Well here is my Little Tilda, all dressed up in her
beautiful (PP) Top, Bow and Trainers!!Lol the beautiful paper
I have used for this is from the delightful DCWV Once Upon a
Time pad, and oh there are some truly fairytale papers in this
pack. Other papers are from K & Co recycled. Flowers have
been punched, ribbons and embellies from stash. I have just
seen over at Roses on Paper a great challenge which this card
fits perfectly, head on over there and check it out. They will
be opening a new outlet store called Bells & Whistles in July,
the store will stock the cutest stamps around, designed
by no other than the beautifully talented Elisabeth Bell!!!
Wow!! So what are you waiting for!! If you enter you could
also be eligible for a guest DT post!!! Happy Crafting to you
all! TFL Suexx

WOJ Women's Delight Collection!

If you haven't already seen these beautiful stamps please pop over
to Katharina's blog, she has listed all of the stamps that will be
available to buy on her on line store Whiff of Joy Stamps from
14th June. These stamps are just beautiful, she is also offering
two surprise packages to two lucky people, what are you
waiting for!! TFL Sue xx

Friday, 12 June 2009

A Thank You From the Heart!


All papers are from DCWV Green Stack, fabbie little
owl is designed by Sugar Nellie and came free with
this months Craft Stamper.

The little pocket at the front holds the flower tag.
I even made a little envelope for it!
You can see the little 3d owl.

Inside of the card and the back of the tag. All inside
paper and back of tag I have distressed with Tim Holtz
Frayed Burlap. Flower stamp (PM), Thank You, From
the Heart (Dovecraft) and Owl have been stamped with
Staz On Timber Brown. All flowers and hearts have
been punched. Lime Green Organza ribbon from stash.
Back of the envelope.

and front..

Hello everyone, and a happy Friday to you all, what a glorious
day!! Is the Sun back to stay?? Oh I hope so, I do think my
garden has been well and truly watered!!
I have a little card I would like to show you, it's a special
Thank you card for someone special! I have lots of photo's
so you can see how it evolved...........

The heart for the envelope, front and inside has been
punched, you can see I added more distress ink while
the heart was placed on top of this inside page. I drew
the lines with a red polychromo pencil, I then stuck
it just askew to the distressed outline.

PM flower stamp and owl during process.

To make the envelope I opened up a normal envelope
and traced around it onto 12 x12 paper and cut it out
with deckle scissors, you can see I have scored
twice to make an allowance for the depth of card. I
stuck the blue punched heart to the centre to fix
three sides and tucked the top flap in!
I hope you like it, TFL Have a fab weekend, Sue xx