Saturday 30 May 2015

52 CCT Pick a Previous Colour


Here is my DT card for this week's Pick a Previous Colour challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I decided to choose a classic combo from September 2012.

 
I must also have been inspired by that pile of gingerbread men because I have opted for a tower of the little fellas clutching their candy canes. This cute digi is from Pink Cat Studio and I have coloured it with Promarkers. The patterned paper is American Crafts Peppermint Express and I decided to fussy-cut some extra candy canes. Of course, I had to add some stars punched from Glimmer Paper and a scrap of embossed white paper that was hanging around.


I hope that you will feel inspired to have a poke around our Colour archive and make a Christmas or winter themed card. 

I am also packing my gingerbread men off to Pixie's Snippets Playground, Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge 231 and Crafty Hazelnut's Challenge extra for May.

Have a great weekend! April x 

Friday 29 May 2015

New Catalogue Launch

 
 
 Please join us for one of the most exciting times of the Stampin' Up year - the launch of the new annual catalogue and In-Colours! On Friday, 5th June at 7pm, we will be getting together to peruse the new catalogue and make four gorgeous cards. We will be using the Sprinkles of Life stamp set and the Tree Builder punch - two brand new products that are already proving to be very popular indeed! There will also be the chance to see lots of new,  fabulous must-haves for your crafty stash.
 
The cost of the workshop is £11 and includes all materials to make four cards and the use of inks, punches, dies and stamps.

 
All bookings are non-refundable. In the event of being unable to attend the workshop, you will of course receive the materials and instructions required to make all the items that we make during the evening.
 
Please bring your own adhesive. You will need a strong glue and may wish to use dimensionals. Please let me know when you book your place on the workshop if you would like to pre-order adhesive. Multi-purpose liquid glue is £3.25. Stampin' Dimensionals (300) also cost £3.25. Snail Adhesive is also available at a cost of £5.50 (refills are £3.75).
 
Please contact me for any further information and for Bebington venue directions. Hope you can join us!

Saturday 23 May 2015

52 CCT Stash Challenge


We're having a stash challenge over at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown  and nobody can accuse me of having a small craft stash! This week, our hostess Patricia has chosen ribbon as a fab feature for your cards.

  
I decided to dye some seam binding ribbon with Tim Holtz Distress Stains. I used Festive Berries, Seedless Preserves and Crushed Olive. I attached my ribbon to a label that I had stamped using SU's Seasonally Scattered (I inked up the stamp with Sahara Sand and then added a touch of Old Olive). I have also tied some gold sequin trim and linen thread to the label. 


I would also like to drag my ribbon at the very last minute through the gates at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

I had a fab time colouring the ribbon and can't wait to see your festive stash creations! Have a great weekend, April x
 

Saturday 16 May 2015

52 CCT Theme Challenge

Here is my DT card for this week's challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. The theme has been chosen by our hostess, Patricia and is:

 

Now this can be Bethlehem, but it doesn't have to be. We are looking for any festive or wintery scene containing buildings. I was thinking that lots of Christmas town scenes are lovely New England or Nordic ones, so I decided to create one from the industrial north of England instead - channelling Coronation Street whilst humming 'Life in a Northern Town'! This was very easy using SU's Holiday Home stamps. I just cut some additional roofs (I had to check that plural. I'm sure I was brought up with 'rooves', but apparently that is the 'old secondary form'). I've added some small piles of snow in Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper and stamped a slight snowfall, as that it usually all you get here in the North West anyway!


I hope that you will join us. We really look forward to seeing your lovely, inspirational cards. April x


Wednesday 13 May 2015

Little Red Robin

Here is a little red robin to add to my recent nature haul. He is chirruping his way to Cards in Envy - When Nature Calls challenge. He's also keeping an eye on the camel and the fish in the fab and lovely playground at Pixie's Snippets Playground. I'd also like to enter him in the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge which is a CAS one and Papertake Weekly - In the Garden (always a robin or two in my garden!) I promise no more creatures! My SU pre-order has now arrived and I will be excitedly prepping for my catalogue launch workshop on 5th June.

Little Red Robin is a lovely Woodware stamp. I have used paper-piecing - a scrap of floral paper that came with a magazine and patterned paper from Lilybee Design (Destination Atlas).  I have added enamel dots for the holly berries. He is a cute little chap, I think! April x

Monday 11 May 2015

Two Fishies

Here's a couple of fish for the 'When Nature Calls' challenge at Cards in Envy. I made the blotchy sea background on watercolour paper with plenty of splodges from my Tim Holtz Distress Stains (Tumbled Glass and Crushed Olive). There are additional stamped ink blots using Gorgeous Grunge and a Mama Elephant inkpad (Fresh Mint) and the whole thing has been sprayed with a pearlescent spray.

The fish are digi stamps that I have coloured with Promarkers. They are from Free Vintage Digi Stamps. I have added a tangle of linen thread and some gold sequins. Here's a close-up!

I am also sending these guys over to Di at Pixie's Snippets Playground to join my camel. Hope you all have a lovely crafty week, April x 

Saturday 9 May 2015

52 CCT Colour Challenge

 


At 52 Christmas Card Throwdown this week Patricia has chosen such a pretty colour challenge with pastel pink, green and yellow.

 
 I thought that these colours would be great for a Christmas tree fairy digi from A Day for Daisies. I had a great time colouring her with Promarkers and it was great to use a colour combo that you wouldn't usually associate with Christmas. I just added some Cosmic Shimmer to the fairy's wings and some Glimmer Paper stars to add a bit of sparkle. There's a few enamel dots too! I do hope that you will join us at 52CCT this week. We are very much looking forward to seeing your pastel Christmas creations, April x

Monday 4 May 2015

Happy Camel Day


Hard to take a photo of this guy because of the browns, purples and greens, I think? He was great to colour in with Promarkers though. This digi is from 2 Cute Ink and I'd like to enter my card in 2 Cute Ink Challenge 128 - Anything Goes. My camel is also resting on a snippet of patterned paper that came with a magazine, so I'd like him to trot into the yard at Pixie's Snippets Playground. It's been lovely catching up with card making this Bank Holiday Monday. I hope you have had a great day too, April x

Saturday 2 May 2015

52 CCT Sketch Challenge


At 52 Christmas Card Throwdown we are welcoming the new month with a sketch challenge. Patricia is our hostess and she has chosen this great design to inspire your festive card making.

 

I decided to use strips of washi tape to create the 'banners' topped by a little gingerbread man from SU's Scentsational Season. I have made quite a long card and have added Merry and Bright patterned paper by Pink Paislee on the ends. The Whisper White background is stamped in gold with Gorgeous Grunge and I have punched stars from champagne Glimmer Paper. The sentiment is from Good Greetings.

I hope you will take a look at the fantastic cards from the rest of the DT. We look forward to seeing your inspirational Christmas cards! April x