A beautiful thing in suede and turquoise

Hope you're having a restful Sunday. I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet - birds singing, everything else nice and still ... before the footy begins and DH starts shouting at the tv. I keep telling him they're not paying any attention to what he's saying, but it doesn't stop him. Then again, it never stops me when I know he doesn't pay attention to what I'm saying, lol.

I'm carrying on with my mission to get inking my underused stamps and today I've combined two of them:

Recipe

Stamp sets: En Francais, A Beautiful Thing

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla

Ink: Soft Suede, Taken With Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Versamark

Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Using Soft Suede on the En Francais background stamp, I stamped off onto some Very Vanilla card and set aside to use for another project and then stamped again onto Very Vanilla to get the softer colour used here. I tore across and sponged all the edges with more Soft Suede ink. Next I stamped the solid flower from A Beautiful Thing with Versamark onto Tempting Turquoise and using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for positioning, stamped the centre detail with Soft Suede, stamping off first each time to soften the colour again. The small wheel was then stamped between the flowers using Versamark. The edges of the Tempting Turquoise layer were sponged with Taken With Teal ink. These layers were matted direct to the front of the Soft Suede card blank. The sentiment was stamped in Tempting Turquoise on Vary Vanilla and punched with the Large Oval. A Scallop Oval was punched from Soft Suede. Both punched ovals were sponged with Soft Suede and popped up on dimensionals.

Keeping up my new resolution (for now at least) to complete the insert as I make the card, I created a border as well as stamping a sentiment inside:

Recipe (inside)

Stamp sets: Whimsical Words (sentiment), A Beautiful Thing

Cardstock: Very Vanilla

Ink: Soft Suede, Tempting Turquoise

I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to extend the little row of four flowers across the whole width.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

A set of cards in kraft with matching punched trios

Today I've made a couple of quick cards to complete a set that I'll be giving away in my free draw at Friday night's workshop.

Recipe

Stamp sets: One of a Kind, Whimsical Words

Cardstock: Kraft, Whisper White, Green Galore/Only Orange

Ink: Green Galore/Only Orange

Punch: Boho Blossoms

The aperture is punched with the Boho Blossoms punched and then stamped and punched images matched in place underneath the apertures on the inside back of the card.

They match one I made at my Open Day:

And one of those featured on the Mini catalogue bloghop:

... to create a quick and easy set of cards that make a great gift.

Hope you like.

Sara xx

Take a stroll through our bloghop to get a look at the new products

Hello and welcome to our Stampin' Up! bloghop.

If you're already on your journey then you'll have joined me from Zoe. Didn't you just love what she's done, I know I did. (If you haven't been there yet, then don't worry the link at the end of the post will pass you you to the next person in the loop, and then the next and the next until you get round to Zoe and eventually back to me. Then you'll know you've been around the full bloghop - though we have another 2 loops if you've got the stamina!)

My first card uses the new sweet treat cups and can be packaged to send through the post in a specially designed padded envelope (that was the answer to Wednesday's pop quiz, lol, did you spot what they were?).

I took my inspiration from the very clever Becky over at Inking Idaho and adapted her design.

Recipe

Stamp set: Something Sweet, Happy Moments (sentiment inside)

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White

Ink: Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant

Punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Round Tab, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, 1/2" Circle

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Elegant Eggplant

Other: White Eyelet, Silver Brad

Non-SU: Small chocolate beans

This is a narrow card (15cm x 7.5cm) so that you can pull the ribboned tab up and release the chocolate out of the back of the card without having to pull the card to pieces. I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to make sure that all the parts of the gumball machine lined up properly.

Although ideal for sweets, these treat cups can be filled with all sorts of fun and sentimental items. I'll be showing you more ideas over the next few weeks or so.

This second card is really quick and easy.

Recipe

Stamp set: I {Heart} Hearts, Whimsical Words

Cardstock: Kraft, Real Red, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red

Punches: Heart to Heart, Small Heart

I punched the hearts trio in the bottom corner of the card. Using the new trio of hearts in the I {Heart} Hearts set I stamped it in Real Red, punched it and used the aperture to place the hearts against the back of the card. I stamped the dinky heart from the set and used the new Small Heart punch. I've always loved our SU punches as they're so great for cardstock but these new punches are even better as they now fold flat for easier storage - brilliant! The sentiment is from one of our recent Sale-a-bration sets.

If you're new to my blog and you like what you've seen, then please take a moment to become a follower (see lower down the right hand side column) or bookmark me so that you can find me again in the future.

Like what you've seen and want to place an order? As a special offer to celebrate the launch of the Mini Catalogue, I'm offering free postage on all orders over £45 placed with me by 10pm Easter Monday (5 April). Email me to place your order. If you're in the Sheffield/Barnsley area you can also drop into my Open Day on Saturday 3 April, any time 1pm-4pm for demos, make and takes, refreshments and more. Email me for directions.

Thanks for visiting and now I'll pass you on to Linda who has more amazing creations in store.

See you again soon I hope.

Sara xx

The Happy Moments are ticking away

Bess did a little better in class on Sunday. Her training (or is it ours lol?) now involves walking her backwards every time she tries to pull forwards too much. I think we're going to see a lot of places we've already been in the foreseeable future!

And talking of foreseeable future - there's just over a week left to get your free Sale-a-bration sets. Please email me if you'd like to order.

Today's card is back to Happy Moments - my favourite set I have to admit. And then I used Whimsical Words for the sentiment inside - my other favourite, heehee.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Happy Moments, Whimsical Words (inside)

Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, Summer Sun, Whisper White

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Markers

Punches: Boho Blossoms, Word Window, Eyelet Border

Wide Grosgrain Ribbon: So Saffron (from previous SU offer)

Other: Circle Fire Rhinestones

I decided to use the flowers on the cake as a motif for my card. My flowers are made using the Boho Blossom punch with each flower snipped between the petals and shaped.

Here's the inside:

Which is your favourite Sale-a-bration set?

Sara xx

February ribbon challenge at In Love With Stamping - take 2

Thanks for all your congratulations yesterday. I did have a few drinks to celebrate last night and I might just treat myself to a stamp set or two as a reward for passing, lol.

Today's card is back again to the ribbons challenge over at In Love With Stamping. The challenge is to use five ribbons or more and they can be all the same or all different.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Animal Stories, Whimsical Words

Cardstock: Barely Banana, More Mustard, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie

Ink: More Mustard, Summer Sun

Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie

To get the funky shape I started with a standard A6 card, measured 1" down from the top right and cut from there to the top left fold. I then measured 1" in from the bottom right and cut from there to the new corner created by my last cut, top right. For the mats I cut the same shape and then trimmed excess from the fold line edge and the bottom edge only, to keep the funky angles needed. Hope that all makes sense.

The giraffe was coloured direct to stamp with Summer Sun and then I coloured the mane, tail and around all the spots with More Mustard (again direct to stamp).

Sara xx

February ribbon challenge at In Love With Stamping

Today I'm sharing the Ribbons challenge that we have this month over at In Love With Stamping. To play along you need to use at least 5 ribbons on your creation and they can all be the same or all be different.

I decided to use mine to "finish" my buttons:

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Love You Much, Whimsical Words (SAB)

Cardstock: Basic Black, Pink Passion, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Pink Passion

Coloured Buttons: Earth Elements and Neutrals, Soft Subtles

Gingham Ribbon: Black, Light Pink

I picked out the patterns on the large heart with markers direct to stamp and then coloured in further after stamping. The trail of little hearts was tracked using my Stamp-a-ma-jig. All the buttons are stuck with glue dots.

Thanks for looking.

Sara xx

A wheely good make and take card for everyone to try

Last week I gave a workshop to another lovely bunch of ladies. They should have got their goodies by now, so I thought I'd share the make and take card we all made on the night. Our hostess had asked if they could see the Stampin' Around wheels and have a go at heat embossing, so I designed the make and take around those requests.

Recipe

Stamp sets: It's Beautiful, Flight of the Butterfly, Whimsical Words

Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Taken With Teal, Basic Black, More Mustard

Ink: Versamark, Not Quite Navy

Punches: Scallop Edge, Butterfly

Other: Silver EP, Silver Elastic Cord

We also stamped an insert using the narrower Baroque Border wheel and added a Curvy Verse.

Fancy hosting your own workshop? You provide the guests and a few refreshments and I do all the work, sound fair? Just email me to book a date.

Have a great weekend.

Sara

A cased card for my MILs birthday and her latest stamping results

Did you enjoy our bloghop on Sunday? From the hits to our sites, I'm guessing you did. (Just in case you missed it you can always scroll down to Sunday's post to catch up). There were some fantastic creations and I can't wait for a bit of free time to CASE some of them. I'm just glad that I managed to get mine finished on time and didn't let the others down. It was pretty touch and go at one point. I'd been away in Hastings all week and then on Friday night I was out presenting a workshop (I'll share more of that later in the week), then Saturday morning I was busy finishing my MIL's birthday card before she and my FIL arrived to spend the afternoon with us.

Thankfully I've got my MIL hooked on crafting too and after a delicious fish and chip lunch (we're lucky enough to have an award winning chippy just a short drive away), we spent the afternoon crafting while DH and FIL played on the Wii and watched the football. A happy bunch all round.

The card I made for my MIL is the one I was lucky enough to win as a project kit with instructions, from Elaine's Creative Musings on another recent bloghop.

Recipe

Stamp sets: On a Pedestal, Queue Up (Level 3 hostess set), Whimsical Words (SAB)

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Markers

DSP: Tea Party

Taffeta Ribbon: Pretty in Pink

Gingham Ribbon: Light Pink

Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant

Brads: Soft Subtles, Square Fire

Now my MIL mainly loves 3d items. She isn't so keen on stamping so far because she reckons her stamping never works out properly. I did talk her into giving it another go though on Saturday and she made this card:

Recipe

Stamp sets: Whimsical Wings (level 2 hostess set), Oval All

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Whisper White

Ink: Ruby Red, Markers

Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Taffeta Ribbon: Chocolate Chip

I'm not sure where she's coming from. I think her stamping is great. Don't you just love her robin? So cute.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

Bluebird of happiness

Yippee, it's raining! It's washing the snow away. I can't remember the last time I was so glad for rain, lol. It's still a pretty grey day though so I thought I'd add a splash of colour. For today's card I've combined the Whimsical Wings (hostess level 2) with the Whimsical Words (Sale-a-bration). To find out how you could get both sets for free just email me at sarastamper123@gmail.com.

The Happiness Always sentiment made me think of the bluebird of happiness - and so of course my bird had to be blue! Funny where inspiration comes from isn't it?

Recipe

Stamp sets: Whimsical Wings, Whimsical Words

Cardstock: Summer Sun, Taken with Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Tempting Turquoise, Summer Sun, Yoyo Yellow, Chocolate Chip

Other: Bold Brights Brads, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool

I used markers direct to stamp for inking this card. The bird is done in Turquoise with a Teal wing and Chocolate legs and beak. Flowers were coloured with Yoyo Yellow and then again around all edges with Summer Sun to give more depth to the colour. The images were stamped out onto the card using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement. I then stamped the bird and flowers again, cut out and raised them on dimensionals.

Have a great weekend.

Sara xx