Delicate details dragonfly

Here's a card made using one of the items you could earn for free during the Sale-a-Bration promotion, the Delicate Details stamp set. I have used the emboss resist technique for the background - the stamps have been embossed using Versamark and white embossing powder onto Whisper White cardstock, then Soft Sky ink has been sponged over the top. The ink has been added gradually to produce an ombre effect - i.e. strong colour fading in intensity as it moves down (or up!) the page. A black mat provides definition against the Soft Sky cardbase.

The dragonfly has been stamped in black Stazon ink onto vellum cardstock, then cut using the corresponding die. I added Soft Sky and Marina Mist ink to the back of the dragonfly, then glued the body to a white dragonfly base. I also added some Wink of Stella to the wings, hopefully you can see a bit better in the photo below.

The sentiment, from Birthday Blooms, has been stamped using black Memento ink onto Whisper White cardstock which has then been cut using a stitched circle die. 

Happy Spring!

I spent last weekend helping my friend Bev from Uniko with her stall at the Happy Stampers festival at Port Sunlight. What a fabulous time we had! The other stall holders were very friendly, the people visiting the stall were so enthusiastic and the general atmosphere was fabulous - quite crowded but with none of the pushing and shoving I've experienced at other papercraft shows. Sarah and Lindsey from the Uniko design team were also there to help out, so we managed to talk crafting even while we were 'working'! - it was lovely to meet you both :) I'm hoping that my mojo has been given a good kick up the rear and that I will update my blog more often, but don't hold your breath, LOL!

                             

Some crafty goodies did fall into my basket while I was there but I'll show you how I used them another time. For now, I'll stick with some Stampin' Up retiring products. I've used some of the lovely and bright Cherry on Top DSP as a background for the balloons, with the sentiment stamp from Amazing Birthday inked using markers  for the multi-coloured effect. The balloon strings are silver metallic thread, held in place with a candy dot.

Stamps: Amazing Birthday

Ink: Watermelon Wonder, Crushed Curry, Tip Top Taupe, Cucumber Crush, Bermuda Bay

Cardstock: Whisper White (thick and standard), Tip Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay

Other: Tags and Labels Framelits, Balloon Bouquet punch, Silver metallic thread, Candy Dots (brights)

Hooray!

New stamping goodies are in the building!! Quick post with a few cards I've not yet blogged, then off to play LOL!

Products used (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise stated):

• Stamps: Wishes Your Way
• Ink: Basic Black
• Cardstock: Marina Mist, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight
• Other: Brights Designer Paper stack, Cloudy Day embossing folder, Pinwheel Sizzlits die, Adorning Accents edgelit, Marina Mist 3/8” striped organdy ribbon, cocktail stick (non-SU!)

Products used (all Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise stated):

• Stamps: Blooming with Kindness
• Ink: Midnight Muse
• Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla, Summer Starfruit
• Other: Print Poetry Designer Paper stack, Honeycomb embossing folder, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Extra Large Oval punch, Gumball Green 3/8” stitched satin ribbon, Pearl jewels, dimensionals.

A male sketch challenge

Here's a card made for the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches here. I decided to go for a male-orientated card as it seems like most of my recent creations have been a bit girly!

Card base of marina mist, with a layer of spotty DSP from the print poetry stack. I love this stack, it's got a fab mix of patterns and colours - I'll be sad to see it go in the summer, but need to use it as I am drowning under the sea of gorgeous DSP I have hoarded over the years!! The rosette is stamped in midnight muse ink and cut out with the largest scallop circle punch. The happy birthday sentiment is stamped in summer starfruit ink on the corresponding cardstock, cut with the 1 3/8" circle punch and layered on the rosette with dimensionals. The ribbon tails are inked in midnight muse on crumb cake cardstock, trimmed and attached to the card.

Thinking of you is stamped in midnight muse on vanilla cardstock and attached to the bottom of the card. I used the happy whale die for the little stars on the left (summer starfruit, midnight muse and crumb cake cardstocks). I added a thin strip of midnight muse cardstock where the DSP and vanilla layers meet, just for extra definition.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Blue Ribbon, Curly Cute
• Ink: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit
• Cardstock: Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit 
• Other: Print Poetry Designer Paper Stack, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Happy Whale clearlits die, dimensionals.

Another hint of Christmas

Another Christmas card - I'm on a roll LOL! The snowflake image has been embossed with white embossing powder, then cut with the scallop circle punch. The bird has been stamped using Island Indigo on white cardstock, then cut with the 1" circle punch and popped up on dimensionals in the centre of the embossed snowflakes. The rest is pretty self-explanatory, I think! Please get in touch if it's not :) 

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Four Seasons (hostess), Wacky Wishes (hostess)
• Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Versamark
• Cardstock: Island Indigo, Whisper White
• Other: Top Note die, 2 3/8" Scallop circle punch, 1" Circle punch, White embossing powder, In-colour 11-13 designer paper, In-colour printed brads, dimensionals.

Halloween

Here's a quick post with a Halloween treat I made. I started making the treats, then realised that I would have no-one to give them to as the boys are at Gran's house and I'm on a late shift so won't see any Trick or Treaters! The original plan was to fill them with some orange-coloured chocolate balls I'd seen in the supermarket but as they won't be used as treats, I've substituted a chocolate drinking straw for demonstration purposes :)

Front

Back

The new skinny cello bags are great for little treats, and the topper can be changed to suit the occasion. 

Hope you have a fab Halloween, back soon!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Mixed Medley (hostess A/W)

Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White

Other: Two Tags Bigz die, 1 3/4" Scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" Scallop circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, Cello bags.

A thank you card

Here’s a card made with some products from the summer mini that I didn’t get round to posting. Here’s hoping some of them make it into the NEW annual catalogue, which starts October 1st ;)
Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps: Curly Cute
• Ink: Soft Suede
• Cardstock: Pool Party, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade
• Other: Fun Flowers Bigz L die, Fancy flower punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Attic Boutique DSP (summer mini), Adorning Accents Edgelits die (summer mini), Circle Fire Rhinestone brads, Whisper White 5/8” satin ribbon.

Spice cake

A simple and self-explanatory card today - spice cake DSP on mustard and soft suede cardstock layers. A panel of DSP on soft suede cardstock across the middle with twill tape knots. A tag of soft suede cardstock with punched-out layers of very vanilla, pool party and more mustard cardstock, stamped with soft suede ink. The tag is removeable, so can be used as a bookmark etc.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess set)
• Ink: Soft Suede
• Cardstock: Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pool Party, Very Vanilla
• Other: Spice Cake DSP, Two Tags die, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch, 1 3/8" Circle punch, 1" Circle punch, Twill tape, dimensionals.

Another challenge card

Today's card was inspired by another colour challenge - this time it was the Just add Ink colour challenge 112, to use the following colours:

I've used pink pirouette, crumb cake and chocolate chip inks to stamp several of the images from the spiced paisley set. I also stamped one of the images using versamark, then used heat and powder and dazzling diamonds glitter to add a little sparkle to the background layer. Next I embossed this layer using the square lattice embossing folder to add a bit of texture, and added to a chocolate chip mat and a crumb cake card base.

A strip of chocolate chip cardstock, cut with the lace ribbon border punch, provides a background for the gorgeous lace crochet trim. A double-loop bow of the lace has also been added using an antique brad.The sentiment has been stamped in chocolate chip ink onto an oval of vanilla cardstock, and added to the fabulous vintage-looking frame (cut with one of the tags dies in pink pirouette).

And I thought I was on time to post to the challenge blog! Unfortunately I forgot the time difference between here and Oz ;) Here’s a closer look at the glittered paisley - unfortunately you lose a lot of the glitter when it is embossed.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Spiced Paisley, Sincere Salutations
• Ink: Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
• Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip
• Other: Lace Ribbon border punch, Lots of Tags Sizzlits die, Extra Large Oval punch, Victoria Crochet trim, Antique brads, Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

Happy birthday sis!

Here's the card I made for my sister's birthday several weeks ago, using the gorgeous Beau Chateau designer papers. I must admit that I completely ignored these papers in the catalogue but then I saw them 'in the flesh' and they are fabulous! Not sure about the rooster on one of the papers, but the advantage of double sided papers means I don't have to use him ;)

I started with a square cardbase of Natural Ivory cardstock, added the brown DSP, then cut the pink DSP to the right size before tearing one side and inking with soft suede ink. Some vanilla 1/4" grosgrain ribbon has been layered onto a strip of suede cardstock (cut with the dotted scallop ribbon border punch).

I have used a designer frames embossing folder on more of the ivory cardstock, torn round the outside of the frame and inked using soft suede. The sentiment has been stamped with suede ink onto an oval of pink cardstock and added to the inside of the frame.

My sister loved it but in hindsight, I wish I'd added some pearls for a bit more bling!

More retirees.

This card features several products on the last chance list. The Greenhouse Gala designer paper and Afterthoughts stamp set (clear mount) are still available, but the jumbo eyelets have sold out.

The designer paper has been cut with the top note die, cut along the perforated line and stuck to a top note shape cut from pumpkin pie cardstock. This has then been cut in half vertically and added to a card base of chocolate chip. Jumbo eyelets have been added to the baja breeze oval layer, and twill threaded through the holes before being tied together with linen thread. the sentiment has been stamped on pear pizzazz cardstock and added using dimensionals.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Afterthoughts (hostess L1)
  
• Ink: Chocolate Chip
  
• Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz
• Other: Greenhouse Gala designer paper, Top Note Die, 1 3/4"circle punch, Extra Large Oval punch, Pewter Jumbo eyelets, 3/8" Twill tape, linen thread.

Pretty daisies

Hope you're loving the new mini as much as I am! It's great that we've got the Big Shot and dies, many of which are exclusive to Stampin' Up! so you won't get them anywhere else. Get in touch with me or your local Stampin' Up! demonstrator to order yours. Don't you just love new stash?

For the card today, I've used the fabulous daisies die.

The die cuts several sizes of daisy in one go, excellent for those last-minute 'oops, I forgot' cards (which most of mine are, oops!)

Here I've used 2 larger daisies and 1 medium daisy cut from saffron cardstock, and a medium daisy in plum cardstock. These have been layered together with a plum button for the flower centre.

The card base is saffron, then a layer of white cardstock and plum designer paper. The white satin ribbon has been ruffled across the card - I can't stop doing this at the moment, I've gone ruffle-tastic! The sentiment, stamped in plum ink and punched with the scallop oval punch, has been layered onto a large oval of saffron cardstock.

Because I enjoyed playing with the dies (and I had the flowers already cut ;)), I decided to replicate the card but reverse the colours. So here it is!

Exactly the same as the first one, but exchange the plum and saffron colours (except the sentiment - the saffron ink didn't show up as well as the plum)

And both of them together: