Spot the difference

The difference is day and night! This is the same card as in the previous post (no kidding!) - only taken during day without my ham-fisted attempts to adjust the lighting. I've learnt my lesson...don't do tonight what you can do tomorrow (in daylight, that is).

Flashy Sassy

I've only just finished making this card. As it is evening, I had to use a flash to take a photo of it - which always causes colour fidelity problems. I then spend ages fiddling with it in Photoshop to remove the additional yellow ... and then over edit the thing. *sigh*

In any case, this is the first card that I have posted using Sassy Stems. This surprises me as it is one of my favourites. The colour scheme is a little radical this time as there is a rather abrupt change of pace from the pastel Green Gable to the vivid Pink Passion cardstock and Apple Green ribbon. Also, as I didn't like the look of Pink Passion directly on Orchid Opulence, I used a white pigment ink pen to outline the Pink Passion corners. What do you think of the end result?

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Black
VersaMark Stamp Pad

Stamps:
Canvas background
Sassy Stems set
Seeing Spots set

Cardstock:
Gable Green
Orchid Opulence
Pink Passion
Whisper White

Accessories:
Apple Green Ribbon (retired)
Mat Pack
Watercolor Crayons in Bold Brights

Au lait!

The shackles of being shaped have been lifted! To celebrate, I'm posting a milkshake shape - a tiny milk carton specifically. Made for a team challenge, this is based on a tutorial by Beate Johns. The repeated words on the label took a lot of Stamp-A-Ma-Jigging! As usual, I couldn't resist using a scalloped edge die cut and my trusty Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder for added texture.

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Chocolate Chip
Not Quite Navy
Sage Shadow
Very Vanilla Craft (retired)

Stamps:
Carte Postale set
Leaves à la Carte wheel

Cardstock:
Chocolate Chip
Not Quite Navy
Sage Shadow
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon
Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

OMG! We've been shaped down!

Hubby and I are normally sitting pretty on our broadband plan. He has a little gadget on his desktop which shows our daily usage and we usually track just under our quota. But, just yesterday, we blew our limit and we've been shaped...for one-and-a-half days! Using the internet is now like watching grass die (which, in turn, is like watching grass grow...only sadder and accompanied by a lot of wailing). On the bright side, it gives me a chance to make something today.

For 80s children out there, this is to the tune of Bob Seger's Shakedown from Beverly Hills Cop 2:

Shaped down
Breakdown
Takedown
We just used too much of the crowded line
Shaped down
Takedown
We're busted

Let down
Our guard
Honey, just about the time we're thinkin' it's all right
Shaped down
Takedown
We're busted

For all others, the original. PS It only took half an hour to download at dialup speed.

Daylight Saving Leaves

Yep! It is that quirky time of year when we have Groundhog hour ... where we, in New South Wales, get to experience 2am till 2:59:59am twice in one day. This is the payout we get for surrendering the extra hour last year when daylight saving started. But I want to know where is the interest? Don't we get 10 minutes extra for saving these six months?

Here is a card full of leaves - in honour of daylight saving leaving:

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Basic Brown

Stamps:
Artfully Asian set

Cardstock:
Barely Banana
More Mustard
Whisper White

Accessories:
Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware
Cream Grosgrain Ribbon
Stampin' Dimensionals
Watercolour Pencils

Just in CASE: a CASE in point

Sometimes, when you haven't got much inspiration and you are short of time (birthday party tonight!) and you really want to give a handmade card, you may just have to CASE. There are a few versions of what CASE stands for (mine is Copy And Somewhat Edit) but essentially it means basing the layout of your card on one that you like and changing it to suit your preferences and supplies.

Last night, my upline, Jayne, posted a challenge to CASE from a random page in the new Idea Book & Catalogue. Mine was from page 87 and the result was:

Stampin' Supplies
Ink:
Orchid Opulence
Tempting Turquoise

Stamps:
Carte Postale set
Seeing Spots set

Cardstock:
Orchid Opulence
Tempting Turquoise
Very Vanilla

Accessories:
Light Orchid Grosgrain Ribbon
Turquoise Grosgrain Ribbon
Mat Pack
Stampin' Dimensionals

As I did not have the new scallop punch, I had to make do with two flowers cut using a Spellbinders Flower Creations Die. Also, a Cuttlebug Circle Die was used in place of the Stampin' Up! 3.2cm circle punch (my defense is a 3.2cm circle is a 3.2cm circle!). I embossed the turquoise flower using a Cuttlebug Textile Embossing Folder just to differentiate the flower a little from the turquoise background.

Happy SU! Year

It's New Year's Day for Stampin' Up!® in Australia. And with the new year comes the new 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue containing new stamp sets, new In Colors (yes SU! is an American company), new accessories and, most of all, new inspiration.

The 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue has an RRP of $12.95. I'll include a link to the new online version as soon as it ... well... comes online. I've also started a new e-newsletter - sign up if you'd like to check it out as the first instalment will be available as soon as the new catalogue can be linked to. The newsletter details a special on the catalogue for any intrepid subscribers.

Happy SU! Year!

Update 12:10pm: Yay! 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue is now online and so is my e-newsletter.

2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue Corrections & Write-Ins

The following changes apply to the 2008-2009 Idea Book & Catalogue.

Catalogue Corrections

Page	Item #	Item	Correction
79	108755	Blossoms Abound stamp set	The Blossoms Abound stamp set is a Two-Step Stampin' set. The logo was omitted.
88	104401	1-3/8" Circle punch	The punch at the bottom of the page is misnamed. The item code and price listed are for the 1" Circle punch, not the 1-3/8" Circle punch.
132	106588 and 106589	C6 envelopes	These items include 40 envelopes per package, not 20 as printed.
132	106523	Five-in-One Card Cover	The image shown is incorrect. The following image is correct.
146	109035	Always Artichoke 1/4" grosgrain ribbon	Swatch shown is incorrect. Always Artichoke ribbon coordinates with Always Artichoke card stock and ink.

Catalogue Write-ins

Item #	Item	Price	Description
106686	Spring Flowers Designer Series paper	$11.95
106685	Spring Showers Designer Series paper	$11.95

Discontinued or Temporarily Unavailable Items

Page	Item #	Item
132	101307	Gift Cards & Mini Envelopes Now available as 107312
148	103280	Embossing Kit
151	105525	Forget-Me-Not-Keeper