Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Catherine Carroll

Blog Hop for the Autumn Winter Catalogue

Thank you for joining us on another Pinkies Blog Hop! We're showcasing lots of gorgeous projects using products from the new Stampin' Up!® Autumn/Winter Seasonal Catalogue. Simply use the buttons at the end of each post to keep hopping!

I love the build up to Christmas, don't you? Waiting to see shops put out the Christmas stock, planning parties, and working out what to make for everyone's presents. But if you're anything like me, one second it's back to school and the next it's December and you haven't managed any of it. I'm determined it'll be different this year and at least I have one Christmas card made and ready to share with you today.

I'm a sucker for a good Christmas tree set, and Peaceful Pines (with matching Perfect Pines framelits to make life easier) was the first thing on my wish list. I've also used the Gently Falling textured embossing folder, layered over some Lost Lagoon cardstock. You can just about see the snowflakes stamped in Lost Lagoon from the Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set underneath the vellum layer. The Dazzling Diamonds glitter strips on the Smoky Slate label layer were created using double sided tape to give even strips without too much effort.

The pine itself is stamped in Mint Macaron - a perfect grey green to match with the Lost Lagoon and Smoky Slate. The sentiment is also from the Holly Jolly Greetings set. I added Silver Cording Trim and one of the lovely Winter Wonderland Embellishments to finish it all off.

Next stop on our blog hop is Tracy, and I know she has a lovely project to share with you!

 

 

 

 

Autumn Winter Catalogue from Stampin' Up!

This year's Autumn Winter Catalogue from Stampin' Up! is well worth a read. With no fewer than 17 bundles, there are not only amazing new products for your Christmas crafting but great savings to be had as well.

Here are some of my top picks - I won't be able to resist making these designs from the catalogue...

Aren't those reindeer clips lovely? I think I'd be able to use up the entire stock of those on my own.

The Festive Flower builder punch makes such a lovely tag topper, and the new Square Pillow Box thinlit is perfect for little gifts.

There are always some people on my card list who need a cute card and I will be making a stack of them using the adorable Snow Place set with matching Snow Friends framelits (one of the great bundles I mentioned before!).
  

 

 

 

Flower Patch Pop Out Swing Card

While I liked my first proper attempt at a Pop Out Swing Card, made using the Butterfly Basics set, I have to say that I am really pleased with this version. The Flower Patch photopolymer set (with matching Flower Fair Framelits) from Stampin' Up! are just gorgeous!

I used the Hardwood background stamp for the front of the card again, using Smoky Slate ink to create a tone-on-tone effect on the Smoky Slate cardstock. The flowers stamp very easily in bright colours to create a very cheerful card overall.

I decided to add an extra 1" flap to the inside of the pop out mechanism at the bottom only to give more stability to the front panel, particularly as the main flower die cut was overlapping with the aperture.

I hope you like my contribution to the collection of pop out swing cards that can be found all over pinterest and many Stampin' Up! demonstrators' blogs. There's even been a Create with Connie and Mary blog hop featuring them - why don't you hop around for some more inspiration?

 

 

 

 

Butterfly Basics Pop Out Swing Card

I have always been a fan of so-called "fancy fold" cards. So when I first saw the pop out swing card, I knew I wanted to give it a go - but it has taken me a while to get round to it! I actually saw it on Julie Davison's blog, but the original idea I think belongs to Dawn Griffith, and you can watch her share it from her Stamping Studio here.

I tried one with the lovely Butterfly Basics set, with the Hardwood background set used to give more interest to the front of the card.

Cutting the square out (using the endlessly useful Squares Framelits) after having stamped the background means that you can match up the panel afterwards and it creates a seamless join when the card is closed.

You'll have to forgive me for using some of my left over Naturals White cardstock to complete this project as my Very Vanilla and Whisper White were both nowhere to be found. Luckily, I have now located many of my missing stampin' supplies, including what I can only say is a ridiculous number of packs of Very Vanilla Envelopes. I think I should take on the challenge to ensure that they are all gone by the end of the year!

 

 

 

 

Thank You With A Whole Lot of Lovely

Thank you cards are the most frequently requested cards at my classes, and the new A Whole Lot of Lovely hostess set from Stampin' Up! has a gorgeous thank you sentiment which is perfect as the focal point of a card.

I used Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe (I've seen that colour scheme around a lot recently, and with good reason as it's lovely), with Very Vanilla to stamp on. I stamped the sweet little flower in the stamp set as randomly as I could to create a pattern for the base layer. I cut the banner using the Triple Banner punch, and then embossed it with the Large Polka Dot textured embossing folder. 

I hope you like this simple card. It's a clean layout that I can see working with lots of different stamp sets.