Birthday at Club Tropicana

Hello crafting friends!

It's hard not to get a bit down sometimes at the moment isn't it? I've even been finding it hard to be inspired in the Craft Square Metre this week. But colour has an amazing way of affecting our moods and reaching for the brights has got me going again. Come and see:

Yes, it's time to pop the grass skirt on and hula on over to the birthday party! This card started with the Tropical Frame embossing folder I bought from Hobbycraft last year (gracious, remember going into an actual shop?!!) I picked out the palm leaves with some bright alcohol markers.

I felt some bright flowers would up the tropical ante. I painted a pink wash on some watercolour paper and, once it had completely dried, die cut some flowers with the Sissix Geo Frame die set. The centres of the flowers were stamped with a tiny stamp from Stampin' Up's Thoughtful Blooms.

To bring the elements together, I cut a frame using my Heffy Doodles stitched rectangle dies and added a block sentiment from Uniko's Simply Said Blocks.

CHALLENGES
I used the colours from this fortnight's As You See It challenge, the layout from Freshly Made Sketches and the theme from Seize The Birthday where they've gone Totally Tropical!

AND IN OTHER NEWS
While I was having a think about this challenge, my charming assistant searched for something tropical to inspire me with. She trotted off busily upstairs and, having rootled around in the laundry basket, reappeared with a tropical print dress of mine in her mouth.

Thank you Eva. Very helpful I'm sure!

Hope you're keeping safe and well, enjoying your weekend and perhaps getting a little inky!

Hugs,

A Man Valentine

Hello crafting friends!

The people in my life who love a pink and white lacy valentine can be counted on zero fingers! So here's an idea for those who prefer a 'less is more' approach:

I found this Knit Pattern embossing folder on sale in Hobbycraft earlier this week and tried it out on a snippet of grey card stock. A couple of days later, I had the idea of colouring the raised areas with a white watercolour crayon and suddenly it was worth using on a card!

I die cut a small Sizzix heart in it and glued a snippet of red card stock to the back. As an extra detail, I used one of my Heffy Doodle stitched rectangle dies to cut into the panel, then replaced it, to create the effect of an embossed frame.

To finish the card, I stamped a sentiment from Clearly Besotted's Spring Daffodils onto a tiny strip of card stock (a stamping platform is essential for this!) and cut the end into a flag. Of course, if I'd HAD a sentiment that said 'Cose up with me you gorgeous old thing' I would have used it!

CHALLENGES
I was very much inspired by the photo as well as the colours in the current Colour Throwdown challenge so I'll be joining in there; I shall also link up with the Time Out Challenge where the theme is Affectionate; and last, but not least, this card was made with snippets except the card base, so I shall be scampering along to play in the Snippets Playground.

AND IN OTHER NEWS
This card reminds me a bit of a Jammy Dodger - you know, those biscuits that used to make an appearance at children's birthday parties. They always looked fun but, to me, they tasted like someone had glued some sawdust together with some added chemical flavouring!

Do you remember them?

Whatever you're up to this weekend, have a happy one!

Feeling a bit pale

Hello crafting friends!

When someone's feeling a bit meh, maybe they need a calm, peaceful card to help them feel better. That's what I made today! Come and see:

It's VERY calm! If you were lurking about here yesterday, you may spot the new embossing folder that somehow found its way into my basket when I was shopping for something else! Yep, it doesn't take me long to crack on with the new stuff! I do like its subtlety :)

I gave it a bit of extra interest by cutting it out with one of my Heffy Doodle stitched rectangle dies. The sentiment is a lovely big bold one from MFT's All Occasion Sentiments. It usually runs horizontally, but I used my stamping platform to position the words vertically, cleaning the stamp carefully and repositioning for each word.

I framed my sentiment with stamped and fussy cut flower sprays from Clearly Besotted's beautiful Blossoms In Bloom. Two shades of white card stock were used and tiny, pearl-centred, punched vellum flowers added for extra detail.

CHALLENGES
It's taken me a long time, but I've finally come up with something for the Wonderfully White theme at The Rainbow Card Challenge!

AND IN OTHER NEWS
I might have to give myself this card as I'm feeling a bit rubbish! Nothing serious, just January blues kind of rubbish. Any suggestions? I might have to resort to chocolate!

Hugs,

Oooh you nautical boy!

Hello crafting friends!

The discovery of my scoreboard in the back of a cupboard yesterday has given me a new crafting lease of life! For a moment there I thought I was going to have to order some new stamps! *winks*

I wanted to make a sea-faring card and, although I'm lacking nautical themed stamps, I did have some retired designer paper with a cute boat on it. I fussy cut the bottom of the boat and gave it card stock sails and a tiny flag. Come and see what I made with it:

It was really hard to photograph this because the embossing is quite subtle, but it's quite effective in real life. The decorative plate of the scoreboard has all sorts of swirls and waves on it so I was able to emboss both a choppy sea and some scudding clouds. Once that was done, I let my little boat loose out there! Don't sink little boat!

Can you see it better in this photo? Fun isn't it? Before I did this, I tried a piece of wavy designer paper, but it was so dull my eyes glazed over and I started to think about doing the hoovering! The sentiment is a basic one from my Altenew Birthday Greetings set.

I was inspired by a variety of challenges for this card. First, this week's great sketch from CAS(e) This Sketch; second, The Paper Players, where the challenge is to make a CAS children's card; and last but not least AAA Birthday where the birthday cards this month are 'For The Boys'.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

My son is busy making plans to go to uni and came to discuss it with me. I was fully expecting worries such as 'Will I make friends?' or 'Will the coursework be manageable?' Er, no. His main preoccupation, it seems, is where he'll be getting his hair cut!

Thanks for coming to visit me today. I'll be back tomorrow with more crafty nonsense!

Don't miss these Stampin' Up offers!

Calling all embossing folder fans! It's a great time for you to add a few gorgeous folders to your collection as Stampin' Up has slashed prices on four of the best!

Here's a simple card I made using the gorgeous Decorative Dots folder - that's my favourite!

Some of the dots have been coloured with Subtles markers for a cute confetti look, and I added one of the new die cut wooden sentiments - aren't these amazing?! I coloured mine with a So Saffron marker.

By the way, the random dots of this folder make excellent snow too for anyone who's thinking about Chri... oops! Almost said it - and in June too *winks*.

THIS WEEK'S WEEKLY DEALS - GO SHOPPING NOW!
Click on any item to be transported to my online shop!

And Many More Clear-Mount Stamp Set £24.00 £18.00	Folder Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder £7.00 £5.25	Banner Banter Clear-Mount Stamp Set £13.00 £9.75	Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder £7.00 £5.25
Early Espresso 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon £6.50 £4.88	Silver Basic Metal Buttons £7.25 £5.44	Tiny Triangles Textured Impressions Embossing Folder £7.00 £5.25	Zig Zag Textured Impressions Embossing Folder £7.00 £5.25

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.

Does anyone else muck about with the names of high street shops? My daughter and I always call Dorothy Perkins 'Dotty P' and New Look 'Nouveau Regarder', WH Smith is Bubbly H Smith to my youngest son and a local corner shop called Price Check is affectionately known to us all as Price Fix!

Have a great weekend won't you. I'll be back on Tuesday with more inspiration from the new Stampin' Up catalogue :)

Love and Sympathy

Well, the Stampin' Up Retirement List 2015 has certainly been seeing some action - but if you'd like to snag a bargain, you're not too late!

This card features the wonderful Love and Sympathy stamp set which not only contains wonderful sentiments for those tricky-to-make sympathy cards but also a gorgeous, grassy floral which lends itself brilliantly to sponged scenes like this one.

• If you'd like to read more about how I made this card, click here.

DON'T MISS OUT ON YOUR FAVOURITES!
The clear version of Love and Sympathy has already sold out but you can still get the wood mount version for only £11.86. And if you're a bargain hunter extraordinaire, don't forget the Clearance Rack! The Framed Tulips embossing folder used in this card has turned up in there and is now just £5.69!

EDITED TO ADD: Since I wrote this post, Love and Sympathy sold out in wood mount too - those stamp sets are flying off the shelves! A really good substitute would be another set on the retirement list - Too Kind. Again, it's already sold out in clear mount but the wood mount version is still available at £13.95. But HURRY...!

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

Too Kind Wood Stamp Set £17.95 now only £13.95	Hardwood Clear-Mount Stamp Set £12.95	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95
Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Framed Tulips Embossing Folder  £7.50 now only £5.69

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.

There's a bank holiday across the British Isles this weekend so you can almost guarantee there'll be plenty of good crafting weather *winks*. I'll be back on Tuesday so do come back and visit me then!

Moving house with Life's Adventure by Stampin' Up

Yesterday I was very excited to share the Stampin' Up retirement lists with you and explained that this year's hostess stamp sets are about to retire too. I showed you a card made with I Like You and today it's the turn of Life's Adventure. Come and see:

The images in this set are fabulously 'sketchy'. For my new home card I used the house, giving it a wash of colour with an aquapainter and ink and cutting it out with my sharp paper snips.

The house was mounted on a hill embossed with the Spring Flowers embossing folder on p.19 of the spring/summer catalogue. I punched circles out of a piece of Soft Sky card stock so that when it was mounted onto the card base it revealed the white card below and formed clouds. Isn't that fun?!

• The exclusive hostess sets are designed to reward customers who place an order of £150 or more. Any time this happens, you'll earn 'credits' which can be 'spent' on these specially-priced hostess sets or anything else you fancy from any current catalogue. The best news is that the order can be your own or a group order, so it's well worth showing a catalogue to your friends and family.

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

Card Stock A4 Pear Pizzazz £6.25	Spring Flowers Textured Impressions Embossing Folder £7.50	Life's Adventure Wood-Mount Stamp Set FREE as part of hostess rewards	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95
Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad £4.95	Card Stock A4 Soft Sky £6.25	1" Circle Punch £11.50	3/4" Circle Punch £11.50

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 really enjoyed making the little scene today but I think that cute house would be a bit exposed in real life! There is a happy medium though and I have to say the triffids in our garden are getting out of hand again, climbing the walls of our house trying to get in. A long string of clematis made me jump out of my skin the other day as it slapped against the window in a sudden gust of wind! It needs sorting out but I imagine that gardening with Eva could turn into high comedy...

 I'm so excited about tomorrow's Artisan Design Team blog hop and if you're always looking for ideas for using designer paper, you'll definitely want to join us! See you tomorrow,