PURPLE "AVIARY" BIRTHDAY

A lovely friend celebrated her birthday recently, and (cardinal sin amongst cardmakers - or, do we just put too much pressure on ourselves??) I wasn't organised enough to have made her a card in time.  Sorry, Rach!  Hope you like the card now that you have it :)

I really loved a card made by Michelle Mummery; see the second one in her blog post here.  I've CASEd the design, putting my own spin on it.  Thanks for the inspiration, Michelle! I've gone for a slightly vintage-y look with this card, using Crumb Cake and Perfect Plum as the main colours, with Elegant Eggplant accents.  I don't know if it's clear in the photo, but I have stamped the vine image from the Vintage Vogue stamp set on the main Very Vanilla panel - I stamped it off first, to give a subtle impression.  LOVE these colours together; what do you think??

Stamps: Aviary, Vintage Vogue, On Your Birthday

Card: Crumb Cake, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant

DSP: Perfect Plum Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake and Elegant Eggplant stampin' pads, Perfect Plum stampin' pad and marker

Other: Chantilly Crochet Trim, Word Window Punch, Birds and Blooms sizzlits die, Neutrals buttons, mini glue dot, Basic Pearls, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge dauber

JACK'S BIRTHDAY CARD

Much to my dismay, my first-born is growing up all too quickly!  I do try to embrace all the changes and developments that come with every year in my boys' lives, but all the same I do grieve a little inside (I think most Mums can relate to that).  Jack turns 15 today, and I am incredibly proud of the level-headed, sensitive, loving and strong young man he is.  (He's pretty handsome too, and I can take at least half the credit for that!)  Because nothing in life matters more to him than cricket (well, second only to his love for his Mum, ha ha), there was no question about the theme of his birthday card.  Last year I made a very bright card, in is cricket club's colours, but that wasn't an option this year, since Brilliant Blue and Summer Sun have retired, and I sold off all my retired products.  I decided to go with more 'earthy', muted tones this year, and am really pleased with how it turned out.

Stamps: Extreme Elements, Just Cricket, On Your Birthday

Card: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, Naturals Ivory

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker, Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad, Basic Black stampin' pad

Other: Colour Spritzer tool, Linen Thread, sponge dauber, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Mat Pack and paper-piercing tool, Silver Jumbo brads, edge distressing tool

I thought I'd share with you a couple of photos that I think are rather cute (although my now-15-year-old probably doesn't think I should be showing everyone "cute" pics!).  Here's Jack at 3 months old:

.... and here's a photo of him aged 14, taken in June, when we went to Tasmania:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!!

"EXTREME ELEMENTS" Earthy Series - part 2

I love my recently-used colour combo of Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla, so decided to apply it to some cards using "Extreme Elements".  Are you sick of seeing this stamp set yet??  Hubby is - he says "I really don't like this set as much as you do, you know".  Hmph.  I am still having a heap of fun with it, so I'll continue to share what I make!

Here are two 'boy' cards that I came up with, to make use of a panel that I'd stamped with several stamps from  Extreme Elements.  I cut the panel in half, so I could make two different designs. 

Stamps: Extreme Elements, On Your Birthday, Wonderfully Worn

Card: Tangerine Tango, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker, Tangerine Tango stampin' pad and marker, Early Espresso stampin' pad and marker

Other: Colour Spritzer tool, Buttons #5 die, Jumbo brads neutral, Linen Thread, Modern Label punch, sponge dauber, edge distresser

Stamps: Extreme Elements, On Your Birthday

Card: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla

DSP: Crumb Cake Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker, Early Espresso stampin' pad and marker, Tangerine Tango stampin' pad and marker

Other: Mat Pack and paper-piercing tool, Neutrals brad, Modern Label Punch, sponge daubers,         1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop Circle Punch, stampin' dimensionals

INKSPIRATIONS COLOUR CHALLENGE #26

I have been a regular stalker of Makeesha Byl's blog for a looong time now, and love the regular challenges she throws down.  Finally, I have decided to enter one myself - I do love a challenge with my cardmaking.

How could I NOT enter, when this week's challenge is to use the following colours on a project??



These colours make me swoon!!  I have so many ideas for incorporating them in my cards, but for my first entry I've made a birthday card for my Dad.  I am uncharacteristically organised, as my father's birthday is still two weeks away .... feels good to have it done already.





Stamps: Sanded, Polka Dot, Occasionally, On Your Birthday

Card: Kraft, Basic Gray, Whisper White

Ink: Sahara Sand stampin' pad and marker, Basic Gray stampin' pad, Real Red stampin' pad

Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Curly Label Punch, sponge dauber, 5/16" white brads (from Neutrals assortment), paper piercing tool, linen thread
  

LITTLE BLACK BIRD ..... Two-step Bird Punch

I am boy-less tonight, and have a million projects I really should be working on, but as soon as I saw this gorgeous card on Becky Oehler's blog I just HAD to make my own version!!

One of the new products just released by Stampin' Up! in Australia, and one that you're sure to see LOTS of in the blog-o-sphere, is the XL Two-Step Bird Punch.  It is simply adorable, and very versatile, as the three components - the bird's body, the wing, and the branch - all punch out separately.

Here is my simple little card - a little wonky, but, hey, that proves it's handmade, don't you think?!







That fabulous tag, on which I've stamped the greeting, was cut out by using the new Lots of Tags Sizzlits dies, in the Big Shot.  There are four tag/label designs - love them!!



Here are the products used to make this card:

Stamps: Cheep Talk (tiny flower), Polka Dot background

Card: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Basic Black

Ink: Whisper White craft stampin' pad, Basic Black marker, White Signo gel pen

Other: Buttons from the Bouquet and Sherbet selections, XL Two-Step Bird Punch, Yellow rhinestone brad (from Fire Circles selection), mini glue dots, Lots of Tags Sizzlit die, kitchen string
  

"JUST ADD INK" CHALLENGE #9

I have some new Stampin' Up! goodies to play with, so I turned to the Just Add Ink Challenge for this week, for a bit of inspiration.  The girls at JAI have come up with a sketch this week; a great starting point for those of us who are a bit cloudy-headed, and don't know what to make!  Here is my interpretation of the sketch - I wanted the card to look a bit like a present.  I ALMOST managed to make a whole card without adding Kraft, but it just needed that little 'something', LOL.





Stamps: Polka Dot background, On Your Birthday

Card: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Kraft

DSP: *NEW* pretty paper, available from 1st April :)

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Chocolate Chip and Ruby Red stampin' pads

Other: Sponge daubers, *NEW* button die (available 1st April), Scallop Edge punch, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Valet Ribbon Originals, mini glue dots
 

PARTY HEARTY, YOUNG MAN!

My nephew turns 13 this week - he is already nearly 6 feet tall, and has huge feet, and long, long legs, so makes his aunties feel very short!  When it came to making this special young man a birthday card, I decided to challenge myself to use Pacific Point - one of this year's "in colours" from Stampin' Up!  It is not a colour I normally use, but I am really rather pleased with what I've come up with.

I have combined three of this year's "in colours" - Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss and Tangerine Tango.  These colours are available in Stampin' Up!'s range of cardstock, ink and embellishments only until September of this year.  I've based Sean's card on these cards that I made a few months ago; just tried to make this one a bit more 'boyish'.  What do you think?



Stamps: Party Hearty, On Your Birthday

Card: Pacific Point, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango

Ink: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss and Tangerine Tango stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: White embossing powder, 3/4" circle punch, Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon, Kiwi Kiss corduroy button (retired), paper snips, mini glue dot
 

HAPPY MOMENTS .... AND ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!

This coming week is a busy time for birthdays, in both Andrew's and my families.  Today is my brother-in-law's birthday ... I'm a little late making his card, but figured that would be okay because we'll be seeing him in a couple of days for his Mum's birthday (we don't all get together too often, so it'll be a great catch-up).  Yes, my mother-in-law is turning 70 this week, as mentioned in my earlier post.  In between the two, my nephew is celebrating his birthday.  So, I will have yet another birthday card to share with you tomorrow!

For now, I'd like to share with you the card I made (for my brother-in-law) using my favourite retired Designer Series Paper, called Parisian Breeze.  I've been holding onto it, not wanting to use it (since I won't easily be able to get my hands on more) ... but, really, I think it might take me a while to work my way through two whole packs, so I may as well get some enjoyment out of it!  The focal point of this card is the stack of presents, from the Sale-A-Bration set (that you can get for FREE if you purchase $100 of Stampin' Up! product) called Happy Moments.  I love the versatility of this image.  I've white-embossed it on kraft (oh, come on, it's DAYS since I did that!), coloured the top present with a Chocolate Chip marker, and paper-pieced the other two presents.  The middle one is cut out of Baja Breeze card, that has been stamped with the Sanded background stamp (in Baja Breeze ink), and the bottom present is paper-pieced from Parisian Breeze DSP.

I stamped a small piece of Chocolate Chip card, with the Sanded background stamp inked in Chocolate Chip, and punched out two 1/2" circles, to make Build-A-Brads.  I liked the look of them with a matte surface, so didn't use the epoxy sticker that normally completes a Build-A-Brad. 





Here's a close-up of the presents, and the brads:



I am loving the Sanded stamp, especially for masculine cards.

Here are all the ingredients I used for this card:

Stamps: Sanded, Happy Moments (Sale-A-Bration set), On Your Birthday

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze

DSP: Parisian Breeze (retired)

Ink: Chocolate Chip stampin' pad and marker, Baja Breeze stampin' pad, Versamark inkpad

Other: White embossing powder, 1/2" circle punch, Build-A-Brads, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber, Stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals, rectangle nestabilities, edge distresser

HELLO AGAIN ...ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

Yes, I think I'm pretty clever, coming up with that post title ... you see, in the card I have to show you today, I've used two stamp sets: Hello Again (from the Summer Mini catalogue), and On Your Birthday (from the main Idea Book & Catalogue).  Doesn't get much cornier than that, people.

Hopefully my card will appeal to you more than the stupid title I came up with!  I made this cute (if I may say so myself) little flowery card for a sweet friend who likes pink.  It's the first time I've really used the Hello Again set, and I just love the little flowers, to colour in with markers.  I've stamped each flower twice, and cut and 'popped up' one of each (offset slightly) on the base image.  The 'grass' was created by cutting a scrap of Designer Series Paper; I love that look.



Stamps: Hello Again, On Your Birthday

Card: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Old Olive, Ruby Red and Pretty in Pink markers, Basic Black stampin' pad

DSP: Bella Rose, scrap of Ski Slope (retired)

Other: Scallop Edge Punch, dimensionals, Bouquet Designer Buttons, edge distresser, Old Olive ribbon - both 1/4" and 5/8" grosgrain, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini glue dots

KALEIDOSCOPE BUTTERFLY PRINTS

Isn't that a pretty sounding title?  A little unimaginative, on my part, but, hey, I do struggle with post titles!

I'd like to share with you today a card I made for my niece's birthday.  My lovely friend Leanne, who does not have a blog, but who makes the most beautiful cards, inspired me to make this one.  She 'enabled' me to buy the embossing folder that created that oh-so-pretty background, and I borrowed her idea of adding some butterflies stamped (with the Butterfly Prints stamp set) and punched out.  Thanks Leanne!  My card is much simpler than the one I 'cased', but I think it's a happy card; hope that niece of mine likes it!



Stamps: Butterfly Prints (Summer Mini), On Your Birthday

Card: Whisper White, Pink Passion

Ink: Pink Passion and Tempting Turquoise stampin' pads, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad

DSP: Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper (Summer Mini)

Other: Yellow and orange rhinestone brads, Cuttlebug embossing folder (not SU!), Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, dimensionals

SALE-A-BRATION sneak peak

The excitement is mounting ... only 4 days until Sale-A-Bration begins!  This fun event, that I mentioned a couple of posts ago, means you can get FREE STAMPS.  To many of us, there are few better things in life!! (Seriously.)

I'm committed to using more yellow in my cards this year. (Just something I decided - no real reason!)  With that in mind, I made a card using the 'gift' image from Happy Moments, one of the gorgeous stamp sets that is on offer during Sale-A-Bration.  Here it is:



Stamps: Happy Moments (Sale-A-Bration set), On Your Birthday

Card: Whisper White, Kraft, Only Orange

Ink: Versamark ink pad, Only Orange stampin' pad, Only Orange & Summer Sun markers

DSP: Good Morning Sunshine

Other: Kraft taffeta ribbon, Word Window Punch, dimensionals, white embossing powder, vintage brads, mat pack, paper piercer, edge distresser



I'm loving the look of an image white embossed on kraft card, then coloured with markers - you might see a bit more of that from me.

Remember, you can earn a free stamp set for every $100 order placed - and there's no limit!  If you order $200 of Stampin' Up! product, you get TWO free stamp sets, and if you wanted to order $1000 of product (hee hee), you'd get TEN free stamp sets!  Roll on Sale-A-Bration! :)

SPRING MINI FAVOURITES ... and THINKING OF CHRISTMAS.......

With November here (already?!) it's time to re-visit the Stampin' Up! Spring Mini catalogue, as the products are available only until the end of this month.  There will be a (delectable) new mini catalogue released on December 1st - this means that all the items in our current mini catalogue will be NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!  It is with some sadness that I say that, as I just love a number of products in this 'mini'.  In my last post my Christmas card featured the wide Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon, and the scallop oval punch - two "must-have" items that you can buy only until the end of November.  If you need a copy of the Spring Mini catalogue, please email me, and I'll be happy to get one out to you.

I am in love with the corduroy buttons from this mini catalogue, so I thought I'd show you a way to use them, on a simple card I made for my father-in-law's recent birthday.  I was inspired by the 'dotty' pattern on the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper I chose to use; the colours, and the size of the dots, were a perfect match for corduroy buttons.  Here's a photo of the card (please excuse the 'rustic' look of the peeling paint on our balcony handrails!!):



Stamp: On Your Birthday

Card: Kraft, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Gray

DSP: Kiwi Kiss Patterns, Urban Oasis

Other: Corduroy buttons (Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss), Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber




Now, for the second part of my post title ...



Many of us card-makers are well into the swing of making Christmas cards, but, well, shopping for gifts is another matter entirely!  Stampin' Up! has a fantastic promotion that starts today, and goes through until December 14th - you can earn yourself a free gift (a Scallop Square punch, $30.95 worth) every time you purchase products totalling $85 from the Christmas Gift-Giving Guide. Take a look at the range of beautiful products that are tailored towards gift-giving in this promotion; you won't be disappointed!  I'd love to help you out with your Christmas shopping, so email me at c.blain@yarravalleysnackfoods.com, or phone me on (03) 9737 1755, if you'd like to place an order, or ask any questions about this exciting offer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME .... :)

I've had a super-happy day today, celebrating my *ahem* 41st birthday.  Despite the fact that I had to go to work, I still managed to enjoy my day!  I have been very spoilt, by dear friends hand-delivering flowers, cards and chocolates (which have been stashed away, out of hubby's reach!).  My darling little 8-year-old made me a gorgeous card (hijacked by his brother and father, so they wouldn't have to worry about getting me a separate one, bless them) and even made the bed for me this morning!  Ethan was so sweet, about wanting to do 'all my jobs', and couldn't get enough of singing 'happy birthday'.  His enthusiasm was infectious, and it truly made me feel special.  Jack (13) has (somewhat reluctantly, under duress from his pouting mother) made me cups of tea this evening, although I suspect he will now use that as 'ammunition' and expect something in return!  Kids - gotta love 'em!

Our house looks somewhat like a florist's, and the perfume of the flowers is divine.  It's so nice to have a 'girly' touch to our house, as with two sons and a husband I do often feel a little overwhelmed by the testosterone.  Unfortunately, my camera battery died just as I decided to document the evidence of the love my friends feel for me.  I will, in the light of day tomorrow, take some photos, and promise to share them on here soon!

My sister, Lynda, turned 40 yesterday, and we had a big family dinner last night to mark the special occasion.  I am so proud to be part of the family I have; I love my sister and brothers, parents, nieces and nephews to bits, and we always leave it too long between get-togethers.  I was so focussed on remembering to take all Lynda's presents along to the restaurant (I was co-ordinator of a HUGE stash of Stampin' Up! goodies that the family all gave her) that I totally forgot to take my camera!!! I'm relying on my siblings and parents to come up with some photos for me - hopefully I'll be able to share some of those with you too.  (Just don't hold your breath on that one!) 

I do, however, have a photo that I took earlier of the birthday card I made for Lynda, so this post won't be entirely picture-less!  I have used paper, stamps and accessories from the new Mini Catalogue, as well as some favourites from the Idea Book & Catalogue.  I'm just loving these colours, and hope you like it too! Here it is:



Stamps:  On Your Birthday, Great Friend

Ink: Baja Breeze stampin' pad; Basic Gray stampin' pad and marker; Cameo Coral stampin' pad and marker

Card: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Basic Gray

DSP: Walk in the Park, Parisian Breeze

Other: Eyelet border punch, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, clear rhinestone brads, Basic Gray and Baja Breeze corduroy brads, large white eyelet (WeRMemoryKeepers brand), crop-a-dile, dimensionals, sponge dauber

I'll be back with 'my' birthday photos over the weekend, as I prepare to continue celebrating turning a year older!  I am going out for a meal with friends tomorrow night (a girls' night out while the boys are at the football), and am also looking forward to stretching my birthday out to Tuesday, when my special 'stamp group' friends and I are going to 'do lunch'.  I am very blessed to have so many lovely friends; life is good!

I have a couple of new favourites ......

Hello my friends!  I've been a bit absent from the blogging world lately, as we are attempting to prepare for being away for a couple of weeks.  There is so much to think about in advance of a holiday, with having our own business; it becomes rather stressful, trying to envisage anything that may eventuate in our absence, and putting into place contingency plans!!  We are SOOOO looking forward to the wonderful trip we are about to go on - just busy, busy, busy in the lead-up.  So, if you think I've dropped off the face of the earth in the next few weeks, I assure you we are just languishing in warmer climes, and I will be back!

But for now, I'd like to share with you a couple of cards that I've made in 'stolen moments' in my craft room in recent evenings.  I am LOVING the En Francais background stamp from Stampin' Up! This is the first 'favourite' I refer to in my post title.  It never fails to impress me, how a single stamp can turn a plain ole' piece of card into a panel that looks intricately detailed.  I love that it can be stamped off, and used as a subtle background, or it can be stamped boldly to be a feature.  Super-versatile, and I don't think I will tire of this stamp.

On my first card, I tried out a new (for me) colour combination, of Very Vanilla (yummo), Creamy Caramel and Baja Breeze.  The centre of the flower was stamped in Baja Breeze onto vanilla card, then punched out with a 1/2" circle punch, so I could custom-make a brad.  I am a bit disappointed with the result, as the resin in the Build-A-Brad has a real yellow tinge to it - I had read on others' blogs that they had found the same thing, but so far all my other brad 'tops' have been lovely and clear.  Anyhoo, I think this card is rather pretty, and hope you think so too!

 

Stamps: En Francais, On Your Birthday, Polka Dot Punches, Organic Grace

Card: Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze

Ink: Creamy Caramel stampin' pad and marker, Baja Breeze stampin' pad

Other: Sponge Daubers, rectangle nestabilities, 5-petal flower punch, Build-A-Brad, small brads from my own extensive stash!

Now, the next product that has worked its way into my heart, and I must say comes a close second to kraft card, is Stampin' Up!'s Naturals Ivory card.   It has a coarser 'tooth' than the super-smooth Very Vanilla, and is just a bit more 'rustic' looking.  For my next card, I combined Naturals Ivory with Kraft and Purely Pomegranate (one of last years 'in' colours, the demise of which  thousands of us are still lamenting!).  I had some pomegranate textured card, which is just beautiful on its own, but which I decided to alter a bit by repeatedly stamping one of the Pocket Silhouettes images on, to create a subtle background.  I've used Sahara Sand ink to complement the kraft (these colours are a great match - I'm a mad fan), and in adding ribbon I decided I could get away with including a strip of River Rock (another retired 'in colour'), as the yellow tones go well with the ivory card, don't you think?  Here is my creation:



Stamps: En Francais, Pocket Silhouettes, Occasional Greetings

Card: Kraft, Purely Pomegranate textured (retired), Naturals Ivory

Ink: Purely Pomegranate (retired), Sahara Sand

Other: Labels One Nestabilities, sponge daubers, kraft taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots, double-stitched ribbon in Purely Pomegranate & River Rock (retired)

I'm now off to have a coffee with my dear friend Claire. I took the day off work to run errands and attend Claire's Stampin' Up! new demonstrator training session, but everyone else has bailed out on us!  Oh well, don't want to miss the opportunity for a chat before I go away as I will miss our first-Thursday-of-the-month stamping night .  If you're reading this, Kerry, Judy and Leanne, I love you all and I'll see you at the August one!!  Will miss you, girls.

Christine x

Cute and cheery card for a cold and un-cheery day...

Back again - whoa, two posts in one day!  Andrew's niece is having a birthday next week, so I needed to make a happy, girly card.  I chose to use Cheep Talk, a very versatile set of stamps that I just love.  The set contains flower,fruit, foliage and bird images, as well as sentiments - all sorts of possibilities!

Everything on this card is Stampin' Up!, except for the orange embellishments in the flower centres (these are Rain Drops, that I went through a stage of collecting, so I have QUITE a few to use up. Once I decide I like something, I have a tendency to buy it in every available colour; it's a bit of a sickness, but I'm sure some of you reading this can relate!  My sister, Lynda, can attest to the many and varied benefits of having been bestowed with the 'obsessive' gene.  Certainly provides us with hours of laughs when we get together!)



Stamps: Cheep Talk, On Your Birthday

Card: Kraft, Whisper White, Lovely Lilac, Green Galore

Ink: Lovely Lilac, Only Orange, Green Galore markers; Lovely Lilac, Green Galore, Whisper White, Basic Black stampin' pads

Other: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, Cloud 9 Designs Rain Drops

How wonderful it's been to have time today to make cards; my favourite way to while away the hours.  The only thing better would be to have friends around to share the stamping with; I am in the process of setting up my craft room so that others can join me, which is very exciting!  When my super-duper new craft room was built at the end of last year,  I organised it to be all white and pretty, but now I'm hoping to make it a bit more practical.  I have a fantastic built-in U-shaped area to craft at, and bought a cute little Ikea table to share crafting space with a friend.  The cute and pretty table just doesn't "cut it", though, so I have added a longer folding table that has enough space for 6 more people.

I'm looking forward to being able to hold classes at home now.  So, if you live in the outer east of Melbourne, and would like to come to my place in Mt Evelyn to attend card-making classes, I'd love to hear from you!  Let me show you the wonderful world of Stampin' Up! and have a lot of fun making cards together.

That's it for me for today, my friends.  Hope you're all having a lovely weekend too (preferably without a sick child!).

The perfect way to spend a wintery Saturday

Hi folks,

It's a bleak, cold day in Melbourne today - perfect for spending time in my craft room, so that's just what I've been doing.  Yippee!  Working full-time, and trying to tend to the needs of the family, leaves little play time some weeks, and this past week has been one of those.

Yesterday afternoon we were all packed and ready to go away for the weekend, when I received a call from Ethan's school asking me to pick up my sick little boy.  Poor little thing is feeling pretty miserable, so we are staying home this weekend after all.  Hubby and eldest son are out watching a local football match, and Ethan is happy to snuggle on the couch and watch tv for a while, so I have been stamping.

I have a couple of cards to show you.  I've just got the Lovely As A Tree stamp set, which I have been wanting for a loooong time, so decided to use it on my Dad's birthday card.  (I don't think there's any danger of Pop checking out my blog before he receives this).  The main colours I've used in the card are Chocolate Chip and Old Olive.  I really love how the Old Olive paper from the Holiday Treasures Designer Series pack complements the tree image.  I've also stamped the Weathered background on a separate panel of Old Olive card, to help add to the masculine feel of the card.  I have stamped a tiny leaf from Lovely As A Tree onto olive card, punched it out and created a brad with my trusty Build-A-Brad set.  (It's been a few days since I've made a card with the BAB - didn't want you to think I was neglecting it, ha ha.)  The word "POP" is made using twill stickers, from my extensive stash of alphabet stickers that have been sorely neglected since I became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!



Stamps: Lovely As A Tree, On Your Birthday, Weathered

Card: Chocolate Chip, Old olive, Close to Cocoa, Confetti Cream

DSP: Holiday Treasures

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa stampin' pads; Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Always Artichoke markers

Other: Sponge Daubers, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain, Antique Brass Build-A-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, Nestabilities (rectangle & scalloped rectangle), horizontal slot punch, twill letter stickers and decorative scissors (not Stampin' Up!)

I LOVE the colours in this next card; white, baja breeze and kraft is one of my favourite combinations at the moment.  I love the look of white ink on kraft, and am also very partial to Sahara Sand ink on kraft (great match).  This card is intended for my parents-in-law, who are about to take our family on a fantastic holiday - an incredible experience.  To create the background of flowers, I stamped off once onto scrap paper, so the impression on the card is subtle.  I think everything else on this card is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll desist from waffling, and just show you the photo:



Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, En Francais

Card: Whisper White, Kraft, Baja Breeze

Ink: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand stampin' pads

Other: Eyelet border punch, sponge daubers, white embossing powder, Baja Breeze 5/8" striped ribbon, kraft taffeta ribbon, dimensionals

I have REALLY enjoyed spending a bit of time stamping today; I hate going days on end without making something.  I hope you enjoy looking at these cards; I sure enjoyed making them!

Christine :)

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!

FLOWERS AND STARS

Even after an absence of several days, that's about the most exciting post title I can come up with??!!!  I haven't had much crafting time this week; apparently I have been neglecting the family.  Soooo, after a self-imposed exile of a few days from my craft room, I snuck back in there and enjoyed a little 'me' time.  It took me a little while to decide what I felt like making.

I drew inspiration for my first card from the Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalogue.  I love the colours in the Haiku Designer Series Paper, and my eye was drawn to some cards on page 76 of the catalogue.  The base of my card is So Saffron (LOVE this yellow), and I've used a panel of So Saffron Designer Series Paper.  The beautiful flowers, both small and large, are from the Eastern Blooms stamp set.  This is a really versatile set, that gives stunningly different results depending on colours used. I used my Boho Blossoms punch to make the tiny flowers from a piece of Old Olive paper, from the Haiku pack.  How cute are they?!  A bit of ribbon, piercing, and some pearl brads finish off the card.  I am really happy with the end result, considering I started off with a blank brain!



Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Upsy Daisy (sentiment)

Card: So Saffron, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla

DSP: So Saffron Prints, Haiku

Ink: Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, So Saffron

Other: Boho Blossoms punch, pearl brads (from Pretties Kit), Apricot Appeal 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, edge distresser, paper piercer, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig, sponge dauber



This next card I thought would be good for a (female) friend of my teenage son, but when I excitedly showed Jack, he said "Ah, no Mum", and slowly shook his head!  Anyway, I like it!!!  I love the simplicity of it, and the co-ordination of the ink, paper and ribbon.  I used my Classic Stars jumbo wheel, and Baja Breeze stampin' pad, to make the background panel.  My friend Kerry made a card at one of our recent stamping nights, using the stars in this colour, and I just loved it, so I must credit her with the inspiration!  (The link to Kerry's blog is in my side bar.)  The raised star is just one I cut out from the 'patterned paper' I had created, with the edges sponged to give it some definition.  I mounted it on a piece of Urban Garden DSP, cut to form a border.  Here it is, folks - hope you like it as much as I do, or at least more than Jack does, LOL.



Stamps: Classic Stars jumbo wheel, On Your Birthday

Card: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

DSP: Urban Garden

Ink: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

Other: Silver brads (from SU's Vintage assortment), Baja Breeze 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, baja breeze button (from Button Bouquet), dimensionals, mini glue dots.



Thanks for stopping by, friends.  I'll be back when I have had some more 'play' time in my craft room (this "working full-time" thing is just not right!!).

BOYS, BOYS, BOYS......

Sorry, ladies, but the photos in this post are probably not what you were imagining, from today's title!  I have a couple of birthday cards for men to show you.  Ha ha.  PLUS ......drumroll, please......I have a scrapbook page to post!!!  This is noteworthy, because I am a cardmaker, and have only dabbled verrrrry briefly with scrapbooking.

Work has been more than a little challenging this past week, and I have not even set foot in my craft room - other than to open the door, switch the light on to check that all is okay and is still there waiting for me, turn off the light and leave.  I have done this a few times.  Sad, isn't it?!  My little family and I have been away at our cabin for a couple of nights, to reconnect, and recharge our batteries.  We really needed that; it was lovely.  Now we are back home, and I have mountains of washing to contend with.  While the machine is churning away, I have managed to have a little play, and decided that it's high time I shared my male-oriented creations.

First up, here is a simple birthday card that I think would be particularly suitable for a man (no flowers or pink in sight).  I have used ribbon, but as a simple accent to complement the card's colour scheme.  A couple of jumbo pewter eyelets help to give the card a masculine feel.



Stamps: Seeing Spots, Upsy Daisy (sentiment)

Ink: Versamark, Old Olive, Jet Black Stazon, Whisper White craft ink

Card: Whisper White, Basic Black, Old Olive

Other: Crop-A-Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, White Embossing Powder, Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Old Olive and Basic Black 1/4" grosgrain ribbon



My next card is one I have sent to my brother for his birthday.  I think it's safe to assume that he won't be looking at my blog.  I have used my much-loved Trendy Trees set, and my new favourite jumbo eyelets on this one.  All the other details follow th photo:



Stamps: Trendy Trees, On Your Birthday

DSP: Good Morning Sunshine

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango

Other: Crop-A-Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, wide oval punch, edge distresser, sponge daubers, brads (non-SU)



Okay, so now I am going to be brave and share my scrapbook page.  I have had a photo of Jack (who is now in his second year at high school) that I have wanted to scrap, but hadn't got around to. It was taken on the night of his graduation from primary school - a very emotional time for me!  He felt very grown up, but I was grieving the loss of his truly innocent days, and the changes that were about to take place with his friendships.  (His closest friends were to go on to different high schools to the one Jack would be attending.) Everything on this page is Stampin' Up!, except for the lined paper I stole from my other son's school book. (It's okay, he had to remove a page, so I just used some of the unwanted paper - just wanted to add this disclaimer in case any teachers are reading!)  I set myself the challenge of using no designer papers - just cardstock, stamps and punches (and, boy, did I use a few of these!), with a couple of other embellishments.  Here is my handsome boy ....



Stamps: Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel, Best Yet, Season of Joy (just the letter "j")

Ink: Basic Black stampin' pad and marker, Real Red stampin' pad and marker

Card: Basic Black textured 12x12, Whisper White (textured and smooth), Not Quite Navy, Kraft, Real Red

Other: Round Tab Punch, Curly Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Spiral Punch, Crop-A-Dile, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, black brads (from Vintage brad assortment), SNAIL adhesive



It's good to be able to post on my blog again, after what feels like a looooooong absence.  I am hoping to fit in some more 'play' time this coming week, as I have new stamps (YIPPEE!!) - will be back to share when I've made something.  Hope you all have a great week.  

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!)