Look at these lovely new colours!

These new colours are absolutely yummy! I’m loving Rich Razzleberry – it’s so, er, rich! Melon Mambo is fresh and fruity. And Soft Suede is  a lovely, gentle brown.

And the ribbon is absolutely fabulous. I’ve made some of these little sample rings to give to the ladies at my class tomorrow – bit of a chore cutting out all those flowers so some of them are a bit rough but it will show them how the new colours look stamped on Whisper White and on cardstock of the same colour.

And take a look at the papers! These are 6x6 sheets cut from the full sheet of 12x12 - as usual, you get two sheets of six double-sided designs, so 12 sheets in total. I love them – not least because there’s Old Olive in there. And Old Olive with Certainly Celery, too!

For future reference, the colours in these Cottage Wall Papers are: Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Whisper White.

Want it all? Don’t forget I have some bundles on offer so you can get a little bit of everything at a great price!

Stamps: Vintage Vogue
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Scallop Oval Punch, Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon - Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Melon Mambo

All products by Stampin' Up!® 

Froggy went a-punching

This is a really fun project. These are the new Treat Cups from page 9 of the Mini catalogue. They are self-adhesive but if you don’t want your card to be destroyed when the recipient opens their sweets, create a slider behind it so you can pull it out and “dispense”.

You can make all manner of animals using punches – I’m going to set a date for a class to create punched animals, so keep an eye on the events page for details. It will be a Saturday morning as I know several people would like to bring their children (age 10+).

I love the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean pick ’n’ mix in the posh chocolate shop in Ambleside. It’s perfect for matching up your jelly beans to Stampin’ Up! colours. These are kiwi flavour. Fortunately I’m not keen on them, which is why there were plenty for my frogs!

These are the punches you need to make this frog:

Body: 1 ¾” circle
Head and legs: Large oval
Feet: Boho Blossoms
Eyes: ¾” circle, ½” circle, ¼” circle

Stamps: One of a Kind, Autumn Days
Cardstock: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Green Galore
Ink: Gable Green, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore
Accessories: Treat Cups, Stampin’ Write Journaller, corner rounder, 1 ¼” circle punch (inside, to dispense sweets), plus punches as listed above.

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Flower handbag card

My new colour products have arrived and they are simply gorgeous. I haven't had chance to make anything with them yet - apart from a little something for those who are coming to my brayer class this Saturday - but I'll photograph the products as soon as I am around in daylight. You'll definitely be wanting my new product bundles when you see how fantastic they are!

Back to today's project...

At my Mini Catalogue launch, I demonstrated how to make this paper flower – I’ve explained on here before, click here for details.

This card is an old favourite – in fact, I found the card base at the bottom of my Soft Subtles scraps box and thought I’d use it before it’s too late. Yes, Barely Banana – and Lavender Lace – are both on the retiring list so if you love it, get it while you still can.

Oh, the card – to make this shape of card, simply fold a piece of A5 cardstock in half as normal, then measure 1” in from each end along the crease and mark with a dot. Cut from the dot, diagonally down to the corner where the card opens, then repeat on the other side. I made a couple of holes with the Crop-A-Dile™ to thread the ribbon through, which is simply knotted on the inside. It’s quite bulky so probably one for hand-delivering unless you have a padded envelope and are willing to pay the extra postage.

Stamps: Bird on a Branch
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Lavender Lace, Whisper White
Ink: Lavender Lace
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Striped Grosgrain Ribbon – So Saffron, Scallop Edge Punch

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Covering a notepad using the Spiral Punch

How cute is this? It’s a cheap notepad from Wilko which I’ve covered with the help of the spiral punch. Surprisingly easy, once you’ve worked out how to do it!

How to do it?

Cut a piece of paper or cardstock the same size as the notebook cover. Offer it up to the spiral binding and mark the centre wire with a pencil.

Using scissors, cut a small slit at this point. On your spiral punch there’s a little metal noggin to help guide your punching – push this into the slit and punch.  Using the guide, move the punch along and punch again, continuing until you get to the end (watch out if the wire binding on your notepad doesn’t go all the way to the end or you’ll end up with an unnecessary punched hole).

Turn your cardstock over and repeat up to the other edge. Thanks to Amanda for solving this little punching conundrum for me!

The punch does, of course, fit the Stampin’ Up!® On Board journal but if you want something smaller, check out stationery shops, Wilko etc. In my purse I keep a scrap of cardstock punched with the Spiral Punch so that I can offer this up to any notepad when I’m out and see if it will fit. 

Cardstock: Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Sweet Pea Paper Stack
Accessories: Boho Blossoms punch, Two-Step Bird punch, Spiral punch, Rich Regals brads, Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon - Rose Red, Stampin’ Write Journaller

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Dashing through the wind and rain

Keen blog-hoppers may already be familiar with Dasher, which has been a really popular stamp over in America and Canada. Now he’s here at last, in our new Mini catalogue.

There are a couple of things I need to tell you about this card so this will be a long one but it’s my birthday, so indulge me.

First of all I must thank Emma who very kindly stepped in and sent me a few rhinestone brads when I realised I didn’t have enough small red ones left. Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators are a lovely bunch who are always willing to help each other out and I’m very grateful.

Now I must explain why I’m showing you a Christmas card in the middle of spring, albeit on a windy, rainy and rather wintry day. I did a party recently for another Helen, who is a big Christmas cardmaker! She already has quite a stack of them handmade and ready to go. Very impressive!

I knew she’d love Dasher so I demoed this card at her party. It looks quite complicated – and does demonstrate quite a few techniques – but it’s quite simple really, when you break it down.

First I took a piece of Night & Day Designer Series Paper. This is the black and white pack from the Mini catalogue. It’s gorgeous and elegant ... and so versatile because you can make it any colour you like. I brayered over the piece using Real Red ink to create this striking black and red pattern. I put that aside to dry as it does take quite a while, due to the large amount of ink used.

Next I inked Dasher with Basic Black ink and then, using a sponge dauber, applied Champagne Mist shimmer paint on top of the ink just to his antlers. One dip in the lid of the paint is enough, so you don’t have to contaminate your paint with black ink. This allows the black to show through a little but gives the antlers a lovely shimmer. I mounted this on Basic Black and Real Red layers.

I made three pencil marks on the antlers, to show me where the punch the holes for the brads. I used the Crop-A-Dile™ for this because, with these rhinestone brads, you do need quite a large hole.

The dried Designer Series Paper was mounted on a Very Vanilla card blank and the striped ribbon tied around. I’d cut my initial sheet of A4 Very Vanilla lengthways to create a card blank which opens at the side, to accommodate the ribbon. Otherwise you could add another layer under the paper and tie the ribbon around that. But don’t try it around just the paper as it will just buckle.

I used the gorgeous new Tiny Tags, stamped on Real Red, Very Vanilla and Basic Black cardstock to create little tags using the new Jewellery Tag punch. I used a needle to thread these onto Linen Thread and pass this through the already tied ribbon. (I tried placing it on the untied ribbon and tying it around it but it didn’t work out too well!)

Finally, I added Dasher to the card using Stampin’ Dimensionals to pop him up. This allows room for the backs of the brads.

I have to say, I LOVE this card!

Stamps: Dasher, Tiny Tags
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Real Red
Paper: Night & Day
Ink: Real Red, Basic Black
Accessories: Wide Striped Grosgrain Ribbon - Basic Black, Linen Thread, Medium Jewelry Tag punch, Crop-A-Dile™, Rhinestone brads, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint

All products by Stampin' Up!®

What is it with all these birds?

Brayering is a technique I’ve overlooked for many years. Now I’ve tried it, though, I really love it. You can get some really exciting effects.

To create this effect, I punched a 1” circle from a piece of scrap paper and stuck it to the Whisper White cardstock using temporary adhesive (Two-Way Glue Pen). I brayered the whole piece with Taken With Teal. I tore another scrap of paper to create a mask and brayered the bottom area again to create a darker effect.

We'll be using this stamp set at my brayering class on Saturday, 15th May.

After removing the masks, I stamped the two images in Basic Black. You can’t see on the photo but I’ve made the bird stand out more by applying Crystal Effects® over the top, spreading it out to the edges of the image with a cocktail stick.

To make Taken With Teal ribbon, I pressed some Whisper White ribbon into my ink pad, brayering over the top to get the ink to spread evenly. This did have to dry overnight but it means you can have ribbons in any colour you like!

Stamps: Bird on a Branch
Cardstock: So Saffron, Basic Black, Whisper White
Paper: Sweet Pea Paper Stack
Ink: Basic Black, Taken with Teal
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon - Whisper White, Rhinestone brad, 1” circle punch, brayer

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Yet another bird card!

This is inspired by a card in a magazine I bought at the Hobbycraft Show in Birmingham. It was either a Simply Handmade or a Simply Cards magazine, sorry can’t remember. The trickiest bit was feeding the circle paper through the gap in the spotty paper. But I got there in the end.

Stamps: My Sweet Pea
Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Paper: Sweet Pea paper stack
Ink: Rose Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Satin Ribbon – Old Olive, Earth Elements and Neutrals Buttons, Earth Elements Buttons, Linen Thread, Chocolate Chip marker

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Embossed bird

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy – and pretty effective, too. This bird is really striking when punched from vellum cardstock, which I’d already stamped using the Whisper White craft ink pad and embossed with clear embossing powder. I embossed the same flowers in white on some Whisper White cardstock, too, to create the wing. The Whisper White ink came out one last time to be stamped in the corners of the card base using the dotty stamp from Bird on a Branch.

Stamps: Bird on a Branch
Cardstock: Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Vellum cardstock
Ink: Whisper White
Accessories: Two-Step Bird Punch, Clear embossing powder

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

Making a big name for myself... one letter at a time

I’ve had this wooden letter H hanging around for several years – my Canadian cousin decorated it and gave it to me but it was beginning to look a little tatty so I thought it was time for a makeover. Please forgive the hideous paint job on the sides and back, I was in a rush (as usual) and couldn’t find any white paint so, rather ill-advisedly, used this ochre colour. Must get some white for its next revamp!

I placed the letter face down on the back of my chosen Designer Series Paper and drew around it. I used Tombow adhesive to stick it down and a nail file to sand the edges. Then it was just a case of adding that gorgeous punched bird and a piece of ribbon.

I quite like it (apart from the paint job) so does anyone know where I can get more of these letters? In England. Cheaply?

Cardstock: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Sweet Pea Paper Stack
Accessories: Two-Step Bird punch, ¼” Grosgrain Ribbon - Chocolate Chip

All products by Stampin' Up! ®

New products and a prize!

The sun is shining and there’s some really exciting news from Stampin’ Up!® to herald the start of May! I’m so excited that I’ve added an extra special deal of my own – and a fabulous prize – to make the Bank Holiday weekend even more special.

11 new products
First, the Stampin’ Up! news... remember that Colour Renovation that everyone is talking about? In October the colours will be overhauled with lots of luscious new colours. Some of us – me included – will want it all on 1st October... but we don’t have to wait that long because Stampin’ Up! is giving us the opportunity to build up our collections gradually, by offering us three new colours right now. From today, you can buy 11 new products in Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede! See the products by clicking here.

New product bundles
Now, for my special offer. I know you’ll want all the lovely new colours but might not want to commit to full packs straight away. So how about a bundle of new goodies? During May only, I’m offering two special kits – and the “plus” bundle has some freebies thrown in, too!

Fruity fun bundle:
4.5m Melon Mambo ½” Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon
4.5m Rich Razzleberry ½” Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon
4.5m Soft Suede ½” Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon
8 sheets A4 Melon Mambo cardstock
8 sheets A4 Rich Razzleberry cardstock
8 sheets A4 Soft Suede cardstock
12 6x6 pieces of Cottage Wall double-sided Designer Series Paper.
Cost: £16.20 including shipping to me. If your products need to be posted to you, this will be charged at cost.

Fruity fun plus bundle - all of the above plus:
Melon Mambo ink pad
Rich Razzleberry ink pad
Soft Suede ink pad
8 sheets A4 Whisper White cardstock
8 Whisper White C6 envelopes
Cost: £29.60 including shipping to me. If your products need to be posted to you, this will be charged at cost.

If you want to be one of the first to get their hands on the new colours, I will be placing my first new colour order on Bank Holiday Monday at 8pm. But don't worry if you're not ready by then as I will be ordering again later on and these bundles are available throughout May. Please note that these bundles are not available as part of an in-home workshop as the products need to come to me so that I can make up the kits.

Prize time!
Finally, who wants a prize? Because it’s somebody’s birthday in this house this month, I thought I’d share the joy by offering a fabulous prize. Not sure of the exact details just yet but there will be a stamp set, a roll of ribbon and some cardstock – I'll post a pic here in the next day or so.

How to win? You will earn a place in the prize draw for every £10 you spend on orders placed between 1st and 31st May 2010. At the beginning of June, I will draw a ticket at random and a fantastic prize will be heading their way to the lucky winner!