Stampin' Up! Mediterranean Cruise Achievers Blog Hop - Male Cards

 Hi there and welcome. This is my first time of joining the blog hop and I'm excited to be involved and to share  my offering for the Stampin' Up! Mediterranean Cruise Blog Hop with it's theme of 'One for the Guys'.  I'm also a little bit shy as there are some extremely talented Stampin' Up! demonstrators in this group and so I hope I'm up to the standard.

Last weekend I spent time with my dutch downline in Amsterdam and they showed me some great tricks with ink so I put a few into action for this card and was also inspired by a tutorial I found some time ago in Craft Stamper magazine.

I've used brights ( daffodil delight, real read and pacific point) ink and stamp sets Gorgeous Grunge and Timeless Textures to develop my back drop and then added the car from Beautiful Ride which I embossed in black and then added colour to with sponges and a couple of marker pens.  Final touch, was to add some candy dots and a sentiment from Guy Greetings.

Enjoy the hop! You can check the list below to see where you go next.  I'm Zoe Tant so carry on down the list for lots of inspiration for those male cards with which we all seem to struggle.

 See you again soon and thanks for stopping by.
Zx

Moving along with the times - Words only

Stampin' Up!'s new set Enjoy the Little Things is perfect for using with the project kit of the same name, but today I've used one of the stamps to make my card for the Moving Along with the Times challenge set by my lovely blogland friend Christine.  In addition to Enjoy the Little Things, you'll see touches of Work of Art and Timeless Textures stamp sets, both Stampin' Up! and embellishments of Everyday Chic washi tape, silver thread and It's my Party enamel dots.  I also used the medium star  and confetti stars punches.  

Inside the card you can continue your stamping using Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set to add more  'words' and a smidge of decoration.  You could use any colour way for a card like this to suit the recipient, but I used Mint Macaron, Pool Party, Smoky Slate and archival basic black.

Do join in our challenge at MAWTT and go check out the other design team cards for more inspiration.

Coincidentally the confetti star border punch that I used for the mini stars is on special until next Tuesday.  You can order it online in my Stampin' Up! Shop.  Please use the link in the sidebar.

Stampin' Up! Balloon Celebrations

You could be forgiven for thinking I'd named this post incorrectly, but these sweet delicate dandelion head stamps are all part of the Stampin' Up! set Balloon Celebrations.  It's an awesome set of stamps that could pretty much cover most events in your annual calendar.

Here I stamped first in archival basic black ink onto whisper white card and then embossed in gold on basic black card and then raised the basic black layer with stampin' dimensionals.  I used post it notes to cover parts that I didn't want to stamp again to ensure that it appears that complete seed heads are visible, but that each part is the correct colour on it's background.

Simple, but effective.  The lovely hand scripted sentiment is part of the What I Love free Saleabration stamp set which you can have in your stash with a purchase of £45.

Stampin' Up! Balloon Celebrations along with the Balloon Bouquet punch and a couple of inks pads is one way of building a bundle of products to earn the free set.

You can buy these and other Stampin' Up! products in my Stampin' Up! online Shop.

More soon Zx

Balloon Celebrations meets Bear Hugs for fun Valentine's

Happy Valentine's day to one and all. I wish everyone a happy day.

Every year my fantastic hubby and I say 'we're not doing Valentine's' and every year one of us does. I have this time as I'm not home today, but in South Wales sharing lovely stampin' stash with the nice people of Cowbridge and the surrounding area, so I have been the one to 'do' a Valentine for my special man.

I've combined Stampin' Up! sets Bear Hugs and Balloon Celebration to make this cute card. I love bears and Martin knows that if I was home today I'd certainly be giving him a big bear hug and balloons are always good for any celebration not least our love.  Ok enough slushy stuff.  

Enjoy your day ! 

One other stamp set I've used is the FREE saleabration set What I love. Yes it is free when you spend £45 on Stampin' Up! products. I've added the first sentiment to the front of the card then folded it over onto the inside and stamped the answer.  You just need to rotate the second stamp to make sure it is stamped the right way up as it will invert when you stick it down and when the card is opened. 

Have fun.

Hugs Zx

Welcome to Stampin' Up! UK

I'm busy welcoming new people to my Stampin' Up! team who have joined during Stampin' Up! s amazing Saleabration promotion.  It's great to get a handmade card in the post to encourage you with your new venture.  Some join for discount and others join like me to build a business.

I visited a ladies group last night to share with them some projects and tell them how much I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  I explained how much fun I've had since I joined almost 8 years ago.  I've been on some incentive trips experiencing 5* luxury and I've made so many friends across the globe, including Lisa from Germany who I met at the first ever European Stampin' Up! convention in Bad Homburg.

A card I've sent to some new teamies recently is this one made using the ever popular Flower Shop stamp set.  The colours are blushing bride, crumb cake and whisper white.  Don't you just love that glimmer paper in blushing bride!  You can also see a sneak or two of stamps from the Awesomely Artistic stamp set and I'm really liking the use of smidges of paper doily that add to the texture of the card.

My welcome stamp is from a long ago retired stamp set that I just can't part with yet.

I'm always keen to welcome more new folk into our Stampin' Up! friendly, encouraging team so please do contact me if you'd like to hear more.  I have team across the UK and in the Netherlands so if you'd like to team up with someone close by we can help.

Have a great day.

Zx

Christmas Card Club - Use Texture

Another fortnight, another Christmas Card Club challenge and we have the lovely Rachel to thank for our theme this time.  She has asked us to include some texture.  Instantly I headed for my new Stampin Up set Timeless Textures.

Inspired by a fabulous scrapbook page designed by fellow demo Sue MacDonald I used the set to add lots of texture to card before adding real touchy feely texture in the form of a stamped snowflake on a punched 2.5" circle with pie crust (iced) rhinestone, dazzling diamonds glimmer paper stars cut with star frame lits, sentiment stamped and cut with retired framelits and washi punch as you know I'm a big fan of bling!  I even managed to use a little more of my life time supply of silver metallic thread. At £2.75 for 45.7m you an afford to be frivolous.  

I also used my fine tip glue to add very neat spots of glue which I covered with fine Stampin Up glitter.  This glue is amazing if you need to add delicate spots of glitter like this or a a fine sentiment like the 'merry'.  I'm liking this Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set more and more so you might see it more often.  It's still available to buy on our carryover list in the back of the spring catalogue.  You can also see a few mini snowflakes from the Perpetual Birthday Calendar stamp set.

Ok off to browse the designs of my fellow challenge club members.

More soon and enjoy your day and the week ahead.

Zx

Stampin' Up! Parties

Stampin' Up! parties are a little different to other product parties because everyone gets to make something and take it home.   I love running them for my customers because it gives me the chance to share what I love about my job - crafting and spending time with lovely people.  It also gives me a chance to show everyone how easy it is to find your creative side.

By way of thanking my hostesses for inviting me into their home I make them a gift. This is one of several I made recently for my January hostesses.  Now you might think 'how does she come up with the ideas?'. Well the answer is simple I use the resources made available to me by Stampin' Up!.  There's a bi-monthly newsletter with ideas and tutorials, a demonstrator website that hosts videos tutorials and webinars and there's a Stampin' Up! run forum with demonstrators from all over the world sharing pictures of projects made, tips, tricks and support.

If you think you might like to come and join us please do contact me for more information about how you can buy our starter kit for £99, choose £160 or product and start crafting for fun with friends or running your own business to earn a little extra for more luxuries in life.  Interested, but not quite convinced you can host a party and use the hostess rewards to part pay for this fantastic kit.

Zx

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deals - Sheltering Tree

As you know Stampin' Up! have weekly deals that offer a limited time discount on selected products. This week is no exception, but hosts the fabulous Sheltering Tree stamp set.  It is such a beautiful group of stamps that can be used all year as the tree lends itself to every season of the year depending upon how you use it.  There are, somewhat early, signs of spring around us with the blossom and snowdrops appearing.  Can you remember the last time you saw daffodils in January.....?  Hence I've turned my tree into an early blossom tree.  Along with paper from the Love Blossoms 6" x 6" stack in the Stampin' Up! spring catalogue, a doily and some embossing using the Softly Falling and  Large Polka Dot embossing folders.  You can use the banner punch in reverse by sliding a strip of card 1.5cm wide into the punch from above to just banner punch the end of your sentiment strip.  Here the sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

You might remember I made a bit of a stunning (if I say so myself) birthday card for my Mum with this set. You can see the full details in my stampin up post, but here are a couple of pics for more inspiration.  You can also see a winter version in my Christmas card club post.

 

I love for you to have this stamp set in your collection and it is always nice to get a bargain so please do choose me as your demonstrator and shop in my Stampin Up online shop.

Birthday Bouquet

Stampin' Up! Birthday Bouquet

I saw a card very similar to this on pinterest and now sadly can't find it to credit the original designer, but it is a card I've shared with many of my parties over the last couple of weeks.  It's using the gorgeous Birthday Blooms stamp set and papers that coordinate.  I think many of us struggle to have the confidence to use papers once we have bought them as we are worried that once punched or cut a sheet could be wasted if we don't use that piece and then wish we hadn't cut in the first place. It's a great argument for buy two packs, one to stroke and one to use and abuse!

The colours are blusing bride, pool party, mint macaron and whisper white.  I just love the sparkly pool party glitter ribbon that just gives a little bit of WOW.  Also in this Birthday Bouquet suite of Stampin' Up! products are the honeycomb embellishments that I will share with you soon.  

Enjoy spreading birthday fun.

Zx

Stampin' Up! Beautiful Ride Valentine Card for Mojo Monday

Stampin' Up! sets Beautiful Ride and Going Global are my choice today for a Valentine card and for the Mojo Monday challenge #433.  

You can stamp the fab VW Beetle onto patterned paper and then cut it out. I find that cutting in the opposite direction to that which you usually cut helps you keep on the line, but not cut all the line of the image if that makes sense LOL! 

The couple along with the Beetle are from the stamp set Beautiful Ride.  I've also added a tiny brad to each wheel as a hub.  The globe stamp is from Going Global along with the sentiment.  You might not be able to see, but I've heat embossed the globe by first inking my stamp with versa mark and then gently tapping the stamp onto my lost lagoon ink pad. Add embossing clear powder and it's a way of heat embossing in the colour of your choice when you don't have that colour powder.  It also gives a little 'shine' to the image.  I punched the globe out with the 2"circle punch and then put it back in place, but on stampin' dimensionals and then the soft sky piece of card acts as a back drop.  My whisper white strip is stamped with a couple of stamps from the new Timeless Textures which if you like Gorgeous Grunge you'll love this.  Some heart dry embossing with the Happy Heart embossing folder and you are set up for Valentine's day.  

Here's the sketch from Mojo Monday.  You can visit it here.

Why not have a go yourself?

More soon. Zx

Stampin' Up Team Training with The Tantalizing Stamper

Card using Stampin' Up! Botanicals for You stamp set 

 What a fun weekend! With my fellow demo Mikaela, I hosted a quarterly gathering of demonstrators in my craft loft to share ideas, inspire each other and to teach everyone a few new tips and tricks.  We did a shoe box swap as well. You design a simple project then put supplies and tools in a box which you pass around the table so everyone gets to make different projects and share ideas.  I set a challenge for folk to come up with a project that needed materials that provided you with a free Saleabration gift.  Mine is above and it provided the Stampin' Up! Botanicals for You set FREE.

We had so many giggles and lots of fun.  Some of the girls stayed over as they'd travelled to join us and so we then tasted the delights of the local curry house on Saturday night.

 On Sunday my lovely friend Sammie introduced Olivia and Charlie to the delights of geo-caching.  I hope I've spelt that right!  They found a 'micro' in our village and left a penned note to say they had found it.  Not sure the snails were happy to be disturbed.......

All in all it was a thoroughly great weekend and I'm looking forward to our next demo event which will be when hundreds of demos from across the UK gather at Telford for a day of trying out products from the new annual catalogue. If you fancy an early sneak peek and getting your hands on this catalogue 7 weeks early then think about buying a starter kit.  You can email me for more details. 

More soon.

Zx