Another reason why I love Stampin Up

The other night I found yet another reason why I love Stampin Up. Everything coordinates. The card stock, the inks, the ribbons, the brads. It just makes things so easy.

The other night I had a friend over to have a play in my art room. She wanted to make a special 50th birthday card. She had heaps of card of her own but it was not Stampin Up card so nothing really coordinated very well.  I asked her what she had in mind. She wanted a cake that had a 50 on the top and kinda exploded with stars.  I drew up some designs for her and she tried various ways of getting things to look nice. By the end of the night she had tried various combinations but nothing quite worked. She had so desperately wanted to use her own card but realised that maybe using coordinating products would have helped.

Once she left I got out my card and worked on the designs I had suggested to her. I changed the cake to a stack of parcels and put it on the inside of the card instead of the front. I created a Pop-up with the parcels and a 40 (my dear SIL is turning 40 ) on the top with scrolls* coming out of the top parcel.
I added some pennants to the top to make it look like a celebration and looped them through linen thread. The front I used the same Pool Party card stock then layered  Attic Boutique DSP from the Autumn Winter mini catalogue. I stamped the cute little Seal from Under the Big Top stamp set on page 33 and coloured it with the Aqua painters.  Cut it out with the large oval punch and mounted it on a Soft Suede, Designer Frame found on page 157 which I then distressed. Stamping "Happy Birthday (to you)" also from the Under the Big Top stamp set, on the bottom to complete the card.

All of this went together so easily as everything coordinated. Just another reason why I love Stampin Up.

* Scrolls were created using my 1 3/4 inch circle punch and then cutting round and round like you were peeling an apple or orange.

Demonstrator swaps from the NEW Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue

Being a Stampin Up demonstrator has many advantages, one of my favourites are our card swaps. This month was an exceptionally good one as 30 of our Paper Angels demonstrators participated. Yes that means I had to make 30 cards all the same BUT I received 30 different ones back, great ey.

This swap incorporated our new Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue products. However, life being as it is, we had a small number of demonstrators who were unable to participate at, with a couple ending up in hospital! Luckily Tuesday Craft Group are a totally awesome group who, when approached by my up line Liz, were happy to help create FOUR lots of swaps – yes, if your maths is correct, you will realise we had 120 cards to make! Talk about a positive attitude, with the ladies expressing that it was fun to learn new techniques whilst making the cards.

This first swap created at Craft Group was ‘CASED’ (copy and share everything) from Stampin’ Up!’s Co-Founder and CEO, Shelli Gardner. We did create shameless copies of cool ideas we found online, because after all we were short on time making so many cards, so having a starting point rather than having to design them, was essential! Shelli had created this card for a US event, which was photographed by a demonstrator and popped up on-line somewhere. It uses 4 great new products from the Autumn Winter Mini catalogue. Namely, the most gorgeous ‘Apothecary Art’ Stamp Set coordinating with our new fabulous ‘Framelits Labels Collection’ Dies, as well as ‘Twitterpated DSP’ and the NEW ‘Simply Scored Scoring Tool’. The NEW scoring tool is just wonderful and allowed us the make 30 medallions with relative ease!

Imagine impressing your friends with this super elegant card! If you would like to know how to make this card, contact me on 0402 441 964 or email zenakennedy@lizzy.com.au

This swap card, was again kindly created by Tuesday Craft Group, took inspiration from a design created by a US demonstrator, Dawn Olchefske  , using the new ‘Packed for Everything Stamp Bundle’ as pictured. These stamps are also available separately in the Australian Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue for $16.95 each, or as a bundle for $50.95. These stamps are just perfect for ‘paper piecing’ or simply to create cute accents such as Dawn did in her original card. Special mention to our newest Tuesday Craft Group member, Pat, who diligently coloured 30 pinatas! A job very well done and much appreciated.

This next swap card created by Tuesday Craft Group, took inspiration from a card featured in ‘Stamping and Papercraft’ Magazine. Sadly, I cannot lay my hands on the issue, so am unsure as to the designer. Having said that, there have been changes to the design to use the NEW very useful ‘Loving Thoughts’ Stamp Set, as well as ‘Twitterpated DSP’. There are also some NEW colours in the lovely ‘Bakers Twine’ in the Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue.

Lastly, Tuesday Craft Group have used the same word stamp ‘Loving Thoughts’ to create this cool card. We found a black and white image photographed as part of a display at a US event, so we are unsure of the origins and colours of the design, although it is likely to have been created by Stampin’ Up!s Art Department. We love how the NEW ‘Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies’ have been layered upon each other to create a border. Clear buttons have been adhered with ‘Crystal Effects’ to a ‘Confetti White’ Card Base (this is thicker than ‘Whisper White’), with the words stamped in colours taken from the cardstock cut with the edgelit die.

If you would like to know how to make any of these cards, book a workshop or purchase product; please contact me on 0402 441 964 or email zenakennedy@lizzy.com.au

A trip to Sydney

I went to Sydney recently for a girls weekend to see the Picasso collection at the Art Gallery. We stayed right in Darling Harbour and had the best time exploring the sites. It has been 35 years since I was last in Sydney and I was pleasantly surprised. It is a lovely city and I intend another trip to take in more of the sites.

Of course staying in this beautiful Darling Harbour apartment gave me an excuse to make a Thank You card for the generous couple who let us use their unit. I used Real Red cardstock and the retired skin tone that I can't remember the name of just at this moment. The face was the medium oval punch, the body was just hand cut. The panels of the dress were made using beautiful silk material from China. I had a non SU stamp with Japanese writing. It said "Thank You"  I only hope I had it up the right way :(

Now for faux Flower Soft

Make your own Flower Soft.
How?
Easy peasey.
Choose the colour cardstock, open up your Stampin up snips and grate the edge of the card. You will soon have a little pile of fluff. Squeeze out some Tombo glue and sprinkle the faux  flower soft over it. Once the glue dries just tidy up the edges. The Easter card with the little fluffy chick was made at our last Paper Angels demonstrators meeting. Isn't it just the cutest? The little boys romper suit card was made from  the Nursery Nest DSP. I freehand cut the Teddy and then applied the Flower Soft. I think I'll be using this technique lots.

Love the Nursery Nest DSP

I took one look at the Nursery Nest DSP and thought childrens cards. I had a pattern for the baby dress so  cut out Whisper White card and ran the front through the dotty embossing folder. I cut the apron out of the Nursery Nest DSP and used the reverse rick rac side for the yoke. For the pocket I used a circle punch and cut it in half. I then cut the rick rac and added to the top of the pocket. I punched out the little heart punch in whisteria Wonder and stamped the Congratulations sentiment using the old faithful Circle of Friendship stamp set that is now retired.

Even the boys get to have a cute little card. Once again I had already created a pattern that I have used quite often. I placed the overalls on the DSP so that I got half the front striped and the other half checkered. The crotch was punched out with a circle punch and the little studs were created using Basic Grey card and the circle punch from the Crop a Dile. I folded back his tee shirt sleeves to reveal the reverse side of the DSP and cut out the neckline using a circle punch.

The pocket was cut freehand and had the flap folded over once again revealing the reverse side of the Nursery Nest DSP. I freehand cut a teddy in Basic Grey card and then shaved a piece of grey card to use as faux Flower Soft. ( That will be another post). Don't you just love these cards? I do.

Autumn Winter Mini is here

As promised here are a few ideas from the Autumn Winter Mini Catalogue.

For this first little card I have used the new Attic Boutique Designer Series paper. I wasn't sure it would go with this little pink dress but I love it.

This whole catalogue is full of the best stamp sets, dies and DSP that I have seen in a mini. It is going to be very hard to decide which ones I really, really need.

The Framelets dies - labels collection is one that I couldn't resist. It can be used as frames or a background. I can see a lot of use for these dies. They are now taking over from the Top Note which used to be my favourite. One of the ladies at our Tuesday craft day has used the die as a journaling mat for her scrapbooking. She has also cut her photos with the die and then cut a larger version in card for the matting.  I've used it here with the Rue des Fleurs stamp set as a Thank you card.

This was my swap for our Paper Angels group. I made 30 of these using Sahara Sand as the card, with Pretty in Pink and Whisteria Wonder as the backgrounds. The flower embellishment was made using the Bo Ho Blossoms punch.

Here is another Thank you card using the Rue des Fleurs stamp set.  This has a front strip opening up to reveal this cute pop up umbrella. As soon as I saw the umbrella I could see the potential of a pop up. First I tried it inside the card and that was OK but not spectacular enough. So I played around with the front. My brain was working overtime with the closure. Finally came up with the idea of  putting a slit in the Attic Boutique Designer Series paper and fastening with a circle cut out of the decorative strip from the Rue des Fleurs stamp set. I used the Stamp a ma jig to position  the decorative strip. The Pool Party ribbon was gathered by pulling a thread and gathering.