Simply Stampin Challenge Sketch Week

This week the Simply Stampin Challenge is a sketch.  I thought long and hard, and wasn't going to make another Christmas Card, however, my goodies from Stampin Up arrived on Tuesday so all my resolve went straight out the window!  I had a bit of a disaster on the way home from work though - as I was cycling along the handles on the Stampin Up plastic carrier bag broke, and all my stuff fell into the biggest, muddiest puddle and got wet in the process (there are holes in the plastic bags)!  Some of my card was damaged, but luckily everything else was ok phew! **Disaster area alert**  Anyway, mud and muck aside...I had such fun with the DSP last week I had a brainwave when I started playing with the Christmas Lodge stamp set and decided to use the Merry Christmas to make a background.  I did try to stamp it "freehand" but couldn't keep it straight ha! So out came pencil and ruler, I just put a very faint pencil line, the width of the ruler apart and used that as a guide to stamping the sentiment, then rubbed it off when the ink was dry.  I just love this set, the lodge and tree are so pretty, and the little bough with the birds on is really cute!  Products I used were Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla cardstock, Christmas Lodge stamp set, Festival of Papers and a strip embossing folder from my stash.  I loved making this card, and will probably make some more, hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for looking.

Simply Stampin Challenge Theme Week

 In this weeks Simply Stampin Challenge
 the task was to make your own background paper!  I had some fun with this, using the snowflake stamps with Whisper White, Night of Navy, Ballet Blue and Versamark, Heat and Stick powder and glitter.  I put this card together, but had so much trouble with the photography!  How do you get the light right when photographing glitter cards? I could get the image right, then the background glitter didn't show up, and vice versa! Any suggestions on this would be gratefully received! 

  The card is a biggy! 8" x 8" using the cut away style.  I found a Sizzix frame die in my collection that I had forgotten about and had some fun with that.  I cut two frames out, one in white and one in navy, then mixed them up which gave it an interesting look (note to self: use this again!) Guess what, the Lovely as a Tree set had to be used again!  Oh, and loads of glitter - I just love this tree stamped in white and all glittered up!! The navy paper was just stamped using the snowflakes and white ink - so I have a piece left over - what to do next?!!!

Well, in this very British year of celebration a Red White and Blue Christmas Card!!

Using the Holiday Ornaments dies and Ornament Keepsakes stamps again (I love these) Cherry Cobbler ink and ribbon, with Serene Snowflakes stamps for the background.  Very patriotic!!

Thanks for looking, I had fun, hope you did too!

Simply Stampin Challenge - colour week

This weeks Simply Stampin Challenge is a colour theme.  The colours are Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi and Very Vanilla - lovely!
As I am in Christmas mode, the Ornament Keepsakes stamps had to come out again! I find these are so versatile, and having a range of sizes allows for endless variations in what can be achieved.  After much deliberation I decided to use Rich Razzlebury as the base for the baubles and stamp using white ink.  I think it gives the baubles quite a nice frosted look.  The biggest challenge was creating the "bough", so I used the large tree and small branch from the "Lovely as a Tree" set, giving it a liberal sprinkling of glitter! Some Rich Razzleberry ribbon and flat back jewels just give it a finish!  I think I might make some more like this in different colours as I quite like the classic look...hope you do too!

Simply Stampin Challenge Sketch Week

Well ladies, I did say you'd started me off!!

I fancied making a rustic style card and your sketch gave me the perfect opportunity (or excuse ha!) to make it!  I had a bit of a problem with the placing of the greeting as I don't have an SU Christmas greeting small enough...well it's almost in the right place!!

Products used are: Crumb Cake, Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler card, Festival of Papers and Holiday Ornaments stamps and dies. Silver metallic embossing powder and string from my stash.  Hope you enjoy this one, I certainly had fun making it.Simply Stampin Challenge

Simply Stampin Challenge Sketch Week

This week's Simply Stampin Challenge is a sketch, which actually when I first saw it I thought "Brilliant" as it has so many possibilities.
I could have carried on making loads of samples as this has really inspired me, I already have another idea buzzing round the brain box!  For this card I used Elementary Elegance and Fresh Vintage stamp sets, Pool Party card, Festival of Papers, Early Espresso ink and the Embosslits Sweet Buttons die.  I'm well into the paper piercing after last week's challenge, you've started me off ladies! Thank you for setting another inspiring challenge!

Simply Stampin Challenge Faux or Sew

So, this week's Simply Stampin Challenge is Faux or Sew - wow! did I enjoy myself!!  This card is Faux, pretend stitching using a white pen to make the "cross stitch".  I also used the lovely Cherry Cobbler coredinations card which I absolutely adore!  I get so much satisfaction from embossing then sanding it back - not liking the dusty mess though!!  It gives a nice rustic feel which I like, think I will be buying some more of this card in different colours!

For this card then, it had to be Sew!  I used Night of Navy card and ink, which I love, and white thread.  I punched out the shape I wanted first using the SU Festive Paper Peircing kit, then stamped using the Holiday Ornaments stamp set.  A little jewel in each corner and one in the centre just completed the look. I had so much fun making these two cards, hope you enjoy them as much as me!

Christmas Cardmaking Has Started!!

Hello friends, well haven't blogged for a while as time just seems to be flying by!  Have had a few ideas for Christmas cards going round in my head for a while now, but have decided on this one to be mailed out to people.  With the exorbitant cost of postage, and a maximum thickness of 5mm, I wanted to make something that looked good, but wouldn't take me into the next price bracket - a tough one!  Anyway, I settled on this card, made from snowfall acetate, inked in ballet blue from SU and glittered here and there.  The holly on the front is from the new Tim Holtz die I purchased recently.  Hope everyone likes them!

 So with the posting ones out of the way, it was time to play!  I wanted to make a wreath style so the Tim Holtz holly die was perfect for this.  I used the SU  Holiday Ornaments dies and cherry cobbler  coredinations card for the baubles (still waiting for the stamps that go with the dies)!! After running the baubles through an embossing folder, then sanding them back I was aware they needed something else! Being me, it had to be glitter!, so with the help of a quickie glue pen, the baubles were transformed!! The holly leaves lacked the veins, so these were drawn on with a promarker, I think I will probably change that next time.  Edges were inked with lucky limeade. I think I will make a good few of these in various formats, I try never to make cards the same, and there is always room for improvement and different ideas!!