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

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 :)

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 :)

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 :)