Retiring Stamps I am going to miss!! Part One...

In no particular order... and with a huge projects round up for you too... Just click on the project photo to go to that project for more details... and/or click on the product photo to go straight to the product in my Online Store...

And apologies in advance for the long post with so many photos... I originally planned to limit myself to 10 stamp sets... and then chopped that plan in half as I realised how many projects I had to share in a round up for the first 5 I had picked!

Mixed Drinks 
Gosh we used this one a lot!! And wouldn't be surprised if they make an outing again in the next few weeks as I focus on mens and boys creations for May classes....



And note the Bubble Over stamps and dies (for the bottles etc) are carrying over... albeit not as a reduced bundle from 1st June...

Milestone Moments

Great for a different treatment of numbers for special occasions

Rose Wonder

Beautiful stamps... with some fabulous greetings... and wonderful dies too... Great for Super CAS cards ... or more dressed up! This has had a lot of use too... the greetings in particular becoming a bit of a staple around here... 

And if you want to pop Rose Wonder in the Search box down the Right hand side... then you will see even more!! These are probably about a third of the projects shared over the years....

Butterfly Basics

One of the All Time most popular stamp sets for requested use in classes... and for purchase. And I am not even a butterfly person... but I do so love those ferns! Coupled with the 2 co-ordinating butterfly dies sets, Butterflies and Bold Butterfly . Stamps available in photopolymer, wood and clear mount...

We may be here a while now!!! Oh phew.. I have found a round up photo for the biggest set...!!

And don't forget that (very sadly!) these Large Numbers are also retiring... both the Large Numbers dies and the Number of Years stamp set...

Watercolor Wings

Keeping all the Butterflies together... so as to allow a bit of a break in the Butterfly Basics project wall too!! Not many of my ladies that didn't purchase both of these sets... have to admit that butterflies are amazingly popular ...

And sadly the Brick Wall embossing folder & Fluttering folder used are retiring too...

And wow... if you are still with me... I think that is it more than enough of a round up for today!!

Happy 18th Birthday Joe....

Wow! 18 years of Joe today... how did that happen!!?!

Long term blog followers will know that today is normally my annual Real Red Card day... but he is all grown up now... so Cherry Cobbler seemed more appropriate this time!! Along with Basic Grey and Black still of course!

The old favourite Scallop Tag Topper Punch Concertina Card came to the rescue (long story at the end!!)... which is great as I now have a cunning plan with it for another day!

Click here for the Tutorial...

And the specific details...
Basic Black papers from the Neutrals 12x12 Designer Series Paper Stack.
Cherry Cobbler, Basic Grey and Whisper White card...

Lots of dies used!! Large Numbers, Large Letters, Stitched Shapes, Layering Circles & Lots of Labels

Difficult to see in the photos (clearest on the number 18 on the front)... but makes a huge difference in the flesh... I overstamped my Basic Grey die cut letters and numbers with the hexagon pattern stamp in Butterfly Basics using Craft Whisper White ... and then a Basic Grey postmark too...

And I have just realised that I have "forgotten" to add the stars I had planned as the final decoration...so please imagine those all over!!! The card is safely sealed in the envelope and it is time for bed... I will add them when he is at school... he'll never notice!!!

So the back story.... So his card was going to be this... then that.... then the other... then I finally made a decision ... something special I saw a while ago that had stuck in my head.....

So then I tried desperately to find a written tutorial (with maybe some photos) for what I wanted to make... and failed... although I had to laugh at how many of my own card designs popped up in my search... but they are nothing like what I was searching for...

So then I had to follow a video tutorial... and failed!!! Not for the fault of the video/creator.... I think it was probably a good one... Maybe I just don't have the patience for that method of delivery... I did REALLY try though.... as I never (usually) give up on a card fold... and I do have to admit that an essential part of the card fold wouldn't be explainable just in words in any case...

So onto Plan B... great start... great new card fold... but major fail at the last stick of paper!!! In the bin...

So then I was back to this, that and the other.... having rather lost the will... and far too many hours... and then I remembered the wonderful Concertina card... moment saved! A card special enough for my 18 year old... even though a photo never does them justice....

Dragonfly Dreams on a Brick Wall....

A Tunnel Fold Card for you today.... CASEing myself... using Dragonfly Dreams dragonflies instead of the Watercolor Wings butterflies used before....

And using my favourite Big on Birthdays for the BIG greeting

Dragonflies both embossed on vellum... left hand one with white embossing powder and right hand one with clear embossing powder. 

Then both just have Pool Party and Mint Macaron marker pens scribbled over to colour them up... remembering to wipe off the excess ink with a tissue! 

But wow do they look different... the right hand one takes on an ethereal (or jelly like!) appearance... 

Have to say that these dragonflies seriously look like they have just flown in and are hovering over the front of the card...