Retro Fresh

Hello!

Happy Saturday! Stuart has a mountain of work to do today so I'm left to my own devices - housework and stamping it is then! We are having a BBQ later - yum yum! 

I'm playing along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge today. When I saw the sketch, I must admin, it filled me with fear. I have a real thing about wonky things, or things on a diagonal... sometimes they can look great but if you don't get it exactly right it can look really wrong. I'm definitely a straight line girl! But I was determined to give it a go.

I looked at the sketch but wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been and ended up switching up the two layered pieces. I think it looks okay like this too! 

Stamp Set: Itty Bitty Banners, Geometrical

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar, So Saffron

DSP: Retro Fresh

Punch: 1 3/4" Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Merry Minis

Embellishments: Sweet Sorbet Accessories

Other: White Gel Pen

I love the stripes and thought they'd make a great background on the card! Such scrummy colours! 

The scallop circles were distressed to look more fluffy and give a bit of texture to the card. 

The stars were a later addition that just seemed to fill in the space nicely. 

Hope you liked this short and sweet card today. 

Happy Stampin',

Starry Baby

Hello folks! 

Today's little project is for this week's Paper Player's challenge.

At the moment it seems that everyone around me is having babies! My bestie, Kathryn, just had a sweet little babe last week. I am very excited that my little godson now has a gorgeous little baby brother! I know he'll make a great big brother!! Oh, and I just cannot wait to meet the latest addition, baby Arthur! Isn't it just the sweetest name?! Here's a fun little starry card to welcome him in the world!

Stamp Set: Banner Blast (SAB), Sweet Essentials

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz

Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer Paper

Punch: Merry Minis, Banner

I just LOVE al the stars and banners on this card! The stars stamped in different intensities of tone on tone ink really add a lot of depth to the background. The little star punches just really add that little something extra to the background. 

I just love the banners at different lengths and overlapped. Again it adds a lot of depth to the card. The staggered length of the banners also works to draw the eye across the card too. I liked the little touch of Wisteria here even though its not a traditional boy colour I think it really cuts through al the green and blue just adding a little pop here and there. 

I hope you enjoyed this sweet little new baby card. 

Happy Stampin',

Wish Big!

Hello there! 

Happy Thursday! Its almost the end of the week and that means two things....the weekend (!!!) and Stuart has a week off school (!!!). I am very much looking forward to spending a bit more quality time with my hubby next week. 

But back to today, I'm off to my demo friend Vicky's house for a long overdue catch up and to play with some new things - she always has goodies I'd love and vice versa so we get together and share the fun! I haven't seen her since convention which was November so this is very overdue! 

I also have a very clean and simple card for you! 

Stamp Set: Pennant Parade, Geometrical, Banner Blast (SAB)

Ink: Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Basic Gray

Cardstock: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Silver Glimmer Paper

Big Shot: Arrows TIEF

Punch: Merry Minis 

Embellishments: Essentials Hardware Clips

I saw a card similar to this on the net, it was using hearts instead of stars and ribbon instead of the embossing. I immediately had the idea for this card and logged the idea in my head but didn't "pin" where I'd seen the original idea. If that's you, thank you for your inspiration! 

The embossing is actually another selective embossing card - using the Simply Scored stylus again - to just get the single row of arrows. It looks great but was definitely more tricky doing it blind! If you're patient and careful though its a great little technique to get more versatility out of your embossing folders though! 

Totally loving how these white on white stars work to just add a really subtle element to the card while leading the eye to the small pop of colour in the banners and glimmery star!

Have you been inspired to do a very clean and simple card with just a pop or colour and dazzle today?

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Happy Stampin',

Make it Masculine

Hello there!

Bit of a different day to what I'd origionally planned. I was supposed to be going to my friend Vicky's today for a crafty play time and good ol' catch up. I haven't seen her since convention back in November so totally over due for some play time! Unfortunately I've had a rotten cold all this week, super sore throat, hardly and voice and earache to boot! So I've had to take rain check on our play date! Oh and in case I didn't feel bad enough, I've also got the dentist this afternoon - ugh!

I realised that I hadn't show you the card I made for Stuart for his birthday! It was inspired by the masculine card I showed you last week. He really liked it so I thought I'd make another similar version for his birthday! 

Stamp Set: Remembering Your Birthday

Ink: Versa Mark, Whisper White

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate

DSP: Modern Medlay

Punch: Banner, Merry Minis

Embellishments: Mini Brads, 

Other: White Embossing Powder, White Gel Pen

I got him a mandolin for his birthday so I knew I totally wanted to use the music notes paper in the Modern Medlay paper pack. I also went all out and made the card a tall one - I actually think I prefer it tall! What do you think?

I used the chalkboard effect here again - just works so well here and adds a little something extra while still keeping it clean and manly!

The arrow paper clip was just a little last minute addition, I had the pack of clips sitting on my desk and I still haven't used them so I thought I'd just slip on of the corner. Pit there wasn't a treble clef shaped one but hey, this still works well!

There was a little more of the chalk board effect inside to finish off the card and sentiment beautifully! 

I thought I'd just finish today's post off with another quick masculine card I made with some left overs I had kicking around - It's not much different to the others I've done so I thought I'd include it here.

I know masculine cards aren't easy so I hope that these two cards have helped you with a few new ideas for the men in your life!

Now, here's a question for you, would you like to see masculine cards become a regular feature on my blog? Say once a week perhaps? Comment me on your thoughts, I'd really appreciate them. 

Happy Stampin',

A Masculine Birthday

Hello!

Second post of the day today!! How fun!

Yesterday was the Inky Fingers kit challenge, and if you remeber, I said that was my second attempt, well I thought today I'd quickly share with you my first creation. Its still a cute card but just didn't use all the components that I was given! 

Stamp Set: Remembering Your Birthday

Ink: VersaMark, Basic Black

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate

DSP: Modern Medlay

Punch: Merry Minis, Banner (SAB)

Accessories: White Emboss Powder, White Gel Pen, Mini Brads

I used the chalk board technique on this too. I'm really loving the chalk board effect at the moment and I think it makes the perfect component for a masculine card. 

The ruffled DSP was really simple to do, just tore the edge and and then randomly folded it to fit the length of the black cardstock. There's plenty of snail holding all that DSP down! 

I thought the mini brads looked quite sweet in the centre of the stars on the banners and just added that faint hint of sparkle! 

Please do check out the other lovely design team's creations on the Inky Fingers blog and play along with this week's colours! I can't wait to see what beautiful things you make! 

Happy Stampin',

merry minis altogether now

The Merry Minis punch pack has a coordinating stamp set. Today I thought I'd show you how you could use both together. 

Stamp Set: Merry Minis, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Ink: Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit

Cardstock: Gumball Green, Crumb Cake, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White

Baker's Twine: Cherry Cobbler

Punch: Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Merry Minis

Extras: Festive Pierce Pack

I pierced the bauble in the background and then layered sentiment and some of the merry minis! A little baker's twine bow finishes it off! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

merry mini stars

I showed you a quick card using the Merry Minis tree earlier this week so I thought I would show you the star punch today! 

Doesn't it just look darling in different scraps of red and green with just one sparkly gold star!?

Stamp Set: Curly Cute

Cardstock: Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade, Champagne Glimmer, Whisper White

Ribbon: Real Red Stitched Grosgrain

Punch: Scallop Trim, Merry Minis

Embossing Powder: White 

Another great card to use up scraps of paper! and a great way to add a little glimmer with one gold star! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

merry mini trees

I've got a quick and easy Christmas card today using the Merry Minis punch pack! 

So with the Merry Minis you get a tree, bauble and star! They are so sweet! 

Stamp Set: For My Family

Ink: Gumball Green

Cardstock: Gunball Green, Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake, Whisper White 

Baker's Twine: Lucky Limeade

Punch Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, Merry Minis

What a easy and fun card using up all those little scraps! 

Hope you've enjoyed the real quick post today! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Amanda xx