Sunday 31 March 2013

Elements of Style Framed Mirror 1

My body clock is out of sorts today - I'm never very with it on the day we lose/gain an hour and I still haven't really worked out which it is this time as hubbie changed the clocks last night to confuse us all ! The only issue is he didn't change all of them so I have idea what time it really is !!! LOL ! I do know one thing though - Easter Sunday lunch will be late because I have to blog first ! Still sunny BTW  !!! 
Here is a little mirror I made in a similar way to the last project using the stamp set Elements of Style and finishing off the frame with lots of large SU pearls. I love the pearls but find I don't use the large ones at all so end up with them left over - they were just perfectly proportioned for framing the mirror ! 




I glued the pearls on with crystal effects and use SU gold embossing powder to lift the design and add a bit of glamour ! One of my all time favourite large stamps En Francais makes a perfect background ( stamped in basic grey )  and the flower stamp was done in white embossing powder out of necessity ( the white pigment ink simply does not show up on the wood ! ) and to add more interest ! 


I kept this one very simple as the stamps are so beautiful I didn't want to overwhelm them with too much overstamping ! I suppose I can put off cooking for no longer !Enjoy the long weekend and thanks for your visit !
Hugs Jane x  

Friday 29 March 2013

Botanical Picture and Stamped Frame !

Happy Easter ! How lovely to see some sun now we are into the Easter weekend and it's very welcome after all the snow and ice !!! I have a stamped picture frame to share with you today - I have been trying to make a few home decor items as a change from the cards and scrapbook pages ! I have had these very cheap pine frames for ages and wish they were still available as they are perfect for this project ! I applied a couple of layers of acrylic paint and let it dry well in between - I chose a colour not unlike Baja Breeze and gave it a rough paint as I didn't want it to look perfect ! 



I have two hints to share with you which will help if you want to try this project ! 
1) When heat embossing go for the high heat setting and work as quickly as possible to avoid lifting the acrylic paint underneath .
2) Load your ink well onto the stamp as the wood does absorb a little - be firm when stamping but don't squidge !!!! ( You know what I mean !!! ) 


Supplies used : 
Stamp sets : Postage Due , Swallowtail , Kindness Matters Papaya Collage, Nature Walk and En Francais 
Inks and Embossing Powders : Wisteria wonder , baja breeze , crumb cake and basic grey inks plus white embossing powder
Card stock : naturals white , silver and watercolour paper 
Accessories : rhinestones and dazzling details !  


Have a peaceful and happy Easter break ! Back soon with more home decor ! By the way , if you were wondering how you keep items like this dust free - just give it a once over with a cool hairdryer !!!! 
Hugs Jane x


Thursday 28 March 2013

Vintage Stampin' Up !

Hello ! Just a quick late post today to show you a very simple card I made with a gorgeous retired stamp set - Touch of Nature - which I ended up buying from the USA at great cost as I had to pay import duty on it ( ouch !!! ) . However, it is a gorgeous set and I think that I will get a lot of use out of it for my own personal use ! I have used a combination of green and blue hues - I love the quote from Shakespeare ! 




It was lovely to get out today ! We had bright sunshine and a whole 5 degrees - it was wonderful !!! No crafting though so lots to do tomorrow ! I have a mirror and picture frame to share with you so do pop back to have a peek !!!
Thanks for your much appreciated visit !
 Hugs Jane x





Tuesday 26 March 2013

Thank You Cards !

Good Morning ! I'm still hibernating and it's great as I have lots of crafting work to get done - the temperatures are keeping me out of the garden , where I would normally be at this time of year ! I have so much in my head and keep making copious notes incase I forget it all before I get to actually realise it in paper ! 
I was thinking today what a joy it is to be happy in your work - it's a real privilege in a world where so many people just don't enjoy their jobs - I will always appreciate that ! What I also appreciate are the amazing friends that I have made through being part of Stampin' Up and running my little blog - many of whom I have still to meet ! These cards were sent to two lovely ladies to say thank you for their kindness and generosity - many thanks - you know who you are !!! x
It was really funny when I was making them because they are both incredible crafters and I was keen to make the cards to the very best of my ability !! LOL ! I do hope they were up to standard !!!!






I have used a miscellany of different stamp sets because that is how I think you get real value form the ones that you purchase - I love the little set Kindness Matters and this seemed like an appropriate choice for these cards ! 
Off to design a make and take and some new samples for a class of twenty ladies in mid April !
Thank you so much for your visit - have a great day ! 
Hugs Jane x

Monday 25 March 2013

Everybunny at Easter !

Good Morning ! 
I have revisited the stamp set Everybunny to see if I can come up with a card I am happy with and by mixing it with my favourite DSP Twitterpated  came up with a design I liked ! 



Supplies used : 
Stamp set : Everybunny 
Card stock : baja breeze and pretty in pink 
Accessories : watercolour paper, a selection of Stampin' Write markers and the blender pen 
Dies, embossing folders and punches : finishing touches edgelits, 5mm corner punch , scallop edge border punch , dotted scallop ribbon border , modern label punch , word window punch and framed tulips folder.
DSP : Twitterpated 


I have learnt a very simple rule from playing with this stamp set - the simpler the images the better they look stamped in bolder or brighter colours !!!! Adding in the DSP gives a feel of Spring ( and don't we need it !!! ) and sets off the stamped images ! 
I have a vintage Stampin' Up card to share with you made with a set I have  taken a long time to track down and a couple of thank you cards too - so thank you for your visit and please stop by again to see what I have been creating ! 
Happy crafting ! Hugs Jane x


Saturday 23 March 2013

Framed Wedding Photograph Gift !

What weather we are having ! This time last year we were enjoying the first of the local asparagus ( love it - can't get enough of it when it's in season ! ) as we had had such a beautiful mild and sunny March !!!! No chance of that happening this year ! 
We managed to get out and do our regular farm shop today and met some very dear friends for lunch ; I had a late Mother's day present to deliver which I had been working on this week and the lovely bride in the photo gave me permission to share it with you ! I used to teach this young lady when she was only five - which makes me feel absolutely ancient !!!! LOL ! 
I had made her similar one as a gift for their first wedding anniversary and she liked it so much she ordered one for Mum ! 








Supplies Used : 
Stamp sets : Elements of Style , Papaya Collage and French Foliage 
Card stock : wild wasabi , very vanilla , old olive and lucky limeade
Accessories : Pearls
Dies and Punches : Bird builder punch, heart of heart embosslit die and itty bitty shapes 


It is almost two years since we attended this wedding up in Edingburgh - one of the most lovely weddings we had ever been to ! How times flies ! 
Thank you to the bride and groom for allowing me to use their photo ! 

I shall be running an advanced class for this one very soon so watch this space ! In the meantime - happy crafting and many thanks for your visit !
Hugs Jane x 


Thursday 21 March 2013

Everybunny Easter Cards !

Good morning ! Cold and dull here today and Mr UPS is late with my order!!! I can usually set my watch by him literally !!!! Just a few very simple Easter cards to share with you today - I have used the very cute stamp set Everybunny which is not my usual style so I have struggled to come up with anything very imaginative !! They are however cute !!!







I am having a messy play today which I don't often do - making some samples for workshops ! If they work out I'll post them !!! LOL ! 

Happy crafting and many thanks for taking the time to visit ! 
Hugs Jane x



Tuesday 19 March 2013

Day of Gratitude Notelets !

Good Morning ! I spent yesterday making an embellished frame for a wedding photo which I will share with you once I have the bride's permission and have delivered it to the recipient ! I also ran up these quick and easy notelets using the lovely stamp set  Day of Gratitude - it is a Thanksgiving set in theory but I think it is very versatile and the images are very dramatic especially when stamped in black !



Supplies used :
Stamp sets : Day of Gratitude and Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Card stock : very vanilla and basic black
Inks : basic black
Accessories : uni ball Signo gel pen white and two tone ribbon grey/black
Punches : itty bitty shapes punch, modern label  and word window 



These are so simple and quick and make a nice gift when tied with the gorgeous two tone ribbon which I am seriously in love with !!!
Many thanks for your visit - have a great day ! 
Hugs Jane 

Thursday 14 March 2013

Sale - a - Bration !

Hello - hope you are all enjoying the glorious sunshine we have today - still chilly but a welcome break from all that cold weather ! Just a quick post today to share with you some of the little ( very simple ) gift cards I made today to pop in with my new customer orders to say a very sincere thank you ! I have been overwhelmed by the positive response I have had in my first weeks as a Stampin' Up demonstrator ! All of my ladies have taken advantage of the SALE - A - BRATION offers and one lady earned three items in one order ( don't worry I won't tell your other half ! ) 




We made cards from these lovely Sycamore Street  papers  at my open event and everyone liked them so they now have papers, buttons and ribbons to play with at home and the tag can be re-used ! All supplies from Stampin' Up - the Sale-a-Bration is coming to an end on 22nd March so if you still want to earn freebies ( one for each £45 spent ) you'll need to get a wiggle on !! 

Happy crafting and thanks for stopping by ! 
Hugs Jane x


Tuesday 12 March 2013

Collage Cards !

I love how so many of the Stampin' Up stamp sets blend so well together and I have been enjoying a bit of a free run experimenting ! These are two of a kind which were the result ! I 'm not going to give a supplies list for these as it would be ridiculously long but feel free to contact me if you have a particular query ! The general idea is - pick out some of your favourite stamp images and some ink colours you like and have fun ! 






What I really like about SU is all the gorgeous little extras that make life so easy and I think my favourites are the punches ! I love cutting out - it's my thing but sometimes it's so nice to have something instantly - and that's what punches do ! They make perfect little embellishments to pop on your cards and other paper projects in an instant ! I love them !

Hope you have enjoyed my little offerings ! If you have do visit again - lots of projects are stored in my brain just waiting to be realised and shown on these pages ! 
Hugs Jane x



Friday 8 March 2013

Tea Shoppe Birthday Card !

Do you find that the more you have to do the better organised you become and consequently the more you achieve ? I am chasing my tail most of the day but when I reach the end of the day I feel I have really achieved something ! Long may it last !!! Today I have a birthday card made using the lovely stamp set - Tea Shoppe to share with you .




Supplies Used : 
Stamp Sets : From my Heart, Viola's lace , Tea Shoppe and Elements of Style 
Card Stock : Whisper white 
Accessories ; vintage designer faceted buttons , two tone ribbon grey / black and paper doilies
Punches : scallop trim border punch 
Inks : rich razzleberry , wisteria wonder and perfect plum 


I shall be teaching how to make this card in a forthcoming card class ! If you are interested in joining my classes and live in the Worcetershire area please contact me via the link on my profile above and I'll be happy to give you details ! 
Have a great day - Hugs Jane x



Thursday 7 March 2013

Sunflower Birthday Card !

It was my little girl's 20th birthday at the weekend and this is the card I made for her ! Rosie doesn't like too much fuss so I tried to keep it simple and the large sunflower stamp links to her interest in Horticulture ! 
Cards have to be pink as it is her favourite colour ! 


Supplies Used : 
Card stock : pink pirouette and naturals ivory 
Stamp sets : Memorable Moments , Sunflower, Established Elegance, Elements of Style , Postage Due and French Foliage ! 
Dies and Punches : Labels Collection Framelits and Scallop trim border punch .

Back soon with another birthday card ! Lots of birthdays in March for me , so always a busy month ! Many thanks for your visit ! 
Hugs Jane x






Wednesday 6 March 2013

One Layer Collage Card !

It's busy here ! I have a million things to do and not enough time ! So many crafting ideas buzzing around in my head and so many stamp sets yet to be used ! I am endeavouring to try out some new styles but inevitably you cannot get away from who you are as a crafter with your own distinctive style ! I have tried to simplify what I do by using a mix of images from different stamp sets to create a one layer collage effect ! I have been very restrained in adding the odd little embellishment !!!




Supplies used : 
Card stock : naturals ivory 
Inks : rich razzleberry , perfect plum ,bravo burgundy, crumb cake and chocolate chip.
Stamp sets : From my Heart , Established Elegance, Very Vintage , Elements of Style and Papaya Collage


SU do a product called Dazzling Details which will give a similar effect to the glitter glue I have used ! I also popped on a couple of pearls ! 

Thank you for your visit - do stop by again ! 
Happy crafting - Hugs Jane x

Monday 4 March 2013

More More Amore Scrapbook Layout !

Good Morning ! Hope your weekend was good ? Mine was very busy but very nice - no time for crafting but now it's Monday and I have the house to myself who's going to know if I craft all day !!! 
I have a scrapbook layout for you today - I have been itching to make a layout with this photo of my baby ( who turned 20 yesterday ! ) for so long ! We call it her " Miss Pears " photo but only a few of you will be old enough to understand that !!!I used mainly products from the still new Stampin' Up Spring / Summer catalogue . 




Supplies Used : 
Stamp Sets : Elements of Style, Lovely Letters Alphabet and Papaya collage 
DSP : More Amore 
Card Stock : Core'dinations - Pool Party and naturals ivory 
Accessories : elements from the Artisan embellishments kit , paper doilies and flower trim .
Punches / dies : Hearts a Flutter Framelits, small heart punch, scallop trim border punch , Finishing touches Edgelits and Bird Builder punch 


The flower trim has to be my new favourite SU product and I can see myself stocking up on this gorgeous goodie ! I am also besotted with Primrose Petals, one of the new in - colour inks. It's a fab colour and I have used it so much !
I have some one layer ( well almost ! ) cards to share with you soon using lots of stamps from different sets to make a collage effect ! 
Thank you for stopping by ! Hugs Jane x





Friday 1 March 2013

Clockworks Birthday Card !

Morning ! Well the lovely weather we enjoyed yesterday was short lived - we return to dull, overcast and cold again today ! However, we are edging nearer to Spring and it's so nice to see the days becoming longer ; I really struggle to craft in the electric light and keep reminding myself that I must get set up with a daylight lamp for those Winter days ! 
Today is my OH's birthday and this is the card I made for him ! It was part of my display for my open event this week , so he has seen it - except being a man , he actually won't have done !!! LOL ! It features the oval accent bigz die, the fabulous From my Heart stamp set ( love it ! ) and the Clockworks stamp set . 



Supplies used : 
Stamp Sets : Clockworks, Beautiful Birthday and from the Heart 
Card stock : Sahara sand and naturals ivory 
DSP : neutrals collection
Inks : crumb cake, basic grey, soft suede and early expresso 
Dies : Oval accent Bigz clear die 



I have a busy weekend ahead ; two birthday's - OH and daughter Rosie and a crop on Saturday ! The crop is lovely as I just go and craft and chat !! We are off out for a joint celebratory meal tonight - yippee, no cooking !!!! 
This means that I can get lots of crafting in today !!! 
Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my blog ! 
Hugs Jane x