Favourite Holiday Bundle CTC #97

Welcome back to another CASE-ing The Catty Blog Hop. You may have just 'hopped across the ditch" from Jackie Noble, or perhaps you are starting here with me in Melbourne. Whichever it is, please make sure you complete the circle to see what the team have shared. This week the design team at Caseing the Catty are CASEing their favourite Holiday Bundle. That's a difficult one, with so many great bundles in this Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalogue.

Stampin' Up! catalogue sample

In the end I decided to feature Merriest Wishes on page 21 of the catalogue. My October classes will feature three different Christmas cards using three different stamp sets, and this will be one of them.

The layout of this card is perfect, and I just substituted some Candy Cane Lane DSP (patterned paper) for the background. After cutting a number of different tags with the Big Shot, I chose three main ones and a mini bauble to place on the card. I totally stole the idea to stamp the sentiment on a white bauble, straight out of the catalogue. and added some sponging around the outside, along with splatters from the Wink of Stella Gold {love this}. The gold foil tree has been backed with Chocolate Chip and that bauble with the intricate edging would have to be my favourite from this set.

I'm just a little bit excited by the fact that these jars I bought at a TYPO factory outlet are an exact match for Emerald Envy. this week an order with the 3 bakers twine including gold, arrived. That's it tied around the neck of the jar.I really wish I had waited to use that on the card too, as the fine gold thread has ended up almost invisible. The ladies at class will get to use the thicker gold twine on their cards though.

Do you want to join in our challenge this month? You'll find the link below if you do.

Now it is time to leave me, Rachel Palmieri, and continue the hop. You are off to visit with Judy, and I bet she has something super to share.

Cheers, Rachel

Merry Mice AWH Blog Hop Holiday Catalogue

Today some of the Art with Heart Stampin’ Up! team girls are sharing some fun and fabulous ideas to inspire you from our brand new Holiday Catalogue available now until 3rd January 2017. Be sure to request your copy of the catalogue today!

You have come to my blog from the very talented, Kathryn Mangelsdorf, in South Australia. Now you're visiting, me, Rachel Palmieri in Victoria. Blogs are full circles, so you can start hopping here and then at the end of each post is a link to the next. There is also a list of participants at the end in case of any broken links.

Of course, there is so much to like in the holiday catalogue but I have to say that the very first set to catch my eye was Merry Mice. I worried that it wasn't 'really Christmas' till my friend pointed out those magic words - " 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
And onto my order it went!!!

I think my favourites are these larger single figures, and it was so much fun water colouring them after stamping onto Shimmery White cardstock. I just squeezed extra ink into the top of my stamp pad and coloured with an Aqua Painter. It's not perfect, it's handcrafted with love! I wish you could see how it glimmers and gleams on the Shimmery card, and the gold star and top of the bauble are coloured with the gorgeous Wink Of Stella gold.

This mousie Chorister is a cutie too, and there are some hints of the clear Wink Of Stella highlighting the areas around him. These are set on scalloped squares in Cherry Cobbler. The next layer of Crumb Cake has been embossed using the Lucky Stars TEIF. The base card is Emerald Envy, which is deeper in colour IRL, and looks very 'Christmassy'.

If you've followed me for a while, you'll know that I'm an advocate for mass-production, especially when it comes to Christmas cards and invitations. I cut all the card at one time, emboss all the pieces. When I stamp, I stamp all the images, before sitting down for a session of water colouring. It just is easier to do each step of the process at one time. I'm very happy to have a dozen of these all finished for Christmas, including the inside all stamped. Did you get a glimpse of that in the first photo?

If you find a broken link or have come to this blog hop from a different entry point, you can view the participants below:

1. Kate Morgan
2. Ros Davidson
3. Tina Gillespie
4. Kathryn Mangelsdorf
5. Rachel Palmieri
6. Rachel Woollard
7. Claire Daly
8. Judy May
9. Monika O'Neill
10. Rebecca Jacovou

Meanwhile, you should be heading off to the lovely Rachel Woollard

Cheers, Rachel Palmieri

Spectacular Spring Sale!

This Saturday, 24th September I am having a BIG sale of some of my preloved craft supplies.Rain or shine, I'll be opening the garage door at 10 a.m.

There are lots of Strampin' Up! retired stamp sets, embossing folders, dies and framelits,  paper packs of card and Designer series paper (patterned paper).

It really was time, after 6 years of "collecting", that I had a Spring clean of my craft space, and I'd love to see things go to a new home.

If you'd really rather only have new products, or a mix of old and new, place an order in my online shop from now until Sunday 25th 7pm, use the Hostess Code P2KYFUU9 before you check out, and you'll be in the lucky dip to win this little pack of Stampin' Up! Goodies.

Stampin' Up! email me when you order, so no need to let me know.

Come past on Saturday and you can collect a catalogue, see what we are making in classes and pick up a treasure.
36 Trinity Way
South Morang
Victoria

Don't forget to say hello, I have a terrible memory for faces!!!!
Cheers, Rachel

Congratulations to Denise H. Her online order was the lucky winner of this pack. Thanks to everyone who ordered this month.

Aloha!

 Hello there! I have been back about a week now, but with work and classes to organise. I hadn't found time to blog. I've still been crafting though, as I wanted to make these little treats up for the ladies coming to class, and my work mates.
I've always been envious of the ladies overseas who can get their hands on Hersheys Nuggets, because they can be decorated and packaged up so beautifully. I made sure when I was in Hawaii, to visit Walmart and buy some. I decided to keep it very simple though as I had very little time to make these up. I cut one inch strips of InColor DSP from the paper stack in four shades. Next, I cut them in 3¼" lengths, and simply wrapped them around the nuggets, which were already sorted into piles of four different flavours.

The 2" x 8" cellophane bags, (#141703 50 for $5.25) were the perfect size for these treats.

For the label, I spelt out 'Aloha' in the Brushwork Alphabet stamps, arranged them on the one block and stamped multiple tags. The Botanical Blooms were stamped over in the inColors too, and by keeping a stamp for each colour, there was no need to clean off after each use. Funnily enough, I think most of the recipients thought I bought them like that, and didn't realise the 'handmade magic' that was added to their gift!!!!

Cheers,
Rachel

All That Glitters CTC96

Welcome to my blog this week. Whether you have started here with me or come from Rebecca's blog, don't forget to continue hopping around until you reach your starting point again. This week we are CASE-ing the Big Shot, pages 8-11.I have taken a lot of creative liscence with this week's challenge, since Rebecca has already featured the cards I had planned, Only fair, as she didn't leave her entry to the last minute like I did!!!!

I HAVE used my Big Shot to texture emboss with the Pretty Paisleys textured embossing folder and I also die cut Botanical Blooms with the very same Big Shot. My inspiration comes from the many wreaths featured through the Holiday Catalogue.

Now I have to confess, I stayed up late after my Friday night class students left, so I may have been a bit hyped-up, and those bling-loving-girls may just have influenced the design a tad. The Wink of Stella clear had a bit of a work out in class, and again on my wee project. (I'm pretty sure you'll even be able to glimpse it in the second picture),

My last order had the Bunch of Banners Framelits in it, and I broke them open to cut 'birthday' from the Hostess set in the Annual catalogue, Time Of Year. I did try my card out with the big sentiment from the same set 'thinking of you' but there was no space for 'on your' so I whipped out the 'happy' from  Hello You Thinlets which fits perfectly!

Whatever did I do before I had my Big Shot?

My September classes featured some different things you can do with Flourishing Phrases stamps and the Flourish Thinlets, and the Friday girls were happy to share their cards (but not their faces).





The lovely Monique is next on this blog hop, I wonder what she has shared?

Thanks for dropping by, Cheers, Rachel

A Little Llama Drama

Once I spotted a very cute 'photo bomb' card by Tami White I had to CASE it. You know that means 'copy and share everything'. The llama has the cheekiest look on it's face, I guess that is the nature of that creature though. When the holiday catalogue was released and it had another Christmas Llama, plus a big bear and baby bear, I was totally sold. It is actually called Fa-La-La-La Friends if you're looking for it in the Holiday Catalogue. Maybe you love it too.
 Well, just till 21st September, you can get the matching Fiesta Time Framelits at 25% off, at only $33.75. You can check out the other specials in my online shop under Special Offers. Don't forget to check the Clearance Rack too, as new items were added this week.



This DSP is Blooms and Bliss and the colours in it are lovely. I've used Island Indigo with this paper, and the Burlap ribbon seems to suit the subject pretty well.

I can't remember what these cards are called but I decided to use it with Birthday Fiesta too, as it gives a bigger area to add banners and streamers which are included in these stamp and framelit sets. The 'photo bomb' element is making another appearance here also.



There is still space to write a greeting, but you can do so much with the additional space, I'm thinking maybe some more cacti, what do you think?

Cheers, Rachel

Time to update you on this week's specials at 25% off, and there are a few nice specials on this flyer, especially if you are planning to package up some end-of-year treats, or goodies for a special party. I've already ordered the 2" by 8" cellophane bags but at $3.94 a pack of 50, I'll be getting some more! They're also offering the food safe glassine bags at 10 for $5.25 Could be handy if you were planning to make Christmas shortbread or gingerbread men. They'd be pretty cute finished off with the Gingerbread man from the Cookie Cutter Christmas bundle, Page 6 of the Holiday catalogue.

Those coloured doilies might add a nice decorative touch to your treats too, and the Framelits are really good value. If you think you'd like one or two things on this list, but don't think it's worth putting in an order, I'll shout you free shipping if you ring it through to me before 7 p.m. Monday 12th September.

You'll need to be local enough to pick up from my house in South Morang, or work in Thomastown, Victoria. Phone or text 0417 500 681. Hostess Code P2KYFUU9

On the subject of specials, just a heads up that I have been cleaning up my craft space, and have lots of retired Stampin' Up! stamps, punches, dies and textured embossing folders ready for new homes. There is also some patchwork fabric, fabric doll patterns, Fiskars products, Quickutz dies. This sale will be taking place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 24th September at 36 Trinity Way, South Morang, Vic.

Cheers, Rachel