BOTANICAL BLOOMS/PICTURE PERFECT FUN FOLD

I was sad to see the Botanical Blooms and the Framelits on the retiring list so I thought I would break them out for one last challenge before the end of May.  The challenge over at SUO Challenges this week is All That's Feminine.  We have already had Mother's Day here in the UK which falls in March for us.  This card would be just as suitable for a birthday card or an anyday love you card.

I've been inspired to make some Fun Fold cards this week thanks to Dawn Griffiths - she's always my number one go to for Videos and she never fails to get me crafting.  I've done a few of her fun folds lately which can't be disclosed yet as they are for some future challenge blogs but here's one I can show.

 I used Crumb Cake as my base and some of the retiring DSP Falling in Love papers which are so pretty.  I also used the words from Picture Perfect which is also sadly retiring.

These images show what the card is like when it is standing up. 

 I have thrown the lot at these cards, there is Wink of Stella on the flowers,  Very Vanilla Lace Trim , Basic Pearls and Enamel Dots and Hearts and Copper Metallic Thread.



 

STAMPIN UP GIFT CARD BAG - DESIGNER SERIES PAPER - YOU TUBE TUTORIAL

Here's a quick little gift bag you can make with any of our gorgeous Designer Series Papers.  It would be great for gift cards or vouchers.  I have shown two sizes here but you can make them any size you lik.  The larger size was made by drawing a circle around a CD - the smaller one was made with the largest of our Stitched Framelits.

 I used some of our Designer Series Stack papers for the smaller ones and Blooms and Bliss DSP for the larger.

There isn't actually any stamping with this little project.  The flowers were cut out using Botanical Builder Framelits.

 
 

EASTER BOXES - GLOBAL DESIGN PROJECT #GDP071

The Challenge over at Global Design Project #GDP071 this week is a 3D challenge.

Which is very handy for me as I'm in the process of organising some Video Tutorials for Feb featuring Easter Boxes.

Here's one of the first which is the very popular Origami Box.  This is not my invention - I first saw it on Dawn Griffiths' blog and she in turn saw it on Elaine's blog and so the internet twirls round!

For my twist on it - I've used some of our lovely DSP Stacks paper which has some gorgeous papers suitable for Spring and Easter.  This colour yellow is so vibrant you can't help but think of spring and daffodils (Welsh girl see) and I think its a really cheery box.

It takes a lot of folding but once you know where you are going with it its so easy to make and you can adjust the sizes.

I will link up the tutorial here cause its easier to see it being folded than try and describe.

For the flower on the top I punched out the same paper with the scallop punch and just cut it into a twirl.  I added some of the leaves from the Botanical Framelits, the only bit of stamping (!), and some enamel dots.

 

THANKFUL THOUGHTS, AVANT-GARDEN,

They say there are no mistakes in crafting, only creative opportunities.

Well, that's what happened with this card today.  I wanted to make a Thank You card and use the Thankful Thoughts stamp set.  I stamped it first in Early Espresso but it missed a bit on the stamping.  I then tried to restamp it - tricky with rubber stamps and of course it didn't work, but what it did do was create a shadow.  Which I liked.  So I re-did it and added the shadow.

I added some of the flowers from the Sale-A-Bration set Avant Garden - a FREE set if you spend £45 on either of our catalogues.  I also used some of the Botanical Builder Framelits to add a flower.

I'm not a peach lover - well not since the 1980's when I actually had it as wallpaper gulp!  But actually I think it looks quite nice against the black here and with the Early Espresso ink it gives the peach a bit more punch.

Are you a lover of Peekaboo Peach?

 HAPPY CRAFTING

 

SIMPLY SKETCHED SATURDAY CHALLENGE - BEAUTIFUL YOU SNEAK PEEK

Welcome to another Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge - our last for 2016.

Our sketch by the very talented Amanda Charlesworth was a tricky one this month.  Here's an example of her sketch by Amanda herself.



I've been naughty and used one of the up and coming new sets from the 2017 Spring Catalogue.  This is going to be such a well loved set and is called Beautiful You.  It has wonderful images and some lovely word stamps also. 

There is also something special about the way this image was coloured but.... you will have to wait until January til I reveal what I used!!!!

I've also used the Botanical Builder Framelits with this card just to show we can still love our old products. 

 The flower has a touch of our bronze thread behind it and uses some of the Blooms and Bliss Designer Paper.

Pop along on our blog hop to find your next bit of inspiration at Justyna's blog

Or if you are working backwards click on the link below to be taken back to Keila's Blog

HAPPY CRAFTING

 

WHY AM I A CRAFTER - SPLITCOAST STAMPERS CREATIVE DESIGN CREW

I'm lucky to be on a great team within SU with an inspiring Upline who recently set us the task of telling "our Story".  What started our journey with Stampin' Up!

My story actually began back in 2002.  I started crafting when a friend introduced me to scrapbooking and I took to it like a duck to water.  Before that the last time I had used glue, paper, inks had been when I was in Junior School and I loved the relaxing feel I got when scrapbooking precious family memories.

In 2002 our lives changed when we moved from Hampshire in the UK to Houston Texas.  I met a neighbour who knew I scrapbooked and asked whether I had ever tried rubber stamping.  I said no and she invited me over to my very first Stampin Up demo as she was a demonstrator.  She told me I would get hooked and at the time I didn't believe her.  Well.... she was right!  I loved everything about it and the fact that here I was, someone who didn't consider myself to have a creative flair for drawing, or paper or ink and I was making art!  Stampin Up made it easier for me and I was drawn into this creative world.

Fast forward to 2005 and I returned home to the UK with all the stamps and ink I could bring!  Fast forward three more years to 2008 and Stampin Up finally came to the UK and I signed up as one of the very first demos.  Sadly, though my time with SU only lasted a year and I actually put away all my crafting tools and didn't do anything for a long time.  

In 2015 I started up a small soap company and one day whilst looking for inspiration for soap boxes I came across Sam Hammond on YouTube making boxes.  So I got out all my old SU stuff and had a go.  I found I loved it so much I contacted Sam, became a Demo again and swapped soap for paper.

Twenty years ago I had given up my career to look after my children.  When they no longer needed me and they went off to University I looked around for a part-time job.  Even with my skills no-one wanted to hire me because I had been out of the workplace for 20 plus years.  So digging deep and finding some confidence I decided I was going to try and start my own business and it was going to include Stampin Up.

It has not been easy and it still isn't but then starting a business never is.  It takes time, money, committment and yes I believe a little luck.  I am still my best customer but I have a small customer base and I am going to keep knocking on doors and building my little empire and hopefully, as it says in the movies, they will come.

One of my favourites places to hang out when I first started using SU was Splitcoast Stampers.  A great forum with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for Stampin Up and now other stamp companies.

Imagine my delight when last month they asked me to be on their Design Team for the next few months.

Here are my projects for October:

Project one  was to be inspired by the image and I used the Jar of Love set and the flowers from Botanical Builder Framelits.

The second project was a step it up card - I used the lovely stampset Wetlands with some watercolouring in the background.

 The third project was a sketch and I turned the sketch around.  I used the set Totally Trees.

 The fourth project had to be a technique - so I used this great technique of a magic card which when it opens the sentiment is shown.
 

 All the other Design Team projects can be found on Splitcoast Stampers in the gallery here

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Crafting 

 

WATERCOOLER BLOG HOP

 


I've really enjoyed playing along with the Watercooler Wednesday challenge every week and I'm delighted to be part of the Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop for August 2016. This is our theme and this was our brief:

THEME:  Stepping it up:  One, Two, Three!

RULES:   Project one:  The simple, “I’m in a hurry” card.  Project two:  A look at the same card, stepped up a bit, “I have a bit more time to fuss” version.  Project three:  The same card again but this time totally stepped up, “Let’s see how fancy I can make this card” version.

Pop along our blog hop and see all the great creations the team has done for you.  Click on the images below to be taken along on a fabulous creative ride.

Sorry to show you Christmas in August but I've been using some of our new stamps from our Winter Catalogue and once you start you just can't stop!! You can start purchasing from 1st September and if you're in the UK all products can be found on my Website.

So my basic card is a gatefold card which uses one of the framelits from the Botanical Builder set.  The cardstock is Old Olive.  The two images on the front were made with one of our new sets Merriest Wishes and the Merry Tags framelit dies which match.

STEP ONE - BASIC CARD

The inside of the card has been layered onto some of our This Christmas Designer Series Paper and stamped with a sentiment from the Merriest Wishes set.

 Just a little tip here but I'm sure you all know it.  When I'm using some paper as a background, and to not waste every little scrap of DSP or cardstock I cut out images or shapes from the paper before I layer it.

As you can see here - the cut out images are covered but I have some more pieces to use at a later date.

STEPPING IT UP - STEP TWO

I've added some more details to my card in Step Two.  The cut out that we used above has been cut and glued onto the reindeer and the trees to co-ordinate with the background DSP and to add some extra interest to the beautiful reindeer bauble.  I've used another stamp from the Merriest Wishes to the Glad Tidings and popped the sentiment up on a dimensional to add some extra interest.

 Here you can see the DSP cut out and glued onto the Reindeer and the Trees.

STEPPING IT UP - STEP THREE


So now I've gone all out with the added extra interest.  I've stamped another of the stamps onto the bottom of the bauble.  I've added some Warmth and Cheer Designer Washi Tape to the edges of the cardstock so that they meet in the middle and a touch of our new Candy Cane Lane Baker's Twine which is whisper white with a thread of metallic red running through it  to add some glitter along the side of the card.  There is a touch of Wink of Stella on the Reindeer and the Trees to help the bling along.

Inside I've added Ho Ho Ho which comes from the new Greetings from Santa set.
Some Basic Rhinestone on the top of the Be Joyful adds a touch more bling.

And here you can see the finished card in all its glory.

 

THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG - NOW HOP ALONG TO HEIDI'S BLOG TO SEE WHAT SHE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

 

 

 If you're going backwards through our blog hop pop back to Marie Green's blog to see what she has done for you

IF YOU WANT TO POP BACK HOME - JUST CLICK BELOW TO BE TAKEN TO THE START OF THE BLOG

 

 HAPPY CRAFTING