Layout 70: April

Hi!

Don't you hate it when you realise you're behind in a task???  At the start of the year I challenged myself to complete 100 layouts this year.  As you can tell by the title, I'm about to show you my 70th layout.  Not too bad, but considering it's the last day of September I should be up to around 75 layouts completed.  Luckily it's school holidays as of tomorrow, so I should have more time for scrapping and hopefully I'll be able to catch up, or better yet, get ahead! 

One of the main focus areas these holidays is catching up on my monthly layouts.  Today's layout is April's - that's how far behind I am on that task!  Oh well...

April was a busy month for us.  Alex had his 8th birthday, Easter, lots of playdates, Little Athletics presentations.... the list goes on...  I used the now retired Elegant Soiree DSP on this layout, mainly because I started it in May and the paper was still current then. *blushing*

I also used the Pinking Heart Border Punch at the top of the DSP section, but it's a little hard to see.

I decided this year I would try to get a Family photo on special occasions, so the feature photo this month was on Alex's birthday.  Gotta love timers on cameras - even if you don't get the most flattering shot!

Ink: Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker

DSP/Cardstock: Elegant Soiree DSP (retired), Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Whisper White

Other: Big Shot, Simple Letters Alphabet Dies, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Circle Punches, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon

Don't forget to come back on Monday for another layout.  It's the first Monday of the month so it's a new Challenge at Stamp A Memory.  I hope you can join in with the challenge.

Catch you later,

Tina

Just Believe Sympathy

Hi!

I really don't like making sympathy cards.  Thankfully I don't often have to make them for myself, but on occasion I am commissioned to make one.  Today's card was one of the latter.  I really like using Just Believe for sympathy cards.  I think the large floral stamp has a very quiet, understated elegance, especially when stamped in Regal colours.

This is a favourite colour combination of mine: Very Vanilla, Garden Green and Concord Crush.  I coloured the stamp with my markers and stamped it on Newsprint DSP (now retired).  I then spritzed over the top with my Colour Spritzer and Crumb Cake marker.

A nice, simple inside to compliment the outside,

Stamps: Just Believe, Thoughts and Prayers
Ink: Concord Crush, Garden Green, Crumb Cake
DSP/Cardstock: Newsprint DSP (retired), Concord Crush, Garden Green, Very Vanilla
Other: Colour Spritzer, Stamp Positioner

Catch you later,

Tina

September Blog Hop: New Products!

Hi!

Today I am very excited to be a part of a blog hop that showcases not only some very talented Stampin' Up! Demonstrators, but also some gorgeous NEW products from the recently released Idea Book and Catalogue.  Another South Australian, Kathryn Mangelsdorf, was the blog before mine on the hop.  Didn't she have some great stuff to show you!

There are a HEAP of new products, but today I have decided to focus on some of the smallest, but also one of those products that can add a big bang to your papercraft projects: brads.

My first card uses the new Glimmer Brads, found on page 143 of the catalogue.  There are 4 different colour families you can purchase, and you get 40 brads in 5 different colours in each pack for just $9.95.

I used my Stampin' Write markers to colour the Hello Blossoms stamp and then used coordinating brads as the center of the flowers.  It's such a  simple card, but the Glimmer Brads give it a little bit of pizzazz.  Did you also check out some of the new Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon?  Gorgeous!  You can find the ribbon on page 138.

The brads are so glittery!  Perfect for a little girl's birthday card.

I just stamped one flower on the inside, and then used some Dazzling Diamonds for the center of the flower.  I didn't use a brad as I didn't want to damage the front of the card.

The other brads I want to highlight are the Designer Printed Brads.  They are also on page 143 of the catalogue, and for $14.95 you get 8 brads in each of the five 2011-2013 In Colours (40 total).  They are sooooo cute with a little polka dot pattern printed on them.  Here's my card, which is a CASE of this card.

This time I used the Funky Four stamp set, but as before I used the brads as the center of the flowers. (And some more of that gorgeous ribbon!)  I also used some of the new Domestic Goddess DSP, which you can find on page 128.

Just a closer look at the brads.  They are so sweet - I can see myself using a lot of these!

 As with the inside of the previous card, I used Dazzling Diamonds on the flowers instead of brads.

Glimmer Brad Card:
Stamps: Hello Blossoms, It's Your Day, Curly Cute
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Lucky Limeade, Marina Mist, Peach Parfait
Cardstock: Whisper White, Regal Rose
Other: Wisteria Wonder 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, Glimmer Brads, Dazzling Diamonds, Crystal Effects, Stamp Positioner

Designer Printed Brad Card:
Stamps: Funky Four, A Word For You, It's Your Day
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party
DSP/Cardstock: Domestic Goddess DSP, Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Whisper White
Other: Designer Printed Brads, Wisteria Wonder 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Modern Label Punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Crystal Effects, Stamp Positioner, Dimensionals, Paper Snips

Thanks for stopping by, you're now off to see the wonderful creations of Ros Davidson.

Catch you later

Tina

Here are the other blogs in case a link is broken:


Ros Davidson  http://www.rosdavidson.typepad.com/
Christine Blain http://www.christineblain.blogspot.com/
Alisha Watson http://www.ratherbstampin.typepad.com/
Di Dunk http://www.stampartbydi.typepad.com/
Nikki Sadler http://www.inkyart.com.au/
Judy May http://www.judymay.typepad.com/
Kathryn Ruddick http://www.katlodesigns.com/
Kathryn Mangelsdorf http://klm55.blogspot.com/

I'm back!

Hi!

Well, I'm kind of back.  My laptop is working sometimes, so while it is having a good moment I'm going to post a card and let you know I'll be participating in a blog hop on Saturday.  If I open my monitor to exactly the right position, my screen is normal and not snowy like it has been.  I am still looking into getting it fixed, but I am going to back my computer up first!

Today's card was a commission from a friend.  She wanted a housewarming card for her brother who had recently bought a new home and was in the process of moving in.  Here's what I came up with.

I decided to go fairly simple with the colour scheme and decoration, especially as the card was for a male.  The house rub on is from Maya Road.  It's such a cute pack and perfect for cards like these.  The letters HOME are popped up on Dimensionals for a bit of interest.

The inside was also quite simple.  Some more layering to match the front and some key rub ons from the same pack.  Easy!

Stamps: Well Scripted (retired)
Ink: Basic Black
Cardstock: Brushed Sliver, Basic Black, Whisper White
Other: Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Dies, Dimensionals, Stamp Positioner

Don't forget Saturday's blog hop.  A small but talented group of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators will be showing you lots of NEW products from the new Idea Book and Catalogue.  I can see my wish list getting longer by the second!

Catch you later,

Tina

Grrrr!

Hi!

I just thought I'd pop in to let you know that I'm having a little break from blogging at the moment, but not by choice!  I was on my laptop (which has EVERYTHING on it) when Hudson decided to give it a bit of a thump.  He does this quite often, but usually I manage to catch his arm before he makes contact.  Not this time!  Now I have a screen that looks like it is snowing.  Thankfully my hard drive wasn't affected, I just can't see the screen clearly.  It's probably one of those things that will be cheaper to buy a new laptop than to get the screen fixed/replaced, but I need to look into all options.  I'm using Rob's tiny little laptop, but I really need my own computer.

Hopefully I'll be back before too long!

Catch you later,

Tina

Simply Soft Card

Hi!

Today I have a Thank You card, made using one of the brand new Hostess Sets called Simply Soft.  It's a gorgeous two-step set that has three floral outline images and three more images for easy colouring of the flowers.  It's called two-step because first you stamp the outline and then you stamp the solid image over the top which colours the flowers.  And if you buy the clear mount option like I did, you don't need a stamp positioner to line the stamps up.  How much easier can it be?

I used Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz to colour the flower.  The leaves were coloured by hand using my inkpad and a Blender Pen.  Here's a closer look at the flower image.

I also spritzed the panel with my Sahara Sand marker and my Colour Spritzer.  Isn't the flower a lovely soft image?

I also completed the inside of my card using the same stamp as on the front.  I stamped it in Blushing Bride, so it's little hard to see.  Here's a closer look.

The hostess benefits system has changed with the new Idea Book and Catalogue.  Now once your order or Workshop sales reaches $300 you receive $50 Hostess Dollars to spend on anything you'd like from the catalogue.  There are specially priced sets just for Hostesses that you can spend your Hostess Dollars on, or you can buy your choice of items.  I love the new system!

Stamps: Simply Soft, Curly Cute

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand, Basic Black

DSP/Cardstock: Hostess In Colour Patterns Stack (retired), First Edition, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride

Other: Big Shot, Circle Cutter, Blushing Bride Ribbon, Blender Pen, Sponge Dauber

Catch you later,

Tina

Big Top Birthday Cards

Hi!

Today I have not one, but two cards for you!  I surprised myself last night and managed to get both made.  Given that I'd spent 5 hours doing some pretty heavy gardening during the day I was amazed that I even had the energy to create.  I guess when the mojo strikes you just have to go with it!

I love how the DSP does all the work in this card.  I just had to stamp a sentiment at the bottom!

The inside was just as easy! I fussy cut a second balloon from the DSP, mounted it on dimensionals and stamped a sentiment.

The front of this card took a little longer, but only because I used my stamp positioner to line up all the 'Happy' stamps.

A couple more strips of the DSP on the inside to finish it off.  Easy!

Balloon Card:
Stamps: A Word For You, It's Your Day
Ink: Tempting Turquoise
DSP/Cardstock: Big Top Birthday, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White
Other: Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals, Stamp Positioner

Happy Card:
Stamps: Curly Cute
Ink: Real Red
DSP/Cardstock: Big Top Birthday, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Whisper White
Other: Stamp Positioner

Catch you later,

Tina