Happy Sunday to one and all. It's been a busy weekend here particularly for me with the Stampin' Up! Leaders Summit which closed its doors about 1.30am this morning, but I have to say tiredness beat me around 1am. The great thing is I can watch bits I missed on replay and have learned so much from fellow demonstrators and the Company team. Martin and I also popped to Sheffield to collect my Mum from her holiday and bring her back to my patient Dad who had missed her. He stayed with us as he is elderly now and benefits from environments he knows and has been a super house guest.
I have managed to make some cards for Christmas Card Club today too! Lovely Lorraine asked us to make cards with mainly red on them and I think I've just about managed it making these #simplestamping cards. Yes I know you might be thinking that these are not simple stamping, but they are mainly just stamps, ink and paper. Fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator Ruth Trice shared a fab tutorial with the UK demos to create fabulous one sheet wonders and then chop them up to make stunning cards with simple additions of card base and sentiments. You should visit her youtube channel where she shares lots of different ways to stamp these.
For mine I used the gorgeous Poinsettia Petals stamps from the winter mini catalogue. I started believe it or now to create a very subtle background with pale neutral colours stamping with my HRT packet!!! Yes I know who would have thought that an HRT blister pack could work for stamping. I pushed the pack onto to my ink pad and then used it like a stamp until the ink ran out. You may not be able to see it on the cards but it is there and effectively adds depth to the project without you realising. The card below is probably the easiest to spot it on. I like using items that aren't obviously stamps to create patterns and find others that work well are net bags from fruit/onions, scrunched up paper or a plastic bag, a pencil with a small eraser on the end and other household bits and pieces. Your own imagination is all you need. Just be mindful of your ink pad as you place such items on it and also be sure that it doesn't affect what you use if it is required for another purpose.
You build up the images bring stronger colours and first generation ink in last. This poinsettia has two parts one is the outline of the flower with five petals, but you can twist it slightly for the second set of flowers ie stamp it twice with a small rotation of the stamp in between and then it has a second stamp that adds some colour and gives depth to the image. The set includes holly, berries and other greenery along with some lovely sentiments although the one above is from the Tags, Tags, Tags set. You can fill in gaps with splatter stamps from sets like Waterfront, Christmas Gleaming and use pinecone stamps and fir to add more detail. I also put in the odd Pool Party snowflake too!
Adding matting layers of card and a base card are all you need then to construct your cards and add sentiments and small details like gold twine or odd sequins and gems.
I'm off now for Sunday roast before chilling for the rest of the bank holiday weekend. It's dry today so far here in Lincolnshire and I hope it is with you. You can see the other ladies in our club by visiting the button at the top of my blog Christmas CC.
If you are here in the UK enjoy your long weekend . Keep safe all.
Hugs Zoe xx
Poinsettia Petals Stamp set
Regals Ink Pads
Gilded Gems
