Tail waggers

Stampin' Up! has announced that the following items have also been retired but were left off the published retired list. These can be ordered for an additional 15 days from 1-15 April or while quantities last.
108769 Aida Cloth
108721 All About U
108761 Business Boosters

Boxing up Boxing Week

Boxing Week is coming to an end ... and it is closing with a Pyramid Box (quite apt in a macabre sort of way). I used a Mirkwood Designs pyramid box template with a couple of modifications. The original template only has one tuck-in tab but I added one to each side of the base to increase its rigidity and to keep the contents from spilling out. The other change was to insert a slot into the middle tuck-in tab and two slots into the matching side so that the box could be sealed with a ribbon. The inset shows the bottom of the box - where the sentiment can be found.

I hope that you had a great Boxing Week and it's only two more days before the new SU! Idea Book & Catalogue is launched.


Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Brown
Elegant Eggplant

Stamps:
Artfully Asian set

Cardstock:
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Cream Grosgrain Ribbon
Watercolor Pencils

Earth Hour

I challenged myself to make a box during Earth Hour and this is the result:

Hmmm ... I guess the lack of lights didn't help any. I'll post a photo (using some lighting) tomorrow!

Boxing Week

Did you know that Boxing Week follows Easter just like Boxing Day follows Christmas? No? That's completely understandable since I've just made it up. BUT I'm declaring it Boxing Week on this blog. I've had a ball making these tiny boxes and when I received the Beautifully Boxed Cuttlebug Tag Team combo yesterday, I used one of the tags to top the following bitty box off:

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Cameo Coral

Stamps:
Scatter Sunshine wheel

Cardstock:
Cameo Coral
Whisper White

Non-SU!:
Cuttlebug Beautifully Boxed Tag Team
Diamantes/Rhinestones







The inset is of the back view so that you can see the embossed stripes (if the JPEG compression allows it).

Only 5 more days to the new SU! catalogue launch. Belle, a very talented friend of mine, posted a gorgeous beauty shot incorporating the new catalogue. Have a peek!

French friends

I hope that everyone has had a special Easter and that it was memorable in all good ways.

I'll just post a tiny off-the-page (and off-the-card!) project as I am sure that everyone is either still celebrating or making their way home. It iz a leeee-tle box for frendz uzing French inzpired stampz. That is about all the fake French accent that I can and would want to muster. Carte Postale and Leaves a la Carte stamps have made it from the Stampin' Up!® Summer Mini to the 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue so don't hurry to buy them!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
So Saffron

Stamps:
Carte Postale set
Leave à la Carte wheel

Cardstock:
So Saffron
Whisper White

Accessories:
White Grosgrain Ribbon

Non-SU!:
Cuttlebug Textile Embossing Folder
Quickutz Revolution Borders Die

Summer Mini's come and gone - almost

Stampin' Up!®'s 2007 Summer Mini is coming to a close at the same time as the current Ideas Book & Catalogue on March 31. Sadly, the very elegant Stem Silhouettes hasn't made it to the new Idea Book & Catalogue. I've seen some beautiful creations using it and was a little intimidated at being able to do it justice. But, hey, it's there to be played with ! *shrug*

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black
Handsome Hunter
Rose Red
VersaMark Stamp Pad

Stamps:
Kanji set (retiring soon)
Paisley background
Stem Silhouettes set (retiring soon)

Cardstock:
Handsome Hunter
Rose Red
Whisper White

Accessories:
White Grosgrain Ribbon



UPDATE: 1 April 2008
Summer Mini's come and gone so the catalogue link has been removed from the SU! site.

Blooming awesome

For those of you holding out on having a workshop, I'd like to show you my favourite hostess set in the catalogue that is expiring at the end of March. It is a level 1 set, so to get it free, all you have to do is host a workshop before April and, if the sales from it reaches $300, it's all yours ! Along with $30 of free products ! And, if that is not enough, book with me and you will get the new Idea Book & Catalogue 2008-2009 worth $12.95 just for having the workshop.

The Blooming with Happiness set has the prettiest, most feminine quality to it (imho). It has stamps for girly birthdays, friendship affirmations and fabulous frock events such as weddings (pointed out by belle over lunch) and graduation formals. Lovely !


Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black
VersaMark Stamp Pad

Stamps:
Blooming with Happiness set (retiring soon)
Canvas background

Cardstock:
Certainly Celery
Pretty In Pink
Regal Rose
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Mat Pack
Stampin' Dimensionals
Watercolor Crayons in Bold Brights


UPDATE: 1 April 2008
The 2007-2008 Idea Book & Catalogue link has been removed from the SU! site.

I love love

A friend of mine has been invited to a wedding so I offered to make her a wedding card. In designing a card, the first thing that came to mind was "Love". Then came the colour Red as it is the colour of love in the West and the auspicious colour in the East - perfect for a wedding. Since I love the elegance of Chinese characters I decided to use the soon-to-be retired Kanji set along with a Spellbinders Asian Sentiments die (as a stencil in this case) of the sinograph for love.


Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Chocolate Chip
Real Red

Stamps:
Kanji set (retiring soon)
Weathered background

Cardstock:
Chocolate Chip
Real Red
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon
Cream Grosgrain Ribbon
Red Grosgrain Ribbon
Sponge Daubers



Is it too radical ? Please let me know what you think ...

Retiring but not shy

A new Stampin' Up!® Idea Book & Catalogue is to be launched on April 1st. To make way for new products, many items from the current catalogue are being retired. Find out if any of your wishlist items are on the retired list as you only have until the end of March 2008 to order them.

My favourite Christmas stamp set Sleigh Full of Toys is retiring. This is a really versatile set as it has a lovely sentiment stamp, a couple of great focal point stamps perfect for watercolouring, stamps for gift tags as well as stamps that can be used for backgrounds. Also, how can anyone resist the cute little penguin with its proffered gift ? The following pop-up card was made using the biggest stamp in the set.


Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black
Encore!® Silver

Stamps:
Sleigh Full of Toys set (retiring soon)

Cardstock:
Gable Green
Real Red
Tempting Turquoise
Whisper White

Accessories:
Celery Grosgrain Ribbon
Stampin' Dimensionals
Watercolor Crayons in Bold Brights


UPDATE: 1 April 2008
The retired 2007-2008 Idea & Catalogue link has been removed from the SU! site.

UPDATE: 31 March 2008
Stampin' Up! has announced that the following items have also been retired but were left off the published retired list. These can be ordered for an additional 15 days from 1-15 April or while quantities last.
108769 Aida Cloth
108721 All About U
108761 Business Boosters

The list of retiring items is available at: http://www3.stampinup.com/au/ena/5575.asp

Products which are low in stock (so get in quick):
Stamp Sets
108771 COLLAGE NUMBERS
108833 HEADLINE ALPHABET
108836 HEBREW HOLIDAYS
108852 LABEL CLASSICS
108853 LETTERPRESS ALPHABET
108880 NEWSPRINT NUMBERS
108892 PLAY BALL
108897 PURE & SIMPLE ALPHABET UPPER
108907 SEASIDE SKETCHES
108933 TERRIFIC TULIPS

Stampin' Around Wheels
104893 TWINKLE

Accessories
104136 DESIGNER SERIES PAPER POOL PARTY
107239 TAG SHEETS CONFETTI WHITE & VERY VANILLA
105812 WRITE ME A MEMORY JOURNALING FONTS CD VOL I

Products which have already sold out (sorry !):
Stamp Sets
108731 ALL-YEAR CHEER I
108739 ARTIFACTS
108766 CHEESECLOTH
109074 CLASSIC NUMBERS
108824 GLAM GIRL
108834 HEADLINE NUMBERS
108848 IT'S SNOW TIME
108868 MADONNA AND CHILD
108885 ON WALKABOUT
108898 PURE & SIMPLE NUMBERS
108901 RENAISSANCE ANGELS
108956 WHIMSICAL ALPHABET UPPER
108957 WHIMSICAL NUMBERS

Hostess Sets
108814 FLOWERS FOR A FRIEND
108844 IN ANY EVENT
108865 LOVE IT

Stampin' Around Wheels
104070 BLOOMIN'
105750 BOUQUET
105518 BUILDER BITS
103296 CANDY CANE CHRISTMAS
102254 LOVE SWIRLS
105448 SIZE IT UP
104160 SQUARE PEGS
105033 WINGS & THINGS

Accessories
106581 BOXES & TAGS PETAL CARD BOLD BRIGHTS & EARTH ELEMENTS
107231 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL BUCKAROO BLUE
107228 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL CRANBERRY CRISP
107230 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL COOL CARIBBEAN
107227 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL MARIGOLD MORNING
107232 CLASSIC STAMPIN' INK REFILL VINTAGE VIOLET
104304 CORD SILVER
104328 CRAFT STAMPIN' INK REFILL VERY VANILLA
104281 ENCORE INK REFILL COPPER
104280 ENCORE PAD COPPER
103378 PUNCH CORNER ROUNDER SMALL
104407 PUNCH NOTCHED CORNER
102712 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BLACK
100538 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BLUEBIRD
105372 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" BURGUNDY
105373 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CELERY
105374 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CHOCOLATE
100455 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" CREAM
101926 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" LIGHT PINK
105378 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" NAVY
101156 RIBBON GROSGRAIN 1/4" TAUPE
107453 SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' ALL THE TRIMMINGS
101492 SPECTRUM PAD CELEBRATION
105579 SPECTRUM PAD COTTON CANDY
101336 SPECTRUM PAD PUMPKIN PATCH
103953 STAMP-A-MA-JIG IMAGING SHEETS
101460 STAMPIN' AROUND CARTRIDGE & REFILL WHISPER WHITE
103017 STAMPIN' AROUND INK REFILL WHISPER WHITE
100442 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER CLASSY COPPER
100963 STAMPIN' EMBOSS POWDER WHITE DETAIL
103648 STAMPIN' STACK

Emphasis used on items changed by the latest update
(Stock levels last updated 29 March)

First past the Publish Post button

Welcome to my Stampin' Up!® blog. It is really exciting to share my passion for cardmaking and papercrafts on the web - of course, exciting for me. My challenge is to make it interesting for you ... lest it be yet another blog in the cacophany of blogs in the World Wide Web clamouring for attention but getting no love. OK OK no promises that I will achieve this so don't hold me to it !

So, to start the whole thing off, I asked my husband which of my handmade cards he liked the most. After going through the whole card collection, his considered choice was the following:

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Bordering Blue
Old Olive

Stamps:
French Flair background (Summer Mini catalogue)
Heartfelt Thanks set
Kanji set (retiring soon)

Cardstock:
Bordering Blue
Night of Navy
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware




YES his favourite colour is blue BUT surprisingly he chose it because of the Very Vanilla matting on Night of Navy cardstock and the Hodgepodge Hardware. Such a thoughtful sweetie is he !

Thank you muchly for visiting.