I have had a busy start to my week: the James Juniors are back at school after an enjoyable Easter break so today has been spent catching up on correspondence, spending more time making my swaps for Onstage later this week and planning for my week ahead, which includes the fist of this month's Technique Classes tomorrow - more on that later this week.

Today I want to share a home decor project that I will be making at my 'Crafternoon Tea' event that I am holding at Bell of Northampton in Kingsthorpe on Saturday 7th May, featuring the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies and the 'Hello Life' stamp set:

All instruction and materials will be provided for the session and each person will leave with a decorated 9” x 9” frame to keep. Check out this close-up of the gorgeous flowers: 

Once you’ve completed your project, you can tuck into a scrumptious afternoon tea for two with scones and cakes alongside a large selection of sandwiches stuffed to bursting with egg mayonnaise, chicken and horseradish, cheddar cheese with chilli jam and many more scrumptious fillings freshly prepared by Tea and Cake @ Bell.

The session will run from 10am-2pm on Saturday 7^th May and cost £56 for two people. Buy it for yourself or as a gift! Why not treat yourself and your mum, friend or daughter to a voucher for an indulgent afternoon tea and crafting session! There are still spaces left for this event - I would love you to join me! If this is something that appeals to you, click here to make your booking online.

I'll be back tomorrow with a 'sneak peek' of the card that I will be making in my drop-in Coffee and Card Session at Bell's on Wednesday this week between 10-12 noon. Until then, happy stampin!

Another quick post from me today! I managed to get a little time yesterday to create a clean and simple wedding card for a couple of challenges today:

I was fortunate enough to be a winner over at The Challenge last week (you can see that card here -thank you ladies!) and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to join in again this week. The Challenge have a theme of weddings this week and CASology have a cue card of 'heart'; I thought I would make a card in warm Winter reds with a touch of gold using my 'Hello Life' stamp set and hearts border punch:

I used a card base of Cherry Cobbler with a split top panel of Very Vanilla, stamped with two overlaying hearts and heat embossed in gold with my 'love' sentiment and joined with a piece of gold foil cardstock punched with the hearts border punch to allow the red to show through the negative space. 

Super simple but rather pretty and perfect for a winter wedding when regal colours often feature.

That's all from me; back tomorrow with a festive project once more. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad	Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Hearts Border Punch	Gold Foil Sheets

It's the weekend and following a glorious day here in the UK, today I have a card to share for this week's Mojo Monday challenge where this week's sketch is all about the layers:

The minute I saw this sketch I knew exactly what I was going to do with the central circle; I bought the 'Hello Life' stamp set for the big feature sentiment but don't get to use it often on cards because it's quite large, so this layout gave me the perfect opportunity:

I stamped my sentiment in Watermelon Wonder onto Very Vanilla and decided to use another of the pieces of Designer Series Paper from the Sweet L'il Things pack as my background, then used the featured colours as bold blocks of colour for my rectangular layers and my banner. I love the patterns in this pack - whilst this does feature some cute animals, I think it is quite a fun pattern, that works for non-baby cards too. Truth is, as I was perusing I decided this paper makes me happy - so I went with it!

Short and sweet from me today; I'll be back tomorrow with a card for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Sweet Li'l Things Designer Series Paper	Banner Triple Punch	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad
Watermelon Wonder A4 Cardstock	Hello Honey A4 Cardstock	Tangelo Twist A4 Cardstock	Pool Party A4 Cardstock	Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Magnetic Platform	Big Shot	Stampin' Dimensionals

A quick card for this week's challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch where they have this rather cool sketch to play with this week:

I thought the sketch would be a great opportunity to create a montage of the new 2015-17 in-colours - take a look:

This is my first, rather literal, take on the sketch. I cut a stencil of the word 'Hi' using my Silhouette E-Cutter and then used the 'Hello' portion of the 'Hello Life' stamp in the set of the same name to fill the stencil by repeatedly stamping in each of the new in-colours: Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe and Cucumber Crush. Once I'd filled in the whole area, I stamped one of the Perfect Pennants stamps in Watermelon Wonder and popped this on a dimensional. I think this is my favourite of the new in-colours, although I'm rather taken with the greens too! Which one is your favourite? I'd love you to leave a comment letting me know which one appeals to you.

Come back later for my second, altogether different take on this sketch! Until then, happy stampin'!

Well it's a lovely sunny spring day here in the UK today - what a lovely start to the week! As promised, I have another watercolour for you today - this time using the colours over at Colour Me...! and this week's Paper Craft Crew sketch:

Isn't that a pretty colour palette? I thought these colours were perfect for a soft and pretty, rather feminine card and perfect for some watercoloured roses - take a look:

I used Pistachio Pudding for my base and front, with a layer of Blushing Bride in between, then watercoloured a circle of watercolour paper with a blend of all three colours and my aquapainter, using one of the diecuts from the Artisan Embellishments kit as a stencil. The flower outlines aren't perfect yet I like this - I think it adds to the overall effect. I finished with a pierced border, a Blushing Bride rose cut from the trim that is also included in the kit, a thick baker's twine bow and a flag in rose red and a couple of banners, one of which I stamped with the 'love' from the 'Hello Life' stamp set - a perfect fit and it just so happened to be out on my desk from another project. 

If you would like to recreate this card, don't forget the Artisan Embellishment kit is on offer this week as one our Wednesday Weekly Deals - you can pick one up for just £6.71 and there are lots more bits and pieces in there too, including some rather lovely Blackberry Bliss velvet trim!

I'll be back tomorrow with lots of exciting news - tomorrow is the day that the Stampin' Up! retiring list launches - all of the products that will not be carrying over to the new annual catalogue, including the 2013-15 in-colours will be announced. Many of these products will then be available at a discounted price, only whilst stocks last. So do pop back then to check it out! 

Until then - happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

6 X 9 Watercolor Paper	Aqua Painter	Artisan Embellishment Kit	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Banner Punch	Paper-Piercing Tool	Stampin' Pierce Mat	Pistachio Pudding Thick Baker's Twine
Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride	Pistachio Pudding Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding

Today I have not one but two cards for you! Both cards fit this week's colour challenge over at Pals Paper Arts, where there is a gorgeous colour palette to work with this week:

I absolutely love this colour combination and couldn't wait to create something pink and pretty with it. Here is my first card:

I layered the colours in two sections and in the central section used one of the lovely rose die cut panels from the Artisan Embellishment kit as a stencil and stencilled the roses in the two shades of pink, adding in touches of Basic Grey for the flower leaves. These die cuts are so beautiful - it's a shame there are only two in the kit! Here's a close up of the sponged area:

The form of the roses is just so pretty I think and looks really beautiful. I added a bow in luxurious silver satin ribbon and stamped my sentiment on the wide mat layer of Pink Pirouette, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in pewter. This card is full of romance, but I think it would work equally well as a birthday card.

My second card today uses exactly the same colour palette, but is altogether a more clean and simple affair. This week the team over at Less is More is celebrating its 4th birthday and have a colour challenge of 'pink and grey'. Here is my card for this week's challenge:

My card started out as a two-tone pink and grey affair, with an inlaid split sentiment - I die cut the word 'love' using my Little Letters thinlits, then did the same with the cardstock the other way around top and bottom in order that I could paper-piece the reverse colours into the negative space. The more I looked at it though, the more it needed a little something else - I toyed with a scrap of Rose Red that sat on my desk leftover from the first card and the addition of the tiny heart with a tiny sparkle was just what it needed. You can see the detail of the die cut and inlaid letters below:

Congratulations to Chrissie and the team on their 4th birthday - you are an awesome bunch who run a most successful weekly challenge and are truly an inspiration. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another card; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Card 1: 

Artisan Embellishment Kit	Hello Life Photopolymer Stamp Set	Pink Pirouette Classic Stampin' Pad	Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	Rose Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Silver 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	Rose Red A4 Card Stock	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock	Little Letters Thinlits Die	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack
Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents