Back in October I shared with you  a card that the ladies made at class called sooting. What  I didnt share with you at the time was a thought that I had running around my head wondering if I can 'tweak' this technique just a little more. I thought that I could try something else and what if it didnt work......well who was to know? As it happened it did work and this is what I did. I brayered the SU Glossy Paper using Poppy Parade, then wiped it over with a tissue to remove any excess ink. I then held the cardstock over a lit candle and let the soot from the candle do its job. When I was happy with the coverage I then stamped the Christmas tree from Snow Swirled into the sooted area, being careful not to rock the stamp. I sprayed sealer on the project, and then let dry before cutting to size for the project. The ladies loved how it turned out, and I will share with you another time the masculine cards I made using this technique. I think this a fabulous way to 'step up' a technique. Hope you like it. Bye for now.
Gwen

I know this isnt Stampin' but.................

For the last little while I have had my fruit soaking for my Christmas Cakes. My kitchen has smelled like Bunderberg Distillery, as the fruit has been soaking up the rum! After my youngest son was born over 35 years ago, I decided that I wanted a food processor ( a liquidiser they were called in those days) to make preparing his food easier. Ron bought me a Kenwood Chef mixer, I still remember it like yesterday that I had this wonderful machine that cost $320! My refrigerator did not cost that much money, so how could one small appliance be so expensive? I prayed that it would be as useful as I anticipated. To this day I still use my Kenwood, when making things that need lots of mixing, and will pop the 'liquidiser' on top if that is what is needed at the time. It weighs a ton because it is all metal. I still love my Kenwood, it has never given me a moments trouble and it made it so easy to mix the first batch of Christmas cakes yesterday!! As I said I know this is not Stampin'....but justed to share

Have you got 5 Minutes Sudso Share

I often talk to my ladies about my 'another day box'. This is the box that you put all those little punched shapes, or diecuts that you were going to use but didnt look just right, or a stamped image that you thought you would play with. Even to the point where you have a tiny scrap of cardstock or DSP that you think would be of no use for anything, well re-think that thought. Grab some of your tiny punches, eg Medium Jewellry Tag, Small Heart or even better still how about the darling trio of punches in the new Summer Mini! Punch them out and let them sit in you another day box with your other treasures. They will be used, I promise.Everything used for this card was in my another day box with the exception of the Not Quite Navy cardbase and the sentiment from Easter Blossoms! The Finnial Press embossed Whisper White I brayered the top section with Crumb Cake and the lower section with Daffodill Delight. The ribbon is Kraft Taffeta and the little hearts and the Choc Chip Scallop Oval all came out of that magical box!The second card I have for you today is using Certainly Celery, which I stamped using Wild Wasabi and the same image as the card front, Cherry Cobbler and Very Vanilla Cardstock. The Very Vanilla I used my new Square Scallop Die (I do so love that die!!!) through the Big Shot, trimmed off what I didnt need and used it as an extension from the Cherry Cobbler that I punched using the Scallop Border Punch stamped the image and coloured it and then placed it in the Square Lattice embossing folder.  I have used my Stamp n Write Markers to colour the image from Easter Blossoms set and the sentiment is also stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I have punched the image out using the modern Label punch and  backed it onto some Cherry Cobbler Scrap and cut around it. The ribbon I gathered by pulling a thread in the centre and the 3 pearls at the top and the bottom are not SU

A quick share for the day

I received my order from Stampin' Up! this morning and decided to have a quick play. It was very quick because I am sure the card took me no more than 10 minutes from start to finish!
I used Very Vanilla for the base, topped it with Certainly Celery, Stamped my image from the beautiful Just Believe stamp set and the sentiment is from the Level 1 Hostess set called Afterthoughts. The main image I coloured using Stamp n Write Markers Tangerine Tango for the flowers and a mix of Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi for the greenery just to give it a bit of depth. The sentiment I coloured with Early Espresso. I only inked the top section of the sentiment. The 'afterthought' on this stamp reads .......so you dont have to share.
The beauty of using the Stamp n Write Markers is that you put the colour exactly where you want it, and use as many colours as you wish on your image. What better time to try out my new Embossing folder called Square Lattice so I quickly placed my stamped cardstock into the folder and run it through the Big Shot and Wow! what a difference that made. It lifted the whole panel from beautiful to drop dead gorgeous! I placed two Old Olive butterflies at the top of the card that I had cut and embossed earlier using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit. To add a bit of interest to the bottom of the card I placed the Certainly Celery Ribbon acrossat an angle. I hope you enjoyed this share as much as I enjoyed making it. Cant wait to play with my other goodies and I will share with you as soon as I can!  Till next time.............Happy Stampin'

A Quick Challenge with SUDSOL

Good morning all,

Here is a cute little notebook I made last night for a SUDSOL challenge. With this busy time ofthe year, I always seem to be needing something from the shopping centre and when I come home I invariably haveforgotten to buy some much needed item. So this little folder and pen will come in handy for just those occassions! I used Pear Pizzaz for the cover, layered it with Cherry Cobbler, and Whisper White which had been run through the Big Shot using the Finial Press embossing folder. I brayered the remaining Whisper White that had gone through the Big Shot with Cherry Cobbler on the "wrong" side, creating a technique called Debossing, and then punched out a couple of Ornament Punches, attached tiny white satin bows to the top of them and added my label which reads Christmas Reminders. I printed this out on the computer using the Harrington Font, the Modern Label Punch was used to punch out the label which I then adhered to a scrap of Pear Pizazz and cut around to give that little bit of contrast. I also inserted some DSP into the barrel of  the pen so it co-ordinated with the folder. If you would like to know how to make this little notebook then give me a call. I am sure it would make a lovely little gift for someone, not only at this time of year but with a change of sentiment great for anytime of the year.
Till next time, Happy Stampin'

Quick Share

Back again. All is quiet in the camp at the moment so thought I would share a card I made for Sketch # 56, Stack em Up Challenge on SUDSOL.  The criteria was to have 4 layers - hence the stack em up!
I picked up some So Safron and Perfect Plum from my store cupboard, and decided to run with that. The base is So Safron and the 1st mat is Perfect Plum, which was stamped with the fern frond from Growing Green in the same colour as the cardstock. Originally I had the 2nd Mat So Safron but the contrast wasnt there so I called on good old faithful Whisper White. When I had stamped my images on Whisper White using Perfect Plum ink, I then punched out flowers using the Boho Flowers punch and adhered them to the Perfect Plum Cardstock. I have some double sided sticky sheets, and decided when I had placed the leaves and the flowers that I would cover it with the sheet and then add Dazzling Diamonds to the top sticky side. It looks so much better in real life, and of course the Perfect Plum is no where near as bright as it shows in the picture. When I punched out the congratulations and stuck to the Perfect Plum Cardstock I wasnt happy with it so I put a piece of the So Saffron behind it and it made such a difference!.A couple of butterflies on the top left had corner finished it off, Hope you like it.

Just popping in............

Sorry I have not been in for the last week. My husband was rushed to hospital and I have spent my time either with him at the hospital, or trying to keep the house going, and trying to spend time with family that has arrived. Thankfully I can now report that he is slowly on the mend, so hopefully routine may once again be established sometime within the next 10 years!!! Prior to him becoming ill I did partake in a couple of challenges. One was a Think Pink Challenge for Breast Cancer Awareness. I was cleaning my work area and as I did I came across the various elements that I used for this card, and so put it together. The other card that I made was for a challenge on SUDSOL, and it was so quick and easy to do. I dont normally enter challenges but I enjoyed myself so much partaking in them I may well surprise myself and enter more! This second challenge was a sketch challenge and I used Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy. The Whisper White Mat was embossed with Petals a Plenty. The two smaller Whisper White mats I off stamped using Baja Breeze and the medalion stamp from Artistic Etchings. The sentiment was stamped from the same set. punched out using the Modern Label Punch and placed inside the Hodgepodge and secured with 2 brads. The keys were stamped and cut out and attached using the Mini Glue Dots.

This next card  is a sneak peek at one that will be made at our next Technique Class. It is using a technique that is called of all things "Sooting". It is such a simple technique, yet the wow! factor is unbelievable. This class will be held 12th November at 10 AM, so ladies book your place now, as spots are limited.
Dont forget we have our new Summer Mini out now too and there are so many wonderful new stamp sets released not to mention the new embossing folder and dies for the Big Shot! It is so exciting to receive the new catalogues. My mind just runs away with what I can make and how it will look.......and that is even before I have ordered anything! Dont forget we still have the Bundles bonus deals happening at the moment too. They are such fabulous value for money, you will be kicking yourself if you miss out. Give me a call and find out how you can take advantage of this and other offers. This is all for now, I will post in a day or so again when things have settled here a bit at home, and I have time that I can call mine. In the meantime, take care and happy stampin'