Trimming the Town for Christmas

All it took to attract me to the Trimming the Town Suite was one sheet of Designer Series Paper. Yes, this one with the mountains and the ice rink. 

I soon realised that the rest of the Trimming the Town Designer Series Paper pack was equally gorgeous... and then of course the Coming Home bundle started speaking to me, too... not least because we used to own a Volkswagen Beetle when I was a child. It was Pool Party, although I strongly suspect that wasn't the colour listed on the V5.

What’s special about the Coming Home stamp set is that £2.50 from every sale goes to Fertility Network UK. In every market, this set will be supporting charities devoted to adoption, foster care and infertility, issues which affect many, many families around the world.

For my World Card Making Day event on 3rd October, I wanted to use this suite so people can make a start on their Christmas cards. It’s ideal for a remote class as all these projects can be made with just the Designer Series Paper, although guests have the option to add the Coming Home stamp set and Home Together Dies if they wish.

It was UK demonstrator Amanda Bates who gave me the idea for these little cards. I never occurred to me to cut out the tiny houses until I saw her clean and simple projects here.

 

 

I’ve since added ribbon but think I actually prefer them without.

I haven’t done the maths but Amanda reckons from two full 12x12 sheets of this design, you could make 120 cards! My guests only get two 6x6 pieces in their kits so presumably can make 30 cards, which should be enough fussy-cutting for anyone!

 

If fussy-cutting isn’t your bag (and it definitely isn’t mine!), then you’ll be delighted to know that the Home Together Dies fit the larger houses in the DSP perfectly, just as you’d expect from Stampin’ Up!® and its commitment to co-ordination.

 

Yes, even these trees have dies to fit. This, you won’t be surprised to hear, is one of my favourite designs in the DSP pack; as you probably know if you’re a regular reader, I do love trees.

There’s even a die to create this lovely swooping hill. There's a plain one, as used here, and one with little pine trees attached, too. 

 

For an extra touch, I’ve stamped snowflakes and some tiny chimney smoke to come out of the house on this card, using the Coming Home stamp set. I’ve also created a fun, colourful greeting by carefully slicing up one of the Designer Series Paper sheets. This one has greetings in French, English German and Dutch, and I particularly like “Kling Klokje Klingelingeling” in the pack, which Google tells me is a Dutch children’s Christmas song. Elsewhere I’ve used greetings from In The Pines and Yuletide Pasture.

I hope you enjoy these projects and that my class guests do, too. They've seen a sneak peek and booked up in a matter of days which is a promising sign. I have to take bookings a lot earlier these days, now that I have to prepare kits and get them in the post, so please follow my Facebook page for the latest events, so you don’t miss out. 

And please come back Thursday for a Gilded Autumn-themed blog hop!

Out of my comfort zone with Grace’s Garden

 

Comfort zone? What comfort zone? I was WAY out of mine for this project which took me a WHOLE afternoon. I was trying to recreate this project from the catalogue...

... but I don’t think I quite had the patience to pull it off. I’ll stick to clean and simple stamping in future, I think. 

 

I used the Grace's Garden stamp set and Garden Gateway dies - both of which are absolutely stunning... but definitely not my usual style as I don’t have the patience for tiny elements. Love that little cat though!

 

Trimming the Town... not just for Christmas!

I never like to be restricted by the theme of a stamp set or Designer Series Paper. The Coming Home stamps are suitable for many occasions, as is the Trimming the Town DSP, which has some festive designs and some patterns which work all year round.  

All week I’ve been working on non-Christmas projects using the Trimming the Town Suite ready for this blog post... and all week I’ve been seeing social media and blog posts from the Great and the Good working on the same theme! Great minds clearly do think alike.

It began with a request from my husband for two New Home cards and the houses from this Suite are perfect for this. I did stamp some using the Coming Home stamp set and colour them in, but they ended up looking a little too Christmassy, so I turned to the Trimming the Town Designer Series Paper and die-cut the houses from there instead, using the Home Together Dies. The Pool Party and Poppy Parade colour combination is one of my favourite retro looks for Christmas, but it works all year round, too. 

To be honest, the hardest part was finding a suitable greeting. Time to Celebrate from Itty Bitty Birthdays was ideal for one of them, but as the second recipient was bereaved at the same time as moving house, this felt a little bit tactless. Instead, I chose “Rest and Relax, you deserve it” from the Timeless Tropical stamp set.

 

For the car-themed cards, I did use the stamps, colouring them in using my Stampin’ Blends alcohol markers. 

For the Happy Birthday card, (again, using a greeting from Itty Bitty Birthdays, I lined up the images using the Stamparatus. The dotted lines, reminiscent of a road, come from the Box of Sunshine Paper Pumpkin Kit.

This card would be ideal for someone passing their driving test – although, the last I heard, if you weren’t already booked in before lockdown, you don’t stand much chance of getting a test until December!

I stamped the images freehand, but they’re easy to line up as the stamp is photopolymer. I stamped and die-cut an extra car, coloured it using Poppy Parade Stampin’ Blends and popped it up. “Way to Go” comes from the Simply Citrus All-Inclusive Card Kit. 

Finally, this house in a very built-up area was inspired by Martin Stone. When I CASE a card, I often like to do it without having the original in front of me, which ensures I make it different. This is why Martin’s version is classier and less busy. I got a bit carried away with the little houses at the back but it was fun to create, using a series of post-it note masks.

When colouring these images, keep it simple. Just a swipe of the dark marker in one corner, then blend it out using the light version of the same colour. Don’t go overboard, or the ink can bleed out beyond the lines. Keep it simple and you’ll get great results every time.

New month, new products, new offers

September is here and, with it, lots of very exciting news! 

Get & Go Starter Kit Promotion

First up, let me tell you about a great opportunity to join Stampin’ Up!® and get all the tools you need to get crafting immediately. During September, you will receive TWO additional stamp sets, plus a pack of prepared cardstock, stamps, and embellishments to make these great cards:

 

As well as the great value Starter Kit – which already includes craft supplies of your choice to the value of £130 – you will receive:

• So Much Love stamp set
• Queen Anne’s Lace stamp set
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Packs to make 16 cards with envelopes (eight each of two colours)

You can use these to make the cards shown here – tutorials are provided on the Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator website – or use them to make your own designs. You can use them in your first event – or use them to make cards to send to friends. One of the beauties of being a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator is the flexibility! 

If you live in the UK and would like to find out more, please get in touch. There’s no desperate rush as you have all month, so give it some thought, but the sooner you get started, the sooner you can start reaping the rewards. Not convinced? I am more than happy to answer any questions and am sure I can put your mind at rest about any concerns you may have. 

If you’re chomping at the bit and want to get started right away, you can sign up here. I look forward to welcoming you into my team! 

And now onto the next piece of exciting news...

Clearance Rack updated

The Clearance Rack has been updated! Yay! We ALL love the Clearance Rack, right? I’ve already made my first purchase, as have several customers, so why not head on over and take a look to see if there’s anything which takes your fancy. 

When shopping during September, please use the host code CMAQSJD7

The last time I checked, there were some great bargains, including the Lots of Happy Card Kit (pictured), which would make a fantastic Christmas gift. I also notice that some of the really popular items have already sold out, so remember, when it comes to the Clearance Rack, time is of the essence! 

New Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine now available

Finally, the new Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine (standard size) is now available, so if you’re on the lookout for a fabulous new die-cutting machine, this is it! The retail price is £112... but before you order it, please talk to me as I can help you get it for less. Intrigued? Please get in touch for details!

Masculine cards with World of Good Designer Series Paper

I’ve had the World of Good Designer Series Paper since pre-order back in May and *gasp* had never used it! Enough was enough, so I finally cracked it open.

The only issue is... I didn’t buy the Beautiful World stamp set to go with it, so would I be able to create anything without the benefit of Stampin’ Up!®’s amazing coordination? Of course I could! And it’s PERFECT for masculine cards – something I know many people struggle with.

For starters, that old favourite from last year, Sailing Home, goes perfectly. Here are two cards which tap into the nautical theme in traditional blues. 

I love how Sailing Home and the Smooth Sailing Dies are given a refresh with our new colour, Misty Moonlight. Die-cutting from Brass Foil sheets picks up the foiled accents from the DSP. 

They are product-heavy projects but if you have it, use it! I was also following this sketch – which is based on the card on page 87 of the current Annual Catalogue – for these projects, after setting my customers a challenge to do the same. 

And of course, Designer Series Paper on its own can help you make fabulous cards, too. Mixing things up a little, I made two more cards using the browns from the pack. This is where Cinnamon Cider cardstock and ribbon comes into play. The 21st birthday card is a total CASE from Ellen Woodbridge’s fabulous 50th birthday card.

I used the Playful Alphabet dies (an absolute must-have, in my opinion) and the equally essential Foam Adhesive Sheets. The greeting from Whale Done is just the job for a 21st birthday card, and the map design reflects the recipient’s love of travel. 

The final card showcases one of my favourite greeting stamps of all time, from Happiest of Birthdays. I sliced off half of the front of the card, then decorated the front panel and the inside with contrasting designs of World of Good Designer Series Paper. It’s finished off with Gilded Gems.

To get the shadow effect you see on the Happiest of Birthdays card, use the Stamparatus. Position your cardstock in the corner, then move it a hair’s breadth down and towards the centre (left or right, depending on how you use your Stamparatus). Hold it down with a magnet and stamp in your dark colour.

Then move the cardstock into the corner and repeat. You can do this with the same colour without reinking, to get a paler shade, or clean off the stamp and use a different shade, as I’ve done here. I used Early Espresso and Cinnamon Cider. 

Spotlight on the Lovely You Bundle

 

One of the most popular stamp sets from the Annual Catalogue so far has been Lovely You, with its elegant sentiments and versatile images. This style of greeting has always been popular with my customers, so this comes as no surprise to me.

Take a look at these beautiful projects using the Lovely You Bundle – remember, if you purchase the stamps and Lovely Labels Pick a Punch together, you save 10%.

The punch is great because you can create SIX different styles of label, of varying widths. It’s very clever! You can see some of the different label styles on this card, which has a lovely boho, patchwork vibe. 

This project has the words heat embossed in Whisper White Craft ink on vellum, for a really classy and elegant feel. Wouldn’t this be lovely on a wedding card?

Simple stamping with Forever Fern

  

Could you make a card in 15 minutes or less? That is the challenge I set to my customers last week – and they have until tonight’s Show & Tell session to complete their projects.

I know it can be done because I’ve done it myself – and here’s one to prove it. Forever Fern and Ornate Thanks on a Whisper White Note Card; Bish, bash, bosh - done! I even stamped the envelope!

10 simple cards using the Whale of a Time Suite

How fabulous is the Whale of a Time Suite? I bought the whole suite collection, which is not something I’d done until this year. Now I’m all over it as a concept as it’s so easy!

Public service announcement

 If you’re shopping online and the suite is showing as unavailable or on backorder, do check the individual items. It may be that just one item is temporarily out of stock which puts the whole suite on backorder. But you can still order the individual items separately.

Ok, onto the projects! Above are all of the projects were are currently making in this month’s remote workshops. Guests have had the choice of attending every Tuesday at 1pm, or coming to the Saturday morning class which was this past weekend. They could even attend both if they wished – and one lady turned up “just to watch and heckle”. 😂

Each week the ladies make two simple cards using the Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper, adding their own greeting stamps or using the Whale Done stamp set if they chose it as an optional extra. For eight of the cards we used Whisper White Notecards and Envelopes, with two shaker cards on a standard Pool Party card base.

We began with a double whale week and, thanks Stampin’ Up!®'s fabulous co-ordination, you can punch out the large whales from the DSP. Those who hadn’t upgraded to include the Whale Punch could fussy cut them instead. We set aside one of the whale patterned pieces to use just for this purpose. 

I love this Pool Party Sheer Ribbon, too – it’s so soft and shimmery.

 Onto Week 2... which was turtle week and another opportunity to show off the gorgeous DSP...

To provide a cute focal point for the projects, we fussy cut the turtles from the DSP. Again, we set aside the piece with the turtles on to use for this. 

The Whale of a Time Sequins make great accents when stuck down with a Glue Dot. I love these tiny translucent shells. 

I had die-cut a series of labels using the Tasteful Labels Dies and Stitched Rectangles Dies. All different, so I could cut them all for each person in one go.

I did throw in a couple of shaker cards to mix things up a little, which meant some preparation time using the Snow Globes Scenes Dies but worth it I think as they look so fab with the sequins behind.

This was the first one; it’s hard to photograph a shaker card but you may just be able to see a cut-out turtle within the Snow Globe Shaker Dome.

This was accompanied by another turtle card; both show off the absolutely gorgeous Whale of a Time Designer Series Paper. 

This Tuesday we will be making another shaker card, this time with a sponged and embossed surround. Yes, more work for me die-cutting and embossing in advance but I really wanted to show off this gorgeous Seabed 3D Embossing Folder. 

We’ll also be making this fab little notecard. I LOVE this piece of Designer Series Paper, it's so lovely. Guests at this series of classes received a quarter of a pack of the DSP; of course, if you have a whole pack, you get four pieces of this, so can make lots of lovely projects. 

To finish off, we will be making these cards – I left these to the end because they can be adapted to suit any leftover scraps. This is a great way of using up scraps of any Designer Series paper.

So are you inspired by this Suite? My customers have been loving it. If you’re inspired enough to buy it and are in the UK, you can shop the Suite here.