Stampin' Up! owl punch

This card shows off just how well the Stampin' Up! colour families match across different product ranges.  I used Designer Series Paper, cardstock & ink from the 2013-2015 In Color range. Using colour products from a single Stampin' Up! colour family makes putting together a card or project so simple.

The cheeky fella was made using my beloved owl punch (118074) which I will NEVER part with. It is my third baby. Fourth, if you count the cat (I do, she doesn't). 

I  also used the Hardwood background stamp (for the branch)(133035), Label Love (130622) & Gorgeous Grunge (130517) stamp sets, and the Little Leaves  Sizzlits die (114511). (Please note, all links are to cling and not wood mounted rubber stamps.)

Order any of these items from my Stampin' Up! online shop. Click on the link to get started. Don't forget that until 31 March spend £45 & choose a free item from the Sale-a-bration catalogue. 

Stampin' Up! Perfect Couple stamp set

Although it contains several bride & groom type sentiments, consider using the Perfect Couple stamp set (133197) for general wedding stationery too.

Here I've stamped & heat embossed the champagne glasses for a wedding invitation response. 

The diamond ring & "I do" stamps from this set would look equally stylish for wedding invitations & even engagement parties. Heat embossing is quick & gives a crisp, professional finish. Excellent if you have a lengthy guest list & need to mass produce.

The envelope is made using the Simply Scored board (122334) with the diagonal insert plate (125586).

Buy from my Stampin' Up! online store. Click on the links to get started. 

Black & white

My natural design style tends to be a bit chaotic, layered & grungy. If it's got an edge, ink it! If it looks symmetrical, prod it around a bit til it looks wonky! Friends with an eye for crisp lines, symmetry & order itch when faced with my random, mismatched approach.

So, I thought I would have a go at paring it right back & producing something clean, crisp & simple. One colour. No layering (well, hardly any). No inked edges (this one was tough, but the images are so strong, inky distressed edges would have looked weird). 

I was aiming for an ink blot test type look with this. What do you see? I see a butterfly & a delightful dancing rabbit. If you see severed limbs you should probably seek professional help. And kindly cease following this blog.

My second card is a simple wedding card using the Perfect Couple stamp set. 

I used the image from one stamp & the sentiment from another for this. Totally different from what I would normally make, but I do like it & think it would be great for a younger wedding card.

What I used 

Card 1

Gorgeous Grunge stamp set

Embosslits Beautiful Wings emboss & cut die

Black Stazon ink

Whisper White card stock 

Card 2

Perfect Couple stamp set 

Whisper White cardstock 

Black Stazon ink

Cherry Cobbler Stampin Write marker

Buy any of the above from my Stampin' Up! shop. Click on the links to get started. 

Fancy some free Stampin' Up! stuff?

Well of course you do!

Until 31 March 2014, spend £45 in a single purchase from the main or Spring catalogues, and choose a free item from the Sale-a-Bration catalogue (see pages 11-17);  maybe a stamp set, a punch or some patterned paper.

And if you're having trouble deciding what to buy for your £45, Stampin' Up! have put together some great project bundles that will enable you to create a project and qualify for your free Sale-a-Bration product.

Order via my Stampin' Up! shop or email me if you'd like me to place your order for you.

Stampin' Up! Make a Cake stamp set

A quick card made using the Make a Cake stamp set layered up for a bit of depth. I stamped a couple of images from the Label Love stamp set & cut them in half  & placed them peeping out behind the image to frame it. I'm very mean with my stamps & like to squeeze every last ounce of use of them, lol.

Label Love stamp set 130622

Coordinating Artisan Label punch 130920

Make a Cake stamp set 126742

2013-2015 In Colour cardstock & ink bundle 131293 (inks & cardstock available to buy individually) 

2013-2015 In Colour Designer Series Paper 130136

Buy from my Stampin' Up! shop - click on the link to get shopping. 

Sunday best

Another card using the same products as yesterday. The blue, brown & green patterned papers are from the In Colour Designer Series Paper stack. A little goes a long way, 

Here's what I used... 

Hardwood stamp 133035 

Label Love stamp set 130622

Coordinating Artisan Label punch 130920

Gorgeous Grunge stamp set 130517

Little Leaves Sizzlets die 114511

Sizzix Spiral Flower die 129379

2013-2015 In Colour cardstock & ink bundle 131293 (inks & cardstock available to buy individually) 

2013-2015 In Colour Designer Series Paper 130136

Linen thread 104199

Buy from my Stampin' Up! shop - click on the link to get shopping. 

Look what I got...

... when I joined Stampin' Up!

And this was just from the lovely Michelle Last, who recruited* me. 

Michelle put together a great (& beautifully presented - all Stampin' Up! products) information pack to help me blunder through the admin side of SU. We also had a long telephone chat. I'm so pleased I signed up with her. 

(I wish I'd closed them cupboard doors properly, though. That's going to annoy me now.)

*'Recruited' sounds all MI5-ish & impossibly glamorous! Sadly, there was no sitting around on park benches barking "The spotted cuckoo flies backwards in Spring" at strangers. I did some web research & saw that Michelle has a wealth of experience & success in demo-ing Stampin' Up! I knew she would support me well as a start up. She also offered free chocolate in her welcome pack. So, y'know...

Just for you...

I've made no secret of the fact that what I like most about Stampin' Up! is the way they colour match across all product ranges (cardstock, patterned paper, ink, embellishments), & this card shows that. The cardstock & ink are the 2013-2015 In Colours & the colour match is spot on! 

Look at the way the brown ink (Baked Brown Sugar) used on the Hardwood background stamp simply blends into the backing card. I could spend hours hunting through my existing (non- Stampin' Up!) stash & not come anywhere near a decent match. As it was, this took minutes.

Here's what I used... 

Hardwood stamp 133035 

Label Love stamp set 130622

Coordinating Artisan Label punch 130920

Gorgeous Grunge stamp set 130517

Little Leaves Sizzlets die 114511

Sizzix Spiral Flower die 129379

2013-2015 In Colour cardstock & ink bundle 131293 (inks & cardstock available to buy individually) 

Buy from my Stampin' Up! shop - click on the links to get shopping.