I recently ran a Christmas Big Shot Class in which the ladies made various Christmas goodies using dies and folders and the Big Shot.

One of the projects we made was this Bauble card which was inspired by a card from Andrea Lowcock who has since informed me that her inspiration came from Leonie Hegarty. I think its just wonderful how even though we are all working for the same Company we are all more than happy to share our ideas and encourage each other – something that didnt happen with other craft companies I’ve been with.

Here’s my card ….

I just love this card … its such a queasy card

I simply cut the circles using the Circle Scissor Plus and used the Scallop Circle Die in the Big Shot to create the scalloped card base.  The top of the ‘bauble’ was created using the Round Tab punch. You simply stamp the greeting first and then randomly stamp the snowflakes from Snow Swirled Stamp set and pop on a few adhesive rhinestones and you’re done!

It also looks awesome hanging from the Christmas Tree – do you like my new  Penguin bauble? he was a new one this year

I do hope you’ve finished all your Christmas preparations and can now sit back and relax. If not then I hope it all comes together smoothly (and quickly) for you.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve

Its been a busy week and with the great Deals of the Week special its also been a good one

Today its time for another Utah Divas International Sketch from the lovely Carol.

I struggled with that diagonal panel so I decided to leave it out but I did put the circles on a diagonal.

I’ve used the lovely Spring Song stamp set which I received as a gift from the very lovely Andrea Buckland.

Andrea is a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator in Western Australia and was my Secret Sister in the last round of the ESAD Secret Sister Swap.  She is the lovely lady who has spoilt me over the past three months.

I hope you like this card as much as I did making it. I love that little sparrow!

Recipe
Stamps: Spring Song, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Paper: Always Artichoke, Autumn Days DSP, Soft Suede, Whisper White
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, Regal Rose, Old Olive.
Accessories: Circle Scissor Plus, 1 1/4″ circle punch, 1 3/8″ circle punch, 1 3/4″ circle punch, Dimensionals, Stamping Sponges, Aqua Painter.

This is such a lovely stamp set and using the softer colours makes it so soft and ‘springy’.  Thank you Andrea for this lovely stamp set.I thought that with the ‘green’ of the card you could still give this to a man and since Father’s Day is coming soon I thought I’d pop a Happy Father’s Day stamp from Teeny Tiny Sentiments on.

I have a demonstration tonight so I best make sure I have everything packed for that!

Now its time to skip over to the next blog of the Utah Divas International Sketch Team being the lovely Maxine Conrad. So leave a comment then pop over to Max’s blog to see what she’s created for this sketch.

It seems we’ve arrived at another Saturday and yes that means another sketch challenge from the lovely Carol. 

Simple enough hey? and look …. a circle!! I just had to use my Circle Scissor Plus for this challenge and I know I’ve done a few circles lately but I love that Circle Scissor Plus so much and it makes circles so so easy!

Here’s my first card ….

Yes you read that right … I did say ‘first’ card.

I love the Inspired by Nature Set and wanted to do a ‘grass’ card for a while and hopefully it has a bit of a manly feel to it.

I originally just had the En Francias stamp on the background layer but thought it looked a bit plain. Well my trusty Baroque Motifs helped fix that!

I do hope you like this card – I’m not totally sure about it.

Now while doing it I thought how nice it would be with the flowers from Inspired by Nature so I had to give it a go.

I’ve missed using my purples of late so grabbed them in the markers to colour the flower direct to the rubber of the stamp.

Its the same as the grass card but just in different colours and using the flower stamp.

I like this second card a lot more than the first however I do feel that some of that can be attributed to the use of eggplant and plum cardstocks and markers.

Now from this week we are doing something a little different with the sketch challenges. Usually I direct you to the Utah Divas blog for the other ladies on the design team however from this week there will be a link at the end of our posts directing you to the next design team member.

So without further a do I am happy to guide you over to Lorie’s blog. I met Lorie through Utah Divas group and since then we’ve become good friends – maybe its the passion we both have for stamping and chocolate – who knows!! Enjoy doing the rounds of the Utah Divas Sketch Challenge Team!

Thanks for stoppin by ….

Good morning everyone – I do hope you are well and not getting washed away with all this rain we are having in Sydney. We do need it and it is falling in the catchment areas so that’s a good thing as it means its going into our dams where we need it.

Thursday I shared with you two scrapbook layouts I made using the Circle Scissor Plus and at our SaleABration Spectacular I demonstrated using the Circle Scissor Plus and the different ways you can use it.

Today I want to share with you two cards I used as samples on the day.

This first card was done using the Sweet Always Designer Series Papers, coordinating cardstock and the A Kind Word and Always Stamp sets.

I showed the ladies just how easy it is to do frames with the Circle Scissor Plus without moving it. I’ve also thrown in a couple of our circle punches to show how well Stampin’ Up! products go together.

Not to let the boys out I even made a card for them!

This card uses the Windsor Knot Designer Series Papers, coordinating cardstock, and the All in the Family, On Your Birthday and the Calendar Alphabet & Numbers stamp sets.

I have layered the circles again for the main image and with the All in the Family stamp set its imperative you use the Stamp-a-ma-jig so all your images line up well.

I did try to not use it and my little girl (which is not shown here) ended up with fangs from the top of her dress! Not a good look for a little girls card – unless of course you’re doing a Twilight theme!!!

I am running classes this first term called “Tool Time” where I will highlight a tool and show you different ways of using your Stampin’ Up! tools. So many times we see them demonstrated and just ‘have’ to have it and then it get put on the shelf or in the cupboard to gather dust.

The first class will be on the Circle Scissor Plus and you will get to know this tool and make three projects using the Circle Scissor Plus.

Tool Time – Circle Scissor Plus

Date ~ 26th February, 2010
Time ~ 10.30am
Cost ~ $20.00
bookings essential

Thanks for stopping by

You may remember that I told you that I had been asked by the lovely Erika Martin to be on her ‘Soul Team’ for the Soul Scrappers forum – well today is my first challenge! So I do hope you will go to the forum and join in on the challenges and fun!

This is my very first Technique Challenge and I hope you like what I’ve done. This is all a bit daunting for me to be on a ‘Soul Team’ with such talented ladies!

I thought at first using circles was a bit basic but I do know that some are new to scrapbooking. It also doesn’t hurt to go back to the basics and revisit some of the techniques we did when we started scrapbooking and maybe use them in different ways.

Here is my first ‘circles’ layout ….

I’ve used the Stampin’ Up! Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin’ kit for this layout and my lovely new Circle Scissor Plus. I have fallen in love with this tool as it makes making circles so so easy!

I’ve incorporated the circle adhesive die-cuts from the Simply Scrappin’ kit and then cut some more with the Circle Scissor in coordinating colours for this layout.

The large scalloped circle I’ve done by cutting out the largest circle with the Circle Scissor then I’ve taken the guard off my corner rounder and gone all around the edge for the ‘scalloped’ look.

Here is a close up of the “I love You” on the bottom left and the “you mean everything” embellishment

To make the “You mean Everything to me” I’ve used sentiments from the Always stamp set and the frame is from the Frames with a Flourish set.

Now the circle scissor just doesn’t cut circles – you can also draw circles with it!

It comes with two attachments – one for cutting and a holder for drawing – now you can draw circles onto plain coloured cardstock to make your own circle patterned paper!

With this layout I took my piece of Specialty Designer Series paper from the Sweet Slumber pack and drew some circles in pencil.

I then used those pencilled circles as a guide for journaling,

Once I had finished and the ink was dry I just used an eraser to remove the pencilled circles.

Here is a close-up of the end of the quote and my “flower” embellishment.

I do hope you like what I’ve done and if you want to do this challenge please and join over at Soul Scrappers to participate in the challenge. Go to the Thursday Technique Challenge 3 post for all the instructions for this challenge.

I can’t wait to see what you make!

Well this week has just flown!  and no I wont say ‘it will be Christmas before we know it’ cos then I’ll only get in trouble.

Here is this week’s sketch from the loverly Carol!

I’m not sure how she thinks of so many different ideas but I am glad to say that I enjoyed using circles this week – yes you read that right!! Circles!!

Now I will let you in on a little secret … but its a secret … you cant tell anyone but in the upcoming Summer Mini Catalogue we have a new tool for you.  So you better start saving your pennies cos you will need one of these – its the awesome Stampin’ Up! Circle Scissor Plus!!

I just about had a heart infarction when I saw it in the catalogue and Ness will vouch for that as I was chatting online to her when I opened it. I’ve wanted this tool since it was introduced in USA and this is another advantage of being a Stampin’ Up! demo – they really do listen to their demonstrators!

Now when I envisioned this card in my head it was so nice and it just hasnt come out right but I have to share it as I have to bundle up the kits for tomorrow’s Stamp A Stack.

It does look alot better in real life as you cant see here that the wings on the butterflies lift and give it a little more dimension.

This was a case of my own card that I’ve made for tomorrow’s Stamp A Stack so I’ll share that on a later date.  I love this sheet from the Sweet Always DSP and that bird!  I love the pink and brown of this pack and even the pumpkin – and I have never met a pumpkin I didnt like!!

I love the saying I’ve used from Flight of the Butterfly – it says “hope your day is as happy as happy gets”  How nice is that?? Well I do hope you have a happy day and as happy as happy gets!!