Day 4 Challenge

Day 4 and it is to use your oldest stamp set which is still current.  I only separate my newest stamp sets, as all the rest are stored alphabetically, but I think one of my oldest still current sets must be Sheltering Tree.  I have to admit to never using it as a tree - instead, I use the outline of the branches to stamp over a sponged leaf shape, to appear as if it is veins of the leaf.  I saw this ages ago on Pinterest and always use it for Gratitude sentiments ever since.

The inks I used for spongeing are:  Lemon Lime Twist, Calypso Coral, Wisteria and Berry Burst.  I stamped over with the tree outline using Archival Black ink.

I've cut the square to fit inside a 10 x 10cm square top fold card.

Day 3 challenge

Day 3 brings the challenge to use every stamp in a single stamp set.  Wow!  Most stamp sets have several images, as we know, each one useful, but not usually used all together.  Thanks Simone for testing us with this one!

I have used Awesomely Artistic, as I couldn't for the life of me to see how to use sets with many sentiments - they just wouldn't make sense, would they?  So this one had one sentiment, but lots of stamps - 9 in all, I think.  So not my usual CAS style here, but the restrained colour palette made it work OK - I hope so anyway!

 Inks:  Wisteria Wonder and Smoky Slate, then a little Pear Pizzazz for the leaves.    I used Memento Tuxedo Black for the flowers and coloured them with ink from the pads using my Dove blender pen.

Added a few small rhinestones and mounted on Fresh Fig card over a white card.

Thanks for visiting, and as always, let me know if you have any requests for products.

Celebrating World Card Making Day with specials from Stampin' Up!

Stampin' Up! have some great specials happening in October - check out the flyers below and let me know if you are interested in purchasing anything - the Fast Fuse offer is a particularly good one - a saving of $22 each time you buy one Fast Fuse runner!  If you've ever used it, you will know what a powerful adhesive Fast Fuse is - especially good whenever you don't want anything to come apart!

We didn’t come up with World Card Making Day, but we are thrilled that it’s a thing! It’s a day dedicated to doing what you love most—making handmade cards! It celebrates the creativity and personal connection handmade cards create between loved ones, and it’s a great time to offer your customers a chance to make their own cards to send to their family and friends.

This year the world celebrates the day on 7 October, but one day wasn’t enough for us. For ten days (1–10 October), you and your customers get 15% off Notecards & Envelopes and select stamp sets. Also, when you buy Fast Fuse Adhesive, you’ll get two refills for FREE! These items will help you and your customers celebrate the best hobby of all—cardmaking!

Click on this link to view all the specials 

Deck the Halls

A challenge over at Eureka Stampers is to create a card each day for the first week of October, so I'm trying to meet that challenge.  And what better way than to make a start on Christmas cards?

The theme for today was to use the largest stamp in your collection, so my choice was Carols for Christmas - a lovely traditional stamp set, with the sentiment featured here, plus Peace on Earth and some small images, such as the holly, which I've used to create a wreath on this card.

My first card below uses the same images, but this time the holly is scattered over the card front, to add interest.  I tied the green into the sentiment by stamping again in green and cutting out the centre line.  

This is a beautiful red rubber stamp set - next time I'll use the hanging ornaments also included.

Thanks so much for visiting!  I'd love you to leave me a note to say you were here, and don't forget, if you are interested in purchasing any of the products used here, let me know in the comments and I'll be in touch:)

Stampin' Up! group challenge

Good creativity begins with a good clean up, so they say:)

Well, I did clean up and this is probably as good as it's going to get.  Photos show two sides of my craft room - I'm very lucky to have two windows, which provide excellent light for my crafting - the best light I've ever enjoyed.  I'm a hobby demo, but would love to hold classes some day.

Be Joyful

Today's card using (mostly) new products from the Holiday Catalogue, and how lovely are they?

I have used thinlits dies from the Card Front Builder set and the coordinating stamp set Carols of Christmas, which includes the lovely poinsettia image and leaves.  I opted for the Be Joyful sentiment from last year's holiday catalogue, because I love the lines of this sentiment, rather than the bold big sentiments of the 'correct' stamp set.

Behind the lovely frame, I adhered double-sided tape, and burnished glitter into all the gaps - less mess, as once stuck, it doesn't rub off - win win!  I also used red foil card behind the cut out corners, which, by the way, I just  love!

So clean and simple from me - which is just the way I like it.

Thanks for visiting!

Merry Christmas

Some beautiful new papers in the Holiday Catalogue inspired me to make this Christmas card.  The foil papers are gorgeous, and the embossing folder of the snowflake is the perfect background.  Can you see the foil behind the sentiment? - they come in gold and silver and make the most gorgeous accent - with those papers!  My sentiment was embossed in a platinum powder.