Happy Valentines

Well why not? We have Christmas in July events so why not Valentines in October? OK, so it's only an excuse so I can share this card. I did start out with the intention of making a birthday or anniversary card, but in truth I just wanted to use the Artisitc Etchings set with no particular end aim in mind and this is how it evolved....

My Grandad was in the RAF stationed in India in WWII and brought home lots of little postcard style photographs; these were the inspiration for a photo style card. By the time I added amour it was definately no longer a birthday card in the making. OK, so I know it's well used, the old line about Paris being so romantic and proposals at the top of the Eiffel Tower and such .... but love date stamped in Paris turned it into a "not a heart in sight" valentines card. The french script carries on the en France feel and the rain drops .... well last time in Paris it poured down. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, which is already well used ... a sentiment for practically every occasion.

Stampin' Up! materials used:

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, French Foliage, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Erly Expresso

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Whisper White.

Thanks for stopping by .....

Something for everyone ....

I recently got my order of new goodies from the new Stampin Up catalogue in a BIG brown box; I expected this to be claimed .... but Harry was more interested in the packing material.....

.... after an evening of shredding, pouncing and chasing his tail .....

And onto today's make .... a male card with a colour combo from the Colour Coach; Marina Mist, Cajun Craze and Crumb Cake.

The motorbike was stamped in Early Expresso and coloured with the blender pens. I must admit that when I first got these, I wasn't so taken with them, trying to use them left handed due to the broken wrist .... but .... after perservering (and a few goes with my right hand!), I think I'm mastering them!

Stampin Up materials used:

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Motorcycle

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Inks: Early Expresso, Marina Mist, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake

Tools:  Blender pens

Thanks for stopping by ....

Vintage Vogue Birthday ....

Another sample make, trying out a colour combo that's not one of my go-to choices. Basic Black, Rose Red and Whisper White.

I stamped the background in a curve using the vine stamp and my stamp-a-ma-jig so I didn't overstamp the images. The stamp-a-ma-jig has got to be the most used SU tool I have.

The flowers and leaves were stamped separately so I didn't need to mask areas and cut out ... I wish there was a matching punch for this set. The flower centres were finished with a mix of pearls and rhinestones for extra sparkle. A loosely knotted ribbon finished it off.

The inside was decorated too .....

SU Materials used:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Rose Red

Inks: Basic Gray, Rose Red, Certainly Celery

Punch: Scallop Trim

Ribbon: Black Stripped Grosgrain

Thanks for stopping by ....

CASEing Owls ....

I've used the topnote off the edge before and I recently saw it used with the owl, but have forgotten where ... if it was your card, thank you, I loved it and would love to give you your credit.

I don't tend to use a lot of yellow on cards, but I think that the So Safron gives it a really fresh and light look. I joined in between the perferations on the Topnote die-cut with Wild Wasabi marker to make it look like it has been stiched .... great to have the effect without the hassle of threading the machine up!

The inside was decorated too .....

Quick and easy to do, using up only a scrap of DSP but has great effect in continuing the design .... and it makes it look like I've spent a lot more time on it!

SU Materials used:

Stamps: Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: So Saffron, Whisper White, So Saffron DSP, Early Expresso, Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink (textured), Wild Wasabi (textured)

Ink: So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

Punch: Two step Owl

Dies: Topnote, Little Leaves

Thanks for stopping by ....

2 down, 18 to go ....

I made a start on my quilt!!!!

I had to miss the first class as it was the same day as the fundraiser for the Golden Retriever Rescue. Poppy didn't win any of her classes but she did win 3 bags of biscuits which pleased her greatly.

My first block was rail fence... a lot of the blocks have names. This strip pieced.

And the finished block ...

It's not perfect, but I've been told it's not bad for a first go. On a roll, I made the second, called Jacob's Ladder. It's in pieces here, but it is sewn together .... honest.

Next time, it's applique .... yeaayyy .... I know how to do this .... well one method anyway, the rest are still a mystery.

Thanks for stopping by ....

3D Vintage Vogue ....

The new Stampin Up catalogue launches today .... anyone else been eagerly awaiting today to get their first order in? If  you haven't already got your copy ..... where have you been? .... there are so many new stamps, colours, dies and ..... fabric!

My Mum needed to make a Ruby Anniversary card for a friend, so she put Cherry Cobbler in my mind. The flower was made from 4 of the big flowers, removing another petal on each layer and then adding the cut away ones to build up the middle. The centre was finished with a mix of Basic Pearls and Rhinestones. Even though the flower is 3D, it will flatten to fit in an envelope ready to pop back up when it's opened.

I am loving the music notes wheel, it's so versatile, I've used it on Christmas, Wedding, Birthday designs already.

I like to decorate the insides of cards too, especially to give somewhere to write the message when I have used a dark coloured card for the base.

If I was going to make this card again, I don't think I would add the flower again; it looks so different flat than on the front of the card.

Su Materials used:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Music Notes Wheel, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Inks: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Dies: Topnote, Little Leaves

So, are you ready .....

.... for some more Christmas? Cal held her innaugral Summertime Yuletide, a whole day Christmas crafting!

This was the first make of the day ....

... which has been hanging in the lounge since I made it! The cutting and curling did take quite a while, but was definately worth it! We also made some other fab items, I learnt a new trick ... more to come later on that .... and loads of product left over to take home. And a scrummy lunch too, a great day with Cal and her team.

The next one is 25 Christmas Cards in one day on 22nd October which will give a healthy kick-start to my cards. It is also Cal's birthday .... the question is tho', will she get the bumps?!?

Thanks for stopping by .....

Happy Birthday Sis ....

Today is my sister's birthday, and it's the day when sewing met paper.

What other set could I use but Sew Lovely?

This set is only available until the end of September in the SU mini catalogue and also uses the long and skinny happy birthday from the retiring Occasional Greetings set, don't hang around if you want either set, in 48 hours they'll be gone for good so give Cal a shout to get yours.

With a plain front, I had to decorate the inside too.

SU Materials used:

Stamps: Sew Lovely, Occassional Greetings

Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White

Inks: Early Expresso, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Old Olive

Thanks for stopping by ....

No stopping now .....

Well, I signed up to the quilt course and have chosen the fabrics ... duck egg, cream and a goldy-beige .... just got to make the first cut!

Now, I've just got 20 blocks, the sashings and the quilting to do .... wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by ....

One set ... so many looks .....

I always have the good intention to start my Christmas cards in good time, like October, but like so many other people I end up with a frenzied production line on the second (ahem .... read third for that!) weekend in December.

So it was great to make so many different styles, some post friendly, some more fancy but all looking good! These are Bekka's designs we made at the Christmas themed meetup.

The seam binding is so good for ruffling!

A christmas tree as a snowflake? Clever, hey?

The left card uses the shimmer cardstock, which really does shimmer! It's a shame it doesn't show up on the photo and the second used the inlaid embossing technique. There is one more card .... but .... I got it wet before I could photograph it. So many great styles with just one stamp set!

SU Materials used:

Stamps: Contempo Christmas

Cardstock:Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Old Olive, Pear Pizazz, Shimmer Card, Jolly Holiday DSP

Inks: Bja Breeze, Pacific Point, White Craft, Basic Black, Real Red, Pear Pizazz, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake

Ribbon: Very Vanilla Satin

Punches: Oval-extra large, Decorative Label, Circle, Ornament, Scallop Trim

Other: Basic Rhinestones, Dazzling Diamonds, Square Lattice embossing folder.

Thanks for stopping by ....

A little thank you ....

I was recently given the Flower for all Season set by a friend, so what else could I do but use it to make a little thank you card.

A flower for all Seasons is on the SU retiring list  so if you want this set, give Cal a shout to get it before it's gone for good at the end of September.

SU materials used:

Stamps: A flower for all seasons, Tiny Tags

Inks: Basic Gray, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Regal Rose

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi DSP, Wild Wasabi Textured

Ribbon: Linen Thread

Punch: Scalloped Squared, Jewelry Tag

Tools: Blender pens

Thanks for stopping by.... 

Long time .....

Whoops, didn't realise just how long it has been since the last blog.

I have loads to share, a lot of which is Christmassy .... well if the supermarket can put out selection boxes, I can now sing about Christmas from the rooftops, I say sing, but screech would be more truthful.

A while back. I met up with some lovely ladies for a whole day of training and crafting .... finished with  lovely chinese meal. Great company, lot's of chatter, glue and glitter - what more could a girl want? Well, aside from Gorgeous Clooney?

I made ornaments for my swaps, these are those I received. First up, a lovely twisted easel card, I love these cards, they always look fabby and more complicated to make than they really are.

And some more lovely swaps ....

Thanks for stoppig by .....

How to make a Traditional Sampler Quilt ....

So... do you fancy making one of these?

Michaela, (my Sis) is teaching a quilting course aimed at complete beginners who would like to learn traditional patchwork and quilting. The course will run over ten months, at each session she will teach a new techique and we (yep... I've signed up too) will make a variety of blocks to put into the final quilt. Techniques will include English Paper Piecing, Applique, Strip Piecing, Hawaiian Applique, Block Piecing among others.

Michaela is a qualified teacher and also holds a C&G in Patchwork and Quilting.

The course will be held at Parbold Village Hall, just 5 minutes from Jnt 27 M6. The first session is on Saturday 3rd September. There is a £30 deposit (to secure the hall bookings) and each session is £13 thereafter.

You will need a sewing maching that does straight stitching (nothing fancy needed), neutral cotton thread such as Guttermann's Sew-All and four fat quarters of co-ordinating fabric - make sure it is 100% cotton if buying beforehand. There will be the opportunity to buy fabric on the day or if you want to include vintage materials, please bring them along and Michaela will advise on their suitability. You don't need to bring any other special equipment to the first session as mats, cutters and rulers will be available; there will also be an opportunity to order these as a starter pack which will arrive ready for session 2.

If you would like to sign up (there are only 2 places left) call Michaela on 07510 299126 or drop me an email at julie.a.smith@talk21.com and I will pass it on.

Look forward to seeing you there ...

Thanks for stopping by ....

Christmas Swaps....

This is a schduled post as today I'm meeting up with crafting friends I already know and making new friends who I sort of know through their blogs.

We were given a Christmas theme for the swaps. I only have limited SU Christmas stamps, namely Dasher and Tree Trimmings. As I used Dasher on the majority of last year's cards, I wanted to do something different.

I recently got the ornment punch, so decided to do a 3D decoration. There is a similar version in the IB&C, but when we used to make Christmas ornaments at primary school, it was always using 6 pieces.... and we had to use geometry and measuring to cut our pieces, no luxury of punches! I wonder if we still have the star dodecahedron lurking in the attic?

Here's what I made...

I added some non SU from my stash to make the tassel, cream ebroidery silk and pearl beads to give it that extra touch.

I thought there should be some stamping there too, so added the tiny tag with merry.

I made them in several different colours from the Soft Subltes DSP, who says Christmas has to be red and green?

All ready to go!

I can't wait to see what everyone else has made!

SU materials used
Stamps: Tiny Tags
Punches: Ornament, Jewelry Tag
Cardstock: Soft Subtles DSP, Very Vanilla,
Inks: Soft Subtles Markers
Ribbon: Very Vanilla narrow grosgrain

Thanks for stopping by....

Less is More ....

Reading that the recipe challenge over at Less is More was ribbon or button (or plurals of), gave me a giddy turn. Ribbon is my fav with buttons coming in a close second as top embellies.

I had been playing with the Vintage Vogue set making 3D flowers, so decided to use this set... well it was still on my desk! Here's my card...

The flower was inked using the rock and roll technique.

The flower centre is a recycled satin button with the shank removed. I've found that an old pair of nail clippers is the best tool to remove these.... it will blunt a new pair!

The ribbon was loosely knotted at intervals to give it some dimension without having any cut ends shown on the front of the card. I kind of like the way it makes it like a tube.

And the 3D flowers? They turned out OK but definately more than less, so they didn't make it onto the challenge card. So I threw the LiM idea out for this card....

The flower was made from 3 of the large flowers.

The ribbon knot was a late addition.... I must have had some ink on my fingers and a tiny speck transferred to the card. The ribbon covers this .... but if you ask me I'll say it was meant to be there all along!

SU materials used:

Stamps: Vintage Vogue

Inks: Rose Red, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake,

Cardstock: Rose Red, Whisper White

Ribbon: Basic Gray Taffeta (retired)

Other: Basic Pearls

Thanks for stopping by.... 

Another Queen for a Day

A take on a previous make. The recipient loves pink and bling, so this one was blinged to the max. Stampin Up's rhinestones are the sparkliest ever.

Check out those sparkles! The row is part of a rhinestone strip.

And just a little inside decoration.

SU Materials used
Stamps: Artistic Etchings
Inks: Rose Red
Cardstock: Early Expresso, Rose Red DSP
Other: Basic Rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by....

5 months 3 days to go....

Now we're in the second half the year I can mention Christmas, right? I love decorating the house, it's definately one of my favourite parts of Christmas. At the weekend, I made my Christmas themed swaps for the meet up at Linda's at the end of the month. Of course, I can't show these ones yet.... but.... feeling all Christmassy, I made these too.

The rheindeer was cut on the Big Shot using a Sizzix medium die and is cut in greyboard, then inked using Tim Holtz distress inks. The antlers and hooves were heat embossed using TH Distress powder to give them a rough texture so they stand out against the rheindeer. The nose was built up using about seven layers of clear embossing powder. They were finished with a sprig of holy and a gingham bow and hanger.

So Christmassed up, I made 5 of these which will go on a garland in my kitchen... pretty much every room gets a Christmas look.

Thanks for stopping by....

Something Borrowed...

Nope, not getting married!

I am trying to experiment with new sets as I build my collection of Stampin Up samples; I don't have the For Everything set (yet!) so borrowed Cal's at her last crop. The crop is a great way to try out the products.... which I usually end up ordering!

I've only recently started using more Rich Razzleberry, I don't know why I used to overlook it so much!

Stampin Up materials used

Stamps: For Everything
Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Rose Red, Daffodil Delight,
Cardstock: Certainly Celery smooth, Certainly Celery DSP, Whisper White
Punch: Scallop Trim Border

Birdcage Decoration

I cut the birdcage using the Tim Holtz Bigz die from greyboard to give the hanging more stability and strength, sandwiching the bird between two cages so it doesn't matter if it spins around. They were coloured using Airondack daubers, Metallic Silver and Pearl White. The bird then had Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls sprinkled on to it when the paint was still wet.

I kept the beads at the bottom neutral as I didn't have a spot in mind to hang the birdcage when finished.

There was no way I could thread the ribbon through the the big crystal bead (big bead, small hole) by sight and it was way too thick to use a needle, so to get the ribbon to go through it, I made a loop with wire, threaded both ends through the bead then put the ribbon in the wire loop and pulled it through - a little like one of those little tools for threading needles.

Thanks for stopping by....

ILWS Swaps Group Two

I recently entered the second swap group on the In Love With Stamping forum, run by Linda. I chose to use the Make a Monster set, one that I really like but don't use very often. I knew that once I chose it, I would have to ink it up.

I wanted to make it using bright colours and this was the chosen design out of those I made. The images were stamped with Old Olive and then coloured with the markers. The bunting was cut using the star punch borrowed from Cal.

The Happy Birthday is a non-SU stamp - those I have are more suited to adult cards than kids.

Stampin Up materials used:
Stamps: Make a Monster
Inks: Real Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Summer Sun (retired)
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise
Tools: Crimper
Punch: Star Extra Large

Thanks for stopping by....

Short and Sweet.....

This has got to be one of my all time favourite Stampin Up sets. It was a Level 2 Hostess set from the 2009/10 catalogue called Whimsical Wings.

I coloured direct to the stamp with several of the soft subtles markers. The markers really come into their own for this type of project, they are fab for putting different colours onto the same stamp. If you haven't yet used these, colour the stamp, then reactivate the inks by breathing on them ... just not too heavy! A little scallop trim, ribbon (yeay!) and a foil sentiment complete the card.

SU Materials:
Stamps: Whimsical Wings (retired)
Inks: Soft Subtles Makers - Baja Breeze, Marina Mist,Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red
Punch: Oval
Ribbon: Whisper White Satin
Paper: Rose Red, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Thanks for stopping by....

Less is More Challenge - Take 2

This is the second card I made with circles for the Less is More challenge. I must admit that this one is more my kind of card, I think because it's simpler, more ordered, uses limited colour and plainer.... definately less is more.

The circles were cut down from the square stamp from Carte Postale, a couple of pearls finish it off.

Stampin Up Materials Used
Stamps: Carte Postale (retired), Flight of the Butterfly,
Inks: Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze
Other: Basic Pearls


Thanks for stopping by....

Less is More Challenge

I've been reading the Less is More blog over the last few weeks, but this is my very first entry. Sorry for the dark photo, the weather is so dull today that I can't get a decent photo with the lights on.

Lots of circles, white space and using up the scraps of DSP left over from another make.

SU Materials used:
Stamps: Tiny Tags
Inks: Wild Wasabi marker, Rose Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Soft Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack 
Punch: 1/2 inch circle

Thanks for stopping by....

A Baby Girl....

My neighbours recently welcomed a baby girl, so I had to make a card to say hello to the little princess. It's a pink version of the last baby card I made with a couple of very slight changes. It also uses Fox and Friends, no longer a shelf set contender!

The arty angle!

A little inside decoration too....

SU Materials:
Stamps: Fox and Friends, Whimsical Words (retired)
Inks: Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana (retired)
Punch: Oval, Scalloped Oval
Ribbon: Whisper White Satin
Paper: Pretty in Pink DSP, Pretty in Pink smooth, Whisper White

Thanks for stopping by....

Nothing fancy smanchy today....

One of those cards when you just play with stuff, not needing a card for anything in particular....

This is one for the grab box when you just need to send a note. Quick and easy .... but I did decorate the inside keeping it plain and simple too.

SU Materials:
Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly
Inks: Rose Red, Pretty in Pink
Punch: Butterfly
Other: Basic Rhinestones
Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Thanks for stopping by....

Vintage Journal....

This is one of the sample journals I made for the Here Come The Girls workshop.

It's made from greyboard, inked with Tim Holtz Distress inks and spritzed with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls. The stamps are a mix of Artimo (the swirls) and Tim Holtz (from a QVC TSV).

The J in the brass frame was covered in Ranger crackle accents.

And my deliberate (yeah right!) mistake.... to use a brass frame with silver rings. Hence so many ribbons tied around to hide the rings.

Thanks for stopping by....