Three Little Owls

Just how cute is the new Two Step Owl punch?  It was the first thing I ordered from the new catalogue :)

I punched out three different colours of cardstock, Riding Hood Red, Cake Crumb and Early Espresso and one set from a scrap of the Love Letters designer series paper.

This gave me enough pieces to create three happy chappies - and a few branches from the Two Step Bird punch and hey presto they had something to sit on.

The sentiment is from the Perfect Punches stamp set - I used a Riding Hood Red marker to colour just the words in and the Stamp-a-ma-gig to line it up.  Of course a Top Note Die Cut is the perfect way to frame the owls - a little bit of daubing and a lovely piece of Early Espresso taffeta ribbon and the card was finished in no time.

I think this little owl will feature a lot this year ... I've seen some lovely ideas to create other things with the same punch - watch this space for more ideas.

Making Merry Monday

Oh it's been a while hasn't it ... Monday's have become the new SAM Challenge day, or my day for showing a design on another site ... or just a bad day altogether LOL

I recently took part in a Christmas swap with some other Stampin' Up! demonstrators ... and here's my swap idea.

I've used the new Jolly Holiday paper and created a stripy Top Note die cut which I have then trimmed and wrapped with a piece of Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon and an embellishment made from the Perfect Punches stamp set.  I used the little snowflake stamp from the Punch Pals set with some Versamark ink to create the pattern on the Old Olive cardstock and daubed the edges with the matching ink.

A really quick and easy card, one that you can knock out a few of in a short space of time ... just what we need if we are making cards during the silly season isn't it.

Back with more Christmas inspiration very soon - I won't say next Monday cos you know me ... something else will happen on that day LOL

 

JAI Challenge # 36

It's been a while since I have taken part in one of these.  The JAI girls have a lovely sketch for their challenge this week - check out the details here.

I've been making Artist Trading Cards for a monthly swap I participate in and I thought I'd create a card at the same time.

With Spring having well and truly sprung I have been taking photos of flowers and blossoms ... the colour inspiration for this card came from a bunch of flowers I bought for a friend last week - Canterbury Bells ... and old English flower.

 They are just so beautiful aren't they.  The colours I have used are the new Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz.  The stamp set is Baroque Motifs and I've also used the new Whisper White taffeta ribbon with a Tiny Tag sentiment.

Back tomorrow with another Making Merry Monday.

New Catalogue Blog Hop

With the launch of the new catalogue, a group of us have decided to arrange a blog hop - we know how much everyone enjoys them .... this one is a simple hop around 10 blogs ... if you've just arrived from Ros Davidson's blog you know all about it; but if you have just arrived here, hop on board ... and get inspired.

With October almost here my attention is turning to Christmas cards.  I've used the new Cherry Cobbler cardstock (isn't it just the most perfect Christmas red) and Jolly Holiday designer series paper to create a side step card.

This was quite easy to make - although this sample doesn't fit into the usual sized envelope ... have to make another one that fits :)

I've used the Punch Pals stamp set and stamped and coloured the little snowman, pressies, penquin and Christmas tree .... colouring them in with the Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive markers .... I wanted to them to look sketched.

And here's one of my favourite new products .... taffeta ribbon - it is so yummy and luxurious ... okay so you think I am mad falling in love with ribbon ... I know, I know I need help.

The little sentiments are from the Tiny Tags for word Merry and the Punch Pals for the Happy Holidays and there are a few little self adhesive sparkles there too - yes Stampin' Up! have finally included bling and pearls to their list of accessories :)

Hope this has inspired you to make a start on your Christmas cards.  It is now time to hop along to see Christine Blain and her marvellous creations.

 

 

Cherish

All little sneak peek of a scrapbooking layout that has been published on the Stampamemory site .... pop on over and take a look.

ESAD Blog Hop

I know I have been away from blogging for a week or two but other things have taken over my life again.  So I thought I'd give my blog a spring clean, bring in some flowers and summery colours and rectify my absence by  starting with a hop; an ESAD Big Shot Hop! 

If you've hopped over from Jan McAnulty's blog welcome ... and if you haven't don't worry, start here because blog hops are a circle and you can hop on and hop off wherever you wish.

From the alphas to the embossing folders to the Top Note die - I am in love with my Bertie Big Shot :)

Here's a close up of the new Vintage Wallpaper Embossing folder - I embossed this Chocolate Chip piece of cardstock as a whole piece .... to do this trim an A4 piece of cardstock to the same width and double the length of the folder.  Then run the cardstock and embossing folder through the Big Shot twice, once from one end and then turn it round and emboss the other half - therefore embossing both ends of the cardstock.  

The Top Note die is a brilliant shape to use as a journalling panel.

Now, if I could find the details of whose who in this photo I would have journalled this so that you could see - what I do know is that the lady is my great grandmother and the gentlemen are my grandfather and his brothers - isn't it just lovely to have photos like this.

The colours I have used are Chocolate Chip, More Mustard and Basic Black together with a sheet of the new designer series paper Newsprint.  I screwed this lovely piece of paper into a ball and then smoothed it out again .... and used a sponge with some Chocolate Chip ink to age it a little. 

Now before I let you hop off to the next blog .... I'd really like to tell you about ESAD.  ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!

We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love for what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help and support each other when its needed.  So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

 

Do you want to win prizes?  If you leave a comment on every blog in this hop, you will go in the draw for some blog candy (items or products donated the participating demonstrators!) . To be in the running, just email Leonie at when you have visited and commented on every blog so that she can put you in the draw (customers only please).

 

Okay time to hop along .... off to the wonder world of Angela Purdie - have a great time.

 

 

SAM Creative Challenge

After a very long break we are back ... and thank goodness we are, because I haven't scrapbooked for ages :)  This month's challenge is a sketch - check out all the details here at the Stampamemory site  ... and here's my take on it ... 

The beginning of the new catalogue has left me feeling like my wings have been clipped - with so few colours and only two packs of Designer Series Paper I struggled to put this page together.  Roll on my first order arriving - I've included all the new colours and some new pattern papers :)

Baja Breeze is now part of the permanent colour range and I love the new Greenhouse Gala papers .... such beautiful colours and I can't wait to see the Daffodil Delight and Pear Pizzazz colours in real life.

When I was looking through my photos I couldn't believe that Marmalade hadn't been scrapped before. Olivia made her fat ginger striped cat in Braehead, a large shopping centre outside of Glasgow.  I was food shopping with Kieran who was a baby at the time and Paul and Olivia went to The Bear Factory and came out with Marmalade. I can still remember her running up to me with a cardboard box, Marmalade's head sticking out one side and his tail outside the other .... he has been attached to Olivia's side ever since ... he was over-stuffed and kitted out in a pair of blue and cream PJ's, I know that he will be moving into her first home with her .... he is one very loved ginger and cream cat.  He even has his own birth certificate and passport :)

When Olivia was very little, she used to squeal with delight because Marmalade could 'talk' to me ... he'd tell me all sorts of things .... like it was bath time or that Olivia needed to go to bed because it was way past her bedtime .... he is one very special cat.  I've managed to wash the PJ's a few times but I have never been brave enough to actually wash the cat :)

Hope that you can join in our sketch challenge- if nothing else taking part in these challenges ensures you create at least one page per month ... that's twelve a year .... and if you are like me and need a deadline to create then the new monthly SAM challenge will come in handy.

Looking forward to seeing all of your creations.

 

New IB&C 2010/11

Here it is - the new Ideas Book and Catalogue for 2010 / 11.  Want to take a peak inside ?  Click HERE.

It's a beautiful glossy guide to all the Stampin' Up! products and has so many brilliant ideas .... a great resource for when you just can't think of an idea layout for a card or scrapbooking page.

If you want a copy of your own just let me know - $10 each of you want to collect or live near me, or $18 if you want me to post a copy to you.

so what's new?

New Colours - the Colour Renovation is here ... lots of lovely new colours and some great ways to update your collections without having to purchase who kits again - check out the information here.

New Recruit Special - just for the month of September ... a free in-colour kit for everyone who signs up - check out the details here. 

Launch Party - towards the end of September come along and share in all the fun .... new make and takes, your own catalogue and some goodie bags $15.

So enjoy your first browse ... and come back soon for some new stamps, colours, papers and ribbons ... lots and lots to share with you.