MERRY MONDAY CHALLENGE #20: STAMPIN' UP!'S SEASON OF JOY

One of the very first stamp sets I bought, when I discovered Stampin' Up!, was the gorgeous, versatile Season of Joy Christmas set.  I decided to give it some love for this week's Merry Monday Sketch Challenge.  I am loving making a head start on my Christmas cards; now just to keep up the momentum!

Here's the great sketch that Lesley has provided for our Christmas card inspiration:

I have stayed pretty true to the sketch, and made a clean and simple card (not a single sponged edge in sight, which wasn't easy for me!).  The colours suggested to me by my Stampin' Up! Color Coach were Island Indigo, Baja Breeze and Rich Razzleberry.

Stamps: Season of Joy

Card: Island Indigo, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry

DSP: Island Indigo Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Baja Breeze and Rich Razzleberry stampin' pads

Other: Island Indigo baker's twine, Basic Rhinestones, Eyelet Border punch, mini glue dots

I love this colour combo, and might just have to make some more Christmas cards with it, I think.  Make sure you check out the beautiful samples of the Design Team this week; a couple of my friends are featured, and I'm so proud!

FESTIVE FRIDAY CHALLENGE #17

I have been inspired by Nicole Derendorf's Festive Friday Challenge, to make a start on Christmas cards.  I have made ONE already (so proud of myself!) for a recent Just Add Ink challenge, but I need to now keep the ball rolling!

This week's challenge is to use the following sketch to create a Christmas card inspired by one of the Design Team samples:

I loved the way Carolyn used the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder, and Riding Hood Red pleated satin ribbon, so I've incorporated those two elements on my card.

Stamps: Welcome Christmas, Season of Joy, Delightful Decorations

Card: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Whisper White

DSP: Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive and Early Espresso stampin' pads

Other: 2 1/2" Circle punch, 1 1/4" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, 1 3/4" Circle punch, Riding Hood Red pleated satin ribbon, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, Basic Rhinestones, stampin' dimensionals, sponge dauber, Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder

ETA:  I was named as winner of this challenge - thanks, Nicole!

JAI #114: JUST ADD ...... JODENE TRIPP

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink is to create a papercraft project, inspired by the beautiful work of Jodene.   Jodene has a beautiful, clean style, and is AWESOME at colouring - you must look through her blog, if you're not already a follower.  I struggle with keeping cards 'clean', so this is a good challenge for me.

I have chosen to CASE this card of Jodene's.  I have added a couple of extra layers (just because that's "how I roll"!), and have put to use a poinsettia that I made this past Christmas, and that didn't make it onto a card in time for December 2011!  In lieu of an embossed or textured background, I've chosen to subtly stamp on the Designer Series Paper panel.  It feels a little odd to be making a Christmas card this early in the year, but now that I've done it, I feel kind of virtuous, for having one made already! LOL.   Here's my version:

Stamps: Season of Joy

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler

DSP: Letters to Santa Designer Series Paper

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

Other: Timeless Type Junior Alphabet sizzlits dies, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Scallop Edge border punch, Basics Glimmer Brad, Blossom Petals builder punch, Champagne shimmer mist sponge daubers, mat pack, Tombow liquid glue

Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's samples at Just Add Ink, and we hope you'll play along with us this week!

I LOVE THE "I WISH" SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KIT!!

I was in the mood to make a couple of simple Christmas cards, with minimal stamping, the other day, so I thought I'd break open my new "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' kit.  This kit is one of the products featured in Stampin' Up!'s Christmas Extravaganza promotion. Purchasing it, along with a few other goodies, could earn you a free punch! I am not a scrapbooker, but, even though this kit is designed to make scrapbooking easy, I have found it is perfect for making loads of cards!  At $36.95, it is fantastic value - enough textured cardstock, co-ordinating papers and self-adhesive die-cuts to create dozens of cards.

Here is the first card I made:



Stamps: Many Merry Messages

Card: Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive Stampin' pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch



I love how well the red snowflake die-cut sticker co-ordinates with the Scallop Edge Punch - don't you?  The star and the circle greeting are from the kit, too.  All I did was stamp a simple greeting, and attach some ribbon - easy peasy.

My next card has as the focal image a die-cut strip from the kit - I just LOVE those berries.  Although the photo doesn't clearly show it, I stamped in Versamark ink an image from the Soft Summer stamp set (available in our Spring Mini catalogue, only until the end of November!), that I thought co-ordinated beautifully with the berries, and created a bit of 'interest' at the top of the card.



Stamps: Season of Joy, Soft Summer

Card: Real Red, Old Olive textured, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, Old Olive stampin' pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, sponge dauber



Well, folks, that's it for today.  I'll be sure to post some more cards made using this lovely kit in days and weeks to come.

An exciting announcement I have to make, about the promotion I told you about in my last post.  There is now a choice of two punches, for the free punch on offer.  Contact me if you'd like to place a qualifying order!

FRIENDS 24-7

Today I gave myself permission to not go in to work - what bliss! We have our own business, and I have been trying for a long time to 'retire'.  The first step is to actually not be there some days, and it is harder than it sounds to make that happen.  Happily, today I'm at home.

I have been having a play with my Friends 24-7 stamp set, which is one of my favourites in the current Stampin' Up! catalogue.  First I made a couple of cards (just to have on hand) using my 'fallback' colour combination of Kraft, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip.  I love that they're simple and pretty - here they are:


All paper,punches and accessories are Stampin' Up! - if you have any questions, drop me a line!

I was visiting Renee Van Stralen's blog the other day, and loved this card she made using the cute little bird from this stamp set.  I was inspired to make a Christmas card using Friends 24-7.  Mine is a lot simpler, but I like how it turned out:

 Stamps: So Swirly Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel, Friends 24-7, Season of Joy

Ink: Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red stampin' pads, Chocolate chip marker (bird's eye!)

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red

Other: Riding Hood Red 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals

MAKING MERRY WEDNESDAY

Hi friends

My post title today is a little laugh, in reference to my friend Anita's "Making Merry Monday" challenge.  Anita posts a new Christmas card on her blog every Monday, and has invited anyone and everyone to join in - this has been going for WEEKS now, and I haven't managed to get organised enough to participate.  So, here is my little contribution, posted way late!  I have been busy making Christmas cards, but haven't been busy taking photos of them - I will try to share some more with you in coming days.

Another of my lovely friends, Nikki, inspired me to make a card with colours I wouldn't have normally chosen.  I have CASEd her card that you can see here.  In Stampin' Up!'s new mini catalogue, there is a beautiful range of designer series papers called Ski Slope - that is what I have used on my card, below.



Stamps: Season of Joy

Card: Old Olive, Whisper White textured, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Old Olive stampin' pad, Chocolate Chip stampin' write marker, Whisper White craft stampin' pad

Other: Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, Ski Slope DSP, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, dimensionals, filigree brad, corner rounder punch, sponge dauber

That's it for today, folks - I'm off to have a girls' day with my baby sister (well, she's the baby of our family, which must make Mum and Dad feel their age), who turns 40 tomorrow.  It is my birthday the day after (and, incidentally, my brother-in-law's today), so this is always a very busy, but lovely, week of the year.

I hope your day is as happy as I'm sure mine will be!

Christine x

CHRISTMAS CARDS (yes, already)... and a sneak peek..

On Saturday I held a "Christmas in July" card-making class .... for once, I am making an early start so that I don't get too overwhelmed come December 20th!  The class went for 3 hours, and I'd like to thank Lynda, Dannika, Rachel, Cynthia, Marissa and Kerry for helping to make it a great afternoon.  I really enjoyed it, and think everyone else did too.  I had grand plans for us to make 3 cards, then continue on with a 'free time' session, so everyone could use my supplies to create a stash of cards.  Time flew, and we managed 3 cards and a candle - then it was time to wind it up.  I think we need another session, girls!  I was too excited about having my friends over, to remember to take photos of the day 'in action', but I thought I'd share with you all a shot of the cards we made on the day.

I showed the girls how a variety of Stampin' Up!'s stamp sets can be used to make Christmas cards.  You don't have to use traditional Christmas colours or Christmas-only stamps to make lovely festive cards.  One card we made was a traditional style, using Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy - love these colours together, even though it was a little out of my comfort zone at first! The main image is from "Lovely as a Tree"; not a Christmas set, but don't you think the tree looks "Christmassy"?  Next we made a "Season of Joy" (fantastic, versatile stamp set) card, using Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla, with Kiwi Kiss ribbon.  The third card, that had very little stamping on, and made good use of the large star punch, was made with Baja Breeze and Whisper White, with a little Basic Gray.  Take a look below:



It's now only a matter of days until Stampin' Up!'s Spring Mini catalogue 'goes live'.  In conjunction with the fabulous 2009/2010 Idea Book & Catalogue, we will have some new stamps, papers and accessories available for 4 months only.  If you'd like a copy of 'the mini', please email me and I'll be happy to send one out to you!

I am in love with the Parisian Breeze specialty designer series paper that will be available in Australia and New Zealand from August 1st.  This is a gorgeous, heavyweight, paper that contains some of my  favourite colours.  I have used it to make a card for my friend who is celebrating her 40th birthday tomorrow, and thought I'd share with you a sample of a couple new yummy products.  My card uses a great, versatile, new stamp set (called Oval All) and co-ordinating scallop oval punch. 



Stamps: Oval All

Card: Whisper White, Kraft

DSP: Parisian Breeze

Ink: Baja Breeze and Sahara Sand stampin' pads, Timber Brown Staz-on

Other: Large oval punch, scallop oval punch, aquapainter, Baja Breeze ribbon from Valet ribbon originals, kraft taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber, dimensionals, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Kaiser rhinestones