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... 

Team Swaps #2...

Back to sharing some 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...

Todays cards both feature the Blessings of Home stamp set & dies... and by a stroke of luck both use the retiring Misty Moonlight inks to form a perfect duo....

A "Just a little hi from me" on a great fun fold card by the lovely Ruth Wareing  down in Warwickshire...

And "You make me happy" by the fabulous Angela Malcolm of Been Busy Crafting over in West Yorkshire... she who always makes me smile... 

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

Thursday Team Swap Share

Starting to share some 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...

First up... a lovely scenic card by Julie Kettlewell at The Paper Haven using one of my favourite stamp sets in the Jan - June seasonal catalogue, called Oceanfront...

And an admittance as to why Oceanfront is one of my favourites!!? Well, I can't draw for toffee... not even pin men! But there has always been one beach side scene that I could sketch out... and guess what... it's covered in the Oceanfront elements!! So much so that I almost feel like I drew the images for this stamp set myself... LOL! 

About time I had a play me thinks... and I may even share a little sketch!! Always good for a laugh...

Click HERE for my Baby Wipe Swooshed Grassy Grove swap creation and the back story... 

Sunday Swap - Grassy Grove

From time to time... part of our team of intrepid (and incredibly talented and creative!) demonstrators create a set of cards and then swap with each other to provide each of us with samples of different products, projects and styles...

And this month was the time for our latest Team Swap! I created a set of 10 cards using the Grassy Grove dies... which I have to admit may prove to be my most popular die of all time!!

My original plan was to use the wonderful New Horizons papers... but delays to stocks being in place in Europe meant I had to come up with a Plan B... though my papers did turn up the day after the deadline! And they are indeed perfect for this little scene...

So a bit of Baby Wipe Swoosh ( or Swipe) on Shimmery White card was the order of the day... using Soft Succulent and Balmy Blue to produce a dreamy backdrop... with a touch of Soft Succulent stamped grasses at the bottom...

Added a couple of deer to my 3D scene... and finished off with the beautiful greeting from Nature's Harvest in Evening Evergreen... I just thought this was the perfect sentiment for my little scene...

And I had to share the full set of backgrounds... as I love that they changed as time crept on... as the Baby Wipe got less and less moist... 

Oh .. and did I mention... I designed a simple but fun fancy fold whilst I was at it... as I found that the die cut card blank wanted to splay... and so collapse! So an extra insert was the order of the day... and so I guess you could call this a Simple Diorama Card Fold...

Just a 14.8 x 5cm piece of card scored whilst portrait at 1, 2.5 and 4cm... folded valley, mountain, valley... and stuck to the bottom of the card... (For my US friends... 5 1/2" x 2"... scored whilst portrait at 3/8", 1" and 1 5/8")

And yes you've guessed it... I now have 9 wonderful swapped cards to share at some point... though I have quite a lot of other projects to share first... including some New Horizons versions... so they will be for another day! 

Saturday Swap duo...

Sharing the last two Happy Mail team swap cards today with another 2 beauties for you... 

First up, a beautiful Pansy Patch creation by Maggie Bottomley... I particularly love Maggie's amazing spacing of the diagonal Very Vanilla strips... such patience!

CLICK HERE for all the details on the Pansy Petals suite...

And then this stunning Beauty of Friendship Z Fold card by Maria Bailey...

And check out the Bark 3D embossing ( hopefully!) in this close up...

CLICK HERE for all the details on the Beauty of Earth suite

Thank you again Maggie and Maria for your gorgeous swaps... I really do thank my lucky stars for being part of such a talented group...

More on Monday - Hand Penned

Another inspiring creation for you today... using the Hand Penned floral stamp set... 

But before I start... don't forget that the extra free £20 Stampin Rewards Craft & Collect promotion for a £200 + order ends today... and that my double gift value offer (for orders £25 to £150) also ends today at 5pm...

Created by our very talented Barbara Norton (who is currently blog-less as we say in the trade.. but I will be sure to pass on any of your messages... ) Thank you for your gorgeous Happy Mail swap Barbara... 

CLICK HERE for the details on the Hand Penned stamps and all the Suite... And I do have to admit that this bundle and suite is appealing to me more and more every-time I look at it... check out those fabulous Penned Flowers dies... 

Barbara used an Evening Evergreen, Soft Succulent and Pale Papaya colour scheme... with a shiny touch of gold embossing powder to highlight... along with a Happy Thoughts sentiment punched out using the (retired) Story Label punch...

And the Happy Thoughts sentiment stamp set is one well worth checking out... as not only is it only £10 in the Sale... but it has a range of "similar sized" greetings ... so particularly useful for a quick stamp & punch to add to a card as you need it... though it is retiring soon ..so you will have to be quick...

Saturday Six & another swap...

A bundle focus for you today of the lovely Colour & Contour bundle... 

Along with another of my lovely Team Happy Mail swap cards for you... created by the lovely and very talented Suze Jepson of stampinsuse blog fame...

Making 6 inspiring projects in total today... if you check out this swap card I posted earlier too... 

Can't tell you how much I love the daisy type flower in particular... 

Nor can I tell you how many similar style stamps I have from my pre-Stampin' Up! days... as I have always had such a thing about daisies... In fact left to my own devices my garden would probably only have daisy flowers in it!

Also love all the stitched & scalloped rectangular dies and scallop edge die in this set...

And finishing off with 4 more lovely projects for inspiration... 

Tuesday Trio of Trees for all seasons...

Today we have a card with a stunning trio of multi-coloured Inspiring Canopy die cut trees by the very talented Uma Kathirgamanathan of A Sense of Uma blog fame... 

A tree for every season (bar the winter plain branches)... simply gorgeous... 

Thanks so much (again) for the happy mail and for swapping with me Uma... 

Uma also used the co-ordinating Inspired Thoughts for the greetings... 

And the Picture This dies for the 3 rectangle apertures... 

Spot the dash-dot faux stitching round each of the apertures...

Click here for Uma's post of another version of this card using the Beauty of The Earth papers... and a Facebook Live too...

And here are some more projects using these 2 wonderful products... I am definitely sold on both these now!! They do work together SO well... Expensive swap card Uma... 

Saturday She Sells....

Seashells on the Seashore... Hope you are busy trying to say that at speed over and over now... one of our classic tongue twisters...!

Isn't she just lovely.... created by my lovely & talented friend, Julie Wade of Create Handmade Happiness blog fame... 

Using Pirates and Mermaids and Friends are like Seashells stamp sets in Petal Pink, Mint Macaron, Soft Succulent and Crumb Cake colours...

And finished off beautifully on the inside too.. 

What a great combination of images and colours... Thanks Julie... love it...

Fun Fold Friday - Side Fold Card

Sharing another of our lovely team new catalogue "happy mail" swaps... with directions for a simple but effective little fun fold for you... as I will be CASE-ing this card design very soon... so the ruler was out...

Created by our very talented Ruth Wareing of stampinghappiness blog fame... 

Featuring Hand Penned in Highland Heather and Garden Green... finished off with clear Epoxy Essentials & Highland Heather 1/2" Grosgrain ribbon...

So cut a 28cm long x 10.5cm wide piece of (Highland Heather) cardstock...

Score at 14 & 17.5cm. Bone Fold Mountain then Valley.

Cut two 10cm Square and one 3 x 10cm Whisper White panels (one of squares is on inside)

Decorate as necessary  (I don't know if you can tell but the stamped & die cut flowers are 3D'd and very effective...)

Wrap & tie ribbon around the side panel

Adhere the side panel down

Thank you Ruth... I really love this card... a simple little fun fold stunner... right up my street...

And before I go... Click here to see all the details about the Hand Penned suite...

Saturday Simple Swap Share & Kits coming....

The last week has seen the steady arrival of some beautiful inspirational cards through my letterbox... as our Team rallied together to make and exchange swap cards through the post ... to showcase new products and inspire each other... as well as providing a "Happy Mail" experience... which has been truly lovely! Thanks ladies...

So I thought I should share my creative friends' gorgeous creations with you over the next week or so... especially as most of these are using stamps and products that I don't own this time round... as I don't get to buy anywhere near as much as usual with not running classes... though hopefully that will revert some time soon!

But before I share more on today's simple but stunning card... check out the new Kits being released after the Bank Holiday this weekend ie next Tuesday, 1st June ... 

Lots to love... and at such great prices... More information about them on Tuesday... but suffice to say... you get everything in the box apart from the clear block to mount the stamps on... Creativity made Easy....  a lovely crafty fix... in the post!

In the meantime... here's a snapshot of them all... there really is something for everyone... 

And CLICK HERE for the Kits leaflet... I think you will be surprised at the prices! What a great way to update your greeting stamps... and ink spots... Such great value...

So back to today's card... created by the lovely Linda Ellis of Linda's Papercrafting fame... using the gorgeous Colour & Contour bundle... which I really wish I had at my disposal!! As I love "daisy type" flowers... 

Sot Succulent, Polished Pink and  Sahara Sand with Whisper White... 

Finished off with pops of Genial Gems (which are much much nicer than I thought!) A bit of safe and secure coloured glitter in a water-drop effect... 

And not forgetting the inside...

Thank you Linda... a truly stunning simple gem of a card...