My new obsession

... and it's not stamping!  Well, it is stamping related, kind of ...

A friend told me about Pinterest, I took a look and now I can't stop browsing!  It's a site where you can store pictures of things that you love - like a giant pinboard.  In the past, I have bookmarked pictures of things to look back on later, but trawling through all those bookmarks is hard work *phew* - so much easier to have all the pictures right in front of you!  Less clicking = more time to look!

So why is this relevant?  Well, I have been pinning pictures of cards I liked, whether it was a colour scheme, a layout, an interesting way of using something, and was inspired to make this the other night:

 

Here's the original  - isn't it gorgeous?  And such an effective use of the Lace Ribbon Border Punch.

I've made the cute scrunched flowers before, but this one was made by spritzing the punched scallops of cardstock with water, as per the very entertaining tutorial here (I have to admit I laughed a little while reading this one!).

Here's a closeup of the strip of cardstock and the flower - I really like how this came out, and was surprised at how "solid" the flower became once it was dry!  You can also see the flecks of Shimmer Paint (in Champagne Mist) I used to spritz the base and flower for a little sparkle.

And just because I love the flower, here's another closeup.

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Cardstock: River Rock, Very Vanilla
Other: Lace Ribbon Border Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Basic Pearls, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint

This might be a little too pink, even for me...

... and I like pink.

A couple of weeks ago, I took myself of to stamp club, as I do pretty much every month (by the way, if you live in Melbourne, you might like to drop in - 1 till about 4 on the last Saturday of the month - more information on the stamp club blog - new members are always welcome).  I had a mission, which involved not taking practically everything I own "just in case" because I have a LOT of stuff and there's only so much I can carry.  So I took my craft tote bag which has all my necessities like adhesives, scissors, sparkly stuff, etc, etc, etc, a couple of stamp sets a few sheets of cardstock and half a dozen matching inkpads.

Oh, and my Big Shot, assorted embossing folders and a few handy dies, because obviously you can't leave them at home.  They're practically essentials!

Anyway, I was carrying a little less than usual.  Not much, but a little.  And it paid off!  So often, I go to stamp club with no ideas, and just take along a bunch of stuff that doesn't match, and end up frustrated because I can't get anything to work out how I want it.  This time it worked a treat - and while this card is a little pink, even for my tastes, I am happy with it!

The lighting wasn't quite right when I took the photo, so the colours you see here might not be quite as vibrant as they really are, but you get the idea.

I love this stamp set, I just wish I remembered to use it more.  The two-step stamping looks really effective, specially when the outline stamps and the bold stamps don't match perfectly.

I have also used a little rock 'n' roll here - inking the flowers in Pretty In Pink, then lightly rolling the edge of the stamp in Melon Mambo to give a little extra dimension to the flowers.

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Awash with Flowers
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Sahara SandCardstock: Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Other: Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

I love butterflies :-)

I don't know what it is ... butterfly stamps and die cuts are just so pretty.  Here's a card I made recently which just makes me smile because a) it has butterflies and b) it was so, so easy to put together.

It's actually quite similar to cards I've made previously (see here and here, or just have a look at everything on this blog that I've made using this die), but if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Unfortunately the colours on this look a little duller than they are in real life - the weather wasn't cooperating and I just couldn't get the lighting I wanted.  The large butterfly is cut from Melon Mambo, a bright dark pink which has come out more of a red colour here.

As for the circle on the right, it kind of looks like it's supposed to be the sun, but it's really just because that corner needed something and this is what looked right.

I just realised what's missing.  Sparkles.  I might add some tomorrow - a rhinestone, perhaps, or a spritz of Shimmer Paint. I can't believe I forgot to add sparkles!

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®


Supplies used:Cardstock: Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Other: Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch

Pretty Gift Card

Here's a fun stamp set from the Summer Mini Catalogue ... take a look, I'll wait here until you're done.  It's called "Topsy-Turvy Celebration", on page 22.  And a bargain at only $33.95 for wood mount (even cheaper for clear mount!)

Finished?  How cute is it?!  The cake can be a crown, there's a little scallop and even a tiny candle for the top.

The card itself is only about 8cm square, perfect for a little gift card.


I stamped the top layer of the cake twice - once in Pretty in Pink, and again in Pumpkin Pie to create a little overlay along the bottom.

Here's a closeup of my fabulous cutting job ... it was only a little fiddly, and as I was chatting with friends at the time, it was no chore at all and was done in no time.

Don't forget that until the end of March 31, for every $100 you spend on products from the Idea Book & Catalogue or Summer Mini Catalogue, you can get a FREE stamp set, paper pack of embellishments pack from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue (check out the link near the bottom of the page to download a PDF copy) - take a look and start planning your order now!


Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp/s: Topsy-Turvy Celebration
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink
Cardstock: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
Other: Scallop Border Punch

Just a quick card I made recently, with no particular story behind it.  I just wanted to use Baja Breeze and Soft Suede because I'd seen a pretty card using those colours,

It was looking a little "unfinished" until my friend suggested I use a little of her Seam Binding Ribbon - and it turned out that was exactly what the card needed.  This stuff is really soft and drapes beautifully - and as you can see, makes a very neat knot!

 

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamp/s: Creative Elements, Pendant Park
Ink: Soft Suede
 Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
 Other: Top Note Bigz Die, Stripes Embossing Folder, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Word Window Punch

Babies!

This morning I went to a baby shower ... ah, it took me back looking at all the teeny tiny little grow-suits and socks, not to mention nappies, wipes and nappy sacks, dummies and teething rings, little jars of baby food and bunny rugs.  You kind of forget just how much stuff you get through with a new baby in the house.  My baby is nearly 13-1/2, and her older brother will be 19 soon, so it's all waaaay behind me now (*whispers* thank goodness!  I'm too old for all that now LOL).

Anyway, I realised late last night that I was short one baby card so at 10:30 sat down to quickly whip something up.  I know my friend is having a boy, so the colour scheme presented no problems.  And I had a sneaking suspicion that owls were going to feature heavily (which they did) so out came my Owl Builder Punch.

And this is what I made for her:

I totally pinched the idea of the circles from this card ... love that colour combo and layout.  You'd be surprised though to find out just how hard it is to layer your circles just right ... I think that took longer than the rest of the card!

And in the spirit of the original I used some foam tape to pop some of the elements up a little, which was fun.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if the owl theme is in honour of all the nights she'll be sitting up with Junior ... let's hope he's more of a sleeper than a partier.

Images © 1990-2012 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Cardstock: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Poppy Parade
Other: 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 3/16" Corner Rounder Punch, Sweet Buttons Embosslit, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Sale-A-Bration 2012 is here!

Did you know that for every $100 you spend in one order with Stampin' Up! between now and the end of March, you can choose a FREE Sale-A-Bration promotional item?

Or, if you host a workshop during the same period, you could earn a FREE Sale-A-Bration item for every $600 in sales!

Not only that, but if you join the Stampin' Up! family during the next two months, as well as the top value products in the Starter Kit you can also have a FREE stamp set of your choice from the current catalogue.

Yes, that's right, FREE stuff!

I personally love free stuff, and I'm sure you do too.  Read more about this over at my Stampin' Up! website, which has pretty pictures and as much information as you need, then email me to place your order or book a workshop.

While I'm here, rest assured that I haven't forgotten my blog, but it turns out that summer doesn't have nearly as many relaxing moments as you always hope in the lead up ... but I'm still here!  I even made a card the other day, which I will photograph and upload for your viewing pleasure in the next few days.