Stampin' Up! Colour Refresh

Here's the latest news from Stampin' Up! regarding changes to their colour palette

that we will see when the new Catalogue launches in July this year.

The 4 Core Colour families will stay and  there will also still be 2 In Colour families however there is going to be a small change within the Core Colours.

The chart below explains it all BUT please make sure you check out the colours that will be retiring as these will only be available while stocks last 

and not necessarily until the end of June.

So if there are any of your favourites that you can't live without, then you will need to 

act fast and stock up while you can!!  All coordinating products in these colours 

will also be discontinued, including ribbons, buttons and brads, designer papers etc.

The new colours will be available to purchase on 1st July

Well - Hello Doily again

I just love this stamp, my latest acquisition - I have had my money's worth out of it already!

This is for an ex work colleague and fellow crafter, who I don't see as frequently as I ought

- its her birthday on Saturday so this is a combined birthday and thinking of you card-

just to let her know that she is not forgotten.

Stamp sets are Hello Doily and You are loved (floral spray and sentiment)

Colour combo is Midnight Muse, Old Olive and Whisper White.

Doily is stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

Floral spray is inked with Stampin Write markers.

Another CAS card for my good friend - you know who you are-

Happy Birthday for Saturday!!

Field Flowers

Been playing at Chris's (sis-in-laws) today and her down-line Anita joined us too.

We played with a couple of stamp sets that I don't own - which is great!.

We played with gilding flakes - and had a lot of fun, but  made a lot of mess

and all ended up with sticky fingers and gilding flakes everywhere.

It's not the easiest of techniques to master, but here is my 3rd attempt!

The colour combo is Bravo Burgundy (soon to retire) Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple.

The stamp set used was Field Flowers for the flowers, sentiment and butterfly.

For the frame, which we used gilding flakes on, we used Papaya Collage.

You can't see the gilding effect on this photo, but it looks lovely IRL.

In Sympathy - Hopeful Thoughts

Today I have made a sympathy card for one of my SU customers 

whose father-in-law passed away over the weekend.

As I said yesterday, I usually turn to this set (Hopeful Thoughts)

when I need a quick Get Well or Sympathy Card and here's another design.

The colour combo is actually Soft Suede, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla

but in this photo it looks like different shades of gray!

I cut a stencil scallop circle (like in yesterdays card) and ink dusted the centre.

Then stamped the tree, and then split up the sentiment using the stamp-a-ma-jig

to place "Thinking of you" under the tree (RHS) and the "Please know that I care"

underneath the tree trunk and centred horizontally.

Another CAS sympathy card that says it all.

More Hopeful Thoughts

Hopeful thoughts is the stamp set that I turn to for those last minute cards 

that you have to make quickly and I tend to use it for Sympathy cards, Get Well cards and generally for the Thinking of You type cards.

Today we have heard that our friend Pat was taken in hospital last night and that she has been kept in for further tests for an irregular heat beat.  This card is winging it's way to her

to let her know that we are thinking of her and hope that she is better soon.

The circular greeting was computer generated on a 6" x 6" card,

then I die cut a scallop Circle template and ink-dusted the scallop circle

using Regal Rose (soon to be retired) ink.

I then inked the flowers with Rich Razzleberry and the branch in Old Olive

using  Stampin' Write marker pens and embellished with tiny rhinestones.

CAS but pretty and thoughtful I think!

Matt's birthday card

Next weekend it's my niece's husband's birthday, and being as how I am always 

at a loss for ideas for men's cards I had to resort to a bunting card.

I also decided that as three of my "masculine" colours will be retired in July, 

that I had better make an effort to use up the cardstock that I have in these colours -

More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy and Not Quite Navy.

(I will really miss the More Mustard as it beautiful for Autumnal colours)

I used one of the Hearts a Flutter dies to make the bunting and stamped them

using the Lovely Letters alphabet stamp set.

The sentiment is from Curly Cute

and the only embellishments are gold brads.

Mmmm - I'm quite pleased with this!

Hope that Matt likes it!

Just Believe again

Another of the many cards that I have to make this month.

Notice I haven't mentioned who these are for - just in case they pop in and take a look at what

 I am doing at the moment - you can never be sure!

I have taken inspiration from a card that I saw on the internet, HERE

on the blog of France "Frenchie" Martin (we aren't related!)

So thanks France for showing me how beautiful these two stamps work so well together.

The colour combo I have used is Certainly Celery with Midnight Muse.

Stamp sets are Just Believe, Hello Doily and sentiment from petite Pairs.

Again quite a CAS card, but I think it's stunning (but I am biased!)

Hello Doily for my sweet friend

This month I will be kept really busy as I have quite a lot of birthdays, male and female, 

so I have made a start today on one of my female friends birthday cards.

A really CAS card that looks a million dollars - don't you think?

I saw something similar using the retired Medallion stamp and thought this would work just as well.

Colour combo is Riding Hood Red (which will retire shortly), Whisper White and Old Olive.

Stamps used are - Helly Doily, You are loved and Petite Pairs.

The doily was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with White embossing powder.

The flower spray from You Are Loved was inked up using Stampin' Write marker pens

in Riding Hood Red and Old Olive. Then this was die cut with the Circles Die (now retired).

The 2.3/8" scallop circle was punched and glued behind this.

This was raised up on dimensionals

The sentiments were both also stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with white EP.

I think I might well try this in different colourways.

More Postage Due

I wanted to play with the Postage Due stamp set again tonight,

so I set about surfing the internet and came across this card

which I have cased from Dawn Griffith's Blog here.

I have just changed the colours around a little and used a different ribbon and stamp stamp

(if you understand what I mean!!).

Colour combo - Early Espresso Whisper White and Crumb Cake, 

Gold embossing powder.

Natural Trim Ribbon, and Postage Stamp punch.

Another Tea Shoppe card

Tomorrow is the birthday of one of my swimming friends - Susan.

Sometimes after swimming we go and enjoy a cuppa together, 

so I thought that this card was quite appropriate.
It's a card that I have made before but in a different colourway.

Colour combo is Marina Mist, Gumball Green amd Midnight Muse.

Stamp set used is Tea Shoppe

Paper from Print Poetry Designer Series stack.

Old Olive Bakers Twine.
Large heart punch.

Happy Birthday Susan!!

Origami Box

One of my Stampin' Up! sisters has made an origami box that is perfectly stunning,

so I wanted to have a go at this myself.  I have managed to make this box, now all I need 

to do is make a lid that will fit and decorate it - I'll show you the progress I make later!!

Front view

Top view

Side panel view

Postage Due

Today I needed to do a really quick card for a friend who isn't particularly into

girly flowery cards so this is what I came up with.

It looks like a fabulous collage, but the secret is - it's one stamp, so it made it quite suitable!

I am sure she will love this as it's not too girly - I am sure you will agree.

                                   The colour combo is Night of Navy and the stamp set is Postage due.

Hello Doily

I couldn't wait to have a play with this stamp set (Hello Doily) 

and today was the first chance I have had to do just that.

Colour Combo is Sahara Sand, Midnight Muse and White (Glossy) card stock

Stamp sets used, Hello Doily, Creative Elements and Papillon Potpourri 

Sentiment is from (now retired Sale-a-bration) Vintage Verses.

I thought that it went very nicely with the doily.

Embellishments are Basic Pearls and Victoria Crochet Trim.

Postcrossing -handmade cards

On Tuesday this week I posted the card that I sent for my contribution to the card swap

and today I am showing you the card that I received from Jenny Lythell,

She messaged me to ask what my favourite colours were and I said Navy Blue and Yellow

- she has made me a card in these colours!

Isn't this a beautiful Easter card!

Jan's Wedding Card

Yesterday, Jan decided that she wanted to make a wedding card for her friend.

The colours had to be raspberry and cream, and her friend loved butterflies.

This is the idea I came up with and the card that Jan made.

The trusty Creative Elements flourish stamped in Raspberry Ripple on Very Vanilla card.

Layered on a mat of Raspberry Ripple card,

layered on an Ivory base card.

Matching ribbon from stash.

Butterflies die cut using Beautiful Wings embosslit, 

Basic pear embellishments.

I am sure the bride will love it!

Special Birthday

Today's card is for someone special - but I have not yet decided who will get it.

A very CAS card but very elegant I think.

Colour combo is Night of Navy and Whisper White.

The flowers are from the You are Loved stamp set

and the sentiment is from a retired SU set.

Rhinestone buckle from my stash.
This was inspired by Barbara's card here
so thank you for the inspiration.

Twitterpated Patchwork

Here is the card that I have sent to Maria Miia Malmgren in Sweden,

as part of the Post Crossing Handmade Cards swap.

I have used my two favourite papers from the Twitterpated DSP and cut them up into 1.1/4" squares,

then patch-worked them together again and then embossed the piece in the 

 Textured Impressions Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

I stamped the sentiment from the You Are Loved stamp set onto a piece of

Twitterpated DSP then punched with the extra large oval punch.

I embossed the Baja Breeze frame with the Textured Impressions Designer frames 

embossing folder, then fussy cut this out.

The butterflies were die cut with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit die. 

Tiny Basic Rhinestones were used for the Butterflies bodies.

I put some spare butterflies inside the card for when Maria opens it - they will "fly"out!

Hope that Maria like this!

Betsy's Blossoms meets Creative Elements

Betsy's Blossoms is a stamp set that I have not used every much,

whilst Creative Elements is used so often, the image has almost disappeared off the top of the stamp!!

So - a combination of well used and little used here, 

with a colour combo of Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray and Whisper White.

The sentiment is from the ever useful Teeny Tiny Wishes.

A touch of Cherry Cobbler seam binding and a few tiny basic pearls finish this card off nicely!

All products used are Stampin' Up!

Thinking of you card

Here's a sympathy card that I have made for Paula

 to let her know that she is in my thoughts at this sad time.

Colour combo is Basic Black and Whisper White.

Stamp set used is Hopeful Thoughts.

Bigz Lattice die

Well we are going nowhere today, so I took the opportunity of having a play today.

I am trying to use Stampin' Up! stuff that I haven't used much (or in some cases haven't used at all!)

This is my 8"  x 8" card that  made using 4 of the lattice die cuts,

Two in early Espresso and Two in Baja Breeze.

I took out all the waste from the die cuts and re-inserted it in the opposite colourway

and here is the result!! It didn't need much in the way of embellishments

so I just added rhinestones in two sizes.

The sentiment is from Just Believe.