Global Stamping Friends Blog Hop - Animals

Hi crafters,

It's the first Friday of the month and that means a Global Stamping Friends blog hop.  We are a group of international Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who love to share our passion for creativity through our monthly hops.  I'm one of the European demos, based in the UK.  This month's theme is Animals.  If you've come from Marieke's great post, you're on the right track.  There is also a full list of participants at the end of this post.  

I used the Turtle Friends Bundle to create my first card and went with a clean and simple design.  

I created a mini slimline card base from Mossy Meadow cardstock and the finished size measures 3.25" by 6.25".  I took a panel of Basic White cardstock, cut to slightly smaller than my card base, and ran this through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine with one of the Greenery Embossing Folders.  I stamped my turtle in Stazon Jet Black ink as this is a permanent ink suitable for watercolouring.  I stamped the shell detail in Old Olive ink and then used a Water Painter to fill in the legs, neck and head.  I used Soft Suede ink in the same way for the toes.  Do turtles have toes?!  I stamped the sentiment in Stazon ink too and was really please how well it stamped over the embossing.  I didn't think to stamp the sentiment first, of course!  I added a small red resin heart underneath the sentiment but these have actually retired.  You could use a die cut paper heart here instead or another small embellishment.  

My second card features a rainbow but not in the classic way!  

This card features the From All of Us stamp set which is super fun and perfect for this theme.  I used Stampin' Write Markers in Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point and Gorgeous Grape to colour directly onto the animal stamp and then huffed before transferring the image to the Basic White cardstock.  I added the greenery above the main image using Garden Green ink and added the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I added shading at the bottom of the animal image using a Sahara Sand Stampin' Write Marker - something I definitely need to practice!  

I hope you keep hopping along with our animal theme blog hop by heading to June's brilliant post next, simply click the arrow below.  

Blog Hop Roll Call

1. Rachel Macleod ***You are here***

2. June Olsen

3. Tricia Butts

4. Jan Musselman

5. Amanda Farlinger

6. Angélique Stempelkeuken

7. Marieke Bart

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Turtle Birthday Card Product List

Turtle Friends Bundle (English) [155819]	Greenery Embossing Folders [152716]	Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673]	Stamparatus [148187]
Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228]	Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock [133683]	Jet Black Stāzon Ink Pad [101406]	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [147090]
Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [147115]	Water Painters [151298]	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974]

Rainbow Thanks Card Product List

From All Of Us Cling Stamp Set (English) [152641]	Stamparatus [148187]	Basic White A4 Thick Cardstock [159230]	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228]
Brights Stampin' Write Markers [147157]	Regals Stampin' Write Markers [147155]	Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers [147158]	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089]
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974]

Crafty Collaborations Sale-A-Bration Blog Hop

Hi crafters,

I'm back with another great blog hop today from the Crafty Collaborations team.  We are a group of international Stampin' Up! Demonstrators who love to share our passion for creativity through our blog hops.  Our theme for this blog hop is Sale-A-Bration (SAB).  Stampin' Up! is now offering two SABs every year.  You have August and September to earn free products and they are all amazing.  I had a hard time choosing which to showcase.  You can earn free product for every £45 spend for Level 1 and a £90 for Level 2 products.  There is a full list of participants further down in this post.  

I created a card using the Counting Sheep stamp set and co-ordinating Sheep Dies.  This is a really simple card but I've added a wobble feature to make it super fun.  

I used Thick Basic White A4 cardstock for the card base.  I cut a panel of Basic White cardstock and started ink blending the bottom with Garden Green ink using a Blending Brush.  I cut a cloud template from the Basic Borders Dies and used this with Balmy Blue ink to form the clouds.  I stamped the sheep image from the Counting Sheep stamp set in Grey Granite ink and then cut this out with the co-ordinating Sheep Dies.  I used a small scrap of Window Sheet to make the sheep wobble.  I simply scored a thin strip of the Window Sheet every 1/2 inch and then concertina folded it.  The fence was made from four die cuts of Soft Suede cardstock and attached with Multipurpose Glue.  Finally, I stamped the sentiment in Grey Granite ink using my Stamparatus for placement.  

I hope you can see the wobble feature from this photo.  

Now it's time to head to your next inspiration point and keep hopping. 

Don't forget to add your SAB items to your shopping basket today.  Let us know your favourites too. 

Happy crafting, Rachel x

Product List

Counting Sheep Cling Stamp Set (English) [156591]	Sheep Dies [156600]	Basic Borders Dies [155558]	Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [150673]	Stamparatus [148187]
Simply Scored [122334]	Basic White A4 Thick Cardstock [159230]	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228]	Soft Suede A4 Card Stock [119982]	Window Sheets [142314]
Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad [147118]	Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad [147089]	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [147105]	Blending Brushes [153611]	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974]

Friendly Flamingo from Stampin' Up!

Hi crafters,

I've always been fascinated by flamingos and the new Friendly Flamingo bundle in the Stampin' Up January-June Mini Catalogue had my heart at first glance!  The Friendly Flamingo stamp set features 12 photopolymer stamps and there are 10 co-ordinating dies in the Flamingo Dies.  

You can use the dies to build a flamingo just from cardstock or you can stamp the image and then die cut.  I have a card featuring each of these techniques.  

For this first card, I ink blended the background using the Blender Brushes and inks in Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry.  I stamped the water ripples from the Friendly Flamingo stamp set in Pumpkin Pie for a tone on tone look.  I created the flamingo entirely from Basic Black cardstock to create a silhouette.  I used the co-ordinating Stampin' Write Markers to colour the small floral image for the sentiment accent and then die cut with the Flamingo Dies.  I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink onto Basic Black cardstock and then poured on white embossing powder on top.  After tapping off the excess I heat set the powder with my heat tool.  I cut the sentiment into banner shape using a die from the Tasteful Labels Dies and adhered to my card using Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  

The second card is fairly simple.  I used the main flamingo image from the Friendly Flamingo stamp set in Flirty Flamingo ink.  I coloured the beak black using the Basic Black Stampin Write Marker by following the shape of the stamped image.  I die cut using the co-ordinating Flamingo Dies.  To create the background I used a piece of Basic White cardstock and ran this through one of the Greenery Embossing Folders.  I placed this onto a card base made with Basic White Thick cardstock.  I attached two small strips of cardstock on each side to ground the panel and add a pop of colour.  Finally I stamped the sentiment in Flirty Flamingo ink and adhered the flamingo with Stampin' Dimensionals.  You could also add some bling but for once I've left it off.  

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Product List for Card 1 (Just For You)

Friendly Flamingo Bundle [156212]	Tasteful Labels Dies [152886]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Basic White A4 Thick Cardstock [159230]	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228]
Basic Black A4 Card Stock [121688]	Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad [147086]	Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad [147051]	Rich Razzleberry Classic Stampin' Pad [147091]	Blending Brushes [153611]
Brights Stampin' Write Markers [147157]	Regals Stampin' Write Markers [147155]	Versamark Pad [102283]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]	Heat Tool - Uk Plug [129054]
Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

Product List for Card 2 (Just Be You)

Friendly Flamingo Bundle [156212]	Greenery Embossing Folders [152716]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]	Basic White A4 Thick Cardstock [159230]	Basic White A4 Cardstock [159228]
Flirty Flamingo A4 Cardstock [141421]	Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad [147052]	Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker [100082]	Multipurpose Liquid Glue [154974]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]