STAMPIN' UP!'S FOX & FRIENDS : FOR DD #11 AND SC 049/12

I'm on a bit of a 'baby card' kick at the moment, and had an idea that works for two of my favourite challenges.

Dynamic Duos has this gorgeous, soft, colour combination as the challenge this week:

and Sunny Challenges & Creations' challenge is to use circles on a papercraft project:

Here's the card I made, combining these two challenges:

Stamps: Fox & Friends, A to Z, Confetti, Short & Sweet

Card: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze

Ink: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: 1 3/4" Circle punch, White embossing powder, sponge daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Baja Breeze seam binding, Pink Pirouette taffeta ribbon, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, mini glue dots

My boys are back at school, after 2 weeks holiday (actually, the eldest had almost 4 weeks, since he went on a Central Australia trip with school in the week leading up to the holidays), so the house is very quiet today!  As much as I love the holidays, I do like to get back into a 'normal' routine - although soon you might have to remind me I said that, as we get busier and busier, leading into cricket pre-season!!



STAMPIN' UP!'S BABY BUNDLE ... IN BLUE, AND PINK

I wanted to make some baby cards, but was a bit short on ideas, so thought I'd Google images using the stamp set I'd chosen.  I had a bit of a giggle when a few of the cards that came up were mine - it hadn't even occurred to me to look over cards I'd made, for inspiration! 

I really liked the way Janine Rawlins used the Baby Bundle stamp set on this card, so that was my starting point.  I stamped the cute little images on watercolour paper using Jet Black Staz-On ink.  The 'boy' card was coloured using Stampin' Up!'s Watercolour Wonder crayons, and the 'girl' card was coloured with inkpads and an aquapainter.

Stamps: Baby Bundle, Curly Cute

Card: Bashful Blue, Whisper White, watercolour paper

Ink: Jet Black Staz-on inkpad, Bashful Blue stampin' pad, Crumb Cake stampin' pad

Other: Pinking Hearts border punch, Bashful Blue satin ribbon, sponge dauber, Watercolour Wonder Crayons (Brights Collection), aquapainter, blender pen, mini glue dots

Stamps: Baby Bundle, Short & Sweet

Card: Crumb Cake, Pretty in Pink, watercolour paper

Ink: Jet Black Staz-on inkpad, Whisper White craft stampin' pad, Crumb Cake stampin' pad, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Daffodil Delight stampin' pads

Other: Pretty in Pink scallop dots ribbon, Twitterpated buttons, aquapainter, mini glue dots, tab die (not SU!)

I had a lot of fun making these sweet cards (colouring is so therapeutic, isn't it?). 



DD #8: STAMPIN' UP!'S BABY BUNDLE IN GREENS

I love this week's monochromatic challenge over at Dynamic Duos -  greens are a favourite of mine.

I've done a complete 360-degree turnaround, with River Rock. When Stampin' Up! first introduced it as an In Color a few years ago, I didn't like it at all. Once it made its way into our core colour range, and I played with it more, I grew to really love it.  It really is beautiful, paired with Always Artichoke.

Here's my card for this week's challenge:

Stamps: Baby Bundle, Short & Sweet, Confetti

Card: Confetti White, River Rock textured, Whisper White

DSP: River Rock and Always Artichoke Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Always Artichoke and River Rock stampin' pads

Other: Always Artichoke seam binding, Clear Circle die, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Owl Builder punch (tiny heart), Basic Rhinestones, sponge daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig



C4C #131: A COLOUR CHALLENGE

Tonight I discovered a new (to me) challenge site, called Crazy 4 Challenges.  I love colour challenges, and this week's challenge is to make a papercraft project using blue, white and one other colour.  I've chosen black (which technically is a shade, but hopefully it fits the criteria!).

On a rare visit to a local scrapbooking store the other day, I picked up some delicious paper from Pink Paislee.  I am pretty much all-Stampin' Up! in my projects, but this paper just called to me.  Besides, I thought it'd be a nice match with SU!s Pool Party, a sweet, soft blue.  It turns out the paper is a little darker, but I think it works.

Here's my card:

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Short & Sweet, For My Family

Card: Pool Party, Basic Black, Whisper White

DSP: Parisian Anthology (Pink Paislee)

Ink: Basic Black and Crumb Cake stampin' pads, Pool Party stampin' pad and marker

Other: Bird Builder punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, Basic Rhinestones (coloured with permanent markers), Pool Party baker's twine, Stamp-a-ma-jig, edge distressing tool, sponge daubers

SALE-A-BRATION SAMPLES: FRESH VINTAGE & EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENT

Aren't you just loving the gorgeous options Stampin' Up! has provided this year, for Sale-a-Bration freebies??  In case you're not "au fait" with what Sale-a-Bration is, it's one of THE most exciting events on the Stampin' Up! calendar, and runs from late January until the end of March.  For every $100 spent, you can earn a stamp set, or other pretty items, for FREE!!

I was sooooo happy to find out yesterday, on Dawn Olchefske's blog, that the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch is the PERFECT tool to use with the flowery medallion stamp in the Fresh Vintage stamp set!!  I had a little play last night with some scraps of Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper, to make a couple of tiny 'thank you' cards.

On these cards you'll see the paper, and brads, that are freebies this year in the Sale-a-Bration period.  Absolutely beautiful.  I am in love with the brads that match the patterns on the paper (look closely).

Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Short & Sweet

Card: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede

DSP: Everyday Enchantment (SAB)

Ink: Pool Party, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede stampin' pads

Other: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, Word Window punch, sponge dauber, Everyday Enchantment brads (SAB), Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Stampin' Dimensionals 

Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB), Tiny Tags

Card: Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade, Soft Suede

DSP: Everyday Enchantment (SAB)

Ink: Poppy Parade, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede stampin' pads

Other: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch, Medium Jewelry Tag punch, sponge dauber, Everyday Enchantment brads (SAB), Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

...... and here are the two little cards together.  Cute, don't you think?!

WISTERIA WONDER BUTTERFLY

I opened my new packet of Stampin' Up!'s On Board Merry Medley chipboard, to have a play, because colouring chipboard is not something I've done much of.  I chose a butterfly shape, then sponged it with Whisper White ink and a sponge dauber.  After a generous blast of heat from my heat gun, it dried beautifully and was ready to be turned purple!  I've sponged Wisteria Wonder ink, using my stampin' pad and sponge dauber, over the surface.  I then stamped, using Concord Crush, the gorgeous delicate image from Stampin' Up!'s "Always Elegant" set.

I repeated the same stamped image all over the base card (using Versamark), and have kept the card simple, to let the patterns of the stamp and paper do the talking.  This card is for a lovely friend who did something very thoughtful for me yesterday.

Stamps: Always Elegant, Short & Sweet

Card: Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White

DSP: Flirtatious Designer Series Paper

Ink: Wisteria Wonder and Concord Crush stampin' pads, Whisper White craft stampin' pad, Versamark inkpad

Other: On Board Merry Medley, Decorative Label punch, Basic Pearls, sponge daubers

STAMPIN' UP!'S "EAT CHOCOLATE" THANK YOU NOTE CARD

I have just inked up, for the first time, my new Eat Chocolate stamp set from Stampin' Up!  It is such a cute, fun, set, which I decided was perfect to use for a couple of customer "thank you" note cards this week.

I'm not alone, I'm sure, in my love of any stamps that co-ordinate with Stampin' Up!'s punches.  The new Decorative Label punch is designed to use with one of the stamps in Eat Chocolate.  I love the little chocolates, but am not so keen on the sentiment - so I customised it!

I used my Stampin' Write markers to colour in the chocolates and frame, which I stamped onto Whisper White card.  I just omitted the sentiment.  Once I'd stamped my image, I used my trusty Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the greeting I wanted inside the frame.  I'm now in LOVE with this stamp!  See how easy it is to make the most of stamps that might not at first be your favourites?

Here is the simple little card (which I think is rather cute):

Stamps: Eat Chocolate, Short & Sweet, In Stitches jumbo wheel (unmounted)

Card: Regal Rose, Whisper White

Ink: Regal Rose stampin' pad and marker, Chocolate Chip stampin' pad and marker, Rose Red marker, Early Espresso marker

Other: Decorative Label punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig

"WE STAMP FOR LARA" COLOUR CHALLENGE

Tonight I made a sweet little 10cm x 10cm square card, which is a size favoured by my beautiful and very talented friend Chris (she makes the sweetest cards, and always inspires me).  This week there is a colour challenge going on at the We Stamp For Lara website.  If you haven't already joined in on the fun, there's still time to go into the draw to win some prizes (including a Big Shot, generously donated by Angela Sargeant), and take part in a lot of stamping fun, whilst helping to raise money for some much-needed equipment for a very special little girl.  Click on the "We Stamp For Lara" button to the right of this post, to find out how you can be a part of it all.

Here is the card that I made tonight, and was too impatient to wait until daylight to photograph!

Stamps: Punch Potpourri, Short & Sweet, Itty Bitty Bits, Bella Toile

Card: Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, More Mustard

Ink: Blushing Bride, Regal Rose and Pear Pizzazz stampin' pads

Other: Square Lattice embossing folder, Word Window Punch, Full Heart Punch, aquapainter, blender pen, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Itty Bitty flower punch (*NEW*), Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Basic Pearls, stampin' dimensionals, stampin' sponges, Tombow multi glue

CHRISTMAS CARD CLASS

This morning I held a class, in which we made four Christmas cards using new Stampin' Up! products.  I've committed to holding one Christmas class a month (since July) until at least November, in an effort to be more organised than I'm prone to being!

The first card we made was so I could show how beautifully the new Cherry Cobbler ink, cardstock and papers match.  We used "Jolly Holiday" Designer Series Papers, which have a beautiful array of patterns (lots of circles and polka dots, so I'm happy!).  It's a simple card, but I think it's quite elegant, with the addition of some scrumptious new Old Olive 5/8" satin ribbon, and a single rhinestone.  What do you think?

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Occasional Greetings

Card: Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla

DSP: Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

Ink: Cherry Cobbler stampin' pad

Other: Ornament XL punch, Old Olive 5/8" satin ribbon, Basic Rhinestone, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini glue dots

We again used the "Delightful Decorations" stamp set, and co-ordinating Ornament punch, using the same colours but with a very different result.  The pattern in the punched-out squares on this next card was made by stamping the beautiful ornate Christmas tree, from "Snow Swirled", then punching out portions of the image.  I love it, and was quite pleased with myself for coming up with that idea - I wanted something 'swirly', to go with the pattern on the ornament, and the background of the card.

Stamps: Delightful Decorations, Snow Swirled, Short & Sweet, So Swirly jumbo wheel

Card: Old Olive, Very Vanilla

Ink: Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Ornament XL punch, Word Window punch, 1 1/4" large square punch, 1 3/8" XL square punch, stampin' around jumbo handle, Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Very Vanilla 3/8" taffeta ribbon, sponge daubers, Stampin' Dimensionals, mini glue dots

I'll be back tomorrow with the second instalment of today's Christmas card class.

You can expect a few posts from me in coming days, as on Saturday 25th I will be taking part with some friends in a blog hop.  Hope you come back to visit, and join us all, to get some ideas on how to use lots of new products from Stampin' Up!

INKSPIRATIONS COLOUR CHALLENGE #30

I got a burst of late-night inspiration, to make a little card for Makeesha's Inkspirations challenge tonight.  I think I've panicked because, after 6 days off, I actually have to go to work tomorrow.  Amazing how getting off the computer for half an hour can be quite productive!


The 'challenge' (and I use that term loosely) was to use these yummy colours together:





I wanted my card to be smaller than a full-sized card, so I used one of my trusty Pendant Notes (*love*).  I simply cut a panel of Rich Razzleberry card to cover the die-cut design on the inside of the card, and covered the front of the card with my creation, which looks like this (photographed in less-than-ideal conditions at 11.00pm):




Stamps: Very Vintage jumbo wheel, All A Flutter, Short & Sweet

Card: Kraft Pendant Note, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry

Ink: Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive stampin' pads, Sahara Sand stampin' pad & marker

Other: Watercolour paper, Aquapainter, Old Olive brads, Word Window Punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, sponge daubers, edge distressing tool, paper snips

 

JUST ADD INK CHALLENGE #19

There are many things on my stamping "to do" list this week ... one that I'm able to now cross off is my entry for Just Add Ink #19.  Take a look at this scrumptious colour combo, to be included in a papercraft project:







I LOVE the rich colours, and had pretty much decided to make a card with a lot of clean, white space, and just accents of these colours.  What I came up with was something entirely different!  I changed my mind when I discovered that I have Elegant Eggplant TEXTURED cardstock ... one of the great things about being a hoarder is that I am often surprised to find that I own so many (ha ha) beautiful things! 

I broke out my Friends 24-7 stamp set, because it has not been used for quite a while.  I created a background on the textured card, by repeatedly stamping the damask image in Versamark ink (and swiping the inkpad around the card edges).  After stamping the same image on Whisper White card, using Elegant Eggplant ink, I punched out a portion using the Full Heart punch.  (Of course I had to add a bit of sponging around the edges of the heart.)  The floral image in the Build-A-Brad is punched also from the damask pattern; I didn't add the epoxy sticker to finish off the brad, as I wanted it to have the same "wallpapery" look as the card.

Here's what it all looked like in the end (as you can see, not much white space after all!):





Stamps: Friends 24-7, Short & Sweet

Card: Elegant Eggplant textured, Melon Mambo, Whisper White and Taken With Teal

Ink: Elegant Eggplant stampin' pad, Versamark inkpad

Other: White embossing powder, Word Window Punch, Full Heart Punch, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Build-A-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, dimensionals

 

PENDANT NOTES

One of the NUMEROUS new products that I just HAD to have, from the Stampin' Up! Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue, is Pendant Notes.  For only $17.50, you can get 15 die-cut note cards, in kraft (yum), with matching kraft envelopes (double yum!)!!  These lovely cards, that measure just over 10cm x 10cm, make it super-easy to whip up a lovely personalised note card in minutes.



The first version I have to show you was simple to make, but I think you'll agree, gives an elegant result.  I stuck a square of Rich Razzleberry card on the inside of the card front, and adhered a flower, some ribbon and a little sentiment.  Enough words - here's what it looks like:





Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Short & Sweet

Card: Pendant Note (kraft), Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Other: Rich Razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, Word Window Punch, 5/16" Whisper White brad, glue dots



The die-cut pattern on the front of the Pendant Notes co-ordinates beautifully with a stamp from Baroque Motifs.  I stamped the Baroque Motifs image on Whisper White card, with Rich Razzleberry ink, and cut around it before adhering it to the middle of the card with a Build-A-Brad.  Here's what I mean:







....... and a closer look at the front of the card (just 'cos I like all the elements!):





Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Tiny Tags, Very Vintage wheel

Card: Kraft, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede

Other: Rich Razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch, Build-A-Brad

SCALLOP NOTES II, POLKA DOTS, AND A BIT OF PUN FUN

Yes, folks, I'm back, for the second time in one evening!  After signing off earlier, with a promise of making cards in the coming days, I checked the 'family planner' on our bench and realised that the next few days are pretty full-on for our family.  So, I've taken advantage of a bit of time this evening with only one son home (he being the son who is not particularly interested in talking to his mother).  I went into my craft room and had a little play with some products that are about to be 'retired' from our range of Stampin' Up! goodies.  With less than two weeks left of the current Summer Mini catalogue, I decided I should focus on showcasing some of the products.

Back in this post I showed a few of the pretty things that are available only until the end of March.  I love the little Scallop Notes II, which are the sweetest 'love note', or gift card, size.  They are on page 7 of the Summer Mini catalogue, and at $23.95 for 30 cards and envelopes, are great value.  The Scallop Notes come in a selection of Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip (10 cards of each colour); all of the envelopes are Very Vanilla.

I have a few photos to show you of the results of my play session this evening.

First up is a 'group shot' of the three colours of cards, so you can visualise them, if you're not familiar with Stampin' Up!'s colours.





Now I'll show them to you, one by one, so I can include a list of all the products used to make each card.

Behind this first card is a blank, standard-sized card, so you can see how little and cute the Scallop Notes are!  I'm a very 'visual' person, so find it much easier to see something than have it described to me.



Stamps: Pun Fun

Card: Pink Pirouette Scallop Note II, Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray

DSP: Bella Rose

Ink: Basic Gray and Pink Pirouette stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink marker

Other: 1 3/4" circle punch, Word Window punch, sponge dauber,Trio Flower punch, white gel pen, dimensionals



On this next card, I've used an adorable little stamp set and punch that will be available to purchase from next month.  They're TINY (and that's all I'm saying for now)!





Stamps: Pun Fun, Polka Dot background, plus new, exciting little stamp set...

Card: Baja Breeze Scallop Note II, Whisper White, Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette

Ink: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette stampin' pads, Pretty in Pink marker

DSP: Pink Pirouette Patterns Designer Series Paper

Other: Sponge dauber, Flower Fusion Too, Pretty in Pink brad, glue dots, exciting little punch... :)



The little house stamped on this last card is from one of this year's Sale-a-Bration stamp sets, called Good Neighbors.  The stamps can be earned for FREE if you spend $100 on Stampin' Up! products before the end of March.  A stamp-a-ma-jig comes in very handy if you're using this stamp set!  See the cute little envelope underneath the card?





Stamps: Good Neighbors, Short & Sweet

Card: Chocolate Chip Scallop Note II, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip cardstock

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Kiwi Kiss stampin' pads

DSP: Kiwi Kiss Patterns Designer Series Paper

Other: Sponge daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Word Window Punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop Circle Punch, dimensionals, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon



I hope you've enjoyed my little Scallop Notes II 'showcase'.  Let me know which one is your favourite!

Christine :)

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



 

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

SNOW SWIRLED ..........the blue series

Whilst I still have the Snow Swirled stamp set on loan, I am trying to come up with a few different cards.  I haven't used silver for a loooooong time, but decided to combine a bit of silver embossing, with Whisper White, and Bashful Blue - I think the result is really lovely, and soft. 

My photo of this first card is a bit blurry (sorry), but I was pleased with the 'clean' result.  I started off with a Whisper White card base, and attached a panel of Bashful Blue card on which I had randomly stamped the large snowflake from the set, using Versamark ink to create a subtle background.  I distressed the top and bottom edges of this panel.  On the main panel, I stamped the large snowflake in Versamark on Whisper White, then used Silver embossing powder - how striking does that look?  I added a blue rhinestone brad to the centre of the snowflake, and stamped the sentiment in Bashful Blue ink.  A bit more edge distressing and use of punches finished off that part.  I rounded the bottom corners of the two panels, and did a bit of paper piercing to complement the pattern of the eyelet border punch.  Is this too much waffle?  Should I just show you what I made?  Okay, here it is ...



Stamps: Snow Swirled

Card: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver

Ink: Bashful Blue stampin' pad, Versamark ink pad

Other: Silver embossing powder (& heat gun), Eyelet Border Punch, corner rounder punch, piercing tool, edge distresser, Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon, blue rhinestone brad (from Ice Circles selection), stampin' dimensionals


While I had all the supplies out, I made a card that appealed much more to my husband's symmetrical brain.  To create the white panel on the bottom part of the card, I inked up the large snowflake stamp in Bashful Blue ink, then stamped the image off twice onto scrap paper before stamping the image on Whisper White card - love the soft result of this.  I did the same on the white panel on which I then overstamped the sentiment, in Basic Gray ink.  For the square snowflake panels, I white-embossed the snowflakes onto Brushed Silver card, which I think looks beautiful.  Here's the card, followed by all the details:



Stamps: Snow Swirled, Occasional Greetings

Card: Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver, Whisper White

Ink: Bashful Blue and Basic Gray stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: White embossing powder (& heat gun), sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals, Bashful Blue 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, 1 1/4" square punch, 1 3/8" square punch, 2-way glue pen, dazzling diamonds (glitter)



Right, lastly (hope you're not too saturated by blue-hued Snow Swirled cards yet!) I would like to share my personal favourite of the series.  Not surprisingly, Andrew (darling husband) doesn't like it.  I don't think six brads on one card is over-embellishing - do you?? 



Stamps: Snow Swirled, Short & Sweet

Card: Very Vanilla, Brocade Blue, Sahara Sand

DSP: Bella Bleu

Ink: Brocade Blue and Sahara Sand stampin' pads

Other: Sponge daubers, Word Window Punch, Ice Circles Rhinestone brad (blue), Clear Rhinestone brads, stampin' dimensionals.



I'm having so much fun with this set, I don't think I'll give it back to its rightful owner!  I have a super-busy week at work coming up, so may not get to create and/or blog for a little while, but I'll be back soon.  Thanks for visiting my little corner of blogland. :)

OH, BABY BABY....

Hi friends,

I'M BACK!!  We had a wonderful 2 weeks away (4 days in L.A., then a 7-day cruise down the west coast of Mexico, plus 2 days of flying added on!), and a week later I am still recovering.  It was a great, if busy, holiday - seems I may have an inner-ear virus that is affecting my balance, and I am still feeling very tired.  Awaiting blood test results, but it's not all bad; I don't feel too unwell.

I am happy to be back amongst my beloved craft supplies, and I have been quite busy creating these last couple of nights.  I decided I need to make some baby cards.  I don't actually know anyone who is expecting, but I don't have any in my vast collection - time to rectify that situation, don't you think?   For these few cards I have used cute creatures from the Pun Fun stamp set.  Hope you like them!



Stamps: Pun Fun, Short & Sweet

Ink: Staz-On Jet Black, Baja Breeze stampin' pad

Card: Whisper White, Baja Breeze

DSP: Sweet Slumber

Other: Circle nestabilities, word window punch, dimensionals, buttons from Button Bouquet, baja breeze ribbon from Valet Ribbon Originals, mini glue dots, sponge dauber





Stamps: Pun Fun, Say it with Scallops

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Baja Breeze stampin' pad

Card: Kraft, Whisper White, Baja Breeze

DSP: Sweet Slumber

Other: Kraft taffeta ribbon, circle and scalloped circle nestabilities, dimensionals, sponge dauber, scallop square punch, scallop edge punch





Stamps: Pun Fun, ABC Alphabet Lower, Cheep Talk (tiny heart)

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Riding Hood Red stampin' pads, Close to Cocoa marker

Card: Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa

DSP: Candy Lane

Other: Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla taffeta ribbons, Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber, stamp-a-ma-jig



I had a lot of fun making these cards; a good start to my baby collection.  I am loving the Sweet Slumber and Candy Lane designer series papers; how cute are they??!

Now, I have a little sneak peek for you, of some GORGEOUS new products that will be available from 1st August.  Stampin' Up! has a mini-catalogue coming out, and it is full of the most beautiful stamps, papers, and accessories - as if we didn't already have too many to choose from!!

Here is a card I put together with some of my favourites.  Let me know if you, too, would like to order some!



I can't wait until the mini-catalogue launches in a couple of weeks; you'll see lots more creations then. 

If you live in the outer-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and would like to come to my place in Mt Evelyn, I'd love to show you different ways of using Stampin' Up!'s products.  Send me an email if you and some friends would like to attend one of my classes - I'd love to hear from you.

Christine :)

Introducing "PUN FUN"

Hi friends

I'm happy to be able to squeeze in one more post before jetting off into the sunset.  Over the weekend I have had the chance to play with Stampin' Up!'s very cute stamp set called Pun Fun.  I have used a couple of the images, but none of the matching sentiments, on my cards.  It's a great set, with a million different uses; unfortunately I was a little limited in the amount of time I had in which to create, so I'll give you just a small sample.

My favourite image from this set is the cup - it really tickles my fancy.  I have unashamedly 'CASE'd (copied and selectively edited) this first card from some gorgeous creations I found on Splitcoaststampers - a really inspirational online community.  The stand-out features on this card are the yummy papers from the Sweet Slumber collection; heavy weight double-sided papers, with gorgeous co-ordinating and complementary designs.  I simply stamped the cup onto 3 different papers, cut them out and mounted them on another piece of paper - so easy, but a cute, cute result.  Here it is:



Stamps: Pun Fun, Short & Sweet

Card: So Saffron

DSP: Sweet Slumber

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Baja Breeze stampin' pad

Other: Sponge dauber, Very Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain, Riding Hood Red taffeta ribbon, scallop edge punch, craft knife, mini glue dots

I could happily have just made dozens of 'cup' cards whilst I have this set on loan, but branched out and used my next-favourite image, which is the rocket.  This is such a great stamp for boys' cards in particular.  I was inspired by my friend Claire to use Riding Hood Red and Pacific Point together - these are two of this year's "in colours", and whilst I LOVE the red, I am taking a little longer to warm to the blue.  I think I just need to use it more.  I've used a little, little bit of paper piecing, and used some of my fab-o star brads from Stampin' Up!  After I'd photographed the card, I actually raised up the scalloped sentiment on dimensionals (I made this card while we were away at our cabin on the weekend, and I took only double-sided tape with me), so just use your imagination a little with that!



Stamps: Pun Fun, Starring You

Card: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point

DSP: Washington Apple

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pacific Point stampin' pads

Other: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, star brads, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain, dimensionals (added later!)

I mentioned above that I'd used Washington Apple DSP on my card.  This paper is really lovely, and inspires me to combine colours that I wouldn't have thought to put together.  A very simple card, jazzed up with my favourite Build-A-Brads, that I created by punching out 1/2" circles of Washington Apple DSP.  I really like how well the Starring You stamps go with this rocket image.



Stamps: Pun Fun, Starring You

Card: Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White

DSP: Washington Apple

Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue stampin' pads

Other: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, sponge dauber, Build-A-Brad, scissors to 'rough up' card edge (since I forgot to take my edge distresser away with me!)

Now I'm off to finalise washing and other bits and pieces before we finish packing for our big trip.  Please come back to visit after mid-July - I'll be back!

Christine :)

KIWI KISS & BASIC BLACK UPSY DAISY

I was rather taken with the colour combination of Kiwi Kiss (this year's 'in colour' green from Stampin' Up!) and black when I first dabbled with it the other night.  However, now that I have over-used it, I need to give it a rest!  I have a couple of cards to share with you before I move on to a new obsession.  Please excuse the appearance of them having been taken at night; it was pretty foggy and overcast outside when I took the photo this morning! 



Here are the details for the card on the left, with the base of kraft card:

Stamps: Upsy Daisy

Card: Kraft, Basic Black, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Versamark

Other: Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, Kraft taffeta ribbon, linen thread, button (from Button Bouquet selection), nestabilities (rectangle, scalloped rectangle), black embossing powder, white embossing powder.

The smaller card on the right is cut down to an irregular size, mainly because I decided I didn't want to add anything more once I'd cut out the main panel with my Labels 1 nestabilities - love that shape.  I just wanted to leave the card in its simplicity, with no further embellishments.  Details for this one are:

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Short & Sweet

Card: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Jet Black Staz-On, Versamark

Other: Labels 1 nestabilities, word window punch, sponge dauber, black embossing powder

I got some new stamps delivered last night, and can't wait to have a play, so will be back with some new creations in the next few days. 

Christine :)

Love Notes

After a few days' absence, I'm back with a couple of cards - little cuties.  Stampin' Up! has tiny cards called Love Notes, which measure 7.5cm (3") square.  Each pack contains cards and adorable matching envelopes in Whisper White and Very Vanilla (10 each).  I have had a play with them tonight, and here's what I came up with:



I really enjoyed making some mini creations for a change; these cards are very sweet.  They would make beautiful gift cards, or hand-delivered gifts - I don't think Australia Post could be trusted to safely deliver such little mail items.  I have photographed each of the cards individually, so you can see the details a little clearer.

I wanted to keep this first card fairly simple, and love the crisp Basic Gray stamped image (looks more 'blurry' than 'crisp' in the photo, but I assure you it's better in real life!).  I paper-pieced the bird, from the Friends 24-7 set, by stamping it in Basic Gray ink on Baja Breeze paper from the Urban Garden pack. I cut the bird out and popped it up on dimensionals, over the image I'd stamped on Whisper White card.  This paper is so pretty; I am in LOVE with the colour. (Well, it's fair to say that I love most of Stampin' Up!'s colours, really!  This year's "in colours" are pretty special, though.) My little card is finished off with a couple of silver brads from Stampin' Up!'s Vintage Brad selection (great assortment of silver, black, pewter and antique brass brads).



Stamps: Friends 24-7, Short & Sweet

Card: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

DSP: Urban Garden

Ink: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

Other: Word Window Punch, silver brads, dimensionals, sponge dauber



Next up is my Very Vanilla card, with Bella Bleu and Kraft accents.  I make no secret of my obsession with kraft-coloured card - the matching taffeta ribbon is beautiful, and now I have a Sahara Sand stampin' pad, I am in heaven!  The ink colour goes so well with kraft card.  I'm one very happy girl!  I used Pocket Silhouettes stamps only on this card; the main image (and pattern on the butterfly), and the sentiment are from the same set.  It's a beautiful little stamp set, which I can see myself using a lot. The size of the image is perfect for a card this size.



Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes

Card: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, kraft

DSP: Bella Bleu

Ink: Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy

Other: Scallop Edge Punch, Build-A-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, kraft taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber, mini glue dots, butterfly punch (non-SU)



I would insert some witty banter here, but I am very tired (was out until the wee hours of this morning at stamp group, laughing and creating with my lovely friends at Claire's house!).  Claire has very graciously (LOL) shown me how to link to her blog in my sidebar!  Just waiting for the favour to be returned now, number 3 demonstrator! 

Thanks for visiting, and to my lovely friends (new and old) who visit my blog and leave comments, I love you!  It really brightens my day!