Who says you need to use Christmas patterned paper to make a Christmas card?  I’ve been busy making Christmas cards and I only realised after uploading this photo of my card that I seemed to have been making my Christmas Cards using either background papers or embossing folders that aren’t specific for Christmas.  Somehow I think it works though, what do you think?

I’m pretty pleased with the way this card turned out.  I had the idea that I wanted to stamp and emboss onto patterned paper and found that this bauble stamp worked well as it had enough of a pattern to show off some gold embossing but still a decent amount of space to colour which works well with the newspaper-style patterned paper.

So to make this card I stamped the bauble image using Versamark ink onto the patterned paper and then gold embossed it (email me for specific instructions if you don’t know how to do this) and then coloured in the image using a Blender Pen picking up the colour from my inkpads.  The sentiment Merry & Bright was stamped in Garden Green and then punched out.  I highlighted the shape with Glass Glitter by tracing around the punched cardstock with a Tombow Glue Pen then sprinkling the Glass Glitter over the top.  The rest of the card is self explanatory but please feel free to email me if you want more information.

A Stamping Technique For You To Try: Try this stamping and embossing over patterned paper technique yourself. I like to use it also for stamping flowers onto patterned paper – I think it looks good with many images, it’s fun and easy

And here’s a list of Stampin’ Up! products that I used to create this card:

Rubber Stamps:
Merry & Type

Cardstock & Paper:
Garden Green
Cherry Cobbler
Very Vanilla
First Edition specialty paper

Inkpad and Other Colouring Items:
Crumb Cake inkpad (for sponging around the First Edition paper)
Garden Green inkpad
Cherry Cobbler inkpad
Daffodil Delight marker
Versamark inkpad

Tools:
Scallop Trim Border Punch
Decorative Label Punch
Heat Gun
Sponge Daubers
Blender Pen

Accessories:
Champagne Glitter Glass

Adhesives:
SNAIL
Stampin’ Dimensionals
Tombow Multipurpose Glue (to adhere Glitter Glass)

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For November 2011 only, Stampin’ Up! are taking 10% off selected Dies and Embossing Folders

Check it out:

Got any question or just want to jump in and grab a bargain – email me now.

By the way, if you’re on Facebook, jump over and visit me – I have a fun little competition happening.

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So I’ve been going through my mind with all the excuses as to why I haven’t blogged in forever.  After the usual back & forth about being busy with other areas of my stamping business, some issues with my right hand due to carpal tunnel and also getting ready for my trip to Fiji, etc., I think it all boils down to the fact that I’ve just let other things get in the way.  I love blogging and I really miss it when I leave too much time between posts, so here I am vowing to myself not to let other things get in the way too much.

Now after all that rambling I’d love to share with you a card that I made this morning.

The card is very simple to recreate.  All I did was die-cut out the butterflies in matching papers all from the Beau Chateau suite of papers from Stampin’ Up!, sponged the edges with ink and then layered them.  The background is Crumb Cake cardstock (formerly known as Kraft) which I dry embossed using the Big Shot and the Finial Press Embossing Folder.  The ‘newsprint’ paper on the right is from Stampin’ Up!’s First Edition specialty paper which I sponged around the edges with Crumb Cake ink and then sponged the centre with some Champagne Mist shimmer paint to give it a very light gold shimmer.  Very quick and easy and I think would work for a variety of occasions such as birthday, get well, thank you, Mother’s Day (although that’s aaages away)… just add your sentiment to the inside of your card and you’re done.

Quick cardmaking tip: using patterned papers that come in a pack means super quick and coordinated cards.  You can use lots of different patterned paper and it still matches beautifully (see how many different patterns are in the butterflies?).  Also your colour combination is taken care of as you just go with the colours that are from the patterned paper.

Card background style tip: If you don’t want a plain background but the front of your card is quite busy, go for an embossed background (dry embossed or clear embossing powder on plain cardstock) to give interest and texture to your card without overwhelming it.

Hope you enjoyed this card and I promise I will be back again quickly.

And here’s a list of Stampin’ Up! products that I used to create this card:

Cardstock & Paper:
Pink Pirouette Textured cardstock
Soft Suede
Crumb Cake (aka Kraft)
Beau Chateau designer series paper
First Edition specialty paper

Inkpad and Other Colouring Items:
Crumb Cake inkpad (for sponging)
Marina Mist inkpad (for sponging)
Champagne Mist shimmer paint (for sponging on First Edition paper)

Tools:
Big Shot
Beautiful Butterflies Die
Finial Press Embossing Folder
Sponge Daubers

Accessories:
Flower Button (Neutrals)
Clear Rhinestone brad (medium sized)
Antique Brad

Adhesives:
SNAIL
Stampin’ Dimensionals
Glue Dots

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It’s time to say a fond farewell to some of the products in this current 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue.

Some products are discounted.  Grab a bargain!

You can click here to download the the pdf file of the Stampin’ Up! Catalogue Retirement List.

Please note that due to high demand some products can run out quickly.  If there’s something that you’d really like, email me to order now before stocks run out.

This current 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue officially ends on 31st August 2011.

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Due to popular demand my classes are up and running again!  Here’s the first class coming up.  You can also ‘like’ me on Facebook to keep up-to-date on upcoming classes.

Faux Silk Class.  You will make two cards and a gift box using the faux silk technique.
Evening Class: Friday 15th July
at: 7:30pm to (approx) 9:30pm

Same class will run
Daytime Class: Wednesday 20th July
at: 10:00am to (approx) 12:00 midday

Venue: Lane Cove on the Lower North Shore of Sydney

Please note that bookings are essential

Class costs $25 and includes all materials to make your projects (lots of lovely product used!), use of my tools and adhesives, no need to bring anything with you.  Refreshments are also served.

Email me now to book as places for this class are limited

Can’t make my class because you live too far away?

You can now purchase my classes as a document with photos, step-by-step instructions and sketches (great for if you want to use different products and embellishments to what I have used).

Email me to purchase the Faux Silk class as a pdf file.

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Who doesn’t like a gift? And even better when it’s ribbons & buttons!

During July 2011, if you purchase $100 worth of Stampin’ Up! product, you will receive this gorgeous ribbon and button bundle valued at $31.95.

Bundle includes:

• White 1/4″ (6 mm) grosgrain ribbon with repeating flower designs. Approximately  13.7 m.
• 48 flower buttons. 16 each in 3 colours (Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Pacific Point). Approximately 1/2″ (1.3 cm).

Offer finishes 31st July 2011 and there is a limit of one bundle per order.

Email me now to place your Stampin’ Up! order and receive one of these gorgeous ribbon and button bundles.

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I’ve had a lot of people ask me questions about Stampin’ Up!’s Clear-Mount stamps so I thought I should do an FAQ blog post to answer questions and explain what they look like and how they work.  Also at the end of the post are some tips and hints on using the clear-mount stamps.

Many people hear ‘clear mount’ and think that Stampin’ Up!’s Clear Mount stamps are ‘clear’ like acrylic or polymer stamps.  However they’re not, they are the usual high quality red rubber that Stampin’ Up! use on their woodmount stamps and they are mounted on the same foam as the woodmount stamps.  The difference is that they are used with clear blocks – hence the name ‘clear mount’.

Here’s a photo of Stampin’ Up!’s clear mount stamps in their case.  The front of the case shows the stamp images at 100% size

Here’s the side view.  The side of the case shows the stamp images in a smaller size so that when you store them you can quickly see what images you have.

Here’s what the inside of a Clear Mount set looks like (I’ve used a different set which I haven’t opened as yet so you can see what it looks like new).

Inside the cover of the case are instructions on using the stamps.  The stamps come in rubber already mounted onto foam and are die cut.  You also get a set of matching stickers to use on the back of the stamps if you want to use them.

So to use your stamps simply pop out your die-cut stamps

Next, peel off the protective layer from the matching sticker.  There’s a ‘split’ in the middle of the protective sheet so that you can peel it off easily.

Next, peel off the protective layer off the back of the rubber stamp.

Of course if you want, you could use your stamp as it is without the sticker – and some people do, but I prefer to have the sticker on the back of the stamp so that I can see my image when I stamp which helps me position it more accurately.

Next place the back of your stamp onto the matching sticker

Your stamp is now ready to use! Just choose a clear block that will fit the size of your rubber stamp

Now here’s the way to put your clear mount stamp onto your clear block. Some people say that their clear mount stamps fall off their blocks but mine always stay stuck all the way through stamping and cleaning and they don’t come off until I peel them off – every time.  The easy trick to do this is to place your stamp onto your table, rubber side down.  Then firmly press your clear block onto the back of your stamp.   You’ll know that it’s stuck down well because you’ll see (as shown in the photo below) that there are ‘clear spaces’ between the block and your stamp… this shows that the stamp is suctioned well onto the clear block and it will stay put.

A few other tips to keep your clear mount stamps stuck firmly onto your clear block:

* Make sure you haven’t put any hand creme or lotion on your hands in the last few minutes.  This is leaves slippery finger prints on your clear blocks and your stamp won’t be able to grip.

* Make sure your clear block is clean.  If you have ink, glitter, greasy finger prints, etc., on the block then you’ll need to clean your clear block.  Clean it using your stamp cleaner or just clean it under the kitchen tap with a little dishwashing liquid.

* When cleaning your stamps, spray some Stampin’ Mist onto your Stampin’ Scrub then clean the stamp gently in a circular motion.  You don’t need to scrub hard anyway even if your stamp is woodmounted.

Here’s some benefits of using Clear-Mount stamps:

* As opposed to acrylic or polymer stamps, these stamps are rubber and so the ink sits on the rubber beautifully – it doesn’t pool – and will give you a perfect image every time.

* You can clean your stamps with StazOn Cleaner if you wish and they won’t erode with time as ‘clear’ stamps do.

* Because they mount onto clear blocks, you can position your image easier as you can see where you are stamping.

* They store in their own DVD case and so they take up a lot less space.

* Because there’s no wooden blocks, they are cheaper to buy.  Simply buy some clear blocks in a variety of sizes to use over and over with all your clear-mount stamps.

I hope this FAQ on using Clear-Mount stamps has answered your questions.  Please feel free to comment I’ve missed something or you would like to ask a different question or if you just want to leave a comment.

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Come on, ‘fess up!  Do you hoard your embellishments and patterned papers? If you’ve been following my blog for a while you’ve probably noticed I’m certainly not shy about using ribbons and buttons and brads on my cards – why hoard them away when they can be enjoyed and then the card sent to someone else who will enjoy your creativity?  Well guess what? I do hoard my embellishments – I don’t want to run out of any of these pretty things so I tend to buy a lot of ribbons and buttons and other gorgeous things that I can use on my papercrafts.  In fact, I have two packs of each of my favourites just so that I don’t run out.

So the other night at our Stampin’ Up! team Cyberstamp, the last challenge of the night was to create a card using at least 3 different embellishments: ribbons, eyelets, brads, buttons, chipboard, etc.  Oh, and patterned paper!  I learned a long time ago not to hoard this and now I very happily cut into any paper I buy (I just make sure I buy some extra ). Here’s the card that I came up with:

It’s quite Retro looking which I really enjoy along with Vintage and Shabby-Chic styles.  Again, no fancy techniques, in fact the only stamp I’ve used is for the sentiment… that pink middle section that says ‘buttons’ is actually patterned paper and comes in the same pack as the background paper.

So please leave me a comment and let me know – do you love to use up all your embellishments? Do you squirrel them away for something special? or do you (like me) use them but stash away some extras just in case.

And here’s a list of Stampin’ Up! products that I used to create this card:

Rubber Stamps:
You’re a Gem (‘friend’ sentiment)

Cardstock & Paper:
Sew Suite Designer Series Patterned Paper
Melon Mambo
Tempting Turquoise
Whisper White

Inkpad and Other Colouring Items:
Tempting Turquoise

Tools:
Modern Label Punch
Scallop Oval Punch

Accessories:
Flower Button (Brights)
Basic Pearls (pearls in the centre of the flower button)
Sweet Stitches Designer Buttons
Pink Floss to thread through yellow buttons (by DMC)
Melon Mambo PomPom Trim
Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon
Daffodil Delight 1/8″ Taffeta Ribbon

Adhesives:
SNAIL
Stampin’ Dimensionals

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Do you enjoy doing card challenges? I must admit I find card challenges fun because they push me out of my comfort zone.  I tend to like using the same colours and styles when I’m cardmaking so this challenge that was set on Saturday night at my team Cyberstamp really stretched me.  It’s a simple card but the modern design and ultra bright colours were very different for me.  I really wasn’t sure about it at first but I think it’s a fun card.

So the challenge was to pick a number between 1 and 99 then turn to that page of the Stampin’ Up! catalogue and choose a card layout from that page and reproduce it.  I chose page 78 and when I turned to that page I was going to cheat by choosing another number but decided to plow ahead and see what happened.

Here’s the card I created

Colour Combination Tip: Because the card layout and stamp set were fresh and fun I decided to use some bright colours.  I chose one colour first (Pumpkin Pie) then used the new Stampin’ Up! Colour Coach to choose the matching colours.  The Daffodil Delight looks great with Pumpkin Pie but using Early Espresso in that combination really helps to make the colour combination trendy and stop it from looking too ‘kiddy’.

Maybe you’d like to give this challenge a go? Choose a number between 1 and 99 then use the card layout on that page of the Stampin’ Up! catalogue to create a card.  Don’t have a Stampin’ Up! catalogue? Email me to get your own one (Australia only) or click here to see the catalogue online.

And here’s a list of Stampin’ Up! products that I used to create this card:

Rubber Stamps:
Cheep Talk

Cardstock & Paper:
Daffodil Delight
Sweet & Sour (orange patterned paper)
Greenhouse Gala (yellow patterned paper)
Early Espresso

Inkpad and Other Colouring Items:
Pumpkin Pie inkpad
Early Espresso inkpad
Early Espresso marker
Daffodil Delight inkpad

Tools:
1 3/8″ Circle Punch
Scallop Circle Punch
Scallop Border Punch
Word Window Punch

Accessories:
Flower Button (Brights)
Basic Jewels (rhinestone in the centre of the flower button)

Adhesives:
SNAIL
Stampin’ Dimensionals

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I had a lovely night of cardmaking last night with some of my team members around Australia – that’s the magic of cyberstamping!  A bunch of us jumped onto my team forum and stamped the night away while chatting.  One of my lovely team members, Jayne, hosted the cyberstamp and posted some challenges to get the creative juices flowing.  The first card challenge for the night was to make a birthday card using these colours:

Here’s my card (and bear in mind I was typing and not taking as long as I usually take to make a card, LOL)

The card is fairly straightforward without any fancy techniques but I think this colour combination is just so beautiful that you can keep the card simple.

Style Tip: I think these colours just call out for some ‘natural’ embellishments and textures so that’s why I chose the Linen Thread and simply wrapped it around the card.  The tearing of the side of the cardstock that the main image is stamped on also adds interest and texture that seems to go well with this colour combination.

Technique Tip: Try sponging around the edges of the layers of cardstock like I have – this goes well when you have a card that is highly textured like this one.  The different textures here are the background that was done using an embossing folder on the Big Shot, the linen thread, the lace trim and the tearing.

Another Card Idea: This colour combination can be used for a variety of occasions, this particular card is for a woman but I think these colours (and layout!) would be equally great for a masculine card – just change the stamped image to something more masculine and change the lace to twill.

So what do you think of the colour combination? Are you inspired to give it a go yourself?

And here’s a list of Stampin’ Up! products that I used to create this card:

Rubber Stamps:
Just Believe
Bring on the Cake (birthday sentiment)

Cardstock & Paper:
Crumb Cake
Very Vanilla
Chocolate Chip
Wild Wasabi

Inkpad and Other Colouring Items:
Wild Wasabi
Crumb Cake (for sponging)
Chocolate Chip

Tools:
Big Shot
Square Lattice Embossing Folder
Wide Oval Punch
Sponge Dauber

Accessories:
Linen Thread
Chantilly Crochet Trim
Vintage Brad

Adhesives:
SNAIL
Stampin’ Dimensionals

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