BIg Shot Workout - Chupa Chup Daisy & Watering Can

Just when you all thought my immaturity was over with the Easter Bunny box..... I just had to make a lollipop daisy!!! 

We made Lollipop flowers with oval punches last  year at Bev's workshop and I also made lots for my son's birthday party last year for a treasure hunt in the woods!!

But look at these made just using the SU! Daisies #2 die and the Square Lattice embossing folder... I am in heaven ( as I have always been a daisy fan since I first got into papercrafting!!)  I don't think that this photo can truly show the difference when you emboss these daisies - suddenly they really come to life!!!

I also thought these might be an alternative idea for some as a simple Easter treat.  (though don't worry friends & family..... you will always get chocolate from me!!)

And we also made a watering can for the daisy to go in..... this is made from the Mini Milk Carton die. This die is so clever... not only does it score the lines for a milk carton... but also has the lines to form a spout... The butterflies are all made using just the one pass of the Beautiful Wings Embosslit die.  This die is amazing - not only does it cut the shapes but it embosses at the same time - fantastic - and there are 4 to choose from..... 

And here is the more grown up version of the daisy.... as chosen by most to make... don't know if that was because it is more grown-up.... or because they all sat there with a lollipop in there mouth!!! So many sweet tooths in one room....! 

If these Big Shot projects interest you  - do remember to check out my Big Shot specials - there is something there for every one/ budget!! And I will be holding another Big Shot class next month too ....

Top Note Die Easter Bunny Bag

So I am supposed to be making projects for my next class for Big Shot projects on Monday- but I seem to be STILL getting carried away with Easter Bunnies.

I saw these cute projects by Cristena yesterday...Bunny Bags and immediately stopped doing the pretty flowers I was doing - and did this instead!! This will be handed over to my father for Easter.... as he doesn't like chocolates - so the mint imperials will suit him better.... And thanks Cristena for sharing you great project and for diverting me SO well!!!

Most of the details are the same as on my earlier Easter Bunny Scallop Envelope Box  post including the owl punch waistcoat as the teeth - though this time the Top Note die was used for the head part - along with the Wide Oval punch for the main ears and the 1 1/4" circle punch for the cheeks; small heart punch for the nose and 1/2" Circle and Itty Bitty Punch trio Circle punch for the eyes ( and the toes)

And so now back to the Flower dies and what I am supposed to be doing!!

Easter Bunny Punch Art Box - or the Owl & Ornament Punch meet the Easter Bunny!!

I have finally finished the Easter Bunny Box I have been talking about in classes for weeks!! So guess what you will be making next week in our first Big Shot Workout class!!  It fits LOADS of chocolate in!!!

This project is an amalgam of many inspirations I have picked up whilst blog hopping over the last 2 years with a few little additions of my own.......

So where shall I start..... OK at the top - so the head......  the main head part is punched using the Ornament punch; the eyes , nose and teeth using the Owl Punch ( yes the goofy bunny teeth are the waistcoat part!! I just couldn't resist.....) and the cheeks using the 3/4" Circle punch.. And finally the floppy ears using the Large and Small Oval punches.

The box is made using 4 Scallop Envelopes cut using the Scallop Envelope Die. You can see the tutorial by the very talented Jane at Whoopsie Daisy to make this box here. Scallop-Envelope-bigz-die-box.  I have added the 2 largest circles from the Circles #2 die as the body and the back of the head. The front of the box is stamped using the Easter Wishes stamp from the new free Level 2 hostess set Something to Celebrate in the mini catalogue.

And the feet are the Wide Oval punch with a small Pink Pirouette oval and the smaller circles again from the Owl punch.

And I will finish this post with links to the inspirations I have picked up from blogland. These ladies are also so talented - and well worthwhile taking a bit of time off to visit & investigate their blogs.....Firstly the idea of an Easter Bunny box using the Scallop Envelope Box - I first saw this on Sandi MacIver's blog last year ( here little-bunny-box ) and have been itching to make my own ever since!! And the Ornament punch head shape, cheek structure and the start of some floppy ears are inspired by Mercedes Weber ( here Hop-Inspired-Bunny ) - I just took the floppy bit of the ears a bit further.....

Greenhouse Gala Workout - Circle Easel Card

So here is the last card for next week's classes. I just HAD to use my new BIG SHOT!! So it just has to be a Circle Easel Card as we all really like these in classes!! Though this has to be the brightest one we have ever done!!

So I have used the newly available Scallop Circle die from SU! This is in our new mini catalogue which came out on 1st April. Just press the link at the top left of my blog top go to straight to a copy.  I have embossed the flower image with white embossing powder on Daffodil Delight cardstock. The Happy Birthday greeting is from thre Party This Way stamp set. The punches for the greeting are the Word Window combined with the Modern Label. I also used the Modern Label punch to add a Pumpkin Pie tab to the top right of the stamped image. All finished off with some of the gorgeous Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon.

And guess what I am off to do next.... start lots of projects using my new BIG SHOT!!! The classes in the week after next are the first part of a series of Big Shot classes I am running over the next few months - I have 100s of ideas of things I want to make with my Big Shot stash - so the hardest part will be deciding what to do first.... guess there will be some late night crafting sessions next week.....

And oh - the first 2 Big Shot classes are free to anyone buying a Big Shot through me...... including purchases made under the Big Shot Starter Kit offer detailed above. You can either come here OR get  the prepped kit & instructions etc for use at home. So that's another £20 's worth - so hey that effectively gives you a BIG SHOT for £35....... what are you waiting for !!!!???

Greenhouse Gala Mainly Cards Workout

Here are some of the projects we will be doing in next weeks' classes. I have 2 spaces on both Monday night and Tuesday morning if anyone local can make it after all.  I will also have a couple of kits all prepped, made up and ready for assembly if anyone has the stamps and fancies having a go at home at their own pace..... Just click EMAIL ME at the top right of this page to contact me...... Classes or Kits cost just £10.

We will be making a boxed bag with 4 different 4" Thank You cards all made using the Greenhouse Gala Designer Series Paper and the Ornate Flowers stamp set. These cards have all been inspired by swaps I have received from fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators and that my class-comers have expressed a particular interest in making for themselves - so I have a few people to mention and to thank for their inspiration...... I think that most of these swaps were from SU! Convention last November. As you will see - these cards all bear a similarity in layout although the original inspirations have been made by totally differemt people!!

For those of you that don't know.....  we Stampin' Up! demonstrators love to swap our ideas and use every "getting together opportunity" to make lots of cards etc and swap with each other...... As the SU! motto goes it really is all about "create, inspire, share"  - so we do!!!

The Box in a Bag is a tutorial by Diana Gibbs on the SplitCoastStampers web site ( Link here SCS Box in A Bag) - though I have altered the dimensions to suit the size of my cards.

And now for more pictures of the cards and the people I have to thank for such beautiful swap cards.....

This first card also uses the Elegant Thank You stamp ( available as an individual stamp) which sits perfectly over the small ornate blossom image. Oh and a large pearl.....

This card is inspired by one made by Margaret Rose (aka ayorkshirestamper) a whole year ago when last year's Mini Catalogue came out. It has sat splendidly on my display board ever since!!!  - earning the well deserved oohs and aahs all year!!

The second card also uses the So Many Thanks stamp ( also available as an individual stamp) and 3 small pearls.... what would I do without the multi size SU! packs of pearls.....   

This card was inspired by a Convention swap from Rebecca Chivers ( aka craftybecs ) - again it just had to be made after 5 months of oohs and aahs.....

And the third card.  This also uses the Thank You Kindly stamp set - which is a gorgeous set of 4 Thank You greetings. 

Thanks go to Cate ( aka blueangelcrafts - whose actual swap card is linked here) for her swap card last November.

And last but not least..... the fourth card again uses a sentiment from the Thank You Kindly stamp set. I have also used the new Textured Impressions Square Lattice embossing folder which magically turns any paper or card  into a faux fabric effect. Stunning!! And very tactile. Bet my ladies want to texturise everything in site next week!!! 

Thanks go to Anthea Goodman ( aka stampin-divas ) for her swap card last November.

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Blog Hop - SU! UK Demos celebrate the new Mini

For those of you already hopping around..... Hello and welcome to Amanda's little blog aka The Craft Spa. You should have come here from Jane's Blog- Cheshire Design House - aren't her projects just wonderful!!

And for those of you starting here...... Hello and welcome to our Blog Hop to showcase the wonderful new products in the Stampin' Up 2011 Mini Catalogue. A number of us have got ourselves organised via the fantastic UK stampin enthusiasts web site - inlovewithstamping- and so here are a feast of projects as you go from one blog to another..... so thanks Erika for getting us organised!!!

So here a  few projects I have made during March using some of the new products...  First up is a card using the new Manhattan Flowers embossing folder perfect for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays - or indeed anything..... not only is this very "classy" but the embossing is so deep...it is just amazing.... I hope that you can get an idea of the effect in this photo.

I have kept this simple... so as not to overshadow the embossing pattern. So just a simple colour palette of Whisper White, Baja Breeze and Basic Black and use of the Ornate Flowers and Heard from the Heart stamp sets.

My second project is a Gift Card Holder Explosion Box showcasing the Fun Flowers die. Oh this die is a LOT of fun as it produces some fabulous flowers.... more of which are to come another day! The thread through the button is actually just a sliver of cardstock threaded through and tied into a knot.... I have seen this done by many in blogland....but it works a lot better than I thought it would!!!

This is a project we made as part of my Nursery Suite papers and Quick Accents classes run during March.  I have designed a number of explosion boxes and mini books during February and March - and got the idea in my head that a resizing and an extra insert would enable me to put a gift card in.... and it worked like a dream......

And that is it from me.... so thank you for visiting and..... next you are going to Sandra's Wonderful Blog  - check out these fantastic projects......

Here it is! Stampin' Up! New Mini Catalogue for 2011

Not only does the 1st April bring April Fool's Day..... but the much more exciting release of the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue with more new SU! products that will be with us until 30 September........ Just press the picture on the top left of my blog and you will be taken straight to it!!

Over the next few days I will be posting many projects using some of the new products - including a blog hop tomorrow Sat 2nd April at 10 am GMT amongst many of our talented UK Stampin' Up! demonstrators .

And the launch of a new mini just wouldn't be the same without a few Specials for orders during April. These are from me at The Craft Spa - not Stampin' Up.... Please see my new Specials pages at the top for further details - but I have 5 main types of offer for you......

• Fancy a Big Shot for £55 ??? See my Big Shot Starter Pack Special
• get exclusive Stampin Up dies etc for up to 15% off.  See my Big Shot Die Pack Deals
• £25 co-ordinated paper packs with 12x12 papers; buttons, cardstock; ribbons & inkpads -AND you can also add the co-ordinating stamps at 25% off. See my Mini Catty Specials.
• Buy the stamp set and get 30% off the co-ordinating punch. See my Mini Catty Specials.
• Share all the new mini goodies from just £14 (need 8 to share!). See my Mini Catty Specials.

As those of you that know me.... I am in embossing folder, dies and buttons heaven....... And check out those Embosslits too - they are amazing.... wonder what I did before without them ...... I am SO HAPPY that these Big Shot goodies have finally come over the pond... I just need loads of you to buy them now.... and then we can have loads more come October with the new 2011-12 Idea Book & Catalogue...... Yes I am a I WANT IT ALL sort of a girl!!!

So what you should particularly check out...my top faves are.....
1.  All the dies of course!!! But particularly the Top Note, Fun Flowers , Little Leaves, Circles - and of course the Embosslits..... And the Big Shot to use them!!!! LOL!!!
2. Embossing Folders - 2 favourites being Manhattan Flowers and Square Lattice ( very clever techniques using this one!! Watch this space...)
3. Four Frames and the Decorative Label Punch - first it was the SU! circles, then last year the ovals... and now these!!!!  Absolutely wonderful !!
4. Big Designer Buttons - oh WOW!!! These are SO big.  Most being 1". And such wonderful colours too..
5. And ahh!! The Springtime Vintage suite - where were these papers when I was doing a Papercrafting course 4 years ago with Cath Kidston as my Designer inspiration... Think Cath Kidston... Think Laura Ashley.... Be in Vintage Chic heaven..... I may have to get that portfolio out and remake all those wonderful cards using these......

Hope that the mini has something in for you that excites me as much as I am!!! And if so - tell me what by adding a comment below.....

Just press the EMAIL ME link at the top right of my blog to contact me for orders or for further details on any of my specials.