Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator - The Crafty Bug

Craft Bug Classes - What's Coming Up?

2012-02-21T21:57:00.002Z

Come and be a Crafty Bug at my Saturday card classes.

Coming Up........

17th March

10am - 1pm
Sale-a-bration Card Class

Come along and have a fun filled morning making 5 cards using the Sale-a-bration collection

£7.50

(or free with a £20 order)

2 - 5 pm
Spice Cake One Sheet Wonder Class

An afternoon card class where we will be making a card box, plus 9 cards using the One Sheet Wonder techniqueand the Spiced Paisley stamp set

£10.00

(or free with a £30 order)

Come along to both sessions for £15

*bring a packed lunch and have a fun filled crafty day*

(free with a £50 order)
*that also means you get to pick a FREE Sale-a-bration set as well*

Project Sneak Peek Coming Soon......

Other dates

21st April

10am - 1pm
Easy Events Card Class

Come along and have a fun filled morning making 5 cards using the Easy Events stamp set

£7.50

(or free with a £20 order)

2 - 5 pm
Candle Gift Class

An afternoon class where we will be decorating a candle, making a gift box and matching card

£10.00

(or free with a £30 order)

Come along to both sessions for £15

*bring a packed lunch and have a fun filled crafty day*

(free with a £50 order)

5th May

10am - 1pm

Summer Mini Launch Coffee Morning

This is a FREE open house event where new Summer Mini Catalogue items will be on display, with loads of inspiration and make and take fun!

19th May

10am - 1pm
Summer Mini Spectacular

Come along and have a fun filled morning making 5 cards

£7.50

(or free with a £20 order)

2 - 5 pm
Technique Class

In this class we will be making 4 card showcasing an array of techniques using a variety of Stampin' Up! products

£10.00

(or free with a £30 order)

Come along to both sessions for £15

*bring a packed lunch and have a fun filled crafty day*

(free with a £50 order)

23rd June

10am - 1pm
Just For Men

Come along and have a fun filled morning making 5 cards for men

£7.50

(or free with a £20 order)

Advance booking and payment (cheque or Paypal) is required
Please contact me on

07786266722

craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

All supplies, except glue, included in the price - please bring your own glue, both wet and dry, and anything else you cannot craft without.

If you would like to attend but the date / time are not suitable to you, please do let me know. If I have enough interest I will add additional dates and times for all classes, but I need to know people are interested.

Alternatively I can bring the class to you!

Just gather a minimum of 5 people and we can hold the card class in the comfort of your own home. The same pricing applies.

SAB – Fresh Vintage

2012-02-11T20:13:00.000Z

Hi, I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

I have a few more Sale-a-bration creations to share today. I know with so many of us having attended Cate’s baggie book event, you will probably have seen these cards numerous times over if you hop across a lot of SU Demo blogs! So, you’ll probably be pleased to know that after this post I shall be showcasing cards from my last class based around the Create a Cupcake stamp set and Cupcake Builder Punch, plus some other lovelies……….

So on with the show:

The first card uses the flower image to create a gorgeous background on Pool Party card. The base is Crumb Cake and I used the Ribbon Border Punch to create a little scalloped edging at the top and bottom where the Pool Party meets the Crumb Cake (quite hard to see in the picture though). The butterflies have been punched from some Everyday Enchantment DSP with the Butterfly Punch, then a bit of Linen Thread tied round and a Basic Pearl added.

The second card has a Basic Gray base and the circle image from the set has been stamped in Versamark down the left edge three times. Some Whisper White has been mounted on Pear Pizzazz card, then the floral image stamped on top. The Fancy Flower punch was used for the two flower layers in Pink Pirouette. The top flower has been scrunched, then an Antique Brad put through them both. The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, made into a banner and Basic Pearls added to each end.

The next card has a base of Pumpkin Pie onto which the wavy design stamp in the set has been added for a background. Onto this is a panel of Whisper White which like the first card is edged top and bottom with the Ribbon Border Punch. The floral image has been inked using markers to get the different colours, then stamped in two corners. The butterfly is cut using the Big Shot and Beautiful Butterflies Die, then it has been stamped with the floral image and Versamark ink. This is then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder.

The final card is probably my favourite out of every card we made. I’m not usually a fan of Whisper White card bases, but it works so well with this card. It is teamed with Soft Suede for a centre panel with another strip of Everyday Enchantment DSP. The bottom section of the card has been embossed using the Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. The stamp image has been inked with Poppy Parade ink, then trimmed square and mounted onto a Scallop Square of Soft Suede. Finally Hello was stamped in Soft Suede ink. Simply gorgeous!

So if you have been inspired and really would love to get your hands on one (or all!) of the Sale-a-bration sets, then get in contact. I can certainly help you with information on any items you might be interested in, or if you are new to Stampin’ Up! products then why don’t you come along to one of my classes and get your hands on the products – try before you buy so to speak!

See details about upcoming classes HERE

Have a fabulous evening xxx

SAB – Outlined Occasions

2012-02-09T10:00:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

Apologies for the long absence…….. I had a big workshop at the weekend to prep for, plus trying to get samples made for an all day event that’s coming up in March. Put the 24th March in your diaries for a fun fill crafty day!!!! More details will follow shortly :o)

So today I wanted to share with you some more cards that Cate had us making at our baggie book day back in January. These cards all use the Outlined Occasions stamp set that you can only get during Sale-a-bration when you spend £45 on items from the main or mini catalogues.

I really liked making these cards as they are all so totally different. The first one is a mini card that's just so simple, yet effective. The Thanks image was stamped onto Very Vanilla card using the markers to ink it in the different colours. The base is Marina Mist, with a little edge of Daffodil Delight punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border. I think this is my favourite punch of the moment!!!

The second card uses some of the delightful Everyday Enchantment DSP which is another offering during Sale-a-bration. The base is Poppy Parade and there is a strip of the very touchable Velvet Designer Ribbon which features in the Mini Catalogue on page 11 (you can get some of this in my Spice Cake Product Share – click HERE) The Thanks image has been stamped onto Baja Breeze and punched with the Extra Large Oval punch, which fits right inside the Oval Designer Frame Embossing Folder which has been embossed onto Lucky Limeade card. Stampin’ Up! is all about co-ordination and making life easy!!!!

The next card uses the Celebrate stamp in this set. It has been stamped in Versamark onto Basic Black card, then sprinkled with White Embossing Powder and heated. This really pops off the page! The Basic Black has been run through the Big Shot with the Scallop Square Die, then the card has been moved up and run through again to get a Scallop Oblong shape. Now you may be thinking “Stampin’ Up! don’t have a star punch in the catalogue” and you’d be right! The stars on this card have been made using the 5-Petal Flower Punch, then you just snip from the point of each petal to the base where they all join and you get this fab star……………

The last card is my favourite – and if my other half hadn’t seen it then it would have been perfect for next Tuesday! Remember – it’s Valentines Day just around the corner!!! If you want some crafting goodies as a gift, then check out the Gift tab on my website HERE – subtly send a link to your other half and get him to order you a gift voucher so you can pick all of the items you’d love, and take advantage of SAB as well!

So this card has a Basic Gray base, with a strip of Basic Black DSP running down the spine. The glittery strip is done by putting a strip of Red Sticky along the card and then dunking it in Dazzling Diamonds. The glitter sticks really well so you won’t find it dropping off all over the place :o) The Love image was inked in Basic Gray which is waterproof. This allowed for the use of Blender Pens. Using a Melon Mambo marker pen I brushed some colour onto the lower part of the image. Using the blender pen I then went about dragging the colour up the wording to give a multi-tone effect. The hearts were all punched out and stuck on in rows – which was probably the hardest bit – getting them lined up.

I hope these cards have given you some inspiration. Thanks again to Cate for arranging the baggie book day – check out her blog HERE

Sprinkled Expressions

2012-02-02T21:27:00.001Z

The cards I’m sharing with you today are made using the very cute SAB Stamp Set called Sprinkled Expressions.

Both cards showcase the Stampin’ Up! Embossing Powders. The Melon Mambo based card has a Scallop Circle of DSP cut with a die and the trusty Big Shot. A smaller Scallop Circle is mounted on top and this has been Embossed. The heart image was stamped in Versamark, then sprinkled with White Embossing Powder and using a heat gun the powder is melted. Once the powder takes on a glassy appearance stop heating and let cool for a few seconds. The sentiment has been added in the same way.

The second card has been embossed in the same way, but gives a different effect. The embossing of the star image has been done on Whisper White card, then once dry Daffodil Delight ink has been sponged all over. It doesn’t take to the embossed area, so the white embossing then really pops off the card. This was punched out, layered up with a circle of DSP and a Scallop Square with the sentiment added.

So, are you falling for any of the gorgeous SAB stamp sets yet? Have you got an order you’d like to place for £45 so you can grab a SAB item? They are limited and won’t be available after 31st March 2012, so if you want more than one, order now!

Contact me on 07786266722, or email an order to craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

If you’d like to see the Stampin’ Up! products in all of their glory, then you can book a party, or come along to my next card class. Check the tabs at the top of the page for all of the information.

Thanks xxx

More Sale-a-bration Creations

2012-01-29T21:51:00.001Z

Hi, I really hope everyone has had a fab weekend…….. it’s whizzed by!

I wanted to do a quick post to share a few more cards I made at Cate’s baggie book day a few weeks ago.

The lighting wasn’t great when I took these photos unfortunately. Both cards are made with the Elementary Elegance stamp set. The first card uses some of the gorgeous In Colours for 2011/2012. The banner is a great way to get a ribbon effect without ribbon. The sentiment has been stamped separately and punched with the Curly Label Punch, then popped onto the card with Dimensionals.

The second card is very pink and girly. Lots of the others girls at the craft day were putting 18 and 21 on there cards, and I think a few of them thought I’d put my numbers the wrong way round! However, if I remember, I will use this card for my nieces 12th birthday in June. Again the centre sections was punched out and popped up with Dimensionals. The colour scheme is Rich Razzleberry and Pink Pirouette.

Right, off to finish tidying my craft room after spending this afternoon making a mess. Needless to say I didn’t get as much done as I needed to, so I’ll be hot-footing it in there tomorrow after work.

Sale-a-bration Showcase

2012-01-25T21:14:00.001Z

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a fabulous week!

Over the next few days I am going to share with you a number of projects using the Sale-a-bration stamp sets and Designer papers. I was very lucky to take part in a craft day with a number of other members of the Blue Angels – my stampin up nanna Cate’s team!!! We spent the day making four cards with each of the four stamp sets, so 16 cards in all…………….

Here are just a few of the cards made with one of my favourite sets – Elementary Elegance

The first is card is using one of the sentiments from this set which has been stamped inside the Designer Frame Embossed Oval. A bit of sponge daubing, tearing, some pearls, a strip of SAB Designer Paper trimmed into a banner and a layer of Marina Mist card embossed with Perfect Polka Dots, all on a Crumb Cake base and voila!!!!!

This is a little square card with a Pumpkin Pie base. The frame image has been stamped on Whisper White in Soft Suede, then stuck to a Night of Navy layer before punching out the centre with the Curly Label Punch. The Hello image was stamped and cut into a banner, then the Crown image was stamped in Night of Navy and cut out to adorn the sentiment.

If you would like to get your hands on this lovely stamp set then you simply need to select products from the Main Idea Book & Catalogue and/or the Spring Mini Catalogue amounting to £45…….. And with so much to choose from, maybe you’ll end up needing to select two free sets – you get one for each £45 you spend after all!

Contact me to place and order, or if you’d like any further information about hosting a party and getting more products for FREE

Julie Halls

07786266722 / craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

Sale-a-bration is HERE!!!!

2012-01-24T00:01:00.007Z

Wow, it seems to have taken a long time to arrive, but finally Sale-a-bration time is here!

So what is Sale-a-bration…………… it’s Stampin’ Up! best offer ever – simply spend £45 on some fabulous Stampin’ Up! products and you can then pick one of four stamp sets, or a pack of gorgeous Designer Series Paper for FREE………. And if you spend £90, you pick two items, spend £135 you pick three items…………… are you getting the idea????

So what are the items you can get for FREE

Not only can you get these gorgeous products for FREE with each spend of £45, but you can also get a FREE Sale-a-bration set if you host a workshop with sales of £300 or more, plus you still get the usual Hostess Benefits as well.

To place an order or to find out more about hosting a workshop and take advantage of this promotion please contact me

craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk or call on 07786266722

Crafty Bug Class Update

2012-01-23T20:01:00.000Z

Come and be a Crafty Bug at my Saturday card classes.

Upcoming classes for 2012

18th February

10am - 1pm

Come along and have a fun filled morning making 5 cards

£7.50

(or free with a £20 order)

2 - 5 pm

An afternoon card class where we will be making a stationary box, plus 4 cards and gift tags to fill it!

£10.00

(or free with a £30 order)

Come along to both sessions for £15

*bring a packed lunch and have a fun filled crafty day*

(free with a £50 order)
*that also means you get to pick a FREE Sale-a-bration item as well*

Check back for sneak peeks of the projects to be made at these classes

A late arrival............

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000Z

Just a quick card to show you today.

This is one I made for my friends when their little girl finally appeared in the world! Their baby was born at the end of November, but seeing as they have such a love for Penguins I couldn't resist using the Polar Party stamp set and adding this cute little penguin popping out of the pram!

The colour combo is So Saffron, Certainly Celery and Pretty In Pink. The shading on the pram image from Bundle of Love was done using an Aqua Painter with the ink pads, though you have to be careful not to overload the paper with water or it will buckle. An alternative would be to stamp the image on water colour paper.

I used the Scallop Border Punch for the bottom strips of card and added the name using the Medium Sizzlit Alphabet Dies.

May the force be with you................

2012-01-22T09:00:00.000Z

Hello,

I just have a quick card for you today. This photo has been sitting on my laptop since before Christmas and I figure it's time to let him shine!!!!

I found a version of this card on a blog called Sherry's Stamped Treasures, and she'd CAS'd it from Debbi's Design's Blog.............. lots of sharing going on.

My brother loves Star Wars, and seeing as I'd got him a t-shirt from Disney Convention that said

" Jedi Training Academy" on it, the card seemed to fit perfectly with the theme!

Having one to copy certainly saved me a lot of time, though I had to improvise and change a few of the punches used as I didn't have them (well my Bird Punch was on loan). The other main change was due to my OH telling me the Light Saber is actually meant to have a green glow if it belongs to Yoda!!!! Boys............ So I added this in!

My brother loved the card, so I was pleased I took the time to put it all together. Goodness knows how long it would have taken to do it from scratch!

The Details:

Card / Paper - Sahara Sand / Chocolate Chip / Wild Wasabi / Basic Gray / Whisper White

Stamps / Ink - Crumb Cake / Chocolate Chip / Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)

Embellishments - Mini Brads / Brights Brad

Tools - Blossom Petals Builder / Word Window / Modern Label / Extra-Large Oval / Large Oval (trimmed) / Boho Blossoms / 1/2" Circle / Decorative Label / 1 3/4" Circle / Sponge Dauber

Stampers 6 Club and Products Shares

2012-01-22T00:32:00.001Z

Hello,

I have posted details for a Stampers 6 Club – click for a link to the page HERE

For details on the products shares I am offering please click HERE

Thanks

Julie x

Convention Swaps – a little late!!!!

2012-01-20T10:00:00.001Z

Hello everyone,
I have yet to share with you the swaps I made for convention back in November. It seems such a long time ago already!
Annoyingly, I was so late in finishing these up – about midnight prior to boarding a train at 6am to head for Paris – that I forgot to take pictures myself. Thankfully I kept one swap, and a couple of other convention friends send me some pictures to use. It’s still a shame, as I made about 70 of these and they looked fab all together.
So what did I make – they are bracelet charms with mini drawstring bags!
My mum, bless her, helped me out by making all of the bags for me. They are made from two pieces of 3”x3” Flirtatious Designer Fabric which my mum stitched into and bag and used Very Vanilla 1/8” Taffeta Ribbon to the bag could be close up. She was a superstar in getting these all done for me, and they looked brilliant.

My part was to make the charm. I used an A4 sheet of Pretty in Pink card stock and did a one sheet wonder using the Delicate Doilies stamp set inked in Melon Mambo and Wisteria Wonder. I then cut this sheet into little squares that fitted over the third biggest butterfly on the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. I had to do a lot of running it through the Big Shot as I only had one of these embosslits………….. Once this was done I then proceeded to cover each side of the butterfly in Crystal Effects. I left it over night after doing one side, then did the other and left over night again. I then thought this wasn’t making it stiff enough, so went on to do each side twice more, so three coats all over in total.

I used the 2mm Handheld Punch to give me a hole to put a jump ring through and this was then connected to a small clasp. My other half really helped me out as the last hours before leaving for convention were upon us, and he did most of the jump ring / clasp connections.

I printed a label topper onto Melon Mambo, Pretty in pink and Wisteria Wonder card and punched them out with the Decorative Label Punch. I used Basic Black card as a backing which had a recipe label on the back, then popped then into little cello bags and stapled on the topper.
I think it was a rather ambitious swap for my first convention, but they seemed a big hit which I was pleased about. I didn’t come home with any, but I certainly had a lot of wonderful swaps back that give enormous amounts of inspiration.
So – it just goes to show how versatile Stampin’ Up! products are. I went left field and made jewellery!
I hope you liked them and maybe you’ll think of something else to do with your craft stash……….

ILWS – Simply Adorned Insert Swap

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000Z

Oh wow, I’m really loving the new Simply Adorned product range in the Spring Mini Catalogue. have you seen what’s on offer????

Chains, bracelets, jewels and charms………………. all so fabulously gorgeous, and they can be simply altered to suit any outfit!

The charms come in four sizes, all locket style with a hinge that easily allows you to insert customised artwork or photos.

I joined in a swap on In Love With Stamping so I could get lots of lovely inspiration and samples. I made 10 of each inserts to fir the larger size charms, 2.5cm x 2.5cm and 3.2cm x 2.5cm.

This first one uses the Charming stamp set, specifically designed with images to fit the inserts. This insert is for the largest charm.

The first side has the script background inked in Pool Party, then stamped off before stamping onto the Confetti Cream base card. Over the top I have inked the circle image in Wisteria Wonder and added tiny pearls. The butterfly image is inked in Perfect Plum and daubed with Champagne Simmer Paint before stamping onto the card.

Flip the card over and on the other side we have the floral image. I used markers to ink this image so I could get the flowers a different colour from the foliage. Marker used were Perfect Plum and Pear Pizzazz. The wording is from You’re a Gem stamp set and is inked in Chocolate Chip.

The second insert for the swap is for the square Charm. I’ve used an old favourite, Clearly For You, and one of the lovely new sets in the Spring Mini, Perfect Postage, an absolute steal at only £8.95 in Clear Mount or £10.95 in Wood Mount – there are four images in the set and there is also a matching Postage Punch. Once again the base is Confetti Cream card.

The first side I have stamped the Heart image from Perfect Postage in Real read ink. I them used a sponge dauber to take the colour right to the edges. The love sentiment is from Tiny Tags and I’ve used Chocolate Chip ink. My trusty stamp-a-ma-jig allowed me to line this up perfectly, and then I added a Basic Rhinestone.

On the other side I have stamped the background image from Clearly For You in Daffodil Delight. Like with the other insert I stamped off first to give a lighter shade. The bird were added over the top in Cherry Cobbler ink. The top section is a piece of Cherry Cobbler card punched with the wonderful Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch.

I cannot wait to get my package of swaps from the others involved. I will show you what I get over the coming weeks.

These charms really are great value as you can simply change the inserts with every change of outfit and they become completely unique!

Thanks

Julie xxx

Time for a challenge

2012-01-14T10:00:00.001Z

I have not done a challenge entry for a long, long time. I decided this morning that it was time to rectify that.

I went over to Stamping 411 for the weekly sketch and decided to play along.

I have been wanting to use the stamp set Everything Eleanor for ages, but with Christmas taking over my crafting for the last few months it never made it out of the box until now.

I used Perfect Plum for the card base and stamped this in the same coloured ink with the flourish from the set. I used Sahara Sand ink for the label stamped onto Confetti Cream card which has lovely little flecks in it. I over stamped this with one of the flower images. First I inked it with Melon Mambo and then did the rock n roll technique with some Elegant Eggplant ink. I trimmed around the label shape, mounted it onto some Melon Mambo card and then trimmed again. I think my trimming skills need some work!!!!

I used some red stick across the middle of the card and ruffled some Chantilly Crochet Trim along it, adding in the Happy Birthday sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes in Melon Mambo punched with the Decorative Label Punch.

The sketch had a bow in that area, but I decided to top the ribbon with the little bird image from the stamp set. I used markers to colour him in Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand and a little Pumpkin Pie for the beak and feet. I cut him out and added him with a Dimensional.

The flower image piece was then added with Dimensionals as well.

Why not follow the link at the top of the post to Stamping 411 and see what everyone else has been creating?

Thanks xx

COMING SOON...........

2012-01-12T22:03:00.000Z

I am going to be setting up a stampers 6 club, running from March to August.................... and I will shortly have some product shares for you as well.

I will post full details shortly, but please drop me an email to register your interest - craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

I will also be posting some more gorgeous projects using new Mini Catalogue products, and lots of Sale-a-brations lovelies, over the weekend :o)

Until then, big hugs

Julie x

Cupcake Class Update

2012-01-08T19:37:00.000Z

CUPCAKE CLASS UPDATE

The 10am - 1pm session for this class is now fully booked.

I am adding a second session on the same date

2 - 5pm

Please book by Saturday 14th January

Come and be a Crafty Bug at my Saturday card classes.

21st January

Cupcake Class

Using the NEW Create a Cupcake stamp set and Cupcake Builder Punch

(available in the Spring Mini Catalogue from 4th January)

£12.50

This class includes a product bag containing buttons, brads and ribbon.

You will be using some on your projects, but there will still be plenty to take home.

Sneak Peek

You'll be surprised at how much you can create from a cupcake!

For further information, more class dates, and booking information click HERE

Spring Mini Catalogue Blog Hop

2012-01-04T10:00:00.049Z

Hello,

Welcome to The Crafty Bug stop on this Spring Mini Catalogue Blog Hop!!!!! I hope you have been enjoying your journey, or if this is your first stop, then please just keep following the links and work your way around all 22 stops. If you've come from Jayne's blog, then I'm sure you will have loved her card using the Marry Me stamp set and Pocketful of Posies DSP - gorgeous............

I am so excited that for the first time ever, the UK has a Spring Mini. It's packed full of wonderful crafting products that will be available through until 30th April 2012.

Let's get cracking:

First up is a card made with a new a la carte stamp that I got during convention when I won a prize patrol. It's called Liebe, Love, Amour which is just perfect for Valentines without being too cutesy. It co-ordinates with the new 2 3/8 " Scallop Circle Punch - I apologise for my dreadful photography skills, the card is straight in real life!

The card base is Basic Gray, layered with the gorgeous new Red Glimmer Paper. It's so sparkly and shiny, I just love it. I've rounded the corners, and then stamped the Liebe, Love, Amour stamp several times on Very Vanilla with Basic Gray and Real Red ink. These have been punched out and layered using Dimensionals, then finished off with a Red Rhinestone Brad in the centre.

This second card uses the products and colours from the new Spice Cake product suite.

The card base is Soft Suede, layered with More Mustard which was run through the Big Shot with the Lattice Square Embossing Folder, and Pool Party, one of the In Colors of 2011/2012.

The Pool Party card has been stamped in Soft Suede with the border image from the Spiced Paisley stamp set. I have created a woven paper mesh with 1cm wide strips of Spice Cake DSP.

I finished this card off with the floral image from Spiced Paisley stamp set inked in Pool Party. The sentiment is from the Hostess stamp set, Happiest Birthday Wishes. I used a Soft Suede marker to ink just the wording of this stamp, then stamped it over the Paisley image using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up just right.

Next up is a very cute and simple card made using the Perfect Postage stamp set and co-ordinating Postage Stamp Punch.

The card base is Crumb Cake, and I have then used each of the five 2011/2012 In Colours with the new Postage Stamp Punch. These have been layered on top of each other. The final one is Very Vanilla and I stamped it with the Bunny image in Crumb Cake ink. I stamped a second time onto Calypso Coral card and then cut out the little balloon and layered it on top. The sentiment Sweet Friend is from the gorgeous You Are Loved stamp set - that's coming up in a minute :o)

Here's another potential Valentine creation, again using the Perfect Postage stamp set and punch, along with that lovely Red Glimmer Paper.

The base is Real Red card, with a layer of Chocolate Chip which has been embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder using the Big Shot. I stamped the i and u from Just Perfect Alphabet in Real Red ink onto Very Vanilla and punched them out.

The Heart image is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink, then layered onto a piece of Red Glimmer Paper punch with the Curly Label Punch. A couple of strips of Red Glimmer Paper were also added under the i and u, with each element being stuck on with Dimensionals to give some height.

I've saved my favourite for last - this card is made using the You Are Loved stamp set. The set includes a sentiment that reads Happy Valentines Day, but with 6 other stamps in the set that can be used all year round I think this stamp set is just beautiful.

I've used the large heart image and inked it with markers before stamping onto Very Vanilla card. The colours are Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Cherry Cobbler and Pink Pirouette. I cut the heart shape out free hand, simpler than you might think, then used Sticky Strip to attach Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, which I ruffled even more.

The card base is Wisteria Wonder and I have stamped the flower image to give a subtle background. I inked the stamp with Wisteria Wonder ink, stamped off on some scrap paper then stamped onto the card front. The sentiment wasn't stamped off, so is slightly darker. I love the tone on tone effect of this card.

I hope that the creations I have made will inspire you - please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Now it's time to head off to see what Fiona has in store for you!

Thanks so much for visiting - Enjoy xxx

If any links are not working, or you find yourself a little lost along the way, here is a full list of all participants in the Spring Mini Catalogue Blog Hop

1. Alison P - www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
2. Daisydaye - www.emma-daye.blogspot.com
3. Sarnie - www.kraftybiker.blogspot.com
4. CarolynUK - www.stampaholix.blogspot.com
5. Tracey R - www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com
6. Kara M - http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com
7. Hayley (craftydevils) - www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com
8. Emma_H - www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com
9. Kate - http://stampinupwithkate.blogspot.com/
http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com
11. TinaFaghy - http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
12. Donna M - http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com
13. Laura - http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com
14. Charlie - http://craftylittlemoos.blogspot.com/
15. Sara (craftingandstamping.com) - http://craftingandstamping.com
16. Leanie - http://www.beautifulimpressions.co.uk
17. LittleBeckie (Beckie) - http://www.bextiesandstickytape.blogspot.com
18. Jayne (charliemenace) - http://jaynescraftycorner.blogspot.com
19. Julie H (craftybug) - http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
20. Fiona W - http://oakfieldcrafts.blogspot.com
21. Natalie - http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
22. Rozelle (LittleMoo6) - http://thepapercraftsessions.blogspot.com

New Year, New Classes

2012-01-02T21:05:00.000Z

A new year means new classes

Come and be a Crafty Bug at my Saturday card classes.

21st January

Cupcake Class

Using the NEW Create a Cupcake stamp set and Cupcake Builder Punch

(available in the Spring Mini Catalogue from 4th January)

£12.50

This class includes a product bag containing buttons, brads and ribbon.

You will be using some on your projects, but there will still be plenty to take home.

Sneak Peek

You'll be surprised at how much you can create from a cupcake!

For further information, more class dates, and booking information click HERE

Christmas Craft Fair Makes

2011-12-23T13:00:00.002Z

Wow, I really went a little overboard on making bits to sell at fairs this Christmas. I had four stalls in the run up to Christmas, and by working all hours before the first one it certainly meant an easier ride along the way with the others as I had so much stock. Of course I still thought of other things to make!!! I had quite a bit left over, but it's made little stocking filler gifts easier, and the girls I work with also bought lots of bits and pieces too.

It's was all quite a labour of love and certainly not something you do to make lots of cash, but I enjoyed having my mum along to help me out, and it also meant I got to see lots of other crafty bits and get some Christmas presents for friends and family too.

So, here's lots of the things I made............

Magnetic note pads / Stamped Candles / Pencil and Eraser sets /

Magnetic Memo Board Pegs / Mini Post-it Keyrings

Bottle Cap Magnet Packs

Tree Chocolates - Elizabeth Shaw Mints (yummy.........)

Decorated Gift Boxes

Reindeer Food - such a cute idea for kids - these were a really good seller. Inside the test tube was muesli mixed with cake decorating glitter (safe for the birds)

Some of the stash of Reindeer Food

Snowman Poop bags and Reindeer Spare Red Noses

(otherwise known as white chocolate buttons, and strawberry fruit pieces)

Magnetic Bookmarks

Magnetic Notebooks

Mini Post-it Note Key Rings

This was the first stall we did. I didn't take pictures of any of the others, though we found better ways to display everything as each one went along.............

My dinky little helper - also know as Best Mum in the World!

Variety of Owl Key Rings

Post-it pad notebooks - I did 6 different designs of these

There were more bits that I made for the later fairs, but I simply didn't have time to photograph everything before packaging it up and putting it in boxes to take.

I will definitely be doing more fairs, but now I know that the prep time needs to be quadrupled if I want to get more than 5 hours sleep a night!!!!!!

Definitely too many products to mention, probably something for nearly every page in the catalogue!

I hope you liked seeing what I made :o)

Finally the last card from class!!!

2011-12-22T22:54:00.000Z

Oh my, oh my................. it's only 3 days left until Christmas and I have been such a bad blogger of late that I'm sure to be crossed off Santa's list!!! I hope it doesn't work like that.........

I'm finally getting around to posting the final card from my Christmas Card Class at the end of November. Since then there has also been a December class where we did thank-you cards, and I will try really hard to get those posted before the New year rolls around.

Unfortunately I'm working between Christmas and New Year, but I hope to have a play with loads of NEW Stampin' Up! goodies that have been arriving these past few weeks on my doorstep. I;m sure it hasn't escaped anyone's attention that Stampin' Up! are for the first time ever releasing a SPRING MINI catalogue on 4th January! There are lots of lovely things, and I hope to post a few sneak peeks for you over the next week.

However, on with today's card.................

A lovely Christmassy Santa Owl punch art card that was inspired by a card I saw on a sample board at Convention. I'm not sure who's the card was, but I changed mine up a little.

The card base is Old Olive, with a night sky layer of Night of Navy. I stamped some snowflakes in Whisper White from Serene Snowflakes stamp set. The roofing is Basic Gray card, punched with the Scallop Border Punch and dauber with Whisper White ink. The Chimney is a 1 1/4" Square of Textured Cajun Craze, lined up with another piece punched with the Word Window Punch. Again these were daubed for a snowy effect.

My owl was punched from Chocolate Chip card. I stamped the Santa Suit image from Tags til Christmas and punched it using the Owl Punch for the chest piece, and added eyes and a Santa hat. The present is simply a piece of Daffodil Delight punched with the 1 1/4" Square and then tied with some Linen Thread.

I used this design for another card which I will show you before the year is out. One of the girls at work asked me to make cards for her Grandsons. One of them has never had anything with his name on as they can never find it. I also had a very strange request for a Christmas card relating to peanuts!!!! I worked with it and was really pleased with the results............. Check back to see what on earth I am talking about!

Best Birthday Card Ever!!!!!

2011-12-10T13:44:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

Just a really quick post today, of a card that wasn't made by me..............

It's my birthday and my other half presented me with my Birthday Card very excitedly.......... he'd raided my craft room, gone through all my piles and drawers of stamps, and made a card for me all himself.

I was so touched by this, that he'd put such effort in, and the card itself doesn't look like it's a first attempt by someone, it looks great, so I really wanted to share it.

He used the Clearly For You background stamp in Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant and Daffodil Delight, with matching coloured butterflies that I had in a scraps box.

Definitely the best card ever, thank you honey xxxx

Card Class - Christmas Time Card 4

2011-12-08T09:00:00.002Z

We are almost at the end of show and tell from my Christmas Card Class, I do hope you enjoyed seeing the cards we made.

The card today I love because of it's subtle look, but there are quite a few elements to it.

The card base is Cherry Cobbler, with a layer of Crumb Cake on top. The Crumb Cake layer was stamped 3/4 way down with Serene Snowflakes in Versamark ink and covered in Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder. This was heated creating a lovely bright, textured background.

There was a further layer of Cherry Cobbler card and Crumb Cake card. The Crumb Cake layer was put through the Big Shot with the Perfect polka Dots Embossing Folder.

To top if off we added a 3D decoration. The image from Contempo Christmas was stamped onto Very Vanilla three times in Cherry Cobbler ink, then all three punched out with the Ornament Punch. They were folded in half and glued to form the 3D shape. I bow made from 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon was added above with a glue dot.

At the bottom we added a length of Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon and the sentiment from Contempo Christmas inked in Cherry Cobbler as well.

My friends have asked me to make them some of these cards to send to family, but they want a blue theme. I

will post a picture when I've finished them off.

I have one last card from this class to show you - it's very much Punch Art gone crazy. It will be on my blog before the week is out :o)

The Details:

Card / Paper - Cherry Cobbler / Very Vanilla / Crumb Cake

Stamps / Ink - Contempo Christmas / Cherry Cobbler / Serene Snowflakes

Embellishments - 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon / 1/2" Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon / Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder

Tools - Ornament Punch / Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder / Big Shot / Heat Gun / Trimmer / Glue Dots

Card Class - Christmas Time Card 3

2011-12-07T09:00:00.002Z

Hi everyone,

Round three on my Christmas Card Class makes, and this one uses a technique that I had heard about before, but saw it put into practise at Convention and knew I had to try it as soon as I got home!

It's called partial embossing!!!!! It's really gives a card the WOW factor and is a technique I will be using again and again.

You basically run a piece of chip board through the Big Shot in the embossing folder you want the pattern of, in this case it was the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. Then I cut out the shape I wanted. The chip board was quite tough, so cutting was a little bit of hard work, but so worth it! The I used a little two-way glue dabbed on the chipboard to stick it to the outside of the embossing folder, lining the pattern up. I know pictures would help make more sense of this, but I hope you know what I mean. When you put a piece of card inside the embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot, the image only transfers through where the chipboard is.

By using the two way glue you can remove the chipboard when you want to use the embossing folder in the usual way, or if you want to adhere a different chip board piece.

Here's a close-up:

So, for the rest of the card - I did this technique on Garden Green card and then punched twice with the Ornament Punch. I used Sticky Strip to adhere the beautiful and fun Candy Cane Designer Fabric to the Real Red card base (with a piece of Whisper White behind the fabric so the red didn't show through), and then mounted the Garden Green punched / embossed card over the top with Dimensionals. The sentiment is from Contempo Christmas, inked in Real Red on Whisper White, and then punched with the Modern Label Punch. I also used this punch with Real Red card, which I then chopped in half and used to back the sentiment at each end.

I hope you will be giving this technique a try. If my instructions didn't make sense, please do email me and I will try and help make it clearer.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Real Red / Whisper White / Garden Green / Candy Cane Designer Fabric

Stamps / Ink -Real Red / Contempo Christmas

Embellishments - None

Tools - Big Shot / Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder / Modern Label Punch / Ornament Punch / Trimmer / Dimensionals / Sticky Strip

Card Class - Christmas Time Card 2

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000Z

This Origami Tree card was a massive hit at my Christmas Card Class last weekend!

It is a really simply technique, with such a gorgeous finished effect............ When I delivered orders to two of the ladies at class, they both told me they'd been making more of these, and one of the ladies had made 50 of them and had samples ready to show me!!!! Fabulous...................

We used the Holly Berry Bouquet DSP for the origami Christmas tree. You can pick any two pattern papers, they all work together beautifully. I picked out the colours in the DSP to use for the card base and Top Note layer.

I will try and do a tutorial on how to fold the paper to make these trees over the next few days, so pop back and check it out :o)

The trees were formed, and then layered onto a piece of card cut with the Top Note Die and Big Shot. The main card base was stamped with the Serene Snowflakes images with Versamark to give that subtle watermark effect. Tricky to pick up in the photos sadly, but it is there.

The sentiment on these cards is from Petite Pairs, as these are pictures of cards I made for craft fairs. At class we used the Merry Christmas sentiment from Contempo Christmas.

The card was topped off with a Rhinestone brad to act as a star on the top of the tree. Here you can see a different DSP tree variation and card base colour combination.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Real Red / Chocolate Chip / Wild Wasabi / Holly Berry Bouquet DSP

Stamps / Ink - Serene Snowflakes / Versamark / Chocolate Chip / Contempo Christmas / Petite Pairs

Embellishments - Rhinestone Brads

Tools - Big Shot / Top Note Die / Sticky Strip / Trimmer / Mat Pack and Paper Piercing Tool

Card Class - Christmas Time Card 1

2011-12-04T22:14:00.000Z

Hello,

This is the first of five posts to show you the cards we made during my recent Christmas Card Class.

The class was mainly focused around the stamp sets Serene Snowflakes and Contempo Christmas, but also included a punch art card, plus a bit of heat embossing and Big Shot use.

I really enjoyed prepping for this class and made some of these cards myself to send to friends.

This first card uses the gorgeous glitter polka dot paper from the Holly Berry Bouquet DSP pack. It's so shimmery and pretty, the camera really doesn't do it justice. I layered this paper onto a Lucky Limeade card base, and added a panel of Real Red card that had the edges punched with the Scallop Border Punch, and some Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon tied round.

The tree image from Contempo Christmas was stamped on Lucky Limeade ink onto Whisper White and mounted onto Lucky Limeade card. It was added to the main card with Dimensionals.

I added some Christmas bling with lots of lovely Rhinestones.

Here's a closer look:

The Details:

Card / Paper - Lucky Limeade / Real Red / Holly Berry Bouquet DSP

Stamps / Ink - Contempo Christmas / Lucky Limeade

Embellishments - Basic Rhinestones / Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon

Tools - Scallop Border Punch / Trimmer / Dimensionals

Where I'll Be....

2011-12-01T02:00:00.000Z

I will have a stall at the following events in the run up to Christmas

If you live nearby, why not pop in to say hi, see my crafty creations and find out more about Stampin' Up! You can even do some Christmas shopping while your there!!!

Tilehurst Xmas Arts, Crafts & Gifts Fair

Friday 2nd December

7 - 10pm

Westwood Farm Community Centre, Downs Way, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire, RG31 6SL

Tilehurst Xmas Arts Crafts & Gifts Fair in aid of Action Medical Research UK.

Alton Christmas Cracker

Sunday 4th December

10am - 4pm

Alton Community Centre, Amery Street, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1HN

Christmas Fair at Alton Community Centre, Hampshire. 10.00am-4.00pm. Come along for lots of stalls selling gifts and products for the festive season, preserves, cakes, jewellery and lots more.

Santa's Postbox, River Wey Cafe open, free mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas cheer.

Free Entrance.

FestiviTea & Christmas Family Event

Sunday 11th December

1 - 4 pm

Popley Field Community Centre, Carpenters Down, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9AE

Basingstoke Branch of the National Autistic Society will be spreading bit of sparkle with a FestiviTea & Family Fun Day, and we're inviting local stallholders to come along!!! As well as a selection of local craft stalls there will be a silent auction for last minute Christmas goodies, a bouncy castle, face painting, gingerbread tree biscuit decorating, craft activities, and Santa’s Grotto for the children. We will also be serving hot and cold refreshments and snacks, including mulled wine. There is plenty of free parking at the centre and admission to the event is free. Every penny raised will go towards supporting local children with Autism and their families.

Quick Christmas Cards

2011-11-30T18:37:00.000Z

Well, another day, another Christmas themed post!!!!

It is pretty much December, so Christmas is upon us in a big way.

I have three more craft fairs to attend, details will be on my blog later today, and then I will be busy making my own Christmas cards to send and wrapping presents, and preparing for having everyone over to my place for Christmas Day. It's the first time ever, so I'm very excited!!!!

Back to the cards today though!

This first one is a 4 inch square card, stamped with the tree image from Contempo Christmas. I love this set so much and have had great fun using it these past few weeks.

I used markers to ink the image so that I could get the different colours together. Christmas classics, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler, along with a little Daffodil Delight for the star.

The DSP I have used to layer it are retired Jolly Holiday papers from last years catalogue. I'm trying to use up all of my old stash.

I do think this would also look fab with the Holly Berry Bouquet DSP, and just change the colours for Real Red and Wild Wasabi, two of my favourites together :o)

This second card is one for the kids, with the fun little images from Every Little Bit. This is a brilliant stamp set with 28 different images covering all sorts of themes.

I've picked out the Christmasy ones to use here. All of them were inked with markers, again this allowed me to mix my colours which was especially useful with the penguin. I didn't want any of that Basic Black getting into my Pumpkin Pie beak and feet!!!

I punch the images out with the 1 1/4" Square Punch and Layered them onto Scallop Punch pieces of Poppy Parade and Island Indigo.

The middle image was popped up on Dimensionals.

The backing DSP is from the 11/12 In Color Paper Stack in Pool Party, as is the Scallop Oval for the sentiment. The sentiment is from Petite Pairs, again a stamp set that covers all occasions.

I hope you like my offerings today. I really had fun making two such different cards, and hopefully a few of them will sell at the weekend :o)

The Details:

Card / Paper - Poppy Parade / Old Olive / Jolly Holiday DSP (retired) / Pool Party DSP (In Color Stack) / Island Indigo / Pool Party / Whisper White / Very Vanilla

Stamps / Ink - Contempo Christmas / Old Olive / Cherry Cobbler / Daffodil Delight / Poppy Parade / Basic Black / Pumpkin Pie / Island Indigo / Every Little Bit / Petite Pairs

Embellishments - None

Tools - Scallop Border Punch / 1 1/4" Square Punch / Scallop Square Punch / Scallop Oval Punch / Large Oval Punch / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Dimensionals

Craft Fair - Punch Art Fun

2011-11-27T09:00:00.008Z

I'm sure that is has not escaped any ones attention that Christmas is fast approaching. I have already made mention in a few posts that I have been making lots of items to sell at some craft fairs I am attending. Well, this is where the show and tell really begins. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you lots of lovely Christmas gift items that I have spent many a late night putting together.

At this point I have done one Christmas fair, but it was on a remarkably hot November day, and attendance at the fair was not what the organisers had hoped. Needless to say, I don't have to rush around making loads for the next fair in just over a weeks time as I have lots of stuff left.

My theory is that since the next two are actually in December, then people will be more in the Christmas frame of mind........ The other two fairs are also on a slightly bigger scale, so my fingers are crossed for good turnouts.

Today I wanted to show you some punch art lolly pop bookmarks that I have made for children. Although not a Stampin' Up! product, I have added wiggly eyes which I think makes them super cute :o)

Here is my little troupe of penguins.

The body is made with Basic Black card and the Extra Large Oval Punch, then with Whisper White and the Large Oval Punch I added a chest area. The wings are made with the large Oval as well, and a 1" Circle Punch for the head. The beak is a Pumpkin Pie heart punched from the Owl Builder Punch and the feet come from that punch also.

Next up are my Santa's.......... Punches can be used for so many things, it's just a case of a little imagination!

Santa's hat is 1 1/4 Square Punch of Real Red cut in half and trimmed with a Whisper White piece of card punched with the Word Window Punch. The Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack was used for the hat bobble and also the beard pieces.

The face is a 1 3/8" Circle of Pink Pirouette and the nose a smaller circle again using the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.

I have a few other punch art items to share with you, so check back over the coming days, or sign up to follow me or for email alerts.

Happy Crafting

Julie xxx

Christmas Card Class and Craft Fair Makes

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000Z

Hello everyone - I want to share a couple of the cards from my recent Christmas class.

Everyone made 10 cards and 10 gift tags, but in my haste at preparing for convention I didn't take pictures of everything! I seem to be doing this a lot lately............

However, a couple of the cards I made extras to sell at a craft fair I am doing, as well as making up 20 packs of gift tags, so these items I can share with you, though you will have to excuse the cello wrapper which doesn't make for the best picture ever!

All of the cards used the Welcome Christmas stamp set and the Tags til Christmas made the gift tags a really quick make.

This first card has the effect of looking into a house where the family are decorating a tree. It is not an original idea by me, but I have seen lots of variation on the Internet and this is just my take on it.

The main image was stamped onto Very Vanilla card, then the wreath image was added along the top before the card was cut into four pieces. These were mounted onto Early Espresso, and the other layer is Crumb Cake and then Always Artichoke for the card base.

The sentiment was stamped in Cherry Cobbler and then cut by hand, a little fiddly but not too time consuming. It really makes you appreciate the ease of using punches when you have to cut something like this by hand though :o)

The bow at the top was made using Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon.

This second card is made with a Crumb Cake base and the sledging image from Welcome Christmas stamped in Crumb Cake ink at the bottom corner. The Cherry Cobbler layer has been distressed using the Cutter Tool, and the Old Olive piece of card has been through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. Again the sentiment was stamped and hand cut, then added to the card with Dimensionals.

The Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon was wrapped into a bow shape and then the prongs of the brad were opened out and the ribbon pushed inside. Closing the prongs and popping it through the Old Olive card layer then secures the bow. The brad I used comes from the pack of Antique Brads (20 brads, 4 each of 5 designs for £5.50) which are gorgeous and a real bargain price.

These are the lovely tags we made in class, 2 of each. We made full use of the punches for these, which is exactly how the stamp set, Tags til Christmas, is designed. However, if you don't have any punches you can very easily use a trimmer and mount them on square and rectangle pieces of card just as easily with the same fabulous results.

The punches used include the Decorative Label Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Large and Extra Large Tag Punches, plus the Two tags Big Shot Die.

Here are all of the sets of five tags laid out for me to bag up for the craft fair.

And here they are all bagged up. I used retired Jolly Holiday DSP and the Top Note Die with the Big Shot to create a bag topper. Then I added a label using the Just Perfect Alphabet stamp set and Oval Punch.

I hope this has given you some inspiration for your Christmas wrapping, and I hope those attending the up-coming craft fairs I'm attending like my cards and tags too.

Happy Crafting

Julie xxx

Blue Angels Team Training

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000Z

A few weeks ago a group of Blue Angels got together for a team training event hosted by the lovely Cate. As usual at these events we all did swaps.

As I had been busily preparing for a craft fair and card class I was a bit limited on time to get swaps done, so I put these gift tags together in about 30 minutes!!!! Christmas crafting doesn't have to take a long time!

These are the nine that I made all together. I simply used the Large Tag Punch with the beautiful Holly Berry Bouquet DSP, then stuck this down onto Real Red card punched with the Extra Larger Tag Punch. I stuck this to a piece of Wild Wasabi (my favourite colour of choice right now) and I trimmed around the edges to form an even larger tag. I left a little more room at the bottom for the sentiment which comes from the ever so versatile Pennant Parade stamp set. This was inked in Chocolate Chip.

I punched a hole using my Crop-o-dile and threaded through some 1/8" Real Red Taffeta ribbon to finish them off.

Here's a closer look:

I think I will be making some more of these to add to my Christmas gifts this year as I just think they are adorable.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Wild Wasabi / Real Red / Holly Berry Bouquet DSP

Stamps / Ink - Pennant Parade / Chocolate Chip

Embellishments - Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Tools - Crop-o-dile / Large Tag and Extra-Large Tag Punches / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist

CONVENTION - the best trip ever................

2011-11-22T12:54:00.000Z

Oh my, oh my, oh my, how excited was I last week as I was packing and preparing my swaps to attend my first ever Stampin' Up! Convention - and it was in Disneyland Paris................... Stampin' Up! and Disney - my two most favourite things!!!!!

Well it was a whirlwind trip, manic, fun, exciting, lots of learning, loads of new things coming from Stampin' Up! over the next few months - plus I spent time with my team members, saw other familiar faces and met lots of lovely demos I'd not met before...........

For anyone who doesn't know much about Stampin' Up! or is new to my blog - basically Stampin' Up! hold a European Convention each November. Last year it was in the UK, this year in France, and next year it is in Germany. We were lucky enough to find out about the lovely stamp sets and DSP that are going to form the SALE-A-BRATION promotion from 24th January - 31 March 2012, and equally as exciting, we also found out that we will be getting a SPRING MINI CATALOGUE in the UK for the first time ever..................

Now it's forbidden for us to show the stamp sets, or any of the promotional literature prior to the launch of these two exciting things, but we are allowed to show completed projects made using all of the new goodies. I was very lucky and was a winner on a prize patrol and got to come home with a brand new punch and a la carte stamp, so as soon as I have put these into action I will show you my creations........

For now though, here are a few of the projects that were on the display boards:

and also some of my favourite swaps that I was so lucky to receive:

Gold Embossed Christmas card by Liz Archer

Thank You card by Jo Dumbleton

Friend card by Julie Kettlewell

Birthday Wishes card by Kerry Timms

Bottlecap Magnets x 3 by Sarah-Jane Rae

Bottlecap Brooch by Val Moody

Christmas Bird card by Emily Thompson

Flower Notebook by Evelyn Calder

I will be getting back on the posting trail and updating you with more pictures over the coming weeks, plus I have loads of class projects to share with you.............

Until tomorrow - xxxx

New Product Card Class - Pennant Parade Christmas

2011-11-08T09:00:00.004Z

Hello everyone,

This is the final card from the card class I ran in October.

It uses the ever so fabulous Pennant Parade stamp set and co-ordinating Pennant Builder Punch!

This layout is based on a card I saw at a recent training session on an Inspiration Station by Hayley Gillie.

I have used the Just Add Cake DSP as the backing layer on this card, and from that I got the colour combination of Wild Wasabi and Poppy Parade.

The card base is Wild Wasabi and I have also used this for the tree. I stamped the Christmas Tree Pennant image in Wild Wasabi onto Wild Wasabi card and then punched them out with the Pennant Builder Punch. I did three and then folded them all in half and glued then to one another to make a 3D tree. This add something extra to the card but is still practical as it folds flat to put in the envelope to post.

The pot the tree sits in and the star on top, plus the Merry sentiment and sun burst stamped image all come from the same stamp set. It has so many bit to it for so many different occasions.

The left side of the card is edged with Poppy Parade card punched with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch. I'm loving this punch so much...........

Here's a side view so you can see the dimension of the card.

If you have enjoyed seeing the cards from my last class and would like to join in with an upcoming class, then check out the details HERE. In November I am running two classes, both Christmas themed!

If you would like any further details then please contact me - 07786266722 or craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

The Details:

Card / Paper - Wild Wasabi / Poppy Parade / Whisper White / Just Add Cake DSP

Stamps / Ink - Pennant Parade / Poppy Parade / Early Espresso / Wild Wasabi / So Saffron

Embellishments - None

Tools - Lace Ribbon Border Punch / 1" Circle Punch / 1 1/4" Circle Punch / Itty Bitty Punch Pack / Bone Folder / Pennant Builder Punch / Dimensionals / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist

New Product Card Class - Pennant Parade Birthday

2011-11-06T08:00:00.007Z

Hello lovelies!

I hope you are enjoying my showcase of card from October's class.

The card today was based on one from a recent training event that we all made. In training we used the Just Add Cake DSP and co-ordinating cards and ink, plus the luscious Scallop Dotty Ribbon. I have changed things up slightly to incorporate the oh so pretty Cheerful Treat DSP that is one of the bargain Hostess products that can now be bought.

For anyone that doesn't know, hostess pounds have replaced hostess levels - and it makes things so much more versatile. For the minimum qualifying party total or individual order of £150, you now get £25 hostess pounds. There are gorgeous hostess only products you can buy at discounted prices, or you can spend it on anything in the main catalogue, or mix and match. A pack of these papers in only £8 hostess pounds, so you still have enough left to get a stamp set or even two!!!! Bargain..............

Right - back to the card :o)

The base is Bashful Blue, with a layer of Concord Crush that has been punched on the top and bottom edges with the Scallop Border Punch. Lots of layers here as we then have Melon Mambo and finally Whisper White. The Whisper White has been stamped with the star and sunburst images from Pennant Parade stamp set, inked in Lucky Limeade and Melon Mambo.

The Cheerful Treat DSP has been used with the Pennant Builder Punch to get the banner, and the happy is stamped in Melon Mambo with the Just Perfect Alphabet then punched with the 3/4" Circle Punch.

Along the bottom there is Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon and punched with the Modern Label Punch is the sentiment from another hostess product called Happiest Birthday Wishes.

This layout is fab and could be done in so many different colour combinations, and all you need to do is grab some DSP and take the colours from there. So simple............

Why not have a go?

The final card from Octobers class uses the Pennant Parade stamp set for another Christmas themed card. Be sure to come back and have a look.

xxxx

The Details:

Card / Paper - Bashful Blue / Concord Crush / Melon Mambo / Whisper White / Cheerful Treat DSP

Stamps / Ink - Just Perfect Alphabet / Happiest Birthday Wishes / Melon Mambo

Embellishments - Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon

Tools - Scallop Border Punch / 3/4" Circle Punch / Pennant Builder Punch / Modern Label Punch / Paper Snips / Dimensionals / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Sticky Strip

New Product Card Class - Button Buddies Snowman

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000Z

A new Stampin' Up! catalogue and lovely new products must mean that Christmas isn't far behind!!!!

I added in a few Christmas cards to my card class this month to get everyone started............

This card uses a 4" x 4" base of Island Indigo, teamed with the gorgeous Cherry Cobbler!

The background is Serene Snowflakes stamped onto Whisper White, and then I ran the card through the Big Shot with the Perfect polka Dots Embossing Folder to give an even more snowy effect.

A length of the new Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon was added down the middle of the card (love this ribbon, it's super soft and touchable!)

The snowman from Button Buddies was inked up with markers so I could get the body in Island Indigo and the hat in Cherry Cobbler. This was stamped onto Whisper White and then punched out with the Decorative Label Punch. I also used this punch with a piece of Cherry Cobbler, which was then chopped in half down the middle and used to edge the white piece.This was added to the centre of the card with Dimensionals.

A really simple design that could be done over and over for a batch of Christmas cards for friends, neighbours and co-workers. I haven't actually added a button for the snowman on this card, but it would look great and give an added dimension to the card.

Coming up later in the week are the final two cards from class which use the versatile Pennant Parade stamp set and co-ordinating Pennant Builder Punch.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Island Indigo / Whisper White / Cherry Cobbler

Stamps / Ink - Button Buddies / Serene Snowflakes / Cherry Cobbler / Island Indigo

Embellishments - Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon

Tools - Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder / Decorative Label Punch / Dimensionals / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Tombow

New Product Card Class - Button Buddies Flowers

2011-11-02T09:00:00.008Z

As soon as I saw Button Buddies in the new catalogue, I feel in love with it! I'm a bit of a button hoarder - I have loads of them and always forget to add them to my cards, so this set will really help me start using them as they are way to pretty and colourful to sit in the drawer!

The base of this card is Lucky Limeade - one of the gorgeous new In Colours. It's really bright and vibrant.

I layered on some Daffodil Delight which was stamped all over with the flowers image from Confetti stamp set in Versamark ink. It doesn't really show up very well in the picture though :o(

The vase of flowers image was inked with markers and stamped onto Whisper White, then the vase was stamped again and cut out. It was added with Dimensionals. The buttons were popped on with Mini Glue Dots, and then I added a bow with the new Ruffled Ribbon in Lucky Limeade. This ribbon is just lush!

The sentiment is from Petite Pairs, inked in Island Indigo onto Whisper White. It was punched out using the Decorative Label Punch. I know it doesn't look like it, but with the use of a post-it-note you can use this punch to create all sorts of edges.

This was layered with Dimensionals onto a Scallop Oval of Island Indigo.

Pop back for another visit to see the Christmas card I created using the cute Button Buddies stamp set :o)

The Details:

Card / Paper - Lucky Limeade / Daffodil Delight / Island Indigo / Whisper White

Stamps / Ink - Petite Pairs / Confetti / Button Buddies / Island Indigo / Lucky Limeade / Daffodil Delight

Embellishments - Designer Buttons / Ruffled Ribbon

Tools - Decorative Label Punch / Scallop Oval Punch / Paper Snips / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Glue Dots / Tombow / Sticky Strip

November Hostess Freebies ! ! ! !

2011-11-01T00:12:00.001Z

Dates

1 November – 15 December 2011

Promotion Details

Hostesses who host a £300 workshop from 1 November – 15 December will receive the Paisley Petals Bundle Set and a package of Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper - up to a £33.90 value - for FREE in addition to the regular hostess benefits!

Qualifying hostesses can choose between the wood- or clear-mount Paisley Petals Set.

Things to Remember

Customer, demonstrator, and workshop orders qualify for this promotion.
Workshop must total £300 in product sales before shipping and handling to qualify for bonus products.
There is no limit to the number of times a hostess can qualify for bonus products.
Bonus products cannot be exchanged or returned for credit.

Sign Up Now - Christmas Card Class 12th November 2011

2011-10-31T08:00:00.003Z

Come and be a Crafty Bug at my Saturday morning card classes.

Classes are held at my home from 10am - 1pm

Special Christmas Class - 10 for 10

12th November

Make 10 Christmas Cards and 10 Gift Tags for £10

(using Tags til Christmas / Welcome Christmas)

Here's a little sneaky peek of some of the cards and tags you could be making!

Advance booking is required - please contact me

07786266722

craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

All supplies, except glue, included in the price - please bring your own glue, both wet and dry, and anything else you cannot craft without.

If you would like to attend but the date / time are not suitable to you, please do let me know.

If I have enough interest I will add additional dates and times for all classes, but I need to know that people are interested.

Alternatively I can bring the class to you!

Just gather a minimum of 5 people and we can hold the card class in the comfort of your own home. The same pricing applies.

New Product Card Class - Forever Young

2011-10-30T09:00:00.003Z

Hi everyone,

I have a five posts over the coming days to show you the cards we made at my last class.

I wanted to showcase some of the new products so used the Pennant Parade stamp set and Pennant Builder Punch, along with Forever Young, Parlour Prints, Button Buddies and the wonderful new Lace Border Punch. Of course there were some of the new In Colours and DSP thrown in for good measure!

This first card is one I CAS'd as I simply loved it when I received one in an online swap. It was designed by Michelle Bryant over at Michelles Crafty Paper

I kept with the same design and stamp set, but changed up the colours. The one I received was made with Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and Very Vanilla, I decided to go with a colour I hardly ever use - Cajun Craze, along with Basic Gray and Confetti Cream.

It's a center step card, which once you have the measurements and a handle on the cutting and scoring, is actually really easy to create.

The side panels were stamped with Parlour Prints in Basic Gray, using some scrap paper to mask off the surrounding areas. Then the center panel was layered with Basic Gray and Confetti Cream and stamped with the tree image from Forever Young. The sentiment is from Petite Pairs.

The beautiful border across the bottom is the new Lace Border Punch, and the medium sized Basic Rhinestones fit right in the centers.

I will definitely be picking up Cajun Craze again as I've fallen in love with it's warmth and depth :o)

Thanks for dropping by - check back for the other four cards during the week!

xxx

The Details:

Card / Paper - Cajun Craze / Basic Gray / Confetti Cream

Stamps / Ink - Basic Gray / Forever Young / Parlour Prints / Petite Pairs

Embellishments - Basic Rhinestones

Tools - Lace Border Punch / Trimmer with scoring tool / Bone Folder / Tombow Glue / Stampin Scrub and Mist

Training Swaps

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000+01:00

Hi All,

A few weeks ago I popped on down to Southampton to join in with the lovely Amanda Fowler's team training day. There were lots of other demos there so I needed to make 33 swaps........... I really needed something that was going to be quick to do, so I decided to use the new Two Tags Die and make magnetic bookmarks!!!!

I used three of the new In Colours - Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, and added Elegant Eggplant into the mix as well.
The butterfly image and the little flowers on the bookmark base are from Flight of the Butterfly. The butterfly's were punched with the Butterfly Punch and added with glue dots, then Rhinestones made the body. Inside I added strips of magnetic tape so that when placed over a page in a book they stick together and it won't fall out.

Maybe you could make some of these to give with any books that you buy for Christmas gifts this year!

Here are all of them together - I even made a few extra so my mum and two of the girlies at work could have them :o)

The Details:
Card / Paper - Wisteria Wonder / Pool Party / Whisper White
Stamps / Ink - Flight of the Butterfly / Elegant Eggplant / Island Indigo
Embellishments - Basic Rhinestones
Tools - Big Shot / Two Tags Die / Butterfly Punch / Glue Dots / Magnetic Tape (non-SU)

Baby Shower with Button Buddies

2011-10-26T18:00:00.000+01:00

Oh my, oh my - has it really been nearly three weeks since my last post???? I'm not quite sure where the days have gone to..............

I have had card classes, workshops, and even done a craft session for a local youth centre, so my time has been taken up with prep work along with doing the Mon to Fri 9-5...............

I intend to remedy the situation now as I am posting all of recent creations for you to peruse over the coming days. I hope you enjoy them xxxx

This is a card I made for my friends Jenny and Richard. They are expecting their first baby, a little girl, in November, and this past Saturday was the baby shower. Now I have been to a few baby showers before, but this one really was the best fun. Jenny's friend Kelly had arranged it all, providing afternoon tea with scones, clotted cream and jam, plus biscuits, cakes and drinks.......... Plus she's arranged for lots of games, a pass the parcel, nursery rhyme quiz and one where you had to feel all these items in a bag and try and guess what they all were. It was fab!!!!

Anyhow, I made a card for Jenny using the new Button Buddies stamp set, and jumped at the chance to use the "For Your Shower" stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes!!!!

The base is Rose Red, with a layer of Whisper White that had been run through the Big Shot with the Lattice Square Embossing Folder.
The circle layers were cut from the Circles # 2 Die and also the 1 3/4" Circle Punch. The rattle images was inked in Rose Red and topped off with a Pretty in Pink Designer Button to add some contrast.
The sentiment was punched with the Word Window punch and the layer of Rose Red with the Modern Label punch. I added some of the gorgeous Mini Brads to either end and popped it onto the card with Dimensionals.

I love the Button Buddies set, it really is fab for some quick card makes. I have used it for some cards in my recent class, so watch out for those on my blog in the next few days.

The Details:
Card / Paper - Rose Red / Whisper White
Stamps / Ink - Button Buddies / Teeny Tiny Wishes / Rose Red Ink
Embellishments - Mini Brads / Designer Button
Tools - Big Shot / Circles # 2 Die / Square Lattice Embossing Folder / Word Window Punch / Modern Label Punch / Dimensionals

Shine a Light..............

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001+01:00

Hello,

I have been having so much fun recently making lots of candle gifts. Most were for show at my catalogue launch party, but I did a couple of different ones (stupidly didn't take pictures!) for a couple of lovely girlies at work. They loved them............

First I decided to make some gift boxes to pretty up basic tea lights.

These boxes, once I got the dimensions right, were quick and easy to assemble. You could make them from any colour card stock and with so many different packs of Designer Series Paper, the options are endless.

I used Pretty in Pink and Wisteria Wonder card for one, with Flirtatious DSP and the sentiment, inked in Wisteria Wonder on Whisper White card, from the Oval All stamp set. This was mounted on a Scallop Oval of Wisteria Wonder. The 1/2" Circle Punch was used to punch the end tabs to enable you to pull the tea lights out.

The other box was made with Real Real and Wild Wasabi card, with DSP from the Just Add Cake pack. I used the ornament image from Tags til Christmas stamp set, inked in Real red and punched out with the Ornament Punch. This was tied to the box using Linen Thread.

I then moved on to stamping directly on candles. I thought this was going to be quite tough and time consuming, but I was so wrong! This is the most simple thing ever, and really quick too.

I got plain white pillar candles, some tissue paper that matched the white candles, and then basic grease proof paper from the kitchen drawer.

It's best to use bright, vibrant colours, and solid images for this technique as they show up best.

Stamp your image onto the tissue paper and then roughly cut around the edge, don't leave too much excess.

Lay this onto the candle where you want it, and then wrap a piece of grease proof paper around the candle so you can grab the ends and wrap it tight.

Use a heat gun and go over the image that you can see through the grease proof paper. As it sticks to the candle you will notice the image take on a glassy appearance (you will notice a change). Once it's changed all over it should be done. Gently peel back the grease proof paper and your image should have melted into the candle! If an area is still loose, just re-heat gently a second time.

With this candle, after stamping the image, I embellished using Clear Rhinestone Brads of varying sizes to match the flower sizes.

It was stamped all round, about 6 images in total, but here you can just see two. The Island Indigo worked brilliantly.

I then went to town and tried it with other colours, did a bit of rock n roll technique with the butterfly's, and even some masking with the hearts images.

As you can see, the Delicate Doilies images don't stand out quite as well. The images are quite delicate, as the name suggests, and I also used lighter colours with Calypso Coral and Pool Party.

The tall pillar candle with the I (Heart) Hearts images, was inked in Real Red, Poppy Parade and Cherry Cobbler. The butterfly images from Butterfly Prints was inked in Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry.

Don't you think these would make great, inexpensive, gifts for friends and family this Christmas????

Why not give it a try and let me know how you get on, or even better, send me a picture of your gorgeous candles to craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

Just be safe with those heat guns!

Julie xx

Flower Power

2011-10-11T09:00:00.002+01:00

Hi Everyone,

Do you ever get fed-up of flowers that you buy, to brighten your home, fading away? I know I do............

So I decided to create some flowers that will last so much longer!

Using the Flower Daisies # 2 Die and the Big Shot I was able to create these lovely, bright and refreshing Gerberra. They are one of may favourite flowers, and now I never have to worry about them drooping on me!

I used the Big Shot and Die to cut out two of each size flower to create one flower. I did this twice over in Rich Razzleberry and again in Melon Mambo! Love those brights........... and the smallest flower was cut in Daffodil Delight.

I sponge daubed all of the petals to give it a bit more dimension, and then used a piece of Fimo baked in the oven to mount them onto. This was then glued onto a garden stake bought from Robert Dyas.

I cut the stakes to different lengths before popping them into a tall vase. They will stay bright and stand tall, and they never need water! Get and make some to brighten your living room :o)

I hope this helps to inspire you to use your Stampin' Up! products to make something other than a card.

Julie xx

A Kaleidoscope of Butterflys...............

2011-10-09T09:00:00.006+01:00

I have another item to share with you that I made for my launch party on 1st October.

Today it's my Stampin' Up! colour sampler. A group of butterfly's really is called a Kaleidoscope, which to me seems so fitting. They are also know as a Swarm (sounds more like wasps!) or a Rabble (I have an image of lots of chatty women)............

There are so many colours that I really wanted a way to show them off.

I used a 12" shadow box frame so that I could pop the butterfly's up on Dimensionals and fold some of the wings out to make it pop out of the frame.

Sorry about the photos, there is a bit of reflection going on.

I used the Beautiful Wings Embosslit with my Big Shot to get lots of variation in shapes and sizes of butterfly, and I embellished with Basic Rhinestones and Dazzling Diamonds on a selection of them.

I tried to create a nice rainbow effect going across the base which is Textured Whisper White and Bashful Blue. It seemed to me a bit like sky!

There are so many colours to choose from. Which is your favourite? Leave me a comment to let me know!

Julie xx

Catty Launch Display Creations

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

I set to work a few weeks ago making a whole host of paper crafting items to showcase everything you can do with the wonderful Stampin' Up1 products.

These butterfly pegs were based on a swap I received at Regional Training in September. I modified them slightly by getting smaller pegs as I thought they would make great memo board clips. You can't see, but I also added a small round magnet on the back to they will stick to a fridge.

I stamped the Parlour Prints background stamp onto Whisper White in Island Indigo, Perfect Plum and Old Olive, then cut to the size of the peg so I could cover the front and back.

I then stamped the circular image from the new stamp set called Delicate Doilies in each colour and punched out the centre section with a 1 3/8" Circle Punch. This was mounted onto the peg and topped with a butterfly created using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit and Big Shot.

I used a 2-Way Glue Pen to add some Dazzling Diamonds to the embossed area. I love a touch of sparkle!

These will now be adorning my notice board to keep all of my letter and reminders in place :o)

I decided I also wanted to show off the lovely new Designer Series Papers, so I covered some notebooks.

The bottom notebook is covered with one of the patterns from the Timeless Portrait pack. This is the gorgeous new In Colour - Island Indigo and Very Vanilla. There are 11 other patterns in this set and all of them have a vintage feel. The other colours used in the pack are River Rock, Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler. It is part of the Timeless Portrait Suite that includes a stamp set and fabric!

The middle notebook is covered with one of the pattern papers from Just Add Cake. It such a versatile DSP pack which uses eight different Stampin' Up! colours.

The top notebook is covered in DSP from a pack called Cheerful Treat. This is a pack you can only get as a hostess. The new Hostess Pounds really allow you to get much more of what you want for FREE. The hostess pounds come into effect with a workshop total, or individual order, of £150. You get £25 hostess pounds for this size workshop or order, and this pack of DSP is only £8 hostess pounds, so you would still have £17 to spend on other goodies! How great is that?

I did line the inside of the cover with a co-ordinating piece of card to cover the folds and stuck down edges, but forgot to take a photo of that.

These are really quick to make and would be brilliant in different sizes to add in as stocking gifts this Christmas.

Launch Party Make and Take 2

2011-10-06T09:00:00.004+01:00

Hi,

Time for my second make and take from the weekend!

I was still thinking about Christmas and how often a bottle of wine (or any alcohol) makes a good gift for co-workers or neighbours. So I decided to make a bottle git tag, though when I made this one I went with nice bright colours to suit the weather at the time.

It also showcases one of the gorgeous new In Colours - Calypso Coral!!!!!

I cut the base from Calypso Coral wide enough to allow for the Scallop Circle Punch opening to hang over the bottle top. The scallop is Baja Breeze.

The next layer is also Baja Breeze, and although you can't really see it in the picture, it's a folder tab to write a greeting inside.

This was simply glued onto the Calypso Coral base.

The flowers are Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Daffodil Delight DSP Stack. I have run them through the Big Shot with the Fun Flowers Die, and then added a 1/2" Circle and a flower punched from one of the Itty Bitty Punch Pack. All secured with a brad, which means you can then move the layers about to get them how you like. I used Red Stocky Strip to secure the flowers to the Baja Breeze layer as it really doesn't budge, and any other glue wouldn't hold as well due to the brad fastening added some bulk.

I loved this quick and simple project and so did all the crafty gals at my open house.

Now who to give that wine too???? Maybe a present for myself :o)

Launch Party Make and Take 1

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

My goodness the weekend went by so fast!

Gorgeous sunshine, my other half returned home from a business trip and I'd missed him loads, lots of lovely ladies came for my open house catty launch event, I spent time with my mum, plus a pub lunch with my best mate........... A brilliant weekend!

I had organised two make and take projects for my catty launch event. Today I'm showing you the first one.

I went with a Christmas theme, which seemed silly on the day given the 28 degree heat outside!

I used one of the gorgeous new In Colours - Lucky Limeade, along with Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cobbler. A perfect combo for Christmas cards.

The Cherry Cobbler layer was embossed using the Lattice Square Embossing Folder and Big Shot. It gives a lovely quilted effect. The ribbon on the side is the wonderful new 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon in Chocolate Chip. I used the new Pennant Parade stamp set and Petite Pennants Builder Punch. This is a fabulous stamp set with lots of sentiments that fit inside the pennant shapes, there's one that looks like a waffle cone for ice-cream, this little tree and then a plain and scallop pennant for bunting......... So many ideas going round in my head!

I stamped the tree in Lucky Limeade and the pot image in Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Chip. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to line them up nicely and then punched them out with the Large Oval Punch. I added a second tree image on top with Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from Curly Cute stamp set inked in Lucky Limeade again.

This card is nice and simple, and would be great to make in batches for Christmas time.

I will show you the other make and take project later in the week, so check back for that, or sign up for email alerts or follow me for updates :o)

Have a good Monday!

The Details:

Card / Paper - Lucky Limeade / Chocolate Chip / Cherry Cobbler / Whisper White

Stamps / Ink - Pennant Parade / Curly Cute / Cherry Cobbler Marker / Chocolate Chip Marker / Lucky Limeade

Embellishments - 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon

Tools - Big Shot / Square Lattice Embossing Folder / Dimensionals / Sticky Strip / Tombow / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Stamp-a-ma-jig / Petite Pennants Builder Punch / Extra Large Oval Punch / Paper Snips

New Catalogue Blog Hop

2011-10-02T10:00:00.113+01:00

Wowsers! What a day I had yesterday - after weeks of preparations and then two evenings spent setting up the lounge and conservatory, the launch party finally arrived!

I had a fabulous day with lots of lovely ladies popping in the check out the new catalogue and take part in two projects :o) I hope a fun time was had by all, it was certainly fun for me.

Over the coming days and weeks I will be sharing with you projects from the launch party, plus other crafty creations I made for the event!

But today - it's New Catty Blog Hop time............... If you arrived here from Maggie's blog, then I hope you loved all she had to share with you. There are 37 hops on this blog in total. Hopefully all of the links will be working so you can get round in one big circle, but if you get stuck along the way there is a full list of all participants blogs at the bottom of this entry :o)

This first card was made for a new catty online swap. I went with the Posy Punch stamp set which is a new hostess set, and simply gorgeous. I teamed it up with one of the new In Colors called Lucky Limeade, which is just luscious............ and we also have a staring role for the new Lace Ribbon Border Punch. This punch is brilliant, with so many elements to it. I went with weaving 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon through the centre, the cutouts in the flowers are the perfect size for this ribbon.

I made 10 of these to send out for the swap, and I got some brilliant cards back which look great on my sample boards.

The second new catalogue item to show you isn't a card. I made these for the Regional Training I attended recently. They are Mini Post-It Keyrings - perfect for making notes and reminders!

I went with a Christmas theme and used a new stamp set called Tags til Christmas. All of the stamps in this set work perfectly with a whole range of the Stampin' Up! punches. They will make your Christmas wrapping so much easier!

This is a picture of the 45 key rings I made - and it didn't take that long, about 4 hours (and I was watching tv and being distracted at the same time!)

Here's a close up! I just loved this sentiment................

I went with Real Red card stock and ink, and then Old Olive for the Scallop Square punched piece. Finished off with a book ring and tied with 1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon

My last item to share with you today uses the wonderful and fabulous NEW Designer Fabric that Stampin' Up! have added to this years catalogue. There are five different packs and each comes with three designs of fabric. I have used Timeless Portrait which has the colours Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla.

Having been to a recent team training event I have seen that there are so many things you can do with the fabric which don't even involve picking up a needle and thread, so please, if you are not a sewer, don't be scared of the fabric!

I have used it in my Big Shot with the Fun Flowers Die to cut layers of flowers in the three different designs. I have then layered them up and stitched them together (though you could hot glue them!), added a Designer Button and a fastening to make a gorgeous brooch.

I made 18 of these for yet another training event (it's a busy time of year!), and they went down really well. I found it made a nice change to move away from making a card and doing something a bit different. It inspired me and got me thinking about all sorts of other things I could do with Stampin' Up! products..............

Thanks so much for stopping by. I really hope you have enjoyed seeing the things I have been creating with some of the NEW products for 2011-2012......... If you like what you see then sign up to follow me and you will be notified whenever I post something new.

From here you can head on over to Elizabeth's lovely blog. She is simply fabulous so will have some wonderful things to wow you :o)

Enjoy the Blog Hop and your sunny Sunday

Julie xxx

1. Lauralou http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com/
2 AlisonP www.craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com
3 Glittermum http://www.mygroovystampinup.blogspot.com/
4. Theresa M http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com/
5. SarahLP http://stampingobsession.com/
6. Sassy Stamper (Elaine) http://www.thesassystampers.blogspot.com/
7. Sarastamper (http://craftingandstamping.com)
8. JJ66 http://jan-crippin.blogspot.com/
9. Evy c http://evyscraftycreations.blogspot.com/
10. DonnaM http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com/
11. Scrappydiva http://www.stampin-divas.blogspot.com/
12. Natalie http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
13.Dawn http://www.tartanstamper.blogspot.com/
14. Vicky www.vickylouscorner.blogspot.com
15. Maggie (maggiemae) http://thefineartofstampin.blogspot.com/
16. Julie H (The Crafty Bug) http://www.the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com
17. Elizabeth (Stash Fairy) http://elizabethscraftroom.blogspot.com/
18. Michelle (ShellieStamps) http://michellescraftypaper.typepad.com/
19. Keren. http://www.kerenbaker.wordpress.com
20. Emma (Daisydaye) http://emma-daye.blogspot.com/
21. Rachel (Rachel) http://www.stampingurl.blogspot.co.uk
22. Valerie (valmoody) http://stampingwithval.wordpress
23. Kara (KaraM) http://karascraftycorner.blogspot.com/
24. Sarah (IOW Sarah http://www.stampinsarahiow.blogspot.com/
25. Tracey Rossos http://www.derbyshireducks.blogspot.com/
26. Patricia (Beckscraft) http://stampinbeckscraft.blogspot.com/
27. Sarah-Jane http://cardsandacuppa.blogspot.com/
28. Claire http://stampinupscrapper.blogspot.com/
29. Cupcake http://pinkycardsandcreations.blogspot.com/
30. Kimf http://kimfeecrafter.blogspot.com/
31. carolineskinner http://stampinupandbranchingout.blogspot.com/
32. Emma_H http://www.emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com/
33. Sally - Pink Sky. x http://pinkskysu.blogspot.com/
34. Carolyn http://stampaholix.blogspot.com/
35. Tina http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
36. Hayley (craftydevils) www.mycrafthaven.blogspot.com
37. allyf - http://serendipitypapercuts.blogspot.com

Exciting New Stampin Up Year Begins!!!!

2011-10-01T00:39:00.000+01:00

Wow, it's finally 1st October and the arrival of the NEW Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue.

You can download a pdf version HERE

And a new month also means a new promotion, and this months it's a great time to sign up as a demo!

Check out the details HERE

I'm hosting my first every Catalogue Launch Open House Event today! I'm so excited, and my home now looks like Stampin' Up! has just taken over. I have make and take stations, competition areas, samples to view, loads of 3D projects I have been working on........... it's been a hectic few weeks!

If you live anywhere in the Basingstoke or surrounding areas, then pop along anytime between 10am and 4pm. Check out the Launch Party page!

I have loads of projects and new products to share with you over the coming weeks, so pop back and see what I have been up to!

Tomorrow there is a huge New Catty Blog Hop going on from 10am so make sure you check it out.

Have a great weekend, and maybe I will see some of you later on :o)

Retirement Update

2011-09-28T14:22:00.000+01:00

Hello - so sorry for the lack of posts which actually display SU products and creations, but I have been busy preparing for my open house event this Saturday to kick start the new Stampin' Up! Catalogue with a bang!

For details of this event please take a look HERE
There will be lots of fun, lots of freebies, make and take projects and loads of new products samples to get you feeling creative!

So that leads me onto the fact that there are only 2 more days after this one to order any of the retiring items. After 30th September they will no longer be available to order. See what's retiring HERE

Here is the update of items that have now gone out of stock from the retirement list.

If there is anything you have been thinking about getting, then order today!!!!

Contact me - craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk / 07786266722

Have a wonderful day :o)

Special Birthday Cards

2011-09-20T13:56:00.000+01:00

Hello,
I hope this post finds you all well on this gloomy looking Tuesday. The sun seems to be trying to make an appearance, but there's a definite feel of Autumn in the air.

At my card class last weekend, my most local crafty customer had a request for two cards for her niece's 1st birthday. So while she set about tackling the 5 cards I'd designed for class, I started to pull together the cards for her niece.
I'd seen some gorgeous side-step teddy bear punch cards on the internet, so thought I'd try this for her.
She really wanted her nieces name and age on the cards, but I don't have any of the alphabet or number stamp sets yet, so I printed these bits from the computer and punched them out with the Decorative Label Punch and 1" Circle Punch, and then added the Happy Birthday sentiment from the Level 2 Hostess Set - Something to Celebrate.
The card base is Pink Pirouette and the drawers were made with the Modern Label Punch and then a Rose Red Designer Brad was added.
The teddy bear itself was made of various different circle punches and the Heart to Heart Punch and also the little heart from the Two-Step Owl Punch.
There was lots of daubing done on this card to give it some depth.

The second card was again using Pink Pirouette as the card base, with a layer of Baja Breeze DSP which I thought kind of gave a sky backdrop. The leaves were from the Two-Step Bird Punch. The owl was punched from Crumb Cake card and we added a little ballerina outfit using Pink Pirouette card for the chest and Pink Pirouette DSP punched with one of the Itty Bitty Punch Pack for the skirt. a little string of Basic Pearls were then added. The balloons were punched with 1" Circle Punch and I again used the little heart from the Two-Step Owl Punch for the tie on each balloon and this gave me something to tie the Silver Elastic Cord to.

While I realise a 1 year old might not be able to full appreciate these cards, at lot of work went into them and I know my card class lady, the lovely Joan, was very pleased with the results.

While these weren't the cards I actually designed for class, if you love these and would like to take part in a class and make 5 cards for yourself, then please check out my Saturday Card Class page.

There are details of the theme classes coming up over the next few months and the stamp sets we will be using. Spaces are limited, so please contact me to book your space.

Card Class - Christmas Special

2011-09-18T22:15:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

I am going to be running an additional card class in the run up to Christmas!

Oh yes, that time is coming around quickly..........

Wouldn't it be nice to be more prepared this year, have your cards and gift tags all made and ready for the wrapping and posting????

Well why not sign up for my 10 for 10 class on 12th November!

Make 10 cards and 10 gift tags all for £10

For more details check out my Saturday Card Class page

Horray - it's almost new catty time!

2011-09-17T08:00:00.001+01:00

We are only a few weeks away from the start of the new Stampin' Up! year, which means the launch of a new Idea Book and Catalogue, full of wonderful new goodies, plus lots of our old favourites as well.

If you would like to order a new catalogue (RRP £5.95), to be delivered to you for 1st October (Royal Mail permitting), then I will post one to you for £4.95.

Alternatively, if you are able to make my open house launch event on 1st October, you can reserve one and collect on the day for £4.50.

Launch Event details can be found HERE

Please contact me to order or reserve you new Idea Book and Catalogue

07786266722

craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

Update on Retired Products

2011-09-13T18:33:00.000+01:00

Hello,

Just a quick update to let you all know what retiring items have already gone out of stock:

I will update as and when other items go out of stock, but if you want something on that retirement list then order sooner rather than later.

Contact me on 07786266722 or email craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks xxx

Blog Hop - Let's Say Goodbye Together!

2011-09-10T10:00:00.043+01:00

The Month of September brings with it mixed emotions for me. It is sadly the time when we have to say goodbye to many products in the 2010/2011 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue. But....... it also means that the sparkly, shiny new 2011/2012 Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue is just around the corner, released 1st October!

Today's mammoth blog hop celebrates all of those lovely retiring products..........

You have probably arrived here from Donna

I hope you enjoyed the creations she had for you.

I have my monthly card class today, and I based many of my cards on the retiring products, so here is what I've made.......... enjoy!

Joy Fold Card

For this little 4"x4" card I used some of the retiring DSP called Sunny Garden and also the stamp set A Flower For All Seasons. This is just such a cute stamp set, and works great with the Aqua Painters, or just by colouring in with the Markers. Colouring with Markers is exactly what I have done here.

I went with the autumn stamp that has sunflowers to compliment the Peach Parfait card I used along with Pear Pizzazz and, one of my favourites, Poppy Parade.

Thankfully the lovely In Colours are sticking around for another year.

The flower stopper that holds the card closed was punched with the Boho Blossom Punch and the centre is from one in the Itty Bitty Punch Pack, all held together with a Designer Brad.

Strength and Hope Card

I love this set and I didn't use it enough. Buying this set also mean you are making a difference as £1 from each set goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

This set was in the mini and will not be available after 30th September, so get it while you can and help a great cause at the same time!

This time I have used Lap Of Luxury DSP for a background on which I stamped the gorgeous butterfly image. I used the Rock n Roll technique with this one, inking it in Pretty in Pink and then Concord Crush. The card base is also Pretty in Pink with the swirly image stamped in Concord Crush down the folded edge using a Stamp-a-ma-jig to line it up. The centre butterfly is popped up with Dimensionals and has a line of Basic Pearls added for it's body.

The sentiment is from the retiring Level 2 Hostess Set - Something to Celebrate. I stamped it and then punched it out with the Decorative Label Punch.

Top Note Patchwork Card

Again, such beautiful DSP, this time Springtime Vintage from the mini catalogue.

I've assembled squares of the papers over the top of a Whisper White piece of card, glued them all down and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Top Note Die. I then ran it through again with the Lattice Square Embossing Folder which gives a great quilted effect.

I've simply mounted it onto Whisper White and used the Corner Rounder Punch before wrapping some Rose Red 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon around and tieing a bow. The sentiment is from Oval All stamp set, inked in Rose Red and mounted onto a Scalloped Oval of Rose Red. I have used the Paper Piercing Tool and Mat Pack to add a hole to each of the scallops.

Everything was then mounted onto a Baja Breeze card base.

Plane and Simple - I'm going to miss this one so, so much!

This stamp set was just fabulous for those (what I think are harder to make) male cards!

I have grabbed some more DSP - it's all retiring you know - this time Elegant Soiree which is simply lovely.

I have made an Easel Card with Baja Breeze for the base again. Strips of DSP have been added to the panels, then the plane image was stamped onto another piece of DSP in Early Espresso ink. This was cut and mounted before being stuck down with Dimensionals. The Silver Elastic Cord was threaded through the dimensionals behind the image and looped through the sentiment before being tied in a bow. I'll miss this cord as tying it was a doddle as it was so stretchy and forgiving! Sadly, it's already sold out, but you can still get the gold.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set, inked in Early Espresso again and stamped onto Very Vanilla. I cut this out into a banner freehand and mounted it onto DSP and cut again to create a border.

Finally I made the stopper for the card. The diamonds image was stamped twice onto Very Vanilla in Baja Breeze ink and cut out. I have added it to the card with Dimensionals (quick tip - when you finish with the Dimensionals, don't throw the sheet away, use all those odd little half bits around the edge by snipping them, they are great for smaller pieces of card you want to pop up!)

Well I hope you have enjoyed looking at the cards I made and you have been inspired to take a look at the retirement list and grab some of these great products before they are gone.......

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave me a comment as I love to know what people think of my creations.

From me you can now head on over to Elaine

If you get stuck, lost or confused along the way, below is a list of all of the lovely crafty ladies taking part in the blog hop today.

1. AlisonP http://craftyalisoninlyon.blogspot.com/
2. Twintrouble (Erika) http://twintroublescreations.blogspot.com/
3. Lauralou http://airingcupboardstamping.blogspot.com/
4. Sarah (IOWhttp://www.stampinsarahiow.blogspot.com/
5. Theresa M http://my-next-chapter.blogspot.com/
6. Rozelle (LittleMoo6) http://thepapercraftsessions.blogspot.com/
7. Valerie (valmoody) http://stampingwithval.wordpress.com/
8. EmmaH http://emma-letsstamp.blogspot.com/
9. Donna (DonnaM) http://www.head-over-heels-by-dlm.blogspot.com/
10. Julie H (The Crafty Bug http://the-crafty-bug.blogspot.com/
11. Elaine (Sassy Stamper) http://www.thesassystampers.blogspot.com/
12. Sandra (Sarnie) http://www.kraftybiker.blogspot.com/
13. Natalie http://www.natalieoshea.co.uk/blog.html
14. Kimf http://kimfeecrafter.blogspot.com/
15. CarolineSkinner http://stampinupandbranchingout.blogspot.com/
16. VickyLou http://www.vickylouscorner.blogspot.com/
17. Michelle (ShellieStamps) http://michellescraftypaper.typepad.com/
18. allyf http://www.serendipitypapercuts.blogspot.com/
19. Maggiemae http://thefineartofstampin.blogspot.com/
20. Evy C http://www.evyscraftycreations.blogspot.com/
21. Niki http://www.mygroovystampinup.blogspot.com/
22. Sarah-Jane www.cardsandacuppa.blogspot.com
23. Tina( Tina Faghy) http://littlewhitehousecrafts.blogspot.com
24. Sally (Pink Sky) http://pinkskysu.blogspot.com

Training Make and Takes x 2

2011-09-09T09:00:00.001+01:00

Hi,

This past Saturday I went to a training session held at my upline's, upline's home! It gets confusing - technically I suppose you could call her my Stampin' Up! Gran, but she's way to young for that :o)

The lovely Cate had prepared two make and takes for us all to make.

The first was using the Mini Milk Carton Die with the Big Shot. We wrapped a piece of DSP around it, and a sentiment was added on a Scalloped Square cut from Whisper White. The flower is from Vintage Vogue, and the friends is from Just Believe. A mini library clip was added from the Clip Assortment (part of last months freebie pack!) to hold the carton together. These are just so cute and would make fabulous favours for wedding tables, or party treats for kids, and in reds and greens they would look lovely on the table for Christmas dinner!

The second make and take was a mini card.

The base is Pear Pizzazz with a 1 3/4" Circle of Whispoer White added. This was stamped in Pear Pizzazz with the Dot, Dot, Dot background stamp before being punched. The butterflies are scraps of cardstock put through the Big Shot with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.

The senitment is inked in Pear Pizzazz and is from Party This Way stamp set. Finally some Basic Rhinestones were added to give it some sparkle.

Thanks so much Cate - it was a great afternoon of fun...... xxx

The Details:

Card / Paper - Whisper White / DSP Bright Stack - Old Olive / Pink Pirouette / Peach parfait / Regal Rose / Pear Pizzazz

Stamps / Ink - Melon Mambo / Old Olive / Pear Pizzazz / Dot, Dot, Dot background stamp

Embellishments - Clip Assortment / Basic Rhinestones

Tools - 1 3/4" Circle Punch / Beautiful Wings Embosslit / Big Shot / Paper Snips / Dimensionals / Sticky Strip / Tombow / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist

Thank You Lovely Ladies

2011-09-08T09:00:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone - I just wanted to quickly share with you the gorgeous cards I received from some other members of the Stampin' Stars team.

We all met up on Saturday at Cate's house for a team meeting and it was so lovely that they had all thought about me these past few weeks and gone to the trouble of making me cards.

Thanks girlies.............

Left to Right - Cate Blue Angel Crafts - Amy Crafty ThINKer - Katie Deep Blue Crafting

Happy Birthday Mum!

2011-09-07T09:00:00.001+01:00

Yesterday it was my lovely mum's birthday, so I took the day off work and we spent it together..........

Whenever September comes around I always see sunflowers in the shops and I think they are simply gorgeous. I case'd a card by Andrea Gideon to create a sunflower card for my mum.

I really hope it helped to brighten her day :o)

I used the Flower Daises #2 Die with my Big Shot to make the sunflowers, using Peach Parfait and So Saffron card for the petals, and textured Chocolate Chip card for the centres which was run through the Big Shot in the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.

The leaves are punched in Pear Pizzazz using the Two-Step Bird Punch.

The background is the flower image from Confetti stamp set - inked in Peach Parfait and So Saffron to match the sunflowers.

The card base is Pear Pizzazz layered with textured Chocolate Chip, and embellished with a couple of So Saffron Brads.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Pear Pizzazz / Chocolate Chip textured / Peach Parfait textured and smooth / Whisper White / So Saffron

Stamps / Ink - Confetti / Peach Parfait / So Saffron

Embellishments - So Saffron Brads

Tools - Flower Daisies # 2 Die / Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder / Two-Step Bird Punch / 1" Circle Punch / 1/2" Circle Punch / Dimensionals / Big Shot / 2-Way Glue / Snail / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Paper Piercing Tool and Mat Pack

Retiring Products Promotion

2011-09-05T23:32:00.000+01:00

Please Note - this post will remain at the top until 5th September. Please scroll down for new posts.

Promotion Dates: 1– 30 September 2011 (while supplies last)

Promotion Details: It’s time to say goodbye! Hundreds of products from the 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue are retiring, and now is your last chance to get them before they’re gone.

Things to remember

All retiring items are only available while supplies last
The availability of retiring products will be updated each business day so I can let you know if what you are after is still available
Items do go quickly, so it might be the case that what you order is already sold out
You can provide alternative items in case the original item is no longer available when the order is placed

Click HERE for the retirement list

To take advantage of this months promotion please contact me
craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk
or call on 07786266722

August Thank You Cards

2011-09-04T09:21:00.000+01:00

I wanted to share with you some of the cards I made for my lovely customers who ordered during August.

I went with the In Colour palette for these cards and made use of the Designer Paper you can get as a Level 1 Hostess gift (it's only available until 30th September!)

The cards are 4"x4", with a layer of DSP, then topped with Whisper White punched from the Decorative Label Punch, and finally an In Colour butterfly, the biggest from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.

The sentiment is from Just Believe stamp set, inked in each In Colour used and punched with the Word Window Punch. The Butterfly was added to the card with Dimensionals and topped off with some Basic Rhinestones.

If you would like to pace an order during September to get your hands on some retiring items - some up to 40% off - then call me on 07786266722 or email me at craftybugjules@yahoo.co.uk, and you will get a lovely thank you card at the end of the month as well!

The Details:

Card / Paper - Peach Parfait / Blushing Bride / Poppy Parade / Whisper White / In Colour DSP Stack (Level 1 Hostess)

Stamps / Ink - Just Believe / Peach Parfait / Blushing Bride / Poppy Parade

Embellishments - Basic Rhinestones

Tools - Word Window Punch / Beautiful Wings Embosslit / Decorative Label Punch / 2 Way Glue / Dimensionals / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist

August Card Class - Pearly Owl

2011-09-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

This is the final, and I think my favourite, card from my August Card Class.

There is only one small stamped image and the rest is all about punches!

The base is 4"x4" Certainly Celery card, layered with a piece of Whisper White and a piece of Pink Pirouette Designer Series Paper from the Subtles Stack.

The branches have been punched from Certainly Celery card with the 2-Step Bird Punch, and the flowers from Pink Pirouette card with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack Flower.

We have obviously used the 2-Step Owl Punch here, with Soft Suede card, some Whisper White for the eyes, and the same DSP as before for the chest section.

The sentiment is from Plane and Simple stamp set in Soft Suede ink, punched with the Word Window Punch and layered onto Certainly Celery card punched with the Modern Label Punch. This was stuck down with Dimensionals.

The flowers have had a tiny Basic Pearl added to the center.

Very simple and very cute!

If you have liked the cards I made for my August Card Class and would like to come to the next class, it is being held at my house on Saturday 10th September. Click onto the Classes tab at the top of the page for all of the details. I'd love to see you there!

The Details:

Card / Paper - Certainly Celery / Whisper White / Soft Suede / Pink Pirouette DSP Subtles Stack

Stamps / Ink - Plane and Simple / Soft Suede Marker

Embellishments - Basic Pearls

Tools - 2-Step Bird Punch / 2-Step Owl Punch / Word Window Punch / Modern Label Punch / Itty Bitty Punch Pack / Tombow / Dimensionals / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist

August Card Class - Vintage Style

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

The fourth card at class this month was inspired by a swap I received at a recent training event from Kerry Timms - visit her blog HERE. I kept the design and changed up the colours.

The base is Rose Red, topped with a layer of Baja Breeze. This has been distressed using the Cutter Kit, and also stamped with the butterfly from Clearly For You in Whisper White. Using this ink gives a very delicate background.

Two strips of Very Vanilla have been punched with the Eyelet Border Punch and then screwed up! Yes, you heard right, I did struggle with this at first as I'm generally a neat freak, with clean edges everywhere! It was good fun though........... The Rose Red centre strip was also distressed around the edges and then screwed up into a ball and then flatten back out.

I used the flat stamp and Teabag Stain ink from the Distressing Essentials kit to age the Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla and Rose Red pieces. This kit is great, with so many tools for distressing, and four different coloured inks to work with as well.

The images from Clearly For You were inked using Markers in Crumb Cake, Rose Red and Baja Breeze, and stamped onto Very Vanilla and cut using the 1 3/8" Circle Punch. These were also distressed before being added to the card using Dimensionals.

This card was lots of fun to make, using some great techniques.

The Details:

Card / Paper - Rose Red / Baja Breeze / Very Vanilla

Stamps / Ink - Clearly For You / Rose Red, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake Markers / Tea Stain / Whisper White

Embellishments - None

Tools - Eyelet Border Punch / Cutter Kit / Distressing Essentials Kit / 1 3/8" Circle Punch / Trimmer / Stampin Scrub and Mist / Dimensionals / Snail