Elusive Masculine cards !

stampin up demonstrator zoe tant

Hello everyone.  It's been a busy week culminating with Stampin' Up! training in Coventry on Saturday which I attended with several members of my team which was great fun.  We stopped on the way home for a meal at TGI Fridays and returned having had lots of fun to rural Lincolnshire. 

Since returning I've been preping for my numerous techniques clubs this week, but found enough time to make this masculine card for the challenge over at Less is more.  I've used one of my favourite sets Autumn Days which is very popular with my customers as many go shooting or are farmers.  I used the rock and roll technique to varigate the leaf colour and markers to make Fergal the Pheasant colourful.  My sentiment is from Occasional Greetings.  The layers, although all very vanilla add some depth to this simple card. 

Finally today I'd like to thank everyone for all their thoughtful comments following the death of my friend Pamela, whether on here as a comment, face to face or via a card.   Thank you your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

Back soon.

Zx

I love school holidays!

Whilst many mums dread the summer hols, I love them. It gives me a chance to chill not having to whizz all over getting the children to clubs and parties. It also means I have more time to let them go mad in my craft room and do some stampin'! So much so that Charlie decided that he would do a picture for the ladies and gentleman (yes I've had my first man or should I say the dashing Paul is my first and very talented male customer!). Charlie also wanted me to tell them how to do it just like his submarine picture and I just managed to persuade him that I didn't need to rush to a copy shop to produce a copy for the guests at the workshop! As you can see he had lots of fun creating and I'm glad to say he received several very favourable comments written on the back of his picture from the workshop guests. Thanks everyone he was thrilled.

He's also been to a session at our local library to learn about and meet a hedgehog called Zippy; so called because sadly at only 4months he had unceremoniously been unzipped by a strimmer. He is recovering well though and entertained many children with his tales of life thus far. At the session the children were all able to make a cute hedgehog and learn a little about mini beasts and in particular the ones that Zippy likes to eat.

Meanwhile Olivia has been busy earning more skills as Drama Queen Extraordinaire!!! She's been at the drama club summer school learning circus skills, musical routines and stomp music, Morris & Modern Dancing, mime and voice exercises with the week culminating in a play in a day production of Alice in Wonderland. Olivia was the queen and shouted that famous line ' Off with her head' often and loud!

I have managed to craft also and here is the card I demonstrated at my friend Maria's workshop for everyone to try as the make and take. As usual I found that everyone gave their own interpretation and I've made a note of things I might try in the future. That's one of the main reasons I love being a demonstrator because I can always learn something from each workshop even though folk think I'm an expert. We all are as there is no right or wrong way to make cards. They all create a special joy for the recipients as they are individually handcrafted.

Maria has recently invested in our Many Marvellous Markers and asked if I would show some uses for them. I coloured the stamps with the markers to get different colours across the flower and stems.

The recipe for this is :-

Stamp sets - Live your dream & Circle of friendship

Designer paper - Haiku

Cardstock - so saffron & old olive

Punches 1'' & 1 1/4'' circles and spiral

Markers - really rust, pumpkin pie, so saffron, old olive

Ribbon - pumpkin pie1/4'' grosgrain

I love how the spiral punch offers a different decor element to the scallop edge. We had a great discussion about individual preferences over this.

Moving into the weekend and I'm hoping the weather will let us get out in the garden. So wishing you a good one too I'll close.

Have fun

Zoë x

In Love with Stamping Inspiration Challenge

I finally found a few minutes to have a go at the Inpiration Challenge set by Kate on the Inlovewithstamping forum. You can see lots of cards and projects in the gallery there so why not click on the link on the right sidebar and take a peek! This is the latest picture to draw your inspiration from. Above is my interpretation of this funky colour combo. I've used retired US sets Topiary and Soft Swirls background stamp. I've used whisper white taffeta ribbon, but used my pixie pink marker to dye it. Another good reason to buy the Marvellous Markers! I've used dimensionals to add depth and finished it off with a few sparkly dots that I bought from Cloudnine my local craft shop. I kinda like the whole effect, but I'm not sure I could live with it as wallpaper! What about you?

Back soon
Hugs Zoë