Long time no post :(

I’m not sure what has been going on with my computer, but since I moved house, my computer and blogger are no longer friends :( I can’t post anything, or even look at other people’s awesome creations. I am starting to get withdrawal!! I am writing this at my parents place, to see if it will work! If it does, I will put all my pics on a USB drive, and commandeer their computer for a while and schedule some posts in advance.

I have the photos of my convention swaps (plus the swaps I received in return – but I’ll only post some because I have HEAPS!!) – but no photos of the actual convention cos I was having WAY too much fun to take pics!! Plus some new creations with new catty product.

That won’t help with looking at other people’s work, but at least I can keep working on that!!

first dance

The Big Shot dies are twice as versatile as you may think - cut out the shape, and you also have the negative to use as a frame. Perfect for this picture of the couple having their first dance. The butterflies are non-SU! - these were their place cards.

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Big Shot, Top Note die

Groom and daughter

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings

Let's hear it.....

.. for the girls!
This is a CASE from the packet the SSK came in.

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Scallop edge punch, corner rounder punch, Pink ribbon non-SU!

the bride

Jordan saved a button hole and pressed it, and really wanted to use it in the scrapbook. So we cut out a scallop envelope to sit it in.

Products USed: Big Shot, Scallop Envelope die, SSK Sweet Nothings

Cutting the cake

The Big Shot came in handy again here - The frame around the photo is actually two top notes cout out and put together. The ribbon is non-SU! Such a simple layout, but I really like it.

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Top Note die, Big Shot

We are family!

The obligatory group and family shots!
These pages are mirror images of each other, and were an easy way to keep the focus on the photos, as they were already quite busy.

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings

Signing your life away....

well, your name at least!! :)
The word LOVE has been cut out using the Big Shot Timeless Type Junior alphabet, which includes a heart and a button, among other little bits.

Products Used: Big Shot, Timeless Type Junior Alphabet dies, SSK Sweet Nothings

Sealed with a kiss

Yet another Makeesha inspired layout, from another UStamp class.

Product Used: Textured Card Stock -Pink Pirouette and Chocolate Chip, Baroque Motifs Stamp Set, Chocolate Chip ink, Big Shot, Scallop Circle die, Circle Scissors, Whisper White cardstock, Bella Rose DSP, White ribbon

Love Birds

Another Jordan deisgned page - she saw the Love Birds in the Candy lane DSP and knew she wanted to use those somewhere. This photo just asked for it!

Products Used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Candy lane DSP

With this ring...

Another total Jordan design. The sentiment uses three different stickers for the Sweet Nothings SSK all stacked on top of one another. The rings making the border are from the Occasionally stamp set.

Vows

Don't you just love that swirl from Baroque Motifs? It goes with EVERYTHING! and can be used on ANYthing! Stunning!

Products Used: Chocolate Chip cardstock, Baroque Motifs stamp set, Chcolate Chip ink, SSK Sweet Nothings

Mother of the Bride

This is another Makeesha CASE, but I swapped the punch from the photo to the bottom of the page.

Products used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Riding hood red ribbon, scallop edge punch

mother of the groom

This is a direct CASE from the extremely talented Makeesha Byl - I just changed the hodge podge hardware for a heart punch with a sentiment from the SAB set Whimsical Words. who'd have thought flamingos would work on a wedding page??? Thanks, Mother of the Groom, for wearing a turquoise-y jacket! lol

Products used: Pink Flamingo DSP, Tempting Turquoise cardstock, 3/4 inch circle punch, silver brads, Regal Rose cardstock, Real Red cardstock, full heart punch, Whimsical Words SAB stamp set.

here comes the bride

Finally, here comes the bride - this was taken from a long way away, so there was a lot of photo we didn't need, so when it was cut off, there was a lot of space on the page. Jordan decided we needed to use the big shot! This worked!!

Prodcust used: SSK Sweet nothings, Vellum paper, Big Shot, Manhattan Flower die, Chocolate Chip Cardstock

for the girls

So the boys had trucks, the girls get swirls! This was one photo chopped into three and matted to make it a bit more fun!

Products used: SSK Sweet Nothings,

waiting.....

Jordan designed this page all by herself. She decided it needed a manly feel to it, but mum wouldn't let her change the colours completely, so she raided my stamp sets to find something to make it less girly! Trucks are about as manly as you can get, but how to incorporate them into a wedding scrapbook??? Add love hearts of course!! The Loads of Love set has the hearts to be added to the back of the truck, so that was perfect! - Although Jordan did add dimension with some heart stickers of her own.

Products used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Loads of Love stamp set, I heart hearts stamp set, Full heart punch, three heart punch, silver brads, random heart stickers.

The 'do!

What's a wedding scrapbook without the obligatory hair shot! 'Scuse the blur!

Products used: SSK Sweet Nothings

beautiful bride

The wording says it all. This layout uses the gorgeous medallion stamp to add a background without taking away from the picture. This scrapbook is 8x8, but most times I cheated and did a 6x6 and thens tuck it to the middle of the page!

Products used: SSK "Sweet Nothings", Medallion Stamp Set, Riding Hood Red ink, pink pirouette cardstock, Riding Hood Red cardstock

Happy Scrapbooking Month!

May is Scrapbooking Month, and for me that is very scary!! I am NOT a scrapbooker, but recently had reason to become one very quickly!
My daughter's father got married and Jordan was a bridesmaid, and wanted to do a scrapbook for the couple as her wedding present to them.
"Mum, you have lots of stuff from Stampin' Up! You can help me and it will be fabulous!"
Well, much as I appreciate her (misplaced) absolute faith in my creative ability, I panicked, and of course that led to much blog surfing to find some help!
Eventually we settled on a Simply Scrappin' Kit (Sweet Nothings) and blissfully ignored the fact that it didn't go with their wedding colours (the bridesmaids wore black - we don't have black and white DSP - I would love some SU! if you are listening!!) - we figured dad would love it regardless, and if not - tough!!
So, please excuse the blur - some is on purpose to obscure faces - other times it is just coz I suck at taking photos, and I was in a particular hurry with this one!
This layout is taken from a UStamp online class I did - and was originally a digital scrap page. We just took the layout and re-created it in paper. The ribbon is not SU! but everything else is.
There were twenty pages in all - I'll share them all with you throughout this month.

Products used: SSK Sweet Nothings, Whisper White cardstock, I heart hearts stamp sets, riding hood red ink, three heart punch, non-su ribbon

Zindorf-inspired with Helen

At training way back in January, Helen brought this really cool technique for us all to play with. It is Michelle Zindorf inspired, and basically involves rubbing ink all over the cardstock in a really messy way - which for some people (Helen, and especially Michelle herself, judging by her blog) results in an amazing piece of art. Me? I just end up with messy fingers and an anal retentive urge to make everything symmetrical and even!! This is my first go!!
Sharlene and I went back to her place and had another go the next day - and I liked my efforts there only marginally better - but we both at least were feeling as out of depth as each other!


Clean and simple is definitely my thing! I will stick to admiring Zindorf inspired art from afar, wishing I was that talented and less rigid in my creativity :)

ESAD Mothers Day Blog Hop

Good Morning everyone!

I hope you’re ready for the ESAD Blog Hop! Better go grab yourself a cuppa as you’ll be hopping for a while!

What is ESAD you say?

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australian (and New Zealand) Demonstrators and it is an online group just for Australian and New Zealand demonstrators for Stampin’ Up!

We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love for what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help and support each other when its needed.

So if you are a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand then please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

Maybe you just joined me from Wendy's blog, but if not, stress not - this is a circular hop, you can join anywhere, and find your way round the whole loop.

This hop is to showcase the fantastic things you can do with the Big Shot for Mother's Day - and this is the card I will be giving my mum :)

This was originally an idea from Patty Bennet - but it has grown like topsy, and I cant remember where I saw the petticoat first - but it adds a cutesy element that I like :)

The dress is a scallop circle die, and then the sides are cut out to make the dress shape. (just eyeball it - or if you plan on making lots, do a template using the backing of a DSP pack). This DSP is Bella Rose - a favourite of mine that I have been neglecting since we got Cottage Wall! The bottom of the dress uses the eyelet punch, and has been crimped to make the petticoat.

The riding hood red mat has been embossed using the polka dot embossing folder (LOVE it!!) to give a bit of texture.

The second card I have made also uses the scallop circle die, and is aimed at a brand new mum! How cute is this little baby carriage?

To make a card that opens using you scallop circle, start with an A5 folded in half like you normally would, then lay it on your die missing some of the scallops with the folded edge - the scallop circle die can cut about 6 layers at a time - maybe more - I have tried 6 and it worked fine! Haven't needed more than that yet!

So there you have my little contribution - hop on over to Sharlene Meyer - and try to be nice when you compare us ;) She has talent with a capital T :)

Want blog candy?? Visit every stop on the blog hop and leave a comment on all the posts then let Sharlene Torres know by Friday 30th April 2010 so you can be put in the draw. No Stampin' Up!® demonstrators please.

Now - go enjoy the rest of the hop :)

bye bye birdie

OK. final cloisonne card - also using fun and fast notes but has a totally different feel to the wedding card. (just to show how long ago I did this - that ribbon was current when i made this card!! lol)

wedding card

This card uses fun and fast notes, and uses a dark background - giving a real elegant look instead of the flowery ones seen so far

Cloisonne Trois :)

This is probably my favourite cloisonne card - but then it is my favourite style - clean and simple. It uses the fall-to-layout 54

Faux Cloisonne - part Deux

haha.. see what i did there??? ok.. never mind!!
I love this card! It is a total CASE of one done by Alisa Tilsner from Aussie - but when have I ever let that stop me??? :)
I did drop one flower, and used cloisonne instead of cardstock, so obviously it is TOTALLY different! (and her brads are straight!!)

A note on CASE-ing:
CASE stands for Copy and Share Everything, and I personally would not be able to create ANYthing if this was not acceptable. I am not colour co-ordinated, and have no concept of design and space, so please - if I CASE you - take it as a compliment. :) I ALWAYS credit (not necessarily with a link, but at least the full name and country if possible) - and if I dont know I will say so, but will still acknowledge it was not my original.
Ok, soap box lecture over :) Carry on!

where did March go??

And February and January - and most of April in fact!
I suck at this blogging business - I know - I admit it!
It took a blog hop to get me back on here - I need deadlines! What can i say! :)
I have been creating - so I will share my creations on here over the next few days, then check back on thursday for the ESAD Blog Hop :)

OK.. so I have my Big Shot, and i have been playing with that A LOT, but I want to save that for after the blog hop!So this is what I was doing before!!
This uses a technique called "Faux Cloisonne", and there is an awesome tutorial on Splitcoast here
I have a few of this technique to show you over the next few days.
So without further ado, coz I know you have been waitin 4 months for these pics!! ;)
a matching pair - boy baby and girl baby! Take your pick :)

hooray for 2010!!

well, my last few weeks of 2009 were a bit of a write off really! lol
Personally, my life was heading in a huge downward spiral. Stamping wise, not much better! I had all sorts of gifty things to show you, and my camera was not playing the game! I have lost all the photos - but I will take them again, and will definitely post the projects. Just not in time for Christmas! lol
On the bright side, 2009 is over, and it's a new year! New beginnings are all good! I intend to make the most of this year - stepping outside my comfort zone! In fact - one way of doing that is putting my pic up on here finally!! Took some playing around with my cell phone! It's hard to take a photo of yourself!! I will get someone else to take a better one sometime soon, and replace it, but until then, have moved my comfort zone circle a couple inches wider!! lol