birthday blooms and butterflies... and Anything goes..

hello all

well, even though Stampin' Up!s Sale-a-bration campaign is well and truly behind us now.. tissues at the ready in 'Codicote crafting corner'... There are still lots of lovely things on offer and of course the lovely seasonal catalogue has still got a couple of months to run,  so plenty of time to stock up on some items on your wish list to get your creative juices flowing.

For my card this week - I mixed Blushing Bride and Whisper White cardstock with Watermelon Wonder Ink,  with a smattering of sponging, some natural toning elements for surface decoration and a bit of bling to finish, and came up with this.

And as  the current Challenge over at Simon Says is giving us  'Anything goes'  thought I would link it there.

I popped all the flowers,  and the butterfly,  up on dimensionals to add a bit of height and I think you can just about see the little bit on the patterned vellum (cut from one of the little Sketched Dots Tag a Bag Gift bags!) sitting underneath everything. 

I have to admit I added the butterfly as an after thought as I did think the card definitely needed something to balance it in that top left hand corner.  So with it sitting there about to fly off as it were,  I was finally happy with the outcome.

I opted for a 'natural' look in the decoration department as regards my trim,  with the linen thread, the jute ribbon and the 'Celebrate'  sentiment from the Expression Natural Elements set - but think it all worked, and I achieved my aim of offsetting all the sparkly rhinestones, my usual go to embellishment!

and inside?  another partial repeat of the large stamp from Birthday Blooms in conjunction with 2 related sentiments  from the Something to Say stamp set.

and of course no self respecting card would be complete without a toning envelope - made so easily,  courtesy of Stampin' Up!'s Envelope Punch Board.

What do you all think?

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

Just click on the items below to easily access them in my on line store 

Blushing Bride A4 Cardstock	Birthday Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad	Whisper White A4 Cardstock	Expressions Natural Elements	Stamping Sponges
Linen Thread	White 1-1/4" (3.2 Cm) Jute Ribbon	Elegant Butterfly Punch	Stampin' Dimensionals	Rhinestone Basic Jewels	Envelope Punch Board

Or please just contact me if you have any questions or to place an order for you, if you would prefer.

The card is for Mummie,  who will be celebrating her 83rd birthday at the end of this coming week. I hope she likes it.

...And as I mentioned in my previous post - we are all off on holiday next week, taking her  away for a short break following her recent stay in hospital.  Can't believe it is here and how did it ever get to be April.?

and in case you are wondering - we are off to the Isle of Man touring the island on the little railway.  Looks lovely I think and we are looking forward to it, so hope the weather behaves itself!

But on my return, it will seem a very quick week as the following weekend sees a lot of UK and other European Markets , Stampin' Up! demonstrators (me included!),   heading for Telford for the latest Stampin' Up! On stage event.

Always a show case for what is coming up - so am really looking forward to it - but as ever will be in panic/last minute.com mode as I put the finishing touches to my swaps... ...what was that about a new year's resolution, some thing along the lines of making sure I start in plenty of time.. Hah, maybe next year.. !

Til next time - when I will be back fresh from my holiday and looking forward to Telford.

and more Flowers - Mothering Sunday blooms..

hi everyone

and happy Mothering Sunday for all..! and as Mummie is now in receipt of her card thought I would share it here.

It's design certainly owes much to what was out on my desk - namely the Birthday Blooms stamp set, some Watermelon Wonder card stock and Birthday Bouquet DSP and my aqua painters.!

...and with me indulging in my 'go to' pastime of the  moment - ie colouring in.. here's the result! Unfortunately not the best photograph .. though have to say it really does look a little better in real life...

I used a complete sheet of the A4 heavy weight card stock, folded in half, to take all those layers of designer series paper, the matted and layered focus piece as well as the sponged banner to top it all off.

Hopefully you can just make out the clear embossing on the centre band and my customary bit of bling to finish. 

This picture gives a better idea of the depth of the embossing - so rich looking I think.

 

and I  used some left over pieces of the paper to make a little gift envelope ...

and if ever you needed proof positive that Stampin' Up are always on trend with their colours and styles - my gift came from a well known high street store and just look at the tissue paper it came wrapped in!

if that is not Watercolour Wonder- well it certainly looks very much like it to me and of course I just had to use it, so so complementary,  as it were.

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

Just click on the items below to easily access them in my on line store

Whisper White A4 Thick Cardstock	Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper	Watermelon Wonder A4 Cardstock	Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad	Birthday Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Watermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' Pad
Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Aqua Painters	Versamark Pad	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder	Heat Tool (Uk)
Big Shot	Magnetic Platform	Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies	Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Or please just contact me if you have any questions or to place an order for you, if you would prefer.

well have a great week everyone - me, am fresh from a 'mini-holiday' away - a 4 day sewing retreat, where it was lovely not having to worry about  housework, in any shape or form, and just nice to concentrate on some 'me time..' 

so here's to quality 'you time' too!

til next time

Birthday Blooms for my lovely niece

hello all - and happy Sunday - well what is left of it, that is.

It certainly is ages since I last put digit to keyboard but what better way to return by  showcasing one of lovely stamp sets in the Spring Summer seasonal catalogue.

There is a whole suite of stamps, designer series paper, embellishments, toning card stock and ribbons in this new catalogue all with beautiful birthdays in mind any my card for my niece uses the gorgeous Birthday Blooms stamp set.  Available in either wood or clear mount, a fabulous  set of 8 stamps with the 2 signature pieces giving you  a chance to get out those Stampin' Write Markers, your aqua painters and indulge in a bit of theraputic adult 'colouring in'.
...and although not a cupcake, sweetie or anything of that nature it is definitely 'birthday related' - so thought I would link it to the 'Seize the Birthday' challenge, this time.

I used a piece of Shimmery White card stock for my topper,  which is just perfect for watercolouring - even for my non-practiced hand! - and you don't even need to stay inside the lines!

I matted this on a card base of Pool Party, with  Basic Grey, Pool Party, Mint Macaron and Mossy Meadow  for my painting colour palette and just set to.

The sentiment is from the same Stamp set though have to admit to using some retired seam binding for the corner accents, but just thought those edges needed something to finish them off.  Teamed with my beloved bling in the form of a strip of 3 of the Basic Rhinestones and I had a card I was really pleased with.

I took another photo in an attempt to try to capture the gorgeous shimmer of the card stock but though did not do it too great a justice,  hope it gives you some idea.

and of course no self-respecting card would be without a matching envelope - such an easy thing  to do courtesy of the wonderful Envelope Punch Board and a couple of swipes of Fast Fuse adhesive!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

Just click on the items below to easily access them in my on line store 

Birthday Bouquet Cardstock Pack	Shimmery White A4 Cardstock	Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad	Birthday Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker	2015-2017 In Color Stampin' Write Markers
Aqua Painters	Multipurpose Liquid Glue	Rhinestone Basic Jewels	Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper	Envelope Punch Board	Fast Fuse Adhesive

Or please just contact me if you have any questions or to place an order for you, if you would prefer.

Have spent the weekend as part of a work party helping my sewing teacher relocate to another set of premises.   As her day job is doing bridal alterations for clients she has amassed a very large collection of fabric, lace and bling embellishments, various grades of boning, elastic, tulle and net offcuts, linings, not to mention threads, patterns, machines, and scissors, tape measures and the like - Phew and there was me thinking it was just us as demonstrators who have a huge stash of supplies and equipment (and in my case no where to put them all!) but am thinking she comes a very close 2nd.!

Til next time - have a great week

Jan
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