Last post for today I promise

... for you ... and for me! Personally, four posts in one day is completely excessive and the only reason I am posting this last one is because I promised to let my newsletter readers know the tips for using the faux metal technique with jumbo brads.

You can see the technique in action as the flower centre on the card that I made for hubby for our anniversary today. There is a close up in the bottom left of the picture. By the way, I highlighted the debossed dots with a metallic silver pen.

So, here are the tips:
1. Use only two layers of black embossing powder - any more and it becomes a gooey mess.
2. Since the brad is metal, it gets very hot when you melt the embossing powder so use tweezers or a clip with a wooden handle to hold it while applying heat.
3. The heat also takes longer to dissipate. VersaMark your rubber and wait a little bit before making the impression - also hold the brad in place for a little longer than normal too.

So, that's it! Tips over and time to spend the evening with Hubby! Have a great night.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Sahara Sand
Taken with Teal

Stamp sets:
Cheer and Wishes
En Français
Occasional Greetings
One of a Kind
Sanded
Wonderful Favourites

Cardstock:
Basic Black
Basic Gray
Taken with Teal
Whisper White

Accessories:
Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon
Black Embossing Powder
Heat Tool
Pretties Kit
Sponge Dauber
Stampin' Write Markers in Neutrals

Give 'em the new Razzle Dazzle

(To the tune of Chicago's Razzle Dazzle)

Give 'em the new razzle dazzle
Razzle Dazzle 'em
Give 'em a card with lots of flash in it
And the reaction will be passionate
Give 'em the old hocus pocus
Brad, embellish 'em
How can they see with glitter in their eyes?

What if your lines all are askew?
What if you can't stamp without a tool?

Razzle dazzle 'em
And they'll never catch wise!

This card is to farewell the old and welcome the new. It sports some Jumbo brads and the Birthday Wish single stamp from the Spring Mini ending today and a sneak peak of the Razzle Dazzle stamp set, Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon and Circle Scissors from the Summer Mini which is launching tomorrow.

The scalloped large circle was made using the corner rounder and if this card wasn't for someone completely utterly special, I would have had second thoughts about doing it. By the way, it isn't for my sister ... and, by the way, that is NOT saying that my sister isn't completely utterly special either!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Lovely Lilac
Orchid Opulence

Stamp sets:
Birthday Wish
Razzle Dazzle
Wonderful Favourites

Cardstock:
Lovely Lilac
Orchid Opulence
Whisper White

Accessories:
Button Latte
Circle Scissors
Corner Rounder Punch
Jumbo Brads in Neutrals
Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
Stampin' Write Markers in Gable Green, Lovely Lilac, Orchid Opulence, Real Red, So Saffron

Parisian Breeze breezes by

I just had to post this little album before the Spring Mini ends. I made this for my cousin Kelvin and it features the truly inspiring Parisian Breeze Specialty paper that will be saying goodbye with the Mini. The cardweight is perfect for this album and everything about this paper makes me want to make stuff out of it!

Stampin' Supplies
Paper:
Kraft CS
Parisian Breeze Specialty
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Basic Eyelets (retired)
Crop-A-Dile
Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Chocolate Chip
Flower Fusion Too
Hemp Twine
Jumbo Brads in Neutrals
Trio Flower Punch




Don't you love how the Trio Flower Punch creates a punchie that layers perfectly on the Flower Fusion Too five petalled flower?

I've used a Quickutz Peppermint Spine die to make things easier but you could replicate it with a scallop edge punch and Crop-A-Dile. I also used a Cuttlebug Floral Borders die for the corner flourishes. The Kraft panel is actually a little pocket in which a photo can be inserted as the centrepiece of the album.

Reflection Technique Class

I had a most enjoyable class the other night with some of my terrific customers. We used the Reflection Technique for a Christmas card and a masculine card.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black

Stamp set:
Season's Surfin'

Cardstock:
Gable Green
Kraft
Real Red
Whisper White

Accessories:
Aquapainter
Stampin' Dimensionals
Stampin' Write Markers in Brilliant Blue, Creamy Caramel, Gable Green, Green Galore, Mellow Moss, Real Red
Watercolor Wonder Crayons in Bold Brights, Earth Elements, Soft Subtles


It's really weird - I have been attracted to Season's Surfin' recently but couldn't really put my finger on why. The palm tree, in particular, was stirring something pleasing in me and I only realise why today. It reminds me of Queensland and the Whitsundays, where Hubby and I spent our honeymoon. Today is our sixth wedding anniversary and I think that, subliminally, Season' Surfin' was reminding me of the marvellous time that we had there and that our anniversary was coming up fast! To think, a moment's reflection would have revealed all of this beforehand...

The following card has acetate layered over the Baja Breeze cardstock. I thought it was an evocative allusion to the reflective surface of water and provided a nifty way of supporting the Thinking of You sentiment in StazOn Cotton White.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Baja Breeze
Chocolate Chip
Cotton White StazOn

Stamp sets:
Lovely as a Tree
More Thoughts Simply Sent

Cardstock:
Baja Breeze
Kiwi Kiss
Whisper White

Accessories:
Aquapainter
Crop-A-Dile
Jumbo Brads in Antique Brass
Sponge Dauber
Watercolor Wonder Crayons in Earth Elements

Stampin' Up! Australia's Spring Mini ends today and with it Season's Surfin' and the Cotton White Stazon.

Where's the chocolate chip?

This is a card that I've been demonstrating in my Emerging Colour classes. Funnily enough, in each of the classes, someone has asked me at the commencement of proceedings where the chocolate chip cardstock was to be found. As it turns out, it is in the chocolate chip ink pad just busting to get out.

Another funny thing was at each event, someone brought up Boho Backgrounds as a set that piqued their interest - a stamp set that made it from last year's catalogue into this year's which practically means that it has fallen off the radar (Lovely as a Tree is an exception). And they said that before seeing my sample! Freaky, no? *plays Twilight Zone music*

I think that it is a sign that Boho Backgrounds is due for a resurgence!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Baja Breeze
Chocolate Chip
Sahara Sand

Stamp sets:
Boho Backgrounds
Circle Circus
Oval All
Petal Pizzazz

Paper:
Baja Breeze CS
Kraft CS
Parisian Breeze Specialty
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Brayer
Button Bouquet
Clear Embossing Powder
Double-Striped Grosgrain Ribbon in Baja Breeze
Heat Tool
Large Oval Punch
Mini Glue Dot
Scallop Border Punch
Scallop Oval Punch
Sponge Dauber

PS: I know a sample size of two classes isn't anywhere close to statistically significant but it was significant to me!

SNAIL mail

Jillian, my sister demonstrator, recently RAK'ed the INKlings with an offer SNAIL in the mail - which I kinda pounced on. I say "kinda" because it sounds marginally better than the unadulterated "pounced on" which is pretty much the truth (and I say "pretty much" for the same reason as I used "kinda"!). For her tremendous generosity, I thought I'd give her a notebook...I imagine you all must be completely over my covered notebooks by now so this will be my last for a little while...that is, if I can help it!

The colourful foliage sheet from the Walk in the Park DSP is my favourite from the pack and I used it for a notebook so that I could keep it and stroke it. Of course, it was covered in plastic so that my stroking would leave no fingerprints on the paper. Also, I didn't think that the book needed anything more in terms of embellishment since the pattern and colours of the DSP make enough of a statement.

Due to Jillian's RAK, I decided to part with this so that it would have an exciting new home to experience and be heartfelt thanks for her favour. So farewell notebook ... and thank you, Jillian!

Stampin' Supplies
Paper:
Cameo Coral CS
Walk in the Park DSP

Accessories:
Eyelet Border Punch
So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon

Masculine card that's a breeze

One of my favourite sets from the Spring Mini is Uncharted Territory. It is a snap to make a card for men using it and I think it would be great for scrapbook pages featuring coastal destinations (especially those with lighthouses...was that a little obvious?).

Anyway, I love teaming it up with the gorgeous Parisian Breeze Specialty paper that is also only available until the end of November. The colour scheme is rugged and seaworthy and suits the images in the stamp set perfectly. The amazing thing about the Parisian Breeze paper is that every sheet has a side which is feminine with a masculine other side making it incredibly versatile.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Baja Breeze
Basic Gray
Chocolate Chip
Sahara Sand

Stamp sets:
Best Yet
Uncharted Territory

Paper:
Baja Breeze CS
Kraft CS
Parisian Breeze Specialty
Watercolour Paper
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Aquapainter
Large Oval Punch
Small Oval Punch
Sponge Dauber

More notables

Two of my awesome customers, Ruth and Bonny, accompanied me along with one of my fabulous downlines, Joyce, to the Stampin' Up! Australia Sydney Regionals on Saturday.

Of course, I appreciate all of my customers (!) but Ruth and Bonny have been amazing as they have hosted and attended classes throughout the year and firmly refuse to be demonstrators even though they would have made stellar ones and saved quite a bit in the process...I'd almost be worried that they are reading this and change their minds but they know about the demonstrator opportunity already and I'd be grateful with them enjoying Stampin' Up! with me as either *beam happily* So to show my appreciation, I made the following notebooks for them:

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Baja Breeze
Basic Gray
Chocolate Chip
Kiwi Kiss

Stamp sets:
Defining alphabet
Gallery
One of a Kind

Paper:
Basic Gray CS
Walk in the Park DSP
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Baja Breeze Corduroy buttons
Boho Blossoms punch
Button Latte
Brads Jumbo Neutrals
Brads Silver
Chocolate Chip Double-Stitched Grosgrain

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Baja Breeze
Chocolate Chip

Stamp sets:
Best Yet
Gallery
Lovely Letters alphabet

Paper:
Baja Breeze CS
Chocolate Chip CS
Walk in the Park DSP
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Baja Breeze Corduroy buttons
Boho Blossoms punch
Brads Jumbo Neutrals
Chocolate Chip Grosgrain
Curly Label Punch Bundle
Flower Fusion Too
Heat Tool
White Embossing Powder

Thanks so much, Bonny and Ruth!

Taking note

... and giving notebooks. Other than blinging jumbo brads, I've been busy decorating notebooks as gifts for some noteworthy people in my life. The first one was a birthday gift to Joni, who has been a friend from the first full time job I ever had in Sydney. Being a technologist, I'm not sure if she will get much use out of this but it may come in handy for making paper aeroplanes or writing messages to be inserted into bottles should she ever happen to be stranded on a deserted island. You just never know when a piece of paper may save your life!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Chocolate Chip
Close to Cocoa
Sahara Sand

Stamp sets:
Defining alphabet
Lovely Letters alphabet
No One Like You

Cardstock:
Chocolate Chip
Kraft
Whisper White

Accessories:
Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets
Chocolate Chip Double-Stitched Grosgrain
Crop-A-Dile
Eyelet Border Punch
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

Bling it on, Brad!

I love a big Brad even more than Angelina Jolie. Rewind! Actually, I can't say for certain that Angelina loves big Brads or even which size ones she has, but I can say that I love 'em - big and small. At the moment, I'm having a ball playing with the Jumbo Brads in the Spring Mini and adding lots of colour and sparkle to them with my heat tool, heat and stick powder and fine glitter. Makes them almost red carpet worthy, imho...

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Kiwi Kiss

Stamp sets:
A Great Friend

Paper:
Pink Pirouette CS
Walk in the Park DSP
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Fine Supernova Glitter
Flower Fusion Too
Heat and Stick Powder
Heat Tool
Jumbo Brads
Round Tab Punch
Small Oval Punch

Who would have thought that these brads came in neutrals?

Gift card card

I'm posting a rather multi-function card today - firstly, it is multi-challenge card since it was made for this month's Elite sketch and colour challenges. And secondly, it hides a gift card under the Mellow Moss front panel...which makes the whole ensemble a gift card card! I've put a little tag as a hint to the recipient that there is something worth opening on Christmas Day.

It's all make-believe, however, since the hidden gift card is just an expired discount card, the card itself is a mere card front and, thankfully for the recipient, the card won't be given to anyone. The embossing, as difficult as it is to see in either of the pictures, is real though...truly it is...

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Always Artichoke
VersaMark

Stamp sets:
Season of Joy
Winter Post

Cardstock:
Always Artichoke
Mellow Moss
Riding Hood Red
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
1 1/4″ Circle Punch
Clear Embossing Powder
Designer Label Punch
Heat Tool
Linen Thread
Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain
Sponge
Stampin’ Dimensionals
Stampin’ Write Markers in Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Ruby Red

Travel notebook

Hubby and I have just returned from a wonderful jaunt to Phillip Island to attend the wedding of a dear friend and his lady love. The weather was fine and hot (perhaps a little too warm as my decolletage now looks like I dropped a tub of red blush all over it) and the garden setting, with Westernport Bay as the backdrop, was beautiful. The highlight for me was their exchange of vows, which they composed themselves - touching, sweet and so very moving. I have to keep their names secret or I'd have to erase this blog after posting and, well, that'd just defeat the whole purpose of posting! But I'm wishing them lots of love and laughter as they head into their first holiday season in married bliss.

Accompanying me during this memorable trip was this little notebook that I decorated using a standard exercise book. After embellishing the cover, I slipped the book into a plastic cover to protect it from spills and stains. I then used White StazOn to stamp a damask pattern on the plastic cover to add a little more interest and light. Because I'm me, I used the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig and lots of ruled lines to make sure the pattern was even...

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Certainly Celery
Lavender Lace
Perfect Plum
StazOn Cotton White

Stamp sets:
24-7
All Scallops
Lovely Letters
No One Like You

Cardstock:
Certainly Celery
Whisper White
Pale Plum
Perfect Plum

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch Stamp-A-Ma-Jig	[back of the notebook]
Stampin' Write Markers in:    Certainly Celery    Pale Plum    Perfect Plum

Christmas Gift-Giving Guide Promotion

From 1 November until 14 December, you will receive a choice of a super useful Scallop Square punch or a pretty Boho Blossoms punch valued at $30.95 when you spend $85^* on any of the following products:

IB&C Page	Name	Item Number	Price*
Gifts for Neighbours
137	I Wish Simply Scrappin' kit	112193	$36.95
128	Real Red 12" x 12" card stock	106545	$14.50
151	Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon	109054	$14.95
130	Small flat cellophane bags	103104	$7.50
153	Curly Label Punch Bundle	112966	$65.95
126	Kiwi Kiss A4 card stock	116204	$10.50
127	Whisper White A4 card stock	106549	$13.50
150	Riding Hood Red 5/8" striped grosgrain ribbon	111374	$19.50
93	From the Kitchen of stamp set	115810	$52.95
Gifts for Card Makers
142	Thanks x 2 Simply Sent Card Elements & More kit	116809	$48.95
143	More Thoughts Simply Sent kit	116810	$83.95
142	2U Simply Sent Card Elements & More kit	116808	$48.95
143	No One Like You Simply Sent kit	116811	$83.95
Stocking Stuffers
155	Cutter Kit	106958	$33.95
151	Button Latte Designer buttons	114333	$15.50
151	Button Bouquet Designer buttons	112092	$15.50
150	Dress Up Ribbon Originals (2.7 m of each)	114317	$24.95
150	Valet Ribbon Originals (2.7 m of each)	114318	$24.95
150	Pigtails Ribbon Originals (4.5 m of each)	114316	$27.95
Gifts For Scrapbookers
136	Petal Party Simply Scrappin' kit	113059	$36.95
137	Rock-a-Bye Girl Simply Scrappin' kit	112165	$36.95
137	Rock-a-Bye Boy Simply Scrappin' kit	112172	$36.95
138	Sweet Nothings Simply Scrappin' kit	113925	$36.95
138	Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin' kit	113936	$36.95
Gifts for Kids & Teens
67	Just Jawing stamp set	115828	$45.95
128	Bold Brights A4 assorted card stock	106560	$14.50
128	Real Red Stampin' Write marker	100052	$5.75
128	Brilliant Blue Stampin' Write marker	100057	$5.75
128	Glorious Green Stampin' Write marker	100047	$5.75
147	On Board 5" x 5" Art Journal	108495	$13.50
152	Spiral punch	108341	$20.95

* Does not include Stampin' Up!'s shipping and handling charge of 5% of the product total or $5.95 whichever is greater.