Sunday 29 April 2018

The Paper Players 391 - Design Team Card

I'm excited for this week's challenge at The Paper Players because Tic-Tac-Toe Challenges happen less often - only when there's a fifth challenge day in a month. Joanne has put together this one for us and it's great - so many options! I'm playing the twine-masculine-bird line.


I was so late to the Wood Textures DSP party. I can't believe it's been available since the last catalogue and I've only had some for less than a fortnight! This is my second card this week using it as it was perfect for the masculine line in Joanne's challenge.


The bird dies in the Birds & Blooms set got me thinking of Father's Day, with the baby bird looking up adoringly at 'Dad'. 


Pop over and see what the rest of the team have done with Joanne's TIc-Tac-Toe Challenge at The Paper Players

Here's a quick reminder of the rules at The Paper Players.
  1. Create a NEW paper-craft project specifically for this challenge.
  2. Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us.
  3. Please provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge entry.
  4. Please link your card to no more than four challenges, total. Entries linked to more than 4 challenges, including ours, will be deleted without notification.
  5. Have fun!
If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. Please message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog or leave a comment below. 

And, of course, you can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar of this blog. 


Product List

Saturday 28 April 2018

Freshly Made Sketches 334

I thought the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches was fabulous! It seemed perfect for one of the new stamp sets I got from On Stage pre-order, Enjoy Life.


This set was not showcased at On Stage but I noticed it on the order form as I sat in my hotel room, late at night, poring over both it and the catalogue. It's a million dollar seller's set and I thought it was fabulous. I loved the silhouettes and the sentiments so I popped it into my preorder. This is the first outing for it and I already know just the person for it.


I made an ink-smooshed background on water colour paper, using Grapefruit Grove and Mint Macaron, which are in the stripes of the background paper. Stamp-a-ratus was really useful in getting a good impression with the stamps because stamping onto textured paper is always a little difficult.


The Enjoy Life set and the DSP from Nature's Poem will be available when the new catalogue comes live at the start of June. Grapefruit Grove is one of the new In-Colours. The card base is Tranquil Tide.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. Please message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog or leave a comment below. 

And, of course, you can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar of this blog.








Tuesday 24 April 2018

Retro Rubber 85 - Design Team Card


This week at Retro Rubber Challenge, we have a theme challenge: make a Vintage Card. Of course, since it's Retro Rubber that really means make a "Vintage Card Using Stamps At Least A Year Old And Tell Us How Old They Are"!


When I think vintage, I think colours: creams, browns, along with soft dusky tones of pinks and greens, hints of grey and burgundy. I think textures: lace and linen feel or twine. I think subject: flowers, Victoriana or retro. From my shelf, the set that came to mind was Touches of Texture, first seen in the 2016-17 catalogue.


The close-up shows my two favourite bits of this set - the tattered lace background stamp and the sweet bumble bee.


Inspiration for this card also came from the challenge at House of Cards. You can use this lovely vintage-look colour scheme or make a card with a floral corner - or both. You can join this challenge until the end of April.


Pop over to Retro Rubber Challenge and see what the rest of the Design Team have done.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. Please message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog or leave a comment below. 

And, of course, you can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar of this blog or any of the products in the Product List.

The sentiment for this card comes from A Dozen Thoughts, from the 2013-14 Annual Catalogue and it has now retired. The lace on the card comes from my sewing and quilting scrap box. The enamel dots in Peekaboo Peach have also retired. While Mint Macaron is a retired colour, the good news is that it will be back in the next Annual Catalogue in June, so if you missed it you won't have to wait long for it now.

Update: Very happy to be a Top 5 Pick at House of Cards.

Product List

Just Add Ink 405

I recently attended On Stage in Auckland, my first time at such an event. It turned out to be so much fun and the unexpected pleasure was the fact that I have in my craft room items from the next season - and I can play with them. Heavenly!

The inspiration picture at this week's challenge at Just Add Ink got me thinking about the Nature's Poem suite I got as part of my pre-order. It is my favourite of all the offerings shown to us at On Stage.


The trees and leaves seemed a perfect match for the rustic image. I liked the wood textures and colours with just a hint of a smoky blue. I was late to the party with the Wood Textures DSP, with a set of it arriving only in the last few days but it too seemed a logical choice for this challenge.

This is where all those luscious ingredients ended up....



The wording from Rooted in Nature, the stamp set that is part of Nature's Poem suite, is lovely. This one in particular makes for all sorts of occasions. Although there is a second matching stamp that makes it into a thank you, this sentiment alone lends itself to a sympathy card or even a love note.


I used Dapper Denim (my favourite retiring In-Colour 2016-18) because it had some of the smokiness of the blue in the inspiration photo. I used Dapper Denim and Early Espresso markers to colour the trees, I like the moody result of these trees.

Update: Delighted to get an Honourable Mention at Just Add Ink!

The Rooted in Nature stamp set and leaves trinkets will be available when the new catalogue goes live at the start of June. The Dapper Denim Stampin' Write marker is retired and if you want any ink or paper in that colour, get it before it goes at the end of May.


Product List

Sunday 22 April 2018

The Paper Players 390 - Design Team Card

There were so many fantastic entries for the magical creatures challenge that I began to wish I had actually bought the Magical Day suite rather than borrowing it. I began to yearn for a unicorn stamp, even! Today's challenge, a sketch from Jaydee, gave me a chance to break out some of the new supplies that I got from the On Stage Product purchase. It's the first time I've used this suite, Nature's Poem, but I'm certain it will not be the last. It will be available to you at the start of June.



Doesn't this fantastic sketch just make you want to dive in and try things out? It did for me. Here's where it ended up...


Those skeleton leaf stamps are just the most wonderful stamps - and they come in two sizes. So, so beautiful and so satisfying to stamp out.


Pop over and see what the rest of the team have done with Jaydee's fabulous sketch at The Paper Players

Here's a quick reminder of the rules at The Paper Players.
  1. Create a NEW paper-craft project specifically for this challenge.
  2. Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us.
  3. Please provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge entry.
  4. Please link your card to no more than four challenges, total. Entries linked to more than 4 challenges, including ours, will be deleted without notification.
  5. Have fun!
If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. Please message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog or leave a comment below. 

And, of course, you can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar of this blog. 

Ingredients
Card: Tranquil Tide, Mint Macaron (I couldn't part with it when it retired the first time around!), Nature's Poem DSP, Whisper White
Stamps: Rooted in Nature
Inks: Soft Suede, Mint Macaron, Tranquil Tide
Other: Nature's Twine, Leaves trinkets, Nature's Roots framelits, sponge dauber