Christmas Adornments

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all having a good start to the week. I was given the opportunity to make this Christmas card today when my computer crashed and I had to wait for “The Guy” to come and fix it. What else to do while your waiting. What made it better was the postal delivery man showed up with my latest items from Stampin Up. What perfect timing!

The lovely Edgelits Dies called Adorning Accents along with the matching Textured Impressions Embossing Folders were among my order. Couldn’t wait to use them! I made a kind of frame with them by using the piece that was cut off the base mat of Very Vanilla CS. The straight edge is hidden beneath another new (to me) item, Victoria Lace! Did you happen to notice the sprinkling of shimmer on the base Real Red CS? I even had time to make some Shimmer spray!

 

I must at this point say thanks to Trish and Treasure for lending me her Bird Punch, I’ll have my own sometime I promise! I’ve put a little matching button on his eye and painted his wing with some gorgeous Shimmer Paint!

The girls at 52 Christmas Card throwdown have inspired the button! Thank you ladies, I’ll enter my card this week I also will hook up with the Make it Monday linky party, just to share it around, I'm quite chuffed with the results. To think, I nearly was working all day instead. (Best get on to that now - work that is aaaghh it'll take me all night!)

 

I decorated the inside too, just because I could!

I hope you like my first go at using the new edgelits dies. They are available in the Winter Mini Catalogue and are very reasonably priced! You can check out the catalogues from my side-bar and if your an Australian resident, you could order anything you like from those catalogues from me – just email me to organise it!

Have a great week and I’ll see you again soon.

Card for my Mother

Hi Again,

Thought I’d share the first Faux Tiling panel I did, that didn’t quite work, but looks very pretty just the same. I made it into a card for my Mother. Mother’s day is coming up here in Australia and her favourite colours are orange & green. So Tangerine Tango and Old Olive it is (with a little So Saffron sponged over it all to soften it). I wrote “other” beside the big M with an Old Olive Stampin Write marker. It looks great, just not in the photos!

I layered up some gross grain and satin ribbons in vanilla and added a strip of lace to the mix (lace from my stash). The lace was awfully white, so I dragged it over the Tangerine Tango ink pad to give it a more suitable colour. The Very Vanilla base card was scallop edged and then I hand punched a hole through each scallop. A nice pearl tops off each small flower. Card Crafters Circle will like this card this week – their challenge is Pearls and Lace.

The background faux tiling was done with the Vintage Vogue stamp set, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango and So Saffron inks on Very Vanilla CS. The base card is Tangerine Tango CS. As I’ve made the background myself I’m entering the Bloggers Challenge Blog Hop too. Here's the linky list so go check out everyone else's backgrounds too won't you!

Thanks for dropping by

Faux Tile Mojo Mum

Well, that’s an out there title! Catch your eye did it? If the title didn’t the card should! I love this effect. It was shown to me by my Stampin Up group leader  Jane Norrish, and of course it’s been done a multitude of times before by others, but I hadn’t tried it yet, so you’ll just have to put up with me!

I used the Mojo Monday Sketch as a basis – all those squares just looked like tiles to me. This technique is really quite easy. I used the little flower from Vintage Vogue in Night of Navy and the background is a Stampin Spot in Sahara Sand that has been swirled over the top. You can see the square edges of the spot in places but I quite like the overall effect. The embossing over the top really shines like ceramic tiles!

Stampin’ Spots were my very first purchase from Stampin Up a few years ago, they are a great money saver if you want ALL the colours NOW! They can be used for just about anything that a large ink pad can and they’re small enough to take with you when your out at stamp camps, classes etc.

I also went ballistic with ink on the inside - more sponging and stamping.

The colour scheme came from Create with Connie and Mary this week….

 

Gorgeous colours, but i was a bit short in the Peach Parfait department and had to go with Calypso Coral instead! At least I got to use the gorgeously soft and cottony Bakers Twine in Calypso Coral that I purchased from the current Winter Mini Catalogue. It makes great bows because it’s not coated in waxy stuff like some other brands.

Here’s a close up of those tiles – the grout lines are just the cardstock base, the sentiment is the centre of the For You Flower stamp.

I hope you like my version of Faux Tiles. If you’d like me to share this technique and more with you – you could book an in home workshop and request a demonstration of it. 

You and your friends could have a lovely afternoon making your own projects to keep and learning what more can be done with Stampin’ Up products. 

Simply go to my Stampin Up website from the side bar and click on the Host a Workshop for more information. You can contact me on the website too.

In the meantime – Thanks for checking out my blog

Happy Birthday in Wisteria

Hi Everyone,

Today I've created a card to the Create with Connie and Mary sketch.

I think I am addicted to this designer frame embossing folder. I just love the shabby look it gives a sentiment when you tear around the edges and sponge them. A little ink sponged over the raised areas gives them definition. The challenge at Charisma Cardz is Shabby Chic so I'll enter this card there too.

Perfect Punches “Happy Birthday” is stamped in Basic Gray ink and punched out with the X-Large Oval punch. A perfect fit for it! I say this over and over again – Stampin Up have co-ordinated everything in their catalogue from punches to fit stamps to colour ranges including papers, inks & cardstocks. It makes it so easy to work with.

The gorgeous pattern and little flower are from the Bliss stamp set and were stamped in Wisteria Wonder ink to match the base cardstock and the frame. I distressed the edges of the Whisper White mat and sponged them with a little Wisteria Wonder ink before adhering to the base card.

This could almost be called a CAS card
( if it weren’t for the Vintage attack of tearing, sponging & framing )

If you like this card – 
All it would take to make one like it for yourself is for you to book an in-home workshop with me.

You can get a group of friends together and have an afternoon of fun making a couple of cards to keep and browsing the rest of the products in the Stampin’ Up catalogues.

And……as a hostess….. you would be eligible for rewards based on any sales made, which is a great!

So head on over to My Stampin Up Website and check out the rewards you can earn as a hostess on the Host a Workshop tab. Then click on the contact me button at the top to book your very own workshop with me. It’ll be fun!

Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon…

Feel Better Card

Hello Again,

Another quick post to share a card I’ve made using a masking technique.

This is so very simple to do, especially when the punch matches the stamp!

I’ve used the Fancy flower punch in tandem with the Triple Treat Flower stamp to create a masked background. Simply stamp a couple of flowers on Whisper White cardstock – I started with Pool Party ink. Then punch enough flowers out of scrap paper to cover each stamped image as a mask. Use a little re-position able tape to hold the mask in place.

Choose a different colour – I used Certainly Celery and stamp them overlapping the masked flowers. When your done, take the masks off and you have a lovely background!

I also layered up a Triple Treat flower with dimensionals using both the Fancy Flower punch, the 5-Petal punch and a small circle punch. I added a darker colour to this (Not Quite Navy) and adhered it over the background as a 3D feature.

The sentiment was stamped in Not Quite Navy ink over the top. It’s from the SU! Word Play stamp set.

A Pool Party base card and Not Quite Navy mat to highlight it all and there you have it!

That ought to make someone feel better

I will share this card at

1. Inspire me Fridays – Anything goes

2. Craft us Crazy – mothers day or FLOWERS

3. Hiding in My Craft Room – April Showers brings Flowers

Have a great day – see you again soon.

Christmas Greetings Card

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post with a simple card made with bits from my stash. 

Many thanks for stocking it with die cuts Trish, I larf you :)

This was made to the Mojo Monday sketch this week...

It’s also Green and White for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge.

Hope you like it….Friday night and I’m on the run out the door
– email me if you want to know more

My Friend Mojo Card

Hello Again,

I’ve done the Mojo Monday sketch again this week, wow – 2 in a row – I’m getting into it! This card was made after an inspiring day with Jane Norrish & other demonstrators here on the Gold Coast.

Not only was I taught by one of the ladies how to make this fabulous flower, but I learned a new technique with paper that is great for using up bits and pieces.
 Do  you like that background?
I also experimented on this card with dyeing the ribbon with matching ink, it certainly likes to suck up the colour, so I only used a little bit as a feature, It's Pool Party ink.

Check out the dimension in that flower! We used the Blossom flower punch with is in the current Autumn-Winter mini catalogue and some Pool Party cardstock. 

I love those 2012-2013 IN colours!

Here I’ve teamed the Pool Party flower with Calypso Coral card base, some Whisper White that was embossed with the ever faithful Square Lattice embossing folder. The My Friend set sentiment was lined with Calypso Coral Bakers Twine to define the edges, which was then laid over my gorgeous background of coloured patchwork strips.

Here’s the Mojo Monday sketch…

Hope you like my take on the sketch this week. Hope also to be back next week with another one, if I don’t post anything in between – See you then!

Triple Treat Mini Cards

Hi Everyone,

This is the final little treat that was made at my very first workshop as a demonstrator!

Everyone who attended got to make n take all four projects (these three note cards as well as the handbag, dress & Fabulous flower card! 

If you were to book a workshop with me, you could not only have a chance to play with the tools, cardstocks & inks, but keep whatever we make on the day! How cool is that!

The Triple Treat flower stamp was stamped in three different colours, punched, cut and layered up!

Once again the stamp co-ordinates with the punches – in this case The Fancy Flower punch will cut the whole flower out around the perimeter. The Five Petal punch cuts the interior of the pattern perfectly!  We cut the circle out of the centre, but I’m pretty sure a 1/2” circle punch would probably do the trick!

As you can see – the ink of the stamps co-ordinates with the colour of the cardstock beautifully. The colours used here are Island Indigo, Melon Mambo & Rich Razzleberry. 

The cardstock mat was embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder.

Another really handy punch is the Ribbon Border punch. If it weren’t for being able to tie a bow in ribbon, this punch would nearly do away with having to have ribbon at all! It makes fantastic co-ordinated borders!

The little Thanks stamp is from the set Kindness Matters.

The whole lot were adhered to 3” square mini cards, which fit perfectly into the mini envelopes.

Becuase it's Friday, I'll share these at Inspire me Fridays linky party
Thanks for stopping by…

Blossom Petals Fabulous Friend Card

Hello All,

I wanted to share the third card that was made at my first workshop as an independent demonstrator for Stampin’ Up. The last two cards you may recall,  were the handbag and dress cards, and what girl doesn’t need flowers too right?

This card was made using quite a number of different Stampin’ Up Stamp sets.

The elements of the base card used Island Indigo ink on Whisper White cardstock, with first of all the Friendly Words Jumbo Roller stamp, and then underlined it with the floral border from the Vintage Vogue stamp set.

Check out the main event on this card – the flower…

It really is the Main Feature!

That gorgeous flower was made using Whisper White cardstock and the Build a Blossom stamp set. This fabulous set uses a two step stamping system – here I’ve used Pool Party overlaid with Island Indigo inks – and it also co-ordinates with the Blossom Petals Builder Punch, which makes it all too easy to make a flower!

Finally the Fabulous Friend sentiment is from the Oval All stamp set and as you can see it goes with the Large Oval Punch and layers beautifully onto a punched Scallop Oval. This system makes for a real quick solution to adding a sentiment to your card! 

I just love it – as if you couldn’t tell!

Now, because I am a new Stampin’ Up Independent Demonstrator
AND,
because Twisted Tuesday Challenges is a new Challenge Blog, 

I’m going to share this card with them this week!

Anyways… they have the perfect theme … “I never promised you a Rose Garden”.

I hope you like it – the girls at the workshop sure did! 

Thanks again for dropping by and feel free to leave me a comment - share the love!

Blossom Petals Dress Card

Hi Everyone,

This is the second card made at my first workshop, the first one being the Hand Bag Card. Is there a theme here or what? hmmm maybe, you'll have to wait and see what the next two cards are!

This card was super easy to make – just a couple of Stampin Up punches required and some cardstock, embossing folders and a nice sentiment.

The bodice of the dress is made using the Round Tab punch. After punching the tab you turn one rounded end back into the punch to make the neck of the dress. Quite ingenious really – thank you to whoever invented it! It is then embossed using the square lattice embossing folder and decorated with ribbon and pearls.

The Skirt of the dress is the Large and Medium rounded petals punched with the Blossom Petals Builder punch. (I so love the versatility of this punch!) The larger ones are punched from the coloured cardstock (in this case it’s calypso coral) and then embossed with the Manhattan Flower embossing folder. The smaller ones are just punched out of whisper white cardstock and all the edges are sponged with matching ink.

This nice sentiment is from the Stampin Up set called Word Play.  The flourish is from the Stampin Up set called Vintage Vogue.

The dress is built and stuck down to a piece of Whisper White that is distressed and inked around the edges and then adhered to a Calypso Coral card base.

There you have it – super easy!

Don't forget that I'm a demonstrator now and can help you acquire the tools to make this card yourself! Just email me (it's on the sidebar) for any further information.

I’d like to share this card at the following blogs:-

 Let’s Ink It Up – Challenge #22 
and
Stamptacular Sunday #158 – Photo Inspiration
( all those layers of petals did it for me!)

Have a fantastic day now

Gifted Christmas Card

Hello Everybody,

I have a Christmas Card today to share with you that recycles a miniature Gift Bow.

I am sharing this at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown which is lovely simple sketch challenge this week – pop over there yourself and have a go if you like.

Here’s a close up of the bow – cute isn’t it?I’m a bit behind now having missed a couple of weeks, but I’m sure I’ll still have plenty of Christmas Cards come December!

Thanks for stopping by – have a great day

My Friend Card

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to quickly share with you this lovely card I have made using the sketch
pattern at Create with Connie and Mary.

Once again I used the papers from the last mini catalogue, They match the 2011-2012 in colours. I think it can be used either vertically or horizontally.

I sponged two different colours (calypso coral & pool party – 2011/2012 In Colours), onto some glossy cardstock and then stamped with black Staz-on ink using the My Friend stamp set. It was then simply a matter of cutting and layering to suit the sketch…

I hope you like it, thanks for dropping by