In a hurry... I am off of a curry!!!

Yesterday I chatted about special cards, done in a hurry, well here is a special card blogged in a hurry!!

I created this 8"x8" card for Matthew, to give to his Granny for her birthday, which is the day before mine!!

I created a lovely bunch of flowers for her using the 'Mixed bunch' stamp set & coordinating punch, see them blinged here with the gorgeous jewelled SU brads!

 I created the tag using the 'My Family' stamp set & the decorative label punch.

 The stalks and leaves were cut free hand out of 'Wild Wasabi' card stock.

 I love creating a decorative band for projects using the lovely 'Doily Lace Border Punch'.

I also used the stamps to decorate the inside of the card and also to make matching stamped front for the card too, I love that SU designs stamp sets that can be used in so many ways, being a Lancashire lass I like value for money!!!

Anyway must dash, off out for a curry tonight with the lovely Linda and discuss her random picks for her 'Stampers 6' order with me!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sally-Jo

xXXx

Baby love..........

Whilst in the stupor of my cold and colouring the 'Baby Tees' over last week, a little dust ball of a Layout idea, rolled into the fog of my head and has laid there fairly dormant till the free fall of fridays sugar rush!!

I have loads of pictures of my children, lots taken with haste and are hazy, out of focus shots with a thumb or finger peeping into shot, and loads of professional pictures that at the time seemed like a good idea and are now dated, but it doesn't mean they should be stuffed in a box, out of sight and mind, as they do bring back lovely memories...... well the ones that don't involve too much baby sick and sleepless nights!!

So here are my first attempts at bringing my babies, pictures, out of the dark......

This first layout is a picture of Heather that was taken at a Babystore, it's very different to the white backdrop photos that are so popular today, but popped on to a very white Layout and given a splash of colour with the 'Baby Tees' from the 'Stampin' Up!' Jumbo wheel, coloured with the SU markers in 'Regal Rose' and 'Pretty In Pink' and the blender pen.

My baby is 11 years old in March!!!

The journalling labels were stamped from 'Creative Elements',

In 'Crumb Cake'Ink.

I used the light, frond like swirl, from the same set,

to add interest to the bank 12x12 sheet and also....

Under the 'Doily Ribbon Lace' border and 'Baby Tees' images.

The second layout is of Matthew...... this shows him at about a couple of weeks old, and he was a big baby, he weighed in at 11lbs 4oz when he was born!! 

I had missed having his newbie baby shots at the hospital, as I had my baby and was home within 24hrs, and they only did them every other day, so these were taken at home, on our bed, with my old film camera. 

Again the layout has the same idea- a clean and simple background and a splash of colour with the 'Baby Tees', this time coloured in 'Marina Mist' and 'Bashful Blue'. 

I used the 'Doily Lace Ribbon' border punch again, I like how it makes a delicate addition.

And to add interest to the die cut wording, I ran it through the 'Big Shot' with the 'Perfect Polka Dots' Embossing folder. Mini tags were added with 'Tiny tags' and the co-ordinating 'Jewellery Tag' punch, and tied in place with the SU 'Linen Thread'.

I like how that even though the photos are so different, the layouts look similar, and they will make a nice double page spread in my album, but before then they will take pride of place, as samples of what you can create with the fantastic SU products, at the workshops I attend.

If you would like to host a Workshop and maybe earn some FREE goods, or you just want to find out more about 'Stampin' Up!' and the fanatsic craft products they offer, then contact me: 

sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

or call 07891605129

xXXx

Its not going to be one of those days!!!

OK we all have bad days, days were we want to crawl under the duvet, days were we are more teary than usual....... I am a girl that wells up with sadness even watching action movies, the most memorable being 'Universal Soldier'.... well I was sad that he was so alone and in this state of not getting old etc, so tears on a down day are not unusual for me, but today even though the heating wasn't working when I went to bed and still wasn't working when I got up this morning, I was happy, but by the time I had done the school run, I was frustrated with sadness and anger at being sad!! Anyway I decided that enough was enough, today was going to be a good day......

So it started with ringing around a few stores to find the Jacket I need for a Christmas pressie, that has just gone half price, at store more convenient to me..... yesterday it was Sheffield, Wellifield and Stockport, today it is available in Wigan!!! Yipee!!!- that is close to a store I will be visiting for another Christmas pressie, so its a success there!

And I have just checked on my SU shipping info, I have a parcel that is just for me, being delivered by Mr. UPS, by the end of the day, and guess what they are free stamps..... yep! I got them free for achieving the second part of my Stampin' Start! OOO and the best part was that I could pick which sets I wished to receive... can you guess what I picked??

All I have to do now is get my Christmas Cards finished.... Yes you heard right, I still have some to do!! Today I feel inspired to make some creations, similar to ones we made at my SU mums- Julie Kettlewells, November training and the main stamp set, is not a Christmas one either!!

 It's the delightful 'Doilies Stamp' set & it looks lovely stamped in 'Bashful Blue' & 'Night of Navy'

 The greeting is from 'Four for the Holidays'.

 A little treat holder made with the 'Big Shot' and the SU exclusive 'Two Tags' Die.

 The lovely snowflake made with the a couple of punched 'triple doilies' & a sprinkling of SU 'Dazzling Diamonds Glitter'

Now this post was meant to have been posted at 11am today, but our Internet connection had gone astray...... so you know what, I just switched it all off and went to collect the coat and the other bits and pieces, sorry but I wasn't going to sit and mope over it!!

So I got the coat for half price and some other Christmas bargains too, And I can say that today hasn't been one of those days, its been 'a Good, Good Day'!!! xxx

It's not a card.....

Well as I prepare to sit at my desk and start stamping my swaps for convention.......all 150 of them......and yes convention is only next week!! I remembered this little make I made last week, its not a card, but another piece of jewellery, that whilst browsing the racks by the cash desk, caught my eye. It had a dreadful enamel style image to the middle, That I have now given an SU make over!!

 With a small oval of 'Whisper White' card stock to fit the recess, and a bit of stamping and inking around the edges, I have made a piece of Handmade wearable art.

To stick it in place and give it a lovely glossy enamelled style finish, I used the fantastic SU 'Crystal Effects'. I hope you like my make, I am just wishing that, I had bought a couple more of the necklaces, as they would make lovely gifts for stampin' friends xx

Birthday Bonanza Blog Candy!!!

Today is Matthews 9Th birthday, and a couple of weeks ago he got his present........some pigs......yep! real, live, Stinky Pigs!!

So here is his Pig themed birthday card, it's made with all 'Stampin' Up!' products and the pig was made by using a bonanza of our fantastic punches!It's nice to show punches used to create, something different, and quite often it is called 'Punch Art'.

I have even added a touch of SU Bling to it.....and he hasn't noticed!!Now as birthday are something to celebrate, I am running a blog candy competition, all you have to do is, send me an email sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk Stating which punches I have used to create just the Pig with, to give you a glue they can be found in the SU current 'Ideas Book & Catalogue'.Entries close at 12 noon, UK time, Saturday 29Th of October, and the correct answers will, go in to a Hat and Matt will draw the winner.Please do leave comments but remember that if you tell everyone your answer there, you may be giving the game away!!I look forward to your entries pinging, up in my email box, and I will do a post/ tutorial on how to create the pig and also the easel card, using the 'Bigz Scallop Square Die', on Sunday.

Sally-Jo xXx

Punch crazy!!!

So after a vase and a flower, in my insomniac induced punching frenzy, I through all punching control out the window, and thought I may as well go the whole hog....

This card used four punches and also the 'Big Shot'!

So here is the Hot Air Balloon Bauble!!!

A side view to show how i made a little easel card.

The baubles were punched out of whisper white card and then run through my 'Big Shot' with the 'Perfect Polka Dots' Stampin' Up! Embossing folder. They were inked with either 'Rose Red' or 'Wild Wasabi' SU ink, to add colour. Turned upside down and with a little SU 'Linen thread' added to make ropes, you soon have the makings of a 'Hot Air Balloon'

The lovely billowing clouds were created b sponging the 'Bashful Blue' SU ink along a scrap of paper, that had, had the 'Scallop Circles' Punched along it! The birds were added with a pen.

The baskets were created, by stamping the square patterned heart from the 'I {heart} Hearts' Stampin' Up! Stamp set, on to 'Chocolate Chip' card with 'Chocolate Chip' Ink. I then trimmed the little basket shape 'free hand'.

The sentiment for the main topper came from the 'Just Believe' SU stamp set, it is stamped in 'Chocolate Chip' SU Ink.

The easel card blank was created from a piece of A5 'Crumb Cake' card, that was scored in half and then had one of the leaves scored in half again. The stopper bar, was created by punching along both sides of a strip of 'Chocolate Chip' SU card stock, with the 'Scallop Trim Border Punch', I then added a label from the SU 'Four Frames' stamp set, with a sentiment from 'Just Believe', using the 'Stamp-a-ma-jig'.

I hope you have enjoyed my variations on a bauble, please get in touch if you come up with any more bauble ideas, I would love to know. xXXx

Three Deers!

No I am not referring to my friends and I, out shopping...... as according to my daughter Heather- I am 'Middle Aged'! But today's blog offering....And Sorry, but while the inspiration is there, you have to go with the flow.........so yes this is another Christmas in July post!

While all hyped up with Christmas craft I made a selection of gift bags/ boxes, the lovely snowflake card for all three came from just one sheet of the A4 whisper white card that had been given the 'all over' stamp treatment with the delightful 'Serene snowflakes Stampin' Up!' stamp set.

The chosen ink colours were- 'Night of navy', 'Pink pirouette', 'Bashful Blue' & 'Perfect Plum', and it was just a case of totally covering the white A4 sheet with the stamped images, when stamping any image to totally cover an area, it always looks best if you stamp the image going off the edge of the piece.

Once I had made up the bags/ boxes, I used the lovely 'Al la carte' stamp 'Dasher' as the main decoration, the little 'merry' sentiment came from the 'Tiny Tags' SU stamp set and the decorative label 'do not open..' & 'Santa post' both came from the 'Winter Post' SU stamp set. Some of the 'Dasher' images were cropped down using a punch and for the larger bag, it was mounted onto some 'Night of Navy' card and the 'Scallop' edge punch was used as decoration along the bottom.

If you would like further details of how these bags/ boxes were folded or would like to purchase any of the supplies used then please do contact me: sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

Also was it one of those strange days were we all forget the most important things yesterday?? last night at 'creative cafe' I had forgotten my Acrylic block & 'Stamp-a-ma-jig', Anyway we got by and had fun crafting together too! I will be back tomorrow with a none Christmas related offering..........I promise xx