Just time for a super-quick creative post today; I've had a busy week so far, with the first of my monthly technique classes and the school holidays keeping me busy, but I managed to squeeze in a half hour of crafting time this evening and came up with the following card for a couple of challenges:

I loved the colours over at Colour Q this week and whilst I was immediately inspired by that floral apron in the inspiration picture, when I saw the sketch at Can You Case It I ended up going in quite a different direction:

A CAS birthday card using the Amazing Birthday stamp set! I chose to use Bermuda Bay as my base colour, and added the other colours in (Hello Honey is not a favourite of mine, so I wanted to use it sparingly). I also substituted Peach Parfait (before my time, I'm afraid!) with Tangelo Twist. Some simple stamping, punching and snipping, along with a heat-embossed 'birthday' and some white baker's twine, and done! All accompanied by my dear husband and 10 year old attempting everything from 'She'll be coming 'round the mountain' to the Eastenders theme tune on the piano - an interesting melody when you're trying to be creative!

Back tomorrow with my card for this week's challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Amazing Birthday Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Age Awareness Photopolymer Stamp Set	1" Circle Punch	3/4" Circle Punch	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad
Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad	Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Hello Honey Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock
Whisper White Baker's Twine	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)

It's Sunday and you know what that means: time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! This week it is the turn of my fellow Brit, the lovely Jaydee, to host and she has a fun theme challenge for you:

Yes - square cards! It's always fun to create a square card for a change - when I saw this week's challenge I knew exactly where I wanted to start: the striped paper in the Cherry On Top stack was calling my name! I'm also linking up with the Friday Mashup where the challenge this week is also square cards, although obviously given my paper choice I decided not to go for the 'mashup' and use the colours over there too. Here's my card:

Now the pattern I chose actually has an off-centre point (check out your paper stack to see what I mean!) so I chose to cut my square of DSP square so that the lines all came together in the centre. I chose to use the 'happy' and 'birthday' sentiments from the 'Age Awareness' set as the focal point for my card - I like the contrasting swirls combined with the lined detail, which I infilled with my Stampin' Write markers in the colours that co-ordinated with the striped paper. To balance my sentiment in the square I also included a couple of the swirls across the top, which I joined together using a Crushed Curry Candy Dot. I simply measured my mats and layers and cut them with my trimmer, but you could always use your Square Framelits to make it easier if you prefer. A great clean and layered card and I love the way the striped paper draws your eye to the sentiment. A colourful custom envelope in Watermelon Wonder completes my card!

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

One of the reasons people avoid making a square card is that it often calls for a bespoke envelope. Don't forget about your Envelope Punch Board! Along with the gorgeous new Envelope Paper in the annual catalogue, and my Envelope Expert tool of course, there is no excuse to not make perfectly customised square envelopes (or rectangular for that matter!) every time. No fuss, no wastage, no guesswork required - if you're not already a fan, check out my free Envelope Expert tool today!

I look forward to seeing how you interpret Jaydee's fun challenge and seeing all your square creations in the gallery this week. As you read this I will be flying high somewhere above Europe, on my way back to the rather wetter climes of the UK. Don't worry - I'm doing my best to bring the sunshine back with me everyone! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, however you choose to spend it.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Age Awareness Photopolymer Stamp Set	2015-2017 In Color Envelope Paper	Envelope Punch Board	Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack	Regals Candy Dots
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	Crushed Curry A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	2015-2017 In Color Stampin' Write Markers
Many Marvelous Markers

It's Thursday and time for another challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary, where this week we have a great colour combination for you:

This colour combination appears in the Birthday Bash DSP and I couldn't resist using a piece of it on a fun-fold card for a humorous birthday greeting:

I used Night of Navy for my card base and created a fun-fold card using my Deco Labels framelits. I used Calypso Coral for my mats. I used a piece of the party hat paper for the front section beneath my main sentiment, a lovely curly script from the 'Age Awareness' stampset. I backed my sentiment panel with a circle cut with my circle framelits and popped this up on dimensionals, so that I could attach my Calypso Coral pompom trim and gold sequins to the front with a mini gold peg to add to the party feel. I continued the stamping inside my card, which today I remembered to photograph:

This card is for a good friend whose birthday I not only forgot last year, but worse still bumped into on the day and not even that triggered my extremely poor memory into remembering! Luckily the friend was gracious enough to forgive me, although he has ribbed me mercilessly about it ever since. Needless to say, his birthday isn't until next month but the card is ready and I will be making an extra effort this time around!

The Design Team has some amazing projects to share with you this week, with lots of great inspiration so do pop by their blogs and take a look. So grab your paper and inks and we look forward to seeing you in the gallery this week!

I'll be back tomorrow with another project hopefully; I have my monthly stamp-a-stack class in the morning and the Easter holidays mean I am getting a little less creative time than usual, but I'll do my best. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

I have lots of upcoming birthdays and I am trying to take a much more organised approach to remembering them, at the very least making the cards a little in advance of when I need them, so today I have a bright and colourful addition to the 'ready to send' pile that uses this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch for inspiration:

I started off with the stripes on the background panel - I thought the stripes on one of the pieces of Birthday Bash DSP would be perfect. Here's my card:

I adhered my DSP directly to a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock, as I didn't want a border. For my central panel I used the 'Age Awareness' stamp set to stamp the sentiment and the banner across the top of my card, which I decorated with a row of candles from the same set. To keep my layers to a minimum, I stamped the banner directly onto the central panel and fussy cut around the edge before adhering to a Night of Navy base for added definition. To finish, I added a cupcake stamped with the 'Cupcake Party' stamp set and punched out with the co-ordinating punch. I decorated the inside too and created a matching lined envelope - I'll add a picture of this later! The DSP is quite busy and bright for a CAS card, however the uber-simple central panel balances this out I think.

I hope you like today's card; back tomorrow with another one! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper	Age Awareness Photopolymer Stamp Set	Cupcake Party Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Cupcake Punch	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad
Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players, where this week LeAnne has a fun CAS challenge for us:

There are lots of great sentiment sets in the Stampin' Up! range; I have lots of birthdays coming up so this was a great opportunity to use the new 'it's your day' stamp from the 'Big On You' set in the Spring-Summer catalogue and create a fun birthday card. Here's my clean and simple card:

I used Bermuda Bay for my card base and covered my entire card front in a piece of confetti-patterned paper from the 'Birthday Bash' DSP range. I then took a piece of acetate window sheet, cut slightly longer than the front of my card, stamped my stamp on it in versamark and heat embossed it in gold. I then scored across the top and adhered it to the back of my card and folded it over the front. I like the effect of the floating sentiment and the fact that you get to see the whole of the DSP underneath. I almost finished my card at this point, but decided to add a string of Bermuda Bay sequins and a gold button to add to the party feel of my card - minimal embellishments are ok for this type of card and sometimes can add a nice touch.

I even did a little stamping on the inside of my card and better still, remembered to photograph it so that I could share it with you:

I hope you like today's card - rather glitzy yet at the same time clean and simple and easy to re-create. Before you reach for your ink pads, do visit the other design team members to see what interesting ideas they've had this week:

I look forward to seeing your projects in the gallery this week. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Big On You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Bermuda Bay	Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad
Medium Window Sheets	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug
Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim	Gold Basic Metal Buttons	Age Awareness Photopolymer Stamp Set