Stampy the Elephant Packed His Trunk...

Let's talk elephants.  And why wouldn't we?- they're amazing creatures, both strong and adorable, and instantly recognisable even when simply designed, as demonstrated here.  I sometimes struggle with baby cards, because I don't really like to do the whole pink/blue thing, so usually head for neutrals.  Likewise with the usual new baby images: bears, prams, nappies, etc don't really do it for me.  But an elephant?  Yep.  Which is why this bundle was at the top of my list when the new Annual Catalogue was released.

The two cards below are a new baby card in Coastal Cabana, and a birthday card for a very special big little girl who has just turned two.  These elephants made the trip all the way to Australia, but it's OK, because they packed their trunks, and I'm sure they'll never forget where they came from 😂🐘

The Badger Family

Scrapbooking.  It's my personal crafting go-to when I need some downtime.  It's like cardmaking, but you get to keep everything! I'm very lucky in that the Badger Cub loves looking back at photographs, so I have the added bonus that I'm making something that we will look at again and again as a family, and enjoy the pictures together.

This layout was something a bit different for me.  I sometimes collage my photos before I order prints, so that I can have 74mmx102mm prints ready for the Memories&More pockets, but a couple of months ago I made one of these collages into a two-frame "comic strip" (with the help of the stickers from PicCollage) and gave it to Mr Badger for his birthday.  When it came to scrapbooking my copy of the print I ended up adding in more around it, and I think it looks really fun and summery!  Certainly a good one to look back on as we head into Autumn, especially as it features my little five year old... who will soon be gone forever because he turns six tomorrow!  Gulp!

Colour Challenge: Part II

Well, due to some kind of computational nonsensery that is beyond my humble under-standing, my post is sideways today.  Wow, I'm a luddite, I know!

Maybe multiple pics are a bit much for my poor PC, but I thought I'd show you my latest collection of Colour Challenges.  The thing I love most about these is that they are all colour combos that I would never have picked off the shelf, and yet they all work.  Colour theory and design principles fascinate me, and I love that the Stampin'Up! colour suites fit so well with these principles so that well chosen colours always look like they belong together: even when they contrast, they contrast beautifully.

I wouldn't, for example, have chosen colours almost bordering on neon for a Christmas stocking, but how fab and funky do they look?  The swirl in the background, by the way, is from Stylish Christmas, and is one of my current very favourite stamps.

I wouldn't have gone with dark, muted colours for a baby card either, but again, it works well.  I love the more earthy tones, and it makes a lovely change from my usual yellow or turquoise for a baby card.

Speaking of yellow, I don't think I'd have been brave enough to pair Pineapple Punch with
Lovely Lipstick if I hadn't been prompted, but

used judiciously it has really brought this flower card to life.  I'm also very much in love with the Tin Tile embossing folder at the moment - definitely my folder of the month!

And finally, another current favourite, the Rooted in Nature stamp set, which I have only just purchased and I'm genuinely wondering how I managed without it in my life until now.  These leaf skeleton stamps are so delicate and precise that I think I have (yet another) contender for my "Favourite Stamp Ever" award.

I hope I may have inspired you to have a go with some colour combos you perhaps wouldn't have tried before, and I'd love to see your results!

Reflections on a Winter Woodland

I know I've posted this before, but wanted to say a bit more about it.  As with so many of my designs at the moment this was made for a Colour Challenge (Grapefruit Grove, Merry Merlot and Pool Party).  And this was very difficult for me to do, although I am pleased with the results.

See, my name is Sarah, and I'm white-space-phobic 😄  I accepted this many years, and there's no shame in it.  There are plenty of others out there like me - perhaps you are one of them?

One of my favourite quotes is by Helena Bonham-Carter, who when asked about her personal fashion style said that she just doesn't quite know when to stop getting dressed.  I'm a bit like that with cards.  If there is space, it looks unfinished, at least while I'm sitting there making it.  If someone else made exactly the same thing I wouldn't have the slightest problem with it, but it's perhaps a sign of lack of confidence in certain styles of design, or perhaps that my simpler designs can't stand on their own merit.

So the above was very brave of me.  Two layers of stamped trees, one of Bokeh Dots, one greeting.  One matted layer.  That's all.  Nothing else.

And I've left it like that.  There was a time when I would have scowled at it and covered it in ribbons and diamante, textured the proverbial out of it and run it through the BigShot in an embossing folder.  And there is definitely a place for all that, but not on this card.  This one is teaching me something about my crafting, and also, maybe, about myself.

Ruby Tuesday

This was a last minute Ruby Wedding Anniversary card.  I'm having one of those "Yes, I like it, hm, no I don't" kinds of relationships with this one, but I do like that I was finally able to play with colouring the Delightfully Detailed DSP, and I had a return to the embossed speckling in the background, which I used to do a lot but haven't for a while.

Given more time I think I would have come up with something very different, but I think on balance this was an OK design.  I haven't heard that it made the recipients cry, or anything, so hopefully they thought so too!

Tricky First Album (Feat. Stampin'Badger B)

I can't take credit for this, but wanted to share because I think it looks absolutely stunning.  This is the brainchild of Hannah at HanCrafted Creations, and it took a good while, but I think the results are well worth the effort I put in.

As this was my first attempt I decided to use some retired papers, of which I have, ahem, one or two sheets knocking around (for "one or two sheets" read "one or two boxes full").  I have had these papers for a while but never quite managed to do anything with them: I bought them because, well, they're gorgeous, you can see that, but they aren't my usual style so they never quite came to the front of my mind until now.

The album has just three "pages", but so many fold-outs and flaps and pockets that it will comfortably hold around 20 6"x4" photos, and lots and lots of smaller bits besides.

One of my favourite elements of this album is the concealed magnetic fastners, which mean everything closes up really nicely.  That's the Badger Cub above, and Mama Badger below, incidentally.

Of course, it doesn't have to be photos that go in - tags, bookmarks, small cards, journalling cards, etc are all perfect additions too.

Another brilliant feature of this design (thanks Hannah!) is that the cards, pockets, etc aren't specific sizes: they can be made with the offcuts you have from the larger pieces, which is such a clever way to use your treasured papers economically.  

In fact, I may have gone a bit overboard with the additional cards, but I realised later that I have made most of them almost exactly Memories&More-sized, and what perfect designs these will be for scrapbooking autumn, which is just around the corner.

I See Your True Colours Shining Through

I really, reeeally, REALLY like the new Uninked Spectrum Ink Pads.  Anyone who knows me knows that I'm ever so slightly partial to a rainbow, so it was a bit of a no-brainer what I'd do with my first one, and I'm still in awe of it!  I ran a class a few weeks ago and we had a good old play with lots of ways to use them, and I have to say, I am very happy with the results.

I'm now waiting for my second one to arrive, and wondering what colours I will use it for?  Something Christmassy, maybe... I still haven't decided what I'm doing for my Christmas Cards, after all...