I've had a busy couple of days with this month's classes (hence no blog post yesterday - I'm sorry about that!) so today I thought I would share with you one of the cards we made. This month's technique class has focused on using background stamps and our chosen feature stamp set was the lovely 'Something Lacy'. The class also featured heat embossing and this card shows how coloured embossing powder adds a real touch of luxury to a card:

For our Blushing Bride monochromatic wedding card, we stamped the Something Lacy background stamp in Versamark and heat embossed with Blushing Bride embossing powder. This panel was wrapped with some White satin ribbon before adhering the Blushing Bridge cardstock base. A couple of layered labels cut with the Big Shot and Labels framelits were then added, with the sentiment chosen from the now retired 2015 Sale-A-Bration set 'Simply Wonderful', which was also heat embossed. A few pearls and punched flowers, along with a big bow, finish my card. This card has a lovely sheen in real life that really isn't captured in the photograph and the monochromatic colour scheme is so very pretty.

The 'Something Lacy' background stamp is available until the end of the current seasonal catalogue on the 2nd June and isn't carrying over into the annual catalogue, so if it's on your wish list, you only have a couple of weeks left to purchase. The Labels Framelits are retiring and have already sold out, however Blushing Bride embossing powder is still in stock and half price, so there's still time to snap up a bargain!

That's all from me today; back tomorrow with another project and this week's Wednesday Weekly Deals. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Something Lacy Clear Stamp	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Heat Tool - Uk Plug
Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Blushing Bride Stampin' Emboss Powder	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack	Basic Pearls Jewel Accents	Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride

It's Monday 30th March and that means only one thing - only 2 days left to go until the end of this year's Sale-A-Bration promotion! With this in mind, today's cards features one of the additional products introduced as a free gift when you spend £45 - sheer perfection vellum. I am entering today's card into both the Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown challenges:

 I love this sheer vellum - it is printed with a variety of different patterns that are great for colouring with Stampin' Write markers. The sheet with the butterflies is a favourite, but today I chose one of the floral patterns - here is my card:

I used So Saffron for my base and then used a mat of Pear Pizzazz and a piece of Whisper White beneath my piece of vellum so that my colouring would be true. I coloured the flowers on my vellum piece with So Saffron and highlighted some areas with Daffodil Delight, then coloured the leaves with my Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write marker. Before adhering my vellum to my base layer, I turned it over and rubbed over the reverse wide with my stylus to create a slightly raised effect when viewed from the front. It's quite difficult to see in the photograph, but adds a nice texture in real life. I finished my card with a banner, stamped in Basic Grey with the sentiment from another Sale-A-Bration free stamp set 'Simply Wonderful', and a layered butterfly, punched with my Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches and using a scrap of retired 'Riding Hood Red' cardstock for my pop of red. A few pearls to finish and done!

This Sheer Perfection Vellum really is lovely; it's such a shame that it's only available for two more days! You still have until 10pm tomorrow night to place an order for £45 and get yours for free - if you shop online with me and use the current code 4AHTZQVW, you will also receive an extra gift from me to say thank you (shipped separately) - so now there's two reasons to shop!

Right - I'm off to make a whole bunch of thank you cards and bag tags for this month's local customer orders - I'm using another Sale-A-Bration freebie this time, the 'For Being You' stamp set - getting inky is always fun and with free product, it's even better!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Sheer Perfection Designer Vellum Stack	So Saffron A4 Card Stock	Card Stock A4 Pear Pizzazz	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Subtles Stampin' Write Markers
Simply Wonderful Clear Stamp Set	Elegant Butterfly Punch	Bitty Butterfly Punch	Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Gray A4 Card Stock
Basic Pearls Jewel Accents

Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary and this week we have a colour challenge for you:

This week's card was a challenge for me in so many ways! I have no Irish connections so St Patrick's Day isn't a big thing for me, although I often make at least one project to celebrate and I thought these colours would be perfect. I decided on my design and really wanted to create a four leaf clover to tie in with a 'lucky' theme, however I couldn't make it work with my layout, so went with a three leaf clover and decided that for my card this would be just as lucky (cardmaker's prerogative ;-)). Here it is:

I made my simple clover leaf using the smallest heart from the Hearts Framelits set, and freehand cut the stem, then offset my sentiment, a combination of stamps using the 'lucky' from the Project Life sentiment set 'Remember This' and the 'you' from the Sale-A-Bration set 'Simply Wonderful'. One last confession from me - I actually used a sheet of Garden Green from the Regals DSP stack for my card - when I went to my folder, I had no Wild Wasabi - oops! The effect would be just the same with a Wild Wasabi polka dot paper though, so I went with it.

Do check out the gallery to see what the other members of the CCMC design team have come up with this week - we look forward to seeing your creations!

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

I'm just popping in to share with you a card that I made for this week's Mojo Monday challenge; I was going to share this yesterday, but was so tired when I got in from taking the James Juniors to their swimming gala I just wasn't awake enough to type! So here is this week's challenge sketch:

This is a great sketch for a feature sentiment; I built up my layers and took the opportunity to showcase not one but two of the great free gifts that you can earn with a £45 order during Sale-A-Bration: the stamp set 'Simply Wonderful', and the 'Irresistibly Yours' Speciality Designer Series Paper. Here is my card:

I stamped my sentiment in Island Indigo then added the flower stamp from the same set and a punched Itty Bitty flower finished with a candy dot centre. I layered this central circle to echo the colours and layers on the base of my card and used the central section of the base layer to feature the beautiful 'Irresistibly Yours' Specialty DSP. This white paper with its pre-embossed glossy white patterns could easily be overlooked in the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, yet when you colour it, it really brings it to life. For my card today, I chose to sponge mine with Crisp Cantaloupe ink to show the embossed flowers - isn't it pretty? the stamp set or the DSP could be yours with an order of £45 - or since you get to choose one free gift for each £45 spend, why not splash out and treat yourself to both? Sale-A-Bration runs until 31st March, so you have plenty of time to take advantage. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper	Simply Wonderful Clear Stamp Set	Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Big Shot Magnetic Platform	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
1-3/4 Inch Circle Punch	2" Circle Punch	Crisp Cantaloupe Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Crisp Cantaloupe	Pistachio Pudding Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad	Island Indigo A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Sponge Daubers

Today's card is for this week's challenge over at Mojo Monday where this week's sketch has encouraged me to cut into my Painted Blooms DSP for the first time! Here's the sketch:

I thought this sketch was perfect to showcase some DSP and what better than 'Painted Blooms'; I've spent long enough stroking it and it's time to start cutting it! Here is my card:

I decided to go with the blue flowers, so used Pacific Point for my card base and matted with Whisper White. I used the floral panel for the main vertical section and backed this with Crushed Curry and an offset panel of Wild Wasabi. For the sentiment banner, I stamped off the row of dots in Crushed Curry once, then stamped my sentiment on top. A scallop edge trim, button and twine finish my card.

The papers in the 'Painted Blooms' DSP pack are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen and are works of art in their own right. Having started cutting now, I'll be sure to use more of them and share with you in the coming weeks.

Back tomorrow with my post for this week's challenge over at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Painted Petals Clear Stamp Set	Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper	Simply Wonderful Wood Stamp Set	Banners Framelits Dies	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
Big Shot Magnetic Platform	Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad	Pacific Point A4 Card Stock	Wild Wasabi A4 Card Stock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry	Scallop Edge Border Punch	Brights Designer Buttons	Crushed Curry Baker's Twine

Friday already - where did that week go?! I've had a lovely day today, with lots of people coming and going for my informal open house to showcase the best of this year's Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration offering. Today's card is one that I designed for this week's challenge over at Fusion where they are celebrating their first birthday - I used the photo inspiration but not the sketch, instead using the sketch over at Retrosketches this week for my layout:

The photo inspiration was the perfect opportunity to make a card with my new Chalkbox Chalk inks and blackboard paper, along with the 'Big Day' stamp set - yours free with each purchase of £45 or more during Sale-A-Bration. Here is my card:

On a base of Pink Pirouette, I added a few layers including another of the great patterns from the 'Stacked with Love' DSP stack. I stamped my chalkboard using Rose Coral chalk ink on blackboard paper, stamping the banner separately in pink and stepping up on dimensionals. I added a side tag, stamped with a sentiment from 'Simply Wonderful', another Sale-A-Bration set. I stamped the cake on pink cardstock and coloured with my Blendabilities pens and popped this up on glue dots. I also decorated the inside (but forgot to photograph it - doh!) The chalk inks have a lovely finish on the smooth blackboard paper that give a rather realistic finish.

I hope you like today's card; my technique class next week is featuring chalk inks and by popular request from my class ladies today this will be one of the cards that we will be making! If you live in or around Northampton and would like to join me for one of my classes, You can find my 2015 updated class schedule here. Crafters of all abilities are welcome so whether you've stamped before or fancy trying out a new hobby, do get in touch to find out more. We would love you to join us! Back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Chalkboard Paper	Rose Coral Colorbox Chalk Ink Pad	Stacked With Love Designer Series Paper Stack	Big Day Wood Stamp Set	Simply Wonderful Clear Stamp Set
Basic Black A4 Card Stock	Pink Pirouette A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Pink Pirouette Assortment Stampin' Blendabilities Markers	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Smokey Slate Assortment