It's Wednesday and time for this week's challenge over at Colour Me...! where we have a striking palette for you to work with this week:

This week's colours put me in something of a quandry: I am completely into Christmas makes at the moment, but these colours really weren't shouting Christmas at me, not even in an unconventional sense! I also considered a fall/autumn themed card, but in the end decided to make a card to add to my 'ready to go'stash that could be used for a number of different purposes.  So here's today's card:

I used this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch for my layout and the hostess set 'Hello Love' which has the cute little birds in it and decided to make a clean 'collage style' card using the various images in the set and creating some subtle layering of the various elements. I used my Night of Navy Stampin' Up! Blendabilities pens to colour in the bird and also to colour in the words 'hello love' which would otherwise be on the cloud, as I wanted my sentiment to be contained within the word bubble. This is such a fun set as it comes with a number of possible second sentiments, so that you could make the card into a number of different types of congratulations card. I haven't actually stamped the inside, although I think I might add the birthday sentiment as this card would make a fun card for my nephew's birthday next week (according to my daughter!)

So what do you think? Feel free to leave a comment on today's card, before hopping over to check out the amazing cards by the rest of the Colour Me...! team:

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Love Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Regals Designer Series Paper Stack	Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Tangelo Twist A4 Cardstock	2014-2016 In Color Stampin' Write Markers
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Night Of Navy Assortment	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Hearts Border Punch

As promised, here's my second post today as I wanted to share with you the card I made for this week's sketch challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary:

I love a sketch challenge and was intrigued by this unusual layout, which was crying out for the use of some washi tape with those bold stripes, something that is quite under-utilised within my craft stash at times. Anyways this was one of those cards that the minute I saw the sketch I knew what I wanted to do with it, so it took me next to no time to pull this card together. Here's my card:

I used a base of Sahara Sand for my card as this is the colour of the ghost DSP from the Motley Monster set, but as it's quite neutral used lots of splashes of Tangerine Tango to really bring this card together and prevent it from looking washed out. By the way, check out the faces on the ghosts on the paper - how cute are they?! In addition to the mat, I added a strip of Tangerine Tango Retro Fresh washi tape for the vertical band (I love how you can see the ghosts through it - adds to the spooky I think!) and then used a piece of Tangerine Tango cardstock for the horizontal band, onto which I stamped my 'boo to you!' greeting. I bordered this with a piece of thick orange and white two-tone trim (I frayed the ends before adhering to the back of my panel so that it wouldn't have too much bulk). Lastly, I finished with a lovely Dazzling Diamonds sparkly ghost (thank you Mary Brown for the inspiration on a previous card of yours - love it!) I wanted my ghost to look towards the sentiment so cut the paper on the reverse using my framelit so that I could turn him over (hope that makes sense). I used one of the eyelits from the 'Chalk Talk' framelits to create the eyes and punched his mouth using my Crop-a-dile and adhered a piece of Basic Black cardstock to the reverse for definition, before adhering with dimensionsals.

The greeting I used on this card is from the 'Good Greetings' set that is currently available free with qualifying party sales of £200 or more for parties held between now and 31st October. This is such a versatile set - whilst this card has a definite Halloween feel to it, I think the 'boo to you' greeting means it would work as a nice 'Hello' card for this time of year. If you would like to earn this greetings set for free, I do still have a couple of slots available for parties in October so if you'd like one, do get in touch as soon as possible!

If you like this sketch, you should check out the other cards over at Create with Connie and Mary - there are some great interpretations and ideas of how to use it.

Back tomorrow with this week's Design Team sketch for the new challenge over at Colour Me...! and this week's Weekly Wednesday Deals!

Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Fun Fall Framelits Dies	Motlley Monsters Designer Series Paper	White & Tangerine Tango Two-Tone Trim	Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper	Good Greetings Wood-Mount Stamp Set
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Tangerine Tango A4 Card Stock	Basic Black A4 Card Stock	Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock	Retro Fresh This And That Designer Washi Tape
Chalk Talk Framelits Dies

Well, today is August 28th and that can only mean one thing - the new Stampin' Up! seasonal Autumn-Winter catalogue is LIVE!!

If you're not in possession of a paper copy, you can click on the image above and it will take you straight to the electronic version of the catalogue to browse. If you would like a paper copy and you do not already have a demonstrator, then please drop me an email at [email protected] and I will happily put one in the post to you. This also applies to any of my online 'no contact' customers who are reading this - if you have placed an order at any point and selected the 'no contact' option, I do not have contact details for you and I am unable to either post you a catalogue or email you with details of offers, etc. I can't even send you a thank you card for placing your order, which of course I would love to be able to do as I appreciate your custom!

I know I said it when the new annual catalogue went live, but the same applies to this seasonal catalogue - Stampin' Up! really have pulled out all the stops on this one, with great stamps, papers, kits and accessories for autumn, Halloween and Christmas - believe me, you will want it ALL! I've already given you a few 'sneak peeks' of some of the delights in store and I promise there's much more to come on that front!

Did I say the 28th August meant only one thing? Well, actually I meant two! Along with the new seasonal catalogue, there is also an added incentive to all customers who host a party between 28th August -31st October - all party hostesses with qualifying party sales of £200 or more will earn the exclusive 'Good Greetings' stamp set absolutely FREE; this is in addition to their hostess credits, that they can spend on any items they choose! The Good Greetings stamp set contains 19 stamps and really is a most versatile sentiment set, with everything from seasonal greetings to everyday occasion sentiments. Here's a close up of the sentiments included:

If you've been thinking of hosting a party, then call me now on 07773 421446 or email me at [email protected] to book a party slot - it's a great way to earn items on your wish list for free and have a fun night in with friends at the same time! Or host a virtual party - if you would like to take a 'catalogue basket' into work or pass it around your friends to gather orders so that you can get more hostess benefits, I can arrange that too!

Before I go just a reminder that the 'Short and Sweet' promotional offer where you can join Stampin' Up! for £99 and receive an extra £20 of free goodies (£150 instead of £130) ends at 10pm tomorrow evening, so if you'd like to talk to me about joining my team don't leave it too late! To read all about it and sign up just click here.

Also, the current Big Shot promotion is due to end 31st August, that's this coming Sunday - so if you want to get your hands on a free or discounted bundle, you only have a few more days to place your order. You can get the full offer details here.

I think that's everything for today; I'll be back tomorrow with a 3D home décor project made using product from the new catalogue, so be sure to pop by.

Until then, happy browsing - and I'm waiting for your call to make that party booking!

Good morning everyone - it's Sunday and time for my Design Team card over at The Paper Players where Ann has a great sketch challenge for us this week:

Now I love a sketch challenge and often I follow a sketch completely to the letter. Today is something of the exception to the rule though - when I saw the 'any shape' piece, I really wanted to use one of the flowers from the Bloom with Hope hostess stamp set that I had coloured with my set of Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities. As a consequence though, the layers didn't work for me - so I switched them about and offset them - I hope Ann doesn't mind! Take a look at this week's card to see what I mean:

I wanted my flower to take centre stage so went with a neutral Crumb Cake card base, with a Hardwood stamped mat. I really wanted to use a sentiment alongside my flower - this stamp set has a great selection of really useful ones, but to follow the sketch literally I would have needed to stamp my sentiment on one of the banner flags to be seen, but this didn't work as I wanted them to bring some additional colour to my card. So I decided to tuck my banners behind my central rectangle; this allowed me to both stamp my sentiment onto it and add some leaves, which I stamped in Mossy Meadow and coloured with my Old Olive Blendabilities (they work on coloured cardstock too!). Here's a picture of my fussy cut flower, coloured with Cherry Cobbler and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities, in all its glory:

Isn't it just lovely? I'm still getting used to my alcohol markers and how they differ from water-based colouring. I am no expert (yet!) but I think this flower shows you can get great results without much experience - it looks much more 3D than with ordinary markers and a blender pen. I have a little tip for you too - when you fussy cut a coloured flower like this one, you invariably end up with some white that shows around the cut edge. If you run your marker around the edge of the flower, it takes that away and makes your flower look just a little more finished.

If you would like to know more about Blendabilities, do check back for more hints, tips, techniques and tricks as I learn what works best. Better still, if you live in Northampton and the surrounding area, get in touch about attending my August card class where we will be using Blendabilities, along with the lovely Blended Bloom stamp. Also, if the 'Bloom with Hope' set has caught your eye and you would like your own set, do get in touch to book to host a party or enquire about my new Stampers 6 Club that is beginning next month: for a monthly commitment of £25 a month for 6 months, you get to be the hostess one month and enjoy a minimum of £25 hostess credits to spend free on anything in the catalogue, including hostess sets. Party freebies without needing to actually invite your friends round!  There is one space left in this current club - get in touch if you'd like it to be yours!

Do pop on over to The Paper Players blog to see what everyone else did with this sketch - there are some great cards there this week! I'll be back tomorrow with another card; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bloom With Hope Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Hardwood	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock	Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Cherry Cobbler Assortment	Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment
Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Old Olive Assortment	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

Yay it's Friday already! Today I'm sharing my card for this week's theme challenge over at Less is More where it's all about taking inspiration from the song 'Singing in the Rain'. Given the glorious weather we've been having in the UK of late, I'm just hoping today's card isn't tempting fate! Here it is:

I don't have many stamps that fit with the theme of rain, even less so singing in the rain, but I have been wanting to use this sheet of DSP from the Moonlight DSP stack on something to do with rain as the pattern says 'raindrops' to me, so this seemed like a good opportunity. I also found this cute little fox with an umbrella in one of the new hostess sets, Life's Adventure, so this gave me enough to get started.

I actually took much of my inspiration from Sarah's card this week, as she had a cute paper pieced duckling on her DT card and I decided to do a little paper piecing of my own. I stamped the fox onto the card layer, then again onto some spare white cardstock, onto a piece of Pumpkin Pie retired dotty paper and lastly the umbrella onto a piece of Rich Razzleberry. I then cut each out carefully with my paper snips and paper pieced them together - you can see the detail on the picture below, including the Crystal Effects that I added to the spots on the umbrella (I think they look more like raindrops!)

Cute, eh?! Whilst this card is all about the rain, I'm sure the bright colours would cheer someone up who was feeling a little down - I'll let you know when I eventually send it to someone, assuming I remember! Life's Adventure is an exclusive hostess stamp set, that you can only purchase if you either host a Stampin' Up! party or are a member of my Stampers 6 Club: for those of you that haven't heard of this before, this is where you commit to a minimum spend of £25 per month for 6 months and then in one month o the 6 you get to be the hostess, with a minimum of £25 of free hostess credits to spend. A virtual party, if you will, with none of the hassle of hosting or inviting your friends around if that's not your thing. I am starting a new Stampers 6 Club in August and currently have one space left - if you would like to participate, then get in touch. Once this last space has been filled, I will begin collating a waiting list for an additional Stampers 6 Club so either way you've nothing to lose.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Lost Lagoon A4 Cardstock	Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack	Life's Adventure Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Rich Razzleberry A4 Card Stock	Brights Designer Series Paper Stack	Crystal Effects	Stampin' Dimensionals

Well, I don't know if I should say it, but as the children are about to return to school tomorrow we have had the most glorious day weather-wise - might summer have finally arrived? Let's hope so! We had a BBQ lunch in the garden, long bike ride and a picnic tea in the country park today - we thought we'd better make the most of the opportunity, just in case it's once again short-lived!

This week is also all about classes: I had the pleasure of running a private party yesterday evening for the lovely Maria and 6 of her friends - you can find out what they got up to on my Facebook page and if you live in or around Northampton and would like to host a similar event, do get in touch - and tomorrow is my regular monthly card class. This month we are featuring the stamp set 'Springtime Hello' and the card that I'm sharing today is a slight variation on one that we will be making in class. It is also my entry for this week's 'Colour Me...!' challenge, where in contrast the colours have a rather autumnal feel:

I wanted my card to have a natural feel, so thought these colours would be perfect for my card. Here it is:

I used Naturals Ivory cardstock for my central panel - I haven't used this cardstock before and it has a great texture for this type of card - then inked up the wild daisy stamp using my Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Wild Wasabi marker pens and stamped the flower. I created the script background using one of the stamps in the retired 'French Foliage' set - I inked it in Baked Brown Sugar and stamped off twice before stamping onto my panel so that it would have a very faint background effect.  Lastly, I stamped both the bee and the sentiment in Baked Brown Sugar and added a little Crushed Curry to the bee again with my marker pen. I then mounted this panel on a mat of Baked Brown Sugar and centred on a card base of Very Vanilla. I think this card has quite a vintage feel - like a botanical drawing in an old book. This set is in the current Spring-Summer catalogue and along with lots of others is one that will be retiring at the end of the month, so if it's on your wish list, you only have a little while longer to purchase it.

That's all from me - back tomorrow with another card. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Springtime Hello	Naturals Ivory A4 Card Stock	2013-2015 In Color Stampin' Write Markers	Baked Brown Sugar Classic Stampin' Pad	Subtles Stampin' Write Markers
Regals Stampin' Write Markers	Card Stock A4 Baked Brown Sugar	Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock

Today's card is a last minute entry for this week's CAS Colours and Sketches colour challenge, which is to use the following colours:

I also used the above sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch as my starting point, although I would be the first to admit that my card isn't the most literal of interpretations; the card I've prepared for tomorrow's blog post is much better! Here is my card:

I decided to use the Morning Meadow hostess set for today's card - this set will only be available until the end of June, so if it's on your wishlist get in touch with me to book a party soon, otherwise you'll miss it. I inked the branch with my Basic Grey and Primrose Petals marker pens, then stamped the bird in Midnight Muse and fussy cut him and placed him on a dimensional, with a little rhinestone-centred punched flower for added interest. I allowed the tail of my bird to overhang the edge of the card - I think I'll join my card up to Addicted to CAS too, where the current challenge is 'off the edge'.

A quick post from me today; back tomorrow with another project. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Morning Meadow	Midnight Muse Classic Stampin' Pad	Midnight Muse A4 Card Stock	Primrose Petals A4 Card Stock	2012-2014 In Color Stampin' Write Markers
Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers	Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents	Punch Pack	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Envelope Punch Board

Today I'm sharing one of the latest additions to the Stampin' Up! range: the Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit. It costs just £17.95 and contains literally EVERYTHING you need to make 20 cards - tags, embellishments, cards, envelopes,  stamps, ink, block - yes, everything! This kit is great for seasoned crafters who want to stock up on cards in a hurry and those who are new to crafting - if you've never stamped before, this is the kit for you!

To see just how easy it is, check out my lighthearted video below where I make all 20 cards in under 6 minutes:

Ok, so there was some fast-forwarding in there!! In reality it took me just over an hour to make all 20 cards, which is still a great output for a short time investment. If you would like to purchase a Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit, get in touch or pop on over to my online store and place an order today. This kit would also make a great gift, maybe for a teenager or someone who likes crafting or to try new things - at less than £1 per card, it represents great value.

Better still, why not get together a group of friends and host your very own Hip Hip Hooray Card Party? I'll provide the kits, all you need to provide is the refreshments. I'll be on hand to help and answer any questions and I guarantee that by the end of the session you will have 20 cards to be proud of! Contact me to book your Hip Hip Hooray Card Party today!

And here's one more look at the finished cards:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit

So I didn't quite manage to squeeze in another 'make' for you yesterday, but I'm here bright and breezy (or should that be windswept, given the gales we've had here for the last day or so!) this morning with today's card. Given my recent dalliances with the colour black, I thought I would try something different using black cardstock and one of my most favourite stamps - yes, the Flowerfull Heart (still available to order until Friday if you'd like one - click on the link to my online shop below!) Here is my card:

Now, I know you might be thinking "Anniversary card - on black??!" but hear me out! I wanted to use this stamp again with some heat embossing; I toyed with gold (well, it worked pretty well on this card I think) but eventually decided to use Pool Party embossing powder. My colour combination was inspired by one of the DSP patterns in the Sweet Sorbet pack that is available as one of the free Sale-A-Bration gifts currently when you spend £45 or more - the little blue Pool Party flowers with black centres. I would not necessarily have thought about using these colours together had it not been for this paper. A simple sentiment from the 'Express Yourself' hostess set (such a versatile set of greetings in a very usable font, it can be yours when you host a Stampin' Up! party - contact me to book yours) finishes this simple card.

So what do you think - a colour combination that works or one to be avoided, especially on a romantic card? I'd love to know what you think. I'm also linking this card up with the 'One Layer Card - Anything Goes' challenge over at Less is More this week (currently the only card using black for it's 'white space' - should I be worried?!) and CAS(E) This Sketch as my card uses their sketch again:

Funny how you can use the same two starting points, yet end up with two cards that couldn't be more different. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Flowerfull Heart Wood-Mount Stamp	Pool Party Stampin' Emboss Powder	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
Basic Black A4 Card Stock	Envelope Punch Board	Heat Tool - Uk Plug

Today I'm sharing the card that was originally scheduled for yesterday! This card also uses the sketch layout at Freshly Made Sketches this week and I combined it with the colour challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches this week:

I decided to go with an adult masculine card (it's always good to have a few of these on standby!) and inked up my Simply Sketched hostess set for the focal point of my card:

I stamped the little bird in Chocolate Chip ink and coloured him with a Chocolate Chip marker and blender pen, then used the blue and green to create a simple sponged background. I stamped my sentiment from the same stamp set on the front of the layered banner and used some of the Gingham Garden DSP to add interest without making the card too busy. This piece of Pear Pizzazz DSP seemed to be just right for this card, although you could be forgiven for not even knowing it's there as it isn't typical of the bright pink, indigo and yellow designs that are a key feature of this DSP pack.

I really like the understated finish of this card - and the little bird is perfect for a male card. This is the first time I've used the Simply Sketched stamp set and will definitely be making more with it. It has some lovely sketch stamps and three useful sentiments in a font that works with all kinds of cards. As I mentioned above, this set is an exclusive hostess set that can be yours only when you host a Stampin' Up! party. The current Sale-A-Bration promotion is a great time to host a party - not only will you and your party attendees get a free gift for every £45 you spend, but as the hostess you can earn an additional £25 in hostess benefits for qualifying party sales (£250 or more). If you would like to host a Stampin' Up! party, do give me a call or contact me to book a date.

I hope you like today's card; if you would like to see more ideas for using either today's sketch or the colour scheme, do pop by the Freshly Made Sketches and CAS Colours and Sketches blogs to see what the design teams and participants have created.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad	Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Pear Pizzazz	Chocolate Chip A4 Card Stock
Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper	Blender Pens	Sponge Daubers	Simply Sketched