It's Sunday so I'm here with my card for this week's challenge over at The Paper Players, where Jaydee has the following clean and simple challenge for us:

I also used the above sketch from Freshly Made Sketches again for my card this week and this week's card is a lot more 'clean' than last weeks - here is my card:

My card is really simple, with a piece of the numbered Typeset paper mounted on Basic Black as the central panel of my card, with a couple of strips of Flashback DSP behind to add some colour and the focal point word bubble 'You're How Old?' stamped in Real Red. I finished my card with the sentiment 'happy birthday Grandpa' (stamped with my vintage 'For My Family' stamp set - a keeper!) and a punched star.

Yesterday was my Dad's 70th birthday and I made this card for him from the children - they think 70 is positively ancient, so the word bubble was entirely appropriate! - however it occurred to me as I typed up my post that not only could you change out the sentiment to just say 'happy birthday' or include the role of any family member (dad, brother, uncle, etc.) this might also work as a fun tongue-in-cheek card with the sentiment as is. So beware any male that feels he's 'over the hill', because one of these cards could be heading your way Grandpa!

Do check out the other design team cards this week; as always, there is some great inspiration and I look forward to seeing your challenge entries in the gallery. Right, I'm off to prepare for Sunday lunch and hopefully enjoy a restful family day before the onset of a new week. Enjoy your weekends everyone!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Word Bubbles Framelits Dies	Just Sayin'	Flashback Designer Series Paper	Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper	Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock
Basic Black A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Regals Candy Dots	Card Stock A4 Soft Sky
Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack

A busy day today with lots more swimming and family fun in the garden, making the most of the sunshine. Time for a little bit of crafting this evening, but today I'm going to share a card I made a little while ago when I was last playing with my Dress Up framelits that features two retiring products - the Elements of Style stamp set and the lovely Tea for Two DSP. This is a case of a card by Julie Kettlewell, who like me also seems to have had something of a love affair with the Dress Up framelits and has made some fabulous cards with this set: you can check out her card here and look at lots of other great examples of how to get the most from this versatile set. So here is my card:

As my regular blog followers will know, I don't really do 'fussy' and this card is about as vintage as I get! I really like the flower stamping over the newsprint though, and I think the Crumb Cake ribbon really finishes off this card. I used a Calypso Coral marker pen to colour the flowers to echo the colour of the flowers on the designer paper and used a blender pen to get some depth to the colour. The tri-fold design is also just a little different and yet the card still folds flat for postage.

That's all for today - tomorrow is the start of a very busy Stampin' Up! week: a new annual catalogue, a new monthly stamp set and lots of other great news and new products to share in the coming weeks, so lots of planning, making and fun to be had!

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

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Elements of Style

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Tea for Two DSP, First Edition Specialty DSP

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Blender Pen

Finishing Touches: Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon

So today I can share the card I've made for my own Dad in readiness for Father's Day on Sunday. I've had the card made for over a week, but I couldn't be sure he wouldn't check out my blog as he does every once in a while and see it, so I've had to wait until I knew there was no chance of this happening. As he's at my house with my Mum visiting for the weekend, ready to celebrate Rebecca's birthday tomorrow, I know he won't be on the internet so there will be no chance he will see it before he receives it in person. Here is the finished card:

The layout is very similar to the Mother's Day card I made for my Mother-in-law which you can see here. For my Father's Day card, I used Island Indigo and the retiring Baja Breeze (these blues go so well together) and used some First Edition Designer Series Paper to highlight my typeset raised letters of the word 'Dad'. I also scored some border lines to each side of the panel for added definition. I offset this panel so that I could add some co-ordinating baker's twine and one of the large brushed nickel Basics Designer Buttons to finish off the card. I then created a Very Vanilla insert panel that I stamped with the 'Happy Father's Day' stamp from the Delightful Dozen stamp set.

I really like this card and have also made a version in red for a commission - a clean and classic style. I do have one last Father's Day card to share with you: the one I've made for my own husband from the James juniors, but for obvious reasons I won't be sharing this one until Sunday, although if we manage another two days without him seeing it or my youngest giving the game away it will be nothing short of a miracle!

Back tomorrow with a special birthday card to share. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Delightful Dozen (inside card)

Cardstock: Island Indigo, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Island Indigo

Tools: Typeset Alphabet Die, Simply Scored

Finishing Touches:  Island Indigo Baker's Twine, Basics Designer Buttons

A change from the masculine theme today, to something much more feminine: a birthday card using my much-loved Dress Up framelits and a couple of soon to be retired products. So here is my card:

The design of the card was inspired by a card kit that has recently been on sale to Stampin' Up's American customers, but not available here in the UK. So have you worked out the retiring products yet? The mannequin is made from the First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper, which has been partially overstamped with the floral stamp from the Elements of Style set. This has then been coloured with Stampin' Right Markers in Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant. This has been layered with a paper doily beneath the dark background oval to add to the vintage feel - well, this is about as vintage as I get! The card has been finished with a birthday sentiment banner that has been attached with a lovely vintage brad, to add to the overall effect.

I liked the finished result and made another card using the same design but in a blue colourway using Marina Mist and Night of Navy, which you can see below:

If you would like to own Elements of Style or get your hands on some First Edition paper, then act now as they will only be available until the end of the month (or until stocks last).

Back tomorrow with another project using more retiring goodies; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Elements of Style, Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, First Edition Specialty DSP

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi

Tools: Dress Up Framelits, Oval Framelits, Blender Pen

Finishing Touches: Paper Doily, Antique Brads

A change from owls today! I thought I would share with you one of the 'make and take' projects I made at the Stampin' Up! regional training event in Telford a couple of weeks ago, a little box made using the Two Tags die containing a set of mini notelets. So first, a close up of the box itself:

The box was decorated with a double-layered fancy flower, stamped with one of the stamps from the Clockworks stamp set and the centre and box front finished with some stamped First Edition designer series paper. An in-colour Gumball Green dahlia adds the accent colour that really makes this project 'pop'. The box contains a set of notelets, decorated with Clockworks and a sentiment from the One in a Million stamp set:

This would make a lovely gift set - it's always handy to have a set of notelets on hand. I like the flag detail on the box too; do you recognise the 'happiness' stamp? It's actually a section of the wedding sentiment stamp in the 'One in a Million' set - I've just trimmed away the first part that said 'Wishing you a lifetime of' - a neat trick to extend the versatility of your stamps.

That's all for today; back tomorrow with another project (assuming I can tear myself away from the lovely weather outside!) - until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: One in a Million, Clockworks

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Whisper White, First Edition Designer Series Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Calypso Coral, Gumball Green, Pool Party

Tools: Two Tags Bigz Die, Big Shot, Fancy Flower Punch

Finishing Touches: In Colour Dahlia