Simple Page keeper

Another bookmark? When your'e on a roll - just enjoy!

Child back at school, still feeling relaxed from those 8.30am sleep-ins ... but I just can't seem to fall asleep until after midnight ... when reading late at night, cardmaking and bookmarks come to mind.

This is a very quick little bookmark: It is made with surprisingly little cardstock and paper.

The piece of Double sided paper is "Berry Bliss" (I love pretty in pink with close to cocoa).

And the flower stamp is from Embrace life stamped in Close to cocoa and Pale plum using the markers to colour in the petals. Here's the other side. Cute huh? And it doesn't fall out of your book, even if you turn it upside down ... and shake it.

I might just make a few more since this one was so quick.

Bookmarks and page keepers...

Here is another version of the bookmark cards I have been playing with.

It uses Taken with Teal cardstock and Bali Breeze DS paper (from the current Summer mini) and the Botanical Blooms flower stamped in Old Olive mounted on a scalloped square.

Don't you love the words that come with this set?

To thine own self be kind: Makes you want to get a book and read all day, and just be "kind" to yourself.

Botanical Birthday card

I enjoyed making this card ... fiddly but for one it is back to the purple cardstock and inks I like to play with.
It has embossing (in white) and vellum, and flowers that I have stamped in Orchid Opulence and Elegant eggplant using the two step stamping technique. The flowers at the top I have stamped in eggplant ink, but you could do this in versamark for that watermark look.

Here is a close up of the embossing on the velum, this is very fast, as the velum helps to heat the powder and it melts very quickly. If you hold the heat on it too long it will spread and you lose that crisp raised appearance. Tell me about it ... I learn by experience.The Materials:

Cardstock: Elegant eggplant, orchid opulence and whisper white. Velum.

Inks: white craft ink, Elegant eggplant, orchid opulence.

White signo gel pen for the faux stitching.

White brads, Stamp-a-ma-jig and Mat pack .

Stampsets: Botanical Blooms (SAB2009), Finest flourishes, and Stem sayings.

A little Something in Old olive.

I keep coming back to this Embrace Life set and this time teamed it with the Yummy stampset - A little something, which just fits nicely on a vertical card front (or do you call that portrait card front?) I have been up late at night to stamp, as I just can't sleep in this heat and humidity ... so a few cards to show you over the next few days.
Materials:

Stampset: Yummy (Sale-a-bration set 2009), Embrace Life (Summer mini catalogue)

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper white

Paper: Ginger blossom double sided (river rock).

Ink: Old Olive.

Markers: Close to Cocoa, Old olive.

Ribbons: Taffeta (Cream and sage). Scallop-edge punch and corner rounder.

Ice skating Birthday Scrapbook page

Since I showed you the cake, I thought I may aswell share the scrap book pages I made to celebrate Jessica's 6th birthday. Above is page one of a two page spread.Materials:

Stampsets: garden whimsy, Be happy, Lovely letters, Happy everything.

Cardstock: Textured Rose red, Whisper white.

Paper: Bali Breeze DS patterned.

Ink: whisper white craft ink, stazon black

Accessories: Clear buttons, Circle scallop punch, scallop edge, white signo gel pen.

Here's some detail of the buttons:

(I love how you can stamp on them with stazon ink, or embossing powder too - here I've just adhered them with doublesided tape so you can see the stamp underneath.

My daughter loves butterflies and lady beetles, so the garden whimsy stampsets with their spots seemed to match the

paper and the spotted top my girl is wearing.

Her smile tells it all - for how many years will fairy bread get a girl so excited!

Birthday cake and lolly boxes

I just can't help sharing a photo of my daughter's birthday cake that we made ... it was a few weeks ago, now. My little girl loves Dora with pink and purple ...

The little lolly boxes were shop-bought and I just added the star and circle punch tag on to the metal handle as a special touch with a little ribbon.

The Thank you stamp is from "Lovely Labels".

A Little Something for you ...

Just a quick photo of the card I made with the "Yummy" stampset from the Sale a bration catalogue. The card is made with confetti white cardstock from stampin' up and it is a little thicker and more substantial than the whisper white cardstock. It has little pieces of "confetti-like" paper pressed in it giving it a handmade feel. I have used the Ginger blossom DS Paper from the Summer mini catalogue (that I also used in a scrapbook project that I recently posted.
I wanted to add something, as it was missing that something ... so put the glittery centres of the flowers on with dazzling diamonds.

Materials:

Cardstock: confetti white, regal rose.

Ink: Rose red (for background swirls) Markers: rose red, perfect plum.

Stampset: Baroque motifs and Yummy (2009 Saleabration set).

Designer series paper: Ginger blossom.

Ribbon: Regal rose wide grosgrain.

Accessories: Dazzling Diamond powder adhered with 2-way adhesive pen.

Bra card

When I saw this card over on Vanessa Webb's blog ... I just had to make my own version of it. Just too pretty isn't it? I have a passing interest in breasts and what they can do for babies. Doesn't look much like a nursing bra but hey...it's pretty.

I think it would work well as a girl's night out invitation, a lingerie party, a close friend's birthday , or perhaps your husband's birthday. Add a tassel and it would work well for a hen's night invite?

The Stamp set used is Baroque motif. Love the swirls and flower in this set, I never tire of it and the little addition of a rhinestone gives it that sparkly-bra-bling that many brands of underwear have on them.

The black lace is made with the scallop punch and the straps are ribbon that I tied off inside the card. You could just make them with strips of black cardstock.

Cardstock: Very vanilla, basic black, pink passion (appropriate). Ink: Black stazon. Stampset: Baroque motifs.

Now where do I attach the baby?

May all your dreams come true ...

I bought the "in the stars" stamp set on an impulse ... then I bought the star punch and now I can't seem to put them away!

I am trying to scrap as many of 2008 photos as I can, so that I can start 2009 ... with a fresh slate! Recently it occured to me that I can make matching cards in the same colours, the same stampset and almost the same layout give or take for the size difference... I had the idea from a layout sketch challenge where someone had used the sketch for a scrapbooking layout, then used the scrap pieces to make a card with a the same design and colours. The colours in the photo dont particularly match the cardstock: My daughter is still wearing only-pink, but there is a touch of purple in her jeans pocket ... i just couldn't do another pink layout ...atm.Here you can see the two cards I made using the same colour scheme and stamp set. I have "Rock and rolled" the stamps in the teal inkpad first and the elegant eggplant inkpad second. And used the star punch to cut out two of the stars, the slightly smaller one I cut out with scissors.

I have used the Yummy- scrolls around the journalling circle you can click on the image to enlarge it. I like anything with a curly flourish ... wish my handwriting was as stylish!

I really like Lavender lace, Taken with Teal and eggplant together.

Welcome baby card.

This is a very quick card I have made for a new baby (my cousins first grandchild). You will have seen card designs similar to this all over the web.

I made this with an off cut of "Berry Bliss" DS double sided paper. I folded it in half, the inside is that soft pretty in pink that goes so nicely with close to cocoa and pomegranate.

To make the "dress" I cut a hole in the top of the card for the "neck" of the dress with the 1 1/4" circle punch. Then cut out two pink scallop circles.

I cut a hole in the first one and fitted that as a frill around the neck.

The second scallop I cut into the flower shape and stamped welcome baby on it.

Next, I cut out the two triangular side shapes to form the sleeves and skirt, then

Used the scallop-edge punch to shape the bottom of the dress.

Added a ribbon around the waist ... done.

You could do a few of these and always have one on stand by for those surprise births, christenings and even first birthday invitations that creep up on us all too often.

A magical life ...

Don't our children live a magical life? In the school holidays they wake up as early or late as they like ... breakfast magically arrives on her own new table (a late birthday present from Ikea)... and entertainment is at your beck and call (well most of the time) ... and what I like best is how they can live in a fantasy, magical moment that goes on for hours. Believing in magic and your own dreams, that seem to come true more often than not.

"Mum I wished for a double six and it came true - its magic."

"I was just thinking of aunty and she rang on the phone!"

"Look at this leaf - isnt it beautiful?"

So I have been scrapbooking a bit this week, to use up a stash of photos and play with my patterned papers. This one took a bit of cutting out, but is something you can do sitting on the lounge while sharing the magic with your family.

Materials:

Cardstock: Grey textured and whisper white.

Ginger Blossom Designer series Paper.

Stampsets: Lovely letters and Big deal alphabets.

Marker pens: Regal rose, gable green and green galore.

Rhinestones and ribbon (from my supply stash).

White gel pen.

Afternoon Tea and Chocolate dreams!

This is my favourite of the six double sided papers in the Afternoon Tea Paper pack.

I am not really a fan of the soft sky blues but this patterned paper is just pretty. The little bird image and the flowers are perfectly coordinated with the Live your dream stampset. It is almost minty in colour.

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed I just adore punches.

The tag punch is a new one for me - I love how you can punch out parts of the Designer series paper to make a feature of a small part of the pattern.

The other punch I am enjoying is the scallop-edge punch. It gives such a quick patterned edge, easy to line up because of the marks on the punch and you can turn it over and see exactly what you are punching. I have used the choc chip and whisper white craft ink for the stamping on the choc Chip cardstock and added a bow in choc chip grosgrain ribbon.

Chocolate chip and Oh, so lovely flowers.

You know when you have a colour combination in your head and you wish you could capture it?

No, well I haven't quite got it right but this is close:

Chocolate chip base, close to cocoa and whisper white craft ink.

And I might try some creamy caramel on top...

You might see this blend again in different stampsets until I capture it,
But I do love the "forever flower wheel" on close to cocoa ...

Then it could be my caffeine cravings surfacing again.
Anything Chocolate, coffee, latte, cappucino, mocha ...

This is the "Oh, So Lovely" stampset and the two cards I made this week with it.

Let me know what you think. It is one of those sets the more you use it, the more you like it.

Oh, so lovely in Ballet Blue

This card was created around the water coloured stamp image "Oh, so lovely".

You can not buy this stampset - it is only available to hostesses ... fortunately, there are two ways to receive a hostess set: You can host a stampin' up party at your home Or, you can have a virtual party by placing an order (for yourself and your friends) for $300 worth of products.

And don't forget during Jan and Feb you will also recieve a free stampsetfor every $100 from the current sale-a-bration catalogue ...

I do like these colours together. Ballet blue and Almost Amethyst.

Materials:

Cardstock: Ballet blue, almost amethyst and watercolour paper.

Stampsets: Oh, so lovely. Circle of friendship.

Ink: Black stazon. Ballet blue, almost amethyst and Mellow moss markers.

Tools: Aqua painter, Circle punches: 1 and 1 1/4 inch. Corner rounder punch.

Ribbon: tafetta blue.

Adhesive: Snail and double sided tape.

Oh, So lovely - Bookmark card

This is one card I have had in my head for a long time that I have said I am going to attempt ... one of these days. I didnt even look up a tutorial to make this one -I have just seen it a few times on other blogs and thought: I can do that, just have to make some time. It was a very warm morning so I took a bundle of my stamping supplies downstairs to the coolest part of my house and this is what came of it.

The best part is the perforated line that separates the bookmark from the card. When you tear off the perforation part you end up with a book mark and a card: Two gifts in one!

This picture here shows the perforated line running down the centre. To perforate the cardstock I used the stampin' up Cutter Kit. If you have a perforating blade on your papercutter you might be able to get a curvy line. This one I cut freehand and then cut the printed paper to match the same curve.

And this picture shows the very basic water colouring job I did on the "Oh, So lovely" hostess stamp. Stamped on Confetti white paper in Old olive ink, I then used the mellow moss marker to fill in around the leaves and stem and using the aquapainter ( you could use a watercolour brush) I blended the colours into each other.

Materials:

Stampset: Hostess set - Oh, so Lovely.

Cardstock - Old Olive, confetti white.

Ink: Old olive, mellow moss marker.

Paper: DS paper - ginger blossom (Summer mini catalogue)

Ribbon: Old olive wide

Tools: perforate and cutting blades on the SU cutter Kit. Square-scallop punch. Scallop-edge punch. Small hole punch.

Stamping joy Saleabration 2009!

Happy New Year to you all. It is the start of the Stampin' Up! Sale-a-Bration. Which means Stampin' Up is giving away free stamps! If you haven't experienced Sale-a-Bration before, you can read how it works HERE .

In short, each time you spend $100 during January and February you get a free stampset from Stampin' Up and you have a choice of four free stamp sets which you can view HERE.

There are Four brand new sets to choose from and you can get one set for free when you place an order for $100. And there are no limits to how many you can earn.

For example, if you were to place a $300 order: You would get $300 worth of products, plus $30 in FREE merchandise, plus your FREE Level 1 Hostess Set, and 3 FREE Sale-a-Bration sets. You receive 4 stamp sets for free!

It's a fantastic time to join Stampin' Up! too.

Today, to celebrate New Year's day, I made a card with one of the free stamp sets from Sale-a-bration : Botanical Blooms. You can see it at the top of this post.

If you have a sale a bration catalogue this layout is on page 3 and the colours are Lovely lilac, Turquoise, confetti white and the centre panel is from the ginger blossom DS papers : featuring groovy guava.

Garden whimsy emerging colour

I just had to give this technique another go ... my last attempt was a bit busy ... this is a layered colourful technique, though I am hoping this time I have simplified the process and I am happier with the result.

First step is to stamp the little lady beetles and bugs in rose red and pumpkin pie onto whisper white cardstock.

Next I stamped the large butterflies in versamark and dusted it with clear embossing powder, heated it with the heat tool till it went clear and shiny ... love that effect.

Then, I sponged turquoise and olive over the whole strip to make the butterflies emerge from the background. Also known as "embossing resist".

I have layed the butterfly panel on to rose red cardstock which I have scalloped with the scallop-edge tool and placed it on a Taken with Teal card base. The Best wishes is stamped in white and embossed too. The rose red cardstock was punched out with the square-scallop punch and cut with scissors top and bottom to create a label that can be attached to the ribbon with two white brads. The ribbon is turquoise grosgrain.