.  .with a touch of white and Kraft too.  I’m not normally a ‘winter-scene-on-your-christmas-card’ type of person.  It’s the middle of Summer in Australia at Christmas (and those of you that live here know that ), where  is the sense in having glistening trees, snowflakes and Robin Red Breast adorning your Christmas cards? I mean, really? Other than the fact that they look so darn festive.  The “Winter Post” set that I have used for these cards really tickled my fancy more so because of their ‘arty/old fashioned’ style rather than their “It’s-a-chilly-ice-skating-christmas” theme. So what do you think?

This was another card that we did at a recent Stamp a Stack and the girls loved it! Especially the curly label punch “Merry Christmas” . I’ve kept with the glistening snow theme and used some Dazzling Diamonds to glitz it up ~ except you can’t see it in this photo (trust me, it’s there . .and in my hair and on the dog and in the carpet and in my eyebrows ~ you get the idea!).  And here’s the another interpretation of the same theme – this time featuring Rudolph (or is it Dancer, Prancer or Blitzen?)

You can just see it in this photo, but there is significantly more glitter on this card than the previous one and the “Season’s Greetings” was white embossed to make it ‘pop’.  I think I’m lovin’ a wintery christmas theme!

Off to stamp some more ~ till next time,

Michelle

This is a card that I made for a friend for her 8th birthday.  We had a lovely day at Build-a-bear and then  ice-creams and cake . . .yummo!

I’ve used the Forest Friends stamp set and ‘Celebrate You’ from the Party Hearty set.  I thought the little rabbit peeping out from the foliage was just a little bit cute . . Now don’t ask me about the ribbon – -I have a huge box full of it and I have no idea where most of it came from! Unless it’s a Stampin’ Up! ribbon and buy them by the spool rather than the metre! 

I’ll have some stamp-a-stack goodies to show you soon, but till then ~ happy stamping,

Michelle

I meant to mention my new header – did you notice it changed a few days ago (again)?  I’ve been trying to find the right image to have ‘up there’ so have been playing musical images. This still isn’t quite what I was after, but I was really happy with the card that this came from, so thought that it was worth giving it a run. I made  this for a friend for her birthday – I thought that the colours were very ‘her’.  

I’ve used Designer Series Paper on the background and Blue Bayou double stitched ribbon.  I had heard and read a  lot about dying flowers from the Stampin Up ‘Pretties’ Kit and thought to myself that it was too much like hard work.  But I NEEEEEEDED a Blue Bayou flower for this card to match the ribbon. Sooooo, before I knew it I was dying the flowers. SO easy, why haven’t I done this before? I actually placed the flower onto the ink pad and ‘painted’ it with an Aquabrush.  I held the centre down with, oh, I don’t know, I think it was a paint brush or pencil, or some such thing, while I  got the colour ‘up’ and onto the flower.  I was going for a darker-on-the-inside-&-lighter-on-the-outside kind of look.  I had so much fun I did it on the iddy-bitty flower too. I used dimensionals between the each of the flowers to give some lift and  attached the half pearl (from the Pretties kit too) with Mini Glue Dots.

Did you see the Bushfire Appeal total over there > > > > 

How amazing is that? Stampin’ Up! will be donating 50% of the sales of those stamp set sales until the end of March. What a great, caring company.

Till next time,

Michelle

Don’t forget that the Spring Mini and the November specials will be ending this Sunday… Have you got all that you wanted….?

You can still get single markers for $4.95each and 20% off ALL rub ons once you have spent $20!  This is what I have done with some rub ons ~

What an easy way to pretty up a glass for a  Kris Kringle gift or for a teacher.

One of the sets I will be sad to say goodbye to from the Spring Mini is “Always” – I have used it to decorate Christmas cards, accordion albums and just plain ol’ “love you’ cards.  It’s gorgeous & I love the heart in the set for “Thumping“.

Contact me today to place your order!

Back soon with more show and tell…

Michelle

Perhaps it’s a Gard? or .. ..hmmm, I can’t think of anything that doesn’t sound well, just odd.  How about an “exploding card” ~ that explains it properly!

It’s a great little box that doubles as a card.  Just for those wee gifts.  How gorgeous!  We did these last week at my first class at Chelsea Heights Community Centre.  It was a lovely day & everyone left with a few new creations and smiles on their faces.  It went on a little bit longer than the advertised time, but you know what it’s like when you’re having fun ~ time flies!

We’ve used Baroque Motifs and for the little flower is from  the ‘One of a Kind’ stamp set & and Boho Blossoms punch from the Spring Mini Catalogue.  Don’t forget that the Spring Mini stamp sets are only available until the end of November – so if there is a set you have been umm-ing & ahh-ing over, you only have a little while left.  Contact me today if you would like to place an order.

You do realise that with the Spring Mini coming to an end that means the Summer Mini is just around the corner… oooooooooooh! I’ve had a sneak peak.. it’s very gorgeous.  Email me today if you would like a copy posted as soon as it’s availale for mailing

This is another card that we made at the “Christmas with a Twist” class at the Chelsea Heights Community Centre.

We embossed gold and silver metallic ink on purely pomegrante card to make the front part of the card. We used the word window punch to make the slit to pop in a gift card.

The Season of Joy stamp set is another that will vanish when the Spring Mini Catalogue finishes at the end of November.  I usually try and find ways to use my ‘normal’ stamps as christmas sets, but I have been finding ways to use the Season of Joy set as a ‘normal’ set.  It works so well with the Priceless stamp set and the So Swirly wheel.

I shall be back soon with more to show you – - I said I’d been busy!

Michelle

A little ray of sunshine has come into the world ~ a little ray of sunshine, in the shape of a girl….. So to welcome Amelie, I had to make her a card…. A little grow-suit!

I took this picture with my phone and I think that the colours have lost something in the translation.  The tutorial for this can be found here if you’re interested in doing one yourself.  They’re great fun.  I used Pink Passion card stock and then versamark ink on the Scribble wheel so that I could emboss it with a lavender embossing powder (not sure of the brand – I’ve had it for yonks).  I also embossed a flower from the ‘Scribble This’ set on whisper white with the lavender powder.  I also had to make a card for little Ethan to congratulate him on becoming a big brother. It’s a little gift card using the All in the Family stamp set.

The colours seem to have gone *splang* in the translation from phone to screen – I really did put that baby in pink..really I did!

I made a gazillion lolly bags today – -well perhaps not that many.. how about 50… yeah, that sounds more like it.  First I started with some Jellies…..

then added some Pink & White M&M’s

Then some pinker than pink musk sticks

How about a few jubes???  mmmmm juuuuuubes….

Then a strawberries and creamy swirly thing to finish it off..

Then pop them all in a decorated bag….

& pop on a topper or two…… 

Voila! You have your lolly bags. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.  This is only a few, imagine another 50 or so of them and you have the idea!  I just love the bright colours of these, you can tell they are just waiting for a party to happen! I stamped the bags with white Staz On and the toppers with white Craft Ink – which you can’t really see in the picture: (  The bands on the top are just selections of coloured paper with various bold brights scallop-punched out and the “Thank you” is from the Sweet Sayings set (watch out for a special on that set next month..ssshhhh!  you didn’t hear it from me!)

My new banner is actually Beach Road in St Kilda – it’s the way I come home from work each day and that is the view just near St Kilda Junction.  If you’re going to be stuck in traffic, you couldn’t ask for a better view. I’m so excited that the days are getting longer and it’s light when I leave work! I’m sure the other drivers thought I was a little nuts sticking my phone out the window of the car and taking pictures while sitting in traffic!  Oh well, they haven’t locked me up yet, so it’s not all bad!

Well, it’s nearly Monday, I better scoot and get some shut-eye ~ have a good week.

Michelle

Stampin’ Up! has a great special this month – buy a selected stamp set and get the matching Jumbo wheel for free!  That’s a saving of $15.95.  Check my website for details.

One of the sets is the Priceless Bundle ~ that I just LOVE (you probably already know that…)

Not to mention that it coordinates well with the Season of Joy set from the Spring Mini like so…

Stampin’ Up make it really easy to create great looking projects!

It’s Father’s Day this weekend and my cards and presents are off into the mail without being photographed -whoops! Making male cards can be really difficult, but I substituted ribbon with twine and used some “grungy” boy colours. I hope the dads are happy with them!  I hope you have a happy day with the fathers in your life this weekend.

I had a lovely time having a bit of a play with the new stamp sets and this is what I have come up with (with many thanks to the in-house photographer who took these lovely pictures for me).

This card with the Brocade Basics ($45.95 on p.101  from the catalogue)  is lovely and simple with the effects produced with a little sponging around the edges of the Old Olive card stock and some “rock’n’roll” on the petals to give them a two-tone effect.   The label is from the ‘Labelicious’ set ($39.95 on p.96 ) and was punched with the new ‘Label’ punch ($30.95 on p.143).    I have a wedding coming up soon and I think that something along these lines may just fit the bill.

Then there is the ‘Wanted’ set (pg. 64 $43.95) – It’s a fantastic mixture of elements so that you can make a masculine ‘cowboy’ style card or even something a little ‘boho’.  This is what I have done.

WANTED – HAPPINESS

(after all, don’t we all want some Happiness?)

BOHO NOTE CARD

COME WITH US AND GALLOP

Did you see the great way the scallop punch fits those stamps from the Wanted set (have a look at the Boho Note card again and the Happiness Card – See..? It punches just perfectly!)

If you would like to know more about the supplies used to create these cards, or would like to hold a workshop in your home to create them – then contact me today!

It’s been a while since I have blogged, so here is a catch up post with what’s been keeping me busy. 

A belated Happy Mother’s day to all the mothers out there & especially to my mothers.  I was lucky enough to spend Mothers day with my mum and my Mother-in-Law. We three went out for a lovely girlie lunch at ‘Duart’ in Maffra. There was much laughing, chatting and champagne. 

 You can just see some kids in the doorway behind us ~ they were all hanging around the fabulous chocolate fountain! It certainly is one way of getting kids to eat their fruit – put it on a skewer and then dipped into the molten chocolate ~ YUM!

And here are the cards I made for the “mums” ~ The first one is the one I made for my Mother in Law – it uses one of the new hostess sets (Happiness) with a bit of water-colouring done with the Stamping Up! watercolour crayons and Aquabrush.  I love water-colouring & this set is just made for it!

 And this is the one that I made for my mum – with one of the new sets from the catalogue,  ”Garden Whimsy”, plus the great new scallop punch. It makes a great decoration really quickly.

 The sentiment at the bottom of the card is “….simply said from the heart – thank you” Which pretty much sums up what Mother’s Day is about for me.  A chance to thank mum for everything that she has done, all the things that she does, all the time, without asking for thanks.

I have another piece of artwork to share with you ~ it was a drawing I was given on the weekend that was drawn by Ellie Brindle – it has some of my favourite flowers – purple tulips – plus a gorgeous ladybird, bumblebee and fluttering butterfly.  I think that we have a budding artist in the making. Thank you Ellie!

I did get some scrapping done at an all day crop on Sunday, but am not ready to show the pages off yet ~ they all require some journalling.  I find that’s always the hardest part, don’t you? Claire Daly is a great one for journalling, I love her journalling “from the heart”.  I want to scrapbook like her when I grow up!