Stampin'spiration

The sweetest thing.....

2012-01-27T20:34:00.002Z

Before I show you some Sale-a-bration samples I really should show you the final projects from the Big Shot Class, again using the Petal Cone Die, it's quite amazing what you can turn this die into! I am sure you have seen these Ice-creams before but I think they are just so sweet and as suggested by Hazel would make a great party invitation!

Your Big Shot Machine will really take your crafting to the next step, it is an investment you won't be disappointed with.

Here we have used a couple of Embossing Folders, the Square Lattice and Vintage Wallpaper to add texture to make this ice cream look more realistic.

The Cherry on the Top is punched out from the new Glimmer Cardstock sold in a pack of two 12x12" sheets, it is really stunning and will add that touch of glam in an instant.

The greetings are all from the stamp set "For My Family" and the flag banner is die cut from the Perfect Penants Bigz Die.

Our final project was the Spice Cake Cupcake Card!

More embossing and sweetness with Cherries on top and of course an appearance of the gorgeous Spice Cake Designer Paper from the Mini Catalogue which encouraged my colour scheme of More Mustard, Pool Party and Soft Suede. So simple yet of course, so sweet.....

........why not join me in getting the most out of your Big Shot, the next class is on Wednesday 1st February at Alveston where you can create all of these projects or at Whitminster on 14th February where we will be using another die to great some fabulous projects.

Let's Sale-a-Brate!

2012-01-24T10:31:00.001Z

Today is the launch of Stampin' Up!'s 2012 Sale-a-bration and the promotion runs right the way through until 31st March. This is a great offer and I am really excited to share it with you.

If you are new to Sale-a-bration this is how it works as there are different ways you can earn these free goodies plus more:

Place an order for £45 between now and 31st March and you can earn yourself exclusive Stamp Sets and Designer Paper packs for FREE
Be a Hostess, host a party with sales of £300 or more and choose any SAB item for FREE
Join my team during SAB and not only will you get the Starter Kit for an amazing £119 but you can also choose any stamp set of any value from the current Catalogues for FREE. This means that for £119 you will be getting products worth over £290, what amazing value that is.

There are 4 lovely stamp sets to choose from, all exclusive of course and the most delicious pack of Designer Series Paper that co-ordinates with one of the stamp sets. You can view the stamps here

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Stampin' Up! is offering a great opportunity for you. You may not be looking to build a business like myself, you may just want to earn a great discount on your products to help feed your hobby so here's a little bit of info to help you out:

Discounted Products: You will get 20% off any products you buy and if you place an order for a minimum of £150 during the first 45 days of signing up you will get an amazing 30% off.
Want to earn some extra cash: There's every opporunity for you to earn yourself some extra cash, whether you want to run your own business and do house parties and classes or if you just want to show the catalogue to your friends to gain orders on a regular basis or just be your own best customer, the choice is yours and the opportunities are there for you. You can choose the hours you want to work, as much or as little as you like, it is so flexible you can fit it around your family or part time job.
Free Products: You can earn yourself free stamp sets during your first 6 months as a demonstrator, get the cost of your Starter Kit back along with the opportunity of an all expenses paid trip for you and a guest to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2013, wow!!
Support: As your upline I will be there to provide you with any help and support you may need along the way whether you just want to be a Hobby Demonstrator or want to set up your own business. Stampin' Up! also offer you support with guidance to help you on your way when you get started through to Regional Training Days around the country.

If you would like to know more about signing up as a Demonstrator, call me on 01452 740532 / 07717 068909 for an informal, no obligation chat about the opportunities that there are for you

Petal Cone Die

2012-01-20T08:42:00.005Z

Here is the first project from this month's Big Shot Class, we concentrated on using the Petal Cone Bigz Die and in total we created two cards and this gorgeous cone shaped box.

My colour combo was inspired by the new "Spice Cake" designer papers and consists of Soft Suede, More Mustard and Pool Party.

The greeting flag is also part of the Petal Cone die and is I have used this so much recently on my projects.

More new products here, the Spiced Paisley stamp set which is just so versatile. Here we stamped and layered two different stamps in Soft Suede and More Mustard, punched them out using co-ordinating Circle Punches then die cut that gorgeous Scallop Circle from the Perfect Penants Bigz Die in Pool Party cardstock, just so simple but perfect for this cone.

Here is how it opens:

The Pool Party scalloped edges around the top of the cone are also die cut from the same Petal Cone die, it couldn't get easier!!

To finish we punched holes and threaded Seam Binding ribbon through to secure.

Back later with the other Big Shot projects.

Perfect Postage

2012-01-12T22:36:00.001Z

So with my previous post in mind, I set my creativity into "productive mode" and continued to follow the same sketch and produce similar but different designs with it.

This time we have a Valentine's Card, quite bright and cheery using Melon Mambo, Pool Party teamed with Crumb Cake and Whisper White.

Again I have used the Perfect Postage stamp set and this time I embossed the heart images with Melon Mambo embossing powder, it really adds an interesting feature and is so simple to achieve, just stamp with VersaMark Ink, pour powder over the image then heat with the Heat Tool, the second pictures shows this much more clearly.

The oval greeting is from "Petite Pairs" stamped in Pool Party ink and the ribbon flag greeting is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" which is a really great set as it caters for so many different occasions.

I am really liking this set, quite versatile and great that it has the co-ordinating "Postage Stamp" punch too.

A New Arrival

2012-01-11T10:59:00.000Z

On Monday evening, Jason's nephew's wife gave birth to "Jensen" and here is the card I have made for him.

I have been playing with the "Perfect Postage" stamps and came across a sketch which worked really well and here is how it turned out.

I am loving the new In Colours and chose Island Indigo, Pool Party and teamed it with some Crumb Cake and Whisper White.

I used another new product, the Postage Stamp Punch which of course co-ordinates with the Perfect Postage stamp set, another punch which has many uses.

The letter "J" is from the Timeless Type sizzlits set and I die cut it out using the Big Shot Machine. I also embossed the Pool Party layer with the Stripes embossing folder, loving this one, so versatile and very classy! I tied linen thread behind my squares to add some texture and bring in the Crumb Cake from the base card.

On the inside I used a greeting from "Bundle of Love" and stamped a Babygrow because it is sooo cute!! I added more DSP and a Pool Party border to finish it off.

The new Sping Mini Catalogue is here.....

2012-01-04T10:17:00.004Z

So here it is, our first ever "Spring Mini Catalogue", full of so many gorgeous new products that you will love I am sure, including the new "Simply Adorned" range of chains, charms and baubles perfect for jewellery making, home decor and of course papercrafting. I have been so excited about this since Convention in November and being a Demonstrator I have been able to pre-order items a whole month in advance so have already been playing with some of those goodies.

Click here to go direct to the online pdf version or simply call me today and I will pop one in the post to you.

Spurred by the release of this new mini I have arranged an all day event in March, details as follows:

SPRING MINI SPECTACULAR

SATURDAY 3RD MARCH 2012

WHITMINSTER VILLAGE HALL

10.00am - 3.00pm

£35.00

INCLUDES A GOODY BAG WITH £28 OF PRODUCTS INCLUDING YOUR OWN STAMP SET TO USE ON THE DAY

LUNCH AND LIGHT REFRESHMENTS

SPACES ARE LIMITED AND AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS

DEPOSIT OF £18.00 REQUIRED BY 28TH JANUARY 2012

BALANCE DUE 11TH FEBRUARY 2012

Call me on 07717 068909 / 01452 740532 to book your place

Back soon with some samples to share

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-03T15:51:00.000Z

I know I am a little behind schedule but here goes:

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

and thank you for your support in 2011

Well I am officially back at work today, busily planning for upcoming classes and events.

I can't wait to share the new Spring Mini Catalogue with you tomorrow so stay tuned to view the online version before you get to see the real thing in person at the next class or workshop.

If you are planning on attending the Spice Cake Desk Tidy Class at Alveston on 14th January booking closes today so don't delay in contacting me!!

Here is a sneak peak:

Not Just for Tags....

2011-12-30T21:15:00.000Z

Another tag using the Two Tags Die, this time a bit more decorative and it would make the perfect partner to a co-ordinated gift wrapped present. Isn't it nice to gift wrap those special presents with hand made tags and wrapping. Again, more of the previous post using "Tags till Christmas" for the Bauble image and "Polar Party" for the greeting.

So here you see the Two Tags Die is not just for Tags! A cute little gift bag that perfectly fits two Ferrero Rocher chocolates. This gift bag is so easy to put together, it simply uses two die cut tags which are then stuck together and folded in towards each other along the pre-scored lines to create the bag. These would also make great name place settings too.

Gift Tag

2011-12-30T20:55:00.000Z

Using the Two Tags Big Shot Die I created a cute Gift Tag and then made a pocket to encase it! More Holly Berry Boutique Patterned Papers along with Glimmer Brads and Spotted Scallop Cherry Cobbler Ribbon. The slim "Merry Christmas" tag was die cut using one of the Sizzlits (slim) dies from the "Lots of Tags" set.

The "just for you" image is from the Hostess stamp set "Tagtastic" which has a very vintage feel and I love how you can cut out the centre piece and raise it using a dimensional. Here I stamped the image in Cherry Cobbler and punched it out using the XL Oval Punch then daubed in Early Espresso ink around the edge to give a more vintage feel.

"Tagtastic" isn't available to purchase unless you are a Hostess, so why not book yourself a party, invite some friends around and earn yourself some lovely exclusive Stampin' Up! products for free or just simply host a virtual party if you don't have the room to entertain, alternatively join one of my virtual stampers/marker clubs to get your hands on exclusive hostess goodies.

Here is a close up view:

Tags Till Christmas

2011-12-30T18:42:00.000Z

Sorry for the lack of posts, we have been away for Christmas and just returned this morning. I still have a few Christmas products to share with you so thought I should do this before it is too late!!! Of course you could always make an early start ready for next year and get crafting now!!

Another project created at the Bags, Boxes and Tags Class. That gorgeous Ornament (Bauble) image is from the "Tags Till Christmas" stamp set which contains images that can all be punched out and used as tags.

Again we used the Holly Berry Boutique papers with co-ordinating colours of Cherry Cobbler and Wild Wasabi.

We used the Big Shot Dies Perfect Penants and Petal Cone to create the Crumb Cake Scallop Circle and Flag Banner to which we stamped a greeting using "Polar Party" Stamps. We spritzed this with a Cherry Cobbler Marker Pen and Spritzer Tool.

We used a glimmer brad attached to a Boho Blossom flower and some of the Spotty Scallop Ribbon to create a closure for our box.

More Cherry Cobbler Boho Blossom flowers with Mini Silver Brad centres are attached to the centre of the Bauble to finish.

Bags, Boxes and Tags Class

2011-12-18T22:21:00.001Z

Last week I held a selection of Christmas classes, the "Bags, Boxes and Tags" was one of them. The class was based on the Holly Berry Bouquet Designer Paper so our colour combo was Chocolate Chip, Cherry Cobbler and Wild Wasabi.

Here is what we created during the class, I had several samples on display with instructions and everyone chose what they wanted to make.

The first is a little gift bag that could contain anything from a couple of sweet treats, to make-up or jewellery.

The greeting is from "Polar Party" that cute little Christmas set and the ribbon tail flag was die cut with the Big Shot using the Petal Cone Die. We stamped the greeting in Chocolate Chip ink then using the Cherry Cobbler Marker Pen spritzer over the top.

Of course some co-ordinating Spotted Scallop Ribbon is making an appearance and attaching it a Glimmer Brad, you can't appreciate just how gorgeous these are until you see one in the flesh!!

Back with some more projects soon.

Embossing with Stripes

2011-12-15T08:35:00.000Z

Don't you just love the Textured Embossing Folders that Stampin' Up! have, they give such a deep embossed texture and transform a simple piece of cardstock into something great! This card features the new "Stripes" folder, perfect for those manly cards but still add a touch of class to any occasion.

My colour combo here is Pool Party, Island Indigo and Certainly Celery.

This cute little hippo is from the stamp set Kidoodles, the images are cute and great for colouring/watercolouring. This card wasn't my idea, I saw it whilst blog hopping and loved how simple it was, just perfect to case for one of my 6 cards.

I used Blender Pens with the ink in the lids of the Ink Pads to colour in the hippo image. Although these images all have a greeting attached to each stamp you can of course use a marker pen to use either the image or the greeting separately.

The lovely scallop trim circle was die cut using the Big Shot with the "Perfect Penants" die, this die also for creating Bunting!!

That lovely decorative border at the top is from the stamp set "Creative Elements" which I received at Convention, it is such a beautiful set consisting of 8 stamps.

6 Cards Class projects

2011-12-10T15:45:00.001Z

Our first card at November's 6 Cards Class was this, the idea came from Jane, we made a similar version at our Pyjama Shoe Box Swap in our rooms at Disneyland Paris. I didn't steal the whole idea, just took the colours and sketch then added my own stamps. Thank you Jane for the inspiration.

So I chose the stamp set "Nature Walk", a really versatile set that even works for man cards too as you can create some lovely collages with it. We used Marker Pens to colour in the image to give a multi-coloured effect.

I have a new Marker Pen starting soon, still have a couple of spaces left so if you are interested in spreading the cost of the whole set then just get in touch.

The greeting is from "Perfect Punches" and as it's title tells, each of the greetings co-ordinate with Punches.

Season of Joy!

2011-12-08T10:54:00.000Z

"Season of Joy" is one of my all time favourite Christmas stamp sets, I love it even more as it can be used for non-Christmas cards as the Poinsettias can easily pass for flowers if using subtle colours and that swirl just has so many uses.

My colour combo here is Real Red, Old Olive and Whisper White. That spotty scallop ribbon is making an appearance again, can you tell that I love it, the Cherry Cobbler version is even more delicious!! Such a sweet and simple design here.

The Poinsettia's have been hand cut and layered using Dimensionals to make them stand out and on one I have added some of those cute little mini silver brads, they are just £2.95 for 200 of the little beauties and I have been using them on everything!!

Back soon with some piccies of my birthday trip to New York and Canada!

Watercolouring....

2011-12-06T08:03:00.000Z

I just love to watercolour and we have some lovely outlined image stamps in the new Catalogue which are perfect for this. "Easy Events" is one of those sets, lots of lovely images just waiting to be coloured in.

On this occasion I stamped the tree image with black StazOn ink onto Watercolour paper, this is to stop the bleeding when colouring in. I used marker pens to scribble splashes of colour to the stamped image then the Aqua painters to move the colour around my image as required. The finished effect is just as if you have painted with a brush, really soft and washy!

Ooops, there's that scallop ribbon again, this time in Chocolate Chip!! Can you see the new "Stripes" Embossing Folder, loving that, such a useful one for all occasions. The Designer Frame is also an embossing folder, it comes as a pair, the other is an oval with lots of dots around the edge and you are sure to see that here soon , at £7.95 for both a great bargain too!

I have a pretty busy week preparing for classes but will be back shortly to show you more!

Sweet Snowglobe

2011-12-04T21:40:00.000Z

Here is another card from my November class, this time using one of the "A La Carte" (single) Stamps "Sweet Snowglobe". This stamp co-ordinates with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch and Sweet Treat Cups but here we simply just punched it out and gave it a bit of 3D!

We used "Serene Snowflakes" stamps to create the background on the Riding Hood Red layer, the snowflakes are just so delicate and the Kraft White Ink works perfectly on the Riding Hood Red, we also daubed around the edge.

For the Snowglobe we stamped it twice, once in Early Espresso ink then we inked it up again but this time using 4 marker pens, baja breeze (snowflakes), Riding Hood Red (house) and Old Olive and Early Espresso (trees) then punched it out using the 1 3/4" Circle Punch. Using tombow we added adhesive to the snowflakes then poured on Dazzling Diamonds and set it to dry before layering over the Espresso image using Dimensionals. We added some mini silver brads to the base of the Snowglobe which are hard to see from the picture.

We used the Big Shot to emboss those lovely dots onto Crumb Cake cardstock and stamped our greeting which we punched out with the Decorative Label Punch. Don't you just love that spotty scallop ribbon, I know I do!!

Would you like to re-create this card, this stamp is only £8.95 and can still be delivered in time for you to make your Christmas cards, call or text for further information!

Convention 2011

2011-12-03T20:50:00.000Z

At Convention we have a formal Dinner and Awards evening to recognise those who have achieved throughout the year. There were some beautiful frocks to be seen and some heels to die for! I had planned on buying "sensible shoes" as I knew I was going to be walking the stage a few times but couldn't resist those patent Ted Baker skyscrapers and my roomies were sure that they were going to bag themselves a cheque from "Youv'e Been Framed", but fortunately for me they were unlucky this time!!! I won some lovely gifts over the weekend for my achievements and also won the Prize Patrol too along with some sneak peak stamps that I can't share with you yet!

Here I am with the lovely Shannon West, she is such a beautiful person, so warm and natural and if you have met her I am sure you would agree. She is wearing an apron she made with the new Timeless Portrait Fabric, we had a couple of Main Stage demonstrations from Shannon and she is a true inspiration. I am really keen to learn how to use that Sewing Machine that is sat in the corner of my Craft Room but will definitely need a bit of help to get me kick started!

There are large screens at either side of the stage so that we can see the Demonstrations in close detail, we had lots of wow's over the weekend and lots of inspiration too. There are several large display boards full of samples and I took many many photographs to bring home with me.

Here I am with Caroline, we are sat in the Bar Area at our Hotel, looking like weve' had a couple of Martini's too many!!!

I can't wait for Convention 2012, Germany here we come!!

More from Convention

2011-11-28T22:50:00.000Z

So here are my roomies, we had such fun and laughed lots, we stamped, wined, dined, shopped and had our own Pyjama Party make and takes in our room!

Here are the gifts I made for my roomies:

Inside were decorated pages with spaces for photographs and journalling to keep as a momento of our time away.

Here we are on the Main Stage

and out and about the grounds

This is where we ate on Saturday night once Convention was all finished, we had such a giggle here, something I will remember for a long time, good food and great company, what a great combination.

Do you fancy joining me at Convention 2012 in Germany, it really is so great to get together with lots of other Demonstrators, swap, share, learn and be inspired. Being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is just the best, why not join my team and have the opportunity of earning some pennies in your pocket for doing something you enjoy, hours to suit you and your family! Email or call for an informal chat about the opportunities available to you.

I'm Back!!!!

2011-11-27T18:20:00.000Z

Wow, 6 flights in 9 days, I am totally pooped, but what a ball I have had, Paris, New York, Canada and I can't wait to share it all with you.

But first things first, just a reminder that booking closes for my December Classes tomorrow, here's a couple of pictures to jog your memories:

So, these are just for the Wreath Classes on Saturday 10th December at Alveston Methodist Church and Monday 12th December at Whitminster Village Hall.

Remember there are also the other options of the Christmas Stamp a Stack (15 simple but stunning cards) and the Tags, Favours and Boxes Classes at both venues on the same dates.

Booking must close tomorrow to ensure delivery of your goodies included with the class.

Still here, honestly!!

2011-11-20T21:42:00.000Z

Hi all, apologies for my absence, I have just returned from the Stampin' Up! 2011 Convention at Disneyland Paris, the run up to going away was a little hectic with swaps, roomie gifts and class preparations and I have to say I was relieved once we were on our way knowing that everything was complete and in place for the weekend.

I shared a room at the Disney Hotel "Sequoia Lodge" with Jane, Caroline and Gill, we had such fun. Convention is such an exciting place to be, with over 300 demonstrators from the UK, France and Germany all joining together, sharing, learning and being inspired by each other.

Here we are, and ignore the fact that I have my eye's closed, I try my hardest to keep them open and now everyone is used to taking at least 3 shots when I am in the picture just in case, on this occasion it just wasn't happening!!!

From left to right, Jane, Gilly, Me (with my eye's closed), Caroline and Hayley.

Here we have just signed in for Convention, collected our Bags complete with 2 Stamp sets, Lanyards, Award Pins and more, waiting impatiently to go into the Momento Mall to shop for all our Stampin' Up! Branded Logo goodies!

After the excitement of the Momento Mall we began our swapping, here is one of the designs I put together, something we made a my classes earlier this month, it uses the beautiful stamp set "Everything Eleanor" which I just adore, for the background I used the bleaching technique.

Do you recognise this lovely lady, our guest Presenter, of course, it's Liz Shannon up on stage wowing us with her creations!

During the day we do lots of creating, learning and sharing, we also get to have our very own "Make and Take" sessions too:

That's all for today, I am off to New York tomorrow to celebrate my 40th Birthday so I have lots of unpacking and re-packing to do! I will try to share some more convention photo's with you before I go!

2011-11-04T08:49:00.000Z

In August we drove over to France in the Motorhome to spend a few days away sightseeing and relaxing, and after not having spent any time in the motorhome away racing this year, due to Jack breaking his leg, it was nice to be in there again, it's our little home from home!

During our stay in France we drove a lot, stopping off at places we liked and we packed so much into our little adventure. Of course my camera was with me all the time so I took lots of photographs to share when we got home.

Once place we wanted to go to was the Abbey of the Mont St. Michel, the most amazing

We used a base colour of Crumb Cake and teamed it with Always Artichoke and Not Quite Navy which co-ordinated with our Springtime Vintage Paper (now retired). The new Lace Ribbon Punch made a beautiful border down the left side of the layout and we punched out Whisper White circles and stuck them behind to make the border stand out a little.

We used the Big Shot to create our title with the "Timeless Type" Sizzlits Dies, it is just so quick and easy to cut them out. The "of" was stamped using "Just Perfect" alphabet stamps which are also really great for personalising your cards too!

The Not Quite Navy flowers were something Amanda Fowler showed us on a swap she created and I just love them. They are created using the 5 Petal Flower punch and then one of the Bitty Punches for the centres attached with a brad. The large River Rock flower to the bottom right was die cut using the "Fun Flowers" Bigz L die with the Big Shot Machine.

Those pretty little butterflies in the top left corner were stamped using "Clearly for You" stamps in Crumb Cake ink so we had a tone on tone effect.

Scrapbooking with Bunting!

2011-11-03T11:13:00.000Z

Here is one of the layouts we created at October's Scrapbook Class. Mine is lacking a title but I will get around to it at some point soon!

Lots of stamping and punching out on this one with some hand cuttnig too, I kept them very busy! We used the new stamp set Penant Parade and also the lovely flower set called Printed Petals with a colour combo of Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy and Cherry Cobbler. The papers are now retired but we used a selection from Springtime Vintage, I am a little late in showing these!!

We used the fab Penant Builder Punch to punch out our bunting, it just makes such light work of it then added some small circle elements which are also in the Penant Parade stamp set.

If you would like to create some Scrapbook Pages to preserve your memories, why not book into one of my classes, the next one is Tuesday 15th November at Whitminster Village Hall, 7.00pm and we create 3 layouts at this class.

New Promotion - "It's Good to be the Hostess"

2011-11-01T08:29:00.003Z

It’s Good to Be the Hostess Promotion

Get even more FREE products when you host a qualifying Stampin’ Up! workshop 1 November – 15 December 2011.

Get the Paisley Petals Set and coordinating Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE—up to a £33.90 value—when you host a £300 workshop! This brand-new stamp set and Designer Series Paper are in addition to all the other exciting and generous benefits you get as a Stampin’ Up! hostess.

Birthday Wishes

2011-10-27T22:52:00.001+01:00

Goodness, where has the time gone, I have a confession to make, it has been one whole week since my last blog post!!!!!! I have been soooo busy this month, I am afraid that my blogging has become a little lapse but I have lots to show you so will try and spare some time to share them with you.

So today it is Jane's (Jane Cutting, my Stampin' Up! mummy) birthday and as I have been so busy this week, I was sat at 8.00am in my craft room creating her card. I took some inspiration from the Catalogue for this one and gave it my own "stamp"!

I think this stamp set is just so beautiful, it is called "Everything Eleanor" and is just so feminine with a touch of vintage style. The large swirl is gorgeous and great for creating backgrounds. You can find it on Page 57 of the Catalogue, priced at £26.95 Clear Mount or £33.95 Wood Mount and it consists of 8 gorgeous stamps.

My colour combination is Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party and Concorde Crush, all "In Colours" and they work beautifully together.

I also used "French Foliage" on the Very Vanilla layer which I have distressed and daubed with crumb cake ink then the "Birthday Wishes" greeting is from one of the Hostess Stamp Sets called "Happiest Birthday Wishes", a lovely set.

Can you see the new Punch? It's hiding just under the Vanilla layer, the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border and it is so sweet.

If you would like to earn yourself some exclusive Stampin' Up! products, why not host a party yourself in the comfort of your home, all you need to supply are your guests and I will do the rest!

STAMPER'S 6 VIRTUAL HOSTESS CLUB

JUST ONE MORE SPACE LEFT, CONTACT ME TODAY OR CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DETAILS.

Big Shot Class

2011-10-20T09:47:00.001+01:00

At this month's Big Shot Class we concentrated on ways of using the "Milk Carton" die.

Here are our three projects, a Milk Carton Carrier, Butterfly House and Cracker:

and a close up of the Butterfly House which I am sure you will have seen before. I was inspired by Hayley Gillie who had a Christmas Version of this little house on display at our recent show in Bristol and then saw that Jenny Moors had a feminine version with a bird and I just fell in love with the size of it, much bigger than the general Bird Houses we have all made before.

Isn't it cute, would hold a lovely little gift inside don't you think!

If you would like to learn new ways of using your dies with your Big Shot, why not come to my next Big Shot Class at Whitminster Village Hall on Tuesday 15th November, 7.00pm.

New Virtual Club "Stampers 6"

2011-10-17T09:59:00.000+01:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE RECENT POSTS

Morning Everyone, I have a new "virtual" club starting:

Stamper's 6 Club

Would you like to receive lots of Stampin' Up! products and have the opportunity of being a hostess but don't have enough creative friends, time or space in your home to get a party together, then this Club is for you. By joinging my "Stampers 6" club you will receive all the benefits of being a hostess without having to hold a party in your home.

The new Hostess Benefits in the 2011/12 are fabulous, Stampin' Up! are giving you so much more choice and value for money and you really don't want to miss out on this opportunity, it is great. Your Hostess Pounds can be spent on exclusive Hostess products or on anything you like from the Catalogue.

Here's how it works:

For this "virtual" club I need 6 people to join (I will find these people but if you have a friend who may be interested then pass on this information). The club runs for 6 months, each month every member agrees to place a £25 minimum order on an agreed date(excluding p&p) which will give a qualifying workshop order that is required to obtain Hostess Pounds to spend in the Catalogue.

Each month a different member of the club will get the opportunity to be the Hostess and choose her free Stampin' Up! goodies.

Payment for your order can be made by Cash, Cheque, Visa/Mastercard or Bank Transfer.

Each member will also receive a FREE copy of the current Stampin' Up! Catalogue valued at £5.95.

If you are local to me you can collect your order but there will be a £2.95 charge for posting any orders if you are not local.

I would like to start this Club on 1st November so don't delay, contact me now on 07717 068909 for further information. Once I have 6 people we can get started and I am more than happy to run further clubs if the need is there.

Waterfall Card

2011-10-16T19:01:00.000+01:00

Last week we made a Waterfall card at our monthly card class and I decided to do another using some of the new stamps from the Catalogue. I chose Delicate Doilies and Easy Events.

My colour combination is Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder (one of the new In Colours) and Concorde Crush teamed with some Whisper White.

We stamped the Delicate Doiles in Concorde Crush ink onto the Wisteria Wonder layer and daubed around the edges, this was mounted onto our Pear Pizzazz layer.

I used one of the new stamp sets called "Easy Events" to create my waterfall images, inking them with Marker Pens to omit the wording at the bottom of each image.

If you would like to see how this card works, why not book a party with me and I will show you how, and at the same time you can be having a fun night in with your friends and earning yourself some free Stampin' Up! goodies!

Delicate Doilies, so pretty

2011-10-09T19:56:00.000+01:00

I just love this stamp set, it is just so "delicate" and pretty, the images are so intricate and beautiful.

The picture isn't the best quality but I have used a couple of the new In Colours, "Pool Party" and "Indigo Island" and teamed it with some Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.

The "Delicate Doilies" stamp set is perfect for creating backgrounds and it is from the "Flirtatious" product suite which has some lovely co-ordinating products. I used the new Lace Ribbon Punch to create the border and the three flowers were also cut from the same punch, really pretty. It also leaves behind lots of tiny flowers which can be used on your cards and projects.

Other items in this range include the Flirtatious Designer Series Paper, and the gorgeous new Designer Fabric.

The cupcake image and greeting are from another new set called "Easy Events" and as they are one stamp I used a Marker Pen to ink up the Cupcake image first then cleaned the stamp and inked up the greeting separately. I punched the greeting out using the Word Window Punch then created the label behind using the Decorative Label punch, punching once then re-inserting it into the punch to create the smaller shape.

New Marker Pen Club

2011-10-05T08:59:00.000+01:00

This time last year I ran a couple of Marker Pen Shares and I have decided to run with it again as it is such a great idea, not mine I might add! Here's the details:

Would you like to own the complete set of Stampin' Write Marker Pens in their sturdy Carry Case? They are really great marker pens which are double ended with a thick brush tip and fine end for journalling. You can use the pens to colour onto your rubber stamps to create multiple coloured images, for water colouring, colouring in neutral ribbons, colouring on vellum to create stained glass images, the list goes on and the beauty is that they co-ordinate with all of the Stampin' Up! colours so you will have every colour to hand.

I need 5 people to join the share, each will agree to pay £29.95 per month for a total of 5 months.

Each month you will receive:

A colour family of Marker Pens
A pack of A4 Assorted Cardstock

For one of the 5 months you will become the "Hostess" and receive "£25 Hostess Pounds" to spend on anything you wish from the catalogue, this includes the exclusive Hostess selection.

By the end of the 5 months you will have:

48 Marker Pens (this includes the 10 In Colours)
The Carry Case
6 Packs of A4 co-ordinating cardstock for each colour family

If you join this club you are commited to the whole 5 months and I will require payment on a set date every month, either by Cash, Card (Visa/Mastercard), Bank Transfer or Cheque.

I already have a couple of ladies interested in this Club so please let me know asap if you would like to take part and we can get the ball rolling!

There will be a postage charge at cost to send out your monthly Markers, Cardstock and Carry Case but if you are local you can collect from me or at a class.

Email me at stampinkerry@aol.com or call on 07717 068909 for further information.

Thank You Cards

2011-10-05T08:09:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the Thank You Cards I have been creating for this month's orders. They use one of the new stamp sets called "Pennant Parade" which consists of 13 stamps that create beautiful bunting. Now something that makes this stamp set even more loveable is that there is a co-ordinating Punch called the "Petite Pennants Builder Punch"

I have used a colour combination of Baja Breeze, Pretty In Pink and Pear Pizzazz teamed with a Crumb Cake base and Very Vanilla embossed layer.

The "Thank You" greeting is also from the "Pennants Parade" set which I have punched out using the 3/4" Circle Punch.

I have also brayered the inside of the "Vintage Wallpaper" Embossing Folder with Crumb Cake ink so that you get a two toned finish, although it is difficult to see in the picture.

It's here, the new Catalogue....

2011-10-01T09:21:00.000+01:00

I am so excited to be able to share the new 2011/12 Stampin' Up! Catalogue with you today. It is full of so many delicious new stamp sets, patterned papers, punches, Big Shot Dies and some very new things too, including Fabric, yes Fabric.

You can get your own copy for £4.95 delivered to your door, just email me at stampinkerry@aol.com for details.

There are some fantastic changes to the Hostess Benefits this year, Stampin' Up! are giving you more goodies along with more choice! You don't have to spend all of your Hostess Pounds on the Exclusive Hostess Goodies, you can spend it all in the catalogue if you wish. You also have the opportunity of purchasing items at 50% off if you party reaches £300, and this could be any item in the Catalogue, even the Big Shot Machine or one of the Alphabet Die Sets. See the table below for the details.

Well I don't know about you, but I am off to shop now, my Wish List is huge and will have to narrow it down somehow.

Check back soon for details on my new Virtual Clubs and Shares.

Birthday Bunting!

2011-09-30T21:37:00.000+01:00

Earlier this month it was Gaynor's birthday and she was the first person I sneaked new products to with her Birthday card! This is the gorgeous new stamp set called "Pennant Parade", bunting lover's paradise!! Gorgeous stamps designed to co-ordiate with each other to make the most delicious bunting on your cards or scrapbook layouts, and to add to it, the "Petite Pennants" Builder Punch that punches each piece out with ease, it just couldn't be simpler!

Personalise your cards and projects with names, places and numbers, I mean, who doesn't want a birthday card reminding them that they are 21 again!!

So to top the beauty of this little number I used some of the new In Colour's:

Pool Party

Wysteria Wonder

Lucky Limeade

They are gorgeous too, and work lovely together.

I used the "Just Perfect" Alphabet Stamp Set to create the "happy" word, punching them out with circle punches and "Curly Cute" stamps for the "birthday" bit making a flagged banner.

Of course I added lots of bling using the Rhinestons and some of the new Designer Paper called "Flirtatious" which is from the Speciality range.

Want to see these products in action, why not host a party and earn yourself some delicious Stampin' Up! products for free. I have a couple of spaces for November, just give me a call!

New Catalogue launch is tomorrow, watch this space ........

Big Shot Class with the Pillow Box

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000+01:00

This month's class showed different ways of using the Pillow Box Bigz Die.

Now you may have seen the Owl before, it has been re-created dozens of times by others and I have had a pictured stored in my favourites for ages, waiting for the chance to make it myself, it is just sooooo cute, don't you think?

This is an extended version of the Pillow Box, and I just love this colour combo of Soft Suede, Regal Rose, Peach Parfait and So Saffron. The 3D flower was put together using the 5 Petal Flower Punch and the teeny tiny flower in the middle is one of the "Itty Bitty" Punches, finished with a co-ordinating brad!

The "Happy Birthday" greeting is from the Hostess set called "Something To Celebrate" which is soon to retire.

Next we made a little gift bag using two of the die cut pillow boxes, I haven't seen one of these before but I am sure that someone has created one somewhere out there in the crafting world! We used the "Perfect Polka Dots" Embossing Folder on the So Saffron Panels and again used the 5 Petal Flowers for decoration. We added a strip of Soft Suede Card to create our handle and of course created a base inside so that our goodies won't fall out!!

And of course, not forgetting Mr Owl, he is just soooo cute, you can't help but love him! Lots of punches used here but a really inexpesive gift if filled with some sweet treats or costume jewellery!

Hope you have enjoyed our projects for this month, do leave a comment so that I know you stopped by!

More from the Extravagana...

2011-09-19T12:22:00.000+01:00

I have soooo many things to show you but soooo little time but I promised I will get around to it all at some point soon!!!

As promised, here are some more piccies from our Christmas Extravaganza.

We had three separate sessions throughout the day and here is one, a gorgeous gift bag containing three little Milk Carton's which would be great to fill with sweet treats. We used the Large Spot papers from the "Jolly Holiday" Designer Papers which has sadly now sold out :( so that it could be used for a general birthday or gift rather than being just for Christmas.

Another session involved making this cute little Gift Card Holder, something Amanda showed us a our previous training event.

Everyone also made 10 cards which I will show you later!

Christmas Extravaganza

2011-09-15T10:35:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the lack of posting, things are a little hectic around here, lots of things going on and I just haven't had time to blog!!

So I thought I had better share some of my pictures from the Christmas Extravaganza that Jane and I held at the beginning of the month.

We had 40 lovely ladies join us for the day to help kick start them into Christmas.

Christmas Owl Goody Bags filled with loveliness!

We had a Christmas Tree full of scrummy hand crafted decorations and Christmas Music playing in the background, it was just so hard not to sing along!

And of course, Owl Punch lovers were in the house!

I will have more to show you as soon as I re-charge my camera battery! Typical!

Crafts For All Show at Bristol

2011-09-09T08:37:00.000+01:00

I thought I would share some pictures of our Stand at the Crafts For All Show at the UWE in Bristol. We had a busy day yesterday with lots of lovely ladies coming to visit our stand and take part in the Make and Take session which was full for the majority of the day! Why not come along and join in with our Free Make and Take, but remember the show is open today and tomorrow, but NOT on Sunday!

We have a huge display of samples, so don't forget to bring your camera!

See you later, happy stamping!

Baby Blossoms, sad to see it go...

2011-09-08T21:54:00.000+01:00

I recently held a workshop for a group of lovely ladies and as they are regulars at my classes I made the Make and Take a bit more changelling than I usually would!

We used the "Baby Blossoms" stamp set for the floral background and frame, the greeting was from "Perfect Punches". I am sad to say that the "Baby Blossoms" stamp set will be retiring at the end of September, so if it's something on your wish list I would suggest you order it before it disappears forever!!

Our colour combination is Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Pink Pirouette and Pretty-in-Pink.

We created our floral background at the bottom of the card using the flower and leafy stamps and didn't even use the Stamp-a-ma-jig for the 2 Step Stamping!

The large Pear Pizzazz flower is created using the 5 Petal Flower Punch and the centres using one of the Bitty Punches finishing with a Whisper White Brad. We created a cluster of flowers using one of the Bitty Punches and added small Pearls to the centres.

Remember to check the Retirement List regularly as it is updated daily.

Going already.....

2011-09-06T13:08:00.000+01:00

I will have some lovely pictures to show you from the Christmas Extravaganza that Jane and myself held on Saturday, but for now I need to tell you that products from the Retired List are already selling out.

Click on the picture at the top right to view an updated list, remember you can place an order with my by phone or email, card payments can be taken over the phone and bank transfer is another option.

Back very soon once I have spare minute!!!

Say Goodbye....

2011-09-01T00:31:00.000+01:00

......to the retiring products

Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been away to France and returned yesterday!

I can't believe how the time is flying by, we are nearing the end of our current Stampin' Up! Catalogue and in preparation for this Stampin' Up! have given us the "Last Chance List" which details all of those lovely products that we will be saying goodbye to. It is a sad time, but we must remember that in October we will have more delicious products to share with you, I can't wait!

Don't miss out on those reductions, you can view the list by clicking on the tab to the right.

Free tickets for the Crafts 4 All Show at the Bristol UWE

2011-08-31T22:48:00.001+01:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE RECENT POSTS

How do you fancy winning yourself a free ticket to the "Crafts 4 All" Show at the UWE Exhibition & Conference Centre
Filton, Bristol,

Thursday 8th - Saturday 10th September 2011
Open each day from 10am - 5pm

I will be there along with fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from Thursday to Saturday and would love to chat with you at our stand whilst you take part in our FREE make and take session and browse our selection of samples.

To be in the chance of winning yourself a free ticket, just place an order with me between Monday 22nd August and Monday 5th September for a minimum of £15 (excluding p&p) to get your name in the draw, I have two tickets up for grabs!

Email me at stampinkerry@aol.com with your order or call on 07717 068909.

Scrapbooking

2011-08-26T10:05:00.001+01:00

Another class layout, this time with a colour combination of River Rock, Basic Black and Very Vanilla. The Designer Series Paper is from "Newsprint", Love Letter and the Neutrals Paper Stack.

Click on the picture for a closer look!

We used the "Just Perfect" stamp set for the title along with the "Junior Type" Alphabet Sizzlits dies. We also used the Big Shot Machine to die cut the Top Note Shape and Sizzlits Tag.

We used the "French Foliage" stamp set to add subtle images to the Vanilla Top Note layer, you will need to click on the picture to enlarge the image to view this. We also used the "Take Note" stamp from the "Notably Ornate" set on the oval tag.

"Make a Card, Make a Difference"

2011-08-23T21:19:00.000+01:00

We used the gorgeous Butterfly stamp from the "Strength & Hope" stamp set, which we inked with Concorde Crush. Our colour combo consisted of three "In Colours", Concorde Crush, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz.

The flower vine image is from "Hopeful Thoughts" stamp set which we coloured in using the Marker Pens before stamping onto our Whisper White Layer.

The greeting is from "Perfect Punches" punched out using the XL Oval Punch and layered onto one of the Sizzlits Tags die cuts.

We used the Eyelet Border punch to create the pretty lacy border at the bottom.

Our 3D project was the same that we did at my recent Big Shot Class, details are on my previous two posts.

Top Note Gift Card Holder

2011-08-21T11:05:00.000+01:00

The second project at August's Big Shot Class was this neat Gift Card Holder created again with the Top Note Die. The colour combo matched in with the other items we made, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Very Vanilla with a little Early Espresso thrown in.

The spotty Old Olive paper is from the Brights Paper Stack and the greeting from "Perfect Punches" stamps which co-ordinates with the XL Oval Punch.

We used the Boho Blossoms Punch and Itty Bitty Flower Punch for the flower and added a Rhinestone to the centre.

The Early Espresso Label underneath the greeting was die cut with the Big Shot using one of the "Lots of Tags" Sizzlits dies.

The inside reveals a greetings panel and space to attach a gift card or just to write a message if you wanted to use it as a general card.

The handle was created using the Scallop Circle Bigz die then cutting a circle from the middle and trimming to size. We used velcro dots for the closure. Quite cute really, and just think of the endless colour combinations and stamps you could use to make it different!

Big Shot Class featuring the "Top Note" die

2011-08-17T13:30:00.000+01:00

I seem to have grown attached to this colour combo of Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive teamed with some Very Vanilla. This was one of our creations at this month's "Big Shot" Class where we concentrate on using one of the dies to create 3 different items. The class is designed to inspire you to get the most out of your Big Shot and dies.

This gift bag is just sooooo cute and there is enough room for a small gift or sweet treat for someone you love, if you can bear to give it away!!

The spotty paper is from the "Jolly Holiday" Designer Paper Pack, which of course, is not just for Christmas, the colours and patterns will suit many occasions.

The Flower was created using the "Fancy Flower" Punch and it is really pretty and quite 3D as we curled the petals to give a nice full effect. The centre of the flower was created using the Boho Blossom Punch and the Itty Bitty Flower Punch. We added an adhesive Rhinestone to finish.

The greeting is from "Something to Celebrate" which is one of the exclusive Hostess Stamp Sets and we stamped onto Very Vanilla cardstock using Rich Razzlebery ink then cut a nice ribbon tail to finish.

Vintage Handbag Class

2011-08-10T17:21:00.000+01:00

Hi, just to keep you updated, the "Vintage Handbag Class" on Wednesday 24th August is full but I have scheduled in another class on Monday 22nd August at Whitminster Village Hall so if you would like to come along please let me know by Friday 12th August at the latest so that I have time to order your goodies! I only have 4 spaces left at the moment.

"Vintage Handbag Class"

Whitminster Village Hall

Monday 22nd August 7.00pm-9.30pm

£18.95 to include £16 worth of products!

Christmas Extravganza

2011-08-10T09:30:00.000+01:00

If you haven't booked your space yet, don't delay, only a handful of spaces available. Booking closes 18th August 2011, payment will secure your place.

Christmas Extravaganza

Whitminster Village Hall

Saturday 3rd September 9.30am-3.30pm

£30 to include all materials, lunch and light refreshments

Call me on 07717 068909 or email stampinkerry@aol.com

Owl Swing Card

2011-08-10T09:24:00.000+01:00

For August's card class we made this Owl "Swing Card" using the Top Note Die with the Big Shot Machine.

Please excuse the poor quality of my pictures, the lighting just wasn't right and the flash made it worse!!

I thought it would be nice to create a card for the younger generation and the Owl Punch is great for achieving this look, but of course by just changing the colour combination it could be recreated for young and old alike, male or female!

So quite primary colours here, Real Red, Marina Mist, Old Olive and some Early Espresso. This Owl is just toooooo cute!!

I showed everyone how you can create the "swing" on your card using the Top Note Die with the Big Shot Machine, too complicated to explain without showing, so if you are interested in learning how, why not book youself a party and I will come along and show you too! At the same time you could earn yourself some free Stampin' Up! products, just ask me how.

Back to the card, we used some of the Marina Mist spotty patterend papers from the "Subtles" Designer Series Paper stack and the circle behind the Owl is from "Woodland Walk" which has two lovely sheets of woodgrain papers, just perfect for masculine cards and projects.

The leaf was die cut using the "Little Leaves" Sizzlits die and the greeting is from the stamp set "Party This Way", which I love, the font is so youthful. We punched this out using the Word Window Punch and layered with a "Modern Label" punch out in Early Espresso cardstock.

August Promotion, it's a Gift!!

2011-08-10T09:06:00.000+01:00

Details of the new Stampin' Up! promotion for August

As if getting new Stampin’ Up! products wasn’t fun enough, when you place a £75 order, or host a £250 workshop, you’ll also receive a free gift from Stampin’ Up!

Your gift includes a beautiful, exclusively-designed cosmetic bag, along with Rich Razzleberry 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, and a 24-piece Clip Assortment.

You can place your order with me via Email at stampinkerry@aol.com or call me on 07717 068909 / 01452 740532. If you would like to book a home Party for August then just give me a shout, who doesn't like free goodies!!

Pillow Box Bigz Die

2011-08-06T21:01:00.000+01:00

Another creation using the Pillow Box Die, this time using two "part cut" shapes and sticking them together to make a longer version of it's original size. Again this was one of my Inspiration Station samples so I kept with the colour scheme of Baja Breeze, Soft Suede with Very Vanilla and some of the "Elegant Soiree" Designer Paper.

The gorgeous 3D flower was inspired by a swap recently received from Amanda Fowler, thank you for the inspiration!

The stamps were from the "Clearly for You" stamp set which you can find in the Mini Catalogue, it is such a lovely set and very versatile, I just love that cute little butterly stamp.

Back soon with my recent class cards, thank you for stopping by, do leave me a comment so that I know you were here!

More from the Inspiration Station...

2011-08-05T21:00:00.000+01:00

I wanted this card to have a distressed vintage feel to it so I did lots of daubing and spritzing. I used the "Very Vintage" wheel on the Vanilla Top Note Layer, then spritzed and daubed over the top in Soft Suede ink, adding a rectangle panel to the centre stamped with images from the "Clearly For You" set. Again the "blackberry" stamp was inked using 3 colours of marker pens to create a multi-coloured image.

A "Mini" Pillow Box which I created using the "Pillow Box" Bigz Die with Whisper White butterflies stamped onto the background.

For my demonstration I showed the "Cracked Glass" technique which involves using the Versa Mark Ink Pad with Clear Embossing Powder, building up the layers to create a thick glaze which when cooled you "crack" to create stunning results.

Inspiration Station

2011-07-31T19:26:00.000+01:00

At Amanda's recent Quarterly Training Event I was responsible for one of the "Inspiration Stations". This is where we have a "show and tell" table highlighting a particular stamp set or technique. I chose "Clearly for You" stamps which are available in Clear and Wood Mount, they are just so pretty and I also showed everyone the "Cracked Glass" technique.

Here are some of my samples that I took along, this first card has been distressed, using the Spritzer, distressing kit with some Whisper white daubing to finish:

My samples were all co-ordinating in Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.

I also used papers from the Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper range, I will really miss this when it retires in September.

Back with more Inspiration Station projects tomorrow.

Save the Date.....

2011-07-30T09:41:00.002+01:00

THIS POST WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF MY BLOG UNTIL 31ST JULY, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE RECENT POSTS!

3rd September 2011

Christmas Extravaganza!

An all day event packed with creativity.

Spaces will be limited, more details to follow very soon.

Stamp Out Cancer Class

2011-07-27T10:10:00.001+01:00

Last week I held my "Stamp Out Cancer" class at Whitminster and this is what we created.

Everyone had their own "Strength & Hope" stamp set included with their class so speedily whipped through their projects in no time!

We made two cards and a shallow Top Note box.

Our colour combo is Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake, teamed with Very Vanilla.

We created a shallow version of the Top Note box that we made at the Owl Class

Once again the Spritzer Tool got lots of use!

This card design is taken from the Mini Catalogue, so pretty don't you think? We used one of the flower stamps from the "Tiny Tags" stamp set with Whisper White Kraft Ink in the corners to add some delicate detail.

A close up of the tag on the card

We had a lovely evening of chatting and crafting in support of a very good cause.

Now I know there are a few of you who were unable to make this class and have requested a re-run so I will try to re-schedule another date for you and post details here on my blog.

Clearly For You

2011-07-26T07:56:00.000+01:00

Again using the gorgeous "Clearly for You" stamp set we created this card at July's "Making Gifts and Cards" Class.

The butterfly was die cut using the Big Shot Machine with the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz die which get sooooo much use, I mean, who doesn't like butterflies!

Using marker pens we inked up the "blackberry" stamp from the set using Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz and Early Espresso and stamped onto the Butterfly then once finished we daubed around the edge in Early Espresso and used the same colour to add some "spritz" with the Spritzer Tool which I seem to be using a lot recently!

We embossed the Very Vanilla layer using the "Elegant Bouquet" Textured Embossing Folder then Spritzed with Early Espresso. The greeting "for you" is also from the same stamp set and punched it out with the Word Window Punch, trimming one of the ends of by putting it back into the punch for a second time. We also did this with the Espresso layer behind, this time using the new Decorative Label Punch. We added a mix of Crystal Effects with some Baja Breeze re-inker to the centres of the flowers to finish.

~~~oOo~~~

Supplies used:

Stamps: Clearly For You (Mini Cat. Page 22)

Ink: Early Espresso

Marker Pens: Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz & Early Espresso

Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze

Big Shot: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder

Tools: Decorative Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punchm Spritzer Tool

Accessories: Crystal Effects, Re-inkers, 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Making Gifts and Cards Class

2011-07-23T14:53:00.000+01:00

The Gable Box, perfect size that will find an endless amount of different gifts or sweet treats as it is quite large.

A colour I haven't used for a while, Cherry Cobbler and it is definitely one of my favourites and here I have teamed it with Baja Breeze and Early Espresso.

The stamps used were from the set "Clearly For You" from the Mini Catalogue which you can find on Page 22 priced at £17.95 for Clear Mount or £22.95 for Wood Mount, such a gorgeous set which I have been using a lot recently.

We also used the "Very Vintage" jumbo wheel on the Very Vanilla panel, inked with Crumb Cake ink.

We used the pretty little butterfly stamp with Whisper White Kraft ink on the base of the box, it stands out perfectly again the darkness of the Cherry Cobbler cardstock. Our 3D flower is made using the 5 Petal Flower Punch and the tiny flower in the centre is punched out using one of the Bitty Punches, secured in place with a Crumb Cake brad from the Neutrals pot.

We created our handles using the medium sized Oval which is the 1 3/4" x 7/8" and tied a piece of Early Espresso 1 1/4" Striped Ribbon in a knot.

6 Cards for £10

2011-07-20T23:01:00.000+01:00

I hold my "6 Cards for £10" Class on the first Wednesday of the month at Alveston Methodist Church. These are the cards we created earlier this month.

I try to include a selection of masculine, feminine, young and old so that there is something for everyone!

The cards are all pretty basic and easy to duplicate, much less advanced than my usual 2 card classes and if you place an order from the Catalogue for £20 you get your class for free!

If you would like more information on the different classes that I run, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Final Class Layout

2011-07-19T21:55:00.000+01:00

Our final layout of the class, one for the boys this time with a bit more of a masculine touch!

Our colour combo is Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Night of Navy. The Designer Series Paper is from "Woodland Walk" and has a masculine feel to it with lovely woodgrain designs.

Quite a lot going on in this layout, punching, stamping, die cutting and I still have a little journalling and dating to finish mine off.

We used the "Timeless Type" Sizzlits Alphabet with the Big Shot Machine for part of the Title along with "Just Perfect" stamps for the second part. We also die cut out title panel which is the Top Note Die, cutting around the perferated edge on the Very Vanilla layer and stamping with the "Sanded" background stamp which I use so often.

We stamped circle images from "Circle Circus" and punched out with corresponding circle punches.

Scrapbooking

2011-07-15T22:09:00.000+01:00

For this layout we used the "Blueberry Crisp" papers, this pack co-ordinates with the stamp set "Razzle Dazzle". You will need to double click on the photo for a larger image to see the stamping details as they are difficult to see from this view.

Our colour combo is Pacific Point, Sahara Sand, Basic Black and Very Vanilla. We used stamps from the "Tiny Tags" and "Notably Ornate" sets and also did a little spritzing with the Spritzer which I love! We used a strip of stripy Sahara Sand paper which is from the Neutrals Patterns Stack, these paper pads just go on for ever!

The title was die cut using the "Timeless Type" Sizzlits Alphabet which we cut out using the Big Shot Machine. We also used the Top Note, Swirls and Scribbles and one of the Tags dies.

We used a decorative Brad from the Hodgepodge Hardware Kit with some Paper Daisies which are really pretty used alone, but great for stamping on too!

~~~

Off to Fareham bright and early in the morning for Amanda's Quarterly Training so will hopefully have some lovely things to share with you soon.

Will be back with the final scrapbook layout for July's class over the weekend.

Scrapbooking

2011-07-13T17:28:00.000+01:00

Can't believe where the time is flying by, doesn't seem two minutes ago that I was having my last Scrapbooking class, a whole month has gone so I guess I must just be having the best time being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and loving what I do!!

This layout was pretty quick to assemble, not loads of stamping, some spritzing and die cutting along with embossing too. The papers are from the "Sweet and Sour" DSP pack and there is also a Melon Mambo strip from the Patterns Stack.

The title was stamped using "Broadsheet", one of the Alphabet stamps which I adore, using Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo ink.

The butterflies were die cut using the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz die with the Big Shot Machine and we added pearls to the centres to finish.

Click on the image for a larger view. Busy week here but back very soon with the other class layouts.

Big Shot Class for July

2011-07-09T18:03:00.001+01:00

The next "Big Shot Class" is Tuesday 12th July, 7.00pm at Whitminster, I still have spaces available so if you would like to come along please let me know asap.

At this class we create 3 projects, this time we are concentrating on the Scallop Envelope Bigz Die. We are making two 3D items and a card as you can see in the picture below.

Call me on 07717 068909 / 01452 740532 or email me at stampinkerry@aol.com to book your space.

Stained Glass Butterfly

2011-07-08T09:10:00.000+01:00

Our technique for this month's card class was the "Stained Glass" one which you will see on my previous post.

Again our butterfly was die cut using the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz Die Item No: 114507 £18.95 which you will find in the Mini Catalogue on Page 7. We cut the top Butterfly layer from Vellum and the bottom in Whisper White which helps the Stained Glass efffect stand out as the vellum is translucent.

You need to ink up the Vellum Butterfly using VersaMark ink, I have used the "Fine Flourish" mini background stamp, then dip into your black embossing powder and heat using the Heat Tool. You then colour in the image on the reverse side. Very pretty and yet so simple!

The greeting is from "Perfect Punches" stamp set, inked in Rich Razzleberry and punched out using the XL Oval Punch then layered onto one of the Sizzlits "Lots of Tags" dies which are also found in the Mini Catalogue on Page 8.

The leafy image behind the Butterfly is from the "Hopeful Thoughts" stamp set which looks beautiful coloured with the marker pens in different colours but as we were already doing lots of pen work we just inked it in co-ordinating Pear Pizzazz.

It's a celebration!

2011-07-05T09:21:00.000+01:00

A card that I made recently for Michaela who is one of my "Stampin'spiration" team members. The butterfly, cut from the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz Die on the Big Shot Machine is something I have been using this month with a technique called "Stained Glass". You will be seeing this in action at classes and workshops, it is so pretty and effective, yet simple to achieve.

The "Stained Glass" effect looks much better with a Whisper White layer behind as it shows the technique much more clearly and we have been doing this at recent classes.

If you would like to see a Demonstration of how this beautiful butterfly is created, why not book a party, earn yourself some lovely free Stampin' Up! goodies, learn and be inspired!

Call me on 07717 068909 / 01452 740532 or email me at stampinkerry@aol.com for further information.

Criss Cross Card

2011-06-30T18:58:00.000+01:00

At our Alveston Class this month we made this cute little "Criss Cross" card, I re-designed the original tutorial so that you can make two card bases from one sheet of A4 cardstock.

Our colour combo is Crumb Cake, Marina Mist and Pear Pizzazz. We used the stamp set "Cottage Garden" to create our 3D flowers and with this being a 2 Step Stampin' set the stamp-a-ma-ijg was in full use!! Such a pretty set consisting of 7 stamps which includes a gift tag, butterfly and greeting images.

So you write your message on the interior "tab" which comes right out of it's pocket.

We used the Big Shot with the "Square Lattice" Embossing Folder on our Marina Mist triangles which gave a lovely textured finish.

The leaf shape is from one of the Sizzlits Dies called "Little Leaves".

To finish off we added Basic Pearls to the centres of our flowers, quite cute!!

For Father's Day

2011-06-27T23:34:00.000+01:00

As my dad is a great lover of Motorbikes, I just had to create a Father's Day card using one of the A la Carte stamps from the Mini Catalogue called "Motorcycle". This is such a lovely stamp, perfect for those man cards!

I used my Big Shot Machine with the Top Note Die to create a panel for my stamped image, cutting it in half and spritzing with a Soft Suede marker pen then layering onto a Soft Suede panel that I had embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

I created a border using the Scallop Trim Border Punch and wrapped around a piece of Espresso Satin Ribbon and on top of that some Twill ribbon, tying at one end with some Linen Thread to give a more manly feel.

My greeting is from the stamp set "Plane and Simple", just perfect for this occasion!!!

I was really pleased with the final result, it's always a struggle creating cards for the men in our lives, don't you think!

June Big Shot Class

2011-06-24T21:55:00.000+01:00

So here are some close up pictures of the projects we created at this month's Big Shot Class. The die we concentrated on this month was the Scallop Circle, in case you hadn't noticed!!!

Firstly we created a gorgeous little gift bag, suitable for holding a couple of choccies or maybe even some jewellery!

The second project was this sweet but simple wedding/anniversary card. We used the Big Shot to emboss the Scallop Circle using the "Vintage Wallpaper" Embossing Folder, this is just so pretty and the embossing folders give a very deep embossed image.

We used the 5 Petal Flower and Boho Blossoms Punches to create our flowers.

Last but not least, our Scallop Circle shaped card. Another Embossing Folder used here, the "Square Lattice" one on the Vanilla Circle. We used some of the lovely Springtime Vintage Papers as the colours matched perfectly. Again more flowers and some of the new Rose Red Seam Binding Ribbon. We used the Sizzix Circles die for the Soft Suede one and the 1 3/4" Circle Punch to punch out the greeting.

Would you like to purchase this kit by post? Your kit will include everything you need to make these three projects, colour photographs with very brief instructions. You will receive ready punched and embossed layers and shapes, basically all you have to do is use your own stamps for the greetings, then assemble your cards!

Kits will cost £14 which includes postage to your door,

email me at stampinkerry@aol.com or call 07717 068909 to order or for more information.

June Scrapbooking Layouts

2011-06-19T11:11:00.000+01:00

Our first layout at June's Scrapbooking class was suitable for a whole range of subjects, masculine or feminine.

Our colour combo of Baja Breeze, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla co-ordinates perfectly with the "Elegant Soiree" Designer Papers. We also used the "Circle Circus" stamp set on our Vanilla layer which is difficult to see but if you click on the photo you will get an enlarged image.

For our title we used the "Just Perfect" alphabet stamps and also the Sizzlits "Timeless Type" dies with the Big Shot Machine. We punched out the Just Perfect letters using the 3/4" Circle Punch. We also used the "Circles" Bigz die to die cut the circles to the right of the layout, first distressing the edges then inking with a dauber.

ooOOOOoo

Our Second layout uses papers from the "Love Letter" Designer Paper pack. Our 12x12" base layer is Riding Hood Red and we simply teamed it with Basic Black and Very Vanilla.

We used the Big Shot Machine with the "Timeless Type" Sizzlits Alphabet Dies to create our title and I have to say a huge thank you to Vicky for loaning these to me. I will definitely be investing in this set of Dies, they will have so many uses!

We also used the Scallop Circle Bigz die and the "Swirls and Scribbles" Sizzlits die which you can see at the top left of the layout. For our journalling we created ribbon strips of Very Vanilla cardstock.

On the Basic Black layer we clear embossed an image from the "Style Beautiful" set using VersaMark ink and clear embossing powder, heating with the Heat Tool to add a bit of texture to this plain layer.

ooOOOOoo

A colour combination on this layout of Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso.

We used the stamp set "Notably Ornate" on this layout. The swallow was stamped in Early Espresso ink and hand cut layering with dimensionals. We also used the large ornate label stamp which we inked in Early Espresso stamping onto our Top Note shape which we cut using the Big Shot Machine.

The flowers were die cut using the "Fun Flowers" Bigz L Die with spotty paper from the "Love Letter" pack. The stripy crumb cake Designer paper is from the Neutrals stack and the "leafy" paper is from "Woodland Walk", remember you get 12 sheets of 12x12" paper in the Designer Series Packs, there are 6 designs and they are all double sided, great value at just £8.75!

If you click on the picture for an enlarged image you will see that we used the Spritzer Tool with Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake Marker Pens on two opposite corners of the layout, I really love this simple effect.

For the title we have again used the "Just Perfect" stamps and under the word "tent" we stamped an image from the "Welcome Christmas" set using a Marker Pen to omit the Christmas greeting in the centre which leaves us with a lovely beautiful border creating a nice label or journalling spot.

Double Slider Card

2011-06-16T11:36:00.000+01:00

At this month's class I decided to do something a bit more adventurous and as Carol had given me some instructions on how to make double slider cards I decided to get a design under way and this is how it turned out!!

I chose a Wedding theme as it's that time of year and wanted to use the new "Wedding Wheels" A La Carte stamp which is gorgeous.

The colour combo used is Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla. The patterned paper is from "Springtime Vintage" which is adorable.

On the insert we stamped a wedding greeting from "Occasional Quotes" and also used "Confetti" on the left side for decoration.

I was really pleased with the final result and the mechanism inside the card is not as difficult as it may appear!

We punched out hearts using the Heart to Heart Punch and added Crystal Effects and Pearls to finish.

Faux Silk Butterflies

2011-06-13T15:24:00.000+01:00

Our first card for June's classes involved a technique called "Faux Silk". For this technique you need to stamp your main image/images onto tissue paper, screw it up into a ball, undo it carefully and then attach it to a piece of Whisper White Cardstock which you have covered with Tombow or similar wet glue, smoothing down with a Paper Folding tool then trimming off the excess.

We used the Butterfly image from "Strength & Hope" and the large foliage stamp from "Just Believe" to stamp onto the tissue paper. The greeting is from "Sincere Salutations".

Our colour combination is Concorde Crush (In Colour), Peach Parfait (In Colour) and Old Olive teamed with Whisper White. The ribbon is the Stitched Poly in co-ordinating Concorde Crush. The patterned paper is from the In Colour Paper Stack.

We punched out our greeting using the XL Oval Punch and then layered it onto one of the Sizzlits Labels cut using the Big Shot Machine.

The 3D Flower was created using the Boho Blossom Punch, spritzing and scrunching them to give a distressed look and adding a flower centre using one of the Bitty Punches and some Crystal Effects.

Baby Blossoms vs Springtime Vintage Class for June

2011-06-09T16:53:00.001+01:00

"Baby Blossoms Springtime Vintage Class"

Saturday 25th June 10.00am-1.00pm

AND

Tuesday 28th June 7.00pm-9.30pm

Whitminster Village Hall

This is an extra class that I have scheduled for June

You will create three projects, a 3D Box, One fancy fold card called a "Tri Fold Card" and Square Card all using the Springtime Vintage Papers and Baby Blossoms Stamp set.

The Class will be £16.50 and include £12 worth of products!!!

If you would like to order your own set of "Baby Blossoms" Stamps for use at the class, order when you book your space and get 10% off the normal price.
Baby Blossoms Stamps Discounted Prices:
Wood Mount - Item No. 121927 £24.25
Clear Mount - Item No. 122000 £19.75

Spaces will be limited to ensure the class runs smoothly so book your space early

All you need to provide is your favourite adhesives and a pair of scissors.

If you would like to reserve your space, email me at stampinkerry@aol.com or text to 07717 068909.
Booking closes Thursday 16th June 2011

Scrapbooking

2011-06-09T07:45:00.002+01:00

Our second layout of the evening was created using papers from the "Playdate" paper pack along with some from the Neutrals Paper Stack. Our colour combo was Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Crumb Cake and Whisper White.

We love our Landy, although we don't go out in it much, only on a really wet weekend as it is so much fun slipping and sliding in the mud along the Byways and not quite the same when the ground is dry!!

We used the 1 3/8" Square Punch to layer different patterns of paper around our photograph and using the Big Shot Machine cut out a Top Note shape to act as our journalling spot.

For our title we used "Schoolbook Serif" and "Just Perfect" alphabet stamps which are so handy for scrapbooking but also great for personalising cards too!

We punched a Chocolate Chip border using the Scallop Edge Border Punch and added a strip of 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon in Old Olive.

The stars were punched using Crumb Cake cardstock and we added buttons, brads and linen thread for texture.

May Workshop Make and Take

2011-06-08T08:32:00.000+01:00

I had a request for something from the "Brights" collection for my workshop make and takes during May and this is what I came up with! Not much stamping on the front but of course we had the insert sheet inside the card to let those creative juices loose!! A workshop Make and Take is designed to give everyone a "taste" of the products, kind of buy before you try which you won't find in your local craft shop!!

So no exception with the word "Brights", a colour combination of Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo and Pear Pizzazz teamed with some Whisper White.

We used the "Flower Daisies" die with the Big Shot Machine to create our beautiful flower and also did some embossing with the "Perfect Polka Dots" Embossing Folder.

The greeting is from "Perfect Punches" stamped in Melon Mambo ink and punched out using the X.Large Oval Punch.

We added a bit of dazzle to the centre of the flower using Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

For the insert we used the "Circle Circus" stamps to decorate.

Growing Green

2011-06-03T08:30:00.001+01:00

This is a card I made for Amanda for her recent birthday. I think this stamp set is quite often overlooked because the images are just line based and people are often unsure of what they can do with it. Of course you can watercolour these flowers which gives you a beautiful effect but here I have simply used a dauber to create a subtle amount of colour around the edges and centres of the flowers.

I based my card design on one of the projects we will be making at our Big Shot Class on Tuesday 14th June, I still have a couple of spaces available if you would like to join me. I used the Scallop Circle Bigz Die to create my card base and also the Square Lattice Embossing Folder on the Vanilla layer.

The patterend paper is from the "Springtime Vintage" pack and I have teamed it with Soft Suede, Rose Red and Very Vanilla.

May Scrapbooking Layout

2011-06-03T08:19:00.000+01:00

I am a little late in showing these as the class was last month, but better late than never!

The first layout was very soft and subtle, using colours from the "Subtles" family. To save our cardstock we gutted the main Perfect Plum 12x12 sheet behind the Very Vanilla layer, by "gutting" this means cutting out a section that is going to be hidden by another layer. We then used the "gutted" piece on the layout over the large Vanilla, waste not want not!!

The bunting was created using one of the new stamp sets from the mini called "Four Frames", which by the way, I love! We used the co-ordinating Decorative Label punch to punch out each image with ease then cut them in half to create our bunting, linen thread acted as our line. Our title was stamped using the "Just Perfect" Alphabet set which we punched out with the 3/4" Circle Punch and adhered to the bunting.

We used the Big Shot Machine to die cut our Butterflies using the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz die and Sizzles for the Leaves and Label.

The flower in the top right corner of the photograph was punched out using the 5 Petal Flower Punch and we added a Bitty Button to the centre tying a know with a slither of cardstock.

We used the "Wedding Sweet" stamp set for our background on the Perfect Plum base layer and also the larger swirl stamp on the Vanilla layer, you will have to double click on the layout to get an enlarged image to view this.

Birthday Present to match!

2011-05-29T13:22:00.000+01:00

As you can see, the pressie matched the Card and Box Envelope that I had made for Louise in my previous post and inside it contained a wonderful tool, the Colour Coach! I have to say that I love the Colour Coach, it helps you put together custom colour schemes. It consists of swatches of each colour in the Stampin' Up! families and allows you to easily choose your colour combinations in a flash. There are also a couple of suggestions on the reverse of each card so no having to think! You can find the Colour Coach on Page 81 of the IB&C and it costs £13.50 which I think is a great investment as it can save you so much time.

So I used the idea from the Tisse Pack Box that we created at a previous class and I just resized it to fit the Colour Coach. Again I used the "Vintage Wallpaper" Embossing Folder to create the gorgeous textured layers. I used the letter "L" from the "Broadsheet" Alphabet set to decorate the closure for the box.

I think Lou was really pleased with her pressie and I am sure she will get lots of use out of it.

Just for You Lou!!

2011-05-26T14:20:00.000+01:00

Last week it was Lou's birthday and I made this card for her complete with a matching box envelope.

My colour combination is Soft Suede, Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizzazz and Very Vanilla. I used the Butterfly image from the "Strength and Hope" stamp set which is beautiful, I hand cut it out and added a couple of dimensionals to the back to make it appear as if it were in flight!!

I used my Big Shot Machine with the Top Note Die to create the Pretty in Pink panel and also the Circles Die to die cut the Vanilla circle in the middle. I also used the gorgeous "Vintage Wallpaper" Embossing Folder on a Soft Suede layer which I attached directly to the Soft Suede card base, daubing around the edge before adhering.

My flowers were created in Pretty in Pink and Vanilla cardstock and the leaves cut from the "Little Leaves" Sizzlits die.

If you click on the picture you will get an enlarged image to view the finer details!

I re-sized a box envelope from a previous class to fit the card I had made and decorated it in the same way to co-ordinate.

Exploding Handbag!

2011-05-25T11:41:00.002+01:00

Our 3D project this month was the Exploding Handbag which everyone loved. Created using a sheet of 12x12" cardstock along with some patterned paper and die cutting using the Big Shot machine!

Our colour combination is Wild Wasabi, Concorde Crush (In colour) and Whisper White. We used some patterned paper from the "Woodland Walk" Designer Series Paper Pack and die cut our handbag top using the "Top Note" Bigz Die. That die just has so many uses!!

The only stamping was on the main purse base using stamps from the "Wedding Sweet" set in Wild Wasabi ink.

The flower was created using the Fancy Flower and 5 Petal Flower punches and finishing them off with a neutrals button. The handle of the bag was created using some of the Stitched Poly Ribbon in Concorde Crush.

If you would like to join me at one of my classes, contact me today for more information.

Making Gifts and Cards Class

2011-05-23T14:58:00.000+01:00

Well another windy day again, a little damp here in Gloucestershire too, not good as I was planning a run in a short while (in training for the Race For Life)!

A card to show you today, one we created at our Making Gifts & Cards Class this month, at this class we create one card and a 3D project.

I wanted to do something a little more adventurous this month so I came up with a Suspension Card.

The stamp sets used were "Strength & Hope", "En Francais" for the background, "Growing Green" for the flower (which of course could be substituted for a greeting) and "Clearly for You" for the greeting.

The colour combo is Concorde Crush (In Colour), Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.

The curly Concorde Crush border to the left of the card was created using the new Decorative Label punch.

Busy preparing for my Owl Class on Thursday evening but will post a picture of the 3D project we made shortly.

Big Shot Class

2011-05-21T07:52:00.000+01:00

Hi Stampers! I have news of a new class commencing in June:

Big Shot Class

Tuesday 14th June 2011, 7.00pm start

Whitminster Village Hall

I have decided to run a class alongside my Scrapbooking Class and with the release of the Stampin' Up! Big Shot it is the ideal opportunity to show you just how fabulous this machine is and what gorgeous projects can be created using it.

At this class you will create two beautiful cards along with a 3D project, something that you could give as a gift or use to package a gift. I apologise for the poor picture quality, the light was just not right and the projects are much nicer in real life!!

June's class will concentrate on the Scallop Circle Bigz Die and all three projects will use the die and show you how to get the most out of it.

The class will cost £10 and include all materials except for adhesives.

Spaces will be limited, very limited, so if you would like to reserve a place please let me know at your earliest convenience!

Weathered Wood Technique

2011-05-20T19:30:00.000+01:00

The "Weathered Wood" technique is something that we learnt at Amanda's training in April and everyone loved how effective it was. Basically you score lines onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and swipe your ink pads in the same direction as the score lines, adding two to three colours until you have the acquired effect!

The stamps used were from "Plane and Simple" and there was the option to change the greeting to "Happy Birthday" as this is also part of the set. We used the Spritzer Tool on the aeroplane layer with a Crumb Cake Marker Pen and distressed the edges using the files from the Distressing Kit. All in all a little grungy but the vintage effect was achieved.

May Class Projects

2011-05-18T20:37:00.000+01:00

The first of our cards for the May class was this gorgeous Easel Card, consisting of a colour combo of Always Artichoke, Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla. The patterned paper is from the new "Springtime Vintage" range.

The flower was built using the "Build a Blossom" stamp set with co-ordinating punch "Blossom Petals" punch. It is important when using this stamp set with the punch that you stamp your images in the same direction as they are punched out with the punch, it just makes it much easier to use.

We used the "Top Note" Bigz die with the Big Shot Machine to die cut the Vanilla and Artichoke layers. We stamped with the Foliage stamp from "Just Believe" onto the Vanilla Top Note layer using the stamping off technique to create a two tone effect.

Here is a side view:

Stop by soon to see the other card we created!

18th Birthday Card

2011-05-16T08:00:00.001+01:00

Another card I was asked to make for an 18th Birthday, this time I chose something soft and subtle and quite feminine. I originally saw a similar design whilst blog hopping and saved it to my favourites as I loved it so much, Teneale Williams has such a beautiful style. The colour combo of Soft Suede teamed with Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla is just so gorgeous.

I used "Vintage Vogue" stamps for the flowers and the Butterflies were die cut using the "Beautiful Butterflies" Embosslits Die with the Big Shot Machine. I used "Curly Cute" for the greeting.

The spotty Pretty in Pink paper is from the Subtles Patterns Paper Stack.

By request

2011-05-14T14:19:00.000+01:00

I had been asked to make a couple of birthday cards for a friend and here is one of them using the gorgeous "Strenth & Hope" stamp set. My colour combo is quite bright and girly, consisting of Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo, Concord Crush and Whisper White. I made the card larger than usual as it was for a special birthday.

I used the "En Francais" background stamp on the Whisper White layer in Pear Pizzazz ink and daubed around the edge. The gorgeous Butterflies are from the stamp set "Strength & Hope" which is available in Wood Mount for £15.95 or Clear Mount for £12.95. Stampin' Up! is donating £1.00 from each purchase of this set to The Breast Cancer Reserach Foundation which is fantastic.

The flower was created using the "Fancy Flower" punch and I added a Designer Button to the centre tying with Linen Thread.

The spotty Melon Mambo paper is from the Brights Patterns Paper Stack, this is great value at just £15.50 for 48 sheets of double sided 12x12" paper and can be used for so many projects.

Because I needed a special greeting I used Microsoft Word then punched it out with the new Decorative Label Punch.

Tagged!

2011-05-11T22:40:00.000+01:00

Those of you who attend my classes know that I always make tags for my raffle prizes as I like them to look pretty!

My colour combo here is Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz, Crumb Cake and Whisper White. I started by cutting a rectangle of Early Espresso cardstock and took off the top two corners using the new Decorative Label Punch. I used the same punch with Pear Pizzazz cardstock, folded the label in half and cut a circle out using the circle punch from the Bitty Punches set. Next I punched another circle the same size from Crumb Cake then took the 1/2" Circle Punch and punched around the smaller one which creates this "ring". I attached the label to my tag and tied a knot with the Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon.

My flowers were die cut using the "Fun Flowers" Bigz die with the Big Shot Machine, I stamped the "Fine Flourish" background onto the Pear Pizzazz one and daubed around the edge.

My greeting is from the new Level 2 Hostess Set "Something to Celebrate".

Owl Class Extra!

2011-05-09T13:10:00.000+01:00

May Owl Class

Booking closes very soon for my Owl Class held at Whitminster Village Hall on Saturday 21st May, 10.00am-1.00pm, if you wish to book your space please let me know asap so that I can be sure that your products will arrive in time!!

~ NEW EXTRA CLASS ~

Due to the fact that many people are unable to make Saturday Classes, as requested I am re-running my Owl Class on Thursday 26th May 2011 at Whitminster Village Hall, 7.00pm - 9.30pm. As before the cost will be £17.50 to include free product and all the materials to make the 4 projects below.

Booking is essential and closes Thursday 12th May. We are going to have a "hoot" at this class so book early as spaces will be limited.

Call me on 07717 068909 or email me at stampinkerry@aol.com to book your place. Pre-order the "2 Step Owl Punch" when you book and receive 10% off with free postage, it will be delivered to you at the Class.

6 Cards Class at Alveston

2011-05-06T14:50:00.000+01:00

At this class we make 6 cards that are simple but adorable and easy to replicate. The class costs £10 but if you place an order from the catalogue for £20 then your class becomes free, a great way of building up your stamping stash gradually and you get all 6 cards to take away to inspire you!

Please excuse the upside down image on the top row, Picasa was playing games with me when I was editing the photos and time was against me so I gave up, you can get the idea and in fact it just shows that if you twisted the sketch around the card would still work (of course with the greeting the right way up!!)

We are getting lots of use of the Big Shot Machine at my classes and everyone is loving it, beautiful textures and shaped layers at the roll of a handle!

The beauty of this class is that you get to use lots of different products, stamps, punches and accessories so you really get to try before you buy!!

If you would like to book a place at the next class on Wednesday 1st June, 10.00am - 12.30pm just call me on 07717 068909 or email me at stampinkerry@aol.com.

Workshop Make & Take variation

2011-05-01T20:00:00.000+01:00

This is the other version of my April make and takes, something suitable for the younger ones which would look equally nice in pinks! We used the same sketch as the previous design just changed the stamped images. We also added some Dazzling Diamonds to one of the Balloons but it is difficult to see from the photograph.

We used the "Perfect Polka Dots" Embossing Folder with the Big Shot Machine on the Baja Breeze layer, I just love how these textured folders change a piece of plain cardstock into something so pretty and decorative!

The stamps used were from the set "Party This Way", great value at only £12.95 for Clear Mount or £15.95 in Wood. Comes with 5 lovely stamps that are great for the younger ones and the Bunting stamp is gorgeous too, you can find this set on Page 31 of the Idea Book and Catalogue, click on the catalogue cover to the right of my blog to view it.

Remember you can place orders with me via email and you can collect it at a class or have it delivered direct to your door for £4.95.

April Workshop Make & Take project

2011-04-30T18:21:00.000+01:00

Hi stampers, I thought I would share my April workshop Make & Take project with you today, so here it is!

A colour combination of Soft Suede, Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla, gorgeous!

So we all got to play with the Big Shot Machine to die cut our beautiful Butterflies, I pre-cut the "Top Note" Very Vanilla layers to allow more time at the workshop and the card was put together in good time. We used the "Sanded" background stamp on the Baja Breeze layer which I love, I use this stamp often for all sorts of occasions, it is just so versatile.

We used "Just Believe" to create the background on the Top Note layer and inked the larger foliage/flower stamp with Marker Pens to create a multi-coloured image. The greeting is also from "Just Believe" available in Wood Mount at £32.95 for 9 gorgeous stamps or Clear Mount for £25.95. We created the Soft Suede label behind the greeting using the new "Decorative Label" punch and if you would like to see this in action why not book yourself a party and earn some exclusive free Stampin' Up! products at the same time!!

I also have another version of my workshop makes and takes which I will show you shortly.

Itty Bitty Bits!!

2011-04-27T10:48:00.000+01:00

I love this new set from the Mini Catalogue "Itty Bitty Bits", it is useful for all occasions and the tiny images are perfect for adding a finishing touch to your projects as they are so small!

The great thing about this set is that there are punches that co-ordinate with the stamps and also "Bitty Buttons" too. The punches are great to use alone and come as a set of three.

My colour combo is Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo and Night of Navy, quite striking don't you think?

The ribbon to the bottom of the card is the new "Seam Binding" in Pear Pizzazz, it is just so soft and light and creates beautiful ruffles! I also used the ribbon to tie a knot around the clip to the left of the card.

My greeting is from one of the new Hostess sets called "Something to Celebrate" which you can find in the Mini.

Patchwork!

2011-04-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

I have been getting so much use out of my new Big Shot Machine, and on this card I used two different Dies and two Embossing Folders.

I had some scraps of "Springtime Vintage" DSP so I punched out random square using the 1 1/4" Square Punch and stuck them onto a piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock. I ran this through the Big Shot Machine with the "Top Note" Die to create my lovely shaped panel.

I next placed this die cut Top Note into the "Square Lattice" Embossing Folder and ran it through the Big Shot which created this gorgeous piece of textured "Patchwork", it is so pretty in real life, the photo does it no justice!

I die cut the flowers using the Bigz XL die called "Fun Flowers" and ran the Not Quite Navy one through the Big Shot inside the "Vintage Wallpaper" Embossing Folder along with the flower centre. The effect these Embossing Folders create are just stunning, a very deep embossed finish.

The greeting is from "Cottage Garden" punched out with the new "Decorative Label" Punch. So not much stamping on this one but a very quick and easy card to put together and very beautiful too!

Final Class Layout

2011-04-22T08:32:00.000+01:00

The final layout for April's class using papers from the "Woodland Walk" Designer Series Paper pack. Quite masculine colours in this range but as you can see I have teamed it with "Vintage Vogue" which is very feminine. You could of course use a different stamp set which could turn the whole layout into a very "boyish" one!

As you can see, the layout is pretty straight forward and quite clean and simple, of course you can add lots more embellishments at your own leisure. We complete three 12x12" layouts during our class so it is important that they are clean and simple in order for everyone to go home with completed layouts! As long as you have the basics on your page, photographs, titles and journalling can come later.

The next class is Tuesday 3rd May, 7.00pm, if you would like to come along please book your space as soon as possible.

I will be running a separate class "Making Gifts and Cards" on the same evening at the same venue, details to follow shortly.

Scrapbooking Continued....

2011-04-20T11:02:00.000+01:00

Our second layout had colours that would be suitable for masculine or feminine photographs. I took this photograph of my Husband whilst on a ski-ing trip to France last Christmas. He is the map reader and always manages to get us back to our Chalet at the end of the day without get lost on the piste!!!

The colours used were Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, So Saffron and Very Vanilla. The So Saffron DSP is from the "Play Date" pack and the Soft Suede is from the Neutrals Paper Stack.

The picture is not very good so it is hard to see the detail but we used "Confetti" stamps to create an all over background on the Very Vanilla 12x12" base with Soft Suede ink then we daubed around the edge in the same colour.

We used "Just Perfect" Alphabet Stamps for the second part of our title and punched the letters out using the 3/4" Circle Punch.

April Scrapbooking Class Layouts

2011-04-19T07:52:00.000+01:00

The first of our three layouts for April's Class "Love".

Our colour combo is Old Olive, Concord Crush, Peach Parfait and Daffodil Delight! The DSP along the bottom of the layout is from "Greenhouse Garden".

We stamped the background on the Old Olive base using Old Olive ink with the stamp from "Ornate Flowers" then daubed around the whole edge of the page with the same colour.

The border below the DSP was punched using the Eyelet Border Punch then a piece of the Stitched Poly Ribbon in co-ordinating Concord Crush was attached. We stamped another of the stamps from "Ornate Flowers" and punched it out using the largest Oval Punch then adhered with a Dimensional over the Ribbon border.

The Butterflies were die cut using the Big Shot Machine with the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz Die and "Beautiful Wings" Embosslits die. We ran the largest Daffodil Delight Butterfly through the Big Shot inside the "Manhattan Flower" Embossing Folder to add some texture.

Clearly Beautiful....

2011-04-16T09:34:00.000+01:00

I love this new stamp set from the Mini "Clearly for You", it is just so versatile and the images are so pretty. There are 12 beautiful stamps in this set available in Wood Mount (£22.95) or Clear Mount (£17.95), great value don't you think!

Onto our card, a colour combo of Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, River Rock and Whisper White. The DSP panel at the bottom is from the "Springtime Vintage" pack. We punched out 1 1/4" squares from Textured Whisper White Cardstock and stamped images from "Clearly for You" in Riding Hood Red layering them equally onto the River Rock layer. We attached a loop of ribbon behind the Early Espresso layer before adhering to our card base.

The pretty flower was created using the Fancy Flower Punch, then spraying each flower with water and scrunching up, then allowing to dry, giving this very vintage look. We attached a button tied with Linen Thread to the centre to finish the flower. The greeting "for you" is also from the "Clearly for You" stamp set.

I really liked this colour combination and the card could be suitable for many occasions.

Beautiful Butterflies!!

2011-04-14T10:49:00.000+01:00

The first card created at this month's card class was this little beauty, and of course, lots of new products from the Mini Catalogue for everyone to play with!

My colour scheme was inspired by the floral paper from "Springtime Vintage" DSP comprising of Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla with a hint of Always Artichoke!

We used the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz die to cut our Butterflies and tied them with Linen Thread. We used the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder on the Not Quite Navy Layer at the top of the card.

The greeting was punched out with the Word Window Punch then layered onto one of the "Four Frames" images which was stamped in Not Quite Navy ink, we punched this out with the new Decorative Label Punch. To add the layer behind we punched another label in Always Artichoke cardstock and cut it in half and adhered it behind the stamped layer as shown.

The little Baja Breeze flowers along the Satin Ribbon were punched using one of the Bitty Shapes Punches.

All in all, a very feminie card that could suit lots of occasions.

One for the boys!

2011-04-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

I have to be honest, I prefer making girly cards than ones for the boys but there are times when we just have to steer to the masculine side of things and give the pink a back seat!!

For this card I used up all my scrap pieces of "Elegant Soiree" Designer Series Paper and punched them out using the 1 1/4" Square Punch then layered them onto a piece of Marina Mist cardstock which I then adhered to my Soft Suede card base.

I punched stars using the Ex. Large Star Punch, daubed around the edges and wrapped Linen Thread around randomly, I attached a Neutrals Button to the centre of one of them tying a very thin strip of Marina Mist card stock through it.

The Happy Birthday greeting stamp is sadly now retired, it was from "Punch Bunch", one of the Sale-a-bration stamp sets.

Tissue Pack Box

2011-04-12T08:00:00.002+01:00

Another class project, inspired by Elizabeth Shannon who gave me one of these as a gift at the recent Stampin' Up! Regional Training Event at Fareham. It is a gorgeous little box containing one of the mini packs of tissues, what a beautiful gift to give to a friend.

I have made changes to Elizabeth's original design as she had used the "Business Basics" stamp set which was a requirement for both of our Demonstrations at the Training Event, but I kept the scallop circle at the bottom with my initial as I felt it really personalises the gift.

The papers are from the "Sweet and Sour" Designer Series Paper Pack which have a colour combination of Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red which I teamed with Very Vanilla.

I used the "Kissing Technique" with the "Flower Accent" and "Fine Flourish" stamps and hand cut the flower out, adding leaf stems from the "2 Step Bird Punch".

The Scallop Circle image at the behind the Monogram is from "Perfect Punches", the Monogram hides the Christmas greeting behind it!

If you would like to have a go at making some 3D projects like this one, why not come along to one of my classes and be inspired! Contact me at stampinkerry@aol.com or 07717 068909 for more details.

Thanks for stopping by

Team Training

2011-04-11T08:28:00.000+01:00

On Saturday we travelled to Amanda's Quarterly Team Meeting where over 30 of us got together to learn and be inspired!! Of course we have lots of fun but also have some business talk too!

As you may know, we create "swaps" and swap with each other so that we come home with lots of inspiration and new ideas, here is my creation.

I used the lovely new Textured Embossing Folder called "Manhattan Flower", it is so simple to create such a beautiful background to your projects.

My stamps were "Four Frames" from the Mini Catalogue P.11 £15.95 Clear Mount or £19.95 Wood Mount and also "Clearly for You" from the Mini Catalogue P.22 £17.95 Clear Mount or £22.95 Wood Mount.

I used a colour combination of Sahara Sand, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla and the Designer Series Paper is from "Springtime Vintage" which you will find in the Mini on Page 17 priced at £8.75 for 12 sheets of 12x12" Double Sided Paper!

The butterflies were created using one of the Embosslits Dies called "Beautiful Wings" priced at £10.50, which cuts and embosses at the same time. These little beauties are absolutely gorgeous, so detailed and cute and cut out in no time at all using the Big Shot Machine.

I punched out my frame from "Four Frames" using the new "Decorative Label Punch" from the Mini Page 11, £15.50 and also the Perfect Plum label behind the Amour greeting is created using the same punch.

The other punches used were the Scallop Trim Corner and Border and of course the Word Window which I used to punch out the "Amour" wording.

I received some lovely swaps in return and will be showing you these soon.

We had a fab day, albeit a long one and thanks go to Jane for driving us there and getting us home in one piece!

Scallop Envelope Box

2011-04-07T19:55:00.001+01:00

I haven't had much "spare" time recently, but in between planning and prepping for classes I spent some time creating samples using a selection of products from the Mini Catalogue.

I created this pretty box with the "Scallope Envelope Die" using the Big Shot Machine. Now this die is exclusive to Stampin' Up! and there are endless projects waiting to be created using it, so remember, it's not just for envelopes!!

I used a colour combo of Soft Suede, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla. I attached a strip of the gorgeous "Sprintime Vintage" DSP around my box and tied some Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon around finishing with a bow.

I crimped strips of Rose Red and Soft Suede cardstock to put inside my box under which you could hide a nice surprise for someone!

My Butterfly was created using the "Beautiful Butterflies" Bigz Die which I embossed with the "Perfect Polka Dots" Embossing Folder then using the "Beautiful Wings" Embosslits die I cut out the Vanilla Butterfly and attached it to the Soft Suede one. I added a couple of co-ordinating buttons and finished with a Linen Thread bow.

If you would like to have a go at making one of these gorgeous boxes, keep your eyes out for a Class coming up next month!

Build A Blossom

2011-04-04T17:03:00.000+01:00

Afternoon everyone, looking a little grey out there now, hope it doesn't rain!!

Another card today using products from the Mini Catalogue, in this case a gorgeous new stamp set called "Build A Blossom" which has a co-ordinating Punch, woo hoooo I hear you say, yes, I love how the punches work with the stamps too, it saves sooooo much time......

So "Build a Blossom" is a 2 Step Stampin' Set that requires the use of the Stamp-a-ma-jig although you can use these stamps to build flowers without it. Firstly I stamped a Pretty in Pink flower base then added the second stage over the top in Rose Red ink, it is hard to see from the picture as the base of the flower almost looks white. The "leaves" are not actually the leaves from the set, these are flower petal stamps but I liked them as leaves!! Now if you are liking this set, it is available in Wood £24.95 or Clear Mount £19.95 and the co-ordinating "Blossom Petals Punch" is £15.50.

The Marina Mist layer has been embossed using the "Manhattan Flower" Textured Embossing Folder, now you can't really see from the picture but these Embossing Folders create a very stong embossed image, they are beautiful. The Embossing Folders are all priced at £6.95 and will give you endless possibilities for your cards and projects turning an ordinary piece of cardstock into something special. I have used my Spritzer Tool on this layer to add to the effect.

Now that isn't a new label punch, well not really anyway!! Its the new "Decorative Label Punch" and I have trimmed down the original punch out by positioning it back in the punch and punching it a second time!

I have a busy week of classes but will try to get back to you soon with some more "Mini" creations!

The Mini Catalogue is here.........

2011-04-01T17:04:00.000+01:00

at long last, full of some fantastic new products that you are just going to love including the new Big Shot Die Cutting Machine and Exclusive Stampin' Up! Dies and Embossing Folders that are going to take your crafting to another level, enabling you to cut multiple shapes in one go at the turn of a handle!!

I will be launching the new Catalogue at all of my classes this week so be sure to book your space to come along and play with the new products and try out the Big Shot.

If you click on the Catalogue Cover to the right of the page you can view the online version of the Mini, what are you waiting for, go for it!!!

The catalogue is full of gorgeous new stamp sets with co-ordinating punches, beautiful Designer Series Papers with matching new Ribbons and buttons. There is also a new range of A La Carte stamps too along with a couple of new Hostess sets which are gorgeous!!

If you would like to see the Big Shot in motion, why not call me today to book a party in the comfort of your own home and have the opportunity of earning yourself some wonderful exclusive Stampin' Up! products for free!

So before I go, a quick peak at some of the products in their full glory. This was a swap card that I made for a recent team training event.

My colour combo is Soft Suede, Rose Red and Very Vanilla, this was inspired by the new Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper.

I have used several new products as listed below:

Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die*

Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder*

Embosslits Die Beautiful Wings*

Decorative Label Punch

Four Frames Stamp Set (works with the above punch)

Springtime Vintage DSP

I have lots more to show you over the next few days so do stop by again,