Let's Sale-A-Brate!

Happy Australia day!

There will be mixed feelings today as so many are still affected by the floods in our country. It is a sad time for many who have lost homes and loved ones. But also in this time it is wonderful to see so many people coming together, helping others in need, giving of their time, their money and resources. In this we can celebrate.

Once a year Stampin' Up! have a promotion called Sale-A-Bration. They release four new stamp sets exclusive to the promotion that you can earn as a free gift. To find out more about it, please visit this page on my website, where you can also view each of the four sets. The promotion runs until 31 March, and it is a great time to stock up on card stock and adhesives etc.

Last night at our team meeting we all had a play with the stamp sets for this Sale-A-Bration. Here is a card I made using a couple of the sets.

Stamps: Bliss, So Happy For You

Paper: Peach Parfait, Melon Mambo, Whisper White

Ink: Peach Parfait, Melon Mambo

Remembering all here down under on this Australia Day 2011, especially those affected by floods. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Summer Garden

My collection of DSP keeps slowly growing. I only buy the packs that I really like, but there are always bits and pieces that don't get used straight away, or the pieces are so nice I can't bring myself to cut them up! This year I am determined to use up what I have.

Often I sit for ages staring at a piece, trying to work out how I want to use it, but give up. Then sometimes, out of nowhere, an idea comes for a piece I looked at the week before. That is what happened for this DSP (from a Mini Catty 2 years ago!).

It was in the wee hours yesterday morning, when I was woken at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep, that I had the inspiration for this card...

Stamps: Just Believe, Botanical Blooms (2009 Sale-A-Bration Set)

Paper: Whisper White, Summer Picnic DSP

Inks: Basic Black, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red

The great thing about this style of two-step stamps is that it doesn't matter if they don't line up perfectly. I like the look when the images are a little offset. You could use a stamp-a-ma-jig if you were fussy about positioning! I have "stamped off" the leaves again without the outline image to create more depth.

I had a roll of black & white gingham ribbon out ready to add, but it was too much. I was trying to make it work but sometimes you have to restrain yourself from adding things because you have them. This card looked best just as it is. I liked it so much in the end that I made four of them — and used up most of that sheet of DSP!

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!