Just a simple hello

This was the card design I came up with to embody all the new & wonderful goodies we have in the new Seasonal Catalogue - I was a bit worried as I went over board and managed to incorporate a lot on one card but I really like it.

I wanted to include the following :
Honeycomb embossing folder which is fab
Tea Lace paper doilies (24 for $5.95 & you can use segments of them so a little will go a long way)
Flower trim (1.8m approx. 100 flowers for $14.50)
Ovals Collection framelits
Oh, Hello stamp set
Tea for Two DSP
Hearts a Flutter framelits
Borders scoring plate

My colour combo came from the Tea for Two DSP, my flowers I dyed with a few drops of So Saffron re-inker & some rubbing alcohol so they would dry faster, my doily I stamped on with So Saffron & Calypso Coral ink as it was too white for my liking. The wee banners I just feed in a 1" strip of DSP with the top of it over the framelit so I could make them various lengths - I scored the banners a few mm & then attached them to the Calypso Coral baker's twine with mini glue dots. I stamped off the chevron oval stamp which I had inked up with So Saffron once too.

Recipe:
Stamp set: Oh, Hello
Ink: So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade marker, Calypso Coral marker, Early Espresso marker
Paper: Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Tea for Two DSP, Tea Lace paper doilies
Other: Flower Trim, Calypso Coral baker's twine, basic pearls, Ovals Collection framelits, mini glue dots,
Hearts a Flutter framelits, Borders scoring plate


Inside the card:

March 2nd You are Invited

To an afternoon (1-5pm) of paper crafting with the Creative Inkers Team.

We have FIVE fabulous projects (3 of them are 3D), 12 demonstrators to help you, each attendee gets full written instructions and everything is prepped for you.

But wait there's more, a pretty sumptuous afternoon tea AND door prizes AND only $45.

This event is being held in Grey Lynn, Auckland.

If you would like to come contact me ASAP as we only have a few seats left.

My e-mail address is in the blog header ;)

Butterflies are self propelled flowers ~R.H. Heinlein

I think for most of us, butterflies bring back happy memories of summer, sun & lying in long grasses but they certainly give pleasure to many. I'm just loving my Swallowtail stamp and as you can see the possibilities are endless to colour it up. I've just used Early Espresso ink & my sponge daubers again to make these multi-coloured beauties.

So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise combo & a mini soda pop top.
Sentiments are from the Loving Thoughts set.

The mini soda pop top up close.

Midnight Muse, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango combo.

Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron combo

And I might have saved the best to last - many thanks to the very talented Heather Stewart  for this beauty she swapped with our team recently.

Yes it was a memorable moment

My dear friend  Judy Beetson turning 70 last weekend. The day after her birthday she came to one of my home classes so I had to put on the thinking cap & make her a special card & my never fail chocolate cake

Not sure what happened but the rose red, river rock, baja breeze card using Everything Eleanor & Memorable Moments changed colour to marina mist, not quite navy & river rock (I wouldn't use river rock normally with the colours but it was too late to change as it was a pivotal piece and required concentration & a stamp-a-ma-jig & masking). I used my spritzer & the rubbing alcohol & a few drops of marina mist re-inker & Champagne Mist shimmer paint to make it sparkly too. Otherwise I think everything else is self-explanatory.

Recipe:
Stamp sets: Everything Eleanor, Memorable Moments
Ink: Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, River Rock
Paper: Marina Mist, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Other: Spritzer, rubbing alcohol, Champagne Mist shimmer paint, vintage faceted clear buttons, basic rhinestones, bakers twine (dyed with the Not Quite Navy mix in the spritzer), stamp-a-ma-jig.

Once again Judy congratulations on reaching this very memorable birthday & being so fabulously young.

Hearts a Flutter!

One of my work colleagues Wendy who I have actually worked with over 30 years now (eek where did they go) celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary last week. So I made her a special card from all the FUN-gals (we work in a Mycology lab) which matched the fab bunch of flowers from Pick Me called Tickled Pink which was kind of appropriate.

The photo doesn't really show it but I've used our Shimmery White cardstock so it does really shimmer & sparkle & matches the Silver Glimmer paper which I earned for free for placing a $350 order during Sale- a-bration. I've also used the ICE iridescent embossing powder on the heart image on the Primrose Petals card stock so it also sparkles & shines.

Recipe:
Stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter, Whimsical Words (retired)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Shimmery White, Confetti White (retired), Primrose Petals, More Amore Specialty DSP, silver glimmer paper
Other: Hearts a Flutter framelits, Pool Party Bakers twine, ICE iridescent embossing powder, Pewter embossing powder, mini glue dots

This was a really quick card to whip up once I worked out the design & I think I'm going to whip up a few more as it really looked very pretty in real life.

Wait for it, more summer starfruit & swallowtail!

As my team knows I am not enamoured of Summer Starfruit but lots love it & after casing the Seasonal catalogue on page 19 I maybe changing my mind about it. You have to admit it looks damn sensational embossed with our new Pool Party embossing powder.

I've added Champagne Mist shimmer paint directly with a sponge dauber to make it sparkly in real life, the catalogue suggests using an Aquapinter brush. Here's mine up close & all "shimmery".

Recipe:
Stamps: Swallowtail, Loving Thoughts
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Island Indigo
Other: Pool Party embossing powder, heat tool, Champagne Mist shimmer paint, sponge dauber

Swallowtail & Summer Starfruit

I just love our new Swallowtail butterfly stamp - it's a biggie but it sure makes fabulous cards fast - just a quick post showing my swap with my team for the new seasonal catalogue.

I've used 2 of our new in-colours Summer Starfruit & Midnight Muse as I felt they gave a subdued card to match the sympathy sentiment I chose to use. I'll be posting some more vibrant pictures later on the week.

My original plan was to mat them up on the Midnight Muse & use the Summer Starfruit as the main card piece but I didn't have enough Summer Starfruit & looking at the 2 options now I think plan B was actually the better choice. I coloured in the image using sponge daubers & remember the saying "you can add, but you can't take away". So start off light & build up the colour.

Card Recipe:
Stamp sets: Swallowtail, Loving Thoughts
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Early Espresso
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Naturals White
Other: Sponge dauber

How do you pick your colour combos??

Well this colour combo of Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette & Sahara Sand came from my Color Coach (#120148) and I think they look fab together. 


I find my Color Coach an invaluable tool for picking colour combos, never in a million years would I have picked this combo but yet it works awesomely. My own team's demo forum has had a wee bit of discussion on it lately & yes I will agree the colours on the card swatch are not an exact match to the cardstock colour (its close though) but that's not how I use mine. I normally have an idea of what colour I want to work with, then look at the suggestions & get out real card stock & see what I think of the combo "in real life" - if you don't own one of these invaluable tools they're only $31.95 RRP & I can't imagine being without my one & I get really upset when I can't find it.

In case you're wondering about the top mat that the images are stamped on that started off as Sahara Sand & I filled my Stampin' Spritzer with isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol, then added a few drops of  Bravo Burgundy re-inker & a few drops of Champagne Mist shimmer paint & spritzed away - wow a little goes a long way.



I'm hoping you can see the sparkle in this close up - I thought it looked real fab in real life.

Recipe:
Stamps: Elements of Style, Whimsical Word (retired)
Ink: Basic Brown, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy reinker, Champagne Mist shimmer paint
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla (butterfly), Champagne glimmer paper, multipurpose adhesive sheet
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Sizzlits (retired), gold organza ribbon (retired), Rich Regals & Earth Elements watercolor crayons, blender pen, Stampin' Spritzer, Stampin' distress tool, dimensionals, sponge daubers, basic pearls

 My card was inspired by this beautiful card of Amy Celona's & she says her one was inspired by none other than Shelli Gardner, so  I hope the lucky recipients liked there's. I had a lot of fun making them & I sure did have inky fingers at the end..

Appreciating YOU!

I'm not sure how you all spent your Waitangi Day but I spent it with my customers on what I'm sure will be an annual event, a thank you from me to you for your support.

I don't think I'll ever come up with such a cool project again for every one to make as a thank you but this was a fab project & I'm looking forward to helping you fill up your techniques booklets going forward.

I made my own techniques booklet a few years ago with my upline Jacque & I love my wee booklet so when SU! reduced the price of the now retired 6x6" page protectors in the recent clearance blitz sale, I had a lightbulb moment & said let's re-KReate it. You can see my booklet HERE when it was new - its still looks great just a wee bit tattier now.

I could have made life easier for myself & bought some new DSP but that would have really skyrocketed the price of the project for me, which I was offering for free as a thank you. I must admit I was shocked how long it took me to make 20 kits but each one was individual as I had to match the DSP with card stock, ribbons & embellishments. After cutting the chipboard, DSP, mats, I also die cut all the letters in brown & white chipboard & just the letter S in DSP to make it easy for us to enjoy a BBQ meal as well on the day.

Anyhow there will be some real blasts from the past for those that have known SU! for the time it has been in NZ, hopefully some of the papers you'll see will bring back some fond memories. I managed to snap everyone's on the day - if you attend my classes & a friend took home a kit for you I hope you share how it turned out too.

Thanks Donna for being brave enough to model her booklet.

So our first Technique was "Chipboard"

Great for using on off-the-card projects & scrapbooking pages

·    Cover with Tombow Glue or Crystal Effects & then dip in glitter.
·    Cut out with the Big Shot chipboard & DSP at the same time. Glue the DSP on with a glue stick. Sand & sponge edges if you wish.
·    Stamp directly onto the chipboard.
·    Cover with Whisper White (craft ink) and heat emboss with a clear embossing powder.
·    Cover with Versamark ink & emboss with a coloured embossing powder.
·    Dauber directly onto the chipboard with a Classic ink. Stamp over top with another colour or Whisper White.
·    Mix Crystal Effects with drops of re-inker & paint directly onto the chipboard