Dovecote & Moving House GIft

And now for something completely different - and a labour of love for 2 very special people..... namely my parents!! They moved house this week... after nearly 50 years in the same house!!!

My mother has always wanted a white wood dovecote - so this is what I made instead of the more usual Good Luck in Your New Home Card..... They were both chuffed to bits!!!! Though unfortunately she still wants a wooden one.... which will prove slightly more expensive!!

The template for the birdhouse part is one of Adela Rossol's templates - and is called Home Tweet Home. As soon as I saw this template I knew a dovecote was soon going to be made.....  You can find Adelas' fabulous templates here. http://creationsbyar.com/.

The rest is using Stampin' Up products. The doves are created using  the Bird Punch. The ledges for the doves to stand on with the 1" circle punch scored in half. The scalloped edge under the birdhouse is using the Scallop Edge Punch. The base is created using the Petal Card Punch and the Scallop Square Punch. 

You can't really see them on the photos....but note the detail on the birdhouse to resemble slats of wood - just simple scoring after I had cut the template out.....

Team Meet Swaps Jan 2011

I am delighted to share the Craft Therapists team swaps from our January meeting. The theme was anything using Sale A Bration stamp sets or cards suitable for Valentine/ Love . The girls made some gorgeous cards as you can see here........

First up is Carol' s card using the SAB Sweet Summer stamp set - this was inpired by a card by fellow SU! demo and friend Monica Gale

And then Beverley's card using the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set. 

And this is Lisa's card using the Punch Potpourri hostess stamp set.

And this is Sally's card also using the Punch Potpourri stamp set. More details can be found on Sally's blog.... Valentine Card on Sally's Blog - girliepink

And finally Kaz's card also using the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set 

Oh apart from my little Ferrero Rocher Treat Holder using the SAB Punch Bunch stamp set - very simple way of giving people chocolate!!!

Happy Valentines Day

Just a quick posting with 3 projects made for my boys!

Firstly my son's favourite... and that was before he discovered it was also full of chocolate!! ( which has now all gone - good job I took a photo of this before he got his hands on it!!!) This was inspired by a project here - Family Fun Rock Candy though I made up a little box rather than just wrapping a chocolate bar. Anyone would think that I have a thing about iPods looking at this blog!!

Then a couple of cards we have done in classes......

The first one is using the Celebrations DSP which is the paper being used for all my February classes - and the I Love Hearts & Tiny Tags stamp sets .

The mount for the Modern Label punched greeting is done using 2 black punched modern labels; cutting one in half lengthways and one in half widthways & then sticking them to the back of the punched greeting. So simple and works a treat!

And the central section is cased from a beautiful swap card from Convention last year by Fiona Duthie who is linked here - Fiona's Convention General Swap cards   Having looked at Fiona's blog I love all her swap cards...... and would very happily have swapped with her quite a few times!!!! She is a very talented lady!

The second card is a Centre Step card and is made using the fabulous Love You Much stamp set and another of the chocolate hearts - now also gone!!

Vintage Vogue Love Letters Treat Bag

Just a  very quick post to share the gorgeous treat bag made by Sally (girliepink) who is in our Craft Therapists team.


http://girliepink.blogspot.com/2011/02/vintage-vogue-and-love-letter-paper.html

Sally was lucky enough to win the raffle in our Team meeting last Saturday - and so I am delighted to see her goodies being put to such good use straightaway.

I have lots to post from our team meeting as we made a card and a treat bag using the Sale A Bration Sweet Summer and Bliss stamp sets - which are proving SO popular...... Only 3 more weeks to get your hands on them!! Free when you spend £45.

We also swapped some gorgeous cards - which are also coming up soon!! It is lovely to be amongst such a talented bunch!!

Just need to get my 6x6 scrapbook pages finished for my class on Saturday - and then I will be back on the blog!! Having never done any scrapbooking before I can't believe that I have done a progressive page as my first ever page - and now I am doing some simple 6x6 pages- and I am loving them........ I think I have discovered a new passion!!!!

Elegant Soiree & Hopeful Thoughts Sympathy & Get Well Cards

Here are 2 of the cards we have made in January classes.

Both use the Hopeful Thoughts stamp set which proved to be VERY popular - as well as the Elegant Soiree DSPs again. 

I purposely kept these really simple - apart from making everyone use the thin end of the markers on the very tips of the branches of the trees!! Not so easy but well worth it..... but do remember to switch back to the thick end asap... or you will be there all day!!!

Elegant Soiree Tri Shutter Album

So here is the Tri Shutter Album we made in classes during January.

I used the Elegant Soiree DSP along with the smallest and largest of the Paper Daisies ( 4 sizes x 10 each in a pack - scrummy!!) and the wonderful flourish and butterfly stamps from the SAB Bliss set - along with the SAB So Happy For You stamp set for the wording and the SAB Punch Bunch set for the rivet on the large daisy.   I really have found these 4 SAB sets so wonderful to mix and match - I already know I can't do without them!! 

The main album is in Baja Breeze cardstock with mats of Early Espresso on the front and Soft Suede or Very Vanilla on the inside  - all tied off with the GORGEOUS Early Espresso  1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon. ( By the way - I still have some shares left of the 11 colours in this ribbon - £11 for 11colours x 1yd - including P&P)

Here are some pictures of the inside - though I have to say that these do not do the album justice ( as anyone knows that has tried to photo a Tri Shutter Album.....) Again I have used the SAB Bliss stamp set to add a feature to the area that was blank for photos. Though then everyone admitted that it was going to stop them putting a photo over the top!!!

Elegant Soiree DSP & SAB Punch Bunch Ferrero Rocher Treat Holder

Edited to Add 30 March 2011:    I just had to do an Easter version too.... see here...Easter Bunny Treat Holder.......  perfect for Mini eggs, Ferrero Rocher or indeed anything chocolate.... yum!!!

During January I have been busy designing projects for classes using the Elegant Soiree Designer Series Paper ( or DSP for short!!) So I have lots of projects to show you using Elegant Soiree DSP and the 2011 Sale A Bration (SAB for short!!) stamp sets....

Remember that these stamp sets are exclusively available only until 28 Feb and are free when you spend £45 on SU! products. And they are just wonderful..... they work with each other so well and give you great flexibility in images, styles and wording......


So the first project I have to show you is the Ferrero Rocher Treat Holder. This uses 2 stamps from the SAB Punch Bunch stamp set - inked up in Soft Suede and Baja Breeze on Very Vanilla cardstock. The rivet is punched out using a 1" Circle Punch and the For You scallop using the Scallop Circle Punch.

This project holds 3 Ferrero Rochers and stands beautifully as a table setting decoration. I used the Treat Box Card tutorial on Split Coast Stampers ( Link here........  Treat Box Card Tutorial on SCS ) - though I altered the sizes to fit the Ferrero Rochers and I didn't create any front flap to the right - just leaving that portion to fold over/doubled so as to give the holder rigidity to stand up above the box instead of to the right as per the original tutorial.

A small piece of striped 1 1/4" grosgrain ribbon in Marina Mist finished off the holder.

Next post will be my Elegant Soiree Tri Shutter Album - this album was a very popular project in my classes last year - and as soon as I saw these papers - I knew I had to do another one using the Elegant Soiree papers ...... but the SAB Bliss set just took it to another level - with lots of oohs and aahs as a result!!!!  You will see........

SU! Petal Card Punch - Little Treat Bags - Tutorial

We had our first Craft Therapists team meeting of the year last week and I challenged myself to come up with a new use for a SU! punch;  a new technique and to use a stamp from at least 3 of the 4 free Sale A Bration stamp sets...... So no mean treat there.....

And this little treat bag is what I came up with!!! - suitably sized for the smallest of chocolate "bars".....  I absolutely love it....but hey I am biased..... though everyone else was WOWed by it too!!!

So here is the low down on how this was made....!!

• I punched 4 pieces from Baja Breeze cardstock using the Petal Card Punch to make the bag sides & the box in between.
• I folded over a tab on 2 of the pieces ( to make the little bag shape) I then stamped the SAB Sweet Summer floral spray at random in Chocolate Chip ink
• Then a New Technique......that I will call the White Magic Technique.... 
  I coloured in the flowers, leaves & berries using the Uniball Signo white gel pen ( my most used pen in the world!!). I then allowed it to dry and went over the leaves with an Old Olive marker pen and the berries with a Pretty in Pink marker - so so pretty!!! And I think very chinoiserie ( is that a  proper word???)
• I then inked up & stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock....
  The rivet greeting from the SAB Punch Bunch set in Chocolate Chip. ( then punched out as 1" circle)
  The flower from the SAB Punch Bunch set For You scallop tag stamp in Baja Breeze & Chocolate Chip
• The Twill Tape for the bag handle was also stamped using Chocolate Chip ink with a greeting from the SAB Happy For You stamp set and the Sweet Summer floral spray stamp.
  The leaves and berries were also coloured in using the Old Olive & Pretty in Pink marker pens.
  TOP TIP: use a bit of Snail adhesive to temporarily adhere the ribbon to a flat surface before you attempt stamping the greeting - easier to get the word straight when fabric is held straight in the first place!!! 
• Then a little box to hold the mini treat...
  I snipped off a flap off each of the other 2 Petal Card Punch pieces and glued the other 3 flaps together as 2 sides and a bottom - to make a little 3 sided box.
  TOP TIP: make yourself a simple little box guide to really help this glue/assembly bit - cut a 2" x 3 1/4" piece of cadstock ; with panel landscape - score at 2"; 1 1/2"; 2 1/2" and 3". Adhere using small tab side.
• I then glued the 2 bag sides onto the box front & back ( with the unstamped tab to the base)
• I finished the bag off with the twill tape adhered using Sticky Strip from the bottom, up one side, looped over to form the handle and then back down the other side & onto the bottom. 
• I then covered the twill tape ends on the bottom with one of the tabs I had snipped off before

It's Stampin' Up! Sale A Bration Time!! And FREE DELIVERY offer from The Craft Spa

Yes it is that great time of the Stampin' Up! year where we get to SaleABrate and earn free stamp sets. Simply put.......

Spend £45 on Stampin' Up! products and get a free limited-edition stamp set (c£18 value)
Spend £90 for 2 free stamp sets etc.
4 sets to choose from.
Here is the leaflet showing you the 4 sets that you can choose from Sale A Bration Leaflet 2011- but (hopefully) they are also pictured below


In addition...... spend over £70 and you will get free delivery ( normally £4.95) This free delivery offer applies until 24 Jan 2011.  This is an exclusive offer from The Craft Spa and is not associated in any way with Stampin' Up!

I will be placing an order tomorrow (1st Jan and then 25 Jan..... but orders can be placed at any time with delivery direct to you.


Or for those of you thinking about joining my Craft Therapists team and signing up with Stampin' Up!.
Choose an extra stamp set worth up to £44.95 with your starter kit. So that's over £290's worth of goods for just £119
And 20% discount on all you SU! goodies thereafter ( 30% on your 1st order)
Just contact me for more details and an order form......


So here are this years' limited edition stamp sets. Only available until 28 February 2011.

PUNCH BUNCH -

SO HAPPY FOR YOU

BLISS

SWEET SUMMER

(don't know why this image looks more faded!! Isn't in real life!!)



Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2011.....

This was an idea inspired by the beautiful non-Christmas card made by Teneale Williams back in September 2010 - check Teneale's card out for a lovely wedding or anniversary card.

http://www.tenealewilliams.com.au/wp02/2010/09/17/no-longer-an-inkspiration/.

My card is made up using a Craftwork Cards 8" scalloped card blank and the Stampin' Up! Bird Punch and Welcome Christmas stamp set for the greeting.