Two in a row!

I'll keep it short'n'sweet as you're probably in shock!

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – True Friend, Best Yet
• Ink – Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Old Olive
• Cardstock – Whisper White, Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Old Olive
• Other – Scallop Border punch, Scallop Oval punch, Oval punch, 1/4" circle punch, Crop-a-Dile

Where has the summer gone?!!

I can't believe it's so long since I've posted! The end of term, birthday parties, rainy holidays and another bout of illness have just eaten up the last few months. But I do actually have some cards to show you, now that I've organised myself enough to take the photographs!! But I'm going to spread them out a bit so it looks like I've blogged a lot to make up for my lapse LOL!!


I decided to use the card theme of the sentiment and incorporate playing cards into the layout. These are simply blue designer paper on white cardstock, with the corners of each layer rounded using the corner rounder punch. The man has been coloured using markers, and the sanded background stamp has been stamped on the red layer using Versamark to create texture. For the lower mat and the scalloped layer, I've used Bordering Blue rather than the Bashful Blue of the designer paper (just because it provides a bit more contrast).

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – Golden Oldies, Sanded
• Ink – Black Stazon, Versamark
  
• Cardstock – Whisper White, Bordering Blue, Real Red
• Other - Scallop Oval punch, Oval punch, Corner Rounder punch, Bashful Blue Designer Paper, Marvellous Markers, dimensionals

June promotion

The promotion for June and July is a free background stamp when you host a workshop with orders of £250. See the link on the right hand side to see the flyer.

I haven't been very productive recently, so here's a card I made a while ago but haven't posted on here. Thank you cards are always useful to have handy, and the colours and style used for this card mean it could be used for a variety of recipients.


Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - True Friend
  
• Ink - Brilliant Blue
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Brilliant Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue
  
• Other - Summer Picnic designer paper, Star punch, dimensionals.

Another birthday card

Another lady in my Stamper's 6 group has a birthday this month - Bev has just handed in loads of work for her degree course so she can celebrate her birthday guilt-free today. Congratulations on your 30th birthday Bev, hope you're enjoying the freedom from studying!


The cupcake has been paper-pieced with 2 different Sweet Always designer papers and the sprinkles have been highlighted using a white gel pen. The candle is cut from pink cardstock and the flame coloured using a yellow marker. The sentiment has been computer-generated as I don't have any number stamps (something else to add to the never-decreasing wishlist!) I HAD to use my new oval punches on the card as I've been waiting for them for ages - they have been so popular that Stampin' Up! completely sold out of them! They are back in stock so order yours now.

Products used (Stampin' Up! unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
  
• Ink - Basic Black, Barely Banana
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink
  
• Other - Sweet Always designer paper, Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, white gel pen, nestabilities (non-SU), Chocolate Chip double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals.

May promotion

I've neglected to let you know about the May promotions from Stampin' Up! The first one is buy any three packs of Designer Series paper from the 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue or the list below (£7.75 each) and get one FREE!

Item #	Description
115157	Ski Slope Designer Series paper (from Mini Catalogue)
115158	Tea Party Designer Series paper (from Mini Catalogue)
115307	Washington Apple Designer Series paper (from Mini Catalogue)
110091	Brocade Background Designer Series paper *
109936	Cutie Pie Designer Series paper *
110093	Petals & Paisleys Designer Series paper *
109940	Fall Flowers Designer Series paper *
109938	Dashing Designer Designer Series paper *
109944	Le Jardin Designer Series paper *
110094	Wintergreen Designer Series paper *
109946	Brilliant Blue Prints Designer Series paper*
109948	Certainly Celery Prints Designer Series paper*
109949	Close to Cocoa Prints Designer Series paper*
109951	Pumpkin Pie Prints Designer Series paper*
109953	Rose Red Prints Designer Series paper*
111108	Old Olive Prints Designer Series paper*

*While supplies last; see 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue, p. 93

The second promotion is a special demo starter kit aimed at scrapbookers, available for a limited time at the price of £99. More details can be obtained from the flyer at the right hand side, or contact me for further information!

Pink Petals Mojo

Here's a birthday card I made for a lady who comes to the card club I run. I don't think she reads my blog, but just in case - Happy Birthday Jan! It's another Mojo sketch, link here. I knew which set I wanted to use but it took quite a bit of head-scratching and re-arranging before I came up with something I liked!

The photo isn't brilliant, so I'll explain what I've used. Three different papers from the Tea Party collection have been matted onto white cardstock, the mat for the left hand panel has a scallop edge. The saffron striped grosgrain ribbon runs under a panel of pink textured cardstock before being tied in a knot. The flowers have been stamped onto 2 different pink papers and cut out, then stuck to green cardstock sepals and added to the white square along with a leaf (one flower is popped up on dimensionals). I didn't add a sentiment, but I think a small stamped tag hanging from the ribbon knot would look nice.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! ):

• Stamps - Playful Petals
  
• Ink - Black Stazon
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink textured
  
• Other - Tea Party designer paper, So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, dimensionals.

Bright balloons

Looks like I spoke too soon about the weather, it's cold and miserable again today - oh the joys of an English spring! Recovering from a night shift with a 4 year old in the house doesn't add to my sense of well-being either, roll on September and full time school! Here's a card that would be suitable for a child made using the balloon from Crazy for Cupcakes.

The card base is saffron which has been stamped with the blower stamp using saffon ink. The balloon has been stamped twice on watercolour paper using black Stazon, coloured with re-inkers and an aquapainter then this layer matted onto green cardstock. A turquoise scallop circle with green and white layers provides a mat for the sentiment, stamped in black on green cardstock. Two little 'tabs' have been added to the top left of the panel using saffron striped grosgrain ribbon.

The colour inspiration for this card is the Rainbow Sherbert designer paper, combining turquoise, saffron and two shades of green. I don't have this paper as the colours are out of my comfort zone, but seeing them together on this card may change my mind - they look very bright and 'zingy'! And now is the ideal time to stock up on your designer papers, as they are the subject of the May Stampin' Up promotion - buy any three packs of Designer Series paper and get one FREE!

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

• Stamps – Crazy for Cupcakes, Sincere Salutations
• Ink – black Stazon, So Saffron, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise
• Cardstock – Watercolour paper (non -SU), So Saffron, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise
• Other – Aquapainter, circle punches (1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8", scallop), So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon

Spring has sprung!

It actually feels like spring has finally arrived in the North East, so I was inspired to make a card using spring-like colours. Very simple card, ideal for mass production if you've got a few birthdays (or other occasions) coming up. The gorgeous Tea Party designer paper (available in the new mini) has been added to an amethyst card base, after creating a scalloped edge on both layers. The sentiment has been stamped in black Stazon on white cardstock with a pink mat, and the striped ribbon wrapped round the cardstock and tied in a knot. The striped ribbon is also from the new mini, and is lovely and soft - perfect for tying. It's available in So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Bashful Blue.

The flower has been stamped in black Stazon, coloured with re-inkers and a watercolour brush, then cut out. A small pink brad has been added to the centre and the flower petals curled slightly, then added to the white panel using dimensionals.

Products used (Stampin' Up! unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - Playful Petals, sincere Salutations
  
• Ink - Black Stazon, Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink
  
• Other - Tea Party designer paper, So Saffron 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, brad (non-SU), dimensionals.

New mini catalogue!

Don't forget that you can now order from the new mini catalogue! These products are only available until 30th September, unless they make it into the new catalogue (out on 1st October) so if you like something then buy it now! To see the mini, please use the link on the right hand side. Please get in touch if you have any questions, or if you would like to place an order from the main or mini catalogues.

My demo pre-order from the mini has been sitting un-inked as we've been decorating - hopefully DS2 won't draw on the walls again (I wouldn't mind if he stamped on them!) He's got a session at the school nursery this afternoon, so I may get a chance to get those stamps inked after all. Fingers crossed!

Another challenge card

Here's a card I made for a challenge on Kate and Steph's new blog, A Passion for Papertrey. The challenge was to make a one layer card, something I very rarely do (those layers are handy for hiding little mishaps!) I must admit that I struggled with this one - none of the embellishments I wanted to add looked right, so the end result is truly a one layer card! Please excuse the bad photo, I couldn't take the picture till late this afternoon.

The swirly leaves are embossed in gold, as is the sentiment, then the leaves have been coloured using green ink. The flowers have been stamped in pink ink and the little butterfly in pearlescent blue.

Products used (Papertrey Ink unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - With Sympathy, Out on a Limb sentiments
• Ink - Versamark, Ripa Avocado, Raspberry Fizz, Pearlescent Sky Blue (Brilliance)
• Cardstock - Stampers Select White
• Other - Gold embossing powder (SU).

Sweet cupcakes

Crikey, I've managed to complete a challenge the same week it was posted!! I think I need a lie-down to recover! Another Mojo Monday challenge (sketch 77) - I always check Julee's blog for the sketch but don't always get time to play along.



As ever, the card is pretty self-explanatory. The cupcake has been embossed in white on chocolate and pink cardstock, then the different parts cut out and stuck together, then popped up on dimensionals on the circular panel. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the sprinkles have been coloured using ink and a blender pen.

Products used (Stampin' Up! unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
  
• Ink - Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie
  
• Other - Sweet Always designer paper, white embossing powder, Scallop Edge punch, nestabilities (non-SU), brads (non-SU), dimensionals.

Goodbye Sale-a-bration!

Well the Sale-a-bration promotion is over but hopefully you got at least one free set ( don't you just LOVE free stuff?!) The promotion in March is for 25% off chipboard - not quite as good as free but which other companies come up with as many different promotions as Stampin' Up! do? There's link on the right for further details on the chipboard promotion.

Here's a card I made with one of the SAB sets, Botanical Blooms. My background stamps have been sadly neglected recently as I try to use my designer papers, so I dusted off the Paisley background to use in this card.


Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – Botanical Blooms, Paisley, Sincere Salutations
• Ink – Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss
  
• Cardstock – Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke
• Other – 1/4" grosgain ribbon (Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke), Gold brads

Another Mojo sketch

I've combined a couple of challenges in the creation of this card: the colours are taken from ILWS colour challenge 17 (Old Olive, So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie) and the layout is from Julee's Mojo Monday (sketch 69). I've also managed to use up some of the lovely designer papers I've been hoarding - these have all now retired and I'm on a mission to use them!

The flowers have been stamped in black Stazon on white cardstock and coloured using a blender pen and inkpads, cut into a circle then matted onto a black cardstock circle. Three panels of designer paper have been added to a black cardstock layer, then added to the white base. Gold brads have been used to attach the felt flowers to a small black circle, which have then been arranged between the two lower blocks of colour. TIP: If you attach the flowers and circles to the main black layer BEFORE it's attached to the white base, then you won't see the 'legs' of the brads inside your card.
I haven't added a sentiment to this yet, and can't decide whether to leave the card without one, or to add one to the white area on the right hand side of the flowers. What do you think?

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – Simply Said
• Ink – black Stazon, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron
• Cardstock – Whisper White, Basic Black
• Other – Blender pens, Designer Paper (Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Petals and Paisley), Felt Flowers (Accents and Elements), Gold brads

A Sale-a-Bration card

The layout for this card is using Julee's Mojo Monday sketch 70 here. I am going through a circle phase at the moment so this sketch caught my eye immediately! The flower and leaf stamps used are from Botanical Blooms, one of four stamp sets you can get FOR FREE during Sale-a-Bration in January and February. A link to the online Sale-a-Bration leaflet is on the right hand side, please contact me if you require further information.
I've used Confetti White cardstock for the card base and white layers - it has small flecks of colour embedded into it, like handmade paper, but is still smooth enough to stamp on.

Products used (Stampin' Up! unless stated otherwise):

• Stamps - Botanical Blooms, Best Yet
  
• Ink - Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive
  
• Cardstock - Confetti White, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive
  
• Other - Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, nestabilities (non-SU), dimensionals
  

Love-ly rose card

Here is a card made with one of my new stamp sets, a Rose is a rose. This set contains several beautiful images of roses in various stages of development from the bud to the fully open flower. There are also leaves in the set and a sentiment.

The card itself is pretty self-explanatory, except to say that the small flowers in the background have been created using coral ink which has been 'stamped off' (ink your stamp then stamp onto a piece of scrap paper, then onto your cardstock). Although it's hard to see in the photo, the main image has been popped up on dimensonals.

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

• Stamps – A Rose is a Rose, Wonderful Words
• Ink – Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral
  
• Cardstock – Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
• Other - Nestabilities (non SU), Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

Time flies........

....when you're eating mince pies! Hope you all had a fab Christmas and Santa was good to you! I love the end of December (my birthday, Christmas then New Year and my youngest's birthday), but it's all a bit frantic and bad for the waistline, so January has a certain calmness that I need! I've even made some cards, but unfortunately haven't been able to get decent photos due to the weather on my days off. Fingers crossed I'll get some taken tomorrow and I'll get them posted on here.

A Christmas card!

Well I have finally made a start on my Christmas cards! I just haven't been able to get in the swing of things this year (note to self: avoid surgery prior to major birthdays and festivals wherever possible!!) So here's a nice and easy one I made using a sketch from Poetic Artistry as inspiration, it is for Mojo 63 here. This is a brilliant site to visit, Julee has great sketches and posts a slideshow of the cards for each sketch.

The chocolate chip base is a standard A6 size. A piece of designer paper has been added to a piece of ruby red cardstock which has a scalloped edge, and chocolate grosgrain ribbon is wrapped round this layer. The 2 white panels are matted onto olive cardstock: the tree has been stamped in olive ink , the sentiment stamped in chocolate ink. Result: a simple card that could be enhanced using embellishments to give a special card - how about some brads, glitter or a ribbon slider? The choice is yours!

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – Season of Joy, Best Yet
• Ink – Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
• Cardstock – Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Ruby Red, Whisper White
• Other - Scallop edge punch, Holiday Treasures designer paper, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

Blue Christmas

Here is a Z-fold card that I made before I went into hospital and forgot to post. These cards are really easy to make but look a little bit different to the more common landscape or portrait layout. An A4 sheet of navy cardstock has been cut in half lengthways, folded in half and the front folded back on itself to create the card base. A piece of pale blue designer paper has been added to the card front. The sentiments panel has been embossed in silver on pale blue cardstock, matted onto a navy panel and mounted onto the left-hand side of the base. Make sure you only apply adhesive to the left-hand side of the navy panel or your card won’t open! A piece of white cardstock has been placed on the inside of the card and a swirl stamped round the outer edge in pale blue ink (leaving room to write a message).

Punches are used to create the little medallion which keeps the card shut – pale blue cardstock with a silver-embossed snowflake is layered onto white then navy scalloped cardstock. The medallion is raised on dimensionals to allow the card front to be tucked underneath.

PS Sorry for the photo quality, the weather is very dark and miserable today and my editing skills are non-existent!

Products used (all Stampin’ Up!):

• Stamps – Season of Joy
• Ink – Versamark, Bashful Blue
• Cardstock – Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
• Other – silver embossing powder, scallop punch, 1 3/8” circle punch, 1 1/4 “ circle punch, Cutie Pie designer paper (retired), dimensionals

I am still here, just not stamping!

Sorry for being a bad blogger (again!) Hopefully I'll be recovered fully from my op soon and can stamp again - it's driving me bananas not being able to do anything! Hope you're enjoying the new SU catalogue - just e-mail me if you don't have a copy yet!

Happy Birthday Stampin' Up!

This month marks Stampin' Up!'s 20th anniversary and to celebrate, they are offering 20% off several stamp sets in the new catalogue when you spend £20.



More details are posted here. This promotion runs until October 31st, so if you would like to order anything please e-mail me.