Crafty Boots Challenge: Children Stories

Hi all. It's that time again! Another Crafty Boots Challenge.

I was naughty this fortnight and forgot to upload my creation so apologies to anyone who visited my blog Monday expecting to see it!

I went a little off challenge with this one and went for a childrens nursery rhyme instead - Baa Baa Black Sheep:

A 'Night of Navy' cardbase. The sky has been created with a piece of 'Bashful Blue' card. The grass has been created by tearing some 'Pear Pizzazz' 'DSP'. To create the tree i handcut some 'Early Espresso' card to make the truck, and punched some 'Scallop Circles' out of the same 'DSP' to create the leafy part of the tree!! The Sheep himself has been created from a 'Basic Black' Scallop circle to create his body, a 'Sahara Sand''5 Petal Flower Punch' which has been snipped into two pieces (2 petals making his legs, and the remaining three petals make his head! Clever hey!?!) His hair has been punched out from some 'Basic Black' using the 'Boho Blossom Punch'. I drew his eyes on with a white gel pen and then a 'Stampin' Write Marker'.

A very clever use of a flower punch i think!!! I love it when you find a completely different use for a piece of kit!! Total crafty satisfaction!!!

Anyway sorry for the delay in posting this. I look forward to seeing your creations! And don't forget if you'd like to make a Stampin' Up! order just email me!

Crafty Boots Challenge: Easter!

It's Crafty Boots Challenge time!! This fortnights challenge is unsuprisingly: EASTER!!! This fortnight we want to see your Easter creations!

So today for inspiration i have my DT creation to share with you:

It's a super cute Easter Chick created using the fabulous 'Top Note Die'! I have to be honest i was inspired by several versions of this online but tweeked it to make it my own.

The cardbase for this card is 'Pumpkin Pie'. The chick has been created from a 'Daffodil Delight' 'Top note' (created using the 'Big Shot') which i edged with 'Pumpkin Pie' ink applied with a 'Sponge Dauber'. His wings were also created using this technique created from a 'Scallop circle' cut in half! and his spiky hair was created by punching some card with the '5 Petal Flower Punch'.

His beak has been punched from some 'Pumpkin Pie' card using the 'Large Heart Punch' and then his eyes were glued on top, created by punching out two '1-1/4" Circles' from 'Whisper White' card and two 'Basic Black' '1/2" Circles'. His eyelets created from a 'Daffodil delight' '1-1/4" Circle' cut in half!

I cut a 'Pumpkin Pie' 'Scallop Circle' into quarters and used two parts to create his little feet, and finally finished him off by tying a bow (from retired ribbon) and sticking it place on his head!

Finally the sentiment is from the 'Teeny Tiny Wishes' set, inked in 'Pumpkin Pie' ink and then punched out using the 'Word Window Punch'.

I look forward to seeing your Easter themed projects - don't forget to enter them into the Crafty Boots Challenge!!

(Don't forget if you like the look of any of the products that i have used in this project you can order them through me! Why not check out the catalogues on the righthand side of this blog and then email over your order to amyjtidd@gmail.com

Celebrate 'Outlined Occasions' stampset!!

Woo hoo! Today is worth celebrating - it's my first day of half-term!! I'm hoping to have lots of time for crafting and can't wait to share with you all of my creations!

Today i have another card to share with you using the fab 'Outlined Occasions' stampset:

This is a 'Lucky Limeade' cardbase, which i have stamped the 'Dots, Dots, Dots' onto it to create a background. Next i ran some 'Basic Black' card through the 'Big Shot' , cleverly using the 'Bigz scallop Square Die' i created this central shape. On which i stamped the 'celebrate' sentiment from the 'Outlined Occasions' set using 'Versamark' and then 'Heat Embossed' it using 'Silver Embossing Powder' and then coloured it in using a 'White Uniball Signo Gel Pen'.

The two stars were made from 'Daffodil Delight' card, very cleverly using the '5-Petal Flower Punch', which i straightened each of the flower petals to transform it into a star shape!! Clever huh?! (Alternatively if you have a retired Stampin' Up! 'Star Punch' you could use that instead.) These were glued into place and then finally i added a bit of bling to the card with a couple of 'Basic Rhinestones'.

Check back tomorrow for a Valentine card created using the 'Outlined Occasion' stampset... if you haven't made a card for your loved one yet i think it should give you some inspiration!!

Glittery Nosed Rudolph!

Good evening followers! How are you all?! Today i have a cute little reindeer card to share with you!

This cute little card is a perfect design to make in a batch and send out to friends and family this christmas!! The cardbase is 'Real Red' and i have layered some lovely Christmas 'DSP'. The reindeer has been made from 'Early Espresso' card using the '1-1/4" Circle Punch', 'Oval Punch' and the '5 Petal Flower Punch'. His hair and antlers were made from some 'Crumb Cake' card using the 'Boho Blossom Punch' and the 'Word Window Punch'. His eyes were created from some 'Whisper White' and 'Basic Black' card using the 'Owl Punch'. His nose has also been made using the 'Owl Punch' from some 'Real Red' card. Just to finish off the card i added a lovely 'Real Red' 'Glitter Brad'. Isn't he so cute and super quick to make in batches! I'm putting through orders all the time so it's not too late to get some christmas class supplies - email your order over now: amyjtidd@gmail.com. (Just to make it a little bit sweeter i'm offering 10% off local orders and Free P&P on orders from my more distant customers!!)

Giraffe Punch-Art Card!

Today i have a card to share with you that i have made with all my Stampin' Up! punches!! I just love punch-art! There are obvious uses for the punches, but it is always very nice to come up with a new way to use them! Sometimes if you stare at the punches for long enough you see another use for them in this instance i saw the possibility of using the 'Round Tab Punch' to create a giraffe!! Here it is:

I made the head from the 'Round Tab Punch' from some 'Daffodil Delight' card, i also punched another 'Round Tab' from some 'Early Espresso' card, cut to a third. I made his nostrils using my 'Crop-a-dile' and also made his eyes using the same method. His ears have been made from a '5 Petal Flower' and i trimmed another 'Early Espresso' one to make the inners of his ears. His neck has been made from a strip of 'Daffodil Delight' card, and his body from a square of 'Daffodil  Delight' rounded off on one corner using a 'Corner Rounder'. I made his spots from 'Early Espresso' card punched out using the '1/2" Circle Punch'. The branch was punched from some 'Garden Green' cardstock using the 'Two-step Bird Punch'. I arranged all the components onto some 'Certainly Celery' card, mounted it onto 'Soft Suede' card and then placed it all onto an 'Early Espresso' cardbase!

Why not get your punches out and have a play! You can pretty much make anything you want from them if you have the imagination!!! Why not take a look at the Stampin' Up! punch range (pages 116 - 119 of the catalogue!)

Trick or Treat?!

I'm having a bit of a halloween fest on CraftyThINKer this week! I've started this about the 31st and all those cute kids dressed up in spooky costumes. This year i have decided to make my own trick or treat gifts! I just love owls and again this project uses the 'Top Note Die':

I ran some 'Soft Suede' cardstock through the 'Big Shot' using the 'Top Note Die' to create a topper for the 'Cello Bags'. I folded the 'Top Note' in half, punched out two 'Whisper White' '1-3/8" Circles' for the eyes. I used 2 'Basic Black' '1/2" Circles' to create his pupils, and a 'Soft Suede' '1-3/8" Circle' cut in half to create his eyelids and i raised these using 'Dimensionals'. The owls beak is made from 'Pumpkin Pie' card which i have punched using the '5 Petal Flower Punch'. I used one single petal from the punched flower to create his beak! I filled up a 'Cellophane Bag' with yummy sweets and then stuck it all in place using some 'Red Sticky Strip'.

There you go, a very simple AND cheap trick or treat gift!!!

I just love the 'Top Note Die' as it is so versatile!! It's not too late to get an order in. I'm putting through an order on the 22nd October and i can offer you free P&P! Get your order in today!!!

Crafty Boots Challenge: Zoo!

Yep! It's that time again - the launch of another Crafty Boots Challenge! This fortnight their is a Zoo theme to challenge your creativity!! Here is my design team entry to inspire you, using Stampin' Up! products of course!!!

I totally love 'Punch-Art' creations and created this lovely lion using my collection of Stampin' Up! punches, cardstock and my paper snips, and a sentiment from the (sadly retired) 'Fun and Fast Notes'.

The lion has been created from some 'Peach Parfait' and 'Chocolate Chip' cardstock. The lions head was created from a '1-3/8" Circle', his muzzle was created from two '1/2" Circles' (which i speckled with dots created with my 'Chocolate Chip' 'Stampin' Write Marker'), his nose is created from a small heart punched from the 'Owl Punch', his ears from the '5 Petal Flower Punch', his mane from the 'Scallop Circle Punch', his body from a '1-3/4" Circle', his tail was snipped from a '1-1/4" Circle' and the end of his tail was created from a small flower from the 'Boho Blossom Punch'.

The grass was created from a strip of 'Old Olive' and a strip of 'Pear Pizzazz' which i have snipped over and over again using my paper snips. The tree trunk was created from some 'Early Espresso' card which i snipped into shape by hand, and i punched out the branches from green cardstock, using the 'Two-Step Bird Punch' .

I stamped the sentiment (from 'Fun and Fast Notes' onto some 'Whisper White' cardstock, punched it out using the 'Decorative Label Punch' and cut it in half!

I layered it all up onto a 'Bashful Blue' cardbase!!! So please with this card and it reminds me of my Tanzania trip back in July!! I'm definately planning on creating some more African inspired punch-art cards, so watch this space!!

If you like the products featured on this blog then why not make an order, i accept all UK orders, and often have exclusive special deals for all my customers! A Stampin' Up! catalogue can be found on the right-hand side of this blog. If you have any questions, or would like to place an order then just email me: amyjtidd@gmail.com

Look forward to seeing everyones Zoo themed Crafty Boot Challenge entries!! Good Luck!

Welcome 2011-12 In Colours!!

Today i would like to introduce to you the new Stampin' Up! 'In Colours'. Stampin' Up! have their core colour collections and then every year they introduce five colours that will remain in the catalogue for two years. So here are the five 2011-12 'In colours' and i'm sure you will agree they are stunning!!

For the next two years you can buy Cardstock, Inkpads, 'Stampin' Write Markers', 'DSP', 'Ribbons' and 'Brads' in the 2011-12 'In colors'. You can find all these products on Page 90 of the new catalogue!!

So i thought i'd share with you a card i have made using these lovely new colours:

I started with a 'Lucky Limeade' cardbase. I then ran 'Calypso Coral', 'Island Indigo', 'Pool Party' and 'Wisteria Wonder' cardstock through the 'Big Shot' using the 'Top Note Die'. I then punched four '5 Petal Flowers' and four '1/2" Circles' out of the same card and arranged them on the 'Top Note'. A clean and simple card showcasing these beautiful colours!!!

A Sweet and Sour Card!

Hi guys! I hope these blog posts are working and you have been getting your daily crafty fix! I had a great time before going away to Tanzania crafting my socks off to create enough projects to share with you!

I recently took part in a papershare, which means that i have a little piece of all the DSP in the current catalogue. It's been great making cards with lots of new products!!

The card i'm sharing with you today is using the beautiful paper from the 'Sweet and Sour Speciality' collection.This paper is absolutely gorgeous, it actually has a glossy finish. Here's the card:

I ran a piece of this beautiful 'DSP' through the 'Big Shot' using the 'Top Note Die' and glued this to the 'Pumpkin Pie' cardbase. I ran a strip of 'Melon Mambo' card across the card. I then rippled some 'Pumpkin Pie' 'Satin Ribbon' across the card. On top of the ribbon i placed two 'Melon Mambo' flowers (created from the '5 Petal Flower Punch') and i placed a 'Daffodil Delight' 'Designer Button' in the centre. The sentiment is from the 'Because I Care' stampset, inked in 'Pmpkin Pie' onto 'Whisper White' cardstock.

Sheepishly CASE'd

I love looking at other peoples crafty blogs and collecting up inspirational ideas. As soon as i saw a card on Cate's Blue Angel Craft's blog i knew i had to try it!!

Yesterday i posted a butterfly card created using the '5 Petal Flower Punch' in a very different way, this card also uses the same punch in a completely creative way! To create a cute little sheep!! Here it is:

A 'Night of Navy' cardbase. The sky has been created with a piece of 'Bashful Blue' card. The grass has been created by tearing some 'Pear Pizzazz' 'DSP' from the Level 1 'In Colours DSP'. To create the tree i handcut some 'Early Espresso' card to make the truck, and punched some 'Scallop Circles' out of the same 'In Colours DSP' to create the leafy part of the tree!! The Sheep himself has been created from a 'Whisper White' Scallop circle to create his body, a 'Basic Black' '5 Petal Flower Punch' which has been snipped into two pieces (2 petals making his legs, and the remaining three petals make his head! Clever hey!?!) His hair has been punched out from some 'Whisper White' using the 'Boho Blossom Punch'.

A very clever use of a flower punch i think!!! I love it when you find a completely different use for a piece of kit!! Total crafty satisfaction!!!

A Flower Punch Butterfly!

Recently i have been playing around with my Stampin' Up! punches...trying to use them in a more experimental way.

Today i want to share with you a little card i made using the '5 Petal Flower Punch' in a different way to usual ... to make some pretty butterflies. Now i'm sure this idea has been done before, however i came up with this without any internet searches - so just very happy with myself right now! Here's my card:

So we've got here a cute little square 'Rose Red' notelet. I have chopped some 1.5" x 1.5" squares from 'Pink Pirouette' card. On one of these squares i stamped the 'heartfelt thanks' sentiment (in Perfect Plum' ink) from the 'Sweetheart' stampset. On the three remaining squares i layered some '1-3/8" Circles' punched from 'Certainly Celery' cardstock. The butterflies are created from the '5 Petal Flower Punch' and some 'Perfect Plum' and 'So Saffron' cardstock. I placed some 'Basic Pearls' down the centre of them, and drew their antenna on with my 'Perfect Plum' 'Stampin' Write Marker'.

A card made completely from the Stampin' Up! 'subtles' collection of cardstock, and for this reason i'm entering this card creation into The Crafty Pad challenge blog: Soft Pastels.

I'd love to know what you think of this card, and if you have any other ideas for the '5 Petal Flower Punch' let me know!!

A Flower Notepad...

Good evening everyone! Today i've been on a training course at the Royal Holloway University - such beautiful grounds and now i'm just on my way to zumba! Busy day! But before i go i want to share with you a little notepad that i have made:



This notepad started life as a 19p notepad from Wilkinsons. I simply covered it in some 'Melon Mambo' cardstock. I then stamped some 'Whisper White' cardstock using the 'Dots, Dots, Dots' stampset and some 'Daffodil Delight' ink. The flower was created from a variety of different 'Brights DSP' using the 'Fancy Flower Punch' and the '5-Petal Flower Punch'. I have placed a 'Brights' ' Designer Button' threaded with some 'Silver Elastic Cord' in the centre of the flower. Finally i tied some 'Grosgrain Ribbon' around! All of a sudden a 19p notepad looks much more attractive! Great to give away as a little gift to a friends, to pop in childrens party bags, as a stocking filler or to pop in your handbag!! I'd love to know what you think...

Hello Cranleigh Girl Guides!!

Hello everyone, and a special hello to anyone visiting today from Cranleigh Girl Guides! Yesterday i visited the guides and demonstrated some Stampin' Up! products and taught them how to make Mother's Day Cards! It was totally chaotic and so much fun! The girls were so enthusiatic and very creative! It was lovely to see that every single one of them made the design their own and i hope their mum's are very pleased with their creations!!

So today, instead of sharing one of my crafty creations, i'm going to show you some of the girls designs! I hope you are as impressed as i was!! The cards featured are using the 'brights' card stock. To create the flowers the girls used the 'Fancy Flower Extra-Large' punch and the '5 Petal Flower Extra-Large' punch out of 'Brights DSP', the buttons featured are Designer Buttons - Bright. The girls also used a range of other stamps which are all available from the current catalogue (apart from the Happy Mother's Day stamp, which has sadly retired).

Any Girl Guides who are visiting, i would love to know what you thought of our crafty workshop yesterday, so feel free to leave a comment underneath this post! Enjoy the slideshow!