SARAH KAY - ELODIE IN HER GARDEN

This is one of my new stamps from Stampavie, designed by Sarah Kay.  The papers are all CM, the labels are the usual Nestabilities, the Scallop edge punch and sentiment are SU with the ribbon and lace being from my stash.

I raided my sewing box the other day and was amazed at the treasures hiding there.  Found some lace that must be at least 20 years old so would probably be classed as vintage as well as some amazing buttons.

STAMPIN UP - HOLIDAY LINEUP

Sometimes keeping simple is all that is required.  My SU Holiday Lineup stamps are getting a lot of use and I when I spotted a card with the snowmen all coloured in blue, I thought it was a good idea - simple and uncomplicated.  As can be seen, I am new to paper tearing and decided to wet it with a paint brush along a line, then tear it.  I think my hands and fingers are too small as I struggle to get it right.  Perhaps I should try one of those jagged rulers next to see how that turns out !

       

 HALLOWEEN TREAT HOLDER    

 I made these Halloween candy bar holders in preparation for our young neighbour and his friends when they knock on the door on the 31st.  The challenge was to get the right candy bar and I eventually settled on a peanut butter one as it was the perfect size and my husband hates peanut butter !  That way I knew they would last until Halloween !   I cut 3 holders lengthways  from an A4 piece of black cardstock, scored it, punched holes for the ribbon (which I looted from the gift packs at a conference we recently went to).   The opening for the candy bar is made with  SU word window punch.  The images are SU Twick or Tweet set and the rear side spider and bat are Cuttlebug dies.  Think I will have to lightly glue the flap shut, but will have to ask the advice of our young neighbour first.

SMALL GIFT BAG

A while back in Merrypak I came across these white paper packets and remembered I had seen a tutorial using them cut down to a smaller size.  Being Merrypak I had to buy in bulk and after making 2 of the small bags wondered just what I would do with the rest.  Anyway, I recently saw a picture using the whole bag on SCS and decided to make my own version.  I covered the bag with cardstock and then used CM paper front and back.  The hedgie image is from a Penny Black stamp set and I used Nestabilities for the circles.  The handle is a stroke of genius even if I say so myself !  It is using Nestabilities labels dies - the 2 largest sizes.

I usually make a project like this a couple of times before I get it right, tweaking things along the way, but this is my first go at it and I am quite pleased with the outcome.  It would be the perfect bag to use for a pair of socks or a couple of  liquid soaps.

      

ART IMPRESSIONS - RETIREMENT CARD

Was asked to make this card for a retirement of a colleague.  The main stamp is Oscar (in the recliner) with the other AI stamps being the bookshelf, mat, stool and washing basket.  The chair is from one of the SU sets but it had a pot plant sitting on it.  I coloured the back & seat area on the stamp with a black marker (leaving out the pot plant), stamped it on the patterned green paper and paper pieced it onto the chair.  The cat is from a Penny Black stamp set and the clock is a CM sticker.  The background papers are CM with the 'carpet' being a plain paper on which I used a speckled SU wheel to make it more realistic.

Inside the card I used SU sentiments.  All the stamped images on the front were stamped on watercolour paper, coloured in and cut out.

STAMPIN UP - HOLIDAY LINE UP

Another easy card to make. The top section was run through the Cuttlebug - Swiss dots embossing folder.  The middle is a border embossing folder on which I highlighted the dots with a white gel pen. The image is SU Holiday Line Up which is a long stamp and I had never thought of using only part of it in this way before I saw something similar on one of the craft sites.  The sentiment is also SU.

PENNY BLACK - TINY WISHES

This is another idea I took from Splitcoast Stampers using SU paper for the background.  I am not usually a lace fan but thought it looked good on this occasion.  The flowers are die cut and embossed with Nestabilities as are the oval shapes.  Once the paper has been chosen (always a challenge for me) it was a surprisingly easy card the make as the image was quick to colour in and the rest was easy to assemble as I had a picture to follow.

PENNY BLACK - CRITTER PARTY

This is an unusual card in that you use a normal card, on the front you cut down the score line and then cut horizontally.  I decorated the front with CM papers using a couple of different flourish stamps to liven it up a little.  The labels are Nestabilities and the sentiment is Inkadinkado (I think).  The inside of the card was decorated and the brads holding the hinges were affixed before I stuck the inside section down.  The card is closed with the hinges and to open it  the recipient has to undo the hinges.  It is just another idea for a card which is easy to decorate and it makes it a little different.                                         

REINDEER PUNCH ART

When I saw this card on Splitcoast Stampers I just knew I had to try and copy it.  I have never seen such an animated reindeer and am really pleased with the way it turned out.  Should you want to try it I have the recipe as to what punches have been used.  The only problem I had was with the antlers and eventually settled on the bows from a Sizzix die (Gift Box #2).  The Xmas tree is a Michael Strong stamp which I popped onto rises.  The music notes stamp is a local one I have had lying around for ages and not used which proves you should never get rid of any stamps as you don't know when you might find a need for them !

MOTIVET - DORALINE & DEXTER, BRIDE & GROOM

This is one of the nicest wedding stamps I have.  The background papers are a copper colour & free apricot colour paper from a magazine with the image being stamped on watercolour paper cut out with Nestabilities labels.  The ribbon was off a gift I received and the stickers are from my stash.  I also sponged the watercolour paper with a matching colour ink just to finish it off.

CHRISTMAS TAGS

These tags have been made over the past couple of months from spare images I have stamped.  The rectangle tags are all SU images (snowmen and elves) and these I hand cut.  The balance of the tags are from various dies using Penny Black images.  All the edges are sponged.

CLEAR DOLLAR - CHARLIE FROLIC

Another idea I loaned from Splitcoast Stampers.  I used a blue card, layered brown and then the patterned orange and brown paper.  I then used Creative Memories circles to cut out the brown and orange circles and ran the orange paper through a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The ovals are Nestabilities and the leaves are 3 different types of small leaf punches (I always knew they would come in handy one day !) with the first layer stuck directly onto the paper and on the second layer I used rises to give a layered effect.

CLEAR DOLLAR - MY LITTLE BALLERINA

The stamp is really easy to colour in and a bit tricky to cut out, but worth the end result.  The yellow background paper is CM with the blue, yellow scalloped circle and blue dot circle all from SU.  The stars are from the Martha Stewart christmas stars border punch and the sentiment was done on computer as, believe it or not, I did not have a stamp with the wording I was looking for.

STAMPIN UP - HOLIDAY LINE UP

I always find it fun to colour in a longish stamp.  The idea is to lay out all the markers first to see which colours match which is a lot easier than making it up as you go along.

The background papers are all CM, the sentiment is SU done in Old Olive ink with the surround sponged also using Old Olive.  The gold sticker strips surrounding the stamped image just finishes it off.