Valentines Card with "A Happy Heart"

Here's a card I had forgotten to upload and show you. It's a Valentine's Day card, obviously! The "A Happy Heart" stamp set is a useful selection of image stamps and greetings, and I think I have used almost every stamp on this card. The card base is Bashful Blue, sponged on the edges with matching ink. Next we have a layer of Real Red, and I have stamped some of the stamps in the set across the base in vertical rows, to create a background. I've stamped them in Real Red ink, which creates a subtle tone-on-tone effect.

So that the Real Red Polka dot ribbon didn't get 'lost' on the background, I have mounted it on a band of Bashful Blue. Have you stocked up on this fabulous ribbon yet??? It's about to disappear, as it's a Summer Mini product, so give me a quick yell and I'll make sure to order some for you before 9pm on March 31st.

Over the ribbon band is a heart stamped onto Whisper White in Real Red ink, cut out and mounted on a Bashful Blue layer. I used the double rectangle punch to make slots for a tie of Whisper White taffeta ribbon.

I stamped the greeting using the Stamp-a-ma-jig so I could split the sentiment onto three separate lines, and fit it inside a label stamp from "Cute and Curly" and punch it with the Curly Label punch. I also punched some hearts using the "Heart to Heart" punch, from Bashful Blue-stamped large heart stamp, and popped them up using Stampin' Dimensionals. A finishing touch is some faux stitching done with white Gel pen. Hope you like it, hubby did!

I'm on the way home from a retreat weekend, and I had a chance to make quite a few new cards showcasing some of the upcoming Autumn-Winter Mini catalogue, stay tuned for updates! Remember final orders for the Summer Mini close 8pm on Wednesday 31st March!! Email or call me with your shopping list!

Wild about You - by Barbara!

Here's a card made recently by one of my lovely friends and customers, Barbara. She made it for the birthday of a co-worker who loves elephants. It uses the retired background stamp, Paisley. I am waiting for a similar stamp to become current, as this one demonstrates the technique of "kissing" so well. "Wild about You" is a set that has been around for a long while, and it still holds great appeal, it's one of my most reached for sets when making cards for children. This little elephant always looks like he has such a cheeky grin, he's irresistable!!

The card base is Not Quite Navy, stamped with Paisley with matching ink. A brayer is very useful for getting an excellent impression from a background stamp as solid as this one. The elephants are stamped in Whisper White, in Not Quite Navy ink. The elephant on the left was inked up with a brayer using Not Quite Navy ink, and the one on the right was inked up by "kissing" the background stamp inked up with a brayer to pick up the Paisley pattern on the solid stamp surface. Barbara stamped him again so that she could cut out an extra pair of ears to pop them up. Cute hey!!

The sentiment was stamped using the Hostess set "Best Yet" , inside one of the stamps from the "Cute and Curly" stamp set. It was trimmed closely, and then mounted on a Baja Breeze Curly Label punchie - it makes a perfect mat for the cut down label stamp. Underneath the sentiment is a stretch of Baja Breeze striped grosgrain ribbon. And, in trademark Bling Barbara style, the finishing touch was a blue rhinestone added to the flower centre.

Would you like to come along for a fun day and make some cards like this? If you are close enough to Cherrybrook to travel, make a note of the schedule of my monthly "Stampin' Crop" days, every 3rd Saturday. I'll have all my stamps, punches, tools and accessories available for you to use, and would be delighted to show you how easy and satisfying it can be to make your own cards. Beginners are most welcome, call me on 9484 9447 to reserve your place for next month, Saturday 17th April. Cost for the day is just $15, and includes morning and afternoon tea, tea, coffee, inspiration and casual instruction, as well as great company.

Butterfly Prints - QUICK EASY CARDS! Get it while you can!

One of the most popular sets from our Summer Mini catalogue has been the "Butterfly Prints" set and the matching butterfly punch. This card was made laaaate one night, in preparation for a birthday party being attended by my daughter for one of her friends turning 5. I made it with leftover pieces from a Make n Take at a workshop earlier that evening, using the Sweet Always papers and the matching colours of Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White and Chocolate Chip. Super quick (well, it needed to be!!), I simply stamped the butterflies randomly over the card base in matching Regal Rose ink and some on Whisper White in various colours above before punching out. So quick!! A band across the centre of the Designer Series Paper and some Felt Fusion flower accents with a Rhinestone brad and the Scallop Oval punch to add a greeting from the "Something Sweet" set. A final touch was a tie of wide grosgrain ribbon in Regal Rose.

This set (and all the others in the Summer Mini) are only going to be available until March 31st, so check the catalogue by clicking on the cover image at the right hand side and get in touch if there is anything you'd like to get before it's gone! Check this post from a little further down for my bonus free post or free marker offer!