Stepping It Up!

Have a Hoot Step-by-Step For those who don't know, 'Stepping up' a card means, increasing the techniques & often the products to increase the presentation of the front of it. See how the card below becomes more involved, as techniques & products are added? Follow along..

CASUAL We kept things simple on the first version of this cute card. A few simple layers, a splash of colour, ribbon, and a sentiment popped up using Stampin’ Dimensionals. This cheerful, little project takes just minutes to make and would be the perfect solution for a casual crafter workshop or the create fast, but effective cards in bulk.

AVID Step up the charming second card by running the tag through the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine using the Peek-A-Hoot Dies for a stitched-edge look. Fold the gold-trimmed satin ribbon in half, insert the ends through the hole in the tag, then pull them snugly through the loop at the end of the ribbon. We added a little extra pop to this card with a layer of Poinsettia Place Designer Series Paper, some Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, and heat embossing. The DSP really makes the stamped image 'pop', don't you thing?

STEPPED-UP AVID Our fanciest card is a real hoot. We embossed the card front using the Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine and the Evergreen Forest 3D Embossing Folder, adhered die-cut branches, and added a strip of Plush Poinsettia Specialty Paper. Perfect!

This DSP & many other are now on sale at My On-line shop, within Australia. Dont forget to tick the box to have me as your nominated demonstrator so that I can help you with your order, at any time. (If you dont choose a demo, then when you get stuck, we cant assist you - how annoying right?)

Come back to see the next gorgeous things I have to show you, soon. I have so many other items to show off!!

Thanks, Jo.

Card 1: 

Stamps: Have a Hoot.

Cardstock: Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Ink: Early Expresso, Real Red

Accessories: Ribbon

Card 2: 

Stamps: Have a Hoot

Cardstock: Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

DSP: Plush Poinsettia Specialty Paper.

Ink: Early Expresso, Real Red

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine items: Peek-a-Hoot dies, 

Accessories: Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, Heat Gun, Ribbon

Card 3: 

Stamps: Have a Hoot

Cardstock: Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Crumb Cake

DSP: Plush Poinsettia Specialty Paper.

Ink: Early Expresso, Real Red

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine items: Peek-a-Hoot dies, Evergreen Forrest 3D Embossing Folder

Accessories: Gold Glitter Enamel Dots, Heat Gun, Ribbon

Socials:   https://linktr.ee/JoWeedonMelbourne

Preparing For OnStage 2018!!

For those of you who dont know, Stampin' Up! organise various events for demonstrators to attend. This weekend, April 8th April, saw 600 of mostly Australian demos gathering at Sydney's incredible Luna Park for OnStage 2018.

The lead up to this is full of excitement, especially because we knew that a new catalogue was being released!! During these events, lots of the demonstrators make swaps to show off their skills when making cards, 3D items or even scrapbooking ideas. It is a fantastic way to show off the products and in turn, the recipient gains many, many ideas of new ways to use possibly that same product.

This year, right up until 2 weeks before OnStage, I wasnt going to make any swaps - I had no idea of what to make or even an idea of what to do....

And then I found a small stash of metal rings that I had purchased about 5 years ago...
So then, 'it was on, like Donkey Kong!!'

I had made this type of ring before, so I wasnt learning anything new - I could get straight into making them quickly...

Initially I cut a heap of scrap cardstock up, 1 cm in width & for as long as the length of cardstock.

I began by burnishing the complete peices, then gluing the two ends together, just to stop it from rolling around and not actually attaching to anything. It needed the glue to hold it together.

Once it began to roll over itself, I just continued the process. If I got to the end of the cardstock peice & wanted to either continue with that colour or begin another one, I glue the next peice from where the other finishes & so on...

Those trusty pegs come in handy when needing to hold the rolls together, but move onto the next one... I keep about 20 pegs on my turntable of tools, for this type of job exactly!!

I tried a little experiment on this design & added a couple of smaller peices of Real Red & Whisper White cardstock to give the feathered effect... What do you think of it?

When the metal base of the ring was adhered to the cardstock, I would leave them to dry overnight. This ensured the glue was completely dry & finger print free!!

Then it was just a case of ensuring good coverage for the top of the rings. I applied the glue liberally & made sure it dripped into any crevaces within the rolled cardstock so that the finish was as good as it could be. Of course, the pegs came into their own again, along with a big sign telling my teens to stay away from the wet items!!

 Here are a couple of the rings, with the acetate box that Id made to hand them out in. I had wanted to make a box that was similar to a jewellery box from a nice jewellery shop, I guess it kinda looked like that, right?

 These are fun to make & you can experiment with colours or even folding techniques... Just ensure you leave them to dry long enought, otherwise you may be handing out your fingerprints, by mistake!!

This gorgous mess if the first 35 or so of my swaps... I thought I was finished until I found another 16 or so rings & began the process again... Alas, I got to make another 7 on top of my original 35 & chose to stop there, or I may have missed my plane to Sydney!!

Ive loved sharing how to make these, with you...

Be sure to show me what you have made using this technique AND return to see more items frm the amazing event that was OnStage 2018... :)

Light The Way...

I have a good friend, Kathryn who invited me to a Stampin' Up! demonstrator only retreat. Because it wasnt during the school term, basketball wasnt happening and for whatever reason, the planets lined up,  I was actaully able to attend!!

It was so lovely to surprise another great mate, Susan when I got there, I kept it from her that I was able to be there!!

We had from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon together - time to catch up, eat, giggle, eat, do a tiny bit of exercise, eat, make cards, eat and learn new techniques from other SU! demos...

It was pure bliss!!

On the second night, Kathryn had organised these cute little lanterns to be in our rooms when we finished crafting. (That was only about 1 am Sunday morning!!) That little battery operated light worked for a while before I found it!!

 Using vellum, embossing powder, stamps and a couple of punches, Kathryn (and possibly her team) put these together as a lovely gift for us all...
How simple but stunning is this? Who would have thought it was simply a battery operated light in a disposable plastic glass, hey?

Thanks Kathryn, this has pride of place in my stamp room & I may just replicate it for little gifts, soon!!

I'm Baaaaack.....

Wow, I really have dropped the ball since July, havent I? Only one other post and that didn't offer very much, did it?
Ive had so many things on, here there and everywhere, that I decided to take a little pressure off me, by not trying to post regularly...It simply puts unreal expectations on me, that I cant meet & I feel like a failure!!

With that in mind, I have these cards to share with you.

Sadly, the loss of a baby is something that occurs to many families. This may be through a pregnancy gone wrong, a still born or a child gaining its wings soon after death. While this isnt a card that I wish to make, it absolutely is something that needs to be acknowledged, however hard.
I have spoken to many women, through my work, that say that simply having their baby acknowledged & their name spoken, means so much to them.

I stamped this with White Kraft ink first, let that dry and then stamped with the blue, slightly off the white. Somehow I have never used this technique for any other card...

Using Blushing Bride and Whisper White, I came up with this simple & quick Get Well Card. While I dont usually do or like pink cards, I do like the cleanliness of this one!! The butterfly is cut using the Sizzix Butterlfly die in the Big Shot & a couple of pearls, to add to the softness.

It's quite rare for me to make a card with no sentiment, but I felt that Swallowtail, (the name of this large butterfly stamp), needed nothing else to make it work.

You will see though, there is a slight 'red' tinge to the edges of the wings. I used the 'Rock 'n "Roll' technique, one that is quite easy to get a great result. 

By inking your lighter colour first, you then 'roll' the very edges of the stamp, on the darker colour, only picking up a little bit of the stronger colour. 

When you have stamped on your card, be sure to completely clean your stamp before you place it on any other ink pad or your could ruin it!!

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to leave a message of your thoughts on my 3 very different cards.

I hope to not let you hold your breathe so long again, in the future... Especially as I have some gorgeous Card In Boxes to share with you next!!

They are certainly worth waiting for!!

Here are some more cards that I have made for various birthdays, in the past few months.
I love using bright colours and fun themes, making the card makes me smile.

And of course, when I give the cards and they make others smile, then that is just the icing on the cake!!

This first card is a great one for using those scraps that you hold onto but never quite get around to using...well, now you can!! Simply stick the punched circles to the black matt, then run that through the Big Shot, using whichever embossing folder you like. Then matt that onto co-ordinating colours, add a sentiment & you have a great bright card!!

With this quick & easy card, I have used Polka Dot Parade Designer Paper with the Bow Tie die, on a base of Whisper White. With 3 children running around and a busy child care centre to run, I am always looking for fast but effective cards to make!

Here is Real Red from the same Polka Dot DSP that I used on the orange card above. I have used the scallop circle punch, satin ribbon and cute buttons, although they dont show up very well.
Perhaps I should have sponged the scallop flower, but apart from that, it makes me smile :)

I wonder how many more photos I will find, as I clean up my laptop? Hubby has threatened to wipe them all, if I dont hurry up, before he fixes all the bugs in it.....eeeekkkk!!