Fine Feathers For Father's Day CTD291

Wow! There are some super colour challenges this week! Usually, it is a sketch that sparks my enthusiasm, but this time its the terrific colours. These are courtesy of The Color Throwdown, why don't you click on the link and take a look.

It's Mothers Day in Australia this Sunday, so I made a Fathers Day card! Not really as silly as it sounds, both my parents have passed on, so there isn't a need for me to make either card actually. These colours and the inspiration picture seemed more masculine to me, so that's the direction I went.

Fine Feathers was a recent acquisition to my collection, so I'm using it a lot, especially as it now seems that it might be retiring. The thought process went like this: - feathers - writing quills- ink - slatters.  Gorgeous Grunge was a perfect partner, after all that thinking!

Delightful Dozen is the stamp set with 12 varied greetings, including Happy Fathers Day , Mothers Day, Easter and so on. Look for it on the retirement list shortly too. I've used the Banners Framelits to cut a couple of coloured banners to introduce a little more of the colour.

If you do happen to be celebrating Mother's Day, I do hope it is a perfect day for you, 

I'm pretty happy getting inky!!!

Rachel

Freshly Made Sketches #105

I have been visiting  Ireland, United Kingdom and Paris over the last seven weeks. A fantastic experience, but a long time to be away from getting crafty, so I am having a bit of trouble getting the creativity happening. My second son turns 34 this Saturday, and my 4th son will be 26 on Sunday week, so I have to get a couple of masculine birthday cards organised.

I headed over to check out the challenges for inspiration, and thought this sketch  by Allisa Chilton at Freshly Made Sketches was a great starting point. I chose shades of grey with Smoky Slate card  cut to make a 5 inch square card stamped with a splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge in Smoky Slate as well. I used a retired DSP, Howlstooth and Scaringbone from last year's Holiday Catalogue, but you can check out the current Holiday Catalogue for some other great 'manly' papers. 

I inked the rubber of the  birthday greeting stamp from Delightful Dozen with Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Writers, and added a fancy speech bubble paperclip from Hung Up Cute Clips. You'll find those clips on page 170 of the Annual Catalogue, there are three cute images ( 8 each of a
coathanger, arrow and the speech bubble).

I hope Jake likes the card, and I hope he has cake! He has two little boys who we missed so much while we were overseas, we visited as soon as we arrived home, taking cake with us. I didn't realise how cake-crazy those boys are, especially the younger one!



This is an easy card to make, and if you pop over to Freshly Made Sketches, you'll find a lot more ways to use this great sketch. Any questions about the products or technique, please email.
 Thanks for dropping by

Rachel

Stampin Up! Promotions and Colour Refresh

 Bonus Products April/May

Get some bonus extras from April 15 til May 30.

Hostesses:  An extra $60 in freebies with a $400 party.  So that makes $120 in free products all up. 

Got a big wish list?  You qualify for this special with a $400 order.  (Or get together with a friend or two and place your order together.)   

Join my team:  We're always keen to add some more friendly faces to the team.  Join as a demonstrator and get a bonus $60 of value in your kit.  Choose any products to the value of $295 for just $169.  Bargain. There is a button over to your right that will lead you right through joining up in my team, but you might want to ring/email me before you take the plunge!

I'm so pleased Stampin' Up gave us this advance warning that they were planning to rejig the colours. 

It gives me a chance to play with some retiring favourites, and re-order those that I can't bear saying goodbye to, just yet!! I understand that the reinkers in retiring colours have all been snapped up, there may still be some card left, although I understand it is going fast too. I have whipped up some cards using retiring colours, that's how I found out how much I will miss them!!!

Love this combination of River Rock, Baja Breeze using stamp set Daring Adventure.

More Baja Breeze including Seam Binding, Top Note Die, and  Bashful Blue and  Not Quite Navy for the other two flowers. Stamps from French Foliage set, Teeny Tiny Wishes and Everything Eleanor.

Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink and Certainly Celery are the colours used here. Lots of die cutting on the Big Shot and  Itty Bitty Blossoms & Bird Builder punches. Stamps are French Foliage and Delightful Dozen

Sent With Love

Special Offer Dates:   1st April til 15 June

Details:  Purchase the exclusive limited time only Sent With Love Stamp Set, or Sent With Love Designer Series Paper, or bundle them together for a 20% discount.

Use the Sent with Love product suite to make an array of travel-themed projects, or get creative and use them for masculine projects, new baby arrivals and lots more.

Take a look at all the Sent with Love Designer Series Papers below! 

 Sent With Love Designer Series Paper   $18.95  (12 sheets of 12" x 12", double sided)

Save With A Bundle:   Or for extra good value (20% off retail price)  get the Bundle which includes the stamp set, the DSP plus some Calypso Coral Bakers Twine - all for $46.25

The Sent with Love Stamp Set and Sent with Love Designer Series Paper are only available during this special offer. After 15 June, they'll both fly away!

Phone or email if you'd like to order and I'd be happy to help, or alternatively visit my online store and place your order there. You can call 0417 500 681, email rpalmieri5@bigpond.com or click on the button at right "Shop Online Now".

Hope there is enough there to whet your appetite and don't forget to check out the classes available, by clicking on the "Classes" tab at the top of the Blog. I hope to get the June Class samples made over the next few days.

Happy stamping,

Rachel

Fathers Day balloons CCMC245

Since I am on holiday at the moment, I should really have loads of time for challenges, and yet I have come close to missing entering for this challenge at Create with Connie and Mary.
With Easter, and family, there didn't seem to be as much time.

Tonight, however, I have rustled up this simple little one layer (almost) card to celebrate Father's Day, which isn't until September in Australia, so heaps early!!!

Balloons come from Up Up and Away and the greeting is from Delightful Dozen. I hope that the night photography isn't too dark, thanks for dropping by.

Maybe I will have more time tomorrow,

hope so,

Rachel

The ups and downs of life and other challenges...CCMC241

I have had a particularly busy week, what with my (paid) job Monday to Wednesday, the funeral of my very dear friend Helen on Thursday morning, while another family member had to stand-in to be the welcoming committee for friends arriving from Ireland, also Thursday morning.

So, there we were, experiencing all the highs and lows that life can deal out. I was sure that I would have no time for challenges this week. However, John and Ruth have enjoyed a few days being shown around the city of Melbourne, and the wildlife and wineries of the Yarra Valley and have now taken off to do some independent sight-seeing down the amazing Victorian coast.

They'll love it, especially as the weather has cooled enough to be quite pleasant in the sun now.

When it seemed that things were back under control in the household this morning, I snuck into  my craft room and put together this simple get well card for the challenge sketch at Create with Connie and Mary this week. I distressed the edges of the red paper and tied bakers twine instead of a ribbon, but I've really stayed true to the original. The stamp set is Perfectly Preserved which has been carried over from the Holiday catalogue. Luckily, as I still love it and haven't used it half enough yet. The Get Well Soon is from Delightful Dozen which contains 12 lovely varied greetings. Click on the link (above) to Create with Connie and Mary and see all the different submissions there.

Happy stamping everyone,

Rachel

CCMC-OCC4 and Sunday Stamps Up, Up and Away

Here is another quick, easy card for a birthday using some of my favourite colours from Create with Connie and Mary together with Hayley's sketch at Sunday Stamps. You can click on the links to go direct to their blogs.

Straight away I thought of the hot air balloons in Up, Up & Away,  and found that the card came together without too much trouble. The birthday greeting is from the Delightful Dozen, and as the name suggests, has twelve great greetings for all occasions.

Up, Up and Away Birthday
 

I sponged around a small scallop to create the clouds in the sky and raised the balloons on Stampin' Up Dimensionals. A small length of Daffodil yellow ribbon, simply knotted, added a bit more colour.

So glad you dropped by today, email me if you have any questions. If you would like to order some Stampin' Up! supplies, get a catalogue mailed or become an independent Stampin' Up! demo yourself, and you live in Australia, it's easy - just email or call on 0417 500 681

Happy stamping!

Rachel