This or That for Around the World on Wednesday

 

Welcome to Around the World on Wednesday's November hop.

On the second Wednesday of each month, the team put together a thematic hop to give you some inspiration for your own crafting. We love it when you try out something new or CAS(E) one of our projects. The team is truly international, with members from each time zone of the world that Stampin' Up! operates. You're with me, in New Zealand - the first place in the Stampin' Up! world to change the date. 😀

This month, we're doing something a little different. It's five years since Around the World on Wednesday started up, so we're doing some close-up looks at the team. This month, we're going to CASE team member Sharon Hashimoto Burkert but also using the theme of this or that, focussing on gratitude ...

To start of with, I browsed through Sharon's Facebook page to find something I'd like to CASE. I liked this card a lot, so chose it as my starting point.

Of course, Sharon had me with the embossing as I love to add texture. The torn edge of DSP appealed to me, as did the general layout. So I got to work on card 1 - my THIS.

For this card, I went with a vintage feel.

I'm not much of a ribbon user so did not add a strip of ribbon although I did add a shadow underlay to the sentiment. 

For this card, I used:

•  a Secret Sea card base and Basic Beige card front
• Painterly Pears DSP
• Joined Together embossing folder
• A sentiment from Perfectly Pears
• Stylish Shapes die for the sentiment with Secret Sea ink
• Sparkle Dots for embellishment

Then it was on to Card 2 - my THAT.

For this card, I went with a modern, fresh feel.

This time, I went with some White and Gold Baker's twine to create a strong horizontal behind the sentiment.

For this card I used:

• A Strawberry Slush card base and Basic White card front
• 2025-2027 In Color 6x6 DSP stack
• Dotted Circles Embossing folder
• A sentiment from Textured Notes
• Stylish Shapes die for the sentiment stamped in Strawberry Slush
• Strawberry Slush gems for embellishment.

So, what's the final verdict? This - or That?

Next up on the hop is the wonderful Leonie Stuart. Let's see which of Sharon's creations she's CASEd for us!

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 here.

Here's a blog roll for you, in case you get lost or want to revisit someone.

Jan Clothier - NZ
Leonie Stuart - AU
Rochelle Laird-Smith - AU
Cheryll Miller - AU
Danielle Kassing - NL
Marga Bultena - NL
Aurélie Fabre - FR
Kelly Taranto - US
Sharon Hashimoto Burkert
Chris Smith - US
Teri West - US

Perfectly Pears for CAS Colours & Sketches 570

I celebrated the end of class week with a little craft room tidying and then, as a reward to self, a playtime to enter the latest challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.

I do like a sketch challenge and I thought this one was lovely. For some reason, I wanted to use Perfectly Pears for this card and although I got out several other sets, the Pears just wouldn't let go!

So, quite a simple card really. Two strips of DSP from Painterly Pears DSP Collection: two sides of the same page.

Then I stamped the duo of small pears, coloured it with the fill-in stamp with Darling Duckling and Old Olive along with Old Olive and Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends for the leaves before die cutting it out. The same image is stamped on the inside of the card.

I added a die cut lattice behind the pear, which was popped up on dimensionals. Using Secret Sea ink, I stamped the sentiment in two halves and die cut each one before adding them over the pears. 

I finished off with a trio of Secret Sea Sparkle Dots. Being me, I just couldn't leave the Basic White card front completely plain, so I got out an old retired favourite - the Subtle Embossing folder. I've always loved the way it just adds a quiet texture and turns the plainest card into a linen-look paper instead. 

The card base is Secret Sea. 

This is such a great sketch, I'm going to tuck it away for future use. 😀

Update: Delighted to be chosen as a Fabulous Favourite at CAS Colours & Sketches.

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 stamp with me, and shop with me, from anywhere in New Zealand. Click here.

Perfectly Pears for Atlantic Hearts Challenge 636

Doing well this week on my playing 'just for fun' resolution! Today, I'm joining in with Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

I love a sketch challenge and this one was begging me to use the new Painterly Pears suite, just released in the Online Exclusives section of my store. 

I'm loving the beautiful images of fruit and flowers, the rich colours and the vintage feel of the stamps, dies and DSP. Of course, there are gorgeous embellishments too: a Mossy Meadow and Gold ribbon and pretty dots. 

This card came together pretty quickly, especially as I played the sketch in a straightforward interpretation. Three strips of Painterly Pears DSP with the ends carefully torn attached to a Basic White card front, embossed with the Exposed Brick 3D embossing folder. 

I cut a circle with one of the Spotlight on Nature dies and stamped the sentiment in Secret Sea before attaching it to the strips of DSP.

The pears were stamped in Old Olive and Darling Duckling then die cut. I added a die cut stem in Old Olive as well as some fruit blossoms. They were stamped in Secret Sea with Darling Duckling centres then die cut.

These bits and pieces were arranged on the circle, around the sentiment. Some were popped up to add dimension. The final touch was a trio of low profile Sparkle Dots in Secret Sea.  All done!

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 stamp with me, and shop with me, from anywhere in New Zealand. Click here.

 

Painterly Pears for Freshly Made Sketches 690

 

My pre-order for the next Online Exclusive drop in July arrived during the week, so I'm having a bit of an explore around the suite to see what it can do. My pick was the Painterly Pears suite - a bit out of my comfort zone being fruit based but it's got such a lovely vintage feel, I've given it a go. 

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

I've gone for a very straight forward sketch interpretation so I could play around with the DSP, the stamps and the die cuts from the Perfectly Pears bundle. 

The DSP that I've used is the moodiest of the lot, with a Secret Sea background and a profusion of flowers, pears and foliage. Certainly one to use in small doses! The reverse is a more restrained Darling Duckling hand-drawn grid which I've used for the second strip of the sketch. 

I stamped the pear in Old Olive and die cut it, adding leaves and stem from a larger die cut from the Perfectly Pears set. I built up the background using various die cuts from the set, mounted onto a circle from Spotlight on Nature. 

The sentiment, stamped in Secret Sea, is from the Perfectly Pears set but the label is from Stylish Shapes.

I finished off with a trio of Secret Sea Sparkle Dots, also a part of the suite.

The card base is also Secret Sea and I used the Exposed Brick 3D embossing folder for the front of the card. 

I'm happy with the result and now that I've seen the products in person and used some of them, I'm happy with my pre-order choice too! I think you'll be seeing more of this suite!

These products, and many others, will be available as Online Exclusives from 1 July. 

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 stamp with me, and shop with me, from anywhere in New Zealand. Click here.