One Sketch Three Ways For The Paper Players PP447

by Joanne James23. June 2019 09:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! I am hosting this week on behalf of the lovely Jaydee who had a fall a few weeks ago and is taking a few weeks off from crafting to recuperate. Jaydee has my favourite, a sketch challenge, for us to work with this week:

 

My regular readers will know how much I love a good sketch and this is one that can be used time and again. I liked it so much I made not one, not two but three cards with it to share with you this week (I'm making up for my lack of blog posts in recent days!) This is the first card I came up with using one of the Bird Ballad papers that I had yet to use:

 

A simple card with an inset panel of DSP; the neat feature on this card is that I cut off the shaped end and extended one of the nested stitched labels for the sentiment and then added a bird I fussy cut from the paper itself.

My second card uses the reverse of this bird patterned DSP for a soft floral card that is delicate and pretty:

 

I used a basic nested stitched label for my sentiment this time but added a ruffle of ribbon (retired but I've linked below to a current one that would make a great substitute) and a fussy-cut flower and leaves with a few sparkly self-adhesive sequins. This one is much more girly and pretty!

My third and final card uses both a border and fussy cut hummingbird from the Mosaic Mood paper set and highlights a new in-colour - Terracotta Tile:

 

I am on a mission to use these papers as the main feature of my cards by simply co-ordinating with a variety of different sentiments. I used the same sentiment on this card from the 'Free As A Bird' stamp set that I used on the previous cards above, but this time punched it out of Very Vanilla cardstock using the new Timeless Label Punch. This is going to be a really useful punch for sentiments - the longer length makes it very versatile. I also picked up the green colour from my hummingbird and added a contrasting edge border to my top layer using the straight stitched die that can be found in the Stitched Nested Labels Die Set. We have a Facebook Group for Stampin' Up! demonstrators that has had lots of discussion as to how you would use this particular die, so I thought I would give you another example!

So which of today's cards is your favourite? I think I'm leaning towards the pretty pink florals with the ruffle of ribbon, which was inspired by this week's TGIF Challenge (badge at bottom of post). I buy lots of ribbon but often don't use it enough on my cards so I'm hoping to find the time to have another go at their challenge this week with something that features ribbon as the main focus, so do pop back later in the week for another idea. I'd love to know which one gets your vote - as always, feel free to leave me a comment below.

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

Card Number 1:

 

Card Number 2:

 

 Card Number 3:

 

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:

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!

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; finally the sun is shining here in the UK for the second day in a row, so I will be spending mine enjoying a BBQ lunch and pottering in the garden. I might even take my laptop outside and prep some of this week's blog posts! 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.
 

Bird Ballad Suite Onstage Make and Take

by Joanne James19. June 2019 21:00

I have the second of this month's technique classes tomorrow and it features the Bird Ballad suite. As I'm a little pressed for time today, I thought I'd share with you the 'make and take' we made using products from this suite at Stampin' Up!'s Onstage event when the annual catalogue was launched  - take a look:

 

Super pretty papers and a stamp set that is perfect for colouring, this suite is great for everything from super-simple cards through to more complicated creations. My card class is focusing on fancy folds, colouring and fussy cutting and I'll share these creations with you later thi week. For now though, this card shows how easy it is to create something pretty with some DSP, a little colouring and a lacy bow.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

 to follow

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:

to follow

A Good Man Times Two For One Of The Best

by Joanne James17. June 2019 12:18

Happy Monday everyone! Today I'm sharing two cards made using this week's Freshly Made Sketches layout:

Yesterday was Father's Day here in the UK and I used the FMS sketch and one of my new stamp sets to create a pair of co-ordinating cards from each of the James Juniors for their Dad to celebrate this special day. Here's the first one, from Rebecca:

 

And here's the second one, from Ben:

 

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

A Good Man - How I love this stamp set! The first time I saw it, it went straight to the top of my wish list. I am fond of the other sets in this style by this particular concept artist (Let It Ride, Beautiful You and Wonderful Moments) with their loose lines and almost handwritten sentiments, but this set with its girl and boy and father figure could have been made for me, it looks so much like my children and their Dad; here's a picture of all of us together so that you can see what I mean:

 

 They are both a little older now than they were when this picture was taken, but you get the idea! So this set was the perfect way to celebrate a special Dad on Father's Day.

A Split Sentiment - The 'A Good Man' stamp set has some wonderful sentiments, that would work just as well on a birthday card too. To work with the layout, I split both of my sentiments and included the first portion on the three horizontal elements and then the second piece on the main panel, next to the fussy cut images that I coloured with my Stampin' Blends. 

Sail Away Stripes - For a little extra detail, I added a base layer of striped patterned paper featuring two of the designs from the 'Come Sail Away' designer series paper pack. This pack has some great designs and in addition to the obviously nautical sailboats and anchors, these stripes are great for all kinds of cards and projects, with not a boat in sight!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's projects for you to pin for easy reference - for the first card:

 

And for the second card:

 

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.

Colourful Seasons Tropical Summer Drinks Trio PP446

by Joanne James16. June 2019 09:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Claire to host this week and she has a clean and simple challenge for you to work with:

 

Remember: this is clean and simple week. What do we mean by 'clean and simple' ? Create a card that has:

  • Minimal layers and embellishments
  • Plenty of open space, also known as 'white space'
  • Is simple and uncluttered

Having had a clear out of retired stampsets, I had a minor panic when I realised that today's challenge was all about summer beverages; when I went through my collection, I realised I had only one set that had anything even remotely drink-related. In the end this made things easier - less choice can be liberating! Last week's CAS(E) This Sketch layout was just what I needed to bring my card to life - take a look:

 

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

Colourful Seasons Summer Drinks - Yes, the little drink in the Colourful Seasons stamp set was the only one in my crafting arsenal, but it was perfect for a long, cool summer beverage - complete with a slice! Easy to stamp and then cut out with the co-ordinating Seasonal Layers Thinlits, this little glass was this week's saving grace. Phew!

Tropical Colour Trio - I decided to balance the white of my CAS card with a trio of tropical colours: Grapefruit Grove, Pineapple Punch and Granny Apple Green. Each of my little circles features all three colours, interchanging the background colour, juice glass and slice of oange, lemon or lime respectively, each of which I coated with a liberal dose of Wink of Stella for a lovely sparkle. I added a strip of each colour to the base behind the greeting, to tie in with the circles above and below. This is a great fresh and zingy colour combo; here it is for you if you would like to save to use on future projects:

 

An Itty Bitty Birthday Greeting - Lastly, follwig another hunt through my depleted stamp sets, I found a suitable sentiment from the 'Itty Bitty Birthdays' set that was a perfect match for my colourful glasses and added to my card using Memento black ink.

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:

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!

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; we are celebrating Father's Day here in the UK and yesterday it was also one of the James Junior's birthdays, so we will be rounding off a busy week with a few more celebrations before Rebecca heads off to the Lake District for a week of outward bound activities with her school mates tomorrow. 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.

Hello Rainbow Birds

by Joanne James10. June 2019 20:30

I had a lovely class this morning with a group of ladies featuring the Stitched Labels bundle and spent the rest of the day running errands in the rain - a typical day of British weather here in the UK today! Today I'm sharing a card that was inspired by the photo over at Fusion and the fun technique that the team over at Just Add Ink are playing with this week and uses the new sketch over at Fab Friday:

       

Those rainbow birds were sugary sweet an I wanted to see what I could create inspired by them with my 'Free As A Bird' set - take a look:

 

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

The emboss resist technique was perfect for creating my rainbow panel. I stamped the birds in Versamark onto Whisper White cardstock then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. I then sponged my rainbow using a selection of inks and finally rubbed the whole of the image with white craft ink to soften the colours slightly, before removing any excess ink and allowing the white cardstock beneath the clear embossed lines of the bird image to shine through. I added a little tag greeting and some Gorgeous Grape striped ribbon, along with a diecut border from the Flourish die set in the same colour. 

I really like this pretty card; I love it when a challenge (or three!) pushes you beyond your  comfort zone and makes you create something different.

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:

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

Free As A Bird for PP445

by Joanne James9. June 2019 09:00

I've had a busy few days with the launch of the new Stampin' Up! catalogue and lots going on in the world of the James family and no time to blog, however today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Playersso here I am! It's the turn of the fabulous Anne-Marie to host this week and she has a colour challenge for you to work with:

    

Anne Marie's palette choice includes three of my favourite colours and I couldn't wait to create with them this week! Using this week's Freshly Made Sketches layout I decide to go for a fresh and summery card featuring the gorgeous new stamp set from the Bird Ballad Suite - take a look:

 

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

I stamped the birds from the 'Free As A Bird' stamp set and coloured them with my Stampin' Blends and added a sentiment from the same set to a stitched rectangle in Highland Heather. I also added a  piece of Highland Heather gingham paper behind to add a hint of contrasting colour and some texture to the base using the Subtles embossing folder. I'm not sure if you can get purple birds with yellow tummies, but I guess when they are being coloured, anything goes!  

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:

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!

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 will be spending mine getting some jobs done and preparing for the busy week ahead: tomorrow is the first of this month's card classes and the oldest of the James Juniors has 3 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'CATS' to perform in at school this week (she is playing the role of Gus, the Theatre Cat). We also have cricket, summer hockey, a visit from my parents, 3 birthdays and Father's Day this week amongst other things - I think it's going to be a busy one! I'll be back tomorrow with another project featuring these feathered friends, so do pop by and take a look. Until then, enjoy your day and happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

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

The Stampin' Up! 2019-20 Annual Catalogue is Now Live!

by Joanne James4. June 2019 08:00

The wait is over - it's June 4th and the new 2019-20 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! I will be updating my links on the right hand side of my blog and you will find a permanent link to the new catalogue there, but for today you need look no further than the picture below which will take you straight to the new catalogue:

 

The new catalogue is fantastic, with so many great new products to choose from. I've sent paper copies to everyone who has shopped with me in the last 12 months; a digital copy of the new catalogue can be accessed via the image above and it will be permanently linked via my blog on the right hand side if you don’t have a paper copy and wish to browse. If you have your paper copy and just want to go straight to the shop to place your order, click here - ordering systems have now fully transitioned from the old stock items to the new so you are good to go! Also, remember to add the current hostess code for June TBSAWQXE if your order is less than £150 and ensure your preferences are set to 'contactable' to receive a thank you in the post from me.

There are a few items that due to unexpected shipping delays will not be immediately available and the main product I need to flag with you in the new in-color Purple Posy; there have been issues with the quality of the ink and so will be unavailable until these have been resolved. Rest assured I will post more information on this as soon as this comes online. There is plenty that is available though, so you can always add these items to your 'next time' list!

I'll be sharing my favourite items from the new catalogue in a blog post soon. Also, in addition to my Annual Catalogue Open House Drop-in Session tomorrow Wednesday 5th June from 10am-1pm, I have decided for the first time to hold an all-day online annual catalogue launch party on Saturday 22nd June on my Facebook Page. This is a great opportunity for you to see some of the products, take advantage of my BOGOF sale of retired stamp sets, and have some fun even if you don't love in or around Northampton! RSVPs to my online event will be required as it will be held in a closed group so if you are interested and would like access then do get in touch!

I also have a number of classes lined up in coming months featuring products from the new catalogue - the first of which are detailed below:

  • 20th June - Bird Ballad Suite
  • 8th July -Daisy Lane Bundle

Full details for these classes can be found on my Facebook Events Page  or alternatively under the 'Events/classes' tab on my website.

That's a lot of information for one post; if I were you I would put the kettle on, put your feet up and get comfy and settle down with your new catalogue for a browse and start creating that all-important wish list!

Back tomorrow with a new project; until then, happy shopping!

Waterfront Caribbean Beach Friend Card for PP444

by Joanne James2. June 2019 09:00

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Ann to host this week and she has a timely theme challenge for you to work with:

    

I went clean and simple this week so will also be playing along over at CASology where the cue card is 'Summer'. I used my Waterfront stamp set to create a beach scene reminiscent of my favourite Caribbean vacations - take a look:

 

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

A Waterfront Beach - Waterfront is one of those sets that I don't feel I've used anywhere nearly enough and I'm so glad it's carrying over into the new annual catalogue. It's a great set for creating unique scenery and landscapes for all seasons so was perfect for my bright beach huts on the shore under the bright sun and shade of the palm trees. I decided to feature the 2018-20 In Colours on my card today; these are such a great co-ordinating set of brights they were just perfect for my card today. 

A Nested Label - Did you spot the new label I used for the scene on my card? It's from the Stitched Nested Labels that co-ordinate with the Bird Ballad Suite in the upcoming new catalogue and they have such pretty stitched border detail. The whole label is symmetrical; I cut the point off mine on the right side as I wanted my label to align to the right of my card. 

Making Waves - I added a little interest and texture to my Blueberry Bushel background by running it through the retiring Seaside embossing folder. I love this embossing folder and use it lots so will be sad to see it go. 

And that's all there is to it, other than to say do you think if I wish hard enough I could jump into my card and find myself relaxing on that sunny beach 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 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:

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!

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'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.

Needlepoint Nook Birthday Card

by Joanne James1. June 2019 07:00

Happy weekend everyone! Today I'm sharing another of my Needlepoint Nook cards from a previous class that really showcases the co-ordinating designer series paper  - take a look:

 

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

Embroidered Paper - The Needlepoint Nook Suite is perfect for creating the look of handcrafted embroidery with much less effort and has stamps, papers, accessories and framelits that fit the theme. The papers in this suite are so pretty, they look almost as if they have been hand embroidered. I love the multi-coloured pattern I used on this card - so pretty!

Hand-Stitched Stamping - The floral elements in the Needle & Thread stamp set are distinctive stamps that have the almost photographic appearance of embroidered flowers. I used a combination of ink pads and Stampin' Write Markers to create a bright spray of flowers, adding in a few additional diecut pieces too. 

A Stitch in Time - There's more stitching with the stitched border but my favourite is definitely the stitched sentiment label that conveniently fits the Pretty Label Punch.

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.

Serene Garden Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue CASE Times Two

by Joanne James30. May 2019 20:00

This is today's second post; if you missed the notification about the discounts on retiring products that Stampin' Up! announced today please click here. Today I'm sharing a couple of cards from a class I held much earlier in the year featuring the Serene Garden bundle. I shared one of the other cards we made here in case you missed it. This bundle is retiring next week so I thought I ought to get around to sharing the other two! Both of these cards were a CASE (Copy and Share Everything or Copy and Selectively Edit, depending on your interpretation of the cards on page 166 of the annual catalogue. Here's the first one:

 

And here's the second one:

This is such a beautiful bundle; the Garden Scene Framelits allow for some fabulous layering, especially when paired with the Big Shot Embossing Mats - check out the emboss detail on the cards above. It's also a great set if you like to colour, as the second card illustrates.

Here are the visual summaries of the key products used on today's projects 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:

(if you need further information on any of the other elements used please leave a comment or email me directly):

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

Mini Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

The mini catalogue is now live! Read and download your copy here.

Shop Online

Access my online shop 24 x 7, 365 days of the year:

Current March hostess code:

S9F2XJJW

Shop Online

Join My Team

It's always a great time to join Stampin’ Up! New team members can get £130 worth of products for only £99 + free business supplies + free shipping + all the fun being a part of Stampin’ Up! Stampin' Up! has something for everyone: join my growing team and benefit from my support to enjoy Stampin' Up! however you choose.

If you're interested, call me for a chat to understand how I can help you realise your goals. Alternatively, if you have already decided to sign up and you just can't wait, please click here for the link to the online form where you can sign up and order your starter kit right away! 

Latest Kit!

Stampin Cut and Emboss

The Rock Legend Kit has all you need to make 8 cards with coordinating envelopes. Along with the new Panda Friends Kit, both are available from January 4th for just £14 each - get yours here!

2023-24 Annual Catalogue

BROWSE THE CATALOGUE

Click on the catalogue for a full list of current SU! supplies - if you would like to order any of the items featured, please drop me a line at [email protected] or give me a call on 07773 421446 - I'd be happy to help.

New Online Exclusives

There will be new products available exclusively in the online store from 5 March - check them out here.

About Me

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!

Follow Me

Monthly Newsletter

Box Builder

Click the button above to use Box Buster to create your custom box design using the Envelope Punch Board!

Kits Collection Now Available!

Stampin Cut and Emboss

The new Kits Collection from Stampin' Up! is now available!

Click here to see the current kits available and order yours online today.

I Design For

 

 

 

Stampin' Up Stuff

This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! I hope you find it a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.