SC 053/12: BIG TOP BIRTHDAY

My second week as a Guest Designer at Sunny Challenges & Creations has indeed brought a challenge my way.  Working with angled, or tilted,  panels is outside of my comfort zone, so this sketch was a good challenge for me!

I love Stampin' Up!'s Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper - so bright, and happy.  Both this paper, and the stamp set I used (Party This Way) will be retiring from Stampin' Up!'s range at the end of this month - a bit sad, as they're GREAT for kids' birthday cards.

Stamps: Party This Way

Card: Basic Black, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight

DSP: Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper

Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight stampin' pads, Jet Black Staz-On inkpad

Other: Real Red satin ribbon, Neutrals brads, Mat Pack and Paper Piercing tool, Scallop Edge border punch, Large Oval punch, Square Lattice embossing folder, White Baker's Twine, sponge dauber, mini glue dots

We'd love to have you play along with this birthday challenge this week.  Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team's samples, for inspiration.

COLOUR Q #97 COLOUR CHALLENGE

After many days of waiting very impatiently, I have in my hot little hands some cardstock and inks in the new "in colors" that Stampin' Up! is adding to our range from 1st September.  As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, I get the opportunity to pre-order some of the new goodies, and I can tell you now ...... they are GORGEOUS!!

Here is this week's colour challenge over at the fabulous ColourQ site:

I've made a card that I think would be just right for a girl's birthday:

Stamps: Party This Way, Bring On the Cake

Card: Pool Party (out 1st Sept.), Basic Black, Whisper White smooth and textured, Melon Mambo

DSP: Tangerine Tango and Melon Mambo Patterns Designer Series papers

Ink: Basic Black stampin' pad, Pool Party stampin' pad and marker, Tangerine Tango stampin' pad an marker, Melon Mambo marker

Other: Blender pen, Neutrals buttons, Crystal Effects, Scallop Edge border punch, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Mini Glue Dots, stampin' dimensionals

I am off to have lunch with my sister today, to celebrate our birthdays (that fall within a day of each other).  I hope you, too, have a lovely day!

FOX & FRIENDS BIRTHDAY FOR SUO CHALLENGE #16

The current challenge running at SUO Challenges, is to make a card or other papercraft project with animals on it.

It's well past time for me to bring out my rather neglected Fox & Friends stamp set; do animal images come any cuter?

I've made a little birthday 'set', of a card and a favour box, using Fox & Friends, and three of this year's In Colours - Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, and Concord Crush.

Here are my creations together:

.... and individually ....

Stamps: Fox & Friends, Seeing Stars, Party This Way

Card: Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz and Whisper White

DSP: Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Peach Parfait stampin' pad and marker, Pear Pizzazz and Concord Crush stampin' pads

Other: Pear Pizzazz stitched-poly ribbon, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Buttons #5 Sizzlits die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Fancy Favor Die, 1 3/4" x 7/8" Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, Spiral punch, Circle Fire rhinestone brad, Stampin' dimensionals, Stamping sponges

JUST ADD INK #60 - CARD FOR A GUY

I wanted to challenge myself, to not include any flowers or butterflies, on my second entry for this week's Just Add Ink challenge ..... these colours work so well for both of those beauties of nature, don't you think?

One of the new stamps that is coming out in Stampin' Up!'s Autumn/Winter Mini (released 1st April), is Motorcycle.  One of my brothers is a diehard Harley rider, so I HAD to have this stamp.  Here's what I've done with it:

Stamps: Motorcycle (*available 1st April), Party This Way, Sanded, Well Worn

Card: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Crumb Cake stampin' pad, Old Olive stampin' pad, Rich Razzleberry stampin' pad and marker, Jet Black Staz-on inkpad, Basic Black stampin' pad, Basic Gray marker

Other: Blender Pens, Mat Pack and paper piercing tool, Colour Spritzer tool, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, sponge dauber, Linen Thread, edge distressing tool, stampin' dimensionals, Crop-a-dile, Jumbo eyelet (Pewter)

CURTAIN CALL COLOR CHALLENGE: {ACT 69}

I've had an "at home" day today, which I love.  Well, I did endure an interminably long school assembly, and some grocery shopping first, but the last few hours have been spent at home, catching up on ironing, washing (I'm kidding myself if I think I can ever 'catch up' with that!), and some stamping.  Apart from lunching with friends, this is my favourite kind of day!

Ethan, my youngest, has a birthday party to go to this coming weekend; his friend is turning 11.  I've used the colours in Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge to make the birthday boy a card.

...... and here's the card:

Stamps: Extreme Elements, Party This Way, Punch Bunch, Rough Type Alphabet

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Real Red

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Real Red and Crumb Cake stampin' pads

Other: Scallop Square punch, paper snips, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, sponge dauber, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

Two of the stamp sets I've used on this card are available only until the end of March.  The Rough Type alphabet set, that I've used on the 'flags' is in Stampin' Up!'s Summer Mini catalogue, and is a great buy at only $47.95 for wood mounted stamps (there are 28 in the set), or $37.95 for clear mount.  The letters are sized perfectly to fit on the Mini Vintage Tags, also in the Summer Mini, so check them out!  You can view the Mini by clicking on the image in my blog side bar ..... contact me if you have any questions.  The sentiment on Jarryd's birthday card is stamped using Punch Bunch, one of the four gorgeous Sale-A-Bration sets that you can get for FREE, if you purchase $100 worth of Stampin' Up! product from me.  This offer ends 31st March (and is valid only in Australia).

"JUST ADD INK" CHALLENGE 36

This week's challenge over at the wonderful Just Add Ink site is to make a card, scrapbook page, or other papercraft item, using this sketch as a starting point:

As tempted as I was to make a pretty, girly, butterfly card (I'm quite a literal person!), I decided to use the sketch to come up with a male card - suitable particularly for a boy.  There are a few special young men in our lives who have birthdays coming up, so I need to get organised.  This was a good kick-along for me.  I just LOVE the colour combination of Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso and Tangerine Tango.   

Look at how well these colours go together:



.... and a close-up of the balloons, so you can see the 'strings' I added using Linen Thread.  See what a beautiful crisp image the balloon stamp (from the "Party This Way" set) gives?  I love it.

Stamps: Wonderfully Worn, Party This Way

Card: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

DSP: Tangerine Tango Patterns Designer Series Paper

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

Other: Sponge daubers, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Linen Thread, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Tombow Multi liquid glue

BIRTHDAY "PARTY THIS WAY"

Today I held the first of my classes for September .... hands down, one of my favourite ways to spend a few hours!  I am not-so-patiently awaiting delivery of all my new Stampin' Up! goodies.  However, we were able to make four cards today, using new products that I was able to order before the release of the new catalogue (one of the many perks of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!).

I thought I'd share with you the card we made using a great new stamp set called "Party This Way".  We actually have SUNSHINE today in Melbourne (hence the glary photo!).  Take a look at these cute balloons:

Stamps: Party This Way

Card: Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark inkpad, Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango stampin' pads, Basic Black stampin' write marker

Other: Top Note die, stampin' dimensionals, Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon (retired), Word Window punch

Simple, but cute, don't you think?  I was determined to make at least one card without flowers, because I tend to favour stamps and papers with a natural, organic, lean.  I love the patterns on the candle and the balloon in this stamp set; I'm sure I'll get a LOT of use out of it.