12 Cards of Christmas - Card 5

I warned you that you would be seeing a lot of this set! Here it is again "Season of Joy", and finally, some traditional Christmas colours - Real Red and Old Olive.
Super-easy, this one. Just stamp the background (Poinsettia flower) using Versamark ink. Then stamp the snowflake stamp on piece of Very Vanilla cardstock with River Rock ink. Stamp the Christmas tree in Old Olive ink. The star has been stamped separately on a scrap of very Vanilla cardstock and cut out (it's the star that says 'hand stamped' underneath it). I stamped Merry Christmas' on another scrap of Very Vanilla and punched it out with the Large Oval punch, and sponged around the edges. A piece of Wide Real Red Grosgrain is the finishing touch. Easy peasy, and all with one stamp set!

I've done the fold for this card at the top of the card (cut your cardstock lengthways at 10.5cm). You still get 2 cards from an A4 sheet, but the spine is on the short side. Lots of people hang Christmas cards from blinds or on string, and this way, the card doesn't have to hang sideways!

Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, River Rock, Versamark
Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Other: Large Oval Punch, Wide Real Red Grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber

12 Cards of Christmas - Card 4

Another non-Christmas set, "Lovely as a Tree" has been used to make this card. River Rock, Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke give it a very Classic Christmas look.
I inked up the tree in Always Artichoke ink, and then used a Chocolate Chip marker to colour parts of the trunk. There's no need to wipe off any ink first, because the Chocolate Chip marker is so dark that it just covers over the green. This gives the tree a much more realistic look. I then stamped on Whisper White cardstock, and sponged the edges in River Rock ink, using a sponge dauber. It gives the tree a soft, glowing appearance.
I stamped the swirl from 'Priceless' in Versamark ink on the top half of the card, and highlighted the dots with my white gel pen. The Always Artichoke has been stamped in 'Linen' background stamp in Versamark ink. It gives the cardstock a lovely textured appearance. I also sponged the edges with Always Artichoke ink.
I stamped 'Season's Greetings' in Bravo Burgundy. Check out the "Many Merry Messages" set on page 111 of the catalogue if you are after some Christmas greetings that you will be able to use year after year. There are 8 stamps in the set that you will use time and time again.
The ribbon is Bravo Burgundy Wide grosgrain. I finished off by adding some glitter to the tree (hard to tell in the pic, but it's all sparkly in real life)
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Priceless, Linen background, Many Merry Messages
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, River Rock, Versamark
Cardstock: River Rock, Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Other: White gel pen, Bravo Burgundy Wide Grosgrain ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2-way glue pen, sponge daubers, Chocolate Chip marker

Only 2 Days Left!

Just a quick reminder that there are only a couple of days left to take advantage of this month's special: Stampin' Up's Birthday Promotion. Stampin' Up! is turning 20, and WE get the presents!
For the month of October, when you place a $20 order, you can get 20% off 5 great stamp sets:

Big Bold Birthday (pg 37) reg $53.95 NOW $43.16
Pretty Princess (pg 38) reg $45.95 NOW $36.76
Birthday Best (pg 51) reg $25.95 NOW $20.76
Crab & Company (pg 55) reg $52.95 NOW $42.36
Short & Sweet (pg 118) reg $29.95 NOW $23.96
(click the links to see some examples)

Once you spend your $20, you can order 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 stamp sets at 20% off! What a bargain!If you've had your eye on any of these sets, you only have a couple of days left to buy them...they would make a great Christmas present for someone crafty!

Orders must reach me by midday October 31 (I'm going away for the weekend on the annual Haemophilia Family Camp)

12 Cards of Christmas - Card 3

My absolute favourite Christmas stamp set of all time! Yes, it's a big claim, but I absolutely love it. You'll be seeing a few Chrissy cards made using this set. The thing I love most about it is that all the cards look so different. I really think you could use this set year after year, and no one would be thinking "not that one again".
I've used the 2 gorgeous In colours Soft Sky and Blue Bayou on this one. I stamped the swirl, snowflake and small flower in Whisper White ink on the Blue Bayou panel, and tied a piece of Soft Sky ribbon around it. The main image has been stamped in Blue Bayou on Whisper White cardstock, and then I sponged the edges in Soft Sky. I stamped the snowflake again in Soft Sky, punched it out with the 3/4" circle, and blinged it up with glitter and my 2 way glue pen, and then popped it up on a Dimensional. It's a small touch that makes a big difference. The other thing I have done is mount the main image on both colours side by side, instead of just using one. It's a good trick to use when you are only working with 2 colours.

Stamps: Season of Joy
Ink: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Cardstock: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Other: sponge dauber, Soft Sky double-stitched ribbon, 3/4" circle punch, 2-way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Dimensionals

12 Cards of Christmas - Card 2

Here's another card using predominantly non-Christmas sets. A bit more modern and funky this time. Just one Christmas Jumbo wheel is all you need, along with an alphabet stamp set and a circle motif. I used Big Pieces for the "o", but you could use any circular design.
I also used non-traditional colours for this one - Tempting Turquoise and Real Red.
I just wheeled the background in Tempting Turquoise ink (I initially used the Wheel Guide to line this up, but with a bit of practise, I managed it without). I added some glitter to the centre of the "o" using my 2-way glue pen as a finishing touch.

We also made this one in Certainly Celery and Real Red at the Stamp-a-Stack, which looked rather noice....but then I am partial to a bit of Celery ;o)

Stamps: Big Deal alphabet, Big Pieces,All About Christmas Jumbo wheel
Inks: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red
Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Whisper White
Other: Tempting Turquoise Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Real Red Striped Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, 2-way glue pen

12 Days of Christmas Cards - Card 1

What a bad blogger I've been...I'm not sure where the days are disappearing. I can't believe it's almost November, and so far I haven't shown you a single Christmas card!!
I'm going to make up for it, and post a card a day for the next 12 days..... It's the 12 days of Christmas come early (hopefully in plenty of time for you to be inspired to make some Christmas cards!). Stay tuned at the end of it all for a Special Offer!
I've been running Christmas Stamp-a-Stacks since July. These are an extremely popular class, and no wonder since you get to make 10 cards each month, so a lot of my customers will have made 50 cards by the end of November. At each class they make 2 different designs, and every month there are new designs. They are all quick and easy cards to mass-produce.
This card doesn't even use a Christmas stamp set! Baroque Motifs would have to be my all-time favourite set. I just love those elegant swirls. I just stamped the swirl once, and then again, without re-inking. The raised dots are made using the Crop-a-dile (on A2 setting), and I have sponged them using ink and a sponge dauber to really accentuate them.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, En Francais, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Old Olive
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Old Olive, River Rock
Other Crop-a-dile (to dry-emboss dots), Sponge Dauber

Our Stamp-a-thon

I am very privileged to be able to work closely with my dear friend and very talented fellow-demo, Teneale Williams.

On Saturday we had our very first Stamp Day. It was a "Get Ready for Christmas" Stamp and Scrap-a-thon. We had 50 lovely ladies come and stamp and scrap from 9:30am-9:30pm. It was such a fun day, and we are already planning our next one, which will be on January 31st!

You can see the gorgeous wreath that Teneale demonstrated HERE. I demonstrated how to make this Stationery Box:

It opens up and this is what you see inside:
I got the idea from Jackie Topa, but I adapted all the measurements to suit Australian cardstock and envelopes (no mean feat, I tell ya!)
By popular demand, I'll also be running this as a Project Class at my house in February.

We also raised over $500 for charity on the day, through a raffle with prizes donated by Stampin' Up! and some Silent Auctions.
Here are some of our lovely ladies busy being creative:
They got to participate in challenges (and win prizes!), and they received all the materials to complete the 2 projects, plus they got to borrow all our inkpads, stamp sets and punches throughout the day. We also had random "Prize Patrols", where they won prizes for all sorts of things (like wearing a red bra!). I can't wait to do it all again!

Spinner Card

My Project Class Spinner Card, as promised. Michele has a great tutorial on how to make these. Check it out HERE (for Aussies 5c pieces are a good substitute for the pennies). I also found 2 Dimensionals in the "sandwich" spun better for me.

These are one of those rare and delightful card designs that look much more complicated than they are! (gotta love that!)

Stamps: Season of Joy, Many Merry Messages
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink: Ruby Red, Old Olive, More Mustard
Punches: Word Window, Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Corner rounder
Other: 2x 5c pieces, Dimensionals, More Mustard brad, Ruby Red marker (to 'dot' flower centres)

Proud Upline Moment

A new downline of mine, Liam, has just started her own blog InspireStampin
I'm having a proud Upline moment, because she came up with an idea that I think is so clever. She used the tag and other punches to create a Christmas Cracker! Check it out HERE
I can see these "popping up" everywhere! She's certainly started off her Blog with a bang....ahem, sorry about the bad puns!

Wild About You Waterfall

This is the Waterfall Card we made at last month's project class "Moving Cards". We also made a Spinner card (I'll show you that one tomorrow!)
Big thanks to my lovely downline Robyn who gave me a Waterfall lesson. They're really very easy when you know how. There are instructions all over the web, but as I'm sure you know, there's nothing like learning hands-on!
This is what happens when you pull the tab at the bottom:




I stepped out of my colour comfort-zone and went BRIGHT for this one: Pixie Pink, Night of Navy and Green Galore. The stamping is all done in Bold Brights too. I just love the "Wild About You" stamp set (even in bright colours LOL).

The winners!

It's been so much fun reading your comments....I can just imagine you all peering at your computer screens! It almost makes me want to make you keep on guessing LOL. But, I'm not that mean. I'll put you all out of your misery!

The ribbon is white taffeta dyed with my Rose Red marker. Did you know you can do this? It's so quick and easy, and a great way to get whatever colour ribbon you desire! I find the taffeta dyes best out of all the Stampin' Up! ribbons. The first people to guess that were fellow demo Carol (by email) and Zarna. Zarna, send me an email with your address details, and I'll pop a ribbon sample pack in the mail for you! I know your addy Carol, so I'll pop a RAK in the mail :o)

I stamped the image (from "Natural Beauty") in Versamark ink, and embossed with black powder. "Kimmy" was the first person to guess that, so send me an email Kimmy, and I'll send you a tub of embossing powder!

I coloured directly onto the image with markers (Regal Rose, Rose Red, Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke) and used a Blender Pen to blend. The markers don't dry straight away, so it's easy to blend your colours, and the shimmer of the paper shines through. I did go around the outside of the image with my Going Gray marker. Fellow Demo Kim Tonnet was the first person to guess all that, so I'll pop a RAK in the mail for you Kim (I know your address! ;o)

The cardstock used was Rose Red, Mellow Moss, Regal Rose, Basic Black and Brushed Silver. The Mellow Moss had a lot of you stumped! I sponged some of the layers too, which may have thrown you off. My hint about the "most obvious answer" not being right was telling you that for once I didn't use Certainly Celery! The first person to guess the correct colours was fellow demo in Mackay, Karen. Send me an email with your address, Karen, and I'll pop a RAK in the mail for you.

Teresa Dabrowski, another fellow demo, gets an honourable mention for noting that I edged the Regal Rose cardstock with my Silver Encore inkpad!

The first person to guess all 3 parts correctly was "Louise" at 1:48pm today. There are a few Louise's in the comments, so make sure you're the right one before you email me! Louise, you get a 1/5 share of the Pretties Kit and this card! Email me with your address details, and I'll pop them in the mail to you.

Thanks everyone for having a go. I'll definitely be doing this again soon!

Keep Guessing!

I just wanted to pop in here and say that I'll be announcing my winner later on tonight, but so far NO ONE has got all 3 parts right! Feel free to have another stab at it, otherwise I'll do 3 separate prizes, one for the first person to get each question right!

Still more Shimmer...and a guessing competition!

I've got a huge to-do list today, but I didn't want to miss out on showing you all a card, so here I am with another shimmery design. This time, though, I'm going to make you guys do some of the work! There will be a prize in it for the first person to get ALL THREE questions right!
You need to answer 3 questions:
1. What ribbon have I used?
2. What did I use to stamp and colour the flowers?
3. List all the cardstock I have used on this card

All materials used are Stampin' Up! (of course!)
I'll be back on Friday with the answers and the winner!

Edited to add: Demos and overseas Demos/non-Demos are welcome to enter. I haven't decided on the prize yet, but it will be something good, I promise!
And a little hint...the most obvious answers probably aren't right!

More bling

This was the other card for my Sparkle and Shimmer class. This one has a more subtle shimmer to it. The Hydrangeas from 'Bloomin' with Beauty' have been stamped in Versamark and embossed with black powder. TIP: Make sure you use your embossing buddy for this, or you'll end up with specks of black powder everywhere! To colour in the image, I used a technique my upline, Angela Sargeant showed me. I used a plastic lid as a palette and mixed a teeny drop of Silver re-inker with some Classic re-inker (Really Rust for the pot, Lovely Lilac and Ballet Blue for the flowers, and Sage Shadow for the leaves). Make sure you only use a teeny drop of the silver, or you'll end up with armour-plated flowers! Then use a paintbrush (not an Aquapainter, because you don't want to add water for this technique) to colour in. Buff it with a cotton bud (q-tip) as you go, to get any excess ink off the embossing powder, and bring out the shimmer.
We did a couple of other Shimmery techniques on this card - faux Rhinestone brads (an eyelet with a drop of Crystal Effects in the centre) and we used some Crystal Effects sprinkled with glitter on the bee's wings, for a raised, glittery effect.

Stamps: Bloomin' with Beauty, Paisley background
Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Sage Shadow, Whisper White, Brushed Metallics (copper)
Ink: Versamark, Lovely Lilac, Re-inkers (Lovely Lilac, Ballet Blue, Sage Shadow, Really Rust)
Other: Vintage brads (copper), White Taffeta ribbon, Crop-a-dile, Crystal effects, Dimensionals

Bling!

Last month my Technique class was "Sparkle and Shimmer", and we learnt about all things bling-y! There are so many ways to add sparkle to your projects, and i think we covered most of them in this class. Needless to say, my dining room is still glittery!
This is one of the 2 cards we made. Put on your sunnies - have you ever seen so much sparkle crammed onto one card???

We stamped the Baroque Motifs flourish in Gold Encore ink onto Gold Shimmer cardstock. Then, sprinkled with Heat-and-Stick powder, heated with a heat tool until it had just melted, and then sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and re-heated to set the glitter. I just love how this ultra fine glitter has such a gorgeous iridescent sparkle. Next we cut the cardstock into 3 panels, and mounted it on to Very Vanilla cardstock. The floral motif was stamped in Versamrk onto a scrap of Gold shimmer cardstock, and then sprinkled with Gold embossing powder that had some Dazzling Diamonds glitter mixed into it (3 parts EP to 1 part glitter). We heated it to melt the powder, and then cut it out, and mounted it on a Very Vanilla scallop. I pierced each scallop with my paper-piercing tool. Everyone got to choose a Rhinestone brad colour, and then chose cardstock and ink to match. We had some lovely colour combinations, and just about every colour seemed to work well with gold. Lavender Lace and Perfect Plum looked particularly nice, I thought.
Here's a close-up of the sparkle:

I think this would make a lovely "special occasion" card...wedding, engagement or anniversary, particularly.

When should I join?

I often get asked when the is best time to join Stampin' Up! Obviously, the answer is always now! LOL
All jokes aside, if I had to choose the best month to sign up in, it would be October.
Why?

• It's the start of a quarter, so there are no sales quotas to meet until the end of March.
• Lots of people are purchasing for Christmas, so it's easy to make your quota, and after that there's Sale-a-Bration, which makes it even easier.
• You'll get the new Summer Mini Catalogue mailed directly to you this month, and you'll be able to pre-order in November.
• You'll get the Sale-a-Bration Catalogue mailed directly to you in November, and you'll be able to pre-order in December.
• You'll get the new Catalogue mailed directly to you in March.
• When it's time to meet your second quota, there will be a new Catalogue out to choose from!
• You will be eligible to attend the fabulous Stampin' Up! Convention in Canberra in May.
• Stampin' Up! has a program called Stampin' Start, and you can earn up to 15 free stamp sets in your first 6 months as a Demonstrator. Signing up in October gives you the best 6 months to take advantage of this program. Plus, you will earn extra free stamp sets during Sale-a bration!

Some of the many advantages of being a demonstrator are:

• The great value Starter Kit. You get nearly $600 in products for only $324, and you get everything you need to get started with Stamping. You can even choose your stamp sets and colours.
• You will have the opportunity to earn lots of Stamp Sets for FREE!
• You get access to the Demonstrator Website, which has heaps of fantastic ideas.
• All the new catalogues and mini Catalogues will be mailed directly to you, at no cost.
• You will receive a full colour monthly newsletter from Stampin’ Up! with lots of ideas in it.
• You'll be able to buy all your supplies at a discount. Your first order over $300 (placed within 45 days of joining) will be 30% off, and then it’s 20% discount after that. Also, for any orders that you place over $300, you qualify for free product and a free hostess stamp set. You will also be paid monthly commissions, depending on the volume of your orders.
• In the first quarter that you sign up, there are no sales requirements.
• There are no Annual fees, and there are no penalties for dropping out.
• If you join my team you will have access to a fantastic on-line forum, Yahoo group and regular team meetings.
• I can even do your first workshop for you, to get you off to a great start.
• I will give you a Welcome pack to get you up and running smoothly.
• As a bonus, if you sign up with me, you can attend my classes at a discounted price!

Whether you want to buy at a discount, make your hobby self-supporting, or earn some extra income, Stampin’ Up! can be tailored to suit your needs.
Have I convinced you that October is the best time to join yet?? If you need more convincing, I have an extra little bonus for anyone who joins my team in October, but you'll have to email me to find out what it is!
If any of these ideas appeals to you, or if you have any questions, please email me.
I'm happy to send out a Demonstrator Information Pack at no cost and no obligation.

A wonderful bargain!

This was my other September Stamp-a-Stack design. You can see the first one here. These cards were really quick to whip up, using punches, wheels and the Wonderful Favourites set. Did you know that this set is the bargain of the catalogue? It's priced at $40.95 in the US catalogue, and $39.95 in ours *oops!* So, it should be around $77.95 BIG oops! Check out all the stamps you get in the set (23 of them!) on page 119.
It's a great set to scrapbook with, and for those difficult male cards (stamp "Wonderful Father-in-law" and pair it with some masculine patterned paper, and you are done!). I made my cards more with kids in mind, but they could really go to anybody. By the way, I'm allowed to put "my favourite daughter" on there, because I only have one ;o)
I think these are pretty self-explanatory, but let me know if you have any questions.
One little TIP: to make the 'leaves' for the flowers, I just punched a Celery flower, and trimmed off a couple of petals, and stuck it behind a flower.

Stamps: Wonderful Favourites, Jumbo Star Wheel, Jumbo It's Beautiful Wheel (mini catalogue), In the Spotlight (level 2 Hostess)
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, Real Red, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, Real Red
Other: Word Window punch, 5-Petal Flower punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Large Star punch, Small Star punch, Silver Brads, Wide Celery Grosgrain, Red Striped Ribbon, Dimensionals

As promised....

I'm back again!
I just love this set 'Big Bold Birthday'. It's 20% off this month, and it's a great set to be a bit creative with, and turn the shapes into different things. My favourite thing to make though, is the cupcake, with all that pink fluffy frosting. Cupcakes seem to be everywhere at the moment!
I used the matching Happy, Happy Birthday Jumbo wheel on the Old Olive background cardstock. I used the wheel guide to line it up straight. Not all wheels need the guide, but it sure helps when you really want it to be straight!
The Soft Sky cardstock is textured. I have to remember to pull out my textured cardstock more often. It's tucked away on my shelf, as it doesn't fit in my filing cabinet with my other cardstock, so I always forget it's there. The cupcake base has been stamped in So Saffron ink, and cut out. I inked the frosting in Regal Rose ink, and then 'kissed' the spotty stamp on it to remove some ink, and then stamped on Whisper white cardstock and cut it out also, and popped it up using Dimensionals. I also stamped and cut out the candle and little flower (and put a silver brad in the centre). I mounted it all on a large aluminium-edged circle. I used rub-ons on the Regal Rose ribbon, and stapled the edge with a regular stapler. I used mini glue dots to hold the other edge in place. I inked 'make a wish' using So Saffron, Old Olive and Regal Rose markers, and cut the words out separately.

Bad Blogger!

I know, it's been almost a week since I last posted. School holidays have a way of sucking up all your spare time, don't they?
I had a great time away camping, but I haven't stopped since we got back. I've been wanting to pop on here and tell you about this month's specials.
You can get 20% off Simply Sent Kits from 4-11 October. You can see them on page 12-14 of the catalogue. They make a great gift and are also a great way to get started with stamping. I like to take them away on holidays with me, because they are so compact, and contain everything you need in there. The cardstock is all pre-cut for you, and there are even instructions. My favourite one is Simple Delights, but they are all gorgeous. Here are some cards we made at a Stamp-a-Stack class using the stamps in the kit:

We made 2 designs as per the kit instructions, and for the other 2 cards, I came up with my own design using the kit contents. I substituted Vanilla Grosgrain ribbon for the twill tape, as i didn't have enough twill to last through a month of classes!

The other promotion is Stampin' Up's Birthday Promotion. Stampin' Up! is turning 20, and WE get the presents! For the month of October, when you place a $20 order, you can get 20% off 5 great stamp sets:

Big Bold Birthday (pg 37) reg $53.95 NOW $43.16
Pretty Princess (pg 38) reg $45.95 NOW $36.76
Birthday Best (pg 51) reg $25.95 NOW $20.76
Crab & Company (pg 55) reg $52.95 NOW $42.36
Short & Sweet (pg 118) reg $29.95 NOW $23.96

Once you spend your $20, you can order 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 stamp sets at 20% off! What a bargain!
If you've had your eye on any of these sets, October is the month to buy them.
I'll be back tomorrow with a 'Big Bold Birthday' card that I made today. In the meantime, I've made the stamp set names above links to cards I have made using the sets (all except Pretty Princess, which I don't own).
I'll be back soon!