Simply Stampin' Week 40

Good morning!!!

It's almost time to welcome in the New Year, but before we all have a few too many drinks and head towards a stranger with lips puckered, it's time for the Simply Stampin' challenge, which this week is a sketch.

I absolutely adore bunting on cards, it's so pretty! My friend Steph and her hubby Mark, had a little baby boy late Tuesday night, who they have decided to call Matthew. So I just had to make a congratulations card for both of them, and I thought the bunting would be perfect for a baby card!


I have used two of the patterned papers from the aptly named Nursery Nest DSP pack, and then got to work with the little lion from the Fox and Friends set and my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig, stamping one lion in Marina Mist and all the rest in Lucky Limeade. I have cheated slightly and placed my greeting below the ribbon, I did try putting it on the ribbon but it didn't look right.

I do hope you'll join in the fun with this challenge, I can't wait to visit you and see what you come up with. xx

Gifts for Friends

Good morning,

As you may have already read previously on my blog, each year I like to make at least one batch of Christmas presents, (scroll down to see my festive fudge bags) but I did want to make one special present for a dear friend of mine who I met through her fabulous blog, she also happens to be one of my fellow DT members at Simply Stampin' too. Her name is Ruth and you can check out her amazing blog by clicking here, I have received so many wonderful gifts throughout the year, that I wanted to make her something that no one else would have. So I decided to cover a notebook for her.

Every crafter needs to make notes and jot down websites they have seen something inspiring on, so I thought it would make a useful gift! The colours are much brighter IRL, this photo was taken at night before I rushed off to the post office to make sure she got it well before the big day, I'm sure that I'm safe posting it now.

Why not decorate one for yourself? xx

Simply Stampin' Colour Challenge

Good morning,

Its so cold outside today so I hope that you are snuggled up warm inside with some crafty project to fill the time. I have finished my Christmas cards now - phew! But I do still have a few presents to wrap. I like to make a few presents each Christmas, last year I made Chili Jam, and this year I've made sweet treats for a few friends, delicious Chocolate and pistachio fudge. So I decided I would use this weeks colours to make cute little gift bags for my fudge.

I thought these colours would be perfect to make little traditional Christmas pudding bags.

They just need to be filled with the yummy fudge, I hope my friends will like the bags and enjoy the sweet treats inside!

To make your own bag simply cut two circles from Chocolate chip CS and run then through the Big Shot with the Polka Dot embossing folder. Next cut two scallop circles from Vanilla CS using the Scallop circle die, glue these to the top of the Choc Chip circle and cut away the excess. I don't have a small circle punch so I used the centre circle from the medium Daisies die in Cherry Cobbler CS, you will need six of these. Lastly for the holly I cut four ovals in Wild Wasabi CS with my Oval punch, scored them in half and cut semi circles to give them a holly shape, glue these to the top of your scallop circle icing and you should have two puds!

If you'd like to give the Simply Stampin' challenge colours ago, click on the link and join us!

See you soon, xx

Simply Stampin' Sketch Week

Hello there,

Is it Saturday already?! I have been suffering with a cough/cold this week so all the days seem to have merged into one, I am feeling a bit more human today though, so that's a good sign!

Anyway enough of my moaning, lets get on with this weeks challenge, and its back to a sketch.

Once I get all my on-mass cards finished I like to concentrate on larger cards for family, so I have stretched this sketch to use it for an A5 card.

I have used the large stamp from the Beautiful Season set, which I have coloured with my markers, and teamed it with a couple of papers from the Holly Bouquet DSP. The swirl in the background is from Everything Eleanor, and I have doubled up on the punched edge at the bottom of the image, I always think it makes more of an impact when you layer the punched edges together.

I do hope that you'll join me and the rest of the Design Team over at the Simply Stampin' Challenge blog this week.

Thanks for stopping by, xx

Simply Stampin' Snowflake Sparkle

Good morning crafters.

Saturday has come around very quickly this week, and it's time for a brand new challenge over at Simply Stampin', it's theme week again, and this one is bound to get you looking forward to Christmas (if you aren't already) its Snowflake Sparkle!

I have two cards for you today, well one card two variations.

and here is the other

I know what you're thinking, they are the same, but if you look carefully, they are very slightly different.

To make these cards I stamped the large Snowflake image at one end, followed by random stamping of the other snowflakes stamps from the Serene Snowflake set, I re-stamped the large snowflake onto Melon Mambo CS, glittered and cut out leaving the centre un-glittered so I could add a glimmer brad (loving these!), I added lots of rhinestones to the plain snowflakes for extra glammer.

Right I'm off the check out what the rest of the DT have come up with. I hope you'll join us this week so I can visit you too!

Simply Stampin' Colour Challenge

Good Morning,

A big thank you to everyone who entered the sketch challenge last week, it was my turn to choose the Top 3, and you guys certainly made it a difficult job! Hope on over to the Simply Stampin' Challenge to see if you're on it.

This week its a colour combo, and if like me you seem to have made mostly Christmas cards lately this colour combo may get you thinking outside the Christmas box.

I am definitely loving this bright combination, and it also gave me an excuse to ink up a set that I bought but haven't used yet, (what with all the Christmas preparation) it's called Everything Eleanor and it is beautiful!!

I started with a Concord Crush base, then stamped the flourish from the set in Lucky Limeade onto Whisper White CS, I then inked the edges of this panel with Melon Mambo and adhered. Next I stamped the main banner shaped in Concord Crash, and stamped the sentiment (one of the retired hostess sets from last year, Afterthoughts) in Whisper White ink (hopefully you can see it if you look closely) before cutting out. I added Jumbo Eyelets to each end so I could thread the beautiful Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon through. Finally I added some stamped flowers and finished then off with sparkly Glimmer Brads!

Can't wait to visit you and see what you come up with using these beautiful colours, xx

Mixing Old With New

Hello there,

Hope you are having a good week so far!

Every so often I am asked to make cards, usually by people at work, and a little while a go I was asked to make a garden/autumn card for a colleagues friend. She had seen a card I had made with an old retired set called Scene in a Garden. So I thought I would mix this with a new stamp French Foliage to give an autumnal feel.

I really Love how this set can be used to make it look like you have stamped a forest floor with all the leaves turning their autumnal colours. I hope that her friend Jacqui enjoys her birthday and more importantly her card!

Don't forget there is still time to enter this weeks sketch challenge over at Simply Stampin', xx

Simply Stampin' Sketch Week

Good Morning!

We had a fabulous response to the 'Leafy' challenge last week, it was great to see so many of you joining us, I hope that you will enjoy this weeks Simply Stampin' challenge just as much! This week we have a sketch for you.

I have made my card for a friend at work, Margaret. Who will be celebrating her birthday on Monday, she already has the card because she's taking a well deserved week off, enjoy it Margaret! When I make cards for birthdays I like to monogram them and the Broadsheet Alphabet is perfect for the job.

As you can see I have changed the sketch slightly going for a square card blank, and adding the monogram 'M' for extra detail, I can't wait to visit you and see what you come up with, but if you need a little more inspiration why not check out what the rest of the DT have come up with!

Looking forward to seeing your sketch creations! xx

Recycled Embellishment

Hello there!

Every so often my fabulous friend Ruth sends me some 'happy mail' and she always takes the time to decorate the envelope of the card (and usually makes me a gorgeous gift, I'm sooo lucky!) just as beautifully as the card itself. It was my birthday a few weeks ago and Ruth sent me the most beautiful birthday card with gorgeously decorated envelope! I always keep my hand made cards on the wall in my craft room, they really brighten the place up on a gloomy day. I felt silly keeping the envelope but didn't want to throw it away, so I decided to recycle it, I hope Ruth doesn't mind.

Do you see the cute little birdie holding the little happy birthday banner? That was the embellishment Ruth had lovingly made for the envelope of my card, I'm sure you'll agree that I could not throw that in the bin! I've pulled out a set that I haven't used for ages Circle Circus, and got inking with the new in-colours minus Calypso Coral and added in Melon Mambo. What do you think? I do hope Ruth will approve!

Don't forget to check out this weeks Simply Stampin' 'Leafy' theme challenge! xx

Simply Stampin' Leafy

Good morning!

I hope that you all have a fun filled weekend planned, with plenty of craftiness! Saturday has come around again which can only mean one thing........ its time for a new challenge over at Simply Stampin'. There were some fab entries last week, but I'm hoping that you'll wow us again this week which some more stunners!

The challenge is.............Leafy!

Every year, I start making my Christmas cards, but something happens and I get distracted, and then the night before last post I'm rushing to get my cards done, well this year, I'm trying not to let that happen, so I thought I would try to make as many cards for the design team showcase Christmas themed ones. Now you're probably thinking, how can you make leafy into a Christmas card, well I knew exactly what I wanted to do, I just wasn't sure if it would turn out the way I wanted it to, here's my card

I made the leaves into a wreath! I'm really pleased with this card, and even happier with my bow, check out that baby!!!! To make my wreath I used the tiny leaf from the Lovely as a tree set (I'd never even inked it before, but I can see a few more of these being made now) and autumn ink colours, More Mustard, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, and Sahara Sand, plus my trusty stamp-a-ma-jig.

If you need a little more inspiration, why not pop over and check out the rest of the DT's projects. Can't wait to see what you come up with with your own leaves! xx

Mocha Morning Gift

Hello there!

When I opened the new catalogue the first thing I HAD to have was the beautiful Mocha Morning DSP, they are just so pretty with the gold details and flocking, when they arrived me and my mum opened and stroked them arguing over which ones were the prettiest.

So when I went on a trip to a craft store and found a square chipboard tissue box I knew I had to make one for my mum. I started by painting the base black,

then I chose three of the papers, (not an easy task in itself) rounded off the corners, and inked the edges for that vintage feel, then stamped the beautiful flourish from Baroque Motif set in Staz on ink, before giving the whole thing a spritz with shimmer paint for added sparkle. The lid piece is one of the flocked paper that just begged to be touched!

I'm sure my mum will love this gift, but I think it may still need something, maybe an embellishment to one of the sides? What do you think?

Plus don't forget there is still time to enter this week's Simply Stampin' colour challenge!
Hope you are having a fab day, xx

Colour Combo Time

Good Morning,

This week over at Simply Stampin', your challenge should you choose to accept it (I hope you will!) is a colour challenge.

Now those of you who know me will know that I have an orange phobia, and my first thought as I found out which colours we were working with this week was eeekk!
But I calmly sat down with the colours in my lap and started to look through the catalogue to find colour matching stash that I have ( I find it easier to look through the catalogue than search through my craft room), I wanted to use my new Young Vermillion stamp, so I also had that in mind.

Here's what I came up with, I started by stamping my Young Vermillion birdie, I got the Many Marvelous Markers for my birthday just over a week ago, so I HAD to use those! Water colouring, that's what my birdie needed, this was soooo much easier than I thought it would be any any detail that I lost I roughly drew back in with the fine end of the marker, perfect! Next he was cut out and popped up onto dimensionals, to be layered over a piece of Vanilla CS stamped with images from the Nature's Walk stamp set, and then I used my spritzing tool with all 3 of the colours to give an aged effect. The DSP used for this card is called Domestic Goddess, and this card just goes to show that you can use the DSP with any of the stamp sets, so think outside the box.

I hope you'll pop over to see what the rest of the DT have come up with, and give the colours ago yourself! Can't wait to see what you come up with!! xx

Simply Stampin' Sketch

Good Morning,

We had some fantastic entries into the Halloween challenge, last week, so lets hope that you'll enjoy this week just as much!

This week is sketch week, and it's a great one. I really like sketches they are the perfect jumping off point when making a card. So here is the sketch for this week.

I have decided to go for a Christmas card, and as I'm in love with my new Mocha Morning DSP I've teamed it with Dasher.

These papers have a really luxurious feel to them with touches of gold, I have used the Brushed Gold CS with them to bring out the gold.
I started by stamping the snowflake image from Winter Post with my Champagne mist shimmer paint (you can't have Christmas without sparkle), next was my toughest job, deciding which if the gorgeous DSP to use! I went with this beautiful stripe in the end, edged with more brushed gold CS. I couldn't resist adding a bit of Glass Glitter for Dasher to stand on!

I can't wait to see want you come up with for this sketch, xx

Happy Birthday Sian!

Good Morning!

Today (as you may have guessed from the title of this post) is my friend Sian's birthday, we met a few months ago after entering a new challenge at the same time and we have been chatting ever since.

I know she is OBSESSED with all things Verve, so I just had to make her card following one of the Viva La Verve sketches, and she told me that this circular one was her fave so it was a no brainer, I had to use this one!

I have used new DSP called Cheerful Treat, and some of the new in-colours, and I dusted off a punch that I haven't used for ages!

Hope you have a great day Sian, filled with plenty of crafting, family and friends!

See you soon, xx

Halloween at Simply Stampin'

Good Morning!

Well it's my first week as a new design team member with Simply Stampin', and for our very first week the challenge set is Halloween!

My first thought was, I don't have any Halloween stash, but then I thought maybe I can make some. So I pulled out my punches and started to play, I have seen loads of great things made with the owl punch like reindeer, ghosts etc so that seems like a great place to start, I punched out a Basic Black owl body, then using my Word Window punch I punched one of the ends along the side of a piece of Black CS, before using the oval punch to make cool wings, my bat was taking shape, then I thought I needed something for him to sit on, originally I wanted to make a tree branch to hang my bat from but, as my word window punch was already out, I decided to punch out a fence, inking each piece to give depth.

I sponged a punched circle in More Mustard and Pumpkin Pie for a spooky feel, and spritzed the Rich Razzleberry background before layering on Pumpkin Pie and Pear Pizzazz CS.

Why not grab your punches and see what you can make? xx

New Design Team Member

Good evening,

I wanted to share some amazing news with you all. You may have heard me mention Simply Stampin' a Stampin' up! weekly challenge blog. They have had a couple of Design Team members step down recently and have been on the hunt for newbies to replace them. I was soooooo happy to find and email from Niki offering me one of the spots along with my good friend Ruth, yay! You can see our very first DT projects this Saturday morning.

I'd love for you to join in with the challenge, so I can visit you at your blog and leave you some love.

See you there, xx

Wondering where I've been?

Hello,

You may have noticed that I haven't posted for a week, which is unusual for me, well I have gone and hurt my arm. I have a soft tissue injury/muscle strain to my left forearm, and unfortunately when I try to use it my hand swells up. Also the doctor at A&E said that it may take up to 3 weeks to completely heal! So I will not be posting until I am able to use my hands without one growing and changing colour, fingers crossed it wont be long if I rest it.

The Brand New Catalogue Is Here!

Good morning!

I feel like I have been waiting for today for ages! Today is the very first day that you can order this years brand new products.  If you would like to take a look around the new catalogue but haven't got your own copy yet you can view it on-line by clicking on the image in my sidebar.

I'm sure you'll love the new stamps as well as fabulous new embellishments including glittery brads, ruffled ribbon, and many many more!

Enjoy! xx

Playing With Paper For CAS-ual Fridays

Good evening,

I can't believe this is my third post of the day, I'm really on a roll, if only I could do this everyday!
My final card of the day is combining two challenges, CAS-ual Fridays whose challenge was three shades of one colour plus brown. I have chosen Pool Party, Marina Mist, Island Indigo and Crumb Cake.

and a sketch from The Paper Players

I have changed the sketch a little, I wanted my shades of blue, to get gradually larger as they went down the card front. I have also used my sentiment as the central focal point of the card to keep it quite simple.

I stamped the flower image onto each layer of coloured CS in the same ink to give a tone-on-tone pattern, then decided to use it as an accent as well which I just couldn't resist glittering!

I know I probably shouldn't say be I'm really pleased with how it turned out. When I started I didn't think it was going to work, but somehow it all came together in the end, yay!

Well that's all from me today, hope you will come by and see me again soon. xx

A Freshly Made Card

Hello again,

My day is panning out quite well this is my second post for today, and I'm back with a card for a challenge that is new to me, it's called Freshly Made Sketches. Each Wednesday a new sketch is uploaded for us to play along with , this is a fairly new challenge, I'm joining in with week 4, so I'm sure they'd love you to stop by and join in.

The sketch features a tag, I don't put tags on my cards very often but I always like the effect when I do. Here's what I came up with.

A non-crafter may think that all the elements of a card like this are already printed and you just cut and stick, but I really enjoy starting with a plain white piece of paper and ending up with something pretty, which is just what I did with this tag. I decided to leave the image uncoloured, as there was quit a lot of detail in the background. I'm so sad that Bella Toile will be gone forever after Friday, boo hoo.

See you again soon, I hope. xx