Winter Post

This is the card that my friend and fellow demonstrator Sally taught at our last Team event, a few weeks back {quite a few weeks ago now..}.  I love the Vintage look and it's just a little bit fancy being a Twisted Easel card too.  

And here's the side view~

Stamp Set: Winter Post, Kindness Matters, Snow Swirled
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Ridinghood Red, Early Expresso
Ink: Ridinghood Red, Early Expresso, Early Expresso
Accessories: Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Metallic Brads, 3/8" Ridinghood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Decorative Label Punch, Matt Pack, Paper Piercer, Distressing Tool, Sponge. 

Only Two Days Left!

There are just a few days left of our Big Shot Promotion!  Grab some of those dies on your wish list and receive 10% off.  You must contact me before Wednesday 30 November!  And if the Big Shot has been on your wish list for Christmas, now is a great time to pick it up to get the 10% off bundle  which includes the Scallop Heart Embosslits and the Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder.  

Place your order here.  

Masculine Gift Card Holder

Here's some masculine and Christmas themed gift card holders that I whipped up during the week.  Change the message and they're perfect for Christmas, birthday or wedding so the recipient can select what they really want. 

Stamp Set: Trendy Trees
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Oval Scallop punch, Oval Punch, Crop-a-Dile, Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelet (retired), Hemp Twine

Stamp Set: Holiday Lineup
Card Stock: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Black Staz On
Accessories: Brights Water Colour Crayons, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Silver Brads, Two Way Glue, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.


Have you got much planned for the weekend?  I'm busy making samples for my Summer Mini Catalogue Launch next Sunday.  Email me here if you're interested in coming along.  More details and timings are on the left of my blog :)  

Nature's Nest

Here's another card using the feather from Nature's Nest Stamp Set.  I love the feather in this set and have coloured it using Stampin' Markers.  I thought I could get away with it being a "gender neutral" card, but I forgot the minor details of the pearls and don't know many men who would appreciate them - lol. 

Stamp Set: Natures Nest
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
Ink: Pacific Point Stampin' Marker, Pool Party Stampin' Marker, Soft Suede Stampin' Marker
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls, Spritzer Tool. 


I had a lovely time catching up with my girlfriend yesterday {waving at you Rhonda}.  Don't you love it when you can pick up where you left off, even if you've not seen each other for many months or sometimes years?  


I hope your weekend was a good as mine and have a happy week ahead. 

A Note of Thanks

These are the little note cards that I put in with my customer orders this week.  Another cute and simple idea cased from Crafting Clare in the UK.  

Stamp Set: Strength and Hope, Thank You Kindly
Card Stock: Early Expresso, Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Early Expresso
Accessories: Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Boho Blossoms Punch, Basic Pearls.


I'm catching up with an good friend today who is visiting from Turkey. We've known each other since we were in our early 20's and use to work together in Wellington.  She's an avid crafter too - so I'll be bringing out some of my toys and we're having a play date.  That is, so long as we can stop talking long enough to actually play ;) 

More French Foliage

I don't know what it is - but I tend to dig out a stamp set that I've not used for ages and then, I can't seem to put it down. Such is the case with French Foliage.  Here are two cards that I've cased from Sue Madex, a talented demonstrator from Australia. These are both clean and simple and didn't take very long at all to make. 

This one doesn't have a message on the front, so will be ideal to keep in my emergency stash :)

Stamp Set: French Foliage, Fabulous Phrases
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive
Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch.


Happy Friday everyone!  Have a fabulous weekend and I'll see you again soon.  

Thinking of You

I have had to make two bereavement cards this past week. And, like most people, they're not my favourite kind of card to make although sometimes making the card is the easy bit.  The difficult part, is finding the words to express the sympathy I feel for the recipients and this was no exception.  


This is a case from Lee Conrey who is a demonstrator from Florida, in the USA. It uses the Nature Walk stamp set and I love the simplicity of it.  


I've used the Scallop Square Duo with my trusty Big Shot and as you know, the Scallop Squares don't come in this size.  To get the size I needed, I matched up the scallops and ran it through the Big Shot a few times, until I got the right size. It took a couple of attempts because I hadn't done it before, but now I'm quite the expert ;) Give it a go and you'll see just how easy it is. The Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die has 10% off till the 30 November, so you pay just $43.65 for the two sizes - but follow my instructions and you really get loads of different sizes.  How good is that!!  Email me here if you'd like to order one.

Stamp: Nature Walk, Curly Cute
Card Stock: Whisper White, Baja Breeze
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Square Duo Bigz Die, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon, Old Olive and Baja Breeze Stampin' Marker pens.

French Foliage

This card is yet another CASE (copy and share everything) - because truth be known, that's my speciality.  I would love to have time to create all my cards from scratch, but that's not to be, for the time being. Some people get hung up about it, but not me - I'm shameless and am just pleased that I have time to do what I can, when I can.  


This card uses French Foliage and is very Autumny {of course that's a word } to match our changeable weather we've been having lately. Whatever has happened to Spring?  I'm loving River Rock (first time ever I've used this colour) mounted on Soft Suede and have cased this card from Cindy Hall a demonstrator from the USA. My card looks very different because she's used the Gently Falling stamp set, which we don't have, so I've substituted it with French Foliage. Once again, I think this would be suitable for either a male or female. 

Stamp Set: French Foliage, Sincere Salutations
Cardstock: Soft Suede, River Rock, Very Vanilla
Ink: Versamark, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Soft Suede
Accessories: Gold Brads, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Sponges, Spritzer Tool, Soft Suede Stampin' Marker. 

It's the 11th day of the 11th month in 2011 today and not only is it Armistice Day (also known as Veteran's Day), but it would also have been my dad's birthday.  Sadly, he passed away 8 years ago - RIP Dad. We miss you heaps xxx
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by! 

Nature's Nest

I've had loads of friends and family with birthdays recently (yes, I'm surrounded in Scorpios) and so, have been head down making cards. Some, I've used from my emergency stash because there hasn't been enough hours in the day to make everyone a card from scratch.  I've probably blogged them already, so won't bore you with a repeat.  I have made a few however, which I've enjoyed doing.  I don't know about you, but the Christmas silly season hasn't even started yet and I'm already finding that I've got less time, than ever before. Is it the same for you?

I'm not sure will be the recipient of this card yet but it is suitable for either a male or female.  I've cased it from a demonstrator I found while blog hopping one day - Crafty Clare in the UK.  I loved the colours she'd used although some of them have retired, so I substituted them for current colours, which I reckon work pretty well together. 

Stamp Set: Nature Nest, Sincere Salutations, Season of Joy, En Francais

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Whisper White

Ink: Pacific Point, Island Indigo, Marina Mist

Accessories: Linen Thread, Corner Punch, Button from Designer Brights pack.

It's hump day today which means only two days till the weekend - yay!!  

Punch Pals

Happy Monday everyone!  How was your weekend?  Mine was a bit longer (gotta love that!) because I took today off work to go to my daughter's final prize giving. She's just completed her Year 13 (was actually only here for half of it because was in the States on a student exchange for the first half),  has three exams over the next few weeks and then, that's it - she'll be off venturing into the big wide world.  She's not 100% sure what she wants to do next year yet, but has applied to Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to do a Communications degree or may take a gap year to visit her friends in the USA for their graduation next May/June.  At this stage, it looks like the latter is the preferably option.  


I had a lovely class yesterday making Christmas Gifts. We made three projects altogether including a Bottle Tag Card (thanks to Michelle Cave - for the inspiration), a decorated Insect Frame (thanks to Ann Wills who taught us this at a training day a few months back) and this adorable little Tic Tac holder - which is a case from a case.  I cased it from Sally Williams and she cased it from someone else in blog land.


Isn't the little snowman adorable!  This is quick and simple, and literally took minutes to make. Ideal for a little stocking filler or to make to sell at Christmas Gala's.  

Here's how to make it:

• The dimensions for the Cherry Cobbler (CC) measures: 10.5cm x 7cm scored at 4.5cm and 6cm. 
• The Whisper White (WW) piece is: 5cm by 7cm. 
• The piece of CC has all four corners removed (using the Corner Punch) and the two outer corners of the Whisper White.  
• Use the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to stamp the Snowman on the Whisper White with Black Stazon, then punch out his tummy using the 3/4" punch.  Use the punch upside down so you can view exactly where you need to punch.  
• Place the white piece on top of the CC and draw around the circle in pencil, so you get  exact placement to punch out the circle from the Cherry Cobbler. If you're only making 1-2, you could probably get away with punching the two pieces of card together, but I want my punches to last, so decided to punch the two pieces individually to ensure longevity. 
• Colour in the Snowman (I used the marker pens directly onto the card because when I used a blender pen, the paper started to pill, which is what you don't want).  
• Fold and crease the CC card and wrap a length of 1/8" Black Taffeta ribbon (approx 30cm) around it.  
• Adhere the WW stamped piece onto the front of it, ensuring the ribbon underneath is lying flat. Viola!!  Easy peasy.  
• Any questions, or if you want to order any of these products, please contact me HERE. 

Stamp Set: Punch Pals
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, Real Red, Old Olive Stampin' Markers
Accessories: 3/4" Circle Punch, Corner Punch, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon.


Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you again soon. 

Stampin' Up! November Promotion

November is here and, with it, an exciting promotion, to die for!

Big Shot Promotion
During November, get 10% off select Big Shot Dies or a Big Shot Bundle containing the Big Shot die-cutting machine and two preselected Big Shot dies. 


Click here for more information and to see which select dies have 10% off. 

Stitched Stocking Set

We had a fabulous day on Saturday, at our annual WOW PaperKRafters Christmas Team event.  This was the project that I demonstrated, using the new Stitched Stocking stamp set and coordinating punch.  I cased it from the wonderfully talented Lisa Young, a demo from the USA.  It's a little bit hard to see but the box has the silver metallic belly band around it and holds the four cards and mini envelopes.  I've embossed the lid of the box using the Petals-a-Plenty textured embossing folder which I thought could pass as little poinsettia's.  It makes a simple and cute Christmas gift.  

Stamp Set: Stitched Stockings, Pennant Parade, Short and Sweet, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Card Stock: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White, Silver Metallic
Ink: Old Olive, Real Red
Accessories:  Stocking Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Decorative Label Punch, 1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon, Linen Thread, Rhinestones, Mini Square Envelopes, Big Shot, Petals-a-Plenty, Perfect Polka Dots, Stripes and Square Lattice Textured Embossing Folders.