Falling in Love & Tutorial for Extra Extra Large Heart Wreath Card

So this card proved very popular when I posted it earlier in the month (and on my display here too)... and I had my fabulous All Day Crafting Event last Saturday... and I suddenly remembered the ladies being gutted last time that they were not doing a wreath card...

So 2 worlds collided - the Falling in Love papers were out - and a re-make was on the cards.... well card actually... and here it is... 

So glad I got the So In Love and  Falling For You stamp sets - as I love this version of the card!! And there is a unique aspect of the leaf spray stamps in the So In Love set... there are two - one for each direction! Which means one could do the right hand side of the heart and the other the left... 

Pictorial on "how to make a wreath using a leaf spray stamp" here - and mat sizes and how to make the heart template used to draw round on the previous card version post here - so  I will just concentrate on how to produce an Extra Extra Large 7 1/2" (14cm) Square card for today... which is simples!

You will need... 2 pieces of A4 cardstock (or US standard)...

1. Cut one piece to 7 1/2" Square

2. Cut the other to 7 1/2" x 8 1/2"

3. Place this second cut piece LANDSCAPE (ie 8 1/2" length across the top!) on the trimmer at 7 1/2" and score

4. Valley Fold the score-line... so you have 7 1/2" Square on the front and a 1" ( x 7 1/2" high) "tab" at the back

5. Open up the front & apply glue to that tab and place the first piece onto the tab

6. (OPTIONAL) Apply co-ordinating Washi Tape to cover the join on the back of the card. This works well - as not only does it cover up the join - but it makes the card look more finished off/special too! 

I then used a 5 1/2" (14cm) Square stamping panel with a 5 3/4" (14.5cm) mat - on the outside and the inside too

Greetings from Big on Birthdays

So in Love Heart Wreath for Jems Blog Hop

Hello and welcome from me, Amanda Bates to The Craft Spa blog and the monthly Jems Team Blog Hop...

Well  I have to admit that this months theme was a real challenge for me ... namely "Hearts not just for Valentines"... as I am not exactly into hearts... But I love what I made in the end! Hope you do too...

So I bring you a wreath... in the shape of a heart... with BIG birthday wishes... on a very BIG card... a  7 1/2" (or 17cm) XXL square card BIG... with a white 5 1/2" (14cm) stamping panel

The wreath was created using the So In Love leaf sprays and flower stamps around a hand-drawn heart (more on that later!) Stamps available in Wood mount, Clear mount and as bundles with the beautiful So Detailed dies

Then a couple of the Big on Birthdays greetings were added... front and inside...

Bear in mind that the clear block shown is the very long one to get an idea of scale....

Big on Birthdays stamp set available in Photopolymer... fabulous set of super big greetings... though the "At Least You're Still Pretty" image seems to divide the world!!! But I have a fabulous idea to share with you about that - but for another day!

So back to the hand drawn heart... Fold a piece of paper/card in half... Draw a half-heart" shape from the folded edge... And voila a perfectly formed heart when you open it out... Ready for use as a template to draw round...

Oh and colours used are Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and a touch of Island Indigo for the berries...

So that is it from me today... please do come back and visit tomorrow as I have a World Exclusive (I think) to share with you....

Please continue on our blog hop by pressing on the icons below... Next up is the wonderful Karen Watts 

Or go backwards to the equally wonderful Lucy Brown...

Candy Cane Wreath

Now this is a seriously LARGE card... about 7 3/4" Square... 

Didn't plan to cut it that large... but I did... so then there was no point in trimming it down! I think I may be making this "mistake" again!! It certainly has presence...

Gingerbread men and mittens cut from the Candy Cane Lane papers... still on Special Offer!

Wreath and bow from Holly Berry Happiness

Candy Canes from Candy Cane...

New Autumn Winter Products Blog Hop Today

Hello and welcome to The Craft Spa for the Jems Monthly Blog Hop featuring new products from the Autumn Winter (aka Holiday) catalogue.

Now really I should have called this post... Here are a Few of my Favourite Things... as in true Amanda style I have combined my 3 favourite new stamp sets! And all on a wreath...

So the wreath is produced using Holly Berry Happiness... perfect 2 step stamps for the job... and comes with a matching punch...

Gold embossed very large greeting from Wonderful Year... available in wood and clear mount

White embossed Seasonal Bells on gold foil... available in wood and clear mount...with a matching punch too 

See that shine on the bells....

Then back to Holly Berry Happiness for the stamped and punched holly leaves and berries to finish off the bells

All mounted onto an Extra Large Square card to keep it simple but to give the WOW factor... 

And now it is time to pass you onto Julie... who has something special in store for you...

Or if you are going backwards... here is Sarah's blog for yet more loveliness...

Shine On Swirly Bird for Father's Day

Been working on a few Shine On paper projects... and had some bits left over... so a quick extra large card quickly came together...

The sea part was the fiddly part.... as the waves are there if you cut "kind of diagonally" along the wobbly line!

Boat from Swirly Bird (coming soon!), greeting from carrying over Guy Greetings, silver foil mat, Bermuda Bay card blank and retiring Shine On paper for everything else!

Peekaboo Peach Rose Wonder

Coming towards the end of my long series of On Stage Showcase Stampers display projects featuring the new 2016-18 In Colors... so back to Peekaboo Peach today...

A true CAS extra-large card with lots of "white space" (actually Very Vanilla...) Not quite as per the brief (ie using the featured new colour for the main part of the project... plus a bit of neutral) as just a small amount of Peekaboo Peach! Plus Pear Pizzazz too...

Just 2 die cut Rose Wonder roses water-coloured using ink and the Aqua Painter.

And the greeting finished off with a pop of gold foil... I just hand-cut around the stamped greeting frame to achieve this effect...

New 2016-18 In Color FLIRTY FLAMINGO Double Display Card

Here is another of the cards I made for the On Stage New In Colors Stampers Showcase at Telford...

An Extra Large Square Double Display card which is a new variant of the Large Square version here...

This one was made to showcase the new 2016-18 In Color designers series papers in Flirty Flamingo..

As well as the swirly flowers in the Swirly Bird stamp set... which is coming your way soon.... an interesting set with lots of potential... I think I was sitting there with about 20 flower versions... and that is without having seen the co-ordinating dies!! Which I do think make a great match....

The leaves are from Grateful Bunch - and in the new and coming Emerald Envy...

Now I have to laugh... and this will really surprise some of you! But... I really like Flirty Flamingo! There is just something about it that I can't quite explain...  

And an explanation about the use of so much colour (as I know you are used to my rather more white cards on here!!) We had to mainly use the new In Color we were working with... so it had to be ... although between you and me I found that SO hard!! And yes I did even fail with a few of the cards!!!

Stampers Showcase - Sweet Sugarplum Rose Wonder

Moving swiftly onto Sweet Sugarplum... a colour that I know is going to be seriously popular amongst my ladies! 

Another extra large Rose Wonder make... just type in Rose Wonder in the Search box to the top right if you want to see lots more! Including this card in different colourways...

This card had a few variants as I created... long term blog followers will just know it was going to be a Sweet Sugarplum & Silver Foil Rose on a Whisper White base! Unfortunately I forgot to photo for you!

But then I remembered the brief... we had to mainly use the new In Color we were making for the display! So it was quickly popped onto a Sweet Sugarplum base at the last minute....

Neither could I add my Rich Razzleberry Rose! But here you go for another version.... much more dramatic...

It's My Party Balloon Builder Extra Large Double Display Card

Another incredibly quick post for today... but I just had to share another of the projects we made in classes this week...

I just love those special moments with the Fancy Fold cards - when my ladies sit there very proudly afterwards with their make - flipping them back and forth!! We all loved this one!

Lots to look at ... and lots to point out... so "I will be back" as they say! In the meantime... don't forget that the Watercolor Words are on Weekly Deals this Week with 25% off... and ... oh how much do I love these Balloon Builder balloons.... just dreamy! And the little ones... oh so much fun!!!! A stamp set of 2 halves in my book... 

Travelling down to Telford with my team tomorrow... Can't wait!! Lots of lovely people to see... lots of lovely creations to see... and the new catalogue and new products in my hands... swoon... See some of you there!!