Create a Cupcake and cheer up (buttercup!)

Rustling up a batch of cupcakes has been known to raise my spirits in the past but now I have all sorts of dietary restrictions, baked cupcakes have lost their attraction. Stamped ones though, well that's a different matter! Here's a batch I decorated earlier:

Stampin' Up's Create a Cupcake stamp set and coordinating punch made producing these little cuties a doddle - and no washing up to be done either!

The cupcake cases were paper-pieced using one of the papers from the pretty Gingham Garden designer paper pack...

... and this fabulous sentiment would cheer anyone up, especially in a happy colour combination of Raspberry Ripple and Daffodil Delight!

I'll be linking this card up with Make My Monday where the theme is Food and Drink and CASual Friday's Three Thirds challenge which is looking for a group of three on a card.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS CARD
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Create a Cupcake wood or cling, Geometrical (for the sentiment) wood or cling

Ink: Markers

Card stock: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Pink Pirouette, Pistachio Pudding, So Saffron

Other: Square framelits, Big Shot, Cupcake punch, Gingham Garden Designer Paper,  Basic Rhinestones, stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

My family always manage to cheer me up. "Turn that frown upside down!" they'll say sarcastically to make me giggle. My daughter is learning quotes for her upcoming English exam, so her advice comes from none other than Billy Shakespeare: "Sigh no more ladies," she says soulfully. "Converting all your sounds of sorrow into hey nonny nonny!"

Hmm. Hey nonny nonny then and I'll see you tomorrow with a special gift project.

From our house to yours

I made today's card for Less is More's Houses theme this week but wasn't going to post it as I'm not ragingly keen on the result. However, since time has scooped me up and galloped off with me willy nilly in the last couple of days, it's either this or nothing today! Come and see:

I made a house-shaped mask with my square punches - the new 1" one fits the 1 3/8" one perfectly as a roof! - and my paper snips. Pool party ink was sponged inside the mask, before overstamping with a small snowflake stamp for a bit of texture. The ribbon image from Create a Cupcake was stamped over the top in Real Red ink and I used a marker to extend the lines to the edges of the house shape.

This wonderful sentiment from Beautiful Season is perfect for adding to square images as it wraps snugly around a corner. I embellished my house present with a little heart tag tied up with Cherry Cobbler bakers twine and you may have spotted a little 'smoke' coming from the chimney - that's inked in with a sponge dauber (and a light hand!) Well, you have to have a real fire at Christmas don't you?!

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Beautiful Season (sentiment), Create a Cupcake (ribbon image), Make a Mitten (snowflake)
Ink: Pool Party, Real Red
Card stock: Naturals White, scrap of Whisper White
Punches: 1" and 1 3/8" squares, jewellery punch, owl punch (for the hearts)
Other: Red glimmer paper, Cherry Cobbler bakers twine, markers, paper snips, 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, France, Deutschland, Nederland or Osterreich. 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 +44 (0) 1280 820593. Check out current special offers here.

Our French exchange student arrived and is charming! His English is absolutely superb and he fits nicely into our happy little family. There have been one or two little moments of course - I did have to gently point out that when one asks politely whether one may leave the table, it's best not to add "I'm stuffed" afterwards!

Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you soon.

Vintage Everybunny!

There's an overall vintage theme going during September at Make My Monday and this week's particular challenge is Vintage Childhood. Vintage isn't really my strong point - as you may have noticed! - but I had a go at this, inspired also by the bingo over at Addicted to Stamps. Come and have a look:

I thought I'd go with a scored card base, made using my diagonal Simply Scored board insert, and topped it with this rabbit from Everybunny on an inked and wheeled vintage-style background. The bunny normally wears a t-shirt, but, when you ink with markers, you can just leave out the bits you don't want - it makes your stamps so versatile!

Now my bunny looks like one of those old-fashioned soft toys - think The Velveteen Rabbit! I gave him a flag to hold - it's a strip of card stock topped with the streamer from Ain't Love Grand - and teamed him with lace and pearls to add to the vintage feel.

I chose the top line of the ATS bingo card, with scoring, yellow (hope the More Mustard ink counts!) and a birthday theme.

I've got to admit, this card is so far out of my comfort zone that I might need a map and compass to get back! I've really enjoyed the challenge though.

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Everybunny, Create a Cupcake (sentiment), Very Vintage wheel, Ain't Love Grand (hostess, retiring)
Ink: Basic Grey, So Saffron, More Mustard, Crumb Cake
Card stock: Very Vanilla
Other: Simply Scored plus diagonal board, Basic Pearls, Chantilly crochet trim (retiring), Basic Pearls, 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. Click here to view my regularly updated lists of retiring stamps and accessories, some at up to 40% discount. 

It's been a busy week but now it's time to wind down for the weekend and welcome my husband back from his parents'. We've already heard that my father in law's operation was a success so let's hope he'll recover quickly and get a new lease of life. Thank you so much to everyone that left good wishes, it's much appreciated.

Enjoy the weekend and I'll be back very soon,

Create a Cupcake with extra doodling

I've finally got round to making a card for this week's Less is More challenge where Chrissie and Mandi would like to see some doodling on a card. Actually I made six because the design I finally came up with was such fun I just carried on until I was called away to cook something! Come and see:

These cards are tiny - only 7cm square! - but they make great little quick notelets and are the perfect size to tuck into a little gift. The doodled frame and sentiment in grey is supposed to draw attention to the colourful cake.

I shall be sorry to see Create a Cupcake retire when the spring mini catalogue finishes at the end of this month - I've had loads of fun making mouthwatering delicacies with it! Here's one with a Lucky Limeade cake case and a blingy flower on top...

 ...this one has double sprinkles, a shiny cherry and a rhinestone centred stamped ribbon...

...this is the Peach Parfait version with the heart and rhinestone topping... I could go on, but you won't be able to sleep tonight if you nap now!

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

Stamps: Create a Cupcake, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Lucky Limeade, Marina Mist, Peach Parfait, So Saffron, Rose Red, Pacific Point, Basic Grey

Card stock: Naturals Ivory

Other: Markers, Basic rhinestones, white gel pen, 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).

Oh dear, I am so behind with everything and one of the reasons is that I've been galavanting about! On Sunday I went to a craft show at the Ally Pally with my pal Jenny and was delighted to meet up with some other lovely LiMettes including her royal LiMness Chrissie, Gay, Val and Sylvie. We had lunch together and Chrissie enlisted the services of a surprised but helpful man from a neighbouring table to take a photo (although sadly Sylvie had scooted off before we could rope her in!)

Top row from left to right: Gay and Chrissie
Bottom row from left to right: Val, me and Jenny

I wasn't there to buy anything - for goodness' sake I have Stampin' Up stamp sets I haven't even used yet! In fact I've recently taken delivery of a HUGE stash of new and very exciting stamp sets and accessories which will be appearing on cards around here very soon...!

Thank you for coming to see my cards today. I was terrible at commenting last week with the Easter holidays going on but I promise to do better this week! Do pop back tomorrow if you have a minute when I'll have another card to show you.

Hugs,

Masculine Monday age card

Good morning - happy Monday! And it really is a happy Monday - first because it's the Easter holidays and I have my family with me, and second, because Stampin' Up have carried on offering freebies for orders of £45 or more! Sale-a-bration might be over but there are some wonderful free paper packs up for grabs this month - scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the ranges available!

For those looking for masculine inspiration, I've come up with a card today that's useful not just for males but for anyone of any age or gender really! Come and see:

The card base is Island Indigo, one of the gorgeous in colours, and I've run it through my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder for a bit of texture. The banner has been scored at each long edge before snipping the ribbon tail out with a square punch. I stamped the candles from Create a Cupcake - yes that's right, I've made a masculine card with Create a Cupcake! (And I can see from the photo that they're not quite straight... Oh dear, moving swiftly on then...)

Do you like how dimensional my number is? I cut out four number fives using my Timeless Type Junior alphabet die set which also contains numbers as well as other useful shapes. Sticking the numbers on top of each other creates this chipboard effect which I love. The top one was cut from Whisper White and coloured with a Tempting Turquoise marker, the bottom three were Not Quite Navy to give this two-tone look.

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

Stamps: Create a Cupcake, retired sentiment

Ink: Basic Grey

Card stock: Island Indigo, Whisper White, Not Quite Navy

Other: Brights markers, Timeless Type Junior alphabet, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Big Shot, 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).

I'll leave you to drool over the gorgeous designer paper ranges on offer this month. See you tomorrow!

Three minutes to create a cupcake

The Create a Cupcake stamp set in the mini catalogue is brilliant fun and just the thing to entertain children with - especially if you have the coordinating punch! My ten year old son had a whale of a time with it and came up with all sorts of yummy-looking confections - and the bonus was that when he'd finished he was feeling a bit peckish, so he disappeared into the kitchen with his big sister and rustled up a batch of the real thing!

I thought I'd have a play too while the stamps were out and came up with this super-quick design for Three Minute Thursday:

My cupcake was stamped straight onto the card base in the name of speed but a punched cupcake would be pretty quick too. I love all the different looks this set allows you to achieve - with each cake looking more delicious than the last!

Scored lines are a very quick and easy embellishment perfect for a one-layer card. Mine are there to ground my cake - we don't want any floating cakes now do we?! When I said this to my son while I was making this card,  he categorically disagreed with me: Yes we did want floating cakes, he told me, and the more the merrier! He added that he very much approved of the sentiment!

There is something so appealing about cupcakes isn't there? My cake is sporting a stamped ribbon around its paper case with pink sprinkles and a flower on top decorated with a rhinestone but you could really let your imagination run riot with glitters and sparkles, ribbons, buttons, pearls and embossed finishes...
Supplies needed for this card:

Stamps: Create a Cupcake

Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red, So Saffron, Cherry Cobbler

Card stock: Naturals Ivory

Other: Markers, Basic Rhinestones, scoring blade, corner rounder, stamp-a-majig

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!

Call me a complete loon but one thing that cracks me up is a play on words. For instance, my daughter once told me about Undini, a character in a video game she was playing; "Undini?" I said. "Well why doesn't she just do herself up again?" Yesterday, my youngest son mentioned a character in his book, Erac. "Nothing a bit of paracetamol won't sort out!" I said. This is the kind of thing that sends me off into uncontrollable paroxysms of laughter while the children stare at me as if they cannot believe their ears.

Anyway, moving swiftly on... must investigate those cupcakes before they all mysteriously disappear!
See you tomorrow (when wedding bells will be ringing!)