Thank you

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post today to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has been on here and checked out my blog and especially to those who have left comments. It is really appreciated.

So here is a Thank you card. I can't use this "Great Friend" set enough! That butterfly is just beautiful! I have teamed it up with the "Haiku" DS papers and a rub on for the "thank you" from the Fashion District rub ons. Then it's just coordinating cardstocks, scalloped punched borders and a little sponging around the edges.





Happy Stamping,

Finding Inspiration

Hi everyone,
Of all places to find inspiration, I was doing the dishes and water splashed on the floor. I reached for my paper towels to clean it up and voila! I thought how great that would look on a card!!! I know, I know, some people will do anything to get out of housework!

So here is a photo of the "inspiring" paper towel and below that is the card I came up with.

I first stamped the swirl pattern from "Baroque Motifs" repeatedly around a piece of white CS, then ran this through my crimper ( a great tool I might add). I actually ran it through a couple of different directions to try and get the more textured look like the paper towel.

The rest of the card was very easy just adding the ribbon and punched out greeting. Simple but effective. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Happy Stamping,

Father's Day Card

O.K, so here is a "guy" card using the layout from the last post as inspiration. Scroll down to read the last post if you haven't already so this all makes sense!

All I have done is made my stamped image a wider strip and centered the other image below it, but otherwise you can see the similarities. I have used the "Trendy Trees" stamp set for this one and trust me when I say you have to use a "Stamp-a-ma-jig" with this set unless you want very wonky looking trees!! The sentiment is from the "Greetings Eight" stamp set which is perfect for Father's Day cards. I couldn't go past 2 of my favourite colours, Chocolate Chip and Kiwi Kiss on this one. I've added a bit of sponging around the edges too to give it a bit more of a masculine look. Hope you like it.

Examples of CASEing

I often get asked by my customers about where I get my ideas from and most of the time I have to say that I CASE other people's work!!!! CASE stands for "Copy and selectively edit". So I thought I would show you all some examples of what I mean. The cards below also highlight how one layout can be used over and over again to produce many different cards. Just by changing colours, stamp sets, patterned papers and embellishments, it is amazing what you can come up with.

This first card is a copy staright out of our catalogue, from pg 43 using the "Party hearty" stamp set. I haven't changed anything here.


Then I used this card above as inspiration for the following cards.
Firstly a pretty card for a girl. This uses "A Kind Word" stamp set, "Tea Party" DS paper & "Pink Pirouette Patterns" DS paper. For the flower embellishment I used a combination of a flower from the "Pretties Kit" which I have coloured with Amost Amethyst ink using a sponge dauber, then a pink flower from Flower Fusion Too, then used a "Build a brad" with a small flower cut from the Tea Party DS paper using a 1/2 in circle punch. The stamped image has been coloured using Blender pens and Stampin Pastels.

The next card again uses the same basic layout. I have added a second strip of DS paper but otherwise the card is pretty much the same. Here I have used one of my favourite sets "Always". The matching DS papers for this are the "Sweet Always" set so I have picked 2 of these and then used 3 of the coordinating colours that go with this range for my other elements, ie Choc Chip, Pumpkin Pie and Regal Rose. I just love how all Stampin Up products are designed to coordinate, it makes picking colours so easy! The other main items on this card are the use of the eyelet border punch and circle punches, plus the use of Stampin markers to colour the stamp in before printing it onto the whisper white CS. Isn't that heart image just lovely?

I had fun with this next card. Got to love bling! Again I have kept the layout the same, just used different punches, colours etc. This card uses the "Crazy For Cupcakes" stamp set, "Think Happy Thoughts" and the small present image inside the circle is from "Party Hearty". The colours are Pink Pirouette (one of this years' "In Colours"), Regal Rose and Elegant Eggplant. The bling comes from Tombow glue covered in our Chunky Sprinkles.

O.K so some of you might be thinking but what about a card for a guy?? Well with Father's Day coming around the corner I thought I better do one more example. I'll post this and get that ready.

Spring Mini is here!!!

The Spring Mini catalogue started Aug 1st and there are lots of great new stamp sets and accessories. I have been having lots of fun "playing" with some of the new products which I just couldn't resist during our demonstrator preorder period. So below are 2 samples I have to show you and under each are the lists of supplies used. I hope you like them!

Stamp Sets: Great Friend
Cardstock/Papers: Kiwi Kiss CS; Ski Slope DSP

Inks: Riding Hood Red & Kiwi Kiss Ink Pads

Other: Baja Breeze Striped grosgrain ribbon.

Stamp sets: None!

Cardstock/Papers: Chocolate Chip CS, Parisian Breeze DSP

Other: Fashion District Rub Ons (used scalloped flower with cross design & sentiment);Blooms Again Die Cut flowers;Flower Fusion Too; New Corduroy Buttons in Baja Breeze; Eyelet Border Punch.