Whipped into action!!!

I have been led astray from the blogging world recently by a number of things, the biggest one being the end of an era as my daughter leaves primary school and gets ready for high school and the Summer holidays and entertaining two children, well one of the problems has been that they don't need entertaining just a mum to drive them here there and everywhere!!!


Another reason has to be also that I was led into the dark and mysterious world of 'Fifty Shades', I have to admit- I have read them all, even though I found them not to be of a great literary standard........ well she does use the word 'Flushed' 50 times in the first two chapters of the first book, but there was something there in all three that just had me turning the pages!!! Neither am I great writer, so hats off to her or rather whips out!!, that she has created the fastest selling book of all time, and will net herself  a pretty penny or two in sales and future TV & film rights.


Any way after a meet up- nearly a week ago with  my lovely SU daughter Tammy & the lovely Yvonne my SU friend & convention buddy- I said that I needed whipping into shape and need someone to nag me into getting back to blogging........ And Yvonne has been doing just that, every couple of days, she has sent me a text, sometimes in BIG SHOUTY LETTERS TOO!!!!

I am sharing with you the Card and wreath, I made for my SU mum Julie Kettlewells birthday, she loved it so much, that she used the design to create a Christmas card project for the recent training event she held. Forgive the photos but they were taken at night under a desk light, so the calypso coral looks a little brighter than in real life!! xx

The Diorama card is created by folding & sticking two sheets of A5 card. you score both sheets using the lovely SU 'Simply Scored Scoring Board' along the top side at 1/4", 6 1/4" & 7 1/4". Before sticking the two pieces together using the 1/4" flap. I die cut an aperture into the front panel, I using the 'Labels Collection; from the 'Stampin' Up!' Summer Mini Catalogue.

I went to town with the punches and created 3d flowers on top of the water coloured wreath- stamped from 'Apothecary Art' stamp set. The banner was stamped again on to extra card and the greeting added from the same set and raised up, you can also make out the 'On colour' stamping on the soft suede labels die cut, using the flourish, from the 'Creative elements' Stamp set. The same stamp was also used to decorate the panel behind the diecut, again with more 'On Colour' stamping. 

I added a 'Friend' label using a stamp from the 'For my Family' stamp set, and even more punched flowers!

The envelope got some stamping and craft TLC too......

Complete with more punched and spiral flowers and bird builder leaves.

I made lots of 3D flowers in Calypso Coral card stock, using the Bigz 'Fun Flowers' die and the 'Big Shot' to decorate the wreath, I made a video on how to do this check it out here:

http://stampin-sally.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/back-with-premier.html

The top got some simple long loop bows of 'Soft Suede' striped grosgrain & Ruffled 'Calypso Coral' ribbon, 

I love it that the SU products all co-ordinate!

To break up the calypso coral blooms, I added some flowers created with the new 'Blossom' punch, from the Summer Mini, using 'Newsprint DSP' and an 'Antique Brad' to hold them together.

To secure the blooms on to the wreath I used, a hot glue gun and whilst the glue was still drying pushed a pearl headed pin into the centre of each of the 'Calypso Coral' bloom. I also pushed in some leaves that I had die-cut using the 'Little Leaves' sizzlit die.

I promise that I will be back- sooner than last time with a blog post, thank you for sticking with me, like a trusty 'Tombow'!!!!

And if you are in the UK and would like to purchase some of the lovely 'Stampin' Up!' craft goods, or even become a demonstrator like myself, then please get in touch....

My email is: sally-johoughton@hotmail.co,uk

or you can call: 07891605129

Thanks for stopping by

xXXx

Getting it together- at the last minute!

You may not be one who believes in star signs. but as a 'Gemini' goes I am fairly true to the star sign attributes... Chatty, Bubbly, Out going- Personality, and as in the 'Old school' 'Cadbury's' egg adverts, I do bite it and lick it! But I also have the awful traits of- never being on time, juggling too much, and being unable to say 'NO!'..... but these could be traits of any mum...... from any star sign!

Gemini's are know to make plans and not act on them...... I do make plans- surprising as that may seem! Quite often, I write them down- the only problem with these ones is that they get hid under the clutter on my desk!

And sometimes no matter how much I plan and try, I can never get it together till the last minute!

Well this card is one of those, what with an eventful morning yesterday- time to craft went out the window till 1pm and it had to be envisaged in my head and created in time for the school run at 3pm!! It had to be a 'special' card too, for Matthew to give his Auntie, I had already made Heathers and one from me & farmer Johnnie......And once you start sending people your handmade cards they do notice when you send them shop bought, so my mojo was whipped into action!

I had been stroking the lovely 'Apothecary Art' stamp set from the 'Summer Mini', for inspiration for a large card, I had made some note-lets with it, but hadn't drummed up the courage for a larger card and this design popped into my head...well minus the ribbon and brad!! 

My colour scheme is- 'Pool Party', 'Wild Wasabi', 'Very Vanilla', 'Soft Suede' & 'Crumb Cake'....

A bit of a wild card- as this Auntie loves pinks and purples!!

 I stamped & layered up the large wreath from the 'Apothecary Art' stamp set, using the coordinating 'Framelits- Decorative label dies' & It was water coloured in, using an 'Aqua painter & some ink off the tops of my ink pads. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, I made another stamp of the wreath and then 'Stamp-A-Ma-Jigged' the greeting on to the banner, then I could cut it out and raise it up. I added some spiral flowers and some layered up punched 'Itty Bitties' & 'Boho Blossoms' in 'Pool Party' and some leaves, using the leaf from the 'Bird Builder' punch in 'Wild Wasabi' & 'Crumb Cake'

After I had made the large focal image, I felt the card looked a little bland, so I added some of the lovely striped grosgrain ribbon and fastened it with one of the antique brads. To add an 'Auntie' sentiment, I stamped and then die cut the small lined stamp from the set & added the  wording with a coordinating SU marker,  finished it with an 'Itty Bitty' bloom and a pearl and popped it under the brad and ribbon.

The inside need some TLC-  so I added a little stamping to the base using the flourish from 'Creative Elements'- I have forgotten to mention that I did this to the base of the front of the card too! I then had a root in my bits box and came across a 'Pool Party' die cut framelit, that was perfect to put under a vanilla one, to give somewhere nice for Matthew to put his own personal greeting.

I hope you like my getting it together at the last minute card, do you ever get yourself into situations like this? I would love to know.

Thanks for stopping by

Sally-Jo

xXx

Spot the difference!!

Recently I had the pleasure to receive some handmade cards, for a yearly event in my life which I absolutely detest- I absolutely hate being a year older every year, and the handmade cards I received off my craft & SU friends were rays of sunshine in a stormy time for me! They have given me so much inspiration, that I felt a few 'CASE's' were in order!!

My SU Mummy- Julie Kettlewell, sent me a lovely card featuring the lovely 'Fun Flowers' & 'Top Note' SU Bigz Dies, can you spot the difference??

Julie's card is to the left of this picture,

I wanted to give this 'CASE', to my Gran-

who was celebrating her 97th birthday yesterday!

So I upped the size of the card to a 15cm square base,

as she likes a big card for on her mantle piece!

I used 'Parlour Prints' to create a lovely aged background panel-

It goes so well with the 'Attic Boutique DSP',

out of the 'Summer Mini'......

I have to admit that I have spent along time stroking this, before I cut at it!!!

I just love the vintage, shabby chicness of it, but it's still fresh and vibrant with bursts of colour!

 I split my 'Top Note' die cut of the gorgeous 'Attic boutique DSP' to fit the square, placing a 'Crumb Cake' banner, stamped with the birthday greeting from 'Curly Cute', to cover the gap!

I embellished it with SU pearls, as my gran likes the posh bits!

I added a lovely twirled bow-

using the new 'Pool Party' 'Seam Binding &

 using the 'For My Family' stamp set, I added a little 'Decorative Label' with 'Grandma' on & a few more pearls too!

I layered up the flowers- like Julie, but switched the button,

to one of our lush 'Antique Brads'!

Here you can see, that following Julies inspiration, I too added stamping to one of the flower layers.

 I always like to add some decoration to the inside of my cards, that are going to be received, so I finished this with a light stamping of the 'Parlour Prints' stamp around the edge......

This was the trickiest bit in creating the whole card...

As the card is wider than the stamp, and you also want to take off the ink from the centre. of the stamp, so you have somewhere to write your message- this I forgot to do!

So as Julie say's-

'it's a good job SU card stock is double sided!!!'

Thank you for stopping by, and checking out my crafty makes-

Sally-Jo

xXXx

Half done Projects.......

Is it just me that has half finished projects, that languish, waiting to be completed??? 

And is it just me that starts a project at the totally wrong time, like the idea jumps into that fuzzy box of space between my ears, just as the rest of me or that fuzziness is meant to be doing something else???

This card I sharing with you today, started life like that, as I was packing for last weeks 'Creative Cafe' the stamps sort of jumped into my hand, and the ink pads into the other!!!

And as I think about it, I was cooking tea, dealing with the my 'Darlings' (clenched teeth there), Showing my brother the problems that I have been having with my PC and wondering why Johnnie was so long at the doctors!!

Anyway in between hearing some great news from an SU sister today and catching up on some bits and pieces, I gave it a greeting and a few embellies, as it was shouting to be finished off.......

Yep! So when it was all going on...

I decided to do a little simple stamping,

with a moonlit, faux brayer-ed background!!

And today I finished it off with a little label

and stamped greeting......

A simple Knotted piece of grosgrain ribbon and 'Antique Brad'

And a trail of gems and pearls to add to the magic....

(I needed one to cover a 'boo boo' in the middle of the panel, but even I thought that just one lone gem looked odd,

so I turned it in to a trail!!)

But one 'boo boo' leads to another.... can you spot it here???

And here you can see the tone on tone-stamping,

to decorate the inside.

Well I hope you like the project, now its complete,

don't forget that SALE-A-BRATION ends on Saturday

so if your after the FREEBIES get in touch and I would love to place an order for you xXx

A wreath for all seasons....

I can't remember if I blogged the really gorgeous 'CAS' large wreath cards I made at Christmas, I say gorgeous, because I was really pleased with how they looked and how they came together and also the people who received them were really appreciative, and stuck them in the middle of there mantle pieces- you always know, you have made a nice card, when it takes pride of place on the mantle piece!!!

Anyway I mentioned just over a week ago that my good friend Linda was celebrating her 21st, well Linda has come over to the UK for a little holiday to see her family and her delightful grandson Alex, and we had the chance to meet up yesterday and have a belated birthday lunch, I had saved Linda's card to give her then, as I also had her pressies, but here is the card I made for her, and yes I put a wreath on it, I have loved creating 3D home decor wreaths and I have wanted for ages to create a wreath on a card that wasn't for Christmas, and this came from there!!

Sorry for the blue picture, of the whole card front....maybe need to work on my lighting!!

But i think you get the LO xx

As Linda is the 'Craft Stamper Of the Year' I wanted to make a card that was worthy of her mantle piece!!

I created some spiral curled flowers using the 'Stampin' Up!' 'First Edition DSP' and gave them a frilly outer using the 'Triple Doily Punch'

I got an 'Antique Brad' on it and some of our lovely 'Crochet Trim' as Linda likes these SU products!

I used the 'Beautiful Wings Embossilit' to add a kaleidoscope of butterflies across the card, Linda has just got this in her February 'Stampers 6' order with me!

I added a lovely 'Timeless Type' die cut 21 numerals, which I glittered with the lovely 'Gold- Glass Glitter', I also used this to add specks of sparkle to the stamped wreath, I created a embossed oval using the 'Designer Frames' Embossing folder on to which I stamped the greeting.

Here you can see the inside decoration, I just die cut a 'Scallopped Circle' of 'Very Vanillia' using my SU Big shot and did a little more stamping and glittering of the wreath spray around the edge and finished it with the other half of the 'Petite Pairs' sentiment which I had used on the front, I also gave it a sponging of the 'Gold Shimmer Paint' around the edge of the scalloped circle.

Now that I look back at the card, there are a few more bits that I haven't mentioned what I did or how I got it to do it, but if you have any questions please, do get in touch, I love to share what I learn.

Apart from 3 diamante headed pins, which you can pick up from a florists, everything about the card including the large base, which is made from 2 A4 sheets of 'Crumbcake' is  made using the fantastic Stampin' Up! products, which you can order form me, please do get in touch:

sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

xXXx

Back with a 'sugar rush' hit!!

Well since I last put my fingers on the keyboard, I have had a bout of the most horrendous cold, spent a lovely day crafting with a friend, assembled more flat pack, had a lovely workshop with the 'Preston Card Club' ladies, had the children's friends for a sleepover and fun swim, and have now got to the last day of the half term holidays .......still with the cold!!!


So my scissors have languished untouched and the computer has sat in darkness, until today when fuelled with the sugar rush of a 'Galaxy- Orange & Shortbread' choccie bar, I have made the an attempt to photograph, the card I made when at my lovely SU friend- Yvonne's, last friday!

Check out her blog here: 'Vonnies world'. Even though I was feeling totally ill, she lent me loo roll for my nose and cooked me the best Chorizo & lentil stew, that helped to perk me up!! Yvonne is addicted to rubber more than me, and has the lovely baby set- 'My Special Day', it isn't a set that I would have 'HAD TO HAVE'!! if you know what I mean?? But I had a little play with it and I am now feeling the urge to get it, and also the Iris set- 'Love & Sympathy' on the same page! Her is what I created.....

I went for a 'Crumb Cake' card base, with a punched Collage of  Stamped images, with a little 'Baja Breeze' Seam Binding, and a little snippet of 'Crochet Trim'.

I inked around the edges with the co-ordinating 'Crumb Cake' ink.

And even over stamped the tags, to add decoration. As Yvonne was so kind to share her stash and her hospitality, I made her one of these too, as a sample for her SU workshops!

Before I left Yvonne, rolled me a couple of sheets of the 'Jumbo Wheel'- 'Baby Tees' Item no. 118621 on pg. 42, here are a couple of quick and easy cards I created with a couple of the cute images...

These are really 'Clean & Simple' and they would make great baby announcements, just with a change of greeting, the dotty background border comes from the mini catalogue set- 'Borderlines'.

I coloured these while feeling ill, using the SU markers, and even did a few extra for a couple of layout ideas, so while the sugar rush is still with me, I will get them done!

xXXx

Stepping it up!!

When ever we attend our SU mum's fabulous training events, Julie always shows us a quick and easy card for workshops and then a stepped up version, well today's card is a really 'Stepped-Up' version of the black and whisper white card I featured yesterday, using the 'SALE-A-BRATION' 'Fresh Vintage' Stamp set.

Its larger in size too!!

Measuring in at 8x8"!!

I made this to give, to Deborah yesterday,

for her 21st Birthday!! ;-)

I gave the numbers, which were die-cut with the 'Big Shot'

and the 'Timeless Type' dies-

a sprinkling of the 'gold antique glass glitter'

I created some paper flowers, using the very vintage looking 

'First Edition Newsprint- Designer Series Papers'

I added a double bow using my last piece of crochet trim and

the lovely 'Crumb Cake- Seam Binding',

with an 'Antique brad' for embellishment.

It doesn't show up to well, but I gave the flowers a squirt,

with some watered down,'Champagne shimmer paint'.

Here you can see that the inside got a little stamp action too, and as the card was a little too big for an envelope,

I decorated a brown lunch sack for it!

I hope you like this 'Stepped Up!' card, I love that you can get so much use out of stamps! I will be back tomorrow with another make that features, the 'Fresh Vintage SALE-A-BRATION' stamp set and the lovely 'Simple Adorned' 'Stampin' Up!' jewellery line. 

xXXx

How to start a **FABULOUS** week!!

Today Herald's the start of a fantastic week, so much so, in that I have been to bed yet- I have been busy, doing things for today, that I should have done on Saturday, but Saturday was taken over by flat pack wardrobe assembly..........That in it's self was entertaining.......7 Houghton's & Lawson's were involved in the shenagians.... and yes we really are a screw short, well 7 to be precise!!! Not only are we still celebrating 'Sale-A-Bration', but this week is jammed packed with fun things, and only one niggle.... that I can foresee at the mo...... 

Today I am off out for a Girly Lunch to celebrate a good, good friends 21st, I am saying 21st as when Deborah checks my blog later on this morning to see what I have been upto, she will be utterly put out, if I have told you all, that she is celebrating her BIG 40 TODAY!!!! oOOoopps- errr, I sort of let that slip!!! I don't suppose she will hate me as much, when I tun up at hers later with some bubbly!! Tuesday I think will be a slow, coffee fuelled start to the day, with the niggle cropping up late afternoon, with a family visit to the Dentist- sorry, I know it's just a check up, but I hate the whole experience, and take the kids, then I have to do it and put on a cheery face about it too. What is nice about Tuesday is that we are continuing Deborah's birthday celebrations for another day, at Tuesdays Creative Cafe, so if you fancy some choccy birthday cake, do pop in!! Wednesday sees a trip to Yorkshire, to see my SU mum Julie, I am so jealous as they have had snow, while we are snow-ess but have sledges....Hmmm maybe should take my sledge with me instead of my crafty tool kit!! Thursday evening, I am attending a workshop, at a lovely friends craft group, and I am looking forward to showing them the fantastic 'Sale-A-Bration' offers!! And well Friday, is the half term Church assembly, at my Children' school and then Yippee!! it's the school holidays and maybe if we are lucky, we can really put our sledges to the test!!!

Anyway back to what what I do best, and that would be playing with my delightful 'Stampin' Up!' stash!!! Last week Mr UPS came to drop off some deliveries, he came with my 'Stampers 6' orders, with spontanous customer orders and also some 'bits and pieces' for me, that are needed for this week...... I can't tell you about that today as someone maybe trying to have a 'Sneeky Peek' so we will save that till tomorrow!! :-) 

Even as a demonstrator, I am still eligible for 'Sale-A-Bration' and it was great for me, to get stamps for FREE, in my order too!! I have had loads of fun making some thank you cards, to go out with my orders this week, with the gorgeous 'Fresh Vintage' 'Sale-A-Bration' stamp set.

Two different cards with the main decoration coming from the stunning bloom, from the 'Fresh Vintage' 'Sale-A-Bration' stamp set. 

A 'Crumb Cake' Card base, with 'Real Red' Ink and

'Doily Lace' decorative border.

A 'Whisper White' base, made shabby chic,

with a 'Crumb Cake' dusting of ink & Some Simple 

'Basic Black' stamping and the 'Doily Lace' decorative border.

They were both given the same finishing embellishments of- Antique Crochet Trim and Antique Brad-

I love how they look so different, yet so similar!!

And the stamp made the perfect decoration for the inside,

of the card too!!

Stamps really are so versatile!! If you live in the UK and would like to know more about the 'Stampin' Up!' product range, I would be happy to tell you more, leave me a comment and I will get back to you!!

I will be back tomorrow, with more lovely makes,

featuring this stamp set & many more wonderful SU products!

See you then xXXx