Saturday 27 April 2019

InspireINK - Colour challenge





Hello, and welcome!
It's InspireINK Blog Hop day, when this blog links up with others the challenge to bring you lots of inspiration.  Today it's a tic-tac-toe challenge.  The rules are that the finished project must use colours from one row/column/diagonal of the grid.  You can also use black, white,silver or gold.

I chose the middle column - Real Red, Blackberry Bliss and Coastal Cabana.

It has to be said that I wouldn't usually combine these three colours, but that's why it's a challenge, right?  I did struggle a bit to come up with a project that met the criteria of the challenge and I almost didn't! In the end I decided to keep it small and simple with a 4" square card.  

I coloured the card with my Stampin' Blends (Real Red, of course!) The photo doesn't show it clearly, but I've given the car a coat of Stampin' Up Fine-tip adhesive.  It dries clear and glossy.


In the end, I was happy with the result.  

Would you like to see what the rest of the team have come up with?  Click on the link to the Inlinkz party below to see who's playing along today!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
Keep crafting,

Keren


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Wednesday 24 April 2019

Wedding Day


Hello and welcome!

Normally, when I plan a project, it’ll be with the idea of trying a particular technique or to play with particular products.  Today, though, I’ve made a card to give to a colleague, who is getting married today.

It’s the second time around for both bride and groom, so I wanted a card that would be suitable for a mature couple.

This image from To Have & to Hold was perfect.

I played with the no-line watercolour technique and I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.


I’m rather sorry that these stamps will be retiring at the end of May – but we need to make room for the lovely new items that will be available from June.
That’s all for today (short & sweet for once!)

Keep crafting,

Keren

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Saturday 20 April 2019

Up and Away wiper card

Hello, and welcome!


Today I've been making this wiper card.  These are very popular right now.  In case you haven't seen this kind of action card, when you pull gently at the edges of the card, the pop-up arm appears (like a windscreen wiper).



via GIPHY

Here's how it looks in the open position.



I've been making this kind of card for a long time (one of my earliest YouTube tutorials was a wiper card)  but I'd never thought of making the front panel a different height from the back until I saw some of the inspirational cards being posted on YouTube and Pinterest.  Then I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before!

Here's how I made this one.




Don't you think that the hot air balloons are so suitable for this card?  I'm rather sorry that they will be retiring when the new catalogue goes live at the beginning of June, but they've been around for a while, so I can't complain!

That's all for now,

Keep crafting,

Keren




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Tuesday 16 April 2019

OnStage, April 2019

 Hello, and welcome!

Well, I've had an amazing weekend away in sunny Telford, at OnStage Local and then our team retreat, so I don't have a project today. 

OnStage Local, Telford, 13 April
Instead, I've talked about the event and shown you the goodies that I got!  We got a copy of the NEW annual catalogue and it's stuffed full of loveliness.  It's worth being a demonstrator just for that!  AND we can order a whole month before everyone else (at a discount) - can't say fairer than that, can we?



This time I stayed an extra day to attend the Pootlers team day, organised by our amazing upline, Sam Hammond Donald (Pootles herself!)  We had a day of fun and crafting - although I have to admit that some of my make & takes went a bit wrong as I was too busy chatting and not paying attention to what I was doing...


Anyway, most of us had made swaps and I came home with a bag full of inspiration (and quite a bit of chocolate, oddly enough).  



So now I'm back home, tired and happy with my new catalogue to look at and putting my wishlist together! (Can't show you what's inside, sorry...but trust me, you are going to LOVE it...)


Back to reality now !

Keep crafting,

Keren

Sunday 14 April 2019

Behold - the Swaptopus!

Hello, and welcome!

When this blog is published, I shall be away from home in sunny (I hope!) Telford, taking part in a crafting retreat that my team leader is holding for her team.  So this is being done by remote control!

Stampin' Up! demo get togethers mean swaps.  It's not compulsory, but swapping is a lot of fun and a great way of sharing ideas for projects.  However, this time, I've decided not to swap at the main  event but to save my efforts for the team retreat.

Swaps production in full swing!
There will be more than 50 of us at the retreat - so that meant more than 160 passes through the Big Shot and150 punch presses!  No wonder my arm hurt the following day. (On the positive side, once the pain died down, the tendinitis that I've been suffering for a few months is also much improved, so that's a bonus!)

Anyway, here's how I made - the Swaptopus! (my husband came up with the name...)


Here's the cutting/ folding diagram, if you'd like to try this yourself. (Supplies I used are listed below.) 


Thanks for visiting - hope you enjoyed!

Keep Crafting,

Keren


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Wednesday 10 April 2019

Simple Stamping - Torn paper technique

Hello, and welcome!



I'm not usually a plain-and-simple stamping kind of crafter.  I rarely make a project without at least one die cut (my Big Shot is one thing that never gets put away!).  So when Stampin' Up! challenged us to make items using only stamps, paper and ink, I had a bit of a moment.

So - why have I gone all Simple Stamping today?  Gather ye round...

This weekend  I will be heading out to Telford to attend OnStage, the SU demonstrator event/training day/catalogue reveal.  The following day my team leader is holding a crafting retreat for her team, and I'll be staying on for that.  That means swaps - lots of swaps.  

As I've said,  I do love my die cuts.  So over the course of a couple of hours,  I cranked my Big Shout 160 + times.  Then I made 150 passes with a punch.  (Check back on Sunday if you want to see what I was making!) The following day my arm was very, very painful, and I needed to make and film something for this blog...

So Simple Stamping it was!  I was reminded of the Faux Torn Paper technique, which is so easy but looks impressive.  Here's what I did - 

If you haven't tried this before, why not give it a try?  It really is very easy!  

Next blog will be on Sunday - because the project I'm sharing will be the swaps I made for that day, so hope I'll see you then.

Keep crafting,

Keren

PS My arm is fine now!  

Saturday 6 April 2019

Get into gear!

Hello, and welcome!

One of the benefits of being a Stampin’ Up!  Demonstrator is that you get the chance to go to the On Stage events.  They happen twice a year, in April and November.  Among other things, you get to see the new catalogue and to see new products demonstrated before anyone else does.

At the last On Stage in November, among the featured items was the Geared up Garage suite of products.  Now, I do love a bit of Steampunk so I was very interested when we were shown how to make cardstock look like rusty metal using SU inks and embossing powder. 

It’s taken me a while to get around to playing with this technique and here’s the result! 

I did add my own twist to the technique too.  Here’s what I did –


When I started this project, I was focusing on the technique so didn’t really have a finished item in mind.  I was originally thinking that I’d put the gears onto a greeting card, but in the end I decided that they’d look good on a little box.  I added some texture to the box too, and it all looks wonderfully grungy!

I’m all booked for April On Stage later this month and I’m getting so excited about it, I can’t wait to see what will be in the 2019-20 Annual catalogue…I love being a SU demo! 

That’s me for today!
See you again soon,

Keep crafting,

Keren

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