All the samples on this blog hop are featuring Sale-a-abration stamp sets available for free with a £45 Stampin’ Up! order.  I have used the Whimsical Words stamp set for my cards today and at the end there is a mini tutorial.  The colour combination for my cards is Close to Cocoa and Pretty in Pink, I have embellished the cards with the Pretties kit.

This first card uses the heart from Love you Much stamp set, stamped in Rose Red onto Whisper White card and coloured with markers before cutting out and raised up on dimensionals. A little paper piercing in the corners and the heart is cut through using a hat pin studded with pearls and a little Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon.

The card below is using Fresh cuts and decorated with 2 flowers from the pretties kit, the first flower is coloured using a Close to Cocoa marker and the second is seriously glittered……I love, love glitter!

This is a pretties white fabric flower, transformed with Stampin’ Up! Fine Cosmo glitter, here it is in close up! Very Sparkly !!

Glitter flower tutorial

You will need

Fine Cosmo Glitter
Pretties kit
Crystal effects
A small dish to hold the glitter

Squeeze the crystal effects all over the flower, it needs to be well covered as shown in the next 2 pictures.

Put the flower crystal effects side down, this is messy, press down hard into the glitter check for any bald spots and press down again, do use tweezers if you don’t like to be gluey and sparkly……..me I love it!

Then put it to one side to dry, make sure it’s a non-stick surface, I use a teflon sheet, but baking parchment will work too, you will know when it’s ready the flower will feel a little crispy!!

Below are 5 flowers coated using each of the colours in the Fine Cosmo glitter kit aren’t they beautiful, a little glitter goes a very long way brilliant value at £12.95.

Thank you for spending time with my, do come back again soon, and now off to your next stop   Jo’s Blog have fun!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I’ve gone for a tonal orange combination for this card.  This first one is the large image stamped in versamark onto Whisper White card and clear embossed.  I have then taken a sponge dauber and rubbed Apricot Appeal ink all over the top, this makes the white pop out.  It’s matted onto Pumpkin Pie  card and the leaves are stamped top and bottom also in Pumpkin pie, a little More Mustard ribbon finishes the card.

A favourite style of card and a favourite colour combination……..Mmmm I think I need to step out of my comfort zone……….So a Chocolate Chip ‘Z’  card with the leaves stamped in Chocolate Chip ink.  The Large image is stamped in Chcolate chip ink, the flowers and leaves are coloured in with marker pens in Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery.  The message section is Whisper White stamped with the leaves in Pretty in Pink on a Pretty in Pink mat.  The card is finished with Pretty in Pink ribbon.

I’m off to find some inspiration for strange colour combinations and new card folds!  If you would like to suggest some please do and I’ll see what I can rustle up!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

This is a really simple one using an Old Olive standard card blank I have stamped the main image in Chocolate Chip ink, onto Whisper White and blended the Stampin’ pastels over the top using Sponge Daubers, So Saffron, Rose Red and a little Chocolate Chip.  A mat of Rose Red with a little bit of paper piercing, Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon and a Scallop oval stamped and chalked as before.

Again starting with an Old Olive card blank, a mat of Night of Navy and the large stamp, inked in Old Olive on Whisper White card.  The large stamp is a little bit bigger than 3″ square, so to make it easy to cut I trimmed it to 3″ square so I could cut 3 x 1″ strips and then 9 x 1″ squares.  At a recent class Christine had the idea to put numbers on the back in pencil so it was less like a jigsaw puzzle!  Very handy tip, thanks Christine!  The card is finished with a strip of Whisper White with a rather wonky “for you” stamped on it, Straight is sooooooooo over rated!  With a scalloped edge and some Night of Navy Grosgrain ribbon.

And the last one for today a Rose Red card blank, a Pretty in Pink 3 3/4″ mat with the large stamp inked with Rose Red onto the centre.  Taking the front only of a Fresh Cut Notes card trim it to 3 1/2″, Use a piece of scrap paper so you can ink up the centre petals, using Pretty in Pink ink and a sponge dauber, just tuck the scrap paper under the petal but above the front of the card.  Then pop a 5 petal flower punch of Rose red under the inked petals and a Rose Red flower from Flower Fusion secure with a silver brad.  Attach the Whisper White card to the Pretty in pink card with brads and then stick to the front of the card.  Finally “Thank You” is stamped at the top and bottom in Rose Red.

I have a couple of places left on my new Stampers 10 club, details are below as soon as it is full we can get started, it’s a great way to get your goodies a little at a time and receive hostess benefits for a workshop without having to clean your house and make tea!

Stampers 10 Club

Would you like free stamps and free products?

Would you like to build up your Stampin’ Up! stash a little bit at a time?

Would you like to earn hostess benefits, but can’t or don’t want to host a home workshop?

Then joining my Stamper’s Ten club is a wonderful solution.

What do I have to do?

You would commit to a ten month membership, agreeing to spend £15 per month from the current catalogue including any current mini catalogues. (That’s £3.75 per week – the price of a magazine!) You can place larger orders, and if you know that you will want to spend at least £30 per month, then you can take two spaces in the club. If you can collect your products from me there will be no postage to pay, if not you will need to pay postage at cost.

What are the benefits?

You will receive a free catalogue from me and a new catalogue when it’s launched in October, a free mini project kit each month with instructions, and for one month (two if you take two slots) during your ten month membership you will receive a minimum of,  a free level one hostess set, and £15 worth of free products from the catalogue.

When does it start?

As soon as I have enough members, the club can start – so if you know anyone who would be interested please tell them.

If you are interested in signing up, or would like more details please email me.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

You all know I have the best Stampin’ Up! team of demonstrators my Inspiring Inkees and of course the most wonderful friends who are also my customers.

Well yesterday through a combined effort of sales and recruiting and lots of hard work by both me and my team, I achieved an all expenses, yes all expenses paid trip to Monaco during June 2010 !

Wow, I am thrilled, it is the first ever European incentive trip for Stampin’ Up! and will be very special. The location is wonderful, ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt of going to Monaco, I am a ‘Formula 1 Grand Prix nut’ and one of my ambitions is to walk the Grand Prix track because I don’t think an F1 team will lend me a car…………..!

If you would like to see the venue please click here.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

to every one who has been part of my Stampin’ Up! story!

So now onto some cards…………….Fresh Cuts

This is a card using my favourite Chocolate Lime combo, I love it! I have used the Fresh Cuts diecut note cards ( 15 in a pack and they are 4″ square) Pop out the diecut petals and stamp the background stamp in Chocolate Chip. Stamp the small flower image also in Chocolate Chip onto a piece of scrap Whisper white cardstock and cut out. Put a Certainly Celery Brad through the centre of the small flower and pop onto a dimensional foam pad and stick to the centre of the card. Back the diecut petals with a 3 3/4″ square piece of Certainly Celery.

For this card I took the petals from the previous card and stamped over them with the background stamp in Night of Navy, then using a sponge dauber covered the whole of each petal with Bashful Blue ink. I cut a 4″ square card blank from Whisper White and stamped the leaf stamp in Night of Navy all around the edge and then sponged Bashful Blue. Now to the slightly more fidly bit! Punch out a 5 petal flower from Night of Navy card and stick each diecut petal onto the flower, I found the tombow wet glue the best for this. When it’s dry attach to the front of the card and top with a Bashful Blue button with a bit of Linen thread tied in a knot to finish.

If you would like to become a demonstrator and have the opportunity to earn an income whilst having fun and even earn trips like this please email me. Stampin’ Up! has a generous reward package for all it’s demonstrators with discounts, free stamp sets and other incentives.

Another big thank you to Brett who took my new photo, do you like my top? Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie!!!

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I have taken an Old Olive card blank with the fold at the top, stamped the large Fresh Cut image onto Whisper White card and matted it onto So Saffron card.  I have then stamped part of the image again onto Whisper White card and punched it out using the 1 1 /4″ circle punch.  Then using a lovely blender pen I’ve coloured the image using the re-inkers to get more depth of colour, but you could easily use the markers too!  I’ve used a So Saffron 1 3/8″ circle punch to mat my coloured image on and placed it matching the pattern with the original picture.  A piece of the fabulous striped So Saffron ribbon  and a sentiment punched the the matching ovals completes the card.

If you’d like to join a technique club I will be starting them again after the summer, I have Tuesday daytime and evening, or if you want to get started straight away I have a few places left on my Stampers 10 club please email me for more details.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

I have taken a base Whisper white card stamped the stalks and leaves in Black Stazon and coloured with a Certainly Celery marker and a blender pen.  The flower heads I stamped onto a separate piece of Whisper White, coloured with markers Pretty in Pink and So Saffron and blender pans and then cut out and mounted onto the card using dimensional.  I have used the sentiments from Fresh Cuts and  Cheer and Wishes, cut out with the Oval and Scallop Oval punches.

For the next 3 cards I have taken a base card of Certainly Celery, added a strip of Tea Party Designer paper and a scalloped edge of So Saffron. I have stamped the leaves and stalk directly onto the card in Black Stazon on and then stamped and coloured the flower heads as before.  The sentiment is from Cheer and Wishes and I’ve punched it out of So Saffron card and added some little doodle dots with the white gel pen.

I have 2 more promotion cards to share which I’ll share tomorrow

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

The challenge was judged by a lovely lady from outside the team, they were all so lovely I couldn’t choose!!

And this one was the winner, well done Vannessa!

and the reasons for the choice  ”All the cards were beautiful and it was difficult to choose, however after careful consideration my choice is card 7.  The reason for my choice is that, the design was simple, loved the triple scalloped edge feature and just reminded me of Spring.”

Happy Stampin’

Amanda

All of my lovely customers will be receiving their copy in the post this week along with my new class list.

If you would like to see the mini catalogue now please click on the link above “Purchase Stampin’ Up! Products” and there you will find a link to the mini catalogue.  I you would like to see the class list, click on the link above “Classes & Clubs” I am taking bookings now.

The stamp set I’ve used for today’s card is definitely one of my favourites….it’s called Fresh Cuts and I’ve used it to make my Mother-in-Laws Mothers day card which here in the UK is on Sunday.  Now although I know my mum checks my website, I know my Mother-in-Law doesn’t like computers very much so I’m quite safe posting this today.  And Mum if you are looking it’s in the post!!!  Everyone else will have to wait until Sunday to see that card.

The background to the stamp is a smooshing technique……never heard of it…..well it’s my word…….and I’ll explain all with a tutorial over the weekend. 

I’ve used Rose Red card stock into a ‘Z’ fold and stamped the branch image all over in Rose Red.  Then my smooshed background is layered onto Orchid Opulence and Whisper White at the front.  The inner layer is another piece of smooshed background (you can see it more clearly) with the branch stamped again this time in Basic Black layered onto Whisper White card and the sentiment is from the Occasional Greetings Stamp set.  Finished with Pretty in Pink ribbon.

The picture below gives you a better idea of the ‘Z’ fold.

For some reason the colours don’t look quite right, I didn’t use my little light box (see previous post) because it won’t fit through the dining room door when it’s up  and I couldn’t pop it back down again………I was crying I was laughing so much!  I shall have lessons and master it very soon.

Happy Stampin’

Amanda