In the Garden

I made these cards today when stuck for something to do for a watercolour workshop tomorrow. I'm so pleased with the blue/purple one! Stamped with the Hostess background "In the Garden" in Stazon ink, I used Stampin' Up's watercolour crayons in Bold Brights colours to colour the images. Actually, I scribbled over the images and used my aquabrush to tidy it all up afterwards. The effect is gorgeous, I think!

Stampin' Christmas

A very Stampin' Christmas was had in our house. I recycled all the packing paper from my orders and sat the kids and hubby down with my stamp sets. Here are some of the results:
Recently had a demonstration and my hostess wished to see Time for You, so I did this card for the workshop:
And one of my regular ladies is an owl enthusiast so I had to show this set off "Love Owl-ways":
All Stampin' Up! products and the owl card is SO simple to make but looks great, I think!

Okay, back in my box for now as my two older kids have chicken pox. Just waiting for number 3 to get it too. :(

Kylie's Challenge

So, at our Inklings Christmas gathering, I was having a bit of a whinge about how the phrase "Always time for you" didn't really seem to fit with the bicycle (which I love, by the way). I said, at least if it were a tandem bike, it would make a little more sense! So fellow Inkling Kylie challenged me to create a tandem bike (with a frog on it, but I haven't got that far yet!!). Here's the result:
Took loads of trials with various techniques, including masking which just didn't work well. Ended up just inking the parts of the image I wanted with a Stampin' Write brush, used my Stamp-a-majig to line everything up, then used the fine tip to connect the bits that needed connecting. I'm pretty pleased with the result!

Next step will be one with frogs. ;) Hopefully before new year!

obsession: scallop edge punch

"Time for you" stamp set was always on the top of my list when I received my copy of the summer mini. But when it came time to use it, I was stumped at how the "Always Time for You" phrase worked with the bicycle? So this is my solution - the "friend" bit from "For a Friend".
As you can see there's a theme to my cards of late - most of them have a scallop edge! I'm totally obsessed with the scallop edge punch and have had countless applications of it over the last weeks including trimming the top and bottom of chocolate slider covers. Must take some photos! Anyway this next card is another set from the Summer mini - "Embrace Life" which is also delicious water coloured. My upline, Angela Sargeant , created an embossed version of this flower which is simply divine.
Hope you feel as inspired as I do!

New: Summer Mini

A new Summer Stampin' Up! Mini Catalogue started today! Here's one of my favourite stamps out of the lot - "A happy heart". Its meant for Valentine's Day, and typically I've jumped to the last pages and used these stamps first! But this little dandelion fluff with flying hearts is just darling! I felt so inspired! So here's two variations of the same stamp. Also I've used the Scallop Edge punch and a touch of the 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain in Chocolate Chip for the first card with Earth Elements colours.
For the second, I've used an offcut of card to make a scallop shape to glue around and then sprinkled loads of Dazzling Diamonds over the edges of a very simple Purely Pommegranate card with a vellum window. I've also used a little Crystal Effects in the centre of the puff and used a pin to tease out lines before it dried, also dusted with Crystal Effects. Isn't it divine? I've touched the bottom corner of the window with Orchid Opulance cardstock stamped in Purely Pommegranate with a Faux Rhinestone in the middle (made using a drop of Crystal Effects in the middle of an eyelet. Brilliant idea I've stolen from another SU demo - will update with who it was when I have a moment to ferret through!).

I've experimented with a few of the other stamps - I'll post more over the next few days.

Christmas Pop-out & Elite Challenge

One of the three designs I've made for Christmas Cards to sell at Normanhurst West Public School Christmas Markets... Simple template which I found here decorated with Season of Joy Stampin' Up set. Printed out two on a page and folded the template around my folded card, cut, followed the instructions and Voila!
This one combines 2 of 3 of the Elite Challenges for November - I don't have the stamp set for the third challenge! So I combined the colour and sketch challenges to make one card. Easy-peasy!

some more cards I've played with...

The first image is a card for a challenge at Elite Stampers, part of Angela Sargeant's group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators. I think it was the September challenge, so I'm a bit late, but having never done any of the challenges before, I wanted to give it a try!
Card: So Saffron, Old Olive, Blue Bayou, white scrap
Stamps: Priceless, One of a Kind
Inks: So Saffron, Old Olive, Blue Bayou
Accessories: silver hodgepodge and Rhinestone brads

So this next card combines the colour and sketch challenges for Elite Stampers for October. The challenge was set by Carol Dunston, who does some fabulous work!
Card: Wild Wasabi, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Basic Black
Stamps: Garden Whimsy
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White
Accessories: scallop circle punch, horizontal slot punch, circle punch, watercolour brush, Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon, silver hodgepodge, chalks

This last one has been burning in my brain after seeing the results of Alana Galagher's participation in the Kwerner Design colour challenges. My inspiration is a Sheridan sheet pattern from a pillowcase of my grandmother's. It's got to be over 40 years old and loads of swirly floral shapes:
I matched the colours from the pillowcase to the cardstock in the SU range and then pieced this card together using the Boho Blossom's punch, Scallop Circle punch and various circle punches. Added some pearls and there you are... Pleased with the result and may have to scale it up!
Card: Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal, Blush Blossom, Sage Shadow, Groovy Guava, Naturals Ivory
Stamps: One of a Kind, Expressive Flexible Phrases
Inks: Apricot Appeal, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Pretties Pearls, Boho Blossoms punch, Scallop Circle punch, Circle punches.

Super quick cards

Okay - the thing that took the longest time for these cards was choosing the colours - the top one was a no-brainer - just went with colours from the Stampin' Up! Apple Cider Designer Series Patterned Paper...
This one wasn't too hard either - started with the Night of Navy cardstock and used the "chalk board" technique to dab chalk on a Season of Joy stamp in white craft ink. Then punched it out and punched the middles out of the double layer of cardstock which is actually Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst even though it looks quite blue. The Groovy Guava acted as a bit of a pick me up to give a contrast - love this colour combination! The Priceless word is from the Priceless stamp set in the main idea book and catalogue.
And this one was too easy in terms of making, but I had the devil of a time figuring out colour combos until I found this website: www.scraptitude.com/colorcombo/ which is an amazing way to get Stampin' Up! colours that go together!! This is Pale Plum with Bravo Burgundy ink using the It's Beautiful wheel from the SU! Spring Mini. It is just a divine wheel and looks so amazing like this on a card. The strip is a Purely Pomegranate scrap I had in lieu of ribbon. The flower is from "One of a Kind" Perfectly Plum cardstock and ink with Perfectly Plum daubed in the centre of the flower (which I think makes it look all fuzzy and so touchable!). Bloom is from "Bloomin' with beauty" my latest indulgence. Some of my ladies used the "for You" from "One of a Kind" instead.
So that's my contributions to the world of stamping for the moment. I need to do a serious tidy-up of my scrap/card space to be able to find everything and have a spot to actually make cards!! Looks like a whirly-whirly has gone to town on it at the moment!

under a rock

Well, I've been under a rock for some weeks now - life is always busy in September - leaving not much time for blogging, scrapping or card-making! Father's Day followed very quickly by hubby's birthday followed by Caitlyn's birthday make it a busy month. So nothing to show at the moment.

There's a couple of promotions current for Stampin' Up! - one is the Spring Mini Catalogue (last orders by 30 November) and the other is Free Wheelin' where you receive a free matching jumbo wheel with selected stamp sets (finishes 30 September). Check out the Stampin' Up! website for details.

another workshop!

Big workshop on Saturday - this one had 10 people!! So I did a colour variation on one of the cards and demonstrated "kissing".