Stampin' Stuff

Christmas Displays

2011-12-16T07:57:00.003+10:00

These Dusty Attic 3D Displays were made by combining both the Santa Sleigh and Christmas Trees sets and they turned out to be great little Christmas decorations, if I may say so!

The sleigh display has pattern paper covered houses, sleigh and reindeer but I think brown paint would have sufficed for the deer because it is hard to see the pattern anyway and they were very tricky to cut and sand. You could always paint the deer brown and still use some red pattern paper for the sleigh. I also put some Glossy Accents on the reindeer and sleigh to make them stand out a bit against the houses.

The trees are painted with green Jacquard Lumiere Paint (which has a beautiful shimmering, metallic look to each gorgeous colour) then dabbed with Oregano Alcohol Ink to give them a bit more of a grungy, mottled look. There are transparencies glued behind each window.

The second tree farm display was made using the left overs from both kits. I made the trees and houses in the same way as above but I put some Tacky Glue randomly over the trees and houses and sprinkled on some Polar White Flower Soft.

Possibility to Imagine...

2011-11-14T17:10:00.004+10:00

I whipped this up today using the new Tim Holtz District Market Burlap Panel - Memoirs. They are a great starting point and are way more interesting to look at than plain canvas.

I used Tim Holtz Corners, some TH Lost & Found paper mounted on some chipboard, 7 Gypsies Tissue Paper, Filmstrip ribbon, Stamps - Curiosities and Stuff to Say, die cut flourish Grungeboard that has been sprayed with Distress Reinker and Perfect Pearls and a few bits and pieces I had lying around. The two coins are just a penny and a three-pence from the 40's that my dad gave me.

Vintage Suitcase

2011-09-13T15:23:00.005+10:00

Check out this awesome project! I keep an eye on Follow The Paper Trail on you-tube and when Laura showed this vintage suitcase I had to make it straight away. You can buy the pattern at Laura's site and she shows how to make the suitcase and decorate inside on her u-stream channel. Also check out the Trunk Full of Memories project too... it looks excellent!

The straps are made from Grungepaper using D-Rings and Hitch Fasteners.

The top has a Grungepaper pocket and I have put some Pen Nibs, Vials, Film Strip Ribbon, Hinge Clips, a Pocket Watch with a Timepiece and Game Spinners.
Laura's pattern has a mini album in the bottom section but I made some postcards using Tim Holtz stamps sets, Postcards and Stuff to Say. There are also some pieces of 7 Gypsies Mini Ephemera.

Wishing Well

2011-09-02T13:21:00.005+10:00

I made this fun little project using the Make It Crafty Wishing Well Kit. It is so cute and it actually works lowering and lifting the bucket with the handle. The chipboard has been cut so precise and everything fits together perfectly it is great for people like me who like everything millimeter perfect!

I covered all of the pieces in Basic Grey and Imaginisce pattern paper, put some flowers on and some artistic wire poking out. There are also some little faux bubbles in the bucket too.

Clay Creations

2011-09-01T08:10:00.006+10:00

I wasn't going to post my clay creations on my blog but I decided to after all... just because. These little guys are made from Sculpey clay and the original dragon in an egg was made from a tutorial that I got from Clay Lessons.

My baby dragon isn't as baby like as the tutorial but it was my first real attempt at scuplting so he turned out pretty well.

The little dragon above is my toddler dragon and he was my third attempt at sculpting and I decided to go with what I knew and made the face similar to the baby in an egg.

I have no idea where I was going with this guy for my second attempt at sculpting but I call him 'The Troll' for lack of a better description of what he could possibly be! I made a little rabbit hole with grass, moss, rocks and a stick for him to come out of because MAN was I struggling to sculpt hands and feet!

Each one is sculpted from scratch except I did cheat and when I finally made on arm and hand that worked out, I made a mold of it because I spent days trying to get two the same and it just wasn't happening!

Plywood Mansion!

2011-08-25T17:02:00.007+10:00

This was one monster of a project but it is now complete... after only five days and three trips to get more paper! (You can click the pictures to see them larger)

My friend called me the other day and said that Cotton On Kids in DFO Cairns has plywood doll house kits marked down from $39.95 to only $5.00! I raced in there (luckily I was parked just on the other side of the road anyway) and picked one up. I had NO idea how big it was! The picture on the box was only a black and white sketch and there were no real instructions so it was quite interesting seeing it take shape. Quite a surprise to find it had a bay window on the side because the box didn't have one of those!

So anyway, I covered it all in Ruby Rock It paper and put some transparencies in the windows and some artificial vines on the sides with some little paper flowers.
The mansion before:

Top Secret

2011-08-19T15:44:00.002+10:00

The final Rock Chic card is Luscious Linda! The background stamp is Bricks and the sentiment is from the Darkroom Door set, Mail Art.

Evidence

2011-08-17T01:40:00.002+10:00

Say hello to Rock Chic card number 2! This stamp is called Star by Whimsy Stamps... again, colouring her hair was sooo fun! I really enjoyed not making a 'cute' card for once! The background stamp is Bricks and the sentiment is from the Darkroom Door set, Mail Art.

This is Art

2011-08-15T15:32:00.004+10:00

This is a great stamp also! It was so fun colouring Kitty Katastrophe by Whimsy Stamps... I could go crazy with the hair and bold colours. I made this card as a set of three. The background stamp is Bricks and goes well with the theme I was going for. The sentiment is from the Darkroom Door set, Mail Art.

1000 miles and a parking space

2011-06-02T12:17:00.005+10:00

I just finished covering a high heel in Ten Second Studio Metal and I am so excited by it I had to post immediately! The inside of the shoe says 'A journey of 1000 miles starts with finding a parking space'.

I made a rough template of the side of the shoe from tracing paper then embossed the silver side of the metal with the new Kabuka Mold #15. When I had agonised over the colour for about two hours I jumped in and inked it with Cranberry and Lettuce Alcohol Ink and burnished the raised areas.

Then came the fun part! Had I have known before I started I wouldn't have spent so many hours trying to make my first template of the shoe and just got to work but I put some Humungo Killer Adhesive on the back of the metal which is CRAZY strong then pressed it into shape. Turns out, you don't need the cut lines exactly right, just lay it on with some overhang then use a craft or stanley knife to cut it to shape. The part where the shoe and the sole come together is really thick so you can use that groove to cut a nice clean line without cutting into the shoe.

If you are new to Ten Second Studio, they have a bunch of great videos on how to work with the metal.

Paris, New York, London

2011-05-21T18:27:00.003+10:00

I'm back! There has been a massive gap in my crafting and blogging recently because I have done some damage to the nerves and tendons in my wrists and hands making pretty much everything difficult so I have spent some quality time with the TV for the last couple months but things are looking up so I am hoping to get some more craft projects done! I have heaps in my head... now I just need to actually do them!

I made this tag way back when Tim Holtz first released these new stamps but typing is quite hard with my hands so I have been a bit slack posting it. I used the Haberdashery and Urban Tapestry for the background stamp which can also be found in the Shabby French set.

The main picture is stamped in Aged Mahogany ink with Walnut Stain dabbed over the edges before I stamped it. I then covered it in Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint. There is also some hand stitching and muslin that I dyed with some Antique Linen reinker and finally, the Paris stamp from the Papillon set that I embossed in Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder so it looks aged!

Dancing Girls!

2011-03-22T05:13:00.000+10:00

The lovely dancing girls are now in print in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft Vol 17 No 1 which is on sale at the moment. They look like they are having a whole lot of fun hey!

This gorgeous babe is Suzette:
And the lovely Babette:
And Vivienne!

Ribbon Spools

2011-03-21T07:06:00.003+10:00

I made these ribbon spools using a Collections Elements Ribbon Spool kit and a whole lot of paper, ribbon and other bits and pieces.

It is also now available for purchase as a class at Stampin' Stuff and it comes with a kit and private link to the class instructional video so you can take part no matter where in the world you live!

Heard you were a little dragon

2011-02-22T07:23:00.002+10:00

I made this card for a friend of mine that was really sick just after new years. There seemed to be a lot of sickness around then. I spent two of the three weeks I had off from work sick!

This is Seymore's Sick Day and Tail Not Waggin' and I made it as bright as I could while still managing to fit in as much of my beloved olive green as possible! At some stage I will try and move away from olive green but it is my favourite colour so that is tough!

NEW STAMPS and you can win some!

2011-01-15T07:53:00.014+10:00

VERY PUNNY COLLECTION

Get ready for the Limited Edition Very Punny Collection of stamps from Stampin' Stuff! There are six stamps to choose from covering a range of occasions and everyday 'just because' themes. Check them out here!

BACKGROUND STAMPS!

They aren't your ordinary background stamp though, this stamp size is big enough to completely cover a 5.5" x 5.5" square card and also an A2 card (A4 cut in half and folded). No more trying to line up that stamp again to fill the entire piece of card!

Check out all of the new stamps at Stampin' Stuff!

WIN SOME STAMPS!

Would you like to win one of every stamp in the Very Punny Collection? All you need to do to go into the draw is:

'Like' the Stampin' Stuff Facebook group
Leave a comment on this post letting me know

WIN MORE STAMPS!

To go into the draw to win one each of the entire Very Punny Collection AND 3 Background Stamps of your choice:

Put the Stampin' Stuff banner below on your blog with a link to www.StampinStuff.com.au and let your friends know about this post
Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you have done

Entries close midnight Sunday 23 January 2011 (Australian EST)

2011-01-15T04:47:00.000+10:00

Stampin' Stuff has donated a heap of cool TIM HOLTZ goodies to raise money for the
RSPCA QLD FLOOD RELIEF

CHECK IT OUT AND BID for great goodies and an even better cause!

High Hopes Challenge #100

2011-01-11T09:30:00.005+10:00

The gang is back with art and MEGA PRIZES!

1st prize is $100 worth of High Hopes Stamps*
2nd prize is $50 worth of High Hopes stamps*
3rd and 4th prizes will each receive $25 worth of High Hopes stamps*

* retail value. Unmounted or cling mount.

This week is the High Hopes Challenge #100 and it spins me out because I remember our very first one! I haven't joined in in a challenge for quite some time but for this one I didn't really want to make a card. I have been a bit hooked on 3D stuff lately so I made a little scene on a mini canvas.

To cut a long story with a craft knife short, I used the cutie Dwight, Remembrance Tree and Rocks and cut them all out! I always start these things before I realise how long it will take to do it. For a tutorial on how I watercoloured the little guy, click here.

TO THE BLOG HOP! The next person on the list is Andrea so head on over to her blog. If you have come in half way you can find the details on the hop at the High Hopes Blog.

Houses for Birds

2011-01-06T18:40:00.002+10:00

No one said that the houses had to be for mini little humans! How about mini little birds? This project evolved and seemed to get more complex every day but eventually turned out really fun and really quite constructive.

The birds, flowers and grass are cut from chipboard using my Circut that I got for Christmas. Gee that machine is fun!

The houses are house kit #1 from Collections Elements and the leaves are the Leaf and Swirl Magnolia Doohickey die.

Live in the Moment

2010-12-31T17:18:00.004+10:00

This is a Tim Holtz Configuration (the small one) and I have been holding on to it and playing around since they arrived with not many ideas on how to use one. My problem was I was having trouble working in such small boxes so I figured I would think outside the box and put them on the outside so I have more room to decorate!

The big section has a stick with wire and beads and a brass owl sitting on it. There is also a 7 Gypsies Mini Key there too.
Some of the compartments have little vials in them and I just stamped and inked some paper with some PaperArtsy Ephemera stamps and rolled it up. The corners have some beads stacked up and I just used some Multi Medium in Matte and you can't even see it when it dries. It is a great glue too... it is really quite thick so it holds really well and I have officially replaced my mod podge and Super Tack with it! The great thing is, you can remove the top of the little squeeze bottle and refill it with the big pot too!

The 'Live in the Moment' stamp is gorgeous and it is from the Tim Holtz set, Urban Chic.
The big flower is made from the Spellbinders Poinsettia die and I used all of the sizes and constructed them in much the same way as Tim Holtz makes the Grunge Flowers.

The swirl and leaves are Magnolia Doohickey dies and ended up being perfect sizes for the flower!

Metal Letters

2010-12-28T08:45:00.004+10:00

This year I actually had time to make Christmas presents for a few people and what is even better is, I did it all with a week to spare!

I got some paper mache letters from Spotlight this year and covered them with Ten Second Studio metal that I embossed with a mixture of molds. A few of the letters have Grungeboard Alphabet Soup names that have been inked with Alcohol Ink.

This is the first time I have 'collaged' the molds and it was easier than I thought. When you are rubbing the metal sheet over the mold you sit there and tend to wonder if it is going to turn out but when you burnish the top, it all seems to work and you can't even see the bits you were concerned about!

Here is the video from Cheryl and Megan that I watched before attempting to mix and match molds! It is quite helpful!
I used some Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears for my brother's 'J'.

Believe

2010-12-22T09:26:00.003+10:00

I made this tag a few weeks ago but I have only just gotten around to posting it! I used a 2008 12 Tags of Christmas as inspiration but then messed around with the background a bit more. It is pretty basic and uses stamps from Mini Holidays, Rockstar and Mini Ornates.

The Journey Awakens the Soul

2010-12-11T16:11:00.015+10:00

I got a Bind-It-All a few weeks ago so mini albums may just be my new obsession but this is my first go. It took a couple weeks and three seasons of Supernatural playing in the background but I finally finished it during the week.

I used a heap of Graphic 45 paper from a few different collections to cover some chipboard sheets. Then I went embellishment happy until it was full and the O'wires weren't big enough to close it! That problem was solved by taking out one page and although it was a really hard decision, it was able to close after that!

The closure on the front cover is called a Perfect Closure and it is from Zutter, the company that makes the Bind-It-All.
The pictures are quite small but if you click on them it will come up larger so you can actually see a bit better. I got the idea for the binding on both sides and the split pages from my friend, Bec who just so happens to have quite a lot of good ideas! She also convinced me I needed a Cricut so that is my Christmas pressie this year. I can't wait to play with my new toy!

The stamps used throughout are the Ephemera sets from PaperArtsy, Tim Holtz Mini Muse, Mini Classics and Shabby French. The rub-ons (or rubbings, as they like to call them) are from multiple packs and are all from 7 Gypsies.
I also used sprocket gears and a brass pair of scissors.
This page has a small keyhole on one small page and the hole goes right through to the other side where there is another chipboard key hole.
This is the back page where the book is bound twice. I used some brads and got the idea for a little corset look from FollowthePaperTrail on you-tube. She makes some AMAZING stuff so you should check her channel out.
The corset went really well because a few of the pattern papers are about fashion and have corsets on them.

Happy Birthday

2010-10-26T07:49:00.005+10:00

It's Lenny again! I made this sunny card for a friend for her birthday last week and I am really happy with how it turned out. It is oh, so, bright! I LOOOVE that paper. The colours are so me! The stamp is Lenny's Love Me Not's and Amuse, Relax... It's your day.

I have been getting a few people ask me how I watercolour lately so if you want to know, check out the tutorial here. I am going to update it soon with some new piccies too. Stampin' Stuff is a bit low on Twinkling H2O's but I should have more in in the next week or two.

Consider Yourself Hugged

2010-10-18T07:15:00.004+10:00

Hugging the cat like this is something our dog would do if the cat would let her. The dog LOVES that cat but the cat doesn't really feel the same. Sometimes she is caring and lets the dog lick her but other times she runs like a crazy woman away. I'd probably be the same if I weighed a couple of kilos and 40kg came bounding at me.

Anyway, to the card. This adorable little dog and cat is an Inky Antics clear rubber set and there are some sets still available at Stampin' Stuff and they are 30% off!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-09T10:13:00.004+10:00

I know Halloween isn't huge in Australia but that doesn't mean we can't get excited by the colours, right? I love this time of year for craft almost as much as Christmas. I don't do anything about Halloween but I just love looking at blogs and seeing the fun bold, bright purples, greens and oranges.

This year I decided I was going to make some cards so here is the first one, hopefully I will have a chance to make more! The stamp I used is from High Hopes and is called Witchy Poo Stirrin' Brew and I also used Silly Spider and Happy Halloween. I added a bit of Artistic Wire to the card and used some old paper I have in my stash... I don't even remember which brand it was but it had the colours I was looking for.

There is a category at Stampin' Stuff dedicated to Halloween and spooky stuff so, even if you aren't getting into Halloween this year, why not have a blast with the colours anyway... that's my plan!

The High Hopes Challenge for this week is also to make a Halloween card so if you want to go into the draw to win some rubber, hop on over there and take a look at what the Diva's have come up with!

Hoo, Hoo, Hoo

2010-10-04T16:32:00.004+10:00

How cute is this little owl?! He is the Stitched Owl from Pink Cat Studio and he is just adorable like the QT Hooty Owls! I whipped this card up this afternoon and realised at the speed I am creating these days I really should get cracking with Christmas now! If you are after some Christmas goodies, check out the Christmas category at Stampin' Stuff. I have linked everything Christmassy to that category so you only have to go to one spot to see it all!

I used some old Kaisercraft paper for this one. The colours are so nice so you might see more of it as I work through my left overs! I have also used Kaisercraft pearls, Prima Holly and some Polar White Flower Soft for the hat.

The Village

2010-08-29T14:11:00.004+10:00

I made this little village using a bunch of goodies from Collections Elements. I think in the time it took for me to make the houses I could have built a real village but that is just because I kept changing my mind and changing things around.

The houses themselves were covered in Collections Pattern Paper (a mixture of all of the packs) and the windows have little pieces of transparency in them so you can see through them. I used both house kits so there were a whole bunch of the little things!

I used a Collections Tree behind the houses and put some bent metal foliage on the branches too. When I was gluing it on a thought crossed my mind.... Cairns City Council would be right on to the owner of that house... if that came down in a cyclone there would be nothing left of the little thing! Matt had the idea to add a chimney to the big house so that is just made using left over chipboard from around the pieces of the kit and glued it on.

Discover Yourself

2010-08-09T18:54:00.000+10:00

Look what I found! A tag that I haven't shown anyone on my blog. A long time ago I had my very first attempt at a Tim Holtz tag turned out to be pretty plain so I tried harder with my second attempt using Tim's Perfect Distress video for help because I had no ideas myself. I came up with this and it is so grungy that I quite like it.

The background is a few layers of Distress Ink where you rub the tag through ink that has been spritzed with water on the non-stick craft sheet. I love the blotchy look.

The bird is from Urban Tapestry and I stamped him in black ink and then put Glossy Accents all over the black bits so he stood out against the background a bit better.
I stamped the red branches then brushed Perfect Pearls all over them then sprayed it with water just like Tim did to make the red ink bleed out from underneath.

The bold words on the Discover stamp (raised on mounting foam) are accentuated with Glossy Accents and then I finished it off with some Rock Candy Crackle Paint at the bottom and top with Walnut Distress Ink rubbed in the cracks.

Embrace Imperfection

2010-08-07T06:20:00.000+10:00

Last time my mum visited she kept looking at the mini clipboards that I had and saying they were really cute so I thought I would make one for her. I covered this one with Collections pattern paper and inked it up! I LOVE doing that! Everything looks great inked, I think. The Heart and Wings are also covered with Collections PP with a cute little crown charm on the top.

On the back I stamped 'Embrace Imperfection' from Mini Muse and cut out the little words from Collections Mini Melange which is a little sheet with heaps of words that are just perfect for embellishing this sort of thing.

Farmer Clemmm had a farm....

2010-08-01T18:34:00.000+10:00

I just realised I completely forgot to show a piccie of the farm yard cards that were published recently! It was in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft and the issue was Vol. 16 No. 3.

The three cards were using Party Cow, Party Pig and Farmer Clem!

Here are my pics so you can see them more closely.

The Journey

2010-07-27T13:03:00.006+10:00

It has been a long time between posts, hey! Well, I had a nice break and caught up on things so I had a bit of an experiment today with my Tim Holtz stuff. I am a collector and I tend to think I should save things for a special project but I decided today that I am just going to use the stuff!

I will admit, gee it was fun just making a mess! I scrunched and ripped and just made things look tatty and it was great! I cut a piece of paper from Tim's paperstack without even thinking it though and.... I used scissors! The line is not even straight and I didn't even neaten it up... I just stuck it down just as I cut it... after some distressing of course! That is a big thing for me because I always think things over for at least a half hour before committing to cutting a piece of paper... and I ALWAYS use a guillotine so it is straight. I am way too particular and I can't be random with things that don't match properly. Ahhh.... it's great. I feel like I have been on a journey too!

Do you want to know what goodies I used? I used a piece from Lost & Found Paperstack, Mini Muse Stamp Set, a tag, Distress Ink, some Making Memories Postage Stamps, Long Fasteners and Washers (in random metal colours that don't match! Yay... but... eek!). I squished those with the Texture Hammer and I stapled ribbon on with the Tiny Attacher and put a Mini Pin in the top too.

Blog Hoppin'

2010-06-18T14:00:00.000+10:00

I hope you have had a rest after the Dustin release Blog Hop because there is another one on right now!

Do you want win some fantastic MelJen's Design rubber? If you said yes (and who wouldn't!) go to the High Hopes Blog for the details and start the hopping! In order to go into the draw to win you need to leave a comment on each Diva blog including the High Hopes blog as there will be winners drawn randomly from random blogs so you wont know which ones!

The next blog from here is the amazingly, fabulous, brilliant..... LACEY!

HOP... HOP... HOP!

MelJen's Designs - Sneak Peek!

2010-06-16T17:09:00.002+10:00

WOOHOO! High Hopes has another artist! Joining Dustin is Melissa Jenkins. Here is my very first MelJen's card and it is using Sunflower Buggies. I had a ball colouring this flower. It is so flourished and cute... ah! It was great!

NEW High Hopes Artist!

2010-06-16T16:57:00.002+10:00

LOOK! High Hopes has a new artist! Melissa Jenkins is joining the ever growing High Hopes family and she has created the most beautiful stamps to keep the girly girls in their element! The line is called MelJen's Designs and they will be on sale on Friday 18 June 2010 at Stampin' Stuff!

Would you like to win a package of MelJen stamps? Head over to the High Hopes blog for details and there will also be a second Blog Hop so get ready for even more opportunities to win!

High Hopes Blog Hop

2010-06-14T14:03:00.005+10:00

It's time to hop! If you would like to go into the draw to win some amazing High Hopes Rubber than head on over to the High Hopes Blog and start the hop.

To go into the draw, follow the hop order (starting at the HH Blog) to each of the Diva blogs and leave a comment on each one. Make sure you leave a comment on each blog because FOUR WINNERS will be drawn randomly from four Diva blogs and you won't know which one!

Now to my card! The stamp I used is quite a favourite of mine because a BBQ'ing dragon is just so funny and everyone knows Australian's like to BBQ! The stamp is called Flame Broilin' and the sentiment is Fire up the Grill. The card is pretty straight forward, watercolouring (tutorial here) with inks and Twinkling H2O's. I also hand drew some little sausages and glued them to some artistic wire so they could be twisted into shape.

Alright... that's enough from me... I don't want to hold up up along the way!

The next blog to visit from here is the lovely Alex's blog!

New Release - High Hopes Rubber Stamps

2010-06-12T20:38:00.004+10:00

It's sneaky peeky time! Here is just one of the brand new High Hopes stamps that is being released on Monday. Dustin draws the cutest little animals and this one is one of my favourites of the release. The stamp is called Bear-ly Inspired.

All of the High Hopes Diva's are posting creations using the different stamps from this release so be sure to check them out!

The new stamps will be on sale on Monday 14 June 2010 at Stampin' Stuff.

2010-06-12T07:21:00.002+10:00

Do you want to win some new release High Hopes stamps?

Then we would love you to help us spread the news about our blog hop and release.

To be entered into the draw:

1. Grab our blinkie from the sidebar of the High Hopes Blog and place on your blog. You just need to copy and paste the text underneath the blinkie into a html gadget. (In blogger click Customise in the top right of your blog then click add gadget and select HTML/Javascript). If you prefer please grab the static image below and remember to link to the High Hopes blog :-)

2. Please tell your friends about the news, blog hop and release on Monday, June 14th.

3. Become a follower of the High Hopes Blog. You don't want to miss out on the fun and there will be tons of prizes along the blog hop!!!

4. Leave a comment on Nikki's post with a link to your blog post spreading the word.

The contest ends 8pm EST (Midnight GMT) on Tuesday, June 15th!!

One for the men

2010-06-07T19:04:00.000+10:00

This weeks High Hopes challenge is hosted by Danielle and it is to make a masculine card. I think it might be Fathers Day soon somewhere across the other side of the world! For us it is in October... I think... I should probably look in to that.

I used Tractor, Rocks and Sun on my card this week. The tractor was supposed to be red but comes across a bit pink after I put the Twinkling H2o's on. The paper is my trusty Crate Paper... GEE I love that stuff! I am getting a bit low now and it is pretty old so eventually I am going to have to part with it!

As always, if you are going to join in on the High Hopes Challenge, go by the High Hopes Blog for the details and to link to your card. Then you will go in the draw to win the weekly rubber prize from Tina! WOOHOO!

Blog Candy! - CLOSED

2010-06-07T10:34:00.003+10:00

Who wants some candy?!

It has been a while so I thought it was about time I gave some goodies away!

Up for grabs:

Tattered Angels Limited Edition Glimmer Mist - Sweet Clover
Tattered Angels Calling Cards
Adorable Messy Rabbit Stamp Set
Deja Views Congrats Rubons
Bella Rubbons
VersaMark Metallic Ink Pad - Teal
Kaisercraft Pearls
7 Gypsies Antique Mini Keys
Queen & Co Brads
Tinman Brads
Flower Organdy Ribbon
Prima Flowers

There are a few ways you can win and you can choose as many entry options as you like. Each option gets you an additional entry into the draw!

Put a quick link to this post on your blog
Become a fan of Stampin' Stuff on Facebook
Take my little hyper bee banner below and put that on your blog with a link to www.StampinStuff.com.au

Remember to leave me a comment on this post so I know how many times to enter you in the draw!

THE WINNER IS - TANIA M.
Thank you everyone for entering and taking the time to link to my blog or store!

Party Time!

2010-05-31T09:52:00.003+10:00

It's party time at the High Hopes Challenge blog! This week we are making birthday cards and I chose to use Gavin the Gift Givin' Dragon on my card and some Basic Grey pattern paper. My Labels 1 Nestabilities also made an appearance (first time in AGES). If you would like to join in the party time fun, pop on over to the High Hopes Blog to see how you can go into the draw to win some rubber stamps from Tina!

It's a Girl

2010-05-16T16:31:00.003+10:00

I made this card for my sister because she had a baby girl last week. It was quite a surprise because the whole time I pictured her having a boy! It was good timing too because this weeks High Hopes challenge is hosted by Sirpa and it is to make a card or project for a baby or young child.

The stamp I used was Kanga& Joey and put on some Prima Flowers, some ribbon, Kaisercraft Pearls and a Jenni Bowlin Stick Pin.

As always, if you would like to go into the draw to win some rubber (this week it is the adorable Cheeky Sean) then make your own High Hopes card and link to the High Hopes blog and Sean could be coming to your house!

WOOHOO!

2010-05-11T17:48:00.003+10:00

I listed a whole BUNCH of new stamps and restocks last night from Stamp-It and High Hopes and I hit my all time high!

Stampin' Stuff now has over 500 different stamp designs to choose from!

What's more is I have NO intention of slowing down! I have goodies on their way right now from three different companies that I haven't stocked yet so keep an eye out for the newbies!

I'm being brave!

2010-05-10T20:16:00.000+10:00

I have decided to part with a few Stampin' Up! stamp sets on ebay. They are starting at $0.99 and you can find them here.

Sketch Time!

2010-05-09T20:19:00.000+10:00

It's time for a sketch!! This weeks High Hopes Challenge is hosted by lil' ol' me and I whipped up a sketch. I say whipped but it actually took me quite a long time! I couldn't decide on colours! The stamp I used on my card is Chopper's Chilaxin' and the papers are from Dream Street. I used some cute Sunris Prima Flowers that I have had laying around for a little while (they have a nice little texture to them) and made some flourishes from Black Artistic Wire.

To go into the draw to win some fantastic rubber thanks to Tina and Bethany, head over to the High Hopes Blog for more information and to leave a link to your entry card!
Here is the sketch... feel free to do with it what you like. I kept it quite basic so there is heaps of room to add bits of pieces and run with it!

Enjoy!

Filled with Bubbles!

2010-05-09T17:15:00.000+10:00

How are you going this fine Sunday morning! The days of the week all mush into one for me sadly because I work but the weekends ROCK!

Here is a card I made a while back (it was a collection of three but I always forget to post it). The stamp is called Dwight and Filled with Bubbles. Dwight is one of Dustin's little babies and he certainly knows how to draw an adorable dragon hey!

I put a little Made With Love charm hanging from the sentiment with some Artistic Wire. I think I am going back through a 'wire on everything' phase like I did a few years ago... ahh... if it works, do it.

Love

2010-05-08T07:21:00.001+10:00

I have had a few pieces of square acrylic hanging around in my craft room for years now and I decided that I should make some sort of plaque type thingy and I have to say, this is my favourite Tim Holtz inspired project YET! I made the Grungepaper Flowers using Tim's instructions on his 12 Tags of Christmas post from 2009. It is messy work and quite a bit harder than Tim makes it look (that could just be me) but aren't they worth it!

I covered the chipboard letters with Music Gazette pattern paper and sponged the edges using Vintage Photo Distress Ink and an ink blending tool.
The flowers are coloured by spraying the Grungepaper with a Mini Mister with a full dropper of Distress Reinker and Perfect Pearls. The colour combos are Dusty Concord and Forever Violet Pearls, Spiced Marmalade and Heirloom Gold Pearls and Aged Mahogany and Heirloom Gold Pearls. Certainly a nice combo!

There is a little Adage Ticket at the top hanging on the ever adorable Memo Pin that was released at this year's CHA. There are some Green Tara Leaves, Grungeboard Elements Flourishes and also a bird charm from Tim's Adornment Charms Idea-ology set.

Colours of your home country

2010-05-02T22:05:00.005+10:00

This weeks High Hopes challenge is a tough one! Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to create a card or project using the colours of your home country's flag as inspiration. Well... considering what the Australian flag really does look like you can see I struggled a little with this challenge. I ended up substituting the white for yellow (sorry!). Turns out I have NO pattern paper with a rich blue and red either!

The stamp I used is the very cute Scuba Kitty and Catfish. He was a joy to colour and I am really impressed that I even used a different blue (for the water) that I usually use. Gee I am a creature of habit... I always have set colours for things and I tend not to break away from them much!

Well... I'm off to bed. We have a public holiday in Queensland tomorrow so it is a long weekend! WOOHOO!!

Smile Popcorn

2010-05-01T21:17:00.008+10:00

This is the dear little Popcorn the Bear and I don't think there would be one person on earth that would look at his little face and not think 'aaawwww'. He's cute!

I made this card a while ago but it got lost in my card photos folder and I only just realised that I haven't shown him on my blog yet. Well, here he is! The stamp set that he comes from is called Smile.

Before I go, there is a clearance on at Stampin' Stuff until midnight Monday 3 May 2010.

All flowers & ribbon is 30 - 40% off!

Good Enough to Eat

2010-04-19T21:25:00.004+10:00

My card is late this week but only by a little bit! I had my card almost done except for the sentiment last night when Matt's sister arrived for dinner. We made a roast pork and chicken in the webber and they turned out perfect! Joanne made the gravy because Matt and I aren't too good at that bit and while she was eating she said 'Good gravy'. Perfectly rehearsed Matt swung into one of his favourite Simpsons quotes and ended it with 'Thank you... it's just brown and water'. I have heard it a million times when he has liked the gravy but yesterday it just seemed funnier. I almost spit my food out laughing.

So! In a moment of insanity I made that my challenge card sentiment. Jeanne wants us to do food related cards or projects this week. That can be food related images, recipe cards, lolly jars (ohhh... candy!) or anything you like. You can interpret it however you like this week.

The stamps I used are Medicine Man, Bubbling Brew, Bush and Rocks and the paper is by Crate Paper which are way up there on my list of faves!

This is the inside of the card:
Remember to swing by the High Hopes Blog for more details of the challenge and to see which rubber stamps are up for grabs this week for one lucky participant!

Two of a Kind

2010-03-30T01:53:00.000+10:00

This is Lily and Billy Sweethearts by Pink Cat Studio and it is one of three cards I made in a collection late last year. I just realised that I only posted the first card and not the rest. So! Here they are! I used a Prima Flower and my beloved Martha Stewart Leaf Punch.

Little Gems

2010-03-28T19:44:00.003+10:00

Nikki has challenged us to use Gems, Pearls or Beads this week for the High Hopes Challenge. I made a card using Sea Floor, Treasure Chest, Diver Dan and Stanley Sea Snail. I used Kaisercraft Pearls, a Rhinestone Brad and some clear and blue beads to hang the treasure map charm.

This is only a short post today because I really have to go to bed but if you would like to join in, pop on over to the High Hopes Blog for more details.

2010-03-27T08:05:00.002+10:00

MEMBER ART GALLERY!
Stampin' Stuff now has a gallery where you can get inspiration and upload your own artwork!
There are two $15 gift vouchers up for grabs for gallery contributors!

To go into the draw to win all you need to do is:
1. Upload at least three photos of things you have made (we all want to see them!)
2. Leave a comment on at least three works of art!

Prizes will be drawn on Wednesday 31 March 2010

Click here to visit the gallery!
Don't forget to save it in your Favourites/Bookmarks

Grungeboard Wallet

2010-03-23T01:33:00.000+10:00

I made this Grungeboard wallet for my Dad for his birthday last October. It is just like me to only be getting around to posting a picture of it now! I got the idea from Scrapbooking Memories about a month or two before then. There are heaps of templates out there (especially on SCS) but I couldn’t find one that looked exactly like I wanted it to so I just made it up as I went along.

The Grungeboard has been inked with Walnut Distress Ink and then over the edges on the inside with Spiced Marmalade too. The front cover also has a little bit of Broken China on it.

I got the idea of the heart and wings from Tim Holtz himself. I wanted to do some more wire stitching on it but ran out of time in the end (actually glued the heart and wings on while in the car on the way to Dad's birthday dinner). The Grungeboard been inked using Alcohol Ink which works GREAT! The colour looks really vibrant on Grungeboard and dries really quickly without clogging up the texture like a couple layers of paint does.

I even worked out how to put a little snap on the front! I then hung a little Philosophy Tag on it with a bit of linen thread just for something else.

Each little ‘credit card’ has an Alcohol Ink background. You take some glossy cardstock, put a few drops of different coloured inks on an ink applicator and then dab all over randomly. You then put a drop of Alcohol Ink Blending Solution on the applicator tool and dab that over too and it blends the edges of the ink! It is a really fun technique! I even put a drop of Silver Metallic Mixative on it too and that just adds another little dimension to make the colours really stand out against each other. It’s a shame my photos covered them up so much really!

Easter Cards!

2010-03-21T18:28:00.002+10:00

This weeks High Hopes Challenge is hosted by Lacey and she would like us to make an Easter or Spring themed card. The stamp I used is called Bunny Blooms and I used Kaisercraft Devonshire pattern paper and some Green Tara Mesh Ribbon. I even used my Cuttlebug and embossed some pattern paper and put some gold Metallic Rubons on it. I can't believe I thought of so many different things I haven't done for a while on one card!

So, if you are going to join in the challenge this week, whip on over to the High Hopes Blog for the details and make sure you put a link to your card so you go in the draw to win some stamps!

Have a great week!

A Good Friend...

2010-03-01T20:12:00.002+10:00

Well… I’m a bit late with my post but you know what they say… better late then never. This weeks challenge is hosted by me and it is a card recipe. Brown, Orange and a circle. The circle doesn’t have be paper though, buttons and brads are still round!

The stamp I used on this card is called Stretch and he is one of my first High Hopes images that I ever purchased! I found HH just before the Jungle themed stamps were released and they are still way up there as my favourites!

If you would like to join in the High Hopes Challenge, pop on over to the blog to leave a link to your card and you will go into the draw to win our weekly rubber prize!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho!

2010-02-21T15:10:00.000+10:00

Melanie would like us to add texture to our cards for the High Hopes Challenge this week. I love Oberto... I always go back to the cute pirates at some stage or another because they always look so good coloured! My problem is though that I don't experiment with the colours much. I pretty much do them the same every time!

This week I used On Guard Oberto and Treasure Map and I created texture by ripping the edges of the map and curling them up and adding a bit of Crate Paper pattern paper behind which has a nice little texture to it. I put some netting behind Oberto and I did the Yo Ho, Yo Ho with one of those old label makers. Matt found mine the other day when he was looking for.... something.... in my craft room and he was surprised they still exist. I told him to keep it out on the off chance I find a use for it and LOOK! I did find a use!

So what are you waiting for! Get creative with texture and head over to the HH Blog to link your card for the chance to win some free rubber stamps!

It's a Jungle Out There

2010-02-17T21:22:00.000+10:00

This is Timothy Tiger! Isn’t he is a little cutie. This is just a really quick and simple card that I whipped up. I didn’t really want to put too much on this one because I liked the colours and wanted to keep it plain so that you really just looked at Timothy. It was kinda nice not having to put too much thought into what I was going to do around him… it’s nice not having to think occasionally. The leaf in the corner is called Jungle Flower Corner and is just one of those handy little stamps to have around for when you don’t know what else to put on the page!

Picnic Time!

2010-02-14T14:48:00.004+10:00

It's a recipe challenge this week for the High Hopes Challenge! I think recipe and chunky mocha fudge cookies comes to mind... but that's just because I have been dieting for goodness knows how long now and I am feeling rather deprived of the fantastic stuff like cookies!

Sirpa's recipe is 3 buttons, 3 DP (pattern paper) and 3 flowers! I have to say that I really do like recipe cards... and chunky mocha fudge cookies. With that being said... I broke out for the first time since Christmas today and had a Wendy's Mega Choc Shake and it made me feel sick for hours because of all of the chocolate... what's wrong with me!!

The stamp I used for my card is called Ants Picnic and it is one of my very favourite Crissy drawings but this is the very first time I have coloured it completely all the way though! I have started it a few times before moving on to something else though! I tend to do that a lot. I used Crate Paper for the three DP and Green Tara Batik Green and Brown flowers and clear buttons with some curly wire through them.

Metal Mania!

2010-02-10T18:09:00.008+10:00

I am a TERRIBLE blogger aren't I! This is my challenge card for last Sunday. Karen would like us to use metal on our projects. Now, if you have been following my blog for a while now you would have noticed I go though wire phases where it's like I can't use anything else. One Christmas I went so crazy on wire that I had to put it away and force myself to use something else for months in order to break the habit! It just looks so cool when you have it all curly!

Back to this card... this stamp is called Dragon Go Round. The other stamps I used are Dragon Prints and Smile. I love the smile sentiment because it looks so good when you colour it! Now... to the hardware! I used a silver brad in the top corner and put a spacer between it and the paper like a washer. It creates a fantastic look. Wound around that is some wire with a gorgeous dragonfly charm hanging on the bottom.

High Hopes Blog Hop! - Closed

2010-01-20T06:51:00.006+10:00

It's release day!! WOOHOO! The fantastic stamps drawn by Dustin Pike are available at Stampin' Stuff today!

Click here to check them out!

The stamp I used on my card here is called Bedtime Bear and he is just one of the cuties available!

Now to the Blog Hop! There will be four awesome prizes:

1st Prize - Full release package (that's every stamp!)
2nd, 3rd & 4th Prize - An awesome stamp package each with new release rubber!

The 4 winners will be from random chosen Diva blogs. To be eligible you must leave a comment on every Diva blog - CLOSED

So, once you have left a comment here... hop on over to Lacey's Blog and check out what she has made!

You've Got My Back

2010-01-19T20:03:00.004+10:00

Here is another sneak peek! The new release of High Hopes Rubber Stamps will be available TOMORROW!! The stamps used on this card are Sir Dustin, Got My Back and Jolly Roger.

Cheeky Shawn

2010-01-18T02:46:00.000+10:00

This is sneak peek number two... just for you! Introducing Cheeky Shawn (or Sean... not sure on that one!) Poor little dude has a litte conflict in his name. Bethany called him Shawn but his packaging says Sean. We will find out soon enough because he will be ON SALE THIS WEDNESDAY! Only TWO more sleeps!!

The new release stamps will be listed at Stampin' Stuff on Wednesday but there are limited numbers of each stamp so you wont want to miss out.

There are more sneak peeks at the Diva blogs (you can find links on the left hand side) and also at the High Hopes Challenge Blog. Also, don't forget there will be a great blog hop starting on Wednesday!

For My Friend

2010-01-17T18:15:00.005+10:00

It's challenge time! This week Jeanne would like us to make cards using spacey colours of purple, blue and green. "But what is this stamp" you say? Well, today is the first day of sneak peeks of Dustin's new drawings for High Hopes! How cool is that!!

This stamp is called Dragon's Destiny and it will be available to purchase from Stampin' Stuff late Wednesday 20 January 2010. We Aussie's are a little ahead of the Canadian's timezone-wise so we have to wait until our Wednesday is almost over for theirs to begin.

So, as always, there is some rubber up for grabs for a lucky participant in the challenge who link on the High Hopes Blog to their card or project. What's better is the winner will get two brand new release stamps! If you would like to see some more of the range that is available on Wednesday, run over to the HH blog!

2010 High Hopes Release
Available Wednesday 20 January 2010

www.StampinStuff.com.au

Sir Dustin!

2010-01-14T08:42:00.000+10:00

We have been keeping it a secret for what seems like so long now but it's finally official! Dustin Pike is the new artist for High Hopes Rubber Stamps! Dustin's first release will be 20 January 2010 and in the lead up to that there are some great prizes to be won!

How you can win some rubber...

Competition 1.

There will be a blog hop starting on release day so be sure to swing by the High Hopes blog and become a follower so you don't miss out on the announcements!

Competition 2.

Place an order at Stampin' Stuff before 23 January 2010 to go into the draw to win one of two great prizes with some brand new Dustin stamps!

Winners will be drawn 24 January 2010!

Competition 3.

Put the High Hopes blinkie on your blog! I am expecting this prize to be a great one so to go into the draw to win a package bursting with Dustin stamps from Tina, here's what you need to do:

1. Grab our blinkie from the sidebar and place on your blog.
2. Tell your friends about the news, blog hop and release on January 20th.
3. Become a follower of the High Hopes blog if you aren't already ;-) You don't want to miss out on the fun and there will be tons of prizes along the blog hop!!!
4. Leave a comment on the High Hopes blog with a link to your blog post sharing our news.

Competition 3 ends 8pm EST (Midnight GMT) on January 22nd!!

Snow

2010-01-12T18:00:00.001+10:00

This is another tag I made before Christmas. It is another Tim Holtz case from his 12 Tags of Christmas 2008 . I didn't have the Grungeboard Christmas shapes that Tim used so I drew a snowman on Grungeboard and cut it out with scissors. The white on the snowman looks great in real life... it is Picket Fence Distress Crackle Paint and gives a really great effect once it dries... I really have to find more uses for it!

The little scarf on Snowy is another of Tim's ideas but it is from the 12 Tags of Christmas 2009. It is two strips of ribbon with double sided tape and some wire in the middle. That gives it the strength to sit in any shape you like! Genius hey!

The tag itself it sponged with an Ink Blending Tool in Dusty Concord, Broken China and Faded Jeans Distress Ink and then I dripped some water over it to create splotches. The 'SNOW' letters are inked chipboard and then covered in Glossy Accents to make them stand out. Then at the bottom there is some Polar White Flower Soft for snow!

PHEW! Well, that's the lot!

Believe

2010-01-03T01:30:00.001+10:00

If I didn't go on holiday just before Christmas I might have actually remembered to post the pictures of the things I made in the last week. I dedicated a whole day on the last weekend I was home to make Tim Holtz tags. I went through his website and found some that I thought I would be able to make (gee it's hard to work out where to start when it's a whole new look... I just fall back on casing). I made the background of this tag using a pearlised spray of Vintage Photo ink and Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls in a mini mister. I used a mask to keep spray off some of the areas then I went over with Fired Brick and a Ink Blending Tool to add some red to the edges of the tag and the masked area.

The reindeer is stamped in Embossing Ink and embossed with black embossing powder on Grungeboard. If you haven't seen the Ranger Embossing Ink, it is extremely wet and stays that way for ages giving you heaps of time to put on your powders... I love it! I then cut him out and painted some Green Patina Perfect Pearls over top. 'Believe' is stamped in black ink and then emphasized with a bit of Glossy Accents on top.

MAN I had a great time making this tag and I am SO happy with how it turned out! Here is a link to Tim's Tag that I CASEd. Sadly we are just on mobile internet so I can't get you any closer that page of Tim's blog but waiting for the whole page to load will chew up the downloads!

Merry Christmas... but just a little late....

2009-12-20T20:43:00.005+10:00

We have been away for a about a week and a half now but I found this card on my hard drive that I forgot to upload to my blog before Christmas! This is Woodland Santa and I used some Kaisercraft paper that I had left over from last year. I still have heaps left too!

So anyway, we arrived in Canberra this afternoon and we are here until tomorrow then off to Sydney. We started in Cairns and worked out way down to Brisbane and across to the Western Plains Zoo yesterday in Dubbo. It was a really, really big day and I went to sleep picturing animals in my head but it was a fantastic day! You feel so close to the animals without fences in the way. If you haven't been there, they just mound the ground up so you are standing higher than the animals and put a fence at the bottom to keep them in... you barely even remember the fences are there and you feel like they could jump out and get you at any time!

One last thing before I go... if you don't subscribe to the Stampin' Stuff newsletter, I now have High Hopes Rubber Stamps back in stock. There are about 180 stamps to choose from now so make sure you check them out if you are a HH fan!

Count down til Christmas

2009-12-11T18:52:00.007+10:00

I finally finished my advent house! I worked on this one for a couple of weeks and I did get it done in time to count down.... if you don't count the first three days! This is a wooden kit by Twiddleybitz and it comes with a box template to make the cute little boxes. I used the gorgeous Kaisercraft Dear Santa pattern paper. MAN do I love those colours! In my opinion it is the best Christmas range that Kaisercraft have brought out yet!
The numbers are stamped and I cut them out using a craft knife. It took about an hour and seemed like a good idea until I realised how many numbers I would have to do. They do look great in person so I wouldn't change them now given that I now know exactly how many numbers there are! I also put some Glossy Accents on the numbers to give them some shine and so they stand out nicely.
I put some metallic rubons on the filigree top. I was dying to cover it with paper but realised early on (unlike with the numbers) that I would be there until next Christmas working on that bit!

If you would like an advent calendar, there is still one available at Stampin' Stuff and it's 30% off at the moment! BARGAIN!

Remember, there is currently up to
30% off Christmas themed products
at Stampin' Stuff

Anyone for some sweets before Christmas?? (Closed)

2009-12-06T21:27:00.001+10:00

The winner is..... Rihani!

It's candy time! Do I hear cheers? Do you want some CANDY for Christmas?!

Here's what could be yours!

High Hopes Rubber Stamps - Monkey Mike
Two Flower Soft Toppers
Flower Soft - Polar White (for the toppers!)
Flower Soft - Nut Brown (for Mike!)
Monday's Metal - Scrap Metal Squares (look great with rubons)
Green Tara Paper Flowers
Green Tara Wire Heart
Moss Green Eyelets
Bullet Brads

What do I have to do you say? Just leave a comment! Sing me a song... babble about the weather... talk about craft.... I don't mind what you say... all you have to do is leave a comment and you will be in the running.

If you would like two entries into the draw, put a link to this post on your blog and you can increase your chances of giving Mike a home this Christmas!

Entries close on Wednesday 10 December 2009!

Juliette!

2009-11-29T16:52:00.005+10:00

Jeanette has made a sketch for this weeks High Hopes Challenge! You can find the sketch on the High Hopes Blog. This week I used Juliette's Leap of Faith. She is a funny one, Juliette. I always have a chuckle when I colour her because for a hippo, she is doing a great job at sky diving!

Jeanette's sketch was really fun this week. It took all of the thinking out of making the card so I was really pleased to knock this one over in a few hours. Watercolouring is still the longest bit! It takes me FOREVER!

If you participate in this weeks challenge, swing by the High Hopes Blog and put a link to your card using Mr. Linky. Then you will be in the draw to the win Ashley & Jan's Pillow Fun stamp.

Skiing Santa

2009-11-22T21:16:00.004+10:00

Everybody panic! The small lens for my camera is in a critical condition! I had to send of off for repair and I miss the little guy already! I had to use my big lens to take a photo of this card which meant standing a few meters away from it. Talk about difficult! I attempted a close up to show the watercolouring a bit better but ended up giving up... it wouldn't even focus.

Well to the card! This is Skiing Santa and he is the star of my card for the High Hopes Challenge this week. Michelle would like us to make Christmas cards which is a great one seeing as I have barely even started my cardmaking for this year. I used some cute Artful Collage Holly Leaves and Kaisercraft pearls to make the holly in the corner. Sadly Skiing Santa has sold out at Stampin' Stuff but the other Santa's are still calling out for new homes before Christmas!

Remember, if you join in the High Hopes Challenge you will go into the draw to win Snowlady Surprise!

Merry Christmas!

2009-11-21T07:14:00.008+10:00

This is a 3D Flower Soft Topper! Isn't it cute? These toppers have a main image and then come with a die cut sheet of little components that you pop out and assemble in the order they have shown on the sheet. There are heaps of layers but it doesn't end there! You can also apply some glue with a fine little paint brush (I thought I was some sort of genius when I figured that out! ) then sprinkle over your flower soft, tap it off and you have even more dimension! These little bears go up to five layers high in some areas!

I used Christmas Green and Polar White on the tree behind the Festive Teddies.

Did you know Stampin' Stuff now has every Flower Soft colour available in Australia? That's 28 colours!

ETA - A question was asked in the comments - Do I ship overseas? YES! I ship worldwide. If you would like a shipping quote before you send payment (by PayPal only please) please let me know and I will estimate it for you. Otherwise you can choose the free shipping option of your order is over $60 AUD or the $5.70 parcel option and I will amend your invoice if it works out to be more or less!

Blog Candy Alert!
My friend Veronica has started a blog and she is offering some CANDY! So off you go... go get in that draw to win!

Happy Birthday to You

2009-11-17T18:11:00.003+10:00

This card is for my brother's birthday in a couple days... I still haven't posted it though... I'm really bad at that. It has to go to Melbourne so hopefully it will arrive in time. Kelly, what is his address again?? EVERY SINGLE time there is a birthday in our family Jason sms's either me or my sister (sometimes both) to ask their address. It really is quite funny and we just expect it is a matter of time before the message comes. I'm just as bad. Every time I have to send Jason something I message my sister for his address so really, I'm no better! To tell you the truth right now... I'm going to publish this post and then go and email Kelly for the address. I won't lie. There really is no point!

For this card I used a stamp called Whimsy Owl. I have them in stock at Stampin' Stuff if you would like it new and there is also one in the pre-loved section too. The sentiment is by Amuse Art Stamps.

Dragons!

2009-11-10T20:40:00.006+10:00

The latest issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft (Vol. 15 No. 07 ) will be out really soon (already if you are lucky enough to be a subscriber) and it is full of fantastic tutorials, hints, tips and techniques! I was asked to do a watercolouring/shading tutorial and I am so stunned at how well it turned out. I love it! Here is a pic of the cards I made to go along with it!

I used Lenny's Love Me Nots, First Ride and Ace. Unfortunately they have already sold out at Stampin' Stuff but there is a pre-order on at the moment that ends on Saturday 14 November if you would like me to get them in for you!

Waddle I Do Without You

2009-11-05T20:32:00.008+10:00

I made this card WAAAY back in June for Crissy. It turns out it took about two or three months to actually get to Canada and in that time I completely forgot about it. So! Here it is!

I used Dunno Ducky and even though he is only two colours I thoroughly enjoyed colouring him. I was so happy with the result. I am still not too sure what I was thinking with the colour combo but it's nice to have a change once in a while right? So anyway Crissy... I hope you liked it!

I

Cairns Christmas Craft Fair

2009-10-27T21:10:00.003+10:00

Are you local to the Cairns area? If you are you will know we certainly don't get craft fairs often so grab the chance while it's there!

Stampin' Stuff will be at the Cairns Christmas Craft Fair this year on November 8 so come on by and say HI!

You can click on the picture to see the details a bit larger. Where you don't need go, go gadget eyes!

Together Forever

2009-10-22T17:18:00.003+10:00

Look at this... I have barely started on Christmas yet I am starting on Valentines... hmmm... great to see I have my priorities in order hey! This is Lily & Billy Sweethearts and it is an adorable set from Pink Cat Studio. I used some paper I have had sitting around for a little while now and some Prima flowers. Lily and Billy have been coloured using ink and my ever fabulous Twinkling H2O's!

Just a reminder (I've been getting quite a few emails lately!) if you haven't seen my watercolouring tutorial yet, click here and you can check it out!

If you like this Lily & Billy Sweetheart set I have now listed it in my pre-loved section of Stampin' Stuff.

Popcorn the Bear is BACK!

2009-10-14T20:28:00.005+10:00

Popcorn sold out very quickly last time but he is back in stock now. You can check out the stamp sets available here! There is also a new category called Cute Companions and there are some adorable Christmas and Easter sets there too!

Now, on to the card! The card base is 5 x 5" so these stamps are huge! I wasn't too sure about what I could do with the room left around the image but came up with this anyway. I mentioned a pastel and VersaMark technique a few weeks ago and got a few comments about how it is done. It is a very simple technique where you stamp in VersaMark and then lightly rub pastel or chalk over the top to give it a subtle colour. It comes out looking quite soft so it isn't as harsh as stamping in coloured ink. You can barely see it in the photograph but I did the same technique on the blue card base.

ETA: If you look at the card blue card base you can see some brown on it. That is where I do the VersaMark technique. Not on my image... that is just done with ink and an aqua painter.

The stamp set used for this card is called 'Someone Special'

Going Green!

2009-10-11T21:16:00.003+10:00

The High Hopes challenge this week is 'Let's Go Green'! Lacey has posted a couple of suggestions on what you could recycle for this challenge - buttons from a shirt, lace from a skirt or do what I did and go outside and find a few things that nature provided to add to your card!

I have been working on this card for a few days now. It is serving two purposes... it is this weeks challenge card and it is also my dad's birthday card for this Wednesday (shhhh). Dad has taken prospecting up in the last year or two so I thought this stamp would be great for his card. You can't really see them but I coloured some of the scattered rocks in gold Twinkling H2O too.

Santa Galore!

2009-10-10T13:33:00.009+10:00

If you have seen this month's Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft (Vol 15 No 5), you may have seen Woodland Santa on the cover! There is also a three page spread of the happy little Santa's inside. As you can imaging I was pretty pleased to see Santa made it to the cover. I didn't receive a contributors copy so I hadn't seen the issue and my friend emailed me to say he was famous!

If you are after these Santas, they are back in stock at Stampin' Stuff!

These are my photos of the cards close up:

Twinkling H2O's In Stock!

2009-10-07T16:57:00.003+10:00

They have been out of stock in Australia for a while now but they are BACK! My love for H2O's goes above and beyond! I use them on every single
card I make and I don't think my papercrafting life would ever be the same without them!

Are you wondering what you can do with Twinkling H2O's? Wonder no more... check out my watercolouring tutorial!

Twinkling H2O's add a little shimmer to your project. They are a small tub similar to paint only it is completely solid. Just add a drop of water to activate then colour with an aqua brush for rich, vibrant colour!

As the water dries they go solid again and store for next time! These little pots will last forever! A little bit goes a long way!

Click here to see the sets available!

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

2009-10-05T21:09:00.003+10:00

Kimmie released her very own line of gorgeous rubber stamps today and they are now in stock at Stampin' Stuff! This is the sweet little Charlotte & Doll and I whipped this card up tonight because I really wanted to show her off! If you want to see the rest of Kimmie's Moonlight Whispers range, click here!

I really am hooked on the whole pastel on VersaMark background at the moment and I really like the effect!

Merry Christmas

2009-10-04T18:54:00.004+10:00

This weeks High Hopes Challenge is Lotsa Layers! I'm hosting this one and I always need to push myself to put more layers of paper on cards. The stamp is Skiing Santa and I got the idea for the holly from an Australian blog I saw a few weeks ago. If you have seen this blog, let me know I simply just can't find it or remember the name. I do remember leaving a gushing comment on the idea!! I drew some holly leaves, stamped them in En Francais then rubbed some brown pastel over it. The red rhinestone brads were my idea and in person they look really cute!

There are some great Christmas stamps up for grabs for being the random winner in this weeks challenge so visit the High Hopes Challenge Blog for more info!

ANNOUNCING…..

2009-10-03T07:46:00.006+10:00

THE STAMPIN' STUFF DESIGN TEAM!

The DT call seemed to run forever but really it was just over a month! I got SO many applications I was so stunned and didn't know where to begin! After hours of pouring through my folder of applications I finally came to the excruciatingly hard decision of two lovely, paper craftin' ladies!

MEET... MICHELLE!

Michelle's blog is called Colour on Cards and she has just become a guest High Hopes Design Diva! I'm pretty excited about that... more High Hopes for us little Aussies... sometimes we seem so far away from the action! Michelle has a talent for colouring and uses different mediums... all so well! So, check out Michelle's blog to see her wonderful creations!

MEET VICKI!

Vicki's blog is called Creative Considerations and she is great at doing what I have trouble with... layering... basically just putting everything together and making it look AWESOME! I am just stunned by the amount of detail she goes into for every piece of art! Vicki's style is just stunning so pop on over to her blog, say 'hi' and check out her fantastic work!

Popcorn the Bear

2009-09-28T18:25:00.003+10:00

If you haven't been by Stampin' Stuff lately, hop on over because Popcorn the Bear is in town!! Isn't he the sweetest with the little heart on his ear?? This set is called Bunches of Love. I made this card last weekend. It is a 5 x 5" card so the stamp is HUGE! All of the Popcorn stamps are! I actually got quite a shock.

Anyway, I loved the colouring they showed on Popcorn's packet so much I decided to go with those colours myself and I am rather proud that I broke away from the blender pen and used an aqua painter to colour him. The areas were a bit big for a blender... they are quite dry. My next hurdle was to make the card around the stamped image. It was just 5mm too big for my biggest Nestabilities circle. At the end of the day though, his little face is so cute he doesn't need much fancy stuff around him to make him cuter!

Happy Birthday To Ye!

2009-09-27T20:51:00.002+10:00

Happy Birthday High Hopes Challenge Blog! It has already been one whole year since we started our weekly challenges. Gee it has gone so FAST! This week we are celebrating with birthday cards. There is also some great rubber to give away a random winner so head on over and link your entry to the comments section!

So, to my card. This is Oberto and his treasure chest! I stamped the treasure map on the base of the card and used my pastels to make the VersaMark darker. I liked the look so much I can see it becoming a bit of a must-do for me until I move on to my next phase!!

That's Amore!

2009-09-20T18:10:00.004+10:00

This weeks High Hopes Challenge is 'Playing Favourites' hosted by the lovely Jeanne. I haven't made many cards using the chef but he is one of my many favouites. He makes me smile every time. My other favouite thing to do is create a little scene. I haven't been doing that much lately and I really think I should get back into it. The background is done using post it notes to mask off the different areas and a lot of brayering and sponging! The sentiment is white Heidi Swapp rubons and the stars are made using white acrylic ink.

Pop on over to the High Hopes Challenge blog for more info and don't forget to link your card there if you play along. You could be the random winner of some High Hopes Rubber!

Wrap It Up

2009-09-13T19:52:00.005+10:00

Happy Sunday! I'm not overly impressed with today. I had a week off work last week and I enjoyed it so much that I don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I have sulked most of the day about it! Well, its High Hopes Challenge time and Inge would like us to Wrap It Up! That means andthing that isn't a card. I chose to do a tag today and I used Brayden's Backside and 'No ifs, ands or... well you know...' Brayden is mounted on foam tape so he sits up higher than the tag.

If you want to play along with Inge's challenge, make sure you pop by the HH blog and leave a link to your project. That way you will go into the draw to win some rubber from Tina!

Blog CANDY!

2009-09-10T22:21:00.012+10:00

Woohoo! Who doesn't love a freebie, right? I am offering some cute candy with a stash of goodies and it could be yours!

In this bundle I have:

High Hopes Rubber Stamps - Andreas Kitties
A whole bunch of brads - Bullet, Tin Man & Pearl Brads
Pink Eyelets
2 Studio G Clear Stamps
A big clippie
Green Tara Flowers
Olive Satin Leaf Garland

All you need to do enter is take my little hyper bee below and put him on your blog with a link to my blog or store - www.stampinstuff.com.au! Links to my store in your sidebar will get you two entries into the draw!

GOOD LUCK! I can't wait to see who gets these goodies!

Entries close Thursday 24 September 2009!

UPDATED - The winner is Leah - My Life Journey!!

Thank you everyone to played along!

Oh, I just can't wait to be king!

2009-09-08T20:57:00.005+10:00

I almost forgot to post my pic of this months issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft! This is Leo Lion and he is the star of the card! For this challenge we were asked to use song lyrics as the sentiment for a card. There were some great cards made for this! I did "I just can't wait to be king ". My sister and I had a brainstorm; I had picked a few stamps and I was trying to match them to lyrics... I was thinking "in the jungle" which is rather boring and she came up with the genius idea of The Lion King! Every time I look at the card I get the song stuck in my head!

I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!
I've never seen a king of beasts
With quite so little hair
I'm gonna be the mane event
Like no king was before
I'm brushing up on looking down
I'm working on my roar
Thus far a rather uninspiring thing
Oh, I just can't wait to be king!

Fall into Autumn

2009-09-06T21:16:00.005+10:00

The High Hopes Challenges are back on! We had a nice break and now its back in full swing! This week the challenge is Fall into Autumn hosted by Michelle. Remember if you want to join in the High Hopes fun, swing by the challenge blog for the details and be sure to put a link there in the comments section of your card... you never know, you could be the one that wins the weekly prize from Tina!

It was really fun colouring Lenny's Love Me Nots in a different colour. I don't know why I once got stuck in that rut of green dragons! I put some glue on the ground under Lenny and sprinkled a bit of Autumn Flower Soft on it to make him look like he is laying in autumn leaves.

Ace!

2009-09-03T06:46:00.004+10:00

Here's Ace! You know what? I really like this card. It is so plain... it doesn't have any embellies at all apart from a bit of sewing but for some reason the colours just do it for me. I like it plain. I sewed on this card too!! I actually got the courage to sew, I did the first few rough lines in the top left corner, pulled it out of the machine went to look at what it looked like on the inside.... then worked out I had sewed with the card closed! That is why it is now layered on brown!! Ahh.... the lessons of trying new things!

Ace is a completely different colour to what I usually do dragons. I got stuck in a green rut! This time I coloured him in Baja Breeze, then did a bit of Brocade Blue in the dark areas, then Old Olive over the dark areas again and then Stargazer Twinkling H2O's... I went a bit overboard but he is a pretty cool colour now!

High Hopes Rubber Stamp Are HERE!

2009-09-01T12:45:00.005+10:00

WOOHOO! Can you guess I am excited?! High Hopes Rubber Stamps are now in stock at Stampin' Stuff! Click here to see the range. Numbers are limited so don't miss out!!

Now to my card! I made this one tonight. It has been a few weeks now since I have used a HH stamp and I realised as I was chuckling at Turkey Getaway that I really have missed this little guys! I finally received my design team stamps just yesterday. Someone, somewhere in the world has my first little yellow packet of rubber! *sniff sniff* It's ok though because I have these ones now! YAY!

This card was inspired by Nikki's Nutshells sketch from a while ago. I tried to find it on Nikki's blog but she is such a good blogger I ran out of time looking! Sorry Nikki!

So here's one for you... next time someone says to you, you run around like a chook with it's head cut off... you can just say "its poultry in motion!".

Peas on Earth

2009-08-31T21:40:00.006+10:00

Check out these cute peas! I have had my eye on this stamp from Stamp-It since I first started stamping a couple of years ago. I LOVED it. It is surprising I have only just got it now! I started this card a couple of weeks ago but then everything else got in the way. I had a few slack days and then I spent a few days working on an upcoming Stampers Challenge for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine and then the other days just seem to have disappeared!

I stamped the image twice and cut out the earth and the peas and popped them up on foam tape. They look so adorable in real life! I just wish a camera would catch it!

Anyway, the fun is over for me... time to share... these little peas are now on sale in the pre-loved section of Stampin' Stuff if you like them!

Memo.... thingies....

2009-08-16T20:51:00.002+10:00

My sister, Kelly and my niece, Caitlin came to visit this weekend and stayed over. We did a bunch of shopping on Saturday (I was exhausted... I think they were keen for more!) and then Saturday afternoon we did some craftin'! We each covered a Kaisercraft memo thingy... I still don't know their name. I have been holding on to this pattern paper and the matching butterflies for so long I have forgotten it's name too. I am pretty pleased with the outcome but I still have no clue as to where I am going to hang it! Oh, and it also has a matching pen on a silver cord so it doesn't go walkies.

Kelly covered the purple one. We did pretty well considering we only had one craft knife blade and it was broken at the tip. Every time I tried to cut it just ripped the paper up. It all went rather smoothly after we got past that and my tipping the house upside down for the sandpaper that was stored nicely in the draw directly next to me the whole time. Right under the paint brushes that I had been rumaging through all day.

My first tag!

2009-08-10T01:48:00.000+10:00

This is my very first Tim Holtz inspired tag! I have been wanting to try some new techniques for ages and I finally did it. Don't worry, I haven't thrown away High Hopes... I'm just trying a few new things for a change!

So... this tag is rather plain when compared to Tim's work but it was still really quite a challenge! I worked on it for hours... just getting the rough inky background was hard but the truth is... it was FUN! Distress ink ROCKS! I love doing the background with the ink and water... just so happens I'm not that good at it. Everything takes practice though! The reason I find it hard is because I like everything to look perfect. I can't see a bit of paper with not enough ink and just leave it like it is... I have to fix it... that's when I usually wreck it!

I tried my best to do this all like Tim does but with some substitutions. I did the Distress Ink background (here's a link to Tim's video), used my new Ink Blending Tool to sponge on some colour around the place (that tool ROCKS too!). I used my Darkroom Door Christmas set from last year for the reindeer. Then stamped a few stars in VersaMark and put Perfect Pearls on them to make a pretty shimmer and rubbed a little bit of gold metallic rub-ons on the reindeer! It's funny how I just summed a few hours work up into just a few sentences... if it was that quick and easy in real life it would get boring.

Medicine Man in Print

2009-08-08T10:33:00.006+10:00

I am a bit late posting this because Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft Vol 15 No 2 has been on sale for a little while now but I thought I would let you know anyway. Medicine Man is in it! I made these cards about this time last year and they were the second set of cards that I ever had accepted for publication! I think they just took a while choosing an issue to put them in!

These are my three cards:

Fairy Friends!

2009-08-06T16:50:00.005+10:00

Fairy Friends is the brand new release stamp set from Pink Cat Studio and it is being released today! There is a whopping 15 stamps in this set and what's more, I can post up to four of these sets for only $1.65!

This stamp set is so adorably cute so jump on over to Stampin' Stuff to pick one up!

Pawsitively Fabulous!

2009-08-04T17:15:00.004+10:00

Isn't this poodle just FABULOUS?! This set is from Pink Cat Studio and I whipped her up today!
I watercoloured her using inks and Twinkling H2O's and I am so happy with how vibrant the colours turned out! It looks better in real life... but that's the way it always is.

Now for a bit of Stampin' Stuff news! I got a whole heap of new stuff in yesterday and it is all listed! I got a bunch of Stamp-It stamps including sets, wood mounted and cling mounted stamps, Tim Holtz tools, Ranger Distress Inks, Perfect Pearls, Flower Soft (I used a bit on my poodle card!) some more Prima flowers and heaps of other bits and bobs like wire, ribbon, eyelets and tools!

Now, I'm off to try out a few of these Tim Holtz things! I have always wanted to try tags like he does. *fingers to temples* channel Tim Holtz... channel Tim Holtz... nah... I don't think its working.. I will have to go watch his demos again... and again... oh and again. I will post some piccies if they are worth the effort!

Who wants some candy! - WINNER ANNOUNCED

2009-08-02T19:00:00.001+10:00

THE WINNER IS.... SANDIE - THE CRAFTY SIDE OF ME!

Thanks to everyone who entered for taking the time to come by my blog and leave a comment!

I'm giving away some candy... now, who wants some??!!

You can win:

A bunch of cute 2.5cm Green Tara Flowers, some copper and green leaves
Bossie's Mood Swing from High Hopes Rubber Stamps!
Mad Cow
Moood Swing
I've been waiting for heifer to hear from you.

So, how do you enter? Leave a comment on this post before Friday 7 August 2009! If you would like to put a link on your blog to let your friends know, feel free but make sure you let me know in the comment section because that will give you two entries into the draw!!