Glowing Birthday candles - Stampin' Up artisan blog hop

Hello and welcome to another fab blog hop brought to you by Stampin' Up's official Artisan Design Team! This week we've been turning our attention to birthdays, using some of the gorgeous birthday themed products we were sent this month.

BUILD A BIRTHDAY WISH!
The ritual of lighting the candles on the cake is very important in our family whenever we're celebrating a birthday. We darken the room so that the lighted candles look all dramatic, we sing happy birthday with great enthusiasm and then whoever is celebrating has to blow out the candles (preferably in one breath!) and make a secret wish before we all tuck in! That's what inspired me to make today's card using the wonderful Build a Birthday photopolymer stamp set. Come and see:

A row of candles that disappear off the edge of the panel takes everyone's mind off how many there actually are *wink*! I coloured my candles with brights markers and added the striped Cherry on Top washi tape over the top for subtle colour differences. LOVE this washi tape!

Once I'd stamped the candle flames, I added some 'glow' with the sunburst stamp from Kinda Eclectic. I love mixing my stamp sets like this and make sure that my stamp shelves have plenty of sets that contain 'texture' images as there's SO much you can do with them :)

This greeting in a beautiful cursive font comes with the Build a Birthday set. I scored a couple of lines each side of the greeting, folded it into a banner shape, trimmed the ends into ribbon tails and used dimensionals to attach it to the card front.

TIP: If you thought the new Banner Triple punch was only good for large banners, think again! It's perfect for ribbon-tailing thinner pieces of card stock too - you can just judge it by eye or draw a dot where you want your cut-in to be.

I hope you've been inspired by this fun idea. You'll find lots more birthday inspiration as you follow the blog hop along - just click on the button below to visit the fab Allison Okamitsu next!

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!

Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!

Build A Birthday Photopolymer Stamp Set £14.00	Kinda Eclectic Wood-Mount Stamp Set £24.00	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad £6.00	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad £6.00
Brights Stampin' Write Markers £27.50	Cherry On Top Designer Washi Tape £7.25	Banner Triple Punch £21.00	Simply Scored £27.00

My shop is open 24/7 so you can buy Stampin' Up products from me any time, day or night.

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

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

Since I've been gluten-free for over two years now, you may think I've had to miss out on the birthday cake ritual but no...

... I can assure you that candles stick perfectly well into all sorts of lovely goodies and, once they're blown out, a wish is a wish!

See you tomorrow,

A Kinda Eclectic sunburst of Bloom with Hope

You all know by now (because I've been banging on about it!) that items in the current Stampin' Up catalogues will no longer be available after 2nd June - and that includes all the hostess sets! l've been stampin' up a storm with the fabulous Bloom with Hope, and really, really recommend that you get it while you still can! Come and see another card I made with it:

This one is SO different from yesterday's card isn't it?! It's just as simple to make though! I stamped the leaves image over the bottom of the panel and added some flowers - there are loads to choose from in this wonderful set! A frame was scored in using the brilliant Simply Scored tool and Mossy Meadow ink sponged round the panel.

The leaves were left uncoloured but I added some dramatic colouring to the flowers using Wisteria Wonder and Perfect Plum markers. To add a bit of extra depth, I used some of the images from Kinda Eclectic - that dynamic sunburst and a bit of dottiness!

The card was finished with a sentiment from the retiring Itty Bitty Banners set (still available at £11.16 wood mount or £8.76 cling mount - but hurry!)

• You can earn Bloom with Hope for free when you place an order of £150 or more. The order placed can be a single order or a group order so it's well worth stocking up on basics and/or showing your catalogue to friends and family! 

This set will no longer be available after 2nd June.

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!

Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!

Bloom With Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set £15.00	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Kinda Eclectic Wood-Mount Stamp Set £24.95
Many Marvelous Markers £89.95	Itty Bitty Banners Clear Stamp Set £10.95	Bitty Banners Big Shot Die Framelits £12.95	Simply Scored £25.95

My shop is open 24/7 so you can buy Stampin' Up products from me any time, day or night.

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

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

I'm proud to say that my youngest son has been mingling in maths circles (and have no idea where he gets that from!) He definitely hasn't lost his sense of humour though. Yesterday he asked me why girls hang around in odd numbers. (Being me, I replied that I didn't think they did really and he had to hiss at me that it was a joke - oops!) So, why do girls hang around in odd numbers? Because they can't EVEN...! Love it!

Oh my goodness, it's Artisan blog hop day tomorrow and you may or may not catch a glimpse of some new and exciting goodies from the upcoming new Stampin' Up annual catalogue 2015! Don't miss that!

Back from Stampin' Up convention!

Oh my goodness, have I been having fun! I've just returned from the annual Stampin' Up convention where I have been enjoying fun, excitement, the company of my Stampin' Up friends and a whole bunch of inspiration!

My husband had decided to accompany me but had to pull out at the last moment because of work commitments. That was disappointing but guess who took his ticket?

One of my favourite people in the world - my daughter! She's doing French and English at uni so naturally she needs to take every opportunity possible to practice her French!

We had an smooth journey on the Eurostar and enjoyed meeting other Stampin' Up demonstrators on their way to Convention (we could spot them a mile off because their excitement levels were off the scale!)

This was the place we called home for a few days. The lovely people at the Hotel Dixseptieme couldn't have been more welcoming and we were perfectly placed, both for me to get to Convention and for my daughter to explore beautiful Brussels.

On the first evening, I scooted up the hill to attend a special reception for demonstrators who have achieved the Silver 2 title and above.

The wonderful Stampin' Up staff had worked hard to make the room look stunning and we were spoilt with gorgeous gifts, delicious food and brilliant entertainment. The evening was rounded off by a chocolate fountain complete with marshmallows and fruit to dip into it. I couldn't work out how to eat these elegantly but luckily for you I managed to avoid a photo of me with chocolate all over my head! 

Every year we are given a Convention bag especially designed for Stampin' Up. This year's is stunning in Real Red lined with Soft Sky and I adore it! There are plenty of pockets to organise your belongings and of course the all-important Stampin' Up badge! I added a hand stamped tag to mine so that I wouldn't lose it...

... and made a matching tag to hang round my neck in case I got lost too! 

YOU CAN BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS TAG NOW!
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my online shop) 

Kinda Eclectic Wood-Mount Stamp Set £24.95	Hardwood [clear] £12.95	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95
Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Little Letters Thinlits Die £25.95

My shop is open 24/7 so you can buy Stampin' Up products from me any time, day or night.

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

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

I have got so much to share with you but the thing I most want to say is just come and join me in Brussels next year 13th-14th November 2015! If you love Stampin' Up, going to Convention and sharing the excitement with friends who share your passion is an experience you will never forget. Click here to find out all the info about joining Stampin' Up - and don't miss the fab freebies you'll get if you sign up this month!

Do you remember the other day when I told you that my youngest son had asked how I'd got on in Manchester after I'd returned from a trip to Cambridge? I'm afraid his geography (or his hearing!) is not improving. I gave him a big hug before he trotted off to school on the Thursday I left for Convention. When he'd crossed the road he turned and waved cheerily. "Have a great time in Berlin!" he yelled.

See you tomorrow,

Kinda Eclectic by Stampin' Up - Warning: could be addictive for stampers!

Look what happened when I sat down for a minute or two with Stampin' Up's fabulous Kinda Eclectic stamp set? I ended up with not just one but THREE cards (and there would have been more only my family started making plaintive little hungry noises!) Come and have a look:

The collage-style panel on this card was stamped using just one ink pad - the gorgeous new in-colour Mossy Meadow. I stapled on a little tab made with the Petite Curly Label punch before adding a deep cuff of Mossy Meadow card stock.

The next card happened when I was clearing away off-cuts from the first card and another one I'm going to show you in a minute. Do you ever have one of those 'Ooh look what happens when I put a strip of that with this!' moments at the rubbish bin?! The sentiment is one of four useful and beautifully designed phrases in Stampin' Up's new Occasions 4 You set - and doesn't it cut out nicely with the Decorative Label punch?!

The final card is my favourite of the three. Kinda Eclectic is brilliant for collage-style stamping (like this) but it's equally effective when you use just one of the images - like the beautiful leaf stamp I've used on the card above (or the sunburst stamp I used here).

I'm going to link the first of these cards up with the Paper Players Monochromatic challenge this week and the second one with Pixie's Snippet Playground as all those pieces were rescued from the jaws of the bin!

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

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Occasions 4 You wood or cling

Ink: Mossy Meadow

Card stock: Whisper White, Mossy Meadow
Punches: Decorative Label, Petite Curly Label, Corner rounder

Other:  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.

What a wonderful week it's been with school closing for the holidays and all the excitement of being chosen to join the Stampin' Up Artisan Design Team (read about that here). I'm really looking forward to starting this new venture but before I do, I'm going to take a break. What I need is a lot of sleep, plenty of sunshine, the odd ice cream, and the company of my favourite people in the whole world!

Thank you for coming to visit me here and a special, heartfelt thank you to my customers for your support because without you there would be no Crafting Clare. I'll be back soon with all my creative cylinders firing and perhaps some of the other cylinders too!

Hugs,

Congratulations with a bang using Kinda Eclectic from Stampin' Up

I've found another way of using Stampin' Up's brilliant new Kinda Eclectic stamp set and it's perfect for celebrations! Come and see:

The sunburst image makes fabulous fireworks when stamped in bright colours. I used Tempting Turquoise, Tangelo Twist and Daffodil Delight for mine and added a dynamic sentiment from Sassy Salutations.

Every celebration needs a bit of extra sparkle so I added some large gems, coloured with blendabilities. (How much do I love my blendabilities, on a scale of one to ten? Eleven!) These large gems are retired now, but the largest ones from the Basic Rhinestone packs would work well too.

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

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Sassy Salutations wood or cling

Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Tangelo Twist, Daffodil Delight, Stazon black.
Blendabilities: Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana

Card stock: Whisper White

Other: 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 daughter has the loveliest boyfriend. He recently turned 18 and naturally his thoughts turned to the legal implications of this. "Just think!" he said. "Now I can go and buy fireworks!" Someone laughed. "Never mind fireworks, now you can legally buy alcoholic drinks!" He stared at them. "Drinks don't go bang in the sky!" he said scathingly.

See you tomorrow.

Dimensional butterflies card photo tutorial using Kinda Eclectic by Stampin' Up

Kinda Eclectic isn't just about collage-style stamping you know! I've gone very clean and simple with the butterflies in the set today - come and see:

This is a fun card to make, with its recessed stamped butterflies and that central one with the fun dimensional feature. It's easy peasy too thanks to the coordinating punches!

I marked the centre of the panel and punched the central butterfly out...

... then stamped two of the small butterflies onto sticky notes, positioned them on each side of the central butterfly shape and punched those out too. I added the sentiment at this point, using my stamp-a-majig to make sure it was where I wanted it.

The panel was fixed temporarily onto the card base. TIP: If you leave Tombow to dry before sticking, it turns into temporary glue.

Next I stamped two each of the butterflies with Strawberry Slush ink and cut them out with the punches. After applying glue, I pressed one of the large butterflies into the central hole on the panel and repeated the procedure with the small ones.

The panel was carefully peeled away and then repositioned using dimensionals. I love the recessed look!

The spare butterfly was given a linen thread body and antennae and mounted on top of the central recessed one using glue dots.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! I think it's all quite clear but if you have any questions just let me know.

I based this card on this sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch, which I flipped upside down.

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

Stamps: Kinda Eclectic wood or cling, Something to Say wood or cling

Ink: Strawberry Slush, Smoky Slate

Card stock: Whisper White
Punches: Elegant butterfly, Bitty Butterfly

Other: Linen thread

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.

So why are butterflies called butterflies? Were they all yellow once? Did they flap about in the butter?I've just had to look it up and the most beguiling answer is that they were believed to be witches, disguised so that they could steal milk and butter. The most ridiculous answer is that they taste like butter and they fly! Good Grief!

See you tomorrow.