THAT'S THAT THEN.....

Well, that's Christmas done and dusted for another year!  I hope you all had a lovely day with family or friends, as I did.  I also want to thank everyone who follows me, for your support and your comments.  I love reading what you think of my projects. 
  I recently made a few of these Thanks You cards for the wonderful ladies who placed orders through my Stampin' Up! Online Store in December. 

I also created a 3 x 3 note card to match the main card, so I could write my personal thanks for their purchase. 

I also decorated the envelope for them!

And no card is complete without the inside to match!  This is a card they can re-gift to someone special.

Place an order through my Online Store in January and you will receive a card from me as a "thanks" too!  This offer is open to Kiwi's only as I can't sell SU product to another country. 

MY FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS PROJECT

This week at Just Add Ink we have been challenged to add our Christmas projects for this year.  My absolute favourite this year would have to be this Wreath I have been slaving over for sometime!! The biggest challenge was sourcing the gorgeous elements I wanted to have on it!

Stampin' Up! took care of the Burlap Ribbon warp I used around the Styrofoam ring and the Cotton Ribbon to hang the wreath with.

The Berries Iwerefound at a curiosity shop somewhere in Wellington and the gorgeous blingy flower was found here in Wanganui.  I really did have to search high and low for just the right things, but I got there.  it now hangs with pride on my Mum's front door just in time for Christmas!

What have you made this year that has been your favourite project?  We would love to see it too, so head over to Just Add Ink and share with us all!  See you there!

SPREADING THE JOY

My most favourite stamp set this year has to be Stampin' Up!'s Joyful Christmas.  I have stamped on candles, made gorgeous Tea Light boxes with my Stamp Club ladies,  stamped on Muslin bags for gifts, as well as the ever needed Christmas Cards!  It is such a versatile set and I love it!

This card design came about while I was mucking around with Blender Pens.  I love colouring but didn't want to have to colour the whole image and so I settled on a panel instead, which I have backed with Brushed Gold cardstock.  The sentiment is from a set called Greetings of the Season.  I then recreated it in Green, but can't decide which I like best!

Which one do you prefer?

A COMBINATION TO INSPIRE

That would be the latest Just Add Ink #195 Colour challenge, of course!  This week the team have not only a Colour combination for you but an Inspiration picture to help you too!

Usually I stay away from pastel colours (I am a Regals girl myself), but I really enjoyed putting this card together because I used the Inspiration photo too.  I really liked the hodge podge of medallions and flowers together, so decided to do the same to my card front, only with numbers instead!

It makes for a fun and snazzy Birthday card, don't you think?  A great way of using a set of numbers or even an alphabet set you don't use often.  I also stamped the numbers in the same ink as my base card to give it visual texture.

The design team have come up with even more fabulous designs to inspire your creativity!  Head on over to Just Add Ink and join in the fun this week!  See you there!

UNDEFINED BAMBOO

Stampin' Up! have recently released a stamp carving kit called "Undefined" and if you have ever wanted to create your own stamps, then this is how to do it!  I love this product!  Not only does the Carving Kit come with everything you need to carve and mount your own stamps but it is also very well priced at just $39.95. 

This was my first attempt at carving, and I loved the process.  The tools are nice and sharp (watch those fingers!) and the rubber was easy to cut.  Refill Packs are also available when you run out of rubber to cut!
Just click HERE to visit my Online Store for more information.

CLEARANCE RACK BLITZ STARTS TODAY!

The great Clearance Rack Blitz is on and you can save up to 80% off selected Retired Stampin' Up! product!  Simply visit my ONLINE STORE and see and order all the great products on sale!  It will be delivered straight to your door!

If it’s your first time Online shopping with me then you will need to create your profile and tick “allow Demonstrator to contact me”, so that I can send you a thank you card. If you do not wish to shop online, you are more than welcome to contact me and I will place your order for you, but please remember this sale is “WHILE SUPPLIES LAST” and they go very quickly!  So hop to it!

JUST ADD SANTA!

For this weeks challenge at Just Add Ink, we have been asked by Kim to Just Add Santa to our projects.  very appropriate for this time of year, lol

I have used the new Circle card Thinlits to make my project, but not in the way it was meant.  I have used it to make a tent card with pop up piece instead.  I have teamed that with the Santa image from the Santa's List stamp set.  He fits perfectly in our 2 1/2" circle punch!  A little seam binding and Season of Style DSP and viola!  Another Christmas card I can tick of my list!

Head over to Just Add Ink to see what the rest of the Design Team have come up with to tickle your Christmas senses and join in the fun this week too!

STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS

It's summer right now here in New Zealand and we have had some stunning days so far.  Lets hope it stays that way over Christmas too, hmmm?  I am traveling today up the North island and will be seeing some stunning scenery as I travel.  I will be going past a mountain range and the largest lake in New Zealand.  This card was inspired by my last trip up and the gorgeous sunrise I got to see over Lake Taupo.

I borrowed a retired stamp set from a friend to make this card, and I love how it turned out.  Hard to believe there are only two colours on this card - Midnight Muse and Crisp Cantaloupe.
I would love to hear what you think of it too, I love reading your comments!

Edited 4th December to say:

Thank you so much to everyone for their lovely comments about this card.  I would love to do a video tutorial one day.  Maybe Santa will give me a recorder first though!
Once I return from my trip I will endeavour to write a tutorial so you can all try the same process I used to make this card.  Thank you for your lovely comments ♥

CHRISTMAS STARS

How does a an inspiration photo grab you for this weeks challenge at Just Add Ink?  Well, it grabbed most of the Design team, that's for sure!

Use this picture for your starry inspiration.  Make a wreath, a garland, an ornament or catch up on your Christmas cards!

The design team have covered all those bases and more, so head on over and check out what they have created for your viewing pleasure.

A LITTLE CRISP CANTALOUPE MDS

I really want to learn to MDS a bit more in my crafting, but I struggle to come up with concepts on my own at the moment.  Thank goodness for clever friends!  I came across a lovely card my friend Teneale made and I decided to CASE her lovely card.  I have changed it ever so slightly, different colour way and stamps, but I love her style, so kept that basically the same!

 

I decided to make my own designer paper which I have used along the bottom of the card.  I really liked the digital flourish stamp which is the main feature, so repeated it as a negative for the DSP.  I manually stamped the splotches and spots in Crumb Cake ink and sponged the same colour around the edge of the cardstock.

I enjoyed the process of putting this card together, although it did challenge me a wee bit!  Want to have a go yourself?  Then download the FREE MDS Trial HERE.

INDIGO TANGO - JAI #192

No, I am not talking about the phonetic alphabet although it does sound like it.  I am talking about the Just Add Ink challenge this week, which just happens to be a colour challenge!

I was wondering how I was going to make this combo work, then I figured it would look pretty if I worked in a geometric pattern!

I punched two hexagons out of Vellum and used the vellum as a mask.  I then used my Sponge Daubers to sponge in the Island Indigo and Tangerine Tango inks inside the hexagons.  The big bold "Thank You" is from the Four You stamp set and I finished the card by using a permanent marker to colour the Basic Rhinestone to match.
I hope this inspires you to join us this week.  The Just Add Ink design team have some more inspiration to share too so head on over and join the party!

MOON SONG

I would really like to be showing you some Christmas projects, especially at this time of the year, but I just haven't had time to do many yet!  Hopefully that will change shortly!

I would like to share a card I made a wee while ago using a stamp set I don't personally own, but would love to!  I borrowed it from a friend for some personal playtime a few weeks ago and made two cards I was very happy with.  This is the first one:

I have used the brayer for this card and some masking to create the cliff the wolf is standing on.  I also decided to try stamping on the natural trim ribbon just for something a little different.  Love how that worked!

SINCERE THANKS

I wish to express my sincere thanks to everyone for their loving comments, emails and gorgeous handmade cards I have received over the past week.  It humbles me to think that my family and I have been in so many peoples thoughts.

I recently made this card for a blog friend I have never actually met in person.  I know she received it and loved it, so I thought I would share it here too.  So to all my lovely blog friends, FB friends and real live friends (lol) - Thank you ♥

LITTLE DID I REALISE....

I must apologise for my absence over the last couple of weeks.  I haven't done any crafting or managed to get my usual monthly newsletter sent to my subscribers and friends, among other things.

I recently made this card for a work colleague who lost her Mum.  I sent it away hoping to let her know I was thinking of her and just offer what little comfort I could.  Little did I realise that I would be receiving these same cards just a few short weeks later, when my Dad passed away after very brief illness.
Nothing much else to say really, except, bear with me.  Things may be a little slow around here for a while.

PAPER DIVA'S STARS

Paper Diva's is the name of my awesome team of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.  We are spread right throughout the North  Island (Te Ika a Maui) of New Zealand.  Each quarter I like to recognise those who have achieved milestones with a card of Congratulations.

This is the card I sent out at the beginning of the month.  See below for the recipe.

Stamps: Too Kind, Gorgeous Grunge
Cardstock: Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White
Inks:  Strawberry Slush, Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, Ruffled Stretch Trim, Basic Pearl, Dimensionals

FLIPPIN' GRUNGE!

I have just received my new Thinlits Card Die and couldn't resist playing with them for this week's Just Add Ink Challenge - Just Add Grunge!  They were so easy to use and come with heaps of other dies to use on your card as well.  A real bargain at just $67.95!  Check them out at my Online Store.  I love flip cards!

On to the challenge!  I really enjoyed the process of grunging up my card, although you can't really see just how much sponging I did on the panels.  I have used the Clockworks stamp set, a fabulous one for this type of work.  After sponging the Very Vanilla panels in Crumb Cake ink, I stamped images all over the card in Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze and Marina Mist ink.  I love the pop of blue against all the neutral tones!

I then stamp the watch image separately, punched out the image, added an Antique Brad to the centre of the clock face, then popped the whole thing up on a dimensional.  I finished by tying a piece of Natural Trim ribbon through the opening of the flip card.

I hope you will join us for this grungy challenge and head on over to Just Add Ink to see the terrific designs the rest of the team have created for you.

SAFARI SUNSET

This is a little of my own work that I normally wouldn't share on here.  I have used only Stampin' Up! products except for the actual stamp itself.  But that image!  Oh, it just spoke to me and I had to have it.

I made this gorgeous Safari style card for a friends birthday recently.  She loved it, luckily!!

A SIMPLE "THANKS" WILL DO

Sometimes all we need is a simple "Thank You" to express our gratitude.  Nothing fancy or over the top.  I think I managed that quite nicely with this quick card.

I have been seeing quite a few of these asymmetrical card fronts around and they looked like fun.  Only one way to find out, right?  Super easy and very quick!
  I simply cut my card front on my Stampin' Up! Trimmer.  I stamped a Calypso Coral card in the same colour ink using the Six Sided Sampler stamp set and adhered this piece behind the cut card front.  I also coloured the two Basic Rhinestones you see on either side of the sentiment with a permanent marker to match my Calypso Coral card piece.  My sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso ink using the Sassy Salutations stamp set.

CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION

In need of a little Christmas inspiration?  Then Just Add Ink have the perfect challenge to help with an Inspiration photo for you!

I loved this photo of a peg wreath and would love to have made one myself, but time just didn't allow.  I still wanted to make a wreath however, and this is what I came up with:

It is made using a mini polystyrene wreath which I just got from a craft store in my travels.  I have used the Season of Style DSP stack, which I then cut into 1/2" wide strips.  I wrapped each individual strip around the wreath and secured the ends with Tombow Multi.  It took a wee while to do, but I love how it turned out!  I then finished it off with Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon which I looped around the wreath and secured with a triple bow.

The Design Team have come up with plenty more inspiration to help you get start on your Christmas projects, so head over to Just Add Ink and join in the fun!

CELEBRATE 25 YEARS WITH ME!

 

Stampin' Up! is 25 years old and to help celebrate you can now join in the fun for just $25!!  Come and join my team "Paper Diva's" between now and the 21st of October with this fabulous offer.  What's in it for you? 

• $26.95 worth of Stampin’ Up! product 
• Business pack which includes
  • A box of annual catalogues
  • A package of the current seasonal catalogues
  • Getting Started DVD
  • Customer Order Forms 
  • Customer postcards

PLUS, if you place your first workshop order of at least $350 within 30 days of your start date, you can:

• choose any stamp set from the 2013-2014 annual catalogue for FREE
• receive 30% instant income on your first order and be eligible for hostess benefits if you host your own event. 

AND, you will be joining a team of Demonstrators who love what they do and share what they love with their customers and each other!  For more information just visit my Demo Website HERE.  Welcome to my team!

NEW TUTORIALS AVAILABLE

I recently posted a FREE tutorial that features the Emboss Resist technique and Magnificent Maple stamp which you can see HERE.

I also have two new tutorials that are available for purchase and can be found on my Tutorials for Sale page.

The first is a Double Slider card using the Perfect Blend stamp set I designed for my Stamp Club.  Normally, my Club projects are exclusive to the club and I don't share anywhere else, but this has been just too popular not to share!  Who doesn't like Coffee with a surprise twist!

The second is a technique and project I  presented at the Stampin' Up! South Pacific Convention in Brisbane this year.  This has been a very popular card in my classes this year!  If you want to have a go at the Bouncing Brayer technique, then this is the tutorial for you!

ME AND MY GIRL

I am a little behind the eight ball with this post!  I am still slightly amazed that I created a scrapbook page!  Granted, I used My Digital Studio (MDS) software to help me though!.  I created this page for the scrapbook sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink this month.  First the sketch:

Using MDS for scrap booking is a brand new experience for me, but it really did make things so much easier than conventional scrap booking.  The only thing lacking is dimension really!  Now for the page:

I love how this turned out.  So much so, I am going to get it professionally printed!

You can download this amazingly easy to use software from my Online Store for just $27.95.  Stampin' Up! have a ton of add on downloads so you can tailor the program to what YOU like.  If you prefer to try before you buy, then we also have a FREE 30 day trial for you.

SHOP AROUND REVISITED

I set myself a wee task a few weeks ago to use my Shop Around Wheel and not let it gather dust.  I have already shared one project I have made with it HERE.  Well, here is my latest one!

I have used the wheel on the Soft Sky cardstock in the same colour ink.  A beautifully subtle way to get a design on a card.  I then used a marker to ink up just one image from the wheel as my "stand out" piece on the card front.

I have decided to keep this card for my Mum's birthday.  Thankfully she doesn't own a computer, so is unlikely to see this before she gets it!!

GET WELL MAPLE

A dear friend (and one of my down-line) has been ill recently and I was in need of a "Get Well" card to cheer her up.  We have a lovely section in the Holiday Catalogue dedicated to Thanks Giving.  While we don't celebrate this holiday as New Zealander's that doesn't mean the images can't be used for other things!  I chose to use the Magnificent Maple stamp for her card.

This image lent itself beautifully to the emboss resist technique.  Enjoy the tutorial!!

Cardstock:  
Calypso Coral card base - 29.6cm x 10.5cm (score in half at 14.8cm)
Soft Suede mat - 12.8cn x 8.5cm
Whisper White - 12.5cm x 8.2cm
Stamps:
Magnificent Maple, Feel Goods
Inks:
Calypso Coral, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Pear Pizazz, Versamark
Accessories:
Heat Gun, Embossing Buddy, White (or clear) Embossing Powder, Sponges for the above inks, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Pear Pizzaz ribbon, Brad, Piercing Tool

Step by Step:
1.  Rub the Whisper White cardstock with the embossing buddy to remove static.
2.  Stamp sentiment in Versamark ink in the centre of the card and sprinkle with embossing powder.  Heat set with Heat Gun.
3.  Gently sponge the coloured inks randomly over the front of the card, using small circular motions.
4.  Stamp the Maple image in different colours over the card front.
(NB: The embossed sentiment will resist the ink you are putting on.)
5.  Adhere the completed artwork to the Soft Suede mat.
6.  Pierce a hole in the top right corner of this mat.  Fold your ribbon piece to create a bow. Place a brad over the centre of the ribbon and poke the tines of the brad through the punched hole.  Secure the tines at the back of the card.
7.  Adhere the Soft Suede piece to the front of the Calypso Coral card-base with Dimensionals.

I BOW TO YOU BOW!

Bow tying is one of the things I hear most crafters struggle with, so this weeks challenge at Just Add Ink is a perfect one to perfect your technique - Just Add Bows!

I have added a really BIG BOW to my Christmas card.  You can't miss it can you?!  I figured for the challenge it really needed to take centre stage.  I have used the new 1" Cherry Cobbler Ribbon from the current Stampin' Up! Holiday catalogue.  I love this ribbon!
To get the chequered patterned, I have used the Gingham Wheel.  I inked a strip in Cherry Cobbler, one in Garden Green and another in Versamark, so I could Gold emboss it.  I then cut the strips into squares and adhered them to my card.  I have also used Brushed Gold cardstock and pretty gold bells I picked up at the $2 Shop.

If you struggle with tying bows then check out my two favourite ways HERE and HERE, just two of the many free tutorials I have available.  I hope they help.

Now hop to it and join in the fun at Just Add Ink this week and while you are there check out what the rerst of the Design Team have come up with.

DON'T FORGET THE COFFEE!!

All of our household shopping items get written on a white board that sits on top of our fridge.  Easy for me to forget to write things down that we need to get.  So I thought I would make one that will stick to the front of the fridge with magnets.

I simply found a long narrow pad and covered it with Soft Sky cardstock to fit the pad, then went ahead an decorated the front.  I keep all my ribbon scrapes, even the retired ones, you just never know when they might come in handy.  This piece of ribbon matched my blues perfectly!  The Perfect Blend stamp set was just right for this shopping list and I have teamed it with the Sweater Weather DSP.

SWEATER SUNBURST

While blog surfing, as you do, I visited the blog of an Aussie friend, Di Barnes at Colour Me Happy.  Wow!!  Was I glad I decided to drop in.  Di has been busy making Sunburst cards, which seem to be all the rage at the moment.  Not only that, but she has very generously shared how she did her card, measurements and all.

My card is almost an exact replica of hers (why change a good thing?) except I left the twine and ribbon off and changed up the colour way.  This is a great card for a guy!
If you want to make one of these cards then pop in to see Di at Colour Me Happy and get started.

HOLIDAY COLLECTION SINGLE STAMPS!

A new, holiday-themed collection of single stamps is now available! The holidays will be here before you know it, and these holiday-themed single stamps may be just what the budget-conscious stamper needs. There are eight different stamps to choose from, six of which coordinate with Framelits dies or punches.

Visit my Online Store today to order yours!

ONE OF "THOSE" DAYS!

Ever have one of those days where you have a mountain of jobs waiting to be done, but you just can't face any of them?  That was me yesterday!!  So I pulled out one of my hardly used wheel stamps, Shop Around, and had a play!

I really like the Chocolate Chip ink on the Pool Party background.  I thought it looked really striking.  I have used some of the Coastal Cabana Ruffle Stretch trim along the bottom of the image panel and  finished off this simple card with a Very Vintage Button and Bakers Twine.

Did you know I have put links to the products I have been using over the past few posts, directly to my Online Store?  If you want more information on any of the products I have used, simply click on the product name!

Pick of the week for NZSU!

THANK YOU SAMPLER

I recently purchased the Six Sided Sampler Bundle and finally, it has seen some ink!  I used the Note Cards & Envelopes to make this little Thank You card.  I love that the card and envelope are blank and ready to stamp on.  No measuring or layers neccessary!  You also get 20 of each for just $11.95.  A bargain and great place to start if you are new to crafting.

This card was a test of my Stamp-a-ma-jig skills as each Hexagon has been stamped separately!  SO while it is a single layer card, it did take some time to create.  I love that it looks like a well loved quilt!

MY FRIEND SILHOUETTE

A quick post today and something clean and simple.  I saw a great challenge over at CASology - Silhouettes - and decided to have a go.  As most of you know, I struggle with simple so this was a good exercise for me!

This card couldn't be any simpler if I tried, with only 1 Basic Pearl (dare you to find it!), the Four You and My Friend stamps and a bit of sponging.
  There are some lovely samples of Silhouette cards at CASology.  Be sure to have a look!

Many thanks to Melissa and the team for the honorable mention!!  I really enjoyed this challenge ♥

FRAME IT!

Just add Frames is the name of the challenge this week at Just Add Ink!  I wanted to get away from my usual card making and challenge myself to do something a bit different.

This year Stampin' Up! released My Digital Studio (MDS) software in Australia and New Zealand.  I have to be honest here, I am an ink and paper girl!  I really didn't think I would use this new medium very much at all.  Well let me tell you - I was wrong.  Well, kinda.  I am still in the learning phase.  This program is just amazing!  Just look what I did with it!

I decided to have a go at subway art, Christmas style!!  It is hard to believe this is a single sheet of paper, printed on my own home computer.  I made my own Christmas artwork just by adding different images, changing sizes and colours, adding designer paper and mats.  It took me a while, but I really enjoyed the whole process.  It really looked so professional once I put it behind a frame.

I hope you will join us with your own interpretation of our challenge this week.  Just click HERE to see what the other member's of the Design Team have come up with.

Oh, and by the way, if you want to try MDS yourself, just visit my Online Store and download a 30 day trial absolutely free!!

COFFEE ANYONE?

I have a confession to make, although my friends already know this about me.  I can't go a day without a "real" coffee!  There is nothing I like more than a hot cup of coffee.  It brings friends together, after all!

One of my first purchases from the current Stampin' Up! catalogue was "Perfect Blend".  My husband even said it was a forgone conclusion!

I have teamed this image up with a little texture and print on this card.  I have paper peiced the cup with DSP (retired), hand drawn a border around it with my Early Espresso Marker, and layered it on a Hexagon embossed Early Espresso card.  I have also coloured the Basic Pearls with a permanent marker to match!  The little sentiment is from the Six Sided Sampler stamp set.

Live in New Zealand?  Then you can order any of these products from my Online Store.  Just click the product names above to see more information!

POINSETTIA GREETINGS

I am loving this gorgeous Poinsettia stamp set in the Holiday Catalogue called Joyful Christmas.  I really love the look it gives to Vellum.  I have kept this card very soft in colour by using Soft Sky (although it hasn't photographed very well!).  Not a very traditional colour, but I really like the subtlety of it.

I also really like the bold Rhinestone at the centre of things.  If you would like to learn how I made this card and live in the Wanganui/Manawatu area, then come to my class on the 22nd of September!  You can find class details HERE.  Check out the rest of my classes on my Events page HERE.