50 shades of SU colour.......

Long before we had heard or even read the 'Fifty Shades' saga, 'Stampin' Up!' were leading the way with  their fifty shades of SU colour! My crafty friends tell me that I have a thing for 'Soft Suede' from the 'Neutrals' group, so following in the footsteps of 'Anastasia Steele'- and her trying something new!!! I turned to my SU version of 'Christian Grey'.......my trusty 'Colour Coach' for guidance into a new colour combo!! 

I had a desire to use the lovely 'In Colour'- 'Wisteria Wonder' and the colour coach suggested that a good tonal match would be 'Elegant Eggplant'- a combo that I have never tried before......... but what about a 'Neutral'....well SU may have a whole rainbow of Fifty colours in their range but they don't have fifty shades of grey, they only have one colour that is referred too as grey, and that is 'Basic Grey'- well there was nothing basic about Mr Greys, grey eyes, so I choose 'Sahara Sand' the colour that can sometimes looks icy grey or sometimes look warm grey!!! 

As it was my first time, I stayed safe, and made a few pillow box die, thank you's for my 'Stampers 5' group. The grey of the tea cup, from the 'Summer Mini' SU Stamp Set- 'Tea Shoppe' looks very warm on these, and you can just make out the over stamping, on the 'Cup of thanks' label, with the flourish, from the 'Creative elements' SU Stamp set.

 Each of the boxes got a little hand cut butterfly, that was stamped from the 'Creative elements' SU Stamp set, in the 'Elegant Eggplant' SU ink. 

 To finished each of the boxes, I gave each of the tea cups a little 'Itty Bitty' punched flower in 'Wisteria Wonder' SU card stock, with a little SU rhinestone gem for the centre, they also all got a squirt of the 'Champagne- Shimmer Paint' that has been watered down and put in a misting bottle!

So now I had dipped my stamping into a new colour combo, there was no stopping me.......

Getting braver, I made some little card blanks from some 'Sahara Sand' SU card stock, and decorated them with Stamping- using the same Stamp sets as the pillow boxes.

 For this card, I used the large tea cup from the 'Tea Shoppe' Stamp set and stamped the label from the same set too, it works with the large oval and scalloped punches beautifully.

 The other two cards were made using waste 'Wisteria Wonder' card stock, from when I die cut the boxes, to make a decorative panel with the addition of the flourish stamp from the 'Creative elements' SU Stamp set and as with the Pillow Boxes I used 'Elegant Eggplant' SU ink. 

 To add a little variation to the other, I just tuned the band horizontally!

The paper lunch bag was decorated in the same way too, using the larger label text stamp from the SU 'Tea Shoppe' Stamp set, it coordinated beautifully with the 'Extra Large oval Punch' too!

 To the bag, I added the large tea cup, which was stamped in  'Sahara Sand' SU Ink and hand cut. To finish  a butterfly, stamped in 'Elegant Eggplant' SU ink,  and was stuck to the top edge of the tea cup. 

I have enjoyed my foray into using different SU colours. and as the old adage goes......

'Don't knock it, till you try it!!'...

I am off to twiddled my colour coach,

a little more!!

If you would like to purchase a 'Colour Coach' or any other SU stash,

then please get in touch:

Telephone/ Text: 07891695129

Email: sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

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

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

A bit of Badgar Breeze with the 'Book-A-Thon'!!!

I don't admit to having any great Computer tech abilities and this last week I have been plagued by a week connection, whether I sat next to the broad band thingy ma jig, with the lappy on my knee or tried to hook up with a lead, I weren't getting far, but this morning I seem to have a connection, it may have something to do with several BT vans outside the house- for once I think it may not be down to me or me missing a cable etc! So I will count my blessings as today is Stampin' Up!s worldwide Book-a-thon day!

Demonstrators across the world have been set a challenge to book almost 9000 parties worldwide, in the next 24 hours - if anyone would like to book a workshop between the 10th December and 31st March to help reach the target - If you would like to get a group of friends together and have a FREE demonstration and try a new hobby with our fantastic exclusive products please get in touch with me today, at my demo's we always manage to have fun!!!

One of the things that makes me giggle, when I demo, is that quite often, people get in a muddle over the colour names.......even I do this, often posting them as mixed up combinations!!

Well a good friend always refers to 'Baja Breeze' as BADGER Breeze, and even though she now knows its true name, she still calls it BADGER Breeze, one of those things that stick!!!

Anyway following on from last Tuesdays post, here are a couple of cards I designed, based on a similar layout and colour scheme........ Yes! you have guessed it.... BADGER Breeze with a touch of 'Basic Grey' too.

As you can see, I still have the 'Parisian' theme going too!!

I did some random stamping on the card base to create a look of decorative paper...... and even though the flowers aren't a crisp impression, it added to the chabby chic-ness!! I even added the delightful flourish from 'Creative Elements' on top..... can you ever have too much stamping??

And the sentiment from 'Notably Ornate' fits perfectly in the 'Modern label' punch....

It would have been tricky to cut that out neatly!!!

The little card has a bit more of a collage style to it, again piling on the stamps!!

Even the insides got some stamping too, I find it is so easier than 'faffing' about with inserts, and still gives a tidy finished look to my cards, If i am sending the cards I usually decorate the envelopes in a similar way too!

Right I am off to log my workshops for the 'Book-A-Thon' please do get in touch if you would like me to host you a free demonstration:

sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

And I would love to know your funny name colours too, just send me a comment! xxx

Dizzy heights of SU!!!

The last weekweek has flown by, and catching up with day to day, jobs and sorting out the tip, I left my craft room in has eaten up alot of time and put blogging on the back burner....SORRY XX

But anyway here I am back with the first layout, of my Paris trip! I can't wait to take Heather and Matthew, to see the City, it really can't be truly appreciated in a day.....maybe I may even get farmer Johnnie, to come with us for the weekend!!!

Ok.....it's not often you see me on a layout, but it was a great event and that equals a great memory...... so I have braved the lense, and 'Papped' myself at the top of the tower!!

The layout, is quite clean & simple, and features a couple of SU stamp sets that have been lent to me by Yvonne Hunt, a lady who has become a good SU friend, and put up with me sharing with herself and Jeanettes Eames, at Convention........ I do think, they had no idea what they had let themselves in for!!!

One of the sets, has a brilliant stamp of the 'Eiffel Tower' and so stamp fate was decided!! And after seeing a totally gorgeous swap, Yvonne recieved off- Jenni Pauli- it was a real wow-sers of a card, and it had a beautiful trail of pearls and gems strewn across it, I decided to give it a little go on my layout, its just a shame the camera doesnt do it better justice!!!

 The lovely delicate swirl came from a set I recieved for attending convention.

In honour of me being a 'Northern lass- who likes to watch her pennies!' I have just added a few scraps of ribbon as embellishment.....well SU ribbon is too good for the bin!!

Right got to dash, on the school run and have a gather of ladies to check out the swaps and goodies I recieved at convention too! XXXX