Calypso Coral

Ever watched the craft shows on TV and thought I can do that but I need to buy........ Well tonight's quick blog proves that you don't need to go out and buy all the products, just rummage in your craft stuff and sure enough there will be stash in there that will give you a finished product inspired by what you have watched!!!

This is my teeny card (9.5cm x 9.5cm) which was inspired by watching said craft show this morning.


Not so one dimensional this time



Card Stock: Calypso Coral & Very Vanilla
Ink: Calypso Coral
Stamp Set: Precious Butterflies, Silhouette Sentiments (retired Hostess set)
Embossing Folder: Vintage Wallpaper

A very quick post as I need to go check on the Xmas cake in the oven - it is smelling divine!!!

Thanks for stopping by

Love
Becki

xx

Precious Butterflies

Is it really a week since I last posted, where has it gone??

I was really fortunate to be asked by Jo Austin to attend her craft class to do an SU workshop. Jo, as many of you know, is a very talented crafter and also a work colleague of mine from way back when! I want to say a huge huge thank you to Jo and her lovely ladies for a fabulous evening.

My brayer has had a little venture out this evening. It has been a while, but I have to say I found it very therapeutic. I knew as soon as I saw this stamp set that

a) I HAD to have it!!
b) a little bit of brayering would work wonders with the sentiment.

The card is a bit one dimensional for my liking, but it has got me in my craft corner again. Although I do have to apologise to Chris for spreading into his room while he's at Uni. It will be tidy again before you come home son :-)



Stamp Set: Precious Butterflies
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait & Calypso Coral (new In Colour), Old Olive, Basic Black
Card Stock: Lucky Limeade & Whisper White

I will try and post more.

Thanks for stopping by

Love
Becki
xx

New Products

Hi there, it has been an absolute age since I last posted. Hope you are all keeping well and have been busy crafting.

I have a planned workshop tomorrow evening and I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing of crafting and the world of Stampin Up again. Browsing through the catalogue tonight has made me itchy to get going.

I thought I would share with you tonight a little gift bag made with some of the new products.






DSP - Hostess Cheerful Treat
A4 Card Stock - Wisteria Wonder
Top Note Big Shot Die
Lace Ribbon Border Punch
Scallop Oval Punch
Large Oval Punch

I going to have a little blog hop now to see what everyone has been up to.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

New 2011/12 Idea Book and Catalogue

It's here, the new catalogue has arrived!!

This means I have been a Demonstrator for a year and it has flown by! So has the last month and I apologise for the lack of posts recently. Such busy times! I'm hoping to be back in full swing and full of inspiration with the new catalogue.

Why not take a peek and see what all the fuss is about.

Thanks for stopping by
Becki
xx

Last Chance List is Here!!

Here it is, the last chance list.

http://204.228.150.61/docs/lastchance/en-GB/Availability_en-GB.pdf

Some products have up to 40% discount, but once they are gone they are gone!!

Don't miss out on your favourite colours or stamp sets, email me and I will place your order.

Thanks for stopping by
Becki
xx

August Special

Hi there

Hands up who likes a freebie??? Yep, me included! Look what Stampin Up have on offer for August.



Anyone wishing to take advantage of this fabulous offer email me on rebw04@aol.com or even if you would just like some more details about these wonderful products then do not hesitate to get in touch.

Becki
xx

Strength and Hope

Hi there, hope you are enjoying your Bank Holiday weekend.

Do you ever start with a blank card not sure where you are going with it? This is how today's card started. I was playing around with the butterfly from Strength and Hope, stamping it several times in differing colours onto Whisper White card stock. Quite liked the background it made but didn't want it to be crisp white on the edges, so out came an ink duster and sahara sand then lightly dusted it all over. Each element of the card was like this until hey presto, I had an A5 card. I found the whole process quite therapeutic.


Card stock: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Concord Crush
Ink: Sahara Sand, Blushing Bridge, Concord Crush
Stamp Set: Strength & Hope
Die: Top Note
Basic Pearls
Punch: Scallop Square
Vellum from my own stash

While I'm blogging Leanne is crafting away. We bought 2 packs of blank gift bags and she's making a friend a birthday bag. Now the bags are not very big so I have been informed to buy the birthday girl a small gift..... you know like a DS game!!!
I'm sure she thinks money just magics itself into my purse :-)

I shall post you a pic of leanne's creation tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by
Love
Becki
xx

Confetti

Hi there, sorry I haven't posted for a while but we have been on an emotional rollercoaster these last few weeks.

Sadly we lost our beautiful grandson Joshua James. He was so small and wasn't strong enough to make it past 27 weeks. Mel and Steve have been so brave and strong and I can only begin to imagine what they are going through. My heart goes out to them. We have also got John's mum in hospital. She has been quite poorly with a chest infection that is taking it's time to lift. Each day she is getting a little better and stronger.

The good news amongst the sadness is that Christopher got his A Level results last week and got the grades he needs to get his first choice place at University. I am so proud of him. We are now in the process of getting him kitted out with all the things he will need. I have no idea how I will cope when he goes, I think I shall be very tearful !

I got to meet an SU demonstrator from New Zealand last week. Sadie was visiting the UK and located me via the SU website. It is always great to meet new crafters and SU addicts :-)

I had a rare bit of spare time this afternoon so finally got to my craft corner. I have had such tremendous support these last few weeks so wanted to make a thank you card. In my recent SU order I got the Confetti set which I have had my eye on for a while. I also got the amazing August freebie - I just love this little set. There are only a few days left if you too want to get your hands on this. Email me for more details.

I think this card is simple but effective.


Card Stock: Rose Red and Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red and Chocolate Chip
Stamp Sets: Confetti and Oval All
Punches: Large Oval and Scallop Oval

I hope to be back soon with some more crafts.
In the meantime keep well and thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

Fast & Fabulous Anniversary Card

Hi there, well it has been a while, but happy to report this is due to our summer holidays.

Just got back from Spain. We don't usually do an August holiday abroad due to the heat - I was always wary with the kids being small. Seeing as they are not so small now we went - boy was it hot!! 37 degrees on the first day and didn't go below 30 thereafter. Thank goodness for air conditioning and a lovely pool to cool off in. Forget about hair straighteners, my hair had a mind of it's own - lets say all the photos are of the kids and scenery :-)

I did get in some crafting before I went away. An A5 anniversary card using the Fast & Fabulous Hostess Level 2 stamp set and the butterfly from Strength & Hope.



Only a quick post as I am trying to catch up on all my emails, ironing (does anyone know where the ironing fairy lives) and generally tidying up.

Hope you are all having a lovely summer.

thanks for stopping by
Love
Becki
xx

Mum's Birthday

Sorry it has been a while since I blogged. Hope everyone is ok out there in the land of blogging? I had a really busy work week last week as I am now off work for two whole glorious weeks. So why did I wake up at 6:30am? I am hoping to be able to have a bit of lie in one day!

Today is my Mum's birthday, yesterday was my husband's and next week I have more birthdays and an anniversary. So lots to keep me crafting - I think the housework may take second place.

I have already shown the cards I made for Mum from me and one from the children. Here's a card that Dad asked me to do for her. It's another large card - A5 in size. The sentiment is from my own stamp stash, everything else is SU



Embossing Folder: Vintage Wallpaper
Stamp Set: Just Believe
Card Stock: Whisper White, Old Olive and Rose Red
Stampin Write Markers: Old Olive and Rose Red
Ribbon: Rose Red Seam Binding Ribbon
Basic Pearls

Thanks for stopping by and I will try and post more often.

Love
Becki
xx

Baroque Motif Set

Tonight I've teamed Baroque Motif up with Greenhouse Garden to make a one layer thank you card. I used a Top Note Die shape to mask off the middle section, then using a dusting brush I inked up using Baja Breeze and little Early Espresso. Still with the Top Note shape in place I stamped the large image from Baroque Motif around the edges. Remove the shape then stamp the flowers using the two step technique. All finished off with some lovely Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon and the sentiment from Afterthoughts. Not forgetting the not so Basic Pearl.


Life is very full and hectic at the moment, plus the children are off school. Can I collectively call them children now one is 18??? It seems a little strange when you look at the 6' 2" man in the house - child no longer seems to fit the description! It is a new stage in family life, unchartered territory, for us, but no matter what I suppose we are always someone's child and that bond never goes away.

Crikey - how am I going to cope in September when he goes off to University? I will need a whole supply of tissues and chocolate and cake...... Jean get ready for a lot of baking :-)

Have a great evening whatever you are up and thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

Jolly Holiday Tealight Gift Box

Quick post today to show you the Xmas version of the tealight gift box.





I think this is a good idea for anyone doing craft stalls leading up to Xmas.

Have a lovely Sunday - I'm off out to enjoy a bit of the sunshine.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

Tealight Gift Box & Co-ordinating Card

Hi there, Friday has come round so fast this week, not that I'm complaining!

I can't remember which blog I read it on, but it asked what do you do with all your scraps? Well I have to say I keep them, as I am sure everyone else out there does. With this in mind I raided the ever growing pile and came across the now retired Bella Bleu DSP. I still love this design.

I promised to be back with another shabby chic flower to show you. A little late, but here is the set that I made.




Anyone that knows me knows that I love candles as much as I do crafting. So I was a little disappointed to find that the measurements for the box did not fit my usual make of tealight. Shock, horror, I had to put in some cheap ones - you know the ones where you get hundreds for a £1. My own fault really as I should have checked my tealights first.

Never to be put off, I set about and came up with the right measurements for a larger box.

You can see the difference in size, plus I added an extra layer to the flower. Also on the first box it was fiddly to slide out the inner section as it is quite a tight fit. So on the larger box I added a little ribbon as an handle.


With my favourite tealights in.


Then I got thinking about Christmas - oh the possibilities are endless :-)

Have you got a busy weekend planned? I am Esther sitting tomorrow - just love her to bits. It's lovely having babies around and can not wait for our Grandson to arrive in October.

Have a great weekend whatever you are up to.

Thanks for stopping by.
Love
Becki
xx

I'm back on line!!

Hooray!!! Finally I am back on line, the laptop has a new charger and so far all seems to be working ok. The best news is that my photos are intact. I must back them up!!

So how have you all been? Hope you are all well. I had a couple of days under the weather but am much improved today. Speaking of weather.... where has summer gone?? I have to admit I feel less guilty about crafting when it is rainy outside. When the sun shines it lures me away from my little corner :-)

Tonight's card is inspired by Vicky's shabby chic. I have to say I love these flowers, so easy to make. I have another project to show you tomorrow that they feature on again. Hope I have done your version justice Vicky.


Stamp Set: Bliss & Sweet Summer
Card stock: Crumb Cake & Very Vanilla
Ink: Sahara Sand & Perfect Plum
DSP: Springtime Vintage & Hostess Level 1

Lots of spritzing with Early Espresso and distressing on this card. Sorry the picture is a little dark.

Well I'm off for a long awaited blog hop. It's not the same viewing on the ipod!

Thanks for stopping by

Love
Becki
xx

Because I Care with Top Note

Hi everyone, hope you are having a good Sunday.

I seem to be hooked on large cards at the minute, so following on from yesterday, here's another.

I stamped the Hydragena from Because I Care and used my blender pens (which haven't had an outing for a while) to colour the flowers and leaves. The "Grandma" is a relative stamp set that I have (not SU unfortunately)

This little fern plant in the garden is getting some airing - it makes a lovely easel for my cards.

Stamp Set: Because I Care
Card Stock: Certainly Celery, Whisper White and own card base / mirri board
Ink: Certainly Celery and Perfect Plum
Die: Top Note
Ribbon: Certainly Celery

Still on a borrowed laptop - it never quite feels the same, so keen to get my own up and running.

I think a lazy Sunday is on order as I have a very busy week coming up.

Enjoy the day whatever you are up to.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love

Becki

xx

Springtime Vintage

Hi there, what a lovely evening it has turned out to be. Hope you are all enjoying it. I am still without my laptop, but think it can be solved quite easily and all my photos will still be there! Todays lesson - make sure everything is backed up!!! I'm blogging from a borrowed laptop and have managed to get a few photos on to share with you.

I've been out craft shop browsing today - well we all know it is impossible to browse in a craft shop, there's always something to tempt me. I spotted a layout that I really liked, so adapted it slightly. The first card is a combo of my own stash and SU elements. The 2nd uses Springtime Vintage.

Quite a few different elements make up these cards: stamping, punching, embossing, dies (some SU, some not) and few gorgeous pearls and seam binding ribbon to finish them off.

Hope you have enjoyed them.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love

Becki

xx

Quick Post......

to say my laptop has died taking with it all my photos (sob sob). I have managed to convince Chris to let me onto his super new computer he got for his birthday, but I can feel him twitching already as I have been on it for 15 minutes!!

So, just a quick post to say sorry that blogging is on hold until the laptop is resurrected (or until Chris lets me on here again!!)

I will keep checking in to see what you have all been up to via the Ipod, so I won't have gone completely.

Will be back soon.

Love
Becki
xx

Lovely as a Tree

Hi there, has it really been so long since I blogged? I hope you are well and enjoying this lovely weekend we are having.

I have been babysitting this morning for the gorgeous Esther. She is so cute and was so good for us. Makes me a little broody :-) Thought I would share a couple of photos with you first. She is such a poser when a camera comes out.



Finally I have got round to purchasing the Lovely as a Tree set, I have gone on about it for so long that I bet you thought I would never buy it!


A quick a simple card. I masked off a rectangle onto a piece of Very Vanilla, stamped the image and used a brush to ink over in the same colour. Finished it all off with a sentiment from Because I Care and a piece of Elastic Cord.

I will try not to leave it too long before I blog again!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

Decorative Jars

Another landmark day today - Chris had his final A'Level exam and has now officially finished school. It only seems a moment ago that he was going off to Nursery School! As a spur of the moment treat we went out to TGI Friday for a meal. I amazed myself by not being able to finish a desert!! Now it wasn't planned at all, but the restaurant is very near a retail park which has the well known craft store. I couldn't help myself - I had to go a have a wonder round!

I picked up a couple of glass jars and battery operated tealights, as I had a little inspiration earlier in the day. Here are my creations. I had hoped to capture the tealight, but struggled, but you get the idea.




The second jar is perfect for the springtime vintage buttons.




Off to put on my pjs and have a drink before bed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love
Becki
xx

Just Believe

Morning, a quick post from me today before I go off to college.

Same design - different colours.





Colour Combo:
Peach Parfait
Daffodil Delight
Real Red
Concord Crush
Basic Black


Colour Combo;
Pretty in Pink
Blushing Bride
Real Red
Concord Crush
Basic Black


Colour Combo
Baja Breeze
Pacific Point
Not Quite Navy
Basic Black

And a lot of brayering :-)

Have a great Tuesday and thanks for stopping by.

Love Becki
xx

Dasher in June

Morning, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there. Do you ever have a morning where you wake up feeling inspired and can not do anything until a couple of hours have been spent at your craft station? Well this morning that is exactly how I woke up.

Two people have inspired today's creation. One is Julie who will be having Xmas in July! The other is a tutorial on Youtube - Stampin with Tami. Tami used the Lovely as a Tree set to create a winter night scene. I woke thinking of Dasher and how lovely he would look set against a night sky.

Several elements to this card, but it isn't too complicated, just a little patience required.



Stamp Set: Dasher (leaves created from my own tree stamp), Sincere Salutations
Ink: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Basic Black
Card Stock; Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black
Die: Top Note
Embossing folder: from own stash
Ribbon: Whisper White Organza Ribbon
White Gel Pen

Guess who else has the brayering bug? Yep it's Leanne (I think I might have a downline waiting in the wings!). Here she is busy in my craft corner.


And this is her creation. I love the Concord Crush hills - think I will have to "borrow" this idea.



Well I really must go and get myself sorted as I am doing Sunday lunch today for 7. Have a great day.

Thanks for stopping by

Love
Becki
xx

Father's Day

Hi there, hope everyone is well. The weather doesn't quite know what to do with itself, one minute sunshine, then next showers. So it means in and out with the washing!! Reading the blogs I know I'm not alone with this!!

Father's Day tomorrow and I am still lacking in male stamps! In addition it is my Dad's birthday tomorrow too. I have managed to make 2 cards and a cheesecake today. Cheesecakes are my favourite deserts at the moment, and they certainly are not for those that are calorie counting :-)

Card No1 is for John from the Kids. A really quick and easy card to do. And I have added a bit of DSP to the inside.







Card Stock: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Old Olive
DSP: Celebrations
Ink: Pacific Point, Real Red and Old Olive
Stamp Set: Schoolbook Serif Alphabet
Punch: Star Extra Large








Card No2 is for Dad (not sure yet if birthday or Father's Day) and yes it has my newly discovered technique - brayering! I really must buy SU's Lovely as Tree set. In the meantime this tree is from my own stash.



Card Stock: Whisper White and Chocolate Chip
Ink: Pacific Point, Old Olive, Sahara Sand and Early Espresso
Sentiment from own stash








And this is an Oreo Cheesecake :-D













Have a lovely day with you are able to spend it with your Dad and loving thoughts to those that can't.

Thanks for stopping by
Becki
xx

Brayer

I did warn you that I got brayer happy yesterday, so I apologise for brayer overload! And I hope I can be forgiven for the lack of SU stamps on tonight's post!!

Leanne has fallen for these magical fairy and pixie stamps and I have to say I have too!!



I have used all SU ink and card stock. I love that different techniques give a different dimension to the colours.

Ink: Basic Black, Pacific Point, Concord Crush, Baja Breeze
Card Stock: Concord Crush, Basic Black & Whisper White
Dazzling Diamond Glitter

I am off to put my feet up after a full day at work then a 3 hour ironing marathon!! I shan't let the ironing pile get the big again.

Thanks for stopping by
Becki
xx

Silhouette Sentiments & Brayer

What a miserable afternoon it is, but the gardens are well in need of a good downpour. Very pleased to report that the rain held off for Leanne and Christopher's birthday BBQ yesterday.

I mentioned the other day that Jean was making the cakes, well here they are with their respective recipients! Leanne was sooo excited when she saw hers. She made Jean's day as I know it kept her awake thinking of the design. What do you do for an inbetweener who has specific favourite colours? Then you do a very girly cake, with an Ipod.

Leanne will be 10 tomorrow! A decade has disappeared so fast!


Chris was easy - he plays the guitar, so a guitar cake it is. Chris was 18 on Thursday! 18!! now those years have really flown by.



Two fabulous cakes for two fabulous children (or one child and one young adult)!!

I have been out to a craft show today. I wasn't going to, but I did and spent more money than I intended. Now I have only been crafting for a short time, so am a little bit late picking up on techniques, but I have discovered braying and I can not stop!!!


Even went a little mad and did the inside!



Card stock: Perfect Plum, Basic Black & Whisper White
Ink: Melon Mambo and Perfect Plum
Stamp Set: Silhouette Sentiments

My neice popped round this afternoon and declared that the brayer would be perfect for layering up a tan!! Hhhmmm don't think I will be trying that one.

Hope you have enjoyed my first venture with this technique - there will be loads more to come.

Thanks for stopping by

Becki
xx