Birthday presents

It was my birthday on Wednesday (don't ask how old coz I won't tell, but it wasn't a special one that's for sure!) and this is what my TAs and partner teacher at work bought me. Don't drool too much!



There are 10 different boxes of chocolates inside and I haven't opened it yet!


From my boyfriend I got more Thorntons chocolates, dvds and a lovely pink Bind It All with 2 packs of wires and 2 packs of covers, despite the fact that he said it was the most boring present he has ever bought me! But it was what I wanted, not sure why I wanted one, but I did! Now I just have to work out what I'm going to do with it!


We went to see the new Harry Potter film and I loved it. If you enjoy HP films and books you've got to go and see it.

Passion For Papertrey Challenge #9

I'm cutting it very fine this fortnight with my card for the Passion for Papertrey Challenge #9 - Button It! I very rarely use buttons on cards but I'm trying to get into them more and more, so this was an ideal opportunity. I was hoping that my PTI order would arrive in time for it as I've bought 2 bags of buttons, but alas no box was delivered yesterday.


I used my anniversary set for the cupcakes and added some cute lemon buttons instead of cherries. Red buttons just didn't look right with the bright colours I used, but I do like the lemon better.



Recipe:


Stamps: Everyday Classics (Anniversary set 2009) from PTI


Papers: Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence and Whisper White from SU


Inks: Pink Passion and Orchid Opulence from SU


Accessories: Lemon buttons from Papermania (I think - just in a box of buttons, but most came from PM).

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #5 - Threesome

Can you believe we're on Challenge #5 already over on Inspiring Inkin' Challenges? This fortnight's challenge is called Threesome. The idea is that whatever you use must come in threes, so 3 stamps, 3 colours, 3 images, 3 pieces of ribbon etc etc.


Here's my card...I used 3 stamps - the sentiment and 2 flowers, 3 colours, 3 layers on each of the 3 flowers, 3 brads and 3 layers on top of the card base.



So why not join in our challenge and leave a link in the comments box for us to check out your card.





Recipe:
Stamps: Occasional Greetings, Petal Pizzazz


Papers: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red and So Saffron


Inks: Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red and So Saffron


Accessories: Pretties Kit for the clear gem brads

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #4

Can you believe we are already on challenge #4 over on my Stampin' Up team's challenge blog? This fortnight's challenge is to make a man's card! Aaarrrggghhh! I find these so difficult to do as men are just so difficult to make cards for in general. With it being Father's Day this weekend I thought I'd make my Dad a card with one of his favourite things - beer.


I will admit this was not my original idea, but I saw a very similar card in the gallery on SCS and knew that it would be perfect for my Dad's Father's Day Card. I have added my little bit to it though so it's not a direct CASE.


Not sure if you can see but I have sponged ever so lightly More Mustard on the background so that it wasn't such a stark white and then the heads on the beer glasses stood out more. I do like the idea of using a main image repeatedly to make a background paper and will do this a bit more often I think.
Recipe:


Stamps: Occasional Greetings, Cheers to You


Paper: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White


Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard ink pad and marker, Creamy Caramel marker


Accessories: Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon, More Mustard brads

A Passion for Papertrey Challenge #8

Challenge #8 on A Passion for Papertrey is called Flowers and Flowers. I am cheating a little bit with this card as it was one I made for a PTI swap over on SCS, but as it fitted the challenge I thought I would post it. I love this flower from Spiral Bouquet - it's just so pretty.





The background paper was made using the Grid Lines Two stamp set. It took ages to do, but looks so beautiful. So what do you think?


Recipe:


Stamps: Grid Lines Two and Spiral Bouquet both from Papertrey Ink


Paper: Basic Grey, Rose Red and Pretty in Pink from Stampin' Up, non SU/PTI cream cs


Inks: Basic Grey, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Mellow Moss all from Stampin' Up


Accessories: Pink Dew Drops, silver mini gems, scallop edge border punch from Stampin' Up

A Passion for Papertrey Challenge #7

I've had this card on my to do list since it was announced over on the Passion for Papertrey blog, but I haven't had the time to do until this weekend. (This time of year is always majorly chaotic, what with end of year reports to write, year group assembly to write and rehearse, SATs papers to mark and so on and so on...). The challenge is to make a circle card and here's mine...

I used the largest scalloped circle nestability and cut 2 from Sweet Blush cardstock. I then used the next size down in the same set for the Lavender Moon Bitty Dots Basics paper and inked the edges in Lavender Moon for a bit more definition. The flower comes from my fave PTI set at the minute - Spiral Bouquet and the sentiment comes from Little Lady. I still haven't gotten round to ordering another Sweet Blush ink pad so I used Pink Pirouette from Stampin' Up instead with Lavender Moon and New Leaf, both from PTI. I added some little gold gems and joined the 2 base pieces together with pink flower shaped eyelets and some Lavender Moon ribbon.

A really quick and pretty card!

Recipe:

Stamps: Spiral Bouquet and Little Lady both from PTI

Papers: Sweet Blush, Bitty Dots Basics, Stamper's Select White all from PTI

Inks: Pink Pirouette from Stampin' Up, Lavender Moon and New Leaf from PTI

Accessories: Scalloped and straight edge circle nestabilities, Lavender Moon swiss dot ribbon, gold self adhesive gems from Hero Arts, pink flower eyelets

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #3

For this week's challenge over on Inspiring Inkin' Challenges we are challenging you to use black, white and a colour from the Bold Brights family. I love the colours in the Bold Brights family but I have to admit they sure are bright! The added twist is to use your favourite stamp set.


Here's my card using Pink Passion from the Bold Brights family with Baroque Motifs, my all-time favourite set (well at the minute anyway!) with Sincere Salutations, my all-time favourite sentiments set.



This is the inside - you just have to decorate the inside when using a gorgeous set like this (and even more so when you are using black as your base!)



Recipe:


Stamps: Baroque Motifs and Sincere Salutations


Papers: Basic Black, Whisper White and Pink Passion


Inks: Basic Black, Pink Passion


Accessories: Heat n Stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Black Brad, Black Gingham ribbon.

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #2

The new challenge over on Inspiring Inkin' Challenges is an inspiration one using this gorgeous Pottery Barn bedroom photograph. I just love the colours and styles of it. The added twist is to use something new or something you have never used before.


Here's my card ....



I have seen this quilted design on so many cards and it's just so pretty that I had to make one of my own. I printed off the top note template from the Stampin' Up website, drew round it on Whisper White cardstock and added 1 1/4" squares of Bashful Blue and Rose Red Patterns Designer Series Papers. I layered it onto Bashful Blue cardstock and trimmed round it by hand.


The background of the card base is stamped with the Canvas background stamp using Versamark for a subtle effect.


I then added a piece of Bashful Blue taffeta to the middle and added a greeting from the Oval All stamp set from the mini catalogue. The flowers were coloured using the Bashful Blue SU marker pen. This was then punched out with the oval punch and layered onto 2 halves of a scalloped oval punch. My scalloped oval punch was my new item - I only received mine a week or so ago and haven't used it apart from playing with it.


A quick and easy card, yet so pretty, even if I do say so myself!


Recipe:


Stamps: Canvas, Oval All


Papers: Rose Red and Bashful Blue Cardstock and Patterns Designer Series Papers, Whisper White


Ink: Rose Red ink pad, Bashful Blue Marker


Accessories: Oval Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #1

My lovely upline Amanda is the leader of our Inspiring Inkin' team of Stampin' Up demonstrators. To add a little more fun to our team we decided to set up a challenge blog, open to everyone and the very first challenge is a sketch challenge with a side twist of using a colour on your card that you don't use very often.


You may have worked out by now I LURVE card challenges. My aim this year is to catch up on all the sketch, colour and featured stamper challenges over on SCS.


This is the sketch for the first Inspiring Inkin' Challenge:



And this is my card for it:





I very rarely use Kraft so that was my cardstock colour for the side twist.


Recipe
All products from Stampin' Up and available to order through me.


Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes

Paper: Kraft, Orchid Opulence, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Designer Paper in Kraft from the Hostess Level 1 pack

Ink: Orchid Opulence and Bashful Blue

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Silver Hodgepodge Hardware Kit, Bashful Blue brads

A Passion for Papertrey Challenge #6

The latest challenge over on A Passion for Papertrey is called Recycle. You have to use scraps of card and other recycled things as well as using a stamp from PTI. I also did this card for a sketch challenge over on SCS. My recycled pieces were the Lavender Moon and white strips of cardstock, left over from previous creations. I know Ladybugs are usually red but I love the soft colours of pink and lavender together. I wanted to make it look like my ladybugs are flying through the yellow flowers - I'm in a bit of a summery mood at the minute. I desperately want summer to come as it always makes me feel so much happier!



Recipe


Stamps: Little Lady from Papertrey Ink


Paper: Sweet Blush and Lavender Moon from PTI, Non SU/PTI white cs


Ink: Lavender Moon from PTI, Pretty in Pink and Barely Banana from Stampin' Up (My Sweet Blush ink cube has gone all funny and blotchy and stamps in this really dirty colour, nothing like what it's supposed to be. I guess I'll have to order a new one)


Accessories: Lavender Moon Swiss Dots Ribbon, Yellow dotty grosgrain from Happy Hippo