Through the Window Card

Bet you thought I had forgotten how to make cards! I will if I don't get round to making some more soon!

This is a card that I made at a class a couple of weeks ago with Jane Gill at the Glitter Pot. The image inside the card is stamped with Art Impressions stamps. First the background hill and sky is washed on, then the images are stamped on top. Finished off with little freehand birds in the sky. The card itself was cut using a Sizzix Movers and Shakers die. The curtains were cut from Bazzill Basics card, and then shaded and decorated to look like they are gathered checked fabric. Then shaped on a foam mat using an embossing ball tool, tied with a scrap of ribbon, and mounted on to the card using silicon glue. The greeting stamp is Woodware Tiny Phrases.

I actually finished this card in class - unusual for me! We did another card in the morning, but that didn't get finished, and I still haven't had time to finish it off at home. As soon as it gets done, I'll show that one as well. It was a lovely day - shut away from everything and playing with stamps! Came to an end all too soon. Have another class with Jane tomorrow - this time playing with her own design of Christmas tree stamps.

Poinsettia Gift Box

Been a hectic week or so. First the Biggin Hill show to prepare for, and then the Stampin' Up Field Training in High Wycombe. Things have slowed back to normal now, so hoping to catch up next week.

At the field training there was a demonstrator's choice competition, where all demonstrators were invited to enter an item they had made. This is my entry made using one of the new stamp sets from the new Stampin' Up! idea book and catalogue. I forgot to take a picture of it, and it is now at the Stampin' Up office. Fortunately Carole, from In Love With Stamping came to my rescue, and sent me a picture that she took of it on Friday evening. Thank you Carole!

The set I used is called Season of Joy, and it's a really versatile set. Four out of the eight stamps are not exclusively for Christmas, so that makes it useful all year round. I love this set, and can see me using it frequently! It costs £24.95, which works out at only just over £3 per stamp, and will be available from the 1st of October. If you pre-order it from me at any time before the end of September, I will have it shipped directly to your door for only £2 postage. (Normally £4.) If you add another £25 to your order the postage will be free.

If you would like a copy of the new Stampin' Up idea book and catalogue, click on the contact me tab at the top to request a copy - only £3.50 including postage.

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Versamark
Stamps: Season of Joy
Other:Certainly Celery Brads, Glue Dots, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Method:

Stamped the red card with the poinsettia and small flower all over using Versamark. Made box using the method here. Pushing the boat out, I used red card for the base as well as the top, and stamped both sides of the card so that the inside of the box is patterned too! Stamped the flourish and small flowers on white card, matted onto the olive. Using a glue pen I put a spot of glue in the centre of each little red flower, and sprinkled with glitter. Corners were punched with a 1/2" circle punch. Stamped the poinsettia flower 9 times onto white card and cut each one out. Three of them I cut whole, the rest I removed every other petal when cutting. Used an embossing ball tool to cup the flowers, then stacked two of the three petal ones together and put on top of a whole one. The centres of the flowers were made with the brads. I molded a glue dot onto the head of each one and then dipped it into the glitter. Then glued the flowers onto the box in the centre of the stamped flourishes.

Cardboard Cake and Biggin Hill

My mum complained that there has been nothing on my blog for a few days - so as I don't want to get into any more trouble, here is my excuse for the lack of postings! Click on the image to be able to read the details on the poster.

On Sunday 14th September, two other Stampin' Up! demos and I are taking a booth at the Sincerely Yours show at Biggin Hill, in Kent. We have a variety of demonstrations planned, and there will be lots of examples of paper craft items to look at. We will be showing Stampin' Up! products in action, and we are able to take orders for anything in the current catalogue, including the retiring items. There will be a prize draw which will be free to enter for those present on the day.

So as you can imagine, lots of preparations to do, and samples to make. Here is what has been keeping me busy for the last two or three days - a cardboard cake. It will have some free offers inside the boxes, so if a showgoer makes a qualifying purchase, or books a home demonstration with one of us on the day, they will get to pick a slice and see which offer they will get.

If you are near enough, and decide to attend - do come and say hello!

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Very Vanilla, Rose Red & Mellow Moss card, Rose Red Designer Prints Paper


Method:

I used a template to make the wedges from the vanilla card. Cut the red scalloped pieces with a Classic Circle Nestability die. Then I trimmed one side of it to taper as you can see in the picture. The green scalloped circles were punched with the Stampin' Up scallop punch. The larger green one in the centre of the cake was done with a Nestability die. The flowers were made using the designer paper, punched with the scallop punch, cut and shaped, then assembled. They are not difficult to do, but 15 is time-consuming! I plan to demo the flower making at the show.

No Tools Flower Box

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Petals & Paisleys Designer Paper, Ballet Blue & Whisper White card
Ink: Ballet Blue
Stamps: Seeing Spots
Other: White flat backed pearl from the Pretties Kit
Box Size: 9cm x 9cm x 3cm deep

Method:

I made the box with Whisper White card for the base, and a sheet of Petals & Paisleys Designer Paper for the lid, using the method from my tutorial here. The scalloped circles were cut with Classic Circle Nestabilities in the Cuttlebug. The flower was made from a different sheet of the Petals & Paisleys designer paper, using the Curled Tip Petal template and my No Tools Flower method - click on the tabs above for the method and the template. Also click on the tool substitute tab if you have no flower making tools. To make the centre of the flower I stamped a dotted circle from the Seeing Spots stamp set in Ballet Blue, and punched it out with a 1/2" circle punch. Shaped it a little with a large ball tool to cup it up. Finished with the flat backed pearl.