Delicate Doilies

Hi Everyone, I'm doing a workshop on Wednesday for my good friend Heather so yesterday I was preparing what I'm going to demo. I've had the Delicate Doilies stamp set since September when I got the chance to pre-order in preparation for the new catalogue launch. Although I've had it all this time, and the Flirtatious papers that match the stamps, I've not had a play until now. So this is what I created:

These are just a few quick mini cards that can be used for any occasion. I used Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party and Whisper White cardstock plus the matching inks. I also used the fabulous new Doily Triple Layer Punch and the 1 3/4" circle punch.

 And once I got started, I couldn't stop. I created lots of the same design card in different colourways to show the potential of this stamp set. Here you go:

The combinations I used are: Wisteria Wonder/Pool Party; Certainly Celery/Wild Wasabi; Crumb Cake/ Soft Suede; Melon Mambo/Daffodil Delight; Calypso Coral/Peach Parfait; Not Quite Navy/Cherry Cobbler.

Then I thought, wouldn't this be a great way to show people the potential of stamp sets when I do workshops? Often there isn't space to put up display boards, so this is a great way to circulate samples. I've tied it all together by cutting a Top Note on the Big Shot in Pool Party and used the gorgeous new in-colour Ruffled Ribbon to make my bow.

I'm now planning to do this for all the stamp sets I have, showing their potential. I'll show you the others as I do them.

Now then, back to Wednesday's workshop. I'm also making Heather a box in a bag to keep the cards in. I'll show you the finished article after the workshop - that is if I remember to take a photo as Heather will be getting the set as a hostess thank you gift, for hosting the party. If you would like to receive something similar and have the chance to earn free goodies out of the catalogue, contact me to host your own worshop/party.

If you would like to have the chance to make your own projects, using Delicate Doilies then join us at the next cardmaking class on November 9th.

See you soon. x

All day Christmas Class 12th Nov - more pictures

Hi all, at long last here are some more pictures of the all day Christmas class. I have finalised the details and we will be making these:

Not forgetting the Santa and Rudolph gift boxes, I showed you before. So, to sum up we will be making:

A banner

2 banner cards

2 Dasher cards

A Dasher gift card holder

Santa and Rudolph gift boxes

Here's a collage of all of it. The colours look a bit dark in the photo but are lovely in real life:

Remember you get plenty of stash to make all the projects plus plenty to take home. These projects have been inspired by the work of 2 very talented demonstrators - Monica Gale and Jenny Moors - check out their blogs for more inspiration.

If you fancy having a go at making these projects,then contact me ASAP. I've extended the booking deadline to November 2nd so let me know if you are interested. Hope to see you on the 12th. x





All Day Christmas Class 12th November

Hi everyone, I know I've been taking about the All Day Christmas class for ages but I thought it was time to show you a few of the things we'll be making. These are gift boxes which double-up as Christmas tree decorations. They are great fun to make, so come and have a go.

Here's Santa:



Rudolph:

You get to play with the Big Shot, the dies and the embossing folders so what are you waiting for? Ofcourse, these aren't the only things we'll be making. We'll also make a variety of cards and some other fun projects. I'll show you some more sneak peaks later.

Remember the cost is only £30 for all the materials needed (except glues). You do need to book and pay before the 31st October, so don't hesitate. You can contact me on 07970 708348 or mapleleafstampin@yahoo.co.uk.  I hope to hear from you soon. x

Ladybay Craft Fair

Good morning all. I had a stall at the Ladybay Craft Fair on Saturday. We had a good time although it was pretty quiet. Here's a picture of the stall with all the stuff I'd made. The smaller table had some of the projects we've made in card making classes.

Because it was quiet I had time to make some more pencil boxes, which is what I'm doing in the picture.

We had a price draw and the lucky winner of the Pot Pourri stamp set was:

Jenny W

Jenny, I'll email you so I can send you your prize.

Quite a lot of people were interested in the All Day Christmas class which is taking place on Saturday 12th November. If you want tocome along, then please book your place ASAP because I will need to order the products. The class cost is only £30 and we will be making lots of projects. I did have some samples but someone wanted to buy them and I couldn't say no. Keep an eye on my blog and the full range of samples will soon appear. I hope you can make it. x

           

Last of the Pennant Parade cards

Good evening everyone. I thought I would show you the last of the Pennant Parade cards which we made in card class. So much has happened since then, I'd almost forgotten about these. This is my favourite of the set. I made it as a congratulations card but it's also lovely as a baby card.




We used So Saffron and Whisper White card and So Saffron and Certain Celery ink. The Pennant punch was used to punch the shapes and one of the Itty Bitty Punches for the small flowers.

A rhinestone sparkly in the middle of each flower and a sentiment from the Curly Cute stamp set completed the card.

And finally, the Icecream Cone card:

For this card we used Pretty in Pink cut with the Scallop Circle die using the Big Shot. We then embossed it with the Polka Dot embossing folder. The icecream cone was stamped using the Pennant Parade stampset and Daffodil Delight ink and punched out using the Pennant Punch. The icecream scoops were cut using the scallop circle punch and scraps of designer paper.

The little 'star' stamped for the background is part of the Pennant Parade stamp set. Once again the sentiment is from Curly Cute. I love this set and use it all the time, as you can tell.

I hope these cards have shown you how versatile this set is. Let me know if you want to order anything. x

Diaries and Notebooks class 26th October

Hi everyone, Just a quick post today showing you what we'll making in the Diaries and Notebooks class on the 26th October. I have used the Beau Chateau papers which are gorgeous. They use Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette, Soft Suede and very Vanilla as their colours, so I decided to decorate my diary in Marina Mist and my notebook in Pink Pirouette.

The photos aren't great because it's always dark now, when I take the photos - either early morning or in the evening, so it's all artificial light now. I'll have to start photoshopping them, I think.

Here's a closer look at the diary. I realised I haven't stuck '2012' on yet, so it looks a bit bare in the corner and I think I may decorate the band with a rosette to give it a bit more 'body' but you can decorate yours however you wish. This is an A5, week to-a-view diary which is included in the class price.

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A closer look at the designer papers. I used the Eyelet border punch on mine. 

 

And here's a close up of the butterflies, stamped with Marina Ink mist and decorated with a Rhinestone. The stampset that I have used for all the stamping is called Creative Elements. It's lovely and very versatile. It includes the background stamp, border, butterfly and more.

Now for the notebook - again it's A5 size.

 

Some close ups of the detail. The letter is from the Broadsheet Alphabet and the frame is from the Four Frames stamp set and punched with the Decorative label punch. The flower is part of the Creative Elements set

And, a closer look at the designer papers. These are from the same Beau Chateau set but these are the pink ones. You will get some of each in the class, so you can use them how you like.

I usually much prefer blues to pink which is why I did my diary in blue, but I must admit I do really like the pink notebook. I've kept everything on the diary and notebook very flat, and have made sure all the edges are stuck down really well. This is because I use my diary for work and it's in and out of my bag all day long. If you tend to leave your diary on your desk or at home, you could really build up some of the images. It's all up to you.

If you would like to order any of these products, and/or join us for the class, please contact me ASAP. There are only 2 spaces left. Further details are on the 'classes' tab, at the top of the blog. Hope to see you soon. x

Merry Christmas, Pennant Card

Well, it was card class yesterday and we had a lot of fun. There is so much talking, hardly anyone ever finishes all the projects, despite us always running over. This is the Christmas card we made:

We used Real Red and Very Vanilla cardstock and a strip of the absolutely gorgeous Holly Berry Bouquet designer papers with the matching Real Red satin ribbon. We punched 2 'fluffy' triangles (as people were calling it yesterday), from designer stack dotty paper, using the Petite Pennant Builder punch. The dotty paper on this card was Garden Green. We then glittered all the dots using a glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds. The top triangle was folded in half and stuck to the other using Multi Purpose Liquid Glue. As this glue is latex (rubber) based it stays very flexible, allowing some movement in the layer without coming off.

We cut a circle of Very Vanilla and embossed it using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and the Big Shot. I then used some Crumb Cake ink round the edges. It was all stuck together and the 'Merry Christmas' sentiment was added in Soft Suede ink. This gives a softer look than using black ink. The sentiment is from the Contempto Christmas stamp set.

I have tried to show you the lovely glitter effect on the Holly Berry Bouquet paper, in this photo but it is difficult to tell. Hopefully you can get some idea. These papers are really fabulous and suitable for other occasions too, not just Christmas. If you would like a 6x6 piece of every speciality designer paper in the catalogue, then keep an eye on my blog as I will be announcing a paper share at the launch party on Saturday 15th Oct, and will then put it on the blog. If you would like to come to the launch party, it is not too late to book your place, so please contact me ASAP. 

I'm having a whole day off work tomorrow to craft and get ready for various events so I should have lots to show you soon. So, keep checking back for more information and more pictures of projects.x                                                                                                                                   

Sail Away, Pennant Card

Hi everyone, many apologies for not blogging for a while. Everything seems to be crazy busy at the moment. As you know, I've been promising you sneak previews of the Pennant Parade Card Class for ages. Well, unfortunately, because Stampin' Up! is so busy at this time of year, due to the new catalogue launch, the order took longer to arrive then I had anticipated. This means that the card class is tonight and I was still making samples late last night as my order did not arrive until 8pm on monday. (lesson learnt for next year)

So, instead of giving you sneak previews, over the next week I'm going to show you the cards we will be making tonight. I'll show you each card in detail and if you fancy making them, contact me to order your supplies. These cards will be on display at my launch party which I'm holding this Saturday 15th, 10.30-12.30, so if you fancy coming along and having a go yourself, contact me on 07970 708348.

Here is the first card made with the Pennant Parade stamp set and matching Petite Pennants Builder punch . It's hard to tell, as the stamping quality is so good when you use Stampin' Up! papers, but the sails were stamped using the stamp set and then punched out, using the Petite Pennants Builder punch.

To make this card, cut some clouds out of Pool Party (new in-colour for 2011-2013) and stick them onto Whisper White. Run this through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing folder and fix to a Chocolate Chip card base. Then use the 1 3/8"  circle punch to create the waves in Pool Party. I have inked the edges with Pool Party ink.

Use the extra large oval punch and Chocolate Chip card stock to make the boat. I embossed some lines it on it to make it look like 'planks'. Cut the top bit off to create a boat shape and use a little bit of Chocolate Chip for the mast. Stamp your sails onto Whisper White, I used Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade ink - both are new In-Colours and then punch them out.

This photo shows you the waves a bit clearer. I finished my card off with a bit of ribbon as a flag, with a flower in Island Indigo (another new colour), punched using one the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack punches. I added a Rhinestone to the flower and stamped a birthday greeting from the Sincere Salutations stamp set.

I hope you liked this card. Back with a Christmas card using the Pennant Parade stamp set and punch later. 

Fair goodies

Hi all, as promised, here are some of the things I made for the Octoberfest event I went to on Saturday. Not all of the products used are Stampin' Up! but most of them are.


Here are some Gift Card holders made using the Flight of the Butterfly stampset:

Some Candy Corn Halloween sweety bags, using the Top Note Die to make the topper:

A collection of some of the items I made:

Here is one of the Post-it Note Holders, using the Daisy Big Shot die. These were very popular and soon sold out. Luckily I still had this one at home so I could take a picture:

And a close up of the pencil boxes with erasers. This isn't a great picture as the light is reflecting off the plastic bag (that's what happens when you leave your husband to take the photos) I would have taken them out of the bag. People really liked these for children's party bags and I'm busy making 35 of these for someone.

Lastly, some gift boxes using the Mini Milk Carton Big Shot die. I filled some of them with bubble gum and stamped one of the images from the Every Little Bit stamp set, on the tag.

If you fancy having a go at making some of these things yoursefl, then why not join us in the cardmaking classes, held every second Wednesday - for details see the classes tab at the top of the blog.

If you're not sure you it's for you, then come along to the new catalogue launch party on Saturday 15th October. You get to keep a copy of the new catalogue, make 2 projects and have a play. All this for only £5. Contact me if you would like to book your place, so I can make sure I have enough kits made up. Hope to see you soon. x

New Catalogue time

It's here!!! The new catalogue is out and it's fantastic. Loads of gorgeous new products, fantastic new colours and fabric!

Click here to view or download the catalogue. Even the cover is beautiful.

Do you fancy getting a copy of the catalogue for FREE? There are 3 ways to do this:

If you would like to get your hands on a FREE paper copy of the catalogue and have some fun, then come along to my catalogue launch party on 15th October 10.30-12.30. It's £5 and you will receive a FREE catalogue, make 2 projects using new products and have the chance to win some prices. Please email me if you are interested, so I can be sure to have enough kits made up for everyone.

Another way to get your hands on a FREE catalogue is to join the hostess 10 club. There are only 5 places left, so contact me quickly. There is more information if you click on the Hostess 10 tab, at the top of my blog.

The third way to get a FREE catalogue is to place an order for at least £45. Given all the gorgeous new products, that is really easy to do.

Whichever way you choose, just email me and we'll sort it out from there. I'm sure you'll finds lots of goodies that you just have to have. xx

I have been really snowed under this week, and did my first fair yesterday (will tell you more tomorrow) so I've not had time to make anything to show you, but I'll post some photos of the items I made for the fair tomorrow. Enjoy browsing through the catalogue. xxx