Inspiring Iris #simplestampin

Hi there Creators,
Well just recently there was a Stampin' Up! sale and this stamp set Inspiring Iris was on the list, I've admired it for a long time, so I finally bit the bullet and bought it!
Oh my goodness it's gorgeous!!
I thought it was perfect for #simplestampin' because all you need is paper and ink and you have really pretty simple cards, so here goes.....
here's the stamp set itself I teamed it up with the Very Vanilla Notecards and envelopes (nice and easy!)

And this is how the cards came out...

the bottom one is probably my favorite, followed by the carnation, and in fact out of all the stamps there's only 2 stamps I didn't use on the front of the cards!  not bad going eh? so I used the long pattern on the back of the cards and the only one that didn't get used is the tiny 5 dot flower one (yea go me!  lol)

So let me know what you think, which card is your favorite out of these? and what would you do differently?

Happy Creating
God Bless love
Heather xox

Cards for classes in November

Hi there Creators,
Oooh it's almost Christmas and for November we're up to 3 Christmas cards 😀

So card #1: I've had my eye on these gorgeous penguins since the beginning of the catalogue and have finally purchased them! They're called "Playful Penguins", I've also used the fabulous Frosted Frames dies, and also some of Shimmery Crystal effects with the new Ice Stampin' Glitter, I wasn't going to get it, but then I saw someone else's and it's rather cool!  the glitter has a consistency of granulated sugar.

 

moving onto the 2nd Christmas card....GOLD it's so Christmassy!  I've got the Gold foil cardstock, the new Golden Glitz ink pad........  And I've used the So Many Stars Stamps and the Stitched Stars dies (which are really amazing)  and fabulously the 2 come as So Many Stars bundle yea for 10% off!  

last Christmas card..... this one uses up some Christmas paper scraps, gotta love that?!  I've also used some of the brand new Gold Shimmer Ribbon and Gold Glitter Dots both of these only available while stocks last from 1st November, and my favourite Christmas saying stamp set: Itty Bitty Christmas. 

And the last card for November, I'm trying to use some of my stamps I haven't used in a while so this one uses Beautiful You and Birthday backgrounds, oh and Handwritten!  Also some vellum, heat embossing, and not forgetting the beautiful Scalloped Lace Trim.

Phew you made it through the 4 cards!  Class dates are Saturday 2nd November 10am in Maryborough, and Thursday 7th at 10.30am and 7.30pm in Laanecoorie, I hope you can make it, do let me know if you're planning to come.
If you can't make it I hope these have inspired you to create!
God Bless love
Heather xox

And now for something completely different...

Hi Creators,
No it's not Monty Python lol, but I thought I'd show you something that I'd been planning to create for a while, then necessity got the best of me!

So my family seem to get through quite a few soft drink cans, and it's always seemed a bit of a waste for them all go to off to the recycling bin, and whilst I was trolling through Pinterest I discovered a few things that you can do with them, hence we started washing and saving them up.

So how do you take this:

and turn it into this?

What happened was that one of my husbands friends came over for the weekend and all of a sudden my recliner chair was commandeered lol (which I didn't begrudge) however I do like to put my feet up, so having been saving up the cans I figured I might have enough to have a go at the footstool.

Out with the hot glue gun, I'm sorry I don't have any photos of the in between stages, however this is how it goes....

• Collect enough cans
• hot glue them together
• hot glue ribbon/strapping round them to keep them together
• then glue a second layer of cans to the top of the first layer, strap them too I found it best to add the glue to the bottom of the individual cans then kind of drizzle it into the gaps.
• add strapping round to tie together both layers
• Add a layer of foam round the side, and one on top
• create a cover for it!
• Voila all done :)

these are the photos I did remember to take!

And that folks is what I got up to this last weekend (because you've got to have a craft project on the go and every so often actually finish it! lol)

I hope this inspires you to look at your recycling in a fresh new way lol

God Bless love

Heahter

October Class Cards

Hi there Creators,
Wow October already tomorrow!  As I usually do I'm working my way up to having 4 Christmas cards in the selection by December, so we did 1 last month, this month we're up to 2 😊
The classes for October are this coming Saturday 5th in Maryborough at 10am, then Thursday 10th at 10.30am in Laanecoorie and 7.30pm in Laanecoorie. (Please note there is NO Wednesday class this month).

Ok so onto the cards.....  First up I wanted to use some of the gorgeous new Designer Series Papers, this one is the Brightly Gleaming Specialty DSP, and the Christmas Gleaming Stamp Set I fell in love with everything on page 31, and conveniently enough Stampin' Up! have put it all together in the Christmas Gleaming suite - Yay!

 The other Christmas card for the month is this one, again using Designer Series Paper, this time you get a choice either Night before Christmas or Feels like Frost, have to admit I'm loving the Designer Series Papers available at the moment!  I've also used the fabulous Itty Bitty Christmas Stamp set, it has such a great selection of Christmas sayings!

Moving on to non-christmassy cards.....
I think this Memorable Mosaic Stamp set is quite fascinating, I've teamed it up with my sponge brayers (conveniently you get 2 of them) and Rooted in Nature (for the large saying)

then the last card for the month is this one using a stamp set I haven't used for a while, Painted Harvest, it's such a pretty flower when it's built up (and it makes it really easy to line up if you add it to the Stamparatus)  Also introducing the Heirloom Embossing folder which I haven't used in class before, and the saying comes from the Woven Heirlooms stamp set

So there we go, that is our line up for October!  I hope if you can't make it to class that these cards inspire you to create in your own space. 
If you happen to live near Wedderburn and are keen to do these cards, let me know as I am doing a private class over that way mid-month.
God Bless love
Heather xox

Cards for September classes

Hi there Creators,
Well from September I start adding a Christmas card into the mix (September 1, Oct 2, Nov 3 and of course Dec all 4 of them!) It's my sneaky way of making sure that you all have a few Christmas cards made :)
The new Holiday Catalogue goes live on 4th September and my classes conveniently start on 4th! Wednesday at 10.30am in Laanecoorie, then Thursday 5th at 7.30pm in Laanecoorie and Saturday 7th at 10am in Maryborough. If you haven't got a copy of the new Holiday Catalogue let me know and I'll get one to you!

Anyway on to the cards!...... this first card uses new products, really cute stamp set called "Elfie" and this fabulous Real Red Ruched Ribbon.

Card #2 uses uses my new favourite Stamp Set "Beauty and Joy" it's one of the DistINKtive sets - just amazing the detail! and one of my new favourite Ink pads, Oh my goodness the Metallic Ink pads are back this one is Golden Glitz (but there's also Silvery Shimmer and Celestial Copper) Oh and I've used one of the new "Basic Pattern" masks too in the background.

Card #3 again uses new but mixed with old  New is the "Stitched Stars dies", that I thought went really well with these words from the Itty Bitty Greetings stamp set, and one of the new "Star designer Elements" which are really nice metal copper stars.

Last card uses a set that I keep meaning to use more often! lol and I really felt like I needed some summer time, and to feel warm!.....  So this one uses the Waterfront Stamp set, the Everyday label punch and the Tailored Tag Punch.  I feel much more summery when I look at it lol :)

And that is my line up for September!  I look forward to seeing whoever can make it, do let me know if you plan to come to one of the Laanecoorie classes as spaces are limited at it!  I think most of you know now that the price of the class had to increase to $20 for the 4 cards and envelopes (with instructions) at the beginning of June.

Happy Creating, I hope I've inspired you to create, even if you can't make it to class, and remember if you want to order, and you're not part of my Craft@Home group do use this hostess code which will go till near the end of September: GNHTRZ7G and you'll be in the running to gain the hostess benefits - however if you're order is over $250 don't use the hostess code as you'll qualify for the free hostess benefits for yourself!

God Bless love
Heather xox

How to create longer punched shapes

Hi Creators!

I made a video the other day, which I managed to YouTube and Facebook, but didn't quite manage to get to the blog post too, so here we go!

I thought I'd share how to make your punched shapes longer (and shorter) than the punch itself, and if you're anything like me, sometimes it's easier to read and have photos than it is to watch the video, but I'll pop a link at the end for the video too!

Here goes.....
take the punch you want to elongate, and measure the widest part of the punch

Cut a strip of card to this size in this case it's 38mm.
thread it into the side of the punch and out of the middle of the punch and punch one end of it

Next stamp the image you want on it, see how this doesn't fit into the punch?

So then thread the punched end out of the middle of the punch, line it up and punch again

Voila.... Longer punched shape with the pretty edges :)

You can do this with a variety of punches, as shown below

to make the shape smaller do the same thing, but just don't pull the shape through the middle of the punch.  Easy Peasy!  let me know how you get on with it

And now for the video link.....

Happy Creating
God Bless love
Heather xox

Class Cards for August

Hi there Creators
my goodness we're almost into August already!  how did that happen?!
Classes next month start this Saturday, 3rd at 10am in Maryborough, then Wednesday 7th at 10.30am in Laanecoorie and Thursday 8th at 10.30am and 7.30pm in Laanecoorie.

So where's the cards Heather?? lol
First up..... I'm so pleased with the way this card turned out, you'd think the background pattern is a Designer Series Paper wouldn't you?,  but No! it's stamped using the Verdant Garden Stamp set, lined up (quite easily) on the Stamparatus  (how cool!!)  I do love green colours

Next up is this card, Ive been so keen to use this new stamp set and dies Tasteful Textures Stamp set, although the dies don't feature on this card (just wait a mo) I do love the fact the saying just fits into the Pretty Label Punch and oh my goodness the ribbon is so beautiful!! it's called Rococo Rose gathered ribbon.  I also think the Detailed trio punch works beautifully with this stamp in the corner, - also used for the ribbon holes.

Card #3,  uses the dies to match the above stamp set Tasteful Background Dies (see told you I'd get them in here!) lol  Also uses the Wish for it All stamp set, and the Daisy Punch and Medium Daisy Punch (love these 2 together)  Oh and not forgetting the Sprig punch for the leaves!

And last but not least, as it's Fathers day next month I thought I should add a "male card"  so grabbed out my "male'ish" stamp sets.... Geared Up Garage, and Sailing Home  I didn't add a saying so that people can decide what they want to add themselves.  Not sure if the lighthouse might need a little bit of colour, so it may have changed slightly before Saturday lol  Also used the fabulous Stitched Rectangle Dies, and some of the Night of Navy/Sahara Sand Bakers Twine Oh and a spot of brayering in the background!

Look forward to seeing whoever can make it!  I'm going to aim to bring some of my scrap bits on Saturday to have a bit of a "Stampin' Up! Jam" after as Ben is working till 3pm so I'll be hanging around till then!  So if you're free and fancy hanging around too, bring some blank card bases and use up some of my scraps!
God Bless love
Heather xox