Super simple Precious Scraps card

I was amazed how quickly this card came together - it usually takes me ages!

More of the fabulous Andrea Victoria (My minds eye) paper from Beverly at Precious Scraps. I can't tell you how yummy this paper is, I find it so suitable for any number of occasions, I just love it!

The background paper on this card is the grey floral stripes. I sanded around the edge before mounting it onto the black base card.

Before I did that, I had wrapped my ribbons around. The cream fibrous ribbon comes from my stash of things collected and hardly ever used but the gorgeous cream ribbon with the grey filligree design, you can get from Beverly - it comes from the Cosmo cricket Everafter ribbon set.

The yellow tag is a die cut from the Andrea Victoria paper kit and the flowers were Heidi Swapp florals (small) ones that Beverly also sent - I dyed one of them with a copic marker and printed some text on the other flower. I layered them with some smaller flower shapes that I punched out of more Andrea Victoria paper and used a brad to hold them together.

Sentiment (Star Prints), flourish (fancy flourishes) and text stamps (background basics Text style) are from PapertreyInk. May releases.

Beverly has just had a load of stock delivered to her store in Tennessee - pop on over and check it out here!!

Hope it tickles!

Precious Scraps card

Today's card for Precious Scraps uses the same line of paper as yesterday - Andrea Victoria (get yours here). I used the black beads paper as the main background but I used a little anywhere hole punch to punch out holes in two 'rows' of beads. I put some Golden beads paper underneath so that the colour showed through the punched holes.

I cut a star from black card and then punched it out as a circle. Stamped the sentiment in black ink on some paper also from the line, and positioned it under the circle/star shape. I trimmed off the excess paper with pinking shears to finish. I couldn't resist adding golden page pebbles to highlight the sentiment - I love the lustre, Beverly has them in stock now, ask for the Golden flower page pebbles. Mounted this on a piece of black card, cuttlebugged. Piece of orange ribbon from the Cosmo Cricket Everafter (Also from Precious Scraps) ribbon pack just to add zing.

Hope it tickles!

Precious Scraps Purse!

Beverly of Precious Scraps sent me the most amazing pack of papers, the Andrea Victoria line from My Mind's eye.

Wow.

These papers are just scrumptious, as soon as I saw the line I could picture this little purse in my head, it doesn't take long to make and it'll go quicker for you when I get the template drawn up!! lol, prob a few days.

I made the purse top from plain black card, I cut a scalloped oval with a nestability and then ran it through a cuttlebug embossing folder. I stamped it all over with versamark, sprinkled clear embossing powder over and then heat it. the result was that it looks a bit like that mock croc leather. Punched and eyeletted two holes and threaded through some fine black velvet ribbon I had lying about. I made a tiny buckle detail by giving a strip of black card the same treatment and threading it through a buckle I bought at a wedding fair one time!

I made up the purse itself in black card and then covered it with the Andrea Victoria Petals paper. I so love the colous of this line.

I wanted a wee tag thingy to hang from the purse - you know like those designer bags that have monkeys and scotties hanging from them. So I die cut a little puppy from a sheet of cork using a sizzix die. I gave him a velvet collar snd threaded a little key ring chain through his collar. I loved this wee detail, you could use whatever shape you fancy, I nearly went with a turtle.

Cork really goes well with this line and so I made it the bottom section of the matching card. stamped a flourish on it from one of PTI's latest sets (Fancy Flourishes) in black and used two of the large floral petal die cuts from the Andrea Victoria paper kit as accents. cut out a circle of co-ordinating paper from the kit and stamped my sentiment in black (PTI star stamp set, Twinkle Twinkle). Now see those little droplets of colour? aren't those yummy? Page pebbles, get them from Beverly when you order your paper!! ask for Safari pebbles, they come in little dinky bottles of multiple shades and they are really, really pretty.

So pop on over to Beverly's, you can order via email on her blog while her online store is being prepared.

hope it tickles!

...Evening all

Good evening ladies and gents, I've been working on samples for Beverly this evening - the box above isn't one of them, that was something I made up the other week and hadn't put on the blog yet! - It's all PTI, and it's pretty obvious, so any questions, leave a comment and I'll answer them here. (it's one of Laurens templates cut in half and extended - same as the blog hop box)

I've been playing with the paper line Andrea Victoria by My Mind's Eye, and I have to tell you, this may be my favourite set of papers ever. There is just something about the collection that hit's the spot for me, so rich, and regal and yet funky too!! Can't wait to show you!! If you're smart you'll get over to Beverly's place right now and reserve yourself a packet, these are bound to sell out fast!

Store news
If you have ordered stamps from my store but have not yet received a shipping confirmation via email, please contact me, I get notifications from both the store cart and Paypal, and there were one or two notifications from the cart that didn't show up on Paypal, perhaps because the customer decided not to proceed. However, I hate the thought that a couple of folks may have thought they ordered when really the sale was not completed, so please do get in touch if you haven't received a shipping notice. Many thanks.

So, I'm off to bed as it's midnight here...yawn, happy surfing...

Papertrey Ink Bloghop - May '09

Hello ladies - it's bloghop time again. If you don't know what this is click here!

The challenge for this month was to use Yellow - think this qualifies?? lol. I used one of Laurens timeless templates for this - the 'Get a handle on it'. But because I'm greedy and want to put bickies in with my tea bags, I needed it to be a little bigger! So once I had the templates cut out and stuck together (summer sunrise PTI), I chopped it in half.

I also used a hole punch to punch out two semi circles to highlight the design I was going to stamp on the mid section. This also allowed me to run it through the cuttlebug and swiss dot it a bit. I stitched around the edges just to finish it off.

I made a mid section from Lemon tart cardstock and stamped it with tea pots and the wee circular stamp from the Tea for two stamp set. I popped my sentiment up on dimensionals and stamped a wee tea cup from the Anniversary set.

Then I put the top and bottom onto the mid section to complete the box.

All supplies PapertreyInk, including that delicious big chocolate button!

I didn't have much time tonight and so I was grateful for how fast these templates come together!

Can't wait to see what everyone has made!!! Have fun hopping ladies!!

...Congratulations Julia!

Quick post to let you all know that the The wee prize contest from here is now closed.

Here are your random numbers:

21 

Timestamp: 2009-05-24 22:47:13 UTC

This means the winner is:

Julia Aston who said...

I LOVE your apron with the cute stamping and the wonderful quilt pocket Claire!!! And you stamped on your fabric as well as your wooden spoon! a complete set!!!

Congratulations Julia - I'll drop you an email about your prize!!!

Tomorrow I'll hopefully be taking part in the PTI blog hop, then It's DT goodies for Beverly and by the end of the week I should have something a bit special that you can make with my Gingerbread men stamps!!

...Easy wrapping paper

ED - I'm letting this little prize thing run until Sunday night (my time) and then I'll pick a winner via a random number selector. The prize will be a voucher for my store for the value of a free stamp set, thought that was better than offering a free stamp set - that way if you have already ordered the gingerbreads you can use the voucher to get one of my next stamp sets free. I'm looking into revealing the next set in approx one month.

I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of the lovely people who have got my little company up and running with their orders - I'm delighted to report that I am up to my neck in order processing and shipping!!

Today I want to show you some wrapping paper made with the circular sentiments from the Oven Fresh set of stamps from my new stamp line.

If you're new here, scroll down to see my new sets!! or you can check them out in my little store here.

I stamped on brown paper with the sentiment in plum chalk ink and then filled in the circles with the little girl gingerbread (Oven Fresh) and the candyswirl heart (Half Baked).

Used the same images for the tag - the circular sentiment fits nicely into a 2 inch circle.

I have a couple more examples to show you using my Gingerbread stamps - hope you don't mind, and then I'll be doing some stuff for Beverly - oooohh the papers I have to work with are just divine!!! And the PTI bloghop is coming!! Love that.

Waffle
I am meeting with my business advisor in a couple of days to chat about a proper website store!! at the moment I'm selling from a blog site which is a bit limiting in terms of what I can show on it. It'll be a while till I get that far obviously, but I want to do this right. I am so touched by all of the responses I have had, so many lovely folks have been in touch to wish me well, and a stack of orders!! Thank you all so much. I am also working on my next stamp set and I invite suggestions for other stamp sets. I have a load of ideas, and I have maybe 3 more stampsets that I definitely want to get made, but it doesn't hurt to hear what other folks are thinking.

I'm sure a few of you wondered what I was doing launching Christmas stamps in May, truth is, I love Christmas. I love gingerbreads, they were the first set I designed and when my husband said he had organized a manufacturer, I just had to have the little guys made up. It was after this point that we seriously considered making a store and I didn't see a problem using the gingers as a starting point. I'm always on the lookout for unique stamps for special occasions and I thought you might be too! I'm delighted to say it seems you are! Thank you.

Hope it tickles.

Launching Half Baked and Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy!

ED - I have amended the shipping options in the shop cart to include an option for Canada. Many thanks for asking.

Below: Half Baked Gingerbread Joy set - Build your own gingerbread people and dress them up! Gingerbread in bed, candy canes and lolly/sweets, Sentiments to match.

Below: Example of the type of Gingerbread people that can be stamped with the Half Baked set. See how the bed image fits together - it goes with the "How many sleeps 'till" and " Christmas" sentiments.Below: Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy set - ready to stamp gingerbread folks, in two sizes plus mini guy. Circular sentiments for easy tag making, seasonal elements, tasty sentiments and ready made candies galore. Yum!

Click here to go directly to my online store.

Click on the pictures and they should get bigger so you can see the details.

In the store you will be able to purchase the stampsets and also read all of the other shipping and delivery information. Please take a moment to look at the entire page and then, if you have any queries,email me.

I will ship to US and Canada, UK and Europe, if you are somewhere else just drop me an email.

The stamps are top quality, clear photopolymer, self sticking stamps for use on clear acrylic blocks (not supplied), supplied on clear plastic with matching printed image sheet, all in a polybag. They are priced £13 sterling which is roughly equivalent to $20.50 (though the exchange rate is subject to fluctuation as you know.)

Thank you. To all of my lovely blog followers and visitors. To all of you who have visited this week, to all who have left encouraging comments, to all of you who have made my blog a source of great fun and encouragement to me since the start nearly a year ago. To Lynn Mercurio, Joan Bardee and Beverly Nash - wouldn't have been here without you three!! I hope you have enjoyed this week and do let me know if you fancy doing it all over again!!! Lol.

ALSO - I'm not quite finished with the samples yet - I have a sample to show you in the next couple of days using the Gingerbread in bed image!! Stay tuned.


Hope it tickles.

Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 4

So, it's a beautiful May morning here and, naturally, I'm thinking of trimming a Christmas tree!!

Absolutely HAD to have a Gingerbread house - and so I designed this wee house for you to make up and hang on your tree.

I designed it around the size of the candy swirls from Half Baked and I was so pleased with how it works out. I kept mine fairly simple but you can dress it up how you like. Try it out with a white card 'snowy' roof like I did - it's so dinky!!

AND - the smaller ginger bread folks in the Oven Fresh are just the right size for the house!!! I just love things that match!!

So keep an eye out later today - I'll be posting the template and of course later on today I'll be revealing the stampsets!!!!!

The Launch will be here on my blog later this evening
at around 7pm
(My time! (Ireland))

If you are just new here today I'm LAUNCHING MY FIRST TWO STAMPSETS!! go here, go here, and here, and here to see what you may have missed!! Also here and here! Lol

Thank you all so much for your kind words and support!!

Gingerbread Houses

I printed mine onto ginger/brown cardstock (from stash) and stamped and white embossed the details before making it up. I used my half inch circle punch to trim out the candy swirls which I had stamped in Pure poppy red ink.

Check out the wee little doorways - I stamped the pattern in Versamark using the blanket stamp from the Half Baked set. There's s neat trick for doing this. While your template is still flat, fold the doors back to the 'inside. put post it notes or another masking paper behind the doors and stamp. Lol - you can see in my pic that I used a scrap of card to show you this, it's all printed over!


For the scalloped roof, I made a mask by punching along the edge of a post it note with my half inch circle punch!! I sponged the scallops in white in, sprinkled on some white embossing powder in a patchy way and heat set it. If you gind that the ink is too dry once you've finished sponging the roof, simply go back over a couple of rows at a time to do the embossing.

Apologies for the dreadful pic, operator error!! lol - it was 2AM!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 3, second post

Ed - this little prize thing is now closed! Many thanks for looking.

So, seen anything that tickles your fancy yet? Lol. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you like best so far and you stand a chance of winning a prize, I haven't decided what yet! lol - so be careful what you say, if you tell me you loved the wee blue tag best - you might just win it!! lol.

!!!TOMORROW!!! is the day I reveal the stamp sets and start taking orders. Right now I'm working on a shopping cart and a little online store, I'm hoping to have it up and running by tomorrow but I will post tomorrow to tell everyone how things are going to work. Thank you all so much for your patience as I've stumbled along all week on my first release.

I have learned so much and I have learned that there is so much I don't know! Lol. I aim to have things run as smoothly as possible tomorrow but please bear with me as I am a total newbie to setting up an online store and such. there will be the odd glytch but I will do my utmost to ensure that everyone goes away happy, so if you do experience problems, i'm just an email away!! lol.

Junior Apron

We have gingerbreads, we gotta bake right?? We needed an apron! It's pretty self explanatory in the photos what I did but as far as making up goes, I will have a tutorial for this at a later date in the next couple of weeks.

I used palette inks and heat set them. I stamped also on some of the wee patchwork squares to make custom fabric before stitching up the pocket. My girls think it's cute.

See that little stamped spoon? - wouldn't that look sweet in a tin of baking utensils as a gift tag?

Here's how to stamp inthe hollow of a wooden spoon! Lol! Use your thumb instead of the clear acrylic block - no really, if you go carefully it really works!! lol, see? I stuck the stamp to my thumb, inked it up on Palette Noir and then printed it in the hollow of the spoon by pressing down gently but firmly in the centre of the hollow, I made sure all of the inked areas of the stamp were in contact with the wood by gently rolling my thumb slightly from side to side a little, not too much, you'll smudge it!! lol.

I'm off to bed see you tomorrow, we got a tree to trim!!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 3

Two cards and tag for today's first post!

If you've only just joined me you might not be aware that I'm launching a new stamp line TOMORROW!!!!!!!! They are clear Photopolymer stamps, so easy to position!!

I'm beginning with two co-ordinating stampsets - both based on Gingerbread people, Half Baked is a build-your-own gingerbread person set, and Oven Fresh supplies ready made gingerfolk and accessories - I know, it's a little early for Christmas!! but hey, you can get a head start!!

Tomorrow evening (my time)I reveal the stampsets on my blog and open the opportunity to purchase them if you so wish. Today I'm up to my eyeballs in HTML trying to set up my teeny weeny store.

So, start here, go here, and here, and here to see what you may have missed!! and come back later, I have a ton more things to share today and tomorrow!

Gingerbread man eats lolly!

I started by stamping a gingerbread outline (Versafine Black) from the Half Baked set onto watercolour paper, then I stamped a waistcoat/vest also in black. When he was dry I watercoloured him and stamped the face and added a pair of lovely rosy cheeks with a dot stamp (also Half baked). I used a sakura white gel pen to highlight the spots on his vest and then took a red fineliner and just added a red dot to the middle of the white dots.

You can't go visiting with two arms the one length so I put a candy lolly in his hand!! I stamped the candy stick first in black and then the candy swirl in a candy colour, cut it out and stuck it on with a dimensional.

Trimmed him out with one of those rectangle nesties that have an inverted corner, can't think what they're called, and mounted him on a back mat adorned with eyelets. The brown card background was scored with the scorpal and stamped in versamark with the candy swirl - some of these little stamps are fab for wee background details. I put my sentiment on the inside of the card, I thought the front was fine just as it was.

Itty bitty label

Just a quick example of a tag using one of the circular sentiment stamps (Oven fresh), It reads "For my favorite little Gingerbread boy" - I even spelled it the American way!! lol I chose to put the weeniest little gingerbread man in the centre, popped up on dimensionals. I stamped it all in blue because I don't believe these things all need to be gingerbread colour - stamp them in any colour you like, the unexpected adds interest.

I got a fabulous result using my Versafine Indigo ink with the teeng gingy (he's just under half an inch tall, aaww! from the Oven Fresh set), check it out in the third pic. I want to let you know however, that using a chalk ink or similar on a tiny detailed stamp like this may not produce such a clear result. I've been scouring the internet for information on this and the general message seems to be that some inks are better for fine detail, whatever you use, stamp a practice image first when using teeny stamps.

The circular sentiment also works with the small gingerbread people of which there are 3 to choose from (Oven fresh) and I have a cute wrapping paper project to show you later that demonstrates this.

Ultra simple card

This is just the time to show you an uber simple card made using just the circular sentimet and the weeny gingy! sometimes simple is good.


The spacing on the circular sentiment stamp allowed me to colour up the 3 hearts separately to the text - I used chalk ink for these (one of those dew drop shaped ones), the words were stamped in Distress ink Tea die, the tiny gingy in Versacolour Indigo, couldn't resist adding a blingy blue heart!! Isn't he the dinky one!!

Hope they tickle, see you later with more!!!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 2, Third Post

This is today's third post - you might like to scroll down, see if you missed anything!

If you haven't been here before now, you're just in time to find out that I'm revealing my first ever stamp sets here on Thursday - I have a few more things to show you before then so pop back often!!

Warm Winter Wishes

I made this gingerbread man (Half baked set) in the same way that I did the tags that you see on this post. I gave him heart buttons (Half baked set) and watercoloured around him with some blue to highlight him and then mounted him on some nice papers. I sponged in Versacolour Khaki all around this card. The sentiment is embossed in white to make it really pop out.

A bit of co-ordinating ribbon and I thought it made a good masculine card.

You're Yummy!

I absolutely adore the wee tiny gingerbread girl in her Mary Janes! I think she's very cute but with a 'wee glint in her eye!! (she's from Oven fresh) I stamped a nice background for her using the holly and candy stamps from the Oven fresh set. Simply layered on top of another rectangle sponged in versacolour burgundy a nice big organdy bow sets her off - In the Oven fresh set she comes with a BIG sister!! Look out for her tomorrow, she's doing a bit of baking.


Hope they tickle!

Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 2, second Post

ED - I do not have a template for the Apron but when I get a moment I might try to make one, realistically tho' it'll be next week before I get a chance, many thanks for asking!!

I'm posting more than once a day at the moment as I show you all the samples I made for my brand new stamp line!!! At the end of the week, Thurs/Friday I'll be revealing the stampsets and offering them for sale. They are Clear stamps.

So make sure to scroll down and see any posts you might have missed!!!!!

Yummies for your Tummy!

I wanted to take a moment to show you something I made using the 'other' stamps in the Oven Fresh set. The focus of the set is of course the ready made gingerbread men but there are lots of other supporting stamps that are also very dinky. I love stampsets where you have loads of options and so I have stuffed these two sets with as many wee co-ordinating stamps as I can.

I used a small candy cane and a dot stamp (both from Oven Fresh) to stamp an allover pattern on some pale pink bitty dot paper. Then I made a little tiny apron from the paper and mounted it on to my card.

The card base was pure poppy cardstock, swiss dotted in the cuttlebug and rubbed on the wrong side with white versacolour ink. I cut a pinked circle out of it with a nestie die leaving the white card base visible. I stamped my sentiment "Yummies for your Tummy" in red onto the white base and then stamped a few peppermint swirls onto the white in pale pink ink. It's easier to see that in the bottom photo.

Couple of lines of stitches in a contrasting turquoise and a wee cuttlebug flower for a colour pop.

I loved the retro feel of this and so I made a little wee sweetie pouch that is reminiscent of a french fries scoop. I used the pink patterned paper that I stamped to line the pouch.

I die cut another pinked circle from the right hand flap of the pouch and mounted white card behind it. I had stamped my sentiment "Yum" and a red peppermint swirl (both Oven Fresh) onto the white card beforehand.

I have prepared a template for this wee pouch - they are soooo simple to make, I can see me making loads of these for Christmas!! Technically speaking, I should have put something homebaked in there since I had my 'apron' on, but I filled mine with peppermint candies!! They just matched and I like things that match...! Lol.

If you fancy making one with a liner just print the template twice. I made the pouch from cardstock and the liner from paper, I find this works better.

As usual, I will be putting it on SCS and you will be able to download it directly from there. You can find it in a special section on my sidebar called 'Gingerbread Joy Templates'.

If it tickles, tell your friends!!

...Waltzingmouse Stamps Day 2

ED - OOpsie - forgot to mention that the stamps are Clear stamps, which makes the whole build-a-gingerbread-man loads easier!! many thanks for asking Heather!!

Good morning folks -Today I wanted to show you another couple of styles you can get with my new stamps!! For anyone who's just new to my blog today - you might like to check out yesterdays post, and see just what's going on!!

I'm launching my first stamp sets at the end of this week and I am showing things on my blog this week that I have made with them.

I was delighted at the warm wishes and comments that you all left yesterday. Thank you. I do hope you all have fun this week, there will be more projects and ideas and a couple of free templates as well, one later on today hopefully. So call back and bring buddies!! Lol.

Holiday Hugs Card

The card today uses an image from the Oven Fresh Gingerbread joy set, it's a solid image that enables you to stamp a traditional style gingerbread man in one go, just ink it up and stamp. Embellish it or leave it plain, it's up to you. Wanting a fairly vintage feel to this card, I just added some rustic coloured buttons with tiny paper scraps that fell out of the hole puncher! lol.

I cut him out with a nestabilities label die - I so love this new shape of die and it seems to work so well for my gingerbread men. Before I removed him from the die I sponged heavily with Distress ink (Tea dye) and a bit of pale green ink, this meant I got a lovely clean cream unstamped border around my image.

My sentiment is Holiday Hugs, - one of my favorites, also from the Oven Fresh set. It seemed the natural thing to do to cut around his arms a bit and curl them forward so's he could 'give you a hug'!! lol. I loved the way this worked. I made sure to go over the back of the arms with a sponge and matching ink so that when his arms curl forward the back of his arms was the same colour as the front.

For the background red paper, I used a piece of basic grey paper and stamped 'Merry Christmas' (also Oven Fresh) all over it in a slightly darker ink. Underneath it is a piece of green paper that I rubbed with distress ink - Tea dye, and then stamped a random border with some candy canes. I used the larger candy canes found in the Half Baked set for this. I finished the card with stitching, sanding, little bits of sponging and a bit of ribbon and buttons, I love the vintage feel of this card.

I used Tsukineko Versacolour inks throughout this card - I find them fabulous to work with.

Quick and easy tags

A very easy project that I made with the Half Baked set were these tags, I simply stamped a gingerbread shape onto watercolour paper using the outline stamp from the Half Baked set and heat embossed it with white embossing powder, then I stamped a face (there are two face options in the set) and heat embossed that also in white.

Then I stamped a heart shape (larger heart from Half Baked, smaller heart from Oven Fresh) and heat embossed it in white also. then I simply filled the outline in with watercolour paint, the raised edge provided by the heat embossing means it's easy to stay within the lines, and indeed I just paint right over the hearts and faces and the watercolout just runs off because of the natural resist of the embossing.

I cut the gingerbread shape out, again I used the nestabilities new dies, and punched a hole for some ribbon , which I secured with a button and some linen thread.

The guy in the middle received some highlights with a white Gel pen after the paint had dried.

The guy on the left is interesting, After stamping and embossing the outline and face, I left his body undecorated and just filled him all in with watercolour. Then when itwas dry, I doodled all over him with a Sekura Gel pen, in white. He's my little tattoo guy!! Lol, I loved the way this worked and I'm itchin to make some more of these guys, when I get 5 mins.

Hope it tickles, see you later again today.

...Waltzingmouse Stamps

ED - the tin came from a local store but i have seen similar in TK-Maxx, It's plain cream coffee/Tea tin. You want to look out for one that is straight sided - ie doesn't lean in towards the top or the bottom. Many thanks for asking!

Thank you all very much for your patience! I have been AWOL for what seems like ages and I appreciate your checking back with me.

I was most interested to read what you all thought I was up to and I am delighted to announce that the first comment to correctly identify what I've been doing was TAMARA who said she thought I was developing a stamp line or starting a stamp company!!!

Tamara, You have won one of my first ever stampsets !!!!!!! I have emailed you with the details,if you have not received the email please contact me.

So, here's the scoop. You might not be aware that I had dreams of designing stamps for a couple of my favorite companies, and was in the process of pursuing that thought when my wonderful husband went ahead and arranged for a company to make some sets of my stamps.

I had prepared artwork for a set of Gingerbread people stamps which naturally fell into two sets:

Half Baked Gingerbread Joy A stampset that allows you to custom build your own gingerbread people. There are opportunities to make girls and boys, even a Gingerbread man in bed - He begs the question - How many sleeps ‘till Christmas?, This is the one thing my little folk always want to know!

There are assorted candy canes and various accessories such as waistcoats and a girls outfit which make for countless variations of Gingerbread folks. I can't wait to show you!!

Lots of complimentary sentiments.

Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy This is the stampset with ready made Gingerbread people. There are three sizes of gingerbread folks and many seasonal elements thrown in to the mix together with some delicious sentiments, a couple especially designed for easy tag making!

Now here's the interesting bit.

So after I opened my own copy of the stampset, I had a few (!) left over. What to do...




So I thought maybe I will sell the extra stamp sets and if I manage to do that maybe I'll design and make another stampset and if those sell, maybe I'll make some more...

Who knows what will happen but I'll start with my gingerbread men and take it from here.

So here's the plan for this week. Monday to Wednesday I'll be popping on to the blog at odd times to add the many projects I've created so far. Thursday, I'll be revealing the two stampsets in their entirety and opening the opportunity to purchase the stampsets should anyone so wish.

So, pop back often to see what I've been up to, bring friends, we'll call it a party! there will be nice things to see, tips, maybe a tutorial, a couple of fun free templates and who knows what else.

I'm so looking forward to showing you all my first stamp sets, but most of all I'd love to hear what you think as we go along, so keep the comments coming, there might be a spot prize.

Todays project, Sweetie Gift Tin

I altered a pre-purchased coffee tin by adding a bellyband showcasing some of the gingerbread people you can make with my Half-Baked Gingerbread Joy set. I went out and bought copic markers and spent a couple of days trying to get to grips with them. Been dying to try them for ages and it's not quite as easy as I thought! lol, but I'm very happy with the results considering I'm a beginner! (Debbie...help...please...!)


I stamped the Gingerbread outlines in Versafine Black ink and then stamped waistcoats for the men and tutu's for the girlies. I stamped the girlies SHOES -how dinky are these! After the ink was very dry, I coloured with my copics (these are so cool). then I stamped faces and 'hair bows' and colored in the waistcoats and other details - do you like her ruby slippers!! Red stickles were generously applied over the shoes and left to dry, also stickled the ruffle on the tut and some buttons
Ed - for got to mention stamped the ric-rac in Fresh snow.

Trimmed the green bellyband from some MME christmas papers from Bev and then cut the ovals out with my nesties.

I added some stamped details with stamps from both of the new sets around the ovals, and sponged around the edges with Distress ink Tea dye, before mounting the gingerbread people in behind the ovals. Then I applied some page pebbles (Berrylicious) also from Bev in between the folks.

Added a simple tag stamped with a sentiment (Half Baked set), holly and berries and a peppermint swirl candy lolly (both Oven fresh) complete the Sweetie Tin.

I had a guy left over so I made him into a tag.

Hope it tickles!!!!!!!

...just for fun

Ok - so what am I up to?? Just for fun I wonder what you might be thinking.

The first person (ie the First comment to hit the nail on the head) wins a little something!! wink!!

Only a little short while folks.

...still here

Seems like we're getting over the flu - I hesitate to tell you the details, suffice to say that there has been wailing and gnashing of teeth. The wee folk, not me. Lol.

On the upside I have been very busy making a dose of things to put on my blog...soon...very soon.

There is a very good reason for the delay in uploading pictures and I hope you will all think it has been worth it!!!!

...yuk

Just when you think you're getting rid of a virus, everyone else in the house gets it. Back in a day or two with some interesting news.

...feeling groovy. Not.

Since I am virussed up and don't feel up to crafting I have a few pics from the weekend for you. We went to Exploris in Portaferry. It's an aquarium and it's quite good. They do have fish there, but because it was dimly lit and the darn things kept moving,the photos are blurry.

The top photo was snapped on the way home. A rather humdrum bit of Strangford Lough that I've seen a million times before but WOW! what a difference the sky makes - I thought this was a great, atmospheric shot, pure luck that it looked this way just as we were passing.

Waffle

I have loved reading all the comments about my last post!! It seams there are loads of us!! Hurrah! I do love a giggle.

I was also giggling this morning. Before we got out of bed, little guy (LG) and big guy (BG) were having a discussion. I pretended to be asleep, didn't want to spoil the father/son thing. Went a bit like this:

BG: Can you see the Aeroplane up in the sky?
LG: I see a eropane in a kye (He's only just two, he cant pronounce everything - it's so cute)
BG: Do you like the Aeroplane?
LG: I like a eropane up in a kye.
BG: All the people going on holiday - can you see the people in the Aeroplane?
LG: No, I can't see a peepils. I need a telecope a see a peepils up in a eroplane...

I nearly fell out of bed laughing. What possessed BG to ask if he could see the people, and how does LG know what a telescope is let alone what it does?? Silly Daddy!! Lol.

Off to drink tea. Hope to be back at it soon.

...how appropriate! Lol.

This was the last card I made the other night before I got sick - think it's a virus, it's been doing the rounds of the house. Just ill enough to not feel like making anything, but not sick enough to stay in bed. Bother.

Used my favourite stencil!! Lol. If you haven't already you must check out Country Stencils - some really neat images! This time I printed it in white ink (PapertreyInk Fresh Snow) I like how it looks on Kraft. Very simple straightforward card but sometimes crisp and clean is good. All brown stuff from PTI (except button - stash). Any questions, fire away, I'll answer them on this post. Thanks for looking. Those of you easily bored - look away now.

Waffle.

Never been one to envy anybody anything. Even as a child, never wanted anyone else's toys, just counted myself lucky I had what I had. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a goody goody, I just appreciated that the Big Guy Upstairs saw fit to bless me with a contented mind. Still do.

But.

Since I been big, I gotta say, a certain issue rears it's head now and again. Mostly in Spring/Summertime. While all you lithesome ladies are running about in your shorts and skirts I'm wondering what God was up to when he designed my body.

In the dark, last night, in bed while I couldn't sleep - the answer came to me. He didn't.

Obiously, He was busy that day and sub-contracted the design of my particular bod (along with a few others possibly) out to one of his technicians. He must have millions of them by now. The said technician obviously enjoys a penchant for Celtic Antiquity and, yes indeed, this particular, short limbed, long bodied, thick ankled and somewhat woolly little number would be right at home, crashing barefoot and half naked through the Teutonic forests of a 1000 years ago, but put it on a modern day beach in company with hundres of scantily clad bald legs and it doesn't quite cut the mustard. Did I mention it's a very attractive shade of white - almost blue?

But I am not unhappy. Last night was the enlightenment. Quite clearly, the techinian knew what he was doing. Isn't global warming already here? and doesn't that mean for some bizarre reason that the area in which I live is getting colder and will freeze up? - and Won't I be the one enjoying the protection afforded by the extra half a degree body heat trapped under the excess body fluff? Chances are, my extremities are not as extreme as your extremities - I got shorter limbs, it stands to reason that your fingers will freeze off before mine. Hurrah!

I look forward to my future role as the Florence Nightingale of the North, skipping merrily about between rows of hospital beds filled with beautiful, cold people, dispensing hotwater bottles and sage advice such as "you shouldn't have shaved!"

Hope it tickles.