Our new colours for Christmas are....

Old Olive & Cherry Cobbler - so scrummy together!

This was the 2nd of my Quick & Easy Christmas cards - using the very versatile Baroque Motifs & the Ornament punch & yes more Champagne Mist shimmer paint - this time daubed on the stamped image.

Stamp sets: Delightful Decorations, Baroque Motifs, Many Merry Messages
Ink: Cherry Cobber, Old Olive
Paper: Cherry Cobber, Old Olive, Whisper White
Other: Ornament punch, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, sponge dauber, 1/8" old olive taffeta ribbon, mini glue dots, dimensionals

You can really mass produce these very easily  - so perfect for Christmas - contact me if you'd like to place an order.

Very classy Baroque

Isn't this an elegant card & really easy to turn out quickly - it's been created with 2 large background stamps Baroque & En Francais, which are phenomenal value at $39.95 each.

I made this card a few months ago at my fabulous upline Jacque's class. I must admit it's dark when I go to work & dark when I get home so very hard to take pictures for my blog & this is much more sensational in real life than the photo is showing.

Stamp sets: Baroque Motifs, Baroque, En Francais
Ink: Sahara Sand, Encore Gold
Paper: Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Punch: Scallop Circle
Other: Pretties kit (large half pearl), cutter tool, sponge

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.

Another gable box

On my last post I shared the gable box I swapped with my team the WOW paperKRafters on Sunday - at the training afternoon - in reality goss, laughter, swaps, crafting, eating & drinking. This one was a little rushed as my mum was back in hospital & I wanted to visit her - she's going home tomorrow :-)  If you'd like to join us next month or would like to know more do read my FAQs about becoming a demonstrator. We do have a load of FUN!

I thought no point just giving them a swap I'd better demonstrate how to make one for themselves - this was thrown together with the card stock & the stamp sets on my craft desk and I really love it!

Stamp sets: Baroque Motifs, Retro Remix wheel (summer mini)
Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard - these two are "dynamic duos according to the SU! Colour Coach wheel
Paper: So Saffron, More Mustard, Very Vanilla
Punches: Wide oval, large oval, scallop oval
Other: So Saffron striped grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

I love the grungy look I achieved by dragging the paper in the ink pad. In reality I was running out of time to grab a sponge or a dauber!

Celebrating the first wedding anniversary

Ahh that totally got you thinking! No not for me but I have been asked about using paper to create a gift for a first wedding anniversary present  & the colour red. As I am teaching this requestor how to make a mini squash album at an upcoming event I've used that technique. Well I hope this is what Mae was thinking of & hopefully she can visualise how it all folds in & out concertina-like to create a wee album. All it needs now is for her to add her own words & photos. I've stuck on the wee hearts & embellishments with Dotto (a removable adhesive - so she can remove them or re-position where she likes). I've also clear embossed the large heart on the front cover so it's lovely & shiny. I've used 8x8" squares - so this is a bigger model than I usually create.

Stamp set: Baroque Motifs, A Happy Heart
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Versamark
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Basic Black, Riding Hood Red Patterns DSP
Other: Clear embossing powder, sponge dauber, Heart to Heart punch, Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, anywhere glue stick (all the layers have been stuck down with this), Dotto removable adhesive

Corrosive Challenge 24

Janet's challenge this week was to make a wedding/anniversary card & I was having one of those weeks where I was to busy getting ready for my spring mini launch to have a play so I may enter another card later in the week that is in my head.

It was Pete's birthday this weekend so wanted to have some quality time with him i.e. no blogging or stamping. We had a great time saw the amazing Drallion (Cirque du Soleil) & a yummy meal post-show at One Tree Grill - can highly recommend. Sunday brunch & watching Telethon (yah $ 2 million was raised for Kids Can charity & bought back lots of great memories of past Telethons).

I digress I just wanted to apologise for this week's card which was found by rummaging in my HUGE box of cards for something to use & found the above sensational card I made at my upline Jacque's popping pastel class a few months ago which I loved & thought perfect for the challenge.

Stamp set: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Craft white, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery
Other: Stampin' Pastels, sponge daubers, silver brads, blue tafetta ribbon, hemp twine, ½" circle punch
Technique: Poppin' Pastels

So don't forget to enter as this is one of those cards you need often & the prize this week from Janet is 6 clear stamps!

2 days to go...

till the next team swap & I haven't even shared my last team swap. The last theme was Designer Series Paper (DSP) and I really liked this one by Sally Williams which is really simple but effective. I love the saying too - this set is probably my favourite level 1 hostess set in the new catalogues. You can earn it for FREE by having a workshop or a catalogue party with qualifying sales or submitting a $350 order yourself. Contact ME to learn more.

Stamp set/s: Live Like You Mean It, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Bella Rose DSP

I have more mail

Touch wood mine has all been posted away (hope I haven't forgotten anyone). Some more lovely hand made cards to share & ooh over with me.

From Clare (again) - I really like this (love Wild Wasabi for starters) & it team's up with Purely Pomegranate beautifully.

From Elva - love the little add-on reminds me of wee tassels on a kilt but great colours for Christmas & lots of glitter! Think she's been talking to Joan.

From Judy AKA Cards, Scrapbooking & Musings Blog so stunning & inspirational with all the beautiful gold embossing & a real ornament to hang on the tree!

and last but certainly not least for today from Pauline McCardle in Napier.

This dazzles (just like the old chook herself!) with a metallic red scallop, gold star & metallic green circle - what a cool idea & Dashing DSP & Real Red CS - winners!!

Thanks girls just a few more to share with you. Almost too scared to show you mine as everyone is so clever.

Happy Birthday Jacque

eek I've been to busy blogging (or blathering) with my new SBS sisters & am a day late for my upline's birthday - TODAY - as I think she's away doing a show hopefully Fastpost will rescue me.

I do hope she's had an awesome day & I wonder what my life may have been like if I've never meet you, definitely not as fulfilled as it is now!

I'm cheating with the card too as Trudi has posted a challenge on the NZSU blog to do some embossing and I love embossing so incorporated it into the card. I've stamped the lovely flourish first in Versamark then chocolate chip ink then clear embossed - for my dear overseas SBS sisters in case you think I'm mad doing this we don't have Craft inks in the SU! range as yet apart from white. But doesn't it make the stamped image glisten!


Stamp sets: Baroque Motifs, French Script background (retired)
Card stock: Very vanilla, Chocolate chip, Purely pomegranate
Ink: Chocolate chip, Purely pomegranate, Blush blossom (BG), Versamark
Other: Clear EP, rhinestone brad (Pretties kit), photo corner punch, dimensionals, sponge daubers.

I hope Jacque likes the card but know she loves chocolate chip & is also very partial to purely pomegranate too & this is such a classy stamp set it's hard to make a bad card with it!

Baroque Motifs really does rock!

Wow my 10-year old nephew made this card for my sister Tracey for mother's day. I thought Tracey had made it for our mum as it was so beautiful. Maybe Max will be the first male demonstrator in NZ! Well done I'm impressed, the flourish in this set is just gorgeous I think it's hard to make a bad card with it. Though he may need to work on his cutting skills a wee bit.

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Card stock: Pale plum, Perfect plum
Inks: as above
Other: lots & lots of dazzling diamonds glitter, brad

By the way my mum loved her Wild Rose card I had made her a few weeks ago (phew) and her lovely soft micro fleece heated throw - think I want one too as it's so snugly & warm.

My wonderful team to the rescue...

My upline Jacque's team (which I am a part of) is known as the Creative Inkers & they certainly hit the SPOT with inspiration for card class last Monday.

My favourite set in the new catalogue is Baroque Motifs & at $46.95 it is great valuePLUS I fell in love with the new in-colour Groovy Guava - it rocks all right especially with River Rock (another in-colour for '08). Which is what the samples in the new Ideas Book have been created with but my very talented upline Jacque added some Always Artichoke to the mix in one of her cards which looked stunning.

The 2nd card Anne Dil prepared for our demo swap & we finished them off just after midnight on Saturday night in Napier. Needless to say I was too tired to get it right so it was rather fortuitous that I had card class in my home the following day & I could repeat (reinforce) how it was made. Anne's original card/stand was made using textured card stock but apart from that mine is the same design & colours which are stunning.

Groovy Baroque Rocks:



Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Card stock: Groovy Guava, Always Artichoke, River Rock
Inks: as above
Other: twill, hodgepodge hardware, sponging, spritzer (Cameo Coral, A Artichoke)

Anne's fabulous card:



Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Card stock: Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper white
Inks: Versamark, Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate
Other: Clear embossing powder, Purely Pomegranate double stitched grosgrain, linen thread, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, circle punch, lots of sponging & distressing.

Thanks "guys" they were a major hit.