Ready For Another Party Hearty?

Yes there is more ... many more in fact!  I often use this design for a quick and easy card ... the squares of Bella Bleu designer series paper are punched using the 1 1/4" square punch and placed equal distance apart onto Kraft cardstock.  

I've then stamped the 'celebrate you' stamp from Party Hearty set with Not Quite Navy ink and then punched it out with the scallop circle punch.  Layers of Kraft, Very Vanilla and Not Quite Navy cardstock with a little inking around the edges with a dauber highlight this stamp and the whole thing has been finished off with a trio of matching brads and a clear button tied with linen thread. 

This is one of my favourites - I really love this paper.  Hope you are inspired to give this really easy design a go ... it would work with circles too!

Happy stampin!

Love Nikki

x

Melbourne Regional Training

This was my first Stampin' Up! event and as I stood in a line of approximately 300 or more fellow demonstrators and their guests I knew we were going to have fun.

I've never made swaps for an event like this before ... but I managed to find the time to make 32 and I wish I had made more .... the talent of the Stampin' Up! demonstrators from around Melbourne is just amazing and I am inspired to try so many more techniques.

Here's my swap ... after demonstrating this technique at Craft Expo last week ... it really wasn't hard to decide what to make ...

I've used the Upsy Daisy set with the brayer and some sponging. The colours are Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Baja Breeze and Basic Black.  

This technique is going to feature in my next newsletter ... if you'd like to find out how to do this easy and very effective technique - just sign up using the link on the side bar on the right.

Back in a day or two with more cards to keep you inspired.

Happy stampin!

Love Nikki

Making Merry Monday # 16

I was wondering last week how many days it was until Christmas .... never actually worked out the exact number - didn't want to scare myself, but I do know that we are already half way through October ... oh heck! 

So there really is no time like the present to make a start on those Christmas cards .... I've 'invested' in a new set 'Winter Post' ... and so yesterday afternoon I whipped up a few cards ... I really love this new oldie worldie set .... that reindeer is just so cute.

I've used, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla for this card .... the ribbon has been 'pleated' using the Sticky Strip double sided extra tacky tape and the Taffeta ribbon and the trees are from the Lovely as a Tree set.  

I've seen this ribbon technique around the net and even tried it once but it didn't work for me, that is until yesterday .... I attended the Melbourne Stampin' Up! Regional Training day which was held in the city - Bonnie Thurber who is the Director of Demonstrator Training residing in Salt Lake City in the US, demonstrated this technique and when I saw the roll of Sticky Strip it all made sense.  If you've never used this tape before ... beware!  It is sooooo sticky ... but then I suppose you've gathered that from it's name :o)  It just grabs the ribbon and holds it in place, so pleating is a breeze.

So who's Bonnie Thurber, well if I can find Bonnie's blog I will let you know because you just have to 'meet' this most amazing lady.  Having travelled all the way from the US for the Stampin' Up! Regionals she managed to arrive in Melbourne minus her luggage!  Poor love, inside her luggage was not only all the usual 'stuff' that ladies just need to travel with ... but her samples that she was going to demonstrate to us.  

As I sat making four brilliant projects with my new free stamp set and roller from the soon to be released Summer Mini, I was keeping an eye on this lady who seemed to be quite busy herself with her card and snail trail.  Little did I know just how talented Bonnie is ... she managed to rustle up three samples using just what she could find around the room and the contents of her bathroom goodie basket!  Little bags and boxes and a great demo of how to pleat your ribbon onto a card.  Just amazing - Bonnie is a demonstrator herself so she understands Stampin' Up! from both sides of the coin ... her business tips were extremely helpful - she was entertaining and happy to answer all of our questions ... an absolute pleasure to meet.

Back tomorrow with more news from the Regionals and my swap.

Happy stampin

Love Nikki

x

Upsy Daisy Birthdays

When I flicked through the new catalogue in August this was one of the first stamp sets that caught my eye immediately ... I love it.  Every time I see it used I want to pull it out and stamp.  

This is a card that we made at one of the classes in September (sorry classes will resume again in late October I promise) ... and I have used Ruby Red and Kiwi Kiss and the pastels for the flowers. The eyelet punch at the bottom adds a bit of interest and the scallop oval punch is still a firm favourite.

Which reminds me .... the Spring Mini will finish at the end of November which means you won't be able to buy the scallop oval punch after that date ... here's hoping that it makes it into the new Ideas Book and Catalogue that will be published in August 2010.  So if it is on your wish list, indeed if anything in the Spring Mini is on your wish list, then make sure you place your order before 30 November so that you are not disappointed.

Happy Stampin.

Love Nikki

x

CraftExpo Wrap Up

A big hello to all those that are exploring this site for the first time ... it was fantastic to share the day with so many craft enthusiasts .... CraftExpo was amazing ... such a shame I didn't get a chance to shop myself ... we were so busy from the moment the door opened until the last die hard shoppers were thrown out at 4.30pm.

Here's the stand with all the beautiful and inspiring ideas from the team of girls who took part in CraftExpo.  And that's Sue Bayliss and Ange Dickens who were my team mates for the day.  Check out their sites as they are both such talented ladies.

And here are the three of us .... stupid grins as it was the end of the day and we were completely worn out!

I loved meeting everyone ... and especially loved the demonstrating ... poor Sue had to nag me for her turn .... I gave all of my finished samples away so I'll whistle up another one and post it here during the week for you all to see.

Really looking forward to Paperific now ... we will be demonstrating and doing Make and Takes ... very exciting indeed! 

Happy stampin

Love Nikki

x

Colour Selector

I've been trying for a little while now to work out how to get this very useful colour selection tool onto my website for you - and I think I've done it!

Over on the right is a new button with a link away from this site to a fantastic resource.  I use this tool often to help me to find just the right colour combination. 

Now as it is an American tool it does have a few colours noted that aren't available in Australia; ie Crushed Curry (such a cool colour perhaps it will be available here soon) but the good news is that it does include our in-colours too.

As the instructions state at the bottom, you just choose the colours you want to work with, click on them so that the colours pop up in one of the square on the top right and either click search or continue to choose other colours - the more colours you have in the top boxes the less combinations the computer will generate.

I love it and use it often ... really good if you know that you want to make a card from Chocolate Chip and Pink Pirouette for instance but can't decide on a third or fourth colour.

Happy clicking and let me know if you find this new tool useful too.

Nikki

x

Making Merry Monday # 15

I was a little worried last night that I didn't have anything to show you today ... I don't think you've seen this one have you?

It's a complete CASE from the packaging you receive the I Wish Scrap booking Kit in .... (CASE = Copy and Share Everything or Copy and Selectively Edit) but in this case is it completely 'not' my idea :o) 

I was completely stumped for ideas when I made this card and hadn't been a demonstrator for very long and so didn't have very many products.  I was so pleased with this card ... so very simple, that's the beauty of the scrap booking kits.

And the reason why I didn't have anything to show you?  Well this weekend I was with the Art With Heart Team at CraftExpo - we had a ball but it was exhausting.  I'll post some photos in the week of the Saturday team ... but for now ...

Merry Monday and happy stampin

Love Nikki

x