So Thankful PP180

Hey there!

Its Friday!!! How exciting! My bestie, Kathryn and her little boy Euan are coming over this afternoon! It was before Christmas, last time I saw them and she's about to have another baby any day now! Looking forward to a good catch up with both of them. Next time I see her, she'll really have her hands full with two little ones! I can't wait to meet the new little one, but baby, please don't start coming until after today? Thank you!

I've got cute Paper Player's Challenge entry to show you today. Its a sketch this week, and an interesting sketch it was!

I debated for quite a while about what to do with this and then I had a flash of inspiration! Here's how it finished up...

Stamp Set: So Very Grateful

Ink: Black Stazon, Perfect Plum, Island Indigo, Gumball Green, Crushed Curry

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum, Window Sheet

Big Shot: Chalk Talk Framelits, Apothecary Accents Framelits

Embellishments: Island Indigo Chevron Ribbon, Linen Thread

Extra: Blender Pens

So the front is actually a clear window so you can see the pull out card inside. When the card is removed there's a further sentiment behind that! I thought this would work well as the set I wanted to use had 3 sentiments that seemed to work really well as a trio, how do you put a trio of sentiments on a card though without it looking hugely wordy?!

I was showing this card to Stuart and he was like, "oh that's cool, is the pull out piece a bookmark?"... What a wonderful idea! Now you can send a beautiful thank you to a friend AND it includes a thank you gift! Loved that suggestion.

I seem to be really into the blender pen/watercolor look at the moment but don't those flowers look lovely all coloured in like that!?

The fancy edge was cut using just the very end of one of the Apothecary Accents framelit, and the hole is cut with one of those little tag hole framelits that came in the Chalk Talk framelits...I've never had a use for them but they worked out perfectly here! 

I also did a little doctoring on my ribbon - its the chrevron ribbon cut down the centre and then sealed along the cut edge with a lighter so it doesn't fray! Love the effect and the look of the thinner ribbon. Totally going to do that again!

Anyhow, hope you enjoyed this special card.

Happy Stampin',

Watercolours & Sneak Peek!

Good afternoon! 

What a pleasant day it is! The house is finally decorated - we'd had our tree sitting bare in the living room for a week so it felt really good to get some light and decorations on it! Don't you just find having a Christmassy house really helps get you in the Christmas spirit? It does for me! 

This morning I have been baking cookies - well, to be more exact I've made a few batches of cookie dough that are chilling in the fridge while I take a wee lunch break, sort out an order that arrived today and write this little post. 

Today I have a card I made a week or so ago for my lovely friend Vicky. This stamp set is a new one which will be in the Spring-Summer Seasonal catalogue which launches on January 28th! I was the lucky winner of this set, So Very Grateful, at Convention during Prize Patrol - I always knew I loved Pool Party (that was my winning colour wrist band)!!

Stamp Set: So Very Grateful, Label Love, Chalk Talk

Ink: Black Stazon, Crisp Canteloupe, Perfect Plum, Pischio Pudding, Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, Versamark

Cardstock: Watercolour Paper, Crisp Canteloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Gumball Green, Perfect Plum

Punch: Artisan Label

Big Shot: Chalk Talk Framelits

Other: White Emboss Powder, Aquapainters 

This was quite a simple card really as I really wanted to showcase the beautiful flowers and some nice watercolouring! I shall be adding a short little video (from a new series of videos) on how to do this watercolouring with the awesome aquapainters! Have you tried them? They're wonderful! 

I'd origionally stamped the chalk talk and the sentiment in the centre just in White Craft ink but it just didn't have that pop and clarity that I was really after so I did go back and re stamp, get out the heat too, embossing powder etc. I've got to admit, I don't do much embossing, not because I don't like it but it is a bit of a faff. Having said that I am SO glad I did re-do this element as it really did give it that extra little touch the card was needing. 

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek. I am in LOVE with this set so you'll be sure to see more creative inspiration with it in the coming days! 

Have a beautiful Monday,

Happy Stampin, 

Amanda xx