Jingle Joy and Noel Tags

As promised on yesterday's blog here are some more of my workshop cards.  These 3 designs are based on a simple stamp stick with the Striped emboss folder giving a texture to the background of two of the designs.  The third as the Top Note die shapes layered in two colours for a contrast.

 

 

 

I used the emboss folder for vertical stripes on the Joy card and horizontally on the Noel card. For both I embossed twice leaving a plain flat band in the middle section of the card for effect. 



The lettering for both cards is the Broadsheet Alphabet, this is such a great lettering set.  It is fantastic for initials on stationery or project items or dressed up as I have done for Christmas cheer on cards.  The lettering has perfect places to add jewels or pearls for those extra special touches.                                    

Christmas trees made simple with the little Pennants Parade stamp set finishes off the Joy card with it's Christmas theme and is also used for the three trees again. The set even includes the mini star for the top of the tree and the tree pot, all that's missing is the fairy! All the pieces for the Joy card were easily cut using the Square punch and then mounted again on coloured card as borders. The three trees on the third card were punched with the co-ordinating Pennants Builder Punch - easy cutting - I love it!

For the Noel card too I needed to add to the punched Tags (X-Large Tag Punch) so I used the holly from the 'Make a Mitten' set from this Autumn/Winter's catalogue.  I purposely set the tags at a slight angle from one another as a contrast to the straight lines of the Joy card. 

 

If you like these cards, why not come along to my next workshops on either Thursday 8th November or Thursday 6th December to make some yourself!
Hope to see you soon

Suzanne
x

 To place an order or book a place on a workshop at any time you can email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

Christmas Flurries

I am sure that is the distant sound of jingle bells I hear as I have another flurry of Christmas cards to show you.  Now I am sure you are all excited to see them all, but it would be such a long blog for them all so I will treat you to them over the next few days.  As just a teaser here is a picture of some of the cards I have to show you.  All Christmas, all a simple combination of stamping, punching and embossing with the big shot.

 

The first, a beautiful card and so simple to make.  I have CASE'd this from a post on a blog from 'Stamping Up North with Laurie'.  She had made the wreath with punched stars, but I used the Boho Blossoms punch. 

 

The co-ordinating button and scallop ribbon make this card along with the polka dot emboss. See the lovely heart embossing too - this is from the Adorning Accents folders - so cute!  The papers are the Festival of Prints which are in the Autumn/Winter catalogue (Pg 20).  I have already used these papers a number of times and they are such a good buy. They are a smaller format, ideal for cards or smaller projects and with lots more variety to choose from.

 

Remember to come back again to see some more cards......................

 

To place an order or book a workshop, email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

Sending Birthday Love

Well another lovely workshop on Thursday and a lovely set of cards to show you, but first I wanted to blog a card I made over the weekend.  It was my lovely hubby's birthday - the first birthday card I have had to make for my 'Husband'.  The 'For My Family' (pg  138) has a stamp for family members, husbands included so of course this was brought out for my crafting session.

I used the 'You Are Loved' stamp set for the main image. This is a lovely set which was originally in the Spring Mini and I am so glad SU decided to bring it into the annual catalogue too!!  The background print was using the 'Musical Notes' and 'Very Vintage' stamp wheels on Crumb cake card.

You cannot see the gold shimmer as much in the photo, but my other favourite at the moment which I used for this card was the emboss powder. I used the Gold powder for the heart design and additional wording on the front. I am just loving the 'magic' as they turn from their original colour to the lovely shiny metallics as you heat them with the heat tool! 

The new heat tool this catalogue (pg 159) has two heat settings too, one for drying ink and setting and a second setting for embossing.  I love my embossing buddy too - a clever little pillow fellow. Swipe over the page before working with the Versamark pad and emboss powder and it stops any powder sticking anywhere else on the page - so no stray emboss dots and a clearer image!

The designer paper for the heart was the Speciality News DSP (pg 162), I cut the image into strips and shaped them - I wanted varied lengths at the bottom for a less tidy effect.  I added a 'Happy Birthday' from the useful little set 'Made For You' (pg 44) for the birthday wishes on the front and created a tag for the embossed 'Love' element (I cut down an X-Large Tag punch).

An envelope then made to size using the Simply Scored tool and decorated with DSP - I loved the results!

Why not come to one of my workshops to see for yourself how easy it is to make beautiful cards! be!

Contact me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

Ornament Keepsakes

 Wow another team training session yesterday and I feel a flurry of inspired crafting coming along.  Here are the cards I made before the training, the first card was my swap for the day.I love training - I get to come home with a bag full of lovely cards made  by everyone else and see some amazing creations by the lovely talented ladies there.

The two cards are made using the Ornaments Keepsakes bundle from the catalogue.  Stampin' Up! are now offering their customers bundles of co-ordinating stamps and dies with a discount which is great value!   I can't wait to try making the decoration from the front of the Autumn/Winter Catalogue with this set.  Watch this space!

The second card I made I was playing with a 3-D bauble and love this, but then I put my practical head on and thought about how it would go through the postal service.  My idea,  I designed a foldable bauble that you open out and secure behind a half-circle cut (see the last photo). 

I added circles to the left hand side of the bauble in the co-ordinating Elegant Eggplant card so that the bauble when folded in could be tucked behind the circle to the right of the three.

I was quite pleased with myself for this design.  I am sure someone has come up with something similar elsewhere or even better, but I had this idea during a wakeful inspirational moment so I am patting myself on the back for actually remembering it and putting it together in my own way!

Well off to craft for the evening with all my new ideas from training.

To contact me to place an order, book a class or just chat email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

Snow Festival - So Much Fun

A new flurry of cards from me today using some of the products again from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue. I know you will have seen some of them on previous posts, but I am just loving playing and seeing what else I can do with them.

Here is another card using the very Christmassy Snow Festival papers and some of the new In Colours 2012-2014.  I made the bauble top using the Decorative Label punch and the Mitten Builder punch - sometimes you don't always have the right shape to hand, but with a little imagination...... 

The bauble decoration is the lovely prints from the Make a Mitten set too - I love the tiny little reindeer - so cute.  I am thinking I could have clear embossed the bauble too to give it a lovely glossy finish - ah well, for next time.

The colours are a mix of ones we know already, Cherry Cobbler for the background and Real Red for the bauble top and the new Stitched Grosgrain ribbon.  The inks for the bauble and the green background are the new In Colours 2012-2014.  I am loving the Raspberry Ripple - trust me to love the colours which are food thought provoking!

Another card with the 'Heart of Christmas' stamp for the second card today.  Again framed in the Framelits dies.  A different colour combination and that gorgeous bronze button (Autumn/Winter Catalogue) to finish this card to give it a different look to the last version.

I have been busy making other cards, but you will have to wait to see them as they are for the next workshop on Thursday 18th October.

To place an order or book a place on my next workshop, email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

THE NEW CATALOGUE IS HERE

The new catalogue is here!  A full 200 pages of the new 2012-2013 catalogue to browse through spoiling us for crafting goodies and ideas. 

Stampin' Up! have really spoilt us with all the extras now on offer.  There's not just card and papercraft, we have fabric, new tools to add to your kit and also somethings for the kitchen to dress up your homemade offerings over the festive season and in the year ahead.

To see the catalogue online or download a PDF  copy just Click here
- remember to be patient - 200 pages means a little longer to download than previous catalogues!

There are a few differences in the catalogue as Stampin' Up! move into new European markets. One change is that prices in the catalogue are now in both Euros and Pounds. 

If you would like  your own copy of the brand new Stampin’ Up! UK catalogue - just book a party with me and it is absolutely FREE or come to one of my workshops and take away your copy for just £3.00 - To find out more about the classes and dates, click here.  If you would like me to send you a copy in the post, I can do this too for just £4.50. Email me at: craftyinkbuds@sky.com to get your copy sent.

A new catalogue and new offers too - join up with me in October or November as a Demonstrator and you will receive a free Designer Series Paper Pack of your choice each month for the first six months as part of the Free Paper Promotion. Click here to find out more. There’s no better time to join a team of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators, you have a fully customisable starter kit with £130 of products and it include a business supplies pack of over £45 - all for £99 and also the free 6 packs of papers over the first 6 months! I would love to talk to you more about it, please Email me at: craftyinkbuds@sky.com for a callback to chat.

Enough talk of catalogues and offers! Here are a couple of cards I have made with the lovely 'Make a Mitten' set from the Autumn/Winter Catalogue with the matching Mitten Builder Punch.  I have used the 'Snow Festival' Papers and the Label Collection Framelits dies to cut the lovely shaped overlays for the sentiments.  The first card uses the 'Heart of Christmas' stamp too which I love - a single stamp which says it all about Christmas! I used the stamp wheel 'nicely knit' with the whispher white craft pad for the design across the bottom.

Want to see the cards close up and have a go at making these (or similar)?  Just book onto one of my classes - the next class on 18th October still has spaces so don't delay!  To find out more, click here.

Suzanne