Bloomin' with Beauty

I am sorry for the recent absence, after my classes last week I was in complete crafting meltdown - does that ever happen to you? When the delivery came yesterday this beautiful stamp set was part of it. Suddenly I had the urge to get in my craft room again!!

This stamp set has been overlooked for a long time as I couldn't decide if I liked it or not, but, after getting some freebies after my last order, I thought "Why not give it a go". Boy, am I pleased with it. As I was making this card ideas kept popping into my head (probably won't remember them all!!).

This diamond topped card is an old design now, but just looking at that pot of flowers made me realise that this stamp set was made for it. I used Elegant Eggplant for the card base with a layer of Handsome Hunter and the stamped images are on Very Vanilla.

It uses a whole sheet of A4 scored in half down the length. For the top diamond, score straight across the width at 10.5cm and from this score line mark 3.5cm down the centre score line. To form the underneath of the diamond mark along the long edges from the bottom up at 11.5cm, score from this mark up to the 3.5cm mark on the centre score line (on both sides). Fold the card in half along the length and open out. Fold the 10.5cm top to the inside of the card and then fold along the diagonal score lines back on itself.

That should be it.................. I think! I am not very good at blog tutorials as I talk with my hands a lot!!

All Items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Bloomin' with Beauty

Card: Elegant Eggplant, Handsome Hunter, Very Vanilla

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Handsome Hunter, Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Close to Cocoa

Mat Pack and Paper Piercer

Classy Stampin' experience

Here are the details of my next class using the gorgeous Flight of the Butterfly stamp set and the beautiful Bella Bleu designer papers. We will make a presentation box and four cards.

May 2010

Thurs 20th 9.30am - 4 places

Friday 21st 9.30am - NOW FULL

Friday 21st 7.00pm - 1 place

Saturday 22nd 10.00 am - 2 places

Places are now very limited. Contact me for more details.................

Fox and Friends Giraffe

This is the third, and final, card in the set I made on Tuesday. Again, I have used the same colours and layout, but just changed the image.

This time it is the Giraffe's turn. I stamped the image in Creamy Caramel twice, once on the Whisper White scallop circle and then again on a scrap of white. The second image was cut out and popped up on dimensional. Before I stuck this down I stamped the balloon from All in the Family Accessories stamp set, cut it out and stuck it behind the Giraffe's mouth. The sentiment is from Fun and Fast Notes.

All items Stampin' Up!

Stamp Something Simple

Here's another Stamp Something Simple project. You will have to look carefull to find the stamping on this card!!

The inspiration for this card came from the blog of a very talented US Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Patty Bennett. Her version of this card is actually made using a digital scrapbooking programme, but I decided to make it for real!!

The A6 base card is Basic Black. The gorgeous black and white paper is from the Night and Day Speciality Paper pack in the Mini. The lovely Ruby Red spotty paper is from the Patterns pack (Level 1 hostess gift). I added a strip of Basic Black cardstock and added a white flower from the Pretties kit with a red button from the Playground set in the centre. Using the new Jewellery Tag punch and the co-ordinating Tiny Tags stamp set (both in the Mini), I threaded some Linen Thread through the button and tied a little bow to finish.

All Items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Tiny Tags

Punch: Medium Jewellery Tag

Card: Basic Black

Paper: Night and Day Speciality Paper (Mini), Patterns Pack (Level 1 Hostess Gift)

Pretties Kit

Playground Buttons

Linen Thread

My Sweet Pea Event starts today!!

Today's the day!! My Sweet Pea event kicks off this morning. My lovely crafting friends will be making a slider box and three cards using the My Sweet Pea stamp set from the new Mini Catalogue.

Wish me luck!!!

Fox and Friends Monkey

This is the second card in the set that I made yesterday. As you can see I have kept the colours the same but changed the image.

This time I used the cheeky Monkey. I have him hanging from the branch from the new Bird and Branch punch (Mini Catalogue) and he has a party hat on which is from the All in the Family Accessories stamp set.

All items Stampin' Up! as previous post.

Fox and Friends Lion

I wanted to do a set of cards that all had the same colours but differenct images. As the Fox and Friends stamp set was on my desk I decided to use it. The colours I chose were Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue on a Whisper White base card. The strip of designer paper is from the Sweet Pea paper stack (Mini catalogue) and the sentiment is from Fun and Fast Notes. This is the first card using the lion image.

I die cut the largest circle from Certainly Celery cardstock, the scallop circle from Bashful Blue and the inner circle from Whisper White. The lion image is first stamped onto the inner circle in So Saffron and then stamped again in Creamy Caramel. I cut out the mane from the Creamy Caramel image and popped it up on dimensionals. I stamped the lion for a third time, this time in So Saffron again, and cut out just his face which I then glued to his mane. Around the edge of the Certainly Celery circle I doodles some faux stitches. I stamped the sentiment in Creamy Caramel and punched it out using the excellent Word Window punch.

All Items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Fox and Friends (Mini Catalogue), Fun and Fast Notes

Card: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Ink: So Saffron, Creamy Caramel

Paper: Sweet Pea designer paper stack (Mini Catalogue)

Yes, another Vintage Vogue!

I just can't help myself, this is definitely my favourite stamp set from the Mini catalogue!! And, my favourite colour combination, Bashful Blue and Basic Black.

I made a simple (yes, simple!) shutter card in Basic Black and added Bashful Blue designer papers to all but three of the panels. The two long thin panels have pieces of Bashful Blue cardstock that have been stamped using Bashful Blue ink with one of the stamps from Vintage Vogue. The rectangular panel in the centre is layers of Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. I stamped one of the sentiments from the set in Mellow Moss on the white and added the small flower which had been stamped first in Bashful Blue and then the edges were rolled in Mellow Moss ink (Rock 'n' Roll technique!). This was attached with a black brad.

I used the same technique for the large flower on the last panel and the layered flowers on the front panel, both were then attached using a Filigree silver brad with a black brad through the centre. The front panel is layers of Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. Onto the Whisper White I stamped the Friends sentiment in Mellow Moss, then on a scrap of white I stamped it again in Bashful Blue and cut out just the capital 'F' and popped this up over the Mellow Moss 'F' with dimensionals.

Sound complicated, but it's not..........honest!!

All Items Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Vintage Vogue (Mini)
Card: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Mellow Moss, Whisper White
Ink: Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue
Black Brads
Silver Filigree Brads

All the 7's Vintage Vogue bag

I saw this bag demonstrated by Monica Gale at our Stampin' Up Demonstrator training day in Sheffield recently. She used the gorgeous Vintage Vogue stamp set from the Mini Catalogue.

I call this bag the 'All the 7's' as it is so easy to make. Take a piece of A4 cardstock and score along the landscape edges at 7cm, 14cm, 21cm and 28cm. The thin piece that is left on the end is the flap and the bit you put your sticky strip on to fasten it together. Turn the card to portrait and score at 7cm down one side to form the bottom of the bag then cut along the first score lines up to this 7cm score line and cut off that little piece at the end (just upto this 7cm score line). Assemble, pinch in the top to shape and add a handle/tie of your choice to the top. I used the Round Tab punch cut in half with a hole punched out of both pieces. These were stapled to the top of the bag and then a piece of ribbon threaded through the holes and tied in a bow.


I demonstrated this bag at a party yesterday and the ladies loved it.

All Items Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Vintage Vogue (Mini Catalogue), Totally Tabs
Card: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla
Ink: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum
Punch: Round Tab punch
Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon

Monochrome Demonstration Card

I am demo'ing this card today at a party. I wanted something quick and easy, and it also needed to show the versatility of the punches. Wanted to get the wheel in somewhere too!! I made one of these flowers a while back and think they look stunning and so easy to make.

The base card is a landscape A6 in Basic Black with a piece of black and white houndstooth paper from the Night and Day speciality paper pack (in the new Mini catalogue). I rolled the Watercolour Vine wheel in Basic Black ink onto Whisper White, layered this onto a strip of Basic Black and then tied a knot of white satin ribbon around before popping up on dimensionals. The sentiment was also stamped in Basic Black and punched out using the Word Window punch.

The flower is soooo easy to make. I punched six scallop circles from designer paper and one from Basic Black. The six designer paper circles were scrunched up twice, opened back out and then attached to the Basic Black scallop circle using a brad through the centres. I then scrunched up the scallop circles again covering the brad and to make it look like a flower. This was then attached to the card with Tombow.

All Items Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Trendy Trees (sentiment)
Card: Basic Black, Whisper White
Paper: Night and Day Speciality Designer Paper
Wheel: Watercolour Vine
White Satin Ribbon
Black Brad

Classy Stampin' experience update

This is an update for my upcoming My Sweet Pea events.

Thursday 22nd April 9.30am - 2 places left
Friday 23rd April 9.30am - FULL
Friday 23rd April 7.00pm - 2 places
Saturday 24th April 10.00am - FULL

If there is anyone interested in the last few places, please note that there are now only the £7 classes available.

Simple Make and Take

I needed a simple Make 'N' Take for Thursday as there could be quite a few ladies coming to a party that my crafting friend Julie is holding at the craft group she goes to.

Fun and Fast Notes came to mind straight away as there are eight images and sentiments that I can divide between the ladies. They will each make virtually the same card, but with a different image - this also helps when demonstrating the card!!

The base card is Sage Shadow with a strip of designer paper from the Kaleidoscope collection. The image and sentiment is stamped using Basic Grey then coloured with So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Creamy Caramel inks. I layered this on a piece of So Saffron cardstock and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals.

Hope they like it/them!!!

All Items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Fun and Fast Notes

Ink: So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Creamy Caramel, Basic Grey

Card: Sage Shadow, So Saffron

Paper: Kaleidoscope DSP

Ribbon: Mellow Moss taffeta

Stamp Something Simple

I wanted to do something simple today as I have a bad back and can't move around a lot, but you've got to keep crafting haven't you..............

The Chocolate Chip base card was a left-over so I just rounded opposite corners, the Ruby Red DSP is a scrap from the Hostess Level 1 stack and the paper ribbon is a strip of Kaleidoscope DSP from my scrap box. The only 'proper' cutting and measuring was the top piece of Bridesmaid DSP. I stamped the sentiment from One of a Kind in Chocolate Chip and added a red button from the Playground button set. Not bad, I think......shame about the photography.

I am going to do Stamp Something Simple again next week - I feel liberated!!

Renovation, Renovation, Renovation!!

Roll Up, Roll Up, its's the great Stampin' Up! Colour Renovation!! Yippeeeee...............

For a while now our neighbours across the Atlantic have been able to get their hands on the most GORGEOUS new Stampin' Up! colours - "NOT FAIR" we all cried over this side! Guess what? Stampin' Up! heard our cries!!! They have completely renovated their colours and have added the most amazing new ones, and, as of 1st October 2010 we can get our British mitts on them! WOWEEEEE......... AND, that's not all! Every year Stampin' Up! will be introducing limited edition new colours to us that will live lovingly by our sides for 2 years! Don't forget, it's not just cardstock we are talking about, it's ink pads, ribbons, buttons, brads, designer papers - my poor credit card!! Want a sneak peak?

(I told you it was only a sneak peak!)

As we all know in this life there has to be some give and take.....................Stampin' Up! will be giving us the most amazing new colours, BUT there will be some casualties. In order to bring us new, exciting colours, Stampin' Up! have had to put some of our beloved colours out to pasture. Don't be too upset though as 1) You have 6 months to buy up everything you can in your favourite colours, and 2) The new ones are waiting in the wings for you to love, stroke and, maybe, use!!! Let me prepare you for those to be retired.....

I know, the pictures are rubbish, but don't panic I have a list........... Contact me for more details.

Sweet Treats for Ewe!!

Sorry, couldn't resist...........................

I saw a sheep similar to this made with Stampin' Up! punches a long time ago on You Tube, but I cannot remember who did it, very sorry!!

These Sweet Treat cups are really growing on me, they are great fun. I used the 1 3/4" circle punch to make the hole for the cup, rolled up some cotton wool into little balls and then sealed the cup inside the card. The paper with the tree is from the excellent Sweet Pea designer paper stack (Mini catalogue), which goes perfectly with my lovely sheep.

All Items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Hello Again (butterfly), One of a Kind (sentiment)

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink

Paper: Sweet Pea designer paper stack (Mini catalogue)

Card: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Basic Black

Punches: 1 3/4" Circle, Boho Blossoms, Large Oval, Word Window, 1/2" Circle, 1/4" Circle

Sweet Treat Cups (Mini catalogue)

White gel pen

Classy Stampin' experience update

Another class update.

Thurs 22nd April 9.30am - 3 places
Fri 23rd April 9.30am - Now Full
Fri 23rd April 7.00pm - 3 places
Sat 24th April 10.00 am - 2 places

May Classes will be released next week.

Vintage Vogue Book-style Box

I saw this little box at the NEC and have made a modified version.

I used the lovely Vintage Vogue stamp set from the Mini catalogue, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla cardstock, Close to Cocoa, Elegant Eggplant and Always Artichoke inks, crystal brads and some Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon.

I stamped the flowers using the 'Rock n Roll' technique, firstly stamping the image in Elegant Eggplant and then rolling the edges of the stamp around in Close to Cocoa. Fantastic...... it's a shame you cannot see the full effect.

This is probably, in my humble opinion, going to be the hottest stamp set in the catalogue, so if you haven't ordered yours yet let me know and I can get it ordered ASAP for you!!

Sweet Treats Owl

Isn't he cute? Couldn't make my mind up between chocolate M&Ms in his tum, or sunflower seeds. So I decided to take photo's of both, then eat the M&Ms!!

I prefer the sunflower seeds as they compliment the colours better - and I really like M&Ms!

I used the new Sweet Treat cups from the Mini catalogue (contact me if you would like a copy) and the 1 3/4" circle punch for his tum.

The Owl is made from various Stampin' Up! punches, including, the Round Tab punch for the head, Boho Blossoms punch for the beak and feet, Scallop circle punch for the wings, 3/4" circle, 1/2" circle and 1/4" circle for the eyes.

The background is the versatile, large swirl stamp from Baroque motifs and I added a few Old Olive leaves.

All items Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Totally Tabs

Card: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie

Punches: Round Tab, 1 3/4" circle, Boho Blossoms, Scallop Circle, 3/4" circle, 1/2" circle, 1/4" circle, Word Window

Ribbon: Old Olive grosgrain

Vintage brad

White gel pen

Bird on a Branch in an air freshener!!

Do you have those gel-scented air fresheners that dry up and leave you with a glass thing that you don't know what to do with?

The papers are from the new Sweet Pea designer paper stack and the bird and branch is the new Extra Large Two Step Bird punch, both of which can be found in the new Mini catalogue. The flower is punched with the Boho Blossoms punch.

Cute isn't it?

Classy Stampin' experience update

Just a quick update on the My Sweet Pea Events.

Thurs 22nd 9.30am - 3 places left

Friday 23rd 9.30 am - NOW FULL

Friday 23rd 7.oopm - 4 places left

Saturday 24th 10.00am - 3 places left

If you would like to do this class but cannot make the dates above, please contact me as I will be doing "Catch Up" classes at a future date.

You are One of a Kind

I kept overlooking this stamp set, but after 'acquiring'(!!) it I absolutely love it. I especially love the fact that it co-ordinates with the Boho Blossoms punch - no more cutting out little flowers!

All Items Stampin' Up!
Stamps: One of a Kind, Bird on a Branch
Card: Kraft, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Sweet Pea designer paper stack
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana
Boho Blossoms punch
Scallop Border punch
Mat Pack and Paper Piercer

Another Andrea Walford inspired card.

Classy Stampin' experience

My Sweet Pea Event
Come and join me in my craft room to make this slider box and cards using the lovely, brand new, My Sweet Pea stamp set, papers and accessories.






April 2010
Thursday 22nd 9.30am
Friday 23rd 9.30am & 7pm
Saturday 24th 10am

Class £7 or £13 which includes My Sweet Pea stamp set.
SPECIAL OFFER Book the £13 class and I will give you 10% off the brand new Sweet Pea Felt Flowers and Sweet Stitches standard wheel (this offer is a gift from me and not Stampin' Up!).

Places are limited so please book early.

It's FINALLY here!!!!

Woohoo!! The Mini catalogue is finally available to all!! As you can see from my projects, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! The birds, new space-saving punches, birds, gorgeous papers, birds, fantastic stamps, pretty felt flowers - love 'em all (especially the birds!).

Don't just take my word for it have a look for yourself................... http://http://204.228.150.61/catalogs/20100216/EUmini2010_UK.pdf

And don't forget, if you see anything you like I can post directly to you within the UK.