Waterfall Card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this card for my niece, Niamh who turned 4 on Sunday. She loved it because it's a bit like a toy. When you pull the little tag, the pictures move:

These waterfall cards are surpisingly easy to make and are fantastic for kids (although the adults had just as much fun playing)!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I'll be back with more posts in the new year.

Stamp Sets: Crab & Company, Paisley

Card Stock: Pumpkin Pie, Green Galore, Close to Cocoa

Ink: Certainly Celery, Basic Black

Other: Stampin' Pastels, Rhinestone Brads, 1-3/8" Square Punch, Round Tab Punch.

Wish Upon A Star

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Hi to everyone visiting from Aussie Scrapbooking! Thanks for looking. Please leave a comment to let me know you dropped by.

I seem to have a number of friends who have a birthday this month, and I made this card for another of my very close friends, Allison. I'm not sure about this one. I wanted to use some of my new goodies from the Mini catalogue, but I think I've gone a bit overboard with the punches! Hope you had a wonderful day Allison.

This will be my last post before Christmas. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. If you're driving anywhere, stay safe.

Stamp Sets: Oh So Lovely hostess set, In the Stars

Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Elegant Eggplant, River Rock

Ink: Elegant Eggplant

Other: Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, Star Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Stampin' Glitter

Another Birthday card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

One of my closest friends Tania had her birthday last week and I made this card for her. I love the colours in the new Designer Series paper - Bali Breeze, so I gave myself the challenge of using the same colours: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Taken With Teal and Rose Red. These colours go really well together and make the card very bright. I wanted the ribbon to be quite bright too, so I coloured the Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon using a Pumpkin Pie marker.

Stamp Set: Oh So Lovely

Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Taken With Teal, Very Vanilla

Ink: Rose Red, Taken With Teal, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie

Other: Very Vanilla, Grosgrain Ribbon, Rub-on image, Flower Fusion, Rhinestone Brad

Pretty

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

It was a colleague's birthday on Friday, so I made her this card. I really wanted to use my new stamp set, Eastern Blooms and the Glitter from the new mini, and this is what I came up with.

Stamp Sets: Fine Lace; Eastern Blooms
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Pretty in Pink
Other: Pretties Kit; Stampin' Glitter

Keep Christmas

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made these 2 cards using Keep Christmas on page 31 of the Idea Book. I've deliberately used few colours on each of these cards to keep them looking fresh. On the images themselves, I've coloured parts in markers and left other parts blank.
Punches: Scallop Edge, corner rounder.
Other Stamp Set: Occasional Greetings (page 121).
Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant (on left) and Basic Black (on right) and Whisper White on both. Ribbon: Whisper White Taffeta and Real Red Grosgrain.

Thinking of You card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

It's been a while since I've shown you a card. We've been so busy over the last few weeks, so I haven't had much time to make anything new.

This card is for my Uncle who has been in hospital over this last week having his heart monitored. When I made the card, we still thought he was only going to be in hospital for a couple of days. I knew he hated being there, so I wanted him to know that we were thinking of him.

Stamp Sets: Paisley (p.108), Garden Whimsy (p.77), For a Friend (p. 18); Card Stock: Bravo Burgundy, Summer Sun, Handsome Hunter, Whisper White; Ink: Bravo Burgundy; Accessories: Bravo Burgundy Grosgrain Ribbon

Tie Up Christmas

Stampin' Up have some wonderful specials this month. Spend $20 to receive 20% off a bunch of wonderful Christmas stamp sets and accessories. Email me to place your order, but hurry - this offer is only available until the end of the year.

Single Markers Offer Extended

The Single Markers offer has been so popular that it has been extended until 14/12/2008. I think the hardest part is choosing your favourite colour! Hurry, don't miss out.

For more details, please email me or phone 0410 343 470.

Gift Box

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This match box was really quick to make. I copied it from a papercraft magazine. I've used Blush Blossom and Chocolate Chip card stock, Chocolate Chip satin ribbon from the mini catalogue and Chocolate Chip ink. The stamp is from Carte Postale (page 94). Inside the cover, I've made a drawer from Chocolate Chip cardstock. It's a great little box for putting little trinkets or lollies for that special someone.

I'm really going to miss the Satin Ribbon from the mini. Hurry, the sales period for the current mini catalogue ends on 30/11/2008. If you'd like to order anything, please contact me before 29/11/2008.

Heartfelt Wedding Card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

My close friends Adam and Kim tied the knot in Queensland yesterday. I made this card using the Heartfelt Thanks set (page 82) and the Fine Lace background stamp (page 108) and I've used satin ribbon (hurry - only available until the end of November) with the pretties kit again. Heartfelt Thanks is great for 2-step stamping which I've used in this card. I stamped the solid flower in Purely Pomegranate and heat-embossed the outline flower with silver embossing powder. I used the stamp-a-ma-jig to position the outline stamp. I cut Sage Shadow cardstock down the length (still giving a C6 sized card).

Wishing you a wonderful, happy life together Adam and Kim.

Stamp Sets: Heartfelt Thanks, Fine Lace

Cardstock used: Sage Shadow, Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White.

Accessories: Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, Pretties Kit.

Not 1 but 2 great promotions this month

This is the second wonderful promotion Stampin' Up! has for us this month. Spend $20 and you qualify to buy any set of Rub-Ons for 20% off the normal price. This is your chance to try the set of your choice (including the sets in the Spring Mini Catalogue). Hurry, the offer is only available until the end of the month.


Don't forget the single markers promotion (which also runs until the end of the month). You don't need to buy the whole set! For this month only, you can choose any marker of your choice for $4.95.

To place an order, send me an email or call me on 0410 343 470.

Happy Birthday Rose

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this card for my mother-in-law, Rose who had her birthday yesterday. My mother and father-in-law live about three and a half hours drive away, so we didn't think we'd see them for a while. However, last Friday, I was asked if I could work in Wollongong Monday to Wednesday. My husband came with me and he drove over to surprise his mum yesterday (she lives a lot closer to Wollongong), while I was at work. She had a wonderful birthday. On Tuesday, her newest granddaughter Matilda was born in England, and seeing Ben on her birthday was another wonderful surprise.

I really wanted to use A Beautiful Thing Set from the Spring Mini Catalogue before we have to say goodbye to make way for the sets in the Summer Mini. I originally tried to use the two large flowers with two-step stamping, but I couldn't get the colours just right. In the end, I decided on lots of layers along with a window showing the circle from the same set. In the centre of the circle, I've used one of the four hollow-centred flowers and put one of the very small flowers in the centre of that. The original greeting says "You make my life a beatiful thing", but I inked up all the words except "my" to make the card from both my husband and I. I did this using a Stampin' Write Marker. Also, since the card could be hand-delivered rather than mailed, I got to use my Pretties Kit to make it a bit more 3-D. I loaded up a hat pin with some embellishments and put it through the ribbon. I also stuck 3 half-brads on the bottom-right. I sponged around the window to carry over from the sweeping pattern of the circle.

Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, Wild Wasabi.
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Handsome Hunter, Bravo Burgundy.
Punches: Round Tab, Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, 1-1/4" Circle, 1/2" Circle, 1/4" Circle.
Others: Pretties Kit, Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Stampin' Write Markers, Sponge.

Last Bauble Card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I love baubles at Christmas but this will be my last bauble card for now - I promise.

This is one of the cards we made at my class last weekend. The bauble was made using the masking technique. The stars are from the Priceless Stamp Set (page 105). Cardstock used: Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand and Whisper White. Ink: Bashful Blue; Other accessories: Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon.

Single Markers Promotion

This month's promotion is perfect if you'd like a marker in one or two particular colours but don't want to buy the whole set. You can buy individual markers for just $4.95 until 30 November. For more information or to place an order, send me an email or call me on 0410 343 470.

Blue Christmas

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is another Christmas card I made using non-traditional Christmas colours. I've used the same masking technique as my Pink Christmas card in my last post. The cardstock I used was Bashful Blue and Whisper White. The ink used is Bashful Blue and Blue Bayou. Stamp Sets: Hung Up On The Holidays (p 26) and Occasional Greetings (p 121). I've also put two-way glue pen over the string and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds over it to give the card a bit of bling.

Pink Christmas

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I really like the colour pink at the moment and I find the combination of Pretty in Pink and Purely Pomegranate very striking. I've decided to try this combination on a Christmas card. I've used the masking technique for the bauble by punching a large circle using the Round Tab punch. I punched the circle through a post-it note and applied it to some Whisper White cardstock. With a dauber, I coloured the circle using Pretty In Pink ink. The string is stamped from the Hung Up on the Holidays stamp set (page 26 of the catalogue) using Purely Pomegranate ink. The embellishment inside the bauble is from the very versatile All-Year Fun set (page 34) using Dazzling Diamonds. I punched the corners with the corner rounder punch. The greeting is from Occasional Greetings (page 121) stamped in Purely Pomegranate ink. Around the front of the card, I've wrapped Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon from the Mini catalogue. The main card is Pretty In Pink cardstock. Do you think it works as a Christmas card? Let me know by leaving a comment. I'd love to hear what you think.

Also, a reminder about my class next weekend. I only have a couple of spots left. Email me if you'd like to join us on Saturday afternoon when we'll each make 8 Christmas cards.

20% Off Birthday sale

A quick reminder about this month's amazing special. Receive 20% off selected stamp sets after spending $20 on any catalogue item. Email me for more details or to place an order.

Welcome Baby Lucas!

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

My very close friend, Tania gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy a couple of weeks ago. His name is Lucas and he's absolutely beautiful. I was lucky enough to see him when he was just 24 hours old. Both mum and bubs are doing very well and his two big sisters are becoming very protective of him. I made this card and sent it to Tania and her family. This was really easy to make, but seeing it in the photo, I now wish I'd used the Wheel guide to wheel the Daisy Dash. I hope Tania didn't mind too much when she received the card.

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, More Mustard, Whisper White

Stamp Sets: Touch of Nature, Greetings Galore, Daisy Dash Jumbo Wheel (Mini Catalogue)

Ink: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Pastels (to colour the bird)

Other: Metallic Eyelets, Natural Hemp Twine, Light Blue Gingham Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, Word Window punch

Sneak Peak

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Here's a sneak peak of a stamp set from the Summer mini catalogue which will be available from December. The set is called Live Your Dream and is extremely versatile. I've CASEd this card from one published by the very talented Marelle in a recent issue of Australian Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft. I've used Pretty In Pink, Blush Blossum, Certainly Celery and Whisper White card stock. Ink: Certainly Celery; Markers: Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery, a dauber dipped in Pretty in Pink and Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon. The word Thanks was punched out using the word window punch. I gave this card to anyone who placed an order with me during September.

Happy World Cardmaking Day

Today is World Cardmaking Day and Stampin' Up! have another amazing special to celebrate.

For this week only, you can buy any Simply Sent kits for 20% off the regular price. There are 5 sets to choose from and they are all on pages 12 to 14 of the Idea Book and Catalogue. These sets are great to give away as a beautifully presented gift, to take away on holidays or if you're just starting out. All sets come with coordinating stamps, ink spots, cardstock, embellishments, adhesives and instructions. All you need is a pair of scissors! Once you've used up all the cardstock and embellishments in the kit, you still have the stamps and ink to make more cards.

Hurry, the offer is only available until 11 October 2008. To order, please send me an email.

Happy Birthday Stampin' Up!

It's Stampin' Up!'s 20th birthday and they are throwing a huge party to celebrate!

During the month of October, if you spend $20 on anything in the catalogue, you can order any or all of the following sets for 20% off the regular price.

Page 37 Big Bold Birthday reduced to $43.16
Page 38 Pretty Princess reduced to $36.76
Page 51 Birthday Best reduced to $20.76
Page 55 Crab & Company reduced to $42.36
Page 118 Short & Sweet reduced to $23.96

If you've had your eye on any of these sets, October is the time to buy!

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, send me an email. I can have your order delivered to anywhere in Australia and it will usually arrive within a week.

Anniversary Card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this card for Ben for our first wedding anniversary last week. The image is from the Summer by the Sea set on page 84. I enjoy using this set for its versatility - it can be used for just about any occasion and best of all, you can colour the images in! I used the pastel colours with a blender pen for this card, but you can also use them with the aqua pen. The greeting is from Occasional Greetings from page 121. The card stock colours used are Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossum and Taken with Teal. The brads are from the rhinestone collection (page 145) and the picture frames were made by the punch on page 142. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon (page 146).

Berry Bliss

The Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper is my current favourite. I love the designs and colours, especially Purely Pomegranate which is a 2008 "in-colour"!

Created by Lorna

Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

It's now been a year since my wedding (how time flies) so I scrapbooked some more wedding photos over the weekend. This is one of the layouts using Berry Bliss, as well as the One of A Kind Stamp Set and Boho Blossoms punch from the mini catalogue. The brads are from the rhinestone collection on page 145. Ink used: Purely Pomegranate and Chocolate Chip, stamped on Pretty In Pink cardstock. Here's a close-up of the flower cluster on the top left of the page.

It's so easy using the Boho Blossoms Punch - much quicker than cutting all the flowers by hand.

One of a Kind

These are the other cards we made at my Stamp-a-stack class on Saturday. This colour combination reminds me of a Hot Latte - yum! The main card stock is Blush Blossum and you can also see some Chocolate Chip and Whisper White. The stamp set used is One of A Kind from the current Mini catalogue. This stamp set is great - it has it's very own co-ordinating punch - the Boho Blossums Punch, also in the Mini. The main flower was stamped directly onto Whisper White card stock and daubered in Chocolate Chip to give it some colour. The smaller flowers attached by a silver brad were punched using the co-ordinating punch - no cutting, making this card really quick. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip satin ribbon which is also in the Mini catalogue. We punched a slit in the spine of the card, so that the ribbon only goes around the front, rather than wrapping around the whole card.

The next card uses Pretty in Pink and Purely Pomegranate. The ribbon on this card is the Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon from the Mini. On the brad in this card, I attached a glue dot and sprinkled dazzling diamonds over the top.

Created by Lorna Casha Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

If you'd like a free copy of the Mini catalogue or you'd like to place an order for any of these items, send me an email. Hurry - the mini catalogue is only available until the end of November this year.

Carte Postale Free Wheelin' Bundle

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

We made these 2 cards at my Stamp-a-stack class on Saturday afternoon. They are CASEd from a card I saw on Splitcoast by B Keenan. The cards highlight how well the Carte Postale Stamp Set and the Leaves a la Carte Wheel (pp 94-95) compliment each other. If you buy the Carte Postale stamp set during this month, you will receive the Leaves a la Carte Jumbo Wheel for free, saving $15.95. If you would like this or any of the other bundles in the Free Wheelin' offer, email me by 29/09/2008. The inks and cardstock used are Whisper White on both cards, Basic Black on the first card and Real Red on the second. The squares were embossed in Black and Gold embossing powder then punched out using the 1-3/8" square punch.

Happy Father's Day

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is the card I gave to my Dad on Sunday. I tried to make it as masculine as possible, which is always a bit of a struggle for me! However, whenever I give my dad a card, he always suggests I make it a bit "sparkly". How to make a masculine card "sparkly" without changing it into a feminine card? I pulled out my 2-way glue pen and ran a line of it under "Father's" in the top panel, then I poured Dazzling Diamonds over it and tapped off the excess. So, even though you can't really tell in the photo, there is a bit of sparkle in this card and it does make it a bit more special (thanks for the tip Dad). All the colours I've used are this year's in colours (except for the Very Vanilla card) - Blue Bayou card and ink, Wild Wasabi card and River Rock card. The main greeting is from Occasional Greetings on page 121 and the others are from Wonderful Favourites on page 119. The spots on the bottom half of the card are from Boho Backgrounds on page 97.

I hope all the dads out there had a very special Father's Day!

It's Beautiful

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this box after my upline Marelle asked us to take a hand made box to our last team meeting. The top of the box uses Whisper White cardstock, decorated with the It's Beautiful wheel from the mini catalogue. I took the recipe for the box from Splitcoast Stampers, but if you'd like the recipe, send me an email and I'll send it to you.

Free Wheelin' Priceless Bundle

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this card using the Priceless Stamp Set and its matching jumbo wheel So Swirly, both on page 105 of the Catalogue. The greeting is from Occasional Greetings on page 121. I made the card using Alisa's latest colour challenge: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red and Whisper White. The embellishments are Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (from the Mini Catalogue) and a Hodgepodge word window, attached to the card stock using 2 brads. There is also a brad in the centre of the main flower. I used gel pen to put the white spots on the scallops of the scallop circle.

The Priceless Stamp Set is part of this month's Free Wheelin' promotion, so if you order this set during September, you will automatically receive the So Swirly wheel, absolutely free.

I'm not sure about this card - it seems a bit too busy with the wheel over the whole of the front of the card, but it's slowly growing on me. It might work as a Christmas Card. What do you think?

Free Wheelin' Promotion

During September, if you order one of six qualifying stamp sets, you will automatically receive a coordinating jumbo wheel absolutely free!
You can choose from the following bundles.

• Merry, Merry Stamp Set and All About Christmas Jumbo Wheel (p29)
• Artfully Asian Stamp Set and Watercolour Vine Jumbo Wheel (p48)
• Nursery Necessities Stamp Set and Nursery Letters Jumbo Wheel (p59)
• Bodacious Bouquet Stamp Set and Bodacious Jumbo Wheel (p80)
• Carte Postale Stamp Set and Leaves a la Carte Jumbo Wheel (p94-95)
• Priceless Stamp Set and So Swirly Jumbo Wheel (p105)

That's a saving of $15.95 per bundle and you can buy as many bundles as you like! This is a great offer, but it is only available until 30 September. You can order through me by sending me an email, but I will need to receive your order by 11.59pm on 29 September. I'll be posting a couple of cards using some of these combinations over the next couple of weeks.

Butterfly Wishes

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I made this card when I arrived home from the Craft Show on Saturday. It's for my nephew Dashiel. His 1st birthday is this week (Happy Birthday Dashiel). I've used Soft Sky as the main card, Blue Bayou, Real Red and Whisper White cardstock; Blue Bayou ink and Real Red marker (for the 'i' in "Birthday"). The stamp sets are Garden Whimsy (page 77) and For A Friend (page 18). I've used faux stitching on the Real Red cardstock under the picture of the butterfly. The ribbon is Light Blue Gingham Ribbon (page 146).

Enjoy Life

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I met some more wonderful people at the show today, and although I was very tired, I was actually sad that it was all over so quickly. I've had a really good time meeting everyone who enjoys craft as much as I do.

I thought I would post a card that I made a few weeks ago. I haven't decided who to give it to yet, but it would make a nice birthday card for a male.

I've used Brilliant Blue, Basic Black, Real Red and Summer Sun card stock. All the images are from the Enjoy Every Moment stamp set in the Spring Mini catalogue. The only inks I used were Not Quite Navy (on the Brilliant Blue), Real Red and Basic Black. The two brads through the centre of the flowers are Silver. I've also used Real Red grosgrain ribbon around the Basic Black strip of cardstock at the top of the card.

Stitches and Craft Show

A big hello to all the lovely people I met at the Craft Show today. I had a great time meeting so many people who share a love of cardmaking and scrapbooking.
If you didn't get to have a go at the make and take or see the demonstrations, remember to book in your own workshop. Invite some of your friends and I'll show you any technique you're interested in seeing, all in the comfort of your own home, and the bonus is that you can earn free stamp sets and accessories. You can email me to book. If you're planning on visiting the show tomorrow, come and see us at the Stampin' Up! stand, number 460 in the pavilion.

Baby Birthday

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is the card I made for my friend's (*wave* to Allison) little boy who turned 1 last week. I used Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black and Very Vanilla cardstock. The detail at the bottom of the card is from the Sandy Shells standard wheel on page 55 of the catalogue. The greeting is from It's Your Birthday on page 111 and the crab, cake and gift are from the Crab & Company on page 55. I love it when a stamp set has a co-ordinating wheel - it makes it so easy to make a card where everything matches. The colours on the crab, cake and gift are from the Stampin' Pastels applied with a blender pen.

Stitches and Craft Show

The Sydney Stitches and Craft Show is on from this Wednesday 2o August to Sunday 24 August at Rosehill Racecourse. Stampin' Up! has a stall in the Pavilion and I will be there all weekend. We will be having demonstrations, lucky door prizes, make and takes and a special show pack, so make sure you come and see us if you're at the show. Hope to see you there.

Pretty In Pink

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I'm home sick with flu, so I decided to make something pretty to brighten up my day. This card uses the Level 3 Hostess stamp set, Time Well Spent on page 23. The greeting is from It's Your Birthday on page 111. I wanted the colours to be really bright for this one, so I coloured the images using markers (stamped in Basic Black). The marker colours I used on the flowers are: Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun and Garden Green. I outlined the leaves using Garden Green then coloured the centre using Certainly Celery. The cardstock used is Pixie Pink, Summer Sun (punched out using the scallop punch) and Very Vanilla. The faux bow was tied in Pretty In Pink taffeta ribbon and I placed a gold brad through the centre of the flowers.

A Bit of Bling

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is the latest colour challenge from Alisa Tilsner. The colours are So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava and White. The very talented Marelle Taylor, my upline gave a class using the Pretties Kit on Wednesday. She showed us a card on which she used a flower from the kit covered in Dazzling Diamonds and I couldn't wait to try it myself. First I coloured the flower using a So Saffron marker. Then I applied Versamark to the whole flower and covered it in Heat and Stick powder. I heated the flower to set the powder then covered it in Dazzling Diamonds and heated it again. I attached the flower to a piece of Soft Sky cardstock using a brad, also from the Pretties Kit. The ribbon is Certainly Celery and the main card is Groovy Guava. I wheeled the Swirly Jumbo Wheel over the main card using Groovy Guava ink and used gel pen in the centre of the little flowers (my little bit of white!).

Thinking of You Card

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Alisa has posted another colour challenge using Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Summer Sun and Whisper White or Very Vanilla. It's hard to see in the photo, but I stamped the spots from Boho Backgrounds (p97) all over the Chocolate Chip card. The picture is from Summer By The Sea (p84) coloured using the Pastels and Blender Pens with a dauber dipped in Blue Bayou to colour the background. The wording is from Greetings Galore (p56) punched out using the Small Oval then layered over a Large Oval in Summer Sun. I placed two silver eyelets in the Ruby Red cardstock and threaded some Natural hemp twine before sticking it down using sticky strip. The curved edges were made using the Corner Rounder with the guard left on. I opted for Whisper White rather than Very Vanilla.

A Challenging Challenge

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is Alisa's latest colour challenge. The colours: Not Quite Navy, Soft Sky and Certainly Celery. When I initially saw the colours, I thought there was no way I could make a card without a red, brown, yellow or white, but I pulled out the colours and started looking at the different combinations. I found that Not Quite Navy and Certainly Celery go really well together, but are quite dark. So, the Soft Sky helped to make the card a bit lighter. I used stamps from Boho Backgrounds (p97) and brads from the Ice range (p145). My close friend and fellow card-maker came over as I was making the card and she suggested using the strip of Certainly Celery behind the scalloped edge to make the edge stand out more. This is the result, which I'm quite pleased with. Let me know what you think.

New Mini Catalogue

Don't forget that the new Spring Mini Catalogue is now available and, in my opinion, is the best mini yet. Send me an email and I'll put one in the mail for you. There are some great new stamp sets (one with a coordinating punch!), patterned paper and embellishments. I can place an order for you from next Friday, 1 August and can have your order delivered to anywhere in Australia.

In The Garden

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I was so glad that I was able to do this week's colour challenge by Kristina Werner. The colours are Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla. I've used the Garden Whimsy stamp set. You can hardly see it in the photo, but I've versamarked the little lady bird stamp and stamped along the Certainly Celery piece on the bottom of the card and on the background Pumpkin Pie card.

Exciting Times

I don't have any new cards to show you, but I've had a very exciting week. The Pope is in Sydney for World Youth Day 08 and he arrived at Barangaroo by boat this afternoon. I'm lucky enough to work in one of the buildings directly behind Barangaroo. My desk overlooks the water. As I'm so high up (Level 20), I couldn't really make out the Pope from the crowd, but I got to see most of what was going on and thought I'd share it with you. Here are some of the boats a couple of hours before the Pope arrived - I guess they were going over to meet him, but can't be sure about this.
Here is a picture of the boat that the Pope arrived on. You can see his Popemobile waiting for him just beside the other car at the dock.

I know the footage on the news is (a lot) better than these photos, but it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement in Sydney at the moment. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone.

A Touch of Elegance

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This is my attempt at Alisa's 3rd colour challenge using Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Purely Pomegranate and Whisper White. I had a piece of Purely Pomegranate cardstock with a scallop punched out of it, so I folded it and turned it into the base for my card. In the "window" I attached a scallop punched out of Creamy Caramel, then layered 2 circles - the 1-3/8" in Chocolate Chip and the 1-1/4" in Whisper White. The stamped flower is from the Priceless set on p105. The flowers around the window and the design behind the greeting are from the Carte Postale set on p94 and the greeting is from the Occasional Greetings set on p121. I placed some wide grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip on the left of the card and attached 3 half-circle embellishments from the Pretties Kit on the ribbon. The card seemed a bit unbalanced before I added the 3 embellishments, and they seemed to add some elegance to it. I found that Chocolate Chip and Purely Pomegranate paired up surprisingly well.

Workshop Special - last days

A quick reminder about the additional $50 worth of free goodies for qualifying workshops hosted by 15 July. Why not get a group of friends together this weekend for a couple of hours of great stampin' fun. It's a great excuse to catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while. Email me to book.

Priceless

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Here is my attempt at Alisa Tilsner's latest colour challenge.

We had to use Purely Pomegranate, Pretty In Pink and Barely Banana. I've used the Priceless Stamp Set and the So Swirly jumbo wheel. The brad in the centre of the flower is from the Fire set of Circle Rhinestones.

My favourite new tool is the Crop-A-Dile™ on page 145 of the Idea Book and Catalogue. It allowed me to place the three eyelets on the card without any hammering or force. It also pierces holes through several layers of cardstock (as well as other materials like ribbon, chipboard and tin) very easily and does dry-embossing as well.

I would like everyone to see how easy it is to use this tool, so for this month only, I'm having a Blog Special! Include the Crop-A-Dile in a total order of $100 or more and I will give you your choice of Eyelets from p145 of the catalogue - worth $11.50 - absolutely free. Email me with your order to make the most of this offer and don't forget to let me know which eyelets you would like.

Wonderful In-Laws

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This page is a collage of my husband's family. The three little angels on the bottom left of the page are his nieces and the other pictures feature his grandmother, his parents and his baby nephew. I've been blessed with fantastic in-laws, so the name of this page is very fitting. I love the Wonderful Favourites set which is where I got the title from. The ribbon is Chocolate Chip and the flowers are from the Pretties Kit daubed in Blue Bayou. I attached them to the ribbon using brads.

A Stitch in Time

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I had a cross stitch that I've been working on for ages - well, it's finally finished and here it is. I love cross stitching because you can be creative without being inventive (you're copying someone else's design!), so I find it really relaxing. If you're looking for some easy card making kits, Stampin' Up! have 5 different kits on pages 12-14 of the Idea Book and Catalogue. All 5 have everything needed to make several different cards (just add a pair of scissors)! They all include stamps, ink, cardstock, adhesives and some great embellishments. It's a great way to get started on Card Making and once you've made all the suggested cards in the kit, you've still got the stamps and ink to keep you going. They also make great gifts. If you'd like more information on these kits, send me an email.

Alisa's Colour Challenge

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

Fellow Australian Demonstrator, Alisa Tilsner has posted a colour challenge on her website. The colours are Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Apricot Appeal and Chocolate Chip. I enjoyed working with these colours but I normally wouldn't have used this combination. I decided to use Chocolate Chip in the ribbon and the ink only. The main cardstock is Apricot Appeal, stamped with the flower stamp from Boho Backgrounds. The horizontal strip is Old Olive with the Chocolate Chip ribbon around it. The phrase is also from the Boho Backgrounds set. I stamped the wheel from the same set on Pumpkin Pie. I stamped the flower from Baroque Motifs on Certainly Celery card and cut around it. I used Dazzling Diamonds for a bit of "bling" and stuck to the Pumpkin Pie card using Dimensionals.

Spring Mini Catalogue

I've received the new Spring Mini Catalogue and I'm having trouble deciding which stamp set is my favourite. They are all gorgeous and all die-cut, meaning no cutting - just peel and stick. There is also a new punch and some great new paper and accents. If you'd like to receive a free copy of the new catalogue, send me an email with your details and I will post one to you as soon as I receive my customer copies.
I will be holding workshops in July where you and your friends can use some of the stamp sets in the Mini to make your very own cards. If you'd like to book in a workshop, email me with a preferred time.

Faith Page

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I'm still working on my wedding scrapbook and I'm not sure about this page. I followed a Build-A-Layout challenge but the page seems a bit too busy to me. Next time, I'd probably use a plain backing page rather than two patterned paper pieces together. However, I love the flower on the bottom right of the page from the Fabulous Flowers set on page 79 of the catalogue and the bells are from the All-Year Fun set on page 34. All the stamped images are in this year's In Colours - Purely Pomegranate and Wild Wasabi. All the journaling is on Whisper White card stock and I inked the edges in Purely Pomegranate.

June promotion reminder

A reminder that you only have two weeks to make the most of the June eScape promotion.

Love Notes assortment p. 132 $13.50
Circle of Friendship stamp set p. 112 $33.95
1-1/4" Circle punch p. 142 $30.95
Total (non-bundled) $78.40
eScape Bundle price $58.80

That's a saving of $19.60 or 25% for three great items.

The offer ends on 30 June. I'll be happy to place an order for you if you're interested. Send me an email and I should be able to get your order to you within a week.



Also, if you'd like to host a workshop and make the most of the additional hostess benefits available until 15 July, I still have a couple of spots left.

Another Build A Layout Challenge

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I'm really enjoying the Build-A-Layout challenges and here is the result of this week's challenge. I love the pearls on the right from the Pretties Kit.

Our Wedding

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I've had a great long weekend of crafting. It was perfect weather for staying inside and relaxing. Once the housework was finished, I spent most of my time cross-stitching as I'm getting close to the end of a project. However, I also found time to (finally) start scrapbooking my wedding photos. I stumbled across a new website: aussiescrapbooking - in the forums section there is a Build-a-layout challenge. It gives instructions every day for a week so that by the end of the week, you have a complete layout. It was a great help for me as I find it hard to come up with layout ideas. I've used really rust for the background, old olive for the scalloped circle and paper from last year's catalogue for the ring. The letters are from the Lovely Letters Alphabet set, punched out using the 1 1/4 inch punch. The flowers are from Bud Basics in Blue Bayou and Purely Pomegranate. Let me know what you think!

June Promotions

June is a great time to host a workshop for 2 main reasons.



If you host a qualifying workshop, you will receive an additional $50 worth of free products from the Idea Book and Catalogue.



As if that's not enough, Stampin' Up! are holding a day where we return to sending mail the old fashioned way - remember when we used to receive mail in the letterbox rather than our computer inbox or phone? Well, 25 June is eScape day. To help you make a card and send it to someone special, you can make the most of the great offer below which will run until 30 June.


Love Notes assortment p. 132 $13.50
Circle of Friendship stamp set p. 112 $33.95
1-1/4" Circle punch p. 142 $30.95


Total (non-bundled) $78.40


eScape Bundle price $58.80



That's a saving of $19.60 or 25% for three great items.



Never made a card before, don't worry, I can show you how much fun it is.



Either order the eScape Bundle or host a workshop to share the offer with your friends. All you need to do is get together a small group of friends or family and I'll do the rest. Send me an email for more information, to order the bundle or to book a workshop. This is a great opportunity to catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while in a relaxed, fun environment. And you could earn lots of free goodies as well.

Touch of Nature

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

This card is for Ben's grandmother, Di who turns 91 next week! I've used the same stamp sets that I used in my Kristina Werner Colour Challenge but this time using Bravo Burgundy (though it looks a lot darker than it is in the photo), Ballet Blue and Very Vanilla card stock. I've embossed using silver powder rather than white powder and watercoloured the bird image. I used a stamp positioner so that the words grand and mother are aligned. I've put the Ballet Blue card on an angle to give the card a bit of dimension and put two brads through it for embellishing.

Host a Workshop

This is a great time to host a workshop. If you host a qualifying workshop between now and 15 July, you will receive an additional $50 worth of free goodies. I will also give you an idea book absolutely free. Send me an email for more information or to book a workshop at your place. Gather a small group of family or friends together and invite them over. I'll do the rest. It's easy, but hurry so that you can take advantage of this great offer.

Colour Challenge

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I needed an idea for a birthday card for a male cousin. I have a lot of trouble making cards for males, so I decided to make one using Kristina Werner's colour challenge. I've used Old Olive for the main card. I stamped the tree from the Touch of Nature stamp set on Whisper White and mounted it on Bashful Blue and Not Quite Navy card stock. I stamped Wonderful Cousin from the Wonderful Favourites set on So Saffron card stock. I stamped the acorn from Touch of Nature over the entire card before sticking the images on. Before mounting the picture of the tree, I used a dauber dipped in Old Olive ink to soften the image and tied hemp twine through some eyelets on the two top corners. To lift it, I used Dimensionals rather than snail to stick it to the Not Quite Navy card.

Cherish

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

My Hubby told me the wonderful news that some friends of ours are expecting their first baby. He asked me to make them a card. I've used Apricot Appeal for the main colour with a sash of Lavender Lace and a scallop of Certainly Celery. The two stamp sets are Carte Postale and Baroque Motifs (two of my current favourites). The flower is from the Pretties Kit with Lavender Lace marker on each petal. The brad in the centre is from the Ice collection in the current catalogue. The brad (although not terribly clear in the photo) really makes the card a bit more special.

Back from Europe

Created by Lorna
Images ©1990-2008 Stampin' Up!®

I've just returned from a tour of Europe with my husband Ben. I haven't made any cards since I returned, but here is a card that I made before I left. This very simple card uses the beautiful Summer by The Sea™ stamp set. I used the pastels to add some colour to the image and left room on the left for an optional greeting. This could be a birthday card, anniversary card or even a Valentine's Day card depending on the greeting used.