The Cream Kitchen...

Quick share of Denise's Aga for today... and yes you guessed it she has a cream Aga with newly painted mushroom (aka Tip Top Taupe) walls and her accessories are green and mushroom... as her walls were green up to recently... 

And she has already bought her frame to put it in!!! No folding it flat and putting it an envelope for Denise! Proud kitchen maker....

Click HERE to go and order the tutorial (s)... 

And the other thing I am up to date with... is posting out the NEW 2017-18 Annual Catalogue to those of you that have ordered over £50 through me during the last 12 months. Want a catalogue... have ordered but know that doesn't apply... then click here to email me and request one to get your own "hard" copy on its way....

The AGA Card... Part 1 with Perfect Mix...

Well this card prompted the loudest (and longest) audible reaction in a class ever! I really wished I had thought to tape it... as I did have a hunch that it would go down well!!!

Click HERE to go and order the tutorial (s)... 

Though the 4 funniest things were that...

(1) we were doing our Men's cards in May class... but only 1 lady chose the alternative more manly option!!! More on that another day!

(2) Two ladies are not sending this anywhere... but are buying a frame to display and protect it in their kitchens!

(3) such excitement at my AGA label.... care of Festive Flower Builder Punch (reduced to £12.80 while stocks last) and Labeler Alphabet...

(4)  I wasn't going to buy the Perfect Mix stamp set... SO glad I did!!! It has come in very useful this week... and not just for baking themed cards... more on that another day!!! Though sadly Perfect Mix stocks have just run out... 

So what do you think?? 

I have to admit that this is my favourite card ever (so far) ... and I don't even possess an Aga...

And my favourite bits... actually the combination of the whole thing.... but in the details... oh the covers, knobs (Festive Flower Builder Punch again... though fiddly!) and AGA label of course!! Not forgetting the card fold... and the Irresistibly Floral papers for the tiled splashback!

And yes it does actually fold down flat for posting....

Though I added a bit of ribbon so the recipient has a "prompt" to push/pull that flat top.... and I giggled as ... when I explained the purpose of it... none of my ladies added it for their display version!!!

I will be making a tutorial available to purchase for the 3 cards in this series... hopefully by the end of next week...

Though for UK only... the Trio tutorial will be sent automatically to my downline team members and can be obtained for free for May class attendees... OR ... for everyone else...  free with an online order of £20+  ........ click here for my Online Shop. Make sure you can see my name (Amanda Bates) at the top right of the screen... and enter the current Host Code VQTSBUDV where prompted...

I will be providing "Class in the Mail kits of the Trio including tutorial " - so please email me here asap but by the end of Tuesday 16th May latest if you are interested in one of these...particularly if you and some friends wish to arrange a private class here in North Yorkshire...  As the Urban Underground papers are out of stock in the UK so I will only be able to provide from the packs I have ... nice to share! But a complication for me to work through/price up depending on how many people are interested... It may end up as a First Come, First Served... I also don't know if I can supply outside of UK!?

Stampin Up! Products Used

Stamps - Perfect Mix (not available!), Labeler Alphabet

Punches - Festive Flower Builder (retiring)

Papers - Irresistibly Floral, Serene Scenery, Urban Underground (all retiring!)

Card - Thick Whisper White, Basic Grey, Silver Foil, Basic Black

Inks - Memento Black, Soft Sky, Whisper White Craft

Marker Pens - Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, Soft Sky

Irresistibly Floral Double Z Joy Fold Card

Super quickie from me today....

Different colourway for a lady that loves her Perfect Plum & Bermuda Bay...

Click here for the tutorial...

Irresistibly Floral Star Blast U Fold Card... for the Girls!

This is kind of a When Worlds Collide card... made up from parts that were left over from a few different cards we made in last fortnights' classes...

So it is this card fold... with the Star Blast die cut front piece...

Covered with Irresistibly Floral flowers used here... perfect sized stars...

And Irresistibly Floral papers as used here and here!!

And finished off with a greeting from Big on Birthdays... the greeting words being stamped in 2 parts side by side instead of on top of one another as originally designed...  Perfect fit!

Upright Double Z Joy Fold Card in Irresistibly Floral

Interesting card fold this one... Super simple... easy to do... 

And one you have just seen before! Just in another orientation...

So click here for the card fold tutorial... bet you weren't expecting that! Hence why I have called it an Upright Double Z Joy Fold Card...

Though I think the photo watermark may have given it away if you are observant!

And here is what it looks like sitting up on the mantelpiece (or a white box in my example!!!)

Again using the reduced Irresistibly Floral papers... and Big on Birthdays for the greetings.... with a mixture of Sponge Brayering, Finger Sponge Daubing and Marker Colouring to achieve the stripey front paper, two tone back paper and the fabulous brayered/coloured in inside the lines small paper at the inside top... 

Great fun to decorate and all my ladies loved it... (apart from maybe all that fussy cutting of the flowers! More details on colouring those flowers here too... )

Irresistibly Floral Star Blast U Fold Card

Oh I REALLY wish these Star Blast Edgelit dies were not retiring come 31st May.... and I REALLY wish I had bought and used them ages ago!

So we loved this card for the quick & easy WOW effect! My ladies were all quite surprised by the simplicity and speed of this one... but sorry... tutorial will have to be another day... really met myself coming backwards this week...

Papers are all from the Irresistibly Floral pack... reduced to just £9.40 (RRP £11.75)... love them!!

And these are the dies.... and yay! Reduced down to just £12.60 (RRP £18)

And these are the co-ordinating Birthday Blast stamps... again retiring.... and clear mount version reduced ... just £13.60 (£16 RRP) though actually I think I won this at On Stage Prize Patrol... great sentiments... nice and big!

And here are a few other ideas with the dies and stamps for you...

Double Z Joy Fold Card Tutorial

As promised.... a quick Tutorial for this A6 Double Z Joy Fold Card Fold from A4 cardstock... 

Original post with more card photos here...

Edited to Add - this card was subsequently updated so that it opens fully... click here for the fully opening A6 version from A4 cardstock...or click here for the US A2 one from US Letter cardstock...

Recipe

A4 Thick Whisper White Card A4L x 10.5cm

A4 Island Indigo Card 22.8 x 7cm

A4 Thin Whisper White 10.9 x 6.5cm

A4 Thin Whisper White 5.2 x 6.5cm

Paper Stripe 6.9 x 10cm

Paper Flowery 14.3 x 10cm

Paper Flowers 5.2 x 6.5cm

Tutorial

1. Score LANDSCAPE A4L Thick White card at 14.8 & 7.4cm

2. Score LANDSCAPE Island Indigo card at 11.4 & 5.7cm

3. Z Fold card pieces

4. Brayer Papers using Sponge Brayer & Mint Macaron ink. Clean off with tissue!!

5. Adhere papers

6. Adhere smaller Z Fold to larger Z Fold (Tip glue and stick smaller on RHS first, then glue & stick LHS but think about where you need your glue on the LHS!!!)

7. Colour individual flowers on paper sheet using markers ensuring that you go over the edges

8. Cut out by hand

9. Ink up greeting (Mint Macaron inkpad all over then Island Indigo marker on smaller words) & Stamp.

Products Used 

Paper - Irresistibly Floral

Stamps - Super Duper

Sponge Brayer

Inks - Mint Macaron

Markers - Island Indigo, Pool Party,Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry

Super Duper & Irresistibly Floral Papers A6 Double Z Joy Fold Card

An A6 Double Z Joy Fold Card for you today...using the Irresistibly Floral papers and Super Duper stamp set ...

But before I start.... Hot off the Press... THE CLEARANCE RACK HAS JUST BEEN UPDATED... lots of lovely bargains to be had...

So as a Clearance Rack Online Order Special… I will refund the £4.95 postage in full (or send you gift up to £6 value if you prefer) for orders over £35* if you have entered this month's HOST CODE VQTSBUDV . But do enter your email address on your customer details (so I can converse with you!) and check you can see my name (Amanda Bates) at the top right hand side of the screen!

Applies to any products ordered whether on Clearance Rack or not…

Note that this offer is available exclusively from The Craft Spa. This offer is only available until this Sunday 30th April

Back to the card... don't forget that these gorgeous papers are reduced on the Retiring List... now just £9.40... (RRP £11.75)

Card Fold Tutorial posted here...

Background papers all sponge-brayered with Mint Macaron ink (and then wiped off with a tissue before I got ink all over myself!)

And the flowers and leaves are on another of the floral papers ... individually inked up using marker pens (Pool Party, Island Indigo, Sweet Sugarplum & Mint Macaron) and then hand cut... with an extra small panel of this paper on that inside/central face...

And to ensure no waste of the flowers on the papers... spot the double leaves top left and to right hand side... they are actually parts of a flower at the edge of the paper which didn't have it's full complement of petals...

 Like the card fold... click here for the tutorial... alternatively click here for the Large Square version