Just Add Ink #23… Patterned Paper

In the past when I have perused Scrapbook magazines and talented scrapbookers would answer the question:

What product can’t you live with out?

And the answer would usually be:

Patterned Paper!

I just didnt really get it – and I think that was because my pattern paper never really worked for me because it didnt tie in with anything else I was using…  Well not any more! Now that I have discovered Stampin’ UP! I GET IT!!!!

My Ink matches my Patterned Paper (DSP) matches my card matches my ribbon… You get the gist right?

Now I LOVE patterned paper!  Here is my project for the latest challenge over at Just Add Ink - I’ve made this sweet little purse and matching card to go along with a pressie for our precious little friend Hannah who turns 6 tomorrow.  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Sweet Slumber Specialty Pattern Paper (well card actually – does that still count???) that was recently on Deal of the Week over at SU…

I know I am biased but how cute is this??? I have used absolutley ZERO plain card and ZERO ink or stamps! My purse body and top is from the same sheet of Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP, My scallop flower is from the Raspberry Tart DSP, and the letters for Hannah’s name are cut from another sheet of Sweet Slumber using my Bigshot and Timeless Junior Alphabet Dies.

I’ve used Baja Breeze striped Grosgrain Ribbon for my loop handle and secured it with a sweet love heart brad.  I am so happy with the way this turned out!

Of course I then had to create a matching card using the leftover shape from the top note I cut as the basis for my card design – here is Hannah’s Card:

My little flower is also a shape cut using the Timeless Junior Alphabet Die and Big Shot – its part of the shapes you receive included in the set – so cute! The Tag with the 6 is again cut using the bigshot and tags set.  My stamped Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Outlined for Fun stampset.

If you like the idea of products matching effortlessly and have never seen a Stampin’ Up! demonstration, why not hold a workshop at your place?  Now make sure you pop over to JAI and check out the gorgeous projects the design team have come up with for this Challenge – Just Add…Patterned Paper!

Thanks for stopping by stampers!

Jan xxx

Valentines and Romance is in the Air

I had a great bunch of girls over this afternoon for a Valentines inspired Stamp-a-stack… We had fun making the following projects to the soundtrack of a bit of Shaggy here, a bit of Justin Timberlake there – you get the picture!

The first project was a lollipop card – I saw this lollipop idea created with flowers on one of my blog travels but for the life of me can’t track it down – so if you are reading this sorry! But thanks for the inspiration!

The large hearts were cut using my Fiskars cutting system, and the small heart was first stamped with two step stamping from Simply Said and then punched with SU’s Full Heart Punch. I really wowed the girls with my Stamp-a-majig for this two step stamping – it really never fails to position the stamps JUST RIGHT! The lollipop stick was created with a black drinking straw.

The I LOVE YOU sentiment is from the Outlined for Fun stampset,  I really like this layout – you could easily adapt this for little girl birthday cards is fin bright colours.

The second project was  a pocket card with a slide out piece – perfect for writing a private  love note to that special person in your life!

 

Ruby Red cardstock, a little Raspberry Tart DSP, a heart stamp from Simply Said, and Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon creates this cute slide out pocket. 

The Valentines sentiment is from the hostess set Occasions for All and the tag to help you slide out the insert card is punched using the Large Tag Punch.  Janie varied the DSP to show the gorgeous Kiwi Kiss colours and changed the sentiment up for another occasion and this looked great too!

For project number 3 we made a square patchwork card:

We started with a black base and added Ruby Red squares topped with the many patterns from the Raspberry Tart DSP.  One of the squares is folded down and secured with a brad to show the cute Kiwi Kiss colour from underneath. 

The stamp used is from Fun and Fast Notes and is coloured in using Stampin’ Pastels and Blender Pens.  Vanessa actually chose the Together Forever stamp with a Wedding cake for a friend’s upcoming wedding which looked fantastic!

And finally for the 3D project – some of you may have seen it previously as I couldn’t resist entering it into the Just-Add-Ink, Just Add Hearts Challenge – but here it is again:

This Treat Basket was created using the Thank You box template from the SU demonstrator website – I added an elegant handle and the sentiment at the back of the basket to give it more substance (and to help hold in the Ferrero Rochere for my hubby)

Again it is Ruby Red Card with Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip Accents – a colour combo inspired by Kerry High at our “A Klass Act” Team Day last week.  The heart is stamped in versa marke and then embossed using gold embossing powder and a heat gun. And of course we can’t forget my favourite So Swirly Wheel!

If you would like to get your hands on this template why not drop me an email?

So there you have it – the four projects featured at my Valentines Stamp-a-stack. Thanks for dropping by, and if you are interested in coming along to one of My Easter Classes, check out the Upcoming Classes page for a sneak peek of the projects we will be making.  I have one spot left on the 7th of March and a few still available for the 14th of March.

Happy Crafting!

Jan x

A Designer Good Luck

Hi everyone, today a workmate (our designer) of many years left intangible which is the company I have passionately devoted the last 8 years to working for… And of course I had to make him a card to say Good Luck from us all.  Now young Haruo isn’t exactly a manly man (wink wink) if you know what I mean – afterall he is a fashion designer!!! So I didnt hesitate in a wee flower stamp here and a little eyelet border there!   

Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, Kraft Card Stock

 This card is a full A5 size and I love the way the Kraft works (yet again) with these muted colours… I just can’t get enough of this Kraft Cardstock!  The Good Luck sentiment is from the Outlined For Fun stampset which is certainly proving to be VERY versatile.  I love it repeatedly stamped like this.  Stampin’ Pastels in Close to Cocoa and Baja Breeze, applied softly with an applicator suit the muted feel of this card. 

The flower stamp is from the Simply Said stamp set. And of course you can’t use Kraft Card without Hemp twine! 

Paper Kraft Cardstock, retired Parisian Breeze from the Spring Mini, Close to Cocoa Cardstock 

Ink Chocolate Chip Stampin’ Pastels 

Stamp Sets Simply Said and Outlined for Fun 

Accessories HodgePodge Hardware (Brad) Hemp Twine 

Punches Eyelet Border

Cute Thank You Treat Pouch

 

One of the best things about being a Stampin’ UP! demonstrator has to be access to the demonstrator website with it’s wealth of information and templates to browse through!

I’ve made this little pouch from a printable template on the demo site,( it couldnt have been easier), and then set to embellishing it with one of my favourite techniques dating back to 2003 when I embossed the heck out of my wedding invitations!!!  

Colour Combo - Cameo Coral and Green Galore - LOVE IT!

  

   

Using the White Craft Ink Pad and my Simply Said stamp set, I stamped a strip of Cameo Coral, covered the inked image with white embossing powder and embossed it with my heat gun, and then cut a large oval out of one section and several flowers out of another.  

I then distressed the edges of the oval.  Cutting a smaller oval out of Green Galore, I stamped it with my Outlined for Fun “thanks” stamp and embossed that too.   

All that is left to do is distress the edge of the smaller oval, add them together, with your cut out flowers as accents and you have a really cute tag!  

 Here is a close up of the embossed and distressed feature tag:  

  

   

    

Fill the pouch with treats, fold down the top flaps and this makes a great thank you gift…