Brayered Christmas

A brayered winter scene Christmas Card

This lovely Christmas scene was done using my brayer the lovely as a tree stamp set from Stampin' Up!

I love how it turned out and I made a little how to video which you can watch.

I used midnight muse for the background and chocolate chip for the tree. I used the glossy card stock, which sadly we must say goodbye to. It would work well with whisper white also.

Here is a closer look at the card.

If you want to buy the products to try this one out for yourself please contact me marianardone.mn@gmail.com you can also visit my site Maria Kitching Stampin' Up! where online ordering will soon be available. Woop! Woop!

Elegant Butterfly Card

Super simple card using the love blossoms stampin' around wheel.

The little bow is made from paper strips and it's finished with a pearl. I love the simple look which is emphasised even more with basic colours black and vanilla.

Sheer elegance!!

Bottle Tag

Wine Bottle Gift Tag

So my exam has passed, and hopefully so have I!

I just have to catch up on everything else that I put on hold so I can get some extra study time.

The boys nursery are having a fun day next week and they were asking for donations for a bottle stall and this seemed like a good time to get the ink out.

So I made this quick thank you gift tag to go along with it.

The colours are pool party and whisper white and it has a little brad and some linen thread.

Stamps used were hearts a flutter, En Francais and I also inked up a clear block too and added a few drops of ink. 

The 1 3/4" circle punch made the hole in the top so it hangs nicely over a bottle.

An apology about posts (or lack of them)

I'm so very sorry readers about the sparsity of my posts at the moment.

I'm studying for my degree, through the open university and I have an exam coming VERY SOON.

I will get back to more regular posts once my exam is done. The exam is on the 10th June and I have a lot of studying to do since I have not done very much all year.

Wish me luck!!

Home Decor Item

I loved this top hat but I had no idea what to do with it so I have turned it into a home decor item.

A few months ago I was inspired by an article in Craft Stamper magazine and I made the top hat which you can see in the picture.

I thought about putting a piece of ribbon through it and using it as a Christmas Tree Decoration but the way I had decorated it didn't really say "Christmas" to me.

It did make me think about Alice in Wonderland (and I happened to have a beautiful tea leaf tin) so I took some inspiration from that and this is where it led me.

I hope you enjoy! The pattern for the hat was one which came from craft stamper magazine, I had to alter it a bit but I love how this all turned out.

Please let me know what you think.



Blackboard Technique For Masculine Cards

Feeling Sentimental

The boy's nursery have asked me if I'd like to have a stall at the nursery fun day. So I was looking over what cards I have, trying to plan what I might like to make, and I have hardly any male cards.

I always find male cards so much more difficult to design and I know lots of other crafter's that say the same thing.

I was also shown the blackboard technique a few weeks ago at our Stampin' Up! Team Meeting and I've been itching to try it again. I love when I see a technique that I like and I actually have all the supplies I need so I can try it straight away.

I hope you like this one.

Oh Hello

I love this set!! It's become one of my favourite's and I've been using it quite a bit lately.

This card is using summer starfruit, midnight muse and calypso coral. The itty bitty buttons and some bakers twine.

Hope you like it.

Summer Silhouettes

This card was really easy to make. The colours are midnight muse with pool party, whisper white and natural white.

A bit of paper piercing and embossing with the polka dot embossing folder just adds that little bit more.

Waterfall cards

I had lots of fun making these waterfall cards and they were surprising simple to do.

I first saw these being made at a Stampin' Up! training event but there lots of videos and tutorials out on the net that are easy to follow.

This is the first time I've used Calypso Coral with Raspberry Ripple but I like how they work together. It's nice and vibrant and a change from the usual subtle pink for a new baby.

I also wanted something different since baby Ella is nearly 6 months now and I 've just got round to getting her a gift. My bad!

This is my husbands valentine card which was actually the first one I did and I was so pleased I did some more.

I also find with a new technique or idea that if I try it a few times all at once then the procedure tends to stick a bit more in my little blond brain. 

This one is using the fresh vintage designer series paper which was on offer last year for sale-a-bration. I loved these paper and I still turn to this stamp set often as it is a favourite.