So Very Grateful in Spring Subtles

by Joanne James14. May 2014 11:00

I'm having a love affair with my heat gun this week as this is my second card that features heat embossing and I've another cued up for tomorrow too! Today's card is my entry for this week's challenge over at The Paper Players where Sandy has chosen some lovely subtle spring colours to work with; I've also used this week's layout over at Retrosketches as the basis for my card:

 

I thought that The Paper Players colours were just asking to be used on a floral card - this is what I came up with:

I stamped the corner flower image twice in Versamark onto my vellum panel then heat embossed in white and coloured the reverse of the images with my So Saffron, Calypso Coral and Pear Pizzazz markers. I then adhered this to a panel of Calypso Coral and heat embossed my 'thank you' sentiment in white onto a panel of So Saffron and placed this across the middle on dimensionals.

This card came together quite quickly and I love the subtle effect of the colouring behind the vellum.

That's all from me today - I have to go and get on with my swaps in readiness for Stampin' Up!'s UK regional training event in Telford on Saturday, in order to be finished in time to go and watch Rebecca's first rounders match of the season later on this afternoon!

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

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

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Cards | Stamping

Watercolour Wonder Hello

by Joanne James13. May 2014 21:06

Today I'm sharing a card I made for this week's challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary, where they have a lovely vibrant colour palette to play with; I also used the layout over at CAS(E) This Sketch:

This card gave me the perfect opportunity to make a feature of a lovely piece of Watercolour Wonder paper that I've had in my box for a while and also to try something different with the tab panel. Here is my card:

I used Calypso Coral for the base of my card, topped with a piece of Watercolour Wonder DSP. Now I know that, strictly speaking, the paper pack says that Daffodil Delight and Tangerine Tango are the feature colours in the Watercolour Wonder papers, however the watercolour effects mean that on some of the sheets the blending means that there are also opportunities to match with other colours, such as Calypso Coral for example - I just chose an area of paper that avoided the darkest orange tones so it fits perfectly with the rest of my card. I cut my inverted banner from a piece of Bermuda Bay cardstock and used a 1 1/4" circle and the Label Bracket punch to create the Daffodil Delight aperture to showcase my Petite Petals flower - I've been wanting to use this framing idea ever since I saw it on one of Connie Babbert's cards a while ago (you can see Connie's original card here). I also stamped my 'hello' sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in Whisper White. Lastly, I stamped my flower in Calypso Coral on some Whisper White cardstock and finished it with a Bermuda Bay candy dot.

I really like how this card turned out; I almost stamped a sentiment onto the DSP instead of the banner, but in hindsight I'm really glad I didn't - I love that the watercoloured panel is on show and uninterrupted by any other stamping or design.

Back tomorrow with another project and this week's new Wednesday weekly deals; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

'I *Heart* You Dad!' with New Photopolymer Stamps

by Joanne James12. May 2014 21:29

Good evening everyone! Firstly, can I say a big than you to Helen, Dotty and Granny for your lovely comments on Rebecca's blog post yesterday - it's always nice to get comments and she was very touched by your kind words and asked me to say thank you to you all today.

On to today's post! I wanted to play with my new photopolymer stamps that arrived last week (free with each order of £60 or more - read all about the May offer here) and am just managing to squeeze in my entry to this week's Pals Paper Arts challenge, where this week there is a colour challenge. I also loosely based my card on the sketch over at Fab Friday:

Whilst the PPA design team came up with a great variety of cards suitable for both men and women this week, this colour scheme led me to make a masculine card. As I mentioned, I wanted to use my photopolymer stamps to try out an idea inspired by a printed card I saw recently on Pinterest (you can see that card here) - here is my card:

Clearly without the absolute pinpoint accuracy of the printed medium, yet this alphabet was relatively easy to stamp and align using the Sans and Stripes photopolymer stamps without the need for a stamp-a-ma-jig. I cut the word bubble by hand (another reason to add to my list of 'Why I need an e-cutter'!) and backed this with a contrasting coloured panel that I embossed with the Chevron embossing folder, rounding the corners to echo the shape of the word bubble. Lastly, I punched a contrasting heart and popped it on a dimensional. I liked this card so much, I also made one in the reverse colourway:

I think I like my Cajun Craze base the most, but this alternative version comes a close second. What about you - which one appeals to you most? I made this card with Father's Day in mind - still a good month away, but it pays to be organised! It would equally make a good birthday card for a special Dad.

That's all from me today; 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.

 

And The Fox says "Thanks a Million!"

by Joanne James11. May 2014 20:42

Today I have a special blog post for you - a guest blogger, none other than my 8 year old daughter! As I was eating my breakfast and minding my own business one day, she was reading over my shoulder and fell in love with the card featured - this fabulous card featuring the fox from the Life in The Forest set, by the talented Erica Cerwin.  She promptly announced she just HAD to copy the card and as Rebecca has always fancied the idea of writing her own blog, I asked if she would like to write the blog post for it and she jumped at the chance! So here is her CASE of Erica's card and a few words about how and why she made it:

"I really liked this card when I saw it and decided it would make a perfect card for my singing teacher, to say thank you for her help in enabling me to get a distinction in my recent grade one singing exam. I stamped lots of foxes on the card base, and coloured in the white bits with a chalk marker. I love how you can see them through the vellum. I then stamped another fox and cut him out and stuck him on the front behind the grass, which I cut with fringe scissors. I made the banner with 'You're one in a million' but added a row of gold sequins to mine too, for extra sparkle. I also stamped a fox on the card envelope and coloured him in with a Cajun Craze marker pen. my singing teacher loved her card!"

I hope you like Rebecca's card - normal blog service resumes tomorrow! until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Scalloped Tag Stippled Blossoms Card

by Joanne James10. May 2014 20:55

A quick post from me this evening as I sit with my feet up relaxing following today's all day workshop. We had a lovely time and everyone left with lots of completed projects and plenty of leftover bits and pieces to make lots more things at home. The following card, designed by Monica Gale, was one of my favourite projects:

The feature of the card is a Stippled Blossoms rose that is stamped partially off the tag; this is backed with a couple of strips of Fresh Prints DSP and then finished with a red grosgrain ribbon bow and a sentiment cut with the word window punch. A simple enough card but a great way to use the Stippled Blossoms stamps and great practice for getting to grips with your stamp-a-ma-jig. I'm on a mission to make sure all my ladies can use theirs and truly reap the benefits (much to their dismay at times, I'm sure!) of this amazing little plastic sheet and its accompanying t-piece. Thanks ladies for your patience!

My next monthly card class is on Monday 2nd June and will be featuring the 'Springtime Hello' stamp set. If you live in or around Northampton and would like to come along, please do get in touch for more details - experienced and non-experienced crafters welcome.

Back tomorrow hopefully with a special blog post for you; until then, happy stampin'!

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

 

Fresh Prints Envelope Punch Board Tote and Notelets

by Joanne James9. May 2014 20:39

Good evening lovely blog readers! I've had a busy day today with lots of household chores and last minute preparations for an all day class that I'm running tomorrow with some of my favourite crafting ladies. Today I thought I would share with you one of the projects that we are making at our class tomorrow - a cute little tote made using the Envelope Punch Board:

This project was designed by Monica Gale and is one that I made at our last team quarterly training day. It's made using the papers from the Fresh Prints DSP stack and decorated with a tag stamped from the 'Hello Lovely' stamp set. I just love the colours and patterns in this paper stack and as a card maker these papers offer such great value for money at just £6.25 for 48 sheets. We are also making a set of thank you notelets to go inside - this would make such a nice little gift for someone. I'm looking forward to making this and lots of other projects with my ladies tomorrow; if you live in or around Northampton and would be interested in attending any of my cardmaking or project classes, you can find my current class schedule here or just contact me for more information.

That's all from me; 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.

 

Video Tutorial: Scalloped Tag Topper Punch Concertina Card

by Joanne James8. May 2014 14:54

Hello everyone - my second video in a week! I'm cheating slightly, as I actually shot this video weeks ago but haven't got around to editing it until now. I made a lovely concertina fold Mother's Day card a while ago using the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch - you can see my original card here - which was based on a similar card made by Julie Kettlewell (you can see Julie's original card here). Having just gone to update my original post with the link to today's video, I realise I didn't mention her in my original post, which was very remiss of me and a complete oversight on my part, as I even mentioned her in today's video. Needless to say, I have now updated the original post!

I love this concertina fold card style - it's great if you need a card that's just a little different. I made another card based on my original one, this time adapting it to a birthday card for a friend of mine who always puts so much thought into cards for others, I thought she deserved something special for her birthday too; here's my latest scalloped tag topper punch concertina fold card:

The dimensions are exactly the same as my original card - there is still enough space to stamp 'happy' on one panel, with 'birthday' spelled out on the subsequent panels leaving the last panel blank for your message (I also stamped a little 'to you!' on this panel, just to complete my message). I also decorated one of the Stampin' Up! Kraft gift boxes with some co-ordinating Gingham Garden DSP to make some pretty packaging for my accompanying gift - finished with a tag made with the Scalloped Tag Topper Punch - well, what else?! Here's a picture of both pieces together:

So, if you would like to make a Scalloped Tag Topper Concertina Fold Card - either for the forthcoming international Mother's Day or a birthday card, here's my video tutorial showing you everything you need to know:

 

If you would like to purchase any of the Stampin' Up! supplies featured in today's project, just contact me or click on the links in the table below to go straight to my online store.

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.

 

Stippled Blossoms Mother's Day Card

by Joanne James7. May 2014 22:08

Good evening all! I had an unexpected uninterrupted day at home today and with the exception of a large basket of ironing, I've spent pretty much the whole day crafting - bliss! I had lots of partially finished projects on my desk and am glad to have been able to complete a fair few of these and cleared some space. I also had some new goodies arrive today and when I saw this week's Colour Me ...! challenge colours and photo inspiration, I just knew I was going to have to ink one of them up to complete a card for this challenge! I also used this week's sketch over at Retrosketches for my layout and tied it in with Jaydee's theme of 'Mother' over at The Paper Players this week:

I always think of Cherry Cobbler as a Christmas colour, so it's nice to use it for something that isn't seasonal. Here is my card:

This card was the perfect excuse to ink up my new Stippled Blossoms stamp set. I've much admired this set for some time as I love the effect of the two-step stamping on the flowers, which look so typical of old English roses, but only recently purchased it. It's essential to use a stamp-a-ma-jig to get the images perfectly aligned - and there is no matching framelit, so the blossoms all need to be fussy cut by hand - but it is so worth it. I used my flowers to frame my central panel, a sheet of Watercolour Wonder DSP in White/Smoky Slate, onto which I heat-embossed the sentiment 'A Million and One Thanks' in Pewter. I matted this onto a square of Cherry Cobbler and used a Smoky Slate base. We've already celebrated Mothering Sunday here in the UK, but I decided to stay with this theme for my card. I thought this sentiment was quite appropriate; I know I don't thank my own Mother or Mother-in-law enough for everything they do for me and my family. I added a label (punched with the edge of the Decorative Label Punch) to incorporate 'to my delightful Mother' too and I finished off my card with a simple chevron ribbon trim and some rhinestones to add some sparkle.

Do check out the links to the challenges above for more design inspiration, especially Colour Me ...! where my long-distance Stampin' Up! buddy LeAnne Pugliese is the guest designer this month; you can check out her card on her Wee Inklings blog here.

Back tomorrow with another project (maybe even another video!); until then, happy stampin'!

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

Video Tutorial: Stampin' Up! Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit in under 6 minutes!

by Joanne James6. May 2014 16:11

Today I'm sharing one of the latest additions to the Stampin' Up! range: the Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit. It costs just £17.95 and contains literally EVERYTHING you need to make 20 cards - tags, embellishments, cards, envelopes,  stamps, ink, block - yes, everything! This kit is great for seasoned crafters who want to stock up on cards in a hurry and those who are new to crafting - if you've never stamped before, this is the kit for you!

To see just how easy it is, check out my lighthearted video below where I make all 20 cards in under 6 minutes:

 

Ok, so there was some fast-forwarding in there!! In reality it took me just over an hour to make all 20 cards, which is still a great output for a short time investment. If you would like to purchase a Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit, get in touch or pop on over to my online store and place an order today. This kit would also make a great gift, maybe for a teenager or someone who likes crafting or to try new things - at less than £1 per card, it represents great value.

Better still, why not get together a group of friends and host your very own Hip Hip Hooray Card Party? I'll provide the kits, all you need to provide is the refreshments. I'll be on hand to help and answer any questions and I guarantee that by the end of the session you will have 20 cards to be proud of! Contact me to book your Hip Hip Hooray Card Party today!

And here's one more look at the finished cards:

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monochromatic Purple And To The Point!

by Joanne James5. May 2014 21:17

It's so nice to have an extra day added onto the weekend; a bonus day of family time and today with the added extra of a visit to some friends to see some of the cutest tiny black Labrador puppies EVER (no we didn't bring one home, although I think Rebecca was tempted to smuggle one out in her pocket!)

Today's card was initially inspired by the unusual sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch this week:

I played about with a few ideas for this sketch and eventually settled on the following card:

I decided to make the swirl into a path of colour from my pencil, which is one of the stamps in the 'Making a Point' hostess set. I created a mask then sponged three blended shades of purple (Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant and Perfect Plum) to create my swathe of variegated colour. I then stamped the sentiment only from the pencil stamp directly onto the card base and stamped the pencil onto a separate piece of Whisper White cardstock, coloured with the same shades of purple and a blender pen, and cut out with my paper snips and mounted at an angle on dimensionals.

I'm also linking my 'Clean and Simple' card up with the challenge over at Less is More this week where the challenge is to use either three colours or three shades of one colour and The Card Concept where the challenge is to use monochromatic purple on your card.

Back tomorrow with another card; until then, happy stampin'.

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

 

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Cards | Stamping

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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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This is my personal blog and is not endorsed by Stampin’ Up! I hope you find it a plentiful source of ideas and personal inspiration but please don't copy my designs for contest submission or use for classes, publication or sale without express permission.