I just wanted to share with you the Make & Takes we made at my catalogue launch last Sunday. I kept it fairly simple, but included some embossing with the Big Shot and some stamping & punching using some of the new stamps!

I made up kits and included one in every catalogue bag. I had everything pre-cut, including the pillow boxes (to save time). The first step was to run the Very Vanilla card pieces throught the new Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and Big Shot. I just love this folder – the embossing is very raised and rich! I can’t wait to use it some more! Then the scallop edge was punched in the notecard, and a row of holes pierced for extra effect. Then the stamping – using Riding Hood Red and Basic Gray ink (to match the cardstock), and the For You Flower stamp, the Oval “thanks” stamp from Perfect Punches, and the round scallop stamp from Printed Petals. These were then punched out and layered as shown in the photo. Then the boxes and gift cards were assembled. I did sneak in a little retired Basic Gray taffeta ribbon for the pillow box. The labels were attached with Stampin’ Dimensionals for a raised effect.

I made up these little gift bags using the Scallop Envelope die, and keeping the colour scheme of the Make & Takes. In each little bag I included a couple of choccies and a little kit to make up a punched flower brooch using the new Fancy Flower Extra Large punch.

For each kit I punched out a flower in each of Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red cardstock, and also a little centre flower from Perfect Plum card using the Boho Blossoms punch. I also included a rhinestone brad and a little brooch pin. To make up the brooch is easy! I ran the 3 large flowers through the crimper a few times, then scrunched them in my fingers to break down the fibres in the cardstock. Once pliable, I carefully peeled apart the two layers of each piece. For the little plum flower I snipped two thirds of the way in towards the centre using the paper snips, then layered each flower on top of each other with the ”suede” side facing upwards. I added the little plum flower to the centre, then pierced a hole through all layers and inserted the rhinestone brad and opened the prongs on the back of the flower. Then I curled under the edges of the petals using the paper piercer tool, to give them some shape.  A ”glob” of Crystal Effects is adequate enought to hold the brooch pin on the back once dry (did I mention before how fabulous this stuff is?!).   I thought I might add a little fragrance to the centre of my little flower  brooch……I keep wanting to sniff it!

Thank you to the lovely ladies who took the time out on Father’s Day to come along to my catalogue launch and to make it an enjoyable and successful afternoon!

I’ve been experimenting the last few weeks, and having fun getting sticky with Crystal Effects (did you know it’s a fabulous glue as well – it sticks almost anything together!) Anyway, these cute little earrings were part of my experiments! I stamped onto Basic Black cardstock and embossed in gold the tiny heart image from the Tiny Tags stamp set . Then I used the Small Heart punch to punch them out, and layered three heart shapes together before adding the embossed heart and applying a hole in the top of each heart. I applied two coats of Crystal Effects, drying thoroughly in between coats, and being careful not to cover the holes up. For each earring I used a gold eyepin, and threaded on beads from the Pretties Kit, attaching a heart to each eye and a gold ear hook to the opposite end, trimming and bending the end around jewellery pliers to secure. I can see I’m going to have to make more with Christmas looming!

Yay! I found time this afternoon to have a quick play and finish the 5 sided stepper box I mentioned in a previous post! Here it is all decorated and sitting pretty with an embellishment stamped from the A Rose is a Rose stamp set. Such a pity this stamp set is retiring so soon!

Here is the box opened. As you can see, the five panels worked perfectly. It’s a bit of a squeeze getting the length of the opened box out of a 12′ x 12″ sheet of DSP, but I wrapped the outseide edges of the card inserts with a strip of matching DSP – it’s barely noticeable! I think I’ll make them this way from now on.

Goodness me, it doesn’t seem 12 days ago since my last post! It will be Christmas again before we know it! Speaking of which, I still have a few places left for my Christmas Stamp-a-Stack this coming Saturday if you are interested in coming along? It’s a great opportunity to get a head start on your handmade Christmas cards! Click here for more information.

Anyway, here is one of my Stepper Boxes I’ve been making. They are actually quite easy to make! I’ve made this one using Haiku DSP and I stamped the embellishment with images from Circle Circus stamp set. The original instructions I used are by Terri Digness.

Here is the box opened. Recently at our group get together (otherwise known as INKers Arvo in our group!) we had a go at making the box with five panels all the same size. I’m yet to decorate the box I made (one of my many UFO’s!) but will try and get it done and post it on here in the next few days.

 As it’s the school holidays I decided to hold a couple of Mum & Kids Classes. Tuesday afternoon’s class this week was this cute little Pull-Out Scrapbook. I had heaps of the card backing from the 12×12 DSP packs which I used for the cover. I cut two pieces 10cm x 10cm for the front and back and one piece 2.5cm x 10cm for the spine of the folder. The card was then enclosed in DSP from the Pink Flamingo pack.

The inside of the scrapbook is two sets of pull-out pages each 8.8cm square which fold in concertina fashion, and tied with a ribbon. The cardstock pages coordinate with colours from the DSP. I decorated the pages with images from garden Whimsy stamp set.

I also made up a boys version using Autumn Traditions DSP and Bugs & Kisses stamp set. Here’s the outside of the scrapbook…

and the inside…

and the pages folded out…

Mum & Kids classes are fun (and I have fun creating them!)  and are specially designed so that both mum and child can spend some quality time together and each create a project! Stay tuned for more kids classes next school holidays!

Here’s another handbag I made using the Stampin’ Up! Top Note die, this time I used some Tall Tales DSP to decorate the top notes. I cut one set in cardstock, and one set in DSP and used the perforation line as the cutting line, then glued the DSP onto the cardstock. I added some Flower Fusion and a rhinestone brad as an accent. For the bag, I used a gusseted bottle bag, and made 2 bags from the one. Click here to download the instructions on how to make two bags from one (how to cut and fold the base) and how to make up the bags.

Here’s one of the sweet little bags I made for my Autumn Mini Catalogue launch guests , which I promised to show you last week. It’s made by using the Stampin’ Up! Top Note die with the Big Shot, and a gusseted bottle bag! I also used the Stampin’ Up! Little Leaves die, and Vintage Vogue stamp set. These  dies  are exclusive to Stampin’ Up! and can be found in the new 36 page Autumn Mini catalogue! To view the catalogue, you can click on the picture in the side bar, or better still, contact me and I will pop one in the post for you!

I just had to share with you this Easter Basket I made this afternoon, using the Stampin’ Up! Scallop Envelope die and the Big Shot now available in the new Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue! I cut out 4 envelopes in Orchid Oplulance using the Big Shot, and taped them together using the side flaps as the corner seams. I placed some tape on the bottom sections to hold the base together, and folded the scallop tops to the outside. I used the Scallop Edge Punch to make a handle from a strip of A4 cardstock. Then I decorated the sides of the box and the handle with the new Cottage Wall DSP, leaves made with the Little Leaves die, a flower stamped using Vintage Vogue stamp set, some yummy new Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, and a Happy Easter label using the Large Oval and Scallop Oval Punch (with Rich Razzleberry cardstock). Some jumbo brads to hold the ends of the handles in place, and voila! A quick Easter basket for a quick gift!

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 had a play today! Mind you, I should be doing other things! I came across this snow globe in one of our local photographic stores, and thought it ideal for stamping! I used A Wish for Christmas and Winter Post stamp sets, and stamped, coloured, cut out and layered the images, inserted the picture into the centre of the snow globe, and voila! It even looks as though the skaters are skating on a frozen pond! My website has had over 7000 visitors! It must be time for some Blog Candy! Leave a comment on this post dated no later than Friday 4th December, and go into the draw to win a duplicate snow globe (yes, I’ll stamp up another one! Sorry, Australian residents only)