There were 2 periods in my life when I lived in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, which was settled by non-indigenous people in the mid-1800s.  This was akin to living in Bendigo, Victoria; a nice, regional city overshadowed by the state's big city.  There were a lot of original/heritage buildings with original tin ceilings, and a big push to restore ones that had been covered up or removed in the intervening years.  I suppose this is why I'm such a fan of the Tin Tile 3D Embossing Folder.

I CASE'd this card from Julie Warnick.  She sponged her layers with Crumb Cake to make it look more vintage, but I preferred to keep mine cleaner. I also omitted her large sentiment.

I stamped the images from Country Home in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Whisper White and coloured in with Stampin' Blends Markers.  Then I fussy-cut it out to attach to the card.  The Tin Tile embossing folder on the Silver Foil Sheets looks so good, doesn't it?

I made this during my July Zoom Crafting Session...I hope you'll choose a project and join us in August!  All the details are below.

​Here's what I used to make this card:

August Monthly Card Class
Due to current Covid-19 conditions in Melbourne I can only offer this class as a kit/online version...we are back to Phase 3 restrictions until at least mid-August. 
 
I will provide a kit and written instructions to make 5 cards.  Participants will be able to add sentiments as desired with their own stamps and inks.  Kits can be picked up from my residence in Melbourne using safe, social distancing protocols, or I can ship via Australia Post tracked satchel.  Come give this a try - perfect if you've always wanted to try my classes and can't attend in person.  

​Online (Zoom) Group Assembly Session: Saturday, 15 August, 1:00 pm AEST (optional – click here to find your local time).  Meeting link will be shared when you place your order.
​
Card Kit:  includes all the pieces and printed directions needed to create 5 cards.  You will need to supply your own stamps and ink for sentiments, as well as having basic adhesive (like Multipurpose Liquid Glue) for assembly. 
​Cost: $30 + $8.95 optional shipping. Australian crafters only, sorry.
RSVP Deadline for Kits is Sunday, 9 August. ​​

Written Tutorial: Purchase the instructions including measurements (in centimetres and inches) and create along with us using your own supplies. You can substitute papers and colours based on what you have.  International customers welcome!
Cost: $20.00 ​

This is the card I made for our daughter's 21st birthday this week.

She loves Japanese anime, squirrels and bunnies, so I knew I had to buy the Managerie Mix-Up stamp set and coordinating dies from the new August - December 2020 Mini Catalogue (p. 67).    These are a lot of fun to play with!  

To make the background on the front of the card I stamped the trees from Winter Woods in Versamark ink and heat set them with Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder.  Then I used a Sponge Brayer to roll on Pear Pizzazz and Balmy Blue ink, rubbing the ink off the embossed trees with a paper towel when I was finished.  Really quick and easy!  The sentiment on the inside is from Bloom & Grow.

This new Mini Catalogue goes live on 4 August!

​If you live in Australia and would like for me to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator, please click the button below and I'd be happy to send you a copy right away!

Here's my project from this week's Facebook Live video.  I realise that I'm quite fortunate to rarely have technical issues with my Lives...this week my phone wouldn't play nice so I had to stop and re-start.  Fortunately I was able to splice the two videos together afterwards, so it's easier for you to watch the replay on either Facebook or YouTube.

This is the complete project: 4 cards and envelopes, 6 sentiments and Mini Stampin' Dimensionals to attach them, and a box to hold everything.

I think the cards are great on their own, without a sentiment, and I know many of my friends and customers will agree.  Others will want to have the sentiment on, so I'm giving that option.

The box is from Marelle Taylor, and while she says she could get 6 cards and envelopes in hers, I was only able to get in 4 of this design.

I love using these little self-adhesive Velcro circles to close boxes! You can't even see the bottom one on the patterned paper!

Here's what I used to make this project:

When I was making the card I showed in Monday's post I wasn't quite sure where I'd wind up, so I made a few of the smallest flowers in addition to the large ones.  After I finished that card I looked at the bits and bobs left over on my craft desk and put together today's card:

Once again, I'm loving the Just Jade and Flirty Flamingo/Blushing Bride combination.  I've added in some of the other Peony Garden Suite products with the Dainty Diamonds Embossing Folder and the Square Vellum Doilies.

​Here's everything I used for this card:

August Monthly Card Class
Due to current Covid-19 conditions in Melbourne I can only offer this class as a kit/online version...we are back to Phase 3 restrictions until at least mid-August. 
 
I will provide a kit and written instructions to make 5 cards.  Participants will be able to add sentiments as desired with their own stamps and inks.  Kits can be picked up from my residence in Melbourne using safe, social distancing protocols, or I can ship via Australia Post tracked satchel.  Come give this a try - perfect if you've always wanted to try my classes and can't attend in person.  

​Online (Zoom) Group Assembly Session: Saturday, 15 August, 1:00 pm AEST (optional – click here to find your local time).  Meeting link will be shared when you place your order.
​
Card Kit:  includes all the pieces and printed directions needed to create 5 cards.  You will need to supply your own stamps and ink for sentiments, as well as having basic adhesive (like Multipurpose Liquid Glue) for assembly. 
​Cost: $30 + $8.95 optional shipping. Australian crafters only, sorry.
RSVP Deadline for Kits is Sunday, 9 August. ​

Written Tutorial: Purchase the instructions including measurements (in centimetres and inches) and create along with us using your own supplies. You can substitute papers and colours based on what you have.  International customers welcome!
Cost: $20.00 ​​​​

I'm continuing my play with the Prized Peony bundle from the Peony Garden Suite (Annual Catalogue pp. 82-84).  I had some fun clicking around the Internet for pictures of actual peonies for some colour inspiration, and decided to make this one in So Saffron, Petal Pink and Soft Sea Foam.

I used Stampin' Blends alcohol ink markers in all 3 colours on the peony, and then wanted a background to go along with it.  I cut a piece of Vellum Cardstock the same size as a piece of Whisper White cardstock, and then used Stamping Sponges to add colour to the back side of the Vellum.  It gives a nice, soft look to the background.

​Here's everything I used for this card:

Here's my first go with this image from Prized Peony.  I'm loving the bright, cheerful colours to counteract our gray, wet weather the last few days.

How much do you love the new Just Jade In Color?  And, I discovered with these images I coloured in Flirty Flamingo Stampin' Blends Combo that they pair well with Blushing Bride for a softer card base.

I had an extra leaf, so I popped it inside as a little decoration.

​Here's what I used to make this card:

August Monthly Card Class
Due to current Covid-19 conditions in Melbourne I can only offer this class as a kit/online version...we are back to Phase 3 restrictions until at least mid-August. 
 
I will provide a kit and written instructions to make 5 cards.  Participants will be able to add sentiments as desired with their own stamps and inks.  Kits can be picked up from my residence in Melbourne using safe, social distancing protocols, or I can ship via Australia Post tracked satchel.  Come give this a try - perfect if you've always wanted to try my classes and can't attend in person.  

​Online (Zoom) Group Assembly Session: Saturday, 15 August, 1:00 pm AEST (optional – click here to find your local time).  Meeting link will be shared when you place your order.
​
Card Kit:  includes all the pieces and printed directions needed to create 5 cards.  You will need to supply your own stamps and ink for sentiments, as well as having basic adhesive (like Multipurpose Liquid Glue) for assembly. 
​Cost: $30 + $8.95 optional shipping. Australian crafters only, sorry.
RSVP Deadline for Kits is Sunday, 9 August. 

Written Tutorial: Purchase the instructions including measurements (in centimetres and inches) and create along with us using your own supplies. You can substitute papers and colours based on what you have.  International customers welcome!
Cost: $20.00 ​​​

If you've been following my blog for any time now you know I love to CASE a good design!  CASE stands for Copy and Share Everything, or Copy and Selectively Edit, and it's considered perfectly acceptable practice in the card crafting world, as long as credit is given to the original artist.

For today's card I decided to re-create one from the cover of our 2020-21 Annual Catalogue.  Did you know that you can see the products used in each of the examples in the catty, often along with some tips and tricks in this document?  Now you do!

I made a couple of changes from the one on the catalogue cover.  First of all, I made a full-sized card, rather than using one of the Notecards and Envelopes.  Second, I changed up the sentiment.  Third, I used a different embellishment, and fourth, I trimmed the end of the sentiment strip with a different tool.

This was a really quick-and-easy card to make, and fun, too!  Here's what I used:

On this week's Facebook Live video I had fun with the Peony Garden Suite.  You can watch the replay on Facebook or YouTube.

This suite has the  Prized Peony bundle, with a stamp set of the same name and the Peony Dies.  Half of the dies in the set cut out the flower and leaf images from the set along with a decorative edge, while the other half make a 3-D layered blossom and leaves, which is what I used to make yesterday's card.

Here's the card I made with the 3-D dies:

I actually cut 2 of the petal dies, one in Whisper White, and one in some retired  Perennial Essence Vellum.  If I didn't have that I'd have used our Vellum Cardstock and coloured it with Petal Pink ink.  As you saw on the video, I used my bone folder to create some dimension in each petal piece. I wanted to offset the white and pink pieces, so I wound up doing some trimming on the vellum to get the white to peek out.  I was hoping to have my backordered Gray Granite Shimmer Ribbon by now, but I can see the warehouse is still waiting for it to arrive.  I pulled out this retired silver-edged ribbon and think it works quite well as a substitute.

I used the Ornate Layers dies to make my fancy mats, and the Peony Garden Designer Series Paper inside them.  I mentioned on the video that I have size guides for these pieces...click on the pictures below to get your copies.

The second card I made used an image from the  Prized Peony stamp set and the coordinating die, along with one of the sentiments.

After stamping in Memento Tuxedo Black ink I coloured the image with Stampin' Blends. I surprised myself by preferring the landscape orientation for this card, but that's what happens sometimes when one's creating.   I'm loving this Dainty Diamonds embossing folder that's part of the suite, along with the Elegant Faceted Gems.  They really catch the light in person.

Here's what I used to make these 2 cards:

I have been looking forward to playing with the Peony Garden Suite for several weeks, and finally got a chance. 

The colours in the suite are Basic Gray, Gray Granite, Petal Pink, and Whisper White, so that's what I used on my card.  I cut the pieces for the peony blossom from Petal Pink cardstock and used a sponge dauber to add the same colour ink around the edges of each petal.  The centre of the flower the bottom layer of the leaves and the ink for the sentiment are Gray Granite, and the card base, top layer of the leaves and the large label are Basic Gray.  The peony centre is glimmering with Wink of Stella, and I've added a few of the Elegant Faceted Gems that are part of the suite.

I'll be playing a bit more with this suite on today's Facebook Live video, so join me at 10:00 AEST (check your time here) or catch the replay later.  Tomorrow's blog post will feature those projects, too.

Here's what I used to make this card:

​July Monthly Card Class
Written Instructions Only:
Purchase the instructions including measurements (in centimetres and inches) for the 5 cards above and create along with us using your own supplies. You can substitute papers and colours based on what you have.  International customers welcome!
Cost: $20.00 ​​

Online (Zoom) Group Assembly Session: Saturday, 18 July, 1:00 pm AEST (optional – click here to find your local time).  Meeting link will be shared when you place your order.

Today I'm participating in Kylie's Monthly Blog Hop along with demonstrators from all around the world.  Be sure to click on the links below to view everyone's great creations!

This is a card I've made for a friend's daughter who is turning 14 soon.  She's very into Japanese anime and cats (and her family owns a few bunnies), so I pulled out the brand-new Menagerie Mix-Up set with its coordinating dies.

These cute critters are a lot of fun to play with!  You can mix-and-match lots of different elements to create a wide range of looks.  The 36(!) dies in the set make it easy to customise your creations. I've popped up all the heads with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.

The background stamps are from an SU! set called New Year Celebrations that was exclusive to the Japanese market until they did a limited release in the U.S. as well...happily I made a visit back during that time!  After stamping the Whisper White panel I ran it though my die cutting and embossing machine with the Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder for a little more dimension.

Now join us in hopping around to see all the other great cards!

July Monthly Card Class
Written Instructions Only:
Purchase the instructions including measurements (in centimetres and inches) for the 5 cards above and create along with us using your own supplies. You can substitute papers and colours based on what you have.  International customers welcome!
Cost: $20.00 ​​

Online (Zoom) Group Assembly Session: Saturday, 18 July, 1:00 pm AEST (optional – click here to find your local time).  Meeting link will be shared when you place your order.