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)

Stamp Club Challenge - April

With Mother's Day approaching the challenge for this month was to inspire with a Mother's Day card.

 

My last order arrived with goodies from the Sale-a-bration so I decided to use them to have a play for this challenge.  A little bit different.  A lot of fun.

Colours:  old olive, not quite navy, tangerine tango, white
Stamps: lots of thoughts (SU), hello (PTI)
Finishing Touches: hello die and hexagon die cover plate (PTI), DSP, ribbon and button - sycamore street and scallop square punch (SU), stitching, washi tape.

March Stamp Club

Always up for a challenge I have been getting challenges for the next month ready ahead of time instead of leaving it to the last minute which always causes stress.  The challenge this month was to create a wedding card using fabric in some way.  I don't have much in the way of fabric but found this piece so decided to see what I could come up with.

Colours: basic gray, rich razzleberry, white
Stamps:  spiced paisley, ittly bitty banners and simply serif alpha (SU), wedding mini (kaiser)
Finishing touches:  perfectly paisley embossing folder and typewriter aplpha die (cuttlebug),  stone baker's twine (the twinery), gray and white ribbons, jac paper

Stamp Club Challenge - February

It was my turn for hostess at stamp club last month and so my turn to come up with the challenge for the next month.It is always tricky to come up with something that everyone has access to. With Saleabration on it was a perfect inspiration for the challenge.  Use some or all of the colours, layouts or images on any of the pages.

These were the images I used.  I also stuck with the colour combo.

Colours:  very vanilla, tangerine tango, not quite navey, baja breeze
Stamps:  birthday whimsy and lots of thoughts (SU), punctuation (kelly panacci)
Finishing touches:  dazzling diamonds and spiral punch (SU),  brown sugar embossing powder (AC), denim and mandarin bakers twine (the twinery)

Stamp Club November - Christmas ribbon wreath

The challenge for this month was to create a 3D project that you could put a gift into.  After a busy week I almost wasn't going to complete the challenge but was inspired by a card by Lyn at The Mango Boys and Me, with the link to create your own christmas wreath from a ribbon.  The new in colour ribbons from Stampin Up looked great.  As the main focus was on the wreath I found a simple fold it box to put it together with.  Without much in the way of Christmas papers I decided to go vintage and used a piece from the Salebration set - Everyday Enchantment.  Pleased with how it turned out.

Colours: cherry cobbler, gumball green, very vanilla, early espresso
Stamps: snow swirled (SU)
Finishing touches:  gumball green stitched ribbon, maraschino bakers twine (the twinery), everyday enchantment DSP (SU)

October Stamp Club

The challenge for this month was to use a material heart that we were given.  Stumped at first my usual kick start is to pull out some bits and pieces with similar colours and themes.  As I did I decided to make it into a card for my hubby.

Colours: baja breeze, cherry cobbler
Stamps:  friendly words wheel (SU), beautiful things (kaiser)
Finihsing touches:  fabric heart, stitching, buttons, red tag sale alpha die (cuttlebug, glitter, colour spritzer, red striped and baja breeze seam binding ribbon (SU), distress tool

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)

Father's Day

Fathers Day tomorrow.  I realised I had my Dad's sorted but I needed to put together something for the Greatest Dad in our house!  Sorted.  At stamp club one of our technique cards was inlaid embossing.  I adapted and added some more to the card that we made.

Colours: brumb cake, early expresso, riding hood red
Stamps:extreme elements (SU), family greetings (elzybells)
Finishing touches:  heart to heart punch, square lattice embossing folder, tasteful trim die and metallic brads (SU), banner die (PTI), marischino bakers twine (the twinery), brown sugar embossing powder.

Stamp Club Challenge July

The challenge for this month is to make a card for a teenage boy.  As it is next week I didn't think I would get it done with school starting back.  That was until I realised that I already had this idea for a card that I was going to make.  It is from a Stampin Up Ideas Catalogue.  As you can see I copied it pretty much to the letter substituting the heart for the star to make it fit the teenage image I wanted.

Colours:  white, always artichoke, riding hood red, not quite navy
Stamps:  in the stars (SU), background stripes (made by me)
Finishing touches:  linen thread (SU), eyelet sticker, distressing tool, circle cutters (CM), star punch, staples, hole punch

June Stamp Club

We had these great bags with our order and everyone has been using them at Stamp Club. So we could tell them apart the challenge for this month was to create a tag to go with it. I wanted to go with the same colouring and some of my favourite things. I then had the idea to add my business card and the details
 Colours: very vanilla, rose red, old olive
Stamps: best yet and rough type alpha (SU)
 Finishing touches: rose red stitched ribbon, victoria crochet trim, hodgepodge hardware, round tab punch, rose red DSP, beautiful wings embosslits and lots of tags die (SU), honeydew bakers twine (the twinery), rhinestones,(kaiser), definition sticker

May Stamp Club

Last month I got the textured impressions folders in my order so I decided to use one in this months challenge. The challenge was a sketch you can find it here. I have recently been going through my Resene decorating magazines and found a great retro colour combo. Fun. I thought the daisy flower fitted really well. I made it with a daisy disc that was hiding in my Mum's cupboard. A great tool. Colours: white, old olive, early espresso, tangerine tango, more mustard
Stamps: little pieces, best yet
Finishing touches: distressing tools, spiral punch, textured impression folder, stitching, antique brad, daisy disc