Happy Monday everyone! I managed to spend some quality time in my craft room over the weekend and as a result of trying to overcome my 'crafting hiatus' I've a couple of extra cards to share with you today! The first one uses Karren's layout over at Freshly Made Sketches this week and the fabulously bold Colour Inkspiration colour palette:

I really wanted to make the most of the bright blue and mango of the inspiration photo, so I went with a bold use of colour - take a look:

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

I used one of my (retired) stencils to add some tone-on-tone colour to my Starry Sky card base, then added a cluster of Meadow Dies flowers to the right hand side in the challenge colours, having added a light touch of Starry Sky ink to my cornflower and embellished my Mango Melody flowers with some sparkly rhinestones.

For the horizontal element of the sketch, I layered a diecut 'Sending' in silver foil on white with the remainder of the sentiment stamped and heat embossed in silver directly onto the cardbase. I finished the inside of my card and the corner of my envelope with a collage of stamped images in co-ordinating colours from the 'Quiet Meadow' stamp set:

A liberal interpretation of this week's FMS sketch for me, although the shapes are clearly visible - I just love this card! What do you think? Do leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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 shortly with card number two. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

SENDING DIES (ENGLISH) (£31.00)	MEADOW DIES (£36.00)	SILVER FOIL 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) SPECIALTY PACK (£9.50)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	STARRY SKY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)
MANGO MELODY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	MANGO MELODY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC GRAY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	QUIET MEADOW CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£20.00)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (£5.75)	VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)
METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)	BLENDING BRUSHES (£11.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has my favourite, a sketch challenge for us to work with:

I decided to go with another Christmas card today and spent some time fussy cutting a host of cute and cuddly animals, gnomes and toadstools from my Storybook Gnomes designer series paper to create a sweet festive scene - take a look:

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

If you don't mind a little fussy cutting, this card comes together really easily. I added a panel of patterned paper to my Balmy Blue card base, then built my little scene for the horizontal element. The gnome and toadstool can be cut out with the Gnomes Dies - only the remaining animals require fussy cutting. Here's my completed lineup:

 A sprinkling of (retired) adhesive snowflakes, a simple stamped sentiment from the 'Kindest Gnomes' stamp set and a little stamping on the inside completes my card:

I am also linking up today's card over at Alphabet Challenge Blog where they are currently on 'M is for Magic', so my magical gnome and friends should fit right in!

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:

Enjoy your day; we are having a day of catching up with homework, ready to start the new school week. I managed a little crafty time yesterday so I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

STORYBOOK GNOMES 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£11.25)

KINDEST GNOMES CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£23.00)

BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)

BALMY BLUE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)

PACIFIC POINT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the lovely Claire's turn to host this week and she has a seasonal clean and simple challenge for us to work with:

Scarecrows and/or leaves! Well, I don't have any scarecrow stamps in my collection, so it was punch art (rarely a good choice for clean and simple cards!) or leaves! I have lots of leaf options and I thought the Stitched Greenery die would be perfect for a clean and simple card that celebrates leaves - take a look:

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

I used the neutral colour palette over at The Color Throwdown and made my Very Vanilla stitched leaves backplate the centrepiece of my card. I added a simple greeting from 'Season of Chic', anchored with a couple of leaves cut using the (retired) Stitched Leaves dies in kraft that I tied with a bow of (retired) thick Pool Party baker's twine. Check out that stitched detailing:

I love the simplicity of this card with the neutrals and the pop of aqua blue from the twine. A great seasonal notecard and so quick and easy to make 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 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:

Enjoy your day; nothing special planned here today - if I can find a little crafty time I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

STITCHED GREENERY DIE (£30.00)

KRAFT 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) PAPER PACK (£5.75)

VERY VANILLA A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)

SEASON OF CHIC PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£26.00)

SOFT SUEDE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'World Space Week' which is 4-10 October. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I went festive rather than space and with the current Try Stamping on Tuesday sketch for my layout, used stars, sparkle and moving parts to create a pocket shaker card with the Lights Aglow paper and Twinkling Lights Christmas tree die - take a look:

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

This card is all about the sparkle! I used some gold foil embossed Lights Aglow designer series paper for the background of my shaker pocket and also added gold foil behind my Christmas tree diecut and with the gold glimmer star on top. I heat embossed my sentiment, from the 'Sweet Candy Canes' stamp set in gold onto Evening Evergreen cardstock - I also used another sentiment from this set on the inside of my card:

The stars and moving parts comprise the (retired) gold sequins I used for the inside of my pocket shaker - I also added some of the tiny stars to decorate my diecut Christmas tree. Isn't that just so sparkly?! 

These pocket shakers are so fun and so easy to make - you just put your background and shaker elements into a cellophane envelope and take the back shut before adding to your card. They are slimmer than a traditional shaker card, which makes them great for posting, but there is still room for the contents to move around. Have you ever tried one? Do leave me a comment below - I'd love to hear what kinds you've experimented with.

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. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team:

Ann Schach
Beth McCullough
Sharon Hashimoto Burkert
Melanie Hungerford
Helen Jennings
Melva Peters
Jaydee
Diane Evans
Joanne James

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

TWINKLING LIGHTS DIES (£27.00)	LIGHTS AGLOW 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) SPECIALTY DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£14.00)	SWEET CANDY CANES CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£21.00)	GOLD FOIL SHEETS (£4.75)	6" X 8" (15.2 X 20.3 CM) CELLOPHANE BAGS (£5.25)	METALLICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)
VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)	EVENING EVERGREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my turn to host this week and I've a colour challenge for you to work with:

I decided to change things up for this week's challenge and instead of providing a restricted palette, I would choose 6 complimentary colours that you could choose any combination of on your project. Once again I used Jen B's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches for my layout this week and ended up creating a card that was completely different to the one I originally had in mind. Take a look and I'll explain:

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

Design A Daydream - The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the colours I chose for our challenge this week can all be found in Stampin' Up!'s 'Design A Daydream' designer series paper pack. This is a bumper paper pack at 48 sheets of 12" x 12" (the number quoted in the catalogue is a misprint) for just £17 - and it can be yours when you place an order that qualifies for Host Rewards. It contains many beautiful prints and patterns and I knew immediately that this paper would feature somewhere on my card today. I was originally going to use the floral pattern that is probably my favourite in the set, however when I came to make my a few days ago, the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had just been announced and I found myself in a more sombre mood,and was drawn towards the more tranquil Pool Party blue patterns, so changed tack.

A Sentiment Shift - I decided to use the simple leaf patterned paper and the two sketch panels enabled me to also showcase the reverse of this sheet for my second tag panel. I needed a sentiment and was drawn to this one from the 'Charming Sentiments' bundle; whilst not entirely unexpected, the death of the Queen was still a shock and has left us a nation mourning the loss of a unique and selfless monarch. Whilst this period of respect will continue for days to come, I thought this sentiment, with its implied acknowledgement of both a sense of loss along with the suggestion of hope seemed perfect to sum up the country's mood.

A Trio of Diecuts - Today's card is more diecuts than stamping: I used the Tailor Made Tags for my two panels and along with the die used to cut my sentiment (this is a great feature of the Charming Sentiments bundle) I used the detailed leaf branch from the Artistic Dies to add a simple accent and focal point. Just a few enamel dots as accents as I wanted to preserve the clean feel of my card:

I'm also linking today's card up with the team over at SUO Challenges where the current theme is 'Diecutting' and at The Alphabet Blog where they are at 'L is for Leaves'. 

I never had the opportunity to meet the Queen, however feel privileged to have lived through her reign and witnessed the selfless devotion with which she served this country. She was an amazing female role model and certainly an example of a life well lived. She will be much missed - rest in peace, your Majesty.

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:

Enjoy your day; we are out to lunch to quietly celebrate the second James family birthday of the month - lots of us are September babies - but are otherwise having an uneventful day. I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

DESIGN A DAYDREAM 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) HOST DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£17.00)	TAILOR MADE TAGS DIES (£21.00)	ARTISTIC DIES (£33.00)	CHARMING SENTIMENTS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£49.50)	POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	BLACKBERRY BLISS A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)
BLACKBERRY BLISS CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)

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 seasonal theme for us to work with:

I'm back following my week off last week; I've been enjoying a well-earned break in the Florida sunshine so Ann's theme this week of 'Fall Fun' brought me back down to earth with a bump! I'm not ready for pumpkins and spiced lattes just yet though; I took my inspiration from the bright autumn leaves in our challenge badge and paired them with the lovely Kim's fantastic sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches to come up with this colourful creation - take a look:

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

Celebrate Everything - Kim's sketch features a trio of stripes - perfect to feature a trio of designer papers. A great sketch if you have some co-ordinating scraps to use up: I paired a scrap of yellow gingham with two new papers cut from the Celebrate Everything designer series paper stack; this is a hostess reward and contains 48 sheets of 12" x 12", so is such great value for many and has a range of fabulous seasonal patterns and designs. I love the colourful autumn leaves, so used a stip of this paper in the centre and built the rest of my card around it.

Simply Fabulous - I chose a sentiment from one of my most favourite stamp sets, 'Simply Fabulous', that works perfectly for a seasonal card - I think the changing colours of the autumn leaves is one of the true beauties of nature, don't you agree?

Country Wreaths Diecut Leaves - I accented my sentiment with some matte enamel dots and a trio of diecut leaves from one of the leaves in the Country Wreaths Dies set - I thought they co-ordinated nicely with that central strip of paper. I stuck one on flat and popped the other two up on dimensionals to complete my card:

That's my card complete - a seasonal notecard for my stash.

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:

Enjoy your day; we are getting ready for the James Juniors to return to school this week and finishing the last of the post-vacation ironing - joy! I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

CELEBRATE EVERYTHING 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£16.50)	COUNTRY WREATHS DIES (£37.00)	SIMPLY FABULOUS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£17.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
CLASSIC MATTE DOTS (£6.08)	SHADED SPRUCE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	POPPY PARADE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	GRANNY APPLE GREEN A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)
CRUSHED CURRY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Laurie to host this week and she has a Clean and Simple challenge for us to work with:

I decided to whip up a quick card using the Let's Set Sail bundle for my project today - take a look:

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

I went super simple and having masked a circle aperture, used the long 'seascape' stamp to create an ombre effect, by repeat stamping in various shades of blue. I inked the reflection stamp in the same way, then  added some birds and a sentiment, and a sailboat courtesy of the Sailboat Builder Punch with bright red sails popped up on dimensionals to finish:

I liked this card so much i created another one in shades of aqua green, this time using a sailboat that was completely white:

This is a great set for a clean and simple nautical card - the pattern detail in the stamps adds interest and 'texture' without adding anything else:

I also added a stamped sailboat with ombre detail to the envelope for added detail. So which of these cards do you prefer? Here's a shot of both side by side to compare:

I think I'm still partial to the first one - I love the pop of red from the sails! - but the all-white of the second one definitely makes for a super clean and simple card. I'd love to know what you think - do leave me a comment below and share your thoughts.

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:

Enjoy your day; I'll be back on Tuesday with my card for a new CAS Colours & Sketches challenge. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

LET'S SET SAIL BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£30.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.75)	BALMY BLUE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	TAHITIAN TIDE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	PACIFIC POINT CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)
NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	POOL PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	COASTAL CABANA CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BERMUDA BAY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)

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 Marie to host this week and she has an interesting colour challenge for you to work with:

Black and white and a pop of any colour - how fun! I reached for some black and white designer paper, my 'Full of Love' stamp set and some Polished Pink cardstock and a selection of pink Stampin' Blends and set to work. This is what I came up with:

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

I originally reached for my Perfectly Pencilled DSP, but having decided to use the 'Full of Love' stamp set, I decided some (retired) All together DSP would be a better choice with its heart pattern, to tie in with the stamps on the stamped envelopes. I coloured the blank hearts on the paper with both shades of my Polished Pink Blends markers, then added a panel of Polished Pink cardstock, that I stamped some tone-on-tone hearts across the centre. I added some twine, then a row of stamped envelopes that I fussy cut from one of the main stamps, before overlaying a heat embossed sentiment:

A sprinkling of (retired) white resin hearts, in-colour gems and rhinestones complete my card.

I originally made this card with something else in mind, but I got a little carried away and it evolved into a pretty card perfect for today's challenge and just the card to send a little love someone's way!

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:

Enjoy your day; I'll be back on Tuesday with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

FULL OF LOVE CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£20.00)	POLISHED PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	POLISHED PINK CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	VERSAMARK PAD (£9.00)	BASICS EMBOSSING POWDERS (£17.00)
BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (£10.25)	POLISHED PINK STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	MELON MAMBO STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (£5.75)

Today it's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's the turn of the fabulous Jaydee to host this week and she has a fun theme challenge for you to work with:

So many ways to go with Jaydee's theme this week and so many choices! I am still busy cutting up my beautiful Wonderful World designer series papers so wanted to use Judy's great layout over at Freshly Made Sketches this week to showcase one of my favourite flowers in the pack for today's challenge - take a look:

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

I highlighted my fussy-cut flower on a bright yellow stitched diecut circle and some diecut leaves and paired it with another of the blue-toned patterns in this pack. I experimented with different combinations of patterns for the three panels, but decided I preferred all three cut from the same paper so went with it. A few in-colour enamel dots and a fussy-cut sentiment from the 'Simply Fabulous' stamp set, stamped in Starry Sky, completes my card:

This card has a lovely clean feel with all that white space, despite its layers - and I love the way the layout highlights that single flower. What's more, this paper can be yours FREE, along with the 'Wonderful World' stamp set, when you place an online order of £90 or more between now and 31st August - yay for FREE!!

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:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

WONDERFUL WORLD BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£0.00)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (£28.00)	SIMPLY FABULOUS PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£17.00)	STARRY SKY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	STARRY SKY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.50)
DAFFODIL DELIGHT A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	2022-2024 IN COLOR MATTE DECORATIVE DOTS (£7.50)	SUMMER SHADOWS DIES (£32.00)

Today I have my card for the new challenge over at Festive Friday. 

The challenge that we are celebrating this week is 'International Dog Day' which is on August 26th. Remember the fun thing is that at Festive Friday you do not need to actually celebrate the occasion; your goal is to simply use three or more items from the inspiration list on your project. This week I used dog, treat and texture and actually have a couple of co-ordinating projects for you - take a look:

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

Today's project started with the treat - dog shaped, but the human kind! I found these cute Scottie dog shortbread biscuits at the supermarket and thought they would be perfect packaged in a slim cello bag so that they could be seen in all their glory! 

I added a piece of black cardstock to back them, then closed my treat bag with topper made from the Seasonal Labels Dies folded in half in red gingham paper and finished with a diecut wreath and punched Scottie dog, along with a cute sentiment banner: 

I decided to make a co-ordinating Christmas card to go with my treat, incorporating my 'topper' into the centre of my card design:

I added in additional texture by using the (retired) Checks Embossing Folder to emboss the front panel of my card and left the front sentiment-free:

I'm thinking I might give this card and treat to my post lady in the run up to the festive season as a thank you for her care and attention as she does her daily rounds - I'm sure the irony of my Scottie dog won't be lost on her, although there is no chance of these shortbread biscuits biting back!

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. 

How does our board inspire you? I can’t wait to see what YOU create! For more inspiration, be sure to visit the rest of the  Festive Friday Challenge Design team:

Ann Schach
Beth McCullough
Sharon Hashimoto Burkert
Melanie Hungerford
Helen Jennings
Stephanie Lanzalotto
Melva Peters
Jaydee
Diane Evans
Joanne James

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CHRISTMAS SCOTTIE BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£35.00)	COUNTRY WREATHS DIES (£37.00)	SEASONAL LABELS DIES (£36.00)	GINGHAM COTTAGE 12" X 12" (30,5 X 30,5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£28.00)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	REAL RED A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)
SHADED SPRUCE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.75)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.75)