BABY WIPES .... not just for babies!

Even though I'm way past the days of needing baby wipes for, well, the obvious, I always have some on hand in my craft room.  I must admit that I've been guilty of cleaning my stamps with them (not recommended .. the rubber turns white after a while), but now that I have my fab-o Stampin' Scrub, those days are over.  I still use them to wipe up stray glitter, and to attempt to clean my inky fingers, among other things!

I'd heard of the 'Baby Wipe technique' in stamping, but really didn't know what it was, until I came across Beate Johns' great video.  Check it out - it's great fun.  Now that I actually own some re-inkers, I was able to give this technique a try.

Here are my first two humble attempts at using this technique, that I'll be sure to play around with some more.

First up is a card that uses one of many panels I'd embossed with Stampin' Up!'s Manhattan Flowers embossing folder.  I went a little crazy when I first got it, and now have dozens of embossed panels that need to be made into cards - I'm sure plenty of you can relate to this affliction!  It's an inherent danger of having a new die-cutting and/or embossing machine -  anything that doesn't move, gets put through it!

The colours of my cards were determined by the re-inker colours used.  Firstly, I used Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, and So Saffron.





Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Organic Outlines (sentiment)

Card: So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark inkpad, So Saffron stampin' pad, Ruby Red marker, Re-inkers: Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron

Other: Manhattan Flowers embossing folder, Butterfly Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Ruby Red brads, Wide Oval Punch, Haiku Designer Series Paper, dimensionals



For my second card, I used re-inkers in Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose and Pink Pirouette.  Not so keen on the finished card (I think it's a bit 'heavy' looking) .... plus, hubby likes it, so that in itself concerns me!  I'll show you anyway, since I spent a bit of time putting it together!




Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Best Yet

Card: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry stampin' pad, Versamark inkpad, Re-inkers: Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette

Other: XL Two-step Bird Punch (leaves), Rich Razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, dimensionals

A FEW THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY TODAY

Hi friends

Back from a long weekend away, with my darling boys .... and I was longing to get into my craft room, to make some pretty, girly things!!



First up, though, check out my cool new watch:



Download Dg-sandpiper-chrono



I tried all sorts of angles to take a real-life photo of it, but I am way too challenged in that area.  Couldn't even insert the image I found online, so the link will have to do!  I am such a "red" girl, that this watch jumped out at me when I saw it.  I was in the market for a new watch (my good old faithful one is over 20 years old, still going strong, but looking a little worse for wear), and when I saw this, I had to have it!  It's a Dolce & Gabbana, which I would not normally even consider buying (would rather have heaps of stamps, LOL), but it was waaaaay cheap.  God Bless the internet, and online shopping!!



Now, for the pretty things I've made in my craft room today.  I have devoted this blog to showcasing Stampin' Up! products, but I'm just going to digress a bit for today.  I've hoarded so many papers, stamps and embellishments over the last 14 years of stamping, that I decided to use a few unloved products.  Recently I made a number of paper flowers, using my Scallop Circle punch, and some sheets of text/music papers.  This is a seriously addictive thing to do, people - I had to MAKE myself stop.  Otherwise, my whole craft room would be overtaken by these gorgeous little things.  Anyway, I've made a few cards using the flowers that were sitting in a pile on my desk.

Here are a couple of simple, bolder-coloured ones:







and a few pretty, girly, ones:








Such fun, and I can't believe I churned out five cards in just over an hour.  One card a day is a great achievement for me, normally.

Right, better get back to the mountains of washing that we have brought home from our mini-holiday .... even being able to be at home to do that, makes me happy.  I am becoming such a home-body as I get older!! 

YAY FOR THE BUTTERFLY PUNCH (and JUMBO BRADS)!

With the 'expiry' of the recent Summer Mini catalogue, from Stampin' Up!, I was most concerned that the Butterfly punch would be no longer available.  This long-awaited, versatile, punch has been available in Australia for only a few short months, and has proven very popular - it co-ordinates not only with the Butterfly Prints stamp set from the Summer Mini, but with the Flight of the Butterfly stamp set from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue (which is current through until the end of August).  I LOVE it.

Great news, people!  Stampin' Up! has several products, from both the Summer Mini catalogue, and the earlier Spring Mini catalogue, that will carry over into our new catalogue coming out in September.  Even though these products don't appear in a current catalogue, they are still available to purchase.  So, if you haven't yet bought the Scallop Oval punch (that mats beautifully behind the Large Oval punch), or the Butterfly Punch, or Jumbo brads, to name a few, don't despair!

I thought I'd share with you today a few cards on which I've used these products, so you can see what a nice touch they add to a card.  Settle in for a little trip down Memory Lane!


First up, the BUTTERFLY PUNCH:












On this next card I've used both the Butterfly Punch and the SCALLOP OVAL PUNCH:



... and another card (using a retired stamp set), showing how well the Large Oval Punch fits inside the Scallop Oval Punch:




Stampin' Up!'s punches co-ordinate so beautifully with the stamp sets, and make it very easy to achieve a beautiful result with your card-making and scrapbooking.

Being a huge fan of brads (split pins) as an embellishment, I've made a number of cards with both the 'giant' 5/8" size, and the smaller 5/16" brads, both of which come in a Neutrals Assortment (Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Silver).  Unfortunately, I seem to have given away most of the cards, without photographing them first.  Here are a few photos of cards that have the 5/8" JUMBO BRADS on them:










I love how flat these brads are. The smaller size (5/16") is great to add to flower centres.


So, as well as feeling the excitement of all the gorgeous new products just released in Australia, I'm really happy to be able to share this news about some 'not so new' favourites.

If I can help you with a Stampin' Up! order (no need to hold a workshop, if you'd just like to order direct), please email me.  I am happy to answer any questions I can!

"JUST ADD INK" 10 - COLOUR CHALLENGE

This week the colour 'challenge' (and I use that term loosely, because, hey, take a LOOK at these yummy colours!) over at Just Add Ink  is to make a card/item using this colour combo:







I've kind of 'gone to town' on this one.  Might just be a tad overdone, LOL, but I LOVE the new wheel that is coming out in the Autumn/Winter Mini catalogue in just a few days.

I won't waffle on, because I am about to race out the door to have dinner at my in-laws' (yay to not having to cook ... ah, again!).  Here is my card:





Stamps: Very Vintage wheel (out 1st April), Inspired by Nature, Best Yet

Card: White Glossy Card, Kraft, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Close to Cocoa

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Blush Blossom and Cameo Coral stampin' pads

Other: Sponge daubers, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/2" circle punch (not Stampin' Up!), Scallop Circle Punch, edge distresser, Build-a-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, Valet Ribbon Originals, Kraft taffeta ribbon.

ANOTHER FLOWERY COLOUR CHALLENGE CARD

Remarkably, I'm back to post for the second time in a matter of only hours!  While I had out my products in the colours for this week's Just Add Ink challenge, I decided to make a second card (also using white as the 'added' bit).

I thought it was about time I gave my Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set a bit of love, so I 'cased' one of my own cards that I made a while ago (pre-blog days, so you haven't seen it - just pretend this is a fresh idea!).  I'm not sure that the ribbon tied at the bottom of this card is the right touch; looks a bit out of balance, I think.  However, I'll show you anyway, because I'm not going to get any more stamping time tonight,and this will be my only opportunity to use the computer, since Jack will be on Facebook until he goes to bed .. you know, talking to all his friends who he sees all day ... teenagers!! :)



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Best Yet (hostess set), Vintage Labels (Sale-a-bration set)

Card: Kraft, Rose Red, Whisper White, Sage Shadow

Ink: Rose Red, More Mustard, Sage Shadow stampin' pads

Other:  Rose Red 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, Curly Label punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, white gel pen, sponge dauber, corner rounder punch, paper snips, dimensionals

SOME FLOWERS FOR YOU

I'm back!!  After a rather long break from blogging (during which I had a wonderful holiday in New York with my boys), I'm happy to be back, and raring to go for another year of fun with Stampin' Up!  I have been busy in my craft room, preparing some cards for Sale-A-Bration (I'll tell you more about that shortly) ..... in the meantime, though, I have a couple of 'flowery' cards to share.

I was inspired by this sweet card, to make a simple and pretty card using Pink Pirouette and Sage Shadow - two colours I wouldn't have normally thought to combine.  I took most of my supplies to last week's stamping night with friends, thinking I'd use Claire's Pocket Silhouettes stamps to totally CASE Cheri's design.  Well, Claire doesn't have the stamp set I planned to use (that'll teach me to be my usual under-prepared self at our monthly stamp group), so I changed it up a bit, using Upsy Daisy.  Here's what I came up with:



Stamps: Upsy Daisy

Card: Pink Pirouette, Sage Shadow, Whisper White

Ink: Pink Pirouette and Sage Shadow stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink and Sage Shadow markers

Other: Pink Pirouette 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds



The next card I have to show you is somewhat, er, less subtle.  I have a pack of Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper (very bright colours) that has been sitting unloved for a while, so I challenged myself to incorporate it in a card.  I am a huge red fan, so I chose the bold hibiscus patterned paper for the main panel.  The butterfly has been made using Butterfly Prints stamp set, and the new Butterfly Punch - both from the Summer Mini catalogue that is current only until March 31st.  Here's my BRIGHT creation:


Stamps: Butterfly Prints (Summer Mini), Best Yet (hostess set)

Card: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Summer Sun

DSP: Pink Flamingo

Ink: Tempting Turquoise

Other: Scallop Edge Punch, Curly Label Punch, Sponge Dauber, Butterfly Punch (Summer Mini), 3/4" Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon (Summer Mini), Tempting Turquoise 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, yellow rhinestone brad, dimensionals



Two very different cards, but I have enjoyed having some 'creating' time.  I think I was a bit 'burnt out' after making Christmas cards, and while we were away I didn't even miss stamping (sad, but true).  It feels good to be home, and back into the swing of things, so I look forward to bringing you more cards in the coming days.

Now, I mentioned Sale-A-Bration early in my post.  This is an annual event on the Stampin' Up! calendar, and is fantastic for customers, hostesses, and demonstrators alike - we're excited!  It's a promotion that runs from 25th January through to 31st March in Australia, and works in three ways:

1. As a customer, for every $100 worth of product you order, you can choose a free stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue.  There are four gorgeous sets to choose from; they cannot be bought.
2. As a hostess, if your workshop sales are $600 or more, you get to choose a free stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, in addition to the usual great hostess benefits (of a free hostess stamp set, and free product to the value of $70 or more!).
3. Anyone who signs up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator during the Sale-A-Bration period, gets a FREE stamp set of their choice (up to the value of $79.95) from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogue.

How great are these rewards?!  You can view the Sale-A-Bration stamp sets here: http://www3.stampinup.com/au/documents/SAB_10_AU-NZ.pdf

If you would like your own copy of the gorgeous Sale-A-Bration catalogue, or would like to order any Stampin' Up! products, please don't hesitate to contact me by email.

I'll leave you with a few photos from our trip to New York - LOVED it!

 The whole family in Brooklyn, with Manhattan in the background.


Central Park (INCREDIBLE!) from the top of the Rockefeller Center.  Amazing views over Manhattan.



 Snow in Central Park; beautiful.

"I WISH" SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KIT .... CARDS PART 2

After a really lovely Stampin' Up! workshop on Saturday, I was inspired to play a little more with the "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit featured in my last post - hence the rather unimaginative title of my post today!  We creative types can't be creative ALL the time!!

The first card I have to show you, is using the Designer Series Paper from the kit, that co-ordinates beautifully with the Snow Swirled stamp set.  I have stamped (in Versamark ink) a few large snowflakes at the bottom of the card, to subtly tie in with the pattern on the paper.  The main image is simply a stamped sentiment, punched out with a circle punch, matted on some red card and overlaid with a scalloped die-cut sticker from the wonderful kit.  Too easy!



Stamps: Best Yet (Hostess Set), Snow Swirled

Card: Old Olive, Real Red textured

Ink: Real Red stampin' pad, Versamark ink pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, white gel pen, 1 3/8" circle punch, sponge dauber



I decided to use Kraft as the base colour for my next card; this alone pretty much guaranteed it'd be a favourite!  Kraft is my 'go-to' colour, for those of you who don't know me so well.  I LOVE how this card turned out; the papers and sticker strips in the kit are so beautiful, and make very easy work of putting together a lovely card.  The only stamping on this card is the sentiment, using a Cute & Curly stamp (from the Curly Label Punch bundle - check that out on the Christmas Extravaganza promotion I told you about, a couple of posts back; it's so cute).  I stamped it in Real Red, on whisper white card, then sponged the edges of the punched-out piece with Sahara Sand ink - complements the kraft colour beautifully.



Stamps: Cute & Curly

Card: Kraft, Real Red textured

Ink: Real Red, Sahara Sand, Old Olive

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Old Olive brad, Real Red brads, sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals

I hope those of you living in the southern states of Australia are surviving this heatwave; thankfully in Melbourne today it's a little cloudy to start the day - so nice to feel some coolness in the air!

Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world today. 

Christine  :)

NO POINTS FOR GUESSING ONE OF MY FAVOURITE EMBELLISHMENTS ......

I did some late-night crafting last night, having been inspired by my friend Claire's use of the Upsy Daisy stamp set this past week, and my new blogging friend Renee's use of Stampin' Pastels on kraft card.  I have a couple of cards to share, to show you how one stamp set can yield vastly different results.

You MAY be able to tell, by looking at this first card, that I am rather partial to using brads on my cards.  For any uninitiated readers, 'brads' are split pins - they're just much prettier!  My monthly stamp group friends just roll their eyes, I'm sure, when I suggest the addition of Build-A-Brads to just about every card that looks like it might need a little extra 'something'.  I have actually been giving my Build-A-Brads a rest in recent weeks, and on the following two cards I have given black brads (from Stampin' Up!'s Vintage brad selection) a bit of a workout!

My first card uses the colours Regal Rose, Rose Red and Old Olive.  I had a scalloped oval piece of kraft card in my little stash of 'pieces of card cut out just waiting to be stamped on' (I seem to have accumulated a lot of these, thanks to the marvellous invention called Nestabilities).  On this, I stamped in Whisper White craft ink (slow-dryimg pigment ink) the main image from the Upsy Daisy stamp set - LOVE this little set.  I applied Old Olive stampin' pastels (chalks in Stampin' Up! colours - brilliant!) to the stems, then, using sponge daubers, 'pounced' Regal Rose and Rose Red stampin' pastels onto the flower heads.  The white ink base gives the colour real vibrancy - a really pretty result, don't you think?  The main Old Olive panel has been stamped with Stampin' Up!'s 'Weathered' background stamp, in Versamark ink so it is subtle.  Don't you love how the Felt Fusion flowers in Rose Red and Old Olive match the card and ribbon?  I do!!  Can't help but gush about all the co-ordinating elements in Stampin' Up!'s range; it's one of the things I love the most about SU!  I know I'm not alone in this, but I still get very excited by all the matchy-matchy things I can buy (and order for you, if you live in Australia!).



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Best Yet, Weathered

Card: Kraft, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Rose Red

Ink: Whisper White craft stampin' pad, Staz-On Jet Black, Versamark

Other: Stampin' Pastels (Old Olive, Regal Rose, Rose Red), sponge daubers, scalloped oval nestabilities, Flower Fusion, black brads, eyelet border punch, Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, edge distresser, stampin' dimensionals



I have seen a few cards lately using the colour scheme of Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black and Whisper White, and just love the crispness of that combination.  I started off my card by stamping the Upsy Daisy flowers in Versamark (a clear, sticky ink - this is great stuff, as it's very versatile) on Whisper White card.  I then applied, and melted, black embossing powder, to give a raised, shiny finish.  Next I inked up the flower stamp with Kiwi Kiss ink, and stamped the flowers a couple of times over the top of the embossed image.  How cool does this look??  Please excuse my excitement if this is 'old hat' to you, but it's the first time I have even thought to do it, and I'm rapt with the result.  I sponged heavily around the edges of the white panel, using Kiwi Kiss ink and a sponge dauber, then mounted the panel on a piece of Basic Black card.  The "hi' greeting comes from a stamp set called Say it With Scallops - I stamped it in Versamark on Kiwi Kiss card, then white-embossed it, and cut it out with the magnificent co-ordinating scallop square punch.  LOVE how Stampin' Up! has a great range of punches to co-ordinate with stamp sets; it makes it very easy to give your cards a 'finished' look.  The patterned paper is from the Kiwi Kiss Patterns Designer Series paper pack; isn't it beautiful?  A bit of ribbon and a few brads (had to cut back because I used too many on the first card, ha ha) finish off the card.



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Say it With Scallops

Card: Whisper White, Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss

DSP: Kiwi Kiss

Ink: Kiwi Kiss stampin' pad, Versamark

Other: Black embossing powder, white embossing powder, Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, black brads, sponge dauber, stampin' dimensionals, scallop square punch

I hope you enjoy looking at my cards as much as I enjoy making them!  I hope to make a few more with the Upsy Daisy images that I have stamped out; I was interrupted all evening last night by Ethan, who had a lot of trouble getting to sleep, so my creative flow was very stop/start.  Hopefully my tired boy will sleep soundly tonight, and Mum can play!

Thanks for coming to visit my special place.  Christine :)

Oh Groovy Guava, I do love you, even if you are SO "last year"!

Today's the day for a corny title, and a very quick blog post, my friends.  Family commitments have kept me away from my blog, and from my craft room, this past week.  I have stolen a few minutes (when I should be preparing my family a meal, but there are more pressing issues at hand...) to share with you a card that I made 'just for the sake of it', because I wanted to give some love to my neglected Groovy Guava ink and papers.  This was one of the "in colours" from Stampin' Up! last year; available only for 12 months.  I love it, and was a bit sad to say goodbye, but still have ink, ribbon, card and paper to keep me happy.

I have used some buttons from my rather extensive stash - how well does that big button in the top left match the card, though?  Everything else is from Stampin' Up!  Here's what I made:



Stamps: Embrace Life, Best Yet

Card: Kraft, Groovy Guava, Very Vanilla, Gable Green

DSP: Ginger Blossom

Ink: Groovy Guava Stampin' pad, Versamark

Other: Clear embossing powder, corner rounder punch, paper piercer, deckled rectangle nestabilities, kraft taffeta ribbon, buttons (not SU!), Groovy Guava stitched ribbon, mini glue dots, white string

Hope you like it - that's the only creation I have to share for now, but have firm plans for more 'play time' sometime in the next week!   Best be off to half-prepare some food, then pick up my youngest from football training ("mother of the year" did the drop-and-run tonight, because Ethan had already done tennis training, and I needed a bit of 'time out' - is that bad??).

Christine :)

"IN COLOUR" CARD AND A CATALOGUE CASE....

Hi friends

I am still on the Circle Circus bandwagon, having madly stamped out some extra images before returning the set to its rightful owner.  Last night I spent a little time in my craft room, and this is the card I came up with.  It's a little out of my comfort zone (a good thing for us creative types, right?), and I'm not entirely convinced that it looks okay, but it gets the 'thumbs up' from my darling son (who didn't like one of the cards that I thought was good!).  I love this year's "in colours" from Stampin' Up!, so they formed the focus of this card ......



Stamps: Circle Circus, ABC Alphabet Lower

Card: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point

DSP: Bella Rose (the red medallion is stamped on this paper)

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Versamark, Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss

Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig (for the greeting), scallop circle punch, Riding Hood Red 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon, black brads, clear and red rhinestone brads, Labels One nestabilities, dimensionals



On Thursday night I went to our monthly get-together at Claire's house;  our 'stamp group', but for me it's emotional support/girl time/chocolate-eating/split-your-sides-laughing group!  It is absolutely a highlight of my life; the friendships I have made, and continue to develop, are so special and important to me.  Kerry is our most prolific stamper, usually churning out about a dozen gorgeous cards in quick succession (although one she made on Thursday was a bit dubious!); Leanne is the 'quiet achiever' who makes stunning cards, but is a little unsure of her own abilities (and of my wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve personality); Judy is very exact and precise, needing everything to be straight (LOVE that she whips out a ruler), and it ALWAYS is just perfect!; and Claire, our 'fearless leader' (well, it's her fault we all got together in the first place), whose cards have a very distinct, beautiful style, and who purposely 'parks' herself in a tight spot so we all have to pass her supplies all evening!  I can't even tell you how much I love these girls (sorry to embarrass you, Leanne).  Anyway, in the 5 hours I was at 'stamp group' on Thursday, I managed to make one card. It wasn't even original.  I am always under-prepared with supplies, and totally lack creativity, when I go to Claire's; I just get so much value out of the companionship, and sharing of ideas and stories. 

This card was inspired by one on page 111 of the Idea Book & Catalogue.  I love the white-embossed flower, on Kiwi Kiss card, so that was my starting point.  Here is the lonely little card that was the sum total of my 'creating' from Thursday night:



Stamps: Bella's Bloom, Best Yet

Card: Naturals Ivory, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip

DSP: Good Morning Sunshine

Ink: Versamark, Pink Pirouette

Other: White embossing powder, heat tool, spiral punch, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, edge distresser, sponge dauber, brads (not SU).

Two very different cards, stemming from a distinct lack of inspiration this week.  I hope to get some more creating time over the weekend - we have a long weekend, but much of it will be taken up watching my son's football games (in the rain, no doubt!).  I plan to squeeze some card-making in somewhere (perhaps late at night), so come back to visit soon!

Christine xx

CIRCLE CIRCUS ......"In the Pink"!

Last night I whiled away a few (alright, several) hours in my lovely craft room, and made a few decidedly pink cards.  I do love pink, but I will warn you that the following pictures could constitute a sensory overload....

I started off with a piece of Regal Rose card (must admit I've not used this colour before - now, I have very little left!), and repeatedly stamped what I like to call the 'bubble' image from the Circle Circus stamp set.  I stamped all over the card in Regal Rose ink, then overstamped in Whisper White.  This is a small sample of what I ended up with:



I then cut panels of the 'patterned paper' I had created, and used them on some cards.  This is the first one I made.  I really like the intensity of the pattern on the square panel.



Stamps: Circle Circus, Flight of the Butterfly (how cute is that tiny butterfly?!), On Your Birthday

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose

Ink: Whisper White craft, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose stampin' pads

Other: White embossing powder (and heat tool), Stamp-a-ma-jig, corner rounder punch, Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, 1/4" Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, circle punches - 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8", scallop circle, sponge daubers, edge distresser



Before I assembled this next card, I added a few Chocolate Chip stamped images, from Circle Circus, to the 'bubbly' background.  This stamp co-ordinates with the new Filigree Brads from Stampin' Up!, so I found a place to add one of those (although rather than using the silver brad centre, I popped in a pink brad from my stash - thought there wasn't quite enough pink on the card, you see).  The main panel has images stamped in the colours to match the background.  Although I've angled it so it looks like the little bird is going to slide right down the branch, I like the simple stamping!  Some rather blobby dots with a white gel pen, and a knotted piece of divine taffeta ribbon, finishes off this card.



Stamps: Circle Circus, Cheep Talk

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose

Ink:  Whisper White craft, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink stampin' pads, Chocolate Chip stampin' write marker (see the tiny dot?)

Other: Filigree brad (with non-SU pink centre), white gel pen, corner rounder punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge dauber, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon



Okay, on we go to more luscious pinkness.  This next one is my personal favourite, but I would love to hear which one you like the best.  I have used a larger panel of the bubble-patterned card, matted on some Chocolate Chip card.  The owl has been stamped on watercolour paper with Staz-On ink, then watercoloured using my stampin' pads and an aquapainter (love this little invention - no more pots of water to tip all over my desk!).  I masked the owl and branch, and stamped little pink hearts in the background.  These cute hearts, along with sentiment, also come from the Owl Together Now set.  I sponged the edges of the owl panel in Pretty in Pink, and Regal Rose.  I used my Cuttlebug to create the tiny tag, and again stamped the hearts in Pretty in Pink. My wonderful Stamp-a-ma-jig allowed me to stamp the image exactly where I wanted it - yep, yet another of my favourite crafting tools. 



Stamps: Circle Circus, Owl Together Now

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink

Ink: Whisper White craft, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink stampin' pads, Jet Black Staz-On, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write markers

Other: watercolour paper, aquapainter, white eyelet (from my stash), Cuttlebug mini tag, Chocolate Chip 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, sponge daubers, foam dots


Now for the last card in this pink series.  Having already said that the owl card is my personal favourite, I must say this one comes a close second.  I'm a big fan of the Flight of the Butterfly set.  I broke out and used Basic Gray instead of Chocolate Chip with this one.  Lots of scallops (thanks to my Nestabilities, through the Cuttlebug, and my scalloped square punch from Stampin' Up!), and simple stamping with gray/blingy highlights.



Stamps: Circle Circus, Flight of the Butterfly, Best Yet

Card: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink

Ink: Whisper White craft, Basic Gray, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink stampin' pads

Other: Nestabilites, scallop square punch, sponge dauber, Stamp-a-ma-jig, rhinestones (Kaiser), Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, foam dots, Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pen (dotted in the flower centres on the butterfly's wings)



Right, I think that's about enough pink for one day!  I hope to try out a few more things with Circle Circus before I (reluctantly) return the set to Claire, so please come back to visit over the next few days.  Happy Monday, everyone!

FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLY

Last week, as I was eagerly awaiting delivery of my new Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, I found a card on Splitcoaststampers (an online stampers' community) that took my breath away.  I had been imagining only soft, 'girly', colours when I envisaged using this set, but saw a black & kraft card made by Renee Van Stralen. 

I have used Renee's layout, but changed the colours around.  Even though it was the dark colours that initially drew me to her card, I ended up using Bella Bleu papers, and yummy vanilla and kraft colours.  Brocade Blue is a surprise favourite of mine at the moment; I am not normally a big user of blue, but I am really happy with the way this card has turned out.  Thanks for the inspiration, Renee!



Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Pocket Silhouettes, Best Yet

Card: Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla

DSP: Bella Bleu

Ink: Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy and Brocade Blue stampin' pads

Other: Kraft and Vanilla taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots, Build-A-Brad, stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals.



I hope to fit in much more creative time this week (some of the load has been lifted from me at work), so will be back with more cards soon!

Stampin' Pastels & Upsy Daisy (galore)...

Hi all!  About time I posted some more photos of cards, methinks.

I have been busy playing with my Upsy Daisy stamp set, and Stampin' Pastels.  This is fun!  The next four cards started off as panels of Upsy Daisy stamped in Versamark (clear, sticky ink), and coloured using Stampin' Pastels and sponge daubers.    Love the effect this gives - it's like magic as you see the colour emerge.  I added Dimensional Magic (only because I haven't yet got SU's Crystal Effects!) to the flowers for a glossy finish.



In this first card, I used Kraft (my favourite) card, and some of the specialty Sweet Slumber paper.  The pastels I used were Pretty in Pink and Bravo Burgundy.  The sentiment is raised on dimensionals, and I used some shiny buttons from my (somewhat excessive) stash.



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Cute & Curly (from the Curly Label punch bundle)

Card: Kraft, Bravo Burgundy

DSP: Sweet Slumber

Ink: Versamark, Bravo Burgundy marker, Ranger Tattered Rose distress ink

Other: Curly label punch, Stampin' Pastels, Kraft taffeta ribbon, Bravo Burgundy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, sponge daubers, dimensionals, buttons (non-SU), Dimensional Magic



My next card shows what a different effect you can get by just switching the card colour.  Again I stamped the Upsy Daisy flowers in Versamark, and coloured them with Pretty in Pink and Bravo Burgundy Stampin' Pastels, but this time I used white card - really pretty, don't you think?  LOVE kraft and pink together, and the white contributes to the soft feel of the card.  Those cute little white flat-backed pearls are from my Stampin' Up Pretties Kit, which contains a great selection of pearls, beads, flowers and yummy embellishments. 



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Boho Backgrounds

Card: Pretty in Pink, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink

Other: Stampin' Pastels, Sponge Daubers, Wide Oval Punch, Kraft taffeta ribbon, flat-backed pearls (Pretties Kit), mini glue dots, edge distresser, Dimensional Magic



My next card uses Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss, with a bit of white.  Whoever coined the adage "blue and green must never be seen" clearly didn't anticipate how beautiful Stampin' Up's "in colours" would be!  Everything on this card is pretty self-explanatory.  For a finishing touch, I secured a custom-made brad to the Kiwi Kiss ribbon.  I am a HUGE brad (split pin) fan, and have a vast collection to choose from, but I am super-excited about the Build-A-Brad kit from Stampin' Up; I can create my OWN brads, using just a 1/2" circle punch, pretty paper or a stamped image, and a little SNAIL adhesive.  Too easy, and so much fun!  Here it is:



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Best Yet (hostess set)

Card: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy

DSP: Urban Garden, Bella Rose, Good Morning Sunshine (brad)

Ink: Versamark, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss

Other: Circle punches (1 1/4", 1 3/8", scallop circle), Stampin' Pastels, Build-A-Brad, Kiwi Kiss 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, sponge daubers, Dimensional Magic



To finish off today's post, I have a card that, with its retro feel, takes me back to the 1970s!  This colour scheme - for all the people who grew up in New Zealand and Australia especially, can't you just see the bathrooms and plastic stools (that's a special shout-out to my sister!)???!!

On this card, I have used my Scallop Square Punch (love that little thing), and the co-ordinating Say it With Scallops stamp set. I stamped the scalloped image twice, and punched out part of one of the images to create my brads - cute, don't you think?!

  **Ooh, the unforgiving nature of un-edited photos; I just noticed some visibe double-sided tape near my bow.  Oh well - proves it's handmade!! (I'll go fix that right now - just don't want to upload another photo, so pretend it isn't there, okay?!)**



Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Say it With Scallops

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie

Ink: Versamark, Pumpkin Pie

Other: Stampin' Pastels, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Build-A-Brad, Scallop square punch, corner rounder punch, Dimensional Magic



I have had a lovely, "stampy", weekend.  My husband and sons went away for a couple of nights, and although I did actually (gasp) miss them, I loved the opportunity to spend time 'playing' with a very dear friend, and my sister (who is also my very dear friend!).

I was disappointed to miss out on attending Stampin' Up's convention in Canberra this weekend, but already am looking forward to May 2010 - I'll be at convention for sure!  I am extremely proud of my Stampin' Up "upline", Claire Daly - number 3 Demonstrator for all of Australia & New Zealand.  Well done, Claire - you rock!!!

Tomorrow I have more stamping lined up, and this coming week is my monthly stamp group with a lovely group of friends - could life get much better???!!  I hope you all have had a happy, relaxing weekend too.  Thanks for visiting!

Trees, birds and butterflies....

are some of my favourite elements on cards at the moment.  Thank you Stampin' Up! for all the beautiful stamps that feed my desire for such things!!  First up I have a couple of cards made using the great little Trendy Trees set.  This first card, I think, would make a suitable sympathy card.  It is simple, with classic colours.  Check out the cute little bird brad that I have had in my stash for a while; along with the button (non-SU, but how well do the colours match?!), it helps finish off the card nicely.  I have stamped on the Night of Navy card with Very Vanilla craft ink (not available in the current catalogue, but I couldn't resist - it complements the vanilla card so well).  The beautiful paper is from my brand new Urban Garden pack, just arrived today.

By the way, there is a GREAT promotion running through the month of May, with Stampin' Up! Designer Series Paper (12" x 12" - perfect for scrapbooking,cardmaking, and other papercrafts).  If you buy three packs of the DSP, at $16.95 per pack (plus postage), you can choose another pack FOR FREE!  This is such a great offer - the range of papers is beautiful, and I would be happy to show you some 'real life' samples if you live near me in the outer east of Melbourne (I am in Mt Evelyn).  If you would like to take advantage of this limited-time offer, or if you would like to buy any products from the current Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalogue, please contact me by email: c.blain@yarravalleysnackfoods.com

Now, on to the aforementioned card ....



Stamps: Trendy Trees

Card: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss

DSP: Urban Garden

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla

Other: Kiwi Kiss 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, eyelet border punch, sponge dauber, Nestabilities, velvet bird brad (7Gypsies), dimensionals, cardboard button



Next up is a bold-coloured card, using Trendy Trees, to show what a different result you can achieve just by using different inks and cardstock.  I got the idea for this card from a Splitcoast gallery - sorry, but I didn't note whose.  I love the crispness of the foliage stamped in four of this year's "in colours".  It's not obvious in the photo, but I stamped just the spiral tree-top all over the Pacific Point card, to create a simple background.  Inside the card I inserted some white card (couldn't resist sponging those edges), stamped with one little tree for a cute touch.





Stamps: Trendy Trees

Card: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango

Other: Kiwi Kiss 5/8" grosgrain, word window punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig


Warning - the next card is BRIGHT!  It's not my usual pick of colours, but gets the 'thumbs up' from my boys, so I decided to put it on here.  I used the Cheep Talk stamp set, using markers to colour the bird and the orange flower.  I used a Versamark ink pad, to ink up the flower and stamp all over the larger panel of Tempting Turquoise card.  Lots of co-ordinating card and ribbon on this one.



Stamps: Cheep Talk

Card: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Tempting Turquoise, Only Orange Stampin' Write Markers, Versamark

Other: 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 1/2" circle punch, scallop circle punch, corner rounder punch, eyelet border punch, dimensionals, 1/2" grosgrain ribbon - elegant eggplant, tempting turquoise, only orange, glitter brad (Doodlebug)


My fourth, and final, card for today's spot of sharing is using kraft - my "go-to" card and colour.  I just love it.  As soon as I saw the Bella Bleu DSP that has just become available, I knew I had to have it - it co-ordinates beautifully with Kraft and Very Vanilla, and introduces Not Quite Navy to the mix.  Stunning.  I think this card would definitely be suitable as a sympathy card; not the sort of card any of us like to have to make, but necessary.  I love the muted colours in this card, and have kept it very simple; I like the 'wallpaper' effect of the DSP.



Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Best Yet, Friends 24-7

Card: Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla

DSP: Very Vanilla

Ink: Very Vanilla Craft (not in current catalogue), Not Quite Navy

Other: Oval Nestabilities, kraft taffeta ribbon, scallop edge punch, large half pearls (from Pretties Kit), 3/4" circle punch, sponge daubers, butterfly punch (non-SU)


I hope you've enjoyed the variety of cards I've posted today.  I am a long-time customer of Stampin' Up! and have only recently signed up as a demonstrator; I can vouch for the fantastic qualities of these products, and would love to share my enthusiasm with you!  Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions, or if there are any products you NEED! 

Christine :)

It's a "Fifth Avenue Floral" day today!

This afternoon I've had a chance to play in my craft room, and have been busy inking up my beautiful new "Fifth Avenue Floral" stamps from the new Stampin' Up! catalogue.  It's such a versatile set, and the possibilities are seemingly endless - it is so easy to create different looks.  First up is my favourite of all the cards I made today.  Very simple stamping (that's my problem - too often I go into "embellishment overload"!), using two of the new "in colours",  and the old faithful Chocolate Chip.  I think the new Tangerine Tango is a bit polarizing, but I just love it, and hope you like what I've done with it on this card.

 

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Best Yet (hostess set)

Card: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss

DSP: Chocolate Chip

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip

Other: 1 1/2 " circle punch, scallop circle punch, Tangerine Tango 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder punch, sponge daubers



This next card incorporates the colours of the "Bella Rose" designer series paper, that I seem to be using on just about everything at the moment!    I have stamped the rose on watercolour paper, in Pink Pirouette ink, then watercoloured the petals in the same colour. It is a beautiful, soft, pink; the co-ordinating ribbon is almost good enough to eat - I LOVE it!  I wouldn't normally think to pair pink with red, but the new Riding Hood Red has beautiful undertones that complement the pink and brown (Chocolate Chip) so well.  Stampin' Up always think 'outside the square' with colour combinations, and several times a year they come up with gorgeous new papers.



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, On Your Birthday, Best Yet

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette

DSP: Bella Rose

Ink: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red

Other: Watercolour paper, aquapainter, Pink Pirouette 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1/2" grosgrain ribbon, sponge daubers, Cuttlebug Tiny Tags, Pebbles Inc white candy dots



Okay, ready for another one?  Trust you're not yet sick of this stamp set, because I have more!!  I stamped the rose on watercolour paper, using Riding Hood Red ink, and watercoloured the petals in the same colour, which gave an intense result.  I think it's striking (I'm a bit of a 'red' girl).  I cut out the flower, and mounted it on Chocolate Chip card that had been embossed using my trusty Cuttlebug, then sponged around the perimeter with white craft ink.  The circle, and scalloped circle, were cut using Nestabilites dies.  More Bella Rose paper makes up much of the front of the card, including the little 'word window' panel on which I have white-embossed the sentiment.  I finished off the card with a couple of (non-SU) buttons.



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Short & Sweet

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip

DSP: Bella Rose

Ink: Riding Hood Red, White craft, Chocolate Chip

Other: Watercolour paper, aquapainter, Nestabilities, Word Window Punch, white embossing powder, buttons, embroidery thread



Okay, now for the final card for the day.  This time I stamped the rose from "the" set in So Saffron, on watercolour paper, then watercoloured the petals also in So Saffron.  I cut out the flower using circle Nestabilities, then mounted the image on a Chocolate Chip scalloped circle (Nestabilities again - gotta love 'em!).  White dots on the scallops help to break up the darkness of this panel.  I am loving the Tiny Tags dies I just bought, to use in my Cuttlebug - here I have stamped part of a sentiment from Pocket Silhouettes, in Baja Breeze on a white tag, then backed it onto a Baja Breeze tiny tag, and a Chocolate Chip tiny tag.  The tags are held together by a yellow rhinestone brad (how gorgeous are these rhinestone brads?).  A bit of ribbon finishes it all off.  This colour scheme is not one I've used before, but I really like it - very 'on trend', apparently!  And on that note, I present my final card for the day.  Thanks for looking! 



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (no kidding), Pocket Silhouettes

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze

DSP: So Saffron Patterns DSP

Ink: So Saffron, Baja Breeze

Other: Watercolour paper, aquapainter, Nestabilities, Souffle white gel pen, Baja Breeze 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1/2" grosgrain ribbon, yellow rhinestone brad, Cuttlebug Tiny Tags die, sponge daubers (probably don't need to mention this, because I use them on every card!)

A couple of cards to share ....

 

My photo quality (particularly of the Raspberry Tart card posted yesterday) is pretty bad; apologies to my 3 loyal followers!  I hope to get a lot better at this as time goes on.

Here is a card made with that oft-mentioned "Friends 24-7" stamp set.  I have LOTS of ideas in my head for this one, so expect to see it often!  I am a huge fan of kraft-coloured card, so was quick to get my hands on kraft taffeta ribbon from the new catalogue.  It is beautiful, and oh-so-easy to tie in bows or knots.  It co-ordinates beautifully with the cardstock.

I inked up the sweet bird in Riding Hood Red, the branch in Chocolate Chip, and the leaves with my Old Olive marker.  Added some sponging around most of the edges - I am IN LOVE with sponge daubers, and have one for every colour of stampin' pad ('cos I'm a bit fussy about things like that!).  They are a great little tool, allowing you to give your cards a really nice finish with minimal effort.

Stamps: Friends 24-7

Card: Whisper White, Kraft, Chocolate Chip

DSP: Bella Rose

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, white

Other: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, kraft taffeta ribbon, circle punches (1 1/4", 1 1/2", scallop circle), sponge daubers, paper piercer








On this card, I have done very little stamping, because I wanted to showcase the beautiful "Urban Oasis" designer series paper.  I have stamped, in white ink on basic gray card, a small image from Botanical Blooms (a sale-a-bration set, not in the current catalogue), and punched it out with the scallop square punch.  I matted that small panel on whisper white card that had been punched out twice with the same punch, and aligned to make a little border.  The sentiment is from the cute little Trendy Trees set, and has been punched out with the oh-so-versatile word window punch.  I have owned many punches over the years, and have to say that Stampin' Up! punches are brilliant - great quality, give a nice,clean cut every time, and are very easy to operate.  Some of the new Kiwi Kiss ribbon finishes off the card.

Stamps: Trendy Trees, Botanical Blooms

Card: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss

DSP: Urban Oasis

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, white craft ink

Other: Kiwi Kiss 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, word window punch, scallop square punch