Colorful Seasons - Just Breathe

Hi Crafters,

Sometimes we need to take time out to remind ourselves that we are human beings not human doings.  This is a popular phrase that my boyfriend uses to describe me when I have been burning the candle at both ends!  Although, he is right and today's card is a reminder to just breathe.

My card blank was made using Whisper White cardstock.  I toyed around with different colours of card blank but the white really made the stamping pop.  I stamped in Craft White ink for the branches and then added a line underneath using a watercolor pencil in Chocolate Chip.  I stamped the flowers first in White and then used third generation Berry Burst to added the offset colour.  My butterfly came from the Move Me thinlits which are a must have if you like butterflies.

Do you have any great techniques for taking time out for yourself?  I'd love to hear them.

Happy crafting, 
Rachel x


Product List

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set [143726]	Move Me Thinlits Dies [143732]	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549]	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock [121685]	White Vellum A4 Card Stock [106584]
Whisper White Uninked Craft Stampin’ Pad & Refill [145406]	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [144083]	Watercolor Pencils [141709]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]

Watercolour Floral Thanks

Hi Crafters,

As promised, I'm back with another card featuring the Floral Statements stamp set.  This time I have had some fun watercolouring using my Aqua Painters and the fabulous Stampin' Up! ink.  To create a palette, simply squeeze the ink pad to push the ink into the lid and then you can pick up the colour with a paint brush or Aqua Painter.

I created my card blank in Soft Sky cardstock and then used Watercolor paper for my main image.  I stamped the image in Basic Black Archival ink which is a permanent ink and won't react to water.  I watercoloured the background in Soft Sky, the leaves in Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive and the flowers in Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry.  Finally I added some gold sequins and rounded two of the corners.  

If you would like to purchase any of the products used in my sample, just click on the links below.  Don't forget to use the July Host Code for a little extra something from me.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x


Product List

Floral Statements Clear-Mount Stamp Set [144701]	Card Stock A4 Soft Sky [131292]	Watercolor Paper [122959]	Aqua Painters [103954]
Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931]	Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad [131180]	Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad [126953]	Soft Sky Classic Stampin' Pad [131181]
Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad [126944]	Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pad [131173]	Metallics Sequin Assortment [144214]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]

A Simple Floral Hello

Hi Crafters,

I have a very simple card for you today using the gorgeous Floral Statements stamp set from Stampin' Up!  I knew this set would be high on my wish list when I first saw the new Annual Catalogue.  You can create a elegant card in minutes or really spend time watercolouring and using more advanced crafting techniques for a real wow factor.

I started with a Whisper White card blank which was actually a cut off from another card.  Taking a piece of Crumb Cake card, I heat embossed my main image in white.  If you are new to heat embossing, it is a really cool technique and uses a sticky ink called Versamark.  This allows the powder to stick to the image and then you heat the powder until it melts, creating a raised shiny finish.  

I added colour to the petals of the flowers using a Melon Mambo watercolour pencil and then pushed the colour out using a Blender Pen.  My finishing touch was to add a few copper sequins in a random placement.  

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a card featuring a watercolour technique using the Floral Statements stamp set.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x


Product List

Floral Statements Clear-Mount Stamp Set [144701]	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549]	Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock [121685]	Versamark Pad [102283]	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132]
Heat Tool - Uk Plug [129054]	Watercolor Pencils [141709]	Blender Pens [102845]	Metallics Sequin Assortment [144214]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]

You Move Me for GDP093

Hi Crafters,

As soon as I saw the You Move Me set at OnStage in April, I gasped!  Brandi from Stampin' Up! home office demonstrated the magic when you pair the dies and stamps together.  Stampin' Up! also have a great video for the You Move Me bundle on their You Tube channel.  The mechanism works best when you move slowly!  I have a last minute entry for the Global Design Project #093 which is a colour challenge this month.

What a lovely combination for summer and I loved using these colours together with the You Move Me bundle.

I started with a card blank in Pool Party and then stamped my hummingbird on a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I added a small piece of Berry Burst finely woven ribbon for the pull tab.  In order to preserve my embossing, I die cut the window die first and then ran the piece of Lemon Lime Twist cardstock back through using the Layered Leaved Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

I created the Pool Party frame using the Layering Squares Thinlits.  My sentiment was created by stamping each word individually to change the positioning.  Now for a quick video!

This is such a cool concept and I can't wait to see what you think.  Please let me know in the comments.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:
Global Design Project GDP093 - Colour Challenge

Happy crafting,
Rachel x


Product List

You Move Me Photopolymer Bundle [145322]	Big On Birthdays Photopolymer Stamp Set [142877]	Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [143704]	Layering Squares Framelits Dies [141708]	Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705]
Pool Party A4 Card Stock [124391]	Lemon Lime Twist A4 Cardstock [144250]	Berry Burst A4 Cardstock [144249]	Whisper White A4 Card Stock [106549]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982]
Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [144083]	Berry Burst 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon [144133]	Foam Adhesive Strips [141825]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]

July Wins!

Hi Crafters,

Happy July!  Can you believe we are into July already?  I certainly can't but July brings many great things, especially from Stampin' Up!  

Bonus Days

The first offer runs for the month of July and is called Bonus Days.  This means that for every £45 spent during July, you earn a voucher of £4.50 to redeem in August.  There are no limit to the number of vouchers that can be earned and you can redeem multiple vouchers on a single order.  A great way to save money on your wish list.  The vouchers are sent via email and cannot be resent so make sure you enter a valid email address when placing your order.

Christmas in July

The second offer features a great incentive to join the Stampin' Up! family.  For the usual cost of £99 you will receive the Starter Kit items of your choice, plus the usual business essentials like catalogues and order forms but you'll also receive the Gift Pack items shown below:

The Carols of Christmas stamp set features 12 rubber images:

This means that for your £99 investment, you will receive £195 worth of product.  That's a bargain if ever I heard one!  You can join my team simply by clicking the image in the right sidebar.  did you know you also receive free postage on your Starter Kit? 

What you do with your Starter Kit is entirely up to you - you can choose to never place another order and continue to use your products for years to come.  You could continue to place orders for yourself, taking advantage of the 20% discount and the extras that come with being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator such as the opportunity to pre-order new products.  The third option once you sign up is to continue to grow your business, holding parties and workshops, placing orders for your customers and sharing what you love.  Maybe you have a few friends who also like to get creative, why not have a get together and show them just how easy Stampin' Up! products are to use.  

If you have any questions about either of the July offers from Stampin' Up!, please let me know by sending an email.  I don't receive contact information from comments left on posts.

Happy crafting,

Rachel x