Snips and scraps - What do you do with yours?

We're in our third week of lockdown in the UK and I hope everyone is doing ok.  We are doing fine and enjoy a daily walk with the dog and of course when you're a crafter it's easy to fill your time, although on the sunnier days we are getting jobs done in the garden.  Liv and Charlie are both keeping up with studies, but relaxing a little now it's the Easter break.

I've carried on as usual and as Stampin' Up! demonstrators I'm able to be part of a  HUGE facebook group where there are challenges, tips and lots of inspirational posts of projects.  A recent challenge included using any or all of the colours Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Mango Melody, Daffodil Delight, Terracotta Tile and Grapefruit Grove.  For my card I left out Daffodil Delight, but managed to add a little bit of Flirty Flamingo card, but it works!

I also had been wanting to try the recently popular technique of using scrap strips to create a spliced back ground.  Instead of cutting larger scraps up to create full background I used smaller scraps to create a design element for my card and then stamped using the same colours, well almost, to create a different background.  I used a stamp set that I overlooked at first in the Spring mini catalogue and now can't seem to put it down.  It's called Label Me Bold and as its name suggests has bold, but not huge sentiments and also several different pattern stamps that give you the opportunity to create your own design.  Every design you create with it can look very different too, for example you might have seen my post using the Poppy Elements which gave a very different effect using inks that matched the poppies in the die cuts.

I love how Tracy Evans a very talented crafter using thread to create texture too and so I split the threads of some white Baker's Twine and used just two strands to gather in my hand before placing on the stamping and then adhering them with the decorative banner I created with the paper scraps.  I've also added the usual touch of bling which are clear rhinestones that I coloured with alcohol marker Stampin Blends.

The little stars are all on one stamp, but to change the colours I used my other colouring pens the Stampin' Write Markers which are perfect for colouring the stamp and then stamping.  Be sure not to use alcohol markers on your stamps though or they will be permanently coloured.

Keep safe my lovely crafty friends and visitors.

Take care
Zoe x

There's so much more to a gift..........

 Not just because I was a little late with getting a birthday present to my sister in law, but also because she deserves something pretty, I took a little more time to wrap her gift.  Working on mostly recyclable using brown paper I added some flowers and a handmade tag with a little stamping to make this gift a little more than just pretty.

Using punches, patterned papers and some simple embellishments I created a gift that I'm hoping she found hard to open because the wrapping was so pretty.

The flowers you can simply punch and use a bone folder to gently curl the individual petals up or down and then add punched leaves from the Spring and Leaf Stampin' Up! punches.   Some I scrunched up to add to the texture and some I sponged the edges with a dauber.

Stampin' Up! Floral Essence flower centres are also a perfect fit for the flowers made from the beautiful Dressed to Impress designer series papers from the Stampin' Up! Spring Mini catalogue.

Hopefully I'm forgiven for being late and hopefully the gift has been viewed, but if it stayed on the sideboard for a while to be admired then that would be a real honour.  

For my tag I used the very modern stamp set called Label Me Bold that I also used on my last post with the Peaceful Poppy Elements.  It's got some fun background, splatter type stamps and some very up to the minute font sentiments that do exactly as the stamp set name suggests..... they say it bold and simply. 

If it's your birthday I hope you have a great day. 

Back tomorrow for the Totally Techniques blog hop when we'll share a technique that works for everyone.

Happy stamping 

Zoe x

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Quick Make Challenge

At  my Stampin' Up! Team day this weekend I gave everyone a packet that contained supplies and challenged them to make a card in 30 minutes.  They all had the same supplies and were able to use the new stamp set Label Me Bold in the Spring mini along with Poppy Parade and Memento Tuxedo Black ink pads.  They also had access to a pot of the Peaceful Poppy sequins to use.  I only used one for my card, but have since cheated and added two or three red rhinestones. 

I love the modern on trend feel of the Label Me Bold stamp set. It's great for creating backgrounds to bold images like these poppy die cuts.  I used two of the stamps with the black ink and stamped off to get 3rd generation ink to make it a softer shade of black.  I added the bold hearts and then stamped two sentiments and free hand cut them out.  It was really quick to do and is a great way to have a bunch of cards made quickly for adding a sentiment to later or for one when you need a card in a rush. 

The Poppy Elements are worth looking at closer.  They include embossed black borders and label shapes, vellum embossed poppy flowers and leaves and also on watercolour card and finally these fab printed die cuts that make it really easy to add a pop of colour.  You get 2 sheets of each and they only cost £6.  They are a great add on for all sorts of designs, but as well as working particularly well with our lovely new poppy stamps and die sets they look great with this modern set Label Me Bold.

You can see them all in my Stampin' Up! online shop.

Any questions about them or anything else Stampin' Up! related drop me a line at zoetant@live.co.uk  and I'll do my best to help or point you in the right direction of someone who can.

Happy crafting

Zoe x