Sunflowers | #TGIFC 275 Inspiration Challenge

Yay!! It's Friday, and time for another TGIF Challenge and this week is an Inspiration Challenge.

So I'm sure it's no surprise that I inked up my Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set again for this challenge. Why not, since it's my focus set for July. However instead of going with a green plaid pattern for the background I chose to go with some Mossy Meadow watercolour stripes and a bolder pop of yellow for the sentiment.

Since I've been playing with this big sunflower a bit lately I thought I'd try something a little different to add colour to the flower. A couple of months ago I was watching a tutorial by the fabulously talented Jennifer Frost, where she used a dot colouring technique to colour some poppies and I thought is would be a fun technique to use here. Using the pen tip of my Stampin' Blends pen I added lots of little dots of colour, layering darker colours over the top of the lighter tones in places where I'd normally blend a darker shade. 

Thank you for joining me today. Make sure you head over to the TGIF Challenge page to see how the other designers have been inspired by this challenge and if you feel inspired to play along with the challenge we'd love to see what you create.

Let's Celebrate You | #TGIFC 271 Colour Challenge

Hello everyone and welcome.

Today I am so very excited to be participating in my very first colour challenge as a designer for the TGIF Challenges Design Team. I am so completely honoured to be asked to be part of this team of incredibly talented designers. So here I go, jumping in head first into a Colour Challenge.

Now if I'm completely honest, I find colour challenges the hardest and on this occasion it took me a while to find my mojo with this combo, but I have to admit I'm really happy the end result. What do you think?

Granny Apple Green, Flirty Flamingo and Mango Melody are such bright, fun colours and really pack a punch on any project however they can also be really pretty softened with a little water colouring. To create this background I started with a piece of Shimmery White cardstock that I lightly swept over with a clean water painter before gently applying the ink, lightly at first and then building up the colour to achieve the desired effect. Then to add an element of interest to the background I added some water splatters which, once dry leaves this splochy look.

Subtle is not usually the first word that comes to mind when you think of a sunflower but the fine detailed lines of the this gorgeous flower from the Celebrate Sunflowers stamp set gives a soft subtle effect to the background when heat embossed in white. I finished off the card with some simple white die cuts, a heat embossed sentiment, some gold thread and a scatter of sequins.

Thank you for joining me today. Make sure you head over to the TGIF Challenges page to see what the other designers have created with this fun combo and if you feel inspired to play along with the challenge we'd love to see what you create. 

-Tan xx

Brightly Gleaming | Stamping Sunday Blog Hop

Hello everyone and welcome to another Stamping Sunday Blog Hop. This month the team are showcasing elements of the Brightly Gleaming Suite in the Stampin' Up 2019 Holiday Catalogue. 

The very first time I flicked through the Holiday Catalogue particular suite stood out as a favourite and the whole range of products have been my go-to for many of my Christmas projects. I absolutely adore the suite colour palette of Night of Navy, Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, Copper and Very Vanilla but for today's projects I wanted to take a different approach and use the Christmas Gleaming stamp set with the brights collection of colours. 

Aren't they pretty? There's something about these colours arranged in rainbow order that makes my heart smile. To create each of these 3" x 3" mini cards I stamped and heat embossed the ornament image in white on watercolour paper and then I added a watercolour wash in each of the different colours.

Once dry I then mounted each image on a square of coordinating cardstock before adhering to the card front. The sentiment from Tidings All Around was also heat embossed in white on Basic  Black cardstock and I added a little bling with some Silver Glimmer paper and some rhinestones. 

That's all from me today. Be sure to check out what the rest of team have created with this amazing suite. 

- Tan xx

Stampin Up! Artisan Design Team Blog Hop - Christmastime Is Here

Christmas Is Coming Early This Year!
We hope you’re ready to make this holiday season magical, because the Christmastime Is Here Suite is, well . . . here! This exclusive, limited-time collection of festive, floral coordinating products has everything you need to share love, joy, and creativity this holiday season. The 2019 Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team have been busy creating even more samples with this stunning suite and can't wait to share them with you in another blog hop. 

Before I share my projects I wanted to remind you of the samples that I shared in the first blog hop.

As you can see my first collection of projects featured the rich Christmassy colours of Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Gold that feature in the Christmastime is Here Speciality Designer Series Paper. However, when I sat down again to play with the gorgeous Christmas Rose I thought I'd have a go at something a bit different.

What do you think? This rose image is so versatile. Right? I'm not sure about you but at this time of year I'm so engrossed in Christmas crafting with my new holiday goodies, that my poor friends and family who have birthdays in November and December usually end up receiving a card from my "stash" rather than one that I have created with them exclusively in mind. But this set changes all of that.

My starting point for both of these projects was watercolouring the rose image and I just had to go with Melon Mambo for the flowers. I really love the combo of Night of Navy with Melon Mambo and the addition of Gold in the heat embossed sentiment from the Band Together Stamp Set meant I could also make use out of the stunning Gold Glimmer ribbon and Gold Glitter Enamel Dots from the suite.

Sticking with the blue tones I decided to go with Balmy Blue for my second card and kept the layout fairly simple to allow the rose image to shine. Do you recognise the DSP on this card? Inspired by my amazingly talented friend Susan Wong, I've started trying to give my designer series papers a new look by taking them outside of the original colour palette and this Balmy Blue stripe from the Come Sail Away DSP works perfectly with the bright pink rose.

The Christmastime is Here suite is available to customers from 1 November and will only be available while supplies last so if myself or my fellow Artisans have piqued your interest with these alternative designs I strongly suggest you contact your local demonstrator asap so you don't miss out.

Next up in the hop is my beautiful friend Angela Meiritz-Reid from Christchurch, New Zealand. Be sure to select the "Next" button below to see what Angela and the rest of my Artisan friends have created.

Supplies used

Stamps: Christmastime is Here, Band Together
Card: Night of  Navy, Balmy Blue, Crumb Cake, Shimmery White, Come Sail Away DSP

Ink: Stāzon Jet Black, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Versamark,
Accessories & Tools: Roses Dies, Stitched Nesting Label Dies, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder, Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, Gold ¼” Glimmer Ribbon, Linen Thread

Embossing | Be Inspired Blog Hop

Hello everyone and welcome to another Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop. This month myself and my fellow designers are sharing projects that feature embossing. 

There are a few different ways you can emboss projects, dry embossing with an embossing folder or dies and an embossing mat, embossing with a paste or heat embossing with powders and a heat tool. I chose to feature heat embossing for my project as it is by far my favourite embossing technique. The effect that can easily be achieved with some Versamark ink, embossing powder and a heat tool never fails to give your projects wow factor.  

These gorgeous baubles are from the Christmas Gleaming stamp set that is featured in the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue and for this project I have stamped and embossed them in white before going over the panel with a watercolour wash in Pretty Peacock. 

Given the focus of this project was embossing I chose to add a little more embossing, this time in silver with a panel of stripes below the sentiment. Normally I wouldn't include so much embossing on the one card but I thing with Christmas you can get away with it. 

Next up in the hop is the fabulous Monica Gale, I just love her creative style and I'm sure you will too. 

Be Inspired Design Team Blog Roll

Louise Sharp

Nadine Hößrich

Tanya Rees (You are here)

Monica Gale

Jackie Aitken

Cathy Caines

Brian King

Stesha Bloodhart

Thanks for stopping by

- Tan xx

Tropical Chic Stitched Labels | Let's Get Hopping #12

Welcome to another Let's Get Hopping Blog Hop. You may have just arrived here from fabulous friend, Jennifer Frost. Once again I'm in awe of Jen's creative genius? If you are starting here please make sure you hit the next button at the bottom of this post and hop all the way around

The brief for this month's hop was to share a project that highlights your favourite technique, but before I tell you my favourite technique, I will show you my card and let's see if you can guess.

Hands up if you guessed watercolouring. Watercolouring has to be my most favourite technique, particularly creating multicoloured watercolour backgrounds. I just love how the colours blend together and how no two backgrounds ever look the same. 

I took my colour inspiration from a project Susan Wong recently created (see it here) and chose Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie and Pineapple Punch to create my background. Here's a picture of the background before I layered up all the extra detail.

By the way, how great is this stitched die from the Stitched Labels Dies? I just love how it adds just the right amount of detail to a background. 

I also chose to feature a little heat embossing  (white on black is my go-to at the moment) and some multicoloured flowers from the Tropical Chic stamp set. To create the flowers I first inked up the flower in Pumpkin Pie and then used a sponge dauber to add some Melon Mambo around the outer edges of the flower. 

Thank you for hopping by today, I hope you enjoyed my post. Next up in the hop is Teresa Brown, I can't wait to see what beautiful project she is sharing with us
- Tan xx

CASEing The Catty 139 | Everday occasions

I've only recently come across the CASEing the Catty Sunday Challenge and I'm already hooked.

This weeks challenge was to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a project from the Everyday Occasions section of the 2017 - 2018 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue and this project on pg 58 was the inspiration for my card today 

And here is my card...

This beautiful watercolour print of Naturally Eclectic Designer Series Paper is the perfect stormy sky. Using the cloud stamps from the Weather Together set I've stamped some clouds in Night of Navy, stamping 2 or 3 times before re-inking.

The umbrella and grey clouds were stamped on a piece of Shimmery White cardstock and watercoloured using watercolour pencils in Melon Mambo and Basic Gray and an Aqua Painter.

Then I've cut them out using the coordinating Umbrella framelits and to  add some dimension I've popped the sentiment and umbrella up on some Stampin' Dimensionals with a little Silver 1/8" Ribbon under the sentiment. 

I've really enjoyed creating this card and am glad I've been able to share it with you. Thanks for taking the time to stop by

- Tan xo

Watercoloured Electic Layers

Wow!!! I'm completely overwhelmed by all the encouraging comments I received for my first post. Thank you so very much

As promised I'm back today to give you a closer look at one of the cards I shared in yesterday's post. 

This card came together one wet and rainy afternoon over the school holidays. With the older two children at friends' houses and the youngest having his nap, my 6 yr old and I took the opportunity to have a little 1 on 1 time at my craft table. Miss 6 has a very curious nature and was keen to know what my Aqua Painter did, so out came some watercolour paper and a couple of ink pads and this Lemon Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay watercolour background was the end result.

I chose to use the diamond mosaic die from the Eclectic Layers thinlits to die cut the watercoloured background but rather than removing the cut out diamonds I've left them inlaid to add an element of texture.

Basic Black and Lemon Lime Twist seem to be my favourite colour combination at the moment so I went with Basic Black for the card base and a square frame cut with the Stitched Shaped Framelits. The diagonal stripe was an off cut from another project that I stamped in Basic Black on Whisper White cardstock with the Diagonal Stripe background stamp. 

Lemon Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay flowers, along with vellum leaves from the Eclectic Layers thinlits are the focal point of the card. And I've add a little bling with some Silver Glimmer Paper, Silver Metallic thread and sequins from the Silver Mini Sequin trim

Finally I've used the 'Happy Birthday' sentiment from the Confetti Celebration set embossed with Whisper White Stampin' Emboss Powder on Basic Black cardstock 

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you've enjoyed this card and I look forward to sharing another project with you very soon.   

- Tanya xo

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog.

I am so excited to be starting my blogging journey with you.

When I decided to begin my blog I immediately set out to create the "perfect" card for my first post. Fast forward a week and instead of a blog entry I had created a few cards, some party decor and a scrapbook page. Clearly starting a blog when I have new Stampin' Up! supplies to play with wasn't my smartest move.

So instead of trying to decide which project to share with you first, I've decided to share them all with you now. Then, over the next few posts, I will revisit them in more detail. So here goes...

The instant I saw the Oh So Eclectic suite in the 2017-2018 catalogue it was love at first sight. Add a little watercolouring and a touch of vellum and silver glimmer paper and Voila!

Sometimes a simple die-cut circle of designer series paper is all the inspiration you need to create a special card for a wonderful friend.

Jar of Love and the coordinating framelits are one of my favourite go-to's when creating a feminine card. Add a new In Color and an old favourite feels like new again.

I consider myself to be more of a cardmaker than a scrapbooker but the new Memories & More product line from Stampin' Up! inspired me to challenge myself and create this scrapbook page featuring my youngest little man.

Those who know me well know I'm a sucker for party planning and the Happy Birthday Gorgeous bundle makes creating stunning cake toppers and party favours easy.

I hope you've enjoyed my first post. I look forward to sharing more details of my projects with you very soon.

Thanks for stopping by

- Tanya xo