Bracknell Craft Show Make and Take!

Hey all, i forgot to mention last weekend i went to a fab craft show at Bracknell Lesuire Centre!! Stampin' Up! had a stall and the demo's as always offered all attendees a wonderful make and take project! Whilst visiting i couldn't resist making it myself! So here it is:

I features the wonderful 'The Open Sea' stampset from the 'Summer Mini Catalogue'. First we stamped the compass image in 'Night of Navy' ink onto a 'Night of Navy' cardbase.

On  a piece of 'Old Olive' card we stamped the anchor image, using 'Old Olive ink' and then shaped the edges using the '1/2" Circle Punch' before gluing it onto the base. Next on  a piece of 'Very Vanilla' card we stamped the background in 'Crumb Cake' ink and then stamped the ship and compass image using 'Night of Navy' ink, again edging the corners using the '1/2" Circle Punch'. Finally we stamped the sentiment from the 'Teeny Tiny Wishes' set on 'Very Vanilla' and punched it out using the 'Modern Label Punch' and layered it onto a 'Night of Navy' 'Modern Label which has been snipped in half!!

I think you'll agree this is a fab design and brilliant colour combo! Well done ladies! And this stampset is a must to create cards for men! So why not treat yourself today and add this to your craft stash! Email me your order: amyjtidd@gmail.com (Don't forget to check out the July offer at the top of my blog! You can earn free ribbon and brads with all orders of £45!!)

Pregnancy Congratulations!!!

Another baby related post!! Which seems quite fitting as today is our all day ante-natal class!!!

I found out last week that a crafty friend of mine Julie recently announced she is pregnant!! Yep, there must be something in the water!! Her baby is due in December!! I couldn't resist sending her a card i actually made sometime ago (and featured on this blog back in November last year) - a fab punch-art design, which i know as a fellow crafter she will appriciate!! It uses lots and lots of Stampin' Up! punches. It is not an original design - it's from a fab tutorial from Bonnie Mountford's blog. Although i did change the colours and the layout slightly. So heres the card:

The card base and 'DSP' used is 'Tangerine Tango'. We used some 'Soft Suede' to compliment it and layer the pregnant woman. The woman has been made from some 'Tempting Turquoise', 'Basic Black', 'Pink Pirouette', 'Daffodil Delight' and 'Chocolate Chip'. Her bag was made from 'Melon Mambo' 'DSP'. I used the following punches:

• '1-3/8" Circle'
• 'Large Oval'
• 'Modern Label Punch'
• 'Wide Oval'
• 'Small Heart'
• 'Ornament'
• 'Owl Punch'
• '1/2" Punch'
• 'Itty Bitty Punch'
• 'Boho Blossom'
• Round Tab Punch'

Her face details have been drawn on with a 'Basic Black' 'Stampin' Write Marker' and her rosey cheeks have been created some 'Rose Red' ink and 'Blender Pen'.

The sentiment is from the retired 'Occassional Quotes' stampset - as that's what i had to hand - but there's plenty of sentiments you could use in the current catty! I finished it off with a bit of 'Pumpkin Pie' 'Grosgrain Ribbon'.

This card took forever because of all the componants!!! But i hope you will agree it's a fabby card!

I wish Julie a healthy pregnancy!! Congratulations once again!!

Babymoon Review and an idea for Fathers Day!

Hey all! I'm back from Bath!! Hubby took me away for a short little break and i we had such a lovely time. We stayed in a completely lush hotel/B&B hybrid called Brittons Farm Estates - it was completely 5* and i totally recommend it to anyone who is planning a short break away! The owners (Fred and Helen) are lovely and friendly and the service is top notch (they even deliver your breakfast to you butler style!!) Whilst we was there we visited the Roman Baths, which we found completely fascinating!!

We both returned back from our trip completely relaxed and i still have the rest of the halfterm before i go back to work... and yes, i plan to get some crafting done, as it seems like forever since i had a proper crafty session!!

Today i have a card to share with you that i made some time ago at a crafty session with some fellow Stampin' Up! demos. This card was designed by Fiona and uses a fab set from the new mini catty called 'The Open Sea' which is just perfect for Fathers Day!

Onto a 'Baja Breeze' base we stamped the compass image twice using 'Island Indigo' ink. On a square of 'Island Indigo' card we stamped and re-stamped the globe image several times and then wrapped some of the 'Island Indigo' 'Bakers Twine' around it.

On a piece of 'Whisper White' card we stamped the globe image using 'Island Indigo' ink to create a background and then using 'Rich Razzleberry' ink we stamped the ship image and the anchor. We then used the '1/2" Circle Punch' to shape the corners and then mounted it onto a 'Rich Razzleberry' card which we also edged the corners.

Finally i stamped the happy fathers day sentiment from the 'Teeny Tiny Wishes' set using 'Baja Breeze' ink and then punched out using the 'Word Windown Punch' and finished it off my mounting it onto some 'Baja Breeze' 'DSP' punched using the 'Modern Label Punch'.

Its not too late to order this fab stampset - email over your order today: amyjtidd@gmail.com

'You Are Loved' Card!!

Reminder: The Spring Mini Catalogue is only available until the end of this month!! Today i want to share with you one of the cards we made yesterday during the crafty session around Fionas. This card has been created using the beautiful 'You are Loved' stampset which was designed by Kat:

Featuring 'Pretty In Pink', 'Old Olive' and 'Very Vanilla', there was quite a lot of inking and stamping (done with the 'Stampin' Write Markers) on this card, but it was a lovely idea to finish off the day with and i think the end product was most definately worth the effort!!

The centre of the card has been embellished with a piece of the 'Very Vanilla' 'Satin Ribbon' 'ruffled' up along by using red sticky strip (tape). I love this technique as it adds a lovely texture to a card.

We finished off the card with the sentiment - also from the 'You Are Loved' set inked in 'Rose Red' onto some 'Pretty in Pink' card and punched out with the 'Modern Label Punch'.

I just love the 'You Are Loved' stampset - it is so elegant and versatile! You could use it for Valentines Cards, Engagement Cards, Wedding Cards, Wedding Invitations, Friendship Cards etc...

Don't forget this wonderful stampset and the others in the Spring mini catalogue which you can find on the right hand side of my blog, will ONLY be available until the end of the month. So why not take advantage of April's offer when you spend £45, and get a pack of paper for FREE with your order. (I'll also through in FREE P&P (worth £4.95) with every order over £45!! So e-mail your order over today: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Patchwork Everyday Enchantment Fox and Tortoise Cards!

Hey all, back again today with more cards that feature retiring Sale-a-bration papers - 'Everyday Enchantment DSP'. If you would like to own these papers for yourself you will have to make a qualifying order by the end of this week... don't delay - email over your order today: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Today i have a card inspired by my upline Cate - but altered a bit to suit my style. So here are the two cards:

The cardbase is 'Poppy Parade'. On which i layered some 'Very Vanilla' card. I stamped the 'thankyou' sentiment from the 'Teeny Tiny Wishes' on the bottom, using 'Chocolate Chip' ink. I punched out 12 squares using the 'Postage Stamp Punch' for each of these cards from 'Everyday Enchantment DSP'  and layered them. On both cards i punched a piece of 'Very Vanilla' using the 'Modern Label Punch', which i 'Sponge Daubed' using 'Chocolate Chip' ink and tucked a piece of 'Very Vanilla' 'Seaming Ribbon' before gluing it in place.

The differentiating feature of the two cards are the characters that i have used form the 'Fox and Friends' set. First up the cute tortoise, which i inted using 'Pear Pizzazz' and 'Chocolate Chip' 'Stampin' Write Markers' and raised using a 'Dimensional' to give a 3D effect:

Next up the wise old owl!! Which i inked in 'Chocolate Chip', cut out and raised using a 'Dimensional':

Check out the SALE-A-BRATION stampsets and papers in the leaflet on the righthand side of this blog. Make a qualifying order of £45 to get one for FREE! Email me today: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Birthday Wishes From Ruth!

Hi all, just a quick post today - just wanted to share with you the lovely birthday card that Ruth gave me on Monday:

Ruth stamped the flower from the 'Button Buddies' stamped using 'Tempting Turquoise', 'Daffodil Delight' and 'Tangerine Tango' over some 'Whisper White' card, she mounted this onto a piece of 'Daffodil Delight' and then onto a 'Tempting Turquoise' cardbase. She stamped the happy birthday sentiment and punched it out using the 'Word Window' punch, before layering it onto a 'Daffodil Delight' 'Modern Label Punch' attaching it to the card using some 'Dimensionals' to give it a 3D effect. She finally placed some coordinating 'Designer Buttons' to the centre of the flowers!!

I love this beautiful bright card - it certainly made my birthday very special! Thanks Ruth xxx

More Punchart - a card for a pregnant lady!

Hiya to all my CraftyThINKers. Hope you are all ok, i'm sure you're relieved it is Friday! I'm still not well, so today i have another card that we made on our recent craft retreat to the Isle of Wight.

This card is a punchart card - that uses lots and lots of Stampin' Up! punches. This is not an original design - we printed off a fab tutorial from Bonnie Mountford's blog. Although we did change the colours and the layout slightly. So heres the card:

The card base and 'DSP' used is 'Tangerine Tango'. We used some 'Soft Suede' to compliment it and layer the pregnant woman. The woman has been made from some 'Tempting Turquoise', 'Basic Black', 'Pink Pirouette', 'Daffodil Delight' and 'Chocolate Chip'. Her bag was made from 'Melon Mambo' 'DSP'. I used the following punches:

• '1-3/8" Circle'
• 'Large Oval'
• 'Modern Label Punch'
• 'Wide Oval'
• 'Small Heart'
• 'Ornament'
• 'Owl Punch'
• '1/2" Punch'
• 'Itty Bitty Punch'
• 'Boho Blossom'
• Round Tab Punch'

Her face details have been drawn on with a 'Basic Black' 'Stampin' Write Marker' and her rosey cheeks have been created some 'Rose Red' ink and 'Blender Pen'.

The sentiment is from the retired 'Occassional Quotes' stampset - as that's what i had to hand - but there's plenty of sentiments you could use in the current catty! I finished it off with a bit of 'Pumpkin Pie' 'Grosgrain Ribbon'.

This card took forever because of all the componants!!! But i hope you will agree it's a fabby card! Ruth also had a go at making this card so here's our cards together:

Why not treat yourself to a few punches and have a go at some punchart?! Not all designs are as complicated as this one. Check back at some of my previous posts to see other punchart creations (see yesterdays post where i made a punchart christmas tree)

 If you would like to make an order i'm offering free P&P (usually £4.95) on orders over £50 until the 7th November. Email over your order today: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Heart Punch-art Christmas Tree!

Hi all. Still not feeling well, not up to crafting and relying on my backstock of creations that i made whilst in the Isle of Wight last week.

Today i have a christmas tree card made using the 'Large Heart Punch' in a very clever way:

This card was made very easily by punching out 10 'Large Hearts' from some 'Old Olive' card and arranging them to create the tree. The trunk of the tree was made by punching the 'Modern Label' from some 'Early Espresso' card. All of this was glued to a 'Whisper White' cardbase. The Baubles on the tree have been made from some 'Real Red' card, punched using the 'Owl Punch' (The eye part of the punch) and the bow has been created from a small snippet of 'Real Red' 'Tafetta Ribbon', stuck in place with some super red 'Sticky Strip'. Finally the sentiment has been stamped in the bottom righthand corner. It comes from the 'Contempo Christmas' set and has been stamped using 'Real Red' ink.

These cards are so quick to make, you could easily create a batch!! The wonderful thing about this design is the versatility of the 'Heart Punch' - you can use it all year round - valentine, wedding, anniversary and birthday cards! Why not treat yourself? Email me over your order today - i'm offering free P&P on orders over £50 (usually £4.95): amyjtidd@gmail.com

Crafty Boots Challenge: Young at Heart!

Yep, it's that time again - time for another Crafty Boots Challenge! This fortnight the challenge is 'Young at Heart' (this could be anything child related or even reminiscent of children, bright colours etc.) So here's my Design Team offering:

I have used a really fun stampset from Stampin' Up! called 'Something Sweet'. I started off with a 'Real Red' cardbase and layered some 'Daffodil Delight' 'DSP'. Next i got a piece of 'Pacific Point' cardstock and punched a '1-3/4" Circle' out of it. I also got a strip of 'Real Red' card and edged it using the 'Eyelet Border Punch' and glued them together.
I stamped the gumball machine and its lid (onto some 'Whisper White' card) using 'Tempting Turquoise' and 'Basic Grey' (using 'Stampin' Write Markers'). I carefully cut this image out and glued this on the 'Pacific Point Card either side of the punched hole. I then stamped out lots of gumballs in a selection of colours and punched them out using a '1/2" Circle Punch' and arranged them until i was happy with their position and glued them down. I then placed a 'Treat Cup' through the '1-3/8" Circle' before gluing down the 'Pacific Point Card!

Finally i stamped out the sentiment in 'Real Red' ink and punched it out using the 'Modern Label Punch'. I punched out two small holes using my 'Crop-a-dile' and then threaded some 'Real Red' 'Taffeta Ribbon', tucking it behind the 'DSP'.

A lovely bright birthday card, reminiscent of my childhood - i loved my gumball machine when i was a kid! I hope you like my creation! This stampset is fab and is so versatile - you can create so many wonderful cards with it! There are so many pieces to the set - take a look:

I'm always processing Stampin' Up! orders, so if you fancy placing an order drop me an email with your order: amyjtidd@gmail.com

I hope you find a moment to enter the challenge - i can't wait to see your creations!!

New Stampset: Delicate Doilies!

Today i want to share with a brand new stampset from the new catty - which i absolutely LOVE! I think it is definately going to be one of my new favourites! It can be found on page 69 of the new catalogue and is called 'Delicate Doilies' and they look like this:

Lovely big doilies that could be used in so many ways! At the weekend i went to Cates house (my uplines). She and Diane (another member of the Blue Angels Team' hosted their new catty launch party and Cate designed a card using this fab stampset and i couldn't resist making one! Here it is:

A 'Melon Mambo' cardbase, which has been stamped all over with one of the smaller doilie stamps (also in 'Melon Mambo ink', Then we layered a rectangle of the new 'Flirtatious DSP' onto some 'Whisper White' card. Then we ran some 'Melon Mambo' card through the 'Big Shot' using the new and absolutely fab 'Perfect Pennants Die' to create the cut out doilie shape. One another piece of 'Whisper White' we stamped another 'Doilie' from the set using the new ink colour 'Wisteria Wonder' and punched this out using the '1-3/4" Circle Punch' and raised this using 'Dimensionals'. Finally placing a 'Melon Mabo' 'Designer Button' threaded with 'Linen Thread'.

The 'Congratulations' sentiment is from the 'Wedding Sweet' stampset, inked in 'Melon Mambo, punched out using the 'Word Window Punch', layered (with 'dimensionals') onto a 'Pretty in Pink' 'Modern Label' Finally finished off with two 'Basic Rhinestones' for a little bit of bling!

I think you'll agree Stampin' Up! has done a great job with its new products, this stampset is beautifully versatile! As is the 'Perfect Pennants Die', check them out!!!

If you'd like to make an order drop me an email: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Butterfly Spinner!!

Hi all, It appears that there has been a bit of a theme to my crafting recently!! I seem to be posting a lot of butterfly cards!! Today i want to share with you a card that i made quite a while ago now - but it is just too beautiful not to share!! This card was made under the wonderful supervision of my upline Cate, who taught me the spinner card technique!

The card features a lot of embossing - the background is clear embossed using the 'Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel', the words and the 'All in a flutter' butterfly are in gold embossing powder. The 'thanks' greeting is from the retired SAB set 'So Happy For You', but you could use any sentiment stampset! The cardstock used is 'Chocolate Chip' and 'Rich Razzleberry', which works as a lovely colour combo with the gold embossing! The butterfly is attached to the card with a 'dimenstional' that is attached to a 1p coin so that the butterfly spins along the 'Word Window Punch' layered on the 'Modern Label Punch'.