A Productive Playdate

The other day my kids and I had a lovely playdate with my Stampin' Sister Amanda, who is an incredibly talented Demonstrator and lovely person. There were seven kids altogether, and they all got along beautifully, setting up tents in the backyard, and making up games. While they were occupied, Amanda and I stamped - I used a couple of her stamp sets that I haven't yet purchased, but are on my wish list: "Dinoroar" and "I Dig You".

Want to see what I did? Here are the Dinoroar cards:

Special Birthday

My little sister  (LOL, I have 3 little sisters), had a milestone birthday this week, and I made her a glam but simple card, because she has an understated, elegant style.  Wish I was more like her!

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Perfect Punches
Paper:  Shimmery White, Brushed Gold, Confetti White
Ink:  Encore Gold (retired)
Other:  Big Shot, Lots of Labels sizzlet, adhesive pearls, Whisper White Satin, Wide Oval Punch

Pretty, no?  It is a bit sad that the gold ink is no longer with us, I could have used gold embossing powder - and I intended to, but ran out of time as I made this almost on my way out the door (as usual).

My gorgeous sister, the Birthday Girl, our Mum, and me

Hope the school holidays are treating you well (it is school holidays here in Queensland).  We have been busy with sleepovers, craft activities, swimming, etc.  Fun times!

What We Made Part 4

Last but not least, clever Bec O'Gorman created these lovely cards:

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Oval All
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Pear Pizazz, Vellum, Early Espresso
Ink:  Versamark, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz
Other:  Heat Gun, White embossing powder, brads, paper snips, Oval punch, scalloped oval punch, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Perfect Pennants die, Scallop Trim Border punch

Stamps:  Bring On The Cake, Pennant Parade
Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Island Indigo
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Island Indigo, Early Espresso
Other:  Paper Crimper, Linen thread, Itty Bitty Circle Punch, 3/4" circle punch, Petite Pennants Punch, Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder

I've noticed that each of us used the Big Shot in some way on at least one of the cards we designed - funny to think the Big Shot was only in our catalogue a year ago, now it is hard to create anything without it!

If you still don't have your own hard copy of the new Idea Book & Catalogue, let me know and I'll get one to you.  It would be the perfect time to book a workshop - Christmas will be here before you know it, so we will be getting busy with Christmas Cards soon too!

What We Made Part 3

Now for lovely Linda Craven's designs.  Her signature colour combination is pink and brown, and she used it to full advantage here!

Stamps:  Printed Petals, Curly Cute
Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso, Whisper White
Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Early Espresso
Other:  Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die, Scallop Circle punch, Itty Bitty Circle punch, Paper Snips

Stamps:  Creative Elements
Paper: Whisper White, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede
Other:  white Organza Ribbon, square punches, paper snips, dimensionals

What We Made, Part 2

Here are the gorgeous cards designed by clever Steph Pike, using the NEW in colours Lucky Limeaide and Wisteria Wonder, new embossing folder, new punch as well as new stamps!

Stamps:  Need for Speed, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray
Other:  Brads, Mat Pack, Blender Pen, Big Shot, Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Stamps:  Party This Way, Pennant Parade, Create A Cupcake, Parlor Prints
Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Ink:  Early Espresso, Wisteria Wonder, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeaide, Versamark
Other:  Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Build a Cupcake Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Petite Pennants Builder Punch, Whisper White Taffeta ribbon

I think we really needed some new masculine stamps, and Need For Speed fits the bill for boys of all ages.  I love how deceptively simple but simultaneously detailed Steph's cards are.  I love how she's used the Pennant Parade stamp and matching punch with the cupcake punch to create an ice cream cone - genius!

Stay tuned for more cards tomorrow.

What we made part 1

As you can tell from my last post, we had a successful New Catalogue Launch on the weekend. Around 60 happy stampers were kept busy making eight cards, and there were door prizes, a raffle and pre-loved retired stock to be purchased at bargain prices.

Here are the two Christmas cards I designed featuring brand new products.

The first card uses River Rock, Not Quite Navy, and Poppy Parade with the new a la carte stamp "Something for Christmas" which we inked up with markers. It also features the new lace ribbon border punch, it is so detailed and pretty, I love it!

The second card uses a new in colour, Pool Party, a new Designer frames embossing folder, and new stamp set called "Merry & Type". It also features shimmery white cardstock, which is gorgeous for special cards - and Christmas is special, right?

I will feature the rest of the cards over the coming days, so watch out for them!

A lovely day

Busy Stampers

Clever fingers

Big Shot Magic

Heat Embossing

Tasty Treats

Inspiring Displays

Pretty Details

New Products

Beautiful Babies (and mothers)

Tuckered Out

Lou and Steph

Happy Winner!

More bad photos

Sorry.  I haven't had time to take new photos, which is a shame because these projects look much better in real life.  This stamp set, called Creative Elements, was given to us at Convention back in May - so I have been biting my tongue for four months!  These projects were done at Convention as Make & Takes (I added the photo of my son later, of course!)

See the ribbon?  Seam Binding!  See the little scrap page - die cuts from the NEW Petal Cone Die!  I have a few more projects to show you with this set, but I'll retake those pictures.  

At present I'm busy preparing for our big Launch on Sunday.  I'll take photos of the cute little decorations I'm making (hopefully I'll finish them today!) and I'll keep the projects a surprise until after the Launch.  I can tell you that I've designed two Christmas cards, using NEW Christmas stamps, and one also uses a new embossing folder.

Stay tuned!

On-Trend: Pennants

Another trend I've spotted everywhere lately is the banner/pennant trend.  Not only do we have a new Big Shot Die, we also have this completely gorgeous new punch that even co-ordinates with two stamp sets!  Swoon.  You know how that makes my heart go pitter-pat.

Stamps:  Party This Way, Pennant Parade
Paper:  Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Tempting Turqoise, Real Red
Other:  Perfect Penant Builder Punch, Modern Label Punch, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Brights Brads, Kitchen Twine, Linen Thread

Stamps:  Pennant Parade, Word Play
Paper:  Wisterior Wonder, Whisper White, Pool Party, Calyps Coral
Ink:  Concord Crush, Calypso Coral, Pool Party
Other:  String, Brads, Dimensionals

I know, how cute are they????

On-Trend

Have you noticed that doilies are everywhere at the moment?  Doilies? Those crochet things your Nana used to have everywhere?  Well, you know how the world of design lives to make everything old new again....the Doily is back.

And I must say, I rather like them!

Stampin' Up!  is of course completely on board with this trend, as you can see by the Flirtatious Product Suite.  Suite - as in, a whole range of co-ordinating stuff.  Stamps, DSP, Big Shot Dies and FABRIC.

I haven't used my fabric yet, but I'm thinking of making something like this when I do:

Gorgeous!

Here are a few cards and a 6 x 6 scrap page I have made....I am really enjoying this trend and love the new in-colours with it!

Again, I've got some photos that are well lit, others not so much because I'd already put them on my display board before I photographed them!  D'oh!

6 x 6 inch scrapbook page
Paper:  Flirtatious Speciality DSP (the pink laser cut), Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Other:  Big Shot, Simple Letters Alphabet, Perfect Penants die, 1 3/4" circle punch, Itty Bitty Shapes punch, Basic Rhinestones 

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Teeny Tiny Sentiments,
Paper:  Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Ink:  Pool Party, Island Indigo
Other:  Crimper, Basic Rhinestones, Perfect Penants Die, Big Shot, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Sentiments, Printed Petals
Paper:  Pool Party, So Saffron DSP (from Subtles Paper Stack), Pink Doily cut from the Flirtatious Speciality DSP laser cut page, So Saffron, Whisper White.
Ink:  Melon Mambo
Other:  Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Eyelet Border Punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Antique Brad

Stamps:  Word Play
Paper:  Pool Party, Flirtatious Speciality DSP laser cut, Whisper White
Ink:  Melon Mambo
Other:  Big Shot, Perfect Pennants Die, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Crop-a-dile, Basic Rhinestones, Dimensionals,  1 3/4" circle Punch

Stamps:  Delicate Doilies, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Paper:  Pool Party, So Saffron DSP, Whisper White, So Saffron
Ink:  Pool Party
Other:  Big Shot, Perfect Penants Die, Paper Snips, Rhinestone Brad, Basic Rhinestones, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Dimensionals

As you can see, I made most of these with the same colours and DSP.  I love that you can stretch out the laser cut doily speciality DSP by cutting out the pieces.  Hmm, looks like Pool Party is quickly becoming a firm favourite of mine too!  It looks good with pink, yellow, Island Indigo, Chocolate Chip, White, Red, Black...

What to show you first?

Decisions, decisions!  I'll start with the new Christmas set,  Tidings of Joy, which is a seriously sweet Nativity scene, and fun to colour!

I like to stamp it on watercolour paper with Black Stayzon ink and colour it using an aqua painter and ink pads.  I have to get the watercolour pencils and more of the crayons to play with too.  You can see by the photos that one was photographed during the day, and one at night!  Oopsie.  They both share a similar layout, but use different colours.  I think this one would be fun to stamp a few times for the kids to colour with their pencils as a Christmas Holiday project.

Stamp: Tidings of Joy
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Watercolour Paper
Ink:  Black Stayzon, Pool Party, basic tray, daffodil delight, cajun craze, cherry cobbler, soft suede, crumb cake
Other:  aqua painter, Scallop border punch, paper snips, dimensionals, linen thread, naturals button

Stamp:  Tidings of Joy
Paper:  watercolour paper, Island Indigo, So Saffron DSP from Subtles Paper Stack
ink:  as above plus island indigo
Other:  aqua painter,  linen thread, brights button, dimensionals

More projects to come using NEW STUFF!

It's finally here!

The 2011-12 Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue is here!

It is so gorgeous!

You can click HERE to read it online right now if you can't wait any longer!

So many new and inspiring things in this catalogue - the best one yet, in my opinion.  Not only new colours, new stamps, new accessories - but FABRIC!  And the Big Shot has gone down in price too!

There is also a new system for Hostess Benefits - which is awesome.  Here are the details:

*Not including shipping.


Hostess Dollars
The new hostess merchandise section of the catalogue will, as always, contain stamp sets and other selected products. These items remain exclusive to hostesses and must be purchased with hostess dollars. You’ll notice there are no longer levels of products associated with workshop sales totals—there are now prices associated with hostess items. This price is not a regular retail price, however, but reflects a discount, so hostess dollars go further when used on hostess products. But hostesses will have the best of both worlds—not only will they get exclusive products, but they can use their hostess dollars on anything in the catalogue!
50%-Off Items
We’re very excited about the addition of the 50-percent-off items—and hopefully your hostesses will be, too! A couple of things to note about this benefit:
50-percent-off items will be noncommissionable and do not count toward the net workshop total.
Hostess dollars cannot be applied toward the purchase of 50-percent-off items. The 50 percent is taken off of the full catalogue price of the item. 

So much cool new stuff - FABRIC, Big Shot Dies, Stamps, ribbons, brads, paper, new colours....swoon! I have died and gone to Heaven, I tell you.  One of the perks of being a Demo is having an advanced copy of the new Catty and being able to pre-order new stuff - Lordy, do you people know how hard it has been not to show you the new stuff I've been playing with?  There is a reason my blog hasn't been updated much this past month, LOL.

If you are coming to our Launch on the 11th September, you'll get your own copy of the new Catty plus you'll have a play with new stuff....there are still spots available, so hurry if you want to come along!  If you don't know anyone who wants to come with you, that's OK too.  I'll make sure you sit next to someone nice who plays well with others.....actually stampers are generally all nice people!

If you can't come, and want a copy of the catalogue, let me know and I can either mail one to you anywhere in Australia ($12.95 + $5.95 postage) or if you are local, I can drop it off or you can pick it up from me for $12.95.

Now is the perfect time to book a workshop too, because my hostesses get a free catalogue!

Also, there is a great recruiting promotion on at the moment - you can join as a Demo with a Mini-Kit for only $169!  This is great for those of you who thought you might like to join just for the discount, or weren't sure if it was for you.  They have dropped the requirement for an ABN too, so it is easier than ever to sign up.  Let me know if you have any questions.  I'd love for you to join my team.

I'm running out of time but will do another post shortly with photos of projects I've made with NEW STUFF!  (Have to upload the photos!)