How can it be Friday already?! It's been half term for the youngest of the James Juniors this week so there hasn't been much time for crafting! I'm hoping to get a little time in my craft room tomorrow but until then I do have another card for you featuring the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and Thoughtful Journey papers, along with details of the latest Step By Step Class created with my friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping.

First up, my card! The Thoughtful Journey papers are so beautiful - even a small amount can go a long way:

When paired with the Thoughtful Wishes bundle, especially those fabulous diecuts, along with some dry embossing and the texture and sparkle of tone-on-tone glimmer, there's so much to love! That's why Jan and I chose this bundle and papers for our step by step class:

Our new step by step class features the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and Thoughtful Journey designer series paper. Simply purchase the Thoughtful Wishes bundle and a pack of Thoughtful Journey designer series paper from us and we’ll email you the step by step instructions to make four beautiful projects featuring them. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the class instructions to you.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

If you would like to receive the details for this step by step class, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and papers needed below; remember to add the current hostess code 3NR3FB9W to your order. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

THOUGHTFUL JOURNEY 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)	THOUGHTFUL WISHES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (53.00)	ADHESIVE-BACKED PEARL TRIO (7.00)	EXPOSED BRICK 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (10.25)	NESTED ESSENTIALS DIES (32.00)	2024–2026 IN COLOR™ GLIMMER 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) SPECIALTY PAPER (10.25)
PETUNIA POP A4 CARDSTOCK (10.75)	MOSSY MEADOW CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (8.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (13.00)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for an interesting 'fill in the blank' challenge from the lovely Heather H:

The colour I use least in my crafting - intriguing! I used the sketch over at Global Design Project #GDP442 for my layout this week and I made a card that features only two colours; can you guess which one I don't use very often?

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

Yes - it's Wild Wheat! I must confess I am not a fan of this one of last year's in-colours and actually don't use it very often at all so for today's card I decided that I would try something different and pair it with one of my most-used colours and all-time favourite, Night of Navy, to see if the colour combo would make Wild Wheat more appealing.

I used a Night of Navy card base and covered it with an entire panel of Wild Wheat - brave! I decided to add a diecut panel using the leaf die from the Gorgeous Garden Dies to the centre of my card. I've used these dies many times before and the eagle-eyed amongst you will realise that the whole die covers an entire card front, so you may be wondering how I managed to halve it to create my panel. It actually wasn't that tricky: I cut my Night of Navy Panel to size then aligned my die at the outside edge and partially diecut it towards the other end. I then removed the die and using a craft knife, I used a metal ruler and carefully cut away the edge of the loose pieces to create a narrow border on the other side of the panel. Yet another way to use these fabulous dies!

I added some Night of Navy twine and a simple gold heat-embossed sentiment from the 'Timeless Arrangements' stamp set, accented with a brass metallic dot to finish:

A piece of co-ordinating Wild Wheat in-colour DSP to decorate the flap of the envelope completes my card. Whilst I'm still not a fan of Wild Wheat, I must confess I do rather like this colour combo!

This is a great opportunity to remind you that the Gorgeous Garden bundle is just one of those featured in the monthly tutorials I create with my AYSI teamie, good friend and fellow demonstrator Jan Clothier. This tutorial contains lots more ideas and ways to use the Gorgeous Garden Dies and is yours for FREE when you purchase the Gorgeous Garden Dies from either Jan or myself. These dies are only available until the end of the month before they retire; they are currently almost half price at £24 for the pair - bargain! 

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

GORGEOUS GARDEN DIES (24.00)

NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

WILD WHEAT A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)

TIMELESS ARRANGEMENTS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)

VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)

METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a bright and colourful colour challenge chosen by the lovely Heather H:

I decided these bold colours called for a bold card so I grabbed my Gorgeous Garden Dies, specifically the floral one, and set to work - take a look at what I came up with:

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

Gorgeous Garden Florals - The Gorgeous Garden Dies are a pair of dies found on page 164 of the annual catalogue that can be easily overlooked, since they do not have a co-ordinating stamp set. That said, they are certainly not to be dismissed - they make fabulous cards! I featured the floral die on my card today and having created a tone-on-tone base in Mossy Meadow, I used the three additional colours to add bright pops of colour to the flowers themselves. 

Did someone say FREE? - I have mentioned it previously, but today's post is a great opportunity to remind you that the Gorgeous Garden Dies feature in the current 'Join In With Joanne and Jan' tutorial collection that I have designed in collaboration with my As You See It teamie and good friend Jan Clothier:

This tutorial features 4 main projects with a couple of extras thrown in too featuring a range of techniques and of course the Gorgeous Garden Dies. The projects that feature in the tutorial are exclusive to the tutorial itself and you won't find them on our blogs or anywhere else. How can you get it? Well, if you purchase the Gorgeous Garden Dies from either Jan or myself, then the tutorial with photos and full detailed instructions will be yours FREE - it's as simple as that. 

Celebrating Friends - I finished my card with a diecut sentiment from the 'Love For You' bundle, which seems appropriate since today is 'New Friend Appreciation Day' - isn't there a day for everything these days?! You can see it in more detail below, including the layering detail that I just love: 

I think these dies are an annual catalogue 'hidden gem' - they really are so versatile. I'm linking today's card up with the ladies over at Just Add Ink where their theme this week is 'Just Add ... Florals'.

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

GORGEOUS GARDEN DIES (40.00)	LOVE FOR YOU DIES (ENGLISH) (30.00)	LOVE FOR YOU PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (19.00)	GLOSSY DOTS ASSORTMENT (7.50)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)
AROUND THE BEND DIES (31.00)	MOSSY MEADOW A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	GRANNY APPLE GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	CRUSHED CURRY A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	MELON MAMBO A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (10.00)

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 Felicita is our featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went down the right-hand column with red or green (I used both), patterned paper and diecut, and paired it with the fabulously festive colours over at Colour Inkspiration and made a card that is perfect for the 'add glitter' challenge over at Inkspirational - there's definitely plenty of that! I'm definitely in full-on Christmas mode still, so couldn't resist another Christmas card - or two! - take a look:

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

Gorgeous Garden - I decided to use a die that you possibly don't immediately consider as a Christmas one. The Gorgeous Garden Dies feature both a leaf coverplate and a floral coverplate die. The floral die reminds me of amarylllis flowers, that are often associated with the festive season, so I decided to create a card using red and green as my chosen colours to add to the Christmassy feel. 

All That Glitters - Whilst my card looks quite simple and straightforward, it actually showcases a neat technique. I covered a two-ply cardstock panel with an adhesive sheet, then placed the die on top and ran it through my diecutting machine so that the adhesive sheet was cut but the cardstock based remained intact. I then firstly removed the backing paper from the green sections, and having diecut another floral plate out of the mottled Shaded Spruce pattern in the Joy of Christmas designer series paper set, added the negative space green diecut pieces to the adhesive background. The pattern is subtle, but it adds just a little more interest than a plain green. Next, I removed the backing paper from the negative space of the flowers themselves, then sprinkled this with some Real Red glittered embossing powder that I found in my drawer. I heated it to set the powder, then finally removed the main piece of backing paper and add a double-layered diecut coverplate in Real Red. I just love the finished effect - check out the sparkle on the close up below:

 I also made a second version of this card, this time using pure fine red glitter. This wasn't Stampin' Up! branded glitter, so the colour is slightly deeper. I gives a slightly more textured finish - just as effective though:

The glitter just needs to be pressed firmly against the adhesive paper; any stray excess can be removed with the sticky end of your Take Your Pick tool. I know glitter is ecologically out-of-fashion right now (although there are eco-friendly versions available), but if you have old tubs of fine glitter hanging around like I do, this is a fun way to use it up. Here's another photo of both cards together so that you can see the subtle difference between the two:

Which one do you prefer? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Brightest Glow - Finally, the sentiment on the front of my card is from the oh-so-useful festive sentiment set in the annual catalogue called 'Brightest Glow', heat-embossed in white on Basic Black for a little more emphasis against that red and green background and added some black and white gingham ribbon too. I added another sentiment from the same set to the inside of my card:

So what do you think? I absolutely love these Gorgeous Garden Dies - I think they are one of the unsung heroes of the annual catalogue, since they are standalone dies. You will definitely be seeing more of them in the weeks and months to come - watch this space!

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. 

One last thing to mention: this will be my last challenge with the TicTacToe Challenge team. I have absolutely loved being a part of this team and will miss Felicita and everyone very much; moving into 2024 I will be reducing my design commitments to allow me to focus on other opportunities. 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'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

GORGEOUS GARDEN DIES (40.00)	BRIGHTEST GLOW CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)	JOY OF CHRISTMAS 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)	REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	SHADED SPRUCE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (9.50)
LABELS AGLOW DIES (31.00)	BLACK & WHITE 1/4" (6.4 MM) GINGHAM RIBBON (6.75)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

News of the August Stampin' Up! Kits Sale yesterday so I saved this post until today! It's August and time for a new Create with Joanne and Jan tutorial bundle!

My friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping, and I are working together to reward our customers with some extra special perks. Every two months, Jan and I will be putting together a set of four tutorials featuring a bundle or suite. Simply purchase the suite or bundle from us and we’ll email you the tutorials in PDF format for you to make. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the tutorial package to you.

The four tutorials (two from each of us) will really show you different ways to make the most of your purchase because you’ll get the benefit of both our ways of thinking and both our styles. There will be a range of project levels, from casual to avid and you won’t find these projects in any of our other social media platforms. We’ve designed them just for our customers. In addition to the tutorials, you’ll also be offered access to an exclusive private Facebook Group where you’ll be able to share your projects, and ask us questions. You’ll also find little extras there from us like extra projects, tips or even the occasional video or Facebook Live. You just never know!

So there you have it. Two great reasons to shop with us: a package of four exclusive designs AND access to a private Facebook Group so you can pick our brains and share your work with us.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

For August-September, we are featuring the Gorgeously Made bundle from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue. The Masterfully Made Suite Collection features the Gorgeously Made stamp set and die bundle and includes beautiful designer series papers featuring mixed media designs with handpainted and hand-torn designs. If you would like to receive this tutorial, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and any other products in the suite below:

GORGEOUSLY MADE BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (47.50)

MASTERFULLY MADE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.75)

ADHESIVE-BACKED SEQUINS TRIO (7.50)

Hi everyone - as promised I'm here with my second post today and some exciting news! Welcome to Join In with Joanne and Jan!

My friend and former Stampin' Up! Artisan Designer Jan Clothier, aka Thinking Stamping, and I are working together to reward our customers with some extra special perks. Every two months, Jan and I will be putting together a set of four tutorials featuring a bundle or suite. Simply purchase the suite or bundle from us and we’ll email you the tutorials in PDF format for you to make. If you already have the suite or bundle, simply purchase something else of equivalent value and we’ll email the tutorial package to you.

The four tutorials (two from each of us) will really show you different ways to make the most of your purchase because you’ll get the benefit of both our ways of thinking and both our styles. There will be a range of project levels, from casual to avid and you won’t find these projects in any of our other social media platforms. We’ve designed them just for our customers. In addition to the tutorials, you’ll also be offered access to an exclusive private Facebook Group where you’ll be able to share your projects, and ask us questions. You’ll also find little extras there from us like extra projects, tips or even the occasional video or Facebook Live. You just never know!

So there you have it. Two great reasons to shop with us: a package of four exclusive designs AND access to a private Facebook Group so you can pick our brains and share your work with us.

You can shop with me if you live in the UK and Europe. 

You can shop with Jan if you live in New Zealand.

We’re kicking off with the Cheerful Daisies bundle from the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue.

The Fresh As A Daisy Suite Collection features the Cheerful Daisies stamp set and die bundle and includes beautiful designer series papers featuring loosely handpainted florals that also feature all of the new 2023-25 in-colours. If you would like to receive this tutorial, you can place your online order with me by clicking on the direct product links for the bundle and any other products in the suite below:

CHEERFUL DAISIES BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (50.25)

FRESH AS A DAISY 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (9.98)

ADHESIVE-BACKED SOLID GEMS (7.50)

Remember to add the current hostess code 2A6EXGJ4 to your order. 

Watch out for a new tutorial package for August-September at the end of July.