May 3D Class Project Preview

Hello Everyone
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This is a sneaky peek at what we are going to be making at my May classes. This is a special request from Nina - who saw a birdhouse I originally made with instructions from Stamp with Us!
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When Nina first asked for the birdhouse, I wasn't sure we could all get it done in a class with two other projects to complete, so I did some work creating an easy to use template to make the cutting much quicker for my lovely ladies!
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The roof lifts up and the box is an ideal size for a little gift of cookies or cards to match the box. I have used a ribbon in Always Artichoke to secure the top. I used the Eyelet Border Punch here, and it also looks sweet with the Scallop Edge Border punch too.
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Of course with the new Two Step Bird Punch now available in the mini catalogue, we have to use a punched birdie - with the wing stamped using one of the 'Tiny Tags' stamps - which are getting SO much use right now! ...The two birds at the top and the sentiment come from 'Love You Much'
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I have another sample or two of this birdhouse to share, which will be coming up during May.
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If you are local to Southampton or Winchester in the UK and would like to join us for this class there are a couple of spaces left - contact me quickly to reserve your chair!
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Hope you like :D

Fresh Cuts Colour

Hello Everyone

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Today I am sharing a pretty spring-like project made with the 'Fresh Cuts' stamp set from Stampin' Up!

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I often use this main stamp as a background in a pale colour, or as a dramatic monochrome effect, but here I have used it to create a pretty, soft effect.

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It is stamped in Mellow Moss and coloured using inks with an aqua painter and blender pen.

I also stamped the tape with the little clover image and the delicate flower in Regal Rose. Even the 'for you' sentiment comes from the same stamp set - simply punched using the Word Window punch.

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Hope you like - hope you have a spring-like day, (unless you are reading this in Australia - LOL!)

Fox & Friends Cards

Hello Everyone
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I have been having SO much fun playing with the new 'Fox & Friends' stamp set from the Stampin' Up! mini catalogue.
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I have made a whole stack of these for my customers and hostesses at my upcoming workshops - and I love how cute they look.



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Here is a close up look at the owl version - love him - although I really can't choose my favourite.
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I have made these cards by stamping a square of cardstock using the little 'Dot, Dot, Dot' stamp - (also in the mini), and daubing the edges. I then stamped the owl and punched out using the scallop square punch.
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Then of course I had to use my new 'Tiny Tag' set and matching punch. Aren't they the cutest?

More soon - hope you are enjoying my more regular posts! Let me know if you like these little creations.

On a Pedestal

Hello Everyone
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Today I am sharing another fabby swap. This one was made by another Inspirin' Inkin' team mate, Helen Marland. Hi Helen *waves*.
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I don't own this stamp set, but looking at Helen's lovely creation I now want to!



The stamp set is called 'On a Pedestal' and Helen has used Sage Shadow, Whisper White and Chocolate Chip - a colour combination that works beautifully with this set.
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Hope you like!

Live Your Dream!

Hello Everyone
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Today I am sharing a card made with the beautiful, beautiful 'Live Your Dream' stamp set. I recently received this stamp set and have fallen in love with it. It works perfectly with the marker to stamp technique. Here I have used Old Olive for the stems and Regal Rose and Rose Red for the flowers.



I stamped the background on Blush Blossom cardstock with Blush Blossom ink then added strips of Old Olive cardstock and a scalloped border in co-ordinating DSP.

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I thought I would share the inside too. The frame comes from the new 'Framed with Love' stamp set from the mini catalogue.

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Hope you like! :)

A Man card and More Boxes!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are enjoying my more regular posts. Today I have two offerings for you. The first is a 'man' card! It was a special request from Elaine who comes to one of my monthly classes.
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We all agreed that man cards and presents are the hardest - but I was happy with this gender neutral design! :D





The background stamp is called 'Sanded' and gives a great effect on the Creamy Caramel cardstock. The designer paper is from the Tea & Crumpets collection, which I just love - a great mixture of browns, yellows and pinks.
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The olive image is from A Touch of Nature - such a great stamp set - there will be more samples using this set coming up soon. It is stamped in Old Olive ink, (of course), then the leaves are coloured using a Mellow Moss marker and the olives are painted with Elegant Eggplant ink.
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We finished the card with linen thread, which is easy to attach with a glue dot at the back.
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One final project, versions of which I have showed before - but they look SOOOO cute! Stacking boxes - love them!
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More of those Tea and Crumpets papers and a spot of the It's Beautiful wheel went together to make these sweet stacks.
Let me know what you think!

April Class Boxes & Cupcakes

Hello Everyone

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You have seen a few boxes on my blog lately and this is the reason why! I have been teaching box making at my April classes. This one is made using two 8"X 8" squares of cardstock, stamped in mellow moss ink using the 'It's Beautiful' wheel - and now I know how it got its name - as everyone rolls the wheel, they say "It's Beautiful"! Absolutely true!

The box is simply finished with a scalloped edge border and we made a matching gift tag. These boxes are also great to layer other images on.
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I made this one for my friend Susie, who is celebrated her 40th birthday recently with a girls afternoon tea at a very posh hotel! She loves cupcakes so I found a decorated cupcake cookie and chocolate and put them in this box. I used Crazy for Cupcakes - one of my long term favourite stamp sets - to make the appropriate decoration.

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If you look on the close up below, you will see I stamped the pretty in pink background twice, with one of the images from Vintage Vogue, once using pretty in pink ink, once using the white craft ink. I love the delicate effect and will definitely be doing this again.

Hope you like - back soon with more!

Cocktail Shaker!

Hello Everyone

I am so happy with the title for this post! This is a shaker card made with the new sweet treat cups from the UK mini catalogue - featuring a cocktail from the Cheers to You stamp set. See how clever my title is now? ROFL

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This is way shaker cups were originally meant to be used - that is stuck permanently on to to card. You can also do clever things so you can put sweets and little gifts inside and slide them open, so you don't have to destroy the card to get the goodies out. I will be posting an example of this later. Of course, being Stampin' Up!, the 1&3/4 circle punch fits the cup perfectly. Love it!

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I used dazzling diamonds around the cheers to you sentiment, stuck on using the 2 way glue pen - which is great for being very precise with your glitter or accessory sticking.

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I like the tropical colours of this one - it makes me feel all summery!

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Hope you approve :)

Sharing the Fabby work of others....

Hello Everyone
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You may have seen this card if you hop around the blogs - because this fabulous card is a swap I received from the wonderfully talented Elaine.
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This card is made using Vintage Vogue, from the mini catalogue from Stampin' Up! Elaine has used the emboss resist technique, (coming soon to a class near you - well that is if you come to my classes in Southampton or Winchester area). She has also incorporated the yummy satin ribbon in old olive. So far I have just stroked this, but I promise to introduce it to my scissors soon. LOL

Recently I have received some lovely cards too. This one comes from Jan, who discovered Stampin' Up last November and is in the process of buying everything we do! She has used the very versatile Season of Joy, stamped on pretty in pink cardstock and topped with dazzling diamonds. She had also used the Hearts O Plenty wheel and the eyelet border punch.

Thank you so much Jan.


Hope you like - let me know if this posting several times a week is working for you!

Studio Sketches - love it or hate it?

Hello Everyone
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Back again with another project from the wonderful new UK mini catalogue.
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This is the first time in the UK we have had new hostess sets in the mini catalogue. These are free stamp sets that you can only get one of these by hosting a workshop or placing a hostess level order with a demonstrator. (So if you NEED one - why not schedule a workshop with me?)
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This level one set is called Studio Sketches and is great for watercoloring techniques using Stampin' Up! inks, watercolor wonder crayons or pastels. Now some people have said they don't 'get' this set - but I love it! Can I convince you?
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I stamped two of the images using the masking technique that I have been sharing at my recent workshops, (you know - the butterfly one girls!) I stamped the images in creamy caramel ink and then watercoloured using the aqua painter and more ink colours.

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Notice anything else on this project? YAY! IT'S TINY TAGS!!!

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I have had SUCH tiny tag envy since seeing them on U.S. blogs - and now we have them - with the matching punch. The images are so sweet and the detail is amazing. They are stamped and punched out, then attached to the gorgeous striped old olive ribbon using linen thread.

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I think this large tag would be wonderful hung from a bottle of wine as a gift.

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Let me know what you think. I would love to hear if you like it.

Bird on a Blog!

Hello Everyone
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Well I know I have been a bad blogger - but I have an excuse! It is called the new mini catalogue and if I haven't been demoing with it I have been playing with all my new stamps and goodies - or tools and samples as I call them when talking to DH! LOL
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I have also been reorganising this blog. As well as sharing my new creations, I want it to be a resource for my lovely friends and customers who would like to be able to see samples again or search for things we made in the past.
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To that end, I have made my blog searchable by stamp set, (you can click on a stamp set name from the list on the right), and if I stamped with it, it will be there - well give me a couple of weeks. LOL.
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As regular visitors know, I usually save up a few items to post once a week. From now on I will post several times a week, with just one project each time. This means the whole searchy thing will work better and hopefully there will be more to see more often.
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OK - enough of all that writing - where is the project? Well today I am sharing a card I made for all the lovely people who came to my recent workshops. It is using the Bird on a Branch stamp set from the new mini catalogue.
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The base card is Kraft cardstock, stamped with the little dotty image from the set in close to cocoa ink and daubed around the edge. I did the same thing with Tempting Turquoise on the card layer above and located the bird on his branch, (yes it is a he!), using my stamp a ma jig.
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Very simple and I love it!
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If you are going to Amanda's meeting, this will also be my swap next Wednesday.
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Back very soon - I promise this time!