Get ready to say goodbye
The Autumn/Winter catalogue ends tomorrow. I will be sorry to see it go, but of course something always comes along to take away the pain ….. and right now that’s a new catalogue.
On the 1st August, Stampin’ Up! will be posting the list of what will retire from this year’s catalogue so that we can get in and get them before the end of August. Again I am sure I will be sorry to see some of my favourites disappear, but I am really looking forward to seeing our new catalogue.
So keep checking back to see what is going and then get in touch with me quickly to get anything you MUST have. The unfortunate thing about the retiring product is that it often sells out quickly and once it’s gone it is GONE.
Hope you are all having a great day.
Bye for now, Kris.
Sunny Challenge 51/12
This weeks challenge is set by Vicky and as well as the sketch to follow we had to make a male card. I thought long and hard about what to do for this sketch and decided I would have a little fun with the I Dig You stampset.
I embossed Whisper White card using the Stripes Embossing Folder and attached it to scored and folded Pacific Point card. I ran a piece of Cajun Craze card through the crimper and attached it to the card front. 
I stamped the “rollers” from the “digger” image onto Whisper White card using Early Expresso ink. I stamped the “digger” image three times onto Whisper White card using Daffodil Delight ink. I cut it out in portions, the “cab”, and then the three pieces of the digger arm. I used the Silver Mini Brads to attach the digger arm to the cab and also to each other. This means that the arm pieces can be moved, something all kids love, interactive pieces. I attached the “cab” above the “rollers” using dimensionals (remember don’t add adhesive behind the arm). 
I stamped the giraffe onto Whisper White card using Pumpkin Pie ink, cut it out and attached it so that he looks like the driver. I inked the presents using Old Olive, Real Red and Pacific Point markers and stamped so that they look like the digger can scoop them up. I attached the image panel to Old Olive card and then to the card front using dimensionals. I stamped “happy Birthday wishes” from the Petite Pairs stamp set onto Whisper White card using Real Red ink, punched the greeting using the 1-1/4″ circle punch and attached it to a Pacific Point 1-3/8″ circle before attaching it to the card front partially over the image panel (dimensional only under the right half of the circle).
I think this is stamp set is really cute and it is fun to play around with. I’m sure that there are lot’s more that could be done but for the moment I am happy with this creation.
If you need some more inspiration, pop on over to Gwen and Vicky to see what they have created. Once you have made your card, scrap page or 3d item, visit Sunny Challenges and Creations and add it to Mr. Linky. I can’t wait to see what you create this week.
Bye for now, Kris.
A Special Birthday Card
I needed to make a really special birthday card for a friend of mine, who celebrated a landmark birthday recently. Unfortunately I was away at the time, so had to send this card belatedly.
I purchased a High Heel Shoe template from the wonderfully talented Tanya Bell (a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator who lives not too far north of me at Bundaberg). After purchasing the template I watched the video tutorial which shows how to use the template and add it to the front of a normal folded card.
My base card is Basic Black and after I added the shape of the template to the front I cut a piece of Very Vanilla card so that it would be hidden behind the shoe template, embossed it using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder and attached it to the card front. I also attached Very Vanilla card inside and embossed only the part that you would see also using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. I cut the show from the beautiful flocked paper that is part of the Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Paper Series and attached it to the card front. I cut the heel and sole templates from Basic Black card, embossed them using Clear Embossing powder and also some Dazzling Diamonds so that it would sparkle a little. 
I added the strips of Basic Rhinestones across the top of the sole and heel and around the edge of the shoe. Lastly I punched two of the smallest flowers on the Boho Blossom Punch from Real Red cardstock, separated the layers and stacked them onto a Mini Silver Brad, then attached it to the front of the shoe using a Mini Glue Dot.
I stamped the greeting from the Bring on the Cake stamp set onto Very Vanilla card. I punched Basic Black card using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, cut it in half and attached one half behind the top of the greeting and one half behind the bottom of the greeting. I layered this onto a piece of the Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Paper and then onto more Basic Black card punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border, which again is cut in half and layered behind the designer paper, only this time I showed more of it.
I am really pleased with this card. What do you think?
Bye for now, Kris.
Casing Impressions
Every month Stampin’ Up! sends demonstrators a great magazine full of wonderful business tips and exciting ideas to share with our customers and friends. This month was no exception but one card in particular took my eye and I decided to recreate it, with a couple of little spins of my own.
I stamped images from the Delicate Doilies stamp set onto Very Vanilla card using Wild Wasabi and Basic Gray ink. I stamped one in Cherry Cobbler on scrap paper and used my Doily Triple Layer punch to punch it out. I attached this over the Basic Gray image using a dimensional. I also stamped “happy birthday wishes” from the Petite Pairs stamp set using Basic Gray ink. I punched a strip of Basic Gray card using the Lacy Ribbon Border punch and attached it behind the top edge of the Very Vanilla stamped piece. I also attached a thin strip of Wild Wasabi card to the bottom edge of the stamped card. The stamped piece was then attached to scored and folded Basic Gray card. 
Then I created two medallions using 3/4″ wide strips of Newsprint Specialty Designer Series paper and Cherry Cobbler card. I punched one long edge of the Cherry Cobbler card using the Scallop Edge Border punch. These strips were then scored every 1/2″ using the Simply Scored Scoring Tool, flipped over and scored every 1/2″ in between, so basically every 1/4″, but doing it this way, you can concertina fold the strips much easier. Once they are scored you join the ends and then squash them down to create a medallion. I used Tombow glue to hold these together, only you need to give it about 24 hours to dry completely. I have since made a couple using a piece of Sticky Page and this works well and it is instant! 
The Cherry Cobbler medallion has a small section of the large doily image in Basic Gray punched with the 3/4″ Circle Punch attached to the front and a Vintage Brad through the middle. The Newsprint medallion has a little piece of the smallest image from the Delicate Doilies stamp set in Cherry Cobbler and punched with the 1/2″ Circle Punch attached to the front. I attached the medallion’s to the card using Mini Glue Dots.
I think this is an amazing card and can be done quickly and easily using the fantastic tools from Stampin’ Up! I’d love to hear what you think.
Bye for now, Kris.
Sunny Challenge No. 50
This week I set the challenge at Sunny Challenges and Creations. I provided a sketch and also the extra condition to use the reflection technique on your card, scrap page or 3d item. You can find an excellent tutorial for this at Splitcoast Stampers.
I embossed a piece of Whisper White card using the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder and attached it to scored and folded Early Expresso card. I cut the long edge of a piece of Old Olive card using the scalloped Adorning Accents Edgelit Die, embossed it with the matching Adorning Accents Textured Impression Embossing Folder and attached it behind Real Red card which I embossed using the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder. This piece was then attached to the card front over the embossed Whisper White card. To create the background for the stamped panel I added drops of Old Olive and Tempting Turquoise re-inkers to a baby wipe and swiped across Glossy White card to get a mirror image effect. I stamped Dasher over the background image and followed the tutorial instructions to get the mirror image. I attached the image panel to Early Expresso card and then to the card front using dimensionals. 
I stamped the greeting from the Perfect Punches stamp set onto Whisper White card using Real Red ink. I punched the greeting using the 1-1/4″ circle punch, added a Real Red 1-3/8″ circle and an Early Expresso 1-3/4″ scallop circle before attaching it to the front using dimensionals to the side so that I could attach it partially over the image panel.
I really love the way this card turned out, how about you?
Now for more inspiration just visit Gwen and Vicky, then, when you have created your card, scrap page or 3d item, pop over to Sunny Challenges and Creations and add it to Mr. Linky. I look forward to seeing your interpretation of this challenge.
Bye for now, Kris.
Fun Video
Stampin’ Up! is really a fantastic company to be involved with – for this year’s Convention in Salt Lake City, Stampin’ Up! employees got to make this fun video to this year’s convention song. Shelli Gardner the CEO of the company even makes an appearance!
It’s one of the reasons I love being a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Want to be part of this fun family, ask me about the Stampin’ Up! opportunity.
Bye for now, Kris.
Creative Elements Gift Set
Recently while surfing pinterest and various blogs I found a fantastic site called Stamping Moments. Jenny Moors is an English Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator and she has some fantastic tutorials for sale which I can thoroughly recommend.
This card is made using one of her tutorials.
The colours are Island Indigo, Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake and it uses one of my favourite sets Creative Elements. Don’t you just love the way the colours and all the stamping create such a gorgeous card. The only thing that I changed is the greeting, I didn’t have the one Jenny used. Now once I created this card, I decided to take the colours and design layout and create this fun note pad holder. 
The tutorial for this one is from Nichole Heady and is a free download. I did adapt it slightly to fit the note pads I had on hand. I love how it has the little holder for a pen on the side, so you could tuck this into your handbag and you would have everything you need to take your shopping list or add a note whenever needed. (You must forgive me but I was in such a hurry to share that I didn’t take the time to decorate the pen to match.)
I hope that Jenny doesn’t mind me adapting the design slightly to fit the long narrow shape of the note pad holder.
The tutorial for this card gives two different colour combinations and I think I just might have to make this little gift set in the other colour combo as well.
I hope that you have enjoyed seeing my little creations and that you will take the time to visit Jenny and Nichole and check out their fabulous blogs.
Bye for now, Kris.
Embedded Embossing
The challenge at Late Night Stampers this week is to create something with embedded embossing (or inlaid embossing if you prefer). This card could also fit the challenge at Sunny Challenges and Creations this week as well.
I stamped two images from the Delicate Doilies stampset three times each onto Whisper White card, one using Cajun Craze ink and one using So Saffron ink. I cut around the Cajun Craze images and punched the So Saffron images using the 1-3/4″ Circle Punch. I stamped one of the small flower centres from the Mixed Bunch stamp set three times onto Whisper White card using Always Artichoke ink and punched them out using the 3/4″ Circle Punch. I attached the images to a piece of Whisper White card, ran it through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing folder and attached it to scored and folded Cajun Craze card. 
I stamped the greeting from the Loving Thoughts stamp set onto Whisper White card using Always Artichoke ink, attached it to a strip of Always Artichoke card and then to the card front.
I am always amazed at how gorgeous this technique turns out. You can create amazing one of a kind backgrounds or even focal image pieces so easily. If you haven’t tried this technique give it a go – I’d love to see what you create.
Bye for now, Kris.
Sunny Challenge No. 49
This week’s challenge has been set by Gwen and she gave us a “sketch” with the proviso that we must use circles. I found this a fun and easy challenge. We can all do circles, right?
A little predictably I started with a Whisper White card base and attached a layer of Real Red card stock. 
Next I punched circles in varying sizes from Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point and Old Olive card stock. The circles also have either a 1/2″ circle or 3/4″ circle punched from within the circle. I added the smaller circles around the larger ones and then added a smaller circle inside the small circle on the large Pacific Point circle (boy that’s a lot of circles). Then I ran the piece through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder – must say this folder is just awesome for this technique. I attached the embossed card to the Real Red card. Next I stamped the circle “happy birthday” image from the Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set onto Whisper White card stock using Real Red ink. I punched the greeting using the 1-1/4″ Circle Punch, attached it to a Real Red 1-3/8″ circle and then to the card front using dimensionals.
Now off you go and visit Vicky and Gwen and see what inspiration they have for you. Once you have created your card, scrap page or 3d item, pop over to Sunny Challenges & Creations and add it to Mr. Linky.
This is such a fun challenge, I am really looking forward to seeing some fantastic samples this week. In fact if we get to ten entries we are going to select two Rays of Sunshine, so come on join this fun and simple challenge.
Bye for now, Kris.
Same sketch
but this time I used a different image. I love the sketch and colour combo at Sunny Challenges and Creations this past week and decided to use it to make another card. I actually meant to post this yesterday but you know how it is – life gets in the way of the best of intentions, so unfortunately this challenge is already closed.
I attached pieces of designer paper from the Neutrals and Brights Patterns Designer Series Paper Stacks to Very Vanilla card and wrapped the piece with the Chocolate Chip 1/2″ Dotted Scollap Ribbon, only I used the side without the dots. I attached this piece to scored and folded Chocolate Chip card. I stamped the jeep image from the Need for Speed stampset using Chocolate Chip ink onto Very Vanilla card and coloured the image using Old Olive ink and my blender pen. The image panel is attached to Chocolate Chip card and then to the card front using dimensionals. I stamped the greeting from the Petite Pairs stampset onto Very Vanilla card using Old Olive ink, punched it out using the 1-1/4″ Circle Punch and attached it to a Chocolate Chip 1-3/8″ circle. The greeting is attached using dimensionals on the lower portion only, so that I could sit it partially over the image panel.
So there you go, two cards using the same elements but you get a completely different feel. If you don’t remember what my other card looked like, you can see it in this post. I’d love to know which one you like the best.
Bye for now, Kris.
Stamping with Kris 