Eclectic Blues CI #20

Colour INKspiration is a group of Stampin' Up! demonstrators from the South Pacific, all through Australia and New Zealand. We love to get together for these colour challenges, to inspire each other, and you, to create. We love it when you join in with our challenges to share your work and all you need is a Facebook presence. You can link in here on Facebook.

What a beautiful inspiration picture! The colours are so 'country' - looks great! We have Calypso Coral, Dapper Denim, Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke, if you'd like to join in and use the challenge colours to enter. Our guest designer this week is Fi Cobbin, She was two stops ago, have you seen her project yet? Don't worry, keep on clicking the links at the end and you will make your way back to the starting point.

I added Post Script, a large background stamp to the Dapper Denim layer, before cutting with the Oh So Eclectic die and adding Champagne Foil behind. The Oh so Eclectic flowers are beautiful too, and they've been stamped and die cut.

Birthday Blossoms was perfect for the sentiment, and another complimentary sentiment has been stamped inside the card too.

The sketch at The Paper Players came in very handy for me this week. Sometimes it's just a little hard to decide how you want your project to look. Update: Just a tad excited for this card to be picked by Paper Players as a winner!!!!

I was last on the Colour INKspiration Bloghop this time, but if you started with me, you can continue to my lovely friend Elizabeth from Lillylovespaper.

URYS3BV2

Holidays CTC#135

Welcome back to another blog hop with the crew from CASE-ing The Catty. Do keep on hopping along, to see what else the crew are sharing. Our challenge this week is to CASE from the NEW Annual Stampin' Up!® catalogue, Holiday section, from page 112-125.

Because I haven't very many of the holiday sets yet, I've had to put a bit more thought in and ended up CASE-ing the following sketch for a couple of cards. I liked the 3 circles with an image on the middle one and decided to CASE this to make a couple of bereavement cards. I've been sending more of those the last couple of weeks than birthday cards, and it really pays to have a couple on hand.

I began with a base of Tranquil Tide and a second layer in Crumb Cake. I thought I'd ink around the edges for a more shabby chic effect. One circle was cut from the Wood Textures DSPS, another from a long-retired newsprint while the central circle was cut in Very Vanilla. It was stamped using Versamark and Birthday Blossoms flowers and leaves, then heat embossed in copper.

All the edges were inked and some Ombre ribbon was laid behind along with some copper cord. Looking at it now, I do wish I'd put a sentiment on the outside, as it seems to be missing something. This has already been posted, so I can't change anything now.

The inside has been decorated to match with a scalloped piece of newsprint, a straight strip of wood texture and the copper cord tied in a bow.

Next I changed the colours and stamped with Thoughts and Prayers, probably the second oldest stamp set in the Stampin' Up!® range. The reason it has been around for a while is because it is a lovely stamp set, as is Lovely As a Tree, the longest-lived stamp set. The sentiments are perfect for those more sombre occasions such as illness and bereavement, but saying that, I used one of the images for my son's wedding card. This image was inked with Stampin' Write Markers to get the flowers a different shade from the stems and leaves. This time I added washi tape, and some Glitter Enamel Dots.

Next stop along this week's blog hop is Rebecca Scurr

Keep on crafting,

Rachel

Fancy Frost CTC105

It's Sunday here, which means it's time for another bloghop at CASE-ing The Catty. You may have arrived here from my buddy and roomie, Kathryn Mangelsdorf or perhaps you are starting out here, either way, bloghops go full-circle so make sure you check out what the crew has shared this week.

We are CASE-ing pages 36-45, Fancy Frost this week and I have to say, the colour palette is my favourite thing here. Well...perhaps it's those sparkly sequins in such sweet colours. I had to have them, but I'm notorious for forgetting to add the bling to my cards, so very proud of today's effort. I was inspired by the bottom image, but ended up moving things around to suit myself!

Flower Patch provided the pretty blossoms, there is a glimpse of the NEW Dragonfly Dream (available January 2017) in copper foil and some other stamps from Birthday Blossoms. A little copper metallic thread and a scattering of those sequins finished of this card.

It is always nice to take the time to finish the inside too and this one has been finished with another couple of stamps from Birthday Blossoms and some washi tape. Love the grouping of blossoms in this stamp set, and the script for the sentiments is certainly pretty too.

I'm keeping it short and sweet this week, as there has been such a lot going on in my life and I desperately need an early night. Don't forget the online extravaganza starting after midnight, with bigger savings on the first and last days. You can go straight to my online store if you'd like me to be your demonstrator and if you use the Hostess code, (SVAGUCMK) I'll send you a surprise in the mail. I do hope you like my card, please leave a comment.

Cheers, Rachel

You're heading to Kelly over in Bunbury, WA

And if you'd like to share your creations with us, this is the link for the whole of November

Big Birthday Blossoms

This card has truly been put together using bits and pieces from my scrap basket. I had a small piece of textured impressions embossed plum card, and a strip of DSP which toned nicely. The pieces were put together very much as you would construct a patchwork quilt, trimming and adjusting as needed.

The sentiment is from Birthday Blossoms, stamped over with a splash of colour from Gorgeous Grunge. It is quite a simple idea, but made quite a quick and easy birthday card. Of course, it would have been easy enough to add a punched or stamped flower but not really necessary.

Don't forget, if you're making an order through my online shop, it will ask for the HOSTESS Code before you check out. August 21st - Spetember 20th it is P2KYFUU9

Cheers, Rachel

Thoughtful Jars GDP#046

I've been itching to do something with the cute Jar of Love stamp set (page 75) and co-ordinating Everyday Jars Framelits. Such a fun set, that leaves lots of options for the jar contents.
I love a window card, but only recently learnt how to make them. The cut out window piece is included with the dies, and I backed it with the oh-so-pretty DSP Blooms & Bliss.




This sketch at Global Design Project sparked this idea and I've entered their challenge for the very first time.

The design crew there have some amazing cards to share with you.

How gorgeous are the new In Colors? Sweet Sugarplum features here, some stamped off, some full strength, and a bow of Rich Razzleberry. Some accents in Smokey Slate and silver, with a touch of bling in rhinestones and Blushing Bride sequins. The sentiment has been borrowed from Birthday Blossoms. There are a pair of leaves from Thoughtful Branches, you'll be able to order that set next week.

Cheers, Rachel

Spotlight On Roses CTS#176

Looking for something different to showcase the stamping side of the Rose Wonder stamps (because I think we may have already seen how wonderful the Rose Garden Thinlets are!!) it occured to me to try two-step stamping. I was planning to use it for a class, but found the ink on photopolymer is a bit hit-&-miss, if you don't use the correct technique every single time and that might be frustrating for class members. I decided to try just sketching a block with a Project Life pen and ruler, and water colouring the inside of the rectangle.
I didn't mind that the pen doesn't end neatly at the corners, but I will suggest that the girls might prefer to use a Framelit to guide them if that bothers them. I didn't think of it when I was playing!!!





The colours I used were Flirty Flamingo, Watermelon Wonder, Emerald Envy and Crushed Cucumber. Because I wanted a greeting to fit into a narrow banner, I took Birthday Blossoms and used the birthday sentiment from that stamp.
Sketch #176 by Sam Simpson at Case This Sketch actually started this inspiration, and helped me tick something off my 'to-do' list.




I'm actually still enjoying some rose blooms in my garden, even though we are in the first month of winter in Australia. We do have reasonably mild winters in my part of Melbourne. July is the month to prune here, and that will be another job for my 'to-do' list. I love being busy!

Have a lovely weekend,
Cheers, Rachel

Beautiful, Flirty Birthday Blossoms FMS239

Today is a good day. I finally had a soothing treatment on my 'bad' hip that has been giving me grief all week, two of my sons have called for a cheery chat, and I managed to sit/stand long enough to make a card for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.



I've been lying down with ideas whirling through my mind, because I had a few items from the new catalogue, like in Color card and ink and the Playful Palette Designer Series Paper Stack sitting in my craft room.

I'm loving the way Blushing Bride goes with the NEW Flirty Flamingo. Taking a cue from the DSP down the side, I've applied speckles and splatters in Flirty Flamingo. diagonally across the card. The Layering Squares Framelits are great for cutting both plain and scalloped squares.

I tried to use one of the new stamp sets, but Birthday Blossoms seemed to be calling. The group of small blooms stamps so beautifully, with the right amount of detail. There is a matching punch for the large flower, Pansy Punch (#130698) but the leaves are easy enough to fussy-cut with snips.

I've added a little Wink Of Stella clear to all the flowers. I was sure you could see it in the close-up (without flash) but I'm not seeing it here on my screen. This is a particularly picture-heavy post, I guess it's because I'm so delighted to get back to crafting!

The inside has been decorated too, with another of the lovely group of blossoms, and the lovely 'happy birthday' sentiment included with this stamp set.







Don't forget to check out the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, you're bound to get some crafting inspiration there too.
Cheers, Rachel

Birthday Botanicals FMS#227

This sketch by Linda Callaghan at Freshly Made Sketches looked like it was easy but the card that seemed so perfect in my head, didn't really come together the way I'd planned. That means there are now some more pieces in my "Cards to be finished" basket, but I did end up with this handy birthday card. Birthday Blossoms was one of my favourites from the Annual Catalogue and it has it's own flower and leaves, but I have used a couple of smaller Botanical Blooms and a fern leaf, to decorate the sentiment. I like to use a sponge dauber to ink the edges of the flower petals, can you see it?

English Garden DSP was going to feature in a much bigger way on this card, but with the design-change, there has ended up being only a narrow strip. This pretty paper is in the Annual catalogue, with lovely florals on one side of the paper and the most amazing masculine colours and patterns on the reverse. I stamped with Gorgeous Grunge and Timeless Textures to get the splatters on the square birthday sentiment.
We have a public holiday on Monday to celebrate the 8 hour working day, so I have an extra day off = more time to get inky!! Maybe I'll try this sketch again....
Wishing you an inky weekend too
Cheers, Rachel

Beautiful Birthday and Product Club

I keep a tub of partly finished cards, and from time to time, set myself a challenge to get them finished. In addition to holding home classes to allow others to create with Stampin' Up!® inks, stamps and card, I also sell completed cards. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with demand, hence the need to finish partly made items.

This card uses a flower:- one of 11 stamps belonging to a hostess set, Bloom With Hope, from the previous Stampin' Up!® catalogue. The newer You've Got This would probably make a lovely substitute for this flower. I had coloured some of the white embossed DSP that was available during SALE-A-BRATION but hadn't been used. Luckily, we have something similar to this in the Annual Catalogue, look for Color Me Irresistible on page 142. This seemed to suit the flower, placed on a circle of  Bermuda Bay with some white baker's twine to dress it up. The sentiment is from Birthday Blossoms, a recent addition to the range, but snapped up by me quickly for the sentiments in beautiful fonts. Check it out on the product list at the end.

Today is Wednesday so new Weekly Deals. If you are ordering something from this week's Weekly Deals, or online shop, the Hostess code is 36JSEMF6

Product Club

You can order Hostess stamps if you are Hostess of a party selling at least $250, or you could also participate in a Product Club. Briefly, you would be part of a 'virtual party' as you would not be obliged to attend an event, and would order online. You commit to place an order of minimum $50 for 5 months, and for one of the months you will be the 'Hostess'. So you do spend the qualifying amount, but it is spread out over several months. Might not be too hard with the Mini Catalogue out in September!!!
 In the month that you are Hostess, you get to spend 10% of the total for the month (at least $25). If you think this is something you MIGHT be interested in, send me an email and I will give you more details, without obligation to sign up. I arrive home from my holiday today, so you might need to allow for a day or two of jet lag, but I will contact you!

Cheers
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Birthday Blossoms CTC#35

Welcome back to the CASE-ing The Catty Blog Hop and this week we are CASE-ing pages 13-18, the 'Thanks' section of the catalogue. Have you begun here, or did you come from Alison's blog? Either way, continue hopping from blog to blog until you have visited all and reach your starting point. We love to have you visit.

I flipped through to page 18, where there is a very simple card, Quick & Easy, the label says and it definitely is that. It was a day when I was playing with Birthday Blossoms though, and I always need heaps of birthday cards, so I skipped the thanks this time and went straight to happy birthday. With the Color Coach dropped from the catalogue, I had to dream up my own combination, and chose Soft Sky and Mint Macaron, both soft, sweet shades. Birthday Blossoms is a great stamp set with the cluster of flowers, a single flower which can be punched with the Pansy Punch, some leaves and five sentiments, several of them quite different from recent ones. The flowers seem a little too subtle, but we don't seem to have a blue between Soft Sky and Marina Mist for intensity.

Now, it would be so easy for me to step-it-up, but it has been pointed out to me that plenty of people like quick and easy too, so that is what I have gone with today.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I'd love you to say hi in the comments before you pop over to see what  Stasia at Stampin' & Scrappin' With Stasia has in store for you. I have to say, I love her card.

Cheers,
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Tap, Tap Tap - It's Your Birthday!

When tidying my shelves, I'm reminded of stamps I loved a year ago, but neglect in the rush to use new ones. Repeating part of the formula from yesterday, there is a carryover stamp paired with a new one. If you count the inside, there's a long-retired stamp there too - 'wishing you' from Wacky Wishes combines so beautifully with the latest release Birthday Blossoms. Colour Me! came up with an inspiring colour scheme and I thought the sketch By Jen T at Freshly Made Sketches gave me lots of space to work with. However, keeping in mind that FMS like clean cards, I haven't cluttered it up too much.

Tap, Tap. Tap is the carryover stamp set, and I've used the typewriter and some of the letters on the Coastal Cabana background. Endless Birthday Wishes have some small typed-style words and two of them were added to the sheet of paper in the typewriter. Birthday wasn't one of the sentiments included in Tap, Tap, Tap.

The tiny flower from Something To Say seems to blend with the other blossoms quite well and adds a bit more pizzazz, along with the rhinestones. Having mentioned the inside, I s'pose I should share it! Sorry, I'm having camera issues with the flash not firing at the same time as the shutter releases. Hope its not serious as I head to Europe shortly.

Thanks for dropping by

Cheers

Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog