Thinking Stamping: January 2020

Friday 31 January 2020

Positive Thoughts for FMS 420

I've been loving playing around with Positive Thoughts, one of the new sets from the January-June Mini Catalogue. I love all the little bits of nature in the stamps: foliage, butterflies, feathers, flowers and so on. Of course, from next month, you'll be able to order the matching Nature's Thoughts dies - and then there'll be no more fussy cutting!

For inspiration today, I've used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

I've kept the colours classically simple: Basic Black, Whisper White and Copper. Mixed with the new Parisian Flourish embossing folder, it makes for an opulent effect.

My favourite stamp in the set is the maidenhair fern. I've stamped it in two generations of Tuxedo Black and added in one that is copper embossed. The copper embossed butterfly has a Basic Black base and is popped up on dimensionals. A few of the new Champagne rhinestones finishes off the scene.

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar or clicking on any of products below.

Product List

Positive Thoughts Cling Stamp Set

[151490]

$44.00

Basic Black A4 Card Stock

[121688]

$18.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

$20.50

Copper Foil Sheets

[142020]

$10.50

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

$12.00

Versamark Pad

[102283]

$20.00

Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder

[141636]

$12.50

Parisian Flourish 3D Embossing Folder

[151474]

$20.00

Nature's Thoughts Dies

[153586]

$61.00

Layering Circles Dies

[141705]

$69.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

$74.00

Champagne Rhinestone Basic Jewels

[151193]

$12.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$7.25

Very Versailles for AYSI Challenge 218

Way back - well, maybe four or five years ago - when I'd just discovered stamping, and then the world of the online stamp challenge, I came across a speed challenge at As You See It. I was so intrigued by the idea that you could make a card in a sprint! Maybe that revelatory moment is why I harbour a secret love for the speed challenge. That's right, this week, it's Speed Week once again!

This time round, we're working with shades of brown to create a card in ten minutes or less. Before you go off thinking that's impossible, it's not! I love the challenge of thinking up an idea that might work, then assembling what I need. You're allowed to have your stamps mounted and out on the desk, the embossing folder already out of the drawer, the die cutting machine all set up. But once you take the first cut or ink up the first stamp, make sure that timer is turned on.

This is what I created in 8 minutes, 33 seconds. I had the idea of what it would look like and I had all the tools out on my desk before I started the timer. I always cut the base first so as soon as I picked up the piece of A4 Early Espresso to cut and fold, the timer went on.

It helps to have some shortcuts thought up too, just in case some things take longer. For instance, I coloured the pearls with the Soft Suede marker but if I'd been running out of time, I'd have put them on uncoloured. Or, if time had been looking like it was going by too fast, I'd have punched out the sentiment rather than die-cutting it with the Stitched Shape dies.

We'd love to see what you can do in a sprint with shades of brown. You can see what the rest of the team have done, and link up your entry, at the As You See It Challenge site. The challenge is open until Wednesday 12 February (11.55p.m. PST).

If you live in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. I can help you with ideas, get you catalogues and provide you with Stampin' Up products. You can leave a message in the comments or contact me using any of the methods listed in the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can shop with me from anywhere in New Zealand by clicking on the SHOP NOW button in the sidebar or clicking on any of products below.

Product List

Very Versailles Cling Stamp Set

[149275]

$48.00

Early Espresso A4 Card Stock

[121686]

$18.50

Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock

[106550]

$20.50

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

[147114]

$15.75

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

[147115]

$15.75

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad

[147116]

$15.75

Soft Suede Dark Stampin' Blends Marker

[146875]

$9.50

Parisian Flourish 3D Embossing Folder

[151474]

$20.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

$74.00

Stitched Shapes Dies

[152323]

$60.00

Pearl Basic Jewels

[144219]

$10.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$7.25

Tuesday 28 January 2020

Rooted in Nature for Retro Rubber 127

It's time for one of my favourite challenges at Retro Rubber this week - tic tac toe. Jane's thought up a good one for us.

I've played the diagonal: Green-Die or Punch-Nature.

I've used two retro sets: Rooted in Nature and Artisan Textures, both from the 2018-19 Annual Catalogue.

The two greens I've used are Shaded Spruce and Granny Apple Green. The two background trees I have stamped by colouring directly onto the stamp, hence the soft and misty effect. The foreground tree, which is also popped up, is directly inked from the pad then I've wiped the trunk and used a Soft Suede marker to colour that area.

For the little die cut leaves behind the sentiment, I used a bit of rock-and-roll where I inked up in Granny Apple Green then rolled the edges around in Shaded Spruce before stamping.

The team would love to see what you do with Tic Tac Toe challenge. You can see what the rest of the team have done, and link up your entry, by visiting Retro Rubber Challenge.

Product List

Rooted In Nature Cling-Mount Stamp Set

[148217]

$88.00

Artisan Textures Cling-Mount Stamp Set

[151278]

$36.00

Nature's Roots Dies

[146341]

$82.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

$74.00

Shaded Spruce A4 Cardstock

[147006]

$18.50

Granny Apple Green A4 Cardstock

[147014]

$18.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

$20.50

Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad

[147088]

$15.75

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

[147095]

$15.75

Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad

[147115]

$15.75

Neutrals Stampin' Write Markers

[147158]

$62.50

Layered Leaves 3D Embossing Folder

[152321]

$19.00

Stamping Sponges

[141337]

$8.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$7.25

Sunday 26 January 2020

Peaceful Poppies for FMS 419

I took the chance to escape one of the hottest days this summer by retreating to my craft room. I used the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches for inspiration.

Really, the sketch was an excuse to play because I'd been wanting to try out Peaceful Moments using a mix of gold foil and pigment sprinkles. I started by using the Daffodil Delight and Mango Melody pigment sprinkles on a wet piece of Fluid 100 watercolour paper and letting them do their magic.

I built the rest of the card around them. I'm really pleased with the vibrancy and colour variation in them. I didn't completely adhere the gold foil to the bases because I like the look you get when the edges are free and floating.