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August 2008
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October 2008

Petal Prints and some of my favourite blogs ...

Been on a bit of a card making frenzy the last few days. I've been participating in the downline challenges on my team forum which is always lots of fun. It's always good to move outside your comfort zone don't you think? Before I did though, I also made this card which is very 'me' in colour and design. I have a real thing for Petal Prints at the moment.

Petal Prints Brocade BG Sep 08 

This uses the following Stampin' up! products Brocade Background Designer Series Paper, and the coordinating colours of Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip and Bravo Burgundy. I have used my oval Nestabilities  to make the centre oval.

This was one of the colour cahllenges set by the lovely Tanja. I had to use Perfect Plum, Bashful Blue, Purely Pomegranate and River Rock. It was a real challenge, but I do think the colours work in the end.

Team Colour Challenge 2 Sep 08 

The Stampin' Up! stamps used in this one were Fun and Fast Notes, Priceless. Linen Background, Occasional Greetings and Boho Backgrounds.

Our stamp set challenge for this month was Tart and Tangy.These cards were cased from a couple of gorgeous cards I found on Splitcoast (this lovely card by HPstamper, and this one by splicedcentrestamp). I changed the colours slightly but that's about all. The colours are Ruby Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Kraft. The greeting is from Short and Sweet.

Tart and Tangy together   

Finally this one was for our team technique challenge. This months technique was Kissing (the stamping variety that is!). This is a simple and fun technique where you ink up a background or patterned stamp and then press a solid stamp into it, before stamping the solid stamp onto cardstock.

Team Tech Challenge Kissing Sept 08

In this card I wanted a really bold effect, so I used my Stampin' Write Marker (Pink Passion) to colour the background stamp (just needed a small portion coloured). I also stamped the elephant onto Glossy White Cardstock, which also gives a bolder image. The other colours I have used are Certainly Celery and Pixie Pink.

The lovely Linda Langes has honoured me with this 'I Love Your Blog' award! Thanks Linda, I love your blog too. Linda is a lovely demo in NSW sho I have found to be such a lovely person and a talented scrapbooker and stamper. You must check out her blog.

Love your blog award 

The deal is I need to tell you about 7 blogs that I also love, which is a hard ask because I love so many. Besides Linda and my own lovely team (who you can find in my sidebar), these are the ones I find myself going back to again and again for the inspiration and smiles.

Ali Edwards - I love Ali's philosophy about scrapbooking, the way she doesn't over-embellish her pages and because she really journals - lots and lots of real life stories, not just pretty pictures.

Beate - As well as being an amazing papercrafter, Beate inspires me with her willingness to so openly share her techniques, sketches and ideas.

Kelly Lunceford - I just love her style. Kelly was one of the first stampers that caught my eye when I happened across Splitcoast Stampers all those months ago.

Marelle Taylor - Again, not just an amazing papercrafter but a really nice person who openly shares and supports other demonstrators.

Makeesha Byl - because I am in awe of her ability to make 5 different versions of 1 card when she has 4 kids! Plus they all turn out beautifully.

Ingvild Bolme - Her shabby chic scrapbooking style has to be seen to be believed.

Cathy Zieleske - The queen of clean and simple scrapbooking.

Have fun checking out my favourite blogs, and thanks again to Linda for the acknowledgment of mine. Off to play with the boys on this wet and windy Melbourne afternoon.

Claire


Some scrapbooking and a little Soulology ...

Here's a couple of quick layouts I have finished this week. Just wanted to post them before I went and picked Josh up for the school holidays. I'm looking forward to having him home and no school runs for the next 2 weeks. We even have a few days planned down at the beach which will be very relaxing.

This layout uses the Stampin' Up! Crew Kids Boy Simply Scrappin' Kit! It was a perfect match for the colours in the photo down't you think. It was a quick and easy one to put together as everything matched everything else! It also shows a quick and easy way to do stamped titles. I just stamped onto patterned paper and made letter tiles and pieced them together for an informal look. Love my Stampin' up! Jumbo Outline Alphabet. I love how it doesn't overwhelm the layout, and it's lower case - my fave!.

Cousins 

Then there's this one of Sam's first steps (can't believe that's over two years ago now!). Lots of different products on this one, but my outline alphabet makes an appearance again. It's great to use when you want to place slightly less emphasis on on one of the words in your title. He looks very pleased with himself in the middle photo doesn't he. I love that I have this captured in a layout.

Baby Steps Sam 

Really excited to say that Erika Martin (Stampin Mama) has asked me to be on her design team for the Soulology Project Online Course starting late October. If you are into 'me' pages and journalling from the heart you HAVE to do this course. I have had the opportunity to look through the 10 week workbook and it's awesome! This will be such a creative journey and I can't wait to create my pages each week for the 10 weeks! Check it out or in the link in the sidebar on the right) and make sure you tell Erika I sent you when you register.

Have a great weekend,

Claire xx


Petal Prints ...

Just a quick card I made this afternoon yes - two posts in one day!

Needed to make a birthday card, and was happy how this turned out. I have used some of my all time favourite Stampin' Up! colours here, Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, So Saffron and Always Artichoke.

Petal Prints Bravo Burgundy 

Here's what I have used:

Stamps: Petal Prints, Weathered Background, Floral Background, Baroque Motifs

Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy

Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers (Always Artichoke, Rose Red, So Saffron), Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain

Enjoy. Be back soon,

Claire xx


Priceless, Nursery Necessities and the FREE Jumbo Wheels ...

There's still time to get your hands on this months super special from Stampin' Up!, a free Jumbo Wheel when you buy any of the 6 pre-selected stamp sets: Nursery Necessities, Priceless, Merry Merry, Artfully Asian, Carte Postale and Bodacious Bouquet. Here's a couple of sample cards I made using these sets and the matching wheels. This one uses Priceless and the free So Swirly wheel:

Guava priceless 

and this one uses Nursery Necessities and the Nursery letters wheel (which would be great for school pages too don't you think?):

Acetate tech card 

Hope you are all having a good day,

Claire xx


Using limited supplies ...

Just a quick page I did for a team Cybercrop on Sunday. It was a limited supply challenge, and unfortunately I failed, lol. WE were only allowed to use cardstock ink and adhesive but it NEEDED that fabulous rubon and the brads. You know what I mean. I still love the simplicity of the page though. Please excuse the dodgy scan, Photostitch (or maybe operator?) was having a bad day. I promise it's straight IRL.

These girls have been my close friends since my first year in boarding school. Love them to bits.

Friends Forever 

All supplies are by Stampin' Up! I have used:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Time Well Spent

Cardtsock: Whisper White and Soft Sky textured, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink and Sage Shadow.

Accessories: Cherished Memories rub-ons, Soft Subtles brads, Cropadile (to emboss top cardstock strip)

Hope you are all having a fabulous day,

Claire xx