Market day

Well it was the annual Christmas market day at my work this week which kept me very busy last week & away from my PC & blogging or should that be blathering? No comments required to that rhetorical question!

I made heaps of Christmas candles which solved a few pressie dilemmas for some of my workmates.

This is one of my favourite cards & always get a big wow. Using maple leaf punches (large & small); leaves are punched out of metal shim & then embossed to have veins & passed through a naked flame - lovely reds, silvers & purple colours are created. The background is just sponged with metallic brilliance inks using a template punched out of acetate with the large leaf punch - various background stamps were used as well. The leaves are then glued to copper embossed mesh, leave over night and VIOLA!

Tile Coaster Class

WOW - yes this was a real WOW class, Jacque's BEAUTIFUL effort using Carte Postale can be seen via this link: http://stamphappynz.blogspot.com/2007/12/my-offering.html

But as Carte Postale is on my wish list from the Summer Mini Catalogue, thought I'd try out the lovely flowers found in Easy Elegance (also in the Summer Mini Catalogue) stamped on top of the French Script background stamp. Guess who wants Easy Elegance now? I'm assuming this will be a very popular class to run in 2008! and am stocking up on marble tiles & have sourced some coloured Stazon ink.

December Demo Training

It's amazing or very scary how quickly this event comes around as we hurtle full speed ahead for Christmas. Our mission this time was to make/buy a small gift for $10. So of course being the pop can queen I filled one of mine up with lots of different chocolates & sealed it tight.

Janine was the lucky recipient & she commented it was amazing how many chocolates could go in one jar!

I felt is was appropriate to give Jacque a Christmas Card - what a dilemma as I couldn't copy something we'd done in class! As you may realise I love my reindeers from Sleigh Full of Toys & I cased this card straight from Splitcoast stampers - so a big thank you to stjogirl

Colours used were Old Olive, Real Red, Creamy Caramel & Certainly Celery.

Happy birthday Wendy, Lee & Kathryn

Wow 3 girlfriends having birthday at the same time. Thank heavens for home class as I got to make lots of the above card, with slight variations. I just love the effects of using the watercolour crayons directly onto a solid stamp & then wetting with a mist of water & stamping. I think this was the card that made me fall in love with watercolour crayons, they are so versatile.

Happy Birthday & tri-fold card:
Stamp-set: Petal Prints, Warm Words, Canvas & It’s Your Birthday
CS: Rose red (RR) , Very vanilla (VV), Garden green (GG)
Inks: Chocolate Chip (CC), Close To Cocoa, Creamy Caramel or Rose Red (RR).
Watercolour Crayons: Rose Red, Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Always Artichoke.

Remove ^6/8 inch from end of RR Card Stock leaving 8 ¼ x 11 inch piece of card. Cut in half vertically to give 4 ^1/8 x 11" piece of CS.

Score at 3 ½ & 7 ^1/16 (I found if you do the 2nd score line at 7" it doesn’t fold perfectly).

Using the Canvas background stamp & either CC, Close To Cocoa, Creamy Caramel or RR ink lightly stamp one side of CS.

Sponge edges with ink of choice. Add eyelet to panel that is biggest, stamp large birthday greeting with CC – remembering to leave room for clean outer edge. Stamp the tri-leaves from with RR randomly over outer 2 panels (leaving edge clean).

Stamp the open leaf around edge of 3 ^3/8 x 3 ^7/8 GG mat in an oval shape.

Using the pointed end of watercolour crayons colour in the solid flower, mist lightly with water ~12 inches away & stamp twice in middle of Very vanilla cardstock. Spritz with markers (Creamy caramel & Old Olive), sponge around edges with Creamy caramel ink. Remove an oval from centre panel. Stamp be merry or HB to middle panel. Attach all layers & thread an Ivory organdy ribbon through eyelet into a bow. Viola!!

First Home Class - watercolouring

Wow what a busy Sunday I had my first home class & was happy with the samples but enjoyed seeing the variations that were created by all. Must admit I liked my sister Tracey's colouring of these very cute reindeer from Sleigh Full of Toys. She coloured hers totally in bashful blue & also Jen's total black & white card - the snowflakes from Snow Flurries looked rather cool as plain black with glitter. A sterling effort done by all & a BIG thank you to my friend Judy who helped me with this layout which was cased from a card we made at class last week, let it SPARKLE!

Sparkle Card:
Stamp-sets: Sleigh Full of Toys, Snow Flurries & Warm Words
CS: Whisper White (WW) & Bashful Blue (BB)
Ink: BB & Basic Black.

First cut for “sparkle card” is at 4 ¼ horizontally using WW CS (4 ¼ x 8 ½) , when folded in half we have a 4 ¼ square card.Inner mats 2 ¼ square WW & 2 ½ square BB. Stamp snowflakes with BB randomly.

Stamp reindeers onto 2 ¼ square WW with Basic Black (permanent ink – so can water colour inside without the ink running) & either the penguin or present inside the card or BOTH. Colour using watercolour crayons or pastels (blender pen), sponge edge with BB & distress. Stamp the word sparkle using Basic Black.

Add glitter to snowflakes & mount up inner mats using dimensionals.

Demo swap/training again

The challenge for this Saturday was to make a card using an item from the new Summer Mini Catalogue. I have real problems with masculine cards (don't we all - why don't they like flowers!!) & felt this monogram stamp from Carte Postale was very regal/masculine. I used Night of Navy & Brocade Blue card stock & inks with the Oxford designer paper to add a bit of emphasis & finished off with a Rivetting - enjoy your day button.

Happy Birthday MUM!!

It's my mum's birthday today & she loves butterflies. The scan doesn't do justice to this card which has been made using a solid butterfly stamp which has been clear embossed on a fancy paper with small gold flowers on it. Then spritzed/sprayed with Willow & Cherry Blossom Walnut Inks. Gold glitter has been added strategically & then mounted up on a piece of mulberry paper which has also been spritzed with the same walnut Inks & then all mounted up on white card stock.

Luck me has the day off work, so spending the morning on a few projects, then lunch with mum plus doing odd chores with her. I hope she has a very special day.
Love Karen!!

Christmas crackers with a POP!

Cassie & myself started making up Pop Cans for Christmas this weekend, very easy once you get yourself organised. I used the lovely double dipped paper Holiday Thyme that is on special at the moment plus ribbons, snowflakes from Snow Flurries. Closer to the big event we'll add individual tags as each can will be personal. As you can see we've already been to the $2 shop to get goodies to go inside.

Going to be a busy week for me; scrapbooking tomorrow night; wine tasting Tuesday night; card class Wednesday night; my mum's birthday Thursday (as yet haven't made her birthday card or my next card for demo swap on Saturday). Saturday demo training & swap plus class plus off to see WE WILL ROCK YOU at the Civic.

Sunday I have my inaugural FIRST stamping class in my house - hopefully going to pass on some of the skills I've learnt & inspire others - going to do a pop can (as above), a decorative candle & a gift box.

Wow that's a lot even for me!

jeN stampZ

My friend Jennifer purchased a Simply Sent Kit Remembering You which was on special for World Card Making Day - hasn't she done a great job for her first cards "alone"

A heartfelt thanks to my neighbours!!

My neighbours are fantastic & always keep an eye on my place so a BIG THANK YOU from the heart for all your help last weekend (when unfortunately I did have a break in).

Pete told me I was making it too girly so a change of colours was required. I have used the Heartfelt Thanks stampset with Not Quite Navy & Old Olive inks & CS.

Shaving Cream technique

Demo training was fun & rather noisy - I think a few were hyperactive with lack of sleep being up all night creating goodies to swap. Some of the ideas were stupendous.

As well as a general chat we learnt a new technique with shaving cream. It was so easy - to a small pile of shaving cream; we added a few drops of re-inkers & then swirled a piece of cardstock through it & excess cream was wiped off (could even be on a 2nd piece of card). Some spectacular patterns were created. I've just stamped my piece up with the Both Way Blossoms set (which is a hostess gift) - I think it looks rather pretty & original!

Demo swap/training again

I can't believe a month has flown since I signed up to be a demonstrator! Tomorrow's swap is "small gift/tag/bookmark" - can't wait to see all the creations from the other demonstrators. I've made as my swap a fridge magnet using Statement of the Heart as the theme & then stamped it up with the really versatile Sweet Shapes. Inks used were Creamy Caramel, Rose Red, Regal Rose & Bashful Blue.

Must admit it's actually turned out better than I thought it would & is now taking pride of my place with my other favourite fridge magnets; I have always loved Boring Women Have Immaculate Homes - guess this means I'm not boring!!

YES Spring Is in The Air :-)

Wow I am so in love with this stamp set, punch & double dipped designer paper. We made this absolutely awesome gift/pop can with all of the above & in the past have also played with the set making 6x6 scrapbooking pages. All the embellishments make for some nice little touches.

Colours used were Mellow Moss, Barely Banana (or So Saffron), Pretty In Pink & for those that know me personally I'm not a pink girl but love it balanced out with the browns, green & yellow.

The pop can has been a little ray of sunshine for ME today - thanks Jacque for another great inspirational class!!

Many thanks.........

The first shipment of goodies arrived on Thursday with everyone's shopping from WCMD - I hope everyone had a fun-filled weekend with lots of playing, must admit though I was a having a break as 3/4 of the last weekends have been occupied with stamping or scrapbooking events!

To thank all my friends who bought something at WCMD I made these really simple but I think effective thank you cards, using the Bodacious Bouquet stamps & a very classy "many thanks" from All Year Cheer I. I mounted up on black CS; with Orchid Opulence & Marigold Morning as the inks.

Doug's 85th birthday

Hi all a lot has happened since my last post - most involving food & friends. a few week's ago it was Pete's dad's 85th birthday - WELL DONE Doug for being such a spritely gentleman. Family & friends meet for a very impressive lunch out at the lovely Bracu restaurant in Bombay, an afternoon nap was in order after the event for me.

Of course I was in charge of the card - lucky for me I had a few I'd made at Stamp Class that were more than suitable.

This card was a work of art if I say so myself - Old Olive cardstock was stamped with the Print Pattern background stamp in Old Olive, then the clock image from Artifacts stamp set was stamped again with Old Olive on Very Vanilla CS, then mounted up on Bravo Burgundy & So Saffron, other embellishments were the designer paper from the Four Seasons Pack, twill, brads & various other stamp images.

Aunty Winnie's Apricot Slice

What would a gathering of friends be without FOOD; as requested by all attending WCMD here's the recipe:

• Soak 1 cup dried apricots in boiling water until soft; drain well.
• Cream 8 oz butter and 1 cup sugar
• Beat in 2 eggs
• Sift & add 3 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder & a pinch of salt
• Add drained apricots. Mix well
  

Put in a flat tin & bake 325oF/160oC for 30 minutes.

ICING: Boil 3 Tbsp milk & 3 Tbsp butter & 1-2 Tbsp sugar for ~2 minutes. Cool slightly and add lots of vanilla essence, touch of lemon juice & enough icing sugar to make a spreadable consistency. Ice slice whilst fairly warm, cut into squares when nearly cold.

ENJOY!!

WCMD - World Card Making Day at my place

Well to celebrate WCMD & becoming an Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! I thought it was a great idea to invite my friends around to check out all the lovely cards, boxes etc I've been making & get them making a card for WCMD. Must admit I'm pretty proud of my efforts as unlike some of my family I don't have an artistic bone in my body but with the wonder of stamps & lots of special embellishments I can now make beautiful cards that people go WOW over & I feel like a clever puss & it's so much fun!! Enough gabling & onto our stampin' efforts.

Thought as most first timers it was good to show 2-step stamping & sponging (& paper piercing if brave). Most took to it like a duck to water & lots of creative juices flowed freely. A BIG thank you to my niece Amber who helped with the tag making, my neighbour & friend Judy plus a new friend I've meet through SU! Janine (a fellow demonstrator).

We used the very versatile Petal Prints stampset ; colours used were Vintage Violet, Mellow Moss or So Saffron (& Very Vanilla). For the kiddies (& some oldies) various stamps, inks, marker pens, glitter & liquid appliqué used to make some really cool tags for Christmas. Lots of fun was had by all & the kiddies are requesting to come back next Sunday for Part 2!!

My first blog

Welcome to "my blog", yes I enjoy stamping & since I discovered Stampin' Up! & a very special demonstrator I'd go so far as to say that I LOVE Stampin'.

My big news for the week is I've just signed up to be a SU! Independent demonstrator & I am really excited about sharing my passion with others in time. This weekend I have my first training & a Christmas card swap tomorrow - this was a challenge in itself as I had to make 18 cards in under 5 days. Saying that I can't wait to receive everyone else's - knowing they'll be inspirational. With less than 4 months to Christmas it's definitely time for me to start thinking about starting on my own. Problem is I keep seeing something funkier/classier I could do.



This is a sneak peek of my swap card (I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out). I used Mellow Moss & Bravo Burgundy cardstock & inks & the very versatile Peaceful Wishes stamp set.

All the best for now.