Stamped and cut window greeting meets House of Cards and Vintage Stamping challenges....

hello all and happy Friday.

Uhm  today found me puzzling over what to do for a 'nice and easy'  Christmas card. ..
and, as is often the way with these things,  what you start out wanting to do, ideas and all - usually morphs into something entirely different by the time you have finished - and such was the story here.

...so rather than the one layer card I thought I had in mind - which is still buried in there somewhere I think .. I not only ended up with a raised layer card - what would we do without Stampin' Up's Dimensionals!  - but it had punched/cut-out windows as well, inspired by the November challenge over at House of Cards.

There is a brilliant video tutorial from Mynn, one of the lovely Design team,  to get you started and some lovely samples to inspire us all.

I came across this via a visit to the lovely Em Louise Fairley - aka 'Creative-Em'! a  member of their Group 2 Design Team. For those of you who prefer written instructions, she has some on her blog.

So, they want us to use a cut-out window - so I opted to do 3! using them for my baubles as well! 'Stringing'  these from a little stamped swag of Holly - from the embellished Ornaments stamp set - which I stamped in Mossy meadow but then coloured the berries in Real Red, easily accomplished courtesy of one of my aqua painters.

I die-cut the circles in my card using one of the small size dies in the Circles Framelits set. My insets came from scraps of the lovely music script paper - one of the beautiful designs in the Home for Christmas DSP pack- there really are some absolutely fabulous vintage inspired designs in this set and it is truly is my 'go to pack' of papers -  at the moment. I just love it.!

and with its vintagey feel (is that a real word?) am entering it for their Challenge no. 38#  Traditional Christmas over at 'Vintage Stamping Challenge'. 

The frame for the baubles was just a circle of Real red card stock cut with the 1 and 3/4" punch then I used the same die as I did for the baubles just to cut out the rest  to leave me the frame! I mounted this round the cut-outs then added a little hand drawn strings  and some toning ribbon for the bows,

My tiny poinsettias - are just fussy cut using the Petite petals punch and the  'pointsettia' paper - with  and little yellow and festive coloured candy dots and a bit of stamping/sponging to finish!

and the sentiment - another punched window for this as well - using the Decorative Label Punch - I hope you can see the slightly recessed impression this particular technique gives you a little better in this photo.?

well perhaps not quite so 'Nice and easy' as I originally intended - but then 'change does often happen' as am sure someone once said, somewhere!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

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

Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Embellished Ornaments Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad	Aqua Painters	Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper	1-3/4" Circle Punch	Real Red Stampin' Write Marker	Real Red A4 Cardstock	Petite Petals Punch
Home For Christmas Enamel Dots	Regals Candy Dots	Stamping Sponges	Decorative Label Punch	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

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

well, Saturday again tomorrow and where these weeks are flying to is quite a mystery! Scary stuff that the 'C' word is literally only 49 sleeps away!

but another first for me this Sunday and something to look forward to - am off to cheer on some work colleagues in a local 'am dram' performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe - a first for watching a G&S operetta, not cheering on my colleagues, you understand!

til next time - happy crafting and will leave you with this thought

''Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep"

Scott Adams - he of the famous 'Dilbert'  and his boardroom antics, incidentally!

Jan x

well I promised..! Santa all the way..!

hello all

well I did say I would try to photograph some of my samples for our craft day on Saturday - I just love  my card with the fussy-cut Santas - (Stampin' Up!'s super sharp snips make cutting out almost therapeutic I must say)  and the lovely vintage feel  'Home for Christmas' just has to be my favourite DSP collection.

what do you think?  It's brilliant the way you can cut them out, layer them up, off-set them and with the toning colours, papers, cardstock and embellishments that co-ordinate so perfectly - honest you really can't go wrong - stampin' or no stampin'!  though I did do a little,  I hasten to add.

As you can see there's a definite bias towards the fabulous Pool Party for all my cards at the moment! Not normally a colour you would have seen me using for Christmas ordinarily,  but it seems the absolute perfect choice here ..  and inside  - some sponging, a little bit of stamping and another little Santa pointing to the happy greeting.. Just love 'em!

and talk about a 'mix and match' - I took great delight in inking up 4 different stamps for my sentiments , stars and holly garlands.

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

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

Home For Christmas A4 Cardstock Pack	Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper	Ovals Collection Framelits Dies	Paper Snips	Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad
Festival Of Trees Photopolymer Stamp Set	Something To Say Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Home For Christmas Enamel Dots	Rhinestone Basic Jewels	Embellished Ornaments Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Wonderous Wreath Photopolymer Bundle

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

Well after the fabulous warm weather at the weekend - albeit the foggy starts that had to be negotiated first - I could be forgiven in thinking that today would be a repeat performance and the sun would get out later - alas no, it didn't - so shall cross fingers that there is a little more nice weather still to come!

Whatever you get up to - have a lovely week and happy stampin'! and shall be back soon with that couple of cards you see lurking in the background.

til next time
Jan x

Sassy Saluatations for Global Design Project for #GDP006

hello all

Well this last week or so has certainly  seen my pile of  Christmas cards increase dramatically - from none to 1 and now we have 4! - All  courtesy of Stampin' Up!'s lovely,  nostalgic and vintage feel,  product line that is  'Home for Christmas' - Everything from stamp sets and co-ordinating designer series papers and cardstock to trims, embellishments and more.

Inspired by the current sketch challenge over at Global Design Project #GDP006

and ably assisted by my helper and designer - in - chief (partner's 4 year old granddaughter!)  'we'  came up with this.

She knew she wanted Santa's sleigh and liked the sequins and the glimmer paper stars (one of the accessory dies from the Wonderful Wreath framelits set) so these all went on!.

Me,  I went for something in contrast so chose the really  modern and funky looking seasonal sentiment from Sassy Salutations, in of course the ultimate Christmas colour which is 'Stampin' Up!'s Real Red!.

The toning Mossy Meadow ribbon is sadly retired but having a fair bit left,  thought I would put it to good use as one of the co-ordinating colours.
All in all 'we' were very pleased how it turned out. 

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

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

Home For Christmas A4 Cardstock Pack	Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper	Cozy Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad	Sassy Salutations Clear-Mount Stamp Set
Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad	Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies	Silver Glimmer Paper	Metallics Sequin Assortment

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

Saturday tomorrow - and a spot of retail therapy is called for am thinking - then back to my Christmas card makes as have a craft class the end of the month with the emphasis on the 'C' word and I think I ought to augment my 4 cards with a couple more at least !

so with whatever you all get up to,  hope you have a lovely weekend  and remember a day not spent crafting - well it just doesn't bear thinking about does it.

til next time

Jan x

Cozy Christmas with a twist..!

hello all and happy Sunday

and to my fellow Pinkies - hope you all had a fabulous time at Michelle's training day..

Well, with a craft class looming in a couple of weeks and the theme being Christmas, thought I had better get on and make a few more - cards of the 'C' variety that is..

Though, I have to admit today's card is more a salute to some lovely Stampin' Up! designer series papers rather than stamping itself ...
and the 'Home for Christmas' designer series of papers with its real vintage feel just fit the bill perfectly.!

My inspiration came from the current sketch challenge over at Mojo Monday -

I took the lovely poinsettia paper, fussy cutting one flower with Stampin' Up!'s super sharp snips, then used my Pansy and Petite Petals punches to 'make' 2 more - popping them all up on dimensionals for a bit of depth.

Then it was just a simple matter to stamp my sentiment, one of those available from the matching Cozy Christmas stamp set, on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock, matted this on another of the lovely papers from the same DSP pack,  a little bit of linen thread for my bow and some Enamel dots, again in same range, for a little bit of decoration.  All done,  and could not have been easier.

I was really pleased with the end result..   Would love to hear what you all think?

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used

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

Pay just  £4:95 whatever the size of your order, and have them shipped straight to your address.

Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock	Home For Christmas Designer Series Paper	Paper Snips	Pansy Punch	Petite Petals Punch
Cozy Christmas Clear-Mount Stamp Set	Linen Thread	Home For Christmas Enamel Dots	Stampin' Dimensionals

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

Well today found me at Ally Pally at the Knitting and Stitching show with some members of my sewing class and our tutor. We came away with all sorts of stuff and had a great time but am thinking these things should really come with a wealth warning to your pocket..

I was edging with great purpose to my sewing machine exhibition stand - with 'replacement bells' ringing in my ear..  To himself's relief I did however resist - well for the moment anyway.. after all the 'C' word is on its way.. and who knows what Santa might bring as they say..

But home now  and as to my 'C' card count - yeah that now makes 2 ! bit of a way to go I know but with all the stamps sets, papers, accessories and more in Stampin' Up!'s  Stampin' Up!'s Autumn/ Winter catalogue I have plenty to be inspired with and there are certainly bound to be more to follow..

til next time - have a great week

Jan x