Happy Birthday Nephew!

My nephew was 2 years old last weekend - this is the card I made...

Products used:

Stamps: Happiest Birthday (hostess set)

Inks: Real Red, Pacific Point

Card stock: Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pacific Point

Papers: Big Top Birthday

Equipment: Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Simply Scored,

 Big Shot, Numbers Dies, Perfect Dots embossing folder

Ribbon: Real Red Grosgrain

Happiest Birthday Clare!

This week my good friend and workmate, Clare, celebrated her birthday and I wanted to make her a really pretty card. 

I used the Apothecary Art stamp set and Everyday Enchantment designer series papers and I took inspiration from Julie's magnificent diorama cards she showed us how to make at our last training day.  She also showed us how to make these rolled paper flowers and I have been wanted to put them on every card I've made ever since!!

I'm getting a bit panicky about running out of this fantastic paper - it's only available until the end of July so we have only 4 days left to order it.  I know it's a strange thing to say abouit paper, but I'm going to miss it!!  I'm sure there will be a new favourite when the next catalogue comes out!

Folded pocket note card holder

Here is a very cute and easy little project which is great for using up your designer series papers.  It's usually called a teabag holder because it's the perfect size for holding a teabag or two and makes a really sweet gift.  We were shown how to make this at our team training session but there are loads of videos on YouTube - just search for teabag holder for instructions.

The matching note cards use up more scraps and have a flower stamped using Mixed Bunch and punched out with the Blossom Punch - so quick - a whole stack of these take minutes to make!

The envelopes are made easy with the Simply Scored tool!  I love how you can make your own envelopes that perfectly co-ordinate with your cards - it just adds an extra special touch.

Contact me if you would like instructions!

Easy events and wedding wishes

At last I've got my hands on some stamps I've wanted for a while.  Easy Events are a set of eight stamps for different occasions and are so cute.  And they're probably the most versatile set in the current catalogue.

Easy Events Stamp Set, Main Catalogue page 43

The designs are outlines so you can stamp and leave them blank or colour them in using the stampwrite markers or blender pen (or even the water colours or pastels!)


I made a wedding card this week using this stamp set - I just love the birds!  I added colour using a blender pen with the ink pads.

Products used:

Stamps: Easy Events, Baroque Motifs

Inks: Basic Grey, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Regal Rose

Equipment: Framelits, Perfect Dots Embossing Folder, Itty Bitty punch

Embellishments: Rhinestones

I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of these stamps!!

Congratulations card

Last weekend I received this gorgeous vintage style card from Julie for getting my first Stampin' Up! promotion last month!  It was easy - I just bought loads of nice things from the catalogues so that I could make even more beautiful cards and gifts.

This card uses one of my favourite stamp sets Apothecary Art.  It's a really popular stamp set and you can find it in the Summer Mini catalogue (see links on right) until 31 August.

Thanks Julie - I love it!

Christmas swaps

Once a quarter, Julie Kettlewell hosts a team training day for her team - Julie's Jems.  Since joining Stampin' Up! in February I have missed a couple of these, but managed to get myself booked onto the most recent one in July.  It was really great to meet other demonstrators in the team, and to get lots of tips and ideas from Julie.  We did lots of crafting too, and there were gorgeous cupcakes which seems to have become a tradition at these events.

There was a Christmas theme at this training day, and we were asked to make some Christmas swaps using a non-Christmas stamp set!  I used  Everything Eleanor, including the little bird which I coloured as a robin, and some festive colours (Real Red and Old Olive) to create my swaps...

Products used:

Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Petite Pairs

Inks: Old Olive, Soft Suede, Real Red

Card stock: Real Red, Very Vanilla

Ribbon: Very Vanilla Satin

Punches: Large Scallop Circle

It was great to swap these for some really lovely and unique projects from the other ladies!  It certainly got us thinking about Christmas and all the exciting things that will be coming in the new Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue which will launch on 1st September!

More decathlon projects

Following on from yesterday's post - here are the other 9 projects we completed in the Craft Decathlon!

A lollipop card using a circle punch

Up Up and Away

Diorama Card stamped with - oh my goodness I can't remember

A coaster book - I will add photos of Cornwall inside this!

Owl punch

Fold-out box

Mixed bunch easel card

Mouthwatering Stamp Set

At the start of the day we were given a pack of Sweet Shop Designer Series papers, some co-ordinating Jelly Brads also from the Summer Mini Catalogue, and a reel of ruffled ribbon.

It was an exhausting day's crafting but well worth it - such great projects to come home with.  And the reward....

... a well deserved chocolate gold medal!  And I haven't even eaten it yet!

Julie's Craft Decathlon

I recently attended an all-day craft decathlon in honour of the Olympic games, and organised by Julie Kettlewell in Pudsey.  We completed 10 events - cards and 3d projects - over the day and each won ourselves a chocolate gold medal.  It was a really great day, complete with lunch and cupcakes, and thankfully plenty of tea, to get us through the events!

Below are pictures of my favourite project of the day - a very fancy fold out card - which I will definitely be replicating for those extra special occasions when a little more effort is required!

The card is made from 1 sheet of 12"x12" card, scored and folded and decorated with scraps of patterned paper (in this example we've used the yummy Sweet Shop designer series papers).  I love how it opens out to reveal the message hidden among all the cakes and sweets!

Do you want to have a go at making this card yourself?  If so, come along to the monthly card class at Dock Street Market in Leeds next Tuesday 24 July where Alex Spence will show us how it's done. I'm going along for extra practice, so see you there!

Crafternoon Tea - a successful first class!

Hi!  Just wanted to say thanks again to the 14 lovely ladies who came to my Crafternoon Tea class in Calverley this afternoon.  You made it so much fun and your creativity was outstanding!  And thanks to Lisa and Rebecca at Cafe Village for providing sustenance in the form of tea, sandwiches and delicious cup cakes!

These are the projects everyone made...

Triangle Treat Boxes

Paper: Sweet Shop Designer Series Papers

Ribbon: Ruffled ribbon

Stamp: Oval All

Punch: Scallop Oval

Cupcake Card

Stamps: Easy Events

Ink: Basic Grey

Stamp Write Markers

Dotty ribbon in Melon Mambo

Cards stock: Whisper White and Melon Mambo

Mixed Bunch Card

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Petite Pairs

Inks: Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade

Card stock: Pool Party, Very Vanilla

Papers: Everyday Enchantment Designer Series

Tea Cup Card

Stamps: Tea Shoppe

Inks: Marina Mist

Card Stock: Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight

Punches: Scallop Border, Modern Label, Word Window, Circle, Itty Bitty

Papers: Subtles Paper Stack

Yum!

Even more butterflies...!

Happy Sunday to you!  I am just getting ready for my Crafternoon Tea card class this afternoon (excited!!!), but just wanted to quickly share some new cards with you...

I made a stack of new butterfly cards this week - all using the in-colours and the Everyday Enchantment designer series papers which are back in stock for July only!!!   Can you tell they are a favourite of mine?

This last one is stamped on the background with one of the stamps from the Mixed Bunch set.

I guarantee there will be more butterflies coming soon!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!