Lovely as a Tree

This stamp set is beautiful.  I have used it to decorate a swing card suitable for a male bithday made from always artichoke, apricot appeal and very vanilla card stock.  Once stamped up I used clear embossing powder over the whole of the front plaque to make it stand out a little more and added a mellow moss bird and branch to decorate top right hand corner.

To create the apperture I followed a neat idea on you tube from TheCoutureCrafter using the cuttlebug (I just have to pass this on as I think it is just so quick!)  Please do go have a look... no measuring.  Here is the link for you http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCoutureCrafter#p/search/2/KEnUVHMZr0M

I saw three ships

Words from an old christmas carol came to mind as I was cleaning the ship from life's a breeze.  So I just had to create this card for christmas to show how versatile the stamp set really is.  I have used real red and apricot appeal together with close to cocoa.  The backgound paper is from bella blue and works so well.  I have cut the 'waves' out of chocolate chip using a scallop circle die.  I had to include the name of the christmas carol as my other half couldn't make the connection with christmas.... I hope you can!
The design of the card comes from an idea across at splitcoaststampers and belongs to Beate, it is called a tent card, they are really so easy to make, have fun.

Summer Fun

These were the flag books that I made with the children at their last workshop. We really did have a lot of fun using the life's a breeze stamp set and DSP papers from the mini catalogue. There are lots of tutorials out there giving you detailed instructions on how to make a flag book, but simply you need a front and a back with a concertinaed spine in the middle.... then just get creative!

Inspiration

You know when you buy a magazine and you just have to try it out yourself, well that is exactly where the inspiration for this birthday card came from.  I went to Doncaster to the craft show and bought Tim Holtz's 'foliage' set of metal work to complete the look. 

I have used our flight of the butterfly, vintage vogue and medallion background stamps.  The card stock was from the earth elements range, topped with very vanilla pearls form the pretties kit and gold brads.  Really hope you like it as much as I do.  It is winging it's way to my sister who has a BIG birthday this week. 

A Christening Gift Box

On Sunday my nephew Max was Christened.  He is 9years old and has leanrt to play the church bells.  This sunday morning was made extra special because he played his first public performance with the other ringers... at his own christening service, not many of us could claim that one!
This is the top of the box that I made to hold a gift book.  The bottom of the box was made from chocolate chip, the tag from creamy caramel.  The I used always artichoke for the top and to ink the letters and the dots from our 'on board loads of letters' before glazing them, the stamp used was from the silent night stamp set - not just for christmas.  I have used chocolate chip and more mustard with the sponge daubers to create an aged look.  The dotty background was created using the background stamp dot, dot, dot.
It was perfect, although the gift inside was from my brother, everyone guessed I had made the box, just by looking, it was my style:)

Not quite Carousel Notes an' Cake

Don't you love the combination of chocolate chip with so saffron?  I have used my teapot holder (just the right size for a 6" circle.. sorry I still work in old money!) to cut out 4 circles from the sweet pea summer paper stack.  I loved both sides of the paper so much I alternated them.  Then using pumpkin pie and close to cocoa I stamped the hedgerow with my pocket silhouette stamp set... and no Lesley I really don't know "how I have lived without them", they really are so delicate and so versatile, you can see more of what can be done with them on her blog: lesleyscards. Thanks go to Kelly of 'classystampin' for the inspiration for this.

I used the cake template that I have used before and decorated it using flight of the butterfly and a cream pearl from the pretties kit and completed the trio with a small gift tag. We did use the carousel notes too. 

Wedding Scrapbook

I have been asked by my ladies to put on some scrapbooking classes, this is something I love but never seem to have enough time for, not excuses now!!!

At this moment in time I am planning my scrapbook class for next week, more of that later.

But I thought you might like to look at a couple of pages from the wedding scrapbook album that I made as a gift for friends Michele and Carl who got married in Tamworth Castle- a beautiful setting.

Special Birthday

I was really flattered earlier in the month as I was asked to make a birthday card for someone special.  This is the first time I had made a card for someone else apart from myself!  I was quite worried that it might not fit the bill, but need not have been.  The card went down a treat, my friend was really delighted that her card was personalised and there was not another like it, her smile went from ear to ear.... thank you for making my day :)  Hope you like it too.  I used flight of the butterfly stamp set together with the butterfly punch.  Either side of the ribbon I used the eyelet border punch.  Cardstock used was orchid opulence.

Joy's Birthday

We were all sorry that Joy was poorly on the night of our class and had to miss it.  It was her birthday the next day so we were going to have birthday cake to celebrate. 

So that Joy didn't miss out too much we made up her class set anyway and signed the card from all of us!  We filled the bird house with chocolates and did eat a slice of the cake too.  Next day Joy was delighted with her small gifts!  Happy Birthday Joy:)

A Cute little Bird House

The two step bird punch was used to make the Bird House project ,which was a real success with my crafty ladies. There is a brilliant tutorial from stampin-n-stuff for the house.  We made two cards and a cute bird house gift box which was large enough for chocolates!  The papers used were from the Sweet Pea collection (available in the mini catalogue while stocks last.. ) with matching card stock across the Stampin up range.  We used stampin up brads and fancy bull dog clips from a large stationary chain to decorate. 

We made them for Fathers Day and just because we liked them in a range of different colour ways... I hope you like them as much as we do.

Another little notebook set

I created this project for the children.  This time my notebook cover has been created using cardstock from the soft subtle range.  The stamps used are Forest Friends.  The little post it holder was made to match.  We have used the scallop edge punch to decorate together with the scallop and 1-3/8" circle punches.  Charms have been created using shrink plastic with the stamps, the children loved doing this it was really great fun.

Notebook Project

This is a little project that I completed a while ago, I got the inspiration from debbiesinkysmudges. It uses the Medallion and Friendly background stamps together with choc chip, close to cocoa and creamy caramel cardstock.  The medallion has been embossed using white embossing powder.  The notebook is one of those that can be found in all well known stores for jotting down your shopping list!!!  I really think they make a super little gift.  I have given mine to Sally my friend who is emigrating to America soon and needs to make lists of lists!

A Birthday Slice of Cake

It is my grandaughter's birthday tomorrow and I have made her a special card.  It is a double pocket card with a detachable bookmark, as she reads quite alot.  In the pockets I put two little cards for her to go shopping with.  I had great fun putting this together on a beautiful sunny afternoon.  I used the 'Happy Birthday Wishes' stamp from Fun & Fast notes stamp set together with perfect plum cardstock and paper, so saffron card, very vanilla ribbon then used lavender lace scallop circles.  I coloured my cakes using a blender pen and ink pads.

Then to go a step further I found this really easy slice of cake template on LMac's Catered Crops.  I put a lovely little surprise in there too. (I think you could add soooo much more decoration to this.. mine is quite plain and tidy).  Hope you like it.

More cake

More cake

The inspiration for these cards and the special all in one box came from Jenny Moors.  We have used very vanilla card stock and ribbon, chocolate chip and brocade blue ink.  For the other colour way we have used rose red card stock and stamped the pedestal with pretty in pink.  The papers used were  from the o so useful DSP sweet pea stack.  The stamp set  used was the delightful on a pedestal... and the muffins were forest fruit with a cherry on the top!

Animal punch art

Punch art...Lions and frogs and owls and sheep

This is a class that I did for the children.  We used the punch art ideas from chicnscratch and created an origami box to keep them safe!  All using the bold brights and whisper white card stock.  I love the lion best :)  of course we needed matching icing on the cakes!  We had a great afternoon.

Wedding Stationary

Wedding Stationary

Hi thought you might like this one too.  I have used very vanilla card stock together with elegant eggplant.  The butterflies are punched out of elegant eggplant and vellum then joined together with a gold brad.  I have used creamy caramel to ink the words, using the wonderful words stamp set.
I have created two invites, one is a double pocket card, plain and simple but striking and the other a little more decorative using the eyelet border punch.  I really love this set.  The idea could also be adapted to use for that 'special' card.

Flight of the butterfly

Our first workshop

I am a brand new demonstrator with Stampin up and would like to share my first workshop with you. This is my table all neatly set out, can you spot the butterly cakes in the background? I tried continue the theme of butterflies as the stamp set for the evening that we used was indeed flight of the butterfly.

These are the finished cards, the ladies were very proud of them. Next we need to decorate the candles (using tissue with our stamped design and the heat gun to melt a thin layer of wax over the design and stick it to the candle), and pop it into our decorated candle holder... an idea I followed from Jenny Moors stampin moments 'season of joy' tutorial.

We used almost amethyst, lavender lace and pretty in pink card stock. 'Cos we need a bit of chocolate in life we added close to cocoa ink too!