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.