Get Stamping (2)

Just to let you know Lynnda launches the Get Stamping kit on Create and Craft Freeview channel 36 on Sunday at 10am so make sure you are up and watching. The kit is designed for new stampers (or old stampers to pack in their holiday luggage) and includes everything you need to make several cards with just the addition of a pair of scissors and some adhesive.
The kit includes an instruction booklet, together with a paper, card and envelope pack, 2 ink pads (3 colours), an acrylic block and 11 stamps - sketchy flowers, twiddly bits and a selection of sentiments.
Sunday's show also features a larger scale set of Sketchy Flowers and the Pansy Pot which is an old favourite of many and just right for Mother's Day in a couple of weeks.

This particular version of the Pansy Pot was made for Stitches hence it's colourway - I used our Hessian stamp with red chalk ink and then stamped over this with the pot section to give it some texture. The flowers were then stamped several times, cut out in various sections and decoupaged to give a good pot full of pansies.

I'm not sure why but I usually paint the pansies purple (using my Aquash set) but the beauty of pansies is that they come in loads of colours so you can tailor yours to suit any recipient!! Surprisingly the sun is out today and whilst I have no pansies in my garden to look at, I have just noticed the first yellow crocuses poking their heads out of the ground. They must be about 2 weeks late but it does mean Spring is on its way at last.

Anyway I hope you enjoy Sunday's show.

Stitches

Got back from the NEC late last night after 3 days on our feet at the Stitches trade show. Saturday is set up day - the big boys have all their stands built for them and products freighted in on pallets - the rest of us lug boxes and boxes of stuff and try and make our stands look attractive whilst avoiding the carpet fitters and electricians etc who are still working on the stands. Here's a photo of our stand with its black, white and red theme.

We had loads of interest in the stand and our products with several 'famous' faces stopping by for a chat including Suze Weinberg. If you check out her website you'll see several other photos of the show including one of my Dragon Canvas.

This piece uses a variety of our oriental stamps - two different sized dragons, symbols, serenity prayer and the seal - all stamped and embossed on canvas and then distressed around the edges.

So now we have leads to follow up and prepare for Create and Craft on Sunday at 10am when Lynnda will be launching the Get Stamping kit. Make sure you watch it.

Christmas(?)

Christmas - eek its February already and tomorrow it's off to the NEC to set up for the Stitches trade show. Here's another piece for the display - yes you've guessed it. it's black and white again!
Continuing on the background theme from yesterday, I've stamped the wood grain (plank from the Men's Tools set) and Thoresby scrolls in silver (well, it makes a change) and then overstamped with the Christmas Tree. It's embossed with black sparkle as is everything in my house including me I think! I've cut out the 7 layers of the tree to give it a little dimension - as ever, these things look better in real life.
Anyway, need to start packing today and find some thick clothes for tomorrow. Set up day is always freezing at the NEC as they have all the doors open....brrr! I'll try and get some photos of the completed stand and post them next week.

Backgrounds

Here's another black and white piece for the stand at Stitches this coming weekend........don't panic! Whilst many people focus on the centrepiece of a card, there is always a background that sets it off.

Here is a peak at some of the 16 background stamps featured on this piece. As you can see, we have scrolls, swirls, stitching, mack roses, wood grain, hessian, text and harlequin just in this photo. There are more!

Winter Leaves

This week has been a bit black and white ....well a lot of black and white actually. I've been doing samples for the stand at Stitches. Last year we kept to a red, black and white theme which attracted lots of interest and even had Suze Weinberg getting her camera out. So this year we thought we'd do it a little different and go for a black, white and red theme. Can you tell the difference?

This is a scrapbook page using the winter leaves - holly, ivy and build your own poinsettia - together with the Winter Garden Text stamp. Whilst these stamps can be used for christmassy cards and layouts, they fit perfectly with wintery photos like this Scots Pine taken on a very frosty day.

Watch this space for more peaks on the black and white theme.

Get Stamping

If you check out the Oak House Studio blog today Lynnda has posted about the new Get Stamping kit which is being launched on Create and Craft at the end of the month. It includes everything a new stamper needs to make a few cards - stamps and a block, inks, stamping card and card blanks with envelopes - together with a booklet giving full instructions. The kit comes in a box too so its handy to carry around with you or even pack in your holiday luggage!
My parcel arrived here the other day with the stamps and inks so I just had to have a go and see what I could make. The green card doesn't come in the kit but there are 3 different sizes of the flower stamp together with a set of sentiments and some twiddly bits which I forgot to use...oops! I added a brad to keep the easel card up and finished it with a piece of ribbon and some glitter from my stash.

As someone is fond of saying the possibilities are endless.

Hearts

Everyone seems to be putting hearts and flowers up on their blogs. Well I guess I should follow suite. This last week I've been crafting in black and white for the stand at Stitches so doing something in colour has been a nice change.




The card is made with the Scroll Frames stamps - the idea is to make a heart using all four stamps on your block but I ended up just using the biggest scroll piece and creating a heart shape that way. Its embossed in white and then distressed with Worn Lipstick, Fired Brick and a little Faded Jeans Distress inks. And as the sentiment says, its Just for You!!

Tomorrow its back to the monochrome.

Zing

Its been a bit of a grey week here, cloudy and damp etc so I decided to create something bright and cheerful. Its an ATC destined for Craft Stamper magazine for the 'in bloom' theme. The stamps are Oak House Studio Sketchy Flowers and the background uses the English Garden Text set. I don't normally use orange but you've got to agree it's bright!!

Waves

Its two days later and guess what, this blog now has a beachy feel which is more appropriate don't you think? Creativity comes in waves. Sometimes the sea is so far out you have no idea what to do. But at high tide, you find yourself scrambling around with too much to do before your towel gets wet!!!
Bit deep for a Monday morning I know so onto brighter things. Here is a card I made for Oak House Studio's Create and Craft Show last Saturday.

The design uses the Scroll Frames Stamps - a set of 4 stamps that can be stamped at jaunty angles to provide a background or to make frames, hearts, borders etc. This one is silver embossed then painted with blue Aquash. Hope you like!