Simply Stampin - Lace

Good morning,

Saturday already! where does the time go? Well if you are anything like me then there is only one way to start your Saturday morning, and that's with a crafty challenge, and this week over at Simply Stampin' we are asking you to use lace on your projects, so head on over there to check out what the rest of the design team have come up with!

I have used my crochet lace trim to make two cute little flowers, it was sew (sorry I couldn't help myself) easy, just a running stitch down one side, pull and voila! a pretty lace flower!

I wanted to go for the vintage style for this weeks card, so out came the Artistic etchings stamps, and they work so beautifully with the Vintage wallpaper embossing folder, I brayered one side of the folder with Pretty in Pink before I put my CS inside, so if you look closely you can see the indentations are pink!

Here is a close up of the tag I made for the front of this card

You can see a bit more of the detail here, I used a a retired background stamp to give texture (but I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it, if someone knows please leave me a comment) I then layered over the script stamp from Charmed stamped in Sahara Sand, I used the little crowns from the Elementary Elegance set in Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry, with the Eiffel Tower taking pride of place, the sentiment is from the Create a cupcake set, all topped off with a knot of Razzleberry ribbon.

If you'd like to get lacey with us then pop over and join in, we'd love to see you there!

Happy Stampin', xx

Proud Peacock

Good Evening!

Some of you may have noticed a new badge on my side bar? Well I was super excited to find when I checked my emails the other day that I had been chosen for Artists Pick over at Hand Stamped Sentiments, I was so surprised to be chosen!

Now onto a card, I made this one for Saffron at wok to give to her mum for her birthday a little while ago. It uses a new stamp set in the mini called Proud Peacock.

I wanted to use peacock colours for the card and also managed to sneak in some of my new fav DSP Spice Cake too. The flowers around the sentiment are also in the Proud Peacock set, I just used my handy Stamp-a-ma-jig and got colouring.

Hope you like it! xx

Calypso Coral Cupcakes

Good morning,

After a horrible day at work yesterday and a walk-a-bout cat I was so glad that I had booked today off as holiday a while back. Not only is the weather lovely, but I'm planning to spend the day crafting and possibly watch the king's speech later, just what I need!

I'm hoping that this won't be my only card I get completed today, I have been looking at the finale Viva sketch I still had to complete to enter the months competition for some time, but nothing was coming to me. So while I was looking at some challenges this weeks Color Throwdown combo jumped out at me, it contains 3 in-colours 2 of them brand new ones available to you from Saturday!

I wasn't sure that Poppy Parade and Calypso Coral would go together but actually I think they are a great match, they layer together perfectly. I didn't want to go too over the top with the Chocolate Chip so I just stuck to stamping and inking edges with it. I have added Dazzling diamond glitter to the cupcake frosting, a girl can't have a cupcake without glitter. This card is for my niece Beth, whose birthday is early next month, so I have added a monogram to the tag which I rubbed over with Champagne mist shimmer paint, looks lovely IRL.

Here's the sketch the Viva La Verve sketch that I was working from, as you can see I have swapped that flower element for you a bow tied with Poppy Parade ribbon.

Why not give it ago yourself, xx

White on White

Good morning,

Bank holiday weekend and I spy sunshine out my window, can it be true??

On Saturday mornings the first thing that I do is look at the Simply Stampin' and Less is More challenges and this week I've decided to combine them. It's a sketch challenge from Simply Stampin' this week which luckily for me a quite a simple design, perfect to combine with LIM!



This week at Less is More, the ladies have asked that we look for through the old challenges and pick three, well I had a hard time choosing, in the end I decided on

week 11 Acetate

week 14 white on white

week 16 butterfly/butterlies

week 25 button or ribbon

As you can see I couldn't decide on only three, so I went with four, hope the ladies don't mind!

Now I don't know if you see it but in the bottom corner of  the card is an acetate butterfly, which I have embossed. there is a strip which also has the ribbon on it, that is also acetate. I have glitter embossed a graphic flower from the Baroque Motif set, and finished off with Bitty Buttons.

I really love white on white cards! xx

Happy Birthday Mum!

Good Morning,

Today is my Mum's birthday! I really don't know what I'd do without her, she is my best friend, and I love her more than I could ever say. So I wanted to make her a birthday card using her favourite stamp set which she picked out of the mini catalogue, Nature Walk.

I think that she would make a great crafter, she is brilliant at drawing (although she'd never admit it) and has also enjoyed decorating and making things for her home. I'm hoping to get her to take the leap into the world of paper craft someday.

I had seen a gorgeous card using this set somewhere, but can't remember who's blog it was on. I always have my phone handy when I'm at the computer so I can take a quick picture of any cards that I'm inspired by.

So here is the card I've made for her,

I have used a few items here for the first time, including the stamp set, the card stock vellum, and the big buttons. I have used DSP from to different paper packs, the bottom half is from Greenhouse Gala, and the top is from Lap of Luxury. Stampin' up usually retire all the designer series paper packs with the launch of the new catalogue is if you've been hankering after one, time is running out.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, xx

Engaged!!

Good Morning Crafters,

No, it's not me. My little sister Nikki, and her partner got engaged at the weekend, so I just had to whip up a card for them, and of course offer my crafting services for her wedding stationary! They should have received it yesterday so I can safely share it with you now.

I went for a DL card to show off as much of the 2 embossing folders as possible, If the green layer looks familiar, I am guilty of using this embossing folder on practically every card I've made recently, but it's only because it's so pretty, and elegant. It was the first outing for the Manhattan Flower folder, but I really like this one too. I'm hoping that Nikki will like it and ask me to make wedding invites with it!

Hope you have a good week, 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?

Monochrome, and the Kitty Saga Continues

Good Morning Crafters,

It's Saturday morning so it must be challenge time (although I've now searched for so many challenges that it seems like everyday is challenge day!) This weeks challenge at Less is More is Monochrome a favourite of mine as I always think that black and white make a very stylish card, I've teamed this with the sketch at Simply Stampin' (if you love your Stampin' up! supplies pop over there and check it out).

Don't you just love the texture and deep impression that the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder gives the main black panel?! I have also used some of the gorgeous white organza ribbon, I think this may get over looked in the catalogue, I love it, and you can change the colour with your re-inkers!
I have used a retired SU! stamp called Vintage Labels (which was one of last years SAB sets), I love the frames in this set!

Now some of you may remember that last week my poor little kitty, Salem has a swollen paw. Unfortunately this continued to get worse, even wit a second course of antibiotics. So yesterday he was taken for surgery on his paw. When they shaved it for his op they found several more holes both on the top and bottom of his paw, and had to removed the dead infected tissue, he now has a rather large bandage for a little kitty, several stitched holes and a third course of antibiotics, which fingers crossed will do the trick.

He's desperate to go outside and the other cats in our road keep sitting outside the window, I hope they are wanting him to go out and play not taunting him!

It's back to the vets Monday to check how he's healing and then hopefully stitches out the following Monday, sadly it doesn't look like he'll be able to go out before we move.

Have a fab weekend, xx

Tulips, my favourite!

Hello all,

Last thursday I arrived home for work to find a brown envelope on the doorstep, strange I thought I don't think I'm waiting for anything to arrive. So I opened it up to find a handstamped envelope inside. I instantly got all excited, and couldn't wait to see what was inside!

The amazing Ruth (you have to check out her blog she is super talented!) from Flower Sparkle had sent me a card, I have been a fan of Ruth's work since I started crafting. Her cards are always perfection. A little while a go I left a comment on her blog when she had made a card with a tulip stamp, they are my favourite flowers, so dainty and full of the joys of spring. So she had made me my very own card with the set.

See what I mean, just gorgeous! What more could a girl want? Tulips that will stay pretty, perky and most inportantly glittery forever. This card has taken pride of place in my craft room, and Ruth has also given me permission to use it as inspiration for my next party make and take.

Thank you so much Ruth, I love it!!

White on White

Good morning,

Well as many of you will know I love my challenges at the weekend, yesterday I headed on over to Less is More to see what the lovely ladies had in store for us this week, and my heart sank. The theme is 'white on white' instantly I thought to myself I can't do that, and came away feeling quite upset that I wouldn't have a challenge to join in with. However this morning I was doing the rounds of my favourite blogs when I saw that the super talented Ruth over at Flower Sparkle had joined in, making a stunning card. So I thought well I'll give it a go, if it doesn't work out then I haven't lost anything.

On Sundays I always hop over to check out this weeks sketch at  the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge,

I always find inspiration there, and I thought I would combine the sketch with the 'white on white' brief so that I had a starting off point.

I must say that after all my worrying I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Don't get me wrong I don't think I'll be making another all white card again in a hurry but I enjoyed the challenge of only being able to use white. I went rather heavy on the embellishments but I feel that because they are all one colour that it still feels like 'Less is more', I hope the girls agree!

The recipe
Stamps, Baroque motifs
Paper, Whisper white CS
Ink, Versamark
Accessories, Dazzling diamonds glitter, Heat & stick powder, Square lattice embossing folder, Vintage wallpaper embossing folder, Daisies die cut, Bitty buttons, rhinestones, dimensionsals.

I hope that I might inspire some else to give it a try as Ruth inspired me.
I'm also entering this card into the Crazy 4 challenges blog.