A drama & a diorama......

I had well and truly abandoned the keyboard and even my scissors, over the past couple of weeks!

My mojo had left me, it had gone on a 'long haul' holiday, not only was my back still niggling me but last Thursday farmer Johnnie had an appointment with the MRI  scanner, after his run in with a wayward wheel barrow over the festive period, and even though he looks like he as tough as anything, he needed some support, as they were sticking needles in him, in a very sensitive area too!

Any way with attendance at SU mum- Julie's training event, on Saturday, I was planning to force myself to sit at my desk, later on the Thursday night and come up with something for a swap, well a headache struck and with Farmer Johnnie feeling sorry for himself too, we only managed a cup of tea and some painkillers, so Friday came and Johnnie even though still hobbling donned his boiler suit and got back on the farm and I had to get my swaps done.... 

Well after a little faffing around and poking at bits of stuff I had started on ages ago, and squashing the massive box of rubbish at feet into a smaller pile, I came up with an idea- a friend and regular hostess, Linda King, had posted on their fb page (click here to see) a lovely diorama card, she had made, featuring the 'Spring Mini' stamp set- 'Marry Me'. Well at the training we had to focus on using some top secret SU stash ;-) and so my swap was created using lots of secrets, but was a diorama too!  

And today in honour of Linda Kings inspiration, and mojo boost, I have done my take on a 'Marry me' diorama, and I have included the discreet use of two new products that 'Stampin' Up!' are launching on the first of May!! I can't name the new products I have used, but everything else used will be given a label, so a little guessing is involved!!!

A colour combination of 'Pink Pirouette', 'Very Vanilla' & 'Basic Grey',

the card base was created from one A4 sheet of  card stock,

It was given a makeover with some simple score lines and and a bit of cutting with the 'Big Shot!' ;-)

 The set contains 6 stamps, one of which is this beautiful quote by William Shakespeare

 The front of the aperture was given a little stamping with the simple flower stems that are included in the 'Marry me' set, and some little punched 'Itty Bitty' flowers and SU gems added a nice touch.

 For the centre piece of the diorama I stamped the main bride & groom stamp, from the 'Marry Me' set and cut it out with a 'new tool' and my SU 'Big Shot'!!! ;-)

 I created some curled paper flowers out of 'Very Vanilla' card stock and dusted their edges with the 'Pink Pirouette' Ink, I also gave them lacy doily petticotes, using the 'triple layer doily punch'.

 I embossed the very back panel of the diorama, with the 'Manhattan Flowers' embossing folder and used my 'two way glue pen' & 'Dazzling Diamonds Glitter' to add a little sparkle, I also added a couple of pins with some 'Pink Pirouette' punched 'Itty bitties' on the end.

Here is a birds eye view of the diorama.

I am glad, I spent time crafting today, it was great to combine something old, with something new....

Also thank you for sticking with me through diorama & dramas XX

Details on the lovely SU stamp set 'Marry Me' that I have used today can be found in the link to the top right of this post, which takes you to an on-line copy of the 'Spring Mini'........

Remember that the UK 'Spring Mini' ends monday 30th of May,

and even us demo's are not told what, if anything out of it, is going to be carried over to future product lists...

So my advice is get it, while you can!

From Friday I will be placing orders every evening, till the close of sales on Monday night,

and what's more is that if you spend £45 or more, you are eligible for a free pack of DSP.

Contact me to find out more:

sally-johoughton@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. No: 07891605129

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

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