White Christmas

I am so sorry, but I am just so happy playing with my new Christmas stamps, 

that I fear I may bore you to tears with them.

That said - here's the first of many (I'm sure) that I have used

with the White Christmas Photopolymer stamp set.

It's so easy to position things with these clear stamps, it makes it so quick.

A really CAS card - cased from the Autumn Winter catalogue,

using four of the stamps to create this little scene,

I just couldn't resist popping these two little robins on!

Don't know whether you can see the Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the trees.

This was the only embellishment I have added - think it's just enough!

Another design that will suit mass production!

Cheerful Christmas

On Wednesday, I challenged one of the crafting ladies (Jan) to design a CAS card

using the Cheerful Christmas stamp set, and made a couple of suggestions for a design.

Here is what she made

The sentiment is heat embossed with Gold Embossing Powder,

the baubles are coloured with Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers.

I think that this is really elegant.

(Want to be on my Design Team Jan??)

Wondrous Wreath

I started this card yesterday and have finished it this evening.

It uses the Wondrous Wreath stamp set and matching Wonderful Wreath Framelits.

The door panels are stamped using Crumb Cake ink on Crumb cake card stock,

layered on a Very Vanilla 7x5 card base.

the wreath is stamped in Pear Pizzaz, Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler

The Noel is die cut using Cherry Cobbler card stock and the ribbon is die cut using Red Glimmer Paper.

Quite a quick and easy card for mass production - but it looks

rather classy I think - what do you think??

Celebrating 5 years of Stampin' Up!

5 years ago I decided to become a Stampin Up Demonstrator.

I had never heard of Stampin Up, until Chris and I were crafting one day and we were

CASEing a card that called for a pricking template that was made by Stampin' Up!.

I sourced the internet to find one - and stumbled across Julie Kettlewell's blog.

That incident has changed my life considerably!

Not content with just buying the template, I decided to join Stampin' Up! 

with Julie as my upline - whom I affectionately call mummy, (though

truth be told I am old enough to be her mummy!)

I have travelled the Stampin Up journey, guided and encouraged by Julie, 

who has supported me every step of the way. 

 Were it not for her having a little chat with me at Convention in Germany,

 I would not have made the effort to achieve my Silver 2 status, which I enjoy today.

I love being a SU Demo and my extended SU family of fellow Julies' Jems,

we have great times together.

I was reminded of just how far and how long I have been on this journey with SU

when I received this card in the post this morning.

It's from Mummy Julie.

Thank you so much Julie for the sheer pleasure of knowing you and Stampin Up for the last 5 years.

Thanks for all your help and encouragement, which without your support,

 I would never be where I am now - a Silver 2 Demonstrator.

I owe you so much.

Lots of love

Kate

xxxx

P.S. So as you said in the card Julie - here's to the next 5 years!

Zoo Babies Birthday

I thought that I would have a change from Christmas cards today, so

I made a birthday card for a 2 year old boy using the Zoo Babies stamp set.

I needed a card in a hurry and this only took about 25 minutes from start to finish.

Colour combo is Coastal Cabana, Tangerine Tango, Baked Brown Sugar and So Saffron .

The ribbon is Tangelo Twist, but I think it goes really well with this card.

I decided against putting the number 2 on it (suppose there was nowhere it would fit!!)

The little boy in question won't know the difference!!

Cheerful Christmas

Two cards for a treat today - as I missed a few days last week!

Another sneaky peek of a new stamp set - Cheerful Christmas.

This is the original card that I made- really CAS in Real Red and White

embossed with the Textured Impressions Filigree Frame Embossing folder.

This was made by Jean from my Wednesday craft class - she couldn't wait to use this stamp set.

The die used is Apothecary Accents Framelits, and the ribbon is a retired one.

Isn't it beautiful!  Well done Jean!

Another sneaky peek of Festival of Trees

Here is one of the cards that I promised to post from the get together with Chris and Anita - 

here is Anita's design - another sneaky peek of one of the new stamp sets

that you will be able to order from the 28th August - not long to go now!

This is a polymer stamp set so it it is so easy to do two step stamping accurately.

Colour combo is Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and White ,

with a little Gold Glimmer paper (the stars) and Gold Stampin Glitter (the tinsel)

with the addition of Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details.

Chris's Shed Card

On Wednesday, Chris (Sis-in-law), Anita (Chris's downline) and myself had a crafting day at my house.

I had borrowed a card from my good friend and fellow crafter Ann, that she was happy

for us to case - and here's the card that Chris made.

As it's late, I'll post details of this card tomorrow.

Bloom with Hope - birthday

Today I have used the Bloom with Hope stamp set again -

you may recall that I made a few Sympathy cards using this set last week.

Today I have used this set for a happier occasion - a birthday, 

I did mention earlier that August was a busy month for birthdays.

I won't say who this card is for - as it might be for you!!

Simple colour combo of Real Red and Very Vanilla,

with a tough of gold glitter for the flower centre.

I stamped the blossom onto Real Red card with Real Red ink, twice,

then fussy cut them both out, and shaped them and layered them using a dimensional.

The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes cut with the Word Window punch 

and layered onto a punched Modern Label .

Baby Sis's Engaged!!

I took a phone call today from my baby Sis Anne-Marie, letting us know

that she and her partner Dale got engaged yesterday!

She had put it on Facebook, and I hadn't seen it!

I had Lucas and Lexie all day yesterday, so didn't get a chance to see it!

Anyhow, I have made them this card, and will take it over tomorrow.

Colour combo is Real Red, Silver and White.

The hearts are stamped and cut using the Hearts a Flutter stamp set and matching  Framelits dies.

The scalloped border was cut using the Large Scallop Edgelit.

I used the Expressions Thinlits dies,to cut the "love" sentiment, these are retired now,

 but still available on the Clearance Rack  if you haven't got them .

1/8" Silver ribbon bow and Basic Rhinestone embellishments finish off this CAS card.

Congratulations Anne-Marie and Dale

Congratulations

Today my friend Liz has been over, and wanted to make a congratulations card

for her grandson's exam results - we looked in the catalogue for inspiration

and this is what we came up with.

Colour combo is Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Perfect Plum and White

The papers are from the Moonlight DSP stack .

The Sentiment is fropm a retired stamp set (but it was just the right size for the job!)

The stars are punched using the Itty Bitty Accents star punch,

and the staple was just a staple from my office stapler!

I am quite pleased with this - thanks Stampin' Up! for the inspiration!

Festival of trees

On a happier subject today - Christmas!!

Yes I am determined to get plenty of cards done well in advance of the 1st December this year.

Today was my day to go to Chris's (sis-in-law) and craft and we were joined 

by Chris's friend and Stampin Up down-line - Anita.

We had a lovely day together crafting, and we went out for lunch to celebrate Anita's birthday.

We each designed a Christmas card using Festival of Trees stamp set.

Here is mine

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but it has been taken tonight in artificial light

I'll take another one tomorrow daytime!

The Colour combo is quite contemporary - Black, White and Cherry Cobbler.

The star was punched in Red Glimmer Paper using one of the Itty Bitty Accents punches.

I have highlighted the centres of the flowers with Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details -

not sure whether or not this shows up.

I am really pleased with this one.

I will post Chris's and Anita's cards later this week!!

Watch this space.

xx

CAS Sympathy card.

In the past two weeks, I have now made four sympathy cards.

Not easy to make, I know, but what I tend to do is, as I come up with a design, 

I repeat the design with different colours.

Here's the most recent one.

Very simple monochrome colours, Blackberry Bliss and White.

Its a new stamp set - Bloom with Hope - and I think that the flower is

beautiful - as is the sentiment.

The sentiment is stamped and then cut out with the Deco labels Collection Framelits.

Happy Umpteenth Birthday!

Tomorrow is hubby's birthday, so I had to make him a card didn't I?

He would never forgive me if I bought one!

Here it is.

Colour combo is Kraft card with Night of Navy and White.

Stamp sets used: Oh My Goodies (sentiment), Bright and Beautiful (large star)

- this is a sneaky peek from the Autumn Winter seasonal catalogue.

The medium white star is from Perfect Pennants and the small Night of Navy stars are 

punched with one of the Itty Bitty Accents punches.

The starry background is sponged in white ink with the Hearts decorative mask.

I can safely post this tonight as hubby is not one of my blog followers!!

(He wouldn't know where to begin!)

Happy Birthday my darling Barry anyhow!

Happy Birthday Lucas

Today is our Grandson's 11th birthday, so we have been down to their house to deliver

cards and presents.  He has already been out swimming and will be going go-karting later this afternoon.

Here's the card that I made for him.

Colour combo is Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight and White,
Stamp set used is Back to Basics Alphabet (Polymer)
Little Letters Thinlit used to cut the Happy Birthday letters
and the honeycomb is created using the Hexagon Hive Thinlit.

Crafting with Lexie

Well I had a lovely day yesterday with the grandchildren.

In the morning Lexie, Lucas and I went to our local park and golfed on the Pitch and Put.

Lexie is still learning, but is improving steadily and next year I think 

we won't be able to keep her away from the Golf Club!

We had lunch and then went swimming, and dashed back home to get Lucas ready

 for him to have a game of golf with his Dad.
(They ended up only playing 8 holes, as the heavens opened
and we had torrential rain for a good two hours!) 

This left Lexie and me free to spend a few hours together crafting - it was lovely.

She is really talented and has shared her love of making loom band projects,

showing me how to make the more simple items!

Here are some of the things we made yesterday.

My bobble loom band bracelet

Lexie's and my bracelets

Lexie's little girl charm

Lexie made this especially for me - as you may know pink is my favourite colour!

Lexie's little boy charm

and this one is for Barry - he likes blue!

Lexie calls them Nannan Kate and Grandad Barry!!!

Needless to say I had a fabulous few hours enjoying her company!!

Beautiful Bunch ....again

At our last monthly Jems Training Day, we all decorated a little craft journal.

Well I liked the design so much that I decided to make this card for another of my 

August birthday people!! It could be you!!

Colour combination is Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Crumb Cake and White..

I used the Dots Decorative mask to stencil the white spots on the Crumb Cake card ,

using a White Craft ink pad and a sponge applicator.

The big flower was stamped (Beautiful Bunch stamp set) then punched using the Fun Flower punch.

A further flower was punched using the Pansy punch on Blackberry Bliss card stock.

The smaller flowers were stamped (again from Beautiful Bunch stamp set)

but cut with the Petite Petals punch.

The leaves were die cut using the Flower Frenzy Bigz die with Mossy Meadow C/S.

The sentiment is from Tag Talk and punched with the Label Bracket punch.

Two down and a few more to go!

Beautiful Bunch

Chris has been over today to craft with me, and she very kindly brought the Beautiful Bunch

stamp set with the Fun Flower punch for me to use. (I haven't got these yet!)

This month sees a lot of birthdays, so I need to get quite a few cards done in advance.

If your birthday is in August - this could be your card!!

The colour combo is Strawberry Slush, Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding..

The greeting is from Oh My Goodies stampset and the flower centres are embellished

with Dazzling Diamonds Stampin Glitter.

By the way - I love that sentiment!

More Flower Patch

Here's the second card that I made at Chris's last week using the Flower Patch stamp set

and matching Flower Fair Framelits dies.

Colour Combo is Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Pool Party and Bermuda Bay.

The only  embellishments needed were the Basic Rhinestones for the flower centres.

Mmmmm I like this!!

Flower patch

Apologies for my absence this last week - life has just got in the way of blogging this past week!!

Have had a fabulous week, golfing with Simon and Barry, Golfing with Barry and Lucas,

 days out with the grandchildren, crafting with Chris, a day out with hubby, and walking with Ashley - 

it's been great but tiring!

Anyhow - apologies out of the way now.

Here's a card that I made at Chris's last week, using the new Polymer Flower Patch stamp set.

The stamp set had only arrived that morning, so we both were keen to get a card made using it.

We browsed Pinterest for inspiration and came up with this.

The colours used are Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Hello Honey, 

Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzaz and Wild Wasabi.

The flowers were all stamped and then die cut using the matching Flower Fair Framelits dies.

A single Basic Pearl is the only embellishment.

Yummy don't you think??