For the non-romantics

I had planned to make this card as a Valentine's Day card, but didn't get it finished in time. I thought it was ideal for those romantics in life who hate slushy sentiments!

A card base of Crumb Cake cardstock, some black Urban Underground speciality DSP and a panel of Whisper White cardstock (embossed with the Hexagons dynamic embossing folder) provides the background. Sentiments from the Nailed It stamp set have been embossed in white onto Basic Black cardstock, then die cut using one of the dies from the Build It framelits set. Another die from this set has been used to cut the saw from silver foil and Soft Suede cardstock. I even added some cute little silver nails to the bottom sentiment panel!

I'm really sorry to post this after some of the retiring items sold out so quickly - I really thought this suite would carry over to the Annual catalogue :( I think I'll be hanging onto mine for a long time to come, those pesky men are hard to cater for!!

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. 

Dino-riffic Dijon Dinosaur!

Now there's a tongue twister to get your teeth around! Luckily the card it represents is nice and easy :) This would be great for any creature-loving kids (like my great-nephew, who is obsessed by dinosaurs) and it's easy enough to add a die cut number on there to make them feel extra special.

I have used one of the papers from the Urban Underground speciality DSP pack for the background, with a black mat on a card base made from thick Whisper White cardstock. Check this paper pack out - there are some fabulous designs, great for the men in our lives but also to bring a little touch of class to a project.
I used the No Bones about it stamp set to create the cute dinosaur, stamped in Basic black and Delightful Dijon inks. The sentiments have also been stamped in Basic black, one onto the paper and another onto a circle of Whisper white cardstock matted onto a circle of black cardstock and adhered to the card using dimensionals to create some depth. 

I now have an online shop so if there's anything you like, just follow the link highlighted and shop from the comfort of your armchair! There's also a link at the top of the page. Thanks :) 

Take care, Claire xx

SAB balloons

Here's a pretty simple card using some of the Sale-a-Bration items from this year. A background of the Sale-a-Bration (SAB) Perfectly Artistic paper on a white card base, with a circle of the balloon paper featured in the Birthday Bouquet papers (Spring catalogue) which has been sponged around the edge with pool party ink. The birthday sentiment has been stamped in black ink onto white cardstock, and the 'to you' part stamped in pool party. This has then been cut using a die, and a little banner added that was made using the banner punch, washi tape and a candy dot. A few more candy dots have been added to the top right of the card for balance (though they look rather askew in the photo!)

Stamps: Perfect Pairings (SAB)
Ink: Basic Black, Pool Party
Cardstock: Whisper White (thick and standard)
Other: Birthday Bouquet DSP, Perfectly Artistic DSP (SAB), It's My Party Washi tape, Lots of Labels framelits, Banner punch, Candy Dots (subtles and neutrals)

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)

'Tis the season....

....to remember how to log into my blog, it's been so long that I'd forgotten how! I've even got a card to share with you! Ta-da!!

Christmas will be here in the blink of an eye so I'm getting started on some cards. I wanted the pretty poinsettia designer paper to be the main focus of the card so kept the layout fairly simple. The DSP sits on a mat of silver glimmer paper for a bit of sparkle, as does the sentiment tag. The background looked a bit bare so I used the hardwood stamp and mossy meadow ink to create a bit more interest. A bow of cherry cobbler seam binding ribbon (sadly now retired ;( ) finishes off the card. Don't forget, if you haven't got ribbon in the colour you need then you can use your inkpads to colour your white ribbon!

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

Stamps: Embellished Ornaments, Hardwood BG
Ink: Mossy Meadow, Cherry Cobbler
Cardstock: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White
Other: Season of Cheer DSP, Silver Glimmer paper, Tags and Labels framelits, Cherry Cobbler seam binding ribbon (retired)

Hip hip hooray, a card!

Wow, where is time going? I have some cards to show you, but never seem to get time in daylight to take a picture. Here's one of the older ones, sorry for the picture quality but it's been taken on my phone.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Hip Hip Hooray (from Hip Hip Hooray card kit), Gorgeous Grunge
Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Sahara Sand
Cardstock: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand
Other: Moonlight Designer Paper Stack, Chalk Talk framelits. dimensionals.

Twins!

My good friend Bev has just given birth to twins! In honour of this very special occasion, I am taking part in a blog hop organised by her design team over at the Uniko Studio blog. Bev knew she was having twin boys and when I found out, I just knew that this gorgeous little stamp would have to feature on her card! If Noah knew that things are better in twos, then who is to argue?! Plus it's an excuse to get colouring again, though I definitely need some more practice ;)

Crumb cake base and embossed layer (though that is hard to see from this photo), with a layer of Bashful Blue DSP in between. (I used bashful blue rather than soft sky so I had some co-ordinating ribbon!) The ark has been stamped in black Stazon on watercolour paper, then coloured using various inks and markers. I sponged a little blue ink round the edges to soften. The sentiment has been created using the Alphabet rotary stamp, and the words snipped out. The blue taffeta ribbon  has been adorned with, of course, 2 ribbon knots.

So welcome to the world Josh and Ben, and congratulations to Mr and Mrs Bev ;) on the safe arrival of your double bundle of joy. Can't wait to meet them - at least with twins, there will be no fighting over cuddles between me and Kerry !

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

• Stamps: Two by Two (retired), Alphabet Rotary stamp
• Ink: Black Stazon, various SU inks and Copics (non-SU)
• Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue (retired), watercolour paper
• Other: Decorative Dots embossing folder, Bashful Blue taffetta ribbon (retired), Bashful Blue DSP (retired). 

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.

Love hearts

I fell in love with the Artisan embellishments kit in the Spring catalogue and to my shame, have barely looked at it! Summer is wedding season so I thought I’d make a romantic card that could be used for a wedding, anniversary or any ‘love’ occasion.

I started with a crumb cake cardbase and a piece of the poetry print paper stack layered onto a vanilla cardstock mat. I pleated the pink (primrose?) seam binding from the kit across the designer paper then added some of the gorgeous vanilla flower trim. I gently sponged some primrose ink around the edges of a paper doily, and some crumb cake ink across the middle (to tie in with the DSP). I stamped the heart in primrose petals ink onto the corresponding cardstock, then cut it with the matching framelit. The smaller heart has been stamped in crumb cake onto vanilla cardstock before cutting. The love sentiment has been added in primrose ink, along with several pearls and a little crumb cake heart (cut using the owl punch)

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

• Stamps: Hearts a Flutter, Pennant Parade
• Ink: Primrose Petals, Crumb Cake
• Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals
• Other: Print Poetry Designer Paper stack, Artisan embellishment kit (seam binding), Vanilla Flower trim, paper doily, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Owl builder punch, Pearl Jewels, dimensionals.

and another

Here’s a card I made for a friend’s birthday back in May. It’s a ‘stepped-up’ version of the card I posted yesterday, with various little additions. 

I’ve added a layer of celery cardstock underneath the designer paper, and used one of the adorning accents edgelits to create a fancy border on both layers. Pink and celery inks have been sponged around the flower image to make it ‘pop’, and a little pink flower button and several pearls added for further interest. There is a layer of pink taffeta ribbon underneath the black ribbon. The sentiment has been embossed in black on vanilla cardstock and added to a scallop oval of black cardstock, along with a little pink punched flower with pearl.

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

• Stamps: Just Believe, Petite Pairs
• Ink: Versamark, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery
• Cardstock: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery
• Other: First Edition Designer paper, Black embossing powder, black 1/4” taffeta ribbon, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon (retired), Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Itty Bitty shapes punch, Adorning Accents Edgelits, Pretty in Pink button, Pearl Jewels, dimensionals.

Soon be gone

I found some pictures of cards that I haven’t blogged yet, so thought I’d better post them as some of the products used will be retiring at the end of the month. The first card features the Just Believe stamp set, which contains some fabulous silhouette images. I’m sad that this one is retiring as I haven’t used it half as much as it deserves.

A very CAS (clean and simple) card to get started, with a black cardbase and a layer of the first edition designer paper. This is also retiring this month so stock up while you can as it’s excellent value for money at £11.50 for 24 sheets of 12” x 12” paper. The flower image has then been embossed onto the designer paper using a versamark inkpad and black embossing powder. Even after years of seeing it, I still love the way the powder changes when it’s heated J 

The sentiment has also been embossed (this time onto vanilla cardstock), then cut with the scallop oval punch. A piece of thin taffeta with a simple knot adds another little focal point underneath the sentiment, which is popped up on dimensionals.

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

• Stamps: Just Believe, Perfect Punches
• Ink: Versamark
• Cardstock: Basic Black, Very Vanilla
• Other: First Edition Designer paper, Black embossing powder, black 1/4” taffeta ribbon, Scallop Oval punch, dimensionals.

Ode to celery

Just when I finally get some photos taken of recent crafty creations, the monsters children start hogging the computer! They'll be back at school soon LOL! In light of the colour refresh, I decided to dust off an old favourite colour - certainly celery. I teamed it with an image I created ages ago, but hadn't found the right way to use it. Hopefully, this is it :)

Card base of celery cardstock, with a layer of matching designer paper mounted onto white cardstock to make it stand out. The 'precious baby' sentiment has been embossed in white on celery cardstock twice, then cut out with the ticket punch. These have been adhered to the card, along with white baker's twine and a celery button. The ark image has been stamped in black Stazon ink onto watercolour paper, then cut with one of the Labels collection framelits. I used an aquapainter and various colours of ink to colour the image.

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

• Stamps: Two by Two, That's the Ticket
• Ink: Black Stazon, Versamark
• Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Whisper White
• Other: Labels Collection Framelits, Ticket Duo Builder punch, Certainly Celery designer paper and button (Subtles collections), White Baker's twine, White embossing powder, 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.

Oh whaley?

I think this cheery paper is the only thing keeping me going through our miserable weather at the moment :( We're lucky that we haven't had snow recently but it's been so cold. This time last year, I got sunburnt on a day out in Scarborough!
The layout was inspired by the Just Add Ink sketch challenge here, but as usual I missed the deadline LOL!

I started with a gray cardbase, covered with white cardstock which has been embossed with the cloudy day embossing folder. Can you see the cute little clouds? (Wish our clouds were like that, instead of a big gray blanket!!) I added a panel of the umbrella paper, and added the stripey paper to a piece of daffodil cardstock. The whale has been inked in Pacific Point ink, then cut using the matching clearlit die. These dies have a little window that allows you to line up the image exactly - fab idea! The sentiment is stamped in gray ink on white cardstock, punched with the word window punch and mounted onto a limeade label shape. A small disaster ensued - I left the components of my card on the dining room table whilst I cooked tea, and DS1 managed to get black paint on the edge of my card!!! The ribbons are a last minute addition to hide the little black splodge I couldn't get off :) 

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Oh, Whale!
• Ink: Pacific Point, Basic Gray
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade
• Other: Happy Whale Clearlits die, Sunshine and Sprinkles designer paper, Cloudy Day embossing folder, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Striped Organdy ribbon, dimensionals.

Last day of Sale-a-Bration

This year's Sale-a-Bration promotion has been the best yet, with so many fabulous products to choose from. My SAB freebies have been sadly neglected, but here's a card I made using the Sycamore Street designer paper and buttons. I've sponged ink round the edges of the die-cuts for a little definition.

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

• Stamps: Wacky Wishes (hostess)
• Ink: Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party
• Other: Apothecary Accents Framelits, Sycamore Street designer paper, buttons and ribbons (SAB), Essentials Paper-Piercing pack, dimensionals.

The wanderer returns

Well hello, long time no see! Sorry it's been so long, but life threw me a massive curve ball and crafting, unfortunately, fell by the wayside. I was asked to make a card for a lady going on maternity leave, but not to emphasise the 'leaving' part as the lady was coming back to work. Another stipulation was plenty of room inside for co-workers to sign, so I decided on a larger A5 size card. It took quite a bit of fiddling/panicking/swearing after several months away from the craft cupboard, but here's the result. Sorry for the poor quality photo - I forgot to take a picture with the camera before I delivered it, so I had to attempt a picture with my new phone!

I started with an A5 card base of crumb cake cardstock, layered with whisper white cardstock. I used the baby tees wheel on several colours of designer paper, then cut out the individual onesies and attached to a washing line of linen thread using little wooden pegs. I punched squares of designer paper in the same colours and added buttons, ribbons and die-cut letters. The sentiment was computer generated, and cut using one of the Apothecary Accents framelits. I inked round the edges with pool party ink to provide a bit of definition. Simples!!

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

• Stamps: Baby Tees wheel
• Ink: Basic Black, Pool Party
• Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White
• Other: Apothecary Accents Framelits, Designer Paper stacks (Brights, Neutrals, In-colour s 2011-13), Sycamore Street buttons and ribbons (SAB), Brights designer buttons, Daffodil Delight 1/4" stitched grosgrain ribbon, 1 1/4" square punch,  linen thread, Timeless Type Junior alphabet dies (retired), wooden pegs (non-SU), 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.

It's beginnning to look a bit like Christmas!

I made a start on my Christmas cards! This one is a nice, quick one to get in the mood :) It uses the Snow Festival printed tags, which are fab for a range of Christmas projects such as cards, tags, gift boxes etc. They are available in the Autumn/Winter catalogue, a bargain at only £3.75 for 25 tags!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Happy Hour, Starburst wheel
• Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green
• Cardstock: Gumball Green
• Other: Snow Festival designer printed tags, Cherry Cobbler seam biding ribbon, white Baker's Twine.

Happy birthday sis!

I've finally found a bit of time to blog! The kids have been hogging the computer lately - I think I'll have to ration them LOL! Here's the card I made for my sister's birthday last month.

I've started with a base of naturals ivory cardstock and a layer of melon mambo designer paper. I embossed a piece of espresso core'dinations cardstock using the vintage wallpaper embossing folder, then sanded the surface. This removes the top layer of cardstock to reveal the inner core to give a distressed, antique look. I also added some dotty scalloped ribbon, turned over to hide the dots! The sentiment has been stamped using espresso ink onto a die cut of ivory cardstock, and flowers stamped in melon mambo ink have been cut out and adhered using dimensionals. Flower centre pearls and a snippet of crochet trim add the final touch.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Sincere Salutations (retired)
• Ink: Early Espresso, Melon Mambo
• Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso core'dinations
• Other: Labels Collection Framelits, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, Cheerful Treat Designer paper (retired), Scallop Dots ribbon, Crochet Trim, basic pearls, dimensionals.