Tuesday Spotlight

This week we have a very sweet crafter named

Mary J joining us...

I have known Mary J for over a year and have always loved her beautiful cards.  I'm sure you will love them too.

Here is what Mary J made for us today

Using Cinders

Here is a little about Mary J and some of the beautiful cards from her blog:

*Start by telling us a little about you:

Well, how to cut down 43 years in a paragraph...lol! In short, I am married to Steve (been together for over 14 years) and we live in a small village in East Sussex in the South East of England with our two Yellow Labradors, Poppy (4) and Lulu (2). Work-wise I am a project manager based in Central London. We do a lot of walking and spend a lot of time with our families. Our dream is to emigrate and own a beach front house in New Zealand or Australia - perhaps one day!

Using Pillow Talk

*When did you start card making and what made you start?

I first became aware of cardmaking when a work colleague sold her cards at work. Then, when Steve and I decided to get married 4 years ago, I decided to make my own wedding stationery. I was very proud of it but looking at them now, I'm embarrassed! Hey, we learn and grow huh?!!

Using Bad Hare Day

*What is your preferred coloring medium?

I love to watercolour using my Aqua Promarkers, but I end up using my Copics for ease!

Using Spread Your Wings

*What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?

Well it was Spread Your Wings - I just love the whimsical look on her face with her huge thoughtful eyes! But I bought the November set #11 and now my fave has to be Cinders!

*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?

I was already a regular customer of Funky Kits so when Simply Sassy popped into the shop, it was love at first sight!

Using I Give You My Heart

*What is your favourite style (card making)?

I love to experiment so my style can vary a lot from clean lines to shabby chic. The most common theme though through all my cards is lots and lots of layers!

*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?

I love the blog just the way it is - the inspiration, the spotlights, the challenges - so continue with that please!

Using Pillow Talk

Thank you Mary J for letting us Spotlight you and your fabulous cards!

Please leave Mary J some sweet comments.



Tuesday Spotlight

This week we have sweet Andie in our spotlight 

Just look at this sweet card she made for our Spotlight

Using Little light of mine 

*Start by telling us a little about you:

I'm Andie, or Andrea as most people know me. I'm a Civil Servant working in the local Job Centre. I turned 40 earlier this year & for as long as I can remember I've had a weakness for pens & paper. I'm so lucky to be married to my best friend, Paul, who tolerates my crafting addiction as long as I turn a blind eye to the amount of time he spends playing video games. We have two gorgeous boys, Jack 8, & Ben 5 who are our pride & joy, despite the stress they cause, LOL!!

*When did you start card making and what made you start?

. Imagine my joy when 8 years ago, I discovered scrapbooking as a way of indulging my passion for all things paper & providing a release for my creativity. When Jack was born it seemed the perfect way of documenting his progress. However, once I'd had a go at stamping I was hooked on cardmaking. Having loved art at school, colouring images is the perfect outlet for my (limited) artistic skills. I then enjoy the challenge of composing a card, choosing papers & embellishments. It's a pastime I can also share with the boys, (when they're in the mood!) & it's the perfect therapy to counterbalance the stresses of work & the rigours of family life!

*What is your preferred coloring medium?

I love colouring! It's my favourite part of the cardmaking process. My first love has always been Distress Inks as I feel more comfortable colouring with them. However, I am also on the Passion For Promarkers DT & love using them too. I think it depends on my mood really as to which one I prefer at any given time. I'm also saving up for a set of Prismacolors. I would love to give them a try, as they look gorgeous on other people's cards.

*What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?

It's so hard to pick a fave. I think my absolute favourite is 'I Give you My Heart'. But I also love colouring hair. I've never been satisfied with my own! I always want to give my images lustrous shiny hair, so 'Windswept' is another Sassy girl I have a big soft spot for. I also adore 'Little Light if Mine' that I chose to colour for my spotlight card because she just looks so shy & sweet.

*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?

I visit the Sugar Nelly blog all the time & play along at the Sugar Bowl too as often as I can. As soon as I saw the first sneak peeks I was smitten! They were, & still are, quite a unique style & look so fabulous when they're coloured. I look forward to seeing what the next Simply Sassy collection has in store!

*What is your favourite style (card making)?

I love the distressed/shabby chic look, especially when there are loads of embellishments. It's a style a lot of Scandanavian cardmakers excel at, but there is quite an art to loading the card with lots of interest, embellishment & texture & getting the composition just right. My own style I would describe as more practical for sending in the post! Every so often though I like to give the distressed look a go. For me though, on any card, the image is the primary focus & I this is what I focus on most.

*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?

I honestly can't think of anything I'd like to see more of the the Simply Sassy blog. I think the DT all provide fabulous inspiration & I'm always keen to learn more in tutorials. Generally I just like to admire the talent on display & see where the inpsiration takes me on my own cardmaking adventures! 

Here are some of Andies Sassy cards picked from her blog

Using: Lost in Thought

Using Spread your wings 

Using I give you my heart  

Thank you Andie for letting us Spotlight you ♥ 

My Heart

Good morning Sassy fans!  I hope you are having a fabulous week so far.  This is my first post as a permanent dt for Simply Sassy and I am so excited to be back!  Thank you Maria (and Karen) for inviting me back into your sweet dt family.  So for my post today I have used I Give You My Heart.

I just love the expression on her sweet face.  I think she looks like she's missing her special guy.  I used copics and colored pencils and added a bit of Glamour Dust to the little heart she's holding on the stick.  I decided to distress my papers with some ink, which isn't something I do very often.  I used a heart doily and a little piece of lace along the side of the image.  I added punched flowers, leaves, and butterflies ... well, maybe a few too many embellishments lol?  A lacey heart charm and some pearls finish off my card.  I apologize for the quality of the picture ... it doesn't look so orange IRL.  Maybe I need a new camera?  I'm sure it's not the photographer, right?  Anyway, I hope my card inspires you to get inky with your Simply Sassy girls (or boys) today.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Remember to stop by this evening as Paula will have a beautiful creation to share with you.

Hugs, Anita

Stamp:  Sugar Nellie Simply Sassy - I Give You My Heart (from Funky Kits)
Paper:  Memory Box - Gossamer; Bazzill
Other:  Copics, Caran d'Ache and Prismacolor pencils, gamsol, Glamour Dust, doily, EK Success flower punches, MS butterfly and leaves punches, lace, pearls, distress inks, heart charm 

Tuesday Spotlight...

This Tuesday we have sweet Lisa in our spotlight

And she made this beautiful card for us ♥♥

Using: Strike a pose 

*Start by telling us a little about you:

I’m Lisa, and I live in Sheffield with my husband and 2 young sons – oh, and one spoilt cat :o)

*When did you start card making and what made you start?
I've always been fairly crafty, starting out with knitting and embroidery as a child. Then 4 yrs ago, after a normal full term pregnancy, we had a stillborn son. For a few months I went to pieces, work (kindly) offered me voluntary redundancy as I couldn't have gone back and eventually I needed something to fill my days while our eldest son was at school. I wandered into Hobbycraft, picked up a card making magazine and the obsession began! I think I was convinced making my own cards would actually save us money, but I dread to think how much I've spent over the years! Cardmaking has kept me going though when I've had some very low days, so it's been worth every penny, and I now have a great 'hobby' that I don't think I'll ever get bored of.

*What is your preferred coloring medium?
I nearly always colour with promarkers, but I often add a bit of shading using koh-i-noor pencils.

*What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?
That's a really difficult one! I like lots of them, for all different reasons, but I do have a bit of a soft spot for Bella Bunting.

*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?
I’m going to be totally honest – when I saw the first set of Simply Sassy stamps on the Sugar Nellie blog, I wasn’t sure if I liked them!… however, once I’d seen them around blogland for a while I fell in love with them and bought all of the second set when it was released.

*What is your favourite style (card making)?
I love all different styles, but I’m a fairly CAS cardmaker myself… I really admire people who make beautifully embellished designs, because they just don’t come naturally to me at all.

*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?
I think it’s just right as it is – lots of lovely regular inspiration and I love that Simply Sassy fans get a chance to be in the spotlight too.

I want to show you some of the beautiful Sassy card from her blog too, but you need to go over there and see the rest for your self ;)

 Using Luv a Latte

Using I give you my heart 

Using Bella bunting 

Thank you so much Lisa for letting us Spotlight you and getting to know you ♥

Please leave Lisa some L♥VE 

Hugs Maria Therese 

 

Tuesday Spotlight

Today's Spotlight we have sweet 

Julia/Juls

Who makes the most gorgeous Sassy creations..

She made this gorgeous card and tag for us with sweet Tammy on 

*Start by telling us a little about you:
Hi I am Julia, I am in my early 30’s and Live in Inverness Scotland. I work from home as a secretary, so it’s great sometimes I can be at work in my Pyjamas but as long as I use my best telephone voice no one knows!! And nearly every spare moment I have is spent on crafting.

*When did you start card making and what made you start?
I have been crafting since I was a little girl, I first started with sewing, making my own hair accessories until I moved onto making my own clothes. I have done cross-stitch, cake decorating, knitting. I took art at school and was always sketching and painting.

 I used to look at the “handmade style” cards in shops the type that had a bit of corrugated card and a paper flower, and I thought I could do that and it would save me money ... I started out with old wrapping paper dried flowers and wet glue. Then about 6 or 7 years ago my mum bought me some crafting goodies as a present and the obsession began from there. It hasn't saved me money, in fact it costs me a small fortune but I love it so I don't care!!

 *What is your preferred coloring medium?
At the moment it is copic’s but I keep looking at the beautiful effect of Prisma pencils on Kraft so I think that is the next thing on my wish list.


 *What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?
Oooh this is difficult I love so many of them and as soon as I saw this question at least 5 popped into my head, so I have based this on the one that I have inked up the most which is High School Student, I have recently purchased winking student, and I think she could quickly catch up in the inking department!! .... I do Love the girls with the Glasses!


*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?
I am a huge fan of Sugar Nellie , I follow the blog, and I am lucky enough to live about an hour away from Elgin the home of Sugar Nellie, so I was eagerly awaiting the release of the first Simply Sassy Stamps.


*What is your favourite style (card making)?
I don't think I really have a style, but I definitely have phases ... ie shabby chic or C&S ... I love it all, I think I most love masking, I enjoy trying to create whole scenes by using lots of rubber stamps.


*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?
In the risk of sounding really corney, I love it just the way it is ... 

I always love looking at all the inspiration and the tutorials.

Here are some of the amazing Sassy creation you can find in Julia's blog but do go visit her as you really get a lot of inspiration looking through her blog!!

(yes it was really hard picking just a few to show you here!!)

Using :High School Student, Bella bunting, Party Frills, My friend kitty, I give you my heart

Using: Call Me

Using Winking Student

Using High School student , I Love to read

Using High School Student, I Love to read, Winking Student

Thank you Julia for letting us spotlight you!

And please leave Julia some sweet comments!

Hugs Maria

Tuesday Spotlight on...

Today we have a sweet woman that has just caught my eyes.. 

I fund her blog and lot's of gorgeous cards with her :)

Today I'll introduce you to 

Donna

Here is the beautiful card she made for us  

Using Bedtime snuggles

*Start by telling us a little about you: 

I live in Sheffield with my lovely husband and have two grown up children, Samantha and Kyle. I have a 3 year old Grandson, Bradley who I absolutely adore. I work in a school as a Cook and love it. 

*When did you start card making and what made you start?

I bought a scrapbook kit when my Grandson was born and progressed into cardmaking when I fancied making my own Christmas cards. I don't scrapbook much now as I am totally hooked on cardmaking and spend all of my spare time in my little craftroom. 

*What is your preferred coloring medium?

I love to colour with Promarkers & Derwent artist pencils blended with Sansador. 

They work so well together and give a lovely soft, blended look.

*What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?

I love all of the Simply Sassy's but my absolute favourite is Hippie Chick, 

she was the first one I bought and is a pleasure to colour. 

*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?

I first saw Simply Sassy's whilst blog hopping and just had to have some.

*What is your favourite style (card making)?

My favourite style is very fussy and fancy, I love to add lots of pretty embellies to my cards.

*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?

I would love to see some challenges on the Simply Sassy blog

 and more of the fab tutorials we've already been treated to. 

Here are some of the gorgeous cards I found at Donna's blog:

But do go visit her as there are so many beautiful Sassy cards there.

 Using Hippie Love

 Using I give you my heart

 Using Pillow Talk

Using Bella bunting 

 Using Bad Hare day

Thank you so much Donna for Letting us spotlight you!

Please leave a sweet comment for Donna :) 

Tuesday Spotlight on..

This week we have the pleasure of having Sugar Bowl Sweetie 

Marlene 

in the Spotlight..

Marlene have lots of gorgeous Simply Sassy cards in her blog and this is what she made for us

 Gorgeous party invites using Bedtime Snuggles 

*Start by telling us a little about you:
OK, this is the bit I'm not very good at.. but here goes
 I'm from Holland originally, traveled the world in my late teens and met my
English hubby whilst working in Spain.
Settled in England, got married, have 3 gorgeous children and we run a Garden Centre in the Midlands.

*When did you start card making and what made you start?
Ever since I can remember I have been creative one way or another.. but when our kids were small I started
getting into scrapping the mountain of pictures I have of them, my love for paper craft was born!
I think the transition into cardmaking from scrapbooking is almost natural as to me cards are like small
scrapbook pages. So about 7 years ago I got into cardmaking on a bigger scale.. this really took off when I
discovered blogging just over 3 years ago now.

*What is your preferred coloring medium?
I'm always switching and changing as I love all sorts of mediums,
but at the moment I am using my Copics for all my colouring.

*What is your fav Simply Sassy stamp?
I could not possibly choose my favorite Sassy.. every time a new set comes out I have a new favorite!
But I still got a soft spot for 'Party Frills' She is just too cute!

*How did you notice the Simply Sassy stamps the first time?
As a past DT for Sugar Nellie I will always keep up with all their news.
I am lucky enough to have met Karen and have special memories of the CHA trip I was invited to a couple of years ago
Karen has got a real 'eye' for new sweetness that the Sugar Nellie fans would like to see in rubber,
and proved it again when the Sassy creations of Krista were launched.

*What is your favorite style (card making)?
I love the distressed and vintage style of card making, but after having tried some SAS I do like to change it up from time to time.

*And what would you love to see more of at the Simply Sassy blog?
I'm always looking for different techniques, card shapes and just general 'out of the box' thinking
But the Simply Sassy blog is already providing those things.. so all I can say is 

'I would like to see more of the same' :D
 

It's always such a treat visiting Marlene's blog and here are some of her Sassy treat's. Go visit her and I PROMISE you will find more :)

Using Delicious

 Using Spread your wings,

Go visit Marlene's blog here to see how she made this Triangle Joy fold card

Using Party Frills

 Using Little light of mine

Using I give you my heart 

Thank you so much Marlene for letting us spotlight you and sharing your gorgeous cards with us.

I know Marlene would love your sweet comments :) 

I give you my ♥

Don't you just love this stamp?

I think it's so sweet and I even used it for my husbands gift tag on his Christmas present.

You find I give you my heart here 

I have colored her with Copic's and Prisma color pencil's.

I see this doesn't show as good as I would on the Picture but the heart is covered with glitter.

The patterned paper is mostly Maja design but the Pink paper is from Pion.

I love the Pink and blue together.

What is your favourite color combination???

I also need to distress the edges on my cards, or I'm never happy with my card, is there anything you have to have on your cards or any technique  you need to use every time??

Hope you all have a amazing weekend and any question I'll answer sunday evening as I'm going on a trip with the girls at work today.. yaayy don't even know where we're going...

So your question might be where have I been... haha 

Oh yeah and I've sorted the label's down in the Sidebar,

now you find them alphabetically If you need inspiration for a stamp your coloring just go down and find it on the list and then you get everything we have here with that stamp,

 And if there is anyone missing then you need to let us know so we can get some cards done with that one..

Or if you just love the style of one of our designers just go to find her label and all her cards will appear..  

(Yes girls this is why I have been so strict on your labeling ;)) 

tada..

I Give You My Heart...

As I was thinking about what to do for my inspiration today I remembered this little beauty and thought she'd be perfect with Valentine's Day just around the corner :) I will be spending lots of time making goodies for that this week. Anyway, I haven't yet made a card for my hubby and thought I'd take this opportunity to do so.

So, here is 'I give you my heart' in all her glory. My husband loves fishing, so this one's a little for me and a little for him lol. I colored her with copics to match the papers I used.

Here is the full card closed. Not lots of fru-fru stuff, I know, but my husband just wouldn't appreciate it and I intend to take it to him at work(he's and ARMY man) and I don't want him to get teased to much :) Anyway, I think these pretty papers are K and Company, sorry, can't remember for sure...they came in a pack and I threw away the wrapping. Also, you can't tell very well from this angle, but the third layer is actually up on pop-up dots so at least I could get some dimension...I have a closer pic of that below.

Well, I couldn't dump the pretty stuff altogether, so I put a bunch on the inside, lol All the stickers you see here came in the kit I bought. I cut the doily looking hear out of one of the papers.

Here's a close-up of the right side where you can see my little box holds a special treat! My hubby is a junk food junkie and especially loves m &m's so I know he will enjoy those!

Here's the dimension. The box is 1/2'" tall and was quite easy to make. In order to the the card big enough to fit over it I cut two pieces 6"x 6&1/2" and glued the half inch sides together.The box actually doesn't have a bottom, just sides and a top and two half inch sides to glue to the card. The drawer is 1/2" and I cut little half circles out of the ends to make it easier to pull out.

Lastly, here are the copics. Boy, can't believe I used more than I had room for..there must be some blending in there I don't remember, lol.

That's it for me for now, be sure to check back later today to see what our first Guest DT member Anita has for you. Hope you are all having a fabulous week!

Thanks for stopping by!