I've inspired someone....

Mariana Ban, one of my blog readers kindly sent me her "CASE" of my convention swap - I just love it especially all the sparkle.

She's kindly let me share it with you all & I'm sure you'll agree it's just fabulous. She's used one of my all time favourite sets Priceless which is so versatile & Baja Breeze ink, ribbon & card stock and lots of bling.

Thanks Mariana for sharing.

Cool tip for using sponges

Stampin' Up! sponges are the softest sponge I've worked with and at $7.75 for 3 they're a very inexpensive accessory - also each sponge can be cut into 4-6 pieces (I prefer 4).

I thought I'd share this cool tip that was shared to me by Patrice (I think) at Convention that in a class setting attach a coloured card stock tab  to the sponge with a staple (& our round tab punch is perfect for creating the tab).

This gives you something to hold onto, keeping your fingers clean & you don't put the wrong coloured sponge into the wrong ink pad - disaster when a dark colour goes into a lighter coloured ink.

Thanks Patrice for sharing it was a very cool tip.

Easy Zindorf

This is the cheat's way to do a Michelle Zindorf inspired card  i.e. no brayer - just sponges & was the 2nd card made at my Reflection Cards class the other night - it was very easy to do (especially after the 1st one)

Stamp set: Bird on a Branch (this is such a great set & only $39.95 for 5 stamps)
Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Regal Rose, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue
Paper: Whisper White, Brilliant Blue
Other: Stamp-a-ma jig (SAMJ), Signo white gel pen, acetate

I like the effect of popping the sponged mat out with another mat of whisper white.Otherwise it's just a matter of sponging with Tempting Turquoise - leave a bit of "white space" then sponge around the edges with Brilliant Blue. I also use a piece of shiny acetate (I've found this gives a better impression than the SAMJ smooth mat) to transfer the "reflection".

1. After sponging with the blue inks as described above stamp the branch onto the acetate using Sahara Sand ink & transfer by rubbing with base of your hand to base of card
2. Repeat above with the bird being stamped onto the acetate using Sahara Sand ink & transfer on top of the branch to be hanging upside down
3. Repeat using the flower spray & Regal Rose ink
4. Now stamp the branch using Basic Black ink & a stamp-a-ma-jig to “line up with the reflection)
5. Then stamp the bird onto the branch – also using Basic Black Ink
6. Use the stamp –a-ma jig again to stamp the spray of flowers to the branch using Pink Passion ink
7. Fill in some of the top flowers with a white Signo gel pen

Kirsty Brown

Meeting Kirsty at convention was one of my highlights for 2010. I adore her work she's just so talented.  Don't I look excited to be having my picture with her!

As it's late & I've just finished my card class for the night & then had to watch the American  Idol final (yah Lee won but truly would have been nearly as happy if Crystal had won too - gosh what am I  going to do on a Friday night now?) I'll just do a quick post & share this picture of the 2 of us together at the awards ceremony & Kirsty's swap I received - if you'd like to check out some of her other great work click HERE.

She's used 2 of the new in-colours Melon Mambo & Soft Suede, Baroque background stamp & Organic Outlines - I have to be honest she inspired me to buy the latter stamp set ages ago & I still haven't inked it up.

Pre-convention - day 2 in Sydney

YES another beautiful day with the sun shining as we were walking down to the local cafe some Aussie girls asked us "kiwis" were we there for the SU! convention - of course we excitedly said yes - so we swapped names & whereabouts we were based - they were from Western Australia - looking at the lovely shot I've taken of them I can see that one of them is very famous Ngaire Anderson who has been the no. 1 demonstrator in Australia until this year - so if she or "Skip" reads this tell her I'm sorry I didn't click - too much giggling makes your brain go funny! Ngaire is on the LHS. So here are the first new demos we meet (the first day we actually ran into the whole team from the US & the NZ manager Emma but I didn't have my camera as we were doing lunch):

Then the walk along the promenade at Darling Harbour to our favourite cafe Passella for brekkie.

Back again for more food pre-the managers reception at Toros - tapas & sangria

From L -> R: Donna Blackmore, Debbie Lamb, Rachael Knight, Diane Bell-Robertson, Sally Williams, Judy Beetson and me

At the Managers reception Shelli talked to us about leadership & she is certainly an inspiration to us all & then we got these huge mugs filled with real hot chocolate & plates of sweeties - shame I wasn't hungry after the tapas. Then we got to take home a wrapped mug & it's matching stamp Share a Cup - and I was just thinking I needed a soup mug too - they must have read my mind!

Pre-convention - day 1 in Sydney

Hi all I'm back in NZ & have internet! Shock horror to arrive home last night to find I had no connection (hmm in the craziness of my life lately I hadn't paid the bill - lucky I didn't buy more than 2 pairs of shoes in Sydney & could sort it out pretty quickly today but saying that I have no e-mail service as it's Vodafone's turn to have problems).

Donna, Judy & myself flew in a few days early to acclimatise & relax before the meeting which is full on once it starts. And I just had to share these fabulous pictures of Darling Harbour at night!

Even our budget hotel doesn't look too shabby in the dark.

Now the biggest shock of the meeting was the fact that I was placed 7th in Demonstrator of the Year for 2010 especially when you saw the line up of the rest of the top 10 - what an honour!

So to celebrate this I'll be announcing a special offer in my June newsletter so if  you haven't signed up for my monthly newsletter do so ASAP as there's lots of exciting tidbits & specials coming up from Stampin' Up! too & I'd hate you to miss out.

RAK from across the sea

This is a lovely card I received from a Canadian demonstrator Wendy Rudyk who I had the pleasure of meeting last year when she was touring around NZ with her hubby.

 

She's very clever as she's used 2 of my favourite colours on the card blues & green. wendy has embossed resisted the Fresh Cuts background stamp - sensational.

Now isn't this a fabulous idea to add as an insert into cards so the joy of receiving can be shared over & over.

The all-in-one easel card tutorial

I revealed my demo swap yesterday and as promised (as long as Blogger does his or her thing) here's a quick tutorial on how you can make your own.

Score a piece of 3-3/4" x 11-1/4" card stock at 3-3/4" increments i.e. 3-3/4" & 7-1/2"

Fold one piece under & stamp on the front of the card, punch out a half circle with a 1-1/4" circle punch. This picture shows how if you clear emboss the inked image it is much brighter (LHS) - I just went with plain stamping on my cards for convention (as per the RHS) - gotta to think about your sanity.

Turn over & use a thin strip of adhesive or glue to stick one of the outer thirds to the strip. In the example below you'd bring the left hand outer corner into the glue strip.

Glue the 2 wings & viola done - now how easy is that.

And the finished project again:

Convention 2010 & my swap

Today is the day when over 500 demonstrators are meeting in the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney & one of the first things we do once we've registered is swap cards for an hour - yes we are a crazy bunch but the cards you receive are always so inspirational & it's always a big highlight for me when I meet up with other demos to swap cards with them.

My card I've called an all-in-one easel card as it's forms a frame which sits upright & inside fits a pretty tag where you'd write your message. I was taught this technique in 2008 by Anne Dil who used to be a demonstrator in my team back then.

Stamp set: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Rich Razzlebery, Pale Plum
Paper: Rich Razzlebery, Pale Plum, Whisper White
Other: Horizontal slot punch, Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon, linen thread, dimensionals, sponge, dazzling diamonds glitter

Log on tomorrow & I'll have a step by step tutorial on how to create your own.

My official Stampin' Up! site

Is www.karenrogers.stampinup.net - now how easy is that to remember. Do click & have a look around - there's also a picture link on the RHS of my blog. I do recommend you have a look around as there are some very cool projects online; this is my favourite at the moment - isn't it cute - full details on how to create it are on the site.

Starting June 1st Stampin' Up! are having a deal of the week for the whole of June - if you want to know what the deal is you will have to login to my site to see it. So bookmark the site now as I love a deal & I'm sure you do too! Well I'm flying off to Sydney today for the Stampin' Up! Convention but do check back later in the week I'll have my convention swap up with full details on how to make it yourself.

Happy stampin' all

Yes more Vintage Vogue

sorry but yet another post about this beautiful set in our Autumn-Winter Mini catalogue - 8 stamps which  retails for $38.95 in the clear mounted option or $48.95 for wood mounted.

I spent a lovely time with Anne & her friends on Sunday afternoon looking at a few of the new products in the new mini - this was one of the cards that they got to make & take home. I teamed it with Heard from the Heart which is also just fabulous as well.

Stamp sets: Vintage Vogue, Heard from the Heart
Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Kiwi Kiss
Paper: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Kiwi Kiss, Confetti White
Other" Old olive grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

This was my stepped up "model" with a bit of bling AKA clear rhinestone brads.

If you'd like a free home workshop with you & your friends do check out my Host a Home Workshop page. I'm also offering a draw prize of a free stamp set for the guests attending if the hostess achieves her rewards - so Bev on Sunday was the winner of an Organic Grace stamp set - win-win for all plus free card making. What more can a girl want!

Simply Said from the heart

Isn't this a fabulous thank you card I received from Tee-Jay Horrell & I do love the saying & the font of the saying which is from the Simply Said stamp set. The rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set is a perfect match for the Manhattan Flower embossing folder too.

Stamp set: Simply Said, Fifth Avenue Floral
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Other: Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon, white embossing powder, Manhattan Flower EF, sponge

Thank you Tee-Jay you shouldn't have but I'm pleased you did as it's so lovely!

Baby card thank yous

One of my fellow demos Denise Ibbett is expecting her first wee bub so at the last team get together we all bought along a few gifts etc and she's sent me this really cute wee thank you card (yes she is expecting a wee girl).

She's used Baby Time a wheel that is now retired plus Oval All (Spring Mini 2009) and a bit of DSP - now how simple but effective is this.  Thanks Denise I hope the big day is not to big a day.

Vintage Vogue goes shabby chic

Hi all I'm sick in bed & don't think I can craft with my runny nose (starting to worry about my convention swaps I need to have finished by this time next week) but thought I'd share with you this stunning card I made at uplines's class a few weeks ago which I brightened up to give to my mum for Mother's day 

Stamp sets: Vintage Vogue, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Ink: Soft Suede, Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace
Paper: Soft Suede, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Other: sponge, stylised silver hodgepodge, dimensionals, polka dots embossing folder

Simple thank you cards

I created these wee cute cards at my mock workshop I ran for my downline last Sunday - all the cutting instructions were just waiting for me on the demo site which is what I wanted to show them that all the resources they need are given to us.

I think these are really cute I just need to work on my piercing of the butterfly's flight.

Stamp set: Flight of The Butterfly
Ink: Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip, Versamark, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Kraft, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Other: Scallop Edge punch, paper piercer, butterfly punch