Christmas in July

Here it is fans!!!! I have been working hard on my fantastic Christmas In July class designs.... I think they look good... I have 8 more cards to design.. but at least you will get a little peek of what you will be doing at the class... Remember the price is really reasonable!! it's a few hours away from the kids... and Husband.. House work... need I go no.. NO!!!! You get the idea.. Do something for yourself!!! You deserve it!!!

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7 Year Old Stamps Like Pro!!!

My son Ethan was in the shed with me a few weekends ago and he was playing while I was having my open house… I think I mentioned he turned out some wonderful work... I took a photo of it and I plan to get it framed... He is so clever!!! He use the Flitting By Jumbo wheel (pg78)... and Watercolor Wonder Crayons (pg 144)...

Stampin with Liz

Liz had a techniques class last week... In which I attended... with the intension of helping her out. … But I was soooooooo lucky that there were not that many people so I was able to ‘play’ with everyone... I got to make these fabulous cards and learned so much!!! You know you read the techniques booklets but sometimes they just don’t sink in till you actually try them!!! I love it!!!

This one is the Antique look.. done with the Color Spritzer Tool... (pg 143) and the Aqua Painter Pens (pg144) picking up ink from the inside lid of the ink pads.

Funny story... I spilled some of my hot chocolate on the card.. and it should have added to the antique effect.. but I went a little heavy on the spritzer... and well you can see the results... still looks good I think...

I fell in Love with this one!!! it is so simple yet so effective!!! You stamp in clear VersaMark (pg 145) on Glossy White card (pg 130) and then you roll over your Spectrum Pad (pg 144) with the Brayer (pg 143) then you wipe off the excess ink with a tissue and stamp the words in the darkest colour on the Spectrum pad....

This one is masking.... you stamp the full hearts (Going Gray) first.. then you stamp 3 more hearts on some 'post it' notes and cut them out... on the inside of the hearts.... You then stick them over the 3 (Going Gray) stamps and you stamp the So Saffron ones...

This one was shading with the Stampin' Pastels (pg126) and BlenderPens (pg 144)... I like the different ways one can colour in things with all the wonderful tools that Stampin' Up have!!!!

This one is reverse stamping... you stamp with a stamp that has a lot of black in it... and you do it in VersaMark (pg 145)… then you emboss it (pg 145)... then you sponge (pg 143) some colour over the stamp... The ink grabs to the card that is not covered with the embossing powder...

Nothing but Stampin'

Last week I spent the whole day stamping... A girlfriend wanted some cards for her family's birthdays and some thank you cards... She saw some of my cards and she really liked them.... So she ordered 25... I was so luck that we had our 'Paper Angels' meeting... Because I was again able to borrow some stamp sets from Liz... Some of these designs are inspired from the 2007-2008 Australian / New Zealand Idea Book Catalogue.... Some I designed myself... I had a great time... I will try to put all the page numbers, colours of the inkpads, card stock stamp sets used I may have to do it over time… as there are heaps!!!

I used Heartfelt Thanks stamps (pg 66) & Beyond the Basics (pg 100)
Card Night of Navy, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red
Ink Pad Night of Navy
Other materials Neutral Hemp Twine

Method Stamp heart back ground coloured in with Stamping Pastels (pg126) picking up colour with the Blender Pens (pg 144)

This one uses Stampin' Around Jumbo Flitting By wheel (pg 78)...(one butterfly 0nly) It's Your Birthday stamps (pg 111), Beyond the Basics (pg 100), Wonderful Words (pg 114) Heartfelt Thanks stamps (pg 66)
Card Taken with Teal, Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Whisper White
Ink Pad Versa Mark, Cranberry Crisp
Other materials Clear Embossing Powder (Stampin' Up Detail Embossing Powder pg 145) Method Stamp heart back ground, string of hearts, Love, HB and words in Versa Mark(pg 144). Roll butterfly wheel round till you get a nice butterfly to cut out...

With this oneI have used Stampin' Around Jumbo Flitting By wheel (pg 78)...(3 butterfly's of the one size), Beyond the Basics (pg 100), & Favorite Teddy Bear (pg 46)
Card Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Whisper White,Green Galore

Ink Pad Versa Mark, Cranberry Crisp, Perfect Plum
Method Stamp butterfly and bubble back grounds in Versa Mark(pg 144). Roll butterfly wheel around until you get a nice butterfly to cut out...

In the next three I have used It's Your Birthday stamps (pg 111), Beyond the Basics (pg 100), Heartfelt Thanks stamps (pg 66)
Card Ballet Blue, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White & Close to Cocoa
Ink Pad Versa Mark, Ballet Blue, Pretty in Pink & Chocolate Chip
Other materials Dimensionals (pg 142)
Method Stamp heart back ground, string of hearts, Love you, and words in Versa Mark(pg 144). on third one I stamped in Chocolate chip) nb... ink up 'love you' words separately to get them side by side.

In this one I used Heartfelt Thanks stamps (pg 66) & Favorite Teddy Bear (pg 46)
Card Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue, tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion & Whisper White
Ink Pad Versa Mark, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue
Other materials Dimensionals (pg 142)
Method nothing really unusual about this one...


Below is .... Part II of 'Nothing but Stampin'!!!!

Pure Inspiration!!!

These are some cards that I have made in the past year... Again must give credit to where it is due... Thank you to magazines... CRAFTY friends... And pure inspiration!!!

This Card is nice.... I love the layered look... inspiration from a Magazine...

This one is a combo of some old stamps I had and some 'retired' Stampin' Up stamps I bought... Again really simple is affective... I have raised the hearts with dimensionals.

This one is nice because it is simple yet affective.. Inspired from a Magazine again....

I Love the bright bold colours in this one!! The stamping leaves a little to be desired but it is effective! Inspired from the Stampin' Up 2007 Australian catalogue... I substituted a lot of my old stamps... but it's all

ideas...

What a great idea this was... I got it from a class that I took years ago... stamp onto paint swatches...They tone in and give you a variance of colour...

Saturday's Open House

This was my first "Open House" I think it went well... I would have liked more people to come but I am extremely grateful for those that did come... I had a blast setting up a display table in my "Art Studio" (Shed)... I made some cute bookmarks for our make and take... Because I wasn’t that busy I was able to spend one on one time with each of my ladies that came and we were able to discuss all the projects and events they have coming up. Also we were able to design some cards for the Birthday Parties and Thank Yous that the ladies are needing in the next week or so... My boys loved me being in the Shed all day.. .They came in and out as they pleased... They helped make (a mess) cards... Ethan... My 7 year old turned out some fantastic work... Something I feel we will need to frame!!!... Yes it is worthy to be on the wall!!!

I was so grateful to Liz again for her generosity in loaning me some more stuff to make my display look awesome... And to give my customers a bit more variety... She is an tremendous team leader and I am so grateful to her!!! Makes being a newbie a LOT easier! Bless her little cotton sox!!!

I will be having another open house soon...

Oh yeah... Stay tuned for a Christmas in July Workshop!

Thursday Night Craft Classes

I have a permanent class running of a Thursday night & this last Thursday night my ladies wanted to do some boy birthday cards. So I borrowed the “Play Ball” stamp set from Liz… Thank you Liz!… With my first card I did a variation on the paper angels meeting card and then I designed 2 other boy cards. One of the ladies nephew is turning 7 this week and I came up with one really simple design the soccer one … which is quite affective. And the foot ball one is more fiddly but…. I love the foot ball one.. Again some inspiration from Liz’s card’s that move.

Materials Used:- Soccer card… Black, White & Red card stock (not stamping up… um mar) Basic Black ink pad. And Happy birthday stamp not Stamping up either. (I will have them… yes I will!!! Eventually.)

Football Card… Light and Dark Brown, Cream & Blue card stock (not stamping up… I have loads of my own collection to use!!!) (Stamping up colours Choc Chip, Basic Brown, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla) Wonderful words and Play Ball stamp sets… Leg dirtied and coloured sock with Stampin’ Pastels and Blender Pen. Shoe cut out of black and Faun card and layered… (SU.. similar Creamy Caramel)

I stamped the inside of the card with the football stamp really lightly... To get it this light I stamped it on blotting paper 2 times before I stamped it on the cream paper insert... Gives the impression that the ball is flying through the air...

Post note.. I had to make the football card again because the inside ripped when I stuck it in.. Can't have daggy looking stuff on the blog!!! Has to be perfect.. And because one of my friends said she didn't much like my football leg... Well I just left it out then didn't I... I will however take a photo of it at a later date cause it is a cute idea... I'm all for sharing ideas!

Funny Story

I just thought it would be funny to tell you how I got the photo of myself for this blog... I auditioned for a musical in the beginning of the year and I didn't have any photos for my résumé... So I took my digital camera into the bathroom and pointed the camera at myself... Making sure (by looking in the mirror at the digital display screen) that I was in the picture..... and SNAP!!! It did turn out well though... Things we will do to make sure we have a good pic... Oh so vane!!

First "Paper Angels" Meeting

Paper Angels is the name of our team of 'Stampin' Up demonstrators. We had our first meeting this week and I was so nervous about the card swap! Because I have only been "Playing with my new Stampin' Up stuff for about a week. but I managed to put this card together. I think it turned out alright. I Love the water colour crayons and the Aqua brush!!! Makes my fast slaphappy crafting look GOOD!!! It's all soooooo easy.

Materials used:- Rich Regal colour range Card stock & Water Colour Wonder Crayons, Rose Red, Taken with Teal, So Saffron and Ballet Blue. Versa Mark Stamp pad. Clear Embossing powder. Wonderful Words & Birthday Best Stamp Sets.