A little under the weather......

Sorry for being AWOL folks, but the first week of the Easter holidays has left me drained, and suffering from a really bad back, I know exactly what I did to set it off,  I dangled from a tree, but teamed with the general bits and bobs that life throws at you in the holidays, I am feeling a little under the weather and have only just ventured back to my desk tonight, the first time since Tuesday!

Anyway feeling a little brighter after a chat with my mum this evening, I got heather to help me shoot a little video, on an ace technique, I shared with my 'Creative Cafe' ladies at our last session.....

I think I may have managed to refrain,

from my favourite phrase too!!

I was inspired to create, after seeing the cards & projects in the May edition of Craft Stamper, in the 'Stamping Contrasts' section. There were a few inky backgrounds and I fiddled around getting that effect with my SU stash!

Here are some pictures of the cards, as the film doesn't show the colours of the purple one well....

 Shades of yellow, with 'Soft suede' stamping

& card stock trim... 

Purples with 'Basic Black' stamping & card stock trim...

And my final colour combo.....

 Blues with 'Basic Black' stamping & card stock trim.

Here is a close up of the greetings, which are all in the stamp set, they were punched with the 'Decorative Label' punch & given a little stamping with the frond that is in the stamp set too!!

 The inside was given a little stamping too!

 And here is a list, were I jotted down which markers I used for my colour combos.

I hope you give this technique a try, as I say in the video...

If it isn't quick easy and achievable, then I wouldn't do it!

And do get in touch, and let me know if you come up with some different colour combos.

xXXx

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

Only 166 days til Christmas!!

Am I the only person to be thinking of Christmas in July??!!

Well it is fast approaching........I have already done some Christmas shopping, it's not that I am ultra organised, it just happened to be a good offer.....one that i couldn't miss!!

And the other week, I made a start on my Christmas craft projects, by attending Julie- my SU mum's 'Christmas in July' class, it has been ages since I had been to a craft class, and it was great to make new friends and share our love of craft. Julie had come up with some fantastic ideas, and is happy for me to 'CASE!'- Copy And Share Everything! Because when it comes to stamping, great ideas are meant to be copied and shared!

Here are some photos of a fantastic gift card holder we made,

you can get 2 out of an A4 sheet of card!

The 'Stampin' Up!' 'Ornament Punch' is used to make an aperture.

And also to cut out the bauble,from the SU 'Contempo Christmas' stamp set.

It is such a clever design as the gift card pops up when it is opened...note that I didn't have a gift card to hand so used a piece of paper to show this!!!

If you would like to make something handmade, this Christmas, then book on my own

'Christmas In July Class' on 24th July.

This class is suitable for non-crafters...

as well as 'old-hands'

& promises to be the start of a Joyous creative Christmas!