Finishing on a top note ...

 My final card for Christmas ... a bit of traditional red and then some Concord Crush and Marina Mist...

And, where would I be without my Big shot machine?
It dry embossed this cardstock with the embossing folder - Vintage wall paper and then cut it out with the topnote die.

How about some shimmer paint in Frost white to put a little glitter on the red ornament embellishment?

Merry Christmas and wishing you creativity

 and lots of stamping JOY through the new year!

Scallops for Christmas ...

 Do not open 'till Dec 25 ...

 "Winter post" and "Season of Joy" stampsets with old olive and pear pizazz on Almost artichoke cardstock and the petals-a-plenty Embossing folder.

 Real Red this time and the Ornament punch is sponged with Frost white shimmmer paint.

 What about these colours: Old olive and Marina mist with the Delightful Decorations set.

Another favourite colour combination: Rich Razzleberry, Concord Crush and Marina Mist.

 Whats your favourite?

Musical notes: Joy, butterflies and dasher...

Are your Christmas carols playing... on the CD player, 

and in your head?

Definitely at the shopping centre carpark to soothe those merry souls...

I thought I'd share a last minute card with you to wish you

"Joy"

this week and throughout the year.

My Supplies :

 Stamp sets: Welcome Christmas, Dasher.

Stampin' around wheel: Music notes.

 Cardstock:

Whisper white, Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, white vellum.

Ink:

Basic Black, Soft suede, Sahara sand.

Shimmer Paint:

Champagne mist (sponged around the edges)

Frost white (sponged on the velum butterflies)

Tools:

Paper snips (for cutting around the Joy)

Big shot machine and Beautiful Wings Embosslit die.

Accessories:

white Organza ribbon,

sponge daubers, glue dots, snail and tape.

'Tis the season to be jolly (joy-full)

Tra -la -la-la -la -la -la -la -la !

Scrapbook in brights - I love 2 swim!

 It is scrapbooking time and I am scrapbookng a page from January 2010.
I have been waiting for the right colour combination for this group of photos and finally it has come together.
From the swimming costumes we get Melon Mambo, the water: Tempting Turquoise and Whisper white with a background of Pear Pizazz. Those smiles say it all - Summer and playing with friends.

At the beginning of the year we loved swimming, we had a break from lessons for awhile and now we love the water again.
I have used the Embosslits Scalloped Heart of Hearts. It kind of looks like a great big textured stawberry... The matting is the newest scalloped punch (one in Tempting turquoise and one in Concord Crush). The words are from Timeless Type die cut with the Big shot machine.

 You can see the size difference with the photo that I have punched with the standard scallop circle and the x-large scallop punch behind it.
This is a very simple layout but clean and it suits the subject. The Big shot and a few dies make scrapbooking so much quicker and efficient. Add a few large punches and it becomes easy.

Enjoy!!!

Big shot Scallop die

This is one of the most versatile Big shot dies (after my all time favourite - the top note).
Here is how I have been using it for Christmas cards this week.

Cardstock: Marina Mist, Rich Razzleberry, Real Red, Always Artichoke, whisper white.
Tools: Big shot machine, Scallop die cut, Petals a plenty embossing folder.
Ribbon: Marina Mist, Mistle toe and some silver cord (retired SU).
Enjoy!!!

Petals a Plenty in Real Red and Soft Suede

 Four days till the big day... no sign of sleds or ice here, but we can imagine these traditional silhouettes on an indoor ice rink somewhere... I've stamped suede ink for the wreath then spritzed the whole scallop with gold smooch spritz spray. It comes out a lovely antique gold when you sponge some soft suede around the edges. Nope the camera can not pick up that gold smooch - you have to see it in real life.

 I really enjoy making cards with friends in mind ... someone who appreciates a hand made card.
It gives both ways: the pleasure of making the card, of experimenting with new techniques and creating something unique and then posting it off to a friend, who you know will enjoy having it on their shelf for awhile knowing how much time you put into it.

 The petals a plenty embossing folder certainly has had a work out this season.... I made another card in Old olive and to bring out those petals I gently wipe my ink pad over the surface only touching the raised portions of the embossing.

 I kept with the traditional red and green (and a touch of soft suede) for this one. Using patterned paper to peak through the ornament window of the petals a plenty layer.

 This soft suede version has been sponged with a dauber to bring out the texture of the square lattice embossing. But only around the edges as I wanted the image of the children sledding to peak out through the ornament window. The Joy is stamped in Frost white shimmer paint sponged direct to the rubber stamp.

The frost white shimmer paint looks really white front-on but turns to a transparent shimmer from the side.

How cool is that?  Enjoy!!!

Christmas cards and summer holidays...

Its the week before Christmas and School holidays!!!

The photo is of my little princess at the ice skating rink.

It is probably one of the best places to be during Summer holidays...

So I'd best show you the last of my Christmas cards that I have been making.

I've used three punches (including the pinking hearts edge punch) here,
and the newest square lattice embossing folder on the white layer.
Plus Dasher's antlers as decoration on the ornament.
Did you pick that?

Up close you can see that I have stamped Joy at christmas from the Perfect Punches stampset on to some Christmas Cocoa patterned paper which has been spritzed with the new Gold Smooch spritz (Summer mini page 10). Then it is punched with a 6cm wide scalloped oval punch (also from the new mini).
I've tied a bow with the Real red tafetta ribbon and glue dotted it in place.

Oh and here is my attempt at gift wrapping Jessie's teacher's gift.

It was a handmade calendar and pen set.

How do you like my Re-cycled packaging with Stampin' up papers and tag -Too easy!

Most popular stampsets

Thought you might be interested in knowing which stamp sets have been most popular during November. (I always like to know what other people are enjoying and whether its the same as me).
Here are the top ten sets in November:

121502 Delightful Decorations (wood-mount): IB&C p. 25

121592 Dasher (wood-mount): IB&C p. 161

120597 Welcome Christmas (clear-mount): IB&C p. 26

115868 Snow Swirled (wood-mount): IB&C p. 28

113023 Season of Joy (wood-mount): IB&C p. 20

118601 Well Scripted (clear-mount): Summer Mini p. 18

109683 So Swirly Stampin' Around Jumbo Wheel: IB&C p. 20

119185 Teeny Tiny Sentiments (wood-mount): IBC p. 105

121568 Sparkly & Bright (wood-mount): IB&C p. 22

120594 Contempo Christmas (clear-mount): IB&C p. 23

Now for December I am guessing it is everything from the December Frenzy  upto 50% off list ...

like -

Heard from the Heart (23.37) what a bargain!!!



And Pendant Park for $13.98 (Doesn't it look great on acetate?)

A little treat $10.98 wood, or $7.98 clear... I should just buy another one of these as a gift ...

Teeny Tiny sentiments $31.48 - my most used sentiment set

And the markers are still only $3.45 and $4.03*

AND the styled silver hardware is only $28.98

You will never see Kind heart for $5.98 again.

Today and tomorrow are probably the last days to place an order to get your goodies before Christmas. 

I will be placing one last order before Christmas. Yet these prices will be offered until 29 December.

(*Markers may be on back order as they have been very popular.)
Enjoy!!!

Welcome Chrismas!

 I have combined the welcome Chrismas stampset with the Christmas Cocoa Designer series paper.
A touch of embossing, sponging and champagne shimmer paint.

 I just love the rhinestones (have you noticed)... Christmas is all about shimmer and champagne and shiny things.
 I am loving the shimmer paint because you can combine it with our classic inks to make a shimmery antique gold. This one is with soft suede for that vintage gold look which goes so lovely with crisp white.

enJOY!!!!

I'm having a Concord Crush !!!

I am in love with this colour, in some lights it looks purple and in some lights it is blue ... If you are missing

out on a bit of purply-blue in your life this is the one to indulge yourself with.

Why did they call it Concord Crush?

Well there is actually an Iris by the name of Concord Crush ...

I made this card for a friend's birthday and being such a busy time of year I have only just sent it to her... so now I can share it with my blog readers.

You have probably guessed that it is a CASE (copy and share everything) of the card on the front of the main Idea Book and Catalogue 2010-11.

 The trick to making this card is making a sheet of layered textured strips of cardstock and patterned papers.

Some are from "Love Letters" Designer series paper, some have been run through the Big shot with an embossing folder (Elegant lines).

The individual strips are glued together or taped as the case may be. Then the whole piece is run through with the Top note die. 

 The Sentiment 'happy birthday' is from Perfect Punches... great little stampset for all different ocassions.
I've added half back pearl jewels and a paper daisy for embellishment.

 Card Recipe:
Stampset: Perfect Punches. Artistic Etchings.
Cardstock: Concord Crush, Very vanilla, Basic Black and Love letter DSP.
Tools: Large oval punch, Eyelet border punch, Big shot, top note, Elegant lines embossing folder.
Accessories: half backed pearls, paper daisy.

Artistic Etchings Life is Beautiful card with Rhinestones

I am so in love with this colour combination:
Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Early Espresso and whisper white.
So the texture and the Rhinestones make it that little bit special but this is just one of my favourite combinations at the moment.

I've stamped the topnote with Marina Mist... with the roses from Life is Beautiful.
Then put the topnote through the Big shot again with the textured embossing folder "Vintage Wall Paper".
But before I did that I wiped the ink pad all over the raised bits of the embossing plate with Concord Crush ink.
The life is Beautiful sentiment, Eiffel tour, crown and keys are stamped in Early Espresso and raised on dimensional foam with just a spattering of Rhinestone jewells on top.

PPA72 - white Joy !

Already today I have posted a card for this challenge. But then I was downloading some photos and realised this one has a lot more winterwhite on it than my first attempt.
I actually made a few cards yesterday in this white on neutrals style because I was playing with both the champagne shimmer paint and also the Gold spritz spray from the new mini.

 This one has been sponge daubed with a mixture of Soft suede and Shimmer paint.
 Around the edges of the petals-a-plenty embossed layer and also around the ornament punch .

 To make the  JOY shimmer it has been daubed with champagne shimmer paint and soft suede ink direct to the rubber stamp then stamped and cut out with my Sharpest scissors.
It reallly makes cutting a dream when you have sharp paper snips.

 Then I tied my bow in Early Espresso tafetta ribbon.
The rhinestone jewels are perfect for that necessary bling on a Christmas bauble.

 Okay, so I took a few pictures... well I knew I was posting it off as soon as I'd finished it and I wanted to show you that shimmery paint in a few different lights and angles.

 That's the Christmas cocoa paper as a back drop and on the ornament... I just cant bear to cut the flocked papers, so perhaps I will make them into scrap pages. This one goes off to my sister I hope she likes it.

PPA72 Winter White challenge

 Pals Paper Arts Inspiration Photo this week highlights a beautiful collection of winter whites! 
Whether it is the holiday sparkle, the winter scenes or the fabric textures that inspire you, let the whites take center stage.  Find some time for yourself this busy season and create! 

Aren't these pictures peaceful ?

I love white on white ... or white on suede, white on sahara sand, or white on early espresso ...

Here is my version of winter whites this week:

Ive used the petals a plenty embossing folder put through the big shot machine...

This embossing folder suits christmas, feminine, floral or garden themes.

Any way I started with the white petals a plenty texture, punched out the ornament shape and stamped the Welcome Christmas stamp on the Soft Suede base card so that the tree would be seen through the window.

I have snuck in some new products from the current summer mini catalogue:

The pinking hearts Border

The X large scallop circle punch (its 6cm wide, so fits our standard 4.4cm scallop inthe centre).

The ribbon bow is made from tafetta 1/8" (thats about 4mm) thin ribbon.

That gorgeous Joy at christmas stamp is from the Perfect punches stampset.

I have stamped it on a piece of embossed white cardstock (polka dot embossing folder) for just that little added texture...

Enjoy!!!

The Baby Wipe technique For the Season of Joy

I made all the above cards using the "Baby wipe technique".
Baby wipes (or wet ones for those who don't have children running around the house) are usually somewhere in every bodies home or car...
                   So why use them in your crafting?

Why not?

You will need :a few wet ones or baby wipes (any brand).

A reinker or two or three.

A saucer, plastic plate or lid.

Whisper white cardstock (to stamp on).

And a solid image stamp.

The Season of Joy tree was perfect as it is fairly solid rubber surface.

All you need to do is:

1. Put 1-2 folded baby wipes on the plastic plate or lid.

2. Add 5 or 6 drops of reinker on to the baby wipe, in each colour.

Hint: choose colours that blend well together, if they don't you might get a brown muddy colour, so blues and greens, blue, reds and purple are good together.

3. Stamp your solid rubber stamp onto your baby wipe "ink-pad" a couple of times and stamp the image onto your white cardstock.

 I think I like this one above best as it shows the Rose Red and Perfect Plum really nicely, and the baja breeze is just a hint in the spaces.

I was also experimenting with my Dasher stamp. I have used just dashers antlers to create a swirled background behind the tree and also on the oval scallop punch behind the sentiments.
The Square lattice embossing folder has been sponged in both Baja Breeze and Marina Mist.

Card Recipe:

Stampsets - Season of Joy, Dasher, Teeny Tiny sentiments.

Inks and reinkers - Rose Red, Perfect Plum, Baja breeze.

Cardstock - Rose red, baja breeze, whisper white, Marina Mist.

Punches: Word window, Scallop oval.

Tools: Big shot, Square lattice embossing folder.

Baby wipes, plastic plate/lid.