Like Chocolate.... !!!!

Here's a Birthday card using one of my favourite colour combos Pink and Brown! I've used some of my new Coredination Card and this is from the 'Chocolate Box' Collection.... ooh and note.. my card is not square!!! LOL I fancied a change... variety is the spice of life and all that....

The fab image is Lola Rose - Cupcakes from Pink Petticoat. Isn't she gorgeous!! It's quite a simple layout.  I've just added a Nellie Snellen Multie Frame Die - Borders 2 and Embosslits Heart - Lace.  I've embossed the bottom of the card with Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Mesh. It looks a bit like Aero Chocolate Bar doesn't it... Mmmm!! LOL

When you rub the embossing on the heart with sandpaper... the core colour of pink shows through....love it!! Sentiment was made on computer.

I've coloured the wonderful Lola Rose with Promarkers:-

Skin: Putty, Sunkissed Pink

Dress etc. : Antique Pink, Blossom, Tan, Cocoa

Cherry: Crimson

Cake Icing: Blossom and Star Dust Stickles

I would like to enter the following Challenges:-

Stampin' For the Weekend - 'Something Girlie' ends 31st January 2013 

By the Cute & Girly - 'Cute and Girly' ends 31st January 2013

Dream Valley - 'Girls, Girls, Girls' ends 2nd February 2013

Creative Card Crew - 'Girly' ends 4th February 2013

Simon Says - 'Anything Goes' ends 5th February 2013

Paper Crafting Journey - 'For a Girl' ends 6th February 2013

Well I think I have finally shaken off that horrid cold... it seemed to go on forever... but don't think the weather has helped... had to go out on Monday to dentist and it was awful.... bitterly cold, driving rain and gales... was glad to get home to a nice cup of tea and teacake!! Roll on Spring!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Russia Album... I'm so glad that you loved it too! I haven't been to Russia but would really love to go there one day... I'm not sure that I will ever manage it though with my pain levels... unless I went on a cruise ship maybe... it could stop off at St Petersburg... and if it could then take me on to Cairo ... well then that would be just perfect... as I would love to see the Pyramids of Giza too!!! I would probably just about make it to the McDonalds Restaurant and see them in the distance... ah Egypt is not how it used to be... I would have loved to have been one of those Victorian Ladies who travelled to distant lands.... no commercialisation back then.... (sigh!)
Thanks for all your wonderful comments!
Don't forget to enter my Candy draw if you haven't already...

Love and hugs

Sue's Thank You Candy!

Hello my lovelies,

It's been an awful long time since I did any Candy!! I even forgot my 2nd Blogaversary last October!!! ... shame on me!! So... this is a combination of a very belated 2nd Blogaversary and also a Big Thank You to my wonderful Followers!

This last year hasn't been easy for me... my family and I have had a lot of illness and I really haven't been a very good blogger at times... so I really appreciate you all sticking with me! 

There have been times when I've felt very down and then a lovely comment warms my heart! and if my mojo is missing then a word of encouragement really means so much!! you crafty bloggers really are the best! 

Anyway.... enough waffling...

I decided to do a Voucher for prize so that you can choose your goodies.... so here's what you can win... 

and easy peasy... all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is....


1. Be a Follower... I welcome New Followers but only if you like my creations!

2. Place the Prize piccie in your Sidebar with link back to my blog.

3. Add your name to the Blue Link below.

4. I would love you to leave a comment! but is not essential :-)

(Please NO Candy Only Blogs!!! as you won't be entered into the draw) 

The draw will close on Sunday 24th February 2013 at midnight.... and I will draw a winner on the Monday... it is open to all my Followers and would love for you all to enter!

Good Luck to everyone!! I'm excited for you all!! 
Love and hugs
Sue xxx

MAWTT - Bling it On

Hello! it's time for another challenge over at 

Moving Along With the Times

I am hostess this week and have chosen the theme of .....
'Bling it On'

So you can go mad with the embellies and use anything sparkly, shiny or metallic... so glitter, gems, pearls, metal charms etc! it doesn't have to be a card... so you could make gift box, tag... jewellery even.. as long as you follow the theme...

So I've made my very first Mini-Album which was a bit scary... I watched some You Tube videos and then kinda made it up as I went along!! ... It's about 9.5cm x 7.5cm and so fits nicely into the palm of your hand. I used the largest die of Classic Rectangle Scalloped Nesties - Small. The papers are 'Rosarian' by Prima. I love these papers so much and the colours inspired me to make this Russian themed keepsake. Each page has a different theme and it's basically all the things that I love about Russia... hope you like it!

Annie from Digi my World gave us some fab images to play with... I chose the Russia set of images. You can get the image set pre-coloured if you wish but I have coloured the images digitally to match my papers. The flower is Prima. I've used red nail heads on St Basil's although they actually look like pearls in this photo! but they are definitely nail heads!!  I bought the little Russian Doll bead and threaded it onto an eye pin with some spacers and then attached to a keyring which works as the binder. The leaves are Marianne Design Ivy. Looking at this front cover now... I might add a bit of ribbon or bow to the binding ring top left... just need to find the right ribbon...

Dr Zhivago... love both the DVD's!

This is another image from Digi My World Russia Set. Again I've digitally coloured it to match the papers.  I've added more nail heads and also used Viva Pearl Pen on her headband.

This is the tag taken out of the pocket. It has little photo of Tsar Nicholas II and family and lots of info about them....

Well I couldn't not put Mr. Bond himself in this album!!! and of course the books Anna Karenina and War and Peace. I haven't read War and Peace although we do have a copy! it's huge!!!

The beautiful architecture of Russia... I've handwritten where the places are to make it a bit more personal... 

Another thing that I love about Russia - the Ballet and the Music... the embellishments are from a ballet set that I bought last year. I've added some little red gems to bling up the heart! 

And inside the pocket is this leaflet telling you about the Bolshoi and some famous Russian Composers.

This is fab Russian Doll image from Digi My World Russia Set. I've coloured it digitally and added gems to the centre of the flowers. 

There is little pocket and a blank tag.... a space for recipient to write on....

Close up of Russian Dolls

 

A page about Russia and the Space Race... photo and newspaper about Yuri Gagarin... the star embellie is gold - the camera is telling porkies again!! the stars and the moon are from Josy Rose.

and again... inside the pocket is leaflet with tons of info about Russian Space Program....

and not forgetting the wonderful Faberge! 

Another leaflet with lots of info....

The lovely Alessandra gave me these gorgeous metal corners for my Birthday last year and so I tried to decorate one up with red gems....A La Faberge!

and that is it ... this is back of my mini album - I've dated it and numbered it... and I plan to do another Country sometime in future... it was quite a lot of work but most of it is planning it out and sticking stuff on... so it was quite relaxing to do... I don't think I will be giving this away though! I have grown quite attached to it so think I will keep it in the family ...  

We are sponsored this week by the fabulous Digi My World...

and the winner this week will receive a fab $10 Voucher to spend in-store!! 

Don't forget to pop on over to MAWTT for more details of this week's Challenge and to see my Teamies gorgeous creations!

Not long until weekend...

I am hoping to get rid of this blooming cold which seems to be hanging on forever... so gonna rest up and read my book or watch some catch up tv.... have you seen Mr Selfridge? it's not quite as good as The Paradise imho... but very interesting as it's based on true story... but Mr Selfridge annoys me a bit! LOL .... wonder what he was like in real life... I would love to know...

Hope you are all keeping Safe and Warm!

I will catch up with you all soon...

Love and hugs

Thank You - Cute Bear!

Here's a quick Thank You Card that I made ... I've used one of Cuddly Buddly's mega cute images called 'Topiary Bear' - isn't he cute? perfect for lots of occasions and think I will be using him again soon... this is a card for male so I used red and black colour combo...

I paper-pieced the heart with Pink Petticoat Black 'Sprinkled with Twinkles' paper but I've allowed the flowers on original design to peep through. 

 I embossed the bottom of the card to jazz it up a bit and added ribbon and gems from stash... it was very quick to make but I think it is really cute! I coloured this little fella with Promarkers.

I would like to enter the following Challenges:-

Bearly-Mine - Challenge 69 - 'Anything Goes' ends 21st January 2013

Inky Chicks - 'Anything Goes' ends 21st January 2013

SweetStamps - 'Anything Goes' ends 21st January 2013

Top Tip Tuesday - Challenge 93 - 'Fur or Feathers' ends 21st January 2013

Totally Papercrafts - Challenge 150 - 'It's Embossing Time' ends 24th January 2013

A Gem of A Challenge - Challenge 63 - 'Emboss It' ends 25th January 2013

Aud Sentiments - Challenge 71 - 'Bingo' ends 29th January 2013

(Thank, Embossing, Ribbon)

Craft Us Crazy - Challenge 35 - 'Celebrate Love or/and Use Red' ends 30th January 2013

Paper Crafting Journey - 'Anything Goes ends' 30th January 2013

Heck of a Challenge - 'Thank You' ends 31st January 2013

After going out in the horrid weather last week.... my cold came back on me big time... my throat felt like I'd swallowed razors on Friday night. Thankfully I feel a bit better today... I had a really good sleep last night and think it really helped...

Now I'm going to have potato cakes and cup of tea! Mmm.... and later might have some Spicy Parsnip Soup to clear my sinuses!! LOL

hope you are all keeping safe and warm! Thanks for all your lovely comments! :-)
Love and hugs

MAWTT - Birthdays!

Hi - just popping by to remind you that we have a brand new challenge over at 

Moving Along with The Times

This week it is Team B's turn and our lovely boss Hazel is hosting.... she has chosen a fab theme of...

'Birthdays'

  So we want to see all your Birthday creations.... it doesn't have to be a card as long as you follow the theme... 

You can enter up to 3 times but please no backlinking. The challenge ends 8pm GMT Wednesday 23rd January 2013.

We are sponsored this week by the fabulous Stitchy Bear Stamps

Hope you can hop on over to MAWTT for more details and some fab inspiration from my Teamies!! 

I'm sorry I have been bad blogger this week... things have been a bit hectic. I have to go out again today for a routine check-up  and then hopefully I can stay in for a while and rest up.  I am SO tired - feel like I could sleep for a month!!  LOL wouldn't it be nice if we could hibernate like Dormice until Spring and the warmer weather!!

Hope you are all well
Fingers crossed it doesn't rain today... stay warm and snug! 

Love and hugs

Have a Rockin' Great 21st !!

This is a card that I made for my friend's son who was 21 recently. He's studying music and is lead guitarist in Rock Band... so I wanted to make him a themed card.... it took me a while to find an image with v-shaped guitar but eventually found one on Microsoft Office here.... but I changed the flame background to black and white because I thought it would look more cool....

The paper is 'Sprinkled with Twinkles' from Pink Petticoat. I've layered it onto silver card. The black panel is embossed which I think gives it a kind of lizard-skin look. I've added a Memory Box Virtuoso Music Die from My Crafty Heart. I have had this die for so long and so glad that I finally got around to using it!! it's gorgeous isn't it! 

I added the Sentiment to the bottom of the image before printing out. Also made the 21st circle on computer and I've mounted it on Silver Card Nestie.

and that's it really... quite a simple design but I was really pleased with how it came out and my friend's son loved it !!

I would like to enter the following Challenges:-

Charisma Cardz - Challenge 1 - 'Happy Birthday' ends 16th January 2013

Paper Crafting Journey - 'Anything Goes' ends 23rd January 2013

Natalie and Amy - 'Your Favourite Things'
(my favourite technique at the moment is Embossing!)

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I have got a cold which isn't too bad but it's making me feel tired... I have managed to do a bit of crafting though which I enjoyed.... next week I have two hospital appointments.... they always make me very tired so I don't think I will have time to play very much ... so thought I would make the best of the weekend and craft!! 
Thanks for all your lovely comments
I will catch up with you all soon!

Love and hugs

MAWTT - Floral Delights

Hello and welcome to our first new challenge of the New Year over at ...

Moving Along With the Times

We have now split into two brand new teams but don't worry.... we are still a weekly challenge ... it just makes it a little bit easier for us girls on the Design Team as we have one week off every fortnight now!  

This week our lovely boss Hazel has chosen a fab theme of ...

'Floral Delights'

so we want to see flower/s on your creations! it doesn't have to be a card as long as you follow the theme and you can enter up to 3 times... but please no backlinking. Closing date is 8pm on Wednesday 16th January 2013.

I really needed a Bookmark in the New Year for my Strictly Annual !! so I decided to make three for our 'Floral Delights' challenge ... each one is slightly different... and I also got to play with my new stash!! my daughter bought me a Kandi Kane Wand  and some Hot Fix nailheads for Christmas which you can see on the middle bookmark! it was really easy to add the nailheads and so I love my new toy!  I'm looking for anything that makes crafting easy for me at the moment! LOL

Our wonderful Sponsor this week is A Passion for Stamps 

and we were given some gorgeous Floral images to work with... I chose 'Wild Rose' because it's one of my favourite flowers and I love to see them growing wild in the meadows.

The group photos did not come out very well ... so I've included the individual ones. I find bookmarks really hard to photograph as you have to zoom in but then they are long! they look so blooming huge - but if I downsized them then the detail was lost! so apologies for making you scroll !!! LOL

The Papers and Elements (such as the Key above) are all from Raspberry Road's Always Forever Collection. It's fab being able to add the elements onto the paper digitally especially for bookmarks as they don't stick up and so won't tear your book! I've also added ribbon/twine on the above bookmark....

Using different papers and elements you can make each one quite different... I've added some green nail head embellishments on this one... they are fairly flat and so work well... The Kandi Kane and Nail Heads are from JosyRose.

The flower and lace are digital elements from the Raspberry Road set...

I've used the 'Wild Rose' image from A Passion for Stamps and flipped the middle image for some contrast. Coloured with Promarkers.

For more details of the Challenge and this week's Prize - I hope you can hop on over to MAWTT and you can also check out my Teamies gorgeous floral creations!! 

I would like to enter the following Challenges:-

I have entered quite a few 'New' Challenges - and for these I have used new stash; my Kandi Kane Wand and hot fix nailheads.

Totally Gorjuss - 'Anything Goes with a Ribbon' ends 11th January 2013

(Ribbon on one of Bookmarks)

Papertake Weekly - 'Happy New' ends 14th January 2013

Tuesday Throwdown - 'Shiny and New'  ends 14th January 2013

Crafty Creations - 'Something New' ends 15th January 2013

Dream Valley - 'Anything Goes' ends 19th January 2013

Lexi's Creations - 'Anything Goes' ends 19th January 2013

Quirky Crafts - 'Something New with Pink' ends 19th January 2013

I hope you are all looking forward to weekend! There doesn't seem to be much on TV at the moment but I have been catching up with Homeland and enjoying it! I might have to get back into Dancing on Ice though... 

I hope you are all keeping well and huge hugs to those who are not feeling good! 

Thank you for all your lovely comments! I really do appreciate them 

Love and hugs

MAWTT - Thank You

Just thought I would remind you that we still have our challenge running over at Moving Along with the Times.... and our lovely Laurie chose a perfect theme....

'Thank You' 

you have until 8pm on 9th January 2013 to get your entries in.... and you can enter up to 3 times!

The Challenge is HERE!  

We are sponsored by the wonderful Rick St Dennis. 

So why not pop on over to MAWTT  for some Inspiration from the Design Team.

I have got to make a few Thank You cards ... so I better get busy!!

Hope you are all looking forward to the New Year! Have you made any Crafting Resolutions?

I am going to continue one that I had last year which is to try out new techniques... and this year I also want to try and recycle more for some projects! not sure if I will manage to do this but will try! LOL

Hope you are all keeping well... and Big Hugs to those who are not feeling good!

Love and Hugs

My Favourite Cards....2012

Hi... I hope you are all ok after the New Year celebrations.... I'm going to try and get back into a little bit of routine now although no Neighbours until 14th January!! I will really miss watching it while having my tea!

Anyway, thought I would post some of my Favourite Cards from 2012 ... one thing that struck me while choosing them is how many of my favourites are in the first half of the year... I keep getting ill since August and I can really notice the change in my creations. I honestly wasn't struggling making them back in April and May.... I was turning out lots of new designs with loads of detail and embellies... 

I am still struggling with my health... I am enjoying my crafting as much... but it is taking SO much longer to do everything and I find I am choosing the easy options.... so using lots of digis and not so many die cuts or embellies on a lot of my cards ...  I really hope my health improves this next year and I can get back to form .... but in the meantime? enough moaning! ... I have to concentrate on what I have got and what I can do! Glass Half Full and all that .........

I tried to choose just 10 Favourites ... but ended up with 13! So thought... as it is now 2013  then maybe I will go with the number 13!! LOL

Teddy Bea's Easter
I love this because I just had so much fun making it... I just piled on anything to do with Easter... and Bea is SO cute with her furry tummy!!

A Little Bit of Country
This is another one that was so much fun to make. Love the adorable stamp and fab embellies and I'm really proud of that fence as I cut it out by hand!!!

Let's Dance
I just love the bright and cheery colours on this one... such a wonderful image... and I really enjoyed going overboard with those pearls!!

 Va Va Voom
Love the image - she took quite a while to colour but it was worth it... there is lots of sparkle on her petticoat... and that paper!! Wow! it's SO gorgeous!

 Shabby Chic/Vintage
I'm a great fan of Shabby Chic/Vintage but it doesn't come naturally to me... so I was really pleased with this one as it all seemed to come together just perfectly!

Cool Britannia
This was So much fun to make... loved Googling Britains Top Famous People and putting them on the bus. The papers are gorgeous and SO perfect for the Jubilee year!

Keep it Real
This is a card that I made for my daughter and so made with lots of love .... it's another card that just all seemed to fit together nicely.

Willow in the Summer Breeze
Love this card - Willow is one of my favourite WOJ images and she looks so free and relaxed here... the sky background came out well and I used to Pepita Borders a bit different from the norm... 

Fishing Fun
I made this for my dad's birthday and just love the colours. The image is so sweet and reminded me of childhood days pond dipping!

New Baby
Love the papers on this one. Not much colouring on the image but think the paper-piecing works really well as it all matches perfectly.

Alice in the Morning
I really enjoyed colouring this image and I Love those gorgeous papers... !

On Top of The World
Love the layout and colours on this one. I sometimes struggle coming up with new layouts but enjoyed making this one and I think the flower matches the floral paper perfectly.

Alice Inspired
and last but not least ... this was one of my completely mad ideas!! but I love the whole 'tea' theme... even included a real tea bag!

Hope you enjoyed the trip down Memory Lane...
Love and hugs