Author: Karen Taylor

High Tide card with sponging from Stampin’ Up!

Stampin' Up! High Tide card with sponging

Today’s card uses the High Tide stamp set which is yet another one that I couldn’t decide whether to buy or not. After seeing lots of lovely cards made by fellow demonstrators though I took the plunge.

The lighthouse is two step stamping to give the shadow and dimension but it’s not hard to do.

Stampin' Up! High Tide card

I used a Post It note to mask off first the sky, then the sea to sponge them on. I used the Tree Builder punch to make the mask for the clouds, and after sponging the sea I used the stamp in the set to add the darker waves.

I added the birds right at the end.

Stampin' Up! High Tide card

All in all not the kind of card I’d usually make but I like it, and will be making more!

A little reminder. If you have vouchers from purchases in July you only have a few days left to use them on your August orders.

Not long to go til the Seasonal catalogue goes live! Lots of exciting stuff to come.

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Colourful Seasons birthday card from Stampin’ Up!

Stampin' Up! colourful Seasons

 

I made this card for my father-in-law for his birthday. He likes the sea so I thought he might like this card too! I’ve tried to make it a tranquil card, and I think I succeeded.

I die cut a circle out of some scrap paper and sponged the sand, sea and sky in the middle, it’s an effective technique to use.

Then I added the die cuts from the Colourful Season bundle. This is such a diverse set with extra dies that don’t match any stamps, the Adirondack chair being one of them. Aren’t the cherry blossoms cute too.

Stampin' Up! colourful Seasons

I stamped on the birds afterwards. The sentiment and the wading birds come from the now sadly retired Wetlands stamp set, but there are currents sets with birds that you could use instead. One of them is the High Tide stamp set – the flying birds are from that set but there are wading birds in it too.

The Colourful Seasons bundle has lots of stamps and dies for all seasons so I’ll definitely be using it again, I feel like I’ve barely begun to use it to its full potential.

Stampin' Up! colourful Seasons

Stampin’ Up! have a video which shows more of this great bundle:

 

Back soon!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Magical Mermaid from Stampin’ Up!

Stampin' Up! Magical Mermaid card

Another whimsical card today, and another stamp set that I resisted for a while before deciding to buy it.

There are no dies with the stamp set so you’ll need to fussy cut the mermaid yourself if you want to give her some dimension, but she’s not difficult to cut around.

I used watercolour paper and first added a wash of Pool Party and Sahara Sand, then stamped the shells and weed over the top of them.

Stampin' Up! Magical Mermaid card

I used a variety of colours on the mermaid’s tail, then cut her out and added her with some dimensionals.

I wanted to add the sentiment right in the middle so I did that first, then added the mermaid afterwards.

I’m pleased with this card, it’s understated but effective I think.

Stampin' Up! Magical Mermaid card

Changing the subject slightly! I have Holiday season catalogues in the house – yay!

I’ll be doing some sneak peeks of what’s inside in the next couple of weeks so watch this space.

 

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Watercolour Fairy Celebration card from Stampin’ Up!

Stampin' Up! Fairy celebration watercolour card

 

This card is made with one of the stamps from Fairy Celebration. When I first saw this stamp set in the annual catalogue last year I liked it, but didn’t know whether I liked it enough to buy it.

Well, after it carried over to this year’s catalogue I caved in, and I’m glad I did. One piece of advice for you: if you want to watercolour the images as I did, then you do need watercolour paper. Textured paper or thick cardstock won’t do.

Stampin' Up! Fairy celebration watercolour card

I used an Aquapainter, but if you had a paint brush that would do fine.  I tried not to use too many colours – Rose Red, Peekaboo Peach, Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Soft Sky and Powder Pink.

I used Stampin’ Up! Basic Black archival ink so that the colour wouldn’t run. The backgound mat paper is from Naturally Eclectic because I thought it went well with the image.

Stampin' Up! Fairy celebration watercolour card

Now to try out the other images in the set. I’m thinking one of them would make a good shaker card – watch this space!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Carols of Christmas from Stampin’ Up!

It’s August so it must be Christmas, yippee! Stampin’ Up! have released a bundle – stamp set and dies -from their new Seasonal Catalogue early. You can buy it throughout August, before the Seasonal Catalogue goes live on September 1st.

Here it is:

 I’ve had a little play, and there are lots of different combinations. This card uses the tree dies and one of the large seentiments.

 

 

Here are some more samples:

Click on the images in the table below if you’d like to buy – the bundle is available at a 10% discount – (€54/£40.50 for clearmount), or you can buy the stamp set and die set separately.

Here’s the video that Stampin’ Up! have made showcasing the bundle;

Now then, if you like this, and would like to get your hands on more seasonal stuff before September 1st there is a way. If you become a demonstrator in the month of August you’ll be able to order from the new catalogue – contact me for more details if you live the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany or Austria.

More soon!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Happiest of Days card from Stampin’ Up!

When I saw this stamp set in the new annual catalogue I thought it was so whimsical and I loved that, so of course it got added to my list of ‘must haves’.

As well as the cake I’ve used on these cards there’s also some presents that I’m keen to use, and a sprig of leaves which is lovely too. It’s the kind of stamp set that you could easily miss in the catalogue, but is actually very useful once you have it.

I made another card the same but different:

I used the Layered Leaves dynamic textured embossing folder on the pink card – I’ve been using it a lot. It has different layers to it which make it look great.

I also used one of the roses from the set on the pink card and fussy cut it to add it to the cake.

This is what Stampin’ Up! did with the same stamp set :

More to come next week!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

More Than Chocolate card using Stampin’ Up! supplies

More Than Chocolate card using Stampiin' Up! supplies

So, in my last post I said I’d be using a stamp set I loved as soon as I saw it in the catalogue, and here it is. More Than Chocolate – love it! I knew I had to have it.

Here I’ve used the heart shape that comes in the set, and die cut it using the Sweet and Sassy Framelits, then filled it with chocolates! How yummy.

There are wrappers, chocolates, and accents for each chocolate which gives lots of options. I used my markers to fill in some of the icing which really made a difference.

More Than Chocolate card using Stampiin' Up! supplies

Behind the chocolates I’ve put another die cut heart to act as a lid and used the lovely new Layered Leaves dynamic textuted embossing folder to add some interest.

Stampin’ Up! also added a half eaten chocolate which I added to the card – what a great idea (Stampin’ Up!, not me).

The background is from the Wood Textured paperstack, and the sentiment from the new Happy Birthday Gorgeous set.

More Than Chocolate card using Stampiin' Up! supplies

More to come soon.

Don’t forget that you only have until the end of July to get your bonus coupons to use in August – a €6/£4.50 voucher for every €60/£45 you spend. Only a few days left!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Oh So Eclectic cards from Stampin’ Up!

 

 

Stampin' Up! Oh So Eclectic cards

 

When I first saw the Oh So Eclectic set and bundle in the new cataglogue, I thought it was OK, but there were other things I liked more. Then I began to see other demos’ examples and thought I might have to have it after all.

I’m so glad I bought the bundle – 10% discount if you buy the stamp set and thinlits together – I love it! Not just the stamp set, but the thinlits too. There are three thinlits in the dies that emboss rather than cutting which is new for Stampin’ Up! I haven’t used those thinlits yet, but I will do in the near future.

 

For these cards I used the flowers and leaves, and the geometric die behind which I put some of the fabulous Wood Textures paper stack. I like that the flowers are not precise, they don’t fit and layer precisely which is great.

I’ve used Peekaboo Peach, Dapper Denim, Old Olive and Berry Burst inks which really make the cards pop.

Stampin’ Up! have a video showing how to make good use of the bundle:

By contrast the next post from me has a stamp set that I loved as soon as I saw it – the whimsical nature of it appealed to me.

Here’s what I used to create these cards:

 

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.

Wood Words cards in the new In Colors from Stamp’in Up!

Wood Words cards, Stampin' Up!

 

Recently I made some cards using the Wood Words stamp set to send out to demonstrators around the world.

I wanted to use the new In Colors, and Crumb Cake snuck in there too! There’s a lovely flower stamp in the Wood Words set that I’ve used here. I heat embossed the cards in white and added the sentiment (which comes from the Lift Me Up stamp set).

Stampin' Up! Poweder Pink Wood Words card

I’m really pleased with the way they turned out – although I liked the matching framelits with the crate when I saw them in the catalogue, I hadn’t really considered using the stamp set on its own. The hears is also from the same set, and I added some linen thread to finish it off.

Wood Words cards in Crumb cake

This stamp set is avaialable as a bundle with the framelits for a 10% discount.

Don’t forget that you have until the end of the month to get your vouchers to spend in August. For every €60/£45 you spend before the end of July you get a voucher for €6/£4.50 to spend in August – splendid!

If you live in France, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria or Germany and don’t already have a demo, I’d love it if you shopped with me!

 
Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl – Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.