This or That Thursday Snowy Wonder

 Once a month Gill and I host a card and a cuppa event at a local cafe. Last Monday was one such event. We both make a smaple and people come along and make one of the cards, have a drink and lots of chatting and laughs.  It's  a fun way to spend a Monday morning for sure! Well this week I created a sample that the attendees could make using the fun Snowy Wonder and just 1 colour plus white.

For my sample I used a lovely navy blue.  This monochromatic palette is very attractive don't you agree?

To add depth and to the card use both 1st and 2nd generation stamping. This fun easy technique makes the most of your ink pads! All you do is ink the stamp once then stamp not just once but twice and even three times with our relinking the stamp! 

The effect of the navy and white colour palette is very elegant. The design is a little more contemporary but still elegant.

I liked the design of the card so much that I decided to recreate it but using a far more contemporary Christmas colour pallette.. pink!

I think the pink version is fun and will appeal to all ages for sure. The design is the same and the generational stamping is the same but it has a much warmer feel don't you think?

But which do you prefer?  This with it's elegant navy colour palette? Or That with it's fun pink colour palette? 

This or That Thursday Leaf collection

 Today's card is made using a technique that I haven't played with in a long while. Called the press and seal floating frame technique. Australia demo Kylie Bertucci's husband Bruno has a great video sharing it on YouTube. So with this technique in mind I set out to create using this technique and the wonderful Leaf collection stamp. 

I placed the stamp on to my glass mat and using blending brushes and 3 shades of pink/purple ink added the ink to the stamp. A dark called moody mauve, a mid tone called petunia pop and a light shade called fresh freesia. Place a mat of basic white cardstock on to the stamp and using your hand apply pressure. Carefully remove the stamped image.  Now add another piece of cardstock onto the stamp again. This image will be much paler but will act as your reference. 

Next fussy cut all the images out of the first image. Place a piece of press and seal with the sticky side upwards and add the cut out pieces on top in the appropriate place.

Once completed cut some more press and seal cut side down on top. (If you're in the UK you can purchase press and seal via Amazon 😉) Now cut a piece of white cardstock slightly larger than the reconstructed panel. Then seperate the press and seal from the reverse of the fussy cut images. Now place the cardstock on the back and press the press and seal down. This will keep all the pieces in place while you you trim the panel to the size of your card front.

Now take a die that will create an appature in  the middle of the panel. I have used one of the Deckled rectangle dies and cut one from the center of the panel. You now have 2 pieces.  Take the first one and carefully pull the press and seal up with the images attached, a small area at a time and adhere 3d foam to the stamped images. Once all the pieces are attached to the cardstock very carefully pull the press and seal off. Now do the same with the second piece. 

Once your floating frame and center are ready create 2 cards. I have kept these cards quite clean and simple and let the floating panels be the stars 🌟 

First up is the frame card...

I used an embossing folder to add texture to the appature and then added a sentiment from the Thoughtful moments hybrid embossing folder and die.

The second card used the rectangle from the middle of the frame....

 

By adding another layer of white behind the die cut panel it makes the image pop. The sentiment is stamped directly onto the card base.

Now the question is which do you prefer 🤔 the frame or the panel? 

This or that Thursday Beach Day

 Do you like to colour? Or paper piece? That is today's This or That conundrum.  Both  cards are identical apart from how the fun surfboards from the Beach Day stamp set get their colour!

The first card has a soft colour palette and is coloured in with alcohol markers. The yellow background has been embossed with the fun So Swirly embossing folder. The pops of black help to give this card a crisp feel even though the colours are subtle.

 

The paper pieced card has a colour palette that uses shades of the same colours as the coloured in one. But the colours have a more regal feel to them. The pattern papers used are from the Regals 6"x6" paper pack. Again the pop of black gives the card a lovely crisp feel.

So which do you prefer 🤔 to colour? Or to fussy cut?

This or That Thursday pattern paper week

 Let's talk neutrals... neutral colour cardstock that is! why are we talking about this? Well sometimes the choice of neutral cardstock is dictated by the pattern paper you choose. Well the paper of the day is one called Perennial Lavender , with it's 15% off for the month of August. 

Isn't it pretty? The soft colour palette of lilacs and greens is off set by the gentle kraft colour. Now I'm  a lover of this kraft shade called crumb cake but Gill doesn't like it at all! So for today's This or That Thursday let's see which version you prefer 😉 

So here's the This version for Gill...

Using basic white for the cardstock and picking papers that don't have crumb cake in makes for quite a fresh looking card.

Then there is the crumb cake version...

Don't you think the soft crumb cake  is lovely?

So which do you prefer 🤔 

This or That Thursday Attention Shoppers

 The question for today is  cut flowers? Or plants? Whatever way you go as the sentiment says " shopping is always a good idea " 🤣 It certainly when I purchases the Attention Shoppers bundle !

Now the stamps are nice and easy to fussy cut by themselves bit the Dies have an added extra that is so much fun... a shopping trolley! 

But let's get back to the question plants? Or cut flowers? 

First up let's look at the plants card. This card utilises the shopping trolley dies to creat the type of flat bed trolley you might find in a garden center.

The Spotlight on Nature dies are a fantastic set of circle dies that are just so useful! And I've used them a lot lately 😅 The cut flower card has a circle from the set as well!

Now I have to say that I'm team both! I love cut flowers around my home and beautiful plants in my garden. But what about you? Are you team plants or team cut  flowers ?

This or That Thursday Simply Sparkling

 Today's This or That is a question about shades of colour. Are you a bright and bold person? Or a soft and subtle one? Both are made using the fantastic Simply Sparkling dies. 

The first sample is the This card. Made using a soft shade of peachy orange called , rather appropriately, Peach Pie.  It features the cute peach die cuts.

The  background is made using a lovely 3d embossing folder called Distressed Tile.  Overall this card has a soft delicate feel that reminds me of a perfectly ripe peach 🍑 warm and fuzzy.

The That card is made using a far bolder shade of orange called Pumpkin Pie. The feel of this card is bolder and in someways Mediterranean. 

The zesty fruit and the bright bold colours certainly make it one that stands out!

Both This and That will suit different people that's for sure. But which do you prefer? 

This or That Thursday Sweet Peas

 Does this ever happen to you? You look at a new stamp set and fall in love with one little stamp and buy the whole set because of it! Well that's what happened with me and the Sweet Peas stamp set. And the image that sparked so much joy?... the little grumPea!

Isn't he just hilarious?  He reminds me so much of my grandson when he was smaller and about to get very cross because he couldn't have his own way! The great thing about being a grandparent is that you get to find things funny when as a parent you have to be serious 😄 

So with the stamp sorted on to the real question are you team clean and simple?

Or team layers ?...

Both cards are using the gorgeous Sweet Peas images and punny sentiments but which is your style?

I'm team grumPea for sure 😜😅

This or That Thursday Citrus Blooms

 Do you go around in circles? Not literally 🤣 rather does your style or your favourite product ? It seems as though I'm on a pattern paper kick. This is probably because the papers around at the moment are really appealing especially  the Mediterranean Blooms paper that coordinate with the Citrus Blooms bundle. 

The only problem with these gorgeous papers is which side to use!

Do you go for the bright , bold and zesty.....

or the calm, serene and cool ones?

Both have a fresh vibe that is so right for summer. 

The papers are so nice it's a shame to waste any of it! So the negative from the die cuts make great decorative elements for the inside of your card.

So what do you think 🤔 are you team bright and zesty or calm and cool?

This or That Thursday friends for life

 Well it's all go here! I'm having a 2 night sleepover at my daughters house taking care of my grandson whilst my daughter and son-in-law are both away on work trips. So I get to take my boy to school and pick him up and take him home 😁 as well as play silly nanny 😜 Good job I made today's and tomorrow's card in advance because I've been a busy bunny already and it's only day 1!

Anyway back to what you're really here for .... some more Friends for life stamps and coordinating dies and the fabulous pattern paper! And boy is it a great pack of paper!

The bold colours and fantastic prints make this a great pack of paper for sure! Perfect for all ages and works well for both men and women! It is suitable for so many styles as well... 

Today's inspiration show how the softer sides of the paper work equally as well as the bold and bright side. The designs are the same but look very different. 

First here's the subtle one . The gentle ombre and the soft blues and greens.

The white space and white leaf die cuts help to create the perfect foil for the pattern paper. 

The second version uses some of the bold more formulated pattern paper.

The use of white here make the colours pop. The pattern reminds me of an artist box of paints ! 

As always don't waste any small strips of these gorgeous papers by usingbthem on the inside of the cards!

Well which do you prefer the soft and subtle version or the bright and bold one? I have to admit to being a little more partial to the bold one 😉

This or That Thursday Simply Zinnia

 Let me introduce you to a new core colour from Stampin' Up! Called Basic Beige it's a new addition to the neutrals colour family.  It's a great addition that will work so well with so many colour palettes. It comes in ink, cardstock, reinker and ribbon.

 

So with this neutral in mind I wondered how it would work with the pretty floral Simply Zinnia stamp set. Well I chose other shades of beige/light brown for the colour palette and am very happy with the final result!

I stamped the large flower head randomly across a piece of basic white cardstock in the basic Beige,  crumb cake and pecan pie ink. I then went around the edges of the card and blended first the Beige then on the very edge crumb cake with blending brushes. I stamped the sentiment on white in pecan pien the darkest shade, and blended the dies as with the stamped piece. A few pearl gems and it was complete.

As it's This or That Thursday there had to be another card to chose from so using the same designe I have created a version using one of the new 2024-2026 In-Color's called Peach Pie. I used 2 other peachy /orange colours to work with it to complete the card.

For the inside of each card I stamped and blended around the white mat .

So which do you prefer 🤔 This with it's neautral colour palette?  Or That with it's  bold orange colour way?

This or That Thursday Submarine Life

 Is it under the sea? Or flying through the air?  Who knew a submarine could be both!!! Well when you're using the amazing Submarine Life stamps and punch they can be both 😃 That is one of the amazing things about creating with stamps,  ink and paper the only limit is your imagination! 

So here is the under the sea version...

And the flying through the air version....

Both cards are simply made using stamps, ink , paper and utilising the coordinating punch. The clouds on the in the air version are from a die set but could so easily have just been cut by hand.

So which are you?  Team under the sea? Or team flying through the air? 

This or That Thursday Cheerful Daisies

Are you a tonal colour palette person or a rainbow palette one? Whichever your preference is Cheerful Daisies is the stamp set for you!

Today's samples are made with a pink colour palette for the first option....

And a rainbow palette for the second ....

The colour is added using a stamp set called Of Art and Texture.  This stamp set is an online exclusive so can't be found in any catalogue and will only be available whilst stock last!

Full of fantastic texture stamps it works amazingly to add colour to a background as well as for distressed styles of cards.

Which do you prefer? Both have the large daisy outline stamped over the colour background in black ink. A black mat and a white card base help to create a balance for all the colour.

 Whichever your preference is these cards are simple stamping but with a real wow from the colour!