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Thursday 31 March 2011

Three Minute Thursday - Forest Friends thank you card

Good morning and welcome to Three Minute Thursday! Today I'm going to show you a card which took me no time at all - not one minute! I've been beavering away making samples and projects with all the new crafting goodies in the new mini catalogue, and today is the day I'm holding an open house to show them off. So today, my top tip for the time-challenged is to do what I've done - get someone else to make your card!

The someone else in question is my ten-year-old son who loves making 'Mr Rabbit cards'. He's made a whole series of them and this is his latest, being shown off by his lovely assistant, Tuppence (who unfortunately needed a bit of a nap!):


My son made this card to give to his Auntie and his four-year-old cousin to say thank you for the brilliant airfix set they got him for his birthday.


He's picked up some great techniques - sponging, colouring stamps with markers, fancy cutting  - and has made a great job of it. But the thing I like best are those amazing balloons! They were punched out with a 3/4" circle punch and shine added with my white gel pen. He drew the ends of the balloons and the string with the thin end of markers. Clever boy!

Supplies
Stamps: Forest Friends, Hopeful Thoughts, Trendy Trees (sentiment)
Ink: Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Early Espresso, Real Red
Card stock: Whisper White, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Marina Mist
Other: 3/4" circle punch, markers

Now I may have been a bit of a cheat today, but it is absolutely true that getting my son to make a card did save me time and also gave him a lot of pleasure. With the Easter holidays coming up, your children or grandchildren might love to make Easter pictures and cards and projects - and Forest Friends is a great set to set them off. Do email me or give me a call on 01280 820593 if you'd like to make an order and I'll be happy to help. Oh - and don't forget, this is the last day to order from the March Frenzy sale list!

Three Minute Thursday will be back next week in its more orthodox form. Do come back tomorrow when I'll be unveiling the new mini catalogue which is utterly packed with gorgeousness! I can't wait to show you - see you then!

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Silhouette Sentiments notecard

I love the beautiful blues in the Stampin' Up colour range and I've chosen two of my favourites, Baja Breeze and Pacific Point for the card I'm showing you today.


It showcases the stunning hostess stamp set Silhouette Sentiments. This set contains four sentiments and four delicate plant images, one with a sweet bird. The little flower I've used here works well stamped repeatedly over a sponged background and the pretty leaves on the Baja Breeze mount was actually created with the stamp with the bird on it!


I love the way the sentiments fit beautifully in these frames from the Hodge Podge hardware set. This hardware is a fabulous tin packed with metal accessories - assorted frames, brads and ribbon slides. I would usually recommend the set but I do so even more enthusiastically this month as it's on special offer - only £20.76 down from £25.95. 

Here's how to make this card:
  • Cut a 7cm square of Whisper White card stock.
  • Using a post-it note, make a mask to fit the frame from the Hodge Podge kit. Stick the mask onto the card stock where you want your sentiment to be.
  • Sponge the top half of the card stock with Marina Mist ink and the bottom half with Certainly Celery ink.
  • Colour the flower stamp with Pacific Blue and Old Olive markers and stamp onto the sponged background. Repeat this until you've made a little garden on your card stock.
  • Remove the mask and stamp a sentiment in the white space using a stamp-a-majig for accurate positioning.
  • Cut a 9cm square of Baja Breeze card stock.
  • Making sure the bird won't show when the floral panel is attached, stamp the bird-on-leaf image all over the edge of the card stock, using Baja Breeze ink. Glue the floral panel in place.
  • Pierce holes in the card stock and attach the frame with brads.
  • Cut a 10.5cm x 21cm piece of Whisper White card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base and glue the panel to the card front.

Supplies
Stamps: Silhouette Sentiments (hostess set)
Ink: Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy (sentiment)
Card stock: Whisper White, Baja Breeze
Other: Hodge Podge hardware, markers

Hostess sets aren't available to buy but are available as a free gift. You can get your hands on this one by doing any of these things:

In all of these cases you get at least £15 of free products of your choice from any of the current catalogues as well as the free stamp set! I know! Crazy but true! To find out more, do email me - I'm always happy to answer any of your questions.

Thanks for dropping by today. I very much appreciate your comments and emails and always love returning your visits where possible. 

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Lovely as a Tree - male birthday

You know the Lovely as a Tree stamp set? Well there's a tiny leaf in the set that I think is under-used and under-valued! So, today, I'm going to be its champion and it is going to take centre stage! Let's hear it for The-Little-Leaf-In-Lovely-As-A-Tree!!!


I think that the leaf makes a wonderful star of the show especially when teamed with this metal frame from the Hodge Podge hardware set. By the way, it's never been a better time to buy the Hodge Podge hardware because, until the end of this month, it's only £20.76 down from £25.95. What do you get for your money? Well, you get heaps of frames, ribbon slides and large designer brads in different styles, as well as 100 small silver brads! The set lasts for ages too - why not hook up with a friend and share it? Click here to send me an order by email or give me a call on 01280 820593.


Oops! I'm ignoring the leaf again! But look how gorgeous it is in a whoosh like this! I used Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Always Artichoke to stamp the leaves and then just washed the insides of them with my lovely aqua painter. (I know I've said this before, but you really NEED one of these!)


I was so pleased with the leaf that I used it for the background too! I didn't colour the background leaves though. I mounted the main panel on Always Artichoke card stock and ripped one side for extra texture. And there we go! Take a bow The-Little-Leaf-In-Lovely-As-A-Tree! Didn't it do well?!!

Here's how to make this card:

  • Take an A5 piece of Whisper White card stock and score and fold it in half to make a card base.
  • Stamp a leaf design with three green inks leaving plenty of white space.
  • Cut a 10.5cm x 7.5cm piece of Whisper White card stock and carry on stamping the leaf design. Wash the inside of the leaves on this panel with your aqua painter. (You HAVE got one - right?!!)
  • Using Early Espresso ink, stamp a sentiment on a piece of Whisper White card stock and cut it out with the designer label punch. Stick this to the small leaf panel and top with the silver frame. Pierce holes and fasten with brads.
  • Cut a 7.75cm x 13.5cm piece of Always Artichoke card stock and tear one side. Mount the leaf panel onto this and attach to the card front.

Supplies
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, So Happy For You (retired Sale-a-bration set)
Ink: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso
Card stock: Whisper White, Always Artichoke
Other: Hodge Podge Hardware, designer label punch

I've probably told you before that one of the things that I love about Stampin' Up is the names they come up with for their colours. Naturally I've shared this with my family (as well as anyone else I can get to listen!) The other day my youngest son told me with great enthusiasm that he'd come up with a new colour name - 'Actually Awesome'! "It sounds great," I said, "but what colour is it?" His little face fell. "Oh! I don't know," he said...

I'll be in feminine mood tomorrow so do pop back and see what I've been up to! Thank you so much for visiting me today - I really appreciate you spending your time here.

Monday 28 March 2011

Masculine Monday - Schoolbook Serif monogram!

Good morning! Today on Masculine Monday I've gone with the fantastic Less is More challenge again - I really can't get enough of this site. For their eighth challenge, Chrissie and Mandi have asked us to create a card using this fantastic sketch.

The suggestion was to make the card a DL size, so that's what I did! It really was an absolute pleasure to use this sketch. Here's what I came up with:


I've been thinking for a little while about monograms and how classy they can look - and this sketch was perfect for trying it out! Always one for the quick and simple approach, I tried it with just the designer paper but it seemed a little plain - even for me! So I added the flourish from Baroque Motifs for a little extra interest. I didn't put a sentiment on the front of the card as it would've spoilt the simplicity of the design but it's easy to stamp one inside.


I embossed the initial too, because it seemed important to make it really stand out. It looks beautifully crisp in real life (in ACTUAL real life as my daughter would say!) I would have used 5/8" grosgrain ribbon in Basic Black but I didn't have any and the lush satin ribbon I did have wouldn't have been right for a masculine card, so I simply used card stock instead. I let it overlap the side of the card and trimmed it on the diagonal.

Here's how to make this card:

  • Cut an 8cm x 20cm piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base. Curve the top, right-hand corner with your corner rounder.
  • Cut an 8cm square of black Patterns designer paper and stamp it with the swirl from Baroque Motifs using Basic Black ink. Glue it to the card front.
  • Cut a piece of 1.5cm x 10cm grosgrain ribbon or card stock in Basic Black and adhere to the top of the designer paper. Make a feature of the overlap by trimming it on the diagonal.
  • Stamp your initial onto a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock using Basic Black ink. Emboss it with clear embossing powder. (TIP: This ink stays wet very slightly longer than the other dye inks so, if you're quick, you can emboss it without using versamark!)
  • Cut the initial out with the 1 1/4" circle punch. Using dimensionals, mount it onto a circle cut from Basic Black card stock using the 1 3/8" circle punch. Glue the monogram to the black ribbon or card stock strip.

Supplies
Stamps: Schoolbook Serif Alphabet, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Basic Black
Card stock: Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Other: Patterns designer paper, clear embossing powder, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, corner rounder.

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend. I've been beavering away getting things ready for my open house to celebrate the launch of Stampin' Up's new mini catalogue. If you're in the Buckingham area on Thursday, why not pop in? I'll be here in the daytime as well as the evening and there'll be a free prize draw, a great make and take, loads of gorgeous things to see and the best of company! Call me on 01280 820593 for directions.

Now, I must be off as I want to see what everyone else has made for the challenge! I'll have another male card for you tomorrow. Hope to see you then!

Friday 25 March 2011

Growing Green birthday card - and my new flower tutorial!

I am so excited today because I get to show you my exciting new flower! I've been in the middle of making today's card for a few weeks but it just needed a little something to finish it... and today I came up with that something! Come and see:


The stamped background is made with the utterly stunning Growing Green stamp set. I've been in heaven stamping the beautiful designs onto watercolour paper, and happily colouring them with my aqua painter, but I did wonder what would happen if I used everyday Whisper White card stock. So I tried it and this happened! Perfectly acceptable! But have you seen the flower?



Lots of the Stampin' Up punches make gorgeous 3D flowers so what's so special about this one?  Well, have you noticed that the stamped flowers have four petals? I needed my focal flower to echo that of course! So I used my Petal Card punch to make one. This extra large punch is one that cuts and embosses at the same time and is usually used to make cute little envelopes to embellish cards or open-out messages, but I thought it would be also perfect to make my four petalled flower. Here's how to make it:


Normally I'd recommend turning the punch upside down so that you can see what you're cutting but because this extra large punch embosses as it cuts, it needs a stable surface to punch on. Pop your card stock in the punch (I've used Pink Pirouette) and use the heel of your hand as shown.


Here's the shape it cuts - and can you see the embossed lines? We don't need those today so let's put the shape in the crimper a few times to break down the fibres in the card stock. And screw it up for good measure! (Great thing to do if you're feeling a bit miffed about something?!)


The flower-to-be should now look like this (this is my favourite photo of the day!)


Now you can start smoothing out the card stock with your thumb nail. This carries on the job of breaking down the fibres in the card stock and makes it quite soft and malleable.


 Use paper snips to separate each petal. Can you see the shape emerging?


Take a sponge dauber and sponge the edges of the petals with Regal Rose ink.


 Gently peel apart the card stock so you end up with layered petals and sponge those edges too.


 Punch a hole in the centre of your flower and decorate it with a rhinestone brad - this large green one from the Circle Ice collection is a real favourite of mine. Now the flower is ready to embellish your card.


And there we have it! The four-petalled flower. If you decide to have a go at this, do let me know - I always love seeing your projects! Just click here to email me.

Supplies for today's card:
Stamps: Growing Green, Sincere Salutations (sentiment)
Ink: Rose Red, Bravo Burgundy (sentiment), Regal Rose (to sponge flower)
Card stock: Rose Red, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette
Other: Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery marker, Circle Ice rhinestone brad

Thanks for dropping in today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend.



Thursday 24 March 2011

Three Minute Thursday - male card using Solid Stripes

Good morning! Somehow it has managed to be Three Minute Thursday again! But I'm ready for it and have a really fast male card to show you today:


This image reminds me of looking through a Venetian blind and was inspired by some thank you cards I made for my son to give out to his class mates after his birthday party. I'll show you those in a minute but first...

Here's how to make this card:

  • Cut a 10cm x 20cm piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
  • Cut another piece of Very Vanilla car stock 9cm square. Stamp it with the Solid Stripes background stamp using Not Quite Navy ink.
  • Stamp the bird from Notably Ornate on top, using Marina Mist ink. It will look as if it's behind the stripes.
  • Stamp a sentiment in Cherry Cobbler ink using a Stamp-a-majig.
  • Mount the panel onto the card front with dimensionals.

Supplies
Stamps: Solid Stripes, Notably Ornate, Vintage Labels (retired Sale-a-bration set)
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler
Card stock: Very Vanilla

As I was saying, my son recently had a spy party with his friends and I made these cards so that he could write to thank them for coming and for the gifts they gave him.


The idea was that there was a shadowy and mysterious figure outside the window...! I drew a man shape on a piece of scrap card stock, cut it out carefully and discarded it, and used the remains as a stencil.


Have you noticed how often I use the Solid Stripes background stamp? This would be a very useful addition to your stamp collection! It costs £9.95 and you can order it from me by sending me an email or calling me on 01280 820593 - I'm always ready to help.

Thank you for joining me for Three Minute Thursday today. There'll be more fast card inspiration next week but tomorrow I have a beautiful new 3D flower to show you. In fact, I can feel a tutorial coming on... don't miss it!

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Sponged meadow scene

I live in the heart of England in the Buckinghamshire countryside where there's nothing particularly dramatic about the landscape, but I love it. It inspires me when I make one of my favourite kinds of card - a sponged scene.


It's very therapeutic to take a piece of card stock, a selection of inks and stamps and some bits of sponges and build up your own little nature reserve! I find that paying particular attention to sponging the edges of the card stock defines the panel nicely and I usually mount it directly onto the card base with no matting required.


Here's a close-up to show the effect I got with a piece of rough, massage-style sponge - I was rather pleased with it! I adore my plant stamps - I've used Autumn Days, Pocket Silhouettes and Just Believe here. The sentiment (from Just Believe) was stamped in Real Red to make it really pop against the sky.


A piece of linen thread is the perfect simple, rustic embellishment for this kind of card. I like to mount my scenes on neutral card stock. The Crumb Cake I've used here is ideal and I love the effect of sponging the edges of the card base with Whisper White craft ink. This card would be fine for males and females although I'd probably knot the thread if I were sending it to a man.

Here's how to make this card:

  • Take an A5 piece of Crumb Cake card stock. Score and fold it in half. Sponge the edges with Whisper White craft ink and set aside to dry.
  • Cut an 8cm square piece of Whisper White card stock. Roughly sponge Bashful Blue ink over the top half, to create a cloudy sky, and sponge Certainly Celery ink over the bottom half to form the base of the grasses. Allow the ink to define the edges of the card stock.
  • Now build up the plants: I used the grassy image from Just Believe and an Old Olive marker as the basis for my meadow. Next I stamped seed heads from Pocket Silhouettes in Always Artichoke ink and added taller grasses from Autumn Days using Soft Suede ink.
  • Sponge Soft Suede ink round the edges of the meadow part of the card stock to give more definition.
  • Tie a piece of linen thread round the scene.
  • Mount the panel onto the card front.

Supplies
Stamps: Autumn Days, Pocket Silhouettes, Just Believe
Ink: Bashful Blue,  Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Whisper White craft ink
Card stock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Other: Linen thread, Old Olive marker

Now, if you were reading yesterday's post, you may have been haunted by my son's underpants! You'll be glad to know I've now got to the bottom of it (oh no! did you see what I did there!) Why did he thank heaven for underwear? Well, this morning he explained that sometimes you look in your wardrobe and can't really think what to wear, but a pair of underpants is easy to pull on and enables you to wander about round the house while preserving your modesty. So, it seems, where we would choose the little black dress, my son would select the underpant! Where oh where have I gone wrong?!!!

Good gracious - it's Three Minute Thursday tomorrow! (Does anyone else feel that life is galloping away with them?) I'll have something very quick but very effective for you so do drop by then.

Have a lovely day,

Tuesday 22 March 2011

FTL Challenge 132 - using Greenhouse Gala paper

Wouldn't it be nice, I thought this morning, to make a card for a challenge! I popped over to the Clean and Simple Stamping site and found this sketch there.
I had a great plan involving lollipop trees but don't they say that the best-laid plans go awry? Mine went completely skew-whiff! Eventually I came up with this:


What is it? I'm not sure... I went into a little world of my own when I was making it and, when I came out of the little world, this is what had happened! I know that there is no plant on this earth that looks like this and while some people might call it artistic licence, others would call it taking liberties!


Globe asparagus? I've no idea really!


This is my favourite bit! I thought the scallop trim border looked like victorian garden edging in Cajun Craze and I do love those little tags tied up with linen thread.

Here's how to make this card:

  • Cut an A4 sheet of Crumb Cake card stock in half vertically. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
  • Using Always Artichoke ink, stamp some stems onto the card front and add some leaves. Cut some of the artichoke shapes out of Greenhouse Gala designer paper (DP) with sharp paper snips and glue to the top of the stems.
  • Cut a 9.75cm x 4.25cm piece of coordinating DP. Decorate the edge of some Cajun Craze card stock with the scallop trim border punch, trim to fit the paper and glue under the edge.
  • Use snail adhesive to position a length of Early Espresso 5/8" grosgrain ribbon around the DP and tie it with a piece of linen thread.
  • Stamp a decorative border and sentiment from the Tiny Tags stamp set onto a scrap of Crumb Cake card stock and cut out with the jewellery tag punch. Cut another tag out of Cajun Craze card stock. Pierce a hole in the tops of these and push the linen thread through them. Finish with a bow.
  • Glue the DP panel onto the card front.

Supplies
Stamps: Tiny Tags, Greenhouse Garden (stem), Just Believe (leaf)
Ink: Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke
Card stock: Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze
Other: Medium jewellery tag punch, scallop border trim punch, linen thread, Early Espresso 5/8" grosgrain ribbon

While I was making this card my youngest son wandered into the room. "Thank the Lord for underwear!" he announced in a heartfelt way. I asked why (rather bravely I thought!) but he had already left the room. So we shall never know what dreadful disaster had been averted by his trusty underpants!

Thank you for visiting me today. I shall be back tomorrow so do come back and join me if you have a minute.

Monday 21 March 2011

Masculine Monday - using Newsprint DP

Good morning! When I looked at my favourite challenge site Less is More today, I was delighted to see that Chrissie and Mandi have challenged us to produce a masculine card... which fits in rather well with my weekly series on that very subject!

There's very little stamping on my card today!


I was inspired by the wonderful Newsprint designer paper - perfect for masculine cards! - and have stuck  to a simple red, black and cream colour palette. The textured effect on the front of the card base is achieved by inserting the card stock a little way into my crimper before starting, and only turning the handle a little way.


On some of the Newsprint papers there are pictures like this one which can easily be cut out and used as the focal point of a card. As well as this gorgeous vintage bicycle, there's a rocking chair and a pair of spectacles (which might appear on a card for my dad at some stage as he can never find his own glasses!)


It was easy to make some cogs and washers using punches and I was rather pleased with the bicycle chain effect on the sentiment, which is from the Punch Bunch Sale-a-bration stamp set. This promotion has finished now, so the set is no longer available, but do click the Specials tab at the top of my blog for current special offers.

Here's how to make this card:

  • Cut an A4 sheet of Cherry Cobbler card stock in half vertically. Score and fold in half to make a card base.
  • Insert the card front a little way into the crimper and turn the handle until you have about nine or ten crimped lines.
  • Cut a piece of the dark Newsprint designer paper to make a background, being careful about what words might show - I used mine upside down so that no words leapt out at you! My piece is 5cm x 9cm. Cut a focal picture to fit the space at the top of the background and attach it with dimensionals. 
  • Stamp the sentiment onto Very Vanilla card stock using Basic Black ink. Cut out a Happy Birthday tab to use later and cut a 'bicycle chain' out of the remainder of the sentiment. Cut out some cogs and washers using punches and arrange them, with the chain, on the background. Tie a piece of linen thread through one of the washers and round the paper. Glue everything down and attach the paper to the card base.
  • Glue the sentiment to the side of the focal image.

Supplies
Stamps: Punch Bunch (retired Sale-a-bration set)
Ink: Basic Black
Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Other: Punches (I used Boho Blossoms for the cog and 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4" circle punches for the washers), linen thread, crimper

I hope you've all had an excellent weekend. We've all been spring cleaning for two days solid! My lovely children rolled up their sleeves too, with my eldest son cleaning all the ground floor windows inside and out; my youngest son valeting the car; and my daughter clearing out the airing cupboard. It astonishes me how much stuff we have accumulated over the winter and it certainly feels good to have a clear-out.

Thank you for popping in today. Don't forget to leave me a comment so that I can return your visit - I love seeing what you've been up to!

I'll be back tomorrow with another project and hope to see you then.
Enjoy your Monday!

Friday 18 March 2011

Coordinated gift set using the Neighborhood wheel

Today I have a lovely project to show you! Friends of ours have just moved into the most gorgeous rambling old Victorian villa and I made this card to bring along when we visit. Because it's for both of them, I didn't want anything too feminine so...


...Yes, I had to get my Neighborhood wheel out again! My favourite thing to do with this is to wheel it onto Stampin' Up's gorgeously thick water colour paper, colour the houses with an aqua painter and cut them out. To make the background strip, I just masked off the area I wanted and sponged Certainly Celery ink in it. It really does anchor those houses.


Here's a close-up of the houses. Aaaargh! I've just noticed there's a crumb on the step of the front house! How did that get there?!


I think it might have been something to do with these yummy biscuits I made to go with the card. Home-made biscuits are a great way welcome a family into their new home! I packaged them in a simple Crumb Cake box with a liner made from Certainly Celery Patterns designer paper.


The box is wrapped in cellophane and tied it up with a Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon. I made a tag to match the card and tied it onto the ribbon with lovely linen thread - I couldn't do without this stuff!


Here's the unwrapped box with its liner. Oh those biscuits smell divine! They are a secret recipe - once tasted never forgotten!


Yum!

Now, don't forget that the Neighborhood wheel is on special offer until the end of March - only £5.95, down from £8.50. I really do think it makes a great addition to any stamp collection - it's perfect for all sorts of projects and for people of any age or gender. Get yours by emailing me or giving me a call on 01280 820593. Click here to see the other items on special offer this month!

Before I disappear for the weekend, I just want to share something that happened this week. My youngest son was leaning over my shoulder while I was writing an email to his teacher. "Why have you put an exclamation mark?" he asked. "Because I wanted her to know I'm joking," I told him. He looked at me disapprovingly. "Why don't you just write LOL JK?" he suggested. Oh dear, am I getting old?

Thank you so much for your visits to my blog. I love to know that people are looking at my work - and even reading my ramblings! It makes my day when you make a comment or email me and I am always thrilled when someone likes my blog enough to follow me. Have a wonderful weekend!