Beside the seaside... and a date for your diary

What a gorgeous set this is – and perfect for honing my blender pen skills in readiness for my May workshop.

Yes in May I finally launch my monthly workshops. They’re at the usual venue (please email for details) and will hopefully eventually take place every fourth Monday of the month, although getting the hall that day every is proving tricky.

So the May workshop will not be on the fourth Monday but on Monday, 18th May, 7.30pm-9.30pm and the topic will be colouring with blender pens. The cost is £5.50 per session, which includes three or four projects (occasionally two, when the projects are larger), all materials, equipment and refreshments (please bring your favourite adhesive). There will also be a Loyalty Card system – earn a stamp on your card every time you attend one of my events for which you pay a fee and, when you have five stamps on your card, you’ll get a free gift of Stampin’ Up!® ribbon, ink pad or cardstock.

If you want to come along, please email me to let me know as payment is required at least a week before the workshop to allow me to buy the supplies. See side panel for dates of future workshops.

But back to this set... isn’t it lovely? I’ve always been a sucker for seaside images so I don’t know how I’ve resisted it for so long. It’s called Seaside and features various shells... more of which you’ll see on projects over the next few days. I coloured the images with Watercolour Wonder™ crayons and blender pens.

The base of this card is made with Kraft cardstock, which I’ve stamped with the Canvas background stamp. I don’t have a Creamy Caramel inkpad (yet!) so used Close to Cocoa, stamped off... ie I stamped it on to scrap paper first. I didn’t want an even stamped effect, so gently laid my card on to the inked stamp then dabbed at the areas I wanted inking, which was round the edges with a bit in the middle. I quite like this shabby look. Then I gently went around the edges of the card using the direct-to-paper technique, which is when you apply your ink pad directly to the cardstock. I was careful, though, as I didn’t want large amounts of Close to Cocoa on it.

A bit of punching, a bit of distressing and that’s about it really. This is a good luck card for someone at work – we have several people leaving this week but one of them is so close to retiring age that, for him, it will just one long holiday... hence the seaside theme.

Stamps: Seaside, Basic Phrases
Cardstock: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Bordering Blue, Confetti White
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Basic Grey, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Scallop edge punch, blender pens, Watercolour Wonder™ crayons, linen thread, handheld hole punch

All products by Stampin' Up! Please email me to order a catalogue, or click the link on the right to view it online.