Wintery punch art

My August class  last Saturday was themed as 'Punch Art'... and so we had lots of fun creating a number of different cards using a variety of the Stampin' Up! punches including this summery card which I've already shared with you:

 

 

There's always a few ladies who like to have a play with some of the card ideas that I prepare for them and this is where the summertime became winter, with a change of Green (Old Olive) to White (Whisper white) and an Owl punch...

 

So cute!  And it's just another creation from the amazing Owl punch which retails at just £15.50.  You could purchase this and some card stock and need very little else initially :).

 

Contact me to place an order from the main or Autumn/Winter mini catalogue (released tomorrow) and remember that I will combine your order with others and save on postage if you can collect your products from me (GU16).

 

Yes, just one more sleep until the new mini catalogue is out.  Check back tomorrow for more details.

Wedding stationery - part 3

After 'Save the Date' cards, and invitations, I am still on call to help with my good friend Tori's wedding stationery :).  Last week we created the table numbers and place settings.

 

If you are a regular follower of my blog you will probably remember the save the date cards and wedding invites, created with a variety of Stampin' Up! products using a Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzaz colour theme

 

For the table numbers we used the Top Note die to cut silver mirror card (non-Stampin' Up!) and Whisper White (cutting the borders off) and then stamped the lettering from the Monogram Sweet Alphabet stamp set in the centre of the Whisper White piece and the decorative image from the 'thank you' stamp in 3 of the corners, before adding the number cut using the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies.

The place setting have been created as wine glass charms, using the Decorate Label punch.  For the children Tori created little place cards instead, with the same design - the V&A and wedding date printed onto card with the names on the front.

 

I was half relieved and half disappointed that Tori managed to put all these little charms together without my help, but have to share them with you...

Now we just have the table plan left and then the thank you cards :).

 

If you would like to make your own wedding stationery and need some assistance in picking out some products from the Stampin' Up! catalogues just contact me at jadedcrafter@gmail.com and I will be happy to help.

For special birthdays

I have a special birthday card to share with you - it's for my friend Natalie's 30th which she celebrates today, but this layout would work for any special birthday.

 

I couldn't resist using some of the papers from the upcoming Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue that will be released on 1st September... so this card gives you a sneak peek too!

 

 

For the base I have used Pool Party card and then adhered the new papers behind a piece of Shimmery White card stock, onto which I have stamped in Island Indigo ink, the 'legend' stamp from the Open Sea stamp set which is in the Summer Mini Catalogue.  Don't forget this stamp set will only be available until the end of this week (Friday) when the Summer Mini Catalogue ends.

 

I have cut some of the Beautiful Butterflies (embosslit) using my Big Shot machine, from Pool Party scraps and then added the sentiment from the Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess only) stamp set.

 

The numbers were cut with the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies from the new papers...

 

I hope Natalie has a great birthday today, whatever she is doing x

Mixed bunch thanks

I have another card today, to show you the Mixed Bunch stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalogue.  It's a nice and easy quick card, but could be adapted with a different sentiment for any occasion or as a notelet maybe.

The base is Wisteria Wonder and I have added a Strip of Melon Mambo, punched on one edge with the Scallop Trim Border punch and then I've added a strip of Pink Pirouette card over the top before attaching the flower.  The Flower is one of the lovely images from the Mixed Bunch stamp set, inked in Melon Mambo and then punched out with the co-ordinating punch.  Finally a sentiment, from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, but just the 'Thanks' from the Happy Thanksgiving stamp... now I think I have used every one from that set :).

Don't forget the Summer Mini Catalogue products are only available until the end of the month (this Friday!) so place your order now by contacting me at jadedcrafter@gmail.com.

Deck the 'sunroom' with a door stop

Happy Bank Holiday!

 

Today I have another fabric project to share with you... although I have to confess that it's made by my mum as sewing isn't something I am too good at.

 

I've been moaning about the doors in my sunroom, as they don't stay open fully without somtehing in front of them, so mum has made me a door stop, from the lovely Deck the Halls fabric!

 

 

I think he needs some proper eyes, but there are no big buttons in any of the current Stampin' Up! catalogues, so we will have get him some when the new Autumn/Winter mini catalogue is released later this week. 

 

Yes, it's out on 1st September, so watch this space, or email me to be added to the mailing list to receive full details on release day.

Pizza box for scented gifts

I'm at the coast today... hopefully getting some walking done.  I hope you are up to something nice too over the bank holiday, perhaps some crafting :)!?

 

If you are a regular follower of my blog you will hopefully remember the little quilted lavendar bags that my mum made earlier this month from the Flirtatious fabrics?

 

Well, I thought they would make great gifts, to put in a sock drawer perhaps... so needed a little box to put them in.  I decided that a pizza box would work well...

 



 

A perfect fit it seems :).

 

 

I've used Wisteria Wonder for the box itself and then added Melon Mambo card stock and papers to decorate.

 

The papers are from the lovely Cheerful Treat DSP pack (hostess only) and the label is from the Apothecary Art stamp set (coloured in avoiding the flowers in the centre) with a Wisteria Wonder Stampin' Write Marker and then I've inserted the 'perfume' image stamp from the Every Little Bit stamp set inside and coloured with markers using a blender pen.

 

Finally the sentiment is from the Tiny Tags stamp set, and I've punched it out with one of the 'eyes' from the Owl Punch :).

 

I love these little boxes and they are so easy to make, for mini cards too.

Summery punch art class

This morning I have my Punch Art class and am very much looking forward to it!  My crafty partner in crime, Amy will be missing in action sadly, so one of the cards we will be making is dedicated to her and CASE'd from her too :)

 



 

I've used a Whisper White cardbase and mounted a piece of Old Olive card and a slightly smaller piece of Bashful Blue card onto it.

 

The sheep is created from Basic Black card using the Owl Punch and the body is Whisper White punched with the Scallop Circle punch and run through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder using the Big Shot machine.  Then finally the legs are made from the Word Window punch.

The 'grass' was created with the Scallop Circle die using Old Olive card stock and then the flowers are punched with the Boho Blossoms punch from some of the papers in the Cheerful Treat (Hostess only) paper pack.

 

Finally a Whisper White Word Window with the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, selectively inking the 'just for' from the 'just for you' stamp and then handwriting the 'ewe' using a Stampin' Write Marker.

 

Thank you Amy for the inspiration and we will miss you today... x

 

I'm off to Dymchurch, in Kent, this afternoon... for a spot of camping and walking - let's hope the weather holds off.

Sympathy sunflowers

Yesterday I shared with you and idea using the Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Summer Mini Catalogue.  Today I have another, because I just love sunflowers and this stamp set is ideal for creating them. 



For a different occasion entirely the base card is Sahara Sand and I have added a panel of Soft Suede and a piece of the So Saffron DSP paper to create a subtle background for these lovely More Mustard coloured sunflowers.

Don't forget just a week left to order this stamp set along with any other products from the Summer Mini Catalogue, so contact me to place your order.



Sunflower friend

As the end of August is fast approaching us, just a quick reminder about the Summer Mini Catalogue - these products will only be available until the end of the month, so don't miss out!   

Contact me to place an order and don't forget that I am offering FREE postage for orders over £45 and the Reason to Smile stamp set is FREE on orders over £60.



One of my favourite products in the Summer Mini Catalogue is the Mixed Bunch set, which I have shown you is great for creating flowers and butterflies.

Today, I wanted to show you a sunflower card created with this stamp set.  Apologies that the photo isn't too good, but you can just make out the colours of More Mustard (with Soft Suede in the flower centres), Island Indigo and Pool Party.  The base is Whisper White and I have folded it back on itself and then edged with the Scalloped Border punch...



I can spend hours trying to come out with new colour combinations, and not just stick to my favourites.  I wasn't too sure about the More Mustard with the other 2 colours initially but now really like this.

The leaves are created using the 'wing' from the Bird Builder punch (2-step bird puchr) and the flower centres are circles of Soft Suede which I have then run through the Square Lattice embossing folder and raised up.

You can just make out the background of the wording panel, which is Pool Party run through the Stripes embossing folder and then layered up with the More Mustard, Island Indigo and then lettering cut with the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies from Pool Party scraps of card stock.

More butterflies, from Kat

I think there is a theme developing here, I had 3 hand made cards for my birthday with butterflies on, all created from different stamps and tools :).

This fabulous card was from my friend Kat, who is a keen crafter these days.  She has of course got into the Stampin' Up! world and loves their products as much as I do (I think!).

Kat has coupled Perfect Plum/Wisteria Wonder with Old Olive, as she knows about my obsession with purple!

The flower and bird image is stamped using Stampin' Write markers, which allows you to pick out parts of an image - the stamp set is You are Loved which is now retired.  Kat has then added butterflies cut with the Beautiful Butterflies embosslit and a Teeny Tiny Wishes sentiment with the Word Window punch to create a lovely border.

Birthday butterflies, from Amy

Today I have one of the cards that I received for my birthday.  This one is from my crafty partner in crime, Amy.  Check out Amy's blog for details of this card and her other regular posts.



I love the combination of Peach Parfait and Lucky Limeade.  Thank you Amy x

Thanks again

I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle last week, up in the Lake District... trying to get away from it all; as well as visiting the memorial trees and replacing the geocache that I have up there in memory of my late partner, Nick.

I always love being in the Lakes, not just for the memories, but for the food and hospitality ;)!  I actually think my Aunt should open up her house as a B&B cos her cooking is great and lots of it comes freshly picked from the garden.

Anyway, as a thank you to them I have made and sent this card... hopefully it's winging its way up North as you read this post.

I have CASE'd the idea from Amy, although with a few tweaks.  I have used a Basic Black card base and then stamped the images from the Just Believe stamp set in Old Olive ink onto Crumbcake card stock.  I have then punched a border with the Scallop Trim Border punch in Old Olive and adhered this under the image panel.

The ladybird was created with the Scallop Circle punch and I have then decorated it with spots and finished off with a sentiment from the Apothecary Art stamp set onto Old Olive card.

Thanks again Susan and David x

Smashing birthday

If you are a regular follower of my blog you will know that I celebrated my birthday last week.  I was in Krakow in Poland and spent the day sightseeing, walking and then had a meal at a Mexican to finish.  It was a really lovely day and after recent birthdays being some what melancholy that is a really big thing for me. 

I was also overwhelmed by the messages and cards that I received, thank you everyone x

Yesterday I was surprised by friends with a cake and presents by way of a late celebration over a Raclette (Swiss cheese meal), so that was lovely too...

So of course must share some of the cards with you along with my Smash book pages (as promised)...

Featureing the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies of course :).

I'm now up to date with my travel Smash book, with just a few snippets to add when time.  I have lots of other bits and pieces that I am looking forward to 'Smashing' into my general Smash book, but have yet to properly start it. 

Of course, I have used a few Stampin' Up! products, can you spot them?  Here's a close up to help:

I've used one of the label stamps from the Apothecary Art stamp set (excluding the flowers) to make a record of my day and also included one of the sentiments from the same set inked in Chocolate Chip onto Melon Mambo to co-ordinate with the lettering on the left hand page.

Here are a few of the handmade cards that I received too...

A gatefold card from Pam, beautiful.

Birthday cupcakes from Vicki, she's getting the bug!

I've saved the cards made with Stampin' Up! products for other posts, as I have been away and not had time to make much and am struggling a little for post content!  So, check back to see these later this week.

New home's

It seems quite a few people I know are moving home or have moved recently.  Tonight I'm going to a long over due house warming dinner party with friends.  So of course I had to make a card, in fact I have had to make three New Home cards in the last couple of weeks, so I went with similar designs but in different colours and with a slight twist on each...

I hope Marie and Matt are very happy in their new place... looking forward to seeing it later.

You will see that I have used Marina Mist for the base and co-ordinated the lettering cut with the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies.  I've attached these to the background panel, created from Very Vanilla card stock run through the Square Lattice embossing folder.  And then of course the little cuckoo that comes from the Easy Events stamp set that I have cut out and coloured with blender pens and then adhered to the base with dimensional sticky pads.

Next up is a card I made for a friend at work... she hasn't moved in officially yet but the purchase completed last week so hopefully there is a mantle piece or suitable worktop for the card to go on soon x.

For this card I have used Perfect Plum for the base and lettering and then stamped the cuckoo image directly onto the Shimmery White card stock that I have used in background.  I've coloured the image with blender pens in the same way as the other card, but the shimmery card creates a lovely effect.  Notice the corners of the panel have been punched out with a petal from one of the Boho Blossoms punch flowers and I've added some Basic Rhinestones to finish.

Then finally, a card for my cousin and his wife.  They haven't actually moved yet either and my Aunt/Uncle are helping them out with the move over the bank holiday weekend... but they have the keys!

I've changed the background panel by using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and then added some Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, and in stead of the cuckoo... the little bird in it's cage, from from the Every Little Bit stamp set.

More wedding wishes

If you are a regular follower of my blog you may recall this wedding card that I made for a colleague at my office in Cambridge, who got married recently.

The wedding colours were a dark purple so for another card commission I went with Concorde Crush rather than the Elegant Eggplant I used previously.

The card base is Shimmery White, and I have used one of the label images from the Apothecary Art stamp set, inked in Concorde Crush, Organza ribbon and some butterflies cut using the Beautiful Butterflies embosslits die.

If you look closely you will see that I have personalised the label with the names of the recipients... definitely will be doing this again, although it's a bit stressful trying to line up the image over the top, even with a stamp-a-ma-jig...

Flower to butterfly

I have a really quick and simple card to share with you today that used the Mixed Bunch stamp set from the Summer mini catalogue, the idea I have CASE'd from a card I saw at Bracknell craft show that I went to in June.  Remember the mini catalgue ends in August so you only have a few days left to order products from it.

The card base is Rich Razzleberry and I have simply stamped the sentiment from the Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set in Versamark ink and then embossed with Whisper White embossing powder using a heat gun.

The create the butterfly I have stamped one of the flowers form the Mixed Bunch set and then cut out 2 of the flower petals and tied a piece of Bakers twine around the middle to create the body and antennae.

That really is it... this stamp set is fab and I will be making stacks of these cards as they are so quick and easy.

Flower panels

I'm back on 'holiday', up in the Lake District today... so will be continuing to schedule posts.

Here is another idea for you, using the Reason to Smile stamp set that is available only throughout August...

I've stamped the images and coloured with blender pens and then cut out and mounted onto the panels fromthe Clearly for You stamp set which I have inked in Pear Pizzazz and then matted onto Peach Parfait card stock.

These colours are lovely and summery so I continued the theme by using a So Saffron card base with a strip of Pear Pizzazz embossed with Perfect Polka Dots and some Daffodil Delight grosgrain ribbon.

If you want to get your hands on this stamp set I will be placing an order this week:

Woodmount: £18.95 (130826)
Clear: £14.95 (130828)

Don't forget you can get it FREE with an order of £60 and I am offering FREE P&P (normally £4.95) on orders over £45 until the end of the month too.

Smashing travels

Just to let you know that if you want to place an order and live close to me (GU16) you can save on postage this week, as I will be putting an order through, so just email me with details.  And, don't forget the great offer this month if you spend £60 - you can get the Reason to Smile stamp set for FREE (RRP £14.95/18.95).  See further details here.

I got back from Poland yesterday.  Krakow to be exact, where I have spent the last week after a couple of days spent in Berlin, Germany.

However my summer break is not yet over, as I am off to the Lake District later this evening to hang out in the rain no doubt!  But first I wanted to share with you something from my travels... because the crafting bug is now with me everywhere I go :).

You may have seen a Smash book before (?!).  In fact I positively recommend that you check out this to see what it's all about if you haven't as it's totally addictive and an alternative to journalling or blogging. 

I've been compiling mine for a while, specifically for keeping all those little bits and pieces I pick up whilst travelling around.  And of course there is the odd 'ickle bit' of Stampin' Up! loveliness that sneaks in along the way...

For those of you that are familiar with the products... you will see that I've used the 'coffee mug' image from the Every Little Bit stamp set in the main catalogue, to create little beer mugs.  And of course the lettering for 'Berlin' is cut using the Stampin' Up! Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies which I absolutely love.

If you want to read more about the finer details of my latest adventures then check out my travel blog for 2012 (from Berlin to Krakow). 

I will hopefully be able to share the Krakow pages with you from my Smash book soon, along with some of the lovely birthday cards that I received last week so keep checking back.

In the meantime, I would love to see any ideas of your own that you have come up with for this addictive way to journal...

Candle art

Ok, so as promised... something a bit different today... and also I will be back in the UK shortly :(.  But off up to the Lake District for my next stop.

I've had a couple of pillar candles on the mantle piece in my living room since I finished renovating the house, which is probably over a year ago now... and I have been meaning to do something with them.

Finally I have gotten around to it and using the Mixed Bunch stamp set; with some Real Red ink I have decorated the candles to co-ordinate with the current 'red' decor.  I just love the fact that having white walls means you can add a sprinkle of colour to a room and change the accessories with your mood.

I am really pleased with the finished candles... not so sure about the photo quality...

These candles were really easy to make with tissue paper and a heat gun... just go easy on the heat and don't melt 'em too much.  There are plenty of tutorials on the web so give it a go.

Another card for dad

I promise to post something else other than a birthday card soon :).

Today's card was made by me for my mum to give to my dad for his birthday yesterday...

Yes, I know you have seen cards like this from me before, but I just love the owl and bird punches and they work so well for so many cards.

I've used my brayer for this card, to create the background in More Mustard ink, onto a So Safforn card with a 1 3/8 inch circle punch shape masked off to create the sun.  I've then added some little silhouette leaves in Chocolate Chip using a stamp from the Just Believe set and the sentiment from the For my Family set.

Happy birthday Dad

Another birthday today... Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad is a keen DIY'er, although perhaps that is largely down to the amount of DIY'ing I create for him everytime I move lol!

For this card I've used a Sahara Sand card base with a strip of DSP in the centre, to which I have adhered lettering cut from Chocolate Chip card, with the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies.  For the centre panel I've used the 'hammer' stamp from the Every Little Bit stamp set on Whisper White card, punched out with the Curly Label punch and then raised up with dimensionals onto a couple of Labels Collection Framelits dies cut from Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue.

Have a great birthday Dad x

Happy birthday cuckoo

Today I have a card to share with you that I made for a friend... we almost share the same birthday so every year without fail (I think) we manage to remember each others birthdays... I have no excuse really as a card maker however!

I've used the cuckoo stamp from the Easy Events stamp set... which I don't seem to use often enough, despite the choice of stamps!

Coloured using blender pens and Stampin' Write Markers I have then matted onto Bashful Blue and Early Espresso card stock and then attached a strip of DSP across a Certainly Celery card base and finished with a sentiment from the Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess only) stamp set.

By the sea

I'n another year older today, and although I won't be by the sea I thought I would share this card with you as I will be in Krakow, Poland, celebrating quietly away from the Olympics and perhaps (unsure as scheduling this post in advance) some grey UK weather?

I've gone completely out of my comfort zone to create this card which is based on an idea I saw on Crafting Clare's site.  She always makes such beautiful cards and inspires me to try new ideas, but often I can't get the same effect.  With this card though I actually managed to get the watercolouring/sponge daubering to work and after fiddling around a bit and adding a frame and a border with some Night of Navy card and attaching it all to a Bashful Blue card base I have a reason to celebrate.

I also thought I'd enter this into the Crafty Boots Challenge (not easy to do when scheduling posts, so I will be back to change the link at some point).

Fingers crossed there are some handmade cards waiting for me to open when I get back on Monday, otherwise I may be struggling for blog posts by then :P.

Quilted lavender bags

I do love the fabrics in the Stampin' Up! catalogues, but I'm just no good at sewing... but fortunately my mum is!

I wanted some lavender scented bags for gifts, so mum not only made some for me using the Flirtatious fabric, but also harvested some of the lovely lavender fresh from her garden...

Mum is a keen quilter so the little lavender bags were created with a 'quilt' style using all 3 of the different fabrics that come in the pack and finished with a variety of ribbons and buttons.

Here are a few more, all stuffed with fresh lavender...

I found a great site for quilting layouts that would work for cards http://www.equiltblocks.com/  so may have to give a few layouts a try soon.

August offer idea

I should be arriving in Krakow this morning... and will be here for 6 days so have scheduled a few posts for you in the meantime so you get your crafting fix.

The Reason to Smile stamp set that is available during August is a definate must have.  Retailing at just £14.95 for the clear set (£18.95 for the wood set) it's a bargain because there are 7 different stamps (3 images and 4 backgrounds) and even though the them is 'flowers' I've already seen some ideas using them for other things.

And the best news is that if your order is £60 you can get your hands on this stamp set for FREE.  Check out further details here.

So here is my first attempt at a card made using the Reason to Smile stamp set ...

I've coupled Poppy Parade with Lucky Limeade to create this get well wishes card.  The stamps in the set are in 2 parts, the background stamp and the outline stamp, for this card I've just used the outline stamp and then coloured the images in with Stampin' Write markers using a blender pen.

I've then used the smaller flower background stamp to create a background pattern on the Lucky Limeade card base before adding a border strip (punched with the Eyelet Border punch) and then the image panel which was matted onto Poppy Parade card stock.

Happy Birthday Lynne

Today I have a card for a friend from my old place of work. These days we only ever catch up via email so I wanted to make sure I didn't forget her birthday, even though I'm not in the country.  Happy Birthday Lynne, for yesterday x

I've CASE'd this card from Beth as I just needed some inspiration to get me going with the Mixed Bunch stamp set and I wanted to use some colours I wouldn't normally go for.

The colours are Pacific Point and Garden Green and the sentiment is from the Petite Pairs stamp set.  For the leaves I punched out the 'wings' from the Bird Builder punch and tucked them under the central flower and then raise dthis up with dimensionals.  A nice quick card.

I should be getting an overnight train later... to my next stop - Krakow in Poland.  Check out my travel blog to see what I am up to (link is under Blog list to the left of my site - Tiggerbird's Travelpod).

Happy Birthday Jamie

It's baby Jamie's 1st birthday today... Happy Birthday little man :) x

I'm on my way to Berlin, but I had to make him a card before I left of course!

I've created the little train by using the Curly Label punch and cutting the pieces of Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight card stock into half, before then running these through the Stripes embossing folder.

The wheels were punched using one of the circles of the Owl Punch and then I have carefully inked and stamped the monkeys in Chocolate Chip ink and added a '1' cut using the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies.

The DSP is from the Neutrals Collection paper pack and then I've finished the card off with a sentiment stamp from the Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess only) which fits nicely inside a 1 3/8 inch circle punch and onto a Scalloped Circle punch shape.

Hen do celebrations

My good friend Tori is having her hen do today in London.  With lot's planned throughout the day I'm very much looking forward to the ceramic pottery making part ;).

I wanted to make Tori a card to mark the occasion...

I've CASE'd the idea from Amy, but used different papers and card stock.  The base is Regal Rose and I have matted mirror card (not Stampin' Up!) with some of the papers from the Cheerful Treat paper pack (available with hostess pounds) to create the background.

I've then cut a square of the Shimmery White card and cut an 'L' shape from Regal Rose card and run this through the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, and then raised the panel up with dimensionals, adding a few Basic Rhinestones to the corners.  Finally the sentiment 'friend to friend' from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set...

I hope Tori has a fabulous day x

Hostess sets only available until September

I'm off to see Van Morrison tonight... so just a morning of finishing up my workload before a 2 week break, a BBQ (if the weather holds off) and then a trip to Newmarket races!

For those of you that don't know already, the new Stampin' Up! main catalogue will be released on 1st October.  That does seem like quite some time, but during September the retiring products will be available for the last time, and that includes the Hostess only sets which are at the front on the current catalogue (pages 8 to 12).

You can only get your hands on these products if you host a party and your sales are over £150, but that doesn't mean you actually have to have a party as such, you can just share your catalogue with your friends and collect orders that way... contact me today to find out more.

Today I have a card to share with you that uses the Ain't Love Grand stamp set available with hostess pounds.  This set has some really lovely stamps which can be used for a variety of occasions.

For this card I have created a card base from Regal Rose card stock which I have folded back on itself and then placed the image panel on the fold.  A simple fold that makes a big difference to a card.

To create the balloon I stamped directly onto patterned papers from the Brights Collection DSP pack and then cut out the panels and adhered these onto the balloon image stamped onto Whisper White card.  I then coloured in the basket and hearts using Stampin' Write markers.  Note that instead of the sentiment that comes with the image I have not inked this and instead used a sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  It's easy to select parts of an image when using the markers rather than ink pads, and gives more used for a single stamp.

To finish the card I have added strips of DSP punched with the Scallop Trim Border punch and a few hearts punched using the owl punch.

Congratulations Amy and Dave

I've had this card ready for ages, as the majority of my crafting sessions tend to be with my crafty friend Amy... so I had to make it in secret, as it's for her new baby boy who arrived YESTERDAY!

Congratulations to Amy and her husband Dave on the arrival of their new bundle, Alexander (Xander)...  I look forward to meeting him sometime soon x

I've actually used Amy's stamp set, Fox and Friends to create this card with the cute little monkeys and carefully stamped them using my stamp-a-ma-jig so they 'hang' from each other.  You will see the middle one has been cut out by hand and raised up with dimensionals and his tail is looped into one of the letters, which was a bit fiddly, but I think achieves the desired effect.

I've used a Top Note die cut from Whisper White card stock and mounted this onto a Bashful Blue Top Note and then added the lettering cut with the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies, of course stamping the cheeky monkeys first.

You can just make out the 'hello baby' sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set placed just above the 'BOY' inked in Bashful Blue, and then I have mounted the panel onto Shimmery White card and added a designer button to finish.

I really hope Amy likes this card - it's always hard to come up with new ideas for fellow demonstrators...

August offers a reason to smile

I cannot believe it is August already!  The summer has hardly been and it's already almost gone...

However with a new month comes another offer from Stampin' Up! and the Reason to Smile stamp set.

This fabulous stamp set is available FREE with an order of £60 during the month of August, but can also be purchased for just £14.95 (wood option is £18.95).

I am also offering FREE postage on all orders over £45, normally £4.95, so contact me now to place your order at jadedcrafter@gmail.com.