Moving

I have decided to stop posting to this blog and and reacquaint my other blog with all my Stampin' Up creations and information. It makes life a little easier not having to worry about two different blogs.

Feel free to pop on over to A Little Bit of Everything. Hope to see you there.

Carousel

Spring is here and there is warmth in the sun again. It makes you want to get out and about and be in nature. Instead though I opened up my craft room and let the sun shine in and the winter stuffiness go out and got creative.

All last week I have been looking for templates to make some things with my DSP. I love the colours in the new Elegant Soiree set. I am so glad Baja Breeze is included in the core colours now. It is one of my favourites.

Anyway back to the template hunting. I found a great website based in the UK called Card Carousel and bought a couple of their templates. I tried the carousel first and put a Stampin Up flair to it. Instead of using their template for the horses I decided to use the Two Step Bird Punch. By the way the new catalogue now has stick on pearls and they look great as the eyes.

I was originally going to use the horse from the Wanted stamp set but wanted to stick with items in the current catalogue. Also instead of attaching the birds to the pillar in the centre I used items from a set of embellishments that I have just realised are not in the new catalogue.

Anyways here are the pictures. It is a bit fiddly but the instructions that you get are easy to understand (well actually I really wouldn't know cause I don't read instructions but the template itself was enough to go off.) :)

I also did more creating but that is to come. I want to devote a blog post to each item.

NC Day

This coming Wednesday is NC day - NEW CATALOGUE day. I have a feeling that with all the lovely new things in there that the Stampin' Up computer system may get overloaded with all the new orders. I feel for the staff in the warehouse packing them all up ready to post. They will be working overtime I think.

Below are a couple of notelets I was working on for a party I have coming up. I have used a couple of stamps that will still be available as well as the small square envelopes. What you see first is the envelope and then the notelet.

The stamp set is winter post and I have used soft suede ink to give a golden look to it. The snowflakes on the card itself I used the gold ink from the soon to be retired Catalogue. Not too the finish is gorgeous but it takes almost a good 48 hours to dry so if anyone has a trick they use to dry this quicker I would love to hear it.

The large oval is actually the smallest oval on the Big Shot oval die and the (just to confuse you a little) the smaller oval is the wide oval punch. :) You can't really tell but the reindeer is embossed in gold. My scanner does not do justice to colours.

I really had fun doing the one above. All the little speckled dots are using the Colour Spritzer tool. You put the brush end of one of the Stampin Up Markers into it and then squeeze and you get speckles of ink. The stamp set is Fun and Fast Notes. The tree is stuck on using dimensionals and the words I stuck to a scrap of chipboard to raise it up. I have also used the dazzling diamonds glitter on the tree and star but you can't really see it in this picture. The punches are the scallop circle and the scallop square and the post note stamp is from the Winter Post stamp set.

Hmmm well I think I might just go and play some more.

Have a great week.

Mish Mash

Another week gone by and yes, though I was back at work I did get some crafting done. First however is one of the little albums we made at the Stamparoos weekend I went to. I just love the simplicity in how this is made and how nice it looks once put together. Will certainly be doing this as a class somewhere along the way.


In a couple of weeks we have our Regional Stampin Up meet. I intend on going (haven't registered yet) and have already made my swap for the day. I wasn't intending on going all out in pink. In fact I actually started off in blue. Anyway I am quite happy with how it has turned out in the end.

To Make:

• Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo and Whisper White card stock
• Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo ink
• Butterly and Word Window Punch
• Medallion, Butterfly Prints and Razzle Dazzle stamp sets

I finished the swap last night and had small scraps of paper everywhere so I decided to try my hand at my first Stampin' Up product only ATC. I am very happy with the result considering when I first started I thought it was horrid. The colours are too bright for me. I like bright colours but not normally these ones.

To Make:

• Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, whisper white card stock and any DSP (Designer Series Paper) that matches.
• Melon Mambo, Eggplant and White ink
• Rustic Rooster Stamp set
• White embossing powder and versamark
• Small Jewell brad
• Buttons
• Scallop circle and eyelet border punches
• bleach
• ATC size thick cardboard.
  

1. Brush the bleach on using any stroke you like. I just did squiggle lines on the pacific point card stock and attempted to do the same on my melon mambo but somehow ended up as runny blobs. The more bleach you use the paler the card stock will become. Too much and it will eat away so probably best to experiment first if you have not used bleach before.
2. Once the bleach was dry I stamped the script stamp from the rustic rooster stamp set in eggplant on both coulours of my card stock
3. Punch the Melon Mambo with the eyelet border punch
4. Attach the card stock to the ATC. Initially my melon mambo sat straight but it looked boring so I folded it on an angle.
5. Use your versamark ink pad and wipe around the edges of the ATC. Add the white embossing powder and heat. Mine has numerous layers that I kept adding while the powder was still hot (saves on the versamark that way). I also sprinkled little bits and hoped for the best that they stayed put when the heat tool was blowing on them. The bottom white border is actually torn whisper white covered in the embossing. I used this to cover up the marks from the edges of the card stock underneath.
6. Punch out the scallop circle: 3 in DSP and 3 in card stock. Scrunch each one in your had to give texture and flexibility to the card/DSP.
7. Sponge the edges with Melon Mambo and lightly sponge over the texture as well.
8. Pierce the centre of each circle and push onto your jewel brad. I alternated with DSP first then card stock.
9. Pierce a hole in the ATC where you want the flower to sit and push the brad through.
10. Fluff up the Scallop circles so they resemble something like the petals of a carnation.
11. Add a couple of buttons to the bottom right had corner and you are finished. :)

It's a Biggy

I love being on holidays. It means I can sleep in but also sit in my pj's and have fun with my stamps. Last weekend was the stamp camp (yes I still have to take photo's) and I had some cut card left over from my card swap so I came up with a cute way of using it. I bought this stamp probably 3 years ago (sorry no longer available). I had good intentions at the time but consequently they have never been used ... until now. I love the image of Santa plucking a star out of the sky to put on top of the tree.

The card stock is real red and night of navy. The scallop is one of the Bigz Dies (scallop circle) and I used the small punch on the cropadile to punch the holes in. The stamp itself is coloured using the ink pens and I ran the edge of it through the metallic gold stamp pad. The white of Santa's costume is embossed white. I used the versa-mark pen to colour the areas in first. Gotta love that versa mark pen.

Now the ribbon is a cheat ribbon. Many times I have looked in the catalogue only to realise that the colour ribbon I want is just not made so I have made do with store bought ones or other stampin up ones. Well no more. I came across a video the other day that showed various different ways of colouring your white gross grain ribbon. For instance if you mix a little water with a couple of drops of ink refill and put your ribbon in there to take on the colour. This is the longest way. Another way is to draw line on it using your ink pens and finally, which is the one I used, run it along your ink pad. Use something to hold it in place but still allow it to slide. I found that to get full colour I had to do it a few times. My fingertips were nicely dyed as well. :)
I also went to a craft fair last weekend and bought some mottled blue gold leaf. I have never used gold leaf before and finally found someone who could tell me what to do. Below is one of my first cards using gold leaf. Despite the fact that the three stamps aren't in unison I think it turn out quite well.

You can just make out the gold leaf on the first image (no it's not the scalloped image which is embossed in gold) but in the second I angled the camera differently and the pattern shone out nicely.

To make this card you will need:

STAMPS

• French Script Background Stamp
• Baroque Motifs
• Friends 24-7

CARD

• Soft Suede
• Naturals Ivory
• More Mustard

OTHER

• Versamark
• Gold Metallic Powder
• Soft Suede Ink Pad

Finally the piece I am proudest of right now is this card box I made. First let me direct you to Mirkwood website where you can get free templates. It was here that I found templates for two cards. One for a large flower card and the other for a smaller flower card with an even smaller inner flower.

I decided to get creative and put the two templates together. It was to be a card for a friend who is going through a rough patch and then I was going to make a box to put a little necklace in that I bought her. As the card developed I could see the potential for it to be an actual card and box in one.

In the photo below you will see about 4 main levels. The first 3 (starting outside and moving in) are the templates. The centre piece is 3 Scallop circles punched out and scrunched up. All levels with the exception of the largest one are held together by the pearl brad in the centre. I made the brad by using the base of a Build-a-Brad and a pearl from the Pretties kit.

To fold it all up I bent each petal at their base, starting with the centre and moving outwards I wrapped them around each other. My first thoughts were to tie it all together somehow but then I decided on a lid. The lid is actually the Bigz Scallop circle die. I drew a circle in the centre as wide as the base of the flower (up to where the petals bend) and cut down to the circle in 8ths (same amount of edges to the petals). I folded these down and taped them and then to hide all the edges I used some wide ribbon. The Tag Punch was used for the tag and the stamp set is the Friends 24-7 one. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Oh you will notice that even though the photo was taken the day after, I still have red fingertips from the small Xmas cards. LOL

Nearing the End

My punch art sample book is finally nearing an end. I can't wait to put it all together as a display book. Actually I think it may need to be two different ones.

As mentioned before a lot of the images I have copied (some I have altered slightly) from images that I googled (google is good). Unfortunately at the time I was so overwhelmed by the variety that was out there that I didn't think to take down the names of those who designed them. My apologies if you happen to be one of those designers, however I would like to thank you because you got my mind going and I saw shapes where I didn't think shapes were possible.

Anyhoo I still have a couple on the go but here are the latest ones I have completed:

The bunny stuck in the fence was an idea that I modified. The original design didn't have a head. I thought the poor thing needed one.

This design, including the whole background, was from a website that I can no longer remember. I wish I could so that I could give credit where credit is due. I love this image of the penguin. I did change him a little due to different punches required and used ribbon instead of paper for his scarf but everything else is someone elses design. If I can find the link again I will post it here.

The Hippo is pretty much the original design I just had to be creative with a couple of punches because I didn't have the ones needed. Speaking of which it is the legs using a different punch and I just realised I missed them in the instructions below (doh). Ok I used the round tab punch and cut the edges straight.

The giraffe is another modified one. I think the neck and hair are the same as the original but I changed the face.

This lion is a copy of the original but I do believe I changed the snout from two circles to one piece. Not sure I like this one but I think it is mainly the colours. (Got to get rid of the old Stampin Up Stock somehow) :)

This lion is my pride and joy. Yes indeedy it is not copied. It is from my own mind, my own creation. Please feel free to use it.

This whale is also my own design. The way I made the spout could easily be used for a fountain as well.

I don't know what posesed me to do an Aisian lady but I was looking at the Tag punch for inspiration and this is what popped out. My own design entirely and I love her. I may do another one with a different hair design and her arms outstretched. Oh I also meant to draw chopsticks in her hair. By the way in case you can't tell my symbolism below it is the Full Heart punch that created her hairline. The background behind her was created using the Eastern Blossoms set. The stamp on her dress looks eastern but the background one reminds me more of Hawaii.

Ok it is late now and I am heading off to bed. I am sure I will be dreaming of punches and shapes, and faceless paper people chasing after me for their faces. I need to get out more.

Will post more tomorrow, in the meantime, sweet dreams.

Stamp Camp

Unfortunately when you enjoy crafts and making things but work full time, life sometimes gets in the way of enjoying that crafting downtime as well as the ability to share it with others. Thankfully Ngaire organises a Stamp Camp once a year for her Stampin Up downline and this is the first year I have been able to attend. I am soooooo inspired now but my studio is so messy. Now for many this would not be an issue, you just go in and tidy up. For me however it is not that easy. People don't realise that the reason I am so messy is because I am a fastidious organiser. Everything has to be categorised and labeled and then you get the sub categories and so on and so forth. It is actually quite difficult for me to go into a messy room and have it tidy in an hour. Maybe a week later but definitely not an hour. So here I am all inspired but realising I really need to do a tidy up first. Luckily I have this week off work.

Anyway enough of my mess and mental issues, the camp was at Swanleigh which is a beautiful old boarding school campus out in the bush. It is a beautiful area. Most of us had arrived and set up our beds by 5:45 and we had dinner in the cafeteria at 6pm. I didn't really know anyone other than Ngaire so at first I really felt a little out of place.

There were around 34 of us staying over night I believe with a couple of add ins for Friday night and Saturday. The first thing we made was a lantern. Sue did a great job in teaching us how to make it and had some lovely examples up the front of the room.

Once the lantern was made we all got busy with our shoebox swap. The theme was Christmas in July and those of us staying for the whole thing had to make a card and then provide the products for others to make the card. In a nut shell it was musical chairs going from desk to desk making cards. It was so much fun and you ended up getting to meet everyone that way.

I headed back to the dormitory at about 12:30am but there were still some who remained and continued making cards.

After a lovely sleep and a good breakfast we headed back into the crafting area for two more classes. Jenny took a class on a small photo album with pockets. I absolutely love how this one turned out. I love the paper but unfortunately it is not available anymore. :(

The next class was done by Pat. This was an accordion album. I haven't finished putting the decoration into this one as I prefer to do the decoration as I add my photo's. I guess I will need to print some off now.

Both Jenny and Pat are really lovely. They both made me feel welcome and started to fit into the rowdy groups of stampers. Rowdy in a good fun loving sense. Once the classes were finished it was back to getting the cards finished from the swap. I think I am missing one or two but by the end of the day and the rush of getting 3 classes and 34 cards done, plus having fun, eating and sleeping, you were kind of exhausted and could hear your bed calling you from 60km away.

By now you are wondering where the photo's are. Well I only have ones of people for now. The rest will come a little later. Hopefully they will inspire you as much as they did me.

I am terrible with names so apologies but I can't remember the name of the first lady but then you Ngaire and Marie. Again 3 very lovely and friendly ladies with a great sense of fun.

Busy with the card swaps or the end of the last class.

This was late Saturday afternoon. Some had already left so this is not all of us.

21 Years

Oops posted to the wrong blog. If you want to read it then click here. :)

More Punching

If only this sort of punching was more physical I would be able to satisfy my need for exercise as well as the need to do craft in one go.

The demo book is coming along nicely and I have even managed to come up with a few of my own designs rather than just copy others I have seen on the web.


The pictures below are my own design. Granted that the owl is a hybrid of the one above.


I just love my my rubber ducky idea. He is sooo cute.

This one shows how a small variation in the design can make a big difference to the animal that comes out. If you make the dogs ears stand upright he looks like a donkey. I even found by mistake how to make the nose and the eyes.

I don't think this book will ever really be finished. It may slow down for a while but never finish. Hope you enjoy looking at them and if you make one I would love to know and even see what you did with it.

Sample Book

Running a bit late tonight getting this scanned and loaded but thankfully the images are self explanatory. One day when I have more time I will actually start putting step by step instructions on here.

Appart from the last one, all of these were done this weekend. It was nice to sit back and create while listening to the rain falling (a rarity in these parts). Hope we get some more this week.

Experimental

I have been plucking up the courage to try and be a little more artistic and learn how to use the brayer to add colour to my card. Yesterday my friend came over and we decided to try it together. Below are my examples:

I used the glossy white hoping that the colour would "move" around better. For my first attempt using the brayer I am happy with how this one worked out. I was hoping it would be a little brighter but accidentally got a little brown on the yellow colour so had to blend it.

My friend has done scenic stamping and brought some of them along for me to try. The only things Stampin Up in this card are the sun, inks and the card. The sun almost turned into a near disaster and the words just refused to stamp cleanly in the middle (non stampin up stamp) but I am very glad with how it turned out.

These next two I followed instructions from a brayer expert. Not sure why but my black ink has decided that it wants to be purple. The tree is supposed to be black. I sponged black around the outside as well and had to use the stazon black and it certainly lives up to its promise of drying quickly and I found it tough going there for a while. This was done on whisper white paper and the sun seemed to disappear so in the second image I used white gloss paper. I also used stazon black for the tree but it looks like it has snow on it. I am still happy with them.

Finally some punchart. Enough of the dogs, here is a cat. No I didn't brayer the background but I did sponge it. I am soooooo happy with how it turned out. I masked off the moon and then added a touch of metalic silver ink to it. Hope you have enjoyed looking as much I have had experimenting.