Playing with new Stamps!

Don't you love it when you get some new stamps to play with.  I finally had a chance to sit down and ink up some of my latest Stampin' Up! Sets, for the two cards I am sharing today.

First of all however please accept my apologies for my photo quality.  It's still raining here in this part of Australia so the natural light has been quite poor.  We are of course very fortunate not to be living in parts of Queensland who have seen the biggest ever rainfalls and floods recorded in history.  Many regions have been declared a National Disaster Area with families losing their homes, crops destroyed, businesses waterlogged and the damage bills continuing to climb.  More areas are due to flood with the river catchments and systems full and not being able to cope with the deludge of water moving downstream.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected, as they come to terms with their loss after the water recedes which could take weeks.

The first card I am sharing actually uses one of the free hostess sets by Stampin' Up!.  It is called Punch Potpourri and is designed to coordinate beautifully with a number of the Stampin' Up! Punches.  For this card I have used the bird stamp to co-ordinate with the XL Two Step Bird Punch.  The other set used on this card is from the Summer Mini, and is called Itty Bitty Bits.  This set coordinates with a range of 3 new small punches and clear buttons which are also available in the Summer Mini.

The sentiment for this card is from the Teeny Tiny Sentiments Set and the DSP is from the Lap of Luxury Series from Stampin' Up! also.  The White Leaf Designed Cardstock is a new find I made with my good friend Julie at Time to Create and is from Bazzill.  It comes in a range of colours and embossed designs.  I brought about seven different designs all in white to play with.

The second card today is also using a new SU hostess set, from the 2011 Idea Book and Catalogue called Birthday Bakery.  I just adore the sentiment of "This is no day for just a sliver" and what says Birthday more than a whole range of delicious looking cakes.  I wanted it all to be a bit off centre and bright so I used as many bright colours as possible.  The small white punched cupcake is another stamp in the Itty Bitty Bits Set.

I still haven't managed to completly clean my craft room, it is a never ending work in progress so to speak. 

Be sure to check in here on Monday for the very first TUIC Challenge of 2011.  I am hosting one here and Molly at Miss Molly Creations is hosting another, so it will be twice the fun.

A Thank You Card with Hydrangea from Because I Care

Remember my last post which I posted a photo of a beautiful blue hydrangea Get Well Card using the Because I Care Stamp Set from Stampin' Up!.  Well today I am sharing another creation using the same set.

This time the hydrangea is pink (a combination of Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry Ink) on Whisper White Cardstock, and Concord Crush Designer Paper, with the new Concord Crush Stiched Ribbon and Ink.    I have embossed my Whisper White Cardstock mat, to match the polka dots of the Concord Crush Designer Paper. 

Don't you love the stitched edged ribbon, this ribbon is available in the five new In Colours from Stampin' Up!; Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz, Concord Crush, Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait.

The flower stamped border, the hydrangea, and the thank you sentiment seen on today's card are all stamps you will find in the  Because I Care stamp set.  This set is one of the new hostess sets, which means you can earn it for free just by hosting a Stampin' Up! workshop.  It truly is a wonderful set and a wonderful hostess reward.

Get Well Wishes - Because I Care!

Because I Care is a fitting name for the stamps I have used for today's card and one of the new Hostess Stamp Sets you can earn for yourself by holding a Stampin' Up! Workshop with your friends.

This really is a beautiful set.  The main image in the set is a single hydrangea flower which I have used to create the card I am sharing with you today.  I have also used the new Concord Crush Designer Papers from the Designer Series Paper Patterns Stack, with Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White Cardstock.

Using this stamp has brought back so many fond memories of my maternal grandmother. Her gardens at her home were filled with hydrangeas. I remember as a young child playing hide and go seek and running around the plants which were in circular garden beds in the backyard. I have water coloured the one in on my card today in memory of all her beautiful hydrangeas, her blue ones, which grew in the garden across the front of her home. In her backyard was both pink and blue and sometimes green. This really is an old fashion flower that has found its way back into fashion and into my heart.

This is sure to be a stamp I will use over and over. To give the flower a more 3D look I have used the smaller flower/petal image and stamped out a number of these, curled up the edges slightly and stuck these on top to give it more dimension.


You may have noticed that todays card is a Get Well Card.  I have made this card to be sent to my Cousin's wife Therese who has recently been told she has a number of growths on her kidney and she has to have her kidney removed because of this.  My prayers and thoughts go out to Therese and family during this trying time, and we wish her well for her operation and a speedy recovery.
 

New Stampin' Up! Hostess Stamps

As part of the Sneak Peek of the new 2010 - 2011 Idea Book and Catty from Stampin' Up!, we were able to purchase a number of items including some of the great new hostess stamp sets which will be available.

Both these cards were made using one such set.  The set is called Apple Blossoms and it is a Level 2 Hostess Set which contains 8 stamps and comes in your choice of Clear Mount or Wood Mount.

I played with my brayer to create the background for both of these cards and the random designs.
If you would like to earn this stamp set or one of the other great hostess sets from Stampin' Up! why not contact me today to discuss booking a workshop for you and your friends.  With the release of the new Catalogue in September it really is a great time to host a workshop.

Good Friends deserve Good Neighbours

I had to bid farewell to one of my newest crafting friends this week as she relocated to Coffs Harbour for work, so I thought it would be nice to send her a card wishing her well and letting her know she will be missed.

This is the card I made for her using the Good Neighbors Stamp Set by Stampin' Up!.  This stamp set was actually one of the free stamp sets you could have received during this years Sale-a-bration for placing an order over $100.  It is a two set stamp set which has cute little houses you can choose which roof goes on which house etc, and it also has a choice of three little trees and a cloud.

Making this card was actually the first time I have used this stamp set since I have had it and I must say I think it is adorable and the possibilities are endless for making cards sending warm wishes.  You can create little landscapes and streetscapes similar to what I have done here by stamping on your designer papers and coloured cardstock for the clouds, roof and trees and use layers to create the scenery such as the way I cut into the designer paper to create the hills.

The sentiment "The best is yet to be" is from the Best Yet Stamp Set which is a Level 1 hostess set from the current catalog.  This set has cute little verses for all occasions such as "To You from Me", "Just because I care", "So Glad we're friends", "A little something for a little someone" and "A Very Merry Christmas to You".

Don't forget if you would like to earn free stamps like this or other products all you have to do is host a workshop.  Its a perfect excuse to get together with your friends and have some fun.  I am only too happy to introduce you to the wonderful world of stamping, so if you would like further information on being a hostess, all you have to do is click here or contact me.