It's Sunday and you know what that means: time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players! This week it is the tun of the super-talented Sandy to host and she has my favourite kind of a challenge for you - yes, it's a sketch:

This is a great sketch and gave me the opportunity to use some of my very favourite items from the annual catalogue: another Expressions Natural Element sentiment, some Pretty Petals DSP and a butterfly cut with the Bold Butterfly Framelits - take a look at my card today:

I used a cardbase of Very Vanilla for my card today, with a border strip of Typeset DSP to compliment the diagonal lines of the Pretty Petals paper that I used to cover the rest of my cardfront. I decided to use Basic Black for my tag, punched with the Ornate Tag Topper Punch, to give a strong contrast to the vanilla elsewhere and I created a layered butterfly that echoes the design of those in the paper pattern, with a solid vanilla base then two of the Bold Butterfly thinlit butterflies - one in Calypso Coral adhered directly to the base butterfly, and one in Pacific Point that I adhered in the middle only so that the layer beneath could be seen. I did reverse the positioning of the butterfly and sentiment on my tag to the sketch - I thought the sentiment was too heavy to put above the butterfly as I didn't want to overshadow it - what do you think, smart move or should I have stuck to the sketch more literally? A few Old Olive candy dots, some satin Very Vanilla ribbon and some black and white baker's twine finish my card. No stamping on this one - not on the outside, anyway! I'm also linking up with the ladies over at Just Add Ink this week where the theme is 'Butterflies'.

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

The tag on this week's sketch is a real fun detail; I look forward to seeing how you interpret it and the rest of Sandy's sketch in the gallery this week. Time for me to return to my sunbed to top up my tan - enjoy the rest of your weekend, however you choose to spend it.

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Expressions Natural Elements	Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies	Butterflies Thinlits Dies	Big Shot	Magnetic Platform
Ornate Tag Topper Punch	Pretty Petals Designer Series Paper Stack	Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Basic Black A4 Cardstock
Pacific Point A4 Cardstock	Brights Candy Dots	Calypso Coral A4 Cardstock	Very Vanilla 5/8" Satin Ribbon	Basic Black Baker's Twine

I have a quick card to share today that is set to brighten the days of those of you in the UK suffering from winds and rain (as I sit here in my deckchair enjoying the sunshine - sorry, enough about me!!!) - perhaps a rainbow is the order of the day:

This is a super clean-and-simple rainbow thank you notelet; I made a whole batch of these, along with co-ordinating tags, to pop in with my last batch of customer orders. I used Stampin' Up!'s ready folded notelets and envelopes for speed and used only one stamp set: The Layered Letters Alphabet. Great for stamping big words and the set includes two handy background stamps that you can use to add colour behind each letter to add the effect of another layer, whilst sticking to just one. In order to get my rainbow background, I had to clean the stamp each time, so I set up a mini production line and stamped the word on each notelet first, then all the red panels, all the orange panels, and so on until each of the colours were stamped. This meant the whole lot really took no time at all - here's a 'work in progress' shot of my desk:

You could use the same idea for any word with whatever combination of ink colours you have to hand - why don't you give it a go? I am linking my card today with the lovely ladies over at Addicted To Stamps - I have played along with them for a while and their theme this week is CAS - perfect!

I'll be back tomorrow with a new challenge over at The Paper Players; make sure you tune in, the lovely Sandy is hosting and you are not going to want to miss it! Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Layered Letters Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad
Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin' Pad	Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad	Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Pad	Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' Pad	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

So as I type this sat in blisteringly hot temperatures (I'm not complaining - the sun is heavenly!) I can't quite believe that today I'm going to share a Christmas card with you. Yes, that's right - a Christmas card!! Today I've been able to get my first look at the new Autumn-Winter seasonal catalogue that will be available to customers September 1st - and all I can say is, my wish list is long!!! I will be sharing more on that in coming weeks once our pre-order period starts, however right now if you can't wait for your copy, then get in touch with me and lets chat about becoming a demonstrator - I would love you to join the 'ooos' and 'aaahs' that I'm having with my current team members as we drool over the catalogue sneak-peek together!

Meanwhile, you may have noticed that Stampin' Up! has reintroduced a permanent line of Christmas stamps and papers in our annual catalogue too - great news for those of us who like to prepare for Christmas all year round! - and some of the stamps included are some favourites from last Christmas, such as the one that features on today's card: Wondrous Wreath. I made this card at our recent team quarterly training session, which was all about making use of what is already avialable to get a jump start on preparing for the festive season. Here's my card:

This card was designed by Monica Gale and is similar in concept to one I designed last season which you can see here. This one is easier to recreate and uses the Woodgrain embossing folder to create the wooden effect on the door. It also features some other products that can now be found in the annual catalogue that are perfect for festive projects: the Bow Builder Punch, the Merry Moments DSP and my favourite Expressions Natural Elements.

That's all the festive fun I have for today - I'm off to get a cooling glass of Sangria after all that typing! Back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Wondrous Wreath Photopolymer Stamp Set	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies	Magnetic Platform	Big Shot	Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
Expressions Natural Elements	Gold 5/8" Satin Ribbon	Merry Moments Designer Series Paper	Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad
Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Bow Builder Punch	Crumb Cake A4 Cardstock

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:

This is such a versatile sketch with so many possibilities, in the end though I settled for something that is a little unusual for me - take a look at today's card:

I was keen to use another of the papers on the Pretty Petals DSP stack as my background layer, so matted this on a base of Old Olive and Mint Macaron. I used Calypso Coral for my banner, effortlessly punched with my Triple Banner Punch (how did I ever manage without this in my life?!) and tucking a sliver of retired Old Olive ribbon beneath it (there is not a single ribbon in this colour in the current catalogue - let's hope that the Winter seasonal brings us something here in this staple colour!) I coloured my sentiment, from the 'A Whole Lot Of Lovely' hostess set (chat to me about booking a party or joining my next hostess club if you would like to own this set too!) in Pacific Point, Mint Macaron and Calypso Coral Stampin' Write markers and stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock, that I cut out with my Big Shot and Oval Framelits.

Then for the bit that really isn't my usual style - I covered the back of the oval with Tear and Tape (how great is this product?! No more static red peel to stick to you!)and ruched some Mint Macaron lace trim all the way around the edge before adhering to my card front. I really love this pale green colour however was finding myself not really using is much in my card making, unlike it's counterparts Watermelon Wonder and Cucumber Crush (how did I ever live without these in my stamping cupboard?!) so this card is the first that seeks to rectify that. To finish, I added an Old Olive flower punched with the Petite Petals punch as leaves for the base of my Watermelon Wonder blossom accent - whilst not Calypso Coral, it is sufficiently close to compliment the coral elsewhere on my card.

So definitely more frilly than usual and this card would work just as well without the lace trim (and be more post-service friendly) but nice for a change I think! Do visit the other Design Team members to checkout their interpretations of this week's challenge sketch; and if you didn't read my Weekly Deals post yesterday, do check it out here - it contains a special offer exclusive to my customers!

Right, I'm off to top up my tan! Enjoy your day and I'll be back tomorrow with another project; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: a new collection of Wednesday Weekly Deals! The same as last week there are more offers than usual, with increased reductions of up to 30% on Weekly Deals this month, although there are specific allocated quantities at the increased offer price; once they're gone, the price will revert to RRP, so don't delay in ordering if there is something on your wish list. Each week items are proving very popular and some are sold out within a couple of days of the offers being published. 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 July YMCTDF6N 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:

Calypso Coral 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon	Eclectic Paper-Piercing Pack	Marina Mist 1/4" Cotton Ribbon	Metallic Foil Doilies
Sea Street Wood-Mount Stamp Set	Silver Sequin Trim	Smoky Slate 5/8" Chevron Ribbon	Vivid Vases Wood-Mount Stamp Set
Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon	White Perfect Accents

What a great line up of deals this week! One of my favourite stamp sets of all time, Sea Street, on offer this week along with so many ribbon, trim and embellishment options - you really are spoilt for choice! The new metallic foil doilies are a favourite of mine and great for festive projects - I'll be sharing some of these in the next few weeks - and in case you missed the White Perfect Accents in the new annual catalogue fort time around (I know I did!) they are great for colouring with your retired Blendabilites or any permanent marker and creating your very own custom-coloured embellishments. 

I have a Wednesday Weekly Deal of my very own for you this week: for every customer that purchases each of the items in the table below (Calypso Coral Seam Binding Ribbon, Marina Mist Cotton Ribbon, Metallic Foil Doilies, Silver Sequin Trim, Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon and Whisper White Satin Ribbon) online this week (and uses the current hostess code for July UPCSWX2C, I will send you a pack of White Perfect Accents for use on your projects ABSOLUTELY FREE*: 

Calypso Coral 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon	Marina Mist 1/4" Cotton Ribbon	Metallic Foil Doilies
Silver Sequin Trim	Smoky Slate 5/8" Chevron Ribbon	Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon

So what are you waiting for? Get clicking over to my online store - the time to stock up on those embellishments is now!

That's all from me today; I'll be back tomorrow with this week's card for our new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary this week.

Until then, happy shopping!

*This offer applies to orders placed in my online store between 22 July - 28 July 2015 for the above item set using the current hostess UPCSWX2C only. This offer is personal to me and is not a Stampin' Up! offer. The White Glossy Accents will be dispatched separate to your order during August.

It's Sunday and time for a new challenge over at The Paper Players and this week the queen of die cuts, the lovely Laurie, has a fun CAS challenge for us:

I started out thinking of frames in the more traditional sense, but having seen some of the other Design Team cards I decided to change direction and use today's challenge to make a card for a specific purpose - here's my card:

A simple black, white and purple combo that doesn't require a huge amount of explanation. The hair for the young man that features on my card is from the 'Calling All Heroes' photopolymer set that I used earlier this week (only available to US customers - thank you LeAnne ;-)) and the sentiment is stamped in Memento Black using the 'Back to Basics' alphabet with the addition of an Elegant Eggplant candy dot and some very cook 'geek' spectacles in purple cut with my e-cutter and adhered to the front of my card. 

This card is headed to my daughter's best friend Finley; he has recently joined the ranks of spectacle wearers, but is rather reluctant to wear his glasses at school, for fear of being labelled the 'class geek'. As a fellow specs wearer for over 30 years, I can empathise. Whilst his own specs aren't purple, it is his favourite colour and we are hoping this card will help him see that with his perfectly coiffed hair and charming good looks, he should wear his specs and be proud - geek, after all, is the new chic!

Before you reach for your ink and papers, check out what our amazing team has created to inspire you this week:

Whether you go with frames of the spectacles or picture variety, I look forward to seeing how you interpret Laurie's fun challenge in the gallery this week.As you read this I am on my way for a well-earned rest to sunnier climes with my family for a couple of weeks; rest assured there are lots of creative posts scheduled in my absence, so do continue to stop by as there will be plenty of paper crafting inspiration for you to see. 

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Back To Basics Alphabet Photopolymer Stamp Set	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Elegant Eggplant A4 Cardstock	Whisper White A4 Cardstock
Regals Candy Dots

It's Thursday and time for a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary, where this week we have a colour challenge for you:

I also used this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday as the inspiration for the layout of today's card, which features my first outing of my new Watercolour Wings stamp set: 

I used a base of Crushed Curry and a mat of Basic Black, combined with two co-ordinating papers from the Cherry on Top DSP stack. I embossed a solid panel of Watermelon Wonder using the new Flutterings embossing folder and added this on the left and chose to use the negative space of the Greetings Thinlit die cut for my top layer. I added my butterfly, on which I stamped each of the layers with one of the challenge colours - photopolymer really makes easy work of this kind of triple stamping. The Watermelon Wonder looked slightly orange over the yellow, so I decided to add a small diecut butterfly, cut with the smallest of the Bold Butterfly framelits out of some of the new Cotton Paper in Crushed Curry. This paper is so soft and delicate and perfect for this kind of layering, as well as for flowers and more besides. Here's a close up of the layered butterfly:

So very pretty - I can't wait to stamp this in lots of other colourways too. I hope you like today's card and those of the other Design Team members - we look forward to seeing what you do with this colour palette this week!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

A quick card today just in time for this week's sketch over at TGIF Challenge and also using the fun challenge over at Can You Case It? this week where you have to use black, white and one other colour:

I really like this sketch and haven't used a tag on a card in ages and when I saw the CYCI challenge I thought this would give me a great opportunity to break open my new 'Go Wild' DSP stack - here's my card:

I used Melon Mambo as my feature colour for the mat to frame the amazing zebra print paper, for my die cut sentiment and a pop of colour with the circle, cotton ribbon and the hearts (courtesy of my owl punch) floating up from my stamped zebra from the 'Zoo Babies' set. I used the ornate tag topper punch for my tag, cutting twice and layering one white on black for emphasis. I designed this card as a modern 'new baby' card, and was going to finish my 'hello' with 'sweet baby' stamped inside, but this was vetoed by everyone else in my household, all of whom liked the card but did not consider it suitable to welcome a baby - so a funky hello card it is then!

Back tomorrow with a new challenge over at Create With Connie and Mary; until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Ornate Tag Topper Punch	Greetings Thinlits Dies	Big Shot	Go Wild Designer Series Paper Stack	Zoo Babies Clear-Mount Stamp Set
Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad	Melon Mambo A4 Cardstock	Basic Black A4 Cardstock	Melon Mambo 1/4" Cotton Ribbon	Owl Builder Punch
Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

I've had a mad busy day today and am late posting, so it's quite appropriate that today's card is for this week's challenge over at As You See It, where the challenge is to create a card in under 10 minutes in shades of pink! I also used this week's CAS(E) This Sketch as inspiration:

I made my card in well under 10 minutes, even including two separate interruptions for hugs and kisses from my beloved James Juniors on their way to bed last night; I decided on a baby card using the Silhouettes and Script hostess stamp set:

I used a base of Pink Pirouette, then on my layer of Whisper White stamped a combination of the 'Hello' and 'Congrats' greetings in a combination of Pink Pirouette, the now retired Strawberry Slush and Melon Mambo, randomly across my card from then used my sponge daubers to create a blended ink effect on the baby bottle, stamped it then fussy cut and adhered with a dimensional. Lastly, I added a sprinkling of retired Strawberry Slush in-colour sequins to complete my card. Quick, fun and pink - this is a great set for speed stamping! It's also an exclusive hostess set - if you would like to earn this set, please get in touch to arrange a party, I would love to host one with you!

That's all from me; back tomorrow with this week's new weekly deals and another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Silhouettes & Script Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad

Pink Pirouette Classic Stampin' Pad

Pink Pirouette A4 Cardstock

Whisper White A4 Cardstock

Well, it's pouring down with rain here in the UK this morning but it can't dampen my spirits: we are counting down toward the end of term and the school holidays, in addition to which I have the most fun card to share with you today! I used Linda's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches as my inspiration this week:

Now I changed the orientation for my card to landscape because I had this great idea for my new 'No Bones About It' stamp set and this sketch was perfect for trying it out - check out today's card: 

Is it a T-Rex? Is it a Stegasaurus? No, it's that all-time King of the Monsters - Godzilla! Whilst this card is quite simple in its final execution, it took several aborted attempts and absolutely ages to get right but I love it! I stamped the cityscape from the 'Calling All Heroes' stamp set in Memento Black directly onto my extra thick Whisper White card base (this set is not available in the UK but I am fortunate to own it due to the generosity of one of my American stamping buddies -thank you LeAnne!), then masked it off and stamped the sunburst stamp from the now retired 'So You' stamp set twice in Watermelon Wonder behind it. I partially inked the sentiment from the 'No Bones About It' in black and set it inside one of the action bubbles from the 'Calling All Heroes' set stamped in Crushed Curry and popped this up on a dimensional. Then for my Godzilla - I stamped the solid t-rex stamp from No Bones About It in Mossy Meadow and then inked the back plates only of the stegosaurus stamp and overlaid them along the t-rex's spine. I then fussy-cut the whole thing and added it to my city scene - simple! A simple sentiment and a black baker's twine bow and done - the perfect card for a nostalgic movie buff! What do think? I'd love to hear your views on my card today - did I successfully create a monster?

That's all from me today - I have a day of biscuit icing ahead of me - many apples in readiness for teacher's gifts this week. At least the cooler weather should prevent everything sliding into a sticky mess!

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

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

No Bones About It Photopolymer Stamp Set	Teeny Tiny Sentiments Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Basic Black Baker's Twine	Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad
Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad