Retiring product focus: Marquee Messages and Tutti Frutti Designer Series Paper

All good things come to an end, even catalogues and favourite stamp sets such as Marquee Messages.

But we all have to move forward at some point, so this is my last look back... from now on I will be looking forward all the way! I couldn’t leave the old catalogue behind without one last play with the beautiful Tutti Frutti DSP and this really fun stamp set. Love it!

My favourite way to use this main image is paper piecing, and the chalk marker makes the letters and lights stand out. I have seen the arrow embellished with tiny pearls on each circle, which looks fabulous, but you know me... I couldn’t bring myself to be THAT extravagant!

This is a great set to use for teenagers, so if you have any of those in your life I suggest you invest in this stamp set before it leaves us forever. And perhaps pour yourself a glass of something strengthening, as those teenage years can be challenging, to say the least. It does get better, I promise!

Happy Birthday Thinlits graffiti card

I never thought I’d have so much fun with this Happy Birthday die. I was only borrowing it from my friend Kelly, but now it’s on my list of must-haves.

I particularly like watercolouring a background and then cutting it out to create a multi-coloured greeting. Here I ’ve used Lemon Lime Twist and Emerald Envy.

It tops a graffiti-style card inspired by Julie Kettlewell.  I’ve used a bunch of stamp sets... In The City, Marquee Messages and Five For All. I wish I could say the card was appreciated but, as it was for a teenage boy, I think the money inside may have been of more interest!

Marquee Messages birthday duo

Marquee Messages is such a great set for creating cheery birthday greetings. Here I’ve used just a hint of the Carried Away Designer Series Paper, which is FREE with a £45 order during Sale-a-Bration (which runs until 31st March).

I created a card and matching box for one of my club members, Angela, who celebrated her birthday this week. Club members commit to spending £15 a month for 10 months, each taking it in turns to be the host. As a thank you for their commitment, club members get a card and gift in their birthday month. Angy loves bright colours, so I ran with that!

Celebrations Duo embossing folder with Blooms & Wishes

I was delighted to see that some of my team members had promoted to Silver, so created these pretty cards - with a hint of silver glimmer paper - to mark the occasion. I used Blooms & Wishes combined with the fab new debossing folders, Celebrations Duo (p40, Spring/Summer catalogue). These are really fun as they work in the opposite way to our usual embossing folders, which allows you to stamp on top and around the image.

For the perfect sentiment, ”so proud of you”, I used Marquee Messages. Finally, a touch of bling!

And for one of my new recruits, a similar version using Color Enamel Shapes...

Celebrations Duo embossing folders

This is a fun product which won’t break the bank: Celebrations Duo Textured Impressions Embossing Folders. They’re on p40 of the Spring/Summer catalogue, tucked away at the top. Two folders, one spells “Happy” (as you can see) and one spells “celebrate”.

I’ve combined it with Marquee Messages to create a simple and bright card for my teenage nephew (not an easy audience, I’m sure you’ll agree!).

What’s particularly fun about these folders is that they deboss rather than emboss, which makes a change and also allows for some fun techniques, such as stamping around the image to create an outlined word, just as the Stampin’ Up!® designers have done for this project shown on p41...

Birthday Fiesta - out of this world llama

Continuing the white card base theme, this project is clean but not so simple as it uses not one but four different stamp sets. I had a concept in my head which looked a little like this, and it was fun to create a crazy dream-like situation for this llovely llama. I made it for my friend and former colleague Kerry, who kindly organised a collection for me when I left work... and in an absent-minded move, almost asked me if I’d like to contribute! Bless her.

Birthday Fiesta Photopolymer Bundle [142268] £38.50	Mixed Drinks Photopolymer Stamp Set [141928] £19.00	Marquee Messages Photopolymer Stamp Set [141727] £19.00	Sprinkles Of Life Photopolymer Stamp Set [139971] £19.00
Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] £32.00	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock [140490] £6.50	Emerald Envy A4 Cardstock [141420] £7.25	Delightful Dijon A4 Cardstock [138345] £7.25
Watermelon Wonder A4 Cardstock [138341] £7.25	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [131179] £6.00	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] £6.00
Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [138323] £6.00	Tree Builder Punch [138295] £16.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Marquee Messages birthday gift tag

It was birthday time in my Virtual Hostess Club again this month. My club ladies commit to spending a minimum of £15 a month for 10 months of the year and, as a thank you, I give them a Stampin’ Up! gift in their birthday month. This time it was the turn of Mandy, although I’m sorry to say I didn’t manage to make her a matching card as I was feeling poorly. But I did wrap the present by creating a box using the grid paper to make a template. It came together quite well, I thought. And I found a new use for Marquee Messages: to make a funky retro gift tag. 

Marquee Messages Photopolymer Stamp Set [141727] £19.00	2016-2018 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack [141408] £20.00	Emerald Envy A4 Cardstock [141420] £7.25	Watermelon Wonder A4 Cardstock [138341] £7.25
So Saffron A4 Card Stock [108611] £7.25	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50	White Stampin Chalk Marker [132133] £3.25	Emerald Envy 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon [141425] £7.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Marquee Messages - It's Your Birthday

I had chance to play with the rather wonderful Marquee Messages at the weekend. I love the retro styling of this stamp set but wasn’t sure I’d make full use of all the words so have resisted getting it so far. Not sure I’ll be able to resist much longer as it’s a really fun set although, as I found, it does lean towards paper piecing… and I’m not a fan of fussy cutting. 

As my starting point, I Googled ‘retro Americana sign’ and came up with a fantastic array of signs which gave me the inspiration for the colour combination. Next I checked out what other people have been making with this stamp set and then CASEd the idea of the distressed brick wall from US demonstrator Amy Koenders.  To create this look, I inked up the raised sections of the embossing folder before adding the cardstock and running it through the Big Shot. This inked up the cracks in the wall (as well as a bit extra, giving it a nicely distressed look).

I coloured the lights and greeting using my chalk marker, added a little distressing using a Crumb Cake ink pad and then popped it all up on the wall. I do love it – and I kind of want to emboss the whole thing so it looks like metal. Maybe the next one…

Marquee Messages Photopolymer Stamp Set [141727] £19.00	Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [138288] £7.75	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50	Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock [121681] £7.25	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock [138344] £7.25
Delightful Dijon A4 Cardstock [138345] £7.25	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock [140490] £6.50	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [126975] £6.00	White Stampin Chalk Marker [132133] £3.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com