Kath's Crafty Cards

2011-12-21T20:29:00.000Z

Just a quick post to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

So sorry I haven't posted for a while, how does the time fly by so quickly?

Take care,

Kathy x

P.S. Please check back in the New Year for some exciting news from Stampin' Up!

Serene Razzleberry Snowflakes #3

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000+01:00

I think this one was the easiest of them all, four equal size panels and a greeting banner. You could make just this type from your A4 sheet and it would take you next to no time.

Thankd for looking,
Kathy x

Serene Razzleberry Snowflakes #2

2011-09-10T07:00:00.003+01:00

Here's another card, using the other triangle panel from card number 1.

This time I made a flower and used the Decorative Label Punch for the greeting. The backing for the greeting was two punched panels which I then cut in half, one lengthways and one widthways.

Another easy peasy card, I'll show you another one next time (hope you don't get bored with them).

Take care,
Kathy x

Serene Razzleberry Snowflakes #1

2011-09-08T07:00:00.002+01:00

Having loved the card I made last week, I had to make some more! This time I took an A4 sheet of Very Vanilla cardstock and stamped the Serene Snowflakes all over in Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso and finally Champagne Mist Glimmer Paint.

I then cut several panels out of the sheet. This technique is called "One Sheet Wonder" as you use a whole sheet of patterned paper (home made or DSP) and make a stack of cards. This is great if, like me, you have loads of cards to make.

I started off with an Early Espresso card base, I cut a triangular panel and a star, layered them onto Rich Razzleberry CS and added a snip of Rich Razzleberry Striped ribbon. I then added the greeting banner. I used a square punch to cut the ends of the banner, layering it on Early Espresso then Rich Razzleberry.

The star was finished off with a button, once you've done the pattered paper it's amazing how quickly you can make this card.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Razzleberry Snowflakes

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000+01:00

Once I received the free gift that was available last month I just had to use some of the gorgeous ribbon!

I started off with a card base of Rich Razzleberry, a panel of Early Espresso, then a smaller panel of Very Vanilla.

The Very Vanilla panel was first stamped with the saying (or could be a greeting), then I got busy with the snowflakes! Rich Razzleberry ink is a lovely strong colour, but you can get several shades of the colour by "stamping off" onto scrap paper before your project to get the lighter shade. This is what I did with the Rich Razzleberry and Early Espresso inks, together with Pretty in Pink. I also used some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint for just a hint of sparkle.

All that was needed was a lovely big bow!

I'm going to be making more of these in loads of other colours, they're so easy.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Post-it Note & Label Holder #1

2011-09-04T07:00:00.000+01:00

Another little gift idea, the colour combo was taken from the printed post-it notes and labels I found in "The Works" stationery shop. I used Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride and Wild Wasabi.

I used the dimensions of the post-its and labels to determine the size (the labels work out a little wider by the way). I can get three of these holders from an A4 piece of card, so they're great for craft fayres.

You can decorate them anyway you like, I chose a punched and layered flower and a nice saying (check it out, so true!).

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Button Trees #2

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000+01:00

Here's what I came up with, not that much different than the last one!! This one is much smaller, trust me on that! We only had to cut four lots of buttons each not eight!

I made mine in two colours (Elegant Eggplant and Early Espresso) but my ladies only made the purple one. They loved making them and I'm sure they will be making a few more in future.

My thanks have to go to the Artistic Avenger who came up with the idea, check out her blog on the left, she has the most gorgeous projects on there.

And thanks again to my ladies, another lovely evening of craft, what could be better!
Kathy x.

Time to Say Goodbye.......

2011-09-01T10:51:00.000+01:00

No not to me, You can't get rid of me that easily!

No, the list of products that are retiring is out today. For those of you who don't know, Stampin' Up! release their new catalogue next month (yippee) and they need to make room for new goodies, this means that some products are only available while stocks last or until 30th September (which ever comes first).

You can access the retired list here, which is updated daily.

Some lovely sets are retiring, and while I'll be sorry to see them go, the new catalogue has some fabulous items (my wish list is a mile long). If you would like a copy of the new catalogue at only £5 posted to your door, please email me at pete.jsimpson@talktalk.net asap.

Take care,

Kathy x

Button Tree #1

2011-08-30T07:00:00.027+01:00

I made this card after I saw a similar tree made by the Artistic Avenger here. I loved it so much I had to make one for myself!

I started off with a triangle of card, then used my trusty Sweet Buttons embosslit to cut out loads of those gorgeous buttons. I started using the largest buttons first, then worked my way down the sizes, filling in the gaps until the whole triangle was filled. I then cut a trunk out (just a rectangle) and added a ribbon bow made with a large brad.

The card was made up with a Top Note die cut, embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper folder, some swirls cut from a Sizzlit I have. The Swirls Scribbles Sizzlit would work great but I don't have that one, yet! I stuck the tree on top of the Tope note panel, then finished off with a greeting.

I was going to then make a demo out of it for my ladies as I knew they'd love it, but I decided to go smaller for them as I realised we'd be there all night just cutting buttons! lol

So, check out my next post in a couple of days to see what we made.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Mini Milk Carton Hexagon Box with Rose

2011-08-28T07:00:00.001+01:00

Here's a gift box my ladies made a few weeks ago at one of my workshops, it was made using the Mini Milk Carton die! It's amazing what you can make with Stampin' Up! dies, they're so versatile.

We made this box in two parts as I wanted it to have a lid so I could top it off with a rose.

There are tutorials out there in blogland which show you how to make this box and a few others using this die. I found a very helpful one on the Splitcoast Stampers site (link on the left). You'll need to go to the "Anything but a card" section.

Basically you need to cut 2 Mini Milk Cartons, but with only three panels, not four and put the sides together, then the base. I strengthened the base with a large punched circle of card. There is a little scoring involved in getting the top to fold right, but once you've done it once, it's easy. What you need to do is score the top middle panel the same as the other two, then it folds correctly.

To get a lidded box you'll need to cut 2 bases and 2 tops, but remember to make up the top a little bigger so it will fit, a couple of millimetres should do it.

Hope you like this project, and have a go at making one yourself. If you don't own the die, why not contact me to order it, you'll soon have lots of these cut little gift boxes to fill with chocolates, jewelery or other small gifts.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Botanical Gazette Card #1

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000+01:00

I made this card after getting the Botanical Gazette papers and Clearly for You stamp set and wondering what on earth to do with it!

I'm not very comfortable with the vintage look. I always struggle to get it right, aged but not completely ruined! I think I got it just about right this time, what do you think? Maybe a little more sponging on the red panels?

After stamping the images onto Very Vanilla CS and some of the DSP, I then gor the Sponge Daubers and Colour Spritzer Tool out. I didn't distress the edges of the paper because of the way the card folds, I thought they would catch and possibly tear when opened and closed.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Daisy Card and Pillow Box

2011-08-24T07:00:00.015+01:00

Here are the other projects my Stampers 6 Group made once we had made our quick cards.

I got the colour combo of Perfect Plum, Wild Wasabi and So Saffron from my trusty Colour Coach, not a combo I would normally go for but the Colour Coach works as usual.

We die cut 3 daisies at a time (the large and middle sized on the die) and sponged them with Perfect Plum ink, this gives them dimension and they look more realistic. A button was added to the centres to hide the hole in the middle. The rest was easy to put together.

Take care,
Kathy x.

Cats and Dogs

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000+01:00

At the last Stampers 6 group meeting I decided we do a couple of simple but effective cards before the main event. So here's what I came up with. I had a Sizzix Movers and Shapers die that cut the card and apeture, but you could punch out a square just as easily.

We rollered the P is for Paw roller along the bottom and added greetings to the card bases. Next I had a scrap of CS which I stamped the cat and the dog on and punched them out with the smaller square punch. I adhered them onto larger squares of Early Espresso, stuck them to the inside of the cards, using the apeture as a guide.

They took only a few minutes to make and the stamp set we used is so versatile, it has loads of different images for all occasions. I bought it clear mount and there are so many it came in 2 cases! A great value set I know I'm going to be using alot. Great for children to use too, as they are fun images that are simple to colour in.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Printed Petals Workshop

2011-08-20T07:00:00.001+01:00

What fun we had with the Printed Petals stamp set and matching roller Petite Petals. We started the evening off by making the top card, a simple stepper card that even I can do (and now my ladies can do too).

We then moved on to the chocolate, none of us ate it (though I was tempted to open one bar so we could sample it!). We wrapped it up beautifully, this makes a 5 for £1.29 bar look so much more than it is.

Next I challenged everyone to make a similar card to the first, but to do thier own thing and here's what we came up with. Mine is the first, the rest are my ladies', they came up trumps with some lovely designs. Well done ladies!!

You might have noticed that a rollered some Very Vanilla to make a border, but it's in Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry. This is because I purchased an uninked cartridge, but it's sponge was in 2 halves. I decided to ink each half in 2 very different colours, You can buy 3 cell cartridges that you can ink in whatever combination you want, but this was an unexpected bonus!!

Thanks for another great night ladies!!

Take care,
Kathy x.

Sweet and Sour Blossoms Workshop

2011-08-18T07:00:00.002+01:00

Here are some pictures of the Sweet and Sour workshop I held a few weeks ago. My ladies loved making the flowers using the Build a Blossom stamp set and matching Blossom Petals punch.

I like to get my bone folder out to curl the petals, it makes them look more realistic. My top tip would be to start with a punched circle of card as your base, then build up the flower, petal by petal, layer by layer.

We made the card and gift purse, together with a bookmark (but I can't find mine), but had some time left, so we made some more flowers to put on other projects. The last picture shows what some of us came up with, using the same ink, stamp and punch, pretty!

Several of my ladies now have either the stamp set, punch or both, I can't wait to see what creations they come up with!

I was stalking the US demo's sites during their convention and found some gorgeous roses made with the punch, scroll down to my last post to see what I came up with.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Cake Box

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000+01:00

I loved making this project, it looks quite complicated, but I cheated with a Sizzix die, sorry about that!

I started with a Sizzix die that makes the cake box. I covered the side with Early Espresso CS put through my crimper. This hides the score lines made by the die. The box is made from Mat Board as the gift inside is heavy (Glass tealight holder and scented tealights).

To the top I added a rose made using the largest petal on the Blossom Petals punch. I started with a punched circle as my base then punched out lots (about 15) large petals. I sponge daubed them all with Baja Breeze ink, then shaped them with a bone folder.

My first layer was 3 petals in a triangle, then another 3 overlaping the first. I then repeated this, shaping the petals upwards to get height. The centre was the tricky part, I rolled one petal to give me a centre, then wrapped one petal around it, then another until I had a good sized centre. At this point I cut some of the base of the centre as it was too tall. Finally I used some silicone adhesive to the centre of the base layers to sit the centre in.

I hope my directions made sense, maybe I'll have to do a tutorial (that'll be a first), so you get a better idea. It would be great if you had a go and please let me know how you get on, I'd love to see your creations.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Fun Flowers Team Swap

2011-08-15T07:00:00.001+01:00

Another blurry card, what am I like!

Anyway, this was my swap at the last team meeting, I kept it simple as I was very naughty and left it until the last minute!

The colour combination is from my trusty colour coach - Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz and Peach Parfait.

I started with some In Colour DSP (Hostess Level 1), die cut the flowers, punched a border and added some ribbon. The flower centre is a button made with the Sweet Buttons embosslit.

If I'd had more time (and been a good girl) I'd probably have embossed the top of the card base and sponged the flowers. Never mind, I promise to try harder next time!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Scallop Envelope Purse

2011-08-13T07:00:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the blurry picture, but I'm sure you get the drift of this little bag.

This was made using 2 Scallop Envelopes with the bottom flap cut down to the same width as the sides. Punch out the handle with the smallest oval punch then a little Sticky Strip and it's done!

I decorated it with some Greenhouse Gala DSP, die cut a tag, punched a large oval then added leaves and flower. I think this would make a lovely wedding favour.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Sweet and Sour Cards

2011-08-11T07:00:00.000+01:00

After the last team training event (thanks for hosting it Steph), I was well and truly inspired by Jayne's swap. It was gorgeous and she told us all how to make one. It sounded simple but I wanted to give it a go.

So the next day, as soon as Hubby was watching the Grand Prix and Ben was playing Star Wars, I sneaked into my cupboard to try and create one for myself. Here are the 2 cards I created and they were a lot easier to make than I thought they'd be.

I started off with the stunning Sweet and Sour DSP. Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie is not a colour combo I'd have thought of, but it works!

Jayne is going to be my room buddy at convention this year (can't wait) and I can tell we are going to have such a ball! She's so lovely and super talented, better get my thinking cap on for convention swaps as we only have 3 months to go (did I tell you I can't wait?).

Take care,
Kathy x

Summer Splash Swap

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

At team training we like to swap ideas, so we make a stack of card fronts to swap with each other. This swap was male themed so I came up with a fun surfing card and paperclip bookmark.

The surfboards and sealife were inked using Stampin' Write markers to get the different colours.

A perfect card for where I live, only 20 miles from Newquay (surfing capital of the UK). I won't mention what else Newquay is famous for, but that's why I'm twenty miles away!!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Strength and Hope Workshop

2011-08-07T07:00:00.002+01:00

I love this set for 2 reasons, the first is that Strength and Hope has some lovely images, the second is that Stampin' Up! will donate £1 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with every set sold.

I first stamped each image onto some Shimmery White card stock using a differnt ink (Pretty in Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Early Espresso and Frost White Shimmer Paint) I then punched out loads of squares.

I repeated the process using Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry card.

When my ladies arrived they made a patchwork of the squares, die cutting it using the Tope Note then embossing it with the Square Lattice embossing folder. A crumpled flower and stamped butterfly were the embellishments.

The second card is a Tope Note easel, simple to make and very effective.

Finally we made the Top Note bag, showing just how versatile that die is, love it!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Springtime Vintage Workshop

2011-08-05T07:00:00.003+01:00

The cards were inspired by fellow Stampin' Up Demonstrator Lisa (check out her blog on the left). She very kindly showed us how to make them at one of Abi's team training events. I love going to team training, we have so much fun, while sharing inspiration and chocolate!

While Lisa used Elegant Soiree DSP (love that paper), I decided to use the Springtime Vintage, teamed with Pocket Silhouettes stamp set.

We also made the cute box using the fantastic Top Note die. I got the instructions on how to make the box while blog hopping one night, but now I can't find the blog to give credit where it's due! So if you know who it was, please let me know so I can say a proper thank you to her.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Sail Away Workshop

2011-08-03T07:00:00.002+01:00

This workshop was held just in time for Father's Day, so there are a few Dad's who received these.

The card and the canvas background were created using the same technique. Glossy card was used for the card and a water brush was loaded with ink and dragged along the card in long strokes. We used More Mustard then Cajun Craze for the sky and Not Quite Navy for the sea.

Everones card were slightly different as it all depends on your brush strokes and the amount of water/ink used. The sailing boat image was then stamped in Basic Black (waterproof) ink and coloured in using black and Cajun Craze Stampin' Write markers.

The cards were finished off with some nautical charms I found in a local stationery and book shop.

Take care,
Kathy x

Just Believe with Flower

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

A variation of the previous post, this time I used my Stampin' Write Markers to colour the image, a little more subtle than the chalks, but still a pretty effect.

I made the flower from the 5 Petal flower punch which I ran through my paper crimper a few times to break down the fibres. You can then split the flower into 2 thin layers. I then crumpled them and used 4 layers held together with a brad. I think they match the flowers on the stmaped image quite nicely.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Just Believe & Blossom

2011-07-31T07:00:00.000+01:00

I made this card when I was playing around with both my chalks (which I really should use more) and the new Build a Blossom stamp set and matching Blossom Petals punch.

I stamped the large image in Whisper White craft ink then used my chalks to colour the image, this enables me to have an image on dark card.

I finished it off with a punched blossom.

Take care,
Kathy x

Greenhouse Gala Covered Book

2011-07-29T07:00:00.001+01:00

I was still playing with the Greenhouse Gala DSP when I covered a plain hard cover book with it.

Love the colour combination of Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette & Early Espresso, from the Colour Coach of course!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Greenhouse Gala Friends

2011-07-27T07:00:00.001+01:00

I love the way Stampin' Up! coordinates everything, take this card for instance.

The DSP Greenhouse Gala perfectly matches the flowers in the Ornate Flowers stamp set. Put that with perfect colour matching and we can't go wrong!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Teacher Gifts 2011

2011-07-26T07:00:00.001+01:00

Ben finished in year 2 last Friday, so Teacher gifts had to be made!

I tried to keep it simple this year, especially as he wanted me to make 8 sets! A gift just for his teacher, oh no, not Ben, we had to do all the assistants, the receptionists, his Gardening club teacher and the headmaster ('cos he runs the Film Club). Phew!!

I forgot to take a photo of his gift, his was a project book I bought from Poundland which had a plastic cover. I made up a cover and put double sided adhesive on it then mounted it on the inside of the plasic cover, I also made another bookmark.

His Gardening Club teacher had a plant pot with flower seeds and compost in it, ready to water. Again I forgot to take a picture, but I put it onto a large piece of floristry film, gathered up the corners and tied with ribbon & a tag. The pot was only a pound, but it looked more with a bit of Stampin' Up! magic!

I got my colour inspiration from the post-its and page flags, they came from The Works which sells discount books and stationery. So Peach Parfait it was!

Ben put all the owls together, helped me score the sides of the gift bags and generally was my crafty assistant and was a great help, thanks Ben.

Hopefully next year Ben won't have so many to give to (but I won't hold my breath) lol

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x

Lap of Luxury Workshop #2

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000+01:00

As anyone who knows me will say, I just can't resist purple! So as I had a pack of the gorgeous Lap of Luxury DSP, I had to do another workshop!

I made the top card as my sample, but it evolved into the second card at the workshop. This often happens when we think of ways to improve on my first design. The little notebook was made out of 2 beer mats and some sheets of Very Vanilla CS which we then bound together with my Cinch binding tool.

I have my Stampin' Up! Mum to thank for this project as she gave me a whole stack of beer mats, which came in very handy for my school's Summer Fayre, so thanks Abi!! I made some kits up to decorate these little books & sold them for £2 each, I even sold the samples!!

We also made a gift bag to hold the book in, together I think it made a lovely set.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Black and White Daisies

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000+01:00

I told you I'd make an envelope with the die!! Okay, I put it on a card, but it's still an envelope!

A very simple idea, the envelope opens to reveal the greeting (Hostess Level 2 set - Afterthoughts) and I added a large flower embellishment with the Sizzix Daisies #2 die cut from printed acetate (retired) and Whisper White card.

I stamped around the greeting, inside the card and on the envelope with the Greenhouse Garden daisy stamp.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Scallop Envelope Box #3

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000+01:00

One day I'll actually make an envelope from this die!! But for now here's another basket!!

Happy crafting!
Kathy x.

Scallop Envelope Basket #2

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

Here's another Scallop Envelope bakset, this time embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder to give a basket weave effect. I filled it with a glass tealight holder & some Vanilla scented tealights which I topped with some matching DSP.

Hope you like it, take care,
Kathy x.

Manhattan Flowers Workshop

2011-06-27T07:00:00.001+01:00

Here are some of the cards my ladies made last month. I was showing them how to brayer some ink onto the embossing folder & then put the card through the Big Shot to get a fabulous effect. I think they enjoyed learning how versatile embossing folders can be, and how to get very inky fingers!!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Scallop Envelope Box

2011-06-24T07:00:00.002+01:00

When I made this box I'd made a mistake, but turned it around to make a lovely gift. I was busy making Scallop Envelope baskets, when I put the DSP on the wrong side! Ooops!
Rather than the sides folding outwards, I folded them in and tied some ribbon round to keep it together. Hiding inside are 4 bath bombs but you could put chocolates, jewelry or anything small inside.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy x.

Plane & Simple #2

2011-06-21T07:00:00.001+01:00

A (very) long time ago I promised I would tweek the Plane & Simple card so here it is!! I made it ages ago but I've been having problems, first Hubby accidently deleted all the photos on the memory card, then I had problems uploading the photos (when I eventually re-took them).

Anyway, having finally gotten them uploaded, you can see the final result, some texture & sponge daubing and a little ribbon. I was pleased with the result, and so were the nearly twenty ladies who made one too! Phew, what an evening, but such fun!!

There are more projects to show you, I've just got to get them scheduled on Blogger.

Take care,
Kathy x.

Manhattan Flowers #1

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

A little piece of DSP, with a punched border was all that was needed once I'd embossed th front of the card base with the Manhattan Flowers embossing folder & I sponge daubed the embossing to bring out the image.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Springtime Vintage #2

2011-04-30T07:00:00.000+01:00

Another great pattern from the Springtime Vintage DSP, this time showing some more of the colours that make up this great set. I used River Rock as my card base, together with Not Quite Navy.

Do you like the flowers? They are a couple of them from the Sizzix Fun Flowers die. Be prepared for Fun Flowers to get everywhere! The centre is a card button I made using the Sweet Buttons Embosslit die. We no longer have to pay a fortune to send a card in the post with buttons, use card ones instead!

More cards using fab items from the mini coming soon!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Build a Blossom #1

2011-04-28T07:00:00.001+01:00

As you might have guessed by now, I bought quite a lot from the new mini catalogue! Not quite everything, but a lot!!

One of the things Stampin' Up! does brilliantly is matching stamps and punches and here's a lovely set called Build a Blossom with Blossom Petals punch. These stamps make the most gorgeous flowers a petal at a time.

The flower I created here is very large so I decided from the start that there would only be part of the flower showing, and I love how it turned out!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Team Swap March 2011

2011-04-26T07:00:00.001+01:00

This is the card front I made for Abi's team training swap back in March. I decided tobase the card around the Springtime Vintage DSP as the mini was coming out the next month. Just a strip of it was used, along with a scallop border in Rose red. The Scallop Circle was put throught the Square Lattice embossing folder, before cutting in half. I then finished the card by adding a greeting to a Four Frame panel.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Elegant Bouquet & Baja Breeze

2011-04-24T07:00:00.000+01:00

This card might look complicated but, thanks to the Big Shot, is super quick to make!

I started off by embossing the base card with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, then adding Glass Glitter in Baja Breeze to the flower centres with Tombow Glue. I then set the card aside to dry.

Next I cut a large butterfly using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit (keep the smaller ones for other projects) and sponge daubed it with ink to bring out the detail.

I then made a panel using one of the Four Frames stamps and the Decorative Label punch. An oval greeting was added on top.

Once the glue was dry I assembled the card and finished it off with a Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon bow.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Kathy's Birthday Gifts 2011

2011-04-23T07:00:00.000+01:00

I made these gifts and card for my work colleague, Kathy, whose birthday was last month.

She has loved my jewelery before so I made her a matching earring and necklace set. I first punched out circles of Elegant Soiree DSP and adhered them to Tim Holtz Faceted Charms using Crystal Effects, then used Crystal Effects again to seal in the paper. The necklace "chain" was Baja Breeze Seam Binding ribbon which is so lovely. I put the jewelery inside a Pillow Box which I made out of Vellum Card and embossed with the Elegant Flowers Embossing Folder, the embossing was inked using an Aqua Painter and I just had to add some more of that gorgeous ribbon to finish it!

The card used some more of the DSP, together with a Four Frames panel (sorry I just can't not use that set!!)
The last gift was a MINI Milk Carton filled with mini eggs as no birthday should be without chocolate!

Kathy loved them, just as much as I loved creatingthem.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Spring Workshop

2011-04-22T07:00:00.000+01:00

Hi there!

These were the 2 projects we made in the Spring Workshop last week. We loved making the 3D daffodils using the Fun Flowers die, but I think my favourite was the little bird house complete with cute owl.

When I found out we were (finally) getting the owl punch I just couldn't wait, he's so super cute!
I think some of my ladies have fallen for him too as they can't wait for me to place my next order (which will be soon!) The great thing about these boxes is the mini clip holds to roof on and it doesn't ruin the box to get the goodies out. But if you do want to seal them in, it's easy enough with a little bit of Sticky Strip.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Plane & Simple #1

2011-04-21T07:00:00.002+01:00

I always struggle with masculine cards so when Stampin' Up! brought this set out in their mini catalogue I had to have it! I'm planning for a demo at the end of the month for around twenty people and this is my first design, it'll get tweeked a bit for the night and I need to organise a 3-D item to make as well. Any suggestions in keeping with the male theme?

I kept it simple and let the stamps do the work. The border stamp creates the side panel, to which I added a scallop border. I then simply stamped the plane, punched the corners and added one of the greetings. When the card base is such a dark colour I like to add an insert and I stamped the goggles in one corner.

The colour combination was Early Espresso, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla.

I think I'll try a little distressing, maybe some texture and adding a contrasting colour to my next attempts. Once I'm happy with the projects I'll be making up the 20 kits, so that should keep me out of mischief for a while!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Beautiful Butterflies Workshop

2011-04-20T07:00:00.013+01:00

My ladies will be making these projects this week, plus another but I haven't decided what that will be yet!!

The card shows just how lovely the Elegant Flowers embossing folder is, I've only added a few Beautiful Wings embosslet butterflies and coloured in the flower centres. The Four Frames has come out again, I just can't leave it alone!

The box was made from the Scallop Envelope die, cut 4 envelopes and use Sticky Strip to stick them all together. There's a tutorial on You Tube here for a similar one, which is where I got the idea from. I've used some of the gorgeous Springtime Vintage DSP for the flaps for added interest and finished off with some more butterflies.

The box holds a nice soft flannel and 2 bathing roses which smell devine, and I added some acetate to the top to protect the contents.

I hope my ladies enjoy making these items, now I've just got to figure out what else for them to make!

Thanks for looking,

Kathy. x

P.S. I've now decided what the third project will be, but will hopefully post it tomorrow as I can't find the camera!

Easter 2011

2011-04-19T07:00:00.003+01:00

Here's the card we made at the Easter workshop a couple of weeks ago, unfortunately the bunny sweet treat cups and lamb chocolate holders have gone to School with Ben before I had the chance to take a picture. Note to self - take a picture before son gets hold of it!

You should have seen his classmates all huddled around him, hoping he'd pick them for one of his bunnies!! His also gave his teachers/assistants Mini Milk cartons filled with mini eggs, he knows how to keep them sweet!

The card was made using A Good Egg stamp set, love it, it's so cute! You might be thinking "When will I ever use that set, apart from at easter?", but look at the set again. There's some lovely background stamps with the spots & flowers. And how about the border, with your Stamp-a-ma-jig you could make long borders on your projects.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Springtime Vintage #1

2011-04-18T07:00:00.000+01:00

I made this card when I received my pre-order from the new mini catalogue. As a demonstrator I get to see the new catalogues a month before my customers, and I am able to pre-order anything from the mini. The only problem with that is that there were so many gorgeous new items I didn't know what to order first!!

Luckily I already had the Scallop Circle die (and a Big Shot), but I did order the must-have item, the Beautiful Wings Embosslit die. Embosslits dies cut and emboss, this one has 5 gorgeous butterflies, some of which are tiny and make a great accent to a greeting panel, as I have done here.

The other items I just had to have were the Four Frames stamp set, with the matching punch. I teamed it with the Springtime Vintage DSP (lovely patterns and colours).

It was a simple card, you could make several in different colourway in no time as the Big Shot will cut several layers of the Scallop Circle at a time, and a few turns of the handle with scraps of card will churn out loads of butterflies.

Thanks for looking,

Kathy. x

Greenhouse Gala Birthday

2011-04-17T07:00:00.000+01:00

We had a workshop a few weeks ago where we used some of the lovely Greenhouse Gala DSP, unfortunately I gave away most of the items before taking pictures, so here's the only one left!

We has made vellum Pillow boxes, with some DSP wrapped around, and inside I put some keyrings I'd made using DSP and Crystal Effects on Tim Holts Fragments Charms. We also made a card using the DSP and the matching Ornate Flowers stamp set, which I later stamped "Mum" on to give as Mother's day cards!

This card was nice and simple, and shows how the DSP has patterns suitable for both ladies & men.

Take Care,
Kathy. x

Baja Breeze Workshop

2011-04-16T07:00:00.001+01:00

This workshop was held last month, sorry it's taken this long to show what we made.

When I first saw Baja Breeze, it was my favourite, and still is! We used some retired foiled DSP and brayered ink all over it. The vase template was used to wrap the vase (although when printing it from the template it came out smaller, so add a little depending on what printer you have.

Flowers were punched out using the Boho Blossoms punch and layered up, pearls were added to the centres. The vase was then sprayed with a gloss varnish to make it waterproof, you'll need a few layers, leaving drying time in between.

We then made a gift box to hold the vase in, decorating the top to match the vase. Finally a matching card, using one of my favourite stamp sets, Just Believe. A knot of Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon finishes it off nicely.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Abi's Birthday 2011

2011-04-15T11:00:00.005+01:00

Sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated my blog, but life & Blogger have been getting in the way lately. Every time I've had five minutes to update, Blogger hasn't been letting me in.

I've got loads of projects to show you, so if Blogger lets me upload all my photos, you'll have loads to see during the next couple of weeks.

My first offering was made to celebrate my Stampin' Up! Mummy's birthday. Abi is (lots) younger than me but her downline like to call her Mum!!

We share a love of chocolate so I bought a cup of Galaxy chocolate that you just heat in the microwave, they are super yummy (I had to try one or two just to make sure) and added a couple of bars of Galaxy Bubbles, they too are delicious!! lol

I made a simple open top box to hold them, added a piece of floristry film, gathered the ends up and used some retired spotty ribbon to tie it up. The outside of the box was decorated with some Vintage Vogue flowers with pearl centres.

The matching card has a Top Note die cut panel and the greeting panel is the new Four Frames stamp punched out using the matching Decorative Label punch. The top of the card base was stamped using the Very Vintage roller, I didn't want a clean image so I rolled it back and forth a few times.

The colour combination was Soft Suede, Crumb Cake & Pretty in Pink. Hope you enjoyed it, and had a lovely day Abi.

Take Care,
Kathy.x

Lap of Luxury Workshop

2011-03-06T07:00:00.000Z

These are the items made at last weeks workshop. I based the projects around the Lap of Luxury DSP and used accent stamps from Just Believe, Punch Bunch and Perfect Punches. The colour combination is Very Vanilla, Concord Crush, Pretty in Pink and Basic Grey.... very girly. I think these would make lovely Mothers Day gifts, which is coming up at the beginning of April.

I kept the projects very simple as I wanted to show off the gorgeous papers. A few punched elements and some ribbon finished them off nicely.

The card was made by embossing the acetate with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and using it as the card base, then attached a piece of DSP to the inside. I created a spine for the card with some Concord Crush CS, which I had punched using the Eyelet Border punch. This hides any adhesives used on the acetate. I used the Flower for You stamp and matching Fancy Flower punch for the focal point. The centres of the cards I used different stamps, one is from the Just Believe and the other from Punch Bunch SAB. I finished the card off with a ribbon bow (Pretty in pink Taffeta).

The notebook was covered in Concord Crush CS and a DSP panel added. This time I used the Scallop Circle punch for the base of the embellishment. One was stamped using a Perfect Punches stamp, the other left plain. The centres were the same as the card. They were finished off with some Concord Crush Stitched Poly Ribbon, which is lovely and soft not to mention a gorgous colour (I wonder why! lol).

I made a cute little post-it note keyring using a scrap of DSP, some Concord Crush CS and some punched sheets of pink Post-it notes. Top Tip - please only punch 4 or 5 sheets of post-its at a time or it will jam, and make sure you punch on the sticky end! My cropodile was strong enough to punch a hole through all the layers to fit on the keyring.

I bought the keyrings from The Range at £1.99 for 12, the notepads for £1 for 10 from Poundland and the pens were also from poundland. If any of you are thinking of doing some craft fayres, these would make lovely items to sell, especially if you put them in a pretty presentation box.

Thanks for looking, and thanks to my ladies for another lovely evening,
Kathy. x

CARD & CAKE FOR CAROL

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001Z

This card and gift have been made for one of my work colleagues, Carol. I adapted the tealight holder to have a secret compartment to hold some chocolate, although if you wanted to keep it calorie free you could add a pair of earrings etc. I enclosed the tealight and made a hole for the switch, to keep it all nice and neat.

For the card I got out my Nestabilities (Ovals & Scalloped Ovals) and one of my Cuttlebug embossing folders for the panel. I punched out the 5 Petal Flower 3 times and ran them through my paper crimper several times to distress them, then added a few leaves punched from the 2-Step Bird Punch.A birthday greeting and a little ribbon finishes it off.

I hope she likes it, have a lovely birthday (and few days off) Carol!

Take Care,
Kathy. x

Bliss Vase and Card

2011-02-23T14:20:00.000Z

I took inspiration from the Stampin' Up! catalogue for this set. For those of you who don't own a copy, you'll find loads of ideas for cards, gifts and home decor in it. It's well worth the money as it has far more project ideas than many magazines for the same price.

Anyway, I loved the vases covered with Elegant Soiree DSP, so decided make my own. Unfortunately I've not been able to find tubular vases (except really expensive ones), but saw some cheap glass tumblers from Asda (£3 for 6). As usual I had to make it difficult for myself as they are tapered, but I had a little think about it and came up with my own hand drawn template.

For those of you who would like to have a go I have finally got a template for the cover on my template page. Please let me know if you can't open it as I'm a total dunce when it comes to techno stuff.

I cut out a template and stamped it all over with the Bliss SAB flourish in Crumb Cake, sponge daubed the top and bottom edges and adhered it to the tumbler with sticky strip. I then stamped and cut out some flowers and the butterfly, added pearl details and stuck them to the tumbler.

The card was made after using the same stamp set and I used some Kraft Tafetta ribbon (sadly retired) for texture. I could have made my own Crumb Cake ribbon with ink, but I had a little left so used that.

I've made this set for my Mum, she had her knee replaced yesterday, and the hospital is a little funny about flowers so she'll have a nice bunch when she gets home next week. At least she won't have to worry about leaving the vase behind, and flowers usually last more than a week, so she can enjoy them for longer.

Take care everyone,
Kathy. x

SWEET SUMMER WORKSHOP

2011-02-21T07:00:00.032Z

I said how much I'd enjoyed making the sweet summer squares card, and wanted to do a workshop with a version of it, so I did!

The first picture shows what we made, although we only got to make one of the tealight birthday cakes as we were running out of time.

The colour scheme was Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip, with a little Whisper White. Jayne said how these colours would make lovely baby cards and I have to agree. It's a good job I have plenty of those colours as I'm going to be an Aunty again in August and my Stampin' Up! mummy, Abi, is expecting too. I'm planning to do a baby brag book for my Sister-in-Law, but I'll be using yellow as the colour as it's neutral (she doesn't know if it's a boy or a girl) and it's her favourite colour. Not sure what I'll be making for Abi, but as she reads my blog I'm afraid I won't reveal it until after she gets it.

I was asked to show how to make the calorie-free cakes by one of my ladies who saw them on some of the blogs I have links to. Those talented ladies were shown how to make them at convention, but as I hadn't been able to go I had to work out how they were made from their pictures. I hope I got it right!

Anyway, we all had a great evening, although we missed you Heather! Hope you are feeling better now.

Take care,
Kathy.

Thank you!

2011-02-14T07:00:00.005Z

Happy Valentines day everyone!!

This is just a quick note to say thank you to all my ladies who came to my Bliss workshop. I had a fabulous time with you all and you made such gorgeous items.

They were all unique, you just took inspiration from me, and they were all so lovely. To be honest, they were so good I'm going to have to case some of them!!

Next Thursday (the 17th) is my Sweet Summer workshop and I'll have some photos to show you of what we're going to be making very soon. I just have to get the photos done.

See you on Thursday, take care,

Kathy. x

Sweet Summer Squares

2011-02-12T07:00:00.001Z

This card was made for one of my husband's work colleagues, who has a birthday coming up. The centre square opens up (I used the Petal Card punch) to reveal "Eat Cake" from the Cute by the Inch Hostess Level 2 set. Sorry I forgot to take another picture to show it opened.

I love this Sweet Summer stamp set, it's so very different from Bliss, but that's the great thing about Stampin' Up, they provide us crafters with many styles as we all have our own favourites.

I had so much fun using this set I think I'll be having a class, I'll adapt this card ('cos it took ages to make) and add a couple of other projects, I'll let you know what I come up with.

For those of you who want to know the colour combination for this project, it was Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette & Early Esspresso.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Bliss Workshop

2011-02-09T07:00:00.000Z

For those of you who can't wait until tomorrow's workshop, here's a sneaky peek at the projects we'll be making.

We'll be using the fabulous Sale-A-Bration stamp set called Bliss which has some truly gorgeous stamps, not least is the flourish. I just can't get enough of this type of image as they are useful for so many projects.

The two cards are very similar, I just swapped the colours round (they're Marina Mist, Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip). I kept them simple, with a little distressing with the Cutter Kit and the Colour Spritzer Tool.

The third item we're making is a photo frame. I've die cut the base from chipboard with my trusty Big Shot and then another from Crumb Cake cardstock.The Crumb Cake layer is stamped with the flourish and a little Multipurpose glue adheres the card to the chipboard. The frame is decorated with some flowers and the butterfly, and I then glazed the front with some Crystal Effects to make it more durable.

I hope everyone enjoys making these, I know I did!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Valentine Workshop

2011-02-07T07:00:00.002Z

Here are the pojects my ladies and I made during our Valentines workshop. I kept them nice and simple as we've all been married too long for mushy stuff!!

The first card was made using the cute owl from Sale-A-Bration set Punch Bunch, it was cased from the American Sale-A-Bration catalogue as I thought it was so cute. The stamp set is only available 'til the end of the month when you place an order over £45, so let me know if the owl (and the other images) have taken your fancy! Have you noticed the girl owl has a tiny ribbon bow on her ear? I made it using the thin Tafetta ribbon in Daffodil Delight, remarkably easy to make if you first make it big, then ease the ends and tighten the bow to make it smaller.

The second card uses another stamp from Punch Bunch as the focal point and greeting, I used Dot, Dot, Dot for the spotty panel. The stitched ribbon (which was free during December's promotion) added some texture, together with the large button.

Finally, we made a heart shaped pouch to hold 3 heart shaped chocolates, we all had a try of one or two (just to make sure they were suitable) and they were delicious!!

Thanks ladies for another lovely evening of crafty company,
Kathy.x

I've been having a play!

2011-02-05T10:25:00.006Z

Hi Everyone!

I've been having a little play with the blogger template designer, which is why my blog has suddenly gone all spotty!!
Not sure if I like it, I'll give it a day or two & see, so be prepared for all sorts of patterns appearing for a while!

I do have some projects to show you, just got to find the camera!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Update, I logged in this morning and hated the spots, they made my eyes go funny! :(

I also changed the colour as there was too much purple "Gasp, horror, how could I of all people say such a thing!" I hear you say.
Anyway, hope you like this style/colour better, though I could change my mind again....

Take care,

Kathy. x

P.S. I've also made a new tab that lists my 2011 workshops & availability, as you can see they're filling up fast. so contact me asap if you're interested.

Hot Chocolate Gifts

2011-01-15T07:00:00.000Z

My husband had a couple of his work colleagues who had been very helpful to him when he was poorly last year. He requested I make something for those ladies so I made these. I presented the gifts in matching gift bags (sorry I didn't take photos) and I heard the recipients loved them.

The mugs were filled with hot chocolate mixes, marshmallows, chocolates and a spoon. The collar was made using my Cricut Cindy Loo cartridge, I used my Gypsy to create a blank cupcake holder (instead of a fancy flower one) and roller stamped it, I then made the tags to attach to the handle.

I ended up making quite a few of these, to friends and some of my sister-in-laws (with some vouchers).

I have since found the same mugs reduced to only £1 for 4, so I've bought a few more packs for this coming christmas. You might think I'm a bit crazy buying for next Christmas already, but there are some bargains to be had after Christmas, the only trouble I have is remembering what I bought & where I put them all!! :)

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

My Friend - Bright

2011-01-14T07:00:00.000Z

I took my colour inspiration for this card from the Sunny Garden DSP (before I had some) as I love the bright, cheery colours.

The base of this card is Poppy Parade Textured cardstock, I love a bit of texture and this is an easy way to achieve it. If you order the In Colour 12x12 assorted cardstock, you can get 4 sheets of each colour, 2 smooth and 2 textured (that makes 20 sheets in all). I cut the 12x12 sheet into 3 (4" each), then scored at 6" to create my base.

I made an insert using Whisper White, and staped the flower and sentiment using my trusty markers.

Happy Crafting!
Kathy. x

Friend to Friend

2011-01-13T07:00:00.000Z

I've had this stamp set for ages, but would you believe I hadn't touched it until now? Shame on me for neglecting such a versatile set! lol

The colours used were Crumb Cake, Marina Mist and Cajun Craze, not a combination I'd have chosed if not for my Colour Coach.

I didn't have any Marina Mist ribbon, so I improvised & coloured some Whisper White Taffeta with a marker, patted it with a tissue to take any excess ink off then let it dry. this gave it a more subtle colour, if you want it stronger, don't use the tissue.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Simply Said - Living & Giving

2011-01-12T07:00:00.000Z

I made this card a while ago when I first got my Colour Coach, the combo is Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake & Bashful Blue.

I love the sentiments in the Occasional Quotes set, it's just a shame that it's a Level 3 Hostess set. This means the hostess needs to achieve sales of over £500, which is difficult in these financial times.

But of course, Sale-a-Bration is here so what better time of year to host a party! For those of you who aren't familiar with Stampin' Up! promotions, every year during January & February Stampin' Up! gives away a free limited edition (only available during the promotion) stamp set for every £45 spent. That's not all, they also give away a free set when the Hostess get orders over £300, in addition to the normal hostess benefits.

Check out the 4 fabulous stamp sets here, there's also all the information you need to make the most of this promotion.

Take Care,
Kathy.

Cute by the Inch #1

2011-01-11T07:00:00.002Z

This card was one of the many I made last year when the new catalogue goodies came out, I just hadn't got round to uploading the photo 'til now.

The colour combo is Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette and Early Espresso, from my trusty Colour Coach.

I kept the design simple and added a couple of Rhinestone brads to the centres of the ornate panels. Those panels would look stunning if they were made into backing paper (a Stamp-a-ma-Jig would be essential), must try that some time.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Marina Mist Fresh Cuts

2011-01-10T07:00:00.000Z

Like I said, loving Marina Mist at the moment! I teamed it with Certainly Celery & Whisper White here, with help from the Colour Coach. I used a Circle Ice Rhinestone Brad for the centre of the flower to add a little sparkle. I slao decorated the envelope by stamping the large image off on some scrap paper, then onto the envelope to give a softer look. This also makes the recipients name to still be written on it!

Take Care,
Kathy.

Circle Circus Flower

2011-01-09T07:00:00.002Z

Here's a nice simple card, it's just a shame the flower punch isn't available to order at the moment due to quality issues. You could just cut the flower from the stamped image, it's a nice simple shape so you can achieve the same effect. I'm loving Marina Mist at the moment, so I've teamed it with Very Vanilla here.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Sunny Garden Workshop

2011-01-06T07:00:00.101Z

Do you like the patchwork with faux stitching?

I love to decorate the inside too!

Oh, and the envelopes! lol

Cute owl!

Magnetic Bookmarks

Desk Calendar

Pad & Pen

Gift Box with chocolate (of course!)

Here are some projects I've made for my first Stampers 6 party of the year, I can't wait to see my lovely ladies once again for some more crafty fun evenings! I've made several items but we won't be making them all, so my ladies will have to guess which ones we'll be doing as I don't want to spoil the surprize.

I got my colour inspiration for these projects from the Sunny Garden DSP....Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzaz and Peach Parfait plus I used the matching stamp set Cottage Garden. After all the grotty weather we've been having, this is sure to cheer anyone up. I must admit I got carried away and made loads of things, the papers are just so pretty.

The great thing about this colour combo is that apart from Daffodil Delight, they are all In Colours. This means that you could buy the In Colour markers, plus the Daffodil Delight marker which is available to buy on its own and be able to make this plus many other projects.

If you buy the markers, Sunny Garden DSP, with the matching stamp set, you could create a huge amount of wonderful projects, if you added a pack of Whisper White card stock the total cost would be £46.90. Buy these products (or place any order over £45) from me during January and February to qualify for a free Sale-A-Bration stamp set.

Check out the 4 fabulous sets, and details of the whole promotion here.

So, what are you waiting for...get your catty out and make your wish list! :)
Better still call me to book a party as there's even more Hostess benefits during Sale-A-Bration.

Take Care,
Kathy. x

Christmas Teacher Gifts - 2010

2011-01-05T07:00:00.011Z

Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas & here's to a healthy (& crafty) New Year!!

Sorry they're a bit late, but here are the photos of a couple of the gifts I made for my son's teachers, I made several of these & other gifts but I forgot to take photos of them. I suppose my New Years resolution should be take photos of everything before I give them away!

I did 4 of these, each in diferent colourways, they hold a notebook which is ideal for shopping lists (or Stampin' Up! wishlists!) a little calendar & some post-it notes. I bought the notebooks in Poundland at £1 for six & I only used a few post-it's or the folder wouldn't have shut properly. The folders shut using a set of self-adhesive magnets.

Lastly, I added a pencil holder, the holder was made from a template designed by Nicole Heady for Papertreyink, so thanks Nicole for such a great idea. You can download Nicole's fab pencil holder with her version of a notepad cover here.

Some stamping, buttons & ribbon finished the projects off, hope you like them.
Take care,
Kathy. x

Season of Joy Trees

2010-12-12T07:00:00.000Z

I'm not sure if I've posted this one before, so if I have I'm sorry. I love the Season of Joy stamp set as it's so versatile. I've just used the tree in this card, but the set has lots of fab images & the swirl can be used all year round.

The DSP was the Bridesmaid foiled one that is sadly discontinued & I used my Cherry Cobbler ink pad to colour the areas that were not foiled. Love this effect.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Serene Dasher

2010-12-11T07:00:00.000Z

I love the Dasher stamp & it works so well with Serene Snowflakes, the colour combo is Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue & Whisper White with a little Platinum Shimmer Paint.

This card can be made in batches by making whole sheets of the pattern, then stamping the Dasher panels together.

Happy Crafting,
Kathy. x

Soft Holly

2010-12-10T07:00:00.002Z

Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but I hope you get the drift of the design.

I kept it simple with the tree to one side, with a little tearing & daubing the edges & the Soft Holly roller as a border.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Delightful Decorations Workshop

2010-12-09T07:00:00.000Z

Some of my ladies came over & we made a couple of these cards each.

We started off with a 12" square piece of Very Vanilla Which we cut down to 2 5" strips. The card was scored at 5" then the long side was folded in half. A circle was cut out of the folded side to create the semi-circular apeture.

Next we roller stamped with the back panel with So Swirly in our choice of colour, & used the swirl from the Season of Joy set to stamp around the apeture (I tried using the So Swirly but the pattern was too busy).

2 panels were cut from matching colour card stock & punched the borders, they were adhered to the card as shown. A piece of ribbon was added to the front border and a piece of Elastic Cord was stuck into the crease to hold the ornament. The front panel was then stuck down to hide the ribbon & cord.

Finally we stamped & cut out 2 ornaments & stuck them on either side of the Elastic Cord.

The ladies loved making these and as you can see, I've made a few! :)

Happy Crafting,
Kathy. x

Baja Breeze Photo Frame

2010-12-08T07:00:00.000Z

I have decorated this frame to give to my eldest sister for her birthday, her bedroom is decorated in this colour so I thought she'd like this to put on her dressing table.

I used a bare basics photo frame from Do Crafts (cost £1.09) and first covered the whole frame (back and front) with Whisper White Craft ink, using a sponge dauber. I let the ink dry then applied Baja Breeze ink, again using a sponge dauber. This gives a nice soft colour all over. I let the frame dry then used Craft Whisper White ink to stamp the base layer of the flowers & Baja Breeze for the top layer. The effect is very subtle, hope she likes it!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Purple Christmas

2010-11-22T07:00:00.000Z

Anyone who knows me knows I just can't leave the colour purple alone! I was so gutted when most of the purples were discontinued during the colour revolution, but at least we still have a couple, then came the in colour Concord Crush, yummy!

Take care,
Kathy.

21 Again!

2010-11-16T07:00:00.000Z

Happy Birthday Bro!

So that means happy birthday to me! He's my twin, obviously not identical ;) so I can rib him about being 21 times two!

This was a simple card of black, white & Platinum Shimmer Paint.
Stamps used were All in the Family, Just Perfect & San Serif alphabets.

Thanks for looking, take care,
Kathy. x

Contempo Christmas Tree

2010-11-08T07:00:00.001Z

This card was made with the unusual colour combination of Perfect Plum, Cajun Craze and Always Artichoke, it's not a combination I would have thought of myself, it came from my trusty Colour Coach. Doesn't it work well?

You might not be able to see from the photo, but I used the perforator from the Cutter Kit to give the Perfect Plum layer some interest.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Natural Contempo Christmas

2010-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

This simple easel card show how lovely the baubles are, I didn't have the matching punch when it was made & I have to admit they are easy to cut out, but being very lazy I now have the punch! :)

The colour combinbation can be whatever you like, I chose colours from the Neutrals Collection as I was in that kind of mood, but I've since done some purple ones, no surprize there I hear you say! lol

Thanks for looking,

Kathy. x

Christmas Workshop - Four Cards in a NIght

2010-11-06T07:00:00.000Z

This workshop showed how we can make a bunch of cards in 2 hours, just by being organised! If each stage is done separately, then all the cards put together in the end, we can get all our Christmas cards done in no time. Says me who is still struggling to get to 50, let alone the hundred I need. :)

All the stamped images were done first onto Whisper White card & cut & punched out where required. Next glue your layers, add brads, gems etc where needed. Score & fold your card blanks & finally stick everything together.

Still loving the Cherry Cobbler / Old Olive & Very Vanilla combination, I promise to show you some other combos soon.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Word Cards Workshop

2010-11-05T07:00:00.002Z

These cards were made at a workshop I held just using Merry Moments DSP (now retired) & shapes cut using my Cricut & Gypsy. I made the words on the Gypsy as it has a "Weld" function to stick whatever letters I choose together, this is perfect for personalised cards

The colour combination was Old Olive ,Garden Green, Real Red, Very Vanilla & Chocolate Chip.

We made about 50 cards that night & there was still loads of DSP left over, in fact we ran out of die cuts so I brought out the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit & they got stuck into that! Way to go ladies!! :)

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Serene Snowflakes Noel

2010-11-04T07:00:00.001Z

I'd planned to show the stamping technique for this card at my new catalogue launch party, but didn't get round to it, this card isn't really suitable for a workshop as it's quite fiddly & we'd be fighting for the same stamps all evening!

I stamped the letters in Crump Cake (the new name for Kraft) & then kiss stamped Serene Snowflakes over the top using Chocolate Chip, the letter were then stmaped onto Very Vanilla, circle punched & more snowflakes added all over in more Crumb Cake ink. I used the middle sized snowflake to make the "O" for added interest.

The background was just more snowflakes in Champagne Mist Shimmer paint, Crumb Cake & Chocolate Chip ink.

Thnaks for looking,
Kathy. x

Medallion Christmas

2010-11-03T07:00:00.001Z

My camera really isn't showing the colours well at the moment, but these were made using new Cherry Cobbler (a fab rich red), trusty Old Olive & Very Vanilla.

These were made at one of my many workshops I've been haing lately, they're so quick & easy to make, great if you're like me & have well over a hundred cards to make each year.

Happy crafting,
Kathy. x

Baja Breeze Brocade

2010-11-02T07:00:00.000Z

I haven't just been making Christmas cards lately, the new catalogue has brought us new stamps & new colours! This one is using Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette & Early Espresso, I'm sorry the photo doesn't do it justice, trust me it's lovely.

I took the colourway from the new Colour Coach. This handy little item has all the colours on the front& some suggested colour combinations on the back. This is fabulous if, like me, you're afraid to experiment with different colours. You'll find out that I've become a lot more daring, thanks the the Colour Coach.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Christmas Workshop

2010-11-01T07:00:00.000Z

These cards were made at one of my christmas workshops I've been having lately. Just a few more to go, then it'll all be over! :)

Tthe centre card was made using my new toy, the Cricut die cutting machine. I just love my new gizmo! I can set it to cut a whole sheet of shapes while I do something else, saving me loads of time. I also have the Gypsy, which is great for designing while I'm on my lunch break at work, or sat in front of the telly keeping my long suffering hubby company.

Anyway, we made these three cards, it was a lovely evening having fun crafting with friends, what could be better?

Happy crafting,
Kathy. x

Black & White Workshop

2010-10-31T07:00:00.001Z

On the same night we showed off our challenge cards, we made these two cards.
I'd gone all monochromatic that night, sometimes I find it easier to go that way, it saves me having to think up a colour scheme!

The lovely church was from the now retired Silent Night set, you might be able to see from the photo that we decoupaged the church & added an acetate "bubble" stamped with Serene Snowflakes to protect the layers.

The other card used the Night & Day DSP, also retired. I punched out two scalloped circles, cut into the centre of each & concertina folded them to create the flower, punched flowers & a brad covers the messy centre. This flower was inspired by the ones in the new Idea Book & Catalogue. I love the sentiment from the Occassional Quotes (Hostess Level 3) set, it just finished the card off nicely!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Black & White Challenge

2010-10-30T07:00:00.000+01:00

A while ago I challenged my Stampers 6 ladies to create some cards using some images I'd stamped onto some Whisper White card, together with some Basic Black card & an Eyelet Border strip.

They came up with some lovely cards (sorry I forgot to take pictures) & I completed these cards to show what I'd have come up with.

The stamp set I used was True Friend, which has now retired, but any stamp set would have made a lovely set to give as a gift.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Tealight Holder Cover

2010-10-16T07:00:00.000+01:00

I made this cover for a tealight holder I bought a while ago, I used the snowflake rub ons from the mini catalogue (now sadly retired). I'm not sure about this one, I think I'm going to have a rethink & try again, what do you think? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Take care,
Kathy. x

Sparkly & Bright Lantern

2010-10-15T07:00:00.001+01:00

This is a cute little project I made after I bought a load of battery operated tea lights. The holer is made from the Vellum Card (it's nice & sturdy). I stamped & embossed in white then used my trusty Stampin' Write markers to colour in the back. It's a bit fiddly to put the holder together, but my son loved it!

I did another one in blue & lilac, but can't find the photo! Oh well, I can always make another! :)

Kathy. x

Serene Snowflakes Card Set

2010-10-14T07:00:00.000+01:00

Yet another set, this time in a natural colour way.
I also like to decorate my envelopes, and the Serene Snowflakes stamp set is ideal for this

Thanks for looking,
Kathy. x

Snow Burst Card Set

2010-10-13T07:00:00.001+01:00

This is another set I made a while ago, I've posted it all in one go as I have so many projects to show you. This set was super easy to make, I was finished in one evening. It's just as well when I have well over a hundred cards to make this year.

Take care,
Kathy. x

Sparkly & Bright cards 4, 5 & 6!

2010-10-12T07:00:00.000+01:00

Blogger has finally let me upload some photos, so here are the remaining cards from the Sparkly & Bright set. Sorry it took so long.

Lots more to show you, so come back soon!
Kathy. x

Thank you!

2010-10-11T07:00:00.000+01:00

Just a little note to say THANK YOU to the lovely ladies who came to my New Catalogue Launch Party.

I had a lovely day chatting, stamping & eating cake, hope you did too!

I thought I'd better announce the winner of my prize draw, who has won lots of Stampin' Up goodies. My husband Pete drew the ticket so....

Congratulations Doreen!

As you know I've been having a lot of trouble getting to post my blogs lately, but I promise I have loads to show you & will endeavour to have some new projects very soon.

Take care,

Kathy.

2010-09-26T07:00:00.022+01:00

Hi All!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but Blogger is being a pain & only letting me in for a short while & not letting me upload my photos. This is just a quick post (before Blogger chucks me out) to let you know about my:

New catalogue Launch Party

at my home on

Friday the 1st of October

from 10am 'til 4pm

& then

from 7.30 'til 9.30pm

Be one of the first to see the new catalogue
Try some of the fab new products
Demonstrations
Lots of make & takes
Prize Raffle
Light refreshments provided

Some of my lovely stampers six ladies will be assisting me throughout the day (don't know what I'd do without them) so if you are interested, please contact me for details & directions:

01726 63461 (evenings) or

email pete.jsimpson@talktalk.net

What could be better, a day full of crafting, fun & laughter? I would love to see you there.

Take care,

Kathy.

Sparkly & Bright Set Card #3

2010-09-10T07:00:00.000+01:00

For card number three I used a round post-it note to mask of the panel, then stamped the sparkles all over, you could use the roller again, but be careful around the post-it, you don't want it to move while you're stamping. To give the citcle more definition I used a Stampin' Write marker to go around the post-it, this needs a steady hand!

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Sparkly & Bright Set Card #2

2010-09-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

Card number 2 uses quite a large panel of the background, but if you want your card to go further, just use a smaller piece.

The jolly Santa only fits in the 1-3/4" circle punch, so I punched the scallop circle twice and put them either side of the circle.

I won't bore you with the supplies list, I'm sure you get my drift from the last post!

Happy Crafting,
Kathy.

Sparkly and Bright Set Card #1

2010-09-08T07:00:00.008+01:00

This is the first of the cards I made to go inside the Sparkly & Bright gift bag, which I posted yesterday. Hopefully this card set will show how versatile the stamp set is, apart from being very cute!

Supplies:

Stamps - Sparkly & Bright
Ink - Night of Navy, Certainly Cerlery
Accessories - Dazzling Diamonds
Tools - Paper Cutter, Paper Snips, Scallop edge, Scallop Circle & 1-3/8" Circle punches, Aqua Painter
Adhesives - Snail, Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue Pen

Please note I haven't listed what I used for the background card, please see my post for the gift bag which takes you through the process step-by-step.

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Sparkly & Bright Set - Bag

2010-09-07T07:00:00.001+01:00

This bag is the first part of a set I made after making some background card:

I first used my sponge daubers to make splodges of colour all over a piece of A4 Whisper White card.
I then used Versamark in my roller & used it all over the card.
Next heat emboss using clear embossing powder.
Finally cover the whole of the card with a dark colour using a brayer, the clear embossing resists the ink to give you multi-coloured sparkles.

Supplies for background:

Stamps - Jolly roller
Ink - Versamark, Night of Navy, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Bashful Blue
Card - Whisper White
Accessories - Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder
Tools - Brayer, Heat Tool, Sponge Dauber

I use a bit of kitchen towel all over the card to get excess ink off, leave it to dry for a bit, then it's ready to use. One A4 sheet made this bag, six cards, with a little left over, so it's a simple way of getting a few cards done.
Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Rich Razzleberry Set Card #6

2010-09-05T07:00:00.000+01:00

The last card had to be a get well card. I don't know about you, but when I've been under the weather a get well card is an instant lift. It might not get me better sooner, but is brings a smile to my face for a while. I send a lot of these cards, and I hope they give the recipients the same feeling as I get.

Supplies:

Stamps - Baroque Motifs, Sincere Salutations
Ink - Rich Razzleberry
Card - Whisper White, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories - Old Olive Brad (from Earth Elements set)
Tools - Paper Cutter, Paper Snips, 2-Step Bird punch (for leaves), 5 Petal Flower Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, 1/2" Circle punch, 1/16" Circle Handheld Punch
Adhesives - Snail, Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots.

PS. Do you like the flower? I made it by punching the 5 Petal Flower punch 3 times then crumpling (without ripping) it. You could use a distress embossing folder/texture plate in your die-cutting machine, but this gets the fibres of the card to separate into layers. I also distressed some Old Olive card before punching out the leaves, but make sure the punch is clear of off cuts before using again as they could damage you precious punch.

Thanks for looking!
Kathy.

Rich Razzleberry Set Card #5

2010-09-04T07:00:00.001+01:00

I generally have at least one wedding card to send each year, so I included one in the set. Love the wedding shoes! The border was an off cut of ribbon, don't throw your bits away!

Supplies:

Stamps - All for Friends (Hostess), Curvy Verses, Framed with Love
Ink - Rich Razzleberry
Card - Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Accessories - Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon
Tools - Paper Cutter, Sponge Dauber, Scallop Oval Punch
Adhesives - Snail, Dimensionals

Thanks for looking!
Kathy.

Rich Razzleberry Set Card #4

2010-09-03T07:00:00.000+01:00

Card number 4 is another quick one, I stamped the flowers from the Pretties Kit with Rich Razzleberry ink & the Fine Flourish stamp, added a bit of bling with a Rhinestone brad (also from the Pretties Kit).

You might think the Pretties Kit is expensive, but you get loads in it! The are 50 flowers to start with, which you can colour with your inks or markers or stamp on them as I have done here. The 50 clear Rhinestone brads add the sparkle, together with pearls for elegance & beads galore. This kit will make your creations stand out from the rest. And when you've finished with the contents, use the tin for storage or as a gift box.

Supplies:

Stamps - Fine Flourish, Sincere Salutations, Framed with Love
Ink - Rich Razzleberry
Card - Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Accessories - Flower & Brad from Pretties Kit
Tools - Paper Cutter, Eyelet Border Punch
Adhesives - Snail, Mini Glue Dots, Dimensionals

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.

Rich Razzleverry Set Card #3

2010-09-02T07:00:00.001+01:00

Card number 3 was made using the off cuts of DSP from the box, I don't waste a thing! I used a thin strip on the envelope too, make sure it's well stuck down if you're sending the card in the post.

I teamed the paper with an image from the Level 2 Hostess Set from the mini catalogue. This set has a number of images that fit so many occassions, but if you want it you'd better hurry, the set is only available until the end of this month if you hold a qualifying party, so contact me now!

Supplies:

Stamps - All for Friends (Hostess), Basic Phrases
Ink - Rich Razzleberry
Card - Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry
DSP - Cottage Wall
Tools - Paper Cutter, Corner Rounder Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Aqua Painter

Happy Crafting!
Kathy.

Rich Razzleberry Card #2

2010-09-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

Card number 2 is a generic card and the Vintage Vogue stamp set is perfect for any occasion. I hope the Old Olive Satin Ribbon carries over to the next catalogue as I love it!

I should find out soon as the retired list comes out later today. I'll try and post the list here (if I can get the link right) if I can't it will be on the link to Stampin' Up's website on the right.

Supplies:

Stamps - Vintage Vogue
Ink - Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
Card - Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry
Assessories - Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Old olive Brad (from Earth Elements set)
Tools - Paper Cutter, Paper Snips, 1-1/16" Handheld Circle Punch
Adhesives - Snail, Dimensional

Thanks for looking,
Kathy.