Monday 31 July 2017

Vintage Card using Stampin Up Crafting Forever with Musical Notes

Vintage Card using Stampin Up Crafting Forever with Musical Notes background

The Musical Notes background stamp is becoming a firm favourite as it can be used in so many ways to create beautiful backgrounds for any stamping project.

This card has a very vintage feel.  I stamped the Musical Notes background and then distressed it using crumb cake, crushed curry and sahara sand.

I tore around the edge of the card and sponged with crumb cake and then mounted on black cardstock.

The pen and the sentiment are from the Crafting Forever stamp set and I coloured the pen and then fussy cut it our and used dimensionals to lift it up.

This would make a lovely card for a man as masculine cards can be tricky to do without all the flowers, glitter and ribbon that we all love to use.

If you have not already done so please subscribe to my blog and YouTube channel (Jane Allmark) as I post regularly tutorials and fun crafting ideas.




All products are available to purchase through the shop button above or by clicking the highlighted links.

Thanks for joining me today and look forward to seeing you again.




Friday 28 July 2017

Stampin Up How To Create an Abstract Art Background using Acrylic Blocks

Using our Acrylic Blocks to create backgrounds is very popular at the moment and there are so many different techniques and ideas out there. As you know I am. Great fan of background techniques so this abstract technique was great fun to do.

I have created a video so you can see exactly what to do.

I love the way that each card will be slightly different and if you used watercolour paper instead of whisper white cardstock you would get a different look again.

The three colour combinations I used were Dapper Denim, Tranquil Tide and Night of Navy and the second card was Powder Pink, Sweet Sugar Plum and Berry Burst. Any three colours would work just try to pick tones that will go together or will not give sludgy brown colour tones when blended.

If you haven't already please look at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel as I regularly post techniques and ideas.

All products are available through the shop button above. Do have a browse through our annual catalogue as there is so much to choose from.






Wednesday 26 July 2017

Stampin Up This Little Piggy

This Little Piggy went to market
This Little Piggy stayed at home,
This Little Piggy had roast beef,
 This Little Piggy had none,
and




This rhyme I used to play with my babies when the were Little taking each one of their little toes and singing this rhyme then tickling them with each 'wee! wee! wee!'
So this card was in memory of all those good times. However it would make a good New Home card.
All supplies are available through my shop button.




Monday 24 July 2017

Stampin Up Coordinating Embossing Paste Backgrounds

Hello everyone and welcome to Amethystarcrafting.  I am really excited to talk to you about our new embossing paste and masks. They are super easy to use and create a lovely textured background suitable for all your cards and projects.  The great thing is that with a couple of drops of reinker you can colour the paste whatever colour you want.

For this project I chose, Peekaboo Peach, Sweet Sugarplum, Dapper Denim and Emerald Envy and put four blobs of embossing paste on a silicone mat and mixed the reinkers into each blob separately. The flowers and leaf die cuts were from the Ribbon of Courage dies.

I love the way this teams together perfectly showing just how well everything Stampin Up coordinates.


Do visit my shop where you can purchase the embossing paste, masks and tool for applying the paste.  This is a very inexpensive way to create totally unique colour combination backgrounds and is so simple to use.

Please look subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel as I post regular technique and card ideas and tutorials.

Thank you for dropping by and catch you all again soon.






Friday 21 July 2017

Stampin Up Cookie Cutter Christmas Fun Jelly Baby Kids Card

Just a quick video tutorial showing you that our stamp sets are versatile all year round and just at Christmas. The Cookie Cutter Christmas stamp set and coordinating punch is fantastic for Christmas but the teddy bear is adorable all year round and the gingerbread man makes a great jelly baby card. Jelly babies are a candy sweet which are very popular in the UK.

All products are available through my shop button above.


Thursday 20 July 2017

Stampin Up Marble Background with Magical Mermaid

Stampin Up Marble Background with Magical Mermaid

Hello and welcome everyone. Stampin Up background stamps are absolutely gorgeous and so versatile to use in any colour combination of your choice.
Todays card is inspired by the breaking waves of the ocean. I love how the marble looks like the frothy ocean.
I used the torn paper technique, which is a firm favourite as it is so simple to achieve.

heres a video tutorial with step by step guide for those that haven't already tried this.

If you struggle with straight line masking then this is the technique for you.

All products are available to buy through my shop.  Please look at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel as I post regular tips and techniques.




Tuesday 18 July 2017

Stampin Up Sheltering Tree and Sheet Music

Stampin Up Sheltering Tree and Sheet Music.

Hello everyone and welcome to amethystarcrafting.  Today is the second posting of The Joy of Sets Challenge Blog #002 The Letter 'S' and for those of you that followed the first challenge you will know that I am one of the Design Team.

So for this challenge I chose two stamp sets Sheltering Tree and Sheet Music.  One of my favourite techniques is the torn paper mask and stamped the Sheet Music in archival black ink and then sponged with Emerald Envy, Peekaboo Peach, Berry Burst, Fresh Fig and Real Red.  I used Berry Burst cardstock to die cut some little hearts using the die from the Jar of Love set.

For those that haven't tried the Torn Paper technique here is a video tutorial which will give you a step by step guide to achieve this background.

It really is a great technique for any background as you can choose whatever colour tones you like.

Here is a list of supplies, just go to my shop button or click the highlighted links purchase.

Sheltering Tree stamp set

Sheet Music

Please look at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel as I post regular techniques and ideas for you to all enjoy and use.

If you are in the Farnham GU9 area then I run technique classes, just drop me a line for more details.

Thank you for dropping by and look forward to seeing you all again soon.



Saturday 15 July 2017

Stampin Up Happy Birthday Thinlets Die

Stampin Up Happy Birthday Thinlets Die

Hello and welcome to amethystarcrafting.  Todays card is a fun way to work with the new Happy Birthday Thinlets Die.

How to create this card.
  1. Die cut the Happy Birthday Thinlets die through the Big Shot 3 times in whisper white cardstock.
  2. Using Jar of Love flowers and leaf stamp the bottom of one of the Happy Birthday die cuts. I used Fresh Fig and Emerald Envy inkpads.
  3. The using a sponge dauber, sponge the Happy Birthday in Berry Burst and Daffodil Delight to give a toned look.
  4. For the background stamp the Sheet Music background stamp in Powder Pink ink and then tear round the edges and sponge in Berry Burst ink.
  5. Take the three Happy Birthday die cuts and glue one onto the other.  This will give depth and allow it to pop up.
  6. Take a white card base and using a piece of Berry Burst cardstock measuring 5.5" x 3.75" adhere to base. Adhere the Sheet Music layer on top and then add the Happy Birthday.
This makes a great way to make a simple birthday card and obviously you can choose whatever colour tones to suit the recipient.

Please if you haven't already loo at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel (just search for Jane Allmark) as I post regularly and have lots of techniques for you to try.

Products Used
Happy Birthday Thinlits Die


Thursday 13 July 2017

Stampin Up This Little Piggy Birthday Card

Stampin Up This Little Piggy Birthday Card

Hello everyone and welcome.  Today is a very special day for me as it is my grandson's 8th birthday.  I am very blessed to have 6 grandchildren and they bring me joy every day.

So the card today is This Little Piggy in blue for a boy.

is absolutely brilliant.  Use one of our lovely masks, I used the brick pattern, add a couple of drops of reinker  I used dapper denim and emerald envy and you have a lovely textured background.  I fussy cut the piggy and then took a combination of the sentiments plus a Happy Birthday from the Best Birds and added a number 8.  

I know that he will love it and will laugh at his Nanny saying "This Little Piggy say Happy Birthday Hogs and Kisses"

This Little Piggy is such a lovely stamp set and who doesn't love a smiling little piggy.

If you haven't already please look at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel (Jane Allmark) as I post regular cards, techniques and ideas.

This is the gorgeous This Little Piggy stamp set
If you haven't got hold of yours then pop over to my shop or click the highlighted link above and grab yourself this delightful set.



Wednesday 12 July 2017

Stampin Up Love Today Planner A Great Working Tool

Stampin Up Love Today Planner A Great Working Tool

Hello and welcome everyone. Today is the last day (for now) of my Love Today Planner set up and ideas and tips for creating a working tool to carry with you in a car or bag and show off everything that Stampin Up has to offer.

This week's spread showcases the Crafting Forever Stamp set and this time I stamped everything onto cardstock first and then stuck to the page.  This works far better than stamping directly onto the page if you are showing water colour techniques.

I used the lovely Sheet Music background stamp with a torn vintage look and then masked the pens an water coloured.

Our Angel Policy stamp is included in this stamp set and is worth making customers aware.  A great set to promote if customers are looking to sell their cards and projects.

A view of both pages together.  So this gives a great view of how to showcase a stamp set Crafting Forever and allow customers to see how they can use this set and for any demonstrators to plan a class easily with some ideas.

I hope you've enjoyed this week of the Love Today Planner.  Please look at subscribing to my blog and YouTube channel as I post regularly and try and show up to date project ideas and tips for all you crafters out there.

If you live in and around the Farnham Surrey area in the UK then please get I touch as I hold regular classes and I'd love you to join my team.  If you've ever thought about becoming a demonstrator then again drop me a line and I'd love to have a chat with you.

Thank you for dropping by and look forward to seeing you all soon and remember Crafting Forever Housework Whenever.


To buy your Love Today Planner just click on my shop button or click on the highlighted link above.





Tuesday 11 July 2017

Love Today Planner The Journey Continues

Love Today Planner The Journey Continues

Hello and welcome everyone. So today the journey continues with my Love Today Planner.  I cannot emphasise enough how much I am loving the Love Today Planner.  Each day I am looking forward to creating another page.  I am an avid crafter and if I don't craft every day I start to get withdrawal symptoms.  I have boxes and boxes of cards and projects and although I do send, sell and take to craft fairs I still have way too many.  Now with my Love Today Planner I can spend some time every day crafting in the Planner and making a valuable tool to promote everything Stampin Up.

So today my first week spread.  The thought process was to take one stamp set and showcase each stamp and how I would use them.  This then becomes a library resource that I can check back on to see what colours and ideas I used.  It also makes a great tool to show off a stamp set to a customer and create excitement.

So lets look at the first page layout.

If you click on the picture you should be able to see my comments and my thought process.

Firstly I put the name of the set This Little Piggy and where to find it in the annual catalogue.
Its a great set for watercolouring.
Powder Pink ink (in my opinion) is the most realistic colour for the piggies.

As I created each day I wrote the tips that I thought and so now the week is finished it gives a great overview of this great stamp set.

This first week was very much a journaling style.  I stamped and coloured directly onto the planner page, which works pretty well, but is not the best for the watercolouring and blending with the aquapainter, as it doesn't blend as well as our cardstock or watercolour paper.

So pop back again and see how I overcame this on my second week.

Thanks so much for taking this journey with me and look forward to seeing you all tomorrow for the next instalment.

If you haven't got hold of your Love Today Planner then go to my shop button where you can order yours or click the highlighted link below.






Monday 10 July 2017

Stampin Up Love Today Planner Video Tutorial and More Ideas

Stampin Up Love Today Planner Video Tutorial and More Ideas

Hello everyone and welcome to the fourth part of my Love Today Planner journey.  If you haven't seen my other blogs then just flick back and see how the journey began.

I have compiled a video to see where I have got so far.  This gives a clearer view of exactly all the steps that I have been showing you and the first two weeks page layouts.


This Love Today Planner is such a great tool.  I didn't realise how many ideas and thoughts I wrote down on scraps of paper or in other little hardback books that I can now consolidate together in my Love Today Planner.  How many times do we look at a card or a project and can't remember what colours we used or how we did a certain technique? Well my Love Today Planner will have all this in one place. Genius! 

So have a look through the video and if you haven't already please look at subscribing to my YouTube channel as I regularly post tips and idea tutorials.

Please subscribe to this blog also as I will be posting full details of the page layouts in the Love Today Planner with pictures so you can see exactly how I created them.

If you haven't already bought your Love Today Planner then go to my shop button and order one today or click on the highlighted link below.



Thanks for stopping by and see you all again tomorrow for more Love Today Planner planning.






Sunday 9 July 2017

Stampin Up Love Today Planner More Ideas

Stampin Up Love Today Planner More Ideas

Hello everyone and welcome to day 3 of ideas with the Love Today Planner to turn it into your craft room office containing as much Stampin Up sample and goodies as your imagination can create.

If you have not seen the progress so far then just look back at the past couple of days blog posts.

So today is starting to add some elements to the inside of the Love Today Planner.

At the beginning of each month there is a page (pictured above) which just lends itself to be decorated with Stampin Up samples.  So this first page for July I have chosen some of the favourites. The pink square is perfect for This Little Piggy. The Adirondack chair in Fresh Fig our new In Colour on the Pool Party square and then of course using Pool Party ink and the sentiment from Colourful Seasons 'May all your tomorrows be as happy as today'.  The lemon/lime square had two hearts from the Ribbon of Courage and the sentiment from Colourful Seasons.

So on one page I have shown examples of new products and colours from the Annual Catalogue.  Everyone likes to see a product in the flesh so to speak, and I think every time I use a stamp set to make a card or project I will take my Love Today Planner out and do the same card or project in it.  This will save me time as I will  already be using those sets.

I am really pleased how my Love Today Planner is taking shape.  It has only been a couple of days and I know there is a lot that I want to achieve, but the journey is great fun and anything to do with crafting and Stampin Up is a pleasure to do.  At the end I will have a Planner which I can take with me everywhere and will be a great tool and talking point for any potential customer.

Thanks for dropping by. Come back soon and see how I am progressing.


If you haven't got your Love Today Planner then pop across to my shop or click on the highlighted link above and order yours today.

Need a great gift for a friend or family? the Love Today Planner is just perfect and with all those students starting college and university in September it would make a great start to their year.



Saturday 8 July 2017

Stampin Up Love Today Planner How To Protect it when Transporting.

Stampin Up Love Today Planner How to Protect it when Transporting.

Hello everyone. Yesterday I showed you how I was going to use my planner as a portable craft room and keep as many samples of everything Stampin Up in it as I could.

Today I am answering the many queries that people have asked about how to carry around you Love Today Planner, in the car or in a handbag without it getting battered.  When the Love Today Planner arrives it comes in a very sturdy cardboard box. Do not throw this away as with a little thought it can become the perfect storage solution.

Firstly I painted the outside edges with white Gesso (a chalky finish artists paint) and let it dry thoroughly.  I also painted inside the flap opening of the box and any areas that might show so the brown cardboard was painted.  The I took two full sheets of dsp.  Now as I wanted mine to coordinate
with the Love Today Planner I used some retired dsp in Night of Navy although any dsp would work.
Two sheets it perfect to cut a front, back, top, bottom and two sides. Measure your box and then cut accordingly.  To make the dsp even sturdier I painted the whole thing with PVA glue (mod podge) and then left it overnight to dry.

For decoration I used the daisy punch, some stickers and some die cut letters (Timeless Type Alphabet is retired) the Large Letters Framelits would work perfectly.

Decorating is a real personal choice and with so many lovely Stampin Up products to choose from you can make it a real work of art.  I am going to look for a gold magnetic clasp to fasten then top to make it more secure and I may use decorate the other sides.

So now I can transport my Love Today Planner and know that it will stay in pristine condition as I have a fun box to carry it in.

If you haven't already, please subscribe to my blog as I will be showing more ways to put together the Love Today Planner to work as a portable craft room to show off all our lovely products.


If you haven't already bought your Love Today Planner then pop over to my shop or click the highlighted link above and order yours today.

Thanks for dropping by and see you again soon.




Friday 7 July 2017

Stampin Up Love Today Planner Ideas and Tips

Stampin Up Love Today Planner Ideas and Tips

I have just received the  Stampin Up Love Today Planner and I must admit I am very impressed.

The Stampin Up Love Today Planner includes a 2 ring binder with gold metal corners for protection against knocks.  12 x month divider pages with month per view and weekly insert pages (4 pages per month) 6 sheets of sticker (3 gold and 3 printed) and four photo protector pages which hold 6 photos in each page.

Know this is a great planner for everyone.  With the schools and colleges and Universities starting in September it would make a lovely planner created how you would like.  What about a great gift for a birthday, anniversary or just a thank you to a good friend. Most importantly it is a great planner for the crafter and demonstrators.

So as a demonstrator I thought I would share with you what I am going to do with mine. I love talking about Stampin Up and everything that they have to offer at every opportunity. I always carry a few catalogues in my car, have some business cards in my purse but wish I could carry my whole craft room with me as people like to see products in the flesh.  So this is where my Love Today Planner is going to come in handy as I am going to create my craft room inside my planner.  How you ask? Well........ let me start with the photo protector pages.  The New In Colours 2017/19 are five lovely colours, so I cut out 2" squares of the cardstock and put them inside the pockets and on the sixth pocket I stamped each colour with the name alongside.

Now the idea is to all our colours in 2" squares as I can get 12 per protector sheet as I can do them back to back.  So I will be able to carry all my cardstock as samples with ink pad samples with me all the time.

This is my first idea and if you would like to join me on this journey for more ideas and how I put all my stamp sets and dies into my planner then subscribe to my blog and I will share with you as I progress.

If you haven't got the Love Today Planner yet then just pop over to my shop to order or clickthe highlighted link below.



I look forward to seeing you all soon. Thank you for stopping by and if you haven't been across to my YouTube channel then please look at subscribing as I post regular techniques and fun ideas for you to enjoy.Jane Allmark YouTube Channel



Tuesday 4 July 2017

Joy of Sets Challenge #jos001 The Letter F

I am very excited to have been asked to be one of the Design Team on the Joy of Sets Challenge Blog which goes live today July 4th.  Every two weeks, as part of the Design Team I will be posting a new project to give you all ideas for this challenge.

The first challenge #jos001 The Letter F I have chosen a fusion card taking the Floral Statements stamp set and removing the "H" from the Hello stamp and one of the flowers and adding them to the Happy Birthday Thinlets Dies to create a lovely floral card

.I have made a video for you to follow to see exactly how I created this card and to make it easy for you all to have a go.











I coloured the floral images with our Watercolour Pencils and then lightly washed using the Aquapainter brush.

Products Used

Happy Birthday Thinlets Die

Floral Statements Clear Mount Stamp Set





If you have found me here then I hope you have already taken part in the challenge & as one of the Design Team I look forward to judging all your lovely entries.