JINGLE BELLS & CHRISTMAS COLOURS - GDP013

I can hear those bells ringing, Christmas is getting just that little bit closer and it really is a Christmas colour challenge at Global Design Project this week with the colours we have to work with!  Here is my project......

Is he not the cutest little elf you ever did see?!!  I am sure you can guess the colours we need to use this week...........................

They really do scream Christmas, right?  My elf and background are actually one piece of card.  I stamped my elf, masked him, then sponged in the background.  I coloured my elf with alcohol markers and then trimmed the side of my card in close to the image and allowed part of his hand to extend beyond the egde of the card.  I think it gives the illusion that there are more layers on this card than there actually are.

I discovered a secret horde of little Jingle Bells in my craft stash and just had to add them on the card too.  Now it jingles when you shake it!  See the spotted base card?  That is a little sneak peek of a fabulous new stamp set called Timeless Textures!  It's in the Occasions Catalogue due for release on 5th of January and is my favourite pick.

I hope you will join in the fun of this colour challenge at Global Design Project this week.  We would love for you to visit and share your creations with us!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

If you would like to order one or more of the items I used to create today's project, simply click on the items above to be taken to my Online Store. If you live anywhere in New Zealand, I would love to be your Demonstrator. Please allow "Demonstrator contact" so I can thank you properly when you place your order!

JOYFUL CARDINAL - GDP#012

Are you ready for another "CASE the Designer" challenge at Global Design Project this week?  What does CASE mean, I hear you ask?  There are many definitions of CASE (Copy and Share Everything), but in this "case" it means Copy and Selectively Edit.  You can be inspired by anything on the card.  What will you copy, what will you edit, and simply, what inspired you to make this project your own.  Here is my card this week:

So, I guess I had better tell you who we are CASEing this week.  Drum roll please....................

I love Brian's signature "clean" style and rather stupidly thought he would be fairly easy to CASE. Turns out that no, he wasn't! So I ended up choosing to make my card square like Brian's and used the same colours.

Initially I had Penguins stuck in my head (thanks Brian!), but in the end I choose to use this Cardinal image because it hadn't seen ink yet!  Once I sponged my cloud background and stamped the branches, the card came together quickly.

I fussy cut my wee birdie and then very gently burnished him to round his fat little tummy, before sticking him onto the branch with Dimensionals.  I really love the tone on tone sentiment.  It is such a big word, that using any other colour would have completely overtaken the whole card.

It is amazing the diversity of the DT's projects when CASEing the same designer.  Head on over to Global Design Project to take a look, then get cracking on your own entry.  You have until Saturday 28th November to submit your design.  Can't wait to see it!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

If you would like to order one or more of the items I used to create today's project, simply click on the items above to be taken to my Online Store. If you live anywhere in New Zealand, I would love to be your Demonstrator. Please allow "Demonstrator contact" so I can thank you properly when you place your order!

CHRISTMAS PACKAGING IDEA - #GDP011

With Christmas fast approaching, it only makes sense that the next theme at Global Design Project is, well, Christmas!  I normally make Christmas Crackers for the table each year, but I got to thinking of different ways to package up a treat instead.

I have only recently relented and got the Bakers Box Thinlits dies, after seeing so many wonderful projects made with it.  I have decided to use this instead of ordinary Crackers this year.  I have no idea why I waited so long to add it to my stash as it is a fabulous size for holding edible (and non edible) treats!

I also wanted to get away from traditional Christmas colours and settled on Black, Silver and White.

I stamped the Smoky Slate box with the Sunburst stamp from Perpetual Calendar before putting it together.  The lovely organza ribbon helps to hold it closed while also dressing up the top of the box.

For my layered sentiment I broke out the big guns!  Silver Foil doilies, black Glimmer Paper, white corrugated paper, silver thread and an Iced Rhinestone.  I don't know about you, but that looks pretty festive to me.  Now I just have to replicate it "x" amount of times for everyone coming to Christmas dinner.

I hope you feel inspired to dress up your own table, or at least, play along with the theme of Christmas with us at Global Design Project this week!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

If you would like to order one or more of the items I used to create today's project, simply click on the items above to be taken to my Online Store. If you live anywhere in New Zealand, I would love to be your Demonstrator. Please allow "Demonstrator contact" so I can thank you properly when you place your order!

HOW DO I LOVE THEE - #GDP010

I bet you were expecting a Christmas card, right?  Wrong!  This weeks challenge at the Global Design Project is a sketch challenge and as I have mentioned before, I take these literally!

To me, this weeks challenge just screamed WEDDING, and that is the season we are heading into here in New Zealand.  I don't make Wedding cards often, so this was a refreshing change for me.  The hardest part was getting my squares and layers to match up!

A while back I purchased the Watercolor Wishes card kit (page 80 of the main Stampin' Up! catalogue), and after I had put all the cards together, I had a heap of product left that I could use on other projects.  That is where I got the sequins and the gorgeous wooden heart from that you can see.

I coloured the heart black simply by planting it face down in my Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad.  I used SU Makers to colour in the delicate flowers and finished the whole thing with a few Basic Pearls.

I hope you feel inspired to give this weeks challenge a try.  You don't have to stick to the sketch exactly (like I do, lol), but allow it to inspire you.  The Design Team creations are amazing as always, so check them out for yet more inspiration.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

If you would like to order one or more of the items I used to create today's project, simply click on the items above to be taken to my Online Store. If you live anywhere in New Zealand, I would love to be your Demonstrator. Please allow "Demonstrator contact" so I can thank you properly when you place your order!

COLOUR CHALLENGE - #GDP009

Coming to you from the Global Design Project - a colour challenge!  This week, we have been challenged to use Tip Top Taupe, Mint Macaron and Watermelon Wonder.  Not typically Christmas colours, but I thought it would be fun to try.

I wanted to use the pine branch from the Wonderland set, which has been my most used set for Christmas this year.  The pine branch however, had been sadly neglected and I need to change that!  I used a bit of trickery to make sure the wreath was fairly lush and not something about to be thrown on the fire, as the branch only has one pine cone.  Here's is what I did to create the wreath:
1.  Lightly traced a circle in pencil on my card where I wanted the wreath to go.
2.   Used a Tip Top Taupe and Mint Macaron Marker to ink up my stamp, and stamped my branch, using the pencil circle as a guide.
3.  Repeated the process until I have gone around the circle, changing the angle of the stamp each time.  It was never going to be a perfect circle!
4.  Cleaned my stamp really well, then inked up just one pine needle cluster.  Found a gap in the branches and stamped.  I repeated this a few times.
5.  Repeated step four with the pine cones.
6.  Once the ink was dry and using an extra soft eraser, I rubbed out the pencil circle.

The little ribbon was also a bit of trickery.  I used the lovely White Jute ribbon, but of course it is too wide for this little wreath.  I ran my Watermelon Wonder marker down the edge (about three strands in), then trimmed the edge off before tying it in a bow.  So there you have it!  I hope you feel inspired to make a wreath of your own with this method.  I rather enjoy selective stamping.  In addition to the three colours above, you can also use the following neutrals; Whisper White, Basic Black, Very Vanilla or Crumb Cake.

We have had such an amazing response to our challenges at Global Design Project and the support has been overwhelming.  I look forward to seeing what you have created with these three colours!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

If you would like to order one or more of the items I used to create today's project, simply click on the items above to be taken to my Online Store. If you live anywhere in New Zealand, I would love to be your Demonstrator. Please allow "Demonstrator contact" so I can thank you properly when you place your order!