Time to dust off the blog - Christmas creating

This must have been the craziest end of year, birthdays and back to school yet.  So these holidays while I had projects on the go, it was all I could do to keep up with them.  My holidays were well spent making memories and reading and relaxing.  Finally I am back to somewhat of a routine and am wanting to do so much more here.   First what have I been creating?  Christmas - yes I gave a sneak peak in this post and then didn't show the end result.  It all started with this card as inspiration.  With lots of great tags to use I mixed and matched the different elements and added some little details.

Colours: crumb cake, cherry cobbler, always artichoke, very vanilla, early espresso

Stamps:  vintage labels and postmarks (PTI), merry christmas (kaiser)

Finishing touches:  handmade holidays papers and tags (simple stories), rhinestones (SU)

Next there was the teachers gifts

 In our Stampin Up Christmas swap I received a beautiful set of Christmas cards.  The wise owl always works well with teacher gifts so I added some more using the sets that I have and I had my cards sorted.

Colours:  white, rich razzleberry, old olive

Stamps:  wise owl (PTI), all year fun (SU), dress up lily (PCS)

Finishing touches:  doily die (couture creations), dimensionals, dazzling diamonds glitter and rhinestones (SU)

 For the school teachers some stationery bits and pieces, clips, post its and magnets in fun colours.  And the kindy teachers, yummy apples with caramel dip.  

This one went down really well.  They all asked for the recipe.

And last on the Christmas front was my Stamp Club Christmas swap.  Sorry the photos aren't that great.  I realised in all the busyness that I hadn't taken any photos and my phone isn't that great.  I had pinned the ideas for recycling books and thought it would be great to fill with goodies to give as a gift.  Once I started making bits and pieces I was hooked.  As such I have lots that didn't go in so will have some fun creating my own cards.

Colours:  daffodil delight, baja breeze, not quite navy, certainly celery, garden green

Stamps:  just the ticket (PTI), punctuation (KP), ciao baby and a round array (SU)

Finishing touches: book, envelope, for the record papers (echo park), embosslits beautiful wings,  lots of tags die, round tab punch and chevron border punch,  7/8 scallop circle punch and petite curly label punch (SU), buttons, ribbons, just the ticket die , ric rac die (PTI)

As you can see I have been a busy girl.  Lots of fun when I get creating.

Stamp Club June

With the new catalogue out next month the retiring list is out. The challenge for this month was to create a card using something from the retiring list.

I picked itty bitty stamps, punches and buttons.  I have made a card recently using them but haven't done much with them.  I found this card when I googled the stamp set and started to play with similar papers and elements using the set.  I used certainly celery and chocolate chip as the colours as they are retiring as well.  I love it when you find ways to combine different sets.  I recently bought the ciao baby stamp set and punches.  I used a stampin write to ink the edge and use for some of the layers.

Colours: certainly celery, chocolate chip, very vanilla
Stamps:  itty bitty bits, ciao baby and best yet (SU), a little argyle (PTI)
Finishing touches;  circle punches, striped ribbon, jewels basic pearls, petite scallop punch, itty bitty punches, linen thread, dimensionals, beautiful wings embosslits, itty bitty buttons and DSP newsprint (SU), button, brad, tiny tags die (PTI)

Who said male cards had to be hard?

With a birthday present all set I had managed to forget about the card.  I usually have cards that I can pull at the last minute but this birthday was a good friend of my oldest son so he wanted it to be special.  With only a little time I decided it was a good opportunity to try out some new goodies that I had bought at the new craft store in town Craft Haven. 

 Washi tape what have I been thinking not getting some sooner!  Fun and easy to use

 The speech bubble punch from EK success was a perfect match for 

my new Hello die from Papertrey Ink

Add a bit of splatter and fun stitching and the card came together in a snap.  Don't be afraid to mix up your supplies.  Whenever I am purchasing new things I look out for things that will work with what I already have.  Male cards seem to be one that puts people off.  With the right colour combo and the basics they can be fun.

Colours:  white, not quite navy, pumpkin pie, so saffron

Stamps:  grunge me and game on (PTI)

Finishing touches:  paper shapers speech bubble punch (EK), washi tape, hello die (PTI)

Stamp Club Challenge September

This month the challenge is to do something different with your punches.  Always great to get the most out of your tools and supplies by discovering new ways that they can be used.  So the punches that I have used are:

photo corners for the 'arrows' border

round tab punch for the brackets

circle scallop punch for the rolled flowers

I was going to try and put them altogether but it was too much so I ended up with two cards using a similar design.  Love how they turned out.

Colours: not quite navy, pumpkin pie, white
Stamps: in the stars (SU)
Finishing touches: round tab punch, photo corners punch, white embossing powder and patterned DSP (SU), dimensionals, stitching

Colours:  not quite navy, very vanilla, old olive
Stamps:  hope perches (verve), grunge me (PTI)
Finishing touches:  round tab punch, circle scallop punch, big shot textured impressions embossing folder, metallic brads, ruffled ribbon island indigo, victoria crochet trim and everyday enchantment DSP (SU), dimentsionsls, stitching, heart die (cuttlebug)

Pinterest inspiration

If you haven't checked out pinterest yet, it is well worth a visit. These cards were inspired by a page that is saw while checking it out. You can find it here

Colours:white, basic grey, yo yo yellow Stamps: words of wisdom(verve), chevron stripes (PTI) Finishing touches: scallop circle punch, button, buttercream twine (the twinery), distress tool Colours: white, more mustard, crumb cake, taken with teal Stamps: large alpha (making memories), small alpha (unknown), alpha (martha stewart), rough type (SU), background basics retro (PTI) Finishing touches:corner rounder (fiskars)

Pretty in pink

Another card for sale. I was inspired by a scrapbooking layout that I had seen. I liked the subtle colours and the combination of layers. I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to the little details. The button was the perfect fit. Loved this one.

Colours: sahara sand, blushing bride, certainly celery, white
Stamps: wedding cake (martha stewart), library ledger, text style and timey tags (PTI), simply you (ali edwards), friendship blooms (SU), patchpal giraffe (CDS), sentiments circles (autumn leaver, baby (kaiser)
Finishing touches: DSP and stitched poly ribbon (SU), blossom die (spellbinders), slit punch (SU), hole punch, pearls, linen thread, tiny tags die (PTI), button, stitching

A birthday card

I am glad that I have been up to date with my birthday cards as I haven't had loads of time in my scrapping space. I did come up with this special one for a friend. I wanted to try and recreate the flower from the set on page 93 of the IB&C from Stampin Up and ended up using the whole design. Love the new crochet trim ribbon teamed with the antique brads.

Colours: very vanilla, cherry cobbler
Stamps: backgrounds: text style and retro (PTI), impressions (bella), whimsical words and vintage labels (SU)
Finishing touches: crochet trim: victoria, antique brad and 5 petal punch (SU), apron lace punch (fiskars), clear embossing powder, label stencil

Trying out my new goodies

Always a goer for a sale, I picked up a pack of Grace Taylor papers on special and found a coordinating butterfly embellishment pack. They formed the base for my baby card that I made for someone at my husbands work. Because it was bigger than my usual size I added a few more details. Love the new in colour ribbons from Stampin up.

Colours: baja breeze, rose red
Stamps: peek a boo (elzybells), banner builder (PTI)
Finishing touches: papers (grace taylor and SU), paper butterflies (grace taylor), typewriter alpha die (cuttlebug), apron lace punch (fiskars), small tag, teddy, heart and star punches, in colour ribbon (SU), buttons, stitching

Birthday cards for sale

I had a request from a coworker at my husbands work for a couple of birthday cards. One was something with owls and the other to do with gardening. Owls are about in all shapes and sizes. The Wise Owl stamps set from Papertrey Ink is on my wish list. I also found this great card from Jennifer McGuire. In the meantime I got creative putting together some bits and pieces on a variation of this card that I made a while back. The colours were inspired from a recent purchase of buttons {some you can see on the card}. Love how the chevron stripes pulled them all together.


The gardening card started with the gardening stamps from elzybells {such great stamps, shame they closed down}. I had the mesh in my stash for just such an occasion {it is actually builders tape}. Lavender came to mind and so the colours followed. Very pleased with how it turned out.

Colours: certainly celery, almost amethyst, concord crush
Stamps: barrow and pots & seeds (elzybells), sense of time, natural beauty, background sampler and vintage labels (SU), impressions (bella)
Finishing touches: mesh, dazzling diamonds, button, certainly celery stitched-poly ribbon, linen thread, rhinestones

Colours: very vanilla, certainly celery, early espresso, bashful blue, blush blossom, blushing bride, rose red
Stamps: little pieces, vintage labels and trendy trees (SU), chrevron stripes (PTI)
Finishing touches: woodgrain embossing folder (provocraft), buttons, stitching, blushing bride stitched-poly ribbon (SU), heart , flower, round tab, scallop oval punches, oval cutters (creative memories)

Scrap Happy

With being up to date with my card making I have been spending time on my pages. This is one of my favourites from the ones I have done. I am really enjoying putting together different products now I know what I like. I especially love pulling out products and punches and using them in different ways. For a long time I have been feeling dragged down with what I am doing and it is great to be inspired and get more done. I have been using my page dividers more as I discover the best use of them.

May Stamp Club

Despite completing a few projects of late I have been feeling a bit flat in terms of getting into my scrapping space and creating. So what better way to get going again than a challenge. Seeing as we got our next months challenge for stamp club I thought I would get onto it early. This one is take the sketch and see what we come up with. I have several boys cards to make and like to use my challenges for something I need. After pondering for some time as to what to do, so that I stick to using mainly Stampin Up products, I started with the buttons. More mustard isn't particularly a favourite of mine so it added more to the challenge. Playing with a few different combos came up with grey and black. I added to it the inspiration from Papertrey Inks April 2011 release which you can find at Nicoles blog here. In particular this jeans card from Betsy Veldman. . I love their stamps and one day will get on to getting some. In the meantime the challenge as always to create with what you have.
After lots of playing and adding bits {I even used my sewing machine!} I was very pleased with the end result. So much so that I made two more in different colours to make use of all the things being out and the effort that goes into one card.

Colours: more mustard, bravo burgandy, old olive, basic grey and black
Stamps: in the stars, sanded, little pieces, background sampler, cirle of friendship, rough type
Finishing Touches: stitching, black embossing powder, colour spritzer, star punch, buttons, linen thread, distressing tool

Turtle time

I have had the set Sense of Time (Stampin Up) for a while but haven't used it too much. Until I saw this card while blog hopping and thought what a fab idea. Team it up with a turtle. This guy is actually from one of my boys stamp sets as I don't have one. Looking forward to having more of a play with the combination.

Colours: riding hood red, always artichoke
Stamps: turtle (unknown) and sense of time (SU)
Finishing touches: spiral punch, round tab punch and linen thread (SU), calendar page. black embossing powder, button