So Long and Farewell Blackberry Bliss

I, like many of you I suspect, have had a love hate relationship for the last two years. Blackberry Bliss has been a tricky friend! I love its rich colour, and ability to add depth to any colour combination. I have not, however, enjoyed its ability to stain everything in sight! 

When I get creative its not generally a very orderly process, (which some would say shows true creative genes..?!) but as a general rule whatever mess I have made can been easily remedied with a wipe of the craft table, wash of my hands and perhaps of wash of the clothes I've been wearing. 

Blackberry Bliss, however, has not been so willing to part company with me. My hands have regularly looked like I have had a rather unfortunate accident, or someone else just has! A favoured pale blue cardigan now has some custom sleeves with a rather unique ombre effect on the cuffs, and I have smudged more finished cards with just a spot of Blackberry Bliss for 'effect' than I can really get away with.

However this has not stopped me using this fantastic colour one more time to make this gorgeous butterfly card above. Having die cut out the Butterfly in Whisper White Card I then used a sponge dauber to colour the centre of the butterfly in Daffodil Delight. Then from the edges inwards I daubed in Blackberry Bliss, lightening the pressure so that the two colours could blend together. Three Daffodil Delight candy dots were glued down the body of the butterfly to pick up the yellow on the wings.

The Background of the card is simply stamped with the fern from Butterfly Basics in Cucumber Crush on Cucumber Crush Card, stamping and then stamping again before reinking to create depth (know as stamping off). The green card was then glued to the base card made from Blackberry Bliss.

A greeting was stamped in the corner of my green background, before gluing on the butterfly. Here I just glued the body of the butterfly, which then allowed me to shape the wings outwards to give more dimension and also the lovely shadow on the background.

I hope you have enjoyed using this fabulous colour as much as I have, and will now enjoy some of the pretty New InColours available, that will perhaps be a slightly easier friend to have in the craft room!

New Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue 2016-2017 Blog Hop!

Hooray! the New catalogue is finally here, and to celebrate I have made this fun card using one of the new hostess stamp sets, Love You Lots, and New Background stamps Playful Backgrounds.

I started with a card base of New In Colour Emerald Envy 14.85cm x 18.5cm, and scored and folded at 10.5cm on the long edge to achieve a card base which has a longer back than front.

I stamped the stripes on the inside by closing the card and making a pencil mark on the inside all the way down the shorter edge of the front. I then got a piece of scrap paper to cover the inside of the card up to this pencil mark to use as a mask. Using the stripe stamp from the New Playful Backgrounds stamp set I stamped in Emerald envy all the way down the side, over the mask and over the edge of the card so it was neatly stamped.

To finish the inside edge I used a piece of the Bronze spotty Washi tape from the Affectionately Yours Washi tape pack to just cover the inside line of the stripes from top to bottom. I then covered the front of the card in the fun filled bubble stamp from the Playful Backgrounds set, again in Emerald Envy.

Using the Bronze spot Washi tape and also the Watermelon Wonder stripped Washi tape I tore strips of tape to cover the top of the card front with in a roughly diamond shape pattern.

On a piece of Whisper white card I stamped the cute Hedgehogs from the Love You Lots set in Dapper Denim, another New InColour. Using a blender pen I coloured in the flower in Watermelon Wonder and stamped a greeting from a balloon string from the Balloon Celebration set introduced this Spring.

This was then mounted on Watermelon Wonder and attached over the Washi tape with dimmensionals.

This card is just what I wanted for a wedding invitation acceptance I have been meaning to send, as the bride is real animal lover!

I hope you enjoy browsing the New catalogue, and getting some ideas from hoping along our blogs. Please jump along next to Cat Herrington at Wiggle Craft!

If you have not yet seen the lovely work by Mandy Sullivan of Stamp with Paper Panda, then why not take a hop back and see what inspiration she has on offer.

You can also view the Blog Hop Posts directly from the links below:

Cary Buckgham & Gill Moore

Katie Jones

Lesley Lendon

Fiona Stanton

Sarah McDermott

Sara Sayers

Jay and Barry

Karen Ripley

Fiona Harris

Fiona Whitten

It's Your Big Day!

I don't know about you, but crafting for me is just that little bit sweeter when I have something to play with for free! I made this card with the New Birthday Banners stamp set that I won in a prize patrol when I went to the demonstrator conference On Stage this April (yes it is as fun as it sounds!)

I really loved the sentiment 'Time to put out this tiny fire' matched with the candy striped candle and decided that this was going to be the centre of my design. So I got out a couple of my New InColour Peekaboo Peach, and last years Incolour Mint Macaron along with Night of Navy to stamp a line of candles along the middle of my Whisper White card.

Either side of this I stamped sentiments in alternating colours, 'Its Your Big Day!' along the top, and then 'Time to put this Tiny Fire' along the bottom. 

A tip to do this is to start by stamping the middle candle and then stamping either side of it until you reach the edges. Stamp the sentiments in the same way, the first one in the middle and then fill the others in other side. This way all the images have a central focal point and create a better overall look, with any gaps at the edges being filled with partial stamps.

My background was created with the Playful Backgrounds set, using the bubble like stamp in Peekaboo Peach all over the Peekaboo Peach Card. This was then layered onto Night of Navy Card, and lastly onto a 6x4" Mint Macaron Card Base.

I liked this card design as it was simple but effective, doesn't require much equipment, and is a unisex design, which could be adapted with many colour combinations. I'd love to see any you create.

For another card using the Playful Backgrounds check out my Blog Hop post arriving on Sat 4th June!

Affectionately Yours 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue Sneak Peek!

After going to the amazing Onstage Local event at Telford for Stampin' Up! Demonstrators I have been very excited about the New 2016-2017 Annual Catalogue. So here is my first make with some of the lovely new products from the Affctionately Yours suite of products.

This card features three of our lovely new InColours Dapper Denim, Sweet Sugarplum,and Emerald Envy. I know we are not supposed to have favourites...but these are definitely my favourite of the new colours. I used a standard 6x4 card base in a Sweet Sugarplum which I stamped in the same colour with flowers and leaves from the Affectionately Yours stamp set. The White card is the embossed with the scrummy new embossing folder from the Floral Affections embossing folder set. I then used the blender pens to colour in the raised areas.

The greeting comes from the Tin Of Cards set, stamped in Dapper Denim, which neatly fits between the two stamped flower bunches stamped in Sweet Sugarplum. The White card is the trimmed and mounted on a piece of Daper Denim card to finish it all off.   I hope you like this card, and do check back for more sneak peaks!

Hello Honey Colour Challenge!

This weeks colour challenge was to feature the retiring Hello Honey, so I pared it with Island Indigo and Pool Party for a fresh combination.

I have enjoyed working with a set combination of colours it concentrates my thinking! So I go my inks and papers out and got cracking!

My first card used the Botanical Blooms stamps and dies on a standard 6x4 card base of Hello Honey, layered with Indigo Island and then Whisper White card on top. The white layer was then stamped with leaf outlines in Pool Party ink. I then cut out with the co-ordinating dies the leaves in Sahara Sand, the flowers and middles in Hello Honey, Pool Party and Indigo Island. I then glued these to my card using glue dots, and added a touch of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for a little sparkle. My greeting was taken from the Number of Years set, and stamped in Indigo Island in the top right corner. 

This second card is a little greetings card made from a piece of 6x4 Thick Whisper White card folded in half. I used my favourite stamp set Butterfly Basics and  stamped straight on to the card base, layering up my stamps. I started with the honeycomb stamp in Honey Honey (very appropriate I thought!) and then added the fern leaf in Indigo Island which I inked once and then stamped three times to get different depths of colour. The diagonal boarder stamp went next inked in Pool Party, followed by my greeting from the Blessed By God stamp set. The butterfly was stamped on Hello Honey and die cut out and glued on with a glue dot. This card took very little time, and is also cost effective as it uses only one piece of card. 

This third card uses many elements from the previous card, but is stamped on ordinary white card and then mounted on a Hello Honey card base for a different look. 

Having a go again at a nice simple card I teamed up this lovely greeting for Butterfly Basics with the lovely 2-step stamping flower from the Reason For The Season set, which was launched in the Autumn Winter 2015 catalogue and has made it into this years new Annual Catalouge. It's nice to have versatility in seasonal sets, and this pointsettia flower is perfect for that. 

My Final card featured simple stamping with the Botanical Blooms stamps to create a pretty but effective design, topped with with a few simple sparkles. The greeting is from the Cottage Greetings set, where I inked up the words separately to create a different look. 

I hope you enjoyed my challenge cards and will join me in my colour challenge next week, where I will feature Lost Lagoon. 

Colour Challenge Week 1: Blackberry Bliss

To celebrate the retiring In colours 2014-16 I am holding a 5 week colour challenge, each week featuring one of the colours in a group of colours. I'd love you to join in so for every picture of a card made with the challenge photos I will send you one of my hand made cards, (blank for you to use!). Just go to the Facebook page: facebook.com/Stamping-at-Hectors-House

This week is my favourite In Colour Blackberry Bliss, which I thought I'd try with some colours I haven't put together before. 

I decided the best way to start was to get out all my colours and choose a stamp set to inspire me. I love the Friends and Family Stamp set, but haven't had much chance to play yet so decide it was an obvious choice. Plus I am really sucker for anything that matches a punch, so out came it's playmate the Festive Flower Builder. 

This is what I came up with, having remembered I need a thank you card for a neighbour. I built the flower using the petal stamp in Blackberry Bliss on Very Vanilla and then punching it out in the medium petal part of the punch. I used 6 petals and glued them on to a small square of card using glue dots. I then added the leaves in Cucumber Crush, stamped on the same colour card, by gluing them to the back of the flower I formed. 

To finish my flower off By adding a center from the cross part of the punch, one punched in Daffodil Delight and one in Blackberry Bliss. These were glued one on top of the other. 

I then stamped a center strip of card in Daffodil Delight using the timeless textures stamp set. Using the border stamp in Daffodil Delight I stamped along both the long edges. Then with the dotty stamp I covered the whole of the card piece in stamps of Soft Suede. 

I then layered this piece of card onto a piece of Very Vanilla and then a larger piece of Blackberry Bliss. This was the glued upon my base card of Soft Suede, which I stamped my greeting on the bottom right corner of in Blackberry Bliss. My card base was finished off with the little swirl stamp from the Friends and Flowers set stamped along the bottom. 

The assembely is finished by gluing on the prepared flower to the left hand side of the stamped strip. 

I hope you enjoy this colour challenge, and will join me and take part! Happy Crafting!

Rose Wonder

I have loved playing with the Rose Wonder stamp set and framelettes, but was looking for something new to do, so started to experiment with the small flower stamp included. 

After playing about on scrap paper I came up with this wreath idea. On a piece of Very Vanilla 10cm X 10cm I drew a circle in pencil around a glass in the centre. In Rose Red I stamped all around it so that the images joined each other (thank goodness for photopolymer!). My tip here would be to have a practice on some scrap paper first, as everyones glasses will be a different diameter, and linking the flowers to create an even circle too me a bit of practice.

In Wild Wasabi ink I then stamped in the little leaves around the outside of the wreath, which are from the Cottage Greetings Stamp set.

Using the Blender pens to pick up ink from the lid of my Rose Red ink pad I then coloured in the flowers, followed by a touch of clear Wink of Stella for a hint of sparkle! Now the fiddly bit....I then cut out by hand all around the wreath inside and out. For those of you who are not in love with fussy cutting I do not recommend this, as it took me quite a while!

After cutting out the wreath, and a break for a well earned cuppa, I proceeded onto my greeting. I used the lovely new shape that comes with the Rose Wonder framelits to cut out the greeting banner, and then used the corresponding stamp to do the border in Rose Red. I prefer to do it this way round with photopolymer stamps as I find it easier to stamp onto a shape I can see than line up the framelit on top of the stamped image, but that is definitely personal preference. 


There are lots of lovely greetings you can use in this stamp set, but I went for a birthday one as I needed to stock up, which I stamped in Wild Wasabi. I then got out my Love Blossoms DSP Stack and had a flick through until I found a design I was happy with and cut a piece 9.5cm x 14.85cm. This was mounted upon Rose Red Card Stock, which is half a sheet of A4 (21cm x 29.7cm) folded in two, the front measures 10.5cm x 14.85cm. 

The wreath was then glued on, with dimensionals for a bit of depth, at the top of the card. Using a strip of Wild Wasabi Card 1cm x 10.5cm I got busy with the Wink of Stella! I painted over the whole of this strip of card so that it really shone, and then glued it half way between the bottom of the card and the bottom of the wreath. My greeting banner was then mounted over the top of this strip on top of dimensionals.

I hope you enjoyed my use of this pretty flower stamp, and are inspired to make a wreath of your own.

Late Easter Card

OK so Easter is over now, but I never got round to sharing this card special with you all. Made for my lovely Mum I wanted to create something a little special, and having just got my hands on the New Botanical Blooms dies I was excited to try them out.

I was really pleased with the sunburst stamp used behind the cross in So Saffron, which highlights the cross and the hope it represents. The flowers and leaves were stamped and die cut in Wild Wasabi, Pear Pazazz, Marina Mist, Soft Sky and So Saffron.

I also made these simpler cards using the leaf stamp from Kinda Eclectic, as well as the sunburst. The cross stamp is from a retired set Crosses of Hope, which I haven't been able to part with yet, but there is a lovely new set which i have put in the supply list you could use.

I think these designs would look nice for a baptism, dedication, or sympathy card with a different greeting.

Happy Crafting!

Flowering Fields Sale-A-Bration Card

A Happy Accident!

I love the SAB stamp set Flowering fields, it's so pretty. I was especially happy when I played around with this stamp on my scrap paper and happened upon the look of a bunch of lavender. So I created this simple but effective card with that idea in mind and am pleased with the outcome, I hope you like it.

Once I had had a play with stamping my lavender  into a bunch shape to my satisfaction I felt it did not need much else to set it off. I just stamped it in on a square of whisper white, stamping once and then again before reinking (stamping off) in Blackberry Bliss several times.

A little tie of linen twine and a bow in Lost Lagoon finishes it off, along with this pretty greeting from the Cottage Greetings set stamped in Soft Suede on my base card made with Kraft card.

I'd love to hear from you, so do leave a comment and let me know any happy accidents you came across while playing on your scrap paper!

Build a Birthday with SAB papers

I hope you've all had a good week. I've not had much time for craft this week having my 18 month old niece staying, but I do have this card to show you.

Build a Birthday stamp set is a really versatile one for male and female cards for all celebrations, with lots of variations possible.

I made this one using the free Sale-A-Bration Designer series papers Wildflower Fields for the background paper and the tiers of the cake. The cake stand was then stamped in Old Olive and the banner in Hello Honey. I then painted with them clear Wink of Stella for a little sparkle! The edges of the white card were then lightly daubed  in blackberry bliss to finish it.

I used the coordinating colour card stock of Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey for some simple banners, and stamped the top one with a birthday greeting in Blackberry Bliss.

It would be really easy to just change up the greeting and the could would be suitable for a Congratulations, and perhaps with different colours and papers a Wedding card.

Un-inking technique with Blender Pens

Colourful Cards with Sheltering Tree

I love the Sheltering Tree stamp set, and had fun creating this card as an example for my Male Card Class. I really enjoyed the bright colours of Cucumber Crush, Watermelon Wonder and Pacific Point, they are lovely and zingy together! 

I was especially pleased when I managed to add some bunting to the scene using the cake toper from the Build a Birthday stamp set. I was keen to remove the poles from the stamp to just leave me with the bunting. So I set about trying various methods. 

 I didn't have my Stampin' Markers with me so was unable to colour in the section I wanted, so instead I 'un-inked' the poles of my stamp with my blender pens by running the tip of the pen over the unwanted inked area. Blender pens are designed to pick up ink and so they are perfect for this technique

I would recommend going over the area on the stamp you want to un-ink several times with the blender pen, and clean off the pen each time on some scrap paper, this allows you to keep picking up the colour off the stamp. 

Also have a practice at stamping your un-inked image before you put it directly on your project, its very annoying to add that finishing touch, only to smudge it slightly. 

I mounted my finished picture on a piece of striped DSP from the Pretty Petals DSP Stack, onto card base of Cucumber Crush. Happy Stamping!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Wildflower Fields DSP Simple Cards

Simply Does it

I love the New Designer Series Papers I got free with Sale-A-Bration. These gorgeous designs team will with the Flowering Fields Stamp set and need little to make a quick and simple card.

I had a nice relaxing time colouring in the images which I'd stamped in Stazon Black with blender pens.

I personally love blender pens! Being able to pick up the ink from the lid of all the different coloured ink pads I already own really increases the versatility of them. 

Plus, they allow you to control the depth of colour, as well as providing smooth line free colouring.




Just remember that if you use them with images stamped in non-permanent ink it can cause the image to smudge, although this can be a nice effect too!

I finished each card with a little twine and a sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Sentiments set.


So to get your free stamps or papers just pop on over to my webshop and spend £45 during Sale-A-Bration and take your pick!

Spring Craft Classes 2016

Spring Craft Classes 2016

We have a lovely selection of classes coming up that I am really excited about.

Everything from card classes suitable for all abilities, to some more complex ones exploring different techniques and 3D projects. We have also added Tuesdays to our regular timetable.

New way of running classes

At the end 2015 Sally and I experimented with a different way of running our classes, with very positive feed back. We now have a station for each card design/project element and split the class into groups to rotate round the stations. Each station is manned by myself, Sally or my ever willing mum Jane. 

This means that everyone has something to do all the time, and we have more time to dedicate to you. We hope you will continue to enjoy this type of class as much as we do!

Booking!

Please get in contact to book and pay in advance for which ever class takes your fancy. We are a very friendly bunch, and unless stated, everything is suitable for a complete novice. All materials are provided except a basic craft kit of scissors, pencil, ruler and glue etc, but we can provide what you need if you wish to have a taster and have nothing.

Can't make the date?

Talk to us! we are happy to put on addition dates for classes you cannot make. I can always host at my home day or evening, or if you prefer I can come to you. just contact me and we'll have a chat.

Contact: Helen on 07971 899462 or email helenwinstone@gmail.com

A Nice Cuppa

Tea and Cake anyone?

Afternoon tea is one of my favourite past times, especially with little sandwiches, posh China and lets not forget the cake!
So when I saw the new Spring Summer Occasions catalogue I was delighted, the new A Nice Cuppa Stamp set, with matching dies and embellishments was right up my street and so, unusually for me, I bought everything in the collection!

I have been enjoying having a play with these items to create some pretty cards. 

This card uses a base of Bermuda Bay stamped with the lemon image from the Nice Cuppa set in Bermuda Bay. I then used a strip of paper with a tiny lemon pattern on from the matching Have A Nice Cuppa Designer Series Paper stack. This was then wrapped in Bermuda Bay thick twine and tied in a knot with a super cute lemon embellishment. 

This Stamp set has some nice sentiments, and the 'You are tea-riffic' used on this card in Melon Mambo make this card suitable for many occasions.

Bermuda Bay was used to stamp the die cut tea cup and, paper from the DSP stack was used for the milk jug and spoon. Final touch of a wee tea bag tag stamped in Wisteria Wonder and hung from the cup with linen thread. The die cut heart in Daffodil Delight Cardstock finishes of this sweet card, with the items all arranged on Whisper White card, mounted on Wisteria Wonder.

If you love these products as much as I do check them out on my shop. The stamps and dies are available as a bundle saving you 15%. 

And remember its Sale-a-Bration, so for every £45 you spend you get to pick an exclusive free SAB product!