Kristina Werner Challenge #49

Time for another Kristina Werner Challenge and I just love the colours this week.

The pattern in this fabric is so 'in' right now and although I wasn't all that in love with it when I first started to see it around, I have definately learnt to love it. In fact, due to Stampin' Up!'s current catalogues section on Style Watch I have taken quite nicely to the 'Retro Fresh' style and already have 2 of the stamp sets - 'Good Friend' and 'Trendy Trees'; as well as the On Board 'So Tweet' in my collection and endeavour to have so much more!!! I believe Retro is making a come back!

So back to the challenge, I have definately followed the Retro style this week and as you can see I have used one of the On Board pieces and a stamp from the set 'Good Friend'. I also experimented with a new punch from the 2009-2010 Ideas Book and Catalogue called 'Heart to Heart'. I love that it gives you the choice of 3 different style hearts. I punched some of the hearts out of some new DS Paper called 'Good Morning Sunshine'.

Hope you all enjoyed my efforts this week.

Happy Crafting

Cheers

Alison

Look what happens when I am child free.

What are slacker I have been lately. Sorry to all my devoted bloggers for not keeping up with more regular entries. It has been a super busy 2 weeks with Stampin' Up and my craft classes.

A little over a few weeks ago now my lovely husband sent me away for some peace and quiet at our caravan, without the kids. I had such a lovely, relaxing time and was able to catch up with loads of card making and scrapbooking, and not to mention girlie movies as well. Luckily for me the weather was beautiful also. So I thought I would share with you all some of the cards I was able to complete whilst on my relaxing weekend.

This is the first set that I made which I must admit I CASED from an idea I saw in Stamping and Papercraft Magazine. Such a simple set using Whisper White; Choc. Chip; Old Olive; Really Rust and Soft Sky Inks and Card Stock. The Stamp sets were Wonderful Words and Priceless.

This is the second set I made and once again it was CASED from SAPM. These were a little more complicated and involved the use of more tools but I had so much fun fiddling with my tools to make them. I have used Purely Pomegranate; Basic Black; Whisper White and Soft Sky Card stock and inks. The Stamp sets are Polka Dot Punch and So Many Sayings. I have also used some Hodge Podge Hardware in Pewter and some Whisper White Ribbon. The images have been stamped with Versamark and Embossed with Clear embossing powder. So much fun!!!

Finally these two aren't part of a set but instead are just 2 cards that I had a go at. One of them is using the my new set called Loads of Love which was chosen by my 3 year old son Lucas. It is such a great set for so many different uses. The extension set Loads of Love Accessories is definately on my wish list for the future.
The second card shown here was made using the set from the new catalogue called Greetings Eight and is pretty much as is described in it's title.

Both sets are outline sets and I have used the inks and an Aquabrush to watercolour them. Have I mentioned before how much I love to watercolour!!!!

So there you have it. The fruits of my relaxed labour - hardly labour though.

If you would like to get a few friends together to have a class and make one of these card sets then contact me to make a date. Usually a min. of 4 people and max. of 8 is good and the class will cost $15/person.

Cheers for now.

Yehaa Cowgirl

I grabbed this set from the retiring list called Bronc Buster before it is all gone, and it is one of the many sets that has been reduced to 20% off too. It is such a great bargain at $26.96 and so perfect for that horse mad child - or adult!!!

I made this card for a girlfriends daughter, India, as it was her birthday party on the weekend. Unfortunately we haven't given it to her yet - family illness and renovations stepped in to foil our plans - so I thought I would post it up here before giving it to her during the week.

Let me know what you think!

Materials Used:

• Bronc Buster Stamp Set (retiring)


• Classic Stamp Pads - Choc. Chip, Close to Cocoa


• Card Stock - Choc. Chip, Close to Cocoa, Sage Shadow, Ruby Red, Really Rust, Very Vanilla


• Accesories - Choc. Gingham ribbon (My own), Earth Element and Neutrals Buttons, Linen thread, Uniball Signo Gel pen, Crystal Effects, Designer Label punch, scallop edge punch, Adhesive

Kristina Werner Challenge #45

Time for another Kristina Challenge.

This time it was totally mono chromatic and I had the perfect reason for it. My neighbour is getting married in a few weeks and the theme will be all black and white. So when I saw this challenge I thought it was obvious what I needed to do.

As you can see I have used Crystal Effects to give the hearts a 3D, smooth and shiny look. It is o'so touchable too.

(Sorry about the orientation - but it just wouldnot up load in landscape!!)

I received a set of stamps from the new 2009-2010 Ideas Book And Catalogue this week and just couldn't wait to use them. I have used the dual heart stamp with the Happy Future sentiment but this doesn't mean it has to be used for a wedding/love theme. It could very easily be used for a girl theme etc.


The set is called Greatings Eight Stamp set and contains pretty much what the title suggests. There is a stamp for every occasion from Birthdays to Fathers Day, which makes it a great value set and will be priced at only $49.95.


I have also had a sneak peek at 8 other new items and have also got all the new IN COLOUR range of card stock and papers. I am as happy as a pig in mud right now. If you want to join me for a rumble in the mud then contact me today to book a workshop. Don't wait too long though. April is filling up fast as there is school holidays in this month and not to mention EASTER.


Also, don't forget to get your orders in now for the retiring list as by 31st of March they will all be gone and I certainly would hate for you to regret missing out on them.




Can't wait to hear from you. Cheers Alison.

Stampin' Up's! Retiring list

Hello all,

Well I thought it was high time I listed the Retiring list to my website. As you may already know, Stampin' Up! is retiring a HUGE amount of their products to make way for the 2009 - 2010 Ideas Book and Catalogue. Apparently this is the largest amount they have ever retired, but seeing as it is my first year at this then there really is no bench mark.

However, one bench mark that always makes me sit up and take notice is one that has %off listed next to it!!! LOL. Well you guessed it. There are quite a few with 25% marked off and even 2 with 50% marked off. WOW. Have a look here at the full retirement list to snatch up a few of these bargains before they all sell out.

Unfortunately, some have already sold out and some are sooooo low that you better contact me now if you want to place an order. I will list below the items that are Unavailable and Low Quantity

STAMP SETS

Forever in my Heart - pg 32 - $43.95
Dad's Day - pg 33 - $32.96
Polka Dot & Paisley - pg 46 - $35.95
Symbols of Solictude - pg 49 - $24.95
Unfrogettable - pg 54 - $48.95
Bundle of Joy - pg 58 - $45.95
Everything Baby - pg 58 $33.95
Ahoy, Matey - pg 62 - $45.95
By Land - pg 63 - $45.95
Stipple Rose - pg 74 - $25.95
All I have seen - pg 75 - $29.95
Fabulous Flowers - pg 79 - $43.95
Beautiful Life - pg 83 - $39.95
Natural Beauty - pg 84 -$39.95
Bareback - pg 86 - $37.95
Itty Bitty Backgrounds - pg 97 - $24.95
Classic Backgrounds - pg 102 - $29.95
Linen - pg 107 - $33.95
It's your Birthday - pg 111 - $58.95
Cheery Chat - pg 115 - $57.95
Much Appreciated - pg 118 - $26.95
Best Friends Alphabet Lower - pg 124 - $52.95
Best Friends Alphabet Upper - pg 124 - $52.95
Best Friends Numbers - pg 124 - $33.95
Short Order Numbers - pg 124 - $48.95
ABC images - pg 125 - $60.95

WHEELS

Gifts Galore - pg 28 - $11.95
Garden Annuals - pg 40 - $11.95
Birthday - pg 42 - $15.95
Flip Flops - pg 53 - $11.95
Daisy Field - pg 54 - $11.95
Lily Pad - pg 54 - $11.95
Matey's Map - pg 62 - $15.95
Fishy - pg 67 - $ 11.95
Leaf Prints - pg 74 - $11.95
Basic Outline - pg 78 - $15.95
Flitting By - pg 81 - $15.95
Speckled - pg 91 - $15.95
Rough Texture - pg 104 - $15.95

ACCESSORIES

Basic Eyelets - pg 145 - $11.50
Earth Elements Eyelets - pg 145 - $11.50
Rich Regal eyelets - pg 145 - $11.50
Soft Subtles eyelets - pg 145 - $11.50
Earth Elements & Neutrals Buttons - pg 147 - $10.13
Earth Elements Buttons - pg 147 - $13.50
Rich Regals Buttons - pg 147 - $13.50
Soft Subtles Buttons - pg 147 - $13.50
Antique Brass Hodgepodge Hardware - pg 144 - $52.95
Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware - pg 144 - $39.71
Blue Bayou Classic ink refill - pg 129 - $4.95
Groovy Guava Classic ik refill - pg 129 - $4.95
In Colour 12" x 12" card stock - pg 129 - $17.25
Purely Pomegranate A4 card stock - pg 129 - $10.50
River Rock A4 card stock - pg 129 - $10.50
River Rock Classic ink refill - pg 129 - $4.95
Soft Sky A4 card stock - pg 129 - $10.50
Soft Sky Classic ink refill - pg 129 - $4.95
Wild Wasabi A4 card stock - pg 129 - $10.50
Wild Wasabi Classic ink refill - pg 129 - $4.95
Five in One Card Cover Envelope Template - pg 132 - $18.95
Gift Sacks - pg 133 - $5.75
Pockets and Pieces Office Accents - pg 133 - $12.71
Embossing Kit - pg 148 - $27.95
Light Blue Gingham Ribbon - pg 146 - $9.71
Black Hemp Twine - pg 147 - $4.95
Theartre Ribbon Originals - pg 147 - $23.95
Confetti Simply Scrappin' - pg 138 - $36.95


Also, in other news, Classic Stampin' Pads are going up to $11.95 as of the 1st of April, so grab a few of your favourites by placing an order with me today.

Cheers for now. Alison

Kristina Werner Challenge #44

Hello again all,

I know, I know. I have been a super slack blogger. Man I would have thought that I would have been more organised now that the kids are back in school but I think I am busier than ever. Anyway, I have found time to put a card together for Kristina's challenge but I must confess. I used this colour challenge to make my very good friend, Sophia's, birthday card for tomorrow - HAPPY 40TH SOPHIA.

Here are the colours;


And here is my effort.



The photo may not be a very good one but I must admit the colours look great together. Thanks again Kristina for yet another great set of colurs.

Cheers for now.

Kristina Werner Challenge #42

Hi all,

So sorry that I haven't blogged for a while. I have been a bit busy with school stuff and also making a plague for a friend of my mum's It turned out quite nice so I will post a photo of it a little later.

But right now I have the current Kristina Werner challenge to show you. Here are the colours she gave us this week. As you can see she has used Kiwi Kiss which we don't have here in Oz so I have substituted with Old Olive.



And here is my entry. I have used 2 stamp sets and both of them are from the Hostess benefits sets; Oh, So Lovely and For a Friend.



Here are all the materials used;
Stamp sets - Oh, So Lovely; For a Friend
Card Stock - Old Olive, Really Rust, More Mustard and Whisper White
DS Papers - Prints DS Paper - Old Olive
Stamp Pads - Staz On Black;
Ribbons - 1/4" White Grosgrain
Other - Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Pastels

Let me know what you think.

Kristina Werner Challenge #41

Hello all,

Here is my contribution to Kristina's current challenge.



I actually made this card a while ago now but felt it applied to this challenge perfectly.



I actually love the combination of blacks, reds and whites together but I am not always brave enough to use them.
Anyway, enjoy and keep being crafty

A Beautifully fixed card

Well this time I thought that I would show you how I fixed a plain card and made it more interesting.


I made this card on the weekend but wasn't quite happy with it. I asked my husband and my 7 year old daughter, Gabriella - who just happens to be my best critic - what they thought. They both agreed that it was just a little too plain and it needed the white card broken up a bit. I placed it on my buffet where I would walk past it continuously and be able to be inspired further. This, however was fruitless and I decided to abondon my efforts and put the card away. After placing it on my workbench and getting about my housework on Monday, I just happened to walk past it one more time, and that's when inspiration hit. I got to work and made my adjustments. I added some linen thread to the top, changed the orientation of the white grosgrain ribbon and then added some buttons I had lying around (probably leftovers from those extras you get from kids clothes!!) I did have the edges of the flowers curled up before but they do look better now with buttons added.

What do you think?



Both my husband and daughter agreed it was an improvement. Phew!

Here's the materials I used;

Card stock; Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Green Galore, Whisper White
Stampin' Pads; Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion, Green Galore
Stamp Sets; A beautiful life, Short and Sweet
Ribbons; 1/4" White grosgrain
Punches; Scallop edge punch
Accessories; Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, Adhesive
Buttons - not Stampin' Up!

Make a wish in Old Olive and Blue Bayou

Ok so I can definately see another theme creeping in here with me again. It is safe to say I must be over my Bashful Blue and Real Red phase, and heading fast into my Old Olive stage. I seem to be using it in every project I make these days. Oh well, let's call it an Old Olive Showcase instead!

I have also been trying to challenge myself to make more masculine cards lately as well, so hopefully this one will pass muster.

Here are the materials I used;

Card Stock - Old Olive, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Whisper White
Stampin' Pads - Craft White, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky
Stamp sets - Big Bold Birthday
DS Paper - Spring Break
Ribbon - Whisper White grosgrain
Sponge daubers
adhesive
stampin' dimensionals

Techniques used;

Paper tearing
layering
Stamping off
Distressing with sponge daubers

If any of these techniques interest you or are new to you then let me know and I will put together a detailed description.
Or better still, book a workshop with me today and I will show you in person.

Enjoy!

My First KWerner Challenge

I decided today to do my very first online colour challenge from Kritina Werner Challenges. I have admired other bloggers work when doing challenges for quite some time now so I thought I was up for the challenge today too. This is the image and colours that she gives us a challenge to go and get creative.



This particular lady, http://www.kwernerdesign.com/about/, who sets this challenge is such a talented crafter. I signed up for her newsletter today and just can't wait for it to arrive.
Anyway, here is my attempt at her current challenge.

Tell me what you think!

Stampin' Scrapbook layout

I thought it was high time that I showed you all an example of how you can use Stampin' Up products for scrapbooking. This layout was quick and simple to make and it just so happens that I have used this layout in a few others in years gone by.
Here is what I used;

12x12 textured card in Soft Sky
A4 Blue Bayou c/stock
12x12 DS paper from Spring Break collection
Whisper White c/stock
Old Olive Stampin' Pad
Soft Sky Stampin' Pad
Blue Bayou Stampin' Pad
Stampin' Dimensionals
Mini Glue dots
White grosgrain ribbon
SAB Stamp set Polka Dot Punch
Schoolbook Serif Alphabet Stamp set
Stampin' write markers

Black and White Wedding

Just a quick card today as the girls will be walking in the door soon from school.
I had to make a card to RSVP to an upcoming wedding for the daughter of one of my neighbours. The invitation was made professionally on a black card with a silver embossed ivory cover sheet. The only two colours used were black and white. The invitation itself was very simple and elegant, and I really wanted to follow the same theme but struggled with just using the two colours. So rather than go completely different, I thought I would just highlight with some very faint colour and inject some silver to add to its formal occassion. Tell me what you think.

Materials used;

Basic black Card stock
Whisper white card stock
Fun and Fast notes Stamp set
So Many Sayings stamp set
Silver Stampin emboss powder
Top Boss Tinted embossing pad
Bashful blue stampin pad
Real red stampin pad
Aqua Painter
Stampin' Dimensionals

Lovely 3D Flowers

I was seaching around various blogspots last night and I came across a very talented crafter named Sandy Quail at Scrappy Habits.
Sandy appeals to my style of card making and 3D projects so I just had to add her to my blogs to follow list.

She had this very cute card made with Stampin' Up!s scallop punch and a few bits and pieces so I decided to CASE it. Sandy originally CASEd it from the kaisercraft website so dare I say I shall be making a trip to that website in the very near future.

So here are the materials used and instructions can be found here at Sandy's blog.

Materials (all Stampin' Up);

Scallop Punch
A5 card of Whisper White
3 x Really Rust Scallop punched circles
3 x Fall Flowers Scallop punched circles
3 x brads
Stampin Around wheel, Daisy Field design and Old Olive ink cartridge
Small scraps of Old Olive Card Stock
Seasons of Joy Stamp set
Old Olive Ribbon
Whisper White Ribbon

I just loved this cute card so much that I have added it to my up coming class for Punch and Stamping basics class on Saturday, 21st Feb at 4pm.

Book in today and you can make it too.

Hoppy for my new Blue Bayou!

Well here is the second card for the night and yes it is part of my new purchases. The stamp set is one of my old favourites, Unfrogettable. I fell in love with this colour combination when I picked up the DS Paper, Spring Break. It can be quite hard to find masculine papers out there but thankfully for Stampin' Up we have quite a few. The colours I have used here are Blue Bayou, Sky Blue and Old Olive and I have also used sponge daubers to soften the edges and give it a distressed appearance. I have also used some brads that I had that were an exact colour match, so yeeha for me!! And just to finish it off I have put some Linen Thread just to give it that rough texture. I think this card could very easily be used for a male birthday. What do you think?

"Thanks SO much" for the FREE Stamp!!

I couldn't help myself. I had to go and get my $100 worth of Stampin' Up goodies so I could qualify for this gorgeous FREE stamp set called Botanical Blooms from the Sale-A-Bration catalogue. They arrived just before I had to go and do a workshop last night so I didn't even have time to play with them until now. I stamped the shadow image of the 2 step stamp in Really Rust and Old Olive and then stamped the outline with Close To Cocoa on Sahara Sand Cardstock. Then I used Choc. Chip card stock with Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon on top and finished with a sentiment from the So Many Sayings, Hostess only set. What do you think? I think the colours go really well together and it was such a quick card to make too. Will be back later on with another new design. Happy Crafting.

Slack Blogger Alert

Hello again Party People,

Firstly I am so very sorry to anyone who may have been coming back to check my site. I have had a lovely holiday down the coast for the past 3 weeks and I am definately back and rearing to go. It really is amazing what a relaxing holiday can do for the motivation. Keep checking by to see what churns out from my creativity over the next few weeks!!!

Secondly, Stampin' Up has launched it's yearly sale called Sale-A-Bration and it is Awesome. This is why;
For Customers who spend $100 they will receive a FREE stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration brochure and there's no limit. For every $100 spent, that is another set.
For Hostesses there is even better offers. When you host a workshop of at least $600 you will receive a FREE Sale-A-Bration set in addition to our usual hostess benefits! You'll receive a second set when your net workshop sales reach $1200 and a third when they reach $1800.
For New Recruits, there is the best deal of all. During Sale-A-Bration only, you will receive a FREE set from the 2008/2009 Ideas Book and Catalogue up to the value of $79.95. What better time to start up your own business, save 20% off all further purchases and make loads of new friends whilst doing something you just love.
Check out the brochure here or ask me for a copy. But get in fast because this is only for a limited time and my diary dates are filling up fast.

Thirdly, I am definately in the process of putting together new workshops for the next 2 months. I aim to have 1 card making class and 1 special project class. I would love to hear your feedback on what you would like to do. Drop me a message here or email me at alisonengesser1@optusnet.com.au for your requests.

So until then, get busy crafting and don't forget to book your workshop today.