Kinda Eclectic by Stampin' Up - Warning: could be addictive for stampers!

Look what happened when I sat down for a minute or two with Stampin' Up's fabulous Kinda Eclectic stamp set? I ended up with not just one but THREE cards (and there would have been more only my family started making plaintive little hungry noises!) Come and have a look:

The collage-style panel on this card was stamped using just one ink pad - the gorgeous new in-colour Mossy Meadow. I stapled on a little tab made with the Petite Curly Label punch before adding a deep cuff of Mossy Meadow card stock.

The next card happened when I was clearing away off-cuts from the first card and another one I'm going to show you in a minute. Do you ever have one of those 'Ooh look what happens when I put a strip of that with this!' moments at the rubbish bin?! The sentiment is one of four useful and beautifully designed phrases in Stampin' Up's new Occasions 4 You set - and doesn't it cut out nicely with the Decorative Label punch?!

The final card is my favourite of the three. Kinda Eclectic is brilliant for collage-style stamping (like this) but it's equally effective when you use just one of the images - like the beautiful leaf stamp I've used on the card above (or the sunburst stamp I used here).

I'm going to link the first of these cards up with the Paper Players Monochromatic challenge this week and the second one with Pixie's Snippet Playground as all those pieces were rescued from the jaws of the bin!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Occasions 4 You wood or cling

Ink: Mossy Meadow

Card stock: Whisper White, Mossy Meadow
Punches: Decorative Label, Petite Curly Label, Corner rounder

Other:  Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

What a wonderful week it's been with school closing for the holidays and all the excitement of being chosen to join the Stampin' Up Artisan Design Team (read about that here). I'm really looking forward to starting this new venture but before I do, I'm going to take a break. What I need is a lot of sleep, plenty of sunshine, the odd ice cream, and the company of my favourite people in the whole world!

Thank you for coming to visit me here and a special, heartfelt thank you to my customers for your support because without you there would be no Crafting Clare. I'll be back soon with all my creative cylinders firing and perhaps some of the other cylinders too!

Hugs,

Congratulations with a bang using Kinda Eclectic from Stampin' Up

I've found another way of using Stampin' Up's brilliant new Kinda Eclectic stamp set and it's perfect for celebrations! Come and see:

The sunburst image makes fabulous fireworks when stamped in bright colours. I used Tempting Turquoise, Tangelo Twist and Daffodil Delight for mine and added a dynamic sentiment from Sassy Salutations.

Every celebration needs a bit of extra sparkle so I added some large gems, coloured with blendabilities. (How much do I love my blendabilities, on a scale of one to ten? Eleven!) These large gems are retired now, but the largest ones from the Basic Rhinestone packs would work well too.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Sassy Salutations wood or cling

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Stazon black.
Blendabilities: Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

My daughter has the loveliest boyfriend. He recently turned 18 and naturally his thoughts turned to the legal implications of this. "Just think!" he said. "Now I can go and buy fireworks!" Someone laughed. "Never mind fireworks, now you can legally buy alcoholic drinks!" He stared at them. "Drinks don't go bang in the sky!" he said scathingly.

See you tomorrow.

Dimensional butterflies card photo tutorial using Kinda Eclectic by Stampin' Up

Kinda Eclectic isn't just about collage-style stamping you know! I've gone very clean and simple with the butterflies in the set today - come and see:

This is a fun card to make, with its recessed stamped butterflies and that central one with the fun dimensional feature. It's easy peasy too thanks to the coordinating punches!

I marked the centre of the panel and punched the central butterfly out...

... then stamped two of the small butterflies onto sticky notes, positioned them on each side of the central butterfly shape and punched those out too. I added the sentiment at this point, using my stamp-a-majig to make sure it was where I wanted it.

The panel was fixed temporarily onto the card base. TIP: If you leave Tombow to dry before sticking, it turns into temporary glue.

Next I stamped two each of the butterflies with Strawberry Slush ink and cut them out with the punches. After applying glue, I pressed one of the large butterflies into the central hole on the panel and repeated the procedure with the small ones.

The panel was carefully peeled away and then repositioned using dimensionals. I love the recessed look!

The spare butterfly was given a linen thread body and antennae and mounted on top of the central recessed one using glue dots.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! I think it's all quite clear but if you have any questions just let me know.

I based this card on this sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch, which I flipped upside down.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE TODAY'S CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Something to Say wood or cling

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Smoky Slate

Card stock: Whisper White
Punches: Elegant butterfly, Bitty Butterfly

Other: Linen thread

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

So why are butterflies called butterflies? Were they all yellow once? Did they flap about in the butter?I've just had to look it up and the most beguiling answer is that they were believed to be witches, disguised so that they could steal milk and butter. The most ridiculous answer is that they taste like butter and they fly! Good Grief!

See you tomorrow.

My new favourite Stampin' Up set!

Okay. Let's introduce you to my new all-time favourite stamp set from Stampin' Up! We need a drum roll here... and perhaps some trumpets as well! Heck, let's get a whole brass band out!

Yes, it's Kinda Eclectic and oh my goodness, you really do need this set right now! This card was made by stamping the sun in So Saffron ink, adding Old Olive leaves and layering with Crushed Curry background dots. Collage style has never been so easy!

The sentiment from Four You was stamped in Island Indigo to add a bit of an accent colour and underlined with Old Olive bakers twine tied in a simple bow. TIP: I 'nibbled' the edges of my panel with the ornament punch in the Merry Minis pack to make a recess for my bakers twine to sit neatly in.

Look how dynamic that sunburst is! And those beautiful leaves - you know what a weakness I have for leaves!

I can tell you right now that there will be many, many more projects made with this amazing set and it goes straight to the top of my Highly Recommended list. Now, just imagine what you could make with it!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Four You wood or cling

Ink: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, So Saffron, Island Indigo

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Old Olive bakers twine, Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

I've probably told you before that brass bands make me cry - and bagpipes too. I don't know why. Maybe it's the sound of nostalgia? Perhaps it's the sight of grown men being cooperative with each other?! Whatever the reason, it's embarrassing at parade season when I always have to retire to the back and snivel into a hanky!

See you tomorrow.

A great big Stampin' Up woohoo!

There's nothing like good news to energise you! I woke up very early this morning still buzzing away because I've been chosen for a place on Stampin' Up's Artisan Design Team! I feel so honoured - there are only 16 places on the team and designers were chosen from Stampin' Up demonstrators all over the world!

Can I also just say how very touched I've been by all the messages of congratulations I've received, not just here on my blog but also on facebook and via email. You are such a lovely and supportive bunch and you've made me feel very special - thank you.

Oh goodness me, let's show you a card before I start having to whisk out the tissues!

There are so many fabulous elements in the stamp set I've used today that I'm bursting with ideas for using it! It's a brand new hostess set from the new Stampin' Up annual catalogue called Hello Love. I stamped the sun, coloured it in with blendabilities and layered clouds and a sentiment over the top.

Don't you just love that it's raining lurve?! And that the sunshine is chasing those dark clouds away!

When you're celebrating great news, the code word Celebrate at ATCAS and Less is More's 'Singing in the Rain' theme are the perfect card challenges! I'm also linking up with the clean and simple challenge at ATSM, The Curtain Call, where 'anything goes' (they're also having a woohoo moment as it's their anniversary - congrats ladies!) and Pixie's Snippets Playground. Oh AND I used a Never Before Used Stamp (NBUS) - yes Darnell, it finally happened!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Hello Love wood or cling (available free with orders of £150+),
Just Sayin' wood or cling

Ink: Real Red, plus Brights markers,
plus Daffodil Delight blendabilities

Card stock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate

Other: Stamp-a-majig, paper snips

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

What a great weekend it's been! There's not been much of this...

... but plenty of this:

I could definitely get used to this kind of lifestyle!

I'm going to post this now and then I'll be back on Tuesday. Hope to see you then,

Part of Stampin' Up Artisan Design Team? YES PLEASE!!!

Last night at the US Stampin' Up Convention, the Artisan Design Team 2014 was announced and -SQEEEEE! - just look who turned up on the European list!

I've just pinched myself hard but my name is still there!

I've been chosen to represent the UK on the team which consists of just 16 designers across the world and to say I am thrilled is the understatement of the year!  Thank you so much Stampin' Up for the opportunity - I can't wait to get started!

See you soon,

Mothers Day card using Something for Baby by Stampin' Up

While I was making yesterday's card I noticed that the duck in Embellished Events was a similar design to the one in Something for Baby, only smaller. Perfect for mum and babies I thought, and set to work on today's card! Come and see:

How adorable are these ducks?! I coloured them with markers before stamping them, so that they could have cute orange beaks, and cut them out with one of my oval framelits. The same framelit was used to cut a piece of card stock for the pond too, trimmed with the small scallop blade on my Rotary Addition.

I went a bit framelit-tastic on this card! The card base was embossed using the next size up of oval (I describe how to do that in this post) and the sentiment was stamped and cut out with one of the Bitty Banners framelits.

• Check out the rest of my Something for Baby creations here - what a very versatile set this is!
• You can see more Embellished Events inspiration here.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Something for Baby wood or cling, Embellished Events wood or cling
Teeny Tiny Wishes wood or cling

Ink: Soft Sky, Tangelo Twist classic inks, plus markers

Card stock: Whisper White, Lost Lagoon

Other: Ovals and Bitty Banners framelits, Big Shot, Small Scallop rotary blade

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

After making this card I sat down at the computer. As I settled down to work, I asked my son to tidy his room. He usually makes a spirited attempt to get out of this task but on this occasion he was surprisingly quiet. When I turned round he was gone but I found this on the table:

Have a great weekend. I'll be back here on Monday - hope to see you then!

Baby toys on a Hardwood shelf

I haven't finished showing you cards made with Stampin' Up's fabulous new Something for Baby stamp set! Today's card is one of my favourite makes and I thought it would be fun for a tot's birthday. Come and see:

We had one of those stacking rings toys when my daughter was a baby. I decided to use it in a toy shelf scene so I coloured the rubber with markers, stamped it and cut it out (there are coordinating framelits to make this easy and you can buy the stamp and framelits in a bundle at 15% off!) I couldn't resist adding a friendly little face - after all, every child knows that toys come to life at night!

Some more toys were needed so I made a ball with the circle in Stampin' Up's Geometrical stamp set, shading the rubber with markers before stamping and cutting out. The pull-along duck comes from a hardworking stamp set called Embellished Events, a real all-rounder with images for every occasion and sentiments too. I added some bakers twine as the 'pull' for my duck toy.

The shelf was made by masking off a strip of the ever-useful Hardwood background stamp before stamping. I arranged the cut-out toys on the shelf and added a sentiment below it.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Hardwood wood or cling, Something for Baby wood or cling,
Embellished Events wood or cling

Ink: Brights markers, Crumb Cake marker

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Baby's First framelits, Cherry Cobbler bakers twine, 1" circle punch (for the ball), paper snips, Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

Don't you love it when small children encourage you to let your imagination go while playing with them, only to pull you up short. My daughter's boyfriend has a cute baby sister who loves playing house, cooking on an imaginary stove and pouring out invisible cups of tea. Her brother, entering into the spirit of this on one occasion, asked if she'd like some porridge. She nodded enthusiastically so he folded his hands into a bowl shape and offered her some. She looked at him critically. "That's not porridge," she said. "That's just hands!"

See you tomorrow.

Making a cat friend with You Little Furball from Stampin' Up

I've been waiting for Stampin' Up to release the definitive cat stamp set and I believe the wait is over! The new You Little Furball has interchangeable cat heads and bodies, which makes it nicely versatile, and there are some cute punning sentiments too! Come and see what I've been making:

I chose a cat head and body and stamped them on a background sponged through a mask made with the Decorative Label punch. When this was cut out with the same punch it left a pleasing white border. I added a gem at the cat's collar and darkened its eyes with a black marker.

The cat label was mounted on an angled piece of designer paper and I added some piercing around it. It was easy to do this using the Essentials piercing template which has all sorts of pierced shapes that coordinate with many of Stampin' Up's punches and framelits.

I've found the new in-colour Tangelo Twist works brilliantly as an accent colour. I used it to stamp my fun sentiment, following the line of the designer paper.

I'll be linking this card up with CASology where the cue word is Pet this week; the layout inspiration came from this fabulous sketch at Seize the Sketch:

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: You Little Furball wood or cling

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky, Tangelo Twist classic inks,
plus Basic Black marker

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Moonlight designer paper stack, Basic rhinestones, Decorative Label punch, Essentials piercing templates, mat and tool, Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

My daughter has just returned from a few days in Paris where she discovered a cat cafe, Salon de the Paris. Have you heard of these? They're places where cat lovers can go to have a therapeutic cuddle with a cat or two over a cuppa! The first one opened in Taiwan in 1998 apparently and now they're popping up all over the world! In the UK, there's the Totnes Cat Cafe in Devon, and Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium has opened recently in London.

Here's my daughter enjoying a moment with her new cat friend!

See you tomorrow.

Hearts and flowers and Something for Baby from Stampin' Up

I had so much fun making today's card! It's an unashamedly pretty and feminine baby card using sponging techniques and using some of my favourite Stampin' Up stamp sets. Come and see:

The background was made by holding a torn piece of scrap paper over the sky area and sponging Pistachio Pudding ink over the ground, and then holding the paper over the ground and using a mask to sponge in a cloudy sky with Soft Sky ink. TIP: Punch out different size circles and glue them together to make a cloud mask that you can use over and over again.

The floral branch from Hopeful Thoughts makes the prettiest frame for the pram and using markers directly on the rubber enables you to get a pretty multi-coloured image.

Once the frame was stamped I used a stamp-a-majig to position the pram. Stampin' Up has designed framelits to cut out the images from Something for Baby and you could cut the pram out and pop it up on the background if you wanted to. Better still, if you buy the stamp set and framelits together you get a cheeky 15% discount! Bargain!

I'll be linking this card up with ATCAS where the cue word is Sky.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Something for Baby wood or cling, Something for Baby stamps and framelits bundle at 15% discount wood or cling, Hopeful Thoughts wood or cling, A Dozen Thoughts wood or cling

Ink: Pistachio Pudding, Soft Sky, Smoky Slate classic inks,
plus in-colour markers, smoky slate marker

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Basic pearls, Stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

My poor youngest son hit his front teeth while on a school trip at the weekend and broke one of the front ones, already weakened from an old injury, in half. Yesterday, I took him to our lovely dentist in Wendover to be put back together. While we were there, we walked past this sign.

I was immediately curious but my daughter, who had come along to keep us company, had already spotted that it was an aviation art gallery which is not her thing at all. "Come on," she said guiding me firmly past. "Some things were meant to be kept secret!"

See you tomorrow.