Precious Butterflies Stampin' Up! Hostess Exclusive

Stampin' Up! Precious Butterflies Hostess Gift

The Less is More challenge today is a one layer card with the theme of 'use a flourish'.  I've taken mine from the gorgeous Stampin' Up! hostess set  Precious Butterflies, embossed it in clear and then sponged some cheerful colours over it to try and brighten this dull June we are having. 
To make the square in the middle of your card you need to cut a mask of your card with an aperture in the middle.  You can then stamp your image and emboss it before replacing the mask to add your colour.  You can also use the Colour Spritzer to add some texture whilst maintaining your single layer of card. 
A simple sentiment says it all and this one is from one of my favourite stamp sets Pocket Silhouettes.
Short post as I'm busy making my swaps for my trip to Vienna next week and trying to tidy up for my lovely MIL who's coming to watch the children. 
Have a great day!
Zx

Challenges
Less is more - use a flourish one layer card

Supply Recipe
card - whisper white
ink - versamark, stampin up pacific point, daffodil delight, certainly celery, marina mist
tools - heat gun, colour spritzer, embossing buddy,
accessories - clear embossing powder

Stampin' Up! Pocket Silhouettes

It's happy birthday time for the Less is More Challenge blog.  Congrats to Chrissie and Mandi for all their efforts in making this such a successful challenge over the past twelve months.  To mark their first anniversary they have repeated their first challenge of 12 months ago of a colour challenge and this is AQUA.  So I've used bashful blue, pool party, marina mist, indigo island and baja breeze to create this card using one of my favourite Stampin' Up! sets of Pocket Silhouettes with a little bit of Autumn Days thrown in.  My sentiment is from the US set Full of Life.   A simple post it note works perfectly as a mask to stamp all the lovely plants around it.  Markers help you to add different shades to the sentiment to highlight certain words. 

Have a great weekend and try a challenge yourself!
Zx

Wow I've been showcased!!!!

Well I'm chuffed to have been showcased for my card last week in the Less is more challenge of Pick a Square with this card.  Thanks Chrissie & Mandi for choosing my card. I'm honoured when there are always so many fabulous entries on your challenge. Keep up the good work and challenge us.

One of my favourites - Pocket Silhouettes

 

stampin' Up! demonstrator Zoe Tant 

 

It's been a busy week as some of my team and I have been preparing for The Sincerely Yours Craft Show at The Lincolnshire Show Ground tomorrow.  We have a stand and look forward to welcoming all to our display, demonstrations and make and take table.  It's on from 10am to 4pm with plenty of parking and inexpensive entrance what more could you want on a Bank Holiday weekend!

I have now just about got everything ready and so have taken some time out to christen my river rock inkpad, can't believe it was still in the cello wrapper, to make a card for this weeks challenge at Less is More.  The lovely ladies have set an interesting challenge in that you need to divide your card into squares and choose one to decorate. If you fancy ago click on the link and check the exact details and lots of  fab entries.  I've gone for the centre, but have added a twist by decorating the centre square inside my card and have just added an embossed frame on the outside.  I've stamped with my favourite set Pocket Silhouettes in early espresso, river rock (what a fab neutral!) and soft suede.  I used my paper trimmer to cut the aperture in the card and the frame.  The light is awful today so I've taken a few shots in the hope that you get the picture!

Time for a cuppa now and to pack my bags for the show where if you visit our stand you can find out about how you could win your very own BIG SHOT!  Can't make it then you can always email or telephone an order to me.

I look forward to seeing you.

Happy crafting

Zx

A touch of red!

stampin up demonstrator zoe tant

Thanks for stopping by to see me and if you're on the ILWS blog hop a particular welcome and please scroll down to see my blog hop projects and find the link to the next step.

Over at Less is more today they've set a colour challenge of 'a touch of red'.  I so wanted to use this stamp, Motorcycle, when they had their masculine card challenge, but it was before the launch of the Stampin' Up !summer mini and so I was not allowed.  However today it's worked out well and now I can share it with you.  I've used cherry cobbler marker and cardstock for my touch of red and have added crystal effects with the tip of the paper piercer to give my motorcycle shine!  The image itself is stamped with Staz on to stop any bleeding with the crystal effects.

  

 I also wanted to do one for the girls and this is so simple but striking.  I love Pocket Silhouettes as it's so easy to use. You can stamp it anywhere and it looks great. It's a fab set for beginners as you can't really go wrong.  My touch of red is real red grosgrain ribbon and a little reverse stamping inside.  On the cover the flowers are embossed in white using our craft whisper white ink pad.

There will be more MINI tasters with 4 ILWS blog hops where demos will be sharing with you some fabulous projects made with stash from the new mini. Why not take a peak! You can start with the post below.

Have a great weekend and I'll be back soon with more mini heaven.
Hugs Zx

Lots of lovely new punches!!

I feel I've been out of it for so long with this blinking cold that just will not shift. Hope it keeps a low profile this weekend when I'm living it up in Frankfurt at the SU convention. Check back over the weekend and if my scheduling works there will be some posts of swaps and gifts I've made for the GREAT EVENT. I'm really looking forward to it, especially catching up with old and making new friends. Sorry just in case Martin reads this I wont really be living it up just working hard!!!! NOT................ You don't feel any better either when your adoring son age 6 asks " Did you watch Basil Brush when you were a kid Mum?" and then replies when you answer 'Yes' , "Oh he must be about 150 then!!" Cherub I love him really, but at least he makes me smile when I'm creaking, sneezing and feeling sorry for myself. I must not complain though as there are so many folk really far worse off than me which leads me to thinking about Remembrance Sunday this coming weekend. I will wear my poppy and remember all those who have fought on our behalf. It is so sad when so many young people are not making it home. Remember they gave their tomorrow for our today! Please give whatever you can afford to the Poppy Appeal.

Finally I have a serene card for you today. Our new catalogue brought with it lots of new goodies not least of which are some fabby punches. In this card I've used three!! The butterfly, word window and eyelet border down at the bottom. They all add to this simple but elegant card. The white flower heads, which could be Alliums or Agapanthus, are created using an embossing folder the likes of which may hopefully join the Stampin'Up! UK catalogue one day. The cardstock is pretty in pink and is gently lifted by the butterfly punched out of rose red designer series paper. The only stamping is the sentiment from one of my all time favourite sets, Pocket Silhouttes. The word window fits perfectly around several sentiments across the range of stamp sets.

There are free punches available from Stampin'Up from now until 29 December. Buy £45 of product from the Christmas Extravaganza list and you can choose a free tag or small tag punch worth £12.50. There is a punch for every £45 spent. You can see the extravaganza product list here.
Or you can click on offers at the top of the page for more details.
Possibly more before I fly to Germany, but if not have a great week and be careful at the Bonfire Party!
Hugs Zx

Christmas Wreath

Having thought I'd shaken off my cold it's been back with a double whammy since the weekend. So much so that I'm behind on everything but thought I'd share a quick card with you. Inspired by some of the Scottish Demos this wreath is created using a stamp from the new Autumn Days set. It's really easy and looks effective with this stamp or indeed if you use Pocket Silhouettes, below. I've added a little bit of pizzazz with our new glitter and a two way glue pen, a gingham bow and ta da you have it. A simple effective chrimbo card.

I really hope I kick this cold soon as I still have so much to do for Convention next week along with workshops and classes. I hope you are all avoiding colds.

Back with more soon.

Hugs Zx

Real red ink, always artichoke card stock & ribbon, gold brads & glitter.

FORTHCOMING CLASS DATES

Papercraft Fun Day
Half Moon Hotel - Alford Lincolnshire Saturday 27 February 2010 - 10am t0 5pm
£45 includes lunch, morning coffee, afternoon tea, supplies and stamp set. Just bring a toolkit and your favourite adhesive.

Class dates to be published soon.

Scrapbook in a Day or Mini Album

Mini Album Class £20

Class includes one simply scrappin kit, adhesive and instructions. You will make one album at the class and will have sufficient supplies left to make an additional album at home with the instructions you will be given. You can bring a friend and share the kit!

Scrapbook in a Day £40

Class includes 2 simply scrappin kits, adhesive & instructions. Optional extra is a Linen Post Album normally £22 but only £19 with this course. You will make up 20 pages for a 12x12 album and have sufficient supplies left to matt your photos and stick them in at home.

For these two classes you can choose from the following Simply Scrappin' Kits
Sunny Day, Christmas Jingle, Petal Party or Love Stories. The kits for the Scrapbook will be 2 of the same!

To book or for more information call me on 07717855179 or email me at martin.tant@homecall.co.uk

Black and White Strikes!

I love the effects you can create with black and white and occasionally a splash of colour. These are all cards showing that. I've embossed the images using versamark and white embossing powder and my SU heat gun. On some I've addes some ribbon for colour or compliment and on some I've used brads or mirror card.

Stamp sets used include Lovely as a Tree, Forest Friends, Fresh Cutes and one of my favourites Pocket Silhouettes. These cards are all eye catching, but ever so simple to achieve. If you don't know how just mail me for a class.

The sun is shining here today and it's very warm. It's the start of a really busy week. Well really it began on Friday night when we went to a summer ball at the Petwood Hotel, famous for its Dambuster connections. The evening was fabulous with dancing outside to the songs of The Kommitments, a great band, and rides on a ferris wheel. The food, company, pimms and champagne were all wonderful!!!!!!!!! Although my body wouldn't have agreed yesterday.

That was a long day, but fun day. We did a pub lunch at the Red Lion in Raithby by Spilsby and returned to take our children to their swimming gala. I'm delighted to say that Olivia and her friend Danielle won the synchronised pairs and she achieved personal best times in all her strokes. Charlie has suddenly got to grips with swimming too and was at the end of the pool before I could catch him in a photo in the 'through the hoop' race! Two very proud parents as you can imagine. Today we are back to taxi service for parties, more swimming and play rehearsals. The remainder of the week includes music concerts, more swimming, more rehearsals and actual productions and ooo I forgot school! I may just find a minute or two to craft some bits and pieces for a school fayre I'm having a stall towards the weekend. I will return to blogging at some point, maybe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs and back soon.

Zoë

Inspriation & Theme Challenge on ILWS

This is the inspiration for the the Inspiration & Themes challenge on Inlovewithstamping forum. I don't have a lot of spare time this week planning a birthday party for my daughter on Thursday so very quickly put this card together. It's a great example of heat embossing using white emboss powder on basic black cardstock. If you'd like to know more about heat embossing then please don't hesitate to contact me for details of a class.

Inside the card I've put a piece of whisper white stamped simply with basic black ink and a hint of red to follow the colour combo. The stamp set is one of my favourites and so easy to use; Pocket Silhouettes.

Back with more soon.

Hugs

Zoë