Spot the Difference!

Howsabout simplifying what has gone before!!! 

For a little game of Spot the Difference....

This one really does take minutes... as the "filling in" was definitely the most time consuming part of the card on the right hand side!

Click here for all the details on the card...

And before I forget... do feel free to come back at 9pm UK time tonight for another sneak peek... and an international blog hop to inspire you....

Amanda's Quick Links

Just click on the relevant pictures below for catalogues and/or more information... 

If you are ordering today... do remember to add the Host Code shown below to earn yourself a gift and help support The Craft Spa at the same time... For orders over £150 you should claim your own Stampin Rewards when ordering... you will still get a separate gift from me... 

Please note that this host code is relevant to today's blog post date... it does expire and change over the months... but the current code is always shown at the top right hand side of my blog...

Current Catalogues & Products

Everything is Rosy...available May only... and only while supplies last

Detailed Birthday die cut Bridge U Fold Card

A little gem of a card... with a gem of a die set!

Detailed Birthday dies... Still available here in Europe... but probably not for long... particularly as not carrying over...  Really love both the pressies and the cupcakes!

And don't forget the co-ordinating Birthday Cheer stamps... especially this brilliant greeting... as it can be used for birthdays... exam success... or just cos! Kind of a set for all seasons!

Or the bundle with 10% off...

And we are still loving these Tea Room papers...

Click here for the Bridge U Fold card recipe and tutorial... though you don't need the inner box sections parts... and the front Base panel is die cut (and then snipped at the sides) from a 15.5 x 6.5cm (6 1/8" x 2 1/2") high piece of Thick Whisper White card...

Love to make my ladies happy with such a simple but effective make!

SALE to Celebrate World Card Making Day

Short and sweet today... but I have to yell out the news... IT IS SALE TIME...

Click here to go to all the items with the pictures in the Online Store

Lots of products to buy with 10% discount! Including glues, stamp sets, notecards & envelopes and card kits.... amongst other things....

But only for a few days ... From today 1st to Sunday 7th October...

All laid on for us by Stampin' Up! to help celebrate World Cardmaking Day... which is Sat 6th October this year ... do let me know if you have anything special planned... I might come and join you if you are local!!!

SO just click on the picture to see the discounted products... or download the full file by clicking here... OR click here to go straight to all the items in the Online Store (with pictures)

And don't forget to add this months Host Code 2MVEHBBW if your order is under £150... so I can send you a nice gift in the post...

And for you local ladies able to collect... I will be putting in an order on Sun 7th October... so please let me have your order and payment by Saturday 6th October. Please include just £1 to cover postage to me...

Picture Perfect Party candles

Pick a piece of Picture Perfect Party candle paper... and look at the project samples as shown on page 4 in the Spring Summer (Occasions) catalogue (as image below)

Cut the paper to a size not quite intended to CASE said sample!!! Oops!

So add a couple of mats in Lemon Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay...

Add a small piece of 1/8" Bermuda Bay Sale A Bration ribbon to replace the Fringed Ribbon in the sample (which is unfortunately not available)... but this 1/8" ribbon can be yours for free with a £45 order as it is a Sale Bration promotional item...

And here you have it... a bright and cheerful simple birthday card to get in the post in a flash...

And here are the other fabulous Picture Perfect Party projects made by the Stampin Up concept team...

Using the bright and photo-realistic Picture Perfect Papers ....

And lovely Picture Perfect Birthday stamps...

Party Panda Celebration...

Quick... but cute...  little card to share with you today... to celebrate a one year milestone...

Note that the hat has been "pinched" off a different image on the Party Panda set!

And an ink tip for you.... I first stamped the Pandas for this card in Memento Black so that I could use my Stampin Blends marker pens  for colouring...  but they were too grey/not black enough for my taste... nor did they stamp very well (so I went over them with black/blender pen!) ...

But out came the Archival Black ink pad and suddenly all was right with my Pandas! However note that I then couldn't use my Stampin Blends... so had to resort to my Many Marvellous Markers (hat/heart) and Watercolor Pencils (balloon) for colouring this instead...

Pandas and Hi from Sale A Bration Party Pandas (yours for free with a £45 order)

Celebrate etc from Labels to Love... great little greeting find! Still available as a carryover item from the Autumn Winter catalogue along with its co-ordinating Everyday Label punch

And number 1 from Labeler Alphabet...

On a Small Square card i.e 10.5cm (4 1/8") square with Basic Black 9.5cm and Whisper White 9cm mats (though with US Letter sized card I would do 4 1/4" Square card with Black 3 1/2"/ White 3 1/4" instead)

And I can't wait to share with you how the Pandas went next....!

Falling In Love & Dragonfly Dreams - The Blues one!

Quick share of today's card...

This is a card made "kind of" from scraps!!! - as the paper panel is the gutted centre from my Heart Wreath card shared here... (gutted at 1 1/4" from all sides fyi) ... and the greeting banner is the scrap from cutting out the two Very Vanilla panels used here... kind of neat!

Falling in Love papers meets Dragonfly Dreams stamps & dies and introducing the other BIG word in Happy Celebrations.... how much do I love this "celebrate" greeting!!

And I have to admit that these papers have really proven to be versatile... and are not just in the pinks!!

Oh and here is the inside... thought it worthy of decorating too...

Love the softer look of the just the dragonfly wings and body...

And a little tip... I have used clear embossing powder on the Very Vanilla cardstock so that the cream card colour can shine through... and the colouring is done using Pool Party and Mint Macaron markers over the embossed and die-cut dragonfly (ie Emboss Resist... remembering to wipe off the excess ink with tissue paper afterwards)

Cheers ... and a bottle of Gin!

At our last Quarterly Training we were given a Make & Share the Tag Business Challenge! 

We had been asked to bring our favourite New Annual Catalogue stamp set... so I had my brand New Mixed Drinks on hand... 

So though I didn't think they were quite appropriate for the challenge... ie to make and then give out to people to showcase/introduce what we do... I made these 10 tags anyways...  and thought I would share them in any case!

I couldn't even find a bottle of champagne or prosecco for photographic display purposes either... but hey a lovely bottle of Martin Miller's English Icelandic gin does the job for me!!! Definitely a great gin to try!! And reduced in Morrisons yesterday!!! Just sayin!

And now I need to make some more appropriate tags!

Want to see some more makes using the Mixed Drinks set... here you go... these 2 lovely creations being from the Stampin' Up ! web site.... 

Though these do remind me of my recent holiday!!! We were very lucky to have the Parasol cocktail bar about 10 minutes walk away that was reportedly one of the Top 10 in Europe!! 

Photo Courtesy of Parasol Beach Bar

Though subsequently I believe this to be (more accurately) one of the 10 Coolest Bars in Lesbos! Either way... they made a great cocktail, quirky and fun place to be -  and the sunset view was fabulous...