Funky Folds Blog Hop #7

ANYTHING GOES WITH A FUNKY FOLD

Welcome to the seventh Funky Folds Blog Hop.

We are a group of like-minded paper crafters who love to make cards with funky folds. Funky actually means "modern and stylish in an unconventional or striking way"... so we are featuring cards that are not your usual rectangle/square portrait or landscape style. Think 'easel', 'pop-up', 'gatefold', 'z-fold', 'shaped' or 3D cards etc. The list is endless. All Blog Hops have an 'anything goes' theme using any type of 'funky' card fold. 

Here is my card. It’s not what you think …

It’s not just a square card. The fold chosen for this blog hop is an oldie, but a goodie, the Never Ending fold. You start with a square card then open the card to a different design/facade; open it again to a third design/facade and then again to a fourth design/facade. When you open the card a fifth time you are taken back to the beginning. You can keep opening the card endlessly, hence the name of the fold. Here is the second design:

I have an arty friend who started making cards a year of so ago and I wanted something special for her - something that would stretch her mind like this endless fold card. When completed this card is 6 x 6” or 15.2cm x 15.2cm for the metrically minded. The measurements are more straight forward using inches. You start with 4 panels of 3” x 6”. Here is the third design:

There are a few tricks in creating this card, but it is easier than it looks. As I wanted it to be a special card for a special birthday of a special lady, it needed to remind her of special things. This card incorporates 4 separate but related designs. Here is the fourth design:

As mentioned this card was made for a special friend and so it incorporates things that mean so much to her. i am not going to share the specifics of how this card was made as there are numerous U-tubes that show how to made an Never Ending fold. The Designer Series Paper used is a mix of the Thoughtful Journey DSP and the Country Woods DSP. They are my 2 favourite DSPs in Stampin’ Up!s 2024-2025 Annual Catalogue.

We met walking our dogs through local parks. We developed into a group of like minded folk. The linear park follows a local river and so has many beautiful aspects of nature, whether flowers, fish, skinks, birds and other native flora & fauna - all bringing delight.

I mentioned we met walking our dogs. We all love our dogs dearly and my friend is no exception. The dogs above represent different dogs that belong to individuals in our walking group. 

The dogs above represent my friend’s much loved dogs. They are so so special to her and her partner. We also meet many other dog walkers along the way and often share treats with their dogs, hence the background which was stamped with the Doggone Friends large stamp. It was stamped in Pebble Path and then clear heat embossed over to give it a little shimmer. My friend has chooks who she loves dearly so I had to bring some chickens onto the card. I used a recently retired Stampin’ Up! stamp set, Hey Chuck, as there were no current stamps showing chickens/roosters. I do love the attitude shown by the birds. Her chooks aren’t very colourful, so they have been coloured in black/grey. I couldn’t resist adding a little colour. 

Thank you so much for calling in and spending time with me checking out my blog.

Up next is the lovely Cathy Pinchbeck. I am looking forward to seeing Cathy’s funky fold and to hopping around to check out everyone’s’ creations in our 7th Funky Folds Blog Hop. Just click on the graphic below to be taken to Cathy’s blog.

Here is a list of everyone participating in Funky Folds Blog Hop - September 2024

1. Bronwyn Eastley

2. Tammy Fite, Stamp with Tammy

3. Rochelle Blok

4. Andrea Sargent

5. Cathy Pinchbeck

6. Cindy Mitchell-Clark ~ USA

7. Tracy Held - Trace Of Creativity

8. Julia Quinn - Handmade by Julia Quinn (Australia)

9. Lou Kitzelman

If you love to make cards with creative folds and would like to join in with our monthly Funky Folds Blog Hops, you are welcome to head on over to our community group on Facebook to be part of the fun.

facebook.com/groups/funkyfoldsbloghops

Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others.

Andrea 💕🐾

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of the Stampin' Up 2024-2025 Annual Catalogue and or the new September-December 2024 Mini Catalogue then let me know. I will be delighted to send them to you and to be your Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  Please don't hesitate to make contact with any other queries about this project or Stampin' Up!. 

#stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations   #doggonefriendly  #thoughtfulwishes   #gratefulblessing   #thoughtfuljourney

AWH Colour Creations Blog Hop #1 Peach Pie

Peach Pie with Easter Lilies

Hello. Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and the Art with Heart Colour Creations Blog Hop. This week we are starting to work though Stampin’ Up!s newly introduced colours and will then continue with the other Stampin' Up! colours in alphabetical order, focussing on one colour each week.

This week’s Blog Hop is focussing on a strong apricot colour called Peach Pie. Peach Pie is part of the 2024-2026 In Colour Family and as the name suggests, is a peachy colour. This colour is lovely for fruit, flowers and anything with a deep peachy colour.

Peach Pie is produced in Stampin' Up!'s card-stock, both A4 & 12"x12"; Classic Stampin' inks (ink pads & re-inkers); Stampin' Write Marker; Stampin’ Blends Combo; 2024-2026 In Color Designer Series Paper as well as Unbounded Beauty and Thoughtful Journey DSPs; In Colour Glimmer Speciality Paper, Thoughtful Designs Speciality DSP; Thoughtful Journey Memories & More card pack; Peach Pie Bordered Ribbon, 2024-2046 In Color Resin Dots and In Color Shimmer Gems. 

Peach Pie ink, card-stock, Bordered Ribbon and Shimmer Gems have been used in the creation of this project plus a range of non-Peach Pie bits and pieces.

When attending On Stage in March, I participated in a formal card swap and had plans to also create a similar but different card to swap with others, however, ran out of time. This card uses the layout that I had in my mind. I started by blending an ombre background using Lemon Lolly and Peach Pie Classic Stampin’ inks and a Blending Brush.  A little water was splattered over the blended background and when dry, some ink splattering.

The archway die from the Garden Meadows dies cut a large hole in a panel of Basic White card-stock to layer over the blended background. It was popped up with Dimensionals.  Dies from the Easter Lilies bundle cut out leaves and pieces to build a large lily from Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper. Little stems were cut from the Pretty Peacock design of the Oxidized Copper Speciality DSP. The flower and leaf pieces were wet on wet water-coloured with Peach Pie ink for the flower and Garden Green & Shy Shamrock inks for the leaves. I love the way ink flows up channels in die cut pieces with this water-colour technique.

With all the layers of the floral arrangement, I wanted the sentiment to blend in so decided to stamp directly onto the background panel. With a deep breath and a prayer, a sentiment from the new Unbounded Love stamp set was stamped in Pebble Path ink. 

Beautiful Bordered Ribbon is available in each of the new In Colors. A piece of the Peach Pie ribbon was cut in half length-wise and tied into a bow with some White Bakers twine (from the Bakers Twine Essentials Pack). The final touch was a scattering of a few Peach Pie 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems. They are gorgeous. I do love a little bling.

The coordinating Easter Lilies stamp set was used for the card inner, stamping in second generation Pebble Path ink. A leftover piece of Oxidized Copper SDSP and part of a water-coloured leaf were also added. As with the card front, the Basic White panel was mounted onto a slightly larger piece of Peach Pie card-stock. A little piece of Peach Pie ribbon was laid across the bottom of the panel and tucked behind to glue down the edges. Somehow, a little dash of green appeared near the stamping, so to camouflage it,  some splattering was added. While the unwanted mark is still there, it’s only noticed with a careful look.

A C6 Basic White envelope was stamped with second generation Pebbled Path ink, with a little blending over the top. You may notice some difference in the colour of this blending on the envelope. I had loaned my Peach Pie ink pad to a friend before I stamped the envelope, so I used a little Calyso Coral ink for the blending. Calypso Coral would work harmoniously with Peach Pie, with the latter being brighter and with a little more yellow in its makeup. 

Thank you so much for dropping by on your way around the first Colour Creations Blog Hop for 2024-2025. I look forward to sharing the other new colours with you over coming weeks.

To continue with the Peach Pie blog hop just click the "next" graphic below to be taken to the blog of a friend & talented crafter, Rachel Woollard. I am looking forward to checking out Rachel’s creation(s). I do love seeing everyone’s' projects - there is always so much inspiration.

I do hope to see you next week when we will be featuring Petunia Pop as we continue the weekly 2024-2025 Colour Creations Blog Hop series. 

Stay well, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others.

Andrea 💕🐾

If you find a broken link or would like to view the full list of participants go to Catherine Proctor’s blog @ What Cathy Made. Cathy is our wonderful Art With Heart Team Colour Creations Coordinator.  Check out her delightful creation while you are there.

If you live in Australia, don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like your own copy of the Stampin' Up 2024-2025 Annual Catalogue, then let me know and I will be delighted to send it to you.  Please don't hesitate to make contact with any other queries about this project or Stampin' Up!. I would love to help you.

#colourcreationsbloghop  #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #artwithheartteam  #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations   #easterlilies 

#unboundedlove. #thoughtfulwishes #gardenmeadows