Dipping into the SU archives ..................

........... well, to more accurate, my back issues of the Idea Book and Catalogue - with my demo preview of our very own catalogue for 2010-2011 only a day away, I thought I would have a trip down memory lane.

This simple little card was featured in the 2007 US catalogue - I recreated the colourway but not the orientation of the embellishment - so, I used So Saffron cardstock and designer paper together with Not Quite Navy and Handsome Hunter (retiring) - Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon and the tiny floral punch which was part of a set originally but I hope that SU will sell it to us singularly again because it is such a cute flower - my sentiment came from the Fun & Fast Notes stamp set, and with some matching brads, of course.

This really is a very quick little card and if you use your own, or the recipient's, favourite colour combo it's one that you can pull out of the bag very quickly when you hear those words from a loved one - "You don't happen to have a card suitable for so-and-so do you, it's their birthday tomorrow!!!"

Had a fabby day yesterday - Chris was demonstrating at Sir Stampalot ( Always about Colour - please check in the sidebar for the link to her gorgeous creations ) and I came away with lots of ideas which I hope to translate using SU products and basic generic products - met up with my lovely friends - as I have said so often - I feel blessed by the friends that I have met thro crafting.

I'm on a roll with my blog now so please scoot by on your blog hop if you can - leave a comment if you feel so inclined - but either way thank you for visiting - as I remain on my toes lol.

Bridgette

Blooming With Beauty & En Francais ........

Hello just a little card to post today - I spotted a similar layout on Splitcoast Stampers and just translated to what I have.

The colourway is Creamy Caramel (retiring) and So Saffron with a little Sweet Pea designer paper from the mini - using Blooming with Beauty, En Francais, and the sentiment from One Of A Kind stamp set - I liked the idea of using the twill tape instead of ribbon and stamped the words using black Stazon ink - the little button is one of the neutrals and tones in really nicely.

I decided to ink the edges not only in the Creamy Caramel but to go in again using the  SU Black inkpad to give more definition.

I think the addition of the So Saffron cardstock as one of the matting layers and leaving it uninked just 'roughed up' lol a little using my little rougher up tool just makes it 'pop' more than it would have done if I had

inked it - do you know what I mean.

I don't know about you but I struggle between the 'clean' look and the 'inked' look - never sure which I like - I shall have to do the same card for you showing the two versions and get a vote going and see which one gets the vote.

Happy Bank Holiday tomorrow - do stop by on your usual round of blogs - keep me on my toes please !!!

Bridgette

Forest Friends Thank You

As I have mentioned before I always try to make a little thank you card for my Stampers 10 ladies - so here is this months offering - a very simple card using Forest Friends - I love the tree and cute little animals in this set - and yes, I did order my Trendy Trees with the discount - it was on my Wish List and I was determined to grab myself a bargain !!!!

The main base card is Confetti White ( I'm on a roll with this cardstock now !! ) with the retiring Ballet Blue colourway and the little buttons are part of the Rich Regals collection and they are also Ballet Blue - such a pretty colour - the button is sewn on using the linen thread.  The sentiment comes from the ever useful and much used Thank You Kindly set - fingers crossed it makes it thro' to the new catalogue.

Hope you have a super Bank Holiday weekend - I'm delivering this weekend so I shall catch up with some of my crafty friends - which is lovely for me.

Bridgette

Greenhouse Garden .......

This stamp set was on my wish list for some time before I bought it - and I have to say I love it - I love the two-step stamping technique it really makes the flowers 'pop' - and at the moment, yes, the last gently reminder lol, you can get this stamp set which is usually £22.95  for an amazing £18.36 - that's a 20% discount - for a set of 10 co-ordinating stamps - that's £1.83 for each stamp !!!!  That has to be considered value for money !!!!

The card I recreated is on page 43 of the Idea Book and Catalogue - I have slightly altered the colours and I like the addition of the bow down the side, but we're all different and you may not, so although it is a little brighter than what I would normally do I am trying to step outside my comfort zone.

I thank you once again for dropping by - I'm enjoying trying to give you something to look at each day - it's keeping me on my toes - I'm counting down to my peek at the new catalogue which as you know being a demonstrator I get to see earlier than my lovely customers - so I'm sure I shall be wearing a broad smile during the month of September knowing what you all have to look forward to.

Oh gosh, have chatted on as usual - have a good day - hopefully you'll pop by tomorrow.

Bridgette

On A Pedestal ................

Good afternoon - and what a wet one here!!!!!

I made a cute card yesterday, take a peek on page 13 of the Idea Book and Catalogue, I used the same colour combination - Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie and Creamy Caramel ( a retiring colour on 30 September 2010 ) - but then just added a Polka Dot background, satin rather than grosgrain Chocolate Chip ribbon, and my button placement just jumped from one side of the card to the other - I was pleased with the result - my only other change was to put a little Crystal Effects on the cherry to give it a little sheen.

Hope you don't have to venture far for the rest of the day and can stay snug inside crafting - I know I like to live in an ideal world - me? I've got to pop to Tesco's ( living the dream !!! lol )

See you tomorrow on your journey ........................ bye for now.

Bridgette

The Flowers in the Field ..................

It has been such a pleasure to walk amongst nature each day and really, really stop and look at what is around me and notice how quickly it changes and whilst these photos show full bloom many of these wild flowers have now come to the end of their short season - but they have been so beautiful.

I thought I would show you a floral friendship card - I love the Confetti White card although I don't often use it and when I do I wonder why I don't more often - do you know what I mean?

Daisy-like flowers have to be among my favourites - I have my fingers crossed for the Upsy Daisy stamp set in October catalogue but I'm not holding my breath lol.

There is just something so delicate about a dandelion 'clock' - I have one as a paperweight, it's in front of me as a type this - sorry this is very indulgent now but thank you for listening while I went on and on about my love of wild flowers - back to cardmaking tomorrow ..... promise.

Bridgette

A Summer Walk Continued ..................

Oh now this one takes me back - but I just wanted to continue my doggie walk with you and I needed a pink card - and the one today just seemed to fit.  This is one of the first stamp sets that I bought from SU, before I became a demo, I saw myself in this stamp lol - I love watching butterflies and as I mentioned yesterday there have been oddles of them on the walk - for some reason although I have now sold the stamp set as it is retired I have kept this card !!

These photos were taken on a warm sunny day, no harsh breeze, no chill wind - just glorious blue sky!!

Enjoy your day - thank you dropping by - look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Bridgette

Lovely As A Tree

I thought I would show you where I walk the doggies each day - just lately it has been alive with the sound of grasshoppers, bees and  a gorgeous array of butterflies - no wonder that I love green - see what I mean!!

So naturally I reach for these colours to craft with, together with my trusty Idea Book and Catalogue, and here is a card we recently completed as part of one of my classes - just perfect for the men in our lives.  Good Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and the retiring and to be missed, Close to Cocoa. 

This is a template that can be replicated time and time again using favourite colours and stamp sets - so easy and quick to do with lovely results because the colours co-ordinate so wonderfully together.

See you tomorrow if you have time - it would be nice - make a date with me on your blog hop!!

Bridgette

Festive Fun with Season Of Joy

I have given a nod to Christmas in my workshops just recently but this little card uses a less traditional colourscheme and is lovingly CASED from page 18 of the Idea Book and Catalogue - Season of Joy has to be one of my all time favourite stamp sets.

I'll show you another example next week following a similar theme only quicker to make, but equally as pretty, in my opinion.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend - the summer is racing away too quickly, although I love Autumn I'm not so fond of the chilly winds of winter but perversely I love the changing seasons - mmmm I know not logical at all.

Bridgette

Razzleberry Delight from a Fellow Demo

Hello - I thought I would share a beautiful card that I received when a group of local SU demos got together  - we are not too numerous in Lincolnshire but with the advent of some exciting news over the next few weeks together with the new Idea Book and Catalogue that may soon change and more may come on board - and the more the merrier is what I say.

Now forgive me but I believe this card was designed by Deidra, and it uses the fabulous new Razzleberry colourway, cardstock, ink and polkadot ribbon - if you love the ribbon do bear in mind that this one will not be making it into the new catalogue so, as far as I know, is only available until the end of September.

Hope you enjoy looking at it for inspiration - come back tomorrow, if you can, as I've gone all festive !!

Bridgette

Loads of Love No 2 .....

Just another 'inspired' card from page 31 of the Idea Book and Catalogue - it was a jumping off point really as scaled down in size although the colour scheme remained consistent - I love the small 4 x 4 format - cute to work with - if you're wondering about the flower - it's one of the diecut blooms on page 83 - not bad huh?

Thanks for stopping by - see you here Saturday maybe?

Bridgette

Loads of Love .......

Hello there - I'm on the CASE - this little offering is almost a total case from the current catalogue page 31 - except a change of colour - but also acts as a gentle reminder about the offer of the month - oh no not again!! - pick this little set of 7 stamps ( it does Christmas too ) for 20% less than usual !!!

Thanks for stopping by - Bridgette

PS Chris - I can't seem to leave a comment on your blog but loving the little house, soooooo cute - if you want to know what I mean pop across to Chris's blog in my sidebar Always About Colour - really gorgeous.

Mmmmmm Love You Much - but still not too sure about this one !!

I decided to show you this card, and I do like it, but not sure if there is too much Chocolate Chip.  I think the colour scheme of Regal Rose, Real Red and Chocolate Chip are lovely and you'll find this on page 26 of the current catalogue - as you see I just changed it a little bit.

My version has a scalloped edge, a little Real Red top and bottom and my ribbon is tied at the bottom of the card rather than near the heart.  I also cheated by using a little paper button, fun to do and really useful when you don't have the matching button you need for your project, oh yes and I used my Hearts O' Plenty roller.

Mmmmm, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by, and if you left me your opinion thank you for that too - perhaps I'll see you tomorrow?

Bridgette

Close as a Memory - Sympathy Card

I adore this stamp set and I so hope that it stays with us into the new catalogue - not only is the main  floral image so very useful for all occasions the sentiments in the stamp set are so beautiful and when I find myself in need of a sympathy card they don't fail me.

I turned to my old copies of the Idea Book and Catalogue for help as I find them such a rich source of ideas and with some slight alterations, although not much, I decided this was the one I needed a subdued mix of Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke lifted by the soft touch of the So Saffron cardstock.

I'm always grateful that you stop by on your blog hop - call back tomorrow if you have time.

Bridgette

Trendy Trees by Lou

Well, I don't know what I did wrong on Saturday but the post containing the lovely card that Lou made for me didn't appear on Sunday - and I thought I had this scheduling lark off to a 'T' - I only got to my computer at gone 10.00 pm on Sunday so it seemed a shame to put it on manually for only a few hours so, I have made it Monday's post - I hope you enjoy it, it has a special place in my sample box.

I asked Lou to use the Idea Book and Catalogue to showcase how easy it was to use a design from the pages of the catalogue and make it your own - if you take a look at page 39 you'll see what I mean - a simple card yet Lou has added her own touches, which is exactly what you could do too, which is why the catalogue is so brilliant when all you need is a starting point. 

You'll find Lou's gorgeous blog in my sidebar - shhhh, noone mention the 'twig' addiction although, to be fair, Lou has taken that vital first step and admitted to it herself so she's on her way to a full recovery lol - only teasing LouLou xxx.

Remember that fabulous 20% discount on this stamp set finishes at the end of August - as everything will be making way for the Last Chance List due out 1 September - and those retiring stamp sets and accessories are all on a first come first served basis !!!

Thank you for stopping by and so sorry about yesterday's post not materialising - I have scheduled posts for all of this week so I have my fingers crossed.

Bridgette

August Offer - Gentle Reminder .............

Hello - hope you all will be enjoying a fab weekend although I think we are in for a wet one!!!!

Remember the August Offer - 20% of some fabulous stamp sets - I thought over the weekend I would show you two of them, Greenhouse Garden and Trendy Trees, as you know Trendy Trees is on my Wish List - it will be mine by the end of the month - come to Mama!!

So I went back into my photos and pulled this one for you to have a little look at again - tomorrow I will show you one that my dear friend Lou made for my sample box - such a clever girl and back from hols in America now, I have missed her, but I know I'm not alone in that sentiment - we've all missed her smiley face, welcome home LouLou.

I love the little easel card - so simple to do - hope you like it.  See you tomorrow as you hop on by - thank you for poppin' in.

Bridgette

It's the Thank You Butterfly ....

.... I have just popped one of these cute 3 x 3 cards in each bag for my Stamper 10 ladies, if I have the time I always like to do this - it helps to showcase SU stamp sets but more importantly to say Thank You for their support which is so valuable to me.

Again a quick little card using the Flight of the Butterfly and Whisper White cardstock and a tiny piece of Designer Paper - you could raid your scrap box for this as you wouldn't be doing as many as me lol.

I have to thank Zoe Tant, another demonstrator in Lincolnshire, for the fabulous design of this little card, it was her swap card when we all met up at the beginning of July - her design was a striking red, black and white combination - so thank you Zoe.

Thank you for stopping by as you hop in and out of my blog - do hop back soon lol.

Bridgette 

Love is like a Butterfly ...........

...... it's soft and gentle as a sigh ......... don't you just love that comedy series, an oldie but goodie.

I have been making lots of butterfly cards at the moment - I see so many of them each day as I walk in the fields with our two dogs that I think it just translates into my crafting.

Well, surprise, surprise, today's card is using Chocolate Chip and Flight of the Butterfly - I feel I have a pattern developing here - I think I am embracing Chocolate Chip because my beloved Close to Cocoa is retiring - I think it is a little tough love on myself - but it's working, I'm loving CC !!

The gorgeous En Francais background stamp, the swirls from the Baroque Motifs stamp set, stamped once and then lifted and moved slightly and stamped again to give a shadow effect, like it?  I think it looks really nice.

The butterflies are stamped using the 'kiss' technique - a solid butterfly stamp is inked in Chocolate Chip and then pressed into the cleaned swirl stamp from the Baroque Motifs and the design is tranferred to the rubber, this is then stamped onto Whisper White cardstock and punched out using the butterfly punch.  I did the reverse for the vellum wings - I took the uninked solid butterfly stamp and pressed it onto the inked swirls from the Baroque Motifs this time transferring this image to the wings and then stamped onto vellum and punched out - layered together using Tombow.  In order to get a little body with antennae I stamp directly onto the cardstock with one of the images that contains a butterfly body and layer the wings directly on top of this.

Again it's those oval punches - a really good buy and so useful - and this time a sentiment from the matching Oval All stamp set - embellished with just a little matching grosgrain ribbon.  So simple.

Thank you for stopping by on your blog tour - come back soon.

Bridgette

Rollers to the Rescue !!!

Need a quick and simple card - grab your rollers - no, I don't mean your Carmen's!!

This quick little card is using Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery and a little fab Designer Paper ( you're bound to have a little tiny square in your scrap box !!)

The Neighbourhood jumbo roller is used for the background and also for the coloured element - the standard Funky Forest roller was used across the Whisper White square. 

Now don't forget the 20% discount on selected stamp sets this month - the Trendy Trees Stamp set containing 8 individual stamps and matches this roller is now only £10.36 - if you want to take a look at it click on the catalogue in the righthand sidebar and turn to page 39 - it's lovely isn't it, and such good value!!

Again the super oval punches have been used and a sentiment from Bella's Blooms (found on p44 of the catalogue) completes the card.

Many thanks for dropping by - I know what it's like to blog hop so I appreciate your time - see you tomorrow.

Bridgette

Masculine Project No 2

I decided to show you a project I made with one on my classes a little while ago - and this I think was a Stampin' Pretty project which I cased - if you haven't popped across to Mary Fish's blog you'll find it in my righthand sidebar - do take a look.

I used strong masculine colours again - Chocolate Chip and the retiring Really Rust ( remember this one isn't making it thro' to the new catalogue, so if you love it buy an extra pack before the end of September ) together with the gorgeous Designer Papers in the mini catalogue - but once again these are retiring as they have Taken with Teal as part of the colourway - chin up !! - we'll love the new papers you wait and see !!

A lovely geometric theme, striped paper and the gorgeous Chocolate Chip satin ribbon for the cute tie - a sentiment from the Oval All stamp set that perfectly coordinates with the oval punches and voila - it's finished.  A quick image on the envelope and you're done, ready to pop in the post.

Thank you for stopping by on your blog hop - see you tomorrow?  Hope so !!

Bridgette

Baroque Motifs

Now this week I am attempting to upload my projects and post date them in the hope I will avoid the long gaps in-between my posts - so here goes with project no 1.

I am trying to do a semi quick masculine card - so Not Quite Navy and More Mustard (good so far!) and using images from the Baroque Motifs stamp set (well just one actually) as the repeat image in the background and the main image for my element - so a strong theme going on.

Corners popped out using the 1/2" punch, inked edges with the matching ink colours ( that's why we love Stampin' Up!) and grosgrain ribbon in the matching More Mustard - this time threaded thro holes made using the 1/4" circle and a small decorative knot in the centre - not a bow in sight.

The envelope was decorated just down one side, secondary stamping tho' just for that distressed look, and positioned using the Stamp-ma-jig - a real must-have item in your crafty stash - if you haven't already got one and fallen in love put it on your Wish List!!!

Now I am going to do the next project and post-date it - see you tomorrow - fingers crossed lol

Bridgette

Two Step Stamping Offer .......... 20 % Discount !!!

Look at this fabulous offer for the month of August - if you don't have your favourite two-step stamping set now is the time to treat yourself and save a massive 20% on the usual catalogue price !!!
Believe it or not I still don't have the Trendy Trees stamp set only the roller - and I love my trees - so that is on my Wish List and such a good price now with the discount at only £10.36.

I'll list what is on offer to tempt you this month:

• 
  
  Loads of Love (p 31) was £18.95 NOW £15.16
• 
  
  Big Bold Birthday (p 35) was £23.95 NOW £19.16
• 
  
  Trendy Trees (p 39) Was £12.95 NOW £10.36
• 
  
  Greenhouse Garden (p 43) was £22.95 NOW £18.36
• 
  
  Something Sweet (p 8*) was £23.95 NOW £19.16
• 
  
  Tiny Tags (p 15*) was £18.95 NOW £15.16
• 
  
  Bird on a Branch (p18*) was £14.95 NOW £11.96

* This refers to stamp sets in the Mini Catalogue.

I'll not 'stick' this to the top of the blog I'll attempt to place it in the righthand column and keep gently reminding you lol.

Do you like my softer look for summer? - I'm loving the gingham ribbon.

Bridgette