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 CAS 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

There were lots of great options to choose from this week and in the end I decided to use this week's CAS(E) This Sketch layout and the fun golfer in the new 'On To Adventure' set - take a look:

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

On To Adventure - As soon as I saw this set in the catalogue, I knew I would have to have it! My Dad is a keen golfer and so I knew this image would give me a lot of mileage. Many of the sentiments in this set are along the theme of retirement (which is also good for me, as I didn't have any retirement sets up to this point) but the images can easily be combined with other sentiments to be used in tons of different ways. I stamped my golfer above my hole-in-one sentiment then brayered in some Granny Apple Green grass to ground him before colouring him with my Stampin' Blends.

In Color Argyle - This card would look fine as a one layer card, however the sketch calls for some vertical stripes and since this month's #SimpleStamping challenge from stamping up is to use stamps, ink and paper along with some designer series paper on your card, I decided that this argyle pattern in the new DSP stack would work perfectly with my golfer - my Dad certainly has many golf sweaters with this pattern!

A Ribbon of Birthdays -  It's my Dad's birthday next month so I thought this would make a perfect 'Happy Birthday Grandpa' card from one of the James Juniors. With this in mind, I overlaid a 'ribbon' of happy birthday sentiments, courtesy of the 'Itty Bitty Birthdays' set and stamped repeatedly on a narrow strip of white cardstock, along my DSP border.

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:

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 on a belated spring-clean at home so will be spending a little time doing some more sorting out today. We have a movie to watch and hopefully I'll squeeze in a little crafty time too. I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

On To Adventure Cling Stamp Set (£19.00)	Itty Bitty Birthdays Cling Stamp Set (£21.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.75)	Night Of Navy Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Bermuda Bay Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)
Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	2019–2021 In Color 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.75)	Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad (£7.00)
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Sponge Brayers (£7.50)

Happy Friday everyone! Today I'm sharing a card for the current challenge over at Less Is More this week where the challenge is to feature a beverage on your card:

This card (minus the ribbon) is also another one that is perfect for this month's #SimpleStamping challenge which is to make a simple card using stamps, ink and paper along with a retiring stamp set - the departing Half Full set is great for simple cards:

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

Half Full - So if you're in the UK I'm sure you're wondering why I'm sharing a Christmas card, having had a week of beautifully warm and sunny weather; I'm blaming this stamp set, which is perfect for non-Christmas and festive cards alike! If you search my blog you will find lots of examples of both - this is a set that totally appeals to me and is perfect for cards for many of my friends! I love the humour - the split sentiment that I've used on today's card resolves on the inside of my card as follows:

It also includes a really useful tag that is great for a quick stamp and punch with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch to dress up a wine bottle in a hurry so there's no excuse for a naked bottle when visiting friends! For me this set is a keeper - if you don't have it, snap it up now before it's too late! 

A Lesson In Composition - When I originally stamped this card, I was intending to make it a super clean and simple one layer card. It just didn't work though; I thought I would share with you the original and then how a small change (or two) can make such a difference. So here is a quick snap of my original card:

With the white wine in my glasses, which was necessary to tie in with the sentiment, the whole thing just looked flat and rather insipid. By picking out the colour of the holly and adding a panel of Real Red above my row of stamped and coloured glasses, along with a piece of Call Me Clover in-colour ribbon, it makes my card look much more festive and the red border edge and ribbon trim draw the eye to the stamped glasses and sentiment, rather than them be 'lost' in the white space.

Just One Addition - Today's card is another #SimpleStamping project that can be created with just 5 key ingredients: Thick Whisper White cardstock, Real Red cardstock, a black ink pad, a stamp set and some markers/inks. I did add one extra thing to my card which was the green ribbon; like I said, I just couldn't resist :-)

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:

Half Full Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£20.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)	Real Red A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Many Marvelous Markers (£112.75)
Call Me Clover 1/8" (3.2 Mm) Grosgrain Ribbon (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing a card for both the current one-layer challenge over at TGIF Challenges and the fabulous bright colour combination over at Global Design Project this week:

This card is also perfect for this month's #SimpleStamping challenge which is to make a simple card using stamps, ink and paper along with a retiring stamp set - the departing Birthday Sentiments set is great for one-layer cards:

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

A Big Hooray - My regular readers know how much I love single image stamps for quick and easy #SimpleStamping cards and they usually satisfy my love of colouring too! This big 'Hooray' stamp is one of two in the 'Birthday Statements' stamp set that is in the Spring-Summer catalogue and retiring at the start of June. I've featured this stamp on a more detailed card here yet both of the large stamps in this set are perfect for one layer cards too. I used my Stamparatus to stamp the image in black onto my Whisper White card base so that I could stamp a few times to ensure a good solid image and then my card was ready to colour. 

Portable Pencils - As my card was a simple one layer, I made a batch of these cards and decided to add them to my portable colouring kit for my 'crafting on the go' and colour them with my watercolour pencils. I featured my DIY Craft Kit On The Go in this post some time ago and continue to use this as an easy way to always have something with me for when I'm out and about and have a spare moment.Using watercolour pencils on one layer cards also avoids any issues with 'bleeding' on the reverse of my coloured image as happens when colouring with Blends (and I didn't have all of the challenge colours needed in marker form either). I used both the set of watercolour pencils that is currently on sale in the annual catalogue for the yellow (I used Daffodil Delight as a substitute for Pineapple Punch) and then the Gorgeous Grape and Coastal Cabana pencils from the limited-time set that was on sale this time last year. If you missed this set, I have some good news - it will be joining the original set in the new annual catalogue, yay! 

Just One Addition - My #SimpleStamping one layer card needs only 5 items to make a batch of these cards: Thick Whisper White cardstock, a black ink pad, a stamp set and a pack - or in this case 2 - of watercolour pencils. I did add one extra thing to my card for a little birthday sparkle and that was some enamel dots in the challenge colours. I just couldn't resist :-)

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:

Birthday Statements Cling Stamp Set (£20.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)	Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad (£9.25)	Watercolor Pencils (£15.00)	Glitter Enamel Dots (£6.50)
Happiness Blooms Enamel Dots (£6.50)

Today I'm sharing a collection of cards that have been designed for this month's timely #SimpleStamping challenge which is to feature the 2017-19 soon-to-be-retiring in-colours, on a project using nothing more than stamps, ink and paper. I decided to use the Accented Blooms stamp set that I used on this card yesterday, with a clean and simple card that really lets these in-colours shine. 

So first of all, let's take a look at the five in-colours that we've all loved for the last two years and will soon be leaving us:

Clockwise from the left: Fresh Fig, Powder Pink, Berry Burst, Lemon-Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide in the centre. 

Do you have a favourite? Whilst I find these colours a challenge to use together on a project, you will find some great examples of projects that feature these colours in a variety of combinations elsewhere on my blog. I think if pushed I would rate Berry Burst as my favourite, but it's a close call. Each of these colours has something to offer. Here's a close-up of my favourite one:

For today's #SimpleStamping project I simply stamped the main floral image from the 'Accented Blooms' stamp set in my chosen in-colour onto a square of Whisper White cardstock measuring 9cm x 9cm and adhered it to a card base in the same in-colour, then stamped the sentiment in the same colour on a separate piece of Whisper White and cut it out by hand; you could use the Tailored Tag Punch for this for speed, but the shape is great for #SimpleStamping projects as it can be easily fussy-cut by hand too. I then popped this onto a couple of foam dimensionals and added to my project. Voila! It's that easy - I created on in each of the in-colours. Here's a peek:

I haven't yet had time to put the a quick and easy #SimpleStamping videos that demonstrate how easy this card is to put together - when I do you will see all five of these cards. Onstage has got in the way of video production this week so I'll update this post at some point early next week with the necessary demonstration!

The Accented Blooms stamp set is another one that is great for colouring but also works well with a monochromatic design too. For these cards all you need is the stamp set, one or more of the in-colours and the corresponding colour of cardstock, along with a pair of scissors and adhesive, and you are good to go! The Stamparatus will enable you to get a good solid image of the sentiment in particular, but this is by no means an essential tool to create this 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. 

If you're new to these colours you only have a few more days to guarantee their availability; when the retiring list goes live on Monday 15th April (at 8pm) these will undoubtedly be one of the first things to sell-out - and once they're gone, they're gone! 

If you are a crafter who has been enjoying these colours and can't bare to see them go, make sure you stock up on re-inkers, cardstocks and accessories now to keep you going in the months to come! You can purchase everything you need from my online store via the links below:

Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Fresh Fig Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)
Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (£3.50)	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (£3.50)	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (£3.50)	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (£3.50)	Fresh Fig Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (£3.50)
Powder Pink A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Tranquil Tide A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Berry Burst A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Fresh Fig A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
2017-2019 In Color A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	2017-2019 In Color 12" X 12" Cardstock (£11.25)	In Color 2017–2019 Classic Stampin' Pad Assortment (£31.50)	2017-2019 In Color Stampin' Write Markers (£13.75)	In Color 2017–2019 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.25)
Powder Pink 3/8" (1 Cm) Mini Ruffled Ribbon (£7.50)	Lemon Lime Twist 3/8" (1 Cm) Mini Ruffled Ribbon (£7.50)	Tranquil Tide 3/8" (1 Cm) Mini Ruffled Ribbon (£7.50)	Berry Burst 3/8" (1 Cm) Mini Ruffled Ribbon (£7.50)	Fresh Fig 3/8" (1 Cm) Mini Ruffled Ribbon (£7.50)
2017–2019 In Color Flower Buttons (£6.50)

Enjoy your day. I'm travelling to Onstage today with my teamies and looking forward to a CentreStage leadership reception this evening so if you want to see all things new be sure to follow my Facebook page where I will do my best to share the fun and excitement 'real time'. I am organised for once and I will be back here tomorrow with another project, so do pop back for more creative inspirationfacebook. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Accented Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£19.00)

Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)

2017-2019 In Color A4 Cardstock (£8.00)

In Color 2017–2019 Classic Stampin' Pad Assortment (£31.50)

Today I'm sharing a card for the current challenge over at CASology where there is watery theme:

I also decided to combine it with this month's #SimpleStamping challenge set by Stampin' Up!, which was to create an occasion card (new baby, wedding, sympathy) with nothing more than stamps, ink, paper and ribbon. I decided to make a card to welcome a new baby using the 'Perfectly Paired' and created both boy and girl versions. First up, I have an ultra quick and easy #SimpleStamping card - the boy version: 

Here is my second #SimpleStamping card - the girl version: 

This really took just a minute to make - I even made a video to show you how I did it! Here you go:

Easy, right? #SimpleStamping with minimal supplies to produce great results (even if I say so myself!!)

Perfectly Paired is a great set for new baby cards if you're starting out: one main image with a couple of smaller ones too and three sentiments that work for the inside and outside of your cards, tags or even a home decor piece for a new baby's nursery. You could also adapt it to form the basis of christening invitations, so lots of creative possibilities for a single stamp set.

The images can be inked in a single colour or coloured using Blends or watercolour pencils, or you can choose to highlight certain parts of the main image by masking or spotlighting specific area of the main image. Adding a simple bow in a co-ordinating ribbon colour adds a simple touch of luxury to a #SimpleStamping card.

Here's an example of the above card coloured with my combo of Pool Party Stampin' Blends to show how a little extra colour really brings the image to life, but still making it a relatively inexpensive card with only a couple of extra supplies needed:

To really get the most from my supplies, I also stamped a partial image on the front of my envelope and this sentiment on the inside of my card:

Not a naked piece of paper in sight! By keeping things simple and using a basic monochromatic colour scheme, this is a card that can be easily mass-produced with limited supplies and would work well in pretty much any colour. 

Having created my #SimpleStamping cards, I decided to create a stepped up version that is still super simple in style and design but introduces a new technique - heat embossing - for the more adventurous casual or avid crafter. I went with a neutral pale yellow base for this card (always useful to have in your stash if you need a quick baby card but don't know the gender) and this time using a white ribbon - a good choice if you've limited supplies and will go with any colour theme:

You could also add a little selective colour to these images to highlight some of the images if you have a marker of the same colour to give some tonal highlights and just pick out a few of the animals.

Here are the visual summaries of the key products used on each of 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 day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Perfectly Paired Cling Stamp Set (£18.00)

Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)

Pool Party A4 Cardstock (£8.00)

Pool Party 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon (£6.50)

Perfectly Paired Cling Stamp Set (£18.00)

Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)

Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)

Powder Pink A4 Cardstock (£8.00)

Powder Pink 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon (£6.50)

Perfectly Paired Cling Stamp Set (£18.00)

Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)

Pool Party A4 Cardstock (£8.00)

Pool Party 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon (£6.50)

Pool Party Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)

Perfectly Paired Cling Stamp Set (£18.00)	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock (£7.25)	So Saffron A4 Cardstock (£8.00)	Whisper White 5/8" (1.6 Cm) Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon (£7.00)	Embossing Buddy (£5.50)	Versamark Pad (£8.25)
White Stampin' Emboss Powder (£4.75)	Heat Tool (Uk) (£28.00)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! No hearts here today! The ladies over at Less Is More are celebrating the challenge's 8th birthday (wowsers!) and riding high on the delight at having been chosen as last month's LIM winner (you can see that card here if you missed it) I am blogging my entry for the current challenge which is a colour one:

 Navy and yellow is a classic colour combination for me so I went for something bright and CAS that is all about #SimpleStamping to really let the colours shine - take a look:

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

Just Take Two - Whilst I deliberated for ages on how I was going to use these two colours, the card I settled on will take you no time at all to recreate: just two ink pads, some yellow and white cardstock and a punch. You can add a yellow pearl before the sentiment if you really want to go all out!!

Vibrant Vases - My card features the Vibrant Vases stamp set, with each of the elements stamped in Night of Navy with the exception of the flower petals, which were stamped in Daffodil Delight. I stamped the vase on a spare piece of whisper white cardstock and punched it out using the Vases Builder Punch but you could make it even simpler by stamping the vase directly onto the cardfront and dispense with the punch altogether, although I like this added detail. I popped my cardfront up onto a Daffodil Delight cardbase for an added pop of yellow.

Don't Forget the Inside - I also stamped the inside with a sentiment and a one layer vase and flower combo. You don't need any other supplies for this and given how quick the front is to create, you can easily afford a minute more to add this final finishing detail.

Another great example of #SimpleStamping at its best! Again, this would work in lots of other colourways too. A card that could be made with no more than 5 products - 6 if you include the punch, which if you buy along with the stamp set in a bundle you can save 10%.

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:

Varied Vases Photopolymer Stamp Set (£24.00)	Vases Builder Punch (£17.00)	Varied Vases Photopolymer Bundle (£36.75)	Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Daffodil Delight A4 Cardstock (£8.00)
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad (£7.00)	Share What You Love Artisan Pearls (£5.50)

Today I'm sharing a card for the current challenges over at As You See It and Just Add Ink:

I also decided to combine it with this month's #SimpleStamping challenge set by Stampin' Up!, which was to create a birthday card with nothing more than stamps, ink, paper and a piece of DSP. So first up, here's my #SimpleStamping card: 

This really took just a minute to make - I even made a video to show you how I did it, and I haven't made one of those in ages! Here you go:

Beautiful You is a great set if you're starting out: 3 main images and a good variety of sentiments that work for birthdays, congratulations, a pick-me-up and more besides, this is a set that offers lots of creative possibilities. The images can be inked or coloured using Blends or watercolour pencils, or you can make your choice of DSP go further by paper-piecing the dress and accessories on each of the images.

My card for for As You See It and Just Add Ink was where I started out, pairing back to make my #SimpleStamping card, but I'm showing it as the second card in my post because it's a great example of how once you've mastered the art of a basic card, a few simple accessories and a little fussy cutting can easily step things up if you want to get more adventurous:

The addition of some striped ribbon and a few irridescent sequins, along with fussy cutting the main image and popping it up on dimensionals, adds a further layer of sophistication to this otherwise clean and simple birthday card. To really get the most from my supplies, I also stamped and coloured my envelope and the inside of my card:

Not a naked piece of paper in sight! By keeping things simple and using a basic monochromatic colour scheme, this is a card that can be easily mass-produced with limited supplies and would work well in pretty much any 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. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Beautiful You Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£26.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)	Stampin' Blends Color Lifter (£4.25)
Whisper White A4 Cardstock (£9.00)	Brights 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper (£10.25)	Poppy Parade 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Mini Striped Ribbon (£7.50)	Metallics Sequin Assortment (£4.75)

Happy Wednesday everyone! I've decided to write a regular weekly slot dedicated to simple stamping and since today has been a busy one, I thought it was time for one such post! We all like quick and easy projects from time to time, either because you need something last-minute or you need a few of something and just want to run off some multiples. Equally, if you're new to crafting and don't have lots of supplies, simple stamping can be a way to stretch your supplies and focus on basic techniques whilst still producing something with a quality finish. I'll be using the hashtag #SimpleStamping - if you're a user of social media you should search under this hashtag from time to time for lots of papercrafting ideas that are easy to recreate, often using little more than basic supplies and stamps, ink and paper.

For this week's take on #SimpleStamping I have another couple of super simple thank you cards for you that could be whipped up in a jiffy:

I get through lots of thank you cards and sometimes I need to be able to turn out a lot in one go. I love a little colouring with my Blends markers too and sometimes, whilst relaxing, this can take a little while to do a good job. These little puppies are so quick to colour though you can honestly get each card finished in under a minute.  

These cards are also great examples of #SimpleStamping - a pack of notelets, a single stamped image courtesy of the 'Bella and Friends' stamp set in the annual catalogue, some Stampin' Blends and a little time for some colouring and done!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bella & Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Sets (£19.00)	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (£6.00)	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack (£8.50)	Poppy Parade Dark Stampin' Blends Marker (£4.25)
Mango Melody Dark Stampin' Blends (£4.25)

I've been back in my craft room for a few hours today and yes, it felt good! I have some new makes to share with you this week as a result too. This evening I'm just popping in with a quick post to share a couple of super simple thank you cards that are perfect for the current challenge over at StampInkPaper:

Here's a close up of my card - I did a little basic ombre colouring on the lettering using two shades of the same colour Blend marker:

I made these with the James Juniors over the Christmas period - they make great thank you cards to send for gifts received. I encourage my children to keep up this polite tradition and they are not always that accommodating, however they had fun with this set and whilst they didn't write reams, it's the thought that counts and I'm sure the gesture will be appreciated.

These cards are also great examples of #SimpleStamping - a pack of notelets, a single stamped image courtesy of the 'Bee Thankful' stamp set in the annual catalogue and some Stampin' Blends and a little time for some colouring and done!

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'll be back tomorrow with another project for the first challenge of the year over at The Paper Players - don't miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bee Thankful Clear-Mount Stamp Set (£13.00)

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad (£5.50)

Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes (£6.00)