Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

In the run up to Christmas, for this challenge we are celebrating 'Christmas Festive Food'. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used white, brown, red and candy cane and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's project:

A treat instead of a card today! At this time of year, quick and easy decorating ideas to add personal touches to festive treats are a great idea; I added a label and tag, featuring the cute candy cane-holding beaver from the 'Festive and Fun' stamp set to decorate a candy cane - here's a close up:

Small images that are quick to colour are perfect for the personal touch; add some festive foliage and a ribbon bow to complete the look:

How do you like to decorate your treats during the festive season? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

FESTIVE & FUN CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (25.00)	SOMETHING FANCY DIES (27.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)	REAL RED & GARDEN GREEN 3/8" (1 CM) RIBBON COMBO PACK (7.00)	BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)
REAL RED STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	PECAN PIE STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	GARDEN GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	OLD OLIVE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	JOY OF NOEL DIES (28.00)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'International Animal Rights Day' which is on 10th December. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used alcohol markers, animals/critters/birds and stripes and I combined both the 'make a statement' and sketch inspiration over at Try Stamping On Tuesday for my card and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

More Wishes - Ordinarily if I was going to use a large sentiment, I would make this the central focal point of my card, but the layout over at Try Stamping on Tuesday had me intrigued and I wondered if I could instead use my bold sentiment to frame my illustration. The 'More Wishes' stamp set is perfect for this approach: it's just wide enough to create a frame whilst still leaving a central aperture. I did need to get creative with my choice of sentiment and how I laid it out across the four frame elements; as you can see, my repeated sentiment actually starts and ends on the long side. I added a cute robin from 'Festive & Fun' to delineate - I think it works but I'd love to know what you think!

Festive & Fun - I chose one of the images from 'Festive & Fun' to fill the centre of my frame, stamping it in Memento Black and colouring with my Stampin' Blends to co-ordinate with my frame:

Bold Colour - My colour scheme was inspired by the palette over at Global Design Project #GDP421 this week. I stamped the words on my frame using my Stamparatus and stamped them several times each to get a good, solid ink coverage. This does make the colours slightly darker and more intense; I actually really like this colour combination for a modern, festive Christmas card. 

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

MORE WISHES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)	FESTIVE & FUN CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (25.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.50)	POPPY PARADE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	POPPY PARADE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)
COASTAL CABANA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	POOL PARTY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	PARAKEET PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	PARAKEET PARTY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	SMOKY SLATE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	PECAN PIE STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Hello Day' which is on November 21st. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used bright colours, patterned paper, envelope and hello/hi sentiment along with the layout over at Sketch Saturday and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Believe it or not I actually started out making this card with the little 'hi' sentiment from the 'Just My Type' stamp set. I decided since it was so tiny, it would either need a very clean and simple layout or a bold and colourful background - as you can see, I went for the latter! I used some retired 'Sunshine and Rainbows' paper in panels for my background, then picked out the colours and images to create a little embellished focal point around my sentiment using other stamps in the set and a few additional diecut pieces from the Give It A Whirl Dies:

Cute, right?! Just the kind of note to brighten someone's day - although they might need sunglasses when they take it out of the envelope, with not a drop of black and white in sight!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

JUST MY TYPE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)	GIVE IT A WHIRL DIES (37.00)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	PETAL PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	MISTY MOONLIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)
MISTY MOONLIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	POOL PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'Remembrance Day/Veterans Day' which is on November 11th. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used red, black, poppies and sympathy and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I don't have any current product featuring poppies, so I had a rummage in the retired box and decided that the Sunday Stamps sketch layout would be perfect to showcase some of the beautiful Peaceful Poppies designer paper that I have been hoarding. I used one sheet using the reverse for my background and then a fabulous poppy print for the central panel. A simple sentiment from a retired Sale-A-Bration set called 'Heal Your Heart' completed the front of my card:

Isn't that paper gorgeous? I used another stamp from the same set on the inside, along with some stamped poppies from the retired 'Painted Poppies' stamp set:

I also added this stamp to the front of my envelope and decorated the flap with more of that pretty paper. Too good to hoard and as the flower of remembrance these poppies are fitting for a sympathy card.

No visual summary of the key products used on today's project as they are all retired except for the basic cardstock. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'Halloween' which is on October 31st. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used black, silver, spooky sentiment and ghosts and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I have no current Halloween product, so delved into my retired box of favourites for this one! I decided to create a card that has a distinctly Halloween feel, so used some retired silver-foiled black paper and added that to my card base, then added a black strip, onto which I heat-embossed my 'faBOOlous' sentiment in silver from the retired 'Six Sayings' stamp set, bordering this with some silver glimmer paper. To add the fun, spooky feel, I heat embossed a trio of ghosts in white (from the retired 'Holiday Home stamp set) onto vellum, fussy get these and added them to my card 'floating' out of the OO:

How fun! My sentiment was inspired by the famous advertising strapline that the L'Oreal cosmetic brand uses: because you're worth it (cue Jennifer Anniston hair flick!) I will be sending this to my daughter with a few Halloween treats at university - because she is afterall, faBOOlous!

I am also sharing this card over at Inspire.Create Challenges where their current theme challenge is Autumn/Halloween.

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day; if you're superstitious about Friday 13th, wishing you a lucky one; I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used (current product only):

CIRCLE SAYINGS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)

VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)

METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

VELLUM A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

Yay it's Friday - almost the weekend!! Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Mental Health Day' which is on October 10th. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used blue, green, sparkle and metallic embellishment and this is what I came up with:

I used the sketch layout over at Sketch Saturday and decided to create a Christmas card for my stash! Here's the low-down on today's card:

Winter Meadow - The papers featured on today's card were the starting point for my creation. They are from the Winter meadow designer series paper collection and both the patterns featured are opposite sides of the same sheet. I decided to edge my card with the berry paper to allow that lovely bright blue wash to take centre stage. These papers have pretty water-coloured designs featuring festive winter foliage and are so pretty. 

Timeless Arrangements - I used a sentiment from the 'Christmas Classics' stamp set and paired it with one of the labels and foliage from the Timeless Arrangement Dies - don't be afraid to mix and match your products and sets to give them a whole new look and feel. 

Silver Sparkles - My metallics and sparkle come from the silver-edged ribbon I used to join my papers, the thin strips of silver glimmer paper and those blue rhinestone berries that I added to my diecut foliage to tie in with the border pattern. Check out the sparkle:

 I heat embossed my sentiment in silver and added a trio of matt silver sequins to complete my card.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

WINTER MEADOW 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)	TIMELESS ARRANGEMENTS DIES (33.00)	CHRISTMAS CLASSICS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (20.00)	SILVER & WHITE 1/2" (1.3 CM) SHEER RIBBON (8.50)	NEUTRALS ADHESIVE-BACKED SEQUINS (7.00)	METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)
VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.50)	BASIC GRAY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	GARDEN GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Card Making Day' which is on 7 October. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used bright colours, sequins and layers and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

World Card Making Day - This week's challenge celebrates World Card Making Day. This day is celebrated on the first Saturday in October each year, which this year falls on 7th October. As a crafter and committed card maker, this is definitely a day to celebrate! I always try to make sure I do some crafting for fun on that day but if you would like something more organised, you can join with me and the team at Stampin' Up! who are hosting a free event for this day:

This is a virtual event that will run from 1-4pm UK time and during this time we will be using a trio of different supplies to make three different cards. You can download the supplies list here and you've plenty of time to order anything you need in advance of the session (you can of course substitute other supplies if you don't have those detailed to hand). There is also a handy measurements guide for you to use in preparation and to refer to during the session. The session is FREE to attend; you can register here ahead of time, but if you haven't registered and happen to be free simply come along! I hope to see you there!

Just My Type - My card to celebrate this day is a simple 'hello' card featuring the 'Just My Type' stamp set and the Delightfully Eclectic designer series paper. The flowers in the paper co-ordinate beautifully with those in the stamp set that I featured behind my typewriter. I picked out the colours in the paper for my 'hello' sentiment and added a few hearts and sequins and a fold of ribbon to complete my card. I stamped the typewriter in Night of Navy onto Fresh Freesia cardstock for a different look - what do you think?

I really like this card - the pops of colour against the darker blues make me happy :-)

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day; I'll be back Sunday with my Paper Players project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

JUST MY TYPE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)	DELIGHTFULLY ECLECTIC 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (28.00)	MISTY MOONLIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	MISTY MOONLIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)
FRESH FREESIA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BUBBLE BATH CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	CRUSHED CURRY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)	PASTEL ADHESIVE-BACKED SEQUINS (7.50)

Today I have my project for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Gratitude Day' which is on September 21st. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I did embrace the challenge theme wholeheartedly and used ribbon, gift packaging, die cuts, flowers and thank you and this is what I came up with:

I created both some gift packaging and a co-ordinating card using the lovely autumnal colour palette over at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week. Here's the low-down on today's projects:

Gift Packaging Made Easy - For my gift box, I created a decorative belly band for one of the Envelope Treat Boxes that can be found on page 126 of the Stampin' Up! annual catalogue. Have you seen them? They are white, stampable boxes that measure 2 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 1" when folded and are perfect for packaging little treats. I made my wrap using the Glorious Gingham designer paper in Pecan Pie, then added a label that I decorated with foliage and stamped and coloured flowers and a trio of solid gems:

Here's a picture with the belly band removed, so that you can see how the box opens (gold foil stickers are also included with the boxes to seal them, although they are principally decorative - the box will hold itself closed):

Here's a close up showing the stamping on my label and my coloured flowers - I just love the warm tones of this trio of colours together:

A Co-ordinating Thank You - I decided to create a co-ordinating card to give with my gift; I used elements of my packaging design and carried them into my card, using the simple layout over at Try Stamping on Tuesday as the basis for my design:

On my card I only added foliage to the bottom portion of the sentiment strip, to mimic the sketch; I also added a thin, solid strip of cardstock to highlight the simple thank you sentiment:

The layering of the foliage diecuts in the Timeless Arrangements bundle adds so much detail to this otherwise clean card and I love the blend of this trio of warm, almost autumnal colours. It's been so chilly here in the UK these past few days, this set fits right in!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's projects for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

 Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'National Beach Day' which is on 30th August. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used pastel colours, pearls and shells and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I decided I would make a simple summery 'hello' card for my friend Elizabeth who leaves by the beach so I used a Pool Party background to evoke the sea and paired it with some pastel pinks an purples for a feminine touch. I added some horizontal stripes and coloured my collection of shells with co-ordinating Blends and a sprinkling of pearls and Fresh Freesia enamel gems:

Super simple and I really like that this card has a beachy, summery feel even with a pastel colour scheme. I'm also linking up over at Inspire.Create where their theme is summer so my shells should fit right in! I love collecting shells at the beach; I spent part of my vacation last year on Sanibel island off the coast of southern Florida, a place know for its magnificent shell beaches - here's one of my photos so you can see what I mean:

Shells as far as the eye could see for miles! I collected some beautiful shells and whilst I didn't find a prized junonia shell, I did see a beautiful conch one day whilst paddling in the sea - still inhabited though, so I left it where I found it. Perhaps I'll discover \n empty one next time!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CIRCLE SAYINGS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (23.00)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	POOL PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	HIGHLAND HEATHER A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	HIGHLAND HEATHER CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)
FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BUBBLE BATH A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	SMOKY SLATE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	HIGHLAND HEATHER STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	FRESH FREESIA STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)	BUBBLE BATH STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (9.50)
BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)	IRIDESCENT PEARL BASIC JEWELS (7.00)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Photography Day' which is on 19th August. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. We have a number of keen photographers in our house, but I chose to go in a totally different direction today. I used black, white, rhinestones and landscape/cityscape from the inspo list and this is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

I used some retired Peaceful Place starry night sky paper and my retired Bethlehem Edgelits to create a monochrome Christmas card that is something of a CASE of a previous card I made using this set (you can see that card here), adding my cityscape diecuts with dimensionals for a little extra lift. I heat embossed my 'O Holy Night' sentiment from the retired stamp set 'Illuminated Christmas' in white on black, and highlighted the embossed stars on the designer paper with a single rhinestone - the star of Bethlehem, perhaps?

I am linking today's card up with the team over at Time Out who are asking us to create monochrome cards for their current challenge; there is something so elegant about a single colour scheme, for sure.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I did place a pre-order for Christmas goodies from the new mini catalogue yesterday, so will have some lovely new things to share with you in the coming weeks, but it has been fun to give some love to favourite sets of old this week and of course it's always good to use up retired designer series paper!

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!