Blushing Bride

Here's my very last minute entry to the Daring Card Makers Challenge this week. The challenge this week is to create a 'rocker card' I have never made one before and didn't know where to start. But i started thinking up an idea last night and knew i had to give it a go before going into work this morning. Here's my card!

I have used 'Very Vanilla' cardtsock - folded at the top - then udes a plate to create the bottom of the dress, i then used my 'Heart Punch' to cut out the bodice and ran them bothe through the 'Big Shot' using the 'Vinatge Wallpaper Embossing Folder'. The roses are created from some scraps of 'Pink Pirouette', 'Blushing Bride' and 'Very Vanilla' cardstock. I punched out some 'Scallop Circles' and then a '1-1/4" Circle' from the middle. Then cut a slit through the scalloped ring and rolled it around to create the roses. (Hint: use sticky red tape to hold them all together!) The sentiment is from the 'Occassional Quotes' stampset and i have placed this on some 'Blushing Bride' card, punched out with the 'Decorative Label Punch'. I have embellished the card with some 'Basic Pearls' around the sentiment and on the bodice of the dress!

I'd love to know your thoughts on this card!! I literally entered it into the DCM challenge with 7 minutes to spare - talk about close to the edge!!

Hope you have a good day! Not long now til the weekend!!

OMG!! Happy Birthday Sarah!

Hi everyone, an early post today as i have a busy day planned! I'm just off into town to book a holiday for me and my hubby for August and then i'm off down to Southampton for a glam night out to celebrate my friends Sarah's 30th birthday! We're having makeovers and then glamming up for a posh meal and then on to a nightclub! Can't wait it's going to be fab!!!

Here's a card that i made for her, i hope she likes it!

The cardbase used for this project is 'Blushing Bride' from the 'In Colour' range, which  i have run through the 'Big Shot' with the 'Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder'. I have used the 'Vintage Vogue' stampset to create the image. the foilage was randomly stamped using 'Always Artichoke' ink. I then clear embossed some small flowers onto 'Blushing Bride' cardstock using 'Versamark', 'Clear Embossing Powder' and a 'Heat Gun'. I cut around these and stuck them over the foilage using 'Dimensionals' to raise them. I placed some 'Basic Pearls' in the centre to 'bling' up the project! I mounted this onto some 'Early Espresso' cardstock. The sentiment is from the 'Occassional Quotes' stampset, inked with 'Early Espresso' and punched out using the 'Decorative Label Punch'.

I'll be back tomorrow (probably once the hangover has gone!!) to share another birthday card with you. It's my 'Grandpa in Laws' birthday so i have a more masculine card to share with you!

Have a brilliant Saturday!

Amyxx

DCM Challenge: June Flowers (Roses)

Hello! and a special big hello to all my new followers! What an exciting day! We have decided to book a holiday and off tomorrow to actually book it at the travel agents, on top of that my blog has achieved over 100 followers and i have announced my blogcandy winner and to top off my fab day i found out that i won a prize over at Daring Card Makers for my 'Passion for Fashion' card!! Woop Woop!!

Here is my entry for this weeks Daring Card Maker Challenge (June Flowers):

The cardbase i used for this card is 'Concord Crush'. I then ran some 'Rose Red' card through my 'Big Shot' using the 'Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder'. Before sticking this down i wrapped some 'Pear Pizzazz' 'Seaming Ribbon' around the 'Rose Red' card and tied a bow. The sentiment is from the Level 3 hostess set 'Occasional Quotes' which i stamped in 'Pear Pizzazz' ink onto a scrap of 'Whisper White' card and punched out using the wonderful 'Decorative Label Punch'.

Hope you have had a fab week, i have had a wonderfully restful halfterm and really looking forward to the weekend! Hope you have a great weekend too! xxxx

Happy Wedding Day Rob and Iwona!!

Today is our friends Rob and Iwona's wedding day!! So today i want to share with you a little present that i have made to give them to remember their big day...

I have made them a 'mini book' (i got this idea from a craft retreat that i assisted at which was run by my upline Cate) but as always i have put my own crafty touch on it! The 'outer' was created from a piece of 'Very Vanilla' cardstock which i lined with the wonderfully elegant 'Love Letters DSP', i have used 'Red Riding Hood' cardstock, edged with the 'Eyelet Border' to create a spine for this mini book. I create the bride and groom hearts using the 'Heart Punch'. I ran the bride heart through the 'Big Shot' with the 'Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder'. They have been embellised with 'Basic Pearls' and 'Basic Rhinestones. I glued these onto a 'Red Riding Hood' 'Top Note' and the sentiment is from the Level 3 'Occasional Quotes' stampset in 'Whisper White' ink.

Here's a sneaky peek inside:

For the centre i used a piece of retired DSP (10"x10") folded into four. The hearts have been created using the 'Heart Punch' and run through the 'Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder' and here's it completely folded out...

Again i have used some lovely 'Love Letters DSP', edged with the 'Eyelet Border Punch'. I hope the happy couple will love this gift and that they use it to place some cherished pictures or mementos of their big day!

Congratulations once again Rob and Iwona!! Hope you have an amazing day! I'm already looking forward to the big Polish wedding in October!!!

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

My first Tri-Shutter Card!!

Hi all! I have had another fab weekend!! My hubby has been away on a stag weekend, of course i have missed him, but it has meant that i have been able to go out and have a lot of fun with my friends! Last night i went out for a lovely meal and cocktails with my two good friends Suzanne and Lucy! Even though we were only going into town we glammed up and it was all very fun! I was particularly happy that i was ID'd getting into the pub!! woo hoo!!! Retail therapy + good food + amazing cocktails + good friends + a little bit of crafting = one FAB weekend!!!

Anyway, back to the crafting... those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know that i have been trying really hard to craft beyond my comfort zone and experiment with new designs, colours, layouts etc.

I have seen lots of Tri-Shutter Cards on Splitcoaststampers and other craft blogs and decided that i must give one of these cards a try! I used a wonderful YouTube tutorial from Splitcoaststampers to guide me through... here's my attempt (and i have to say i'm very very pleased with the final result!!):

I have used 'Crumb Cake' cardstock for the cardbase. I have used a selection of 'Springtime Vintage DSP' mounted onto 'Always Artichoke' cardstock. I have embellished the card with some butterflies cut using my 'Big Shot' and the 'Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die', some 'Basic Pearls'. I have also used my 'Eyelet Border Punch' and my 'Paper Piercing Tool' on this project. Here's a picture of this card in it's closed form:

The quote is from the 'Occasional Quotes' Level 3 hostess set, inked in 'Always Artichoke' onto 'Very Vanilla' cardstock. I drew around a button lid to create the large circle, used a 'Sponge Dauber' to age the edges and then mounted this onto 'Always Artichoke' cardstock.

I really love this style of card and will definately be making some more cards like this!! I have shown a few friends and they appeared very impressed with my design!!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome some new 'crafty thinkers' to my blog!! I'm very excited that i now have 31 regular followers!! So a big hello to my newest followers: Paramour.d and Lya Thomas!! If you like what you see, please spread the word to all your crafty friends!!!

I'm here for you...

Recently my manager informed me that his Father had passed away. I just wanted him to know that i'm there for him if he needs me, so i posted him this card:

Both the stampsets used are hostess sets: so if you like them YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HOST A WORKSHOP!! (or make a big order!!!) The flowers are from the two -step stampset 'Fast and Fabulous' and the words are from 'Occasional Quotes'. I have used 'Bashful Blue' and 'Early Espresso' ink and the cardstock used is 'Bashful Blue' and 'Whisper White'. I finished off the card with some 'Early Espresso' 'Satin Ribbon'.

It's never easy to make a card like this, but i hope it reassures him that people are thinking of him and wish him well. xxx

Happy Engagement Fi and Anthony!!

Another day, and another good piece of news!! There is so much at the moment to celebrate! My good friend Fiona and her partner Anthony got engaged at the weekend and I'm just so happy for them!! I used to work with Fiona but she sadly moved away last year and i miss her lots! But we still stay in touch and we're planning on catching up in London over the Easter holidays!! Anyway, i couldn't resist making and sending a card. Here it is:

The card is using Stampin' Up! shimmer card. I have used the 'Big Shot' and a the Stampin' Up!  exclusive 'Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder'. I have used a '2-way glue pen' to apply 'Dazzling Diamond glitter'. The sentiment is from the Level 3 hostess set 'Occasional Quotes' stamped with 'Early Espresso' ink. The card has been finished off with some 'Early Espresso' 'Satin Ribbon'.

I love the 'Manhattan Flower Embossing 'Folder' and it's such value for money at just £6.95. (Just to let you know that if you have a Cuttlebug you can still use these embossing folders!) To demonstrate to you the versatility of these embossing folders here is another card using this product:

This card has the same colour theme as the one above. The sentiment is also from the 'Occasional Quotes' stampset. Maybe i'll keep this on to give on Fi and Anthony's big day!!! I'm looking forward to meeting up and chatting wedding plans!!!

It's the last day of term today and then EASTER HOLIDAYS!!

One for the Men!

OK, it's official i think  i love ALL the Mini Catalogue products! One stamp that i've really enjoyed stamping with is the 'motorcycle' stamp!! I always find it difficult to make cards for men, but this single stamp makes creating a card very easy!! You can use it quite simply - stamping it and then colouring it in, but i decided to do something a bit different with it, and try to make it look like a moving image by stamping it several times:

The cardstock used for this card was 'Crumb Cake', the motorcycle was stamped using 'Early Espresso' ink on 'Whisper White' card, mounted on 'Early Espresso'. I have used a 'sponge dauber' to create a dust effect. I have also wrapped some 'linen thread' around to finish it off. The sentiment is also inked in 'Early Espresso' and is from the level 3 hostess set 'Occasional Quotes' - this is a stampset you can earn from hosting a craft workshop in your home. If this is something you think you would like to do then drop me an email with your details and i will give you a call to arrange one: amyjtidd@gmail.com

There are also some brand new hostess sets for you to earn in the Mini Catalogue, so now is a good time to consider hosting a party - you will also earn money to spend in the catalogue (the amount will vary depending on how much your friends spend) See the 'Parties' tab above for further details!!

Check back soon! Amyxx

Baroque Motifs

Hi all! I was on facebook earlier and noticed on the Stampin' Up! page that someone was looking for inspiration to create wedding stationary using the 'Baroque Motifs' stampset and 'Tempting Turquoise' ink. Someone of course directed them to Splitcoast Stampers, which is always good when having a creative block but i thought i'd have a go at making something myself, here's the result:

The small flowers have a shiny texture as i have stamped in versamark and then turquoise ink and then used clear embossing powder and my heatgun. The white flowers are created with versamark and clear embossing powder. I have raised these using 'Dimensionals' and then used 'Basic Pearls' for the centre of the flowers. The sentiment is from the Level 3 hostess set 'Occasional Quotes', which is becoming one of my most invaluable pieces of kit! It never lets me down!! Hope you like! I'll be back soon with another mini catalogue creation - and details of my mini catalogue launch party!!!!

Only one more sleep!

Only one more sleep until the new mini catalogue is available for public viewing!! I can't wait to share with you, all the lovely new products,  including something very big and exciting!! So check back here tomorrow, as soon as i can i will put up an electronic version of the mini catty and a few of my most recent craft projects using the new products!!

Today i want to share a couple of projects i have been working on using the 'All in the Family' stampset. They are both on the same theme - babies!! Everyone seems to be having them at the moment!!!

So the first project is a card i have created and plan to send tomorrow to some friends of ours who have recently announced that they're expecting their second baby!!

The cardstock used is 'So Saffron' and 'Certainly Celery' edged with the 'Eyelet border', trimmed with some grosgrain ribbon and a 'designer button' from the 'subtles' range. The baby has been contructed from the 'All in the Family' stampset and has been coloured in with 'blender pens', the sentiment is from the wonderful level 3 hostess set 'Occasional Quotes'.

The second project is a 'brag book' that has been constructed with 'Melon Mambo and 'Regal Rose' cardstock and DSP from the 'brights' collection. I have made this for my cousin who has recently become a daddy to a beautiful little girl, named Summer Marie! (This is a sneak preview as i plan to pop this in the post to him tomorrow!)

The baby has been created using the same method as above, and because i wanted to personalise this project i used my computer to create the sentiment. I have used 'cellophane bags' inside to place the photos:

I hope you like this project, a 'brag book' is quite an easy project to complete. If you would like to learn how to make one then why not get in touch to arrange a workshop in your home? If you're interested in having a workshop drop me an email: amyjtidd@gmail.com.

Anyway, please check back here to see the mini catalogue!! I will be placing an order on the 4th April. So if you would like to make an order please email me! (I will be holding a mini catalogue launch party towards the end of the month - with a free make and take and lots of cake!! Everyone will be welcome!)

Night Night! xxx