Merci!

Thankyou all for your lovely comments on my publishing debut. I could never give up blogging...my ego would suffer terribly! LOL
This card has been made using the "Merci" Sale-a-Bration set (I tell ya, the worst thing about this year's sets, is deciding which one to choose!) Did I say "one"?? What am I thinking?! Of course you can't choose just one! ;-)
The colours I've used are Apricot Appeal, Tempting Turquoise and Rose Red, with just a dash of Certainly Celery. It's difficult making a card these days without the wide grosgrain ribbon. I can't wait until we get it in more colours! I've stamped in Very Vanilla Craft ink on the Tempting Turquoise piece. The main image has been stamped on watercolour paper in Black Stazon. I've coloured using markers and Blender pens, and added a turquoise brad to the flower centre. I nipped the edges with my Slit punch, and then sponged with daubers in Apricot Appeal. The little sentiment is from "Lots of Thoughts" (another Sale-a-Bration set). It fits perfectly in the Word Window punch. I've stamped the little heart from "Merci" in Rose red (stamped off once, so it's not too dark), and sponged the edges too.
I'll be placing an order on the 1st January, so let me know if you'd like to order $100 of Stampin' Up! goodies and get a Sale-a-Bration set for free. I can have your order shipped anywhere in Australia, and I take credit card too!

I'm famous! LOL

My Christmas present came in the mailbox a couple of days before Christmas...the latest Stamping and Papercraft magazine with one of my cards on the front cover! This is my first time published, so to say that I was excited is an understatement!

These are the 3 cards that they accepted...and I have more coming up in a couple of months! You can find a detailed description of how I made them in the magazine, but let me know if you have any questions! Oh, and I'll also do autographs if you ask nicely ;-) LOL

Chocolat anyone?

You're probably all groaning at the thought of more food, if you've eaten anywhere near as much as I have over the past couple of days!
So, you might be relieved to hear that this chocolate is the non-fat kind....it's the Au Chocolat paper in the Summer Mini catalogue:
I've stamped on it with the outline flower from Bud Basics, and cut around it, and also cut out a flower centre using another piece of the paper. I stamped the outline flower again on Very Vanilla cardstock in Chocolate Chip ink, and then stamped the leaves in Certainly Celery (there was no need to mask, since the flower will be stuck over the top). The rest of the card is really simple: some more Chocolat paper, some lovely crinkly ribbon from the 'Flirty' Ribbon Originals (also in the Summer Mini), and a little 'hinge' embellishment made using the Word Window Punch and a circle punched from yet more of the gorgeous Chocolat paper.

Lots of Thoughts

I thought I'd start showing you some of the cards I've been making with the new Sale-a-Bration sets. This card is made using 'Friendship Blooms' and 'Lots of Thoughts'. It's amazing how many different looks you can create with the Friendship Blooms set (see this card here), and already I can see that 'Lots of Thoughts' is going to come in really handy. The greetings can be used complete, like I have here, and they fit perfectly in the tag punch, as well as the square and circle punches. The larger greeting can be used on its own, and it fits beautifully into the oval punch, and the small greetings can also be inked with a marker and used on their own and they fit perfectly into the Word window punch. So many options!
I've used markers to ink the stamp with 3 flowers on it from 'Friendship Blooms'. I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp a row of greetings, and then stamped one in Tempting Turquoise and punched it out with my Square punches.
This was such a quick card to make. The colours I've used are Marigold Morning, Tempting Turquoise and Rose Red.

My friends

Carte Postale is such a pretty set. It has so many pretty swirls and floral accents in it that make it really versatile. It also has some sweet French words Bonjour (good day or hello), Merci (Thankyou) Mon Amie (My friend) and Carte Postale (post card) that fit beautifully into the Word Window and Oval punches.

The colours I've used here are Cool Caribbean, Pale Plum and Whisper White. I've stamped the small floral motif in Versamark on the Whisper White piece and then sponged Taken with Teal and Pale Plum. I've stamped "Mon Amie" in Perfect Plum and sponged the edges with a dauber. For the square tile, I inked in Pale Plum, and rolled the edges into Perfect Plum. I then cleaned the stamp and inked it again in Cool Caribbean, rolled in Taken with Teal, and punched out the circular piece (I LOVE how the punches work so well with the stamps!). I also cut out the small flower in the centre for a little extra detail.

The brad in the centre has been covered with a glue dot and dipped in Dazzling Diamonds glitter for a touch of bling. I've mounted this on a Cool Caribbean square (sponged in taken with Teal), and then a Perfect Plum square. The ribbon I've used is gorgeous velvet ribbon from the "Flirty" ribbon originals in the Summer Mini Catalogue.

Here's a bit more of a close-up so you can see all the layering a bit better:

Stem Silhouettes

This was the other make-and-take at my launch night. Yes, I do love that wide ribbon!! It has such presence on the card. Normally when you add ribbon, you need to tie it over a band of cardstock or patterned paper, but the wide ribbon stands on it's own so well. Here I've used Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and Basic Black. Stem Silhouettes would have to be my favourite set from the new Summer Mini...such elegant simplicity! The main panel has been lifted up with Dimensionals, and the spine of this card is at the top, so the ribbon can be wrapped all the way around the card.

Bud Basics Bling

This will be a familiar card for those of you who came along to my "Out with the Old, In with the New" launch. It is a CaSE of a card I saw on Splitcoast by kysmom, with a few changes. I'm really enjoying using lots of white at the moment. It's such a fresh, clean look. I've paired it with Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery. I used the gorgeous Wide Grosgrain Ribbon from the Summer Mini (you'll be seeing me use LOTS of this!). I made my own bling using Stampin' Dimensionals with Dazzling Diamonds glitter dumped on top (very sparkly in real life!!) The sentiment is from the Stem Silhouettes set.
The Bud Basics set is such an easy set to use. The bold flower and the outline are designed to be 2-stepped, but as you can see here, they work very nicely on their own too!

It's Time to Sale-a-Brate!

I've been having so much fun with my new Sale-a-Bration stamp sets, and I've been itching to show you. Now that those 12 days of Christmas are over, I can!
This is my favourite set "Friendship Blooms". It's just so pretty!
The best thing about it though, is that it's FREE! All you have to do is place an order for $100 from any current catalogue, and it's yours. Sale-a-Bration starts on the 1st of January, and lasts until the 29th of February – so you don’t have much time to make the most of this great offer.
Once Sale-a-Bration is over, these stamp sets will never be available again.
During the Sale-a-Bration Promotion, you’ll earn FREE stamp sets when you purchase products, when you host a Stampin’ Up! workshop, or when you sign up to become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.
All the details are in the Sale-a-Bration brochure. Let me know if you don't have one yet, and I'll pop one in the mail for you. It has lots of gorgeous samples and project ideas.
And for those of you in the Sydney area...
You're Invited!
I'm having an Open House on the 1st of January from 2pm-5pm, so you can come and try the sets for yourself. There will be nibblies and champagne, a Lucky door Prize or two, and make-and-takes. Email me to book your place!
Cardstock: Whisper White, Blush Blossom, Certainly Celery
Ink: Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery

The Twelfth Day of Christmas!

Well, we made it to Day 12! I hope it was worth the wait, or that you at least had fun along the way. Here it is. My Christmas Card...I made 100 of these to send to friends, family, past Workshop Hostesses and Loyal Customers and class attendees. I had quite a production line set up!
I cut all my cardstock to the right size first. This card opens so the spine is at the top...perfect to hang on a piece of string, so it's still the right way up! I stamped 'merry& bright' in Elegant Eggplant and punched them out with the Small Oval punch. The star has been stamped in Bordering Blue, which has been stamped off once. Next I stamped the little row of asterisks from "All in a Row"...by eye, I might add! I got pretty good by the 100th one! The 'branch' is the swirl from"Scribble This". Next I stamped the two ornaments, and I used a ruler to draw the string with my Bordering Blue marker, and drew the little bow by hand. Then came the task of putting them all together. There's nothing for it but to put on some Christmas Carols and sing along as you work (I'm sure this makes the cards come out better!).
I hope you like it, and I truly wish I could have sent one to all of you. Merry Christmas and thankyou all for your support!
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy, Elegant Eggplant, Bordering Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy
Stamps: Scribble This, Hung Up on the Holidays, All Year Cheer I, All in a Row
Other: Large Oval punch, Small Oval Punch, Rich Regals Markers

Not long to wait now!

Just a little bit longer, and then I'll show you the card for Day 12. I just want to wait until a few more people have received theirs....

In the meantime, I just wanted to share a Stampin' Up! Offer too good to refuse.
This is THE best Starter Kit Promotion I have seen since Stampin' Up! started in Australia. If you join Stampin' Up! during Sale-a-Bration (Jan 1-Feb 29), you can choose ANY stamp set (up to $80 value!) to add to the 5 sets that you already get in your kit. Plus, email me and I can tell you how to get an extra 10% off your Starter Kit, a saving of over $32!
January is also a great month to join because it is the start of a new quarter, which means you have 6 months to make your first quarterly minimum.
There are many benefits to being a Demonstrator, including coming to my classes for half price, buying your products at a discount, and receiving all the catalogues first, for free!
If you have any questions, or if you would like an obligation free Information Pack, just let me know!

On the 11th Day of Christmas...

If the last card was "Inspired by", this one is an outright CaSE of this card by the lovely and talented Madonna. I liked hers so much that it just begged to be copied. I've made extensive use of the Holiday Thyme papers. There are 12 patterns in this paper and I don't think there is one that I don't like! I've cut out a poinsettia from one of the patterns and used Crystal Effects to make it all nice and shiny. The sentiment is "merry & bright" from All Year Cheer I, stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock and punched out using the Small Oval, and then mounted on a piece of Cranberry Crisp cardstock punched with the Large Oval. This "merry & bright" stamp just always seems to be the right size! The rest of the card is pretty self-explanatory. I've used Old Olive for the card base, and mounted the poinsettia on Bravo Burgundy cardstock.
Tomorrow is the last day! And the good news is that I mailed all my Christmas cards out yesterday, so some of you should receive yours today. I only wish I could have sent a card to everyone who has supported my business over the last year, but at least you'll all get to enjoy the virtual one!

Day 10

One thing I love about the Stampin' Up! Idea Book and Catalogue is that it has so many fabulous ideas in it that you need never come up with a single original idea! You can even change it around a little, and no one need ever know. This is one such example. If you have a look at page 31 of the catalogue, you'll see a card similar to this one. I was talking to a customer the other day about making these exact changes to that card, so then I wanted to make it to see if the picture in my head was how it would turn out!
I've used the Cranberry Stitched ribbon from the Spring Mini (no longer available *sob!*). The word 'Merry Christmas' is from "Many Merry Messages", stamped in black, and sponged in Always Artichoke with a Sponge Dauber. I used my leftover stockings from Teneale, and hung them on some Copper Cord, attached with Copper Brads. I used some of the Holiday Thyme paper (don't forget you only have a couple more days to order this!) for the bottom half of the card, and sanded and distressed the edges with my Sanding Blocks. The very bottom of the card has been stamped with the little sentiment from "Crazy for Christmas".
So there you go Glenys, is that what you had in mind too?

The 9th Day

I think the worst thing about doing this 12 days of Christmas is that December's marching away before my eyes! I REALLY must get some Christmas shopping done...I never usually leave it this late!!

This card was from an idea of Sarah's (Lavandula), on our Elite forum. The card base is Always Artichoke, and then I've taken a piece of Bravo Burgundy, the same size as my cardfront and stamped all over it using the mistletoe stamp from "Peaceful Wishes". First I've stamped in Bravo Burgundy ink, and then in Very Vanilla. When it was dry, I tore along the bottom edge, and used my paper trimmer to cut it at about the 2/3 mark. I've attached it to my cardfront, leaving a strip of the Always Artichoke card base showing through. This saves fiddling with a little strip of cardstock. Ingenious idea Sarah!

I've inked up the top half of my 'Peaceful Wishes' stamp in Bravo Burgundy, using the edge of my inkpad, and the bottom in Always Artichoke. The finger-grips on the sides of our inkpads make it easy to do this without getting ink all over your hands or dropping your inkpad in your lap! I've stamped on Naturals ivory cardstock, and then mounted on Always Artichoke.

this is another card that it would be really easy to whip up a batch of, even though it's the 9th of December already!

On the 8th Day of Christmas....

Some lovely shades of purple instead of the traditional red and green. Here we have my 2 favourite purply shades...Perfect Plum for the card base, and the bauble is Vintage Violet. I've used the branch from 'Peaceful Wishes', and stamped a background in Versamark. Then I've used the same branch, this time inked in Handsome Hunter, to stamp a bough for the bauble to hang from on Confetti White cardstock. To make the bauble, I stamped and embossed 'merry & bright' (from All Year Cheer I) in silver on a scrap of Vintage Violet cardstock, and punched it out using my 1 3/8" circle punch. To make the bauble hanger, I used the Double Rectangle punch and cut around it, and then attached it behind my bauble. A piece of Silver Cord, so it can hang from the bough, and an extra bow finishes it off.

Only 6 to go!

Are you totally over Christmas cards yet??? Notice that now I'm counting down. I think it's like the later stages of pregnancy, where it makes you feel like you're closer to the end if you count backwards!

This is a quick card I made using the 'Crazy for Christmas' set again. The colours this time are Ruby Red, Old Olive and Confetti Cream. I've used a Spectrum Inkpad to make this super quick and easy, but you could also use your markers, and then you could make the card in whatever colours you choose! the background is a little stamp from 'Fresh Fillers' stamped in Versamark ink. I've wrapped some gold cord around it (this would have to be one of the biggest bargains in the catalogue...did you know it works out at around 17c per metre?!) I made the little tag by inking up part of the 'Crazy for Christmas' greeting with a Ruby Red marker, and punching it out with my word window punch. The long needles from the Crafter's Tool Kit come in really handy for threading the cord with!

The Sixth Day!

I finally had a chance to play with some stamped images that the lovely and talented Teneale sent me. This set is called 'Gifts of Joy' and it was lots of fun to play with! The lovely and talented Claire (aren't I lucky to know so many lovely and talented people!) gave us a "Blushing Bride"challenge last week. We had to use something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue! So, I used OLD Olive, NEW ribbon from the Summer Mini (Wide Chocolate Grosgrain), BORROWED stamp images, and a BLUE snowflake! I've used some of the gorgeous "Holiday Thyme Paper" on this card (don't forget this is only available until December 15th!). I've taken my colours from the papers: Old Olive, True Thyme, Cranberry Crisp, with a dash of Bashful Blue, and then added a Big dash of Chocolate Chip (because let's face it, Chocolate is always good at Christmas!). I've watercoloured using Blender pens and my Inkpad lids, and added some shadowing for depth, and also some sponging around the edges. That zigzag "stitching" is done using the 'All in a Row' stamp set. The snowflake is part of the "Holiday Thyme" papers that I've cut out.

The Fifth Day!

This is one for those of you who haven't even starting making their cards yet! It's my famous No Cutting Card, in it's Christmas garb! See this post for an explanation!
I've used 'Bouquet' Jumbo wheel on a piece of Kraft cardstock, cut to the size of my cardfront. If you wanted to make a whole batch of these, you would leave your sheet A4 size, and cut it in quarters after you had stamped. I love the Bouquet wheel. I can use it all year round as a florally background, and then colour it green and red, and viola it's a Christmas wheel!
I've used my Aquapainter and a couple of drops of re-inker onto my inkpad lid for a good depth of colour. I've added some highlights with the White Gel Pen (I can't tell you how many of these I go through... I use them all the time!)
The rest of the card is really easy. I've used Always Artichoke as my card base. Just tear off part of the front, and attach your Kraft piece behind the tear. It all looks nice and neat on the inside too. Liz has taken it a step further in this post on her blog, by using the torn-off piece too. Clever!
I've stamped Season's Greetings (from 'Many Merry Messages') in Whisper White ink, and coloured a couple of extra leaves and berries, and stuck them on with the 2-way glue pen as a simple little embellishment.

The Fourth Day of Christmas

Another Simple Card in soft greens. This was also a card that had to be mass-produced for the Haemophilia Foundation. The card base is Mellow Moss, and the darker green is Always Artichoke. All the stamps I've used are from the set "Peaceful Wishes". This is one set that has had quite a workout this year! A lot of the stamps are suitable for the rest of the year too (the pinecone and branches, so I won't even have to pout it away when Christmas is over.
For the focal image, I inked up the branch in Mellow Moss, stamped off once onto scrap paper, and then rock'n'rolled the edges of the stamp in Mellow Moss again. This gave me a paler centre part of the image, so the greeting stands out more. I've stamped on Confetti Cream cardstock, which has a lovely fleck in it.
When we made this card at my Stamp-a-Stacks, we also used heat-and-stick powder and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add some sparkle to the centre branch. There's nothing like a bit of sparkle at Christmas!

The Third Day of Christmas...

How about 3 hanging ornaments instead of those French hens??
Some of you may recognise this card if you've attended a workshop of mine lately.
I've wheeled the Orchid Opulence piece using the Twinkle wheel, by rolling it in my Versamark pad. TIP: make sure your pad is nice and inky, or your wheel will come out a bit patchy-looking. This has to be one of the most versatile wheels to use all year round! I've also made this card using Pink Passion instead of the Orchid, and it looks fab too!
When the Versamark is dry, paper pierce the top edge using your Piercing tool and mat pack. Next, stamp your ornaments on Whisper White cardstock. I've used Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Orchid Opulence inks. Stamp the strings in Going Gray ink. This is a softer alternative to black, when you don't want something quite as stark. It's a lovely silvery grey colour, which I also use a lot for shadows in my watercolouring. I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp my strings in the position I wanted them...well worth the little bit of extra effort! My biggest tip for this tool is to leave it out of it's box, right on your workspace, so it's no effort to get it out!
I made a wavy edge on the bottom of my Whisper White piece using the Cutter Kit. Just do a freehand wave using the cutting blade. Practise on some scrap cardstock first!
The final step is to use a Green Galore marker to ink "JOY" from the "Peace Joy Love" stamp in All Year Cheer I.
A bright and cheery card in some non-traditional colours!

The Second Day of Christmas...

This has to be the most versatile Christmas set ever. It's called 'Crazy for Christmas' and has rows of little Christmas trees (shown here), presents, ornaments and a cute little message. The presents are great because you can use them all year, and if you turn the ornament stamp upside down, you have a row of balloons! Also, you can ink these trees using your markers, and leave off the tree trunks and you have a row of party hats! How clever is that? I just love a Christmas set that doesn't have to be sitting in a drawer for the rest of the year.
This is another simple card that I made 200 of for the Haemophilia Foundation. Colours are Not Quite Navy, Garden Green and Kraft. I've stamped in black Stazon on the Kraft piece, and watercoloured using Blender Pens and Inkpad lids. Then I highlighted areas using my White Gel Pen. I love the effect of watercolouring on Kraft cardstock. I encourage you to try it if you've never done it before! The little sentiment stamped down the bottom, and a piece of Silver Organdy ribbon tied in a knot finishes it off.

12 Days of Christmas!

Before I get down to Business...THE SUMMER MINI IS ONLINE! (yes, I'm shouting...it's exciting!) Go and have a look and tell me you don't love it. You can see it here. There are some gorgeous things in there, and I have lots to show you with my favourites Stem Silhouettes, Carte Postale, and Bud Basics. But for right now, I have something else in mind...

I know the 12 days of Christmas are supposed to start AFTER Christmas, and involve lots of birds and prancing men, but I'm doing my own version...there's not a partridge in sight, I promise! The 1st of December seems like an appropriate time to start showing you a Christmas card a day for the next 12 days, finishing off with my own Christmas card that I'll be sending out this year. The idea is that I'll actually have mine in the post to some of you before then, so as not to spoil the surprise. Maybe this will make me get a wriggle on!

So, card number 1!

This card is super easy and quick to whip up a whole bunch of, if you haven't even started yet ('Fess Up...I know there are some of you!). It's very RED and cheery. I've used Little Pieces, but it would work well with Big Pieces too, or Seeing Spots. The background is stamped in Versamark on the base card too, but it doesn't show up very well in the photo. I've used Big Deal Alphabet for the word 'joy' and some red gingham ribbon just tied in a knot and secured behind the Whisper White piece. How simple is that?