Tram Ride

Hi girls,

For those of you attending the 10hr Stampin’ Crop on June 18th (Or those of you who haven’t decided yet and are thinking about it!), this is the scrapbooking project I am offering with a pre-purchased kit for $10.00 (I have revised my costs down after completing this page and can offer the kit and the mini class for $10 each)

The basics of  Crumb Cake Base and Woodland Walk DSP stay the same, but of course you can change the title, stampin around wheel design, and tailor your choice of chipboard items  to your photos.

There are quite a few floral options within Woodland Walk  for a more girlie page

The techniques I will show you are preparing and sponging the chipboard (my tree) with coordinating ink, and covering the chipboard with DSP (my arrow).

And a really easy way to add a slide out journalling pocket like this one:

A very talented SU demonstrator from New Zealand – the delightful Delys Cram taught us how to create this great journalling pocket at Melbourne Convention recently

 

Remember the kit needs to be preordered – if you’d like to have a go, just choose two photos (two 6×4′s work just as well as the 5×7 and 9.5 square I’ve used) – and give me an idea of theme so that I can cut up the DSP.  You can choose your pieces from the on-board chipboard on the day.

Hopefully I will have time to finish a similar layout with a girlie theme to show you another option before the 18th.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapbooking in Bliss

Today is the first time Kyan (My cheeky 4 year old) spent a full day at school – and after cleaning, cooking, tidying, sorting, filing bills, I sat down at my craft table to play with my new sale-a-bration stamp set “Bliss”. I thought I would make a scrapbook layout featuring some of my favourite pics of Kyan when he was a babe:

I selected my colour combination using the Stampin Up Colour Coach - by simply turning to Marina Mist which I new was my background colour of choice and flipped the card over to pick from the colour combinations suggested on the reverse… In this case I chose Marina Mist, Real Red and Old Olive – why? because they worked well with the colours in my photos… See?

First, I stamped the large background stamp in Marina Mist randomly over a 12×12 textured sheet of cardstock.  I then colour spritzed with my spritzer tool and Old Olive Marker.  I placed each photo on a mat of either Real Red or Old Olive.  I placed them in the middle of my layout.  I added a few of the small flowers from Bliss and then set about creating some embellishments with my three cardstock colours and my Boho Blossoms Punch. Here is a closeup of the blooms I created:

See how sparkly they are? I assembled the blossoms, secured them with a brad, and then sprayed them with Shimmer Mist that I created by mixing Isocol, Frosty White Shimmer Paint and Old Olive re-inker.  I think the finished product is just delicious! I couldnt resist adding the little butterfly that comes in the Bliss Stampset and of course the Bliss sentiment itself.

There is nothing complicated about this layout – simple elements, One single stamp set, two colours of ink and three colours of card stock (more or less!)  I am always surprised how easily layouts come together if you follow the “suggestions” Stampin’ Up! make with their stamp set coordination and of course the colour coach.

I really enjoyed my quick hour of scrapbooking this afternoon, and hope you can manage to steal an hour soon from your busy schedule to create a simple layout of your own

Thanks for stopping by today…

Travel Journal

Hi All,

As promised I am back with a project I created for my Uncle Bobby using the new Sentimental Journey Stamp Set and Travel Journal DSP. This was as simple as quartering the cardboard backing from my packs of DSP and punching holes in them, decorating and fixing with two metal rings to create a binder.

 Once I started using these gorgeous papers, I just couldn’t bear to cover all of them, so I’ve kept my journalling and embellishments to a minimum:

I am so happy with the way this turned out – it was really quite straight forward once all the pages were covered.  I inked all the edges with Night of Navy re-inker and a dauber that also had a little shimmer paint left on it from a previous project.

Another Quick card I’ve made with this same stamp set was for Laurenz’s little friend Navareax’s 6th birthday:

I’ve used the rock and roll technique with the airplane to give it a little more depth (Marina Mist and Pacific Point).  I’ve then colour sprtized in Basic Black all over.

I have a few more examples to show you – perhaps next time?

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping with the Two Step Owl

Morning Girls,

As promised, here is a cute Scrapbook page featuring my favourite photo taken on Kyan’s Birthday on Sunday – me and my gorgeous boys by the pool – yes the pool in October!:

Starting with a 12×12 of Tangerine Tango – my colour inspiration came from the offcut of Greenhouse Gala at the top featuring Early Esspresso, baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz and Tangerine Tango. I have been hanging out to use this Old Olive Polkadot DSP from my Christmas Pack of Jolly Holiday – in something other than a Christmas project!

Isn’t he gorgeous? I think the element that ties this entire page together is the variety of textures that I have created with my Big Shot and embossing folders.

The stamping on this page consists of one stamp – just this one from the Friends Never Fade set – I’ve stamped a broken border around the corners of the 12 x 12 so that it peaks out here and there, and then stamped over the layered DSP here, and trimmed with some vintage buttons from my Mum’s sewing box (thanks Mum!).

I really like  a combination of printed and hand written journalling - so I print the main text on a journalling card, and then be sure to add dates and names along an edge in a coordinating Stampin’ Write marker.

Can I tell you a secret? Browse through the IB&C for scrapbooking  inspiration – I love the process of flipping open to a page featuring a layout that appeals to me and then change it according to my photo and my supplies.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin’ Fun at Perth Regionals

I was so lucky to attend my first Stampin’ Up! regional training day on Saturday and had SO MUCH FUN!  Our complimentary stamp for the day was the “Every Moment” set and at first I was a little dubious – cute but not really my kind of thing… but WOW look at the designs we were given to create with it!

 

I am a convert to this set! We used the masking technique to add some dimension to the row of daisies, and then watercoloured using our Aqua Painter and Daffodil Delight, Soft Suede and Old Olive ink, The ribbon is Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizazz. We added some tearing and colour spritzing just to finish it off.  Isn’t it beautiful?

The next project was a little note card and envelope:

Do you see the little pearl detail on the flower? One of our new jewels available. 

Next up – the gorgeous little favour box:

I LOVE THIS! How sweet is the little birdie in the bullrushes? And again with the colour spritzer!!!

The last project we made was a little 6×6 Scrapbook page:

Isn’t this just simple and sweet? The real red butterfly is one of the new dies available for your bigshot in the new catalogue.  Isn’t the background stamping sublte but effectiveSo are you won over now with this stamp set? I learn’t a really valuable lesson to not judge a book by its “uncoloured” cover as the images in “Every Moment” truly came to life with a little Classic Ink and my Aqua Painter!

Til next time!

Sharing Time!

Hi Girls, 

WOW I have so many things to share with you today. Firstly, I am so happy to say that I have been selected as one of the new Design Team Members over at Just Add Ink! Check out my badge –> 

I’d love to see you all over there – if you’ve never joined in on a JAI challenge this is the perfect opportunity! It is so much fun and the sketch challenge this week is really interesting! Click on my badge to check it out!

I would also like to share a few projects that I recently demonstrated at a workshop (Hi Amanda!).  The first is a really cute pillow box using the Big Shot Die and a Window sheet – both featured in the Autumn Winter Mini: 

      

After first making one pillow box out of the Window sheet, I cut out half of another pillow using Cottage Wall DSP and slipped it in as a printed lining to the pillow.  One end of the pillow is punched using my horizontal slot punch and I’ve fed a little Rich Razzleberry Ribbon through and secured with a styled silver brad.  A contrasting scallop circle out of Cottage Wall is attached with one of my favourite sentiments from the Best Yet Hostess Set.  My hostess (Amanda) at the workshop suggested the great idea of popping a matchbox car in there for a kids party – how cute would that be? The kids could see right through to the surprise inside! 

The next project I demonstrated was a keepsake box featuring a scrapbook layout as the lid: 

         

I used one 12 x 12 textured cardstock in Tempting Turquoise from my Simply Scrappin Kit Hoppy Memories , and another Chocolate Chip 12 x 12 for the base of the box.  Most of the embellishments are from Hoppy Memories and the stamps are from Life’s a Breeze.  All of the sides are wheeled with my Nursery Letters Wheel – and the letters for Kyan’s name are cut using my Bigshot and the Timeless Junior Alphabet dies. I created this box to keep Kyan’s booties, umbilical cord clip, hospital name card etc nice and safe and in one place. 

The girls had a great time with the make and take – I really took it back to basics and love the result:

Stampin’ Pastels, a choice of stamps from the  Fun and Fast Notes set, the fast flowers wheel, and my small heart punch – simple and effective!

 The next thing I would like to share with you is the current special offer from Stampin’ Up! valid for the entire month of July and it’s a beauty! 

  

Stampin’ Up!’s Two-Step Stampin’ sets allow you to quickly and easily take your creativity to the next level. And from 1-31 July, you’ll get 20% off select Two-Step Stampin’ sets from our current catalogues–no limit, no minimum purchase required! Choose from any of the stamp sets listed below:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
116386	39	Loads of Love	$39.95	$31.96
116342	42	Big Bold Birthday**	$53.95	$43.16
115860	78	A Rose Is a Rose**	$66.95	$53.56
116332	86	Playful Petals**	$52.95	$42.36
115770	98	Cheep Talk	$47.95	$38.36
115946	115	Wonderful Favourites	$39.95	$31.96
119187	14*	Tiny Tags (wood-mount)	$38.95	$31.16
118592	14*	Tiny Tags (clear-mount)	$28.95	$23.16
119163	31*	Cottage Garden (wood-mount	$32.95	$26.36
120003	31*	Cottage Garden (clear-mount)	$24.95	$19.96

*From 2010 Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue **Retiring stamp sets! 

 There are a few of my absolute favourites in there! If you would like to get your hands on any of these stampsets, give me a call on 0400 220 177 or drop me an email stampingelegance@live.com 

If you would like to book a workshop during July where I can demo some of these great sets on special get in quick before I head off to sunny Coral Bay at the end of July! 

Now another thing I would like to share with you is that I am now available for Stamping Elegance Craft Parties:

 - just check out the Craft Birthday Parties Page on my Blog or facebook for details.

I think that is enough for one post don’t you??? Come back tomorrow I’ll have some more projects to share with you!

Enthusiastic New Stampers!

I just have to share with you my JOY when I hold a workshop and unearth an enthusiastic stamper (or two) who have never been introduced to SU products (this their first time) and just can’t believe their eyes!

I had one such workshop this morning, and want to say “a big thanks” to my stunner of a hostess Kylie (or Linksy as some of us are coming to know her ), for introducing me to such a great bunch of girls! I am looking forward to seeing some of them again at Kim’s workshop in June!

So what projects did we make that created such enthusiasm you may be wondering?

Firstly I showed the girls a cute Lolly Box using my fave birthday set Party Hearty:

And my large tag punch creates are great name tag if you are using them as the lolly bag for a birthday party..

And a then demonstrated a Birthday Card using the same colours and stampset:

I’ve started with a card base of Kiwi Kiss, added some Pacific Point DSP, and stamped my cupcake from Party Hearty, first in Pacific Point and then in Riding Hood Red, Cutting out the Red icing and popping it up on dimensionals.  My candles are also cut out and arranged on dimensionals in the shape of my chosen number (7 works really well but I dare you to try a 3 or 8!)…

I have used my trusty FREE sale-a-bration stamp set Vintage Labels for the Happy Birthday Scalloped Circle (4 of the girls at the WS earned their FREE SAB set by spending $100 or more)…

The ribbon for my bow is Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon and I have tied it on to a white paperclip.

Cute for boys or girls eh?

For my next project I made a sweet card using Raspberry Tart DSP patterned paper and the Large Bloom for the Embrace Life stampset.  I’ve repeat stamped first using Kiwi Kiss and then Riding Hood Red.  I love the effect this makes! I also showed the girls the scoring technique cased over at www.SarahKlass.com on a white strip of card and then sponged it with Kiwi Kiss, allowing the ink to pick up and highlight the scored lines.  Again my label is from SAB Vintage Labels and the sentiment is from the great Hostess level 1 set Best Yet

And for the make and take project:

I just love this colour combo of Kraft, Baja Breeze and Close to Cocoa Card.  I snuck a little Kaleidescope DSP in there and finished the look with Baja Breeze Striped Grograin.

And of course following my theory that it should look even better as a scrapbook Layout:

This sweet little 8×8 layout was one of the many hostess gifts I left with Kylie for “inspiration” while she plays with her new SU products.

If you’d like to know more about the hostess benefits available when you hold a workshop, drop me an email at stampingelegance@live.com OR call me on 0400220177.

Have a great weekend- and if you are one of the enthusiastic new stampers I met today – THANKS!

Jan x

My Neighbourhood Workshop and Other Projects

Well as promised this is a wee bit of a lengthy blog, but I have so much to show you!!! 

Firstly I want to share a Sympathy/Well wishes card that I made for my dear Cousin in law and her family as they face sad news regarding the health of Tom, Dad, husband and Grandad – the Radu’s wish them all the best and I sent this card to each family yesterday:

 

Recipe

Bashful Blue and So Saffron Card, Bordering Blue DSP (Hostess Level 1 Set), and Happy Moments, Vintage Labels (Both SAB Stampsets), as well as the Best Yet sentiment (Level 1 Hostess Set).

I wanted a really simple card with a heartfelt message, I think the window through to the flower bouquet from Happy Moments SAB works really well. 

Here is a closeup of the label:

Ive stamped in White Craft Ink onto the So Saffron (no embossing this time), and placed the sentiment over the top in Black ink.

I am really happy with the way these cards turned out…

The next projects I’d like to share are from a really fun workshop I had last week – we had a bit of an Easter Theme for the make and take, and I coudn’t resist showing off my Sale-a-bration Good Neighbours stamp set which I demonstrated with a few projects – but first the hostess gift…

The hostess thank you gift was an Easter themed card, with a sweet treat cup, that I filled with photo corners and hodgepodge hardware, as well as some ribbon cutoffs, for my hostess to use on her own projects…

I suggested that, as I had left the card blank inside and used a general sentiment (“For You” from the SAB Vintage Labels  stampset), that she could refill the sweet treat cup with mini eggs or lollies and pass it on to someone special for Easter.

And now for my Good Neighbours Card:

And my 8 x 8 Scrapbook Layout for the Hostess – my friend Jo:

Laurenz and I took Jo and Ellie to breakfast for her birthday at Waldecks in Landsdale, where the kids had a great play on the playground while us Mum’s chatted… and at the end of the moring, Ellie and her white dress was still spotless, but LAURENZ – well he was covered in black mulch from head to toe, and as we had to visit Kingsway across the road for a few things before we headed home, i tried my hardest to pretend he belonged to Jo!!!!

You like? I have a theory ~if it looks great as a card it should look even better as the basis for a Scrapbook layout – this is a theory I plan on testing for my workshops – I really love these colours together – and as I gave this page to my hostess, I had to try and recreate it with a twist for my own album…

I have always really liked the idea of preserving the first pictures of our family home once the gardens were finished in 2004, and thought the Good Neighbours stampset was the perfect backdrop:

Recipe

Elegant Eggplant 12×12 Card, Kaleidescope DSP, Sage Shadow Card.

I have used my Schoolbook Serif Alphabet Stamps for the Title (our street name), in Elegant Eggplant Ink, and Used Versamark with the SAB Round Vintage Label on the Sage Shadow Card, then punched with my Scallop Circle Punch.  Doesn’t the sentiment from Best Yet Hostess Set Level 1 just sum up how you feel when you move into a new house? “the Best is yet To Be”

I love creating neighbourhoods with this SAB Good Neighbours stamp set, and I have added a little chimney smoke with some lilac half pearls:

All I can say is gone are the days when I only scrap in blue for my two boys! Yay for Me!

And finally I’d like to share the Make and Take Easter Card the girls made at the weekend’s workshop:

Cute eh? Baja Breeze card, yet another side of Kaleidescaope DSP (Summer Mini), Certainly Celeray Card with Scallop Border edge, Basic Grey Mat and Egg Hunt stampin’ around wheel with certainly celery ink.  A wee tab of White Grosgrain to finish things off! Oh and of course my favourite Oval Vintage Label with Happy Easter Sentiment from my A Good Egg stamp set.

Well I hope you liked everything you’ve seen today – remember that the SAB sets and the Summer Mini items like the kaleidescope paper are only available until the end of March – so be sure to give me a call if there is anything you would like to get your hands on!

Cheers and have a great long weekend!

Jan xxx

A Good Egg Results In Latest Scrapbook LO

Hi Girls!

Today I have a Scrapbook layout to share with you! I’ve been busy playing around with projects for an upcoming Easter Workshop and really wanted to show some of the girls attending, just how versatile stamping can be for Scrapbook Layouts! I think it probably suits well with my style of clean and simple – here is what I came up with:

I started with a 12 x 12 of Baja Breeze, and added a large strip of my Kaleidescope DSP from the Summer Mini – This Baja / Certainly Celery just screamed to be used with this stamp set!

My Egg Hunt wheel had a quick roll or two down the left in Pacific Point, which I tied in again as the Mats stamped images, for my photo corners (punch) and again as a background for my Square Clear Button.  Oh and I stamped the circular Vintage LabelsFrame in Pacific Point (One of the sale-a-bration sets).

I have been keen to use a stepped image of the little chick “hatching” out to say “You Crack Me Up” – I think it turned out nicely! Here is a closeup of the little fella:

Isn’t he cute? He is from the stamp set A Good Egg – his shell is two step stamping – first with the complete circle in baja Breeze then over the top with the hollow circles in Pacific Point.  I watercoloured my little hatchling  with my Aqua Painter in Certainly Celery and coloured his beak in More Mustard with my Stampin’ Write Marker. I LOVE HIM!

My Vintage Labels SAB set had another workout with an Oval Frame for my sentiment “You Crack Me Up!”  And my second GORGEOUS Sale-a-Bration sets Whimsical Words is responsible for these lovely words Always, Wonder, Heart, and Kind which I coloured with my Black Stampin’ Write Marker (just marking the words I liked and leaving out the rest).

Add a little journalling with my White Gel Pen and it’s finished!

I think all the elements go together really nicely for this page, and it gave me the chance to have fun with quite a few techniques!  Hope you like it, and remember that you can easily earn one of these FREE sale-a-bration stamp sets that I have used for this project by Hosting a Workshop in Feb or March – give me a call or drop me an email o stampingelegance@live.com if you’d like to know more!

Seeya soon!

Jan x

I feel like the luckiest woman in the world!

On Wednesday, my Husband informed me that he was tired of asking me to pack my craft things away from my table (in our theatre room) so that he could watch movies – and followed this with the exciting questions of “why don’t we convert the front entry/study area into a craft room for you?” and then “What would you need?”

Oh My God! Three and a half hours at Ikea, a trip to the paint shop and 3 days later, and this is what we came up with:

Can anyone recognise the paint colour? Yes I had the gorgeous girl at Bunnings whip up a “Baja Breeze” inspired colour for me – isn’t it lovely?

             

This is a really calm and inspiring space now, and I finally have a room in which I can surround myself with all my favourite things – my big task is to convince my 3 and 5 yolds to keep their hands off my candles, vases, boxes and books that have never been so close to the floor before!!!

I want to create most of the artwork in my craft room myself and set about the first project today – a scrapbook layout that would provide the centrepiece to my display wall:

This is one of my favourite photos of Me with Laurenz and Kyan – it was taken in September last year (2009) when we christened our new pool on the first 25 degree day since it’s completion – can you tell the water was freezing? My legs were numb and the kids were trying desperately to keep their feet out of the water!!!

The supplies used are mostly Stampin’ Up! with the exception of a few buttons and cutting templates:

Card – Parisian Breeze Specialty DSP, Not Quite Navy, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel

Ink – Versa Mark, Not Quite Navy

Stamp Sets – School Book Serif, Garden Wmimsy

Accessories – HodgePodge Hardware, Choc Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Hemp Twine

Punches – Full Heart, Large Oval

So now you have seen a wee slice of my stamping space, why not book a spot at my craft table for a Valentines Stamp-a-Stack in February ( we will be making cards for other occasions too), or one of the Upcoming Easter Classes? All Supplies are included in the class price so you just need to bring yourself!

Email me at stampingelegance@live.com or call 0400200177 to learn more or book your place!

I will be back over the next few days, with details of a great promotion coming up from Stampin’ UP!

Be sure to check back soon!