Sneek Peek 5 Botanical Gardens Suite

This set is really a bit over whelming. When I got the papers out of the packet, the stamp set and the dies I was unsure where to start. This is what those who went to the Annual Stampin'Up convention got to make, I have copied it and am now sharing. Now I have worked with the suite I can see lots of ideas beginning to form.

 The first picture is taken in what we have for daylight today, the one below is taken with the flash.

The sentiment on the front and the inside uses the SAB stamp set perfect pairings. Love them.

In these two pictures I have tried to show some detail of the die cutting, it gives you a real 3d effect. They are brilliant. Wait until you see the leaf die! The flower is die cut from one of the papers. The centre of the little flower, the border along the edge and the veins on the leaf  use stamps from the Botanicals set.

10 days of sneak peeks. Sneek Peek 4 Ice cream anyone

On this card I have used one of the Sale -a - Bration FREE stamp sets. This set is called Honeycomb Happiness. It is one of the items you can get for free for every £45 you spend n either the Spring summer catalogue or the annual catalogue.

The paper is the same pack as yesterday - Birthday Bouquet , just the other side but I have added one of the new honeycomb embellishments, so dinky! Plus a bit of sparkle in the new  3/8" pool party glitter ribbon. This is such a lovely summer image.

Here I have taken a close up of the honeycomb embellishment. They are only about an inch in diameter. Not designed for cards that go in the post though!

Such a summery image

10 days of sneak peeks Sneek Peek 3

I am sorry I didn't post yesterday, we still had visitors and needed to get out for some fresh air after 3 days being inside, 2 because of the torrential rain and then our Christmas day, which was Boxing Day for most of you out there.
I will post twice on one day in the next week, watch out.

Todays makes are cased from the catalogue, not completely the same but very close. I have used that lovely  'Birthday Bouquet' designer  paper I showed you last  Saturday.
               .

New iPad mini to take these pictures, think I will still need the camera for the grey days when I need the flash.
The papers you have already seen, this is the matching stamp set, 3 sentiments and 4 elements. I love the mimi enamel dots, they come in 3 colours and three sizes. I have tried to show you how the 'wink of stella' pens add the hint of glitter but I don't think you can tell, certainly in daylight it is there.  This sort of stamp set suits me as I love using the aqua painters. More details of a class to learn how to use these will be i the classes section in a few weeks, its still in my head in the planning stage.

10 days of sneak peeks

This is one of the paper stacks, 'Love Blossoms' this one is very soft and feminine the other called 'Going Places' is travel themed, great for male cards.....all blue and grey! The paper stacks are really good value, you get 48 sheets 6" square, 4 of each design for only £7.25

I have cut two hearts from each sheet to show you both sides. The other bonus is one of the colours is 'crumb cake' which I love to use. Personally I am a very vanilla girl but these papers have a whisper white background.

Aren't they pretty, the other colours to match are;- blushing bride, garden green and rose red. Stock  up on your card and earn a SAB item.

I am so looking forward to getting going on my Valentine cards' I will be bringing you those in a few days as I have a very special class offer for them.

10 days of sneak peeks!

This is a scheduled post and I am actually writing it on Christmas eve morning. My youngest son has just rung to say he is on his way to the station for the train home he will arrive about 2 o clock this afternoon. I'm excited!
However the down side is I have to shut my craft room away to put the bed out and this is what the room looks like at the moment........

Anyway onto sneak peeks.

This is the designer paper pack  Birthday Bouquet and the lovely 'watermelon wonder' ribbon that matches. I haven't used this colour much from this years in colours but I think its going to get a few outings in the next few months. The ribbon is wide and glossy, think it will make lovely roses, see previous post.

  

Its interesting to see such a vibrant colour teamed with the pale mint macaron. The other colours are 'blushing bride, mossy meadow, old olive, pool party and soft suede'. Love the ice cream cone paper and there is a SAB stamp set that matches this sheet. Watch this space for makes using that.

What is SAB you may ask. From Jan 4th to March 31st, for every £45 you spend you get to choose a free item from the SAB catalogue.  There are papers, vellums and stamp sets to choose from. And with so many beautiful sets in the spring summer catalogue I think you will easily get your free SAB items. Need a catalogue -  contact me

This is what it looked like when he arrived 3 hours late due to the train breaking down at Grantham!

Its today

You know how poor my IT skills are,

 and I don't have a clue how to do,

 an all singing, all dancing Christmas card,

 But  I did want to share with you,

the  seasons greetings

so

I send wishes to everyone who reads my posts

 a very 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Additions to the Stampin' Up clearance rack - Painted Blooms Designer Paper.

This was a class early in 2015 using the Painted blooms paper from the 2015 Spring /summer catalogue. That paper has just gone into the Stampin'Up clearance rack. It is now just £3.98, but only available while stocks last.

http://www2.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=137784

Really frustrated I can't get the link to be the picture of the papers! Me and IT just don't go together. 

I also ran a class where we made a bag and six cards to fit into the bag, This uses the same paper set. 

If you fancy treating yourself to this I would get in quick. It was very popular at the time. Order from my online shop by clicking the link below the picture of the paper or here to have a look around the other clearance rack items. If you spend £25 or more please ensure you check the button to allow contact as then in January you will get a small gift and card from me in the post as a thank you.

Gift Voucher Holders and Reindeer

I've succumbed! My team leader Julie Kettlewell shared a gift card holder she had made at training a few months ago. I really liked her little reindeer and have finally got around to making similar.
I have only used 1 sheet of A4 sahara sand card and then some old designer paper for the outside, there is a lot of daubing - around the edge of the card and the edge of the paper.
I must admit before I added the antlers I thought he looked like a 'moomin' - How many of you remember them?

As yesterday was about bows, a word on these bows. Theyare to hold the gift card holder closed. The ribbon goes between dimensionals on the back of the reindeer. My tip for tying these bows is to have the card upside down, then the bow is the right way up; the loops at the top, the tails below and I always plump the loop part up. Using the satin ribbon ensures a classy look.

 Have you noticed the ears on each of the reindeers are different, not sure how that happened but it does give them a bit of character. I have also added a drop of the fine tip glue to the eyes which give them a deep shiny 3 dimensional look.

























The vouchers enclosed are not those credit card sized vouchers, the one for my son Matthew is a magazine subscription and for my hubby a day of paragliding, yes he is mad, but he so loves anything to do with flying, He had a lovely flying lesson in a Bi-plane for his last birthday.

All about ribbons and bows:- ribbon roses.

I found a video of how to make this rose by chance and to say I am hooked is an understatement. I have 2 sets of wedding invitations and favours coming up this year so I am busy making samples and this will definitely be on one of the favours.

Today I have 4 samples for you. The first is in hessian ribbon at £7.25 for a 4.6m roll.  You can probably get a dozen or more roses from one roll. The bonus of this is that it has a metal thread in the edge which makes it easier to push through the whole then pull and twist.

The first picture is taken in natural daylight, not there is much of it these days! The four below are taken with the flash. It does change the colours a bit.

The second rose is made with the White Jute ribbon. At £8.25 for 4.6m its a little more expensive but you can spritz this to make it the colour you want. I think this one is the best.

In the seasonal catalogue was this wide cream striped ribbon. Because its softer it has made a much smaller rose but glossy and delicate. Also because the ribbon is not so thick the knot underneath is smaller making the whole rose much more delicate.

I then started a roll of last years wide linen ribbon in red, ready for Valentines day. It makes the most lovely delicate roses and because its a bit firmer it is easier than the others to work with as it doesn't slip and slide.

I hope you enjoyed this. I think when I start my Valentine cards I will bring you an instruction sheet for these. Dig out your rolls of wide ribbon in readiness