halloween is on its way...

... I love this time of year!! It might have something to do with it being my Birthday month, but October has always been a time of year I love, the nights are drawing in and I love all things spooky.... (but cute).

Sorry I've not been around for a while and I sound like such a broken record... but work is manic. Although I very rarely get stressed, cos I do tend to get things off my chest, I think its important to make people aware if things are too much or your not happy!!

I have made a lot of decisions lately. The main one is that I have stepped down from The Sugar Nellie Design Team. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time, but I'm finding deadlines hard to fulfil and I need to make my life easier. I need to get back to Craft being a Hobby, and although being on a DT is fun and has benefits its a stress I really don't need at the moment.

Anyway enough moaning onto what I have to share today. A Halloween Treat or Calendar Page for Anyone for Anya. I have gone for a Halloween Treat.....

His and Hers Halloween Treat Milk Cartons

I have used both images from the Greeting Farm Set... SWEET N TOXIC, from Dies to Die for. They have been coloured with a combination of Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers.

The cartons have been made using my Favourite Milk Carton Die from Sizzix, for the Bigshot Pro!! His was made using Old Olive from Stampin Up which I then embossed using a Tim Holtz texture Fade - it has lots of Halloween Words over it!!

His was made using the Milk Carton Die and Rich Razzleberry Cardstock from Stampin' Up.

Each carton was then embellished using a mixture of Martha Stewart Punches, Stampin Up card and Elzybells Sentiments.

Right now pop on over to the Challenge Blog, here check out the inspiration and who are sponsor is this week!!! Have a go!!!

Take care all.

See you soon

Hugs Sarah B X

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 68

Good morning all. Sorry for lack of posts but work is crazy as ever and I have no inclination to sit on the computer when I get home!!

Anyway, It Sugar Bowl time, and a chance for someone to win a fabberoonie prize!

Here is this fortnight's Sketch by the lovely Kiki.

I have flipped it as I bough the Embossing folder with the cogs and needed to use it so, thought it would fit here. THe cogs are various Tim Holtz Dies from Sizzix and the gorgeous image is a Sassy called AMELIA from Sugar Nellie, available at Funky Kits

Hope you like and it inspires you to have a go, pop over to the Blog and Check out the rest of the Team's inspiration, its always fabulous.

Have a good day and take care!

Hugs Sarah B X

autumn fun..........

Second post today!!! scroll down to check out my SN DT Card.

Today I am sharing a card which looks like my garden. We have a beautiful Japanese Maple and It looks beautiful for about one week in the year, when it turns all shades of red, but one gust of wind and the whole lot ends up on the grass, then the leaf fairy comes along and clears them away (that's DH, by the way!!)

I have used Sassy Suzi from The Greeting Farm, I bought her from Dies to Die For and have not done much with her, but her coat and hair, I think, really suits this Anyone for Anya Challenge.

I used the Tim Holtz, on the edge FENCE die, His bare tree die and a maple leaf punch, The backing paper is from MME, and finally the sentiment is from Stampin Up.

Check out the Challenge Blog for more great inspiration and if you join in remember to use a qualifying image - CC Designs or TGF - and you could win a fabulous prize!!

Have a lovely Sunday, I'm off for a well earned break of crafting, Ironing and Planning is all done.

Take care Hugs Sarah B X

festive friends

Well my first post over at Sugar Nellie didn't go as well as expected, please tell me what did I do wrong!!!!!Well!! Here is the card I shared, its called Festive Friends and is available at Funky Kits

I think its a great stamp, easy to colour and is enough on a card without too much detail and fuss.

I used Crumb Cake Cardstock for the base, and stamped lots of little christmassy images in Chocolate Chip Ink. I matted some real read paper, then used a sizzix frame which was embossed and sanded (used core'dinations) the image was then popped half in half out.

Hope you little (but maybe not!!)

Take care

Hugs Sarah B X

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 67

Good morning everyone, sorry I'm so late with my Sugar Bowl Challenge Card. But here it is! With the new year of school starting (I'm a Year 3 Teacher for all those who didn't know) Us teachers need all the luck we can get. Parents find it so hard when their children start a new school, the children can find it difficult to settle, and we, as teachers find it very stressful. I'm getting to know 30 children this year, and already it has been a mix of emotions already.

So I am dedicating this card to all the Teachers going back to school this week. I did actually send it to our new NQT Teacher that started with us, she loved it.

The challenge was a fabulous sketch by Erika

and the Theme is "Use up your scraps"

Believe it or not the Strips behind the circle mat where scraps I had to hide all the gaps behind things, its quite a good way of using all those bits you just can't bare to throw away.

The image is from the Simply Sassy Range and is available from Funky Kits
she is called "I Love to Read"

I hope you like,

One lucky person, chosen at random, will win their pick of 4 Sugar Nellie stamps or if our entries reach over 100 you can choose 6 stamps!

Make sure you check out all the other inspiration over at The Sugar Bowl there are some uber talented ladies sharing what they do.

Have a lovely day

Hugs Sarah B X

A Buggy Year

There has been a buzz on In Love With Stamping recently over CD Holders which are business card size. I have some, after a lovely lady did a share. I will share when I have created some.....

I looked on the web and found these CD Size Cases and created a larger size calendar. I had a play, and really like what I did, and It now sits on my desk so I never forget the date!!

I have used Poppy Parade papers and ribbon from stampin Up, along with black.

I used Lil' Bug from CC Designs - she has to be my fav.

I also used a small alphabet and punched out squares.

And when it is opened it reveals.....

I calendar. I also made a little badge so I can see Lil Bug.

I hope you like.

Thanks Emma for organising the share.

I started back at work today, the children are in tomorrow!!!!! Scary, it's gonna be a tough year!!!!

Take care

Hugs Sarah B X

back to school........

Oh No, I can's believe where the last 6 weeks have gone!!!!!!

This weeks theme for the Anyone for Anya Challenge is

"BACK TO SCHOOL" or "OCTOBER CALENDAR"

I have used this cute CC Designs image which is called Peter - I Think!!!!!!!

so as we go back to the day to day routine I have gone for Back to School.

Each year I think of ways to encourage the children to read more and these are going to be prizes for the children who read at home!!!!

Have a lovely day lots to do to get organised for work tomorrow!!!!

Make sure you head to the Challenge blog, check out the inspiration (especially Susan's Luv it!"!!!!) and there is a fab prize if you are lucky enough to win!!

Take care

Hugs Sarah B X

AFA Sketch Challenge

I love sketches and this one for this weeks Anyone for Anya, is a fab one. Sketches really make cardmaking so much easier, all you have to think about is the colour combo and images!!!

Here is the sketch.....

Our sponsor this week is Sammi, with a single TGF Image!

I have used a CCDesign image from the new releases Laugh Lines - LAUGH, isn't she sweet!!

I have coloured her with a combination of Promarkers and Spectrum Noir

And here is my completed card.

I used some core'dinations with my sizzix 3D flower dies to create these lovely flowers...

I also used some new MME papers and a sentiment from Stampin' Up

And a bit of dimension!!

Hope you like, and why not have a go. Pop over to the Challenge Blog later today and check out the rest of the Team's inspiration.

Take care

Hugs Sarah B X

I'm back..........

...... although I'll be going off again for a couple of weeks soon for our annual holidays. But I want to come on a share a few things I have been very slack with lately, My DT Work.

Things have been very stressful at work and personally, so unfortunately Crafting has had to take a bit of a back seat, but hopefully with a break away from things I have started to get my head sorted.

I have made a few decisions which I may share over heh next few weeks depends how they pan out. The major one being about me and my health. I not the most active person and love food, but of late have started to be really dissatisfied with my energy levels, so I bought a bike and have started cycling, however that's on hold for a bit as I slipped a disc again at work and have been laid up for the last week, But once I'm back I'll hopefully be back to cycling each night!!

Anyway enough of my personal life, onto some cards.

I have really been naughty and not been promoting my DT duties lately and for that I apologise but hopefully I will organise myself better.

Here are a few cards I have been making for Anyone For Anya, there is a great Challenge this week NO PATTERNED PAPER though, what a challenge!!! Head over a check out the inspiration, there is also a fabulous prize from Tracy at Dies to Die for.

So no patterned paper, instead I went for really clean and simple.

I used a new stamp I bought from Dies to Die For, It from The Greeting Farm and she is called PIPER.

She has really got attitude. I coloured her with the New Pens I bought to cheer myself up The Spectrum Noir, they are fabulous!!!
Hope you like!!

I have to go now as my back is starting to hurt and need to stretch.

I need to sort out the wireless thingymabob so I can post from the settee!!

Have a good day and I'll be back tomorrow with some more very late DT bits and pieces

Thanks also to every ones thoughts and wishes, My friend is totally devastated, as you would be but I think to make matters worse there is no definitive reason why her daughter died, I think they may put it down to a Sudden Death, like Cot Death. She was 16 years and totally beautiful. The funeral was last week, hopefully they can start to build their lives back up, which I know from experience will take a lot of time and a lot of pain.

Regards Sarah B X