Simple Thanks

This is a lovely card sent to me by Lesley Stewart - very elegant in it's simpleness & definitely worth sharing.

The lovely embossing folder used is called Flower Garden & was found in the Summer mini catalogue but it is one of the products that is carrying over to our new catalogue & is still available for purchase. The word sentiment can be found in the Thank You Kindly stamp set.

Many thanks Lesley for my card.

Inspired by Paula

Paula Dobson had a fabulous version of this card on her blog recently using Island Indigo with emboss resist - well I've changed the orientation, the colour to Marina Mist & used my Iridescent Ice embossing powder which I adore plus added a few snowflakes & sentiments from Snow Swirled plus some ribbon for a bit of glam. I really love it - this could be my Christmas Card this year in various colours.

This stamp alone from Mixed Bunch is so versatile one day a butterfly the next a snowflake, this was the 2nd card the ladies are doing in my mixed bunch class tonight - so I hope they like it as much as me and thanks Paula for the inspiration.

Panicking this is my first Christmas card created for 2012 - better get cracking as only 3 months to go - eek!!

Have a fabulous weekend all :)

Technicolour Fun with JB

Not Joseph & his coat but Just Believe stamp set. I blogged recently my under the sea look but my first attempts with window sheets, Crystal effects & reinkers were all created with Just Believe. I really like the addition of Dazzling Diamonds glitter as well. So these are all the same but different.

Brisbane next May is the place to be...

23-25 May is the dates for our next annual convention  in sunny (we hope) Brisbane.

Check out how much fun the US just had - looks awesome - our event is a a wee bit smaller than there's but just as much fun & being smaller you normally get to chat to quite a few from the Home Office plus from our local offices too.

Well it's never been cheaper at $189  to join the SU! family if you haven't checked out Join My Team do have a quick read. Any questions drop me a line.

Meanwhile I have started a wish jar & popping in gold coins to get me started on making my wish come true to get to convention next year especially as I'm sure it'll be nicer than Auckland in May.

Transforming scraps of DSP into a quilt

Paula at NZSU Sites blog challenged us to use up scraps of DSP on a card or a 3D object - per usual I'm a day late for the challenge but love my card!!!! So thanks Paula I've always wanted to make a top note quilt card.

I've used my DSP sampler (3" squares) from not this SU! year but the last one plus also used the soon to be retired in-colours from 2010-2012.

To make the quilt with your Top Note die punch out 12 squares from a co-ordinating paper with your 1-¼" square punch & I used my Anywhere glue stick so I could wiggle them when I was butting the squares together on another piece of card stock (5" x 4'') - make sure the middle points of the Top Note are pointing between the 2nd & 3rd square before you run through it through your Big Shot. The rest of the card is up to your imagination.

Stamp sets: Cottage Garden, Teeny Weeny Sentiments
Ink: Poppy Parade (I have stamped off once for the flowers), Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Sunny Garden DSP (retired)
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label, 1-¼" square punch
Other: Top Note die, Little Leaves Sizzlit die, Beautiful Wings embosslit die, basic pearls, Pear Pizzazz stitched poly ribbon, dimensionals, mat pack, sponge dauber.

I must admit when I lay out the 12 squares (see my collage picture) I was thinking hmmm maybe I should choose something more vibrant but it sure was transformed by the Top Note into a quilt, with a bit of sponging & going over the "stitching" with my Pear Pizzazz marker; it transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan.

Well if you're like me & you think I'll make one of those one day - DO IT - I love it & will make more, especially as  I have a whole DSP sampler to use up :)

Happy stampin'

Under the Sea

Hi everyone & I hope your day is going as well as mine - I just had a fabulous morning with some of my team the WOW paperKRafters playing with a new technique that I'd never seen before with window-sheets, Crystal Effects, re-inkers, glitter & tissue paper.

Carol Gatton a fellow demo from the States posted a video on the demo site to share but this is the link to  her great video HERE on YouTube

I created a few Just Believe cards like Carol which I'll share later but the technique was saying to me make an under the sea themed card & I hope the pictures do it justice as it is very dull & grey day in Auckland.

Stamp sets: Inspired by Nature, Ocean Commotion, Cheesecloth (retired)
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Pool Party, Black Stazon
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Basic Black
Glitters: Dazzling Diamonds, Olive (fine supernova), and a clear chunky one I'd bought a while back from SU!
Other: Medium window-sheet, Crystal Effects, dimensionals, ship wheel embellishment (non-SU!)

Thanks Carol that was a lot of fun.

Circles of Sweet Shop DSP

Sure make a pretty effective card - imagine my delight to receive this in the post from my fabulous upline Jacque Pedersen the other day - it was a lovely surprise to cheer me up on a dreary Winter's day & yes it does look good enough to eat!

Rhonda's WOW-tastic butterfly card

Isn't this card fabulous it was shared with my team by the very talented Rhonda Fawcett who took several elements from new ideas she'd seen at the annual SU! Convention this year - showing it off to some of my class attendees they requested it was part of this month's class schedule.

I still have room for 1-2 more in both sessions if anyone is free on Friday 27 July at night or Sunday 29 July late morning -full details top right hand column.

Quick Sympathy cards

Just a quickie post as I meant to post before leaving for SENZ but ran out of time but good to be home - baking goodies was much more important than blogging before I left for the weekend (sorry). I thought I'd share a couple of "quick" sympathy cards as unfortunately you often need these in a hurry.

Both these cards use the stamp sets Just Believe & the word comes from Loving Thoughts which is available in our Autumn-Winter mini which expires July 31st. I sure hope it carries over as it is a lovely set but just in case I'd order it before the end of the month to guarantee you get it. You can click on the stamp set to see the other words in the set.

The first card is pretty self-explanatory I think. The 2nd card I created at our last team training with my upline Jacque Pedersen & we have white embossed the butterflies with the image. Love it!!

King of The Jungle

This was another fabulous project taught to me by one of my team-mates Heather Stewart using the lion stamp from Zoo Review - I must have a thing about lion's this week & letting them out of the cage ;)

The background is created using the Polished Stone technique and it really provides a really good camouflage for His Royal Highness!

I must admit I was really lucky when I was doing this project as I was standing beside NZ's SU! Country Manager who was taught her stamping techniques by the Home Office & she had a different way of doing it than I'd seen before. Emma's way was to rub the glossy card stock with the rubbing alcohol, then add the colour one at a time as described on SCS, starting with the lightest colour - the finished product was more blended & really looked like "polished stone".

This picture has a wee strip as a comparison done the "Emma way" - click on the picture to make it "bigger"

Remember if you see anything you like on my blog get a group of friends together & request a home workshop/party - great way to spend a winter night.

Happy stampin'

The last of the extraordinary projects ...

taught at our recent teams Winter Mini Extravaganza

Jacque Pedersen & Vicki-Lee Mueller did a fabulous job showcasing the beauty of the Elegant Bird Bigz Die & I've seen it used on scrapbook layouts & making the coolest angel's wings - it's certainly an item on my wishlist.

The last project was created by our own Queen of Chocolate Barbara Bicknell & Vanessa Baker

A gift wallet using the scrumptious Mocha Morning Specialty DSP & I'm sorry ladies my photo does not do your project justice. The belly band had the most lovely suede-like flower & I know the guest attendees got to make there's all sparkly with champagne mist but mine missed out on the day but still really pretty!!

And yes that lid has been clear embossed with the Very Vintage wheel isn't it gorgeous.

Well my turn to play & get my fingers inky this weekend I'm off to SENZ in Hamilton & oops I've done it again I've enrolled in 2 classes everyday - hope I still have time to shop ;)

Take care all & I'll set a few blog posts up before I leave.

Roar what's that on top of my calendar??

Yes it's Leo the Lion!! Now I don't really like punch art - I'm a keep it simple & not too fiddly kinda gal but I do love the wee lion Vicky-Lee Mueller got us to create when the team retreated to Rotorua awhile back for a stamping, eating & giggling weekend.

I wouldn't have the foggiest how to recreate him but he does look really cool sitting on top of my printer and yes it is a mini easel card too, thanks Vicki I love my wee lion.

Pleating a skirt the SU! way

Isn't this pleated skirt just too fabulous - the card was designed by Narelle Hoggard & taught by herself & Paula Reid at our recent Creative Inkers Extravaganza. And wow were the 2 of them just amazing at the folding.

I loved this embellishment which my picture may not do justice to, which was the a la carte stamp Elizabeth  which has been embossed using Irridescent Ice EP, so sparkly.

To replicate the "skirt fold" score your DSP at ¾”, 1”, 1 ¾”, 2”, 2 ¾” etc until the end.  To create the pleats fold the DSP in a valley, mountain, mountain, valley, valley formation until the end.  Adhere Sticky Strip to the wrong side of your pleats then trim the DSP to the width of your card base and viola!!

As it has a lot of score lines I'd highly recommend a scoring tool & Stampin' Up! new scoring tool is awesome - I don't think you'll regret the investment.

With etched grooves every 3.2 mm (1/8"), and the ability to score card stock up to 12" x 12", the Simply Scored scoring tool helps you create perfectly measured score marks.  It’s great for creating multiple projects or projects with a variety of score marks!



Features of the Simply Scored Scoring Tool

• Comes with a high-quality stylus instead of a plastic bone folder.
  • Stylus is ergonomically shaped and features a comfort grip.
  • The high-quality metal tips on each end of the stylus—they come in two sizes—glide smoothly over your paper.
• Features a unique set of place markers that let you mark your score lines when creating multiple projects with the same score lines.Includes three place markers.
  • Additional place markers can be purchased for flawless scoring.
• Includes a hidden storage compartment in the back of the base to hold your scoring tools.
• Accommodates card stock up to 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm).
• Can order a Metric Scoring Plate for metric measurements and a diagonal plate with etched grooves every 1/8" (3.2 mm) .
  
  Contact me if you'd like to know more & have a fun stampin' day - I think the frost may have melted outside enough for me to hang out my washing.

Take 55 ladies ....

& 10 demonstrators & 5 projects & you have a really fun & fabulous afternoon of crafting.The Creative Inkers team 's Winter Extravaganza was held a few Saturday's ago & I have to say that the 5 projects were fabulous - what a Creative group of ladies I have the pleasure to be a team mate with.

If you haven't been to one before certainly make a note in your diaries when the next one is announced. I know my own team the WOW paperKRafters (my downline & myself) have tenatively bookmarked October 13 for our annual Christmas event which will be CIO  this year "Christmas in October".

Just a few shots of the hall:

This is the project I had the pleasure of teaching with Sally Williams - we called it a Shadow Box card & the original design was created by Jenny Moors a very talented English SU! denonstrator - Jenny has great tutorials on her blog if you haven't checked her out before. The cool thing about this card apart from the fact it is seriously cute is that it fits in an envelope. There were a few moans & groans about cutting the flower bunch out but with a decent pair of paper snips and dare I say it SU! paper snips are awesome for fine detail & at $22.95 a bargain. The flowers were coloured in with our markers which co-ordinate perfectly with our card stock etc.

Stamp sets: Bordering on Romance, Petite Pairs
Ink: Black Stazon
Markers: Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery
Paper: Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Other: Bird builder punch, framelit #3, basic pearls, dimensionals, lattice embossing folder, mini silver brad

And sharing one other project from the day designed by Rachael Knight & taught on the day by Irene Henry & Rachael.

There are still 3 more projects to share from the day so hope to see you soon ;)

But wait there's more

Our Simply Scored tool diagonal plate has been released early & can be ordered now for the incredibly low price of $25.95 + shipping (& yes you do need the Simply Scored tool for it to work). Above is matching envelopes the ladies at my place made to match the card they were making & made extra pretty with some DSP inside.

If you click HERE you'll see a video of Donna from the home office demonstrating with it.



The all-new Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, perfect for creating envelopes, boxes and more!

Product Features

• Sits on top of the Simply Scored base
• Held securely in place by rubber pads on back of the plate
• Has etched grooves every 1/8" (3.2 mm) 
• Can score any size card stock up to 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
• Includes instructions for creating common envelope sizes

Contact me if you'd like to know more or order your own.