Friday 30 December 2011

Passionettes - Spring Mini - Blog Hop

Welcome to the Passionettes - Spring Mini - Blog Hop!

There are 9 of the Passionettes Team posting new projects on their blogs today, all highlighting new products coming soon with Stampin' Up's fabulous new Spring Mini Catalogue. The Spring Mini starts from January 4th and will run through 'til the end of April.

I decided to use the new Blossom Party Originals Die for my projects. This die will be exclusive to Stampin' Up! It contains a mixture of different types of flowers - the perfect size for all manner of cards, scrapbook pages and 3D projects. The blossoms are also perfect for stacking on top of each other - making for lots of different possible variations in flowers :o)


All supplies Stampin'Up! unless otherwise stated

The colour combination used for all these projects is:

Real Red, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla.



INK: Crumb Cake, Real Red, Whisper White Craft

STAMPS: Everything Eleanor, Clearly For You

TOOLS: Big Shot, Blossom Party Die, Mini Milk Carton Die, 3/4" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber, Crop-a-Dile

ACCESSORIES: 1/8" Very Vanilla and Real Red Taffeta Ribbon, Crystal Effects

DIRECTIONS:
The base of the octagon box is created using the Mini Milk Carton die. I cut two, trimmed off the top and joined them together. I made the lid by hand, making it slightly bigger than the Milk Carton base.

All the flower layers have been sponged on the edges using a sponge dauber and Crumb Cake ink.

The buttons are created using circles of cardstock. I stamped the top layer using the small background stamp from Clearly For You stamp set using White Craft ink. The holes were punched out using the Crop-a-Dile. I then covered the top with Crystal Effects and when dry, threaded the Vanilla taffeta ribbon through and tied into a knot.


The above card was created as a match for the box. The only difference is that in addition, I have used the Tiny Tags and Pennant Parade stamp sets for the little sentiment tags. These were punched out using the Jewellery Tag punch.


Another quick and easy card to make using the Blossom Party die for the flowers - different ones this time. The sentiment is from the Curly Cute stamp set.


Finally, a couple of Thank You cards. Each has a different flower as the focal point - created using the Blossom Party die. The sentiment is again from the Curly Cute stamp set.

The previous step in this Blog Hop was the wonderfully talented Gen.

The next stop on this little Hop is the fabulous Val.

Saturday 10 December 2011

Aviary - More Fabric and Still No Sewing :o)


Another card using the new Candy Cane Christmas fabric.

As with the previous card you build your 'flower' on a cardstock circle covered in Sticky Strip.

Cut 4 x 2 1/2" Circles using the Big Shot and the Circles #2 Die. Fold each of the circles into quarters, securing them with a glue dot to ensure they hold their shape and then press them on to the sticky circle - simple :o)

Again, the flower was topped off with a punch out from the Boho Blossoms punch and a Rhinestone Brad.

The stamp set used is Aviary. The colour combo is Real Red, Baja Breeze and Whisper White.

Both the Perfect Polka Dots and the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folders have been used on the background layers.

Friday 9 December 2011

Fabric Flower - No Sewing :o)


Another card using the Candy Cane Christmas fabric.

To make the flower head ...

Cut a long strip of the fabric and fold it in half longways. Punch out a 1 1/4" Circle and cover it in Sticky Strip. Secure one end of the fabric on the reverse of the Circle with a little more sticky strip - then twist the fabric strip, securing it on the top of the Circle by pressing it into the glue. Continue twisting and sticking, working in a spiral towards the centre of the circle. Cut off any excess when you can fit no more fabric on to the circle.

I topped the fabric spiral with a Real Red punch out from the Boho Blossom Punch and a Rhinestone Brad.

The stem and leaves come from the Sweetheart stamp set and the flower is the Al La Carte - Flower For You stamp. The background layer has been embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder.

The colour combo used is Real Red, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi and Whisper White.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Fabric Ornament - No Sewing


I ran a Fabric class this month to create these lovely Ornaments and some cards.

The tutorial is available from Ann Hayward.

They are really sweet and very simple to make. The technique is easy to adjust to work with all sizes of polystyrene balls too.

The Fabric I have used here is Candy Cane Christmas - £8.95. You can make at least three 75cm ornaments from one pack of Fabric - more if you use smaller polystyrene balls.

And the absolute best thing about these ornaments ............ NO SEWING! :o)

Saturday 3 December 2011

Kissing Technique


Another card from one of my recent Technique classes. This one uses the 'Kissing' technique.

The top half of the background showcases the technique. I have used the block heart stamp from the I (Heart) Hearts stamps set. I inked this up in Pretty In Pink and then inked the Dot Dot Dot background stamp in Real Red. The heart stamp was then carefully pressed on to the dotty stamp to pick up some of the red dots and this was then stamped on to the cardstock.

The bottom half of the background was stamped using the En Francais background stamp.

I used the Full Heart and the Heart to Heart punches together with the Scalloped Heart of Heart Embosslit die to complete the card.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Octagon Box


This is another of the projects I displayed to showcase Stampin' Up's new Fabrics at the High Wycombe Training day a couple of months ago.

I have used the Mini Milk Carton Die to create the base of the box - cutting two and joining them together to create an Octagon.

The colour combination used is Real Red, Baja Breeze and Whisper White. The top of the card and the lid of the box were both heat embossed with White embossing powder using the little background stamp from the Clearly For You stamp set (page 66).

The ribbon used is the fabulous Real Red 1/8" Taffeta, which gives a lovely finish to the edge of the lid. I used the Tiny Tags stamp set (page 66) to create the little tags on the lid - again these were embossed with White Embossing powder.

The fabric is Candy Cane Christmas (page 105 £8.95) and I used it this time to create the little Pom Pom flowers. The technique was one of the ones I demonstrated at the training. They are great if you hate to sew - as you only need glue dots and sticky strip to create them :o)

Sunday 20 November 2011

18th Birthday


Last week saw the 18th birthday of my eldest son's best friend - George. As they say .... Time Flies! I've known George and his lovely sister Ruth since they were in pre-school :o)

The above card is the one I made for him. It uses the Faux Metal technique which I will be teaching my ladies in next month's Technique class.

The sentiment is from one of the Hostess stamp sets - Happiest Birthday Wishes. I have heat embossed the image using Silver Embossing Powder. The numbers are from a retired set - Schoolbook Serif Numbers and these have also been embossed in Silver.

Saturday 19 November 2011

November - Project Class - Simply Soft


My November Project class featured the Hostess stamp set Simply Soft (page 10) . The project consists of a Gift Box with 2 co-ordinating cards.

I used the colour combination of Rose Red, Regal Rose, Sahara Sand and Whisper White.

If you would like to purchase the instructions for this set, you will find the details below. The instructions will be emailed to you as a PDF document within 48 hours ...


Simply Soft - Class Instructions - £3.00





Friday 18 November 2011

Simply Soft - Thank You


Each month I make a little 'Thank You' card for my Monthly Stampers Club ladies - this is this month's card.

I have used Confetti White cardstock to create the base and the image layer (page 95 £8.25 for 40 A4 sheets).

The image is from the lovely Simply Soft Hostess Stamp set (page 10) - you can earn this set for free if you hold a party of join one of my Monthly Stampers clubs!

The colours used are Confetti White and Basic Black. The image is coloured using Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.

The sentiment comes from the Thank You Kindly stamp set (page 86 £13.95).

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Fabric - YoYo Flowers


This is another of my projects from the recent Stampin' Up! Training Event held at High Wycombe.

It uses the Bundle of Love stamp set again (page 42 - Wood Mount £26.95 / Clear Mount £21.95).

This time I have stamped the image on to Watercolour Paper (page 95 £4.50) and then coloured it using the ink pads and my Aqua Painter (page 113 £12.25). I stamped the pram body a second time and cut it out before raising it on Dimensionals (page 114 £3.25) and placing it over the flat image.

The Heart is from the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit (page 125 £10.50) and the ribbon is the gorgeous Baja Breeze Seam Binding (page 106 £6.25). I love this ribbon and you can create beautiful ruffled tails with it very easily. Fray the ends just slightly to expose the vertical threads. Grab a single thread from the middle and pull gently. This will gather up the fabric. Secure on the reverse with a glue dot and trim the end if you wish :o)

The flowers are created using the Candy Cane Christmas Fabric (page 105 £8.95). They are called YoYo flowers - or Suffolk Puffs and are really simple to make - even though they need a little sewing :o)

Start with a circular piece of fabric - mine were cut using the Circles #2 Die (page 122 £14.50) but the circles don't have to be perfect, you can just hand cut some in the size you want. Bear in mind though that the resulting flower will be about half the size of the original circle you use.

Sew a running stitch all around the outside of the circle, securing the end tightly. When you reach the starting point again, just pull the thread gently and this will gather up the fabric to create your flower. Secure the end with the needle and you're done :o) I finished each of mine with a little punch out from either the Boho Blossom punch or the little Itty Bitty Flower punch and topped them with a Basic Pearl.

I used all the little stamps from the set to create the background for this card - just by randomly stamping them all over the cardstock.

Teri xx

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Bundle Of Love - Paper Piecing


This was a card we created at one of my recent Technique Classes. It uses the Paper Piecing Technique.

The image was stamped onto Whisper White card stock and then stamped again on to Designer Series Paper. The main body of the pram and the booties were then cut out from the DSP and overlayed onto the original stamped image - Simple ...... but very cute :o)

The stamp set is called Bundle Of Love and is a beautiful set (page 42 - Wood Mount £26.95 / Clear Mount £21.95).

Teri xx

Monday 14 November 2011

My Girls ......


I don't often put personal photographs on my blog ..... but thought you might like to see a current pic of my baby girls :o)

Lily is the larger one on the left and Poppy is on the right. They are curled up together on the sofa - naughty girls! :o) xxx

A Christmas Carol


I have used the Cottage Garden stamp set again today to create this card. The stamp I used this time is the little block flower. I inked it in Cherry Cobbler ink and then 'Rock and Rolled' the edges of it on the Early Espresso ink pad before stamping it on to Very Vanilla card stock and cutting it out.

I coated each flower in Crystal Effects before sprinkling on a little of the Champagne Glass Glitter (page 11 £3.25). The flowers were then left to dry before I shaped the petals - just by rolling them over my pricking tool spike.

The centre image is from one of our new Christmas stamp sets - A Christmas Carol (page 22 £18.95 Wood Mount / £14.95 Clear Mount). I have stamped it in Versamark ink (page 113 £5.95) and then Heat Embossed it with our new Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder (page 111 £3.75). I over-stamped this with the Water Droplet stamp from the French Foliage stamp set (page 59) - just to give it a little more of an 'aged' look :o)

The papers are again from the Holly Berry Bouquet Speciality set (page 96 £11.50). You get 12 12"x12" double sided sheets in the pack and four of them are glittered on one side. The card uses both the Dotty and Striped glitter designs.

I sponged all the edges of the card stock and papers with Soft Suede ink.

Teri xx

Sunday 13 November 2011

Cottage Garden


I have used the Cottage Garden stamp set for this card. This can be found in the Idea Book and Catalogue on page 53 - £18.95 Wood Mount / £15..95 Clear Mount.

It's a really sweet set. I stamped the outline flower image using Basic Black ink onto some of the First Edition Speciality DSP (page 96 £11.50). This paper is fantastic value - it's not as thick as our normal DSP, BUT you get 24 sheets in a pack!

I then cut the flowers out before covering them in Crystal Effects (page 114 £5.75). This gives the flowers a beautiful glaze and when dry you can shape the flowers as you wish. Also - before the Crystal Effects is dry, you can add Pearls or Rhinestones to the flowers - and a little Dazzling Diamonds glitter if you wish :o)

The fabulous Michelle Last showed us how to make these little lovelies several months ago at one of Amanda Fowlers's quarterly training events .... and I've only recently got around to trying them out. They are so pretty and really easy to do ...... why don't you give them a try? :o)

The colour combination I've used on this card is Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler. The leaves were cut from Wild Wasabi card stock using the Big Shot machine and the Little Leaves Sizzlit die.

The double bow is made using the glorious new Crochet Trim (Victoria - page 106 - £6.25). I've topped it off with another new product - Antique Brads (page 109 - £5.50). These are two of my most favourite accessories in the whole of the catalogue - both are simply gorgeous! :o)

The DSP I have used here is the Holly Berry Bouquet Speciality papers (page 96 £11.50). Although this is essentially a Christmas paper pack - as you can see, it can be used for other occasions too :o)

Teri xx

Saturday 12 November 2011

October Project Class - Aviary


My October Project class featured the new Aviary Stamp set. We made a box and 3 co-ordinating cards.

I used the colour combination of Rose Red, So Saffron, Old Olive and Whisper White.


The box is super cute - it's a bit like creating two boxes in one. The sides of the box fold down to reveal another box inside :o)

If you would like to purchase the instructions for this set, you will find the details below. The instructions will be emailed to you as a PDF document within 48 hours ....


Aviary - Class Instructions - £3.00




Friday 11 November 2011

New Hostess Promotion From Stampin' Up!


Today sees the start of a fabulous new Hostess Promotion from Stampin' Up!

If you host a party during the period 1st November to 15th December and your party sales make £300, then in addition to the normal hostess benefits you will receive extra Freebies from Stampin' Up!

A party total of £300 earns the Hostess £50 in Hostess Pounds to spend in the Idea Book and Catalogue. It also entities the Hostess to choose ANY item from the Catalogue for HALF PRICE! These are amazing benefits ...... BUT during this PROMOTION PERIOD the Hostess will also receive .....

Paisley Petals Stamp Set - (Clear Mount or Wood Mount) - valued up to £23.95 (page 51)
AND
Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper - valued at £9.95 (page 97)


This offer is also available to anyone who places an order of £300 during the Promotion Period.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to get these items for free! Contact me today to book your party - or place your order!

Teri xxx
Email Me Here!

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Fabric!


A few weeks ago I was asked to do a demonstration using the new fabric now being sold by Stampin' Up! This was for a training event being held by Stampin Up! for a group of lovely Demonstrators down at High Wycombe.

These are all the projects I created to display. They all use some of the fabulous Candy Cane Christmas Fabric (page 105 £8.95). I love the colour combination used for this fabric - Real Red, Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze and Garden Green - it was very easy to create projects using it :o)


For this first project, I created some large flowers with strips of the fabric.

Cut about a 4" strip down the length one of the designs.

Fold in half longways, before ironing it flat (optional).

Sew a running stitch all along the folded edge and cut the opposite edge into a wave pattern - just roughly.

Pull one end of the running stitch thread so the fabric gathers up - stop when it is about half the original length.

Wrap the fabric around a chop stick (or similar) securing as you go with Fabric Glue.

Be warned - it can get a little fiddly and messy with the glue - but the final result is worth it :o)

Teri xx

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Christmas Stamp-a-Stack!
Join me on Saturday 5th November  for a morning full of Stampin' fun to help you get ready for Christmas by creating a Stack of Christmas Cards 
- Using Fabulous Stampin' Up! Products

Time : 9.30 am until 1:00 pm
At
 
Rode Memorial Hall
High Street
Rode
Somerset
BA11 6NZ

Cost : £20.00

Contact me to book your place .....
-.-
Teri Pocock
-.-
Phone No : 01225 768107
Mobile : 07873 174983

Please book and pay before 22nd October.
There will be a raffle on the day with some fabulous prizes!
Refreshments will be provided.

Payment is fully refundable until 1st October 2011.
Thereafter, if you are unable to make the event you will receive the project packs that everyone receives on the day.

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Scallop Square - Easel Card - Dinoroar



One of my favourite stamp sets in the new Idea Book and Catalogue is the Dinoroar Stamp set (page 47). It's a really sweet set, perfect for children - especially little boys :o)

I have used the new exclusive Scallop Square Bigz Clear Die (115950 page 122) to make an easel card. I haven't made it square though, I made it into a diamond easel card. It's a little bit fiddly, but I like a challenge :o)

The colours used are Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla. I used the ink pads and Aqua Painter (103954 page113) to colour the images. The sentiment is from Oval All (113790 page 71).

The background was brayered. I can't remember which colours I used for definite. I think thye were Bashful Blue and Night of Navy for the sky and Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi, with a hint of Crumb Cake for the field.

Teri xx

Swaps - Amanda's Training


Last Saturday was Amanda Fowler's quarterly Team Training. Fortunately the lovely Amanda opens this to teams other than her own .... so me and mine get to go :o) I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy the training days. There were 33 like minded ladies there on Saturday. The enjoyment and inspiration you get at this event is amazing :o)

When Stampin' Up! demos get together we always swap. The swaps I took this time are shown above. They all use the new Aviary stamp set (page 41) and each uses one of the new In Color colours. These had to be really quick to make cards this time. I didn't think I'd get to make any, but managed to get these done before I went. You swap your cards with each of the other demos attending and come away with lots of new ideas .... it really is a fabulous idea!

Friday 14 October 2011

Wheeled Frame


This is one of the cards from my September Technique class. We created a frame using one of the Stampin' Up! standard wheels - Decor 119894 £6.50.

This technique is really quick and easy to do. It looks especially good on Scrapbook pages, but can be done for cards.


You start by drawing a light pencil cross across a square of cardstock. Position a post-it note along the pencil line from the bottom left corner up towards the middle and another from the top left corner down towards the middle.


You then wheel your image up the left side - using a wheel guide to keep it straight. Remove the post-it notes and rotate the cardstock a quarter turn before repeating the process again on the remaining three sides.


This is a 12x12 page I completed of my daughter to showcase some of the new fabric that Stampin' Up! is now selling in the UK. I was asked to create some samples and do a demonstration using the fabric at the recent training event held by Stampin' Up! at High Wycombe. This was one of the samples I did :o)

The fabric is lovely to work with. I really hate to sew, so most of the samples I produced had no sewing in them at all. I'll show you them soon.

The flowers on this page were cut using the Fun Flowers die and the Big Shot. I laid them all onto copy paper and sprayed them in a light laundry starch before crumpling them all up inside the paper. I then un-crumpled the paper and left the flowers to dry.

The buttons were made from circles of cardstock stacked on top of each other and topped off with a circle of matching Designer Series Paper. I punched two holes using my crop-a-dile and covered the DSP with Crystal Effects to give it a shiny finish :o)

The stamp sets used here are Strength & Hope (retired), Tiny Tags and Confetti. The colours are Real Red and Baja Breeze. The ribbon used is the Baja Breeze seam binding and Whisper White Taffeta.

I re-did this page, using current products for a recent competition held by Stampin' Up! for their demos. Everyone who submitted projects to be considered for display at the up and coming European Convention went into a draw - and I won a stamp set!!! I love being a Demonstrator for this fabulous company! Have you ever thought about joining? October is a great month to start. Stampin' Up! have a promotion running for this month - anyone who joins will not only get over £250 worth of products for £119, they will also receive 5 ink pads (new In Colors) and a pack of cardstock valued at £27.95!!! Contact me if you are interested - I would love to have you on my team :o)

Teri xxxx

Tuesday 27 September 2011

September Project Class - Strength & Hope


This was my project class for September. It uses the Strength And Hope stamp set (page 31 Mini Catty). It is available in Wood Mount (£15.95) or Clear Mount (£12.95). This is Stampin' Up's charity set and will only be available until the end of this month. For every set sold, Stampin' Up! will donate £1.00 towards The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The set is currently still available - but only for a few more days! Don't miss the opportunity to get this set if you have fallen in love with it - contact me today :o)

This project is made up of a really sweet Top Note box and three co-ordinating cards.

The colours used are Very Vanilla, River Rock and Concord Crush.

If you would like to purchase the instructions for this set, you will find the details below. The instructions will be emailed to you as a PDF document within 48 hours ....


Strength and Hope - Class Instructions - £3.00






Last Chance List!!

******** STICKY - SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS ********


You can access the Last Chance List from my left hand Sidebar. The list will automatically be updated by Stampin' UP! as the stock runs out for each item.

If there are items on there that you want to get hold of, then don't wait! Products are selling out already.

Gone so far .....

12x12 Red Riding Hood Cardstock
12x12 Wild Wasabi Cardstock
12x12 Tempting Turquoise Cardstock
12x12 Whisper White Cardstock
Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kit
Silver Elastic Cord
Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets
Pewter Jumbo Eyelets
In Colors Ink Refills
On Board Art Journal - large
Star Punch
Spiral Border Punch
Right On Track Wheel
Sanded - Stamp
Bella Toile - Stamp
Sense of Time - Stamp set
On A Pedestal Stamp set
Choo Choo - Stamp set
Forest Friends - Stamp set
Tart and Tangy - Stamp set
Afterthoughts - wood - hostess Level 1 Stamp set
Cute By The Inch - wood - hostess Level 2 Stamp set
Jolly Holiday - DSP
Real Red 1cm Taffeta Ribbon
Night of Navy Satin Ribbon
Old Olive Striped Grosgrain

These products will only be available until the end of September ........ OR when the stock runs out.

Sunday 28 August 2011

Because I Care .....


Today is the birthday of one of my downline ...... Anne.

Happy Birthday Anne ...... I hope you're having a fabulous day!!! :o)

This is the card I made for her. It uses the Level 1 Hostess Stamp set - Because I Care. The flower is my absolute favourite ever .... it's just so beautiful and so easy to use.

I've stamped the flower onto Watercolour Paper (page 87) using Versamark ink (page 103) and heat embossed it with Black Embossing Powder (page 100). I've then used the Sponge Daubers (page 103) to colour the image with Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive ink.

I've sponged both the backgrounds. The smaller one was initially unevenly covered with So Saffron. I then added Soft Suede to the deep corners and edges, finishing with Early Espresso just on the very edges and shallow corners.

The larger background was created in a similar way, but after I covered the Very Vanilla cardstock in So Saffron I went over it with the Texture Jumbo Wheel (page 55) using Versamark ink. I heat embossed this with Clear Embossing powder (page 100) . I then sponged the Soft Suede all over, just giving it a rough coating and polished the ink off the embossing with some kitchen roll, so the So Saffron shows through. Finally, I finished with Early Espresso on the edges and corners.

I love this card .....

Teri xxx

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Faux Silk - Kimono Kids


This is the last of my cards created in this month's Technique Classes - using the Faux Silk Technique.

There are a couple of ways you can do this technique. For the above card, the image was stamped and coloured on to Whisper White cardstock. A thin layer of Tombow (wet glue) was then spread all over the white cardstock. A piece of tissue paper was then scrunched up and opened out again. This was carefully placed over the image/white cardstock and smoothed down, but not so much as to remove all the wrinkles and creases from it. The excess tissue was then trimmed off.

An alternative way of doing this technique is to stamp/colour the tissue paper itself. This is then scrunched, opened out and finished off as the other was :o)

The image used is from the Kimono Kids stamp set (page 46). The colours used are Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride and Concord Crush. The ribbon is the gorgeous Stitched Poly ribbon in Concord Crush.

Teri xx

Sunday 21 August 2011

Baby Wipe Ink Pad


The Baby Wipe Ink Pad technique is yet another simple one :o) You create your 'ink pad' using a folded up Baby Wipe and add drops of ink from your re-inker bottles. You should make sure that your different colours are right next to each other on the 'ink pad', but you don't want them to overlap too much or you may get some muddy colours resulting.

This card uses the French Foliage stamp set from the current Mini Catalogue (page 15). I've said before how much I love this set and how versatile it is. Hopefully it's one that will be carried forward to our new catalogue in October ..... but if it's on your Wish List don't wait until then to get it as there is no guarantee it will stay :o)

The colours I have used this time are Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait and Concord Crush - three of our current In-Colour collection.

The background has been embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. The sentiment layers were created using the Scallop Oval and Decorative Label punch.

Teri xx