Three minute Nature's Nest shell

One of my favourite images in the Nature's Nest stamp set is a gorgeous shell, perfect for scrapbooking beach photos and for summer-themed cards, and now there's a single scallop shell in the summer mini catalogue that works beautifully with it too! I've had an idea in my head for the Nature's Nest shell for four years and thanks to this week's challenge at Make My Monday, it's finally made it onto card stock! Come and have a look:

The Make My Monday blog is celebrating its first birthday this week and Jacqueline has chosen 'A birthday card with pearls' as the challenge. My card was very quick to make: I used a card stock with bits in it and sponged a background using a torn piece of scrap paper as a mask; the sentiment and the birds were added and the shell popped up on dimensionals...

... topped with a large self-adhesive pearl. There is only one pearl on my card but it does take a starring role so surely it must count!

This handwriting-style birthday sentiment is my current favourite. It's from a hostess set which means it's only available to party hostesses. But what if you don't want to hold a party? Well you can still get hold of hostess sets by placing an order of £150 or more but if that's more than you wanted to spend all at once, why not spread the amount over six months by joining my Stampers 6 club? It's like a virtual party and you don't even need to know the other guests! Click here to find out more.

Are you wondering why I'm showing you a close up of these birds?! Well they're my favourite thing! They're from the Up Up and Away stamp set and, to be honest, it's quite hard for me to restrain myself from stamping them on everything!

I'm also linking this card to a new (to me) blog called Craft a Scene which is looking for 'Beach Scenes - a bit of sand and water'. I'm excited about this site - you know how I love to make a scene!

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

Stamps: Nature's Nest, Up up and Away, Happiest of Birthdays

Ink: Marina Mist, So Saffron, Basic Grey, Blushing Bride

Card stock: Confetti White

Other: Basic Pearls, grey watercolour pencil, paper snips, 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.

It's half term here so I'm enjoying not only the company of my lovely children but also the privilege of chauffeuring them around the countryside to their many social events; I've also been away for two weekends in a row and found on my return that the garden is trying to get into the house and it seems that someone has cleaned the surrounding houses and emptied the dust into ours! Does anyone have a housemaid I can borrow? Or a few extra hours going spare? No I thought not... I'd better go and empty the hoover myself then!

Have a good day and I'll see you tomorrow,