Ready For Christmas?!

by Joanne James31. March 2018 20:00

I'm back for a second post today! I had a little time for a spot of crafting this morning - I feel like I haven't been in my craft room to make something 'just because' in such a long time! So somewhat ironically, given that it's Easter weekend, I made a Christmas card! Yes - I couldn't resist making a card to join in with the challenge over at Merry Monday this week: 

 

I decided to use the cute little sausage dog from the Ready For Christmas stamp set, still available on carryover from the last Autumn-Winter seasonal catalogue, along with some retired Christmas Around The World tartan designer series paper:

 

I had a little fun with this card, and paper pieced both the occasional table and the dog using two different patterns from the Wood Textures DSP stack - don't you just love the honey-colour of that naughty-but-cute dachshund?! And a simple sentiment on the inside from the same set 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Brightly Lit Christmas 3 Ways From Simple To Stepped Up - Part 2

by Joanne James20. December 2017 22:00

I've been away for a few days with my family to experience the delights of the German Christmas markets and enjoy some much-needed pre-Christmas R&R, but have just managed to squeeze in a post for you this evening amidst some last-minute card writing to share the second part of my Brightly Lit Christmas set and possibly one of my favourite cards of the season - take a look:

 

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

A Framed Christmas Lampost - I created my delightful snowy lampost scene and use the crossbar lampost framelit to create a gorgeous frame for my mini focal point, something I picked up from a wonderful crafty friend of mine, the talented Amanda Bates over at The Craft Spa; thanks for the inspiration, Amanda!

Light The Lamps - The best bit of this stepped-up card? The lamps light up! I used a Chibi circuit kit to create a circuit behind the main panel and when you press the presents, the lamps light as you can see on this zoomed-in photo below:

 

How cool is that?! These circuits are easy to create although with three bulbs on this card, a little pricey and only really suitable for a special card, but a fun way to step up a card with the Christmas Lampost Thinlits Dies for sure.

Pick A Piece Of Paper - The only stamping on my card is the little 'Merry' banner across my wreath; the wreath itself and the presents were diecut from the Christmas Around The World Designer Series Paper. This paper is the one I initially found the most difficult to work with, yet in reality have used most - it's amazing how creative you can be when challenged! 

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Brightly Lit Christmas 3 Ways From Simple To Stepped Up - Part 1

by Joanne James11. December 2017 22:09

It's a little while since I shared a 'one stamp set, three ways' post with you showing you three cards using one suite and how to use the products within that suite to create cards that range from simple to stepped up. Today is the first of two posts that will do just that - this time featuring the Christmas Around The World Suite and the Brightly Lit Christmas Bundle that you can find on pages 28-29 of the 2017 Autumn-Winter seasonal Stampin' Up! catalogue that I used in a class a couple of months ago.

The Brightly Lit Christmas stamp set has a fun collection of festive banners that co-ordinate with a basic lamppost design and when paired with the co-ordinating Christmas Lamppost Thinlits Dies can be used to make the most ornate and detailed 3D traditional lamppost designs. The set is great for quick and easy and more complex cards with a real 'wow' factor.  

Clean and Simple - Quick And Easy - If you're short on time or new to crafting, this set is great for a simple card like this one:

 

All you need to do is take a sheet of Extra Thick Whisper White for your card base and mat layer, stamp your lamppost and hanging banner directly onto the card front and sponge a little yellow ink for lamp light, use the wreath bauble stamp to add some snowflakes (stamp in Versamark and add Dazzling Diamonds glitter) and a red ribbon bow and your card is done. Festive red and the subtle sparkling snowflakes help this simple card to have a big impact.

Step It Up - If you have a bit more time and are feeling more adventurous, using a few extra tools and embellishments will allow you to 'step up' your card and create something with a little more depth and detail, whilst still relatively easy to make:

 

My second card follows the same basic layout as the first, still using just the stamps from the Brightly Lit Christmas set, however this time I've stamped only the top portion of the lamppost and masked off the lower portion and used the Carols of Christmas stamp set and co-ordinating Card Front Builder Dies to cut out some festive poinsettia flowers to adorn the lamppost, centred with some gold enamel shapes, added a couple of twists of red and gold ribbon behind and a couple of background banners using the Triple Banner Punch, one of which is a contemporary tartan to add a bold splash of colour. 

My third card is a real 'wow' - but you'll have to come back for Part 2 for that one!

Here are the visual summaries of the key products used on today's projects for you to pin for easy reference:

Card 1:

 

Card 2:

 

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'll be back soon with the third card in this set, which is my absolute favourite. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Card 1:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Card 2:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Snowflake Sentiments For The Paper Players PP372

by Joanne James26. November 2017 09:00

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 kind of challenge, a sketch, for you all to work with:

 

My card today is all about the snowflakes and uses the Snowflake Sentiments bundle - take a look:

 

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

Snowflake Inspiration - I used the piece of snowflake patterned paper from the Christmas Round The World DSP pack as the starting point for my card today; the dark grey reminds me of a snowy sky and is the perfect backdrop for those pale blue and white snowflakes.

Swirly Snowflake Border - The paper pairs beautifully with the stamps and thinlits in the Snowflake Sentiments bundle. I used the Swirly Snowflake thinlits to create my layered border and snowflake embellishment. The detail on these delicate cuts makes for some really pretty pieces, especially when cut from Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper - the snowflakes are so sparkly against the Pool Party layer and the grey of the background paper. The thinlits are designed to cut with a straight edge to one side of the border, but I wanted them to be a mirror image so I snipped away the excess from the snowflakes and cut the background piece in the same way.

Open To Interpretation - I added a ribbon and bow to my sketch as I don't often add bows to the front of my card, yet when I came to make my card, I chose not to add a bow as I didn't want to obscure the detail of those pretty snowflakes, although I did add a strip of ribbon between the border layers. I also moved up the position of my snowflake embellishment to provide a better balance with the positioning of my sentiment. These changes don't make my card 'wrong' - they are just one way to interpret the sketch. I can't wait to see how it inspires you!

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:

The Paper Players Design Team
 
 
Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN! 

 

I look forward to seeing your interpretations of my sketch in the gallery this week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend as it will be over all too quickly; we are ice-skating later with the swimming squad - our first Christmas party of the season! I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

It's The Little Things Sweet Treat Card and Treat Box

by Joanne James27. September 2017 05:00

Today I'm sharing a card that uses the sketch over at Fab Friday Challenge as my starting point:

I decided to go with sweet treats and created both a card and a co-ordinating mini pizza treat box, Here's my card:

 

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

Sweet Treats - My card today features another of those busy DSPs in the Christmas Around The World pack - perfect for the large expanse of card front today and just right with my sentiment. These papers are really growing on me - they work really well for clean cards as the pattern does much of the work. This one is covered in yummy treats - gingerbread, sweets and puddings - enough to make your mouth water!

It's The Little Things - The stamps in the 'It's The Little Things' set are designed to fit the lids of the Mini Pizza boxes; this one also works perfectly for this sketch. I stamped it in Early Espresso and then stamped again on scrap paper in Real Red and cut out the banner separately and popped it on a couple of dimensionals. I also added a little Real Red enamel heart to the sentiment - it fitted perfectly in place of the stamped one.

A Foodie Treat - I couldn't make a card with this sentiment and not pair it with a matching treat! I covered my box in co-ordinating paper and punched a window in the lid that I backed with clear acetate to allow the recipient to peek at the treats inside and added a Real Red scalloped circle to mimic the design of my card. Here are both items together:

 

These boxes are the perfect size for some homemade gingerbread or a baked brownie - I will be gifting so many treats in these boxes this year!

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Driving Home For Christmas Card

by Joanne James21. September 2017 05:00

Today I'm sharing a card for this week's TGIF Challenge and uses the sketch layout over at Fusion:

   

I'm back with a Christmas card today featuring another of the festive Christmas Around The World DSP patterns - take a look:

 

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

Driving Home For Christmas - I'm still in Christmas mode as far as my card making is concerned, but that didn't stop me joining with the TGIF team this week - with sleighs, donkeys and so much more besides, there are festive transportation options a-plenty! I decided to have another crack at using the Christmas Around The World designer series paper and specifically another of the larger designs featuring festive cars and bicycles, all transporting Christmas trees and piles of luggage and festive gifts across the sheet. The design on this sheet of paper totally makes me think of the Christmas song made famous by Chris Rea called 'Driving Home For Christmas' - I made this card and was humming the tune for ages afterwards (apologies if that's you now having read today's post!) Whilst I used a smaller piece of the paper compared to my nutcracker card earlier this week (you can see that card here), I still made sure I cut a piece that fitted with the theme of my card so that the little cards and bikes  are clearly identifiable.  

And Hearts Too - I matched my paper with a sentiment from the 'Hearts Come Home' stamp set, which also fit perfectly with my theme. I stamped it on a stitched circle and added a couple of Real Red enamel hearts and a trio of snowflakes from the 'Hang Your Stockings' set across the bottom for additonal decoration. 

There's Always Room For  A Bow - Lastly, I added a wooden bow from the co-ordinating Christmas Around The World embellishment set. A nice finishing touch to bring the elements together. 

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 have another busy day today so enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Christmas Around The World Square Card

by Joanne James16. September 2017 10:00

Today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches where Amy has this great sketch for us:

I had lots of thoughts on how I could use this sketch but in the end it was a chance conversation with the ladies in my technique class this week that resulted in today's card:

 

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

Take A Square Of Paper - The Christmas Around The World designer series paper has lots of great patterns in it, with some fabulous plaids but also some rather bold repeating patterns that can be difficult to use. This was the basis of the discussion I was having with my class ladies, who were struggling to imagine how they would use the busy patterns in this set: the wreaths, transport paper, sweet things and this pattern featuring the nutcrackers. I reflected on this conversation and decided that this sketch is a great way to demonstrate how such busy patterns can be used to great effect: use a large piece of paper and make it the focus of the card, with very little else to distract or clash with it. 

A Single Sentiment - To this end, I added nothing more to the front of the card than a couple of coloured background pieces behind my sentiment banner. I decided to heat emboss my sentiment from the 'Sugarplum Dreams' set in gold onto Basic Black cardstock for dramatic effect - I really like the finish.  

Don't Forget The Inside - The sentiment is the only stamping on the front of my card - I did however stamp the other word stamp from the 'Sugarplum Dreams' stamp set and a nutcracker, which I coloured with marker pens, onto the inside of my card. Whilst I didn't forget to stamp it, I did forget to photograph it to share with you - oops! I will do that tomorrow and come back and add the picture here for you to see - now edited to add:

 

And that's it - actually quite a simple card to make, I think I might make a few more of the same design with the remains of my sheet of DSP!

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:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

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Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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