I am Leonie and I'm an Independant Stampin' Up! Demonstrator in Sydney, Australia.Archive for swaps
Secret Blossoms
Posted by: | CommentsAs you are aware I run a forum for Australian and New Zealand Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrators called ESAD-SU which stands for Extra Special Australian (and New Zealand) Demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!
As part of this group we also have a Secret Stampin Sister program where we are given a partner and we spoil them with cards and hand made gifts for 3 months. The recipient doesnt know who she is to receive from so its all a little bit exciting to get those little secret treasures in our mailbox.
I received my first card for this round last week and today I’m sharing it with you.
How nice is this card??
I’m not really one for ‘red’ but I just love everything about this card! I love this little blossom flower from Embrace Life and that ‘for you’ sentiment is also one of my favourites!
The base card is Naturals Ivory which they’ve then stamped the blossom image in Close to Cocoa and coloured the blossoms in what I think is Regal Rose and Ruby Red – wonder how close I am in guessing the colours??
The edging is from the set All Scallops which was in the Summer Mini December 2008. She’s then used the Scallop Border punch to do the edging. She’s also stamped this same stamp onto Ruby Red cardstock in Whisper White Craft Ink. She has used three red brads in the spine of the card to give it that extra ‘wow’ factor.
Thank you so much to my secret sister for this gorgeous card and hopefully you read my blog so you know how much I love this card! It has that old ‘aged’ feel to it and I love it.
I will share future cards and goodies I’m sent and we wont know who my secret sister was until the reveal at the end of May.
A special thanks goes to Lynda for picking up my typo which I’ve now fixed up – a little pressie will be in the mail to you 
Tea Party Gift Set
Posted by: | CommentsWell here I am again – posting two days in a row!!
I wanted to share a set I made for a Secret Santa gift I sent as part of the ESAD-SU Yahoogroup Secret Santa Swap last December (seems so long ago!)
It comprised of a large gift bag so I could fit in the Eyelet Border punch, an acetate box full of yummy caramels and a memory tin.
All the items were completed using the Tea Party DSP – I just love this paper and the colours in it!
The gift bag was made from just one sheet of 12×12 DSP and based on a bag that Alisa Tilsner created. I will remake the bag and prepare a tutorial over the next day or so.
The acetate box is the same as the one that I created for the Teacher’s gifts I made in December. I will do a tutorial for these as well as I edited the measurements for the tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers.
The tin is just altered using the Tea Party papers and I made a ‘belly band’ to go around the tin which I stamped the ‘Remember’ sentiment from Life Definitions stamp set.
Now, if you want to get the Life Definitions stamp set then NOW is the time as its on sale as party of the Inventory Sale and is just $68.21 which is a saving of $22.74! It comes with 28 great sayings and so good for any occassion or scrapbook layout. To see what else is on sale in the Inventory Clearance Sale click here
Inside the tin …
I’ve covered the inside with matching Tea Party Designer Series paper and then popped in an acetate pocket which contains a 2010 calendar with each month on a separate sheet so you can mark dates for special occasions.
In the base of the tin I’ve attached a long post it note pad so you can jot down reminders, thoughts or ideas which you can then leave in the tin or stick it to the fridge or your mirror or anywhere you wish really! I’ve also included a matching pen to jot those notes down with!
I do hope you like this little set and I’ll be running this gift set as a class in February so stay tuned for more details on that class.
Thanks for stoppin by
Secret Stampin Sister
Posted by: | CommentsMorning All!!
Another lovely sunny day here and its forecast to be another hot one … better get the washing out and dry before that ‘late thunder storm’ hits.
Today I’m sharing with you the first card I received from my ‘Secret Stampin’ Sister’.
Secret Stampin' Sister Card
As you know I run a yahoogroup for Australian & New Zealand demonstrators and we’ve recently started a ‘Secret Stampin’ Sister Swap’. You are allocated one demonstrator to send card and gifts to for 3 months and the current round goes to end of December.
Now I’d really love to show you what I made for my Secret Stampin’ Sister however I dont want to spoil it for her and let her know who I am until the end of December! So you’re just going to have to wait until January to see what I created
This card is a lovely card and I just love getting happy mail in my letterbox! Its done using the lovely Great Friend stamp set in the Spring Mini Catalogue.
Just a reminder that the Spring Mini Catalogue finishes at the end of November so if there is anything in there that you ‘need’ you will have to order it before its too late!
So thank you to my ‘Secret Stampin’ Sister’ for my first card!
Thanks for stoppin by
Sweet and Pretty
Posted by: | CommentsLast Saturday I did a demonstration for one of my Stamp A Stack ladies and with this month’s Designer Series Papers promotion I wanted to show how well everything co-ordinates and how easy the colour matching really is.
I had seen this Convention swap card made by Lisa Beck from New Zealand which my up-line Tracey had received and this was just the inspiration I needed for the demonstration.
I don’t do many demonstrations and find it hard to work out what to do at the best of times so I really need to do more so if you want see some gorgeous products and get some for free then contact me today to book your demonstration in – I need all the practice I can get!
So after casing Lisa’s card I thought I’d make a little gift bag to match so made a box in a bag using the same paper from the Sweet Always DSP. I used the coordinating cardstock from the colours made in this pack.
Now if you look in your catalogue on page 132 where it shows the patterns of the papers in the Sweet Always DSP you will also see that there is a colour swatch there too showing you exactly what colours they’ve used in this paper pack. This is awesome as you dont have to try and work out whether its Pretty in Pink or Pink Pirouette or whether its Tangerine Tango or Pumpkin Pie! So now all you have to do is find the paper pack your using and the colour coordination is right there for you! How easy is that??
Here’s my Box in a Bag I made – very easy indeed – Ive just used Pumpkin Pie cardstock for the box base and Regal Rose for the tabs at the top. I’ve tied it up with some Pumpkin Pie Ribbon and embellished it with a couple of flowers from the Flower Fusion kit and a pretty rhinestone brad in the centre.
With my Box in a Bag here I have made a bag-a-lope from a Stampin Up C6 envelope. I’ve first run the Always in Bloom standard wheel over the envelope in Pink Pirouette then scored around the edges and folded the corners under. I’ve used the same layered style as on the card above. I just love using the eyelet border punch – it just gives projects an elegant lift. The heart stamp is from the Always stamp set.
Now as I was making these items I remembered the gorgeous little handbag that Keesh demonstrated at Convention – yes she was on stage presenting and did a fantabulous job too – as did a few of my other friends. Its so nice to know important people and to hang out with them! Seriously, its great to see such lovely ladies being recognised for the awesome talents and being asked to present up on stage.
How awesome is this little bag?
Its so very easy to make too – I love Keesh’s tutorials as she has lots of pictures and they arent too hard either and as most of you know – I dont do hard!!
Now do you see that little box? This is another one that is super easy and I was given the instructions by my lovely Diva friend Pat Washburn. I commented on one of her boxes she shared on the Diva’s group and she went to the trouble to write out the instructions and send them to me along with a sample all the way from USA – how sweet is she??
Well I hope you like these projects and as you can see all the Stampin Up products are so wonderfully coordinated that you no longer have to stress over the right shade of cardstock or search high and low for a stamp or embellishment to match – and you can do all this shopping from the comfort of your own home – I come to you and show you just how much fun it all can be.
Just a reminder too that there is only a little over one week left where you can join Stampin’ Up! for just $150 and you get an awesome box of goodies just for filling out the forms. You dont have to become a business demonstrator – you may just want to sign up and get the great discount I do and all the benefits of being a Stampin Up demonstrator without all the work! There is no pressure to do any more than you want to and no fees if you decide to buy nothing after getting the kit either. There are no annual renewal fees either.
If you would like more information about joining Stampin Up! or booking a demonstration (remember I need lots of practice for these) please feel free to either ring or email me.
Convention Swaps
Posted by: | CommentsCan you believe I am ’still’ trying to get back into the swing of things since returning from the Stampin’ Up! Convention in Canberra! Although, I do believe, some of the problem is dealing with the cooler weather which seems to have just shown up without a warning! I suffer from Fibromyalgia so the colder weather really does affect me to no end – must be time to visit my Dr and get a little extra help for the winter chills. Sometimes I really do think I should have been a bear and then I could just hibernate for the winter.
One of the great things about convention is the swaps. I only had time to make 40 swaps this year so they didnt last very long. These are the cards I made.
The card made with the Inspired by Nature stamp set I did in a variety of colours and some were done using Poppin Pastels technique and some where done using the Direct to Rubber with the markers.
So although I only did 40 swaps I still returned home with 40 different cards to inspire and case.
Two of the swaps I recieved I did case and use for my Stamp A Stacks last Saturday and Monday and the ladies really loved them too. I cased cards from two special friends – the lovely Kerri Hunter and Nicki Tidbold. These two great demonstrators have become very dear friends through Stampin’ Up! and I am blessed to called them friends.
This first one is the card I made after casing one of Kerri’s swaps. Its a simple but elegant card and very easy to make and all with just one stamp set – Pocket Silhouettes.
Recipe:
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Inks: Sahara Sand, Basic Black
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Accessories: Stampin Write Markers, Small Oval Punch, Sponges, Dimensionals
This second card was cased from one of Nicki’s Swaps.
This is another simple but elegant card and I’m a great admirer of Nicki’s work. She also did a presentation at convention on making Male themed cards which was awesome – well done Nic!
Recipe:
Stamps: Eastern Blooms
Inks: Regal Rose, Basic Black
Paper: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Sweet Always DSP
Accessories: Small Oval Punch, Sponge Daubers, Chocolate Chip 1/4″ Grosgrain, Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds, 2 way glue pen, Scallop Border punch.
So as you can see Convention is more than just going and attending the business talks and the make & takes – its also about friendships and the swaps!!
If you’ve been thinking that you’d like to try Stampin’ Up! to earn a little extra cash then now is the perfect time to join. You can choose to purchase the full Starter kit at just $324 or for the month of May you can join for just $150 by purchasing the Scrapbooking Starter Kit.
The Scrapbooking Starter Kit includes ….
| Item Code | Description | Retail Value |
| 112231 | Schoolbook Serif Alphabet stamp set* | $77.95 |
| 113059 | Simply Scrappin’ Petal Party | $36.95 |
| 108697 | Earth Elements Assorted textured card stock (12″ x 12″) | $21.95 |
| 105216 | Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin’ Pad | $11.95 |
| 103179 | Craft & Rubber Scissors | $37.95 |
You will also receive all the business tools you need to start with order forms, catalogues, dvd, sample sheets and so much more – you will also then receive a montly newsletter from Stampin Up highlighting techniques, tips and more samples! This along with being part of my lovely team so you’ll also get my team newsletters and access to a great team forum for even more help and inspiration – not to mention the demonstrator discount and all the rewards you can earn along the way.
One of the things that drew me to Stampin’ Up is that there is no pressure to perform or to do demonstrations and such – its all up to you just how much or how little you do. Its up to you if you want to be a hobby demonstrator and purchase products at a discount for you and your friends or if you want to do this as a business – you can also swap between the two at any time – its all up to you!
So if you’d like more information or maybe you have some questions regarding the cards I’ve shared today or about becoming a demonstrator then please email or ring me when its convenient for you.
Rose Memories
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You may remember this card I made for Stampin’ Up!® Convention Swaps last year.
I loved the tapestry look the linen background stamp gave and you really cant go wrong with Purple and Olive can you?
The Wild Rose stamp set gives this card the vintage feel as they are more like the old fashioned roses. This set is great value even if it does seem expensive at $69.95 as you get 12 stamps and you can create the loveliest cards with it – it has the large flower as shown on this card as well as stems, leaves and rosebuds and most have two stamps per image being a 2 step stamp set. The sentiment is from the Define Your Life stamp set which contains 28 stamps and it might be an idea to purchase this set too as the price may increase in the new catalogue due to the state of the exchange rate of the US Dollar.
One of my Stamp A Stack groups wanted to do this card but they wanted to do it with burgundy or red in place of the eggplant as they already had a eggplant/olive card chosen for today.
Here is what we are making today. Funny how those Cherished Teddies always seem to sneak into my photo’s!
This photo really doesnt do this card justice as I’m so happy with how changing a couple of colours has given this card such a fresh new look.
I’ve changed the mellow moss panel to using a piece from last years Enchante Designer Series Paper which it seems I still seem to have a few sheets of and I do love it so much.
The roses are done in Bravo Burgundy with the leaves done in Old Olive.
I do hope you like this card and if you’d like to see the Wild Rose set in action give me a call to arrange your demonstration. I wonder if we will get to keep this stamp set or if it will be on the Retired Stamps list due out 1st March.
Better get organised and off to my Stamp A Stack. Pop back later tonite or tomorrow for the Diva Sketch Challenge card.
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