Hannah is off to a classmate's birthday party this afternoon so I whipped up a birthday card in a flash with the help of the newest addition to my punch collection - my star punch.

The Recipe:

Stamps:  Best Friend's Alphabet Upper - this one is now out of stock, and In The Stars from the Summer mini - only available until the end of March.  I've used some of the star stamps in the background plus on the envelope.

Colours: Very Vanilla, Night Of Navy, Riding Hood Red and Bashful Blue - love this combination for boys.

Other: My new Star Punch, Striped and Thin Grosgrain Ribbon in Bashful Blue

Now off to wrap the present, wash one chlorinated daughter's hair and find some party clothes!

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Cheers, Sue

This month Reverse Masking is one of the techniques we've been tackling.  This is the technique you need if you have a frame or outline that you want to fill in with a larger stamp.  Here's the card we made.

The Recipe

Stamp Sets: Priceless and Say It With Scallops

Colours: Not Quite Navy, Rose Red and Whisper White

Other: Rose Red ribbon, Scallop Edge, Scallop Square and Square punches, Earth Elements brads.

Some of the ladies got creative with their stamp selection and tried a few other backgrounds.  Here are 3 different variations.  (Thank you to Gail, Michelle and Julia for sharing!)

I always love seeing the small variations people make and the different cards that result. 

There are 3 spots still left for the last Reverse Masking/Rock 'n' Roll Class if you'd like to give this technique a try - this Thursday at 7.30pm.  More details here if you'd like to come along.

Cheers, Sue

   Yes I think it might be.  ☺

This new catalogue stamp set is called Greetings Eight and I've used Chocolate Chip and one of the new In Colours - Riding Hood Red.

As Stampin' Up demonstrators we have a list of new catalogue items that we are able to preorder in March and my box of goodies arrived last week.  I finally took the ink pads out of their plastic today and had a play.  (Thanks Ange for coming over - it's always nice to stamp with some company!  This card is my adaptation of Ange's adaptation of one in the gorgeous new catalogue.)

Plus my scallop square punch.  (Was most pleased to see that the scallop square has made it into the new catalogue.) 

Speaking of which - guess what has arrived on my doorstep?? 

Now that's one way to keep me out of mischief for a few hours!   ☺

Contact me to organise your copy - $10 to pick up and $15 to post.*

* Includes launch ticket if you're coming along to my New Catalogue Launch or a shipping voucher if you can't make it along.  More details here.

Better get my head back into my copy!!

Back with more sneak peeks soon.

Cheers, Sue

Here is another of our 'Rock 'n' Roll' cards from this month's technique classes.  This time I've used Embrace Life and the retiring Bodacious Bouquet.

The Recipe:

Stamp Sets: Embrace Life and Bodacious Bouquet

Colours: Pink Passion, Purely Pomegranate (a last hurrah before it heads off into the In Colour Retirement Ink Caddy!), Taken With Teal andAlmost Amethyst

Other: One last piece of double stitched Purely Pomegranate ribbon and a punch whose name I will have to look up later!

This was a more subtle rock'n'roll effect as there was not as much contrast in the ink colours.  I quite like subtle though!  (If you missed it you can see my greater contrast version here.)

And now for a quick money saving tip ...

If you are matting with a coordinating cardstock piece and either have almost run out (blush - could that be me!) or wish to get the most out of your cardstock, here's something to try.  Just use two narrow pieces instead of a whole wider piece.  Here is my stamped panel from the back before I attached it to the card.

Finishing Touches

Sometimes its all in the little finishing touches isn't it.  Here's my card before and after the addition of a scrap of ribbon.  I think it just anchors the greeting a little.  What do you think?

See you soon with some new catalogue sneak peeks!

For information on how to get your new catalogue when they hit the shores or for all the details on my New Catalogue Launch, check this post.

Cheers, Sue

Taking a quick break from a lovely evening of scrapbooking to show you this pic of Jack and I meeting someone new at the Moonee Valley Festival last weekend.

Now back to my craft desk.  Which I can finally see the top of.  OK does it count if you just shift all the piles of STUFF onto the floor ..... probably not, but who cares - I found a bit of space to scrap and am having a ball - who needs to see carpet? 

Thanks mum for the Creating Keepsakes subscription.  A nice read of this month's issue got my scrapping energies all charged up. 

Back with layouts to show you sometime soon.  Can you believe I finished four 8 x 8s today?  OK if you've seen my simple style then you probably will, but I'm usually very easily distracted!  

Hope you're having a marvellous weekend in your part of the world.

Cheers, Sue

PS Found this pic on my camera when I unloaded it.  My Valentine's flowers that I'd forgotten to photograph.  What a nice surprise to find someone else had captured a shot.

Here's another set that is retiring and some pics from the last year of creations that feature it.

Mostly Flowers - a set of 4 square stamps.

I think that was one of the sets I selected to include in my starter kit when I became a demonstrator.  Nice one to emboss.  $23.95 for the set of 4.  Available 'til the end of March or while stocks last.

Have a great weekend, a long weekend for us with Labour Day Holiday on Monday!

Cheers,   Sue

Edited to add:  I've had such a lot of queries about that last card there so thought I'd pop on the details.  The interesting thing is that 3 people asked me about 'that grey card.'  On my computer and in real life it is Always Artichoke so green.  Funny that the colours show differently on different computers.  Makes me wonder what some of my other creations look like elsewhere!

Anyway - The base card is Always Artichoke and the greeting is from Sincere Salutations and is stamped in either Basic Black or Always Artichoke.  (Can't recall and I posted it to a friend many months ago!) 

The top square is stamped on Whisper White with Always Artichoke ink then trimmed so that a little of the white is showing as a border.  This is attached to the 4 square piece with foam dimensionals.

The next layer is Always Artichoke cardstock.  I've stamped 2 times with Basic Black and the other 2 with Always Artichoke.  I think I fluked this one but would use a StampAMaJig now to line them up straight.  I trimmed down that set of 4 squares and mounted it on Whisper White so just a little of the white is showing.

Hope that helps.  Just out of curiousity - if you're reading this, can you leave a comment and let me know if the card looks green or grey on your computer. 

I was browsing through my photo files today (OK otherwise known as avoiding doing the dishes) and thought I'd pop in a few pics this month of some sets we are saying goodbye to this month.

Let's start with one of my favourites.  This set I'm definitely holding on to.  (Details of my 'For Sale' list coming soon to my newsletter subscribers, then to this blog.) 

Artfully Asian

Back soon with some more from the Photo Vault!

I'm having a quiet March in preparation for all the excitement of the new catalogue in April.  That's the lovely part about my Stampin' Up business - its got that element of flexibility.  Certainly helps when you wear a lot of hats and don't we all.  Better go put my mum hat back on and make Jack some lunch.

Just to keep the cobwebs off my inks and stamps, classes kick off again next week.  This month we're doing Rock'n'Roll and Reverse Masking.  Details here.  There are a few spots still left if you'd like to join a fun, happy group of ladies for an evening of stamping. 

Cheers, Sue