Last Christmas, all my cards were designed by my upline… This year I lost control of my SU spending (happens to the best of us, right?) so thought I had better start designing my own… It was fun, although I think you can tell that I am a newbie. Which is OK, since practice makes perfect 🙂
All materials available from my Stamping’ Up! store
My baby girl has been keeping me busy! I have found a lot of time to craft (even to hold my first class) but not much time to blog. But I am getting caught up now. Up first is a paper pumpkin redo from July 2015 “Thanks a Latte”. I was not very keen on the sample provided, but I am pleased with this adaptation. I added in some tangelo twist butterflies – they made it an elegant thank you card. I am excited that there is a tea stamp and die set in the new occasions catalogue. I am getting it right at the beginning of the next quarter!
Tool kit (all available from my Stamping’ Up! store):
Thanks a latte kit (while stocks last!)
Back to this little thing – more projects to come soon
Well, I failed in my goal of posting a new project each week (and let’s not even go to my thoughts of entering a new craft challenge a week!). This third trimester has been kicking my proverbial both physically and mentally after a very difficult first birth with my son. However, I do believe that I have kept up with my goal of creating something new each week so I have lots of projects to share in upcoming posts!
For this post I used a card kit put together by my lovely upline (and dear friend) JB Stamper for my birthday (back in early July and can you believe I have only just finished making my thank you cards 😁). When I first heard about card kits – where you get lots of precut pieces to assemble as you like and /or personalize I was not that enthused… I couldn’t really imagine assembling someone else’s stuff and knowing how to put together their vision. However, I needed some quick cards in an emergency (a card emergency… that’s a real thing!) so I cracked out my present.
As you may have guessed from the title – I am a total convert!! It was super easy and quick to put these together, and even better: I prefer them to anything I have made from scratch. The kit encouraged me to get out of my ‘craft comfort zone’ and try styles and colors I might not normally. I genuinely prefer these to everything I have made recently, except maybe – maybe – my baby girl baby shower card. It was also much easier to personalize these than I had thought, just using my own stamps.
I love this kit and am excited to use the other kit JB Stamper gave me 🙂 Then I’m moving onto the Stampin’ Up! kits such as Watercolor wishes:
If you’re hesitant about using kits – I would say: GO FOR IT!!
I participated in my first craft challenge. Fab Friday challenged us to use three strong colors in one:
which was daunting for me, as I have been focussing too much on 2-color cards, and on classic pastel / light colors. Furthermore, I had only one hour to complete this as I had promised my husband I would squeeze in an episode of True Detective between putting the toddler down, making the challenge and going to bed (I need to be in bed by 10,30, yawn!).
Using something strong was fun, I added in Rich Razzleberry to give some relief to the Blackberry Bliss, and although you cannot see it too well, those are pearls on the centers of the flowers and down the middle of the butterfly.
Tool kit (all available from my Stamping’ Up! store):
I am so glad I entered this challenge – it really made me try something new, and I am pleased as punch (yup, little bit of a pun intended) with the output. Definitely going to try more challenges!
As ever, if you don’t want to make it, you can always pick it up from my Etsy store.
Happy Stamping!
This weekend my son was invited to his friend’s second birthday party – he definitely had an awesome time at her ‘Bubble Guppies’ themed do and enjoyed playing with a whole new set of toys.
I made a very simple card for her birthday – making something ‘child friendly’ (especially so young) was new to me, but I figured it would be a fun challenge. I am trying to challenge myself to a card a week!
Tool kit (all available from my Stamping’ Up! store):
Other tools:
Assembly:
Again, super easy assembly, all you need to know is that my two pieces of DSP were cut at 4.5″x1.5″ and 3.5″x1.5″; and the DSP was cut at 1/2″ bigger all around (5″x2″ for one piece; 4″x2″ for another).
The basic card is, as usual 8.5″x11″ paper, cut in half (8.5″ x 5.5″) and folded at 4.25″ – final card size 4.25″ x 5.5″.
As ever, if you don’t want to make it, you can always pick it up from my Etsy store.
Now, I although I followed my last goal and went for more color, I still need to break away from 2 dominant colors… next time perhaps.
Happy Stamping!
2 links from this week’s reading…
I just discovered Buffy Cooper’s “Stamping with Buffy” blog – she posts daily! I am in awe. This week, Buffy had tonnes of lovely ideas, but I wanted to share her “Winter Moon” card because it had such a different feel from everything Stampin’ Up! right now. Maybe because it is summer, or perhaps on the back of the 2012-2014 In Colors which were pastels, I am seeing a lot of cute, summery cards. This was a beautiful change:
I am also showing some link love to my Stampin’ Up! upline, Janice, who has started posting over at JB Stamper. Check out what Janice does with her Paper Pumpkin:
I can’t wait to show you more of her creations (I get a preview in class!).
Have a lovely weekend – I have a bust one planned, but I am trying to make a new card each week, so hopefully I will have something to post soon…
Today I created a super simple baby shower card. I love the cutesy animals in the current sets, but I wanted to create something a bit more elegant for mother having her fourth baby very soon. So, I stuck to colors one of which was crumb cake, and whereas I would usually put little feet or booties across the bottom, I went for butterflies. It gives the card a slightly different feel. But, as with last weeks’ card, it is extremely easy.
Tool kit (all available from my Stamping’ Up! store):
Card stock in crumb cake
Card stock in another color – I used Primrose Petals, which has been retired, but melon mambo would make a great alternative (or Pool Party for a boy / Smokey Grey for gender neutral?).
Ink pad in color 2
Decorative Dots embossing folder (I ummmed and ahhhhed about whether or not to use dots or stars, and honestly, my next order is going to contain a Happy Heart embossing folder for baby shower cards)
Papillon Potpourri Stamp set
Bitty Butterfly Punch
Elegant Butterfly Punch
Bitty Banners stamp set, (This has been discontinued but I think it would look cute to write a message)
Bitty Banners Framelit dies
Pearl Basic Jewels
Other tools:
Assembly is really easy. Just cut out the follow parts (I made the crumb cake embossed background 4″ x 5″) and stick together, adding pearls as embellishments (or rhinestones for added glamor):
As ever, if you don’t want to make it, you can always pick it up from my Etsy store.
Happy Stampin’!
This card was a “last minute” easy make and makes a great starter project! It was designed for someone I worked with, and really admired, who was leaving and moving on bigger and better things. However, it would be great as a graduation card, any exams passed card, or even a “cheerful random message” card.
This is so easy that no special instructions are needed – just construct each piece and assemble. If you do not have a big shot, in place of the textured blue background, think about using Pool Party pics from the Subtles designer paper pack – it will give a very similar effect.
And ignore the messy right hand side edge – I have to correct that and edit this post 🙂
Tool kit (all available from my Stamping’ Up! store):
Other tools:
Of course, if you don’t want to make it, you can always pick it up from my Etsy store.
Happy Stamping!
Crafts by Lekki 