Introducing the In Good Taste Suite

The new Annual Catalogue goes live today and I can’t think of a better Suite to kick things off than this one; In Good Taste.

It’s not my usual style but the Suite was swung for me by the Designer Series Paper and the Tasteful Labels dies. Thought I may as well get the stamp set as well, or I’d only regret it!

The first card is one I made for a swap, so I kept the DSP to a minimum so I wouldn't run out.

The second is a little bolder and uses a piece of the gorgeous In Good Taste DSP to create a background. I absolutely love this paper; I know it won’t float everyone’s boat but I think it’s fabulous for providing texture without bulk.

The image was stamped in Gray Granite (first card) and Soft Suede (second card) and then coloured with Stampin’ Blends; I used Light Calypso Coral and Light Petal Pink. Around the bottom of the flower, I used some gray ink and a blender pen to create a light shadow.

I created a mask of the flower so I could stamp the leaves around it without crashing into it. I didn’t bother masking for the pink lacy background as it's so subtle that a bit of crashing doesn't matter.

To make the mask, I simply stamped onto a sticky note, then cut it out. Cut it ever so slightly smaller than the image so you don't get a white edge when you stamp.

Do the Impossible - Tour de France cyclists

When I saw the new Do the Impossible stamp set, I immediately thought of several friends (and one husband) I could make cards for! It features cycling, swimming and running images – so ideal for those into triathlons, too.

There aren’t many samples out there with this set yet but I’m hoping to change that, starting with this card, which I've coloured to represent Tour de France jerseys!
The embossing folder is the new Stone embossing folder from the Sale-a-Bration brochure but my husband has pointed out that the Mosaic embossing folder would be better as it would look more like the cobbles of the pavé stage.

(To be clear, he didn’t actually say “You’ll be wanting the Mosaic embossing folder for that”, that would demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of our products that I wouldn’t expect him to have. 😂)

Give your embossing extra dimension by sponging it lightly. It will make the stone effect look more natural.

Nine Lives - grey cat with Call Me Clover background

What I love about the new Rectangle Stitched Framelits is the way they stitch the frame as well as the shape they cut. Here I’ve placed some Call Me Clover Designer Series Paper behind the aperture and topped it with a lovely stamped and punched cat from the fabulous (must-have!) Nine Lives stamp set. The bow, stamped in Call Me Clover, finishes it off nicely.