Saturday 9 March 2024

Stamping Inkspirations Blog Hop - A Technique Challenge


Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I am taking part in a blog hop with some fellow enthusiasts who love sharing their creative talents using their Stampin' Up!® products. This month the Stamping Inkspirations blog hop is technique challenge.


The challenge for us this month is to create a card using the etching technique, which is a new one for me! The idea is to add dimension and detail to an open image using a fine liner pen. Whilst I have done this type of thing when I'm doodling for fun in a journal, I have not done it on a card.

My stamp sets are not really sympathetic to this technique so, I've cheated and used the Enduring Beauty set which already has lines of texture incorporated into it. I love how the little lines and dots create texture and depth.

Initially, I started by blending colour through the coordinating masks to create the petals and leaves using Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather and Granny Apple Green inks. The masks enable you to build an image which looks colourful yet subtle, but I thought it needed a bit more detail. I tried adding lines, dots and flicks with a fine liner pen but decided that my mark making should stay in my journal! 


Luckily, the stamp set has a wonderful alternative. Stamping the fine detailed image and blending colour over the top using the masks yields a beautifully coloured image. (I omitted masks 4 & 5 to leave off the second, detailed layer of colour for the leaves and the centres of the flowers.)


To get back on track with the challenge experimented with a couple of watercolour pencils to add some additional colour to the petals and the leaves. I just followed the contours from the stamped image to add a little extra colour. 

The floral image is mounted on top of an embossed layer of card - the obvious choice was the cross-hatched pattern in the Basics set - together with a few die cut leaves and flower buds. I wanted a simple sentiment for this card so, I fussy cut the skinny happy birthday from the new Sweetly Scripted set. To finish I added a trio of Purple Fine Shimmer gems.


I'm not sure if I prefer the simple version or the one with the extra lines best. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities for colouring this set; Blends, watercolour pencils, adding Wink of Stella...then you can change the colour scheme and it would look totally different again. I hope that you are inspired by my cards today and that you will continue along the hop to see what the others have created too. Enjoy the projects. We would love to hear from you and so if you have been inspired, please leave a comment.


Angie McKenzie  ●  Jan Musselman

Tricia Butts  ●  Leonie Stuart   ●   Mo Rootes

Karen Henderson  ●  AurĂ©lie Fabre  ●  Rebecca-Jo Unwin

Do you need any of the products  used on today's cards? If you live in the UK please take a look in my online Stampin' Up! shop. You can follow the link or click on the pictures below of the products I have used today.

Stay safe and as always, happy crafting,


If you would like to order any supplies, and you live in the UK, I would love to be your demonstrator.
Use the current hostess code (March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM) to get some free product (it will follow in the post after the end of the month). If your order is over £150 do not use the code as you become the hostess and get the rewards. To place an order please visit my online shop HERE

If you would like to join my team, you can choose your starter kit HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me at furrycatdesigns@gmail.com

Click on the images of the products I have used today to purchase them in my online shop:

Rembember to use the current hostess code.  

March 2024 code: GKVYMKKM









Monday 12 February 2024

Customer Thank You cards for February 2024


Hello and welcome to my blog! Thank you for joining me for the Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Training Program Monthly Blog Hop. We are a group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators from around the world, sharing our card creations based on the theme of Thank You or Congrats for this month.
 

I am delighted to welcome you here whether you are a regular visitor or if you have hopped in from another blog. You will find the blog hop list at the bottom of this post so that you can see all of the posts today. 


If you place an order with me during February you will receive one of these cards as a thank you for your purchase.

I wanted to highlight how wonderful the Designer Series Paper from Sale-A-Bration is before the promotion finishes at the end of this month. For me, there is something very satisfying in the process of chopping up pretty papers and patchworking them back together again. 

These cards were made using the Sunny Days pack of Designer Series Paper, but the layout is really versatile and fits with almost any patterns. I have previously used it for swap cards with the Bright & Beautiful papers adding accents with the Circle Sayings stamps. You can see them here.


On today's cards, the sentiment I have used is from the Hooray for Surprises stamp set - I think it's just right for thank you and encouragement cards. The Thoughtful Expressions dies are new to me and I was eager to give them a whirl. I could not resist the fluted edges, especially as they have stitching detail too. The Pool Party card has a twist of the Sale-A-Bration ribbon whilst the rainbow cards have Glittered Organdy ribbon as their accent. Both designs have added sparkle from a trio of Iridescent Rhinestones.


I had so much fun making these cards, and I cannot wait to pop them in the post! Thank you so much for visiting today, I hope you have been inspired! As mentioned at the beginning, this is a blog hop so make sure you hop ar0und to see the other amazing projects on the hop! Click on the links below to visit them.

Blog Hop List:

Do you need any of the products  used on today's cards? If you live in the UK please take a look in my online Stampin' Up! shop. You can follow the link or click on the pictures below of the products I have used today.

Stay safe and as always, happy crafting,


If you would like to order any supplies, and you live in the UK, I would love to be your demonstrator.
Use the current hostess code (February 2024 code: 9WKPPZYK) to get some free product (it will follow in the post after the end of the month). If your order is over £150 do not use the code as you become the hostess and get the rewards. To place an order please visit my online shop HERE

If you would like to join my team, you can choose your starter kit HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me at furrycatdesigns@gmail.com

Sale-A-Bration 

 
Sale-A-Bration continues until the end of February, and the selection of choices has just got bigger!
 

There
are several ways to benefit from this promotion:
 

 Shopping 

Choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 or £90 you spend (catalogue prices, before shipping and handling).
 

Host 

When you shop BIG you and your guests, if you host a creative gathering with friends, can benefit and earn FREE Sale-A-Bration products. With personal or party orders of £275 or more you can choose an additional £27.50 worth of products from the catalogues or online store.
 

 Join 

During Sale-A-Bration the Starter Kit is even better. In addition to the already excellent value of the Starter Kit, if you decide to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration, you can choose from two exclusive Starter kit options:
  • Option 1: Your choice of £130 of Stampin’ Up! products + the Stampin' Glass Mat Studio (£56.00 value) for only £99.
  • Option 2: Your choice of £130 of Stampin’ Up! products + your choice of an additional £30 in FREE product for only £99.

Click on the images of the products I have used today to purchase them in my online shop:

Rembember to use the current hostess code.  

February 2024 code: 9WKPPZYK









 

Saturday 10 February 2024

Stamping Inkspirations Blog Hop - A Colour Challenge


Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I am taking part in a blog hop with some fellow enthusiasts who love sharing their creative talents using their Stampin' Up!® products. This month the Stamping Inkspirations blog hop is colour challenge.


For our inspiration we can use this cheerful picture and the colours; Misty Moonlight, Lemon Lolly, Soft Sea Foam, Real Red and Pretty Peacock. The boy's expression is wonderful, but I was also taken with the book that was perched on his knee. So, I've used the Notes of Nature stamps, and in particular the Field Notes stamp which is white heat embossed on to Vellum and the perforated page die to create the background for my card. They provide a great foil for the striking flowers cut using the Paper Florist dies.

I used all the colours, except for Misty Moonlight, and only added Basic White and Vellum to the list of card supplies. I cut some large flowers from Real Red card - they are double layered and the petals are curved slightly by pulling the cardstock between my thumb and bone folder. The centres are Lemon Lolly, which I also used for the little buds and tiny five petal flowers (which are actually from the Lovely and Sweet set).


I cut a variety of leaves from Soft Sea Foam card layering them intil I was happy with the arrangement. The decorated vellum layer sits on a layer of Pretty Peacock card that has been embossed with the Timeworn Type folder. To add an aged look to the base card there are a few subtle Soft Sea Foam splatters. I have to admit that I am a little out of my comfort zone using Real Red for anything other than a Christmas card, but I am happy with the pop of colour that the flowers give!


I hope that you are inspired by my card today and that you will continue along the hop to see what the others have created too. Enjoy the projects. We would love to hear from you and so if you have been inspired, please leave a comment.


Angie McKenzie  ●  Karen Henderson  ●  Leonie Stuart

Rebecca-Jo Unwin   ●   AurĂ©lie Fabre  ●  Jill Chapman

Annette Ball  ●  Mo Rootes  ●  Shel Anderson

Tricia Butts  ●  Jan Musselman

Do you need any of the products  used on today's card? If you live in the UK please take a look in my online Stampin' Up! shop. You can follow the link or click on the pictures below of the products I have used today.

Stay safe and as always, happy crafting,


If you would like to order any supplies, and you live in the UK, I would love to be your demonstrator.
Use the current hostess code (February 2024 code: 9WKPPZYK) to get some free product (it will follow in the post after the end of the month). If your order is over £150 do not use the code as you become the hostess and get the rewards. To place an order please visit my online shop HERE

If you would like to join my team, you can choose your starter kit HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me at furrycatdesigns@gmail.com

Sale-A-Bration 

 
Sale-A-Bration continues until the end of February, and the selection of choices has just got bigger!
 

There
are several ways to benefit from this promotion:
 

 Shopping 

Choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration product for every £45 or £90 you spend (catalogue prices, before shipping and handling).
 

Host 

When you shop BIG you and your guests, if you host a creative gathering with friends, can benefit and earn FREE Sale-A-Bration products. With personal or party orders of £275 or more you can choose an additional £27.50 worth of products from the catalogues or online store.
 

 Join 

During Sale-A-Bration the Starter Kit is even better. In addition to the already excellent value of the Starter Kit, if you decide to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration, you can choose from two exclusive Starter kit options:
  • Option 1: Your choice of £130 of Stampin’ Up! products + the Stampin' Glass Mat Studio (£56.00 value) for only £99.
  • Option 2: Your choice of £130 of Stampin’ Up! products + your choice of an additional £30 in FREE product for only £99.

Click on the images of the products I have used today to purchase them in my online shop:

Rembember to use the current hostess code.  

February 2024 code: 9WKPPZYK