Another Hugs and Kisses Valentine's Card!

by Joanne James12. February 2015 07:00

Another quick, clean and simple Valentine's card for you today - a second crack at the 'hugs and kisses' challenge over at Addicted to CAS and Can You Case It:

      

My card was inspired by Kylie's in the ATCAS Design Team - it reminded me of the little 'xoxo' framelit in the circle thinlits set, which was perfect for the fun little game I had in mind - here's my card:

I cut out a few of the 'xoxo' in both Real Red and Basic Black, then snipped them apart so that I could use them for my game of tic-tac-toe. I created my 'board' by piercing some holes in my Whisper White layer and threading them with black baker's twine - here's a close up so that you can see it in more detail:

I substituted my final 'x' with a little red heart, popped up on a dimensional - sweet! Another no stamping card too - that doesn't happen often!!

Today's post is short and sweet too - I have a very busy day ahead so I'm off to get started. Back with another project tomorrow - 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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Cards | Punch Art | Stamping

Love, Hugs and Kisses Valentines Card

by Joanne James11. February 2015 09:15

I still have a couple more Valentine's cards to share with you this week, all of them quick and easy to execute though if you are making a last-minute card for your loved one! Today's card has been made using this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch and I am also entering it into the 'Hugs and Kisses' challenge over at Addicted to CAS and the colour challenge at Can You CASE IT:

 

         

This is one of those 'go to' sketch layouts for clean and simple cards and is also great for showcasing designer series paper, as I've done here with the hugs & kisses pattern from the 'Stacked With Love' DSP stack. Take a look: 

For the other half of my base layer, I used another of the black and white patterns in the stack, and used a heart framelit to create a die cut in my top red layer that allowed an element of the paper design to show through. I finished my card with a 'vintage' love die cut with my now retired Expressions thinlits - these are still available on the clearance rack and can be picked up for a bargain £13.79 and lastly rounded the bottom right corner of my card. Not a stamp in sight either - no risk of inky fingers with this one!

Simple but effective I hope you will agree! Back tomorrow with another Valentine's card to share with you; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

Wednesday Weekly Deals Are Here!

by Joanne James11. February 2015 09:00

It's Wednesday so 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 January/February (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right) 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:

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

There are some lovely ribbons and a useful MDS download this week, but the real stars of the show are the Magnetic Platform - no Big Shot should be without one! - and the framelits and dies that are on offer - all really useful and great bargains to boot!

Back shortly with today's creative post; meanwhile, race you to the shop!

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Roses are Pink...Two-for-One Valentine's Cards

by Joanne James10. February 2015 08:00

Today I have not one but two cards for you! Both cards fit this week's colour challenge over at Pals Paper Arts, where there is a gorgeous colour palette to work with this week:

I absolutely love this colour combination and couldn't wait to create something pink and pretty with it. Here is my first card:

I layered the colours in two sections and in the central section used one of the lovely rose die cut panels from the Artisan Embellishment kit as a stencil and stencilled the roses in the two shades of pink, adding in touches of Basic Grey for the flower leaves. These die cuts are so beautiful - it's a shame there are only two in the kit! Here's a close up of the sponged area:

 

The form of the roses is just so pretty I think and looks really beautiful. I added a bow in luxurious silver satin ribbon and stamped my sentiment on the wide mat layer of Pink Pirouette, stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in pewter. This card is full of romance, but I think it would work equally well as a birthday card.

My second card today uses exactly the same colour palette, but is altogether a more clean and simple affair. This week the team over at Less is More is celebrating its 4th birthday and have a colour challenge of 'pink and grey'. Here is my card for this week's challenge:

My card started out as a two-tone pink and grey affair, with an inlaid split sentiment - I die cut the word 'love' using my Little Letters thinlits, then did the same with the cardstock the other way around top and bottom in order that I could paper-piece the reverse colours into the negative space. The more I looked at it though, the more it needed a little something else - I toyed with a scrap of Rose Red that sat on my desk leftover from the first card and the addition of the tiny heart with a tiny sparkle was just what it needed. You can see the detail of the die cut and inlaid letters below:

Congratulations to Chrissie and the team on their 4th birthday - you are an awesome bunch who run a most successful weekly challenge and are truly an inspiration. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another card; 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.

Butterfly Thinlits Paper Pieced Butterfly

by Joanne James9. February 2015 09:00

Today is a busy day for me: I have my monthly technique class this morning and this afternoon I'm heading to Ikea to stock up on picture frames for a party at the weekend. This month's technique class features the 'Butterfly Basics' stamp set and co-ordinating Butterfly Thinlit Dies, so I have been using them to make lots of samples recently. Today's card is one of the ones I made to show the ladies that are attending my class and works wonderfully with the palette over at Colour Q this week:

The butterflies can be used in a number of ways to incorporate colour into them - having seen some interesting samples using vellum and also colouring with Blendabilites, I decided to have a go at paper-piecing a solid butterfly image. Here is my card:

 

Whilst this card looks deceptively simple, with its inlaid black butterfly outline and coloured wings, I can assure you it isn't altogether quick to put together! Keeping track of all the tiny pieces from the insides of the four coloured butterflies I cut was something of a challenge, but was well worth it - I love the effect of the solid, brightly coloured paper-pieced butterfly. Here's a close up of the detail:

In addition, I also have the four coloured butterflies to use for other projects - bonus!

That's all from me today. check out my Facebook page if you would like to see the fun that the ladies are getting up to in my class and what this week's cakes look like! Better still, get in touch with me and join me for next month's technique class on 9th March, when we will be using Blendabilities and the lovely Easter stamp set, 'Indescribable Gift'. You can find more details on my class schedule here.  Back tomorrow with another project; until then happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

* Pretty In Pink cardstock - retired

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

 

'I Do Love You' Valentine's Card

by Joanne James8. February 2015 08:00

Good morning lovely blog readers! Today it's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players, where this week the lovely Nance has this great colour combination for us:

   

I also used this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday for the layout of today's card. I was tempted to use the florals in the inspiration photo as the starting point for my card - isn't the badge great? Nance creates all our blog challenge badges and does such a fantastic job, thank you Nance! - but in the end the lure of my 'Stacked with Love' DSP paper stack was too strong and I decided to make another Valentine's card! Come and take a look:

 

I used one of the large sentiments from the 'Big on You' stamp set as the focal point for my card and stamped it in Versamark on blackboard paper and heat embossed in white. I rubbed a little white kraft ink around the edges to add to the chalkboard look and feel of this panel. The large sentiment allowed me to use a number of the other DSP patterns for the background layers to my card. Red and black are clearly taking centre stage on my card, but there are a couple of pops of Calypso Coral - both the flag banner behind the strip of punched hearts and in the popped-up heart, finished with a Real Red bow cut with one of the Mini Treat Bag Thinlit accessory dies and a rhinestone. I haven't made a card using these papers for over a week and I was clearly getting withdrawal symptoms; having got them back out on the desk I've been creating with them again and I have a few more cards to share that feature them this week, so stay tuned!

Before you reach for your ink pads, do visit the other design team members to see what interesting ideas they've had 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 three challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN! 

I look forward to seeing your projects in the gallery this week. I'm off to hockey this morning and looking forward to an afternoon with a spot of crafting and some fun with the rest of the family before the new week starts again in earnest.

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.

 

Butterfly Basics For Freshly Made Sketches

by Joanne James7. February 2015 14:00

Today I'm sharing a card that I designed for my class next week using the Butterfly Basics stamp set and the co-ordinating Butterfly Thinlit Dies and this week's Freshly Made Sketch as my inspiration:

 

I created my card in the vertical mirror image as I wanted my ferns to lean into the centre of my card - take a look:

I used Naturals Ivory for my card today - I love the natural feel of this cardstock and it works so well when used in conjunction with nature images. I inked the fern stamp in Baked Brown Sugar and stamped it three times, without re-inking in between to create a graduated effect and some depth to the background. I layered my stamped sentiment banner on a piece of Baked Brown Sugar that I edged with the Large Scallop Edgelit and used the rope stamp for the horizontal element, then added a butterfly, stamped in Bermuda Bay, cut out with the smallest of the butterfly thinlits and finished with a small gold button and a strand of burlap tied in a bow. For the final element of the sketch I added the post mark stamp in Crisp Cantaloupe. 

I hope you like today's card, especially the ladies who are coming to class on Monday and for whom this constitutes a 'sneak peek'! Back tomorrow with our new challenge over at The Paper Players; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

Simply Scattered Love You Card

by Joanne James6. February 2015 21:19

I'm late posting today and am just in time to get my card for this week's 'Less is More' challenge in before the deadline. The challenge this week is 'little ones'; I had my card all planned out in my head since the start of this week but despite several attempts, I wasn't able to execute my idea well. So today, I took a break from my preparations for my next week's class and went back to the drawing board and came up with this ultra clean and simple card:

 

The theme of 'little ones' can be interpreted in so many ways and I had been working with the idea of lots of little things, rather than a new baby theme. On going back to the drawing board, I decided I would try and find the smallest stamped image I had and then I remembered: the Love stamp from the now retired 'Seasonally Scattered' set had some of the most perfect teeny-tiny hearts I ever did see, so decided this would be perfect for my card. I added a punched Itty Bitty Accents heart in Real Red and added the 'You' from the 'Crazy About You' set to complete my romantic sentiment.

That's all for today - short and sweet! Check out the Less is More page for more 'little ones' ideas - there is a ton of great inspiration from the designers and gallery alike. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

*Seasonally Scattered - retired

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

 

 

Happy Cake Day Birthday Card

by Joanne James5. February 2015 09:50

I have lots of upcoming birthdays and I am trying to take a much more organised approach to remembering them, at the very least making the cards a little in advance of when I need them, so today I have a bright and colourful addition to the 'ready to send' pile that uses this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch for inspiration:

I started off with the stripes on the background panel - I thought the stripes on one of the pieces of Birthday Bash DSP would be perfect. Here's my card:

I adhered my DSP directly to a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock, as I didn't want a border. For my central panel I used the 'Age Awareness' stamp set to stamp the sentiment and the banner across the top of my card, which I decorated with a row of candles from the same set. To keep my layers to a minimum, I stamped the banner directly onto the central panel and fussy cut around the edge before adhering to a Night of Navy base for added definition. To finish, I added a cupcake stamped with the 'Cupcake Party' stamp set and punched out with the co-ordinating punch. I decorated the inside too and created a matching lined envelope - I'll add a picture of this later! The DSP is quite busy and bright for a CAS card, however the uber-simple central panel balances this out I think.

I hope you like today's card; back tomorrow with another one! 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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Cards | Stamping

Choose Happiness Notelet Card

by Joanne James4. February 2015 09:01

Today I'm sharing a card I made for this week's challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches, where they have a double week and we are challenged to work with both colours and sketch:

    

Now no-one is more surprised than me that I took on this week's challenge; the colour palette isn't a combination that I usually use, however I found myself strangely drawn to it - along with the sketch, although I must confess those two dots in the middle did get the better of me! Take a look at what I came up with:

I decided to make a notelet using Very Vanilla cardstock, and starting with my central panel where I stamped the linked image from the 'Choose Happiness' set in each of the challenge colours, I worked out from there. Some simple layering with panels in each of the challenge colours and the sentiment form the same set, finished with a bird stamped in Baked Brown Sugar, fussy cut and popped on a dimension in the centre of the main panel. I even decorated my Crumb Cake envelope to match. There are minimal supplies required to re-create today's card; you could change out the colours for whatever you have in your stash to create something similar. Don't you just love that sentiment though? Perfect to tell someone just how much they mean to you.

I bought this stamp set a while ago thinking it would be good to explore more collage-style papercraft - whenever I use it though, my cards still look clean and simple! There may be something in there about teaching an old dog new tricks ... oh well! I hope you like today's card regardless. Back tomorrow with a fun birthday card; 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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Cards | Stamping

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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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