Dream in 3D

One of my favourite things about Stampin' Up! is the versatility of the products. Not only are they perfect to make beautiful boxes, bags, cards and scrapbooks, they are also wonderful for home decor. I thought I'd show you what I worked on yesterday.

This started as a plain, raw wood word and with a little paint, varnish and lots of coordinating Stampin' Up! products, it became something to inspire me as it hangs above my computer. I used my favourite colour - Soft Sky. The paper is from the Spring Silhouettes pack, the ribbon is double stitched and the retired organza. All other embellishments are from the beautiful Pretties kit - the flowers are easily coloured using a Sponge Dauber and a little ink. Instantly dry and they match perfectly!

UStamp

We're down to the last couple of days for UStamp sign-up at the special low price. Follow the link on the right before the price goes up $5 next month. UStamp class kits are still available, kits will start going out this Friday! The kit will be available for purchase throughout the UStamp class duration, payment can be made via cheque, cash, bank deposit or credit card. For everyone already signed up - I can't wait to go to Stampin' University with you - keep an eye on your inbox for the notice your kit has shipped!

Stay tuned for a cute home decor idea using the class kit supplies too!

Hope everyone had a good day and that this wild weather hasn't affected you too much!

Sweet Simplicity

Tonight I wanted to bring you a card using the other stamp set in our UStamp class kit - Sweet Serendipity. This is a lovely set, filled with sentiments and three small images.

The smaller stamps in our collections are often the hardest to use, but creating a repeating pattern with them is a fun and fast way to create a "wow" effect!

Here I've stamped one of the images from Sweet Serendipity in rows, using my Stamp-a-ma-jig to ensure perfect placement. Keeping it simple (and avoiding cleaning my stamp each impression) I've only used one ink colour - Chocolate Chip. For the lighter colour you simply ink your stamp, then stamp off onto scrap paper once before stamping the image. Simple and effective!

To border the pattern at the top I've created a score line using my paper trimmer and bone folder. To create interest in the sentiment, I've inked it up, stamped off once, then gone over the smaller font with a Chocolate Chip marker. Add three Antique Brass brads and some GORGEOUS Chocolate Chip satin ribbon (you need this in your ribbon collection!) and you have a simply sweet card.

Hint: If you don't like your brad "legs" to show on the inside of your card when using only one layer of card stock, you can cut off the legs using scissors and stick them on using mini glue dots!

Have a wonderful week,



Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Set: Sweet Serendipity
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Card stock: Very Vanilla
Punches: 1/16" Handheld
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon, Antique Brass brads, Chocolate Chip marker, Stamp-a-ma-jig.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

If you've signed up for UStamp....

I have a quick update for you. When you sign-up you will receive a welcome email with lots of info and bonus projects!

The tricky thing is...a lot of these emails are getting blocked by spam filters, especially if you use Xtra. Please please please check your junk mail if you haven't received this email. You can also add ustamp2008@yahoo.com to your safe list.

Also, please note: if you use Outlook to receive your emails, this has an ADDITIONAL spam filter. A lot of your emails won't even make it to Outlook, Xtra (and possibly other providers) will block them before Outlook can download them. You must log into Xtra web mail to see your real junk folder. Please contact Xtra's help desk and they will talk you through this process.

While you're at it, if you think you should be receiving my newsletter and haven't, it may be in your junk mail.

It's so exciting to see so many of you joining in for the UStamp classes! Remember, you have until Friday to sign-up at the lower price. There is plenty of time to order the class kit as an optional extra if you wish, these will start shipping come Friday. Please email me with any questions or to order.

I'll be back later today with a new project for you! Until then, enjoy your day!

Tart & Tangy Preview

I needed some quick and cute cards to send to friends this weekend, and as I still had all my scraps from creating my UStamp project on my desk....I thought I'd bring you some cards made with some of my favourite products from the new mini catalogue!

I've used a few different products on each of these cards, so rather than doing a step by step, I'll tell you how to recreate a few key points.

These cards all measure 3"x 3"

The sentiments are punched out with the Word Window punch - I love this punch, it's so versatile! Aren't the sentiments just the cutest? They are from a new set called One Smart Cookie.

On the apple and the cherries I have used Crystal Effects, then sprinkled on a little Dazzling Diamonds glitter. It does make the ink run a little, losing a tiny bit of detail, but I think the effect is worth it!

On the orange card, I've used a different technique, useful if you don't want the image to smear at all. Just mix together a little crystal effects and dazzling diamonds, and you've made your own glitter glue! I usually just mix it on a scrap of card stock and apply it with a toothpick.

The scalloped edge pieces are all made using the slit punch - for $13.50 you just can't beat the value of this punch!

All the papers are from the awesome Summer Picnic pack - don't you love the way they coordinate with the Tart & Tangy images?!?

I've used lots of dimensionals on these little cards, the added height really creates interest and draws the eye. Which one is your favourite? I think I like the apple one best!

The Tart & Tangy set, Slit Punch, Bashful Blue Card stock, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive inks, and Summer Picnic Designer paper are all part of the UStamp class kit, available for purchase from August 1st.

If you haven't signed up for UStamp yet and would like too, make sure to do it before the end of the month to take advantage of the price saving!

Please email me for more information on becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, purchasing anything you see on my site, or if you would like more information on attending my events or having a Stampin' Up! workshop in your very own home and getting free products at the same time!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Sets: Tart & Tangy, One Smart Cookie
Ink: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive
Card stock: Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Paper: Summer Picnic Designer Paper
Punches: Word Window, Slit, 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Scalloped Circle
Accessories: Crystal Effects, Bashful Blue ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Stampin’ Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

Little Girl Blue

This is a set that I've admired for a long time, and finally got last week. Isn't this image just the sweetest? It's so easy and so much fun to colour. I love large images like this, they make simple but striking cards. Here's the easy step by step:

Stamp the image in Stazon on Whisper White. Colour using Watercolour Wonder Crayons and blend with a water brush or blender pen. This would look good in so many colours, I used Bashful and Brocade Blue for her dress.

Create score lines using your paper trimmer and a bone folder. Just turn your card stock over and score a line by running the bone folder down the cutting channel of your trimmer. Simple, embossed lines!

Stamp the sentiment using Stazon again, I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to help with placement.

Add three Brocade Blue brads and a Brocade Blue wide grosgrain ribbon before adhering the layer to a Brocade Blue card base - that's it, you're done!

This card honestly took me about 12 minutes from start to finish. Sometimes simplicity is best!

Hope you're having a great week!


Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Set: Summer by the Sea
Ink: Stazon
Card stock: Whisper White, Brocade Blue
Accessories: 1/16" Handheld Punch, Brocade Blue brads, Brocade Blue wide grosgrain ribbon, Paper trimmer, Bone folder, Stampin’ Dimensionals.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

True Friend Thanks

Hi everyone. Time for another sneak peak from the upcoming Spring Mini Catalogue – this simple card uses the new True Friend stamp set and Apple Cider designer paper. I love the muted colours in this paper, it’s so perfectly named! Here’s the step by step:

Ink the flower image with Really Rust, Chocolate Chip and Close to Cocoa markers, as well as a blender pen loaded with Wild Wasabi ink. Stamp on Very Vanilla card stock.

Sponge the edges of the focal image with Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa ink. Layer on Close to Cocoa. Add two Antique Brass brads in the top right corner.

Layer two strips of Apple Cider paper on Close to Cocoa card stock. Adhere to a River Rock card base.

Attach the focal image using Stampin’ Dimensionals and tie a piece of Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon around the top of the card.

Stamp “Thank You” from the Occasional Greetings set in Chocolate Chip ink.

Create the medallion. I saw this made with other stamp sets by a couple of Demonstrators in the USA earlier in the year, it works really well with this set too. Stamp the largest flower image with Close to Cocoa on Really Rust card stock. Punch out the center using a 1” Circle punch. Punch the entire image using the Scalloped Circle punch. Punch the small star from Close to Cocoa card stock and layer a scrap of the Apple Cider paper behind the star. Add an Antique Brass brad then layer the scalloped circle on the star layer using Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Adhere the medallion to the card using a double layer of Stampin’ Dimensionals and it’s finished!

Quick tip: Although I may add my ribbon quite early on when making a project, I never trim the edges until I’m finished, just to avoid any fraying. It helps to have a dedicated pair of ribbon scissors (I love the Stampin’ Up! Paper Snips for this) tie a piece of your favourite ribbon to the handles to keep them separate from your other scissors.

Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Sets: True Friend, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip
Card stock: Close to Cocoa, River Rock, Very Vanilla
Paper: Apple Cider
Punches: Scalloped Circle, Small Star, 1 3/8" Circle, 1/16" Handheld
Accessories: Markers, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, Antique Brass brads, Sponge Daubers, Stampin’ Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

UStamp Class Kit - Photos Added

Quick update: I've just added a post with photos of the awesome UStamp class kit, you can see them here. I have a date with my husband, comfy couch, popcorn and some trashy TV tonight, will be back with a post tomorrow after I finish designing my UStamp project for the classes!

"Always" on a Sunday

Always is probably my favourite set from the upcoming mini catalogue. I just love the beautiful sentiments, and all the images are gorgeous! Finally having time to stamp this morning, I thought I'd try this amazing set - hope you like the results! Here's how to re-create this card:

Cut an oval from Very Vanilla card stock. If you don't have a cutting system to cut an oval this large, have a hunt in your kitchen cupboards, or even the fridge - you'll be amazed at all the shapes you'll find that you can trace around.

Stamp the bird image in Stazon ink. Stamp it again on scrap paper or a post-it note and cut out to make a mask. Adhere the mask over your image and stamp the branch image in Mellow Moss multiple times, sometimes stamping twice before re inking. Sponge Mellow Moss around the bottom of the oval and Soft Sky around the top.

To create the scalloped edge around the oval, punch out lots of 1/2" circles and adhere behind the oval using SNAIL adhesive.
Stamp the circular always image in stazon on Very Vanilla card. Punch out with the 1 1/4" circle punch. Layer with a Mellow Moss 1 3/8" punch out and adhere to a Purely Pomegranate scalloped circle using a Stampin' Dimensional.

Stamp the small flower image in Soft Sky and punch out using the 1/2" Circle Punch, adhere inside the "a" in the always image.

Create a colour blocking effect on your Basic Black base card using rectangles of Designer Paper and stamped images. I used this gorgeous paper from the soon to be released Holiday Harmony pack and also stamped the large heart image from Always on Soft Sky card with Mellow Moss ink. Adhere with SNAIL.

Stamp the sentiment using Stazon ink and the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement if necessary.

Tie a length of Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon (love this gorgeous stuff!) around the card. Cut the "legs" off a Styled Silver fancy brad (new Hodgepodge Hardware to be released Aug 1st) and wrap the remaining prongs around the ribbon knot.

Add two silver brads from the Hodgepodge set to the top right corner of the card.

Create two scalloped edge pieces using the Slit Punch (punch repeatedly overlapping each punch slightly) one from Purely Pomegranate card stock and the other from a scrap of the Designer Paper. Adhere together then cut a strip off your base card and adhere so the scallops show in the gap.

Adhere the oval layer and the scalloped circle layer to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals and you're done!

If you would like to book a workshop (Wellington Region) and see these products in person or would like to order any of the supplies seen on my site (New Zealand orders only please) please email me.

Hope you have a fantastic Sunday, enjoy your Sunday roast if you're having one!




Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Set: Always
Ink: Stazon, Mellow Moss, Soft Sky
Card stock: Purely Pomegranate, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
Paper: Holiday Harmony
Punches: 1/2" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1/16" Handheld, Slit, Scalloped Circle
Accessories: Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Mellow Moss Taffeta Ribbon, Paper Snips, Stampin’ Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

Where's Sarah?

Sorry for the lack of updates - I've been so busy the last couple of days I haven't had time to stamp. There's so much to be done when you move house, let alone moving from one end of NZ to the other!

I have found a couple of time saving things this past week though. First, I'm finally using my slow cooker (crock pot) to its full potential! On the advice of my Mum (Hi Mum!) I bought Alison and Simon Holst's "100 Great Ways to Use Slow Cookers and Crock Pots" and I LOOOOVE it! Full of great simple but delicious recipes, just throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it till dinner time. Easy!

The other thing we've started this week is getting our groceries delivered! I tried it as a way to stay on budget, and it really helped. Everything turned up bright and early this morning, no waiting in line or being tempted by the specials aisle! Shanan and I only have evenings and weekends together, our time is too precious to spend in a grocery store I reckon! Gotta love online shopping.

I should be back with something to share tonight if inspiration strikes. For now, I've just watched an Oprah special on de-cluttering - something my craft space needs terribly right about now! I'm off to have a tidy-up so I have a clear, calm space to create....even if it only stays that way for five minutes!

Artful Spotlight

Hi all, I've been very slack (on the stamping side of things at least) today and didn't actually finish any projects! My microwave is sparkling clean (long overdue!) and I made a really yummy dinner though, so hubby was happy! No sneak peak today as a result, but I thought I'd share this card with you. I made 20 of these as swaps for a get together of Stampin' Up! demos - and in the end I was too sick to even go! I did get to swap though, and received some wonderful cards.

I used Artfully Asian as the set for this card. The background is stamped using Old Olive ink on Old Olive card, stamping onto scrap paper once for a more tone on tone effect. The scallops are made using the Slit Punch. I used the spotlighting technique to highlight my favourite image from this set.
Spotlighting is really easy and a great way to draw attention to a certain part of your project. All you do is stamp the image twice, colour one in and punch out a circle over the part of the image you want to spotlight. Adhere it to a larger circle, then to your uncoloured image and you've finished your spotlight! Instead of leaving the base image for this one plain, I coloured it white using a Watercolour Wonder crayon and an Aqua painter. It gave it just a little more pop.

The Soft Sky, Old Olive and Basic Gray layers are sponged in the same colours. That's a piece of gorgeous Rose Red Prints paper for the red layer, and I pierced a border around the main image. The wee tab at the top is made using the Word Window punch and is finished off with a Silver brad. I just love the sentiment that comes with this set, it's a lovely thought.

Hope you like this card, I promise to try and get something new created for you tomorrow!


Stampin Supplies:
Stamp Set: Artfully Asian
Ink: Basic Gray, Old Olive, Soft Sky
Card stock: Old Olive, Soft Sky, Basic Gray, Rose Red
Paper: Designer Series Prints in Rose Red
Punches: Word Window, 1 3/8” Circle,1 1/4” Circle, Slit, 1/4” Circle, 1/16” Handheld
Accessories: Watercolour Wonder Crayons, Aqua painter, Crafter’s Tool Kit, Silver Brads, Sponge Daubers, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Stampin’ Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

Bloomin' with New Goodies!

As promised, here's the first of my cards using the new products from the upcoming Spring Mini Catalogue. Isn't that image beautiful? This card uses stamps from the Bloomin' with Beauty set. I did lots of sponging and masking on this one, here's the step by step:

• Stamp the vase image in Stazon ink on Whisper White twice. Stamp it again on a post-it note or scrap paper before cleaning your stamp.



• Cut the vase part of the image out of your scrap paper. Adhere your mask over the image as shown below and colour the vase by sponging River Rock ink using a sponge dauber.

• Colour the flowers of your second image by sponging with Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Purely Pomegranate ink. Sponge the leaves with Old Olive and cut out the coloured part of the image. Adhere on the image with the sponged vase using Stampin' Dimensionals.



• Here's my favourite tip for die-cut stamp sets: When you peal off the backing paper as you mount your stamps, make sure to keep it, it's the perfect mask for your image! Adhere the backing paper mask over your coloured image and sponge around the edges using Soft Sky ink. Continue the sponging around the edges of your Whisper White square, paying particular attention to the corners.



• Sponge heavily at the base of the vase, again with Soft Sky ink, to ground the image.



• Distress the sides of your card stock using the distressing tool from the Cutter kit. Mount on a slightly larger piece of Purely Pomegranate card.



• Adhere a piece of Designer Paper from the upcoming Holiday Harmony pack on a Purely Pomegranate card base. Stamp "Bloom" in Purely Pomegranate ink.



• Stamp the bee image on Whisper White card stock and also on the designer paper. Colour lightly, cut out and adhere with half a Stampin' Dimensional.



• Create a bow using the new Satin ribbon in Purely Pomegranate and a ribbon slide from the beautiful new Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware kit. I LOVE this hardware, it's so so so gorgeous. Adhere the bow using a mini glue dot.

• Lastly, run a two-way glue pen lightly over the flowers and bee wings. Dip a toothpick in Dazzling Diamonds glitter and tap the glitter lightly on the glue. This gives you a "barely there" sparkle for sophisticated shimmer. It's always so hard to take a good photo of glitter, but hopefully you can see a little in the photo above!

Aren't these new products gorgeous? They will all be available from August 1st. The satin ribbon also comes in Chocolate Chip, I can't wait to play with that! If you're in the Wellington area and would like to see these products in person (all while earning free stamp sets and shopping dollars!) please email me to find out all about having your very own fun and free Stampin' Up! workshop!



Stampin' Supplies:
Bloomin' with Beauty stamp set.
Whisper White and Purely Pomegranate card stock.
Stazon, Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Old Olive ink.
Holiday Harmony Designer Paper.
Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware.
Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon.
Sponge Daubers.
Cutter Kit.
Stampin' Dimensionals.
SNAIL Adhesive.
All supplies available from Stampin' Up! Some supplies not available until August 1st, 2008.

New SU! and Stamp Indexing

Bright and early this morning, my new courier (who is already surprised how often he has to come to my house!) bought me two big boxes, jammed packed full of Stampin' Up! goodies! I still have a couple of things on back order, but today I'll have lots of sorting and arranging to do. Included in my parcels are lots of brand new products from the upcoming Mini Catalogue so expect to see lots of sneak peaks starting from today!

I have 17 new sets to mount (12 of them I got for FREE from Stampin' Up! email me if you'd like info on how you could get freebies too!) which you might think would take forever....but here's the GREAT news....all the sets in the new mini catalogue are DIE-CUT! That means Stampin' Up! have cut them out for us, all you have to do is pop them on the blocks and you're ready to stamp!

Regular readers will know I have a lot of sets. So many that I haven't even counted (I think it would be a scary number!) With so many stamps, it's vital to have a good index of what you have. So I thought I'd show you mine. It's not pretty, but it's very functional.

I have a plain lever arch file (I've been meaning to pretty it up for awhile now!) and every time I get a new stamp set, I photocopy the sticker sheet before I do anything else. I also usually update my spreadsheet at this time.

It's very important for my system that I photocopy only one stamp set per page and that each and every set has it's own page protector for this reason: At the moment my sets are organised alphabetically, that means that every time a new one comes in (which is often) I need to be able to quickly slot it in to the correct position. It also means that if I ever decide to use a different method of organising my index, perhaps by subject or theme, I can easily do so because I don't have to separate sets from the same page.

If I don't know what set I want to use when I sit down to create, I can easily flick through until something inspires me. The stamp set shown is a new one, available August 1st, called Always. Isn't it gorgeous?!? I can't wait to use it. If you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to order this beautiful set (or anything else you see on my site for that matter!) please email me.

Usually, it only takes me a second to photocopy each sticker sheet - but this morning was a bit different! I decided to use Shanan's laser printer as it's faster than mine, but forgot to allow for the "cat curiosity" factor!

This is Gabriel, he's a Lilac Point Balinese and is three years old. Balinese (a longer coat Siamese) are very well known for being mischievous, playful and above all curious. Gabriel loves my printer, and always wants to watch when I use it, but the laser printer seems to hold a special fascination. I think it's because the paper shoots out all of a sudden, unlike my ink jet which does it bit by bit. So every time I wanted to do a new sticker sheet this morning, it meant lifting him down and trying to get it positioned on the scanner before he wanted to jump back up! Of course, I could have just locked him out of the room - but there's one other thing Balinese are known for...their meow!

I'll be back later today with a few wee sneak peeks and will also update the UStamp class kit page with photos of the kit. Until then, Happy Stampin'!

Post-it Note Cover

I went shopping recently and bought a ton of organisational stuff for my stampin space/office. Among my purchases was this 3" square Post-it sticky notepad that I'm keeping by my laptop for little notes and lists. I just had to make a cover for it and pretty it up a little!

This is really very simple as the instructions show. A couple of cuts, a couple of scores and you're done with the construction - not rocket science at all! Because it's always handy to have the measurements when you want them though, I've made the above template. To save it to your computer click with your right mouse button and choose "save picture as". You'll notice the measurements are in inches, that's because the pad itself was 3" square and I was being lazy!

The really fun part of these covers is in the decoration. Here's how to recreate mine:

• Cut a piece of Designer Paper from the Spring Silhouettes pack to fit the front of your cover. Adhere with SNAIL adhesive.
• Stamp "Delightful" from the It's All Good set in Purely Pomegranate on Whisper White card stock. Punch out using the 1 1/4" Circle punch.
• Cut a 1 3/8" circle using the relevant punch from Soft Sky card stock. Layer behind the Delightful image using SNAIL adhesive.
• Punch a Scalloped Circle from Purely Pomegranate card stock and attach the Delightful image using Stampin' Dimensionals.
• Dot around the Scalloped Circle using a Signo White Gel Pen.
• Stamp the berries image from Oh, So Lovely (level one hostess set - you could substitute the cherry blossom image from Artfully Asian or email me to ask how you can get a Oh, So Lovely set for free!) using Stazon ink on Whisper White cardstock.
• Colour the leaves and berries using the Watercolouring with inkpads technique. I used Purely Pomegranate and Old Olive inkpads with a blender pen.
• Cut out the coloured portions of the image. This seems really fiddly, but I find the Stampin' Up! paper snips make light work of this task.
• Stamp the berries image again on your cover using Stazon ink. Colour just the stems using the fine point of an Old Olive marker.
• Attach the cut out coloured images using small pieces of Stampin' Dimensionals.
• Tie a length of Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched ribbon around the cover. Attach your Scalloped Circle piece using Stampin' Dimensionals and you're done!

It's the 3D elements that make this cover special. Why not make one of these as a gift for someone? It's the little things that brighten our days! Best of all, this size notepad fits perfectly in one of these boxes from a couple of days ago, how cute would it be to package this in a matching box?

I hope you enjoyed this super simple tutorial and that you'll have a go at making one soon!

Just a bit of housekeeping...

I wanted to let you know that my email newsletter went out to those subscribed last night. If it's not in your inbox, it will be in your junk mail! If you haven't received it and think you should have, please email me and I'll send you a copy. If you're not on my mailing list and would like to be, please email and I'll add you to the list. I am considering putting a newsletter link right here on the blog, will keep you posted about that!

Did you know.... If you click the photos on my blog they get big? Real big! So big that you can see all my little mistakes and "happy accidents"!

I have a little project I want to get done today. Nothing really fancy, it's still in the "just in my head" stage, but hopefully will be cute! I'll be back with it this afternoon or later tonight. Have a great day till then!

Let the UStamp fun begin!

Isn't this box just the cutest thing ever? In the lead up to UStamp, Dawn has posted this box tutorial as a thank you to everyone for being so excited about the exclusive UStamp classes! If this is the quality of the freebies, can you imagine how amazing the classes are going to be?!?

Head on over to Dawn's Blog to download the tutorial and make your very own box. For more information about UStamp, visit the website!

I decorated my box really simply - the stamp set I've used is a brand new one, soon to appear in our Spring Mini catalogue! It's called "A Beautiful Thing" and is a set of 6. For my box I just stamped and cut out the flowers, and attached small scraps of Certainly Celery ribbon to look like leaves. The sentiment is inked using markers for the multi coloured look, and punched out using the large oval punch. I layered it on a Designer Label punch which is in turn layered with another of the same punch cut in half and adhered on the back to make a little white border.

Don't forget to head over and get the directions for making the box!

Happy Stampin'


Stampin' Supplies:
A Beautiful Thing stamp set
Certainly Celery and Whisper White card stock
Petals and Paisleys designer paper
Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and Pretty in Pink ink
Corner Rounder punch
Designer Label punch
Large Oval punch
Certainly Celery ribbon
Stampin' Write Markers
1/16" Handheld Punch
Silver Brads (from the Vintage collection)
Stampin' Dimensionals
SNAIL adhesive
All supplies available from Stampin' Up!

I’m so excited to introduce you to.....

UStamp!!! Have you ever wished you could go to University for Stamping? I know I have! Well, now you can!

In a world first, Dawn Rapsas and Heather Summers have put together UStamp – and the first class featuring EXCLUSIVLY Stampin’ Up! products will be offered in September! The classes will feature detailed video and photo instructions of more than 10 amazing projects, with all the resources you need to make everything at home! Best of all, there are no time limits, you do everything on your own time – perfect for fitting in with the busy lifestyle we all have these days!

UStamp is for everyone – Beginners, Experts, Stampers, Scrapbookers, Demonstrators and Non Demonstrators! There will be resources galore, weekly chats, PRIZES!, an exclusive gallery with photos from the UStamp Dream Team and lots, lots more!

Registration is open now at UStamp. The cost until the end of July is $20CAD. That’s roughly $26NZD. A downright bargain! After July 31st the price reverts back to the usual class price of $25CAD. Payment is via PayPal or major credit cards – please see the UStamp site for more details. Also, please make sure to mention my name as your referring link!

Class Kit: Because the class kit for the course is only available to US and Canadian participants, I will be offering a kit for New Zealanders with alternate products that will work well with the projects on offer. My samples and projects will be created with this kit, and it will feature BRAND NEW products from the Spring Mini Catalogue! Wooohooo! I’m still working on the details, stay tuned for more information on the kit contents and purchasing details. I’ll make sure to work in a special saving for you all of course!

I’m so pleased to have been asked to be on the UStamp Dream Team representing New Zealand, I can’t wait to share this exciting journey with you!

New Look!

After weeks of disarray and illness things are finally on track! I decided now would be a great time to give the blog a new look. I wanted something clean and simple to help bring out the wonderful colours of Stampin' Up! ink and card stock. Hope you like it.

My stamping space is finished and I'm ready to bring lots of exciting new projects to you! I also have some very exciting international stamping news to share with you soon! Stay tuned!