2022-24 In Colours

Yesterday I hinted at brighter things to come with the new Annual Catalogue coming May 2nd, some kind demo has formatted them all into a fab graphic for us to share which reveals all.

Enjoy and roll on May 2nd....

✿ Karen ✿

A hint of things to come

Today is the start of the retiring list for our last annual catalogue (you can see all the details if you go to the Retiring List for 2022 which is on the top toolbar) but even though it is sad to see some colours which we have grown to love (for me Just Jade, for others Misty Moonlight) there are some really bright fun colours coming in the new Annual Catalogue May 2nd. So just a sneak peek of brighter days to come!

✿ Karen ✿

Double windowbox card

My Stampin' Up! team takes part in monthly challenges, our challenge for February was the double window-box card. Talk about frustrating there is nothing on the internet how to create one, the only reference I could find was to an Aussie demo Nicole Wilson who was selling a tutorial how to make one.

I attempted to buy the tutorial from her but it was in a bundle so I had to buy the whole bundle, money is very tight now I have retired, so I thought I'll have a go at working out how to do it, using a gatefold card as my template which had pop up boxes inside, you can see that blog post HERE if you are interested.

I spent a whole Sunday trying to get it to work but it wasn't quite right when my friend Sarah Roche said she had found a French demonstrator Valerie Pinault on You Tube and kindly gave me the cutting and scoring dimensions for Valerie's card (you can see her scribbles from Valerie's video below). If you click on Valerie's name you can watch her make her "balcony card" which is why nothing came up about her when I Googled double window box.

So thanks Sarah and Valerie it is an AWESOME CARD!! FYI: Valerie's card was streamed June 2020 and Nicole's card had a tutorial created May 2021. So Valerie's was shared first.

I'd already started my attempt at creating the double window-box as an A5 card and to be honest I'm rather happy with my card as it fits in a standard envelope, the window boxes maybe a bit tight but it sure does have a WOW factor when you open the card. I hope the friend I'm posting it to who is recovering after some surgery thinks so too.

Cutting Dimensions for my A5 card:

A5 card: 10.5 x 29.6 cm - folded at 14.8 
Window boxes (same as Valerie) 2 pieces of 4 x 17cm (score at 6, 8, 14, 16 cm)
Joining window boxes together 1 piece of  1.8 x 8cm

Inserts inside window box 2 pieces of 2 x 8cm (score 1cm at each end), it is better to add the insert right to the back (I had to redo mine after this photo taken) as my die-cut pieces were not in the middle and did not look balanced

DSP: 2 pieces of 10 x 14.3 cm, for adding to window box I just cut enough to cover the box panels showing ie 3.5 x 8 cm (scored at 6cm - for top box), 3.5 x 10 cm (scored at 2 and 8 cm - for bottom box).

I kept the front really plain with just DSP and a belly band to close.

And inside the card:

Supply List (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Forever Fern
Ink: Blushing Bride, Polished Pink, Pear Pizzazz, Just Jade, Soft Sea Foam

Paper: Polished Pink, Basic White, Soft Sea Foam, Just Jade, Forever Greenery DSP

Dies: Forever Flourishing, Stitched So Sweetly
Other: Dimensionals, Tombow glue, silica mat (highly recommended as so much wet glue!)

Another Card for Ukraine

I wanted to join in on the #cardsforukraine drive to be one more hashtag against the atrocities happening in Ukraine at the moment.  I also wanted to show the versatility of the Sunflower dies that are part of the current Savings are in Bloom promotion SU! have running this month.

I wanted to do the Ukraine flag as my background and I have to admit I tried with Balmy Blue but it just didn't look the right blue shade so I grabbed Salty Ocean and Squeezed Lemonade distress oxides for my blend. I used a large post it note to delineate them as I didn't actually want them to blend.

My saying is from a very old SU! Christmas stamp set Greetings of The Season, long retired but so appropriate at this time. I have white embossed it.

I love my Sunflower die but my most favourite die that I use all the time is the Stitched Rectangle set and I have used the largest and the 3rd rectangle to make my frame. 

I have used Shimmery white card stock for the blended piece as it is perfect for blending on and our new Iridescent rhinestone jewels are perfect with any colour as they take on the colour they are close too.

#cardsforukraine

✿ Karen ✿

How to cut out perfect die shapes

If you are like me and love stamp sets with matching dies but then feel disappointed when you cut it out that the white space is not even.

I also own a magnetic platform and  use washi/removable tape to hold the die in place but sometimes it is just not right and to be honest 9 times out of 10 it truly doesn't matter. But if you like it to look perfect, have I got a quick tip for you.

Before lining the die up with your stamped image cut out a "frame" with a darker card stock (or just a scrap of something sitting on your desk).

You can then frame your stamped image with the die cut image so there's a nice white border.  

The die will actually plop into the hole and sit quite nicely and using my magnetic plate I find I don't need to tape it down.

And viola....

✿ Karen ✿

Will Paper Munchkin allow me to come back ;)

Happy weekend everyone today I thought I would share 2 projects.

Now one of the best things about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator are the friendships you KReate along the journey, they truly are priceless and precious. One of the first demos I meet at a Stamp Camp I attended with my big team when I returned was Alicia Yap aka Paper Munchkin. Alicia is so talented and kind and loves to share her knowledge and love of stampin'. I was so proud of her when she made the Artisan Team last year as she works and has 2 small children at school plus running her stampin' business.

Now I've finally settled in Hamilton and moved into my new home and Covid permits us getting together to KRaft and I'm nearly Alicia's neighbour so I was very happy that she allows me to attend her classes.

She has posted on Instagram the 3 cards we created at our class last week which you can check out HERE 

 Now I must have been my most klutziest last week as everything I touched went wrong but they all looked fab in the end. So to shorten the story this is my take on the watercolouring of the large flower bloom from Blessings of Bloom bundle from the new mini catalogue. We used aquapainters and the ink from the inkpad lids to colour our bloom up, using Shimmery White card stock for the stamped and coloured image.

Alicia's was much brighter than mine but I like quite a lot of white on a card so I'm really happy how it all turned out. I just "coloured up" the white flowers with my Wink of Stella. I also added some Balmy Blue to my green when colouring the leaves as that is what I do when I watercolour leaves or use alcohol blends - it just looks more realistic to me. I managed to stick my flower bloom on the wrong side of the front panel and upside down and it was too pretty to give away as a thank you card so I made it into a HB card when I got home. Poor Alicia she must have despaired of me but I think she had most of her hair remaining when I finally went home and hopefully I will be allowed back, if you live in Hamilton keep an eye on Alicia's FB page which you can see HERE or ask to go on her mailing list, as isn't this a stunning card, I JUST LOVE IT! 

#papermunchkin

Supply List (all SU!):
Stamps: Blessings of Home, Lemon Zest (HB saying - retired set)
Ink: Polished Pink: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Polished Pink, Highland Heather, Balmy Blue, Stazon Black
Paper: Shimmery White, Basic White, Daffodil Delight
Dies: Flowers of Home, Stitched Greenery, Stitched Rectangle
Other: Iridescent rhinestone jewels, aquapainters, Wink of Stella, dimensionals, glue dots, white linen thread, Tombow 

Now I may just make my own special hash tag for KReations by my wee 2 and a half year old granddaughter and I;) 

#handmadebynannykandindie

No 2 bubs is due this week so we made a delightful wee tag using the long retired stamp set Sweet Little Something, SU! also made a Teddy Bear stamp set like the bunny with the 3 layers so you build up details which was also fab. As we don't know if its a boy or a girl we used purple colour combo: Fresh Fressia as the base, then Highland Heather and finally Gorgeous Grape. Indie also did some colouring with watercolour pencils.

It's been a fab KRaftin' week I also made an amazing 8x8" sample with Megan Teare which I will share on my next post and another team mate Sarah is coming to help me master a double window-box card real soon.

So if you have often wondered about what being a SU! demo now is a really great time to join during Sale-a-bration which closes in approx 10 days time, so drop me a line if you'd like to chat about the opportunity to earn a discount, make new friends and if you so desire start your own business.

Inky hugs 

✿ Karen ✿