Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a great colour combination for you:

I have another CAS card for you today - I'm still making lots of cards to send out so unfussy and quick to mass-produce is something of the order of the day. For this card I decided to go with the holly sprig from the Peaceful Wreath set:

I used a base of Cherry Cobbler and added a strip of In-Colour Mossy Meadow washi tape and a sliver of silver foil cardstock along the edge of my offset Whisper White top layer for  a little extra interest. On my front panel I stamped the holly sprig in Mossy Meadow and then used my aquapainter to roughly watercolour the leaves in the same colour and then added some Cherry Cobbler for my berries. I stamped the second part of my sentiment from the same set in Cherry Cobbler and decided to add a Christmas Greetings diecut silver glimmer 'peace' for a quick touch of festive sparkle to really draw the eye and ground my design. The washi tape I used is included in this week's Wednesday Deals, so now would be a good time to snap some up for the bargain price of £5.44!

Do visit the other Design Team members to see what they did with this week's colours; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too! I'm also linking up today's card with the lovely ladies over at Less Is More as I haven't played there for a few weeks and this week's theme is 'fruit' - and fortunately for me this includes holly berries and mistletoe too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

It's Wednesday already? The week is zipping by! I'm sure that time moves quicker the nearer to Christmas we get! I have a great festive monochromatic Christmas card for you today: big on layers, easy to recreate - just what we like at this time of year! I made today's card with a couple of challenges in mind:

The sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch this week is a classic and I just love the inspiration photo at CanYouCaseIt - so much shine! I took my inspiration from the red and white elements and the shiny foil which I incorporated into the border frame for my card:

Isn't that striped Holiday vellum just gorgeous? I matted it on a piece of Whisper White cardstock before adhering to my Real Red base so that the red foil stripes would really stand out. For the focal point of my card, I used the sentiment from the 'Cheer All Year' stamp set - so versatile - and my little hot cocoa mugs are from the 'Project Life Hello December 2015' stamp set - another one of those sets that is useful for so much more than its designed purpose.

Are any of you out there joining in with the #decemberdaily project? I love to create a Project Life mini-album each December documenting the goings on in the James household during the festive season, so the above stamp set was a must for me to decorate this year's journalling, along with the Hello December 2015 Project Life Card Collection and Accessory Kit:

I'm mindful that I don't often share my Project Life documenting here on my blog - I just tend to get on with it! - but I'm trying to consciously change that, so throughout December I will be sharing some of the inspiration for my daily journalling and occasionally some of my completed pages in the hope that they will inspire you to get involved in active memory keeping too. Yesterday's page will feature the arrival of our Christmas Elf Charlie, who often gets up to mischief in the run up to Christmas and yesterday appeared with a fun piece of home decor I made to remind the James Juniors that good behaviour is important more now than ever since the elf will be reporting back to Santa on everything he sees and hears:

Isn't that fun? Surprisingly easy to create with the help of my e-cutter and some Stampin' Up! cardstock. Here's a picture of Charlie as he made his first appearance of the year:

This morning Ben was out of bed, up and dressed in record time and off on the hunt for Charlie to see what mischief he had got up to overnight; he eventually found him hiding in the basil pot amongst the herbs on the kitchen windowsill. Here's to more mayhem as the month progresses!

If you would like to join me in documenting your December, it's not too late to order the supplies to create your own album; just click on the links below to go to the online store or give me a call and I would be happy to place an order for you. More tips and Project Life #decemberdaily inspiration to come! Equally, if you would like to share your own #decemberdaily memories, feel free to upload them to my Facebook page here - I would love to feature them.

That's all from me today; I'll be back tomorrow with a festive card for this week's new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary. until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Project Life Hello December 2015 Photopolymer Stamp Set	Cheer All Year Photopolymer Stamp Set	Holidays Fancy Foil Designer Vellum	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock
Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Project Life #dailydecember Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Project Life Hello December 2015 Photopolymer Stamp Set

Hello December 2015 Project Life Card Collection

Hello December 2015 Project Life Accessory Pack

Kraft 6" X 8" Project Life Album

Variety Pack 6" X 8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages

Project Life Journaling Pens

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! These offers are valid for one week only. As always, a new collection of deals will be announced next Wednesday.

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 new Hostess Code for December 99Y3W6CF if your order is under £150 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:

2014-2016 In Color Designer Washi Tape

Fun Frames Textured Impressions Embossing Folders

Go Wild Designer Series Paper Stack

Hearts Border Punch

I will be placing an order this evening, so if you live in or around Northampton and would like to save on postage, please get in touch and I will add your items on. I'll also be using this washi tape on my card tomorrow so pop back if you'd like to see how I use it.

Back later with today's creative project; until then, happy shopping!

It's Tuesday and I'm a little later with my post today as I've had the first of my December technique classes this morning - more on those projects another day. Today I have a card for this week's Pals Paper Arts challenge. Before we get to it though, I would like to say thank you to the designers over there for choosing this card as a PPA Pick last week - challenges are fun and it's always nice to have your work recognised so thank you PPA Peeps! This week's sketch was intriguing:

I immediately saw this sketch rotated through 90 degrees as the two elements looked like a signpost to me; my card didn't finish up quite where I started out - here it is:

I decided to go with a sign of sorts using this fun sentiment from the 'Cup of Cheer' stamp set and a wide ribbon banner behind for some added texture - and of course I couldn't resist adding a fussy cut santa from the 'Home for Christmas' designer series paper to finish. This card uses surprisingly few supplies but has a real festive feel I think.

As today is the 1st of December, I want to remind you all that if you haven't already registered your Stampin' Up! Wishlist with me, you still have time to do so. It's the best way to ensure that you get the Christmas gifts that your heart desires - and still have a surprise on Christmas Day! The last date for orders to be received in time for Christmas is 13th December, so don't leave it too late to place your yours. Please give me a call on 07773 421446 or email me for more details - I will even gift wrap for you!

A quick visit from me today; off shortly on the school run and then piano lessons - it's all go here! Back tomorrow with another festive project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper	Very Vanilla 1-1/4" (3.2 Cm) Subtle Stripes Satin Ribbon	Cup Of Cheer Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock
Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

As promised - here is my second card of the day, this time for this week's challenge over at The Color Throwdown:

I saw the colours and those adorable snowman treats and knew that I had the perfect idea for a card to play along! The feedback on this card last Thursday where I used my Snow Friends framelits to create a 'negative space' graphic snowman was well received with lots of positive comments, so today I went one step further - and added in a carrot nose! Take a look:

The best thing of all - I used one of my Snow Friends framelits to create it! Are you wondering which one? Yes, it was the ice cream cone - I simply trimmed away the icecream and it left a perfect carrot nose shape. I love it when you can multi-purpose things!! I also added in some twig arms on this card, because the colours worked so well. I think everything else is pretty self-explanatory - check out the layered die cut 'snow' too, cut using the die in the Seasonal Frame Thinlits set and adhered with ease using the fine tip glue pen - perfect for narrow elements like this! Any other questions, leave me a comment below - I read then all and will be sure to post you an answer if you have any queries on this or any of my cards!

Right, off to nurse the poorly one and hopefully fit in an hour or two at my desk before doing the school run. Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Snow Friends Framelits Dies	Sparkly Seasons Photopolymer Bundle	Fine-Tip Glue Pen	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot
Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Pumpkin Pie A4 Cardstock	Marina Mist A4 Cardstock	Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad	Chocolate Chip A4 Cardstock

Happy Monday everyone! Happier for some than others - I'm working from home with one James Junior off school today fighting the seasonal lurgy - but for everyone reading this, your day is about to get better! I have a double post for you today (to make up for Saturday's lack of post!) with cards for a couple of challenges. The first is my card for this week's challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches where they have a great sketch - I combined with the theme inspiration of 'Blue Christmas' over at Fusion:

I love the simplicity of Jen T's sketch this week, although by the time I finished my card I wondered if I'd got just a little bit carried away - take a look:

I made a cute 'faux shaker' card using the snowman image from the 'Sparkly Season' stamp set, stamping him in Memento Black and colouring him in with my Pool Party and Bermuda Bay markers, with Pumpkin Pie for his nose, then used my two-way glue pen to adhere some Dazzling Diamonds to the snow mound that the snowman is sat on. I then stamped the snowfall stamp in Versamark to my window sheet and applied Heat & Stick and Iridescent Ice to give it a lovely sparkle, before adhering behind the hole that I'd cut in my Pool Party top layer. On this layer I stamped a few clusters of snowflakes in Pool Party using the snowflake stamp in the Snow Place stamp set and highlighted these with some silver sequins along with a few retired snowflake sequins from last year's stash. To finish, I added a layered banner that contains a little of everything: white glitter ribbon, Bermuda Bay sequins and a dash of silver glimmer paper to boot! I just love the sparkle and shine of this card and the shades of blue - so very pretty!

Back shortly with another quick and easy card for today; I must be on a roll! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Sparkly Seasons Photopolymer Bundle	Snow Place Photopolymer Stamp Set	Gold & White 3/8" (1 Cm) Glitter Ribbon	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad
Pool Party A4 Cardstock	Fine-Tip Glue Pen	Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	White Stampin' Emboss Powder
Heat Tool (Uk)	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot	Many Marvelous Markers	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Heat & Stick Powder	Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder	2-Way Glue Pen	Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter	Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim
Silver Glimmer Paper	Bermuda Bay A4 Cardstock	Banner Triple Punch	Window Sheets

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! This week it is the turn of the talented Sandy to host and she has a tic tac toe board to get our creative juices flowing this week:

There were so many ways I could have gone with Sandy's board this week - the creative possibilities are endless! - but in the end I decided to go with the far-right column: white, embossing and punch or die cut. I used this week's colours over at Colour Me and the Friday Mashup sketch for today's card:

I used a base of Melon Mambo for my card then on a piece of Whisper White I stamped the silhouette from the 'To You and Yours' stamp set in Memento Black then sponged in my sky using each of the Colour Me challenge colours and masking off a small moon with a small circle of post-it note. I also added a few tiny white stars using my chalk pen. I then took a piece of Basic Black cardstock and diecut the tree using the medium-sized Perfect Pines framelit, wrapping some silver thread around the base of the card and securing behind. The top layer is a piece of Shimmery White cardstock - you can't really see the sparkle of this card in the photo, which is a shame as it's lovely! I embossed this piece with the Softly Falling embossing folder to add texture then used the largest Christmas tree framelit to cut an aperture in my card to frame the tree in the black layer. Finally I added my sentiment; I added the silver glimmer 'peace' from the Christmas Greetings thinlits (I trimmed down the ends) and heat embossed the 'on earth' in silver onto the black layer. 

I've been wanting to use this silhouette stamp for ages and I like the idea of framing it with the diecut. Quite unconventional for a Christmas card, but I just love the colours of the pretty sunset too. 

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 how many tic tac toe combinations you can come up with this week. I'm off for a morning of basketball and then a quiet day for the James juniors, given that Rebecca has an awful cold and needs some R&R to prepare for the busy month ahead in the run up to Christmas. I'm hoping to work on a few projects and get a few jobs done - wish me luck!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

To You & Yours Too Photopolymer Stamp Set	Perfect Pines Framelits Dies	Holly Jolly Greetings Clear-Mount Bundle	Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder	Silver Metallic Thread
Shimmery White A4 Cardstock	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Silver Glimmer Paper
Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)	Magnetic Platform
Big Shot

Yay - it's Friday - always a good day! I've had a busy one with a few errands, appointments and a pleasant afternoon watching Ben play rugby. Not much time for crafting today (I did help a friend make good progress on some Christmas bunting, but we still have a few finishing touches to make so I'll share that another time!) so I'm sharing a home decor project I made in a class with a lovely group of ladies last week. We decided to decorate a pillar candle and make a table centre, using the Festive Flower Punch and the Spiral Flower Originals Die to make a wreath of flowers around the base.

Here's my finished project, in Real Red with Very Vanilla roses:

I stamped the flower from 'Reason to the Season' on filter paper and melted it into the candle to set it, then covered a small polystyrene wreath with Very Vanilla satin ribbon before adhering my flower to it. A few gold glimmer and pearl flower centres and some loops of gold glitter ribbon interspersed in between completes the project.

The ladies in my class made their arrangements in a variety of colours; you can see their creations on my Facebook page here (feel free to give me a 'like' whilst your there!) for more colour inspiration. This was such a fun project to make and another way to show the versatility of the 'Reason for The Season' stamp set and co-ordinating Festive Flower Punch - this is one bundle that just keeps on giving, so many creative possibilities! The new Spring-Summer catalogue also offers another stamp set that co-ordinates with this useful punch - watch this space!

I'm linking up with the lovely ladies over at SUO Challenges too who are working with your favourite holiday colours - my traditional colour scheme remains a favourite, even though it's sometimes nice to step out of the creative comfort zone (see next Sunday's post for an example of that!) That's all from me today; back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Reason For The Season Photopolymer Bundle	Spiral Flower Originals Die	Big Shot	White Filter Paper	Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon
Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Gold Glimmer Paper
Gold & White 3/8" (1 Cm) Glitter Ribbon	Pearl Basic Jewels

Today it's time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary and this week we have a great sketch for you:

I had lots of ideas about ways to use this sketch; I eventually settled on this fun card featuring a snowman with a difference:

Instead of stamping a snowman on my card, I decided to create a graphic snowman using my Big Shot and the Snow Friends framelits. I used a card base of extra-thick white cardstock and tucked a strip of red striped Holidays Fancy Foil Vellum don the left hand side. I then added a panel of Soft Sky, onto which I stamped the snowflakes from the Wonderland stamp set in Versamark and heat embossed them in white, before cutting out the snowman shape and scarf and hat, which adhered across the negative space for dimension. I then stamped part of the sentiment from Holly Jolly Greetings directly onto the cardbase in Pacific Point, adding a red glimmer 'jolly' cut from the co-ordinating Christmas Greetings Framelits dies to finish. I also used black glimmer paper for the snowman's hat - both add great sparkle to this card. To finish, I added a few pearls coloured with a red Sharpie as the holly berries for the leaves on the hat.

I love the subtle textures and layering on this card - and it's fun to look at framelits and dies to see how else they can be used beyond the straightforward cutting out of shapes.

Do visit the other Design Team members to see how they interpreted this week's sketch; there's lots of inspiration over on their blogs too!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Today I have a super-simple fun card for this week's clean-and-simple challenge over at Addicted To CAS, where they are celebrating their 3rd birthday - congratulations, ATCAS! The challenge this week has the following code word:

I decided this week's challenge was the perfect opportunity to try out a card I've had in mind for ages:

You already know how much I love these cute reindeer clips, so I thought it was about time I based an entire card around one! I used Early Espresso cardstock for my base, then mounted a simple square of it onto a mat of gold foil to highlight my reindeer clip. I added a Cherry Cobbler red enamel dot for my reindeer's nose (Rudolf is so much more eye-catching!) and I stamped my sentiment from the 'Oh What Fun' stamp set in Versamark and heat embossed it in gold. As simple as that! A tub of clips could see you knocking a dozen of these out in next to no time and I love the dimension the clip and nose gives to my CAS card.

I'll be back tomorrow with this week's card for the new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Oh, What Fun Photopolymer Stamp Set	Reindeer Paper Clips Embellishments	Home For Christmas Enamel Dots	Gold Foil Sheets	Early Espresso A4 Cardstock
Embossing Buddy	Versamark Pad	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)