Happy Easter Everybunny

It’s Easter already, and I feel like I’ve only just found my feet this year. Slow down World!

We have family visiting this Easter long weekend, so I’ve only got time for a quick post, but I wanted to share the boxes we made at last night’s Technique Class. They’re the perfect size for filling with little eggs for someone special.

Stamp Set: Everybunny
Ink: StazOn Black, Cameo Coral, Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Blush Blossom, Peach Parfait, Daffodil Delight, Soft Suede, Crumbcake
DSP: SAB Everyday Enchantment
CS: Whisper White, Pool Party, Cameo Coral, Lucky Limeade
Big Shot: Circles No.2 Die
Accessories: Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Cropodile, Doily Triple Layer Punch, SAB Everyday Enchantment Brads, dimensionals

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter break with family and friends!

Cheers,

Dani

Happy New Year

Well, another year has begun! I’m still a little bit in holiday mode, but began getting a little organised today, sending out my first email newsletter of the year, and putting my Technique Tuesday classes on my Demonstrator Website.

I’m going to be offering a few new things for customers this year – I’m really hoping you’ll like them!

For those that live close to me in the Sydney area, I’ll be hosting a Paper Playdate on the last Saturday of every month – you can read all the details here on my Demonstrator Website.

For those that are unable to attend my classes and events, I’m starting stamp by mail classes in February. I should have all the details organised soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that post if you’re interested.

My ’Snail Mail Stamper’ program will give you everything you need to create 12 high quality cards, and is a great way to play and learn with lots of new Stampin’ Up! products without having to place a large order.

The program will run across 4 months, beginning in February. In order to take part, you need to commit to subscribing to all 4 months. Each month, you will receive a delivery straight from the warehouse containing stamps, ink pads and accessories. You will also receive a project kit with pre-cut cardstock, technique guides and detailed photo-instructions from me to complete three cards each month.

Hopefully I’ll have a chance to play myself over the weekend, and will be sharing some more creations with you soon!

Happy stamping, and thanks for taking a peek!

Cheers,

Jolly Bingo Joy

A quick post today, for a quick card! This was one of the cards that I designed for my recent Christmas Stamp a Stack. I’m sure you could churn through a lot of these very quickly, if you had multiple cards that needed making before December.

• Stamp Set: Jolly Bingo Bits
• Cardstock: Crumbcake, Whisper White
• Ink: Riding Hood Red
• DSP: Letters to Santa
• Accessories: 1″ Circle Punch, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, Scallop Edge Punch

This is not my usual style – it’s very restrained for me! I was just itching to sponge it somewhere, or add some twine or a few more bits and pieces, but for a stamp a stack, restrained and simple is best. And I have seen someone else spell out the word ‘joy’ with these particular stamps somewhere else – I just forgot to write down that person’s name in my ideas journal. If it’s you, please email me so I can give credit where it’s due!

I’m having so much fun with the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set – I’ve been making lots of christmas gift tags, a bingo game, and patterned wrapping paper – it really is a very versatile Christmas set.

If you like the look of this card, and have been thinking about buying the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set, for an extra $10.00, I’ll send you enough precut cardstock and DSP, plus envelopes, to make 12 of these cards (please note that I’ve used red tartan dsp above for my scallop edge – in the pack it will be Riding Hood Red cardstock to keep your costs down). If you don’t have a Clear Block A (which is the smallest block, and just the right size for this stamp set) or the Riding Hood Red Ink Pad, I’ll add those to your order for another $15.00. I’m only offering these combos for purchase in conjunction with the Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set, until Saturday 10th December. Email me at inkypinkystamps@gmail if you’re interested.

Jolly Bingo Bits Stamp Set (Clear Block) $57.95

Jolly Bingo Joy Card Pack: $10.00

1. 12 x C6 Whisper White Envelopes
2. 12 x Crumb Cake card bases
3. 12 x Letters to Santa Tartan strips
4. 12 x Riding Hood Red Scallop Edge strips
5. 12 x 1″ circles in Whisper White
6. 12 x 1 1/4″ circles in Riding Hood Red

Jolly Bingo Ink and Block Pack: $15.00

1. 1 x Acrylic Block A (usually $5.95)
2. 1 x Riding Hood Red Classic Stampin’ Pad (usually $11.95)

Thanks for taking a peek today!

Cheers,

Tidings of Joy

I love this stamp. I sort of overlooked it for a while, until I saw a few of the creations my fellow Inklings made at our creative weekend away, and then it went up near the top of my ‘must buy’ list.

The main reason that I had to purchase this set is that I just love to colour! And this image looks lovely watercoloured, coloured with blender pens, even done in tones of the same colour. It can be made as simple or as detailed as you wish.

Here’s a card we made at a recent technique class, that was coloured with blender pens. Those with keen eyes will note that the colour scheme is almost exactly the same as the example on page 23 of the main catalogue (it’s not called an ‘idea book’ for nothing you know!) The main difference is the ‘stable’ that we’ve made for our little family.

• Stamp set: Tidings of Joy
• Ink: StazOn Black, Crumbcake, So Saffron, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, Real Red, Pool Party, Blush Blossom
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Pool Party
• Accessories: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Distressing Essentials Kit, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun
  
• Non SU! Supplies: Masking Tape

Yes, you read that correctly, masking tape. To make the textured area for the stable, I’ve used a technique called Faux Leather. Stick small pieces of ripped masking tape all over a piece of cardstock, covering it entirely, and then rub and press ink all over it. Once you’re happy with the colour, sprinkle embossing powder over it, and give it a blast with your heat gun. You don’t have to use Versamark ink like you usually would before embossing – the powder will stick to the roughness of the masking tape. Why not give it a try? It’s also a great technique for masculine cards to give them a bit of ‘macho texture’.

The other thing I like about this set is that one of the sentiments is just long enough to curve slightly, before adhering it to your clear block and stamping. When you’re using a clear block set, just because a sentiment is straight doesn’t mean it needs to stay that way – experiment with bending your sentiments slightly, to create a little whimsy in your cards.

Thanks for taking a peek today!

Cheers,

Christmas Contraband!

Not that long ago, Stampin’ Up! sent out a survey to all its Demonstrators, asking, amongst other things, if there was anything we wished they sold, but currently didn’t. Now, mostly, I’m extremely happy with the products that SU! have on offer – I don’t visit any scrapbooking stores to buy other companies merchandise for scrapbooking and card making. But, there is one thing that I immediately thought of, and that I have a guilty passion for – Washi Tape!

If you haven’t come across it before, and have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, here’s a simple explanation, taken from the Omiyage blog:

To put it simply, washi tape is a high quality masking tape made of rice paper.

But more than that, washi tape is a material which is beautiful yet useful at the same time. You can tear it, stick it, reposition it, write on it… The low tack adhesive makes it extremely easy to use (and reuse). I think it is so popular because it is so easy to use – and looks good while doing it!

Exactly what I think myself! All my close friends know I have a bit of a passion for a lot of Japanese things – I enjoy cooking sushi and oyakodon, love watching Anime (not just the Studio Ghibli ones, which are gorgeous, but a few more obscure ones) and my current handbag has a holographic picture of Astro Boy on it.

One of my favourite shops, which also happens to sell washi tape, is the Kinokuniya bookshop in the centre of Sydney. Another favourite place is right here in Summer Hill, at My Messy Room. They sell the cutest children’s clothing and homewares, and of course, washi tape!

Here’s a card I made today using Washi Tape. It’s a shame you can’t feel the beautiful waxy texture it has – it gives the card a very subtle sheen.

• Stamp set: Jolly Bingo Bits, Season of Joy
  
• Ink: Versamark, Riding Hood Red
• Cardstock: Crumbcake, Whisper White, Pool Party
• Accessories: White Gel Pen, Stampin’ Dimensionals, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, 1″ Circle Punch
• Non SU! Items: Washi Tape

This card literally took me only minutes to make. I tore the edge off the washi tape and adhered it to the card base, then punched a hole with my 1 1/4″ circle punch – because the washi tape is so thin, the punch has no trouble getting through all the layers.

I stamped the Santa on Whisper White, and then punched it with the 1″ circle punch.

The little sentiment flag was actually made for an earlier card, but I didn’t like it, so I stashed it away to be used later. It was simply a case of writing ‘Merry Christmas’ with my white gel pen (slow and steady to get the best results) on the Pool Party cardstock, and drawing a ‘faux stitching’ dashed line around the edge of the flag.

I have to admit, I’ve been inspired by watching Kristina Kwerner’s recent holiday card tutorials to use my own handwriting more often on cards (it’s not quite as beautiful as hers though!) The snowflake image on the background of the flag was stamped in Versamark. Easy Peasy (Japanesey)!

Thanks for taking a peek today!

Cheers,

Cheap and Cheerful Christmas Gift

Sometimes, we forget things. Especially around Christmas time, when we have so many extra last minute little jobs fighting for space in our overtired and overtaxed memory. It’s extra embarrassing when friends and neighbours pop ’round to say ‘Merry Christmas – I just thought I’d drop off a little something‘ and you have no ‘emergency’ gifts put aside. They don’t need to be big, but handmade counts for a lot in these sorts of situations, and I’ve found these little explosion card boxes to come in very handy around Christmas and Easter time!

Here it is closed. (Many apologies for the photo quality – I can’t find my camera cord, so these were taken with my phone – I’ll add the better images later.)

And here it is opened – just write on the centre of the ‘card’, pop the treats in, and put the lid back on – easy peasy, cheap and cheerful.

• Stamp Set: Jolly Bingo Bits, Short and Sweet
• Cardstock: Whisper White, Old Olive
• DSP: Letters to Santa
• Ink: Early Espresso, Old Olive Inkpads and Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade and Poppy Parade Stampin’ Write Pens
• Accessories: 1″ Circle Punch, 1 1/4″ Circle Punch, 1 3/8″ Circle Punch, 1 3/4″ Scallop Circle

Now, let me say right at the very beginning – I didn’t come up with this idea. I’ve seen so many different examples of these boxes, and I have no way of knowing who made them ‘first’, but this version is simple and easy, and if you choose you can dress them up to look amazing (I tend to go for simple myself though, especially if I’m making more than one).

You can do a search on YouTube for Explosion Boxes, and get lots of different types of video tutorials; I think SplitCoastStampers has one similar to mine, or I’m happy to send you a simple pdf tutorial on how I make my boxes.

We made this version of the box at one of my recent Technique Tuesday classes, and the ladies who attended were impressed at how incredibly easy these were to make! Once you’ve learned how to make one, you’ll be able to make them in all different sizes – as long as your cardstock measurements are divisible by three, they can be as big or as small as you like.

Because it’s a box and card in one, you don’t have to worry about tying on tags, or making time to wrap the gift – it is the gift! Just have some pre-wrapped christmas treats handy, and a pen, so you can surreptitiously write inside the box before you hand it over.

I love giving ‘consumables’ as Christmas gifts to neighbours and friends – you don’t have to worry if they already have one, or if it’s the right size, or if they have someplace to store it. They’re also very nice for teacher gifts too. And, they’re easy on the wallet – one piece of cardstock, a few scraps, and a quarter piece of DSP later, you have the perfect treasure box for treats!

Thanks for taking a peek today!

Cheers,

A Summer Mini Celebration!