Beyond the Garden gift voucher set

It's my sister's birthday today! Since I won't be able to see her today I thought a voucher for the online fashion emporium ASOS would be easy to post and fun for her to spend - she is a very stylish woman who looks elegant even in jeans and a t-shirt! I bought the voucher online, printed it off and then set about making it look exciting with some of this month's free papers! Come and see:

First a little bag which is a piece of the gorgeous Beyond the Garden designer paper, folded in half, scalloped round the sides and top, and sewed up the sides. The voucher fits exactly in the bag!

I attached a strip of Wild Wasabi card stock to the back of the voucher with Sticky Strip then folded it over...

... and it tucks neatly down between the nesting labels to close. But where did I get those gorgeous nesting labels and that amazing stamp that fits so perfectly? Well, there are exciting things afoot at Stampin' Up and these framelits dies are just one part of it - watch this space for more news!

A pretty gift bag requires a coordinating card so I chose another of the Beyond the Garden papers in similar colours and cut a piece a little smaller than my card base.

And beyond matting it onto Wild Wasbi card stock and adding a sentiment I left it at that. My sister isn't a fan of fussy cards and this paper really is a show-stopper in its own right anyway.

I inked up my sentiment first in versamark, then straight into Melon Mambo ink and stamped it onto the card front before heat embossing with clear embossing powder. This really does make it stand out against the bold pattern.

The remains of the paper I'd used for the gift bag was perfect for lining the envelope for a touch of luxury.

And there we are - a birthday set all easy for posting. And hopefully she has it today!

Here's what you'll need to make today's set:

Stamps: Happiest of Birthdays (hostess set), Afterthoughts (retired) Apothecary Art

Ink: Melon Mambo,

Card stock: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Calypso Coral

Other: Markers, Labels Collection framelits, corner rounder, scallop border punch, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and can have them delivered 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. And don't forget to add a free pack of designer paper if your order is £45 or more (Offer limited to one pack per qualifying order - click here for details).

My eldest son's voice has become very manly all of a sudden. "When did your voice get so low?" I asked him. "I dunno," he said. "But I can still go high if I see a puppy: aaaah!"

I shall be back with Three Minute Thursday tomorrow when I'll be showing you a quick card using designer paper and a punch I've fallen in love with all over again! Hope to see you then,

Lovely as a tree brayering

A friend of mine has recently got the brayering bug and she's got me all inspired too! I got my brayer out over the weekend to have a go at the brayer/resist technique and came up with this birthday card for today's Masculine Monday post:

The brayer gives a real intensity of colour and a wonderful airbrushed quality that I love and if you're thinking of buying one, I can highly recommend the Stampin' Up one with its soft rubber. I started by stamping the oak leaves from Lovely as a Tree and colouring them with a blender pen and ink. The leaves are then covered with versamark - this is easy with a versamark pen - and heat embossed using clear embossing powder. That makes them waterproof so they resist the ink when you brayer over them. I used Bashful Blue and sponged the edges with Marina Mist.

I have several leaf stamp sets and love combining them. This oak leaf from Autumn Splendor, is a completely different style to the one from Lovely as a Tree but works really well as an embellishment. I've used the acorns from the set too and added a knot of linen thread for extra interest.

I always think it's a great idea to build up a diverse collection of sentiments. This one is from a retired hostess set and it has definitely earned its place amongst my favourites. I chose to stamp it in Cajun Craze which really 'sings' against the blue sky but fits in nicely with the natural theme.

Supplies needed for this card:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Autumn Splendor, Afterthoughts (retired hostess set)

Ink: Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Cajun Craze

Card stock: Naturals Ivory, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Other: Markers, stamp-a-majig, clear embossing powder, versamark pen, heat tool, brayer, linen thread

I'd be delighted to order any of these supplies for you and can have them delivered to your address in the UK. I am committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to help and advise. Just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593.

Click here to see all the free Sale-a-bration sets and don't forget to let me know which ones you'd like - remember, you get one free item for EVERY £45 spent!

I hope you had a good weekend. It rained here all day yesterday and my youngest son and I curled up and watched a lovely film called 'Black Stallion' about a boy and his horse. Halfway through the film, my husband came in and hovered about for a while a puzzled look on his face. Eventually he said: "So how is this about pirates?" I shook my head sadly. "It's called Black Stallion," I told him. "Not Black Galleon!"

I'll be back tomorrow with some elegant designer paper creations. Enjoy your Monday!