Need for Speed

Hope you are enjoying a relaxing Sunday if you can. Had a busy day yesterday but ended it with a lovely trip down to the coast at Whitstable. We sat on the beach at Sunset eating fish and chips looking at a fantastic view with good friends, beautiful.


Anyhow back to business, today is a new challenge at Here Come the Boys challenge blog and I am sponsoring the prize. So if you fancy winning a Stampin Up Ink Pad and some ribbons make sure you check out the blog and enter. The theme is Orange and Brown. I chose one of the stamps from the mini catalogue, Motorcycle, and had a go using a brayer to make the background. The colours used are Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron and Soft Suede. I am no expert with a brayer but I was pleased with the result.


Hope you like the card and don't forget to check out the design teams great cards on the blog.

Patchwork

Hi hope you are well and thanks for bearing with me, I have had to adjust my working hours recently which means a lot less time for crafting at the moment boo ho!

Here is a sweet card we made at one of my classes using the alternative colour way (see previous post), great for using up all those little scraps. We used the Top note die to cut out the patchwork of papers. The rose was made by cutting spiral in a punched circle of paper and then wrapping it around a cocktail stick.

We also made a matching top note die box, super cute.

Recipe: Ink Early Baja Breeze, Early Espresso

Card stock, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze Elegant Soiree designer paper

Stamps: Four Frames, Oval all

Top Note Die, circle punch, decorative label punch, 5 point flower punch (leaves for rose)

Please don't forget this month's great offer from Stampin Up. A beautiful makeup bag and goodies free with every £75.00 order. This offer runs until the end of August and applies to all workshop and customer orders so if you would like to earn one of these lovely gifts please email me.

Thanks for looking and back soon (I promise!)

Myth & Magic - The Frog Prince

Hope you are all having a lovely week-end, it's time for another fab challenge over at Here Come the Boys Challenge Blog. The theme this week is Myth and Magic, not an easy one for me, but I love my little punch art frog. My moto is you need to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince! This would make a fun anniversary card for the man in your life IMHO.

Do pop over and check out the other lovely cards on the blog

Recipe

Ink: Pear Pizzaz, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze
Card stock: Poppy Parade DSP, Pear Pizzaz, Chocolate Chip
Stamps: Pocket Shillouettes, Tiny Tags, Artistic Etchings
Various Punches

thanks for dropping in.

Springtime Quilt

Another new favourite from the mini catalogue are these gorgeous papers Springtime Vintage. I used the Top Note die with the Bigshot to cut the shape after I stuck the squares of paper down, et voila a lovely quilt!

The paper rose is made from the 1 3/4 inch circle punch cut round in a spiral and the leaves are cut from the 5 petal flower punch. I added a little detail to them by scoring the veins of the leaf with an embossing tool.

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by.

Recipe

Stamps: Four Frames, Oval All
Cardstock: Pear Pizzaz, Very Vanilla, Springtime Vintage
Inks: Pear Pizzaz, Early Espresso
Punches: 5 Petal punch, Label Punch, Oval Punch, Circle Punch
Top Note Die
Gem Stones
Satin ribbon
White gel pen

More Baby Blossoms

Hope your week is going well, only 3 days to the week-end! Back to post another card using Baby Blossoms, a simple card and I managed to stick the focal point off centre for a change.

Here is the recipe
stamps: Baby Blossoms
Card stock and ink Baja Breeze, Rose Red, Whisper White
Scallop border punch
white gel Pen
Dazzling diamonds glitter

Enjoy the rest of the week.

Baby Blossoms

Had a great week-end it was my birthday and I received so many beautiful hand made cards thanks to everyone who thought of me. I will try and upload a picture to show you.
I am loving this set Baby Blossoms, reminds me so much of the much missed A Rose is a Rose but on a much smaller scale. I used a post it note punched out with the wide oval punch to mask the card and then stamped the flowers and roses around it. I was inspired by the many beautiful cards I have seen using this set.

I said I was loving Baja Breeze and you can see how well it goes with Rose Red another fav of mine.

Here is the recipe

Cardstock: Whisper White, Rose Red, Baja Breeze
Ink: Baja Breeze, Rose Red, Pear Pizzaz, Pretty In Pink
White Stain Ribbon
Pearls
Wide Oval Punch
Scallop Oval Punch
Scallop Trim Border punch
Stamps: Baby Blossoms, Oval All

Thanks for looking

Sail Away With Me

Hi I am back after a bit of a break, I hope you are all well and keeping on crafting. While I have been away the brand new mini catalogue was launched and I loved just about everything in it (my bank manager is not similarly impressed though). There is a great selection of new products with a masculine theme. I have used one of the new single stamps, Sail Away for this card. Gives a great look for very minimal effort. I am in love with Baja Breeze at the moment so you will be seeing a lot of this colour !
Here is the recipe

Card stock: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Ink: Night of Navy, Baja Breeze
Designer Papers: Elegant Soiree
Square Scallop Punch, Spiral Border Punch
Stamps: Sail Away, After thoughts(hostess)
Baja Breeze Seam Binding
Clips Assortment

I followed the sketch over at Here Come the boys challenge blog and I am also sponsoring this week's challenge. You can win a roll of Stampin Up ribbon and a sampler of the Clips Assortment.

Thanks for looking

Dashing Through the Snow!

Another of the cards from my recent class using Serene Snowflakes and Dasher. Lots of bling on the antlers to add a bit of sparkle. The white craft ink from Stampin Up really is the best ink I have come across, even on dark card it stays really white. Dasher is battling his way through a blizzard here as are some parts of the UK! In Kent we just have a little scattering of snow that will be gone by lunch time, but more is on the way!

Hope you stay safe and warm today.
Thanks for looking

Serene Snowflakes

Here is one of the cards we made at my last class. Using the divine Serene Snowflakes set, we stamped onto acetate (needed a steady hand) with White Stazon. I love this new organza ribbon as well, only £5.75 for over 13 metres, a bargain!

The colour scheme of red and Crumb Cake (Kraft as we used to know it) works great for Christmas but with a bit of a modern twist. Will be back later this week with a couple more projects from this class.

Thanks for looking

Things that go bump!

Here is my seasonal offering for Halloween, slightly late I know!

I don't have any specific Halloween stamps so looked at my stash and came up with the Gothic swirl from Baroque motifs and the little bird (crow?) from live your dream. I had a go at sponging a night sky with pumpkin pie, so saffron, and chocolate chip inks with the moon in the back ground. I should have removed the mask over the moon before I stamped the swirl but will remember for next time.

Overall I was very happy how it turned out.

Thanks for looking and I will be back later with some Christmas Cards.

Artistic Etchings

Sorry for lack of posting recently, just been running round trying to stay on top of everything with varying success!



Here are a couple of cards from the last lot of classes using one of the new clear mount sets Artistic Etchings. , and using one of the new colours Cherry Cobbler.

We then had a go at pleating the ribbon on this card, this gives lot of dimension and a real change to a bow.

I will have a couple more posts this week, including a Halloween cards with no Halloween sets, just using what I had.

thanks for looking

Brand New Catalogue

It's finally here, the new Idea Book and Catalogue for 2010/11. There are some lovely new products, lots of new punches, great new colour collections and exciting new stamp sets to name but a few. We also have the option of clear mount stamps as well as wooden block stamps.

If you attend one of my workshops you will receive your copy soon, if not email me and I can send one out to you, £4.50 including delivery. Usual price is £5.95.

I had my preorder and we had a class last night using one of the new sets Artistic Etchings. The weather has been so miserable I have not been able to take a decent photo, but will do so shortly.

Thanks for looking

Melon with a pinch of Saffron

I had a new class yesterday for Gravesham Borough council. I would like to say a big thank you to the ladies that came along. This is one of the cards we made using the edible colours So Saffron and Melon Mambo. The papers are from the gorgeous and soon to be retired Bride paper pack. A cheery and bright card on a wet and windy day. I also got a parking ticket because the wind blew it face down when I shut the door! Not best pleased as will have to now write a letter and try and get the council to cancel it. Wish me luck!

Thanks for looking

Peek a Boo

Just a quick update to show the picture of the inside of the Peek a Boo Box. We made the box from a sheet of A4 cut to 21 cm square and the finished box measures 7.5 cm, just big enough for the tiny baby shoe made from Stampin Up Punches. I saw the shoe at a training event last year and the creator is a very talented lady called Mirella.

We added some tags from the tiny tags set which say baby and love, very cute. Finished off with some pink gingham ribbon. This looks just as good done in bashful blue for a boy.

I am very sad to see the Polka Dot Stamp back ground stamp retire, one of my favourites. The link to the last chance list is now working, sorry if you have been trying to find it!

Last Chance List

In readiness for the New Catalogue (very exciting!) coming our way on 1st October, the list of items that will not be making it into the new catalogue. is now available. There are some very well loved products on the list, so take a look and see if something you like is about to disappear. I offer free P&P on orders over £45.00 and some of the items are discounted as well.

There is link on the side bar to the full list.

Finally just a peek at the little box we will be making at tonight's class.

The stamps set is Forest Friends, and I have also used the Polka Dot background stamp, this is one stamp that is going to retire shortly.

thanks for looking

Last Chance List

Wedding Card and Correction

Firstly a quick correction is needed to the class dates I posted. The class in Romford is on Wednesday 8th September, not the 15th . My apologies if this has caused some confusion!

Here is the wedding card we will be making. I have used Baroque Motifs stamp set for the flourish and greeting. The beautiful 12x12 papers, The Bride were used on the middle panel, very classy!

The hearts make the main focal point, such a clever idea, sadly not my own. There are many examples of this out on the web and I am not sure who had the original idea. I used the tiny tags punch to make the bow tie.

Thanks for looking

Back from my Holiday!

Not that I went away anywhere, we had a stay at home holiday with a few nice days out. Tried to catch up on bit of housework and gardening as well.

I have been able to work on some new classes details of which are now posted. The first class is celebration cards for those special events of new baby and wedding. We will be making a card for a boy, a keepsake box with a surprise for a baby girl and a smart wedding card.

Here is a little sneaky peak of the card for a baby boy, which of course can be done in pink for a girl or neutral colours if it is an old fashioned don't know til baby is born!

I have used the sweet little deer from From Forest Friends and the polka dot background stamp. The colours are bashful blue and white with matching grosgrain ribbon.

I will be back again this week to post the other projects.

Thanks for looking

Two Step Stamp Sets Promotion

This month's offer from Stampin Up is a wopping 20% discount on selected two step stamp sets. A chance to make a great saving on some really versatile stamp sets. I am adding a few to my own wish list!

I will be posting shortly details of my next round of classes, including a celebration cards class, I love making baby and wedding cards so will be having fun with these.

Now is a very good time to think of hosting a party, the savings above will help your guests save money and you can earn some lovely freebies. If you want any further information on hosting a party please do get in touch.

I hope to be back again with some pictures, I have had a big tidy up of my craft stuff so hope I can find things and be a bit more productive.

Thanks for looking

Vintage Vogue

I hope you have all been enjoying the sunny weather, though looking at my lawn we could now do with a bit or rain! Last nights Monday class was great fun and here are a couple of the cards we made using Vintage Vogue from the mini catalogue.



The colours we used were So Saffron, in my opinion a beautiful shade of yellow, with one of the brand new colours, Rich Razzleberry. We used the rock and roll technique for the large flower.



I found a beautiful card here which I cased. We sponged the square in so saffron and then stamped over the top, it gives a lovely soft focal point to the card.

We also made a bookmark but my camera battery has died so will have to take a picture later

Due to the popularity of this regular class I have decided to run another monthly class in Maidstone. I will be posting the dates for my new set of classes both in Maidstone and Romford very shortly.

thanks for looking