Sale-A_Bration promotion

It's that time of year again when details of Stampin'Ups! fabby sale-a-bration promotion is launched.

From Dec 30th until Feb 28th 2010 for every £45 worth of products bought (on a single order) you can chose 1 free set of stamps from the 4 yummy sets shown below.

If you'd like any more information about the offer or Stampin'Up! products please email me.

stationary box

I had a great time on Monday when a few docraft buddies joined me for a play day making stationary boxes. Here's the one I made and finished decorating today using my two all time favourite stamp sets and some yummy paper that I've never found a project special enough to cut into them.

Baroque motifs stamped in mellow moss onto so saffron cardstock. Tea & Crumpets papers used to decorate throughout.


This inside with a covered notepad, pencil, tags, bookmarks & cards with envies.

Notepad covered with dsp, scalloped and plain oval punch with pocket silhouettes stamped in pretty in pink onto pretty in pink cardstock. Pretty in pink taffeta ribbon to hold a plain pencil tinted with mellow moss ink.

Lower section holding the tags & bookmarks.

Mellow moss pocket silhouette stamped onto whisper white.

Pocket silhouette again but this time the mellow moss was stamped onto scrap paper first to give a softer image.

Sentiment from Best wishes.

Seeing spots stamped image, scallop circle punch and the 1 3/8ths and the 1 1/4 circle punchs. Giant paperclips from an office supply shop.

Christmas Wreath

Thought it was about time I decided on this years main xmas design, something that was going to be quick and easy to make and I wouldnt get bored by making 100 of. After seeing a wreath made from Pocket Silhouettes I decided to give it a try and think I've found my design for this year.

This is using a stamp from Pocket Silhouettes (stamped in garden green) one from Autumn Days (stamped in real red) and the central sentiment from Spotlight on Christmas, punched with one of the SU punches. Real red and whisper white cs with some generic 300gsm white card for the base. Now I just need to get an order in for a reel of real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon as I don't like the organza ribbon I had in my stash. While I'm ordering I think I'll get some tempting turquoise and some pale pink gingham and vary my colour combos. Shame SU don't make the grosgrain in lavender lilac but I'll resort to using my SU markers to colour some whisper white.

New catolgue out now

If you read my other blogs you'll know I havent dropped off the face of the earth but have been super busy with my surecutsalot designs and new webshop. Well, Christmas is approaching and I need to get cracking on some cards otherwise I'm going to be mightily ashamed of having to buy cards for the first time in about 13 years!

I've got something special planned as a one off for hubbies work colleages (instead of making 30) but once I saw the new catty I knew that nothing but the new snow burst set would do. As soon as the catty went live I ordered it and as soon as it gets here (and plenty more) I'll be finishing the card, all 24 layers of it ! If you want to see what set I mean or look at the new catty click on the picture over there ----->

If you want to order anything just drop me a quick email and I'll be more than happy to help.

mini backpack

I found a fab template on scs to make a mini backpack and this is my first attempt.

Chocolate chip and barely banana cardstock, the french script background stamp in chocolate chip ink. Flowers from the Three for You punch set. Diecut letters from a sissix extended die.

Looks complicated but it was really easy to make.

Layered box

Never ever again am I going to make a layered box. This one took 2 afternoons to make!!

Wasn't that it was complicated, it's nothing more than 3 box bases and a wrap around case. The big hassle was all the measuring as it had to be accurate otherwise it wouldnt close smoothly. Then the enormous amount of sticking together with strong ds tape.

















The box measures a smidge over 4" each way with the inner layers being 4*4*1 and 4*4*2

Fawn brown & pearl card, gold pearl paper punched with MS doily lace punch. Circular flourish image from Mr &Mrs stamp set and embossed with gold SU detail ep. Circular buttons are white gloss card with orange and so saffron SU ink blended with gold alchie ink and alchohol blending medium. Punched with the 1" circle punch, stamped with chocolate chip ink then triple embossed.

3" notelet set

There are so many fab tutorials on splitcoaststampers that it's hard to chose which to do but I had a set of 3" notelets in my starter kit that have been waiting to be played with.

This notelet caddy tutorial is from Regina but hers looks much better than mine.

Ruby red, pumpkin pie and chocolate chip card & ink with some cream card from stash. Pocket Silhouette stamp set, SU scallop border punch, fiskars corner punch oval nesties, a few gems and a couple of brads. It took a fair bit of measuring but I'm really happy with the finished result.

As it turned out I didn't use the notelets and made my own with pumpkin pie card stock.

bad blogger

I've been a bad blogger lately, too many new books from amazon and a missing mojo doesnt help.

This is one I've been meaning to finish for a while. Bloomin beauty turned into a shaker using seeds. Coloured with copics and highlighted with dazzling diamonds. Certain celery & so saffron card and ds paper.

Sadly the colours havent photoed well on this one. I've used versamark to stamp baroque motifs on glossy card then used a brayer with bashful blue & pale plum ink to make the image appear. The image was restamped slightly off centre with perfect plum to create a shadow. Flowers stamped and punched with a retired but still available Three for You Punch Set. Small blue stones added to the flowers.

I've struggled for fathers day this year, and this one is inspired by Maureen Fergusons card on splitcoast stampers.

Baroque motifs stamped in chocolate chip on bashful blue with some silver mirri and a peel off sentiment. I didn't think fil would appreciate the dark purple I used on my other blog but so hubby could tell me fil is colour blind and wouldnt have known what colour I'd used. Oh well, I'm happy with this one.

Tomorrows demos

These are 2 of the inexpensive gifts I'll be featuring at the openhouse tomorrow.

A cheap 48p candle from the supermarket. Image from Summer by the Sea and stamped onto tissue, coloured with watercolor wonders then melted onto the candle. Simple acetate box made from a single sheet of chocolate chip card and the scallop edge punch. A small strip of acetate which I often get from packaging but this piece is courtesy of a good mate. Raffia is cheap to buy although this bit was part of the packaging from a set of teatowels.

These are 4 small jars of jam and cost 80p. The box is made in 2 sections from a sheet of chocolate chip cs then both attached to a heavy weight card covered with dsp. I used an image from fast & fun notes and it's sentiment seperately. Would make a great pressie or even for fund raisers.

3 new cards

I saw a circular penny slide card while blog hopping a while back and thought I'd see if it would work in acetate. Yep, it works although I could have done with a larger bee stamp and a larger channel for the penny to run around.

Everything was cut using scal & the cricut (I know I'm lazy lol) then I used an image from Pocket Silhouettes and Orchid Oppulence to create a pattern around the frame. The flower is doodled on with sakura tiara pens and the bee from Bloomin with Beauty is coloured with markers from the Bright selection.

This is another image from Pocket Silhouettes stamped with Chocolate Chip onto Blush Blossom. I used the stampamajig to keep things straight. Wish SU would invent something that guaranteed by matting and layering would be as straight or my photography ;o) Chocolate chip cs to layer and ribbon to match. Then I ruined it all by not washing the ink off of my hands. Thankfully butterfly punches are dead handy to hide dirty marks.

You must be getting used to this image by now. I didn't think that much of it in the catologue but I keep finding myself reaching across the table for it.

I don't normally do distressed/vintage, mainly because it always looks a mess when I have a go instead of being artistically aged. Really chuffed with this one though. I didn't intend to give it a distressed look it's just once I'd overstamped the En Francais backing I couldnt help but think it would be perfect for a scrap book page of a WW1 soldier.

Enough with the waffle, here's how. Poppy stamped with classic black onto whisper white cs. I then stamped again onto layout paper to cut the mask. (layout paper is really thin so you get more detail around the edges when you over stamp.) Using the stampamajig to keep the writing straight I over stamped with Close To Cocoa. I then used berry red & orange promarkers with g21 & g05 copics to colour. Once I'd allowed the inks to dry thouroughly I used a cotton ball and some blush blossom pastel to age the writing but stayed well away from the poppy as I wanted the colours to remain vivid. Then I sanded the edges until they started to rip then wiped them over the close to cocoa inkpad. From there I didn't even bother matting or layering, just added some of the wide Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon and stuck the image straight down. Few blood red gems added to the corner to give it a bit of balance.

Open House

If you're in Bristol on Sun May 17th you're invited to join me and a few friends at my first open house.

With the school year drawing to a close I'm going to be featuring inexpensive but quick & easy presents to make for the teacher and cards to match. You don't have to have school aged children as these gifts are perfect as all year round or xmas pressies.

If you'd like to come please email me and I will send the address and directions.

spinner card

While watching create and craft earlier they had some spinner card blanks for sale. Seeing as I'm particular about the card I use I decided to see if I could make my own template. 10 mins with paintshop pro and voila 2 templates, 1 that I used for this card the other with a circle in the middle.

Pixie pink cardstock stamped with the hearts from Loads of Love using versamark to create a background. Lorry & sentiment also from Loads of Love stamped on whisper white and coloured with Bold & Bright markers applied with an aqua painter. The lady is from the Loads of Love accessory set and I matted on Tempting Turquise card. The sentiment was looking a bit bleak so I stamped the hearts around the edge using Pretty in Pink inkpad. Surprisingly quick and fun card to make.

Attention span of a gnat

I'll admit I have a very short attention span when it comes to new stash. I start playing with one thing then veer off to something totally different and before I know it I'm knee deep in a pile of boxes, inks & stamps and the table is covered with bits of dst backing.

This is using lavender lace & mellow sage shadow stamped with Baroque Motifs and versamark with an image from Blooming With Beauty. Coloured with f&c watercolour pencils, think I used mauve, olive green yellowish and light ultramarine.

This is a case for me to store my embroidery needles and is nothing more than an a4 sheet folded into 8 and cut to create pockets. Perfect plum and pale plum cs, image stamped in perfect plum using thefrom the Mr & Mrs set and the matching wheel using versamark. Organza ribbon from stash.

Not too sure on this one, same stamps as the last but stamped in bashful blue and matted with brocade blue and designer papers in bashful blue. Scallop edge punch and I used a white gel pen to add some detail. I did add some to the dots from the pattern wheel but think it's ruined it... I might see if I can repair the damage by adding a whitewash in some of the flowers.

Pocket Silhouettes this time and I've used the Stampin' Up! markers to colour the stamp as well as the white grosgrain ribbon. Lovely lilac and green galore are the colours used with Lovely Lilac and Chocolate chip cs.

I don't normally do bright primary colours but with the lorry image from Loads Of Love I couldnt resist. Brilliant blue, tempting turqouise & real red cs with the same coloured SU markers. Those eagle eyes might be noticing the sparkle on them... winsor & newton Iridescent medium.. painted over the top of the image before I 3d decoupaged it. Fab stuff and because the pigment level in the markers is so high it doesnt water them down at all. Scalloped square punch, sentiment, parcles and man in lorry from the Loads Of Love accessories set and a cuttlebug folder.


I've been missing my cricut and scal so decided it was time to make a babys bottle template.

Bashful blue cardstock, pram from Fun & Fast Notes, Baby from All in the Family. White grosgrain ribbon and some lace trim from stash. Doesnt really show on the pic but the handle from the pram didn't survive the knife so I used a small piece of wire instead.

lolly sticks

Somewhere while blog hopping or reading a mag I saw a picture of a card using a lolly stick and a packet of seeds and thought wow, must have a go at that. On a trip to the local craft shop I saw a bag of lolly sticks and duly bought them then as per usual couldn't remember exactly what it was I was going to do with them.

The lovely ladies at the ILWS forum couldn't help with the exact card I'd seen but they did post some lovely links where people had used lolly sticks.

Thanks to hubbies generosity in saying buy all I need (same as want in my book lol) the very nice man from DHL arrived this afternoon with a big box of goodies, including the Summer by the Sea stamp set so.. this is todays playing.

I stuck the lolly sticks to some scrap card then used the stampamjig to get the image central and straight, no cutting the image out at an angle to hide my weakness for squew any more ;o) Stamped with Chocolate Chip and used the aqua painter with the weeniest bit of ink from certainly celery, pretty in pink and apricot appeal and dragged the chocolate chip ink from the stamped image. I wasn't looking to colour, more a tint.

Mounted on Tea and Crumpets dsp, mellow moss and so saffron card. With a border made with the scallop edge punch and some pretty in pink taffeta ribbon.

Bloomin Beauty

Something a bit different today, this is using an a5 piece of Lavender Lace card stock and scoring and cutting. I then mounted some strips of white and stamped the small flower from Baroque Motifs with versamark, added poppin pastels in Almost Amethyst & Lavender Lace and a sentiment from Cheer & Wishes.

The poppy from Bloomin Beauty has been stamped on a sheet of white 160gsm laser paper before being coloured with v91 & v95 copics. The leaves are g21 & g05 and for both I picked up the darker colour from acetate with the lighter pens. Once coloured they were then cut out and mounted on the Whisper White. I've left the central block so that I can add a suitable verse at some point in the future.

Still having fun

My mate Tracy is going to be the guinea pig for my first SU party so I'm busy making up some samples.

This is using Barely Banana card with the Garden Whimsy stamp set. The butterfly has been stamped twice and mounted with some silicon glue for depth. Pic doesnt show it but I succombed to Tracys request for sparkles and added some gems & glitter to it.


This is a small box that is held together with 2 buttons and should be some gold elastic cord. I've had elastic cord on the desk for months.. until today when I wanted it!! Butterfly from Garden Whimsy stamped with versamark and embossed with gold ep on Sage Shadow cs.






This isnt a card, it's an exploding tag book. Apricot Appeal cs with the poppy from Beautiful Blooms. I used various pale reds and orange copics to colour. If I remember I'll try and photo the inside on Mon.










These are using my favourite swirl from Baroque Motifs, the first is just stamped in classic black then cut into 3 panels and mounted. Ribbon from stash and I used a corner rounder and the making memories ribbon slot punch to create the panel for the sentiment.





Orchid opulence ink, and a sentiment from Cheer & Wishes, a few gems and some organza ribbon from stash.












A couple of quick paperclip bookmarks using 2 other stamps from the Baroque Motifs set. Bashful blue, pretty in pink and apricot appeal.

I've not long had All In The Family stamp set and have fallen in love with these little stick figures.

The first is a bag made from a 6" envie and decorated with the spot on wheel using pretty in pink ink. I thought this would make a fantastic party bag that with a bit of help most children would enjoy making.

Carrying on with the party theme this is a co-ordinating invite. Same stamps, pretty in pink cs stamped with versamark. The invitation banner (Cheers & Wishes set) is attached with some jump rings.

I've already started on a cake slice box but it's still on the table to be finished.

Well that's it for tonight, I've got to be up early in the morning. I'm off to Newbury for a colouring in class or for those who'd understand it, a lesson in how to use copic pens ;o)

Been playing again

I'm having so much fun with boxes at the moment that I've only 1 card today.

Using the Fun & Fast Notes stamp set and Spot On wheel. Bashful blue & certainly celery card stock and the image is coloured with copics.








How can 2 small pieces of paper drive a person insane? Turning them into a Danish woven heart basket is how!! I haven't made one of these for over 10 years and I'd forgotten just how fiddly it is getting those last 2 strips into place.


Sweet Always paper and a bow. I've stuffed it with cotton wool to take the photo but I'll be filling it with sweeties.







Another acetate box, this time I thought it would make a cheap set of 99p pencils/pens into a great thank you gift for a teacher. Apricot appeal card stock, Spot On stamp set, some nesties, a few small jup rings and whisper white grosgrain ribbon.









I've always loved favour boxes and this one is so easy to make. Certainly celery card stock, garden whimsy stamped in versamark then dusted with gold perfect pearls. 3 ribbon roses from stash glued onto a gold nestie circle. Quick and easy, I hope the kids don't go hunting for the choccy inside.