Funky flower

These little flowers are all the rage in Blogland at the moment. And they’re so easy to make, too! All you need is a Scallop Circle Punch and some cardstock. Everything else I’ve used here is an optional extra.

Punch out about eight scallops – you can use more than one colour if you like but I chose Orchid Opulence, a colour I rarely use but this was for an inspiration challenge based on the wedding cake image shown here.

Snip towards the centre of the scallops all the way round.

Then you have two options – you can dampen the cardstock lightly but I didn’t know this when I made my flower. Wetting it will give you a slightly more distressed-looking flower so it’s up to you. Have a play around and see which you prefer.

Place a scallop in the palm of you hand and press the centre to create a cup shape. Repeat on all the scallops and then put them together. You can either join them with SNAIL Adhesive® or similar or make a hole in the centre and add a brad. Then scrunch the whole lot up in your hand and fiddle with the petals until you are satisfied.

To make the centre of the flower, I punched a 1” circle of Only Orange and then prised the layers of the cardstock apart. Why? Well it make it thinner and therefore more flexible. I also turned it over so that the rough side was showing, which gave it a nice texture. I then fluffed these pieces up to make the flower centre.

The leaves are created from the Oval Punch, punched once and attached to scrap paper, then punched again to give a pointed end. They are scored down the centre so that they sit up more like leaves.

The box is stamped with the flowers from One of a Kind, stamped in Orchid Opulence on scrap paper first and then on the cardstock to create a lighter image (“stamping off”).

Stamps: One of a Kind
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Orchid Opulence, Gable Green, Only Orange
Ink: Orchid Opulence
Accessories: Oval punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1” circle punch

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Bright and springy

I LOVE this card design, which I blatantly copied from a US demonstrator’s blog here. It’s really easy to make and looks fab, too – what more could you want? And all you need are some scraps of Designer Series Paper, a Scallop Square Punch (see special offer here) and a flower embellishment.

I punched these from scraps from the Tall Tales and Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper packs and the Petal Party Simply Scrappin’ kits. But you don’t need to go out and buy paper packs specially for this card – just use any leftovers.

The felt flowers are gorgeous and come from the Flower Fusion pack. I’ve held three together with a silver brad.

Finally, I stamped the greeting from A Bit of Birthday Cheer in Pink Passion ink. Easy!

Stamps: A Bit of Birthday Cheer
Cardstock: Whisper White
Paper: Kaleidoscope, Tall Tales
Ink: Pink Passion
Accessories: Petal Party Simply Scrappin’ Kit, Flower Fusion felt flowers, silver brad

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Classes and events

Just to alert you to details of all upcoming classes and events (which you can view by clicking the Events tab just under my blog header). I am aiming to keep these details up-to-date as much as possible, so you'll be able to who is going to which event. This means you can check if I have received your payment, see if your stamping chums are going and see how many places are left. So if you're not sure if you've registered for an event, check the list and you'll see.

Talking of classes, I have three places left for the One of A Kind event - and if you want to come along and take advantage of the stamp set thrown in, I need to know asap so that the stamps will be here in time. Let me know by 11am on Monday please!

As always, please check with me before sending off payment, just in case someone has nipped in before you and I haven't managed to post an update. Thanks!

Thinking outside of the (gift) box

Sorry for the lack of posts, it's been (yet another) hectic week. Yesterday I spent all day at a Stampin' Up! event - yes ALL day... from 10am to 10pm! But it was brilliant. I learned loads, met lots of lovely people, won prizes (!) and received some fantastic swap cards, which I will share with you when I get chance to photograph them in daylight (I don't think daylight is on the agenda for today, by the look of things outside).

Meanwhile, here is my second attempt to use my stamps in a different way. I stamped the “bubbles” from Circle Circus repeatedly (I use the Stamp-a-ma-jig® to get them close together without overlapping) and then cut out a rectangular shape from the stamped area. A simple strip of ribbon and a bow turns this into a present. An easy card for anyone, including those tricky beasts, men, if you create it in masculine colours. Although I don’t like to send a card with a present on it unless I’m actually giving someone a present – are you with me on that one or not?

Stamps: Circle Circus, A Bit of Birthday Cheer
Cardstock: Rose Red, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: Rose Red, Whisper White
Accessories: Black Gingham ribbon, Corner Rounder

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

What's new?

The other challenge I came up with was one I lived to regret – use your stamps in a different way to normal. So turn one image into another.

This was an idea I saw on a blog ages ago and had a go at but never got round to turning into a card. So I had another go.

It’s very simple – you just stamp the owl from Animal Stories, draw a freehand tail and then add some whiskers. I drew the eyes nose and mouth, too... and a doodle line for the cat to sit on. I hate my handwriting – years of shorthand followed by typing everything have ruined it – but I thought handwriting was the best style for this card, with its doodled whiskers and doodling around the black layer.

Stamps: Animal Stories
Cardstock: Kraft, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Stampin’ Write Journaller, ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon - Pumpkin Pie

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Posted in error

oops, sorry!

Distressed distressing

This was another for the neutrals colour challenge on In Love With Stamping and this is what happens when distressing goes wrong – I slipped big time in the bottom right hand corner! Oh well, there are no mistakes and all that...

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, A Bit of Birthday Cheer
Cardstock: Kraft, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Paper: Patterns DSP - Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: 5/8” Grosgrain Ribbon - Chocolate Chip, Scallop Square Punch, Blender pen

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Neutral colour combo

As a member of the In Love With Stamping Design Team, I have to come up with at least six projects a month, at least one to fit each of the four challenges.

Each month we have a sketch, a colour combo, an inspiration piece and an “anything goes” challenge. It was my turn to come up with the colour combination and I chose “any neutrals and browns” – but not necessarily all of them.

I love this combination of Kraft, Very Vanilla and Basic Black and I think I’ll use it again. I stamped the So Many Scallops stamp and punched it out with the Scallop Square Punch – very fortuitous as these two products are part of the Perfect Pairs promotion this month. Of course I didn’t know that when I made the card!

I mounted this on a square of Basic Black and then made another scalloped frame to go behind it. I made this from four punched scallop squares joined together. You can see the joins, just, but I don’t think it matters too much.

And then I sacrificed some of my beautiful black striped ribbon. I know it’s far too big for the little card but I quite like that effect. It would have to go in a larger envelope though.

Stamps: So Many Scallops
Cardstock: Kraft, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Scallop Square Punch, Wide Striped Grosgrain Ribbon - Basic Black

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Love punches? Great news!

Great news if you love punches - there's a special offer from Stampin' Up!® this month... and a brand new punch!

During March, if you buy a qualifying stamp set, you can purchase the co-ordinating punch for 20% off! Plus, if you hurry, you can be one of the first to buy the new Full Heart punch - now available in the UK for one month only (or while supplies last). This punch will then not be available until the new catalogue is released on 1st October.

Qualifying stamp sets and punches are:

Simply Said - £22.95
Full Heart Punch - £10 (normal price £12.50)
If you already have Simply Said, don't worry - the Full Heart Punch is also available separately at its usual price of £12.50.

In The Stars - £24.95
Large Star Punch - £10 (normal price £12.50)

Flight of the Butterfly - £23.95
Butterfly Punch - £10 (normal price £12.50)

Say It With Scallops - £14.95
Scallop Square Punch - £10 (normal price £12.50)

Oval All - £14.95
Scallop Oval Punch - £10 (normal price £12.50)

The other good news is that you can mix and match - ie, if you buy any of the above stamp sets (including the French or German versions), you may purchase any of the above punches as the discount price. The only restriction is that it is one discounted punch per stamp set.

A word of caution: if you've fallen in love with the Full Heart Punch, please don't delay. Demonstrators are already showing a huge amount of interest in this punch, which usually means it is likely to sell out quickly. And once this batch has gone, the punch won't be back until 1st October.

Are you ready for the Stampin' Up! Experience?

Please note: the Sheffield and Coventry events are now fully booked. Sorry!

Do you want to see how a workshop should be done, instead of my usual "oops, I forgot to bring..."?

Stampin' Up!® is holding a series of events across the country in March and April, with demonstrations, Make & Takes and, of course, prizes! These events are free to attend but you must be invited by a demonstrator, who will give you an invitation which will act as both your admission ticket and your prize draw form.

Below is a list of events. I will be attending the Sheffield event but you are welcome to attend any of the events. Please get in touch if you'd like an invitation. I do need firm answers though because your name has to be registered with SU and, just like any demonstrator, they need to know numbers so they know how many Make & Takes to provide. Places are limited, so don't delay!

11 March 2010
Beauchief Hotel
161 Abbeydale Road South
Sheffield
S7 2QW
Time: 7-9pm
www.beauchief-hotel.co.uk

13 March 2010
Glasgow Pond Hotel
Great Western Road
West End
Glasgow
G12 0XP
Time: 7-9pm
www.glasgowpondhotel.com

18 March 2010
Aston Court Hotel
80-90 Holyhead Road
Coventry
CV1 3AS
Time: 7-9pm
www.astoncourthotel.co.uk

20 March 2010
Parkside International Hotel
Bath Road
Reading
RG30 2BE
Time: 7-9pm
www.parksideinternationalhotel.com

10 April 2010
Novotel Plymouth
Marsh Mills
Plymouth
PL6 8NH
Time: 3-5pm
www.novotel.com