A luxury, pastel, engagement card for a work colleague

A colleague at work shared that he'd just got engaged at the weekend and so of course I had to make a card, it would be rude not to wouldn't it? It was also a great excuse to use the luxurious new Bride papers and break open another new stamp set - Say It With Scallops.

This set works with the matching square scallop punch - I love how SU! match items together!

Recipe

Stamp sets: Cheers to You, Say it With Scallops

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

DSP: Bride

Ink: Versamark, Blush Blossom

Punches: Square Scallop

Taffeta Ribbon: Bashful Blue

Other: Soft Subtle Brads, Dazzling Diamonds, Gold EP

The Bride paper is a good heavyweight paper already but as I was putting brads through and tying ribbon around it I backed it onto some Whisper White card first rather than risk creasing it. I could have used the Champagne glitter for the glasses but to keep the pastel look I instead coloured with Blush Blossom and added Dazzling Diamonds over the top for the softer look.

So good to have some good news to celebrate and a bit of a change from the never ending christmas cards.

Sara xx

A Halloween chocolate treat

I don't like these dark nights, do you? Apologies for the poor lighting to these pix, it's back to using the camera flash again. I'm going to have to work on my indoor lighting arrangements I think because I don't like the hard light look I have here.

Well it was my first day back at work today and it actually wasn't too bad. I've come back to plenty of work but I prefer being too busy than bored. A quick bit of crafting to wind down and now I'm about to hit the study books for an hour or so.

I figured I'd not done anything for Halloween and so decided to decorate one of these small food tubs that I got cheap as a set of 3 at the weekend and fill it with choccies. Will it last until the weekend? Hmmm I suspect it may need refilling by then, lol.

Recipe

Stamp set: Autumn Days

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Old Olive

Punch: Large Oval

Double Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon: Chocolate Chip

I cut the card for the lid roughly to shape and then placed it on the lid and ran my bone folder around the edges to crease a cutting line. The edges of the pumpkin and stalk were sponged. The leaves were inked with Pumpkin Pie and the edges with Really Rust.

Help yourself to a choccie.

Sara xx

A lacy card using the new eyelet punch

Apologies to everyone expecting to see my entry to the Stamp With Us challenge today. I haven't been able to play along this week.

I mentioned that I needed a holiday after all the studying and running around and we've just got back from playtime in Orlando. Hopefully my scheduled posts mean that you didn't miss me too much, though I know I've neglected visiting friend's blogs recently and will be back to that this week. We had a great holiday and went to a bunch of theme parks and played on the rollercoasters, went on all the slides in the waterpark and took in an american football game at Tampa. Hubby supports the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and so we've extended the holiday a little by coming down to Wembley for the game today. Then a rest day tomorrow before back to work on Tuesday :-(

Ah well, knew it could never last and I've missed my crafting so there'll be an upside.

I also missed the start of the Stamp With Us online class but I've had a go at completing the first challenge for my card today. The challenge was to create an item using Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Lavender Lace (with white or another neutral but no other colour) and to use a border punch in a different way. Here's my belated go at this.

Recipe

Stamp Set: Mr and Mrs

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, Whisper White

Ink: Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace

DSP: Bashful Blue

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Certainly Celery

Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Eyelet Border

I used my new Eyelet Border punch to create some card and paper lace ribbons. Not my best really, I guess that's what happens when you have a break, now I need to get my mojo back proper.

Please do have a go at the Stamp With Us challenge this week. It's a sketch:

And check out the creations by the rest of the Design Team (I love Julie's Halloween card).

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

Limited time low price starter kit

For a limited time Stampin' Up! is offering an extra 10% off the price of their already low price new recruit starter kit. Join up between now and 13 November 2009 and become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator for just £125 instead of £139!

As if that wasn't enough, join up through me during that same period and I'll add the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' kit (worth £15.50) to your starter kit.

You don't even need to run a business to be a demo you can always be what we call a "hobby demo" just using the discount for yourself and friends - but you might find it grows anyway.

Benefits of becoming a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator:

• Huge discount on the customisable starter kit (£240 of tools and products for just £125)
  
• Significant discount on all Stampin' Up! products
  
• Sneak peeks of upcoming products and chance to pre-order
  
• Free newsletter every month with tips and techniques
  
• No need to hold a workshop or "sell" if you prefer to remain a "hobby demo"
  
• Bonuses and incentives available to those who want follow the career plan
  
• Access to on-line resources and business support
  
• Ability to drop out at any time, no tie-ins (but you cannot then rejoin for set period)
• Opportunity to attend field training events and annual convention (charges apply)
  
• Ability to earn free stamp sets in your first 6 months

Additional benefits exclusive to joining through me:

• Support and training in how to deliver a workshop (face to face if I can travel to you or telephone and on-line if outside travelling distance)
  
• Ongoing support by phone and email
• Product sample kits
• Sample cards
• Marketing ideas and tips to grow your business
  
• Project worksheets to use at your workshops
  
• Exclusive access to a blog just for my downline team
  
• Sign up with me 22 October - 13 November 2009 and get the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' kit included

Whether you're ready to sign up now or have more questions you'd like answered, then email me at sarastamper123@gmail.com

Scandinavian Season card and box set in navy with silver highlights

This little duo uses the Not Quite Navy DSP that was available in last year's catalogue as part of a Level 1 hostess gift. This paper is no longer available but the set would look equally nice in Night of Navy which is part of this year's Patterns Pack Level 1 hostess gift.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Scandinavian Season, Scandinavian, Season of Joy

Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue, Whisper White

DSP: Not Quite Navy

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue, Versamark

Narrow Grosgrain ribbon: Whisper White

Brads: Silver, Circle Ice

Other: Silver EP, Dazzling Diamonds, Fine Galaxy Glitter

Punches: Scallop Circle, Corner Rounder, Scallop Oval, Large Oval

All images are stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with Silver EP. For the tree, a swirl was first coloured with Bordering Blue and then Tombow and Dazzling Diamonds added over the top. Dazzling Diamonds allows the Blue to show through. For the star, Fine Silver from the Galaxy Glitter (set of 5) was added. You can see the difference in the effect of these glitters - the silver looks almost molten. The tree was punched in the corners using one petal of the Scallop Circle punch to frame the brads.

For the inside of the card I used the Scandinavian standard wheel with Not Quite Navy ink and used the sentiment from the Season of Joy set.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

A fluttery butterfly for the Stamp With Us recipe challenge

And it's Sunday again already - where does the week go, lol. So, today's challenge over at Stamp With Us is a recipe. We can use:

• 3 patterned papers
• 3 brads
• 3 coloured cards
• 3 different stamps

Wow - that's a toughie. Well I decided to use what is sure to become a favourite stamp set of mine - the brand new Flight of the Butterfly:

Isn't this just a gorgeous set? And I got the butterfly punch to match as well.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Flight of the Butterfly, Fresh Cuts

Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Green Galore, Blush Blossom

Ink: Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise

DSP: Kaleidoscope

Brads: Earth Elements

Punches: Butterfly

I just used one of the "Flight" butterfly stamps, one of the sentiments from the same set (minus the "unknown" on the end so that it fits the layout better) and the leaf from Fresh Cuts = 3 different stamps. I cut the flowers from one sheet of Kaleidoscope, punched the butterfly from another sheet (getting the circles centred within the wings) and cut a strip from another sheet as my top border = 3 papers. 3 Earth Elements brads were used to complete the flowers and I used only 3 coloured cards as shown in the recipe. So, nothing more or less than the recipe allows.

Don't forget that today is the first day of the Stamp With Us online class. It's not too late to join if you haven't signed up yet. Classes are great fun and great value, I can't wait to see the projects we get this time.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

Recipe for sneak peek 8 Christmas Jingle Scrappin' Kit

For this duo I used just a teeny, tiny portion of the Simply Scrappin' kit, Christmas Jingle, and nothing else except a cutter, glue and dimensionals.

These kits are fabulous not just for scrapbooking but for cardmaking and ready made embellishments. Every kit comes with textured cardstock (2 sheets of each), great quality double sided papers (3 sheets of each) and card weight stickers, both shaped and ribbon (2 sheets of each) all colour co-ordinated for you. All very lush and a great price.

Recipe

Simply Scrappin' kit: Christmas Jingle

This took about two minutes to make up, if that. It took me longer to open the packet and stroke the papers, lol. A handy kit to have in for any last minute cards you might need to make.

This card I made to show that even with the Christmas kit there's still room to make cards for other occasions. I think this would be great as a valentine card to a friend.

Of course you could bling them up further if you wish with brads or glitter, add stamped images, add rub-ons to the textured card or any combination but I just wanted to show that you can keep it quick and simple and still have a great card to show.

Just get in touch if you'd like to order a set (or two).

Sara xx

Stamp With Us Winter online class starts Sunday

Just a quick reminder that the Stamp With Us Winter online class starts on Sunday 18 October. It costs just £15 and you get two weeks of classes with something new and different every day. One day it could be 1 of the 10 downloadable PDF classes, another it's a technique video and yet another an online chat and challenge (fast and furious and great fun).

If you want to join in this time then just pop over to the Stamp With Us blog and click on the Buy Now button in the top right hand corner.

Recipe for sneak peek 7 anniversary card using window sheet

This card uses a couple of new catty additions; window sheets and coloured glitter. I used part of a Medium Window Sheet here and the champagne glitter from the Fine Galaxy set (a set of 5).

Recipe

Stamp sets: Cheers to You, Cause for Celebration (retired)

Cardstock: Apricot Appeal, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark

Taffeta Ribbon: Whisper White

Rub-on: Cherished Memories

Other: Medium Window Sheet, White EP, Gold EP, Fine Galaxy Glitter

Non-SU: Nesties

I stamped the window sheet with Versamark and heat embossed with White EP. The card was made before I had access to the full range of new catalogue goodies which was a shame because the embossing buddy would have helped reduce the static and therefore the sprinkles of white EP across the window sheet (it's fairly obvious if you look close at the pic above). I used the dinky heart from Cause for Celebration because that's what I had available at the time but now I would use one or more hearts from the Love You Much set.

The Medium grade window sheet is a very sturdy acetate, ideal for this type of card. The champagne glasses were "coloured" with Tombow and sprinkled with champagne glitter. This is a very fine grade glitter that dries opaque (and therefore doesn't show any colour from underneath as the Dazzling Diamonds do). The rub-on takes to the acetate very well, a nice, smooth transfer, no problems there.

I'll be posting more about uses for both grades of window sheet (Medium and Thick) in the future so please pop back soon.

Sara xx

Recipe for sneak peek 6 Garden Dream

Garden Dream is a hostess level 3 stamp set so you could get this full set of 8 stamps by hosting a Stampin' Up! workshop (contact me for available dates or to place a qualifying order). This is the full set.

I used just 2 of the stamps to make this card.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Garden Dream, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Ink: Stampin' Write Markers

Wide Grosgrain Ribbon: Regal Rose

Punches: Scallop Edge

I inked the flower stamp with Rose Red and Always Artichoke and then coloured the stamped image with blended Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery. I used Taken with Teal and Not Quite Navy direct to stamp for the humming bird and cut it out and popped it on a dimensional to give an impression of movement. I took the idea for the scalloped layers from the catty itself as I think it looks so effective. A fairly quick and simple card but quite elegant I think.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

A blue giraffe for the Stamp With Us challenge and prize reminder

It's Sunday so it must be Stamp With Us challenge day. A rest then from the sneak peek recipes and on with the challenge. This week it's a colour challenge and here's our inspiration:

I tried to use as many of the colours as I could without the card getting too busy. I think I'm almost there. The two flowers don't look quite right to me. I would have preferred to use three but couldn't fit another one on.

Recipe:

Stamp sets: Animal Stories, Oval All

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery

Ink: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Taken with Teal

Punches: 5-petal flower, 1/2" Circle, Scallop Edge, Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Chocolate Chip

Other: Brads

For the flowers, the leaves were laid flat and the two layers of petals were curled around the handle of my pricking tool (have you noticed that pricking mats and tool are now available separately in the new catty). The giraffe was coloured direct to stamp and then I coloured his spots in with Teal afterwards.

Hope that you're having a great weekend.

Don't forget that you can still win free entry to the Stamp With Us Winter online class by entering this week's challenge. Best of luck!

Sara xx

Recipe for sneak peek 5 Circle Circus

Back home again now and still not a minute to spare because I'm busy washing and cleaning, lol. Oh I'm looking forward to a break. But I don't want to let you down so here's another full recipe for a sneak peek I shared with you earlier.

I love this new stamp set because when combined with the punches you have the perfect recipe for quick and easy but visually appealing cards.

The new catty also has a new 1-3/4" Circle punch to fit the large flower circle (the turquoise one in the pic above). Bright and bold suits this set I think.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Circle Circus, Oval All

Cardstock: Basic Black, Taken with Teal, Only Orange

Ink: Versamark

Punches: 1-1/4" Circle, 1/2" Circle

Other: Black EP, Hodgepodge

This card uses the reverse spotlighting technique from over at Splitcoaststampers.

Have a great weekend.

Sara xx

Recipe for sneak peek 4 Tree Trimmings

I think (and hope) that this card looks rather elegant. It could be done in any colour scheme that you choose, I went with purples (already admitted as one of my favourite colour sets for christmas) but traditional reds or greens would look equally good. Even better, why not make a set as a gift, in different colours?

This card uses the full set of 4 stamps from the Tree Trimmings stamp set.

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, Elegant Eggplant

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Elegant Eggplant

Other: White EP

I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to place the the smaller baubles in the background. The largest bauble is stamped with Versamark onto dark cardstock, heat embossed with white powder, cut out with a narrow border and raised on dimensionals.

Off again to do a quick bit of revision and then out for a curry with my classmates. Last day tomorrow and then back home - phew, thank goodness.

Sara xx

More details for sneak peek 3 Autumn Days

I already covered most of the elements of this card here so I'm just going to explain the new stamp set elements that I added to the card.

I used just 2 of the 6 stamps from the Autumn Days set. The 5 foliage elements are very versatile and although the set is called Autumn Days it can be used effectively all year round.

Here I'd stamped the little maple leaf? (don't really know my leaves so may have that wrong) in Versamark and heat embossed with gold EP to create a background.

For the pheasant I used markers direct to the stamp and stamped onto shrink plastic. I really should have gone a shade lighter with the colours because they intensify when shrunk. I used Chocolate Chip, Taken with Teal and Close to Cocoa. Close to Cocoa, Tempting Turquoise and Creamy Caramel would probably have been a better combination. Another lesson learned!

Hope you're having more fun than I am. Off now to do some more revision ready for tomorrow's test.

Sara xx

Recipe for sneak peek 2 Animal Stories

Hi folks. I'm back in Cardiff again and my brain is stuffed to bursting. I'm sure that other things are falling out of it now that I've got so many facts and acronyms crammed in there. I'll probably have forgotten at least half of them by the time the actual exam rolls around. Heyho, I can only do what I can do.

One of the brand new stamp sets in the lush new catty is the very cute Animal Stories, a set of four stamps.

These are great to use in full or you can think outside the box (or inside it in this case, lol) and zoom in on just a portion of the image.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Animal Stories, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip (textured)

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal, Pretty in Pink

Taffeta Ribbon: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Reinker: Apricot Appeal

Punches: Scallop Square, Scallop Oval, Large Oval

This card was actually harder than it looks because I had to measure and place the stamped images quite precisely to get the right bits to show through the windows, that's where my stamp-a-ma-jig helped. I knew I wanted to use Apricot for the giraffe but then I didn't have a matching ribbon so I used my matching reinker on some Whisper White - hey presto, matching ribbon! Gotta love those reinkers, so many uses in addition to the obvious.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

A roaring good fun tissue pack holder and news of SWU contest and award

First, an apology. I haven't hopped to as many blogs as I would have liked this week, or even blogged as much as I would have liked.

The hotel I've been staying in for the training course is so convenient (my room was on Level 2 and the training room was on Level 1), the food is great (breakfast, second breakfast (aka. morning snack), 3 course lunch and afternoon snack all included and yes I am now a hippo, lol) but the internet arrangements are rubbish! It's something like £15 a day for internet connection. I already pay about a tenner more than that a month for my mobile broadband dongle that I took with me but I couldn't get a strong enough signal in the hotel to use it. Coincidence? I suspect not. After a couple of days I found a local coffee house that had a good enough signal but we don't get much time free within their opening hours.

It's back to Cardiff this afternoon for another week so please bear with me if I'm slow to stop by.

Now - onto the crafting. This week's challenge on Stamp With Us is to create anything but a card. I make plenty of boxes week to week anyway and so I decided instead, to make another handbag tissue holder (see here for earlier version). I love SU punches because for once, they're actually designed for use with card - so many on the market are only designed to punch paper. This project uses no stamps, just card, ink and punches:

Recipe

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Punches: Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, 1/2" Circle, 1/8" Circle, Large Oval, Boho Blossoms, Corner Rounder

Non-SU: Small pack of tissues

The design is based on the one here by Angie Kennedy Juda. I adapted it for the punches that I have available. As we don't yet have the Small Oval punch over here I used the Large Oval, reinserted the Oval into the punch (as Angie does with the Scallop Circle to make the mane), to create a smaller oval (cut in half for the legs) and used the remaining piece for the tail. The 1" Circle punch is still on my wish list (I've gone for the new Butterfly, Heart to Heart and Eyelet Border punches, greedy aren't I, lol) so I used the 1-1/4" Circle punch instead. The tissue pack is then stuck to the inside back cover.

Please go take a look at the rest of the Design Team's creations and I hope that you have chance to play along this week. We have two new great incentives; a brand new blinkie award for the SWU top spot and a chance to win free entry to the Stamp With Us Winter online class.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

Hurray!!! The 2009-10 Stampin' Up! Catalogue and Idea Book launches today

Yes!!!

It launched today! I've been itching to share this with you. Click here for the 2009-10 Stampin' Up! Catalogue and Idea Book:

One of the new Level 2 hostess sets is Whimsical Wings, a set of four stamps:

As promised here is the recipe for sneak peek 1 which uses two of the stamps from this set:

Recipe:

Stamp set: Whimsical Wings

Cardstock: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Almost Apricot, Barely Banana, Pale Plum

Ink: Versamark

SU Markers: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Perfect Plum

Reinkers: Almost Apricot, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Pale Plum

Other: Black EP, Brads, Brayer

I used a brayer to create the background with the reinkers, stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with black EP. Each flower was stamped and the central tendrils coloured with a co-ordinating, darker marker. These were cut out and attached with brads.

Hopefully when studying is over I'll find time to make a vid to demonstrate the brayer technique.

Now grab a cuppa, put your feet up and have a browse of the new catty. If you'd like to place an order then please email me at sarastamper123@gmail.com.

Enjoy!

Sara xx