Tag: Birthday

Posted on

Pootlers Blog Hop – Spring Summer edition!

Stampin' Up! UK Aged birthday card Blog Hop

bog hop-001

Hello! and welcome to another Pootler’s Blog Hop! I know, two hops in one month! we’ve all been super busy creating awesome projects for you this week, and I know the girls have all worked super hard, so please remember to leave everyone some comment love on your tour around the hop! You can hop forwards or backwards along the chain by using the ‘Next’ and ‘Previous’ buttons a the bottom of this post! Happy hopping!

I’m sure I mentioned this in a blog post recently that January is FULL of birthdays in our family, and this past week we had a super special one. James’ Great Nanny turned 95!!!! She is just the most awesome lady, and I need to make a super awesome card to go along with whatever rubbish James has bought her this year (I don’t usually give James gift buying responsibilities for such important events, however, I have been super crazy busy this week and just completely ran out of time!)

Stampin' Up! UK Aged birthday card Blog Hop

For such a big birthday Numbers are important! and so I grabbed for the brand new and completely lovely ‘Number of Years’ stamp set and die bundle for this one. The numbers are large enough to be the focal point of the card, and they have a lovely watercoloured effect too (my favourite!). Now, my memory says that Nanny loves green (but it may well be playing tricks on me) so I selected Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow, and Elegant Eggplant for a little contrast.

Stampin' Up! UK Number of years

In addition to the numbers the stamp set comes with some lovely sentiments, but I have kept it simple here with Happy Birthday. The die set also includes that great banner piece that coordinates with a couple of other stamp sets in the catalogue.

I did initially try to watcolour a background for this card, but something happened and it looked awful! So, I started again, with Shimmery White card stock and my collection of Stampin’ Sponges and added a mixture of Pear Pizzazz, Mossy Meadow and Elegant Eggplant ink to the left hand side, before stamping over it with some of the floral stamps from the same stamp set.

Stampin' Up! UK Pootles blog hop

I could probably have stopped at this point, however, I had just received a brand new boxes of stamping goodies including the Wink of Stella Glitter Brush in Gold, and HAD to use it! So I flicked some of the gorgeous gold glitter across the card, before adding dots of Crystal Effects and a scattering of Jewel Rhinestones! Probably overkill but I don’t care! I love it!

bog hop_2-001bog hop_2_2-001

Sam Hammond

Mandy Barton

Sandra Ronald

Camille Moriaty

Heidi Smith

Hannah McCurley

Louise Thomas

Karen Taylor

Jerim Dickins

Anna Krol

Kathleen Rintoul-Waite

Angelina Clark

Price: £99.00

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Sale-a-bration Sneak Peak – Day 3

Stampin' Up! UK Sale-a-bration 2016 Wildflower Fields

Sale-a-bration is the biggest event on the Stampin’ Up! calender, its a great time for both Customers and team members to earn a heap of free goodies just for shopping! This year there are 11 products to choose from, with 3 leaving us early around Valentines day (but I know that there are some more to come!). Each time you spend £45 you get to choose one of these great items, but it gets better, because if you spend £90, you get to pick 2 products! and 3 items if you spend £135! Awesome!

Stampin' Up! UK Sale-a-bration 2016 Wildflower Fields

This cute card uses both sides of the same Designer Series Paper, Wildflower Fields, one of the items you could choose for free! I’ve been sending a sample of this paper out with my catalogues this year (use the Get a Catalogue button if you still haven’t got one!).

I hope you have enjoyed a sneak peak of Sale-a-bration, and have some ideas to use up that Designer Series Paper too!

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Sale-a-bration Sneak Peak – Birthday edition

Stampin' Up! UK Wildflower fields birthday Sale-a-bration

Before Sale-a-bration launches on Tuesday, I have a couple of sneak peak cards featuring one of the packs of Designer Series Paper that you can earn for FREE when you spend £45 between January 5th and 31st March 2016

Stampin' Up! UK Wildflower fields birthday Sale-a-bration

This paper is super pretty, the pack contains 12 Sheets, 2 of each of 6 designs, of 12 x 12 papers, and features some of my favourite colours. I love using Designer Series paper for colour inspiration, and this pack is going to inspire me for a while I think; I’m loving the colour combination; Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Old Olive and Whisper White.

The sentiment is taken from the same Suite Sayings stamp set as yesterday. This set is available in the Spring / Summer catalogue, which launches on 5th January 2016.

I’m really pleased with the way the bow turned out on this one. I adore the Bow Builder Punch, but it can be a little awkward to assemble. I usually use Mini Glue Dots to make the bow, but this time I made the effort and took the time to use Tombow glue, it was so worth it. It takes longer to use a wet glue, as you have to hold the pieces together until they are stuck, but the bow is less bulky, and super pretty once its done.

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

7MBTUTJVN

I will be closing this order on the 30th January 2016

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

A grungy birthday…

Stampin' Up! UK male birthday card

I had to make a very special birthday card last week, for my wonderful Pops (Grandad) who turns 94 (I think) today! I really struggle to make cards for him, something masculine, not cheesy, classic, but unique. So this year I thought I’d go a bit grungy.

Stampin' Up! UK World Map grunge birthday card

I’ve tried something different with my photo set up again today, I’m not sure – but the photo had to be taken in a bit of a hurry before I posted it on its 270 mile journey on Friday – Yes, I know I should be more organised, but when it comes to making cards for Family, its often a bit last minute!

Anyway, back to the card. I used Shimmery White card stock on this one (not that you can tell in the photo!) I love this card stock, it has fine glitter sort of embedded into it for a soft, shimmery look – and its great for inky techniques or watercolour too! I need to add another pack onto my next order actually, I’m running out! Man, I’m waffly today! I love Lost Lagoon for men’s cards, and so stamped the World Map in Lost Lagoon onto Shimmery White card stock, before running it through my Big Shot with the Decorative Dots embossing folder.

Stampin' Up! UK male birthday card

I got all inky at this point, adding Mint Macaron, Lost Lagoon and Tip Top Taupe onto the card with Stampin’ Sponges. I’m not sure the Mint really added much, but it is there I promise!

The sentiment is taken from Guy Greetings, and is stamped in Tip Top Taupe onto another piece of Shimmery White card stock, then punched with the Extra Large Oval Punch. I sponged the edges with Lost Lagoon before attaching to the card over some loops of Linen thread.

What about you, do you struggle with men’s cards too? What’s your tactic?

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Endless Birthday Wishes

Stampin' Up! UK Endless Birthday Wishes Cake Card

It was my mum’s birthday last week, I almost always buy my mum the same thing for her birthday. With it being close (-ish) to Christmas she doesn’t want much, but she always needs slippers by this point in the year – usually because she’s spent the summer mowing the lawn in her last pair! Mum also always wants the same pair, so about a week before the big day I pop off down to Marks and Spencers for the same slippers she had last year, usually in a different colour, but always the same style. This year, I called in to my Auntie’s in London on my way home for Brussels, and picked up Mum’s birthday present from her too – the matching Pyjamas!

Mum’s birthday card however, is always a tricky one for me. My mum appreciates the effort of a handmade card, but more than once has described my cards as dull. So now, I go all out to grab out my brightest coloured card stock, and fun stamps

Stampin' Up! UK Endless Birthday Wishes Cake Card

I will admit to pulling this stamp set off the shelf, and searching Pinterest before actually making anything. I love this colour combination; Pink Pirouette (although I think I grabbed my Blushing Bride pen by mistake when colouring the cake), Melon Mambo and Bermuda Bay. It so bright and fun!

The stripes are a piece of Silver Designer Series Paper from the Neutrals paper stack, cut to 14.2 x 10 cm. With a matt of Whisper White (12.2 x 8 cm), stamped with the dotty stamp in the 3 colours. I’m trying really hard at the moment to use my stash of ribbon, and this card features a piece of Melon Mambo 1 cm Stitched Satin ribbon with knot tied in it. I attach ribbon to the back of card stock using Fast Fuse, and then add more Fast Fuse over the top to help stick the card stock down.

Stampin' Up! UK Endless Birthday Wishes Birthday card

My favourite part of the card is that lovely banner piece, Bermuda Bay and Whisper White. The cake is stamped in Basic Black and coloured using the Stampin’ Write markers.

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!

EYHG9VNC

I will be closing this order on the 30th November 2015

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Happy Birthday! (the awkward family member edition!)

Stampin' Up! UK Crazy About you birthday card

I love my family, I really do, but there are certain family members who cause me a stupid amount of stress when it comes to birthdays!

This past weekend it was James’ youngest sisters 16th  birthday, cue a full week of stress about birthday cards, presents and wrapping! I love my sister-in-law, but making a card for a 16 year old girl I swear is harder than making men’s birthday cards!

Stampin' Up! UK rainbow birthday card

I think I was channelling my inner Laura Bassen when I made this card, I LOVE watching her waffle whilest she is cardmaking on her YouTube channel. Laura makes a heap of cards with rainbow colours, which I don’t do very often. My mum once commented that all my cards were dull, well Mother, this one will knock your eyes out!

I grabbed my Brights collection ink pads; Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise and Rich Razzleberry, to stamp this leaf from Crazy About You. The sentiment is also from the same stamp set, birthday stamped in Rich Razzleberry and Happy die cut from Melon Mambo card stock using the coordinating framelits!

There is a little extra detail on this one, but the camera hasnt’ picked it up very well. I scored a line 0.5 cm round the edge of the stamped piece before attaching it onto a card base of Thick Whisper White with Dimensionals

Stampin' Up! UK Stampin@Home class kit Christmas Cards

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Birthday Buttons

Stampin' Up! Endless Birthday Wishes Buttons and Vellum

This card was totally inspired by a tiny stripe of vellum that was left over on my desk after a different project! I had trimmed 1 cm off a piece of the Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum for another card this week, and found it when I was playing around with some buttons – and this card was born

Stampin' Up! Endless Birthday Wishes Buttons and Vellum

This simple birthday card really occurred because I wanted to feature the Brights Buttons. I love these cute buttons, one because they are cute, and two because they coordinate with our inks and card stocks perfectly. I love Stampin’ Up! coordination, the ability to get the buttons to match the ink, to match the card stock, to match the patterned paper, embellishments and accessories.

The Happy Birthday is taken from Endless Birthday Wishes, stamped in Rich Razzleberry

Simply Gorgeous

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product!
TDNKQPDY
I will be closing this order on the 30th October 2015

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, and join my Code Club, 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 McCurley

Stampin’ Up! UK Independent Demonstrator

Posted on

Delightful Guy Birthdays ….

Stampin' Up! UK Guy Greetings mens birthday card

One of those card that all card makers struggle with are Birthday card for men! Everyone I speak to always requests more men’s cards – they can be tricky, and personally I don’t like making theme-y cards either (just because dad likes Golf, doesn’t mean I should make a birthday card featuring golf balls, does it?!)

But we have a solution! Guy Greetings!

Stampin' Up! UK Guy Greetings mens birthday card

I adore this stamp set! I’m sure regular blog readers have read my waffle about this stamp set before, but for men’s birthday cards you just cannot beat it; a great selection of manly images complete with a series of handy sentiments in a lovely font.

This card actually uses a piece of Christmas Designer Series Paper, from the Season of Cheer Designer Series Paper Pack – and I totally took colour inspiration from this one piece of paper – Delightful Dijon all the way! (with a hint of Basic Black!). The spanners were stamped off once before stamping – with the ‘Happy Birthday’ stamped in full strength. I use this ‘Happy Birthday’ stamp a lot, but this is the first time I have combined it with the Washi Label punch, basically because I thought the stamp was too big! Wrong! Stampin’ Up! coordination at its best!

Don’t forget to shop using the Code Club Code to receive some great FREE product! 

TDNKQPDY

I will be closing this order on the 30th October 2015

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, and join my Code Club, 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

CASing the Artisan Design Team!

Stampin' Up! UK Artisan Design Team Sprinkles of Life Happy Birthday CASE card

There are so many great things about being a Stampin’ Up!® demonstrator, one being the amazing about of inspiration – not only does each demonstrator regularly receive an Exclusive magazine filled with ideas and tips, but also the worldwide community of demonstrators share so many wonderful ideas through our Exclusive Social network – Stampin’ Connection. And then there is the Stampin’ Up! Artisan Design Team, a group of demonstrators hand-picked by Stampin’ Up! to provide inspiration to us and you!

I have been loving following the Design Team blog hops this year, and have taken a huge amount of inspiration from each and every one of them, but I have never copied a card – until now!

Stampin' Up! UK Artisan Design Team Sprinkles of Life Happy Birthday CASE card

I’ll let you follow the link to Alison’s original version of this card, from where I have taken my inspiration today.

This card uses the wonderful Sprinkles of Life stamp set – this years Ronald MacDonald House Charities Stamp Set – on watercolour paper to create a lovely watercoloured look, and punched out with the coordinating Tree Builder Punch (without a tree in sight!)

The Ice Cream itself is watercoloured using Marina Mist ink, while the cone is in Hello Honey. And the Blushing Bride watercolour circle is a bit of a cheat! I have yet to invest in the Circle Thinlits dies (though they are way up there on my list) so this circle is actually hand cut, using the base of a refill bottle of Stampin’ Mist as a template!

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, and join my Code Club, 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

Technique Tuesday| Acrylic Block Stamping

Stampin' Up! UK Butterfly Basics Watercolour Stamping

Watercolour is BIG news at the moment in card-making. Watercoloured backgrounds and images are really popular. At Stampin’ Up!® we have a great kit featuring the watercolour look (Watercolour Wishes) and have several stamp sets that allow you to look like a watercolour master without any of the mess – which is awesome, but I love playing with ink and water! But I understand that it can be a tricky look to pull off.

Well, today I have  quick and easy watercolour background technique for you that doesn’t even need a paint brush!

Stampin' Up! UK Acrylic Block Stamping Technique Tuesday Video Tutorial

This technique is super simple, but as always I have created a video tutorial for you.

The new Basic Black Archival Ink is great for this technique, it gives a crisp true black image, great for sentiments and silhouette images like the ones on the card above. But also it is awesome for watercolour techniques as it doesn’t bleed or run with water, and so has become my go to black for stamped imaged that I am planning to watercolour. This card would have worked just as well if I had used Memento or Stazon as the black stamping is done after the watercolour panel is dry.

My favourite card stock for this technique is the Shimmery White, as its slightly thicker than our standard Whisper White card stock, and allows you a little more time before the ink dries than Watercolor Paper. Plus, you get that lovely shimmery finish! I can see another packet of this coming home with me really soon!

Stampin' Up! UK Butterfly Basics Watercolour Stamping

Top Tips:

  • Pull out your Stampin’ Pierce matt to stamp on, to ensure a full block of colour
  • Ink up your Acrylic Block and stamp directly onto your card stock without water for a darker, more textured look
  • Add water to your inked Acrylic Block before stamping to create the watercolour effect
  • Allow the water to dry naturally, hit it with your heat gun, or dab off the water with a clean cloth for different effects
  • Stamp over your watercolour panel with a black inked imaged for a cool silhouette effect

The stamp set I have used on this card is Butterfly Basics – definitely one of my favourites this year – lovely for feminine birthdays and other occasions, and it coordinated with two die sets and several other sets of stamps too!

Stampin' Up! Starter Kit offer

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, and join my Code Club, 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