A shabby chic thank you card for our dogsitters

Yesterday, hubby and I went to the races at York, followed by a concert by Blondie at the racecourse. Despite poor hubby still being unwell and despite the fact that we didn't win a sausage the whole evening, we still had good fun ;-)

It wasn't the best concert we've been to, the accoustics were pretty strange with the way the noise bounces off the stands, but I've got to say I think Debbie Harry did a good job and put on a fair show for someone of her age.

As we were going to be out for a longer time than our little Bess can plait her legs for, we arranged for my MIL and FIL to come and stay over to dogsit. This is the card I've made to thank them for helping out.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Simply Said, Strength and Hope

Plain Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron

Textured Cardstock: Baja Breeze

Ink: Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz

Seam Binding Ribbon: Baja Breeze

Punches: Decorative Label, Itty Bitty Shapes

Bigz Dies: Top Note, Beautiful Butterflies

Embossing Folder: Vintage Wallpaper

Other: Basic Pearls

Tools: Big Shot, Sponge Daubers, Crop-a-dile

The card base is an A6 landscape of Very Vanilla. All layers throughout were sponged with Crumb Cake ink before assembling. Top Notes were die cut from Pear Pizzazz and Very Vanilla card and the Vanilla one was then cut out along the perforated border before embossing with the Vintage Wallpaper folder. The textured Top Note layer was sponged with So Saffron ink. The two Top Notes were matted together, punched with the Crop-a-dile and threaded with Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon before adhering first to the Textured Baja Breeze card mat and then to the card front. A bow was tied around the ribbon over to the left of the card. The thank you sentiment was stamped in Basic Gray ink onto Very Vanilla card and punched out with the Decorative Label. The dotty flowers were stamped off to the side of the sentiment in Pear Pizzazz ink and tiny Basic Pearls added to the centres of the flowers. Two more Decorative Labels were punched from So Saffron card, cut in half and adhered behind the sentiment before popping up on dimensionals on the card front. A small butterfly was die cut from Vary Vanilla card and stamped on one side with text in Basic Gray ink and on the other with the butterfly in So Saffron ink, both stamps from the Strength and Hope set. A small flower was punched from So Saffron card and adhered to the centre of the butterfly with a glue dot and finished with a large Basic Pearl. The butterfly was then added to the card front with glue dots.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

Take a meander through our inspirational SUDSOL blog tour

Hi and welcome.

I'm a Stampin' Up! demo based in the UK and I joined SUDSOL back in January for the 24/7 access to inspirational ideas, project instructions and templates that I can use to WOW my workshop guests and hostess. SUDSOL offers a free two week trial membership to SU! demos around the world, just click on the blinking SUDSOL icon on the right hand side menu or here to sign up.

If you're not a SU! demo then please still take a look at the projects on the tour for inspiration for your own creations, or why not book a workshop and see them first hand?

This first project is great fun, it's a faker shaker card and so easy to make - when you know how, lol. I found the idea in the Patterns and Templates area of SUDSOL's Creative Library.

Recipe

Stamp Set: Strength and Hope

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Rose Red, White Stazon

Taffeta Ribbon: Pretty in Pink

Punch: Small Heart

Sizzlits 4-Pack Die: Lots of Tags

Embosslits Die: Beautiful Wings

Embossing Folder: Square Lattice

Other: Cello Bag, Basic Pearls

The Cello Bag was stamped with the writing in White Stazon, then filled with dinky punched and die cut heart and butterfly shapes before folding over the bag top and sealing. Using Rose Red ink the scroll motif was stamped onto a square of Pink Pirouette card. One of the Lots of Tags sizzlits was used to die cut an aperture just above. This leaves an impression on the card of the full sizzlit plate and so the square was run through the Square Lattice to emboss the pattern over the top. The faker shaker was adhered behind the aperture then adhered to the card front with dimensionals. The butterfly was stamped in Rose Red ink onto Pink Pirouette card, cut out and popped up on a dimensional. Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon was shaped into a Ribbon of Hope, secured with a glue dot and a Pearl fixed over the dot.

Next up, I raided the library again for their all-occasion bag box pattern.

Recipe

Stamp set: Strength and Hope

Cardstock: Rose Red, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Rose Red, Pretty in Pink

DSP: Lap of Luxury

Punches: Extra-large Tag, 1-1/4" Square

Embossing Folder: Square Lattice

After following the cutting and folding instructions in the pattern, the front of the box was decorated with a piece of Lap of Luxury DSP that had been stamped with the butterfly in Pretty in Pink and Rose Red inks. The butterfly was stamped again with Rose Red ink onto Pink Pirouette card, cut out and popped up on a dimensional over the one stamped on the DSP. Using Rose Red ink, the Hope sentiment was stamped onto Pink Pirouette card, punched out with the 1-1/4" Square and run through the Square Lattice embossing folder. This was adhered direct to a Large Tag punched from Rose Red card and then tied to the bag closure with Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon.

Finally, I have a masculine card to share. It took inspiration from the samples gallery to create this.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Sail Away, Plane and Simple (sentiment)

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler, Watercolor Paper, Very Vanilla

Ink: Black Stazon, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler

Seam Binding Ribbon: Baja Breeze

Bigz Die: Top Note

Other: Pewter Jumbo Eyelets

Watercolor paper was die cut using the Top Note, the left edge trimmed off and the rest of the shape cut to the perforated line before stamping the Sail Away image with Black Stazon. An aquapainter was used to pick up ink and paint the image, leaving the sails unpainted. This was then matted onto another Top Note, die cut from Cherry Cobbler card and a Pewter Jumbo Eyelet was added using the Crop-a-dile. Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon was wrapped around a mat of Basic Gray card, threaded and tied through the main image which was popped up on dimensionals. The sentiment from the Plane and Simple set was stamped onto Very Vanilla card with Cherry Cobbler ink. This was then cut into a flag shape, sponged along the edges with more Cherry Cobbler and popped up on slivers of dimensionals on the card front.

I hope that these projects have inspired you. If you're a demo and would like access to all these patterns, templates and more, then be sure to sign up for your free trial. After you activate your membership you'll also be able to view my gallery.

If you're not a demo then why not email me to book your own workshop and I can demonstrate one of these projects for you in person.

Sara xx

Edited - sorry all the blog links are now gone. Please watch out for our next blog tour.

Three projects for our blog hop marathon

Hi everyone. If you've joined me from Emily then welcome, didn't you just love what she did? Gorgeous! If you're starting here then don't worry, we'll pass you around the hop until you get back to Emily and then back to me. At that point you'll have the chance to hop over to another 3 groups! Truly a blog hop marathon today and so much inspiration that I'm sure we'll have your head spinning by the end of it ... and your wish list will be mighty long - we can help with that, lol.

Please email me when you're ready to place your order

;-)

My first project is a super quick and easy party treat. Great for kids parties and not sniffed at by the adults either. I gave one each to my hostesses last night and there'll be one for each guest at my Mini Launch Party today.

Recipe

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight

DSP: Greenhouse Gala

Bigz L Die: Fun Flowers

Non-SU: Lollipop

I used the Fun Flowers die in the Big Shot to crank out all the flowers. The largest and smallest were cut from Daffodil Delight card and the middle one was cut from Greenhouse Gala DSP. I found I could cut three layers of card and four of DSP in one go with no problem. They were layered up with a tiny spot of SNAIL between each to hold them in place, a hole punched through the middle and the lollipop pushed through.

Have a look at my Big Shot Bundles to see what I'm offering when you order the Big Shot and/or Accessories.

Next up I've used the new Windowpanes which come as a pack of 12; four each of three sizes.

I saw this project created originally by the very talented Jackie Topa using hearts. For mine, I've used the new Strength and Hope set. Stampin' Up! are donating £1 from each sale of this set to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

I created mine to use at my Launch party today as I'm offering it as a free event but asking people for a donation to the Cavendish Cancer Care, our local charity helping breast cancer patients. It seemed appropriate.

Although this uses all four of your large Windowpanes you can easily change the ribbon and the backing sheets to fit any occasion or even dismantle and reuse the Windowpanes at any point (so not really as excessive as it first seems). Please use a battery operated tea light for safety.

Recipe

Stamp set: Strength & Hope

Cardstock: Vellum Card, Medium Window Sheet

Ink: Regal Rose

Taffeta Ribbon: Pretty in Pink

Bigz L Die: Mini Milk Carton

Other: Beveled Windowpanes

Non-SU: Battery operated tea light

I followed Jackie's instructions fully, using Window Sheet to create just the base of the Mini Milk Carton to wrap the panes around for stability. The Windowpanes were tied at each corner with Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon. Pieces of Vellum card were stamped with the Hope sentiment and inserted between the Mini Milk Carton and the Windowpane.

And finally from me - a masculine card. Yes, Stampin' Up! have listened to us and included some great masculine stamps in this Mini.

Recipe

Stamp set: Sail Away, Plane & Simple (sentiment)

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Ink: Night of Navy

Other: Pewter Jumbo Eyelet, Linen Thread

The card blank is an A6 portrait of Cajun Craze. A short panel of Sahara Sand was put through the Crimper leaving an uncrimped section top and bottom to make it easier to adhere to the card front. The sailboat was stamped in Night of Navy ink onto Whisper White card and matted onto Night of Navy card leaving more mat exposed at the bottom. A Pewter Jumbo Eyelet was added to this exposed piece using the Crop-a-dile and Linen Thread wrapped through a few times and tied in a knot. This was popped up on dimensionals on the card front. Using the sentiment from the Plane and Simple set I stamped with Night of Navy ink onto a narrow strip of Whisper White card and cut a horizontal "V" into the end to create the flag. This was matted onto Night of Navy card cut to match and popped on dimensionals.

I hope you've enjoyed my projects and I invite you to "follow me" so you don't miss any of the exciting ideas that I've got coming up.

For now I'll pass you on to the next person in our blog hop loop - Rita, who's got more creative ideas in store for you.

When you're ready to check out the other loops you can find the start of each of them here:

Loop 1 (and our blog hop organiser Erika)

Loop 2

Loop 4

Off now to my Launch Party!

See you soon.

Sara xx