Stampin' Up! Summer Design Challenge!

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This summer customers can win free stamp sets when they participate in the Summer Design Challenge. Simply create a summer-inspired project using Stampin' Up! products from the current UK Idea Book & Catalogue 2008-2009, and submit it no later than 31 August 2009 for your chance to win!

Prizes
Customers

• Customer First Place: £150 worth of stamps sets
• Customer Second and Third Place: £50 worth of stamps sets

Summer Design Challenge Rules

• Projects must be created using only Stampin' Up! products from the current UK Idea Book & Catalogue 2008-2009.
• Only one project per participant will be accepted.
• Projects can be cards, home decor, scrapbook pages, or 3D items.
• All projects must be summer-themed.
• Projects must be unique, and created for the Summer Design Challenge. Do not just recycle your old projects.
• A list of products used must be included with the project submission.
• Full contact information, including your full name, demonstrator ID (if you are a demonstrator), address, phone number, and e-mail address must be included with the project submission.
• Projects will not be returned as they may be displayed at future Stampin' Up! events or on the Stampin' Up! web site.

I have also found out that if you win the competition your entry will be displayed on the Stampin' Up Website for the month of Ocotber!

Any of my customers that enter this competition will receive a surprise in the post, their name will also be put in a hat for a prize draw of Stampin' Up goodies on 1st September 09! Just send me an email at michelle@witchford.plus.com with a picture of your entry with your name and address and i will do the rest! So what you waiting for get creating!!

Thank you tote

Hi everyone
here is a nice little gift for someone or handy for you to keep in a drawer at work when you need a quick thank you to someone!
The cards are quite neutral so good for men as well as ladies!
The colours i have used are always artichoke, more mustard and bashful blue.
Stamp sets used oval all and thank you kindly

Here is a close up of the front of the tote, i have seen several of this shape on the internet from the usa so i had to change the sizes to match our cards that we make here!
As you can see i have pricked the edges of the patterned paper, this is from a retired papers set called Le Jardin and goes perfectly with Poste Cartale stamp set!

Finally a picture of the tote open, can you see the 2 pockets, this holds 2 cards in each side but you could add a couple more in each pocket if you wished. The card size is 4x4.

Thanks for looking and have a great evening.....hugs..Michelle...xxx

Designer papers

Hi everyone, here is a quick card tonight for me to share with you all.
I have used designer papers on this and rub ons so super quick!

Colours used are pumkin pie, whisper white, and old olive.
I love the way the rub on coordinate beautifully with these Haiku designer patterned papers. As the papers are double sided there are always lots of colour/pattern combinations that all go so well together. I dont think you could go wrong with a pack!

I have also used the small flower stamp from a beautiful thing stamp set and the sentiment from oval all from the mini catalogue, of course i had to use my wonderful oval punches too!

The scallop is cut from my nestabilities dies and then a paper mat and whisper white on top, the rub ons are so easy to use too, just cut out from full sheet, hold down and rub with lolly stick, what could be simpler, as i had a small space left underneath the cute stamp with the small flowers was ideal to fill the gap! A touch of always artichoke grosgrain ribbon completes this, i have also made an accent of the brads on the right of the card by using my 1/4 inch circle punch and adding old olive circles under the brads.
There are many places on the internet to get inspiration and card sketches, this was from a mojo monday sketch a few weeks ago.
Thanks for looking and happy stamping

ILWS Colour combo challenge

Evening everyone, well things seem to be getting back to normal at home. Its been another glorious day and i have spent it crafting! thought it would do me good and YES i have had a great day!
This is my first offering over on In Love with Stamping is this weeks Colour Combo Challenge
Sage Shadow, Pale Plum and Almost Amythest.
I dont really have any papers in that colour so had to use all plain cardstock and decorate myself.

I have used a level 1 hostess set called organic grace, its been just perfect for this challenge. I stamped the base card pieces in the same colours as the cardstock to give a subtle finish.
Then gently stamped the whisper white cardstock with the colours and then used a dauber to swirl some colour around the edges. I made some faux ribbon using sage shadow and my scallop border punch, then pricked the holes along to look like lace.

Here is a close up of the litte square, i used my lovely square scallop punch and cut a whisper white square at 1 1/8' and stamped again and a little touch of the dauber round the edges.
Do pop over to the forum and have a look at whats on offer.
Maybe see you there! Happy Stamping.. Take care.. Hugs.. Michelle

Busy,Busy,Busy...!!

Hi everyone, sorry i have not been around, we had a family tragedy a couple of weeks ago and it has knocked us all for six so not really been in the crafting mood lately, but it is coming back so dont worry! we have also been very busy at home in the garden and down the allotment, here is our pickings from yesterday, this is the second batch of raspberries and with the first batch we ate alot! froze some too and also made 12lb of raspberry jam! i am in the middle of decorating and labelling and will post a pic when they are complete!
There is something so satisfying about growing your own and the taste is just so wonderful too!


Hopefully be back with a crafting post later today....
Thanks for looking... Happy Stamping.....

Designer Bags!

Hi everyone,
Im sometimes amazed at what other uses the punches have than just the normal shapes...
As you can see here i have used the tab punch and yes its great for adding to cards and pages of books but great as a little handbag.
The large oval punch makes the handle, just punch halfway into cardstock and then punch again just above it and you will get the handle.
As you can see below i have used the punches to make some cute little designer handbags!
The layout was a sketch from Splitcoaststampers a few weeks ago.


Card Recipe:
Stamps: Oval all
Ink: Basic Black
Card: tempting turquoise, gable green, green galore, apricot appeal, rainbow sherbert designer papers
Accessories: Tempting turquoise ribbon, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, tab punch, 1/2' circle punch, small butterfly punch, gold brads.
Have a good day, thanks for looking and happy stamping...

A Card for Baby Lola

Hi everyone, sorry i did not get chance to post this yesterday what with it being Father's day and also i visited the hospital to see Baby Lola, i thought i would share my father's day cards with you but i forgot to photograph them before passing on to the dads so will have to do 2 more now to show you all! Oh well nevermind!
Anyway here is the card that i made for Baby Lola to welcome her to our world!
I have used the same colours and papers that i used for the baby shower cards and thank you cards.
Regal rose, whisper white and sweet always designer papers.
I have used the popping pastels techinque too by stamping the cute little duck image (from nursery neccessities stamp set) and then popping over with a dauber the regal rose chalk from my Stampin' Up chalk set!
I love this technique and i am always amazed at how the image pops out of the card!
I also made a card for my best friend Karen but i will share that with you tomorrow.

And i could not leave this post without giving you a little peek of the darling, she is so cute and tiny and was very content sleeping in her cot. Im sure she will be soon feeding well by herself and be going home, i cant wait to have lots more cuddles!


Well thats it for today, thanks for looking as always, happy stamping, hugs...Michelle...xxx

Congratulations Karen

Hi everyone, well today was supposed to be my Best Friend Karen's Baby Shower, but guess what? a little lady has decided she wanted to come to the party!!
Yes this morning at 6.08am little Lola came into this world! So the Baby Shower is off today. I have had a chat to Mum this morning and everything is fine, she is a liitle small as she is 4 weeks early but she is excercising her little lungs very well!
I will be going to see her tomorrow to give her family and Aji time with the new arrival!
Here is the Nappy Cake that i made for her shower today! Good job i didnt start making the sandwiches..lol.
I really enjoyed making this, the colours i chose were close to cocoa, pretty in pink and regal rose (those were the pink colours i used on the invitations and thank you cards!)

As you can see i used wild about u stamp set, they are just great for baby cards! i have added some dazzling diamonds with glue dots on the giraffes to make them more girly!
Can you see the little frilly socks! i had so much fun shopping for baby bits and pieces and especially pink too!

I also used the butterfly from the level 3 hostess set, happiness always and added some pearls from the pretties kit, i then mounted them on some stars punched out in the colours.

I also used sentiments from level 1 set, Best yet, as the saying is just perfect for this occasion.

Finally adding the baby lola words using schoolbook serif alphabet to complete the cake.
The ribbon used is 1' stitched grograin and also some 5/8' grograin in regal rose.
The borders around the cake to hold the nappies in place was whisper white card stock and i have used my newly purchased Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch, (you dont know how long i have waited for this to come and i am soooooo happy its here)


Well thanks for looking and i hope to be back to regular posting soon. The allotment and garden is taking up most of my evenings of late!
I will post a pic of Lola once i have been to the hospital tomorrow.
Happy Stamping.....hugs...Michelle...xx