Sixth Anniversary!

Today is the 6th anniversary of my joining Stampin' Up!® and in all that time I've never regretted that decision. I appreciate the structure of the company, which provides support to demonstrators, while they promote a quality product to help others create beautiful craft. I intended to be "just a hobby demonstrator", until some friends asked to have a stamping date, and that eventually developed into a monthly class. Six years later, I still hold classes, in-home parties for hostesses to earn free products and I have a team who I do my best to help achieve what they want from belonging to the Stampin' Up!® family. Best of all, over the six years, many new friendships have developed with other like-minded crafters, including demonstrators, team members and customers.

It's always more fun to stamp with friends, don't you think?

This month I decided instead of just sending a thank you card to my customers, I would cut up some DSP (that's our gorgeous patterned paper) and make some simple, sweet cards for my customers to send to someone else. Those who were at the parties have already picked theirs. One very clever stamp set, hidden right inside the back cover of the Occasions Catalogue was perfect for the sentiments. Suite Sentiments is its name and the paper pack I cut and used this time is Fruit Stand. This will retire at the end of May, so it needs to be ordered now if you too love the fresh fruity images.

With at least half the cards, I let the paper make the statement. These were the boldest papers which really needed no more embellishment than a piece of ribbon and a sentiment. But then came the stripes and spots, and it was lots of fun to dream up some different dies to dress them up. With the apples, I tried for an apple-like leaf from Vintage Leaves. The stripes in red reminded me of an ice cream parlour and Cool Treats were perfect here. This sentiment, although in the Suite Sentiments stamp set, is designed to co-ordinate with Cool Treats. Isn't that cool?

With the orange stripe, I've used an ornate die from Up & Away Thinlet Dies and the sentiment from Suite Sentiments that matches Carousel Birthday. Isn't it great how they've given us the opportunity to add on to our stamp sets? The other has a partial die from Dragonfly Dreams in copper foil, matched with a copper embossed sentiment on vellum. Lastly, the lemon spots is perfect for another Cool Treats. Fancy a lemon gelati, anyone?

I'd like to offer you this opportunity too, as SALE-A-Bration, which runs from January 4th-March 31st 2017 is an extra-special time to join. You choose $235.00 retail of product from the Annual or Occasions catalogue and only pay $169.00. This order not only has free shipping, it also includes two

extra stamp sets (up to a value of $179) at no additional cost. Your second order earns you SALE-A-Bration bonuses until the end of March, a great way to build your stamping stash. If you discover that this isn't for you, or your circumstances change, there are no penalties for dropping and you keep your purchased products.

There is more information at the top of my blog page, plus a link to join my team. Still not sure? Call me, 0417 500 681 or send an email with your queries.

I am Rachel Palmieri, situated on the northern side of Melbourne in South Morang.

Cheers, Rachel

Party With Stampin' Up!® And Me

We had a fun party this weekend, getting our craft happening on a Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. I've partied with some of these ladies before, and wanted to share the Envelope Punch Board. My skills at making an envelope are pretty good, so that part of the demonstration went well. I made an envelope to fit this Double-Z card. It measures 6 inches square, and I also demonstrated a rectangular envelope.

This Envelope Punchboard Gemstone Box, designed by Sam Hammond Donald (Pootles) had been easy enough to make earlier in the week to hold the Hostess gift. If you click on the link it will take you to Sam's post and a Youtube video. I was fairly sure I could make it from memory and dazzle the guests. The paper measures 8 inches by 8 inches and you punch and score at 2", 4" and 6 " on all 4 sides.

  Cutting, scoring and punching were no problem, and I confidently moved along, gluing the sides together - and ended up with a regular square box!!!! Massive fail on my part, and we never really had the time to check the video and see where I went wrong. Just let me assure you, when you make it alongside Pootles video, it is a breeze! One lady said it gave her more confidence to see that not everyone gets it right every time.

The box for my hostess was finished with the cute bow thing from the Balloon Pop Up Thinlets, and I had added a banner saying "For You" by the time I presented it. (Just forgot an updated picture).

The make and take was based on the Jars of Love Bundle, on page 75 of the Annual catalogue. I had brought these two samples along of a basic card using washi tape and stamping and a more advanced card with the washi, stamping and die cutting with the Big Shot and Everyday Jars Framelits. I then demonstrated something in between the two cards, which I've presented to the hostess, it actually ended up without a jar on it, which was still very cute.

 The ladies had a great time making their own individual cards, each and everyone quite different.
Hope you've found time for crafting over the weekend too
Cheers, Rachel

Cupcakes & Carousels CTC#112

Thanks for visiting again for CASE-ing The Catty Blog Hop. This week we are CASE-ing Cupcakes & Carousels, pages 8-13 of the Occasions Catalogue. This is a very tempting section, as it's all about birthdays, and aren't birthday cards the ones we give the most? When I saw Carousel Birthday demonstrated at Onstage Brisbane last November, I immediately thought of my young granddaughter. I was sure she'd love the carousel horse, and what about the ferris wheel with cupcakes?

Of course, the Cupcakes & Carousels Designer Series Paper Stack is a perfect fit for the stamp set, and you get 48 6" by 6" sheets, 4 each of 12 double-sided designs. They're all so gorgeous, I'm almost ready to order another stack! My first project was a CASE of a gift bag on page 8. It's in the centre of the picture below.

I'm very pleased with the way it turned out, but I still wanted to CASE the ferris wheel card shown in another pic on the same page. Now there's a tricky little secret to share with you here. if you look carefully in the catalogue, you'll see that the base of the teeny, tiny cupcake and the icing can be cut with a die. But where is that die? It's on page 10 - as part of the Up & Away Thinlits Dies!!!!

Now, I wasn't going to buy the Lift Me Up Bundle, but my birthday came around and the very sweet, clever Kelly Kent sent me a birthday card. You guessed it - it was the hot air balloon and I saw how gorgeous it is, and the bundle went onto my December order. Oh dear! No restraint here, is there?

The background paper had to be substituted because I'd used all 4 pieces already, but I happily cut clouds and some cupcake bases from the blue swirly paper. Stamped all the icing the same colour, actually, you stamp out the whole ferris wheel and then die cut the icing pieces.

I do think that Alice is going to prefer the card on the left most, but her birthday isn't till March, so no rush to decide. I just have to make sure I don't put it in a safe place and can't find it again' like I did for her parents' 10th wedding anniversary card!!!

Both cards are finished on the inside, it just seems to add a little more love to your handmade creation.

I'd love you to leave me a comment, maybe tell me which of the two cards you like best. Next you can hop on over to Kelly Kent. You're going to love what she has shared!

If you would like to add your CASE of the Cupcakes and Carousels section, pages 8-13 of the Occasions Catalogue to our FB challenge you can link here. 

Cheers, Rachel

Here is a full list of everyone taking part if you happen to get lost along the way.

Elizabeth Gross - http://lillylovespaper.blogspot.com/2017/01/ctc112-birthday-blast-in-box-with-mini.html

Rachel Palmieri - http://stampinpals.blogspot.com/2017/01/cupcakes-carousels-ctc112.html -you are here

Kelly Kent - http://mypapercraftjourney.com/2017/01/22/caseing-the-catty-112-cupcakes-carousels/

Rebecca Scurr - http://thepaperandstampaddict.com.au/2017/01/22/ctc112-cupcakes-and-carousels/

Kathryn Mangelsdorf - http://klm55.blogspot.com/2017/01/case-ing-catty-birthday-blast-star.html

Jackie Noble - http://wp.me/p3uTCr-1t4

Judy May - http://judymay.typepad.com/just_judy_designs/2017/01/ctc112-cupcakes-carousels.html

Mel Pagano - http://mypaperoasis.com/2017/01/ctc112-cupcakes-and-carousels/

Julia Quinn - http://handmadebyjuliaquinn.blogspot.com/2017/01/stampin-up-cupcakes-and-carousels-ctc.html

Monique FIelder - http://stamping-with-moni-q.blogspot.com/2017/01/ctc-112-cupcakes-carousels.html

CTC Post - http://caseingthecatty.blogspot.com/2017/01/ctc112-cupcakes-and-carousels.html

Colour INKspiration - A New Colour Challenge for Everyone!

I have some exciting news to share; I'm on the Colour INKspiration Crew! It consists of a team of talented Aussie and NZ Stampin' Up!® Demonstrators that create projects based on Pinterest inspired colour swatches.

There's also a Facebook group for Stampin' Up!® enthusiasts who would like to share their paper craft projects using the colour combinations. You don't even have to have a blog to join in.
Here's the deal - Every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm (AEDT), a new colour swatch will be uploaded to the Facebook Colour INKspiration Group and the Colour INKspiration Crew will get the ball rolling by providing inspiration for each challenge with a blog hop. Our first one starts on Wednesday, 11th January.
Members of the group have the option to join the Colour INKspiration 'Challenge' by uploading photos of their projects and can link back to their personal blog if they wish to. Make sure you click on the link below and ask to join Colour INKspiration, add the group to your favourites and share it with your crafty friends so they can join in with the challenges too.
Hope to see you there!

To get this group off the ground we are having a 'pre-challenge challenge'. The colours for the challenge are Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight and Mint Macaroon, but I substituted Crushed Curry for Daffodil Delight. That's allowed, we're not unreasonable people! Sometimes you don't have the colour or perhaps, just like me, prefer the stronger shade. There is some Designer Series Paper in the SAB catalogue called Carried Away, and it just so happens to have Mint Macaroon clouds amongst the selections. The name of this DSP suggests that it complements the Lift Me Up bundle (it does - ha,ha!)and so there are 2 different birds-eye views of fields.some hot air balloons and other bright papers in very useable patterns. I'm sure I'll be using lots of this paper, it's so cute, and I can add it for free to my $90 order during SALE-A-Bration, and so can you! You will find Up & Away Thinlet Dies, the Lift Me Up stamp set or the Lift Me Up Bundle (purchase using the special code for a 10% discount) on page 10 of the Stampin' Up!® Occasions Catalogue.

It seemed natural to pair those clouds with a hot air balloon, and I've kept it very simple really. The point of interest is the slant the DSP has been cut on, and a strip of white card which has gone through the Seaside textured embossing folder. My intention is to use textured embossing folders (and Washi tape!!!) a lot more in 2017. Last years resolution was to use Designer Series Paper and I definitely improved with that one, so hopefully I can this year too. Are you wondering how hard it was to make the multi-coloured hot air balloon? Not very hard at all, as the Up & Away Thinlet Dies include five shapes especially for that purpose. I use tiny dots of tombow on the back of the large balloon outline, allow it to turn clear, when it is less messy but still sticky and place the pieces in order, from top to bottom in my case. Even the basket has its own wee piece, which doubles as a base for the ferris wheel ride  (or a teeny tiny cupcake) in Carousel Birthday on the previous page. It's always handy when you can use the Thinlet Dies with more than one stamp set. 

Even though it mentions in the catalogue to use the Precision Plate with the detailed thinlet, I've not found that neccessary, all the pieces pop out easily. Thought I'd include this close-up so you can see the lovely detail on this hot air balloon. Have you had a look through the 2017 Stampin' Up!® Occasions Catalogue yet? If you haven't, don't already have a demonstrator and you live in Australia, you can message me to send you a copy of that and the SALE-A-Bration catty.

Cheers for a safe and crafty New Year,

Rachel