Christmas Card Club Challenge - Animals at Christmas

Hand stamped Christmas Card by UK Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Zoe Tant with We Must Celebrate

I'm a little late for our fortnightly Christmas card club challenge set by Kate up in Scotland, but a) I didn't have it made yesterday to post and b) it just felt not quite right being Easter Sunday. So I've enjoyed tinkering today and have made this card for the theme Animals at Christmas.  Mine are cute, fluffy and not what you'd usually expect for Christmas, but I think this fun combo of stamp sets from Stampin' Up! and animals has worked out quite well.  If you like cute and humorous Christmas cards you may also like one I made last year with Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy.

Ready for Christmas provides the tree, gifts, ornament, main sentiment and cute little dog.  The other critters are from the Stampin' Up! spring catalogue set We Must Celebrate which I adore as it is so sweet and full of great sentiments like 'We're behind you all the way" and 'We think you're the best' which are great for teachers and children to give to teachers.  I used the tree lights from a set called Confetti Celebration stamped them in black ink and add white gel pen to make it simple white lights.

As the critters are adding baubles to the tree I just added some gold metallic enamel stars to help them along the way and the tree was first stamped with old olive ink and then just partially with garden green to give some shading although my photo doesn't show it ever so well.  The parcels coloured up nicely with my stampin' blends alcohol markers and I gave them some depth by raising some with stampin dimensionals.  To break up the old olive matting layer I embossed it first with the Scattered Sequins Dynamic Textured Impressions folder.  My card base is 5.75" square and so I was able to make it from a sheet of thick whisper white card.

I hope you've managed to have a relaxing Bank Holiday weekend and that the weather has dampened your spirits as much as your garden.  We've played games and chilled and it's been great to have Olivia home from Uni.

I'm now spending the week doing a little more of the above and some final preparations for going to the Stampin' Up! Onstage event in Telford next weekend.  I've made my swaps ie cards to trade with others for ideas and now just have my team presents to wrap.  Hope you have a good week.

Zoe xx

We love Florence and Stampin' Up! Confetti Celebration

I wasn't thrilled to win Confetti Celebration in prize patrol, but actually now I'm loving it.  It makes such fun birthday cards and is great with the new in colours. Of course there's a sadness here too as we've said goodbye to the washi and word window punches, but I'm excited about some awesome new punches and dies arriving soon.  

You still have time to check out the retiring list where products are still available until the end of the month or while supplies last.  Remember card stock is rising in price in the new catalogue so stock up now to save a few pounds.  

So do you like Peekaboo Peach and Sweet Sugarplum?

Ships Log Thursday 26 May

We spent part of our honeymoon in Florence and so it has always been a special place for us to visit.  It's cosy for one thing and you can easily walk around it and take in the sights.  We visited the market to buy a picnic lunch of delicious cheese and hams and then wandered around the memorable monuments.  Sorry Olivia and Charlie, but we just couldn't get the ice cream back to the ship in time for them to keep it cold so we ate your favourite flavours in your honour.  Hope you are having fun with Nanny & Daddad!  

The Ponte Vecchio where I had my birthday shop.  

 A cheeky shot outside the Palazzo Vecchio.  

Not in the market, but another delicious store for local produce. 

The steps are always worth the view.

More soon. Zx

Rome - a whistle stop tour

Ships Log Wednesday 25 May

Martin and I visited Rome today. Having been before we trained in and did a whistle stop tour of the sights before chilling in a cafe and watching the day go by.  I think we found an ice-cream or two also.....

My card for you today uses the more of those fun papers from Playful Palette and the Confetti Celebration stamp set arriving soon with the new catalogue.  This is such an easy card to make.  Cover your base card with DSP and then add a DSP border to shapes cut for the sentiment.  I stamped the words in Staz On ink and then coloured them in with marker pens and the cute mini star stamp is part of the set so you have everything you need for fun birthday cards.  Change the colours and it's great for the boys too! 

Rome wasn't built in a day and so I guess repairs take a while too!

 The atmosphere in Rome is always fun and exciting. 

The Sistine Chapel is just amazing and every time I see it, it takes my breath away.  So beautiful....

This is the Pope's view from the Vatican museum. Well if he passes through it is...

 Inside the Basilica the size and gold really hit you.  

 The famous Spanish Steps are very pretty with the flowers in bloom.  It would be even better without the tourists!

Finally the awesome Trevi Fountain resplendent since  it's upgrade.  

More soon as internet permits.  Zx

Independent Stampin' Up! Demo at Sincerely Yours Newark

A huge Tantalizing Thank You to everyone who visited my stand at Sincerely Yours Newark on Sunday.  It was a family affair on the stand.  My gorgeous daughter Olivia is a regular helper, but this weekend my son Charlie also came along to help and did a fantastic job showing folk a little faux water colouring technique on the make and take table.  I'm so proud of both my kids.  Our next show is in the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth so do come and say hello on Sunday 12 June.

Displayed were some sneak peeks of the new in colours from Stampin' Up! and some new product makes.  Top of the post you can see a simple card made with some new papers called Playful Palette, Emerald Envy and Sweet Sugarplum card stock and one of my favourite dies and stamps the Botanical Blooms.  You can also see a sentiment from incoming Stampin Up set Confetti Celebration which I was lucky enough to win in prize patrol at our recent Stampin' Up! Demo event at Telford International Centre.  

Do you like the new colours so far?  

Back with more soon.

Zx

Happy Birthday Bakers Box

Oh wow at last today in Lincolnshire the sun is shining and it has a little warmth. Hopefully Spring is coming back instead of Winter extending.

Today I have a cute Stampin' Up! baker's box to share with you and there's a little sneak peek of some of the new in colours coming in the new annual catalogue in June.  The bold designer series paper is called Playful Palette and is a 6" x 6" stack.  The sentiment is from new stamp set Confetti Celebration.

I'm already loving these bright designs!

Have a great day and if you're somewhere that has a long weekend like we do in the UK with a bank holiday on Monday have fun and enjoy the sunshine.

Zx