Pretty Purples

Have you had a close look at the new 2011-12 In Colors yet?  Those of you who have been mourning the loss of a pale purple might be pleased to know there is now a shade called Wisteria Wonder.  It may not be able to replace Pale Plum (nothing ever will *sob*) but it does look gorgeous when teamed with Concord Crush as shown here.

I have heard it said that Wisteria Wonder is a little "grey" - while this is kind of true, I think it all depends on what colour you're matching it with.  Having said that, the colours shown in the sample here are really not at all true to life - you would really need to see it in person to appreciate it :-)

Images © 1990-2011 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:

Stamps: Cottage Garden
Ink: Wisteria Wonder

Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Daffodil Delight, Concord Crush, Whisper White
Other:Scallop Edge Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Colour Inspiration

A new Stampin' Up! catalogue is not only exciting for all the new products it contains, but also the new samples and ideas on every page. This year, inspiration hit me before I had even turned to page 1!

Those of you who are lucky enough to have seen the new catalogue (and it's a beauty) may recognise the colour scheme I have used here. And if you've turned to page 67 you'll see where I got the inspiration for the basic layout of this card.

(Actually, I have used Cherry Cobbler instead of Poppy Parade - so sue me, I looooove Cherry Cobbler).

There was a few moments while making this card when I thought it was going to end up in the bin, but it turned out quite well, don't you think? If I hadn't seen it on the 2011-12 Idea Book & Catalogue, I would never have considered these colours together.

If you haven't seen the new 2011-12 catalogue yet, drop me a line - they are $10 (plus postage and handling) or FREE with a workshop - but remember, the goodies inside are only available from September 1, and you won't see it online until after that date!

Supplies used:
Stamp(s): Cottage Garden
Ink: Peach Parfait, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Other: Circle Scissor Plus, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Boho Blossoms Extra-Large Punch Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Metallic Brads

Fun Colour Combination

Did you know that purple, blue and green could look so good together? Well, they do when you use these particular shades, anyway.

Here I have combined two new In Colors, Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz with an old faithful, Bashful Blue. It's kind of hard to see the Concord Crush properly - it is a dark blue-purple colour, very rich, and one I hope to use a lot over the next two years.

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Cottage Garden, Trendy Trees
Ink: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz
Other: Crimper, 1-3/4" x 7/8" Oval Punch (formerly known as Large Oval), Word Window Punch

Old Tricks, New Cards

In my quest to stock up my sample board, I have been looking at old, retiring samples with a view to remaking them with current product.

This time I'm sharing the new, improved version of this card. With Apricot Appeal leaving us forever *sob*, the sample isn't much use anymore except perhaps as inspiration.

And this is what I came up with. Kind of the same, but different.

If you look carefully you might see the stamping on the Very Vanilla Layer. I used Versamark to stamp En Francais, then sponged Soft Suede ink over the top - the Versamarked areas "resist" the dye Soft Suede ink and the result is super-subtle and gives a hint of texture to the finished product.

Images © 1990-2010 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Cottage Garden, EN Francais
Ink: Soft Suede, Real Red, Versamark
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Kraft, Real Red, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Other: Top Note Die, Extra-Large Two Step Bird Punch

New Colour Combination

I just realised that it's been over two weeks since I posted anything I've made - shame on me! This will be rectified over the next few days as I pre-post some updates.

I saw a lovely card made with these colours the other night, and just had to sit down and try them out. Who'd have thought that Rich Razzleberry (my new favourite), Pretty in Pink and So Saffron would work so well together?

Shame about the photo coming out so dark ... blame Melbourne's legendary rainy weather for this! Even though this photo was taken outside at 1:30 in the afternoon, this is the best light I could get *sigh*.

I am so happy that Rich Razzleberry will be taking its rightful place as a Core Colour in the next catalogue (September - not long to wait now!) - it would be so hard to say goodbye to it!

Images © 1990-2010 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Cottage Garden, Best Yet (Hostess Level 1)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron
Cardstock: So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Other: Large Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Top Note Gift Card Holder

I just love my Big Shot die cutting machine, and this Top Note die specially. Sure, it makes a nice layer on a card, but when you look at it in a different light, the possibilities are practically endless!

Do a Google Image search for Top Note Die and see what I'm talking about.

The other day I came across this tutorial for a nifty little gift card holder using this die. I have made similar holders in the past, but none came out quite as classy as this one *g*. Every time I look at it I feel so darned proud of myself LOL.

I put the front of the holder back through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, cut out a spray of leaves with my little Little Leaves Sizzlit die, and stamped up a storm with Cottage Garden - all available in the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue (contact me for a copy).

The colour is totally off here ... I have adjusted it somewhat with my photo editting software, but you really can't see the gorgeous Rich Razzleberry properly (I recommend calling me to book a workshop so you can see it in person *g*).

Here's a picture of the inside of the folder - I took the instructions a step further and used the Word Window punch (carefully positioned half on the fold) inside to create a nicely shaped notch for the gift card to sit in. Of course, the punch is only a few centimetres long, so I had to punch, then slide along and punch again to create a slot the right width.

The holder is held together with pieces cut from a little self-adhesive magnet sheet - I find these are easier on cardstock that velcro, which can stick a little too agressively and cause the card to bend and crease as you try to open it.


Images © 1990-2010 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Cottage Garden
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Whisper White
Other: Large Oval Punch, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Top Note Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scallop Circle Punch

Sneak Peek - New Stuff (part 2)!

More new stuff for you to admire *g*.

Last time I showed you a card made with the Top Note die and a new set called Vintage Vogue.

Today, it's the die again and this awesome punch (which includes the bird, wing and branch, all in one). And a new colour combination (Old Olive, Apricot Appeal and Chocolate Chip - who would have thought they would look so good together?).

If you would like to see more of the Autumn / Winter Mini Catalogue, email me and I will mail you out a copy.

There is a lot of new stuff in the Mini Catalogue, in fact it's a little larger than usual to fit it all in! And a lot of new innovations as well which I can't wait to share with you!

Images © 1990-2010 Stampin' Up!®

Supplies used:
Stamp/s: Cottage Garden
Ink: Apricot Appeal, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Cardstock: Old Olive, Apricot Appeal, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Other: Top Note Die, Extra-Large Two Step Bird Punch