Very excited to receive the gorgeous creations using Summer Mini Catalogue stamp sets and accessories from my very talented fellow demonstrators, and knowing that they should all have their swaps by now, I thought it was a good time to share with you the OTHER Easter Blossoms card I made.

This one, is much more closely inspired by the old Blue Willow ware dinner sets you see around, and I have cross-hatched the tile pattern into the whisper white card stock using my bone folder before stamping, to take you back to those lovely old fashioned kitchen tiles reminiscent of a French Provincial farmhouse. Hope you like it!

 Again, I have used the Easter Blossoms stamp set from the Summer mini catalogue, and the colours are predominantly Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy and Pacific Point. I have also used the Woodgrain background and a greeting from "Ovals All" stamp set.

Love those colours together, and am really pleased with how the faux tile pattern worked out, with the creased lines resisting the colour of the stamped image.

Oh, and just for something you've never heard from me before (... yeah right, ha ha ha...) don't you just adore how ALL the SU! products co-ordinate so well to give you beautiful nested greetings and embellishments on your cards - just look at that lovely label!!!

And that reminds me, I must order some new Daffodil Delight Striped Grosgrain ribbon, and use that stunning Scallop Trim Border punch more often too!  Thank you my very good stamping friend Sue Madex for co-ordinating and managing this swap at such a busy, busy time of the year!

I had orders from two of my lovely customers today, and it reminded me that there are some fantastic specials on at Stampin' Up! at the moment . . . that's what happens when you move house - you forget the truly important things, like discounted Stampin' Write Markers!

How could I forget that???  So I thought I'd better do a quick post to share some of the details, or at least point you in the right direction!

How are these for specials?!? If you've never bought Silver Hodgepodge, now's your time to add some really special touches to your scrapbook pages and cards.  And those markers are amongst my favourite colours, I might have to stock up for some little stocking fillers!

All the details are on my SU website click here where you can download a flyer and also have a look at the Summer Mini Catalogue which is also now active.  Very exciting times in the frenzied month of December, and not too late to pick out a Christmas present or two - or maybe point out to someone else what's on YOUR wish-list!

Well, the Summer Mini Catalogue is here, and as always with a new catalogue, it's like Christmas seeing all the lovely new things, and picturing who you can make a card for using this or that.

As I was reading through it, I wondered about the new Easter stamp set.  I am not big into buying Easter Stamp sets, we don't send that many Easter Cards here in Australia, but as I was looking at this one, it conjured up images of Wedgewood and Willoware and I could see old fashioned blue and white kitchen tiles. 

Some of the designs from our childhood are so great to reflect back on, and it's amazing what a lasting impression they leave on you, as to what you like and dislike. The images in the stamp set also reminded me of how my mum always wanted a blue and yellow kitchen, and though I wasn't going to buy the stamp set for myself, suddenly I was thinking, my mum is going to LOVE this stamp set.

Then, when my wider team of Stampin' Up! demonstrators suggested a new mini catalogue swap (where we each select a stamp set and make a pile of cards to swap with the others - so that we have sample cards for lots of things in the catalogue but don't have to buy the whole lot), I thought Easter Blossoms would be good one to use, as not many others will have purchased it yet either.

I couldn't get the tiles and fine china out of my head, so I went with a faux tile technique card, that's also very Willoware, but I can't show you that yet, as the swaps haven't come back to all the ladies yet, and I'd hate to ruin the surprise! But, once I had finished the pile of swaps, I thought how far away my design had drifted from my original thought of gorgeous Wedgewood blue and white, so I decided to make one more card, and I can show you that one - it also incorporates the colours of my mum's dream kitchen - I think I had better buy a pack of Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight card stock to give to her, when I give her the stamp set!

I just love how the Whisper White Craft Ink comes up on the coloured card.  The other new product I have used from the Summer Mini is the delightful Pinking Hearts Border Punch. It is such a gorgeous border - so formal, and yet so sweet!

I have now used up a complete sample of 1 & 1/4" Daffodil Delight Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, which I didn't think I would, so it definitely has to go onto my wish list for next time I am topping up supplies - I have surprised myself at how easy it is to use this extra wide ribbon to give a luxurious finish to a card.

My upline Claire Daly suggested, wouldn't it be cute to attach punched out flowers over the little girls basket of eggs, and I think she is really onto something there - wouldn't that be CUTE ?!?!?!

Well, that's your sneak peak at the Summer Mini Catalogue for this week, I promise that when all the ladies get their swaps back, you'll also get to see the OTHER card with the Faux Tile Technique on it, then we'll have to see if we can make Easter Cards a much more popular trend!!