Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for the often-dreaded speed challenge:

Yes - create a card in under 10 minutes, this time using shades of brown! I would usually say that brown is quite an uninspiring starting point for me, however I actually had a couple of ideas right off the bat for a change! I worked up one of those and am quite pleased with the results - take a look:

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

A Kennel of Dogs - Today's card features a kennel of dogs, brown dogs to be precise, courtesy of some Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Early Espresso cardstock and my Dog Builder Punch. As an aside, did you know that there are a number of collective nouns for dogs and in addition to the more commonly used 'pack', you can also refer to a group as a 'kennel of dogs'. I much prefer the latter when it concerns domestic pups so decided to go with that as my dogs are certainly not at all wolf-like, which is what always comes to my mind when I think of a pack! I simply punched a whole bunch of dog shapes and then positioned them somewhat randomly on my card to create a pattern, allowing some to overhang the edges before trimming to size.

Puppies and Pawprints - The sentiment and pawprints on the heart come from the 'Happy Tails' stamp set and are perfect if you need one of those tricky cards to send to someone mourning the loss of their four-legged friend. I stamped mine onto Whisper White and used a heart framelit from the retired Sweet and Sassy Framelits set to cut it out and popped it up on dimensionals; the sentiment does just about fit into the straight-edged heart punch from the new heart punch pack in the Spring Mini catalogue, but is a little more snug. Using the punch would save some time too but I knew the sentiment would fit the framelit and I had mine ready to go!

I Feel The Need For Speed - So the key to a speed stamping challenge has to be simplicity, right? My card has very little stamping, so how long did it take to complete? It actually took me 9 minutes and 8 seconds on the first attempt, because the time was taken up arranging my punched dog shapes and glueing them in place with Tombo. Once complete, I liked the card so much I decided to punch a bunch more dog shapes and used the same layout to create another two identical cards, and did both in less total time than it took me to make the first one! If I had used Snail adhesive, I probably could have saved even more time. So I challenge you - if you CASE my card, do let me know how long it takes you to complete - it is an easy one for under 10 minutes once you have the layout! I'm going to make a few more using different colours and using the Cat 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. 

Before you put your creative thinking caps on, why not check out the blogs of the other As You See It team members:

Amy Jasper

Heather Cooper

Jan Clothier

Jane Knudsen

LeAnne Pugliese

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 #AYSI218 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 colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.
• Don't forget to tell us how long it took to create your speed-stamped creation!

We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Dog Builder Punch (£17.00)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Happy Tails Photopolymer Stamp Set (£16.00)	Heart Punch Pack (£32.00)	Early Espresso A4 Cardstock (£8.25)
Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Soft Suede A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a timely theme challenge:

I used the current Freshly Made Sketches layout for my card and despite Heather's beautiful rustic heart image on today's badge, I chose to go full on red for today's love theme - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

A Card That Is All Heart - When I saw the new Detailed Hearts Die in the Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer mini catalogue, I knew I would have to have it! This is such a versatile die for layering and works not only for Valentine's Day but lots of other occasion cards too. It's also great for making multiple cards at a time: by running it through the die cutting machine with a few different colours of co-ordinating cardstock, you can switch out and mix up the hearts and have a few cards made with relatively little extra effort - and I'm all for saving time! Here I paired mine with some retired Real Red Glimmer paper left over from my Christmas crafting and switched out some of the hearts and left others empty for the white mat layer to show through. I like the added texture this gives whilst retaining the monochromatic look. 

A Crafty Curveball - Whilst I love the Detailed Hearts Die 'as it comes', I feel obliged to point out that I didn't use it that way on today's card! I saw Jacquie's sketch over at FMS this week and paled at that vertical curve, knowing that I didn't have any dies that would work. Whilst considering my options (one of which was sponging - check out Amy O'Neill's card on the FMS challenge page (link above) to see a great example of this) I suddenly had a brainwave! The Detailed Hearts Die has an irregular edge to it anyway, but I carefully strategically snipped away some of the hearts along the right hand side to create a more defined curve. I also stuck some of the hearts that I'd removed elsewhere to my base in some of the gaps, to further emphasise it. Clever, right? Well, I thought so ;-) You can see the actual pattern of the die in the product table link below, so be sure to check that out.

You Are Loved - I wanted my hearts to be the star of today's card, so kept my sentiment simple. I didn't want to use this card as a Valentine's card, so by using the 'You are loved' sentiment from the 'Forever Lovely' stamp set, I can use it anytime to let someone know how much they mean to me. This card will probably make it's way to Rebecca in her school bag at some point - even as a teenager, she still has a soft spot for anything with sequins, sparkle and glitter!

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 put your creative thinking caps on, why not check out the blogs of the other As You See It team members:

Amy Jasper

Heather Cooper

Jan Clothier

Jane Knudsen

LeAnne Pugliese

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Fill in the blanks with the words that are right for you and then create your project with those words in mind. Tell us, in your blog or on your site, what words you used.
• 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 colour challenge, black or other neutral can be used in outlines and sentiments but no other colours should be included. Stampin’ Up colours are used for reference but colours that are a close match are welcome.
• 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.
• In a Fill in the Blank challenge, complete the sentence in the Challenge Banner with the phrase that is true for you and create your project using the words you used. Tell us what you said in your blog or on your site.

We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

Enjoy your day; I'm still wading through paperwork, but will be taking a break to visit the hairdressers for my monthly trim - my one luxury that I look forward to each month! Not only does it keep my hair looking good, it's a great opportunity for a natter - I've known my hairdresser for 20 years and now consider her a good friend! We often joke that she could cut my hair with her eyes closed, although thankfully she's never tried it! Anyone else out there have a hairdresser who they wouldn't want to give up? If mine ever shut up shop, I'd be beside myself! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Detailed Hearts Die (£27.00)	Forever Lovely Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Stitched Rectangle Dies (£33.00)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Real Red A4 Cardstock (£8.25)
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)

This is my second post today - if you missed it, you can read my earlier post about Sale-A-Bration and the new Spring-Summer mini catalogue here. In this post I'm sharing my design team card for our first challenge of the new year over at As you See It where it's time for a seasonally-themed recipe challenge:

I used Amy's versatile layout over at Freshly Made Sketches for the design of my card, then grabbed my recipe ingredients and set to work. This is what I came up with:

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

A Hint of Hammered Metal - Today's card uses some unusually wintery product, considering it is the launch day for the Spring-Summer mini catalogue, but whilst lots of the items used are from the Autumn-Winter seasonal catalogue, it's still all available (kind of!). Firstly the hammered metal embossing folder that I used for my silver foil background layer is a carryover product and continues to be available to purchase. You can't see much of the effect on today's card, but it does look great on a larger panel, adding lots of great texture and detail. 

Au Revoir Feels Like Frost - I decided to use a piece of foiled snowflake Feels Like Frost DSP for the main rectangle on the front of my card. Whilst we have bid farewell to this popular paper, it is for the first time an 'au revoir' rather than a goodbye forever - it is one of the favourite items that will return again with the launch of the 2020 Autumn-Winter mini catalogue - yay! So if you don't have a stash of this paper already, you've only another 7 months to wait until you can buy some more!!

New Year Inspiration - The sentiment on today's card is taken from a brand new set, called 'Beautifully Braided'. I had this set out on my desk as it features in my January technique card class and couldn't resist using these uplifting words on my card today. As the Headmaster at Ben's school often says to the children, "If you can be only one thing, be kind" - words to live by, in 2020 and beyond I think. Finally, a sprinkling of rhinestones completes 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 put your creative thinking caps on, why not check out the blogs of the other As You See It team members:

Amy Jasper

Heather Cooper

Jan Clothier

Jane Knudsen

LeAnne Pugliese

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Fill in the blanks with the words that are right for you and then create your project with those words in mind. Tell us, in your blog or on your site, what words you used.
• 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.

We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Feels Like Frost Specialty 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£13.00)	Hammered Metal 3D Embossing Folder (£8.25)	Decorative Ribbon Border Punch (£15.00)	Stitched Rectangle Dies (£33.00)	Silver Foil Sheets (£4.75)
Rhinestone Basic Jewels (£4.75)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.75)	Beautifully Braided Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) (£16.00)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.75)
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a festive 'fill in the blank' challenge:

There is so much that fills me with joy during the festive season but there can only be one way for me to complete this sentence - take a look:

Yes it's Santa and the magic of Christmas that brings me joy at this time of year. Here's the low-down on today's card:

Jolly Season Dies - I love the dies in particular that feature in the Night Before Christmas Suite; in addition to the die to cut out that large jolly Santa stamp, there are two fabulous sentiment diecuts and this delightful silhouette of Santa in his sleigh being pulled by his reindeer. This is one of those dies that make a great feature on a card and if you don't have it, you might like to know that it is discounted by 20% as part of the current year end closeouts, whilst supplies last.  

A Brayered Night Sky - I made this card with my stamp class earlier this week, which featured brayering using the sponge brayers. This was a refresher for some and a first time experience for others and the night sky gave the perfect opportunity to experiment. Having masked off the slope across the bottom using a post-it note, I then brayered from the top down in Pretty Peacock then added some Night of Navy on the upper outer edges. The sponge brayers are really easy to use and a little patience is all it takes to build up a night sky full of colour. A sprinkling of silver stars to back the flying sleigh is all that is needed to provide the perfect backdrop. 

In A Word - The word 'Believe' from the 'Holly Jolly Christmas' stamp set seemed a fitting sentiment to complete my card - after all, for those of us who believe in Santa and the magic of Christmas there is the opportunity for true holiday joy. 

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. 

So I really love this card, however as I was writing up my post it occurred to me that maybe the first reindeer, aka Rudolf, should perhaps have been given a shiny red nose to light the way. What do you think - would this make a fun addition? Do leave me a comment below, I'd love to know your thoughts.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Jolly Season Dies (En) (£24.80)	Holly Jolly Christmas Cling Stamp Set (En) (£20.00)	So Many Stars Photopolymer Stamp Set (En) (£24.00)	Stitched Shapes Dies (£28.00)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)
Basic Black A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Pretty Peacock A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad (£7.00)	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)
Versamark Pad (£8.75)	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As You See It where we have a rather interesting colour challenge:

These were definitely not colours for Christmas but were perfect for a congratulations card that I needed to make for a dear friend of mine - take a look:

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

Bloom And Grow - I adore the 'Bloom & Grow' stamp set - it's right up there as one of my favourite floral sets and is a cinch to cut out with the co-ordinating budding Blooms Dies. This particular floral bough that I've used today is a great one when you have only three colours to play with too. I used a piece of in-colour designer series paper (last year's design) to tone down the brightness of the Pineapple Punch card base and for the first time used the scalloped pieces in the dies set to create a channel either side of my stamped sentiment and tucked the florals in, similar to one of the samples on page 131 of the Stampin' Up! annual catalogue. 

Let's Celebrate Today - I love that larger than life ' you are simply wonderful' sentiment in this stamp set and combined it with another of the word stamps in this set 'let's celebrate you' on the inside of my card. This card is headed overseas to none other than my fabulous AYSI teamie Jan Clothier of Thinking Stamping fame; this week she was crowned as one of the Stampin' Up! Artisan designers for 2020 and I couldn't be more pleased for her - a definite cause for celebration! There's also reason for you, the reader, to celebrate today - if you don't already own the 'Bloom and Grow' bundle you might be please to know that it is available at a 15% discount as part of the current Online Extravaganza that ends tonight; so don't delay, pop your set into your shopping basket right away by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post! 

Just Choose Two - In addition to playing along at Time Out (I did not go for the optional extra of one layer on this occasion but may come back to this another time!) I am also playing along with the lovely peeps over at Just Add Ink where they have a great 'Just Take Two' challenge this week. My two were spots (on my DSP) and sparkle - this is unfortunately not as obvious in the photograph to see, but each of those yellow flowers is brushed liberally with clear Wink of Stella and the blue berries each have a coating of Shimmery Crystal Effects - trust me, in real life this card is so sparkly!!

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'm off to the hospital for a second procedure to try and sort out my constantly aching and rather immobile frozen shoulder - wish me luck! Depending on my mobility I may or may not be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bloom & Grow Bundle (£47.03)	Pineapple Punch A4 Cardstock (£7.01)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	2018-2020 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.75)
Pineapple Punch Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	In Color 2018–2020 Stampin' Write Markers (£13.75)	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush (£7.50)	Shimmery Crystal Effects (£4.75)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As You See It where it's time for my favourite, a sketch challenge:

 I considered a number of options before settling on using this week's muted palette over at Color Throwdown to create an autumnal thank you card - take a look:

The sketch gave me the opportunity to do something that I've been wanting to try for a while with my Seasonal Wreath embossing folder. I'm also linking up with the Retro Rubber Challenge since they currently have an 'anything goes' theme. I am making a concerted effort to use up more of my retired papers and give some old favourite stamp sets some love so their theme this week is perfect: my card uses a piece of left over retired DSP and a bunch of products that are all more than a year old - read on to see just how old! Here's the low-down on today's card:

A Blended Embossed Wreath - The Seasonal Wreath is in my 'top 5' of favourite embossing folders, especially for Christmas cards. I've had mine since it was launched in 2018 and I do feel it's one of those annual catalogue 'unsung heroes' - lost in the pages at the back of the book, buried amongst the other patterns, but it's great for quick cards and works for all seasons depending on how you decorate/embellish it. I usually use it as a straight forward emboss, but I wondered what it would look like if I coloured it. I decided to try Blends in the first instance and I actually quite like the effect. It isn't as easy to see the dimension from a distance, but even in just three colours I think it gives it a new look.  

Thanks and Appreciation - The sentiment on my card comes from probably my most favourite fall stamp set ever: Painted Harvest. I've had this stamp set since it's launch in 2017 and I can't ever imagine parting with it. Such wonderful thankful sentiments and sunflower stamps that are pretty much foolproof to use and look fabulous in a wide variety of colour combinations. The best thing about it is this set features in the current Stampin' Up! annual catalogue and is still available to purchase :-) The other stamp I've used on my card today is my orange pumpkin embellishment; this stamp is from one of my old sets, 'Pick A Pumpkin', also from 2017 but now retired. I held onto this set and the co-ordinating Patterned Pumpkin Thinlits as they contain some nice pumpkin shapes that work for both fall and Halloween-themed cards alike.

Other 'Oldie but Goodies' - Other items that I've used on today's card that I've had for longer than I can remember are the circle punches I used to layer my sentiment and that piece of Paisley and Posies DSP, which is from Autumn-Winter 2016 - not that I'm a hoarder of patterned paper or anything ...!

I debated whether to add anything else to this card, but decided to leave it 'as is' and allow the wreath to take centre stage. I am enjoying experimenting a little this week and with this card it certainly felt good to use up some bits and pieces, albeit just a few - not sure I made enough of a dent to justify a shopping spree!

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 check out the cards by the other members of the As you See It design team - we have all interpreted the sketch differently so there is a ton of creative inspiration!

Enjoy your day; I have a date with the ironing basket before heading out on the swim run this evening. What are your plans for the weekend? We are having a split one in the James household: the girls are at home looking forward to a weekend full of hockey, GCSE coursework and crafting, whilst the boys are on the school rugby tour to York via Nottingham. Hopefully the pitches won't be too waterlogged to play - I am looking forward to unpacking the kit bags on Sunday already!!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Seasonal Wreath 3D Embossing Folder (£8.25)	Painted Harvest Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Linen Thread (£4.75)	Soft Suede A4 Cardstock (£8.25)
Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Mint Macaron Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Soft Suede Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)
2" (5.1 Cm) Circle Punch (£17.00)	2-1/4" (5.7 Cm) Circle Punch (£17.00)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for the dreaded speed-stamping challenge:

 For a card in under 10 minutes I had to keep things fairly clean and simple so armed with the sketch over at CAS Colours and Sketches this is what I came up with:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Shades of Blue - I chose Balmy Blue, Blueberry Bushel and Night of Navy as the trio of blues I wanted to feature on my card. I stamped each house in all three colours and added some balmy blue snowflakes to suggest the oval shape of the sketch. 

From Our House To Yours - I love these little houses in the 'From Our House To Yours' set and because they come in separate pieces they are easy to stamp in different colours. They're photopolymer too so they are super easy to line up. 

Speedy Stamping - The stamping on my card took just minutes - it was super quick and easy! I did spend a little extra time creating my diecut edge and adding my teeny tiny snowflake sequins; even with my Take Your Pick tool these were more fiddly than everything else put together! My card ended up taking 9 minutes 24 seconds total - which is still super quick for me!

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 check out the As you See It gallery to see what the rest of the team have created in shades of blue - and see who was the fastest this week.

Enjoy your day; I'm off to the hospital today, hopefully to sort out my pesky frozen shoulder that's been troubling me the last few months. All being well I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

From Our House To Yours Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Balmy Blue A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)
Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Magnolia Memory Dies (£33.00)	Snowflake Sequins (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a theme challenge:

I saw the wonderful autumn trees on Heather's badge this week and had an idea to create something inspired by this, but I couldn't get out of the Christmas zone that I am in this week as I plough ahead with the final preparations for my forthcoming Creative Escapes weekend craft retreat the weekend after next and with the beautiful Feels Like Frost papers still out on my desk following my technique class earlier this week, I couldn't resist another card featuring them - take a look:

This week's Inspire.Create sketch was perfect for a large centrepiece and this photographic image of snowy fir trees is worthy of a showcase. The photographer has managed to capture the sunlight peeking through the trees and the bokeh along with the soft pink sky make for a stunning image I think. I bordered my DSP with a couple of strips of sparkle glimmer paper to add to the feeling of frost and snow and used a Purple Posy card base - an unusual choice for a Christmas card, yet I think it ties n with the paper nicely.

Today's card really does feel a little like cheating, as I couldn't even bring myself to stamp a sentiment on the front of my card. The only stamping was this sentiment from 'Perfectly Plaid' that graced the inside, along with a tiny offcut of DSP from the front of my card (waste, not, want not!):

This card really would take no time at all to create, even though in reality it took me ages as I deliberated over whether to add a sentiment or not - does that ever happen to you when making a card? Still, at least now I can go and make a few more using the other sheets of this paper in the pack in record time!

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:

Feels Like Frost Specialty 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£13.00)

Sparkle Glimmer Paper (£4.75)

Purple Posy A4 Cardstock (£8.25)

Purple Posy Classic Stampin’ Pad (£7.00)

Perfectly Plaid Photopolymer Stamp Set (En) (£16.00)

I've been a busy bee this week with not much opportunity for blogging, but never fear! Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a recipe challenge:

I went around the houses on this one for a while before I managed to come up with an idea that incorporated each of the elements, however I got there eventually with the help of the troubled giraffe from the 'Back On Your Feet' set - take a look:

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

Back On Your Feet - I decided to feature the knotty giraffe from the 'Back On Your Feet' set on my card today. Perfect for a get well card, or even someone who's having a rough time of it, this comical giraffe and punny sentiment is sure to raise a smile. A simple stamp and colour with my Stampin' Blends and he was complete. The one thing that I was struggling to incorporate on this week's card was a diecut then I had a lightbulb moment (yes, sometimes it does happen!!) I used one of the dies from the Animal Friends Thinlits to create a giraffe-patterned background to tie in with my tag. Sorted!  

A Delightful Tag - I used the new Delightful Tag Topper Punch to create the tag that features my giraffe today. My trusty Scalloped Tag Topper Punch is one of my most-used punches - great for gift wrapping, customer bag tags and cards alike. Don't worry, this punch hasn't been replaced - I just added to it with another, slightly more fancy-topped one. If you don't have a tag punch, you should really consider investing in one - they will make creating your Christmas tags super quick and easy.

And The Rest Makes Three - Some stamped and punched leaves, Crumb Cake Nature's Twine and my punny sentiment (one the inside of my card it says "Hope things get better soon.") cropped with a rectangle stitched shape finish off this week's recipe board - and 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 do love giraffes and learned lots about them when I visited South Africa on safari many years ago. Did you know you can tell whether they are a girl or a boy by the amount of hair on the end of their horns? Females usually still have hair, whereas males' horns are usually bare from wrestling with each other for the affections of said females. I wonder if this is also the reason for premature balding in males?! 

On that quizzical note I look forward to seeing what you make with this week's recipe challenge when I visit your blogs. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Back On Your Feet Cling Stamp Set (£20.00)	Animal Friends Dies (£27.00)	Delightful Tag Topper Punch (£22.00)	Nature's Twine (£8.25)	Daffodil Delight A4 Cardstock (£8.25)
Soft Suede A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Soft Suede Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)
Smoky Slate Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Crumb Cake Light Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Pear Pizzazz A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Leaf Punch (£15.00)
Painted Harvest Photopolymer Stamp Set (£20.00)	Stitched Rectangle Dies (£33.00)

It's Friday - hurrah! Who else is ready for the weekend? Today before I share my card with you, I have an exciting announcement: I am joining the As You See It Challenge Team as one of their new designers! Those of you who follow my blog will know how much I enjoy playing along with the AYSI fortnightly challenges, so I was delighted when the lovely Heather Cooper asked me to join their team, especially as it includes a number of my fellow blogger friends, including Jan Clothier of Thinking Stamping and my faithful team mate over at The Paper Players, the lovely LeAnne Pugliese of WeeInklings fame. So today's card is my first for the AYSI team and we have a great theme for you this week - check it out here:

This one was a really easy one for me - my most-used tool in my craft room (after my die-cutting machine) is my set of Stitched Shapes Dies, specifically my Stitched Circles Dies; I use them all of the time! I love the way they add just the right amount of detail to a sentiment shape and that is how I used it today on my card, based on the current Global Design Project #GDP206 sketch (included at the bottom of today's post). Here's my card:

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

Grandma's House - Whilst lots of the team created Christmas cards this week, not me: September is the month of birthdays in my family with many of us, myself included, who are celebrating. This does mean it is a super-busy time for cardmaking and keeps me working on non-Christmassy things too at this time of year! Yesterday it was the turn of my Mother-In-Law, who is also the much-loved Granny to my James Juniors and has another 2 grandchildren to boot. As soon as I saw the 'Grandma's House' stamp set in the annual catalogue, I knew that I would have to get it - so many of the sentiments in this set apply to our very own Grandma!  

Stitched Shapes For Everything - I used my Stitched Circle to house my sentiment at the centre of the main focal point of my card. I just love these Stitched Shapes - I use them in so many ways (just search 'Stitched Shapes Dies' on my blog and you will get a ton of inspiration!) and think that extra detail finishes off an ordinary shape perfectly.  

A Festive Flower - I decided that instead of just leaving my stitched circle as a single layer, I would use it as the centre of a flower to tie it in with my floral border that is stamped with another of the stamps in the 'Grandma's House' set and coloured with my Blends. I added a punched circle for a thin border then created a bunch of petals using ... can you tell what punch I used? It's actually the Christmas Bulb Builder punch (top marks if you spotted it!!) I punched a few then snipped through the base of each approx. 1cm and overlapped the ends and glued them in place, then added them to my centre to create a slightly dimensional flower. I added a little wooden heart from my stash that I heat embossed with (retired) Lovely Lipstick coloured embossing powder and a couple of enamel dots to finish my card front. I love these fresh colours, courtesy of the current challenge over at SUO Challenges, carried my design through to the inside of my card 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. 

So what is your 'go to' die or punch? Do leave me a comment below - I would love to know what your favourite item is and why! Why not make something with it and share with us over at As You See It too - you can check out the inspiration from the other As You See It team members whilst you're there and see if they share your favourites.  

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Grandma's House Cling Stamp Set (£20.00)	Stitched Shapes Dies (£28.00)	Stitched Labels Dies (£31.00)	Christmas Bulb Builder Punch (£17.00)	Pool Party Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)
Mango Melody Combo Pack Stampin' Blends (£8.50)	Lovely Lipstick Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)
Mango Melody A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Pool Party A4 Cardstock (£8.25)	Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots (£6.50)