Swinging is fun

Well it wasn't a dance but anyone passing by would have thought there was a party going on last night. My Friday night girls are naughty, they had far too much fun.

The class technique for May was how to make a Swing card and also the Rock and roll technique. The first card was the Swing card. Instead of using the cutting tool, we used the Big Shot and the Window Frames Collection framelit die to cut the swing shape. Then it was embossed front and back and then embellished with the cute little umbrella from the Rain or Shine stamp set. The front of the swing had  rain drops with the sentiment, "thoughts of you" and the back had the umbrella with a sponged sun with the sentiment "rain or shine". The back of the card had the sentiment "makes me happy".

 

Card: Not Quite Navy, Whisper White

Ink: Not Quite Navy

Stamp sets: Rain or Shine, Under the Big Top

Tool: Big Shot, Window Frames Collection framelit die, Large oval punch

 

Next came the first of the rock and roll cards. Sorry my photo taking skills leave a bit to be desired.

 

 

 

Card: So Saffron, Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Ink: So Saffron, Perfect Plum, Crumb Cake

Stamp sets: Rain or Shine

Tool: Crimper, Medium oval punch, Curly label punch

 

Finally the last card.

Card: Whisper White, So Saffron

Ink: So Saffron,Wild Wasabi

Stamp Set: French Foliage

Tool: Scallop border punch, 1^3/4 square punch, 1^3/8 square punch, Wild Wasabi ribbon

Swinging and rocking and rolling

Gee it sounds like we are going to a dance instead of a card class. This months class is showing the Rock and Roll technique and also showing how to make a Swing card.


May classes – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives Wednesday 1^st - 10am "Swing card, Rock and Roll"
Wednesday 1^st - 7pm "Swing card, Rock and Roll "
Friday 3^rd - 7pm "Swing card, Rock and Roll"
Wednesday 29^th - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10
Friday 31^st - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10

There may be some cutting required so if you have a cutter, bring it along to save a bit of time.

Please RSVP so I know how many kits to prepare.

My weekend jaunt

Our very best friends who live in New Zealand invited us to their 50th Wedding Anniversary. We could not say no to such a milestone. So we had to make a few quick changes in class timetables and book rental cars and flights.

It was only a short visit Thursday to Monday but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. We laughed and we cried and caught up on over 40years of memories. Now what do you give a couple who have everything? I decided to make a heap of Thank You cards for them. I needed a box to hold them and so I upscaled our lovely Paper Angel, Anna's box pattern to make it fit my cards. I scanned the invitation photo and then did a bit of playing around on the computer to get it to sit just so. I then printed the pieces out on Sahara Sand Card. The little cards were made using Sahara Sand card and Stamped then punched out with the little Curly Label punch. They loved them.

Who loves Masking and Sponging?

I love Masking and Sponging. It makes everyone a bit of an artist and who doesn't like to think of themselves as a modern day Monet. We did three styles of this technique. The first using our beautiful and very large Swallowtail stamp. It was embossed with black embossing powder and then sponged using sponge daubers and three colours. Then a mask of the  butterfly was placed over the the stamped image and then the outside was sponged to make the butterfly pop.

Yes I know , you are probably saying "that looks like silver embossing to me" Yes you are right. I did many samples using all the different powders and this one took the best photo.

The next style of masking is one of my favourites. It always looks so difficult but the consensus was that it was the easiest and made a really WOW card.

I ripped some scrap paper in half to make two ragged edges. Then this is placed on the card leaving an area to sponge. The sponging in this technique uses a sponge rather than sponge daubers. I still like to use three colours for the first layer. Then I randomly stamp a few shapes or writing in either Early Expresso or one of the sponged colours, depending on what effect you are after. Then the scrap paper is removed and  WOW!

This is called Reverse Masking.

 

This one here is a mixture of Reverse masking and masking. If you look closely  you will see the leaves have been masked and then cut out. I got the background effect by ripping a hole in a piece of paper and then applying the ink the same as the one above.

 

 

Lastly we did this little cutie. I love this style of masking but it can, be a little frustrating to get the mask just right. The secret is to use very thin paper, something like post it notes, and the more you use it the better, as it makes the mask paper thinner. Another tip is to cut the mask a sliver smaller than the image so that you do not get the white halo around it.

 

 

With this one the bashful blue heart was stamped first, a mask was then placed over it. Then the Crumb Cake heart was stamped slightly over the mask. Another mask is then needed for this heart. Finally the Always Artichoke heart was stamped and then the masks removed. Now it looks like the blue is in front and the green is at the back.

So what do you recon? Going to have a go at masking? Go on have a go and let me know how you went, I think you will love it.

A new day time class

Due to popular demand I have decided to run a daytime class as well as the night time ones. So if coming out at night has stopped you from attending then here is your chance. So our first day time monthly class will be Wednesday 17th April at 10am. Please email or phone to book in.

April  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Friday 12^th - 7pm "Mothers Day and more" $10
Wednesday 17 ^th - 10am "Mothers Day and more" $10
Wednesday 17 ^th - 7pm "Mothers Day and more" $10

May  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 1^st - 10am "To be advised "
Wednesday 1^st - 7pm "To be advised "
Friday 3^rd - 7pm "To be advised"
Wednesday 29^th - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10
Friday 31^st - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10

June  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 12^th - 10am "To be advised"
Wednesday 12^th - 7pm "To be advised"
Friday 14^th - 7pm "To be advised"

July  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 10^th - 10am "Stamp n stack" Christmas in July  $25
Wednesday 10^th - 7pm "Stamp n stack" Christmas in July  $25
Friday 12^th - 7pm "Stamp n stack" Christmas in July $25

August  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 7^th - 10am "Fathers day and more" $10
Wednesday 7^th - 7pm "Fathers day and more" $10
Friday 9^th - 7pm "Fathers day and more" $10

September – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesive
Wednesday 4^th - 10am "To be advised"
Wednesday 4^th - 7pm "To be advised"
Friday 6^th - 7pm "To be advised"
Wednesday 25^th - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10
Friday 27^th - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10

October  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 9^th - 10am "To be advised"
Wednesday 9^th - 7pm "To be advised"
Friday 11^th - 7pm "To be advised"

November  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 6^th- 10am "Stamp n stack" $25
Wednesday 6^th- 7pm "Stamp n stack" $25
Friday 8^th - 7pm "Stamp n stack" $25

December – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Lets party while we have fun.
Wednesday 4^th - 10am "Christmas gifts" $20
Wednesday 4^th - 7pm "Christmas gifts" $20
Friday 6^th - 7pm "Christmas gifts" $20

Gone to China

Back in February you may remember my post Love from China when my cousin Penny brought me back some fabric. 
Well she took the scrapbook page I made as a thank you to the lady in China. Here is a photo of the lady happily showing off my framed scrapbook page that she is going to hang in her little market shop.

I am rather thrilled at knowing that a piece of my art work is in China and being viewed by heaps of people just wandering around a market.

April classes

Another month just flew by, oh my goodness Christmas will be here before we know it, yikes. I hope you all had a nice few days with family for Easter. I ate far too much chocolate and enjoyed every mouthful.
I thought I'd post the dates of classes for the next 3 months so you can update your calendars. I have some interesting projects planned for us and the children's classes.

The April class will be showcasing the Masking and Reverse Masking technique and a Mother's day card. You will also be sponging and I will introduce you to the "Sponge Dauber".  I am really looking forward to using the beautiful Swallowtail stamp for one of the cards.

Like the sound of the classes but can't make the dates?
Why not have your own special class. Gather 3 or more friends together and I will come to you.

April  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Friday 12^th - 7pm "Mothers Day and more" $10
Wednesday 17 ^th - 7pm "Mothers Day and more" $10

May  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 1^st - 7pm "To be advised "
Friday 3^rd - 7pm "To be advised"
Wednesday 29^th - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10
Friday 31^st - 10am "Childrens holiday class" $10

June  – Please BYO basic tool kits and adhesives
Wednesday 12^th - 7pm "To be advised"
Friday 14^th - 7pm "To be advised"

Happy Easter to friends and family

What better way to say to all my friends and stamping buddies, Happy Easter than with a beautiful card using the Crosses of Hope stamp set.
I found this lovely card  on http://stampwithbrian.com/ He has done a beautiful job don't you think.

So let the card say it ..........

Oh no, it's nearly gone......

I saw this posted on Facebook and thought  "how appropriate" I too would have been sad if I had forgotten to place my order. Luckily I didn't forget and have received heaps of FREE products, yay.

Sale A Bration, is just the best time of the Stampin’ Up! year, and it’s better than ever, with no less than 19 free products to choose from with your qualifying order of $100.

There are many ways you can benefit from Sale A Bration........Try one or all of these.

Host a workshop and you can qualify for additional bonuses.

 

Love to shop? How about shopping and getting rewarded?

Join Stampin' Up!

 

Sale-A-Bration + Stampin' Up!'s 25th anniversary = 25% more Starter Kit products for FREE

Their is also a new recruit bundle including the following products from the 2013-2014 annual catalogue:

• Happy Day Stamp Set
• Modern Medley Designer Series Paper
• Hardware Clips Essentials

Truly something for everyone. But time is running out  March 22nd is the last dat to place an order for these great FREE products.

Contact me now to book your workshop, place your order or for more information about joining Stampin’ Up!
If you would like your own copy of the Catalogue, plus a copy of the Sale-a-Bration brochure, email me and I will send you one (Australian residents only please).

Tri Shutter Easter card

What a fun couple of nights for our March class, check out what we made.

First was the Tri Shutter Easter card. The Easter eggs were made by punching out 4 large ovals and then decorating each of them with our lovely In Colours. I cut out our envelope using my favourite tool the BIG SHOT. The little chick is the Bird Builder punch. I nipped off his tail feathers so he would fit into the cracked shell. Cute ey?

The panels were made using the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper. Just love it. The front and back panels I used Island Indigo and Calypso Coral and dry embossed them. I love teaching this card as everyone gets such a kick out of the finished result. It always looks so hard and yet it is quite easy, just a lot of preparation.

Then we expored a few uses for the scallop circle punch. The flower is made up of 3 scallop circles and then they were distressed to pull them apart making 6 flowers, the petals were sponged and then layered and scrunched. The leaves were also made with the scallop circle punch then sponged.

Then lastly we did a tea bag style fold on this little cutie. We used 4 scallop circles and folded back 5 of the petals then turned it over and folded the edges into the centre. Joining them together with a brad. Aren't they just darling?