Special Reason for a Birthday Card….

Pretty Floral Birthday Card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

I am loving playing with the Special Reason stamp set at the moment, so much so that when I woke up at 3AM one morning last week (I have been on a month long rotation of night shifts, my body clock is complete broken by this point!), I chose to get up and make a bunch of cards with this awesome set. I manged to make 5 without too much thinking (good at 3AM) and managed to get my samples completed for my current Online Card Class featuring the same stamp and die bundle too!

Pretty Floral Birthday Card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

I have been stamping this large flower stamp in single coloured ink for a while, but I fancied changing it up a bit today. So I inked it up in Sweet Sugarplum, and then did the stamp rolling technique to add a touch of Rich Razzleberry to the tips of the petals. I’m sure this sounds more complicated than it actually is, and I am almost positive I have a tutorial video using it somewhere (HERE!), but basically you ink up your stamp in a pale colour first, and then roll the edges of the stamp in a darker colour. I would suggest huffing on the stamp before you stamp it, or even lightly misting with water, to encourage the two ink colours to blend a little, otherwise you do end up with a bit of a line where one colour ends and the other starts (as you can see on the top of my flower!)

Pretty Birthday Card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

The rest of the card is pretty simple, once again I am revisiting one of my favourite card layouts… with an embossing folder and a large boarder! And I couldn’t pass up the chance to make a card in my favourite colour… Rich Razzleberry either!  The other colour here is Old Olive, used to die cut the leaves and stamp the sentiment. Actually, I’m not sure I have mentioned the sentiments in this set yet… very versatile, and little to fit into the smallest of spaces too! Just lovely.


Question of the day: What is your favourite Stampin’ Up! Colour (past or present!)

I’m always drawn to Rich Razzleberry, I just love purple tones and I think Rich Razzleberry has the edge at the moment… I am still mourning the loss of Blackberry Bliss last June!! lol


Special Reason Online Card Class using Stampin' Up! UK Supplies


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Sale-a-bration on Wednesday | Watercolouring with So Very Much

Sale-a-bration 2017 So Very Much from Stampin' Up! Watercolour Colour You World Challenge Thank You Card

Sale-a-bration from Stampin' Up! UK

Did you see my special Sale-a-bration blog post yesterday? We have 3 fabulous additions to collect during Sale-a-bration, I chose to order the Glimmer paper during the demonstrator only Pre-Order earlier in the month, but I think I will be ordering the Make a Medallion after seeing heaps of lovely projects on Pinterest!

Sale-a-bration 2017 So Very Much from Stampin' Up! Watercolour Colour You World Challenge Thank You Card

This card came about early yesterday morning. I am part of a colour challenge group on Facebook, and this month’s colour combination was released yesterday, I needed a bit of kick and some inspiration and this card is the result! I’m not sure I would ever has selected this colour combination on my own, but I might have to try it again … I don’t use a lot of Orange and Yellow

The So Very Much stamp set is available for FREE during Sale-a-bration, to grab this fabulous stamp set all you have to do is add £45 worth of wonderful Stampin’ goodies into your basket on my Online Store, and then you can choose this great stamp set for FREE (or one of the 15 other great choices!)

Sale-a-bration Wednesday Watercolour Thank You Card using So Very Much from Stampin' Up! UK

Sale-a-bration is more than just choosing a free Sale-a-bration present though. There are 3 wonderful offers available, my favourite is the current joining offer…. it just comes with so much. Firstly you get to choose £130 worth of goodies and pay just £99, then you get to add a 2 stamp sets into your kit for FREE (that’s any stamp set from the Annual or Spring Summer catalogue), THEN you get 20 off your Stampin’ purchases while you remain active (which would be at least until the end of June), as well as Pre-Order for the next Annual catalogue (which is in May), instant Stampin’ friends, and access to my Online Card Class videos for FREE! You can find more information about joining my growing team HERE, or if you have more questions check out my Joining FAQ, or if you know that you already want to join CLICK HERE! I cannot wait to welcome you into the team!


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Global Design Project #075 – Winged Creatures!

Global Design Project 075 Winged Creatures Theme Challenge Card using Garden in Bloom from Stampin' Up! UK

Ok, so something unusual is happening today… there are several reasons why but I wont bore you with them, but today I am live blogging. I usually schedule my blog posts, and often work several weeks ahead…. but I didn’t get my Global Design Project project made yesterday like I had planned, so I have been busy in my crafty office this morning instead, and rather than use this card as my Thursday blog post, I decided to get it out to you today. So, happy Tuesday!

gdp075

This weeks Global Design Project Challenge is a themed challenge… I really struggle with these! I checked the GDP before I left work yesterday morning (I have FINALLY finished my month long rotation of night shifts! YAY!) and spent my hour long drive home trying to think of stamp sets in my stash with Winged Creatures in! My initial thought was of the Butterflies dies, and although they are beautiful, I just wasn’t feeling them this week. Then I thought about using the Picture Perfect stamp set, and that beautiful humming bird…. but then there was this little niggle in my brain that said… “I’m sure there is a bee stamp in Garden In Bloom”…. but whilst driving I couldn’t check! The second I got home, and got my coat off I was in my crafty office pulling out stamp sets with Winged Creatures, and yes… there is a Bee stamp in Garden In Bloom!

Global Design Project 075 Winged Creatures Theme Challenge Just Because Friendship Card using Hexagon Embossing folder and Garden In Bloom from Stampin' Up!

The longest task in making this card was fussy cutting that Bee! he is so cute, but those antennae were really fiddly! My top tip when fussy cutting little pieces like my Bee friend here is to run your Basic Black Stampin’ Write Marker around the edge of the piece once you have cut it… this way you can’t see any messy edges, or tell that I couldn’t get into some of the corners! Global Design Project 075 Winged Creatures Theme Challenge Card using Garden in Bloom from Stampin' Up! UK

The honeycomb boarder is created using the Hexagon Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (try saying that 6 times fast!) and I ran a Basic Black ink pad across the surface of the folder before inserting my Delightful Dijon card stock to get the black lines on the final piece. I then fussy cut the hexagons too, and cut of a few random pieces, this embossing folder is so much fun!

I finished the card with a little spritz of black, just to add a little touch of grunge, and to cover the fact that I managed to smudge the sentiment with my clumsy fingers!


Special Reason Online Card Class using Stampin' Up! UK Supplies


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Make It Monday | A Special Reason to use lots of Glimmer Paper!!!

Make It Monday Video Tutorial Special Reason Card using Sale-a-bration Glimmer Paper Customer Thank You Cards using Stampin' Up! Products

Make It Monday

Oh, I am so excited for this week! Tomorrow is the launch of 3 brand new and fabulous Sale-a-bration freebies!!! They are all so gorgeous, and I cannot wait to see what you make with them. I spent an afternoon last week making a whole heap of these cards using the new Glimmer Paper to make a bunch of cards for my lovely customers.

Make It Monday Video Tutorial Special Reason Card using Sale-a-bration Glimmer Paper Customer Thank You Cards using Stampin' Up! Products

This new Glimmer Paper comes in 6 x 6 sheets, you get 12 sheets in 3 gorgeous colours for FREE when you spend £45 on Stampin’ Up! goodies. The colours in this pack are Bermuda Bay, Sweet Sugarplum and Mint Macaron and they coordinate beautifully with the Special Reason stamp and die bundle, as well as the Succulent Garden suite and Falling in Love Designer Series Paper. Speaking of Special Reason, this is my current Online Card Class, and you could choose this new Glimmer Paper as your class freebie when you join me in class too!

These cards are an edited version of one of the cards on the front of the new Sale-a-bration leaflet. I have sent out a bunch of these, but if you don’t have one there will be one available to download from my blog tomorrow when it goes live!

Make It Monday Video Tutorial using Sale-a-bration Glimmer Paper Beautiful You card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

These cards were do fun to make, but I did have a totally disaster along the way! I had managed to put 3 of them together before my favourite Fast Fuse adhesive ran out! I had no idea I was so short of glue, and I don’t use non-Stampin’ Up! adhesives anymore (why would I, I’m saving 25% every time I buy it!), so I was so shocked when I checked in my back-up that there was a great big gap where my Fast Fuse refils usually sit! I shared this with the girls in the team, and they all found it hilarious that I was basically trying to make cards without glue! Although they did give me some great suggestions of alternatives! So, these cards were put together with a combination of Snail, Glue Dots and Tombow!


online-card-classes


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Sunday Colour Splash | Delicate Details

Sunday Colour Splash using Delicate Details Sale-a-bration SAB from Stampin' Up! UK Free stamps

Sunday Colour Splash Stampin' Up! Colour Challenge

Hello! I am so excited to be doing another Sunday Colour Splash this week! This is my weekly challenge to you… each week I post a card on a Sunday, along with the colours I have used and I would LOVE to see what you create! Click the link at the bottom of this post to share your creations with me, and I will pick one lucky person to win some hand-stamped goodies from me!

This week I am using one of the fabulous Sale-a-bration gifts -Delicate Details, a collection of pretty boarders, I think this set would be perfect for a wedding card, or even the invitations – and its FREE! when you spend £45! Awesome!

Sunday Colour Splash using Delicate Details Sale-a-bration SAB from Stampin' Up! UK Free stamps

The sentiment is taken from the Birthday Bright stamp set, and I am using this set in my current email card series. You can subscribe to my weekly emails HERE or by using the link at the bottom of this post

Ok, so what colours have I used this week?

This is a really soft colour combination, but I know you will create some gorgeous projects with it!

[contact-form to=’[email protected]’ subject=’Sunday Colour Splash’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Image URL’ type=’url’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’/][/contact-form]


Sale-a-bration from Stampin' Up! UK


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge | February 2017

Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge Birthday Card using Cupcakes and Carousels from Stampin' Up! UK

Stampin' Up! Sketch Challenge

Oh I am so excited to be back hopping with my girls again this week! We took January off, things were just crazy busy for all of us, but we are BACK this week with a fabulous sketch from the lovely Sam Charlton!

Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge Stampin' Up!

I knew exactly were I wanted to go with this sketch as soon as I saw it! Unusual for me, usually the girls set us a challenge…but this sketch is just lovely, although I have left off a couple of the elements. That’s one of the things I love about creating with a sketch, selecting the bits you love and changing the ones you’re not such a fan of!

Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge Birthday Card using Cupcakes and Carousels from Stampin' Up! UK

I haven’t played with the Cupcakes and Carousels paper for a few months. This was one of the items I got to play with early as a Display Stamper for OnStage Local back in November, and I think I sort of over-dosed myself with it… and bit of time and separation later and I am back in love with it again, and paired with this sentiment from Carousel Birthday this card was almost finished!

Simply Sketched Saturday Challenge Cupcakes and Carousels Birthday Card using Carousel Birthday from Stampin' Up! UK

but there was something missing, and I couldn’t stick anything down, until I had reached for the Lucky Stars embossing folder…and my card as done.

Simply Sketched Next

Simply Sketched Previous


Question of the day: What do you do reach for when you card needs an extra something?

I will often grab an embossing folder, Enamel shapes, or sometimes the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set!


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Global Design Project #074 | Special Reason for a Sketch

Global Design Project 074 Sketch challenge Special Reason Love Card using Stampin' Up! products

Hello!

Yes, once again I am playing along with the Global Design Project. I like to get these onto my blog during the first half of the week normally, but this week my scheduling went a bit peculiar and so here we are on a Thursday! This weeks Global Design Project Challenge is a sketch, and a lovely sketch it is too…

gdp074

I am having great fun at the moment playing with the Special Reason bundle … so much so that it is my current Online Card Class! Yay! I have altered the sketch a little, in that I needed to change the shape of the bottom of the banner, but otherwise I have kept fairly true to sketch (unusual for me!)

Once I had cut and shaped the banner, using the Triple Banner Punch, I used one of the dies from the Stylish Stems die set (bundled with Special Reason) to cut this pretty flower. This set of dies is special… it cuts the inside shape of the flower, leaving it inside the cardstock. So, I then cut it again in Pool Party and used the out-line die to cut out the flower. To adhere the two together I sponged the middle of the back of the Pool Party flower with Tombow to give me a bit of wiggle room and allowing me to get both flowers perfectly lined up!

Global Design Project 074 Wedding Love Congratulations Card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

The stripy background is a regular feature of a GDP sketch,  and I almost re-created it with ink… but I had a lovely delivery of Designer Series Paper this week, and so went with polka dots instead. The Pool Party Designer Series Paper is taken from the Subtles Designer Series Paper stack, a mountain of paper in four generic prints; dots, stripes, script and floral – very pretty. The only other colour here is Tip Top Taupe for the heart and the sentiment.

Global Design Project Love Card using Special Reason from Stampin' Up! UK

Thanks so much for checking out my blog today. If you live in the UK and don’t have a Demonstrator I would LOVE you to order from me, let me know if you want a catalogue and sign up for my latest Online Card Class using the link below


online-card-classes


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Sale-a-bration Wednesday | Inside the Lines with a gorgeous Butterfly

Sale-a-bration 2017 Inside the Lines Designer Series Paper Sending Wishes Card Stampin' Up! UK

Sale-a-bration from Stampin' Up! UK

Oh yes, it is Wednesday… and time to talk some more about Sale-a-bration! oh how I LOVE this sale! It is just awesome!

Now, I know that the Inside the Lines Designer Series Paper is totally designed for you to colour in…. but I am loving using it as it is – I will have to have a go at colouring soon though, I’m sure this card would look AMAZING with the paper coloured…..

Sale-a-bration wednesday Sending Wishes card using Inside the Line and Butterfly Basics from Stampin' Up! UK

Did you know that you can get this fabulous Designer Series Paper for FREE? just by spending £45 before the end of March! Isn’t that just so cool, and how often to you get to choose your own free gift…. not often enough!

The stamp set and the die I have used on this card come from the Annual Catalogue, they are firm favourites of mine but haven’t had much use recently. The Butterfly Basics stamp set coordinates perfectly with the Butterflies thinlits dies, and that butterfly is stunning die cut from Basic Black card stock. I have manage a pop of metallic on this card with some loops of Copper Metallic Thread.

Sale-a-bration 2017 Inside the Lines Designer Series Paper Sending Wishes Card Stampin' Up! UK

Did you get chance to check out my Sale-a-bration bundles post from last week? I though I would share it with you again, it shows perfectly what you might choose in order to get one of the fabulous Sale-a-bration items!

How fabulous are those items! I had to put an order in last week (I had run out of Fast Fuse!!!! I know, I couldn’t believe it either!!!) and so choose the gorgeous Advant Garden stamp set… I cannot wait to have a play with it!


Question of the day: What colours would you colour this fabulous paper?

I’m reaching for my watercolour pencils…. so I might do an Old Olive and Melon Mambo combo!


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Make It Monday…. on a Tuesday | Thank You Cards!

January Customer Thank You Cards using Beautiful You from Stampin' Up! UK

Yes, I am sorry, it is definitely Tuesday today, but I am sharing the second part of my January Thank You gifts today

Video Tutorial featuring Beautiful You from Stampin' Up! UK

Each month I send the lovely people who shop with me a gift pack to say a special Thank You. These packs always include a hand stamped card, and a sweet treat (you can see January’s Sweet Treats on yesterday’s blog post!) and you can bump up your gift packs by joining my Code Club and using the Code when you order to get some free Stampin’ goodies – this month I sent Enamel Shapes.

Beautiful You is the most gorgeous Stamp Set, I am still having heaps of fun with watercolouring these images. However I chose to keep things simple for my Thank You cards (watercolouring piles of cards can be a little tricky!) and so I stamped my watercolour instead! I think I am on a bit of a Sweet Sugarplum kick at the moment, I have just made a stack of cards using this fabulous colour to kick of the next part of Sale-a-bration! (more of that next week!)

January Customer Thank You Cards using Beautiful You from Stampin' Up! UK

I don’t write inside the cards I send to customers… and I have no issue with you sending them on and taking credit for them either (anything to make your lives easier!) Do let me know if there is a stamp set you would like me to feature on my Customer cards… or if there is a sweet treat you fancy trying!

Measurements:

Card base: Sweet Sugarplum – half A4, folded in half

Matt: Embossed with the Petal Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder – 14.3 x 10 cm

Basic Gray: 7.5 x 7.5 cm and 4.5 x 4.5 cm

Whisper White: 7 x 7 cm and 4 x 4 cm


Question of the day: What is your current favourite sweet treat?

What, other than the fabulous Sweet Treats bundle?! lol, I’m a sucker for anything chocolate-y, actually I hit my local supermarket yesterday looking for bits for some upcoming projects (Easter is coming!) and found some egg shaped chocolates with a melt-y filling… yum!


Product List


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Sunday Colour Splash | Need a Special Reason…. 96th Birthday card

Special Birthday card using Special Reason and Number of Years from Stampin' Up! UK

We are so blessed in our family to have celebrated James’ Nannys’ 96th birthday in January. She is just such a special person, and so using the Special Reason bundle to make her card just made sense to me.
Special Birthday card using Special Reason and Number of Years from Stampin' Up! UK

This card caused me so many problems! I had originally stamped and embossed the 96 onto Night of Navy card stock…. except I have totally lost the 6 die! I have turned my Crafty Office upside down trying to find it, I am hoping that it has fallen down the side of my desk (which is actually a chest of drawers) but moving everything to have a look hasn’t quite happened yet.

The Special Reason bundle is so fabulous, I am loving the dies so much. This bundle features in my next Online Card Class which launches on Tuesday…. I cannot wait!

Special Birthday card using Special Reason and Number of Years from Stampin' Up! UKBecause this card was for James to give to Nanny, I had to stamp the inside too … it’s always James special request, that and that I put my details on the back. He is so funny

Right, what is the Sunday Colour Splash title all about….. well, I would LOVE to see you make a card with these colours.


Share your creations with me by clicking on the BLUE button below, and I will select a winner on Saturday 18th February 2017. The winner will be contacted by Email and announced over on my Facebook page, I will share the winning creation on my Sunday Colour Splash post next week… oh and I will pop a hand stamped card into the post for them too! Yay!


Shop Stampin' Up! UK Teesside North East Stockton on Tees

Joining Stampin' Up! UK Starter Kit

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, and enter MK42UXHG. 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator