Last day to Sale-a-brate! And a collage of stamps.

Look a photo taken outside in the sunshine, it has been raining here for 2 days now, must be easter long weekend approaching.
I made this card in the first week of March, it was one of those ideas percolating in the back of my brain.
The sentiment is on a large oval from the Sale-a-bration stampset Whimsical words:

"Follow your heart it knows the way"....which can apply to many situations and circumstances ... anyway, today is the last day of Sale-a-bration but I can see myself using these words on cards for quite a while yet.

Can you guess the stampsets that I have used on these?

They are exclusive stampsets that only hostess's can earn from having a workshop, or placing an order of $300 or more....

* Organic grace for the black outlined flowers and chocoate stems at the bottom,

...and Rustic rooster for the background script.

Of course I've sponged and rubbed the edges with my creamy caramel Ink pad and close to cocoa, too.

The base of the card is Confetti white cardstock with a layer of Basic black and the collage is all done on whisper white.

Chocolate chip Grosgrain ribbon completes the chocolate and cocoa story with dimensional foam dots to raise the large oval off the page.

I think the rain is easing up so have a Happy Easter everyone!

Come and visit the Stampin' Up stand at West Gosford Markets this Sunday...

This Sunday, 28th March 2010 at the West Gosford Markets

When: 9am to 2pm.

Where are we ?  20 Tathra street, West Gosford (turn off Manns Rd, into Yandina and then right into Tathra St)

Whats it all about?  It is a craft and Homewares market right here on the Central Coast.

There will be Stamping and Craft stalls and Scrapbooking supplies.

Homewares, Jewellery, Candles, Country and Modern Decor, Teddies, Knits, Fabric, Quilts,and more.

Its the first monthly market at this venue and over 10,000 flyers have been delivered on the Central coast so we are expecting a great turn out.

In particular, at the Stampin' Up stall you can order supplies, win a lucky door prize, buy ready made cards and Stampin' Up retired stampsets at discounted prices.

See you there ... Enjoy!!

Launching a new mini catalogue...

It is officially Autumn, it just doesn't feel like it much, warm humid days, bright burning sunshine, leaves very very green... tomato plants growing....
On Monday night 29th March we are celebrating Autumn as Stampin up starts a new Mini catalogue on 1st of April 2010!  

As it is not April yet I can't show you the new mini catalogue so instead I will show you a card I have made with the new in-colour Rich Razzle berry ....

It features a new stampset, a new wheel and the Current Sale-a-bration free stampset: Good neighbours.

Plus rub ons and new razzle berry ribbon. Isn't that colour just to die for?

And there's more, much more.. the new mini features:

The Big Shot!

Clear mount stamps!

New style punches!

Its a maxi rather than a mini as it goes for 5 months - April to August and its 35 pages full of card and scrapbooking ideas.

There you go, that is just the tiniest sneek peak of what's in store.

 I am off to design some really cool projects for us to make at the launch on Monday night.

Can't make the launch?

I can post you out a copy of the Autumn Mini catalogue, or host a party at your place.

Sale-a-bration Reminder

Join the Sale-A-Bration!
It's Sale-A-Bration time again at Stampin' Up!,
and friends, fresh ideas, and free product is what it's all about!
Every year Stampin' Up! gives customers, hostesses, and new demonstrators the opportunity to earn fantastic, FREE, limited-edition products they'll enjoy for years to come.
Here's how Sale-A-Bration works:
Spend:
When you spend $100 on Stampin' Up! merchandise, you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward. There's no limit--for every $100 you spend, you can select another FREE Sale-A-Bration reward!
Host:
When you host a workshop of at least $600 (before tax and shipping), you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits!
Join:
During Sale-A-Bration, anyone who joins as a demonstrator can choose any stamp set--a value of up to $79.95--from our current Idea Book and Catalogue or Summer Mini Catalogue.
The Sale-A-Bration promotion starts on 25 January and runs through 31 March, so don't miss your chance to earn free products! Talk to me today to book your workshop or learn more about this promotion. Click here to  view the Sale-A-Bration brochure full of beautiful project ideas you can make using these limited-edition Sale-A-Bration sets.

Nature's Rustic Collage

I had to show you my second card using this rustic collage technique.

This time I've used a bit of Creamy caramel spongeing to make the white embossing pop out from the sahara sand.

You get that sand-blasted white wash effect by rubbing the whisper white craft inkpad over the stamped design, then I sponged creamy caramel over the top.

The Dragon fly was given a touch of white gel pen, not too much.

Then I have stamped the words with whisper white craft ink: Happiness always (another free stamp set from the Sale-a-bration catalogue)... gotta love free stampsets.

And then I added the stamped and watercolour-penciled Dragon fly from the Nature's nest stampset raised on dimensional foam.

As Dragon flies are inherently transparent and shimmery I used my two-way glue pen and dazzling diamonds for a little bit of bling.

Recipe: all of the above, plus the eyelet border punch and Basic Black grosgrain ribbon.

Easel card Inspired by Nature

I am sharing a card I made at the end of last month, that I couldn't show you before because it was for  a friend's birthday ... Anyway, this is the Easel card I made.

It uses the gorgous butterfly punch, Inspired by Nature stampset, glitter and Designer series Paper: Urban garden.

The butterfly down the bottom is enjoying the sunshine with a layer of glitter underneath the wings.

The stampsets used are: Inspired by Nature (both the grass and the flower stamps laid over one another)
and the words are from Butterfly prints.

I have inked up the daisy with Pacific point, rubbed off the flower centre  and added some lavender lace marker to the rubber before stamping on the cardstock.

Then for texture I have covered the petals in crystal effects.

You can see how I have dotted the centres with the crystal effects. They're supposed to look like dew drops in the sunshine.
The ribbon and button hold the easel in place.

There is even a place (under the folded easel bit) for some extra stamping and wishes.

If you would like to make this card send me an e-mail 
and I can come and make it at your place.
Too far away? You can order supplies from me and stampin' up will deliver them direct to your door.
Here is what you need:

Butterfly Punch ($30.95 value)
1 Pack Assorted Cardstock ($14.50 value)
Urban Garden Designer Series Paper ($16.95 value)
Old Olive Grosgain ribbon ($14.95 value)
Inspired by Nature ($41.95 value)
PLUS
Until the 31st of March a free Sale-A-Bration Set of your choice!
Total cost: $124.95 (includes shipping of $5.95)
For the month of March you get all this -
A Stamping Joy exclusive: for just $112.
(including shipping straight to your door)*
Option: Add Crystal effects to your order for an extra $11.
* Australian residents only.

Natures Nest and Vintage Labels

I have re-discovered Sahara sand as my new neutral.
Well, all these colours are neutrals actually! Black, white, grey, sand, and a touch of creamy caramel.

Do you like this technique? A Vintage version of Collage.
I have been inspired by a T-shirt design and the french provincial style (think shabby chic furniture).

Card Recipe:

Stampsets: Nature's nest (from the  Summer mini catalogue $39.95)

 Rustic Rooster (Free hostess set)

Vintage Labels (Free Sale-a-bration set)

Ink: Black stazon, Whisper white, Creamy caramel.

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Basic Grey, Basic Black.

Accessories: white embossing powder, heat tool.

Punches: 1" circle punch, Scallop Circle Punch.

Film strip cards tell Tall Tales and Animal stories.

Try and say that fast. This style of card uses the great little spiral punch for making filmstrip edges or spiral bound note books and pages. See it in the picture above.

Its Thursday and I have been busy stamping and punching using my Sale-a-bration stamps and Animal Tales Papers from the Summer Mini catalogue. (Both of these finish on March 31st, so have a look and see if they are something you would like to get your crafty hands on).

I've made three cards from the same supplies, just different colour combinations and changed the layouts only slightly.

Pacific Point and Rose Red are very rich colours and match the Designer series paper quite well. The blue brings out the blue zebra and the Rose Red hi-lights the little owl and birds in the tree.

Here's my Happy Birthday sentiment on the new Vintage label stamp, cut out with the Wide oval punch and decorated with a piece of white taffetta ribbon.

Pacific Point with Old olive this time ... There's a crocodile and Old olive trees.

And here is the same vintage label stamped and raised on dimensional foam spots.

Lastly I made an Old Olive and Rose Red coloured card on a landscape orientation, featuring lots of chocolate chip elephants and some Rose red birds in a tree.

I have used a different Vintage Label and the "For you" Sentiment this time and that gorgous very easily tie-able white Tafetta ribbon again.

I am really enjoying these vintage labels can you tell?

Card Recipe:

Cardstock: Old Olive, Rose Red, Pacific Point.

Inks: Rose Red, Old Olive, Pacific Point.

Stampset: Vintage Labels - Free during Sale-a-bration.

Animal stories (for background stamping).
Designer series Paper: Tall Tales $16.95

Punches: Spiral edge, Scallop Circle, Wide Oval, 1 1/4" square.

Accessories: Ribbon - White Tafetta

Butterflies and Bookmarks

I have been enjoying and inspired by all the ideas from the recent Craft Expo.
One of the display items that my upline Linda put up was a very glittery butterfly card and matching Book mark.

The original idea I believe came from the wonderfully talented Vanessa Webb.

It is really a very quick little gift to make and very striking with the chunky glitter underneath two of the butterflies. I've been making cards and embellishments and they are really fun to make.

Would you like to make one of these bookmarks at a Stampin' Up technique class?

I can show you how.

There are some beautiful products available to make cards, and gifts for friends and family.

Ask me and I can put together an order for you that will ensure you receive a free stampset (saleabration ends on 31 March) or hostess a workshop and receive hostess rewards of free stampsets and free product.

I love stamping and paper crafting but most of all I like to share my ideas and make projects with friends.

Give me a call and invite me to your place with a group of friends for $10 p/person we can make this book mark plus a matching card.

Point taken in the Elite Challenge.

So that was February, and it's already March!!!
On Saturday I tried to quickly whip up an Elite Challenge Card for the month of February. One of the challenges was to use the colours: Pacific Point, Taken with Teal, Tempting Turquoise and Orchid Opulence. I have been thinking over these colours for the whole month, gathering courage.

I thought the colours could be a bit heavy: the Teals and the Blues... so with the help of a whisper white Fresh Cuts Note card I think I managed to keep it light and white to carry those heavier hues.

  The front of the card is stamped with the damask stamp from Friends 24/7 stampset ... I have used this stamp over and over again.... then I slipped a square of Orchid Opulence behind the cut out panel stamped with Tempting turquoise.

I puched two flowers out with the 5 petal punch one in Taken with Teal and the second Tempting Turquoise. Placed them behind and a pacific point cut out flower in front.

All held together with one "Build a brad".

The sentiment is stamped in whisper white craft ink onto Pacific point and punched out with a word window.

And I couldn't help myself - I had to put the smallest stamp from Flight of the butterfly in orchid opulence on the side.

Recipe:

Ink: Pacific point, Orchid opulence, Tempting turquoise, whisper white craft.

Cardstock: Whisper white, Pacific Point, Orchid opulence, Taken with teal, Tempting turquoise.

Punches: Five flower punch, Eyelet border, word window, 1.3cm circle.

Stampset: Friends 24/7, Flight of the butterfly, Fresh cuts.

Fresh cut Notes, Build a brad, DSP.