Seaside Shore with In Colors

A bonus colour combination for you today, using four In Colors, spanning two seasons, with one of my favourites, Soft Sky. 

And a new stamp set, too – the rather fun Seaside Shore, which I used at a downline’s house to make a get well card for a male friend. The fish are really easy to cut out (thankfully), so this card came together in just a few minutes. 

I’m afraid I don’t know the name of the set that provided the greeting and I’ve just been through the whole catalogue without founding it, so can only assume it’s retired. But it did the job and our friend is now on the mend, if not back on his feet just yet. 

Seaside Shore Clear-Mount Stamp Set [141625] £19.00	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [131181] £6.00	Delightful Dijon Classic Stampin' Pad [138327] £6.00
Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Pad [141394] £6.00	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] £6.00	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [138326] £6.00
Dapper Denim A4 Cardstock [141419] £7.25	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock [138344] £7.25	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25

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Mix It Up Monday: Birthday Fiesta stand-out cacti

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.

And, while to you this combo may look like a bit of a cop-out, to me it represents a real challenge. Why? Because I confess that I’m not a particular fan of Tangerine Tango… and I can’t stand grey. 

But I had the idea for this card so needed a strong green and this was the most suitable combo in the Emerald Envy chart. Fortunately I had just enough Smoky Slate to complete the project; I’d actually have preferred to use Basic Black but that’s just me, I don’t like grey!

I haven’t decided who will be the lucky recipient of this card yet, I have several friends who fit the bill perfectly, so will hang onto it until I need it. 

Top tip: When stamping the words, I started from the right and worked backwards. Not only did this make it easier for me, as a left-hander, it meant I didn’t run out of space.  And, although the Labeler Alphabet stamp set comes with multiples of common letters so you can stamp whole words at once, I prefer to stamp individual letters so that I can get them closer together. 

Birthday Fiesta Photopolymer Bundle [142268] £38.50	Labeler Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp Set [141936] £15.00	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock [140490] £6.50
Card Stock A4 Smoky Slate [131291] £7.25	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] £5.50
Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] £6.00	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad [126946] £6.00	2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes [141410] £8.25

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Caturday: Tutheran - the saga continues

This is not Mr Winky! Caturday fans with long memories will remember Tutheran, the black stray that’s been hanging round our house for a few years, causing misery and mayhem by fighting with the other cats.

You may also remember that we trapped him so that we could take him to the vet and have him relieved of certain body parts which may have been contributing towards his aggression. I found a home for him but it never came to pass so he’s been continuing to lurk around the garden, beating up our cats and any others which care to brave the territory. We couldn’t get near him as he ran away as soon as he spotted us.

Fast forward to about a week ago, when daughter decided she was going to “try to tame him”. To say I was sceptical would be an understatement. But I underestimated the power of the Cat Whisperer: within three days – and a few bites and scratches later – she was able to stroke him. Now he comes when she calls and rubs around her legs! He trusts me a little, too... I’ve even managed to brush him!

Despite remaining quite nervous, he really is a sweet cat... around humans. He’s still horrible to other cats. So if you know anyone who is in need of a cat, doesn’t have any other cats or dogs, doesn’t live near a busy road and is willing to be cautious and patient around him, please let me know. They need to be willing to keep him inside for a couple of weeks, and they mustn’t live too close to me, or he’ll probably just come back. It’s quite an ask, I realise, but you never know!

Swirly Bird meets Pêche Fraîche

Well, would you believe it? Pêche Fraîche makes another appearance on one of my projects. I think I’m getting used to it! The colour, that is, not the name. I’ll never get used to the name, so it will remain Pêche Fraîche for the foreseeable. 

I made this at a friend’s crafty get-together recently and had fun creating the watercolour background. After wetting the paper, I swiped with the two ink colours (Pêche Fraîche and Watermelon Wonder), allowing them to blend in the middle. Once dry, I splashed a little water around, left it for a minute or two, then dabbed it off gently with tissue paper. I painted some circles in clear water, too, then did the same - this created the paler backgrounds behind some of the flowers. 

When it had dried for the second time, I stamped on top with Swirly Bird and Watercolor Words, then finished off with some ribbon and just one Enamel Shape… in Pêche Fraîche of course. 

Swirly Bird Photopolymer Stamp Set [141749] £23.00	Watercolor Words Photopolymer Stamp Set [138702] £23.00	Watercolor Paper [122959] £4.50	Peekaboo Peach A4 Cardstock [141422] £7.25	Watermelon Wonder A4 Cardstock [138341] £7.25
Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	3/4" Circle Punch [119873] £11.50	2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes [141410] £8.25	Peekabo Peach 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon [141427] £7.25	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad [138323] £6.00
Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad [141398] £6.00	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [138328] £3.00	Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Ink Refill [141403] £3.00

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Thoughtful Branches available from today

There’s a brand new stamp set and dies bundle available from today called Thoughtful Branches. I’m sure you’ve heard all about it already but I haven’t had chance to show you my creations with this supremely versatile set.  I didn’t have much time so kept things really simple, but I love the way you can layer the die-cuts to create a flower head with depth and dimension. Sweet Sugarplum and Elegant Eggplant go together beautifully for this gorgeous hydrangea.

And in case you were missing Caturday (I was away for the weekend and forgot to schedule a post!), look out for Mr Winky, giving himself a wash on our new patio. I didn’t have the heart to crop him off the photo.

The stamp set is incredible - there’s so much in it, for lots of different occasions. But be warned: it’s been released for a limited time only, during August, so order it as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

There are nine dies in the Thinlits pack, and 23 images in the stamp set. You can purchase the stamp set (£24) and dies (£28) separately, or together as a discounted bundle at £46.75. Click the bundle image to go straight to my online store.

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle [144328] £46.75

Sweet Sugarplum A4 Cardstock [141423] £7.25

Elegant Eggplant A4 Card Stock [108614] £7.25

Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock [138344] £7.25

Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25

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Mix It Up Monday: Birthday Fiesta cactus

When I saw a fabulous cactus card creation by Sarah-Jane Rae, I just knew I had to have a go myself and instantly headed to eBay to purchase goggly eyes. 

Unlike the last Mix It Up Monday project using Birthday Fiesta, This time I chose a hot and clashy combo from my In Color charts, which I thought was perfect for the fiesta theme of the project. 

Now the hat... a lot of people are making cards like this by cutting out the hat from the DSP, but I don’t have the DSP, so took my inspiration from Sarah-Jane but adapted it slightly. Instead of using the little bunting die from the set, I used the cactus die and cut off the left branch to create the top of the hat. The brim is made from the streamer die that comes with the set. 

Birthday Fiesta Photopolymer Bundle [142268] £38.50	Whisper White Mini Pompom Trim [141486] £6.50	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549] £8.25	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [126948] £6.00	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] £6.00
Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad [141398] £6.00	Melon Mambo A4 Card Stock [119980] £7.25	Pumpkin Pie A4 Card Stock [108601] £7.25	Emerald Envy A4 Cardstock [141420] £7.25	Peekaboo Peach A4 Cardstock [141422] £7.25

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