Clean & Simple Sketch 123

Happy New Year everyone!! It is good to be blogging again :)

A sketch challenge is the first card up for the year. This is my version of the Clean & Simple sketch.

I've been wanting to try out this colour combo, and also the "Newsprint" DSP. This is what happened!

Stamps: Punch Potpourri (level 1 hostess)

Paper: Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Newsprint DSP, Tissue Paper

Ink: Soft Suede, Marina Mist

Accessories: Basic Pearls, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon

I've had Soft Suede card stock and ink since it was released, but have never been inspired to use it because I didn't really like it. But I like how it looks with these colours, even as the main colour.

You can't see very well from the photo, but there is some scrunched up tissue paper over the DSP and also some tiny pearls in the centre of the flowers in the heart.

I'm not a huge fan of some of the vintage styles out there in the card making world, they are so often too cluttered. I do quite like some of the vintage elements though, and used in the right way you can still achieve a clean look — maybe, depending on one's opinion! I think what helps this card is all the "white space" at the top.

Clean & Simple Sketch 109

This is my entry for the Clean & Simple Sketch Challenge. I had to turn the sketch upside down for this card. It began the other way up, but then I struggled to make the image and sentiment work together so it became this...
With the new colour renovation we have now got markers for more colours. Yay!!! This includes Crumb Cake, which I have used with Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler to ink up the image. The stamp set is a new one called Just Believe. I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder so it would stand out on the red. The scallop on the edge was created by stamping one of the images from the set, punching them with a circle punch and cutting them in half.
I am loving Cherry Cobbler. I still love Riding Hood Red, but Cherry Cobbler is definitely on my list of favourites!
We are about to go on an outing for the day so I need to go.
Have a great day!

OLW In Blue and Brown!

Ooooh it's been too long in between posts again... but here I am with another one finally!

I am away at the moment with my kids, staying with my parents while my hubby does some work in our house. I knew I would have a chance to do some blogging while here, so before I left, I uploaded some pictures (yes, that means I'll have more than just one post in the next couple of weeks!). I also brought a stack of stamping supplies so I can get creating, but I won't be able to post anything I make here until I get home as I don't have the camera and set-up to get them uploaded.

So today I have my entry for this weeks One-Layer Wednesday challenge.

I masked off the edges of the card and sponged the centre with Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy. I wanted to keep the colours simple so I have only used Early Espresso to stamp the images and fill in the body and wings of the dragonfly. I positioned the dragonfly so that it would mirror the blade of grass on the other side, but I'm not sure if it works as I imagined it would. It's one of those "good idea at the time" things. At least the card meets the challenge requirements - one layer of card and inspired by nature!

Clean & Simple Sketch 103

Yay! I have made the time do some creating today — and not sat looking blankly at my stamps wondering where to start (which seems to be happening a lot lately). The inspiration for this card came from the Clean & Simple sketch challenge.

I've had a few baby cards to make recently, all girls so far! For this card I pulled out my favourite baby stamp set Bundle of Joy. The images always look so cute when water coloured. I stamped the giraffe and bear in black Stazon ink on water colour paper. Once dry, I used my markers to apply some colour, then washed over it with an aqua painter. I gave the bear some buttons using couple of Pretty in Pink brads.

The sentiment is a stamp called Sweetness Unlimited which I inked up with pink and brown markers. Bundle of Joy is unfortunately a retired stamp set, but Sweetness Unlimited is in our new catalogue.

The colours are Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip. I will have to try out a blue version some time (or maybe yellow)!

The Canberra Craft Fair

Last Friday I spent the day on our Stampin' Up! Stand down at the Craft Fair here in Canberra. Each year hundreds of people flock to Exhibition Park to visit the Fair which runs for four days.

This year I ran one of the Craft Circles again. Each person that attended made three projects which focussed on the Big Shot Die-cutting Machine. This cute little gift box was one of the projects.

To create this I have run some Old Olive card stock through the Big Shot twice — first with the Fancy Favor Die and then with the Little Leaves Die. I tied some Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon to the top to form a little handle. Inside there are some chocolates in a cello bag with a little "to you from me" tag.

After all the effort of organising for the Craft Fair, it has taken all week to get things in order at home — but today I feel a little in control again. Hope to have some time in the next few days to do some creating, and I can't wait to share with you some of what is coming in the new catalogue!