JAI #103 : STAMPIN' UP! SCALLOPED HEART OF HEART EMBOSSLITS

Even though I've joined the Just Add Ink Design Team, I don't 'officially' start until next week's challenge.  So, this week I am playing along for fun, as I love to do (and will probably continue to do when it's my "off" week with the Design Team).

This week, Mae's challenge is to "Just Add Red and White", keeping in mind that Valentine's Day is upon us.  I don't subscribe much to the lovey-dovey Valentine stuff, but do like to make cards for friends who mean a lot to me (to give year round).  As I lay in bed last night, I envisaged exactly what I wanted to make, so it came together very quickly this afternoon.

I'd bought Stampin' Up!'s Scalloped Heart of Hearts embosslits die, but hadn't yet used it.  It was PERFECT for the card I had in mind.

I had a hard time photographing my card, because we have really high winds in Melbourne this afternoon.  It's hot, humid, and there are reports of lots of little scrub fires around the suburbs.  Thankfully, no fires around here, but the wind is extreme.  I ducked outside, quickly snapped a photo of my card (in not-great light), and came back in to the airconditioned comfort of the house!

My card is simple, but I love it.  I think it beautifully showcases all the 'bits and pieces' that Stampin' Up! has in one colour (in this case, Real Red).

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts

Card: Whisper White, Real Red smooth & textured

Ink: Real Red stampin' pad

Other: Scalloped Heart of Hearts embosslits, Stripes embossing folder, Full Heart punch, Itty Bitty shapes punches, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Real Red corduroy button (retired), Brights button, Basic Rhinestones, Itty Bitty Buttons, Heart to Heart punch, Brights glimmer brad, White bakers twine, mini glue dots, Tombow liquid glue

COLOR ROUND UP #21

In my search for even more colour challenges to take part in, today I found Color Round Up #21 .... when I saw the colour combination, I couldn't pass it up.

Holly, who has set the challenge, has okayed the use of Very Vanilla in place of Whisper White; that's what I've gone with.  I have made another 'love' card for a special friend ..... must be all the Valentine's Day talk that has spurred me on to tell my girlies how much I love them!  Not really - I don't need an excuse.  Life is too short to not appreciate those who mean the most in our lives, isn't it?

Here is my card for this challenge:

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts

Card: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

DSP: Cherry Cobbler Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake stampin' pads

Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Full Heart punch, Heart to Heart punch, Pinking Hearts border punch, paper doily and Basic Grey brads (from my stash), sponge dauber

JUST ADD INK #31, and HELPING HUDSON TECHNIQUE CHALLENGE

The colour challenge over at Just Add Ink this week is right up my alley!  Here are the colours to incorporate in a papercraft project:

 I already have a HEAP of cards I've made using these colours, but of course I had to make a new card specifically for the challenge.  While I was at it, I decided to incorporate this week's technique challenge, at Helping Hudson, to use embossing and sponging.  If any of my customers are reading this, they'll probably just laugh or roll their eyes, because any card I make just isn't finished if it's not sponged to within an inch of its life! Sponge daubers are highly valued items in my house, and get a VERY good work-out in my classes!!

My brother and sister-in-law are about to celebrate being married 24 years.  They are no-fuss people (clearly not Leos, ha ha), and I thought this colour scheme would be perfect to use on their anniversary card.  I love the 'understated' look of stamping on kraft card; because it has a rougher tooth than Whisper White, the ink does not absorb as well.  That rustic look is just what I was going for.  I've sponged around every panel and element (including each heart) ..... I had planned to sponge around the outer edge of the card front, but got too excited about having enough light to photograph the card on this bleak day, so will do that before I put the card in the post!  The 'embossed' part is the Kraft dotty panel in the centre, and the sentiment panel; I've used the 'debossed' side to complement the simply, un-fussy, look of the rest of the card.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Real Red

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Chocolate Chip, Real Red and Sahara Sand stampin' pads

Other: Heart to Heart Punch, Round Tab Punch, Word Window Punch, Linen Thread, 5/16" jumbo brads, dimensionals, sponge daubers, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

Our "Helping Hudson" fundraiser officially winds up on Sunday!!  So, if you haven't already been to the website to purchase the fabulous bundles of tutorials (AMAZING value, at only $10 for 10 tutorials), or make a donation towards Hudson's Kidwalk, please do so in the next two days.  Your support is greatly appreciated - thank you!

I {HEART} HEARTS, AND CIRCLES!

Today I held a card-making class for some of my lovely customers and friends, to show them a few ways to use the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, in the Summer Mini catalogue.  This stamp set is $42.95; until the end of February, Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00, from every one of these sets sold, to the Red Cross Relief Fund for Haiti.

We had a really nice afternoon, making four cards and talking a lot :)  I'd like to show you a couple of the cards we made, so you can see how beautifully the stamp set co-ordinates with Stampin' Up!'s two heart punches (Full Heart, and Heart to Heart, $30.95 each).

This first card is in Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla (the colours look somewhat icecreamy, don't you think?!):





Another card we made was inspired by the very talented Ilina Crouse.  This card makes great use of all those little scraps of Designer Series Paper that I, and suspect you may, have!  How cute is this??




We used papers from Stampin' Up!'s Candy Lane pack; nice, 'lovey' colours!  This style of card could be adapted to any number of Stampin' Up!'s punches (I'm thinking Trio Flower, Butterfly, Star punches .. hmm, might have to plan some more classes using this technique, I think!).


Now, even though we are on the verge of Valentine's Day, I don't want to saturate you with images of 'love' cards, so I thought I'd share with you my second card created with six circles on the front, a la this one.  Again, I've used Sahara Sand, Confetti White and Basic Black - but this time have injected a bit of Real Red. 

Here is the card front:



and a little stamped detail, and sponged edges, inside:



Stamps: En Francais, Fifth Avenue Floral, Life Definitions, Organic Grace (hostess set), Sincere Salutations

Card: Sahara Sand and Basic Black textured, Confetti White

Ink: Sahara Sand and Basic Black stampin' pads, Real Red marker

Other: Sponge dauber, 1 3/8" circle punch, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Real Red brad (from Bold Brights brad selection), Crystal Effects, dimensionals



 

"JUST ADD HEARTS"

I know, 2 posts in one day - incredible!  See what happens when I get time away from work?  I love it!  (Hubby chastises me for 'wasting' time on the computer - what does he know??!)

I've decided to play along with a challenge on the new Just Add Ink site; established by, and for, Stampin' Up! demonstrators in Australia and New Zealand.  The challenge for this week is to "just add hearts" to a papercraft project.  Given that card-making is my true love, a card it has to be.



My stamping friends and regular blog followers will know that I am a little, ah, obsessed with brads.  I've been resting the old Build-A-Brads a bit lately, so decided to go all-out on this card!  The design on the brads is actually the filigree heart stamp (how beautiful is it?), stamped onto Very Vanilla card and punched out with a 1/2" circle punch.  Nicely matched to the main images, don't you think?

Here are the details of the card:

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Sweet Little Sentiments

Card: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla

Ink: Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip stampin' pads

DSP: Candy Lane

Other: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon, Build-A-Brads, 1/2" circle punch, edge distresser, stamp-a-ma-jig, paper snips (I cut the hearts out by hand).



Make sure you visit the Just Add Ink blog, and show the girls some love!


 

HAITI RELIEF EFFORT supported by Stampin' Up!

Amidst all my light-hearted posts about the cute stamps on offer at the moment, I'd just like to share with you an initiative that's been announced by Stampin' Up! Australia. 

In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti this past week, Stampin' Up! has put in place a fundraising effort that will run through until 28th February.  I know that stampers, by nature, have big hearts (happy to make a generalisation here!), so I'd like to appeal to you to support this very worthy cause.  The Red Cross are working on the ground in Haiti, to help people rebuild in the aftermath of this catastrophe.

One small way that we, as stampers, can help, is by purchasing the great I (Heart) Hearts Stamp set from the current Summer Mini catalogue.  For every one of these sets sold between now and 28th February, Stampin' Up! will donate $2.00 to the Red Cross in Haiti.

Please click on the link below to read all the details:

Download Haiti_Relief_0110_AU_NZ.pdf



Not only is this such a worthwhile cause, but the stamp set itself is gorgeous.  There are 8 heart images in the set, it is $42.95, and several of the hearts co-ordinate with Stampin' Up!'s heart punches (oh yeah!).

I'll leave you with a picture of a card I made using this set, so you can see just how pretty the hearts are.



Please, email me if you would like to order this set from me.  If you already have your own Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I hope you will support her/him, in helping to make this campaign hugely successful.