2018 Retirement List Blog Hop

Here we go with another amazing Blog Hop!! You have possibly come from Nicole's incredible page & designs. How gorgeous is her work? Thanks for playing along also, Nicole :)

When names were requested for this Blog Hop, I jumped at the chance!! I love to see people's ideas & interpretation of the theme of each hop... This theme, of course, is to use items from the Retiring List...

I decided to pull out all the retiring colours, the stamp sets, embossing folders & punches to see what sparked my interest. This is what I came up with...

 A close friend & co-worker had a baby a year ago, so Yusuf is now turning 1!! Our excitement for him almost matches how super cute he is!! So of course, he needs a special 1st birthday card...

Ive used the Myths & Magic Special DSP, Large Numbers Die & already retired Elegant Label Punch, on a base of Dapper Denim & Whisper White cardstock.

And can you see that Ive sponged the Silver Glimmer Paper for the #1? How super cool, errr, magical is that!!

It's another first for me that I use 2 designs of the DSP on one card, the wizards AND the brave knight fighting his dragon!! The Number of Years stamp set is wonderful that it includes the 'ST' so that our cards can be grammatically correct, isn't it?

 I always love to do projects that aren't only a card, so I went hunting in my stash of 'things that I've bought & will get back to one day', dont you have a pile like that too?

I found this card box & also remembered that my work have been asking for a supply of cards of mine. This is so that the staff members can flick through when they need a cards & it is immediately there for them... How perfect will this box be?

Whenever I choose an item like this, I always paint the edges, I just dont like the wooden finish. And I almost always paint them white... Then the many layers of Tear 'n Tape ensures the DSP will last on the project for a long time & shoul withstand a little bit of wear & tear, better than only using the tape around the edges, for example.


















Using the tape makes this projet so quick to complete, as you can use a craft knife to cut around the edges precisely for a smart finish & it is almost done.
(Ps, dont look at how I still need to paint over the exposed wooden edges, ok....)

 Now with the dividers also completed, the various cards can go in & lots of people will be happy to purchase & send or give a card to a loved one.

And now for my final item to show you...

Im a bit sad that the Magical Day stamp set is retiring, so Im not quite sure that I will be willing to part with it...& I've also used the Birthday Wit Set AND Sunshine & Rainbows on the one card!!!!

This card has a base of Whisper White with a mat of Sweet Sugarplum.

My rainbow is Elegant Eggplant, Dapper Denim, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Peekaboo Peach, Tangerine Tango & Rose Red - my (retiring) interpretation of the V.I.B.G.Y.O.R. rainbow acronym :)

Ive made this card for another close friend & co-worker who is celebrating her birthday with 'our' baby that is turning 1, yes, on the same day!!

Melissa is such an incredibly driven woman, always is aware of her food intake, cooks incredible food, achieves greatness in her fitness & just loves unicorns - what a balance, hey?
 You never can tell how a card will come together, do you? 3 sets on the one card - Im still smiling about that one...

Thanks for dropping to see what Ive prepared for you all. Id love to hear what you thought of my projects...

So get up, put the kettle on, on your way to the loo, come back with a fresh cuppa & be prepared for Libby's stunning work.

Her creations will mirror the gorgeous woman she is, bright, colourful with a touch of sparkle!!





And if you get lost in all this craftiness, here is the list of everyone participating:

Blog Hop Participant List

Blog Hop Participant List

1. Lou Kitzelman

2. Kelly Kent

3. Bronwyn Eastley

4. Jackie Aitken

5. Jo Stubbings

6. Peta Stephen

7. Sharon Dalton

8. Lauren Meiklejohn

9. Courtenay Heuston

10. Nicole Wilson

11. Jo Weeden  You are here, Jo Weedon :)

12. Libby Dyson

13. Cheryl Algie

14. Megan Lenske

15. Beryl Crisp

16. Fi Cobbin

17. Rose Packer

18. Cathy Pinchbeck

19. Carolina Evans

20. Renee Lynch  

21. Sandra Mastello

22. Katrina Duffell

23. Rachael Lewsley

24. Leonie Schroder

25. Emily Campbell

26. Monique Fielder

27. Michelle Strazds

28. Jessie Holton

Thanks again x

Challenge... 1, 2 & 3...

I don't often take part in challenges, (although they are a great way to get the creative juices flowing!), but I saw one on the Stampin' Up! demonstrator web-site a couple of weeks ago.
(One of the many perks of sighing up to be a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator)

And I decided to commit to it!!

This challenge is what I would call a "3,2,1" challenge.
I needed to make 3 x cards, 2 x 3D items & a scrap page of any sort - my mind immediately exploded...suffered a little...and then, slowly but surely, I began to have ideas forming in my head!!

And I was off....

3 Cards:

While I was attending OnStage 2017 in November, I was lucky enough to receive this stamp set: Bird Banter. So I teamed up Bella the puppy, (from Bella & Friends), for this fun card. Using the masking technique & a couple of Blends, I was able to give Bella a lift to see her friends!!

I then stamped Bella a couple of times so that I could fussy-cut her little limbs, to add a bit more dimension to her

My second card saw me using the Get Well Soup, but I changed it by using the masking technique again. This time I removed the Get Well Soon sentiments & added the So Very Much, so that it seems to be apart of the warm bowl of soup....

Im loving the Blends, can't you tell already :)

They make colouring in an image so quick and easy, I just love the shadowing effect of them!

To finish this card, I dusted off my container of Silver Embossing Powder, the spoon was screaming to be that colour, right??

Here's an insight into my childhood: I was always around the kitchen, trying Mum's cooking & especially available when the spoon needed to be licked after a batch of biscuits or a cake was happening!!
So making my third card made me think of mum & all the skills she taught us, in life in general, but especially in the kitchen.

I particularly loved how the mixer is relative to the size of the bowl, so of course they had to be together!! This DSP is Domestic Godess & just reminds me of a table cloth!!

I think would make a great card for someone's partner or even a close friend...

2 3D items:

For those of you who have been visiting my blog, you may have noticed that I JUST LOVE 3D ITEMS!!

I had been talking with a close friend about the wooden type kits I have that I just havent had the time to put together somehow...and then this challenge jumped at me!!

So, given that it was only a month or so away from Christmas, (back then...), I decided to find one of wreaths I had been meaning to work on and actually do it!!

Ive used a current & gorgeous DSP called Christmas Around The World (Candy Cane paper in this image) & a retired DSP called Be of Good Cheer. Ive now got this hanging on the front door at the Child Care Centre that I work at...

 Using the Glimmer Paper from a previous kit, I used the mini Dimensionals to give them some height. I strung a peice of Window Sheet across from one side of wreath to the other & hunted out the Alphabet dies for Merry Christmas, also.

 And can you see my holly? These wooden circles, initially, were sponged with Cherry Cobbler and then left to dry overnight with a big blob of wet adhesive from my Fine Tip Glue Pen - dont you love the effect??

 To keep up with the 3D Christmas theme, I was asked to make boxes for 2 of these Glitter Baubles, by a customer. What struck me was how similar the colours of the bauble & our stunning Glimmer Paper is - just beautiful!

 I have made boxes for the customer previously, so I knew that she wanted to fill the bauble with the children's name of the finishing year & present this to each of her children's teacher.

I started with the first box here & was feeling pretty chuffed with myself & then maybe either got a bit tired or a little lazy, causing me to get glue on the front of the box...

As we know, this is simply an opportunity for embellishing, right? So then I made a 'belly' type band to go around the lid of the box, punched a bow & ta-day, I've saved the box!!

2 different boxes for 2 different teachers!!

When each teacher opened their gift, the lid picked up the bauble, presenting her with everyone's name over the year.

During the time that I was making these boxes, I was also going to work during the day. The children in the centre that I work at, thought I was very Chrismassy with the amount of sparkle I had all over me, it just added to the festiveness!!

1 Scrap Page...

Before I was a card or 3D item maker, I was a scrapbooker!! I must admit that I havent spent a lot of time recently 'scrappin' at all, so it was lovely to be 'forced' to create a page!!

My 16 year old daughter, Rachelle recently completed her Year 10 year & they celebrated by having a formal. Rach was originally not going to go, deeming it 'too over the top' &being a basketball couch & player, she didnt think it would be something she would enjoy.

Roll on a couple of weeks & her friends talked her into wanting to go - and boy are we all glad she did!! She had a great leadup with shopping for 'the dress', shoes & a little bit of make-up & was blessed with a couple of her friends helping her to prepare on the day...

 Rachelle's dress was a 'nude' colour, so this posed a bit of a colour challenge for me, so I decided to go with 'Blushing Bride' - working the any type of pink is hard for me, but I think it works!!

The latest craze in the Stampin' world is this 'Eclipse' technique, so after stamping Versamark & heating the white Embossing Powder, I used my Big Shot to spell out the heading, (& an additional 3 layers of each letter, *gasp*) & then adhered them together.

 The Bloomin' Love set lent itself nicely to lace on Rachelle's dress, Im so pleased with how it all came together! And combining this with the dies, sponging it slighty & adding a splash of class with our Pearls, it finished off the page!

This had certainly been a long post of many creations & I thank you for sticking with me!!

Im incredibly grateful to be able to be able to make various items that I can share with loved ones & possibly even inspire someone else to get creative too!!

Im super glad that I followed through with achieving this challenge - I may even go looking for another 3, 2, 1 Challenge, perhaps?

I'd love for you to leave a comment on any of the projects that you like...

See you next time :)

Just a Small Thanks...

A few weeks ago, I took over 100 slides to my local Harvey Norman store. I wanted the images copied, along with copying original wedding photos of my Mother & Father In Law's Wedding.

I'm sure you can understand, I was slightly nervous handing over such an important part of my husband's life... But when I met Mat, at the photo lab, I knew I could trust him.

Not only did Mat take great care of the slides, but he also had them finished in about 2 hours!!

I barely had time to finish this little box before he called to say they were done!!

I just love when I get things right and all the lines actually line up!!

The aeroplane from       reminded me of the age of some of the slides that had been copied, so I thought it was just perfect for this project! The 'tree' from the      punch made for a wonderful little cloud!!  With a couple of Dimensionals  on the lid, I threw in a few Favourites Chocolates & I was out the door to collect my slides & USB with a small gift for Mat.

Holiday Catalogue Blog Hop

How exciting is it, to be seeing all these creative peices of work!! This is my first blog hop & Im loving everyone's interpretation of the wonderful Stampin' Up! product!

And it doesn't matter where you started, you will eventually see everyone's work!! I do love what Emma made with her products, I haven't seen her work before, but I will certainly be stalking, I mean following her blog!!

Many of you may know that I am, proudly, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator & have been for 6 years now. Of course, because of that, we get to share ideas, sneak peaks & tutorials about the SU! products, but the added bonus is the friendships & support I have received from all over Australasia. This un-expected family of Stampin' Sisters & Brothers, (yes males can join also!!),  make this company a fantastic one to work for!!

So.....(drum roll, please...), with all the official 'paperwork' done, here are my items to share with you...

While the Holiday Catalogue has lots of lovely Christmas stamps & embellishments, I decided to use one of them for a couple of completely different projects.... 

We had Father's Day here last week & my dad loves all things fishing & camping. 

I always like to live life 'outside the box', so when I saw a different way to use the Bird Builder , I immediately had to use it, differently!!

While I wanted the sun to be a feature, I didn't want it to take over the whole card, so stamping it at the back worked for me. I then cut the rolling hills freehand, & used the Perfect Pines Framelits to make a forest & the Bird Builder & Word Window punch for the fire. I sponged the sunset, hills, trees & fire before sticking it all down with either Dimensionals or Tear & Tape. 

I am a bit happy that it seemed just perfect for the occasion & for my Dad!!

To continue to show you how the Stampin' Up! products are so versatile, I have used the beautiful bird from another Christmas Set, Joyful Season. I have a very close friend whose mum passed away 2 years ago & blue birds remind her of her gorgeous mum.

As soon as I saw this set, I began to work out how I would use this bird for her Mother's anniversary. Using the 2 step stamp set with Marina Mist ink, I placed the bird on our thick padded tape, Dimensionals to help her stand out...
I also used the Marina Mist marker to ink only the "Thinking of you", when the full sentiment actually says, "Thinking of you at Christmas". This is a great technique for isolating a certain part of a stamp. This stamp is from the Embellished Ornaments set :)
I believe this card would lend itself to being a great Male Birthday card or even a Sympathy card?

Ok, onto Christmas, hey? You know there is only 105 sleeps until Christmas, right - time to get moving on some ideas!!

Here I have wrapped a present using the brown packing paper that our orders come in. , I just love up-cycling & this is a very cheap but effective way to wrap the special gifts for loved ones. 

I stamped the tiny holly image with Old Olive onto Whisper White, matting it with Old Olive cardstock. 

One thing you can be sure of is that the ink, cardstock, ribbon & embellishment match so well through Stampin' Up! products, it makes colour matching so easy for brain dead people like me!!

    

In this close-up of the Embellished Ornament , you can see the Crystal Effects shining & the sparkliness of the Glimmer Paper, just gorgeous!! I've stamped the sentiment on Whisper White & stuck that on the back, so it is also now a tag for my present! 

Can you hear me smiling from my stamp room?

                                                   

One of many things that Stampin' Up! has taught me, is how glorious it is to have matching items - therefore I used the 'template' of my present to then make a matching card... I discovered along the way that the 1 3/4 circle punch is an exact fit for the smaller of the ornaments, so this helped my card to come together so quick!! Again, I used Crystal Effects to give the glass effect.

It may be hard to see, but I have cut each peice of cardstock so that the complete card is only 1 layer thick, rather than many layers. It gives a cleaner finish, dont you think?

 Here are both the present & card together, a match made in Christmas Heaven, lol...
All in all, Im very happy with how they compliment each other so well :))

Thanks for looking at my work, Id love you to leave a comment to tell me which ones you liked or to ask any questions about how I've made something you have seen...

I hope that Ive inspired you to get Stampin' too!!  Feel free to come back to see what else I've been working on at other times, also..

From my blog here, you can continue to drool at:

Rebecca

Andrea

Rochelle

Kathryn

Monique

Bernie

Liv

Sally

Ria

Delys

Jessica

Lou

Barbara

Kelly

Jenny

Libby

Paula

Keryn

Carly

Rachel

Narelle

Emily

Emma

Thanks again :))