I am trying not to fall deep into a new obsession

Stamping.

I have resisted in the past, mainly because I am a messy mare when it comes to crafting and you can pretty much guarantee that I will drop the stamp (obviously inked side down, just like when you drop toast butter side down every time!) or smudge it, or get an incomplete image. Whatever, accuracy and clean lines really are not my forte.

But the Hero Arts site has got me hooked and I am spreading my wings a little and venturing further afield looking at card inspiration. I am amazed at how much work people can put into such a small area. And neatly too LOL!

I have a couple of friends who are especially talented card makers Andrea and Jane. Ooops and Debbie (how could I forget you?)

The one thing I especially struggle with is colouring in. Really. Sounds such a simple thing to do. But for me, it isn't. I guess it is just a case of keep on trying. And finding the right white cardstock to stamp and colour on. What I have just doesn't handle watercolours very well at all. Anyhow, Hero Arts challenge this week is to colour in an image. So this week might see me actually try and crack this colouring in malarky.

Anyway, I have been blog hopping to various links and challenge sites (I need all the inspiration I can find when it comes to card making) and found Caardvarks. Oh my! Lots of lushness. And quite a lot of non stamping, more scrappy style cards which I am more familiar with. In an effort to break out of my mojoless state (haven't done anything crafty since coming back from holiday at the beginning of the month - though I did half a dozen layouts whilst we were away) I have attempted the challenge this week over there. Well it tied in with what I was going to create for a birthday card for Chiara's friend as it happened (I know, not really the way to tackle a challenge). Hot pink, black and white. Just perfect for a pre-teen fashion conscious girl!



It is a VERY simple card. I sort of spend an equivalent amount of time on a card as I feel the appreciation of the receiving party will warrant. So close family and friends get the nicer, more detailed cards, but others, especially kids outside of the family, get more simple offerings.



The card features a badge I had bought in Claires Accessories specifically for the purpose of being used this way. A bit of dotty paper, a scrap of hot pink Rouge de Garance patterned paper and a punched scallop and it was done.

Giveaways at Making Memories

Just a quick reminder, Making Memories are still giving away lots of goodies, visit their blog and comment for a chance to win something luscious :)

More Goodies and Giveaways

Like I said, the scrapbooking world is filled with goodies for CHA. I have seen LOTS of lovely things on my blog sightseeing tour (yep, that list of manufacturers on the side bar of this blog comes in really handy at times like this!).

Bella Blvd has a great giveaway package - ALL of their new releases to a blog commenter AND A FRIEND if you go and make a comment too! Just hop on over to this blog post, do lots of drooling (I just LOVE the die cut stickers) and then leave a comment, mentioning that I sent you over (Suzanne Torr if you don't know my full name).

Here's hoping that one of my lovely friends or followers gets lucky with me (ooer, but you know what I mean!).

CHA Excitement!

Lots more reveals around the scrapbooking world.

Lots of fun stuff to drool over.

And lots of fun giveaways to be found.

Making Memories has lots of giveaways over the next day or so - head on over to their blog and keep refreshing so as not to miss out on your chance to win some goodies :)

A big Hero Woo Hoo!!

Thrilled almost beyond words! Check out the Hero Arts blog :)

My scrapbook page made the winners list!! And check out the fabulous winning card by Lousette Ashton - wow or what?! Congrats Lousette.

I used a lot less patterned paper than I usually do, which was a huge challenge for me!

Products used:

Patterned paper - Prima, K&Co and My Minds Eye
Plain cardstock - Bazzill
Metal frame, metal rimmed tag - Making Memories
Brads - HOTP, Queen & Co, Autumn Leaves
Adhesive crystals - Papermania
Stamps - Hero Arts (Thoughtful Messages, All Occasion Messages, Dolls, Hello Birdie and A3321 Cherish and S1838 Florentine Scroll Background (both older stamps)
Inks - Ranger, Versamark, ColorBox
Clear Embossing powder
Butterfly punch
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder

Brief how to:

Cut part bracket shape from subtly patterned cardstock (I used a piece of Crate Paper as a template). Stamp swirl background with Versamark and heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

Cut patterned paper to size and attach photo.

Place both these pieces onto kraft cardstock, leaving equal margins.

Stamp scallop border onto blue cardstock and emboss with white embossing powder.

Cut to shape and layer two slightly different lengths to hide the join between the patterned paper and stamped bracket shape.

Stamp sentiments (or journal) around the edge of the kraft cardstock, adding gems for detail.

Layer onto green cardstock then teal cardstock (both colours tie in with the patterned paper).

Stamp the scalloped frame onto two pieces of cardstock. Punch out using a scalloped circle. Layer punched circles over the centres.

Add a stamped sentiment to the centre of one (dotting the 'j' with a gem). Stamp an oversized brad and set with embossing powder (I heated the brad after stamping, sprinkled with embossing powder then heated again). Attach slightly offset to the second layered flower.

Handcut stems and leaves from cardstock, attach to the page and zigzag stitch over for interest. Attach the stamped and layered flowers.

Punch out a small butterfly from green cardstock (to match the photo corners and create a small visual triangle of that colour) and stamp with a teal ink. Attach to page and add a gem to the body.

Create two large photo corners. I used a green coloured metal frame by Making Memories cut down. Emboss using embossing folder and sand to define the embossed pattern. Attach to the page.

Gut a small metal rimmed tag and attach patterned paper to the back. Stamp with a small image and hang from the bottom photo corner. Add the other two brads.

Last day of school .... teacher gift day

Hooray, finished the teacher gifts. Bit miffed as I think DS nicked two of the cookies. Coupled with the fact that the cookies I did failed (thankfully the ones the girls did were a big success). However, this meant that one person had to be 'knocked' off the list (not a person who actually teaches either of my girls). A bit disappointed but it was 2am when I realised and I wasn't about to start baking again then!

Anyhow, we handed the gifts out this morning, they were well received, the boxes looked pretty but I think the fact that the girls did the baking last night after coming back late from the school trip was the thing the teachers liked the best. Hope they enjoy them with their cuppas at break/lunch time!

I spent ages trying to perfect the template. It still could have done with tweaking a bit, but time was marching on and it folded up fine. The flaps at the bottom were not strong enough to hold the box shut with the weight of the cookies. I didn't think they would be, but I'm not skilled enough of a paper engineer to have figured out how to do the closing at the top. I think the twine tied at the top into a bow looks pretty though and it did give the tags somewhere to go (NB photos taken before the girls had written on the tags, but after they were written, they were tied into the bow on the top of each house).

I used Hero Arts stamps - scallop border and scallop 'for you' stamps from the dolls cleardesign set, the thanks sentiment from the thoughtful messages set and the little bird and you're special sentiment from the hello birdie set.
Butterflies were stamped using Conversation Dots then punched out.
The little row of hearts is from a Studio G stamp set.
Patterned paper is a mix from Around the Block, Scenic Route, Cloud 9, Papermania, Imaginesce, Dream Street and Tinkering Ink.
Chipboard bird Maya Road (used as template)
Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder

How to:

Draw around template on reverse of stiff patterned cardstock.

Cut out and fold.

Use circle compass scissors to cut out the circle aperture.

Stamp sentiment onto acetate (I gently heat set with embossing heat gun for speed) and attach behind aperture.

Stamp same sentiment onto co-ordinating plain cardstock. Punch centre portion out with circle punch and then use a larger scallop circle punch to punch around the scallop. Adhere the scalloped frame to the front of the birdhouse using a glue pen.

Fold birdhouse together, using strong double sided tape to hold in position.

Cut out rectangle for roof. Use scalloped edge scissors at either end. Fold in half and adhere to roof.

Stamp the scalloped border multiple times onto co-ordinating cardstock (I staggered the design and stamped the border three times either side of a centre point).

Fold and attach to top of roof.

Use Maya Road bird as template to cut chipboard bird, emboss using embossing folder. Swipe/edge with ink for definintion. Add small gem for eye. Attach to front of birdhouse using foam pad for dimension.

Cut 'grass' from green cardstock and attach to bottom of birdhouse. Add gemstone flower to bottom corner.

Stamp script design onto cardstock and punch out butterflies, attach above the aperture and add pearls to finish.

Cut tag from chipboard, shape, add hole reinforcer sticker and punch out hole.

Stamp with sentiment, bird and hearts. Colour in hearts.

Add small strip of patterned paper cut with scallop scissors, define bottom edge with black pen.

Write message on reverse of tag.

Insert cookies into cello bags.

Punch large scalloped circle, fold in half, stamp with bird and sentiment.

Staple to top of bag.

Put cookies into birdhouse.

Secure with twine, tying into a bow at the top catching in the tag using a jump ring.

Teachers pressies for this year - first one

Okay so I think I have been a bit ambitious. I have made (several) prototypes to get the template right and now just put together the first one. I am going to add a few punched butterflies and also do a tag for each one for the kids to write on. So I can see a couple of late nights to get them finished (nothing new there then). Also tomorrow night after school (well, later as the girls are both on a school trip to Bridlington) we will be making cookies together to put a couple in cello bags to go into each house.



Patterned paper - Around the Block
Stamps - Hero Arts
Bird - used Maya Road chipboard bird as a template
Embossing folder - Cuttlebug
Ink - ColorBox

The cookies in the photo were a prototype too! We made three batches to compare recipes, have chosen our favourite and will do three batches, one double choc, one choc and one white choc. Hopefully there will be enough for one of each cookie for each birdhouse. Having counted up I have got to make 9 houses, so minimum 27 cookies. Oh and I think there must be a national shortage of white choc chips ... Sainsbury's didn't have any, Morrisons didn't have any so it took a trip to a third town to Tesco to finally track some down!

Okay. Back to creating!