A LONG MONTH!

Since I have blogged.  Thank you to the many who have emailed me to check that all is well in my world.  It is, just rather busy!  I am popping in quickly to share with you just some of the things I have been making as gifts for my Stamp Club ladies and the 1st level demonstrators in my team.  With these deadlines and others to meet, I have had no chance to create for myself and YOU!  Now that most of my major commitments are completed, I am sitting down for a little R&R and hoping to bring some new creations to my blog.

This is the little Christmas carton that my Stamp Club ladies received.  I used the Fancy Favour die to create the box (such a handy die!).  Then I used the Bells & Boughs stamp set to add tone on tone stamping to the box before putting it together.  I also used the same set on the gift tag I attached.  Some SU goodies in the box and a candy cane and we were done.

The gifts I gave my 1st level downline weren't quite so quick to put together!  Not being much of a seamstress, I really had to take my time when sewing these gorgeous little drawstring bags.  I used a different fabric for each persons bag, so if they take them to the same event, they will know which is theirs!  These bags are so handy to take to workshops filled with your crafting tools.  They are also a perfect sample of just one thing you can do with our scrummy fabric.

Each one is also fully lined!  I wish I could take the credit for the design of the bag - but why reinvent a great pattern?  I got this pattern from Pinterest (of course) and the original post can be found at Jeni's blog HERE.

Of course, no gift is complete without a card.  This was the first time "Christmas in the Heart" had seen ink - shame!

Well, that's it for now.  I do have a couple of projects to show you coming up, which I managed to knock out yesterday.  I am hoping to get a couple more done today (please God!).

HAPPY 2013!

While I have many favourite stamp sets, Fabulous Florets is the pick at the moment. I have been making 2013 Easel calendars for my final craft fair at Wesley Centre, Upper Hutt, on the 1 December. I have been attending this fair for three years. Will miss seeing my "regulars"!  Hope you will pop along to say goodbye - I am off to Wanganui in 2013!

 These Easel Calendars are so quick to put together and I am really hoping they will be a hit.  Now I just need to work on a couple more designs.  

CLEAN & SIMPLE BORDER

I had inspiration for this card come to me during the night - yes, I craft in my sleep too!  But I normally forget all the magnificent creations I come up with by morning, lol

This one was nice and simple, but I knew it would be really effective too.  I love the graduation of colour I managed to achieve as well.  I have a heap of the Confetti White cardstock (which is now retired) to use up, but it makes for a great card base!

To do this card, I simply choose the border stamp from Summer Silhouettes and used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink up the individual rows on the image.  Of course you also need my most used and loved tool - the Stamp-a-ma-jig, to ensure perfect placement of your stamp.  Hope you like!

SU WATERCOLOUR PENCILS!

Do you know, I have the Stampin' Up! Watercolour Pencils and have only used them perhaps twice!  So I dug them out the other day and came up with this card:

I used them only as pencils - no water added!  It has been a long time since I coloured with pencils and I am a wee bit rusty, but just had to share this way of colouring.

Instead of stamping the image in Black, I stamped in River Rock to get a light line image.  I then went ahead and coloured the image as I normally would.  I LOVE the 3 dimensional look of colouring this way!  I think perhaps next time, I will use Sahara Sand, as River Rock is just a wee bit too yellow for my liking.

I am so glad I dusted off these wonderful, versatile pencils.  I forgot just how much I love good old fashion colouring in!  I also love, that with just a little water added, I can turn this into a watercolour picture instead - amazing!

I made this card for friends whose wee baby daughter is due to make an appearance any day.  I wanted cute and girlie, but not necessarily baby images,  I love the delicate balance to this card.  What do you think?

PPA146 CHALLENGE

It's been a while since I entered a challenge, so I thought I would give the Pals Paper Arts challenge a go this time.  After prepping three classes, I needed a bit of a change from the repetitive measuring and cutting!

It was the colour combination of this challenge which caught my attention.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I have a whole heap of Calendars for 2013 to use up and I have been making some for my upcoming Craft Fairs.  This design is not what I have already been working on though, but rather, one I wanted to see down on cardstock!

I really like Easel cards and haven't done one for a while, so I thought I would make it into an Easel Calendar instead!  I think I will be making a few more of these!

I'VE BEEN PUBLISHED!!

I have been sitting on a big secret for a couple of months, that I can finally share with you now - I have been published in Papercraft Inspirations Magazine Issue 106 which you can view online HERE!! 

My "Believe" Card has been included in a double page spread called "Beautiful Blogs" and I am absolutely delighted to have been asked to submit a card!

Watch out for the December issue, which we should have in-store here in New Zealand in about 6 weeks or you can purchase the Digital issue straight from Papercraft Inspirations.

You can view my original post of the "Believe" card right HERE.

BOO TO YOU!

It's Halloween tonight and that means little Munchkins knocking on the front door ready for lollies!  While Halloween is still a new concept in New Zealand, I know it is huge overseas.  We are slowly joining in!

I love the Halloween stamp sets available to us this year.  I just had to have a play around with this wee cutie "Toxic Treats".  I have used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink up the stamps, that way I could pick out only the images I actually wanted, omitting some of the fancier scroll work.  I have also used the new embossing folder "Spider Web" to create the raised image on the card base.

And for the little Munchkins?  Lollipops of course! Unfortunately, this little stamp is retired, but it made Lolli decorating quick and easy!

Happy Halloween to you all!

SUNSET SILHOUETTES

Back to my first love - sponging, after trying out quite a few different techniques lately.

I teach a monthly Techniques Class and needed to broaden my techniques horizon, hence the practice!  However, today we are going back to basics.  This is the card my lovely ladies will be doing as they brush up on their sponging technique!  So many more techniqes have a level of sponging to them and I can't wait for my ladies to graduate on to these more challengeing techniques.

Stamps: So Sorry, Serene Silhouettes
Cardstock:  Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Inks:  Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Post-it-notes, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Sponges, Snail

I'M FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES

Well, actually ink in this case!  With a straw - you get the picture.

I came across this cool technique on Pinterest by the very clever Kay Kalthoff.  I went to her site and watched her video and just had to find a straw right way to try it myself!  Luckily, I had a lone straw floating in the back of my junk draw.  Never throw anything away!

It is really incredible how the ink layers you put down resist each other, but they do!  Since you smear a dark ink over the whole piece to finsh, I was seriously in doubt.  Had to try it for myself, lol

Want to try this technique for yourself?  Just click HERE to see Kay's awesome video.  Thanks Kay!!

Of course, I have also used the gorgeous Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon which is just one of five colours you can earn FREE with every $70 order you place with me before the end of October.  Not too many days left on this great value promotion - email me quick so you don't miss out!

FABULOUS WATER COLOUR WASH

I thought I would try my hand at a new technique I have been seeing around lately.  I am really pleased with the results of my first try and wanted to share it with you.

To achieve the background, I simply coloured an acrylic block with four Stampin' Write Markers and then spritzed lightly with water.  This allows the colours to blend together and once stamped on your cardstock, gives a real water colour effect for your background.  I then simply stamped over the top with a solid image.  You don't need to be a water colour artist to achieve this look.  It is so easy!

Stamps: Fabulous Florets
Cardstock: More Mustard and Very Vanilla
Inks & Markers: Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Moer Mustard and So Saffron

BFF BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday Diane!  I made a card especially for you!  I hope you like it, lol

I was so excited to see Greeting Card Kids in the new Stampin' Up! catalogue and it was first on my wishlist.  This cute wee set is fabulous for watercolouring and that is just what I did here.  I have kept this nice and simple again, letting the image do the work although I did add a wee bit of texture with the embossing and ribbon.

Stamps:  Greeting Card Kids
Inks:  Real Red, Sahara Sand, Pool Prty, Island Indigo, So Saffron, More Mustard, Soft Suede
Cardstock:  Real Red, Sahara Sand,
Accessories:  Watercolour Paper, Aqua Painter, Basic Rhinestone, Pool Party Ruffled Ribbon, Adorning Accents Embossing Folder

ON TO A GOOD THING?

Since I came up with a such a quick card the other morning (see my last post), I figured why not do another CAS using the same simple design, but flip it instead!

I could knock out a batch of these quick cards and they would all look so different with the vast selection of stamp sets available with Stampin' Up!

Maybe both these cards have inspired you too?  Why not get that stamp set you have on your Wish List but haven't ticked off yet!  Give me a call or email me your order.  Don't forget - just spend $70.00 and recieve a FREE spool of the new In-Colour ribbon if you order before the end of October!

A CAS CARD FOR YOU!

It's not often I get time to make a quick card in the morning before I leave for work, but I did this morning!  While checking out my regular blog haunts I came across a challenge at Casology and straight away I knew what I wanted to do.  I also challenged myself to do it in under 10 minutes!  Quick, simple cards are not easy for me to do!

The challenge this week is to use "LEAF" as your guide.  Of course, I love Stampin' Up!'s French Foliage set, so that was what I used, with a mix of an Old Olive and Soft Suede colour pallet.

I also used some twine and a new Naturals Designer Button just to add a bit more dimension, while still keeping it simple.

Stamps:  French Foliage, So Sorry
Inks & Markers: Old Olive, Soft Suede
Cardstock:  Old Olive, Soft Suede and Confetti White (now retired)
Accessories:  Naturals Designer Button, Twine, 1 3/8" Square Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, Tombow Multi Adhesive

STOP PRESS!

I have one last Heartfelt sample to share with you - A Scrapbook page!  Yes, that's right, from one who struggles with these projects!  I really challenged myself with this one.  I had the beautiful Snowflake Soiree stamp set to play with, but since we don't have a winter Christmas I was really stumped about what to do with it.

Luckily for me, I had taken lots of photo's of the snow we had here in Upper Hutt last Winter.  We don't normally get snow at all here so this was a really BIG event.  What better way to remember it, then with a page?

I used the Emboss Resist technique on the Whisper White page, stamping snowflake images in Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze, then stamping some in Versamark and heat embossing those images in clear embossing powder.  I then brayered the same colours all around the edge of my page, gradually fading back to white towards the middle.

I picked colours from the photo to team with some of the lovely Stampin' Up! Designer Papers.  A little bit of red from the flaxes for a bit of Bam on the page!  I also used the Snow Flurry die, from our seasonal Holiday Catalogue to cut out Glimmer paper.  I coloured the Glimmer paper ever so slightly in Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake.

This page is not completely finished.  I want to put the title "Brrr-it's cold outside" on there yet.  Just need to get my hands on some more delicious SU goodies to complete it!

HEARTFELT FRAMED

Another wee project I Brayered for Stampin' Up!'s Heartfelt event was this Christmas Frame.  I have used non traditional Christmas colours though - Soft Suede, Summer Starfruit, Primrose petals and Midnight Muse.  A pretty unlikely combination, but it worked!

 I enjoyed doing this because now I have a framed piece of artwork for my home at Christmas.  It was actually a few of my customers that suggested some of my cards were just too nice to send and should be framed first.  Thanks for the vote of confidence guys!

IT'S SPOOL TIME!

 It’s not quite warm enough to hit the pool yet, but be sure to take advantage of the ‘spool’—Stampin’ Up!’s ‘It’s Spool Time’ promotion, that is! During October, get a FREE spool of Stitched Satin Ribbon with every $70 purchase—choose your favourite new In Color or earn all five!  Purchase $140 and choose two - there are no limits!

Dates: 1-31 October 2012 Promotion Details: At Stampin’ Up!, it’s spool time! For the month of October, get a FREE package of 3/8" (1 cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon—a $19.25 value—for every $70 you spend! Choose from the following ribbons:

Item	Description	Retail Value
126848	Ribbon Gumball Green 3/8” (1 cm) Stitched Satin	$19.25
126847	Midnight Muse 3/8” (1 cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon	$19.25
126844	Primrose Petals 3/8” (1 cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon	$19.25
126845	Raspberry Ripple 3/8” (1 cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon	$19.25
126846	Summer Starfruit 3/8” (1 cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon	$19.25

COME TO BETHLEHEM - HEARTFELT

Here is yet another project I shared at the Heartfelt event in Auckland.  Was it really two weeks ago now?!!  Time flies.

This card uses the Bouncing Brayer Technique.  Such a fun technique and really suited to this stamp set.  I love how the effect is like a starburst, and frames the Morning star in the stamp set to perfection.  It is hard to see in this photo, but I have heat embossed the star with White embossing powder, added Dazzling Diamonds to it and heated again to set.  The effect is a much more subtle twinkle than if I had used heat & Stick Powder.  I have only used two colours on this card also, Bashful Blue and Midnight Muse, one of the new SU In colours this year.

HEARTFELT MATTED BRAYER

Here is another sample of the a Brayered card I made for Stampin' Up!'s Heartfelt Event in Auckland.  This is a technique I am calling the Matted Brayer.  I simply don't know what else to call it!  I have every intention of doing a tutorial to show you, my lovely Followers, how I have done this, but you will just have to be patient a wee while longer!

I absolutely love the retro feel of this card.  I have used three of the new 2013 In Colours to create it, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals and Summer Starfruit, then layered the artwork on the Summer Starfruit card base.  This is the second card of this type I have done.  You can view the first right HERE.

A HEARTFELT HELLO!

Hello - remember me?  It's been a while, I know, but I am back and rearing to go!

I haven't blogged for a few weeks now.  It's not because I haven't been doing anything, I assure you!  Unfortunately, what I have been doing, I haven't been able to share with you until now. 

Stampin' Up! put on such fabulous events that we, as Demonstrators, attend to learn, play, mix and mingle, and have a fabulous time.  I attended the 2012 Heartfelt Event in Auckland last weekend, and then extended my stay to visit family.  I hosted a Product Playground table, demonstrating and teaching tips and techniques on the (can you guess?)..........Brayer Table.  So in the weeks leading up to Heartfelt, I was busy behind the scenes creating my samples to take along.

These two samples I am sharing with you today demonstrate the simple application of ink, using a brayer, straight on to cardstock, with simple stamping over the top.  I love this way of adding colour to a white or vanilla card.

This first sample uses four of the five new "In Colours" SU have released this year. And the inside:

The next card is the same technique, but I have brayered on the diagonal instead.  Unfortunately my camera work wasn't up to scratch and the "inside" shot was just too fuzzy to share.

Check back over the coming days for more samples and techniques I shared at the 2012 Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Event.

I AM A DARLING!

How cool to have my last card selected for an honourable mention at Dynamic Duo's.  That was such a great way to start my day!  Thank you girls ♥

I have got some great news for you too!  The new Stampin' Up! Catalogue has gone live!  But, wait, there's more.....The new Holiday catalogue is now LIVE too!!  Double the fun!  You can view both new Catalogues HERE.

These catalogues are by far the most exciting I have seen.  Here are just some of the reasons I love them:

New Foam Ink Pads: 
Provide better ink coverage for your stamps!
Light-tap stamping produces flawless images!
Pad stays juicier for longer resulting in better ink pad longevity!
Have a crisply printed, glossy label on the top of the pad that is easier to read and that will not fade or chip off!
Are available in all colors, including our exclusive In Colors!

Bundles!!
I love that Stampin' Up! has bundled matching stamp sets and framelits saving you money (15%off)! So many to choose from!

New Stamps!
So many gorgeous new Stamp Sets to select from.  Will you Wishlist be as long as mine?!

But really, the only way to appreciate these new Catalogues is to get your hands on them.  Order yours from ME today!

SNEAK PEEK & A COLOUR COMBO

I acutally found time to join in with Dynamic Duos again this week! 

I have used a new stamp set you can lay your hands on too, in about three days!!  Snowflake Soiree is in the new Stampin' Up! Catalogue and is just perfect for Christmas!

I have chosen the Emboss Resist technique on this card.  It allows me to gently blend the colours together while highlighting the gorgeous snowflake designs.  The stamps are so pretty, I felt the card didn't need any other embellishments, except for the Basic Rhinestones I have used in the centre of the large Snowflakes.  I used a permanent marker to colour coordinate them too!

FOREVER YOUNG - SYMPATHY

I have been playing with one of my favourite stamp sets - Forever Young.  I am thrilled to see that it is going to be with us for another year!  To celebrate, I pulled out my sponges and came up with this card for my MIL.

As yet get older you tend to need more cards in the Get Well and Sympathy line.  I had to make a few more for her to use!  I have gave all the female relatives in my family a tin of home made cards last year for their Birthdays.  Now I just need to make sure I keep them topped up for them to use!

While the stamp set is not retiring, the gorgeous coloured brad is just one of the products to leave us.  Have you taken advantage of the Retired List yet?  You still have a few more days to go.  Simply click HERE to view the list and get your order to me before the 31st of August to bag a bargain!

RETRO DAD

I have been giving my Brayer a workout over the past week.  As most of you know, my favourite tool is the sponge, with a little Brayer thrown in.  This past week, for me, has been all about making the Brayer the star of the show.  It is a great way to apply a lot of ink to a project fast!  This technique I am calling "Matted Brayer", although there may be another name for it out there in Webland!

I have also used this sample to enter a challenge over at Dynamic Duos.  The challenge is to use Basic Black and River Rock for your project.  So without further ado.........

With Fathers Day fast approaching, it was also a great chance to kill two birds with one stone!  I love the 70's/Retro feel to this card.  Hopefully it will bring back some fun memories of those years for my Dad too!

Of course, no card is finished without the artwork on the inside. 

Want to know how I did this?  I bet you do!!  I must admit that this card was purely experimental, as I have'nt seen another example anywhere. That's not to say it hasn't been done before, I just haven't found any samples!  I am hoping to get a tutorial together for you when I find some time, so stay tuned!!

PLENTY OF PINWHEELS!

One of the fantastic perks of being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is getting your hands on new product before they are launched to the public!  I also get to attend, present, help, or all of the above, at Stampin' Up!'s amazing events too.  I have been playing with heaps of new products and making up samples for displays over the last couple of weeks.  I can't share these with you just yet, but it explains my absence of late!!

But I can share this wee sneak peek I came up with a couple of weeks ago.  A very simple card at first glance, however, all those little pinwheels have been stamped one at a time!!

OH BABY!

A very good friend of mine recently became a Grandmother for the first time.  I have known this family since all the children were little, so I wanted to make something extra special for the new Bub.  That meant a totally handmade gift from start to finish.

I found some gorgeous Merino variagted wool, so whipped (not really) up this super cute Hoodie and pair of socks.  I knew Bub was a boy, but didn't want the usual Blues.  I really love these colours!  I made a wee tag that says "Hand Knitted" to go with it.

I then whipped (there's that word again!) up a sweet box to package my knitted gift in, using the Nursery Neccessities DSP and matching cardstock for the base.  My card inspiraton, of course, was from the DSP.  These little Owls are so cute!  The Owl stamp is in the Aviary Stamp set.

 I opted not to put a sentiment on the outside of the card, but on the inside instead.  Then to completely finish my handmade project, I stamped the envelope to match.

 The sentiment was a bit of a dig at the new arrival - he was nearly TWO weeks late!!!

SAY GOODBYE

It is that time agin - the Retired List is now out and you can take advantage of some very generous discounts on stamps sets and product you simply must have before is goes forever!  Simply click HERE to see what is leaving us and place your order with me.  Once stock has run out, the item will no longer be available, so be quick!