Ruby Red Wreath

Saw this idea in a newsletter and it was incredibly simple to do. Take a small circle and place it centrally on the card, using the tall bobbly reid stamp from the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set with Ruby Red ink just stamp around the small circle to form the wreath. The great thing about this is that if you are in doubt of how it's going to look, just do a bit more stamping to create a stronger image. When you have completed the wreath stamping, remove the central circle. Then make two small holes with a handheld punch, to tie 3/16" Gingham red ribbon in a bow at the base of the wreath. One of my favorite cards as it's so simple.

Christmas Card Production

As time started to race past I realised that I needed to get a production line organised - just to try and produce the volume of cards needed. I got really carried away and started to mix stamps sets - here you can see Season of Joy, The Snowflake Spot and Perfect Presents. I really love the effect that can be achieved by simply stamping several times to vary the shade of colour, getting lighter with each stamp. Particularly effective for the small snowflakes and pointsetias.

I loved the tiny spot formation of these stamps and they looked stunning on Old Olive and also Ruby Red backing colour in white emboss powder, giving a wonderfully tactile 3d finish :-)

Carry on Christmas!

Again with the gorgeous Season of Joy stamp set I managed to use Christmas as a reason to spoil myself with the Stampin Write Earth Elements Markers which allows you to colour different sections of the same stamp so that you can have brown trunks, green trees and yellow stars on the Christmas tree :-) Also here is the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel with Old Olive Ink which I think gives understated yet stylish co-ordination - yes very easy to get carried away with SU products!

Where has the time gone?

How terrible! I haven't posted anything since October 2009! Shame on me! Well, Christmas does tend to take over, and with all the temptation of Stampin my own cards this year I thought I should include some fruits of my labour...as I love all of the writting stamps I could hardly wait to try the Season of Joy stamp set, when I'd seen it in the Ideas book. Simple yet effective - clear emboss powder for the Ruby Red pointsettia flower and Old olive central plaque and then snow really should be white - so white embossing powder for the snowflake on the bottom corner :-)

October - New Idea Book & Catalogue!

Needless to say I managed to place an order for myself to allow a sneek peek at the new Idea book - hoorah! And in the spirit of confession I have already placed an order as they have produced a stamp specifically for the square scallop punch and I simply couldn't resist! This is a Birthday card continuing my fascination with the star stamps - simply with not quite navy card stock and then whisper white stamped with not quite navy ink - using a nifty stampin dimensional to emphasise the Happy Happy circular edge . . . . . . and then of course one on the envelope to brighten the posties day :-)

Happy stampin all - just uploading card photos to my computer and then I can share with you my latest attempts :-)

A Gift To You from Stampin Up!

FREE Exclusive Ribbon Bundle throughout August 2009!

To show appreciation to all customers and hostesses, Stampin' Up! is offering an exclusive ribbon bundle FREE with a qualifying purchase or workshop! From 1-31 August, Stampin' Up! is giving you a FREE ribbon bundle when you

• Spend £45 on any Stampin' Up! products, OR
• Host a £300 workshop. The bundle includes 9.1 metres each of Certain Celery 5/8" poly-twill ribbon and So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon!

I already have mine and they are really fab! Enjoy!

Where is the time going?

I simply can't believe how fast this year is going! At the moment it's the best I can do to keep up with my own cards let alone think of anything else - hay ho! Stampin Up send out a monthly Ispirations newsletter and this idea landed in May - I was dying to try it out for myself!

Here you use the Tag punch and the 1-3/8" Circle punch.
Use one punched circle as your base (the back of your flower) and one as the centre, using 8 punched tags as your petals.

To make the petals, position the tag shoulders uppermost, fold in half vertically. Then with the fold on your right, fold the top half back from bottom-left corner to top of the first vertical fold (making a diagonal fold, and the rounded petal).

To complete your flower, adhere 8 petals around the base circle - I then printed the petal stamp before I stamped out the top circle (so it was central) - simply securing the whole thing with a central brad. For papers I used the free hostess patterns pack in my last order and then the So Saffron Striped Grosgrain Ribbon from the Mini Catalogue :-) I have to admit that I ordered all my wish list for the Mini Catalogue as it only runs to the end of September, and I'm bound to forget otherwise ;-) The new 2009/2010 Ideas Book will also come out in October so if there is anything you need to order from the current Ideas Book just email it through. Will try to put up my other cards so that you can see what I've been up to!