New buttons & time for a giveaway!!!

TWO exciting things to share today, the first being that I have just released some NEW button designs, including my new vintage rim buttons (see below for an example). You can see the full range of buttons available on the Lovelybug Bits n Bobs page (tab above).

The second exciting thing is that I have hit 80 followers on this blog - WOW! Thank you all soooo much for following along and to say thanks, I think its time for a giveaway!!! You will have more than one chance to enter.

Here's how:
1. Be a follower & leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
2. Share this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post (1 entry)
3. Share this giveaway via Facebook and leave a comment with a link to your post (1 entry)

If you do all 3 things, make sure you leave 3 separate comments!!!

And here's what you will win...YOUR CHOICE of any 3 fabric button sets PLUS your choice of 2 vintage rim buttons (including the new designs coming soon).

You might like some of these...

Or one of these...

 I will leave entries open until Wednesday 27th April (after the excitement of Easter is over!) ;-) Good luck!!!

What do you think...

about this button???...

This one of the new Lovelybug Bits n Bobs silver vintage rim buttons I released at the Scrapbooking Top 50 Crafters Market tonight. Some have already sold out (including the one above sorry), but you can pop over and see what's left HERE

SBT50 CC Mini Challenge!

This month, the SBT50 'Sweet Treats' CC mini challenge was brought to us by guest DT, Becci. Becci's challenge was to use the following pic as inspiration for a card or LO smaller than 12x12"...

I was not inspired by the colours / patterns / shapes I saw, but instead by WHAT was in the picture...COOKIES! The first thing I thought of when I saw this pic was a photo I had of Brielle with a tray of reindeer cookies we made for Christmas. Here's my take on the challenge...

I (again) used the Jillibean Soup 'Blossom Soup' pps and die cuts from Handmade By Suzanne for this LO (they really are incredibly versatile), along with another piece of the gorgeous green Prima rose trim and some wine grosgrain ribbon I curled using Ribbon Stiff. I also added a stamped fabric button that I made for a SBT50 embellishment swap, along with 2 gingerbread men buttons and a candy cane pin I received in the same swap.

This mini challenge closes at midnight tonight (14th April), so if you want to do it you'd better be quick! All the other 'sweet' challenges are open until midnight, 24th April though, so pop over and have a go! You can find details of all the challenges HERE

Crafters Market tomorrow!!!

Just a quick reminder...

You will find the Crafters Market HERE, come and get your hands on some handmade goodies, including some new button designs from my own Lovelybug Bits n Bobs! ;-)

My SWEET TOOTH Challenge!

Well the Top 50 'Sweet Treats' Cyber Crop is well and truly underway now! Most of the challenges have now been revealed, including my own 'Sweet Tooth' challenge. For my challenge, the criteria are to scrap a LO that focuses on some sort of edible sweet treat and also include a sweet treat embellishment. Here is my sample LO...

I used some Echo Park 'Sweet Summertime' pp & stickers for this, which were I thought were perfect for scrapping this happy, sweet summer photo of Brielle.

A couple of people have asked me what I did the 'O' with in my title - it is Bakers Twine (which I loooove) simply spiralled around on a button. I like the fact that it not only resembles a lollipop, but the height of it also gives it extra 'pop'...LOL

Lots of 'sweet' embellishments here - Kaisercraft mini crochet doiley, My Little Bit of Whimsy cupcake button, My Vintage Blossoms twister rose and Lovelybug Bits n Bobs ladybug button.

I do hope you will pop over and have a go at my challenge! Entries close midnight, 24th April. :-)

How would you like to win THIS???

I know I would!!! You too, can be in the running to win this gorgeous pack of ladybug-inspired crochet goodies (valued at $20!) from Becci at Lime Tree Creations! I am already a big fan of LTC, and have used Becci's stunning creations on many of my LO's. So if you would like to win this haul for yourself, pop over and check out the details HERE Good luck (to me that is....mwahahahahaha!) ;-)

Scrap the Girls...

It's been a while since I played along at Scrap the Girls, not sure why, although I think besides being pushed for time lately, I have also been spoiled for choice with challenges. When I saw this month's challenge though, I couldn't resist. This month, the challenge is to take inspiration from the following picture...

I saw so many things that attracted me to this - the colours, the layering, the textures, birds, butterflies...how could I resist? I decided to pick out only a few of the colours (aqua, green & orange) to focus on and here's what I came up with...

Again, I used my Jillibean Soup 'Blossom Soup' pps & die cuts - I really love how versatile this collection is! I got out my mists (this time 'Tiger Lily' and 'Sunflower') to create the background and the doilies were also misted with 'Jazz Blue'. The alphas are a mix of AC chipboard Thickers ('Sunrise - Limeade') and BG micro monos.

Included in the embellishments are one of my own (coming soon) Lovelybug Bits n Bobs fabric buttons, a Kaisercraft mini crochet doiley and of course, some Bakers Twine...

There's also Prima rose trim, a Scrap FX chipboard owl and a smidgen of Green Tara paper string...all from Handmade By Suzanne, of course! ;-)

Once Upon A...Sketch

I decided to play along at the gorgeous Nadia's new venture 'Once Upon a Sketch' for their very first challenge. The concept of 'Once Upon a Sketch' is not only to host a sketch challenge, but to also encourage the inclusion of more (and more meaningful) journalling onto layouts. This is definitely something I need to do, so this gave me the perfect shove to journal a recent quote from Brielle I had been meaning to scrap.

Here's my take on the sketch, (please visit Once Upon a Sketch to see the original and hopefully you will play along too)...

I used my Jillibean Soup 'Blossom Soup' pps from Handmade By Suzanne for this LO, and misted a sheet of white cardstock with my new love - Chalkboard Glimmermist *sigh* I love how vibrant the colour is, this one is 'Polka Dot Pink'. I also used it to colour my chipboard flourish...

Instead of spraying the colour on, I took the lid off and used a fine brush to paint a couple of coats on. The colour looked good, but it looked even more rich once I finished it off with a coat of Glossy Accents.

Here is a close-up of the journalling from the LO (cracks me up every time!)...

A short & shameless promotion...

It all starts Monday night! (8.30pm for all us 'East-Coasters') All you need to pack is your mojo!!! You can pop over to the Top 50 forum, check out the details (one challenge is already partly posted!) and add your name to the list! Click HERE

Don't forget to also enter the Handmade By Suzanne 'Grab Our Badge' comp! There are TEN x $20 store vouchers to be won (plus free post) and you don't even need to scrap anything! Check out all the details in my previous post HERE

Here's some 'Blossom Soup'...

This month's DT kit I received from Handmade By Suzanne featured the gorgeous Jillibean Soup 'Blossom Soup' collection. It was the first time I had ever used JS and I don't think it will be the last! Featuring yummy colours, lots of polka dots and (my everlasting love) butterflies, it was right up my alley! I couldn't wait to get stuck into it, and I decided to use it to complete Vicki's Monthly Challenge at Scrapbooking Top 50. The criteria were to use a single pic, a tree and the word 'together'...hmmm, sounded like the perfect recipe for something a bit whimsical to me! ;-)

Also used on the LO from HBS were the gorgeous chipboard Thickers (Sunrise 'Limeade'), a Kaisercraft mini crochet doiley, Bakers Twine, Green Tara mini flowers, pearls, rhinestones and some Bella Blvd Cute Cuts (currently on sale). The clouds were hand-stitched using embroidery thread.

If you haven't entered the comp for your chance to win one of TEN $20 vouchers (plus free post) from Handmade By Suzanne, be sure to check my previous post for all the details! ;-)

Wanna Win a Handmade By Suzanne Store Voucher???

Of course you do!!! Check this out...

Do you want to win one of 10 store vouchers worth $20 including free postage? Well we have the easiest competition and with TEN prizes in total there are lots of chances to win!

To enter: All you need to do is add Handmade By Suzanne’s badge to your blog and a link back to our store AND post the details of the competition on your blog.

Let us know via Facebook that you have done it! We will draw 10 entrants at random for the prizes and the competition ends Midnight 20th April 2011. Too easy!

Why not subscribe to our newsletter or become our friend on Facebook too – then you will know when the latest products arrive in store, all our latest competitions and most importantly when there are SALES!

Our Facebook page is:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handmade-By-Suzanne/154640641234101

How to get the badge for your blog???
If you already know what you are doing, simply snag the badge below and add.

If not, to add the badge to your blog (using Blogger), click on 'Add a Gadget', and select 'Picture'.
Under 'Image', select 'From the web" and paste the following code:
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z76/nastybella/Scrappy%20Stuff/HBSblinkie-1.gif
Under 'link', paste the following code: http://www.handmadebysuzanne.com.au/store/
Select 'Save' and the linked badge should be added to your blog.

Happy blogging and good luck!

PS - if you don't happen to be on Facebook, you can simply reply to the blog post at Handmade By Suzanne HERE to tell us you've done it! ;-)

More My Little Shoebox Rejects!

I promised the rest of my rejected projects, so here goes...LOL
Besides the LO featured in the previous post, I also created this one using a mixture of My Little Shoebox stuff. The cute little toadstool button on there is a My Vintage Blossoms creation by Krissy from Wicked Princesses...

Besides 2 LO's, we also had to submit a 'project' of some description (definitely my weakest link). I took the opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone and made a name plaque for Brielle's bedroom door (which she will get in a few weeks time as part of her 3rd birthday present)...

The final part of the submission was to create a card, and I am happy to report that I can't share it here and have to hang out this sign instead...

My card has already been picked up by Scrapbook Creations and will feature in a few issues time (including step-by-step instructions - a definite first for me!) :-)

My SBT50 Monthly Challenge!

As the end of last month was quite busy for me (see previous posts), I had little time to prepare my monthly challenge for Scrapbooking Top 50. Lucky for me (or is it unlucky for me? LOL) I had the work sitting around that I did for my (unsuccessful) DT application for My Little Shoebox. So I decided to turn one of my LO's into a sketch and run a sketch challenge. (It's the first time I have designed a sketch, so please be kind!) I am super excited to see what people do with my sketch, so if you would like to have a go and perhaps win a great prize, then head over HERE. In the meantime, here's my sketch...

And here is the LO that started it all...

I was pretty happy with this LO, as I soooo love to scrap like this - bright colours, whimsical, with lots of handcut & layered elements (hence why MLS is pretty much my fave manufacturer). Besides all the MLS goodness, I have also included some gorgeous crochet flowers from Lime Tree Creations and one of my own Lovelybug Bits n Bobs fabric buttons...

I'll be back to share the rest of my rejected application submissions later!

HBS April Sketch Chall!

I'm back! And this time to share something actually scrappy! LOL This month's sketch challenge at Handmade By Suzanne has again been designed by our resident sketch MASTER *bows*, Michelle Fowler. Up for grabs again is a randomly drawn $30 store voucher, yes you heard right, $30! Plus it includes free post, so just imagine all the scrappy goodness you could spend that on! Entries close at the end of April, so plenty of time to have a go...

Don't forget to post your entry in the HBS gallery HERE and while you are there, check out the inspiring work from the other members of the DT and this month's guest DT the FAB Linda Eggleton.

Here's my take on Shell's sketch...

I used Jillibean Soup 'Blossom Soup' pps & die cuts for this LO, and that amazing splatter was made with 'Polka Dot Pink' Chalkboard Glimmermist. (If you haven't tried chalkboard gm before, I highly recommend you do, the colour is amazing - so vibrant! I was a chalkboard 'virgin' til this, but now I'm in love!) Also on this LO is a Kaisercraft crochet mini doiley and one of my own Lovelybug Bits n Bobs fabric buttons (these ones are yet to be released ...shhhhh!)

PS - My apologies in advance, I am likely to be back again later with MORE scrappy shares! ;-)

I have a good excuse!

I know, I know, absent without blogging again, BUT I have a good excuse! Last week I was away for almost a week, when I travelled all the way from the Sunshine Coast in Qld to Mount Gambier in SA (via Melbourne). The reason for my trip was that my best scrappy friend Vicki (owner of Scrapbooking Top 50) turned 30. Her husband Matt & I cooked up a devious plan that saw me arrive on Vicki's doorstep as a TOTAL surprise!!! It was the first time we had ever 'met' and she had no idea I was coming, so I don't feel too badly that the after the flowers I was 'delivering' were handed over she almost shut the door in my face...LOL Once the penny dropped that is was ME, there was much excited hugging, kissing and jumping up and down.

Here's a pic of us visiting the famous 'Blue Lake' (we'd known each other officially several hours by now)...

But poor Vicki, the surprises weren't stopping there! On Friday night her cousin Shaz (who happens to be another Top 50 member) drove down to see her for her birthday weekend. She arrived late and we went out to greet her and out of the car stepped Anthea (the 3rd member of our Top 50 DT). Vicki had no idea she was coming either, and it was the first time I had met either of the girls in person, so it was another round of hugging, kissing and jumping up and down...LOL

Here's me with the gorgeous Ant...

Saturday was scrappy day (or so Vicki thought...LOL) and we all headed over to the home of the newest member of the Handmade By Suzanne DT, Charm. Along with my fellow HBS DT member Charm, I also got to meet her mum Bronny in person, and also found a new scrappy friend in Jodie. Here's the scrappy crew...

BUT, (poor Vicki) the surprises weren't stopping there! Unknown to her, the scrap day at Charm's was the perfect ruse to get her away from the house...while they set up her surprise birthday party!!! LOL We arrived back at Vicki's house to the sight of her husband Matt pacing around saying 'look at the time' so she would think we were running late to get ready to go out for dinner...hehe Matt walked over to the shed, pulled back the door and "SURPRISE' - out jumped lots of Vicki's family and friends. Another great moment!!! I also got to catch up with fellow Top 50 member (and another Mt G local), Treens.

Here's the 'Top 50' crew...

Vicki & I...

The SBT50 DT...

And again (OK, a few drinks had been had by some of us by this stage)...

I had a fantastic time meeting so many of my scrappy friends in person and am so thankful to Vicki & Matt for letting a 'stranger' into their home to stay. Perhaps next time we all catch up I might actually be scrapping...not just drinking!!! LOL

I have to also put in a special mention for my gorgeous man, who not only paid for my portion of the trip, but also took annual leave to stay home and look after Brielle and take care of the house for me. It was a gold-star performance too - I arrived home to a happy, healthy pair and a clean house! Thanks babe!

Love you all! XXX

March White With One

This month's challenge at White With One is white (of course), bright PINK and artisan shapes...do you think I could resist that one??? LOL Here's my take on it...

I started with a yummy sheet of American Crafts 'Taffy' cardstock, and the piece of Paper Inklings doiley left over from my last LO. I also used some Kaisercraft 'Bubblegum Hills' pps and coordinating printed chipboard pieces, along with some gorgeous Kaisercraft 'Fuschia' Paper Blooms. The alphas are Pink Paislee 'Cushies' (currently on sale at 40% off) - of course, everything came from Handmade By Suzanne!

March 123 Challenge

I had one gorgeous sheet of pp from the Kaisercraft 'Bubblegum Hills' collection left, aptly called 'Blue Lemonade' when I remembered that the March 123 Challenge was something to do with blue. I checked the criteria and sure enough it was light / medium blue; the word to / too / two; and to use doilies...how could I resist? Here's what I came up with...

Besides the Kaisercraft pps, I also used a Paper Inklings 12x12" doiley, which I cut the centre from (can you believe you can purchase these from Handmade By Suzanne at the moment for only $0.56? they're just awesome!) I also used a stunning Dusty Attic chipboard decorative frame; Kaisercraft Paper Blooms; a flattened bottlecap, which I filled with a punched circle of coordinating pp (these are only 4 for $1.00!) and of course, the obligatory sprinkling of pearls & Bakers Twine (I know, I know - I have a problem right? LOL) The alphas are Sassafras Lass 'Blue Linen' cardstock stickers and foam Thickers 'Delight - Cherry'. (The only thing on this LO I used that didn't come from HBS was the pen I used to journal with, but I could have used one from there if I wanted to - the store has EVERYTHING!)

Out of the Hat March Challenge

I love playing along at Out of the Hat, as the challenges there are usually great! This month's challenge is right up my alley - use twine, a handmade journal spot and a number in the title. I couldn't resist the 'Bubblegum Hills' pps that were still beckoning from my desk...

To start, I slapped a bit of white paint and a flick of 'Tiger Lily' glimmermist on my Kraft cs, then added the 'Orange Pop' pp, a doiley, 'Niki Riki - Grapefruit' Thickers and some Bakers Twine. For the little cluster, I cut a journal spot from Kraft & sprayed with mist, and teamed it with a Scrapware butterfly and a gorgeous coordinating bottlecap. I used a standard bottlecap, a 1" circle punched from paper and then covered with an epoxy dot - SO EASY!!! (It took about 1 minute!) Check out the DIY bottlecaps and accessories now available at Handmade By Suzanne HERE

(I actually went to post my March OOTH entry and found out I won the Feb challenge there...woo hoo!)

Bubblegum Hills Goodness!

This month I was sent the aptly named (coz it's soooo yummy!) 'Bubblegum Hills' collection from Kaisercraft in my DT kit from Handmade By Suzanne. The hoarder in me came out as soon as I saw the pps, coz they were so pretty I didn't really want to cut them up! LOL I did get over it though, as was soon happily cutting away...

For this LO, I actually used the reverse side of the 'Berry Surprise' sheet, as I loved the patchwork look of it. (I just added some machine stitching to make it look more authentic.) The cute flowers were handcut from the 'Calipso Punch' sheet and then layered with foam mounting tape. The larger layered flower is one of the coordinating printed chipboard pieces, which even have the button already attached for you - gotta love that! The alphas are 'Cushies' from Pink Paislee (you can snap them up now at 40% off!) Of course the LO wouldn't have been complete without my beloved Bakers Twine and a sprinkling of coloured pearls - can't get enough of either of them! I also snuck on a bit of green spotty washi tape.

I also made this card...

I love how the orange / pink combo came out on this card! I used the 'Orange Pop' pp for the base, and the sentiment came from 'Berry Surprise' (the top side this time). The gorgeous butterfly (as with the one on the LO above) was cut from the stunning 'Fruity Galaxy' specialty glitter paper (and was the sheet I most wanted to hoard...LOL) I also used a Queen & Co felt 'Doodle' border, more yummy pearls, an old Kaisercraft epoxy brad and a chenille button from my stash.

If you haven't shopped with Handmade By Suzanne before, pop over and register, as everyone receives 15% off their first order. The store is always bursting with new stock as well as lots of 40% off sale items and even 60% off sale items to tempt you! In other exciting news, ALL orders are now sent via registered post at no extra charge (so still only flat rate $5), with orders over $50 being posted for free. Significantly reduced express post rates are now also offered - so if you just can't wait for that parcel, ask for a quote when you order! :-)

HBS March Sketch Challenge!

First up, sorry to all my friends in Blogland as I haven't been around to visit much over the past couple of weeks - time has gotten away from me. But rest assured I am back in stalker-mode and will be around to visit you all again as soon as possible! ;-)

This month's sketch challenge at Handmade By Suzanne has again been designed by our uber-talented DT member, Michelle Fowler. You can see Michelle's fabulous sketch HERE. And due to the awesome response we have been getting to the sketch challenge each month, Suzanne has now increased the prize to a $30 store voucher!!! (Even more reason to give it a go!) Entries close at the end of the month, with the prize being randomly drawn so everyone has equal chance of winning. :-)

Here is my take on the sketch...

I had a bit of a dig through my stash for this LO - I used some photos of my dad & I that were taken back in 2008 (when I was 30 weeks pregnant). I used some older Basic Grey 'Olivia' pps (which you can get really cheap at HBS right now!) and an (even older) BG sheet for the base. The gorgeous flowers are 'Charm's Creations' Fabulous Flowers, which you can purchase for yourself via the SBT50 Crafters Market HERE. Of course, I also snuck on some Bakers Twine (I just LOVE this stuff), which you can now get in 11 FAB colours from Handmade By Suzanne (AND for only $0.40/m!)...check out the range HERE And yes, that is hand-stitching on my LO too! :-)

March Monthly Challenge!

March already? ARGH! Where is the year going???
New month means new challenges, and my March monthly challenge at Scrapbooking Top 50 is a style challenge - GRUNGE! I love grunge, (mainly coz I love to get messy! LOL), but also because it provides me a way to scrap pics of my DP (that he seems reasonably happy with). In addition to creating a grunge style page, challenge criteria also includes a one word title and book or newspaper.
Here is my sample LO...

If you would like to have a go at my challenge (and maybe win yourself an awesome prize), or see what the other challenges on offer are, pop over to the SBT50 forum HERE (I promise we won't bite! LOL)

I'm still here!!!

Yes, I'm still here and although the past week hasn't been as scrappy as I would have liked, I did manage to get a bit done. (Unfortunately some of it is secret squirrel stuff though, so will have to wait!) A couple of things I can share though is this card, that I did for the February 'Dare' challenge at SBT50. The criteria given to the DT were edge punching / tearing; red; something fabric (of course I used one of my own Lovelybug Bits n Bobs buttons) and something 'shimmery'. I took the opportunity to create a card for my BIL's 40th next week...

I also managed to complete Vicki's February Challenge @ SBT50, which was a sketch challenge. Besides using the sketch, we also had to include lots of journalling and at least one heart. I decided to use the sketch and turn it into a 8.5x11" LO, and instead of journalling a story, I included a recipe...

I decided to keep it simple and created the LO using some left-over Imaginisce 'Cottage Christmas' pps, my fave 'Patchwork' fabric Thickers, a My Minds Eye brad and a machine stitched a border. And although I usually hate to look at my own handwriting, I figured Brielle will treasure this LO more in years to come if the recipe was handwritten.