Hello New Annual Catalogue!

Hi!

How exciting - Stampin' Up!'s new 2014-15 Annual Catalogue went live today.  One of the perks of being a Demonstrator is that we get access to some of the new stuff a month early.  One of my favourite new products is the Blendabilities Markers.

This was my first attempt at colouring. We were given the Calypso Coral Markers and Blended Bloom stamp at Convention and I couldn't wait to get home and get colouring.  My only trouble was that I didn't have the required Momento Ink pad.  No worries - I heat embossed the image in black embossing powder and I was set!

I paired the flower with the leaves from Kinda Eclectic and the now-retired Modern Medley DSP.  A great combination, I think!

I've been doing lots more colouring with the Blendabilities - now I just need to make some cards to put the gorgeous blooms on!

Bye for now,

Tina

Sweet Sorbet Watercolouring

Hi!

I know Sale-A-Bration is long gone, but I found 2 projects in my "To Blog" folder that I must have missed before now.  I thought I'd show them to you anyway, as I really love both projects.  Today's one is a card using the Sweet Sorbet paper.

This card was made as a sample for my Stamping Ladies, who had asked me to show them a watercolour wash background.  We achieved the look by simply brushing some ink over watercolour paper using an Aqua Painter.  So easy but so effective!

I realised just as I presented the card to the group that I'd stamped the watercolour panel upside down!  I used Summer Starfruit, Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe for the watercolouring and I'd intended to have the Summer Starfruit section at the top as a contrast to the Crisp Cantaloupe flower.  Oh well, I think it still looks good.

I like using a little snippet of the DSP from the front in the inside of the card.  In this case I used some of the ribbon too.

Bye for now,

Tina

Retro Fresh Butterflies

Hi!

Today I have a card for you that I made as a class sample in February.  I wanted to show that you could use the Retro Fresh range to make a feminine card.  I love the Retro Fresh colours, but they do tend to lean more on the masculine side.

Off The Grid and the Retro Fresh Washi Tape provide a lovely background for the layered butterfly.  The white space around the elements gives the card a clean, fresh feel.

I repeated a lot of the elements from the front of the card on the inside.  I always think it's a nice surprise to open a card that is stamped on the inside too.

I hope you're having a great start to the week.  It's the first week of school holidays here, so in amongst all of the activities I have planned for the kids I'm hoping to squeeze in some more stamping time.  I'm about two thirds of the way through my Paris album and I'd love to get it finished this holidays.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #200: Just Add Inspiration

Hi!

How are you all on this lovely Friday?  Have your children survived the first week back at school? Have you survived your children's first week back at school?  It can be a bit of a shock to the system after the lazy days of summer holidays!  How about trying the new Just Add Ink challenge to give you back your sanity?

Nikki found these gorgeous images to inspire our card making this week.  Wouldn't you just love to sit at that table and enjoy a cup of tea?

I saw this gift box and tutorial by Connie Collins a long time ago and have been meaning to try out the flower ever since.  This challenge seemed the perfect time.  Isn't it a beautiful flower?  It's not difficult to make at all, but it does take a while as you need to wait for it to dry.

This isn't a card you would want to post as the flower sits out quite a way from the card. Sending it in the post would squash that beautiful flower. Luckily I have plenty of friends I can hand deliver this card to.

I was a bit stumped as to what to do on the inside. I don;t have any daisy stamps, so I ended up stamping a leaf from Peaceful Petals and lightly coloured it with a blender pen.

Stamps: Field Flowers, Sassy Salutations, Peaceful Petals
Ink: Wild Wasabi, So Saffron
Cardstock: Pistachio Pudding, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Other: Big Shot, Floral Frames Collection Framelits, Decorative Dots TIEF (SAB), Scribbles Swirls Sizzlit (retired), White Baker's Twine, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Blender Pen

I hope you can join in this week at Just Add Ink, we'd love to see what you create.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #199: Just Add A Sketch

Hi!

It's Friday again, time for another Just Add Ink challenge.  This time it's a sketch, and it's one I designed for the team to use.

As I'd just received my preorder for Sale-A-Bration and the upcoming Occasions Catalogue I decided to have a play with some of the new products.

There's a few sneak peeks there!  Not long now 'til the catalogues go live and you can get your hands on this stuff too.

It's a bit hard to tell, but once I'd finished the front of the card I spritzed it all with some shimmer mist for a bit more 'pretty'.

There's that belated birthday stamp again!

I hope you can play along this week. Interpret the sketch as you will - it's just a guide for your creativity.

Bye for now,

Tina

A CASE of Myself

Hi!

Today's card was, as my blog post title says, a CASE of myself. You can see my original card here.

The central panel of this card was a left over from my original card.  It was too pretty to throw out, so I decided to build another card around it.

I went for a prettier look this time, rather than the more aged, vintage look on the original.

Bye for now,

Tina

Farewell First Edition

Hi!

For the rest of the month I'm going to be doing some farewell posts, saying goodbye to some of my favourite retiring products and stamps.  First off the ranks is the First Edition Specialty DSP.  I guess I was a little lucky with this DSP as it was current for two years rather than the typical one year.

I loved the versatility of the DSP as a background paper for both male and female cards.  This post should also include the Rose Red Seam Binding Ribbon, for sadly it too is being retired. Thankfully there will still be other colours of Seam Binding available.

The butterfly was stamped with Papillion Potpourri and then punched using the Elegant Butterfly punch.  I also used some Dazzling Details on the body of the butterfly for some subtle shimmer.

Some more butterflies to finish off the inside.

So farewell to First Edition SDSP (and Rose Red Seam Binding) but as I still have nearly a whole pack of it I'm sure you'll see bits of it here and there on my blog.

Stamps: Papillion Potpourri, Field Flowers, Creative Elements
Ink: Rose Red, Wisteria Wonder
DSP/Cardstock: First Edition SDSP, Rose Red, Very Vanilla
Other: Big Shot, Ovals Collection Framelits, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Rose Red Seam Binding Ribbon, Dazzling Details, Dimensionals

Bye for now,

Tina

Tidy Desk Treasures

Hi!

I finally got around to tidying my craft desk last week.  It's really one of those kinds of jobs  - you know, the ones you put off for ages and then when you do it, it's not nearly as bad (or take as long) as you expected it to be! While tidying I came across some leftover bits from other cards that were of the "don't throw it away because it might be useful" variety.  So I decided that I would make a card using one of the pieces.

In this case the leftover piece is the Primrose Petals Coredinations panel, which was leftover from this card.   Much too pretty to throw it away! It was already embossed and sanded so all I needed to do was to stamp the flowers, tie the twine and assemble the card.  Easy!

Usually when I use this stamp set I stamp the full flower on each of the stems.  This time I thought I'd give the other 'bit' a go too.  I don't even know what that bit is called!  I'm still not sure if I like it or if I prefer the full flower.  What do you think?

Stamps: Field Flowers
Ink: Primrose Petals, Old Olive
Cardstock: Primrose Petals Coredinations, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Other: Big Shot, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Ovals Collection Framelits, Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Sanding Block, Stamp-a-ma-Jig

Bye for now,

Tina

Shimmery Field Flowers

Hi!

Last week my Stamping Ladies asked to make a card using Two Step Stamping.  They also wanted to give spritzing a go, so I decided to combine the two on one card.

We used the smaller of the Delicate Details Lace Tape as a mask for our spritzing.  I used a mix of Isocol and Platinum Shimmer Paint on my card.  Some of the ladies tried a Isocol/Frost White mix instead.  The trick to the spritzing to achieve this look is to give a quick sideways spritz along the length of the Lace Tape.  I wanted the shimmer to be stronger over the mask and then fade off down the card.

When we finished the card we then gave it another spritz all over, but with the Isocol/Champagne Mist mix.  It gives a lovely subtle shimmer that doesn't detract from the masked shimmer at all.

Stamps: Field Flowers, Sweet Essentials
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Old Olive
Cardstock: Raspberry Ripple, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Other: Delicate Details Lace Tape, Corner Rounder Punch, Shimmer Paint, Isocol, Stampin' Misters, Dimensionals

Have a great day,

Tina

Secret Garden

Hi!

Today I have another card I made as a sample for my Stamping Ladies.  They had asked for some cards using the Secret Garden bundle. After a quick google search for some inspiration I found this card and decided to CASE it.

 

I kept a similar layout for the card, but I simplified it by omitting the sponging and piercing. I also decided to use the leaf Framelit to add a bit of interest to the card. Here's a closer look.

 

As you can see, the top leaf is the die cut negative and the bottom leaf is stamped.

 

Bye for now,

 

Tina

JAI #162: Just Try A New technique

Hi!

 

It's another week at Just Add Ink, so another challenge for you. This week Delys has challenged us to try a new technique - one that you haven't tried before.  I decided to try the cracked glass technique.   You can find a tutorial for it here.

 

 

The technique basically involves many layers of clear embossing over a stamped image which is then cracked and has ink applied to seep into the cracks. I love the antiqued look it gives, like crazed porcelain.

 

I probably didn't do enough layers as it didn't quite crack the way I wanted it to, but I still think it looks pretty good!

This card was for my mum for her birthday. I hope she likes it!

Stamps: Field Flowers, Just Believe, Well Scripted (retired)
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Old Olive, Crumb Cake
DSP/Cardstock: Print Poetry DSP Stack, Raspberry Ripple, Very Vanilla
Other: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Crochet Ribbon Trim, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Dotted Scallop Border Punch, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Antique Brad

Bye for now,

Tina

Just Add Ink #155: Just Add A Sketch

Hi!

Challenge time at Just Add Ink again! This week Mae has designed a cute little sketch to inspire your papercrafting.

I decided to use the sketch to make a card for my parents-in-law who are celebrating their 39th Wedding Anniversary this week. That's a pretty big milestone!

As much as I love all of the new goodies from the catalogues, I decided to dust off some older favourites to use on the card. I needed the relaxation that I get from water colouring, so out came Pleasant Poppies.

I also used the gorgeous En Francais stamp for the background.  Can't remember the last time I used it, so it was well overdue!

I used a leftover piece of the water colouring for the inside - I didn't want to waste a scrap of it!

Stamps: Pleasant Poppies, Field Flowers, En Francais, Memorable Moments
Ink: Black Stazon, Riding Hood Red, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Sahara Sand
Cardstock: Water Colour Paper, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede
Other: Basic Jewels Pearls, Crumb Cake Taffeta Ribbon (retired), Blender Pen

I hope you can play along with us this week at Just Add Ink.

Bye for now,

Tina

Wedding Guest Book Part 2

Hi!

I'm back with the second half of the guest book I made for my neice and her husband for their wedding. The first half of the book is in the post before this - keep scrolling down to see it.

Aren't they a gorgeous couple?

I used my binding machine to hold the pages together. Given the amount of handling the book had to take I thought it was the best option.  I prettied it up by tying satin ribbon to the coils.  In black and white of course!

I used my white gel pen and Basic Black marker to draw a border around each of the pages. It's a nice effect and helps to keep the eye from sliding off the page.

The saying on this page was lifted directly from their invitations.  There were three more lines, but this was the final and most relevant to this album - "Our eternity begins here".

Of course, I had to put the photo of their backs on the back cover! To make the covers I covered some chipboard with the textured cardstock after I'd painted it. Nice and easy and gives the book more weight and stability. I also used some Window Sheets on the front and back to help protect the album.

I think that the only damage suffered was the loss of some of the ribbons on the spine.  Easy fixed!

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #144: Just Add Music

Hi!

The weeks are rolling past so quickly! I can't believe it's Friday again and time for the new Just Add Ink challenge.

 

This week Trish has challenged us to Just Add Music to our projects. I loved the idea of this challenge, as I am very musical.  Did you know I can play the piano, clarinet and saxophone?  I can also play the guitar and trumpet (but only just!). But when it comes to papercraft I don't own many musical themed things at all! I had to delve into my stash of retired products to find my last scrap of music DSP to make this card.

This was the first newsprint DSP that Stampin' Up! released, I think it's about 2 catalogues old and I can't think of the name of it right now! I paired it with some Raspberry Ripple cardstock and ribbon, which I thought was a lovely colour combination.

So there you have it, a music theme birthday card.  A lot of the other Design Team ladies have made Christmas cards for this weeks challenge.  What do you think you'll make?  I'll see you over at Just Add Ink!

Bye for now,

Tina

Happy Birthday Flowers

Hi!

It's so good to be blogging again! I have a card for you that I made for a special friend for her birthday.

I love the Rich Razzleberry/Lucky Limeade colour combination. It works so well with the flowers from the Field Flowers stamp set.

Some more of that yummy International Bazaar DSP on this inside.

So what do you think of my new watermark? I lost my old one on my old computer, so I whipped this one up last night using PhotoShop and some content from the My Digital Studio discs.  Loving having a little taste of MDS, but I can't wait for the whole program to become available.

Bye for now,

Tina

Triple Layer Stamping

Hi!

You've probably seen lots of Triple Layer cards on blogs lately - it's quite the rage!  I demonstrated the technique to my stamping ladies a couple of months ago and they were quite amazed at just how easy the technique is.  There's heaps of tutorials out there, so I'm not going to go through it step by step, I'll just show you my card.

 

The card was made using Bravo Burgundy ink on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I really like the Creative Elements flower stamped in the Burgundy.

The sentiment was stamped on Vellum and then the piece was wrapped around the layers so that there is no visible adhesive on the front.  A good trick with vellum!

Why don't you google triple layer stamping, or triple time stamping?  There's heaps of samples out there to inspire, including some with different sized and oriented layers.  I think I might try one of those next!

Stamps: Creative Elements, Field Flowers
Ink: Bravo Burgundy
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla, Vellum

Bye for now,

Tina