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

Long time between scraps

It has been an inordinately long time since I completed a scrap page. I have been feeling the pull of it recently and it brought to mind a little conversation that I had with my sister over a year ago. In that exchange, my sister made me promise that I wouldn't devote myself to scrapping a hundred pages on my nephew, Shi Wei, and then neglect any other subsequent children of hers ... leaving them to wonder why Auntie Lin Mei loved Shi Wei the most.

So, here I am, wondering where are the pages of my baby niece, Shi Ying? Hmmmmmm ... I'd better set aside an album for her as a starting point! The following page will be the inaugural one.

After feeling rather guilty, I consoled myself with the fact I have yet to scrap a baby photo of Shi Wei ... so it is still early days for Shi Ying - phew! The other thing that I've noticed is that the recent supply of photos from my sister has slowed to a mere trickle so I think that it's time for me to remind her of her side of the bargain...

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black
Basic Gray
Cameo Coral
Pixie Pink

Stamp sets:
Calendar alphabet

Paper:
Pixie Pink CS
Raspberry Tart DSP
Vellum CS

Accessories:
1.3cm Circle Punch
Clear Buttons
Pretties Kit
Scallop Oval Punch
Sponge Dauber
Stampin' Pastels
Stampin' Write Marker in Basic Black
Summer Love Rub-Ons
White Grosgrain Ribbon

For my newsletter subscribers, I have to apologise for not posting a project featuring the custom coloured ribbon when promised. I lost the ribbon in amongst my scraps and I was hoping that it would float to the surface eventually. Needless to say, ribbon isn't particularly buoyant (especially without floaties) when immersed in scrap paper *sigh* Anyway, I applied Stampin' Pastels on another strip with a colour gradient starting from Pixie Pink to Basic Black. You should be able to spy it in the page above.

More than a tea bag bag

The second challenge set by Fiona during last month's cyberchallenge was to make a super adorable bag from a template available through the Stampin' Up! Australia demonstrators' website. Have a squizz at her very fresh and pretty version. I think the bag is awesome but it really needed some space to be more versatile. As it was, I could only imagine it being a bag to put tea bags in. I mean how much tea can a tea bag bag bag if a tea bag bag could bag tea??! In short, not much!

So, I adjusted the template a little to add some depth to the top flap and now it fits more tea to a 'T' ... or should that be fits to a 'T' more tea ... anyway ...

The top flap now also accommodates a teensy (possibly tea-nsy handle). I've found grosgrain ribbons work well but in this prototype I splurged on some pretteas ... um ... pretties! Isn't it a cu-tea? More like a cue for me to tee-off!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Tangerine Tango

Stamp sets:
Trendy Trees

Paper:
Haiku DSP
Tangerine Tango CS
Very Vanilla CS

Accessories:
Earth Elements Brads
Felt Fusion
Linen Thread
Paper Snips
Pretties Kit
Word Window Punch

Plainly for Jayne

Let's say, purely hypothetically, that you have an upline who has so much talent that it would take years to make a card that could impress her. One could embark on such a mission but the impact of the card would be seriously dulled by the fact that it had come five years too late!

So, I'd suggest using alphabet stamps. The great thing about these is that you can customise your papercraft project to suit its intended recipient. Use an alphabet set to create a card that is just for her by stamping her name so that there is no doubt that it's meant for her and no-one else. In doing so, I reckon that she would forgive you for not coming up with a truly amazing card that may have taken away whatever remaining youth you had, along with your hubby, children, house and, quite possibly, that box of chocolates that you had been keeping for a treat. Alphabet stamps or calamity - you've been warned!

Yesterday was Jayne's birthday and here is a picture of the card that I sent to her a couple of days ago - I'm sure that it would have made it to her by now but, if it hasn't, this may be the only record of its existence. I really hope that she liked it...

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Always Artichoke
So Saffron

Stamps:
Big Bold Birthday set
Baroque Motifs set
Defining alphabet
Lovely Letters alphabet

Paper:
Le Jardin DSP
Very Vanilla CS

Accessories:
Apricot Appeal Grosgrain Ribbon
Pretties Kit
Sponge Daubers
Theater Ribbon Originals

Early spring clean?

This poor blog is full of dust - I really have neglected it for too long. *attempt to dust corner* *choke* *cough* *comes out looking like a battered fish ready for the fryer* I have a litany of excuses to trot out but who has the time and inclination to read them all?

But I do feel the need to share the following. Three weeks ago, on greeting my family...like most adults, I got the raw end of the exchange with my little nephew: I gave him two Disney DVDs and he gave me a virus-laden kiss. So, after that, I spent most of my visit in Perth at my parents' and my sister's houses watching the Olympics, or watching my nephew, hoping that my cough would go so that I could have a coffee in good company in the sunshine. No such luck, though, as my chest only cleared on the day I boarded the plane back to Sydney *sigh* Nevermind - I, at least, have a few fun nephew stories to share in the next few posts.

One of the good things about the Perth visit was that I was just in time to wish my sister a happy birthday over Peking Duck. I thought long and hard about what card to make for her and ended up using my new favourite stamp set "Summer by the Sea":
Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Lovely Lilac
Passion Pink

Stamps:
Circle of Friendship set
French Flair (retired)
Summer by the Sea set

Cardstock:
Certainly Celery
Lovely Lilac

Accessories:
1" Circle Punch
Aquapainter
Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon
Cutter Kit
Pretties Kit
Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware
Watercolor Crayons in Bold Brights

This card makes me think of my sister's inner child and wishes that she would let her out a little bit more often. Sometimes there's just too much responsibility in being an adult! Speaking of which ... I'd better submit this and catch up with my backlog of mail and e-mails as a precursor to a Spring clean.

I'll have seconds

Our recent trip to China was awesome. But, now that I think about it, I realise that it was very food-centric. Sure we did lots of sight-seeing but that was just to whet our appetites for the main events - lunch and dinner! I suppose it is an indication of where my family's priorities lie, in general.

If you could overhear our descriptions of our trip, it would probably sound like this...
Friend: So, how was your trip to China?
Family: It was great! It started off badly, though, since we got a little ripped off by the tourist guide who recommended a Peking Duck that cost 10 times more that what we could get in Wangfujing.
Friend: Uh huh. And what did you see there?
Family: We went on some private tours to see the Forbidden City ...
Another family member: Don't bore them with the details - who cares what we saw? Just talk about the most important bits! The food was awful on those tours ... touristy all-you-can-choke-on buffets ... Yeah! DON'T go on tours - do it yourself, you'll eat much better.
Friend: Ok... did you climb the Great Wall?
Family: Sure did! The best part was when we got to the bottom and relaxed with a cold bottle of Coca Cola and went back to the hutong for a great dinner...This place was fantastic. Authentic food, and did we say it was sooooo cheap?!

This scrapbook page, the second to be posted on this blog, has the first picture that we took in China ... which was of our first meal in Beijing. See? I wasn't joking about our priorities. I've used a few items from the, as yet, unlaunched Stampin' Up! Spring Mini. The little polka-dot ribbon is attached to some hidden journalling which details what we ate (rivetting and top-secret¹ stuff!). Quickutz Chopsticks font was used for the title.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Groovy Guava
Real Red
VersaMark

Stamps:
Canvas Background
One of a Kind set

Paper:
Groovy Guava CS
Only Orange Textured CS
Real Red CS
River Rock CS
Summer Picnic DSP
Whisper White CS

Accessories:
Basic Eyelets
Boho Blossoms Punch
Crop-A-Dile
Fire Circle Rhinestones
Glue Dots
Mat Pack
Pretties Kit
Stampin' Dimensionals
Stampin' Write Journaler

---

1. This is sooooo top-secret that only people with access to the internet can read it!

It's the thaw that counts

Hasn't it been chilly in Sydney recently? The last couple of days have brought some relief in the form of warmer afternoons. I can tell this because when I sit at my keyboard, I'm not completely distracted by my frozen unresponsive fingers. The cold does nothing for the creative process since the more I compose, the more I'd have to type - and that means the painful cajoling of my fingers.

Mind: 'T'.
Left forefinger: Huh?
Mind: Type the letter 'T'.
Left forefinger: Are you kidding me? Do you realise how cold it is? *shiver*
Mind: Never you mind. Just hit that 'T' key.
Left forefinger: Nevermind?! Just...?! *splutter* Let me re-mind you...you're encased in a cosy temperature controlled environment. I, on the other hand, er..I mean this one, am freezing my joints off! Go away and let me huddle in the warmth of this pocket.
Mind: Come on! Just this teeny weeny exertion. No pain, no gain and all that.
Left forefinger: Hmmph! I'm warning you...if you don't leave me alone...
Mind: For goodness' sake! Move, I say, move!
Left forefinger: That's it! I'm rolling out the big guns. Wake up, bro! Time to rumble! Do your thing!
Left middle finger: Huh?
Left forefinger: You know! Stand up...Give mind the bird!
Left middle finger: Are you kidding me? Do you realise how cold it is? *shiver*

The following card represents very well what my mind and fingers have on cold days like those (hint: check out the sentiment on the card). The colours: Ballet Blue, Not Quite Navy, Pink Passion, Really Rust and Soft Sky, were chosen by Kari as her second challenge to us for the INKlings cyberstamp. It was a tough one! No pain, no gain...now, where did I hear this recently?

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Ballet Blue
Not Quite Navy
Pink Passion
Really Rust
Soft Sky

Stamps:
Boho Backgrounds set
Cheers and Wishes set
En Français background

Cardstock:
Naturals Ivory
Soft Sky

Accessories:
1" and 1 1/4" Circle Punches
Glue Dots
Pretties Kit
Scallop Punch
Soft Sky Double-Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon
Sponge Daubers
Stampin' Dimensionals

Kit one, pearl three

I can't believe that I haven't been parading my Pretties Kit around. If I could attach a leash to it and take it for a walk, I would! I suppose the fact that it doesn't have legs (or perhaps, more importantly, an animating force) could be a bit of a stumbling block. Then again, I would happily drag it around as long as its tin doesn't get damaged. Perhaps someone would offer to knit the kit a little outfit to protect it from severe gravel rash? Then I'd have a great excuse for some exercise. Walkies, Pretties! Here, Kit-ty!

I made the following card for the June Elite Challenge named "Perfect Rock", a colour challenge set by High Inkantationer Carol (another Carol-link!). The colours forming the challenge were Bashful Blue, Perfect Plum, Purely Pomegranate and River Rock. I'm dedicating the card to my Pretties Kit, from which I used three cream flat backed pearls. Being a hoarder, I'm sure that it hurt me more that my Pretties Kit!


Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Bashful Blue
Perfect Plum
Purely Pomegranate
VersaMark

Stamps:
Baroque Motifs set

Cardstock:
Perfect Plum Textured
Purely Pomegranate
River Rock
Whisper White

Accessories:
3/16″ Corner Rounder Punch
Clear Embossing Powder
Cutter Kit
Pretties Kit
River Rock Double-Stitched Grosgrain

I've included the close-up on the left for a better view of the embossing and one of the cream pearls. I reckon that the cream pearl tones in well with River Rock but I could be wrong!

A veek of Carol-link

Da! My Russian is very veak. [Who am I kidding? It is non-existent but I loved the pun on carolling.]

Gee, I can't quite believe that it has been a week since I posted the first challenge from the June INKlings cybercrop hosted by INKantationer Carol. The last of the three challenges, that she had set, was to make a box. I based mine on a pattern that she referenced from Kelly Lunceford. But, since I was too lazy to convert from inches to centimetres and too cheap to cut up a brand new piece of A4 cardstock, I used a couple of large offcuts and modified to suit the size of the scraps. As they say, "Laziness is the mother of invention"...or was that "father"? ... or maybe "necessity"? Da! Vatever!

The pristine white flower is from a Stampin' Up! Pretties Kit and a Chocolate Chip scallop was embossed using a Goosebumpz Flourish die for the corner. Love note envelopes fit perfectly in the box, which is why I've used the same design for eScaping. спасибо Comrade Carol!

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Chocolate Chip
Stamps:
Scatter Sunshine wheel
Cardstock:
Kraft
Old Olive
Accessories:
Chocolate Chip Grosgrain
Double-Sided Tape
Pretties Kit
Scallop Punch
White Gel Pen
White Grosgrain