Papercrafts Festival, Here we Come!

It's going to be a bit quiet around here for the next few days, but if you miss me too much, you can always come and visit! I'll be with some fellow-stampers on the Stampin' Up! stall at the Papercrafts Festival at Homebush. All the details are here:

http://www.papercraftsfestival.com.au/

I'll be there for all 3 days...it's going to be a big weekend (not to mention the state that the house will be in when I return! )
....So here's a card to look at in my absence!

I was playing with Whisper White Craft ink on vellum using the Scatter Sunshine Jumbo wheel. I don't have a white cartridge, so I just used my inkpad, and you get a really pretty effect. After it was dry (be patient!), I used the Stampin' Up! gluestick to adhere it to my card...Yes, it's invisible! (thanks Tina for this tip!). I used a marker to colour the centre of the flower, and then did a bit of "thumping" on the flower petals (thanks Angela for showing me this technique). You just hold your markers like a drumstick, and tap ink all over your stamp. You get a lovely mottled effect.

Ingredients:
Almost Amethyst cardstock and Stampin' Write marker
Barely Banana cardstock and Stampin' Write marker
Apricot Appeal cardstock and Stampin' Write marker
Whisper White Craft Ink
Looks Like Spring Stamp Set
Simple Sayings II Stamp Set
Paper Piercing Pad and Mat
White Organdy Ribbon
Stampin' Dimensionals

Chalkboard Technique

This is a fun technique that you may not have tried. All you do is stamp in Whisper White Craft ink on some dark cardstock, then use sponge daubers to apply Stampin' Pastels while the ink is still wet. The image just pops out on the dark cardstock.
TIP: use your Paper Piercing mat to line up 3 holes for your brads.
Ingredients:
Petal Prints Stramp Set
French Script Background stamp
Almost Amethyst cardstock and ink
Rose Red cardstock
So Saffron cardstock
Chocolate Chip cardstock
Whisper White Craft ink
Slit punch (to make scallops)
Chocolate Grosgrain ribbon
Stampin' Pastels
Antique Brass brads

Look Mum, no Layers!

I challenged myself this afternoon to make a card that had no layers and no mounting, just elegant simplicity. In my opinion, the simpler the card, the more difficult it is to get it right. All the elements of design need to work in complete harmony.
The sun was starting to set when I took this pic, so I'm not sure how clear it is...This card uses Blush Blossom cardstock, and I've embossed the dress and greeting in white detail embossing powder, and then used a Blender pen and the inkpad lids of Cameo Coral and Lavender Lace to colour the flowers. I used 2-way glue and glitter on some of the flowers on the dress too. I scalloped the edge of the card with the corner rounder punch (guard removed) and then used my White gel pen to outline the scallops. Finally, white Organdy ribbon tied around the edge.
So, did I pull it off???

Joy Fold

If this card looks familiar to you, have a look at my banner and you might realise why!
This was one of the cards we made at my Fancy Folds class last Thursday. I even learnt something at that class..apparently this is called a "Joy Fold" (Thanks Robyn!)
I've shown you a pic of the card closed and then open. We also used some Direct-to-Paper and Direct-to-Rubber techniques with the inkpads.


Ingredients:
Bashful Blue cardstock and ink
Close to Cocoa cardstock and ink
Creamy Caramel cardstock and ink
Whisper White Cardstock
Looks like Spring Stamp set
Bouquet punch
Slit Punch

Flitting By....

This is a technique that they showed us at Convention. I've used 'Flitting By' jumbo wheel, first in Tempting Turquoise, and then given it some dimension by lining it up just a couple of mm off, and wheeling in Whisper White Craft ink (you use the 'seam' of your wheel to line it up).

Simple but effective! (that seems to be my motto these days!)

Bodacious Rock'n'roll

I've been rock'n'rolling a lot lately...it's a great way to add extra colour and dimension to bold stamps. You just ink your stamp in the lightest colour, then "roll" the edges of your stamp on the darker colour inkpad. Then I've masked the flowers so I could stamp the swirly stem.
I made the "keytag" shape with my circle punch. I'm demonstrating how to do this at my Tuesday night classes this month, as well as lots of other punch tricks. There are still a couple of spots left if you'd like to book in!

Ingredients:
Bodacious Bouquet Stamp Set
All Year Cheer I Stamp Set
Elegant Eggplant cardstock and ink
Almost Amethyst cardstock and ink
Certainly Celery cardstock and ink
Whisper white cardstock
1 1/4" circle punch
1/8" handheld punch
White Organdy ribbon

Another Catty CASE!
This one can be found on page 38 of the catalogue. This time I've used the same basic layout and stamp set, but changed the colours. The greeting has been stamped on a "nameplate" made using the tag punch. A really quick and easy card!
Ingredients:
Orchid Opulence cardstock and ink
Tempting Turquoise cardstock and ink
Certainly Celery ink
Whisper White cardstock
"Loving Hearts" Stamp Set
Tag Punch
1/8" handheld punch
Celery Ribbon
Paper snips
Stapler

Gotta love the Catty!
On the left is a card that is an exact copy of one in the catty (it's on page 13 if you want to check it out), and then on the right is *my* version...exactly the same, but different! I've used the same layout, but a different stamp set and different colours. This set is "Dream Come True", and the colours are Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean and Orchid Opulence. I've used some of the gorgeous new Orchid Opulence ribbon too (thanks Georgina!). I masked the main heart in the image, and I used my markers to ink only 2 words of the greeting...and then found they were perfectly spaced to put the 4 little hearts in.
Easy Peasy!

Pink Elephants!

I'm loving this set ("Wild Aboout You") at the moment...and who said elephants can't be pink? (and flowery!)

I discovered a nifty way to make some grass for the elephant...just use the flower-on-a-stem stamp that comes with this set (that's the one that the elephant is holding in her trunk on this card), stamped upside down.....who woulda thunk it?!

I used the same flower to stamp a flowery dot for the "i" in Birthday.

The background is a flower from "Little Pieces" stamped in Whisper White ink. And I've used that same flower to "kiss off" the elephant (sounds a bit rude, doesn't it...what I mean is, I used the uninked stamp to remove some ink from the inked-up elephant stamp.)

The colours I've used here are Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, and Mellow Moss.

A New Challenge!
Check out this month's challenge cards here:
http://elitechallenges.wordpress.com/
The 2 new challenge categories are Chocolate Cranberries and Seeing Spots.
...let me know what you think!

Blooming with Happiness

How gorgeous is this Hostess set?? The lines are so fine and detailed that it lends itself so well to simple, elegant cards. I've been having fun with my punches (again!!) and using the square punch twice to punch out a rectangle. So for this card, the cake is actually stamped inside the card. I've coloured the images using blender pens (because they have a lovely fine tip) and the inkwell that you get by pressing on the inkpad lids. The colours are Naturals Ivory base card, and Marigold Morning, Bashful Blue and Buckaroo Blue.
Hope you day really does bloom with happiness!

Papercrafts Festival, Here I Come!
I’m going to be at the Paper Crafts Festival in Sydney on 1st, 2nd & 3rd of June. If you're intending to go, please stop by to say hello. I’m having a stand there with a few of my Stampin’ Up! team members. On all three days we’re going to be demonstrating some fun techniques that you may have not tried before. We’re also going to have a make-&-take table, so you'll be able to make a little something fun to take home with you (it's pretty special, but it's a secret, so I'm not telling! ). We’ll have ShowBags, and regular Lucky Door Prizes too. Of course we’ll also have a display of fabulous stamped cards, scrapbooking layouts and 3D items.
I'll even be wearing my brand new Stampin' Up! shirt that I got at Convention!

Here’s the details:
Paper Crafts Festival1st, 2nd & 3rd June 2007
Sydney Showgrounds
Sydney Olympic Park
10:00am - 5:00pm Friday & Saturday
10:00am - 4:00pm Sunday

Hope to see you there!

This post comes with a warning...you're going to be seeing a lot more of this set!! I bought it as a bit of a challenge to myself. It was a step out of my comfort zone and a step away from my usual preference for delicate designs. It's called Bodacious Bouquet, and there's nothing delicate about it...it's bold and makes a real statement.

I just love this colour combo. Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery and Apricot Appeal. The mini tag is a word window cut in half, and matted on a tag made using the slit punch. The little word 'friend' is from Expressive Flexible Phrases.

Now here's a variation on that card:

So which one's the winner???

Another page...
Making Scrapbook pages is a bit like pulling teeth for me. It just doesn't come naturally!
This is another page for my sister's album. I've used the Watercolour Vine Jumbo Wheel and Springtime Stems Hostess Set.

Simply Scrappin' Cards

I made these cards using one of the Simply Scrappin' Kits. The kits are great...you get all the things you need to make some quick scrapbook pages, and they make quick and easy cards too. This is the "At Home" kit. I used half a kit to make 12 cards, and there were still lots of bits left over. I'm running a class on this next month, and there's one spot left. Email me if you'd like to come along!

Inspired by Claire

This card was CASEd and inspired by Claire Daly. I haven't met Claire in person, but she's part of the Elite Stampers team and I visit her blog regularly. She makes some absolutely gorgeous creations. She's primarily a scrapbooker (I want to scrapbook like her when I grow up!) but has recently ventured into cardmaking too, and of course she's a natural at that too. If you haven't already, make sure you check out her blog!



I'm off!
The Stampin' Up! Convention is this weekend at Darling Harbour, so it will be quiet around here until I get back on Sunday. I'm so excited I can barely think straight. It's going to be so much fun!!

Smart Start Promotion
The Stampin' Up website has a new colour scheme, which means a new month and a new promotion. This is a special, limited-time offer for those who are ready to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. The question is . . . are you ready? Take a moment to answer five simple questions to find out!
1. I love to stamp, and I love stamping with others.
2. I enjoy meeting new people and making new friends.
3. I regularly buy stamps and accessories, and I would enjoy the 20% demonstrator discount.
4. I don't want to work outside the home, but I'd like the chance to contribute to my family's income.
5. I'd love to be my own boss.
If you answered 'Yes' to any of these questions, you'll love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. And, while the Starter Kit is a great value at any time, from 1-31 May the deal is even sweeter! You can purchase the Starter Kit for $25 off the regular price and receive $585 worth of Stampin' Up! stamping and business supplies for only $299. Contact me if you'd like to learn more about this exciting Starter Kit opportunity!

As Effie would say...How excitement!!!

I'm sure I'm not the first one to discover this, but I'm excited anyway... I was playing with punches today, and I discovered that if you take the corner guard off the corner rounder punch, you can make scalloped edges!
My love of scallops began when I learnt that you can make scallops with the Slit punch. However, you can't get scallops on the edge of your card, because the semi-circle faces the wrong way. But, you can do it with the corner rounder! The scallops aren't as 'deep' as the ones you get with the slit punch, but they still look pretty cool IMHO!

I've gone with a very clean colour combo of Cool Caribbean, Black and White. The stamp set is one of the new Hostess sets "Blooming with Happiness" and it has gorgeous fine lines. I've also used "Label Classics". It's hard to tell in the pic, but I've used the 2-way glue pen and Dazzling Diamonds glitter to make a sparkly cake and sparkly umbrella. I've used another nifty punch trick and punched out a rectangle by punching out a square twice. Then some Black grosgrain and White Organdy ribbon to finish it off.