And the winner is..........

Good morning!

For the last week I have been running a competition to win a £10 Stampin' up voucher.
I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who entered for all your lovely comments.

This morning I wrote down every one's names folded them and put them in a bowl. My cat Salem flicked the winner's name out, and the lucky person is Nikki Byrne.

Congratulations Nikki!! Please e-mail me your details so that you can claim your prize. I'm so excited for you!

Have a great weekend everyone. xx

Last chance

It's the last day to enter the draw to win a £10 voucher for Stampin' up goodies from me, remember your comment doesn't have to be about the cards, it could be what your favourite Stampin' up product is, or what you'd spend the money on, whatever you like. If you haven't seen the blog this week, it's simple join us a follower and leave a comment, then you'll be in with a chance. The winner will be announced tomorrow!

I've hardly slept all night, very excited. I'm off to my first regional training with Stampin' up today, finding out about the up coming mini catalogue, stamping, and having fun.

We have been asked to make 'swaps', these are A6 card fronts that display what you can do using current Stampin' up products.

Here's what I've come up with.

Thought I'd go for a masculine one made with the Sense of time stamps, I've tried to use different techniques including crimping and spritzing.
Hope the others like it!

Have a great weekend xx

And finally

Here is the last of the Cottage Wall cards that I have made, decided to go for a square one, a lot that I have made rcently seem to be A6.

I've tried to keep it simple, just cutting squares of the gorgeous paper, and stamping a butterfly onto each, with the thank you sentiment to finish off the last.
Although I must admit I couldn't help myself I had to add a rhinestone to the centre of each butterfly, even butterflies need a bit of bling!

The recipe for this card is
Stamps, Cottage Garden, Because I care,
Paper, Cottage Wall (retired), Certainly celery CS, Rich razzleberry CS,
Ink, Rich razzleberry
Accessories, Scallop trim border punch, Rhinestones, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, stamp-a-ma-jig

I've made so may with the paper set that my others are starting to feel rejected!!
Will have to make it up to them this weekend I think.

You can still leave a comment to be entered into my prize draw, I will be announcing the winner on Sunday, so there is still time.

Looking forward to a fun weekend!

Tearing paper......scary!

I've aways been a bit worried about tearing paper, what if it looks wrong? What if I ruin a perfectly good piece of paper?
But then I thought to myself really what is the worse that could happen?, if it looks terrible I won't used it on the card and I'll use it to punch pieces out of so it won't be wasted.
So I took a deep breath and just did it. I don't know what I was so worried about! It looks fine, however next time I think that I may ink the raw edge so that it isn't a stark white edge.

I thought that the rustic look of the torn paper went really well with the wood grain paper, so I gave that another outing, teamed it with some Early Espresso card stock and some of my favourite thing to put on cards - ribbon. I wonder if I've ever made a card without ribbon on it?! Again my trusty Cottage garden stamps gave the greeting a bit of interest, the sentiment is from a fab set called Occasional Greetings.

Here's today's recipe
Stamps, Cottage Garden, Occasional Greetings
Paper, Woodland Walk DSP, Cottage Wall DSP (retired), Early Espresso CS
Ink, Rich razzleberry, Chocolate chip
Accessories, Scallop trim border punch, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, Dimensionals

There is still 3 days to enter my draw for a £10 sampin' up voucher if you haven't heard about this click here to find out more!

Have a great day xx

Back to the cottage wall

Today's card features the Cottage wall papers (of course!) and one of the sale-a-bration stamp sets Punch Bunch. You can still get your hands on this set for free if you place an order of £45 or more by Monday.

What I love about the Punch Bunch set is that (as you may have guessed from the name) each stamp has a co-ordinating punch, making it quick an simple to create stunning embellishments for your cards, scrapbook or home decor projects.

I have used the 'for you' scallop circle stamp and punch, but there is also to name a few a tag (used on yesterday's baby card) and most exciting of all we will be getting the owl punch in April!! I am beyond excited about it!

I have teamed the gorgeous Cottage Wall (sadly retired) papers with the Woodland Walk papers. I wasn't sure if I would use the woodgrain effect paper but I have ended up using it, on 3 cards so far, so that wasn't a problem after all.

The recipe for today's card
Stamps,  Punch bunch SAB
Papers, Cottage wall paper, Woodland walk paper, Early espresso CS, Very vanilla CS
Inks, Chocolate chip, Rich razzleberry
Accessories, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, scallop circle punch, Dazzling diamonds glitter, 2-way glue pen, designer button brights, Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment and join as a follower to be entered into the draw for the £10 voucher.
I'd love to know what you'd like to get with it! xx

Boy oh boy!

I thought it was best to have a little break from the Cottage garden stamps just for one day, I still have another couple to show but I wouldn't want people to get bored.

I've CAS'ed this card from one I saw on splitcoast. I know it's a boy's card but I couldn't resist a bit of ribbon.

It is using a new stamp set that I got last week called Choo choo, I have my eye on the matching wheel to go with it.

This card uses the Elegant soiree paper pack which when I bought it I thought would only be for women's cards but now I think maybe men's as well!

The recipe
Stamps, Choo choo, Punch bunch SAB
Paper, Elegant soiree, Marina mist CS, Early espresso CS, Very vanilla CS
Ink, Chocolate chip, Marina mist, Baja breeze
Accessories, Chocolate chip satin ribbon (retired), stamp-a-ma-jig

I'm getting very excited about the draw for my voucher, there's still time to enter click here for all the details!
Plus I have a ribbon share available, click on the special offers tab above this post to find out more.

Hope to see you tomorrow xx

Lovely as a tree

I've teamed my paper pack with the beautiful Lovely as a tree stamp set, I thought just because it co-ordinates with one stamp set doesn't mean you can't put it with another.
This set is great, so versatile, I've used it for Christmas cards, men's cards, sympathy cards, all sorts, the possibilities are endless.

Today I've made a feminine card with it, using the colours Rich razzleberry and Certainly celery.

There's still a little bit of the Cottage garden set, I hadn't inked up the tag stamp yet, and I thought that the card was missing something without it.
To get the two-toned look on the tree I first stamped the image in Chocolate chip ink, then using a blender pen I went over some of the darker areas on make them slightly larger. Then with the Old olive ink pad closed I squeezed it gently so that some ink was left on the lid, and again used the blender pen to fill in the gaps in the tree. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

Here's the recipe
Stamps, Lovely as a tree, Cottage garden
Paper, Cottage Wall (retired), Rich razzleberry CS, Certainly celery CS, Very vanilla CS
Ink, Chocolate chip, Old olive, Rich razzleberry
Accessories, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, Blender pen, Dimensionals

Plus don't forget the giveaway is still open, click here for full details.

Happy stampin' xx

Another cottage garden card

Hello,

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, mine has been very productive especially today. I have already made a card for each day next week, I'm very pleased with myself!
Hopefully you wont be sick of the paper pack by the end of the week. I just couldn't help myself once I got started and it just goes to show that all you need is a paper pack and away you go!

Here's is today's offering as I said another card made using the Cottage wall paper pack

This one would be very good for using up scraps of paper, that you can't bear to throw away.

the recipe for this one is
Stamps, Cottage Garden
Paper, Cottage wall (retired), Certainly celery CS, Rich razzleberry CS, Very vanilla CS
Ink, Rich razzleberry, Old olive
Accessories, Scallop trim border punch, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber, dimensionals.

Don't forget to leave a comment if you'd like to enter my little giveaway, (click here for full details) the comments can be about anything, how you would spend the money, your favourite stamp set of the moment, whatever takes your fancy!

Make the most of the rest of the weekend xx

Cottage garden

I promised earlier in the week that I would show you what I made when I got the papers that I won this week, so here is what I'm sure will be the first of many.

Well I was up bright and early waiting for the post lady, she normally comes around 7am on a Saturday morning, so I made sure that I was decent and I waited hoping that she would have a parcel for me.
I waited and I waited and at 9.10am there was a knock at the door, there she was with my paper pack in hand.
I couldn't wait to get it open and have a look, and I wasn't disappointed, gorgeous papers in greens and purples!

I was so inspired by them that I have already made 2 cards and I have a mosaic third card in mind for later on.

I'm hoping to post a card everyday until next Saturday so that people have something new to comment on for my giveaway. If you don't know what I'm going on about have a look at yesterdays post for details of how you could win a £10 Stampin' up gift voucher from me!

Here's the recipe for today's
Stamps, Cottage garden
Paper, Cottage wall (retired papers, I won this week), Certainly celery CS
Ink, Rich razzleberry
Accessories, Certainly celery taffeta ribbon, Scallop trim border punch

The stamp set matches this paper perfectly, if you would like to make something similar there is another paper pack that is in the current SU catalogue called Sunny Garden in shades of Poppy, Daffodil and Peach that also co-ordinates with this stamp set.

Have a fab Saturday xx

Win a gift voucher from me!

Well after the excitement of my blog win earlier this week I thought I would spread the joy and offer one lucky reader the chance to win a £10 gift voucher from me to spend on Stampin' up goodies.
All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is add yourself as a 'follower' by clicking on the link on the right hand side and leave me a comment on any post starting from today.
Once you have signed up to be a follower each comment you make between now and the closing date will be counted. So for the best chance of winning leave one comment each day!
The closing date is midnight saturday 26th February, and the winner will be announced Sunday.

This is open to anyone in the UK, as I can only order Stampin' up for this country.

Good luck and I look forward to reading your comments!

I won!!!

I love to look at other crafty people's blogs  well as writing my own. Last week Michelle Last, a blog that I regularly visit (click on her name to have a look) was giving away the Cottage Wall paper pack to one person who subscribed to her blog and left a comment.
So I did, never thinking that I would win.
I checked her blog last night and was delighted to find that I was the lucky person who had won the paper pack!
I'm so excited to get my hands on it. Can't wait to ink up my Cottage Garden stamp set and match it up with the co-ordinating papers.

So please do pop back to check out what I've made.

Have a great day! xx

Blissful birthday

Every card that I make at the moment seems to be made with the bliss set, I don't know why my hands just seem to head directly for it when I'm creating.
Today's card has a very girly theme, I've used the Sweet and sour speciality papers, I love them especially the glazed one which I have used on this card. I never thought pink and orange would make a good combo but I was wrong!

I love the butterfly from this set, I think it's because it's more delicate than butterflies in other sets, but still simple enough to cut out easily.

Here's the recipe
Stamps, Bliss SAB
Paper, Sweet and Sour speciality, Rich razzleberry CS Rose red CS
Ink, Rich razzleberry, Versamark (I have used the flower stamp on the back ground of the pink squares)
Accessories, Rich razzleberry taffeta ribbon, scallop trim border punch, dimensionals

Hope you have a great weekend, it's perfect weather for crafting!
xx

Heartfelt anniversary

Yes that's right, another anniversary card! You also may have guessed that yet again I have used another of the sale-a-bration FREE sets! They are all so gorgeous that I couldn't choose which one to go for and ended up getting them all!
So here's my latest card which I've CASed from a very talented lady called Ruth.

The Sweet summer SAB set is so versatile, you don't have to used it just for flowery cards as show here.
You could free hand draw the string that connects the lovely little punched out hearts to the branch, but I chickened out and used the 'string' stamp in the Tree trimmings set.
I love the stampin' up rhinestones, I think thy add a little extra to each heart, I had to hold back from adding them everywhere though!

Here's the recipe
Stamps, Sweet summer SAB, Tree trimmings
Paper, Crumb cake CS, Real red CS, Very vanilla CS
Ink, Wild wasabi, Cherry cobbler
Accessories, Real red ribbon (sadly retired), heart punch, Rhinestones, blender pen

I'd love to know what you think, leave me a comment below to let me know  xx

Anniversary bliss

As promised here is another of the anniversary cards that I have made for my sister.
For this one I have used another of the FREE sale-a-bration stamp sets, it's hard to believe that they could give away such gorgeous stamp sets for free!
The bliss set is timelessly elegant and stylish, and looks great in simple colour combos, I have used it today with basic black and very vanilla.
I hope you'll agree that it turned out quite well.

The love letter paper pack has some great pieces in black and vanilla (as shown above) and also red and vanilla, it makes the perfect background to a card, I've used mine so much I'm going to have to get another!

Here's the recipe

Stamps, Bliss SAB
Paper, Love letter paper pack, Basic black CS, Very vanilla CS,
Ink, Basic black

Hope you'll pop back soon xx

Owl always love you!

I've been waiting to get my Punch bunch set just so that I could have a pun title and now I've done it, so satisfying!

I love this little owl couple and can't wait for the mini catalogue in April, to get my hands on the co-ordinating punch, how exciting!! What's even better is that the set that theowl stamp is from didn't cost a penny, that's right absolutely FREE! You could get your hands on this great set for FREE, by placing an order of £45 before the end of february you'll qualify for a FREE sale-a-bration set just like this one with the owl!

I've used this weeks sweet Sunday sketch for the layout, changed slightly but still there.

I was asked to make a few anniversary cards by my sister so this one will be 'winging' (two puns in one post I'm on a roll!) it's way to her later this week, and I'll post the others on my blog for you to see as well.

Here's the recipe

Stamps, Punch Bunch (FREE sale-a-bration set)
Paper, Early espresso, Regal rose patterned paper, woodland walk patterned paper
Ink, Regal rose, chocolate chip
Accessories, Scallop trim border, Chocolate chip ribbon (sadly retired), Heart punch, Extra large bird punch

Hope you had a fab weekend and see you again soon I hope,   xx

Theo and friends

I love the Fox and friends set in the current catalogue, it's so cute! I think the owl is my favourite cute little character, but they are all so cute it's a close call.
When my sister asked me a make a card for a little boy called Theo who will be turning 1 in march I knew exactly which stamp set I wanted to use.

I teamed the fab Fox and friends, with the Broadsheet alphabet to make it personalised, this set is great for monograms.
Marina Mist is one of my favourite colours so I got to use all my favourite things for this card!
As well as my new punch, the scallop trim border punch which I love, love, love!!

Here's the recipe,
Stamps, Fox and friends, Broadsheet alphabet
Card stock, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Ink, Marina Mist, Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip.
Accessories, Scallop circle punch, Scallop trim border punch, Marina Mist satin ribbon, Basic rhinestone, White gel pen, Sponge dauber (for inking around edge of panel)

Have a great (if not a little wet) weekend xx

Tall and skinny? Not at all like me!

I normally tend to make A6 or square cards but I was rummaging through my craft room drawers at the weekend and came across a few tall thin card blanks that I bought forever ago, so I thought I'd try something different. Now I'm not saying that I'll be making them all the time but it's nice to have a change every now and then, and this was a good change I hope you'll agree.

Apologises for the terribly shadowy picture, I wanted to get them all photographed before the light went and time was not on my side, when I get creative time just flies by!
I had lots of little pieces of the designer love letter paper left over and didn't want to waste any, they are so pretty that it would be a crime to throw them away!

Here's the recipe
Stamps, Because I Care, Just Believe, Bliss SAB
Paper, Love Letter, Very Vanilla, Real Red
Ink, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals

Have a good evening,