Author: Hannah McCurley

Posted on

Stampin’ With Embossing Folders

You may have guessed by now, I love a good stamping technique! And I have to say, this is one I had never thought of… Until I saw this video from Stampin’ Up!

Isn’t it awesome! I just HAD to have a go!

Stampin' Up! UK Stamping with embossing folders

I had such a great time trying this out (so much that I have another card using this technique next week!) In fact I have sort of combined techniques to create my own super patterned paper! To use your embossing folders as stamps – apply the ink to the raised side of the embossing folder directly from your ink pad, carefully place your card stock onto the inked area and close the folder. Rub you bone folder across the embossing folder to press the ink onto the card stock.

Then, using a sponge dauber or Stampin’ sponge, apply ink through a mask to the card stock. And wha-la! (I’m not sure that’s actually a word, but I’m rolling with it)

(watch me roll!)

I even made you lovely people a video to demonstrate!

Aren’t they so cute! I love any opportunity to use my favourite childhood stamp set, Zoo Babies! and couldn’t pass this as a chance to make a couple of baby cards.

Stampin' Up! UK Zoo Babies Large Polka Dots

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Flower Power….

In just under a fortnight I will be attending Stampin’ Up! regional training. Stampin’ Up! events really are something to behold, the sight of hundreds of women (and men) dancing around, waving their arms, and screaming at the tops of the lungs for free products as part of prize patrols, really is something you have to witness to understand. I LOVE attending Stampin’ Up! events, they are definitely a highlight of being a demonstrator (for a full list see HERE!).

A big part of these events is swaps, and last week I started to prepare mine. Swapping is like a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator tradition – each demonstrator makes a pile of card fronts, or 3D items, or anything really with Stampin’ Up! products, and takes them to swap with other demos. Its a great way of not only getting a massive amount of inspiration, but also meeting new friends (and getting a whole heap of chocolate!).

So, I thought I was going to use Flower Patch to make my swaps this year. I stamped and stamped and stamped, in just about every colour, with every stamp in the set – and could I find something I wanted to make 50 of? Nope….. But, I did make this card, which I do LOVE!

Stampin' Up! UK Flower Patch Swaps

I love the layered look this stamp set creates. Here I have layered Pink Pirouette and Blackberry Bliss to create some gorgeous blooms, finished off with some Lost Lagoon accent flowers. This stamp set also has an awesome coordinating die set (and they come bundled together for 15% off!), to fussy cut this lovely blooms without any of the fuss!

I adore the sentiments in this stamp set ‘You Overwhelm Me with You Awesomeness’ – I was hoping to include this in my swaps, just because I love seeing what other Demonstrators produce, I think they are all super awesome and talented – however, I have an even better swap idea – so watch this space!

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Freshly Made Sketches #184

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend! Hope you all have a great bank holiday, I’m on child-watching (more like teenager-driving) duty this weekend. Not a bad way to spend the bank holiday, however, I’d rather be stamping (I totally need that on a T-shirt!)

As it’s Saturday I’m challenging myself yet again, as I enjoyed Freshly Made Sketches so much last week I decided to play along again.

FMS Final 184-001

It’s this sketch just so cute! I love using tags on cards but find them tricky to balance sometimes, and although it says ‘any shape’ I chose to stick to the tag format.

Stampin' Up! UK Sketch Challenge Painted Petals

Its this card fab! I love it! I’ve been struggling to use up a mountain of Designer Series Paper that is about to retire – and so leaped at the chance to use a piece here. Actually I used two pieces of Designer Series Paper from the Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper stack, and paired the DSP with some super sweet flowers from Painted Petals.

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Giant Tealights – a bag two ways

Last week I took a personal day, took myself off shopping – mainly for wedding things, shoes, honeymoon clothes, thank you presents, that sort of thing. But while I was out I stopped in at Ikea (I think I have a problem, I cannot just drive past, I have to go it, its like visiting an old friend!) and picked up a few items for my craft room. While I was there I had to stop in the Candle department, I love Ikea candles, its such a shame they’ve stopped doing the really big ones in glass pots though, instead I grabbed a pack of Giant Tealights, in Apple – or Wild Wasabi!

Stampin' Up! UK Ikea Giant Tealight Bag Video Tutorial

So, both bags are the same. But the Marina Mist version has been folded over near the top of the tealight inside, and the flap held closed by some now sadly retiring Chevron Ribbon. You can find out more about retiring products in my previous post. Whereas the Wild Wasabi version is held closed by one of the fabulous Clothespins (or pegs if your here in the UK!)

Measurements:

Designer Series Paper – 7 x 6″ (18 x 15 cm)

Score on the long side first at – 1, 3 3/8, 4 3/8 and 6 3/4″ (2.5, 8.5, 11 and 17 cm)

Score on the short side at – 1″ (2.5 cm)

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

A Work of Art Just for You!

Playing around with Stamps and colours again today, and came up with this simple card using two stamp sets; Work of Art and Handcarved (retiring). I prep my projects a head of time and so this time a few items I have used have now been discontinued. I try not to use retired product in my projects – it doesn’t help you or me! – but around retiring list time it just couldn’t be helped. However, Work of Art is still with us, and I know that there are other background stamps this would work just as well with.

Stampin' Up! UK Work of Art

The background is stamped using Handcarved, in Tempting Turquoise stamped off once. With the other elements from Work of Art stamped across the card in Pacific Point and Pumpkin Pie.

I’ve finished this card with one of my favourite / go to finishing techniques, using Crystal Effects to create 3-dimensional droplets across the card. Simple but effective

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Partial Die Cutting Zig Zag Card

Welcome to Technique Tuesday – the day of the week where I show you how to create a card using a new technique! This week, I’m using Partial Die Cutting to create this lovely card with Butterfly Basics!

Stampin' Up! UK partial die cutting technique video butterfly basics

This card is really simple to make. The trick comes when running your die cutting sandwich through your Big Shot. Create your die cutting sandwich as normal – Magnetic Platform, Cutting Plate, card stock, die – but position your top cutting plate carefully – aligning the edge of the plate with where you want your die cut to stop. Remember your die will only cut where there is pressure – no plate = no pressure! Check out the video to see what I mean.

Instructions:

Cut a piece of A4 card in half, and fold in half to create your card base. Then open your card base, and mark a centre line down the inside front cover. Stamp your butterflies down this line – using a Stamp-a-ma-jig to ensure correct positioning.

Create your die cutting sandwich, lining up your die with your stamped butterflies, and lining the edge of your top place up with your centre line. Run this sandwich through your Big Shot. Repeat for all three butterflies, before finishing the card by stamping the insides or adding any desired embellishments.

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

 

Posted on

Gorgeous Potpourri

Sometimes, although not often, I will make a batch of cards without sentiments. Generally it’ll be because I’m testing a colour combination or technique, and discover that I really like the result – exactly what happened here!
Stampin' Up! UK Gorgeous Grunge Petal PotpourriI writing my blogging list a few weeks ago and was pulling stamp sets off the shelf, and these two landed next to each other – Gorgeous Grunge (always a favourite) and Petal Potpourri. I’ll do this quite often as well, generally when I’m completely lacking in inspiration! I’ll just grab two random stamp sets, and three ink pads and see where I end up. Usually its something reasonable, other times its a mess and goes in the bin!

The doily stamp is so pretty, paired with Melon Mambo and punched out with the Flower Medallion Punch (currently on a Weekly deal!). I just love the look of a few of these doilies stacked together, its so pretty.

The rest of the card is a combination of two stamps from Gorgeous Grunge stamped in Blackberry Bliss and Soft Sky. Pretty

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

 

Posted on

Freshly Made Sketches #183 – Perfectly Lacy

Hello! Time for something a little different on StampinByHannah. I was recently a Guest Design Team member for a challenge blog (you can find my posts here and there!) and just loved taking part in the challenges – so, I’m going to try to enter a challenge each week.

This week, I’m playing along at Freshly Made Sketches, Challenge #183

FMS 183

I love a simple sketch, probably because I’m a simple card maker, but I think this one has plenty of scope for a more complex card.

I’ve use one of my current favourite background stamping techniques one this one to create this soft, stamped effect. Ink up your background stamp with Sahara Sand (or any other pale colour) and stamp off once. Then lay your card stock onto the stamp, and rub gentle circles in patches across the card stock. Here I’ve used Something Lacy from the Spring/Summer catalogue – isn’t it stunning!

Stampin' Up! UK Freshly Made Sketches #183 Your Perfect DayThe panel on the right is a piece of Very Vanilla matted into a piece of Early Espresso. The stamps here at from Your Perfect Day – the most lovely Wedding stamp set! and are stamped in Sahara Sand and Early Espresso. I’ve layered this panel onto the card with some dimensionals, after wrapping a length of Early Espresso Bakers Twine a couple of times around the card and tying a bow (I think it might even be my best bow yet – not bad for someone who is very bow challenged!) .

Stampin' Up! UK Your Perfect Day Something Lacy Wedding Card

I’m rather proud of that bow actually!

Thanks for stopping by

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

 

Posted on

Marshmallow Box – Video Tutorial

Isn’t it always the way, when your doing a big ol’ deep clean that you come across something you had totally forgotten all about! well, that’s what happened to me last week. Deep cleaning my kitchen cupboards and this little box fell out on my head! First of all I thought it was a higher power being nice to me, rewarding my hard-work with Marshmallows, but alas the box was empty! However, it did inspire me to create this fab gift box – great for Marshmallows, or chocolates, a small candle, or just something little and cute!

Stampin' Up! UK Box video tutorial perpetual birthday calender

I love this box! The dots are from Perpetual Birthday Calender, while the sentiment is a retiring Hello There!

Measurements:

Card stock = 11 1/2 x 9 3/4″ (29 x 25 cm)

Score on the long side at – 2 3/4, 5 1/2, 8 1/4 and 11″ (7, 14, 21, and 28 cm)

Score on the short side at – 3/4, 3 1/2, 6 1/4, and 9″ (2, 9, 16, and 23 cm)

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Online Workshop! and Give-away!

Stampin' Up! UK Free online workshop giveaway painted petals

So, as you may already be able to tell, its a bit day here at StampinByHannah – this is the 3rd blog post! and I think this is one of the most exciting posts of the day! my FREE online workshop!

For more information about joining Stampin’ Up! check out my FAQ or drop me a message.

Project Measurements:

Card box –  Cardstock = 20.5 x 16 cm (8 x 6 1/4″), Designer Series Paper = 18.7 x 14.2 cm (7 5/16 x 5 9 /16″)

Score the cardstock at 2 cm (3/4″) on all four sides to form the base

Score the Designer Series paper at 1 cm (3/8″) on all four sides to form the lid

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS!

To enter post a comment either here or in the YouTube comments of the Online Workshop before midnight UTC on 5th May 2015. I will post the winner on my blog and facebook page at midday on 6th May 2015 – it is up to the winner to contact me, giving me your posting address.

This giveaway is not associated in any way with Stampin’ Up!, YouTube, Google, or Facebook.

Shop Now button-001Join my team button-001

To purchase any of the items featured in my projects please use the links above. To join my team of Stampin’ Friends select ‘Join My Team’ or send me a message!

Please support StampinByHannah by using the Hostess code featured in the top right hand of my blog. For orders of over £150 please do not use this code, as you are entitled to your own Hostess benefits!

Sign up to my newsletter here – http://eepurl.com/2if59

Hannah Wilks

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator