Best wishes and More - a fond farewell.

One of my favourite stamp sets on the Last Chance List is Best Wishes and More. It is a set I can highly recommend for its versatility. Spring, summer, autumn and winter - you'll be using this set all through the year!

Here's a Christmas card I made using it:

I love the Kraft, red and blue colour scheme and the homespun feel of this card. As well as the stamp set, this glorious gingham ribbon will be retiring too, so buy these items while you can - they are only available while stocks last and until 30th September.

Here's how to make the card:

• Cut a 7.5cm square of Whisper White card stock.
• Stamp the snowflake in versamark onto the square and again on a scrap of Whisper White. Sprinkle both with clear embossing powder and heat with a heat tool until the images turn glossy.
• Sponge the square all over with Bashful Blue ink, paying most attention to the edges of the card stock and to the area around the snowflake. The embossed snowflake will resist the ink so you can wipe off any that gets onto the image with a cotton bud.
• Cut the centre of the second snowflake with a 1/2" circle punch. Layer this on top of the first, pierce through the centre and decorate with a blue rhinestone brad.
• Tear a piece of Whisper White card stock and stamp a sentiment on it. Attach below the snowflake and tie a piece of gingham ribbon around it.
• Mat the panel onto a piece of Real Red card stock, scalloped at the bottom with the scallop border punch.
• Adhere this to a 9cm square Kraft card base, sponged round the edges with Whisper White craft ink.

Supplies
Stamps: Best Wishes and More
Ink: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White craft, versamark
Card stock: Kraft, Whisper White, Real Red
Other: Circle Ice rhinestone brad, Real Red gingham ribbon, clear embossing powder, scallop border punch

Here are some more items I made with Best Wishes and More:

The graphic heart image makes a perfect fastening for this Real Red wallet-style gift voucher holder.

Look at the gorgeous bird from this set - he remains one of my all-time favourite images - here I have him carrying a punched flower. The It's Beautiful jumbo wheel is also featured in this photo - look for that on the Last Chance List too.

The set can do elegant and understated too as shown in this thank you card using the flower and leaf images from the set...

... or bright and girlie!

If you're on the lookout for a stamp set to use for any occasion, this is the set for you. (And now it's only £17.21, which works out at £1.91 per stamp, I think you'll agree it's outstanding value too!) Remember, everything on the Last Chance List is available only while stocks last - once it's gone, it's gone for good. You can order any of these items with me so if you've seen anything on these pages which interests you, drop me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593 - I'll be glad to help.

Don't forget to pre-order your brand new 2010/2011 Idea Book and Catalogue with me too! Details are at the top of my blog.

See you soon

Best Wishes and More coordinated gift set

Take a look at this adorable rucksack that I bought for a young relative. Isn't it cute?

How could I resist making a card to match? Here's a close up:

The background is made by stamping the heart from Best Wishes and More in bright colours on Whisper White and adding hearts punched with the Small Heart punch. The flower is a 1" circle of Yoyo Yellow, with a face doodled on it, matted onto a 1 1/4" circle of Basic Black. The petals were punched with the small oval punch, the edges sponged with Bashful Blue and a blue line drawn through the centres with Bashful Blue ink and a blender pen. I stuck the petals to the back of the face and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals. I matted this panel onto Creamy Caramel card stock and adhered it to a Whisper White card blank.

Supplies
Stamps: Best Wishes and More
Ink: Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Bashful Blue
Card stock: Whisper White, Creamy Caramel, Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Basic Black
Other: Small oval, 1 1/4"and 1" circle, small heart punches, blender pen, Basic Black marker

I was thinking about ways to wrap the rucksack when I came across a shoe box that my daughter's new shoes had come in. It matched the caramel beautifully so I thought I'd add bright, heart-stamped panels to the lid and sides and tie the whole thing up with a length of Ballet Blue grosgrain ribbon. Here's how it turned out:

While I was punching the hearts for the panels I was struck by how beautiful the piles of coloured hearts were - like confetti.

So I thought I'd sprinkle some in with the gift. (Wouldn't it make fabulous table confetti too - for a special anniversary or valentine meal or any romantic occasion!)

You may have spotted the little tag. It was made in the same way as the panels with a corner rounded top. I stuck a 3/4" circle of Ballet Blue card stock to the centre and punched a hole through it, then added a corresponding circle to the back of the tag. Silver elastic thread was knotted through it to attach to the ribbon. I added a flower similar to the one on the card made with the 5 petal punch and small circle punches.

And there it is - ready to pop in the post!

I was so pleased with the way the box matched this project. It's worth making a collection of boxes, tins, jars etc that you can alter to coordinate with your gifts. Of course the problem with that is that you need a new house to store them in...

Thanks for dropping in today.
If you're thinking of making an order with me, don't forget that if you are a UK customer, you can get your postage and packaging absolutely free with orders of £30 or more before the end of July. Call me on 01280 820593 or send me your order by email.
Have a wonderful weekend!

It's beautiful birthday

My lovely sister came to us this weekend to celebrate her birthday and we've had a hectic time of partying and picnics! Here's the coordinating gift set I made for her:

Yes, that is the bird from Best Wishes and More and yes, it is carrying another flower! It is one of my favourite images ever! The sweets are her favourite liquorice torpedos - they're in a cello bag with a Whisper White folded topper and decorated with the It's Beautiful wheel. Her gift is wrapped in copy paper decorated with the same wheel and tied with the heavenly Old Olive striped grosgrain ribbon. I don't have the tag punches so I laboriously made this one (those tag punches are definitely on my shopping list!)

Supplies:
Stamps: Best Wishes and More, Happy Moments
Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, More Mustard
Card stock: Whisper White, Old Olive, Summer Sun
Other: Old Olive striped grosgrain ribbon, It's Beautiful jumbo wheel, Boho Blossom punch, gold brads, Old Olive marker

It's the last day of the Easter holidays today and I'm feeling a bit wistful as I love having the children at home. By the end of tomorrow it will seem as if we'd never had the holidays.
Thank you for visiting!

Stamping 411 Challenge number 145

How lovely to have time to make a card for a challenge! This one's for this sketch over at Stamping 411.

Have you noticed I'm obsessed with this little bird carrying flowers about? The birds around here can be seen carrying things about lately (although I've not seen one with a flower!) presumably to make their nests.

Supplies: (all Stampin' Up unless specified)
Stamps: Best Wishes and More, Happy Moments
Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue
Card stock: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie
Other: Funky Forest Wheel, designer paper, word window punch, Boho Blossoms punch, 1/4" circle punch, linen thread, Basics eyelet, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip markers

There are lots of birthdays coming up in our family so I hope you can join me for a week of birthdays!
Thanks for looking today.

Girlie thank you using Best Wishes and More

I was thinking about one of my lovely friends when I made this card. Pink is her thing and there's always a touch of sparkle about her. (I don't even need to mention names - she'll know I'm talking about her! And she deserves a great big thank you too for being supportive and positive and fun!)

Here's the card:

The flower was stamped in each colour twice and the centres of two of the images punched out with a 1/2" circle punch. I then punched out the whole of the other two flowers with a 1 3/8" circle punch which made cutting out the detail a breeze. The centres are popped onto the whole flowers with dimensionals and finished off with a rhinestone. I love these flowers!

Supplies: (all Stampin' Up unless specified)

Stamps: Best Wishes and More, Trendy Trees (sentiment)

Ink: Ruby Red, Pink Passion, Old Olive

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: Designer paper (retired), corner rounder, rhinestones (from stash)

Thanks for looking!

Two Old Olive and Black cards

Old Olive has to be one of my favourite Stampin' Up colours. It goes perfectly with all its fellows in the Earth Elements colour family but it's also quite at home with the Rich Regals family. Today I've been teaming it with black - come and see!

I love this cute birdie image (I have a thing about birds). The photo makes the second bird look grey but in fact it's been heat embossed and is a lovely glossy black. The jumbo wheel is currently the love of my life!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up unless stated):
Stamps: Best Wishes and More (bird), One of a Kind (flower), It's Beautiful (jumbo wheel)
Ink: Old Olive, Basic Black
Cardstock: Very Vanilla
Other: Boho Blossoms punch, gold brad, Basic Black stampin write, Versamark, Stampin' Emboss powder in black

I also made a thank you card with the olive and black colour scheme.

I wanted this to be very pared back and understated and I loved how it turned out. The white card has been scored to add interest and that gorgeous flower image was heat embossed and finished off with a rhinestone. I thought this would also be a good design for an invitation - to something rather elegant!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up unless stated)

Stamps: Best Wishes and More, Sincere Salutations

Ink: Old Olive, Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Basic Grey

Other: Versamark, Stampin' Emboss powder in black, rhinestone (from stash)

Hope you have a great weekend - whether you've been invited to something elegant or not!

See you soon.

Vicky