For all your
Stampin' Up!®
papercrafting needs,
Australia wide

Technique: Bend and Curve Photopolymer Stamps

Published by under cards | Jul 12 2015

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.

Bendy photopolymer stamps - curve 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. Bravo stamp set by Stampin' Up!.

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

Congrats Tag - photopolymer stamps can be curved (or in this case, straightened) on the block for a different look

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.

Congrats

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,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

 

No responses yet

New catalogue inspiration: Sketched Dots Gift Bag

Published by under cards | Jun 16 2015

EurekaStampers blog hop

Ready for some inspiration?

You’re in the right place. You’ve joined us for the EurekaStampers New Catalogue blog hop. You may have come from Jessica William’s blog (isn’t she amazing?) or you may be joining the hop from here.  Either way, continue following the links by clicking on the Next Blog arrow at the bottom, and you won’t miss a thing.

 

Sketched Dot Gift Bag - Join us for the blog hop at www.simonebartrum.com

 

My share today is a treat bag and is made up of lots of things that make me happy. We’re talking sweet treats (yes, that’s chocolate in that bag), cute packaging, pretty lace and shiny sequins.

puppy

All we need is a puppy and we’d have the sweetest, happy-making-machine in the world.

Oh, ok, let’s have the cute puppy too….

 

 

Stampin' Up! pretty sequin trim - www.simonebartrum.com

I’m completely in love with the sequin trim varieties that are in the new 2015-2016 Stampin’ Up! catalogue. We have Blushing Bride, Gold, Bermuda Bay and also Silver (not shown).

I just want to sit and play with them, they are so pretty!

You can find the glassine bags on page 151 of the new catalogue. Sketched Dots Tag A Bag Gift Bags. They are food safe, come in packs of 10 and are very cute. They are kind of like waxed paper and tissue paper, very delicate. I turned this one into a bagalope by scoring the sides and base at 2cm, adhering the bottom corners underneath with washi tape, then filling it out so it had a rectangular base and can now stand up.

Stampin' Up! Sketched Dots Gift Bag - www.simonebartrum.com

 

Thanks for joining us! Have you got time to leave a quick comment and say hello? You can do so in the Leave A Reply box below, and I’ll be sure to write back.

Next stop on the hop is the delightful Emma Palonek from Vintage Graffiti. I know you’re going to enjoy her project, no bones about it!

 

next blog   Happy stamping,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

Find me on Facebook too!

 

 

20 responses so far

The NEW Stampin’ Up! Catalogue is here

Published by under cards | Jun 02 2015

Today’s the day! We can now order from the 2015-2016 Stampin’ Up! catalogue.

Stampin' Up! catalogue cover

Download your own digital version of the catalogue here

 

Do you want extra catalogues? You can add them to your order for only $7 (item 140911).

We have a lovely new In Color range (my new fave colours are Tip Top Taupe and Mint Macaron). 2015-2017 In Color Cardstock and Classic Ink Pads Kit_1

 

We also have new stamp sets, tools, punches, embellishments and more.

So exciting.Triple Banner Punch_1

 

Have fun checking it all out!

I also have a new round of Craft@Home clubs opening up. So if you love the idea of getting free happy mail each month, spacing out your purchases, learning how to use your products and being inspired each and every month – from your letterbox not your inbox – then ask for more info. The best news is that our clubs are FREE… no surcharges or membership fees, just a monthly ordering commitment from as little as $25 per month.

There’s also a fabulous deal for joining Stampin’ Up! – until the end of June. In addition to all the other great perks, for this month you’ll get TWO FREE stamp sets – to any value! More info coming, or contact me and we can chat about it. This really is a fabulous bonus and is worth a lot of money. I’d love to welcome you to our great team – the Eurekastampers – and help you make the most of being part of Stampin’ Up!.

Have a great day and happy stamping,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

 

 

No responses yet

Cupcake Party Twinchies

Published by under cards | May 25 2015

Today I’m sharing a cute little twinchie design made with the the Cupcake Builder punch (121807) and  Cupcake Party stamp set(134126), all from Stampin’ Up!.

What on earth is a twinchie?” you ask.

Well, it’s a 2 inch x 2 inch embellishment. Yeah, kinda like a two-inchie = twinchie. Get it? Fantastic for using up little bits and pieces, or crack out the punches for a super quick twinch’.
Cupcake Twinchie

 

You can use them on cards, tags, gift bags or scrapbook pages. They are really cute, quick and really fun to make.

Build a Cupcake - Cupcake Party - twinchie. From www.simonebartrum.com

This year at our annual Stampin’ Up! Convention my team did a ‘twinchie swap’. We each made 40 twinchies all the same design and swapped them with others in the team. The theme was Celebration – and any colours as long as they were from the Brights Collection.

It was a LOT of fun! We each ended up with 40 different designs which I plan on putting together in a big poster frame.

Twinchies will end up where-ever your imagination leads. I added this one to a note card for a quick card.

 

Cupcake Party twinchie card

Give them a go! They are great to have on hand, and it’s fun to make something on a mini scale.

Happy stamping,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

No responses yet

Stampin’ Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation 2015: Hawaii

Published by under cards | May 19 2015

Thud!

That’s me coming back to reality after an incredible week on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It was a wonderful all expenses paid holiday courtesy of Stampin’ Up!. What an honour to earn another Incentive Trip (aka Grand Vacation) with this amazing company. Great products, great people, and bonuses like overseas trips too. Just… wow.

You may have been following our Hawaiian adventures over on my Facebook page.

But I’m back today for a quick ‘highlights package’ and some photos I didn’t get around to sharing.

 

Before The Trip

Stampin’ Up! sent us this cute lined travel pack with all our documents, tags and a travel guide. Love those bag tags.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

 

The Journey Begins

This year Jason couldn’t make it so I asked my two sisters to join me. It turned into a fun girls week and I loved every minute of it.

On the plane this was our first sight of the Hawaiian islands.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

 

We spent the first couple of days on the western side of Waikiki. We enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere of Hawaii, the sun and the music. And we did a lot of shopping!

I also discovered the joy of Hawaiian ‘Shave Ice’. My life just may never be the same again.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

 

Stampin’ Up! Incentive Trip @ Sheraton Waikiki

Right from the moment we arrived, Stampin’ Up! did an amazing job of making this a memorable event. There were Stampin’ Up! signs and banners around the entrance to the hotel, and all of us were given ocean view rooms. The colours of the sky and ocean were something truly amazing. I don’t know how to explain it… except that everything looked more vivid.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

Each day we could visit the Hospitality Room which was a gathering place to meet and chat with other demonstrators. We could spin the wheel to win cool prizes, enjoy some yummy treats or just chill out on the balcony and enjoy the view.

Hospitality Room: From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

After a ‘busy’ day of swimming, shopping or hanging out with friends, we would come back to our room to find pillow gifts! Oh my goodness, what a treat. The packaging was cute enough, but the gifts were so sweet! Jewellery, Maui Jim sunglasses, a quilted bag, beach bag, Stampin’ Up! products and more.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

 

Group Activities

Most of our time was free to spend at our leisure, but we had a few group activities to which everyone was invited.

On the first night we had a casual BBQ dinner down near the pool area.

Later in the week we enjoyed a private tour of the Polynesian Cultural Centre – it opened early, just for us!

And on the final evening we had a very special visit to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbour. An amazing evening in which we could explore the battleship and enjoy an all-American BBQ on board.  Yes, a very special evening. From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

Of course, one of the best things about these trips is that we get to spend time with friends. This year we had just over 20 Australians attend, with a total combined number of demonstrators (from Australia, NZ, Canada and the US) totalling just under 200. Many brought their partners and some also brought their children, so it was lovely to meet the extended families too!

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

One of my personal highlights was snorkelling at Hanauma Bay. I posted these photos over on my Facebook page, but they are so beautiful I just had to share them again. I’ve done a lot of snorkelling over the years but this was my first time using a dry snorkel (water can’t get in). Highly recommend it – a fabulous experience.

From the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip Grand Vacation Hawaii 2015

We had a creative morning called a Share Fare, where we swapped handmade cards and some of our fellow demo’s taught us new tricks. It was a great morning. I’ll share some of those photos in a separate post.

 

Thank You

IMG_9973Coming home was both a sad and happy occasion. I really had a fabulous time, but couldn’t wait to see my hub and bubs again. Trying to fit all that shopping into our suitcases was fun for the three of us! We had to buy more bags 😉

 

Thanks again for coming along on this journey. It’s been a great ride, and I’m so grateful.

 

We have a new annual catalogue and lots to look forward to… If you are a customer of mine (as in, you’ve bought Stampin’ Up! products through me in the past catalogue year) and you haven’t got your new catalogue yet, please let me know. I’ll get one on its way to you ASAP. And if you’re in Australia and new to Stampin’ Up! feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll help you get started.

Cheers,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

 

 

One response so far

Hop to it: Stampin’ Up!’s Retiring Celebration Add-on Kits

Published by under cards | Apr 26 2015

Check out the Australian Stampin' Up! Retiring Products (2015) at www.simonebartrum.com

Hi friends. Today I’m back blog-hopping again with just a few of my crafting buddies.

You may have come from Jess’s blog over at The Paper Caper. I want to be just like Jess when I grow up… isn’t she amazing?

We thought it would be fun to share what we’ve been doing with the Retiring Products.

Eeek! Retiring? Yep, this is your last chance to grab them before they’re gone. And they are going FAST, let me tell you!

Calypso Coral Celebration Add-On Kit. Retiring this month. Now half price! Visit www.simonebartrum.com

So today I’m sharing a few projects made with one of the hidden gems in the catalogue. We found out last week that this product WILL NOT be in the new catalogue.

Not only that, it’s now HALF PRICE.

Spectacular.

So what is this product?

Calypso Coral Add-On Kit (#133431). Available in Australia while supplies last, from www.simonebartrum.com

It’s the Calypso Coral Celebration Add-On Kit (with a few added bits and pieces).

The kit is marked in the catalogue at AUD$16.95, which I feel was a pretty awesome price anyway.

But while supplies last it is only AUD$8.48. Wow.

The kit is designed to complement the Celebration Basics Kit, to help you make an awesome looking banner kinda like this,

Celebration Basics Kit from Stampin' Up! available while supplies last

but I really love working with it on its own.

Included is a gorgeous stitched garland, heaps of die-cut accents, patterned papers (including some really cool gold foil paper), and self-adhesive streamers. You even get a Stampin’ Spritzer which you can fill with alcohol and ink refill for a cool spritzing effect.

To make these cards I simply added Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock and some of my favourite stamps, along with the die-cut pieces and patterned papers from the kit. I managed to whip these cards up in no time.

 

Handmade cards created with Stampin' Up!'s Calypso Coral Celebration Add-On Kit (#133431) on available while supplies lastAdd-OnKitCards

Stampin' Up!'s Celebration Add-On Kit (#133431). Retiring this month! www.simonebartrum.com

Want to see some more great ideas using retiring Stampin’ Up! products? Check out Carly’s blog.

Thanks for joining us today.

NEXT STOP: Carly’s blog

Happy stamping,

Simone Bartrum, Stampin' Up! demonstrator Australia, Victoria

Let’s keep in touch while I’m at CONVENTION next week!
Connect with me on Facebook: StampingWithSimone

11 responses so far

  • This is me! Simone Bartrum, Australian Stampin' Up! demonstrator since 2007.
  • Simone Bartrum
    Australia
      0411 642 038

  • Welcome to my online home where I share a love of cardmaking, hand-crafted home decor and rubber stamping. I'm so happy to invite you in, so grab a cuppa and click around!

  • Would you like something you see here? 

  • If you're in Australia, just click here and you'll be magically transported to my online store.

  • Questions or comments?

  • 2023
    Sales Award #11
    Team Building Award
    Leadership Award

  • 2022
    Sales Award #13
    Team Building Award
    Leadership Award

  • 2021
    Sales Award #15
    Team Building Award
    Leadership Award

  • 2020
    Australian Top 25
    Sales Award #5
    Incentive Trip

  • 2019
    Australian Top 25
    Sales Award #11
    Leadership Award

  • 2018
    Australian Top 10
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    Top 10 Sales & Recruiting

  • 2017
    Australian Top 10 #6
    Global Top 100
    Incentive Trip Achiever

  • 2016
    Australian Top 10
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    Leadership Award

  • 2015
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    $40K Sales Award
    Recruiting Award

  • 2014
    Leadership Award
    Recruiting Award
    Incentive Trip Achiever

  • 2013
    Leadership Award
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    Sales Achiever's Award

  • 2012
    #2 Leadership Award
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    #6 Demonstrator of Year

  • 2011
    #1 Leadership Award
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    #7 Demonstrator of Year

  • 2010
    #2 Leadership Award
    Incentive Trip Achiever
    #16 Demonstrator of Year

  • FREE TUTORIAL BUNDLE WITH $50 PURCHASE

  • Recent Posts

  • Meta

  • View the 2023-2024 Annual Catalogue

  • Stampin' Up! 2023-24 Annual Catalogue
    2 May 2023 - 30 April 2024
    View Online | Shop Online
  • Join to save money or join to make money!

  • Join to save money | Join to make money
  • Join me on Facebook

  • Amazing places we've visited thanks to Stampin' Up!'s Incentive Trip program*

  • Mediterranean Cruise 2016
  • * Legal disclaimer: I have achieved the awards and recognition listed above, but this is not representative of typical Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. The level of sales to achieve this result requires significant work and is accomplished by a substantially small percentage of Stampin’ Up! demonstrators.


  • Popular Posts

  • The Fine Print

  • All content, including designs, concepts, text, and photographs are COPYRIGHT ©2023 Simone Bartrum, unless otherwise stated. I only use Stampin' Up!® products, so all stamped images are COPYRIGHT 2023 Stampin' Up!. As an independent demonstrator for Stampin' Up!, the content of this site is my responsibility. The use of and content of the classes, services, or products offered on here is not specifically endorsed by Stampin' Up!.