Blended Bloom

I really um'ed and ar'ed over showing these cards.  Because due to my best efforts I just couldn't get these to photograph well.  I've over photo-shopped and manipulated but still not able to show these the way they were.

Oh well, in the same of sharing, I'll give it a go!

These cards use the Blended Bloom stamp set - the perfect stamp for colouring images.  Unfortunately the Blendabilities are now discontinued but you can use lots of other colouring methods.  I'm going back to my Copic markers!

My first car uses the Coastal Cabana and Daffodil Delight colour range of the Blendabilities.

This card featured Calypso Coral as its colour palette.  I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the centre and a little butterfly cut from Silver Glimmer CS.

 

Best Day Ever!

So I'm on a roll of sharing cards. LOL!!  So I should tell you this is a card I made for a friend's birthday in February!! And yes, I did send this card in time!

This card was inspired by a technique I saw on Pinterest, using the die-cut rose image from the Artisan Embellishment Kit and using it as a stencil!

I used Melon Mambo ink and sponged all over the die cut using it as a stencil.  The area needing stamping was bigger than the stencil, so I just moved it around, overlapping if needed.\

To the bottom of the card, I used a strip of Basic Black CS that I had embossed with a Diagonal striped Embossing folder.  I used some silver glittery washi tape to tie it all together.

I made a tag from Whisper White CS, using the Best Day ever stamp set (from Sale-a-Bration) and a little Bunting banner from the Celebrate Today stamp set.  So cute.

I added some ribbon and white Bakers thread, and the the card was done.  What a clever idea to use the die cut as a stencil.  Wished it was my idea!!

Butterfly Set

So, I had to wanted to make a card and a gift bag for a lovely friend of mine.  And the Butterfly Basics seems to be a favourite set of mine at the moment!  I wanted to mix up the colours though, so this inspired me to use a new colour palette!

I used Smokey Slate CS as my card base and the beautiful butterfly cut from Pink Pirouette CS.

I added a paper flower (from last year's Artisan Embellishment Kit) and a few silver sequins.  I then added a half circle of DSP, a doily and background stamping in Crumb Cake ink and a sentiment stamped in Black ink.

I used the same theme for my white gift-bag that was screaming out for attention and dressing up!

This time I used the large die cut Butterfly on a full circle of DSP and coordinating doily. It was a beautiful set when put together!

xx

The retiring list is here

The Retiring List!

Stampin' Up! have just released their Retired List - 2015. Yes it's a little earlier than expected, but the good news ... is because our catalogues are going to be in line with the US market. Hooray! 

 The current Annual Catalogue will retire on 2 June 2015, not 30 June 2015 as the cover indicates.

There are so many savings to take advantage of. Up to 50% off on some items and 30% off the entire MDS range which will be retiring at the end of May.

Remember everything is while stocks last. I recommend getting in quick!

Click these links to download the lists.

Retired List - 2015

MDS Retired List - 2015

Watch this video for your favourite product inspiration:

Lacy Butterfly

So I've been sharing a few cards that have used the Butterfly Basics stamp set.  So now it's time to share a card using the Butterfly stamp from this set.  I call it the Lacy Butterfly!

I've cut into the gorgeous Painted Blooms DSP (also from the Occasions catalogue) and used the Rose Red as my colour for the card!

I've stamped my butterfly and sentiment in Rose Red and used the coordinating framelit to cut the butterfly.  Love that!

 I've added some background interest with Bermuda Bay and Sahara Sand.  Added some twine and a few gorgeous coloured sequins.  I loved this card!

I really loved this card!  xx

Butterfly Basics

Well I just adore the Butterfly Basics stamp set featured in the new Occasions catalogue and the matching Thinlits, Ooh La La as my son Matthew would say!

So I decided to use the flower image based on a design I had seen on Pinterest (I think)!

I used the Modern Mosaic embossing folder to emboss the front of the card and used a Circle Framelit to cut a section away.

The cut out section revealed the floral image I had stamped and coloured using the Calypso Coral blendabilities (now discontinued).

I added a birthday sentiment from the Butterfly Basics stamp set, a little twine bow and a scattering of rhinestones.  This card is really elegant and so special, well I thought so anyway!!

Stamps: Butterfly Basics
Inks: Tuxedo Black and Sahara Sand
Accessories: Modern Mosaics Embossing Folder, twine, rhinestones & Blendabilities

xx

A Happy Thing

So I know Sale-a-Bration has finished for the year (how did that time go so quick!!) but I really wanted to share this card I made using the 'A Happy Thing' stamp set.  I love this bird and think it is so Australian!!

I used a variety of stamps for this card, including the Hardwood stamp for the background and the new Butterfly Basics for the leaves.

I added a doily for the background and used my Blendabilities (now discontinued) to colour the bird!!

I also thought it would be a lovely thing to stamp the hardwood stamp onto Soft Sky as a card base.  Just to add a little colour and interest.  Add some rhinestones and the card was done!

xx

A Baby Shower

Well, it would seem that as life moves on and my own babies are growing up, I'm not making many baby cards as I used to.

So when I get the opportunity to make a baby card, I ADORE it!!  I've also been invited to a few baby showers here and there, so I had a lot of fun making this card!

 

 I LOVE this card!  I used a long-retired stamp set: Rain or Shine which had gorgeous little umbrellas and shower sentiments.  In this case - Baby Shower!

 I used a combination of blue coloured inks - and coordinating cardstocks - to make this card.  The stamping of the little hearts was created to give a bokeh effect.  I love bokeh!!

The little hearts was also from another retired set: So Happy for you.  But I know Stampin' Up! has lots of stamp sets with hearts, that was just the set in easiest reach!!

I also pierced the edge of the Whisper White CS front to give the card a little something extra.

And yep, I knew this card was for a baby boy.  So I chose blues as my theme!

xx

More Feathers

Just popping in to share another card I made with the Four Feathers stamp set and it's coordinating framelit dies.  Makes card making so easy!!

 

Again, I embossed my feathers in gold.  Such a luxurious look that it creates and accented with a few gold sequins.

I used a cardbase of Crumb Cake CS and a front of Whisper White.  And splotches of Pear Pizzazz and Sky Blue.  A birthday sentiment added that elegant touch!!

Four Feathers

So, I bet you didn't know but I love stamps of feathers.  Actually not a fan of feathers themselves but love the stamped image.  Weird I know.  So I thought I might share some of the cards I have made using the Four Feathers stamp set and the coordinating framelits.  And the best thing, these were featured in the Holiday Catalogue last year but they are STILL available!!

I used lots of gold for this card.  I stamped and embossed the gold feathers and gold splodges.  I also added some gold sequins.  Love!!

I diecut the 'Happy' from Basic Black cardstock and stamped the word Birthday in gold (and embossed of course) onto a strip of Pool Party.  Such a beautiful colour combination!!

Add a bow and this card was done!

xx

Birthday Batman

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Batman.  Holy smokes its a Batman card!!  And so completes my 'week' of boy themed cards!!

I actually used the Batman card as a birthday card for my son Matthew as well as making a couple to have on standby!  When you're using the Cricut (or other electronic paper cutter) you might as well make a few of them!!

This card was a really fun card to make.  I used my Cricut to cut the Batman image (from a digital cut file) and my Oval Famelits to cut the background of Daffodil Delight (yellow) & Basic Black Cs.

I used a variety of blue-coloured card bases, added a white embossed background and a strip of contrast and the card was almost done.

 All it needed was a birthday sentiment, and I always use a basic one for boys.

And Holy Smokes, Batman.  The card was done!!

xx

Another Angry Bird card

So making Angry Bird cards is nothing new, they are fantastic standby card for young boys.  And when you have a spate of birthdays for young boys - they are my turn-to card!!

Anyway, I needed some cards and I needed them in a hurry.  My son Matthew was invited to a heap of seven/eight year old birthday parties and I left them all to the night before to make, ugh!!

And as you can see, you can make these cards real quick!! I used my punches and circle framelits for these guys.  The beak is a folded square!

 

I love how you can mix these cards up and give them a bit of personality, just by changing their eye brows and pupils.  So cool.

Anyway, my son Matthew thought these cards were super cool (he doesn't need to know how simple they were!!) and trust me, when you're making this design, you might as well make a few of them at the one sitting!!

For other Angry Bird card inspiration, try my other card designs:

Piggies

Angry Bird on Sling Shots 

 

xx

Controller card!

So yesterday I shared my first  male-themed card, so here's another one for inspiration!

This card features a card front/stamped image coloured in by a lovely friend of mine.  I'm not sure what stamp this was from, or if it was just a digi-image - but another card perfect for teenage boys.

This time, I used some DSP (my friend's son who received this card loves purple!!), a card base of Crumb Cake CS which I had embossed with diagonal stripes and some photo corners punched from Basic Black CS.

Again, a basic Happy Birthday sentiment keeps the card nice and simple, and no way at all fussy for the boys!  Especially teenage ones, where you cannot be cutesy!!

This card was coloured in with a mix of Copic markers and Stampin' Up! blendabilities which unfortunately are no longer available.  But if you love colouring, google or search pinterest - heaps of digi-images!!

xx

Bonus Bundles!

Bonus Bundles!

What's better than finding coordinating products? That's right-getting coordinating products at a discount! We're offering five bonus bundles at 15 percent off retail, only available 1 April-17 April 2015. You will love these hand-selected products, and it's undeniable that they simply belong together. Plus, they're perfect for making creativity easy and fun, but hurry!

These amazing bundles won't be around forever.

You can download the flyer with all the bundles here.

Cards for the Boys

So it's Easter Monday, and I'm going to try and catch up on sharing my projects!!  Going through this blog, I see I've been a bit slack at sharing.  A time thing really, I'm making the cards but not finding the time to share.

So let's see how I go this week, making and sharing.  Think I'll make this week about the boys!  Starting with a card perfect for teenage or pre-teenage boys!

I found a digital cut file for the 'HUH'.  So apt don't you think.  I think this will be a standby design now that I have an eleven year old son, with friends all turning twelve and so on!!

I used boy-friendly colours: Real Red, Crumb Cake and Basic Black.  Very safe, don't you think!

Add some Washi tape, staples and a birthday sentiment.  Yep the card was done.  And my nephew who received this card thought it was hilarious!!

Hope this card inspires easy, not-fussy, male themed cards!

xx

Happy Easter

Happy Easter.  Just popping in to say hello, wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter!

Just a quick little project to share, that I made a few weeks ago at our last Avid Inkers meet up.  A really sweet project and perfect for making lots of!!

 

I love the little daffodil we made with the Petite Petals punch and coordinating sunset.  So cute!!

To make a little Easter Egg pouch, you can find lots of ideas and inspiration at Pinterest.

Happy Easter xx