Simply Stampin Challenge Theme Week!

Good morning stampers,

This week over at Simply Stampin' it's time for another theme week challenge so we are challenging you to

Faux or Sew! 

That's right we want to see stitching on your projects so whether you want to faux sew, hand sew or get your sewing machine out it's up to you!

For my card I decided to combine faux sewing with hand sewing, here's it is, 

It's another Christmas offering from me, I started with a Night of navy base, and layered with Soft Suede, and Marina Mist, I like to paper pierce holes when I faux stitch I always think this gives you a more real stitched look, so around the edge is my faux stitching with my Night of Navy marker pen. I stamped the background with my Serene snowflakes, in Soft suede, then wrapped some retiring satin Marina mist ribbon around before cutting a Top Note with my Big shot machine and embossing with the new Lacy Brocade embossing folder, I inked the edges with Night of navy, next I stamped the mug, steam and gingerbread man from Scentsational Season, I hand stitched over the snowflake design on the mugs, if you look closely hopefully you'll be able to see it!!
And finished the whole thing off with a sentiment from the Contempo Christmas set.

I hope you'll enjoy stitching along with us this week and don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's offerings for even more inspiration!

Happy stampin', xx

Simply Stampin Sketch Week

Good morning!

I can't believe it's been a who;e week since I lasted posted, that has just flown by!!! Thank you for all the messages I had last week about my baby news, it's so exciting to finally share it with everyone!

So onto this weeks challenge, which is a sketch

I am trying to use up some of my DSP stash before everything retires, I don't know about you but I buy all the new DSP each year, stroke it for months not wanting to use too much of it up then find myself using it like mad in September, please tell me I'm not alone in this DSP fetish, next year I will have to use it up all year instead of saving it, I still have paper from the previous years that I didn't want to use all of!

Anyway getting back to this weeks card, I had an idea to make a sort of envelope pocket out of the Top Note now I'm sure many other people have probably already done this but I was quite proud of myself with how this baby turned out.

Here's my card

I decided not to add the greeting to the bottom corner of my card instead I've hidden it inside the top note pocket!

You can really see the whole Top note shape when it's opened out like this, Hope you like my card and that maybe I've inspired you to give the challenge a go this week! Can't wait to see what you come up with!!

Happy Stampin'

Cupcakes For Maddy

Hello stampers,

If you saw my post on Sunday then you will already know that I was asked to make several cards for Maddy's 18th birthday last week. Today I'm sharing another one of these cards with you. I have mixed two DSP sets for this card, Everyday Enchantment and Spice Cake.

There are quite a few layers to this card, I started with Spice Cake paper in the background, I love the shape of the Top Note die, so I cut one in the retired Choc Chip DSP, cut it in half and placed it behind the central panels, next another layer of Spice Cake in the gorgeous Pool Party (I love this colour!!) on top of that is a strip of Everyday Enchantment. I couldn't resist adding some satin ribbon and a bow! I took the colours for the cupcakes from the DSP I'd used, so simple to make with a cupcake builder punch.

I'll have another card to show you tomorrow, hope to see you then, plus don't forget to check out this weeks Simply Stampin challenge, and Design Team call!! xx

Top Note Make and Takes

Hi,

It's dull, raining and miserable here this morning so I thought I'd share my Wednesday night workshop make and takes with you to brighten up a dark morning.

I got my hands on the top note die in May and I'm in love. The shape is just gorgeous, so this had to be the centre of my workshop, there were six fabulous ladies, one of which was completely new to the world of paper crafting, but still got stuck in and made the cards, I hope she loves them as much as I do!

So here is the first

A shaped card, all you have to do is make sure that the folded edge of your card blank doesn't go all the way to the end of your shape and you have yourself a great curvy shaped card. The top note also has a dotted line just inside the edge (which you can see at on the inner part of the card) which makes it easy to cut a perfect fit for layering. I got the ladies to do this with a black layer and then emboss with the vintage wallpaper embossing folder, isn't the pattern fab! I thought that the embossing was so pretty that it only needed a quick bit of ribbon (this ribbon is so great, you can colour tint it with your ink pads)
and a glittered butterfly, and viola!

The second card is a great way of using up those scraps of paper you just can't part with.

Just arrange your paper strips onto a scrap of paper and run it through your big shot with your top note, and you have a great backdrop for your card, I have spritzed the background (not sure if you can see it) with marina mist marker, stamped one of the four frames stamps, I love the bird, but the great thing about craft is that it's individual so some of the ladies went for the polka dots, and some for the roses too. Now onto the bit I don't think they thanked me for, the boho blossoms punched flowers. I made them scrunch them, a couple of faces didn't look happy, but I asked them to trust me, and hopefully they like the finished effect, just topped off with some rhinestones.

Hopefully these make up for my week long absence?