SAB Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the Inspiring Inkin' Sale-a-bration blog hop! Each of us along this little hop have made some things using the new, exclusive stamp sets available for FREE when you spend over £45 from the Stampin Up catalogue. If you're interested in placing an order and getting your hands on a free stamp set (or more!) just get in touch!





Each blog will have the birdcage logo and at the end of the post you'll see a link to the next blog on the hop - eventually you'll come back full circle to the blog you started with. I hope you enjoy the journey! It would be lovely to hear what you think of our creations so if you can, please leave a comment when you visit.





For those of you who have joined me from Hayley, welcome!





I made two samples for this hop - although I could have kept going cos there are SO many possibilities with this Good Neighbors set. There are three little house stamps along with three different roofs that you can mix and match to make endless little houses! There are also three cute trees as well.





For this card I followed the colour challenge at SCS this week: Barely Banana, Really Rust and Basic Grey. The background paper is from the GORGEOUS Nouveau Chic paper pack. I stamped the larger house in Basic Grey and coloured it in with a Barely Banana marker. I added a roof with Really Rust ink then outlined it with a black marker. The other house was stamped with Really Rust then the roof added in Basic Grey (you simply HAVE to have a Stamp-a-ma-jig to use this set properly!!). I stamped some clouds in Basic Grey and added piercing around the edge of the Whisper White piece. The houses were cut out and popped up with dimensionals.





The greeting is from Love You Much and I punched it out using the Word Window punch and layered on a Basic Grey oval. I added silver brads either side of the greeting. I stamped the trees along the bottom of the Really Rust strip and added some Really Rust buttons. I added 'thread' through the middle of the buttons using a thin strip of Barely Banana cardstock. The Barely Banana strip was punched with the eyelet border punch.





Here's the recipe:


Stamps: Good Neighbors, Love You Much


Ink: Basic Grey, Really Rust


Paper: Nouveau Chic DSP, Really Rust, Basic Grey, Barely Banana, Whisper White


Accessories: Eyelet border punch, word window punch, oval punch, markers, silver brads, Really Rust buttons, mat pack and piercing tool





Here's my second sample using the same set:

I actually made 36 of these over Christmas Day and Boxing Day while I was at my husband's parents' house! Let's just say I spent some quality time with my Stamp-a-ma-jig!!! Thanks so much to Jane who lent me her New Year's Celebration stamp so I could make these!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Good Neighbors, New Year's Celebration, Pocket Silhouettes

Ink: Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, So Saffron

Paper: Merry Moments DSP, Cameo Coral, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Whisper White

Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, tag punches, silver brads, corner rounder punch.

And now you can continue your journey by hopping over to Rosie's blog HERE!

Thanks so much for stopping by...!

x Amy x

A Funky Hello to You..!

Hello all!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends! I caught a dreadful bug a few days before Christmas so was feeling pretty rotten leading up to the big day and am still suffering with cold-like symptoms - hopefully they'll be gone soon!

I spent Christmas day and Boxing day at my in-laws, making lots of Sale-a-Bration cards (tune in on the 30th of Dec for a Sale-a-Bration blog hop where you'll see lots of great samples with the new FREE stamp sets that will be available from the 30th of Dec through to the end of Feb!). Today is the first day I've been able to sit down and make something purely for the joy of creating something and not 'cos I have to'. I played along with the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS today and this is the card I came up with.

The flower is from Playful Petals and I stamped the larger flower from the set on Whisper White using Chocolate Chip first. I then overstamped on top of it with the Sanded background stamp, which kinda 'dirtied' it up a bit - I really like the effect! I then stamped the smaller detailed flower on Real Red twice (I inked the stamp first with Versamark then with Chocolate Chip and embossed the image with clear embossing powder) and onto Tempting Turqouise once. I cut out the layers and built up the flower using dimensionals. I added a button from the Playground collection in the centre, with some linen thread tied through the middle.

The Tempting Turqouise background was stamped with En Francais using Tempting Turquoise ink. I stamped the swirl from Season of Joy twice using Versamark and embossed with Silver embossing powder. I added piercing using the mat pack and piercing tool and added some faux stitching using a white gel pen. I also used some silver brads and white satin ribbon to finish this off.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Playful Petals, Hello Again, Season of Joy, Sanded, En Francais
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
Paper: Real Red, Tempting Turqouise, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White
Accessories: Playground buttons, silver brads, white satin ribbon, linen thread, white signo gel pen, eyelet border punch, mat pack and piercing tool, clear EP

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Nouveau Bird Inspiration

Hello!

I made this card for today's inspiration challenge over at SCS. I chose this inspiration piece and used a combination of DSP prints to create a patchwork background. I added faux stitching using a Basic Black marker. The main image is from A Touch of Nature and was stamped on Saraha Sand twice. I punched one out with the 1 3/4" circle punch and then cut the other image out with my SU paper snips (seriously the BEST scissors for fine cutting!!!). I layered the circle on Whisper White and then layered the cut-out image on top with dimensionals.

The sentiment is from SU's Wow Flowers set and punched out with a 1" circle punch then layered onto Sage Shadow and Basic Black circles. I fixed a filigree flower with a black brad through the centre. I added a ribbon bow with the GORGEOUS black striped ribbon and added a Basic Black button and linen thread.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: A Touch of Nature, Wow Flowers
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Nouveau Chic DSP, Tea Party DSP, Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Whisper White, Sage Shadow
Accessories: Black brads, linen thread, black button, black striped ribbon, filigree brads, circle punches, basic black marker

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Final Designer of the Month card....

Hello!

This is my card for the last of the November sketches over at Jen's blog. Check them out - they really stretch your creativity to another level - I love them!

For this card I've used a poinsettia image (has to be one of my fave flowers!) from Gina K designs and I paper-toled (or decoupaged) it. I stamped it three times on watercolour paper and coloured with my SU markers and an aqua brush then cut out three different layers and stacked them on top of each other using Pinflair glue gel. The papers are some I've had in my stash from last year. I used Bravo Burgundy buttons and Certainly Celery ribbon to embellish.

Here's a close up shot of some of the dimension:

Can I just say once again how grateful I am to Jen for asking me to be the November Designer of the Month?! It's been great fun!

Thanks for stopping by...

x Amy x

Wild Sketch...

Hello!

Today's card is for Jen's Sketch for You to Try - check it out here! I used a selection of animals from an old retired SU set. I stamped them in Chocolate chip and cut them out and layered them with glue gel to add dimension. The ribbon is Twill Tape from SU and the button is Creamy Caramel, tied with linen thread. The greeting panel was brayered and then stamped with a greeting from Verve using Choc Chip.

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with a gift project for you!

Thanks for stopping by...

x Amy x

Floral Sketch Nouveau

Hello!

I made this card for Jen's Sketch For You To Try this week. Check it out - it's a fab one! And if you play along this week you get the chance to win a gift certificate from Your Next Stamp.

I finally managed to dig out my GORGEOUS Nouveau Chic DSP to make this card. As soon as I saw it in the new catty I knew I had to have it! But of course, other projects got in the way and I hadn't managed to use it! The coordinating colours are Apricot Appeal, Sage Shadow and Basic Grey. The main image is from Bloomin' with Beauty (a fave of mine!) and stamped with Basic Grey on Whisper White. I coloured the image with SU markers then added another image that I had cut out over the top for dimension. I added some crystal effects over the whole image to make it shiny.

The sentiment is from the Wow Flowers set and was stamped with Sage Shadow and punched out with a 1" circle punch. A filigree flower and brad was fixed through the centre of the greeting circle. I added layers behind using the larger circle punches and coordinating cardstock. On the scallop circle I added some white dots using a signo gel pen. Some pearls from the Pretties Kit and some faux stitching finished things off!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Bloomin' with Beauty, Wow Flowers
Ink: Sage Shadow, Basic Grey, Apricot Appeal
Paper: Nouveau Chic DSP, Apricot Appeal, Basic Grey, Sage Shadow, Whisper White
Accessories: circle punches, Pretties kit, filigree brads, markers, crystal effects, paper piercing tool & template, white signo gel pen

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to play along this week for a chance to win some free stuff...

x Amy x

Chocolate Roses...

I made this card for our Stampin Up team's challenge blog as well as the Mojo Monday sketch challenge.

The roses were stamped first with Close to Cocoa ink then with Chocolate Chip. I added glitter to the areas that remained white. The leaves were stamped with Old Olive and Close to Cocoa. The butterfly was stamped with Old Olive and then coated with Crystal Effects so it is shiny. The papers are from the Spiced Cider DSP.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: A Rose is a Rose, One of a Kind, A Touch of Nature
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Old Olive
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Spiced Cider DSP
Accessories: Crystal Effects, Glitter, Vintage Brads, paper piercing template & tool

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

I'm so excited!

Well I am so thrilled to have been asked by the fab Jen del Muro to be the November Designer of the Month for her Sketch For You To Try challenge over at her blog: I {Heart} to Stamp. What an honour! I have seen lots of Jen's sketches being made into magic by her design team every week and I can't quite believe I get to join them for a month!

Here is my card for this week's sketch:

I need to make a whole bunch of thank you cards for church so this was a great sketch to get me started! If you get a mo, hop over to Jen's blog and play along with this week's sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

New Stampin Stuff!!

Hello!

Sorry it's been so long (again...!) since I've updated my blog. I will try to be here more often but life is just a bit crazy at the moment!

I made this card using some of the brand NEW goodies in the new SU idea book and catalogue. First up on the new list is the eyelet border punch - sooo pretty! I used that on the Whisper White piece of card. Second on the new list is the Word Window punch - that's how I punched the sentiment out. Also new in the catalogue is the Versamark pen, which is great for embossing small and specific areas. I've used it over the pink and yellow foliage then embossed with clear embossing powder. This allows you to stamp/sponge over the top without contaminating what you've already stamped as the embossing powder will resist the ink. I reversed the deer image as I wanted him facing into the picture. I did this by stamping the image on the shiny side of the Stamp-a-ma-jig sheet then placing it onto the cardstock and rubbing over the image - this transfers the image in reverse onto the card. I gave the deer more definition using a blender pen and inkpads. I went over the deer with Versamarker and clear EP so I could stamp the trees behind. This type of scene is demonstrated perfectly by Michelle Zindorf on her blog - she's the master of this!!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Fresh Cuts, Forest Friends, Lovely as a Tree, Autumn Days, Wow Flowers, Baroque Motifs, Season of Joy
Ink: Rose Red, Apricot Appeal, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery
Paper: Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Accessories: Word Window punch, Eyelet border punch, white signo gel pen, versamarker pen, clear EP, sponge daubers, oval nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Mojo Cupcakes

Well two posts in two days is pretty good going for me at the moment huh?? I had to particpate in the Mojo Monday sketch contest this week - I love Julee's sketches! I needed to make another card for my Mum's students who are graduating soon (she has requested 14!) and I want to use this sentiment from SU's Live Your Dream set. Mum teaches home economics and food technology amongst other things so food-based stamps were on the menu! These ones are from a There She Goes set called Cupcake Mix and Match. I love it cos you can make your own cupcakes by changing the topping, decorations and colours - sooo much fun!!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: TSG Cupcake Mix & Match, SU's Live Your Dream

Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Choc Chip

Paper: MME Bloom & Grow, White, Burgundy

Accessories: Chocolate satin ribbon, Kaiser pearls, Cuttlebug corner die, Stickles, copics, pinflair glue gel

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Sorry it's been a while!!

Ok... so I've been absent again!! I've been distracted by house renovations and planning for the new school year so I've not had a lot of time for crafting... much less blogging! But hopefully I'll be back on track soon!

I made this card for the Inspiring Inkin' challenge which was to make a birthday card for a child using an animal stamp. I went with Forest Friends (as I don't have any other animal stamp sets...!!) and decided to make a card for a baby boy (I do have one in mind...). I stamped the bunnies with Bashful Blue and the deer with Creamy Caramel. The tree from this set was stamped in Creamy Caramel on the Creamy Caramel background. The DSP from the retiring Wintergreen pack was torn along one edge.

I created an embellishment with Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, a Creamy Caramel button and Linen Thread. I added some piercing and faux stitching as finishing touches.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Forest Friends, Basic Phrases
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy
Paper: Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, WW, Wintergreen DSP
Accessories: Circle punches, Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, Creamy Caramel button, Linen Thread, White Signo Gel Pen, Paper piercing template

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Touch of Nature Sketch cards

Hello!

I had the luxury of sitting down yesterday and making whatever I wanted (rather than something I had to do for one reason or another!) - it was lovely!! I've been wanting to try a sketch set along the lines of the ones that Laura Fredrickson does on her blog. This involves using four different sketches to make cards using the same ingredients (stamp sets, DSP, colours etc). For my set I chose to use the lovely Touch of Nature set from SU. This was my first ever set from Stampin Up and I still love it! I used the Tea Party designer papers along with the coordinating cardstock (Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron and Basic Grey).

For the sketches I used three from this week's Mojo Monday challenge blog - Mojo Monday turns 100 this week so they are celebrating with a new sketch every day.

This card was made using day 4's sketch. I stamped the butterfly with Basic Grey ink and sponged So Saffron and Pretty in Pink ink on to it. I used white taffeta ribbon and pearls from the Pretties Kit to accessorise. The greeting was embossed with white EP on Almost Amethyst card and punched with the SU oval punch. I added dots to different parts of the card with a white Signo gel pen. I adjusted the sketch a little to make it wok for my image and papers...

The next card was the Mojo100 sketch. I wasn't sure whether I could make this sketch work for me in my usual style but I was pleased with the finished result! The flower was stamped once on the white piece then again on a seperate piece and cut out so it could be popped over the main image panel with dimensionals.

I added 1/4" Certainly Celery ribbon to create 'leaves' on the flower stem.

The greeting is from SU's Wow Flowers set. I stamped it once in Almost Amethyst and punched it with the 1 1/4" circle punch. I stamped it again in Pretty in Pink and cut out the flower to stick over the top of the Amethyst greeting.

The next card is for day 2's sketch. I stamped the bird on whisper white cardstock and coloured with an aquapainter and inkpads. I sponged around the edge of the image with So Saffron ink. The greeting was stamped in Certainly Celery ink.

For my final card, I used Mercy Kerin's Tuesday sketch. I love Mercy's blog and her great style of card making so I have been wanting to participate in her sketch challenge for a while. I stamped the images in Basic Grey ink and coloured with an aquapainter and my inkpads. (A little tip when colouring - if you need a stronger colour, try adding a drop or two of the corresponding reinker into the lid of the inkpad). The So Saffron flower was stamped again and popped up with dimensionals. The ribbon is the So Saffron striped ribbon from the mini catalogue.

Phew... That was a long post (and my photos kept playing up so it's taken me ages to put together!!) Hope you enjoyed my sketch project - I loved making them and hope I'll get a chance to make more!

Have a great weekend!

x Amy x

A Christmas Sketch...

Hello!


I made this card for the sketch challenge over at SCS this week. I really love this sketch as it has lots of layers... and if you know me you know I love layers! lol!


The main image is from SU's Season of Joy set. I stamped the tree using Old Olive on Whisper White card then applied Versamark over the whole image using the pad straight to the card. I then applied heat and stick powder and glitter to get the really sparkly effect. I then cut out the tree and popped over a piece of WW with dimensionals. I pierced around the edges of this panel and added the greeting from the same stamp set under the tree.


The rest of the card is just layers of Holiday Treasures DSP with a white mat under each one. I added one of those 'ribbon-button-thread thingies' that I love to make so much! One of the many reasons I love Stampin Up is that I can pick out the colours of the designer paper and accessorise using these exact colours (like the Pretty in Pink button).


That's all from me today! My kitchen is being installed next week and then my conservatory should be tiled the week after that... not long till I can have my craft desk all set up and ready to go... yay!

x Amy x

Colour challenge...!

Hiya!

I made this card for our SU team's challenge blog - this week was to make a card using the following colours: Taken with Teal, Regal Rose, Orchid Opulance and Kraft! Now when I saw those colours I thought the first three would be lovely together... but Kraft?? Not sure how that would work... But hey - I quite like how this has turned out!

I used the cluster of flowers from the True Friend stamp around the main panel. I inked up the stamp with a combination of Taken with Teal, Regal Rose and Orchid Opulence markers. Then spritzed the stamp lightly with water and stamped on Whisper White card. I repeated this process several times. I sponged around the panel with Regal Rose ink to create the hazy look.

The greeting was stamped with Regal Rose on Whisper White card and punched out with the SU oval punch. I then created layers behind it with the 1 3/8" circle punch and the scallop circle punch. I added dots with my white Signo gel pen around the scallop circle (a fave technique of mine!).

The layers in the background are Kraft DSP from the hostess paper pack. If you want this pack you've gotta host a party pr place a qualifying order before the end of September! I added some faux stitching with my SU tool kit (paper piercing part) and a Taken with Teal marker.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: True Friend, Soft Summer
Ink: Regal Rose
Paper: Kraft DSP (hostess pack), Orchid Opulence, Taken with Teal, Whisper White
Accessories: SU markers, paper piercing tool & template, Oval punches, white Signo gel pen.

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Bittersweet Butterfly Mojo...

Hello!

I made this card for the Mojo Monday sketch contest this week. I used my FAVE butterfly stamp - from Verve's Beautiful Kindness set. I also used the Bittersweet papers from Basic Grey for the layers on this card. I started this card from this GORGEOUS ribbon I picked up recently - it's chocolate satin - and I got 22 metres on the roll - hee hee! Lots of fun to be had with this... especially seeing as I love Choc Chip so much lol!

The butterfly was stamped on patterned paper and cut out. I stamped another butterfly on the circle layer underneath. The frame was made with a combination of nestablities. I cut out a light pink scalloped square, then a dark red square with a circle cut from the middle (to create the frame). A slightly smaller white circle was cut out to pop up in the middle.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Beautiful Kindness, Fluttering By

Ink: Choc Chip (what a surprise...!)

Paper: Bittersweet from Basic Grey, Choc Chip (SU)

Accessories: Nestabilities, satin choc chip ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Spring Solitude...

Hello!

Just a quick post today as I am in the middle of conservatory/kitchen project as well as trying to sort the STUPENDOUS amount of STUFF lying in piles around our house... nightmare!

I made this card for the sketch challenge over at SCS yesterday. It uses the Spring Solitude hostess bundle which you can only get by hosting a party - and time is running out cos there's less than two months left of the current catalogue! So if you like this set and you'd like to host a party - get in touch on richard_amyATyahoo.co.uk.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Spring Solitude hostess bundle, Circle of Friendship
Ink: Choc Chip, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Haiku DSP, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, WW
Accessories: SU circle punches, paper piercing tool & mat, scallop edge punch, nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Divine Details...

Hello all!

Today I thought I'd share with you my anniversary card I made for my DH - we have been married for 8 years now! I thought this card was a good opportunity to share my 'process' of making a card (if you can call it that) as that is the theme of this month's Project Parade over at the Verve Blog. I get quite a few 'how did you do that?' or 'where do you get your ideas?' questions at the workshops I do, so this might help explain a bit of that!

Firstly, I always start with either a sketch or a stamp set in mind. If I start with a sketch, I will then find a stamp set or image to fit the sketch. If I start with a stamp set in mind, I'll then try to find a sketch to fit. As you can see, sketched are REALLY important in my 'process' lol! There are oodles of sketches out there - on SCS, Mojo Monday, etc. etc. In fact, there are so many that I can't possibly do them all! In this card I used a sketch that was part of the SCS fan club challenges. I wanted to use this image so I chose this sketch to fit it.

Next, I choose my colour combo - this will either be based on DSP (which I do a LOT!) or a colour combo I've seen either on a challenge, or someone else's creations (I case other people's ideas an awful lot!!). I then try to colour my image to fit my colour combo (in this card I actually coloured the image first, then took the colours from there).

If you know me at all, you'll know that I LOVE to colour!! I have lots of different methods: SU's watercolour wonder crayons, markers, inkpads together with blender pens or aquabrushes are great. I also love coloured pencils (my personal fave are Prismacolors from the US). In this card I have used copic markers. These are an alcohol-based marker that are brilliant for blending. I love using copics when colouring any images that involve animals or people, as their skin/fur colours are excellent. In this particular card, once I had coloured my images, I 'defaced' them a little... lol! The boy bunny was given a mask (drawn in using an SU black marker and coloured with signo white gel pen) because my hubby is MAD about The Phantom of the Opera (don't ask...!) and the girl bunny (me!!) was labelled a rubber stamper (no need for explanation there...lol!).

One of my 'divine details' that I use on pretty much every card I make is dimension. There is something about 3D that makes a card look extra special. In this case, I layered up the image (called Paper Tole in the US, or Decoupage in the UK). I stamped it 3 times and cut different parts out to pop up using dimensionals. The image was cut out with Nestabilities (a tool I just can't live without in the crafting world!). I find that adding a layer behind the main image makes it stand out more - nestabilities are great for this.

Another little detail I will share is something I heard at an SU training event I went to last year. I was already doing this in my card making but had never heard it described this well: Just remember BLT! No... not Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (we're not making a sandwich here!!) - it stands for Background, Layers and Texture. In my card I stamped the square panels in the background using the same colour ink as the cardstock (Creamy Caramel) to acheive a subtle tone-on-tone effect. I then sponged around the edge of each one using the same ink to get a distressed feel. I added faux stitching (still haven't figured out how to use my sewing machine!!) using a paper piercing tool and a black SU marker. I then added texture by running each panel through the Cuttlebug using an embossing folder. This adds a subtle effect but really adds something to the card.

Finally, I personalised the card by stamping out some letters using my mini SU alphabet set and punching each letter out with a 1/4" circle punch. I find this much easier to do than trying to line each letter up next to each other!

Phew... That was a long ramble! For those who have read all this... well done and thank you! Hopefully it has helped in some way in your own creative journey...

Here's my recipe:
Stamps: Verve (Bunny Duet, Father Figure), Stampin Up (mini alphabet), There She Goes (Happy Day)
Ink: Versafine black, Creamy Caramel
Paper: White, Creamy Caramel, Basic Black, Red card blank
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, copic markers, 1/4" circle punch, paper piercing tool, black marker, white signo gel pen, nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by... happy stamping!

x Amy x

Woohoo! I'm on holiday...!

Well I'm now on school holidays - yay! Actually I have been all week, but have been so wrapped up in sorting out my craft room and other bits and bobs around the house I've forgotten to update my blog - sorry!

I thought I'd share this card with you - a Christmas in July card! I stamped the reindeer on Whisper White using Choc Chip and punched out with the 1 3/8" circle punch. I created the background by arranging squares of Ski Slop DSP on Always Artichoke Cardstock. I then punched a scallop circle out of a piece of Choc Chip card slightly smaller than the DSP piece. This was popped up over the reindeer to create a frame. I added faux stitching using a white signo gel pen (a favourite technique of mine!!). The background of the card is Bashful Blue cardstock stamped with snowflakes from the SU Winter Post set using Bashful Blue ink. I dragged the inkpad around the edges to get a distressed feel.

The greeting is from the hostess set Best Yet and was stamped on Whisper White using Choc Chip ink and punched out with the SU oval punch. This was layered on a scallop circle of Real Red. I added some Choc Chip double stitched grosgrain ribbon to finish off.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Winter Post, Best Yet
Ink: Choc Chip, Bashful Blue
Paper: Ski Slope DSP, Always Artichoke, Choc Chip, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Whisper White
Accessories: Choc Chip double stitched grosgrain ribbon, white signo gel pen, SU oval punches.

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Faux Grid technique

Hello!

I made this card for two challenges over at SCS - the color challenge (Lavender, Banana, Black & White) and the Technique challenge (Faux grid).

I stamped the image from Soft Summer (in the UK mini catalogue) on Confetti White with Stazon and coloured with watercolour wonder crayons and an aquapainter. I drew the grid lines using a ruler and my black SU marker. I coloured random squares with two different grey crayons. I added shadow on one side of the image with a dark grey marker and blended with my aqua painter.

The greeting was stamped with Stazon on Barely Banana and punched out with the SU oval punch. I added white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon and Barely Banana brads for extra texture.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Soft Summer, Oval All
Ink: Black Stazon
Paper: Lavender Lace, Barely Banana, Going Grey, Basic Black, Confetti White
Accessories: Watercolour wonder crayons, Soft Subtles brads, white grosgrain ribbon, white Signo gel pen, SU oval punches, SU scallop edge punch, SU black marker

Thanks for stopping by... I'm off to sniffle and cough a bit more... am feeling a bit poorly at the mo!

x Amy x

Tree Mojo...

Hello!

This card is my entry for the Mojo Monday contest this month. I also combined it with the Featured Stamper challenge over at SCS. I chose this card from Schirmcat's gallery. The idea of a featured stamped challenge is to copy some elements, but change others (at least three). I kept the tree theme, used Kraft cardstock along with greens and brown and used three buttons too. I also added some faux stitching using a Choc Chip marker to imitate the stitch lines on her card. I changed the layout, the stamps used and added a ton of layers (can't help myself...! lol!).

The little tree is from Verve's Up, Up and Away set - my FAVE Verve set at the mo! The larger tree is a single Plain Jane stamp. I stamped them on Whisper White cardstock with Choc Chip ink and also on some Certainly Celery DSP (from the Wintergreen pack... in the retired section at the back of the UK catty). I cut the foliage out and popped over the top of the white image with dimensionals. I sponged around the edge of the image piece with Choc Chip and distressed with the SU distressing tool. The greeting is from Here for You and stamped on Whisper White, cut out with Nestabilities and sponged with Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow and a smidgen of Choc Chip!

The layers behind the main image are a combination of Wintergreen DSP, Chocolate Chip and Kraft. I've distressed quite a few of the layers, as well as adding the faux stitching. The ribbon is 1/4" Certainly Celery Grosgrain. I added some buttons I picked up today at my local store... I think I'm warming to using buttons...!

I decided to decorate the inside of the card too (something I never do!) as I've seen amazing examples on some of the blogs I surf (in particular Amy Sheffer). I tore a strip of DSP and layered on Kraft then placed at the bottom of a white layer. I added stitching (to match the front of the card) and stamped the little tree in the same way as the front then punched out with SU circle punches.

This card took ages but I'm really pleased with the result!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Verve

Ink: Certainly Celery, Choc Chip, Sage Shadow

Paper: Wintergreen DSP, Choc Chip, Kraft, Whisper White

Accessories: SU Choc Chip marker, buttons, Certainly Celery ribbon, SU distressing tool, Nestibilities, SU circle punches

Thanks for stopping by!

x Amy x

Sorry it's been so long...!

So it's been a while...! I have been really busy at both of my jobs recently and haven't had a lot of time to blog! Hopefully things will get a bit better now!

I made this card for a challenge our SU team holds every fortnight. This week's challenge was to use three of everything. So I used three colours: Apricot Appeal, Not Quite Navy and Tempting Turqouise. I also used three flowers, dragonflies, buttons, pieces of ribbon... I went to town basically!!

The flowers and dragonflies are from the Hostess set, Organic Grace. If you would like this set and live in or near Bristol, please contact me about hosting a party on richard_amy@bigfoot.com and you could get this set for FREE!!

Here's my card recipe:
Stamps: Organic Grace, Live your Dream
Ink: Tempting Turqouise, Not Quite Navy, Stazon black
Paper: Apricot Appeal, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla
Accessories, Very Vanilla buttons, Tempting Turqouise ribbon, Linen Thread, glitter, circle punches

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Inkin up my brayer...

Hello!

I dug out my brayer today and had a play... I have a workshop in a couple of weeks where the hostess would like me to demo brayering so I thought I'd put together a few projects that show what you can do with this marvelous tool.

The main image on this card was brayered with So Saffron and Old Olive on the bottom half. I then inked up the brayer using Bashful Blue and ran it over a piece of crumpled up paper. This gives the ink a wrinkly texture and when rolled over the top of the image, looks like streaky sky.

I stamped the trees by inking them up with Really Rust and wiping off the trunk with a baby wipe then inking the branches and trunk with a Choc Chip marker. I added little hills by tearing a piece of card in a curved shape then using it to sponge Really Rust ink under both trees. Finally, I sponged around the edges with Close to Cocoa ink. I got this idea from Zindorf over at Splitcoast Stampers.

The background paper is the Washington Apple DSP from the mini catalogue. The greeting is from Best Yet (a hostess set) and punched with the SU Oval Punch. The ribbon is the So Saffron striped ribbon from the mini catalogue. Some Really Rust buttons finished this off!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Forest Friends, Best Yet
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Old Olive, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Washington Apple DSP, Old Olive, Whisper White, Really Rust
Accessories: So Saffron striped ribbon, SU oval punch, brayer, Really Rust buttons, Sponge Daubers

I'll try to add my other brayering cards over the next week or so...

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

I'm baaack...!!

Hello everyone!

I'm back in the UK (well have been for almost a week now... just haven't had a chance to blog much!) and ready to stamp, stamp, stamp! Yes... it was ridiculous how much I missed stamping and card making on my holiday. lol! I eventually found an art shop and bought a pack of coloured pencils so I could doodle my card designs in my oh-so-gorgeous leather sketchbook I bought in Rome... Hee hee!

Well, here's my fave photo of our holiday:

This is Richard when a pidgeon decided to land on his arm and eat the roll he was holding (this is in St. Mark's square in Venice). I just LOVE the look on his face... priceless!

Here's my favourite one of the two of us:

And yes... that is a roll of PAPER in my bag...!! I have a sickness... lol!



Well enough holiday snaps... onto a card!



I made this card for a new challenge at Inspiring Inkin' - we were to use black and white a ONE Bold Bright. I chose Real Red - one of my favourite SU colours!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Wow Flowers

Ink: Real Red, Basic Black

Paper: Black, Whisper White, Real Red DSP (hostess pack)

Accessories: Hodge Podge Hardware, Real Red ribbon, white Signo gel pen, SU chalks

Thanks for stopping by!

New challenge...

Hello!

This is going to be my last post for a week as I'm flying off to Italy in a few hours (so excited!!!). I thought I'd share this with you before I go!

I made this card for a new challenge blog that Vannessa (a member of the same Stampin' Up team as me) started up. Check it out here!

I took my inspiration from the colours of the room and the quilted bedspread. I made a 'quilt' of paper using four different patterns of DSP cut to 1" square.

The main image is from Crazy for Cupcakes, stamped on Whisper White with Chocolate Chip and coloured with a mix of blender pen & inkpads and SU markers. I added some glitter to each cupcake for extra sparkle! I pierced around the main image using my SU toolkit and paper piercing mat and template.

The added element we had to include in our challenge was to use something we hadn't used before (or for a very long time!). I used linen thread from the catalogue. I had seen a tutorial on SCS explaining how to do this ribbon/button/thread thingy (I'm not sure it has a proper name!) so I thought I'd give it a go... it's actually pretty easy and I think it's a great extra accent to add to a card!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red
Paper: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Ski Slope DSP
Accessories: Choc Chip double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, old olive button, linen thread, SU markers, glitter, ruby red brads, 1/4" circle punch, SU toolkit (paper piercing template).

Well that's all from me... I'm off to Italy!!

Have an awesome week...

Amy

Verve Sketch Challenge

Hello!

I made this card for a challenge over at Julee's blog - it is to celebrate the new Verve release (can't wait!). The awesome additional bonus is that Julee will be choosing her fave entry and that person will be a guest designer next month for Verve - oh my! I would soooo love to be that person! I love Verve stamps and play with them whenever I get the chance!

Anyway, enough gushing from me (sorry!!)... onto the card deets! I chose to use two of my favourite Verve images - the oh-so-gorgeous butterfly from Beautiful Kindness and the flowers from Because of You. I stamped the flowers in Baja Breeze and then again with Versamark and Close to Cocoa. I then embossed this image with sparkle embossing powder so the image glistens - so pretty IRL! I sponged around the nestability frame after I cut it out and layered on Chocolate Chip. The butterfly was stamped on Whisper White using Close to Cocoa and given some colour using my River Rock reinker and a blender pen. I then embossed it with clear embossing powder so it looks glazed.

The border along the bottom edge of the card was punched with the Eyelet Border punch and layered with Baja Breeze and River Rock ribbon. I added some pearls in the corner (can't stop adding these to my cards!!!). The sentiment is also from Because of You. I sponged around the Baja Breeze layer using Baja Breeze ink to create a soft hazy look.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Verve's Beautiful Kindness and Because of You
Ink: Baja Breeze, Close to Cocoa, River Rock
Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Baja Breeze ribbon, River Rock ribbon, flat-backed pearls, clear and sparkly EP, nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Only Summer Flower...

This is for today's colour challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers: Summer Sun, Only Orange and Kiwi Kiss (I had to use Old Olive as I don't have the In Colours... yet!!).

I was a bit wary of the Summer Sun/Only Orange combo, thinking it would be to bright for my liking, but I really like how this card turned out - that's why I love the challenges... you never know what you can do unless you have a go!

I stamped the petal outline from Pick a Petal on Summer Sun using an Only Orange marker (I don't have the inkpad) and cut out four. I stamped the small flower from Petal Pizzazz using Only Orange onto Whisper White cardstock, cut it out and folded in half (for the top of the flower). The stem was stamped in Old Olive and stamped two leaves seperately, cut out and popped up with dimensionals.

The greeting is from Oval All, stamped in Old Olive and layered on Only Orange. The ribbons are Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie (I thought this was a great match for Only Orange!). I added some paper piercing for added detail, and added some Stickles to the flower for some sparkle.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Pick a Petal, Petal Pizzazz, Oval All

Ink: Only Orange, Old Olive

Paper: Summer Sun, Only Orange, Old Olive, Whisper White

Accessories: Oval punches, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie ribbon, Stickles

TFL!

Mojo Inspiration

Hello!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently - will try to put more stuff on here over the next few weeks!

This card was made for the Inspiration Challenge over at SCS... I chose this cushion.
I thought the layout of the panels looked really similar to the Mojo sketch challenge this week so I used that sketch for my card.

I dug out some Basic Grey Stella Ruby papers for all the layers and added some Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip. The butterfly is from Verve's Beautiful Kindness set (I absolutely LOVE the two butterflies in this set... have to stop myself using them on every card lol!). I stamped it on some of the designer paper and cut it out, popping it up with glue gel. The red panel underneath was punched in two corners with a corner punch I've had lying about for ages. The Very Vanilla piece is then slotted into the punched section. The sentiment is from Verve's Circular Sayings - these are great because they coordinate with SU's circle punches perfectly!

I added some flat-back pearls (my FAVOURITE embellishment!) and some ribbon to finish it off.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Verve - Beautiful Kindness and Circular Sayings
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black
Paper: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey Stella Ruby
Accessories: pearls, ribbon, circle punches, corner punch

TFL!

Real Tarty Triple...

I made this card for today's colour challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers: Real Red, Old Olive and Basic Black.

I thought I was going to have a problem making a card with red and green that wasn't Christmassy until I saw someone else use the Tart and Tangy set - which I just got the other day: perfect excuse to get it inky!

There's a bit of a triple theme going on here: 3 strawberries, 3 background panels and 3 buttons! I stamped the strawberries twice - once with Real Red and the other with Old Olive. I cut out the berry and the leaves then layered up. I used my scallop square punch for the black layers. The DSP is from a hostess pack - I thought it was perfect for the dotty strawberries!

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Basic Black
Paper: Real Red DSP, Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: black buttons, scallop edge square punch, scallop egde punch, real red grosgrain ribbon, white signo gel pen

TFL!

Oh so swirly Butterfly

This card fits three purposes:

1) The Verve new release sketches over at the Verve forum.

2) The limited supply challenge over at SCS: use 1 wheel (Stampin Up's So Swirly), one image stamp (this GORGEOUS butterfly from Verve's Beautiful Kindness), one sentiment (this one is from The Angel Company) and one embellishment (I used flat-backed pearls).

3) My sister requested a boxed set of cards (she specified the sentiments and said she wanted butterflies on them!) which I have been picking away at for AGES. This is the last one... YAY!

The wheel was rolled onto the green paper using Versamark and embossed with clear sparkle embossing powder. The butterfly was stamped with Versafine and shaded with coloured pencil. I embossed it with clear EP several times.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Verve, TAC, SU So swirly wheel
Ink: Versafine, Versamark
Paper: K&Co Addison, White, Blue
Accessories: flat-back pearls, clear EP, sparkle EP, coloured pencils

Thanks for stopping by!

Verve blooms...!

Hello!


I'm so excited! My new Verve goodies arrived yesterday - I was so keen to play but had to go to work today and have only just managed to get them inky...


I stamped the leaves and flowers from Miracles Blossom onto Whisper White cardstock and coloured with Copic markers. I added some sparkle using a Sakura clear sparkle pen. The greeting is from the Floral Symphony set and I added a little flower from Miracles Blossom to the flourish for an extra little touch. The sentiment was cut out with nestabilities.


The gorgeous papers are from the Magnolia pack from My Mind's Eye. I added two little strips at the side using the word window punch. This card was created for the Verve new release challenge over at SCS.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy

Sun-shiny Verve!

Hello!

I made this card for the Viva la Verve challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. There was a sketch to follow with a {twist} of a colour challenge: Summer Sun, More Mustard and Baja Breeze. Now, Baja Breeze is an In Colour in the US, but we don't have In Colours in the UK. However, the new mini catalogue has a new paper pack called Ski Slope and it has some Baja Breeze patterened paper in it: yay!

I used the Baja Breeze DSP for the background and added some paper piercing. The flowers are from Verve's Abundant Blessings set - I LOVE this set! I stamped them on Summer Sun using More Mustard then added depth using a Summer Sun marker. I layered them up using dimensionals and added highlights with a white gel pen. Little gems finished them off!

The Summer Sun panel behind the main image panel was created by stamping the long background stamp from Artful Elegance and embossed it with white embossing powder. I then added depth by sponging around the edges with Summer Sun and adding accents with the Summer Sun marker.

The greeting is from a Hero Arts set and I stamped it on Whisper White using More Mustard ink and punched it out with the SU oval punch. I layered it onto a More Mustard scallop oval that I punched out - these oval punches are both available in the new mini catalogue!

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Verve's Abundant Blessings and Artful Elegance, Hero Arts

Ink: More Mustard, Summer Sun, Versamark

Paper: Ski Slope DSP, More Mustard, Summer Sun, Whisper White

Accessories: SU oval punches, white EP, SU markers, mini gems, SU toolkit, white signo gel pen

Thanks for stopping by!

Washington Sketch

I made this for the sketch challenge this week over at SCS. I based my card around the Washington Apple DSP - I really love the bright flowery paper on this card! The greeting is framed by the square from Frames with a Flourish. It was coloured in using So Saffron and Bashful Blue markers. The flower was stamped three times, coloured in with markers and layered up using dimensionals. I added piercing, ribbon and brads for extra details. The brads were layered on top of 1/4" circles punched from Pumpkin Pie. This adds a nice extra touch that's really easy to do.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Best Yet, Playful Petals, Frames with a Flourish

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, Choc Chip, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron

Paper: Washington Apple DSP, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa, WW

Accessories: Neutrals buttons, Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, SU toolkit, Bashful Blue brads, 1/4" circle punch

Regal Blooms

I made this card for the limited supply challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers. We were to use three colours (I used Regal Rose, Certainly Celery and Close to Cocoa), no more that three layers (the green around the flower image is sponged... hence only three layers!) and we were to have three elements, or focal points (mine has three panels for the background layer).The main image was stamped on Whisper White using Basic Grey ink and coloured with markers and an aqua painter. The greeting is from Fresh Cuts and was punched out with the large oval punch and scalloped oval punch (from the new mini catty!). I added loads of paper piercing and joined the dots in the background for a faux stitched effect. Some Certainly Celery brads in the corners were a finishing touch.


Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Bloomin' with Beauty, Fresh Cuts
Ink: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Basic Grey
Paper: Sweet Always DSP, Close to Cocoa, WW
Accessories: Certainly Celery brads, SU oval punches, nestabilities, SU toolkit

My Favourite Rose...

Hello!

I made this card for the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge. The challenge was to use your favourite stamp set - now I don't have any Flourishes sets (yet...! But my birthday's coming up soon... hee hee!) so I decided to use my favourite SU set: A Rose is a Rose. This was the set that jumped out at me from the latest SU catalogue and every time I use it I am thrilled with how gorgeous it looks...

For this card, I stamped the rose image using Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose ink. The leaves were stamped using Old Olive (the first impression was stamped off, hence the two tones). I cut all the images out and clear embossed by applying Versamark ink over the whole image and dipping in clear embossing powder and heating.

The sentiment was stamped on Whisper White using Regal Rose ink then I applied Versamark ink over the top and added Heat and Stick powder, which I heated, then dipped in Dazzling Diamonds glitter, which I heated again to set. The ovals were made using the new oval punches from the mini catalogue - oh so fabulous!

The papers are a combination of Sweet Always (that's the pink piece underneath the Rose) and Ski Slope (the Old Olive squares in the background).

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: A Rose is a Rose, Best Yet

Ink: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive

Paper: Sweet Always, Ski Slope, Choc Chip, Regal Rose, Whisper White

Accessories: clear EP, Heat and stick powder, glitter, oval punches

TFL and have a great day!

New mini catalogue!

Oh my! I am so excited... Stampin Up have released their first mini catalogue in the UK! I have been lucky enough to be able to play with some of the goodies in it for the last few weeks and I thought I would share some cards with you to show you how great the new stuff is. So without further ado, here's my first card:

Rosey Soft Summer

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Soft Summer

Ink: Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Basic Black, Basic Grey

Paper: Rose Red, Always Artichoke DSP (hostess pack), Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Rose Red and Always Artichoke brads, Rose Red 1" stitched grosgrain ribbon, aqua painter, dazzling diamonds glitter, SU toolkit (for piercing).

I stamped the flowers using Basic Black on Whisper White and watercoloured using inkpads and an aqua painter. I added glitter to the centre of the flowers. I then cut them out (yikes! I like cutting...!). I stamped the solid image (this set is a 2-step set) using Basic Grey on Whisper White card and layered the flowers over the top (slightly offset) with dimensionals. The Rose Red card in the background has been stamped with the other outline image from the set with Rose Red for a subtle background image. I added paper piercing using my SU toolkit.

Orange Split Summer

Recipe:

Stamps: Soft Summer

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, SU reinkers (Only Orange, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa)

Paper: Haiku DSP, Basic Black, Basic Grey, Whisper White

Accessories: Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, ice brads, scallop circle punch, circle punch, oval punch, SU toolkit, blender pens, white gel pen.

I coloured the main image of this card using reinkers and a blender pen (my favourite way to colour in... the results are spectacular!). I split the image into three and layered on Basic Grey and Basic Black.

The sentiment was created by using the scallop edge punch, the 1 3/8" circle punch and the NEW oval punch. I added some dots to the black scallop circle using the Signo white gel pen.

I LOVE this set... can't wait to make more cards with it!

Forest Friends... OH so cute!

Recipe:

Stamps: Forest Friends, Lovely as a Tree, Oval All

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Old Olive

Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Ski Slope DSP

Accessories: Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, sponge daubers

This set is so adorable! To create the main image, I stamped the tree image using Choc Chip on Whisper White cardstock then I used sponge daubers and ink to create the background. To create the clouds I sponged Bashful Blue around a scallop edge circle I had punched out. I stamped the deer using Choc Chip and cut it out, sticking it onto the scene using dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the new Oval All set and punched out with the new punches (these are sooo great!). The background triangles are from a new paper pack called Ski Slope. It is actually a Christmas pack but you can use so many of the papers for other occasions... it's actually my favourite of all the new paper packs in the mini catalogue.

Bunny for You...

Recipe:

Stamps: Forest Friends, Oval All, Mr & Mrs

Ink: Basic Grey, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst

Paper: Tea Party DSP, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, So Saffron, Whisper White

Accessories: Scallop edge punch, oval punch, So Saffron striped ribbon, nestabilities

This card is a bit of a different colour feel for me. I normally like Earth Elements but this is very Soft and Subtle! The bunny was stamped with Basic Grey and highlighted with Pretty in Pink and a blender pen. The layers underneath the bunny were done using the circle from Mr & Mrs. The patterned paper is the new Tea Party DSP set from the mini catalogue. The ribbon is the new So Saffron striped ribbon. The corners of the white panel were punched using the scallop edge punch. The greeting is from the new Oval All set.

Petal Tea Party...

Recipe:
Stamps: Playful Petals, Oval All
Ink: Basic Grey, Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, So Saffron
Paper: Tea Party DSP, Pretty in Pink, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Pretty in Pink brads, Oval punch and Scallop oval punch, So Saffron striped ribbon, nestabilities

Oh how I love these flowers! Two of my favourite things to do are to colour and cut out... so this set is right up my street! I stamped the large flower once and the smaller one three times then coloured with a blender pen and ink pads (and SU markers). I then cut out the various layers and layered up using dimensionals. I coloured the leaves in the same way.

The sentiment is from a NEW set called Oval All. It perfectly coordinates with the new oval punches and is completely fabulous for so many occasions. I inked up the stamp using markers (almost amethyst and certainly celery). The background papers are from a new set of DSP called Tea Party. These papers are designed to coordinate with this stamp set. I added some So Saffron striped ribbon - also NEW in the mini catalogue!

My favourite quote...

Recipe:
Stamps: Sense of Time, Mr & Mrs
Ink: Basic Black
Paper: Washington Apple DSP, Whisper White, Basic Black, Kraft
Accessories: White taffeta ribbon, nestabilities, SU markers, neutrals buttons, Signo white gel pen

This quote is from the new Sense of Time set - I really love this quote... If only we could live by this! I stamped the quote on Kraft using Basic Black and cut out with my nesties an cuttlebug. I added some dots with my white gel pen. The stripy paper in the background is from some NEW paper from the mini catalogue called Washington Apple - it is gorgeous! I made my own patterned paper using the flower from Mr & Mrs which I stamped repeatedly on Whisper White and coloured with markers. I added some black buttons and white ribbon for extra detail.

Pretty Fresh Cuts

Recipe:
Stamps: Fresh Cuts
Ink: Always Artichoke, Ruby Red, Apricot Appeal
Paper: Rainbow Sherbet DSP, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Oval punch, scallop oval punch, Pretties kit, Always Artichoke ribbon, cutter kit, sponge daubers

For this card, I stamped the main image from Fresh Cuts using Always Artichoke onto Whisper White cardstock. I coloured the image in with SU markers (the fine tip end really came in handy for those flower petals!). I distressed the edges of the image panel using my distressing tool in the SU cutter kit. The sentiment is from Fresh Cuts and punched out with the NEW oval punches in the mini catalogue - these punches are FABULOUS! I added some ribbon and a hat pin with pearls and beads from the Pretties Kit.