Be an Earlybird!

Hi!

I hope you're having a good weekend! I want to know where the sun has gone! :(

A couple days ago you might remember I told you that I was going to be a guest designer for the NEW catalogue summer session in July. Well, early bird registration opens this weekend and for the first 50 people to register there is a special discount price of $19.95! (For those of you who work in pounds that's £12.85!!) I think you'll agree that is a bargain price considering everything you'll get your hands on!

Inky Fingers Club

Summer 2013 Session

July 7^th through July 20^th

All New Stampin’ Up! Products

Over 50 Exclusive Designs

Creative Card Sets & Containers

14 Daily Tutorials

Talented Guest Designers

Step by Step Directions

Lots of Photos

Daily Challenges with Prizes

Original Artwork shipped to Members

You can take advantage of this fantastic price and see what I have up my sleeve by registering today!

Here's the link, and send me a message to say you've signed up so I know you're joining in with all the fun!

And don't forget, everything I'm sharing with the Inky Fingers Club is exclusive and won't be seen on my blog so you'll have to sign up to see what I've made for y'all! I know you're sure to LOVE it!!

You can also take advantage of an Embellishment Pack which will include some of the embellishments each of the designers are using at your fingertips! 

Now for something to inspire you to be creative today! 

Stamp Set: French Foliage, Fabulous Phrases, Creative Elements

Ink: Basic Grey, Sahara Sand

Cardstock: Sahara Sand

Punch: Scallop

Accessoires: Buttons

Extras: Boutique Boxes

The Grey and Starfruit card is actually the back of the little notecards that come in the Boutique Boxes kit. The paper button was one of he embellishments and so was the Crumb Cake baker's twine! Layers were added by stamping lots of different stamps on top of one another. 

The feathers are actually the negative left from the feathers - I just cut them apart, added some 2 way glue and then used a sponge dauber to sponge some pretty feathers over the background! I just LOVE how they turned out! Its also a great way to use something that would otherwise get thrown away without a second thought! What do you think? Are you impressed at my use of scraps and throw away items? I hope that this has inspired you to think differently to some of your scraps! 

Stampin' Hugs, 

Amanda x

Hearts a Fluttering

Happy Thursday friends! 

It started off a bit of a rubbish overcast day today. I thought that I'd take advantage of a free day to do some jobs around the house, so I sanded down some more of my door - I've got almost all of one side stripped and sanded now. Its a long process but I'm sure my back door will look great when its done! So I did a couple hours of that - my legs were killing from all the crouching, I needed to call it quits for a bit. 

By this time the day had turned into a beautiful sunny day, I thought it would be the perfect afternoon to test out my dodgy cycling skills and go for a little bike ride with my camera. Now I haven't been on my bike for at least 7 or 8 years and I've always been a bit of a nervous cycler ever since I fell off and broke my leg as a kid! 

Well, I'm back, still alive, but feeling shattered and really achy. I think I got some pretty nice photos so I'll post a few later! 

For now I'll leave you with a couple engagement cards I made for some special friends last month. 

First one was for the lovely Tim and Sarah. 

Stamp Set: Sweet Essentials, Hearts a Flutter, Pennant Parade

Ink: Raspberry Ripple

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals

Big Shot: Hearts a Flutter Framelits

Accessories: Pearls, Artisan Embellishment Kit

I used some of the lace from the artisan kit - isn't it just so pretty? The hearts were layeres on top and the word love from Pennant Parade stamped in the centre, two little pearls below finishes it off nicely. Finally added a congratulations and a few more pearls.

My second card was for the engagement of one of my best friends from school, Lisa and her fiance Neil.

Stamp Set: Sweet Essentials, Hearts a Flutter, Pennant Parade

Ink: Raspberry Ripple

Cardstock: Whisper White, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals

Big Shot: Hearts a Flutter Framelits

Accessories: Rhinestones

This card uses pretty much the same materials as the first. It was a bit more fiddly, I cut out lots of little hearts with the framelits and stuck them together to make a embossed looking hearts background - turned out well don't'cha think? The heart was the same as the first just added a rhinestone instead of pearls as I personally think rhinestones suit white better and pearls suit vanilla better! Added a congratulations banner and there you have it! 

If you're in need of some wedding card inspiration, I'm sure either of these cards could quite easily be used, keep the sentiment the same or switch it up to Bride & Groom (from the same sentiment set) and there you have it! 

Stampin' Hugs,

Amanda

Distressed Patterns...

Hi there!

The sun has been MIA today - at least I can't feel like I've missed out as I've been invigilating this afternoon. Now I'm home, changed and ready to do a bit of blogging, crafting and photo taking! What have you been up to this afternoon?

Creative inspiration today comes in the form of another masculine card. Switch up the sentiment and you could easily make it into a card for Dad! 

Stamp Set: Best Dad Ever

Ink: Early Espresso

Cardstock: Marina Mist

DSP: Parker's Patterns

Did you check out that video I made a couple weeks ago of the distressed edges? If you missed it you can catch it here. Its simple really, just some blocks of pattern paper, distressed and then adhered to the card - I left the edges free so they could be roughed up a bit and have some form.

This is the kind of card that switch out the pattern paper, choose a coordinating card base and you can make lots of super quick cards with very little material! What a great way to use up all that pretty paper you've got stashed away, right?

If you're lacking in the paper department, Stampin' Up! have some paper half price at the moment in their last chance sale -

Here's the retiring Stamps List and the Accessories List.

Items are while stocks last so to grab a bargain you need to be quick!

Stampin' Hugs,

Amanda x

Tie It, Bow Tie It!

Hi!! 

Just thought I'd post an extra helping of creativeness for you this evening.

I've been at school all day invigillating - lots of long exams. Few things I've learnt:

1. 2 hour exams go SO slow when you have nothing to do but stand and stare! 

2. My feet hurt from standing, and my back...

3. Doing hardly anything but stand and stare is VERY tiring! I am seriously tired! 

Anyway, I curled up on the couch, vegging out, watching How I Met Your Mother and thought since I didn't have the energy to craft, I'd blog instead.

Here's some more creative inspiration for those upcoming masculine cards you need to get making for Father's day! (Its only a couple weeks away!!)

Stamp Set: Best Dad Ever

Ink: Midnight Muse

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse

DSP: Parker's Patterns

Punch: Petite Pennant, 3/4" Circle

So this is a bit of a fun and different card. I saw several like this on Pinterest so I thought it would be cool to do my own version! Its also a great way to get more use out of that pennant punch!! Its as easy as that! 

Hope you enjoyed! 

Stampin' Hugs,

Amanda xo

Inky Fingers

Good evening folks!

If you were reading yesterday's post you'll know that I said I had something exciting to tell you today.

I'm thrilled to have been asked back to be a Guest Designer for Inky Fingers Club's Summer Session. (I joined in for the February Special Session - that was a lot of fun!!) Its challenged me to create some really jaw dropping projects that I'm sure you'll all love! 

Inky Fingers Club

Summer 2013 Session

July 7^th through July 20^th

All New Stampin’ Up! Products

Over 50 Exclusive Designs

Creative Card Sets & Containers

14 Daily Tutorials

Talented Guest Designers

Step by Step Directions

Lots of Photos

Daily Challenges with Prizes

Original Artwork shipped to Members

I've got some super cute projects to share and neat techniques to show off using LOADS of awesome new goodies! I am SO excited!! You won't want to miss out! So you can see what I've got up my sleeve and win some Stampin' Up! products by joining today. 

Click here to register and send me an email when you become a member so I know you're joining in all the fun!

Just a little hint, you'll be in stitches!

Stampin' Hugs, 

Amanda xo

Feather, feather...

Hi! 

Sorry its been a week since my last blog post, I was supposed to blog on Thursday but I was attempting to tidy my craft room and got distracted and so blogging slipped my mind. 

Exams were in full swing today so I was in school for some invigillation work, gazing at the gorgeous sunshine while watching kids sitting their history exam today. It took me back to my exams...not great memories! Watching them write was much easier! 

So last week/weekend I was trying to make an attempt on tidying my craft room - its a true mess. I kept finding half finished cards or scraps/shapes that would probably have gone in the bin if I hadn't used so I ended up stopping to make something. Unfortunately that meant getting other things out to finish the project...and I was back to the beginning again. 

One of the things I discovered was the Boutique Boxes which you can find in the Spring/Summer catty. Its £7.25 and comes with LOADS of little bits. 8 precut boxes, 8 printed note cards, 16 buttons, a die cut sheet, Very Vanilla/Crumb Cake baker's twine and dimensionals. 

The boxes turned out to be pretty small (great for a very small gift but I just wished they were bigger), as a result I had planned to give away the leftovers - I'd made up two boxes and notecards with a few of the die cuts for my downline at team training but there were tons left over and I was just feeling uninspired. Mainly because I was looking at them as boxes, not card potential! 

Roll in a facebook update from the lovely and talented Teneale Williams. I just fell in love with her use of the feathers and it inspired me to have a go myself and do a CASE of it. I got a little carried away and ended up with 25+ cards using all the bits and bobs in the kit! LOVE IT!!

Stamp Set: En FRancais, French Foliage, Pennant Parade, Fabulous Phrases

Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Grey

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit

Extras: Boutique Boxes, Sewing Machine

What do you think? I just love these feathers and sewing them on just adds depth and texture! The background has lots of depth to it by lots of layers of stamping, sponging. 

Did you enjoy today's share? Please do leave me a comment and let me know what you think of them!

Have you ever sewn cards with your sewing machine before? Not crossed your mind? Want to see more of it? I've got more to come. For more information on sewn cards check out tomorrow's post! See you there! 

Stampin' Hugs,

Amanda xo