Make It SImple Monday - Cheerful Basket

Hello and thank you for stopping by. This week I have decided to use the Cheerful Basket stamp set with the occasional use of the dies. My first as always is a very simple card. Of course I have used my grand-daughters pencils for colouring but this time I have used the lovely bright red of Poppy Parade and Basic White card. The cards on Monday's from both Cary and I are aimed at the beginner crafter. This is quite an important thing as let's face it, we all started somewhere and followed others to get ourselves started with card making. We used to spend hours and hours trawling the internet and talking to other card makers to get advice. So we know how overwhelming it can be. 

Going back to today's card, I cut a piece of A4 card in half, lengthwise and then folded it down in half again to make the card base. I had a scrap of white in my offcuts pot that was wide enough to just add a panel across the centre. Before adding that to the card, I stamped the hearts from the stamp set twice starting roughly in the bottom centre of the panel. Then using ordinary colouring pencils, I coloured it in. The sentiment was added above the hearts and another sentiment for the inside of the card mat (the white mat). A mat is used to add layers of different sizes and colours if you want to add dimension to your projects. 

That was it really. I used multipurpose wet glue to the backs of the white mats to adhere them to the card base and this was completed. 

Make It Simple Monday - #simplestamping - Count On Me

 Hello and welcome back this week. On Saturday just gone, we held an all-day class at our usual rooms and it is so good to be back in there. Well, it would be if I had been there! Unfortunately, I came down with the dreaded Covid last week so had to stay home on Zoom! Never mind, it kept everyone else safe! This week, however, I am going to continue making animal cards. I have chosen one set that I didn't use and that is called Count On Me. 

The all-day class was based on which ever creature stamp set the attendees wanted and Cary and I made cards that could be adapted for any kind of animal stamps. It would appear to have been a good idea as everyone enjoyed being able to choose their own stamp set. Bonus! The cards on a Monday are all simple cards and this is no exception. An image and a sentiment, a squiggle with a colouring pencil and it's completed.

   

Make It Simple Monday - Love of Leaves

 Well!!! This last 2 weeks has been a real whirlwind and I think I am just beginning to come back down to earth again! Last Monday was a milestone birthday for me but the Saturday and Sunday before was our annual Retreat for the 1st time since the Covid pandemic hit us all. Unknown to me, on the Saturday evening everyone had got together and arranged a surprise birthday party for me too! So having had a break after such a busy time, this week I am pushing myself to use a stamp set that I love but have never used. AT ALL!! Love of Leaves has a coordinating set of dies which are called Stitched Leaves Dies. These are what I am working with this week. 

There are 5 different leaf stamps in the set along with a number of sentiments. Using only the one leaf stamp, I stamped into the centre of a white mat with Granny Apple Green Ink Pad. I stamped another leaf onto a post it note and cut around it. If you place another of the images over the first image, it will protect the first one and show the rest to the sides. I did this 4 times and got the leaves all together. 

If I use the same colour as I have in the white on white, I like to show the edge of the mat with the matching ink pad. Just by stepping the edges onto the pad and picking up a smidge of ink all the way around makes it pop on the card. A simple Thank You on a small scrap of white card and then it was fixed to the card front to complete this one. 

Make It Simple Monday - Saleabration - Delicate Dahlias

 Hello. Have you ever had one of those weeks when you wish there more hours in the day? I had the week that I wish the days were longer to achieve more! This, I feel is going to be another one of those weeks too. Cary goes away for 3 days on Wednesday so wants to get everything sorted for when she gets back after her mini Disney Cruise. She's really excited but as she's so busy, she hasn't had much time to get prepared for the trip! This week sees me making the most of the remainder of the Saleabration for this year. I have used for my first card a set called Delicate Dahlias.

I stamped with the outline stamp randomly over the white card mat then using the blending stamp, I filled the image in. It's called 2 step stamping. Now I wouldn't ordinarily use a 2 step stamp set for a #simplestamping project but this one is so very easy to use. I used the lovely peachy pink coloured ink of the Flirty Flamingo Ink pad. A simple Happy Birthday message on the front and another on the inside. The 2 sentiments were from another FREE stamp set called In Your Words.

  The stamps and dies that I use this week are all from the Saleabration booklet that started in August and ends at the end of September. So less than 2 weeks to go. To acquire any of the products in the booklet, when you make a purchase of £45 or more from either of the Stampin' Up! catalogues, you have the opportunity to choose a FREE product. I like FREE stuff. Don't You? In this booklet, there are DSP's (Designer Series Papers), Stamp sets and die sets. There's quite a choice.

Make It Monday - Pampered Pets

 Hello and welcome back to the 2 Big Girls Crafting Blog. I hope you have all been crafting crazy and you are all well? I'm in my element as I've been making cards galore this week and having a ball! I couldn't decide which stamp set to use this week so I asked my granddaughter Bella to choose a set. She chose the lovely Pampered Pets. As soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. We have 2 dogs, both Cocker Spaniels no cats but these cat images are gorgeous.

My first card is aimed at a beginner to make. The idea is that anyone just starting out would have a stamp set, ink pad, paper and/or card. So today's card is a way to help a beginner crafter get started. I stamped the images onto a basic white mat (a piece of card or paper) 0.5cm smaller than the card base, which in this case, when folded in half is 14.85cm by 10.5cm. 

If you would like more information on this stamp set or other products, please click HERE 

It will open up in a new page. 

Make It Monday - Batik Bouquet

 Hello and thank you for joining me today. I will be using the Batik Bouquet stamp set this week for my cards.  Today I have used only Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad for this card. #Simplestamping is the theme for Monday's and with this card today, this is just the ticket! I have stamped the flower, the centre of the flower, and the leaves with the Memento and then drew a line using a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker Pen. I have coordinated the stamps this week with the sentiments from Best Year. 

Make It Monday - Wild Cats

Welcome back on this wet Monday! Well, as it always is in the UK rain follows sun and as we had the most amazing weather over the last week, it had to come to an end. For now. I'm a glass half full kind of person, I like to look on the optimistic side. Sometimes! Well, this week I have challenged myself to use a stamp set that I have no idea what to do with and here it is! Stampin' Up!'s Wild Cats is just that. I have 2 cards to show you the other 2 were torn up and thrown in the recycling! 

Anyway using only Stamps, Ink and White Card I made the first one. I stamped the big cat straight onto the card then the stripes and finally stamped the plants around and above. A simple sentiment and it's complete. 

The second card has a little extra as I used the coordinating DSP or Designer Series Paper. These double sided papers have the most amazing designs on. I chose the simple plants piece but this time stamped the cat onto a piece of white card, fussy cut it out and then fixed it to the front panel. A sentiment on White card and the insides, then both cards were completed. 2 very simple cards that when I stopped over thinking it, I found very quick to put together. Typical! That's me! 😂😂

 

 

 

Make it Monday - Meant To Be

 Hello and welcome back. Didn't Cary show some amazing cards last week just using the scraps on her table? Incredible cards Cary, as always.  My week was a really lazy one last week. Apart from sorting through bits and pieces we have for the retreat we are holding in March, I relaxed for a change! I made time for my grandchildren and the family. It was lovely spending time with them all. Theo, who turned 1 year old 2 weeks ago, suddenly on Friday just got up and walked across the room! It was so amazing to see him do his little toddle. I'm glad I had time to watch and play with him too.

Anyway, back to this week. I couldn't decide which stamp set to show you this week so I opened the catalogue at no particular page and chose the stamps there. The first to show you is cards using Meant To Be stamp set and the other for is Strong and Beautiful. One has lots of lovely images of hearts and the other lots of gorgeous sentiments. I'm not sure how much I will use the 2nd set but I have it just in case!

 One of my favourite colours at the moment is this gorgeous shade of lilac or Highland Heather as Stampin' Up! call it. I have made a very simple card and one slightly stepped up by using the matching heart shaped dies called Stitched Be Mine. Please don't worry about your eyesight as I have fixed the front white mat on at an angle!

Watercolour Wednesday - Delicate Petals

 Hello again on this really cold day here in the UK. Boy it is really cold today! Never mind, I don't care as I'm having fun crafting and making cards. I never get bored when I'm making cards, do you? Today's card is watercoloured but when I started it, I had no idea how it was going to materialise into one! I started by stamping the large petal 3 times onto some post it notes or sticky labels. I peeled off 4 together and cut through all 4 layers which then gave me 16 petal shapes. I then stamped onto a piece of white card and stamped each petal one by one covering each petal after it was stamped as I didn't want the ink to go onto the previously stamped one. 

You can see here what they all looked like once I had finished. Leaving the post it notes in situ enabled me to stamp the smaller petal on the edges so that they just popped through the other petals. I then fussy cut it out.

 

After I fussy cut the flower out, I stamped some of the smaller petals again but this time the were inked with the lovely soft yellow of So Saffron and I 'kissed' the petals with Pear Pizazz, the lovely soft green ink. Kissing the stamp with other inks just gives the tips and the edges of the petals a different shade of colour. It was at this stage that I inked an acrylic block with the soft yellow and using a water brush, I washed the ink across the petals. One by one, they were each added to the next in a spiral and I finished off with circle in the centre. For a change, I added Rhinestones to the card to give some sparkle to conplete it.  

 

Make It Monday - Delicate Petals

Well, we are all now well and truly into the New Year and I hope that you all had a lovely break over the Christmas and New Year holidays? Cary has made some gorgeous fun projects once again to start the year off for us all. I hope that she has inspired you to do some lovely projects based on her cards.

Anyway back to this week, I will be aiming to show you some projects using one of the new stamp sets called Delicate Petals. It's not one of the sets that I would normally jump at but I am so please that I did! It really is quite delicate (just as it says). I have made a very simple card by stamping the main floral image once and adding a few of the little flower sprays and a few little dots here and there. I used one of my favourite colours Poppy Parade and Whisper White cardstock. I edged the mat that I stamped on with the Ink Pad to make the mat pop off the page. I hope it pops for you too? I'm really pleased with the simplicity of this card that I love it!

As Cary explained, January sees the start of another Seasonal Catalogue. The just released seasonal catalogue from Stampin' Up! is soon to be followed by the New Annual Catalogue in a few months too.  Until then and in conjunction with the seasonal catalogue we have our annual Saleabration season. This is usually for 3 whole months but this year we will be getting 2 lots of Saleabration. One in January and February and the other in July and August. Every Saleabration, we always have a special offer for you to join our team of demonstrators. This month it is a kit of your choice for only £99 which you get to choose to the value of £130. In addition to that, you get 5 packs of Designer Series Papers too! What an absolute Bargain! 

If you are interested in joining our amazing team of wonderful demonstrators please just drop us a line or message us here and we will get back to you. Being a demonstrator with all of the amazing products, demonstrator benefits and most importantly, working for the very best company ever! You just cannot go wrong. Start your new year off the right way, loving what we do and sharing what we love.

Gill xxx😍😍