Welcome to my blog!

Hi!

I invite you to please visit some of my blog posts below and have a look at the projects that I've created with the wonderful Stampin' Up! product range.

If you would like a current Stampin' Up! catalogue please email me!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Dynamic Duos #54 - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Banners Wedding Card

Hello there

At Dynamic Duos this week, we have a wonderful monochromatic duo as our inspiration. Midnight Muse would have to be one of my favourite colours - a beautiful deep luscious blue! I think it's lovely.



A while back on the Dynamic Duos team Facebook page, it was mentioned that even though Dynamic Duos has a two-colour rule, the challenge isn't exclusively a 'clean & simple' design challenge. Now clean & simple IS my default style and I am very comfortable in that zone....however after reading this I made the comment that I always seem to take design elements OFF of my cards before finishing them....I seem to strip them bare sometimes.....anyhoo...this week I thought I would step out of my comfort zone. 

Now I actually made the card at the bottom of my blog first.....but I wasn't satisified with it....too much going on.....so I returned to my craft desk and there was some bits & pieces laying around on the desk and I kinda 'pulled' them all ontop of one another and the second card was made.....I was trying to channel my inner-
Kimberly Van Diepen for this one....she is a US demonstrator who has a beautiful but fun vintage shabby chic style....she seems to manage to be simple and uncluttered, yet there is whimsy and cute elements in all her cards. Anyway, I'll leave it up to you to decide if I have come close to 'clean & simple vintage style'....

            



....and here's the card that I made first.....a card that is meant to be all geometric, boyish and fun...but I decided that there was too much going on so I didn't use it on the Design Team blog.... 


So join in and make something with these colours.....make 2 cards like me even! Let me know which card you prefer.
Cheers
Alison xx



Materials used:
1
st cardStamps - Itty Bitty Banners, Layered Labels
Ink - Bashful Blue, Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue Marker
Cardstock - White Textured CS (non-SU), Midnight Muse, Whisper White
Accessories - Paper Doiley, In Color Dahlia (Midnight Muse), Pearls, Delicate Details Lace Tape, Vintage Faceted Buttons
Tools - Big Shot, Itty Bitty Framelits, Stampin' Trimmer, Crimper,
Glue Dots, Spritzer Tool, Boho Blossom Punch, SNAIL

2nd cardStamps - Pretty Petites, Hearts a Flutter
Ink - Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue
Cardstock - Whisper White, Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue
Accessories - Silver Brads, Cute Clips
Tools - Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Postage Stamp punch, 1inch square punch, Petite Curly Label punch, Dimensionals, SNAIL, Paper Snips



Sunday, May 19, 2013

Dynamic Duos #53 - Stampin' Up! Moving Forward

Hi there

At Dynamic Duos this week we have a very cool colour challenge for you guys.....such a
fun colour combo!!!
 

For my card, I used a layout that I had seen the very talented Catherine Pooler use whereby the largest Apothecary Accents Framelit was used to make a 'window'.


For my card I used Pacific Point as my window frame and stamped my Moving Foward balloon image on Whisper White cardstock and then embossed around the image using the Cloudy Day embossing folder to give the impression (no pun intended) that the balloon was surrounded by clouds. I layered it all up, cornered the edges, added some brads and a sentiment and .....card finished!! I really enjoyed making this card....it did take a while as there was a lot of lining up and steps in construction but it is well worth it. 

This challenge reminded me what a beautifully glorious colour Pacific Point is. Come play along with the team this week and share your lovely cards. :)




 
Cheers
Alison xx


Materials used (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps - Moving Forward, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink - Pacific Point, Basic Black
Cardstock - Whisper White, Pacific Point
Accessories - Basic Black Brads, Silver Brads, White Bakers Twine
Tools - Big Shot, Stampin' Trimmer, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelit, Stampin' Sponges, Paper Piercer, Cloudy Day Embossing Folder, Ticket Corner Punch (retired), Dimensionals, SNAIL

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Honorable Mention at CASology


**Breaking news....my hexagon card from my previous post got an Honorable Mention at CASology this week!!***

 

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Dynamic Duos #52 - Stampin' Up! Hexagons

Hi there

This week at Dynamic Duos we are celebrating our one year anniversary!! To mark this auspicious occasion, we are inviting you to make a card using any past Dynamic Duo colour combination.
  


For my card I was inspired by the challenge set in week 33 of Dynamic Duos.....Gold & Black with a music theme!

 



I also saw this challenge at CASology which was all about HEXAGONS!!...so I thought I would give it a go.

Hexagons are VERY in at the moment in the world of craft/blogland so I thought it would be cool to make some of my own hexagonal buttons as embellishments. I made the hexagonal buttons by embossing my paper with the Stampin' Up! Honeycomb Embossing Folder and cutting out about 7 of each design. I then stuck them all together, sanded the edges a bit, punched two holes in each with my Crop-a-dile and then applied Crystal Effects to make them glossy. I left them to dry overnight (VERY important) and then I decorated 4 with bakers twine and the fifth with a gold brad. I didn't come up with this idea....I saw a this cute video a while ago from the wonderful Heather Summers, and our Impressions magazine (for Stampin' Up! demos) also featured a tutorial on it a while ago. The buttons are very fun to do....they are not hard at all.......give it a go!

I left the rest of the card completely bare and stamped a single simple sentiment from Fabulous Phrases.

So PLEASE join in this week and help us celebrate one whole year of joyful creativity.....check out our fabulous Design Team and get inspired....






Cheers
Alison xxx


Materials used

Stamps - Fabulous Phrases
Ink - Basic Black
Cardstock - Whisper White Textured CS (retired), First Edition Specialty DSP,
Basic Black DSP, Gold CS,
Love Letter DSP (black & vanilla polka dots), misc music print paper.
Accessories - Gold Brad, White Bakers Twine
Tools - Stampin' Trimmer, Stamp-a-majig, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Crop-a-dile, SNAIL, Crystal Effects, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Paper Snips

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Dynamic Duos #51 - Stampin' Up! - Under the Big Top

Hello!

I am so thrilled to be part of the Dynamic Duos Design Team....I've been a long-time fan & participant so it really means a lot to be on the team! Hopefully you will play along each week with me and the gang!! :)




The Dynamic Duos Design Team
Alison Barclay


This week's fabulous colours are:


I decided to make a 'Funky Fold' card. You just need your
Stampin’ Trimmer to cut and score the appropriate measurments. If you 'google images' for "Funky Fold Card", you will find a tutorial. I thought I would make a fun birthday card for a child using Stampin' Up's Under the Big Top stamp set. I know this is retired but it really has the cutest images and I can't stop using it!! :)   







After I finished my card, I realised that I didn't have an envelope big enough.....but never fear....the Stampin' Up Simply Scored is here!!! I just grabbed a piece of Designer Series Paper and made a quick envelope that was big enough for my card. :)  


So get busy with these beautiful colours....can't wait to see what you submit!

Cheers
Alison 


Materials used (all Stampin' Up!)
Stamps - Under the Big Top (retired)
Ink - Black Stazon, Basic Grey, Daffodil Delight,
Baja Breeze, Basic Black (to sponge edge of punched 'ball')
Cardstock - Whisper White, Whisper White textured CS (retired)
Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze DSP,
Big Top Birthday DSP (for envelope)
Accessories - Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, White Bakers Twine
Tools - Stampin' Trimmer, Simply Scored, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Large Scallop Edgelit, Cloudy Day Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, 3/4 circle punch, Stampin' Sponges, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Blender Pen, Crystal Effects (for ball).

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

My big news!!!

Hello my lovely readers!

I have some BIG NEWS that I can finally share with you. I have been invited to be on the Design Team for Dynamic Duos !!!!




SO EXCITING!!!!

So come visit us on Saturday for a brand new challenge with the brand new team!!