More Snowflakes

 

This week I have made some snowflakes for the Momentary Art Project's Winter Wonderland in New Brighton. Last year I made a fish from fused plastic bags. We are asked to use recycled materials, so my snowflakes are made from the insides of bill envelopes and delivery notices.

I loved making these! There are some wonderful paper designs to be found inside bills...

A Tutorial

Here is a card front that I am taking to our next team meeting in December. I thought that I would share the tutorial with you, as my photo really does not do justice to the sparkle! All products used are Stampin' Up and can be ordered from me.

1. Create your background by rubbing a sponge on Pistachio Pudding, Pool Party and Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pads. Rub the sponge on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.

2. Using a Baked Brown Sugar ink pad, stamp over the background with the Post Card stamp.

3. Using a Whisper White ink pad, stamp a snowflake from the Snowflake Soiree set (the third in size) on the left of the postcard. Stamp the smallest snowflake twice on the right.

4. Using Versamark, stamp the snowflake from the Hostess set, Warmth and Wonder about four times and emboss using Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder and a heat tool.

5. Randomly stamp the snowflake across the card using Coastal Cabana.

6. Cut out the postcard.

7. Using a Perfect Plum ink pad, stamp the reindeer from Warmth and Wonder on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. Cut out using the Postage Stamp punch, then stamp the snowflake in Pool Party in the corner. Sponge Baked Brown Sugar on the edges of the stamp and adhere to the corner of the card. Embellish with some rhinestones.

8. Stamp the sentiment from Warmth and Wonder and then you are done! Ready to turn your postcard into the finished card of your choice.

I hope that you enjoyed my tutorial! April xx

Stamp Carving

 

I have been waiting for this to arrive over here for a while. A great way to produce your own stampy work of art or to give as a fabulous gift!

Sam and I had a wonderful time at Hoylake Evangelical Church's craft fair last night. The organisers were so kind and welcoming (we have never had welcome chocolates waiting for us on a stall before!) The fair was very busy and there was a lovely, festive atmosphere. We had a great time chatting with customers - a really enjoyable evening!

Craft Fair

 

I'm making lots of stuff for a Christmas Craft Fair at Hoylake Evangelical Church on Thursday, 21st November, 7.30-9.30pm. I'm sharing a stall with my crafty friend, Sam. We have done quite a few craft fairs over the years and always enjoy having a good chin-wag and a nosey at what other stall-holders are making. We saw some great knitted cacti a while back. They were even in their own greenhouse! Anyway, back to the making that is in progress. Here's a card using the lovely Ornament Keepsakes set. The petals of the poinsettia are baubles.

 Here's a reindeer candy cane holder. Rudolph is made using the versatile Owl Builder punch and I have made the holder using the Envelope Punch Board. That candy cane is clashing with my colour scheme, but never mind, I'll get over it!

 

Finally, another Ornament Keepsakes creation. 

I had such a lovely time at my last workshop. I was laughing (and die cutting) so much, I forgot to take any photos. However, some beautiful cards and boxes were made and it ended up being quite a late night!

Mini Pizza Boxes

 

Such a busy old time lately with Halloween and Bonfire Night. It's been nice to get back to some crafting. Here is a mini pizza box made from Real Red and Tempting Turquoise card. I've used Snowflake Soiree with some silver embossing powder and silver glimmer paper. This is going to be filled with tea lights stamped with the smallest snowflake from that set.

 

Here's another one in Smoky Slate with a band made from Winter Frost DSP. This is a project I'm taking along to a training day tomorrow. Just a pasta salad to make tomorrow morning and then I think I'm just about organised...

 

Here is a card I have made for a FB swap. Bit of a Real Red and Tempting Turquoise theme going on with me at the moment! This is the Wishing You stamp set, with a flower made using the Boho Blossoms punch. 

 

And finally a few tags! Hope you are having a lovely week x

 

 

 

More Festive Flurries

I love Festive Flurry! I have used Island Indigo cardstock, silver embossing powder, silver foil card and silver glimmer card to make a decoration. There is also a Frosted Finishes embellishment.

 

And here it is again in Real Red on a Christmas card. Such a versatile stamp and die bundle!

My Digital Studio

Here is my first effort with Stampin' Up's My Digital Studio. You get a thirty day free trial of the software, so it's definitely worth having a go. It's great for those times when you are feeling crafty but can't face getting covered in glue and ink!

Amazing Stampin' Up Sale!

Wow! Lots of fantastic reduced prices on some lovely stamp sets. Please contact me if you would like to place an order.
25% off 25 stamp sets

Festive Flurry Workshop

*FULLY BOOKED*
Join us for our next workshop on Wednesday, 13th November at 7pm. We will be using embossing techniques to make a very glittery gift box and two Christmas cards. This is a product-based workshop costing £16. You will take home £14 worth of Stampin' Up products! Tea and biscuits also included.

Please bring your own adhesive. You will need a strong glue and dimensionals. Please let me know when you book your place on the workshop if you would like to pre-order adhesive. Multi-purpose liquid glue is £3.25. Stampin' Dimensionals (300) also cost £3.25.

If you place an order for Stampin' Up products of over £35 on the night, you will receive a £5 discount off your next workshop.

Please contact me to book a place on the workshop, or if you have any questions. We would love you to join us! No previous crafting experience is necessary.
April x

Crafty Stuff

Evening! Here is my creation for the challenge at http://sundaystamps.blogspot.co.uk.

 

The base is SU Baked Brown Sugar with Naturals Ivory card and Summer Starfruit DSP. The stamps are from the Mixed Bunch set, using Baked Brown Sugar and Summer Starfruit ink. I've also used the Congratulations stamp from Teeny Tiny Sentiments. I love this combination of colours. My photo really doesn't do it justice at all! It reminds me of the curried butternut squash and lentil soup I made today - I think that's probably where the inspiration came from!

I had a lovely time at the training day with Monica and Fanny yesterday. Here are the swaps I made - some tiny boxes made from Winter Frost DSP that I was able to quickly put together on Monday. I put a fridge magnet in each one. It was such a nice day with great company! I was totally exhausted afterwards and could only just about manage to flick between the England match and Holby City...

Have a lovely evening! April x

Eastern Elegance Evening

We had a great time at the Eastern Elegance workshop last week. There was lots of card and gift bag making going on, broken up with tea and biscuit consumption, of course! The cats did their very best to 'help' everyone...
 
It is such a lovely set of papers that you can use for lots of different uses. Some of the Smoky Slate and Coastal Cabana papers actually look quite festive. Before the workshop, I had another go at making the gift bag as I thought I might have forgotten how to make it. This time I used the Bird Builder punch to make a more Christmassy version.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Eastern Elegance workshop

Come along to a workshop at my crafty abode on Wednesday, 9th October at 7pm. We will be making a gift bag, card and notelets using Stampin' Up's Eastern Elegance designer series papers. These lovely papers coordinate beautifully with Smoky Slate, Crushed Curry and Coastal Cabana card stock. We will also be using the Mixed Bunch stamp set and Bitty Butterfly punch.

Do join us for a relaxed evening of crafting. Tea and biscuits included of course! Please message me to book a place.

Flock Together

Here's a post-it note holder made from Lucky Limeade and Early Expresso card stock. I've used a little bird from the Flock Together set of stamps with some Print Poetry DSP, and a piece of Pretty in Pink stitched grosgrain ribbon. I'm just glad the snow seems to be on its way out!

Blissful Bird box

All the snow over the last couple of days has been great for staying inside and doing lots of crafty stuff! Here is a box made using the Blissful Bird stamp and Bird Builder punch. The base is Early Expresso cardstock and the lid is Island Indigo. There's some Sycamore Street DSP on the top and the blossoms are from the Summer Silhouettes set (stamped in Pool Party and Marina Mist). My lovely upline, +Fanny Stafford showed me how to make a box using a shim, and how to get the same effect by holding your cardstock 1/16" in from the edge of the scoreboard. It definitely makes everything fit together really well!

Here's a card made with the lovely Everything Eleanor set. I've also used the Lace Brocade embossing folder and Print Poetry DSP. Fanny also kindly showed me the Rock & Roll rubber stamping technique. Here's a close-up, using Real Red with Early Expresso ink.

Spring boxes

I made a couple of things today. The nail varnish holder is based on a tutorial by Holly Krautkremer, but I used a label framelit to cut the handle, rather than the decorative label punch that she suggests. I used So Saffron and Very Vanilla cardstock. The little tag, the embellishment and button at the front, and the baker's twine are all from the Boutique Boxes in the Stampin' Up Spring catalogue.  The gift box is also from that fabulous kit, with some Pretty in Pink stitched grosgrain ribbon and a rose embellishment that I have coloured using an inkpad. I hope you like them!

Welcome to my blog!

I have always been obsessed with lots of different crafts. Since 2011, I have held weekly card-making and craft classes at a church community centre. In January, I decided to become an independent Stampin' Up demonstrator. I love Stampin' Up products and I'd like to share what I have enjoyed making on this blog.

Here are three little things made with the SU Perfect Postage stamps and Postage Stamp punch. The little bookmark is a big paperclip with a postage stamp of Pool Party cardstock, printed with Early Expresso. There is a Baja Breeze ribbon attached - perfect for holding all my many bits of paper together! The matchbox and the covered notebook both have Rich Razzleberry cardstock and ink, combined with Pretty in Pink. They both have the very lovely Twitterpated Designer Series Paper too.

Here is our handsome boy, Spot. He happens to be posing near some Classic Stampin' Spots!