Moroccan Owl birthday card

The new Moroccan Nights stamp set is perfect for jazzing up the Owl Builder Punch. 

The pattern on the large stamp can be sectioned out and used to punch out the feathered breast of the owl, while its centre makes a good background for googly owl eyes. I punched them out with a 3/4" circle punch, then layered the punch out pieces from the owl punch over the top.

Quite the hootie cutie!

Here's what I used:

Moroccan Nights stamp set 141718
Owl Builder punch 118074
Layering circles framelits dies 141705
Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set 140273
Timeless Textures stamp set 140517
Kinda Eclectic stamp set 135350

Christmas in July

I'm making my Christmas cards at the moment. I like doing them now rather than later in the year because I have the luxury of time that I know I won't have later in the year. I can take time to experiment & play & make each card individual. If I only make one card in a session that's fine - come October time I'd be having to mass produce one design to get them all done, & I don't really enjoy doing that.

For this card I've used the Peace This Christmas stamp set (141570) from the new annual catalogue. I like the font & the foliage so it's great for cards where you want to make the text the focal point.

I've teamed it with the This Christmas paper pack (141628) which reproduces some of the images found in the stamp set. The colors are Garden Green, Basic Black, Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler. I've also used the Layering Circle Framelits (141705) to cut out and back the sentiment.

One thing I noticed was that the flower punch from the retired Itty Bitty Accents Punch pack cuts out the poinsettia from one of the stamped images - great for layering up & creating dimension, so dig it out & use it with this stamp set if you have it.
 

I used the Bow Builder Punch (137414) for the bow. It adds a nice touch but bulks up the depth of the card, so I'll be hand delivering this rather than mailing it.

Pineapple Rocket

OK, so I was messing around with the new Pineapple stamp (#141746) and preparing to use it on an art journal page. I really love how it looks repeat stamped, so I'm a bit loath to tinker with it, but tinker I shall. Not sure how yet - I'll probably ink & paint over it so it only shows faintly through. Then stare blankly at the result for some time. That seems to be the pattern.

When I first saw this in the catalogue, I didn't so much see a pineapple as a rocket on its side. Can you see it? I promise, once you do see it it becomes the sort of thing you can't "unsee", a bit like this wall illusion.

I had a quick play this afternoon and this was my first effort at making it overtly rockety. I had to overstamp several times to get the colour gradations, so a stamp positioning tool was essential. I used the MISTI stamp positioner which made precision repeat stamping very easy, but you could try this with the stamp-a-ma-jig tool if you have it. The flame is Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango and Real Red. The body is Pacific Point, and I then sponged Night of Navy round the edges of the stamp & stamped, and then used a Basic Black marker to colour the edge again (blurring it with a sponge) & then stamped a final time 

Here's a quick card I knocked up with it. It gives you an idea of how best to position it. Given more time I'd probably put more "space" elements in the background (stars, planets etc).

I used the text and crosses from Sunburst Sayings (#140725) & a star punched out of silver glimmer paper.

I'm really pleased with it. I love making my stash work hard for me & this looks like its a great versatile investment.

These stamp sets are available to buy from my Stampin' Up! shop. Click on the link on the right to go shopping and search on the item numbers shown above.

Project Life - moments like this

Journal card from the Moments Like This card collection, dressed up with stickers from the matching accessory pack, a little stamping (Kinda Eclectic, Pun Intended) punched hearts & some machine stitching.

Sunburst card

A bright & cheerful card using a mix of old & new. The sentiment is from the That Thing You Did stamp set. I used the sunburst die to cut the yellow sunburst & popped it in front of some retired Retro Fresh DSP. And the bunting is from the Balloon framelits die set.

Other things I used

silver glimmer paper

linen thread

brights cardstock

basic gray ink

real red ink

decorative dots embossing folder   

labels thinlits dies 

In praise of chalk paint

I've come over all yummy mummy recently & started daubing chalk paint on things. Chalk paint is addictive to work with because on most surfaces it requires no priming, it dries quickly, it can be sealed with a thin coat of wax & if you don't like the end result you can just paint over it & start again.

I painted over this hideous marmalade fire surround in my living room last year 

 & got this rather nice, grown up result. 

I still have loads of paint left over & have been eyeing up other tat that I can "transform".

This is my latest project.

It's an IKEA mirror that I decorated in a class at a scrapbooking retreat. You may be shocked to learn, reader, that I've never been entirely convinced by it, which is why it has lived on a dark wall under the stairs for nine years. I finally decided it was chalk or chuck (or quite possibly both) & dug my paint out.

I use Autentico chalk paint because that's what my nearest stockist sells, but there are other brands available & even B&Q stocks a range. You can usually buy sample pots if you only want to paint something tidgy.


I covered the mirrored section to protect it, then painted a medium coat of paint making sure the brush strokes went all in one direction. Honestly, it took less than 5 minutes to cover it, then about 15 minutes to dry. I applied a second coat, let it dry then brushed on some wax & buffed it off. The whole thing took less than an hour.

Most impressively of all, I done a proper DIY & hung it on the wall myself! Not just a nail-straight-in-the-wall job, neither. I put a proper picture hook on the wall & hung it off that. #skillz.
 

That right hand picture looks out of alignment now. That's going to bug me.
 

Bloomin' Love - not just for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope your other halves have been sweet to you, if you go in for that kind of thing. Mr B has gifted me a single red rose, thoughtfully accented with a diamante rhinestone. And some booze. Dead, dead classy, we are :)

If you've bought the Bloomin' Love stamp set, don't consign it to the shelf now that Valentine's Day has passed. It contains lots of lovely delicate floral images perfect for other occassions. You only need to add a suitable sentiment.

For this quick and easy birthday card I've repeat stamped the small flower spray and the longer leafy bough stamps in Blushing Bride and Sahara Sand. I've stamped them into a loose right angle shape. I've also stamped and die cut three small flowers and stamped the banner & backed it with Blushing Bride glimmer card. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Sentiments stamp set.

Then I've glued the three die cut flowers over the stamped background, tied some linen thread and popped the banner up on 3d foam. The card is backed with some coordinating paper from the Love Blossoms DSP stack and layered onto a card blank.

Complete the card by carrying on the theme on the inside of the card too. 

Here's what I used. If you fancy buying the stamps, you can also buy the coordinating dies as a bundle and save 15% - click on the bundle link at the end of the slide show. And remember that until the end of March you can receive free products from the Sale-a-bration catalogue with every £45 spend.

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