Easter Promise Spring Crocus Two Ways

by Joanne James26. March 2024 21:21

Today I'm sharing a couple of extra Easter cards that I made for a few current challenges, using one of my favourite retired Easter sets, Easter Promise, using two different colouring techniques. The first one is for the current TicTacToe Challenge (I went across the middle row with pastel colours/CAS/flowers) and is my second entry over at Addicted to CAS where the code word is 'Bloom:

    

My first card is coloured with my Stampin' Blends - take a look:

 

 I coloured my crocus with my Stampin' Blends, sticking to pale purples with a tiny pop of orange for the stamen. I stamped and fussy cut the sentiment and added a trio of irridescent gems - don't you just love how they pick up the colour of whatever they're next to?  

My second card uses the colours over at Sunday Stamps and since it's another card featuring spring flowers, I'm sharing over at AAA Cards:

   

For this card I stamped the crocus image onto watercolour paper and used my inks and aqua painter, along with my watercolour pencils for highlights, to colour:

 

I used all of the colours on the Sunday Stamps palette (if you look closely there is the faintest wash of pink around my blooms which add a hint of Spring warmth) and diecut my finished image and added to a Lemon Lolly card base, with some coordinating enamel dots for a pop of added colour:

 

On this card I stamped my sentiment in brown and I think it suits the yellow tones much better. Both the insides and envelopes were stamped for a finishing touch of co-ordination. Both of these cards are off in the post already - the Easter weekend is almost upon us!

I hope you like my trip back down memory lane with one of my favourite retired Easter sets.

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

 

 

Paper Florist Sweet Daisy Card

by Joanne James26. March 2024 20:27

Today I've a quick post to share a clean and simple card that was inspired by the cute daisy in the photo over at Inspired By this week and the code word over at Addicted to CAS - Bloom: 

   

There's something about that smiley daisy that made me want to recreate it for a sunny notecard - this is what I came up with:

 

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

I chose a pale Lemon Lolly background inspired by the background cushion in the photo, then set about recreating my daisy using a petal from the Paper Florist Dies set and a flower centre using a circle from the Stylish Shapes Dies. My smiley face is courtesy of the (retired) 'Cute Fruit' stamp set and my sentiment is from the 'Sweetest Cherries' stamp set. I fussy cut the word 'sweet' and popped it up on dimensionals:

 

Super simple but so cute and I know just the person to send it to!

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 evening and I'll be 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.

Birds Eye View Trio PP682

by Joanne James24. March 2024 08:00

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

       

You don't have to stick with the squares on LeAnne's sketch, but they worked for my card so I kept them. I wanted to play along with the Birds of a Feather challenge over at Just Us Girls, so I grabbed my Stampin' Blends (I went down the first column of Color Dare's TicTacToe board) and Bird's Eye view stamp set and this is what I came up with:

 

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

I stamped three of the birds, adding spectacles to the first one (this is my favourite bird in the set!) onto some squares cut with the Stylish Shapes Dies and placed them around the fourth square, onto which I added a diecut sentiment from the 'Charming Sentiments' stamp set, anchored with a Crushed Curry enamel dot:

I used a Sweet Thoughts Memories & More card for my base; the Pretty Peacock pattern complimented the colours of my birds and I added a contrasting Calypso Coral envelope to finish.

This was an easy card to pull together and the colours make for a trio of colourful feathered friends. The 'Bird's Eye View' stamp set is great if you are new to colouring: the small images are just large enough to practice your skills without any complicated details.

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:

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 four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

Enjoy your day; I had a new bird box and camera for Mother's Day a couple of weeks ago and today is the day we are switching over. My oldest bird box has seen better days and since the blue tits have not yet moved in, I need to get the new box in place ready for them hopefully to pay a visit! My new camera is full colour and is solar-powered, so I'm very excited! It can take stills and video and there's an app to use it with my mobile phone, so if there's any activity I'll be sure to share in a future blog post. I'll be 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.
 

Notes of Nature Lovely and Sweet Vanilla Sympathy Cards

by Joanne James11. March 2024 13:00

Today I'm sharing a couple of cards for a couple of challenges, the second having evolved from the first! Both cards use the layout over at Freshly Made Sketches and the first one uses the colours over at Color Throwdown:

    

I'm a big fan of the work of the lovely Cecile who is responsible for the FMS sketch this week, so having not managed to play along for a few weeks I couldn't resist squeezing in an entry today. Both cards use the new-to-me Lovely & Sweet stamp set from the current mini catalogue - here's the first one:

 

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

I thought this colour palette would work well for the vanilla image in the set, so I diecut and coloured the image in the challenge colours with my Stampin' Blends and added to my offset diecut semi-circles (more on those in a moment!) along with a sentiment from the same set - I thought this soft colour palette would suit a sympathy card. A few sparkly gems add a finishing touch:

 

Having finished this card, I really wanted to pair the peach and vanilla with touches of brown; technically not the correct colouring for fresh vanilla, but I wanted to switch things up so created this second version:

 

I flipped the colours here and used the peach for the semi-circles, adding some background stamping in Pecan Pie and stamping my vanilla image and sentiment in Early Espresso, with a few toning sequins to finish:

 

This card is my favourite for sure, so this is the one I'll link up over at Freshly Made Sketches, but I'd love to hear which one you prefer - do leave me a comment below with your thoughts. 

 

Before I forget - a tip for you regarding those stitched semi-circles! If like me you don't have semi-circle dies, you can easily use a circle from the Stylish Shapes Dies that you cut in half using the edge of one of the square dies in the same set; just make sure to repeat the process on the straight edge of both semi-circles (the stitching design is different depending on whether or not it is inside or outside the frame - if you take a close look at the dies, you'll see what I mean).

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on 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; I'm feeling a little grey today, much like the weather so I think I'll be spending the day in my craft room. I'll be 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.

Rainy Days Are Better With You PP679

by Joanne James3. March 2024 08:00

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

 

This theme couldn't be more appropriate for the British weather, especially this past few days, when once again it has, as the expression goes, been raining cats and dogs once again! My cheery little bunny isn't put off though - take a look:

 

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

Rainy Days - My bunny and sentiment come from the 'Playing In The Rain' stamp set and are cut out with the coordinating Playing In The Rain Dies. I coloured him with my Blends markers and gave him a green jacket to pick up the colours in the background paper.

Sunny Days - I know Sale-A-Bration is now over, but the Sunny Days papers were just perfect for today's card. I used a background of clouds and rain, then used a sun-patterned piece to cut out an abstract sun to tuck behind the clouds.

Collage Cute - I added a mix of stitched clouds, a ribbon tab and a mix of sparkly raindrops, enamel dots and sequins and layered them up to give my card a fun, collage feel:

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:

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 four challenges, TOTAL.
4.  Have FUN!

Enjoy your day; I have no big plans today, maybe some baking and if I'm lucky a little creative time. One thing's for sure - it will be too wet for gardening! All being well I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Storybook Gnomes Toadstool Christmas

by Joanne James23. February 2024 08:00

Today I'm sharing a card for the challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown that uses the current layout over at Tuesday Morning Sketches:

   

As with my previous Christmas card make, today's card features another of the patterns in the retired Storybook Gnomes designer series paper pack - where else can you find Christmas mushrooms?! Here's my card:

 

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

I chose a busy pattern featuring lots of gnomes and mushrooms/toadstools, split it into 3 as per the sketch layout, then added a circle embossed with the retired Wintry 3D snowflake embossing folder, where I highlighted the details with some white craft ink, before adding another toadstool and gnome that I diecut from another sheet of designer paper. I also added some puffy snow to my toadstool for an added wintry detail:

 

My sentiment comes from the coordinating 'Kindest Gnomes' stamp set, which I also used to add some detail to the inside of my card:

 

I couple of sparkly enamel dots complete the detail on the front of my card. The hubby ventured into my craft room the other evening as I was finishing this card, and was properly bemused to see me making a Christmas card in February. As I pointed out, it pays to be prepared! How is your Christmas card stash coming along?

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

 

A Flight And Airy Celebration

by Joanne James21. February 2024 18:00

The ladies over at TGIF Challenges have Sale-A-Bration products as the theme for this week so I have a another card for you featuring one of my Sale-A-Bration favourites. My card was inspired by this card by Cindy Timmers. I decided to keep with the layout of Cindy's card and the use of designer series paper, but changed it out for the oh-so-pretty Flight & Airy papers - take a look:

 

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

Flight and Airy - My card actually uses three of the patterns in the Flight & Airy pack: a busy floral for the base, a panel of washed Boho Blue and some birds diecut from another of the designs. On every card I've made featuring these birds up until now, I've fussy cut the birds, but for today's card I wanted to show that if fussy cutting isn't your thing, these papers are still great! I used my Stylish Shapes Dies to diecut three circles, positioning the birds in the centre each time. 

Thoughtful Moments - I used a sentiment from the 'Thoughtful Moments' hybrid embossing folder across the centre of my card. I inked the embossing folder with Night of Navy ink using my brayer, then embossed and diecut it onto a piece of DSP the same colour as my horizontal band. These embossed and diecut sentiments make such an eye-catching centrepiece: 

 

Finishing Touches - Some Night of Navy twine, iridescent gems and some leaves punched using my retired leaf punch complete my card. The leaves in particular add lots of dimension and I must say I rather like the end result.

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 evening and I'll be 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.

Just Kiddin CAS Framed Friendship Card

by Joanne James17. February 2024 18:00

Today I'm sharing a quick card using the sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches and the inspo list at Festive Friday (I chose pink, white, any shape other than a rectangle (heart and square) and supportive sentiment): 

    

And here's my card:

 

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

Just Kiddin' - Just Kiddin' is one of my most favourite designer papers - ever! Perfect for cards, children's home decor and scrapbooking, I fussy-cut my sweet pair of friends whispering to each other and framed them with a pattern from the Delightfully Eclectic designer paper pack.. 

 

More To Sale-A-BrateBoth the Just Kiddin' and the Delightfully Eclectic designer series papers have been added to the products available as a free Sale-A-Bration item with a £45 purchase during February - the whole collection is shown on the graphic below:

 

You've Got A Friend - I used one of my favourite sentiments from the 'Silly Goose' stamp set in a diecut heart to complete my card; it just seemed to suit my whispering (or are they gossiping?!) pair and will be perfect for any number of my friends - who doesn't love a good natter, right?!

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 evening and I'll be back tomorrow with another project featuring the Just Kiddin' paper for my card 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.

Just My Type Key To My Heart Valentine Card

by Joanne James14. February 2024 21:00

Happy Valentine's lovely readers! It seems only right that I should share a Valentine's card today; actually I made this card to send to the DH to celebrate our wedding anniversary, which is next week, but it would work for either. I made my card with a couple of challenges in mind:

   

Inkspirational have a word prompt of 'heart' and the theme over at Inspire.Create is 'All About Love'. I went for a relatively clean and simple card with lots of fun details that focuses on the sentiment - take a look:

 

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

The sentiment comes from the 'Just My Type' stamp set and I found a tiny vintage key trinket in my embellishment stash that I thought paired with it perfectly. A Bee Builder Punch heart and a selection of designer paper snippets, diecuts and gems complete my card:

 

Pretty yet not overly feminine - I really like the finished result and hope that the Hubby will 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 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I have enjoyed a pleasant Valentine's dinner with the youngest of the James Juniors, catching up on the events of the day, the highlight of which was a hockey 2nd XI win, which is always worth celebrating! I'll be back on Friday 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.

Storybook Gnomes Blue Christmas

by Joanne James10. February 2024 06:00

Today I have a nice early post for you as I'm guesting with the lovely team over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week! I won their December sketch challenge with this card so was delighted to be invited by Andreja to join them as a guest. This week it's colour week and they are inviting us to make cards using a blue and white colour combination:

    

For my card I used the current layout over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and grabbed some retired Storybook Gnomes designer series paper and set to work. Take a look at what I came up with:

 

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

My card started with that vertical panel of blue and white patterned paper - so pretty! I added a simple Balmy Blue banner then a sentiment from the retired stamp set 'Hug In A Mug' and a gnome that I diecut from another sheet of paper using my Gnomes Dies:

 

 I added a little extra detail on the inside - a sentiment from 'Gnome For The Holidays' and a partial toadstool house: 

 

Lots of little touches of blue for another Christmas card to add to my stash!  Thank you to the team over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown for having me as their guest this week and for keeping me making Christmas cards throughout the year!

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

 

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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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