Blooming with Kindness, Thanks, and Warm Wishes

I made these cards using a modified "rock n roll" technique, where I inked up the stamp first all over with "Pool Party".  I then used "Island Indigo" to add a darker colour around the rim of the stamp.  To create depth, I used a sponge dauber to put more Island Indigo on parts of the flower.  And isn't it a beautiful flower!  It belongs to a set from the Annual Catalogue, "Blooming with Kindness"  (just $39.95 in wood).  The set has a wide variety of useful and elegant sentiments, including for hope, thank you, kindness and birthday.  I've actually used some very special stamps on these, from a set given to Convention attendees last year in Canberra, called "Workshop Words".  I inked up the stems with Lucky Limeade.  Very quick, very easy, and lots of fun. 

In other news, Stampin' Crop! is next Saturday 23rd February, and there are just a couple of spots free.  Call me 0403 175 790 to get more information, or check the entry in the Google Calendar at the right sidebar.

Sale-a-bration is here!

Oh yum!  This is the best selection of free goodness we've had in the 5+ years I have been a demonstrator!  We finally have the same offerings as the US, including a wider range of stamp sets. In last year's brochure, the co-ordinating DSP, stamp set and ribbon + button pack was very popular, so you're going to love this year's suite!  There's paper, ribbon + buttons, a stamp set and an embossing folder!    Additional choices include a Simply Sent kit with very on-trend chevron designs, and a petite curly label punch!

So - how to get your choice of these?  (or indeed all of them if you so desire!)  As usual, each $100 in product ordered from any current catalogue allows you to select your choice.  Don't like any of them?  That's been covered as well, because there are selected items from the main catalogue you can choose instead!  Contact me to be sent a brochure, or click the banner image above to see a link to the PDF, or here to visit promo info on the Stampin' Up! website.  

INKLINGS Team Blog Hop - Masculine Ideas Galore!!

Welcome to The INKlings’ Team’s first ever blog hop. You may have arrived here from Joanna Wassens blog or just be visiting my blog, whichever way once you’ve checked out my creations you can continue the hop through the link at the end of this post to the next team member, Christie Wallace who has some cool 'manly' BigShot projects to show us.


What style of cards do we frequently get asked for inspiration for? More often than not it’s masculine cards, be it little boys or grandfathers everyone seems to struggle with cards for the males in our lives. So as a team we thought we’d help you out by providing you with 20 team members’ fantastic blogs that you can hop through and get lots of creative inspiration from. Be sure to bookmark your faves, or add us to your "follow" list so you can come back and visit us again!


Want to win some Blog Candy? Simply leave a comment on each blog and then email Michelle Dyson (yes, that's me, I'm co-ordinating this bit) and let her know you’ve done so and you’ll be in the running for a fantastic prize of 20 handmade cards and other goodies.

Sorry,  Blog Candy prize not available to SU! demonstrators. But everyone is most welcome to leave a comment! 


So, what have I created to show you? I think I must be a bit strange, because I enjoy creating 'blokey' cards, probably because I can easily conjure up a grungy, messy style. Neat and elegant - not so much!

My dad was the inspiration behind this card, as he is a Boilermaker by trade, welding and making interesting stuff with metal. And, I've recently run a class on Heat Embossing techniques, where one of the techniques we learned about was "Faux Metal". I made some metal-look embellishments by stamping the "Totally Tool" stamp set images into a puddle of molten silver embossing powder, and then trimmed around the tools. They really do look like they are made from pressed tin!

For the rest of the card, I chose Basic Gray cardstock, which happens to be pretty much "Overall Gray" too. I've used the "Sanded" background on the top section of the card, with Basic Gray ink, and the nuts and bolt stamp from the "Lots of Bots" Autumn/Winter mini stamp set to stamp the lower section, in honour of the various screws, split pins and bolts that would come out of the washing machine with the (cleaner) grey overalls. I have taken a layer of Brushed Silver metallic cardstock, and used the "Spiral" punch along one edge.

 Next came the fun bit - scrunching it up and distressing the edges. Since one of my enduring memories of childhood was greasy smudges, I used a great 'blokey' tool, the "Spritzer" and my Basic Gray marker to squirt random inky splodges over the background and metallic layer.   Over this, I have put a 'rivetted' panel, stamped many times with the "Sanded" background to darken the Basic Gray panel.  I then ran it through another great tool for masculine cards, the Crimper, giving it a corrugated iron effect.  I matted this piece on a distressed Basic Black panel and attached the layers with some Antique Pewter Jumbo Eyelets with my Crop-a-dile.  Yes, they are very slightly wonky, but I think it adds to the effect.. (that's my excuse anyway).  I mounted the faux metal using Pop Up Glue dots, which are a great choice for adding dimension when you don't want white foam to show.  At the bottom of the card, I added a sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Sentiments" on a spritzed piece of Whisper White, punched out with the large oval, mounted with Stampin' Dimensionals Then I added a row of Pewter brads and Jumbo Eyelet.  Now, I don't think my dad is ever going to actually retire, but at least he might have more time to muck about in his workshop these days!

My second project was designed to co-ordinate with the card.  Again, inspired by my dad, who always, always has a notebook with him to jot down important measurements, sizes, contact details etc.   I have taken an Office One spiral bound notebook from KMart, which happens to have the same coil spacing as our Spiral punch, and punched along the side of a piece of Basic Gray Designer Prints paper, before sticking down onto the notebook cover.  I stamped the nuts and bolts again, as above, and sponged the edges to give them a 'pre-smudged' look.  Down the spine I have tied some short ribbon lengths, in black gingham, black grosgrain and Basic Gray Taffeta.  A second piece of Designer Prints paper was matted on a distressed Basic Black panel, and layered with two more faux metal tools and a silver embossed monogram rivetted on with some more Jumbo eyelets.

Well that’s all from me. Next stop on the INKlings’ Team Blog Hop is Christie Wallace
for a clever gift card holder and Big Shot card. Have fun and don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to win some great Blog Candy.  Did you add me to your Bloglines/follow list/bookmarks yet? 

List of participants - in case you get lost or something gets broken along the way, you can hop back here and find the next Blog in the chain to visit. The names of the girls are the bloghop posts, and the URLs are their blog home addresses, to make this useful for people who want to do the hop further down the track...

1. Clare McIllhatton http://craftycowcreations.blogspot.com/
2. Janice Spencer http://www.janicespencer.blogspot.com/
3. Dani Holland http://www.daniholland.wordpress.com/
4. Kylie Swain http://kraftykylie.typepad.com/blossom_designs/
5. Amy Anderson http://amyandersonsblog.blogspot.com/
6. Kari Hughes http://www.karigail.wordpress.com/
7. Jayne Mercer http://www.jaynemercer.com/blogs
8. Joanna Wassens http://www.joannawassens.com/
9. Michelle Dyson http://stampinkpaper.blogspot.com/
10. Christie Wallace http://christiescreativecorner.blogspot.com/
11. Ryn Gibbs http://rynscraps.blogspot.com/
12. Fiona Brown http://www.fionajanestamping.blogspot.com/
13. Beth Stewart http://www.elisabethstewart.com/
14. Nicky Adamson http:/nickyadamson.blogspot.com
15. Dani Fender http://danifender.blogspot.com/
16. Michelle Frost-Stevenson http://stampinground.wordpress.com/
17. Rachel Jackson http://havefunstamping.blogspot.com/
18. Rachel Capps http://rachelcapps.wordpress.com/
19. Carolyn Campbell-McLean http://carolyncampbell-mclean.blogspot.com/
20. Michelle Le Breton http://www.michellescraftclasses.blogspot.com/

You don't know what you've got till it's gone...

No, I'm not channelling Joni Mitchell, but I do have an important point to make... I *really* don't want anyone to panic, it's just paper after all, but I do want to make everyone aware of the facts so that they can avoid disappointment, hence this reminder post...

The Colour Renovation Project has exceeded all forecasts of demand in the US. Some colours (despite analysis by SU! of sales trends, previous retirement purchasing behaviour, and building in a comfortable 'safety margin') have already SOLD OUT in 8.5x11" smooth cardstock, having exceeded demand by as much as 4x predictions. Where possible, more is being manufactured to meet backorders, but there is a limit to what can be done without affecting production of the exciting NEW colours.

The sold-out colours in the US do not affect us here in Australia/NZ directly, as our cardstock is a different size, A4. However, the same result could ultimately be expected here as we get closer to the release of the new Catalogue, and extra production is limited by the same factors as the US market.

So - please, don't delay, take a good look at your colours. Decide which you are willing to leave behind as you move to the beautiful new palette, and also which colours you feel you can't do without for a while yet. Own the inkpad? Check you have a reinker on hand. Use the colour a lot in your cards or scrapping? Check you have a pack or two in reserve. Matching ribbon? Marker? Like to watercolour flowers and nature images? Consider the Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder crayon kit for all the colours you need in one set. Have some patterned paper featuring a retiring colour? Check your stash for matching cardstock, etc

A timely investment now will save you (and me!) much stress later on when stocks become unavailable. There's nothing worse than trying to track down a reinker for a retired colour, "hen's teeth" doesn't even come close! And I can see the Ebay prices skyrocketing along with demand...

We are lucky that we have a couple of extra months to plan ahead and order, but I do recommend that you organise and order for your future needs sooner rather than later.

As an added incentive, place an order of $50 or more (excl p/h) before MAY 31st to receive a free Stampin' Write marker, valued at $5.75 + p/h in a retiring colour (random choice, but I will match with your order where possible) Your order must contain at least one retiring colour product. Limit of one marker per customer, per order. Sorry, full packs/rolls only, no split packs - why not consider sharing with your stampin' friends?
Off you go, consider it your homework for the week from your Creative Coach!

I'm off to prepare for my Friday Evening Class on PUNCHES, finish some 6x6 Scrapping pages, and work on my projects for the upcoming Inklings Team Blog Hop - starting Thursday night! - theme is MASCULINE projects, so you're bound to find heaps of inspiration. Stay tuned for details, and have a lovely, crisp Autumn day! Thanks very much to Caroline LeBel, a Canadian SU! Demo for her lovely Colour Renovation image (spelled the non US way!)

And the Winner is.... Vintage Vogue!

Well, I think it is a winner of a stamp set - versatile, matching wheel, nice sentiments etc. But I'm really talking about a different kind of winner. After my launch, I wrote out tickets for each guest, one for every $50 spent on the day. I had my daughter help scrunch them into balls and draw the lucky winner.....

Debbie S from Normanhurst!

Congratulations Debbie, your prize will be delivered with your order. Debbie has won the limited edition Hostess Set "Picture this" from the A/W mini, "Vintage Labels" Saleabration set, some Pendant Notes, samples of the polka dot ribbon in our 3 new colours, a marker, white gel pen and some retired "Mini take out box" template sheets. I hope you enjoy using your prize Debbie, and thanks so much to everyone who came and made it a great day!

Now for the third Mother's Day card, and the second of my Make and Take projects at the A/W Mini Launch.

Card Base: Lovely Lilac, rolled with the "Very Vintage" jumbo wheel in "Lovely Lilac" ink.

Stamped panel: "Top Note" Bigshot die cut from "Whisper White" and stamped with "Vintage Vogue" in "Sage Shadow", "Lovely Lilac" "Elegant Eggplant" and "Lavender Lace" Flowers were trimmed with Papersnips, and layered with Stampin' Dimensionals, and given a Dazzling Diamonds glitter accent. The sentiment is from "Occasional Greetings", but like the previous card, you could easily turn this one into many other cards by switching the greeting around. There is also a Sizzlit "Little Leaves" diecut tucked behind the flowers, cut from "Sage Shadow" cardstock and glued on with Tombow glue. The colours in RED are on the Retiring List - check your supply of cardstock and ensure you have a reinker for your inkpad before it's too late!!

Butterfly Prints - QUICK EASY CARDS! Get it while you can!

One of the most popular sets from our Summer Mini catalogue has been the "Butterfly Prints" set and the matching butterfly punch. This card was made laaaate one night, in preparation for a birthday party being attended by my daughter for one of her friends turning 5. I made it with leftover pieces from a Make n Take at a workshop earlier that evening, using the Sweet Always papers and the matching colours of Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White and Chocolate Chip. Super quick (well, it needed to be!!), I simply stamped the butterflies randomly over the card base in matching Regal Rose ink and some on Whisper White in various colours above before punching out. So quick!! A band across the centre of the Designer Series Paper and some Felt Fusion flower accents with a Rhinestone brad and the Scallop Oval punch to add a greeting from the "Something Sweet" set. A final touch was a tie of wide grosgrain ribbon in Regal Rose.

This set (and all the others in the Summer Mini) are only going to be available until March 31st, so check the catalogue by clicking on the cover image at the right hand side and get in touch if there is anything you'd like to get before it's gone! Check this post from a little further down for my bonus free post or free marker offer!

There's still time to Sale-a-brate! + FREE POST BONUS

Sale-a-bration has just FOURTEEN DAYS left to run!

Have you got your FREE stamp sets yet? Got more on your wishlist?

Simply get your order to me before 9pm on March 31st and you can choose one of 4 never-to-be-seen-again stamp sets for each $100 spent on fabulous Stampin' Up! products!

There's "Happy Moments" , shown in the two cards above, with it's cute birdie in a cage and great cake - simple to watercolour, and with three versatile sentiments to go with it - 'for you', 'happy birthday' and 'thank you'

Or, 'Vintage Labels' - a set of three elegant frame stamps and three sentiments to go inside them, designed to co-ordinate perfectly with Stampin' Up! punches. You can see a card made with this set HERE

Then there's "Good Neighbours" - a cute collection of little houses and trees you can mix and match with. This set goes beautifully with "Trendy Trees" and "Funky Forest" and is just the ticket for housewarming and moving home announcements as well as great borders for scrapping. Shelly May has done a great selection of cute cards with this set!

And lastly, an elegant and versatile sentiment set called "Whimsical Words" Shelly May has shown us even more great cards with this set, and I agree with her, you can never have too many sentiment sets, because you'll always have the right thing to say! Clever girl this one, I wonder if she's a 'Michelle' as well, or a born 'Shelly'??

And, if you've been thinking about signing up to become a demonstrator for the great bonuses and product discount (as well as the most fun you can have earning money!), there's still time! Please give me a call for a no-obligation chat and I can help you sign up online! During Sale-a-bration each new team member can choose any stamp set valued at up to $79.95 FREE, in addition to the great value, highly customisable Starter Kit. If you place your first order over $300 before March 31st, you not only earn a generous extra discount rate, but you can select THREE (or more!) Sale-a-bration sets as well! Tiny investment, huge opportunities and bonus freebies - it doesn't get much better!

Lastly, I have a BONUS offer for my local customers - from today 17th March 2010 until 9pm March 31st I am offering free postage on all orders if you are willing and able to collect your order from Cherrybrook (North-West Sydney). For my non-local customers who have their orders shipped directly, you can select a FREE Stampin' Write marker in your choice of colour, valued at $5.75! I have a goal to reach the next Sales bracket for the Sale-a-bration promotional period, and I hope that you can all help me reach it!

Ooooh! getting close!

My little blog counter is getting ready to tick over to 10,000! How exciting! Who will be the 10,000th visitor I wonder? Leave me a comment if you're the one and I'll send you a gift :) I'll be a watchin!

My new Stampin Up! Website!

It's brand new, and I'm still finding my feet around editing and personalising it, but if you're interested in popping over for a look, here's the link (and clicking the picture should also work, I hope!):

Demonstrator Business Web Site - Michelle Dyson

There are some very cool features, my fave is being able to bypass all the forms and sign up to become a member of my StampInkPaper Inc team, all with the click of a few buttons! All you need to do before joining is to contact me for the special password, but you'd probably want to have a chat first anyway!

It's also a great place to go and see all the latest in official promotions offered by Stampin' Up!, like the Christmas Extravaganza promo, running until December 14th (quick!) Free punches, pretty cool deal!

What else? You can sign up to get a newsletter, get RSS feeds etc when I update, view my schedule of classes and events, see some projects, and lots more. I'll still be keeping my blog, especially while I am still a learner on the proper website, but I hope to be updating both on a regular basis. So, do drop by and have a peek, and leave me a comment here to let me know you've visited. I'll draw a little RAK from the people who comment in a week's time... (PS - Lynda S!! I haven't forgotten, your RAK is on my whiteboard to-do, promise it won't be much longer!)

Fathers Day - belatedly!

I saw my own dad today, and gave him his Father's day gift. So, I thought I should get around to posting the cards that I made for the event. The first card is a quick and simple one, but proved to be a big success with the several groups that made it with me. It uses a Kraft cardstock base, stamped with Not Quite Navy ink using the Sanded background. Next up we have a hand-cut pocket template in Not Quite Navy, stamped the same way. I made a chipboard template for these pockets to help with mass production.

Next I cut a length of twill tape and frayed the ends a little before attaching to the front of the card. The pocket was applied over this, and a white gel pen faux stitching effect was added.

For the greeting, I have used the Happy Fathers Day stamp from the Occasional Greetings set, stamped in Not Quite Navy onto Confetti Cream cardstock. I cut around this and matted on a piece of Kraft cardstock, and popped it up using Stampin Dimensionals.

Very quick, very easy!

The second card was a little more involved, and combines paper piecing techniques with the cute "Just Beachy" stamp set from the Spring Mini. The card base is Whisper White, and I have used strips of Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss to form the grass, sea and sky. A thin scalloped edge of Pacific Point cardstock goes between the grass and the sea to form some waves.

In addition to the Just Beachy set which provided the car and sun images, I also used the "dear dad" stamp from the Occasionally set. You can find this set on page 30of the IBC, and it's packed with 28 stamps to cover everything from mothers day, christmas, babies, love, easter, weddings and lots more. You might also be able to recognise another set I have used, although not in its usual form. If you'd like to be the recipient of a RAK goodie bag, just be the first to post a comment here identifying the set.

I stamped the car and sun images onto watercolor paper using Stazon Black ink, and coloured them using Earth Elements Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a Blender Pen. I added some gloss using Crystal Effects in the centre of the sun and the car windows. The top edge of the grass panel is distressed with the cutter kit distressing tool.

To finish, I added a snippet of Kiwi Kiss striped grosgrain ribbon and attached it with a large brad from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge kit.

Hope you like them :)

Spring Mini Catalogue - almost ready to be unveilled!

So, what is a mini catalogue? For those of you who are new(er) to Stampin' Up!, you are possibly wondering.... It's a special catalogue featuring stamp sets and accessories that might not be available ever again. Other times, stamp sets which debut in a mini catalogue will appear in an upcoming main Idea Book and Catalogue. But, given that our current IBC will be running until September 2010, you'll have a wait indeed if you miss out this time! And, we never will know which lucky stamp sets will win a place in the big book, and which will retire forever - there have been tears and tantrums before! My advice is, if you see something you love, make sure it's at the top of your wishlist NOW to avoid disappointment.

How do you get your hands on a copy of this pretty booklet? There are a couple of options:

Local-ish to Cherrybrook? Come along to our Spring Mini Catalogue Launch Party on Saturday 8th August, anywhere between 2pm and 8pm. There will be displays, demonstrations, lucky door prizes, Make n take projects, champagne and delicious treats to nibble (Andrew is standing by with his Chef's hat on) Kim Tonnet and I will be hosting, and you'll have a chance to order. Cost is $5.00, and includes your own copy of the mini. Cost is fully redeemable against an order of $50 or more at the event. Please email or call 9484 9447 to RSVP ASAP!

Not local or can't make it? Call or email me with your contact details and mailing address to be posted a copy. If you already have a demonstrator, I'm sure she'd be delighted to give you one.

Off to do some photography of cards I've made, to give you a sneak peek of the gorgeous products on offer, come back soon!

Goooooooood Morrrrnnnnnrning SUNSHINE!

The title reference to this post is a little bit obscure, but those of you who are fans of the Robin Williams film Good Morning Vietnam will probably get it! Anyway, there ain't no sunshine in Sydney today, it's bucketing down right now (in time for me to meet the school bus of course!)

As promised, I'm back with a couple more sneak peeks from my Launch night... Featuring a gorgeously retro paper pack called "Good Morning Sunshine" I had fun making this page, of a sepia toned print of my daughter, aged 11 months. The "Good Friend" stamp set features here, and goes nicely with the paper style. This set has a cute bird with separate legs and beak, so you can play around with the construction using your Stamp-a-ma-jig, and also a two-step stamping stylised dandelion. The colours in this paper pack are chocolate chip, summer sun, and the two In Colors Pacific Point and Kiwi Kiss. I've used some other designs to cover some notebooks and pencils for goody bag recipients. What do you think?

New Stampin' Up! 2009-10 Catalogue about to Launch!

I have my pre-ordered goodies on hand, and my stack of catalogues ready to show to my guests at my Launch Party, Saturday 4th April (more details below!). I've been busy creating with the gorgeous new In Colors, and new stamp sets. The picture above gives you a sneak peek, and I'll showcase each card in more detail over the coming weeks. There will be a prize of 6x6 designer series paper sheets and some ribbon samples for the person who invents the best story about how the bright Tangerine Tango card at the back left came into being... The less eye-catching version is on the right hand side...
I hope you like what you see, this is but a tiny sample of the wonders inside, with some fabulous treats for all tastes in stamping and scrapping! Can't wait to show you, so book now for Launch Night!

A Happy Accident and a RAK

This card does not look quite the way I had intended, but I think I like it all the more for it! I have been itching to get this gorgeous background stamp, Baroque since seeing some inspiring cards using it for the "emerging colour" technique. But, I was in too much of a hurry to jump straight into that, and decided to have a play with my markers first. Straight out of the box. Without cleaning it. And, this was the serendipitous result! Somewhere below is my tutorial on solid stamps, where I explain that the manufacturing process can leave a residue that stops the ink from clinging well to the rubber, and that a thorough cleaning will do wonders. Well, this is what happens when you don't clean a new stamp! It's not often a mistake turns into a pleasing result, but I instantly realised that I couldn't achieve such an authentic sanded/distressed look even if I tried, and decided to go ahead and use the panel for my card.

I've used Night of Navy cardstock base, stamped with Sanded background in Night of Navy ink


Then I trimmed down the Whisper White Baroque panel to fit on a mat of Rose Red, and adhered these layers to the base.


Next I added some bands, white taffeta ribbon and a metal edge square tag topped with a 1 1/4" punched square, stamped with the Thanks and flower from the Live your Dreams set, popped up with Stampin Dimensionals.


Finally I added a few tiny half back pearls, not sure about those though, so they may come off later :)


So, who else has a tale of Happy Stampin Accident to tell? There's a RAK in it for my favourite story posted here as a comment, I'll choose next week.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy weekend!

Time to Stock Up!

It's time to stock up on our beautiful Designer Series Paper ranges!

Why?

*Because we are nearing the end of our current catalogue, and it is likely some patterns will disappear forever on 1st April, or at least in their current colourway

*Because they are great quality, heavy weight, double sided papers, with a multitude of uses on cards, scrap pages, Off The Page items and more

*Because they co-ordinate beautifully with our cardstock ranges, making for quick and trouble free colour selection

*Because it's Sale-a-bration time, where each order of $100 earns you a choice of four free stamp sets

*And, because they are fantastic value at just $11.95# for 12 double sided sheets, 2 each of 6 designs (# + 5% p/h)

However, this price won't be around for much longer! You may remember that Stampin' Up! generously honoured the $11.95 price printed in error in the 2008-09 Idea Book & Catalogue, these paper packs were $16.95 the previous year. While I'm sure they would love to keep it at the current cost, the sharp devaluation in the Australian dollar makes it a very slim chance indeed. The same deal applies to the gorgeous Bali Breeze, Afternoon Tea and Ginger Blossom designs in the Summer Mini catalogue.

So! Place your order with me today, to make sure you have your supplies on hand before the Retiring List rush.
As a bonus, each order placed with me during February containing Designer Series Papers will receive a free laminated guide to the co-ordinating colours for each range.

Where to find the paper patterns? Simply check pages 134-136 in the Idea Book and Catalogue , there's something for every taste from bright and preppy to soft and pretty, modern and classic. How to order? Call me on (02) 9484 9447, or send me your list and contact details by email to michelle.dyson@bigpond.com.au and I'll be happy to help you with your selections.

Have a wonderful weekend everybody! For those of us in NSW, stay cool with up to 47 degrees C (that's 116.6degF for my visitors from the USA) forecast for outer Western Sydney. Spare a thought though for the far west of NSW, where these temperatures are more common - they must be anticipating even more ridiculously high temperatures!

Blog Candy coming your way... ROBYN!

My apologies for not posting this earlier, time got away from me this week, but I have selected Robyn as the winner of my Blog Candy comp last week :) Thanks everyone for your ideas on what the New Year means to you. For me it means just a few more days before school goes back YAY! I'll send you a message Robyn to get your postal addy.

Stampin' Up! wise, I've been busy re-organising my craft room (again...) with a new shelf unit from IKEA - it's still not quite back together yet, but the improvement is remarkable! I neglected to take a 'before' shot (it was far too messy!) but when I've re-homed everything and vacuumed the floor, I'll take an 'after' shot to show you. The pic with this post shows an emptyish one, you'll have to wait to see it full of craft gear! I've also been working on some Valentine's day cards, so hopefully I'll get a chance to finish, photograph and upload those in the next couple of days.

Happy Australia Day everyone!!

Ring in the New, plus a bit of Blog Candy

These gorgeous mini tear-off calendars are available through suppliers such as Educational Experience, and several demonstrators purchased some to make some gift calendars. Here is my version, using the "Eastern Blooms" set and Ginger Blossom Designer Series paper from the Summer Mini. The River Rock base is stamped in River Rock with the branch stamp, and also stamped with Linen background, to create depth and texture. Next, I used the Scallop edge punch from the Summer Mini to edge a piece of Ginger Blossom and Very Vanilla cardstock. I used the Eastern Blooms set to re-create the patterned paper design on the cardstock, and attached it to the card base. The colours used were Groovy Guava, Ruby Red and River Rock, matching the paper. I mounted the little calendar on Ruby Red, and used a length of River Rock Double Stitched ribbon to finish. I found a roll of adhesive magnet strip at the local $2 shop - yes, it was $2! and a piece of this on the back attaches this nicely to the fridge. What do you think? Leave a comment here about your favourite thing about New Year, and I'll send a calendar and ribbon assortment to my favourite response. Entries close next Monday.

Tool Time!

I thought I would introduce an occasional tutorial/tips post about some of my favourite stamping equipment. Hopefully even experienced stampers will learn a thing or two to help them get the most from their tools :) I will aim to include instructions, and also answer some FAQ's I've come across about the product.

First up - the Stampin' Scrub™ and Stampin Mist™ Stamp cleaning system

(If you don't own this product, you can find it on page 149 of the Stampin' Up! 2008-09 catalogue - the Scrub is code 102642 and is $28.95 and the (small spray) Mist is code 102395 and $7.95).

What is it?

The Stampin' Scrub is a hinged plastic case, with two microfibre cleaning mats inside. Stampin' Mist is a concentrated cleaner and rubber conditioner, available in a small spray bottle and a large refill bottle. As a team, they both clean and protect your rubber stamps, and it's a lot quicker and more convenient than previous methods I've used with baby wipes and damp cloths.

Why are there two sides, and which side do I use for what?

The Stampin' Scrub system is designed to have on your worktable and eliminate trips to the sink for cleaning stamps between ink colours. You have a cleaning side moistened with Stampin' Mist spray, and a drying side to remove any moisture so you are ready to stamp again in an instant. The cleaning side has little a water droplet symbol in the edge gutter, and the drying side has a little umbrella symbol. Both pads are identical, it they are marked simply to help you remember which side has the cleaning spray applied. A tip you might like to use is to add a small label eg CLEAN and DRY, or a coloured sticky dot to one side, as the moulded symbols can be hard to see at times. The photo above shows my small white stickers at the edges of the mats.

How do I use it?

I like to pre-moisten the cleaning side with a thorough misting with a water spray bottle (an old travel size hairspray bottle I keep filled with water in my kit) before adding a couple of sprays of Stampin' Mist. Stampin' Mist is a very concentrated cleaner, and you only need a tiny bit, and having the mat slightly damp before hand helps to spread the cleaner out across the mat area, and also reduces the amount of Mist you will use without affecting cleaning performance.

Next, take your soiled stamp and rub it back and forth across the moistened mat, you should see some foaming where the cleaner is activated. Some people like to stamp off excess ink onto scrap paper before cleaning, and this extends the time between Scrub cleanings, but it's not essential (and I usually don't bother...) You can also 'refresh' the Mist cleaner on your pad by spraying with a little more water mist. This is especially useful in hot weather, as the cleaner is still there, just the water has evaporated. When the foaming action disappears, it's time for a couple more squirts of Stampin Mist.

Then rub the cleaned stamp across the dry mat on the other side, and you're ready to go with your next ink! It also makes pack-up time faster - it's easy to get into the habit of cleaning stamps as you go and popping them back in their storage case.

Can I use the scrub with Stazon and Craft (pigment) ink?

Yes! The Stampin' Scrub will clean off all kinds of ink. Stampin' Mist will remove most Stazon ink especially if the stamps are cleaned immediately after use. Pigment ink will leave more residue behind on the mat, but it is easily cleaned off after your stamping session.

How do I clean the Stampin' Scrub?

While the mats are replaceable, the set that comes with your Stampin' Scrub will last a very long time. The mats can be removed for cleaning, but I find it just as easy to take the whole Scrub to the sink with the mats in place. I first rinse the Scrub with warm water to remove most of the ink, and then I massage in a small amount of mild detergent - dishwashing liquid is ideal, and then rinse again to remove the remaining ink until the water runs clear. I then give the Scrub a firm shake to get rid of most of the water. Finally, I have a thick black hand towel I save just for the purpose of soaking up remaining moisture from my scrub - I simply lay the towel over the damp Scrub and press down. This has it ready to go again immediately, which is handy! Alternatively, you can simply stand the Scrub up on the drainer board and wait for it to air dry.

*Note* Please DON'T use the dishwasher to clean your scrub! While it won't affect the cleaning performance of the mats, the heat might cause the mats to buckle.

Can I use the Stampin' Scrub for cleaning my other stamps?

YES! Any stamp, acrylic, foam, wood mounted, EZ-mounted etc can be cleaned on the Scrub, it is even big enough for Stampin' Up!'s large background stamps.

I hope you'll agree the Stampin' Scrub and Mist are a great addition to your Stamper's toolkit, order a Stampin' Scrub and Mist from me during September for a free ribbon pack bonus! Offer ends September 30 at 6pm Have a Stampin' Scrub tip of your own to add? Leave a comment to share it with others here!

A busy week!

It feels like ages since I last posted something, but in the meantime I have been busy creating, and also organising and running the Fundraising Workshop for my children's pre-school. The evening was a great success, with 17 keen stampers joining us in making two cards each. We also enjoyed some yummy cake and slices thanks to my hubby and the centre's chef! Thanks very much to everyone who attended, you have all helped make the evening a successful fundraiser. The staff are busy selecting a smorgasbord of crafting goodies to use at the centre, and the orders are ready to submit as soon as their list is finalised. Stand by for details about upcoming classes and Stamp-a-stack events in the leadup to Christmas - there will be no excuse this year for not starting on your cards early!

I've popped back in after editing the photos of the cards we made on the night - each workshop guest made one colourway of the "All in the Family" birthday card, and one variation of the
"Snowflake Spot" card. The Birthday cards also use "Dashing" designer series papers, and cardstocks in River Rock, Real Red, Old Olive and Very Vanilla. The Christmas cards feature the gorgeous "Wintergreen" Designer Series papers, which co-ordinate perfectly with Mellow Moss, Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery, Bayou Blue, Very Vanilla and Soft Sky inks and cardstocks. It's SO easy to create beautiful cards with Stampin' Up!'s great range of Designer series papers! They are outstanding value at just $11.95 for 12 heavyweight double sided sheets, this year only though, so start stocking up now!

For your free laminated guide to each paper range and the matching cardstocks and inks, please send me an email with your postal address to michelle.dyson@bigpond.com

Cuttlebug freebies!

Cuttlebug Giveaway!
I love my Cuttlebug, I've owned my green cutie since they first came out in the US - couldn't wait to get hold of one! I am pleased that he's getting more of a workout now that I am making lots more cards!
Just because I feel like it, I'm offering 2 prize packs of 6 card front sized pieces of SU cardstock, embossed with an assortment of cuttlebug embossing folders, including the snowflake pattern, textile, bloom dots, script and more. All you need to do to be in the running is to add a link to my blog on your site/blog if you have one and leave me a comment here. I'll draw the winners when there is a few entries to choose from!! SU demos welcome to 'enter' :)