i'm crushing...

As I said, This colour combo was gorgeous and therefore I actually made a couple cards using the same combo, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Concord Crush. I think one of the reasons I have taken so well to this combo is because of its heavy use of neutral colours. The nice thing about a mostly neutral coloured card is that any colour you put in it just really pops and stands out all the more! This is clearly shown in my card below. 

Together Forever Wedding Cake

Stamp Set: Fun and Fast Notes, Fast Flowers Wheel

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzaz (just the very slightest bit to bring out the leaves)

Extras: Blender Pen

The strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock and the Fast Flowers wheel breaks up the large expanse of Vanilla cardstock. The Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip cardstock frame the centre image. I used a blender pen to colour in the image. Concord Crush was used on the flowers on the cakes and also a little sponging around the edges...draws out the colour and also draws in the eye! It definitely shows the eye where the focal point of the card is! 

I hope you liked this second colour combo card. Please do leave me a comment, they make me smile lots! :)

'till next time,

Amanda xx

update 1 - mini cards

Okay, so just I realised when I was taking photos that there's actually A LOT of cards, so I'm going to split up all I have to show you into several more bite size chunks! Here is the first instalment...mini cards! I LOVE this size card, they're just so cute and just perfect for all those little thank you's you have to send out to people all the time! They make excellent little surprise "hello" cards to give someone just for the fun of it too! I think I'm addicted...at least, I suppose there's worse things to be addicted to, right?!

thank you

Stamp Set: Forever Flowers Standard Wheel (retired)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black 

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Early Espresso

Extras: Blender Pen, White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Standard Wheel Handle, Dimensionals

Simple card, I just wheeled out the pattern to cover the background and then coloured it in using the blender pen, adhered some torn cardstock at the top with a dash and dot line and finally wrote the sentiment on the modern label and adhered it to the bottom right hand corner.

hello

Stamp Set: Watercolor Joy Standard Wheel (retired)

Ink: Elegant Eggplant

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red, Elegant Eggplant

Extras: White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Standard Wheel Handle, Dimensionals

Again simple card, I wheeled out the pattern to cover the background, adhered some torn cardstock at the top with a dash and dot line and finally wrote the sentiment on the modern label and adhered it to the bottom right hand corner.

happy

Stamp Set: Fast Flowers Wheel

Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red

Extras: Blender Pen, White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Standard Wheel Handle, Dimensionals

Simple card, I just wheeled out the pattern to cover the background and then coloured it in using the blender pen, adhered some torn cardstock at the top with a dash and dot line and finally wrote the sentiment on the modern label and adhered it to the bottom right hand corner.

thanks

Stamp Set: It's Beautiful Jumbo Wheel (retired)

Ink: Night of Navy

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Garden Green

Accessories: Basic Rhinestones

Extras: White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Jumbo Wheel Handle, Dimensionals

Again simple card, I wheeled out the pattern to cover the background, adhered some torn cardstock at the top with a dash and dot line and added some rhinestones for a little sparkle. Finally I wrote the sentiment on the modern label and adhered it to the bottom right hand corner.

gratitude

Stamp Set: Leaves a la Carte (retired)

Ink: Basic Black, Pacific Point, Old Olive

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pacific Point, Old Olive

Extras: Blender Pen, White Gel Pen, Modern Label Punch, Jumbo Wheel Handle, Dimensionals

Simple card, I just wheeled out the pattern to cover the background and then coloured it in using the blender pen, adhered some torn cardstock at the top with a dash and dot line and finally wrote the sentiment on the modern label and adhered it to the bottom right hand corner.

Hope you enjoyed them...second instalment coming soon! Hope you're having a good evening. Please feel free to leave a comment, they make my day! 

Amanda xx

virus free and back in business

I am officially virus free...thanks to my fab husband! I'm so glad that is all over! It was so horrible having a virus and having no clue what to do and there's that really real fear that you could loose everything. As a result, I am now protected...again!


Now, on to more exciting pretty things, I have a few more cards to share with you. First is my mother-in-law's birthday card, it was her birthday on Friday. So here we go...

Heather's Birthday Card

Stamp Set: Stipple Butterfly (Retired)

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Kraft

Accessories: Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon

Extras: White Gel Pen, Glue Dots, Dimentionals, Blender Pen

Ok, so, I know this stamp is retired but I thought it would be just perfect for Mum's card, and it turned out so well I just HAD to share it! I used the blender pen to colour in two butterflies, then cut one out to layer over to add another dimension, folding the wings up and adhering it with a glue dot. I used a scrap of Kraft to make my card, a different style card for me than my usual rectangular/square cards! I think the white stitching and ribbon just really finishes it off! The sentiment was written in my own handwriting, to add a personal touch! 

Thanks...I Needed That

Stamp Set: Every Little Bit, Fun and Fast Notes

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Basic Black, Real Red

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

Extras: Dimentionals

Just a really quick little card I made to use up some little scraps I had lying around (as you might be able to tell, I am attempting to be better at using up my scraps before starting a fresh sheet). I coloured in the pies with the blender pen, cut them out and mounted them on pumpkin pie and old olive cardstock, but  as I was laying out the card I came to the conclusion it was looking a little bare, after a little thinking, I decided to use the pie stamp and old olive ink (stamped off once for a paler shade) to make my own patterned paper and a little to my surprise it actually worked really well! It not only filled in the empty space but pulled everything together sweetly! Finished off the card with a torn strip of pumpkin pie and the "thanks...i needed that" saying from the fun and fast notes set. 

Birdie

Stamp Set: Fun and Fast Notes, Fast Flowers Wheel

Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight

Cardstock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Pacific Point (Textured)

Accessories: Linen Thread

Extras: Spiral Border Punch, Stampin' Around Handle, Blender Pen

I used versa mark to stamp the fast flowers background. punched the spiral border punch on the whisper white and then stamped and coloured in the birdie on the cardstock. I ripped and distressed the pacific point cardstock, brushing the versamark pad over the cardstock to emphasise the texture. It was finished off by wrapping the linen thread around several times and then tying into a bow. 

I hope you liked what I had to share today! 

Until next time, 

Amanda x

just a bit of play

I have spent the entire afternoon playing and being creative with all my new goodies...it felt so good! I am just loving all my new stuff and the quality of the materials is outstanding...its so nice to work with materials that don't let you down. On a more serious note, I was also working on demos and make and take stuff for my workshops I have coming up next week. My mom is hosting one on Weds 23rd in the afternoon, and mine is on Fri 25th in the evening, if youre interested and in the area youre very welcome to come along! Anyway, as promised, here are the outcomes of my day of play! (sorry the the low image quality, by the time I had finished playing and cooked dinner and was ready to photograph and blog, there was no natural light left and you know how rubbish indoor lights can be for taking photos, but still, here they are)

Candles 

Stamp Set: Greenhouse Garden

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Old Olive

Extras: Candle, Heat gun, Greaseproof paper

For more information on how I decorated these gorgeous candles come to one of my February workshops. 

So Many Thanks

Stamp Sets: So Many Thanks, Every Little Bit

Ink: Old Olive Classic Ink Pad, Marina Mist & Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Markers

Cardstock: Whisper White, Kraft & Brights Patterned Paper (Daffodil Delight Polka Dot, Old Olive Flourish, Pacific Point Flourish)

Extras: Dinentionals

The second of my demos for the February workshops. 

Friend Love

Stamp Set: I {heart} Hearts, Fun & Fast Notes

Ink: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Whisper White Satin Ribbon

Extras: Dimensionals

My make & take for my February workshops, if you would like to make this card, come along. CASEd from a card made by my upline, cousin-in-law, Rhoda. She has been really helpful and supportive, helping me to get thing and projects organised for my workshops. Its been fab, especially as she lives up in Shetland! 

Thanks For Sharing You With Me

Stamp Set: Fun and Fast Notes, Fast Flowers Wheel

Ink: Basic Black, Versamark, Real Red

Cardstock: Kraft, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red

Extras: Clear Embossing Powder, Blender Pen, Dimentionals 

A sample card to showcase other techniques for my guests to see at my workshops next week. this one is highlighting the use of versmark inkpad for creating a tone on tone background and then I added clear embossing powder to the versamarked hedgehog which I popped up in front with a dimensional! 

Happy Birthday Wishes

Stamp Set: Fun and Fast Notes

Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight

Cardstock: Kraft, Whisper White, Brights Patterned Paper (Pumpkin Pie Polka Dot)

Extras: Blender Pen

Just a really simple little card highlighting the blender pen with ink pads and ink refills. 

Clover

Stamp Set: Every Little Bit

Ink: Basic Black, Versamark

Cardstock: Kraft, Whisper White

Extras, Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels (Garden Green-retired), cotton ball

Again, a really simple card just showing another way to use the blender pen, this time to fill the image with stampin pastels (I had to use a retired colour as the set I have is one I bought in 2002, when I first got into Stampin' Up in the States). the background was stamped in versamark and then the pastel was applied to the inked area with a cotton ball, just to highlight another use of the pastels. 

And finally, I have one last card to share with you all, seeing as its Valentine's Day, I figured I should make my wonderful husband a sweet valentines card. So here it is...

I LOVE U

Stamp Set: I {heart} Hearts

Ink: Old Olive, Real Red

Cardstock: Kraft, Real Red

Accessories: Whisper White Satin Ribbon

Extras: White Gel Pen, Dimentionals, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper (I know its not stampin' up but I really felt that the corners could be rounded to improve the card)

To get a more subtle background effect with the heart stamps I used the stamping off technique, stamping each one off once on a piece of scratch paper before stamping onto the Kraft cardstock. I'm really pleased how it turned out, it really makes the white and the red in the foreground stand out! I think that by rounding the corners it really enhances the curves of the hearts. 

And just the finish off this mamoth blog entry, geesh I didn't realise how long it was or how long I've been sitting at this computer screen, I thought I'd just fill you in on a couple other lovely suprises I had today. 


First, was from the lovely Rhoda, my upline, she so sweetly sent me some swatches she made for the designer patterened paper available from the catalogue so I can show it off to all of my lovely guests. The paper is gorgeous and yet another reason why you should totally come to/host a workshop so I can show it all off to you! She also sent me some lovely cards she made with the current sale-a-bration sets that are on offer for free when you spend £45 until the end of February. And some really cute little swaps she got when she went to convention last November. It really was so kind of her, and I am very grateful for all of her wonderful ideas she has given me! 


Second was from my darling husband. He came home from work today with some really gorgeous white daisies and a heart-shaped balloon for me. I LOVE the flowers! I thought the balloon seemed a little out of character and until he told me the florist just gave it to him for free...yay for free stuff! 


I hope you have all enjoyed seeing a little of what I have done and seen a bit of what I'll be showing at my workshops. Comments are always a pleasure to read and make my day! 


Have an awesome rest of your evening,


Amanda xx