Teacher's Gifts from Christmas 2011

Hi!

I was looking through my 'To Blog' folder and realised I hadn't shown you the teacher's gifts I made for my kids to give to their teachers.  I think I made 15 in all!  I have 3 to show you today, all made using Flirtatious SDSP.  The others were made using retired DSP and by the time I made the other 12 I was totally over them, so I didn't take any more photos. lol

I got the idea for them off another demonstrator on a Demonstrator only forum.  Aren't they cute little boxes?  I filled them with chocolates for the teachers.

DSP: Flirtatious Specialty DSP, Wisteria Wonder, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Other: Big Shot, Petal Cone Bigz Die, Wisteria Wonder Ruffled Ribbon, Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon (retired)

Bye for now,

Tina

Summer Mini Catalogue Blog Hop

Hi!

Welcome to another casual little blog hop.  A group of my fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators and I like to do a monthly blog hop to help our readers with some inspiration.  Di Dunk's blog was the stop before mine, but you can hop on and off wherever you'd like.  There are 7 blogs to look at - can you think of a better way to start a Saturday morning?
I have two cards for you today, both made with the Marry Me stamp set, which you can find on page 21 of the Summer Mini Catalogue.  I call the first one the 'City Wedding Card', as I think it has a very urban feel, especially compared to my second card.

I had to hold this one closed to photograph it due to the odd shape of the front.  The card is only a half card on the front, with the overlapping image.  The inside of the card shows through to the front when it is closed flat.  This was my first play with the Mocha Morning Specialty DSP.  I love all the neutrals in it and thought it would look quite classy on a wedding card.

I stamped off the En Francais stamp once before stamping on the cardstock.  The full strength Crumb Cake ink competed too much with the DSP on the front so it needed to be toned down a little.  It was a bit tricky lining up the inside parts so the 'right' bits showed at the front, but the effort was worth it.

My second card I call my 'Country Wedding Card'.  It's such a contrast to the other card!  I used the lovely Beau Chateau DSP on this one.  The Marina Mist blue with the Very Vanilla remind me of milk jugs and cream pots.

The main image was a little stark stamped on the Very Vanilla, so I spritzed over the top with my Colour Spritzer and Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker.  Looking at it now though, I probably should add a pearl to the little butterfly tucked in above the sentiment.

The inside was finished off to match the outside.  I used the gorgeous Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon on both the inside and outside of the card.  It is so soft and smooth and adds a lovely texture to the card.  You can find the ribbon on page 11 of the Summer Mini Catalogue.

City Card
Stamps: Marry Me, En Francais
Ink: Crumb Cake, Basic Black
DSP/Cardstock: Mocha Morning Specialty DSP, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Other: Lace Ribbon Border Punch

Country Card
Stamps: Marry Me
Ink: Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
DSP/Cardstock: Beau Chateau DSP, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette
Other: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Very Vanilla Velvet Ribbon, Basic Jewels Pearls, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber, Colour Spritzer, Circle Cutter, Dimensionals

If you'd like to continue the Blog Hop and see some more amazing projects, then please hop on over to Nikki Sadler's blog.  Please take a minute to leave a comment before you go.  It's easy to do, and I'd love to know what you think of my cards.

Bye for now,

Tina

Blog Hop Participants:
Nikki Sadler
Kathryn Mangelsdorf
Sue Madex
Alisha Watson
Kathryn Ruddick
Di Dunk

Just Add Kathy Tanner!

Hi!
I decided to spend the last official day of the school holidays at my craft desk and my first stop for a challenge was Just Add Ink.  Their new challenge is a CASE challenge, this time it's Kathy Tanner.  So off I went to her blog and after quite a bit of scrolling through her gorgeous cards I selected this card to CASE.

So as you can see my card turned out just a smidgeon differently to Kathy's card!  I started off with the round main panel, just like she did.  I brayered Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade onto the cardstock and then heat embossed the Eiffel Tower and sentiment over the top.  I matted the panel on a larger Basic Black circle and then decided to matt it again on a larger shape, like Kathy's.  I chose a different shape though.

I tried the ribbon at the top of the card as Kathy had placed hers there but it just didn't work so along the bottom it went!  Kathy also stamped her sentiment at the bottom of her large matt but I chose to stamp the stamp to match the DSP there instead.  It fits into the shape of the large matt perfectly!

The inside used mostly the same elements as the outside.  And what do you do when you stuff up the stamping?  You use your blender pen and some Lucky Limeade ink to create some shrubs around the bottom of the Eiffel Tower!

EDITED: Seems I stuffed up when I made the card and used Not Quite Navy cardstock instead of Island Indigo!  Just goes to show that you should tidy up your craft space in between projects!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, A Word For You
Ink: Basic Black, Island Indigo, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade
DSP/Cardstock: In Colour Patterns DSP, Island Indigo, Basic Black, Whisper White
Other: Big Shot, Labels Die (non SU), Basic Black Satin Ribbon, White Baker's Twine, Black Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Blender Pen, Circle Cutter
Bye for now,

Tina

Festive Friday Challenge #3

Hi!

Welcome to the third of Nicole Derendorf's Festive Friday Challenges.  This week is our first round of Christmas Cards.  I'm so pleased to be on the Design Team because it gives me a kick start on my Christmas cards for the year.  No more mad rush in November (or December!).  If you play along too you could get a good head start on the task.

I love it when you can make a card and let the DSP to all the 'talking'.  Some days I just can't be bothered getting out my stamps and ink pads, and so cards like today's are perfect for such occasions.

In the end I did get out one stamp and one inkpad for the inside!

Stamps: Curly Cute
Ink: Old Olive
DSP/Cardstock: Letters to Santa, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Whisper White, Red Glimmer Paper
Other: Ornament Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Dimensionals

Why don't you pop on over to Nicole's blog and see what the rest of the Design Team have made to inspire you.  I hope you can play along with us.

Bye for now,

Tina

Sale-A-Bration is here!

Yipee!

My favourite time of the Stampin' Up! year has begun - Sale-A-Bration!

Click on the image of the catalogue to take you to the Stampin' Up! information page, and also to download a copy of the catalogue.

The best things about Sale-A-Bration in a nutshell are:

• You get FREE stamps for every $100 you spend on our fabulous products.
• For the first time in Australia you can choose a DSP pack or a ribbons and brads pack instead of a stamp set - absolutely FREE with a $100 spend.
• There's no limits!  If you spend $300 you get to choose three FREE SAB items, AND you also qualify for hostess benefits. That's another $50 to spend on FREE products from the IB&C.
• If you host a workshop during SAB you can also earn FREE SAB products depending on your workshop sales.
• If you choose to join my team during SAB you can choose a FREE stamp set from any current catalogue.  The starter kit has been reduced to $249 during SAB.  The kit is worth approximately $610.  Bargain!

If you'd like to find out more or place an order and earn some gorgeous FREE products, please email me on happy.mum@hotmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you.

I"ll leave you with a card I made using the gorgeous Everyday Enchantment DSP, one of your choices during SAB.

The central medallion was made by trimming the Pool Party Decorative Label punchie and layering it on two Soft Suede Punchies.  The image was fussy cut from a sheet of the DSP.

I used two of the brads from the ribbon and brad pack on the card. I love the cute little designs that coordinate perfectly with the DSP and stamp sets.

Stamps: Well Scripted (retired)
Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake
DSP/Cardstock: Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB), Pool Party, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Other: Decorative Label Punch, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Everyday Enchantment Brads (SAB), Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals

Bye  for now,

Tina

Domestic Goddess

Hi!
Sadly I am not the Domestic Goddess of this blog post, rather it is some DSP from Stampin' Up!  I used it on a card to enter in the latest challenge at Just Add Ink.  It's a cute little sketch, which was perfect for a cute little card.

This card actually started with the flower, and I built the rest of the card around it.  Instead of using water to wet the cardstock I used Shimmer Paint mixed with Isocol which works just as well and has the added bonus of producing a shimmery flower.

I took a few liberties with the sketch and added a cute little bow in some absolutely sunshiny-fabulous Daffodil Delight Satin ribbon.  There's nothing like a bright yellow bow to bring a smile to your face!

A piece of matching DSP on the inside, and a bit more Daffodil Delight ribbon (1/8" Taffeta this time!) and it's done.

Stamps: It's Your Day

Ink: Pool Party

DSP/Cardstock: Domestic Goddess DSP, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Pool Party

Other: Big Shot, Scallop Squares Duo Die, Fancy Flower Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon (retired), 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, In Colour Designer Printed Brad, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint/Isocol mix

Bye for now,

Tina

A Simple Birthday Card

Hi!

The card I have for you today was made on commission for a female adult birthday.  I made it a little while ago, when I first discovered Joanne Leddy's flower tutorial.

Hmm, the pink is showing up quite dark in this photo, it is actually Blushing Bride!

Aren't those flowers gorgeous?  With a statement embellishment like it on a card you don't need too much else on the front.  A Glimmer Brad adds a little touch of bling.

A nice simple inside to finish off the card.

Stamps: Marry Me, Just Believe, Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)
Ink: Blushing Bride
DSP/Cardstock: Blushing Bride Patterns DSP, Blushing Bride, Very Vanilla
Other: Fancy Flower Punch, 5-Petal Flower Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Decorative Label Punch, Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Blushing Bride Glimmer Brad, Dimensionals, Sponge Dauber, Mini Mister bottle (non-SU)

Bye for now,

Tina

Blossom Bouquet Birthday Card

Hi!

Today I have a card for you that I made quite a while ago.  I made it for my Mother-In-Law's birthday in November!  I was looking through my 'To Blog' folder and realised I hadn't blogged it way back then, so here it is now.

I love the cute floral design using the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch.  I saw this card on Jenny Hayward's blog and used it as inspiration for mine.  Here's a closer look at the punched flowers:

I used another punchie on the inside.

 I used a negative of the punchie, with a punchie in the middle.  Doesn't it add a cute touch to the inside?

Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Versamark
DSP/Cardstock: In Colour Patterns Stack DSP, Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla
Other: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Very Vanilla Brads, Very Vanilla Flower Brad, Silver Embossing Powder

Bye for now,

Tina

A Distressing Need For Speed

Hi!

I have been playing a lot with my new Distressing Essentials kit lately.  This card was made for a male friend, so I paired the Mahogany Distressing ink with Well Worn DSP to create a card.

I love how I managed to get the distressing on the stamped image to match the distressing on the DSP.

I used a few scraps of Denim Ribbon and DSP from the front of the card to create a little feature on the inside.

Stamps: Need For Speed, Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess)
Ink: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Mahogany Distressing Ink
DSP/Cardstock: Well Worn DSP, Early Espresso, More Mustard, Whisper White
Other: Artichoke Denim Ribbon, Paper Snips, Blender Pen, Dimensionals, Distressing Essentials Kit, Sponge Dauber

Bye for now,

Tina

Festive Friday Challenge #1

Hi!

I'm so excited to be a part of a brand new Design Team!  Nicole Derendorf has started a new Festive Friday Challenge on her blog and I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of the Design Team. The focus of the Challenges is going to be Festive cards, hence the title of the Challenges!  Most of the year we will concentrate on Christmas cards, but occasionally there will be a different theme.  We are starting off with Valentine's Day cards.

I'm not one for elaborate Valentine's Day celebrations, so I kept my card quite simple.  I love that I can make a simple card, but that the Shimmer Paper makes it something quite special.

To emphasise the heart and the sentiment I scored 2 lines above and below them at 1/8" apart.  It's a small touch, but it helps to keep the eye on the main elements of the card rather than wandering around in all that white space.

The inside is quite simple too.  Lots of space to write a heartfelt message of love!

Stamps: Clearly For You, Marry Me
Ink: Real Red
Cardstock: Silver Shimmer Paper, Red Shimmer Paper, Confetti White
Other: Heart to Heart Punch, Dimensionals, Scoring Tool

I can't wait to see what you come up with for the very first Festive Friday Challenge.  Are you a clean and simple cardmaker like me? Or do you go for the other end of the scale and go all out?  Either way, I'm sure it will be fabulous and I'm going to love checking out all the creations.  Head on over to Nicole's blog to see what the other Design Team members have made and to link up your card.

Bye for now,

Tina

An Enchanting Birthday

Hi!

I'm back with another look at the soon to be available Sale-A-Bration DSP, Everyday Enchantment.

Are you drooling over those papers as much as I am?  They are so pretty!

The very clever Kirsty Brown demonstrated these double butterflies for us at Stampin' Up!'s annual Convention in Melbourne last year.  This was my first go at trying one. They aren't too difficult, it's all in the positioning.

A nice, simple inside to finish the card off.

Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)
Ink: Crumb Cake, Versamark
DSP/Cardstock: Everyday Enchantment (SAB), Very Vanilla, Peach Parfait, Pool Party
Other: Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, White Embossing Powder, Everyday Enchantment Calypso Coral Organdy Ribbon (SAB), Sponge Dauber, Heat Tool

I hope you can pop back on Friday.  I was invited to be a part of the Design Team for a new challenge called Festive Friday and run by Nicole Derendorf.  The first ever Festive Friday Challenge and my first Design Team submission for the challenge will be posted.  I'd love for you to take part in the challenges - it will be a good way to get a head start on your Christmas cards for 2012!

Bye for now,

Tina

December Thank You Tags

Hi!

I always like to make a little thank you for my customers who place an order.  Last month I decided to make a little tag using the Designer Frames Embossing Folders.

I trimmed the Island Indigo cardstock into a tag shape and then ran it through the Big Shot in the Embossing folder.   I then cut an insert to size and attached the butterfly.

I didn't photograph the back as I'd already written on all the tags.  I adhered a Decorative Label punchie with just a little bit of adhesive so that the customer could remove the punchie and reuse the tag.

Stamps: Trendy Trees
Ink: Island Indigo
DSP/Cardstock: In Colour Pattern Stack DSP, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight
Other: Big Shot, Designer Frames Embossing Folders, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, White Baker's Twine

Bye for now,

Tina

Sale-A-Bration Sneak Peek

Hi!

I'm entering another challenge today from the Sunny Challenges and Creations blog.  The challenge is anything BUT Christmas.  So I made a birthday card that is on it's way to a friend for her birthday.

I went a bit all out with my new Distressing Essentials Kit on this one!  I stamped the Eiffel Tower in Early Espresso ink on Very Vanilla cardstock, then used the Tea Stain distressing ink over the top.  I blended it a little with my Aqua painter and then scrunched the panel and went over the top again with more Tea Stain ink.  When it had dried I distressed the edges with a file.

The crown and the key got a similar treatment, but no scrunching.  I love the loopy bows that can be created with this super fine ribbon.

Some more Tea Stain Distressing ink on the inside!

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Well Scripted
Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Tea Stain Distress Ink
DSP/Cardstock: Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB), Very Vanilla, Early Espresso
Other: Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brad (SAB), Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Distressing Essentials Kit, Sponge Dauber, Glitter Glue (non SU!)

Bye for now,

Tina

Distressed Doilies

Hi!

I decided to kick start off the New Year with a few challenges.  One of the ones I looked at was Unscripted Sketches.  It's been a while since I've played along with them, life just gets too busy sometimes!

I quite liked the sketch this week, but I don't think I followed it completely.  Instead of a solid block at the bottom I chose to stamp my sentiment on vellum and fold it around the layer to attach it to the card.  For the stamped panel I took some Pink Pirouette, stamped it with the doilies in Soft Suede and then distressed the panel with Tea Stain ink from my new Distressing Essentials kit.  I think I need a little more practice with the distressing, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

More distressing on the inside, but more of a halo around the edges so there is plenty of room to write my message to the recipient.

Stamps: Delicate Doilies, Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess)
Ink: Soft Suede, Tea Stain (from the Distressing Essentials kit)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Vellum
Other: Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Basic Jewels Pearls, Dimensionals, Distressing Ink Applicator, Paper Snips

Bye for now,

Tina