Somethings Have To Be Believed To Be Seen - Last Retiring and Sneek Peek

I think possibly today's flurry of crafting is going to be some of the last of the retiring products you will see from me.  One of the first stamp sets I bought from Stampin' Up! was the Just Believe set.  It has simple 'Thank You', 'Friends' and 'Just for You' sentiments, but also has the great saying 'Somethings have to be believed to be seen'.  I have been inspired for the cards here by so many designs I have seen with the  larger stamp and how this can be framed on the front of the cards.

This first card is a combination of the In Colours 2013-2014 Raspberry Ripple and Primrose Petals. There is also some Regal Rose for the Boho Blossoms flowers which is a retiring colour with the new colour refresh.  The green on the card is Always Artichoke which has a darker shade which I think works really well in contrast with the other colours.

I just love the frame shape for this card.  This was cut using the Framelits Label Collection for the Big Shot.  I just imagined this card layout in my head and built it up from cutting and framing the stamped image.  The Boho Blossoms and Embosslits Beautiful Wings on the card are just the right size to go with the background image to dress it. 

The stamp set also contains two stamps which can be used to create instant label.  There is the decorative label I have added to this card and another larger label which can be used.  These are great for layering on cards or tags and are sized for the sentiments to fit with ease. 

You cannot see it too well on the photo, but there are embossing designs on the middle section and also on the edges of the white insert piece.  I used a product I have not mentioned too much up until now, the Simply Borders plate for the Simply Scored Tool, which is in the Spring/Summer mini.  This is fabulous for a subtle embossed design to your cards and co-ordinates with other products such as the Framelits dies. 

Tip:  The Simply Borders plate comes with a top template for easy alignment with your project when embossing.  To keep everything in place when embossing use some low tack masking tape to keep placement and to stop any slips.

The second card in neutral tones of Crumb Cake and Soft Suede is another use of the framelits die.  This card is created by first stamping in Crumb Cake and then using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to line up and create a shadow image, stamping with Versamark and then embossing with white.  The embossing was then sponged over with Crumb Cake.

This first photo is the initial version with the Flower Trim from the Spring/Summer catalogue and the Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon.  I then decided to step-up the card a little and added a few pearls.  I think the pearls lift it and make for a much better looking card.   Just a simple change can make such a difference!

The Flower Trim, as it is in the Spring/Summer catalogue will no longer be available after June 30th.  The other retiring products on the cards are, the Just Believe stamps and also the First Edition designer papers.  The papers are such a staple for any craft room; they work so well for a background, for vintage looks, or for masculine cards.

Lastly, all these retiring products posts have meant I have had to keep my twitching hands off my new catalogue products, but as we are now in the last few days of the current catalogues I thought it only right to give you a little tease of what is coming.  We have been talking about all the colour changes and retiring colours, well here are the yummy new In Colours 2013-2014 for the new catalogue (well 4 of them anyway!). 

 

Still with a retiring products, this card has monochrome Just Believe flower circles and I have then decorated them with the Floral Fusion Sizzlits in the new colours.  The photo does not show it, but I have also used the 'Friends' saying from the stamps down the right hand side strip.  The white card is also embossed with the Simply Borders plate as once I had played with it once I got carried away and wanted to play some more - as often the way with all the products!

To place your order, order your new catalogue, book a party or come to a workshop email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com

It's a Countdown....5....4.....3.....2....1 !

Only 5 more days to order from the retired products and the Spring/Summer catalogue!  Here are some cards I have been making for all the little one's birthdays lately.  My little one turned 3 last month and we had a blast with the Blast Off stamp set.  I knew as soon as I saw it in the catalogue I would need to buy it for birthday celebrations for him.  I even made a rocket shaped cake based on the design, but that is a whole other story!

 

This card layout was hard to photograph for you to see all of the design and the card layout.  The middle section folds separately from the top and the bottom of the card.  The idea I had for this card was to use the Outter Space Jumbo Wheel with shimmer paint to create a planetary background with some galactic glitter. It was a bit tricky at first and I think I could have taken a bit longer to get a more even coating on the wheel probably using the brayer. 

 

The thing I love about this stamp set is the spaceship which looks great in the embossed silver.  My little alien friends are in Lucky Limeade which was a great choice of green for them to stand out - this is a colour also retiring.  I added some left over googly eyes from the Aut/Wint catalogue and there are some Brights Brads on the spaceship too. 

 

Now of course, as every mum does, I think my Son is the greatest so the top sentiment here is the single stamp from the current catalogue World's Greatest which is retiring also.  I combined it with a stamp from the For My Family set, also retiring - how will you make family cards without this set?  It's a must from the retiring sets surely!

 

Here's another layout for the card I made for one of the friends with the same set of stamps.  For the Outter Space background for this one I stamped using Versamark for the watermark look.

For all the 'Thank-You's that follow a birthday celebration, here were the little thank you cards we sent to thank everyone for the great presents received and for coming to our party.  The coloured dots on the spaceships are postal friendly for these cards - just simple punched coloured card this time.

For the cards for the girls I used the Create a Cupcake stamp set and the co-ordinating Cupcake Builder punch. I just love the stamp set where there is a matching punch it is so easy to make a card!  Of course the colour Pink features on the cards and the cakes just look good enough to eat!

Another retiring stamp set is the little trio of stamps used for the 'Happy Birthday' sentiments on the cards.  This set is called Made For You and I thought it was a fantastic value set as it has 'Thank You' and 'Especially for You' as the other sentiments in it. They are in a really lovely clear font for all occasions.  Don't forget too, the scalloped dots ribbon shown on the card is also retiring.  This ribbon comes in some lovely shades, especially those ready for Christmas (yipes! A mention so early in the year) as there is Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler versions!







The next card is possibly one of my favourites.  You will have to excuse the photography of the last few pictures as, in my haste, I used my camera phone to take quick snaps before sending them off in the post so the quality is not so good and this one is particularly blurred.

This is a CASE of a design I saw online by a US demonstrator Lisa Young   I loved the idea of cutting the castle template for a fairy princess themed birthday to celebrate.  I altered a few bits by making my turrets from the Pennants Builder Punch and I also added the Boho Blossoms to the tops of these (well a girl needs some flowers on her birthday) and some sparkles too with rhinestones.  The designer papers here are the Standard Subtles papers and the Floral District (for the turrets and scallop borders).

 

The sentiment is the Curly Cute stamp set, yes another one leaving the catalogue so get it whilst you can. There is still time to order!  The little designer brad on this card is also retiring.  It is one of the pool party dotty Designer Brads we have in the In Colours 2012-2014.

 

Did you spot those Cupcakes hiding again on this card?  There they are, the cupcake tops are white clouds on this card.

 

Last one for today is this Two By Two card for my Nephew who is turning one.  I cannot believe a year has passed already!  This stamp is gorgeous for birth congratulations (it has the sentiment 'congratulations' as part of the stamp), or as I have used it here, for a younger card theme.  Lots of lovely blues for the card with Marina Mist and Tempting Turquouise and I have teamed it up with some Real Red for the scallop circle and stitched ribbon bow.  The sentiment again here is the Made For You happy birtday.

The stamp is an outline stamp so I stamped in Staz On Black ink and then have used a blender pen with my colours to colour in the animals and the ark.  You can add as little (to make your picture more watercolour) or more if you want it a little brighter.  I love being able to create the shading on the picture with the blender pen. 

 

Tip: If you have the ink pads in the colours, just give the ink pads a little squeeze before opening to get a little ink on the underside of the lid to pick up the colour with your blender pen.  If you don't have an ink pad in the colour, don't worry, just use the inside of a lid of another colour ink pad, a paint palette or even just some plastic or perspex and colour a patch with your marker pen to get some ink to pick up with your belnder pen.

Retiring items from this post:

Curly Cute stamps
Made for You stamps
World's Greatest stamp
Two-By-Two stamp
For My Family stamps

Designer Brads
Shimmer Paint
Floral District DSP
Lucky Limeade products
Regal Rose/Pretty in Pink products
Scallop Dots ribbons

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

It's Mini, Magnificant and Memorable!

Wow, I cannot believe it is only a few more days left of the Annual and Spring/Summer catalogues.  To follow on from the gift ideas from my last post, here is another fantastic idea too for gifting and another use for those beautiful designer papers. 

It's a mini scrapbook album I made to share with a group of scrapbook ladies.  Easily made from 12"x12" cardstock and designer papers.  This one here is made from the Afternoon Daydream scrapbook kit which you may remember from my post for the Notes holder I made with it too. 

The scrapbook kits for SU really are very versatile in use and contain so much product, enough to make several projects - I still have some of it left even after making this and the notes holder! The accents are all co-ordinated and sticky for instant decoration to your projects.

On here are some of my other favourite products - that lovely Pool Party ruffled ribbon again and the Antique Brads to create the clasp.

 

Take a further look inside..........

 

You really can get creative with your designs and create a mini album with lots of lovely decorated pages to add your photo memories and journalling.

 

It's perfect for a gift for a friend, parent or grandparents to add all those memorable moments in your very own style.

Another album I made with the designer papers is this Storytime version.  My little one has been sharing memories of his nursery activities and is just at the age where he is learning his alphabet and numbers.  The school/learning theme in the Storytime papers was just the ticket to keep a little journal for us to save his special memories.

All the designer papers are changing with the new catalogue, so just 5 more days to order the current paper choices with many of them reduced by 40-50%.  The Storytime papers I used here are now only £4.98!

You too could easily put together one of these albums. Just choose your favourite designer papers and card to make one in your own style.
 
Why not get in touch to arrange to host a evening workshop or coffee morning for friends to see just how easy it is to make these lovely albums?  Great to gift, or even keep yourself. 

Just drop me a line at my email address craftyinkbuds@sky.com.

Floral District Celebrations

Today's post is of a lovely gift idea to show off the beautiful designer papers from Stampin' Up!  It is the last week of the retirment list items being available and in my next few posts I am going to be showing you as many as I can of the great products which are only available now until the end of the catalogue to make sure you don't miss anything!

 

This project is a notebook I picked up in a supermarket which was reduced as a clearance line. It had a sturdy hardback cover and spiral binding, but a not very inspiring cover design, so perfect candidate for some DSP love.  I loved covered pencils idea too ever since I saw it online - just purchase some round wooden pencils and wrap your DSP round them - easy, and they look something special all dressed up!

The papers I have used for my gifts are from the Floral District pack.  Lovely bright designs (not that my photography shows it too well with the poor lighting conditions today!) which are bolder than my usual choices, but I was drawn to the colours used in these papers and the flower blooms on them.

One of the colours in the palette for these papers is Baja Breeze which is a colour leaving us in the refresh.  It's sad, but there are some lovely new colours coming, including some new blues to keep us all happy.  Now, I have used the Pool Party ruffled ribbon on my notepad, not a true colour co-ordination, but I just love this ribbon (this too is retiring) with the end of the catalogue.

A lovely layered Big Shot Fun Flower on the notepad shows off the rest of the designs in the pack as do the Boho Blossom smaller flowers. I finished off the flower with a button from the artisan kit and a large pearl.  For the 'Notes' heading I have used the Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set which is retiring.  This a fantastic alphabet set and each letter is a beautiful unique design. It has been great for initials on cards and projects whilst it has been in my collection as the letters work so well just on their own as stamps. 

The label and sentiment for the pencil box were from the Just Believe stamp set, yes yet another one on the retirement list. 

The second project to show you today, using the same papers, but with an alternative palette is this lovely birthday card I made recently.  I love the colours on this.  The green is the Lucky Limeade which is also leaving us in the refresh.  I really wasn't sure about this one in the In Colours 2012-2013 set, but it really did grow on me and I think I will miss it's vibrance.  Here I have teamed it up with Rose Red for my birthday card.  This card was made on a not-too-sunny day I remember feeling lifted by the colour combination.

The stamps for the 'tweeties' are from the Aviary stamp set,  also retiring at the end of the catalogue period next week.  I think there will be some tweet love still in my house as I don't think I am ready to part with this set just yet.  The banner is made from simple Pennants from the Pennants Builder Punch and the flowers are from the Big Shot Floral Fusion sizzlits.  This card was a really quick win for a birthday celebration and I was really pleased with the results and how easy it was to put together.

That's quite a list of items which I have used for these projects which are retiring, but to list them all in one place, they are:

Notebook
Floral District DSP Papers
Baja Breeze Colour items
Ruffled Ribbon - Pool Party
Broadsheet Alphabet stamp set
Just Believe stamp set

Aviary Card
Aviary stamp set
Lucky Limeade colour items
Floral District DSP
Made for You stamp set


Remember, the retiring items are only available whilst stocks last and until 30th June.  Don't miss out if there is something here you have loved and have not realised is going.

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

By The Tide - Ocean Tide and Sea Spray Delights

Happy Father's Day to all the father's out there.  I have recently received my By The Tide stamp set which is in the Spring/Summer catalogue.  I loved the Nantucket Oceanspray Inn little circular stamp in this set and the seaside theme. I am already thinking of summertime cards and scrapbook pages which this set will be perfect for as it has seashell and sea horse stamps too.  Now I am usually put off by a masculine card with a fishing theme, but I think the other stamps play down a fishing theme here for my Father's day card.

I have also made second stepped-up version of the card with a Z-Fold card design cut that I liked that I have totally CASE'd.  The original card was by Michelle Pollard.  Here is my version.....

I used the colours, Night of Navy and Island Indigo for the blues on the card and then used the crumb cake, Soft Suede, Raspberry Ripple and Certainly Celery for the other colours on both cards. That's quite a mix across different colour collections, but I created two-tone colours for the fish and the seashell by inking in the lighter shade (Island Indigo for the fish / Crumb Cake for the seashell) and then carefully inking a darker surround with the darker colours in the palettes I chose (Night of Navy for the fish / Soft Suede for the seashell). 

I wanted the seahorse and the lobster hiding in the centre of the card in a red tone, but not a true red so the Raspberry Ripple from the 2013-2014 In Colours was my choice for this.  Almost good enough to eat!

The smaller card layout design has been CASE'd from a card by Natasha Zandbergen of inkingoutofthe box.com.  She had the layout with the baker's twine and the Soda Pop Top.  I was looking to use my Soda Pop Tops for a card and the Nantucket Oceanspray Inn stamp punched with a 1" circle fits a treat in the middle.  The Soda Pop Tops can be run though the Big Shot to flatten them out and soften the edges for posting.

I used some spritzing on the smaller card with the Colour Spritzer Tool (107066) with my Island Indigo marker pen for a bit of oceanspray effect!  This tool is great for instant colour spritz using your marker pens.  It is retiring at the end of June, so make sure if you like the product you order soon!  The Certainly Celery colour is also one which is leaving us, so make sure you stock up on card, ink, refills if you intend to use it going forward.

Oh, and the sentiment for Father's Day, from the Delightful Dozen set again!

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

Retirement List Posted - Only available whilst stocks last!

 

How exciting, the new catalogue will soon be with us and the retirement list for Europe has just been posted for the current catalogue to make room for the new! As a demonstrator, one of the many advantages is that I get to see the new catalogues a whole month before customers and I can tell you I have already been studying it in great detail and making a wish list.  

With the new catalogue, it sadly means we will be saying goodbye to some old favourites, but what is great is they a still available now and some are available at great discounted rates! Remember that all products are available WHILST STOCKS LAST ONLY or until 1st July 2013. Some stamps are discounted at 25% and 40% and some accessories are discounted up to 50%!  Check out the beautiful Designer Series papers at 50% off, perfect to stock up now for Christmas or events ahead.

To see the lists for the stamps and accessories retiring, here are the links:

Stamp Set Retirement List

Accessories Retirement List

If you prefer an excel file that you can sort, please click HERE to take you to the download page.

How to order before you miss out? EMAIL me your order and I’ll get it processed straight away. 

If you prefer you can call me on 07876 247678 to order too.

Coming Soon - You will be able to order online directly and still attribute your order to me as a demonstrator, how fantastic will that be! This is is not quite ready for you just yet for the this order period, but it would be great to hear from you via email/phone for any orders in the meantime.

Suzanne