A masked flower thats bloomin beautiful

So, if you've been following along the last few days, I've managed two out of three correct for my predictions of retiring stamp sets.

Today's is the final one. The challenge is masking and I used Bloomin' with Beauty.

Recipe

Stamp set: Bloomin' with Beauty

Cardstock: Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Whisper White

Ink: Black Stazon, SU Markers (Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Mellow Moss, Glorious Green)

Taffeta Ribbon: Mellow Moss

Other: Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Blender Pen

The flower was stamped in Black Stazon in the centre of the Whisper White layer and then onto a Post-it note. The Post-it flower was cut out and placed over the original stamped image. I used a stamp-a-ma-jig to position and stamp the flower twice more, one to each side of the original image and the removed the Post-it note mask (I store this in the lid of my stamp set to use again, while ever the sticky still works). The flowers were coloured with markers and a blender pen. The Bloom sentiment was stamped in Cameo Coral. I used the paper piercing tool with the mat pack to decorate the corners. A small hole was punched each side of the flower stems and Mellow Moss threaded through and tied in a bow. Cameo Coral was matted direct to a layer of Ruby Red and popped up on the Blush Blossom card blank with dimensionals. The card front was added also popped up on dimensionals.

... and this set is retiring too. Such as shame, I love this set.

So I managed to predict 3 out of 4 correct.

Please pop back tomorrow when we're having a blog hop of retiring stamp sets and colours. Whether you need a few inspirational ideas for how to use what you've already got or what to purchase from the Last Chance List before they're gone forever, we'll have something for you all.

Off now to St Saviours so please come and join us if you're in the area (High Green, Sheffield), we'd love to see you.

Sara xx

A melon butterfly for the ILWS sketch challenge

Our sketch challenge this month over at ILWS is this:

Now my All a Flutter butterfly has been underused but I decided it wasn't large enough to fill the space on its own and so added another element:

Recipe

Stamp sets: All a Flutter, Bloomin' with Beauty

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Ink: Black Stazon, Melon Mambo, SU Markers, Stampin' Pastels

DSP: Bashful Blue Patterns

Other: Crystal Effects, Blender Pen

I stamped the butterfly with Black Stazon onto Whisper White card. As we don't yet have the Melon Mambo marker, I squeezed my Melon Mambo inkpad together and picked up ink from the lid on a Blender Pen to colour my butterfly. After cutting out and shaping the butterfly I added Crystal Effects over the top. Next, using the stamp-a-ma-jig for positioning, I stamped just the hydrangea head from the Bloomin' with Beauty stamp onto the corner of a Whisper White mat using Black Stazon. The flowers were coloured with Bashful Blue marker and a hint of Tempting Turquoise in the centres and shaded areas. I dusted Bashful Blue chalk around the empty spaces to take the edge off the white. The DSP and flower image were matted and layered and the butterfly popped up on a sliver of dimensional to finish.

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know if you have any underused stamp sets.

Sara xx

Bloomin beautiful sketch for the challenge at ILWS

Another day and another of our monthly challenges over at In Love With Stamping. Today I'm sharing the sketch challenge which is this:

And here's mine:

Recipe

Stamp sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Happy Moments (sentiment)

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Ink: Black Stazon, Stampin' Write Markers, Rose Red

Other: Flower Fusion, Pretty in Pink brads (Soft Subtles)

Non-SU: Texture plate

I stamped the image in Black Stazon on Whisper White card and coloured with markers. The sentiment was stamped in Rose Red ink on the opposite corner to my embellishments. The flower bowl was then matted onto Pretty in Pink card and the Flower Fusion secured with brads. I ran a piece of Creamy Caramel through a texture plate and sponged the edges with Close to Cocoa ink before matting on the Certainly Celery blank. The main image was then popped up on dimensionals.

Back tomorrow with another.

Sara xx

A happy birthday to one of my Stampettes

Yesterday was JJ's birthday and this is the card I sent (I didn't want to put it on the blog until I knew she'd received it). Please drop by and see the lovely card she's posted today - it's gorgeous.

Jan - Glad you had a good birthday and hope the celebration continues over the next few days.

The layout I used was from Mojo Monday ... last week. How behind am I getting?

Recipe

Stamp sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

DSP: Tea Party

Ink: Black Stazon, Regal Rose, Stampin' Write Markers

Taffeta Ribbon: Pretty in Pink

Punch: Corner Rounder

Other: Cuttlebug labels, Nesties

The bowl of hydrangeas was stamped with Stazon, coloured with markers and matted and layered. Taffeta ribbon was threaded through the sentiment label and then a smaller, separate  piece of ribbon was tied around in a bow just above the sentiment.

Have a great weekend.

Sara xx

A circle sketch challenge in rainbow colours

Our challenge this week on Stamp With Us is a sketch one using this layout:
I decided to showcase a single stamp (apart from the sentiment) and repeat it in different colourways. The stamp is one of my all time favourites.

Recipe

Stamp sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock: Whisper White, Kraft, Real Red, Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow, Green Galore, Ballet Blue, Lovely Lilac

Ink: Black Stazon, Stampin' Write Markers

Gingham Ribbon: Black

Punches: 1-3/8" circle, 1-1/4" circle

I stamped and coloured all the flowers first using the corresponding marker to match the cardstock in each case and then using a darker marker for shading. I was careful to punch the flowers in as close to the same place as I could. They don't quite fit within the smaller circle but if I'd used the larger one then the matting would have taken up to much of the space and unbalanced the feel of the card. All circles were raised on dimensionals over the top of the ribbon. I used Kraft and black gingham ribbon to provide a neutral background to showcase the colours.

A fun sketch that could be used with so many different stamps. I'll be keeping this one in my ideas folder.

Look forward to seeing your creations.

Sara xx

A flowery thank you card in amethyst and chocolate

Another thank you card today (you'll be fed up with thank you's by the end of the week, lol). 

For this one I used the sketch over at Sketch Saturday:

For the colour scheme I actually got my inspiration from a car dealership we drove past last week. It had promotional flags flying and I thought "ooh, Almost Amethyst and Chocolate Chip, that's a nice combination". Hmm, perhaps crafting has taken over my life, lol.

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Circle of Friendship

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Lavender Lace, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

DSP: Tea Party

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Stampin' Write Markers

Narrow grosgrain ribbon: Chocolate Chip

Rhinestone Brads: Circle Ice

Punches: Scallop Edge, Scallop Circle, Boho Blossoms

Other: Nesties

The central image is "watercoloured" with Markers. All the punched flowers were snipped between petals and the petals were then shaped around a crafter's needle.

I'm sure this won't be the last time I use this colour combo.

Sara xx

Cards that I made for a timed SWU challenge

Happy holidays everyone. Hope you're enjoying the long bank holiday weekend as much as I am.

Many thanks for all your messages of congratulations on making the Stamp With Us Design Team. I now need to start making my samples ready for the challenges.

Been a busy weekend so far. Yesterday I spent the morning with my downline Jan at her first Open House. The ladies who came along (we didn't get any gents, still waiting for the first to turn up) made a couple of great make and take cards and we demonstrated a variety of techniques. It was lovely to hear how the catalogue items "came alive" for the ladies. There were quite a few eureka type moments along the lines of "oh so that's how you use that" and "ooh that looks so much nicer in real life". Great fun and perhaps time  arranged another one as my last one was back in December.

DH and I then went over to visit my Mum and Dad and then onto the piccies to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Got to admit that I was a bit disappointed. Not in Hugh Jackman, who looked very fit (in all ways), but it seemed more of a boy's flick than the others had been.

Anyway, back to the crafting. Friday night was launch night of the Stamp With Us on-line class and we had chat (fast and furious with about 40 people typing messages at once) and timed challenges. If you'd still like to join up then the only thing you'll have missed out on is the chat from Friday night, you'll still be able to access all the tutorials and the next chat session is scheduled for Tuesday. Details are on the Stamp With Us site.

These are the cards I made on the night (I've rephotographed them in daylight):

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Soft Summer, Oval All

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive

Ink: Markers, Versamark

Ribbon: Bashful Blue taffeta, Certainly Celery narrow grosgrain

Other: Dazzling Diamonds, White embossing powder

Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Edge

I paper pierced the Ruby Red mat and raised it on dimensionals. The centres of the flowers were sprinkled with dazzling diamonds into wet Tombow glue (doesn't show so well in the photos but looks good IRL). The two different ribbons were tied together and wrapped around). The sentiment was stamped once onto Old Olive and again onto Certainly Celery with Versamark. Then white embossing powder added to each and heated with the heat tool and finally punched and assembled.

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Seasonal Wishes, Yummy

Cardstock: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Real Red, Markers

Ribbon: Real Red narrow grosgrain

Other: Hodgepodge

The red ribbon was tied onto the hodgepodge and wrapped around the single piece of Basic Black card to divide the image and the sentiment. The dinky heart on the sentiment is from the Yummy set (a discontinued Sale-a-bration set).

Hope to get on with a scrapbooked page or two soon to show you the DSPs that are currently on offer, so I hope you'll stop back soon.

Sara xx

Another birthday card for the Stamp With Us challenge

This card was made as a commission from my Mum, to send to my SIL. I call it a commission but truly I don't suppose it is. It's just that seeing my Mum sending shop bought cards I felt guilty - I buy all this crafting stash (and my Mum adds to it for me from time to time) and she's shopping for cards elsewhere. So anyway, I offered to make her a bunch of cards for sending at least to her close friends and family. Hope she likes this one.

And I've got it finished just in time to be my second entry to the Stamp With Us challenge this week - fitting the Birthday theme. Ingredients are all Stampin' Up! with the addition of Nestabilities.

Recipe

Stamp Sets: Bloomin' with Beauty, Cause for Celebration, Sincere Salutations

Cardstock:Blush Blossom, Whisper White, Cameo Coral

Ink: Cameo Coral, Markers, Versamark

Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Edge

Other: Heat & Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds

The card is valley and mountain folded to create the front panel (leaving space for a verse or sentiment on the back). The lines next to the scallop edge were created running a bone folder down the groove in the Paper Cutter.

That's all for today folks.

Sara xx