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!

Last day to Free Wheel!

Well, the promo actually finishes tomorrow, but today is the last day you can Free Wheel with me. We're heading off camping with a couple of other families tomorrow morning. It's school holidays here in NSW, so we're taking advantage of the lovely Spring weather (hoping it holds out!) to get away from it all for a couple of days.

This is a nice quick card I made with my favourite bundle on offer, 'Priceless' and 'So Swirly'. I'll send this card to anyone who orders a Free Wheelin' bundle with me by 9pm tonight, and I'll also include a little thankyou bonus thrown in! Email me to take advantage of this offer.
I think this card is fairly self-explanatory. The only slightly tricky bit is to get the shading on the butterflies wings, I inked the butterfly in Almost Amethyst first, and then sponged Lovely Lilac ink on the stamp with a dauber, before stamping on Whisper White cardstock.

Stamps: Priceless, Short and Sweet, So Swirly Jumbo Wheel
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery
Cardstock: Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Other: White gel pen, Large Oval Punch, Small Oval Punch

September Stamp-a-Stack

These were the designs for this month's Tuesday Stamp-a-Stack classes. I showed everyone a nifty watercolour cheat...stamp on coloured paper! This essentially gives you a ready-made background wash of colour for you, and you only need to do a bit of light water colouring in a deeper tone over the top. It makes it quick and easy to colour, and is much more forgiving than colouring on white.
All of these cards have been stamped in black Stazon ink, using the "Bloomin' with Beauty" set from the mini (which I LOVE). I've used my watercolour crayons and an aqua-painter to colour with. The base cardstock is Confetti White and Confetti Cream. It has a light fleck in it, which is really pretty, and I find it a bit sturdier as a card base than the Whisper White and Very Vanilla. The layer over the top is River Rock and Soft Sky....how I will miss these two when they disappear in March!! I've sponged around all the edges, and added some interest to the corners with the photo corner punch and some paper piercing. I wanted the photo corners to stand out a bit more, so I pressed them into my inkpad to deepen the colour of them and give them an interesting texture. The ribbon is White Taffeta and Very Vanilla Grosgrain.

I Enjoy Team Meetings!

This was the card that I designed for the make-and-take at our last team meeting. I have a meeting every month with my team (Stampers Anonymous) to share our stamping creations and experiences, as well as business tips and information, over a cuppa and some yummy treats. We all take turns bringing the nibblies, and preparing the make-and-take, and this time it was my turn for the make-and-take!
Even as my team grows, I don't ever want to stop stamping together...it's so much a part of what we are about. This make-and take is really simple, and didn't take long to make, even having to share all the supplies. We all pitched in and made some extras, so that I could mail them out to all the girls who couldn't make it to the meeting.
I used the Daisy Dash wheel in Versamark ink on the background, and filled in the flower centres with a white gel pen. 'Enjoy' (from the Spring Mini) has been stamped in Blue Bayou ink on Whisper white cardstock. The small flower and words (from the same set) have been stamped in Purely Pomegranate ink. I punched the flower out with the 1/2" circle punch, and popped it up using Dimensionals, and the words have been punched out with the word Window punch (it beats trying to stamp it straight!). A piece of the gorgeous double stitched Purely Pomegranate ribbon adds that finishing touch.
This would make a great masculine card, by substituting the flowers for stars, spots, or something more 'manly'. I love the way 'enjoy' fills the card up so nicely that it leaves very little work to do!

Gift Certificates

I love making pretty gift certificate wallets. This is an example of one of my birthday ones, and soon I'll get cracking on making a Christmassy version...I'm thinking Holiday Harmony paper and Pomegranate Satin ribbon may make an appearance on them!
If you would like to get your hands on one of these, just give your loved ones my email address or phone number, and I'll do the rest.
We all know the Silly Season is just around the corner, and we also know that our hubbies can sometimes take a while to get a hint, so you may have to start working on him now! A few strategically placed post-it notes should do the trick ;o)

On this gift wallet, I used Soft Sky cardstock and ribbon, along with Spring Silhouettes 12x12 paper. The embellishment has been made with a Pretties Kit flower, dyed using a dauber and Soft Sky Inkpad. I then layered circles in Soft Sky and Whisper White, and the centre circle has been stamped using the floral motif from 'Brocade Backgrounds', and finished off with a clear Rhinestone brad in the middle.

Baby Shower Invitation

Thanks for all the Congratulations on my published effort, both here and by email. It was interesting that some of you said that you recognised my style...I didn't know I had a style! LOL
I guess if I do it would be this: clean and simple...I'm not sure if that's a good thing, though!
This is the Baby Shower invitation I made for my sister-in-law:

She's pregnant with twin girls (yikes!), and I'm hosting her baby shower in a couple of weeks (double yikes!). She's due in December, but we all figure it's more likely to be November, judging by her girth!
These were really quick to make. I stamped a small flower from 'Little Pieces' all over some Pretty in Pink cardstock, and highlighted the centres with my white gel pen. I punched out a circle using the Round Tab punch twice. The inside of the card is lined with a piece of Regal Rose cardstock, with the Shower details printed on the bottom. I stamped the babies from 'All in the Family' onto Whisper White cardstock in Black Stazon. The heads and bodies are 2 separate stamps, and I didn't need the Stamp-a-ma-jig to position them. I then punched them out with the Scallop circle, and coloured them lightly with Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose inks using my Blender pens. The "You're Invited" stamp is from 'Cheer and Wishes' and has been stamped in Black Stazon also. A piece of pink gingham ribbon wrapped around the spine of the card finishes it off. I wheeled some envelopes with the 'Daisy Dash' wheel (sooo quick and easy), in pink, of course!

Edited to add: A few people have asked how I did the trick of making a circle with the Round Tab punch. You can see how HERE. :o)