Can you believe it's 11 years today since I joined Stampin' Up!

Happy anniversary to me!

There are also 11 business days left in November and we still have the sublimely beautiful Snowflake Showcase products on sale this month only.

Soooooo to celebrate my 11th Anniversary, over the next 11 business days (and all the weekend days in between) I am giving  away a Snowflakes and Stars Wire Elements plus Joyous Noel 6"x 6" glimmer paper pack worth $11 for every order of Snowflake Showcase (or any other product order) totalling over $111.00.

If you order online via my shop, your GIFT will be sent separately. If you place your order direct with me your GIFT will come in your order. Happy Anniversary!!

Product List

Snow Is Glistening Photopolymer Stamp Set [149742] $37.00	Snowfall Thinlits Dies [149692] $68.00	Snowflake Trinkets [149620] $12.75
Happiness Surrounds Photopolymer Stamp Set [149744] $30.00	White Velveteen Sheets [149619] $8.75

Gift Packs made up with these items : 

Snowflakes & Stars Wire Elements [147819] $13.00

Joyous Noel 6" X 6" Glimmer Paper [147817] $26.00

So let me run that by you again . . . Place an order of $111.00 of any Stampin' Up! products (or especially the Snowflake Showcase!!) before the end of November and receive a gorgeous $11 gift from me which includes a selection of divine Copper Wire snowflakes and Stars and beautiful Glimmer Paper.

Don't forget, the Snowflake Showcase products will not be available after 30th November.

Happy Stampin' Anniversary Shopping!!   Click on any of the images to go to my Online Shop, or send me a message if you normally get me to place your order for you.

When You Don't Want Your Card Making to Take Hours . . .

I would be the first person to say I never make single layer cards, that a card doesn't look "finished" if the images and embellishments are just on the base card.

But then I look back through my creations or through the samples in the Stampin' Up! catalogue and I realise there are lots of beautiful cards where the base card has been stamped and minimal embellishments or layers have been added.

I can tell you one thing! It sure works out more economically and usually a lot faster!

And when I say economically, that's because it's the ideal time for using up some of those scraps in your unfinished projects basket.

With all the projects I did earlier in the year, I had lots of scraps of Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper.

I look at what colours are in the paper and pull out coordinating card bases and in this case Basic Black which is an amazing mat layer for this paper as it really ties in with the patterened paper but also makes the small layers pop off the card.

The Love What You Do stamp set from the same Product Suite coordinates so well with the paper, so I also pulled that out, along with the  same ink pad colours I had selected for the card stock. I also gathered some leftover embellishments from the same Product Suite - in this case labels from the Share What You Love embellishment kit and some Pearlised Doilies.

These designs really are so simple and fast to make, and yet I think they look lovely and would be thrilled if I found one in my mailbox!

If you'd like to add any of these supplies to your stash, click on the thumbnail below.

Product List

Share What You Love Specialty Designer Series Paper [146926] $47.00	Love What You Do Photopolymer Stamp Set [148042] $37.00	Share What You Love A4 Cardstock Pack [146346] $14.75
Share What You Love Embellishment Kit [146928] $19.25	Pearlized Doilies [146936] $7.75	Share What You Love Artisan Pearls [146927] $10.50

Simple Cardmaking Ideas

The Tailored Tag punch makes it simple to create a very eye-catching Quilt Pattern design on your Christmas cards using Designer Series Paper - in this case, Under The Mistletoe DSP from the Stampin' Up! annual catalogue.

And what's more - you can punch out dozens of the elongated hexagons in a very short time, so it's perfect for your Christmas card production line.

This first photo shows the fun I had coming up with a design for our Christmas in July class. It got better!

I loved making the samples using the new Designer Series Paper, but when it came to prepping for the actual event, because of the timing of the event vs when the new catalogue started, vs me coming back from Italy and then going to Alaska . . . I decided to use up a heap of This Christmas DSP that was already in my stash from last year! It meant changing from Real Red to Cherry Cobbler, and from Shaded Spruce to Garden Green, but I think the design still works just as well.

At the event we had several card making stations, so for each of the projects I prepared a 12"x 12" board with some basic instructions to help less experienced people get through.

It was also a great opportunity to use up heaps of that excess Cherry Cobbler ribbon I seem to have accumulated, and to use those beautiful wooden snowflakes which I was storing for "one of these days".

I'm certain all of us have Christmas paper, ribbon and embellishments in our stash that need to be used up not hoarded?

If you go ahead and make some cards like these ones, I would love to see them!

Product List

Tailored Tag Punch [145667] $31.00

Under The Mistletoe Designer Series Paper [146921] $19.25

Under The Mistletoe A4 Cardstock Pack [146923] $14.75

Stampin' Up! Christmas Card Ideas

Are you a person who likes to make dozens of Christmas cards to send out to your loved ones, or even to give to charity or to send out to a worthy cause?

When November clicks onto the calendar, it's quickly getting to be that crazy time of year when your realise if you're going to get started, it better be now!

 Over the next little while I'm going to share some of our projects from Christmas in July (and since then) including many of the details of how they were created. Hopefully this will inspire you to get started, or get on with it!

One thing I love is a good production line!

But not too many fancy steps, and not too many cards.

There's nothing worse than coming up with a design which includes colouring and fussy cutting, cutting all the card stock to make 100, and then realising what a massive task you've got before you! If you're going to do a production line, keep it to 15-20 cards and have more easy layers rather than lots of colouring or fussy cutting.

Pre-cutting the pieces like this also means making it very transportable. If you are going away for a weekend, or going to watch the boys play cricket, you can easily pop all the bits into one small plastic tub and take it with you to do some assembling! My dear friend Wendy Costa-Davis is an expert at this, preparing in advance so she can complete dozens of cards when she is away on craft retreat weekends.

My most excellent Stampin' Up! buddy, Michelle Corbett designed this sweet and simple Christmas Card for our classes at the Stitches and Craft Into Christmas Show at the Royal Exhibition Building last November. It was a great one to revamp for Christmas in July.

It uses the Painted Harvest stamp set which is not a Christmas stamp set so it gives you a great variation for how to use the sunflower stamp, and we used up a stack of last years' In Color Designer Series Paper in the gorgeous Tranquil Tide which is a perfect darker Christmas green.

The card also uses Cherry Cobbler ink, the Every Day Label Punch and the Snowflake Sentiments stamp set. A very simple and yet effective card.

I'm sure you have several of these items in your craft collection. Why not have a go at a card like this today? 

Product List

Painted Harvest Photopolymer Stamp Set [144783] $37.00	Silver 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon [144213] $12.25	Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad [147146] $13.00
Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad [147083] $13.00	Everyday Label Punch [144668] $31.00	Snowflake Sentiments Clear-Mount Stamp Set [144820] $38.00

I'll be back with more of our Christmas projects before you know it! See you then!

Kathryn

Card Making Made Easy

So far everyone I know is LOVING the Stamparatus!

A while ago I shared this post about the Stamparatus Slap technique.

Here's another sample I did using the same technique, but inking up the stamp direct to rubber with the Stampin' Write Markers instead of the Stampin' Spots.

How beautiful and soft and watercoloury do the flowers come up with this technique? I love this!

Did you know there are brand new Stamparatus accessories available in my online store?

Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the items in detail and order today.

  Product List

Stamparatus [148187] $85.00	Stamparatus® Accessories Pack [151050] $41.50	Stamparatus Magnets [148213] $21.00
Stamparatus® Foam Mat [150081] $5.25	Stamparatus® Plates [149700] $26.00	Small Grid Paper [149621] $10.25

Looking for super pretty, super simple ways to use your Stampin' Up! products?

Sometimes it's as easy as a few coordinating colours, a scrap of Designer Series Paper, a pretty border Framelit, some pre-cut bits and pieces out of your "unfinished project bucket" and a card base.

I'd be happy to get that in the mail!

Got any colour coordinated scraps lying around that you can make into a card today?

Colouring with Alcohol Markers

I was absolutely delighted that the self-contained Lots Of Happy Card Kit carried over into our Annual Catalogue this year, along with it's refill kit.

It truly is one of the most gorgeous card kits I have ever seen. And even though it comes with it's own beautiful Watercolour pencils in the kit, I just love, love, love that it can also be coloured with our Stampin' Blends - the alcohol markers.

The kit contains sheets of pre-printed, die-cut images ready for colouring, either with the pencils in the kit, or with your own favourite colouring tools.

I started with the dark Old Olive Stampin' Blend, then moved onto the lighter one. Here's a look at how I colour.

Step 1. Add a touch of the darkest colour into the corners of the image.

Step 2. Blend in the lighter colour to the dark.

Step 3. Keep going until you've coloured the whole sheet - or need to stop for coffee (or wine) . . .

Step 4. Change colours and start doing the flowers and berries! (okay, so maybe don't have wine . . . LOL).

Step 5. Just keep colouring, just keep colouring, just keep colouring!

It's amazing the variety you can create with just 7 of the Stampin' Blends.

Step 6. Get SERIOUS and change the colours up!

Step 7. Stand back and admire your colouring!

Step 8. Now it's time to pop them out of the sheet and assemble a stack of beautiful cards!

 Oh! and don't you just LOVE the lined envelopes and vellum leaves that come with the kit too?

You know you need this kit (and a refill) to start colouring right now, don't you?

 Click on any of the thmbnails below to order today - or come and see me at the kiosk at Chirnside Park Shopping Centre tomorrow to see the finished cards and the Stampin' Blends in person!

Product List

Lots Of Happy Card Kit [146388] $61.00	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144597] $15.50	Lots Of Happy Card Kit Refill [145605] $37.00
Petal Pink Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [147272] $15.50	Calypso Coral Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144045] $15.50	Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144602] $15.50

We'll be at Chirnside from 9am until 5pm so call in and say "hi"!

Kathryn.

Stamping & Cardmaking ideas

Sometimes we forget that we don't have to just stamp on white card and colour in . . .

The Stampin' Up! colours make such gorgeous combinations, why not use blocks of coloured cardstock behind your stamped image?

These projects are Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" cards that fit into footy card swap folders, and I had fun playing around with different combinations to see which one I liked best.

On the right you can see the pretty colour combination I chose. The middle image I have inked the stamp using the Old Olive and Calypso Coral Stampin' Write markers direct to the rubber.

The left hand image is inked in black, then I've done a tiny light-handed touch of watercolour to the flowers and leaves to bring them out from the background.

For the left hand image here I chose a greeting stamp as the main image with the leaf sprig stamped in Mint Macaron behind the scallop circle. The 2nd card has the panel attached at an angle for variety and in these 3 cards I have used a black journalling pen to draw a fine outline around the main panel to lift it off the background piece.

Very small changes but giving you quite different looks.

And how did I do the colour blocks to start with?

I cut 1/2" strips of card stock and adhered them to heavy photocopy paper. I chose photocopy paper instead of Whisper White card just in case I decided to cut some of it out with Framelits - it would be easier with the thinner base layer, even though most Framelits will cut through 2 layers.

I then used my trimmer to trim them down to the size I required for the fronts of my ATC's.

Ready to stamp on and experiment with.

Why not try blocking some colour card behind your stamped images on your next project? And let me know how you go! I'd love to see your finished results too.

Card Making Ideas - Alcohol Markers

When the new range of Stampin' Up! Alcohol Markers - Stampin' Blends - came out in November last year, I couldn't wait to get my hands on them and give them a go.

I have a couple of favourite stamp sets for colouring with them, and one of those is Bella and Friends, the cute little puppy set in our Annual catalogue.

How adorable are these cute little guys?

This is a super simple card - the main item requiring more than a a couple of minutes was the colouring which is so therapeutic! 

You can easily see all the Blend combinations available online in my shop by clicking on the thumbnails below.

 Product List

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144597] $15.50	Bella & Friends Clear-Mount Stamp Sets [141870] $35.00	Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [145058] $15.50
Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144599] $15.50	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144601] $15.50	Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144598] $15.50

Have you tried the Stampin' Blends yet? Why not order a couple of different colours today and have a play with colouring your favourite outline stamped images with them?

These days we give (and receive) lots of gift cards or vouchers rather than physical presents.

In our house we like to top those gift cards up with some stocking filler type gifts too and for me, it seems really important to then go to some effort in packaging these tiny token gifts so the recipient can see that some effort has gone into it.

It's kind of the opposite of tying a bow around a new Masserati . . . and no, I'm not planning on doing that for anyone this Christmas LOL.

The packaging doesn't have to be complicated. These shiny gold striped treat bags from Stampin' Up! are perfect for adding a tag and a bow and creating a very elegant gift. There are 10 bags in a pack and they are food safe if you are into baking Christmas goodies!

The tag(s) in this case are so simple - layered squares of white cream and gold with the initial of the recipients name cut in gold foil card adhered to the top. Easy!

Why not give simple gift packaging a go next time you have a trinket or treat to give someone? 

Product List

Striped Treat Bags [144255] $9.50

Large Letters Framelits Dies [141712] $172.00

Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $7.00