It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and I am the featured designer this week. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went down the first column with diecut, heart and patterned paper and had another play with those Adorable Owls, taking my inspiration too from the scattering of red hearts in the inspiration photo over at Hand Stamped Sentiments - take a look:

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

I went with a similar layout to the card I shared with you previously, as I wanted to create another sentiment using my Alphabet A La Mode Dies. This time I added my 'Hoot!' having stamped a shower of hearts behind the 'O', and finished my sentiment with a heat-embossed one from the Adorable Owls stamp set. I used the other two owls in the set, again coloured with my Stampin' Blends and popped up on dimensionals on wither side of the central panel: 

I used a piece of the Country Lane Floral DSP for my base this time as I wanted even more hearts - it is a Valentine's Day card, after all!

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. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

ALPHABET À LA MODE DIES (40.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	SOFT SUEDE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)
CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	SO SAFFRON STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)	SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

Happy Monday everyone! Today I'm sharing another card using Jacquie's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches, this time paired with the palette over at Color Throwdown:

I thought Jacquie's layout was perfect to showcase a beautiful piece of designer series paper and I had just the sheet - take a look:

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

Do you ever buy a pack of paper that you just don't want to cut into? This particular design in the Sun Prints pack was one of those for me! The botanical prints are so delicate and the cyanotype style of the papers gives them a beautiful soft and organic feel. I carefully chose a corner of my sheet and cut it to fit my centre panel, using a piece without a print for my mat layer and diecut sentiment. The Color Throwdown palette immediately made me think of the SunPrints papers, as grey is also a colour that features in this pack, albeit not on the sheet I wanted to use. The banner across the front of the sketch was a great way to incorporate the grey and add a touch of contrast though so both elements fitted together perfectly: 

That paper is so beautiful - sometimes you have to just #loveitchopit! 

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. Mine will be filled with household chores, but needs must! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SUN PRINTS 12” X 12” (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

ART GALLERY PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)

AMAZING THANKS DIES (ENGLISH) (26.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

GRAY GRANITE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has a fun Clean and Simple challenge for us to work with:

Time to feature a bird on our cards! I used the fresh colour palette over at Global Design Project and the sketch layout at Try Stamping on Tuesday to make a clean and simple card for a friend using another new set featuring a comical feathered friend - take a look:

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

Today's card features one of the comical feathered friends in the 'Silly Goose' stamp set; a great set with lots of fun small images that are great for colouring. I chose to use the image of the goose, complete with straw hat, floating in her rubber ring with her friend the frog. Simply coloured with my Stampin' Blends and cut out using one of the Stylish Shapes Dies, I backed it with a couple of strips of spotted designer paper, one retired and one from the Dandy Designs Sale-A-Bration pack - they tie in with the spots on the goose's rubber ring:

I added a simple banner sentiment to complete my card (anybody else singing that song from Toy Story now?) I originally made yesterday's cards for today's challenge, but decided they weren't quite clean and simple enough - if you missed yesterday's post and you'd like to see a couple more cards made with a different bird, then be sure to check it out here. 

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:

Enjoy your day; we may or may not be off to the hockey pitch again today, if the temperatures rise high enough above zero for the ice to melt. If not, a warm afternoon in my craft room beckons! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

SILLY GOOSE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)
DAFFODIL DELIGHT STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	GRANNY APPLE GREEN STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)

Today I'm sharing a couple of cards using Jacquie's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches:

Today's cards feature three new products, and two of them can be yours FREE with a qualifying Sale-A-Bration purchase - take a look at the first one:

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

Alphabet A La Mode - I used the big open space of the sketch to feature part of my sentiment, diecutting the word 'PARTY' minus the 'A' using the new Alphabet A La Mode Dies. This is a great value set of letters, numbers and punctuation that are perfectly sized to make custom sentiments for your cards. 

Adorable Owls - The star of today's card though is the cutest little owl from the 'Adorable Owls' stamp set - one of the products that can be yours FREE with a £45 purchase during the current Sale-A-Bration promotion. I stamped the owl, complete with party hat, coloured him with my Blends and fussy cut him, before popping him up on dimensionals and adding him to my sentiment in place of the letter 'A':

Dandy Designs - Both cards feature patterns from the Dandy Designs designer series paper for the frame - a great bumper pack of 48 sheets in fresh pastel colours. I loved the first card so much, I made a second one featuring a more girly colour palette, with another of the Dandy Designs patterns as the basis for my colour scheme:

Here's a close up of this card - I went with violet eyes for this little owl:

I love both of these cards - the Adorable Owls are just my favourite Sale-A-Bration freebie during this promotion. They are just so cute!

Here's a photo of both cards together:

Which one do you prefer? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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. 

It has been freezing here again today - so no hockey at all, although I did enjoy a frosty walk in the countryside as an alternative. The canal that runs close to our house has totally frozen over - all of the ducks were sheltering under the bridges where the water was a little warmer and not yet turned to ice, poor things. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

ALPHABET À LA MODE DIES (40.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BALMY BLUE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
FRESH FREESIA STAMPIN’ BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	PETAL PINK STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	SOFT SUEDE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	CRUMB CAKE STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (8.50)	COASTAL CABANA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	PETAL PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'National Wear Red Day' which is on February 3rd - who knew?! Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week my card  is definitely 'wearing' red; I used red, ribbon and texture from the inspo list and grabbed another of those Sale-A-Bration freebies that I haven't shared with you yet and this is what I came up with:

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

Around The Bend - Today's card features another of those Country Lane designer papers which inspired the overall colour scheme, and was perfect to pick out the red which I highlighted with two layered pieces cut using the Around The Bend Dies. These dies offer lots of decorative and layering options - here I've used both the scalloped curve die and the curved perforated stitched layer on top, which allows more of my red to show through. 

Sending Support - The sentiment is from 'Sending Support' - another of the stamp sets you can receive free with a £45 order. It's full of encouraging and uplifting sentiments - I added a second one with a diecut heart to the corner of the inside too:

So Much Texture - The Around The Bend Dies are great for adding detail and texture: the layers, along with the embossed diecut flowers and leaves which are from the same set, along with the woven ribbon all add texture and interest to my card:

These dies are great for adding texture and interest to a card with minimum effort - I can't wait to share more samples with you.

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

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the Festive Friday Card Making and Paper Crafting Challenge Design team:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

AROUND THE BEND DIES (31.00)	COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	SWEET SORBET A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	MINT MACARON A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	PETAL PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	DOUBLE OVAL PUNCH (18.00)

Today I'm sharing a second entry for the challenge over at Just Us Girls where the word of the week is 'heart', this time using the sketch over at TGIF Challenges (turned through 90 degrees):  

I decided it was time to make my Valentine's Day card for my DH so I pulled a not-yet used stamp set from the shelf that I had purchased with him in mind and set to work - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Tech Support - Stampin' Up! suggests that the Tech Support stamp set is perfect to “Captcha” the heart of your computer-savvy loved ones and i couldn't agree more! My husband is a lover of all things tech and I knew from the moment I saw it this word be the perfect set for cards to make him smile. It is perfect for a clean, and uncluttered Valentine's card - and I love that the 'autocomplete' options also has a tongue-in-cheek reference to one of my favourite films too, that won't go unnoticed. 

A Binary Message - Did you know that the stamp that has two rows of 1s and 0s actually spells a message in binary code, the language used in digital computers? I am reliably informed it spells 'for you' - who knew?! I stamped this repeatedly to achieve the banner effect of the TGIF sketch, stamping directly onto my cardbase, rather than use another layer. 

All About Alignment - The trickiest part on today's card was creating the banner element. I used my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig to repeatedly stamp the two rows of 1s and 0s down the centre of my card; you could of course use a Stamparatus stamping platform too, but for repeats that are so close together I prefer the former. I will confess, I took a few attempts before I had a perfect cardfront - I accidentally smudged a few, but got there in the end. I added a Sweet Sorbet heart to my message block for a final pop of colour - I did take the Just Us Girls theme this week quite literally, and used just one heart - I love that it has a digital appearance too and is in keeping with the other stamps in the Tech Support set:

I added a mat layer of Sweet Sorbet too just to add a little more colour, although this card is intentionally neutral - it is a man's card after all, so too much pink would not be welcome! I am so glad I have inked up this set at last - the punny sentiments are perfect for the tech geeks in our lives!

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; I have some crafting time today which is awesome so will be getting a few extra makes together to share with you. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

TECH SUPPORT CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (19.00)

SWEET SORBET A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)

SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC GRAY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. The lovely Michal is hosting this month and her second challenge is a sketch challenge: 

Michal has asked that we use a trio of repeating shapes with a sentiment beneath. Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

For my card today I went super simple! I grabbed my Country Bouquet bundle and Country Floral Lane paper and this is what I came up with:

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

I punched a trio of heart-shaped flowers and leaves straight from the designer series paper, then added them to my blank white card base. I finished my card with a sentiment stamped just underneath:

And that was my card - done! #SimpleStamping at its best! The three hearts were the perfect width for my card. I didn't even finish the inside sentiment - I like the fact that I can use this card for any purpose as it is, so i will either add something when I come to send it or just leave it blank for my handwritten message. Just four items needed for today's card - and you could forgo the designer paper and just stamp your hearts and leaves to create this in different colours if you prefer.

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'm linking today's card up over at Just Us Girls where the code word is 'hearts' - might have another go with this theme tomorrow too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

COUNTRY BOUQUET BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (36.00)

COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)

SWEET SORBET CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)

BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)

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 gorgeous colour challenge for us to work with:

Isn't that such a great palette of colours?! They are right in my wheelhouse and I couldn't wait to get to started. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with these colours - take a look:

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

Loveliest Layers - The highlight of today's card is the flower that is stencilled onto the central panel of my card. I used the Loveliest Layers Decorative Masks that you can find on page 62 of the mini catalogue. They contain a background stencil and this layered flower and I think with so many great new stamps, dies and papers, these masks are easily overlooked, yet they are so easy to use and make great designs. Using my blending brushes, I first inked the base flower in Highland Heather, then added the definition in Orchid Oasis. For the leaves I used Parakeet Party for both layers, inking the second one more heavily to give the contrast.

Love For You - I decided to add a thank you sentiment comprising a tiny heat-embossed stamped 'thanks' with a die cut 'so much' courtesy of the 'Love For You' bundle. I only used two of the three layers of the dies, and adhered them flat to my panel whilst adding my stamped element with dimensionals to help it standout:

I am a big fan of the 'Love For You' bundle and the versatility it offers in terms of how to layer the dies and the way various elements combine to create a wide variety of sentiments.

Even More Layers - Whilst my card layout is quite simple, it does contain lots of layers - 7 in fact. Each of them serves a purpose though, from the in-color DSP that frames my central focal point, to the thin borders to highlight the central panel and the double-layering of the sentiment and the use of white is also key here to give definition to the overall design.

So what do you think of today's card? I love it and can't wait to create more with these stencils.

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:

Enjoy your day; we are having a quiet one as we are part way through GCSE mock examinations for the youngest of the James Juniors, so revision reigns! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

LOVE FOR YOU BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (44.00)	LOVELIEST LAYERS DECORATIVE MASKS (10.00)	2022–2024 IN COLOR™ 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	BLENDING BRUSHES (11.75)	ORCHID OASIS A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	ORCHID OASIS CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)
HIGHLAND HEATHER A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	HIGHLAND HEATHER CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	PARAKEET PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

Today I'm sharing a card showcasing more of the lovely Country Floral Lane and Country Gingham papers for a card made using this week's Try Stamping on Tuesday sketch:

Here's my card:

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

There's really not much to say about this card - it features two more designs from packs you've seen me use already; I simply diecut a number of stitched rectangles and layered them as per the sketch, adding in some (retired) white cotton ribbon for the vertical element and a simple heat-embossed sentiment from the Country Bouquet stamp set:

I just love the fresh blue and white colour scheme of this card - I am yearning for spring! - and a great quick and easy card for you to recreate if you have some crafty time this weekend. 

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; both of the James Juniors are playing hockey away today, so hubby and I will be dividing and conquering to ensure everyone gets to where they need to be. I'll be back tomorrow with another project for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players and will be sharing something new that I think you'll like so you you won't want to miss it. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

COUNTRY FLORAL LANE 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	COUNTRY GINGHAM 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	COUNTRY BOUQUET PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (22.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLE DIES (33.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
VERSAMARK PAD (9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (17.00)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our first challenge of the new year over at As you See It where it's Jane's turn to host and she has a great sketch challenge for us:

I thought that large panel was crying out to showcase some beautiful designer paper and obviously I have lots to choose from!! I decided to make a couple of cards, both showcasing one of the beautiful designs in the new Dainty Flowers paper pack. Here's the first one:

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

Dainty Flowers - There's a fabulous sheet of paper in the Dainty Flowers pack that has a faux-watercolour print of wildflowers along two sides, which is perfect for cutting into 6 to make multiple cards; this is hat I used for the main panel on my card. I would say it looks like I painted it, but who am I kidding?! I paired it with a contrasting strip in Starry Sky that is another of the patterns in this pack for the card above; for my second card, I picked up the purples and used a piece of Regals DSP in Blackberry Bliss for the border edge:

This paper is beautiful and all the better for being FREE during Sale-A-Bration with any £45 purchase. Gotta love a freebie!

Dainty Delight - The sentiment on both cards is from the Dainty Delight stamp set, part of the Dainty Delight bundle that the paper coordinates with - you can find it on page 55 of the mini catalogue.  

Label Me Fancy - I added my sentiment to a simple punched label courtesy of the Label Me Fancy punch. A simple twist of ribbon and a couple of brushed brass butterflies complete each card. In the photos below you can see the faux texture of the watercolour paper - so realistic:

And here's the purple version:

Here's a photo of both cards together - which one do you prefer? 

Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to know what you think. I honestly love them both - this paper is so pretty! Very little stamping on today's cards - the paper definitely does all the heavy lifting.

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. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a sketch challenge, you are welcome to rotate or flip a sketch. You can replace shapes used such as substituting a circle panel for a square panel. However, we must be able to still see the basis of the original sketch in your finished product.

Enjoy your day; I'm looking forward to hosting an informal open house this morning to share some of my favourite things from Sale-A-Bration and the new mini catalogue - you can be sure today's cards will feature! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

LABEL ME FANCY PUNCH (18.00)	DAINTY DELIGHT CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (24.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BLUSHING BRIDE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
BLACKBERRY BLISS A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	FRESH FREESIA A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	REGALS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (11.25)	STARRY SKY 1/8'' (3.2 MM) METALLIC WOVEN RIBBON (8.50)	FRESH FREESIA 3/8" (1 CM) OPEN WEAVE RIBBON (6.75)
BRUSHED BRASS BUTTERFLIES (9.50)