Fabric challenge

This week's Artygirlz challenge was to use fabric on your card -I love anything to do with fabrics and felt so loved this challenge! I'd just received a box of Anna Griffin fabrics (yummo!) so used one of the many gorgeous squares to cut out the heart with a heart nestability die - I didn't tidy up the frayed edges as I like a shabby look!

I hand-stitched around the Cosmo Cricket paper with embroidery floss and used the same floss around the card and also around the grungeboard letter 'L'. Both the letter and the grungeboard swirl were coloured with a Copic marker. Edges were sponged with distress inks and a dot of stickles added to the felt bird - looked like it wanted an eye!

Thanks for stopping by - hope you have a great weekend!

Recipe-
Stamps - Wonderful Words (SU)
Ink - versafine black
Paper/Card - Going Gray (SU)/Honey Pie DP (Cosmo Cricket)
Other - nesties/cuttlebug/Tim Holtz grundgeboard (ranger)/felt bird (Fancypants)/embroidery floss (Bazzill)/pink stickles/fabric (Anna Griffin)/button (Hero)

Ink and Rubber challenge

Brrr - isn's it cold!! The weather kinda suits making Christmas cards thought doesn't it. The snow sadly hasn't reached us yet here in Somerset :(

This is my card for the new Ink and Rubber challenge - the new Stampin Up! challenge blog. A simple one to get us started - Jo challenged everyone to use ANY UK/Europe Stampin up set on an A6 card & post the new blog onto their blog. Hope you get a chance to play too!

This card uses the yummy Holiday Treasures papers along with the Perfect Presents set. Pretty straightforward really - thanks for looking. Keep warm!!

Recipe:
Stamps - Perfect Presents (SU)
Ink - Old Olive/Ruby Red/Chocolate Chip (All SU)
Card/Paper - Hoiday Treasures DSP/Ruby Red/Choc Chip/Whisper White/Old Olive (All SU)
Other - silver cord/silver eyelets/silver brads/photo corner punch/crafter's tool kit

Pumpkin pocket

I just love Pumpkin Pie - the colour I mean! thought I'd try a trifold pocket card today (instructions here) I used the yummy new Sweet Always papers - so cheery on a dready day!



I love pocket cards - especially the 'surprise' you get from the decorated card hidden inside the pocket!

I scalloped the top edge of the card with scalloped scissors, and the belly band with the scalloped edge punch.

The flowers are from the One of a Kind set, cut out and mounted with dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by - hope you get to take part in the new Stampin' Up! challenge this week (details in the post below).

Recipe -
Stamps - One of a Kind/Totally Tabs (SU)
Ink - Pumpkin Pie/Basic Black (SU)
Card/Paper - Whisper White/Pumpkin Pie/Sweet Always DSP (SU)
Other - scalloped scissors/scallop edge punch (SU)/round tab punch (SU)/brads/hodgepodge hardware(SU)/Pumpkin Pie ribbon (SU)/dimensionals(SU)

New Stampin Up! challenge blog!!

There is a *NEW* challenge blog for all of us stampin up lovers!

www.inkandrubber.blogspot.com

DT CALL!!!

They are looking for a few Stampin' Up! fans (non-demos) to design projects for the challenges - If you are interested, email SU@scrapbookparty.co.uk Put DREAM TEAM in the subject line

DEMOS
If you are a demonstrator and interested in setting a challenge & providing a prize contact SU@scrapbookparty.co.uk put DEMO in the subject line

Scarf for three

Aren't these the cutest snowmen?!! This is one of the new MFT stamps - I couldn't resisit it! I love anything with a slightly shabby, vintage look so used some of my favourite Cosmo Cricket paper, some gorgeous Anna Griffin ribbon, and a bit of lace. Image is coloured with Copics then I added some sparkle with a Copic Spica glitter pen, I love the shimmer this give, you can't see it in the pic though.

The photo corners are Spellbinders dies - die cut and embossed with the Cuttlebug. Edges are distressed with distressing tool, edged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. Sponging with Antique Linen Distress Ink 'softens' the card.

Thanks for looking, hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Don't forget to put your clocks back (which I hate! ). Time to get all cosy and light a fire I think!

Recipe -
Stamps - Scarf for three (My Favourite Things)
Ink - Memento/Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Distress Inks (Ranger)
Card/Paper - Honey Pie (Cosmo Cricket)/Whisper White (SU!)/Always Artichoke (SU!)
Other - Copic markers/Copic spica glitter pen/Ribbon (Anna Griffin)/Lace (K & Co)/ Felt poinsetta (Hero Arts)/Brad (Making Memories)/Cuttlebug/Spellbinders tag die/Spellbinders photo corners die/ Distressing tool

Baby blue

A friend of mine is expecting in a few weeks so I thought I'd get ahead and make a card for her. I love the colour combo of Real Red and Bashful Blue. The gift bag is a diaper fold bag (or should we call it nappy fold?!) made out of one sheet of Cutie Pie DSP. If you're in need of gift bag this is the speediest bag ever! I haven't bought anything to put in it yet but thought I'd show you anyway - a pair of booties, a babygrow or a sweet little hat should fit in there perfectly!




The cute baby carriage is from the Fun and Fast Notes set - coloured with Copics, and cut with Nesties. I added dots of red stickles onto the polka dots of the pram - a bit of bling is ok even for a baby boy right?!

I love those red heart-shaped buttons on the gift bag - sooo cute!!

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Recipe -
Stamps - Fun and Fast Notes (SU!)
Ink -Memento
Card/Paper - Bashful Blue, Real Red, Whisper White, Cutie Pie DSP (All SU!)
Other - Cuttlebug, nestabilities, copic markers, red stickles, bashful blue taffeta ribbon (SU!), white grosgrain ribbon (SU!), ticket punch(SU!), brads, buttons, cotton, Spellbinders tag dies.

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

If you haven't already, head on over to Julie's fab blog to see her fabulous creations and for a chance to win some yummy candy - click here

Kate x

Recovery Elephant

I needed to whip up a get well soon card today for the 2-year-old son of a close friend in the States. Poor lad has to have a hernia operation next week (never knew you could get a hernia that young!) so I wanted him to have this when he comes out of hospital.

He went to the zoo at the weekend and saw elephants for the first time so knew I had to use this super-cute elephant from Gina K. I punched holes in the scallops of the scalloped circle mat for the lacey effect. Sentiment is from Satmping Bella - such a useful one to have!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe-
Stamps - Whatever floats your boat (Gina K)/sentiment (Stamping Bella)
Ink - Memento tuxedo black/Versafine black
Card/Paper - Rose Red/Certainly Celery/Cutie Pie (All Stampin' Up!)
Other - Copic markers/nestabilities/cuttlebug/label dies (Spellbinder)/Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon (SU!)/brads/hole punch

Delish-ious

Last week Jane from Janeymays sent me some delicious papers from an Australian company called...Delish Designs! They're really beautiful papers to work with - heavy-weight and double-dipped with co-ordinating designs on both sides.

The paper in this project is Fresh - Entree from the Bistro line, beautiful soft blues and beige. Very elegant. I thought it would look good teamed with gold so I heat embossed the Crafty Individuals bird stamp several times, cropping it for the treats box and tags. The bird on the tag attached to the gift bag of (rather yummy!) macaroons is stamped and embossed directly on the Delish paper.

On the card I heat embossed some Tim Holtz Grungeboard using metallic gold ink and clear e/p. Drawing from the swirls of the grungeboard I also heat embossed a gold flourish on the large tag.



All edged are sponged with Distress Inks and that yummy ribbon is part of the co-ordinating Bistro line.

I'll be taking this little gift and card round to some elderly friends. Hope they like it!

Thanks for stopping by, hope you get to create with (or eat!) something delicious today!

Recipe -
Stamps - Floral bird facing left (Crafty Individuals)/ Beautiful set (CHF)
Ink - Encore metallic gold/Frayed Burlap Distress Ink (Ranger)
Card/DP - Fresh Entree - Bistro range (Delish Designs)/DCWV/Whisper White(SU)
Other - nestabilities/cuttlebug/clear embossing powder (SU)/heat tool/ Bistro ribbon story (Delish Designs)/Grungeboard (Ranger)/boxi-bag/gold Dew Drops (Robin's Nest)/flowers/brad (Making Memories)/large eyelet/crop-a-dile/

glittering snowflake

Happy Sunday all! Didn't get to create much yesterday so thought I'd show you this card - I'm going to have a stall at a Christmas craft fair in Dec so have been mass producing Christmas cards! Many of these have been with non-SU stamps (as they were made before I got my new SU goodies) so I hope all SU addicts will indulge me!

This DP is Stampin' Up! but wasn't available over here in the UK - a friend in the US gave it to me. She knows I love red and white together, or red and cream in this case. I really love monochromatic cards - and red and white is one of my favourite colour combos.

The stamp is CHF - stamped with a glue ink pad then topped with red glitter - it's so priddy! Hope you get an idea from this pic:


Recipe -
Stamps - Snowflake large (CHF)/sentiment- Amuse
Card/Paper - Real red/very vanilla/cerise (SU!)
Other - glue pad (tsukinenko)/red glitter (sparkle'n'sprinkle)/ red brads/cream eyelet/cuttlebug/nestabilities/crop-a-dile/red grosgrain ribbon

In the pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and in it's honour all colour challenges on SCS will include pink! I teamed this challenge this Taylor Van Bruggen's sketch challenge from last Friday and this is what I came up with. Here's Taylor's sketch that I took inspiration from:



The colour challenge was to use Pink Pirouette or Pretty in Pink, Basic Black and Whisper White. It's always fun working with circles - these were all cut withe nesties. The pink circles were also embossed with the Swiss Dots e/f.

The butterfly is from Garden Whimsy set - I stamped her (because it's pink!) once then again on a separate piece of cardstock. The second one was cut out and adhered with glue dots to make these pretty wings. Miniature pearls and a hat pink finish it off.


Thanks for stopping by - going to create something pink this weekend?!

Recipe -
Stamps - Garden Whimsy (SU!)
Ink - Pretty in Pink (SU!)
Cardstock/Paper - Pretty in Pink/Basic Black/Whisper White (all SU!)
Other - Pretty in Pink Taffeta ribbon (SU!)/gingham ribbon, cuttlebug, nestabilities, swiss dot embossing folder, pearls, hatpin, black brads, corner rounder

Cutie Pie cocktails

Monday's SCS Try a New Technique challenge was a fun one - an accordian card. Very simple but so eye-catching!

I used the Cheers to You set and Cutie Pie papers (think I'll have to get more before they go forever!).

Here's a side view:



Recipe-
Stamps - Cheer to you (SU!)
Ink - Memento/Versafine
Card/Parer - Bashful Blue/Rose Red/Whisper White/Cutie Pie DSP (all SU!)
Other - Copic markers/Cuttlebug/Nestabilities/Hodgepodge Hardware (SU!)/Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon (SU!)/Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon (SU!)/brads

Sniff sniff

My poor mum has been in bed with the lergy this past week so I thought this Lockhart Tissue box would be appropriate to make a card to cheer her up. It's awful when someone is ill and there's not a lot you can do to help, but a handmade card or gift brightens anyone's day!

I thought I'd combine it with the SCS Limited Supply Challenge from the Friday before last (LSC 188) - the challenge was to create a card using NO embellishments! What?!!

Image was cut and matted using Nesties and coloured with Copics. I used some of last year's SU! paper (retired but available while stocks last), Always Artichoke and So Saffron c/s. All sides were distressed with a distressing tool. I sponged Antique Linen Distress Ink on the edges (with Ranger's fabulous Ink Blending Tool) to soften it and rolled the corners down. Hard to resist adding any embellishments tho!!

Have a great week x

Recipe-
Stamps - Tissue Box - Lockhart/Sentiment - SU! Sincere Salutations
Ink - Memento/Versafine/Distress Ink - Antique Linen
Paper/Cardstock - Always Artichoke and So Saffron/Le Jardin DSP (all SU!)
Other - Nestabilities/Cuttlebug/Copic markers/Tonic paper distresser/Ink blending tool (ranger)

I'm not really a knitter - I know how to but it's never going to be a life passion! For some though I know it is, as is the case with a dear family friend. She can whip up an amazing jumper in no time and pretty much knit with her eyes closed.

So I thought this Lockhart Basket of yarn stamp was perfect for her. Cut with nesties, coloured with Copics and some yummy Cosmo Cricket paper. Mini tag is a Cuttlebug die.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe-
Stamps - Basket of Yarn (Lockhart)/Happy Birthday (Blade Rubber)
Cardstock/Paper - Memory Box/Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie (Ella)
Ink - Memento
Other - Nestabilities/Cuttlebug/Cuttlebug tag dies/Copic markers/ribbon (Basic Grey)

Welcome to my blog!

Hello! So I thought I'd give this blogging thing a go. I don't have much of a clue about it but I know I love being inspired by other artists' blogs so I'd thought I'd join in the fun.

I've always loved creating - homemade cards, cakes, decorations etc but until a few years ago I never had any idea about this whole stamping thing. I'd long admired the handmade cards that my dear (and very talented) friend, Susie in California sent me. (And to this day keep and treasure every one) But I never quite 'understood' what she did.

But then I started reading her blog, and other stamping blogs and it all started to make sense. So my craft box soon became a craft room - a familiar story no doubt!

I look forward to getting to know you and I hope you'll stop by to see what I come up with in the sanctuary of my craft room!