It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Michal has asked that we include a large focal sentiment on a bordered panel:

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card. For my card today I wanted to showcase more of the free Sale-A-Bration papers before they go away - so I paired them with one of my favourite large sentiment sets for a cheery card - take a look:

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

There is only a small area of designer series paper showing on my card (we are aiming for clean and simple, after all) but the bold and colourful flowers of the Sunny Days paper can still be seen. I paired them with sentiment from the Sending Dies and 'Sending Smiles' co-ordinating stamp set and added a trio of tiny diecut flowers for an added pop of colour to tie in with the paper:

That pattern is my absolute favourite in the Sunny Days pack so I had to show real restraint to use so little of it! If you would like some, you have another 9 days to place an order of £45 or more in order to receive a pack of this paper for FREE.

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; today I'm going out to lunch with hubby to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary - where did those years go?! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (31.00)

SENDING SMILES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)

POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)

TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (6.25)

BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Ann to host this week and she has a pretty colour challenge for us to work with:

These colours definitely made me think florals so I grabbed my Cheerful Daisies Dies for a pretty birthday card - take a look:

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

I've seen a few lovely cards online where the daisies have been paired with blue gingham and I thought the Bubble Bath pink and blue/green of Lost Lagoon, along with lots of white, would pair beautifully with some of the Berry Burst Glorious Gingham designer series paper. I used that for my background, then added a vellum diecut circle base for my trio of layered daises. I cut my daisies in white and added some Bubble Bath ink the centres of the bottom layer, along with a hint of ink added with a blending brush to the bottom layer petals, then I cut out lots of the leaves from this die in Lost Lagoon and tucked them in around the base. A white baker's twine bow, a trio of tinsel gems and a simple birthday sentiment from 'Sending Smiles' complete my card:

I think the layering of the elements works so well and the predominantly white daisies balance the bold gingham well I think. The Cheerful Daisies bundle is such a great set and this is a perfect time for me to remind you that it is the featured set in my current tutorial bundle with the lovely Jan Clothier - if you place an order with me for the Cheerful Daisies bundle (or if you have it, feel free to substitute with product of equal value) this month, you will receive the tutorial, along with access to our exclusive Facebook group, for free.

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

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

Enjoy your day; apologies for my post going live later than intended today. I am away from home and was temporarily without internet, but we are all sorted now so normal service should be resumed from this point forward! I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

CHEERFUL DAISIES DIES (32.00)	TINSEL GEMS FOUR-PACK (7.50)	GLORIOUS GINGHAM 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (10.00)	BERRY BURST A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BERRY BURST CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	LOST LAGOON A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)
BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)	BUBBLE BATH CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	VELLUM A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)	SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (31.00)
SENDING SMILES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. This week's challenge is a sketch challenge and Cecile has asked that we make a square card with a focal sentiment and patterned background:

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card. 

For my card today I chose monochromatic pinks with a touch of silver to create a simple stencilled background for a feminine birthday card for a discerning teenager - take a look:

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

I took my square card base and using some stencils I made with various circle punches and some window sheet, I added Melon Mambo and Bubble Bath ink using my blending brushes, varying the intensity to give some depth to the colour. I heat-embossed part of my sentiment in silver and used a diecut 'sending' in silver foil backed with vellum as my centrepiece:

A sprinkle of basic rhinestones added a final touch of sparkle. This is one of those cards that could work in lots of colours and is thoroughly inoffensive - so perfect for the discerning teenager! Since I went with pinks, I'm also playing along over at Addicted to CAS with my monochrome pinks and also celebrating with the team over at AAA Cards as they celebrate their 9th birthday with CAS pink birthday cards too - the balloons on the inspo board also inspired my bubbly 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. 

Please excuse today's photos - I struggled with that foil diecut and the lighting and didn't have time to retake. I have a super-short day today as the youngest of teh James Juniors has 2 exams and is on early pick up, so just time for a speedy lunch then I'm back in the car for the school run! Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING SMILES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)	SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (31.00)	MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BUBBLE BATH CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)
BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.50)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (5.75)	BLENDING BRUSHES (13.00)

Today I'm sharing my second card for my Guest Designer spot over at Just Us Girls. This week it's word week:

Sunshine - could this be any more uplifting?! I decided to CASE Ann's card over at Global Design Project #GDP388 and pair a couple of old favourites with a new-to-me stamp from the annual catalogue for my card - take a look:

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

Instead of fussy cut flowers, I flipped Ann's design and used simple white clouds, diecut with my Basic Borders Dies, for the top and bottom elements and saved the detail for my sunny panel behind.

I recently purchase the Rays of Light background stamp and thought it would be the perfect way to show the warm sunshine streaming down between the clouds. In a nod to Ann's card, I stamped it onto a piece of yellow Hues of Happiness designer series paper, inking my stamp in a blend of Daffodil Delight and retiring Mango Melody. The patterned/floral sides of this paper are what you most often see showcased, but the reverse coloured sides are beautiful too. The stamp itself has a lovely textured surface and I think this is enhanced with the faux brushstrokes on the designer paper.

Like Ann I did use the Sending Smiles bundle for my sentiment, keeping with a bold, black diecut 'sending' and then adding a more appropriate stamped element to my bottom cloud in an ombre of the two yellows I used for the sunshine. I added a few adhesive-backed milky dots in Mango Melody to complete my card (these are currently in the retiring sale and available at a discount in my online store here). Mango Melody ink pads are unfortunately no longer available - those departing colours are flying off the shelves!

There is something so cheery about sunshine cards I think - I can't wait to see what the Design Team and JUGS gallery has in store this week!

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:

BASIC BORDERS DIES (27.00)

RAYS OF LIGHT CLING STAMP SET (17.00)

SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)

HUES OF HAPPINESS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

Today I'm sharing a card that uses one of the current Try Stamping on Tuesday layouts (love the layering on this one!) that was inspired by the fabulous mood board over at Just Us Girls this week:

Yellow is one of my favourite colours and I couldn't pass up that sunny, sunshine-filled board! I decided to go with the lemons as my inspiration, but I really liked the green and yellow chalks in the photo next to it too, so decided that instead of another Sweet Citrus creation, I would showcase some of the lovely white, green and yellow lemon paper from the Tea Boutique pack - take a look:

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

These papers were great for the split panels and I combined a partial stamped sentiment from the 'Sweet Citrus' stamp set with the large diecut from the Sending Dies:

I did add a lemon segment and flower that I stamped, diecut and embossed with the 'Sweet Citrus' bundle (well, I couldn't not use it at all!!) and a ribbon tied with twine for a final embellishment. 

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; I have the youngest of the James Juniors at home today having been blessed with a stinker of a cold from a generous classmate, so some of are feeling very sorry for ourselves! He definitely needs a squeeze or two and some hot lemon today! Me? I'm cracking on with some crafting in the peace and quiet and hoping he isn't quite as generous in sharing his germs with me! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

TEA BOUTIQUE 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	SWEET CITRUS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (22.00)	SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (31.00)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	GARDEN GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

Happy Monday everyone! I managed to spend some quality time in my craft room over the weekend and as a result of trying to overcome my 'crafting hiatus' I've a couple of extra cards to share with you today! The first one uses Karren's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches this week and the fabulously bold Colour Inkspiration colour palette:

I really wanted to make the most of the bright blue and mango of the inspiration photo, so I went with a bold use of colour - take a look:

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

I used one of my (retired) stencils to add some tone-on-tone colour to my Starry Sky card base, then added a cluster of Meadow Dies flowers to the right hand side in the challenge colours, having added a light touch of Starry Sky ink to my cornflower and embellished my Mango Melody flowers with some sparkly rhinestones.

For the horizontal element of the sketch, I layered a diecut 'Sending' in silver foil on white with the remainder of the sentiment stamped and heat embossed in silver directly onto the cardbase. I finished the inside of my card and the corner of my envelope with a collage of stamped images in co-ordinating colours from the 'Quiet Meadow' stamp set:

A liberal interpretation of this week's FMS sketch for me, although the shapes are clearly visible - I just love this card! What do you think? 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. 

Enjoy your day and I'll be back shortly with card number two. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (£31.00)	MEADOW DIES (£36.00)	SILVER FOIL 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) SPECIALTY PACK (£9.50)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	STARRY SKY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)
MANGO MELODY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	MANGO MELODY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC GRAY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	QUIET MEADOW CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£20.00)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (£5.75)	VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)
METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£11.75)

Today I'm sharing a card that I made a few weeks ago but haven't had time to type up until now, featuring more of the lovely Wonderful World designer series paper that can be yours free with a £90 order during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion - take a look:

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

Sale-A-Brate with a Wonderful World - I had fussy-cut a whole bunch of flowers from the Wonderful World paper and decided to CASE a card shared by one of Stampin' Up!'s current artisans, the talented Berdien Weideveld, that she posted a while ago on Instagram. I simply layered them along the diagonal, with a mix of white, yellow and pink flowers and an additional piece of the yellow striped DSP on the base layer.

Split Card Textures - the diagonal for the flowers is taken from the line of the Split Card Texture Die - these come as a set of two standalond dies and are great for adding detail and texture to a cardfront. 

Finishing Touches - I added some pearls, small diecut flowers and diecut leaves to my fussy cut flowers to add interest:

Lastly, a simple heat-embossed sentiment from hte 'Art Gallery' stamp set completes my card. It took a while to cut out all the flowers, but I must say I love the finished effect!

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'm writing this post in advance of my vacation so I hope as you are reading it that the Wonderful World papers are still available; if not, I hope you already snapped them up whilst supplies lasted and you are still excited to use them!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

WONDERFUL WORLD BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£0.00)	SPLIT CARD TEXTURES DIES (£27.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	SUMMER SHADOWS DIES (£32.00)	SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (£31.00)
ART GALLERY PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£21.00)	MELON MAMBO A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)	PEARL BASIC JEWELS (£5.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my turn to host this week and I have my favourite, a sketch challenge for you to work with:

I chose a sketch with layers today that can be interpreted in lots of ways. I decided to use my main panel to showcase another pattern of a new designer series paper - take a look:

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

I chose a colourful, floral paper from the Lovely Linen designer paper - this linen-effect paper is so pretty. I added a banner and sentiment from my favourite 'Sending Smiles' bundle and added a couple of layered flowers diecut using the Summer Shadows Dies as an anchor for my sentiment: 

These diecut florals aren't designed to co-ordinate with the Lovely in Linen Suite, which has it's own co-ordinating stamp set and punch, but I think the shapes work quite well, don't you? A sprinkling of pearls completes 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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

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

Enjoy your day; I'll be having a quiet one at home, catching up on the things that I've missed whilst I've been out on my travels. I'm looking forward to seeing how you interpret my sketch this week! I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)	SUMMER SHADOWS DIES (£32.00)	LOVELY LINEN 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.25)	EVENING EVERGREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	EVENING EVERGREEN CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
SWEET SORBET A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	PALE PAPAYA A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	SOFT SUCCULENT A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	PEARL BASIC JEWELS (£5.75)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. We are into June so it's all change! Samantha is hosting this month and our first challenge is a colour challenge: 

This trio of colours are perfect for florals so for my card today I pulled out one of my new favourites, the 'Sending Smiles' bundle, for a clean and simple card - take a look:

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

I stamped my stems and leaves directly onto my card base, and blended some additional Pear Pizzazz ink along the bottom edge of my card base, then stamped my flower heads and sentiments onto a separate piece of white cardstock and diecut them with the Sending Dies in order that they would stand out from the background. A trio of brass butterflies complete the front of my card:

I also added a little extra stamping to the inside of my card - no naked insides here: 

The 'Sending Smiles' stamp set is great for clean and simple cards and has a great variety of sentiment combinations too. Combined with this colour combination, this purple-lover couldn't be happier! 

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. 

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)	BRUSHED BRASS BUTTERFLIES (£9.25)	GORGEOUS GRAPE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	CRUSHED CURRY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	PEAR PIZZAZZ CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£11.75)
BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and the lovely Vicky is our featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went down the middle column with twine, flowers and leaves and today paired something old with something new - take a look:

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

Color Throwdown - Today's card features the colours over at Color Throwdown this week - check out these fresh colours:

I was supposed to be this week's Featured Stamper over at Color Throwdown following my win with this card here a couple of weeks ago. But I got my dates muddled and thought I needed to be ready for next week not this week! So I added some twine to the card I'd prepared and thought I'd share with you today instead. Isn't this a great mix of colours?

Slimline Stripes - Today's card was not only inspired by the colours but also the striped pattern on the dress of the CTD inspiration photo. I thought the Slimline Dies would be a great way to incorporate the colours but also add interest to the front of my card, don't you think? The Mint Macaron co-ordinates beautifully with the slimline envelopes too.

Sending Smiles - I couldn't resist another outing with the Sending Smiles bundle on today's card. I backed my flower stem with a circle of vellum so that it wouldn't get lost against the background. The real star of today's card though is the sentiment; I just love that layered 'sending' diecut and it's so versatile as it can be paired with lots of other greetings in the set:  

I'm also linking up with the lovely ladies over at SUO Challenges who are featuring sentiments for their current challenge. They are also celebrating their 300th challenge - way to go!

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 Product and 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

Enjoy your day; I'm out at an art exhibition this evening, so looking forward to that. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

SENDING SMILES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£46.75)	SLIM CARD DIES (£55.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	VELLUM A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.50)	SLIMLINE ENVELOPES (£9.25)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (£28.00)
POPPY PARADE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	POPPY PARADE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	SO SAFFRON A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	SO SAFFRON CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)
MINT MACARON A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	MINT MACARON CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)