Today's card has been made with a few challenges in mind: The Card Concept has the theme of a Krafty Christmas and a lovely inspiration photo and I decided to use the sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch for my layout, although I'm too late to link up there today:

Since my design is definitely CAS, I am also using this as my entry for 'Less is More' this week where the theme is more than one tree. So, on to my card! I love the Card Concept inspiration photo and decided to use the idea of the punched shapes and colours on my card:

This sketch proved trickier to work with than I anticipated - I think it was all the angled lines! I punched a couple of panels of Crumb Cake with my retired mini tree punch and my star punch (I would have liked a snowflake punch, but alas I don't own one so a star had to do!) and backed them with Real Red and Whisper White, following the contours of the sketch. I stamped my sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Then came the dilemma - I felt like my card was too CAS, as if it was missing something. I fiddled about and eventually decided to try it with a Real Red satin ribbon bow; I'm not sure if this then goes too far the other way, but thought I'd include both photos - perhaps you'll leave me a comment as to which one you prefer!

I'm off to school to watch a class assembly this afternoon - Rebecca is role playing the teacher today, so she went to school with her hair up in a bun this morning because 'that's what teachers do', even though I don't think I've ever seen one at her school with one! Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Real Red A4 Card Stock	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack	Project Life December Wonder Photopolymer Stamp Set
Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Real Red 3/8" Satin Woven Ribbon

Today's card is for this week's Colour Me...! card challenge where we have are working with a subtle palette of autumnal browns:

I also decided to use the rather unusual sketch layout over at Create With Connie and Mary for my card this week. Here is my card:

I used Soft Suede as my card base and layered a piece of paper from the Trim The Tree DSP stack at an angle across the bottom of the card. For the main image, I used the tree from the Nuts About You hostess set and having inked it up with my Soft Suede and Cajun Craze Stampin' Up! markers, stamped in out onto very Vanilla cardstock and partially cut out using my circle framelits, fussy cutting the leaves so that they would overhang the edge of the circle. I deliberately created a streaky finish on the tree truck to make it look a little bit like tree bark. I stamped both the sentiment and little creature (is it a possum? I'm really not sure what he's supposed to be, but he's cute all the same!) in Versamark and heat embossed them with Early Espresso embossing powder. I fussy cut the animal and adhered him over the tree so that he looked like he was 'hanging in there'. I finished with some strips of Early Espresso and a piece of retired Early Espresso taffeta ribbon to complete my card.

I made this card for a female friend who is having a tough time of it recently and I wanted to send her a little something to brighten her day and just let her know I was thinking of her. I really liked the finished card, then I read on a blog somewhere this week that it was the author's view that a thinking of you/get well card should always be in brighter colours to lift the recipients mood. As someone who was entirely happy with her card until I read this, and who also loves bright colours, I'm now having second thoughts  - maybe I should remake it with something less subtle; what do you think? Either way, I still love today's card!

Feel free to leave a comment on today's card, before hopping over to check out the amazing cards by the rest of the Colour Me...! team:

Nuts About You Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Many Marvelous Markers	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Big Shot Magnetic Platform	Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock	Soft Suede A4 Card Stock	Early Espresso A4 Card Stock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad
Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Stampin' Emboss Powder Early Espresso	Trim The Tree Designer Series Paper Stack

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for November (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right) and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Autumn Spice Digital Kit - Digital Download	Bermuda Bay Celebration Add-On Kit	Calypso Coral Celebration Add-On Kit	Celebration Basics Invitations
Starburst Framelits Dies	Sweet Threads Simply Sent	Wisteria Wonder 3/4" Chevron Ribbon

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

Some great bits and pieces if you have a celebration coming up with invitations and the Celebrations Add-on kits in both colourways on offer this week. An Autumn-inspired MDS download, a Simply Sent kit and some Wisteria Wonder chevron ribbon, along with the ever-useful Starburst framelits.

Back shortly with today's creative post; meanwhile, happy shopping! 

Happy Monday everyone! I have spent a pleasant morning catching up with a friend, whilst making a whole bunch of Christmas crackers for a little service project that I have going on - they are for a community senior citizen's Christmas luncheon in a couple of weeks time. Today I'm sharing with you my card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches where Kim has a great sketch for us to work with; I also used the colour scheme over at Color Throwdown:

I decided to rotate the sketch through 90 degrees for my card - whilst most other cards in the gallery seem to have used the sketch conventionally, there are a few of us who chose to rotate, so a real variety of inspiration for you if this is a layout that appeals. Here is my card:

I used the stampset 'Bearing Gifts' for my card today, having 'borrowed' it from my daughter, who is currently using this set to make her own Christmas sets.It's a great set to stamp and colour so I took the opportunity to get my Stampin' Up! Blendabilities out again and set to work colouring the trio of gift givers on top of the polar bear. I used my Pumpkin Pie and Night of Navy sets, focusing on the lightest of the two blues, and did stray from the colour palette twice: once for the wreath around the bear's neck, which I coloured with Smoky Slate (I thought this would be OK as technically grey is a neutral) although not sure I will be forgiven for the red Santa hat. The thing is, try as I might, I just couldn't bring myself to colour it in any other colour - they just have to be red, right?!

I mounted my panel on a piece of Marina Mist and the a piece of Soft Sky, and having masked the sentiment off the main stamped image, decided to stamp it vertically directly onto the card base, as this suited my layout better. I used a piece of retired Marina Mist polka dot DSP behind my image, and tied a Naturals white button with a piece of Tangerine Tango baker's twine to finish.

Hope you like today's card - back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Bearing Gifts Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Neutrals Designer Buttons	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Pumpkin Pie Assortment
Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Night Of Navy Assortment	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Smokey Slate Assortment	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Cherry Cobbler Assortment	Tangerine Tango Baker's Twine	Card Stock A4 Soft Sky
Marina Mist A4 Card Stock

It's Sunday and time for another challenge over at The Paper Players, where this week Ann has a clean and simple challenge with a 'thankful' theme for us:

Inspired by the leaves in our challenge badge this week, I decided to use up a few more of my much-loved Autumn Wooden Elements and create a colour-block card using the colours over at Colour Q (substituting for the closest match in my collection) - I'm also linking up with Catherine & Cathy Creates where the theme is 'thankful for fall'. Here is my card:

I used a base of Old Olive, then matted the front with a piece of Whisper White that I had stamped in the corner with my 'thanks' sentiment from Another Thank You in Chocolate Chip. I then took a piece of Old Olive and I added 4 panels to it, one each in Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze and Old Olive.  I then lined up my Fall Fest Framelits and cut a shaped edge, that mirrors the shape of the wooden leaves. This panel was adhered to the base using dimensionals - this allows the wooden leaves to fit right into the shaped edge - here's a closer look:

To finish, I added some Early Espresso baker's twine across the top and tied it in a bow. A super-CAS card using some fun techniques. Do pop by The Paper Players challenge blog to check out what the other designers have come up with this week - there is great inspiration there, as always.

We are having a quiet sport-free weekend this week; both James Juniors have been poorly this week and we are keen that they recover themselves enough to survive the rest of what is a busy half-term for them. We do have a little treat in store this afternoon though; I'll let you know well it's received tomorrow!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Fun Fall Framelits Dies	Autumn Wooden Elements	Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Big Shot Magnetic Platform
Stampin' Dimensionals	Old Olive A4 Card Stock	Pumpkin Pie A4 Card Stock	Cajun Craze A4 Card Stock	Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad
Chocolate Chip A4 Card Stock	Early Espresso Baker's Twine

Today I'm sharing my card for this week's Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge, where this week the challenge is to create a Christmas card with ornaments that are sliver/grey and blue:

I went for a little 'something old, something new' for today's card: I had a piece of last year's Winter Frost DSP on my desk, so decided to combine it with a couple of ornaments from this year's Cheerful Christmas set for today's card:

I used a single piece of Island Indigo to back my folded base of Smoky Slate and cut a square out of the front using my Big Shot and Square framelits, using the next size up to create an embossed frame. I used a square of Winter Frost DSP inside the framed area, and added a couple of baubles, one in Coastal Cabana and one in Island Indigo, both of which I stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in silver then fussy cut out with my paper snips. I popped one of on with a glue dot and the other with a dimensional and finished with my sentiment banner, which I finished with a row of tiny rhinestones for a little extra sparkle.

That's all from me for today; back tomorrow with my Design Team card for The Paper Players, where Ann has a new themed challenge for us. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Big Shot Magnetic Platform	Squares Collection Framelits Dies	Cheerful Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad
Island Indigo A4 Card Stock	Card Stock A4 Smoky Slate	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Card Stock A4 Coastal Cabana	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder
Embossing Buddy	Heat Tool - Uk Plug	Versamark Pad	Mini Glue Dots	Basic Rhinestones Jewel Accents
Stampin' Dimensionals

Today I'm sharing my card for this week's challenge over at Less is More, where the focus for this week's one layer challenge is a 'starry, starry night'. I was aiming for an early LIM entry this week and this post was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but best laid plans and all that .... So two days later, here it is:

So how did I create today's card? Well, I've been wanting to create a sponged snowy scene for a while, so this card was the perfect opportunity. I masked off a horizontal panel, added a masked circle for my moon and then created a 'hill' mask to create my landscape itself. I sponged in my sky using Night of Navy ink and used the same colour to highlight the edges of the snow dunes and some subtle tree shadows (I did this bit after I stamped in the trees). Once I'd created my snowscape, I used the tip of the pine tree from the Festival of Tree stamp set to add in my trees. I stamped them in Memento Black ink, being careful to keep my mask in place each time so that the trees were behind the surface of the snow. To finish, I used some Encore silver ink to sponge in some tiny stars using a stencil I created with my Confetti Stars punch, along with a few dots added with my Silver marker. I also lightly sponged some Encore Silver onto some areas of the sky to add a subtle sheen. To finish, I stamped my sentiment from the 'Good Greetings' stamp set beneath my scene. Here's a closeup of the scene itself so that you can see it in more detail: 

For such a 'blue' card, this really is very pretty and for a one layer card has so much going on. I think I might have to make a few more like this!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Confetti Stars Punch	Festival Of Trees Photopolymer Stamp Set	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad
Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker	Silver Metallic Encore Pad	Stamping Sponges

It's Wednesday and time for this week's challenge over at Colour Me...! where we have a striking palette for you to work with this week:

This week's colours put me in something of a quandry: I am completely into Christmas makes at the moment, but these colours really weren't shouting Christmas at me, not even in an unconventional sense! I also considered a fall/autumn themed card, but in the end decided to make a card to add to my 'ready to go'stash that could be used for a number of different purposes.  So here's today's card:

I used this week's sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch for my layout and the hostess set 'Hello Love' which has the cute little birds in it and decided to make a clean 'collage style' card using the various images in the set and creating some subtle layering of the various elements. I used my Night of Navy Stampin' Up! Blendabilities pens to colour in the bird and also to colour in the words 'hello love' which would otherwise be on the cloud, as I wanted my sentiment to be contained within the word bubble. This is such a fun set as it comes with a number of possible second sentiments, so that you could make the card into a number of different types of congratulations card. I haven't actually stamped the inside, although I think I might add the birthday sentiment as this card would make a fun card for my nephew's birthday next week (according to my daughter!)

So what do you think? Feel free to leave a comment on today's card, before hopping over to check out the amazing cards by the rest of the Colour Me...! team:

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Hello Love Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Regals Designer Series Paper Stack	Tangelo Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Tangelo Twist A4 Cardstock	2014-2016 In Color Stampin' Write Markers
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Night Of Navy Assortment	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Hearts Border Punch

It's Wednesday so that means a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! This week's deals are included below - they will be available for one week only, before a new collection of deals is announced.

As always, if you want to take advantage of any of the deals on offer, you can support my business by placing your order online by clicking here or using the link to my store on the right hand side of my blog page where it says 'Shop Online' or with me in person. Don't forget to add the Hostess Code for November (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right) and be sure to make sure that you don't check the 'no contact' box if you'd like to be kept updated with the progress of you order and receive a little thank you in the post from me. 

Here's a summary of this week's one-week only Wednesday deals - click on each item to go to the online store to purchase:

Blushing Bride 3/4" Chevron Ribbon	Borders Scoring Plate Simply Scored	Brights Designer Buttons	Daffodil Delight 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon
Simply Scored Diagonal Plate	Smoky Slate Stampin' Emboss Powder	Wonderfall Kit - Digital Download

Some great offers this week, including the borders plate and diagonal plate for your scoreboard. If you have a standard Simply Scored scoreboard, the diagonal plate is a useful addition for enveloping making and the borders plate is great for adding detail to your cards, envelope flaps or to create additional detail on your scrapbook pages. MDS, buttons, embossing powder and ribbons too - what more could you want?!

Back shortly with today's creative post; until then, happy shopping!

It's Monday - yay! I've spent most of my day at the swimming pool watching both James juniors taking part in an inter-school gala. The school team didn't win, but there was some stiff competition and all of the children put in a sterling effort. I got home and managed to get a couple of cards made, so all in all a good day. Today's card is for the challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches where this week its a colour challenge and a new (to me) challenge that I've come across called Addicted to Stamps where the inspiration photo caught my eye:

With these colours and that fabulous sparkly bauble, I just had to make a Christmas card; here it is:

I used Real Red for my card base and then matted a panel of Very Vanilla with Brushed Gold. I stamped a sentiment from the Bright and Beautiful sentiment in Real Red, then created two baubles, each made from a circle punched out of Real Red cardstock with a 1 3/4" circle punch and punched with the Confetti Stars punch to reveal the gold foil stars underneath (this is a second 1 3/4" gold foil circle adhered behind). One of my baubles is adhered directly to the card an one popped up on dimensionals. Each is finished with a ribbon bow of sparkly gold ribbon. I'm not sure the photo really does this card justice - the gold stars on the baubles do have more shine in real life.

That's me done for today. Back tomorrow with another Christmas card; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Confetti Stars Punch	Bright & Beautiful Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Gold Foil Sheets	Brushed Gold A4 Card Stock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Real Red A4 Card Stock	Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock	Gold 1/8" Ribbon	1-3/4 Inch Circle Punch