Showing posts with label Magenta Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Magenta Madness. Show all posts

Friday, 21 August 2020

Say cheese with the Playful Alphabet Dies

Playful Alphabet Dies Stampin Up allthingsstampy Helen Read

With the Playful Alphabet Dies you can spell literally anything you like, which somehow makes it harder to decide. Too much choice!

I thought long and hard before making this card for a friend. She’s a professional photographer and, as a gift I’d bought her a camera-shaped cookie cutter. The greeting was almost staring me straight in the face: Say cheese!

Playful Alphabet Dies Stampin Up allthingsstampy Helen Read

I cut the letters out, placed my In Color Designer Series Paper behind, then was stumped. I added some In Color Enamel Dots. Still a bit boring, but it was too late to stamp on top so I had another think an eventually settled on these little flowers from Field of Flowers, punched out using the Confetti Flowers Border Punch. Just a little insight into the not-always-so-streamlined creative process, there!

 
Playful Alphabet Dies Stampin Up allthingsstampy Helen Read

Playful Alphabet Dies Stampin Up allthingsstampy Helen Read

You CAN cut your whole word out in one go if the letters don’t repeat (I think there are two Es in the set), but I prefer to do a few at a time. If you letters don’t repeat and you’re feeling brave, you can line them up nicely with a straight edge such as a ruler; just use it to push the dies up from the bottom edge so they all sit neatly at the same level.



Thursday, 13 August 2020

Artist Appreciation Blog Hop: Warhol-inspired Yuletide Pasture card


Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up


Everything around us can inspire us to create fabulous projects, and particularly the “proper” artists! For this reason, I was excited to take part in an Artist Appreciation Blog Hop.

Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up

The challenge was to create a project inspired by a favourite artist. I have to say this is easier said than done but, after an aborted attempt to recreate a David Hockney in stamps, I came up with this colourful Andy Warhol-inspired Highland Cow card.
Careful fussy-cutting turned this Christmas image into an all-occasion bovine. I simply trimmed off the baubles from the cow's horns. How now, brown, yellow, pink and blue cow?
Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up
 
Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up

I can’t lay claim to this being a particularly unique colour combo as it’s just four of our five new In Colors! It’s not often you’ll see me voluntarily using Magenta Madness, so don’t get used to it. 

Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up
To create a background reminiscent of Warhol’s original pieces, I used a small clear block as a stamp, inking with Memento Tuxedo Black. As this is a linen pad, it transferred the linen pattern to the block and, in turn, to the cardstock.

Yuletide Pasture Allthingsstampy Helen Read Stampin Up

Please check out the other projects in the hop! Head around the world for some more artist inspiration.



Monday, 20 July 2020

10 quick cards using Flowers for Every Season Memories & More Cards

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More


Socially distant crafty get-togethers have been a bit of a life-saver during lockdown; it’s so lovely to meet up with other crafters via Zoom to create our projects.

For the past five weeks I have been running a One O’Clock Club on Tuesdays, where we make two quick cards at each session. These quick cards are easy to recreate at home with Stampin’ Up!®’s Flowers for Every Season Memories & More cards.

My first One O’Clock Club series comes to an end this week but I will be starting another round soon using the Whale of a Time Suite – please get in touch ASAP if you’d like to join in. This time the projects will be repeated in a Saturday session, so you can hop in and out of Tuesdays and the Saturday to fit around your other plans.

Check out the projects we made...

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

We’ve been using the Flowers for Every Season Memories & More cards from Stampin’ Up!®, along with the Flowers for Every Season Memories & More cards and envelopes, with guests using their own greeting stamps and ink pads. Week 1 saw us use Bumblebee and Cinnamon Cider – two great new In Colors™ which work really well together.

One of the great things about these Memories & More Cards – from the Flowers for Every Season Suite – is that they use the new In Colors™, so many of the people who took part in my In Color Shares had their new ink pads to play with.

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

For this project, we used ‘Feeling’ from the sticker sheet and cut out word strips from one of the Memories & More cards. The flowers and leaves are white stickers which we sponged using yellow and green inks.

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

It’s no secret that Magenta Madness is my least favourite new In Color™ – I’m just not a pink fan at all. But I have to say I am warming to it, and think it packs a certain punch when used in small doses. No small doses for this project though! It’s a bit more subtle in this one...

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

It was all about the blues in Week 3, when we focused on Misty Moonlight. The Memories & More card does all the work here, with just a simple greeting stamped onto one of the stickers from the sheet which comes in the pack.

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

I really love the sunflower pattern on this card. The greeting comes on the sticker sheet and we stuck it to some Misty Moonlight cardstock, then cut freehand around it to create an on-trend border.

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

The colour combo is simple here: just the Poppy Parade of the Memories & More card, with white and the silver edged card base. The Tasteful Labels dies do a lot of the work here. Don’t have those yet? Trust me, you really need them!  

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

You have have already noticed that once again I broke my personal rule not to use retired products. However, in these unprecedented times (aren’t you just SICK of hearing that?), I thought it would be ok to take advantage of the foil-edged cards and envelopes being heavily discounted at retiring time, so I could keep costs down for the guests. I stocked up big time but have completely run out now!

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

It’s our last session tomorrow and we’re finishing off with two Just Jade cards. The sunflowers get another outing; they’re fussy-cut from two different Memories & More cards and the big greeting is from Rooted in Nature.

Flowers for Every Season Quick Cards allthingsstampy Helen Read Memories & More

It’s another appearance for the monochromatic look, too – this time in mellow Just Jade with a flower sticker to finish off. The Stitched Nested Labels dies provide layers to house the greeting, from the Tasteful Touches stamp set.

If you’re in the UK you are more than welcome to join my Zoom sessions – because with Zoom, location is no barrier. I’ve had several new ladies join me who can’t normally come to my events due to transport issues. 

And if you’re already a demonstrator, I hope this post has inspired you to try your own distance classes and workshops. Every guest received half a pack of Memories & More cards, half a pack of Memories & More cards and envelopes, plus card bases, cardstock, ribbon and embellishments. I did all the die-cutting in advance so the projects were really speedy – just right for a lunch break for those homeworkers out there!


Monday, 13 July 2020

8+ card ideas using Stampin' Up!®'s Field of Flowers

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

Following my cardmaking class on Saturday, using the Stampin' Up!® stamp set Field of Flowers, I have a mega post for you today.

Due to an absence of commonsense, I ended up offering eight cards in two hours, which was stretching the bounds of possibility a little but I think most people managed almost all of the cards in what turned into a three-hour session.

This was all held remotely via Zoom so we could keep safe, and everyone had their own Field of Flowers stamp set to play with, and stamp in their chosen colours. The Confetti Flowers Border Punch was offered as an optional extra.

As the elderly members of my family are running out of birthday cards and have been threatened with Dire Consequences if they go shopping, I decided to switch up the greetings for the cards I made during the session, so I can replenish their supplies.

You’ll notice I've used the silver foil-edged cards for this session; I don’t usually use retired Stampin' Up!® products but I these were such a bargain in May that I couldn't resist stocking up to keep class costs down. However, maybe I should have stocked up more because the class proved so popular that I ended up leaving myself short!

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

I kept the card layers largely neutral – Misty Moonlight, Night of Navy and a splash of Bumblebee – so people could add their own inks without clashing. While I made the initial samples in a wide variety of colours to show people different options, my personal choice of colours for the session was Granny Apple Green, Magenta Madness, Misty Moonlight, Bumblebee and Coastal Cabana. Bright and cheerful!

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

First card of the day was this one – as it was the most complicated. It uses a piece of the gorgeous
In Good Taste Designer Series Paper which goes with everything. I showed the project using the flowers punched out separately but not all guests had this option as the Confettie Flowers Border Punch was an add-on to the class.
If you don't have the Confetti Flowers Border Punch, when you’re stamping with Field of Flowers I suggest you use a paler green such as Pear Pizzazz, Mint Macaron or Soft Sea Foam for the grass and leaves. Then use a stronger colour for your flowers so they stand out. If you're using the punch, then anything goes!
 
 Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

Just changing one colour can give your project a whole new look. This is created using the One-Sheet Wonder technique but I swapped out the Misty Moonlight from my original sample on the left to use Coastal Cabana during the class. I think I prefer the darker version though, what about you?

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

A simpler version of this same card is to stick to just one colour – Magenta Madness – to stamp tiny flowers all over your background. Because there are several flowers on one stamp, this is really quick to make.

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

Another card I changed during the class was this one. I couldn’t find my strip of Bumblebee Designer Series Paper so thought (wrongly, as it happened) I must have run out and changed it to Magenta Madness. I hardly dare admit this but Magenta Madness is beginning to grow on me...

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

A classic triptych design. You can do this in one of two ways; stamp the whole piece and cut it into three. Or cut it up first and stamp afterwards. I tried both and decided that the best route would be to stamp the grass and flowers while it's still in one piece (a bit of careful lining up is required), then add dragonflies once it's sliced up. Can you spot the not-so-deliberate ‘mistake’? I added an afterthought dragonfly in the wrong colour!

Need a small piece of cardstock but don't have the right shade? I created this Coastal Cabana strip by pressing a piece of Whisper White into an ink pad.

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

When you’re making eight cards in a morning, you need at least one Simple Stamping project! And this one could hardly be simpler; just stamps, ink and one of our fabulous Whisper White Notecards & Envelopes. I use these All The Time, they’re just so handy to have.

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

Field of Flowers is such a versatile stamp set. You can make subtle, tasteful, classy cards with it... or embrace the Brights! I've used Magenta Madness, Granny Apple Green, Bumblebee and Bermuda Bay and popped up a single flower to add interest.

Stampin up Field of Flowers card ideas allthingsstampy helen read

And finally, here’s the original version of the Bumblebee card you see in the first picture. Just a simple strip stamped with grass and flowers, to show someone you’re thinking of them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this foray in to a Field of Flowers and will consider adding this beautiful set to your shopping list. You can buy the set from my website here. And if you add the Confetti Flowers Border Punch on, too, you’ll save 10%!

 

Monday, 1 June 2020

In Color™ Shares - and a time-saving tip for the Lovely Labels Pick a Punch

In Color bookmark Lovely Labels Pick a Punch Stampin Up

These bookmarks show off the new In Colors™ well and are inspired by the project on page 140 of the new Annual Catalogue. I don’t have the new ink pads yet as they weren’t available to pre-order but I got a similar look using Versamark; a must-have ink pad which creates a watermark effect.

I am very much loving the new In Colors™ and was excited to present my 50 new colour combinations to the world at the weekend. You can find them here.

2020-2022 In Color colour combinations Stampin Up

 
I am also excited to present my annual In Color™ shares, with three fabulous options to get your hands on the brand new products. I will be ordering soon, so please get in touch if you’re in the UK and would like one.

Stampin Up In Color Shares 2020-2022 Helen Read

 
The new Lovely Labels Pick a Punch got some heavy use for these bookmarks (I made way more than you see here!). This clever punch works with three widths and produces two different label ends. So a great time-saving tip is to punch two strips at the same time.



The small print

This is my personal blog and my sole responsibility as an Independent Stampin' Up!® demonstrator. All images are © Stampin' Up!® All content including photographs, projects and text are © Helen Read, unless otherwise stated. Please feel free to copy my ideas for your personal use and inspiration - if you are a SU demonstrator you may use these ideas for your events but please give credit where it is due. Please do not use my ideas for monetary gain, competitions or publication. The images on this blog - including blog buttons - should not be copied and used elsewhere on the internet or on CDs.