Birthday card using Pocket Silhouettes

Hi there! Just thought I'd pop this little birthday card in today.

The beautiful Autumn Meadows paper has been one of my favourite designs from the mini catalogue and I only had a few scraps of  left so I've put it to good use! The paper will be available until the end of September but is unlikely to carry over into the new catalogue so if you love it too - grab some while you can!

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut A4 Kraft card stock in half. Crease and fold to make a card blank.
• Cut a scrap of dp 9.5 cm x 5.5 cm, sponge the edges with Chocolate Chip ink and stamp foliage using Old Olive ink. Adhere to the card blank.
• Cut an 8 cm x 9.5 cm piece of Really Rust card stock and run it through a crimping tool several times. When you peel it apart it makes a piece of faux suede. Sponge the edges with Chocolate Chip ink and attach to the card blank next to the dp.
• Cut a 9 cm square piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Stamp a sentiment on it and sponge with Creamy Caramel ink.
• Tear a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and stamp foliage several times with versamark. Stamp again once in Old Olive ink. Distress and sponge with Creamy Caramel ink then mount onto a 7 cm x 8 cm dp with one corner rounded. Add Old Olive ribbon and More Mustard designer buttons. Mat onto the Very Vanilla square.
• Mount the resulting panel onto the prepared card blank.

Supplies
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel for sponging edges, versamark
Card stock: Kraft, Very Vanilla, Really Rust
Other: Autumn Meadows dp, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Old Olive, Playground designer buttons, corner rounder

Well the excitement is mounting in my house as it's only TWO days until the Last Chance List is published! We will then know which stamps and accessories will be retiring from the catalogue to make room for all the new items in October. Of course we already know that some of the colours will be retiring to make way for the gorgeous new collections... I can't wait!
You'll be able to see the Last Chance List here on Wednesday.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

FTL Challenge 105 - using Lovely as a Tree

When I saw this sketch on Clean and Simple Stamping today I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I'd been planning to make some Christmas cards with the Lovely as a Tree stamp set for a while now and I thought the fir tree would work well with this sketch. Here's the card I made:

Now I'm usually a very clean and simple kind of a girl but I do seem to have added quite a few elements to this card! It needed balancing out because the trees were monochromatic.

Here's how to make this card:

• Ink up the fir tree stamp with Old Olive, spritz with water and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock. Then ink the stamp with Always Artichoke, spritz again and stamp on top of the Old Olive trees. Leave to dry.
• When dry, ink up the fir tree again and (without spritzing this time) stamp over the top of the previously stamped trees, using the same inks as before. 
• Use a versamark pen to dot areas on the trees where snow might fall. Sprinkle with Heat and Stick powder and go over it with a heat gun. Now sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds glitter over that and heat briefly to set.
• Scallop a strip of designer paper with the scallop border punch and add some grosgrain ribbon with Snail. Adhere the strip to the tree panel, then mount onto Real Red card stock.
• Attach this matted panel to a Chocolate Chip card blank. 
• Stamp a sentiment onto Very Vanilla card stock and cut round it with paper snips. Use dimensionals to fix it to the card.
• Finish with a button threaded with dyed linen thread. TIP: It's easy to colour linen thread with a marker. I like to lay the thread in an ink pad and use the same colour marker on top. That way I don't waste any ink. It's best to leave the thread to dry overnight.

Supplies
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Real Red
Card stock: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Very Vanilla
Other: Playground designer buttons, Sweet Pea designer paper stack, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip, linen thread, Heat and Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds

It's only FIVE more days until the Last Chance List is published and I can't wait to know... what will be leaving the catalogue?! A lot of the items from the mini catalogue will probably go - only the most popular make it into the new catalogue. And one thing I am sure of is that all this year's lovely hostess sets will be retiring so, if you want to get your hands on one, book a party for September OR join my Stampers 6 club and request to be hostess in the first month (details are at the top of my blog).

We're looking forward to a bank holiday weekend in the UK - yay! And the weather forecast is pretty good - double yay!! I might see a beach - whoopeedoop!!!
Have a fabulous weekend wherever you are.
See you soon.

Three Minute Thursday - using Nature's Nest

Another Thursday and I have another speedy card for you. Well actually another two cards! Here's the first:

This card relies on a really strong image and this beautiful feather from the Nature's Nest stamp set really fits the bill. The set contains another four other equally strong images and is well worth a look if you're looking for a new stamp set - I'll be showing you some more cards made with it soon.

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a 9 cm square piece of Whisper White card stock
• Using versamark ink, stamp the card stock with the En Français background stamp. (I don't have that one yet so I used the script from my Rustic Rooster hostess set instead.)
• Using a stamp-a-majig for position (believe me - it really is quicker!) stamp the sentiment and the first feather in Taken with Teal, then the second feather in Glorious Green. (These colours should be sold as a pair - they are absolutely gorgeous together!)
• Mount the panel onto a 10 cm square of coordinating designer paper and attach to a Whisper White card blank made from an A4 sheet cut in half lengthwise, scored and folded.
• Using the scoring blade on your trimmer, score two lines on the inside of the card front near the bottom. This shows on the front as decorative, embossed lines.

Supplies
Stamps: Nature's Nest, Rustic Rooster, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Versamark, Taken with Teal, Glorious Green
Card stock: Whisper White
Other: Sweet Pea designer paper stack (from the mini catalogue)

The first card came in at just over three minutes, cutting everything from scratch. This second card took five minutes but the card blank was already made and sponged. (TIP: It saves a lot of time to have card blanks made up - I like to spend an evening listening to music or with half an eye on the TV while I cut a whole stack. I use mostly Whisper White, Very Vanilla and Kraft for my cards.)

Anyway, here's the card:

This is actually made in a similar way although the feathers are positioned differently. The edges of the panel are distressed with my fingernail and sponged with Creamy Caramel ink. I stapled a piece of Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon to it before mounting onto Garden Green card stock. I versamarked more of the script onto the bottom half of the card base before attaching the panel to it.

Will Nature's Nest still be in the catalogue in October? Only six days until the Last Chance list is published and we'll find out!

That's all for today folks!
I'm off to be an entertaining mother...
Back soon!

Thank you card using Trendy Trees

The beauty of the Trendy Trees stamp set is that the possibilities for creating different styles of tree are apparently endless! Today, I suddenly (and unexpectedly!) produced an appliqué style card with trees made from circle punches with stamped tree trunks added.  

This card was such fun to make - it's like one of those make-a-scene felt toys we used to have when I was a child - and no, that wasn't in Victorian times as my children are fond of suggesting! I used different colours of the Patterns designer series paper for everything in the scene - I do hope these papers will carry over to the new catalogue in October as they're so useful. Of course, if they do we're likely to get loads of scrumptious new colours... oooh, I'm getting so excited already!

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a piece Bashful Blue dp 12.5 cm x 8.5 cm  to use as sky and as a base for the scene. Then cut your other pieces of dp to fit. Use circle punches to cut out the trees and the scallop border punch for the bottom edge. Cut the hills and the clouds freehand.
• Make holes round the edges of all your pieces with a paper piercer. Sponge the edges of each with ink in the same colour as each dp. Join the holes with markers in the same colours as each dp to make stitching.
• Stamp three tree trunks and cut them out with paper snips.
• Assemble the scene and use wet glue to glue it to the blue dp.
• Use a marker to apply ink only to the 'thanks' part of the sentiment and stamp on Apricot Appeal card stock. Punch out with the round tab punch, score and fold it in half and staple to the back of the panel at the top with an ordinary stapler.
• Attach to a soft suede card base.

Supplies

Stamps: Trendy Trees

Ink: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Mellow Moss, So Saffron, Soft Suede

Card stock: Soft Suede, Apricot Appeal

Other: Round tab, scallop border, 11/4" and 1" circle punches, Patterns designer series paper in Bashful Blue, Old Olive, So Saffron and Mellow Moss (from hostess stack), paper piercer, markers

Hmmm. Now I'm thinking this appliqué style could make a great Christmas card... I'll get onto it straight away!

Thanks for dropping in today.

I'll be back tomorrow with Three Minute Thursday - hope to see you then!

Birthday card using Something Fishy wheel

The sun's shining today - it's as if Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are in charge of the weather! (Or should that be IS in charge since he's one man... ?) So I'm back to summery cards. Today's card has lots of fun techniques in it, but doesn't take long. Look:

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 6 cm square.
• Use the heat embossing technique for the seaweed: stamp the swirl from Baroque Motifs into versamark ink then straight into Always Artichoke ink, then onto the card stock. Sprinkle with clear embossing powder, set with a heat tool, then enjoy the magic as the image turns raised and shiny. The image will be waterproof so you can stamp on top and it will resist ink.
• The background uses the 'ghosting' technique - stamp the bubbles from Circle Circus with versamark ink and rub Tempting Turquoise ink over the top with a sponge dauber. Even without heat setting, the versamark resists the coloured ink.
• Stamp the fish on a scrap of Whisper White card stock using the Something Fishy jumbo wheel. Cut them out with sharp paper snips and pop them up on dimensionals. 
• Mount the panel onto 6.5 cm square Always Artichoke card stock.
• Stamp the sentiment onto a 9 cm square Whisper White card blank using a stamp-a-majig for placement. Now attach the main panel to the card base.

Supplies

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Circle Circus, Happy Moments

Ink: Always Artichoke, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, versamark

Card stock: Whisper White, Always Artichoke

Other: Something Fishy jumbo wheel, clear embossing powder

This card reminds me of honeymooning in Mexico where the sea was like taking a warm bath and we went snorkelling amongst all the brightly coloured fish. Oh happy times!

Hope the sun has found you today.

See you tomorrow!

 

Christmas card using Trendy Trees

When you wake up with that Monday morning feeling, a spot of crafting soon sorts you out - or was that the coffee?! Anyway, today I'm doing something a bit quirky using Trendy Trees (which is one of the sets Stampin' Up are offering at a 20% discount this month - scroll down to the bottom of the post for more). The tropical heatwave we enjoyed yesterday has given way to murky autumnal weather so my thoughts have turned back to Christmas cards!

Of course I could have just used the whole fir tree from the set to make this but I wanted something slightly bigger. So I scored and folded a piece of scrap card stock and cut a triangle out of it leaving behind a triangular template. I sponged ink inside this template and then stamped the trunk of the fir tree on top and hey presto! A new and exciting tree!

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut template and sponge and stamp tree (as described above) onto a piece of Whisper White card stock 5 cm wide x 6.5 cm high.
• Decorate the tree with coloured card stock circles cut with a 1/4" circle punch.
• Cut four scalloped squares and trim one scallop vertically off each. Stick them together with tape, and  mount the tree panel onto the resulting mat.
• Wind linen thread round the bottom and tie a knot.
• Tear a piece of 'snowy' designer paper and adhere to a Kraft card base made from an A5 piece of card stock scored and folded. Stamp a sentiment across the card base and the dp.
• Attach the focal panel with dimensionals. Sponge the edge of the card base.

Supplies
Stamps: Trendy Trees, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Always Artichoke, Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White craft ink for sponging
Card stock: Kraft, Old Olive, Various scraps for the baubles
Other: Scallop square and 1/4" circle punches, linen thread, Sweet Pea designer paper stack

Don't forget that Trendy Trees isn't the only two step stamp set on special offer this month. Have a look at the table below and consider snapping up a bargain.

If you see anything you'd like, just drop me an email - I'm always happy to help.

Hope you have a happy Monday!

FTL Challenge 104 - using Sweet Pea dp

I had planned to make a Christmas card using this week's FTL sketch on the Clean and Simple Stamping site but the sun is shining gloriously today and the skies are blue so I'm having a summery moment instead! Here's Natasha's sketch:

And here's the card I made:

This beautiful paper is one of my favourites from the versatile Sweet Pea designer paper stack in the mini catalogue (I have many favourites in this stack!) and I'll be sad to see it go at the end of September. But go it must to make way for all the exciting new goodies coming our way in October!

Here's how to make this card

• Cut a piece of designer paper 9 cm wide x 8 cm high and another plainer piece 9 cm wide x 2 cm high. Cut a piece of contrasting dp 9.5 cm wide x 13.5 high. Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 9 cm wide x 2.75 cm high.
• Tie Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon round the Whisper White card stock in a flat knot.
• Now assemble your pieces, adhering each piece onto the contrasting dp. TIP - I always use my Tombow wet glue for this as it allows very precise positioning.
• Attach the panel to a card base made from Whisper White card stock.
• Stamp a sentiment onto a scrap of card stock and cut out with a small oval punch. Sponge the edges of the card stock and attach to the front of the card. I found a small butterfly on one of my dp off-cuts, so I cut it out and used it to embellish the card.

Supplies
Stamps: Occasional Greetings
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink (for sponging)
Card stock: Whisper White, So Saffron
Other: Sweet Pea designer paper stack, 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, small oval punch

Well, I'm off to make the most of this fabulous weather - in this country we don't take our weather for granted...
Thank you for looking and come back soon!

Thank you using Studio Sketches

I've been showing you cards made with my favourite hostess sets this week. These are sets that you earn for free when you host a qualifying party or place an order for £150 or more. You also get to choose one when you join my Stampers Six club (see details above). A free stamp set? Sounds great doesn't it? But that isn't all! You also get to choose free items from the catalogues!

Personally I think getting fabulous quality crafting supplies at a great price is incentive enough but I'm always game for a freebie! Here's a thank you card I made with one of the sets I earned:

I combined two stamps from the set to make the fruity image. I have to admit to being the world's worst colourer but I can just about get away with it... I think... No - please don't burst my happy bubble!

Here's how to make this card

• Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 13.5 cm x 8 cm. Stamp the two fruity images in the top half of the card stock using Chocolate Chip ink.
• Colour the resulting single image with markers and a blender pen.
• Scallop the bottom of the card stock and fold it up so that the scallops touch the bottom of the coloured image. Give it a nice sharp crease with a bone folder and glue the fold closed.
• Tear the top of the card stock being careful not to tear the picture.
• Mount this onto striped designer paper and tie grosgrain ribbon round it in a flat knot. Stamp a sentiment across the dp and the torn card stock.
• Matt onto Really Rust card stock and adhere to a Very Vanilla card base.

Supplies

Stamps: Studio Sketches, Basic Phrases

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Card stock: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Really Rust

Other: Markers, blender pen, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, Sweet Pea designer paper

I dedicate my card today to all my blog readers. I love it that you come to visit, leave me comments and sometimes decide to follow my blog and I want you to know that each one of you is very much appreciated. 

I wish you a very happy weekend!

Three Minute Thursday - using Itty Bitty Buds

It's Thursday and time for another quick card! I'm so excited about this because it is the outcome of a vague idea that worked exactly as I wanted. Look:

It was so quick to make a background by masking off stripes with post it notes and pressing my ink pad directly onto the card stock between. The flowers are stamped in clusters over the background to get that vintage chintz effect.

It was such fun I had to make another in a different colourway. I wondered what blue would be like...

Mmm - I like the blue. But how about yellows...

Ooh yes - I like that too. Now let's try...

But I had to stop there because my family were making hungry noises!

Here's how to make this card

• Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 9 cm x 18 cm and fold it to make a 9 cm square card blank.
• Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 7 cm square. Using two stickies from a post it pad, mask off one stripe at a time and press alternate colours of ink pad directly onto the square of card stock. 
• Stamp three separate clusters of flowers and leaves on top of the background, leaving a space on the top right hand corner for the sentiment. Add centres to some flowers with a marker.
• Stamp your sentiment using a stamp-a-majig for placement.
• Mat the focal panel onto a 7.5 cm square of coloured card stock and adhere to the card blank.

Supplies

Stamps for all cards: Itty Bitty Buds, Happy Moments

PINK CARD

Ink: (Flowers) Bravo Burgundy, Regal Rose, Old Olive. (Background) Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink

Card stock: Whisper White, Bravo Burgundy

Other:  Bravo Burgundy marker

BLUE CARD

Ink: (Flowers) Ballet Blue, Regal Rose, Old Olive. (Background) Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue

Card stock: Whisper White, Ballet Blue

Other:  Night of Navy marker

YELLOW CARD

Ink: (Flowers) Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive. (Background) Certainly Celery, Summer Sun

Card stock: Whisper White, Really Rust

Other:  Ruby Red marker

Oh dear, this has turned into one of my mammoth posts hasn't it? If you're still with me, thank goodness for you! But can I just say one more thing: As a demonstrator, I buy heaps of stamp sets and I have to be very sensible about which ones I keep at the end of the season because I don't have the space to keep them all. Itty Bitty Buds is one set I definitely won't be parting with - I return to it time after time and I love it to itty bitty bits!

Okay, I'll go away now. If you come back tomorrow, I promise I'll do a nice, short, proper post!

See you then.

More Darling Dots cards

When I was making yesterday's card, I got very excited about the bright colours and wanted to see them on neutral card stock. So I've had a little play today and, using the hostess set Darling Dots again, have come up with these two cards.

I adored the way the ribbon from the top of the gift in the stamp set turned into a heart on its own so I used it to make a card for someone lovely!

How to make this card

• Colour just the 'ribbon' part of the gift stamp with a Bold Brights marker and stamp it on Whisper White card stock. Do this nine times with different colours.
• Cut the hearts out with paper snips and glue them to a 5.5 cm square of Sahara Sand card stock.
• With dimensionals, mount the heart panel onto a 5.5 cm square of Pixie Pink card stock (it's the same size so that you only catch a flash of the pink when you turn the card to the side.)
• Attach the panel to a 9 cm square Sahara Sand card blank. 

Supplies
Stamps: Darling Dots
Ink: Bold Brights markers
Card stock: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Pixie Pink

The second card is quite male I think.

How to make this card

• Stamp a 9 cm square Kraft card blank with the star stamp using versamark ink. Sponge the edges with Whisper White craft ink.
• Cut a 3 cm x 7.5 cm piece of Whisper White card stock and cut the corners out with a 1/4" circle punch. Add decorative piercing with a paper piercer and sponge the edges of the panel with Sahara Sand ink.
• Stamp the star three times using bright colours on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and cut them out with paper snips. Attach the centre star to the panel with a dimensional and glue the other two either side.
• Position the sentiment with a stamp-a-majig and stamp it in Only Orange.
• Adhere the focal panel above the sentiment.

Supplies
Stamps: Darling Dots, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Tempting Turquoise, versamark, Whisper White craft ink, Sahara Sand
Card stock: Kraft, Whisper White

The hostess sets in the current catalogues will only be available until the 30th September. The same goes for many of the inks and papers, as Stampin' Up will be retiring some of the existing colours and bringing some gorgeous new ones in. If you have any favourites that you can't do without, now is the time to stock up. Why not have a party and earn yourself a fabulous free stamp set at the same time? I can highly recommend Darling Dots!

I'll be back tomorrow with Three Minute Thursday when I'll be using my favourite hostess set of all time.
Hope to see you then!

Birthday card using Darling Dots

I've been a very busy bee today and yesterday as we've had a family get together. But I've just had time today to rustle up a bright and cheerful birthday card using the Darling Dots hostess set.

Darling Dots is an amazing set of eight different stamps that I think look fabulous stamped in different colours and used as a border-type display as in this card.

Here's how to make this card:

• Scallop the edge of a piece of A5 Tempting Turquoise card stock. Cut the scallop off as well as another thin strip and adhere them to a Whisper White card blank.
• Use Bold Brights markers to add colour directly to the gift stamps. Stamp each one, cut out with paper snips and arrange them above the Tempting Turquoise strips. Attach them with glue.
• Stamp the sentiment on a scrap of Whisper White card stock and use a word window punch to cut it out. Decorate it with a heart doodle and a Green Galore brad, then add it to the card with dimensionals.

Supplies
Stamps: Darling Dots, Happy Moments
Ink: Bold Brights markers
Card stock: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Other: Brad from the Bold Brights selection, scallop border and word window punches

Hostess sets cannot be bought but come free when you host a qualifying party. Did you know that there are only six weeks left to earn the current hostess sets? If you have your eye on any of these, do let me know as soon as possible so that I can schedule a party for you. Call me on 01280 820593 or drop me an email and we'll book a date.

See you tomorrow for more hostess set designs.

VIDEO TUTORIAL - Christmas robin using two step bird punch

If you saw this card on my post yesterday you may have wondered how I made those Christmas robins. Well, here's a video showing you how... (now please bear with me - this is my first video tutorial!)




Hope you enjoyed watching this as much as I enjoyed making it - my whole family threw themselves into the production process with great enthusiasm! Your comments and suggestions are welcome as always.

See you soon!

FTL Challenge 103 with two step bird punch robin

Another Saturday - another FTL challenge! For challenge 103,  Natasha has posted this sketch on the Clean and Simple Stamping site:

And here is my offering this week:

Yes, a Christmas card! The weather has been so lousy in the last couple of days that it's been all too easy to imagine those long winter nights... but it's been great for crafting and doing indoors kinds of things with my fabulous children, so I'm not complaining!

I love sponging with ink but haven't done it for a while, so I really enjoyed using this easy technique today. The background is sponged with Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink and Old Olive inks, then the ivy and the branch are stamped over the top. The robin is an inked two step bird punch bird popped up on dimensionals (I'm hoping to show you how I made him in my very first video tutorial. EDITED TO ADD: The video tutorial has now been uploaded - please go to the next post to view it.) I stamped a sentiment, distressed the edges of the focal panel and mounted it onto Ruby Red card stock before finishing with some of the lush satin ribbon in Chocolate Chip and attaching it to a Chocolate Chip card base.

I had so much fun that I made another version using a different layout!

Supplies

Stamps: Bird on a Branch, Vintage Vogue, Occasional Greetings

Ink: Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip

Card stock: Whisper White, Ruby Red and Chocolate Chip (1st card) or Kraft (2nd card)

Other: Two step bird punch, Chocolate Chip marker

I have a real soft spot for robins so you can expect to see more of this little chap on this blog!

Hope you're all having a happy weekend.

Hope to see you very soon.

Loads of Love birthday card

Today I've used another set that you can buy for 20% of its original price this month - Loads of Love. This is a useful set for Christmas and all sorts of other occasions, with a gorgeous old fashioned pick up truck plus hearts and flowers and a tree to put in it. An accessory set is also available so you can put even more items in the truck!

I've used an image from the accessory set today - some cute dogs! Take a look at the birthday card I came up with:

The background was made by sponging a piece of Whisper White card stock with Tempting Turquoise ink to make a sky, then masking the sky off and sponging a road with Basic Grey ink. The truck was stamped onto the background, coloured using ink and a blender pen and tyres added with a Basic Black marker. I used a white gel pen to highlight the truck and add road markings, and brought out my Sandy Speckles wheel to add detail. The wheel was also used to edge the Whisper White card base. I mounted the focal panel onto So Saffron card stock, adding a tab of striped grosgrain ribbon before attaching it to the card base. The sentiment should read 'driving by with a birthday hi!' but by colouring only a part of the stamp with a marker I was able to stamp only the first part and wrote the 'woof!' in by hand.

Here's a close-up of the canine driver and passengers! I stamped the dogs in Chocolate Chip on a scrap of Whisper White card stock, coloured them in and cut the image out. When adhered to the truck it looks as if they're hanging out over the side. For the driver I coloured one dog on the stamp with a marker and stamped it onto my Stamp-a-majig imaging sheet. When the sheet is pressed onto the card the image comes out as a mirror image - clever huh?!

Supplies
Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Basic Grey, Brilliant Blue
Card stock: Whisper White
Other: Sandy Speckles wheel, striped grosgrain ribbon, markers, blender pen, white gel pen

My eldest son inspired this doggy card. Whenever we go for walks together he likes to look at all the dogs and make comments about them. I suppose it won't be long before he'll be looking at all the young ladies instead - although certainly not pointing them out to his old mother!

Have a great weekend!
See you soon.

Three Minute Thursday - using Autumn Splendor

It's Thursday - and time for another in my series of super-quick cards.

You may have been thinking that I must have gone off Autumn Splendor but I'm not so fickle! I adore it this leafy set - and it's perfect for a quick one layer card.

The beauty of these gorgeous leaf images is that they overlap beautifully which adds 'dimension' to a flat card.

I cheated a teensy bit by using a 3" square Kraft card blank I'd made for another project. But the card took me two minutes so that balances the time out! Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a piece of Kraft card stock 3"x 6", score at 3" and fold to make a 3" square card blank
• Use a stamp-a-majig to stamp leaves in Garden Green ink across the left and bottom of the card. (The stamp-a-majig really speeds things up when you've got used to it - trust me!)
• Position your sentiment with the stamp-a-majig

That's it - could you get any simpler than that? But it's very effective and makes great little note cards. When my eldest son sent thank you cards to his relatives I wanted to enclose little notes, so I made several of these.

They'd make a lovely gift packaged in a matching box too.

Well that's it for today! I hope I've given you a few ideas. If you have any questions or suggestions, do pop me an email - remember I'm not just here to take your orders and organise crafting parties for you!
See you very soon.

Bird on a Branch note card

You may have noticed that some of the two step stamp sets are on special offer this month (see above for prices) and I've been making cards with some of them to give you a bit of inspiration. Here's a soothing note card made with Bird on a Branch:

The main panel was stamped with a floral design using the branch and the flower stamps and my stamp-a-majig. I coloured the flower stamp directly with an Apricot Appeal marker and then added touches of a Pink Passion marker before huffing to remoisten the ink and stamping. The edges of the floral panel were sponged with certainly celery ink and a strip of Whisper White stamped with the sentiment wrapped around it. I snipped the ends of a piece of Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon into points and adhered it to the back of the panel so that it showed either side of the sentiment, then matted the panel onto a piece of Pink Passion card stock. The card blank is made from Whisper White card stock, scored with the scoring blade on my trimmer to make embossed lines which visually anchor the focal panel.

To add a little glamour, I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter using a versamark pen and my Heat and Stick powder to ensure it doesn't rub off. I don't know if you can see it that well in the photo, but it adds a subtle, elegant touch of sparkle.

Supplies
Stamps: Bird on a Branch
Ink: Certainly Celery, Pink Passion
Card stock: Whisper White, Pink Passion
Other: Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, versamark pen, markers

I've been using glitter rather a lot lately because I've been designing Christmas cards ready for my Christmas card classes here in Buckingham. The first one will be on Thursday 23rd September 9.30 am - 12.30 pm and it would be lovely to see you if you can come along. Click here for more details.

It's good to see you here today and I hope you can join me tomorrow for another Three Minute Thursday speedy special!

Vintage-feel thank you - using Tiny Tags

Tiny Tags is one of the stamp sets on special offer this month. When this set came out I snapped it up at once because I loved the idea of being able to attach elegant looking tags to cards like this:

or to little gifts like this:

But of course there's plenty more you can do with it and I don't mind telling you I've become very excited by this beautiful little set. Today's card has more than a hint of vintage about it. For some reason the tag set reminds me of the servant bells you get in stately homes and it was this that inspired this card.

A 3 1/2" square Whisper White card blank was stamped with a leafy image from the set using Chocolate Chip ink. The panel on top of this is a piece of Sahara Sand designer series paper with its corners punched out with the 1/4" circle punch. It is matted onto Night of Navy card stock, then onto Whisper White card stock decorated with the paper piercing tool. The focal image is made from two pieces of Chocolate Chip card stock punched out with the word window punch and glued together to make a bar. The letters are stamped in Night of Navy ink,  punched out with a variety of punches and adhered to other punched circles or to punched tags, some of which have been stamped. The decorative letters are attached to the bar with brads or glue or dimensionals. One of the tags is threaded with linen thread tied in a bow.

Supplies
Stamps: Tiny Tags, Square Serif Mini Alphabet
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Creamy Caramel (to sponge the edges of the card stock)
Card stock: Whisper White, Night of Navy
Other: Designer Series paper (from level 1 hostess gift), paper piercer, linen thread, 1/4", 1/2" and 3/4" circle punches, 1/4" square punch

We had a mini heatwave yesterday so we decided to spend some time tidying up our garden. I gave my nine-year-old youngest son the job of harvesting the lavender - I love scenting a room with bowls of it. He set to with enthusiasm and it wasn't long before his container was full. He then asked if he could use some of it to make a lavender pouch. I was surprised but dutifully helped him find some muslin, needle and thread. And some time later, with much heavy breathing and tongue out in an effort of concentration, this is what he came up with  - a little cushion that smells heavenly! What a resourceful child he is!

Thank you for looking - I do appreciate you spending your time here with me.
I'll be back tomorrow with some more two-step stamping inspiration.
Hope you can join me then!