February Club Projects

  

I didnt' post pics of my February Club Projects last week as intended because my daughter was working on my new "Union Jack" Watermark. She had already made me a new banner and a new signature, but the watermark was a little more tricky for her. I love what she has done though! Thanks, Sarah, you are FABULOUS!

My 2 clubs meet the 3rd Friday and Saturday of the month, and these are the projects I came up with for them. I was so excited to be able to use the 'tube' from the new Stampin' Success magazine ~ AND I amazed myself by coming up with this 'Framelit Window' card. It's not often I have a stroke of genius, but I thought this one was quite brilliant (hee hee). Here's a closer look.

I have a tutorial written and ready to publish, so look in the sidebar at the right, it's entitled "Framelit Window". Hope you get a chance to try it out.

Paper Players Sketch

Here's a sketch from the Paper Players Challenge Blog by LeAnne Pugliese (WeeInklings). I thought this sketch looked lovely ... so I pulled out my new set "Everybunny". I spent ages colouring the little Easter images and mounting them, then I realised that they were way too big to fit LeAnne's design! So, I went ahead anyway and just missed the sentiment off the bottom ~ I believe that's called 'artistic license' ... hope LeAnne doesn't mind :)

Recipe
Stamps : Everybunny
Ink : StazOn Black
Cardstock : Shimmery White, Pool Party
Accessories : Triple Flower Punch, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, Polka Dot EF & Big Shot

A Distressing Technique

Today's technique on Splitcoast is "Wrinkle Free Distressing" ... pretty simple to do, and very effective. Here's a link to the tutorial. I would never have tried this technique, it just isn't my usual Clean and Simple style, but I love the challenges on Splitcoast because they, well, challenge me! Not sure I love this card, but it does show the technique off ... you can make your own mind up!

Recipe
Stamps : Elementary Elegance
Ink : Soft Suede, Pool Party, Peach Parfait
Cardstock : Peach Parfait, Watercolour Paper
Accessories : Label Punch, Dimensionals, Water Spray Bottle, Acetate

Valentine's With a Twist

The Ways to Use it Challenge today on SCS is to make a Valentine without using RED or PINK. I chose to use Pool Party which is an icy blue. Clean, Simple and really nothing to this one ... much nicer than the 'hot mess' from yesterday! The photo makes my paper piecing look red ... but it's Calypso Coral on there, not red or pink, I promise!!!

Recipe
Stamps : Best of Everything
Ink : Soft Suede, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz
Cardstock : Shimmery White, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Pool Party
Accessories : Paper Snips, Scissors, Dimensionals

Colour Challenge & Sketch Challenge

This is the sketch for today's Splitcoast Challenge and my card, affectionately called 'Hot Mess' ... boy, isn't it awful? LOL. I put it on to show you that I really can't do Vintage, try as I might! What a mish mash ... hee hee.

And back to my comfort zone ... here are 2 other cards I made yesterday for the colour challenge, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight. Not my faves, but I enjoyed making them 'Clean & Simple' :)

Recipes
Hot Mess Card : All SAB products, Everyday Enchantment DSP & Fresh Vintage
CAS Cards : Season of Friendship tree, Pocketful of Posies DSP

Mum's Birdie

My gorgeous sister put together a little stocking filled with yumminess for me for Christmas. In it were some Cath Kidston goodies (OK, if you don't know me, then you need to know that I am a MASSIVE CK fan, her stuff just reminds me of home ...). I also got this adorable lavender filled bird to hang in my closet. Hang in a closet? In the dark? Where it can't be seen? Nooooooo .... it's hanging on my Ott Lite on my desk and I look at it (and smell it) every day. So today I looked at it and thought I should try to make a paper version .....

... and as I'm fiddling around trying to make my 'Twitterpated' bird, I am constantly thinking about my Mum who is feeling VERY poorly with Shingles. She's had it for a number of weeks and is slowly, slowly, slowly improving but she's really been hit hard with it and I'm worried about her, and wishing I lived near her so I could pop in with this cute bird to cheer her up. BUT, I can post it, and it will be with her in about a week. Good enough mum? Wait until you see him, he's so much cuter in the flesh :) Here are close-ups ...

So when you receive him, Mum, know that those hearts he's holding in his beak are filled with love from me ~ and I hope you will be even more improved by then. Love you! And thanks to my lovely big sister, Sarah, for sending the lavender bird in the first place. I love you too!!!

Recipe
Stamps : Sentiment from Tea Shoppe
Ink : Soft Suede
Cardstock : Cherry Cobbler, Shimmery White & Twitterpated DSP
Accessories : Lots of Punches! Twitterpated Buttons, Twine, Dimensionals, Sponge

A Stripes Challenge

Today's Splitcoast Technique Challenge is to make stripes out of cardstock, or designer paper. What a great idea! I wanted to use the new Twitterpated DSP, because it's just lovely AND because that's the design focus for the Creative Crew this month.

Here's a closer look at the Blossom Punch. I made 2 blossoms, sponged the edges lightly with soft suede ink and made little snips down the petals so I could 'fan' them out. I love the way you can make this punch do so many different things ...

Recipe

Stamps : Mixed Bunch

Ink : Cherry Cobbler

Cardstock : Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Twitterpated DSP

Accessories : Blossom Petal Punch, 3/4" and 1" Circle Punches, 8mm 1/2 Pearls

Mixed Bunch Class

I haven't been holding any classes since I started up my Clubs in the Autumn ... but when I saw this stamp set in the Occasions Mini, I KNEW I had to build a class around it and the coordinating punch. It's SUCH a versatile set. Class details will be coming to my customers via e:mail but I will be offering the class as a .pdf file too so if you're interested, let me know.

 

 Here are some close up pics of the blooms on the various cards ... I loved putting them together, so easy to get a 'wow' effect with this set.

Valentine ~ Clean & Simple

Here's a quick and easy Valentine ... The card is 4 1/4" square, with a 4" square layer popped up on dimensionals with the centre cut out using the new Stampin' Up Framelits Hearts Dies. I just added a piece of designer paper behind the cut-out, added some stitching and a sentiment and 'hey presto'. I think this is really cute!

Recipe
Stamps : Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink : Melon Mambo
Cardstock : Shimmery White, Melon Mambo & Cheerful Treat DSP
Accessories : Framelits Heart, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine

A Notebook & A Birthday

It's my sister's birthday next week so I needed to make something to put in the mail today! A quick notepad and card and I already have her gift ready to go ...

The notepad is small (3 1/2" x 5 1/2") so it will slip easily into her handbag. I couldn't use dimensionals, 1/2 pearls or anything fancy like that because they get knocked off when everything's swimming around in the bottom of your handbag!!! So it's just clean and simple. The card is pretty much the same layout, but I did use dimensionals this time. In Colours (love them) and a little bit of embossing with the hearts textured impressions folder in the Mini Catalogue.

 

Recipe

Stamps : Awash With Flowers

Ink : Pool Party, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, Soft Suede

Cardstock : Shimmery White, Calypso Coral, Pool Party

Accessories : Scallop Trim Border Punch, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon, SAB Brads, Textured Impressions Embossing Folder 'Adorning Accents'

Wednesday's Sketch Challenge

Here's today's Splitcoast sketch. Isn't it fun? You can either make your card-front exactly as the sketch, or you can turn your card into a fancy fold. That's what I did. Here it is shut :

 I cut off the top 3" of the front panel and decorated it with Stampin' Up's gorgeous pleated satin ribbon and Twitterpated Designer Paper. Gorgeous! Then the inside was stamped in Versamark on Baja Breeze with a focal point using the new stamp set 'Bordering on Romance'. I really tried to make my colouring look good. It's a process. Practice, practice, practice ... not good enough yet, but I'll get there! I added some highlights with a White gel pen.

Recipe
Stamps : Bordering on Romance, Create a Cupcake (sentiment)
Ink : Stazon Black, Versamark
Cardstock : Twitterpated DSP, Shimmery White, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories : Baja Breeze Pleated Satin Ribbon, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, 1/2 Pearls, Reinker and Blender Pens