Carrot and Orange

Happy Friday everyone. What a bizarre week it has been. I don't think anyone who lives in England thought we'd ever see the scenes we witnessed this week. I turned on my tv on Tuesday night to see shops on the road where I used to live in London on fire and looted.  Unbelievable.

But it's at times like these that I think the simple things in life like crafting and cooking bring even more comfort than normal. I managed to find time to do both this week for my dad's birthday. I was trying to stay away from the blues and browns (yawn!) I always head straight for when making male cards, so instead based the colour scheme on the flavour of the cupcakes - carrot and orange!

Card details:
Stamps: Tiny Treats Birthday
Card: Stamper's Select White, Orange Zest, New Leaf
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Copic Sketch Markers, Double Ended Banner dies, Limitless Layers 1 3/4" dies, Arglye Impression Plate

This is also my card for our brand new challenge on A Passion for Papertrey - check out the challenge here, and the prize you could win;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hugs,

Birthday Boy

It's time for another Stamp With Us challenge, and this time around it's a nice and easy Birthday theme. I made my card for a special birthday boy in California... Happy Birthday Colin!!




Recipe
Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Card - Whisper White/Brocade Blue/More Mustard
Other - Real Red striped ribbon/Corner Chomper/Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder/red button/Maya Road Chipboard/Copic Sketch Markers

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT samples and details on how to enter the challenge on the Stamp With Us blog.

I also want to say Good Luck to everyone who is running the London Marathon today! I've been watching all morning, it's such an amazing, human event with so many heartwarming stories, I guess it would be wrong to say have fun...!

Kate x

Snow and cupcakes

Happy Monday, I hope everyone had a good weekend! Have I ever mentioned how much I love dance and that I'm a huge Strictly Come Dancing fan? (OK I think I may have lol!) So imagine what a fun night I had on Friday seeing these two:



Not a great picture I know so you might not be able to tell that it's Anton and Erin from Strictly! My mum and I had tickets to see one of their touring shows and they were...amazing!!! Fabulous big band, amazing dresses, incredible dance routines and Anton is HILARIOUS!

It's blooming freezing still isn't it.. I'm wondering if winter is ever going to end. We had snow here in the West Country but it didn't settle. On Saturday I went up onto Exmoor to do some photography and was amazed at how much snow there was up there - I'm sure you're sick of snow pictures but isn't this beautiful:



And isn't he (or she!) cute!:



Onto a card - for one reason and another I didn't get my entry into last week's Stamp With Us challenge on time so here's my take on the inspiration photo that was set.





Recipe:


Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Card - Whisper White/Kraft/Sage Shadow
Paper - Kaleidoscope
Other - Kraft ribbon/Pretty in Pink brads/Copic Sketch markers/Stickles/rectangle Nestabilities


We've also just set a brand new challenge over on A Passion for Papertrey - this time round it's all about black and white cards. Here's mine: (details of the card and challenge are on A Passion for Papertrey)




Thanks for visiting today!

Hugs, Kate xx

Changing days

There can't have been two more opposite days than yesterday and today weather-wise - yesterday it was dull, grey and poured all day long. To counteract that I baked bread, stayed in the warm and excitedly waited for my box of Stampin Up goodies from the new catalogue - what a box of treasures!!! You'll be seeing a lot of my new stash in days to come!

And then today - the most brilliant, warm autumn day you could wish for! The fabulously blue skies meant I could get some photography assignments under my belt down in Devon. I did have a chance to play with my new SU goodies first thing this morning and will post them tomorrow.

For now here are a few recent cards. A birthday card for Jenny, one of my SU downlines..Happy Birthday Jenny!


Recipe:

Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Card - Kraft/Night of Navy/Certainly Celery/So Saffron DSP
Other - Certainly Celery ribbon/scallop edge punch/Nestabilities/Cuttlebug/Copic markers/Stickles

This is my sample for today's Inspiration and Themes Challenge on In Love With Stamping - the theme is congratulation so I made a card for a friend who's just had a baby boy:


Recipe:

Stamps - Queue Up
Card - Whisper White/Bashful Blue/Brocade Blue
Other - Copic markers/gingham ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Kate x

For the kids..

Today's Stamp With Us challenge is to make a children's birthday card - I paper pieced the balloons from Crazy for Cupcakes with papers from the Junior Varsity set and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to line up the sentiment.

The men's Wimbledon final has just started so that's me out of here! Sadly with no Mr Murray but I'm a big Federer fan so fingers crossed for him (not that he'll need it!).

Thanks for visiting - don't forget to check out the other Design Team's samples at the Stamp With Us blog and details about how to enter!

Kate x


Recipe: (All supplies Stampin Up)

Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Ink - Rose Red/So Saffron
Card - Rose Red/So Saffron
Paper - Varsity Junior DSP
Other - Rose Red Double Stitched Grosgrain ribbon/Crafter's Tool Kit/Scallop Edge punch/brads/On Board Lots of Letters (retired)

Colour challenge

Happy Sunday! I hope everyone's having a good weekend - I'm finally putting the finishing touches to re-decorating my bedroom, while I love the process I'm now at the point where I just want Mary Poppins to come in, click her fingers and it be all done!

Anyway, onto to today's Stamp With Us challenge - today it's a colour challenge based on this photo:



It was my blogging buddy and fellow SWU DT member Sara's birthday this week so I made my DT sample for her, Happy Birthday Sara!


Colours are Real Red, Pixie Pink and Bashful Blue - a bit out of my comfort zone! I coloured the Crazy for Cupcakes with Copics and added stickles to the cherries. As there is no Pixie Pink ribbon I cheated by colouring some Whisper White grosrain ribbon with a Pixie Pink marker...viola, matchy matchy!

To see the other DT samples and to enter the challenge head on over to the SWU blog!

Recipe:

Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes
Ink - Memento Tuxedo black/Copic markers/Pixie Pink marker
Card - Whisper White/Real Red/Pixie Pink/Bashful Blue
Papers - Bashful Blue DSP
Other - Whisper White ribbon/Crafter's Tool Kit/Real Red brads/Scallop Edge punch

I also wanted to share a few lovely packages that dropped through by mail box this week:

Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday papers..... yummy!


...and Cosmo Cricket Ever After papers....too good to cut!!


And for anyone who loves to bake, who has a sweet tooth or who is a fan of the famous Hummingbird Bakery this beautifully photographed book is an absolute must!


I was so excited about this book being published and true to form is fabulous - the cupcakes, the pies, the cookies.....mmmmm! So many fabulous recipes, I just don't know which one to try first...

That's all folks, have a great Sunday!

Kate xx

Congrats and thank yous

Today I'd like to officially welcome my new downline Rosy to Stampin Up - Rosy runs a fabulous monthly craft group in Bridgwater and I know will make a fabulous demonstrator. Welcome Rosy - I hope you have lots of fun!

Here's a card I made for Rosy to congratulate her, I wanted to keep things simple for a change!


Recipe:
Stamps - Forest Friends
Ink - Old Olive/Chocolate Chip markers
Card/Paper - Very Vanilla/Kraft/Old Olive DSP
Other - Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon/Linen Thread/brown button

And here's a bunch of quick thank yous for some ladies who recently placed orders with me - I love making single layer notecards with stamps, feeds my love of stationery :)


Recipe:
(All Stampin Up)
Stamps - Wonderful Words/Close as a Memory
Ink - Handsome Hunter and Ruby Red markers
Card - Very Vanilla/Handsome Hunter

And finally... here's my entry for the current Stamp With Us recipe challenge which is to use 2 x patterned paper, 4 x brads and 1 x ribbon:


I used an old Mojo Monday sketch that I've been meaning to try out. The base of the cupcake is paper pieced with the same Junior Varsity paper.

Recipe:
(All Stampin Up unless stated)
Stamps - Crazy for Cupcakes/Circle of Friendship
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black
Card/Paper - Rose Red/Whisper White/So Saffron/Junior Varsity papers
Other - So Saffron brads/Very Vanilla grosgrain/Copic markers/scallop , 1 1/4 inch and 1 3/8 in circle punches

Thanks for visiting - I'll be back later with some blog candy!!

Kate x

Yummy cupcakes

I love sketches - especially when you're in a hurry! This is a card for a friend which was made in a bit (ok a lot!) of a last-minute rush - it's an old Taylor Van Bruggen sketch that I've been wanting to try for ages.


Stamps are from Crazy for Cupcakes, coloured with Copic markers. Papers are from the Tea and Crumpets pack - I love pink and brown together - such a classic colour combo. I mounted the pink brads on circles of Chocolate Chip cardstock punched out with the 1/4 inch circle punch - gives a nice extra dimension.

I topped each cupcake with some pink stickles - don't they look good enough to eat...mmmmmm!

Thanks for stopping by and hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Recipe:
(All supplies Stampin Up unless stated)

Stamps - Crazy for cupcakes
Card/Paper - Chocolate Chip/Whisper White/Pretty in Pink/Tea and Crumpets DSP
Other - Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing folder/Petite Oval nestabilites/Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon/pink brads/1/4 inch circle punch/Copic markers