The Heart of Christmas - Week 1

Hi there

Welcome to a new weekly inspiration all about Christmas, from the Art with Heart Stampin' Up! team. There are 27 weeks between now and the end of November 2017, to get your Christmas card stash ready. I'm hoping to share most weeks, so I can get my stash built up, as I got caught really short last year. The weeks just seem to fly by in the second half of the year (not sure where the first half has gone either, lol).  I hope you will be inspired to get crafty with your Christmas supplies too. We have lots of beautiful products in the new Annual Catalogue to use, plus there are lots of ways to use non-Christmas products for Christmas cards too. Enough chatting, let's get down to this week's project.

The layout of my card is in the form of a present. Doesn't this look like a wrapped gift from the top?

The base card is thick Very Vanilla card stock, which is quickly becoming a favourite and will be available in the new Catalogue from 1 June (just 1 sleep away!). I took a piece of Real Red card stock and overlaid the gold polka dot design from the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate to create the background 'paper'. I wrapped some Natural Trim in gold around the centre horizontally and then added my embellishment of pine branches, cones and mistletoe in the centre before wrapping the ribbon vertically around the centre and tying the bow. I tucked in the flagged greeting and mounted the panel onto the base card.

 

I'm happy that the 'Christmas Pines' stamp set and coordinating Pretty Pines Thinlits dies carried over to the new Annual Catalogue as I didn't get nearly enough use from it last year. You can see some of the details more clearly in the next pic. I stamped the pine cones in Soft Suede onto Soft Suede card stock and then die cut the overlay also in Soft Suede card stock. The greeting is from the 'Star of Light' stamp set, which is another favourite carried over from last year's Holiday catalogue.

For the inside I have stamped off the pine fronds in Emerald Envy in the top right corner and added a stamped pine cone and a Gold Glimmer bow.  A narrow strip of Gold Foil at the base finishes it off.

All of the products I have used (except the thick Very Vanilla card stock) are available to purchase now from my Online Store or you can click on the product links below.

Project Details
Stamps	Christmas Pines, Star of Light
Card stock & Papers	Very Vanilla (thick), Real Red, Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate, Emerald Envy, Gold Foil, Soft Suede
Ink	Real Red, Emerald Envy, Soft Suede
Accessories	Natural Trim (Gold)
Tools	Pretty Pines Thinlits, Big Shot, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

I hope I've inspired you to make a start on your Christmas card stash. If you would like to see more Christmas inspiration, hop over to Claire's blog for details of the other team members who are participating this week.

Thanks for looking!

Product List

Christmas Pines Photopolymer Stamp Set [142049] $61.00	Pretty Pines Thinlits Dies [141851] $45.25	Star Of Light Photopolymer Stamp Set [142110] $45.00	Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate [141653] $21.00
Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $7.00	Gold 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Natural Trim [141484] $12.25	Emerald Envy A4 Cardstock [141420] $14.00	Real Red A4 Card Stock [106578] $14.00
Soft Suede A4 Card Stock [119982] $14.00	Emerald Envy Classic Stampin' Pad [141396] $11.50	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] $11.50	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978] $11.50

CASE-ing the Catty - Favourite Occasions Project

Hi there

This is our last week CASE-ing the Occasions Catalogue and the Crew are being inspired by their favourite project. I've really enjoyed the products and samples in this catalogue but I'm looking forward to CASE-ing our fabulous new Annual Catalogue from next week.

You may have come from visiting Elizabeth's blog, but if you are visiting me, you can start your journey here and continue by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post.

I have quite a few favourites in this catalogue, so I decided to CASE one of the projects that I really loved when I first saw the Occasions Catalogue. It is the middle card in the photo above, using the So Detailed Thinlits dies from the Falling in Love Suite. I love the fine lacy look of the largest die in this set. I've decided to create a very feminine birthday card with my CASE.

    

I've created a landscape card with a Very Vanilla base using the new thick card stock that will be available in the Annual Catalogue on 1 June. I die cut the 2 lacy panels in Sahara Sand and layered them over a piece of the soft Bokeh print from the Falling in Love DSP. I added the DSP to a card stock panel first to make it more robust and then added the lacy panels to each side. I matted this panel onto more Sahara Sand card stock and wrapped some of my favourite Blushing Bride Stitched Satin ribbon around the centre, before adding it to the vanilla card base.

I heat embossed the birthday greeting from the 'Birthday Blooms' stamp set in gold and cropped it with an oval from the Stitched Shapes Framelits and matted it on a gold foil oval using Layering Ovals Framelits. It is popped up over the centre of the lacy panels and I added the Blushing Bride bow at the top and a little heart punched from Blushing Bride glimmer finishes it off. You can see these details in the pic above.
    

 

For the inside, I have a Blushing Bride mat and a small strip of the DSP at the bottom. I stamped the single flower image from 'Birthday Blooms' in Sahara Sand ink and added a little bit of colour to the flower to continue the soft look. For the final detail I have sponged over the die cut on the side of the envelope.

Project Details
Stamps	Birthday Blooms
Card stock & Papers	Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Falling in Love DSP, Gold Foil, Blushing Bride Glimmer paper
Ink	Versamark, Sahara Sand
Accessories	Blushing Bride Stitched Satin ribbon
Tools	Stitched Shapes & Layering Ovals Framelits, So Detailed Thinlits, Big Shot, Hearts Confetti punch, Gold EP, Heat gun, Copic marker

 Now it's time to click on the Next button below to hop over to see what the lovely Jackie Noble has to inspire you today.  

                             

We would love you to join in with your CASE of your favourite project from the Occasions Catalogue using our Facebook group. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to click on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog.

You can see the full list of the CTC Crew participating this week over at the CASE-ing the Catty blog.

Thanks for visiting today!

Last Week of 2016-17 Annual Catalogue

Hi there

We are counting down the final days of the 2016-17 Annual Catalogue. Just a reminder that we have  19 product bundles that are retiring or more correctly, they are being un-bundled. The individual stamp sets and coordinating framelits/thinlits will still be available in the new 2017-18 Annual Catalogue but without the 10% bundle discount.

I've listed them out for you below. Click on the images to go to my Online Store to see more details and to place an order. Don't miss out on getting the cheapest price on the bundle you have on your wish list!

 Retiring Bundles

Window Shopping Clear-Mount Bundle $84.50	Cool Treats Photopolymer Bundle $82.75	Dragonfly Dreams Photopolymer Bundle $81.25
Lift Me Up Clear-Mount Bundle $78.25	Swirly Bird Photopolymer Bundle $80.00	Letters For You Photopolymer Bundle $231.25
Falling Flowers Clear-Mount Bundle $80.00	Sunshine Sayings Clear-Mount Bundle $76.50	Banners For You Photopolymer Bundle $82.75
Floral Phrases Clear-Mount Bundle $72.00	Jar Of Love Photopolymer Bundle $92.50	Thoughtful Banners Photopolymer Bundle $61.00
Bunch Of Blossoms Photopolymer Bundle $61.00	Foxy Friends Photopolymer Bundle $70.00	Weather Together Photopolymer Bundle $70.00
Best Birds Photopolymer Bundle $73.75	Flourishing Phrases Clear-Mount Bundle $101.50	Sweet Cupcake Photopolymer Bundle $73.75
Ready To Pop Photopolymer Bundle $75.50

If any of these bundles are on your wish list, act now, so you don't miss the bundle pricing.

CASE-ing the Catty - Favourite Project from Annual Catalogue

Hi there

It is almost the end of the current Annual Catalogue, so this week the CTC Crew are CASE-ing their favourite project.

You may have come from visiting Julia's blog,  but if you are visiting me, you can start your journey here and continue by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post.

 This week  I have chosen the cute projects on the front cover, made with the 'Jar of Love' stamp set and the coordinating Everyday Jars framelits for my inspiration.  The little jar with the flower posy is definitely one of my favourite projects from the Annual Catalogue. 

  
    

I've done a mash-up of both projects in the photo to create my card today, plus I added the shaker element for a bit of fun.  My card base is Watermelon Wonder and I've added a layer of Pool Party card stock. I used my Simply Scored scoring tool to add some simple embossing on the top half. I tried a few different embossing folders, but they seemed to overwhelm it, so I think this strikes the right balance.  Over the Watermelon Wonder strip in the centre I have added  the gold spotted foil acetate that was used on the note card in the basket. I have covered my die cut jar with Window Sheet (acetate) to create a little shaker element. I've filled it with some of the pretty Sprinkles embellishments - in fact it was the sprinkles that determined the colour choices for the card. Here is a closeup.

I folded the acetate over the sides of the jar and adhered it with tape. The curves at the bottom were a bit fiddly, but with some nicks around the curve, it will fold over. Folding the acetate over the edges creates a curved space that works perfectly for a shaker element. The little flowers were stamped in Flirty Flamingo and the greenery in Emerald Envy. I've stamped off to get the colour variations. 
    

 

For the inside, I stamped some greenery in the corner and then added a strip of Watermelon Wonder washi at the bottom before adding a couple of little die cut flowers over the top.   

Project Details
Stamps	Jar of Love, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Card stock & Papers	Watermelon Wonder, Pool Party, Whisper White, Fabulous Foil Acetate, Window Sheet
Ink	Watermelon Wonder, Flirty Flamingo, Emerald Envy, Pool Party
Accessories	Sprinkles Embellishments, Delicate White Doilies, Affectionately Yours Washi set
Tools	Everyday Jars Framelits, Big Shot, Gold EP, Heat gun, Dimensionals, Simply Scored Scoring Tool

 Now it's time to click on the Next button below to hop over to see what Mel has to inspire you today.  

                             

We would love you to join in with your CASE of any of the project kits from the Occasions or Annual Catalogues using our Facebook group. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to click on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog.

You can see the full list of the CTC Crew participating this week over at the CASE-ing the Catty blog.

Thanks for visiting today!

AWH Annual Catalogue Sneak Peak

Hi there

Tonight I am participating in a blog hop along with the talented ladies in the Art With Heart Team. We thought it would be fun to share some fabulous ideas from the brand new  2017-2018 Annual Catalogue, to inspire you. All of the new product I'm using in my projects today will be available on 1 June 2017 - that's less that 2 weeks away. Be sure to request your copy of the catalogue today!

One of the many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is that we get to purchase some of the fabulous products from the new Annual Catalogue in advance. I've decided to focus on the 'Delightful Daisy Suite' for my projects today. Products in the suite include the 'Daisy Delight' stamp set, the fabulous Daisy Punch, gorgeous Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper and yummy Faceted Gems. I think you can guess that I really love these products!

 

  

There are lots of colours in the Delightful Daisy DSP, including Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Pool Party, Tranquil Tide and Whisper White. Although not listed, there is also Wisteria Wonder in the floral designs and Soft Sky works beautifully as well. I'm sure you will find some designs that you love. The stamp set and punch are bundled with a 10% discount for $54.75.

  

One of the gorgeous floral designs from the Delightful Daisy designer paper pack takes centre stage on my first card. This is one of my favourites and I've paired it with Wisteria Wonder and Calypso Coral. I've punched out 4 layers with the Daisy punch using thick Whisper White as it is more robust if you want to curve the petals with your bone folder.

 

 

I used the Simply Scored scoring tool to create the embossed panel at the top. The greeting is from the new 'Wood Words' stamp set and I've cropped it with an oval from the Stitched Shapes framelits. I also punched out 2 of the mid-sized flower in Calypso Coral with the (retiring) Blossom punch and offset them; it makes the perfect 'frill' that you get round the centre of a Gerbera. Next is a 1/2" circle and on top is one of the new gold facted gems - love these! Here is a close up for you.

 

 

I've kept the inside very simple, just adding a strip of the DSP at the bottom of the writing panel and a little border of Pool Party.

 

 

Project Details
Stamps	Wood Words, Special Reason
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Early Espresso, Delightful Daisy DSP
Ink	Calypso Coral, Pool Party
Accessories	White Baker's twine, Facted Gems, Rhinestone Basic Jewels
Tools	Stitched Shapes Framelits, Layering Ovals Framelits, Stylish Stems Framelits, Big Shot, Daisy punch, Classic Label punch, Dimensionals, Tombow glue

 

For my second card, I've used  the 'Daisy Delight' stamp set to create a focus panel for my card. It sits on a Night of Navy design from the paper pack and is matted on Wild Wasabi. It is difficult to see, but I have used a Blender Pen to pull some ink from the centre of the daisies for a little soft colour. 

 

 

For the inside, I've added a little more daisy garden on the right side to complement the front.

 

 

Project Details
Stamps	Daisy Delight, Eastern Beauty
Card stock & Papers	Whisper White, Night of Navy, Wild Wasabi, Delightful Daisy DSP
Ink	Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green
Accessories	Night of Navy Baker's twine, Brights Enamel Shapes
Tools	Blender Pen

 

Now it's time to hop over to see what Catherine Proctor has to inspire you. Click on the button below.

 

Here is the full list of participants in today's blog hop, so be sure to hop around and check out all the inspiring projects. We love to hear what you think of our creations, so your comments are always welcome!

1. Tina Gillespie
2. Ros Davidson
3. Kathryn Mangelsdorf
4. Kate Morgan
5. Andrea Roberts
6. Rachel Palmieri
7. Alisha Watson
8. Kimberly Hern
9. Monika O'Neill
10. Claire Daly
11. Sharon Davern
12. Rachel Woollard
13. Caroline Manwaring
14. Judy May  --------------------> You are here!
15. Catherine Proctor
16. Rebecca Jacovou

 Thanks for visiting!