Thank you Mum!

Stamp set(s): because I care, bliss, curly cute
Ink: crumb cake, raspberry ripple, primrose petals, old olive
Card: chocolate chip, raspberry ripple, primrose petals, very vanilla
DSP: print poetry DS paper stack
Accessories: sponges, very vanilla seam binding, pearls

Here is a card that I've made for my mum to simply say "thank you".  We have just been on an amazing trip to Europe and Italy together, which is why I haven't been around blog-land for awhile...  We had a fantastic 4 weeks away, saw lots, and caught up with family.  So grateful for this opportunity!

Anyway, this project has been CASE'd from Teneale Williams - love her work! I wanted to make mum an extra-special card, and I think the layers, the sponging, seam binding and pearls do it all.  Enjoy!

On a personal note (I seem to be doing a lot of these at the moment!) I saw my oncologist last week, and she doesn't want to see me for another 3 months, unless I need to, and if I start displaying the same symptoms as I was before being diagnosed.  It's been just over a year, which is hard to believe.  I am now working 20 hours a week which feels great, and I'm slowly but surely getting my energy back.  It's all good!  I think the trip was a fantastic way to build up my stamina to cope with extra hours at work.  It's been a long journey, but I'm doing well - yay!

Happy Birthday to my twin sister!

Card: rich razzleberry, early expresso, very vanilla

DSP: rich razzleberry patterned dsp

Ink: rich razzleberry, early expresso, old olive

Stamp set(s): bliss, so happy for you, because I care, french foliage

Accessories: silver brads, rich razzleberry satin ribbon

I've created this card before, CASED from Teneale Williams, but I love it so much that I've made another one for my sister for her special birthday. It's slightly different, but I just love the layers and the vintage look, and the colours are perfect for my sister. I've done a panel inside, but I forgot to take a pick before I wrote in it... It's just as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside!

Happy Birthday, Ruth!! So glad we share the same birthday, and get along like twins usually do! Love you lots!

Orange butterfly

Card: early expresso, pumpkin pie, real red, very vanilla
Ink: early expresso
Stamp set: bliss
Accessories: beautiful butterfly die-cut, big shot, petal cone die-cut, perfect polka dot embossing folder, real red striped ribbon, hemp twine, real red button, pearls

I have lots of bits of card and ribbon floating around, and I wanted to use some up today, so I challenged myself to only use scraps on this project. I reckon I did pretty well! Everything was cut or embossed from left-over die-cut projects and scraps of cardstock. I love the pearls and how the different sizes look in a row, and the big ribbon tied with hemp twine has been on lots of projects I've seen recently, so I wanted to give that little technique a go. A pretty cute card!

Back to school

Card: temping turquoise, real red, crumb cake, old olive, whisper white
Ink: early expresso, real red
Stamp set: bliss

Accessories: real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, brights buttons (real red, tempting turquoise, old olive), quick accent sticker - play date

The challenge at JAI this week was Back to School. I wasn't going to enter this challenge, but today I decided to try something different. I've covered a notepad, and added a pen for a very cute "back to school" gift! I have stamped the real red and crumb cake panels , layered a sticker from the play date quick accents that fitted with the theme this week, and added a bow and buttons. I love the bright colours and how this all came together in the end!

Birthday wishes

Card: pool party, island indigo, whisper white
Ink: pool party, island indigo
Stamp set(s): bliss, silloutte sentiments, so happy for you
Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, pearls, sponges

The lovely Debi had a significant birthday last week (Happy Birthday, Debi!!) and I sent this card to help her celebrate. Love the colour combo, the torn corner, and the shadow stamping. I did an inside panel, but didn't take a pic before I wrote in it, so I've left that out. Except to say that it was shadow-stamped around the edges for a subtle look (similar to the front), and sponged to create the vintage, whispy look that Debi loves! Big hugs, Debi!

Turquoise Happy Birthday

Card: tempting turquoise, real red, whisper white

DSP: tempting turquoise patterned DSP
Ink: temping turquoise, real red
Stamp set(s): create a cupcake, siloutte sentiments, bliss

Accessories: brayer, 1/4" whisper white grosgrain ribbon, pearls, sponges

I decided to try the sketch challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday today. The sketch was quite simple, but one I enjoyed using to create this birthday card. I'm not in love with tempting turquoise, but with the little splash of real red and whisper white, it's ok here...! I stamped on the DSP to begin with, then brayered on the bottom of the whisper white panel and stamped the images and sentiment. I sponged around the edges of the DSP and whisper white in tempting turquoise, which gives it a toned down look. The inside panel is sponged with real red and a single image has been stamped on the corner. As I say, the ribbon and pearls make this "pop"!

With sympathy

Card: rich razzleberry, early expresso, whisper white

DSP: rich razzleberry patterned paper
Ink: rich razzleberry, early expresso
Stamp set(s): just believe, bliss, silloutte sentiments

Accessories: rich razzleberry satin ribbon, silver brad, pearls, sponges

I learnt today that the father of a good friend passed away at the weekend. I just had to create a homemade card for her today to let her know I'm thinking of her. Hopefully it'll put a smile on her face, and cheer her up a little.

I took a sketch from Mojo Monday for this one, and did the vintage stamping and sponging to create a wistful, dreamy look. I decided to stamp an inside panel, and I'm glad I did as it makes the card look elegant and professional, and it'll be the perfect place for a special message.

All natural

Card: crumb cake, soft suede, whisper white
Ink: crumb cake marker, soft suede
Stamp set(s): just believe, bliss, silhoutte sentiments

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, linen thread, pearls, sponge, glue dot

I wanted to try a natural, soft, elegant look today, and this card does that pretty well! I've sponged the edges of the butterflies and the panels to create a soft, whispy look, and I've inked up my stamps, then stamped 2 or 3 times on scrap paper before stamping on the whisper white without re-inking the stamp. Love the effect this creates. I've also torn one corner and layered underneath it with soft suede. I love this look! I also love the inside - just as pretty as the front :-)

Doily easel card

Card: wisteria wonder, rich razzleberry, whisper white
Ink: wisteria wonder, rich razzleberry
Stamp set: delicate doilies, bliss
Accessories: scallop trim border punch, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, pearl

This card was also included in the card tin I gave mum for christmas... It matched the altered tin perfectly, and the easel card design was a big hit! I love how pretty this is, with an elegant and "girly' feel.

SUO Challenge - fall colours

Card: crumb cake, early expresso, daffodil delight, poppy parade, very vanila
Ink: early expresso, soft suede, poppy parade, real red
Stamp set: bliss, because I care
Other: petals-a-plenty embossing folder, beautiful butterlies embosslit, big shot, sponges, scallop circle punch, decorative lable punch, early expresso 1/1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon

Over at SU Only Challenges, they had a fall-themed challenge, and this was my take on the challenge. I've rushed to do this before it closes, but hope you like it! Loving the way the colours have come together with the masking...

Will be posting more pojects through the week, so stay tuned!

JAI sketch challenge

Card: island indigo, pool party, calypso coral, whisper white
Ink: calypso coral
Stamp set: bliss, pocket sillouttes
Other: linen thread, perfect polka dots embossing folder, beautiful wings embosslit, sweet buttons embosslit, big shot, scallop trim border punch, scallop ciricle punch, sponge

Here is my take on this weeks JAI Challenge - a sketch. Follow the link to see what the amazing design team dreamed up this week! I found it quite hard to bring this card together by only using the materials and tools I have from Stampin' Up! but it proves it can be done...after all, I am creative!

Loving the new In Colours - these are my favourite! The island indigo and calypso coral work so well together. I sponged the whisper white and the scallop circle punch with calypso coral to highlight the edges and to give a bit of a shabby look. I used a button from the sweet button embosslit (gotta love this cute embosslit when you don't have buttons!) and wound linen thread around the middle of the biggest butterfly for some detail and texture.

Masking challenge

Card: concord crush, marina mist
Ink: concord crush, marina mist
Stamp set: bliss
Other: concord crush 1/2" stitched-poly ribbon, dazzling diamonds

Over at Craft Room Challenge, it's all about masking... Here's my take on the challenge. This technique is soooo effective, and looks amazing! Thanks for the inspiration DT!

I loved how this card has come out (I tend to be bias with my own work, but isn't this always the case?!). The colours, masking, sponging and dazzling diamonds on the butterfly have all come together nicely... The photo doesn't do it justice, though - the middle square doesn't look "off balance" in real life, like it does in the photo. I think it might have been my poor photography skills... I'll definitely be trying this technique again!

Leaves of Norway layout

Card: autumn spice dsp, crumb cake, early expresso, very vanilla, old olive, pumpkin pie
Stamp: defining alphabet, sweet shoppe lower alphabet, bliss
Ink: early expresso, soft suade
Ribbon: early expresso 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon
Other: scallop trim border punch, decorative label punch, sweet button emboslit, big shot, white gel pen

I have had my pack of autumn spice dsp from the current mini catalogue sitting around for quite some time and finally decided to use a page for it's rich, earthy tones. I found these leaves that I had picked up and pressed on a trip to Norway almost 2 years ago now (shhh, don't tell customs!) and just had to put them together with the autumn spice dsp.

After lots of sponging and moving the elements around, I'm pretty happy with the layout. What do you think?

JAI Challenge

This past week, I decided to enter a project for the latest JAI (Just Add Ink) challenge. This link is well worth a look for ideas and inspiration!

Card: crumb cake, early expresso
DSP: Autumn Spice (from the current mini) Stamp sets: bliss, defining alphabet
Ink: early expresso, soft suede
Other: 1 1/4' grosgrain striped early expresso ribbon, top note die cut, big shot, sponge, beautiful wings embosslits, pearls, black pen

This is a 12x12" scrapbook page, which is what I love to create, and I'm happy with the end result. It highlights sponging, stamping, the big shot and pearls (loving these!). It did help to have a sketch to work with, and I think it worked well for these pics of Chester (he's hilarous!).