Holiday Home Side Step Christmas Card for The Paper Players

by Joanne James30. November 2014 07:00

It's time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players today and this week the lovely Jaydee has a fun tic-tac-toe challenge for us:

I'm linking up today's card with Merry Monday where the challenge is to use red, green and white on a Christmas card, and Create with Connie and Mary where they have the following sketch layout:

   

When considering Jaydee's grid I was drawn to the top horizontal line - tree, transport and white - although I ended up completing two more lines too (see if you can work out which ones!). One of the reasons I purchased the 'White Christmas' stamp set was for that cute little car and this is the first time I've used it! Here is my card:

I took some artistic licence with the sketch and turned it upside down and made it into a side stepped card - I think you can see all the elements though. I used Smoky Slate for my card base and having made my folds, I began to customise it. For the main panel, I added a Whisper White snow drift and a road for my car to travel along, then stamped my car, complete with Christmas tree, in Memento Black onto Whisper White, coloured with my Blendabilities and Stampin' Write markers and fussy cut it out and popped it up on dimensionals:

 

For my stepped side, I added a snow drift of dazzling diamonds glimmer paper at the front, along with a bold satin bow. The house that is the destination for the travelling Christmas tree is on the layer behind, again coloured with Blendabilities and decorated with a mini wreath and some glimmer snow, and a few fir trees. The layer at the rear has a couple more trees and two more houses, this time in Smoky Slate and stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in white, as these houses are in the background of the scene. Here are a couple of additional views from this side of the card:

 

Here's a close up of the houses:

This was a fun card to create and the Holiday Home houses and co-ordinating framelits work really well on a stepped card. This week's tic tac toe challenge offers lots of opportunities to be creative, so be sure to share your creation with us at The Paper Players!  Check out what the other designers did as well:

Back tomorrow with another other project; until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

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Partridge & Pears Blendabilities Heat Embossed Christmas Card

by Joanne James29. November 2014 07:00

A nice early post from me today as I have a busy day ahead. I'm just in time to squeeze in a link up with the lovely designers over at SUO Challenges, where the latest challenge is to make a project using any kind of Stampin' Up! markers. I use my Stampin' Write markers frequently, but wanted to showcase a card using one of my most favourite new(ish) Stampin' Up! products - Blendabilities. I made a version of this card in my September card class, but didn't blog it so wanted to share today as it not only uses Blendabilities but a really fun technique too. Here is my card:

My card features the 'Partridges & Pears' stamp set. I stamped the main image in Versamark on Basic Black cardstock and heat embossed in white embossing powder, then used my Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Skin tone, Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight and Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities to colour the heat-enbossed image. I kept the layout of my card quite simple, matting the central panel on a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock before adhering to my black card base and finishing with a wide flagged piece of Daffodil Delight cardstock, with the sentiment stamped across it in Memento Black ink. This card was difficult to photograph and does look more vibrant in real life - the image really stands out against the black. This is another great way to use your Blendabilities markers, in addition to straightforward blended colouring. 

That's all from me today; we have homework to do, a spot of housework, school Christmas Fayre, swimming lessons and dinner with friends to fit in today - wish me luck! Back tomorrow with this week's design team card for The Paper Players; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

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Snowman Tag Christmas Card

by Joanne James28. November 2014 21:09

It's Friday and the end of the working week - hurrah! Today's card is a triple challenge card; it's not often that happens! I'm using the sketch over at Retrosketches, with this week's Color Throwdown colour palette and the tag and snowman mean it also fits with the challenge over at The Card Concept (clean and layered):

      

I didn't intentionally set out to create a tag card, but as I was working with the sketch and colour palette, I thought a tag would look quite cute. Here is my card:

I used Coastal Cabana for my base, stamped one of the Gorgeous Grunge stamps in the same colour across the front and edged this with some red Beach House washi tape. I then layered a couple of pieces of now-retired DSP stack (the colours were perfect for this card and although this was a Spring/Summer paper stack, this pattern has always reminded me of snowflakes), some silver glimmer paper and then my tag. I punched my tag using the angle tag topper punch from Coastal Cabana cardstock, stamped the tree from the 'White Christmas' stamp set onto the tag then stamped it again onto a piece of Whisper White and paper-pieced the snowscape and snowman onto it. I coloured the tree with my Crumb Cake Stampin' Write marker and added some snow with my chalk pen, then added some detail to the snowman with my markers and stamped some snow across the rest of the tag with white kraft ink. I finished my tag with some Crumb Cake seam-binding ribbon and Real Red cotton ribbon tied in a bow, and stamped my Holidays' sentiment in Real Red onto Crumb Cake cardstock and adhered this to my tag, along with a silver glimmer star. 

Hope you like today's card; I have a busy weekend of fun and frolics planned, so an early night in store for me!

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Dasher!

by Joanne James27. November 2014 11:21

Yesterday evening I was at a Stampin' Up! event where demonstrators got a 'sneak peek' of what's in store for Sale-A-Bration; all I'm going to say at this point is boy do you all have something to look forward to, and I highly recommend you consider asking for a Stampin' Up! gift voucher from your nearest and dearest for Christmas (contact me for details!) and hold back some of your January Sales budget to take advantage, as you are not going to miss it!!

Today though I am back onto Christmas cards with another to share with you, having had a few days break. Well, it is now officially 'the season' I think! I used this week's sketch over at Addicted to CAS for my card today where the team are celebrating their second birthday - congratulations! - and which was designed with the theme over at Less is More in mind.

Now the theme this week is 'Jingle All the Way' and you would think that this card from earlier in the week might be a more appropriate fit, but the lovely ladies over at Less is More went on to say "we would like to see some reference to any of these things.... bells, reindeer, Santa, elves, stockings, presents, decorations, Christmas songs/music/instruments... in fact anything Christmassy!" and I immediately took this as the opportunity to bring my Dasher stamp out of retirement to create a card with a reindeer on it. Well, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas unless he made at least one appearance on a card this season, after all it's almost tradition! So here is my card:

I used Cherry Cobbler for my base and stamped my reindeer in Versamark on a piece of Baked Brown Sugar and heat embossed it in Early Espresso embossing powder to give it a lovely rich sheen. I matted this piece on a base of last year's Season of Style DSP stack, which I cut into pieces and mounted with mitred corners as the pattern was actually a chevron, but I wanted it to be diagonals going around the frame (I hope that makes sense when you look at the photograph, it just seems difficult to explain!)I then popped this piece onto my base using dimensionals, so that I could run a couple of loops of Baked Brown Sugar thick baker's twine around the base beneath it. I used my tiny hole punch to put a couple of semi-circle grooves in each side so that the twine would rest in them and stay in position - a useful tip if you're creating this type of card. To finish, I added my sentiment stamped from 'Endless Wishes' and a trio of candy dots to balance the main image.

I hope you like today's card and before I go would like to give a big shout out to Chrissie, Sarah and Anne over at Less is More, both for recognising this card in their top 3 of the recent one layer challenge but also for their tireless dedication to commenting on the cards in the LIM gallery and for their general helpfulness and constructiveness; I think my CAS style has improved a lot with their input, so I for one am grateful!

That's all from me today; I'm off out for lunch with a friend (a rare treat!) and then back to finish some work before the school run! Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Amazing Birthday Card for Colour Me...! Card Challenge

by Joanne James26. November 2014 10:00

Today's card is for this week's Colour Me...! card challenge where we have are working with a playful palette of pinks and purples with a spot of Coastal Cabana:

I took the opportunity to ink up my Amazing Birthday stamp set for the first time. This was one of the sets I received free at Stampin' Up! Convention in Brussels this year and it was really tough not to buy it before I went, as I think it's a really versatile stamp that will get lots of use. Here's today's card:

 

I used Elegant Eggplant for my card base, then mounted a panel of Perfect Plum that I had dry embossed with the large polka dot embossing folder. I tied some thick Coastal Cabana baker's twine around the embossed panel before adhering to my card base. I stamped the main image in Elegant Eggplant on Whisper White, but also stamped it separately in Rose Red and Costal Cabana and fussy cut a couple of panels and overlaid them onto my main panel to add a pop of colour. To finish, I added a couple of rhinestones to my main panel which I first coloured wit my Coastal Cabana Blendabilities and a trio of Rose Red candy dots to the embossed panel. 

This card could be made in lots of different colourways and would make a great 'storecupboard standby' that works for both male and female. As someone who is a big fan of purple though, this colour combination really works for me. I might have to go and make a few more! 

Feel free to leave a comment on today's card, before hopping over to check out the amazing cards by the rest of the Colour Me...! team:

And our talented guest designer for November - Anita Bowden
 
We look forward to seeing your playful creations - what do these colours inspire you to create? 
 
Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!
 
 
Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.
 

New Wednesday Weekly Deals - Bargains Galore!

by Joanne James26. November 2014 07:00

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for NovemberDecember (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right) and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

There are some great deals this week: the ever-useful 1" square punch, silver metallic ink - just what you need to add a festive touch to your Christmas cards - and a cracking good deal on the Designer Rosette Bigz Die - normally £34.95, reduced to £26.21 - bargain!

If any of these appeal to you, either click on the item to go directly to my online store to purchase or alternatively if you live local to me, do give me a call.

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

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Colourful Thanksgiving Turkey Card

by Joanne James25. November 2014 09:36

Today's card is for another couple of challenges: I'm having a second entry over at The Challenge, this time using the sketch, and also this week's colour challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary, where this palette of rich autumnal colours was just too good to pass up:

   

This weekend my American friends will be celebrating Thanksgiving; whilst it's not something we celebrate in the UK, we all have something to be thankful for and today's sketch and colours gave me the perfect opportunity to have a little go at something I've been wanting to do for a while and since I know I have lots of American and overseas blog readers, this one is for you! Here is today's card:

A punch art turkey - how cute is he?! I've seen lots of different punch art turkeys on Pinterest and wanted to have a go at creating one using the Four Feathers stamp set and co-ordinating framelits for the tail. The sketch layout is perfect for my card, as with such a detailed turkey there really isn't room for a lot else! I used Tangelo Twist for my card base with a mat of Blackberry Bliss, then followed this with a layer of Sahara Sand as my neutral, to really allow my turkey centre stage. I stamped a number of the small feathers in each of the challenge colours onto the same colour cardstock for a tone-on-tone look, and fanned them out in two layers for the turkey's tail. The turkey's body is the body of the owl punch, in Early Espresso with the ears and feet removed, and his jowls are a punched heart, cut in half and overlaid on top of each other. I placed a piece of burlap behind my turkey to add a little rustic texture then stamped my sentiment directly onto the card base. I'm hoping Lesley will forgive me the centralised sentiment; I spent so long fussing over my turkey, i didn't revisit the sketch before I stamped and centralised my sentiment rather than set it off to the side, as suggested. Note to self - make a final check before you stamp!

I hope you like today's card - please do visit both challenge sites for more design inspiration from some very talented designers.

Back tomorrow with a triple bill: two creative posts and a new set of Wednesday Weekly Deals! 

Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Save More, Earn More When You Become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator - One Week Only Offer!

by Joanne James25. November 2014 08:50

 

All I want for Christmas is... to become a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator! If this is you, read on - today is the start of a great one week promotion at Stampin' Up! for new recruits from today 25th November until 11am on Tuesday 2nd December. 

Stampin' Up!'s usual sign up offer is great value - for £99 you can choose £130 worth of Stampin' Up! products of your choice, in addition to the £45 business supplies pack (catalogues, order forms, etc.). During the current promotion, there are two great additional incentives:

The starter pack has been discounted by 25%, so for just £74.25 you will receive a whopping £130 worth of product of your choice, in addition to your £45 business pack and if you join my team, all the additional benefits that brings, including a complimentary copy of my Product Table Builder software valued at £35. Your order is also free from postage & packaging charges - a further £4.95 saving. Total savings of over £200!

In addition, whilst you always receive a 20% discount on all orders placed as a demonstrator, which is increased to 30% for the first order over £150 placed within 45 days of joining Stampin' Up!, if you sign up this week you will also have the opportunity to earn a one time cash back bonus of 5% on all orders placed during the month of December, (both demonstrator and customer/workshop orders). Wouldn't that be a nice little Christmas bonus?

Whether you're looking for a little income boost prior to Christmas, want to build a business longer term or just want to enjoy the benefits of discounted craft product as hobby demonstrator, Stampin' Up! has never had a recruitment offer like this one before and it offers exceptional value.

In addition, pre-order for Sale-A-Bration and the new Spring-Summer seasonal catalogue begins on 5th December; if you sign up this week you will be able to get your hands on these products before they go on sale to customers!

I would love you to join my team of Crafty Owls - if you would like to chat more about the benefits of becoming an SU! demonstrator and joining my team, please do give me a call on 07773 421446 or email me via [email protected]. Or if your mind is already made up, click here to complete the paperwork online. Why not treat yourself to the gift of Stampin' Up! for Christmas today?

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, I'm waiting for your call!

Clean And Simple Christmas Cheer Card

by Joanne James24. November 2014 09:25

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had lovely weekends; mine was busy as always, with a Stampin' Up! party on Friday night, followed by the usual weekend of sport and a morning stood out in the driving rain watching my first rugby match yesterday (hockey is definitely a cleaner game!) Other highlights of my weekend included reaching the bottom of my ironing basket (to be celebrated!) and the addition of a new pet to the James household - Olivia the goldfish has joined Goldie, who was feeling lonely following the recent departure of Fishy.

So, onto today's card! Today I have a clean and simple card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches, where Cindy has another great sketch for us:

I took inspiration from another of the designs in the Nordic Noel DSP pack and paired it with the sentiment stamp from Cheerful Christmas for my card today:

I used Soft Sky as my base and a piece of the Nordic Noel DSP featuring the acorns and pine sprigs for the left panel of my card. I stamped my feature sentiment in Garden Green on Whisper White and matted this onto a piece of Garden Green cardstock, rounding the corners on the right-hand side of both pieces. I used some Soft Sky and Calypso Coral Candy Dots to add a little colour to the main panel. Lastly, I added a strip of Garden Green and finished with a double loop of Baked Brown Sugar baker's twine. I love this thick twine - it's great for packaging but also works as a substitute for ribbon and ties a lovely bow. 

I love the fresh look of this card; the Garden Green is definitely a festive colour, but pairing it with Soft Sky, Baked Brown Sugar and Calypso Coral and Whisper White adds a real crispness to it I think. That's all from me - I'm off to get ready for today's class featuring the Many Merry Stars kit; click here to order yours if you haven't already, before they're all gone. 

Back tomorrow with another project and news of a fantastic one-week only demonstrator sign up offer - come back and check it out, you are not going to want to miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Nordic Noel Christmas Card for The Paper Players

by Joanne James23. November 2014 07:00

It's Sunday and time for another challenge over at The Paper Players where this week LeAnne has a great sketch for us: 

Sketch challenges are my absolute favourite and I had tons of ideas for this one; you may see some of the others later this week, but for today I'm sharing this Christmas card featuring some of my favourite Nordic Noel designer series paper:

I kept my layout really simple as the paper is quite busy, but used lots of layers to incorprate the colours in the DSP. I added a piece of white seam binding ribbon tied with some baker's twine and a Nordic Noel button and to the bottom opposing corner a co-ordinating ornament in Garden Green that I stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in white, with a trio of pearls coloured with my Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities for effect. A sentiment from 'Good Greetings' finishes off my card.

I'm off to hockey and then have a date with an overflowing basket of ironing this afternoon. If you have something altogether more fun lined up and have time for a spot of crafting, then check out the cards by the other Paper Players designers this week for some great inspiration and then see what you can come up with? We would love to see you in the gallery this week.

Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

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About Me

Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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