What has Lou Been Up To This Month?

May has been, and will continue to be, utterly crazy for me! In a good way, I think. Here are the highlights:



Mother's Day - being the mother of four children under twelve, this involves handmade cards (the best kind), squishy hugs, a cup of tea and breakfast in bed ....and then it's over for another year. Laundry, cooking, etc still need to get done.

Mother's Day also means I was making cards and gift tags to sell at some local businesses in the lead up to the big day.

Also, our house is currently a construction site. Well, new paint inside and out, and new carpets. The end is in sight! Our painters have been considerate, professional and friendly, but it is still stressful having strangers in your house from 7:00am, everything packed away in the garage, drop sheets, internal doors removed....you get the idea!

The kids still have birthday parties, school excursions, assignments, NAPLAN, etc.

There is still more to come! In the next few weeks I have a couple of workshops, Convention in Canberra, and my birthday!

 

Happy Stamping!

 

Step By Step: Teacup Card

I thought those of you who didn't make it to our Launch of the new Mini might like to learn how to make my personal favourite project.  Let me know if you'd like to order any of the materials so you can make your own.

Sending A Kiss Teacup Card

Stamps
•Tea Shoppe
  (125547; clearmount set of 10; $49.95 Autumn-Winter Mini 2012)
• Petite Pairs
  (125016 woodmount set of 18; $52.95)

Paper
• Blushing Bride A4 (cut in half and folded for card base)
• Basic Gray card stock:
Whisper White cardstock;•  Twitterpated DSP

Ink
•Blushing Bride Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Basic Gray Classic Stampin’ Write MarkerBlushing Bride Classic Stampin’ Write Marker

Stampin’ Up! Accessories
• Adhesive Pearls (119247, $9.50)
• 1" Circle Punch (119868, $20.95)
Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch (119275, $30.95)
• Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch (122464, $44.95)
• Paper Snips (103579, $18.95)
• Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430, $7.50)
• SNAIL Adhesive (104332, $12.95)

My Notes

Step 1:  Take your Blushing Bride base card and fold, using a bone folder, to create base card, then set aside.
Step 2.  Stamp the large teacup image in Blushing Bride ink, once on the main piece of Whisper White Cardstock, and on scrap piece.
Step 3:  Cut a piece of Basic Gray cardstock to mat the main Whisper White piece, with a 1/4" border.
Step 4: Adhere main Whisper White panel to Basic Gray matting piece and set aside.
Step 5:  Punch a strip of Twitterpated DSP with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch and adfere to the left side of the Basic Gray mat as shown.  Adhere this panel to the front of your Blushing Bride card base, being sure to place it on the left, as shown.
Step 6:  Using the markers, ink up the "Sending a Kiss" sentiment on a scrap of Whisper White cardstock, and punch out with the 1" circle punch.  Set aside.
Step 7:  Cut out the second large teacup image with paper snips, and adhere on top of the tea cup on your main image.  Embellish with small adhesive pearls, as desired (HINT:  Tweezers can be helpful when using our Adhesive Jewels)
Step 8: Punch a flower from Twitterpated DSP using the Triple Layer flower punch (the solid flower), and adhere your circle with "sending a Kiss").  Adhere your flower using Dimensionals to the Right side of the main image as shown.
Step 9:  Mat a whisper White piece large with a Basic Gray piece for the inside of your card.  Using the markers as before, ink the "to make it better" stamp and stamp it in the centre of your White panel. 
Step 10:  Using a Post-It Note to cover the 2nd and 3rd teacups, ink up the 3 teacup stamp so only one is inked in Blushing Bride ink.  Remember to remove the Post it note before you stamp, and position the teacup on the lower right corner of the panel.  Then adhere this panel to the inside of your card, as shown.

Scrapbooking Month

How timely - with the Paper Party Promotion this month too!  Hmm, do you think maybe someone at Stampin' Up! is smarter than me, and already knew about  Scrapbooking Month?

Here are a couple of recent layouts I've done with new products from the Mini, and I think I haven't posted them before:

In other exciting news:  there is a painter starting to paint my house as I type!  Woo Hoo!

And still more exciting news:  I'd like to welcome Sandra to my team.  Sandra is just lovely, and so creative.  She'll be a fantastic Demonstrator!

Sandra couldn't resist the New Starter Kit (see the promotion details HERE).  Can you?

May Promotions - WOW!

May is turning out to be a cracker of a month already!

Firstly, the Paper Party Promotion is awesome:  During May, purchase three packs of our gorgeous Designer Series Paper, get one free.  I know.  How to choose?

Here is the flyer:

Second - the reduced Starter Kit - only $169!  Previously it was $289!  Not only that, the new Starter Kit is completely customisable.  Oh, and if you sign up with my Team in May, you also get a free pack of DSP per month for the rest of 2012 as part of the Paper Party deal.  What do you have to lose?

Here is the flyer:

Some suggestions on what you might include in your personalised Starter Kit.

Did you know that when you are a Demonstrator, you get a 20% discount on your purchases?

And you no longer have to have an ABN.

It has never been easier to join!

Plus, when you are in my team, you can still come to my classes, events, etc.

You can join with me just by going to my DBWS site HERE and clicking on "Join the fun."

Here is a video about the new and improved Demonstrator Agreement:

Launch Projects Part 3

Saving the best until last?  You be the judge!  Here are the three gorgeous projects designed by Stephanie Pike.

I love this vintage, shabby-chic style card.  I can see it as a Mother's Day card, can't you?
Steph used the new pleated ribbon, and the new Rue Des Fleurs stamp set.  Gorgeous!

This pretty card showcases the new Edgelits, and the Simply Scored tool was also used here.  The flowers are from the Bordering on Romance stamp set.

Too cute!  This card features the Baby Prints stamp set.

I hope you've enjoyed them!  I have a few new projects to share with you during the week.

Also, a note to my class regulars - we are about to get our house painted, so I won't be able to host my usual monthly class until they have been and gone.  I'll let you know ASAP!

Launch Projects, Part 2

Here are the beautiful projects for our Launch designed by Rebecca O'Gorman:

This card used the NEW stamp set Mouthwatering, new pleated ribbon, and the NEW scented Embossing Powder.

THis delicate card features the NEW Mixed Bunch set and punch.

This card features the Twitterpated DSP, with an origami shirt.

Next post:  Steph's projects!

Launch Projects,Part 1

Whew!  What a big day we had on Sunday!

First, let me say that I LOVE that Stampin' Up! has brought such beautiful friends into my life.  Bec O'Gorman and Stephanie Pike are two of the most genuine, friendly, generous and talented women I know.

Bec O'Gorman

Steph Pike

47 Lovely ladies came along to create pretty things with new products from the Autumn-Winter Mini.  Want to see what they made?

Here are just a few - more to come in my next post.

This is one of the cards I designed - a standing Z-Fold card made using the Simply Scored, and featuring the Mouthwatering stamp set, and co-ordinating Sweet Shop DSP.  Yummy!

And here is the side view so you can see the Z-fold.

This was my favourite:  The teacup is so pretty!  The stamp set is called Tea Shoppe.

And the inside!

This had lots of steps - embossing with the big shot and the hearts folder, cutting out the Pol Party layer with a Framelit then running it through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper folder, then stamping with Apothecary Art, heat embossing it, and cutting out with the Frameit, and then stamping and heat embossing the sentiment and cutting it out.

One of the Lucky Door Prizes I made, these cute packages containing...

A selection of sweet gift cards made with the Button Buddies stamp set.

More on the Launch to come, so stay tuned!