Pictogram Punches Two Ways

by Joanne James26. May 2015 19:19

I've had a lovely day today; I spent the morning doing housework followed by a pleasant afternoon at the park enjoying the sunshine and catching up with friends. Following dinner I got the the bottom of the ironing basket so much has been accomplished! Added to which, today is another two-card day, this time both using the sketch over at As You See It this week: 

 

I'm also linking up again with the lovely Di over at Pixie's Snippets Playground as both of today's cards were made using offcuts lying around from other projects - always nice to use these up rather than store them for the sake of it! I thought this layout would work really well with some snippets of 'Stacked With Love' DSP and my Pictogram Punches stamp set and quickly set to work and came up with this:

I used a base of Basic Black and added my 'xoxo' DSP in a split vertical strip, then stamped the sentiment in White Kraft ink and heat embossed it in white, adding a little red glimmer paper heart popped up on a dimensional over the stamped one. A further snippet of DSP with a heart punched out and an offcut of red ribbon finished my card. This would make a nice CAS anniversary card for your nearest and dearest or a great Valentine's card - my I am getting organised early for 2016!

Having made this card in next to no time, I then decided to see if I could use the same layout with the other sentiment stamp in this set and create a congratulations card - here is my 'take two': 

A little more layering here and a greater expanse of DSP this time; I used a base of Night of Navy and a mat of Whisper White, then a piece of Maritime DSP with a star pattern. This time I used a piece of Night of Navy punched with the Confetti Stars Border Punch for my vertical strip, infilled randomly with some silver glimmer stars punched from a piece of silver glimmer paper. I stamped my sentiment in night of Navy on Whisper White and popped the whole thing up on dimensionals above the vertical strip, adding a larger silver glimmer star in place of the stamped one. A snippet of left over SAB Coastal Cabana ribbon and a flag of silver glimmer paper stapled to the top complete this card. 

Having made both cards, I think my favourite is the second one; I just love the colour combo and the combination of stars which is so perfect to congratulate someone on a job well done. Which one do you prefer? I'd love you to leave me a comment below and let me know which one gets your vote!

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used (Card 1):

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used (Card 2):

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

 

Cheers To Love Wedding Card

by Joanne James4. May 2015 18:54

It's a Bank Holiday here in the UK today and whilst I made today's card this morning, I have spent a pleasant afternoon gardening so am late with my blog post today! I used this week's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches for today's card and I am squeezing in just under the wire for a link-up (hopefully!) Here is the sketch:

I decided to use one of my retiring and not-yet-inked-up (shock, horror!) sets to make a wedding card today - here it is:

 

I went with a 'black and white and hint of pink' colour scheme today, using a base of Basic Black with mats in Pink Pirouette and Basic Black and a strip of 'Stacked With Love' DSP for my patterned edge. I made my card slightly narrower than usual to allow for the overhanging element and still fit into a standard envelope. I stamped the main stamp from the 'Cheers To Love' stamp set in Memento Black onto my right hand panel of Whisper White and then for my 'over the edge' element I chose a couple of stacked hearts, stamped with the 'Mr' and 'Mrs' stamps from the same set and punched with my Sweetheart punch. Lastly I added a tiny pink heart punched with my trusty Owl Builder Punch to the main sentiment and a few rhinestones to the hearts for a little sparkle.

I really love this set and it has everything you need to create beautifully co-ordinated wedding stationery, not just wedding cards. So it might be retiring, but for me it's a keeper (best make extra room on my shelf...)

I hope you like today's card; back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

 

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Cards | Stamping | Weddings

Love, Hugs and Kisses Valentines Card

by Joanne James11. February 2015 09:15

I still have a couple more Valentine's cards to share with you this week, all of them quick and easy to execute though if you are making a last-minute card for your loved one! Today's card has been made using this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch and I am also entering it into the 'Hugs and Kisses' challenge over at Addicted to CAS and the colour challenge at Can You CASE IT:

 

         

This is one of those 'go to' sketch layouts for clean and simple cards and is also great for showcasing designer series paper, as I've done here with the hugs & kisses pattern from the 'Stacked With Love' DSP stack. Take a look: 

For the other half of my base layer, I used another of the black and white patterns in the stack, and used a heart framelit to create a die cut in my top red layer that allowed an element of the paper design to show through. I finished my card with a 'vintage' love die cut with my now retired Expressions thinlits - these are still available on the clearance rack and can be picked up for a bargain £13.79 and lastly rounded the bottom right corner of my card. Not a stamp in sight either - no risk of inky fingers with this one!

Simple but effective I hope you will agree! Back tomorrow with another Valentine's card to share with you; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

'I Do Love You' Valentine's Card

by Joanne James8. February 2015 08:00

Good morning lovely blog readers! Today it's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players, where this week the lovely Nance has this great colour combination for us:

   

I also used this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday for the layout of today's card. I was tempted to use the florals in the inspiration photo as the starting point for my card - isn't the badge great? Nance creates all our blog challenge badges and does such a fantastic job, thank you Nance! - but in the end the lure of my 'Stacked with Love' DSP paper stack was too strong and I decided to make another Valentine's card! Come and take a look:

 

I used one of the large sentiments from the 'Big on You' stamp set as the focal point for my card and stamped it in Versamark on blackboard paper and heat embossed in white. I rubbed a little white kraft ink around the edges to add to the chalkboard look and feel of this panel. The large sentiment allowed me to use a number of the other DSP patterns for the background layers to my card. Red and black are clearly taking centre stage on my card, but there are a couple of pops of Calypso Coral - both the flag banner behind the strip of punched hearts and in the popped-up heart, finished with a Real Red bow cut with one of the Mini Treat Bag Thinlit accessory dies and a rhinestone. I haven't made a card using these papers for over a week and I was clearly getting withdrawal symptoms; having got them back out on the desk I've been creating with them again and I have a few more cards to share that feature them this week, so stay tuned!

Before you reach for your ink pads, do visit the other design team members to see what interesting ideas they've had this week:

The Paper Players Design Team
 
Here's a quick recap of our challenge rules:
 
1.  Create a new paper project
2.  Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us and provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge submission.
3.  Please link your card to no more than three challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN! 

I look forward to seeing your projects in the gallery this week. I'm off to hockey this morning and looking forward to an afternoon with a spot of crafting and some fun with the rest of the family before the new week starts again in earnest.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

#Ijustloveyou Moustache Love Card

by Joanne James10. January 2015 20:12

Today I have another card using the moustache stamp from Well Worded. It was still out on my desk from this card that I made with it the other day, so I took the opportunity to use it again for today's card for this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge; I also used the colours over at The Color Throwdown this week, where they are really suited to another Valentine's or anniversary card:

   

This one is definitely made with a man in mind - here is my card:

I layered a couple of rectangles of paper from the 'Stacked with Love' DSP paper stack onto a base of Basic Black cardstock (I am so making the most of my 'Stacked with Love' DSP!), then a Real Red heart cut out with my Hearts framelits and a moustache stamped in Memento Black onto Whisper White, which I then cut out with my mustache framelit and popped up on a couple of dimensionals. To finish, I stamped my hashtag sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed it in white.

Another simple, modern card that would work well for Valentine's Day, a wedding anniversary or just to say 'I love you' card. 

I'm also linking up with the 4 Crafty Chicks, where the theme this week is anniversary cards.

Back tomorrow with this week's card for a new challenge over at The Paper Players; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

Celebrate Your Birthday With Cake!

by Joanne James9. January 2015 21:46

Friday already - where did that week go?! I've had a lovely day today, with lots of people coming and going for my informal open house to showcase the best of this year's Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration offering. Today's card is one that I designed for this week's challenge over at Fusion where they are celebrating their first birthday - I used the photo inspiration but not the sketch, instead using the sketch over at Retrosketches this week for my layout:

    

The photo inspiration was the perfect opportunity to make a card with my new Chalkbox Chalk inks and blackboard paper, along with the 'Big Day' stamp set - yours free with each purchase of £45 or more during Sale-A-Bration. Here is my card:

On a base of Pink Pirouette, I added a few layers including another of the great patterns from the 'Stacked with Love' DSP stack. I stamped my chalkboard using Rose Coral chalk ink on blackboard paper, stamping the banner separately in pink and stepping up on dimensionals. I added a side tag, stamped with a sentiment from 'Simply Wonderful', another Sale-A-Bration set. I stamped the cake on pink cardstock and coloured with my Blendabilities pens and popped this up on glue dots. I also decorated the inside (but forgot to photograph it - doh!) The chalk inks have a lovely finish on the smooth blackboard paper that give a rather realistic finish.

I hope you like today's card; my technique class next week is featuring chalk inks and by popular request from my class ladies today this will be one of the cards that we will be making! If you live in or around Northampton and would like to join me for one of my classes, You can find my 2015 updated class schedule here. Crafters of all abilities are welcome so whether you've stamped before or fancy trying out a new hobby, do get in touch to find out more. We would love you to join us! Back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

The Power of Two Valentine's Card

by Joanne James7. January 2015 10:21

Good morning everyone! Today I have my card for this week's challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary which uses a fun colour combo:

   

I was immediately drawn to the new 'Stacked with Love' DSP stack for my card, as the challenge colours are three of those that feature in the pack. As I was musing how to tie the colours in with the black elements and what stamps I should use, I saw this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday and knew immediately what direction I was going to go in. Here is my card:

I am always a little wary of mixing DSPs on a card; I am a secret hoarder of DSP yet tend to use it quite sparingly on cards and must confess that I wasn't sure that I was ever going to use the big ampersand piece of DSP on a card, yet the minute I saw this sketch I knew it would be perfect to tie the other DSP to my sentiment. I stamped the sentiment from the 'Yippee Skippee' stamp set in Versamark and heat embossed it in black so that it has a nice shine, (although it is difficult to see that from the photograph), having first stamped two hearts in the challenge colours, one overlaid on top of the other. The heart is from the Perfect Pennants set; today's card is a great example of how you can find sentiments and images in 'generic' sets that will enable you to make a themed card such as this one for an anniversary or Valentine's Day, without needing a theme-specific stamp set. I finished my card with some of the now retired satin ribbon from the seasonal catalogue as I liked the shine, but some 1/4" red cotton ribbon would work just as well.

That's my card for today; I'm off to stamp some more samples using my lovely Sale-A-Bration goodies ready for an informal Open House gathering that I'm hosting for my customers on Friday. If you love in or around Northampton and would like to attend, please get in touch for more details.

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

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

 

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Cards | Stamping

Love Seasonally Scattered Valentine's or Anniversary Shaker Card

by Joanne James1. January 2015 22:41

Happy New Year everyone! Today I'm sharing a Valentine's cad with you - there is method in my madness, as it's only January 1st: this card uses the 'love' stamp from the 'Seasonally Scattered' set in the current seasonal catalogue, which is only available for another 5 days. I've used the other two stamps in the set countless times, so am getting in an early Valentine's with this one:

I decided to make a fun shaker card, inspired by this festive version of Justin Krieger's from a couple of weeks ago, using a couple of new product 'sneak peeks' too: the background paper I used is from the new 'Stacked with Love' DSP stack and along with some silver and in-colour sequins, I punched some red hearts using the new Confetti Heart border punch to make the confetti for my shaker. Isn't it fun? 

Right, I'm off to finish my glass of champagne and watch the end of that all time classic love story - Titanic. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:


*Confetti Hearts Border Punch and Stacked with Love DSP stack available 6th January.

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

 

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Hi I'm Joanne and live in Northampton and when I'm not looking after my husband and two beautiful children, am an avid crafter with a passion for all things Stampin' Up!

I must confess that I have never been a big rubber stamper - until I discovered Stampin' Up! that is. I love the fact that I can get such great results with co-ordinating stamps, inks, papers and punches - the possibilities are endless! Join me on my stamping journey as I share the things I love and be inspired to create amazing things yourself!

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