Rich razzleberry meets island indigo...

Card: crumb cake, island indigo, rich razzleberry, very vanilla
Ink: rich razzleberry, island indigo
Stamp set(s): just believe, well scripted
Accessories: vellum, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, sponges, pearls, very vanilla seam binding, piecing tool

I was looking online and found this and I just had to CASE it!!  I was also keen to try rich razzleberry and island indigo for a different colour combo...  What do you think?  I wasn't sure at first, but it's growing on me - definitely have to try this combo again soon!  I love the vellum butterfly - I keep forgetting about vellum, but it's so cool to use, especially when it's embossed.  And I've used my piecing tool to create some distressing around the image, which I'm keen to keep practicing with to use in more projects.  So many things buzzing around the inspiration bank, but so little time to get them out into projects...!

Welcome to our new neighbours!

Card: tempting turquoise, real red, whisper white
DSP: play date DSP
Ink: tempting turquoise, real red
Stamp set(s): just believe, mixed bunch, elementary elegance
Accessories: brayer, temp twine, blossom punch, scallop border punch, pearls

Yesterday, I made up a cute box bag and filled it with Easter eggs for our new neighbours who have just moved in behind us.  I was thinking about adding some baking, but time got away with me - the story of my life right now...!  But it was special to meet our new neighbours and offer them a "welcome to the neighbourhood" gift.

I have a number of the cute 'Hello' cards I had thought I would use as my swaps at Stamp Camp last month but didn't, so I dug up some co-ordinating DSP to make a box bag and I think they work really well together.  Again, my new blossom punch worked a treat to add an embellishment to the bag.  The neighbours were appreciative of the gift and hope they enjoyed the Easter eggs!

A wee card to say hello

Card: tempting turquoise, real red, whisper white

Ink: tempting turquoise, real red

Stamp set(s): just believe, elementary elegance

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, pearl, brayer

This project was going to be my swap for Stamp Camp a few weeks ago, but I decided to do something different. It's a 3" card, which is my new favourite size. I have brayered the real red on whisper white, stamped the images, and added the butterflies with a pearl. It's a simple card, but I love the detail and brayering! The pearl gives it a little bit of elegance!

Cuppa tea?

Card: marina mist, blushing bride, whisper white
Ink: marina mist, poppy parade, blushing bride, old olive, early expresso
Stamp sets: just believe,
DSP: letters to santa
Accessories: 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon, sponges, tea-bags

This is another market idea that I have been working on. The lovely Debi inspired this project, with a sealed tea-bag attached inside a cute wrapper - so cool! Thanks Debi for a cute, simple gift. I'm sure lots of people will see these and give them away to friends - it's the gift that keeps on giving, when you have a cuppa to go with it!

Leaving gift

Card: riding hood red, cherry cobbler, whisper white
Ink: cherry cobbler
Stamp set(s): just believe, so many thanks
Accessories: riding hood red taffata ribbon, rhinstones, scallop circle punch

My sister wanted a little gift to give a work-make who was leaving today. So, this easal card was in her card tin I give her at christmas, and I co-ordinated the stamped candle and wrapped it up all nice for her. That's what I love about the Stampin Up! products - they are masters at co-ordinating everything and it makes creating these sorts of gifts a breeze!

Card for a work colleague

Card: blushing bride, early expresso, pear pizzazz, whisper white
Ink: blushing bride, early expresso, pear pizzazz
Stamp set(s): just believe, well scripted
Accessories: blushing bride 1/4"poly-striped ribbon, top note, big shot, beautiful wings embosslit, brayer

A few weeks ago, a work colleague celebrated a birthday and I designed this card for the whole team to sign for her. It's A5 size, so quite big. But I love the hint of pear pizzazz that complements the blushing bride and early expresso (my colour coach comes in real handy!!). I tried to use some scraps I had lying around, but I knew I wanted to brayer some colour somewhere and use my new just believe stamp set. I was pretty pleased with the results, and the birthday girl loved it!

Friends

Card: whisper white, rich razzleberry, night of navy

Ink: rich razzleberry, night of navy

Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, just believe

Accessories: whisper white square envelope, night of navy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, 1" circle punch, sponge

This is a very cute card I made to fit a little square envelope from SU! I've stamped whisper white with two different doily stamps in two different colours, sponged the edge, added the ribbon and attached to the base card. I decided to add a sentiment, so I punched a circle and stamped it with the smallest doily, and stamped the sentiment to add on top. I have also stamped the front of the envelope, but wouldn't you know it, the razzleberry image came up with the outline of the stamp...grrr! It's not a mistake - only a creative challenge to cover up! Anyway, I had to add a big butterfly - I would have preferred not to, but there go... I think this is a lovely card/gift to cheer someone up with, all things considered :-)

Wisteria birthday

Card: pool party, wisteria wonder, whisper white
Ink: pool party, wisteria wonder
Stamp set(s): just believe, bliss, curly cute

Accessories: vellum paper, beautiful wings embosslet, big shot, sponge, rhinestones

Over at JAI this week is a colour challenge. I only had two of the colours they suggested, but they work so well together! For this card, I stamped the main image from the just believe stamp set and added a torn corner with some vellum paper behind stamped in wisteria wonder to show up on the pool party. It's so cool you can do some much with vellum paper - it looks fantastic torn, scrunched, stamped, empbossed... Then I added some subtle texture with stamping around the edges of the whisper white. A couple of butterflies that are on dimensionals to create a 3D effect and some rhinestones once again lift the artwork. I have stamped an inside panel - I can't get away from adding something extra inside these days! - to make a vintage, subtle birthday card.

Card tin

Card: poppy parade, whisper white

Ink: blushing bride

Stamp set: just believe

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, lattice embossing folder, poppy parade stitched-poly ribbon, real red striped ribbon, rhinestones

For christmas last year (I know, it's been awhile!), I put together a card tin for my mother and sister. I've posted about the tin I gave my mother, but this is the one I gave my sister. I managed to fill it with a few cards for Christmas which I'll show you over time...perhaps when I don't have anything to post! The tin is a Dilmah promotional tin, which I bought from Countdown just before Christmas. The perfect size for cards... I blinged it up with ribbon and rhinestones, but not too much as to make it annoying to pack away etc.

Anyway, my sister loved this gift, and she's even used some of the cards that were included already - yay! (but not before I took pics!). This means that she can go to her stash and decide on a card without asking me to make one for her :-) I'm thinking I could continue the tradition of giving her a stack of card for Christmas (and maybe birthday) each year to keep the tin supplied. The gift that keeps on giving!

JAI Challenge - Red & White

Card: real red, whisper white
Ink: real red
Stamp set: just believe, so happy for you

Accessories: brayer, pearls, real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon

This week's challenge over at Just Add Ink was Just Add Red & White. This is my take on the challenge... With a real red base, I added some artwork on whisper white with my brayer with some stamping, and the pearls and ribbon finish it off. I stamped the sentiment on a small piece of whisper white and sponged the edges to help it pop, but then I curled it so it created a 3D effect, which I quite like.

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 :-)

Team swap

Card: soft suede, pool party
DSP: spice cake patterned paper
Ink: soft suede, pool party
Stamp set: just believe
Accessories: pillow box die, big shot, 1 3/4" scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, linen thread, hemp twine, pearls, pool party ruffled ribbon

A few weeks back, we had a team meeting with a voluntary team swap. While I wasn't able to make it, I managed to put together these swaps. My upline, the lovely Paula, challenged us to use something from either the current summer mini catalogue or the upcoming Sale-a-bration catalogue.

These cute pilow boxes had smarties inside, but used the new DSP spice cake range from the mini. I teamed up the patterned paper with soft suede and pool party for a rustic, natural look. I'll problably use this 3D idea again as I love how the pillow box can be used by folding in one end and keeping the other end open but tied together. You could make the hemp twine longer and make tree decorations, for example... The sky is really the limit with Stampin' Up! products!

All natural

Card: early expresso, very vanilla, cherry cobbler
Ink: early expresso, cherry cobbler
Stamp set(s): just believe, sandy speckles wheel
Accessories: cherry cobbler polka dot scalloped ribbon, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, linen thread, pearls, sponge

I decided to make an easel card today for a change. Loving how the cherry cobbler has worked so well with all the natural colours and textures here. The bow and pearls just finish it off!

Only 1 more week 'till Sale-a-bration! Contact me for more information, or to book a workshop so you can enjoy some benefits from Stampin' Up! You only need to spend $120, and you'll get something free up to the value of $39 - You won't want to miss it!

Cherry birthday

Card: cherry cobbler, whisper white, confetti white

Stamp set(s): just believe, curly cute

Ink: cherry cobbler, early expresso

Accessories: cherry cobbler polka dot ruffled ribbon, sponge, pearls

This was a quick card I made up tonight... Nothing spectacular, but I like the confetti white with the cherry cobbler. There is a little hint of early expresso sponged around the edges, and the pearls give it a little "wow". I think I'm more used to my brayer than sponging, so I'm not liking this card all that much, but still, a home-made card can put a smile on anyones' face :-) A card to put into my stash for the right occasion...! Apologies for the awful photography - this time of night is not a good time for lighting etc!

Thinking of you

Card: basic black, cherry cobbler, whisper white
Ink: cherry cobbler
Stamp set: just believe, so happy for you

Accessories: brayer, rhinestones

As I was walking home from work today, I decided I wanted to make a card with red and black, and where I sliced the main artwork into squares for a moasic, "window" look. Well, this didn't take too long to put together, and I'm really chuffed with the results!

Over at Stampin' Up! Only Challenges, their current challenge is to pick a technique that you don't use very often, or haven't used at all, and this is one I haven't used before... It may not be a technique as such, but the thought of slicing up your art work just freaks me out! But I've done it here, and I think it looks stunning :-) Perfect for a sympathy or "get well' card.

Pink rosette

Card: blushing bride, whisper white, blushing bride DSP patterned paper

Ink: blushing bride

Stamp set: just believe

Accessories: perfect polka dots embossing folder, big shot, top note die, scallop trip border punch, pearls, blushing bride 1/2" stitched poly ribbon

This week's challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments is pleats or ruffles. I wanted to have a go at making a paper rosette, which I have added to this birthday card. I also wanted to fold my card differently than usual, so I opted for a gate-fold card. I've added a panel inside with a border punched on two sides. All in all, I think this looks just simply pretty!

Believe

Card: poppy parade, whisper white, poppy parade DSP patterned paper
Ink: poppy parade, basic black
Stamp set: just believe
Accessories: brayer, poppy parade 1/2" stitched poly ribbon, pearls

The challenge over at Try Stamping on Tuesday this week was a sketch which I thought I would try. I went for a monochromatic colour scheme, which I quite like. I'd like to use this scheme lots more as it has stunning results. My brayer, some ribbon, a few pearls, paired with some DSP and a stamped panel of whisper white, and it was done.

Card tin

Card: whisper white, rich razzleberry, rich razzleberry patterned DSP, wisteria wonder

Ink: rich razzleberry

Stamp set: just believe

Accessories: wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, rich razzleberry satin ribbon, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, rhinestones, sponge

As promised, here are some pics of the card tin I made my mum (she loved it!). She's a purple kind of gal, so I thought my favourite colour combo would work nicely here. I've actually taken Paula's idea, and used a recent Dilmah tea promotion tin, which worked a treat. Thank Paula!

I have inlaid embossed two of the butterflies, and dimensionalised the big butterfly, which has come up really nicely here. I embossed part of the whisper white (the folder wasn't quite big enough!), and I added some ribbon over the 'join' to add some colour and dimension. Decorating a tin like this took some creativity, but I'm really pleased I made the effort to do something like this for my mum and sister. Now, all I need to do for gifts is to give them a stack of cards to put into the tin! Definitely a gift that can keep on giving!

Thank you card

Card: rich razzleberry, wisteria wonder, whisper white
Ink: rich razzleberry, wisteria wonder
Stamp sets: just believe, so happy for you
Accessories: brayer, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, pearls

I was asked to create a thank you card for someone a few weeks ago. It was to thank a lady for having a group of friends (myself and my sister, included) around at her place to admire the christmas decorations she had put up in her home. This particular lady loves Christmas and it was a thrill to experience her amazing decorations with a group of friends a few weeks back.

I love how this card has come up - there's my brayer again! And I'm loving my new stamp set, Just Believe. I'm in awe of how the largest stamp can take up so much room on a card! On my project, I teamed up rich razzleberry with wisteria wonder, and the pearls just add that "wow" factor to the project. I added a white panel inside by stamping the smaller bunch of leaves from the 'Just Believe' stamp set in one bottom corner. Beautiful! The grateful recipient loved it :-)

I'm not sure when I'm going to get the chance to post again in the next few weeks, but want to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year, and look forward to seeing you back here soon! I haven't forgotten my readers, or my blog - it's just been so busy to do much stamping. But I do have some exciting projects lined up, that I have been working on, to share with you when I get the chance to take pics, so stay tuned...