Simple cards

You know I like things simple, and I love simple cards. As my Miss Polly range is going well, especially with the new packaging, I thought I would add some cards so that people can buy the gift, the card and the pretty packaging all in one shop. My main ranges of soaps and creams are in Blue, Purple, Orange, Pink and Red colours so I wanted to add a bit of colour to the cards. Here's what I came up with :

I've used the friendship card before and it's proving popular. But I will of course be adding seasonal and special day cards.These cards are little 4 inch square cards and I make the envelopes too.

Thanks for looking xx

Happy Birthday Card

I don't normally use my Designer Papers from Stampin Up to make cards - I keep them for other projects, but I needed a birthday card so I came up with this.

I used the now retired Twitterpated paper and pink cardstock. I used a little Happy birthday Sentiment and added wee flowers that I punched out, and some pearl embellishments. Quick, simple and effective.

Friendship card

I got some new ink and cardstock from Stampin Up yesterday and I just had to have a play. I do love simple cards and sometimes simple is all it takes.

So using indigo island cardstock and ink, I made this little friendship card. I used whisper white as my base, and the little flowers are in coastal cabana. The card is a little dinky 3.75inches square. I also made a matching handmade envelope using the same colour cardstock. Very simple, but very elegant too I think.

Infact, I loved these so much, I made the same card in another new cardstock and ink colour - daffodil delight. Such a pretty yellow colour.

                                          So, these are my new cards. I hope you like them xx

Some little Thank You Cards.

When I joined Stampin' Up, cards were not really on my agenda, pretty packaging for my other products were. However, I've been sucked into the card making world really pretty quickly. I see so many ideas and so many plans, but I was never sure what to make first.

Well, my son finished his first year at primary school today so I made a Thank You card to give to his teacher. Nothing ambitious, a simple little 3.75" square card just to say thank you for being his 1st ever teacher. (She deserves a medal and a bottle of vodka to see her through the holidays but that's another story). 

So here was my first card

I made a few more, put them on Folksy and sold a pack of 6 within a few hours! I also got a custom order for another 20 cards from a lovely crafter who wants to add them to her orders she gets on her Facebook Craft Night, Jellybean Studio Well, I was really touched and she has sent me a lovely message today to thank me for them. 

Here is my favourite card as I was initially unsure about using the purple, but now I love it and ordered more!

I have plans to make Birthday cards this weekend, pics soon. 

Polly xx

How much do I love Stampin UP

As I've said before I am a crafter. I haven't done paper crafts very seriously though I have bought a few bits and bobs over the years to give it a go, and I got nowhere. As I had so many other crafts to try, card making got left behind a bit.

However, since I got my SU kit, I am hooked. And not just because everything is pretty but because it is good, and I mean seriously good. Here's a few reasons why.

Firstly, the punches. I love them so much. I had  few big punches before (no idea which brand but they were pink). They were so awkward to use, the handle seemed so big and they did punch out fine, but they were just cumbersome. Not so the SU punches. They are slim, you don't need a hand the size of a football to press the puncher easily, and they cut through the card and paper really really well. They also 'flatten down' a little and are so easy to store. Brilliant.

The punches are also amazing with the stamps - they are a perfect fit and they make your craft projects come to life. Not all the stamps have punches, as you want to stamp directly onto card very often, but there is a huge range of co-ordinating stamps and punches that makes thinking up ideas that so much easier.

The Dimensionals. Now, this is a minor but essential accessory and I just love them. I still have little square foam pads from a well known brand. They suck. Big time. You want one, 3 come off onto your skin, then the little protector comes off and try getting those pesky things off your hand and onto your card, in the wrong place - it takes ages. SU's dimensionals simply just work - you want one, you get one, they don't stick to each other, they don't stick to your skin, just to the card.

The colour co-ordinations is a joy - card, DSP, ink, card stock, markers, ribbon, brads .... all within a designated colour type so you can mix and match and just know that your project will work, without wondering if that orange is the right orange or should it be lighter or darker. The Colours work so well, and they are pretty pretty too.

Very often, companies get the big things right and the wee things tend to get forgotten about, but SU has thought of everything, right down to the wee itty bitty accessories.

I only got my SU kit on Monday (it's only been 4 days) but I adore my new toys and even put in a new order today. I will hopefully have some projects to show you soon.

Packaging for soaps and creams

Yesterday my Stamping Up starter kit came and I was so excited. I spent ages just ogling the papers and ink pads and even more time thinking up ideas for packaging my soaps.

For those who don't know, I am the owner of Miss Polly Skincare, and I make soaps and hand creams and other lovely skincare goodies which I sell on my own site, and on Not on the High Street (the lovely boutique website) but I always fret about packaging. 

So, I made a first attempts at making gift sets and packaging for soaps. I used the Birds of a Feather DSP from SU, which I love love love, so pretty and girly and I used a few little punches. The picture went all fuzzy on me, so I've not included it here, but I also designed some packaging for my soaps and I am really pretty pleased with these.

It still needs work - I will get rid of the 'Made for you' stamp using the curly punch and replace it with a different punch to include the scent and I would also love some lace trims, but I  think this is essentially the new look for my soaps. 

I will of course, be putting the papers on the RIGHT way and not upside down in future, not sure that is the best look.

I am having so much fun with my new toys. more pics soon xx

Hello from Little Bird Blue

Hello, my name is Polly and I am a crafter. Sewing, jewellery and skincare are all under my Miss Polly brandname, but I have branched out with a new craft and a new name - Little Bird Blue.

I recently joined a business called Stampin Up - a wonderful site with all sorts of crafty goodies and I was hooked the first time I saw Sam, another Stampin Up demonstrator make a gift box. I realised I could use this SU side of things to both make beautiful packaging for my Miss Polly products, but also make new products and so I joined up and am currently awaiting my starter kit.

I have looked through the catalogue a 1000 times and see so many beautiful things, cards, stamps, punches, that I have a million ideas running through my little brain. That can only be a good thing, right?