Big Top Birthday

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Just a very quick post tonight, since I am a little weary and just going to curl up in my nice warm bed!
The Big Top Birthday Designer Series Papers make it sooooo easy to make kids cards.  Stampin’ Up! have literally done the work for you.  This first card is just a strategically cut layer of DSP on a base card of Tempting Turquoise, a greeting (this one from On Your Birthday) stamped on white and then punched out with the Large Oval Punch and adhered with some dimensionals.  And that’s done!  Of course you could do more with it, but if you are after a quick and really easy card, this is it!  This week’s Stampin’ Royalty challenge is a simple card, so I think this one fits the bill nicely.

The second card uses the same DSP and this time I have stamped some images from Fox & Friends, punched them out and then layered them over white cardstock.  And the greeting on this one is from the Curly Cute stamp set.

Happy stamping!  Chris

New goodies!

Posted in Big Shot, Cards, Designer Series Paper by

I got lots of yummy new stuff out of the new catalogue in the last two days, and I couldn’t wait to get stuck right in and make some things. 
Today’s card and pillow box are made using the completely gorgeous Paisley Petals Designer Series Papers.
As always, these papers look so much better in real life than they do in the catalogue. 
I have kept the card simple to let the papers do the talking…… nothing extra really required here.  The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Sentiments, and the frame is from the new Four Frames stamp set.  I am yet to get my Decorative Label punch (soon, I hope!) so had to cut this one out by hand.
I will be back very soon with something completely different featuring a different paper.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Sunny Challenge 009/11

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Sunny Challenges 009/11

Firstly, I just want to share with you my very exciting news…… yes, I have re-signed as a demonstrator with Stampin’ Up!  I missed it so much during the 6 or so months when I wasn’t a demonstrator, and am really looking forward to getting back into sharing stamping and papercrafting with others.  I have signed up under the fabulous Carolyn Bennie, and am also looking forward to getting to know her and her team.

Today’s card is a sketch challenge from Sunny Challenges, and one that I really like.  Might just have to make another card using this sketch!

And part of the challenge was to use heat embossing as well.  I have used heat embossing for the greeting here, and actually it was a bit more of a challenge that it should have been, as I am still trying to find my Heat Tool – probably still packed in a box from my move in December!!  Although I thought all the important stuff ie stamping stuff, was together, so would have been the first things unpacked, but it’s in hiding.  So I had to do heat embossing the old-fashioned way – that is, over the toaster!  Yep that’s right – just make sure there is no toast in there first, otherwise you might get a fright when the toast pops out!
So, the stamp sets are Perfect Punches and Every Moment.  I have done double layers of the watercoloured flowers here, then cut the second flower out and stuck in on over the bottom layer to give it some dimension.  Here’s a close up so that you can see what I mean a little better……
The colours I have used are River Rock, Very Vanilla, Perfect Plum, Night of Navy and some Peach Parfait in the centre of the flowers to brighten it a little.

Hope you got some stamping time during your weekend.
Chris

Clean and Simple FTL 157

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A sketch challenge from Clean and Simple Stamping today.  Again, I have had to use retired Stampin’ Up! products, which I apologise for, but I promise that I will have some current stuff real soon! Yay! 🙂
The papers are from the Sweet Stitches DSP which was in Autumn / Winter Mini Catalogue, and the Stamp Sets are Sew Suite (also from the Autumn / Winter Mini) and Teeny Tiny Sentiments, which is currently available.
And, as you can see, lots of my favourite – faux stitching – even some freehand, which kept me occupied for a while!  And I have used markers to colour the main image so that there are different colours for the thread, spool and needle.
I’ll be back soon with some more.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Sunny Challenge

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Ah hah! I found another challenge!  Yeah, as if I need an excuse to make cards!
But I haven’t come across Sunny Challenges and Creations before so thought I would check it out.  This weeks challenge is an interesting one, a sketch with a twist – the only stamping allowed is the greeting.  Hmmmmm now that is a challenge!
I have used chipboard here, which I have covered with Designer Series Papers, in particular the retired “Sweet Stitches” papers.  I am having to use lots of my retired DSP currently as I am waiting to receive some of the new DSP,  but hopefully soon!  In the meantime you will just have to put up with retired stuff! 🙂  But I think this one is really pretty, might have to share some more cards made with this one soon.
Anyway, so the card is made entirely of DSP, with various chipboard shapes, (all of them Stampin’ Up! but probably most of them from past catalogues), I have used a pale pink rhinestone brad in the centre of the flower, and the greeting is from On Your Birthday.
This is a little different to my usual style, but I hope you like it.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

I love Dasher!

Posted in Big Shot, Cards, Christmas by

Um yeah…. as in, Santa’s reindeer Dasher! Of course, I mean the stamp Dasher, which just hasn’t had enough use in my house yet!  And neither has the other stamp which I have used on this card, that gorgeous background stamp, Medallion.
I’m not sure what the weather’s like in the rest of Australia today, or for that matter, the rest of the world, but it is beautiful here in Adelaide today, warm and sunny with just a light breeze coming in off the ocean.  Might have to go for a walk on the beach later!  And maybe it is this warm summery weather that made me want to make a Christmas Card today!  Did you know it is only just over three months until Christmas?  Did any one else just start to feel a bit panicky?  Where has the rest of the year gone?
Anyway, cards……. this card was meant to be a CASE of a card made by the incredibly talented Jenny Moors at Stamping Moments, whose work I always love and who inspires me so much. 
But of course, it didn’t end up being the same as Jenny’s card, my CASE’s never end up being CASE’s! Not exactly, anyway.  The colours are Cherry Cobbler, River Rock and Very Vanilla, and I have run the layer of River Rock cardstock through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.
Well, enjoy the warm weather, and happy stamping!
Chris

Just Add Ink Colour Challenge

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This week’s challenge from Just Add Ink is to use White and just one other colour.  For my card, the second colour I have used is Concord Crush.

Inspiration for this card came from Joanne at Mainly Flowers, whose work I just adore.
I have used a technique called “stamping off” to add some different tones to the layers of the flower.
I have used the Vintage Vogue stamp set (one of my all time favourites) and the retired Because I Care for the greeting.  I have run the white layer through the Big Shot with the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder and also used the Stitched Poly Ribbon which I have gathered up to make it look nice and frilly! And of course a little bit of bling with a clear Rhinestone Brad in the centre of the flower.

Happy Stamping!
Chris

An Afternoon of Stamping!

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Yesterday, Jamie and I ventured up into the Adelaide Hills for a lovely drive, some sightseeing and then an afternoon of stamping.  And yes, Jamie did some stamping, too!  The afternoon was a new Catalogue Launch party run by my lovely new friend Carolyn Bennie.  Carolyn is a very talented stamper, and you may just be seeing her name here a bit more often (watch this space….) 🙂 If you go and check out her website, you will see a photo of me enjoying a cup of tea and some scones.
Here are the two cards we made, plus I was super excited because I finally got my own hard copy of the new catalogue.

Both of these cards were designed by Carolyn.  Aren’t they just gorgeous?
This first card uses the very pretty new DSP Beau Chateau, and of course the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, and the new Petite Pennants  Builder punch.

And the second is cute gift tag which uses the Cupcake Builder Punch, the Decorative Label punch, the yummy new Scallop Dots Ribbon, and Create a Cupcake Stamp Set.

So, thanks Carolyn, for a lovely afternoon. 

Happy stamping everyone!
Chris

Colour Challenge

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So, the next challenge, this time from the ladies at Stampin’ Royalty is a colour challenge using the unusual combination of Concord Crush, Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight.  I didn’t have enough Certainly Celery to do what I wanted to do, so I have used Pear Pizzazz instead.

The stamp sets I have used are Just Believe and Silhouette Sentiments (a retired Hostess set), the Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die makes the cute butterflies, and behind the butterflies, and possibly a little hard to see in the photo, I have used the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder to give the white layer some interest.

Anyway, that’s enough from me for today.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and Happy Stamping!
Chris

Lots of Challenges!

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I have had lots of fun recently making cards for some of the many challenges that are out there, so I will share them with you, one at a time.
The first one is from Craft Project Central and is the Creating Pretty Card Challenge, which this month is a sketch challenge.

The DSP I have used is the lovely retired Elegant Soiree, and I have used stamps from the Elements of Style and Every Moment stamp sets, and the watercolouring is done with an aquabrush.

Stay tuned for the next installment of challenges, which I will post shortly!

Happy stamping!
Chris