Team Swaps #3...Hive with Daffodils and Honeybees...

Sharing two more gorgeous cards made by some of my very talented and lovely friends and fellow demonstrators in our team... as from time to time... we create a set of cards and then swap with each other to provide each of us with samples to share featuring different products, projects and styles...

Today's cards both feature the Hive embossing folder... 

Daffodil Daydream birthday card by the lovely talented Kylie Henshaw aka Hello Crafter ... 

And "the nicest" Honeybee Home card by the fabulous and inspiring Nathan @nathanstearoom ... 

Thank you both for swapping your beautiful creations with me... 

Get Well cards again...

So this is the last post sharing my beautiful "Get Well card bomb" creations.... unless this week goes like the first week as I got cards in the mail every day bar the one... special!

And I have 2 stunners for you today... though neither fit easily into my grouped themes!

First up a stunning Waterfront A6 Pop & Twist card from the lovely Pat Bruce... using my favourite Waterfront stamps and my favourite Soft Sea Foam and Pool Party colours...which - when teamed with the Very Vanilla - make for such a subtle and calming but absolutely beautiful colour combination....

And secondly... this stunning Tin Tile Impossible Card from the wonderful Sarah Lavelle... such a WOW!! Another embossing folder on my next order then!!!

Check out my Tutorial here for this card... 

And lastly... I have to admit that these wonderful Get Well creations have cost me quite a lot of money!!! I think there are at least 4 or 5 products that are now on my List to Must Buy! 

More Get Well Wishes... the yellows and the oranges...

So my "card bomb" is continuing... in fact I am lucky enough to have received beautiful handmade cards in the post every day except one this last week...

And I can't tell you how special that makes me feel... knowing that so many people "have my back" and are sending me their thoughts and wishes in the way we crafters know best! #makeacard #sendacard

And I like to think that all these positive vibes are helping me feel absolutely fine through this treatment so far... so again... thank you all...

So today I am sharing the cards featuring the yellows and the oranges... and I have included some cards from my own Craft Therapists team members as well as customers too... and you could say that there is a bit of a butterfly theme amongst these too...

So... as always... in no particular order...

The beautiful Springtime Impressions card by the lovely Kate Cooper...

The pretty Watercolor Wishes card by the lovely Cheryl Sanderson...

The Hello Hello card by the wonderful Caroline Merrick... and (bizarrely) I actually found my Hello Hello stamp minutes before I opened this card!

 The Brusho Butterfly Window card by the equally wonderful Battee....

And last but not least... the host of beautiful butterflies card by the lovely Jill B... 

In fact actually first... as this was the first card I was sent... in fact the first Thinking of You card that I have ever received! 

A Host of... Spirited Snowmen

Cast your mind back a few weeks... I made a batch of these... went to Team Training... and came back with some inspirational swaps...

There were definitely 2 major themes amongst the swaps I had in return... and Spirited Snowmen was one of them!!

So I thought it would be lovely today to share the creations of some of my lovely demo friends... starting with the Spirited Snowmen swaps... all four of them...

But before I begin... a quick update on the Farmhouse Christmas Box Frame, Bakers Box Light & Bridge U Fold card tutorials...  They should still be ready by the end of the weekend... but I just had to have a day off yesterday... as I have run back to back classes since Tuesday... so I was meeting myself coming backwards... and then I forgot that the tree surgeons were at ours yesterday... so I really couldn't hear myself think!! So it was a "day off" having retail therapy instead... albeit mainly for projects for classes and food!! But in the meantime... please don't hesitate to order yours here... Just scroll to the end of the post... and Add to Cart...

First up... by Joanne Wragg... and the card that duly inspired this card shared yesterday... As Craig would say in Strictly... "Gorgeous Darling!"... and I have to admit that my ladies have been loving making this card... so a Big Thanks to you Joanne...

Then we have this fabulous notebook by Sam... which lots of my lovely ladies are coveting... so I think I have a plan for these as a part gift for their orders in November... but shh don't tell them...! Also featuring the lovely snowflakes in the Seasonal Layers dies... 

Closely followed by Rebecca Deary's beautiful " what a gorgeous colour combi" card... show-caseing the Buffalo Check and the Swirls & Curls embossing folder too...

And last but... definitely not least... this spectacular card by Joyce Drake... on one of the new Silver Foil Edged cards.. and also using the Bokeh Dots that is my best selling stamp set in the Annual Catalogue!

Didn't they do well!! Proud to have these on my display lovely ladies...

Now I wonder if you can guess which was the other "major theme"... any guesses in comments or by the contact me form please!!

Happy Birthday to me again... Frosted Floral Pop Out Z Fold Card

Here is another beautiful creation sent for my birthday that I can share with you... and don't miss last week's post for the other birthday love & greetings I received...

This gorgeous card using the NEW Frosted Floral papers has been created by my lovely friend, fellow demonstrator and teamie Kate Martin...

I should have put these papers in my Top 10 of Everything else post last week... as they are fantastic... but my brain was pre-occupied with Christmas makes at the time... so these slipped through the net... as they are all gorgeous and can be used all year round... and are particularly lovely as they have a soft sheen...

Kate has also used the lovely Stitched Labels dies for the front feature...

And the Pop Out Z Fold card fold is one of my favourite folds over the years... for which I was originally inspired by a convention swap created by... yes you guessed it... Kate Martin...

You can find the tutorial for the 10.5cm Square version by clicking here... though this time Kate's is a larger 5" (12.5cm) Square version... so you need to cut your card 5" x 10" (12.5 x 25cm) and score when landscape at 1 5/8" (4.2cm) and 5" (12.5cm)

Again thank you so much Kate, Kate, Julie, Uma, Caroline & Cheryl ... I felt very special as I opened all the envelopes and revealed all these beauties...

And here are all my handmade cards together... though I do also have to thank everyone for the shop bought ones I received too...

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...

The Ways we Colour... for Jems Monthly Blog Hop

Well hello and welcome to today's Jems Team Blog Hop .... featuring simply ... colouring... whichever way...

Not being a "colouring because it is my creative therapy" kind of a girl... I opened my brand new Stampin' Blends alcohol based marker pens out and got to work... and I am very very impressed... but much more on that another day... Maybe there is even a colour-ista in me after all... though there will need to be lots of practice first!!!

So my first "practice run" had to be simple... and had (of course) to involve architecture!! 

Well that was easy... just open the Just Add Colour papers... and Stampin Blends in Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake and Smoky Slate and get to work...

Soon I had a little row of houses...all ready to go...

And then a reason to chop my little row up... as some friends are off to live in sunny France...so I had an urgent need for a New Home card... or in this case New Beginnings... as the house they are moving to isn't new to them... but life in France certainly will be...

So here is my very simple little card... greetings care of Happy Celebrations... and final dress up with Night of Navy 1/2" Gingham Ribbon. So quick & Simple...what's not to love...

And an extra Bonus use of the Stampin' Blends too... I quickly added dark Cherry Cobbler to the hashed areas of the Happy word (which I had already 2 step stamped/filled in using Real Red)... not obvious (as I forgot to take a close-up shot) but made it all pop the more! Just remember to use your Memento Black ink to stamp Happy though!!

Live in the UK? Want your own Stampin Blends? Then click here to see the various ways to purchase them and support The Craft Spa...

Now what shall I do with these... 

And now it is time to pass you on to the lovely Sarah Jane... who I know has something cute for you.... 

Jems Monthly Blog Hop - Trick or Treat (but not for necessarily for Halloween!)

Welcome to our Monthly Team Blog Hop featuring a lovely play on the words "Trick or Treat"... as suggested by the very clever Uma....

Could be something for Halloween.. but could otherwise be a ...
* Trick - an illusion, a fun fold, a surprise or something unexpected in the project...
* Treat - so Treat Packaging or indeed a cake, chocolate, sweets...

So I didn't intend to do a Halloween project at all... but here you have one!

I absolutely LOVE the Detailed Gate die cut and so the Graveyard Gate bundle was beckoning me to play with it... and thus I made my (probably) first Halloween card ever! Keep watching this space for a few other non Halloween options as the weeks pass by!

I will go back to calling this a U Fold Card (as it is a Bridge Fold card without the bridge across the front! The Gate does the job instead...)... and spookily the dimensions for my latest Bridge U Fold Card were perfect... click here for that Tutorial... I just cut the Smoky Slate card to 8.6cm (3/3/8" for my US readers) high instead of 10.5cm(4 1/8")

As always the card does lay flat to go in an envelope... though I think I will have to write Scaredy Cat on the back ( or something) ... as this gate doesn't actually open!

I plan to be back with an updated Tutorial for the card and all the decorative details for this one shortly... but in the meantime here is a shot of the simple little scene behind the gate! Though I would colour in the church windows if I did a re-make!

Click here to go to my earlier post for more details on the Detailed Gate & Graveyard Gate products... 

And so it is now time to pass you onto the lovely Tracy... till next time!

Lift Me Up & Away - Happy Birthday to me...

And the last of my birthday card shares... I did get quite a few more!...but most were not handmade... and the other handmade ones were retired SU! or not SU!! Shock horror...

And so now we have the lovely Uma Kathirgamanathan's card... using Lift Me Up (available in wood and clear mount) and the co-ordinating Up & Away dies... which I haven't used in a while ... so I thought I should share this lovely card with you....

Click here for Uma's blog... she has been busy making and sharing projects with the new colour combinations provided by Stampin' Up! when the new in-colors were launched back in June...or just click here for the details on this card...

Love the colour combination Uma has used... Soft Sky, Sahara Sand, Fresh Fig & Basic Black... work really well together... and the large balloon at the front really pops off the card in the flesh...

And 2 special facts about the lovely Uma...

(1) She shares her birthday with me
(2) I still can't pronounce her surname!!

Eastern Beauty... Happy Birthday to me again....

 

Another day... and another beautiful card sent to me for my birthday... from the lovely Kate Martin who refers to herself as our Silver Surfer... but I am somewhat more silver haired... and she is far too young in heart (and energy!) for that title!!

Kate has used the Eastern Beauty bundle... in Soft Sky, Bermuda Bay & Silver Foil... stamps available in photopolymer with co-ordinating dies, Eastern Medallions...

Which is another one I don't possess (yet!)...

This card is a shiny feast to the eyes... though unfortunately I couldn't get the necessary shiny shot showing it in all its glory... but everyone seeing this is in the flesh have been well WOWed!

Gorgeous Kate... thanks again... another expensive birthday card for me I think!! Click here for Kate's details on the card...

And the sentiment made me laugh!!! As I know that I do cause my fellow Jems a laugh from time to time!! Usually at my expense... and Kate has a good way of making me smile & laugh lots too!! Nice one Kate!

Oh So Eclectic... Happy Birthday to me...

So Tuesday was my birthday... and I was a very lucky girl to receive some beautiful hand made cards from my fellow demos, teamies and friends!

So I am going to share a few... as they are using sets and bundles I haven't got... or have not really used.... so sounds like a great excuse for a few Annual Catalogue bundle introductions and a few non-christmassy shares too for a change!

One thing I will point out in advance from my beautiful display of handmade birthday cards.... everyone used blues!! They know me so well!

First up... is this beautiful card from my lovely friend Julie Wade... who is our team colour combo queen...

I really love this Soft Sky, Tranquil Tide & Night of Navy & Whisper White combination... perfect! Click here for more details from Julie on her card... and one in another colour combo which is gorgeous too...

And here is Julie's photo of the card with its co-ordinating envelope...

Julie used the Oh so Eclectic bundle... Oh So Eclectic stamps (in wood or clear mount)... plus the Eclectic Layers dies...

All of which I am now sold on!! Rather expensive these birthday cards I receive!! Though I do have to ask... is it only me that sees the doughnut!!! There is a challenge for you Julie...

And the fabulous new Leaf Punch from the Painted Harvest Bundle... more on this one from me in the future...