Pounded Flowers a la SCS

Morning All! Well, it's my first week back in the US after my annual trip home to my family. I am so sad to have left them all behind, but glad to be back right before the new catalog goes live ... now there's an avid Stampin' Up fan!!!!

I'm starting the week with a TLC ... today's Technique Lover's Challenge is to make a card using the Pounded Flower technique. I'd never heard of this (here are all the deets thanks to Joan Irvin). I used Beebalm and Lavender. The lavender is in the centre and the only colour came out at the very tips, the rest is kind of 'sludge' ... maybe that should be in one of the new SU colour collections "Summer Sludge" ... tee hee.

Here's a close-up of the flower pounding ... I spritzed the watercolour paper before I ran the flowers through the Big Shot. Mostly it came out Summer Sludge, but the shots of pink and lavender are a nice addition.

Recipe
Stamps : Friends Never Fade
Cardstock : Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Watercolour
Ink : Marina Mist
Accessories : Fresh Flowers, Big Shot, 1/8" Marina Mist Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Crystal Effects, Micro Beads

Oh to be in England!

I just wanted to let you know I'm still here ... just not working on my card-making right now! Far too busy having a wonderful time with my family in England. Who wouldn't love this?

... and here's Sarah playing her flute in Elmsett Church which is in the village my parents live in.

Look at that for a front entrance! The tombstone in the ground just by the door is Saxon (10th Century) and the Church is mentioned in the Doomsday Book which puts it at over 1,000 years old.
Home at the end of the week (sob) ... but lots of work to do so I won't have time to dwell on being homesick!

An English Country Wedding

Last weekend my cousin Antonia married Jon in Gloucestershire, England. We had an absolutely wonderful time sharing their day with them. Here's my sister (in the pink) and me all dressed up!

The reception was at Chavenage House just outside Tetbury in Gloucestershire. The house is medieval (1500s) so is full of character and history, the perfect setting to celebrate a wedding, especially with our string quartet playing on the lawn!

Here are mum, Sarah, Antonia, my sister Sarah and Sophie my niece enjoying the day.

And here's the front of the house at dusk, with the lights from the party inside glowing ... totally blissful!

Wedding Gift

Next weekend, Sarah and I are attending my cousin's wedding in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. The outfits are bought, the plane tickets are confirmed ... excitement is somewhat contained (for now!). My final project before the trip was to make a name frame as our Wedding gift. My cousin's fiance has a difficult name to turn into a frame, "Close" ... I tried it out and it just looked a little odd ... unless I made a sister frame saying "Far" ... or something like that! Anyway, I settled for a monogram "C" and their initials, J and A. I had to leave the plastic corner protectors on as it has some way to travel, but you get the idea.

I am praying that they like it, and that it makes it across the Atlantic in a suitcase!

Recipe
Stamps : Vintage Vogue Wheel, Elements of Style
Cardstock : Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Bella Bleu DSP
Ink : Soft Suede
Accessories : Big Shot, Scallop Square Die, Serif Essentials Alphabet, Timeless Type Alphabet, Beautiful Butterflies, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch

SU and non-SU

OK, don't faint, my first card is not Stampin' Up! But I had to get it for my dad, who is a life-long yachtsman. I saw this at the Southfield stamp show and knew it would be perfect for him on Father's Day. And this year I will actually be with him on Father's Day because this time next week, I'm flying off to my beloved England for two whole weeks with my family. I absolutely cannot wait. I coloured the image with Kohi-Noor pencils and gamsol. The spinaker is popped up on dimensionals. OK, it may not actually be a spinaker, and I'm sure I didn't spell that right, but I had to use some yachting term, right?!

And of course, here's my Stampin' Up creation! Just very easy. Vintage feel was achieved by using my spritzer tool and a marker. I love this one.

Recipe
Stamps : Elements of Style
Cardstock : Vanilla, Suede
Ink : Suede
Accessories : Hodgepodge Hardware, Spritzer Tool, Chalks

Retiring Stamps & Accessories

I don't want to type up a great long post about the retiring stamp sets and accessories ~ I just wanted to draw your attention to a link on the right-hand side of my screen which will take you to the lists so you can decide what you need before June 30th!