Are you Sale-a-brating yet?

 Hi there, can I just mention that we have only one more month of Sale-a-bration left to go?

Stampin' Up!'s Sale-a-bration lasts until 22 March!

Lets be honest here - I am looking for hostesses to party with!

We only have a limited number of weekends left to party... and I dont want you to miss out.

My card today uses two sets from the Sale-a-bration FREE offerings:

Feeling Sentimental FREE!!!

Bloomin' Marvellous FREE!!!

as well as some gorgeous Cherry cobbler and crumb cake cardstock on a two tags die,

First Edition newsprint (over stamped with Papaya Collage leaves)

and thinking of you from Sweet essentials.

Like to make a card like this?

Give me a call to talk about a class or better still hostess at your place and lets make a plan to get you some free gifts.

How to catch a butterfly - thumping technique tutorial

I promise that no butterfly has ever been harmed in creating this card.

This is a technique that has been around almost as long as Stampin' up! has had markers.

It is a really fun technique that produces a great result in no time at all.

 The thumping marker technique needs a semi solid stamp to get this flickering effect of colours.

The Swallowtail stamp from the Autumn Seasonal mini is a great choice.

You will need:

Swallowtail stamp

Whisper white cardstock

Crumbcake ink pad

Stampin' Write markers

 Step 1. Lay your rubber stamp rubber side up on your table and ink up your swallowtail stamp with Crumbcake ink.

 

Step 2. Taking the lightest coloured Stampin' write marker (I have chosen Summer Starfruit) hold it on the end and lightly tap the side of the brush on the rubber.

 It's not really thumping more tapping as in gently playing a drum.

Step 3. Take your next lightest colour (gumball green) and tap it lightly onto the rubber.

 Step 4. Using your darkest Stampin' Write Marker (Midnight Muse) add more tapping on the side of the brush.

 Step 5. Now stamp the butterfly onto your piece of whisper white cardstock.

*   *   *

 Every butterfly is different as the brush marks are never in the same place.

 Here is one my ten year old daughter made using 5 different markers from the in-colour pack on a base of Summer Starfruit ink.

Thinking of you - patterned occasions washing line

This is Pinterest Tuesday!
On Tuesday's I select a card I have admired on, or been inspired by,  from pinterest and create my own version.
I am going do this every week. Might get a week behind at times but it is a great motivator to put your own spin on a great card idea or layout.
The original card on pinterest is this one by : stampwithheather@typepad.com

Heather's card has the textured sky background and a few layers of grass in the foreground and the patterned occasions jeans stamps hanging on a clothes line.

I simplified the design a bit and used trees instead of clouds to hang my linen thread line on.

When I  CASE (that's copy and share everything - the card makers motto) I generally do it by memory, so some of the elements get changed around and interpreted rather than copied.

I have put the "Bloomin' Marvellous" flower and butterflies in my grass instead of a ribbon and "thinking of you" on a cloud instead of on the line.

I am happy how it came out, now if only this rain would clear up so I can get MY line full of washing dry!

Make a wish...and a sliding gift box

 A little bit of Sale-a-bration,
 a little bit of seasonal catalogue stampsets
 and you have a fairly simple birthday card.

The "Make a wish" stampset is a set of 7 stamps for making birthday invitations, celebrations and I just love the "Make a wish come true" stamp in this collection.

 Months ago it was our girl's birthdays ... we finally got together to celebrate their tenth birthday with lunch and  a swim, fine weather and gifts.
Usually this slider box contains a chocolate bar or block and I can whip up a few of these boxes very quickly with the scoring tool on my cutter or the Simply scored Scoring tool.

 I have used only Sale-a-bration stamps on the boxes.
The cutest elephant and the cupcake from Patterned Occasions.
 For you and happy b-day from Pretty Petites stampset and the matching Curly label punch.

 On the second box it is the cupcake and a cup of hot chocolate with hearts in the steam.

Background stamping is really easy with the large Swallowtail butterfly stamp. It covers he whole box front and back. Then for texture I ran the boxes through the cloud embossing folder.

So appropriate for butterflies.

* * *

Oh the slider box bit - ta dah!!!!

When you pull the cotton ribbon - a chocolate (or in this case a calculator) appears.

Patterned Occasions cupcake card

Who doesn't like a cupcake on their birthday?
If you are a ten year old girl - it will definitely get a smile. Perhaps the real thing is better when you're ten.
But for the rest of us - a card with a cup cake is the go. This one fits perfectly into the Window collections framelit and comes with it's own cute sentiment.

Card Recipe:

Stampset: patterned occasions

Cardstock: Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple

Ink: In-colour markers 2013

Ribbon: Primrose Petals stitched satin

Big shot, Windows collection framelits, Honey comb embossing folder.

Glimmer brad.

Swallowtail Spotlight effect technique

I came accross this gorgeous idea in my internet travels.

Dont you love that moment when you see a fabulous card idea and can say "Yay I have that stampset!"

The orginal idea came from Dawn Griffith and I just had to have a go at CASEing her design.

Are you familiar with the spotlight technique?

Well this one takes it to a new level.

This is my quick and simple tutorial.

1. Stamp black Stazon ink butterfly on two pieces of whisper white cardstock.

2. Colour one of the images with your coloured Stampin'Write markers.

3. punch out circles in different shapes from the coloured butterfly

4. Stick the circles on to the black and white butterfly being careful to line up the lines on the wings perfectly.

5. I have run my completed butterfly through the Big shot to embed the circles with the cloud Embossing folder (but probably not necessary for the overall effect).

Colours used: Summer starfruit, Calypso Coral, Gumball green, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder.

Cardstock:

Primrose Petals, Basic Black and Whisper white.

Stampsets: Swallowtail, Vintage Verses.

What do you think? Something you'd like to try?

Like to party during February?

Crafters anonymous pinterest Tuesday - Papaya Collage

On Tuesday's at Crafters Anonymous we challenge each other to choose a card on Pinterest that we have been meaning to CASE and share our interpretation of it.

This week I chose this card by Patty B. She calls it study in Red.

I really like the collage of stamps neatly divided into 12 squares.

Somehow it reminds me of those puzzle games where you have to shuffle the squares around to make a picture.

I chose to use Papaya Collage and French Folliage as my main stampsets and Vintage Verses for the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant and Wisteria Wonder.

Here's a close up of my Purple Papaya collage with Pearls.

Birthday card inspirations

Birthday cards from Julie K, Vicki and T.

This month is my Birthday ... and I just have to share some of the beautiful handmade cards I have received. Getting happy mail is one of my favourite things.

In particular handmade cards.

The first six cards are from the Birthday fairies from ESAD (Extra Special Australian Demonstrators)

Kate Russell, Julie Stork and Natasia Green.

We definitely need to CASE a couple of these ideas.

Jill Fitzgerald - summer smooches paper

Sophie Conus - Triple treat flower and scallop circle Die



Felicity Hawkins - gorgeous vintage card,envelope and tag.

Felicity has used the beautiful Tea for Two bundle of papers and trinket, flower ribbon and doilies from the Seasonal Catalogue.

I hope you have enjoyed the inspiration from my talented friends who have shared their creativity with us this month.

Tea Cup warmer made from Stampin' Up! fabric by Felicity.

Patterned Occasions Tea cups

Today I have used the Tea cup from "Patterned Occasions" Stampset.

I am loving those steamy hearts above the cups.

The background pattern is the Designer Series paper - Sycamore street - you get 12 sheets of  paper in this pack in a variety of bright and bold patterns. Every piece is double sided so turn it over and see which one you like.

Colours are: Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand, Tangerine Tango and white.

The steam pattern is Perfect to put a rhinestone in the centre of and stamp with your favourite colours.

I have gone a wee bit outside my comfort zone with Summer Starfruit and Primrose Petals.

I think it works though.

Card Recipe:

Stampsets: Patterned Occasions (Sale-a-bration FREE with purchase)

Curly Cute

Cardstock: Whisper white, Summer starfruit

Ink: Summer starfruit, Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple

Ribbon: Primrose petal stitched satin

Tools: Big shot machine

Window frame collection Framelits

Clouds embossing folder.

Feeling Sentimental - three ways.

I have had a busy couple of mornings creating cards with new Sale-a-bration stampsets.

I have used punches and Big shot framelits to feature the gorgeous vintage images in this set.

Colours are inspired by the new Sycamore Ribbon and button set.

The Ferris wheel in Rich Razzleberry ink brings back child hood memories of Luna Park when I was 8 years old. The sentiment is "Celebrate" which could be a birthday, graduation, anniversary, or anything card. 

The second card features the Telephone box, Police box or Tardis for the Dr Who fans.

Just because is from "Vintage Verses" which is another of the FREE Sale-a-bration stampsets.

Thirdly, I have gone all vintage with the Penny farthing bicycle in Island Indigo ink and Pool Party cardstock to match the Ribbon and buttons.

I like the buttons tied with linen thread or twine.

Lots of distressing going on here... should that be de-stressing?

The edges of the pool party cardstock are distressed with ink and the table top.

Before that I had stressed it throught the Big shot with the SAB FREE "Vine Street" embossing folder - another must have Sale-a-bration product.

Did I mention there are 19 of them this year?

If you are wanting to Celebrate during Sale-a-bration just give me a call or,

 text to 0468 877 125 or email me nerida_carter@hotmail.com

Patterned occasions Free stampset

This little elephant is SO Cute!

Can you pick all the new products on here?

Designer series patterned paper: Sycamore street

The cloud embossing folder.

The Island Indigo Satin ribbon.

I have blinged it up with a few rhinestones and framed my little elephant with the Window Frames collection framelits. These have been carried over from the Holiday catalogue and can I say they are very easy to use and a versatile set of framelit dies.

Champagne mist and embossed Swallow tail

Can you see the embossing?

Can you see the champagne mist shimmer paint?

On page 19 of the Seasonal Catalogue there are instructions on how to get this shimmering embossed look. The one in the caty is Pool party emossed on yellow cardstock it looks amazing.

Mine is more a tone on tone affair and I have cut out the edges with my paper snips. 

What do you think of the matching button and Pool Party satin ribbon?That's right FREE during Sale-a-bration!

Hope you like my Blue Butterfly I am creating more colourful versions to show you soon.