Build A Bike Ride #2

Thought I might as well keep this little card pair together...

So here is the second monthly training card featuring the Bike Ride stamps and co-ordinating Build A Bike dies... along with a Happy Birthday Gorgeous greeting... punched out using the Classic Label Punch...

With a lovely colour combination using 2 new colours from our new colour palette! Balmy Blue & Grapefruit Grove meets Pear Pizzazz ... with a little Basic Black and Crumb Cake...

Along with Grapefruit Grove polka dot paper from the 2018-20 In Color Paper Pack and Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon to finish...

Flowers stamped in Memento Black, coloured in using the Balmy Blue , Pear Pizzazz & Grapefruit Grove marker pens and then die cut...

Lovely little duo Julie... thanks again...

PS Other card with the multicoloured polka dot ribbon shared here yesterday...

Make a Wish Peekaboo Gatefold card... with a punched closure

Another of the standard A6 size Broadway Bound Peekaboo Gatefold Cards... for which you will find the recipe and Tutorial here...

But with a different closure this time... care of a punched Classic Label greeting... so that the stitched circle can just be popped behind and the card closes really nicely...

Note that the greeting was inked & stamped with the line beneath it (ie as it comes) ... as the Classic Label punch then punched "the line off"

This is where the 2 parts of the Wish die cut Broadway Lights greeting really come into their own...  as you can place the 2 parts where it makes sense for your project!!

Love this Suite of products...  which we will be using in August classes... so don't hesitate to contact me today if you would like to attend a class... or if you are interested in a Class At Home... aka Class in the Post... 

Petal Passion & Palette Bridge U Fold Card

Apologies that yesterday's Happy Easter post was late... techno-bomb!!

Now who said these Petal Passion papers were just black and white!! Reckon that this card might be bright enough to dispel that myth...

U Fold card... aka Bridge Fold Card... for which the tutorial can be found here....  though this time I only used the one box section/insert for the birdie perch.... so that was scored at 1.5cm from each side from a 11.5cm x 2.5cm high panel...

Spotty papers coloured with Blends or Markers... back paper panel brayered with Pool Party and stamped with Old Olive marker thumped veins on Lemon Lime Twist inked leaves... and a couple of extra leaves stamped separately on Whisper White and then fussy cut... 

Memento Black Petal Palette stamped images with Stampin Blends colouring of leaves (Old Olive) and flowers (Rich Razzleberry & Pool Party) and then die cut with the Petals & More dies

And lovely die cut Petals & More frame in Pool Party (under the Classic Label punched Thoughtful Banners greeting to the bottom right hand side)

A Year of Cheer snowflake is not just for Christmas!

Just had one of those moments!! And loving what it created!!

So I was asked to demo my Year of Cheer Large Square Double Display card in my next class... and I decided it was time I put a Birthday one together... so I didn't want snowflakes...

But the card looked a bit plain on the front... and then it dawned on me...what was to stop me punching out round a snowflake in the Year of Cheer papers with the Pansy Punch... absolutely nothing!! Works SO well...Though you get less pansies than snowflakes for your money...

I daubed Smoky Slate ink around the white pansy... and coloured the second using a sponge and Cajun Craze ink (and a "dauber splodge" in the centre)... finishing off with a quick shape-ing care of my Bone Folder & Thick Mat. Do remember to rub off the excess ink from the foil parts of  a coloured flower with a tissue if you try one at home though!!

A couple of Clear Faceted Gems later... and couple of Leaf Punch punched Champagne Foil Leaves... veined into shape as described in this post... and the decoration was complete...

Happy Birthday die cut from the Champagne Foil mat before assembly... and the silver embossed TO YOU on the front is from Big on Birthdays...punched with the Classic Label Punch and trimmed to size...

Click here for the Christmas version of this card... or here for an Anniversary one (and the links to the Tutorials)

And I know I will be punching snowflake pansies again sometime soon!!

Detailed Gate & Hometown Greetings Wedding Card

Another day... another theme for the beautiful Detailed Gate... a quick and easy card for Mr & Mrs on their wedding day...

The same Bench U Fold card fold... but simpler than yesterday's more spooky card... as no extra box sections at the base... and just a simple die cut church scene to be seen when you peer through that gate...

The longer gate posts are created using the stamp in the Graveyard Gates set... just lining up & stamping one above another (in opposite directions!) to get the extra length... and then just trimming as required...

The inner decoration scene is just a simple trimmed Pool Party brayered Whisper White panel (though I could have used a Soft Sky panel to make the job even easier!)... with a Smoky Slate Hometown Greetings church border... finished off with some die cut Tranquil Tide trees....Forgot to take a photo before assembly... hence the strange shot below!

Front finished off with handcut Smoky Slate Graveyard Gate lanterns (though I could have used my die cut Brightly Lit/Christmas Lamppost ones instead) which are coloured in using a Clear Wink of Stella and Pool Party ink...

Plus a few Sheer 1/8" White Ribbon bows and a Smoky Slate Cheers to the Year greeting punched out using the Classic Label Punch

Memories & More Petal Garden Double Z Joy Fold Card #1

Oh my... these Petal Garden papers are so pretty! I wasn't immediately taken by them in the catalogue but I was "sold" as soon as I saw them in the flesh and in use... so glad I keep an open mind!

And even better they co-ordinate with one of the new Memories & More card packs, the Petal Garden one obviously! 

These card packs are perfect for memory keeping, cardmaking or any other project you wish to make... making creating and life really easy... 

So me being me ... I had to tweak a few of my recent card fold designs to incorporate the card sizes in the pack... and as there are 2 of each card in the pack (plus extra single speciality cards as well as image and wording stickers) - I split the cards between 2 for a class kit... 

So I have a few fancy fold cards but simple to make to share with you over the next few days...

This first one is an upright or portrait Double Z Joy Fold card... which is a variant of this standard sized one shared earlier... inches here and centimetres here... 

This is sized so it still just fits in a C6 envelope... but I don't think it would fit in a standard US Medium/A2 envelope (certainly not a SU! Medium one without an extra score to add a bit of extra height!!)  but I would love it if one of my US followers could tell me if there is an alternative slightly higher envelope in the US!? 

Now thinking out loud... this whole series would make a lovely Class in the Mail for crafters in UK & Europe... and a Tutorial Bundle for everyone else... just email and let me know if you would be interested... and in the meantime  - I will be working out the details ... 

You are my Sunshine Blog Hop

Gosh these months roll round so quickly... so it is time again for the Jems Monthly Blog Hop... with a theme of " You are my Sunshine"...

Oh gosh this theme made me really have to think! But soon... lots of completely different ideas came... and this is the one I chose to create!

So Sunshine... meaning summer... meaning hot... meaning ice cream! And it just had to be an ice cream stand!!

And then of course my Bench Fold Card immediately spring to mind... but with a twist! Roof Fold anyone???

Click HERE to go and order the tutorial (s)... though please note there isn't a specific Ice Cream/Roof Fold one...

But before I start with some details... thanks to Sarah Jane Rae for redesigning our lovely fresh new Blog Hop icon...almost a perfect match to my project! And would have been even more so if I had the time to add the banner I had planned!!! But it is time for the Students & Parents Leavers Ball tonight... so the hair will have to be done properly!

Love how this all came together... but some details to point out...

The new Pinewood Planks Dynamic embossing folder made easy work of my wood plank base... I embossed a long white section then cut out Pool Party planks and stuck them on the top.... just making sure to cover the joining double embossed white plank with a pool party one to cover the seam!

Ice creams simply made using the Cool Treats stamps and matching Frozen Treats dies... with sprinkles on top! These are stuck on a panel of acetate so that they look like ice cream cones in a stand as well as popping forward from the back panel for even more dimension...

Greetings all from the Cool Treats stamp set too... love the embossed ones on the blackboards!

And last but not least...the front canopy is made by punching Pool Party, Powder Pink, Whisper White & Berry Burst card using the Classic Label punch and sticking them on a long white strip with an overhang for the front and then just a trim all along the length for the back... easy to do that way...

Original Bench Fold Card Tutorial details here ... albeit without the roof... that will be found in Series Three I think...which I am working on for the end of July... 

And yes it does fold flat... in either of 2 ways depending on your envelope stock... though I think most recipients would find it difficult to work out how to re-assemble... so it would be a card for you to be there whilst opening!!

Very large square envelope required... the easier way to fold and the recipient may be able to work it out!

A5 envelope required... but maybe not fathomable for the recipient!!

And now it is time to pass you onto the lovely Anne... who has made lots of fabulous things to share with you... 

Jems Monthly Blog Hop & Colour Challenge

Hello and welcome to The Craft Spa in the UK from Amanda Bates.

Time for the Team March Blog Hop today - so please join my lovely and very talented fellow team members and have an inspiring hop around... you won't be disappointed...

This month's blog hop theme is inspired by the gorgeous new Sale A Bration Glimmer Papers- you know the ones- the pack of 3 colours of shiny glimmery glittery gorgeousness that has virtually every demo (and customer) visibly drooling!

And available for free with a £45 order... what's not to love! Want to see more of the shine? Then click here to see them in video action

So the pack inspired a Colour Challenge for our theme... so I bring you Bermuda Bay, Mint Macaron and Sweet Sugarplum... oh what a shame... 3 of my current favourite colours!! Perfect for Easter makes... And I went with a glitter theme!

First up... the Easter Trug basket... I picked up these boxes when I dropped off an order yesterday!! Wonder if Heidi will now want them back!! We reckon they are from Hello Fresh or Gousto or takeaway deliveries - so please let me know if you recognise them...as I would like some more!!

So a bit of up-cycling! Stamped a few Kraft card panels with the Hardwood stamp, cut to size and voila! Perfect...

Die cut a few Stylish Stems flowers and leaves using all 3 colours of the Glimmer paper and white or same colour cardstock.

Stamped the plant labels for the greeting using Thoughtful Banners (HAPPY) and Circle of Spring (easter) stamps - and then punched with the Classic Label punch ...

And a quick card to go with the basket... this HAPPY being from Perfectly Wrapped (this is the stamp I cut up into HAPPY and DAY!) and the stamped mat is a Stitched Shapes die cut square...

So that is it from me for today...

Time to pass you onto Karen Watt's Krafting K blog ...

OR Katy Harrison's The Stamping Shed blog if you are going in reverse  - or have missed one!

And as just requested - here is a list of all our participants and all their links...

1. Sharon Glynn 

2. Sarah Lavelle 

3. Gill Arnold 

4. Karyn Davies

5. Katy Harrison 

6. Amanda Bates (You are here!)

7. Karen Watts 

8. Linda Ellis 

9. Julie Wade 

10. Allie Jolliffe 

Thoughtful Branches Apple Tree

Now there is an enormous amount of activity going on behind the scenes at The Craft Spa!! 

The Autumn Winter pre-order box has turned up and I am gleefully coming up with ideas... creating... and will be back to share some great projects with you soon...

But for a few days I am concentrating on making.... and not breaking off to photo and blog... I find that my flow is SO much better that way....

So in the meantime I am scheduling and  sharing some more Training makes... first up 3 more cards with Thoughtful Branches... Remember only available this month... and I don't want you to miss it... as it really is fabulous and incredibly versatile...

First up... the apple tree behind the picket fence... this was CASED by Julie from the uber-talented Stampin' Up! 2016 Artisan Design Team member Jessica Winter in Austria whose original card can be found here...

The background is Aqua Painter watercolored Pool Party and Wild Wasabi on Watercolor Paper.

The Crumb Cake picket fence is made using the new Classic Label punch...just so perfect for this fence style... and very good for labels too!!

Though when I got home I just had to gloss up those apples with the Precision Fine Tip glue.... they look good enough to eat!

See you tomorrow!

Embossed Butterfly Basics

 

Another few Butterfly Basics cards. First ones teamed with the Brick Wall embossing folder for the background.

First one purely clean and simple

Second one  - wall slightly grunged with the aid of a sponge and Sahara Sand ink... 

Butterflies watercoloured again using the Aquapainter, Pool Party and Mint Macaron ink. With the body in Tip Top Taupe ink on the more grunged...

And another few ideas... next one using the Fluttering embossing folder

And the last one with a couple of layered die cut butterflies using the Butterflies and the Bold Butterfly dies, the new stripy Mint Macaron ribbon and the new Classic Label punch for the Thoughtful Banners greeting 

You will notice that I have a shortened Classic Label here.... Go here for 9 ideas on using the Classic Label Punch...

Again these cards may seem recognisable. They are a remake of the Watercolor Wings cards I made here... and here... and a more fancy Tunnel Card one made here...