Steel City Stamper

Spiced Bookmark

2012-01-25T13:12:00.000Z

Hi Everybody!

Here's a quick bookmark I made using some of my favourite products at the moment.

The cardstock is Pool Party and the papers are the new Spice Cake DSP (124003) from our new Mini Catalogue.

There is also a stamp set in this suite that I used on the background of the bookmark, this is called Spiced Paisley (127155).

Also available in this range are fabrics, buttons and delicious Vanilla Velvet ribbon. They're only available until the end of April, so if you like them get them while you can!

On the back of this bookmark I used the Letter It Alphabet (122840) to personalise it with my friend's initial and an adorable butterfly from the SU! exclusive Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die (118138).

Hope you like it!

TFL! Joanne x

IT'S SALEABRATION TIME!!

2012-01-24T13:42:00.000Z

It's here at last, a little later than last year, but it's Saleabration time again! YAY!

For those of you who don't know, from today until 31st March, for every £45 you spend you can receive one of the following gorgeous stamp sets or paper stacks absolutely free! Also, if you have a workshop that totals £300 or more, you also get a free set!

So without further ado, allow me to introduce them to you!

This set is Elementary Elegance. A beautiful set which co-ordinates with many other SU! sets, most notably Artistic Etchings. Note that the inside of the main frame is tailor made for the Curly Label Punch (119851).

This set is called Outlined Occasions and is perfect for any celebration you can think of. It looks fab coloured in with blender pens where you can shade the lettering!

Sprinkled Expressions is the next set and is so much fun! It's great for making sets of cards to give away as gifts and suits a multitude of events.

Now, I have to confess that this set, Fresh Vintage, is my favourite. Anyone who knows me knows I love Vintage and this set is just superb. What's more, you will notice that the square stamp has an outline - in the new mini catalogue there is a postage stamp punch to match!

But that's not all, this year we have more than just stamp sets. Get a load of this!

Everyday Enchantment papers. They are absolutely lushness personified! The keen eyed amongst you will have noticed that they actually match the Fresh Vintage stamp set, so if you can stretch to £90 in sales they can both be yours!

All of the beautiful stamp sets are available in a choice of either wood mount or unmounted rubber. The gorgeous papers come in a pack of 12 sheets - 2 sheets each of 6 double-sided designs. Plenty for all your cardmaking and scrapbooking needs!

If you'd like to place an order or book a workshop, please get in touch!

TFL! Joanne x

New Class - Delft Tile Album

2011-08-14T16:27:00.000+01:00

Hello Everybody!

It's been a hectic few weeks what with the school holidays and all. Anybody with kids will understand I'm sure!

So, without further ado, here is my latest class! The class will take place on Saturday 27th August at Beauchief Baptist Church, Hutcliffe Wood Road, Sheffield. It will run from 10.30am until we finish, but probably until around 2pm.

I have called this class Delft Tile Album. We will be doing no stamping in this class, but instead using the gorgeous Blueberry Crisp Designer Series Papers to make an album with tons of room for lots of photos and journalling. Perfect for cataloguing all those Summer trips!

Inside there are six pages which are made by folding the paper in an origami fashion. This helps to create the different compartments.

Each page has a front as shown, plus, once turned over, you will see it has a flap which lifts up and also a slide out section for more display space.

For this class you will receive half a pack of Blueberry Crisp DSP, cardstock and embellishments - everything you need to complete this album. Also, of course, there will be hot beverages and all you can eat cake! All of this for the price of £10.

If you'd like to book a place, please got to my website HERE. Please note I will need final numbers by Friday 19th August so hurry!

Hope to see you there!

TFL! Joanne x

Christmas in July!

2011-07-03T15:04:00.000+01:00

Hi Everybody! This is just a quick post to let you know that I have prepared my latest class for July. In keeping with tradition, I am doing a Christmas in July class this month using the Welcome Christmas set. During the class we will make four cards and a gift bag as shown above. Here's a look at the four cards in detail:

This card is made using using punch art and embossing folders to create a clever fireplace scene. The little bows are quite fiddly, but I love making them, so they will all be done for you!

This is a very simple card using the ever popular Big Shot Top Note die. By making this card we will be using the masking technique.

A beautiful card made with the clever use of sponging or brayering and a Stamp-a-ma-jig.

This card uses Serene Snowflakes as well as the Welcome Christmas set to make a beautiful frosty card.

The gift bag matches the above card, so it can be given as a set if you like. The bag is decorated completely with the Serene Snowflakes.

If you'd like to come to the class it will be taking place on Saturday 23rd July at 10.30am at Beauchief Baptist Church. Full details can be found at my website HERE.

TFL! Joanne x

One Great Year Album

2011-06-22T16:33:00.000+01:00

Here's an album I did recently using the One Great Year scrapbooking kit (#118705 - £17.75).

This wasn't my idea, I got the instructions for the album from Andrea Walford and her Family Treasures Scrapbook class. Family Treasures is a scrapbook kit that is no longer available, so I used the same album design, but rejigged it myself using one of our latest kits.

What's even better is that you only need half of the kit to make this, so you could make two - one for yourself and one as a gift! Here are the other pages:

On the left are two tags that pull out for photos or journalling.

On the right you will see that behind the Elegant Eggplant mat is another pull out for journalling.

Lots more space for journalling!

Another pull out on the left behind the green mat.

Another pull out on the right.

I absolutely love this kit as it lends itself perfectly to this type of album. The only extras I had to add were a few clips from the clip assortment (#112580 - £7.95) and Basic Black tafetta ribbon (#119962 - £6.25). It was quite time consuming, but completely worth it. The design of the album is beautiful when finished and well worth the extra effort!

TFL! Joanne x

New Class - 21 May 2011!

2011-05-11T10:02:00.001+01:00

I love the new Stampin' Up! Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper. It's so lovely and summery in a Cath Kidston type of way. Because of this, it lends itself beautifully to the bargello technique which I will be teaching at my next class. This produced a gorgeous "quilted" effect paper which is great to use on cards or scrapbook pages or albums.

As well as making our quilted paper, we will also be making this cute little 6"x6" mini album, which is based on a never ending card. Here's a few more pictures of the other faces of the album:

I've used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder for the embossed panels.

The little quilted hearts come from our handmade quilt paper.

As you can see, there's plenty of room for little photos. I printed out a contact sheet with my photos on of our recent holiday and just used those.

This class is priced at just £10. Included in the price will be half a pack of the beautiful Springtime Vintage Designer Series Papers and cardstock to complete the project. We will make a large enough sheet of quilting to emable you to have plenty left to make a couple of cards as well as the album. All you need to bring is your paper trimmer, scissors and your favourite double sided sticky tape, although I will have of spares. Everything else will be provided.

The price includes hot beverages and cake for sustenance, but please bring your own lunch (there's a very good sandwich shop opposite the church). To book, please either pay via my website HERE, or contact me by email to book a place and pay me on the day.

TFL! Joanne x

New Class - 30 April 2011!

2011-04-19T15:35:00.001+01:00

Hello Everybody!

Just a quick post telling you about my latest class which will be held at Beauchief Baptist Church on Saturday 30 April.

First of all we will be making an ingenious little mini album using origami techniques. This album is big enough to hold 8 different inserts for your photographs and journalling. But that's not all!

We will also be making a beautiful little box using the SU! exclusive envelope die and five small cards to put in it. Here's a close up of all the cards we will be making:

The papers and goodies we will be using are all taken from the new mini catalogue. You will receive half a pack of the Sweet Stitches Designer Series Papers, ribbons, buttons, pins, embellishments AND also the wonderful new Pattern Pieces stamp.

During this class we will learn new techniques of ruching ribbon and faux needlework, as well as different techniques to do with your stamp including making a background and paper piecing.

The whole class is available for £20. If you'd like to come along then you can book through my website here.

TFL! Joanne x

It's here!!

2011-04-01T09:44:00.000+01:00

The new Mini Catalogue goes live today and it contains the Big Shot! Have a look on the right hand side of the page. Just click on the image and it will take you through to the PDF. Hopefully I'll be back in the next few days with some samples. But for the meantime, enjoy!

TFL! Joanne x

Card Candy Blog Hop!

2011-02-06T10:00:00.003Z

Hello Everybody!

Maybe I'm the first blog you've visited on this hop, or maybe you've just seen the gorgeous card candy of the very talented Jan. Either way, welcome!

Myself and two of my Teamies, Sara and Jan, all share a love for Card Candy. So after the success of our last blog hop, we thought we'd do another one sharing our passion!

This is the card candy I did:

This set is Bundle of Love. The colours I used are Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink and Baja Breeze. I apologise for the state of my pictures, I need a new camera!

Sara and Jan both really liked the chest of drawers I made. This is easily done with a rectangle of Crumb Cake cardstock measuring approximately 6.5cm x 7.5cm, the Word Window punch finishes the chest off across the top and the drawers are made with the Modern Label punch. The little feet at the bottom are the 3/4" circle punch. The drawer handles are made from our beautiful pearls.

All the colouring in was done with markers and a blender pen. The scalloped circles around the main poem are made using two of the Large Flower punch in Daffodil Delight.

I hope you like them and I'm now going to pass you on to the lovely Sara. Believe me, you're in for a treat - her card candy is stunning!

TFL! Joanne x

Happy New Year! It's Saleabration Time!!

2011-01-02T16:54:00.000Z

Hello Everybody and a Happy New Year to you all! Here's a quick card I made to go out to some of my customers enclosing something very special - the Saleabration brochure!

For those of you who don't know, Saleabration lasts from 30 December to 28 February. During this time, for every £45 you spend on Stampin' Up! goodies, you get an exclusive, limited edition stamp set absolutely free! The stamp sets this year are absolutely beautiful. As can be seen below:

The above set is called Bliss

This set is Punch Bunch

This one is So Happy For You

And this one (which has come out smaller for some reason) is Sweet Summer.

The favourite so far seems to be the Punch Bunch. This is even better when you know that we will be getting the Owl Punch in the new mini catalogue which will be available on 1 April!

If you'd like more information, or would like to place an order, just let me know. I'll be making some samples in the coming weeks, so watch this space! Now I'm off to carry on devising my classes for this year.

Take care and thanks for looking!

Joanne x

Hello Everybody!

2010-12-12T09:52:00.001Z

Well, I think it's about time, don't you? Not blogged for ages, what with one thing and another. Had so much on and just never found the time.

Anyway, myself and one of my lovely local downlines, Sara and her downline, Jan, are doing a mini blog hop showcasing layouts done of photographs taken at Convention and here's mine!

I decided to do the photograph in black and white as I know Jan loves these Lap of Luxury papers and everytime I see them I now think of her!

I love making the flowers - they remind me of an anemone or water lily. These are made by punching lots of baubles with the bauble punch (approximately 15) and them sticking them around a scallop circle. They're dead easy but very effective I think.

As for the Pearls and Rhinestones - I just can't get enough of them! I love a bit of bling on my stuff!

Anyway, I know Jan and Sara both have gorgeous layouts to show, so here's a link to Sara's beautiful blog and her layout.

Bye for now, and I won't leave it as long next time, I promise!

Joanne x

ETA: Thanks everyone for the lovely comments, especially about my flower. This is not my idea, I can't remember exactly where I first saw it, but we had a wonderful demonstration of it from Julie Kettlewell at Convention too! I just wanted to say that. There's no way I'm clever enough to come up with an idea like that! LOL!

Stationery Set

2010-08-30T17:24:00.001+01:00

Hello Everybody! This is the next class that I'm going to be doing. It's a beautiful stationery set made using the Groom Specialty papers along with Pretty ink Pink and Melon Mambo. I love these colours together!

Here's a few more photos of what's inside the set:

Here's a quick pick of everything together. As you can see you will make four cards, four notelets and three tags.

Here's a closeup of the cards together. All done with the Baroque Motifs stamp set.

These are my favourites! These little notelets are made using the Bella Toile background stamp. It's such a beautiful background stamp, it's so versatile and it's perfect for this set!

And finally the three little tags, again made with Baroque Motifs.

This would make a wonderful set for yourself or as a gift for someone else - get organised for Christmas! More details about this class can be found at my website here.

TFL! Joanne x

Feeling Christmassy!

2010-08-13T14:47:00.000+01:00

I might as well be feeling Christmassy, seeing as the weather seems a bit like this at the minute! It's so cold the heating's clicked on!

This is another card I made following instructions by the amazing Michelle Zindorf on her site. Again, I've used the branch from Bird On A Branch. Just goes to show how versatile this set can be, two completely different cards using just one of the stamps from this set!

This card could be used as a Christmas card, or even a generic greetings card for someone who just likes snow (like me!)

Anyway, I must be off. Getting ready for the crop tomorrow. The technique we will be doing is salting, so I'll have another card to show you after we've all got ready salted!

TFL! Joanne x

Sunset Card

2010-08-11T19:17:00.000+01:00

Hello Everybody!

I promised you more cards using the sets that are 20% off at the minute, and here's another one using the twig from Bird on a Branch. I love this set. It's so versatile and can be used for all sorts of occasions.

As previously, this card is a blatant CASE of a tutorial on Michelle Zindorf's blog. That lady sure knows how to use a brayer! The colours used are Not Quite Navy, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal and Basic Black for the inks and Not Quite Navy, Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black for the cardstocks.

TFL!

Tranquil Trendy Trees

2010-08-09T00:01:00.007+01:00

I made this card a couple of days ago and I'm really chuffed with it. It's the first time I've had a serious go at brayering, so I decided to try something reasonably simple!

This is a CASE of a card and tutorial by the amazingly talented Michelle Zindorf. The colours I used are Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue. I love the say it looks so atmospheric.

Don't forget this is one of the stamp sets available in the two step offer at the minute! Instead of being £12.95, this set (Trendy Trees) is currently at 20% off and is selling at £10.36 until 31 August. If you'd like to order just get in touch!

TFL! Joanne x

Two Step Offer!

2010-08-07T15:07:00.000+01:00

Sorry I've not posted for a while. School holidays - you know how it is.

Well, despite being super busy with Harvey, I have managed to do a little work. How's about this card:

It's a CASE based on a card in the Stampin' Up! catalogue. The reason I made this card is because we have an offer on at the minute. Quite a few of the two step stamp sets are 20% off at the minute! Here's the ones included:

Loads of Love - was £18.95, now £15.16

Big Bold Birthday - was £23.95, now £19.16

Trendy Trees - was £12.95, now £10.36

Greenhouse Garden (pictured) - was £22.95, now £18.36

Something Sweet - was £23.95, now £19.16

Tiny Tags - was £18.95, now £15.16

Bird on a Branch - was £14.95, now £11.96

This offer is only on until 31 August, so if you'd like to take advantage, let me know as soon as possible!

Also, I have a special offer of my own to offer - free P&P on all orders from now until 1 October when the new catty comes out! On 1 September we will receive the retirement list for those stamp sets that will be leaving the catalogue, so now is the perfect opportunity to get stocked up at these special prices and with the free P&P!

If you'd like to order or book a workshop, you can get in touch with me at Joannefriend9920@aol.com.

TFL! Joanne x

Summery roses

2010-07-10T13:40:00.000+01:00

I think it's about time I uploaded something again, don't you?!

This is a card I made yesterday. You like? Here's a little tutorial on how I made the roses. They're probably the simplest flower you'll ever make (bar just punching them out!)

First of all, take a square of paper and round the corners. For the roses on my card I used one piece of 3" x 3" for the large rose and two pieces of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" for the smaller roses. Round the corners with scissors (this isn't an exact science, just snip the corners off basically) and draw a spiral onto your paper with pencil.

Now you need to cut around your pencil spiral with scissors. I should just point out that you don't need to use squares of patterned paper, you can use punched circles if you have circle punches that are big enough!

*GASP!* What has she done?! ;O) You need to crumple your spiral to help soften and break the fibres in the paper to make it more malleable when it comes to rolling your rose.

Now here comes the fun bit! Starting from the outside edge, roll your spiral in towards the centre. Don't worry if you do it too tight, just loosen your grip and your roll will relax out a little. Don't worry about it being neat, these roses are supposed to be "abstract"!

When you get to the end, place a dab of glue or a glue dot on the centre bit of your spiral and stick it down as shown. It should keep the bloom in place no problem. If not just add a bit more glue.

And there you have it! The sky's the limit with these roses. It's a great technique for using scraps of patterned paper or cardstock. You could add a bit of bling with Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Shimmer Paint or Crystal Effects.

For the card above I used the following:

Cardstock - Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose

Ink - Pumpkin Pie

Designer Series Paper - Pink Flamingo

Ribbon - Pretty in Pink Tafetta, Old Olive Grosgrain

Button - Playground Buttons

Sentiment - Sincere Salutations

Border Punch - Vintage Lace

All products Stampin' Up!

A little birdie....

2010-06-22T14:26:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post today. Here's a card I made using Bird on a Branch. I find this is one of those sets that doesn't do itself justice in the catalogue, but then when you get it and actually use it you see just how fab and versatile it is. It's quickly become one of my "go to" sets, because it doesn't matter what you do with it, you always get a fabby result.

For this card I've used my colour combination of the moment - Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Basic Black and Whisper White. The patterned paper is from the Night & Day DSP. I'm using Melon Mambo a lot, I love it!

TFL! Joanne x

Christmas in July!

2010-06-16T13:47:00.000+01:00

Yeah! Middle of June and I'm already thinking about Christmas!

The above photo is a collection of cards I will be doing at my next workshop on 3 July. It will be a One Sheet Wonder, whereby we decorate a sheet of 12x12 Whisper White with the gorgeous Serene Snowflakes stamp set and squoosh it with Shimmer Paint, then use it to make 18 Christmas cards.

So by the end of the workshop, at the very beginning of July, you've already made 18 Christmas cards. How organised are you?!

We will be using lots of different techniques in this workshop. Below are some of my favourites that are included in the set.

Sorry about the poor pictures, my camera AND computer are playing up at the minute. :O(

Shaker card!

Large baubles!

Even a treat cup! YAY!

If you'd like to book onto the workshop, just have a look at my website HERE. That's where all the details are.

TFL! Joanne x

Flight of the Butterfly Stationery

2010-05-16T17:42:00.001+01:00

Well, here are my latest creations which are going to be my next class.

This little chest of drawers is the perfect size for little embellishments and is done in the beautiful Bella Bleu papers from Stampin' Up! I decided to use these papers because they are neutral and will fit into any decor, making them perfect for anybody's crafting corner!

Now here's the good news - due to popular demand I've managed to book another class for June. It will take place on Saturday 12th June. When we will be making both the projects shown above! As well as the minature drawers we will also make an ingenious little bag containing four co-ordinating cards. I've teamed the Bella Bleu papers with the gorgeous stamp set Flight of the Butterfly which is wonderful for any occasion.

Here's a closer look at the four cards:

The prices for this class vary, as to whether you have just the kit, or if you include a stamp set and punch. If you have the lot you get two free ink pads! More details can be found here.

Any queries please just get in touch.

TFL! Joanne x

New Colours are coming!

2010-05-01T18:25:00.000+01:00

All these gorgeous goodies are available for purchase now!

These three colours - Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede are part of the new colours which will be available from October in our new catalogue. But why wait until then?! You can get your hands on them right now!

The ink pads and cardstock will be available in the new catalogue in October, but the Designer Series Paper, Window Sheets and gorgeous polka dot ribbon is limited edition and only available while stocks last, so you need to be quick if you'd like them!

If you'd like to be one of the first to get your hands on these yummy goodies, just contact me to place an order.

TFL! Joanne x

Civil Ceremony Thank You Card

2010-04-29T14:22:00.000+01:00

Hello Everybody! Sorry, I've been completely neglecting this blog again I'm trying to do 101 things at once at the minute!

Today I'm showing you a simple thank you card I've done. A dear friend of our family is getting married to her partner in a couple of weeks and, when asked what they would like as a gift, she asked me if I could make some thank you cards for them, as our wedding gift to them.

As you can imagine, I was extremely flattered that she'd asked me. I'm not sure what the colour scheme is, so I've kept it quite neutral, and as I was making 50 cards I wanted to keep them quite simple!

The cardstock I've used for the main body of the card is Kraft. The foliage stamp I have used is from Vintage Vogue, which I love because it is so versatile. I stamped this in Old Olive ink.

The heart is punched using the Full Heart Punch out of the beautiful Very Vanilla Bridesmaid Designer Series Paper, I tied twine around it and punched a little tag using the small tag punch and stamped it with the sentiment from the Tiny Tags set.

And here is the finished result! I just hope they like it.....!

TFL! Joanne x

Scrapbook in a Box and Criss Cross Card

2010-04-13T09:33:00.000+01:00

May is National Scrapbooking Month, and to celebrate this, my next class on 8 May we will be making a Scrapbook in a Box and a Criss-Cross card using the beautiful Vintage Vogue set.

The box is very similar to an exploding box, but simpler and not as time consuming to make! If you don't want to make it into a scrapbook, you can always just make it into a regular keepsake/gift box. But this is what it looks like inside as a scrapbook:

It opens up into a 12" x 12" scrapbook page! Pretty cool, huh?!

Additionally, we will be making a Criss Cross card to match the box, so you can give the whole set as a gift if you can bear to part with it!

During the class we will learn two techniques - brayering and rock n' roll. You will get everything in your class to complete these two projects. The class costs £10, or £25 if you include the Vintage Vogue stamp set (regular price £19.95). For more details and to book a place on the class take a look here.

For those who can't come to the class, the materials used are Very Vanilla, Apricot Appeal and Elegant Eggplant cardstock, Bride DSP, Chocolate Chip, Apricot Appeal, Old Olive and Elegant Eggplant inks, clear rhinestone brads and twine.

TFL! Joanne x

Colour Renovation - It's Coming!!

2010-04-07T16:55:00.000+01:00

Okay, so I know how much you all like your Stampin' Up! colours, and how everything co-ordinates. Well announcements have been going up all over the internet and so I feel I can announce the news here. The Stampin' Up! colours are having a renovation!

Here's the new look list:

The new palette is fantastic. Ever since SU! first came to the UK we have been asking for the beautiful In Colours - we are getting them, and in future they will last for two years instead of just one. As with the existing palette, there will be lots of co-ordinating products including ribbons, buttons and accessories, so still lots to play with!

As you can probably tell from the above chart, a number of colours, which were deemed not as popular, are being discontinued. But you still have plenty of time to stock up on your favourites as the new Colour Renovation doesn't come into effect until the new catalogue starts in October. So if you like any particular colours, get your orders in while you can! Here is a full list of the colours which are being discontinued:

Don't forget we also have the Mini Catalogue which has just come out, so lots to keep us happy and busy for the next six months until this awesome change takes place.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to place an order, please get in touch with me.

TFL! Joanne x

Treat Cups Tutorial!

2010-04-05T16:13:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I promised a tutorial based around the marvellous treat cups we now have in the Mini Catalogue. Well, here it is!

Okay, so first of all I start by doing my little picture. For this card I'm using my favourite, the bubblegum machine again. First I stamp the base, then I line up my 1 3/4" punch by the base and punch my hole for the treat cup, then I use my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the little lid on top of my treat cup hole.

Next, I place my image over my mat (DO NOT stick it down yet!) I can then line my punch up over the hole and punch the hole out of the mat as well.

I then take them apart and sandwich my treat cup between my picture and the mat as shown. The treat cup has double sided tape on and is easy to line up on the mat. Then it's just a case of adding adhesive to the picture and placing it on top.

Next I take my actual card and punch a hole about a third of the way down. You don't need to use the 1 3/4" punch for this, you just need a hole that's big enough to get your treat through. For this card I used a 3/4" punch.

Next, you need to make a "door" to cover your 3/4" hole, so you can keep your treats in place when they're not being eaten!

Take a piece of co-ordinating cardstock sized at 2" x 2 1/2" and attach a punch tab to the end of it. This will be your door. Stick double sided tape around your matted picture, just on three sides, and attach it to your card. Your little door should slide in from the left and cover the hole.

Fill your card with your chosen treat and slide the door into place.

Add your finishing touches, and there you have it - a gorgeous treat cup card! They can seem fiddly to make at first, but once you get the hang of it they're very straight forward.

The materials used for this card are Real Red and Whisper White cardstock, a piece of patterned paper from the Pink Flamingo Designer Series Papers, 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon in Real Red, Real Red ink and the Something Sweet stamp set and treat cups. The punches used are 1 3/4" circle, 3/4" circle and Round Tab Punch. All items are from the Stampin' Up! current catalogues.

Hope you like this card. Remember, if you have any questions, or if you'd like to purchase anything from Stampin' Up! I'd love to hear from you!

TFL! Joanne x

A Blue Card for a Blue Day!

2010-04-02T12:24:00.000+01:00

Hello Everybody! Just in case you didn't know, today is World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a condition which is very close to my heart as my son is on the autistic spectrum.

As part of World Autism Awareness Day, supporters need to wear something blue. I'm sitting here in my blue jeggings and blue top, and I thought I'd show you a quick blue card that I've done to. Here it is:

It's made using one of my favourite colours, Bashful Blue. The stamp set I've used is Flight of the Butterfly, the "grass" is made using a strip of Old Olive cardstock that I've snipped using my Paper Snips. It's finished off with a Chocolate Chip tafetta ribbon to match the Chocolate Chip background flowers and the flower accent on the butterfly. Hope you like it!

TFL and I'll be back again soon! Joanne x

It's here and it's live!

2010-04-01T16:10:00.000+01:00

No joke - the hugely anticipated new mini catalogue is now live! You can order anything you want out of it!

The most popular item seems to be the bird punch so far.

I made this card using the bird punch and the beautiful new Vintage Vogue set. Colours are Pale Plum and Chocolate Chip ink on Whisper White cardstock. The card itself is our Kraft cardstock and the little bit of sparkle is our Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

I love everything in our new mini catty, but at the minute I'm loving the treat cups most! I made this card yesterday. The striped paper comes from the gorgeous Sweet Pea papers. The cardstock used is Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie, together with Chocolate Chip ink. I've also used the Tab Punch, Eyelet Border Punch and Pretty in Pink tafetta ribbon.

They may seem complicated to do, but they're not once you're shown how. I'll try and do a tutorial tomorrow or sometime this weekend, so keep checking back!

If you haven't got a copy of the mini catalogue and would like one, please get in touch with me. Otherwise you can have a browse by following the link on the right hand side of my blog. Just click on the picture!

If temptation is getting the better of you and you'd like to order please just get in touch!

TFL! Joanne x

Welcome to the Mini Blog Hop!

2010-03-27T21:54:00.001Z

Hello Everybody! Let's go to the hop......!

Many thanks for stopping by and joining in our Stampin' Up! Blog Hop to launch the new Mini Catalogue! There are 16 of us in this blog hop loop. So once you've seen a blog twice, you've done the full tour!

The catalogue goes live on 1 April and will run concurrently with the main catalogue until 30 September.

Thank you to my lovely predecessor, Melanie for her gorgeous designs. If you've just started the blog hop at my blog, then welcome and thank you for joining in! Grab yourself a cup of tea and sit back and enjoy! Now, on with the crafty stuff!

I chose to showcase the beautiful Day and Night Designer Series Papers. The papers are only going to be available until the end of September, so if you like them, grab them while you can! In the pack there are 10 sheets of double sided paper and two sheets of polka dot acetate to play with.

For the above layout I teamed them with Pale Plum cardstock, twine and the beautiful new Old Olive satin ribbon. Which is beautiful and sumptious and a dream to work with! I finished off my layout by making the title using Happy Everything stamp set.

Next up we have this set that I made of an easel card, small peek-a-boo treat box and box in a bag. I wanted to show how, as well as being quite classical and gothic in style, the papers can also be give a modern and ditzy look, by using the polka dots included in the papers. The cardstock and ink used is Real Red, the stamp set is Simply Said and the punches used are the Large Heart, Large Oval and Scalloped Oval. The various ribbons used are red and black gingham checks and Whisper White tafetta.

This next item is my favourite piece I have created. I based my design on a lovely little set of drawers by Qbee which she calls Darling Drawers. They're a lovely little size for holding bits and pieces. As you can see from mine, I have used them to hold my gorgeous new Real Red satin ribbon and my crocheted white flowers.

The main body of the drawers is made from a 12x12 sheet of Whisper White cardstock which I stamped using the new Very Vintage Jumbo wheel in Basic Black. The drawers are made using the Day & Night papers and the little handles are made using Filigree brads coupled with rhinestone brads for a bit of bling.

I may do a class on these gorgeous little drawers in the near future. We'll see what sort of reaction they get!

Well, I hope you enjoyed stopping by to see my Mini Catalogue offerings. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about anything here or you would like to purchase any of the items I've showcased.

I will now hand you over to the supremely talented and lovely to boot Dawn Silver. You're sure to be in for a treat on her blog!

Many thanks for visiting. Please pop by again soon! :O)

Joanne x

Get Ready!

2010-03-27T17:23:00.000Z

Tomorrow is the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue Blog Hop! The catalogue will go live on 1 April, and tomorrow from 10am there will be three loops running. Myself and lots of extremely talented SU! demonstrators will be showcasing the gorgeou snew products we have to offer you, so check back tomorrow and join in the fun!

Jo x

Just a quickie

2010-03-20T07:32:00.000Z

I've recently become obsessed with Stampin' Up! Confetti cardstock. It's a beautiful white cardstock with lots of little petal and grass inclusions, like handmade paper, but it's very smooth at the same time. It's great for making more rustic cards.

This one was made quickly yesterday for my dear friend Marja, just for being lovely and a wonderful customer! I used the Confetti cardstock, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Cardstock. The tree and bunny are both from the Forest Friends set, stamped in Old Olive and Chocolate Chip. The sentiment, again in Chocolate Chip is from the Fresh Cuts set and it's all finished off with Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm off to get ready for our crop!

TFL! Joanne x

Easter Bunnies!

2010-03-17T14:39:00.000Z

I had a wonderful day last Thursday at the Stampin' Up! Training day here in Sheffield. It was lovely to get together with everyone again. These are the swaps that I did for the day. With Easter edging ever closer I thought I'd give everyone a little Easter gift.

As you can see it's a little pouch that can hold a delivious bar of chocolate! The best fit for this pouch was the new Galaxy Bubbles bar, or one of the Kit Kat Easter bars fits well too. Whatever you choose will be equally delicious if it's chocolate!

Here's a quick run down on how to make it.

Basically, you just need to cut a 2 1/4" strip from a sheet of A4 cardstock, along the length of it, so you have a nice long strip. I used Bashful Blue and Old Olive.

This needs to be scored at 2", 2 1/2", 7" and 7 1/2".

Using the SU! Large Oval punch, punch out an oval in the 2" section. Add some Sticky Strip as shown.

Fold it over and press down hard so it won't come undone.

When you fold the flap over, you will notice that there is a gap. Cut a 1 1/2" wide piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, cut it with the Lacy Edge border punch and stick it to the bottom. Cover the edge with Caramel gingham ribbon and your sentiment.

Inside, stick a little piece of Velcro where you want the flap to close, just underneath the oval.

Now onto making the bunny! All the punches used are Stampin, Up! The cardstock used is Creamy Caramel, Regal Rose and Basic Black.

Ink all your pieces in their corresponding ink colours to give them some depth.The picture above is quite self explanatory, but for clarity you stick the two petals from the 5 petal punch onto the ovals for his ears, then stick them behind the 1 3/8" punch which is his head. You can leave his ears as they are but I think it looks cute to fold one over and stick it down with a glue dot!

The 3/4" punches go on his face as his cheeks and the little heart from the Heart to Heart punch goes on top. Cut a small rectangle of Whisper White cardstock to slip underneath his cheeks for his teeth. Stick the two little 1/4" black circles on for his eyes and add a little glint with white pen.

I'm really pleased with these bunnies. I think they would make lovely card fronts too, whether for Easter or a new baby!

TFL and Happy Easter! Joanne xx

Cracked Glass Technique

2010-03-03T10:12:00.000Z

I've started trying out various techniques and this is the latest one I've been doing with my class. I love thisone, it's so effective. Here's what to do:

Stamp your image (this one is from Pocket Sillhouettes and uses Perfect Plum and Old Olive inks). Then ink the whole piece with Versamark.

Cover the entire piece with clear UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). If you use UTEE, you only have to heat it once and you're done. If you use normal clear embossing powder, you will have to repeat the embossing process another four times to get a good thickness.

Then it's just a case of bending your image to create the cracks in the UTEE/embossing powder. Don't be shy - it does take some oomph! At first I was gingerly bending it, but you really do need to almost fold the cardstock to get it to crack.

You can then leave the image as it is, or if you would like your cracks more prominent, sponge on some Close to Cocoa ink and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel.

And here's the finished card! The cardstock used is Perfect Plum, Old Olive and Very Vanilla.

The stamp sets used are Circle of Friendship, Pocket Sillhouetts and En Francais background stamp.

It was finished off with a bucklet from the Hodge Podge Hardware and Chocolate Chip tafetta ribbon.

The lace edging is done with the Eyelet Border Punch.

TFL! Joanne x

10 for £10!

2010-03-02T11:38:00.001Z

Yes, I know I can't count! There are 9 cards in the photograph, but, trust me, there will be 10 cards on the day!

This is my latest class I am doing - 10 cards for £10. Everyone will create 10 gorgeous Stampin' Up! cards for the princely sum of £10! It should be great fun!

The new mini catalogue comes out soon, too. Can't wait. I've just spent a small fortune on preorder. I just couldn't resist! Hopefully should be able to share a few sneaky peeks really soon!

In the meantime, here are the photos of the cards in my class close up. I will find the 10th one, it's around here somewhere!

TFL! Joanne xx

Santa Pants!

2009-12-17T14:51:00.000Z

Aren't these so cute?! I have just made them today for my son's teachers. I think they're fab! I got the instructions from a post by Adriana Benitez on Splitcoast Stampers

They were really easy to make, basically just two 2" x 3 1/2" boxes stuck together. I changed the braces attachments to hearts, and the belt is a bit different, but they are so quick to do and they're just adorable!

Here's the back of them too! Hope you like them!

Jo x

Christmas is coming.....

2009-12-03T14:40:00.000Z

...and Frenchie's getting fat judging by the amount of food I'm troughing already! Unfortunately I love marzipan and stollen and Christmas cake include both!

Here's a couple of pictures of a couple of this year's Christmas card designs. The one above uses Pocket Sillhouettes to make a wreath. Easily done, I put the instructions on It's a Creative World if you want to see.

The background stamp is En Francais and the sentiment is one of the Oval All set.

Here are some super cute love note ones I've done using the Winter stamp from A Tree for All Seasons. Added a bit of sparkle using Dazzling Diamonds and jobs a good 'un!

Hope to be back soon with more stuff. Watch this space!

TFL! Joanne x

SU! Convention 2009

2009-11-08T12:49:00.001Z

This last weekend was the very first ever European SU! Convention in Frankfurt. I was lucky enough to go and it was absolutely fantastic! Here's a few photos to show what went on:

The UK Massive!

Shelli opening the proceedings.

Paper and marker session, where we got to make charts of all the delicious SU! colours.

Gorgeous things to buy in Memento Mall.

Beautiful swaps to be had.

Four fabby make and takes.

On Friday night we had a Gala dinner and awards ceremony.

I am now an honorary member of the Tartan Stampers who all made my stay much more enjoyable! Here I am with the lovely Emma, Elaine, Dawn and Kirsteen.

The UK contingent in all their finery (along with Shelli).

More photos will follow when I have them sorted!

TFL! Jo x

Christmas is Coming.....

2009-10-19T10:34:00.001+01:00

I have been having a fabby time playing with the new SU! goodies, especially the Christmas Jingle kit. I made this pennant banner out of old cereal packets (in true Blue Peter style!). I also added some extra sparkle with the gorgeous new glitters we have and some ribbon and chipboard.

I also made some cards using the same kit. I made ten in all and I've still got loads of the kit left. It really is great value. 8 sheets of cardstock, 6 sheets of double sided patterned paper and 6 sheets of self adhesive die cuts, all for £15.50. Bargain! It's proving very popular, having sold out once already.

These cards I've made are a mixture of my own designs and some beautiful designs by Ilina over at her blog My Creations. I showed all these to the ladies at our crop on Saturday and they all asked me to take pictures, so here they are. Enjoy!

TFL!

Joanne x

Summer Design Challenge

2009-10-02T11:52:00.000+01:00

As those of you who know me will already know, I absolutely adore "A Rose is a Rose", the stamp set by Stampin' Up!

When I first heard about the Summer Design Challenge, this is what I decided to use to make my design. Basically I did a one sheet wonder, this is where you stamp your images randomly all over a sheet of either A4 or 12x12 cardstock and then cut it up and use it on your cards. I used a 12x12 sheet and made a box with 10 cards. Here's the results:

Sorry, some of the photos are a bit rubbish, but I'm no David Bailey and I don't have a great camera.

The colours I used were Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Old Olive, So Saffron, Barely Banana, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue and Chocolate Chip in various mediums of ribbons, inks, cardstock and patterned paper. Other sets used were Occasional Greetings, Circle of Friendship, Basic Phrases, Frames with a Flourish and Sincere Salutations.

TFL! Joanne xx

TA-DAH! It's here!

2009-10-01T16:08:00.001+01:00

The All New Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue 2009-2010 is now LIVE! Click on the little catalogue picture on the right hand side and that should take you straight through to the new catty! Enjoy browsing and fill your boots!!

Tart & Tangy Shrinky-Dinks!

2009-08-31T16:32:00.000+01:00

Hi all! I did this card for It's A Creative World today, so thought I'd share it here too. I just got Tart & Tangy, a set from Stampin' Up! and thought I'd have a play.

I used to love Shrinky-Dinks as a child and so decided to dig my shrink plastic out and make some earrings out of them. I love the clean lines of this citrus slice stamp, I think it's fab!

Colours used were Yo Yo Yellow, Gable Green and Only Orange.

More posting soon - Last Chance List goes up tonight, so watch this space! :OD

TFL! xx

Stampotiques

2009-08-11T22:09:00.000+01:00

I absolutely love the Daniel Torrente stamps produced by Stampotique. I feel I can relate to them by the fact that they look like I feel most of the time! Anyway, here's a couple of cards I've done with them over the weekend.

I'm not too keen on this one, but I do love my Japanese/Chinese postal stamps that I got ages ago from Ma Vinci's Reliquary. I fancy doing my hair that colour pink. Hmmm......

I like this one. I used my postal stamps again and the starry set is from Papertrey Ink. The name escapes me at the minute as to what it's called. Sorry about the rubbish photos. I'm never going to be a photoshop genius. :O)

TFL! Jo xxx

Finally.....

2009-08-08T16:51:00.001+01:00

......a bit of me time! The past few weeks have been pretty hectic, what with the school holidays and family coming to stay. Today I had a bit of me time and of course, wanted to get creating. Unfortunately I've not had much in the way of enthusiasm or mojo recently, but I've been checking out the Stamp With Us site. My very talented downline Sara is on their design team. To help give my mojo a much needed boost I decided to have a go at their sketch challenge this week, and here is the result!

The stamp set I used is SU! Nursery Necessities (one of my current favourites) and Tea Party DSP. The cardstock used is Regal Rose and the inks are Pretty In Pink and Barely Banana.

I'm going to challenge myself to try and keep up with some challenges. It's a good way to get my mojo going!

TFL! Jo x

Teacher Gifts

2009-07-08T14:50:00.000+01:00

Lookie here! I've been very good making lots of goodies for Harvey's teachers *polishes halo*. I used Teacher's Apple stamp set from Papertrey Ink, cardstock and patterned paper from Papertrey and lovely inks and ribbon from Stampin' Up!

Find out how to make this notebook, Post It note holder and sweetie packet on It's a Creative World tomorrow!

Joanne x

Birth Announcements

2009-06-30T11:43:00.000+01:00

Sorry for another long hiatus, I'm back at last!

My DH's nephew and his wife are having their first baby soon and I'm so excited! I've made some birth announcements using Bundle of Joy. I love this set, not just for babies but for children's birthday cards too.

We don't know the sex yet, so I've gone for So Saffron and Certainly Celery as the colour scheme. I've done a few, but more can be made if need be!

TFL! I'll be back with more soon - promise!

How does your garden grow?

2009-04-11T12:07:00.000+01:00

I recently got the gorgeous Scene in a Garden stamp set from Stampin' Up! and wanted to do something special with it. Inspired by Andrea Walford's Punch Pals Class, I decided to make a little garden shed for a set of 4x4 greetings cards. Here's how it turned out:

All the cardstock and colouring uses SU! Earth Elements family, so it all co-ordinates nicely. The creeping vine on my shed is made using the stem from the Fresh Cuts set. Here's the cards I made:

I'm really pleased with how everything turned out. The background stamp is SU! En Francais. The sentiment stamps are a combination of Oval All and Best Yet.

TFL and I'll hopefully be back soon with more!

Joanne x

Don't forget the Mini!

2009-04-10T10:54:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone! Just a quick post today to remind you that the new mini catalogue is now open for business! This catalogue runs concurrently with the main catalogue until 30 September, so you've plenty of time to get orders in.

Here's a couple of cards I made using stamp sets from the new mini.

Sorry, it's a bit dark but this one uses Playful Petals and Oval All stamp sets and the new Tea Party papers. Colours used are all Soft Subtles - Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana and Pretty in Pink.

This one uses the Fresh Cuts stamp set and Best Yet Hostess set. The image was inked and embossed in Basic Black and then I pounced over it with chalks in So Saffron, Regal Rose and Always Artichoke. The cardstock and DSP are both So Saffron.

I'll try and put a linky on the side bar to the new mini catty. It may take some time though!

TFL! Joanne xxx

Spring is coming!

2009-03-29T12:55:00.000+01:00

Hooray! It's nice and sunny today and I feel as if Spring is on it's way at last!

Made a few cards to share with you, first being one for a swap:

I've used A Rose is a Rose stamp set, Bashful Blue cardstock and Designer Series Paper, Bashful Blue ribbon and for the rose I used Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue and Old Olive inks.

Last week I went to Stampin' Up! Field Training and had a lovely time meeting other demos and we got to do a couple of make and takes. The new mini catalogue will go live on 1st April when you can finally get your hands on all the gorgeous new stamp sets that will be available. At Field Trainign we used the new Forest Friends set. It is so stinkin' cute it's unbelievable! Take a look at these:

This clever reflection was made using the Stampamajig. I'll have to do a tutorial on how to do it. Very clever!

Tee hee! So cute! Products used on all three cards were Whisper White, Old Olive, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip and Bashful Blue cardstock, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive inks and Mellow Moss ribbon. The striped So Saffron ribbon and the Forest Friends set are both in the new mini catalogue.

I'm busy making more samples - be back soon!

TFL! Joanne xxx

Step card

2009-02-05T16:00:00.000Z

I saw this type of card made on Splitcoast stampers and thought it was so good I'd have a go at my own version. This is made with Neighbourhood wheel and Loads of Love set, all coloured with Watercolour Wonder Crayons.

The cards are very easy to make. Cut your cardstock to 10.5" x 5". Next score your cardstock along the length at 1.25", 2.5", 4.25", 6" and 8.25". Then just fold it up into a concertina effect, making sure the first, smallest fold (the 1.25" one) is folded down, as this is the very front. Here's another piccie so you can see what I mean:

Then you can decorate it any way you like. I thought it was perfect for making this 3D type scene.

Enjoy!

TFL! Jo x

Watercolour Wonder Tutorial

2009-01-31T15:21:00.000Z

Hello Everybody!

I've had a lot of interest in the Watercolour Wonder Crayons recently. These are superb. They are similar to watercolour pencils but better and more versatile. Here's a quick tutorial of a technique that is really effective.

First of all use your WW Crayons to colour your stamp on the back, as shown. I've used the large flower stamp from Live Your Dream and used Barely Banana, Bashful Blue and Old Olive crayons.

Next spritz the back of your stamp with a mister. Bit like Sir Tim does! ;O) Don't soak it, just a light mist over the whole thing.

Stamp as normal. It's best to use watercolour paper for this, it gives a better impression. There you go - a nice "watercolour" effect image!

The card I've made uses Old Olive and Bashful Blue cardstock, Bashful Blue Designer Series paper, Bashful Blue tafetta ribbon and the tab is made using Totally Tabs stamp set, Yummy stamp set (this is a Sale-a-Bration set) all embossed in white on Old Olive and cut out using the tab punch.

Hope you like this. TFL! :O)

Jo x

Inspiration.....

2009-01-26T13:08:00.000Z

I was at the Sheffield Crop this weekend and getting a lot of stick for not updating my blog enough, so I will try harder, I promise!

I am a huge fan of Kristina Werner and always pop by her blog for Stampin' Up! inspiration. She does a weekly Colour Inspiration where she picks a picture or item, translates the colours into SU! colours and makes a card using those colours. Taking inspiration from her inspiration, I decided to have a scout around and see what I could find.

So, here's the inspiration:

This gorgeous bag is a Noni pattern called Noni in the Sculpture Garden and is availavle from Get Knitted. The colours I chose from SU! were Whisper White, Basic Black, Mellow Moss, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red.

And this is the card I made using them:

The stamp sets used are A Rose is a Rose (one of my all time favourite SU! sets) and Fundamental Phrases for the sentiment.

Hope you like it and I'll be back soon - promise!

TFL! Jo x

More Belated Christmas Cards!

2008-12-30T14:38:00.000Z

Hello! Hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Here's another couple of quick cards I did for my Stampers 10 groups over Christmas. One is made using the SU! Time for a Tree wheel which I find unbelievably cute.

All coloured in with the wonderful Watercolour Wonder crayons in Earth Elements colours.

This second card was a little Love Notes size one. I did this using the Winter stamp from the A Tree for All Seasons set. I've had lots of comments about this one, people think it's so cute. I like it because with a stamp for each season you can use them all year round for birthdays and Christmas!

Each card was decorated with a bit of Stickles because I love a bit of sparkle at Christmas.

That's it for now. Back again soon!

Take care, Joanne xx

Christmas Stuff!

2008-12-21T18:01:00.000Z

Hello again! So sorry not been around for ages. I've been so busy making Christmas cards and this and that for my lovely crop ladies and Stampers 10 groups. Thought you might like to see my cards I made. These are done using the gorgeous Stampin' Up! "I Wish" kit. The little Christmas Trees are from the Loads of Love set of stamps. They were coloured using Earth Elements Watercolour Wonder crayons.

I also made some lovely little test tubes full of sweeties using the scallop circle punch, 1 3/8" punch and Circle of Friendship stamp set.

And these are what I made for Harvey's teachers at school. Snowman soup made with the cute little snowmen stamp from the Window Dressing set.

All gifts and cards went down really well so I was very pleased!

Anyway, off to do more Christmas preparations!

Take care and Merry Christmas! Jo xx

Snow Globe

2008-11-12T10:40:00.000Z

I love snowglobes, and I love the Stampin' Up! Neighbourhood wheel, so I decided to use it to make a snowglobe card!

Very quick and easy. I stamped the polka dot background stamp onto vellum using Versamark ink, then embossed with white embossing powder. Cut a circle of Ruby Red cardstock and cut out the middle to make a hoop for the outside of my snowglobe. I then stuck a circle of the vellum behind it.

I then stamped some of the houses from the Neighbourhood wheel and coloured one in with Watercolour Wonder crayons in Earth Elements colours, cut it out and arranged it with the little Christmas Tree from the Loads of Love set onto a circle of Bordering Blue cardstock. I placed the vellum over the top and the hoop on top of that to make the snowglobe.

It was then placed on a card made out of Night of Navy cardstock and decorated with a length of Always Artichoke grosgrain ribbon. The sentiment is from Loads of Love and was finished off with a little chipboard heart from the Loads of Letters chipboard pack.

All products Stampin' Up! Any queries just let me know.

TFL! Joanne xx

Grungy Card!

2008-11-08T13:18:00.000Z

I sometimes get the impression that some people think that Stampin' Up! is all about cutesy and/or twee images, nothing grungy or "alternative". Well I've tried to put pay to that with this card!

After seeing this video by Monica using the Cuttlebug embossing folders, a customer asked me a question. Seeing that the Stampin' Up! Basic Black and Basic Gray inkpads are waterproof, could you still use them on your Cuttlebug folders, or would they make a terrible mess like Stazon that you'd never be able to remove fully? I decided to live dangerously and try it out for myself. Here goes!

Being the non-fussy type I inked the whole thing! This is using Basic Black inkpad.
I ran it through my Cuttlebug quite quickly, and was really pleased with the result. I embossed a piece of Bravo Burgundy cardstock with the Basic Black ink and it produced a lovely distressed/grungy type look.

I cleaned up with a few baby wipes and as you can see, no permanent damage to my Cuttlebug folder. Happy days!

I decided to turn my newly inked and embossed piece of cardstock into an anniversary card for my hubby, so here's what I did.

The main card is made out of Sahara Sand cardstock which I stamped with En Francais background stamp in Basic Gray.

I stamped a piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock with Paisley background stamp (love my background stamps!) using Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. This was attached to the left hand side of the card and I stitched the join together with SU! linen thread.

I cut the Bravo Burgundy embossed card into a heart shape and decorated it with a little Bravo Burgundy 5/8" ribbon and Hodge Podge Buckle and attached it to the card.

All done! He'd better appreciate it! LOL!

TFL!

Lots of love, Joanne xxx

Stamp-a-ma-jig Thing-a-ma-jig

2008-10-16T12:09:00.000+01:00

As many of you will already know I have a love of all things retro and as such I have fallen in love with the new A Rose is a Rose stamp set. It just looks like the material of one of my 1950's dresses! This stamp set is a Two-Step stamp set and to get the alignment right you really need to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig. They are superb and a life saver! With this in mind I thought I would do a tutorial for those who aren't sure about them. Here's how they work:

First of all, stamp your main image.

Now the Stamp-a-ma-jig comes into it's own. The black handle is moulded at a right angle. It has a right angle on either side so it is suitable for both right handers and left handers. You need to butt the plastic sheet right up against the handle as shown.

Now the plastic is aligned with the handle, ink your second image stamp and butt the wood up against the handle ie match the right angles to each other. Then stamp. You will end up with the image on the plastic sheet like this:

You then use this image on the plastic sheet to align over your first stamped image, like so:

Then just repeat the process you have just done. Once the image on the plastic is aligned to your liking on your base image, butt your handle up against the plastic.

Remove the plastic, keeping the black handle in place. Then ink your stamp and stamp on top of your original image, butting the stamp up to the handle which you use as your guide (as you did before).

Now all you have to do, after you've stamped the top image, is to congratulate yourself on being such a cool and clever stamper to produce such brilliant gorgeous work!

All that remains is to make cards with said images!

This card was made using Regal Rose ink for the rose and Old Olive ink, cardstock and Designer Series Paper for the leaves and card.

On this one the inks used were Barely Banana and So Saffron for the rose and Old Olive for the leaves, with Basic Gray and Barely Banana cardstock and Old Olive ribbon.

The Stamp-a-ma-jig is not just for Two Step Stamping though. How many times have you ruined a scrapbook page or card because you got the sentiment or an image in the wrong position? I know I have loads of times! The Stamp-a-ma-jig stops this happening, it basically turns all yoru wooden stamps into clear ones - or if you prefer, gives you Superwoman/Superman x-ray vision to see where you're stamping! :O)

Just before I go here's a little tip - if you use a stamp set a lot (like I'm going to be using this one) it saves time to stamp your images onto sheets of vellum to keep with that particular stamp sets. Just saves you having to mess around stamping images on your plastic every time. With the vellum it's ready to go all the time!

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and it makes sense! Any queries please just get in touch.

TFL! Joanne xx

Dashed Clever!

2008-10-11T15:45:00.000+01:00

That Stampin' Up! Scallop Edge Punch that is. Not only can you make lovely scallop edges on anything that will stand still long enough, you can make your own ric rac! Here's how to do it:

First of all, take a strip of cardstock 1 inch wide (I used SU! Ruby Red) and cut your scallop as normal. You can make your cardstock strip thicker or thinner if you want thicker or thinner ric rac, but I think this is a nice size.

Now, this is the clever bit. Flip your strip over and feed it back through the punch. To get the ric rac look, the opposite scallops must be off centre. The best way to achieve this is to line up one of the "humps" dead central with the third guideline in, on the left of your punch (where my pencil is pointing to). Then cut away again as normal.

And look what happens! Ric Rac Paddywhack! As if my magic! No more buying loads of ribbony ric rac or paper frills - you can make your own!

As you can see, I made a card with it. This is made using the lovely little birdie from the Fun & Fast Notes stamp set and the Holiday Treasures and Designer Series Papers in Old Olive. My ric rac is made with Ruby Red cardstock and finished off with white grosgrain ribbon. The edges of the birdie picture were finished off by distressing with my cutter kit (great for hiding not-so-straight edges if you're a bit cack handed like me!)

Now I'm off to try and work out how to make scallop squares. I may be some time......

Hope this was clear enough for you. Any queries get in touch!

TFL! Joanne xx