I've moved! Please come see my new website!

I've moved into my new virtual space now, but of course I'm really not very far away at all, just a click away over at:

Craftingandstamping.com

Please come and join me over there!

Sara xx

A nautical coloured sailboat card for a man

With MIL and FIL staying over at the weekend for dogsitting duties, we also managed to squeeze in a little crafting too (hey, I'm sure it must be compulsory whenever you get two crafters in the same room, lol). Masculine cards were very much the order of the day and so I turned to Sail Away which I think is just ideal for this. I opted for a nautical colour scheme to go with it.

Recipe

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

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Watercolor Paper

Ink: Black Stazon, Night of Navy, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Real Red Marker

DSP: Regals Patterns Stack

Punches: Modern Label, Word Window

Bigz Die: Top Note

Other: Metallic Brads, Metallic Eyelets, Linen Thread

Tools: Big Shot, Crop-a-dile, Aquapainter, Sponge Daubers, Mat Pack

The card base is an A6 portrait of Night of Navy. Top Notes were die cut from Real Red card and Watercolor Paper and the Watercolor Paper one was then hand cut along the perforated design. The boat was stamped in Black Stazon onto the Watercolor Top Note and again onto a scrap of Whisper White card. Aquapainters were used with Watercolor Wonder crayons to colour the sky and the sea and once the paper was dry the boat was coloured with the Real Red marker (to give it a more intense "pop"). The Whisper White version of the boat was used to cut out the sails and adhere them over the sails of the Watercolor version so that they look bright white. The edges of the layer were sponged with Night of Navy ink before adhering direct to the Real Red Top Note and adding Antique Brass Brads at each corner. The sentiment was stamped in Night of Navy ink onto Very Vanilla card and punched out with the Word Window. It was adhered direct to a Modern Label punched from Night of Navy card and Antique Brass Eyelets were set into either end with the Crop-a-dile. Linen Thread was threaded through the eyelets and knotted before popping up the labels on dimensionals and adhering the Linen Thread behind a mat of striped Night of Navy DSP. This mat was adhered direct to the card front and the sailboat image was popped up on dimensionals.

Recipe (Inside)

Stamp sets: Sail Away, Sincere Salutations (sentiment)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla

Ink: Night of Navy

For the inside the sailboat stamp was inked with Night of Navy and then stamped off once onto scrap paper before stamping again onto the Very Vanilla insert. The sentiment was stamped directly with more Night of Navy ink.

And a little bit of news! ... I'm hoping to move in the next day or so. No, not house (way too much work involved there!)

I'm just moving virtually, to what I hope will eventually be a bigger and better website. It's nearly ready, so next time you stop by here, you may find a link directing you to the new site. I really hope that you'll follow me over there (I hate being a Billy No Mates, lol).

Sara xx

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

Easel card using the scallop circle die

Readers from earlier this week will know that it was hubby's birthday on Saturday. Poor lamb, he's been proper poorly the last couple of days but luckily he's on the mend, just in time for tonight's treat of a spa visit. Sauna, steam, turkish bath ... and a lovely relaxation area with soothing teas and coffees. Is it wrong to buy him a present I get to share in? Heehee.

As I haven't had time to create a new card for today's post I thought I'd share one that I've been demonstrating at my workshops recently.

The Bigz dies are excellent for creating shaped easel cards.

And if an easel card creates something of a Wow factor then the shaped easels are a double Wow. I just love them and having sent one or two of these to friends recently for birthdays I know they are appreciated.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Sincere Salutations, Four Frames, Perfect Punches

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight

Punches: Decorative Label, 2" x 1-3/8" Oval

Bigz Dies: Scallop Circle, Flower Daisies 2

Originals Die: Leaves 2

Non-SU: Large Circle (drawn around a saucer and cut out or use an alternative die)

Tools: Big Shot

To make the Scallop Circle Easel card, a folded piece of Chocolate Chip card was positioned a little way down the die (eg. so that around four scallops are showing) and run through the Big Shot. A horizontal fold line was scored approximately halfway down the front of the shaped card. A full Scallop Circle was cut from Chocolate Chip card, using the Big Shot again and adhered to the bottom folded area of the shaped card. Two Large Circles of Very Vanilla were cut out. One was stamped with the sentiment (Sincere Salutations) in Chocolate Chip ink and adhered to the card front and one was adhered direct to the inside of the card. Three large and three small daisies were die cut from Daffodil Delight card and the edges sponged with matching ink before offsetting the petals and adhering them together. A Chocolate Chip flower centre was die cut and adhered to the flower. Two leaves were die cut from Pear Pizzazz card, then one was flipped over before sponging them with Old Olive ink. The leaves were adhered direct to the card front and then the flower was popped up on dimensionals. A spotty frame was stamped in Chocolate Chip ink onto Very Vanilla card and punched out with the Decorative Label. The inside sentiment (Perfect Punches) was stamped in Chocolate Chip ink onto Daffodil Delight card and punched out with the 2" x 1-3/8" Oval. These layers were popped up on dimensionals on the inside of the card to prop the card front at the right angle.

Now off to meet hubby for a bit of rest and relaxation ...

Sara xx

Learn new techniques using Crystal Effects

At our next technique class on Saturday 13 August we'll be covering:

• the Caught in Crystal technique; and
• the faux button technique (two ways)

to make these cards ...

... and a couple of other projects besides.

If you'd like to join us for this class which will take place at St Saviour's Church Hall, High Green, then please book your place(s) using the Paypal button on the right, no later than Saturday 6 July.

You can find more details here or you can email me if you have any queries.

Please note that these projects will need to be left to dry overnight before assembling, so it's best to bring a small box with you to keep them clean and flat on the way home.

Hope to see you there.

Sara xx

Some sweet hearts for my sweethearts birthday

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Today is my hubby's birthday, I won't say how old, heehee. We had planned to go out to Bakewell with his Mum and Dad for the day but unfortunately that got rained off. Never mind, we've had a good day anyway and I've got a few treats in store for him later this week.

For now, here's the card I made for him. Lovehearts are currently his favourite sweets and so I decided to design his card around them:

Recipe

Stamp sets: Sweetheart, I {Heart} Hearts, Party This Way

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Basic Grey, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Grey, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red

Punches: Full Heart, Heart to Heart, Modern Label, Word Window, Heart Small, Round Tab

Embossing Folder: Square Lattice

Tools: Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig

The card base is an A6 landscape of Riding Hood Red. An aperture was punched in the lower right corner using the Full Heart punch. This was used to mark in pencil where the heart needed to be placed on the Whisper White and Basic Grey mat layers. The heart frame from the Sweetheart set was stamped in Basic Grey ink around the Whisper White pencilled heart using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement. Various large hearts were stamped in More Mustard and Basic Grey inks direct to the Whisper White layer. The trio of hearts were also stamped out separately in both More Mustard and Basic Grey inks onto Whisper White card and punched out with the Heart to Heart punch. These were adhered direct to the Whisper White layer and any overhang was trimmed flush to the edge of the card. The Whisper White layer was then run through the Square Lattice embossing folder and the pencilled hearts were punched from both the Whisper White and Basic Grey layers before adhering them together with the Treat Cup sandwiched between. A Round Tab punched from Riding Hood Red card was adhered around a small panel of matching card. This was used to work out the placement of Sticky Strip on the reverse of the layers before adhering them to the card front so that the tabbed card can be used to access the sweets:

The birthday sentiment was stamped in More Mustard ink onto Whisper White card and punched out with the Word Window. This was then adhered direct to a Modern Label punched from Basic Grey card and then popped up on dimensionals on the card front. Finally the small heart was stamped in Riding Hood Red ink onto Whisper White card and punched out with the Small Heart and popped up on a sliver of dimensional overlapping the sentiment.

And here's the inside:

Recipe (inside)

Stamp sets: I {Heart} Hearts, Something Sweet (sentiments)

Cardstock: Whisper White

Ink: Basic Grey, Riding Hood Red

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Sara xx

July batch of thank yous for my customers

Here's my batch of thank yous for my customers this month:

This is a simple design to show off the gold embossing of the sentiment. The fine grade embossing powder allows even small text to be read clearly.

Recipe

Stamp set: So Many Thanks

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Ink: Versamark

3mm Taffeta Ribbon: Early Espresso

Other: Gold EP

Tools: Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy

The card base is a small square of Crumb Cake. A smaller square of Very Vanilla card was cleaned with an Embossing Buddy then stamped with So Many Thanks in Versamark and heat embossed with Gold EP. This layer was matted onto a square of Early Espresso card. A small piece of Early Espresso ribbon was wrapped around the top left corner and secured on the reverse. A dinky bow of the same ribbon was added with a glue dot. The layered image was popped up on dimensionals on the card front.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sara xx

A matching Springtime Vintage bag complete with gift

Yesterday I shared with you the card that I'd made to welcome a new member of our Stampin' Up! team. And I'm back now as promised to share the little gift bag that I made to go with it.

This is the little bag that I sent to Hazel:

Recipe

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze

Ink: Stampin' Pastels

DSP: Springtime Vintage

Punches: Eyelet Border, Round Tab

Seam Binding Ribbon: Baja Breeze

Bigz L Die: Fun Flowers

Embosslits Die: Sweet Buttons

Other: Crystal Effects

The bag design is the same one as in my Greenhouse Garden tutorial here. To trim it up, I made the flower in the same way as for the matching card.

Inside I'd popped some 6" x 6" Springtime Vintage DSP together with a pack of matching ribbons:

Fancy joining my team? Ask me how.

Sara xx

Welcoming another team member with a card

My clever downline Jan recently added another member to our merry little Stampin' Up! team and so I made a card and gift to welcome her.

They're exactly the same as I made for Chrissi here but I altered the colour scheme for this one. Here's the card:

Recipe

Stamp set: Something to Celebrate

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla

Ink: Very Vanilla, Stampin' Pastels

DSP: Springtime Vintage

Punches: Eyelet Border, Modern Label

Seam Binding Ribbon: Baja Breeze

Bigz L Die: Fun Flowers

Embosslits Die: Sweet Buttons

Other: Crystal Effects, Basic Pearls

The card blank is an A6 landscape of Baja Breeze. A mat of Very Vanilla was punched along the very bottom with the Eyelet Border and covered with strips of Springtime Vintage DSP. Sticky strip was laid all along the join at the middle and Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon gathered and pleated along it for an easy ruffled ribbon. These layers were adhered direct to the card front. Using the Fun Flowers Die I cut the large and small flowers from Very Vanilla card and the middle one from Springtime Vintage DSP. The edges of the card flowers were dusted with the Baja Breeze chalk. The sentiment was stamped in Baja Breeze ink onto Very Vanilla card, punched out with the Modern Label, dusted again with chalk and adhered directly behind the smallest flower. The petal layers were adhered direct to each other and then dimensionals were used to pop the flower on the front of the card. A faux button was made and added to the centre of the flower (join our August technique class to learn how to make these!). Finally a little pearl was added to the end of the label.

I'll share the gift with you tomorrow.

Want to join my team? I need to catch up with Jan now, she's beating me in growing her team :D

Not that I'm competitive at all!

Join direct with me and you'll get a whole range of goodies. Just email me for more information or give me a call on 0775 1133886.

Sara xx

Xmas Stamp a Stack - Saturday 6 August

Come and join me on Saturday 6 August to get a head start on your Christmas cards.

What is a Stamp a Stack?

A Stamp a Stack is an event where we make multiple copies of the same card so that you end up with a "stack" of cards. In this case we'll be making a total of 12 cards - 3 of each of the designs shown above.

Where and when?

12:30-15:30

Saturday 6 August

at Tankersley Welfare Hall

How much:

For your entrance fee of £21 you'll get:

All materials needed to make 12 cards (with envelopes)

A pack of Basic Rhinestones

4 individual projects with demonstration and emailed instruction sheets

Refreshments

and a little Christmas cheer come early ...

Do I need to bring anything?

You certainly don't need to bring anything at all however you might want to bring your preferred adhesives, scissors and/or paper cutter if you are more comfortable using particular items. We will be using the following stamp sets:

Serene Snowflakes

Dasher

Delightful Decorations

Comtempo Christmas

Sparkly & Bright

These stamps will be provided to use on the day but if you already own any of them you may want to bring your own set or you can order them now and I'll bring them to the Stamp a Stack.

How do I book?

Please email me or use the Paypal button on the right hand side menu to book. Bookings close on Saturday 30 July.

If you have any other questions then please get in touch.