Just Add Ink Challenge #22 Party Hearty

Hi chickens,

Head over to Just Add Ink Colour Challenge #22 for a really fun colour combo this week care of the lovely Bronwyn Eastly…

• Rich Razzleberry
• Tempting Turquoise
• Kiwi Kiss
• Whisper White

These colours are perfect for Sweet Ruby who turns 3 tomorrow – I had fun using  my Party Hearty stamp set for this card:

My Kiwi Kiss tiny polkadot DSP is from Cottage Wall (so sweet!) and the Tempting Turquoise DSP and Kiwi Scalloped Circle sticker are both from my Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin’ Kit – I find this kit Sooooo useful – love it! I’ve stamped my cupcake first in RR and then again on a separate piece of white card and cut out the Kiwi Kiss frosting – popping it up on a dimensional for added embellishment. My number three in its inverted commas was cut using the timeless Junior Alphabet Die set and my Big Shot.  I am addicted to using my small heart on everything at the moment!

Now head straight over to JAI and leave the design team some comment love!

Have a great day girls!

Jan xxx

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

I’ve Discovered Doodling and I’m in Love! JAI #7

We had a bit of a foiled camping weekend that ended up with Laurenz and I spending nearly 4 delightful hours at the Swan Emergency Dept. having a “laceration to his head” cleaned and glued! I got to say a big “I TOLD YOU SO” as I had indeed told him not to run into the Jayco until it was fully erected BUT NO apparently he knew better than me and scraped his noggin on an exposed bracket! Poor wee soul!

So the Card Making Magazine I had planned to sit by Lake Leschnaultia with, was read at home with a glass of vino instead!

Anywho what does all this have to do with my Just Add Ink Project for Colour Challenge #7? As I devoured my magazine (I don’t splurge on these very often at $9.95 a bundle), I couldn’t get past a gorgeous layout with a group of cards featuring doodling as accents – and I JUST HAD TO TRY IT!

 So I pulled out all the necessary colours for this weeks colour challenge at one of my favourite Challenge Blogs- Just Add Ink and grabbed my Happy Moments sale-a-bration FREE stampset, and got to colouring with my Stampin’ Pastels and Blender Pens. 

Then I grabbed my Stampin’ Write marker in Basic Black and got to doodling! First I doodled frames around my stamped images, then coloured in bits and pieces and added rows of dots here and there with my basic black stampin’ write marker and white gel pen. 

     

Then I punched a few Whisper White hearts with my Full Heart Punch and had a few failed attempts at creating some doodled accents – before I came up with the final ones shown here…

I had seen another article about cutting out your images freehand instead of nice neat squares or rectangles so I had a go at that too and I think it resulted in quite a quirky look…

Everything you see on these cards except for stamped present and bouquet from Happy Moments has been doodles, coloured by hand and cut out – including the little flower accents and all borders and frames.

Why not have a go at this technique yourself the next time you sit down to create? And while you are at it, stop over at Just Add Ink and have a look at the other gorgeous subsmissions – so much talent – so little time to create!!!

Have Fun!

Jan x

Happy Moments – Just Add Ink Sketch Challenge #6

Gotta play along with the fantastic sketch challenge over at Just Add Ink This Week

I created this card for my beloved boss Joan, who had her 64th Birthday last Friday:

I grabbed the fab idea of white embossing the gifts from over at Sarah Klass’s wonderful blog and coloured them in a little with my Stampin’ Pastels and Blenda Pens Using Blush Blossom and Mellow Moss.  The card I have used is Kraft as a base, then Blush Blossom followed by Kiwi Kiss DSP from the Raspberry Tart Collection – Blends beautifully doesn’t it?  I’ve added another easy tie bow with buttons (thanks to the tute over at JAI – see my previous post for link).

My Pressies are stamped on Blush Blossom too. 

I’ve only just broken out the first ever Soft Subtle Pack so experimenting with these beautiful and soft colours is SOOOO MUCHHH   FUUUNNN!

Doesn’t my happy birthday punchy from the FREE SAB Vintage Labels set look great as the final accent?

Be sure to head on over to Just Add Ink, view the gorgeous design team creations and send some comment love eh?

Jan x

A Cupcake Happy Birthday

Hey Girls!

I’ve played along with Karen Giron’s Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 58 today for my friend’s little one’s 4th birthday..

Here is the sketch:

and Lachlan’s card:

I began with Brilliant Blue Cardstock, Tangerine Tango and Whisper White.  I punched scallop circles in each colour and created a base for my three cupcakes, stacking them up on dimensionals.  My cupcakes are from Party Hearty – stamped in Kiwi Kiss and Pacific Point.  The four candles are stamped in Only Orange.  Each cupcake is cut out and popped up on even more dimensionals for some serious height!

My ribbon is Riding Hood Red Taffeta (so versatile!), and I’ve trimmed my bow with a clear button tied on with Hemp twine.  Try out this tutorial over at Just Add Ink for this cute easy bow with button

My really sweet Happy Birthday sentiment is from the FREE sale-a-bration set Happy Moments and I have punched it out with my word window punch and popped it onto dimensionals.

I just don’t use this stamp set enough – I love the way this card turned out – clean and simple. 

Now scoot on over to Karen’s blog and check out her gorgeous design and the other great challenge entries! click “here”

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

Hoppy Birthday Billy! Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #56

My sweet wee neighbour Billy is turning 2 on Sunday – unbelievable! I wanted to make a really special card for him (well it’s really more for my pleasure of creating- but hey any excuse!)  I didn’t actually plan on participating in any challenges this week but after checking out Karen Giron’s - I just couldn’t resist – it was perfect!

Here is the sketch challenge:

And here is my entry:

I’ve used my Stampin’ Up! Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin’ set for a majority of this project – It really is fantastic value when you consider all the products included like Textured 12 x 12 Card, Adhesive Die Cuts etc.  All I have added here that wasn’t included in the set is:

Hodgepodge Hardware Sentiment Frame

Happy Birthday stamp from Vintage Labels SAB FREE stamp set

Tempting Turquoise Stampin’ Pad

Tempting Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon

Chocolate Chip Card and Whisper White Card

Here is a closeup of the SAB sentiment stamp in my Hodgepodge frame:

Be sure to check out the other entries in the challenge – there are some absolute stunners this week!

Happy Crafting!

 

Jan xxx

SAB Good Neighbours

As promised, here is my latest Card using the Sale -a-bration stamp sets Good Neighbours AND Vintage Labels

I am still playing with the Silhouette Colour Theme from the 2009-2010 idea book and catalogue:

• Basic Grey
• Baja Breeze
• Whisper White
• Kiwi Kiss
• and added some Chocolate Chip (Just because I can!)

I just can’t get enough of how good the Scallop Circle label looks (combined with the Scallop Circle Punch)- and it fits a range of sentiments beautifully – this “For You” comes with the Vintage Labels set…

I’ve actually stamped this neighbourhood without my stamp-amajig – not too shabby! And doesn’t everyone have a bunch of paperclips around the house? Or is it just people like me with a longterm addiction to stationary?  I grabbed these little white ones from Officeworks and love the embellishment feature they create.

Don’t be afraid to improvise with items that aren’t necessary for papercraft – I’m talking paperclips, other fasteners, staplers, hole punchers…You name it and I’m happy to try it!

As from my hedgehog thanks card, I’ve used another precious piece of my Parisian Breeze – it is rapidly disappearing but it’s ok – I have my eye on the Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP – so look out for that making an appearance soon!

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great week eh? Oh and Happy Valentines Day!

Jan xxx

Hedgehog thanks!

Hi Girls!

I needed to send a thank you card to my Uncle Bobby in Scotland, and thought this little combo would do just nicely…

Don’t ya just love this little hedgehog? He is from the very useful Fun and Fast Notes – I chose not to use the sentiment section and let the little fella speak for himself…

I’ve coloured him in with my Stampin’ markers (Chocolate Chip and More Mustard), and stamped him on Whisper White.  The DSP is Basic Grey Patterns from the Hostess Level 1 Paper Pack. 

My main card is Basic Grey and the Baja Breeze patterned paper is Parisian Breeze Specialty DSP (sadly now unavailable . 

I have used my new favourite Vintage Labels FREE SAB (yes free!) to stamp the lovely Scallop Circle Frame in Baja Breeze, and the sentiment is from the Hostess Level 1 set Best Yet. I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip to match my wee hedgehog.

I really liked this effect of a slightly larger mat than normal – and the rounded corners just finished it off.  I’ve tied my bow with Grosgrain 5/8′s ribbon in Whisper White.  Sweet as!

Oh and think twice before you throw away the offcut strip once you have punched with the Scallop Edge Punch – I’ve added it at the bottom of my card for some extra interest. 

Stay tuned – I will be back soon with a card using my sale-a-bration Good Neighbours stamp set – just putting the finishing touches on now!

Jan xxx

Headline News! Just Add Ink’s Challenge #3 results in Jan’s Favourite Card Creation Eva!

Yep – you heard it first here folks! I’ve just finished making what I think is my favourite card creation to date – now that may all change tomorrow – but for now I am pretty happy with this one!

Today I have a rare day to myself in the house, and thought I’d kick it off by playing along with Challenge Number #3 on Just Add Ink…

Check out the challenge sketch HERE and this is my design entry:

I like to give myself little colour challenges too – this colour combo is inspired by the Silhouettes range from Stampin’ Up – and I LOVE IT! Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Not Quite Navy with of course Whisper White…

I have used my two sale-a-bration stamp sets that I received FREE yes FREE just by ordering over $100 worth of products (twice of course!) and aren’t they gorgeous? Good Neighbours is made up of a gorgeous range of houses, roofs and trees – not to mention the wee cloud stamp peeking in the background, and the round frame  and sentiment is from Vintage Labels.

If you would like to get your hands on these little beauties for free too, drag out your wish list and place an order of $100 or more during sale-a-bration and you can choose one of these FREE stamp sets too!

Oh Yeah back to the challenge! Thanks to the design team at Just Add Ink for their inspiration today – make sure you hop on over THERE and check out the other entrants – if last week is anything to go by the talent is unbelievable!

Cheers Girls,

Jan x (and NO I am not doing housework on my free day at home!!! STAMPING STAMPING STAMPING!!!! Yay for me!