Apothecary Arts and Stippled Blossoms for a framed thank you!

Hello all

We had a lovely surprise at the weekend - finally caught up with my partner's grand-daughter who we have not seen since before Christmas - She is in her 2nd term  at uni, and was straight back to exams as soon as she went back after the Christmas break - so with revision and exams now over,  this was the first chance we had had to see her.

She arrived,  armed with gifts for us both so a thank you card was most certainly in order.

Well, despite  the wealth of lovely items in the new Spring/Summer and Sale-a-Bration catalogues we have all been using,  I decided to revisit some old favourites this time! Namely my Apothecary Art and Stippled Blossom stamp sets.

The design was mostly born out of some colours scraps I had to hand at the time - definitely a girlie pink phase - with  Blushing Bride and Melon Mambo matted on top of Very Vanilla card stock and water colour paper for the main panel.!

This is what I came up with.

My card base was created using the large Stippled Blossom 'definition' stamp which I just stamped as an all over design. I sponged the edges for a bit of interest and did the same for the matching Label Collection Framelits die-cut shapes



I opted for marker and blender pen water-colouring - for my decoration and sentiment, perfectly placed with the Stamp-a-majig and my beloved scallop ribbon border punch with a bit of bling for the trim - ét voila!

....and of course no self -respecting card would be without its matching envelope. I made this with the brilliant envelope punch board - yet another must have in my book! and stamped one final repeat of that same Stippled Blossom 'definition' stamp to finish it.

Stampin Up recipe for this card:

Stamp Sets: Apothecary Art, Stippled Blossom,  A Lot of Thanks
Inks: Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo - marker pens - various!

Cardstock/Paper:Water colour paper, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, toning paper for envelope

Framelits Punches: Labels Collection, Scallop Ribbon border punch
Envelope Punch board,

Other Essentials: Stampin Up Dimensionals, Basic rhinestones, Sponge daubers, 

Stamp-a-majig, Blender pen

I can order Stampin' Up Products for you, shipped straight to your address and am happy to answer any questions you may have - if you would like to find out more or would like to place an order you can email me or contact me on 01438 820829

or why not visit my online store 

 (for every £45 spent, choose a free sale-a-bration gift)

Have been really enjoying the Olympics coverage so crafting has been a little spasmodic since it started, to say the least. Had a real chuckle today as himself was quite bemused wondering how they could award a medal of any colour for what he termed - 'Hoovering and sweeping'... Needless to say he meant  'Curling' . Am afraid despite my trying to explain the intricacies and skill involved, these were somewhat lost on him!

Til next time - stay safe everyone
Jan
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All things - well almost! 'Baby'

hi all and its the weekend - Yeah..

well I don't know about anyone else - but do you feel as if this week has flown past.. am sure the last time I looked I was at my evening class on Tuesday and somehow in between it got to be Friday evening - am really not too sure how that happened!

but just got time for this week's Mojo Monday Sketch (MOJO329) - its what I needed to get me thinking a little and  after all my endeavours also decided to  enter this in the current Less is More challenge - week 155,  where the theme there is 'New Baby' 

I matted up a piece of Stampin Up lovely white card stock embossed  with the Chevron EF, sponged it for a bit of interest and used particular offcuts of some of the Nursery Nest,  (sadly now retired) designer series paper for the centre strip to compliment the embossing.

I coupled this with my take on the bottom section - where I stamped my sentiment, punched it out using the decorative punch, yet more sponging the edges,  then promptly decided to chop it in half.

I guess I should have taken more care with it's positioning - as the tip of the punch out could so have easily have lined up with the tip of one of chevrons

ah well... a lesson learnt for me for next time - look at what I am doing!

The scalloped centre circle,  I punched out 5 times, sticking them all together to create one fairly substantial whole.... and with even more sponging - my element of the moment - all finished off with a couple of toning candy dots for the wheels.

and inside...well,  they say necessity is the mother of invention..

I had stamped the {Baby} perfectly - with the aid of my stamp-a majig. All fine,  til I promptly stamped the rest of wording upside down!.

With  instant remedial work called for, I just covered up my mistake with a duplicate punched label, again sponging those edges to tie in with the rest. and used another strip of the same paper to create my scalloped ribbon border at the bottom of the card.

Apologies for the poor photography - it would  help if I knew how to drive his camera! Am thinking, (that's a lot of thinking I have done today!) a lesson for another day perhaps.

Stampin Up recipe for this card:
Stamp sets: Sweetest Gift, Embellished events
Inks: Blushing Bride
Cardstock:/ Paper;  Whisper White, Nursery Nest DSP (retired)
Punches: Decorative Label Punch,  Scallop circle punch, scallop ribbon border punch
Other Essentials : Chevron Embossing folder,  Stampin  Up dimensionals, Candy dots 

I can order Stampin' Up products for you, shipped straight to your address and am
happy to answer any questions you have  - if you would like to find out more or would like to place an order you can email me or phone me on 01438 820829

or why not visit my on-line store

...and as I have been sewing up a storm for things for my sewing tutor over the last few weeks  nice to say that is all finished now. However no chance for a relax, as will have a house full tomorrow, but  nicely though, as its my mum and sister. So am really looking forward to lots of girly chat and am sure, some retail therapy.

til next time have a nice week and don't forget if you have the time, check out the Sale-a-bration blog hop currently going on over at the 'Pinkies' -  am off to have a really good look myself!

Jan
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Christmas wishes - I have started..!

Hi all and happy Sunday

Well, having been out for most of the day for round no. 2 of my Christmas shopping - am certainly  glad to be home - and by way of relaxing had a go at this week's Mojo Monday challenge - realising there was still a few hours left and so still time for me to enter.

I opted to use Winter Frost DSP coupled with the toning colours of Pool Party, Island Indigo and Whisper White.  

Not quite sure why the background seems to have cast a reddish tinge on the first one, when both photos were shot with the same settings.. the mysteries of photography!

Simple matting and layering for the card top, finished with a punched band, silver ribbon bow and punched sentiment, completed the look.

I hope it fits the bill.

What do you think?

Things I used to make this card:

Stamp set: Beautiful Season (sadly retired - but still a favourite!)
Inks: Island Indigo
Cardstock /paper:  Pool Party, Whisper White,  Winter Frost DSP
Punches: Dotted Scallop ribbon border, Decorative label
Other Essentials : Stampin' up dimensionals, candy dots, silver taffeta ribbon

I can order Stampin' Up products for you, shipped straight to your address and am
happy to answer any questions you have  - if you would like to find out more or would like to place an order you can email me or phone me on 01438 820829

or why not visit my on-line store

uhm.. despite my 2nd venture out - am still not quite finished it all - but at least I made a lot more headway today and feel a little calmer about it all.. and tomorrow am off out for a girlie day,  with an old school friend.  Our first stop is the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.. followed I think,  by a  tour of all those  lovely shop windows we keep seeing the adverts for.

Will wait til we have seem them for real before judging which is our favourite - and will report back.

until next time - very best wishes
and thanks for stopping by.

Jan
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Not quite 40 shades of green for 'Go that girl!' ...

hi all

well just a little card this week - very little in the way of stamping - more an exercise in co-ordination and how Stampin Up make that so easy. 

With everything in the Stampin Up catalogues described in such a way so you know what compliments what - whether its a stamp set, a particular punch, a set of dies for shape cutting or what colours co-ordinate with a  designer series paper pack - they list it all.

- so no guess work involved on your part and you know your finished item will look stunning.

That was the case here - I chose Pear Pizzazz for my colour base for this good luck card, matted on Very Vanilla cardstock, and topped with toning designer series paper.

Come and see what I managed to make with a few scraps.

 
 I did  make use of both current and retired papers I had in my snips box,  punched  a set of 4 little hearts to make my 4-leafed clover and used the 'So Happy for You' set for both the stalk and the Good luck'  sentiment. 
Although now retired,  another favourite which I do keep close at hand!

...but of course you could easily substitute all these for items of your own. 


A bit of sponging round the edge and paper piercing to add some interest,  along with my beloved rhinestones for a bit of bling. All finished off with a seam binding/brad bow, and the top layer popped up on Stampin Dimensionals. 


 If you look closely you can see I also went just a tiny bit dot happy with my Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds stamping glitter - 

... well you can't have enough glimmer and glitter in my book!.  I decorated the inside with a  strip of paper punched with my dotted scallop ribbon punch,  just to lift it a bit.


 I do love the way it all went together,  knowing that everything just goes!

I hope you like it.

Things you need to make this card:

Stamp set: A Word for you
Inks: Pear Pizzazz
Cardstock and paper: Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz, co-ordinating scraps of designer series paper
Punches: small heart punch, dotted scallop ribbon border punch
Other essentials: Stampin up Dimensionals, sponge daubers, Piercing pack and piercing tool, seam binding and a toning brad for the bow.
  
I can order Stampin Up products for you, shipped straight to your address and am
happy to answer any questions you have  - if you would like to find out more or would like to place an order you can email me or phone me on 01438 820829

Until next time and hope everyone is enjoying our lovely weather.

Jan
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just to add... this was for my lovely sister who is partway through a college course and just heard she has been offered a 2nd  interview for a job to follow.

So we are all jumping about here and crossing finges, toes, and anything else that comes to mind - in the hope that she is successful.

Dressed up to the nine's - and somewhere to go ?

hi all

Well sadly am almost at the end of my supply of the lovely 'Twitterpated'  designer series paper - but luckily have enough for one  last birthday card I need  to complete for this month, for a dear work colleague's birthday.  It echoes one very similar  that I made for my lovely 'baby' sister,  though I opted not to post that one, as it is special to her. 

But this one really is a card of bits and pieces. It is even an odd size as I just chose to use what I had, from the very last bit of seam binding to the filigree designer brad with its current in-colour centre (Island Indigo) ... but feel very virtuous in using them up.!

But do check out the recent Stampin up 2013 colour refresh - Island Indigo they are keeping as they are now including this as one of the colours in the Regals collection.

I know the pattern for this is widely available but it ties together another of my interests,  dressmaking - so couldn't resist having a go myself.....

Come and see.

 


I have my lovely upline Vicky to thank for inspiration here for two of the elements. Both the scored lines either side of the main panel and the fussy cut sentiment -  keen favourites of Vickys I know. (Though neither of which are at all that clear due to my poor photography!)

Though for me,  the latter  was also borne out of necessity. But as they always say  'there are no mistakes., just design features'  and this was certainly that.

I had tried to selectively ink just the part of stamp I needed but of course in my enthusiasm,  inked more than I meant to. I used my Stamp-a-majig to ensure  perfect positioning  but when I stamped it, there were a few stray dashes and dots!

 


So stamped another copy and used my Stampin up sharp paper snips to cut it out. I inked the edges and popped it up on dimensionals on top of the original stamped image to complete my rescue operation.

I sponged the main panel and trimmed it using my dotted scallop ribbon border punch, matted on top of a strip of Baha Breeze seam binding  and  added a bit of bling!







 ...This time I also did decorate the inside to match.!

 
Things you will need to make this card:

Stamps: A word for you
Ink: Baha breeze (Retiring),  Island Indigo
Card stock: Island Indigo, Whisper White and Twitterpated Designer Series Paper
Punches: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch
Other Essentials : Stamp-a-Majig, Polka Dot embossing folder, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Baha Breeze seam binding (retiring),  Stampin Up Paper Snips; 2011 - 2013 
in- colour designer brads 

I can order Stampin Up products for you, shipped straight to your address and am
happy to answer any questions you have  - if you would like to find out more or would like to place an order you can email me or phone me on 01438 820829

so til next time

very best wishes all

Jan
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