A Wish for Peace .....

Remember me? It's been a couple of weeks since I blogged. Sometimes I just need to step back and enjoy some family time and this was one of those times. A little blogging holiday which sort of just crept up on me!

I made this card last night while I enjoyed the Michael Jackson special and Wimbledon on TV. I'm starting to feel the need to get started started on some Christmas cards and I thought this one was good for a winters night. I have used the reverse masking technique and a combination of Stampin' Up!'s A Wish for Peace, Lovely as a Tree and the sentiment from Snow Swirled. It's difficult to see in the photo, but there is also Dazzling Diamonds on both of the bigger trees and dotted around the edge of the oval shape.

Here's the recipe:

• Stampin' Up! Stamps: A Wish for Peace, Lovely as a Tree, Snow Swirled.
• Ink: Baja Blue, Chocolate Chip, Versamark
• Cardstock: Baja Blue, Kraft and Whisper White
• Accesories: Stampin' Write Markers (Always Artichoke, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip), Silver Embossing Powder, Baja Blue striped grosgrain ribbon, Ice rhinestone brads, 2 Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds

Hope to get some more inspiration up here for you soon! Have a great week,

Claire xx

Elite Challenges Sneak Peeks ....

I've been catching up on some challenges for the Elite Challenges blog this weekend. Do you know about this challenge blog? It's run by the lovely Carol Dunstan, and each month she sets a sketch, stamp set and colour challenge for demonstrators in level 1-5 downline of Angela Sargeant. It's a great place to go for some stamping inspiration from lots of different demonstrators, and of course it's ALL Stampin' Up!.

Here's some sneak peeks of the 3 cards I made for this months challenges. To see the full cards and recipes, pop on over to the Elite Challenges Blog! When you get there, go to the Archives section on the right hand side and click on 'June 2009' for all the latest entries.

This one was for the 'Breezy Pirouette' Colour Challenge:

  

This one was for the Stampin' Up! stamp set challenge featuring Cheep talk:

  

This one was for this months sketch challenge:

  

Hope you are having a great weekend,

Claire xx

Inspired by Nature and Upsy Daisy ....

Hello from very chilly Melbourne. Definitely hot chocolate and stamping weather today!

Here's a few creations to share with you. I've had lots of reasons to send people cards over the last few weeks so have been very busy with card making and tutorial instructions for my customers.

This card uses the lovely Stampin' Up! silhouette set Inspired by Nature.

 

First I inked up the stamp in Pink Pirouette, then wiped the ink of the stem and leaves (just with a tissue) and then sponged Old Olive ink onto the stems and leaves. I also sponged Bravo Burgundy onto the flower as a highlight. I have also added Dazzling Diamonds to the flowers using the 2 Way Glue Pen. The background was made by just stamping the entire stamp pad over the background lots of times. Here's the rest of the recipe:

• Stampin' up! stamps: Inspired by Nature, Basic Phrases
• Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette
• Ink: Pink Pirouette, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive
• Punches: Curly Label, Eyelet Border
• Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon, 2 Way Glue Pen

This card uses the very popular Stampin' Up! set Upsy Daisy.

I have used the Stampin' Write markers direct to rubber to colour the image. The colours I have used are Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive. The image has been stamped off once and Crystal Effects has also been added for some dimension. The greeting underneath is embossed. Here's the full recipe:

• Stampin' Up! stamps: Upsy Daisy, Cheer & Wishes
• Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Elegant Eggplant, Almost Amethyst and Whisper White
• Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers, white embossing powder, Kiwi Kiss grosgrain ribbon, Crystal Effects

Finally here's two creations Josh came up with today while he was home with me on a pupil free day. He wanted to sit at the table with me and stamp and try out the different colours on the image. He watched a demonstration and then he went and stamped this all by himself. He loves the glitter, so he had to add some of that too!

Don'tyou love the particularly interesting technique of the reverse opening card on the left, lol. I think his teachers will be impressed with his efforts on Monday. He certainly was as he has made me put them on my card display cabinet in case any of my stamping buddies drop in over the weekend and want to copy them - how cute!

One last thing - could you do me a favour? My fabulous friend Kerry and her family officially became Australian's last night. They have only been in the country (from the UK) a few years and have already been through the Black Saturday bushfires but their house was spared (although it came soooooooo close). Kerry is such a great person (glass is half full :) ) and super fun to scrapbook and make cards with. Could you pop over to her blog and welcome her and her family to Australia? Thanks!

Hope you have a lovely weekend, stay warm!

Claire xx

Pun Fun, a Wish for Peace and my first Making Merry Monday's card ....

These were two of the cards I made Thursday night with my stamping buddies. It must have been a full moon Thursday night as I went a little silly. It's amazing I actually managed to get any stamping done in between the hysterics. Stamping buddy nights are Paul's nights to mind the kids and he watches a movie and goes off to bed all with us creating mayhem in the background. He really is a good husband and I appreciate he is so welcoming to my stamping buddies. Love these girls to BITS!

Anyway enough warm fuzzies - show me the cards right?

This one was for a birthday party Josh went to after school yesterday. I have used Stampin' Up!'s Pun Fun. The background is a stamp from Starring You which I have clear embossed, and there's also some white embossing on there too.

 

Here's the Stampin' Up! supplies I have used:

• Stamps: Pun Fun, Starring You, Calendar Alphabet and Numbers
• Ink:Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss (to colour stars) and Versamark
• Cardstock: Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
• Paper: Pacific Point DSP (prints range)
• Punches: Scallop Border, Large Star, Small Star
• Accessories: White embossing powder, clear embossing powder, embossing buddy

I also made my first Christmas Card of the year. I didn't quite get to post it on a Monday for Anita's Making Merry Monday's challenge, but I'm going to count it anyway OK? Next week I will get it happening on Monday. I loved the Stampin' Up! set A Wish For Peace as soon as I saw it (and it's only $29.95). Again I have used clear embossing. I love the look that gives, subtle sheen and texture and a tone on tone look.

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies used:

• Stamps: A Wish for Peace, Best Yet
• Cardstock: Old Olive, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla
• Ink: Old Olive,Versamark, Chocolate Chip
• Paper: Holiday Treasures
• Stampin' Up! punches: Tag, 1/2" circle and 1/4" circle (to make reinforcer)
• Other: Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain, twine, paper piercer, mat pack

Long weekend here in Melbourne. I've already done some gardening and now I'm doing some cooking as Paul's Mum is coming over for tea. Love lazy long weekends. I'm getting close to the end of a really good book too, so hope to sneak some couch time (and some stamping time too!).

Hope you are having a good weekend as well,

Claire xx

Touched by this ....

It was sad to wake this morning to the news that Professor Chris O'Brien had passed away from brain cancer. What an inspirational person he was. I remember as a health professional watching him on RPA and thinking what great compassion he had for his patients and how he bought such comfort to them in the face of surgery for head and neck cancer at RPA. Then when he was diagnosed with the same cancer a few years ago it just seemed so cruel.

I followed his story via his media interviews and was so inspired by how he turned his own battle into an opportunity to still make a difference in peoples lives, by raising awareness and funds for a new holistic cancer centre. He really touched me and so many Australians.

You can read all about Professor O'Brien's cancer centre here. May he rest in peace and his legacy be of some comfort for his family in the years ahead.