Inlaid Embossing

I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter break.  The weather was particularly lovely in Hawke's Bay but the rain that has arrived, looks to be settled in for a while.
So it's a great crafty sort of day, the gardening will have to wait. I have had a few extra young vistors for 2 weeks whose Mum needed to be away.  Here's a card I made with the daughter for her Mum's return.  We spied just the right words that were part of a stamp, in the retired stamp set "Sweet Little Sentiments".  Using a Stampin' Write Marker we inked just the words we wanted.  You can use this same technique when using an image stamp too.

The butterfly is flying the banner and the string also doubles as antennae.  Being able to have precut embosslit butterflies, made this project very simple to put together and is still beautiful in it's simplicity.  I will be putting a Mother's Day card project together for a 'new entrant' class, so I have been thinking how I can achieve a wonderful result and be able to keep the project 'new entrant' proof.  This has made me look at my supplies through 'young' eyes. We are spoilt with so many wonderful tools to make our craft life easy.

Stampin' Up! supplies: 

Embosslits die: Beautiful Wings

Card stock: Rose Red & Pretty in Pink

Sponging: Rich Razzleberry

Other: Basic Pearls

Thanks for stopping by

Bunny Basket

Here's a basket decorated with a bunny to house some chocy treats.  I made a few that have made there way to Christchurch for my sons.  I got this basket pattern quite some time ago from Splitcoaststampers but am unable to find a link for it, sorry!  My bunny has been made using some punch art.  My sons will also have their sister visiting them to help eat the chocolates.  Now that's a treat!!

He even has a fluffy tail.  I got the idea for his tail from Paula Dobsons "Bunny Bum" card,  I really loved that idea. Thanks Paula.
Hope you all have a lovely Easter break and that you don't consume too many calories, but take time to remember the real meaning of Easter.

Thanks for stopping by

Autumn Leaves

I love this time of year, the colours of the leaves changing, the last of the warm days. Winter is letting us know it's coming with those crisp starts in the morning.  I just don't get enough craft time to play with the ideas that flit through my head and my MOJO comes and goes.  This card was inspired by the idea that leaves need spritzing to give them the natural Autumn look.  They are not plain and uniform in colour.

I was also using my new "Lots of Tags" Sizzlits 4-pack die and using my "Stamp-a-ma-jig" to position my "Thank You" stamp nicely in the middle. 

All scenes are usually so much more memorable when a lovely coloured butterfly comes along, flits for a while to let us see it's beauty, and then moves on.  This a la carte stamp "All a Flutter"  has been stamped with Staz On ink onto Vellum card stock and coloured in with aqua painters and ink.  I was very happy with the finished effect. This is the first time I have tried this idea, I will have to do it more often.  The edges turned up naturally when they became damp, so this was a bonus in my favour.
All together this is the completed look.  Hope you have had a minute to enjoy the sun today,  if it was out for you, I did.

Thanks for stopping by

A Scrap Page - finally

It's long overdue but there's nothing like meeting with a group of scrapbookers to inspire me to create an all SU scrap page.  I really enjoyed doing this and wondered why I don't get to do more scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is making it's way up my priority list.

I used Old Olive card stock as my base and added a 4 inch strip of Greenhouse Gala DSP. I have stamped the grass using Inspired by Nature in Old Olive ink. I have used my Top Note die as my journalling spots and sponged there edges with Old Olive ink.  

The flowers and leaves were inspired by the hanging baskets of rich purple petunias in the photo.
I have layered 2 cut out 5-petal punch flowers for each and run them through the crimper.  The centre is a black cut out flower from the Boho Blossoms punch.  The leaves are cut out using the Little Leaves die and I have sponged the edges with Old Olive ink. The photo is matted on Rich Razzleberry and then Sahara Sand card stock. I made another page on the evening and gave it to my hostess without the photo, so she can add her own.  She loved it.  Hope you are planning your craft projects to occupy you in the cooler months ahead. If you haven't tried scrapbooking, I can personally recommend it.
Thanks for stopping by

Nature Walk

There are so many lovely new products that tick the box for me in the Stampin' Up! Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue, just released 1 April.  Check out the lovely products available by clicking on the picture to your left. When I received the wonderful stamp set "Nature Walk" as a door prize at Regional Training, I was delighted.  Here's the first card I made using the stamp set.

I used More Mustard as my card base and stamped the eggs and sponged the edges of the "Framed Tulips" embossed card with it too. I combined it with Cajun Craze, it's the replacement colour to the retired Really Rust. I always love working with that colour.  It's rich and deep colours, fit the stamp set and all Autumn themed scrap pages.

The bird had a little attention from some markers.  They are such wonderful tools to colour stamps in with and you get such a professional look.  A little "Always Artichoke" card stock stamped with the bird cage on it has given the card it's third dimension colour.  I hope you feel inspired to get crafting and try out this new stamp set too.
Place your order for the "Nature Walk" stamp set today, $62.95 wood-mount or $49.95 clear mount for a set of 7 stamps + p&h by emailing me today. 
Thanks for stopping by

Inspired by Nature

"Inspired by Nature" has been one of the stamp sets I have always wanted since I first saw a Stampin' Up! catalogue over 2 years ago, and now I finally own it. I am not disappointed.  I had embossed a sheet of So Saffron with the "Elegant Lines" embossing folder a while ago, and it has just sat on my desk waiting to be made into a card.  Seeing a piece of cardstock with Very Vintage wheeled on it in Chocolate Chip ink when mounting my new stamp set got my Mojo flowing and this is what I came up with. Have you noticed the "Framed Tulips" piece of Cherry Cobbler card stock on the card.  You guessed, another wonderful new embossing folder available in the Stampin' Up! new Autumn-Winter mini catalogue.  

I thought I would put a matching button on this card. I cut the buttons using the "Buttons #5" die. Cut 3 matching buttons out and glue together in layers using a glue stick.  I threaded the buttons onto my paper piercer to line up the holes to give it a lovely clean match.  Tie with a little linen thread, and attach with a glue dot. Your button will be a perfect match on your project. 

Cherry Cobbler is such a great colour with So Saffron.  I still get such satisfaction seeing how Stampin' Up! inks and card stock match so beautifully.

I need to make a few of these to put into my stash.  I really enjoyed making this card.
To get your  "Framed Tulips" embossing  folder for $19.50NZD and "Buttons #5" die $12.25 + p&h, email me today to place your order.
Thanks for stopping by

Create a Cupcake - so yummy

Who doesn't like a cupcake!  The icing always gets me, the cherry is so tempting. This is the card we made at our recent Stampin' Up! Regional Training using the new "Create a Cupcake" stampset and also it's corresponding punch, "Build a Cupcake Punch".

They look so yummy. For the icing the lovley In Colours, Peach Parfait, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzaz were used along with Soft Suede.

I love how these colours come together, they are cheerful and summery.  Let's enjoy the last of our warmer sunny days while we have them, and don't forget to sit and enjoy a cupcake or two, while sitting in the sun.

If you would like to make some lovely cupcake cards then email me to place an order for this wonderful "Create a Cupcake" stampset $55.95 wood-mount or $36.95 clear-mount and it's corresponding punch "Build a Cupcake Extra-Large Punch" $41.50NZD + p&h.

Thanks for stopping by