No layers technique challenge - take 2

You may remember that our technique challenge this month over at In Love With Stamping is to create a no layers card and I had a second go at this challenge.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Tree Trimmings, Music Notes

Cardstock: Crumb Cake

Ink: Crumb Cake, Versamark

Other: Gold EP

The card blank is A6 portrait in Crumb Cake. I stamped the baubles from the Tree Trimmings set with Versamark ink and heat embossed with Gold EP, masking the two outer ones before stamping the inner. (The adhesive from the sticky note mask tarnished the Gold embossing a little but reheating shines it up again). The edges of the card front were then masked off and the Music Notes wheel was rolled across using Crumb Cake ink.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Tree Trimmings, Music Notes

Cardstock: Very Vanilla

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Versamark

Other: Gold EP

For this version I masked the card edges first and wheeled the Music Notes across the Very Vanilla card blank with Cherry Cobbler ink. The baubles were then stamped and heat embossed over the top of the wheeled stamping.

You get a slightly different look with each version, not just because of the colours but due to the intensity of the stamping, depending on which image is laid down first.

I think I prefer the Crumb Cake version even though it doesn't seem to show up so well in the photo.

What do you think?

Sara xx

Glittery baubles in the window

The different size Tag punches are ideal for making a frame within a frame and so I combined them with the Medium Window sheet to make a window card. Don't forget that you can still get either of the Tag punches (or even both) when you order from the Christmas Gift-giving Guide here. Just drop me an email to place an order.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Tree Trimmings, Best Yet (retired)

Cardstock: Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst

DSP: Tea Party

Ink: Versamark, White Craft

Punches: Tag, Small Tag, Eyelet Border, Large Oval, Scallop Oval

Other: Medium Window Sheet, Heat & Stick Powder, White EP, Dazzling Diamonds

I punched the larger Tag windows first of all, spacing them evenly. Then with a strip of the Almost Amethyst lightly tacked in place behind I punched with the Small Tag to create the frames. Medium Window Sheet was sandwiched between the two cardstock layers (stuck permanently this time) and I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the Tree Trimming baubles in each window. This view shows the windows a little more clearly.

In Love With Stamping have another Prize Patrol for those playing along with their Explosion Card tutorial and uploading their entry. Details of the tutorial and how to enter are here and the deadline is midnight on Friday 11 December. Unfortunately I can't play along this time as I'm in Plymouth and only have a very few crafting materials with me but good luck with your entries.

Sara xx

A silver and not quite navy bauble card

Dreamboats and petticoats was a great night out on Wednesday. If you like the music of Roy Orbison and that era (ie. fairly early Roy) then you'll probably enjoy this show. The guy that played Bobby, the male lead, was quite a slight guy but what a voice!

We took Bess to the vets last night for the first shot of her vaccine. This is to desensitise her for her allergies to fleas, cats, dust mites and grass. She'll need a shot every two weeks to start, then extending to three and then four. The vet showed us how to inject her, so that in future we may be able to give her the vaccine at home. We'll go back for the next shot just so the vet can see that we do it right. Her allergy hasn't flared up for a good 6 weeks now (as the grass pollen isn't a problem at this time of year) but hopefully the vaccine will keep her rash free for quite some time even when the weather turns better in the Spring. Fingers crossed.

Anyhow, onto today's card:

Recipe

Stamp sets: Tree Trimmings, Season of Joy

Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Whisper White

DSP: Ski Slope (retired)

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Versamark

Punches: Corner Rounder, Large Oval

Other: Stampin' Pastels, Silver EP, Earth Elements Brad, Silver Elastic Cord

Non-SU: Nestabilities

I cut the large oval aperture using my Nesties and punched the sentiment aperture with my large oval punch. The background card was sponged with Not Quite Navy and Night of Navy chalk. This bauble is popped up on a dimensional but you could leave it free swinging.

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to enter for my blog candy.

Sara xx

Exams are over so I'm into guilt free crafting time

Well this morning's exam went a little better than Tuesday's. I (think I've) answered 2 questions well, 1 question OK and 2 questions not very well but hopefully that will be enough to get me a pass and after Tuesday's fiasco I'd be happy with that.

Thanks for all your kind comments. They really cheered me up when I was at a low ebb.

Anyway what this all means for me now is that I can put the study books away until January (when I have to start on the next couple of subjects) and enjoy weeks of guilt free crafting (forgetting all the housework of course, lol). I placed another SU order for myself at the weekend so that it would be delivered today. Unfortunately it was delivered whilst I was at the exam, a kind neighbour has taken it for me and is now out herself. So now I'm itching to get at my new goodies and having to content myself with what I've already got (I'm so hard done to you know, lol).

Recipe:

Stamp sets: Tree Trimmings. Autumn Days, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White

DSP: I Wish Simply Scrappin' Kit (retired)

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, SU Markers

Punches: Corner Rounder, Eyelet Border

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Real Red

I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to position the sprigs of fir tree in the top corners, the baubles below them and the sentiment. The middle bauble is raised on dimensionals.

Now I'm going to have a play at a new technique (if it works then I'll show you the results tomorrow) and then it's off to the vets for Bess's stitches taken out.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

Tree gifts or table favours for Christmas

I only had time to make a few of these for the craft fair on Saturday and they all got snapped up early on but I think I need to make a few more to set out as table favours at our own Christmas dinner. Each of these holds 3 wrapped chocolates.

The design for them is from a tutorial over at Splitcoaststampers.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Season of Joy, Tree Trimmings

Cardstock: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Craft White

DSP: Ski Slope (retired)

Punches: 5-petal flower, 1/2" Circle, Tag, Small Tag, Crop-a-dile

Other: Gold Elastic Cord

The only stamp I used from the Season of Joy set was the very dinky flower for the centre of my punched ones. I used the new Craft White ink to stamp the little bauble on the tag. I recommend cleaning your stamp as soon as you've used it, otherwise I found that my inkpad went a little pink when I stamped again. The Small Tag punched from Whisper White is on the reverse of the tag to allow for a message or place name if using as table favours.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

Christmas duo for the Stamp With Us challenge

It's Sunday so it's Stamp With Us challenge day. This week's challenge is on the theme of

Christmas

so I hope that everyone will play along especially as you get two weeks to do this challenge. There is a Stampin' Up! convention in Germany next week (I can't go because I'm on an exam revision course, boohoo - but I'll still be blogging) so the Stamp With Us challenge will return to normal in a couple of weeks.

For the challenge this week I made a card and gift tube in a less traditional colour scheme.

The card is similar to a previous version here but the gift tube is a new design that I got from the SWU online class. It's small enough to hang from a tree or would make an excellent table gift on Christmas day. One of the lovely crafting ladies from St Saviours (more on them later in the week) suggested rolling a lottery ticket to go inside it as a gift for the men - great idea.

Recipe

Stamp set: Tree Trimmings, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock: Real Red, Regal Rose, Very Vanilla

Ink: Real Red

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Real Red

Recipe

Stamp set: Tree Trimmings

Cardstock: Real Red, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla

Ink: Real Red

DSP: Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit

Punches: Eyelet Border, Scallop Circle, 5-petal flower, Boho Blossoms

Other: Gold Elastic Cord, Gold Brads

Please go take a look at the creations by the rest of the Design Team.

Enjoy the rest of your 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