Available for purchase - MDS Christmas Class - Learn and Create at the same time!

 The three cards shown here are all made with Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio Software, and were designed by me to include a range of different techniques, exploring the functionality of the program.  The cards use only the stamp sets and contents of the standard installation of the MDS software.  The class includes full written instructions to create each of these cards step by step, along with instructions for printing them to create an A4 page of each containing 4 card fronts.

You'll learn to use the program as you create, and will soon be zooming off to customise and modify, making new projects of your own.

The cost of the tutorial is just $15, and you'll be sent a file with the instructions after your payment has been received.    If you don't already own the software, are located within Australia and purchase it via my online store at this link HERE , I will post you a package of cardstock and envelopes to complete two of each card (six cards in total), with instructions for embellishing the cards for a handmade touch.

Payment can be made via Paypal with the address michelle.dyson@bigpond.com

Any questions?  Just email me at the same address!

Tutorials galore! Video tips for SU goodies

Want some creative inspiration and a bit of guidance to go with it?  Explore some of our recently introduced products such as the Rotary Trimmer as well as some old favourites like the Stampamajig in this series of technique videos done by some of my favourite SU staff, Shannon, Carrie and Donna.  It's called the 'show me how' series, and it is bound to get those creative juices bubbling (and maybe some under-utilised tools out of storage).  If you see anything must-have, you can shop online via the 'shop now' button at the right side.  Why not bookmark the site to visit regularly - there's more and more being added each time I check.  Just click on the banner (made by me in My Digital Studio) above.
Enjoy!

Tutorial Time - Downloading My Digital Studio software for Technophobes!

In the process of helping some of my team members get their MDS software up and running, I created a step-by-step tutorial with screen shots to guide even the most computer-phobic crafter into happy success with My Digital Studio.  It is a PDF file, and by clicking this link you can save the file to your computer and print it for guidance.

Why bother?  It's so much fun, and once downloaded, very easy to jump in and play.  Imagine being able to sit and watch a DVD and catch up on much-neglected scrapbooking?  With just a laptop to pack away?  To be able to make your own custom photobooks, cards and more? 

Here's a taster of things I have made recently, and also an ad for our upcoming Mother's Day Blog Hop!

Brayering tips with Forever Young, Stampin' Crop dates and don't miss SALEABRATION!

I haven't brayered for ages!  It's a fun technique, but it can be a bit tricky to get the results you would like.  And very clever people like Michelle Zindorf have a habit of making it look a bit too easy!!
I made this card to demonstrate to one of my lovely stamping ladies, who had found a brayered card she wanted to CASE.  She was all set to give up and sponge instead, after having no luck on her first couple of test pieces so I showed her a couple of tricks.  I'm not pretending this is a proper tutorial, you can follow the link to another Michelle above for that!  But - here are my top tips:

1.  Use Glossy White cardstock - it has a surface that takes in ink a little bit more slowly than Whisper White, which seems to give a more even result. Find it on p160, 106555, $9.95 for 25 sheets (see, cheap too!)

2.  Make sure the surface is very, very flat.  No tiny bits of cardstock or ribbon snippets, no paper edges under your cardstock, just flat smoothness. 

3.  Choose your colours, lighter is better than darker, you can get a darker result by layering and building the colour gradually.  Two colours will blend in the intersection to create a gradient.

4.  Use a Speedball Brayer (102395, $21.95 - p179 of the catalogue) - and store it roller side up (or hang it) - this will help prevent a flat spot or dent from developing on the roller.

5. Use a nice juicy inkpad, reink beforehand if necessary.  Use a flicking wrist motion to ink up the roller, sort of spinning it between passes, to build up a layer of ink without obvious lines.

6.  Using a piece of grid paper underneath, start brayering completely off the piece of glossy cardstock, and super quickly and firmly begin rolling back and forth over the piece, keep going, keep going, more, more - moving down bit by bit.  Reink the roller, repeat!

7.  Don't discard the piece even if you think it is a dodgy one, sometimes the colours will mellow as they dry and what looks shocking will turn out just fine!  Also, you can always over stamp in places where you're not happy, and the final card will look amaaaaaaazzzzinggg!  (promise!)

8. Practice!  It always seems to take a bit of re-learning each time I do it, remember it's only paper, and you can use scrap white paper to 'get your eye' back in to begin with.

On the card above, I have stamped the tree from Forever Young (p116, from $35.95), using Stazon Black ink.  A length of (retired) Pear Pizzazz seam binding went across a dodgy bit (see, you'd never know!), and I finished it with a bottle cap.

WOT!??  A bottle cap??  Yes, they're baaaaacccckkkkkk!! They come in two sizes, and are a lovely chrome finish, $6.95 on p24 of the Anniversary Seasonal Catalogue.  I even used my old trick of smooshing it a bit flatter on my ancient red sizzix machine.  Inside it I have used the co-ordinating Collage Curios set (from $28.95, p24 ), and a sentiment from Itty Bitty Banners (from $21.95, p134 Annual Catty)  All done!  Hope this inspires you to dig out your brayer, and if you don't have a nice one, give me a call to place your order!

In other news, Sale-a-bration is nearly over!  (Gee, that has gone FAST!)  It ends BEFORE the end of March this year, due to Easter being early.  LAST DAY 22nd March.  Don't miss your chance to select from a great range of free stuff.  I also want at least one more person to join me and my StampInkPaper team - it's so much fun, and there is so much extra value packed into the kit at this special time of the year - choose $294 worth of goodies, pay just $169, and get a business supplies kit worth about $80 as well!  Just give me a call to discuss, 0403 175 790.

And, I have gotten myself quite organised, and planned the next batch of Stampin' Crop dates:
Saturday 9th March  (yep, this Saturday coming)
Saturday 20th April
Saturday 18th May
Saturday 15th June
Saturday 20th July

I'll post them up on the Google calendar soon, better get to bed in case I get a call to teach again tomorrow :)  I've also got a fun Off the Page class coming up, stay tuned!

Stampin' Up! Cookie Stamps - A foolproof tutorial!

The fabulous Cookie Stamps in the Annual Catalogue and the Holiday Mini are lots of fun to use, and with a few little tips and tricks, anyone can create a perfect batch, first time!

Firstly - the recipe:
It's important to have a recipe that won't puff up too much during baking, as this spoils the imprint.
The cookie set comes with two recipes, and with a little tweaking I'm sure they are great.  However, who needs to be mucking around with conversion from sticks of butter to grams at this frazzled time of year?
Luckily, the recipe I tried first was a real winner, and here it is (with a few modifications from the recipe I found at Lovely Living)

Sugar Cookie Recipe - Australian Metric Measurements

250g of soft butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups  plain flour
1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda

 Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.

Add vanilla extract

Add eggs one at a time, mix well after each egg is added.

Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda in a separate bowl

Add sifted flour mix to the butter/sugar mix about half a cup at a time 

Continue mixing until the mixture forms a dough

Turn out of bowl and knead until smooth.

 Bag the ball of dough and refrigerate  - the fresh soft dough is too sticky and soft to work with

(amount of time varies with how rushed you are...  30 min at least, you can speed the process up a bit by flattening the ball and popping in the freezer a few minutes... )  Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 200degC, a little less for a Fan Forced oven.

 Pinch off balls of dough about the size of a 50c piece, place on tray covered with baking paper

Prepare a saucer of about half icing mixture and half cornflour

With the handle attached, grind the chosen stamp into the saucer, then flick the rim of the stamp to remove excess.  A bit messy, but saves lots of frustration!

Holding the stamp directly above the ball, centred as well as you can, smoosh it down firmly until the edges of the dough appear at the sides of the stamp

Use a finger to help separate the stamp and flattened cookie if needed.

Re-dust, repeat! 

The cookies do spread a little during baking, so be sure to allow some room.

Bake at 200degC for about 5 minutes, or slightly longer - you are aiming for golden on the edges without too much browning.

Cool on tray a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool

Package up in gorgeous little bags like those in the Holiday Mini, and watch tummies rumble as you hand out these delicious gifts.


In a real hurry?? (like your daughter tells you she needs a plate to take for party day at 9pm the night before...)

Here's the quickest way to whip up a batch:  ALDI Christmas Gingerbread Cookie Mix (a whopping $1.99 if I recall correctly)

I got some of this to try for quick gingerbread men, but thought it was worth a try given the short time frame.  I decided to be scientific in my approach and just leave the recipe completely unchanged - all that needed to be added was an egg and a tablespoon of water, mix, then knead into a dough, ball up, and repeat as above with the cornflour/icing mixture.  Perfecto!  Good to know!

I hope that helps solve some of the kitchen dramas I've heard about, these stamps are so much fun they are worth a second try.  Let me know if you've got any other suggestions we can add to this tutorial.  Happy baking!

Elements of Style - Get Well Soon and crayon watercoloring tips

I made this card for my mum, a keen gardener after her knee surgery late last year.  It uses the "Elements of Style" stamp set, to be found on page 99, from $39.95 (clear mount).  It is a great collection of stamps that work well either used separately, especially this floral branch, or together.  It also has a couple of great greetings, and there is the co-ordinating 'Decor' standard wheel as well.  If you have the Baroque Motifs stamp set and love it, you NEED this one in your collection too - you'll find yourself using it time and again.

In this card, the stamped layer is watercolor paper, stamped in Black Stazon.  I've used my Watercolor Wonder crayons and a blender pen to colour the image.  This is probably the easiest way to watercolour a stamped image,  but many people don't know the crayons work brilliantly with a Blender Pen.

Here are my tips for a professional-looking result:

*Stamp image on heavy weight cardstock, watercolor paper is best, followed by Confetti, using Stazon ink
*Choose your crayons, selecting light and dark shades to mix, according to the colour scheme you want
*Add short strokes of crayon direct to the stamped image, not to cover the area, just to lay some colour down.
*Using your blender pen, move the colour around to fill the section, simply stroke onto scrap paper to change colours.  You will get more intense colour from the initial pen strokes, this will shade out as the solublised colour moves out of the fibre tip onto the paper.
*For small areas and tiny colour accents, scribble a bit of crayon onto the lid of the tin - this acts like a palette.  You can then pick up a small amount of colour to dab where you want it
*You can build up colour intensity by adding more crayon onto parts of the image, to create depth and shading. The hashed or darker areas of the stamp are a good place to do this, as this is where the shadows would be on a real object.You can either leave the crayon as is, or blend it into the colours you've already laid down.
*Don't forget your neutrals to add some shading around the outsides of the stamped image, again look for where a shadow would naturally fall.  I often use Sahara Sand for this, as it is a not too brown, not too grey neutral

Back to the card for a mo, and then I'll give a quick rundown of other techniques for the crayons.

The card base is square, Very Vanilla.  Can't remember the size Karen, think it was 5" x 5" finished
Next up is a layer of Blushing Bride, our dusty pink In Color for 2011-12.  Yum!  I've stamped this with French Filligree background in matching ink and distressed the edges with the Cutter Kit
Then there is a layer of Pear Pizzazz, my favourite green of the moment, and the reason I don't miss Mellow Moss as much as I thought I would!  Also yum!
Then we have the stamped panel, also distressed, coloured as described above with various shades of pink, red, green and brown.
To finish I used the In Color twill ribbon in Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz, and stamped the greeting from "Thoughts and Prayers" in Pear Pizzazz ink.

OK - after a few months of being unavailable, the Watercolor Wonder Crayons have very quickly found their way back into my most-used colouring tools.  They are available in sets of 10 in each of the 4 Colour Collections, and also come as a fabulous New Colour Collection kit, with new tins and inserts in the pretty pale green, so you can re-organise your existing crayons into their new families and add the new colours without duplication.  You can see this kit on Page 142, it's $64.95 for 17 colours and the fresh new tins.  If you're new to crayons, this kit is an economical way to get a good selection of colours to play with. (But if you're like me you'll soon want ALL the other colours too...)

A list of the new colours that come in the New Colour Kit to refresh your memory, now they have become integrated into the old faves in your collection:

Daffodil Delight
Tangerine Tango
Melon Mambo
Rich Razzleberry
Pacific Point
Pink Pirouette
Wild Wasabi
Baja Breeze
Marina Mist
Cajun Craze
Cherry Cobbler
Riding Hood Red
Early Espresso
Crumb Cake
River Rock
Soft Suede
Basic Gray

What else can you use the crayons for??

*Direct to rubber - colour a stamp with crayon by scribbling onto the rubber surface.  Bold stamps like Inspired By Nature and Upsy Daisy are perfect choices, but any bold-ish stamp will work.  Start with the lightest colour and add accents and layers.  Mist your cardstock (heavy weight is best as above) with a fine water spray to moisten the surface.  Mist the crayon-ed stamp with the spray, holding the bottle a fair distance from the stamp.  You are aiming for a fine dampness, not pooling water. The aim is to 'melt
 the crayon, but not to have it dripping off!  It does take a little practice, but the beautiful watercolour painting like results are worth it!



*Aquapainter and Crayon - You can also use the Watercolor crayons with an Aquapainter brush, which gives a wetter effect good for larger areas and backgrounds.  The base of the crayon has a perforated wrapper, so you can remove the paper from the crayon butt.  This way, you can preserve the tip for detail work, and pick up rich colour from the base, just like using solid pan watercolour paint!

Enjoy your Sunday people, please give me a call on (02) 9484 9447 if you're keen to book a free in-home workshop during the Sale-a-bration period (ends 31st March) - you too could be making cards like these!

Punch Art Blog Hop - tutorials and samples galore!

Hello and welcome to the inaugural South Pacific punch art blog hop!!!


We are a bunch of Stampin Up demonstrators from New Zealand and Australia who love our Stampin' Up! punches. We have gotten together to showcase a selection of the punches you can purchase from Stampin' Up!. We know we will inspire you and encourage you to use those punches in new and beautiful ways. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think to go in the draw to win some yummy scrummy punch art blog candy (sorry, offer not available to su demos, but you're most welcome to leave a comment!).

Here's the list in case you get lost, you can start wherever you like, but to enter the Blog Candy Draw you must comment on all 15 blogs.

1. 2-step Bird  and Word Window - Karen Southwell - http://www.kareniescrafts.blogspot.com/ 


2. Petal card Double Punch - Carol-Ann Torrie http://queen-of-scraps.blogspot.com/

3. Fancy Flower - Sally Williams - http://www.sallycancraft.com/

4.  2 step Owl - Julia Leece - http://www.juliascards.blogspot.com/

5 XL Tag - Amy  http://ladybugsanddaisychains.blogspot.com/

6 Round tab  - Melissa Davies http://beedevinedesigns.blogspot.com/

7 Modern Label  - Michelle Dyson http://stampinkpaper.blogspot.com/2010/10/punch-art-blog-hop-tutorials-and.html

8 Jewellry tag medium, Boho Blossoms, 5 petal flower- clare mcilhatton http://www.crafty-cow.com/

9 Heart small , Scallop Square, Heart to Heart , Full Heart- Lisa Bullock http://daffyscrapper.wordpress.com/

10 Ovals - Pauline Bennetts - http://www.paulinebennetts.com/stampede

11 Butterfly - Tia Routledge  http://craftingwithtia.weebly.com/my-blog.html

12  Circle punches -  Emma Kirton  - http://www.emmakirton.blogspot.com/

13 Ornament - Angie Jones - http://angiescraftfusion.blogspot.com/

14 Scallop trim border and corner- Andrea Buckland http://creatingcardswithandrea.blogspot.com/
15 Eyelet border - Steph Gray http://stampinsteph.wordpress.com/


OK, I'm No 7 on the list, Michelle Dyson. You may have come here from Melissa Davies' blog or just be stopping by here randomly.  I've chosen the delectable "Modern Label" punch, which I affectionately term the "dog bone" because of it's shape.  Like the Word Window punch, it's a must have for adding sentiments neatly, but it's even more useful for the slightly larger and longer sentiments that can look a bit squished in the Word Window.  But hey, you *need* both of them anyway!! LOL :)  My projects also use a few other punches you may recognise, and will probably see more of as you hop through the tour! 

Here's my project, and a little tutorial about a neat trick using the Magnetic Movers and Shapers Moveable Pieces to co-ordinate with your punches.

Many of our Stampin' Up! punches can be used to create pretty 3D layered flowers, but this one has a nice cottage-y look, reminding me of a paeony flower.

The first step is to punch multiple Modern Label shapes from cardstock of your choice.  I have used So Saffron and Regal Rose, but you can stick to a single colour, or choose any other you like.

Next, I've folded them in half and used my Paper Snips to cut little diagonal snips from the middle fold, to give the 'petals' a waist, so to speak.  I've also punched a Circle Scallop to use as the base of the flower, this helps to keep it all together.

Next step is to make the cardstock flexible enough to split apart into layers, the "suede-ing' technique.  You can scrunch by hand, but that takes a while. If you have a Crimper tool (sort of like a punch in it's usefulness!), you can soften multiple punched shapes at once, and it's much easier on the hands too.  Roll the punchies back and forth through the Crimper, not quite all the way so they fall out.  Then eject them and put them back in at a 90 degree angle, and repeat.  This is breaking down the paper fibres and before long you will see the layers of paper making up the cardstock start to separate, like below.

Now it will be quite easy to peel apart the layers, producing two sides, with a soft, suede-like surface.

   It's a good idea to make lots, as there will be some casualties during the separation process.

I used my paper piercing tool and Mat Pack foam mat to poke a hole in the centre of each petal, and threaded them onto a Flower Brad.  You can twist the petals around gently to arrange them how you like once they are on the brad spike. 

Almost finished flower, with ruffled petals.

I did a little tutorial a few posts ago on this blog, showing how easy it is to create your own shimmer mist using our Shimmer Paint.  I tracked down some unscented Isopropanol (Rubbing Alcohol, Isocol) from my local pharmacy, good news for those of us with sensitivities to perfume!  I used the Champagne Mist colour to spray my flower.  The alcohol evaporates very quickly, but while it is damp you can shape and mould the flower

 Ta-da!!!  You can see the dampness and the shimmer.

 Here is another little trick, making ruffled ribbon.  It works with most ribbons, this one is wide grosgrain.  Make a small snip in the centre of one end, and draw out a thread (only one or two strands, or it will be too hard to pull on)

It helps if you fold over the other end, and either stitch or staple it, to help prevent the thread pulling all the way out.  Ease the ruffles along the length.  You will need to start with a length of ribbon at least two and a half times the finished length you want.

Use Sticky Strip tape to secure the ruffled piece on the card, and press down to hold in place. No need to remove the staples, they'll be hidden on the back.

So, here are the tools I used and the finished project.  That little purple and black block is the Movers and Shapers piece that matches the Modern Label punch, see below for the cool (and economical!) trick!

 

The card base is Soft Suede, and I used the Decor Stampin' Around wheel to roll Soft Suede ink around the perimeter.  Next there is a layer of Regal Rose with sponged edges.  Then, a layer of So Saffron, which I rolled through the Crimper in both directions to echo the distressed flower.

The top layer is Very Vanilla, stamped in So Saffron using French FIligree background stamp, and I used the Cutter Kit distressing tool to roughen up the edges.

The leaves for the flower are made from the Scallop Oval punch, in River Rock cardstock.  I could have used Pear Pizzazz I guess, but didn't want to add another colour.  They are also crimped, and this makes them soft and flexible enough to fold and 'smoosh' into a leaf.  I used Mini Glue dots to attach.  The flower was attached with Sticky Strip, since it needs to STAY there!  The sentiment is stamped in Soft Suede on So Saffron, with the Curly Cute stamp set. 

 

But wait, you say, there's another layer under there?  How did you do that??  Ah HA!!

 

Here's what you need:  2 x clear cutting plates, and either a third cutting plate or a black "Texturz Impressions" pad  - this is simply to adjust the thickness to compensate for the lack of the Movers and Shapers base die.

The shapes in the Punch Windows set can be seen there, the Scallop Oval, Large Heart, Modern Label and Large Star.  All will result in a shape that is just slightly larger than the punched shape, so you can layer them!!

The little square block  is an optional extra, it's a "Magnetic Ejection Blank" and just helps to get the cardstock off the shaper piece.

 Layer as follows:  Clear plate (non cutting if you save one plate for cut marks like I do)
Mover and Shaper piece, foam up
Cardstock over the top (hold in place with a little Dotto if needed)
Second Clear Plate (cutting)
Third clear plate or Black Impressions pad
Roll through!

 Ta Daaaaa!

Cool hey!!

The best part is that the set of 4 pieces is just $54.95.  Essentially, that makes 4 punches.  Great if you don't have the punch as an alternative, and even greater if you have the matching punch to layer with!

 

I hope you've enjoyed my tutorials, please say HI! and feel free to ask any questions you might have.

Next Stop on the Blog Hop is my super-dooper talented downline, Punch Art Queen Clare McIllhatton, whose idea this hop was :)  Enjoy!!

We Stamp for Lara - starts November 1st, please help!

Please get behind me and many other Stampin' Up! Demonstrators in our support for a fellow demo, Madonna Dunn.  Madonna's youngest daughter, Lara May, was unexpectedly born with the most severe form of Cerebral Palsy, and will need ongoing treatment, therapy and extensive support for her lifetime.  As with anything medical, special needs means especially expensive.  Essential items that we take for granted such as chairs, strollers and car seats are available, but at a cost of many thousands of dollars.  To this end, Madonna and the members of the wider Elite team have organised a project, We Stamp for Lara.  This is a month-long event, to which you can subscribe for a cost of $25.00.  Entry into the event gives you access to a wonderful selection of tutorials, challenges and daily prize drawings, as well as a gallery and forum.  Everyone involved has donated their time and skills to ensure that every cent raised will benefit Lara.  Madonna, angel that she is, has also arranged to donate any outgrown equipment to the Xavier Children's Support Network for the use of other children like Lara, so your participation will benefit others for years to come.

There is just a few days before the event begins, so please share this information with your crafty friends, and have a great time doing something GOOD.  Payment is via Paypal, and you can click on the button at the right hand side to sign up NOW!

Thank you!

I am in LERVE! DIY Glimmer mist with SU! Shimmer Paint Tutorial

Oooh, I just looked at my hand, it's all sparkly!!
I'm so excited, I have just had a play with a new product in our catalogue, Shimmer Paint - available in three colours, Frost White, Platinum and Champagne Mist.
When I first saw the catalogue I was a little disappointed that we didn't get the Smooch Spritz products that the US have in their catalogue, but not any more, cos these are BETTER!  More versatile, and more economical to boot!  Yay!  I love it when things turn out like that :)  It's called Shimmer Paint, but that's really not the best name, as it's an ink really.  It can be used on fabric (heat set with an iron to make it permanent and washable), it can be daubered onto a stamp directly, it can be painted onto a pre-stamped image, and, using this method, spritzed over things to make them all glittery!  There's no doubt more applications, but these are a good enough reason to get some already, anything else is just a bonus!

OK, what do you need - it's dead easy to do, so don't hold back!
*Bottle of Shimmer Paint - teeny tiny bottles of 14grams, but they'll go a LLLOOOONNNGGG way using this technique, $11.50 each, find them on page 143.
*Some Rubbing Alcohol (aka Isopropyl Alcohol, Isopropanol, Isocol) from your local supermarket or pharmacy.
*An eye-dropper, you just want to be able to add the ink dropwise.  I've used a transfer pipette since I happened to have one (insert whistling innocently smilie HERE ;))  A baby panadol doser is probably rattling around most homes, would probably work fine.
*A small spray bottle.  I've used a mini mister from Ranger as I like the superfine mist, but any small spray bottle will do.

1. Fill the spray bottle almost to the top (about 1cm head space) with Isopropanol
2. Shake the Shimmer Paint bottle well, it has a ball mixer in there, so you should hear it rattle
3. First wet the inside of your dropper with Isopropanol, by sucking some in and then ejecting, this will stop too much of the ink from clinging to the inside.  Then carefully suck up a tiny amount of Shimmer Paint, about 10 drops worth and add to the misting bottle, rinse the dropper by sucking up and down until all the paint is gone from the dropper, close the bottles!
4. Shake well before each use, then simply spray onto your cardstock and let it dry.

That's it - too easy.  The Isopropanol evaporates very quickly, so it won't take long to dry.  If you want more shimmer, you can either add a second/third spray, or add a few more drops of paint to your misting bottle.  If you're like me, you'll be digging through your scraps box to test it out on all kinds of cardstock and thinking of all the possibilities!

Here's what it looks like, although it is the devil to capture photographically!  The best photo was on dark cardstock, Basic Gray, but the effect was equally beautiful on both Rose Red, Whisper White, and looked especially pretty on a pre-embossed piece of Very Vanilla, using the Vintage Wallpaper folder.

As you can see, it has turned Basic Gray into something more like "Dazzling Pewter", it's quite like a car pearl metallic paint finish, but matte.

So cool, hope you like my instructions, please come back and tell me how you went with your attempts, I'd love to see what you come up with!

Flight of the butterflies and Circles - Circle Scissor tips for use

I had a lot of fun playing with my Circle Scissor tool (new in the Summer Mini Catalogue) to make the set of circles on this card. I am yet to actually take step by step pics of what I have gleaned from my Circle Scissor (CS) practice (one day, one day) but I can give a few tips on how to get great results every time:

* You really do need the GLASS MAT to go with the CS, there's no getting away from that. A traditional green OLFA style cutting mat is too soft and 'grippy' and will catch the blade so it drags and stutters, giving a rough result. The hard slippery glass surface allows the blade to glide smoothly.

* The principal secret is judicious use of a good removable adhesive, such as Dotto (#103305 page 154 in the main Idea Book and Catalogue) The paper or cardstock needs to be firmly attached to the glass mat so it won't budge while cutting. But, you do want to be able to extract your perfect circle without ripping it to shreds, hence the 'removeable' aspect!

* Next, have a close look at the CS tool and glass mat, and notice a few features

- Note the large rubbery black grip along one half of the tool

- Note the blade holder hole has a little arrow which is pointing anticlockwise

- Note the concentric rings and 'cross hairs' on the clear rotating section

- Note the grid on the glass mat, there are standard card sizes in bold and also a grid pattern

* Firstly, cut the cardstock into a square or rectangle about 1/2" bigger all round than the circle you would like to cut, and apply a small 1cm-ish splodge of dotto on each corner and in the centre. Firmly smooth down onto the centre of the glass mat, and rub to make sure it isn't going to slip. The reason for cutting first into the approximate size is that it saves both cardstock and adhesive - it's much more useful to have square bits and rectangle scraps than A4 sheets of cardstock that look like swiss cheese, and you don't need to apply yards of dotto to hold the whole sheet in place!

* Now place the CS over the centre of the cardstock, with the rubber hand grip between 6 and 12 if you were looking at a clockface. Rotate the clear plastic centre until the (empty) blade holder is at 9 o'clock, and use the black centre dial to adjust the scale to the desired size.

* Swing the clear plastic centre around, while looking at the pointer to make sure your cut can be completed without going off the outside of the cut piece, adjust the base position if necessary so you have clearance on all sides.

* Insert the spring loaded blade knob into the holder, lining up the little ridges so it fits smoothly. Note that the blade knob is springloaded, but this doesn't mean you need to use a lot of pressure to make the cut.

* Holding the black rubber grip with your left hand spread apart and the blade knob with your right, press down moderately and rotate 360 degrees ANTICLOCKWISE from 9 o'clock to just a tiny bit past 9 o'clock - you will feel the cut complete itself.

* STOP! Don't move anything yet, if you wish to cut a frame you have just made the first, smaller cut of the two. Without moving the base, adjust the dial by the width you want your frame to be, and make the second cut just as the first. If you try and make the larger outer cut before the smaller one, there will be insufficient adhesive to hold the circle while the second cut is made.

Ta da!! Now you can repeat again and again, and have lots of fun with circles! It's a good idea to periodically remove the dotto residue from the glass mat, with either your adhesive remover or some goo remover liquid. And slide the blade cover back onto the blade, because that tiny sucker is SHARP when you find it on the floor with your foot!

I hope you find this useful, and drag out your CS tools for a good practice - it's certainly the easiest and best circle cutter I have ever tried :)

Razzle Dazzle, Rock n Roll in a Mini Pizza Box

Here is one of the Make n Takes we made at our recent Summer Mini Launch. It uses the yummy Razzle Dazzle set, and it seems strange to see it in colours other than the current US In Colors, Razzleberry, Crushed Curry etc. But, I think it looks pretty good in Kraft and Riding Hood Red!

Here's how to make the Mini Pizza box:

1. Trim an A4 sheet of cardstock down to 6 x 11", or a 12x12 sheet down to two 6 x 11" pieces

2. Make vertical score lines down each of the long sides, at 1" in from the edges.

3. Rotate the cardstock 90 degrees and score at 1", 5", 6" and 10" in from the left short edge, you will now be able to see how the box is formed, with the folded hinge in the centre

4. Make short cuts along the horizontal score lines along both long edges, just in to the vertical 1" score lines (4 cuts per long side). At the centre spine, fold the flaps into the centre and glue down

5. Decorate the outside of the box now if you wish

6. Bend along the score lines to form the box, and use Sticky Strip on the end flaps to secure the corners. You can use ribbon across the top of the box or secured along the back hinge to hold the box neatly closed.

For the stamped panels on the lid, I used the wonderful Circle Scissor to cut a 2 3/4 circle from Whisper White and a 3" circle from Riding Hood Red. I inked up the large flower image from Razzle Dazzle with Sahara Sand ink and then used the Rock n Roll technique to add a 'halo' of Riding Hood Red ink around the edges. You can also use a sponge dauber to apply red ink if you don't like your wood blocks to look well used! I sponged around the edges of the RHR circle and mounted them together. I stamped the sentiment "It's good to dream" in Riding Hood red and punched it out with the Word Window punch. A second RHR Word Window is mounted offset it behind. To finish, a bow of Real Red Polka dot ribbon has been attached with a mini glue dot.

Now, what to put inside this little box?? Well, it would have to be a pretty special pizza, or you'd need lots of these little boxes to satisfy you. I have suggested on a number of occasions that it would be the perfect size for a gold pandora bracelet packed with gold charms, but that one has fallen on deaf ears as well. You could pack it with choccies, or make some notelets. Versatile and easy, why not have a go at making one yourself? Let me know if you need more instructions, and I might remember to make one with the camera nearby...

Mini Gift Box - step by step

Yeah, I know, it was supposed to be LAST week. I always forget just how hard it is to get anything done when school hols are on and both kids are home. Especially when the weather dictates that they are in the pool while I sit poolside with a book! Anyway, better late than never, here is my step-by-step photo tutorial on how to make a cute little box, out of just half a sheet of A4 cardstock. This is a box we made at the recent Stampin' Up! Regional training, using the Hello Again set. I have made it several times since, because it is easy, fast and economical. I hope you like my instructions and photos - click on each image if you would like to get a clearer view.

Standard A4 sheet, no trimming, just cut in half as if you were making two A5 folded cards, and then into A6 rectangles, four from one sheet.

I have drawn pencil lines on one of the pieces to indicate where to score - 1" in from each side and each end. Do this for 2 pieces if making one box, or all 4 if you are making two.

On the left hand side is the box base. Cut in to the horizontal score lines from each short end. For the other half of the box, which will become the lid, cut two corner pieces away completely, up to the score lines. On the other side, cut just to the score line from the short end, as for the base. Take a circle punch and take a half chomp half way along the longer edge.

Decorate now, it's easier when flat! I have used Versamark and the Winter Post stamp set here, and a band of the same snowflake stamped in Baja Breeze over the top. It's also a great size for using your Stampin' Around wheels - then it is an easy matter of using the co-ordinating stamp set to decorate the tag or accent for the box.

Apply Sticky Strip super strength double sided tape to the corners as shown. Then remove the red liner plastic and assemble the lid and base.

After making the lid and base, add another piece of Sticky Strip along the back edge. A bit lower than where I have placed it would be better...

Line up the lid flap with the back of the box base and stick into place. Done!!

Now you can decorate it as you please. I have added a simple tag stamped with the snowflake again, and overstamped with a silver embossed reindeer. I added some Dazzling Diamonds, using my 2 way glue pen. I mounted the 1 3/4" circle onto a 2" scallop circle punched from Brushed Silver metallic cardstock. Then I tied a piece of white taffeta around, and looped a piece of the sadly retired silver cord around it to complete the box. It's a great size for a little treat, and quick to make!

Why Whisper White is Wonderful and Well Worth Whacking on your Wishlists!

In the tradition of Stampin' Up!'s colour name alliteration theme, welcome to my post on the wonders of Whisper White fine stamping cardstock!

The issue of getting a great stamped image has come up several times since the launch of the new catalogue, and I think it is in part due to the set shown here, Upsy Daisy, although what I am sharing here has always applied to all stamping, particularly solid stamps.

Upsy Daisy is a complex yet solid stamp - it has lots of detail, and how well it appears is dependent on good coverage of ink and good ink transfer to the paper.

In the image above (click the picture itself to see an enlarged version) you will see the same stamp and same ink applied to four different cardstocks.

Upper left is Tangerine Tango Dye Ink applied to white Bazzill canvas textured cardstock, and it looks pretty patchy. You might be wanting this distressed kind of look, and if that's the case, go right ahead! So, WHY does it look this way? The textured surface of the canvas cardstock is preventing the whole film of ink on the rubber image from being transferred, despite applying significant pressure. The surface of the cardstock is also not very absorbent, so the ink does not transfer well from the stamp.

Under this at bottom left, we have the same ink applied to the best non-Stampin' Up! white cardstock I have been able to find. It's a good heavy weight, so it is great for card bases. That's where I believe its uses end! This particular Upsy Daisy stamp is well 'broken in' so it has no residue from manufacture, and the surface has been gently keyed with repeated use and cleaning on the microfibre pads of the Stampin' Scrub. So, this image quality is as good as you are going to get on this cardstock. Again, it's quite mottled and patchy. The surface of the 'other white cardstock' is not as smooth as Whisper White. So, the ink transfer is relatively uneven, leading to the blotchy look. I have also tried it on a few other white cardstocks I had lying about, and they are even worse than this, in addition to having a greyish or bluish tone to them that I don't find appealing.

At the top right, I have used Whisper White, and the same simple rub/tap application of ink as used with the other samples. I think it is quite obvious that the intensity of the image is better, and sharper, the ink has transferred evenly onto the cardstock and given a clear impression. The colour is also a nice clear neutral white, with no overly yellow, blue or grey tones. The supersmooth surface means there is excellent contact between the rubber and paper. The weight is a little lighter than other Stampin' Up! coloured cardstocks, but it can be used for card bases with no problems. If you prefer a stiffer card base, try applying a coloured mat over the card base (like in the just beachy/dear dad fathers day card below), or build your card base from coloured cardstock, but stamp your images using Whisper White and mount them as a separate layer.

At the bottom right is another sample of Whisper White. Here, I have used a rubber brayer (p156 IBC, 102395 $23.95) to apply the ink to the rubber. This gives the most perfect ink application possible, with no streaks or marks that you may get with the rub and tap method. Simply roll the brayer repeatedly over the inkpad, and then onto the rubber, as if you were painting a wall. You will be able to feel the ink cling to the rubber stamp, and will see a perfect ink film on the surface. Brayers are also excellent for inking up background stamps and several other techniques, why not add one to your wishlist?

Whisper White cardstock is specially designed for stamping on, and has very tightly packed paper fibres and an ultrasmooth polished surface with even absorbency. I think the benefits are clearly seen in the photo above. Additionally, it is economical! You can find it on page 130 of the IBC, and it costs $13.50 for 40 A4 sheets , around 34 cents per A4 sheet.
So, in summary, to get a good stamped impression from your stamps, especially solid images, try these tips:

*Clean the stamp thoroughly using Stampin' Mist and Stampin' Scrub before use, to remove residue and prepare the rubber surface for accepting an ink film

*Stamp using Whisper White (or the almost as great Very Vanilla)

*Hold the stamp in contact with the cardstock for a moment or two, to get great transfer

*For the best application, use a brayer to apply ink to the stamp.

I hope that helps you get the best out of your stamp collection, and I look forward to helping you with your Stampin' Up! wishlists!