This is one of those cards that had been floating about in my head for a while.  Was quite pleased that it turned out when I gave it a go - sometimes my cards don't translate well from an idea to an actuality!

I cut the cardstock panels - Cherry Cobbler, Marina Mist, Early Espresso - and stuck them to the base then used Versamark and white embossing powder for the snowflakes.  Stamp Set: Snow Swirled.  Still one of my favourite sets.  The greeting is from that set too - embossed with the yummy Cherry Cobbler embossing powder. (Yummy as in gorgeous, not yummy as in delicious - ha ha.)  I've used the Labels Framelit for the greeting panel. 

Countdown to September 1st .....

Not long now til September 1st.  Just a couple more days to get your order in if there's anything you want from the retired list. 

And a few more days to write and rewrite and rewrite those wish lists if you've been browsing the new catalogues! So many gorgeous things, how do we choose!?

Get in touch if you'd like a copy of the new catalogues that officially come on deck on September 1st - the annual catalogue plus the 40 page holiday catalogue. 

Local?  (In Melbourne's west.)  Book your spot now for one of my new catalogue launches - Wed Sept 19th or Thurs Sept 20th, 7.30pm .  $20 includes a fabulous goodie bag, make and takes, door prizes and lots more fun. 

Cheers,  Sue

I've so been looking forward to this blog hop since Ros let us know the theme would be techniques. I know - great idea isn't it!  I always love learning new things, or being reminded of a technique I've forgotten.   Grab a cuppa and have a browse round the 7 stops in today's hop and get some tips for 7 different stamping or craft techniques. 

Waving a hi if you've arrived here from Ros's blog where she's showing us all about washi tape.  And a hello if you're kicking things off from here. 

My card today features glitter panel technique - one my Christmas In July class regulars know well as I think I include it every year. 

First up you need to stamp your image.  I've used the gorgeous gingerbread man (and star) from Scentsational Season and the colours Cherry Cobbler and Baja Breeze.  I used the labels framelit and my Big Shot to cut out the piece of cardstock.

Grab your Versamark Pad out.   Is yours all beautiful and pristine or has it had a bit of an interesting life like mine!! 

See!   Tap your cardstock on the versamark pad (stamped image side down) - you'll need to move it a few times. 

 


Move and tap, move and tap, until your cardstock is nicely coated with versamark.

Now it is time to get out the heat gun, heat and stick powder and Dazzling Diamonds.

Tip heat and stick powder to liberally cover the cardstock ......

And then tap off the excess ...

... and heat with the heat gun until you see the powder change.  It will look shiny and you'll notice it is quite sticky.   Don't keep at it with the heat gun as this tends to dry it out and it will lose a bit of  tackiness. 

Now time for a dip in the Dazzling Diamonds fine glitter. 

Tap off the excess and I usually give it one more quick blast with the heat gun.  You won't see a change but it seems to help do that last little bit of setting.  (And blows off any excess that is not stuck down.  We have a nice sparkly floor in July!) 

Here's our glitter panel on a card.  (The card layout is based on this Tina Gillespie card that I really liked.) 

Some silver glimmer paper 1" circles to form the scallop trim, some Be Of Good Cheer DSP and shimmery white cardstock for the base and embossed panel. 

I hope you get a chance to get all sparkly trying glitter panel technique.  Holler if you've got any questions.

Now it is time to head along to the lovely Margaret's blog to find out about kissing with an embossing folder - sounds intriguing!  Click here:   Margaret's blog

Have fun and I hope you learn some new techniques while you hop along the stops in today's blog hop.  Now I'd best be off - we have a certain little lad turning 6 this weekend so a cake to decorate and presents to wrap!

Cheers,  Sue

Goodness, what a busy month of orders as everyone grabs their favourites from the Going Going Gone list.  I think I could wallpaper my house with the brown packing paper just now! 

In between unpacking retiring products for my ladies, I've got a few cards to share from our Christmas In July class.  This design was CASEd from this lovely card created by my talented team member and friend Tina Gillespie.  I love visiting her blog for a dose of card making and scrapbooking inspiration.

We tried it out with Dasher (on our retiring list so only available while stocks last.)

He's embossed with gold embossing powder then we gave the cardstock a spritz of our magic sparkle spray (mix Isocol rubbing alcohol with some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint, spray and then go aaaahhhh.)

The scallops are done with a 1" circle punch and our fabulous glimmer paper.  (Coming very soon in champagne - can't wait.)

For those who prefer their festive cards in blues we had this option, complete with glitter panel. 

Oops - slightly patchy glitter panel, I must have been in a bit of a rush!  The retiring Baroque Motifs is helping out with the background, and Snow Swirled stamp set is featured too.  Marina Mist and Early Espresso cardstock. 

To make the glitter panel, stamp your cardstock, cut using the labels framelit, tap the whole panel onto a Versamark pad, tip Heat and Stick Powder on and tap off excess, heat until tacky, tip Dazzling Diamonds Fine Glitter on and tap off excess, heat again briefly just to set.  Voila, step back and admire your sparkly feature.  If you find that you have a few bare patches - just colour them with a Versamarker pen and repeat the steps. 

If you're one of my class regulars or local customers, you might just want to give me a buzz and swing by if you're in the area.  The postie has been.  Wink wink! 

Don't forget to book your spot for my New Catalogue Launches - Wed Sept 19th or Thurs Sept 20th, 7.30 - 9.30pm.  Spots are starting to fill up.  Details here. 

Happy Stamping!

Cheers,  Sue

Time to share some of our Christmas In July class cards with you.  Today's card uses the Elegant Bird Die which I had not even noticed until Beth Stewart  showed us some beautiful cards featuring it at Convention in May.  Thanks Beth!

Some retiring products featured here - Many Merry Messages stamp set and the Triple Layer Doily Punch plus the always elegant Mocha Morning Specialty DSP. 

Here's another version - we had lots of choices for this one.

This one features the chunky champagne glass glitter on the wing.  We used the Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive sheets - stick some to cardstock, run through the die, then peel the backing off and dip in the glitter - too easy!

Other cardstock:  Crumb Cake base for the first one and Soft Suede base for the next two cards.  Also Very Vanilla cardstock embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. And some lovely brads - neutrals glimmer brads and antique brads.  Plus some little ones for the eyes.

To make these cards we stuck strips of cardstock and DSP to a rectangle scrap of cardstock - we used gluesticks.  Then we ran this through the Big Shot with the elegant bird die (which will be back next month!)  Strip side down if you want your bird to face right and strip side up if you'd prefer it to face left.

And one more version before we sign off for today.  This one features a lovely fine dark brown glitter from a multipack.  Very sparkly. 

Retirement list orders are still coming in - it is not too late to order if something has caught your eye from the retired list.  (Unless it is one of the out of stock items listed above.)  Get in touch before the end of the month if I can help with an order.  We are experiencing a bit of a longer than usual shipping time. The warehouse crew are working overtime I believe to get them out as fast as they can but we might need to allow a few more days than usual while pacing for the postie!

Happy stamping!

Cheers, Sue

What a fabulous day we had on Saturday at the Melbourne Heartfelt Stamping Day in at the Melbourne Convention Centre.  

Four fabulous presentations on Decorations, Heartfelt Cards, Gifts and Wrapping - all featuring brand new products from our upcoming Holiday Catalogue.  What a terrific job Sophie, Simone, Janine  and Pam did preparing their projects and presentations.  Well done ladies!

Plus make and take projects, heaps of inspiring display projects and the chance to try out some tools at the Product Playground.

There were a couple of booths with talented demonstrators showing projects like this one (left) from Kerry Bunting  that made me want to go home and play with my brayer.

We could choose our pace for the day - popping in for the main presentations, then browsing the displays, picking up our box lunch and sitting down for a bite to eat and lots of chatting, heading to the tables to make up our included make and take kits, or having a play in the Product Playground.

My friends Claire, Di and I took turns to help out on to the Heat Tool table over the day. 

We helped people try out the gorgeous new pewter embossing powder, and some coloured ones, and of course the new scented powders.  Mmmm that Sugar and Spice one smells delicious.  (Had me craving muffins all afternoon!) 

By my afternoon shift we had a nice liberal sprinking of glitter floating about so I came home looking VERY sparkly.  Gotta love a bit of glitter!

Thanks Kathryn for the pic.

Melbourne kicked off the fun and there are events coming up in Perth - 25th August, Sydney - 10th November and Brisbane - 17th November.  My interstate readers - if you live nearby I'd highly recommend heading along to one if you'd love a day of getting ideas, inspiration and the chance to try out lots of products and tools.  Get in touch if you don't have a demonstrator and I'll put you in touch with someone. 

My guests, team members and friends who joined in the fun on the day all agreed it was a wonderful way to spend a day.  We had the added bonus of a VERY nice surprise in our bags when we registered.  I'll leave you to guess what that might have been!  :-)

Cheers, Sue

Thought I'd take a little wander through the vaults today and show you some projects featuring some of the stamp sets on this year's retiring list.

I think this is up there on my list of favourite cards I've made - it uses the gorgeous dragonfly from the Nature's Nest stamp set. ($39.95 Page 78)

Next up is a retiring stamp set and punch combo - Butterfly Prints (pg 66) and the coordinating Butterfly Punch (pg 152, at 25% off it is now $25.46, the one in my pic is the old style but if you order it you'll get the new style)   The card was CASED from my friend Nikki - waving a little hello.

You can see one of my favourite little sets there - Pocket Silhouettes.  (Pg 75) I do love a good silhouette stamp.  Here it is again.

I didn't spot this one on my first few looks through the list - the Medallion stamp.  LOVE this one - definitely going straight into my 'keep even though it is  retiring' pile.  On special at 25% off so just $25.46.  I'll be most surprised if this isn't on the sold out list soon.  Page 99

My cute little Dasher is on the list at 25% off so just $11.21.  Page 15.

While we're talking retiring Christmas sets, I always did have a soft spot for Holiday Lineup.  Page 27.

Did you spot the discounted items on the accessories list?  Ink pads 25% off, quite a few In Colour 2010 - 2012 products (while they last) at 40% off, Confetti White cardstock is on the way out and at 25% off is now just $12.94 for a pack of 40 sheets, 25 - 40% off lots of DSP (patterned paper), Christmas fabric packs at 75% off - just $4.99, 25 - 40% off some punches. 

Heads Up:  If you have our fiskars cutter, you might want to grab some replacement cutting and/or scoring blades too as these products are retiring to make way for a very groovy new cutter. 

Heads Up 2: (Thank you Nanette!) The Stampin' Scrub is getting a revamp.  If you need a spare or replacement pair of Stampin' Scrub pads grab those while they're here too.  The new ones are larger and won't fit your existing scrub.  Those pads last for yonks though.

FAQ 1:  I've had a few questions about the ink pads.  Don't worry they're not all disappearing, just getting a revamp to a new firm foam design.  Same great colours. 

FAQ 2: Yes if your order (or orders for you and some friends) adds to $300 you qualify for hostess benefits which means you get $50 to spend on either the hostess products or just anything else left on your wish list.

Rather Random Thought Of The Day:  Anyone else quite looking forward to the end of the Olympics?  I love love love them (which is quite strange really for someone as unsporty as myself) but must say I am quite looking forward to getting my brain back.  It seems to have morphed into a sleep deprived, addled, over caffeinated state.   Fun though isn't it.  Go Athletes!  Go Aussies!

Happy Stamping, or TV Viewing, or both perhaps!

Cheers, Sue

OK everyone - it is Retirement List time once more.  Here's the link.

Click here:   Retirement List 

(On that page you'll find the links to the retiring stamps list plus the retiring accessories list.)

That's the list of all the products that will be retiring from our main catalogue at the end of this month - or when stock runs out.

I really should do that bit in SHOUTY CAPITALS shouldn't I.  Remember - the products on this list are only available this month until out of stock.  Some things will sell out and some will be there all month - I'd recommend getting your retirement list orders in quickly to avoid missing out. 

I thought while I'm here staying up far too late watching our Olympic athletes (and getting the gold medal for keeping the couch warm and eating junk food!) I'd share a few pics of some retiring products and cards featuring them.

Baroque Motifs

Gorgeous elegant set - I do so love that big swirly stamp. 

Here's a couple of projects from the vaults featuring it.   (This one was a CASE of a Marelle Taylor card I loved. Gold embossing on gold cardstock - love it.) 

Timeless Type Alphabet for the Big Shot

If you've followed my blog or newsletter for a while you'll know I LOVE this alphabet.  It has upper and lowercase letters plus the numbers and a little assortment of other things like flowers, a hashtag, a heart and what not.  A bit over an inch tall - perfect for scrapbooking and for cards. 

 Powder Pals  - rather handy trays with a built in funnel.  Great for embossing powders and glitter. Includes one large and one smaller tray plus a brush, for brushing off those loose specks of powder.

 Stampin' Write Markers

They'll still be available but only in the big case, or in the colour family packs.  A selection of colours will be available individually (the Getting Started Collection colours I think) but not the whole range.  So if you have some particular individual colours you'd like for your collection - grab them quickly. 

That spunky turtle is from Nature's Nest which is another of our retiring stamp sets. 

 12" x 12" Textured and Smooth Cardstock

There won't be any textured 12" cardstock in the new catalogue and the 12" smooth cardstock will be available in select individual colours plus the colour families (so those packs with a couple of each colour in a colour family.)  

I'm expecting that the packs of individual colours on the retirement list will be amongst the products that sell out so wanted to highlight that one for any scrapbookers out there. 

Ink Pads

Don't worry when you see all the ink pads there.  Our ink pads are being reconfigured so after September 1st they'll be a firm foam ink pad instead of the felt covered ones we have now.  Same colours - with 5 new in colours to replace the 5 retiring this month.  I'll have more info for you on these closer to September.   The cases are the same shape so they'll still fit in our lovely caddy. 

Phone or email if you'd like to order anything (or if you've got questions about anything on the list) and I'll get your orders straight in - no dilly dallying. 

Cheers, Sue