A rose for my roses……..ANYONE want to join a stamp club?

This is a card that I designed for my stamp club girls. We meet at my place once a month and make a couple of projects.

We started out by placing orders of $50 each (6 of us) and then we shared the hostess benefits each month. This kind of club goes for 6 months. A minimum order each month and once during the 6 months, you will get the FREE products………….a level 1 hostess set and at least $30 to spend in the catalogue. When it is your month for the hostess benefits, you are free to collect orders from friends to up your free product total.

This particular club group has been going for nearly 18 months……we have such a great time, we just get together and make some stuff for a small fee, drink a little wine and my sister makes us a great cappuchino in her new coffee machine LOL!!!

If you are interested in being part of another stamp club group – held on Saturday evenings, once a month, then drop me an e-mail. You can reside anywhere in Australia to take part, but the get together’s will be held here at Camden. If you live elsewhere I can arrange for you to get a little card pack in the mail after we meet. Drop me a line at sharon@lvh.com.au if you are interested…………we have just 6 places available………

This card is made with Red riding hood cardstock, whisper white, kiwi kiss and finally my current fave….kraft. The patterned paper strip comes from the bella rose paper pack………{stay tuned for exciting promo in May}……..The corners of my kraft piece have been pierced using my mat pack - makes a great, neat decoration. The flower and leaves were stamped {this is a two step stamping set} from the set “A rose is a rose”. The flower in red riding hood ink with the base image stamped off first (making it a second generation stamp) and the outlined accents stamped in the same colour as a first impression. The leaves were done the same way with kiwi kiss. Both stamped on whisper white and then cut out. The sentiment also comes from this set. Some of the group stamped the beautiful happy mothers stamp from the occasions set – making a very elegant card. The central strip was made by scalloping the kiwi kiss with the scallop edge punch making sure we lined the two rows of scallops up – we learnt how to do that….didn’t we?? LOL!! We then snailed the paper strip on and snailed that accent to the kraft. The kraft taffeta ribbon (yes, it matches the kraft beautifully) was tied around and then (and only then) was the kraft piece added to the card front. There’s a tip for you – only stick things down as you need to…………..always leave it til last if you have to…. why? There is nothing more annoying than stamping  elements to a card like this , sticking as you go to discover that something done early in the piece is wrong – the whole card needing a rework GGgggggrrrrrrrr…………..

Don’t forget – if you’d like to start whittling away that wish list and have a fun night out once a month, drop me an e-mail and I’ll book you in!!

sharon@lvh.com.au

Images © Stampin’ Up! 1990 – 2009

Recycling the tangarine……

I made a Tangerine tango card that you can see here for a childrens party I did a few weeks ago and I always cut up extras to make sure that noone misses out. This usually leaves me with a pile of cut up card packs that sit around. Many of them are incomplete when we use some components for replacements for boo boos, so what do I do with this pile? Well, it usually just sits on my desk and gets recyled for cards for the school fete (held every two years) ……. I decided to crack this one out and have a go at making another version of the same card. I guess that shows that the same basic design and colours and stamp set can give a completely different look. This is why I always keep a copy {or a photo} of the cards I make…..inspiration is found in the good old samples box! My new signo white gel pen arrived, so thought I would test it – perfect as usual! And my build a brad kit arrived……my first custom brad is holding my pretties flowers on…….still need to perfect this one, but I love the look of these – can’t wait to stick a half pearl on……now there would be an elegant compliment for a lovely rose card {Light bulb going off!!!!!}.I have also added some gorgeous white taffeta ribbon. This card uses the Priceless set and the matching so swirly wheel – THE best and MOST versatile set I have ever had!! Hope you enjoy this one……have a heap of things backed up to show you before I head to convention in the first week of May.

If anyone would like a catalogue to check out all the great new stuff, drop me a line at sharon@lvh.com.au and I can organise one for you – better still book a workshop and get it for FREE!!!! hehehehhe……blatant business plug here!

All images©Stampin’ Up! 1990 – 2009

Pirouetting about pink!

It has actually taken a bit to get me to love the new in colour pink. “Pink pirouette” is a great name and really a lovely soft pink – a bit softer than “Pretty in pink” but none the less, gorgeous. I have made this card as a CASE of Teneale’s card you can see here. She made this one for her mum – really the loveliest of ladies that we have joked about signing up to my team. She is an absolute sweetheart, and what surprise is that to anyone that has met Teneale……….she has a smile that melts ice that one…..I’m so looking forward to seeing this lovely lady join us at convention this year. She has sooooo much talent. No surprise that she is my inspiration for this card. I’ve yet to design an inside for this one, but I have a design in my head…….just waiting to burst out!

The photo is a bit ‘blue’ as I have taken this early in the morning….but it is pink pirouette and whisper white cardstock , pink pirouette ink along with stazon, with the sentiment embossed with white detail powder. I stamped the rose three times and coloured very sparingly with my aqua painter and ink pad. I then cut out sections on two of the images and layered them on the first using dimensionals to give more depth and interest. The gorgeous ribbon is some of the pink pirouette striped grosgrain. The edges are all inked with the pink inkpad and dauber. The stamp sets used for this are….

En Francais (background of the cardbase)

A rose is a rose (sentiment)

Fifth avenue floral (main image)

As my mum has ‘moved on’ from this world, I think this will make a great card that I will send to my aunt for ‘mothers day’. I reckon she will love it!

Go check out Teneale’s card, it really is stunning…………

Back later with more new stuff…….. If you would like to purchase any of the products written in bold text, then you can contact me by e-mailing …sharon@lvh.com.au

All images © Stampin’ Up! 1990 – 2009

Fauxing it……

….silk that is!. Fabric has always being important in our family. My mum used to earn money with her talent with fabric. In fact she used to make Bra’s ….she worked on the floor for Lustre and Berlei. Her aunt used to design and buy for lustre, as she didn’t have children, she travelled the world seeking fabrics for designs. Then , when we were born, mum gave up her supervisors role with Berlei and made uniforms for the ocal physical culture club. She made great club uniforms then one off pieces for individual competitions. She used to sequin and bead at night. Mum always made clothes for my sister and I and I wish we had appreciated it more – if it was done now – individual one off pieces, would be highly treasured. She had made a few things for my girls over the years, until she fell in love in quilting. She truly made magnificient quilts – all because of her precision. The girls she quilted with used to laugh when they saw her sew. Always fast!! Just like in the old days – but were always gobsmacked at her precision. If it wasn’t right, it was done again………….Monday the 13th of April is her birthday, we will celebrate with her in spirit. She was a wonderful woman who will always be greatly missed.

She would have loved this new adventure of mine – she would be oohhing and aaahhhhing over the cards and stamping, in fact she would be addicted to watercolouring – something she always wanted to persue…….so here is a card just for mum. It highlights the faux silk technique where you stamp on tissue paper, crinkle it up into a tiny ball and then glue it (wrinkles and all) onto cardstock using a glue stick. She would have loved this stamp set ……… my mum and I were just too alike {scares the hell out of my husband} LOL!!

Mum quite liked the look of the asian fabrics – not as much as my sister , but this set is very oriental. I intend to explore this technique with some spritzing too…..I’m thinking that may give a great look as well, as long as the spritzing doesn’t weaken the fibres in the paper too much.

The background is the sanded one and the stamp set is ‘embrace life’. I have stamped the flower on very vanilla and purposely made it look washed out. The colours for this one are very vanilla, old olive and really rust – such a fave……..

I’m off to the wedding to give away that gorgeous card……ohh well, I have another stamped here ready to turn into a fete card – yep , making hundreds of fete cards already……….

I’ll see you all in a week – off to Bendalong for some R & R.

All images © Stampin’ Up! 1990-2009

A wedding card I just can’t give away…..

Oh gosh – does this happen to you? I had trouble deciding on a wedding card, did a net surf and found a design that had potential (at spilt coast of course!!). I’ve added my touch and now I love it too much!! Although it is a little OTT. I love embossing and obviously don’t do it enough, because when I start, I just can’t stop. I’ll start by showing you the envelope……You will have to excuse the crappy picture. I couldn’t wait until the morning LOL!!.

This is one of our GORGEOUS whisper white envelopes which stamp (and emboss) just all so well. It has the corner swirl from Scribble this, embossed in sterling silver detail powder. The monogram for the bride and groom come from Defining alpha and the ‘&’ is from big deal alpha. The ribbon is non SU! but is just like out new kiwi kiss double satin……..this one is silver and white. The ribbon belly band is secured with a buckle from out styled silver hodgepodge.

Now for the front of the card…….

This is also using whisper white, mounted on black and then the card base is textured going grey cardstock…..just so elegant!.

Recognise the stamps? The bodice of the dress comes from blooming with happiness and thanks to my trusty stamp.ma.jig, I was able to turn the corner swirl from scribble this, into the body of the dress………a little bit of dazzling diamonds and some tiny diamonties and there we have it……………The Mr and Mrs is stamped from Occassions and the oval bookplate it also from the styled silver hodgepodge. The crystal brads are from the pretties kit and just adds some subtle elegance.

Very, very easy, but very very luscious………I could eat this card!!

Now for the inside…….

It seems that it is customary to request money as a wedding gift these days…….not sure how I feel about this, besides the fact it makes it easier to shop – but I feel the pressure when it comes to making the card LOL!! No winning then………

I have stuck in a love note envelope, added some embossing and a white silk flower with a brad from the pretties kit and there we have it…..all that is left to do is tuck in the money – stick down with a mini glue dot and put the package inside the envelope and then figure out what I’m wearing {rollin’ eyes here}….oh, at least I don’t have to figure out what to do with my hair LOL!!!!

Enjoy the rest of your Easter!!

All images © Stampin’ Up! 1990-2009

Easter wishes

I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Happy Easter and hopes for a relaxing Easter break. I am off to my little holiday haven, hoping for some last minute sunbleached sand and warm currents as we bod farewell to this great weather. My eldest daughter has created some easter gifts for her friends I’d like to share – she is such a clever duckie!! Reckon she is really going to get into this stamping and crafting in the next few years…..11 going on 30 this one!

These are some cute little baskets she made using a 6in piece of double sided paper. You score at 2in and 4in on all four sides and then tuck the corners in. We used some mini glue dots, but you could always use brads to hold the sides together……..Some matching SU ribbon always works and then of course some felt fusion flowers stuck in with coordinating rhinestone circular brads. Each cute 2in basket holds one of those cadbury eggs (you know, the ones in the cartons) really, really well.

These are the little gift cards she made to match using the cutest stamp set! This one is called “The good egg” and I think I will be using this more often. These are one the little love notes and each cut, prescored card has a matching envelope…..you get both white and vanilla in the pack. These are a must have for little gift cards.

She has fun searching my stash for matching ribbon…..it wasn’t that hard a search LOL!! Especially with the ‘wall of ribbon’ that lives in the side of our filing cabinet.

I will be away for a week, but will be around after that. Drop me an e-mail if you need anything and of course my stamp club girls will be sharing a great night together at the end of the holidays – ready to play with new stuff!!

All images © Stampin’ Up! 1990-2009