I haven't participated in the Pals Paper Arts challenge for a little while, but when I saw Margaret's sketch this week I knew it would be perfect for a special card that I wanted to make:

A friend of mine is moving to Australia - she is a native Australian, so for her it's just 'going home', but for her British husband and young children, it's emigrating to the other side of the world. So the move is a big deal and comes with mixed emotions on all sides. The great thing is though that they are taking the opportunity to spend a few months travelling the world on leaving Britain and before arriving in Australia, so rather than focus on the move I thought it would be fun to make a card to wish them all the very best for their travels. I knew I wanted to make a card using the 'Around the World' stamp set - here's what I came up with:

I used a Pool Party base and a mat of Real Red, along with a piece of the now retired 'I am Me' designer series paper (I am still awaiting the arrival of my new papers and besides, this one was perfect for my theme!) I added the cross-panel in Pool Party, then stamped three of the images from the Around the World stamp set in Real Red on Whisper White. I did take advantage of the 'any shape' instruction on the sketch and did a little 'mix and match', with two circles and a hexagon. The circles I cut out using my Circle Framelits and then mounted them onto some Real Red circles cut with my 1 1/4" circle punch; the hexagon I cut by hand so that I could mount it on a Real Red hexagon punched with my hexagon punch. I tied them all together by stamping the trail from the aeroplane stamp onto the Pool Party card behind them.

So a bright, fun card to wish my dear friend and her family the best of luck on their forthcoming travels.

Back tomorrow with this week's Wednesday Weekly Deals and my Colour Me...! card for this week. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

* I Am Me Designer Series Paper - retired

Around The World	Hexagon Punch	1-1/4 Inch Circle Punch	Circles Collection Framelits Dies	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine
Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Pool Party A4 Card Stock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Card Stock

Another Monday, another week! Today I'm sharing a card that fits the bill for the theme over at Addicted to CAS it's 'Celebrate'. I also combined with black, white and all 5 colours over at Colour Q too for good measure:

I decided to create a fun congratulations card, using one of the stamps in my new 'Bravo' stamp set and some stencilling with my new stars mask - here's my card:

I used Coastal Cabana from my base with a mat of Calypso Coral, then randomly sponged the coloured stars in the challenge colours to create my background. I finished with the 'Congratulations' stamp in black and a punched star in So Saffron, which I popped on a dimensional, to finish. A truly CAS card that looks great in the challenge colours; this is the first time I've used my stencil, but it definitely won't be the last.

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

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks	Bravo Photopolymer Stamp Set	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad	Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad
Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Calypso Coral A4 Card Stock	So Saffron A4 Card Stock	Card Stock A4 Coastal Cabana
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

Apologies for my blog absence yesterday - I spent most of the day icing biscuits for teacher thank you gifts as today is the last day of the academic year for my James Juniors. I promise my self I'll start earlier every year, but what always seems to happen is I squeeze in a few more commissions and then also a few extra names get surrepticiously added to the list of thank yous by the children which means even more baking and icing!

I've shared my teachers gifts on my blog previously - you can check them out here if you would like to be reminded - so today I thought I would share a matching card and gift box commission that I made for someone else to give to their teacher. So here is my card:

For my card I used the retired Gingham Garden DSP (this was requested - lucky I still have a pack!) however most of the other product is current and you could easily create this set in an alternative paper without the teacher tag as a thank you gift for someone special. The star of the show is definitely the 'Million and One' sentiment stamp - perfect to show your appreciation of someone special.

Here is the matching gift box - I love these kraft boxes, they are so useful and very sturdy, and at £2.75 for 4 represent great value. I'm doubly pleased that the Extra-Large Gift Boxes have returned and made it into the annual catalogue as a stock item - these are great for larger gifts. 

Right, I've a few more jobs to do before I go and pack a picnic - we're off to see an outdoor theatre production of Peter Pan and The Lost Boys this evening. I've seen this theatre company perform the Railway Children previously, so I'm expecting great things - I'll report back tomorrow! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Million & One	Decorative Label Punch	Kraft Gift Box (4)	Scalloped Tag Topper Punch	Stippled Blossoms Clear-Mount Stamp Set
Daffodil Delight A4 Card Stock	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad	Melon Mambo A4 Card Stock	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad
Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock	Melon Mambo 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon	Crushed Curry 3/4" Chevron Ribbon	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

Good morning blog readers - it's Wednesday so today I am definitely prepared and 'on the ball'! Today I'm sharing my Design Team card for this week's challenge over at Colour Me...!, where this week's colour palette is Subtles, featuring Lost Lagoon, Smoky Slate and Island Indigo:

I decided these colours would make a nice baby card, as they are quite masculine and a change from traditional powder blue and got to work with my Zoo Babies stamp set and the above sketch layout from Seize the Sketch:

I used Smoky Slate for my card base and having stamped my animals on Whisper White in each of the challenge colours (I love how you can build little towers with them!) I mounted my animal panel on Island Indigo and for my offset layer I used a piece of Lost Lagoon cardstock which I embossed with the Alphabet Press embossing folder. Lastly, I stamped 'congratulations' from the Zoo Babies stamp set in island Indigo onto Whisper White and created a layered banner flag, finished off with a Basic Metal Buttton tied with retired Island Indigo baker's twine.

So that's what I chose to do with the colours. Why not pop over to the Colour Me...! blog for more colour inspiration and see what Hayley, Tara, Sherrie, Claire, Julia and Anja have done with these colours.

Back later with this week's Wednesday Weekly Deals; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Zoo Babies	Stamp-A-Ma-Jig	Alphabet Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Basic Metal Buttons
Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad	Lost Lagoon A4 Cardstock	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad	Card Stock A4 Smoky Slate	Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad
Island Indigo A4 Card Stock	Whisper White A4 Card Stock

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 July (you can find this under the 'Shop Online' section on the right). 

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:

1" Square Punch	Basic Metal Buttons	Blushing Bride 12" X 12" Cardstock	Gold Baker's Twine
Mini Metallic Clothespins	Summer Smooches Kit - Digital Download	Triangle Punch

Two great punch offers this week, along with more metallics and some of my favourite designer series paper as a digital download - lots to appeal!

Back tomorrow with another project; meanwhile, race you to the shop!

No blog post yesterday and a late one today - so much going on at the moment as the end of the school year draws ever closer! I've been busy finishing commissions for teacher cards and gifts today and popped by the Less is More blog to see what the current challenge is, as I haven't managed to fit in the last couple due to other commitments. This week it's One Layer Challenge combined with a theme - and when I saw what it was I just had to have a go! Yes - it's doodle fingerprints:

I've made these with my children many times and we have a Christmas tradition of painting a plate with a picture made out of hand or fingerprints each year, but never thought I'd be using my Stampin' Up! inks to create a challenge card no less! Given that I've had teacher thank yous on my mind all week, I knew exactly what I wanted to make - a fingerprint caterpillar:

Isn't he cute?! I used one of the apple embellishments from the Project Life Playground kit as a stencil for my apple and had my first public attempt at colouring in with my Blendabilities (still more practice required!), then using Wild Wasabi ink fingerprinted my caterpillar book worm into place using Wild Wasabi ink. I doodled his face with my Project Life journaling pen and added a 'to my teacher' sentiment (from the retired set 'for my family').

Not the most time consuming of cards to be fair, but jolly good fun - I could have spent all afternoon doodling and fingerprinting, with so many ideas for more cards if only time allowed! This is also the kind of card you could easily create with little ones - great if they want to make their own teacher thank you cards.

That's me done for today; back tomorrow with my Design Team card for the Colour Me...! Challenge and the new Wednesday Weekly Deals. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad	Playground Project Life Accessory Pack	Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Cherry Cobbler Assortment	Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Old Olive Assortment
Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Markers Skin Tone Assortment	Stampin' Blendabilitiesâ„¢ Alcohol Marker Color Lifter	Project Life Journaling Pens

Well what a day! The highlight has definitely been Ben's birthday party with his class mates at Bugtopia, an insect and reptile centre near here. He had the most amazing time, holding everything from stick insects and tarantulas to chameleons and crickets! I will share some photos with you when I've had a chance to download them from my camera, but for today thought I would share the cards I made for Ben's two fellow 'birthday boys' with whom he shares his special day and some of the sweet treats that made it into the party bags. So first up, one of Ben's frineds is currently dinosaur mad, so I made a card using the new retired 'Dinoraur' stamp set (with a soon to be 7 year old son, I couldn't possibly part with my set, retired or otherwise!). I decided to create a fun card with a removable dinosaur bookmark made with the Scalloped tag Topper punch. Here is the card with the bookmark in its little pocket:

And here is the bookmark when removed, showing Triceratops on the bottom too:

This card was such fun to make and perfect for a would-be palaeontologist. I have a bonus share for you today too: given the theme of our party, I used the Goodie Gear Simply Created Treat Kit for some suitably themed sweet treats - take a look:

I bought a box of jelly frogs and tied them into the kit bags, decorated the labels and made a little stamped frog button (this is also from the retired 'Spring Sampler' stamp set). I thought I would share these with you as these bag kits are currently available on the Clearance Rack for just £1.79, and the Pumpkin Pie versions too - bargain or what?! Go and snap up a few to add a little 'wow' factor to your party treats! We also gave each child their very own butterfly garden to enable them to hatch their own caterpillar eggs into Painted Lady butterflies - a perfect project for the forthcoming long school summer holidays!

I'll be back tomorrow nice and early with my Paper Players post for the week; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Scalloped Tag Topper Punch	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Old Olive A4 Card Stock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry	Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Cajun Craze A4 Card Stock	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad	Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock	1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon	Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Real Red Goodie Gear Simply Created Kit

Well what a day! The highlight has definitely been Ben's birthday party with his class mates at Bugtopia, an insect and reptile centre near here. He had the most amazing time, holding everything from stick insects and tarantulas to chameleons and crickets! I will share some photos with you when I've had a chance to download them from my camera, but for today thought I would share the cards I made for Ben's two fellow 'birthday boys' with whom he shares his special day and some of the sweet treats that made it into the party bags. So first up, one of Ben's frineds is currently dinosaur mad, so I made a card using the new retired 'Dinoraur' stamp set (with a soon to be 7 year old son, I couldn't possibly part with my set, retired or otherwise!). I decided to create a fun card with a removable dinosaur bookmark made with the Scalloped tag Topper punch. Here is the card with the bookmark in its little pocket:

And here is the bookmark when removed, showing Triceratops on the bottom too:

This card was such fun to make and perfect for a would-be palaeontologist. I have a bonus share for you today too: given the theme of our party, I used the Goodie Gear Simply Created Treat Kit for some suitably themed sweet treats - take a look:

I bought a box of jelly frogs and tied them into the kit bags, decorated the labels and made a little stamped frog button (this is also from the retired 'Spring Sampler' stamp set). I thought I would share these with you as these bag kits are currently available on the Clearance Rack for just £1.79, and the Pumpkin Pie versions too - bargain or what?! Go and snap up a few to add a little 'wow' factor to your party treats! We also gave each child their very own butterfly garden to enable them to hatch their own caterpillar eggs into Painted Lady butterflies - a perfect project for the forthcoming long school summer holidays!

I'll be back tomorrow nice and early with my Paper Players post for the week; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Scalloped Tag Topper Punch	Whisper White A4 Card Stock	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine	Old Olive A4 Card Stock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry	Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad	Cajun Craze A4 Card Stock	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad	Cherry Cobbler A4 Card Stock
Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock	1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon	Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Real Red Goodie Gear Simply Created Kit

I've had another busy week and whilst it's great that it's Friday, boy do I have a busy weekend ahead of me! But before I get into my weekend, check out this card I made today for this week's Mojo Monday challenge; I haven't participated in this challenge for a while, but I really liked this week's sketch so thought I would use it for today's card. Here is the sketch:

 And here's my card, featuring some of the scrummy new paper in the All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack:

I followed the sketch but I have been a little liberal with the relative dimensions of the various elements, as I wanted to use this particular sentiment from the 'Feel Goods' set and show off as much of the bold paper pattern as possible. Taking the inspiration for my colour scheme from the DSP, I matted a piece of Mossy Meadow onto a Daffodil Delight card base, then positioned the DSP on the left and bordered the right hand side with a strip of Strawberry Slush edged in Pistachio Pudding, cut with the large scallop edgelit. I stamped my sentiment in Mossy Meadow and matted it on a piece of the same colour cardstock, with a small partial mat of Pistachio Pudding as I didn't want to obscure too much of the pattern. I finished with a simple circular flower, to echo those in the paper design, punched out with a couple of circle punches and finished with a candy dot.

I made this card with a friend of mine in mind and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Above all, I'm loving this new paper stack - the patterns in it are lovely and I can guarantee you'll be seeing lots more of this!

So that's me for today. And so to the weekend: tomorrow Rebecca has an extra ballet lesson before her exam on Sunday, we are holding Ben's birthday party for his school classmates tomorrow afternoon (more on that tomorrow!) and we are also hoping to squeeze in a visit to our local fire station open day and drop in on a church fete that a friend of mine has been working very hard to prepare for to show our support. That is all in addition to the usual homework and swim squad sessions - wish me luck!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack	Feel Goods Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Large Scallop Edgelits Die	1-1/4 Inch Circle Punch	Daffodil Delight A4 Card Stock
Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock	Card Stock A4 Strawberry Slush	Card Stock A4 Pistachio Pudding	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Brights Candy Dots
Whisper White A4 Card Stock

Happy Wednesday everyone! Double delights today: new weekly Wednesday Deals - I'll be back with the details on those later  -and more importantly for me my second Colour Me...! Card Challenge Design Team post! This week we are using the striking colour combination of Elegant Eggplant and Soft Sky:

This is an unusual colour combination for me, but I had a clear idea of how I was going to use these contrasting colours - here's the card I came up with this week: 

I decided to use Elegant Eggplant for my base card and then stamped the large Swallowtail stamp in Elegant Eggplant onto Soft Sky cardstock. I then took a rectangular piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock and punched a circular hole out of the centre and rounded alternating corners with my Project Life corner rounder. I then strategically placed this over my butterfly to include its head and adhered it to my card using dimensionals, having first coloured the portion of the butterfly visible through the circular hole using Elegant Eggplant ink and a blender pen. The top layer is used to create a 'spotlight' onto the butterfly and almost magnify its detail. I finished with a small birthday sentiment from Petite Pairs as I didn't want anything that would overshadow my butterfly, and stamped the inside of the card and the envelope too with the smaller swallowtail from the coordinating Papillion Potpourri stamp set.

I hope you like today's card - please do pop along to the 'Colour Me...!' challenge page this week to check out the work from the other talented designers that I'm working with and to upload your own creations.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Swallowtail Clear-Mount Stamp	Petite Pairs - Clear-Mount Stamp	Papillon Potpourri Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad	Blackberry Bliss A4 Cardstock
Card Stock A4 Soft Sky	Project Life Corner Punch	1-3/4 Inch Circle Punch	Blender Pens	Stamp-A-Ma-Jig