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Happy Birthday Card: Stamping with Water Technique

December 17, 2019 0 Comments

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Today’s share is the birthday version of a Christmas card I shared a few weeks ago, featuring both the Tasteful Textures Bundle and the Stamping with Water technique:

This was actually such a fun card to teach! It’s like a little magic to stamp with water and watch the image appear . . .

Steps to stamp with water:

  1. saturate your cardstock with ink, usually by sponging it on
  2. spritz your stamp with water
  3. Stamp firmly
  4. Let dry to get the full effect

I’ve used the Tasteful Textures bundle for both the flower stamps and the flower “cut away” dies to create this window background.  I just love the colour combination here, too, of Coastal Cabana and Poppy Parade. I don’t often like bright cards, but sometimes it really is just the thing!

I hope you give this card and/or this technique a try!

New items added to the Clearance Rack this morning! Check it out before they’re gone!

Thanks for stopping by,

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Birthday Cards, Techniques

One More Christmas Card – Peaceful Boughs in Navy and Silver

December 10, 2019 0 Comments

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Today’s share is my last Christmas Card share for the season – this one inspired by a couple of designs from Tami Hewlett.  I just loved the Mercury Glass Acetate and wanted to showcase it with this beautiful Night of Navy and Silver card:

The edging around the card is done with the Delicata Silver ink pad, which has unfortunately sold out now. However, I do have two new ink pads here for the first couple of people who ask for them.

All the dies are from the Peaceful Boughs bundle, including those frames on the front of the card in both Whisper White and the Mercury Glass Acetate.   I’ve paired Night of Navy with Seaside Spray for a fresh combination.
Product List

Peaceful Boughs Bundle (En)

$109.75

Mercury Glass Designer Acetate

$24.25

Seaside Spray 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Metallic Ribbon

$14.75

Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock

$18.50

I have sure enjoyed crafting for this Christmas season!  Thanks for stopping by!

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Christmas Cards

New! Beautiful Moments – All Stars Team Blog Hop December 2019

December 6, 2019 4 Comments

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Welcome to the All Stars Design Team’s Blog Hop!  I have a very special project to share with you today!

The stamp set I’m using today is one very, very dear to my heart: Beautiful Moments.  I was privileged to help design this particular set, and the images are very much inspired by both my daughters and beautiful New Zealand.  This stamp set will be available to order 3 January, or if you are a demonstrator, you can order one copy of it now.

I do enjoy taking ordinary things, such as a jar, tin, or notebook and making into something extra special and personal. You can make a simple dollar store item into a treasured gift by using your creative talents to work a little makeover!

Here, I’ve taken an ordinary notebook and covered it with cardstock and a beautiful stamped image to make a special gift for one of my daughters who is living overseas at the moment.

 


The notebook is covered with Gray Granite cardstock, embossed with the Country Rose embossing folder.  I went over the top of the images lightly with the Frost White Shimmer Paint – shimmer paint pretty much never goes amiss!  I love that product so much.

I’ve used three images here; the first is the young lady holding flowers.  Second, I stamped the separate stamp with more flowers “in front of” her (below her) to make the image a little taller and more “full” looking.  Last I added the butterfly.  After white embossing the image, I watercolored over the top with Gray Granite ink.

It actually only takes a few minutes, but if you’re doing a notebook, it really adds something special to go ahead and stamp a little something on each page.

I hope you love this stamp set as much as I do!  Do you still need to do some Christmas shopping?  Make a $50 NZD or more purchase with me during December and receive 12 exclusive tutorials from the 12 designers on this hop for FREE!  Or you can purchase the 12 tutorials below for $21 NZD:


All Stars December Tutorial Options



Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop!

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11

Budget Wise, Gift Ideas, Vintage

Perfectly Plaid Rainbow Christmas Trees – Quick Christmas Card

December 4, 2019 0 Comments

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Today’s share is the last of what we did at my Christmas Card Stamp-A-Stack, and my personal favorite.  This card was inspired by Tammy Wilson; I changed it up a bit to suit my purposes:

As you may know, I prefer the more non-traditional colour choices when it comes to Christmas, so this particular designed appealed right away.  I love the soft, subtle rainbow of colours here with the White Embossing, reminiscent of snow.

I chose Rococo Rose, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Pool Party, and Purple Posy.  I also paired this with the Tin Tile folder, but I gave my Stamp A Stack guests a selection of folders from which to choose.

Product List

Perfectly Plaid Bundle (En)

$66.50

Subtles A4 Cardstock

$19.00

Tin Tile Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$20.00

White Stampin' Emboss Powder

$12.50

 

I hope you enjoy making this one!  The Perfectly Plaid bundle is great for quick projects with that cute tree punch!

Thanks for stopping by,

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Christmas Cards, Quick & Easy

Christmas Rose in an Heirloom Frame – Quick Christmas Card

December 2, 2019 0 Comments

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Today’s share is a card I shared at the Saturday session of my recent Christmas Card Stamp A Stack here in Auckland.  There are a few versions of this around on Pinterest, and I revamped it a little to make it as quick as possible for my stampers to put together:

The star of the show here, in my opinion, is the stunning Heirloom Frame Die and Embossing folder bundle.  That frame would make anything look extra special!!  I’ve used the Gold Foil here for Christmas, but it would look great in white or browns . . . or anything.   I’m picturing Coastal Cabana colour with a white wash over the top. I must give that a try!

Other samples out there used the beautiful Magnolia Lane papers inside the frame, and coloured the magnolias with the Stampin’ Blends Cherry Cobbler.  But since we had this beautiful paper available already in Cherry Cobbler and even with gold foil, I went with using this on the day instead.
Product List

Heirloom Frames Dies And 3D Embossing Folder

$61.00

Christmastime Is Here Specialty Designer Series Paper

$30.00

Gold Foil Sheets

$10.50

Merry Christmas Dies

$59.00

 

There’s still plenty of time to order and get a very quick card like this done for the holidays.  You could also take this idea and use it for elegant tags!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Christmas Cards

December All Stars Tutorials Bundle – FREE with Purchase!

December 1, 2019 0 Comments

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Receive all 12 of these beautiful tutorials, with photos and full instructions, FREE when you place an order with me during December of $50 NZD or more!   12 beautiful designs by 12 talented designers around the world; I know you will enjoy these so much.

Or you can buy the tutorial bundle outright below:


All Stars December Tutorial Options



 

Thanks for stopping by!

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Birthday Cards

Brightly Gleaming Quick Christmas Card

November 29, 2019 0 Comments

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Punches are fantastic for making quick, cute Christmas cards, especially when you have a number to make!

Today’s share is both a project inspired by a sample in the Holiday Catalogue and one of the cute projects we did at my recent Stamp-A-Stack:

The background is fun and unique!  I had quite a few of this particular print of paper left over from the Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper after doing card classes and a scrapbook layout with them.  So. . .what to do?

I’ve cut the paper into four strips, inked the edges, and wrinkled them up in my hand.  I somewhat flattened them back out and adhered them to a Very Vanilla base with Tombow glue.   It always tickles me when someone looks shocked when I suggest they crinkle up their “perfectly good” paper; it’s always good to push our comfort zone a little, but also I totally respect if someone just prefers a more clean look.  Of course one can just put the strips down without inking or crinkling, too!

Two other things I love about this project:  I love the contrast of the bright colours with the vintage style papers.  And I also love the unexpectedness of pairing sailing themed papers with Christmas ornaments.  It’s so fun to do something out of the norm and have it look great!

Product List

Christmas Gleaming Bundle (En)

$104.25

Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper

$24.25

Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels

$12.50

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

$15.75

Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder

$15.75

 

I do have a few kits of this one left, in slightly different colours, but of course you can change the colours to suit you anyway with  just some small scraps to cut out the ornaments.   I only have a few, so I won’t create a Paypal button, but please just email me instead if you’d like up to ten of these kits.

** Also, I just updated my Class Calendar page last night for 2020!  Check it out!  I also have a couple of other classes that may be added; please contact me if you’d like to host a class in your area, either a one-off or a regular one.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Christmas Cards, Quick & Easy, Vintage

Colour Inkspiration Blog Hop – A Good Man Meets Cookies in a Jar!

November 27, 2019 3 Comments

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Welcome to another Colour Inkspiration Blog Hop!  This fortnight’s challenge is a beautiful blue scheme with Pretty Peacock, Blueberry Bushel, Coastal Cabana, Shaded Spruce, and Silver Foil:

I had a reason to make a little gift for a man who helped me out a few weekends ago, doing some clean up on my behalf so I could race back home for my youngest daughter’s graduation.  So I made him a Cookies in a Jar gift:

I made him a personalized tag using the A Good Man stamp set (a great one to have in your stash!) paired with an upcoming special stamp set called Beautiful Moments.  I thought the words were just perfect; and what man doesn’t like to hear that he’s been both helpful and appreciated?

I watercoloured in the tag with our challenge colours and use a bit of silver foil to reinforce around the tag top.  I thought this beautiful combination of blues and greens was great for this particular image.

Product List

A Good Man Cling Stamp Set

$50.00

Aqua Painters

$24.00

Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper

$19.00

Now I know you all want the recipe!  This particular jar was extra large, so I DOUBLED the following, but this recipe below is the right size for your standard large Mason jar:

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c each of brown and white sugar

fill the rest of the jar with chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc

 

On the tag, you need to tell them to mix it with 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla, and 175 g softened butter.  Bake 180 for 9-12 minutes.

 

I hope you both enjoy the rest of the hop and make your own creation with these colours and share it in our Facebook group!

Next stop: Lou Kitzelman

Thanks for stopping by!

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Birthday Cards, Budget Wise, Gift Ideas

Need Some Quick Christmas Cards? Try this one with the Snow Front Set!

November 27, 2019 0 Comments

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I had a very fun Christmas Stamp-A-Stack last weekend, and today’s share is one of the cute projects they got to do!  Bonus – I have a few leftover packs – details below.

This card was inspired by wanting to use a stamp set they named after snow in a much more suitable way for the South Pacific.  I think the tree and birds plus the vivid colours make for a nice Spring Christmas card.

The process is quick: simply do a wash of light colour (Coastal Cabana used here) and then stamp on your tree, birds, and grass.
Product List

Snow Front Photopolymer Stamp Set

$46.00

Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder

$20.00

Poppy Parade Classic Stampin' Pad

$15.75

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

$15.75

Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad

$15.75

As mentioned, I have a few kit sets of this card left from the weekend.  They are packs of three. Everything is cut; you will just need to emboss the background and do the stamping on the front.  ** Shipping cost is within NZ only


3 Snow Front Spring Christmas Card Kits



Thanks for stopping by!

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Christmas Cards, Quick & Easy

Snow Front Easel Card – Full Step-by-Step Tutorial Available

November 25, 2019 0 Comments

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Happy Thanksgiving week!  We celebrated Thanksgiving in my house yesterday, but I plan to eat pie all week . . . .

Today’s share is the project I shared at both the Auckland and the Tauranga Extravaganzas: an easel card featuring the Snow Front stamp set and the Itty Bitty Christmas Bundle:

I love the look of the Snow Front stamp set, similar in style to the favorite Waterfront (and they work well together!).  This stamp set doesn’t have words, so the Itty Bitty Christmas was a perfect pairing.

Our Extravaganza guests learning an easy way to create a watercolored look with the Spritzers and water with these stamps.  It’s so great to be able to create several different looks with the same images!

The images in the Snow Front stamp set are quite suitable for being framed or on display, so we felt an easel card was just the thing to have these beautiful images prominently showcased on someone’s mantle or shelf during the Christmas season.  This is a quick concept to achieve, with that little strip of glimmer paper being just enough to prop the card front up.
Product List

Snow Front Photopolymer Stamp Set

$46.00

Itty Bitty Christmas Bundle (En)

$96.25

Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder

$15.75

Silver Glimmer Paper

$10.50

 

I just love the little bird in this set, and I had to bring her in somewhere!  It’s a nice dash or red to repeat the red on the front of the card, too.

Get all the meaurements plus step-by-step photographs and written instructions for this beautiful card!  You can also change up the imagery and words to make easel cards year-round!

 


Snow Front Easel Card



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Christmas Cards, Fancy Folds

Video Tutorial: Quick Christmas Card with From Our House to Yours

November 19, 2019 0 Comments

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It’s Tuesday and the sun is out!  I made up a happy, quick card for you today with the From Our House to Yours stamp set, a cute set with quite versatile images.  Check out what we’re making today:

Product List

From Our House To Yours Photopolymer Stamp Set

$44.00

Real Red 1" (2.5 Cm) Ruched Ribbon

$21.00

Swirls & Curls Embossing Folder

$15.75

Subtles A4 Cardstock

$19.00

Enjoy the video below.  Click on the YouTube link for a larger version:

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Christmas Cards, Video Tutorial

Quick Christmas Card for the Animal Lovers

November 18, 2019 0 Comments

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Happy Monday! I had a super weekend with our demonstrator training day (OnStage) here in Auckland, New Zealand. As soon as I get the go-ahead, I will be so excited to share publicly what I presented on Saturday!

In the meantime, today’s share is a remake of a general card I shared in August, inspired by Mary Fish’s design:

To make this a Christmas card, I simply changed up the papers and the sentiment, and then added a little jingle bell to the cat’s collar.  I had one of my class attendees ask if we could do something like this at the Christmas Stamp-A-Stack I’m holding this weekend. They did turn out pretty cute!

The card designs are the same; you can choose whether to put a cat or a dog on the front, depending on who your “children” are or what the recipient might enjoy the most.

I put Miss Kitty through the Subtle Embossing Folder just for that extra bit of interest.
Product List

Cat Punch

$38.00

Dog Builder Punch

$38.00

Let It Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper

$30.00

Subtle Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$20.00

Card Stock A4 Coastal Cabana

$18.50

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Christmas Cards

Stamping with Water Technique – Christmas Card

November 15, 2019 0 Comments

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It’s Friday!  Tomorrow is a big day for me: I get to present the stamp set I helped design to the Stampin’ Up! demonstrators here in New Zealand.  Can’t wait!

In the meantime, I want to share with you today a card I taught at the recent Tauranga, Nelson, and Hamilton Christmas Extravaganzas, featuring the “stamping with water” technique:

Everyone loved the “unexpected” colour combination here, as well as the high contrast.  Still festive, but something a bit different.

I was inspired to try this technique from Dena Rekow, and used her sample as a starting place for mine.  I’m happy with how this turned out!

Steps to stamp with water:

  1. saturate your cardstock with ink, usually by sponging it on
  2. spritz your stamp with water
  3. Stamp firmly
  4. Let dry to get the full effect

I used the Tasteful Textures bundle to create this awesome window effect. These dies cut out a negative image, perfect for creating interesting layers or peek-a-boo elements.  How I love layers and texture!  And awesome colours!
Product List

Tasteful Textures Bundle

$101.50

Merry Christmas Dies

$59.00

Scripty 3D Embossing Folder

$20.00

Stampin' Spritzer

$6.00

Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad

$15.75

Card Stock A4 Coastal Cabana

$18.50

 

I hope you enjoyed this card!

Thanks for stopping by!  Don’t forget you get 12 free tutorials from the All-Star team when you place an order with me of $50 NZD or more during November!

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Christmas Cards, Techniques