Saturday, March 16, 2024

Stampin' Up! On Stage Melbourne 2024 Swaps

 Hello there stamping friends! Welcome, welcome! It's so good to have you here. Today I've got for you my swaps that I've made for the Stampin' Up! On Stage (demonstrator only) event happening this weekend. I'm attening On Stage in Melbourne, Australia but the event is also being held in Houston in the U.S., and Rotterdam in the Netherlands at the same time.

The last time I went to an in person (not Virtual) On Stage event was before the world turned upside down with the arrival of the Covid virus. So would would have been 2019 that was my last in person event. 

To say I'm excited to be going is an understatement! Not only for the event, which will be amazing, but also to catch up with old and new friends, to see new Stampin' Up products, creating with new products, getting a prize patrol or two. Two and a half days of fun with like minded, crafty people. Who wouldn't like that?

 
Swaps can be little 3D gift packaging items or a card that you make multiple of to be 'swapped' with other event attendees. This is a fantastic way to meet people attending the event and to also get inspiration from fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.⁠

I've made some Mini 3" x 3" 'Pizza' Boxes that are little enough to be a swap but  big enough to hold a little treat or two. I've used the Perennial Lavender Suite from the 2024 Jan - April Mini Catalogue to create my Pizza Boxes. I'm really loving anything light purple at the moment so the colours in the DSP from this Suite caught my eye as soon as I saw them in the catalogue! So pretty with all the purples and then the other colours like Pretty Peacock and Crumb Cake. What's not to love really?

Because these are a little bit more intricate than a card swap so I've only made 10 of each design, one with a Basic White Box and the other with a Pretty Peacock Box. With all of the laying and detail it would take me way too long to make any more than that.




Slide the belly band off and the boxes are just plain inside. The boxes are big enough to hold 2 - 3 Cadbury Favourites chocolates but you can fill them with whatever you want. You could even use them as a gift box for jewellery. The best things come in the smallest packages, right?
 

Which Mini Pizza Box is your favourite? I think I'm leaning towards the Pretty Peacock box as my favourite but I do love them both. It's hard to pick a favourite.

To see all the products used check out the supply list below. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 
Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.
 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Stampin' Fancy Friday | Sketch Challenge

 Hello there stamping friends! Welcome, welcome! It's so good to have you here. I have a project for you for the Stampin' Fancy Friday Design Team. This month is a sketch challenge and if you've been around here for a while you would know that I love a sketch challenge!

This sketch is basic in its design and layout, but enough in the design to get those creative ideas going and that creative brain working. The perfect starting point for any card.

Today I've used the Sweet Thoughts Memories & More Card Pack and the Sweet Thoughts Memories & More Cards and Envelopes on this card. I love the colours in this card pack and envelopes. So bold and striking! The colours in these products are stunning and when combining the Memories & More products with a sketch it really takes the hard work out of creating and you end up with a beautiful creation.


What is fabulous about this card, not only the amazing colours, but that there is no stamping or die cutting! Nearly all the elements used on my card come from the Sweet Thoughts Memories and More Card Pack and Envelopes. This makes putting a card together like this so quick and easy.


I don't normally put this many patterns together but after trying different cards and stickers from the card pack I felt these worked so well together. I think the addition of the white layers really helped balance out the busy-ness of the coloured layers.I finished off the card with some Pretty Peacock Splatters, Iridescent Pearls and some Linen Thread. Simple embellishments that go well with everything else on the card.

I really love that with the one sketch you can create lots of different looks. Check out the rest of the sketch creations and all the different looks that the Stampin' Fancy Friday Design Team has made on the Stampin' Fancy Friday Instagram Account or on the Stampin' Fancy Friday Facebook page. This is where all their creations will be shared throughout the month, so make sure that you are following them to get all of the amazing ideas!

Thanks so much for stopping by! 
Happy Stamping! 

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, February 23, 2024

Just Add Ink #690 | Just Add A Fancy Fold

 Hello there stamping friends! Happy Friday! Welcome and thanks for joining me on my blog today. Today we over at Just Add Ink have a fabulous fun challenge - Just Add Ink #690 | Just Add A Fancy Fold

I do love to create a card with a fancy fold but I often forget to make them. If you want to check out some of the fancy fold cards that I've made in the past check out my Pinterest Board HERE.This might also give you some inspiration for our Fancy Fold Challenge this week.

For today I've made a fancy fold card that I've not seen before, a mirror fold card. I've only recently found it when I was reasearching on what to make for this challenge.

While the card and the fancy fold looks fairly inconspicuous when it's closed with the belly band around it. The reasoning as to why it's called a Mirror Fold card doesn't really come to light until you unfold it.

Here I've used panels embossed with the Layered Florals 3D embossing folder, which looks beautiful, but you could also use panels of your favourite DSP for an equally stunning look. The centre panel is perfect to write your message. Need additional room to write your message? You can add another panel of Basic White to the back side of the central rhombus section.

Here I've created the belly band with Crumb Cake cardstock and layered it with some Coastal Cabana Carstock and some Vellum Basics Specialty Designer Series Paper and some dies and sentiment from the Sending Smiles Stamp and Die Set. I love the boldness of the Basic Black against the Vellum and Coastal Cabana. It's very striking!

I really hope that I've given you some inspiration for our Fancy Fold Challenge. Go and check out the design teams take on this week's Fancy Fold Challenge at the Just Add Ink Blog and then come and join in this week's sketch fun! I can't wait to see what you create.

Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping! 

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.
 

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Stampin' Fancy Friday | Something Blue Challenge

  Hello stamping friends. It's so great to have you here today. Today I have a project for the Stampin' Fancy Friday Team. If you've not see us before we are a group of past and continuing Stampin’ Up! Artisans bringing our followers a fancy monthly challenge to inspire them to get creative!  

 This month the challenge is 'Something Blue'. Who doesn't love the colour blue? 

The brief was to create a fancy project with any Stampin' Up! BLUE! Could be: just use blues for a monochromatic or create a new colour combo with a blue.  

I've created a card for you today using the Sale-a-bration Flight and Airy DSP with a Boho Blue and White colour combo. Blue and white is such a classic look and works well with any shade of blue.


For my card today I've started with the Basic White Layers and then using a Blending Brush added a layer of Boho Blue ink to created the colour on the Basic White. Over that I then splattered some Misty Moonlight Ink using the brushtip end of a Misty Moonlight Stampin' Write Marker.


Over the blended background I added some strips of the Flight & Airy DSP and then layered a die cut piece of Basic White, embossed with the Softly Sophisticated Embossing Folder (another Sale-a-bration freebie). Added to that a piece of the Vellum Basics Specialty Designer Series Paper, Boho Blue Textured Ribbon, Boho Blue die cut circle, Linen Thread and an image fussy cut from the Flight & Airy DSP. 

 The Flight & Airy DSP makes it so easy to make beautiful projects with its beautiful watercolour designs. Fussy cut a bird or two and add them to your projects then use the watercolour washes as card backgrounds. You'll have a masterpiece card on your hands in no time. Remember you can get this DSP for free. Just ask me how. Do you have your free pack yet?⁠

The sentiment comes from the Softly Sophisticated Stamp Set. I heat embossed it and then fussy cut around it. I've then finished off the card with the beautiful Iridescent Pearl Basic Jewels. Pretty! 

Check out the rest of the 'Something Blue' creations that the Stampin' Fancy Friday Design Team has made on the Stampin' Fancy Friday Instagram Account. This is where all their creations will be shared throughout this month, so make sure that you are following them to get all of the amazing ideas using all the different shades of Stampin' Up! blues! You won't be short if inspiration this month!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following current Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, February 9, 2024

Just Add Ink #688 | Just Choose Two Challenge

 I'm here today to bring you my card for the NEW challenge we have over at Just Add Ink Challenges - Just Add Ink #688 - Just Choose Two Challenge. 

Today for our Just Choose Two challenge (to choose two items to feature on your project) we are choosing from Sequins, Stars or Stitching. I chose stitching straight off the bat and then added sequins for my Just Choose Two.

The sequins and stitching are accents to finish off my card rather than being the main element. I did think about doing another cross stitch card but I might save doing another one later on down the track.

I've gone for a Basic White and Fresh Freesia card today for a pretty and fresh look. I think Fresh Freesia is becomning my new favourite Stampin' Up! colour. Everytime I use it I love it more and more.

The butteflies all over my card are from the Stampin' Up! Paper Butterfly Accents. I love the contrast of these beautiful white butterflies against the coloured cardstock. Pretty! To add the stitching element used a (very old and retired) Stampin' Up! Essentials Paper Piercing Pack and a Piercing Tool to punch the holes and then with a needle and some retired Gold Thread I hand stitched the border. I used to do this quite a lot on my cards and I love the gorgeous look that the hand stitching gives. This is the next best thing to using a sewing machine on your cards.

Because I wanted the butterfly layer to be the main element to my card I really didn't want a large sentiment to cover them all. I've layered some Vellum Basics, Linen Thread, a small piece of the Perennial Lavender DSP and the Happy Birthday Senitment. The sequins come from the For Everything Fancy Sequins.

There are lots of AMAZING creations from the rest of the Just Add Ink Design Team on the JAI Blog. Go and check out to see what 'two' elements they all used this week and then while you are there you can see how you can enter your project. Can't wait to see what 'two' you used.

Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping! 


Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.
 

Friday, January 26, 2024

Just Add Ink #686 | Inspiration Picture Challenge

 Hello there stamping friends! Happy Friday! Welcome and thanks for joining me on my blog today. Today we over at Just Add Ink have a fabulous inspiration picture challenge - Just Add Ink #686 | Inspiration Picture Challenge.


 How bright and vibrant are the colours in our inspiration picture?! Doesn't it just scream summer on a tropical island?! Being in the middle of summer here in Melbourne, I might just make myself a refreshing drink like that the next hot day we have. Looks delicious!

My cards for you today are focusing on those gorgeous, bold colours and I've combined two of my loves - cross-stitch and paper crafting.

The front panel of my cards has been cut from a die that puts all the little holes in for you so that you don't have to do it yourself. I bought the die a few years ago but I've got no idea where it comes from for you to create cards like this too. If found it amongst all my crafting stuff in my basket of dies that need to be put away with out any packaging on it. I had a bit of a Google search and I think there were a couple of companies that make a cross-stitch card die but if you were really desperate to cross-stich on you cards and you can't find a die you could always rule some lines and using a paper piercer you could put the holes in yourself.

The stitched designs on the cards are fairly simple but I wanted them as backgrounds rather than being an intricate detailed design. They didn't take me that long to do either. A couple of nights infront of the tv to do both cards. I think too because you aren't counting out an intricate design you can just quickly go through the stitches.

I used DMC six stranded cotton for the stitching but you could any cotton or yarn that you have on hand in your stash. I finished the cards off with some vellum, embellishments and a couple of sentiments from the Stampin' Up! Thoughtful Moments Hybrid Embossing Folder (say that 10 times fast, Ha!). 

I can't wait to make up some more designs in other colours. Watch this space! I'm sure there will be some more cross-stitch cards from me this year.

Go and check out the design teams take on this week's Inspiration Picture at the Just Add Ink Blog and then come and join in this week's sketch fun! I can't wait to see what you create.

 Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.


 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.

Friday, January 19, 2024

Just Add In #685 | Just Add Flowers Challenge Blog Hop

 Hello, hello, hello!  Happy Friday! Welcome and thank you for joining me on my blog today. I've  just had a very well deserved and much needed Christmas Break with my family and some time away camping in our caravan. Lots of fun in the sun, stand up paddle boarding, swimming in the lake, swimming at the beach, boating, knee-boarding, 4WD, reading a few books and lots of all-round summer fun! Was so good to be away in the great outdoors of Australia. Gosh I love summer! Back to reality now.

   Over at Just Add Ink, to kick off the first challenge for the year we are commencing 2024 with a blog hop to go with the new challenge. Our theme for this hop and the challenge is Just Add In #685 | Just Add Flowers. This is such a fabulous theme to kick start the Just Add Ink year! Every one loves flowers, well nearly everyone.

 I'm a bit of a sucker for a floral stamp and the new Enduring Beauty Bundle with coordinating masks in the Stampin' Up! 2024 Jan - April Mini Catalogue caught my attention at first glance.


 Super pretty right? I've used the stamp and masks on Crumb Cake cardstock today for a different look. I do love colouring images on Crumb Cake cardstock as I love how the colours of the ink look different as opposed to using Basic White cardstock.

All three cards that I've made for you today are all the same except for the colour combinations to colour the flowers. What's your favourite? I do love them all, of course, but the purple one is really standing out to me as my favourite.

Colours used
Flowers - Bubble Bath, Flirty Flamingo and Berry Burst
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow 


Colours used
Flowers - Lemon Lolly and Daffodil Delight
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow 

Colours Used
Flowers - Fresh Fresia and Highland Heather
Leaves - Old Olive and Mossy Meadow
 

 To create the cards I stamped the floral image on with Versamark ink and then used Black embossing powder for the image outline. Then over the floral image I layered over the Enduring Beauty Decorative Masks to layer on the colour using Blending Brushes. Each mask has detailed floral designs that add depth and colour to your paper crafting projects. Use one mask alone to add a subtle accent. Or you can layer them to create a rich floral image of your own design. The masks definitely make colouring an image so quick and easy thats for sure.
 
I used three colours on the 'pink' card only due to the fact that I thought the Bubble Bath was too light against the Berry Burst so I went in again over the Bubble Bath with Flirty Flamingo to achieve a better contrast. 

All cards were finished off with a drawn border, Crumb Cake Splatters, Linen Thread, a Happy Birthday sentiment and some embellishments.

What colours do you think would work together when using the Enduring Beauty masks?

Next up on the blog hop is fabulous Nikki Spencer with her amazing creation. Make sure you click your way around to everyone on the hop as there are lots of gorgeous creations and lots of different takes on our 'Just Add Flowers' theme

 
 
Will you be entering our challenge this week? We would love to see your 'Just Add Flowers' creation. Click the image below to be taken straight to this week's challenge.
 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Stamping!

Live in Australia?
Shop for Stampin' Up! with Me 24/7 HERE
 
 Recreate this project at home using the following Stampin' Up! products.  Click on the images below to see the product information and to shop from my online store.