Today I'm sharing a card that I made using this week's CAS Colours and Sketches layout and the bright colour palette over at Just Us Girls this week:

Did you know that today marks the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and since I'm always partial to a bright colour (or 4!) this combination was perfect for a bright and cheery card to recognise this event - take a look:

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

Love You To Pieces - The stamping on today's card comes from the retiring 'Love You To Pieces' stamp set. The idea of a jigsaw and puzzles seemed the perfect set and as the theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is 'kindness' the sentiment is an ideal way to recognise someone who has been there to help and support through tough times. I love this set and the co-ordinating Puzzle Pieces Dies and for me they will be a 'keeper' as they really are so useful and versatile.

Spot The Starburst - I punched my sentiment with a 1 3/4" punch and layered it with a starburst for a pop of pink. The starburst punch is retiring at the end of the month, along with all but three of the standard circle punches (the 1 3/4" punch retired last year). The starburst punch is already out of stock but if you still have circle punches on your wishlist, be sure to pick them up now before it's too late.

So Long White Twine - Yes, you read it correctly - there is no Whisper White baker's twine in the new annual catalogue! I'm not sure how I am going to manage without this crafting storecupboard staple, so I have stocked up - take this as your call for last orders if you would like to do the same!

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. 

In the spirit of Mental Health Awareness week, please take a moment to think about someone who may be struggling, particularly in the current environment, and who perhaps hasn't overtly made a fuss or asked for help. Check in with them and make sure they know you are there and generally let's all try and show each other a little more kindness this week!

I hope this sunny Monday finds you well. This is going to be a busy week for me: I have a few online demonstrations planned, I have to get my class kits for next week's Birthday Jubilee class into the post and the end of the month sees a whole host of birthdays, so I need to lots of cards written and in the mail. I have also started the major craft room clear out of retiring stock to get ready for my catalogue launch 'By One, Get One Free' sale and make way for the new. We also start Common Entrance exams this week, with our first one, Geography, already completed this morning. I had to chuckle when I put on my stern invigilator voice to read young Master James the instructions and he said "Oo Mum, you make a mean invigilator; are you getting paid for this?" Such is the mind of an enterprising almost-teenager - I wish! 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LOVE YOU TO PIECES CLING STAMP SET (£18.00)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	MELON MAMBO CARDSTOCK A4 (£8.25)	MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
GRANNY APPLE GREEN CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	PUMPKIN PIE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	WHISPER WHITE SOLID BAKER'S TWINE (£3.25)	IRIDESCENT SEQUIN ASSORTMENT (£4.75)	WINK OF STELLA CLEAR GLITTER BRUSH (£7.50)
WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)

I've had a busy day today with a netball match, hockey match and a choir competition but just have time to share a quick card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches:

The minute I saw Jacqui's sketch I knew what I was going to do with it; I love it when that happens! I decided to make a card in readiness for World Autism Awareness Day that is coming up in a couple of week's time on April 2nd:

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

I used the Puzzle Pieces Thinlits to create my jigsaw using the nine elements of the image, adapting two of the outer pieces slightly to create a perfect 3 x 3 square (the thinlits cut a 4 x 4 square). I used the colours that are associated with the World Autism Awareness Day Ribbon and logo. I was curious as to the origins of the puzzle piece as a symbol for autism, so I looked it up (what did we do before Google?!) Apparently it's use goes back to 1963, when a parent and board member for the National Autistic Society in London, Gerald Gasson, created it. The board believed autistic people suffered from a 'puzzling' condition and so the use of the puzzle as a symbol was adopted for their cause. A simple heat-embossed sentiment that fitted the theme and a punched red heart, courtesy of the Dog builder Punch, 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. 

Enjoy your evening and I'll be back early tomorrow with another project for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Love You To Pieces Clear-Mount Bundle (£36.75)	Blueberry Bushel A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Pineapple Punch A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Real Red A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Balmy Blue A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)
Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	White Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Dog Builder Punch (£17.00)

I have a class today and am still full up with cold so have a feeling this is going to be a long week! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches that also uses the colour palette over at CAS Colours and Sketches: 

I love this week's FMS sketch from Jen Brum, which is all the more surprising given her phobia of circles! The FMS team have done a fabulous job with their creations this week and I couldn't resist having a go too, although what to do with those circles? I settled for puzzle pieces - take a look:

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

A Fun Sketch - So Jen Brum's sketch comprises lots of circles, something she normally avoids; in visiting the blog of Jen Mitchell, one of the other FMS designers, I discovered there was a word for someone who has a fear of circles, it's called trypophobia. So I wondered if there was also a word for a fear of puzzles too and there is - logiphobia. Who knew?! So if you have it, you should probably look away now!! 

Love You To Pieces - I used a Powder Pink card base and stamped outline jigsaw pieces from the 'Love You to Pieces' stamp set in Grey Granite and Lovely Lipstick down the outer edge of my panel, adding in a few clusters of pink hearts to mimic the varying sizes of the images as per the sketch. There are some great sentiments in this set - I used one of my favourites on the inside:

Coloured Embossing - I used two diecut jigsaw pieces for my sentiment and used Lovely Lipstick embossing powder on one and stamped the other in Grey Granite and heat embossed that with clear powder for a similar effect. I love the glossy texture and added detail this gives - it really makes these sentiment pieces stand out from the background.

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. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Love You To Pieces Clear-Mount Bundle (£36.75)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)	In Color 2018–2020 Stampin' Emboss Powder (£23.25)	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)
Powder Pink A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Lovely Lipstick A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)