Thinking Stamping

Sunday, 20 October 2019

A Bit of Up to No Good

Even though I had a ton of things to do today, I just had to take time out to play at The Library Challenge. I've been following this blog for a little while since each challenge is based on a book and this appealed to the stamper, reader and librarian in me. Somehow, I've never found the time to play but with this week's book being Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, time had to be found - even without a time-turner of my own.

I also took inspiration from the sketch at The Paper Craft Crew - a challenge I've not played in a long while.

My younger daughter is just the right age to have grown up with Harry Potter and as a family, we eagerly awaited the release of each new instalment. We're still all huge fans so last Christmas, I hunted down a set of Harry Potter inspired stamps as part of her gift. I had to beg them back for this challenge. Everything else used is Stampin' Up!.

The Brightly Gleaming specialty paper worked well in this magical theme, as did the Celestial Copper pigment ink.

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

NB: The stamps are not Stampin' Up! products.

Night Of Navy A4 Card Stock

[106577]

$18.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

$20.50

Brightly Gleaming Specialty Designer Series Paper

[150429]

$30.00

Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad

[147110]

$15.75

Celestial Copper Delicata Metallic Ink Pad

[150707]

$23.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

$74.00

Basic Black Combo Pack Stampin' Blends

[147942]

$19.00

Ivory Stampin' Blends Marker

[144606]

$9.50

Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144598]

$19.00

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144603]

$19.00

Smoky Slate Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[145058]

$19.00

Night Of Navy Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144040]

$19.00

Star Designer Elements

[150430]

$19.00

Subtle 3D Embossing Folder

[151775]

$20.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$7.25

Saturday, 19 October 2019

Beautiful Bouquet for FMS407

Now that the winter rains are giving way to warm Spring days, I had a hankering to make a bright card in anticipation of summer ahead. I got inspiration from this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

My hankering for summer also meant that I reached for some of the clear, bright colours of the 2018-20 In Colours: Blueberry Bushel, Lovely Lipstick and Call Me Clover.

Beautiful Bouquet and the matching dies, Bouquet Bunch, is a set that I never tire of because it contains such a variety of blooms and foliage that you can make dozens of variations. Add in colour changes and the options are pretty much endless.

I created my own coloured rhinestones using the Dark Night of Navy Stampin' Blend.

Beautiful Bouquet Photopolymer Stamp Set

[143666]

$57.00

Blueberry Bushel A4 Cardstock

[146991]

$18.50

Call Me Clover A4 Cardstock

[146992]

$18.50

Whisper White A4 Card Stock

[106549]

$20.50

Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad

[147140]

$15.75

Bouquet Bunch Dies

[143659]

$60.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

[148551]

$74.00

Stitched Lace Dies

[149625]

$74.00

Stitched Labels Dies

[146828]

$69.00

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

[144220]

$10.50

Night Of Navy Dark Stampin' Blends Marker

[144039]

$9.50

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$7.25

Thursday, 17 October 2019

Dashing Deer for Inspire. Create 54

This week, the challenge at Inspire. Create. is Die Cutting.

I love die cuts and I know that the day I decided to invest in a die-cutting machine was the day that my paper crafting moved on to a new level. This Christmas card ended up being more die-cutting than stamping but I've just got so many lovely dies!

I started by patinating a piece of Whisper White. The embossing folder I used was Tin Tile and the colours used were Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, a touch of Early Espresso and gold embossing.

I think that dies fall into two camps: plain and sexy. While the sexy ones are show stoppers, it's the plain ones that are the most used.

The Stitched Shapes dies are a case in point. How plain is a circle? Yet how amazing is the little stitched edge on the circle that steps up any card you choose to use it on. Same with the Layering Circle dies. That's the largest scallop shape sitting in behind, just quietly adding a flash of colour that helps tie the design together. The same goes for Stitched Rectangles. It's another of those plain die sets that quietly add elegance and interest without drawing attention to themselves.

The Christmas Layers dies and Detailed Deer are in the 'sexy' camp. They draw the eye and scream for us to look at them. They make a great accent or focal point.

If you live in New Zealand and would like to add to your die collection, then message me or visit my on-line store by clicking the SHOP NOW icon in the sidebar, or on any of the items in the product list.

You can join up with Inspire. Create. until 27 October.

Product List