Gifts of gold, with Botanical Builder Framelits and Gift Box Punch Board

This is the gift I sent out to customers who place an order of £25 or more during April, as a thank you for helping me promote to Gold. So, lots of gold glimmer paper on there, plus an opportunity to use some retiring items. At a glance, leaving us from these projects are the Botanical Blooms stamp set and co-ordinating Botanical Builder Framelits, Tin of Cards stamp set, Kraft cardstock and the Gift Box Punch Board I used to create the box.

The ribbon has already gone, as it was a Sale-a-Bration item but I couldn’t resist using it as it’s gold. And, as I’d promised a “gift of gold”, inside the boxes were some gold buttons.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to say my pre-order is due to arrive today, so maybe soon I will have some sneak peeks to show you! And, of course, some catalogues!

Mix It Up Monday: Totally Trees

It’s Mix It Up Monday again and time for another project made with a colour combination from my latest set of In Color charts. 

These are the thank you cards I’ve made to go with this month’s orders. Hostess Mandy had a great party, where we all made a Christmas card using the Merry Tags Framelits. But I thought I’d look towards spring for the thank you cards and creat something with Totally Trees and a lovely soft colour combination. 

But I have a confession to make. It was only when I was looking at the photo on my computer, and struggled to get the colour to look ‘right’ that I realised I’ve accidentally used Pool Party cardstock instead of Soft Sky! That’s what happens when you make cards at night! But I’m keeping the recipe and colour combo as Soft Sky as that was the original intention. 

Totally Trees Photopolymer Stamp Set [142198] £23.00	Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set [138946] £15.00	Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] £32.00	Card Stock A4 Soft Sky [131292] £7.25
Sweet Sugarplum A4 Cardstock [141423] £7.25	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [126970] £6.00	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [131181] £6.00
Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad [141395] £6.00	Whisper White Mini Pompom Trim [141486] £6.50	Sweet Sugarplum 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon [141428] £7.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Mix It Up Monday: Barnyard Babies with Hardwood

Happy Monday everyone! I’m back from a glorious week in the Lake District. And I’m not just saying that because the folks back in Derby were shivering under grey skies. It really was stunning (sorry!) – the best we’ve ever known it, and we’ve been going for 20+ years!

But I won’t keep rubbing it in (unlike all that suncream I needed to use!), because right now there are more pressing matters to hand… namely Mix It Up Monday and a new set of In Color charts to wade through. There are 50 of them this year so there’s no time to waste.

Today I’m playing with Peekaboo Peach… actually, I’m going to stop right there and say that despite my best efforts, I cannot keep saying “Peekaboo Peach” out loud. It’s a ridiculous name, possibly the worst since the old days of “Yoyo Yellow”. 

But I have the perfect solution, which came to me as I was labelling up my new ink pad. I always take one of the translated labels from the bottom of the ink pad and stick that on the other end, so that no matter which way I store my pads, there’s still a strip of colour showing. I choose the translation that’s closest to the English, or the one that amuses me most. For P. Peach, I chose the French: “Pêche Fraîche”. Now isn’t that a much nicer name? No unnecessary alliteration, just a pleasing rhyme. 

So from now on, in my workshops, that In Color known as Peekaboo Peach will be known as Pêche Fraîche…  

I hope you like my Pêche Fraîche card. I haven’t used a new stamp set because my big order hasn’t arrived yet, but I thought the contented cow looked quite happy on her Pêche Fraîche background, surrounded by that must-have background stamp: Hardwood. 

I have a little confession to make: I didn’t really use the new Layering Circles Dies on this card as I don’t have them (yet). But I figured that it’s better to show you a product that’s available than one that’s not, and really the size of the circle isn’t that crucial, so just use whatever circle die or punch you have that fits the bill. 

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Barnyard Babies Clear-Mount Stamp Set [139328] £17.00	Hardwood Clear-Mount Stamp Set [133035] £13.00	Timeless Textures Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140517] £18.00	Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set [138946] £15.00	In The Meadow Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140754] £18.00
Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] £32.00	Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad [141398] £6.00	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978] £6.00	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974] £6.00	Peekaboo Peach A4 Cardstock [141422] £7.25
Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock [106550] £7.25	Early Espresso A4 Card Stock [121686] £6.50	Blender Pens [102845] £9.00	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897] £7.25	Peekabo Peach 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon [141427] £7.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

That Thing You Did joy fold card

I wish the Grim Reaper would leave our National Treasures alone! With so many sad losses from the entertainment world this year already – Terry Wogan, Ronnie Corbett, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Paul Daniels, Frank Kelly… and it’s still only April!, it feels like our childhoods are gradually being eroded. Yesterday’s loss of Victoria Wood was a huge shock and shook many people, including me, to the core. I found out yesterday, as soon as the news broke on the office TV, and actually gasped. What was also shocking was that several younger colleagues had never even heard of her. Let’s hope they seek out her back catalogue so that they, too, can enjoy the classic Ballad of Barry and Freda and so much more.

From my teens onwards, I watched Victoria Wood avidly and still think she’s the funniest comedian ever to have graced our screens. I appreciate that friends across the Pond will most likely not have heard of her but you will know her great friend and comedy partner, Julie Walters as Mrs Weasley from the Harry Potter films. They had a comedy show together in the early days and reunited for several projects across the decades, including one of my favourite sitcoms, Dinnerladies. Comedian, writer, singer, musician, actor; she did it all so well and my transatlantic friends need to check her out on Youtube. Stampers – largely being women ‘of a certain age’ will particularly appreciate her humour. 

As a taster, I’m sharing this gem about the menopause… 


hope these links work outside of the UK.

But if it’s a stamping project you’re after, here’s a birthday card I sent to a friend ‘of a certain age’ to celebrate her milestone birthday. Yes, it’s very similar to this project but, when you’re pushed for time, why reinvent the wheel? 

That Thing You Did Photopolymer Stamp Set [138730] £15.00	Farmers Market Designer Series Paper [138448] £10.00	Timeless Textures Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140517] £18.00	Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set [138946] £15.00	Old Olive A4 Card Stock [106576] £6.50
Blackberry Bliss A4 Cardstock [133682] £6.50	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £7.25	Linen Thread [104199] £4.25	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad [133642] £6.00	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953] £6.00
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [126975] £6.00	Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pad [138325] £6.00	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897] £7.25	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack [133787] £15.50	3/4" Circle Punch [119873] £11.50
1" Circle Punch [119868] £11.50	1-3/4" Circle Scallop Punch [119854] £16.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com