swap cards

In one of my first posts, I told you about a swap I was doing - the biggest swap ever - all international - and I got my two swaps from the Netherlands the other day :) The theme was summer or flowers, and I think these two cards are very summery in flavour :)

These cards are from two very talented ladies.

This one is from Margot Zwegers in the the south of the Netherlands. Thanks Margot - I love orange and green together :) Sounds like such an odd combination, but looks so good :)

And this one is from Inge Groot, who I am sooooo jealous of!! Look at that colouring!! It's amazing!! And I love Matilda's. They are so girly :) Unlike me!!

second time lucky!

Ok, so my first "thanks a latte" card was not exactly how I wanted it to be. Luckily, the other day I had the perfect opportunity to have another go!

I work in a primary school, and part of my job is to keep the staff room stocked with milk, tea, coffee etc. (really important job - have you SEEN a primary school teacher who hasn't had her morning coffee??? Not a pretty sight!) So, anyway, this particular day, HORROR!!!! No coffee!!!! So we had to run over to the kindy next door and grab some of theirs (phew! thank goodness kindy teachers aren't so dependent on their caffeine - must be coz they get to play with playdough all day!! Who needs caffeine when you can pound your frustrations out??)

So, anyway, as a thank you, when I reapklced their coffee, I made this card. And I think it's a lot better than my first effort! (Sorry Sonia!! I'll make you another one day!)

So, still simple, coz that's how I like 'em, but a major improvement!

woah.. time flies!

Well, my kit arrived, and I dived straight in.. and now I need to place another order!! Coz I've used all my paper, and I've realised I really *must* have this .. and that....ooh and one of those too.. and seeing as I'm getting that, I might as well get one of those because it matches!

I have a couple of bookings for workshops and I am soooooo nervous!! As I've said before, I'm not creative, and these ladies are so crafty, and have been stamping for years - they should probably be demo'ing to me! But my upline (Hi Sharlene!!) told me to keep it simple, so that's the plan!! :) I tend to overanalyse things!!!

But in the meantime, I have been cruising around Splitcoaststampers (what do you mean what's that??? Where have you been??? Go immediately and check it out!! don't forget to come back tho!!) and have ahd my fingers crossed for weeks that some of the stamps in the mini catalgue in the US will be in ours, and it arrived today, and I am glad!! Can't tell ya much (or anything in fact!!) but I am a very happy chicky!! (My bank account might not be so pleased!)

So.. no pics today, but just a check in and a drive on!

SU! Demo

OK. So I did it - I signed up with SU! And I am so excited, and can't wait to get started. Why? (well I know you know why - coz the products are so fantastic and amazing and beautiful etc etc!!) but no, there is another reason! I am NOT at all creative. You will be hard pushed to find an original card made by me that I haven't CASE'd from someone somewhere. But that is the beauty of SU! You don't have to rely on your own creativity, because it is all done for you! The catalogue has lots of ideas, the website has more, the Demo part of the wesbite has idea sheets and then of course there is the incomparable SCS - with resources like these, my workshops will last for years without a double up!! On top of that, because the stamps come in sets, they easy to create with :) I also think (hope!) that this will be a major selling point for me with my customers - If I can do it, so can you!!
So now I just have to wait for my kit (Please Mr Postman - hurry up!!!)

hmm... second thoughts

You know that feeling you get when you KNOW you could have done better, but you are SO over it you just shove it in the envelope and move on? Well, that is how I feel about that last card. I love the stamps, I love the colours, but it is so wrong on so many levels :) But I was in a major hurry, (like 5 minutes!! - yeah, i know all you seasoned stampers could get 5 or 6 cards done in that time! - it takes me that long to fold the cardstock!!)

So anyway, I decided to ease my suffering and went to SCS so that next time I will have a layout up my sleeve for a quickie :)

This one however, I have no such thoughts about :) I love it! I know it is simple, and for that reason some people will dismiss it, but I like simple. I went to a stamp camp here hosted by Stamp Effects from Auckland, and we did 20 cards in a day. This was my favourite by far. I will post the others on different posts later on :) I can't give the recipe coz everything was supplied by them.

And another...

While I'm on a roll....

It's a bit blurry, but this card idea I got from a blog I visited, and I thought I had it saved but my favourites obviously aren't as well-labelled as I thought! So I am very sorry to the person whose idea I used but I loved it! Her card was way better too but my paper supply was limited!!

When I find it again, I will post here whose it is :)

Stamps: Thanks a Latte from MFT

Card: generic

Coloured using watercolour pencils

brads

Finally a card - i hope!

Ok ..... finally I think I have it.

Here is a picture of a card I did for a colleague who finished her degree last year, but graduation isn't until May (weird, I know!). Actually, this isn't it. Hers had red accents, but my camera wasn't being very nice that day, so this one is one I was asked to do for the niece of another colleague who saw that first one, and wanted it too!! The layout for this kind of came from the very talented Dorothy who takes the cardmaking classes at my LSS. Hers was a wedding card with lace and all sorts all over it (she is very into lace!) but I'm not, so mine is very plain. I still giggle at my little pun though "Con-GRAD-ulations" !! Well, my ten year old thought it was hilarious! Most people just think it's cute - which of course it is :)

Recipe:
Stamps: Diplomabella from Stampingbella
Card: generic
Sentiment: computer generated (font is Kristen)