World Card Making Day - Stampin' Up! Blog Hop

Hello and welcome. Today (Friday night here in the UK)  I'm taking part in a World Card Making Day Blog Hop featuring current Stampin' Up! products. This is such a great way to celebrate this event with lots of amazing inspiration for you to check out.

You are currently visiting me, Fiona Whitten, here in Wokingham (Berkshire, UK). You will get to visit lots of different places around the world as you hop around.

There is a list at the end of this post which will help you to move along from blog to blog, and you will get to see well over 20 amazing projects.

My projects feature the Presents & Pinecones Designer Series Paper and the Suite Seasons stamp set. I wanted to show how easy it is to get three different looks to a card, but use the same paper and stamp set.

For the first card I simply stamped the sentiment in Cherry Cobbler ink and added a cute Cherry Cobbler heart from a pack of the Regals Enamel Shapes. Both the sentiment and the Emerald Envy layers were die cut using the Lots of Labels Framelits Dies.

For the second card, I broke out my Emerald Envy and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Write Markers, and coloured the stamp using those. I love how you can use the markers to highlight different parts of a sentiment. All the other elements are the same as the first card.

There's a bit of gold embossing on the third card.   The Cherry Cobbler enamel heart was swapped out for a Cherry Cobbler bow that had been stamped and punched out using the Holly Berry Bundle (Holly Berry Happiness stamp set and coordinating Holly Berry Builder Punch). In the centre of the bow there is a round enamel shape from the same pack as the hearts previously used.

All three cards have a stamped image on the inside. I used the same markers as those used on the second card, and simply inked up part of another sentiment from the same stamp set.

Thanks for visiting my blog today, there are so many amazing ideas and inspiration you really don't want to miss. Remember that currently you are at my blog - Fiona Whitten, so check the blog hop line up list below to see who is next on the list.

Blog Hop List 

As always, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to know which of the three cards you prefer.

Fiona xx

By the way, there are two fabulous Stampin' Up! offers starting on 1 October.

• To celebrate World Card Making Day, Stampin' Up! are offering up to 25% off selected card making basics. This offer only lasts until 5 October so don't miss out. Click here to kind out more information.
• Buy 3 get 1 for Free - buy three packs of Designer Series Paper from a selection of paper packs and choose a fourth for free. Click here for more information.

If you are interested in making any of my cards, you can find details of the products I used below.

Please note, I used the clear mount version of the stamp set (as shown) but it is also available in wood mount too.

Warm Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses - latest challenge card

I've not taken part in a challenge for a couple of weeks, so I checked out the latest one over at CAS Colours & Sketches.

This week it's a sketch one.

The idea is to make the area/sentiment in the centre the focal point so I really hope that I managed to achieve it with this card.

The sentiment, which comes from the Tin of Tags stamp set, was stamped in Versamark. I then  applied Gold Embossing Powder and heat it with my heat tool. I love watching the powder turn into a glossy enamel. 

I also heat embossed the inside of the card with an image from the same stamp set.

The Very Vanilla cardstock that the sentiment is on was die cut using the Lots of Labels Framelits, and I also die cut a slightly larger Soft Suede one. 

The mistletoe and branches are dies from the Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies.

I hope you like this project and please feel free to leave a comment.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making a similar card, here's details of the products used

Global Stampers - September 2016 Part 2

Today I'm sharing the projects and links to the fabulous projects from the other Global Stampers.

As a reminder, the challenge was to use three colours - Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron and Rich Razzleberry.

You can either click on their names or the photos and the links will take you to the appropriate blog post.

Robbie

I love this card from Robbie. It features some of the paper from the Petals & Paisleys Specialty Designer Series Paper. 

Alicia

Isn't this card really cute? Alicia used the Merry Wishes stamp set to make the flower heads on this card, she also used the sentiment from the stamp set too. It took me a minute to figure out where the leaves and stems came from. I figured it out, but I'll let you check out her post to see all the details.

Valerie

Valerie is a girl after my own heart and used a few of the images and the sentiment from the Paisley & Posies stamp set to make this card. There's quite a few techniques going on here. Masking, heat embossing, and sponging to name a few.

Ann

I love how Ann coloured in the stamped flower using her Stampin' Markers and the scallop circle really sets off the sentiment in the centre of the card.

There is another card on Ann's blog so don't forget to go check it out.

I hope you enjoyed all of our projects this month. I wonder what next month will bring? In the meantime keep checking back to see other projects that I share.

Fiona xx

Global Stampers - September 2016

It's that time of the month again for the Global Stampers Blog Swap. This month we opted to go with a colour theme. The colours being -

I'm sharing a projects that I've made using products from the Petals & Paisleys Suite, which I am so in love with.

I started with a blank piece of A4 Very Vanilla cardstock and using the three colours and the Paisley & Posies stamp set I made this. Please note it's important that when stamping the images, that you cover as much of the cardstock as possible. Don't leave any large blank spaces.

I then cut the sheet up. With the addition of some Mint Macaron and Rich Razzleberry cardstock along with some Cooper Foil Paper, I made four cards and a holder for them.

On this first card, I also stamped some additional images on some scrap Very Vanilla and die cut them using the Paisley Framelits Dies. The embossed layer is the de-bossed side of the Mint Macaron that I had embossed with the Lovely Lace folder.

The second card is very simple. The four pieces of Very Vanilla were simply adhered to a piece of Copper Foil Sheet. The whole thing was then added to the Mint Macaron with Stampin' Dimensionals.

On this third card I stamped on the Rich Razzleberry cardstock with Rich Razzleberry ink before adhereing the two pieces. The long strip is simply glued to the front and the larger rectangle is adhered using Stampin' Dimensionals.

On this fourth card I simply added some Mint Macaron 3/8" Ribbon from the Trio Pack (Delightful Dijon, Mint Macaron and Rich Razzleberry).

The last two pieces of Very Vanilla were glued to the front and back of a bag made to hold the cards. The bag is made out of one sheet of A4 Rich Razzleberry cardstock.

If you are interested in seeing the cutting template I used, it was one given to me at a recent training event. I have traced it back to a post by Paula Reid back in September 2014 - got to love Pinterest.

I hope you like these projects and please feel free to leave comments.

Tomorrow I'll be posting photos and links to the projects from the other global stampers so please check back to see what everyone else has been up to.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making these cards, these are the products I used

Training Swap

I promised the other day to share the swap that I had made for training. Here it is along with a photo of the display I now have set up in my craft studio.

I love, love, love the new Paisleys & Petals stamp set.  I'm such a sucker for all things paisley that I knew I had to get it.

For training, I decided to make my own backgrounds and then turned a card into a desk calender. Each piece of Very Vanilla measures 9.0 cm x 13. 4 cm, and each was stamped individually so no two cards are identical. There is a little piece of scored and folded Rich Razzleberry inside the card to stop it from opening too much.

My display now has both cards and projects I've made, along with the swaps I receiving from training. Not all the swaps are there because I wanted to keep the display solely things from the Autumn/Winter catalogue.

Everyone coming to class in the next couple of months will be able to see everything first hand. If there is something you are intrigued about in the photo drop me a line to find out more. I'm more than happy to answer questions.

Fiona xx

Cable Knit Jumpers

I have to confess that I do not have any Christmas jumpers (sweaters) but that didn't stop me thinking about using the new Cable Knit Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to make some paper Christmas card ones. I'm sure you know which jumpers I'm talking about - those heavy itchy ones that have Santa, Christmas trees or something else on them.

I decided to keep with  Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler as the main colours and these are just a few of the ones I came up with.

Here they are in more detail.

I used the Layering Circle Framelits Dies to cut the neckline and also to make the crew neck of the jumper. I used the Simply Scored Board to score 1/8" lines on a piece of cardstock and then cut it out using two concentric circle dies.

Both the reindeer and Christmas tree were cut out using the Santa's Sleigh Thinlits Dies. I lightly glued them to the front of the card and then ran the front through my Big Shot with the embossing folder. Wow, the folder is really thick and sturdy and you only need one clear plate when you run it through.

Once the cardstock was embossed I then glued the crew neck to the jumper.

One of the things I remember about the jumpers made by my Mum when I was a kid, was that she would sew labels in them. The Better than Email stamp set (meets the Stampin' Up! angel policy) has a cute ball of wool image so I stamped the inside of the card with this for my label.

I decided to keep this jumper simple and just add some Whisper White Mini Pompom Trim to the neckline.

Check out this YouTube Video from Stampin' Up! where Shannon West has some more tips on using the folder.

The sweaters are great fun and easy to make and I hope you give them a go.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making one of the cards, here are details of the products I used.

Christmas Stamp-A-Stack

Today I hosted a Christmas Stamp-A-Stack class in my craft studio. Those who came made 18 cards (3 each of 6 designs) and 6 tags (3 each of 2 designs).

This is what 144 pre-cut cards and 48 pre-cut tags look like all packaged up and ready to go.

It was quite a quiet class with 6 people attending and 2 people wanting kits. It did mean however, that everyone had space to spread out a little. 

As usual there was lots of fun and laughter with the occasional quiet moment when everyone was concentrating.

Sorry to say, but I'm not going to share every card and tag made because there are a couple of people (who read this blog) who haven't received their packs yet. Here are a couple of the cards though.

This Night of Navy and Soft Sky card features the Merriest Wishes stamp set and Merry Tags Framelits Dies - also available as a bundle. I used Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper for the medallion and the pieces cut out were then used as an insert for a matching tag. Waste not want not.

This Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler card has a piece of vellum attached to the front that was embossed using the Holly Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  The actual holly was made using the Holly Berry Happiness stamp set and co-ordinating Holly Berry Builder Punch. There are available individually or as a bundle.

Everyone who came for the day seemed to enjoy themselves and the projects that they made. Tomorrow I'm off on a training day with my upline. I've made my swaps (all 22 of them) and will share it soon.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making one of the cards above, details of the products used are as follows:

The Merriest Wishes stamp set is available in both wood and clear mount.

The Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set is available in both wood and clear mount.

Special Offers - Week 3

Wow, those clearance rack items have been selling out like hot cakes. There are still items available and the updated list can be found on my Deals and Offers page.

Yesterday saw the start of the last week of the Special Offers. This week features some of the Project Life kits, including the one I'm using for my zillion (probably a slight overstatement) of photos from the 2500 mile road trip I did with my daughter last month.



I've shared a few of the pages that I've made so far, and you can check them out here.

I'm off now to finish off all the preparation for tomorrow's Christmas Stamp-A-Stack class. Check back late tomorrow to see what we got up to.

Fiona xx

Spend £25 online this month ...

and receive a free and exclusive tutorial.

It seems that items are disappearing from the Clearance Rack at a vast rate of knots. Having said that, there's still plenty of things left if you are looking for a stocking filler or christmas present for a crafty friend or a treat for yourself.

Either way, spend £25 (excluding P&P) online this month (can be products from any of the current catalogues, including the Special Offers, or the Clearance Rack) and I will send you a tutorial to make these three cards.

Don't forget to use this month's Hostess Code - NBV2XVFE if your order is less than £150.

These cards feature the Fresh Fruit stamp set and Fruit Stand Designer Series Paper

A link to the pdf tutorial will be sent to you within 24 hours of me receiving a confirmation from Stampin' Up! of your order being placed. 

Fiona xx

PS Purchase any of the Thoughtful Branches bundle items and you will also receive August's tutorial too.

Clearance Rack is updated

I have a couple of things for you today, but I'm starting off with this because I don't want you to miss  out.

The Clearance Rack was updated this morning with lots of lovely new things that are now available with up to 60% off the original price.

Items are available on a supplies last basis so if you see something you would like, don't wait to order. I'd suggest that you place an online order because I can't guarantee that they will still be available by the time I place my next order (tomorrow, Wednesday evening).

Full details of what's now on the Clearance Rack is on my Deals & Other News page. It does include one of my favourite items from last year's Autumn/Winter catalogue. Can you guess what it is? Yep, the Sleigh Ride Edgelits Dies.

Don't forget to use this month's Hostess Code to receive something extra next month by way as a Thank You from me.

Check back later today to see what else I wanted to share with you.

September's Class Kit by Post

People have often said to me that they wished they lived closer or didn't already have a commitment on class day, so I have decided to introduce a new class option - the Class Kit by post. These will be  the same projects as the regular monthly class and will cost the same too.

This month, the class was titled "Blue is the Colour" and I'm sure you can guess what the primary colour was that we used.

The class consisted of four notecards (with envelopes) together with a cute box to put them in. This is what they look like.

The kit costs £15.00 (including P&P) and includes:

• A private link to the printable instructions so that you can make and also replicate the cards and box in the future. This link will be emailed to you within 24 hours of receiving the payment.
• Cut and pre scored cardstock together with pre cut Designer Series Paper to make the box.
• Pre cut Designer Series Paper and matting layers for the cards.
• Pre cut die for one of the cards.
• All embellishments to decorate the box and cards.
• Four Whisper White Notecards with envelopes. One of these will have the oval etc pre-cut for you.

The kit will not include any stamped images in accordance with Stampin' Up!s angel policy. You can however substitute sentiments and images you already have, or you can purchase the stamp sets used. It is entirely up to you.

Payment for the kit can be made by PayPal by clicking on the button below.

The kit is available until the end of September, and will be mailed to you within three working days of receiving payment. Please remember to include details of where the kit should be mailed, when you make the payment.

If you have any questions about the kit and what it includes please get in touch.

Fiona xx

Special Offers - Week 2

WEEK 2, from 8 to 14 September 2016

So who took advantage of last week's Special Offers? This week, the following items from the Annual Catalogue are available at a 25% discount.

See something you fancy? I'll be placing an order on Saturday so if you live close by (and are able to collect) and would like to take advantage of free P&P, then let me know by 8.00 pm on 10 September.

If you would like to shop online, then click on the link in the left-hand side bar. Don't forget to use this month's hostess code (NBV2XVFE) to receive an additional Thank You from me next month.

Fiona xx

Two for One

This week I'm attempting the double on the challenge front.

The current CAS Colours & Sketches challenge is a colour one and I thought I would combine it with the latest Global Design Project challenge which is a case the designer one. The challenges look like this.

I know I've been sharing Christmas projects this week but I wasn't convinced I would get away with that for this colour combination. As a result this is the card that I came up with using the Love & Affection stamp set.

I used some Daffodil Delight enamel dots for the centre of the Real Red flower, not quite as bling as rhinestones but they add a little extra interest without detracting from the card. These are from the Brights Enamel Shapes that have been on special offer this week. There will be a new Special Offer starting tomorrow.

I hope you like the card, and please feel free to leave a comment.

Fiona xx

Cookie Cutter Christmas

When I first saw one of the videos that Stampin' Up! produced as a sneak peek for the 2016 Autumn/Winter Catalogue, the Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set and co-ordinating punch was the first thing that I added to my pre-order list.

There are five cute figures in the stamp set, but when I saw the Eskimo I knew exactly what I was going to make with it. And, this is it.

The igloo was a must and I used the Brick Wall embossing folder to give the ice brick look. I cut out the igloo shape first with a mixture of Layering Circle Dies and Circle Punches before embossing it. The tunnel entrance was punched from Whisper White and then embossed before I added it to the front of the igloo using Stampin' Dimensionals.

The ice/snow was a strip of Whisper White card stock that I embossed with the Seaside embossing folder.  I tucked it under the bottom of the igloo to add a little more depth.

The Eskimo was coloured using Blender Pens and Soft Suede, Tip Top Taupe, Marina Mist, Soft Sky and Smoky Slate ink. Oh and Blushing Bride ink for the face.

Of course I had to add a cheeky Eskimo inside the card too.

The videos that I was talking about above are a series of three entitled Mission Gnome Impossible. Here's a link to the first video.

I'll share links to the other videos later in the week.

As always, please feel free to leave a comment.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making this card, details of the products used are as follows:

Don't forget you can save 10% by purchasing the bundle but items are available individually if you would prefer.

Presents from Santa

Today I am sharing one of the cards that I made using the Santa's Sleigh stamp set and co-ordinating Santa's Sleigh Thinlits Dies.

I've been designing the cards for my Christmas Stamp-A-Stack event that is later this month and we will be using these stamps and dies for one of the cards - can't decide on whether to use this one or design another.

Anyway, this is the card

I love the deer and sleigh stamps and thinlits but wanted to share something else from the set.  The tree has only been partly cut out using the die and I curled the branches up.

The tree was stamped in Old Olive ink and then I used a Blender Pen and Pear Pizzazz ink to colour the branches and Soft Suede for the trunk. I also used the Clear Wink of Stella on the branches.

The parcels were stamped in Night of Navy onto some of the sheets from the Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack and fussy cut them out. The bows on the parcels and the bear have co-ordinating dies. I used these but did some more fussy cutting for the bows because I didn't want any edges showing.

The Merry Christmas sentiment is part of the stamp set - I simply didn't ink up all of the stamp. The stamp actually says Merry Christmas Wishes.

I really enjoyed making this card and I hope you like it. If you are interested in attending the All Day Christmas Stamp-A-Stack, I have a couple of spaces left but I need to know by 7 September.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making this card, details of the products used are as follows:

Please note that the stamps and dies are available individually, but I bought the bundle saving 10% on the total.

Tags or Bookmarks?

Yesterday I was able to get my hands on the Stampin' Up! products that I had pre-ordered back in August. The question was where to start.

I like to include a little something when I send my catalogues, and I had ordered a bunch that need to go in the post sooner rather than later. I had spotted a great idea by Nancy Stollnitz Hoetker (a demo in the USA), so this was my first thing on my to do list.

Here's what my craft table looked like at 8.00 am this morning.

The bookmarks are in fact, folded tags that have been made using the Cheerful Tags Framelits and the  Here's to Cheers stamp set. I opted for non Christmas colours to show just how versatile the stamp set and dies are.

One of the things I love about Stampin' Up! is that as well as producing inspiring catalogues they also produce helpful YouTube videos. Below is a link to the one they made showing the same dies and stamps that I used to make the bookmarks. Check it out as it has some great ideas and tips.

I'll be getting all the catalogues and bookmarks into the post on Monday so if you are on my mailing list you can expect to receive yours in a few days.

If you don't already have a UK demonstrator and would like a free copy of the catalogue, drop me a line by email and I'll get a copy in the post to you too.

Fiona xx

If you are interested in making some gift tags or bookmarks, details of the products I used are as follows:

I purchased the bundle to save 10% but you can purchase items individually and the stamp set is available in both wood and clear mount.

September is going to be an exciting month

I have a few things to share with you this morning.

2016 Autumn/Winter Catalogue - the catalogue went live this morning. There are so many fabulous products and ideas in there.  I'm currently on a plane to the UK as this posts, and I can't wait to get home and start playing with my pre-order. I'll be posting photos over the weekend so be sure to check these out when you get a chance.

If you would like to see an electronic version of the catalogue please click on the picture below.

Copies of the catalogue will be sent to those of you who have placed an order with me over the last 12 months. You can expect to receive it by the end of next week at the latest.

If you currently don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and live in the UK, drop me a line by email and I will pop a copy of the new catalogue in the post to you.

Special Offers - Another exciting thing happening right now is the discounted annual catalogue products in Stampin’ Up!’s Special Offers. Each week starting today and ending 21 September there will be items from the annual catalogue available at a 25% discount. I know I’ll be ordering a few of these discounted products—they’re such a great deal! This week’s Special Offers flyer is below, so look it over and see what items you can save on.

Thoughtful Branches stamp set and bundle - When Stampin' Up! introduced the limited-time Thoughtful Branches Bundle on 1 August, they said it would be available through 31 August or while supplies last. Well, happy day—there is still inventory available! Stampin' Up! will continue to make the Thoughtful Branches Bundle, stamp set and or dies available while they still have supplies; once the inventory is depleted, these exclusive products will no longer be available, nor will it be offered in future publications. 

Don't delay, order the stamp set, dies or bundle today and I'll send you the pdf tutorial that I had on offer last month (three exclusive cards that were made using the stamp set and dies). Details of the products and the tutorial can be found here.

That's it for now. I do have more news to share with you about my BOGOF that will be running this month (starting 9 Sept) along with details of new Class Kits. Info about these will be posted early next week once I have been able to unpack my suitcase and catch my breath from rushing around making samples to share.

Fiona xx