As you know I love to make cards and gifts for others and love to share what I do with whoever wants to know or learn.

I also happen to love receive these things as well and I am so very touched when I get these things and to know that while someone was making it they were thinking of me. I have been so blessed with friends since taking up stamping and more so when I joined Stampin’ Up!® and became a demonstrator.

Last week I did a demonstration for a lovely friend who rewarded me with a thank you card for doing her demonstration. I was so very touched and told her “I give you the thank you’s not you give them to me!”

She also made the little treats for all her guests as well! How very thoughtful of her dont you think?

Carol used the Sale A Bration  Botanical Blooms and the Outlined for Fun set to make the card and also added those lovely (and very sharp) hat pins from the Pretties Kit.

Here is the card opened – isnt it just divine?

Thanks so much Carol for having the demonstration with me and blessing me with your friendship over the last few years.

Then just this morning as my parcel guy was delivering several large boxes there was also a post-pak as well and wondered what it was as I wasnt expecting anything else. It was from the very lovely Tanya!

I opened the package to reveal this lovely wrapped gift. I think Tanya knows me a little too well as it was wrapped in the Forever Friends gift wrap and I just love those bears!

So I unwrapped the gift to reveal an awesome Concertina File for Memo’s, Receipts, Shopping Lists and To-do. Now I wonder if she thinks I need help in this area?? lol

How nice is this folder??

Here is the folder closed showing the lovely flower from Echoes of Kindness – a set I’m very quickly falling in love with!

I love the Outlaw papers and am sorry to see these go but am loving all the new Designer Series Paper packs available in the new catalogue.

Thanks Tanya for going to so much work and for posting this to me and without a word you sneaky girl!

Now I did say I received several boxes today didnt I ??

So yes I have new stamps to create with and share with you – now to just find the time to sit and create!

Until next time …

I’ve been busy creating today so I’ll have some cute things to show you in upcoming posts.

I have a few workshops in the upcoming week so had to get busy preparing for them! One of my beautiful hostesses asked me to show them the CropADile and the jumbo eyelets so who am I to say no??  So this is what I’ve made ….

I have made these double pocket bags before but never in ‘dude’ or ‘autumn’ colours and since it is now Autumn here I thought I’d go with the Outlaw Designer Series Paper since I have a bit of this still and only a few days left till its retired.

I am VERY happy that Lovely as a Tree has not been retired (insert cartwheel) as I just love this set so much and its so very versatile! Although i do think this is the first time I’ve used the large oak leaf as the main image. 

I’ve just randomly coloured the leaf with my markers (Really Rust, Mellow Moss and Pumpkin Pie) and stamped it onto Naturals Ivory I’ve then stamped it again on another piece of Naturals Ivory so this second image is a little faded and the sentiment I stamped over the leaf for the card is easier to see. The sentiment is from God’s Blessings stamp set which has great sayings for any occassion and although the set is called God’s blessings the sayings arent all overly religious so it makes a great all round sentiment set.

Here is a close up of the little gift card – which measures 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 and fits perfectly into our bag so it can be slotted into one pocket and you could pop a gift card, voucher, small chocolate bar or sachet of  coffee in the other pocket

Now have you noticed what ribbon I’ve used on this card??

Yes we will have 1/4″ Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon back in the new Idea Book & Catalogue – how good is that?? I know a few of my customers have been asking for it to come back so their wish has been granted!

It is so wonderful to work with a company that actually listens to their demonstrators and customers!

Hope you like this litle duo and if you’d like me to show you how to make this bag then contact me to arrange your demonstration or put your name down for my upcoming Bags, Boxes & Bows class.

I just love to make these little minibooks and they are great for any occassion.

I ran some classes last year making them and one of my regular groups asked for them again but in different papers and they chose the outlaw papers. I love the rustic look of these papers and will miss them when they retire next week.

I’ll miss alot of the Designer Series Paper packs that we’ve had this past 12 months but I will tell you that the new papers are just divine and there is a new special textured pack in the upcoming catalogue as well so cant wait to get my hands on those!

I have also used some of the retiring stamp sets to complete the project and the sets I used are Forever in my Heart and Sealed with a Kiss. I also used A Happy Heart from the Summer mini catalogue.

Now if you want any of the items used in this project they will all be retiring/finishing on 31st March so that gives you just one week to get your order and payment to me.

Remember to check the retirement list to make sure you have got all the sets that you want in your collection as I wont be able to order them after 31st March and they are only available while stocks last.

With all the products retiring I took the opportunity to create with the gorgeous Outlaw Designer Series Papers.

My group on friday wanted to do some of my ‘more involved’ cards in lieu of their regular Stamp A Stack so I made another little surprise card for them using the Outlaw Designer Series Pack and the Wanted stamp set – which thankfully isnt retiring!

I havent done a pocket card for a while so thought this would be a nice change and gives my customers a new style to play with.

Making this card also demonstrates (again) how well the stamp sets and punches co-ordinate.

Recipe:
Stamps: Wanted
Paper: Outlaw DSP, Sahara Sand, Sage Shadow, Naturals Ivory, Really Rust and Chocolate Chip cardstock
Inks: Whisper White craft Ink, Really Rust and Creamy Caramel Classic Ink, Versamark.
Accessories: Scallop Circle PUnch, Small Star Punch, 3/4″ circle punch, corner rounder punch, 5/8″ chocolate chip grosgrain, Twine, Stampin Pastels, Antique brads.

The girls were very impressed with how this one turned out and liked that it turned out so well and was fairly simple to make.

Will be back later with the Diva Sketch Challenge card.

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Here we are at another Sketchy Saturday and it has been rather sketchy here with horrid Sydney Summer heat and me with a horrid headache with a little nausea thrown in for the fun (not) of it!

Here is todays Diva Sketch Challenge #14 set by Alicia. When I first saw it I thought it was a tad plain and I wanted to do something a little different and I know my ‘circle’ is not in the middle like the sketch and I’v just realised I’ve changed the orientation and that bar across the middle …. I suppose these sketches are open to interpretation arent they?? I hope its ok :/

Here is what I came up with.

I was going for the ‘rustic’ look and think its just about there.

I’ve used the Outlaw Designer Series Papers and the Wanted stamp set.

I’ve also used a chipboard ring from the On Board Blossoms and Basics and used a scalloped circle from Sizzix and using my Big Shot machine.

I’ve also added some wide stitched brown grosgrain, twill and a buckle from the Hodge Podge. I frayed the twill ends to give it a bit of a worn look.

I do hope you like it – its not exactly what I’d thought of at first but sometimes the original idea is nothing like the finished project.

I tried taking a close up so you can see the pieces to the wheel. The chipboard and natural ivory is raised with Stampin’ Dimensionals and the centre image is also raised with Stampin Dimensionals.

I do hope my variation from the original sketch is ok and that you like what I’ve done. Dont forget to check out the Utah Diva’s Blog to see what the other girls created.

Now I’m taking myself and my bewdiful headache back to bed.

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I’ve been meaning to do this card since the tutorial popped onto Splitcoast Stampers but never found the time.

So I took the opportunity to demonstrate these at a recent demonstration. I’ve adjusted the size from that of the tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers so it fits on A6 card.

I’ve done one using Berry Bliss Designer Series Papers and One of a Kind stamp set and the other is using Outlaw Designer Series Papers and True Friend Stamp set. Just on those two stamp sets – as they are in the Spring Mini Catalogue you only have until the end of November to purchase them.

If you visit my blog regularly you will know that I love the Berry Bliss papers. I just love pink and brown together!

I have often said that one of the wonderful things about Stampin Up! is how all their products coordinate so well together and the Berry Bliss coordinates with the One of a Kind stamp set perfectly as it has some of the images in the papers.

It sure does make matching things up alot easier and you dont have to stand around working out which colour cardstock goes with the patterened papers as its all done for you! So that means you have more time to play and create!

The main image on the front is in three layers to give it dimension. The middle flower is in pretty in pink and cut out and stuck straight onto the larger flower. The middle flower is stamped in Purely Pomegranate and adhered with a Stampin Dimensional.

Hopefully you can see the layers in the next photo.

The second card I made was in the Outlaw Designer Series Papers and again these papers use images from the True Friend stamp set.

I’ve used the colours from the Outlaw papers to stamp my images in and the flower image on the tag was done using the markers direct to the rubber stamp and then stamping the image onto naturals ivory cardstock.

I do love these sets and will be sad to see them finish at the end of November however I did receive the new mini Summer Catalogue today and this one starts December 1 and I must say that its gorgeous! With lots of lovely new stamps, papers and accessories! The only dilemma will be what to buy first??

Have a great day and if you’d like to learn how to make these double diagonal pocket cards then contact me as soon as possible to arrange your demonstration!

Monday I told you about a couple of my Stamp A Stack groups wanting “Man Cards” – I am still amazed at these cards and how they turned out.

This is the first one I made and had contemplated exchanging the set as I just didnt think I could do it justice until my good friend Nicki shared some of her creations with it.

I am pretty pleased with this and how it turned out to say the least. Its a very simple card and I even researched the knot on Wikipedia so I hope you’re all proud of me! It also makes a great card for a Stamp A Stack or swap.

Recipe:

Here are a couple more ‘man cards’ I made on the weekend.

I really did enjoy creating with the Outlaw papers and the Wanted stamp set – one that I thought I’d never buy! The Priceless card on the right is a case of this card by Margaret Raburn.

I am pretty pleased with how these turned out too and just love how Stampin’ Up! make stamps to suit their punches … or is it that they have punches to suit the stamps?? Just another way the products all coordinate so well!

If you’d like to make these cards then contact me to book your “Manly” Stamp A Stack in today!

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