Crafty Boots Challenge: BINGO!

Hey all! Another Crafty Boots Challenge! This one is quite exciting!!

It has been set by Denise and the idea is to use the 'elements' that are in a line: either vertical (ie Green, Pearls and Yellow) horizontal (ie Yellow, Dots and Lace) or diagonal (ie Ribbons, Stripes and Yellow) For a bit of extra fun you can also choose to use the 4 corners or go for the 'full house' which would mean using all the 'elements' on the project. I wasn't that brave and decided to go for 'Green', 'Pearls' and 'Yellow' and here's my creation:

This card has been created on an 'Old Olive' square cardbase. On a smaller square of 'Certainly Celery cardstock i stamped the rose image and the beautiful sentiment 'Happiness held is the seed, happiness shared is the flower' (from the 'Happiness shared' stampset) both inked in 'Old Olive'. I glued this to the centre of the cardbase and then created a border using the fabby 'Ribbon Lace Border Punch', which i punched from bright 'Daffodil Delight' card. I snipped these and glued them into a square formation (I have to thank my friend Jade for showing me this technique!!) and then glued it around the rose image to frame it. Finally i placed some 'Basic Pearls' (half-back pearls which already have adhesive - just peel them off and stick!) in the corners of the 'Ribbon Lace' frame!

I loved this challenge and the great thing is everyones creations will be so different!! I wonder if anyone will be courageous enough to attempt a full house! Can't wait to see all your entries!!

A rose-y card!

Hi everyone, hope you're all having a good week! I can't believe it is already Thursday - this week is flying!!

Today i have a rose-y card to share with you:

An 'Early Espresso' card,'Clear embossed' using the 'Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel', next i layered a stripof (retired) 'DSP'. The roses come from the 'Happiness Shared' stampset - stamped in 'Early Espresso' ink and then i have used my 'Blender Pens' to colour them in. I have hand-cut these images out using my 'Paper Snips' into tag shapes. I have punched holes out of the top using my 'Crop-a-dile', and threaded some ' Chocolate Chip' 'Grosgrain Ribbon' through. A card for any occassion!

Happiness Held is the Seed, Happiness Held is the Flower...

Good morning everyone! No work for me today as it is halfterm! I'm just off to the garage to get the brakes fixed on my card, but before i do i just want to share with you a card that i made using the fabulous 'Growing Green' stampset, as well as the 'Happiness Shared' set for the sentiment:

I have used 'Not Quite Navy' (from the 'Regals' collection for the cardbase. I then used some DSP from the 'Springtime Vintage' papers, which i have edged with the 'Eyelet Border Punch'. I then cut a square of 'Baja Breeze' card, and using 'Baja Breeze' and 'Not Quite Navy' ink randomly stamped the rose stamp from the 'Growing Green' Set.! I bordered this on 'Whisper White' cardstock. Then on a scrap piece of 'Whisper White'. I accidentally stuck this wonky, but actually liked this layout, so kept it!! I stamped another rose in 'Not Quite Navy' and then coloured it in using 'Blender Pens'. Using 'Dimensionals' i attached this to the card. The sentiment is from the 'Happiness Shared' stampset and bordered on 'Baja Breeze.

Another card without the 'Big Shot' in sight!! Although i can't believe how reliant i have become on it, i seem to use it all the time! It's definitely the best piece of crafty kit i own!! It seems quite strange not using it on a card!

Have a fab day everyone! Thanks for visiting!

Darling Bugs of May!

Hi all, i hope you are all having a fab weekend! Mine has been quite chilled! Yesterday i went to a 'duck race' with my friend Lucy - which was a new experience and then i had a lovely visit from my sister Jamie and cousin Kirsty.  My hubby was out on another stag do last night and my friend Suz came round to watch the eurovision and we had a pig out on chinese takeaway, washed down with wine and peach schnapps and cherry 7up (we accidently order cherry 7up rather than regular - but it actually worked quite well!!) Anyway today i'm just having fun crafting!!

Today i want to share with you my entry into the Daring Cardmakers Challenge, which this week is 'The Darling BUGS of May!' I was quite excited about this one, and may even enter more than one card this week as i love the theme so much!! Here's my card:

The card base is 'Wild Wasabi', on that I used the same colour ink and the leave stamp from the 'Happiness Shared' set. The ladybird has been created from two 'Top Note' Dies - using 'Basic Black' and 'Real Red' cardstock. (I have only recently brought this - it's a Stampin' Up! exclusive Die - and it SO versatile - keep checking out my blog to see all the different things you can do with the 'Top Note'! The ladybirds dots have been punched using the '1/2" Circle Punch' and have been raised with 'Dimensionals'. His head has been created with the '1-3/4" Circle Punch', his eyes with scraps of 'Whisper White' and the '1/2" Circle Punch' and i've used the eye circle from 'Owl Punch' to craete the centre of this bugs eyes!!

I think this card is worthy of going to the Ugly Bug Ball, but i'd love to know what you think!!! Thanks for visiting my blog!

A Gate-Fold Card For You...

I'm back again with another card design ... this type of card is referred to as a 'Gate-Fold Card'. Here it is:

The cardbase used here is 'Very Vanilla'. i have also used 'Red Riding Hood' cardstock from the 'Regals' collection.  I have also used the beautiful 'Love Letters DSP'. I have stamped the flower from the 'Happiness Shared' stampset in 'Early Espresso' and then used my 'Blender Pens' to colour in the flower (with 'Red Riding Hood' ink) and leaves (with 'Always Artichoke' ink).

The 'for you' sentiment is actually from the 'i'm here for you' stamp (from the 'Occassional Quotes' set). I used an 'Early Espresso' 'Stampin' Write Marker' to colour in just the 'for you...'  Thats the great thing about the markers you can select parts of stamps to use! It makes your stampsets even more versatile!! I used the 1/2" Circle Punch to create the corners indents. I've also used some lovely 'Early Espresso' 'Satin Ribbon' on this card!! I just love this ribbon!!

Here's an open shot of the card:

If you would like to make a card like this, why not book a workshop, invite a few friends around for a craft tutorial!! Contact me for more details: amyjtidd@gmail.com

In LOVE with blender pens!!

Hi all, What a busy (but productive) day!! I've been rushing around all day, but now i can relax and spend the evening playing around with all my new crafty bits, especially my new 'blender pens'!! Oh my god! They are totally AMAZING! Basically they are a way of painting with your inkpads to create a beautiful watercolour effect!! The great thing about these pens is that they come in a pack of three and have a nib on each end, so you effectively have six pens! (They're on page 102 of the catalogue and this month feature in the March Frenzy sale with 20% off!!)

So i would like to share a couple of cards i have made using the 'blender pen' technique:

This first card is using the 'Bella Toile' stamp, which i have embossed using Stampin' Up! black embossing powder and heat tool. I have then coloured it in using Stampin' Up! inkpads and blender pens. The image has been mounted on 'Rich Razzleberry' card. I'm very pleased with the effect!! (The sentiment featured on card is from the recent Sale-a-bration promotion, and is sadly now unavailable.)

The second card i have to share with you is using the 'Happiness Shared' stamp set, the sentiment is from the 'Because I Care' stamp set, which is available as a hostess set. (Basically if you have a craft workshop at your home or having a massive craft splurge of your own and sales reach £150 or more you can earn free stamp sets and more money to spend in the catalogue!! Let me know if you are interested!)

Hope you like both the cards! Just before i go i would like to say hello to my new follower Liz! Lovely having a chat over facebook earlier! I hope you get some inspiration from my blog!! Thanks to everyone you has had a sneaky peek! I'd love to know what you think about my craft projects so please feel free to leave a comment! Until next time take care, Love Amyxx