Sue Madex: Stampin Up Demonstrator Australia

Elementary Elegance and Vellum

Just a quick little card for you today using one of the SaleABration 2012 sets:  Elementary Elegance.  This main image coordinates with the Curly Label punch.  I've stamped it in Rich Razzleberry then used a Concord Crush marker to pick out a few details before stamping.

I've punched the frame out then popped a piece of vellum embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder behind it.  I love this shot (above) with the light shining through.   Crowns and birds and butterflies and swirls - a lovely vintage looking image. 

I trimmed a tiny bit from the front of the card (as I'd winged it and not quite stamped it centrally.)  I popped a piece of Rich Razzleberry satin ribbon round the inside part of the card so it shows through when closed.  (Does that make sense?  Here's a pic that shows it much better.  Stayed up too late watching the tennis and my brain isn't quite in gear today!)

Have a lovely week.   I think I might spend a bit of time checking out camera reviews after my 'aagggghhh splash' moment at the lake on Friday!   Yes, dropped my point and shoot camera out of my pocket so it is nestled away there at the bottom of the lake in the reeds keeping the fish company.  Doh!  

Cheers,  Sue

Wisteria Creative Elements Card

Hello, how are we all?  I've conducted a couple of Stampin' Up workshops in the past couple of weeks (waving a hello to Michelle and her guests and Marie and her guests.)  I thought I'd share the project we did for our make and take. 

Colours:  Confetti White base, Wisteria Wonder, Blush Blossom and Cherry Cobbler.  (Be back soon with another colour combo for this card, actually no - the same combo but different colours featured!)

We stamped the swirl from Creative Elements then added some texture using a crimper.  The butterfly is done with 3 markers for a multicolour effect.  I love the Lace Ribbon Border punch - in Cherry Cobbler here.  The Wisteria ruffled ribbon and a string of 5 pearls are the finishing touches.

This card was inspired by one of our make and takes  at Convention 2011. 

One more pic of the crimping.  Doesn't it bring back memories of 80's hair styles! 

Speaking of hair - we've been doing some major practising lately of independently looking after long hair at our place in preparation for camp.  My little crafting girl is off at camp this week.  Looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow and finding out about all the fun things they've been doing.  Jack's been quite enjoying having his parents all to himself but I think he'll be happy to see Hannah again tomorrow too. 

And camp has inspired a new milestone - washing, drying, and deknotting long hair without mum.  Now just to get Jack up to jumping in and out of the shower all by himself and I can sit on the couch with a glass of wine and celebrate.  :-)  

Happy stamping!    Cheers, Sue

Blog Hop: Big Shot Theme

I've been enjoying the blog hops my stamping friends hold each month.  Thought I'd get myself organised and join in this month.  Our theme is the Big Shot - my favourite crafting piece of equipment.  

You may have come from Nikki's gorgeous project over at Inky Art  or perhaps you're kicking off from here.  There are 6 stops on the hop today.

As well as being blog hop day, it is also Hannah's birthday.  She's 9.  Thought I'd use the Big Shot to make her card.  Now Hannah being a very girly girl, I went straight for my drawer of pinks and plums, and grabbed the Beautiful Butterflies die.   I was a little inspired by the kite on page 156 of our catalogue - done with a mixture of embossed textures, so I grabbed 4 embossing folders too. 

Petals A Plenty, Finial Press, Dots and Stripes.   Butterflies cut out with the die and embossed with the folders ......  The Big Shot makes it quick and easy. 

Then it was just a matter of arranging the butterflies onto my card.

Colours:  Pink Pirouette, Pretty In Pink, Rose Red, Perfect Plum and Shimmery White.

One of my most used punches is the Scallop Trim border punch.  Perfect when you just need a little extra something.  And works so well with pearls.

And since Hannah is not so much of a 'less is more' girl, I threw a few more butterflies and pearls on the inside.   (Was rather late at night I must confess so throw is rather accurate!)

Ooh nearly forgot to show you the shimmer.  I love the shimmery white cardstock (page 125) and get it out for special occasions (and special girls.)  Hard to photograph but here's a try.

Now what did I do before I had my Big Shot and Embossing Folders?  Such a nice way to add texture to a card.

Before I sign off and send you on your way, and while we're talking Big Shots, here's some creations Hannah and her two friends Georgia and Olivia made at our place on the school holidays.  They had a ball with my Big Shot, Box #2 Die,  Flirtatious fabric, Top Note Die and lots and lots of bling!   Kids just love to crank that Big Shot handle.  They were very impressed with their cards and boxes.  Bit of a rhinestone party happening there!

Time to head on to the next stop on the hop.  You'll find the talented Kathryn Ruddick over at Katlo Designs with some more Big Shot Inspiration. 

Happy hopping!

Cheers, Sue

Creative Elements Butterfly Card

Hello, how are we all today?  We've enjoyed a lovely relaxing couple of weeks of school holidays and are getting back into routine again this week.  I launched off on a health kick this month and that's going quite well too.  12 days in and I'm still feeling motivated.  Anyone else in a get healthy mood with this warmer weather?   I'm trying the couch to 5K program.  (Really more of a couch to car sort of girl but we'll see how we go in morphing into energetic exercising mama!) 

Haven't had my inks out for a little while but I've hunted through the photo vaults and found a few I haven't shared yet in case you're looking for a bit of card inspiration.  Here's one of the make and takes we did at the Stampin' Up Convention earlier this year.

Features the elegant swirl and beautiful butterfly from the Creative Elements stamp set, markers, crimper to add some texture, and the dotted scallop ribbon border punch.

Colours:  Naturals Ivory, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Early Espresso.

I like the size of this one.  It fits the small open end envelopes.  (Pg 126: 17 x 8.9cm) 

Here's a closer look.  The crimps add a nice touch don't they.

Hope your week is going well. 

Happy Stamping!

Cheers,  Sue

Beveled Windowpanes and Nature Walk

My newsletter ladies will recognise this card.  It features the Beveled Windowpanes on page 16 of the Autumn Mini and the butterfly from Nature Walk stamp set.

 

The base is Early Espresso, the bottom panel is Soft Suede - embossed using the Framed Tulips embossing folder, and the top panel is Naturals Ivory.  I love the subtle fleck in this cardstock.  Early Espresso taffeta ribbon and some hemp twine to finish, plus some glue dots to help attach the windowpanes.

 

The windowpanes are a nice way to highlight something on your card or project.  Here's a closer look.  There are 3 sizes in the pack - 2.5 x 2.5cm, 2.5 x 3.2cm and 3.8 x 5cm.  I've used the largest one on today's card.   A pack of 12 (4 of each size) is $16.95, or perhaps you'd like to share them with a friend or two. 

 

Hannah's Candle

Hannah and I had a craft evening recently stamping on candles.  I can't show you mine as it is for my Marker Club  girls, but Hannah was very proud of her creation so let's share that one.

 

She used a combination of Vintage Vogue and Friends Never Fade.   She is definitely taking after her mother as she took some step by step photos on her camera as well which made me smile. 

 

Have a lovely week.  Stay warm!  Rather chilly here in Melbourne this week - perfect weather for popping the heater on, staying indoors and doing some crafts.

Cheers, Sue

Stampin' Up Convention 2011: Swaps

By now we've had our first day at the Melbourne Stampin' Up Convention for 2011 and all the fun of swapping to kick it off.  Thought I'd share some pics of the swaps I made with you today.  I did a couple of different colour schemes and a couple of different designs. 

 

 

 

 

I had such a lot of fun making these.  The feature panel is done by taking a piece of watercolour paper, spritzing it liberally with water then dripping some drops of reinker on.  I spritzed again if needed then either waited a while for them to dry, or used my heat gun to speed it up if I was in a hurry.  You need to do all this on a nice protected surface of course so I spread baking paper, scrap paper and paper towel down first. 

 

I've used Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette and Rose Red for the first lot there, and Sahara Sand, More Mustard and a teeny bit of Cherry Cobbler for the second batch.    Each one turns out differently.  Once they were dry I stamped over the top using the set French Foliage then spritzed with my trusty combo of Isocol and Frost White.  (A huge thanks to Lyn from my team for this last step.  We made some of these at my last team gathering and she spritzed hers with the shimmer mix.   It looked FABULOUS so big thanks Lyn.) 

 

 

 

I also made another swap design using the background set Bella Toile, and the butterfly from the Strength and Hope set.  Colours: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Old Olive. 

 

The butterfly is embossed in white onto our lovely vellum cardstock then cut out.   The olive cardstock had a trip through the crimper and the Rose Red cardstock has been spritzed with a mix of Isocol and Frost White Shimmer Paint. 

 

With a last minute dash to the finish line I took my swap total from 14 to about 40.  Looking forward to swapping - it is a lovely way to meet lots of people and it is always nice to bring home a lovely range of ideas.  

Back with another post tomorrow!  (Goodness, I'm a better blogger when I am away I think!)

Cheers,  Sue

Nature Walk Soft Suede Card

 

A simple, fairly monochromatic card to share with you today.  This card has a Soft Suede base.  The feature panel is on Naturals Ivory, matted with Early Espresso.

 

I stamped off some images and did the first stamping of others to give the different intensities of ink.  A jumbo eyelet to finish off - set using my Cropadile.  I hadn't used my Cropadile for a little while so had to send the search party into the rather messy depths of our study to find this handy tool. 

 

I've used the butterfly from Nature Walk stamp set for the background and sponged as well to add some depth.

Have a super weekend.  The Stampin' Up Convention starts next Thursday so I'd best get busy this weekend and make some swaps.  Swapping with other demonstrators is always such a fun, friendly way to kick off convention. 

Cheers, Sue

Butterfly Card

 

A little butterfly card for you today using the butterfly from Nature's Walk. 

Colours: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Old Olive and Naturals Ivory

Other: A wheel (I forget the name now - will edit later!), eyelet border punch, oval punch, markers, pearls, crimper, sponge

Mood lighting shot.  :-)

 

Have a great weekend.  I'm off this morning to get rid of some grey hairs - aaahhh.

Cheers, Sue

Strength and Hope Circles Card

I combined the Strength and Hope stamp set with an old favourite card layout to create this card.

 

I've used Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White and the 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches.

 

Have a lovely weekend. 

Cheers, Sue

Launch News

We had a lovely couple of nights this week launching the Autumn Mini Stampin' Up! Catalogue.   Samples to look at, products to try out, throw in a few Tim Tams and it makes for quite a fun evening. 

I held my Hostess Rewards Prize Draw and here are the lucky prize winners.

Drum roll ........

 

Level 1 Hostess Sets
Mel chose Birthday Bakery

Anne-Marie chose Afterthoughts

Annette chose Slice of Life from the Autumn Mini

and Terri chose Birthday Bakery

$30 to spend

Zoe chose the Colour Coach

Crystal chose 1" Circle Punch and Antique Brads

Carole chose French Foliage

and Judy chose Blueberry Crisp DSP and Neutrals A4 cardstock.

Congratulations ladies! 

Thanks to everyone who came along on Wednesday or Thursday night.  Hope you had as much fun as I did.

Here's one of our make and take cards.

 

This one uses the Strength and Hope stamp set.  Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from the purchase of this set to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

 

Our launch card uses Rose Red and Pink Pirouette and is finished with some self adhesive pearls.

 

We spritzed the Hope greeting with a mix of Isocol and Frost White Shimmer Paint.  

I'll share some more launch pics and photos over the school holidays.  For those of you having school holidays, happy holidays!

Cheers, Sue