Mothers Day

I am lucky, cos neither my mother nor mother in law are going to be able to see these before they get them on Mother's Day! The mini 'for you' card uses up some scraps generated from making a couple of the larger sized cards.

This pair of cards uses the Occasional Greetings set again - and there are plenty more stamps to come, I love this set, if you need an all purpose greeting set, this should be it. I was so pleased to see there is a Mothers Day stamp, and there is also a Fathers Day stamp in the set, I might make something with that one next.

The mini "for you" card uses Naturals Ivory as the card base, and the large card uses a 2008/9 In Color "River Rock" The scalloped edges are done with the new corner rounder punch from the 08/09 catalogue, those of you who own the retired punch from last year will notice it creates a deeper narrower scallop. I really like it, and it co-ordinates nicely with the Scallop Punch used in the Lovely Labels "Thank You" card a few posts below. This punch also makes a dimple mark in the centre of the scallop, so it is ideal for hole punching or marking with a gel pen, and I'll show that in an upcoming card. The card colour of the scallops is "Sky Blue", another In Color for this year. The pretty paper is from the Le Jardin collection. The keen eyed amongst you might recognise it as the Enchante collection from the Summer mini just finished, but in a new fresh colourway. I have sponged the edges of the large card in Mellow Moss, and the greetings have been stamped with Mellow Moss.

oooooh! spooky!

Nah, not really. I don't understand why, but I woke up yesterday with this card in my head. At 6.30am. And I am NOT a morning person. And it is still a long way from Halloween!! Obviously it had a burning passion to get out of my system, and it accomplishes use of 2 more of my new stamps. The cute little pumpkin and optional smily face is from the all-purpose "Occasionally" set (112372) which has 28 stamps covering just about every occasion you can think of! Combined with the other set I used, Occasional Greetings (112342) you'd never need another stamp! OK, so who am I trying to kid here? There is no such thing as too many stamps, you have to have them ALL!!!!!! But these would definitely be two good sets to start with! I'll feature more from both sets over the coming days and weeks, as there are a lot to get through! Please excuse the appalling photograph, it has rained here in Sydney for 12 days straight, and flash photography and Only Orange do NOT mix!

This particular card uses Basic Black as a base, with an overlay of Only Orange, stamped in Pumpkin Pie ink with a spotty background stamp from the Itty Bitty Backgrounds set (not new for me, but one I turn to over and over to add textural interest) Then I have added a Basic Black band and finally a Naturals Ivory band stamped with the Happy Halloween greeting and the cute pumpkins. I stamped off the remaining ink, without re-inking from the spotted background on the edges of the Naturals Ivory strip to give it more subtle definition against the black, and to tie it together with the orange stamped background. For this year's Halloween, I plan on making a few goodie bags with a tag using these stamps - of course with my business card details on the back!

I love Glossy White cardstock!

These two cards both use a panel of Stampin' Up!'s Glossy White cardstock (found on p133 of the 2008/9 catalogue, item 106555, $9.50 for 25 sheets) It is probably something you would overlook in the catalogue in favour of all the other yummy choices, but these cards show how effective and versatile it is!

The Ruby red card is stamped first in Versamark ink using the Paisley background stamp (one of my all time faves) to create a subtle watermark effect. I then cut a sheet of Glossy white into 4 equal sections, and stamped each with Ruby Red ink and the Paisely background. I used my brayer to get a nice even impression, but if you don't have one handy, you could use a small rolling pin. The dye based ink penetrates the glossy surface, and gives a rich intense colour, which I think you'll agree makes the stamp pattern really 'pop' from the page! I then trimmed the sections down into bands, and mounted them on a wider strip of our Whisper White cardstock, add a snippet of white Grosgrain ribbon and attach to the card base. Add a greeting in Whisper White craft ink to complement the white accents in the design and Voila! a very quick and easy card that just looks complicated. From one sheet of Glossy white, I made 12 cards, so a little goes a long way, and it is a great technique to consider for any card you need to make a batch of.

The second card uses the "Crayon Resist" technique, and I did a more detailed tutorial on that a few weeks ago if you'd care to scroll down a bit. Briefly, you need Glossy White cardstock, Stazon ink, a white WAX crayon, some small sections of sponge (such as Stampin' Sponges, p 150, 101610, $6.50 /3pk) and a couple of inks that look nice together. Stamp, apply crayon to areas you wish to highlight, sponge inks over and then polish with a tissue to reveal the white areas under the wax. Again, this is a great technique for cards you need to mass produce, as you can stamp a whole sheet of GW and cut it into small sections to embellish your card bases with. This card uses Apricot Appeal and Certainly Celery inks and cardstocks.

I hope you like them, give me a call on (02) 9484 9447 if you'd like to add some Glossy White to your supplies!

Proud mum moment..

This card was not created by me, but by my newest team member, Susan! She came up with this snappy idea using the "Its your birthday" and the sadly retired "Stem Silhouettes" sets, with a canvas background to make a simple and elegant yet masculine birthday card in just a few minutes. Thanks Susan for letting me take a pic and show it off!

Would YOU like to join my team? There are lots of great reasons - from feeding your stamping habit at a discount, to making a bit of extra cash to building your own team and making a rewarding career that suits YOUR lifestyle.

As your 'mum' - or Upline as SU! calls us, I offer support and advice to help you operate at whatever level YOU choose. It doesn't matter if you live in the next street or on the other side of the country, I'm available to help you, or keep out of your way - whatever suits you.

In addition, the resources available only to Demonstrators from Stampin' Up! are wonderful and extensive, and there are two friendly and supportive Demonstrator online forums available to members of my team.

Concerned about the costs? Don't be. The Starter Kit is offered at 40% discount on RRP, and can be customised extensively to suit your tastes. It represents amazing value as well as everything you need to get started.

The ongoing quarterly minimums are easily achievable even if you buy only for yourself. Add orders from a friend or two and you can be MAKING money.

Should your circumstances change and you decide not to continue as a Demonstrator, there are no penalties whatsoever, no cancellation fee, nothing to return!

Really REALLY don't want to hold workshops or parties? No problem - unlike many Direct Sales companies, they are not required.

On the other hand, if you like meeting new people and sharing your passion for stamping and papercraft, you will love your new job as a SU! Demo

Unenthusiastic partner? Not a problem, just send HIM to the newsagents to buy the next round of Birthday cards and he'll be your biggest fan in no time!

Contact me for a no-obligation chat, and to receive an information package and application forms.

Ta Da!!

And here is the first card I have made, using 2 new sets. This is one of the cards that has been in my head since I first saw the delicious Scallop punch in the new catalogue. It nests beautifully with both the 1 3/8" and 1 1/4" circle punches, and these circle punches can be used on so many different SU stamps that they are all a must have in your punch collection! So easy to layer and create contrast with. The Lovely Labels set also leapt out at me - there are 4 stamps in the set, this is my favourite. I sponged the edges of the scallop with Blue Bayou ink to make it 'pop' against the background. I finished off the scalloped layered stamps with a strip of the beautiful Le Jardin Designer series paper mounted on Bayou Blue cardstock, one of our new In Colors for 2008/9. The card base is another In Color, River Rock, and it is a neutral with a bit of kick! The gorgeous swirl is a stamp from the Priceless set - definitely on my wish list - is it on yours? Hope you like it, I was pleased with how it turned out - just as it appeared in my head for a change!

New Stamp Challenge!

Well, I've been thinking of this for the last week since my gorgeous new goodies arrived, and now I have mounted all my new sets it's time to start creating! I want to make a card or papercraft object with EVERY one of my new stamps and put them up here for you to see. Now that I have put this up here in public, I feel accountable (and it will make me actually do it LOL!) I'd love to read your comments, especially since some of the projects kicking around in my brain might be less than traditional!! Off I go!

GREAT time to book a workshop!

If you live in the Sydney area within 1hr travelling time from Cherrybrook, contact me NOW! to book an in-home workshop to explore the fabulous new products in the 2008-2009 Idea Book and Catalogue! I have just received NINE yummy brand-new stamp sets and some great accessories, including the long-awaited round scallop punch and TEXTURED cardstock in the great colour family groups. There is lots more on my wishlist, and there is sure to be something on yours!

I can tailor a workshop to suit anyone from beginners to experienced papercrafters, and can demonstrate both cardmaking and scrapbooking techniques. There are generous benefits for Hostesses, which are very achievable! It's also a lot of fun and a great couple of hours away from your daily schedule, even for 'non-crafty' people.

Call me today on (02) 9484 9447 or email me at michelle.dyson@bigpond.com to book a convenient time.

New Catalogue Launch - this week!

It's time! My new catalogue launch will be held this THURSDAY 10th April at my home in Cherrybrook. There are two time slots, 10am-12 noon and 8pm-10pm. There will be make and takes (with new goodies that should arrive early this week!) along with nibbles, champagne, prizes and demonstrations. New catalogues are only $10.00 on the night, and there are great incentives for placing orders and making workshop bookings. All welcome, please contact me ASAP to RSVP and to get location details on 9484 9447 or michelle.dyson@bigpond.com