It's Wednesday and time for the last week of Wednesday Weekly Deals! As I mentioned last week, improvements in stock control at Stampin' Up! mean that this is the last week that they will be offered. They will be replaced with less frequent but better 'Specials' promotions on an adhoc basis - please make sure you're checking my blog regularly for details. So for the final week, there really are some great deals - as always, these offers are valid for one week only. 

If you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the new Hostess Code for April UD3KDWM4 if your order is under £150 and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. If you are local, then give me a call to place your order if you'd like to save on P&P.

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

1" Square Punch	Bear Hugs Framelits Dies	Brights Sequin Assortment	Calypso Coral Thick Baker’s Twine	Classy Designer Buttons
Celebrate Today Photopolymer Stamp Set	Essence De Rose Photopolymer Stamp Set (French)	Crazy About You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Peaceful Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set
Rose Wonder Photopolymer Stamp Set	Rosenzauber Photopolymer Stamp Set (German)	Suite Sayings Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watercolor Words Photopolymer Stamp Set	White Perfect Accents

Some great bargains to be had this week: my favourite sentiment set of the moment, 'Suite Sayings', the always-useful 1" square punch, the Bear Hugs framelits (I will be using these on tomorrow's blog card so look out for that!) and the Rose Wonder stamp set which you can see on today's creative post. And last but certainly not least, the White Perfect Accents - I will be buying these up in bulk this week!

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

I'm here with a quick post featuring the next Christmas card I promised featuring the Lots of Joy stamp set that can be found in the annual catalogue. I used this week's sketch over at The Paper Craft Crew as my starting point for this card:

Again I combined the stamp set with some of the Merry Moments DSP, this time choosing the lovely plaid pattern that echoes the pattern of the tree:

I used the fun postage stamp-style stamp for two of my three squares down the side, so easily punched out with the 1" square punch, with the final one featuring the second part of my sentiment - I selectively inked the sentiment twice and then banner-cut the other piece and layered it underneath. Lovely traditional Christmas colours on this card and I think the plaid gives it quite a modern feel.

That's all from me today - come back tomorrow when we will have a new challenge over at The Paper Players and the lovely Claire will be the hostess. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad	Old Olive A4 Cardstock	Lots Of Joy Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Merry Moments Designer Series Paper	1" Square Punch
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad	Brights Candy Dots	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad
Whisper White A4 Cardstock

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced. 

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for May FZZMG3JY and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

1" Square Punch	2014-2016 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	2-1/2 Inch Circle Punch	Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Cards & Labels Project Life Framelits Dies	Fun Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Gold Basic Metal Buttons	Vanilla Coaster Board

Lots of great bargains again this week: the 2 1/2" circle punch is one of my most used punches, along with some buttons and embossing folders and even something for the Project Life fans amongst us with the Cards and Labels Framelits - very useful.

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's Wednesday and a busy day on my blog today! This is the second of today's posts featuring this week's Colour Me...! Design Team card (please click here for my earlier Colour Throwdown post). This week we have a Subtle colour palette for you to work with:

I decided that this week's colour palette would be perfect not only for a baby card, but specifically for a box/stair step card, as whenever I see one of those they remind me of baby blocks all stacked up. So here is my card:

Nicely gender-neutral, with a Whisper White card base and background. I used the Little Letters framelits to cut out the letters for the word 'Baby' and rather than use the actual letters, I used the squares and the negative space to add more colour to my card. The letters didn't go to waste though, as I used them to decorate the envelope. For the remaining two squares, I used the Baby's First Framelits to create the duck and bib shapes, and stamped the co-ordinating stamps on the white layer below. I added some thick Pool Party baker's twine (retired - Sale-A-Bration item from earlier this year) but didn't add anything else as I wanted it to be able to remain post-friendly - despite its dimension, this card folds flat and fits into a standard C6 envelope.

That's my Colour Me...! card for this week - why not visit the other Colour Me...! designers and check out their takes on this week's colour combination:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Little Letters Thinlits Die	Baby's First Framelits Die	Something For Baby Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Magnetic Platform
Subtles Stampin' Write Markers	Card Stock A4 Blushing Bride	So Saffron A4 Card Stock	Pool Party A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

Today I'm sharing my Design team card for this week's challenge over at The Paper Players. This week LeAnne is hosting and she has a clean and simple challenge to create a child's birthday card this week:

Those of you who follow LeAnne's blog, Wee Inklings, regularly will know that today young Miss Cassidy is celebrating her fourth birthday - hooray! having seen the other Design Team members cards this week, I can vouch for the fact that mine looks quite different to everyone else's! My cards today are not made with four year old girls in mind (nowhere near enough pink for that!) however as the mother of two young children, I make lots of children's cards. Whilst they are sometimes stamped, I am often asked to make something that reflects the current favourite game/toy/theme of the moment. Those of you who follow my blog will know I am partial to Lego and have created some great Lego punch art in the past (see my most recent one here), although this can be time-consuming and not all that clean and simple. Today though I am sharing two of my tried and tested punch art cards for young boys.

First I am sharing another of Ben's birthday cards from last week; this time, the one I made for him from his big sister. Now as is true for most young boys of his age, Minecraft is a game that provides hours of endless entertainment for him. I've made a few creeper cards that I haven't shared previously (creepers are the monsters that come out at night and take your life, so I'm told) - they really are so easy to make! - but I thought I'd share this one, as after a browse on Pinterest I saw this card and decided I wanted to make a creeper card with a difference. Here's the outside of my card:

A simple creeper face made from 1" punched squares, along with 2 pieces of 1" x 1 1/2", one cut in half lengthways, on a background of now retired Gumball Green (I think this is the best creeper colour, but you could substitute with Garden Green if you don't have any), then when you open the card, he really comes to life:

A simple pop-up - how fun is that?! This must be a record in terms of supplies, given that you can make one of these cards with some basic cardstock and not much else; it's also another 'no stamping' card - that's two in a week! Now I have to admit, as cards go it's not really my cup of tea, but then I'm not the target audience. The verdict? Rebecca thought it was awesome and Ben loved it, so if it ticks the box of the now seven year old, it's good enough for me!

I also wanted to share another clean and simple birthday card that I have made so many of, I can't quite believed I've never blogged before! All children seem to love shaped cards, and this cute Angry Bird is so easy to create using a few punches and a base made using the Circle Thinlits and the Big Shot:

A custom envelope from some co-ordinating Brights DSP made using the Envelope Punch Board and you are good to go. Two cards that are really clean and simple, quick and easy. Do pop over to The Paper Players to see what the other designers have come up with - I promise they will be quite different to mine!

It's Sunday and I'm off to town today to collect some frames for a private home décor class I'm teaching tomorrow along with a visit to the shoe shop for new trainers and school shoes for the children in readiness for the new school year. Still two more weeks to go, yet I'm sure it will fly by.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

1" Square Punch	Basic Black A4 Card Stock	Garden Green A4 Card Stock	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Sweetheart Punch	1 Inch Circle Punch	3/4 Inch Circle Punch	Chevron Border Punch
Real Red A4 Card Stock	Daffodil Delight A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen

Today's card is for this week's Pals Paper Arts challenge, where Team 2 have chosen a rather patriotic colour palette this week, with one last opportunity to use Midnight Muse before it retires at the end of the month:

I decided these colours would make a perfect masculine card and so have another sneak peek using the Traveler stamp set, coming in the new 2014 annual catalogue. Here is my card:

I stamped three of the stamps in the set - the ocean liner, the globe and the steam train - in Midnight Muse, then cropped these images and mounted them on individual mats in the same colour, followed by a larger Real Red and Midnight Muse panel. This is then overlaid on a crossways panel finished with some Real Red candy dots and lastly a sentiment stamped in Midnight Muse with one of the Itty Bitty Banners stamps and cut out with the co-ordinating framelit. I even gave the inside some star treatment with a steam train - I don't do this often enough, and even when I do I often forget to share with you: 

I really like this set, having used it so much already. Despite its 'vintage' look, it lends itself to a more modern finish too. I'm also linking my card up to Addicted to CAS where the theme this week is 'transport'. Back tomorrow with the Wednesday Deals and another card. Until then, I'm off to prepare for a private class tomorrow, get on with some admin and then hopefully squeeze in a make or two as well - happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

*Traveler Stamp Set - available 1st July 2014.

Itty Bitty Banners Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Bitty Banners Framelits Die	1" Square Punch	Midnight Muse Classic Stampin' Pad	Midnight Muse A4 Card Stock
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Magnetic Platform
Brights Candy Dots

I had a hugely productive creative day yesterday (I love days like that!) and decided to have another go at a card with the sketch layout from CAS(E) This Sketch (although I'm too late to link up to this challenge with this sketch). I am linking up with Addicted to CAS though as I have another 'over the edge' birdie and today's card features the zingy colour palette over at Color Throwdown:

So using the color throwdown photo for inspiration, I decided to create a 'new home' card. There is only one set is the annual catalogue that features a new home welcome - the hostess set 'Sweetly Framed' - so I decided to create something using some punch art with an idea that I've had swimming around in my head for a while. Here's my card:

I used Pear Pizzazz for my base, and popped my Soft Sky panel up on dimensionals and created a little bird house by punching a 1" square out and topping with a Tangerine Tango triangle cut from half a square for the roof. I punched a Tangerine Tango bird using the bird punch and highlighted the bird's wing by using a scrap of Retro Fresh DSP, adhering with rolled glue dots to give some height. I added some punched co-ordinating coloured hearts punched with my owl punch. Lastly, what to use as a sentiment? I eventually decided on 'Yippee-Skippee!' from the stamp set of the same name, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in clear powder - not quite 'Welcome to your new home', but it's exactly how I felt when I bought a new house, both times, so it seemed more than appropriate! Another very clean and simple card, created with just a few punches and a sentiment.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

1" Square Punch	Bird Punch	Owl Punch	Yippee-Skippee!	Card Stock A4 Pear Pizzazz
Card Stock A4 Soft Sky	Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock	Tangerine Tango A4 Card Stock	Retro Fresh Designer Series Paper	Embossing Buddy
Versamark Pad	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug

Hello everyone - yes, it's Friday at last! And a three day weekend here in the UK too, so bonus! I've been busy working on wedding cards for commissions today so will share those another time. Today I'm sharing one of the cards I made with my ladies in my card class this month. The cards we made all featured the Happy Watercolour stamp set - today's card is a simple card stamped with the poppy stamp:

We punched three squares out of the front of the card (I used a retired square punch for this but you could use the Squares framelits as an alternative), then using the stamp-a-ma-jig to align the images on the inside of the card, we stamped the poppies in black so that they could be seen through the punched 'windows'. Each of the poppies was then overstamped with the large watercolour 'splodge' stamp (I think that is a genuine technical term!) like so:

A simple thank you sentiment on the front of this card provides the finishing touch. This card was as much about getting my ladies used to using a stamp-a-ma-jig; many of them own one, but weren't confident in using it so I've been making sure that at least one card in each class offers the opportunity to practice. You know what they say - practice makes perfect :-) I wouldn't be without mine, that's for sure.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Card Stock	Jet Black Stazon Pad
Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Stamp-A-Ma-Jig	Happy Watercolor

As my regular blog followers will know, my son recently shared a birthday party with one of his school friends. The gift for his friend had a dinosaur theme, so we decided to dust our favourite dinosaur stamp set down from the shelf and make a card and our very own wrapping paper to match. Here it is:

The card is a case of a Julie Kettlewell card I saw on Pinterest, with one or two additions. I decorated the envelope too just to add a nice finishing touch and you can just see the wrapped gift in the background with its co-ordinating paper. I love the bright colours and think it makes such a fun design for a 6 year old. 

The wrapping paper was fun to make too; a great summer holiday activity for the kiddies. I'm actually wondering whether I should get them started on making my Christmas wrapping - now there's a thought...!

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

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Dinoroar (retired)

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, Brights Designer Series Paper (retired)

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: Old Olive, Night of Navy, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Basic Grey

Tools: 1" Square Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch

Finishing Touches: Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

So all busy here in the James household; it's the Easter holidays, so something has to give and yesterday it was the blog! Back with it today, with the layered version of yesterday's Spring Sampler trio one layer card: 

It's amazing what another couple of layers and some ribbon makes, isn't it? The design is still simple, but the overall effect quite different. The layer of Melon Mambo cardstock is lifted on dimensionals to still give the 3D window effect, but unlike yesterday's card the detail is all on the front. I love the Sunshine and Sprinkles designer paper on this card and the Melon Mambo striped organdy ribbon makes it just that little bit special. I think this would make a lovely birthday card for a little girl; in fact, I have just the person in mind - better make sure I stamp a birthday greeting inside!

Back tomorrow with more stamping loveliness; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up Supplies:

Stamps: Spring Sampler

Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Sunshine and Sprinkles Designer Series Paper

Ink/Stampin' Write Markers: melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist

Tools: 1 1/4" Square Punch

Finishing Touches: 3/8" Striped Organdy Ribbon