CASE Gift Packaging CTC#155

Welcome back to another round of blog hopping with the CASE-ing The Catty Crew. My name is Rachel, and I'm a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator in South Morang (outer Melbourne) in Australia. All of the crew members are from the South Pacific (Australia & New Zealand) so if you are looking for a demonstrator, one of us should be nearby. You can order from my online shop from anywhere in Australia and your order will be shipped straight to you, costing a minimum of $5.95.


This week's challenge is gift packaging and Stampin' Up! have really been addressing the issue of packaging for a while now. We've had dies that cut cut containers, through to premade products. My most favourite product at the moment is the Pizza Box, available in the Holiday catalogue, page 44. You receive 8 boxes for $10.00, so just over a dollar a piece, and so many ways you can decorate them, plus the wonderful things which fit in them too.

So far I've used them for 4 Christmas fragrance tea light candles, and now a few Lindt Balls. I wanted some gifts for some friends I would meet up with at Stampin' Up!® Onstage. I haven't CASE-d a particular project, but took inspiration from many ideas scattered through the catalogue.

Lemon-Lime Twist and Bermuda Bay are a lovely crisp colour match, and the dash of red is quite eye-catching. I cut tags from the largest Oval Stitched Shape Framelit. That meant I was only able to fit 'breathe.' onto the tag, but it was easy enough to ink just the portion I needed.

The two squares are cut with Stitched Shape Framelits also, and skewed so you can see some of each.

Once the boxes were filled, it was time to close them up with two different ribbons tied around. Such a pleasure to put together, I do hope the recipients enjoyed them.
Next stop on the hop is the very talented Peta Stephen

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November is my birthday month so when you use the Host code I will send you a product gift plus a bonus - a handmade birthday card for you to send on to someone. Spread the love by snail mail as well as electronically.

Panda Party

Sale-A-Bration is my favourite time of the Stampin' Up! calendar. Every year from early January through to 31st March, you earn bonuses with a purchase which allow you to choose fantastic stamp sets and other products for FREE! It is still a long way off, but as a demonstrator who attended Stampin' Up!® Onstage, I have already earned some sets with my pre-order from the Occasions catalogue which kicks in, just as the Holiday catalogue finishes on 3rd January 2018.

Party Pandas immediately caught my eye and I was just a bit excited that it was a set I could choose NOW. If you'd like to get your hands on new products early, you could join my team and order yours from December 1st. Ask for more information if you're interested, because it might not be as big a commitment as you think.

There are three panda images in the stamp set and I've used them all on the card above. Nothing better than a group of tumbling pandas! I do hope that a boy turning four isn't too old for cute.

This is a simple card using a half sheet of the Tutti Frutti DSDS from the Occasions catalogue, as I said, available to customers in early January, but demonstrators on December 1st. The sentiments are from another Occasions Catalogue stamp set, Petal Palette. I chose apples, as this is for a group of nurses, and an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but no way am I giving them apples - chocolates all the way for these wonderful women!!!

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Any orders in my online shop with the Host code receive a gift from me in the post. Since November is my birthday month, I am adding a handmade birthday card as well, for you to send to someone else.

Beautiful You - Step-It-Up

While the basic card was sweet, sometimes you just want to step-it-up a notch. To do that, I mounted the same DSP onto some Early Espresso card and stamped the sentiment onto a strip of Bermuda Bay which I mounted onto the same rectangle of Early Espresso. A few embellishments picking up the colours in the DSP help to tie it together. It is still a fairly easy card to make, with some additional points of interest.

Beautiful You is a great stamp set to make cards for your girlfriends and sisters. There are three different female forms, and 8 different sentiments. I've stuck to the same image and DSP (designer series paper) for some continuity through this series.

If you want to take advantage of SALE-A-Bration to order and score some freebies, the requirements for this card would easily qualify. From 4th January - 31st March, every $90 on your order (before shipping) earns you one free SALE-A-Bration item. $180 earns you 2 and so on. You can view online what is available, or contact me for copies of the Occasions Catalogue and SALE-A-Bration Catalogue. I'm an Independent Stampin' Up!® demonstrator in Melbourne, Australia, and if you live anywhere in Australia, you can order anytime from my Online Store .



Beautiful You (woodmount)         143004 - $68.00
or...Beautiful You (clearmount)    143637 - $49.00
Watercolor Pencils                     141709 - $27.75  
Blender Pens (3)                        102845 - $17.00    
Archival Stampin' Pad Black      140931 - $12.25    
Whisper White Thick Card         140490 - $12.25    
                                                                                                                               
Totals $137.25 with wood mounted stamps/$118.25 with clear mount                            
Maybe you want to add some Designer Series Paper or something else, and you might get two SAB items on your order.

Join My Team
During SALE-A-Bration is a great time to join Stampin' Up!®. Not only do you get to choose $235.00 of products of your choice, and pay only $169.00 with free shipping, during SALE-A-Bration you can add an additional two stamp sets to your Starter Kit. You can join as a hobby demonstrator and so long as you meet the quarterly minimum ($440.00) you remain a demonstrator and get a 20% discount on your crafting purchases. Naturally, you can get orders from family and friends to help you reach those minimums. Or you can hold parties, classes or workshops, and with customer orders, earn an income. It is totally up to you how you run your Stampin' Up!® business.

Want more information? You can find a tab at the top of my page "Joining Stampin' Up!®" where a lot of your questions are answered or give me a call, 0417 500 681.

Cheers, Rachel

Beautiful You - Basic Colouring

Happy New Year to you. Maybe you're intending to learn how to stamp this year? I've decided to start off this year by sharing a basic card, which uses

1. Only one stamp set - Stampin' Up!® Beautiful You
2. Archival Stampin' Pad Basic Black
3. A pack of Watercolor Pencils
4. Extra Thick Whisper White card or a pack of Whisper White notecards

If you already have a waterproof ink, thick white card, or acrylic blocks to mount your stamps on, the costs will be quite minimal, but even if you need everything on that list, it should cost around $120.00 Australian. Of course, other things like a Stampin' Trimmer could also be useful, but maybe decide on that later. Keep in mind the SALE-A-Bration promotion which occurs every January through to end of March. For every $90 ordered, you get to choose one item free from the SAB Catty, and they're always great! Fun stamp sets, quality patterned paper, kits etc. It is ready for you to have mailed out now, along with the NEW Occasions Catalogue.

The NEW Occasions Catalogue goes live for customers on January 4th, but as a demonstrator, I've had new products to play with since mid-November. We first sighted the contents of this catalogue at Stampin' Up!® Onstage, held in Brisbane early in November. I mainly go to these events to catch up with all the lovely demonstrators I've met online in our group forums, but another very good reason is to get a sneaky look at what is coming next, and we often use and take home a lot of these lovely goodies.

Both the cards featured here today are simply stamped directly onto the single folded Extra Thick Whisper White card. It pays to practise first on scrap paper, grid paper is even handier because you'll be able to see if the stamp is straight. The card with purple has a piece of washi tape added inside for some extra interest, and the one below has a strip of patterned paper from Cupcakes and Carousels.

Initially, looking through the catalogue I wasn't sure what I liked the most, but after Jackie Noble (another member of CASE-ing The Catty crew) demonstrated her projects made with Beautiful You, I was totally sold on this set. You can click on Jackie's name to see her projects. It's no coincidence that the pack of Watercolor Pencils is also featured on this page, because they are made for each other!!

Three things I like about this stamp set.

1. The outline images are great to colour with pencils, markers or ink. You can also use the squiggle image to fill the dresses with colour, or stamp onto patterned paper (DSP) and cut and paste.
2. They have such a variety of sentiments to use with these images, eight different ones in fact.The two fonts contrast giving the sentiments a vibrant, energetic look.
3. It is available in red rubber for crisp, clear images and the option of wood mount (wooden blocks supplied) or clear mount (use your acrylic blocks)

Want to have a party or just a private lesson?

I'm in South Morang, Victoria and I have most of January off from my usual day job, so there are days and evenings available for you to have a party. Just gather a handful of friends, neighbours, relatives, whoever. I'll bring some catalogues, stamps and ink, you and your friends get to try before you buy, and all you'll have to do is open a packet of Tim Tams and put the kettle on. You will earn Hostess dollars from the orders, so your friends can help get you started on your stamping journey. Call or text me  on 0417 500 681 or email rpalmieri5@bigpond.com if you want to find out more.

You might like to make this card, using Beautiful You, 4 coloured pencils and a blender pen. You'll discover how relaxing colouring is, and have a lovely card to send to someone. If you can't be bothered to host, but want some tuition, come to a Quick & Easy class and you can stamp 2 cards, I'll supply everything and it will cost you $15. During January, 3rd-19th, we can arrange a time to suit you. South Morang is on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.

Before blending the pencil

This is a fairly basic card, not at all difficult to make, and in my next post, I will share how to "step-it-up". Have you received your NEW Occasions Catalogue and the SALE-A-Bration Catalogue yet? You can contact me or your usual Stampin' Up!® demonstrator for your copies.

Cheers, Rachel

A Notecard For Every Occasion, Sneak Peek From New Stampin' Up! Catalogue

Last weekend I found some time to try out the stamp set I received for Prize Patrol at Stampin' Up!® Onstage in Sydney. It reminded me of the first stamp set my mother gave me, Way back then I was at a loss as to how to use the small images, but I had a much clearer idea this time around.


This stamp set is Every Occasion, you'll find it on page 110 of the new Annual catalogue, when you get hold of a copy. If you're in Australia and don't have a demonstrator already, I may be able to help you out with one. I've been playing with some of my pre-order products too. There is InColor inkpads, card and washi tape.I've used existing stamp sets for the sentiment, this 'Peek-a-boo to someone new' is from Suite Sayings. There are some new square framelits coming too, and I cut the onesie out with a plain square, the coloured square is with a scalloped edge.

Now, there are 20 images in Everyday Occasion, so it wasn't difficult to make a nice set of notecards. I used a packet of notecards which are slightly smaller than the typical standard card, but do have envelopes included, 20 of each in fact and only $10.50. (#131527) For some of the cards, I used elements from Timeless Textures along with another sentiment from Suite Sayings. The present has been stamped in more masculine colours, and also has a 'cleaner' look, where the cupcake is definitely feminine in this shade of mauve.

Finally, here are a pair of 'thank you' cards, with the sentiment from Happy Happenings and more Timeless Textures background. You can see the last two colours from the latest InColor range here in these cards. Do you like them?
I have to tell you that I really like them too, it is hard to say which is my favourite. I do think these will make a lovely gift for someone, and they were a lot of fun to make.

By the way, if you would like to get your hands on a catalogue and products sooner, maybe you'd like to join the South'n Stampers (my team), and we can stamp together. You can read more here, or email me rpalmieri5@bigpond.com to find out more.

Cheers, Rachel

40th Birthday CTC#61

CASE-ing The Catty is back from our short holiday break, reinvigorated and ready to create for another year. I do hope your holidays have been happy, and that you've been able to enjoy the perfect amount of family and friends, as well as a little time-out for yourself. Our design brief for this week was to choose a favourite from the NEW Holiday Catalogue. Have you seen it yet? Not forgetting that SALE-A-Brations kicked off at the same time. If you live in Australia I'd be happy to mail you one of each, send me an email with 'catalogue' in the subject line, followed by your postal address in the body of the email.


Birthdays don't take much of a holiday in my large family, and we've already kicked off the month with a 40th, for a very lovely lady. When I spied this set of stamps and matching framelits at Stampin' Up!® Onstage Live last November, my mind immediately turned to this particular birthday and my son's 40th in March. Then there'll be a 60th late in the year, and so it goes on. I've been enjoying using the Little Numbers Thinlets on kids' cards, but the Number of Years set is large, dramatic and ready to make a BIG statement!

Beginning with those numbers, I stamped Blushing Bride onto thick Whisper White, and once it was cut out (and admired lots by me) I added some Wink of Stella. This is a new, subtle glittery pen/brush in the Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalogue. So far I've only 'invested' in the clear version, but we also carry the gold, and no doubt that will find its way to my house at some stage soon!!!

It is also very challenging to capture in a photograph too, I've discovered.

I CASE-d the card on the most left of page 8 in the catalogue, using Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper, along with a retired paper in Blushing Bride. The central panel appealed to me, and the patterned paper took away the need to stamp here. Deciding how I was going to 'ground' the numbers, I spied white tags, which were sitting in a dish on my work table, and 40 sits nicely on the tag.

I saw the "let us celebrate" going through the "birthday" on Artisan Krista Frattlin's blog. This select group of demonstrators always inspire me. However, it seemed to look messy on my card,so I've separated them this time. I'm glad Krista brought that particular stamp in Balloon Celebration to my attention, I think I'll use it lots. The "th" on the flag attached to the number is how it was used on an anniversary card on page 10, so ideas have been gleaned from many sources. I know many on the design team have CASE-d this card, it will be a VERY popular bundle I think.

When I make cards for my family members, I generally layer the inside up with one or two layers of card too. Can't do that so much in classes or the ladies would be here until the wee small hours!! I used Lost Lagoon and then white, with a 2cm strip of the fabulous floral to tie it all together. Maybe my card has also inspired you to take it in another direction, and great if it has. All I ask is, if you blog about it, it is polite to acknowledge the inspiration source, and link back to the blog, like I have with Krista's, even though she lives in Canada and is hardly likely to ever see my work.

Now, perhaps you started here with me, and you'd like to visit the previous blog of Judy May. 

If you'd like to travel forward, you're heading off to Bronwyn Eastley at AddINKtive Designs

Cheers, Rachel

If you can't wait to get some of these goodies in your hands, and you'd like me to be your demonstrator, you can shop in my online store here. Australian buyers only. My phone number ifyou have any questions is 0417 500 681. If your order is less than $250, it would be great if you used the Hostess code 4G296SCD when you checkout.

The email address if you're in Australia and wanting those catalogues sent is rpalmieri5@bigpond.com

   

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Blushing Botanicals Sneak Peek CTS# 152

Christmas cards are written and posted, and its about time to get on with some more birthday cards. Can you believe, three people in my circle celebrate a birthday on December 18th? I looked through the challenges and loved this sketch this week at Cas(e) This Sketch. I often take things literally when I see a sketch, but managed to see beyond a heart this time. The Botanical Gardens die punched a larger flower out of the Crumb Cake base, so the Blushing Bride flower could be inlaid. A sheet of paper from  Love Blossoms Designer Series Paper Stack was glued to the inside cover, giving a glimpse of pretty patterned pink paper under the raised petal. The reverse of the paper has Crumb Cake hearts, which show on the inside of the card. As always, these paper stacks are really good value with delightful prints.

Collage stamping is not a strong point of mine, so I thought I should get more practice, and yet it needed to be 'clean and simple', hopefully it conforms to that criteria. I had new goodies to play with, Grateful Bunch was a gift from Stampin' Up!® Onstage, and I received the Blushing Bride sequin trim in my order this week. The banner carrying the 'happy birthday' is from a new stamp and framelits combo, Number Of Years. It will be in the Occasions catalogue (January 3rd) but I need it for a daughter-in-laws special birthday on January 5th, so it came in this week's order too.

It seemed a good idea to continue on and finish the inside off completely, when I was making the card, so another piece of the patterned Blushing Bride paper finishes off the white card which is sitting on more of the lovely Blushing Bride.

Enjoy your weekend,
Cheers, Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Tropical Flowers FM235

An advantage of going to Stampin' Up!® OnStage is getting to try out new stamps and dies, and even getting to use them. I popped the Botanicals Gardens Suite onto my pre-order, purely for these flowers. Since I tidied up my cardstock last weekend, I've had lots of small scraps in a rainbow of colours to die cut the various flowers leaves and stamen from.There are six different leaves, six flowers and three types of stamen, so there's heaps of scope for creativity. There will be a bundle with stamps, framelit dies and Design Series Paper at 15% off. It takes up the middle page of the NEW Holiday Catalogue.




This sketch at Friday Mashup was perfect for what I had in mind, although the circle might have ended up a little larger than I'd planned! There is an absolute riot of colours in the blooms to match the tropical leafy background.

The sentiment is a new one too from a stamp that was given to everyone at OnStage. You'll be able to get your hands on Enjoy The Little Things in early January. It fits within the Washi Label Punch dimensions, a fun way to highlight it. Let me know if you'd like to receive a copy of the New Stampin' Up!® Holiday Catalogue, I'll be ordering my supplies soon.

It has been fun to have a little time out this evening,
Cheers, Rachel

Birthday Balloons Sneak Peek FMS#213

It's the end of a busy week, the house is clean (because I had a class last night) and my husband is away for a couple of days. What does that mean? Ooooh! Time to play with new stamp sets I picked up at Stampin' Up!® OnStage last Saturday. Freshly Made Sketches always remind me that there's still time to play at this time every week, and today I totally agreed. {wink}

Balloon Builders was included in our goody bag at registration, and a gift is always a treat, don't you think? I've started out with an easy card for the first inking, but I can hardly wait to try out some more adventerous ones. I picked up four bold shades and after masking a strip at the bottom (for the sentiment) and two sizes of balloon, I stamped away. A few balloons have their strings dangling and then I took the mask away and stamped 'Happy Birthday' along the white space.




It's time I used some of the washi tape I've been collecting [hoarding] for ages - just two strips on the card today, but it's a start!!!
I can hardly wait to get my hands on the punch that goes with this stamp set and another one from the NEW Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalogue out at the beginning of January.You have to love a new punch - they're so much FUN!!! A big thank you to Amy at Freshly Made Sketches for a cute sketch!

Have a great [crafty] weekend

Cheers, Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Stampin' Up!® Onstage Event, Melbourne Victoria

On Saturday I travelled up from my son's coastal home where I had been caring for his three children while he and his wife had a well-deserved break. Hubby had arrived down after work Friday, asssuring me that he would cope. (He did)

Stampin' Up!® were holding OnStage, an event in Melbourne (and many other locations worldwide). It was a first for this format, but as the Occasions 2016 Catalogue would be launched on this day, I wanted to be there to check it out. I also love a chance to meet up with my demonstrator friends, have a chat, a laugh, stamp a bit, and get the lowdown on what is coming in the Stampin' Up! world for the next 6 months.

As I'd had quite a long drive, leaving at 7 am, I was glad that a seat had been saved for me with some of the Think Ink team. Tracey and Sue are standing, while June and I are in front. OnStage was a mix of business talk, recognition of achievements, stamping and Prize Patrol. What's Prize Patrol, you might ask. Well, when we pick up our goodie bag on checking in, we received a badge in one of 6 colours, and when that colour is shown on the screen, everyone with that colour wins the prize for that draw. Pacific Point came out in the very first draw and I had a new stamp set from the upcoming catalogue!!! By the end of the day, I walked away with a bag stuffed full: - three new stamp sets a paper stack of designer series paper, and four projects made with new products. Sorry, but I can't show you any of this, it's top secret until nearer launch date (5 January, 2016). Sale-A-Bration starts at the same time, and I think it's okay if I tell you, it's a compact 20-page catalogue with a great mix of stamps and paper, one choice for every $90 you order from the Occasions or Annual Catalogue.

Another thing we do at these events, is swap card fronts, using current products, but because I was away from home, and my craft supplies I struggled a little with this task. I needed to pre-plan and work on it when I could find a moment to do one or two steps of the project. Originally, I had made a birthday card using a retired Lost Lagoon button, then decided the design was perfect for a swap.
I spent an evening after work stamping out the three different leaves in Mint Macaron, Pool Party and Lost Lagoon and die cut them. By the way, the stamp set Vintage Leaves is at 20% off until Friday 20th November. Another evening was spent cutting the Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon and Crumb Cake rectangles.

I took them away to our holiday house another weekend, and glued the leaves into place, with the third leaf on Dimensionals. The sentiment was stamped, using four of the stamps from the Watercolor Wishes Kit,

As there wasn't going to be enough of the white bakers twine,  I changed to Linen thread. I had several packets on hand and you can probably see that I used metal buttons to tie it all together. The one other thing I had to do before leaving home, was to type out a 'recipe' along with my name and location to adhere to the back, and pack all the glues, ribbon and such I needed to finish them off after a tough day wrangling small people. They're fun to make, and its a good way to meet other demonstrators, and bring home a card front that you can share with customers, to show other ways people are using the same products.

To finish, here is a picture of a silver necklace that I received earlier in the month, from Stampin' Up!®. I'm grateful to my team and customers, who have all helped me reach Silver level.

Being a Stampin' Up!® demonstrator is very rewarding. As a way to buy your craft supplies at a discount, all the way through to earning an income, it depends on your commitment to your business. There is no pressure on you to hold parties, classes or workshops, you only need to meet a quarterly spend of $440. It can build your confidence too, as it has for me, with support from team members and the company.

Q..What happens if you don't meet your quarterly minimum?
A..There's a month grace to try to meet your target, and if you don't, you drop from being a demonstrator, with no penalty. You don't have to return anything, and you can rejoin at a future date, if you choose to.

If you would like to buy $235 worth of products, and pay only $169, this might be something to consider. You can email me -rpalmieri5@bigpond.com - if you have questions. My team are the South'n Stampers, or you can click on the "Join Now" button and read the terms and conditions, without any obligation.
Maybe I'll see you at the next OnStage in Sydney, next  16th April as part of my team?

Cheers,
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Special Stampin' Up!® Joining Offer

Just popping in to remind you that you only have until the end of the month (that's next Tuesday) if you want to participate in this generous joining deal offered by Stampin' Up!® for June 2015. In case you don't know, for $169 you can purchase goods to the retail value of $235. You won't be charged shipping on this order, and you receive 8 free catalogues, plus other business stationary. The icing on the cake, you then get to order two extra stamp sets as a bonus, no extra cost for this! Would you pick a greeting stamp, or just the two most expensive stamp sets in the catalogue?

Butterfly Basics

Big News

There are other stamp sets which make this offer great value, but I picked two of my favourites to show you, which I've used over and over. You get to choose the products you need. That will depend on how much you own already, whether you plan to go into this for an income, or as a hobby demonstrator for the 20% discount. Stampin' Up!® welcomes all sorts of demonstrators, and while there are some who earn themselves a nice income, others purchase only for their own needs, and there are many demonstrators who fall somewhere in-between. I joined 4½ years ago for the discount, the lovely stamps and inks but found much more than that. Friends asked me to help them create cards, which developed into a regular class, and orders for their supplies, and other customers order through my online shop.

The support of my team leader is invaluable and very much appreciated. She never intrudes, but is always quick to respond if I email or text a question. She holds casual team meetings, where we use her stamp sets and learn new techniques. That is how I try to support my small team.

There is encouragement from our leaders and the rest of the team. We enjoy Stampin' Up!® events for demonstrators. The next one is Onstage in Perth, WA and Melbourne, Vic on Saturday, 14th November. It will be a fun-filled day and I know some of my Stampin' Up!® friends are travelling from South Australia and Tasmania to join the Victorian event. We last met up on the Gold Coast in May, so not so long between visits! We have an online Facebook forum where we show off our creations, share accomplishments and family news. It ends up being so much more than ink and stamps!

Demonstrator Friends At Convention

Personally, I enjoy the friendship of a diverse group of crafters, fun social events, as well as access to an endless amount of inspiration - and quality stamps, paper and ink!

If you think this is something that you might enjoy, feel free to email me, or give me a call (0417 500 681). I am in South Morang, Victoria, but if you live anywhere in Australia you can join my team, the South'n Stampers. You can also read the contract and sign up here. Your commitment is orders totaling $440 retail, over each quarter (around $30 per week if you allow for the 20% discount). If you can't meet that commitment, you just stop, no need to return anything, no penalties to repay. You just have to wait 3 months to rejoin.

Cheers,
Rachel