Featuring our MasterCrafter!

If you read all about our Stamp Camp adventures, you may recall we spent the weekend discovering who our Top MasterCrafter was. Amanda was our winner, and part of her prize was a guest appearance on my Blog (the closest thing to a book deal I could manage LOL)

The time has come for you to all see how clever Amanda is! You can see her clever fabric creations over on her blog Nanny Kate Design.
And here are the creations that earnt her the MasterCrafter title.
This was Amanda's Mystery Box creation. The colours and Sweet Treat Cup were in the Mystery Box. Such a pretty card, and a clever use of the Sweet Treat Cups too!

This is how the card opens:

And here is a close-up of the flower detail:

Next is Amanda's Invention Test. A very clever take on the provided Sketch, turning it into a little Christmas gift bag using Sweet Slumber DSP and the Fancy Favour Box Die in the Big Shot:

I love these colours for Christmas, and I would never have thought to use them!

Since Amanda was voted into the Top Two, she had to face the Pressure Test and re-create a Teneale Williams original card in only 25 minutes.

Here she is, frantically stamping (can you feel the tension in the air?)

Receiving some welcome tips from Kerry:

And trying to remember how to use a Stampin' Scrub:

Both Amanda and Kari did a fabulous job of re-creating Teneale's masterpiece, but Amanda was voted our winner. Here she is, gracefully accepting her award:

And can you believe, neither Kari or Amanda are Stampin' Up! Demonstrators?? ....yet!!

Guest Blogger!

I was gob-smacked (love that word!) when Cheryl showed me this card she had made for my October Challenge: I just love what she has done with the papers from the 'Sweet Nothings' Simply Scrappin' Kit, and how she has turned it into a Christmas card...all without using a single stamp!

You have until the end of this month to enter, and the winner will receive a sheet of Bright Delights Rub Ons. I would love you to jump on board. Anyone is Australia or New Zealand can enter.

I've had a few questions about this challenge. I would prefer the challenge entries to use mainly Stampin Up! products (or at least some, since this is a Stampin' Up! blog :o)

Just enter your card with Mister Linky HERE

Challenge #4 Winner!

I had such a tough time choosing this month's winner. You are all sooo clever! Here's a slideshow of them all...can you see why I had such difficulty choosing just one??

But I just couldn't go past this card by Dione Bird:

She used the layout from page 3 of the Mini, and the colours of Ski Slope papers, to make a gorgeous card using the "Priceless" stamp set. I think it's just stunning.
Congrats Dione! Just email me with your address details, and I'll pop a little bundle of goodies in the mail for you.
I'll be posting a new challenge for you all very very soon!

2 more entries!

I just wanted to show you 2 last entries that I had to my Challenge. These gorgeous creations are by Donella Henderson in Queensland.

This box inspired by the one on page 5 of the Mini, using a different stamp set:This layout inspired from page 11 of the Mini, using the new 'Great Friend' stamp set:Thanks Donella, they are both gorgeous!

It's been so much fun seeing what everyone has come up with...it's going to be so hard to pick a winner!

Another Guest Blogger!

There is one last day to enter my Challenge!
You have until tomorrow night to enter, and I'll announce the winner on Wednesday morning.
This gorgeous entry is by Cheryl:


She's used the Great Friend stamp set, and Walk in the Park papers. I love the way she's used a small oval with the Scallop oval, and placed it off-centre with a corduroy button.
Absolutely stunning card, Cheryl!

Catching Up!

Since Noosa, I feel like I have been treading water...keeping my head above (but only just!), and not moving forward at all. So the last 2 days have seen me at my stamp desk, getting next month's class designs done. That's all done now, and tomorrow I'm hoping to squeeze in a little stamping just for me...my sanity needs it!

As a result, the blog has taken a back seat, and now I have some catching up to do here (never mind the housework, which has taken a back-back seat and is just going to have to stay there LOL)

Thankfully there are other bloggers who have been updating!
Check out Kerry's blog for some Anniversary Blog Candy.
Ruth has been published for the first time, so pop over and say Congrats to her.
In fact, all the blogs in my sidebar are very inspiring, and well worth a visit.

I'm happy to say I've had lots more entries in my August Challenge (feeling a lot more popular now! LOL)
Here's a gorgeous one from Zoe, who doesn't have a blog:

The colours haven't shown up completely true to life. It is Baja Breeze, Kraft and Chocolate Chip. She took inspiration from Parisian Breeze paper on page 9 and the design from page 22.

Guest Blogger

I've had a few more entries to my August Challenge trickling in (thank goodness! I was feeling quite unpopular for a while there! ;o)

I received a gorgeous entry from Karyn, in Kersbrook SA who doesn't have a blog:


It was inspired by the colours and layout on page 4.
Isn't it gorgeous?
You have until September 15 to take part. The Challenge is open to anyone in Australia OR New Zealand

2 Guest Bloggers!

I've really enjoyed looking at the entries for my Christmas in July Challenge. You still have a few days to enter....you might win some new embellishments from the Spring Mini!
There are some great "twisted" creations. Here are 2 more from some blog-less team members of mine. The first is by Di Cruise, and it is sooo cute: She's used "All in the Family" with "Party Hearty" Christmas hats....they look like Santa's little helpers!
The second one is by Cheryl. She has been really clever and used a non-Christmas stamp set AND non-traditional colours:

"Big Bold Birthday" stamped in Pacific Point and Kraft, and there's a new Jumbo brad on there too (coming in the new Spring Mini, due out in just a few days!)
Thanks ladies, I love your creations!

Yet another Guest Blogger!

Last one for a while, I promise!! Then I'll get back to showing you some stuff that I actually made myself LOL
These cards are by Michelle, a brand new team member. She's done a great job with the challenge, especially given the limited supplies she owns (just the Starter Kit!)
This is her first version:

And this is her "Stepped Up" version:

She's added ribbon and embossing to give the card an extra something special.
Thanks for joining in my challenge Michelle!

....And Another Guest Blogger!

And another entry to my June Challenge!
This one is by my lovely friend and downline Cheryl. I met Cheryl at a Craft Show a couple of years ago, and she has been a regular class attendee ever since. She also lives just down the road, which is great because we can borrow eachother's stuff! I am constantly grateful for all the lovely people Stampin' Up! has brought into my life.
Cheryl cased this idea from a Convention swap I received from Jo Eades, but she has definitely made it her own. This is a great idea to use scraps of DSP:

And this is her Stepped Up version. She has added the Eyelet Border punching, some faux stitching, a layer of Almost Amethyst, some sponging, a Build-a-Brad and Dimensionals.

These are both awesome Cheryl. I love the soft colours. I haven't played with the Tea Party DSP yet, but these cards definitely make me want to pull some out.

Thanks for joining in my Challenge Cheryl!

Another Guest Blogger!

I love getting more entries to my June Step It Up Challenge. You still have a few days to enter. I will announce the winner on the 1st July. This entry was emailed to me from Jo Knappstein, who doesn't have a blog of her own.
This is Jo's gorgeous card, made using the Friends 24-7 set. In Jo's words, for the original card she "simply stamped, matted, edges inked, and dimensionals placed under the 'Here for you'...

...In the stepped up version, the image was altered in the two outer images (by only stamping the lower part of the branch), and all heat embossed, then coloured with markers, an extra mat, brads in the corner, and “Here for you” placed in a label holder, and threaded on with a ribbon."
The colours are part of an Alisa Tilsner colour challenge, and the card was CASED from Clare Daly."

Thanks Jo, I love your cards!

Challenge Cards by Cathie

I've had lots of lovely entries to my June Step It Up Challenge. You have until the end of June to enter. I want to show you an entry by a lovely new downline and friend of mine, Cathie.

Cathie doesn't have a blog of her own (although hopefully one day soon she will!), so I hope she doesn't mind if I show it here. This is the original version:

And for the stepped-up version, she has added some more layers, a half pearl and popped up the “o” in 'enjoy' to make a special card for her daughter's 13th birthday (Happy Birthday Bec!).

Thanks for sharing your creation with us Cathie. I'm sure Bec enjoyed her card and I'm sure you will enjoy her teenage years! :o)

Challenge Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered my Catalogue Challenge. I've really enjoyed seeing all your entries throughout the month. So that you can all enjoy them too, I thought I'd post a linky list here. Just click on each name to view their inspiring artwork. You can see a slideshow of everyone's work down below.
Nerida
Louise
Tracy 1
Lorna
Kristy
Liam
Leonie
Paula
Ange
Kathryn
Sam
Tracy 2
Kirrily
Kerry
Kylie
Chantell
Tamara
Noreen
Zoe

And the winner is....this was such a tough choice because they are all fabulous....

Tamara!
I really like the way she took this:
and really made it her own with this cute elephant card:
Tamara, I'll pop your prize in the mail for you :o)
I've got another challenge planned for June, so stay tuned!

A card by Zoe

I've had lots of lovely entries to my Catalogue Challenge. You still have one more day to enter! Before I announce my favourite, I want to show you an entry by a lovely customer and friend of mine, Zoe.
Zoe doesn't have a blog of her own (although she should, because her work is lovely!), so I hope she doesn't mind if I show it here:

Zoe has used the Catalogue to case the card on page 83. Hasn't she done a fantastic job? She's used 'Haiku' DSP, and a couple of Retired Stamp sets on her card.
Thanks for entering Zoe! The rest of you have until midnight Sunday night if you would like to join in the challenge.