"TECHNIQUE" BLOG HOP

Today I am taking part, with 4 fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators, in a "Technique" blog hop (just a "mini blog hop this time!).  Each of us is showcasing a different technique to use in your stamping and/or scrapbooking, so hopefully you'll get some new ideas!

You may have come from the gorgeous Nikki Sadler's blog, but if not, don't worry!  You can start here, and do a 'loop' by clicking on the link at the end of each participant's post, until you've covered all 5 stops.

The technique I have chosen to focus on today is PAPER PIECING.  This technique is ideal for using with line image (rather than solid) stamps.  It's an alternative to colouring in an image, and is a cute way to highlight a portion of a stamped image, to co-ordinate with patterned papers used on your project.

It's very easy to do.  Simply stamp your desired image onto cardstock, and stamp it again on patterned paper.  (Alternatively, you could stamp it onto other coloured card - either plain, or that you've stamped with a design.)  Cut the paper image out, and stick it over the top of the base image; voila - instant colouring!


For my first card, I have stamped several of one of the "Fifth Avenue Floral" flowers on a Whisper White panel.  I've chosen to highlight just one of the flowers in red (I do love red, and polka dots - did you know?!), using "Play Date" Designer Series Paper.  This is a very simple design, but the paper piecing makes the flower really "pop", don't you agree?

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Bella Toile, Upsy Daisy

Card: Whisper White, Real Red, Crumb Cake, Basic Black

DSP: Play Date Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Real Red and Basic Black markers

Other: Sponge dauber, Basic Black brads (from Neutrals assortment), Stamp-a-ma-jig, Mat Pack & paper-piercing tool (for placement of brads)

Next up is a Christmas card, using Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper.  I stamped the Christmas tree (from the ever-versatile "Fun & Fast Notes" set) on Very Vanilla card.  I stamped it again on the Old Olive spotty paper, and cut around just the foliage before adhering it to my card.  I coloured the trunk, pot and star with markers.

Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes, Contempo Christmas, En Francais

Card: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

DSP: Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad and marker, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Chocolate Chip marker, Daffodil Delight marker

Other: Wide Oval punch, Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, mini glue dot

Lastly, I'd like to share with you a birthday card I made with a young boy in mind.  Again I've used "Play Date" Designer Series Paper - this time, the striped "boyish" paper.  I love that each pack of Stampin' Up!'s Designer Series Paper contains such a variety of designs, that complement one another so well.  The nose of the rocket is paper-pieced with Real Red cardstock on which I had stamped a star.  Pretty cute little rocket, don't you think?

Stamps: Seeing Stars, Pun Fun, Party Hearty

Card: Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise (textured), Real Red, Crumb Cake

DSP: Play Date Designer Series Paper

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Tempting Turquoise, Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Real Red stampin' pads

Other: Top Note die, sponge daubers, Buttons #5 Sizzlits die, Scallop Circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, 5/16" silver brad, Crystal Effects

Next stop on today's blog hop is the blog of the super-creative Amy Buchanan.  This girl blows me away with her ideas!

Here's a list of all of us taking part today:

Judy May

http://www.judymay.typepad.com/

Nikki Sadler
http://www.inkyart.com.au/

Christine Blain
http://www.christineblain.blogspot.com/

Amy Buchanan
http://www.fashioninggreatimpressions.com/

Tina Gillespie
http://scissorspapercard.blogspot.com/


Have fun checking out everyone's creations, and please leave us comments so we know you've been to 'visit'!

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
 

LOVE SPARKLES ..FOR A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIRL

I think the recipient of this card would be happy to be called a 'girl', as she's celebrating a milestone (70th!) birthday :)

Having just taken delivery this week of the "Love Sparkles" Simply Scrappin' Kit, from Stampin' Up!, I was keen to use it to make a card.  The Simply Scrappin' Kits are not just for scrapbookers, y'know - with textured 12" x 12" card in 3 colours, co-ordinating Designer Series Papers (designed especially for the kits), die-cut stickers, and 12" long border stickers, they are a feast for the eyes for cardmakers!! The possibilities are endless!  Great value, too - at $36.95, there are enough elements in each kit to make dozens of cards.

The Love Sparkles kit incorporates the colours So Saffron, Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip - yum.

This is the card I made for my mother-in-law (who I know doesn't visit my blog, so I'm safe putting a photo up before she receives the card!):



I realised after I'd uploaded the photo that there were 'straggly bits' along the bottom of the Chocolate Chip layer (and I didn't want to photograph it again - just humour me!).  I've tidied those up now!

Here's a close-up of the crocheted flower, just because I was pretty darn happy with the way it turned out.  I like the irregularity of the colour, as I think it ties in with the Regal Rose paper, and the Pretty in Pink words all over the paper.  What do you think?



The Fleurettes II, in the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalogue, are white crocheted flowers in three different sizes.  They can be used 'as is', or easily dyed (using ink refill diluted with water) to match your project.  Because I don't have a re-inker in the colour I needed for this flower, I sponged some Regal Rose ink direct from my stampin' pad, then added colour with my Regal Rose marker.  The colour was pretty intense, so I rinsed the flower under cold water, then allowed it to dry.  A rather nice end result (for a first attempt), don't you think?!

The "ingredients" for this card are as follows:

Stamps: Party Hearty

Card: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Regal Rose

Ink: Chocolate Chip and So Saffron stampin' pads, Regal Rose stampin' pad and marker, Versamark marker (for the pattern on the So Saffron panel at the top)

Other: Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit, Scallop Circle Punch, 3/4" circle punch, Circle Nestabilities, sponge dauber, edge distresser, Fleurette II, Latte button, So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (retired), mini glue dots, dimensionals

SALE-A-BRATION samples ... "the red series"

I have a couple more cards, made with Sale-A-Bration stamps (you know, those ones you can earn for free ... only 3 more days until they become available!), to share with you.

One of my 'go-to' colours is red, and I love Stampin' Up!'s Riding Hood Red (one of this year's "in colours", available until September 2010).  I've used it in both of the cards I have to show you.

In this first card, I've used a Sale-A-Bration stamp set called Good Neighbors (yes, even though it's been released in Australia, the American spelling remains, much to the dismay of the more pedantic amongst us!).  It is my favourite of the four sets on offer, and contains 10 gorgeous little stamps - mix and match houses and rooves, with a couple of other cute complementary images.  The house stamps fit perfectly inside Stampin' Up!'s square punches - have to love that!


Stamps: Good Neighbors (Sale-A-Bration), Thoughts & Prayers, Occasionally

Card: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Riding Hood Red & Basic Black stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink & Basic Black markers

DSP: Bella Rose

Other: Valet Ribbon Originals, 3/4" circle punch, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" square punches, dimensionals



My next card combines my love of red with my love of kraft, mixed in with Chocolate Chip and white - what a combination!  I've coloured in, with my Stampin' Up! markers, the cake image from the Happy Moments Sale-A-Bration set, that is white-embossed on kraft card.  See, I told you there'd be more of that going on!


Stamps: Happy Moments (Sale-A-Bration), Party Hearty, Polka Dot background stamp

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red

Ink: Whisper White Craft stampin' pad, Versamark ink pad, Chocolate Chip stampin' pad and marker, Riding Hood Red stampin' pad, Ruby Red and Close to Cocoa markers

Other: White embossing powder, sponge dauber, Scallop Circle punch, 1" circle punch, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon, Chocolate Chip 1" double-stitched grosgrain

Just try to look past the wonky image, and admire my ribbon treatment, if you will - I was pretty pleased with myself on this one!

That wraps up today's "sneak peaks' of Sale-A-Bration stamps.  We're in for a long weekend in Australia, with Australia Day officially being celebrated Tuesday 26th January - some of us are lucky enough to incorporate Monday into the 'weekend'.  Woohoo - four days to relax!  I'll be going away with my family (and a boisterous 14-yr-old 'add on') to our cabin for the break, which will be lovely.  I will miss my craft room, but will soak up the fresh air, walks, and ample reading time.  I'll schedule one last 'sneak peak' post for the weekend, because when I get back, Sale-A-Bration will have officially started!!

IT'S A "PARTY HEARTY" PARADE.....

One of the stamp sets, in the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue, that I was not convinced I 'needed', was Party Hearty.  However, some brilliant creations by some of my friends, and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators (part of our Art With Heart team), put paid to any doubts I had - so, I've joined the Party Hearty bandwagon! 

I found a really nice, simple, clean layout of a card on Splitcoaststampers, and unashamedly CASEd it.  Here is the result (bad photography and all):



Stamps: Party Hearty, Occasional Greetings

Card: Taken With Teal, Whisper White, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss

Ink: Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss

Other: Small Tag Punch, 3/4" circle punch, eyelet (from my stash), Crop-a-dile, linen thread, 1" Double-Stitched Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig

How CUTE do those little party hats look??  I love them!  And to think I didn't need them - ha!!

Here's a slight variation, using the same basic layout, but using only Party Hearty stamps (including the present image stamped in Versamark all over the Rose Red panel), and a couple of teal rhinestone brads:



Stamps: Party Hearty

Card: Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Rose Red

Ink: Taken With Teal, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Versamark

Other: 1" Double-Stitched Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, rhinestone brads, 3/4" circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig



I have one more Party Hearty card to share with you.  I was so loving this layout, that I made a third card, using a different colour combination.  In the upcoming Summer Mini, there is some luscious Real Red polka dot grosgrain ribbon.  I am a sucker for red ribbon, and love polka dots, so this is one of my favourite products in the Mini Catalogue! (Easily pleased, aren't I?)  This time I teamed Real Red with Chocolate Chip, and Tempting Turquoise. 



Stamps: Party Hearty, One of A Kind

Card: Real Red, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Ink: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Other: 3/4" circle punch, 3/4" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon - SUMMER MINI, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I love these simple, cute cards.  Which one's your favourite??