Graduation Cards

Graduation for our gorgeous girl was a long wait.  Covid meant it was postponed for two years including two cancellations. However we got there and it was such a special day.  We are like all parents so proud of Liv and her achievements.  She has now flown the nest of home and is loving her job.  Naturally as a card maker I couldn't let the day go without a special handmade graduation card which I can now share.  I cased and adapted a card I spotted in a demonstrator email from Stampin' Up!

Proud mum and of course Dad couldn't resist a try of the hat as he was already working by the time his graduation happened and so missed out.  He even admitted he was sad now not to have been able to go all those years ago. So make sure you go to yours if you have a great achievement like this to celebrate.

The card itself has tone on tone stamping on the background paper and then a fussy cut flower from the same paper pack  is adhered to a Stylish Shapes circle die.  The fussy cutting with these gorgeous printed flowers isn't difficult and you can of course choose how far you want to go with cutting out every little piece. Adding to a white background disguises some of the not so easy to cut out parts and saves you the time.  Finishing touches include some basic pearls and a double bow of white bakers twine.  

When you join Stampin' Up! the door is open to lots of inspiration and ideas from the company and its designers as well as others who benefit from being a member.  There are lots of people to help you with technique tips and gorgeous makes of all kinds.  You can enjoy discount shopping of top quality stamps and papercraft products all coordinating to make it easy.  If you would like to find out more about joining a great community of papercrafters please do get in touch.  You can get a fab logo'd planner along with your starter kit if you join in July or August as a bonus free gift. 

Happy days and now to create happy scrapbook memories of our day too. 

Keep safe and keep stamping

Zoe x

For more info look click on the link at the top of the blog. 

Saleabration Gifts 

New at SU - Hues of Happiness Suite

Well hello and welcome to this month's   New at SU blog hop. We are sharing projects made using the different suites of products in the new annual Stampin' Up! catalogue.  

I've used elements from the Hues of Happiness Suite and added in some extras too in order to create a special thank you card that really shows your appreciation to someone special.  

I started with a layer of Layering Designs vellum which I added subtle colour to using a blending brush.  The next layer was embossed using the Merry Melody 3D folder. 

My design layer features the use of a die from the Blossoming Happiness dies. I used one of the dies to cut a stencil and then used it to add the ink pattern in the background and also some of the other dies to cut flowers from the suite's Designer Series Paper (DSP), which I've layered and positioned in a posy with some new Parakeet Party sparkly green ribbon and various enamel dots. My sentiment is heat embossed white onto black card to make it pop.  I offset the matt layers so that all the detail was peeping out.  

An easy card, if a little time consuming for the different elements, but well worth the effort I hope you agree....

Do visit everyone in the hop to see lots of inspiration using lots of our different suites. 

Happy hump day too and I'm excited for the weekend as my children will be visiting and it will be great to have them home again. 

Keep safe and keep stamping

Zoe x

Blog Hop Index

Shopping List

Hues of Happiness Suite

Glossy Dots

Metallic Woven Ribbon

Merry Melody 3D Embossing folder

Layering Designs Vellum

 

Can you spot the Designer Series Paper ?

 Can you spot which Designer Series Paper pack I've used for this card?  Take a look at the selected papers on offer this month to find this one in there.  You can see them all HERE.  I have a treat for the first person to get it right.  Add your answer in the comments at the bottom of this post by the end of July.  I will draw a winner from all the correct answers.  

I used the Ornate Layers and Stitched Rectangle dies to create layers on my card before adding stamping and die cut flowers from the Colour and Contour bundle to create a floral birthday card.  I love the splatter stamps I have as they enhance your design with just some simple stamping and are delicate as well as being  bold depending upon the colour that you use.  

I've added a sentiment using the Art Gallery set stamped onto a new tag die from the Tailor Made Tags set. 

Do you like the speckled ribbon? That too is where splatter stamps are useful as you can add colour to ribbons like the crinkled white ribbon I've used by stamping along the ribbon.  Just make sure you let it dry properly before using.  

Have a great day 

Keep safe and keep stamping. 

Hugs Zoe x

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Do you like these?

 Do you like Pansies?  These are ever lasting on a card so perfect to cheer up a friend with a very simple hello card.  

All you need is an off cut approximately 5 cm wide by the length of your card.  I used the Fresh Freesia gingham from the Pansy Petals DSP.  I added a die cut scalloped edge in the same colour card stock, but if you don't have a border die you could just use a strip of the card to coordinate and add in the same way.  I've then fussy cut some flowers from the same pack of paper, layering them with glue dots and stampin' dimensionals to give some depth.  

Add a simple stamping, quick sentiment using the very popular Biggest Wish stamp set with the scripted part stamped in a darker colour to the bold HELLO.  

Finish with some coordinating rhinestones and you are done.  If you don't have these but have basic rhinestones they would work really well too or you could colour them with alcohol markers to create the same effect.  

Get using those off cuts of paper and then you can treat yourself to new papers and save 15% on selected papers from my Stampin' Up! shop this month. 

Enjoy the sunshine too of course!

Keep safe and keep stamping. 

Hugs Zoe x

SHOP PAPERS 

Scalloped Contour Dies

Biggest Wish stamp set

In Color Jewels 

Cool it down - MAWTT Challenge

Our summer is hanging on in there! Let's not focus on the rain and thunder, but on the steps closer to freedom and a chance to enjoy summer.  I love lollies do you? 

I've used the Stampin' Up! Sweet Ice cream stamp set for this simple card for the fun challenge of 'Cool it Down' over at Moving Along With The Times.  Yes that is the wide open theme and you can join our DT and share your makes here. 

I stamped the sticks and lollies separately and used a water brush to drag the colour to where I wanted it and in the outside two complete the lolly shape as the stamps make it look nibbled as in the centre one.  I used Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green and Calypso Coral for my very tasty looking ice lollies and added a simple sentiment from the set which is heat embossed in gold onto vellum.  I also added some clear epoxy essentials to give more detail to the stamped drips.  

I"ve matted the water colour paper used for the lollies onto a piece of Granny Apple Green card and then onto a piece of check DSP from the fabulous bundle, Pattern Party, that you can earn for free from our annual catalogue.  The bumper paper pack has 48 sheets, 4 each of 12 double-sided designs. One side of each sheet is a black/white design and then the other sides are bursting with colour and fun designs.   You can place a qualifying order or host a stampin party with qualifying sales to earn this pack free. 

Over on the Moving Along With The Times blog you can see some fabulous designs from my fellow design team members and also add a link to your make for the whole of July.  I look forward to seeing your makes. 

In the meantime you can also get 15% discount on selected Designer Series Paper packs this month also. Just visit my Stampin' Up! shop to see them all. 

Keep safe all and keep stamping. 

Zoe x

DSP Sale 

Sweet Ice Cream stamp set

Water Painters

Ink Pads

Bee Happy

Happy Sunday friends. I hope this finds you all well and keeping safe and most importantly staying at home.  This is a testing time for all of us, but it has given us time to stop and share time with distant friends via the internet. Last night we connected with friends in the USA who we had planned to see this summer, but often don't connect in between times. It was good to Zoom with them and get all the news about kids and life and how we are dealing with the pressures of what is happening to us all.  It reminded me that we all need to 'BE Happy' and this card that I promised and forgot to share following one I made with some ladies at a Stampin' Up! party.  That card used the  Flowering Foils papers with the Painted Poppies.   Whilst the promotion is over the papers I'm sure for many of you live on and so it's still good to see what you can do with them.  

For today's share I used the offcuts from the Painted Poppies cards to colour them with Stampin' Write Markers and use them as a rainbow of hope style card.  Again I used a stamp from Painted Poppies to add ink splatter in the same colours from the brights collection before adding the strips of coloured foil paper.  

I stamped the small bee from Stampin' Up! Honey Bee and die cut it out to create the 'Be' for my sentiment.  The happy is part of the Merry Christmas die set in the Stampin' Up! annual catalogue.
If you didn't get the Flowering Foils papers then you could as an alternative heat emboss strips of white card and colour them with markers or indeed you might want to look at the new Ornate Garden Specialty Papers which include some foiled papers that you could create the same effect with.

Stampin' Up! Ornate Garden Specialty Papers 152488

 

Keep well lovely people and stay home safe.

Hugs Zoe xx


You can buy all the supplies from my Stampin' Up! Online Shop or contact me for a copy of our latest catalogue if you don't have a demonstrator already.

Shaker Card Tutorial with Stampin Up Layered with Kindness

Wow what a month we've had so far!! I hope everyone is safe and keeping well.  We're keeping busy at Totally Techniques and have lots of ideas for making shaker cards for this month's hop.

I've used Stampin' Up! set Layered with Kindness and one of the punches that coordinates with the set, the Label Me Fancy punch.

I started with a base card of Soft Sea Foam card and stamped the large leaf image all around the edge of the card using second generation stamping in Pretty Peacock ink.  I cut a square of window sheet slightly narrower than a matting layer also in Soft Sea Foam.  I used an embossing buddy to remove static from the window sheet then  roughly the  centre of it I stamped with white craft ink the large sentiment stamp.  I added white embossing powder and then used my heat tool to carefully melt it.
Be sure to make sure your heat tool is hot before you start to melt the powder to avoid melting the window sheet or causing it to curl.  Don't let the heat stay in one place too long.

I used the Label Me Fancy punch to create an aperture in my matting layer.  I sponged some Rococo Rose and Soft Sea Foam ink gently onto this layer and then stamped images from the Layered with Kindness set.  I also stamped some of the flowers on white card and fussy cut them out.  I used a sponge to add a little more ink to the flowers and edges.   Having inked some white crinkle seam binding with Rococo Rose ink I used the aperture to wrap it around the side border and tie a bow.

I added double sided tape to the edges on the sentiment side of the window sheet then having removed the backing paper carefully lined it up and stuck it to the back of the matt layer so that I could see the sentiment through the aperture.  If you end up with an overhang of window sheet you can cut this now.

Using foam adhesive strips on the reverse of the matting layer I created a square that went around the aperture and also added them around the whole matt layer just in from the edges.  I took away static again on the reverse of the window sheet and the card base before adding some Woven Threads Sequins to the card base where the window would cover them.  Carefully removing the backing paper from all the foam strips I then positioned the matt layer onto the card base.

Finally I added the fussy cut flowers and each had a pearl added that I had coloured with the Rococo Rose alcohol blends which are a free gift with purchase until the end of the month as part of Saleabration.

Ordering the stamp set, punch, window sheet and foam adhesive strips to an order will earn you the alcohol blends free or another lovely gift from the Saleabration collection.

You can shop online for a gift with purchase until the end of March in my Stampin' Up! shop.

Or shop in the new Stampin' Up! beta store and have 20% discount on your shop until 31 March, but no gifts.  Shop HERE and it would be lovely if you nominated me as your demonstrator if you don't have one already.

Thanks for visiting and please enjoy the rest of the blog hop by clicking through the images.

Happy weekend
Zoe x

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Flowering Foils Speciality Papers - WOW

Ooh I'm so excited about these papers which are one of this months new Stampin' Up! Saleabration free gifts with qualifying purchase.

The Flowering Foils Specialty Designer Series papers are single sided with foil designs in copper and silver. You can brayer, stamp, sponge, splatter and colour with markers onto the sheets and the foiling shines through, just as it has on this card which we made at a recent stampin' party I did for one of my customers.

I showed the ladies how to use a sponge dauber to add ink to the paper banner before sticking it to a base white card which I stamped poppies from the Painted Poppies stamp set onto with the same ink and also I added a die cut border from the Painted Labels dies again in the same colour.

I then showed them how they can make a more subtle outline image using Grey Granite ink for the poppy and using Rococo Rose ink for the splatter stamp to add fill in colour.  I did the same with the leaves and those along with the flower were die cut.

My favourite go to sentiment set is Label Me Bold, which my downline Carrie Bates brought to my attention.  All you need is an ink pad and scissors for the bold, block simple sentiments.

The ladies loved the champagne rhinestones that I added and you will too! They come in a pack of 140 with 3 sizes included.

I think we forget that poppies aren't just red and I think this one looks great in the dusky pink of Rococo Rose.

If you'd like to see more of the Flowering Foils papers here a video from Stampin' Up! showing them all.






All you need to do is order from my Stampin' Up! Online shop and spend £45 to choose these papers as a free gift with your order.

Thanks for visiting please do come back soon to see what I did to use up the small pieces I cut from the strips of this pretty foiled paper to make them the right size for all the ladies at the party.

Happy weekend all.  Please keep safe and sensible, but enjoy the perfect excuse to stay home and craft.

Hugs Zoe x

Positive Thoughts for one and all

I really enjoyed playing with this beautiful stamp set and coordinating dies.  The stamps are in the Stampin' Up! Spring catalogue and called Positive Thoughts and the dies are available as an extra purchase during Saleabration (SAB) , but I think may be coming back later too.  They are called Nature's Thoughts dies.  It's one of those eclectic bundles and gives you lots of individual stamps and dies that will work together but also with other stamp sets.  If you buy both the stamps and dies during Saleabration, your purchase instantly earns you a free gift from the SAB offering and there are new gifts available from today.

I used subtle colours in the main including So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Soft Sea Foam plus neutral Soft Suede and added in some gold heat embossing and gold foil.

Cards like this are great for keeping in a box and adding a sentiment as and when you need it.

We are now in the last month of Saleabration so if you don't want to miss out on getting bonus goodies with your shopping then check out the latest free gifts with qualifying purchase.

The Flowering Foils papers are proving to be popular. You can see them here.




Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Zoe x

It's time once more for...........

Christmas Card Club although I'm a little slow on getting going. Scary I know that we now only have about 10.5 months to have our cards made and posted for next Christmas. Sorry to cause a panic, but being prepared is good wouldn't you say! Today  I've made a simple card using the Stitched Star dies from Stampin'Up!.  Sylvie's challenge was to use stars.  You can check out the other fab designs by visiting my friends in the Christmas CC via the link at the top of the page.   

This card was really easy to make with just a few simple die cuts and a little bit of layering.  The most difficult thing is the sticking and I would advise that you add some double sided adhesive sheet to the back of your card before die cutting as it make attaching pieces like the star banner much easier. I forgot so it is a fiddly job with Tombow wet glue.

I used black and gold foil card and have added some rhinestones along with a simply stamped sentiment from the Most Wonderful Time stamp set from the medley product kit of the same name.  Both the kit and the dies are still available on the carryover list from the winter mini.

Tell me what you think of the new spotlight effect photo.  Do you like it or not?  I've tried it for this post and one using the Honey Bee stamp set.  

Hard to believe that I have now done 4 posts in a row.  I'm guessing this is more like buses arriving than a sure thing for the future, but my aim is to be more consistent with posting so I hope to see you again soon. 

Happy Sunday 

Hugs Zoe x

Very Versailles - easy to miss but never forgotten once seen

My card club ladies loved this card and the one we made this week.  They all admitted they hadn't spotted the Very Versailles set in the Stampin' Up! catalogue (page 113 if you've missed it too!).  However once they got to play with it they absolutely loved it and many have made the decision not to miss it again by popping it on their wishlist or in their shopping bag.  

I used a very vanilla notelet to collage stamp on with Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow and Crumb Cake.  Layered over the top of my stamping I added a small piece of the leaf design paper from the Pressed Petals Specialty Paper with lace trim adhered to the reverse side and peeking out.  Before adding this I stamped 3rd generation script onto the paper and added some sponged Blackberry Bliss to the edges to make the dsp pop from the vanilla back ground.   I also added a sentiment using half the Timeless Label punch. 

On top of the patterned paper (DSP) I added a flower using 5 petals from the roll of Pressed Petals washi tape which i stuck to a punched circle and also added a recoloured Bumble Bee bottom aka Perennial Essence Floral centres.  I used an alcohol marker, Stampin' Blend, in Cajun Craze to recolour it.  

It is when all said and done a #simplestamping card with a couple of embellishment additions, but no huge skill is involved to create a pretty vintage card with a natural theme. 

All these gorgeous bits and pieces are available in my Stampin' Up! shop.  Where at the moment you can earn a bonus for shopping. Every £45 spent in a single order Stampin' Up! will reward you with a coupon code worth £4.50 off your next order in August.  T's & C's apply but the details are in the shop.  

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Happy crafting and have a great weekend. 

Hugs Zoe x

Join Stampin' Up! in July or August as a discount shopper for extra benefits 

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Floral Essence for a Botanical Brights design

Stampin' Up! has changed this years new catalogue to showcase products more clearly and allow you to see lots of inspirational pictures along with much clearer embellishment and tool pictures.  One that caught my eye very early is the Floral Essence stamp set.

I chose to use bold brights to create a botanical explosion of colour and florals and Floral Essence was the perfect choice.

I started with glossy paper/photo paper and dropped ink spots from a re-inker bottle across the paper. I then spritzed it with water in a Stampin' Spritzer.  The colour ran and and was spread out.  I then added another colour and did the same process allowing them to blend. In all I added 3 colours of Melon Mambo, Poppy Parade and Gorgeous Grape.  I took off some of the excess water lightly with a paper towel and also gently used my heat tool to dry the design.  I then added white heat embossed flowers.  Using the Stitched Rectangle dies I created a 'wonky' frame by adding the central rectangle at an angle.  I then stamped with Gorgeous Grape to extend the flowers outside the frame. I did this by eye and lucky placing and they are stamped onto the thick whisper white card base. I replaced the ink spot layer and added the frame on Stampin' dimensionals.

I stamped an additional flower on watercolour paper in versa mark before adding white embossing powder and colouring it using an aqua painter and ink from ink pad lids.

The greenery is created by stamping the leaf stamp from the stamp set and punching it out with the co-ordinating leaf punch and some sprigs with the Sprig punch using Granny Apple Green card and ink.  Some leaves were created by first stamping the stamp on a versa mark pad and then onto Granny Apple Green onto vellum and adding clear embossing powder before heating.

The simple sentiment is embossed in white onto black card. You can also see I added some splatter by putting the marker pen nib into it's lid partially and flicking it outwards.

It's a "here I am guys" kind of card, but fabulous for brightening your day and I'm proud to say it was published in Craft Stamper magazine last month.

I hope you like it too!

Thanks for stopping by and do visit my online shop to see this and many other fabulous stamp sets and more.

Happy crafting

Zoe x

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Christmas Card Club - Christmas Lights

 When you are late to the party the last thing you need is to have coloured your red door only to drop the inside of your pen onto your project to get a beautiful splatter effect, but just not wanted on this occasion.................!!!!!!  It is fair to say that expletives that my Mother would chastise me for even now did exit my mouth.  I'm sorry Mum.  However once again in crafting there is a remedy to every problem, in this case not the proverbial butterfly, but a die that cuts out the door.

Our theme was chosen by Margaret who is our chief organiser. She has made a fabulous card which really says Christmas lights, do go and visit here.

Already it is Christmas card club again and we're sharing cards with Christmas lights of any kind. At first I was thinking I may have to opt for the 'anything goes' alternative option, but then thought what better lights are those that welcome folk to your home in the festive season, not only the lamps outside but the warm glow through the windows and any glass in your front door.  I've made it a festive door by adding a beautiful holly garland and door wreath.  It's a simple card with a clear message. All images were stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then I've coloured them all in with my Stampin' Blends.  Also all images are from the Stampin' Up! set At Home with You which compliments my thoughts of warm lights at home and a warm welcome.  The stamp set has coordinating dies called At Home framelits. This super set of products retire at on 3 June so if either the stamp set or dies appeal now is the time to buy.  

The stamp set is rather like a puppy - not just for Christmas and can be used all year.  The dies fit the images including one that cuts the door out as I mentioned before, but also  one that cuts it so you can open the door and reveal images behind.  You can see an example  on this stampingscene post. 

I'm running late so I'm off to visit the other CCC ladies and see what light cards they've shared.  

Thanks for checking in and Happy Bank Holiday or Memorial Day weekend.  

Hugs Zoe 

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