Claire Daly - Stampin Up Demonstrator in Melbourne, Australia

Another Spring Mini Sneak Peek - Unchartered Territory

I think it was the serenity of this set that got me! It's a lovely set for male cards and lovers of nature and the seaside. I can see many ways to use it, but this time I chose white embossing onto Kraft, combined with the lovely Parisian Breeze DSP which is oh so lovely and cardstock weight too! As well as these male themed papers, there are some lovely vintage inspired prints as well, so it's a really versatile paper pack.

 

I've also used the lovely Corduroy brads and buttons again, this time the small brads. I am just LOVING these both for cards and scrapbooking.

If you don't have a demonstrator and would like a copy of the new Spring Mini catalogue sent out, just shoot me an email and I'll pop it in an envelope for you.

Happy stamping lovelies,

Claire xx

Spring Mini Catalogue Sneak Peek

It's that exciting time of year when we get a brand new mini catalogue! The products start selling on August 1st, but I can give you a sneak peek of one of the sets here. If you'd like to be the first to see all the other samples I have been having fun making with the new sets, you will need to sign up for my newsletter in the top right hand column.There will also be some exclusive subscriber only offers and competitions in my newsletter - win some goodies from the new Spring Catalogue.

If you regularly purchase your Stampin' Up! goodies from me, I will of course be sending you a copy of the Spring Mini catalogue very very soon. I'm also very happy to send you one if you don't have a demonstrator, and will follow you up with a call at a mutually convenient  time.If you don't purchase your goodies from me, just ask your own demonstrator for a copy as I am sure she will be happy to help. Remember even though lots of the blogs on the internet will inspire your creativity (like mine I hope), it's always nice to return to your own demonstrator to make your purchase. If you see a great product share or offer on a blog - why not ask your own demonstrator if they would be happy to match it. That way we are all supporting each other and we can enjoy our creativity in a happy and supportive environment. I am sure many other demonstrators that post samples feel the same.

Here's the sneak peek of one of my favourite sets from the new catalogue, Soft Summer. I have also used one of the new papers Walk in the Park and the new Corduroy Buttons, Scallop Oval Punch and the matching stamp set Oval All. Pretty lovely aren't they!

 

 

No demonstrators are able to order these products any earlier than 1st August, so I look forward to helping you out with your orders from then! Don't forget if you haven't signed up for the subscriber newsletter, the signup box is in the top right hand column. Jest enter your email address and be assured I will never give your details to anyone else!

Winter Post and Lovely as a Tree for Christmas ...

Another challenge card today, this time for Makeesha's Inkspiration Colour Challenge #10 . The challenge was to use Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Rose Red and Very Vanilla. These are very much my colours so I had to have a go this week. I came up with another Christmas card. I love this Stampin' Up! set Winter Post set and I think it goes particularly well with Lovely as a Tree.

I have also added some bling this time, with Dazzling Diamonds both on the trees and around trhe skaters in the scallop circle. For the skaters, I have paper pieced the hat and skirt and pants with the cardstock and then used Crystal Effects on top of that. The greeting is cut from one of the stamps in Punches Three (a hostess set) and I have used the Designer Label Punch and word Window Punch behind it. So here's a summary of the recipe:

• Stampin' Up! Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Winter Post, Punches Three
• Stampin' Up! Punches: 1 3/8" Circle, Scallop Circle, Designer Label,  (I have also used a 1.5" circle EK Success punch), Word Window, Eyelet Border
• Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Rose Red, Very Vanilla, Mellow Moss
• Ink:Always Artichoke
• Accessories: Mellow Moss Taffeta Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds, 2 Way Glue Pen,

Thanks for challenging us Keesh! I really enjoy your challenges :)

Claire

Party Hearty for Mojo Monday 95 ....

Just back from a fabulous weekend of crafting, eating, shopping, eating, laughing and eating more with my stamping buddies (minus one who was missed terribly) at the beach house. It was so relaxing and enjoyable! I maged to complete 4 cards and nearly finished layouts. Will get some scanning happening over the next few days. Of course one of the best bits of going away is sharing everyones stamp sets, so I got to play with Party Hearty. I used it with the sketch from Mojo Monday #95.

 

All products are Stampin' Up!. This is the Sweet Always paper and I have used some Chunky Sprinkles on the cupcake icing. The greeting is from Cheers and Wishes. Almost good enough to eat don't you think?

Back soon with some more creations. Have a fabulous week,

Claire

Time for a new Christmas stamp at home kit ...

Wowzers, thanks for all your lovely comments on that last card, talk about reminding a girl how much fun it is to participate in challenges!

We had a nice time down the beach. Didn't get quite as much creating done as it was time for the boys, but we did have a nice time and my 2 boys love it down there. It's amazing how enjoyable it can be just sitting and watching your children explore and have fun. The most important gift you can give your children is your time.

With mixed feelings. we are now now back into the school and creche routine. I now have another weekend away at the beach house this weekend just for the girls! My gorgeous stamping buddies and I are heading down for a stamping / eating / relaxing weekend. 

I've managed to put together another stamp kit for you, this time a Christmas in July kit. I absolutely love the projects I have made for this kit, and the colours in the product share are my favourite christmas colour combination. As usual you can buy products and get the instructions free, or just buy the instructions. All the details are here.

Hope you enjoy this kit and you are having a happy and relaxing week,

Claire xx

Keesh's Inspiration Challenge #9

Another inspiring challenge from the lovely Makeesha this week. I loved the muted look of this challenge as soon as I saw it. I am coming to realise I am much more suited to sketch and inspitation challenges than colour challenges! Thank goodness for challenges to remind me of the enjoyment I get just from creating something and sharing it. I've been having a difficult time over the last few  months and my creating with friends and for challenges has really helped me ride that storm.

 

and my take on the challenge:

 

I've used emboss reist on glossy white cardstock and then overstamped with Bravo Burgundy and sponged Pink Pirouette and Bravo Burgundy ink. There's also a layer of vellum underneath which has the En Francais background stamp embossed in white.

I hope you get a chance to create and share something you enjoy today. It's good for the soul.

I'm having a little creative break (that's a break with creating not a break from creating!) down at the beach for a few days so hope to be back soon with some more ideas for you, just because :)

Claire xx

Watercoloured Fifth Avenue Floral ....

You would have had to have been living under a rock in blog land to not have seen some of these fabulous watercoloured roses by now. As mentioned in my last post I think the technique originated from Patty Bennett and you can view a free tutorial on the technique on her blog here. I was inspired also by these lovely cards I saw on Yvonne's blog.

For this technique you emboss the image in white (I used watercolour paper) and then soak the paper with a sprayer bottle and dab the colour from a reinker into the image using an aquapainter. That's the short version anyway! I kept dabbing it up and adding more colour where I wanted it. These Lillie's from Fifth Avenue Floral have been done using last years Purely Pomegranate reinker. The other colours are Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray, Basic Black and Whisper White. As I was after a more intense effect here, I also put a really thin layer of Crystal Effects over the top of the Lillie's. I have also use Echoes of Kindness for the greeting and Priceless for the swirl.

 

This is a softer version using the large rose from Fifth Avenue Floral. I have used Regal Rose, Rose Red and So Saffron reinkers. I have also used the Sweet Slumber and So Saffron prints DSP and some Regal Rose ribbon and cardstock. A few trinkets from my stash as well.

 

I hope you like my version of these watercoloured flowers. I think the rose is my personal favourite, it reminds me a bit of Peace, one of my favourite roses. Some of my other favourite roses are Chicago Peace, Double Delight, Blue Moon, Shocking Blue (my wedding rose), Elina, Tiffany, Seduction and I am sure there are many more!

Let me know which one is your favourite (and your favourite rose).

Happy stamping,

Claire xx

Mojo Monday 93: Vintage Eastern Influences

It was stamping friends night last night. I hang out for this night each month when some fabulous girlfriends rock up at my house and stamp the night away while we chat, laugh and solve the problems of the world usually with the aid of chocolate. One of our regular group was missing last night (just a little thing of visiting Disneyland and cruising down the Mexican coast. Geez - get a better excuse next time Christine, lol). We missed you Christine!

This is what I worked on last night - a very vintage offering for Mojo Monday 93. I haven't gone all vintagy for a while and I have to say I loved making this card! Excuse the perspective in the picture - the card is definitely rectangle! The flower image is from Stampin' Up! Eastern Influence. I have raised the main flower up in dimensionals over and above the rest of the image but that's a bit hard to see in this image.

Here's the rest of the recipe:

• Stampin' Up! Stamps: Eastern Influences, Fresh Cuts, Friends 24/7
• Cardstock: Kraft, Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip
• Ink: Sahara Sand, Basic Gray, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Pink Pirouette, Bravo Burgundy
• Punches: Large Oval, Designer Label
• Other: Watercolour paper, Chocolate Chip stitched ribbon, twine, Pearls (Basic Grey Opaline), Bella Bleu DSP

We also had to have a go at the fabulous watercoloured roses that are appearing on all the blogs at the moment. I was so inspired when I saw these gorgeous cards on Yvonne's blog. Yvonne also supplied a link to the free instructions from the lady who I think developed this technique, Patty Bennett. Thanks Yvonne and Patty - can't wait to make my flowers up into a card today :) 

Have a great Friday everyone!

Claire xx

5th Avenue Floral

Here's a quick few cards I made for some challenges this week using Fifth Avenue Floral and the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper.

This one was for our team monthly sketch challenge. The rose and the greeting are White embossed and the background is stamped in White craft ink.

 

This one was for Amy Rsavy sketch challenge. Another great sketch site.

 

This last one is for last weeks Mojo Monday sketch - a bit late but I like to have a go anyway!

Hope you are having a happy day,

Claire x

Wish for Peace and a stamped candle with instructions ....

Hello lovelies. Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last card. It was actually pretty simple to make, so I thought I would run through the instructions especially for Judy, and add a couple of other projects using that set in here too.

I started out with a whole heap of pieces of cardstock with an oval shape cut out of them, because I had made 10 of this card for our team Christmas card swap. I used an old oval Fiskars template to cut the oval. I'll include instructions for these two projects at the bottom as well.

So then I used those and the reverse masking tutorial instructions (here on Splitcoast) to make this card. I will post it again here so we don't get confused!

I inked the church image using Old Olive, Choc Chip and Always Artichoke markers while the mask was in place. I then watercoloured the church using Choc Chip ink. While the mask was still in place I sponged Baja Breeze ink around the edges. I  then removed the mask.

Next I inked the tree from Lovely as a Tree, using Always Artichoke and Chocolate Chip markers. and stamped that (with the mask removed). I the added Dazzling Diamonds using a 2 way glue pen - both over the tree in the oval and the one stamped in the foreground. I also placed small dots around the edge of the oval. Finally the greeting was silver embossed and the ribbon tied. I'll let you in on a little secret - I originally placed the big rhinestone on the right to cover an ink smudge, but then liked it so much I added 2 more! This whisper white was then placed on a thinmat of kraft and then Baja Breeze. Now for the other two projects:

Choc Chip Card

I stamped the church image in Chocolate Chip right across the front of the Chocolate Chip card. Using the cut out oval, I inked the image using the same markers as above and stamped onto the oval of Very Vanilla. I watercoloured the church again and then put Dazzling Diamonds onto the trees using 2 way glue pen. Once the watercolouring was dry, I sponged the Baja Breeze onto the oval lightly and inked the edges in Chocolate Chip. Adhere this to the card. Next I added the greeting which was cut from the Punches Three hostess set and matted onto a piece of kraft cut out with the designer label punch. A strip of eyelet border punched Baja Breeze and Holiday Treasures DSP is placed down the edge. Finally I have covered the church in Crystal Effects and allowed to dry for a few hours.

Stamped Candle

You will find instructions for this all over the place - I was originally shown by my clever upline Jenni Oliver. I inked the stamp using markers and then stamped onto a piece of plain tissue paper. I then cut roughly around the edges and help in place with some wax or baking paper while heated with a heat gun. Three hints at this stage a.wear an oven mit!, b. easy does it as you don't want your candle to melt and c. make sure you just have one layer of wax or baking paper. Gently peel the tissue paper away and decorate your candle as desired. If you use decorations, make sure you let the recipient know to remove it before they burn the candle!

Have fun making these projects. You will find another stamped candle in my 'Boxes Bags & Off the Page' gallery in the right hand column.

Hope you are having a happy week,

Claire xx