Thanks So Very Much CTC#25

Each week at CASE-ing The Catty we turn to our Stampin' Up! Catalogues for inspiration. This week we are seeking inspiration from the Occasions Catalogue and to change things up a bit, we're blog hopping to inspire you. If you like this new format, or a project makes you happy, please leave a comment.

You can view the online version of the catalogue with a click here. We are CASE-ing from the baby section (pages 38-39). If you have arrived from Gothdove Designs I'm sure Alison has amazed you with her sweet card for a baby boy. If you are beginning here with me, you can click on the links at the end of our blogs until you have gone all the way around the team.

I didn't need a baby card, but I used a card featuring the stamp Baby Bumblebee on page 38 to make my monthly thank you cards.

I went a little bit crazy with the spots from Best Day Ever, all over the background card. The Baby Bumblebee card has a tag on it with a water colour background and a trail of spots from corner-to-corner. I punched a long tag from water colour paper, because I'd considered spritzing it (but ended up deciding not to) to imitate the card I was CASE-ing.

My tag has been stamped with Painted Petals and Simply Wonderful. Painted Petals is a fabulous stamp set and I wish I had time to sit and make cards with it, all day long, I do hope that it is included in the next Annual Catalogue.

Unfortunately Best Day Ever and Simply Wonderful are SALE-A-BRATION stamp sets, and your opportunity to earn one with your $90 order finished on March 31st. I'm glad I already have them on my shelves, and maybe you are lucky enough to have them too.

The cards were to say 'Thank You" to people who ordered from me during March, while those who ordered and remembered to use the Hostess code, received a small gift of Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper and a roll of Crisp Cantaloupe Bakers Twine. I'm sure they are clever enough to use the Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon for their crafting too!

Are you wondering about the Hostess code?

If you choose to shop with me to stock up on your Stampin' Up! supplies and remember to use the hostess code, I will mail you an additional small gift. My customers for March were also lucky enough to be able to spend some Hostess dollars after the accumulated orders reached the qualifying amount. YAY!

Perhaps you want to order from the Weekly Deals on a Wednesday, and you're not sure if you might do that again in a week or two. If you use the code each time, all your totals will accrue, giving you a chance to spend some hostess dollars too. I keep track of that for you and contact you with the amount you have available to spend.

You have until 20th April to use this code. They are only 'good' for one month. It is typed above the online shop button over to the right if you are reading this online or just before my signature at the end of this post. Just copy and paste the code into the section for Hostess code on the page where you enter payment details.

This month's Hostess Code is 6MGVWWGH

The next blog you are visiting is Rebecca Benson's and she is sure to have something wonderful to inspire you.
 Enjoy!

Cheers
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deals Ending 31st March

If you don't already have an Envelope Punch Board, this would be the week to buy one. At $23.96 it's a bargain, and $11 cheaper than the one sold at Spotlight. Do you need a gift for someone crafty? What would be better than the Envelope Punch Board and some paper?

Those 12" by 12" papers are perfect for making envelopes and gift boxes, and you can have a big Designer Series paper stack in the In Colors that are carrying over, or the Regals collection at $28.96 - I'll be getting one of each!!! The A4 card packs are another good buy at $8.96 - Pistachio Pudding is a retiring In Color but I do love that soft green and have already stockpiled a couple of packs. Crushed Curry returned to the colour range less than 12 months ago and is a fave of mine too.

SALE-A-BRATION finishes at the end of the month too, so if you are wanting anymore items before it's all over, this week is your last chance. Remember to claim one free item with each $90 order. You are prompted to choose at checkout in the Online Shop. I've used Best Day Ever (SAB), Dotty Angles and Best Year Ever Designer Series Paper(SAB) on my card and gift box. You can also see the Best Year Ever Accessory Pack in front.

I'd love to send you the tutorial for this cute little five-sided box made with the Envelope Punch Board, and if you order through my Online shop, use the Hostess code 6MGVWWGH and allow contact, I'll be able to post you the tutorial and a small thank you gift.

Cheers

Rachel

Best Ever Party! CTC#23

Each week at CASE-ing The Catty we turn to our Stampin' Up! Catalogues for inspiration. We'd love it if you joined us at CASE-ing The Catty too!

This week we are looking for inspiration by combining products from the Occasions Catalogue AND the SALE-A-BRATION catalogue. That's them in the pictures above. You can copy exactly, or share your original work inspired by a sketch, layout, or maybe choose a colour combination to create a card, scrapbook page or 3D item. Then just share which sketch or colour combination inspired you.

Our challenges close at 5pm Thursday (AEDT)

• Create a new project for the challenge
• Mention CTC in your blog post and link back so others can join us
• Mainly SUO products (retired or current) to be used for these challenges

Since we have been challenged to use a combination of products from both catalogues, the opportunity was there to mix-and-match Balloon Bash with Best Day Ever. Don't you think those two stamp sets were made to go together?

I have a card technique class at home tonight where I will share with my guests the joys of BOKEH, the big craze in stamping. There are a number of different ways you can achieve this effect and while experimenting with possible class samples, these designs came to me. Maybe the ladies won't choose such bright colours, but I think they are jolly happy in these shades of yellow! I have another Bokeh class next Friday morning, if you're nearby to South Morang, Victoria.

This first card is on Crushed Curry, stamped with the confetti stamp from Balloon Bash, giving the background a textured look. Watercolour paper was saturated under the tap before adding drops of Strawberry Slush and Daffodil Delight re-inker. Best Day Ever comes from the SAB stamp set of the same name. The balloons are from Balloon Bash, where else? Those additional words on white card are made using the Alphabet stamp (133769) which has 13 letters/numbers/symbols/spaces in a row, so you can stamp all sorts of original phrases. You'll find a link to many of the products at the bottom of my post.

Again, using mainly Balloon Bash, for the sentiment and balloons on this card. The white spots, stamped on the Daffodil Delight to echo the bokeh, is a stamp from Best Day Ever stamp set. When colouring the paper, I added some Pool Party re-inker to the mix and decided to punch out some banners to match.

I'm glad to add another couple of cheerful cards to my stash, and hope you've been inspired to do some creating of your own by CASE-ing The Catty. Will you share with us?

Cheers

Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

You Made My Day CTC#15 SAB Inspiration

CASE-ing The Catty is back!
While it was nice to have a break over the festive season and our summer holidays in Australia, it is very good to be back with fresh inspiration available in the Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalogue and Sale-A-bration supplement. I've been drooling over them for several weeks now and could hardly wait for some time to get inky. You've been able to order since the 6th January, so I wonder if you have some new goodies too.

CASE means to copy and share everything, and our design team CASE Stampin' Up! catalogues, hence the title of our blog - CASE-ing The Catty. Do pop over to check out the gorgeous work of the design team members.


The SALE-A-BRATION supplement is the one I've cased this week and I've used the SAB products I earned in the Demo pre-order period. The SAB free DSP (Patterned paper) is called Best Year Ever and the colours and patterns are GORGEOUS!!! I could add, "As usual," to that statement because they are always great, and FREE with your $90 order.

Best Day Ever is the stamp set I featured and I copied the colouring of the sentiment as featured on page 5 of the supplement, but then I've actually CASE-d the grey card on page 10 of the brochure, & pictured at left.

It's another great stamp set FREE with a $90 order, You Brighten My Day. Cute, isn't it?


One of the border stamps from Dotty Angles inked with white craft ink provided the background stamping - and a bokeh effect too! I don't have a sewing machine handy, so I pierced the patterned paper, after rounding off the corners with the Envelope Punch Board corner rounder. The banner was a strip with the ends cut by hand, and another layer in Coastal Cabana die cut with Starburst Framelits.

For the cute gift packaging I have CASED an idea from a UK demonstrator, Tracey May at Bedlam & Butterflies.You need an Envelope Punch Board to make this, but if you have made the Christmas Bonbon, which was all the rage Christmas 2013, this will be a breeze. It can hold a fairly sizeable gift too with a base measuring 8.5cm or 3 inches in diameter. It is 10cm or 4 inches to the neck area and would take a small jar, a packet of sweets or treats, and actually there is still space with two of the small bottles from The Body Shop. Imagine what you can do with Easter eggs!

Leave a message if you'd be interested in doing this as a class. I'm planning for the next few months and I need your feedback to share the things you'd like to make. If you'd just like to order some products to craft at your leisure, there are links below, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Happy crafting!

Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog