It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of my good friend LeAnne to host this week and she has a great set of colours for you to work with:

I used the sketch over at TGIF Challenges for the layout of my card today. These colours screamed 'autumn' to me and I immediately reached for all my leaf sets! This is what I ended up with:  - take a look:

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

Thoughtful Branches - I decided to use the leaf from the Thoughtful Branches stamp set as the focal point for my card today, stamped in Crushed Curry and with a little Cajun Craze added with a sponge dauber to create the variegated effect. I cut these leaves out with the co-ordinating Beautiful Branches thinlits dies and also cut out a few of the double-leafed stem in Pear Pizzazz, and snipped off a single leaf from each to place behind my stamped one. I love the pop of colour this diecut leaf adds, along with the addition of texture. Each of my leaf duos was backed with a 1 3/8" punched circle. Don't forget the Thoughtful Branches bundle is still available while stocks last - snap up yours if you haven't already before it's too late!

Petals and Paisleys Houndtooth - The centre panel of my card features another of the Petals and Paisleys Specialty Designer Series Paper designs, this time a Cajun Craze and Very Vanilla houndstooth pattern. This paper exudes warmth and adds interest without detracting from the leaves as the focal point.

Sentiment-Free - Today's card is one of those few that is sentiment-free, on the outside at least. I debated whether or not to run a horizontal sentiment banner across the front of the leaves instead of adding the burlap ribbon behind, or stamping one onto the base frame of the card, but in the end decided against it. I didn't want to disturb the symmetry or form of my leaves so kept with a clean, uncluttered front. This also means that I can add a sentiment of my choice when I come to send 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. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

I look forward to seeing what you create with this week's colours. I'm hoping for better weather today as I have some gardening jobs to see to - yesterday was so miserable, although it didn't dampen the spirits of Ben and his fellow classmates who played in their first rugby match of the season. They managed a 4-4 draw too, so were feeling rather chuffed as they strolled in to their post-match tea! Today also heralds the start of the hockey season an a return to basketball, so sporting weekends are once again about to become the James family norm!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Petals & Paisleys Specialty Designer Series Paper	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	5/8" (1.6 Cm) Burlap Ribbon	Cajun Craze A4 Cardstock
Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Pear Pizzazz A4 Cardstock	1-3/8" (3.5 Cm) Circle Punch	Sponge Daubers

Hurrah it's Friday - that was a week! Both James Juniors started at their new schools, so we are all change! New routines to get used to and we're all feeling tired and glad that we have the weekend to recharge and help us adjust to our new 'norm'. I have not had much crafting time this week, but ever since I saw this week's sketch over at Retrosketches I wanted to make a card using it and fortunately managed to squeeze in a crafty few minutes this evening to put my idea onto paper. Here's the sketch:

I'm taking a little break from Christmas cards and I knew this layout would be perfect with the new Petals and Paisleys set, in particular the designer series paper. Here's my card:

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

Petals and Paisleys - The paper is without question the star of this card. The Petals and Paisleys Specialty DSP has some amazing colours and patterns that work well for fall but are not overly autumnal. The paper I use on my card today is one of the busiest in the pack and was a great choice for this simple layout, which really allows that vibrant, colourful pattern to shine.

Blessed Indeed - I chose to use the block letter sentiment from the Paisleys and Posies stamp set, inking it in Rich Razzleberry and Night of Navy, two of the accent colours in the DSP and stamping it onto my panel of Very Vanilla. I added a couple of the circle stamps from the same set, along with an enamel shape and a retired decorated rhinestone to frame the words.

Ribbon and Twine - I added three loops of Night of Navy twine, knotted at the side as per the sketch, with a piece of the Rich Razzleberry ribbon from the new trio that accompanies this product suite beneath it to finish 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. 

I just love this card! I am in the process of designing a set of stamp-a-stack cards using this product suite for an all day workshop I have planned for November and this card will definitely make the cut! 

That's all from me today. I'll be back tomorrow with another project but for now an early night is in order. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Paisleys & Posies Photopolymer Stamp Set	Petals & Paisleys Specialty Designer Series Paper	Ribbon 3/8" (1 Cm) Trio Pack	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock
Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Solid Baker's Twine

Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a sketch for you:

I've been patiently waiting for my Warmth and Cheer DSP stack to arrive as it wasn't available on preorder here in the UK, so as soon as it got here I couldn't resist opening it and using a couple of identical patterns in two different colourways to make my card for today:

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

Warmth and Cheer - I'm a big fan of the 6"x6" stacks that Stampin' Up! sells and this one doesn't disappoint. The Warmth and Cheer DSP stack has 24 patterns with everything from sweater patterns to autumnal plaid and Christmas trees to baubles - something for everyone.

My Jolly Friend The Reindeer - I stamped the reindeer from the Jolly Friends stamp set in Memento Black onto Crumb Cake cardstock, before fussy cutting and adorning with a fun knitted bobble hat from the same set. I stamped my hat in Garden Green onto Delightful Dijon cardstock and finished it with a bobble and trim punched in Whisper White and brushed with clear Wink of Stella for sparkle, all punched out with the co-ordinating Jolly Hat Builder Punch. I love it when we have sets that co-ordinate; even better when you can save 10% if you buy the bundle - job done!

Cookie Cutter Christmas - The Jolly Friends set has lots of hats, scarves and accessories to choose from, but no sentiments. I took mine from the the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set as I thought it worked well with my papers and fun reindeer and stamped it in black onto a Whisper White banner.

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. 

Do visit the other Design Team members to see what they did with this week's sketch; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Jolly Friends Photopolymer Bundle	Warmth & Cheer Designer Series Paper Stack	Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad	Delightful Dijon A4 Cardstock	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush	Banner Triple Punch

Happy Monday everyone! I've had the first of my monthly technique classes today, featuring the Holly Berry Happiness stamp set and co-ordinating Holly Berry Builder punch so thought I would share with you one of the cards we made, which is actually a CASE of one of the cards featured on page 27 of the new seasonal catalogue. I wanted to share with my ladies some hints and tips on creating a wreath with the holly bough stamp. Here's my card:

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

Creating A Wreath - The holly bough in the Holly Berry Happiness stamp set can be used to create a beautiful circular wreath, but can be tricky to line up perfectly without practice. My top tips for getting a great result are:

• Draw around a punched circle or circle framelit in pencil to give you a guide - I used the fourth from largest circle framelit from the recently retired set, which sits just inside the outer edge of the holly bough.
• Don't bend the stamp if you want to be able to two-stamp stamp and infill easily; place the stamp on a flat surface and allow it to take its natural shape, then take your acrylic block to it.
• Tape your cardstock to the centre of your grid paper and use the intersecting lines to guide the alignment of your stamps - you should be able to fit one holly bough in each quarter circle.

Green As A Cucumber - Each of my class cards used a different shade of green to show how each of the main Stampin' Up! green inks can be used for different effects on Christmas cards. This card features Cucumber Crush, a really vibrant green - great for the holly and the striped in-colour DSP adds a strong graphic element to this card.

Copper Best Wishes - I heat embossed my sentiment in copper as opposed to white, as in the catalogue sample. I just love this copper embossed look against the black and it co-ordinates with and accentuates the colour of the fir cone embellishments 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I spent the rest of the day making jam and ensuring the first of my James Juniors is ready for the start of the new academic year tomorrow. This is even more of a big deal than usual for us, as both children are starting new schools and for the first time will be separated from each other. I'm hoping all goes well - wish me luck! James Junior number two starts school on Wednesday.

I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Holly Berry Happiness Photopolymer Stamp Set	Mini Pinecones	3/8" (1 Cm) Ribbon Silky Taffeta Combo Pack	Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder	Embossing Buddy
Versamark Pad	Heat Tool (Uk)	Cucumber Crush A4 Cardstock	Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin' Pad	2015-2017 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack
Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Banner Triple Punch	Linen Thread

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the lovely Jaydee to host this week and she has a great theme for you to work with:

What a great theme this week - so many possibilities! I rarely make a circular card, so decided today I would give it a go! I have been on a roll with Christmas cards lately and a circular theme works perfectly for another one - take a look:

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

An Oldie But Goodie - The Wondrous Wreath stamp set is a returning seasonal set that is in the current catalogue and is perfect for the theme of this week's challenge. I stamped both layers of leaves in Cucumber Crush, stamping off the base layer once first to achieve the two-tone green. I added some pearls coloured with a red Sharpie for my berries. I used my retired circle framelits to create my card base, using the largest circle. I knew there was a good reason to keep hold of these!

Pinecone Embellishment - My sweet wreath embellishment is made from the new Cherry Cobbler Silky Taffeta Ribbon and some mini pinecone embellishments, tied on with linen thread. I love it when we get a new catalogue - there are always fun new trinkets and charms that are perfect for dressing up projects!

Merry and Bright - My banner is from the new 'Stitched With Cheer' stamp set. I stamped it in Versamark and heat embossed in Copper - I just can't get enough of it! This stamp set is another that co-ordinates with the existing Bunch of Banners framelits dies - always good to get more mileage from existing items you own :-)

Such a fun card! I made a bright green envelope to co-ordinate too using my Envelope Punch Board so this card is officially good to go - another one for my stash.

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. 

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

I look forward to seeing what you create with this week's theme.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies	Cherry Cobbler A4 Cardstock	Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock
Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Heat Tool (Uk)	Pearl Basic Jewels
3/8" (1 Cm) Ribbon Silky Taffeta Combo Pack	Mini Pinecones	Linen Thread	Stitched With Cheer Photopolymer Set	Bunch Of Banners Framelits Dies

I'm popping my today with a quick card I made for this week's Mojo Monday challenge:

It's 'tall and skinny' week and I had the perfect idea for this week's layout - here's my card:

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

Santa's Sleigh Tree - The long, skinny panel on the front of this card is perfect to showcase the Christmas tree in the Santa's Sleigh stamp set - a modern take on a traditional Nordic fir. I stamped mine as a simple outline in Emerald Envy onto extra thick Whisper White cardstock, and added my partially stamped sentiment from the same set, heat embossed in white onto Real Red cardstock, across the bottom.

Presents and Pinecones - I used a small panel of the new Presents and Pinecones designer series paper behind the tree, to tie the colours and panels of my cards together. It adds just enough interest to my otherwise clean and layered card.

Touches of Red - I used Real Red as the accent colour on my card today: the background banner, the sentiment strip, the berries on the DSP and the enamel star on top of my tree. I think it really adds to the festive feel. What's more, the enamel shapes are one of this week's special offers - so a great time to stock up!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Presents & Pinecones A4 Cardstock Pack	Mint Macaron A4 Cardstock	Presents & Pinecones Designer Series Paper	Banner Triple Punch	Santa's Sleigh Photopolymer Stamp Set
Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)	Brights Enamel Shapes

This is my second post of the the day; if you missed my earlier post that tells you all about the new Stampin' Up! Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue that launches today, click here. Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a colour combination for you:

These colours are not quite autumnal and to be honest I'm still firmly in summer mode as far as the weather is concerned, but I decided they would make a nice wreath. Here's my card:

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

Swirly Scribbles Wreath - I used the largest 'scribble' in Sahara Sand for my wreath and backed it with some linen thread to break up the coral panel behind. I just love these thinlits - they are so versatile!

Swirly Bird Flowers - I stamped the three different flower designs in the other two challenge colours and used them to decorate the edge of my rustic wreath. I added some in-colour DSP in Peek-a-boo Peach to my card base too, as it really compliments the flowers.

A Thoughtful Banner -  I balanced my wreath with a sentiment from Thoughtful Banners, punched out with the Duet Banner Punch. I actually punched two of the banners so that I could pop up the central section for a little added dimension. A peach ribbon bow finishes my card.

I found this quite a challenging colour combination, as I'm not a big lover to orange on my cards, yet I really like how this one turned out. Ironic that the neutral was the colour I used the least of - go figure!

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. 

Do visit the other Design Team members to see what they did with this week's colours; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too!

Enjoy your day; I'm having a little break at the seaside but will be back with a post for the new challenge over at The Paper Players on Sunday, if not before (it all depends on my wifi!) Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Swirly Bird Photopolymer Bundle	Thoughtful Banners Photopolymer Bundle	Peekaboo Peach A4 Cardstock	2016-2018 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack	Peekaboo Peach 3/8" (1 Cm) Ruched Ribbon
Peekaboo Peach Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Sahara Sand A4 Cardstock	Linen Thread
Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Happy 1st September everyone! Yes, this day has finally arrived! The new Autumn-Winter Seasonal Catalogue is here - you can download an electronic copy by clicking on the image below:

There will of course be a permanent link to the catalogue in the box on the right side of my blog page until 3rd January when it ends. I've already shared lots of sneak peeks and there is so much more to come! For today, put your feet up and browse the new catalogue in all its glory.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or queries. Don't forget to use this month's hostess code 2WMJYVKH if you are placing an order online to receive an extra thank you from me.

And there's more good news! Between now and the 21 September, each week there will be a range of special offers with selected annual catalogue items available at 25% off for one week only. Here are the first set of deals, starting today and running until 7th September:

Back soon with more creative inspiration for you. Until then, happy browsing and get writing that wish list!

Today I've made another card featuring the Thoughtful Branches set -  when I originally wrote this post this exclusive limited time stamp set was going to be available for one more day only, however Stampin' Up! have today announced that there are still supplies in stock so it will be available beyond 31st August until they are exhausted, but it will then not return in a future catalogue or publication. Here's a reminder of the images and framelits in more detail:

Today's card features the sketch over at CAS Colours and Sketches, perfect for a clean and simple card featuring the large hydrangea bloom:

Here's my card:

Really not much to explain today: I used a Soft Sky card base, cut the flower head out of watercolour paper using the thinlit and used my aquapainter to give it an ombre colourwash in Perfect Plum. I added a stem in Pear Pizzazz and stamped the sentiment on the white panel in Perfect Plum too, then gave my flower head a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella to add a subtle sparkle. Difficult to see on the photograph, but in real life it is just gorgeous!

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. 

Such an easy card to recreate, yet the ombre watercolouring really adds an eyecatching dimension to the card. You can see some of my other Thoughtful Branches projects below - this really is one set you do not want to miss out on - order yours today before it's too late!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Thoughtful Branches Photopolymer Bundle	Watercolor Paper	Soft Sky A4 Cardstock	Pear Pizzazz A4 Cardstock	Perfect Plum Classic Stampin' Pad
Aqua Painters	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

We've had a Bank Holiday here in the UK today - not only a long weekend, but the sun has shone all day too! I spent my morning sewing name labels in new school uniform for the James juniors (I have the needle pricks to prove it - ouch!) then a pleasant afternoon outside and a little crafting time too. Today I have a card I made for the current challenge over at Fab Friday, where the challenge is to make a card that uses each of this year's new in-colours:

I decided to have a go at an in-colour Christmas card that used all five colours. Take a look at what I came up with: 

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

Perfect Pines Christmas Tree - I cropped my Christmas tree with the Perfect Pines framelits. This set featured in last year's holiday catalogue and I was thrilled to see it carried forward into the annual catalogue. I love all of this year's in colours, however they aren't designed to be used as a set. So a word of caution - to prevent visual overload, it makes sense to choose one or two colours to focus on and allow the others to have a supporting role. Preserve white space too! I decided that Emerald Envy would be the main colour on my card, with Dapper Denim also providing some border colour and then the three lighter colours used sparingly elsewhere on my card.

Colour Blocked Fairy Lights - The simple appearance of this card belies how tricky it actually was to create. Why, you ask? Well, I had this idea that I would use the framelit to cut out strings of lights on my Christmas tree and place strips of cardstock behind. I wanted to ensure that each light was a single colour and that you couldn't see the joins between the coloured strips through the gaps. After much fussing and fiddling with my layout, I eventually worked out how to achieve the look I was after: I increased the height of each coloured strip by 1mm as I progressed down the tree, starting at 5mm and finishing at 10mm. I also cut away the top two strips so that only one of each of the colours could be seen extending beyond the tree across the card front. So easy when you know how - and yes, you are welcome!

Enamel Star - the only other things I added to my card were my greeting from the new Merriest Wishes stamp set and a Sweet Sugarplum enamel star that I added to the top of my tree. Love these enamel shapes in every colour!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Perfect Pines Framelits Dies

Merriest Wishes Clear-Mount Stamp Set

2016-2018 In Color A4 Cardstock

2016-2018 In Color Enamel Shapes

Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad

Whisper White A4 Cardstock