I’m so much loving my Big Shot, and I’m wondering why it took me so long to get into die cutting and embossing! We made this card yesterday at my Punched Cards Class. It’s made using the new Extra Large Two-Step Bird punch, the Originals Oval dies, and the Stampin’ Up! Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (also exclusive to Stampin’ Up!)  The cardstock is Not Quite Navy, Kraft and Very Vanilla, and the DSP is from the Bella Bleu pack. I embossed the Vanilla cardstock and the bird’s wing together in the embossing folder, then placed each colour of card and paper required for the ovals onto the oval die. To save cutting three of each ovals, I cut a piece of paper or card the size of each oval. The lace “frill” is made by punching along the length of an A4 sheet of cardstock, then trimming the card with a cutter to form a narrow lacey strip. Carefully “push” each section of lace together to form pleats so that the lace strip begins to curve, then carefully snip into the straight edge to help ease the lace when gluing it under the oval. It’s a bit difficult to describe – if I get time this week I ‘ll try and post a tutorial on how to make the lace edge! The two smaller ovals are layered together and “popped” using Stampin Dimensionals, as well as the bird and the wing for a gorgeous 3D effect.

Vicki and I had a fabulous attendence at the Bushfire Appeal on Saturday! Thank you to all the lovely ladies (and young ladies!) who attended to help make the day a success. I’m sharing with you one of the quick and easy cards we made in the morning. It’s using Ocean Commotion stamp set and retired Cool Caribbean cardstock for the base of the card. Click here to download a printable copy of the instructions. Enjoy!

I thought I’d quickly share with you the projects we made in my Valentine’s Day class a few weekends ago.  All the projects were colour coordinated using Riding Hood Red as the base. First up we made an acetate Treat Box. We stamped the acetate with White Stazon ink using the filigree heart from the stamp set I {Heart} Heart, and reproduced the same heart in RH Red ink on Whisper White cardstock for the accent on the front of the box. The Designer Series paper is from the Patterns series in Riding Hood Red.

We then made a Waterfall Card using more stamps from the I {Heart} Heart stamp set, and included the “always” stamp from Always stamp set!

Lastly, we made a Treat Pull and I included a bar of Lindt chocolate! Again we used the filigree heart, and also the large heart from Always.

The ribbon slips under the bar of chocolate and the ends are tied together at the top. The bar of chocolate is exposed when the ribbon is pulled. So far that particular chocolate bar might just make it to Valentine’s Day! Are you interested in attending one of my classes? Visit my Class page to see what’s coming up. Don’t forget if you purchase the I {Heart} Heart stamp set before 28 February, Stampin’ Up! will donate $2 to the Haiti Relief and Development Fund. In just fifteen days, demonstrators around the world have already sold 7524 of the stamp sets!

I’m having a quiet day at home today, I’ve made relish and have tomato sauce on the go, and I decided I’d have a play and see what I could come up with for the ESAD-SU colour challenge. I’ve been wanting to have a play with my new Razzle Dazzle stamp set – it reminds me of the design on an embroidered cheesecloth top which my mum made me back in the 70’s. Anyway, it was the inspiration for my card!

I found the card pattern on Jan Tink’s blog, and resized it. I’ve inked up the stamp using Stampin’ Write markers, and added some detail with the paper piercer and a white gel pen. Something different – for a bit of fun!

 These cards are so cool! My class attendees made one yesterday, but using Tea Party DSP and Playful Petals stamp set. For this one I have used Bella Rose DSP and A Rose is a Rose stamp set. It’s called a Never Ending Card (or the Card That Never Ends) because everytime you open it it just keeps on going! Fun to make, and easy once you’ve made one. They can be decorated in a multitude of ways too – it’s all up to your imagination! I had difficulty in sourcing instructions, but found some on Karen Rogers blog. Click here to download my printable version.

Open the front and here’s the second “page”…..

open again and here’s the third……..

open again and here’s the fourth……..

Then it’s back to the start again! Wasn’t there a song about the song that never ends? …..it just goes on and on my friend………

 Here are the cards I made with the Rock Star Simply Sent Card Elements kit, and using some of the Whisper White Greeting Cards and envelopes. I made with the kit 10 cards and 4 small gift cards! I also used two of the A4 cardstock sheets to make a box to hold the cards.

Click here to download the instructions for the box, including card samples for both the Rock Star and Flower Power kits (oops, just realised I used the names of the coordinating stamp sets in the pdf instead of the names of the kits…)

Are you heading to the Albany Agricultural Show this Friday 13th or Saturday 14th November? Visit us in the Centennial Hall (we’re up on the stage), make a Christmas Gift Tag or just say hello! See you there!

I thought I’d quickly share this card I made for a technique tutorial for ESAD, our demonstrator group, using the Friends 24/7 stamp set. The background of the card is made with sponging and stamping, and the colours I have used are Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy, on Whisper White cardstcok. Very simple but quite effective.!

At last, A spare moment to photograph and upload some pics of my Tri-Shutter cards we made in my class last weekend. This one’s made using the lovely A Rose is a Rose (Two Step Stampin’) stamp set, and Bella Rose Designer Series Paper. I just love the way all the colours work together!

This one’s a masculine card, and made with slightly different measurements so that the front panel of the card is a whole and not sectioned. I used Le Jardin Botanique and Lovely as a Tree stamp sets. I left the DSP off the smaller panels, and stamped these with leaves instead, so as not to make the card look to busy.

Musty dash and organise this Saturday’s class – Father’s Day & Men’s cards!

I promised I’d post details of what we made at my Spring Mini Catalogue launch, so here it is….. a pocket card, made using an Very Vanilla envelope (sealed and with one end trimmed off), and a cute little box, all stamped with the new Sense of Time stamp set, using Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss ink. I CASEd the envelope design from the 6×6 page shown on page 16 of the Spring Mini catalogue, and I used the Baroque Border wheel and Chocolate Chip Prints DSP. I made the label on the box using the new scallop oval punch and the small and large oval punches.

The tag at the top of the card insert sports one of the new 5/16″ Very Vanilla Jumbo Brads. The prongs are long enough to wrap around the ribbon and I used the pliers from the Crafter’s Tool Kit to help close the prongs.
I love this stamp set – it’s so versatile it can be nostalgic, masculine and elegant!

This one’s made with Mostly Flowers and Say It With Scallops stamp sets, Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White cardstock, and Elegant Eggplant ink. The stitching is faux – punched with the paper piercing tool and stencil from the Mat Pack, and “stitched” with the fine tip of the Elegant Eggplant marker.

I just love the way this one turned out! The Real Red card is stamped with the leaves from Artfully Asian, and the script is Symbols of Solicitude stamped in Basic Black. I’ve double mounted the script onto Basic Black and then Metallic Gold cardstock. I also added a black eyelet to the card-pull – unfortunately the gold tassel is non Stampin’ Up! – but it certainly sets the card off!