Sunday Special - Pop Out Concertina Card - Peaceful Place #4

I will have to be brief today... as life has just delivered a curve ball... but I wanted to quickly come and show you the other part of yesterdays creation... 

A Pop Out Concertina card that sprang into my mind from nowhere!! I still love it when my brain comes up with something new... and then it is so satisfying when it can compute a design that works! As many a great idea doesn't then work out ...

Love this new card fold... I can think of so many uses... and a few variants! I will be back with more details sometime soon... sorry that I have to dash...

Edited to Add -  I have written up up a PDF tutorial bundle for 6 of my Peaceful Place cards... and I offer a Class in the (UK only) post too... See HERE for more details

Wednesday Wreath - Merriest Moments #11

Whilst the Merriest Moments is still out... it had to be done... a merry & joyful wreath! 

But before I start... and sorry for the repetition this week!... An admin matter... regarding blog post notification emails not arriving... click HERE for details to rectify... or simply to subscribe to blog post notifications by email for the future...

CLICK HERE for a quick pictorial on stamping a wreath with a "spray stamp"... though no Stamp A Ma Jig required with these photopolymer stamps... 

And 2 things I have to note...

(1) this stamp set is fabulous for stamping a wreath! So easy to add extra colour,  layers and depth.

Here I used Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen & Cherry Cobbler on a Large Square (14.8cm) Very Vanilla card blank with a 12.5cm Cherry Cobbler Mat and 12cm panel

(2) I don't think that my Merriest Moments bundle will be put away until it's actually Christmas! Lovely greetings & images, gorgeous embossing and die cut feature making such simple stunning cards... and such incredible versatility... a true great! Please please please let this one carryover come January...

Tuesday Trio of Trios - Art in Bloom

Such a pretty set of three cards... care of the Art in Blooms bundle... 

Which is in itself a trio of products... stamps, dies and an embossing folder too... of which the latter I have to admit... had slipped my eye!! Clever set...

Cards perfect for any level of crafter... or any amount of time you happen to have to make & get in the post!

But wait... there's more... Yes another 3 projects to share with you... making a trio of trios in all today...

Black on White Lovely as A Tree

Wow... where has today gone... just trying to beat the toll of midnight...so a very quick share today...

Father Christmas greeting scrolled frame with Lovely as A Tree...and lots and lots of lovely glitter!

Hopefully back tomorrow with the first of my favourite 2 christmas projects of the year!! 

Only 4 days to go to end of Sale A Bration

Gosh how it creeps up on us!! But here we are... only 4 days left to make the most of the Sale A Bration promotion... ends 31st March...

You know the one .... an exclusive freebie for every £45 spent (as the summary pictured above  - or full details here and here *)... and an extra £20 in free Stampin Rewards for an order over £200... and/or an extra £30 in your Stampin Up! starter kit (£160 product for your £99 investment) 

No time to waste now... order online straightaway here or via email to me here... or go and sign up here

Or here for some creative inspiration... here are todays' 3 projects... all using Sale A Bration freebie products as they are now no longer avaiable for long!!!

* Thanks so much to the clever American demonstrator ( I am sorry I do not know who you are - but I would love to add your name here!) that put this pictorial together... so great to have such a summary...

Rose Red Birthday Blooms

Here is another card based upon our last Quarterly Training projects. This in turn was CASED from the Spring Summer catalogue...

The flower is coloured in using Blushing Bride with Rose Red highlights...gorgeous in the flesh!

I then finished off the colouring with my white Signo gel pen on those seed heads...

And  - as the pale gold sample shared yesterday - the finishing touch being the Paper Toled flower

Oh... plus an extra greeting punched out with the Washi Label punch.... 

And a story about this punch... I use it all the time as the size and shape is just right for so many projects... but I did not get it initially...no, not at all!! It was a big NO NO.... Not so now... Proving yet again that things are often worth a second look! Or even a third....

Tutorial for Hearth & Home Centre Step Easel Card

Seeing as this card is still getting a huge amount of daily hits.... think it is time for its tutorial! Which I have just realised didn't get posted quite when I thought.... oops...sorry!

I have posted a few more cards using this design.... press on the photo to go to the original posting... and I think there will be some more pretty soon as this is still definitely a favourite card at my classes....

First up...the Metric version from A4 card ... and then the Imperial (inches) version from 12x12 card. 

Go here for another Centre Step Easel Card variant and/or if you would like photos to accompany the step by steps... 

Centre Step Easel Card Tutorial (Metric from A4)

Whisper White Cardstock  14.8 x 29.7cm (ie A4L) OR 14.8 x 28.9cm if you want to tuck the base up into the card for mailing in a C6 envelope

1.       PORTRAIT at 4cm on Top Bar 

2.       Cut 2.5 to 13cm

3.       PORTRAIT at 10.8cm on Top Bar LHS

4.       Cut 2.5 to 13cm

5.       LANDSCAPE. With cuts to Left Hand Side…

6.       2.5 cm on Top Bar (LHS) Score  outside sections (ie 0-4cm; LIFT; 10.8 to 14.8cm)

7.       5cm on Top Bar (LHS)  Score  outside sections

8.       13cm on Top Bar (LHS)  Score  outside sections

9.       LANDSCAPE. With cuts to Left Hand Side…

10.     10.5cm on Top Bar (LHS) Score across middle section. (ie 4 to 10.8cm)

11.     21cm on Top Bar (LHS) Score across whole card drop (ie 0 to 14.8cm)

12. Fold lightly…
Outer Sections – 2.5cm Mountain, 5cm Valley, 13cm Mountain
Middle Section at 10.5cm – Mountain
Whole Section at 21cm – Mountain

And here is the Imperial (inches) version from 12x12 card
I don't think this card would work from the standard US 8 1/2 x 11" cardstock...as there wouldn't be enough of a lip at the front to mount a greeting/stop for the easel card format. 

Centre Step Easel Card Tutorial (Imperial from 12x12)

1.      Cut 12x12 cardstock to 6” wide (ie 6 x 12”)

2.      PORTRAIT at 1 5/8” on Top Bar 

3.      Cut 1” to 5 1/8”

4.      PORTRAIT at 4 3/8" on Top Bar 

5.      Cut 1” to 5 1/8”

6.      LANDSCAPE. With cuts to Left Hand Side…

7.      1” on Top Bar (LHS) Score  outside sections ( ie 0-1 5/8”; LIFT; 4 3/8"-6”)

8.      2” on Top Bar (LHS)  Score  outside sections

9.      5 1/8” on Top Bar (LHS)  Score  outside sections

10.   LANDSCAPE. With cuts to Left Hand Side…

11.    4 1/8” on Top Bar (LHS) Score across middle section. ( ie 1 5/8"- 4 3/8")

12.   8 ¼” on Top Bar (LHS) Score across whole card drop ( ie 0 to 6”)

13.   Fold lightly…
Outer Sections – 1” Mountain, 2” Valley, 5 1/8”Mountain
Middle Section at 4 1/8” – Mountain

Whole Section at 8 ¼” – Mountain

Dazzling Window within a Happy Scene!

Later than usual post from me today.

As I am now at our Teams' Quarterly Training 

And this is my swap card...ooh lots! 

So it couldn't be shared until we are all in the building and swapping.

There is a specific reason for this card... but more detail on that another day....

But the main feature is the Dazzling Diamonds glitter scene through the window panes...

Stamp scene, mask, sponge sky with Night of Navy,...

Swoosh picture with Versamark, add Heat & Stick, heat...

Add Dazzling Diamonds, heat again

I tried to capture how glittery this is... best when the photo is out of focus...

Wild About Flowers Team Training Swap Card

I am off to our Team Quarterly Training today. A day I always look forward to… as we get to make a lot, be inspired a lot and usually laugh a lot too… all in the company of a great bunch of ladies that I am definitely proud to call my stampin’ friends!

Today will be extra special as we get to use new things from the new catalogue! Always exciting for us demos – no matter how long we have been a demo for! I still get just as excited and inspired after nearly 7 years of doing this!

We always have a swap too – where we make one card design for every person in the room. And we swap our cards with each other… so we come home with a bag full of 20 or so projects for our displays (or just to send to friends & family if you don't do events) - using different new stamps & products – as well as different technique and styles. I then sit at night and go through oohing and aahing at everyone’s lovely makes – talented bunch that we all are!

So this is my card swap design this time. A simple card highlighting 2 new stamp sets – Watercolor Wash and Wild About Flowers.  

On a Thick Whisper White card base of course. 

And of course my favourite colour combination of the NEW Mint Macaron, Soft Sky & Lost Lagoon – along with Wisteria Wonder as I thought that the best colour for this thistle type image….

Love this flower image – I have to admit that I have a thing about thistles!!

Do you fancy joining us at our next Quarterly Training Day in September? 

Well now is such a great time to join.... think this months's sign up promotion has to be the best one ever.... Go here for more details... and don't hesitate to contact me for more information or just a chat.... I love to share what I do....

Something Borrowed Embellishments Jewellery & Sloping Jewellery Gift Box

And, something different for a true paper-crafter like me.  Some quick jewellery and a  special jewellery box for them to go in!

The box is a remake of one I designed about 3 years ago. It was based on a gorgeous box I saw in a shop many years ago and it was one I remembered when I started to be able to work out how to make my own boxes.... Took a while to work it out & it is a “very precise” little box ... But I am so glad that I persevered.... Works well for a Ferrero Rocher and Lindor chocolates too.... ( as I made them that way one Christmas a while back!)

As soon as I saw the gorgeous Something Borrowed embellishments in the Spring Summer catalogue - I knew I had to repeat my very popular Frosted Finishes jewellery class from 18 months ago.

The necklace and the box were also a Team Gift swap at Convention 18 months ago in Manchester… so some of you will definitely recognise this project!! But for some reason… the project never got shared on my blog… think I must have had enough after making so many of them at the time!!!

So a necklace, earrings, a ring, a bracelet and a box for the necklace and earrings to go in... I just need to design a matching little ring box and bracelet box and then I have full set!

Sorry blurry jewellery…and a misplaced earring!! But you get the idea….

Though some of my ladies fit all the jewellery pieces except the bracelet into the one box… so maybe just a box for the bracelet to complete the set…

And the box decoration …. purposefully left as simple as simple can be… just some Something Borrowed papers, an image from Tag Talk and a Label Bracket punch, 1 3/8” circle & a 1 1/2” die cut circle to finish off

Another Painted Petals card to go in the box! Plus NEW Sale A Bration products…And Weekly Deals updated…

Well the Painted Petals cards & box shared yesterday went down very well at todays class…

My friend and fellow crafter, Zoe was particularly delighted to make all of her 4 Mothers Day cards plus a spare for any occasion as well as a box for chocolates and a special make for Mothers Day presents…. More on the extras another day!

But I had to pop onto share Zoe’s version of the “Amazingly Amazing heart card” – made so as to fit the HAPPY MOTHERS DAY greeting – love this version Zoe…. told you I had to share! Thanks for letting me….

Oh and before  I go… here are this week’s Weekly Deals – I think I can see a “Happy Easter banner” being created here in March and a ribbon stock up too!

I will be ordering Sunday 1st March if you are after anything…. and do remember that you can earn a free Sale A Bration (SAB) item for every £45 you spend… and …even better… spend £50 + and you can have a free Craft Spa class in March too (worth £12.50)

And talking of Sale A Bration… I am delighted to tell you that there are 4 new items that you can earn for free during March. These are in addition to those previously published.

Little sneak peek pictures below… don’t know why the Coastal Cabana colour in the Thanks card etc looks like such a vivid green!! - but go here for full information…. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on those vellums and the large THANKS stamp!

Irresistibly Yours meets Sheltering Tree

Note – 2 posts today! – go here for exciting Weekly Deals news!! Big Shot Magnetic Platform with 25% off!! Oops I couldn’t keep quiet about that!!

Another quick share of a project made for the Team Training Sale A Bration inspiration table.

The tree and bike are heat embossed using black embossing powder onto the Irresistibly Yours paper. Then that whole panel daubed & sponged with Lost Lagoon ink.

The stripey panel was a bit more time consuming…. All daubed using Soft Sky. Then separate lines masked either side and coloured using either Lost Lagoon or Black marker pen… I can hear you asking why I didn’t daub the Lost Lagoon & Black!!! Simply as I had the marker pens to hand…I would have had to have gone upstairs for the ink pads & daubers!! And I have to admit that the black marker pen particularly worked a treat…. the black is really deep & dark….

The greeting is stamped in Memento Black,  coloured in using marker pens and then punched using the Wide Oval Punch.

A bit of matting of the panels onto Whisper White, a few wraps of Basic Black Bakers Twine. And there you have it! Great card for the menfolk….

Another view…

Thanks for visiting me today...... Amanda

Valentine Square Double Display Card

Just a quick share of this year’s Valentine card. Now as this is destined for the menfolk… there are no frills!! It is purposely kept plain & simple with the message saying it all….

By the way…. this is a new variant of the Square Double Display Card…. if the last one was the card with “more front”…this one is the one with “more back!” But more of that on another day…. as there is a funny story to be told…..

Another view….

And here it is closed…

SU! Products used

Stamps – Groovy Love; Crazy About You, Big On You, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Punches – Sweetheart, 1/2” Circle

Papers – Stacked With Love stack

Ink – Memento Black, Crisp Canteloupe, Calypso Coral

Card – Basic Black, Whisper White, Crisp Canteloupe