I've had a full day today with a group of lovely ladies at my extended technique class. I'll be sharing more of those cards in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, today I'm sharing a card for this week's challenge over at CAS(E) This Sketch that also uses the current colour palette over at Fab Friday:

I was intrigued by the lovely Hannelie's sketch this week and whilst my instinct was to run a mile at the five bright colours over at Fab Friday, I suddenly had an idea that worked perfectly for me when I combined both challenges - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Summer Seasonal Layers - I decided to use a bright, white adirondack chair diecut cut with my Seasonal Layers Thinlits for the silhouette motif - complete with cooling lemonade drink on the side for the focal point of my card. It's the perfect fit with that summery colour palette too.

Block That Colour - The five summer colours of the Fab Friday colour palette could be a challenge to use on a single card without them becoming overwhelming. The sketch though allows them to be used for big, bold blocks of colour that have impact whilst balanced by the large expanse of white space that surround them.  Perfect!

Holiday Wishes - What sentiment to use on my summery card? I am soon off on my summer vacation and seriously looking forward to whiling away the hours in a chair just like this, with a drink by my side, enjoying the warmth and generally relaxing into my holiday idyll. I created a customised sentiment using the Thoughtful Banners stamp set  - what better way to send someone on their summer travels?

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'll be back tomorrow with another project. I'm hoping for the return of warmer weather here tomorrow as otherwise I will have a couple of boisterous, stir-crazy boys on my hands as we have a friend coming over to play. Wish me luck!   Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies	Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set	Thoughtful Banners Photopolymer Stamp Set	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Daffodil Delight A4 Cardstock
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad	Berry Burst A4 Cardstock	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad
Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	Tangerine Tango A4 Cardstock

Monday again - doesn't a new week seem to come around so quickly? I have one James Junior on school holiday as of today, so need to be more organised than ever! Today I'm sharing a card for this week's colour challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches:

I have been making cards for the second of this month's technique classes and these colours were perfect for another card using my Oh So Eclectic Bundle - take a look:

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

Many Eclectic Layers - The Eclectic Layers Thinlits are so versatile: a number of them can be used nested, for example to cut out an outlined veined flower, or alternatively just the border edge can be used  - as I've done to cut out my green-blue stamped flower here - or even just the detailed section as I've done with my other two flowers, to reveal the paper below. There really are so many different options when it comes to creating with these thinlits! 

Naturally Eclectic Watercolour - I'd like to say that the lovely Berry Burst watercoloured background was all me, but I can't take the credit. Well, I can take the credit for choosing this rather lovely piece of naturally Eclectic designer series paper, but that's all! I love it when the paper does all the work!

Layering Colour - I decided to create an unorthodox 'Island Indigo on Lime Green' flower to complete my trio; whilst this might not be the most authentic of flowers, I do think the colours pair beautifully when layered together. I then added a block of indigo for my sentiment and a few glitter enamel dots to complete my card.

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 tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Oh So Eclectic Clear-Mount Bundle	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Glitter Enamel Dots	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Naturally Eclectic Designer Series Paper
Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad	Island Indigo A4 Cardstock	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder

It's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! It's my wonderful friend LeAnne's turn to host this week and she has a fun colour challenge for us to work with:

Ok, time for confessions first! I saw the colours on the badge and had such a clear idea of what I wanted to make when I was preparing my card that I pulled the colours from my ink caddy and set to work. It wasn't until I started to write this post that whilst I had used monochromatic purples, I hadn't used the three on LeAnne's swatch! I actually used Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and Fresh Fig for my three colours and I didn't have time to remake. So I'm hoping for forgiveness from LeAnne for choosing Fresh Fig instead of Berry Burst and that you can all use your imagination!

I took the opportunity to create a big bunch of flowers using the Beautiful Bouquet bundle - take a look:

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

Pick A Bunch - Like most of the team this week, I was drawn to use flowers with this monochromatic colour scheme and decide to ink up my Beautiful Bouquet stamp set and create a bunch of flowers. The thing I love most about this set is the co-ordinating framelits: the Bouquet Bunch Framelit Dies make cutting out the flower heads and stems really easy and enable you to create layered florals with ease. 

A Beautiful Bouquet - In addition to the flower pieces, the stamp set also contains a great selection of sentiments in a lovely combined block and scripted font. I chose one of my favourites for my card today - the perfect greeting for a friend who means a lot that lets them know how you feel. 

The Importance of White - I often talk about the importance of white on cards, usually in the context of 'white space' or clear and uncluttered space, a key feature of clean and simple cards. On today's card white plays an important role as a colour to break up the monochromatic colours and add definition to the flowers themselves. 

I really like this card, even if the colours are not quite what LeAnne had in mind when she set us the challenge!  

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:

I look forward to seeing what you create with this week's colour palette. Enjoy the rest of your weekend as it will be over all too quickly; I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Beautiful Bouquet Photopolymer Bundle	Fresh Fig A4 Cardstock	Fresh Fig Classic Stampin' Pad	Sweet Sugarplum A4 Cardstock	Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad
Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White Solid Baker's Twine	Brights Enamel Shapes	Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Today I've a quick post as I'm playing catch-up to share a quick card that I made using this week's sketch over at The Global Design Project:

I considered all those lines and came up with this card using the new Basics (Pack 3) washi tape:

Super simple, I inset my stripes and used my top mat to frame them, then added a layered flower and sentiment using the Oh So Eclectic stamp set and co-ordinating Eclectic Layers Thinlits Dies. Washi tape is so useful for easy cards and I love that the new ones come in shades of colour across one area of the colour spectrum and are of differing widths. 

I've been making lots of samples using this set in readiness for my technique class that features it next week so have lots more where this came from, including another one using the same sketch that I'll share tomorrow after my Paper Players post.

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'll be back tomorrow with my card for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players and another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Oh So Eclectic Clear-Mount Bundle	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Layering Squares Framelits Dies	Basics Pack 3 Washi Tape	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad
Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Pearl Basic Jewels

I'm having a busy week as the youngest of the James Juniors is on the last week of the school year this week so blogging is having to take something of a back seat whilst I get other work things in order and prepare for the long summer break! I did find time yesterday to make a card for a couple of challenges that I wanted to share with you today. Yes, another scorcher here in the UK today and I'm sharing a Christmas card! My original inspiration was this rather perplexing sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch:

It's been swirling around in my creative subconscious for days and I was keen to play along as I love their sketches but when combined with this week's challenge over at Stamp Ink Paper I finally found my answer  - take a look:

My 'Star of Light' stamp set to the rescue! This stamp set has to me one of my most-used Christmas sets last year and worth it for that fabulous swirl of trailing sparkle alone in my opinion. Some background sponging and a white glimmer star, cut using my Starlight Thinlits Dies, completes the picture. I even remembered to take a photograph of the inside to show you, so that you can see how the greeting follows on:

A card that took longer to execute than to explain, but I guess that's the beauty of the creative process! If you don't have this set, I can definitely recommend it; buy both the stamp set and co-ordinating thinlits this month and you will not only be able to get a head start on your Christmas cards, you'll get a £5 voucher to spend next month 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've a busy couple of days ahead but promise I'll be back soon with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Star Of Light Photopolymer Stamp Set	Starlight Thinlits Dies	Soft Sky A4 Cardstock	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad
Island Indigo Classic Stampin' Pad	Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder
Rhinestone Basic Jewels

It's Sunday and time for this week's new challenge over at The Paper Players! I am the hostess this week and I have a timely theme for you to work with:

We are almost at the end of the academic year here in the UK and so it's the perfect time for teacher thank you cards. It's also the start of exam results season: everything from Common Entrance Exams, to the 11 Plus, graduate degrees and next month GCSE and A Level results. Since our challenge is an international one and all countries have these things happening at different times, I thought I would broaden this week's theme to encapsulate all of these things. So whether it's a thank you for your favourite teacher or a message of congratulations, we would love to see them all in the gallery this week.

I've made my teacher thank yous already, however I know a number of children that sat GCSE exams this year and so will be requiring a few more congratulations cards than usual. I used today's challenge as an opportunity to get started! This week's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches inspired my layout  - I turned it through 90 degrees - and created a few cards using the same design; take a look:

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

Text Ya Later - This set was one of the first on my wish list; perfect for those tricky teenager cards, this on-trend stamp set, with it's text-speak and humorous emoticons works for children and adults alike. How many of us are in family message groups that span generations and often result in some hilarious texting faux-pas? There is so much fun to be had with these stamps, with the ability to tailor the messages to a number of different occasions. There are also some great background stamps that enable you to infill the speech bubbles with colour with ease.

Stars In Their Eyes - For the strip detail, I cut a row of stars out of coloured cardstock using one of the thinlits in the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits set, to add to the celebratory feel.

A Neat Little Trick - If you look really closely at my card, you will see that the smiley face emoticon has been punched out and added to my coloured speech bubbles. Want to know how I did it? I discovered that the single berry on the Holly Berry Builder Punch i just the right size to punch out these emoticons - handy, 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 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:

Before I go, I also have another card that I made at the same time using the same sketch and stamp set whilst everything was out on my desk that uses this week's colours over at The Global Design Project:

Rebecca saw my congratulations cards and immediately requested a fun card for one of her friends whose birthday it is this week:

Those words just crack me up every time I read them - gotta love predictive text right? I just know this set is going to get a lot of use this year!

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. 

I look forward to seeing what you create with this week's theme. Enjoy the rest of your weekend as it will be over all too quickly; we are having the a relatively quiet day today since having had a very busy week it's the first day in over a week that the entire family will be at home together - how crazy is that?!  

I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

Text Ya Later Photopolymer Stamp Set	Pick A Pattern Designer Series Paper	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

Before I share today's project, I just want to give you a reminder that today is the final day for the 'We <3 Hosts' promotion where you can earn an extra £30 of rewards with an order of £300 or more. If you would like to refresh your memory on the details, you can find them here. You can place your order online or alternatively feel free to call me if you'd like to place your order over the phone. It's also the final day for this month's hostess code - if you are placing an order online for between £25 and £150, don't forget to add the code B3C3DUB6 to receive an extra thank you in the post from me.

Today I'm sharing another of the cards I designed for one of my recent team training meetings - you can see one of our other makes here. This one features probably my favourite of the new in-colours, lemon lime twist:

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

Lovely Words For A Friend - I used the Lovely Words Thinlits for the 'friend' diecut on my card, snipping it away from the oval so that I could use it standalone. These are such great thinlits with so many ways they can be used to create interest on your cards. 

CASE The Kit - The design of my card was inspired by one of the cards in the new 'Hello Friend' heat embossing product kit on page 16 of the new annual catalogue. One of the business topics we discussed at team training was how Stampin' Up!'s kits can benefit your business and our make and takes all included opportunities to practice the techniques and skills required to demonstrate with this kit effectively. There's nothing like being prepared and I'm sure my team would agree that team training is great for this kind of thing. Check out this video from the home office team that shows you the Hello Friend Kit in more detail:

Stampin' Up!'s kits are great for a crafty get-together with friends; if you're reading this and would like to arrange one with me to guide you through the fun techniques, then do get in touch. 

Copper Trim - To tie in with the dip-embossed copper of my diecut sentiment, I finished my card with a length of the new copper trim. This is a really versatile trim option for cards, home decor and gifts; silky smooth, you can use it like ribbon as it ties beautiful bows, but you can also split it and unravel it and use it like net, or even stretch it and use it as a cover for small items such as chocolates (a little like a sock!) 

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 tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Lovely Inside & Out Clear-Mount Bundle	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Tranquil Tide A4 Cardstock	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad	Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack
1/4" Copper Trim	Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder	Versamark Pad	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Heat Tool (Uk)

Today I'm sharing another of the cards from my recent technique class featuring the Happy Birthday Gorgeous bundle. The outside is a CASE (copy and share everything) of the card on page 76 of the annual catalogue:

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

Hip Hip Hooray - Today's card again features the 'Happy Birthday Gorgeous' stamp set, this time focusing on the balloons rather than the flowers for decoration, and also highlights the Happy Birthday Thinlit. These items are available as a bundle and whilst the thinlit is proving popular as a standalone item with many of my customers, the stamp set really is worth a look: flowers and balloons that have universal appeal and lots of great birthday sentiments, some of which also co-ordinate with the classic label punch, that I've used for the 'hip hip hooray' on my card front today. Besides, with a 10% discount when you buy both items, you are also getting even more value from your purchases - just sayin' :-)

A Happy Birthday Surprise - So you might be thinking I've lost the plot, as I mentioned above I was featuring both items in the bundle and the Happy Birthday Thinlit is no-where to be seen. Well, look what awaits when you open the card:

There it is! I made an easy pop-up mechanism so that as the recipient opens the card, they get a big, bold birthday message - how fun is that? This is so easy to do: you just need to make a couple of slits a few centimetres in from each side along the central fold and add a couple of additional scorelines in between them, then adhere the base of your diecut to the pop-out section. 

A Hint Of Fancy Foil - Lastly, for a little pizzazz I added a few strips of the super-shiny Foil Frenzy cardstock with the Tangerine Tango pattern to both the outside and inside of my card. I will be using most of mine for boxes and packaging as it is super sturdy, although it's worth keeping any offcuts to use on cards as a little goes a long 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 '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 tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Photopolymer Bundle	Balloon Bouquet Punch	Foil Frenzy Specialty Designer Series Paper	Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad
Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock	Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad	Peekaboo Peach A4 Cardstock	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad	Pool Party A4 Cardstock
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad	Pool Party Solid Baker’S Twine	Classic Label Punch

Today I'm sharing one of the cards that I made with the ladies in my technique class last week featuring the Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set that is perfect for the current keyword theme over at The Challenge and features 4 out of 5 of the keywords:

Can you identify which four feature on today's card? Here it is:

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

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Floral Wreath - The minute I saw the 'Happy Birthday Gorgeous' stamp set, I knew that the combinations of flowers, leaves and seed heads would lend themselves to a floral wreath. I stamped a basic wreath shape with the leaf stem, then fussy cut a variety of individual leaves, flowers and seed heads to embellish my wreath. This took a little while, but I hope you'll agree it was so worth it - I just love this card! 

A Fancy Fold - The card base itself is a square double z joy fold card, measuring  5 1/2" square when folded. A fancy fold is a great way to add interest to a square card and is really easy to make. The card base measures 11" x 5 1/2", scored at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2" on the long side. The smaller z fold panel measures 9 1/4" x 3 3/4" and is also scored at 2 3/4" and 5 1/2". It also allows for a fancy ribbon bow - here I've used the lovely Fresh Fig finely woven ribbon.

Petal Garden - My colour scheme was inspired by my paper choice for the rear panel of my card, which I took from the Petal Garden designer series paper stack. There are some gorgeous patterns in this pack, along with an alternative Calypso Coral colourway too. Here the rambling roses of my chosen pattern provided the perfect backdrop to my floral wreath. 

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. 

So - flowers, bright, birthday and square were my four - check out the design team cards over at The Challenge to see how they were inspired by the keywords.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Photopolymer Stamp Set	Petal Garden Designer Series Paper Stack	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Fresh Fig A4 Cardstock	Fresh Fig Classic Stampin' Pad
Sweet Sugarplum Classic Stampin' Pad	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad	Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad	Fresh Fig 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon

Today I'm sharing a card with a patriotic vibe which is perfect for the current challenges over at Fusion and SUO Challenges:

Ben needed a card for one of his school friends who is about to leave the UK and go to live in America, so a little stars and stripes were the order of the day:

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

Textured Stars and Stripes - I got my textured embossing paste out again for this card and using two retired stencils, in turn created my stars and stripes design. I love the depth the embossing paste gives to the overall finish and is really different to any of my previous patriotic designs. This is the third card featuring embossing paste I've shared in recent days and I'm having lots of fun with it. If you would like to learn more and get 'hands on' with this fun new product, it will be featuring in my upcoming technique class featuring the Oh So Eclectic Suite on 11th July - read more about it here and get in touch by the weekend if you'd like to book a place. The lovely people at Stampin' Up! have also made a short video to show easy embossing paste is to use - check it out here:

Get Glossy - I wanted a shine to contrast with the texture of my stars and stripes, so used glossy cardstock for my background and simply swiped my Real Red and Night of Navy ink pads in turn diagonally across my card base and waited for this to dry before adding the embossing paste. I love the shine this adds to the colour, although must confess it did cause the red to bleed through my embossing paste more than I would have liked, even with a second application, I think maybe because it is less absorbent than regular cardstock. 

A Banner For You - I finished my card with a two-tone double banner created with the 'Banners For You' stamp set and cut it out with the co-ordinating Bunch of Banners framelit and reversed the colours to contrast with my flag-inspired background.

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'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Embossing Paste	Palette Knives	A4 Glossy White Cardstock	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
Night Of Navy A4 Cardstock	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad	Banners For You Photopolymer Stamp Set	Bunch Of Banners Framelits Dies	Versamark Pad
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)