Summery brights

This is one of my favourite card designs because it’s simple and quick to produce. You could step it up with more layers, background stamping, patterned papers but, as this was for our cardmaking evening at the village hall, it had to be simple due to time restraints.

It uses colours from the Bold Brights family which I always think are nice and summery.

“Wonderful” comes from the Welcoming Words stamp set, which features six word stamps in this same style. You can’t buy this set but it’s really easy to earn it for free by holding a workshop in your home.

Stamps: Doodle That (p55), Welcoming Words (p6)
Cardstock: Gable Green, Brilliant Blue, Pink Passion, Whisper White
Ink: Brilliant Blue
Accessories: ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon – Whisper White (p86), 1 3/8” circle punch (p80), 1 ¼” circle punch (p80)

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Simply rich

Another of the cards we made at our event on Friday. This one uses the Simply Said stamp set and the Rich Regals colour family - this is my favourite colour family at the moment, although it changes all the time!

To make this card shape, cut your A4 cardstock lengthways, then round the corners with the Corner Rounder.

Stamps: Simply Said (p39)
Cardstock: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch (p80), 1 3/8” Circle Punch (p80), Corner Rounder (p80), ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon – Elegant Eggplant

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Last night...

...was great fun (well I thought so at least!).  Alison and I hired the local village hall and held a cardmaking event, where our guests each made four cards. Even though I didn't make any cards myself, I had a great time - and I hope everyone else did too. Thank you to everyone who attended - and a big thank you to Sue and Betty for helping out so much! 

This was one of the cards we made. When designing our four cards for our stamping evening, by a happy accident Alison and I had used a different colour family for each one. This autumnal card uses colours from the Earth Elements family.

You could also step it up by colouring the image but we were short of time so just stamped it in Chocolate Chip. This is one of those stamp sets that works well either way. 

The patterned paper is double-sided so some of our guests chose to use the other side, which has an argyle pattern.

Eagle-eyed readers may recognise this card as a reworking of this one. The earlier version is "spring" but we changed our minds as we wanted to make at least one of the cards suitable for a man because we all know how difficult it is to make cards for men! I'll post all of the cards we made in the next few days.

Stamps: A Tree for All Seasons (p44), Sincere Salutations: (p61)
Cardstock: Old Olive, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: Prints Designer Series Papers - Close to Cocoa (p73)
Accessories: ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon – More Mustard (p86)

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Chocolate!

These are some cute little giveaways for the cardmaking evening tonight. I am very grateful to my friend Sue for making these for me. Each one contains an Elizabeth Shaw After Dinner Mint, sandwiched between two scallops of cardstock.

News just in: Despite Sue's renowned sweet tooth, she didn't eat a single one!

Stamps: Be Happy (p38)
Cardstock: Summer Sun, Whisper White
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch (p80)

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In the pink again

Where does all this pink keep coming from? I used to hate pink! But it goes so well with Simply Said and I still have Alison’s stamp set, so why not?

I had lots of fun with punches for this card – LOVE that Scallop Circle Punch! I stamped two different Circle of Friendship stamps, then punched “Just for you” out the centre of one of them and layered it on top of the “Thinking of you” stamp. This way you can mix and match the sayings to suit the occasion.

The card design is inspired by the sample on p39 of the UK Stampin’ Up! Idea Book & Catalogue 2007-2008. That’s what the catalogue is for – it’s packed with samples which you can adapt to fit your supplies.

Stamps: Simply Said (p39), Circle of Friendship (p62)
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, 1¼” circle punch, 1” circle punch, ½” circle punch (all p80)

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At last ... the nifty glitter trick

I mentioned that, at the Birmingham Open Night, Shelli Gardner had a really nifty glitter trick. Well here it is at last.

See those blingy brads? Look expensive, don’t they? How wrong could you be?! Take a mini glue dot and mould it around an ordinary silver brad, then simply dip it into your glitter pot: glittery brads!

I’m not a big fan of glitter but even I love this trick – especially as it doesn’t leave you covered in glitter for days.

The stamp set is Alison’s Simply Said. I’m enjoying using this while I can because, pretty soon, she’s going to realise I still have it and demand that I return it.

Stamps: Simply Said (p39), Sincere Salutations (p61)
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red
Accessories: Gingham ribbon – black (p86), Brads – silver (p85), Stampin’ Glitter – Dazzling Diamonds (p82), Mini Glue Dots (p81).

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

Oops, forgot this one!

I forgot to include this box in my post yesterday... which is lucky really as I don't have the camera today and can't take the pic of the card I really wanted to show you. 

But back to the box - it's another of those quick little 5-10-15-20 boxes, with the sides pinched so that the top will close. 

Again, flash photography has destroyed the background stamping... this time it was the delicate little flowers from Simply Said. I coloured the image with a Real Red marker - the fine tip really came into its own for the tiny flowers. 

Stamps: Simply Said (p39)

Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink: Real Red, Basic Black

Accessories: Gingham ribbon - red (p86), Gingham ribbon - black (p86), household staple.  

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Not quite what it seems

This is why you should take your pictures in daylight. I'm really annoyed with myself about this because I didn't leave enough time to get a photo during the day. 

I made this as a prize for my workshop - a Valentine's card and 5-10-15-20 box (click here for instructions) filled with red heart chocolates (Sainsbury's; I think they were 79p for about 10-12). The card is embellished with one of the chocolates, too. 

What you can't see is that I stamped the background of both the card and the box with large red hearts and small red flowers. Honest, I did! 

Stamps: Simply Said (p39)

Cardstock: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Basic Black

Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch (p80), 1 3/8” circle punch (p80), gingham ribbon – black (p86), gingham ribbon – red (p86), Stampin’ Write marker – Real Red, brads – silver, red tissue paper shredded in paper shredder, chocolates from Sainsbury's. 

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Thinking outside the box

The second demonstration at my workshop was a cool little box like this (decorated slightly differently). I’ve adapted it to metric so that it works with our cardstock and renamed it the 5-10-15-20 box.

Here’s how you make it:

1. Take a sheet of A5 cardstock (half a sheet of A4). Score down the length at 5cm.
2. Turn it the other way and score along the width at 5cm, 10cm, 15cm and 20cm.
3. There will be a small, narrow rectangle (the shaded area in the diagram); cut this away.
4. Cut along the short score lines – these are shown as solid lines in the diagram below.
5. Fold along all the score lines in the same direction. Apply adhesive to the narrow flap and join the box together.
6. You now have a box with four square flaps. Stand the box up with these flaps splayed outwards. Apply adhesive to three of them. Only three!
7. Turn the box upside down and assemble.

Flower box
Stamps: Birthday Best (p34)
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Paper: Prints Designer Series Papers - Certainly Celery (p73)
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Pastels (chalks) (p82), brads – Rich Regals (p85), tissue paper shredded in paper shredder

I gave this box a cardstock handle but have also made them with ribbon handles, or pushed in the sides and closed, as in the cake example below. You could also cut the box down to make it shorter, to suit whatever you want to put inside. I think it's perfect for a small Easter egg.

Cake box
Stamps: Birthday Best (p34)
Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Lavender Lace, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin’ Pastels (chalks) (p82), Gingham ribbon – Black (p86), ¼” circle punch

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

Roses in winter

Well I think my workshop went okay. Everybody seemed to love the Two-Step Stampin’® technique and the Wonderful Words set proved extremely popular.

This card was the first demo of the workshop – stamping off and Two-Step Stampin’® (click here for both techniques) with this beautiful Roses in Winter set.

Stamps: Roses in Winter (p47), Wonderful Words (p60)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Rose Red, Always Artichoke
Ink: Rose Red, Always Artichoke
Accessories: ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon – Always Artichoke

And here is the card, pictured with the same design of card made with colours from the Soft Subtles and Earth Elements families. The Soft Subtles card uses Perfect Plum and Mellow Moss on Whisper White; the Earth Elements card uses Ruby Red and Old Olive on Very Vanilla. I can't decide which one I like best! 

If you want to see projects and techniques like this, please get in touch to book a workshop.

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