More Love and Affection

The elements of the Love and Affection stamp set can be used to create this lovely round wreath shape. Lots of colours here but I wanted to use the new In-colors specifically Sweet Sugarplum, Dapper Denim and Peekaboo Peach and my old favourite Mint Macaron too. This has been used to top a notebook, everyone needs a pretty notebook don't you think!

Bel

A week that ended well.

This week was a trying one, I guess we all have weeks like these at times. My youngest had respiratory difficulties and was admitted to hospital at the beginning of the week and after 2 nights on oxygen and lots of steroid treatment we finally got home on Wednesday evening. Her treatment continues while we wean down the steroids and attempt to get back to normality. Luckily things were improved enough for me to still run a class at a local community building for a small group wanting to have a dabble with Project Life on Friday evening. Only one of the ladies was familiar with Project Life, but they all embraced the concept and created a lovely first page using the Hello Lovely Stampin Up PL Card Collection and Accessory Pack. We also looked at the versatility of the cards and elements for card making and Mini books. I personally love this collection it's so sophisticated and stylish . The floral patterns and fonts lend themselves to so many occasions and the palette of soft blue, greens, oranges and black and white it's a classic timeless and elegant backdrop for your photos. Here I've used this collection to create a sample page used for the evening as a jumping off point for the PL newbies. A great Friday night a glass of wine some lovely company looking through photos of moments to treasure and using Project Life to celebrate the memories.

Then today I attended a lovely local Crop in Little Stoke for the first time. It's run by two lovely Sisters and I got to demonstrate a couple of Stamping Techniques for them and leave a few Catalogues for them to peruse. Hopefully by the time I left the idea of Stamping was a lot less scary than before, so mission accomplished!! I really nice creative and happy end to a week that did not begin too well.

New Card

Here is another card created with Affectionately Yours DSP.

My first ColourQ

I have wanted to enter some challenges for a long time, I really enjoy looking around at how others interpret the card layouts or use the colours in a colour challenge.  Well I decided to just stop thinking about it and just do it!  That's my goal at the moment, to remove the obstacles whether they are in my head or time related (we all know life just gets in the way at times!) and just do it!

I don't make enough masculine cards, it's something that many of my card making friends say too, so when I saw the colours in this ColourQ challenge I knew that was the one I would begin with, not least because I was desperate to use the new Stylised Birthday stamp from Stampin Up. 

As soon as i saw the new catalogue I knew that this stamp would be an invaluable addition, it's such a scene stealer and I have to say it didn't disappoint, I love the font and the scale of this stamp so much!

I teamed it with the very useable cake image from Endless Birthday Wishes, which happens to be another favourite of mine for both male, female and kiddie Birthdays, and again the fonts on that set are so awesome with the lovely swirly handwritten look teamed with the tiny type written stamps.

The Basic Grey came from the Designer Series Paper Stack and the inkpad used with an aqua painter to add colour to the cake stand and I threw in the Glitter Paper too to just bling it up a tad. I hope that was allowed??!

I will definitely be partaking in more challenges now I've got started and I know what a great inspiration they can be.

Bel 

Affectionately Yours - New DSP

I am absolutely loving this new DSP it is one of Stampin' Up!'s speciality DSP's and has some beautiful Copper foiling on two of the sheets that are incidentally also more of a card weight than paper.
It's designs are as is usual with SU DSP some are bold and colourful some are mutes and subtly patterned.  The floral designs match the lovely Love & Affection stamp set and there is a new set of 2 embossing folders and a bundle of gorgeous Washi Tape that matches too, making a beautiful product suite that makes creating a breeze.

Here are a few cards that I made that show off the paper in all it's glory.  I think I may well have found the DSP that breaks me of my hoarding tendencies........................

Do you see why I'm loving these papers?

Bel 

A Pop of Pink

Speciality Designer Series Papers are always that bit more special and this pack has one of my fave colour combos, Black, White, Pink and Gold. It has one of the other things I love too - SPOTS not just any type of Spots but GOLD spots.  Love, love, love this DSP.

I decided to try and recreate a mini book I had made some years ago at a class at the NEC Craft Show . I measured and upscaled slightly and here is how it turned out.  It's waiting for some photos that I would like printed black and white as I  feel they would look nicer in this cute little album.

Would you like a peek inside?  It has 12 places to pop a photo, so for a small 3x3 inch album it can hold quite a few pictures.

I am planning to teach this at a class soon, perhaps in the Affectionately Yours DSP which has some lovely florals and some subtle patterns and a lovely pop of Metallic Copper teamed with Night of Navy, Watermelon Wonder, Mint Macaron and Crumb Cake.  It will be a little less girly than this one.

Bel 

Retiring Items

I find myself having a mix of feelings at this time of year, I will be saying goodbye to some old friends, but I am excited about all that is new and on it's way in the new 2016/17 Annual Catalogue and this ones is AWESOME!!

Here is one of my very favourite go to stamp sets which I'm glad to say is staying - Endless Birthday Wishes teamed with the soon to be gone Fun Frames Embossing Folders and my most loved and definitely hoarded far too much paper stack It's My Party.

Dry embossing is such a simple yet effective technique and I have to say it makes such a difference to a card.  It certainly put the WOW into these simple designs.  I will really miss these handy little frames! And I seriously need to be getting into that paper stack and chop, chop, chop it and show it the love it deserves!!

Bel x