Sale-a-bration stained glass

I'm strutting about this morning because when I checked the Less is More blog this morning to see what the latest challenge is, I was given a name check! Jen mentioned that I use a layered stamping technique a lot (and it's true I am a lazy stamper!) and then showed the most beautiful example she'd made - do have a look. There's a wonderfully CAS sketch for us this week and, since I've set myself the task of show-casing the gorgeous stamp sets you can get for free during the Sale-a-bration promotion, I reached for Madison Avenue. Come and see:

Madison Avenue contains lots of exciting stylised plant images...

... but that image at the top has been calling to me! It reminds me of stained glass. I decided to stamp two rows and fill the insides with shapes cut out of bright card stock with my favourite little punch from the Itty Bitty punch pack. It fits brilliantly!

I thought this would be a great card for a male so I chose a good manly sentiment (from For My Family). I was going to leave it there, but then I remembered the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set that coordinates with the punch pack and added a stamped and punched flower to just the blue shapes. Stamping the flower in black prevents the card from getting too girly and gives a tiny touch of detail.

This is the sketch I was working from today - it's so simple it's genius! Everyone needs boundaries (as I'm constantly telling my outraged children!) and the LiM team have asked us to keep the band horizontal and to keep it no wider than a third of the height of the card base.

Here's what you'll need to make this card

Stamps: Madison Avenue (free with Sale-a-bration), Itty Bitty Bits, For My Family 

Ink: Pacific Point, stazon black, 

Card stock: Whisper White, scraps of Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Lucky Limeade, Summer Starfruit

Other: Itty Bitty punch pack, corner rounder, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

• DON'T FORGET TO ADD ONE OF THESE FREE SALE-A-BRATION ITEMS FOR EVERY £45 YOU SPEND

Regular readers of my blog will know that my youngest son is a great joker. Well the other day, he came downstairs groaning artistically and clutching this:

I shrieked with horror and rushed over to him and he laughed at me for being so gullible. Afterwards, he asked me why someone would have bandaged the finger with the nail left in it and also who would have bandaged the finger! He's right of course, and that's aside from the fact that I was the person who bought this, wrapped it and placed it tenderly in my son's Christmas stocking!

As I write this, the temperatures have risen to the dizzy heights of 5 degrees C! The snow is on its way out and I might actually venture outside in a minute! See you soon,