WMS April Flower Show!

I've been keeping a secret I can now finally share.  A while ago I was invited to take part in a special 'Flower Show' blog waltz for Waltzing Mouse Stamps!  How cool is that?  I'm not great at keeping secrets for too long so I did tell a close friend or two - on the proviso they keep it a secret too of course!  I am so thrilled to have been asked and Claire is such a generous lady to share her success with so many - she has real heart and I so admire her for that. This has been a big year for me and she has made one of my dreams come true!  I cannot thank her enough.

And if that wasn't exciting enough I got to choose stamps to play with so I went straight for the new Folk Art Medallion set that was released last month.  But there's more - I get to feature along side some super creative talent, people I really admire so I'm doubly honoured to be taking part.

Okay so before I get to my project if you're joining us then you should've made it to here via
Anne-Elise.  If not just check out Claire's blog to start at the beginning.   Be sure to check through each and every one for some fabby inspiration.  Does it get any better than that?

Oh but it does, it does!  One lucky lady will get to win not one but five - yes I said FIVE freebie sets of their choice just for casing their favourite card or project and entering it into the blog waltz so you get to play along too.  Doesn't it just make you want to shout 'pick me, pick me!'  Check out Claire's blog for all the details.

Taheera
Debbie Olson
Meredith MacRitchie
Aneta
Kimberly Crawford
Emilie Chamel
Pauline Pollington
Anne-Elise
Suezie Howard (that's me don't ya know!)
JJ Bolton
Helen Berry

I got my creative juices flowing with a few smaller projects or two (which I will post later on).  I like to do this so I can get in the zone plus it gave me time to figure out what I really wanted to create for my first ever WMS blog waltz project.

And this is what I finally came up with.  I began by stamp doodling onto white card stock and created this elongated sentiment panel.  Next up I coloured it in green, flowers an' all and then went looking through my paper stash.  I knew as soon as I saw this paper from K & Co. that it was going onto my card.  A bit of machine sewing (which I simply adore!) a touch of pink and a scrummy black doily die-cut and it all started shaping up nicely thank you very much.

I gussied up my pink die-cut scalloped oval by stamping the teeny circle stamp from the Rescue Remedies set into each scallop.  I love how this changes up an otherwise plain die-cut plus I love any opportunity to add my favourite black gems to a project.

And if you stamp them all in a line and cut out carefully by hand you can create a fab scalloped border - just perfect for adding those black gems to as well.  Next I stamped up and cut out my flower & leaves using black ink on coloured card.  I have a fondness for black - it's just so striking against the colours I guess plus I'm sometimes disappointed with coloured ink so I tend to try out black first.  In fact whenever I get a new WMS stamp set I always stamp out every image on white paper with black ink to get a clearer idea of each one.

I can't take advantage of cutting files and so far I don't own the Nestie Labels 25 dies that compliment this stamp set (well not yet anyways) so all my cutting was done by hand.  I'm guessing many of you out there are much the same. Truth is I deliberated way too long on getting a Cricut and then missed my chance completely!

And since this is my first ever blog waltz for WMS (and I was determined not to let Claire down) I decided to create a further project.  Besides the more I played with these stamps the more I became inspired to just keep going.  Don't ya just love when that happens?

I taught scrap booking way before I ever taught card making so I love creating layouts. To me it's much the same as creating a card only on a bigger canvas meaning you can have way more fun.

I will even scrap pages without photos which then become gift pages.  I love to imagine others adding precious photos and enjoying them hung on a wall each time they pass by.  And call me a crazy lady if you must but when I coloured up the medallion image in red and green it just screamed Christmas at me and a page was born!  From the hand stamped floral background paper to the stamped chipboard button flowers and the mini flower die-cut journalling block I think it still meets the brief (even if it is minus the 'spring' element).  Hey!  There's pink and yellow in there and even a hint of blue if you look close enough.  LOL!

I chose to stamp randomly for my background using green and red ink onto pink Bo Bunny polka dot card stock which adds real detail in the background but still has a subtlety to it.

Next I created a scalloped edge using a large MS corner punch and then stamped the different images into each scallop.  Oh and of course I had some fun with machine stitching.  My sewing machine seems to be permanently out at the moment which is just fine by me.  And once under glass in a frame complete with a treasured photo this page will really come to life.

There are so many different embellishments throughout the page and I had great fun stamping up the chipboard buttons to look like flowers.  I don't yet know who'll be getting this page but I will be checking out my local charity shops for a 12" x 12" frame and crossing somebody off my Christmas gift list just as soon as I find the right one.

Okay so on with the waltz!  From here you should go on to
JJ Bolton
to continue the hop and don't forget to comment with some blog love along the way.  I'm off to check out everyone's projects for more inspiration myself!

Happy Blogging! (or should that be waltzing?) LOL.

Edit - Apologies for the delay - I set a timer on my post that was around 10 am  (yesterday was rather a heavy day for our family) so please excuse my tardiness!  Now I'm off on a waltz to check everyone out :-)

Enjoy!

Suezie

Life

I know I have been absent for a while but I'm still here.  Sometimes life just sneaks up on you and takes over.  We lost my mother's sister Aunty Rene (or Irene as she preferred to be called) the beginning of this week and whilst it was sad it came with mixed blessings.  She had an in-operable brain tumour so went into a very quick decline but at least we managed to take my mother to visit her a couple of times whilst she was still able to talk to us and she didn't suffer long.

I've spent time with my mother since which is always a blessing - we get along and enjoy each others company, it's always fun and I'm grateful we are able to be together but my heart goes out to my cousins as they were very close to their mother.  They will miss her terribly.  Some time later this month we will be traveling to Northampton to help support them through the funeral.  We would value your prayers.

Prior to that the Chaos holiday club has been keeping me pretty busy making costumes so I thought I'd share what I've been creating.  It's not cards or papercraft but it's still a creative outlet.

Lots of sheets, curtains and fabrics were donated and this bright striped fabric was new so it was nice and crisp and a joy to work with.  I have pinned this robe closed in this shot - the lady who donated the fabric had a 'techni-coloured dreamcoat' in mind when she bought it so I had to make one up.  Most likely this will be worn over a tunic for one of the Kings.  Whilst the theme is outer space, the story is Daniel so we needed tunics for Kings and King's advisors as well as for Daniel.  I managed to get 3 outfits and several belts from this striped fabric alone.

I've also been scouring charity shops for belts and bits and pieces - anything that might add to the costumes and make it more fun for the actors and the kids in the audience.

I managed to rope a couple of ladies to help me on one occasion and bless Jilly - she helped me out a couple of times and had sewing lessons into the bargain.  There are times in my life when I simply couldn't have done half as much without the help of Jilly; she is an absolute gem of a friend.  I can't imagine what I've ever done to deserve her but I am forever grateful to God for the gift of true friendship.

And here's a shot of the finished tunic - we were at church until nearly 10.30 pm trying to get them finished!  I spent the entire week following making costumes until I simply couldn't do another one LOL!  I haven't pulled an all-nighter for some time and over the last couple of weeks I've done double duty on these costumes.  I can't even attend holiday club as I'm working so I sure hope we get a performance in church the following Sunday cos I'd love to see it.

In between everything that's going on at present I am trying to get into design mode and actually managed to make a card with my new stamps yesterday.  It's the first chance I've had to even get them out to look at since they came a while ago.  Hopefully I can play some more over this weekend and have something to share.

I did manage to make a pillow case bag from Pinterest at my mother's house yesterday evening.  I'll try to get a picture taken and share it.  The grandkids are coming for dinner tomorrow evening so it might be the weekend before I can post it here.

I'm testing out pillow case projects as sewing ideas for a gal at church who's going out to Africa this summer to teach kids to sew and make things.  She was one of the gals who helped with the costume making so I'd like to give back.  Hopefully I can organise a couple of sewing sessions - there are a few ladies at church who would like to learn how to sew and I can't think of a better way to teach them.  I'm keen to try a pillow case dress next.

Well I'm headed off to browse a little Pinterest and check my emails and then take myself off to Bedfordshire.  It's been a long and busy day - my work colleague has been off on a week long cruise and then a further week in Miami - lucky thing - but it means I've had to hold down the fort at work. It'll be Saturday before I get a chance to relax.  I think maybe I'll need the distraction of crafting by then.  Oh and just to make my life interesting my washing machine has stopped spinning!  That'll be a trip to the launderette to squeeze in at some point then huh?  Oh joy!  What is it they say?  It never rains but it pours! :-)  Still - shouldn't grumble.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Hugs

Suezie