Make it Simple Monday Beauty of Tomorrow

 Did you have a good weekend? I hope so! I did I spent the time visiting with family and crafting... perfect! Especially when the family includes a fellow crafter 😅 we played with the gorgeous Beauty of Tomorrow stamp set. This is a lovely set that has a autumnal feel to it although it doesn't have to just for autumn as you'll see if you some back tomorrow 😉

As always here at 2 Big Girls Crafting Monday's are #simplestamping inspiration.  And today's 2 cards are just that! Using only stamps, ink and paper to create cards that are pleasing to the eye, fun to create and allow the crafter to explore their creativity.

I have used only black ink for today's cards but introduced the generational inking idea. This is where you ink the  stamp once but stamp multiple times. Each time the stamped impression is a lighter tone of the colour.

I have also used a text stamp to create a background. But to achieve this I first stamped my focal image onto the center of my card. I then used a sticky note to cover the image and sentiment. Next I inked up the large text stamp from the set but stamped it first onto scrap paper then with out teinking it stamped it onto the card. 

I repeated the process all over the card including on top of the sticky note to create my background. 

Once I  had removed the sticky not I used watercolour pencils to add a touch of colour to the floral focal image. I then took a fine tip black marker and used a ruler to draw around the edge of the white space to give it a frame. 

And this is the result...

Using the same ideas I then made a second card using the same stamps but swapping where I used them. I stamped the text as the focal point and the floral sprig as the background.  I also drew the frame freehand to give it a different look .

So which do you prefer 🤔? I can't decide 🤣

Any way as always on a Monday I will be sharing how I created today's projects in a Facebook Live at 4pm BST over on our Facebook page.  I will upload a link to it here once I've done it!

Hope to see you at the live and pop back tomorrow for more inspiration using the lovely  Beauty of Tomorrow stamps.

Make it simple Monday Penguin Place

 I do like a stamp set that covers multiple occasions.  I also like one that can be used for #simplestamping projects. I like stamp sets that have a selection of sentiments. I like stamp sets that will appeal to all ages. And I've  got one such set to share with you guys this week!! Called Penguin Place this super fun set has lots to offer!

For today's Make it Simple Monday inspiration as always I'm  just using stamps, ink and paper. I have created what I call  scene latouts for my cards and used different occassions and colour palettes to creat different cards. 

The basic  layout is the same for both the Christmas and birthday cards. I started out by stamping the black components,  the penguin and  the swosh ( a curve that creates a hill). 

I then dressed the penguin a bow tie for the birthday and a scarf and wooly hat for the Christmas one. I did of course give him a beak and feet!

Now to customise the card for the event. Christmas trees with stars atop and a Christmas greeting on one. On the other a pile of gifts and a balloon. 

For this first set of inspiration I went for what I call a primary colour palette.  Red, blue , green yellow and orange in clear bold shades.

Once I'd completed this pair I thought how would they work with a different colour palette 🤔 So I pulled out a selection of inks that were still blue, green, yellow, orange and red bases. But this time the tones and hues were what I call a more contemporary palette. I used a pink instead of red, a softer green , a turquoise shade of blue and softer shades of yellow and orange. 

The layouts are identical just different colours yet they create a different feel to the cards.

So which do you prefer primary? Or contemporary? 

As always on a Monday there will be a Facebook live over on our page at 4pm BST. I will be sharing how I made these cards.  I will add a link here later once I've gone live.

Here's the Video

Have fun and would love to have you join me on Facebook later if you can please say Hi. Xx

Make it simple Monday Delicate Dahlias

 I've had a super busy week with family visiting, birthday celebrations and my tumble dryer going bang in the middle of the weekly wash!! So when I found the time to sit down and create today's samples I was so glad the week starts with Make it Simple Monday!

 I have chosen to show case a stamp set that didn't really jump out at me when I first saw it in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue. But you know what having played with it I love it! Does that happen to you? 

So which set have I chosen to celebrate this week well it's  called Delicate Dahlias . It is an exclusive set that can only be obtained for free with a qualifying purchase from Stampin' Up!

 One of the best parts of this set is that it's basically 2 stamp sets that work individually but also together! The stamp set is a photopolymer one which makes lining it up easy. The advantage to that is that it means you can stamp the open line elements then fill them with the beautiful etched infills.  But the infills are also stand alone stamps that look beautiful alone!

With so much choice in the set I decide to start simple, a super important part of Make it Simple Monday 🤣 . 

I  decided to use just one colour ink pad and white cardstock and the stamps. This ensures that it stays SIP ( stamps, ink and paper) and #simplestamping. 

The ink I chose to use is called fresh freesia and is a very pretty lilac shade.

I stamped the flower outline stamp first then the outline leaf. Next I used the etched stamp to add colour and texture to my flowers.

Finally a sentiment stamped in the same colour and my card was complete.

I so enjoyed playing... uhmmmm working 🤣 on creating this card that I got carried away and made another just to see if it would work in another colour 😉

So this time I replicated the card but used a pretty turquoise blue called costal cabana ink.

I also slightly changed the orientation of the layout because I stamped my first flower in the wrong place 🤪 and never one to waste I just carried on with it!

I was really happy that my cards turned out as well as they did in the time I had to create them in. Proving that sometimes having to work quickly can be all the inspiration you need!! 

As always on a Monday I shall be doing a Facebook live at 4pm BST on our Facebook page Here If you can join me that would be fantastic if you can't don't worry I'll post the link to the video afterwards Facebook live here

So which do you prefer?  Lilac or turquoise? 

Make it simple Monday Quite Meadow

 Hello and welcome to another Make it Simple Monday with me , Cary. This week I will be using the gorgeous Quiet Meadow stamp set . The set is a great combination of images and sentiments that are especially good if your style is more vintage or collage . But for today it's  all about clean and simple stamping.

#simplestamping is a great way to keep it clean and simple and uses minimal surplies. In fact today's samples are SIP ones. SIP stands for Stamps, Ink and Paper. I have used 1 stamp set, Quiet Meadow, 1 paper, white and   2 colours of ink. The ink colours I've  chosen are a  grey, called basic grey , and a lovely lilac called fresh freesia. 

Both my samples use the same stamps from the set but I've  used them slightly differently on each card.

For my first sample I inked my focal image, the long stemmed flower, up and then stamped it onto scrap paper. I then huffed over the stamp to refresh the remaining ink and stamped that onto my card. This is called generational inking and is a  great technique for those starting out, or those with limited supplies as it give you tones or shades of colour from 1 ink pad.

I  then used the speckles stamp and the lilac ink to add a touch of colour to the card. The sentiment was stamped in the basic grey but at full strength.  And that was it! 

I then used the same supplies to create a second card with a different look.

Once again I used the generational inking technique. 

I hope these make it simple Monday project have inspired you. If you'd like to see how I made them I will be showing how in a Facebook live over  on our Facebook page at 4pm BST today. I will add the link once I've gone live later. 

Have fun and here's the Facebook live

Make it simple Monday Peekaboo Farm

 Wow it's hot here in my part of the Uk ☀️☀️☀️ and I have to say I feel for all our furry friends in the fur coats!! Which is perhaps what drew me to this weeks featured stamp set! This week I shall be sharing inspiration using the ohhh so very cute Peekaboo Farm from Stampin' Up!

As always on a Monday we keep it simple. Stampin' Up! host a monthly #simplestamping challenge. This month the challenge is to use stamps, ink, paper and pattern paper to create simple thinking of you cards. Now pattern paper can be a bit intimidating for those just starting out. The patterns can be a bit intense even though they are so very pretty! My suggest is to start with simpler patterns. Most double sided pattern paper has a bold side and a calmer side. For today's #simplestamping cards I've used the gorgeous Hand-Penned pattern paper.

So what did I do with these wonderful goodies? Well I made 2 simple cards exactly the same layout but chose different pattern paper and colouring in.

For the first one I chose to use watercolour pencils to colour in my image and inspired by the beautiful yellow paper went funky 😁

For my second card I went a little more traditional in my colour pallette and used alcohol marker pens to colour in.

So which do you prefer? Funky?  Or traditional? 

If you'd like to see how I made these cards and meet the other animals on the farm then I shall be doing a Facebook live over on our Facebook page at 4pm BST today. I'll  add a link here later once I've finished the live. If you'd like to watch my live please click Here

Enjoy the good weather and stay safe.

Make it Simple Monday Seeet as a Peach

 Hello and welcome to the start of a weeks worth of inspiration from me Cary. I'm an independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator here in the UK. And I'm  one half of  2 Big Girls Crafting.  This week I'm  going to be sharing with you some really summery projects that I've  made with the fabulous Sweet as a Peach Bundle. 

For today's Make it Simple Monday inspiration I'll be using just stamps, ink and paper. The stamps are the Sweet as a Peach ones pictured below.

These stamps are made from photopolymer which means that you can see through them!! This makes placement oh so easy! Which is great especially when you're just starting your stamping journey.

So for today's Make it Simple Monday card I've chosen to use the large peach image and kept the colours quite natural. 

My first sample uses just the beautiful pale papaya which is a fab shade of peachy orange for the peach 🍑 I stamped the stamp once then I reinked the stamp but I only inked the right hand edge of the stamp. Next I carefully lined the stamp up over my first image. 

The effect this has is to add even more texture and colour to the image. I then stamped the leaf and stem stamp in green. Placement is super easy because the stamps are clear. 

A few of the little flowers stamped in a pretty blue called balmy blue and a sentiment also stamped in blue and my project was finished.

Next I used another tequnique to colour my peach. This uses 2 colours  pale papaya and a darker peachy orange called calypso coral and a sponge dauber. A Sponge dauber is a little sponge in a finger holder. 

I first inked the stamp with the paler colour. I then inked up a sponge dauber with the darker colour. I then gently dabbed the ink around the edges of the stamp. The effect gives you a two tone look to the stamped image that I think is very pretty.

I finished the card the same way as before.

If you like the project and would like to see me make the cards I will be doing a Facebook live at 4pm BST over on our Facebook page. Click Here to view the video. 🙂

Make it simple Monday All Squared Away

 A super quick #simplestamping card for today whilst I'm enjoying the sunshine at my Mum's and its raining at home!!! Featuring this weeks stamp set All Squared Away 

This fun set has 4 background stamps and some fun sentiments. And for today's card I used 2 background ones and the lovely 2 part sentiment. 

The colours I've chosen a both light summery shades of purple and blue called balmy blue and highland heather. I then stamped the sentiment in black over the square images.

 A simple quick card with a lot of impact all in all i think. What about you?

Make it simple Monday Flower of Friendship

 Wow what a change in the weather we've had here in my part of the world!! We've gone from grum, grots and grimy to almost tropical delight 🌺 that's the joy that is the British weather 🤣 Now I hear you wonder why is she twittering on about the weather? Well it has a big influence on me! When the sun shines I am pulled to bright colours yellows and oranges. And floral images are often the ones that I am drawn too.  So , thanks to the weather, this week I shall be sharing  projects using a stamp set called  Flowers of Friendship 

As always here at 2 Big Girls Crafting Monday's are #simplestamping days. We aim to create inspiration for those who are just starting their stamping journey. The idea being that our projects can be made with minimal products but maximum impact. They are also easy to create with no previous experience of stamping so ideal for the beginner. 

Today's sample uses just white cardstock, black ink, the stamp set and coloured pencils. 

As you can see a very simple card but one that looks sunny and bright as well as clean and simple. 

I have stamped the large floral image along the edge of the card in the middle.  But not all the way up so that only the tops of the flower sprig show. I then stamped it again but to either side but slightly higher up. I them stamped just the petals on the left hand corner as there was a little space left too white 😉

I  stamped the sentiment above and then coloured the images in. I used watercolour pencils.  

And voilà my card was complete.  I hope that this sunny card bring a little sunshine into your part of the world today.

Have a nice day and hope to see you here  tomorrow when I will share another project using the Flowers of Friendship stamp set.

Make it simple Monday Party Puffins

 My Aunt has a thing for puffins and kiwi birds and low and behold in the new Stampin Up annual catalogue there are stamp sets featuring both!!! So for this weeks inspiration we can thank my Aunty Irene as I will be featuring the fun Party Puffins stamp set!!

Aren't they just soooo cute and fun? I just had to have a play. So for the first post of this week my inspiration is of course a #simplestamping card just ink, paper and stamps with a little colouring in!

I have chosen to share the same layout and design in 2 orientations. The first is a portrait version.

And with the same design but in a landscape orientation here is the second card.

 Aren't they just soooo much fun? Which layout do you prefer 🤔?  Portrait or landscape?  Please comment below andbhelp me make up my mind!!

Make it simple Monday Hand-Penned Petals

 This week I'm going to be sharing projects featuring a stamp set from the new Stampin' Up! Annual catalogue ( if you live in the UK and would like to have a copy sent to you just ask in the comments and we'll get one too you) The stamps are called Hand-Penned Petals. They are a part of a suite Hand-Penned which consists of a stamp set, coordinating dies, pattern paper and some gems available Here 

For today's #simplestamping projects I have used the infill stamps to create a pattern paper effect. I use 2 ink colours a bright pink and green. To give the effect of different colours I stamped onto scrap paper then reactivated the ink on the stamp by breathing on it. I then stamped the image and it has a lighter shade of the same colour.

I also used some sticky notes to mask of area's of the card . This creates a blank area to add interest on a simple card.  It is a super easy technique that is a great one for beginners. 

Make it simple Monday Today's Tiles

 This week is the last week of the 2020 /2021 annual catalogue from Stampin' Up! 😪 but.... what it does mean is that next week sees the launch of the new 2021/2022 annual catalogue from Stampin' Up! 😃 With that in mind this week I will be using a stamp set that hasn't been used at all and is retiring 😢 but I'm going to be introducing the new In-Colors for 2021/23!!! The stamp set is called Today's Tiles. ( read on to see how you can recieve your own set of the stamps in our give away this week!!)

As always we start the week with a #simplestamping project. And this week is no different just stamps, ink and paper. I think the card for today really do show how you don't need a ton of "stuff" to create great cards.

Don't they look good if I do say so myself!!

And the colours 😍 so gorgeous!!! So with out further adolet me introduce, in no particular order,  .... Evening Evergreen a beautiful rich dark green that will add a touch of elegance to any project.

Next up we have the delicate and gentle shade of light purple.... Fresh Freesia.

Now let me show you a subtle yet vibrant shade of peachy orange we like to call... Pale Papaya.

Then there is the bright vibrant pink  called.... Polished Pink.

And last but by no means least a fabulous dusky green that is called ... Soft Succulent.

Don't they all look fantastic?  But which one are you drawn too first? As a lover of pinks and greens in particular this selection is very tricky but I have to say that Pale Papaya is the one that drew my eye straight away!!

This week I'm running a give away!! If you'd like a set of the Today's Tiles for yourself all you have to do is leave a comment on any of the posts this week here on our blog. You can leave a comment every day to be in  with more chances to win 😉 The lucky winner will be randomly drawn on Saturday the 1st of May 2021.