Stampede! by Genelle Little

First Day of School - JAI

2012-01-01T10:43:00.005+10:00

Wow, back again with another post already today :)

One of my goals for 2012 is to do more scrapbooking - I have mentioned it (or complained about it!) before... it's something I find very challenging!

Anyway, the fabulous ladies at Just Add Ink are some of my greatest influences in convincing me to give this a go, and guess what? They're having their first scrapbooking challenge, so it's great timing! You can check it out here and play along too.

I thought the Play Date Quick Accents and DSP would be perfect for recording my son's first year of school, and although he is going into Year One this year, and these products are now retired, I have only just completed this layout of his first day of Prep:

(I have added journaling to the Top Note piece; it was a bit personal for my son to want to share with everyone!). The background 12 x 12 piece is So Saffron (hard to see in the pic) and the layout was adapted from a Page Maps sketch.

Thanks JAI team and also to my friend Anne for patiently encouraging me to attempt to scrap :)

Genelle.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:29:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy, safe and creative 2012!

Here's a picture of some of my 2011 Christmas cards - they needed to be very simple so I could make a lot of each design!

Hope you are enjoying your first day of the New Year!

Genelle.

It's been a while...

2011-11-21T20:17:00.005+10:00

... and Blogger has been playing up, hopefully it's not just me? Anyway, I have re-typed my last entry, in the hope that it'll upload this time :)

A few weeks ago we had the Brisbane Regionals for Stampin' Up! and I am so happy that I was able to travel down to attend.

This is the swap card I made:

(the sample I kept for myself had some slightly crooked ribbon and a bit dodge colouring, LOL!)

I ADORE this set and I was keen for a change from all the Christmas things I have been doing!

I have no excuses for being absent from my blog, just super busy - mostly stamping and my family. I have missed checking out my friend's blogs and hope to remedy that this week :)

Genelle.

ETA: A HUGE thank you to Angie, Karen, Moni and Jacinta for giving me advice on how to fix my blog.. it was a browser issue. Thanks heaps, ladies :)

Join My Team for $169!

2011-09-04T10:34:00.004+10:00

With all the new catalogue excitement, Stampin' Up! have announced an amazing deal for the month of September - you can join Stampin' Up! for only $169 with a Mini Starter Kit.

This kit is great if you've been thinking of rejoining as a demonstrator, or if you already own a lot of Stampin' Up! supplies.

If you've been eyeing off the awesome Starter Kit (which has been re-vamped in the new catalogue to include over $610 worth of product!) you can purchase the full kit at 20% off during September - only $231.20, delivered to your door!

Both kits can be customised so you can choose stamp sets, ink and cardstock colours that suit you.

I'd love to welcome you into my friendly team - whether you'd like to simply purchase your Stampin' Up! products at a discount, or if you're thinking of running your own Stampin' Up! business, or anywhere in between! Contact me for a recruit pack or more information, or click here to go to my demonstrator website. You can even sign up immediately online, no ABN required!

Genelle.

2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue

2011-09-04T10:22:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

It's here! You can view the brand new 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue online by clicking here, or contact me to arrange your own copy. It is absolutely stunning!

I'm taking bookings now for new catalogue workshops, so contact me if you'd like to earn some of these gorgeous new products for free, while enjoying some stamping time with your friends & family. The new Hostess Benefits are even better than before :)

Happy browsing!

Genelle.

Last Chance List

2011-08-06T10:46:00.003+10:00

Hi all,

Things have been very quiet on the blog front, however that's because everything has been so busy everywhere else! I am excitedly waiting for my new catalogue to arrive, along with some awesome goodies I was able to preorder from Stampin' Up!

Sadly, with all the new products arriving, some products have to be retired... I will really miss some of these items, and some have already sold out.

You can view the list by clicking here.

These items have already sold out:
Jumbo Eyelets - Antique Brass, Jumbo Eyelets - Pewter, Metallic Eyelets, Star Punch, Spiral Punch, Photo Corners punch.

Here is a card I made recently, with the Beware Pirates set - I will miss this one immensely and it is now available at 25% off!

Hope you each have a great weekend,
Genelle.

Finally :)

2011-06-09T11:47:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

I've just finished sorting out all the downloading/re-installing and watermark issues that have kept me from my blog for so long. You'll have to bear with me, some of these pictures are OLD!

We're even heading back to Easter on this one!! I took part in the ESAD Secret Bunny swap for Easter, and my lovely Secret Bunny was Sarah Tidey.

Here's a pic of the gorgeous goodies she sent me:

Thank you so much, Sarah :

I sent my gift to the lovely Steph Gray - this is what I created:

It's a wrapped stamp set, decorated tub of Stampin' Up! antique brads, chocolate slider box and a card which I CASED from the very talented Karen Southwell:

Each month, demonstrators receive a magazine with great tips and ideas from Stampin' Up! and I wanted to try one of the techniques featured recently, faux mother-of-pearl:

These were part of a gift for my downline team members, to say thank you - I was thrilled to promote to Manager back in March. (Thanks again, to any Night Owl Stampers who are reading!)

Back in a minute with Convention news,

Genelle.

Convention 2011

2011-05-17T15:46:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

Recently I travelled to Melbourne for the annual Stampin' Up! Convention. This year was the first one I have attended, and it was the first time it had been a 3-day event, so it was really exciting! Also, Stampin' Up! is celebrating 5 years in Australia, so we were treated to some extra 'birthday' goodies!

I was also very lucky to win Prize Patrol in one of the general sessions!

Highlights of the trip included catching up with team members from across Australia, and attending my first Manager's Reception, which was stunning. I was also thoroughly spoiled by my roommates, Tina, Kim and Chrissie, and got to meet my lovely blog friend, Fi, in person for the first time!

Here is a picture of the gift I received at Manager's Reception:

And the invitation we received prior to leaving home:

Of course, one of the highlights for me was the food as well! Our team headed out to Lygon St in Carlton on the Friday night, for a lot of adventures and, (I'm not exaggerating) the BEST meal I've ever eaten! And, to make it even better, we were served a similar meal for the entree the next night, at the Awards Dinner.

Here is the entree:

And main course:

And dessert, complete with a chocolate '5' for Stampin' Up!'s five years in Australia!

One of the big announcements from Convention is that you no longer need an ABN to join Stampin' Up! You can find out all about the benefits of joining by clicking here to go to my demonstrator website - you can even join my team online as well! If you have any questions, I am happy to help you - I'd love to welcome you into my team.

I'll be back with more tomorrow,

Genelle.

Deals of the Week!

2011-05-01T12:01:00.003+10:00

Hi all,

Stampin' Up! is once again offering Deals of the Week, and this promotion is running throughout May! Click here to check out this week's deals. Contact me if you'd like me to place an order for you.

I am busy, busy getting ready for Convention! I'll pop back soon to share some of the projects I've been working on.

Genelle.

Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue!

2011-04-03T20:11:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

My computer broke down early last month, and is still not back. According to the courier, it will be returned to me this week, and then I will be able to begin the process of re-installing my programs. I am kicking myself for not having all my files backed up properly... I will not make that mistake again :(

Needless to say, my blog has been neglected - I have been lucky to be able to use my husband's computer to keep up-to-date with my email, and business stuff. I had to brave this computer to post the brand new Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue, because it is awesome! Click here to view it.

If you would like your own copy, and haven't received it yet, contact me and I'll drop/post it to you.

I'm also taking bookings for April, May & June workshops - contact me to organise a date for a fun & free Stampin' Up! workshop.

Looking forward to getting my computer back, & being able to check in on my blog friends as well!

Genelle.

Happy tags...

2011-02-06T14:48:00.009+10:00

A quick post today... normally when I'm making things, my work area is chaotic. However, I just had to take a photo of these little tags. It made me happy to see them sitting on my table as I worked!

Here's one on its own - it's very simple but I love it. The image in the background is from the Love Defined set, and it is stamped in 2nd generation Crumb Cake ink (ink stamp, then stamp on scrap paper (I use my grid paper), then stamp onto cardstock without re-inking). This technique is called stamping off and it's great for a more subtle background.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend,
Genelle.

**********************************************

Interested in getting your Stampin' Up! supplies at a discount? Looking for a new career, or somewhere in between? Like the idea of setting your own hours? Click here to find out more about joining my team!

Inkspirations Challenge #54 - Boho Birthday

2011-01-26T20:00:00.008+10:00

Hi all,

It has been so long since I made time to enter a challenge, and yesterday was a perfect day to set aside some time for the latest Inkspirations Colour Challenge.
Things have been very hectic this week with my son starting school... I am so glad yesterday was a holiday!

Here are the gorgeous colours Keesh chose for this week:

And here is my card:

I recently came across the 'Inlaid Embossing' or 'Inset Embossing' technique here (thanks, Lyssa!). I cased a Valentine's Day card I'd made earlier, changing the colours, punched images and sentiment to suit a birthday card. I love this simple technique - easy and effective!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Blushing Bride Patterns DSP
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Scallop Trim border punch, Modern Label punch, Boho Blossoms punch, Little Leaves Sizzlit die, Word Window punch, Basic Pearls, corner rounder, dimensionals.

Hope you're having a great week,
Genelle.

Sale-a-bration has now started!

2011-01-26T09:16:00.006+10:00

Hi all,

Sale-a-bration is here! This is one of the most exciting times of the Stampin' Up! year. You can earn FREE exclusive Sale-a-bration stamp sets - there are four gorgeous sets to choose from! See the sets and all the details here.

If you'd like your own copy of the Sale-a-bration brochure, let me know (or contact your existing Demonstrator, if that's not me) and I'll get one to you.

If you are keen to get together with a few friends and make a card or scrapbook page, have fun and earn free products, contact me to book your Stampin' Up! workshop. Dates for Sale-a-bration are sure to fill quickly, and I have an extra Hostess incentive in addition to the Sale-a-bration benefits, plus the regular Stampin' Up! Hostess benefits!

There's also amazing freebies on offer if you decide that this is the time to join my Stampin' Up! team. Contact me for a recruit pack or more information - I'm here to support you whether you want to build your own Stampin' Up! business or just want to receive a discount on your own purchases. I'd love to have you join my team! You can see more information here.

Happy Australia Day,

Genelle.

Secret Santa!

2011-01-09T08:20:00.001+10:00

Hi all,

The Stampin' Up! team of demonstrators I am part of (The INKcredibles) took part in a Secret Santa project again this past Christmas. I was thrilled that some of my Night Owl Stampers team joined in as well! It is a lot of fun to create and receive some papercraft goodness at Christmas time.

You can see the amazing gifts I received from my Secret Santa, the lovely Angie Jones, here. (Angie's photos of these gorgeous projects are better than mine- make sure you check out her beautiful blog too!)

The first gift I sent my Secret Santa (Christina) was a box containing five Ferrero Rocher chocolates:

(sorry the pics are not the best, they were done in the Christmas rush!)

And here is her Christmas present, a folder containing Big Shot embossing folders:

It is usual for me to forget to take photos of things before I send them, so I wasn't surprised to realise I don't have a photo of the Christmas card I made... I used the Medallion stamp with the emboss resist technique, and I was really happy with how it turned out - you'll have to take my word for it! :)

I'm glad to have met Angie in person, at SU Regional Training in Brisbane. Now we are looking forward to catching up again in Melbourne this year for the Stampin' Up! Convention! I can't wait.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, contact me to find out more!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, I'll be back tomorrow with another project to show you.

Genelle.

Valentine's Day already?

2010-12-30T01:00:00.000+10:00

Hi all,

Although it's not quite the New Year yet, it's time for a new promotion from Stampin' Up!

Simply purchase the Sweetheart stamp set (in either clear-mount, for $29.95, or wood-mount for $38.95) and receive a free pack of Heart Treat Cups!
Or, purchase the Full Heart punch ($33.95) and you'll also receive a pack of Heart Treat Cups!

If you purchase the Sweetheart stamp set and the coordinating Full Heart punch, you'll get two packets of Heart Treat Cups for free!

You can add any other items from the Idea Book & Catalogue or Summer Mini catalogue to your order as well if you wish. Contact me if you'd like to place an order - details at the top of the left sidebar, or click over to my demonstrator website. You can find all the details there as well!

I've also got the last of the Christmas cards to show you:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Dasher, Occasional Quotes (hostess),
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Marina Mist DSP (Subtles Patterns stack),
Ink: Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Marina Mist 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, Antique brad, Top Note die, Big Shot.

Happy New Year, if I don't pop back before then :)

Genelle.

Christmas Treats

2010-12-29T14:07:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

I hope you have had a merry Christmas. It has felt like Tuesday for me all day (even though it's Wednesday) because of the public holiday yesterday... trying to catch up on all the household jobs today.

Here are a couple of items I made for our Christmas table - we celebrated lunch with family. I made some very simple mini easel cards (all one piece, since they were small) for our place cards:

And I have had these little cuties bookmarked from Bronwyn Eastley's blog here since last Christmas - I even tried to make them for my Christmas in July event, but could not find any candy canes anywhere! So I've finally had a chance to make them (my son helped, which you can probably tell!) I changed the ears and left off the whiskers:

Lastly, here are some skinny treat bags filled with M&Ms....yum! The ones hiding at the back contain Crispy Mint M&Ms, which don't go with my colour scheme, so they are hiding! Angie Jones had the idea to use Crispy Mint M&Ms as a cute Christmas version of an after dinner mint, and I got the topper idea from Adele Khoo:

The holder is simply a decorated Fancy Favour box using the Big Shot - I love it! I've decorated it with Jolly Holiday DSP, Very Vanilla satin ribbon and Holly & Jolly rub-ons. Here's a closer view of the box:

And lastly, not a craft-related photo... but one of my pudding! I always use my Nanna's recipe, which Mum always made for us growing up. As I was listening to it simmering away this year I thought about all the Christmas memories and traditions in our family. It made me a bit sentimental and I am contemplating making a Christmas scrapbook album to record these special memories... since you know scrapping is a huge challenge for me, we'll see how that goes!

I'll be back tomorrow with a new special from Stampin' Up! and some more projects,

Genelle.

December Frenzy

2010-12-18T10:34:00.002+10:00

Hi again,

Just a reminder that the December Frenzy items will no longer be available at the amazing sale prices after 29th December. The products will still be available to order, however they will be returning to the catalogue prices. You can see the December Frenzy list by clicking here.

Have a great Saturday!
Genelle.

Summer Mini is here!

2010-12-05T06:15:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

The Summer Mini catalogue has been live since 1st December! If you haven't already received your copy, contact me (or your usual demonstrator) for your own copy. You can also view it online here or from the picture in my sidebar.

Some of my wider team recently held a Summer Mini swap, so I will be showing you some new creations once I have received my swap cards.

Since everything is so busy with the Christmas rush right now, I will be holding my Summer Mini catalogue launch in January. More details will be sent out in my January newsletter. If you're not already on my mailing list, you can click here to visit my demonstrator website and request my newsletter. You won't want to miss some great specials coming up really soon!

I will be back once all my cards are in the mail (finally I've got the long-distance gifts away - over $100 in postage over the past 2 days, eek!) to show you some of the gifts and cards I've been working on.

Genelle.

Milk Carton Tote

2010-11-15T08:13:00.009+10:00

Hi all,

It is all systems go with Christmas projects here at the moment! I adore Stampin' Up!'s mini milk carton die, and there are some cute patterns around for little crates/totes to carry them in as well. I have seen a few double carton totes around (the first place I remember seeing them was at Becky Roberts's blog), but I wanted my handle to be in the centre, between the two cartons, so I designed this one:

Hopefully the picture shows the handle piece clearly enough!

I used the gorgeous Jolly Holiday papers on mine, but the ladies at the class could also choose the exclusive Christmas Cocoa specialty paper from the current promotion.

Here is the beautiful one Ellie made:

And here is Rose's wonderful creation - I have shown the detail on the carton here as well:

Here is Jess's lovely tote:

Thank you ladies for allowing me to share your creations here!

I will be back later with the cards from a Stamp-a-Stack class I did the other day.

Hope you are all having a lovely day so far,

Genelle.

Dress Up Christmas!

2010-10-26T15:40:00.009+10:00

Free Christmas Ribbon with the Dress Up Christmas Promotion!

Would you like some FREE Stampin' Up! ribbon? Purchase any of the Christmas bundles listed below and you can choose one of the following exclusive rolls of Stampin' Up! ribbon:

Mistletoe Ribbon Originals
Sleigh Bells Ribbon
Real Red 3/4" polka-dot grosgrain ribbon
Riding Hood Red 1-1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon

Please note that the gorgeous Christmas Cocoa Specialty DSP is also exclusive to this promotion!

Here is the paper:

Choose from these bundles:

Gifted Bundle:
Gifted Set and Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper

Wood-mount - 124041 $66.90

Clear-mount - 124042 $56.90

Welcome Christmas Bundle:
Welcome Christmas Set and Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper

Wood-mount - 124045 $69.90

Clear-mount - 124046 $59.90

Season of Joy Bundle:
Season of Joy Set and So Swirly Stampin' Around Wheel

Wood-mount - 124043 $67.90

Delightful Decorations Bundle:
Delightful Decorations Set and Ornament Punch

Wood-mount - 124044 $72.90

Contact me to place your order! This promotion runs until 30th November, or until the exclusive ribbons or Designer Series Paper packs are no longer available.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #40 - Just for you

2010-09-22T09:15:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

It has been far too long since I have joined in any challenges (things have been more than hectic), however I have set aside some time this week to join in my favourite challenge! This week Keesh has a colour challenge, using this fab combo:

Here is my card:

If this card looks a little familiar, scroll down :) It's a variation on a previous card I made using the awesome new Just Believe stamp set and gorgeous Beautiful Wings embosslit. I have used the Stampin' Write markers direct to the rubber to get the multi-coloured panel for the sentiment frame.

Supplies:

Stamps: Just Believe

Cardstock: So Saffron, Rose Red, Basic Grey, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Grey, So Saffron, Rose Red

Accessories: Big Shot, Beautiful Wings embosslit, Basic Grey taffeta ribbon, Scallop Trim border punch, basic rhinestone jewels, dimensionals, glue dots, 2-way glue pen.

You can join in and also check out all the other entries here.

Have a great day,

Genelle.

Is it that time already?

2010-09-14T08:39:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

Spring has definitely sprung here in central Queensland - the weather is perfect at the moment, and along with all of my new goodies arriving from the new Idea Book & Catalogue, it is a wonderful yet busy time of the year! I am also heading off to Regional training this weekend, which I'm really looking forward to. I can't wait to show you all the swaps I receive!

It is also the time of year when Christmas cards begin to make a more frequent appearance in blogland and on my desk. Here is a quick and effective card I designed for a Make & Take at a workshop on the weekend:

Some of the ladies changed the position of the central image and it looked great as well. You could easily choose a different ornament image (from Delightful Decorations), and swap a different colour for the Real Red, to have a variety of Christmas cards on hand. I am going to try this with the great little Christmas Greetings set as well.

This card features the new In Colours with Very Vanilla & Sahara Sand, the gorgeous new Just Believe stamp set, new Beautiful Wings embosslit, new Modern Label punch and new pearl jewels:

This one is so cute - I love owls and the new Owl punch is so much fun. I have made a paperclip bookmark, using giant paperclips from Big W. I love that I can match the colours from the awesome new colour collections - this one is Blushing Bride, one of the In Colours:

You can view a tutorial on how to make an owl bookmark paperclip at Chic n' Scratch by Angie Kennedy Juda, here.

I think that Poppy Parade is going to be my new favourite colour! You can see just a smidge on the owl (the heart) and the largest butterfly on the second card.

I am off now to complete my swaps! Have a great week,

Genelle.

New 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue!

2010-09-05T07:02:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

I have updated my links for the brand new Idea Book & Catalogue - you can click here to view it online, or click on the image in my sidebar ( <---).

There are so many beautiful products and projects in this year's catalogue! Contact me if you would like your own copy.

Thanks to all who attended my Wine & Cheese catalogue launch on Friday night! Congratulations again to the prize winners. It was lovely to meet some new people, get to know some of you a little better and to spend time with friends!

I hope any dads reading this have a wonderful Father's Day,
Genelle.

ESAD Blog Hop: Happy New Catalogue!

2010-09-01T10:00:00.001+10:00

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the ESAD "Happy New Catalogue" Blog Hop!
ESAD stands for 'Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators' and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!

We love what we do, and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends, and wonderful blog visitors, but 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 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.

You might have arrived here from Gemma Coumbe's blog or you might be starting here - either way you can follow the hop all the way around. If you get lost along the way, there's a list of particiants at the bottom of this post, so you can keep on hopping!

Please leave a comment at each blog along the hop - if you do, you can email Leonie (click on her name for the address) and let her know, and she will enter you into the draw for some Blog Candy! (Please note that Demonstrators are encouraged to join in, but are not eligible to win the Blog Candy).

On to my projects!

I absolutely fell in love with the Apple Blossoms set as soon as I saw it. I love how versatile it is, and can imagine all kinds of colour combos with it. On this card, I have used Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake (formerly known as Kraft), Old Olive and Whisper White:

Next I have created a little sticky note holder, using other images from the Apple Blossoms set: On this project I've stamped onto Naturals Ivory cardstock - it creates a different effect that works well with the linen thread and Crumb Cake base cardstock:

Lastly, I have used the For You flower and coordinating Fancy Flower punch to create a simple set of mini cards and a pizza box, with the embellishment and colours inspired by a similar box featured on page 2 of the new catalogue:

I have made a belly band on the pizza box, which the flower is attached to:

I hope you have enjoyed my projects today! I am so excited about the wonderful new Idea Book & Catalogue. Next stop on the hop is the very talented Sharlene Meyer. I know you will love what she has to show you!

Happy hopping, see you soon,

Genelle.

Leonie Schroder - http://www.stamp-a-latte.com/
Keryn Campbell - http://kerynscards.blogspot.com/
Vicki Were - http://www.stampinvickistyle.blogspot.com/
Aly Adcock - http://www.inkyaly.blogspot.com/
Juliette Chapman - http://juleskraftikrafts.blogspot.com/
Kristine Thompson - http://www.inkspotcreations.typepad.com/
Jo Weedon - http://www.scrapandstampin.blogspot.com/
Jan McAnulty - http://cardcaperswithjan.wordpress.com/
Karen Southwell http://www.kareniescrafts.blogspot.com/
Kim Conway - http://www.kimconwaycards.blogspot.com/
Jane Norrish - http://janenorrish.com/
Pauline Bennetts - http://www.paulinebennetts.com/stampede
Gemma Coumbe - http://www.gemmacoumbe.blogspot.com/
Genelle Little - http://www.stampedecards.blogspot.com/
Sharlene Meyer - http://www.magpiecreates.com/
Susan Joyce - http://www.catsinkcorporated.blogspot.com/
Rhonda Statham - http://rhondastatham.typepad.com/
Monique Fielder - http://stamping-with-moni-q.blogspot.com/
Andrea Buckland http://creatingcardswithandrea.blogspot.com/
Bev Watt http://stampinovation.blogspot.com/
Lisa Ryder http://www.lisaryder.com.au/
Claire Mcilhatton http://www.crafty-cow.com/
Mae Collins - http://maecollins.blogspot.com/
Charmaine Black - http://www.l-ink-edtopaper.blogspot.com/
Lynn Powell - http://www.lynnpowell.com.au/

Time for an update... and a Blog Hop!

2010-08-31T07:59:00.004+10:00

Hi all,

It's been pretty quiet on here, hasn't it :) All of my communication seems to have been via my newsletters and emails this month - it has been soooo busy.

Today is the last chance to order from the Last Chance list - you can check out the list here and contact me if you'd like to place an order.

Today is also the date to RSVP for this Friday's Wine & Cheese Catalogue Launch - if you live in the Gladstone, Queensland area and would like to come, contact me for details or to RSVP. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Tomorrow it's time for the ESAD "Happy New Catalogue" Blog Hop! Make sure you pop back here at 10:00 am to check out some wonderful creations from 25 Australian & New Zealand Demonstrators, all featuring brand new products!

Genelle.

'Helping Hudson', a Guest Stamper and the Last Chance List!

2010-08-02T17:32:00.007+10:00

Hi all,

Over the past weeks, some Stampin' Up! Demonstrators have been very busy putting together a fundraiser called "Helping Hudson: A Wheely Great Cause". There are some amazing tutorials to purchase and challenges to enter, with awesome prizes donated by Stampin' Up! Pop on over to the Helping Hudson blog, here, to find out all the details! You can also click on the button on my left sidebar.

A little while ago, I featured some projects on my blog which had been made by the ladies at one of my classes, and I couldn't figure out what had happened to one of the photos... Well, at last week's class, the ladies informed me that I hadn't actually taken the photo in the first place! So at least my camera isn't playing up, it is just my horrendous memory :)

Anyway, I promised Ellie I would feature her projects to make up for it!

I think Ellie's cards are simply gorgeous! We used the Crayon Resist technique in this class, and I was inspired to use the Embrace Life set after seeing it used with this technique on Claire Daly's blog.

It's the last chance to purchase some of the stamp sets (including Embrace Life) and accessories that will be discontinued, or 'retired' by Stampin' Up! at the end of this month!

Head over to my Demonstrator Website to view the Last Chance list.

Some of the stamp sets and accessories are discounted, and won't last long - contact me to place your order.

Take care,

Genelle.

ESAD 'Christmas in July' Blog Hop

2010-07-24T10:00:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

Welcome to the ESAD Blog Hop - 'Christmas in July'!

What is ESAD? ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! Demonstrators.

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

If you're hopping in order, you'll have just come from the very talented Melissa Barkwith's blog.

My projects today focus on Christmas decorations. First up I have made this little ornament for the Christmas tree. It would also look great hanging over a window or doorway - although it has been such a challenge to photograph!

I have punched 7 stars from Holiday Treasures DSP pack using the large star punch, and folded each in half. I have adhered them together, alternating the pattern. Using sticky strip, the stars have then been attached to a hat pin, along with some pearl and crystal beads (all from the Pretties Kit). I learned this technique from Petronela Hardy at Regional training last year (she used the Full Heart punch - it will work with any punch that is symmetrical).

I've sponged the edges with Choc Chip ink and added some Crystal Effects to finish it off.

My second project again features the Holiday Treasures DSP, and the Pennant Die. This die features a small pennant, large pennant and four scalloped and perforated circles, all on the one die!

I have cut three smaller pennants and three scalloped circles using my Big Shot. The letters 'j-o-y' have been stamped onto the reverse pattern of the DSP using the Jumbo Outline alphabet, and cut out. I have adhered the pennants to some 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (there is a special fold on the pennant specifically for this purpose) and embellished the joins with taffeta ribbon and buttons. To make the customised buttons, I punched a 3/4" circle of Holiday Treasures DSP and attached to the back of the small Stampin' Up! clear buttons. Some Chocolate Chip 'thread' finishes it off.

If you've got any questions about either of these projects, leave me a comment or send an email & I'll get in touch! Your next stop on the Blog Hop is Richelle Fletcher , I'm sure you'll enjoy the beautiful projects Richelle has in store!

Thanks for visiting - pop back again soon!

Genelle.

A little bit Vintage

2010-07-19T07:54:00.000+10:00

Hi all,

I've finally managed to show you some of the projects from my Vintage Vogue class. It's not my usual style, but I enjoyed experimenting with something a little different, which was made easy by using the gorgeous Vintage Vogue stamp set.

We made a sticky notepad holder and a matching card, in either Pink Pirouette or Baja Breeze with the Bella Bleu DSP, Kraft taffeta ribbon and Soft Suede ink.

Here are Cherie's beautiful projects, in the Baja Breeze option:

Kay opted for Pink Pirouette for this gorgeous creation:

And Mel chose Pink Pirouette also for her wonderful card:

Ellie made some gorgeous projects as well, but I'm sorry I can't show you as the photo vanished! I will have to be sure to feature Ellie's work soon :)

Yesterday I held a 'Christmas in July' event, which was great fun. It's been great to get an early start on Christmas projects, so that it doesn't become another chore in the December rush.

I hope to share some of those projects soon, and also get back into some challenges.

Genelle.

Two-Step Specials for July

2010-07-05T19:41:00.004+10:00

Hi all,

Hot on the heels of the Deals of the Week during June, there is a great new special from Stampin' Up!

You can purchase selected Two-step stamp sets for 20% off until 31st July:

Item Page Description Regular Price Sale Price
116386 39 Loads of Love $39.95 $31.96
116342 42 Big Bold Birthday** $53.95 $43.16
115860 78 A Rose Is a Rose** $66.95 $53.56
116332 86 Playful Petals** $52.95 $42.36
115770 98 Cheep Talk $47.95 $38.36
115946 115 Wonderful Favourites $39.95 $31.96
119187 14* Tiny Tags (wood-mount) $38.95 $31.16
118592 14* Tiny Tags (clear-mount) $28.95 $23.16
119163 31* Cottage Garden (wood-mount $32.95 $26.36
120003 31* Cottage Garden (clear-mount) $24.95 $19.96

*From 2010 Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue
**Retiring stamp sets

Contact me to place an order for any of these great sets.

I still have to show you the projects we made at my class the other week, and hopefully get back into my favourite challenges. I have been really busy, but I did manage to get to the movies twice this past week! I had Gold Room tickets booked for what seemed like ages, to go and see 'Eclipse' on Saturday, with my friend Sam, and we also went to the 'Twilight' marathon on Wednesday night, to see 'Twilight' and 'New Moon' again in the theatre. It was fabulous, and there were even people there in their pyjamas and ugg boots! 'Eclipse' is amazing, and I can't wait to see it again already :)

In between movies, sport, creating (and mostly family stuff) I have been getting ready for my 'Christmas in July' event as well - if you're on my mailing list you will have received your invitation - if not pop on over to my Demonstrator website to check out the details.

Genelle.

Deals of the Week #4!

2010-06-23T12:52:00.003+10:00

Hi all,

Whew where did week 3 go? At least I am getting this week's Deals up in a timely manner!
Here's what you can get on sale this week, until 30th June:

Circle Ice Rhinestone Brads - normally $19.95, now $11.97 (pack of 80, 4 colours in 2 sizes)
Square Ice Rhinestone Brads - normally $19.95, now $11.97 (pack of 80, 4 colours in 2 sizes)
Square Fire Rhinestone Brads - normally $19.95, now $11.97 (pack of 80, 4 colours in 2 sizes)
Bashful Blue 1" Double-stitched grosgrain ribbon - normally $19.95, now $10.97
Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon - normally $14.95, now $8.97.

These items can be found on page 149-151 of the catalogue. You can look at the catalogue online here.

I'll be placing an order on Friday at 3pm - email or phone your order to me before then if you want to add yours, and pay only the 5% shipping rate!

Hope you're enjoying your week so far, I'll be back tomorrow to show you some creations from my class.
Genelle.

Deals of the Week #2!

2010-06-11T13:24:00.004+10:00

Hi all,

This week's 'Deals of the Week' are for some gorgeous Designer Series Paper (DSP) packs. Stampin' Up! is offering the following paper packs at 35-40% off the regular price:

Haiku DSP normally $16.95, now $10.17
Tea Party DSP normally $16.95, now $10.17
Pink Flamingo DSP normally $16.95, now $11.02
Raspberry Tart DSP normally $16.95, now $11.02
Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP (pictured) normally $22.95, now $14.92

Each pack is 12"x 12" and contains 12 double-sided pages (2 each of 6 designs).
These papers are on pages 132 and 133 of the current Idea Book & Catalogue and are available at the discounted price until next Tuesday, 15th June. Contact me to place your order!

Hope you have a wonderful long weekend,

Genelle.

Deals of the Week: #1

2010-06-01T10:54:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

During June, Stampin' Up! is offering Deals of the Week! It's a surprise (even to Demonstrators) what the Deals will be. This morning, Deal #1 was announced!

From now until 8th June, the following punches, normally $30.95 each, are available for only $20.12 each:

Scallop Oval punch
Scallop Square punch
Boho Blossoms punch
Trio Flower punch

Click here to go to the Customer Website for all the details, and contact me if you'd like to place an order!

Genelle.

May Calendar Challenge

2010-05-28T11:42:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

Here is my calendar page for Susan's Monthly Calendar Challenge. The theme for May was "Say it with Flowers". My birthday, my daughter's birthday, my Aunty's birthday and my dog's birthdays are all in May too, so I decided to create a flower garden (the pic is not the best, but the best I could get!):

I love punches, but I usually only use them for punching out sentiments and accents. I have hardly done any punch art, but I could not resist trying this cute punch fence (I originally saw it here) using the new Jewellery Tag punch. I have been using this punch a lot on cards, I just love it.

I had to include my favourite flowers too - tulips. (I am looking at a beautiful vase of them as I type - yellow and red stripy ones, so pretty!). The tulips are done with the 2-step Bird punch, using the bird's wing. They are so simple and pretty. I first saw them here.

Make sure you pop over to Susan's blog to join in and view the entries, as well as check out her gorgeous work!

(I haven't done a supplies list for this one as there were so many! Once again my calendar template is from Cat at Splitcoaststampers, details here).

Genelle.

Some exciting news...

2010-05-24T09:52:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

Well what a week it's been... we have had family visiting for my daughter's 1st birthday, and the Stampin' Up! annual Convention was on in Sydney. I couldn't go of course but I was popping in and out of the Demonstrator groups I am part of, to try to keep up with all the news! I can't wait to go along to Convention next year (thank goodness it's on a different weekend).

Some really exciting news is that the Stampin' Up! Starter Kit is now 20% off!! It is always great value, with over $560 worth of products and business materials for $324.... but now you can get it for only $259!
This offer runs until 31st July. Contact me if you would like to join my team of fabulous Stampin' Up! demonstrators. You can sign up simply to receive a discount on your own purchases, or you can occasionally sell to family and friends, or you can run your own workshops and classes and build your own business! It's up to you.

You can see the products included in the Starter Kit (which you can customise to suit your needs by swapping stamp sets, cardstock and ink colours etc) at the very back of the catalogue, or by visiting my Demonstrator Website (click here).

I am off now to post some swaps I made for some fellow Demonstrators - I will be sure to pop some pictures here of the lovely creations I receive in return.

Hope you have a great week,
Genelle.

Inkspirations Sketch #22 - Wish

2010-05-12T11:02:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

This week the very talented Renee is hosting Makeesha's Inkspirations Challenge while Keesh's computer is being repaired. Pop over here to join in and to view the other entries!

Here is the sketch:

And here is my creation:

I have been using this colour combo a lot lately, and will miss Brocade Blue when it retires later this year. (I have stocked up already in preparation!)

The flower has been embossed, cut out and popped up on dimensionals, along with the sentiment. I have coloured the flower with my inkpad and blender pen.

Supplies:
Stamps: Embrace Life, Short & Sweet
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Brocade Blue, Basic Black
Ink: Brocade Blue, Basic Black, VersaMark
Accessories: Black embossing powder, black ribbon (non-SU), blender pen, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals.

Thanks Renee, and Keesh for a fabulous sketch!
Genelle.

Mother's Day

2010-05-06T17:16:00.004+10:00

Hi again!

Earlier this week, some of the ladies from my soccer team (and some of their friends) came over for a Mother's Day class. We made a Mother's Day card and a coordinating Pillow Box - perfect for a small gift.

Everyone's creations turned out beautifully, and as usual we had some amazing colour and layout variations. For once I remembered to take a few pictures, so here are some of the lovely projects:

First off, this is Kate's gorgeous card:

And Sandra's beautiful creation:

This pretty card was made by Alex:

And here is Ally's lovely card:

Last but not least, here is Mel's beautiful card and Pillow Box:

I find it amazing that all of these cards use the same dimensions and materials, just different colours and embossing folders.

Thanks girls for a wonderful day! I'll see some of you at training tonight :)
Genelle.

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #21 - Mother's Day

2010-05-06T15:27:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

This week Keesh has a beautiful, floral, feminine Inspiration image:

And.... (look away if you're reading this, Mum!!)

... I made this Mother's Day card:

This week the Inkspirations Challenge is being hosted by the extremely talented Kirsty Brown - check out the other entries and see the Design Team's creations here.

The watercolour rose technique has been around for quite a while, but I first saw it here. (I do mine a bit differently though).

Pop back to my blog to see the other cards from my Mother's Day class if you'd like!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!)

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Cardstock: Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, watercolour paper

Ink: Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, VersaMark

Accessories: Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, So Saffron brads, white embossing powder, aquapainter, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, Perfect Polkadots embossing folder, Big Shot, dimensionals.

Autumn/Winter Launch Photos

2010-04-23T18:06:00.008+10:00

Hi everyone,

I've finally made some time to photograph some of the creations from my mini catalogue launch last weekend. I had a lot of fun - some of my friends had never stamped before, and some have been stamping for a lot longer than me, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves!

The picture above is of the table gift - Kraft pillow boxes with chocolate hearts inside. Each guest's initial was stamped on the curly label in either Soft Suede, Melon Mambo or Rich Razzleberry (our new In Colours). The leaves are from the new Extra Large 2-Step Bird punch.

Below are some projects using the Big Shot and the Cottage Wall colour scheme:

Another quick card using the Movers & Shapers die:

Different ways to use the Fancy Favour die (and some more new colour combos):

We did two Make & Take projects on the day. For the first one, the ladies used one of the In Colours with the 'A Little Treat' stamp set and punches to make this cute balloon:

I thought Rich Razzleberry would be the most popular new colour, but Melon Mambo won the day! So many different sentiments fit inside the 1 3/8" circle punch, too.

The second card we made was a monochromatic card using the Extra Large 2-Step Bird punch (colours were Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip or Riding Hood Red):

The ladies were so creative with these ones, and we had varying colour schemes, beautiful tulips, stamped backgrounds and different layouts. I wish I'd had my camera there.

I got the idea for using coordinating DSP on the bird's wing from Fiona Platzer's blog.

Thanks to all who attended, and congratulations again to those of you who won prizes! I hope you had a great afternoon,

Genelle.

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #21 - Birthday Cheers

2010-04-21T16:12:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

I have been very busy these past two weeks, stamping and creating - mostly for my Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue launch last weekend. I will try to get my creations photographed and posted here tomorrow.

I had a chance today to join in Keesh's Inkspirations Challenge - this week it is a Sketch Challenge:

Here is the card I created:

I was inspired by some of the Design Team's creations which featured the sentiment on the curly label. I used my brand new Movers & Shapers die, with the Curly Label magnetic piece, to cut a card from Pumpkin Pie cardstock. I used the offcut label as a mat for my punched Curly Label piece. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE how Stampin' Up's products coordinate so perfectly?! (lol).

I have used the Sweet Always DSP on my Regal Rose card base. The cocktail image has been coloured with coordinating markers and I added some Pink supernova glitter and Crystal Effects on the glass and cherry. I used a metal edge tag for my circle and have finished the card with Chocolate Chip and Regal Rose ribbon and some pumpkin rhinestone brads.

Supplies:

Stamps: Cheers to You, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Cardstock: Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Sweet Always DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red

Accessories: Wide double-stitched Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Circle Fire brads, Big Shot, Movers & Shapers Curly Label die, metal edge tag, 1 3/4" circle punch, curly label punch, Tombow mono adhesive, Fine Supernova glitter, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals.

This card is already in its recipient's letterbox and hopefully being opened as I post this!
Make sure you pop over to check out the other entries, and pop back here later this week if you'd like to see what I've been up to!
Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #20 - Hello Baby

2010-04-05T11:35:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

(If you're looking for my ESAD Blog Hop post, please scroll down).

This week Keesh has a Colour Challenge:

Delicious! I had planned to create something else, but I needed a baby card in a hurry, so I might revisit my other idea later - these colours are really versatile. Make sure you pop over to check out all the other entries, and there's still plenty of time for you to join in if you haven't already!

Here is my card:

I have used the lovely new Fox and Friends stamp set, which I love. I have it in the clear-mount option, which is fabulous. I have stamped the animals in Creamy Caramel and Chocolate Chip and layered onto Brocade Blue circles. The lion's mane and face have been cut out and the mane has been layered on dimensionals.

The greeting is from the new Teeny Tiny Sentiments (again, so versatile and cute) which I have stamped onto a tag cut using the Lots of Tags die in my Big Shot. I have trimmed around the perforations on the vanilla tag and layered it onto a Chocolate Chip one, and secured with a Brocade Blue brad. There is also some paper piercing along the edge of the ribbon.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Fox & Friends, Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, Brocade Blue, Choc Chip Patterns DSP

Ink: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Brocade Blue 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Brocade Blue brad, Scallop Edge punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Lots of Tags Sizzlit, Big Shot, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals.

Hope you are having a fantastic Easter, I will get around to loading up my Easter creations here soon!

Genelle.

ESAD Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue Blog Hop!

2010-04-01T06:00:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone!

It's time for the ESAD Autumn/Winter Blog Hop! We have been busy preparing some fabulous projects for you using the brand new products from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue.

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australian (& New Zealand) Demonstrators, and it's an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin' Up! We share our love for what we do with our customers, friends, wonderful blog visitors and also 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 needed.

If you are a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand, please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

Now, on to the hop! You may have arrived here from Gail Kirby's amazing blog, but no matter where you started you will be able to hop around the full circuit by following the links on each post. If you leave a comment on each post in the hop, email Sharlene to let her know and you'll be in the draw to win some Blog Candy! There will be one winner from Australia and one from New Zealand. (Demonstrators are encouraged to comment but will not be eligible to win the Blog Candy).

For my projects today, I decided to focus on the new stamp set Lots of Bots. My son adores robots, and although it's a while until his birthday, I decided to create some coordinating birthday party projects using this adorable stamp set, along with a new colour and the new Big Shot and accessories!

I have used a bright 'In Colour' colour scheme of Tangerine Tango and Kiwi Kiss with either Pacific Point or Melon Mambo. Melon Mambo is one of the three brand-new In Colours now available.

First off, I have made an invitation:

The pockets are made from half an A4 sheet (cut lengthways) so there's no wastage. The inserts can be printed on the computer and then the round tab is added at the top. You could put some magnetic tape onto the back of the insert or pocket so that the recipient can stick it onto their fridge.

Next I have made a treat box, using the new Pillow Box die:

And finally, some little cupcake picks:

You can click on the link in my sidebar to view the brand new Autumn/Winter mini catalogue, or contact me (if you don't already have an existing Demonstrator) and I will send you your own copy. I have had so much fun being involved in my first Blog Hop - as well as getting early access to these brand new goodies! If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, contact me (or your own Demonstrator) to find out more about joining Stampin' Up!

(I didn't have time to bake any cupcakes, so the scone is filling in!)

Now, onto the next stop on the Hop - click here to see Jan McAnulty's fabulous projects!

Supplies:

Stamps: Lots of Bots, Cheer & Wishes

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Watercolour paper

Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Pacific Point striped grosgrain ribbon, Melon Mambo polkadot grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot & cutting plates, Pillow Box die, Lots of Tags die, 1 1/4" square punch, scallop square punch, 1" circle punch, round tab punch, jumbo eyelets - pewter, crop-o-dile, corner rounder, blender pens, dimensionals.

Thanks for visiting :)

I've tried to keep my post brief, but if you have any questions about my projects, just email me!

Genelle.

Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue....

2010-03-31T20:00:00.000+10:00

.... goes live tomorrow!

Pop back in the morning for a catalogue link, and join in the fabulous ESAD Blog Hop showcasing the beautiful new products in the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue!

It's my first Blog Hop as a participant - I'm really looking forward to see everyone's beautiful creations! You can also be in the running for some Blog Candy by leaving a comment at each stop along the way (please note that Demonstrators are encouraged to comment but aren't eligible for any prizes).

See you bright and early tomorrow!
Genelle.

Just Add Ink #10 and Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #20 - Happy Easter

2010-03-31T18:42:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

I have finally managed to get another entry ready for Just Add Ink. This week was a colour challenge, and here are the colours:

I decided to use this week's Inkspirations Sketch as well:

And here is the card I made:

I wanted to make an Easter card featuring the cross, and these colours were just perfect. I added a tiny bit of Very Vanilla for the sentiment, and I think it'd look better with a Vanilla image panel as well (instead of the extra Blush Blossom).

I used some flowers punched out with my Boho Blossoms punch for the detail on the cross, taking inspiration from the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue (the card in there uses Flower Fusion, but I needed different colours!)

Make sure you pop on over to check out the other entries (follow the links in this post or in my sidebar) and also check back here tonight for some exciting news!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up! unless noted):

Stamps: Special Blessing, Teeny Tiny Sentiments*

Cardstock: Kraft, Close to Cocoa, Blush Blossom, Very Vanilla, Candy Lane DSP, Walk in the Park DSP (retired)

Ink: Close to Cocoa
Accessories: Boho Blossoms punch, word window punch, Kraft taffeta ribbon, Pretties Kit pearls, adhesive pearls (non-SU), dimensionals.
*Available in Autumn/Winter mini catalogue

Back later ;)

Genelle.

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #19 - Too Kind

2010-03-25T22:12:00.005+10:00

Hi again!

Finally I have had a chance to finish my card for Keesh's Inkspirations inspiration challenge this week. You can view the fabulous entries here.
Here is the inspiration image:

I could not get a good photo at night, so I will put a better pic up later, but the challenge closes at midnight, so here is my card:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Whimsical Words
Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Basic Black, Lavender Lace, Whisper White

Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Orchid Opulence, Kiwi Kiss, Lavender Lace

Accessories: Jumbo eyelet (pewter), Black brads, mat pack, Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, 1 3/8" square punch, 1 1/4" square punch, dimensionals.

Can you see some supplies I haven't listed? Just a little sneak peek of some awesome new products from the upcoming Autumn/Winter mini catalogue, which goes live next Thursday.

Hope you are all having a good evening!

Genelle.

March - Monthly Calendar Challenge

2010-03-25T10:52:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

Well, I am leaving it super late to get some challenge entries in! This one is for Susan's Monthly Calendar Challenge for March. This month's theme was Autumn, and you can check out all the details here. Although I am leaving it really late, there might still be time for you to join in, but if not, I'd love to see you join in next month! It's such a fun challenge.

I can tell you that the upcoming Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue has some great autumnal products... which I don't have yet :) and I was wishing for them while doing this month's calendar page! I settled for the Lovely as a Tree set and attempted to add some Autumn colours to the branches. The calendar template is once again from Cat on Splitcoaststampers, you can find it here.

In my part of Queensland it doesn't feel like Autumn yet, everything is green and lush from all the rain and it is still hot and muggy. The nights have been cooler though so before we know it I'm sure I will be complaining about the cold :)

I will be back later with my other challenge entry - hopefully in time to play along!
Genelle.

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #19 - Bella Rose Birthday

2010-03-10T15:46:00.008+10:00

Hi all!

I actually have a challenge entry to show you - finally got a chance to do Keesh's latest challenge, Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #19. Here is the fabulous sketch:

And here is my card, a birthday card for my lovely cousin:

I have stamped the presents from 'Happy Moments' onto various Bella Rose DSP and popped them onto a large metal-edge tag. I saw this set used with the metal-edge tags a while back but I can't find the site again! I love how the 1 3/4" circle punch fits the tag so neatly for my background image.

The rest of the DSP is also Bella Rose and I have used Chocolate Chip double-stitched ribbon and taffeta ribbon for the knot, and jumbo silver brads to finish it off.

You only have until the end of March to earn this stamp set for FREE with a $100 order, as part of Sale-a-bration - contact me if you'd like to place an order, or for more information!

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Happy Moments
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip (textured), Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Chocolate Chip double-stitched ribbon, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, large metal-edge tag, jumbo silver brads, mat pack, dimensionals.

Thanks for visiting,
Genelle.

Busy, busy...

2010-03-07T19:44:00.003+10:00

Hi all,

Firstly I must post a belated 'congratulations' to the catalogue party winners! I hope you are enjoying your new freebies!

I will try to get some new photos on here tomorrow - I have been very busy which is good work-wise but haven't had any time to stamp for fun or do my favourite challenges! I have been doing a LOT of stamping though so hopefully I can put some pictures up.

Enjoy the miniscule remainder of the weekend :)
Genelle.

Sale-a-bration Catalogue Party

2010-02-20T14:12:00.004+10:00

Hi again,

My new computer mouse is working a treat, and I can finally catch up on a few posts! Scroll down to see my February Calendar page for the lovely (and very talented) Susan Joyce's Monthly Calendar Challenge!

I also have some announcements to make:

I am having a Catalogue Party for Sale-a-bration, with heaps of prizes on offer! If you would like to place an order, simply contact me - all orders over $100 will receive a prize in addition to your choice of Sale-a-bration set.

Prizes will be drawn at 9am next Friday 26th February, so make sure your order and payment is received by then to be included in the draw!

Prizes are as follows:
1- $30 free merchandise of your choice
2- Free Level 1 Hostess set of your choice
3- Extra Sale-a-bration set of your choice
4- Free 'Best Yet' Level 1 Hostess set
5- $30 free merchandise of your choice
6- $30 free merchandise of your choice
7- Free Level 2 Hostess set of your choice
8- Extra Sale-a-bration set of your choice
9- Free 'Organic Grace' Level 1 Hostess set
10- Extra Sale-a-bration set of your choice

If there are more than 10 participants, I will add more prizes - everyone wins!

Ok, after all that excitement, I have another card to show you - one of my all-time favourites! I really enjoyed making this one, and will use this layout again for sure.

Love those little owls!

I am currently revising and expanding my class schedule, with a view to a new venue and also adding a monthly Stamp Club... I will know more in the next few days, so contact me to be added to my mailing list if you'd like to find out more - or you can click on my Demonstrator Website link at the very top of the right sidebar -----------> over there somewhere!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Genelle.

Monthly Calendar Challenge - February

2010-02-20T13:27:00.005+10:00

Hi!

Here is my February calendar page for Susan's Monthly Calendar Challenge. I am really enjoying doing these 6" x 6" calendar pages. This month's theme was Love and Romance, and you can check out all the details by clicking here. There's still time for you to join in!

I love all of the traditional romantic gestures (flowers, chocolates, dinner and wine) but one of my favourites would have to be love letters and cards! I have stamped my 'Sent With Love' Gorjuss Girl with Jet Black StazOn and coloured her with my blender pens, inkpads and white gel pen. My favourite dandelion heart stamp (from 'A Happy Heart') has been stamped in the background to tie in with the border. I also love rhinestones, so I have wrapped a clear rhinestone brad around the ribbon.

Supplies:

Stamps: Sent With Love (Gorjuss Girls by Sugar Nellie), A Happy Heart, Short & Sweet

Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White

Ink: Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Creamy Caramel

Accessories: Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit, clear rhinestone brad, Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, Calendar template by Cat, scallop edge punch

Thanks Susan for the challenge!
Back with another post in a minute,
Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #18

2010-02-18T10:47:00.005+10:00

Hi there!

Here are the colours for Keesh's Inkspirations Colour Challenge #18:

And here's my card - a birthday card for a friend:

I followed Karen's Sweet Sunday sketch #56 which you can find here.

Just a short post today - my computer's mouse has died, and so this is taking forever and driving me crazy!! I have got heaps to show you though, and an announcement - pop back tomorrow when I've got a new mouse :)

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Owl Together Now

Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Ruby Red, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, watercolour paper, Brocade Blue Patterns DSP (from Hostess pack)

Ink: Ruby Red, Brocade Blue, Always Artichoke, Jet Black StazOn

Accessories: Mellow Moss stampin' pastels, blender pens, sponge, Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, paper snips, Circle Scissor Plus.

Hope you're having a great day,

Genelle.

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #17 - Happy Anniversary

2010-02-04T07:28:00.005+10:00

Hi all,

This week Keesh had an Inspiration challenge - here is the photo:

I thought of going out for dinner, and decided to make an anniversary card. I decided to use the elements in the photo like a sketch:

For the branch I have used the flourish from Baroque Motifs in Creamy Caramel ink. Some Bella Bleu DSP panels represent the table etc, with a scored line across the top for texture and definition. The kraft ribbon and silver brads are inspired by the napkin and silverware. I was going for a simple elegant look, and decided to use Very Vanilla to bring out the warmth as well.
The greeting on the DSP is from Cheer & Wishes.

The weather has been so miserable and gloomy that I struggled with the photo even more than usual! This one was taken flat, the best I could do - the card fold is at the top.

Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs (first time I've used it, lol!), Cheer & Wishes

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Bella Bleu DSP

Ink: Creamy Caramel

Accessories: Kraft taffeta ribbon, filagree brad, silver brads, rhinestone brad, paper piercer, mat pack.

Thanks Keesh for a very challenging challenge! :)

Genelle.

Just Add Ink Colour Challenge #1 - Friendship

2010-01-27T12:38:00.006+10:00

Hi all,

I needed a super quick card for a friend today, and decided to use the colours from Just Add Ink's first Colour Challenge:

There's still a teeny bit of time left if you'd like to play along too - entries close tonight at midnight, and you can find all the details here or by clicking the Just Add Ink button in my sidebar. There are a heap of talented Australian and New Zealand Stampin' Up! Demonstrators on the Design Team, with lovely creations for you to check out! I am going to make a cuppa after linking up my entry, and have a look at the other entries - there are a ton of them, and I'm sure there will be heaps of inspiration there too!

Here's my quick and fun card:

For this card, I randomly stamped the images (from 'For Everything') over half a sheet of Whisper White A4. I used my Taken with Teal marker to colour the bird's flower and also to ink the oval in the sentiment, and to colour some Whisper White taffeta ribbon - SO quick and easy! The image panel is layered onto some scalloped Taken with Teal cardstock and topped off with some So Saffron striped ribbon, and Chocolate Chip jumbo 5/16" brads. The sentiment has been punched out with the Large Oval punch, sponged with So Saffron ink and layered onto a textured Chocolate Chip scalloped oval, and popped up with dimensionals. To finish the card off I have added two rows of paper piercing to the Rose Red base.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: For Everything
Cardstock: Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip (textured)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, So Saffron, Taken with Teal (marker)
Accessories: Whisper White taffeta ribbon, So Saffron striped ribbon, Jumbo 5/16" brads, paper piercer, mat pack, Scallop Edge punch, Large Oval punch, Scallop Oval punch, sponge dauber, dimensionals.

Hope you enjoy it!
Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #17 - Birthday Easel Card & Treat

2010-01-24T22:06:00.013+10:00

Hi all,

It's time for the fantastic Inkspirations Challenges to kick off for this year - and Keesh has a wonderful Colour Challenge for us this week. Here are the colours:

I decided to make my first ever easel card - they're everywhere in blogland at the moment! I saw Beate's tutorial on Splitcoaststampers and wanted to have a go. Here's my creation (modified to a standard A6 card):

A bit closer (edited to add this one):

And a view of the card closed:

It's much busier than my usual cards, but it just seemed to take off on its own ;)

I have paper pieced the cupcake (from Crazy for Cupcakes) and used Crystal Effects on the sprinkles. The So Saffron scalloped piece has been stamped with the tiny cupcake image from Short & Sweet. The sentiment is from Sweet Birthday, inked with Chocolate Chip marker and punched out with the Word Window punch. I have sponged the edges and added a row of So Saffron brads.

I have used a new Very Vanilla large grommet to tie the So Saffron ribbon through, topped off with a So Saffron button (from the Button Latte pack) which has been threaded with Choc Chip cardstock 'thread'.

The card front stands up with the help of the layer attached to the base - I have added strips of Vanilla and Cameo Coral DSP and some paper piercing, as well as a greeting popped up on dimensionals.

I also made this cute little treat box to go along with the card - this one contains small Lindt chocolate squares, but you could adapt the size for any small gift:

I adapted this one from Beate Johns, here. I love making little boxes, and once you've found a great template, it's just a matter of altering the measurements to suit your contents. Mine has 4 little Lindt squares inside it.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Short & Sweet, Sweet Birthday,

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip (textured), Very Vanilla, Candy Lane DSP, Cameo Coral, So Saffron, Raspberry Tart DSP, Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral, So Saffron (inkpads & markers)

Accessories: Corner rounder, Word Window punch, sponge dauber, Scallop Edge punch, So Saffron brads, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, Button Latte button, Grommets - large, mini glue dots, Sticky Strip, dimensionals, Crystal Effects, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, paper piercer, mat pack.

I'm happy with how it all turned out, hope you enjoy it too. Happy Australia Day!

Genelle.

Birthday Cheers

2010-01-23T10:31:00.004+10:00

Hi all,

Yesterday a friend came over for some cardmaking - she wanted to do a masculine birthday card with embossing. I decided to try the embossed 'frosting' technique from this month's Impressions (the Stampin' Up! demonstrator's newsletter). I omitted the glitter, and applied the frosting to the froth on the beer:

(Sorry for the blurry photo). Here's the finished card:

We also embossed the birthday greeting in gold. I love this sentiment (from Upsy Daisy) on cards for men.

I am really looking forward to the start of Sale-a-Bration on Monday - the first order will be placed first thing in the morning, so contact me if you'd like to join in, and earn some FREE stamps as well! If you add the lovely 'I {Heart} Hearts' stamp set to your order, Stampin' Up! will also donate $2 to the Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief & Development Fund.

Have a great weekend,

Genelle.

Calendar Challenge - January

2010-01-17T13:28:00.004+10:00

Hi again,

I'm having a great time creating this weekend - it's nice to have some time to stamp (and actually post it here, too!).

I was really excited when I saw that Susan Joyce is hosting a Monthly Calendar Challenge this year - the theme for January is Let's Party - Celebrate the New Year. You can check out all the details here and join in the fun!

I wanted my calendar to be functional as well as fun, so I have decided to make a 6" x 6" scrapbook page to go along with each calendar page. At least then by the end of this year, I will have done a bit of scrapping as well! But to start off, here's my calendar page:

We spent New Year's Eve away on holidays at my parents' place, and watched the early fireworks from their backyard, so I decided to use the little starburst from Hello Again to represent fireworks, and I've added some rhinestones. The colours were inspired from the fireworks colours on the night.

Stamps: Occasions for All, Hello Again

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red, Confetti White

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Circle punches, star punches, chipboard numbers, sponge dauber, rhinestones, dimensionals, star button (given to me on New Year's Eve!), stamp-a-ma-jig, mini glue dots.

Calendar Template is from Cat on Splitcoaststampers, here.

Thanks Susan for a fantastic challenge,

Genelle.

Gift for a Friend

2010-01-16T15:08:00.006+10:00

Hi all,

Something I really love about the stamping community is the generosity of fellow papercrafters. I came across these gorgeous muffin/cupcake boxes recently on Claire Daly's fantastic blog. (You can also find Claire's blog in my sidebar - it's one I read regularly). Not only did Claire share the fabulous templates for these boxes, she's also offering two free tutorials to anyone who uploads their creation using her free templates - make sure you pop over and have a look!

I needed a little gift for a friend, and used the double muffin box template:

I wasn't sure if the recipient would know how to open the box, so I cut a slit in the lid with my craft knife and added a little ribbon tab (secured inside with Sticky Strip and a Kiwi Kiss corduroy brad through the lid).

The lid detail - a chipboard pear (from the On Board So Tweet pack) which has been covered with DSP, sanded, sponged with Kiwi Kiss ink and then covered in a layer of Crystal Effects:

Instead of muffins or cupcakes, my gift box contains some biscuits and tea bags, along with a coordinating Love Note card. I have used the Good Morning Sunshine DSP.

Thanks Claire, and all who share their tips, ideas and projects - it's greatly appreciated!

Genelle.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T15:51:00.002+10:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope that 2010 is a wonderfully happy and healthy year for us all. A friend of mine sent a New Year's Eve message which read, 'Make heaps of resolutions, and stick to one!' So that's my plan - although I have a lot of goals for the year, I am going to devote most of my energy into one in particular! I'll let you know how it all goes as the year goes on.

I have decided to maintain a new business website this year - you can check out the new link in my sidebar. I will be posting my creations, challenge entries and general waffling here on my blog, and my demonstrator website will contain more detailed information about Stampin' Up! promotions, products and information about being a demonstrator.

As far as stamping goes - I carted a suitcase of my stamp stuff across 2 states and barely had a chance to touch it over our holidays! I did get my Christmas items finished though. It was nice to have a break and spend time with my family, even though the weather was dismal most days.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas too,
Genelle.

CASED Card for a Teacher

2009-12-17T12:47:00.003+10:00

I'm back :)

This time I have a teacher's card to share. I have had a picture of this fantastic card, by the talented Margaret Moody, on my computer for a while - and when it came time to adapt it, I loved it too much to change... As well as being my first total 'copy', it was also the first time I'd used Yoyo Yellow!
I love everything about Margaret's original design, but I had to adapt it a tiny bit to suit a standard Australian card size and to suit my circle punches. The inside of the card is lined with Whisper White and stamped with the apple image.

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Yoyo Yellow, Old Olive, Basic Black, Whisper White, lined notepaper
Ink: Real Red marker, Old Olive marker, VersaFine Onyx Black
Accessories: Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, spiral punch, ruler, 1" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Word Window punch, dimensionals.

Thanks for looking!
Genelle.

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #17

2009-12-17T12:09:00.004+10:00

Hi all!

I am sorry it has been such a long time between posts, with promises of Regionals projects etc still not uploaded - but I am getting there slowly! It has been a huge eye opener for me this year, thinking that I would have heaps of time to make my Christmas cards and little gifts... not realising that everything else (orders, workshops, classes etc) steps up in the leadup to Christmas as well! Not to mention people are still having birthdays too... ;)

Since it is the last Inkspirations Challenge for the year (and if you look back through my posts, you will see that these are what got me into blogging in the first place), I decided to make an extra-special effort to join in! Here is Keesh's fab sketch:

And here is my card, on its way to friends who have recently welcomed their second daughter into the world!

Stamps: Wild About You, Short Order Alphabet, Polka Dot background

Cardstock: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla, Candy Lane DSP

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose

Accessories: Very Vanilla jumbo brads, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, Scallop Edge punch, blender pen, dimensionals.

I have lined the inside of the card and used some of the fantastic new Chit Chat rub ons for the sentiment inside.

Pop back this afternoon for another post - I have to go and get my bub off to sleep now!

Hello Summer!

2009-12-02T22:36:00.003+10:00

Summer is definitely my favourite season... and to celebrate I also have copies of the new Summer Mini catalogue ready to go :) Check out the gorgeous new stamp sets, tools and accessories here or from my sidebar.

Demonstrators attending the Regional Seminars received the new 'Hello Again' set and coordinating 'Retro Remix' wheel! I will be back later in the week to show the projects we made and also the fabulous swaps I recieved - so many gorgeous creations!

I was a little nervous heading off to my first Regionals, but I didn't have to be - after coming out of the lifts at the Hilton and seeing a swarm of people greeting each other and swapping their projects, it was just so exciting! And I got to meet my team leader Kim Gavarra in person *waving* and some of the lovely ladies in her team. The whole day was wonderful, and I am so looking forward to putting all my newfound knowledge and inspiration into practice.

Happy summer,
Genelle.

A slight interruption...

2009-11-25T16:07:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone,

I am off to the Stampin' Up! Brisbane Regionals this weekend, and that is just one reason why I haven't been posting lately! The other reasons include a lot of family events, family and friends coming to stay, etc.

I will be back on Monday to show you my swaps from Regionals, and also to celebrate the release of the Summer Mini - it goes live on 1st December! I'll be adding a link, but if you'd like a 'real' copy, just let me know (or your own Demonstrator if that's not me) and I'll get a copy to you.

Despite our crazy week, I did manage to squeeze in a trip to the movies to go and see 'New Moon' (part 2 of the Twilight Saga for those who aren't fans). The best part is, that since this movie came out, I'm not getting teased so much for being 'Team Jacob' anymore!! Lol.

There's still time to place your final orders as we say goodbye to the Spring Mini - my last orders will be placed on Monday morning, so contact me if you'd like to order any of the beautiful products in the Spring mini catalogue.

Have a great week, and if you get a spare moment, why not join in Keesh's fabulous sketch challenge! I have really been missing joining in, but have had to let a few things slide this week.

Take care,

Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #15 - Thank You

2009-11-12T11:41:00.004+10:00

Hi,

Well things haven't slowed down since my Open House on the weekend (see this post if you missed it!) and once again I am leaving my entry for Keesh's Inkspirations Colour Challenge #15 until the last minute!

Here is the beautiful colour combo:

And here is my card:

I was experimenting with my greeting and discovered that the 1" circle fits neatly inside the Designer Label frame - I love how it turned out when layered with dimensionals and the Word Window punched piece as well. I have also stamped the punched pieces with the Sanded background to tie in with the base card, and I have sponged the edges.

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Short & Sweet, Sanded background

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust

Accessories: Chocolate Chip wide double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, Vintage brads (Antique Brass), Designer Label punch, Word Window punch, 1" circle punch, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals, sponge dauber, sponge wedges.

Thanks for looking!

Genelle

Christmas Open House

2009-11-09T17:50:00.006+10:00

Hi all,

As promised, here are some photos from my Christmas Open House event yesterday. Here is a snap of part of the table display (details to follow):

Starting in the centre and moving roughly clockwise, you can see the 'I Wish' mini album (designed by Andrea Walford), a little chocolate pull-treat (courtesy of Kim Gavarra), a 'box in a bag' (designed by Diana Gibbs), the Christmas card from the other day's blog post, some stamped candles (I learned this technique from Simone Bartrum), another card, a Sevens Box (designed by Marelle Taylor), a card and gift tag set, and another chocolate pull-out box (I adapted this one from a fabulous DVD holder by Claire Daly, and the 3D Christmas Classics tree was inspired by Jayne Mercer).

Here's a (blurry!) pic of a 5" x 5" art journal I made using On Board So Tweet chipboard, chocolate chip wide double-stitched grosgrain ribbon and Good Morning Sunshine DSP. I added rub-ons (from the Bright Delight pack) to this glass candle holder to match.

And here is the card we did for our make & take:

Stamps: Season of Joy, Best Yet, So Swirly (jumbo wheel)

Cardstock: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Eyelet border punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, sponge wedge, dimensionals.

The ladies came up with some amazing variations as well, being innovative with their use of the wheel and punches, and all kinds of sponging too! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of all the gorgeous creations as I was too busy - something to remember for next time :)

Have a great night,

Genelle.

Very Merry - Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #15

2009-11-05T13:47:00.006+10:00

Hello there!

I have been super busy getting ready for my Stampin' Up! Open House on Saturday. (If you live in the Gladstone, Queensland area and would like to come, just email me for the details!) I thought I wouldn't have time to do Keesh's challenge this week... but then I decided to use some leftover bits from the last project I created and join in anyway! Plus I now have a matching card as a sample for Saturday :)

This week the Inkspirations Challenge was a sketch:

And here is my card:

Supplies:

Stamps: Short & Sweet

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Kraft; Real Red DSP and Old Olive DSP from the 'I Wish' Simply Scrappin' kit

Accessories: Die-cuts from 'I Wish' Simply Scrappin' kit, Circle Fire Rhinestone brad, 2" circle punch (non-SU!) Chocolate Chip wide double-stitched ribbon, sponge dauber, Curly Label punch, Jumbo Neutrals 5/16" brads, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals.

Birthday Celebrations - Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #14

2009-10-29T17:20:00.005+10:00

Hi,

I was a bit stumped this week with Keesh's Inkspirations Challenge . Here is the inspiration photo:

After procrastinating all week, I created this:

I took my inspiration from the larger pillow on the left (with the three large buttons on it), the colours and stripes of the linen, and the shells and waves.

I love this greeting from Upsy Daisy - the font and design make it really versatile and suitable for masculine cards.

Stamps: Seaworthy, Upsy Daisy

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Basic Black, Urban Garden DSP

Ink: Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, Whisper White 5/16" jumbo brads, 1/2" circle punch, paper piercer, mat pack, blender pens, dimensionals.

Hope you're having a great week,

Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #14 - Congratulations

2009-10-18T13:14:00.010+10:00

Hello, and happy Sunday :)

I had some time this morning to work on Keesh's Inkspirations Colour Challenge. I loved the colours this week - can you believe I got out my Pretty in Pink for the first time ever for this card?! Here are the colours:

And here is the card I made:

And a pic from a different angle:

Stamps: Petal Pizzazz, Cheer and Wishes

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black, Whisper White, Basic Grey DSP (from hostess Patterns Pack II)

Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink (marker)

Accessories: Clear circle rhinestone brads, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, 1 3/4 circle punch, 2" circle punch, Pretty in Pink brads, Basic Grey taffeta ribbon, scallop edge punch.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend - I am off to make some more cards!

Genelle.

ETA: For Jo (*waving hi*)- the stamens on the little black flower are part of the stamped image - I just stamped it in black and added the clear rhinestone to the centre, the white stamens are the white cardstock showing through. Hope that helps! (Thanks also to the others who have left lovely comments!)

Inskpirations Sketch Challenge #14 - Birthday Lily

2009-10-15T16:03:00.004+10:00

Hi all,

I am really leaving it to the last minute (well, hours anyway) for Keesh's Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #14:

As soon as I saw this sketch, I had a great idea - however the stamp set I had in mind is still coming in the post :) So I have put together this card instead:

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Bitty Birthday
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, watercolour paper
Ink: VersaMark, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White craft ink, Regal Rose, Old Olive
Accessories: Aquapainter, white embossing powder, Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla satin ribbon, word window punch, eyelet border punch, dimensionals.

I used the 'watercolour rose' technique for the popped-up lily (I think that's what the flower is - all I know is that I am allergic to them, lol). You can find a tutorial for that technique here. I used watercolour paper instead, and used my aquapainter to swish it around a little.

I will definitely be trying out my other idea, once my new stamps arrive, so pop back to my blog another time and check it out!

Yippee, it's Friday tomorrow :)
Genelle.

Inspiration Challenge #13 - To You

2009-10-08T12:44:00.005+10:00

Hi,

I have just scraped in this week with Keesh's Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #13. I have been very busy. Here is the Inspiration pic:

And my creation:

I used the colours and the shapes for my inspiration - the white space, rounded corners and red floral images, as well as the hint of chocolate (coffee beans) and saffron.

The base flower image was embossed in white onto gloss cardstock and then I brayered Ruby Red ink over the top. The top flower was stamped in Ruby Red and VersaMark and clear embossed before being coloured with my Ruby Red marker. I have added Ruby Red brads to the centre and layered the flowers and the main image panel with dimensionals.

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Best Yet, Bella's Border (wheel)

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Ruby Red, Whisper White, Gloss White, Sweet Slumber Specialty DSP

Ink: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, VersaMark

Accessories: Choc Chip double-stitched ribbon, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, Ruby Red brads, white embossing powder, clear embossing powder, brayer, corner rounder punch, dimensionals.

Hope you enjoy it,

Genelle.

P.S. I also wanted to say a big hello to Jo, who always leaves lovely comments on my blog (hers is one that my computer has issues with, which I mentioned last week). I usually email but can't find your address anywhere Jo! So, Hi and thanks - I love looking at your creations!

October Specials

2009-10-06T08:20:00.001+10:00

Hi everyone,

Stampin' Up! is offering TWO promotions this month:

World Cardmaking Day Promotion
Buy a Simply Sent Card Elements kit for $30.95 (page 140/141 of the catalogue) and get 20 percent off the coordinating stamp set. That means you can buy the Wow Flowers stamp set or Starring You stamp set for only $19.95!

Breast Cancer Awareness Promotion
In addition to receiving the fabulous Starter Kit for $324 (with over $560 worth of products!), new Demonstrators who join Stampin' Up! between 7th October and 31st December 2009 will also receive a FREE pack of the gorgeous Raspberry Tart DSP and a FREE Pretty in Pink classic inkpad! Stampin' Up! will also donate $5 per new recruit to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Contact me if you'd like any more information on these promotions, or stamping or Stampin' Up! in general!

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #13 - Gorjuss Bumble Bee

2009-09-30T08:52:00.004+10:00

Hi,

This week Makeesha has a colour challenge, and here are the scrumptious colours:

As well as my creation below, I also made a boy's birthday card - these colours are great to work with! Here is my card:

I am a big fan of Suzanne Woolcott's Gorjuss Girls stamps, and I received my first bunch in the mail last week - this one is Bumble Bee. I have stamped her in Chocolate Chip onto Very Vanilla cardstock, and paper-pieced her skirt onto Very Vanilla DSP (from the Candy Lane pack). I coloured her clothes and hair with my markers (Not Quite Navy, Old Olive and Choc Chip) and used my inkpads and blender pens to colour her face and arms in Creamy Caramel and Pink Pirouette. The rest of the recipe is below:

Stamps: Bumble Bee (Gorjuss Girls from Sugar Nellie) (I purchased the EZ-Mount foam online from Paper Forest Designs), Best Wishes & More

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Choc Chip, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Pink Pirouette

Cardstock: Old Olive, Choc Chip, Very Vanilla, Candy Lane DSP, Urban Garden DSP

Accessories: Flower Fusion and Flower Fusion Too felt flowers, olive rhinestone (circle ice pack), Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Choc Chip 5/16" Jumbo brads, paper piercer, mat pack, dimensionals.

I love checking out everyone's gorgeous creations online (sometimes I spend too much time doing that when I should be getting some work done, lol) but due to my browser being outdated, I am unable to leave comments on many people's blogs - thank you to those who leave comments here and I hope to have my computer issues fixed as soon as possible! :)

Have a great day,

Genelle.

Wish Big - Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #13

2009-09-23T08:53:00.005+10:00

Hi,

My head has been buzzing all week with the possibilities for this fabulous sketch from Makeesha for her Inkspirations Sketch Challenge this week. Here is the sketch:

See what I mean?! I love this sketch, and can't wait to use it again.

Here is my card:

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Short & Sweet

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange, Creamy Caramel

Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP

Accessories: Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon, Kiwi Kiss corduroy button, linen thread, blender pen, dimensionals, Crystal Effects, large oval punch, scalloped oval punch, scallop square punch, scallop edge punch, paper piercer, mat pack, white gel pen.

Hope you enjoy it,

Genelle.

Inkspirations Inspirations Challenge - Summer!

2009-09-17T11:33:00.008+10:00

Hi all,

I have been so busy this week and have just found some time to make a card for Makeesha's Inspiration Challenge #12. Here is the inspiration pic:

I love summer, and it's been really hot here lately so I decided to make this card:

Stamps: Just Beachy, Cute & Curly

Ink: Pacific Point, Summer Sun

Cardstock: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Good Morning Sunshine DSP

Accessories: Whisper White taffeta ribbon, antique brass jumbo eyelet, curly label punch, slit punch, dimensionals

Just a quick post for now (my bub is a bit grizzly) but I have actually been busy with a lot of projects, which I hope to share when I get a chance, so make sure you pop back soon!

Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge # 12 - Sunset Thinking of You

2009-09-08T14:20:00.005+10:00

Hello!

This week Keesh had a Colour Challenge for the weekly Inkspirations challenge. You can join in and view the other entries here.

Here are the FABULOUS colours - I enjoyed mixing the Real Red in there instead of my usual Choc Chip:

Here's my creation:

When I saw these colours, I immediately thought of a sunset, but I didn't want to add any other colours to the mix. I decided to emboss the tree (from Forest Friends) onto glossy white cardstock, and brayer the So Saffron, Regal Rose and Real Red across the sky. I masked out the ground with some sticky notes, and sponged some Real Red to give the ground and trunk some definition. I added a layer of Real Red underneath, and added some of the new So Saffron grosgrain ribbon with some thinner Real Red grosgrain ribbon tied around it. I then adhered a So Saffron button from the Button Latte pack, with a thin strip of red cardstock threaded through it. The greeting (from Trendy Trees) was embossed in white onto Regal Rose cardstock and the edge punched with the Eyelet Border punch. The whole layer was then placed onto So Saffron DSP and the folded corner detail was completed with another button from the Latte pack, this time in Whisper White with Regal Rose cardstock 'thread'. I added the paper-pierced corner and adhered everything to the Regal Rose base.

I'm happy with how it turned out - my first attempt at brayering, and a larger card than I usually make - that's why it's called a challenge, I guess :)
Hope you like it,

Genelle.

September Special - Catalogue Party

2009-09-07T12:34:00.006+10:00

No doubt you have heard about the fabulous Free Ribbon Bundle being offered by Stampin' Up! during September. (If you haven't, just scroll down a bit to read all about it!) In addition to this wonderful offer, I am also holding a Catalogue Party during September - if you would like to receive a FREE Ribbon Bundle, plus $10 of FREE merchandise with a $100 order ($200 orders will receive $20 in free merchandise and so on), simply place a minimum $100 order with me by Monday 21st September. One lucky participant will also win a FREE Level 1 Hostess Set of their choice. I will finalise orders and draw the lucky winner by 5pm on the 21st, so that leaves you 2 weeks to choose your goodies if you'd like to participate!

If you are new to cardmaking/scrapbooking/stamping, I am more than happy to help you put together a kit so you can start making your own beautiful creations - just email me for assistance.

Have a great week,
Genelle.

Free Ribbon!

2009-09-01T20:36:00.004+10:00

During September, you can receive a gorgeous ribbon bundle for FREE, by placing a $100 Stampin' Up! order, or hosting a $600 workshop! The ribbon bundle (pictured above) includes 9.1 metres each of 5/8" (1.6cm) wide grosgrain ribbon in So Saffron, and 5/8" poly-twill ribbon in Certainly Celery. These colours are exclusive to the September promotion!

Contact me if you'd like to place an order!

Happy Spring ;)

Genelle.

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #12 - Mini Owl

2009-08-27T10:09:00.004+10:00

Hello!

Makeesha's sketch challenge had me stumped this week - I was really thrown by the oval, as I don't own any cutters or templates... so I decided to make a mini card, and use my wide oval punch!

I have used a Whisper White Love Note card as the base, with Choc Chip and So Saffron DSP layered over it, and So Saffron striped grosgrain ribbon. I used Choc Chip ink to stamp the gorgeous owl (from Forest Friends) and used my stamp-a-ma-jig and marker to add the branch from Great Friend to the end of the branch that the owl is on. I stamped the Great Friend branch in the background and again to cut out and pop up on the edge of the oval. The So Saffron oval was punched out using the wide oval punch, and the edges sponged in So Saffron ink. I added a white button (from the Button Latte pack) and white brads to tie in the elements from the sketch. The greeting is also from the Great Friend set. Both of these stamp sets are from the Spring Mini catalogue - I really hope they don't retire in November, as they are so beautiful and versatile.

I have been making lots of cards lately for family birthdays, Fathers' Day and for a class I am doing next week - I know some of the recipients read my blog so I will wait a little longer to upload the pics! I have been so happy and excited with all this stamping going on, and to top it all off I have just found out that the Brisbane Regionals are coming up in November - I can't wait for my first event :)

Genelle.

Let's go shopping!

2009-08-21T11:22:00.002+10:00

I just love these little handbags made with punches - they are so cute and really fun and quick to make. I can't remember where I first saw them, but there is a good tutorial here. I don't have the small oval punch, so I used the Word Window punch instead - and I actually like the wider straps better :)

I also used the 'Weathered' background stamp to create a mock-croc sort of texture for the bag.

The greeting is from Amy R's 'Boutique Sentiments' by CC Designs.

Cardstock: Very Vanilla Love Note, Creamy Caramel & Chocolate Chip, So Saffron DSP

Ink: Creamy Caramel & Chocolate Chip

Stamps: Boutique Sentiments by AmyR, Weathered background

Accessories: antique brass brad, word window punch, large oval punch, round tab punch.

I'm going to make a few of these and a little Love Notes box for them to go into.

Back later,

Genelle.

For You - Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #11

2009-08-19T14:33:00.004+10:00

I had SO much fun with this week's Inkspirations challenge. Makeesha had a gorgeous Inspiration pic for us this week:

I decided to use the white and grey tones, and the overall shape and feel of the image - I was drawn to the recessed splashback, and came across a new technique (well, new for me, lol!) - the recessed window card. Thanks to the talented Renee from the DT who posted the link to the tutorial! I definitely had my 'L' plates on for this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here's my card:

I stamped the image (from Pocket Silhouettes) in Basic Grey and stamped off several times. The greeting (from Great Friend) was framed with silver Hodgepodge Hardware and the whole panel was then mounted on Basic Grey cardstock. I made the recessed window card (following the tutorial - see link above, although I wanted mine rectangular to mimic the kitchen splashback) and left it mostly white, with just a strip of Basic Grey scalloped DSP, taffeta ribbon and new corduroy button to finish it off. I also added silver brads to tie in the silver frame from the greeting, inspired by the silver fittings from the photo. The corduroy brad was used to tie in the texture of the linen in the place settings.

Hope you like it!

Genelle.

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #11 - Pocket Best Wishes

2009-08-13T15:01:00.007+10:00

I really enjoyed creating this card for Makeesha's latest Inkspirations Colour Challenge; I was really challenged by these colours - I haven't used them together before.

Stamps: Best Wishes & More
Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla, Bashful Blue DSP (from Summer Picnic - retired)
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, VersaMark, Bashful Blue marker
Accessories: Die-cut Blooms, Earth Elements brads, Build-a-brad, word window punch, horizontal slot punch, corner rounder, dimensionals, paper piercer, mat pack, twill tape.

I stamped the greeting and bird onto the vanilla layer and punched the slot for the tag with my word window punch. I punched the celery layer before adhering them together and paper-piercing the edge. I added 'stitching' with my Bashful Blue marker. I assembled my tag and punched out a celery/bashful blue flower from the Summer Picnic DSP (retired) for the build-a-brad, which secures the twill tape. (The tag has 'Wishing you all this... and more!' stamped on it when you pull it out - again from the Best Wishes & More set). I assembled some flowers from the Die-cut Blooms pack to go with the flower image, which I inked up with Pumpkin Pie ink and my Bashful Blue marker. The leaves are stamped in VersaMark onto Certainly Celery cardstock and cut out. All the flowers, and the bird, are mounted on dimensionals. I have used some spotty Bashful Blue DSP and Pumpkin Pie cardstock for the base.

Hope you like it,
Genelle.

PTI Blog Candy

2009-08-06T08:58:00.002+10:00

I really love the cards Fiona has done using the "Tea for Two" set from PapertreyInk. Anyway when checking out her blog I came across an awesome blog candy opportunity from A Passion for Papertrey. Check out the details here if you want to enter!

I have yet to try paper piecing as a technique, but Fiona's gorgeous cards, using the scrummy Parisian Breeze DSP make me want to try it out. I am hoping to get some cards done today, will see how I go :)

New Favourites for Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #11

2009-08-03T17:47:00.006+10:00

The card I made today for Makeesha's latest sketch includes my new favourite stamp set from the Spring Mini - Forest Friends. I came across this set a while ago on a US blog when looking for owl images; as well as the deer featured below the set includes a gorgeous owl, rabbit and tree. I am so glad this set made it to Australia! Here is Keesh's Inkspirations Sketch #11:

And here's the card I made:

As well as Forest Friends, I also used the new Great Friend stamp set for the greeting and leaf image. These sets coordinate perfectly with the new Walk in the Park DSP, which features Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral and Kiwi Kiss. I stamped the deer from Forest Friends in Basic Grey ink, then re-inked and stamped onto the imaging sheet from my stamp-a-ma-jig (no need to use the actual stamp-a-ma-jig, just stamp anywhere on the sheet). Then I flipped the sheet over, lined up the deer's refelection and pressed onto the cardstock. I learned this technique here. I coloured the water with Baja Breeze ink and my blender pen, and stamped the leaves on the top in Kiwi Kiss. The greeting from Great Friend is punched out with the large oval punch and mounted onto a scalloped oval using the new punch, also from the Spring Mini. I have used Baja Breeze Flower Fusion Too felt flowers and pewter brads, and some Basic Grey taffeta ribbon. The base card has also been stamped with the leaf image for added detail.

Hopefully I can fit a bit more stamping in this evening - thanks Keesh for the challenging sketch!
Genelle.

Spring Mini is Here!

2009-08-03T16:37:00.003+10:00

Hooray! It's August, which means it's time to introduce the new Spring Mini cataogue! You can view the catalogue online by clicking here or by the link in my sidebar. If you'd like a copy mailed out to you, email me (or your own Demonstrator if you have one already) to arrange your very own copy to drool over!

I'll be back in a moment with a card which uses some of the great new products available, including my new favourite stamp set...

2009-07-30T14:30:00.004+10:00

Back again :)

Here are two birthday cards which I made this week for my beloved aunty & uncle:

I've used the lighthouse image from Uncharted Territory, which I've coloured with my blender pen & inks; some Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP and cardstock, More Mustard and Not quite Navy cardstock, silver Hodgepodge Hardware and silver embossing powder on the chipboard numbers and greeting (from Short & Sweet).

I have seen these Flower Pot cards on numerous blogs, but it wasn't until I saw the tutorial on Splitcoast this week that I decided to give it a try. You can find the tutorial here. My version is slightly altered, with the flowers mostly mounted onto the pot itself and not the insert - the next pic shows the insert lifted out:

The flowers were made with Die-cut Blooms and the leaves stamped from Best Wishes & More. Very cute and simple to make.

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #10

2009-07-30T13:36:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone,

Although I haven't published anything since last week's challenge, I have been busily creating and can't wait to publish some pics, which I will be able to do once the Spring Mini catalogue begins this Saturday!

This week I've entered Makeesha's Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #10 - here is the inspiration photo:

I took my inspiration from the colours, texture and pattern of the bed linen. I chose Basic Black, Whisper White, Taken with Teal, Basic Grey and More Mustard. Here's my card:

I have used the tape measure stamp from 'Totally Tool' (or 'Totally Tools' if you go by the catalogue!) and coloured it with More Mustard ink. The white panel has been mounted onto Taken with Teal and More Mustard cardstock. Although it is hard to see in the photo, I have dry embossed a diamond pattern onto the black cardstock at the top, using my bone folder and a ruler. The DSP at the bottom is Basic Grey (from the current Hostess Patterns Pack) and I have added twill tape, Basic Grey taffeta ribbon, jumbo eyelets, antique brass brads and paper piercing for embellishment.

I'm happy with how it looks in real life, but once again less than thrilled with my photography! Helpful tips welcomed - I am trying daylight, no flash etc but not really getting anywhere :).

Back in a moment with some birthday cards,

Genelle.

Christmas in July

2009-07-23T10:21:00.005+10:00

Hi,

I've never been a fan of the whole 'Christmas in July' idea (I can eat yummy winter food all year round, lol), but quite a few Christmas cards are appearing in blogland and when I saw the colour combo for Makeesha's latest Colour Challenge, I decided a Christmas card would be the way to go! Here are the colours:
And here is what I came up with:

Now although I had the correct cardstock colours, I don't have any of these ink colours, so all the images (from 'Season of Joy') have been stamped in VersaMark. The background image was left plain, and the tree and flowers were clear embossed. The greeting was embossed in silver. I layered the tree with dimensionals onto a Very Vanilla scallop medallion, which I came across on the very talented Nancy Riley's blog. You can find the details here. The medallion is layered onto Always Artichoke and Rose Red, with a silver star brad (non SU) at the top. I cut a tag for the greeting and adhered it to the Always Artichoke ribbon with a silver brad. The Rose Red flowers are also popped up on dimensionals. The embossing looks beautiful and glossy in reality, and I enjoyed playing with my new Heat Tool too.

Thanks Keesh for the challenge, and the inspiration to get my Christmas cards started early!

Cherry Best Wishes

2009-07-15T11:48:00.008+10:00

Hello,

I have been busy this week getting stuck into my new stamp sets :) I have also played along with Makeesha's latest Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #10. This was one challenge where I started off with an idea and ended up creating something completely different! Maybe I will finish the original idea one of these days, but for now, here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

I inked the cherry image from Tart & Tangy with markers, and mounted it on a Real Red scalloped circle, a circle of Old Olive and a Bashful Blue die-cut from the Die-Cut Blooms pack, with some layers mounted on dimensionals. The DSP is all from the Summer Picnic pack - I LOVE this paper and was sad that it didn't make this year's catalogue even though the stamp set did! I have set coloured eyelets (non SU) into the centres of the DSP flowers and used some Real Red ribbon and paper piercing on the layers. The greeting is from Short & Sweet.

I'm off to unpack my new order from SU! How exciting!
Genelle.

Mojo Monday #94

2009-07-09T10:52:00.006+10:00

Here is the new Mojo Monday sketch for this week:

And here is my creation:

(All supplies SU!)

Cardstock: Regal Rose, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Paper: Sweet Always DSP, Chocolate Chip Patterns DSP

Ink: Regal Rose, Old Olive

Stamps: 'Priceless', 'Best Yet' (hostess set)

Extras: Flower Fusion Too, silver brad, dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, Stamp-a-ma-jig, paper piercing tool.

Trendy Trees in Pink

2009-07-09T10:18:00.004+10:00

I LOVE the Trendy Trees stamp set; it's probably my favourite in the whole catalogue. I'd been using greens, browns and autumny reds and oranges on my trees until I came across this card by the very talented Sarah Jane Kale'. Here is one of my 'pink tree' cards:

I have used Regal Rose cardstock, ink and DSP (from the Sweet Always pack), Kiwi Kiss and Whisper White cardstock, Chocolate Chip ink & taffeta ribbon and a Kiwi button from the Button Bouquet pack. After realising that I don't yet own a 'Happy Birthday' stamp (lol), I wrote the greeting with my white gel pen.

I am really enjoying visiting other people's wonderful blogs, however for some reason I am unable to leave comments - there is always an 'error on page' after I try to post, grrr. Hopefully this will be fixed soon so I can share some comment love!

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #9

2009-07-05T12:47:00.008+10:00

Today I made a card using the latest Mojo Monday sketch: And combined it with Makeesha's Inspiration Challenge #9 - here is the inspiration image:

And here is my creation:

I chose Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie and Pink Pirouette from the watercolour painting in the Inspiration image, and Chocolate Chip (from the cute teapot). I stamped the bird from the 'Always' stamp set in Pumpkin Pie and Regal Rose, and used my blender pen to get a watercolour effect. I added some shading under his feet and some pale pink in the background (which doesn't show up on my photo!). The watercoloured image is mounted on Chocolate Chip and Regal Rose cardstock, with some Sweet Always DSP. I LOVE these colours together and was stoked when the Sweet Always paper came out in this combo! The greeting is from the 'Best Yet' hostess set and the three brads are made from the Sweet Always DSP and the Build-a-Brad kit. The base card is Regal Rose with some DSP from the Pink Pirouette Patterns pack, and I have also used my scallop border punch, scallop circle punch and Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon. As you can see I flipped the sketch around a little too. I really need to practise my photography - the colours and perspective are a bit off in this picture, but I am happy with how it turned out in real life!

First Card Challenge...

2009-06-30T17:23:00.004+10:00

Today I created this card for Makeesha's latest colour challenge. I have been reading some fantastic blogs for a while now, and since receiving my Starter Kit and first Demonstrator order on Friday I can finally play along! The colours are SU! Baja Breeze, Ruby Red, Whisper White and Basic Grey. I decided to set myself the extra challenge of making a more masculine card, but I don't have any typically masculine stamps, so I chose Pocket Silhouettes, stamped in VersaMark and white Craft ink and layered on Ruby Red & Baja Breeze cardstock, with Basic Grey as the base. The sentiment is from Trendy Trees, and I repositioned the words to fit inside the hodgepodge square using my Stamp-a-ma-jig. I added ribbon, a silver brad and paper piercing to finish it off.
Hopefully the quality of my photos improves as I go along! Thanks Keesh for this interesting combo!

Genelle.

2009-06-22T08:26:00.001+10:00

Hello! It feels odd to be writing this, as at the moment I am only talking to myself! Anyway, I have recently decided to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. I'm really looking forward to it, especially the postie coming to visit me with my brand new Starter Kit and first order - hopefully in the next couple of days!! I'm brand new to blogging too... hopefully I can figure it all out as I'd like to update frequently with my creations.

Genelle.