Today I'm sharing a card using the current Fab Friday sketch and this week's palette over at Color Throwdown:

I procrastinated over this sketch for some time - should I showcase some patterned paper? In the end my need for a new home card led me to create a great #SimpleStamping card using nothing more than stamps, ink and paper - take a look:

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

Life Is Beautiful - The tree and sentiment on today's card come from the new stamp set 'Life Is Beautiful', inspired by Million Sales Achiever LeeAnn Greff. This is a lovely set with the ability to dress the tree for all seasons. I chose to use the CTD fresh, summery colours along with the cute bird house and bird pair from the set for my card. 

Welcome Home -  I thought the bird house would make this a perfect set for a 'new home' card. I needed one for a dear friend of mine who has left her life in London where she has lived for some 20 years to return to Wales and the town where we grew up. I used a sentiment on the inside of my card from a retired set because 'welcome home' seemed appropriate:

#SimpleStamping - I decided not to use any framelits or diecuts on today's card as I wanted to give an example of #SimpleStamping with nothing more than stamps, ink and paper. I really love the result - sometimes less really is more! 

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:

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (£16.00)	POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	POOL PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	PETAL PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	PETAL PINK CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
CRUMB CAKE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	CRUMB CAKE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)

A super late post today as I have been busy celebrating - as of today I am officially the mother of not one, but two, teenagers! Lots of present opening, special meals, ice cream cake and candles and no time for crafting, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Luckily I made a card last week using the inspiration photo and sketch over at Inspired By so thought I'd share that with you today. Here's the inspiration photo and sketch:

It just so happens that I used the same dies, the Friendly Silhouettes Dies, that I used for my last Inspired By entry - here's a different take:

Some simple diecuts ( I used the retired 'Celebrate You' celebrate die for my sentiment) brought my card together in a jiffy, with a little stamping using the 'Friend like You' stamp set on the inside to finish: 

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:

FRIENDLY SILHOUETTES DIES (£30.00)	LAYERING CIRCLES DIES (£33.00)	STITCHED RECTANGLES DIES (£33.00)	FRIEND LIKE YOU PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (£20.00)	MAGENTA MADNESS A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
BUMBLEBEE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	POPPY PARADE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)

Today I'm sharing a couple of cards I made using this week's Freshly Made Sketches layout:

I thought Kim's sketch this week was great with so many possibilities, especially for a patterned paper lover like me! I decided that I would try and be faithful to the diagonal stripes too so reached for my Playful Patterns pack and created a teen-inspired birthday card - take a look:

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

I used my Playful Alphabet Dies to create a 'text speak' birthday sentiment and layered them onto a stitched square, using the colours of the designer series paper to determine my colour choices. I then added some simple stamping to the inside of my card:

A few Playful Patterns resin dots complete my card. I liked this card so much, I made another one in a similar colourway using another strip of the same paper:

Here they are together - which colourway do you prefer?

I know this kind of text speak isn't to everyone's taste, but as I find myself making more and more birthday cards for teenagers, I know this will be a top choice when the children go rifling through by box looking for a last-minute 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. 

Another quick Monday post for me as I've been busy today preparing for a milestone birthday of one of the James Juniors tomorrow - more on that later in the week! Enjoy your envening and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

PLAYING WITH PATTERNS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	STITCHED SHAPES DIES (£28.00)	PLAYFUL ALPHABET DIES (£32.00)	PLAYING WITH PATTERNS RESIN DOTS (£7.50)	COASTAL CABANA A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)
WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	PURPLE POSY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	NIGHT OF NAVY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	CALYPSO CORAL A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	CRUSHED CURRY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)

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 have a colour challenge for you to work with:

I love a bright colour palette and my choices today were inspired by a one sheet wonder I made a little while ago. I loved the colours together so much I decided to see what you would make of my colour combination. For today's card I used the current Inspire.Create Challenge sketch for my layout and decided these colour would be perfect for a balloon-carrying hippo - take a look:

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

I used the 'Hippo Happiness' stamp set and co-ordinating Hippo & Friends Dies to stamp and cut out my cute hippo and balloons and mounted him on a stitched shaped panel that is also found in the Hippo & Friends die set. I mounted this on a stitched rectangle of Pool Party cardstock and added this to a Melon Mambo base, to which I'd added a Tasteful Textile embossed panel and strip of co-ordinating Brights DSP. I couldn't resist adding some co-ordinating decoration to the inside of my card along with the second part of my punny sentiment too:

The stamping for today's card was pretty straightforward, however I do have one top tip for you with regard to stamping the hippo: he is a two-step stamped image and I found it much easier to align the stamps if I stamped the uppermost stamp (i.e. the navy one on my card) first, with the full body (i.e. the one I stamped in Pool Party) second.

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 enjoyed spending the day with friends yesterday, basking in the glorious weather we have been enjoying here in the UK. Today we shall be spending time in the garden and enjoying another BBQ before the weather breaks later this week!  I'll be back later with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

HIPPO HAPPINESS BUNDLE (ENGLISH) (£45.00)	TASTEFUL TEXTILE 3D EMBOSSING FOLDER (£8.25)	STITCHED RECTANGLES DIES (£33.00)	BRIGHTS 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (£10.75)	MELON MAMBO CARDSTOCK A4 (£8.25)
POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	MANGO MELODY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	POOL PARTY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
NIGHT OF NAVY CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at TicTacToe! It's the turn of Team X to host this week and the lovely LeAnne is our featured designer. This is the fun board that we are playing along with: 

I went with the diagonal of primary colour (red or black), square and animal for today's card and paired some old papers with a fun new stamp set - take a look:

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

Today's card features the fun new stamp set 'Way To Goat'; I just love this set, I mean check out the expression on that goat's face - priceless! I stamped my goat and coloured him with Smoky Slate Blends, cut him out with a Stitched Square Framelit and paired him with some retired Broadway Birthday designer series paper. I couldn't stop there though - I had to add this cheeky soul to the inside too:

And I liked this card so much, I made a a few more for my box: 

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. 

A tictactoe board offers so many creative possibilities - how does this week's board inspire you? Why not have a go? We would love to see you in the gallery and who knows - you might be selected for Designer's Choice and be eligible to be a guest designer on a future challenge. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

WAY TO GOAT CLING STAMP SET (EN) (£18.00)	STITCHED SHAPES DIES (£28.00)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	STAMPIN BLENDS SMOKY SLATE COMBO PACK (£8.50)	WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)
TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (£5.50)

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

I struggled a little with today's card as I don't know anyone getting married and I just couldn't seem to get into the zone! In the end I decide to flip the Paper Craft Crew Sketch and make an anniversary card using a new stamp from the upcoming Autumn-Winter catalogue - take a look:

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

This cute cupid comes from the new 'Flight of Fancy' set. The set also features a whimsical angel and a witch on a broomstick, and whilst I think this cupid may have been designed with Valentine's Day in mind, paired with this sentiment from the 'Heartfelt' stamp set and a row of Stitched Be Mine stacked diecut hearts, I think he makes a sweet anniversary card too. Simply coloured with Blends and a liberal dose of clear Wink of Stella, plus some (retired) gold Wink of Stella to highlight his curls and bow, along with a sprinkling of rhinestones, makes for quite the cherub, don't you think?

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:

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

HEARTFELT PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (EN) (£16.00)	STITCHED BE MINE DIES (£33.00)	SMOKY SLATE A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	SMOKY SLATE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	LAYERING OVALS DIES (£33.00)
BRONZE & IVORY STAMPIN' BLENDS COMBO PACK (£8.50)	WINK OF STELLA CLEAR GLITTER BRUSH (£7.50)	RHINESTONE BASIC JEWELS (£4.75)	STAMPIN' BLENDS DAFFODIL DELIGHT COMBO PACK (£8.50)

Today I'm sharing a card that uses the current Colour Inkspiration challenge colour palette and the photo and sketch inspiration over at Fusion:

I spotted that cute little melon in the Fusion photo and immediately thought of the Colour Inkspiration colours and how combining the two could make a fun fruity card:

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

Cute Fruit - I used my 'Cute Fruit' stamp set again to create my melon slices and stamped that fun punny sentiment in white on my horizontal black panel. I fussy cut the melon segments to allow them to be popped up on dimensionals.

#SimpleStamping - The 'Cute Fruit' stamp set features in the Stampin' Up! beginner's brochure and is great for those new to stamping. It makes easy one layer cards, but can also be easily 'stepped up' with some designer series paper and a little fussy cutting as I've done here. And everyone knows someone who is 'one in a melon', right?! 

A Little Extra Detail - I could have stopped there, but I found some retired raindrop epoxy shapes in my stash that I thought would be great to highlight the melon seeds. I coloured them black with my Blends marker and added them to the spaces outlined on the stamped image - I think the added shine and detail adds a nice extra little 'something':

If you don't have any of these in your stash you could always make some with a fine tip glue pen.

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. 

Yesterday was a scorcher here in the UK and thankfully today was a little cooler so enabled me to run without flaking out in the heat first thing and then get a few gardening jobs done. It was even cool enough for me to spend a little time in my craft room! Following brunch, young Master James spent the day at the lake with one of his friends, waterskiing, jetski riding and bouncing on inflatables. He had a ball and will I'm sure sleep well tonight! I hope you have enjoyed your day and I'll be back tomorrow with my card for our new challenge at The Paper Players. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CUTE FRUIT PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (£15.00)	BASIC BLACK A4 CARDSTOCK (£8.25)	WHISPER WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (£9.00)	JUST JADE CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)	MELON MAMBO CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (£7.00)
WHITE STAMPIN’ EMBOSS POWDER (£5.50)	VERSAMARK PAD (£8.75)	WHISPER WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (£7.75)

Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a sketch challenge:

I designed this week's sketch and decided to use some of the new in-colours and make a blue card - take a look:

 Here's the low-down on today's card:

Today's card features two different patterns from the Flowers For Every Season designer series paper stack. Some simple layering, a couple of co-ordinating floral embellishments from the Flowers For Every Season Memories and More pack and a simple heat-embossed sentiment from the 'Celebrate Sunflowers' set. And that's it - super simple! I must say, having seen the amazing cards from the rest of the team mine looks positively mediocre - they all came up with some fabulous takes on this week's sketch!

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 linking up with the team over at Inspire.Create as my card today features three of the 5 new in-colours: Misty Moonlight, Just Jade and Cinnamon Cider.

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging   project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a sketch challenge, you are welcome to rotate or flip a sketch. You can replace shapes used such as substituting a circle panel for a square panel. However, we must be able to still see the basis of the original sketch in your finished product.

We look forward to seeing your creations in the AYSI gallery.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table to follow

Today I'm just squeaking in my card for the current Fab Friday challenge, helped along by the sketch at Hand Stamped Sentiments:

I love these bold, bright colours, but they did cause me to procrastinate over how to use them to best effect! There are some lovely cards in the gallery that use them as accents against a primarily white background, which looks great. In the end I decided to go full-on colour and even add a little sparkle  - take a look:

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

Anyone For Cocktails? - I decided to make another card using the 'Nothing's Better Than' stamp set and co-ordinating dies and featuring a colourful cocktail. These tropical colours reminded me of those fabulous rainbow-ombre type cocktails that you get that have red in the bottom, rising through orange to yellow and I wanted to recreate that on my card. It's really easy to do: just ink your stamp in yellow, then with a sponge dauber add orange and then lastly red to the bottom of the stamp respectively before stamping to achieve an easy ombre effect.

Ombre Sparkle - I cut into my Rainbow Glimmer Paper to create a fun, sparkly orange/yellow ombre diecut to mimic the colours and effect of my cocktail. I also added some clear WInk of Stella to my cocktail glass too for a little added shimmer - check it out here:

Stitched Rectangles Windows - Instead of adding mats to the top of my card as per the HSS sketch, I decided to get creative with my Rectangle Stitched Dies and create a custom aperture in my Bermuda Bay card base, then added some in-colour DSP in Bermuda Bay featuring the circle design, to echo my feature circle, behind.

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 was supposed to post this card yesterday but my day just seemed to run away with me - do you ever have days like that? I've just finished a fun online demonstration session this morning so wanted to squeeze this in before cracking on with the rest of today's activities, which unfortunately do not include consuming cocktails!! Ah well, never mind. Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

To follow.

Today I'm sharing a card that I made at the weekend still with a 'Christmas In July' theme going on (desperately trying to get into Christmas crafting!) that is for a few current challenges:

The lovely team at Less Is More are doing a one layer card Christmas in July theme and I chose one of my retired stamps, 'Dove Of Peace', which I thought would make a lovely image for Time Out's challenge to be 'Peaceful'. It also gave me an opportunity to get out my Stampin' Blends for a spot of colouring which is what the ladies over at SUO Challenges are all about this week:

I coloured the detail on my dove with a combination of Bermuda Bay, (retired) Coastal Cabana and Pool Party Blends. I then took a dry aquapainter (the new fine one is perfect for this) and painted the remainder of the body of the dove in white shimmer paint. This was quite time consuming, but so worth it; the photo really doesn't do it justice - it has such a soft shimmer in real life. I think I'll make a few more of these in alternative colourways - they will be great for sending to my overseas friends. 

This is one of my favourite retired Christmas stamps and great for one layer cards; do you have a favourite stamp for one layer creations? Do leave me a comment and let me know - I'd love to hear about your favourite Christmas sets, old or new.

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'!