Shadow Stamping.

Now that Christmas is over it is time to play with other stamps!
The first card is a simple thank you card using Elegant Eggplant and Certainly Celery Inks.
I love the Trellis in the Summer Silhouettes Stamp Set.
I shadow stamped the trellis and the flowers.

I made the cards below this afternoon using soft subtle colours.
The pink flowers on the right hand card were all shadow stamped using Rose Red but it looks as if I have used three different colours.
The "you're a gem" stamp comes from a set which has now retired but the little punch that I used to punch it out will be available later in January.

I hope that you all had a good Christmas and that you enjoy using some of your new paper crafting presents!

Quick Treat Holders.

What do you do when your daughter texts you one hour before you are due to leave home asking you to bring some boxes to sell at her College Christmas Show?
The answer is get out the Candy Wrapper Die!
I cut 18 Candy Wrappers out with the Big Shot and put them in a bag with red double sided tape,scissors and my Scoring Board (to use as a Lap Top! )
The journey to Reaseheath College takes about an hour from our house. You will be glad to know that my husband, Peter, was driving as I assembled the 18 Candy Wrapper Boxes en route!
Aviva is pictured on the left in the photo wearing the navy blue with pink trim jacket with a big grin on her face!
Monica Gale told me that she also does this. Thankfully also when her husband, Peter, is driving the car.
Quite a few of the boxes sold to raise money for "Stand Up For Cancer."

I could not resist sharing the above photo with you.
This little guy won first prize in the fancy Dress Competition. He was not happy about that red nose and kept pawing the ground to get them to take it off.
The sleigh was made out of a box and decorated which qualifies it to be posted on this blog!

More Ferrero Rocher Boxes.

Today I have been finishing off eight Ferrero Rocher Boxes which someone ordered last Saturday at the Craft Fair.
The colours I used are Gumball Green and Real Red. I love this Christmas colour combination as it is cheerful and warm.
I used Be of Good Cheer paper on the sides of the boxes and a retired Christmas paper from last year on the top.
I used the Tiny Tags Merry stamp on the top punched out with the matching jewellry Tag punch.
The ribbon is Real Red striped Grosgrain.
I love the Tiny tags stamps and I will try to include them in a Workshop in the New Year.

Bird Builder Punch

I had time this morning to make a long overdue engagement card.
I enjoyed using my new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch and the much used Bird Builder Punch.
The stamp set for the sentiment is Curly Cute. I heat embossed with silver embossing powder. That is the first time in over a year that I have got my heat gun out!
I also made a retirement card but using a stamp set that will be available in January.

The new Stampin Up Trimmer.

When preparing for the Mini Album Workshop last night I used my new Stampin up Trimmer (page 180 in the main catalogue £25.95)and the Simply Scored Board (page 181 in the main catalogue £25.95)
I cut the two pieces for the spine and sides of the Albums with the Trimmer and then scored them on the Score board with the markers at the top to make the job quicker.

My new Stampin up Trimmer arrived yesterday and I am very impressed with it.
When I was a Creative Memories Consultant I had to return their trimmer more than once because the arm kept falling off.(they did eventually rectify this problem.) I don't think that I will have the same problem with this trimmer as I can see that there is a sturdy screw keeping it in place!

Some of the great features are:-

1. Extended 6 1/4 inch wide cutting base. 
    You don't have to use the extended arm when making your most common cuts.
     The ruler measures inches and centimetres. It measures down to 1/16th inch.
    Grid lines on the base measure 1/4 inch.
    A ridge at the top keeps the card stock straight while cutting.
    There is a  grid on the right side of the scoring track for very thin precise cuts or scores up to 1 1/4 inches or 3 cm in width.

2.Cutting track locks into place so that you can have secure storage and transport.
A precision tip on the left hand side of the blade handle allows you to accurately stop and start cuts as when making  a Stepper card.
A hook at the side of the blade handle holds it in place for a straight cut
     
3. Extended Cutting Arm opens out and measures 14 1/2 inches for larger cuts.
    It sits flush against the trimmer base when fully extended.
    It has a stabalising leg underneath to keep it steady.

4.It comes with a scoring and a cutting blade.
   Both blades can remain on the track as you work because of extra space on the track.

5.Storage Compartment underneath.
This has space for spare blades, a bone folder, pin pricking tool and other small tools.

I will still use the scoring board for making deeper score lines and also for scoring several items at once.
It is also invaluable for making Rosettes.

Simply Scrapping Kits.

Tonight I am doing a 6 x 6 Mini Album Workshop using two Simply Scrapping Kits from Stampin Up.
Four ladies have chosen the Merry Moments Kit (pictured above) which is on page 9 of the Seasonal Catalogue and two people have chosen the Razzleberry Splash kit (pictured below) which is on page 168 in the Main Catalogue.

 The three sticker sheets are 12 x 12 and would be sufficient to make four 6 x 6 Albums with some to spare as  room must be left for photos and some journalling!
The stickers are sturdy and can be repositioned without tearing the Card stock.
The kits could also be used to make a lot of quick and easy cards. I think that may be a future Workshop.

Candy Wrapper Die

Today I would like to draw your attention to the Stampin Up Candy Wrapper Die.
 It is so useful for making treat holders which would be ideal to sell at Craft Fairs or to adorn your table on Christmas day.
I have shown a selection in the above photo with a Rosette for added decoration.

Here is a close up to show the Builder wheel that I have inked up in Whisper White and rolled across the centre of the Candy Wrapper. This also works for the Milk Carton Die.
I put a spacer between the Snowflake Party and Good Cheer Wheels so that they fit perfectly allowing space for the white Organza Ribbon.
The" For you" stamp is from the Mixed Medley Hostess only set.
The colours used are Real Red and Whisper White.
There is still time to order these products in time for Christmas or I would be happy to prepare kits for anyone who wants them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft Fairs.

 I enjoyed having a table at two Craft fairs over the Week-end. One was at the Life Church in Bebington on  Friday evening and the other was at St.Hildeburghs in Hoylake all day on Saturday.
I focused on making lots of chocolate treat holders which would be ideal for table favours on Christmas day.
I also had lots of opportunities to talk about Stampin Up products and the Workshops that I enjoy running at my house.

A big thank you to everyone who supported me by chatting and buying things.
I enjoyed being able to make some Christmas cards in the occasional quiet moment on the Saturday and demonstrating making Rosettes using the Simply Scored board.
The most popular items were the Milk Carton and Ferrero Rocher boxes.
Anything with owls on was also popular.

Ornament Keepsakes Workshop.

 Ten ladies came along to the Ornament Keepsakes Workshop at my house last Wednesday.
They all did so well that I wanted to share some photos of their creations on my blog.
I hope that you are all inspired by what they did. Especially as the above photo is showing Anne's projects and it was her first Workshop and she came all the way from Manchester!
I believe that everyone is creative and can benefit from having a go at paper crafting projects.

Don't you love the lace edging in this photo. The ladies always enjoy raiding my stash and this time it was the lace box. Amongst many hobbies I have had one included Heirloom sewing so the remnants of lace are left over from those days. It was so good to see it put to good use to add the finishing touches,
Every ornament had a spritz of glitter spray on completion which was the icing on the cake!
The ornaments in the above photos are made in Gumball Green and Real Red.

Above is a photo of the ornament in silver and Rich Razzleberry.
These were the more popular colours chosen by six people.
My last Workshop of this year is next Wednesday,12th December. We will be making the 6 x 6 Accordion Album using the Merry Moments Simply Scrapping Kit.
I still have a space or two if anyone would like to make a last minute Album for someone for Christmas.

Happy Holidays to Monica!

This is a card that I made a few months ago which I am posting to wish Monica a happy holiday!
She certainly deserves it as she works so hard to keep the Passionettes team on track.
The stamps are from Lili of the Valley. They are colooured in with Pro Markers.
Have a great holiday, Monica.
Ignore the Happy Birthday sentiment!

Simply Scored Place Markers for Cup Cake Boxs.

 I was glad to have place markers for my Simply Scored Board today as I had to score 34 pieces of card to prepare cup cake Kits for the Homeschoolers tomorrow. Each piece measures 3 1/4 x 8 inches and is scored at 3 1/4, 5 1/2 and 7 1/2. The scalloped hole was punched using the Scallop Circle Punch  and two holes for the ribbon with the Cropadile before the box was assembled . The bottom edges of the two pieces were stuck together first and then an envelope was die cut with the Scalloped Envelope Die and adhered to either side.
The children are also decorating four cup cakes.Thankfully we are only making a box for one of them!

A photograph of two completed boxes with minimal decoration. I am going to let the children raid my peel offs and embellishments box so theirs will have a lot more bling. I may post some photos of their creations tomorrow.

Stamp a Stack Workshop

 Two cards made by one of my ladies at the Stamp a Stack Workshop last night.
I think that the owl had too many home made mince pies with brandy cream.(yes, I do like to spoil the ladies who come to Workshops!)
They made six cards in all. We listened to Christmas carols. Micheal Buble's Christmas album seemed to be their favourite.

This is a very quick and simple card made by someone using the Builder Wheel, Snow Festival Tags, Greetings of the Season stamp set and Festival of Prints Designer Series paper stack.

First Christmas

I love it when someone orders a Stamp set off you and then lets you have the first go with it.
The funny thing is when you then have to buy it for yourself. Has anyone else had that experience?
Thanks, Brenda, I really enjoyed creating some cards with the First Christmas stamp set.
The baby in the manger fits perfectly on Whisper white card stock die cut with the second smallest Labels Framelit. I knew that it needed a border and what better than the Builder Wheels Snowflake Party and Snowflake Soiree. It is great fun using these wheels as you get such quick results.
I bought these also on a customer recommendation. it should really be the other way around.
The words are my prayer for anyone reading this blog "May the wonder of the first Christmas be with you always."
This stamp set brings to mind the Bible verse from John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Googly Eyes.

When I first received the Stampin up Seasonal Catalogue I skipped over the Halloween pages as I am not a fan of Halloween. However, I noticed one or two Stampin Up Demonstrators using "Googlies" in their projects.On further research I discovered these Goolglie Eyes on page 27 of the Seasonal Catalogue along with all the other Halloween items. As they were only £2.25, and you get 40, I ordered them and I have used them on the Owl in the card above.
The green background was cut using the Top Note Die which has the white Framelits Die on top.
I used the Owl Occasions stamp set. I love the many elements that are in this set as there are so many variations.

It is always good to remember at this time of year that "God became flesh and dwelt among us."
God with us is the meaning of Emmanuel, one of the names of God mentioned in the book of Isaiah.
I have used the Top Note die again as the background on a Baja Blue base. The greeting is from a set of stamps designed by Paula Pascual for Personal Impressions.
The ladies are doing these cards and four others at my Christmas Card Stamp a Stack Workshop, here, tomorrow night.

Wacky Tree card.

I have been inspired by Monica and Julie to try a tree card using the Petite Pennants Builder Punch.
Apparently a similar idea was demonstrated at the Stampin Up Convention in Mainz, Germany recently.
I punched some triangles out of the Snow Festival Paper and cut the tree trunk out of Be of Good Cheer paper. I layered them on Melon Mambo card stock cut with the Top Note Die. The sentiment is from the Merry Moments hostess stamp set. The reindeer and snowflake are tiny stamps from the Make a Mitten set.
Since joining Monica's team, the Passionettes, I seem to put bling on almost every card! It must be Monica's influence.

Ornamental Keepsakes Again.

I made a few more of these cards today as the other ones sold at the Craft Fair last week.
The branch is cut out using a Marianne Creatables Die. The other products used were Stampin Up.
I do love the Ornamental Keepsakes stamps and matching dies. I am so glad that I bought the bundle especially as I now have six people booked in for the Workshop on December 5th to make the ornament, box and a card. That means that I will be stamping and cutting out three hundred ornaments! I also have an electric Big shot which can be temperamental with some dies but thankfully takes these Holiday Ornament Framelit dies with ease. I used an Edgelits Die and its matching embossing folder for the bottom of the card. The greeting was stamped using the Greetings of the Seasons set. the colour combination is one of my favourites at the moment - Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green. I guess that they have bubblegum in America that is green. Where else could that name have come from?

New Home Card.

 I decided to use some of the Snow Festival DSP to make a new home card for some friends who have moved house recently. The sheet with the houses on it is ideal. On closer examination I discovered that the snowflakes on the paper are the same as the tiny snowflake stamp in the Make a Mitten set. It amazes me how well co-ordinated some of the Stampin Up products are.  I decided to use the snowflake stamp as a background on the Cherry Cobbler card stock.The flowers match the Primrose Petals and Baja Breeze in the DSP. I used the Owl Occasions set and the Delicate Doilies Die.

I used a Hampton Arts alphabet stamp set for the inside of the card. I don't mind the letters being slightly askew as I think it adds character to the card. My cards tend to be rather symmetrical so it is a good thing to be a bit wacky from time to time! I cut out one house from the paper for the bottom right hand corner to reflect the theme of the card.

Make and Take Class preparation.

This afternoon I have been preparing for my first Make and Take on Saturday evening hosted by Chantal Robertson. Heeding Monica's advice about keeping things simple I have prepared kits for the above card.
We will be using the Owl Occasions stamp set. The background strip is from the Festival of Prints Designer Paper Stack trimmed with the Scallop Border Punch. I have cut out two of the Delicate Doilies with the Big Shot in Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Card Stock.
The label is done using the Labels punch. For the Cherry Cobbler back to this I cut the punched out card stock in half horizontally to provide a background for the greeting.

 This is another card made using the Owl Occasions stamp set.The santa hat, holly and the stockings are all in the same set along with a branch, three presents, a balloon, leaves, party banner, party hat and "to and from". Fourteen stamps in all. This set can be used for birthdays as well as Christmas.
 This is a very versatile stamp set which is why I ordered it.
 The colours are Real Red and Gumball Green.
I used two of the Labels Framelits dies in Whisper White and Gumball Green for the background
This is a very versatile stamp set which is why I ordered it.

The ladies will also be making a Candy treat box. Chantal loved this when I showed it to her and immediately wanted everyone to make one! I ran a 6" x 5" piece of Real Red Card Stock through the Big Shot. I then inked up the Snowflake Party and Good cheer Builder Wheels in Whisper White and rolled them across the middle.5/8" Organza Ribbon is around the middle and the sentiment is from the Mixed Medley Hostess set.
The Builder Wheel also fits exactly around the Big Shot Milk Carton.

Ornamental Keepsakes Workshop.

This is the ornament that we will be making at the Ornament Keepsakes Class, here, on Wednesday 5th December at 7.30pm. There will be a choice of colours but I think that Jayne and Vibe will choose this colour combination as they love purple. These colours are Rich Razzleberry and Pool Party.

We will also be making a Gift Box to contain the Ornament or something else such as chocolate or jewellry.
If we have time then we can make a matching card.

Many thanks to Jenny Moors and Connie Stewart for their inspiration and to Monica Gale for her invaluable help on box making!

For the benefit of those who have already booked into the Workshop which colour would you choose?

On another note I went into an Antique shop in Tarporley, Cheshire today and met another Scrapaholic.So if you are reading this then thanks for the coffee and chat, Tracey. I also recommend Tarporley Antiques Centre for a browse and chat.

Crop at Mold

I went to a Crop at Mold today organised by Barbara Moore who is a Creative Memories UK legend!
Diane and I signed up, as Stampin up Demonstrators, with Monica Gale in October. We both used to be Creative Memories consultants before the company sadly closed their UK office in April of this year.
I completed sixteen sides, excluding journalling and embellishments, which will be added at a later date.
It was the most productive Crop that I have ever been to.
Many thanks to Barbara for organising it. You are much appreciated.

This is the one page that is completely finished. I decided to add the flags as they seem to be popular at the moment and are a very good way to use up those pesky left over strips of paper that can so easily end up in the bin.
The papers used are from the Creative Memories Cheerful Power Palette. It was good to use up some of the Creative Memories stash that I have accrued over four years.

Craft Fair at Oasis church, Wallasey

Last night Tom helped me out at a Craft fair raising money for Pathways at Oasis Church, Wallasey.He sold cookies that he had made that afternoon for 20p each and some soft toys knitted by a lady who lives up the road from us. I sold 3D items and cards that I had made.

Here is a close up of some of those items.
The most popular were the boxes made with Stampin Up's Milk Carton Die and anything that was owl themed. People seem to like the Stampin Up Candy Wrapper boxes too. I borrowed the Die from a fellow Demonstrator three weeks ago and with the help of an excellent video on You Tube I soon got the hang of it.
I had to order my own as I realised that it makes a very cute box..When I show it to people they seem fascinated by it.

Ferrero Rocher Boxes.

Today I made boxes and treat holders in various sizes to put chocolate in. I have got a table at a fund raising evening for Pathways, at Oasis church in Wallesey, tomorrow evening. These Ferrero Rocher boxes were made using the Labels Collection Framelits from Stampin Up. I designed it myself and I am pleased with the finished product.The card stock is Real Red and Lucky Limeade. I do love some of the names that they choose for their card stock such as Gumball Green and Pool Party! One of my favourite colours at the moment is Cherry Cobbler. I wonder how they decided on that name. I love it when you find a new exciting colour combination. What are some of your favourites?

Mini Albums using Stampin Up's Merry Moments Simply Scrapping Kit.

On Sunday afternoon I had fun putting together these Albums using the Stampin Up Merry Moments Simply Scrapping Kit. The two larger ones are 6 x 6 with five pages and the smaller one is 5 x 5. The kit is sufficient for 3 - 4 mini albums, countless cards or several regular 12 x 12 or 8 x 8 scrap book pages.
It consists of :- 8 sheets of card stock: Two of each colour. 12 x 12.
                       6 sheets double-sided paper: 3 of each design; 12 x 12.
                       3 sheets of card stock stickers.1 of each sheet design. 12 x 12.
                       One of the sheets is sixteen 12" borders!
I am hoping to use this kit at a class in December so that people can make one to give as a gift to friends or family for Christmas. Everyone loves home made Albums as a present.

Make a Mitten stamp set

I love the "Make a Mitten" stamp set as it conveys the warmth of woolen mittens on a cold winter's day.
There are four border stamps in the set which could be used for any occasion and four tiny stamps which are useful for tags or adding accents to cards.
Many thanks to Monica Gale for her inspiration for the Gumball Green card.
I have used the Snow Festival Designer Series Paper and the Festival of Prints DSP Stack.
The card stock colours are Gumball Green, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake.
Baker's Twine was used to connect the mittens. My favourite Baker's Twine colour is Cherry Cobbler.

My paper crafting journey

Welcome to my blog.
I started Card making eight years ago after I went to a class at Brimstage. I started scrap-booking after attending a Creative Memories evening. I signed up as a Creative Memories Consultant and did that for four years before the company closed down their UK office in April, 2012. I continued with scrap-book, card making and box making Workshops.On October 2nd, 2012, I signed up as a Stampin Up Demonstrator following an amazing weekend Paperie retreat run by Monica Gale in Yorkshire. I had been using Stampin Up products for three years but I could not join up while I was still selling products for Creative Memories.I love what I do and I also enjoy sharing what I love so that is what I aim to do on this blog.

The three cards above were made with Stampin Up Gumball Green, Real Red and Baja Breeze Cardstock. I used the Owl Occasions and Greetings of the Season stamp sets, Snow Festival tags, Festival of Prints designer series paper stack and the Modern Label punch. I made the rosette on the green card using the Stampin Up Simply Scored Board.I love this board as it makes preparing box kits for a class or rosettes a breeze!I also use it as a lap tray to prepare for classes while watching a DVD.There is an added option of buying a diagonal plate to make envelopes in various sizes or a metric plate if you prefer to work with centimeters.