Art With Heart Women In Our Lives Blog Hop

Hi!

Welcome back to another Art With Heart Blog Hop. The theme for this blog hop is Women In Our Lives. You may have just come from Judy May's blog, but if you've started here that's OK - just keep going until you get back to where you started. There are 14 stops along the way.

The Art With Heart team is led by Claire Daly and it is a very talented team that I feel privileged to be a part of. Talk about Inspirational Women - they're all an inspiration to me!

Today I chose the women in my family as the women in my life who inspire me. My mum and my 3 sisters are all incredible women who have achieved so much. I decided to do a layout inspired by them. The photo is from Christmas 2006. Unfortunately it's the most recent photo I have of us all together. The layout is based on Sketch 35 from the blog Got Sketch.



Here's a close up of the title. I googled scrapbooking titles and came up with 'We Will Shine'. I thought it was a perfect accompaniment to the journalling I had in mind.



Next is a close up of the flowers. I first stamped the stem stamp along the edge of the Old Olive card stock. I stamped it one way, turned the stamp 180 degrees end stamped it again so it looked more like a vine along the edge of the DSP. Each of the flowers was stamped, fussy cut and adhered to the page, some with Dimensionals.



Finally a close up of the journalling block. I achieved this shape by cutting a Top Note Die and then carefully placing it back on the die, but at right angles to the first cut. I cut 2 of these shapes - One in Garden Wall DSP and One in Rich Razzleberry. I cut along the perforations of the DSP shape so I could matt it on the Rich Razzleberry. I love the shape it gives, and it was better for this page as I didn't have enough journalling to fill a whole Top Note.



Stamps: Cottage Garden
Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence Stampin' Write Marker
DSP/Card Stock: Cottage Wall DSP, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White
Other:Big Shot, Stampin' Up Top Note Die, Stampin' Up Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Die, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

So that's it for me! You're now off to Kathryn Manglesdorf's blog. If you're not a Stampin' Up Demonstrator you could win some blog candy. All you need to do is leave a comment on every blog before 6 am Monday 3rd May and then email Nikki Saddler (nikki@inkyart.com.au) to let her know you've commented on each blog. Good Luck!

Here's a list of the other blog participants in case a link is broken:

Kathryn Manglesdorf
Alisha Watson
Nicole Rouillon
Kathryn Lowe
Ros Davidson
Nikki Sadler
Tanja Westwood
Kristine Thompson
Sue Madex
Gayatri Murali
Christine Blaine
Di Dunk
Judy May

I hope to see you for the next Blog Hop - we have them on the last day of every month.

Catch you later,

Tina

Torn Flowers

Hi!

On Monday Night at Swap Sisters I learned how to make torn flowers - they are so pretty. The challenge issued after the online class was to make 2 and put them on a card, layout or 3D item. After I made the first one I thought it would be perfect to go on a card to fit the current sketch challenge over at Card Patterns. Here is the sketch:



And here's my card with the torn flower:



I stamped the butterfly from Dreams De Jour in Versamark over the Very Vanilla card stock and then clear heat embossed them. It's been ages since I've heat embossed! I love the subtle, shimmery look it gives.

I made a second torn flower, this time using Bella Rose DSP rather than card stock. Here is the card I put the second flower on:



Cherish card:
Stamps: Dreams De Jour, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Versamark, Lavender Lace
Card Stock: Mellow Moss, Lavender Lace, Very Vanilla
Other: Heat Gun, Clear Embossing Powder, 1/4" Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon, Distressor, Tombow Glue, Very Vanilla Latte Button

For You card:
Stamps: One Of A Kind
Ink: Pretty In Pink
DSP/Card Stock: Bella Rose DSP, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette
Other: Clear Rhinestone Brads (small and large), Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Distressor, Tombow Glue

Please pop back on Friday (if not before!) for the next Art With Heart Blog Hop. There's blog candy up for grabs!

Catch you later,

Tina

My last SAM Guest Designer Layout

Hi!

I'm very sad to say that this is my last layout as a Guest Designer for Stamp A Memory. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stint and was honoured to be asked. Thank you so much Tanja and the team at Stamp A Memory for inviting me to be the guest designer for April.



Here is a little teaser of my layout:



I think it's the best of my guest designer layouts. To see the whole page, you'll need to head on over to Stamp A Memory.

Catch you later,

Tina

Introducing..... Brooke!

Hi!

My very good friend Brooke decided she'd have a go at the current Stamp A Memory creative challenge, which is a layout describing the 5 things you like about yourself and includes a photo of yourself.

Like most scrappers Brooke prefers to scrap about her two handsome boys, but she decided to step out of her comfort zone to produce this layout. Here is her fantastic layout:



And here's a closer look at some of her journalling:



I love the way she's sponged the edge with the blue ink and then applied glitter over the top. All girls deserve a bit of bling!

The things Brooke likes about herself are: that she's compassionate and caring; her dimples; she's a great mum; she's a great cook; and she's creative. I must say that I agree with her on all counts. Her lasagne is scrumptious!

Good luck with the challenge Brooke!

Catch you later,

Tina

Washington Apple Hot Rods

Hi!

Every month the Art With Heart team have a scrapbooking challenge (among others!). I'd recently been on a family holiday and was keen to scrap some of the pictures, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone.

Every Easter my home town hosts a Hot Rod Rally. It's been going on as long as I can remember. I used to love checking out the cars at the Show 'n' Shine, and then that night the main street would be closed off so the cars could lap the street, giving lucky people a ride int he cars. I was happy to find that it was all still the same after all these years. I can't remember last time I went!

So, here's the sketch:



I had lots of photos I wanted to include in the layout, so I ended up printing them at half size and trimming them to fit. That way I got 4 photos in instead of the 2 in the sketch. Here's the finished layout:



And here's a close up of the car I made:



I was hoping to achieve the look of one of those ginormous old cars - you know, the ones they sing about in 'Love Shack' that are as big as a whale.

DSP/Card Stock: Washington Apple DSP, Bashful Blue, Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaller
Other: Riding Hood Red 5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, 3/4" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Photo Corners Punch, Horizontal Slot Punch, Big Shot, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Dies

If you want the details on how I made the car, leave your email in a comment.

Catch you later,

Tina

Two Step Bird at a picnic

Hi!

I'm still on a bit of a roll with the Bella Rose goodies I won. Last night I thought I'd have a go at the latest challenge at Card Patterns. Here is the latest sketch:



I also wanted to make a Top Note Box. I've seen them around a bit and now that I have the Top Note Die, I was all set! I downloaded the tutorial over at SplitCoast Stampers.

Here is the box I came up with:



When I showed my husband the finished product he said it looked like the bird was sitting on a picnic blanket, hence the title of this post.



This little box will be donated to my daughter's kindy for their Mother's Day fundraiser. I think it would make a perfect gift for any mother.

DSP/Card Stock: Bella Rose DSP, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red
Ink: Regal Rose, Old Olive
Other: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Circle Cutter, Square Punch, Horizontal Slot Punch, Bird and Branch Die Cuts, Sponge Dauber, 5/8" Striped Riding Hood Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals

Catch you later,

Tina

Two Bella Rose Cards

Hi!

Last night I had a play with a parcel of goodies I'd won a few weeks ago for a challenge at Swap Sisters. The parcel was a whole lot of card stock, die cuts and Bella Rose DSP. I must admit, it's sat on my desk since I won it because I keep thinking it's too pretty to cut up. Occasionally I'd get it out and look through it all, but then it would go straight back into the envelope.

Finally last night I decided that it was too pretty to be tucked away, it had to be used! I made two cards using some of the goodies. One I love, the other I don't like as much as a whole, but I like some of the different elements of the card, so I will try them again at another time on another card.

The first card was made for the challenge over at Just Add Ink. It was a colour combo challenge:



Here's the card I came up with:



The bird from Always was stamped off once then stamped on some Bella Rose DSP and finally covered in Crystal Effects. I used the leaf image to stamp behind the bird. I used Versamark ink to give a subtle effect. I also stapled for the first time ever on a papercraft project. I'm not sure what I think about stapling - I don't think it's a very 'me' thing.

The second card I made was for Makeesha's Inkspiration's Sketch Challenge #21. I quite liked this sketch:



Here is the card I made:



I think I might just have to get myself a whole pack of the Bella Rose DSP - it's so beautiful!

Best Wishes Card:
Stamps: Always, Always in Bloom Wheel, Cute and Curly
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Versamark
DSP/Card Stock: Bella Rose DSP, Barely Banana, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip
Other: Horizontal Slot Punch, Curly Label Punch, Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals, Crystal Effects, Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Stapler

For You Card:
Stamps: Basic Phrases
Ink: Chocolate Chip
DSP/Card Stock: Bella Rose DSP, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Other: 1 1/4" Pink Pirouette Grosgrain Ribbon (retired from Summer Mini), Kiwi Kiss Satin Ribbon, Bird,Branch and Flower die cuts (from my prize pack), Sponge Dauber

Can you guess which of the two was my favourite card?

Catch you later,

Tina

My First Workshop

Hi!

I ran my very first Stampin' Up! workshop on Sunday. I had a fabulous time and the whole experience confirmed that I made the right decision to become an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

I thought I'd share with you the cards we made. Brooke, my hostess, wanted to have a play with Stampin' Around Wheels so we made 2 cards with the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel. I CASED the design of these cards from Roz Veevers, a very talented Stampin' Up! Demo.

For the first card, we used Ballet Blue highlights. This card was rolled straight along the card stock:



For the second card we used Regal Rose highlights and rolled diagonally across the card stock. It gives a slightly different effect:



The guests had a few options with the cards: the orientation of the final card (tall or wide) and how they were going to adhere their sentiment. The Ballet Blue card has only the Whisper White section of the sentiment raised. The Regal Rose has the whole sentiment raised. I think the guests liked being able to make a few choices.



For the third card, we made a card that was a bit more difficult. Brooke's favourite colour is purple, and as soon as she saw Rich Razzleberry she loved it. So what else could I do but get them to make a Rich Razzleberry card:




This card used a heap of different techniques and products: border punches, tearing, 2 step stamping, fussy cutting, sponging and stamping off. The ladies loved making the card, and their cards were fabulous.

So Swirly Cards:
Stamps: So Swirly Jumbo Wheel, Best Yet (level 1 hostess set)
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue, Regal Rose
Card Stock: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Regal Rose
Other: Dimensionals, Sponge Dauber

Rich Razzleberry Card:
Stamps: Cottage Garden
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
DSP/Card Stock: Cottage Wall DSP, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Orchid Opulence
Other: Dimensionals, Sponge Dauber, 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Paper Snips

Catch you later,

Tina

Stamp A Memory April Challenge #2

Hi!

As a part of my Stamp A Memory Guest Designer 'duties' I get to submit a layout for inspiration for the second April Challenge. Tanja's second challenge for April is to:

create a layout about yourself, listing 5 things you like about yourself and it must include a photo of yourself.

Hmmmm... 'myself' is probably my least favourite topic to scrap! And to make it extra challenging I had to think about 5 things I like about myself. Hmmmm.... Here's the layout I came up with:



I cheated a bit and asked some friends what they liked about me. I was surprised to find their answers were all very similar, so I reckon the things they said must be true! They said I was : creative, generous, strong, organised and a great wife and mother.

And here is a close up of the ruched ribbon:



Now, as you can see, my Big Shot and Timeless Type Alphabet Die got a big workout in the making of this layout! The combination makes titles so much easier. I couldn't imagine how long it would have taken me to stamp and then cut out all those 'me' letters! A little tip for the Big Shot is that you don't need to cut out all the letters on a die - you can just put card stock over the letters you want and only cut those out:



Certainly handy, as I probably would not use the other letters in Tangerine Tango and it would have been a big waste of card stock. This way I can just cut what I need, when I need it. I do cut whole sheets in colours like Whisper White, because I know they will get used.

Stamps: Circle Circus
DSP/Card Stock: Haiku, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Whisper White, Old Olive
Ink: Old Olive, Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaler
Other: Big Shot Die Cut Machine, Stampin' Up Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Die, Stampin' Up Top Note Die, Curly Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Paper Snips, So Saffron 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon

Finally, I'd like to point out that the photographer was my 4 year old daughter, Ada. Isn't she clever! So please give this challenge a go - there's a fab prize up for grabs - your choice of 2 jumbo wheels (handle not included).

Catch you later,

Tina

Punch Art Tractor

Hi!

Once again, Tuesday night was Punch Art night on Swap Sisters. I'm really enjoying these online classes, run by Melissa. Her blog is here. This Tuesday Melissa taught us how to make a tractor and a scarecrow and challenged us to incorporate one or both into a project. I was all set to do a scrapbook layout, as my children had recently had a ride in a MASSIVE tractor. However, I realised I'd only printed 2 of the 3 pics I needed, so a change of plans was necessary.

I put the tractor on a little card instead. My friend's son is turning one in a couple of weeks so I thought it would make a great card for him. Here's my version of Melissa's tractor:



What little boy doesn't like a tractor!

Stamps: Happy Moments (retired SAB set)
DSP/Card stock: Brocade Blue Hostess Patterns Pack II DSP, More Mustard, Garden Green, Basic Black, Going Grey
Ink: Basic Black
Other: LOTS of punches, Big Shot, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Die

Catch you later,

Tina

SAM Guest Designer Layout #2

Hi!

It's time for another one of my layouts to be featured over at Stamp A Memory.



Here is a sneak peek:



To see the whole layout, you'll need to head on over to Stamp A Memory.

Catch you later,

Tina

Cottage Garden Candles

Hi!

I've been wanting to have another go at stamping on candles, and with my friend's birthday recently I though that was the perfect opportunity. I bought her 4 little candles and stamped an image from the Cottage Garden stamp set on each in Rich Razzleberry ink. Her favourite colour is purple, and Rich Razzleberry is such a lush purple. I'm so glad that it's coming back as a core colour in September.

Here are the candles:



Now, pretty candles need some pretty wrapping, so I decided to make a little box to put them in. I used the matching Cottage Wall DSP for the box lid:



And finally some (non SU) ribbon to finish it all off:



I'm sure she'll love it.

Stamps: Cottage Garden
DSP/Card Stock: Cottage Wall DSP, Orchid Opulence
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
Other: Green Satin Ribbon, Votive Candles, Tissue Paper, Waxed Paper - all non SU

Hmmm, now I'm thinking I need to make a tag to go with the box. Very conveniently the Cottage Garden stamp set has a tag stamp!

Catch you later,

Tina

Echoes Of Kindness Birthday Card

Hi!

I thought I'd share a card I made for a friend's birthday. I used the opportunity to try out the last two techniques I learned in the Marker Club run by Sue Maddex, my upline. I'm a bit sorry to say that I've only just got around to trying out last months tutorial at the same time as this months. It's been a busy month!

Anyway, here's the card:



Last month's tutorial was using heat embossing on vellum and markers to create a stained glass look. In this case there were a few stray marks from the embossing powder, so to hide them I decided to mount the vellum behind the Old Olive panel. I stamped the same image on the Old Olive and then very carefully cut around it using a scalpel to create a window slightly larger then the image. The vellum is mounted on Whisper White card stock to help it stand out.

This month's tutorial is using markers to colour ribbon. For this card I used my Lovely Lilac marker to colour some Whisper White Taffeta ribbon. It's a nice finishing touch. Remember too that Lovely Lilac is one of the colours being farewelled at the end of August, so stock up now if it's a favourite!

Stamps: Echoes of Kindness
Card stock: Lovely Lilac, Old Olive, Whisper White, vellum
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Old Olive
Other: Black Embossing Powder, Blender Pens, Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Scalpel, Dimensionals

Catch you later,

Tina

Stampin' Up! Colour Renovation

Hi!

Exciting news from Stampin' Up! The company has decided to do a bit of a colour shake up. The best news is that several old In Colours will be returning as a part of the core colours. There will be fewer core colours and more In Colours. Even better, the In Colours will run for 2 years, making them much better value.

Sadly, it does mean that some colours will be farewelled, but you will have almost 5 months to stock up on these colours. Below are links to charts that outline the new colour collections and also the colours that will be ending on the 31st August. Please get in touch if you need any more information.

Colour Renovation: New Colour Collections

Colour Renovation: Fond Farewell

Catch you later,

Tina

Summery Cottage Garden

Hi!

When I first saw the Cottage Garden stamp set in the new Autumn Winter Mini I thought it was very pretty, but a bit limited in how you could use it. I've seen lots of samples in the new In Colours but not much else. Then I was watching my 2 year old Hudson crawling around in a pair of Hawaiian shorts and noticed that the flower on them looked a lot like the flower in the Cottage garden set. I was intrigued to see how a bright card would look. (I think it's very funny how you start seeing the world in terms of particular colours and stamps! I guess that's how you know you're addicted to stamping!)

OK, back to the flower. In a big coincidence, the challenge this fortnight at Swap Sisters is a colour challenge:



Perfect!

Here's the card I came up with:



It just goes to show that Stampin' Up! catalogues are great for inspiration, but sometimes it definitely pays to experiment and pay attention to the world around you. Inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere!

It's a bit difficult to see in the photo, but I stamped the trio of flowers in Summer Sun Ink on the top left side of the Summer Sun card stock to give a subtle effect. I also used my markers to colour the sentiment stamp to get a multicoloured effect.

So what do you think? Does Cottage Garden work with brights just as well as the greens and purples?

Card stock: Pixie Pink textured, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Stamps: Cottage Garden
Ink: Summer Sun ink pad, Pixie Pink, Only Orange and Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write Markers
Other: Paper Snips, Dimensionals, 1/4" Tempting Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon

Catch you later,

Tina

Panda Punch Art

Hi!

I mentioned in a previous post that my punch art panda had yet to find a home on a card. It took a while, but eventually it did:



Isn't she cute? I think the pink ribbon on the panda suited a baby girl card, so I built the card around the panda.

Cardstock/DSP: Cottage Wall DSP, Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White, Pretty In Pink
Other: LOTS of Punches, Pretty In Pink 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon, Basic Black Gingham Ribbon, Stampin' Write Basic Black Marker, Big Shot and Timeless Type Junior Alphabet Die, Dimensionals

I hope you had a really good Easter. I certainly did!

Catch you later,

Tina

SAM April Guest Designer

Hi!

I'm finally able to share with you my big news. The very talented ladies over at Stamp A Memory asked me to be their April Guest Designer! To say that I was excited would be a massive understatement. I love their website, and the Stamp A Memory team are all very talented. To become a part of that team, even for just a month, is an incredible thrill.



I'll be completing 4 layouts over the month. Here is a little sneak peak of my first layout:



To see the whole layout you'll have to pop on over to Stamp A Memory. Please leave a comment - I'd love to know what you think!

Catch you later,

Tina