Background Bits - 6 pretty cards in a tin....

This is the second of the hostess stamp sets that my customers love. In order to get this set you need to be a 'hostess' and have a minimum of £150 in orders. To be the hostess you could have a crafty party at home with your friends or you can use my craft studio for free and we will have the party there. I create a make and take so that all your friends go home with a card they can send, we have a few nibbles and a steady supply of tea and coffee and we do a little tour of the current catalogue with a few games. I keep Thursday evenings free for parties. Get in contact and book yours.

These are the six cards we are making in class this week. There are a number of techniques with a limited colour palette. I have used the Stampin Up note cards which are a lovely cute size, matching the size of the images in the stamp set.

 I must admit my crafty mojo seems to have deserted me since we came back from the wedding and most of the ideas for these are from Pinterest. If you recognise something of yours I apologise for not adding a link. I usually do but I am just not on top of things at the moment. Thanks to you all for your inspiration.










Back tomorrow with 3 ways of making cards with one embossing folder.

A diorama with Orchids

So yesterday I showed you the lovely frame the ladies made at class. Today I am going to show you the diorama. This project took some time! However we all agreed it was a type of make you could use in most seasons, a halloween scene, a christmas scene etc

We started with the box base, then the box lid, that fits inside the box base. We stamped and die cut the orchid flowers. The stem was made with raffia covered wire. The next step was the background. The hills are stamped with the now retired 'In the Meadow' stamp set, we daubed the sky, first masking the hills and a moon. For the second layer We embossed smokey slate with the 'Woodland Texture embossing folder', then inked the trees with the brayer is early expresso. Then came the fussy cutting. Some people love cutting out others hate it, I find it relaxing like colouring in.
Putting everything together is the tricky part but we all got there in the end.......

Aren't they lovely.

Shopping

Climbing Orchid Bundle   145334

Woodland Texture Embossing Folder 139673

If you spend over £25 in my online shop please use the hostess code below. In September I will send you a small goody bag of Stampin'Up product. If you click on the picture below it will take you to my online shop or on any of the links next to the items I have used for this project.

I'm back with Orchids

Hi folks this has been a long break for me from my blogging. I was talking to a friend today who has just started a blog to show her makes and I was telling her how much I enjoyed writing to an unseen but much appreciated audience, she said she had only had  2 people look at her blog and my reply was that I didn't really know how many people looked at mine but everyone of them made it worth writing the blog even, if it is only one person. The beautiful things we make put a smile on someones face and thats good.
So to all my readers I am so sorry its been so long. The studio is almost back to normal after the wedding and today I have had an all day class. We laughed so much I think it is one of the best classes we have had and thats what crafting together is all about. There were three projects using the wonderful 'Climbing Orchid'.

This was one of the projects.

I love this picture. This to me is what classes are all about.

Shopping
Climbing Orchid bundle  145334

If you shop online and your order is between £25 and £149 please use the hostess code below then in September I will send you a small goody bag as a thank you.

The wedding

So whilst you were all reading and hopping through the gems blog hop this was us. Mostly sunny but the heavens did open with torrential rain just as we were about to leave the church, it just added to the event. It was an amazing day. Met lots of amazing people, friends of Bob and Rhiannon, caught up with family not seen for a while, and lastly but not least joined a new family of delightful people too.
A few pictures today and probably one more post about this event next weekend. Then it will be back to the usual service a week today. Travelling southern England and London this week! Back in Yorkshire on Friday.

This was the start of the day. 10 of us all getting ready in a tiny 2 bedroom cottage with one bathroom! Then out to the pub car park for the bus. The bus was built in 1948, It was a novelty for about 10 mins as it struggled up the hills in a very noisy second gear! It would never have managed the hills up 'our way!'
However the bus was used in the filming of The Shawshank Redemption. So we were told!
There are no pictures of anyone coming out of the church as the rain was torrential, this is the first picture of the married couple as they stayed in the Roller out of the rain enjoying a glass of fizz when they arrived at the reception whilst everyone else arrived. The heels of my shoes are destroyed as I kept sinking into the grass.
I think Robert must have just winked at me as I took the photo. ha ha

We travelled from Church to reception in a 1952 Bentley driven by Rhiannon's father. A friend of his had lent it to him for the occasion, he loved the challenge of driving it. Such a beautiful car, so luxurious sat in the back. I felt quite royal.

The next five pictures where taken by my 11 year old cousin whom I let loose with my camera to take pictures others wouldn't take. She did a brilliant job. Well done Ellie.

This picture shows one of the tables in the marquee. There were 5 of them, each long table was split into three. The names of each table are called after the Nidderdale old system of counting sheep... a link to Yorkshire. We were impressed. The marquee smelt of lavender and eucalyptus which was hanging in bunches across the back of the tent, along the trestle tables and wrapped around the hoops hanging from the roof, but more of those next time.

So at last I officially have  a 'pink' one in the family. She is so lovely, bubbly, full of fun, kind and caring. I am one very proud Mummy.

Jems Blog Hop - Anything but a card

Love this topic for the blog hop. I did think about doing another mirror but I have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks covering journals. They are one of my big sellers at summer/craft fairs. To create this journal cover, this is the first use of the magical mermaid set. I have so many plans for this set.

I started with the backgrounds using the Bermuda Bay and Pool Party coloured card. With the small piece of Pool party I cut it in half with a wavy line then cut one of those half into a narrower wavy piece. I stamped the Bermuda Bay with the sea weed, then repeated on the Pool party in (very) vaguely the place where it would be when attached to the Bermuda bay. I stamped the mermaid on a seperate piece of paper, used the aquapainter and water colour pencils to colour her in, then fussy cut. I have used the wink of stella clear pen to paint the tail. Once the whole was put together I added a few sequins from my stash. This is only a small C6 sized journal.

There is a lovely background stamp in this set with dots like sand and little shells, its brilliant. I have used this along the bottom amongst the reeds and a little across higher up in crumb cake brown.

Another make using this stamp set. For this I have used my stash of Stazon inks. Next time I am going to try it with Stampin' Up ink then spray with a sealant. The part in the middle is a mirror. The outside of the mirror is just asking to be decorated.

You can see the sand, shells and little seaside animals along the bottom edge.

The mermaids tail is coloured with a dried up blender pen nib and green and blue ink.

I think you would agree that would grace any bathroom or bedroom.

I have so many ideas for how to use this stamp set,  I can't wait to show you.

Shopping

Magical Mermaid   144017

My online Stampin'Up shop is open 24/7 click on the hostess code below and you will be taken straight through to the shop. Remember to use the hostess code when you place your order then in September I will send you a small Stampin'Up goody bag as a thank you.

The hostess code this month is about weddings. Today whilst you read this my youngest of three sons is getting married.....pass the tissues! I will post pictures tomorrow or Monday. Have a great weekend.

If you have travelled the blog hop anti clockwise you will now be going to the lovely Uma's page

If you are travelling clockwise click on the link below.

Next blog is the lovely Linda

Early Release - Carols of Christmas

I have been up very early this morning as the hayfever has really kicked in.  :( sad face. So to cheer myself up I have placed my order for the ******New Seasonal Catalogues*******
They will be with me next week, drop me a line and I will put your name on one for you.

So I thought I would share with you the details of one of the lovely bundles from the New Seasonal Catalogue that Stampin'Up have released early. Yes you can get this today and get ahead for that busiest time of the year. This one is top of my wish list. I will be putting my order in next week! Thats one of the brilliant benefits of being a demonstrator - being able to pre order.

Its called Carols of Christmas. First some samples made with the set.

I just love that die cut reindeer and the trees are so pretty. Now the details......

and the digits

Shopping
For all those who order this bundle from my online shop during August. I will send you a  Free Class Pass for any of my Christmas card classes during September. For those who are not local I will post out the resources for the class with the exception of the stamp set(s) we may use. Happy shopping.

Carols of Christmas bundle 146037

When you shop online please use the hostess code below, in September I will send you a small Stampin'Up goody bag as a thank you. You can reach my shop by clicking on the hostess code logo below or the item number of the bundle above.

Re - Craft extravaganza

Ooops, I don't know why the post hasn't appeared. I sat and wrote it last night....and its vanished into thin air. Sorry about that. I will re write and post on Monday.

Craft Extravaganza - Orchids