More fun with Mixed Bunch

Had a lovely play with Mixed Bunch and the co-ordinating Blossom punch yesterday. They really are great fun, and the flowers look lovely when they’re stamped and punched out. I made six cards, every single one CASEd, adapted and - in this case - simplified from somewhere on the web. Here’s the first, adapted from a card by US demonstrator Sandi Maciver.

All my cards used the colours of Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper as I had a small amount left which I thought I’d try to use up. But you know how it is with DSP, it’s almost impossible to use up – I still have quite a bit!

I suppose it doesn’t help that I was being economical with this one and the flower embellishment is punched out of the background piece, with the hole hidden by the Very Vanilla cardstock.

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Curly Cute

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Very Vanilla

Paper: Beau Chateau

Ink: Marina NMist

Accessories: 1” circle punch, ¾” circle punch, Very Vanilla brad (Neutrals), Boho Blossoms Punch, Blossom Punch

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Bunch of flower cards

Some more cards from my first play with Mixed Bunch. I really like the big, bold flowers and these cards were REALLY quick to make. It would be a great stamp set for a one-sheet wonder.

I stamped random flowers on a piece of Whisper White, then die-cut and embossed the edge using the absolutely fabulous new Edgelits. I made a stack of these in various Brights in almost no time at all.

Now that the punch has arrived, I can't wait to have another play!

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Happiest of Birthdays (hostess)

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Ink: Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette

Accessories: 1” circle punch, ¾” circle punch, Glimmer Brads – Brights, Edgelits dies – Adorning Accents, Textured Embossing Folders – Adorning Accents

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Caturday capers

This lovely warm weather we've been having brings out the frivolous side in us all, doesn’t it? And Pooboo is no exception, as he goes all hippie for the summer. Check out his rather spiffing daisy chain necklace.

Simple flowers

From highly-embellished fabric cards to something very clean and simple. I made this card in just a few minutes, using my new Mixed Bunch stamp set. I was given this set free at a Stampin’ Up! training event last weekend and couldn’t wait to use it when I got home... even though we’d already had a play during our Make & Takes.

I made half a dozen cards in an evening using this set and a couple of boxes of cardstock scraps.

For this card I took a piece of Shimmery White cardstock and stamped the flowers in Old Olive (yay!). The sentiment is from Curly Cute and stamped in Basic Black. I layered it onto some Basic Black (ok, I cheated there, too) and finally stuck it to a card blank made from textured Old Olive.

The neutrals card is very similar; I just added a ½” circle of Early Espresso cardstock and a single pearl. A pearl which may prove expensive as today I mailed a card with a pearl on it and had to pay 40p extra in postage! Doh!

Stamps: Mixed Bunch, Curly Cute

Cardstock: Old Olive (textured), Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Shimmery White

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Basic Pearls

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Cardmaking with fabric

Look, there’s SEWING on this card! What? Not impressed? I really think you should be because sewing does not come at all easily to me and yes, yes, I know that all I did was a running stitch through a length of crochet trim, a couple of stitches to hold it together and sew a button on but, to me, that is quite the challenge.

I made a few of these, with various changes as I played around, for some crafty friends who did a VERY nice thing for me a week or so ago. I wanted to thank them in the appropriate manner, so made some cards using the new Twitterpated fabric, which I hadn’t opened  before and now absolutely love.

I applied Big Shot Multipurpose adhesive sheets (p122) to the fabric, then ran it through the Big Shot using the new Elegant Bird die (love this!). I left off the wing as I thought it might distract from the rest of the card.

That’s when I discovered that I could only stick the card to a completely flat surface so, if I did it again, I would stick the fabric to a piece of cardstock, too.

Then I finished off the cards using Twitterpated fabric and various embellishments. On this one there’s the much-to-be-admired crochet rosette. Below you’ll see a similar card with the addition of some Bordering on Romance flowers.

The card below with the embossed background is the first one I made, and the one that presented the problems with the fabric, so I stuck the Twitterpated bird to a bird made of felt to absorb all the lumps and bumps.

Stamps: Curly Cute, Bordering on Romance

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler (Twitterpated features Riding Hood Red but I’ve run out)

Paper: Twitterpated

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Bird Die, Polka Dots embossing folder, Twitterpated Designer Fabric, Filigree brads, Crochet Trim, Twitterpated Buttons, Scallop Edge Punch, Basic Pearls

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Sewing kit swaps

Spent a lovely day in Leeds yesterday at a Stampin’ Up!® training event with 74 other excited demonstrators. We had some business training, shared ideas and, of course, swapped projects. Best of all, two of my team won prizes of a fab selection of Summer Mini catalogue products!

I received loads of lovely swaps which I will study more closely later on. These are mine – they are sewing kit matchbooks. Expect to see lots of sewing kits this year as I’ve just bought 100 of the little blighters from ebay.

Making a matchbook with the Simply Scored tool is so easy, and you can score lots of them at the same time. You just lay the item you want to put in your matchbook on top of a strip of cardstock on the scoring tool, leaving room for flaps at both ends, and mark where you want to score – even easier using the little markers, as you don’t have to repeat the process every time.

So I scored and cut my matchbooks from Pool Party cardstock then fished out the Big Shot. The order of the next bit is quite important, as you can end up squashing flat your embossing if you’re not careful. Here’s what I did:

1. Die-cut the border using Adorning Accents Edgelits Die. For this you need the platform with BOTH tabs down, plus two cutting plates sandwiching your cardstock and die.
2. Emboss the border using Adorning Accents Textured Impressions embossing folder. For this you need the platform with one tab down (or none, depending on your machine – my Big Shot seems quite tight), plus two cutting plates sandwiching your cardstock and folder.
3. Emboss the hearts using Adorning Accents Textured Impressions embossing folder. Important: you need the platform with NO tabs down. This will avoid squashing the lovely scalloped embossed border. 

Next I added some Designer Series Paper, then added the sewing kit and tied it all up using some gorgeous ruffled ribbon. I’ve used various pieces of paper and different colour ribbons, purely because I didn’t have enough of everything to make 40!  Ten of these went to the ladies in my Virtual Hostess Club – I like to give them a little gift each month, whether a handmade project, a kit to make their own project or a product sample to play with. My club is coming to an end soon so if you’d like to join the next one, please drop me a line!

Oh, nearly forgot to mention the basket. It was made by my downline, Judie, using Stampin' Up! packing paper, sewn into strips and woven. Isn't it fabulous!?

Cardstock: Pool Party

Paper: Sweet Shop

Accessories: Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies and Embossing Folders, Ruffled Ribbon – Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Contented Caturday

It’s Caturday again (don’t they come round fast?) and today’s pin-up girl is Barbara B, sister of last week’s Margo.

Sue and Emily were both correct when they guessed that the names come from the TV sitcom, The Good Life. Judy in Canberra was close with To The Manor Born; right genre, same actress (Penelope Keith)!

Barbara is a lovely-natured cat but can be a little oppressive... unless you actually like having a ball of fur sitting on your chest, padding on your bare neck with claws.

I'm off to Leeds today for a Stampin' Up!® training day. Very excited and I'm sure I'll come back inspired! 

Twitterpated card

More from the Twitterpated product suite, this time just a simple image using one of the smaller Bordering on Romance stamps.

Again, the image is coloured with blender pens and ink pad lids – so easy as you don’t have to get any extra equipment out and just use the colours you’re already playing with.

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, It’s Your Day

Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Paper: Twitterpated

Ink: Basic Gray, Pear Pizzazz, Riding Hood Red

Accessories: Twitterpated Designer Buttons, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Blender Pens

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Flower borders

I really like this card, and it’s so simple to do! Just strips of Designer Paper and a simple border stamp, from Bordering on Romance.

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Curly Cute

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (textured), Whisper White

Paper: Twitterpated

Ink: Island Indigo, Riding Hood Red

Accessories: Itty Bitty Buttons, Lucky Limeade Baker’s Twine

All products by Stampin’ Up!®

Glossy flowers

And back to my samples today – this is made with the Twitterpated Suite although, for some reason, on this card I’ve used one of the more muted pieces of Designer Series Paper.

The stamps are beautiful and perfect for those among you who love colouring in! I have coloured the image using ink pad lids and blender pens, then covered the main flowers with Crystal Effects® to give them a glossy sheen. I love that look.

Sorry about the ropey pictures, by the way. I took them all at my Summer Mini launch and the lighting in the hall wasn't great. Just haven't had a minute to take them all again! 

Stamps: Bordering on Romance, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (textured), Not Quite Navy, Blushing Bride, Whisper White

Paper: Twitterpated

Ink: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeage, Pretty in Pink, Riding Hood Red

Accessories: Crystal Effects®, Distressing Kit

All products by Stampin’ Up!®