Challenge Blog

This week we have a fantastic sponsored challenge up on the Challenge blog! I'm so pleased that GallimaufryUK is our sponsor this week - as you know I design for this digi scrapbook company and her fabulous kits have got me hooked on digi-scrapping! I also print out tons of the elements to use on hybrid projects.

The design team have come up with some fabulous projects, both hybrid and digital, using the 'Bloomin Lovely' kit, to inspire you, pop over and see them all here, this is my digi layout:

and here are some hybrid cards I made previously which you may remember...

 

You can ger hold of the kit here or take part in the challenge to try and win it!

Pop over and check out the prizes, because, get this, every single entrant to the challenge will receive a $1 voucher for the GallimaufryUK store - how amazing is that?! So what are you waiting for???

Remember you can use the kit for both hybrid and digital projects. I am working on a digi-scrap tutorial, so if you would be interested then look out for that!

Sarah x

Goth Girl Card

Another project to show you today, today a fun digi stamp card...

The digi stamp is from The Stamping Boutique (pop over to see their range, gorgeous stamps!) which I coloured with my promarkers. The lovely skully ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the dotty paper is from Echo Park.

I have some more things and fun projects for tomorrow!

Sarah x

More Provocraft Loveliness!

I mentioned yesterday that I learned to do the auto-fill on my Expression 2, so I thought I would cut out a whole bunch of doilies as they are great for so many projects - the aim being of course to have lots ready for different projects but I couldn't resist and used them all up on one project!

So here is my doily filled layout!

 

The doilies were cut from one of the built in cartridges in different sizes, I used them to make a random pattern on plain cardstock. The ribbon and ticket is from Pink Paislee. Chipboard is from Cosmo Cricket, the Alphabet is from Making Memories.

I love this pic of Fuzzybutt in my studio, she loves to come and lay in there while I work and she loves ribbon, she's always trying to run off with it if I drop a piece, I think if she was a real little girl she would definitely be a crafter!

And today, the lovely Fedex man came (I like him better than the postman because he only ever brings good post!) he had two big boxes for me....

You know I'll be busy later!!

Sarah x

My First Cricut Card

Lots more crafting last night (and early hours of the morning, totally lost track of time! I've started re-watching Desperate Housewives from the beginning while I craft and I get so lost in it that it was 4am before I noticed yesterday!) and again today, OH went to do some bits for my MIL so I thought I'd have some time with my Cricut and learn some more about it. I think I'm getting there!

Today I made my first card from all of my cricut parts - I was learning how to make the internal shapes line up properly - it's very easy when you get the hang of it, if I can do it, anyone can! :o)

The shapes are from the pre-loaded Cosmo Cricket cartridge, my favourite one! I also learned how to do auto-fill so you can cut out a whole sheet of shapes - I'll show you the project with that in the next few days!

Thank you for the lovely comments on yesterdays free download and hello to my new followers and Facebook friends!

Sarah x

Build A Flower

Yesterday I finally got round to having my first play with the Expression 2 - wow! I can't wait to learn all the ins and outs of this machine because from the basic few things I done yesterday, amazing! I love the cute cartridges that come built in as well, especially the Cosmo Cricket one, adorable! Expect lots of Cricut projects over the next few days :o)

Today I launched some new projects in my shop, one of which I have been asked for so much since I first demonstrated the flowers from my Woodland Whimsies CD on TV, so I have made these as a download in lots of different colourways including the plain and polka dot options.

You may remember this card I made with them during my demo, each layer was scrunched and distressed, layered together and fastened with a brad then I added some glossy accents to make dew drops. You can also mist with your spray inks, add glitter and buttons, so many things! They are a great way of getting the layered flower look if you don't have a die cutting machine.

And to mark the launch of the 'Build A Flower' downloads, I'm giving away one of the sets for free! This Red and Blue is the one I demo-ed and you can download by clicking here or on the picture below.

I'd love you to share what you make over on my Facebook page, leave a pic and your blog link if you have one!

You can get hold of the other sets in lots of colours here... 

Have a great weekend!

Sarah x

London - Part 2!

I was very naughty yesterday and didn't get around to blogging, not very often that happens! But I was just so exhausted when I got in that I didn't have the energy, I fell asleep about 9 o'clock and slept for almost 12 hours!!! If you have ever suffered with insomnia like I do you will understand what a HUGE thing that is - I feel pretty good today!

So, yesterday, I had 2 meetings in London, the first I can't say too much about just yet, but it seemed to go quite well, fingers crossed everybody please!! LOL. Then I went on over to pick up my Cricut Expression 2 from Provocraft before they flew back home. Squeeeeee! so exciting. Although I have to confess, I haven't opened it yet, how much self control is that?! Actually, not really, only because I was asleep and now I'm catching up on emails and things, otherwise it would be up in my studio in pride of place already!! I'm sure you can guess what I now have planned for the WHOLE weekend :o)

Also, I must mention that Basically Bare are having a referral contest on Facebook, if you refer lots of 'likers' to the page you could win a $50 gift certificate! What are you waiting for? :o)

This weekend I'll be making lots of craft projects to show you next week and maybe some sneaks of a new product... ;o)

Have a lovely long weekend!

Sarah x

A Lovely Day in London

So today, I was back in London where I met Emma for lunch and to visit the Progressive Greetings show. The show was fun, quite small but very interesting to see all the brands of cards under one roof (think a visit to a massive Clintons Cards!). I think I'm allowed to say, that recently I was approached by a card company to design a range of cards for them, I thought the show would be great market research seeing all the different trends and what is out there already! I've already started testing the waters somewhat by making a few sets of cards for my Etsy shop to see what proves popular, at the moment I only have the 'Save the Date' ones up...

 

 You can view all the sets in my Etsy shop here - more coming soon!

Then we went for some lunch and of course a bit of a gossip and cooking up some plans ;o)

Tomorrow I have another day in London for some meetings - exciting!!

Sarah x

p.s. I hope you've been watching the launch shows for the Cricut Expression 2 - marvellous!! :o)

Belle & Alfie

Today there is a new digi kit available from my shop - from the Belle & Alfie range launched last week. The Kit has 4 downloadable papers and 4 digi stamps (2 colour and 2 black and white) all for just £3.50! You can get yours here - hope you like!

Also, I want to thank everyone again for your lovely comments on my second piece of good news. I know you want to hear the rest, and I want to tell you!! LOL and I will just as soon as I can, promise!

Don't forget the Cricut Expression 2 is being launched tonight on Ideal World and will be shown again tomorrow on Create and Craft - I know I can't wait to get mine!!

Sarah x

Sharing Good News - Part 2!

Firstly, a big 'Thank You' to everyone who took the time out to leave me blog comments, messages on Facebook & Twitter and emails and texts on my first piece of good news (below, if you missed it!), what a really lovely lot you are! :o)

Today I'm pleased to be able to share another part of my news, and that is that I have been asked to join the design and education team for a FABULOUS new company called Basically Bare. They produce fantastic chipboard alterables such as albums and embellishments and I'm joining a fab team of ladies, I can't wait to get started! Pop over to their website to take a look at their products and get to know the rest of the design team, I just know you're going to love them!

I hope to be able to share more soon - busy week ahead! ;o)

Sarah x

Sharing Good News - Part 1

Last week I posted on twitter that I was having a pretty incredible week, it's been so good I literally found it hard to believe. A few people sent me messages of congratulations, not even knowing what was happening (how nice is that!) and I felt like I should share but I just coudn't. I don't know if its something you've experienced but sometimes when good things happen, especially quite a few together, or something you'd kind of given up on, and even more especially if some of them you've wanted so badly, or didn't even realise you wanted (if that makes sense) but when they happen it feels *right* and makes you so happy you're kind of afraid to 'put it out there' and share, I guess partly because you know there will always be that minority of people who tear it down, belittle it and make you feel it's not that great after all, make you doubt yourself and partly because you're scared that if you let go of it, it might break, they might change their mind, or think you were someone else or something! Silly, right?

I've literally been like a kid at Christmas this week, can't sleep with excitement, keep waking up thinking of it all, wanting to wake OH up at 4am to whisper about it in the dark like you did when you were a kid, crazy!

Anyway, I really do have to start sharing now, becasue literally, there is a quite a bit to get through! I can't share everything right now, some of it is still in discussion, and I have to keep those things private until it's all worked out and also, I might jinx it! LOL

But today, I am sharing my first piece of news....

I am thrilled to say that Provocraft have asked me to work with them - yup, *THE* Provocraft.... seriously... amazeballs, right?

I'm too excited! Can't wait to get started! Squeeeeeee!!


I'll be back with more wonderful news soon!

Sarah x

Help Save Daisy!

I completely forgot to mention yesterday, fellow lovely crafter Kirsty Wiseman is running a huge crafty raffle to raise money to help a family who have a dog that needs urgent treatment but sadly it's £1600 and they need some help, if Daisy doesn't get help she will have to be put down. Just the though makes my heart break, if anything happened to my little Fuzzybutt I'd be lost, I can't even imagine how the poor family are feeling right now.

Myself and other craft companies have donated lots of prizes so the prize is going to be a super-duper one, please pop over to Kirsty's blog, read the full story, see Daisy's cute face and dig deep for a good cause!

Thank you!
Sarah x

Alcohol Inks on Holographic Card!

I've been playing with my Kuretake Alcohol Inks again making lots of backgrounds for future projects - I was using up lots of old paper, coating it with acrylic paint first to seal it (a great way to use up old stash you'll never ever use) in with all my old stash was a whole stack of holographic card I bought about 10 years ago, it has a glossy surface so no need to prime it first, so I thought I'd give it a go!

 

The first is yellow and pink swirled with grey dripped into the edges. The second I layered on lots of yellow and pink with purple around the edges then I dripped purple into the middle and the blending solution on top which gave it this 'tie-dye' kind of effect.

I wouldn't recommend doing this in a brightly lit room, I nearly blinded myself! But it's definitely a great effect.

I had my silouhette Lavinia stamps to hand so i made a very quick card just to show off how striking it can be - literally this took about 5 minutes to make!

Sarah x