Hi ... I am Leonie and I am an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and Manager. I live in Campbelltown, NSW, Australia with my husband and my gorgeous 2 girls.
Archive for November, 2008
Season of Joy
Posted by: | CommentsWith November nearly over this means that Spring too is coming to an end and Summer is just around the corner. Not just in our seasons but also in our Mini Catalogues! The current Spring Mini Catalogue will finish on Sunday so if you want to order anything now is the time to do so - before its too late.
One set from the Spring mini which I have deliberated getting is Season of Joy. Its a truly lovely set and the images included in this set could be used for other things so its not just a Christmas set although it really does make it easy to make pretty Christmas cards!
I found a great tutorial on my good friend Patty Bennett’s blog and made up this little gift card holder. Patty has some wonderful ideas and designs on her blog and I just love seeing what she comes up with. I have adjusted mine so its all in centimetres so if you’d like a copy of the instructions I’ll include it in your next order.
These are very easy to make and a great way to jazz up giving gift cards at Christmas.
I do love gift cards as they take all the hassle out of Christmas shopping and then the recipient can buy whatever they want - my girls love to get them as then they too get to go shopping and spend the money on them and whatever they want - well as long as mum says so!!
I’ve coloured the block stamp in with my Stampin Write markers so I can choose what colour goes where.
I do love my markers and I’m grateful for this month’s promotion where you can buy the single markers for just $4.95 as some of my markers are showing the signs of being well loved! So I am able to buy the single pens to enable them to all look brand new. If you would like to get some single markers then there is still time so you’ll need to ring or email me by Friday.
This is the inside of the card holder. I’ve just used the flourish around the edges and then stamped the tiny flower in randomly and used the Christmas greeting on the left side. I’ve slotted in one of my business cards to show you how the gift card would sit and look like. The curve in the holder was done using the oval punch.
I am a bit sad that I didnt make more cards using this Season of Joy stamp set but as they say all good things must come to an end and as one door closes another opens.
So the doors to the Spring Mini Catalogue will soon be closed and locked so make sure you have another look of the Spring Mini Catalogue so you dont miss out on anythig you may ‘need’. Just click on the Spring mini in the sidebar to view the catalogue online.
Same …. but different
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been busy making cards to promote the markers promotion and giving the stamp sets in the Spring Mini Catalogue their last hurrah!
I’ve love this mini, as have a lot of others, as its just full of gorgeous stamp sets, papers and accessories. There are a few items I’ll have to stock up on before the month ends - like the satin ribbons, holiday harmony papers and the rub-ons (while they too are on special at 20% off).
A few months back I started an Australian Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator only yahoogroup with a few other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. Its been going great with regular updates, challenges, business tips and swaps.
This card is a case from one of those swaps by the lovely Tanya Kitto from Western Australia (watch for her blog coming soon!).
Her card was done using the chalkboard technique and I liked it so much I’ve used it at a couple of demonstrations and as part of a Stamp A Stack.
I love the rich colours used in this card and I also changed it a little to demonstrate using the markers to colour your stamp (direct to rubber technique).
My customers have loved how quick and easy it is to make and what a stunning result you get - even those who have not stamped before.
It uses the True Friend Stamp set from the Spring Mini catalogue which is another I’ll be sad to see finish at the end of the month - it compliments our Berry Bliss papers so much.
The colours I’ve used are Purely Pomegranate, Old Olive, More Mustard and Naturals Ivory. I’ve also used these same colours to colour the stamp with the stampin write markers but have subsituted the Rose Red for the Purely Pomegranate.
Dont forget from now until 30th November you can purchase any of the stampin’ write markers at just $4.95 per marker which is a lot cheaper than similar markers you can buy.
Now you dont need to have a party to place an order - you can just ring or email me and I’ll place the order for you when payment has been made. I take cash, bank transfer/internet banking or credit cards so your free to choose what method of payment you prefer to use.
If you would like to make these cards then please contact me to arrange your demonstration or stamp a stack today - places are filling fast for december so you’ll need to be quick if you want a demonstration before Christmas.
Grab your Backpack!
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve seen these gorgeous creations all over the stmapin blog world and decided it was time to make one!
My upline, Tracey visited me on Tuesday so we sat down and made one of these each. Mind you we’ve been having such terrible connection to the internet problems it took a while for the tutorial to load but it eventually did so off we went creating! You can find the tutorial for these gorgeous bags on Paula Goff’s blog.
When I first saw these backpacks I thought they’d be terrible fiddly but they arent really. They are quite easy to do once you get past all the scoring and such.
I’ve used chocolate chip for my cardstock colour and the Afternoon Tea Designer Series Papers which will be in the upcoming Summer Mini Catalogue. I must say those papers are just sooooooo nice as is all the other products in the new mini!
The flower embellishments are from the Live Your Dream stamp set which will also be in the upcoming Summer Mini.
I stamped the flowers in the Groovy Guava Classic Ink Pad and then used my Stampin Write markers to put pumpkin pie around the edges of the flower and chocolate chip on the dots in the centre of the flowers.I also used stampin dimensionals to lift two of the flowers and to give it a little dimension.
Remember you can purchase the markers individually for just $4.95 each until 30th November.
Now what is a back pack without straps??
I’ve just used the very vanilla wide grosgrain ribbon for the straps.
How cute is this backpack … this would be a great idea for Christmas gifts like gift cards, gift vouchers, jewellery (I can just see a Pandora Bracelet & charms inside!!), chocolates or even a selection of small cards and envelopes.
If you’d like to do this in a class then ring or email me for dates and details.
Here’s the Gloss!
Posted by: | CommentsIn my last post I promised a couple of more cards using the Stampin’ Write Markers.
Usually I do my stamping and blending on Whisper White cardstock. I wanted to show the girls at the team meeting on Friday how to blend with the markers.
I’ve never had much success with our Blender Pens and didnt want everyone to see how bad I was at that! Then it came to me that I might be able to blend on Gloss Cardstock. So I gave it a go and wallah it gives such a lovely look to the finished - a bit like a printed picture.
You will need to stamp your image in Stazon so it dries quickly and wont run when you blend. Using your markers on the gloss gives you a little extra time to blend as the ink doesnt dry as quickly so you have that extra time to blend.
As always you go from light to dark when blending. I wanted a deeper colour on the birds tummy so i just dotted the rust marker and blended so it gave a deeper colour but not too dark.
For the bird I coloured his body all over with Barely Banana. I then built the colour up using So Saffron and dotted Really Rust along the edge of the birds tummy. I only did about four dots in the rust then blended it with the Blender Pen. I also used a couple of dots of ruby red on her cheek.
I was very happy with the end result and hope you like it too.
I then showed the girls the thumping technique. My hubby wasnt there so couldnt thump him so had to resort to the markers!
You colour in your stamp with the markers direct onto the rubber. I used Close to Cocoa on the stump and mellow moss on the leaves and grass. I then used more mustard and pumpkin pie to do the thumping.
To thump all you do is hold your marker at the end and then hit it on the area you want the colour in. Just hit/thump it randomly in the area you want the colour in. Then you do the same with the next colour. Then you ‘huff’ on the stamp to remoisten the inks and stamp onto cardstock.
I’ve done this one onto the Gloss cardstock again as it gives a richer colour. Also as the ink doesn’t dry right away you can grab your aqua painter and drag your colours around - this looks good in the grass and tree trunk areas.
Using this technique gives this tree a lovely Autumn look. Its also a very easy technique and one that is good for a quick card!
Remember you have until the end of the month to order your markers individually at just $4.95 per marker.
Have a great day … I’m off to do some stamping with my upline today who’s coming to play!
Individually yours
Posted by: | CommentsI know I’ve often talked about how good it is to be part of the Stampin’ Up! family and here is the proof. What other large international company would listen to its demonstrators in another country? well Stampin’ Up! does!
We have been asking since Stampin’ Up! began in Australia in 2006 for the Stampin’ Write® markers to be sold individually as some people don’t want or cant afford a whole pack and just want to buy their favourite colours well now you can! From now till 30th November you can purchase your favourite colours individually for just $4.95! Now this IS a bargain as other markers that are comparable in quality cost much more than that.
I was asked to do a demonstration for Elite Stampers run by Angela Sargeant. She is like my 2nd level upline and we’ve been friends for quite a few years now and I was thrilled when she asked me to do a demonstration. We had many new girls coming to this meeting so I wanted to show them a variety of things you can do with the markers.
Here is a card I made using the Always stamp set from the Spring Mini Catalogue. I just love this set and will be sorry to see it finish at the end of the month so if you’d like to get this set the time is now!
I’ve done the ‘direct to rubber’ technique on the heart. Using the markers I’ve ‘coloured’ the image on the stamp with the different markers and then just given it the ‘huff’ and stamped it onto whisper white card stock. These are so easy to do yet look like a printed image.
Its my sister’s wedding anniversary today so I used the Happy Anniversary from Birthday Cheer and Wishes and will pop this card in the post tomorrow.
Here is another card I made again using the direct to rubber technique. This time I used the aqua painter to drag the colours in a little for subtle shading. The areas I wanted more shading I just took the colour off the tip of the marker with the aqua painter and shaded those areas a little darker.
This card is made using the Summer by the Sea stamp set which is just a beautiful set to own - especially if you like to water colour or colour in.
I have a couple of other techniques I shared with the team on Friday and I’ll share those with you tomorrow.
If you would like to take advantage of the single marker promotion but would also like to learn how to use them more and better then ring or email me to book in your demonstration or to book in for my marker class.
Want to get some markers or products but dont want a demonstration? thats fine as you can ring or email your order through to me. I now also have a frequent shoppers program for those customers who dont want a demonstration but still want to be rewarded for shopping with me. So email or ring for more details on this new program.
Till tomorrow …..
