Masculine cards with Guy Greetings from Stampin' Up

I know that many people struggle with masculine cards and find them harder to make than feminine cards but there's no need to panic! Come and have a look at a simple but fun card I made with Guy Greetings, a set designed to make those male occasions easier!

There are lots of classic images in this set but I couldn't wait to play with these dapper shoes! I stamped two rows of them using a stamp-a-majig to make sure all the shoes were exactly where I wanted them, then popped up one extra pair over the top.

You can see that better in this photo. The shoes were stamped, cut out with my sharp paper snips and then laces sewn on with Tangerine Tango thread unravelled from the two-tone trim. Isn't that fun?!

This card could be used for a male birthday...

 ... but with this sentiment from the same stamp set it makes a perfect anniversary card for your beloved other half, or a great Fathers' Day card for a special dad!

• You'll find Guy Greetings on p.41 of the spring/summer catalogue and don't forget that these items will only be available until 2nd June.
• Stamp sets and accessories on the Stampin' Up 2015 retirement list will also only be available until 2nd June.

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!

Guy Greetings Wood Stamp Set £45.95	Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock £6.25	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad £5.50
White & Tangerine Tango Two-Tone Trim £4.50	Stamp-A-Ma-Jig £10.95	Paper Snips Scissors £8.95

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.

Talking of Guy Greetings, has anyone else noticed that young men these days have the loveliest manners? I watch my eldest son and his friends shaking hands and saying 'how are you?' in a way that reminds me of those old black and white films! Young lads certainly weren't like that in my day (or perhaps I was just mixing with the wrong types!)

If you're intrigued by the Guy Greetings stamp set, why not come back and join me on the weekly Stampin' Up Artisan blog hop tomorrow? The whole of the Artisan Design Team will be using this set and I know you'll be knocked out by all the inspiration!

Guy Greetings for an engagement - Stampin' Up Artisan blog hop

It's Thursday and that means another round of fabulous inspiration courtesy of Stampin' Up's global Artisan design team! I love working with these talented ladies and am constantly amazed by the projects everyone comes up with each week. I know you will be too so grab a cup of something delicious, settle back and enjoy :)

A BIT OF VINTAGE ARTINESS
Spring has got to me this week I think! I spotted the Guy Greetings stamp set in our box of goodies and it occurred to me to put that gorgeous vintage car into a romantic arty setting. Come and see:

Wouldn't this make a charming engagement card?! In my head, the car has been parked in a quiet spot and a happy couple have unpacked their picnic in the spring sunshine with blossom floating down from the trees like confetti. Perhaps you can hear the pop of a champagne cork - she has said YES!

I love the nostalgic feel of the car. It was stamped with Basic Black ink, heat embossed with clear embossing powder and coloured with Garden Green ink and a blender pen to turn it British Racing Green! But what about the background?

It's all been done with the blossom stamp from Sheltering Tree to give a pointillism effect! Isn't it fun?! (And if you're wondering what on earth pointillism is, find out all about it here.) This is much simpler than real pointillism - you just ink up (and stamp off if necessary), then stamp repeatedly where you want the colour. TIPS: You can always add colour but you can't take it away so start pale! Sponging ink round the edges of the panel draws the eye in to the scene.

I hope you've enjoyed my romantic moment! Now it's time to hop off and see the rest of the team's work - just click the button below to whizz over to Allison Okamitsu!

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!

Guy Greetings Photopolymer Stamp Set £23.95	Sheltering Tree Photopolymer Stamp Set £22.95	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Strawberry Slush Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95
Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Blender Pens £8.95	Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder £3.95	Stamping Sponges £3.25

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.

Thanks for joining me today. I'll be back tomorrow with a look at some of the amazing Weekly Deals. See you then!

Heartwarming valentine with Sheltering Tree from Stampin' Up

I'm spreading more love today with another stamp set I adore from the Stampin' Up spring/summer catalogue, Sheltering Tree. It just goes to show you can make an 'I love you' kind of card from all sorts of stamp sets! Come and see:

Sticky notes were used here to mask off two sides of a square. I sponged Blushing Bride ink in the area, letting the ink fade out gradually on the unmasked sides of the 'square'. While the mask was still in place, I stamped the tree from Sheltering Sky, first in Smoky Slate and then again in Basic Grey, adding a bit of detail with a Smoky Slate marker.

The sentiment is so lovely isn't it?! It was stamped in Basic Grey and sequins from the In Colour Sequin Assortment scattered over the panel. I mounted the panel on a piece of Blushing Bride card stock and framed it with piercing - so easy to do with the Essentials piercing templates, tool and mat.

The inspiration for this card came from Less is More which is celebrating its fourth birthday this week with a Pink and Grey colour challenge. I'm a huge fan of Less is More which is home to the friendliest bunch of crafters in the world! Sending birthday mwahs to founders Chrissie and Mandi and all the design team past and present that have made Less is More such a great challenge :)

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!
Don't forget you'll get a free Sale-a-bration item for every £45 you spend

Sheltering Tree Photopolymer Stamp Set £22.95	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95
Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride £6.25	Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack £7.25	2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment £4.50

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 haven't shared any of my husband's hilarities recently have I? How about this one, while my youngest son and I were watching television:
OH: He's always on telly isn't he!
Me: Who is?
OH: Graham Cumberbatch.
Me: Graham Cumberbatch?
OH: It's not Graham is it? Er... Mark? No - Jimmy Cumberbatch!
Me: Oops, my sides have split!

See you tomorrow,

Two quick Valentines Day cards for the guys

It's Valentine's Day on Saturday folks and just in case you're running out of time or need a bit of inspiration, here are a couple of quick and simple cards to let the chaps in your life know you care!

This one layer uses a mask made with the Full Heart punch. I sponged Soft Sky ink into it and then over-stamped with that wonderful starry image from Celebrate Today before taking the mask away. The sentiment is a lovely one from Something to Say.

The next card uses the one of the images from Hey Valentine. That sweetie-pie pirate would be great for a children's card, or for a man who loves cute, but for a more manly version (that wouldn't insult a teen!) why not use a Stampin' Write marker to stamp just the treasure chest from the stamp? I coloured mine in with blendabilities markers and cut it out with a circle punch. The sentiment, from the same image, was stamped separately and cut out with a smaller circle punch.

I hope these simple cards have inspired you to get going with some valentines for your loved ones, young and old. Don't miss out on the opportunity to tell them you love them!

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!
Don't forget you'll get a free Sale-a-bration item for every £45 you spend

Sweetheart Punch £14.25	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Celebrate Today Photopolymer Stamp Set £23.95
Hey, Valentine Clear Stamp Set £15.95	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Crumb Cake Assortment ...	2014-2016 In Color Stampin' Write Markers £11.75

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.

My family know that I adore them but Valentine's Day is a great excuse to let them know in writing! This little treasure can't read...

... and a card would just get eaten! I was thinking of saying it with a heart-shaped burger instead - that'll get eaten too, and will take less time to eat, but at least it will be nourishing!

See you tomorrow,

Speechless with love in a box, using Cheerful Critters from Stampin' Up

One of the sets from the Stampin' Up spring/summer catalogue I had to have instantly was Cheerful Critters. My youngest son fell about laughing when he saw the 'I like your face' sentiment, my daughter squee-ed over those little characters and although my eldest son remained impassive, I know he secretly thinks they're cute too! This is the card I'll be giving my youngest son on Valentine's Day (I think I'm safe to show it!)

How adorable is this chubby little chick?! I love the determined expression on that little face :) I coloured the image with blendabilities...

... and added hearts to the banner using the Itty Bitty Accents epoxy stickers, which I also coloured with blendies!

Finally I popped my chick in a cardboard box made out of a rectangle of Crumb Cake card stock, folded over and secured with a glue dot.

It was The Paper Players that inspired this card with Claire's theme challenge 'Create a Valentine To or From a Furry Friend'. (I'm hoping my feathery friend will pass muster!)

BUY THE SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!
Don't forget you'll get a free Sale-a-bration item for every £45 you spend

Cheerful Critters Photopolymer Stamp Set £13.95	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment £10.95	Soft Sky Assortment Stampin' Blendabilities Markers £10.95
Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers £3.75	Baked Brown Sugar Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock £6.25

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 love the idea of popping out of a box with a banner on Valentine's Day but it would be hard to find a box big enough and also my family wouldn't notice as it's the sort of thing we do these days to amuse the pup!

Have a great weekend won't you and I'll see you on Monday.