One of a kind

 Today I'm taking part in a Stampin' Up! UK event in Reading , Berkshire.  I'm honoured to be one of the demo's presenting 😱 I have to admit to being a bit nervous but excited at the same time! Here is the card I'm sharing with my fellow demo's.  Wish me luck 🫣

Here's the card I'll be sharing.  It's using the beautiful One of a Kind stamps. Don't you just love how versatile snowflakes  are? Their unique nature lends itself to non traditional colours so well!

Inside is a hidden pocket for either cash or a gift card/ voucher.  A simple addition that makes a somewhat boring gift that little bit more special.

Well that's all for now as I'm off to the event . Wish me luck 😉

One of a kind

 Where do you get your inspiration from ? Is question I'm often asked and one of the main answers is you! After hosting an amazing all day class yesterday I was inspired by the creativity of the wonderful group of crafters I spent the day with. Inspiration can be found in many places but for me crafting with others and for others is often the best way. What about you? Where do you find inspiration? 

The colour of today's card was inspired by one of the cards created in the class yesterday by a wonderful crafter called Lindsey Wallace. She created an amazing blended background for one of her projects . This led to me using the fab One of a Kind stamps to make an embedded resist technique background.  This fun stamp set is so pretty. 

The technique is easy start by heat embossing you chosen images randomly over your cardstock using clear embossing powder.  Once heat set blend your inks over the panel. Top tip keep a clean soft cloth or tissue to hand and every so often gently buff the ink off the embossed areas. This allows the images to pop through the inked area nicely. 

The take a little water and splattered it over the panel placing a piece of kitchen roll over it immediately to soak up the water droplets and excess ink. Then take a wink of stella and splatter over the panel for extra glimmer. 

The sentiments in the One of a Kind stamps are so cute. A simple swoosh of iridescent stripped trim and a few clear adhesive sequins finish the card nicely .

I hope you enjoy today's card and maybe found a little inspiration from it 😉

White Christmas card

 I have a problem and I'm hoping you can help... I love colour, I use it all the time but I have a secret desire to create using just white! So no colour 😱 Now I've tried before and often dream about how to accomplish this but it's a work in progress.  Do you have the same problem? Do you try to create with no colour? 

Here's a fairly simple white Christmas card. White is perfect for winter cards don't you think? As always when working with white you have to consider texture because how else are you going to create interest on your card? Another thing to consider when working with no colour is depth. Layers help create that all important interest on your card. 

So here it is...

The texture on the front is created using the fantastic Forever plaid 3d embossing folder. The parcels , swag and stars are all die cut  using the the Christmas Friends dies as is the circle appature,  such a useful set! 

The stars, bow and parcel ribbon are all die cut using the oh so beautiful white glimmer paper from a mixed pack of Pink, green and white glimmer paper. Using glimmer or glitter is another great way to add a little something something to your all white no colour card.

But how do you add a sentiment 🤔 . Well the technique  used for this card is to heat emboss using silver embossing powder.  I'm not sure it really counts as an all white or no colour card now though 🫣

What do you think? Do you have any suggestions?  If you do please share as I continue my search for the perfect no colour card.

Fun pop out gift card holder/card

 Today's post is a follow up to my Facebook live from Monday. Below are the measurements for this fun pop out gift card holder/ card. 

The card needs 2 pieces of cardstock measuring 14cm x 14cm, 1 piece measuring 23cm x 14cm scored at 11cm, 1 piece measuring 16cm x 10cm scored at 2cm  and finally a piece measuring 16cm x 4cm scored at 1cm from each end.

To see how this all goes together watch here

This is a fun and interactive card that makes giving a gift card just a little more fun 😀

60th birthday card

 Today's post is about friendship. Yesterday I celebrated my childhood friends 60th birthday. Rosalyn and I meet when we were 9 and have been friends ever since over 50 years! 😱 Although it wasn't her actual birthday we had arranged to have lunch with another long time friend, only 38 years this time, we did a little crafting and a lot of chatting 😀 as you'd expect! It was such a lovely time. We even had birthday cake 🎂 😋.  

Not all friendships are that long standing some are very new! Last Friday and Saturday I made some new friends at #backstage@home. This was a Stampin' Up! Event that even though it took place on-line had lots of break out sessions where we got put into smaller groups of 4 or 5 to brainstorm and chat . As SU is a global company I  got to chat with fellow demo's from north America, the south Pacific and Europe! I was even fortunate enough to be in a group with Shelli Gardner the founder of the company! I love that my crafting passion gives me the opportunity to meet new people and create connections and community with so many diverse people! 

But one thing I did find time for in my busy weekend was to make a card to celebrate my friend Roz and with her permission I'm sharing it today.

I have used the Beautiful Layers of beauty stamp, die and mask bundle to create the focal point on the front of the card. The colour palette was dictated by the pattern papers chosen for the inside of the card.

A special birthday deserves a special card and the rich gold and chocolate colour palette works wonderfully with the Nature's Sweetness patern papers. The candles are simple 1cm by 6cm strips of the gorgeous paper and the flames are made with a gold glimmer paper,sadly retired, and the Bough punch. Super easy which is very good when you need to make 60 of them!

To create the space for all these candles cut 3 panels 10.5cm x 29.7cm and score each at 14.85cm.  Next use a stip of the coordinating paper to attach the panels together . These 2 strips of pattern paper measuring 10.5cm x 6cm scored at 3cm act as a hinge on the reverse of the panels. Then cut 2 panels measuring 14.85cm x 10.5cm.  These are attached to the front and back of the concertina portions. 

I decorated the back of the card as the place to write my personal message because no space goes un decorated! 

To keep the card closed cut 3 lengths of gold twine which are secured behind the back panel. These then wrap around and tie in a fun bow.

Making and giving a card is a great way to share not only your creativity but also a way to show that you care and value the recipient. So make a card and give it to a friend these little pieces of artwork hold far more value than you think and strengthen the bonds of friendship. 

And here is my dearest friend Roz with her yummy cake. 

Live at 5 measurements

 Hi 👋 if you saw my Live at 5 on Monday below are the measurements and a scoring/cutting guide. If you didn't see it here are the finished boxes...

And here is the video...

The box starts with 2 pieces of pattern paper each measuring 15cm x 15cm.  Score one at 4cm on all 4 sides. In the video I recommend cutting the tabs on the this one so that you know that this is the base.

 Score the second one at 3.9cm on all 4 sides. This will become the lid. Now you're going to take a piece of coordinating cardstock measuring 9cm x 29.7cm.  Score at 7cm, 14cm, 21cm and 28cm.

Watch the video to see how easily it all comes together to create these elegant boxes. 

Christmas Friends

 Today's project is a little bit of a marmite one. Marmite is a yeast spread here in the UK that people either love or hate. I happen to love it especially on hot buttered toast yummy 😋... but back to the card 🤣. It's not the Christmas Friends stamp set that might make you go one way or the other on the card because this is just a super cute stamp set!

The reason this card is a little how shall I say it 🤔 .... polarising... is the colour palette! 

Yes it's a yellow Christmas card 💛! After thinking about what to make I came to the conclusion that I don't think I've ever made a yellow Christmas card!  Now pink, purple, orange all non-tradional colour palettes for the festive season I've made but never yellow! Not wanting to leave it out today's sample is most definitely yellow forward 🤣

By blending lemon lolly ink over a die cut circle keep the center lighter and the edges a deeper tone you can create a bright pop of colour to use behind the oh so cute mr moose 🫎. 

Mr moose is coloured with light and dark pecan pie Stampin' Blends (alcohol markers) with lemon lolly scarf, socks and skates. 

The sentiment is from a set called One of a kind and works well especially as the Christmas Friends dies have these cute little  music notes 🎶 !

For the inside there was a scrap of embossed white cardstock on the table that called out not to be wasted 😉 

So what do you think? Yes or no to a yellow colour palette for Christmas cards?

Christmas Friends

 A quick post and a quick card using the cute Christmas Friends stamp set today. 

It all starts by creating a mask for the character of choice, in this case the owl. Making a mask is where you stamp the image on to a piece of making paper or as in this case stamping along  the edge closest to the sticky part of a sticky note. Then fussy cut the image out along the stamped edge. Next stamp the same image where you want it placed on your cardstock mat. Use the mask to cover the image. 

Then apply ink using a blending tool over the masked area and beyond as desired. You can then also add splatters of ink to add further interest to the mat.

Then remove the mask and uncover your stamped image and colour as desired. 

The colour of the blending on this card is a pretty soft lilac called fresh freesia.  Not your typical Christmas colour but certainly eye catching 😉

 

I had to add another cheeky owl to the inside of the card. Do you decorate inside your cards?

The appropriate sentiment from the stamp set and a few sequins to match his pink hat and the card was complete.

Christmas Friends

 Today's card features a fun technique called mirror or reverse stamping. This technique allows you to have your image face the other way. This is really useful when you want your characters to face each other as in todays Christmas Friends inspiration.  The cute mouse just calls out for a friend to sing with don't you agree? 

To All you need to do this is a smooth surface .  The smooth surface could be a silicone mat or a glass cutting mat or even a piece of acetate.  

Now stamp your image onto the smooth surface then place your cardstock on top and gently apply even pressure making sure not to rub. You don't want to smudge the image. You might want to practice a few times so that you become familiar with the pressure needed etc.

Once you've taken the cardstock up your image will be facing the opposite way!