Stampin' Creative Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another blog hop from the Stampin' Creative team. This month I am at the start of the hop but you may have joined the hop from Lou  who once again has a lovely project for you.

This month we have been set the technique of Masking when creating our card. 

I choose to bring out a stamp I fell in love with when I saw it but in reality have used very little until now. Possibly because the weather has been so gloomy! A few days of bright sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures have awoken my spring fever so time to banish the winter blues. 

In this project I have used 2 different ways to mask. Firstly I have used a mask to create the oval through which I have stamped. I held the mask in place with post it notes.  I stamped the Sweetbriar Rose through the oval using Soft Suede. 

Next I created a mask for the Sweetbriar Rose image by stamping onto a post it note and fussy cutting around the image. You don't need to get into all the teeny tiny areas but cut as much detail as you can.

Secondly I placed the cut out image over the image on my card stock and replaced the oval mask again holding it in place with post it notes. 

I then stamped the Hardwood stamp over the whole area in Crumb Cake. 

   

The end result is an image in an oval. Any shape can be used to create the mask so why not give it a go and see just how simple but effective this technique can be.  

For more inspiration hop on over to Emma and see what she has been doing.

What's New Wednesday...

Hello and welcome to the second of my new weekly blog posts.

 What's New Wednesday will bring you all the new updates from Stampin' UP! as well as new techniques and projects.

Firstly we have this weeks weekly deal. The products below have been discounted for the next week only and are available through my online store HERE.

Other news this week isn't so good I'm afraid. Due to issues in the manufacturing process Stampin' UP! have made the decision to pull Blendabilities from the range of products available. It has been a hard decision but on the company feels that the level of issues is more than they are willing to tolerate and believe it is best not to offer a product where the quality is compromised. 

They are going to continue to look for a way to offer customers the option of an alcohol based marker but until they are 100% happy then Blendabilities are no longer available. 

Whilst this is a disappointment I firmly believe that it is the right thing to do. Stampin' UP! offer the highest quality crafting materials and this is another step in ensuring they only bring you the highest quality. 

If you have been affected by this issue then please contact your demonstrator.

My Way Monday...

Hello and welcome to My Way Monday.....

My Way Monday is going to be a weekly post showing you how I do things, from storage of my products to ways I design, stamp and put together my projects. 

Recently I have had a few comments from class attendees on my craft storage so I thought I would start with how I store my scraps. 

It's a pretty simple system designed to encourage me to reach for this basket before starting a whole new sheet.

As you can see it is nothing fancy. I used a basket I had around the house which didn't seem to have a purpose and the card dividers are made from the backing card of the Designer Series Paper. I simply cut each one to 6" wide and then I had 2 dividers.

I used my lovely label machine to add clear labels to each divider and I kept it simple by only using colour groups. I have Neutrals, Blacks and Greys, Browns, Oranges, Yellows, Greens, Blues, Purples, Reds and Pinks. You could of course keep them in Stampin' Up! family groups if you prefer. 

Here you can see all the 'Blues'. My rule of thumb is only full, half and quarter sheets are kept in their poly pockets, the rest goes in here. I do clear out my basket every month and donate the scraps to my sons infant school or treat my ladies to a rummage.  

Here you can see the basket in situ. It is at the end of my little desk which sits to the left of my main desk so it is easily accessible as I trim all my card at this desk. It is also handily placed with in arms reach of my big shot which you can see in the background.

Since I have rearranged how I store my scraps I find I am getting much more use out of them. 

Please feel free to share how you store your scraps in the comment section. I hope you have been inspired to treat you scraps to a little TLC. 

If there is anything you would like to see on MY WAY MONDAY do let me know and I will share with you how I do it.

The Creative Blog Hop

Last week I was nominated by the lovely Jeannie over at Jeannie's Happy World to take part in the Creative Blog Hop. 

Why not I thought....... and then the nerves set in! What would I make, will it be good enough, what are the readers out in blog land looking for? That and a million other questions rolled round in my head. I have been quietly working away on my blog, occasionally inviting people in for a nose around but mostly just journalling my creative journey. 

The creative part came quite easy in the end as I have been working on some projects for my next weekend retreat which is coming up. I decided to take inspiration from the project I was creating and turn it into a card.

So here is my card....

and a close up of the elements which are placed on dimensionals to give a little depth to the card. 

I'm totally in love with this very soft, simple colour combo. Stampin' Up!s Baked Brown Sugar and Basic Black on Very Vanilla.

Now for the scary part!

Questions!!!

# 1. What are you working on right now?  

I have several things on the go just now including projects for my upcoming retreat as well as card classes. Unfortunately all of which has to be kept secret for a little longer. I am also working on some display pieces for a local seaside cafe. 

# 2. How does you work differ from others in your genre?

I'm not sure it does really. As an active Stampin' Up! Demo I have to be happy showcasing lots of different styles and techniques. I guess I am a  less is more kind of girl who likes a softer colour palette.  

# 3. Why do you create what you do?

In a word... THERAPY! I started my creative journey many years ago as a cross stitcher, believing that I didn't have a creative or artistic bone in my body. I had once asked a friend at college if she would teach me to draw... It failed and I resigned myself to a life with out creativity. Until I picked up a needle and I realised I could create something. One year while in a hobby shop looking for a new pattern for my needle to work on I saw some cute snowman toppers and though I could stick those onto some card and make special cards for my 3 daughters for Christmas. 

I was hooked! I started buying more toppers and sticking them on all I could. The journey from there was rapid and more inspiring than I ever thought. I quickly found stamps which became my tool of choice as I could change a blank piece of card into my own work of art. 

# 4. How does your creativity work?

In mysterious ways! I find inspiration in the strangest of places, (just ask my other half who has to sit there while I ask strangers if I can take pictures of their skirts etc). 

I usually start with something like that and take the colour combination or style and then sketch out a design. I'm loosely methodical in my approach and enjoy the thinking part as much as the doing part. I tend to work the design out on based on a set size (A6) and then expand from there. This gives me the confidence to know that the colours, design etc work how I want them and then I can move it on to a larger size eg scrapbook page or 3D item. 

Often my best creative moments are in the last min and I work better with a deadline than an open ended timescale. In moments like this adrenalin is my muse friend and I tend to make less creative errors!  

I hope you have enjoyed this little insight into my world. It's a tranquil part of a very chaotic life and I honestly would be lost with out craft.

My very talented and lovely friend Michelle over at Doodlebird Deisgns will be sharing her journey with you nest week so be sure to mark the date and pop over for a look.