Christmas Thank You cards

I managed to get my thank you cards done a week or so ago but kept forgetting to post, so here we are-eventually!

I have always written thank you letters/made thank you cards since being a child-I think a written thank you means so much more than a rushed verbal one. Someone spent time and thought on me, so the least I can do is return this and say thank you properly.

These cards were in response to some lovely Christmas presents and the lovely time I spent on Christmas Day I spent with my Mum and her husband.

To make these cards I used Royal and Langnickel cream square hammered card blanks that I've had for ages so it was great to find a use-I seem to be afraid of square cards in a way even though I love how they look!

The rest is from Stampin Up to include some of the retired (but still available whilse stocks last) Dashing designer paper which is double sided so the strips of paper on the cards above show each side of just one of the papers in the set.

I used Real Red cardstock punched with a scallop punch.

The stamps are 'Natural Beauty' for the robin and 'Simple Sayings 2' for the sentiment (again-it's a great set!). Both are retired.

I used a memories ink pad to stamp the image and then watercoloured the robin using Stampin Up ink pads and a aquapainter. Real Red and Chocolate Chip were used for the robin and Real Red for the sentiment.

It's not often I've made several cards in one go but I really enjoyed the process which surprised me.

I'm finding I am enjoying watercolouring more and more which is incredible considering how horrific art classes were at school. I find it so rewarding and quite soothing actually. I think I really enjoy being creative even in this small way.

The recipients liked the cards so that's what matters ultimately and I've a set of small 'Love Notes' (small blank cards and envelopes) from Stampin Up that I've been wanting to make a card set from for ages and now I think my confidence may be up to it! I can but try can't I!

How amazing is this.....

...prize! (You'll have to blog hop to see!).

Pop over to see Steph on her cleverly titled 'much ado about nothing' blog and you could win some beautiful stamps.


http://stephmuchadoaboutnothing.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-candy-alert.html#comment-form


While you're there, do stop and look at her creations- on the 14th January she posted 'a card to share' and I want it! It's beautiful and making me seriously want the Stampin Up papers she used! Then look at the one she posted on the 15th!! WOW! Gorgeous colours too!

Steph seems to be new to blogging but I for one will go back as I can't wait to see more cards she makes as they're really 'my kind of card', which is extra good.

There's alot of blogs out there but Steph's is a real breath of fresh air and I can't wait to see how it pans out, so best of luck Steph.

Just because

In the cardmaking world the next big thing (or Holiday as our US friends would say) is 'Valentines Day'. As I spend alot of time on Splitcoaststampers I feel somewhat surrounded by valentine cards so when I came across a card challenge by Linda on her blog, I thought a Valentines theme appropriate! The challenge comes about after Linda reached 10,000 hits on her blog-how amazing is that!? To celebrate this mammouth achievement, Linda is doing a challenge with a prize for the lucky winner.

Linda has designed a sketch as an inspirational guide to the card design she wants and as well as being fun and challenging, the lucky winner will win a Stampin Up (Linda is an S.U. Demonstrator) stamp set from the limited edition 'Sale-a-bration' range. The draw will take place on 24th January which is also the birthday of one of Linda's sons. (Happy Birthday!).

This is my attempt using Linda's sketch. It's almost entirely Stampin Up:

Real Red, Old Olive and very Vanilla cardstock
Real Red and Old Olive ink for the hearts and edging the Very Vanilla panel
'Dashing' designer paper
Real red and very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon
Sticker from a 'Love Notes' sticker pack (not available in the UK currently)

Simple Sayings 2 stamp set used for the sentiment
Happy Hearts for the hearts- raised using stampin dimensionals

Heat and Stick powder
Glitter
Circle punch for cutting a circle from the designer paper for behind the sticker
Corner punch to make the scalloped border as I don't have the S.U. scalloped punch

Versamark black ink as I don't have an SU black one!

The 'Happy Hearts' stamp set and the 'Dashing' designer paper are both retired now but still available while stocks last (feel like I'm on QVC saying that!).

I actually quite struggled with this card-there's alot of elements to incorporate and I don't usually follow sketches or cards I've seen, my cards just evolve somehow by themselves. I do see sketches I like though so must try a few more and once I get the hang of it, hopefully it'll seem easier than this card was to make!

Having said that, I am reasonably pleased with the result-it's certainly alot more minimal than I usually do, which is something I've been trying to do with my cards-take a more simplistic approach. This doesn't make the card 'simpler' or easier to make-quite the opposite and it's certainly alien to me, but I see this card as a step in that direction which is good at least!

SU blog candy-what could be better!

Found another lovely blog:

http://emmalockley.blogspot.com/

Emma is an SU (Stampin Up) lady so the candy is fab and so are the projects on her blog-check out the cupcake clock!

Closes 15th January so get over there and have a go and hang around a bit, download the cupcake template and have a play-cupcakes are perfect for most people and you can do so much with them-if you win the candy, you can do so many different toppings with the fab paper!

Lest we forget

Today is Remembrance Sunday and all around the country and also in Iraq and Afghanistan, services of remembrance have been taking place to honour all those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

On 11th November it will be 90 years since the end of the First World War. As in previous years there will be two minutes silence at 11.00am-the eleventh month, on the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour.

It is crucial that we remember and commemorate those who have paid such a high price in order that the rest of us are safe and free. Since Remembrance Sunday in 2007 over 30 British servicemen and women have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. So called 'modern' war costs less lives but does not leave these brave men and women unscathed. Limbs are lost in horrific numbers, recent reports in The Times stated that soldiers are being literally deafened by the horrendous noise of war. The broken bodies that come home are fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, friends-much loved people who need help financially and emotionally in order to carve out a new and often very different life to that envisioned.

The Royal British Legion was founded in 1921 and supports these men and women, day after day, month after month, year after year. This year they hoped to sell 40 million poppies. The money made from the sale of the poppies goes towards providing help in any number of ways to ex-service men and women as well as those currently serving. The Royal British Legion who also campaign for the rights of these people on issues such as war pensions and the previously mentioned hearing problems suffered by so many. According to figures on The Royal British Legion's website 10.5 million people are currently able to ask for help. An astonishing £75million was spent last year helping those in need.

Clearly all this work is only possible with the help of the general public-think of the debt we owe-is a £1.00 or £2.00 for a poppy too much to ask? The Royal British Legion help people every day of the year and need our help to help those in need. Please go to the Royal British Legion website and see what they do, stories of those they help and ways to support the incredible work they do.

We must not forget-we will not.

The very best in blog candy

Blog-hopping takes on a whole new life when you blog hop Stampin Up inspired blogs. Demonstrators have amazing blogs-Stampin Up is what they so after all and so I find them not only visually entertaining and inspiring but also packed full of product information, techniques, special offers and of course every so often, guaranteed fantastic Stampin Up blog candy.

Although Stampin Up have only been in the Uk just over a year, Uk demonstrators must surely have the Stampin Up powers that be massively impressed. Julie has a lovely blog, beautiful photos (so essential on a blog and an area I fail miserably on I know) and lots of gorgeous projects often made up with a choccie, celery and pink colour range-my favourites!Look out for the 'tea and crumpets' in 'October 2008-not alas real tea and crumpets though I suspect there may have been behind the scenes, but the new paper range 'tea and crumpets'. Julie made some lovely little note cards and a box-I keep meaning to have a go myself and really want to now!

Anyway, as always I'm veering massively off the main point of this post which is to let you know about some SU blog candy. Julie has amassed an amazing 25,000 blog hits-(WHAT?), no really and been promoted by Stampin Up! To celebrate this joint achievement, Julie has donated a new SU stamp set (normally only available to hostesses/or if you've spent over £150 in one go)to her 'blog candy event'! To be in with a chance just pop over to Julie's blog-have a read and if you're in the UK, mention this fab candy on your own blog and then leave a message on Julie's blog to let her know you've done all this and then cross everything.

Must mention that until 10.00pm on Sunday 9th November 2008, Julie is also offering FREE UK P+P on any Stampin Up order. You could save alot of money there depending on the size of order but as P+P usually is a minimum of around £3.95-it's a good deal!

Monkeying around...

Hey what do you think to the jokey title? I thought as the BBC are short of comedians I'd subtly put myself forward.(um...) I have other jokes too-

'How many men does it take to buy a loo-roll?
'Don't know-it's never been done!'

Oh dear-I've dried up (I know the lingo too you know)-nightmare! I'd obviously need to practice a bit, polish up my act, maybe a few props-a stool to sit on, maybe a pint of beer-that's what comedians seem to do-used to smoke but get arrested now and that's NOT funny...um.

Anyway, back to cardmaking.

Splitcoaststampers provide the tuturials once again. This is called a 'free standing pop-up card'.

Essentially this is a really effective card in terms of 'oooh and ahh' value but it is not only beatiful; it's clever too and will fold down to put into an envelope. How good is that! Whatever next? A card that makes itself?



Both cards are virtually all Stampin Up in terms of DNA-the monkey set is called 'Monkey Business' and is a long since retired US set and I love it! There's another monkey too which is in a hanging position so you could stamp it hanging from the foliage. I struggled determining the precise height as to where the monkey needed to be as I didn't want him standing in mid air-I wanted him to look as though he was standing on the card base. I knew the tag part of the card goes down into the box base a bit but hard to be precise and I feel certain each card would slightly differ to be honest on this point. I used my PSX stamp positioner on every image on the tag and although I'm pretty close with the monkey, I feel he is a bit low in truth but considering it's the first time I've made this type of card it's not too shameful!

The cardstock is 'Barely Banana'(who's have thought it!)'Certainly Celery' and the ever gorgeous 'Chocolate Chip';and the same colour inks are used too bar the yellow which is a versacolour as I don't possess the barely banana ink. I coloured in the monkeys tummy and added depth to the bananas with the 'Cocoa'from the SU pastel set.

The background stamp on the box type base is called 'Swirls and Blossoms' and it was the best I could find that worked with the theme as I felt the base needed decoration too.

Very Vanilla taffetta ribbon and an unknown chocolate grosgrain. I used a paper reinforcement ring to keep the hole in the tag nice and neat.(Hole punched by Silent Setter) I inked the reinforcement ring let it dry and repeated about three times to ensure a deep chocolate colour. All I could think of as no eyelets in a suitable colour big enough! I'm glad I persevered with my quest to find paper reinforcement rings even though it took months to find any!




What about the monkey button on the base! How gorgeous is he? A local shop was selling off a load of buttons they won't be stocking anymore and happily I spotted this box of treasures-all sorts of kinds and this monkey was among them. Let's just say that after I left, there were no more monkeys in that shop!!!I left the button back intact and managed to thread my ribbon through it (eventually). removing the button back is useful if the button needs to sit flat on a page as it can then be attached with glue dots or similar.




This stamp set is 'Spring Garden'another favourite and about the only floral set I could find that was small enough to work on the limited space the tag allows. Great set though so no hardship to use and I think it's very effective.I used the 'Canvas' background stamp on the base on this card-it's a real classic in my view.

Bashful Blue and Certainly Celery card and ink, unknown grosgrain ribbon and blooms, finished off with a Bashful Blue button. The tag is reinforced with a Stampin Up large eyelet.