My Christmas treasure!

This is what arrived for me from my lovely friend Louise!! It is not just a card - it is a gift and a treasure!! I could not believe my eyes when I saw it - such a lot of work! Louise got the original idea from another good friend Elaine but of course this one has her own personal touches! It is more beautiful IRL!!

The plum pudding and holly are actually stamped and coloured on shrink plastic, three images are raised on dimensionals and the bell in the middle is a little charm even complete with a little hanging thread!!!! The base card is black gloss and I think the black board with the circle cut outs is from the Collections company.

Louise, thank you soo very much for making me such a unique gift - you are a very special friend! And a big Hi too to you Elaine!!

Baubles

This is a design that I used for many of my Christmas cards this year. It is a tri fold card and I used different DSP papers and different images for the main image for them. These "baubles" are stamps from the SU In The Spotlight set and since I took the photo, I have put Dazzling Diamonds on them - they look really good! The Designer Series Paper I used for this one comes from the Holiday Harmony pack which was in the Spring Mini catty and sadly no longer available to us.

Inside, I have placed a white piece of card and stamped a greeting plus the swirl from Season of Joy set. Other card colours I have used are Purely Pomegranite, River Rock and Always Artichoke. These cards are quite simple and quick to do. I cut the sheet of cardstock in half lengthways and just score it with my blue scoring board.

Thank you so much to the girls who have recently given me awards on here. Heavens I have been a bit slack with showing anything so not sure that I deserve any awards LOL!! I have to say though that I think many many others are way more worthy of these awards than I am. Their work is so beautiful and a credit to them.

Mel's colour challenge!

Seeing I did not have any specific cards to make right now, I tried Mel's colour challenge for this week! Again I could not see the two colours Taken With Teal and Glorious Green going together but I have done it like it or not LOL.

The colours we had to work with were SU Taken With Teal, Glorious Green, Soft Sky, River Rock and Whisper White.

I have no idea what made me make a Christmas card using those colours but I used a sketch from Jen Del Muro - she designs the most wonderful sketches and I would love to have the time to try them all! Thank you Jen!

The tree of course is from my favourite old set - Lovely as a Tree, the wording comes from Many Merry Messages and the Designer Paper is part of the Holiday Harmony Pack which you can only order until midnight tonight in Australia LOL. The circles are punched out and the small white circles have Crystal Effects on them. I have used the white gel pen for the "snowflakes".

We had a very bad electrical storm last night - and good rain too! The power was out all night after we heard a fuse blow with such a bang! I thought we would still be without power as the water is way over a bridge on our only access road. Ergon Energy are a wonderful service - they sent out a helicopter within an hour of my call to them and they landed here beside our house to fix the fault. Our animals went all directions - they could not stand the noise of the chopper! It is not good to have no power at times like this when it is so hot and steamy - I worry about food in the fridge and freezers. All is good for now - hope no repeat tonight!

Another Season of Joy!

A card in the US Stampin' Up! catalogue inspired me to make this card today. I used some beautiful retired SU DSP and Chocolate Chip base card, then wide Burgundy ribbon across.

The circle was cut with my Coluzzle and the little flowers are stamped with Bravo Burgundy and clear embossed. The piece at the top of the bauble was punched with the round tab punch using Kraft card.

The only stamp set used here was Season of Joy. This set is just so versatile!

I wonder if anyone looks at my blog any more - can't really blame them if they don't - it seems soooo long since I posted a picture! Thank you Danielle for your kind words and so glad you and Michelle enjoyed our day. I most certainly did!

Two cards today!

Well aren't these two contrasting cards? I have used SU Season of Joy set and the parcels are from a retired SU set called Birthday Whimsy. The striped paper comes from the very yummy Holiday Harmony DSP paper pack which is in the Spring Mini catalogue. The colours used are Purely Pomegranite, Old Olive, Confettie White, Regal Rose and Always Artichoke.

I have put some glitter on the tree and parcels and used a gold star brad.

For the bird card, again I used Purely Pomegranite in the textured card for the base card, the other colours are Garden Green, So Saffron and Black. All supplies for this card are from Stampin' Up!

I really love the sets used here - True Friend, Always and Wild Rose [for the leaves].

Lovely as a Tree

Just to show that I did actually get something done today!! I know this type of card has been around for years but I still love the idea and the layout and have no idea who first used this set like this. Lovely As A Tree is still one of my favourites and always will be I think and it is amazing to think how long it has been in the Stampin' Up ! catalogue.


The trees are white embossed and the card has been sponged with various colours of Stampin' Up! blues The wording comes from the set Many Merry Messages - an excellent set for Christmas greetings. The silver cord is retired from SU which is a pity.


I might add a bit of Dazzling Diamonds here and there for a bit of sparkle.

Season of Joy

Here is the first Christmas card I have made for the year LOL. This set is in our new Mini catalogue and will be available to customers after the 1st of August! I just love it and think there are so many ways to use it.

The background was done by using the So Swirly SU wheel on white card with Soft Sky ink and then stamped the little flower with Groovy Guava. Little rhinestones have been glued on the snowflakes and flowers and the tree and round snowflake have been raised with dimensionals.

Card: Whisper White, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Groovy Guava

Ink: Soft Sky, Groovy Guava, Blue Bayou

Stamps: Season Of Joy, So Swirly Stampin' Around Wheel

Blue Bayou In colour double stitched ribbon, 3/4, 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches

If anyone would like a copy of the new Mini catalogue, please email me and I will send you one as soon as I have some available. There are indeed some lovely sets and papers etc in this one!

Wintery Lovely As a Tree

I have been quiet on here as I have been making some card fronts for swaps for our upcoming convention. Here is a look at one of the designs I am doing.

We have had beautiful rain this last week - the best for many years at this time of year and we didnt get the flash flooding that Mackay further north of us experienced yesterday. Luckily the low that sat right over Mackay did not come further south otherwise we could have had the same situation.

The last few days of showers have meant indoors for me and that means lovely stamping time so I have been working on my swap cards. I wanted to use my favourite SU set and I am certain it will be in our next catalogue so I made Christmas cards. The background is done with the shaving cream technique and Stampin' Up! reinkers of Night of Navy and Pretty in Pink.

The trees have Dazzling Diamonds on them. To do this, I inked with Versamark and then Night of Navy pads before stamping, then covered with Heat and Stick powder before heating and covering with Dazzling Diamonds. I thought the wording suited the image with that old world scrolly look so am hoping this set will be in our new catalogue too!

All supplies by Stampin' Up!

Card: Brocade Blue, Night Of Navy and Whisper White
Ink: Night of Navy and Pretty in Pink, Versamark
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree and Many Merry Messages

Remember that Sale-a-Bration finishes on the 29th of this month so if you want a free set, you need to order just $100 worth of Stampin' Up! products and you will have the choice of one of four lovely sets for free! There are great incentives too for anyone who joins as a demonstrator with Stampin' Up! before the end of the month. Please contact me if you would like further information.

Beads and glitter

Here is a card which I started whilst at Michelle's. She showed me some stencil techniques and this one uses embossing paste, glitter and beads. I practised this one a few times so only had to finish them off when I got home.

I have a few stencils now so when I catch up with everything else over Christmas, I will do some more things with them. There is a light box out now that works entirely on batteries which is great - take it anywhere!!!

Thank you to the girls who sent me recipes for the shortbread. No excuse now - I will be making it tomorrow or Saturday!!

I have been slack!!

I do have an excuse though - have been away with a friend for a few days and we had fun doing all kinds of techniques - some worked out better than others as usual. Always a pity that time gets away so fast when one is having fun!

I had the images on this card stamped out before I went away and so only had to put it together this morning. You cant see it but there is glitter on the two snowflakes. This Stampin' Up! set is one I have loved since I first saw it emerge - just so much you can do with it. Hopefully it will be in our next catalogue.

Card: SU Real Red, Old Olive
Ink: SU Real Red, Old Olive
Stamps: SU Season of Joy

Remember not much time left to be able to order the lovely double sided Christmas paper, actually just a week! You can see it by clicking on the link on the right hand side here. There is a link there as well to see the Summer Mini catalogue which you can order from now too. Again there are some beautiful Double Sided papers in there especially one called Au Chocolat and there is wide ribbon to match!

Couple of Christmas cards!

I am home for two days before I whizz off again to stay with a stamping friend for a few days. She is such a very good stamper so I hope to come home with more ideas and inspiration. I want to know more about putting stencils to good use for one thing!

Today I have made a few simple Christmas cards so here are two of them. No one in my family does card making so I am sure they will like these - no matter how simple, to me they are so much nicer than store bought cards.

The Merry wording has glitter on each letter but hard to see in the photo. The first card uses more of the DS paper that is the current Stampin' Up! promotion. This one ends on the 15th of December so not much longer to order if you would like some.

All supplies from Stampin' Up!

Card: Cranberry Crisp. True Thyme, Old Olive, Always Artichoke

Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke, Summer Sun and Black

Stamps: Sleigh Full of Toys, Warm Words, All Year Cheer I, Little Pieces and Big Deal Alphabet.

Flyer sample

I have made up a flyer to put on our local Woolies shopping centre notice board and so as to make it stand out in the usual entanglement of sheets of paper, I have made up this low cost card front to stick on the bottom of the flyer.

Hopefully it might catch someone's eye and they will think they would like to make similar!! Of course here I used the same bauble stamp as the yellow one in the card below - don't cards look so different with using different colours!!

Card: Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, True Thyme and the Holiday Thyme DS paper.

Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy and black

Stamps: Hung Up on the Holidays and Warmest Words

And more!!

I just wanted to show off two more of the designs in this month's special promotion paper pack from Stampin' Up! Time is running out to order this beautiful double sided paper and I have seen some really lovely projects made with it like origami boxes complete with a big bow on the top and card holders.

Card: Stampin' Up! Cranberry Crisp. Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Marigold Morning and vellum,
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Real Red and black
Stamps: Many Merry Messages

THAT paper!!

This double pocket card was made by using just one piece of A4 paper and although it is very quick and easy to make, I won't be making any more with using my lovely Stampin' Up! paper or there won't be any left for other projects LOL!!

The idea for this card comes from Pat of Technique Junkies of which I am a subscriber.

This paper comes from the SU Holiday Thyme Designer Series Double sided paper which is the special promotion for this month at the price of $14.95. If you wish to order any, there are only a few days left to do so!! It is a beautiful pack and the paper co-ordinates with the following Stampin' Up! colours:

Bashful Blue, Bravo Burgundy, Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, True Thyme, Very Vanilla

Card: Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, Always Artichoke

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Riveting, Scribble This, All Year Cheer I

Ink: Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Bravo Burgundy

A tent topper!

I was inspired by a similar little card elsewhere on a blog mainly because it used the Lovely As a Tree stamp which I love [ I think you all know that by now LOL].

I used the Stampin' Up! Christmas paper which is the special for this month only. The card folds at the top and the actual folded card is 100mms square. Five different punches were used on it which made it really quick and easy. The trees were double stamped, once before I coloured in the Always Artichoke and again after in Old Olive.

Card: SU Always Artichoke, white

Ink: Always Artichoke and Old Olive

Stamps: Lovely as A Tree and Warm Words

Surfin' Aussie Santa!

Well this was a little challenge for me!! I am holding a workshop/stamping arvo at my daughter in law's this weekend. She loves this set and asked me if they could make a slider card using the surfing santa!

I knew what I wanted to do for it but didn't quite know how I was going to achieve the look and at the same time keep it simple, as a couple of the girls are beginners at stamping.

So I simply tore card to represent the waves and surf and wheeled Rough Around the Edges in blue and then dabbed the wheel in white over the top.

The sliding part works quite well though I think next time, I would make the slit straighter - not so much curve. Still have to practise this watercolouring more - quite dreadful here really and I bet the girls will do way better than I have here. Can't wait to see how they go!

Card: Stampin' Up! Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and White
Ink: Stampin' Up! Markers and watercolour crayons, Whisper White, Brocade Blue
Stamps: Stampin' Up! Happy Christmas, Mate and Rough Around the Edges Wheel

Christmas swap card front

I joined in a swap of card fronts with a little challenge which was really easy LOL.
The stipulations were that we had to use one of the Stampin' Up! In Colours current in Australia, at least one Christmas stamp and some organdy ribbon. I think that most players will use the Cranberry Crisp card as it is so beautiful and I was itching to use it too but decided to go with the True Thyme. It will be interesting to see what the other girls go with!

I used the mega sized Marvy scallop punch and the small white oval has been cut out with Creative memories template. The white spots come from the Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Blooms and Dots. I have white embossed the greeting to make it stand out a little better. Stickles Glitter glue on the snow under the penguin.

So now I have all mine done and ready to send out - a good feeling.

My Pink Cards pack came yesterday so I will get into more of them now. The goodies have been generously donated by different companies keen to support.

Will be away for the next three days so no stamping time - waaaah!

Stamp Of Authenticity

Karen has this set and I was keen to see what could be done with it so she and I made similar cards with a Christmas theme! I can see uses for it in scrapbooking in particular but this example shows that it can be used on cards just as effectively.

All supplies by Stampin' Up!

Card: Cranberry Crisp, Mellow Moss,Chocolate Chip
Ink: Cranberry Crisp, Always Artichoke
Stamps: Stamp of Authenticity, Riveting, Paisley, Greetings Galore, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Many Merry Messages and Warm Words

Another Christmas card for the stash

This a square card which was just fun to do as there is nothing complicated on there LOL. I stamped the reindeer twice - once on the green and again on watercolour paper. After colouring, I cut out them out minus the antlers and glued them over the stamped ones on the green. There is glitter along the scalloped edge and on the reindeer image.

All supplies by Stampin' Up!

Card: Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Certainly Celery and Whisper White
Ink: Cool Caribbean and Black
Stamps: Sleigh Full of Toys

Here we go again - another tree!

I take no credit for the colours and image technique here but I changed things around from the original card which right now I cannot find again. Thank you to whoever inspired me!

I used the crayon technique to create the snow on the tree and sponged over with the Night of Navy Stampin' Up! ink. The pale blue layer is stamped with leaves but you cannot see it in the photo.

This is a top fold card so I could simply wrap the ribbon around the bottom part.

Card: Stampin' Up! Night Of Navy, Bordering Blue, Chocolate Chip and Sage Shadow, Glossy white.

Ink: Archival Library Green, Stampin' Up! Night of Navy and Colorbox Chestnut Roan

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Lovely As A Tree and Riveting

I hope many stampers are able to keep the 6th October free to celebrate World Cardmaking Day. There is sure to be a get together somewhere in your area [ except mine LOL]. Stampin' Up! is a sponsor of this event and is offering 20% off any of the four Simply Sent kits in the main catalogue between the 4th and the 8th October. I am thinking these would make wonderful gifts for beginner stampers especially as there is everything in the kit to make up lots of cards complete with envelopes.

If you dont have a catalogue, you can view these online on the Stampin' Up! site or you can contact me for anything further you would like to know.