Birthday & Friends Scrapbook Pages

Here's another lost scrapbook layout from last year (I loved that DSP so pretty), from memory this was an aborted layout, that didn't make the cut into a class........although I like the chipboard flower embellishment that I made for it and the hidden journalling in the envelope......

although I like the chipboard flower embellishment that I made for it and the hidden journalling in the envelope......

I know I didn't finish the layout s it has no title on it - even though I am assuming it was done for a birthday because of the cake die cut! Then I morphed it into these pages.........

I love how the Stamp-a-ma-jig makes it so easy to line up elements like this part of Artistic Etchings....

Doesn't it make a great border for the photo mats & journalling components? The journalling was hidden inside this envelope.......I love the scallop envelope die......it has a perforated part (similar to the Top Note die, so you can trim things off and it gives it a perfect layer).

Inside the envelope, the stamping and sponging matched the rest of the layout (you can tell this was one of my finished layouts as it had sponging on it - unlike the one at the beginning of this post!).

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Friends 24-7
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Love Letter DSP.
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop envelope die, Tasteful trim die, Simple Letters alphabet, stamping sponges, blossom party die, chipboard sheet, 2 way glue pen, multi-purpose adhesive sheets, decorative label punch, round tab punch, Big Bold Cupcake die.

Another Birthday Card - Field Flowers

I forgot to put the photo up of another birthday card I received last month - a lovely card made by one of my downline Tracy - who CASEd the card from Andrea B. I have to say this is has to be my personal favourite from the current catalogue - not a massively popular one, but for me I completely love this set!

and here's a close up of the flowers that she hand cut and popped up on Dimensionals

Thanks Tracy it's a beautiful card!

Stamps: Field Flowers, Happiest Birthday Wishes, Parlor Prints
Card Stock: Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Marina Mist, Old Olive
Accessories: Dimensionals, paper snips, wide oval punch, brayer.

Mini Candle Cake & Card

I found some little battery operated candles in our cheap store last year and used them to make a lantern with the gorgeous Asian Artistry stamp set (don't think I blogged it - it was one of those creations that was so fraught with frustration that even though the end result was gorgeous I didn't want to see it again for a while!) But I digress, mini candle cakes are SO cute and calorie free. I did this one using up some retired DSP scraps for a birthday, but you could easily make them for any occasion (This DSP was from Washington Apple, but you could easily substitute it for the So Saffron page in the Subtles DSP Patterns Pack).

Too cute isn't it! The sentiment was stamped and cut out with the modern label punch, before I fish tail cut the ends of it. I also made a matching card with the same papers using the new Build  A Cupcake punch.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments, Create A Cupcake

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red, Bashful Blue (marker), Wild Wasabi (marker).

Card stock: So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Washington Apple DSP (retired), Whisper White, Wild Wasabi

Accessories: Two Step Bird Punch, Build A Cupcake Punch, 2 3/8" scallop circle punch, White gel pen, Dimensionals, Modern Label Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes flower punch, SNAIL, Basic Pearls, 1 3/4" scallop circle punch, paper snips.

Children's Birthday Class

Well I had a lot of fun a fortnight ago, I got to do a special birthday class for six 9 & 10 year old girls who just love to craft! We made three items using one stamp set, three ink colours and some punches - kept them happy and entertained for 1.5-2 hours.

I did the die cutting before hand and the girls got to chose which embossing folder they liked and put it through the Big Shot themselves. The first item we made was a Top Note bag, similar to the ones we made at our World Card Making Event here. You can't see from the angle of the photograph, but there is a second punched pink butterfly beneath the stamped one to give it more dimension, only the central body of the butterfly was glued down so that the wings could stay up to give more dimension. The largest of the Boho flowers was also popped up on dimensionals to give more dimension. Each of the girls got a little wood mount stamp to pop in their bags to take home.

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The second project was a matching card and envelope - I should say that although these were the samples I made up, the girls took their own initiative and made them up to suit themselves. Some decorated with the hearts not the butterflies or birds and they all chose different textured backgrounds, or sentiments, some chose to pop things up on dimensionals and others not - although everyone loved using the basic pearls!

They were really good about sponging their projects to add that extra depth and layering up the punched out pieces. Some used different coloured leaves or flipped the ribbon to use the plain pink side rather than the polka dot. The last project involved lollies (candy/sweets) so of course was popular! It was also the simplest of them all as it is a Top Note die cut piece of designer paper folded in half and embellished before being attached to a small cello bag filled with treats!

Stamps: Punch Potpourri, On Your Birthday

Ink: Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip

Card Stock: Pink Flamingo DSP (retired), Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: Chocolate Chip double stitched grosgrain ribbon (retired), Melon Mambo polka dot grosgrain ribbon (retired), small cello bags, Two-step bird punch, butterfly punch, Boho Blossom punch, full heart punch, two way glue pen, SNAIL, basic pearls, large oval punch, stamping sponges, Dimensionals, Big Shot, Polka dot textured impressions die.

Non SU: gold paper bag 

Super Owl

Okay so I think I'm obsessed with the new punches.........but the owl is so cute & versatile - I saw one similar to this on a blog, but now I can't find it to credit it! This is the card I made a few months ago for my DH birthday and just found it whilst cleaning up and thought I'd show you another version of the owl......but this time as a superhero! The background of clouds was done with a scallop circle used as a mask for randomly sponging.

Stamps: Look Who's Turning
Ink: Pacific Point
Card Stock: Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Yellow, Whisper White & Crumb Cake
Accessories: Real Red brads (Brights collection), Dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, paper snips, Scallop circle punch, 1/16" circle punch handheld, large oval punch.

Crazy For Birthday Cupcakes!

We bucked the trend recently and did a birthday card class - it was very pink - although we did do the centre flip/swing card in bashful blue as well as pink just for something different! The DSP is retired (sorry), but I was cleaning up and found half a pack and thought that the colours matched what I was planning to do perfectly. I do love the Crazy For Cupcakes stamp set - very versatile and just plain good fun!

The flip/swing card template is one I got via Google and adapted it for our paper measurements, but basically it is 16.8cm x 14.8cm in total size. The cutting is 3.5cm in from the edges and the two centre score lines are 6.8cm from each side - if it doesn't make sense I can draw out a sketch of the template. The centre chocolate chip pieces are 9.2cm x 7.3cm in size and the whisper white pieces are 8.6cm x 6.7cm. One side looks like this, although the glitter didn't turn out very well on the photograph that is on the balloon.

This is the other side (not finished, but photographed for blog purposes as I still need to add the pink party whistle stamps to the pink surround base piece). Once you have the base sorted out it really is a quick card to make up and flipping it really is very therapeutic! 

Stamps: On Your Birthday, Crazy For Cupcakes

Ink: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip

Card stock: Whisper White, Regal Rose & Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 2-way glue pen, Aqua painter brush, stamping sponges, SNAIL.

Party This Way!

Well one of the cards that the ladies made at our World Card Making Day was this one featuring the new stamp set Party This Way, designed by me (sorry for all the cutting out with the pennants, but SU! hasn't made a punch for that item yet! I wanted a bright fun card that could be used for children or teenagers, but it would also suit adults - so a general all rounder type of card really. This stamp set really lends itself to any celebration occasion (although it does well as a hat for punch art too!) and at $26.95 for wood mount ($21.95 clear mount) it's a bargain!

What you can't see form the photo is that the pennants, arrow, sentiment and balloon are all popped up on dimensionals to give the card more character.

Stamps: Party This Way
Ink: Pacific Point, Real Red & Basic Black
Card Stock: Pacific Point, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White & Celebrations DSP
Accessories: Paper snips, Hemp twine, 1/16" handheld punch, dimensionals, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Black Stampin' Write marker pen, 1 3/4" circle punch, SNAIL

Check back later in the week as I'll be posting the other 5 projects that we made at the World Card Making Event - missed out on the fun, subscribe to my newsletter for information and dates on upcoming classes and events like this one, either email me or subscribe via my website.

Look Who's Turning!

We made some fun and quick cards for children at a recent class and two of them we made using the new Look Who's Turning stamp set, it's so cute! I teamed it up with the new Celebrations designer paper and used inks and card stock to match the designer paper - don't you just love that about Stampin' Up! stuff - it all matches! Of you want to come along to any of my classes please contact me or sign up to my monthly newsletter which has all the classes I am running listed for the next two months.

The two cards are basically an identical layout, we just changed the orientation of the card. During the class we were trying to figure out if we could get away with calling the bird an Emu rather than an Ostrich - what do you think? He looks pretty cute stamped in Chocolate Chip!

Stamps: Looks Who's Turning
Ink: Real Red, Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip & Old Olive
Card stock: Celebrations DSP, Whisper White, Real Red & Old Olive
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stamping sponges, SNAIL,

Birthday & cupcakes!

Well I've had the most wonderful week (apart from getting a stinking cold from my son that is!). On Wednesday evening we had our team meeting and my upline the very creative Charmaine gave me this wonderful birthday present - what a gorgeous surprise - see the yummy cup stamp - I have been covetting it since the new mini catalogue came out, but haven't yet purchased it so now not only did I get the stamp, but a super cute card made with it.



Of course the present also had yummy chocolates, a stunning mug and another stamp set that I have been covetting from the main catalogue Live Like You Mean It, all cellophaned together in a package adorned with the new soft suede polka dot ribbon - how lucky was I

I made some cupcakes to take along to the meeting as there was 4 birthdays spanning April-May in our little team so definitely worth celebrating and as the swap theme was "open" this month I decided to do one of the items that has been on my "to do" list for a couple of years!

Yes - little novelty cocktail stick things to pop on top of cupcakes or fruit platters! These were super simple to make, they just take a bit of time, but isn't that what advert breaks are for???

Stamps: Tart & Tangy

Ink: Real red, old olive, yoyo yellow, chocolate chip (stampin write marker)

Cardstock: Whisper white, Real red, old olive, yoyo yellow

Accessories: Scallop circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" punch, stampin' dimensionals, tombow glue & cocktail sticks (non SU!)

I was really happy with the result and am thinking that come summer I will be making these up on the ~15cm long kebab sticks as fruit sticks for the children or at BBQs or customising them with different images for birthdays etc.

Happy stamping

Ann