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