Butterfly Flutterby’s

Sometimes I really wish that I was a Butterfly. They have simple if not extremely short little lives. Whenever I see one, I am amazed by their beauty and fragility.

I decided to try out an Easel Card. There’s a great tutorial by Melanie on the ILWS website. It only uses a tiny piece of card and folds down so well that you can send it flat and without the extra postage charges.

I do love wire and once I’d bought this punch (which has a beautiful Stampin’Up!  stamp set that matches), I knew I had to attach them so they could ‘fly‘!

I’ll try and get an inferior version of Melanie’s tutorial up on this blog, as I’m sure that you’d all like to see. I suspect this one just might be coming out at workshops- SO- If you fancy doing something similar, give me a call and book a party as its starting to get busy towards Christmas!

I have 5 ‘butterflies’ at home right now. Well, butterflies is a little exaggeration- maybe herd of elephants is more like it- but they are flying around the house and into each other! These little people all need feeding-so I’d better go and rustle up some flies or bugs, or maybe just a nice sandwich. I’ll flutter off, dreaming of soaring over somewhere beautiful; maybe I should soar over my ironing board and actually reduce the size of the clothing mountain next to it!!!

Happy creating, xxxx

Card recipe; Tempting Turqoise and Pink Passion Card

Kaleidoscope Designer Papers, Gold Brads, A Bit of Birthday Cheer (stamp set for sentiment). Certainly Celery Ribbon      (all from Stampin’Up!).

Pink wire.

Snowman Soup

It’s SO hot chocolate weather! Even my kids are starting to ask for it! I did recently buy an extremely large box of lowfat sleep inducing malted drink but nothing beats a real hot chocolate!

Craft fairs are starting in the next few weeks and we’re planning some items for a special stall we might do at a school fair.

Among these items will definately be Snowman Soup!! For those not familiar with it- its simply hot chocolate powder with freeze dried snowballs (marshmallows!) and a candy cane to stir the whole thing with! It’s a bit of fun and they make great little gifts. I’m planning some variations and wondering whether I can bring myself to create ‘Reindeer Poo’!! (choc raisins!!)

A cellophane bag with a pretty topper that seals it can be adapted to hold lots of mini gifts and I had fun messing around with my Stampin’Up! Heat and stick powder. You stamp any image with versamark and then sprinkle with the powder. Heat the powder, it turns to glue and then you can sprinkle glitter over.

 

There are several poems if you search- this is the one thats on the back of my tag;

When the weather outside is frightful,
Snowman Soup can be delightful.
May it warm your spirit and your soul.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

When you feel a chill or Burr,
Use the peppermint stick to stir.
Add hot milk and sip it slow.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The fine Cosmo glitters are gorgeous and coordinate with the SU colours. The topper looks far more sparkly in real life but I reckon you get the idea! The three stamped images are from the Season of Joy set, which is great value for 8 stamps at £24.95 . It is by far my favourite set and judging from my workshops- a lot of people love it too!!

I am now sitting, covered in glitter- not because the Heat & Stick isn’t good- (its really good stuff-and only £3.25) but because I’m such a messy tyke!- oh well, I’ll give the Mums at school something to laugh about (again!!!).

See you soon! I’m off to make a hot chocolate!! xx

 

Snowman soup recipe- All items from Stampin’Up! (except for free Papertrey download for the label). Whisper white and tempting Turquoise cardstock, Fine Cosmo glitter, Heat & Stick powder. Bashful Blue & Whisper White ribbon, Tempting Turquoise and Close to Cocoa ink !

Getting Ready!

I feel like I’m not going to be ready- for anything this year! I’m normally really organised and have most things well ahead of time but recently I find myself playing major catch-up. I think I need to make better use of my calendar. I’m getting there though, albeit slowly!

It was quite exciting meeting 5 friends recently who all love SU that much that they’ve had to get it from an overseas relative.  They were really pleased to come along to one of my parties and be able to have a catalogue. They talked about their trips to the States where they just went shopping for stash and had extremely bulging suitcases by the time they re-entered British customs! They just love Stampin’Up! and their excitement rubbed off on others!

I’m starting to think about a special evening I’ve been asked to get involved with. It’s called ‘Pester Power’  and is being run by one of the local churches. It’s trying to encourage people against all the Christmas consumerism by giving them ideas to make presents and cut down on the cost. I’m going to be providing some packaging type present ideas (all the oldie-but-goodies) like sweet cones, snowman soup, decorated chocolate/cookie bags etc. etc.  Although its old hat to some crafters, I’m amazed at the reaction that these items get. People love them. Whoever invented these ideas needs a medal!!

So, the card- its unashamedly Christmassy, but we are getting very close and I need to get ready!!!!

Happy preparing!!xx

 

All supplies (except corrugated card), Stampin’Up!

Stamps, Tree Trimmings and Season of Joy.    Cardstock-Real Red, Old Olive and white vellum.   Gold embossing powder, Old Olive DSP (just retired!) 

 

 

Fussy Cutting at 3am!

I just couldnt sleep. Weird how I can hardly stay awake at 8pm then wake up at 3am and be unable to drop off again! So, rather than toss and turn I went to make a drink . 10 mins later I spied some images that had been kindly stamped by some fellow ILWS’s. We did an image swop recently as I couldn’t buy some of the new Stampin’Up! hostess sets. In return I stamped them some images of sets they hadn’t got.

This particular image has gorgeous filigree style bits. You’ve got to fussy cut haven’t you?! If it hadn’t been 3am, I suspect I might have said ‘life is too short to fussy cut minute sections of a bird’, but, since there was nothing else pressing, I got right on with it. So now, I love it! It’s ages since I got my craft knife out, and now I’m searching for things to slice into!! Back to the bird!

It’s a level 2 hostess set called ‘Whimsical Wings’ and now I wish I’d got hold of it! It contains 4 stamps- and I’ve used 2 in this card. There’s another swirl stamp and all you need to do is hold a party and you could earn a set.

Here’s the close up’s- the cutwork means you just get a hint of the colour underneath and I love the little flower cut out and secured with a rhinestone brad.

You have to love this bird and its swirlyness (oops another made up word). I’m off to design another couple of projects for a crafts magazine. I just love this job!!

Have a great weekend- and happy creating xx

 

 

Recipe; Stamps- Whimsical Wings, Cardstock;- Old Olive, Kraft and Orchid Opulence. White embossing powder, rhinestone brads , whisper white ribbon and a craft knife! All supplies, Stampin’Up!

Why must cupcakes be so fattening?

It’s one of those little annoying things in life isn’t it? But then , I would probably live on cupcakes if they didnt insist on widening my waist! Everything should be in balance shouldn’t it?!!

Great news, then, that the second best thing to eating cupcakes is messing around with them (artistically speaking of course!!). You have to love these little cupcakes- just crying out to be coloured and stacked and glittered and stuck on anything vaguely resembling a Birthday card!

I have a friend who is possibly even more into these little morsels than I am. She’s not a stamper, but even she wanted to get these stamps.

The image is actually a piled high stack of them on a cake stand – but you can cut them apart and festoon them on what you like.

Granted, this is a pared down example but we were talking about balance and moderation weren’t we!! Now, where is my mixer- I feel a cola-chocolate cupcake urge. Would be unfair to deprive my kids of them, now, wouldn’t it!!!!

 

Just wish we had a Magnolia Bakery around the corner! (Lynette, this blog entry is for you!! )xx

 

 

 

Stamp sets, Crazy for cupcakes (enough said), and Swirl from Season of Joy. Sentiment from Wow Flowers. Cardstock- real red. Cupcakes coloured with Stampin’Up chalks and glittered with glitter glue

 

Woohoo! New Catalogue

It’s here ! -ta daaa! Finally the new catalogue is out! I am putting orders in for all the great new gear from today onwards!! I haven’t got anything to show you-YET- BUT if you want to see 3 crafters put Stampin’Up! supplies through their paces- check out these 3 blogs!

These crafters got a surprise parcel that they each opened last night at midnight and visit their blogs to see what they did with all the scrummy goodies!!

 

 

http://andthenicraft.blogspot.com/

http://jennyscreations.blogspot.com/

http://fruitysuet.blogspot.com/

I think you’ll be inspired and very tempted too! me, I’m about to order their fabulous range of glitter and- well, tomorrow I’m going to post my wish list (with piccies!)- just WAIT and see!!

Until then, happy crafting!!

PS If any of you need a cataloue rather than just checking out online- (www.stampinup.com) -email me! xx