Butterflies!!

 Hello there! 

I'm back with a lovely summery card for you today! 

I don't know what the weather is doing where you are but if its anything like what we have, its not spring or summer like! Its cold and there is a threatening sky which might pour at a moments notice. Ugh! So what better way to cheer yourself up than with a bight and cheery card!

Stamp Set: Kindness Matters

Ink: Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Black Stazon

Cardstock: Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White

Big Shot: Apothecary Accents Framelits, Delicate Doilies Sizzlit, Lacy Brocade TIEF

Accessories: Mini Brads

 This is such a pretty girly card and I just love it! The butterflies are coloured with blender pens for a watercoloured effect. The idea for the little half doily sticking out from the butterflies was actually inspired by a half doily stamp fro the same set (see all the stamps in the set below) The little banners at the bottom was just using up tiny scraps. I really like the punchy bright Lucky Limeade with the pastel Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party, it just adds a little pop to the soothing colour palette. 

Lucky Limeade is due to retire at the end of June as it is an in colour. The other in colours in the set are all sticking around and joining the core colour groups as part of the colour refresh! But, I'm bummed about Lucky Limeade!! Its my "go to" green! I love its vibrancy and it just seems to work so well with so many colours! I guess I will have to fall for a different green now! 

Do you have a "go to" green?

If yours is Lucky Limeade I'd definitely recommend stocking up on supplies - cardstock, ribbon/baker's twine etc before it goes for good! Oh and don't forget the all important ink refill so your beloved Lucky Limeade ink pad doesn't run dry! 

So why not leave me a comment and let me know what your favourite green is? 

Have a great day - despite the crumby weather!

Amanda x

Loving Lace

Hi there! 

Can you believe its Thurday already!?! Today I'm going to my friend Vicky's to have a "play" with some stamps and ink today! Yay!! Its always fun to meet up with crafty friends and have a play, get some creative inspiration, chat and probably most importantly, EAT CAKE!!!

Anyhow, before I go, I've got a little creation for you that I made a while ago and still haven't shown you!

Stamp Set: Gossamer Lace, Blooming With Kindness

Ink: Soft Suade, Early Espresso

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake

Big Shot: Delicate Doilies Sizzlit, Apothecary Accents Framelit

Embossing: White Emboss Powder

Ribbon: Victoria Crochet Trim

Accessories: Pearls

So this is a bit of a different card for me, kind of worn and vintage with lots of lace. I'm really digging all the lacy elements and how well they all work together. What do you think? Are you liking this 

card? I really love the half doily in the bottom corner, it just balances the card out nicely!

So what are you up to today? 

Hugs, 

Amanda xx

tea anyone?

I've realised I still have more cards to show you from last month's (and this month too) card club so here's another tea inspired card for you guys! 

Stamp Set: Teeny Tiny Sentiments, Tea Shoppe

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Elegant Eggplant

Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White

Punch: Bird Builder, Itty Bitty

Big Shot: Lacy Brocade Emboss, Delicate Doilies

Baker's Twine: Wisteria Wonder

Accessories: Pearls

I just love this colour combo. The doily under the teacup and the leaves and flowers peeking out is darling! This is such a cute vintagy girly card! I just love it! 

Hope you enjoyed this little creation! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx

a learning curve regarding window sheets!

Time certainly doesn fly doesn't it!? October was such a busy month, both for myself and for Stuart too - school has been manic for him. So at the end of October came half term - great for a little break and just hang out with my darling husband again! Now its back to the grind stone - well he is at least - school is manic once again and I am pottering along with card club, making christmas pressies, sewing thing (well trying to - I spent a lot of the afternoon reading pattern instructions and not sure I've really gotten anywhere!) 

Anyway I thought I'd show you a wedding card I got asked to make a couple weeks ago. The colour scheme was navy blue and my friend didn't want anything too soppy or mushy! She also asked if I could incorporate their names into the card too! So I got my thinking cap on! 

Wedding cards don't come around every day and when they do, you want them to look special so I will admit not, it was a bit of a challenge but I think I managed to achieve elegance without any mushiness involved, I hope you'll agree! 

Wedding Cake Card

Stamp Set: Love & Laughter

Ink: Midnight Muse

Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Window Sheet

Big Shot: Delicate Doilies, Lacy Brocade, Typeset Alphabet

Ribbon: Midnight Muse Stitched Satin

When I started I thought the coolest idea for incorporating names would be a wedding cake card with the initials on top of the cake! This lead me to thinking about how great it would look if the card was cake shaped and after some deliberation I decided using window sheet as the card base would be the best way to do this! 

Maybe a wedding card for a customer was not the best time to use window sheet for the card base for the first time wasn't such a good idea! But you live and learn, and let me tell you, this card was a REAL learning curve!  Here's what I learnt...

1. Whatever you stick to the front of the card has to be covered up behind or you'll see the adhesive!! 

2. Embossing paper changes the size slightly - therefore if you're sticking card on the back to cover up adhesive marks, check its not too big that it'll show through on the front!! 

3. Be careful where you get adhesive - the adhesive remover, fabulous product on paper but doesn't work on window sheet - just smears!!

4. Think and KNOW for definite where you want things stuck! No matter how carefully you try to remove cardstock from the window sheet, once its stuck, its stuck for good! No backsies! 

So you can see I had great fun making this card, right? Well, I did, despite all of my mistakes! 

Also if you're wondering why the sentiment inside the card is stamped on a doily, well I stamped the sentiment on the cardbase crooked and so this was my sneaky cover up!! (Yes, I stamp things wonky too!!! I am by no means the perfect stamper!)

Wow this is starting to look like an essay, I think I shall have to sign off now before I bore you any further! 

Have a great evening,

Amanda x

simply stampin' challenge #60

Simply Stampin' time again guys. This week we are back to a theme challenge once again. And the theme is...

Monochrome with a Splash

When I saw this challenge in the list I thought of yay that sounds like fun, and I had loads of ideas. Then when I actually sat down to make the card all my ideas seemed to abandon me and nothing seemed to work. 

Vellum Doilies

Stamp Set: Delicate Dolies, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Versa Mark

Cardstock: Wisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Velum Paper

Big Shot: Edgelits 

Punch: 1 3/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Modern Label

Accessories: Pearls

Extras: White Emboss Powder, White Gel Pen

I was thinking about this "lace" card I made for a SSC a little while ago and thought I'd try to do another vellum lace type card. I stamped the doilies all over the vellum and embossed with white embossing powder. I cut out a frame in my card and inserted the vellum. For my "splash" added some elegant eggplant as a doily and for the sentiment. To balance it out I also added a few strips of edgelits near the bottom quarter and a sliver of elegant eggplant cardstock. I added white and eggplant faux stitching and pearls to finish it off. 

What did you think? I hope you enjoyed it and will join in the challenge over at the SSC blog. Thanks for stopping by! 

Amanda xx

continuing joyfulness

Again another quick and simple Chistmas card for you today - easy to duplicate for all those many people you need to send cards to at this upcoming festive season!

Joy at Christmas Doilies

Stamp Set: Delicate Doilies, Perfect Punches

Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Island Indigo

Punch: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle

I stamped the doily in the centre but slightly off to one side and then without re inking the stamp, stamped the doily again above and below. It gives a lovely fading effect... I then stamped the sentiment and punched it out before layering it to the side with some dimensionals. 

Come back tomorrow for another creative idea. 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

doilies

here's a bit more of a rustic style card using the Delicate Doilies stamp set. I used the colour scheme from the Simply Stampin' Challenge a couple weeks ago - Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede and Chocolate Chip to create this card. I am really loving this colour palette, such lovely rich earthy colours! 

Hello There Doilies

Stamp Set: Delicate Doilies

Ink: Versamark, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz

Embossing: Clear Powder

Punches: Modern Label

Accessories: Pearls 

Extras: Sponge

I stamped the larger doily in versamark and then embossed with clear embossing powder. I inked over the top of it with Pear Pizzazz and them stamped and embossed a few more smaller doilies and inked up with Soft Suede and Chocolate Chip. I punched out the Modern Label and hand wrote the sentiment. To finish it off I couldn't help but add some pearls! I'm going through pearls like crazy these days! 

Please do leave a comment, I love hearing what you think!

Tomorrow I have something new for you using another new stamp set...its totally gorgeous and one of my new favourites! (even more so than delicate doilies!! Hard to imagine I'm sure!)

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xo

delicate doilies...

Today I have another quick share with you, another card made using the Delicate Doilies stamp set - can you tell it is becoming a rapid favourite?! This card was for Stuart's aunt Deb's birthday which was on Saturday. 

Happy Birthday Doilies

Stamp Set: Delicate Doilies

Ink: Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Versamark

Cardsotck: Pool Party, Whisper White

Accessories: Rhinestone Brads, White Embossing Powder

Punches: Modern Label

Extras: Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool

I stamped the doilies in the background and then heat embossed a white doilie over the top  I hand wrote the sentiment and punched it out with the modern label punch. I finally finished off the embossed doilie with a green rhinestone brad. This is using two of the two new in-colours - pool party and lucky limeade. Both are really lovely!! 

Please do comment, and come back tomorrow for more creations.

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

simply stampin' challenge, week 27

Hi there!

Man I am behind with so much! My computer is still a nightmare and as a result making it difficult to use and I just haven't the patience to blog most of the time with the way my computer has been. However I have missed the last couple weeks of Simply Stampin' Challenge and I have to say I've missed it, so I just HAD to bear with my computer to upload this week's entry!

This week's challenge was a theme: Swirls and Pearls. It sounds so glamorous doesn't it?!

Doilie Ruby Wedding Anniversary 

Stamp Set: Delicate Doilies, Basic Phrases (retired as of yesterday!)

Ink: Frost White Shimmer Paint, Cherry Cobbler

Cardstock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Basic Pearls

I got asked to make a Ruby Wedding card this week and I thought it would go lovely with the theme Swirls and Pearls. Also a great excuse to get out my NEW stamp set - Delicate Doilies!! Just love it!!So i stamped the background with doilies in the shimmer paint, added some ribbon and LOADS of pearls!!! Finally added a sentiment to finish off the card! 

Hope you liked it - please do leave a comment. Also check out Simply Stampin' Challenge blog for the other design team creations! I hope to see your creations on there too! 

Until next time, 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx