While sorting through photos this weekend it dawned on me that I still haven’t shared pics from the Share Affair event from the 2015 Stampin’ Up! Incentive Trip to Hawaii.

[You can read about our trip adventures here.]

I know, I know! I’m a bit late… but some pretty amazing sharing went on that I think you’ll enjoy, so I have whittled down my 200 photos into a half dozen collages and have those lined up ready for the next post.

While I’m putting the final edits on that one I thought I’d share this card. My swap.

This card is made with the Awesomely Artistic stamp set, which is new to this year’s annual catalogue. It is seriously perfect for collage stamping.

(Craft@Home Club members would have seen this already – you guys received this as one of your happy mail cards a few months ago.)

We were invited to participate in an optional swap of cards with other Stampin’ Up! demonstrators from the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. As you can imagine, I jumped at the chance. I LOVE swapping and hey, who needs an excuse to make cards, right?

I used a colour combo that I’ve never used before: Island Indigo, Blackberry Bliss and a dash of Hello Honey.

They worked well with the Bohemian Designer Series Paper, even though they weren’t officially the matching colours. I love how the coordinating DSP colours are listed in the catalogue, but there tends to be a bit of flexibility often with other colours working just as effectively.

I forgot to take these photos until we were in the hotel room in Hawaii so I quickly spread them out on the bed. We had to bring 26 cards: 25 to swap out and one went up on the display boards. These were set out for everyone to look at during the Share Affair on the final day in Hawaii. You can find all those photos on Tuesday’s post: Inspiration from Stampin’ Up!’s 2015 Hawaii Incentive Trip (scheduled for 11th August).

Happy stamping,

 

The Watercolor Wishes Card Kit garnered plenty of attention as soon as the new Stampin’ Up! catalogue was released in June.

A gorgeous set that includes everything – even the stamps and ink – to create 20 unique cards. It became available for purchase this month, but was so popular that it went on backorder almost straight away. In fact, 13 weeks worth of kits were bought in just two weeks!

Although stocks will be running low for a little while I’m happy to say that at the moment it is available in Australia. [Contact me if you want to check any updates to this.]

This kit is $61 in Australia, and you’ll have the stamps and ink and leftover embellishments to continue using long after the cards in the kit have been made. Excellent value. Makes a great gift too.

I spent a beautiful weekend by the fire making up all these cards… what a perfect way to stay inside on a freezing cold winter here in Ballarat.

They were quick to assemble and simple in design, but that’s just what you need sometimes. Especially great if the mojo is lacking, or if you want to make something but don’t want to think too hard about the process. We all have days like that, don’t we?!

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But I have to say, there was an unexpected bonus that came from making these cards. And if you’re an experienced cardmaker, I think you’ll get a kick out of this too.

I found myself using the original cards as inspiration for my next cards, using my own supplies! I was intrigued by the layouts and the different styles. They were not my usual style at all, so it was great to try something different. It not only got me out of my comfort zone (ok, rut!) by trying something new and changing things up a bit, but that in turn gave my mojo a boost and I have made heaps of fun projects since. Very cool.

Lightbulb moment! I have to say I got double the value from this kit. One, in making the cards. And two, in inspiring me for other projects.

I loved this card (above left) so much that we recreated it at some of my clubs and events this month, as a quick and easy ‘extra project’.

It also became the basis for this month’s customer appreciation cards.

To recreate these cards you just need a pack of the Thick A4 Whisper White cardstock. Use your own background stamps (I used that gorgeous crosshatch image from You’ve Got This – Oh I so adore that stamp – stamped off in Soft Sky ink), or create your own watercolor wash with an aqua painter and ink.

Add embellishments like a few twists of silver metallic thread, 1.5cm strip of cardstock with a flagged end (mine is Calypso Coral) and some washi tape. This washi tape was leftover from the Watercolor Wishes card kit. I was surprised how much I had left after making all the cards. The greenery was Pear Pizzazz cardstock punched out with the good old Builder Bird Punch.

You know, I hope the bird punch and builder owl punch never retire! I just had to get that out. I use bits from those punches all the time.

Back to the card. The labels come from the Chalk Talk framelits, but really you could use any combinations of punches like the wide oval and Designer Label punch, depending on the size of your greeting.

This sentiment stamp came from the Watercolor Wishes stamp set which is included in the price of the kit. No, you can’t buy it separately. Just think of it as buying the stamp set and getting the rest of the kit for free – hehehe.

Awesome sentiments and fonts.

 

And here’s a video created by Stampin’ Up! to show you the full kit in more detail.

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So where are you finding inspiration from lately?

I’d love to hear all about it, so go ahead and make my day by leaving a comment.

Happy stamping,

Over the years I’ve met many addicted card makers and rubber stampers. And I’ve been fortunate to introduce quite a few newbies to this creative art form as well. During that time I’ve learnt that some love the traditional wood-mounted rubber stamps, others prefer the space-saving and budget-friendly clear mounted rubber stamps, and since the fairly recent introduction of high quality photopolymer stamps to the Stampin’ Up! range, that one has been appealing to many stampers too!

There are definitely advantages to each and some of us even like all three, depending on the images and how we want to use them.

But today I’m sharing one of my favourite benefits of the see-through photopolymer stamps.

They are super bendy!

You can curve them and bend them, and they’ll cling to the acrylic blocks just like that. Great for stems on flowers, the string on balloons and curving long sentiments. Fabulous for background elements too.

Remember this Christmas card from last year? Those bunting images (now retired) were pictured as straight lines in the catalogue but I curved them on the block.

Last week I came across a Congrats image in the Bravo stamp set that was already curved, but I wanted to fit it on a long thin tag.

Here is the set it came in, and you can see the lovely curve on the Congrats image at the bottom.

I gently straightened the photopolymer stamp as I pressed it onto a clean acrylic block and look, it worked! A straight image.

The two tones are Mint Macaron and Tip Top Taupe (this year’s new In Color). This parcel went off to a team member who is kicking some exciting goals with her business and I wanted to celebrate along with her.

I hope you enjoyed this little tip about the photopolymer stamps.

Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter (sign up box is on my blog page, top of the right sidebar) – we have a new issue about to go out for your enjoyment.

Happy stamping,