OLIVE YOU

HERE IT IS!! My first card from my prize from Kim's March competition. I received the set today and couln't be happier! It took a while, the first order was lost, the second went to the wrong house and the third made it. It was worth the wait.

The set is called Olive You and the cardstock colours are Old Olive (no surprises there) Real Red and Basic Black.

HUGS & KISSES

I used Happy Hearts, All-Year Cheer I for the Hugs and Kisses stamp and Weathered background. The colours are Rose Red, Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip.

HAPPY EVERYTHING

I made this card this morning using Basic Black, Regal Rose, Rose Red and Garden Green cardstock. The technique is Crayon Resist using Mixed Bouquet stamp set. The sentiment is Happy Everything from the retired set, Mixed Greetings.

BLOOM

This is one of my favourites at the moment. I made this a couple nights ago when I received my Stampin' Up! order. The stamp set is a level one hostess set called Both way Blossoms and I coloured the roses using Stampin' Write Markers and a blender pen on a piece of water colour paper. The sentiment is from the level one hostess set Blooming with Happiness. The background stamp is Weathered and I used Rose Red and Handsome Hunter cardstock.

LOVE

Here is a card that I have wanted to make for ages but didn't have any heart stamps. I recieved Happy Hearts in the mail last week and didn't waste any time making this one. The colours are Bravo Burgundy and Old Olive and the stamped sentiment is using Wonderful Words.

THINKING OF YOU

I have been finding it really hard to break away from using Rose Red and Old Olive on my cards... that being said, I have also been finding it really hard to break away from using my flower stamps too. This realisation lead to my 'no flowers' weekend where I made the following sea creature cards.

I used water colour pencils to colour in the flowers from the In Full Bloom set and the Thinking of You stamp from the level one hostess benefits set Warmest Regards.

THINKING OF YOU

Thinking of You was made using cardstock and ink from the Soft Subtles colour family. They are Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery and Barely Banana. I used the Crayon Resist Technique on glossy paper and some Ivory organdy ribbon.

I used Mixed Bouquet and All-Year Cheer I stamp sets.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

The background on this card is a technique called Faux Leather and it is using plain old masking tape. You tear up the tape and position it, then rub the ink colour of choice over it and do a layer of clear embossing over the top to seal it.

The seahorse is from the Fishy Friends set and the colours used are Glorious Green and Tempting Turquoise.

IT'S YOUR DAY!

This is card is one of a heap I did during the long weekend while I was trying not to use flower stamps. I used the little crab from Fishy Friends that I gave him a name so he wasn't just 'The Little Crab'. I figured he deserved it so I called him Sebastian!

The colours used are So Saffron, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. I also used All-Year Cheer I for the 'It's Your Day' sentiment. It doesn't show up too well in the picture but I used Kindy Glitz on the torn edges of the cardstock to look like waves.

SHAKER CARD

This card was fun but messy. I have been keeping an eye out in the local craft store for months for natural coloured sand to make a beach card. I wasn't having any luck then Matt said "why don't you just use sand from the beach" and I thought... yeah... I seriously can't belive I did'nt think of that myself. Considering the beach look was what I was going for... it was pretty logical!

The colours are Ballet Blue and Bashful Blue. I used my D'vine Swirl embossing folder with my Cuttlebug because they look similar to waves and the stamp set is Fishy Friends.

ENJOY YOUR DAY

This one was my first card of the day when Sebastian was still just 'the little crab'.

The colours used are So Saffron and Ballet Blue and the stamp set is Fishy Friends. I did'nt have a bubble stamp so I used a marker to colour in select areas of a stamp from Mixed Bouquet (yeah I know... flower stamp... but it doesn't count!)

BONE JOUR

Bone Jour is a stamp from the retired set, Ruff Day? If you ask me, this set should never have been retired becuase any dog lover would find it simply irresistible. The set has three of the cutest dogs ever and three cute and witty sayings.

The colours used are More Mustard, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip.

MANY THANKS

I made this card weeks ago for the lovely lady that did our make-up for my sisters wedding, Christine. Yes... its still sitting on my desk and no I haven't written in it yet! I'll admit I have been a little slack but I keep finding other things to do instead... like start a blog.....

This card is using my number one favourite stamp set In Full Bloom, All-Year Cheer I and French Script for the background. The colours are Pink Passion and Olive Green and I used water colour pencils to colour the flowers.

WARMEST WISHES

This card was the make-and-take for Susan's workshop on June 2nd 2007. The technique is Crayon Resist and we used colours, Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana from the Soft Subtles family. The stamp sets used were Mixed Bouquet, French Script and All-Year Cheer I.

Everyone had a great time and loved the card.. hope you do too!

ALTERED LUNCH TIN

I loved every second of covering this tin... well almost every second. I got a bit frustrated covering around the latch and the handle! It holds my cards but sometimes not enough so I have two more tins that I am going to cover soon.

ALTERED BAND AID TIN

Kim gave me this little band aid tin and I love it! When I first got it I wondered what I could put in it. Turns out, my business cards fit perfectly!

THE BEGINNING.....

This is my first attempt at a blog and its mainly becuase of two reasons...

1. Like, you know, everybody's doing it..!
2. My Art Gallery on my website keeps playing up and I am sick of trying to fix it!

I have been stamping since November 2006 and that expensive but oh so fun hobby was started by my partner Matt's sister, Joanne... THANKS JO! Meanwhile, Matt is probably reading this going... "yeah.... thanks Jo".

I was introduced to Stampin' Up! at Christmas time by my sister Kelly, while Matt and I were in Brissy visiting his family and she was looking for wedding stamps. She found out about Kim (my upline) on the Huggies website and sent me the link. I just couldn't belive it and spent so many freezing hours (it was cold and raining the whole time) over Christmas flipping through the pages of the online catty. I just loved it and it was great becuase I wanted to visit some stamping stores over the break but I could only find two whole shops that were open before the New Year. Finding Stampin' Up! was perfect timing because the one stamping shop in Cairns had just closed down and left us with one scrapbooking shop and Spotlight!

In March 2007 I became a Demonstrator and I love it!! I have a full stamping room and Matt even built me a great big bench and shelves to hold it all. I am still threatening to take over his office though becuase it has a bench that goes all around the whole room and mine only goes half way. I have had a few Workshops now and I just love it. I don't know many stampers personally so I love going and stamping with other people!

I also have a downline, Ruth and a downline-to-be, Susan! Ruth has been a demonstrator in Cairns now for a few weeks and we sent Susan's paperwork off yesterday. So exciting!!

Well, I will stop now. That is where it all started and if you have actually read to the bottom of my raving then THANK YOU and stay tuned to see some of the creations I have made!

Over and out

Amy