betsy's blossoms

One of the new stamp sets in the new annual catalogue is called Betsy's Blossoms. Its full of flowers, leaves, and a bird too!! So here's a cute card using some of the darling images from this fabulous new set!

Birthday Blossoms

Stamp Set: Betsy's Blossoms, Curly Cute

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green

Cardstock: Whisper White

DSP: Floral District

Big Shot: Apothecary Accents Framelits

Ribbon Stitched Grosgrain

Accessories: Rhinestones

Okay, I know what you're going to say, that's a lot of cutting out! Well, yes, I can't deny that, there is a fair amount of cutting but its not hard cutting and everything layered on top just looks so clean and cute! I stuck a strip of the new Floral Distict DSP to some white cardstock, I laid the Apothecary Accents framelit down so it would cut half white and half DSP, then ran it through the Big Shot. To hide the join I stuck down some of the beautiful new stitched grosgrain! 

Right, I have a busy day of prepping for 2 workshops, one tonight and on tomorrow afternoon, I am looking forward to some crafty fun with some lovely ladies!! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx

simple and elegant christmas cards?

So I've been thinking about Christmas a lot lately and in particular Christmas cards! So some of you will be thinking, I can't make 60 (or more!!) Christmas cards by hand. Well, I've come up with a couple simple designs that are totally do-able on mass production! 

Stamp Set: Come to Bethlehem (It was the Merry Christmas I had on hand - a different one would do!!)

Ink: Lucky Limeade/Real Red

Cardstock: Real Red/Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla

DSP: Candlelight Christmas

Punch: Postage Stamp

Stamp Set: Come to Bethlehem

Carstock: Very Vanilla

DSP: Be of Good Cheer

Punch: Postage Stamp

Accessories: Rhinestone

I chose these designs because they look really cute but I promise you are so, so simple to do!! 

Literally they are punched with the postage stamp punch (although the scallop square punch would look really cute too). Then they were popped onto the card with a dimensional and a sentiment was stamped below! 

Of course if you wanted to you could further embellish these designs with buttons, brads, ribbon... make them your own with whatever extra bits you have lying around!

If you like the look of a super cute and simple card like this why not get in touch and I would be happy to help you pick out a few things to help you on your way to making elegant, quick and inexpensive Christmas cards for all your friends and family! 

Have a great day! 

Amanda xo

stitched owl

A couple weeks ago Simply Stampin' Challenge was a stitched challenge - it could be faux or proper sewing. Well, you know I love my faux stitching! I wasn't very organised in taking a photo and therefore just missed that week completely with is gutting because I'd created this sweet little card for the challenge.

Birthday Stitched Owl

Stamp Set: Curly Cute, Betsy's Blossoms

Ink: Early Espresso, Gumball Green

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla, More Mustard

DSP: Patio Party

Punch: Owl Builder, Boho Blossoms, Itty Bitty Punch Pack

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Rhinestones

This is a pretty simple card actually, the owl was punched and assembled it. I stamped the leaves and branch stamp in white cardstock for the owl to sit on and embellished with some little blossoms. I stamped and embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. Everything got faux stitched with a espresso marker. 

I hope you enjoyed this slightly delayed creation!

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

snowflakes...

I am a hot weather person. I hate being cold, having to wrap up in lots of layers but there are a few things I just LOVE about winter. One of those things is Christmas - its just such an exciting and magical time of the year! Another of those thrilling things about winter is snow! I just LOVE snow! 

So here today I've got a snow flakey creation for you! 

Believe Snowy Window

Stamp Set: Snowflake Soiree

Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Midnight Muse

Carstock: Whisper White, Watercolor Paper, Island Indigo, Midnight Muse

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, White Gel Pen

So this piece of watercolour paper started off as one piece with I heat embossed with snowflakes and then spritzed it all over with water. Then using an aqua painter I picked up ink and touched it to the paper, because the paper was wet the ink spread. I started off with the lightest colour and worked to the darkest. If the colour wasn't dark enough I'd add another drop of ink and if the paper dried out too much I just spritzed it with a little more water! When I was happy with it and it was dry I cut it into squares - it makes for a window-like effect. The believe sentiment is also part of the Snowflake Soiree stamp set which I stamped and embossed with white embossing powder and white stitching lines around the edge. 

This snowflake stamp set is just gorgeous! I love it and have created loads of projects to show you all - check back soon for another project!! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda x

simply stampin' challenge 79

Good morning folks! 

First off I want to apologise for being so pants at blogging! Life is just getting away from me at the moment. Anyway Monday is the start of a new month and a new start for me. I WILL be better at blogging etc starting now! (well I am going to try at least!)

So today is Simply Stampin' Challenge day again and its a sketch! 

Merry Medley 

Stamp Set: Mixed Medley

Ink: Whisper White

Cardstock: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy

Punches: Scallop Circle

Accessories: Rhinestones

I wasn't very adventurous with this sketch, stamped and punch the scallop circles, popped up the sentiment on one of them and added rhinestones and just to just it a little edge I ran a dashed line around it. Definitely a card for mass production - it was so easy! 

I hope you will join in and look forward to seeing how you use the sketch! Thanks for stopping by! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xo

drawn to... magnets!!

First of all appologies for being away for so long! I had a few scheduled posts for Simply Stampin' Challenge while I was away and ever since I've been back its just been go go go! I've spent the last couple of days creating a bunch of NEW samples with stamps and accessories from the new Autumn/Winter catalogue and also a few sneaky peek items that I've got from the new Annual catalogue which launches October 1st!

Anyway, I've been wanting to show you this little creation for a while now...

I think I might have a bit of a thing about magnets - my fridge is full of them sticking up recipes, random notes, cheques and so much junk that I just feel the need to stick up. So I know that magnetic sheets are on the list of things that the Big Shot will cut and I've been wanting to try it for ages but I just never got around to trying it! 

Now I got an email about a week before going on holiday from a magnet company called First 4 Magnets asking if I'd like to have a few magnet samples to play with and show you what I created! Of course I was super excited about this and so a few days later a package arrive in the mail full of magnets! I'm still working on ideas for some of the magnets I received but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with one item I got...adhesive sheet magnet.

Fun Flowers Magnets

Stamp Set: n/a

DSP: Twitterpated

Punch: Boho Blossoms

Big Shot: Fun Flowers

Other: Magnet Sheet

So this magnetic sheet is a few millimeters thick, its got a good level of strength so its great for holding things up but its still thin enough to be flexible and whiz through the big shot! So how did I do this? It was SO simple! 

I cut a piece of DSP large enough for the flower I wanted to die cut and then peeling back the adhesive backing sheet on the magnet adhered the DSP to the magnet. I then cut the magnet piece out with a pair of scissors (yes normal scissors work for cutting this magnet - how awesome is that!?!) So you want to lay your magnet with the DSP face down against the die for best results and roll through the big shot as usual! And voila! 

So I made a couple magnets using the different sizes of flowers from the Fun Flowers die and layered them on top of each other - it makes for a cool layered magnet but they can be separated for holding more sheets of paper! You HAVE to try this! 

I can totally see myself making LOADS of these! They'd make super cute easy and inexpensive gifts or just for decorating your own fridge! I'm making one for all throughout the year and then I can switch them up with the seasons! You could personalise them with stamping names or pictures on them too or even use a photo in place of cardstock or DSP! 

The self adhesive sheet is sold by the meter and I assure you one meter will make a ton of magnets!!! Give it a go!

I've got other things to show you too that I've been making with magnets etc so check back real soon! 

Happy Craftin',

Amanda xo

simply stampin' challenge 75

It's Saturday once again which means another Simply Stampin' Challenge! This week's challenge is a theme...

Baby, Baby ...

Bundle of Love Girl

Stamp Set: Bundle of Love

Ink: Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Blushing Bride, Perfect Plum, Basic Black

Cardstock: Whisper White

DSP: Nursery Nest

Punch: Modern Label, 1" Circle

Ribbon: Whisper White Taffeta

So I stamped some of the accessories from the Bundle of Love stamp set on Whisper White cardstock and coloured them in using a blender pen for a watercolour finish. They were punched out with a 1" circle punch and layered on top of some DSP from he Nursery Nest. I added some taffeta ribbon to the card  and tied an additional piece of ribbon to the bow for a bit of a different look. A modern label punch with a sentiment just finishes it off! 

Hope you enjoyed this! 

Happy Stampin',

Amanda xx