A welcome of sorts :)

So welcome to my inaugural post as a Stampin' Up! © demonstrator!! :)

Today I've got a few cards I've made with my limited collection of new Stampin' Up! supplies...

This card was made using the hostess stamp set "Faith in Nature", and I have masked the sentiment over the pear stamp. The cardstock is Whisper White and Marina Mist. The inks used are Marina Mist and Early Espresso, and the card is finished off with some blingy bits...



This card was made using Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Paisley Petals DSP, Kindness Matters stamp set inked up using Early Espresso, and the Sizzix Bigz die Scalloped Envelope, finished off with some pearls....

Lucky last, this was made using Real Red and Whisper White cardstock, Real Red ink (I've "triple-stamped" to create the multi-coloured effect), and the Just Believe stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!

All things pink and girly

Hi there

So I've been AWOL for a while now :)

Anyway, I'm back today with a very pink and girly card!

The image is La la land Princess Marci, coloured with Copics, and Atyou Spica on her crown. The papers are Kaisercraft new Bonjour collection, and the edge of the card has been punched using XCut floral doiley punch.

So a nice simple card today :)

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Anything goes - Challenge 50

Stampin' for the weekend - Challenge 17 What a Cutie

Thanks for stopping by today :)

All things vintage and glam...

Soooo.... Back to my FAVOURITE style - VINTAGE!!!! I absolutely lurve it :)

Okay, the front layer! White cardstock that I stamped with Butterfly Garden Le Jardin stamps. I distress-inked it in DI Brushed Corduroy and then around the edges with Versacolour Pinecone. Matted some cream lace onto some pink lace.

The sentiment is a Melissa Frances Tag that I die-cut with the new XCut labels die, and added a butterfly.

Inside I have added a giftcard pocket which I embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder 'Goochie Script', and then ran an emery board over it to distress it down a bit.

And here is a close-up of the beautiful little butterfly

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts - A Gift Card
CRAFTS AND ME - Lace
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - Pink & Brown

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Melody Wishes You...

Finally I have stepped away from the masculine projects - for now at least :)

This card was a card I made for my daughters' creche director for her birthday. DH bought me a Grand Calibur as a **very** early birthday present and I couldn't wait to give shaped cards a go!

Small confession - I purchased the cardstock, papers etc as a kit so I have no idea what they actually are. The green cardstock is embossed, and that's pretty much all I can tell you! Sorry :)

The stamp is Crafts And Me 'Melody Wishes You', and coloured with Copics.

Here is a close-up

The dies used were Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Grand Labels One, and Spellbinders Lacy Edged Ovals.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Saturday Challenge - Create a Scene
One Stop Craft Challenge - Bold and Bright

Thanks for stopping by :)

Nuts & Bolts

Today I have my first EVER attempt at an ATC (Artist Trading Card). The requirement was 'Garage', and having a DH who is a mechanic gave me a chance to brainstorm a few ideas, here is what I came up with :)

The background paper is the same I used in my previous post (Tim Holtz Idealogy Lost & Found). I punched some bronze, gold and silver eyelets into the card to represent nuts.

The 'oil stain' is actually a Copic BV29 "splodge" covered with some Dimensional Magic to make it slick like oil. The sprockets are just chipboard that I coloured with Copics (the right one is E57, the left one is C7). I then covered both with Dimensional Magic, and when dry, I sanded the brown one down a little bit so it was shiny and dull in different parts, to look like it was rusting. I inserted a brad "screw" in the right one as well.

To finish, I inked around the edge of the ATC with Versacolour 'Pinecone'.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another masculine card

Howdy :)

I'm on a bit of a roll with these masculine cards ;)

I ordinarily avoid buying specific stamps, preferring to buy stamps I know I will use over and over, but when I spotted this little beauty at my local craft fair, I had to have it (plus I had a very excited DH in the background encouraging me to buy it, lol)!

I distressed all the edges and inked with DI.

For the lovely ladies over at Top Tip Tuesday, my tip for this week is to stamp your image with the SAME DI that you distress with, as it gives a nice co-ordinated finish, without "blending in" too much!

The papers are Tim Holtz Idealogy Lost and Found
Tags are Melissa Frances Mini Flash Cards
Stamp is Dark Room Door Old Truck Photo Stamp
DI is Brushed Corduroy

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge 48 - Masculine Card
Papertake Weekly - Dies to Die For
A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenges - Challenge 162 - Happy Birthday

Thanks for stopping by :)

A beautiful day is...

I hope the weekend finds you well, wherever you are in the world :)

Today's card is a more masculine card, and I have to say, it was nice to veer away from my "usual" sketch, of stamp in the right, and ribbon to the left, with patterned paper at the back, lol.

The paper is Kaisercraft Hunt and Gather, which I have embossed with an Ez-Cut embossing folder. The stamp is a 'Verses' stamp, and inked with Distress Ink Brushed Corduroy, then DIed around the edges.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 117 - Clean & Simple
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge 46 - Straight Edges
Charisma Cards Challenge 32 - Distressing
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge 95 - Emboss It

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)

Top Tip Challenge 44 - "Make It Girly"

First of all, I wouild like to send a very special shout-out to the lovely ladies over at Top Tip Tuesday, who inundated me with lovely comments on my previous card... So thank you very much ladies, and to everyone else who left a comment :)

... And here is my card for today :)

This card was loads of fun to make, and surprisingly quick (Copic colouring aside :) ).

I absolutely LOVE fussy cutting, and as Xpress Blend paper is *slightly* dearer than plain paper, it is a great way to maximise your paper usage, so that is my TIP for the week. So I have fussy cut little CC Designs Swiss Pixies Cute Birgitta and mounted her onto Fancy Pants "Beach Babe" papers.

Here is a close-up of Birgitta

I don't have the list of Copic colours I used handy, but if you would like to know, please leave me a comment and I will work it out and get back to you :)

The rest of the materials used are:

Sweet Shoppe "Sugar On Top" papers
Pink Grosgrain ribbon - HOW GOOD IS THAT STUFF?!?!?!
Heart buttons (to make the flower, and then either side of the sentiment)
And Martha Steward Scalloped-edge punch - another AWESOME product!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday - Make it Girly
Allsorts Challenge - Week 113 Free and Easy

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiley Girl

So I have been AWOL for a litle while... My bad :) But now I have two layouts for you today, one scrapbook page and one card...

This scrapbook layout is of my youngest daughter Grace. I'm really trying to steer away from "cutesy" as my kids get older (okay, she's 1, but you can only do "nursery newborn" layouts for so long :) ). So I decided to make it really bright and funky, to match the feel of the photos.

The little photos in the corner are leftovers from the exploding boxes I posted earlier. It was so hard to choose photos for those boxes, so I decided to keep them for future pages :) I have matted them onto a Cheery Lynn "French Pastry" doily die that I purchased through Lime Tart.

The journalling next to the doily die was made using my label maker (yes, I cheated, but it makes the journalling stand out from the busy page, plus it's an economical way to journal :) )

The Title "Smiley Girl" was made using Echo Park "Dots and Stripes" alpha stickers, matted in cardstock punched with the MArtha Stewart Lacy Edged punch (I used the corner punch to make it more ornate), and chopboard letters inked and coated with Dimensional Magic for shine.

The rest of the materials used were:

Kaisercraft "Fun In The Sun" papers, rhinestones and droplets
Blossoms and Butterflies Chipboard Ornaments
Sassafras entwined blooms

Thanks for stopping by today :)

Let's Get Married...

Back again! Nothing like a few challenges to get the creative juices flowing :)

Today I have an engagement/wedding card I made for a friend of my parents. I was actually asked to do this a few weeks ago but was struggling to come up with something I would be happy to give to someone. Engagement cards should POP as far as I'm concerned :)

*GASP* It's a clean mat now too ;)

Anyway, the info you are after goes as follows:

Cream pre-embossed Bazzill cardstock, and some gorgeous linen paper make up the back of the card, the images are from Graphic 45 Le Romantique collection (get ready for quite a few projects from these papers, they are GORGEOUS!) matted onto the same cream cardstock as the card itself.

A white flower in the bottom left corner which I sprayed with Tattered Angels Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist, an  Epoxy Brad from Kaisercraft Dutchess collection, and the third embellishment was a little "stamp" I cut from a Le Romantique sheet, and covered with Dimensional Magic to give it some gloss. I couldn't get a good enough picture of it, but hopefully this close-up does it some justice

All edges have been distress-inked, even the linen paper! TIP: If you are going to DI linen paper, just VERY GENTLY AND LIGHTLY pat the sponge around the edges, as it will absorb it really well, and it will only ruin the delicate paper to have a big splodge of ink there.



I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge 41 - Wedding or Anniversary (it's for a wedding)
Sketch Saturday Week #162
Craft Your Days Away Vintage
Stamping for the Weekend My Favourite Things: Graphic 45, Epoxy brads, Distress Ink, Dimensional Magic, Glimmer Mist