Fruit and Flowers for a birthday

Look at me go today: first of all, I've managed to get my Facebook page up and running - and about time too I hear you say! I'd love it if you'd pop over and 'like' it. And second, I've come over all girlie and pink! It's all down to Dynamics Duos who have dug me out of my comfort zone with their latest colour challenge, Calypso Coral and Blushing Bride, with a little help from the ladies at Less is More who provided the fabulous sketch. Come and see:

The curved-cornered panel as been stamped with a design using Stampin' Up's Fruit and Flowers stamp set. When thinking about the sentiment banner I noticed that this beautiful hand-writing-style sentiment overlapped the panel and would work on its own for the sketch, so I stamped it first on the white layer and then, lining it up with my stamp-a-majig, on the floral panel.

It was quite hard to take a photo of that but this one gives you the general idea! When stamping a background like this, I like to add definition with the matching markers. I don't know if you can see but I added a shadow to the coral flowers using my Blushing Bride marker and darkened the side of the centres with the Calypso Coral pen before adding the pearls. It really does help the flowers to pop!

Here are the challenges I've been working from today:

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, A Word For You
Ink: Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride, Basic Grey
Card stock: Whisper White, Calypso Coral
Other: Markers, Basic Pearls, corner rounder, stamp-a-majig
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My daughter is deep into exams and driving lessons but is gamely trying to keep up with her chores. "That reminds me," she said guiltily at the weekend. "I must tidy up my habitación!" (She came over all Spanish at the end - something she often does as she seems to think language is best in 'pic 'n' mix' form!) "I know what that means!" said my youngest son smugly. "Know what what means?" said my daughter. "Tidy?!" For the record, I am the only member of this household that knows what 'tidy' means!

I have got something REALLY exciting to show you tomorrow and I can barely contain myself, so do come back and see!

Fruit and Flowers hello

(Edited to say: Sorry this is so late - I was out this morning and dear old Mr Blogger was obviously having a scheduling blip!)

One of my favourite sets from the soon-to-retire spring mini catalogue is Fruit and Flowers. I've found myself returning to it time and again and its versatility has astonished me. Here's a note card I made when I was experimenting with the beautiful large flowers in the set:

The flowers look as if they've been stamped using the rock 'n' roll technique don't they? Well actually, I  just inked the image up in Regal Rose and added a little darker colour to the edges of the rubber with a Melon Mambo marker. It's the way to get the rock 'n rolled look but without getting your stamps all inky!

And here's a close up. I love the way these gorgeous designer brads fit so perfectly in the centres of the flowers!

Have you noticed the designer paper the sentiment strip is matted onto? It's another lovely floral from Beyond the Garden, one of the ranges you can get for free this month with an order of £45 or more. The leaf overlapping it is from the two step bird punch - surely one of the most useful punches ever made!

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

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, retired sentiment

Ink: Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Bashful Blue

Card stock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Other: Markers, Beyond the Garden designer paper, designer brads, two step bird punch

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).

What a morning I had yesterday! Once I'd taken my youngest off to school, I clicked into Chore mode. It was pouring with rain and blowing up a gale but I was determined to get things done quickly and efficiently: shop at supermarket, send parcel at post office, order book for son at library, collect re-heeled shoes... The minute I put my umbrella up, it turned inside out and the ensuing struggle must have provided plenty of entertainment for Buckingham residents. I gave up after a while and resigned myself to getting drenched. Of course, no sooner did I struggle indoors with three heavy bags of shopping and a comedy hairstyle than the sun came out, birds began to sing and I felt that the weather might just as well have placed its thumb on its nose and waggled its fingers at me! Grrrrr!

If you like to make stylish cards really fast, then why not come and see what I've made for Three Minute Thursday tomorrow? Hope to see you then,

Easter blossoms, fruit and flowers

Well the title isn't entirely accurate as there's no fruit in today's post; there are plenty of flowers and blossoms though! I've been making last minute Easter cards and where better to find inspiration than the fabulous ColourQ site...

... where the palette this week is so soft and pretty and it was hard not to just go straight off and make the adorable little baskets in the inspiration photo! Come and see what I did make:

I was prompted to make a stamped aperture frame card after spotting this tutorial by the very talented Mynnette. Fruit and Flowers is just the right sort of set to do this kind of stamping and I used my markers directly on the stamps to create the multi-coloured images.

Adding punched flowers centred with brads gives a dimensional look to the frame and I used my favourite Easter sentiment from Easter Blossoms in the recess.

This wonderful stamp from the Just Believe set is one of my 'go to' images at springtime because the flowers make such great daffodils with just a few scribbles with a marker. I thought the daffs would make a nice contrast with the floral sentiment frame.

While I had the Just Believe stamp out, I made another card using the same colour palette.

 Peach Parfait, So Saffron and Pear Pizzazz are perfect for the daffodils so I added a Blushing Bride mat and also a little embossed die-cut butterfly.

I'll show you another quick Easter card I made at the eleventh hour. This one uses the wonderful blossom image from Easter Blossoms.

I used markers to colour the rubber of my stamp - this really is a favourite technique of mine, had you noticed?! - before stamping it onto card stock. The image was inked up again but with a darker pink for the blossom this time, and stamped in a slightly different position. I sponged around the image with a little Bashful Blue ink before mounting th panel onto a Crumb Cake base.

The 'Happy Easter' is from Teeny Tiny Wishes - the words have been stamped one on top of the other, which is easy to achieve with a stamp-a-majig. I cut the sentiment out with a 3/4" circle punch and sponged the edges before attaching to the card front.

Now, normally I would add a supply list so that you can see what you'd need to recreate these cards but there are a lot of cards today and my presence is being noisily demanded by some of my favourite people who would like to decorate an Easter tree please! So if you have any queries about what I've used, do let me know won't you and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if you'd like to place an 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).

Thanks for looking today. I will be back tomorrow when I'll have something rather special to show you, so don't miss that!

Three minute get well card

I can't tell you how impressed I am with the tireless Tara Cardwell who set up The St Lukes Charity Challenge to raise money for the St Lukes hospice in Sheffield which offers care for terminally ill adults and their families. The challenge, which celebrates its first anniversary this month, offers a prize for the month's winning entry but there's a twist: you can actually send your cards in, along with any other spare cards you might have, and they're then sorted and sold and the money used to help keep the hospice open.

So, you really can make a difference with your card making - and I hope you will! This month's challenge is Bling and I've come up with a get well card with a bit of sparkle. Come and have a look:

 I've used the apple in the Fruit and Flowers stamp set on p.14 of the spring mini catalogue - and by the way, I've only just realised how much I use this set; it is so versatile - you only have to click on the set in my sidebar to see the range of cards you can make with it. Here's a close up of this one:

I used markers and my stamp-a-majig to create a coloured image group using the apple and sentiment, then embellished it with self-adhesive rhinestones and a heart punched out of the red Glimmer Paper from the mini catalogue. Don't forget that items from the mini catalogue are only available until the end of April - I'd hate for you to miss out.

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

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, Sincere Salutations

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive and Soft Suede markers

Card stock: Whisper White, Old Olive

Other: Glimmer Paper, Small Heart punch, Basic Rhinestones, 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).

I'm hoping today's card will win more approval from my daughter than Tuesdays 'purple rain' card!

Thank you for visiting me today and especially to my followers and to all those who take the time to comment or send messages. I really enjoy getting your feedback and very much appreciate your encouragement. I'll be back tomorrow and hope to see you then.

Aviary happy birthday!

Excuse me while I finish slapping my thighs laughing at the title (I know I'm not supposed to laugh at my own jokes but let's face it, no-one else is going to!) Yes, I'm using the fabulous Aviary stamp set today to make a card for ColourQ where there's another gorgeous colour palette that set my heart racing.

Just look at all these lipsmacking brights! You may want to get your sunglasses on before viewing my card:

I don't often get all the brights out so it was great fun! The cages are stamped in a group and I stamped the flower cluster from Fruit and Flowers on top to look as if the cages are full  of flowers.

This is one of my favourite birthday sentiments ever! I like the way it looks handwritten - by someone with nice handwriting! I added a little snippet of ribbon and attached it with a brad to the top of the cage for a bit of extra interest.

Here's a close up of the cages of flowers. I coloured the flower cluster rubber with markers before stamping to get the multi-coloured image.

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

Stamps: Aviary, Fruit and Flowers, Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)

Ink: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery

Card stock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo

Other: Markers, 1/8" taffeta ribbon in Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise brad, 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.

As part of the LAST TWO DAYS of the Sale-a-bration promotion, here until 31st March, you can choose a free stamp set or set of papers with EVERY £45 you spend. Click here to see all the fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies.

My lovely children break up for the Easter holidays today - yippee!  I shall be wielding hoovers, dusters, mops and brooms this morning in an pathetic attempt to have a sparkling clean home for a few hours before the ravening hordes descend on it!

Thank you for visiting my blog, for all your lovely comments and emails, and for all your support - I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend and I'll see you very soon.

Hugs,

More Fruit and Flowers hyacinths!

Yesterday I showed you a technique I've come up with for stamping hyacinths using the little flower from the Fruit and Flowers stamp set. Well obviously I couldn't just make one card! Here's another one:

Not in a vase this time but au naturel! I used three shades of green to get a bit of depth to my grass, Marina Mist for a nice warm spring sky and Concord Crush for that fabulous blue/purple that hyacinths come in.

The tag is from the Two Tags Bigz die, and this is the top of it, threaded through with a little piece of Vanilla taffeta ribbon and finished with a linen thread bow. You can see the butterfly in this photo too, from the Beautiful Wings embosslits die. I chose him in Peach Parfait which makes a nice splash of colour against the green/blue/purple tones.

Here's a close up of the hyacinth panel, with its masked leaves and stamped grass and flowers. The sky is just roughly sponged in. I stuck the panel onto the Tag and then attached that to my textured card base using dimensionals.

The card is finished with this lovely curvy sentiment from the Happiest of Birthdays hostess set, which I use all the time as I love all the different birthday greetings in it. Hostess sets are available to buy with 'hostess pounds' and you earn those with orders of £150 or more, whether group or individual,  or if you join my Stampers 6 club you'll automatically be able to buy hostess sets!

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

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, Happiest Birthday Wishes

Ink: Concord Crush, Marina Mist

Card stock: Confetti White, Very Vanilla smooth and textured, scrap of Peach Parfait

Other: Markers (I used Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Lucky Limeade), Two Tags Bigz die, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, Big Shot, post it note, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, linen thread, corner rounder, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you (except the post it note!) 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.

As part of the Sale-a-bration promotion, here until 31st March, you can choose a free stamp set or set of papers with EVERY £45 you spend. Click here to see all the fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies.

Yesterday I was permitted to go to Mumland! My youngest son has been involved in a dance competition as part of a team entered by his school and when they performed last week they won their category, which means they're through to the finals! I wasn't allowed to be there last week but the children repeated their performance in a school assembly yesterday and my husband and I were there in ringside seats! It was just brilliant and my hands are still sore from clapping! The children very obviously enjoyed every minute of their performance and I was proud of them all (but especially my son who is a total performer even when he's not on stage!)

It's Three Minute Thursday here tomorrow and I'll be back with a speedy set of cards. Hope to see you then!

Hugs,

Fruit and Flowers hyacinths

Am I the only who thinks winter has flown by this year? I can hardly believe that spring is here - but it really is! My garden in bursting with life now and the bulbs are looking a treat. One of my favourite spring flowers is the hyacinth with its heavenly scent, and I like to have pots of them round the house. I was playing around with my Fruit and Flowers stamp set the other day and came up with a way of stamping hyacinths too! Come and have a look:

Actually these look more like grape hyacinths because I didn't want them to be so big they tipped over the vase!

Here's a close up. I used the smallest flower in the Fruit and Flowers set to layer up the flower and I love the different shades of purple you can get just by stamping more than once without re-inking.

And what do you think of the vase? It's made with the Christmas ornament punch! I know this isn't a new idea and I've featured these vases on my blog before, but this time I used vellum card stock which I think is very effective. Colouring 'water' on the back of the vellum with a Bashful Blue marker and wiping it away with a tissue gives a really subtle effect although it's difficult to photograph. I've found that the 2-Way glue pen makes a great job of sticking vellum fairly invisibly.

Now, just in case you'd like to give this a go, here's a mini tutorial:
First the leaf. It's just a simple masking technique.
Edited to add: I've just realised that this should go into the Less is More challenge where Chrissie and Mandi are looking for cards featuring Masking. It'll be my third entry this week so I hope you won't get fed up with me!

Fold a post-it note in half lengthwise and cut a narrow slit along the fold. Open the post-it note out...

... and lay it onto your card stock (I used Confetti White as I like using speckled paper for nature projects). Use the post-it note as a mask and draw long lines into the slit with a Certainly Celery marker.

Your leaf will look like this. I've also drawn some rough stems for my hyacinths. Hmmm - looking at them now, they're perhaps a little rougher than I intended but they'll do!

Use the tiny flower from Fruit and Flowers to start building up the flower. Use the stamp three or four times without re-inking to get a good range of colours. Keep adding layers of flowers working down the stems.

Hold the 'vase' in place so that when you come near the bottom of your flowers you'll know when to stop! Finish the flowers by dotting the centres of them with the Certainly Celery marker. I haven't done that in this photo but if you look at the finished card you'll see the effect.

I hope you'll have a go at this technique - it's great fun! Do let me know how you get on won't you.

Here's what you need to make today's card:

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Concord Crush for the flowers, Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake to sponge the background

Card stock: Confetti White, Concord Crush, Baja Breeze textured, scrap of vellum card stock

Other: Markers, Ornament punch, paper snips, post it note, linen thread, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you (except the post it note!) 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.

As part of the Sale-a-bration promotion, here until 31st March, you can choose a free stamp set or set of papers with EVERY £45 you spend. Click here to see all the fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies.

I've been having to make all these trips to the dentist lately but today it's my husband's turn. He is not very happy and I think it's probably best not to plan anything too crunchy for dinner...

Thank you for visiting my blog and for all your emails and comments which I love reading. I'll be back tomorrow with more crafting fun and I hope to see you then.

Hugs,

The masked card

Honestly! It's taken me all day to have any ideas at all for Less is More, where Chrissie and Mandi are challenging everyone to make a card using masking techniques. I've got one ready now though - come and see:

The card features all my favourite masking techniques but last week's script idea has obviously stayed with me too! I made my postage stamp by cutting a square aperture in a post it note and sponging a background inside. I stamped the lovely cherries from Fruit and Flowers over the top and added the number, using my stamp-a-majig for accuracy, before cutting it out with my Postage Stamp punch.

I really like the effect and am already dreaming of all sorts of other postage stamp designs! Do you like the postmark? The wavy lines are from my lovely Winter Post Christmas set as is the 'post card' stamp - not just for Christmas you see! - the circular bit of the postmark is from the fabulous French Foliage set.

This cluster of flowers and leaves was created using post it note masks too but this time I stamped the images onto the sticky notes and cut round them carefully with sharp paper snips.  I stamped the first flower and masked it before stamping the second, then masked both flowers before stamping the leaf. I water coloured the flowers and added Old Olive stamens with a marker. I blended them in a little with the aqua painter which I'm not sure about really... the children are all saying it's fine but I suspect they want to use the computer!

Here's what you need to make today's card:

Stamps: Everything Eleanor, French Foliage, Winter Post, En Français

Ink: Marina Mist, Old Olive, Soft Suede

Card stock: Crumb Cake, Confetti White, scrap of Whisper White

Other: Markers, Postage Stamp punch, paper snips, post it notes, stamp-a-majig

I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you (except the post it notes!) 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.

As part of the Sale-a-bration promotion, here until 31st March, you can choose a free stamp set or set of papers with EVERY £45 you spend. Click here to see all the fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies.

My youngest son had some of his friends round for a late birthday sleep-over last night. Why do they call it a sleep-over I wonder? Sleeping is the one thing that doesn't really happen at all! Actually they were all beautifully behaved and had a whale of a time but for some reason I'm feeling a little bleary!

I'll be back on Monday with a male card for Masculine Monday but in the meantime I'll look forward to seeing everyone's masked creations - if I can get back on the computer that is!