Happy Heart Cards

IT'S A "PARTY HEARTY" PARADE.....

One of the stamp sets, in the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue, that I was not convinced I 'needed', was Party Hearty.  However, some brilliant creations by some of my friends, and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrators (part of our Art With Heart team), put paid to any doubts I had - so, I've joined the Party Hearty bandwagon! 

I found a really nice, simple, clean layout of a card on Splitcoaststampers, and unashamedly CASEd it.  Here is the result (bad photography and all):

Stamps: Party Hearty, Occasional Greetings

Card: Taken With Teal, Whisper White, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss

Ink: Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss

Other: Small Tag Punch, 3/4" circle punch, eyelet (from my stash), Crop-a-dile, linen thread, 1" Double-Stitched Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig

How CUTE do those little party hats look??  I love them!  And to think I didn't need them - ha!!

Here's a slight variation, using the same basic layout, but using only Party Hearty stamps (including the present image stamped in Versamark all over the Rose Red panel), and a couple of teal rhinestone brads:

Stamps: Party Hearty

Card: Taken with Teal, Whisper White, Rose Red

Ink: Taken With Teal, Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Versamark

Other: 1" Double-Stitched Rose Red grosgrain ribbon, rhinestone brads, 3/4" circle punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I have one more Party Hearty card to share with you.  I was so loving this layout, that I made a third card, using a different colour combination.  In the upcoming Summer Mini, there is some luscious Real Red polka dot grosgrain ribbon.  I am a sucker for red ribbon, and love polka dots, so this is one of my favourite products in the Mini Catalogue! (Easily pleased, aren't I?)  This time I teamed Real Red with Chocolate Chip, and Tempting Turquoise.  

Stamps: Party Hearty, One of A Kind

Card: Real Red, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Ink: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Other: 3/4" circle punch, 3/4" Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon - SUMMER MINI, Stamp-a-ma-jig

I love these simple, cute cards.  Which one's your favourite??
 
 
 

TODAY'S "SUMMER MINI" SAMPLE

The upcoming Summer Mini catalogue from Stampin' Up! contains some products that just scream "summer"!  I've made a card using the Designer Series Paper that will be available to buy from 1st December - beautiful colours, perfect for 'girly' projects.  There is very little stamping on this card; just 'bling' and a new embellishment from the Summer Mini.  What do you think - girly enough???

Stamps: Wow Flowers (sentiment)

Card: Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise

DSP: Kaleidoscope - SUMMER MINI

Ink: Versamark ink pad

Other: White embossing powder, Scallop Edge Punch, White Jumbo Grommet - SUMMER MINI, Build-a-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, coloured rhinestones (popped out from rhinestone brads), Stamp-a-ma-jig

CHRISTMAS WORKSHOP & A 'SNEAK PEAK'

Yesterday I had a *little* workshop for Laura, one of my lovely Stampin' Up! customers, who had requested a Christmas focus.  We made a simple card, and a gift card holder, using the beautiful Christmas Classics stamp set.  Laura, just imagine that THIS is what the card should've looked like (for everyone else's info, I managed to leave my red marker at home, so the image looked a tiny bit different!) - thanks for being understanding!

Stamps: Christmas Classics

Card: Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark ink pad, Old Olive, Real Red & Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write markers

DSP: Ski Slope

Other: Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

 

Using the same stamp set, and Designer Series Paper, we made a super-simple gift card holder.  I just had to photograph this against my craft room window, because today we have RAIN!! What a beautiful sight; Melbourne has been experiencing an extremely hot and dry Spring, and it makes us feel a bit nervous about the summer months ahead (given the Black Saturday bushfires that were so devastating this past February).  Here's the closed, and opened, versions:

Stamps: Christmas Classics

Card: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

DSP: Ski Slope

Ink: Versamark ink pad, Old Olive Stampin' Pad, Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write marker

Other: Sponge dauber, 1 3/8" circle punch, Sticky Strip (super-sticky double-sided tape), large oval punch, scallop oval punch
 

The Ski Slope Designer Series Paper that I've used in these projects is about to retire, from our Spring Mini catalogue in Australia.  So, if you'd like to get your hands on some, please contact me - it's available only until the end of November.

I will be very sad to see go many of the products featured in Stampin' Up!'s Spring Mini catalogue.  However, the good news is that we have a Summer Mini catalogue about to launch, with some gorgeous new products available to purchase from 1st December.  I have used one of the new stamp sets on an engagement card I made for my niece and her partner - have a look at these beautiful hearts:

Stamps: I (Heart) Hearts - SUMMER MINI, Organic Outlines

Card: Whisper White, Real Red, Chocolate Chip

Ink: Real Red and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Pads, Versamark ink pad

Other: Build-A-Brad, 1/2" and 3/4" circle punches, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Chocolate Chip 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Keep checking back for more Summer Mini projects, and in the meantime, check out this fabulous card made by Kirsty Brown - you're going to love this stamp set!! 
 

 

BIRTHDAY CARD FOR A "CRICKET-MAD" BOY

Don't keel over in shock, people - I know, two posts in one day, after a bit of a drought in the posting area!  Actually, two posts in minutes, because I didn't get myself properly organised before saving my Christmas card post.

Jack, my darling first-born son, turned 14 on Saturday.  He lives and breathes cricket; as far as he was concerned, he had the perfect birthday - playing junior cricket in the morning, and senior cricket in the afternoon.  It meant (as it does every Saturday) that he left home at 7.00am, and didn't get home until 7.00pm.  Personally, I can't see the appeal in that, but this post is about Jack, so I won't bore you with my views on cricket!

This season Jack changed cricket clubs, and has joined a club with a great development programme, which is helping him work towards his goal of playing cricket for Australia one day.  He's determined, so we'll see!  His new club colours are (in Stampin' Up! colours!) Brilliant Blue and Summer Sun, with a Basic Black strip.  With this in mind, I made this card for Jack:

Stamps: Just Cricket, Occasional Greetings, Defining Alphabet

Card: Whisper White, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, Basic Black

Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, Riding Hood Red

Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Wide Oval Punch, 3/4" and 1" circle punches, black brads (from Vintage assortment), stampin' dimensionals

 

"I WISH" SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KIT .... CARDS PART 2

After a really lovely Stampin' Up! workshop on Saturday, I was inspired to play a little more with the "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit featured in my last post - hence the rather unimaginative title of my post today!  We creative types can't be creative ALL the time!!

The first card I have to show you, is using the Designer Series Paper from the kit, that co-ordinates beautifully with the Snow Swirled stamp set.  I have stamped (in Versamark ink) a few large snowflakes at the bottom of the card, to subtly tie in with the pattern on the paper.  The main image is simply a stamped sentiment, punched out with a circle punch, matted on some red card and overlaid with a scalloped die-cut sticker from the wonderful kit.  Too easy!

Stamps: Best Yet (Hostess Set), Snow Swirled

Card: Old Olive, Real Red textured

Ink: Real Red stampin' pad, Versamark ink pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, white gel pen, 1 3/8" circle punch, sponge dauber

 

I decided to use Kraft as the base colour for my next card; this alone pretty much guaranteed it'd be a favourite!  Kraft is my 'go-to' colour, for those of you who don't know me so well.  I LOVE how this card turned out; the papers and sticker strips in the kit are so beautiful, and make very easy work of putting together a lovely card.  The only stamping on this card is the sentiment, using a Cute & Curly stamp (from the Curly Label Punch bundle - check that out on the Christmas Extravaganza promotion I told you about, a couple of posts back; it's so cute).  I stamped it in Real Red, on whisper white card, then sponged the edges of the punched-out piece with Sahara Sand ink - complements the kraft colour beautifully.

Stamps: Cute & Curly

Card: Kraft, Real Red textured

Ink: Real Red, Sahara Sand, Old Olive

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Old Olive brad, Real Red brads, sponge daubers, stampin' dimensionals

I hope those of you living in the southern states of Australia are surviving this heatwave; thankfully in Melbourne today it's a little cloudy to start the day - so nice to feel some coolness in the air!

Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world today. 

Christine  :)

I LOVE THE "I WISH" SIMPLY SCRAPPIN' KIT!!

I was in the mood to make a couple of simple Christmas cards, with minimal stamping, the other day, so I thought I'd break open my new "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' kit.  This kit is one of the products featured in Stampin' Up!'s Christmas Extravaganza promotion. Purchasing it, along with a few other goodies, could earn you a free punch! I am not a scrapbooker, but, even though this kit is designed to make scrapbooking easy, I have found it is perfect for making loads of cards!  At $36.95, it is fantastic value - enough textured cardstock, co-ordinating papers and self-adhesive die-cuts to create dozens of cards.

Here is the first card I made:

Stamps: Many Merry Messages

Card: Old Olive, Whisper White

Ink: Old Olive Stampin' pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch

I love how well the red snowflake die-cut sticker co-ordinates with the Scallop Edge Punch - don't you?  The star and the circle greeting are from the kit, too.  All I did was stamp a simple greeting, and attach some ribbon - easy peasy.

My next card has as the focal image a die-cut strip from the kit - I just LOVE those berries.  Although the photo doesn't clearly show it, I stamped in Versamark ink an image from the Soft Summer stamp set (available in our Spring Mini catalogue, only until the end of November!), that I thought co-ordinated beautifully with the berries, and created a bit of 'interest' at the top of the card.

Stamps: Season of Joy, Soft Summer

Card: Real Red, Old Olive textured, Whisper White

Ink: Versamark, Old Olive stampin' pad

Other: "I Wish" Simply Scrappin' Kit, Real Red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, sponge dauber

Well, folks, that's it for today.  I'll be sure to post some more cards made using this lovely kit in days and weeks to come.

An exciting announcement I have to make, about the promotion I told you about in my last post.  There is now a choice of two punches, for the free punch on offer.  Contact me if you'd like to place a qualifying order!
 

 

SPRING MINI FAVOURITES ... and THINKING OF CHRISTMAS.......

With November here (already?!) it's time to re-visit the Stampin' Up! Spring Mini catalogue, as the products are available only until the end of this month.  There will be a (delectable) new mini catalogue released on December 1st - this means that all the items in our current mini catalogue will be NO LONGER AVAILABLE!!  It is with some sadness that I say that, as I just love a number of products in this 'mini'.  In my last post my Christmas card featured the wide Riding Hood Red striped grosgrain ribbon, and the scallop oval punch - two "must-have" items that you can buy only until the end of November.  If you need a copy of the Spring Mini catalogue, please email me, and I'll be happy to get one out to you.

I am in love with the corduroy buttons from this mini catalogue, so I thought I'd show you a way to use them, on a simple card I made for my father-in-law's recent birthday.  I was inspired by the 'dotty' pattern on the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper I chose to use; the colours, and the size of the dots, were a perfect match for corduroy buttons.  Here's a photo of the card (please excuse the 'rustic' look of the peeling paint on our balcony handrails!!):

Stamp: On Your Birthday

Card: Kraft, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze

Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Gray

DSP: Kiwi Kiss Patterns, Urban Oasis

Other: Corduroy buttons (Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss), Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber

 

Now, for the second part of my post title ...

Many of us card-makers are well into the swing of making Christmas cards, but, well, shopping for gifts is another matter entirely!  Stampin' Up! has a fantastic promotion that starts today, and goes through until December 14th - you can earn yourself a free gift (a Scallop Square punch, $30.95 worth) every time you purchase products totalling $85 from the Christmas Gift-Giving Guide. Take a look at the range of beautiful products that are tailored towards gift-giving in this promotion; you won't be disappointed!  I'd love to help you out with your Christmas shopping, so email me at c.blain@yarravalleysnackfoods.com, or phone me on (03) 9737 1755, if you'd like to place an order, or ask any questions about this exciting offer.

FRIENDS 24-7

Today I gave myself permission to not go in to work - what bliss! We have our own business, and I have been trying for a long time to 'retire'.  The first step is to actually not be there some days, and it is harder than it sounds to make that happen.  Happily, today I'm at home.

I have been having a play with my Friends 24-7 stamp set, which is one of my favourites in the current Stampin' Up! catalogue.  First I made a couple of cards (just to have on hand) using my 'fallback' colour combination of Kraft, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip.  I love that they're simple and pretty - here they are:

All paper,punches and accessories are Stampin' Up! - if you have any questions, drop me a line!

I was visiting Renee Van Stralen's blog the other day, and loved this card she made using the cute little bird from this stamp set.  I was inspired to make a Christmas card using Friends 24-7.  Mine is a lot simpler, but I like how it turned out:

 Stamps: So Swirly Jumbo Stampin' Around Wheel, Friends 24-7, Season of Joy

Ink: Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red stampin' pads, Chocolate chip marker (bird's eye!)

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Riding Hood Red

Other: Riding Hood Red 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals

 

KIWI KISS "THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS"

Kiwi Kiss is one of this year's "in colours" from Stampin' Up!, which means that it is one of six colours available (in ink, cardstock, papers and accessories) only until the new catalogue is released.  "Thoughts and Prayers" is the name of the stamp set I've used.  Right, now that the explanation is out of the way, I'll get on with showing you my card!

I decided to make a sympathy card, and just love this beautiful green.  Once I'd finished the card, my darling husband told me it looks "unbalanced" (the pedant in me wanted to tell him "imbalanced", but I didn't want him to think I agreed in any way, ha ha).  I told him I'd post a picture of the card on my blog, and see what feedback I get.  Andrew said nobody would actually comment if they didn't like it, but I told him he obviously doesn't know my friends!!  (Hey, Kerry - at least it's not insipid!) 

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Basic Gray

Ink: Basic Gray stampin' pad, Whisper White craft stampin' pad, Versamark ink pad

DSP: Walk in the Park

Other: White embossing powder, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Basic Gray and Kiwi Kiss corduroy buttons, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber.

Don't you just love how the buttons, ribbon, paper and card match so beautifully?  This Designer Series Paper, and the corduroy buttons, are available only until the end of November in Australia, so if you haven't already got them, but *need* them, feel free to contact me to place an order.  I'd be more than happy to help you find loads of matching products that you didn't know you needed!

In the meantime, leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the card (honestly, I can take it!!).
 

ORGANIC OUTLINES CHRISTMAS CARD

Yesterday I attended my first Stampin' Up! event, being Melbourne Regionals (a full-day training session, with stamping and socialising time mixed in) at Crown Promenade Hotel.  What a fun day, with hundreds of like-minded women (and two men)!  It was a very long day, as I was up at 5.45am - a bit like a child on Christmas Eve, over-excited about the day ahead!  The function itself ran from 8.00am (registration) until 3.30pm, and I enjoyed coffee afterwards with a couple of my special stamping friends.  It was so nice to spend a day with 'the girls', but all too soon it was over.  The absolute highlight of the day (oh, apart from the friendships, that is!) was having Bonnie Thurber, from Stampin' Up! in the US, take part.  She is such a warm, friendly, funny woman - a total delight.  What a shame we can't keep her!

At Regionals, a number of demonstrators swapped cards/ card fronts, to share ideas on how to use Stampin' Up! products.  I've come home with some amazing creations, that have inspired me to do some 'different' things.  Here is my card, that my swaps were based on:

Stamps: Organic Outlines, En Francais, Occasional Greetings

Card: Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla

Ink: Real Red, Always Artichoke, Old Olive

DSP: Ski Slope

Other: Real Red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber, Real Red & Always Artichoke brads, dimensionals

Once I arrived home from Regionals, I was looking forward to an easy dinner and relaxing at home.  However, my accident-prone husband (who is on Warfarin and has an unstable blood clot in his leg), had a fall and rolled his ankle - it was swollen and we suspected fractured, so off to hospital we went!  Thankfully it turned out to be a sprain; it is now bandaged and we are back home.  A more eventful end to the day than I needed!

Hope you like the card - I'm rather fond of it myself!