Getting back on board with blogging

I've been a bit of a naughty blogger reently and not managed to update as often as I would like. In a way it's a good thing as it means I'm so busy, but it also means that my busy-ness hasn't been through cardmaking, which I am sad about. I hope to have a good session this weekend though and build up my cards for upcoming craft fairs, so I should be able to build up a stock of photos to share in future!

It's my dad's birthday today. I sent his pressie and card in the post so I hope they arrived safely and on time! I got him a Lewis Hamilton McLaren baseball cap, which I know he will appreciate and use. He likes to wear a cap when he flies his model airplanes. I bought him one from the MotoGP at Donington Park many years ago, but it is a bit knackered now, to say the least! So the new Hamilton one should keep him the sun out of his eyes this summer.

I also sent him a card using the Motorcycle stamp from Stampin' Up!, but I have already shared that with you (it was the swap I made for the Jems when the Mini Catalogue came out).

So instead, here is a card I made for Helen's dad, who had his birthday a few weeks ago.



This is the Sail Away stamp, another of the single ones in the new Mini Catalogue. I knew the page from the Newsprint DSP with the maps on would be perfect, but unfortunately I only had two tiny scraps of that one left, so I just scrumpled and inked them up and had them poking out from behind the image.



I used the Top Note Die and Square Lattice Embossing Folder in my Big Shot to make a nice background. Then I used the Jewellery Tag punch to make the label and attached it to a button with Linen Thread.

Daddy Helen was pleased with it, I am told!

I have lots of exciting WI news to share with you, but I think I will leave that until tomorrow as we have our Buns & Roses meeting tonight and there'll be more gossip from that too!

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Clearly For You and more business

It's still busy, busy, busy in the life of Gemma!

I was a very good girl yesterday and got a lot of work done (while also managing to watch the MotoGP, The Spy Who Loved Me and have a soak in a bubbly bath with my book for Buns & Roses WI Book Club). Productive or what?!

I needed to do this as today it was the Home Economics & Handicrafts Committee meeting at the West Yorkshire Federation of WIs. As always, we nattered and drank tea and got a lot planned. We have lots of great things to organise, including my own card making workshop next year and our slot at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate this November.

So I still could do with a few more hours in each day!

Unfortunately I've not had a lot of time to do much papercrafting recently. But I must get back on track as I have craft fairs and a market stall to prepare for!

PLEASE can I have more time?!

I do have a few photos stored up still though, so here's a card using the Clearly For You set.

This was one of my very first must-haves from the 2011 Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue as I love vintage things and the way you can mix up the different stamps within the set.



For this one, I cut out the squares and rolled half with the Sanded Wheel in Basic Grey ink to give texture and the other half I used the rectangle pattern image from Clearly For You.

I used the decorative elements in Melon Mambo and Old Olive on some of the squares, then scrunched them all up and distressed them by randomly inking in Basic Grey. Simply rubbing the ink pad gently over the card stock does the job.

This one has already come and gone as one of my fellow WI members bought it for a wedding card! I hope the happy couple liked it!

Time for another early night now so I have enough energy for all the things I have planned for tomorrow! The to do list includes work, stitching, card making ...

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Scrapbooking and stitching

My SU mummy Julie set us all a challenge to CASE a project from the new Mini Catalogue but change a few elements. We had to switch the colour scheme, the size and an embellishment.

This is my entry.



The Sew Sweet Suite immediately appealed to me and I love the piece on the front cover of the catalogue using the embroidery hoop, so I used it as the basis for a scrapbook page.



I cut out the dressing model stamp from Sew Lovely and used the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Dies in my Big Shot for the initials.



The picture is me working on a cross stitch piece that I turned into a cushion for my mum's Christmas present.



I ruffled up some Seam Binding Ribbon (really easy and so cute) and added lots of Big Buttons (and regular ones) as well as some flowers made from the Sweet Stitches DSP and Fun Flowers die. The middle of the flower is a button from the Sweet Buttons Embosslit.

This has to be one of my favourite scrapbook pages!

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Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue workshop

Last night I held my Mini Catalogue launch workshop. Big thanks to all my good friends for coming along - I hope you had lots of crafty fun!

Despite being called Stampin' Up! we didn't do any stamping! So it was just Up!, as Hayley pointed out!

Our focus was the Big Shot and the fab range of dies and embossing options. We had lots of play time and the girls all made some fab cards.

Here is my sample card.



I used the Fun Flowers die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Swirls Scribbles die and Timeless Type Alphabet dies with the Springtime Vintage DSP.

These all make for lots of texture and interest, without taking ages to make or being overly fussy or complicated.



Here's a close up so you can see the different elements.

Of course, everyone made their card differently, as we used bits of the Springtime Vintage DSP and several colour combinations. And the alphabet meant personalised cards are really quick.

I forgot to take pics, but Maria put her husband's name on for their wedding anniversary today, Alex made her's as a wedding card for friends with their initials, Kylie's was for her nanna, Sam put her own name on and Helen stuck with just saying Hi. Hayley was awkward as usual and didn't finish hers off but took it home to add some other bits!

I've just managed to tidy up the living room and packed most of my stuff away now!

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Big Shot selection

At our Julie's Jems training yesterday we had lots of playtime with the Big Shot.

It really is a fab die cutting machine with lots of potential, and not just for card making!

We did use it to make cards though, five of them in fact, and here they are.



Check out these cute animals on their little train! The Fox and Friends bunch are in little carriages made from the Decorative Label Punch put through the Big Shot in the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.



The Big Shot is ideal for making quick but beautiful cards. Here, the main feature is the Manhattan Flowers Embossing Folder. A bit of ribbon and the sentiment just sets it off.



One of my favourite Big Shot options - the Beuatiful Winngs Embosslit with the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder. Also teamed with the Four Frames stamps and matching Decorative Label Punch. Another fast but pretty card.



One for the men with Cheers To You. The background is the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder again and the beers were stamped on card shaped using the Lots of Tags Sizzlits die.



Finally, a big fun one withg the Top Note die and Fun Flowers die. The Top Note was cut out then put through with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. I just love this texture! The paper here is from the Springtime Vintage DSP and the Big Button finishes it off.

Phew!

If you want to see the Big Shot in action and get your hands on these amazing SU exclusive products then come along to my Mini workshop on Thursday. Details over there >>> or just give me a shout for more info.

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Julie's Jems Mini Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Julie's Jems Mini Blog Hop!

Some of my SU family are getting together today in person for our training session and online to share a few more Mini Catalogue projects, so get ready to be wowed!

Hopefully you came here from Sarah B and enjoyed her creation. If not, you can always go back as well as forwards!

For my bit I made a fantastic male card. Well, female as well if you're anything like me.

Motorbikes are a huge passion of mine so I was thrilled to see this Motorcycle stamp in the new Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue! Now I can make cards the men in my family will really appreciate! And we have a set with a plane too! It's called Plane & Simple. Hurrah!

Oh, here is my card!



I stamped the image on to Whisper White and matted it on Soft Suede, which was roughted up with the Cutter Kit.

The base is Crumb Cake and I added the decoration using the Swirls Scribles Dies on my Big Shot. It's really easy to create little elements like this through die cutting, and so quick!



I need to practice a bit with not getting glue everywhere though!

The Motorcycle stamp is one from the A La Carte range, which means it is a solo stamp. It costs just £7.95, so it's a great one if you need a cheaper option for male cards.

This card will probably go to my Dad for his birthday next month. And then he will get a plane one for Father's Day!

The next stop on the Julie's Jems Mini Blog Hop is Laura so go check out what she has done with the new goodies!

This is the last of my scheduled posts, so tomorrow I am (hopefully) back to daily blogging with the latest news as well as more Mini Catalogue projects.

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Baby Blossoms cute cards

Baby Blossoms is such a sweet little stamp set and making tiny little cards with it is great fun.



This design is featured in the new Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue, and it was so adorable I didn't want to change a thing!

I made two colourways using the Springtime Vintage DSP - green and pink. The green one went to my mum for Mother's Day. As I'm scheduling this I will have to say that I *assume* she liked it!

Here's a closer look ...





For small cards they did take a bit of time to put together, but are well worth it I think! The Two-Step Stampin' is really just perfect, and interest is added to the frame with the Scallop Oval Punch and Extra-Large Oval Punch.

I used textured cardstock for the base, which I think just adds that extra special touch and makes you want to stroke it!

Wow, already a week of fab Mini Catalogue projects are done! By this time, I'm also nearly done at Denman College.

Tomorrow, myself and some of my SU sisters and mummy are doing a Mini Blog Hop, so please come back then! I will be sharing an awesome card for guys, which focuses on another love of mine!

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Twit-twoo The owls are here!

As you may remember, during the Sale-A-Bration promotion we were given some very exciting news - the Two-Step Owl Punch was on its way to us!

Well now he is here and sooooo adorable!

Owls are a big trend at the moment, so it's great to be able to incorporate them into my cards.



Here are Mr and Mrs Owl looking very happy together!

The Two-Step Owl Punch is actually more like four or five steps with all the different pieces! It punches out the body, waistcoat, eyes and heart so you can build up the owls.

So much fun!

Come back tomorrow for a pair of Big Shot-focused cards.

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Card making and sewing - two of my favourite things!

As you will probably know I am fairly handy with a needle and love to stitch and sew.

I was over the moon when the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue was released with the beautiful Oh Sew Suite range.

There is DSP, stamps, a wheel, new buttons and an Embosslit, so I can combine my love for card making and sewing.



Here's the first card, using the Sew Lovely stamp set. I think this is so cute and right up my street!

There was a bit of masking here, where you hide off certain areas to create overlapping images, but this is not as tricky as it sounds! This allowed me to hide the reels behind the frame and create the dressing dummies of different heights.



And inside, a tape measure!



For my second sewing theme card, I used the Sweet Stitches DSP. This is so yummy and bright and can easily be the focus of the card on it's own.



I simply matted four square pieces and added a bit of fake stitching on the sentiment (which is from a US Stampin' Up! set - sorry!).

Tomorrow, I am keeping it on trend with an owl card!

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Stampin' Up! - More than just card making

I hope you managed to get through the ILWS Mini Blog Hop yesterday. Wasn't it amazing?! So many talented demos out there with such great ideas!

As you may have guessed, I have been scheduling all these posts. Partly so I can make sure I have covered everything and partly because I am so busy and about to go away! Oh, and yesterday I would have been at my friend Georgie's wedding so today I am recovering!

Tomorrow, I head down to the Women's Institute's Denman College near Oxford. I was lucky enough to receive a bursary to study Elizabethan Embroidery for a week. I am so excited and can't wait to spend a few days stitching and talking!

Anyway, on to today's goodness.

As promised, I am going through the amazing new Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue and showing off some of the yummy new products.

Today I want to share the Beveled Windowpanes.

I have been doing a few bits of jewellery and accessories recently and these are just perfect.



Basically, you stick a piece of DSP or cardstock on to the backof the acrylic frame. I use Crystal Effects to do this.

The images are from the Clearly For You stamp set. The background pattern is the same size as the largest windowpane and the birds fit across it just right! And the new Seam Binding fits through the holes exactly. Easy peasy!



I just looped the ribbon through and decorated it with a button and brads.

Of course, the windowpanes look great on cards too and you can simply wrap the ribbon round the cardstock to attach it.

I have scheduled several posts for this week with more Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue goodness, but I will also try to check in with tales from Denman along the way.

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In Love With Stamping forum Mini Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my little section of the ILWS Mini Blog Hop!

There are more than 50 demos taking part, so loads of yummy projects for you to admire!

You may have come to me from the lovely Alison. If so, I hope you enjoyed her work and are ready for more! If not, be sure to use the links at the bottom to complete all the rounds!

I am sharing a really sweet card I made for my friend Hayley's sister's wedding.

She asked for a navy colour scheme, so I teamed Night of Navy with Rose Red and Crumb Cake. I think this is a really lovely combo.



I have used a few new Stampin' Up! products here. The main stamp sets are Clearly For You (the birds) and Baby Blossoms (the frame and roses).

There are actually three birds on the stamp, but I just coloured the two in with my markers. I threaded some Linen Thread over the top for their wire and hooked on to that a little tag from the Tiny Tags stamp set, made with the Jewellery Tag Punch.

The little roses are so sweet and not as fiddly as they look! The set is one of the Two-Step Stampin' range, which is so clever and great for adding depth. You just stamp the background in a lighter colour and the detail in a darker one over the top, using the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig for placement.

The background image is the beautiful (and big) Bella Toile, inked with Versamark for a watermarked effect on the cardstock.

And at the top, the gorgeous new Seam Binding in Crumb Cake, ruffled up by gently pulling out one of the strands from the middle.



Phew! I hope you got all that!

The next stop on the ILWS Mini Blog Hop is Emma so get over there and see what she has come up with!

There are four rounds to the hop so it is a bit easier to get round them all in batches!

Here are the starting points of each:

Round 1 Erika
Round 2 Angela
Round 3 Rita
Round 4 Karen

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New Mini Catalogue is out NOW!

The day has finally arrived and the 2011 Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue is now out. Hurrah!



Click to visit the Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue online or get in touch if you would like me to send you a paper copy.

So, what's inside? Well, there are LOADS of beautiful new goodies, and if I tried to mention them all at once you'd probably go insane. So over the next few days I will highlight different products so you can get to grips with everything properly!

The one thing I will mention now is ... BIG SHOT! Hurrah! Check the next post for more on this amazing new tool.

For now, get clicking on the Mini Catalogue link, put your feet up and be prepared to drool!

As soon as you're ready to order, just phone or email me.

Tomorrow, there are more than 50 demos from the In Love With Stamping Forum taking part in a Mega Mini Blog Hop, so come back at 10am to see dozens of projects with the new goodies!

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Nearly Mini Catalogue time!

In just a few days the new Mini Catalogue from Stampin' Up! will be released! Hurrah!

I can't wait to share all the beautiful new products with you, I promise you will love them! There are all sorts of amazing goodies, some BIG, some small ...

So here's the info ...

The Mini Catalogue runs from April 1st - September 31st. Orders can be placed from Friday morning (I already have mine muhahaha - perks of being a demo!).

It will be available to view and download online (I will put the link on my blog on the 1st) but if you want a hard copy, please get in touch.

On Saturday, April 2nd, myself and more than 50 other demos on the In Love With Stamping forum will be running a MASSIVE Mini Blog Hop, so please come back from 10am to see loads of project ideas featuring the new Stampin' Up! products.

Finally, on Thursday, April 14th I am holding a Mini Launch Workshop at my residence in Armley. This is a chance for you to come and see and play with the new goodies. It's FREE to attend and you are welcome to bring a friend or two - just let me know so I have enough biccies!

Of course, if you would like to host a workshop yourself and have chance to earn FREE Stampin' Up! products then get in touch.

I think that's everything! Only three more sleeps!

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Friday again!

Seriously, where are all the days going?! It has been non-stop this week, and looks the same next week, and the one after, and the one after ...

Anywho, last night was our WI meeting and was much fun as always. I did some crafting while I was there, obviously, and tomorrow I'm assisting Hayley on her fascinator workshop at the loval WI federation office.

So by Sunday I'll be shattered again!

Here's my quick card for today, and then I'm off to do some work and prepare myself for more madness!



This is one I made for my mum. She sends me a list of what cards she needs and I make her a big batch to keep her going.

This uses the matching Growing Green stamp set and Woodland Walk DSP. I went for the neutral browns to keep it quite classy, with a hint of Champagne Shimmer Paint and a Pearl to finish it off.

Oh, one more thing; I'm having a workshop on Thursday, April 14th here in Armley to celebrate the new Mini Catalogue. Details over there >>> or email/call me!

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A quick catch-up

Nearly time for bed, but I have realised I have LOADS of things to show that I must do before I can start sharing pics of projects made from the new mini catalogue when it comes out in April. And I have already done quite a few, so if I don't get blogging I will never be on top of things!

So here are two pics from Convention last November.



These are some of my swaps. With 100 card fronts to do I decided on four different designs. These are the flowery ones using the Two-Step Bird Punch and Cute By The Inch hostess set.



And I decorated these little bottles then filled them with bath salts. One was for my roomie Joy and the other for mummy Jules.

Two down ...

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200th post! I'm with the band!

Wow, 200 posts! Amazing.

I'm preparing for yet another manic week here. Honestly, it never ends!

Yesterday I re-sorted all my craft stuff. My yummy new goodies from the SU Mini Catalogue arrived and I had nowhere to put it all so I had to buy some new bookcases! So now my whole wall behind my desk is taken up with Stampin' Up! yumminess! I can't show you though, because there are things on the shelves that will give the game away about the new catalogue! I have been having a good play with it all and am very excited about the amazing new products we have. As soon as April 1st comes I'll be bombarding you with new projects!

In the meantime, here is a scrapbook page using photos of a band called Stone Sour. I have been lucky enough to tour with several bands in my time, and Stone Sour are one of my faves. I had to take some pics as part of a uni project and I asked Jim, the bassist, if I could use him as my subject. He did offer to pose naked, but I stuck with live shots on stage. I processed and developed the photos myself in the uni darkroom, which was great fun.

So anyway, here are Jim and Corey at Manchester Academy.



I kept this page nice and simple. The photos were mounted on Basic Gray card andedged with the Spiral Border Punch to give the roll of film look.





The names were added right on to the photos using the Rub-Ons. I think they look fab.



I also used the Rub-Ons for the title, as well as some film strip. And, of course, the Music Notes Wheel and Star Punch.

So, I am off now to tackle this week! Don't expect too much of me - I have exactly no spare time at the moment!

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