Candy Cane Lane - A Round Up Post

Again the 4 for 3 Paper Offer excuse for a quick round up of Candy Cane Lane projects shared so far... Just click on the photo to go to the original blog post...

The Birdhouses...

The House Duos...

The Large White Wrapped Gift Box...

The Fold It Flip It (FIFI) Mini Book... tutorial on its way...

And lastly the House & Trees Card...

Still loving these papers - just finished another card using these papers today...so more to come!

Tweaking the Candy Cane Lane Birdhouse Card

Thank you for all your lovely comments about my birdhouse card yesterday... I am glad so many of you like it as much as I do...

So yesterday I admitted that I had already been tweaking my Candy Cane Lane Bird House card... so I think you may like this one too...

I just grabbed some watercolor paper, Pool Party ink and an Aquapainter...and gave it a good old random watercolor wash...

Everything else the same as yesterday's card... though I did forget to tell you a few details yesterday...

Greeting inked up with Pool Party ink pad, then inked up Christmas with a Real Red marker pen...and the rest with an Early Espresso marker pen...

The Seasonal Bells plant pot described in more detail  here... but I used Early Espresso card and ink...

And the Soft Suede wood post is wood-textured by stamping the Timeless Textures wood effect stamp in Soft Suede

And oh ... the inspiration for this card came when I was making this one...

Now which do you prefer? Wash or white!?

And oh... you may have noticed that the white version has had a little dressing up too... care of Fine Tip glue and clear Mica Flakes on the roof...

Candy Cane Lane Christmas Birdhouse...

Quick share today... birdhouse from Candy Cane Lane papers... greeting from Tin of Tags... birds from Thoughtful Branches... bow from Holly Berry Happiness... and pot from Seasonal Bells... Come back tomorrow for more details as to how...

Love it so much I have just made another on the same theme today... will be back to share that one soon when I have had a chance to take some photos!

Remember 56 houses in a pack of papers... that is a lot of easy cards!

NEW Catalogue & NEW Special Promotions too...

Few things to tell you about today...

Firstly, the 2016 Autumn Winter Catalogue is now live! Click here or on the above cover picture to go straight there... and products are now available to order...

Secondly... it is time for the first Special Promotions promotion. You can save 25% on select annual catalogue products from today until 21st September. Stampin' Up! will release a different list (Wednesday 11pm UK time) of select products each week for the 3 weeks promotional period. So yes that will be 3 lists over the 3 weeks... each list of products being at 25% off for that week only... Wednesday to Wednesday...

Here are the products for Week 1... which runs from today until Wednesday 7th September. Click here or on the list to go to the on line list with the pictures... I think those enamel dots are going to prove useful for snowflake centres and baubles on christmas trees!!

And lastly, the exclusive and wonderful Thoughtful Branches stamps & dies are still available but only whilst supplies last.

Stampin' Up! have now confirmed that it will not be coming back in the future... So now really is the last time to purchase this must have set... I don't think the last of the stock will stick around long...

Here is a quick collage of some of my makes using the set... but go here to my Thoughtful Branches Pinterest Board for loads more inspiration...

Thoughtful Branches - CAS Thank you

And the cleanest & simplest of the Training makes for you now.... this is a quickie and isn't it gorgeous... this was CASEd from this card by the ever-so-clever Allison Okamatsu

Stamped and die cut Wild Wasabi canopy... double layered banner... Crumb Cake tree trunk and a spot of Linen Thread to finish off

Simple ...but SO effective...

Thoughtful Branches Hydrangea

Another make from Team Training... isn't it gorgeous....

This card was CASED from the incredibly talented Dena Rekow... and her original card can be found here along with a how to video tutorial

But the detail I liked the best!

The Brick Wall ... which is a Crumb Cake embossed card panel sponged with Craft Whisper White to make it all look shabby chic... gorgeous.... that technique will be used again....

Look at the detail on this shot... I think you can even see the Wink of Stealla...

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!

Thoughtful Branches Holly

And here is the last of my topiary trio... a holly bush dressed for Christmas...

Spot the details...

You probably won't be able to see this detail... but the leaf canopy is domed... adding real texture to the card. 

Really easy to do... after you have used your Big Shot Die Brush to remove all the die cut scraps... turn the leaf canopy over on the mat and give it another brush (or 3)... everything all pops up ( well down actually!)  to form the dome shape... 

It is also easy to glue down that way - just Tombow or Precision Tip Glue around the edges and be careful to leave the dome shape in the centre as you stick it down...

A double spoiler alert now... a red glitter-embossed Holly Berry Happiness punched bow... yes glitter embossing powders are coming your way... My initial glitter-embossing wasn't so deep in colour ( I think my Versamark needed a re-ink!)... so  - rather than go upstairs to get the Versamark refill - I cheated! I stamped the bow in Real Red, then I stamped over in Versamark, applied the Red glitter-embossing powder and heated to melt...worked a treat! Lovely and glittery

And 1/8" hand punched circle red glimmer paper berries...

Another Seasonal Bells punched and trimmer plant pot - a different bell this time! And banner again from Seasonal Bells...

And a tree trunk from a Soft Suede sliver stamped with the woodgrain effect stamp in Soft Suede from Timeless Textures...

And if this is the first of the Topiary Trio you have come across - and some of the new Autumn Winter/Holiday product names are new to you! Please feel free to go back a few days worth of blog posts when more is revealed...

Thoughtful Branches - Happy Christmas Topiary

I guess that some of you will have guessed where I might go next after yesterday's post....

Well... it is August... it is Stampin' Up! pre-order month for us demos... and I do so enjoy my Christmas makes...

So here is my Thoughtful Branches topiary bush all dressed up for Christmas... with some more Autumn Winter Catalogue Sneak Peeks!

Plant pot and banner from the Seasonal Bells stamp and punch Bundle... available from 1st September

Bows from Holly Berry Happiness stamp and punch Bundle. And note... this punch also punches Baby Bear's Bow.... Yay! Available from 1st September.

Oh and little robins from Thoughtful Branches. Available August only...

Thoughtful Branches Topiary - and Spoiler Alert!

So I was asked for a Welcome to your New Home card... for someone into topiary.... so it had to be... 

The August-exclusive Thoughtful Branches was still out...so I stamped and die cut 3 leaf canopies... hand trimmed 2 of them to smaller sizes...and there you go... Love it!

The greeting and banner is from the Banners For You bundle

And Spoiler Alert.... 

There is also a Sneak Peek from the new Autumn Winter Catalogue on here.... so look away now if you don't want the spoiler......

Life saver when my pre-order box turned up!! This bush was in a cupcake base up till then.... this plant pot is SO much nicer...

Still not sure? Well... it is a punched bell... with a couple of snips... and turned upside down...perfect!! From the up and coming... Seasonal Bells... (no link as this item is not available until 1st September!)

Think you are going to like these bells!!! Stamp set, Punch or the Bundle... And definitely not just for Christmas... 

I can see a Seasonal Bells Class Kit coming on soon.... but do remember to buy your Thoughtful Branches THIS month... it is a keeper!!

Unless that is... anyone would like a Thoughtful Branches Class Kit this month!!?? I could do that even though I am not running a physical class.... mmm... Contact me here for more information

Thoughtful Branches Wreath

Now you know me and a slightly curved leaf stamp... I just can't resist creating a wreath!

Really quick share of a great simple little card today... as to be honest... I just do not feel very well! 

But I can't wait to share some of my other makes with you soon.... though my photo session came to an abrupt end... as...  I really do not feel very well!

And one detail to spot... the bow is from the new Burlap Ribbon... split in half to make it narrower (a great tip from our Stampin Up! Country Manager, Paula Gorry) which makes it easy to tie the bow and then you can sculpt the bow and the ends how you wish! Really raggy or tight together... Fabulous...

And please remember that this stamp is only available for August. Loads more inspiration on my Pinterest board shared on that linked post... It is definitely a keeper....!

August Only - Thoughtful Branches stamps and dies

Wow... what a fabulous stamp set and co-ordinating dies...

Just before I went away on my holidays Stampin' Up! released this stamp set and dies... which are for sale JUST for the month of August... so get them now whilst you can...

Now I managed to pre-order them and they were delivered whilst I was away... so I cannot wait to get them to work and create something to share with you... but in the meantime... please feel free to pop across to my Thoughtful Branches Pinterest board here and see some of my favourite Thoughtful Branches makes by fellow talented demonstrators for yourself...

Though I have to admit there may be a little bit of a delay... as ... I have just had a fabulous  - but very hot - fortnight's holiday in Greece...  unfortunately spoilt last Friday with my husband rupturing his Achilles tendon whilst trying to return a winning shot from yours truly during a tennis tournament!! So an unplanned tour of the island seeing doctors and ortho specialist on Friday... an interesting journey home with assistance on Saturday... with an extra hotel night at Manchester airport... A&E visit on Sunday and now he has one leg in a plaster cast (pot)... and we'll see what else ensues when he visits the clinic on Thursday! So this week (month!) will not quite be as I had planned!!