Birthday card for my lovely Mom

Today is my Mom's birthday and I love making special cards for her.

This is the first birthday without my Dad so we went for a meal yesterday as a family to make it special for her.

I made a big 7x7 card so I had a lot of room for the rolled flowers.

I used retired Stampin' Up! stamps, border punch and fern punch with papers from Crafter's Companion and cut the rolled flowers on my Cricut. 

I decided to decorate the inside too.

I used

Card: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Balmy Blue & Pear Pizzazz from Stampin' Up!

Paper: Farmhouse from Crafter's Companion

Ink: Night of Navy and Daffodil Delight from Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Happy Wishes and Sketch Alphabet outside with Wonderland Moments Inside  from Stampin' Up! (all retired)

Tools: Border and Fern Punch Stampin' Up! (both retired). Bow maker. Cricut

Others: Balmy Blue Varigated Ribbon from Stampin' Up! Pearls from stash

Thanks for visiting 

Jane x

Stampin' Up Crafting Retreat

As you are reading this I am at a lovely hotel in Birmingham on a Crafty Retreat with my fellow Pootlers.

We are a group of Demo's under Sam Hammond Donald aka POOTLES.

I was previously a demo with Sam but after crafting tailed off a few years ago I resigned but January I decided to re-join and there was no-one I would rather join than Sam - she is UK's no1 demo after all.

For the retreat we make swaps to get our crafting mojo going but also to give each other ideas.

As I have not been back a demo for long I didn't have much current stock to choose from although I have a bookcase full of retired stamps.

I decided to revisit a swap I made previously using 6x6 papers, a little bit of stamping and dies/punches.

Here is my sample,  It's a square based bag which stands and you can get quite a few different things inside as it stands 4.75" tall.

To make it you need

6x6 paper

Score at 2.75" & 5.5" then and score 1.25"

With the small section on the side score at 17/8" and 4.75" only to the 1.25" score line to make the base.

I used:

Card: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy

Papers: By the Bay

Stamp: In the Moment

Ink: Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy

Tools: Circle die and Banner Punch

Others: Gems and Glue

Thanks for visiting

Jane x

All from STAMPIN' UP!

Two Birthday cards

 Hello again,

Today is a couple of birthday cards I made recently for two very good friend's birthdays.  I was digging around in my craft room and I found two old Lili of the Valley stamps which were perfect for the two recipients.  They are available as Printables at their Etsy Site - Rugby Boy Digi Stamp and Girl Toadstool printable image.

Both images are coloured with Spectrum Noir Illustrator Markers with papers for both are from my stash.  The border die is an old Magnolia one and the typed ribbon was made on my Brother P-Touch Label Maker and ribbon cartridge.

Thanks for visiting.

Hugs Jane x

Stampin' Up! Card Kits

Hello again,

I'm back again with more cards.  I found some card kits from Stampin' Up! in my craft room and decided to make them up for stock birthday cards.

Two are very old kits but last one is from the current catalogue which came with the stamps and ink pad. I used different stamps with the old kits as I didn't have the stamps but they were fun using the "bits" and make my own designs.

Kit 1 - Nourish and Flourish kit (retired)

Hard to tell but the background is embossed

Kit 2 - Hello friend Kit (retired)

Kit 3 - Timeless Greetings (this is still available HERE)

I have another couple of birthday cards complete but the recipients have not opened yet so I'll post those at the weekend.

Hugs

Jane x

I'm back blogging again! Text heavy post

Hi all, have you missed me?

It's been so long since I blogged.  I have still been crafting but not posting here.  

A number of things happened at the same time which prevented me from having time to blog.  I changed laptop and lost my editing software, Covid hit and I was Working from Home and I stepped down from Design Teams.

I found the joy had gone from my crafting and although I have continued to craft, I only made what was necessary and not just for the fun of it.

Before Christmas 2022 I had two major life changes which has spurred me on to spend time in my craft room again.

I turned the big 50 in mid-December and made invitations for a party we held for dancing friends and then while on a cruise on Queen Mary 2 with my hubby, my lovely Dad was suddenly taken ill and sadly we lost him 3 days before Christmas. 

My lovely Dad at my Daughter's Wedding in August 2022

The shock has been horrific as it was a sudden illness and not expected.  I didn't have chance to make any Christmas Cards as I intended to make them on my return from my trip.  It's the first year since I started crafting 15 years ago that I had to BUY Christmas cards.

I needed an outlet to take my mind off the grief so I started cardmaking again.  Not for a specific person or reason, but just because.  It has been such a release for me, giving me the chance to lose myself just in colouring and creating and switching my brain off - even for a short time.

Here are a few of the Christmas cards I have made the last 4 weeks.

CC Gingerbread Man Wobblers stamp with papers from stash coloured with Spectrum Noir Markers

Crafters Companion Dance in the Snow Stamp with Bebunni Papers and coloured with Spectrum Noir Markers

Cross stitch Santa image with Bebunni papers

Lili of the Valley Christmas Gnomes stamp coloured with Spectrum Noir Markers and papers from stash

I have more cards to post but they have not been received yet so I'll post later.

If you are still here and reading thanks for staying with me,

Jane x