Hello everyone - I'm back! It's never good when a vacation and blog migration issues combine, but I'm back, crossing my fingers and hoping that finally everything has been resolved and I have some quick and easy cards to share with you! Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a fun speed challenge chosen by Jane:

I don't have any current fruit in my stash, but thought this challenge would be a perfect opportunity to use up a glut of retired Tutti Frutti designer series paper. I grabbed a couple of retired fruit theme stamp sets too and started out with a bright, zesty card - take a look:

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

Speedy Tips - I decided on a super simple layout that would allow my DSP to do the heavy lifting and decided I would score a couple of lines directly onto the reverse of my card front to create 3 rectangles, then fill two of them with DSP and stamp a vertical sentiment onto the third. If you look closely you can see the scored detail on the image below:

A sentiment from 'Sweet Citrus' completes my simple yet fruity card.

Quick In Half The Time - Well, almost - my card took me just 5 minutes and 32 seconds to complete:

A Fruity Collection - since my challenge card really was so quick to make, I decided to use up a bunch of other papers in the pack and with a variety of other sentiments, created a whole bunch of cards with a fruity theme:

They really were so easy! Each patterned panel across the bottom is the reverse of the fruity panel, so with a few quick scorelines and slices of my trimmer, I'd manage to create a bunch of fun cards. Here they are in more detail:

And I used up a bunch of paper too - bonus!

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• For a Recipe Challenge use all elements of the recipe - the possibilities within those parameters are endless.
• For a Colour Challenge use all of the given colours and only those colours with these exceptions:
• White and Very Vanilla are free colours.
• In addition, you may use of ONE of these neutrals: Basic Black, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Basic Beige.
• For a Speed Stamping Challenge you must tell us the time it took to make your project and it must be finished in under 10 min.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your post.
• Make sure you link the specific post and not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI#(insert challenge number) when uploading to a public gallery
• Please turn off word verification so that we can send you lots of feedback.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges. 
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider for Top Pick and Featured Artist, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.

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

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! Today I've a quick post to share an even quicker clean and simple card that I made that was inspired by both the 'signs of spring' inspiration photo over at The Card Concept and uses Judy's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches:

When I saw Judy's sketch that trio of circles took me straight to my Sweet Citrus bundle again and the colours and lemons at The Card Concept, along with the pattern on the blue and white vase, I knew where I was headed - take a look:

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

I used a Night of Navy card base as I wanted my blue and white patterned paper as an accent border behind my lemons, and went hunting through my stash of retired papers for the patterned paper. It's a little more like a tile pattern rather than Delft pottery, but I think it works. I added a strip across the width of my card, added a trio of lemons, stamped and embossed and cut in one using my Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder, tucked in a couple of pairs of leaves left over from another project and added a trio of enamel dots and a simple heat embossed sentiment from 'Sending Smiles' as I was in need of thank you cards:

That's all there is to it - so straightforward, yet the bright citrus colours against the navy and white and the dry embossed detailing make this an interesting clean and simple card. I had more of the designer paper left over, so I used it to decorate the envelope flap too - do you ever do that? It's a great way to add a pop of colour and pizzazz - I like to think it cheers up not just the recipient but the postman too!

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 took a break from today's household chores to type this, so I think it's time to get back to it! Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SWEET CITRUS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)	SENDING SMILES PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)	NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	PARAKEET PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	ENAMEL DOT ESSENTIALS (7.50)
BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)

Here's today's second post as promised with the second of my cards using Amy's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches this week.

This time my interpretation was much more literal - take a look: 

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

The Sweet Citrus bundle was my first thought when I saw the sketch and clearly Amy had worked along similar lines using lemons for her DT card. I wanted to make my card look different to hers even though we used the same starting point, so I went with oranges instead of lemons, a super-bright colour scheme and a fully embossed background, as opposed to designer paper. I just love the texture that the Sweet Citrus embossing folder adds to both the background and the individual fruit segments and the fact that it's a hybrid folder and embosses and diecuts in one pass through the Big Shot is a total time-saving bonus! Check out the texture on the close-up below:

I also used a different sentiment for today's card to the one I've showcased on previous cards using this bundle, both on the outside and the inside:

This thank you card will be winging its way to one of my sweetest customers to thank her for a recent order.

Completely different to my previous card using this layout, but I love it just as much! I'm also linking today's card up over at The Alphabet Challenge where it's 'Y is for Yummy' - I know oranges are healthy, but they are also delicious! When I was pregnant with my first child, they were one of the things I craved and ate in vast quantities - bizarre, I know! A thank you shout-out to the Alphabet Blog team too for choosing my entry for 'X is for XOXO - hugs and kisses as their winner (if you missed it you can see that card here). 

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. 

Apologies for the lateness and brevity of both of today's posts; it took me 3 hours to complete my school run this morning due to a serious car accident that led to me being part of a road closure; fortunately I wasn't involved although my prayers are with the families of those who were. As for me, I'm running much later than usual for a Monday - but grateful to be here writing nonetheless!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SWEET CITRUS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	STARRY SKY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)	PUMPKIN PIE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	PALE PAPAYA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)
PARAKEET PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

A late post today - I'm afraid it's been one of those days! So I've a quick post to share a card I made using this week's gorgeous colours over at Just Us Girls and embossing (heat and dry) and white as my 2 items from the Just Add Ink board too:

I couldn't resist another outing with my Sweet Citrus bundle and hybrid embossing folder - I love it with this bold colour scheme:

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

I also chose to CASE Kim's card over at Global Design Project #GDP384. I switched out the florals for lemons and changed up my colour scheme, but retained the diagonal patterned background and white base, stitched circle and white-on-black heat embossed sentiment. I just love the texture that the dry embossing gives these fruit segments - check it out on the close-up below:

I even used the embossing folder to add texture to the envelope flap - a quick way to add detail. And that sentiment - my favourite of the moment for sure!

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 tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SWEET CITRUS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BRIGHTS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	CRUSHED CURRY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. YoonYoung is hosting this month and our first challenge is a colour challenge: 

I thought YoonYoung's chosen colours were fresh and summery and just right to finally break out my Sweet Citrus bundle. So I grabbed my supplies and used the sketch layout over at Just Add Ink where I haven't played along in ages, and this is what I came up with: 

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

I used a couple of stitched squares for the base, and a strip of (retired) Country Gingham designer paper in a bright white and yellow check, then proceeded to layer up my lemons, interspersed with a few green leaves and Heather-coloured flowers. The highlight of today's card is most definitely the lemons though; the Sweet Citrus bundle includes a hybrid embossing folder - this allows you to stamp your lemons and then diecut and emboss in one move. The die nestles inside the embossing folder and the lemons stamp as one and align perfectly, making this so easy. There are also multiple flower and leaf dies, to allow for multiple cuts at once. I hope the embossing is a little easier to see on the image below - it adds so much detail in real life:

This is such an awesome bundle! I must confess my card is not quite as CAS as it usual for this week's challenge; in hindsight I should have used a narrower strip of DSP to preserve more of my white space and maybe layered a little less fruit. I did get a little carried away - new product tends to do that to me lol! You should defintiely check out the rest of the design team - they did a much better job in keeping their cards clean and simple!

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:

SWEET CITRUS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (46.75)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	HIGHLAND HEATHER CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)
PARAKEET PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)