Thankyou for joining me today, I have been a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, since 2008. My blog will show you how to make cards and projects using Stampin' Up!'s fabulous products. And occasionally random extra stuff (that's the way I roll 🤣) Please do sign up to receive my emails, so you get my latest info.
Today I'm showing off a couple of ways to use your Silicone Brayer, I'm using some of the goodies that are discounted and on the retiring list (check out the whole list here: Last Chance Products)
The first technique I showed off is the one we used on Friday & Saturday in my regular classes. this involves Inking the brayer on the corner of the ink pad, so you get triangular shapes on your brayer (and you don't run the brayer over the whole ink pad), gives a cool background effect, I then teamed it up with the gorgeous, sadly retiring Layers of Beauty (if you don't have this set you can get stamps - just discovered these have sold out😢, dies and masks, which are really beautiful and the Purple Shimmer Gems (and all reduced)! - different links for each product
The next technique involves inking the brayer up properly, but then only using partially on the background, then adding another colour and repeating it, again giving a great background effect, this one I paired up with the retiring Inspiring Imperfections Stamp set again there is also dies and an embossing folder Oh and the punch is retiring too: Labelled with Love punch and bling in the form of Faceted Gems trio pack (all discounted woo hoo!)
Next up I used a thin mask, cut from post-it notes with the retiring Joyful Squares Dies, the mask needs to be really thin (as in copy paper thin) for the brayer to work well with it. I've also used the With You in Mind Stamp set and the leaves come from Layers of Beauty Dies (see link above) and the Iridescent Foil Gems (again all discounted)
Then the last technique is brayering directly onto the inside of one side of an embossing folder, then either press it down, or run it through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine, in the video I just add the Pumpkin pie, but then when I was making it up into a card I brayered granny apple green over top to create the 2 colours which I love the look of!, and I couldn't resist curling it round (like a turtles back!) I've used the Turtle textures embossing folder, the Turtle-y Awesome Stamp set and matching dies and even the Shades of Green Hexagon embellishments (all retiring- and discounted)!
I'm beginning to feel like ALL my goodies that are retiring are actually discounted too!, although I know a few things aren't discounted, there is sooooo much that is! don't forget to check out all the goodies here: Last Chance List.
If you missed the video here it is:
I hope these inspire you to dig out your brayer and get creating too!
My May "4 Cards Class" is happening on Friday 1st at 1pm (Laanecoorie) and Saturday 2nd 10.30am in Maryborough. And here are the cards we'll be creating:
The New Catalogue won't be quite released at this point, as it goes live on 5th, but I've sneaked in a couple of new goodies!
The first one uses the most new goodies, Scalloped Blooms Dies, (gee these dies are amazing the largest one is big enough to create a card with (as you can see!) then I've used a new stamp set: Sending Salutations, and also new Designer Paper: Artisian Sketched Garden, (which is a fabulous black and white set)
Next up is this one that inadvertently also uses the Scalloped Blooms dies, in the background as masks (oh and some of the new In colours 😉) Then the stamp set is Forever Florals. and a spot of new Peaceful Pine Ribbon.
This card does inadvertently use a new goodie in it, the White Gel Pen, which Stampin' Up! have tested to make sure it doesn't stop 1/2 way through a line (as a lot of gel pens tend to) , I've also used the gorgeous Sunflower 3D embossing folder and the Banner Sayings bundle (stamp set and punch)
And last but not least, I've used the Addressed to You stamp set , and the Fern & Flora Bundle (newbie) figured this card would work well for a blokey card!
And that's it folks, keep your eyes out for the extra In person or by mail class happening in May (just waiting on the goodies arriving so I can create it)
I hope you can make it to one of the classes (or let me know if you and a friend or two would like to do it but can't make it to one of the scheduled dates, and I can work in a time with you)
Today I thought I'd show off this months Paper Pumpkin Kit, it's pretty cool and does make some fabulous Blokey cards! If you didn't order it for yourself, hopefully you haven't lost the chance - if it hasn't sold out, you need to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin, then you should be able to order past kits after 21st.
And of course if you're looking for a crafty gift for a friend it would make an amazing presy💖 What better than to have a surprise box of crafty goodness turn up on your doorstep monthly?
Anyway onto what I've created with mine, and I did use up the entire kit (very proud of myself!) The first 3 photos show the "official" card from the pack in the top left corner, then a couple of varieties, I pretty much used only kit ingredients to create them, except for a bit of ribbon on 2 of the cards and extra glues. As the cards are decorated front and back I cut mine in 1/2 so I could use both sides, and made the most of the scraps that were left after punching out all the elements. This box comes with a stamp set and mini ink pad, and if you stamp off on scrap paper you can get the lighter green effect (very handy for adding a bit more "texture" to a plain background)
Then I went completely off topic and made these ones with left over pieces 🤣 and made the most of the stamp set and ink pad.
In the video I mention that I'll show you the stamp set a bit better on my blog, so here it is......
Today I thought I'd show you a quick sneak peek of some of the new goodies coming up in May (unless of course you are a demonstrator, in which case you have access to them now!)😃 Excellent reason for joining Stampin' Up! and my CreateAbles Team - not to mention the fact that we get a discount on our goodies! Let me know if you want more info.
One of the goodies I showed off is the Water & Dotted Lines Decorative Masks, which are 12x12 size, so I got out my glass mat, (it really is the perfect surface to craft on!) and my thick white 12x12 cardstock (and my photos from my trip last November to the US, and Yay got 2 more pages done😃)
Thought I'd show you the process first, best to tape the mask down over the cardstock or it does move! you can see I've used 4 colours and I've just realised I've got my blue ink pads in the wrong order down the side of the piece, Ah well at least the middle one is right🤣
And this is how it turned out - isn't it amazing?!
So then moving onto creating my scrapbook pages (go me🤣) I also cracked open my new White Gel Pens for the writing
The next page I used the dots mask on the blue piece I had cut out of the frame from the above page, they are pretty subtle dots but that's nice when the water background is not subtle! I also cut out a couple of milkshake cups from the Love Notes Designer Paper (which has been moved to retiring/Last Chance list and discounted)
Then back to my "comfort zone" and made a card, using the stamp set from the new April Paper Pumpkin kit (did you see my previous post about Paper Pumpkin?) Look out for a proper review of them whole April kit coming soon!
And lastly to decorate up one of the scalloped window boxes using the Scalloped Bloom Dies and the Artisan Sketched Garden Designer Series Papers, how nicely does it decorate up with the matching dies?!💖
There's a few extra bits I show off in the video, so if you haven't seen it yet, here it is:
I hope my projects inspire you to create, these new goodies will be available from 5th May (unless you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, or decide to join and become one! 😉)
Wow Paper Pumpkin is here!! And it's Stampin' Up! Australia's 20th Anniversary. I have been involved with Stampin' Up! since May 2008 (18 years!) and I can honestly say it has been a life saver at times, it's given me "time out" when I've needed space to myself, I've met some fabulous people, made some of my best friends, had the opportunity to travel, and so much more! If you wan to be part of this amazing community, check out this page: Join Stampin' Up!
WHAT IS PAPER PUMPKIN?
It’s a subscription kit program by Stampin’ Up! and your one-stop box for creative success! Imagine everything you love about paper crafting in one fun package, delivered to your door as a surprise each month—that’s Paper Pumpkin. It’s currently available as an English-only product. The cost is $48 per kit (this includes postage)
WHAT MAKES PAPER PUMPKIN UNIQUE?
Paper Pumpkin subscription kits are designed for anyone who wants to quickly and easily create beautiful, handmade projects—anytime and anywhere! Subscribers get a new, surprise project every month—one that’s great for all types of crafters. And it’s an ongoing crafting experience how exciting! a surprise each month😃
WHAT’S INSIDE?
Each kit includes an exclusive photopolymer stamp set, a Stampin’ Spot, and step-by-step instructions for beautifully designed, precut paper crafting projects. Everything is ready to stamp, assemble, and share for a fun and easy experience. Click here to watch unboxing videos for past kits to get a better idea of what they include.
WHAT ARE THE PERKS OF BEING A PAPER PUMPKIN SUBSCRIBER?
In addition to a surprise project every month, subscribers enjoy extra perks including:
Auto shipment with shipping included. Sign up once and the kit is automatically delivered with no additional shipping charges on a pay-as-you-go and prepaid subscriptions.
Access to exclusive products. Active subscribers can purchase refills, past kits, and add-ons, that are only available to them.
Connect with fellow subscribers, discover alternate samples, and share creative ideas in a fun, supportive space. Take your ideas beyond the box.
FREE gifts and Stampin’ Up! suite coordination. Occasionally, you'll receive a gift in your box or the kit coordinates with a selection of other products for even more crafting fun.
Stampin’ Rewards with each kit! Earn Stampin’ Rewards each month with the pay-as-you-go subscription or get them all upfront with any prepaid subscription.
If you are interested in signing up for Paper Pumpkin, check it out here: Paper Pumpkin
For the next 3 months these are the Snippet "sneak peek" photos we have:
and there is an Add On of matching dies that will go with each of these kits:
And I reckon that's all I can tell you about it, so go, check it out!!
Well I figured as we're getting towards Easter maybe I should try something "Easter'y", and as I was driving home I thought ooo, how about a woven basket, so I planned it out in my head, and here we are...... I'm impressed it did go to plan and actually was fairly easy to create.
I've used a 2 3/8" circle punch as the bottom of my little basket, and I'm actually surprised by how sturdy it is (as you can see at the end of my video when I decide to try and find out how much will actually fit inside it🤣)
The one I made in the video (with the handle) uses the gorgeous Gathering Together Specialty Designer Series Paper, which is actually on the clearance rack and down from $29 to $17.40 (bit of a bargain!)
If you missed the video here it is, I don't think I'd do a good job of trying to explain how to create this in words🤣
If you do have a go at it, let me know how you go, I'd love to see photos too😉
Here are the cards for 2 regular classes on Friday 10th 1pm in Laanecoorie and Saturday 11th April 10.30am Maryborough (set back a week due to Easter)
This is probably my favourite one, I think maybe it's the simplicity of it! I've used the Cutest Crew Stamp set (which does come as a bundle with dies - well worth it!)
Then onto the Springtime Scenes Bundle (the dies I'm using in my April CreateAlong that I have already started email people about - so if you're not on my email list make sure you add yourself!)
Then last but not least using this cute March Product of the Month Stamp set (that is still available) Notes of Spring Stamps, and the OH MY GOODNESS - you have to check this out Garden Textures Specialty Foil Sheets! hence I ended up making one in each colour - if you're at the class you'll need to pick one! 😮 Plus, you'll be learning a new way to use the brayer too.
And that's it, make sure you book your spot, the class is $30 or free with an order of $35, so check your catalogue or online before you come, and make up your wish list!
Hope you can join me, and these cards inspire you to create
Well, last weekend I was away at Stampin' Up! OnStage Conference in Sydney, I had a fabulous time, we stayed in a nice central apartment, around 250m walk to the Hilton which was where OnStage was happening (and considerably cheaper!)
We had sneak peeks of new upcoming goodies (oh my goodness it's so worth being a demonstrator to get to do these things!) We got given the new upcoming catalogue, can't show you the inside just yet - but if you are a demo, you can check it out online already. And if you want a copy, make sure you've placed an order with me in the last 6 months, as I'll be sending them out to anyone who has😉
I had my name a couple of places on the recognition boards and got to do a "Stage walk" for my 200K CSV achievement💖 It's actually really lovely the way Stampin' Up! recognise demos for different milestones.
Very exciting news that 13 years after it was launched, we are finally getting Paper Pumpkin here in Australia! from 1st April. If you are wondering what it is, it's a subscription to a monthly surprise crafting package - designed by Stampin' Up! sent out to you for a set price each month. You can "pay as you go" or you can purchase 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions, great as a gift for crafty friends! We are just learning about it here, and it's fascinating! hopefully this link works to check it out.
And there's a heap of other exciting things that have been revealed to us at OnStage, I'll be emailing about some of these soon, so make sure you're on my email list!
Here are photos of the the goodies I received, I show all these off in the video, but sometimes it's nice to be able to "study" them without them moving across a screen🤣
This first one is my "roomie" gifts, we always, create/purchase something for each of our "roomie's" which is a fabulous tradition.
Then on to the swaps I received:
There's more in the video, so if you haven't already, check it out....
I hope these inspire you to create. And I'll be back next week to show you how to create something (hence "Something Saturday"🤣)
I thought you might be interested to see the progression of getting to this card (although I only took one photo of the "progression card" 🤣
As you can see I ended up altering the score line dimensions and changing the piece along the bottom to not being embossed, and cut out from Early Espresso - plus the little paw prints were a bit too busy, so I cut them out - much happier with my final offering! (and the first one I scored all the way through so the dogs have a score line going through them, not so great!🤣)
You will need a piece of A5 White Cardstock
Score it at 8cm one end, and 5cm the other end, (then score the 5cm bit in 1/2, but only on the sides about 1-2cm in each side.) See the video on how to place and cut the die, and how to create the embossed die piece.
I was at our church conference the other day and on the big screen they often have really cool patterns, one of the ones this time was gorgeous black background with rainbow shafts of light going through it, I often see these patterns and think I'm sure I can recreate that on cardstock🤣 Plus Mum the other day showed me something she'd been doing with a craft group she goes to, where you have the black cards that you scratch away the surface and reveal colours underneath (I used to love those as a kid!)
Just quickly before I go into the post in more detail, did you know that this month there was a heap of new products released to the Online Store? check them out here: New Goodies!
I also used a stencil/templatey thing I had left over from the Virtual Cardmaking Retreat for the hearts, daubing white ink over first then adding the colour, then remove the mask
to create the effect it's actually quite simple! take black cardstock, add white ink either over a template/stencil or just by swiping it on, then draw the pastels over top of the white ink, and "smudge" it in a bit, voila!
Until 3rd March you can score yourself a FREE Stampin' Positioner! by joining Stampin' Up! (if you're in Australia, then hopefully my team, the CreateAbles!) 😉
Before I get into the main blog post: Why would you want to join? Oh I am so glad you asked 🤣
When you join Stampin' Up! there's more than just the discount. Initially you pick out up to $235 of goodies, and only pay $169 for it (this is considered your "starter kit") Then you get an initial ongoing discount of 20% on your orders (rising when you reach certain point) plus the regular 10% rewards coming back to you to use on your next order. You get to pre-order and see new goodies before they're available to "general public" (and see new catalogues beforehand) you become part of a global group of "demonstrators" who share ideas and excitement with each other, through facebook groups, and heaps of info on our demonstrator only webpages. I have a monthly Team zoom where we get creative together. There are Stampin' Up! Demonstrator only events we have access to. Last year I was privileged to head over to the US for a leadership conference in Vegas (and yes it takes a bit of work to get to that stage, but it's Sooo worth it!) next month I'm excited to be heading to Sydney for a Stampin' Up! event that is for ALL demos - and let me tell you that Stampin' Up! don't do things by halves!
How do you join? Go here: Join Heather's Team, as you go through the pages it'll guide you, and automatically add in the Stampin' Positioner, all you need to do is work out what you want to get that is up to $235 (you can't go over that).
Now onto the video......
Today I thought I'd show you how to create multiple images quickly and easily that are die cut.
to do this,
you'll need a piece of cardstock to act as a template.
place it on your Stampin' Positioner, I find it easiest to butt it up against the raised dots at the top, draw round it onto your grid paper, so you know where it needs to sit.
place your stamps onto the acrylic plate, and stamp them onto the template piece
die cut these images then pop the template back into the stampin' positioner, so it's in the correct place, and the holes line up with the stamps.
Here are a couple of the simple cards I created with some of my dinos (and it is such a bargain at the moment while stocks last! make sure you add them to your cart separately as they're cheaper individually than as the bundle: Darling Dinos Stamps,Darling Dinos Dies.)
I confess I have used some current and some non-current goodies to make up these cards, I actually had some bits lying around on my desk, so grabbed them to create these. I needed "baby" cards as lots of babies are being born at church at the moment! This first card uses the Nested Essentials Dies, and the Lovely Stripes 3D embossing folder which is really great for male cards!
This second card uses the Traditional Labels dies, which are also on the clearance rack, discounted to $40.80 (and incredibly useful dies!) and the fabulous Peaceful Garden Glimmer Paper the words are from a really old stamp set I still have! I'm just hoping people don't relate dinosaurs to babies and think, oh my goodness a little dinosaur has been born (in a bad way🤣) I just think they're so ding dangly cute!
If you missed the video and the above instructions aren't making sense, here it is:
I hoping the Stampin' Positioner will be available for sale in a couple of months time, but currently it is only available to those who choose to join with this current Join offer.
Well today is my CreateAlong Video, these are set (in my mind - at least) to happen every other month!
Some of you will have bought kits, which has everything cut, scored and popped into the appropriate envelopes for you 😃 If you didn't this time, make sure you sign up for my emails so you can get one for my next CreateAlong in April!
Anyway if you need to purchase goodies to come back and do this one, here is a link to the comprehensive list of what you'll need: Shimmers & Flowers CreateAlong
And here are the projects we created in the video together:
Couple of tips if you are doing this at home:
the embossing folder works so much better if you run a dryer sheet through it before beginning the embossing process, (you only need to do it once and it'll be good to go for all the embossing) but it releases the paper so much easier. not sure if it would work with wax paper too, (I don't have any, but bizarrely I do have dryer sheets - bizarre because I don't use them for my tumble dryer🤣
if you want the flowers to stay together and not have to re-piece them after colouring them in, add strips of tear & tape to the back of them. and after colouring leave them to dry thoroughly before peeling off the backing.
The card above cut sizes are; White 14.3cm x 10cm to emboss, blue shimmer 2 1/2" x 5 1/2", White plain 5" x 2"
The Card above cut sizes are: 9cm x 13.5cm embossed piece, yellow shimmer 3" x 4 1/4", white plain 9.9cm x 7cm
The card above cut sizes are: white embossed 14.3cm x 10cm , then die cut the arch out of it (and use the arch in the first card)
The card above cut size is: 14.3cm x 10cm
The card above cut sizes are: Pink shimmer 5 1/4" x 3 1/2", white embossed 12.5cm x 8cm
Also check out the video for this "bonus card" we made at the end, that uses the new Forever Florals dies that currently are only available to those who've ordered the Virtual Cardmaking Retreat, as they are part of the package, but I believe in March they will be available for purchase separately.
I hope you enjoyed this video and Creating Along with me, keep your eyes peeled for the emails about the next CreateAlong in April! and we're back to a "normal" Something Saturday next week.
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