Mmm Chocolate

Hello peeps, hope you are all having a nice weekend and managing to catch some sun. Can I say a big thank you for all your lovely comments and a warm welcome to my new followers!! As soon as I saw that my friend Laurie was hosting a 'Mmm Chocolate' Challenge over at Moving Along With The Times, I knew that I had to enter! I am a Chocoaholic, 3 Flakes a day Girl ..... at least!

I used this gorgeous chocolately-coloured paper which is V & A Hanoverian Linen pack and was a gift from my daughter.  She also gave me the pink paper, which is Country Companions 'For Someone Special' Pack and is lovely because it has glitter on it. I used Martha Stewart Trellis Punch for the pink paper border. I'm starting to love doing vintage cards with old photos. So I finally decided to use this beautiful photo of my late Grandmother.

Grandma Lambert (1928)

It was taken on her honeymoon, so it would have been in 1928. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I made the Thank You Sentiment on computer and added gems and charms from stash. I like to come up with new designs and try new things, so had the idea to put the heart and key attached to each other on brass chain. But now I'm really not sure that I actually like it?????  Ah well, 'tis done now and stuck on well!! LOL 

I do love the colours, though - the chocolate with the purple, it's that shade when you have a frothy milky cup of chocolate and it kind of has a purpley tinge!!! It also means that I can enter the Challenge on Let's Ink It Up - 'Chocolate Wrapper Colour Combo'. Are you craving chocolate yet!!! LOL

I would like to enter this into the following Challenges:
Moving Along with the Times - Challenge No. 94 - 'Mmmm Chocolate' (ends 20th April 2011)
Truly Scrumptious  - Challenge No. 55 - 'Vintage' (ends 25th April 2011)
Just Add Ink - Challenge 64 - Chocolate Wrapper Colour Combo (ends 21st April 2011)

Originally I was going to put a lovely digi image on this card, but my 'Tan' Promarker ran out in middle of colouring!! Nooooo!!!!!!!!!! I love my Tan Promarker. It would have meant I could have entered more challenges with digi stamp and the image theme, but hey ho! these things happen. I'm actually not surprised the Tan Promarker has run out. I use it SO much. It's my favourite shade. Anyway, off to order another one .....

Have a lovely day!

Hugs Sue xx

Blog Award!

Hi all, I have been given this lovely award by my buddy Laurie :-

Thanks so much Laurie! If you haven't seen her blog already then do check it out at Designer Diva. Her cards are amazing and so varied which I really love!


It means so much to get these awards and to get comments and followers. We all need praise and encouragement along the way


I am now to give this award to 5 blogs who have less than 100 followers


In no particular order, I would like to give this award to:-


Chrissy - because her blog is so beautiful and her designs are so gorgeous, varied and colourful 
Delphine - because her cards are all so beautiful and she uses a wide variety of styles
Diane - because I love her creations and she explains just how she makes them with lots of lovely photos
Sussie - because her cards are beautiful works of art and I love her vintage/fashion cards
Heather - I hope she won't mind me nominating her. I am a new follower and stumbled across her site the other day and absolutely love her creations. They are SO beautiful


I hope that you will visit their sites and take a look at their work and maybe become a follower.


Best Wishes
Sue xx

Easter Parade

Hello all, Here's another Easter Card. I wanted to do a bright sunny one this time and put some daffs on. The beautiful stamp is called "Easter Parade" by Tina Wenke. It's perfect for a celebration of Easter and there's so much detail to colour that I bet it will look completely different in another colour combo. The gorgeous daffodils are from Wild Orchid Crafts. 

The paper is another one that came with magazine. I can't believe I forgot to look what design it was before I threw strip away with it on! We had the builders in yesterday and it was SO hectic. I didn't get any crafting done and I was completely shattered by tea time! So I'm just glad that I have managed to finish this card and enter it into the MAWT Challenge. It would have been shame to miss it when I've used their wonderful Sketch.

Moving Along With The Times Challenge 93

Detail - "Easter Parade"

Colouring Promarkers:-

Grass, Egg, Clothes, Truck - Meadow Green and Apple

Chicks, Egg Pattern - Lemon

Flowers - Primrose and Lemon

Bow - Honeycomb

Chicks Beaks - Peach

Rabbit - Cinnamon

Path - Tan

I had a go at decorating the inside. I'm not 100% happy with it but I'm not going to be too hard on myself as it's my first attempt! But to begin with I papered too far into centre and it wouldn't close! Luckily I managed to trim it and correct it. My daughter bought me these gorgeous Anita's gold butterfly stickers. They are great for decorating inside cards and are SO pretty!

Thanks for dropping by my blog and for all your wonderful comments, they are much needed encouragement and I do appreciate you taking the time out to visit! :-))

I would like to enter this into the following Challenges:-

Moving Along with the Times - Challenge No. 93 - Sketch (ends 13th April 2011)

Craft Us Crazy - Challenge No. 5 - Happy Easter and/or Spring (ends 13th April 2011)

Let's Ink It Up - Challenge No. 12 - Easter Creations - no digis (ends 15th April 2011)

Crafts 4 Eternity  - Challenge No. 14 - Colour Recipe Photo Daffs (ends 14th April 2011)

Raise the Bar - Challenge No. 61 - Hey Chick! (ends 14th April 2011)

The Crafty Pad - Challenge No. 116 - Spring is In The Air (ends 16th April 2011)

Ooh La La Creations - Challenge No. 77 - Happy Easter (ends 17th April 2011)

Pollycraft - Challenge No. 88 - Easter (ends 17th April 2011)

Stamps R Us - Challenge No. 18 - Easter Theme (ends 17th April 2011)

Top Tip Tuesday - Challenge No. 29 - Spring Has Sprung (ends 18th April 2011)

Simon Says - It's Time For Spring Colours and Easter (ends 19th April 2011)

Stampin' For The Weekend - Challenge No. 7 -  Easter (ends 21st April 2011)

Creative Inspirations - Challenge No. 57 - Easter (ends 22nd April 2011)

Die cut Dreams - Challenge No. 87 - It's Easter Time! (ends 24th April 2011)

Finally, is it just me who hates those 'Scratch and Sniff' Cards. I had a 'Filthy Cities' one in both my TV Guide and my History Magazine. I didn't even scratch it!!! (honest!) and yet my magazines smell of an '18th Century Tannery', 'Pong de Paris', 'Marie Antionette's Perfume' and last and definitely worst of all! 'Sewage Sludge' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Yuk .....!!!

One Good Egg!!

Hi, hope you are all having a lovely weekend! The sun has been shining again here in Manchester, UK and it has been a gorgeous day. Lots of lovely blossoms and flowers coming out now and I am really looking forward to Easter. So here's my first Easter Card. The stamp is called "One Good Egg!!" by Penny Black. 

The backing paper was a freebie with magazine. I've mounted the image on layered up nestabilities. I printed out Happy Easter Sentiment and mounted it on a small Nellie Snellen die and added a small scrap of ribbon that I had over in my stash and it just fitted! The roses and buds are from the wonderful Wild Orchid Crafts. The 'Surprise' topper is from a Forever Friends Elements pack. It is actually glittery and gorgeous but I don't think I have photographed this card very well! But I am determined to post this card tonight as I have spent so long on it, changing things around!! The ribbon, bows and gems are from stash. 

One Good Egg!!

I do love this image - the bunny looks SO proud of his egg, bless him! The bunny is coloured with Promarkers, Cool Grey 3 & 4 and Blossom. The egg is Pastel Blue, Blossom and Rose Pink. I wanted to make his egg really special and so went mad with the Bling! Added tiny 2mm gems to centre of flowers and some Twinklets Diamond Dust onto the centre strip. It's the first time I've used Diamond Dust and I love it !!!!  It's like tiny crystals. Oh and I added Flock to the Bunny's Tail to make him handsome and cute! Don't know why I'm presuming it's a him!! - he just looks like a him!

I am entering this card into the following Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations - Challenge No. 105 - Easter Photo (ends 09th April 2011)

Stamp with Fun - Challenge No. 105 - Easter (ends 10th April 2011)

Everybody Art  - Challenge No. 136 - Easter (ends 11th April 2011)

Crafts & Me - Challenge No. 29 - Glitter (ends 12th April 2011)

I Love Promarkers - Challenge No. 60 - Easter (ends 12th April 2011)

C.R.A.F.T.  - Challenge No. 97 - Animals/Pets (ends 13th April 2011) 

Dutch Dare - Challenge No. 107 - Spring Has Sprung (ends 13th April 2011)

Hanna and Friends - Challenge No. 89 - Penny Black (ends 13th April 2011)

Totally Gorjuss - Challenge No. 75 - Fluffy (ends 15th April 2011)

Aly's Sunday Challenge - Challenge No. 39  - Hippity Hoppity Bunnies (ends 16th April 2011)

The Pink Elephant - Challenge No. 97 - Easter (ends 17th April 2011)

Now off to hopefully finish off another Easter Card I have on the go. I love doing Easter Cards!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs Sue xx

Ooh! Prizes!

Thought I would share some Good News!

I have just been awarded my first Top 3 Badge by Craft Us Crazy!! I am so chuffed - Well it was Top 6 really, but shhhh.... don't tell LOL.  It is always extra special when you are 'chosen' as a prize winner as opposed to drawn at random. And my entry was the Birthday Card that nearly got thrown away!! I will never throw anything away ever again !!! LOL

But, (blush) - I also won the monthly Prize Draw on same site!!! Whoo Hoo! Trumpet Fanfare .....!!

Anyway, I won one digital image from Limited Runs Digi's

and chose a beautiful butterfly which kind of looks like a tattoo design and I think it will be great for colouring and for all sorts of cards. 

The monthly draw was sponsored by Stitchy Bear Stamps

They have some cool stuff on the website which is great if you need a particular themed image and haven't got a rubber stamp that suits.  Anyway, I had a fun time choosing my images and hope to show them off on some cards very soon!

So a big thank you! to Craft Us Crazy, Limited Runs Digi's and Stitchy Bear Stamps !!!

Sad News and Blooming Blossoms

It's been a while since I last posted. We had to have our beloved Tibetan Terrier Danny put to sleep just over a week ago and it has left us all devastated. He deteriorated so quickly but then blood tests showed that he had 75% kidney failure. As he was not eating, seemed in a lot of discomfort and was unaware of his surroundings, after discussions with the vet, we felt it was the kindest thing to let him go .....

Danny 1997-2011

He was 14 which is a really good age for a Tibetan and I take great comfort in the fact that he had a full and healthy life right up to the end and that he was much loved. It has left a huge void in our family though.  He was such a sweet natured dog, gave kisses everyday, and was always happy - and that is how I want to remember him !!!!

Danny as a mischievous puppy 1997

I have found it hard to come to terms with but it gets easier each day and as they say, Time is a Healer !! I need to get busy again. I am getting back into my cardmaking but I am making a lot of mistakes !! can't cut straight etc. etc. Anyway, I am looking forward to Easter. Spring is settling in, but where is the sun? hope it comes back to Manchester, UK.  LOL.

I made this card for a friend.  Some blossom trees are already out, and this paper/decoupage set reminds me of Japanese Cherry Blossom.  The backing paper and decoupage are from A4 Papermania Oriental Stack that my darling daughter bought me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. The papers are SO beautiful, lots of blossoms and decoupage and exploding boxes!!! ??? I must have a go at those !!!  LOL

I didn't want the card to be over fussy. The main flower and a couple of flowers below are decoupage, although they don't show up all that well in the photos, so I hope that you can see the effect. The strip down the left is Oriental Ribbon Sticker which I bought ages ago and can't remember where!  It says Best Wishes. Again it didn't photograph very well.

Decoupage - detail

That is it really, a nice quick card. I love doing decoupage because it really relaxes me. And it is so effective that I don't think you need to add much else.

I'm entering it into the following Challenges:

Allsorts - Week 97 - Blooming Blossoms (ends 8th April 2011)
Craft Your Passion - Challenge No. 52 - Anything Goes (ends 10th April 2011)
Tuesday Throwdown - Challenge No. 43 - Spring (ends 11th April 2011)
Delightful Challenges - Flowers (ends 6th April 2011)
PaperCrafting Journey - Challenge No. 7 - For The Ladies in Your LIfe (13th April 2011)
Fairy Fun Fridays - Challenge No. 49 - Oh So Spring (7th April 2011)