Another Tent Card

My Lana ladies loved my tent card (see here) so in next week's class we are making one using the new Cottage Wall designer papers for their purple fix! Here is the sample I made for them.

This time around I managed to get the joining part on up the right way (LOL) so here's a side view.

You can use the reverse side of the Rich Razzleberry ribbon if you don't want the polka dots side to show and of course I've used one of my favourite punches, the Scallop Oval punch - did you know you can still buy this punch and that it will be in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalogue out in September?

What amazes me is how much I am using Orchid Opulence - a Bold Bright of all things! Shock, horror!!! I've actually ordered the ink pad and I just don't know how I'm going to fit it in to my carefully organised stamp pad caddy!

I'll be back again soon with some more purple and green goodies for another class next week. Be good till then won't you?!

Cheers

Kez

Stampers Anonymous Autumn/Winter Mini Blog Hop + Blog Candy

Hi everyone and a very warm welcome to the beautiful Blue Mountains in NSW. Tonight the Stampers Anonymous team plus special guest stamper are pleased to show you projects using products from Stampin' Up!'s new mini catalogue which goes live to you tomorrow, 1st April.

If you have just come from Sally Williams, you are in the right place, but if you are starting here don't worry; there will be a link at the end of this post to take you on to the next stop on the tour and you can continue around all 14 blogs until you end up back here. Just in case of cyber mishaps, there will be a list of the team and links to their blogs at the end of my post.

We are also offering two lucky people some BLOG CANDY; to be eligible to win you must

1. leave some comment love on EVERY blog on the tour (please be sure to leave your FULL NAME so I can identify you clearly if you are one of the lucky winners!)
2. email me, Kerry, to tell me that you have left 14 comments and would like to be in to win!
3. Blog candy is available to Australian residents only
4. Entry is open until midnight, 5th April 2010
5. Other SU demos are welcome to enter

So, without further ado, on to some projects!

Although the new mini contains many gorgeous things that I just adore, tonight I want to give you a taste of what you can do with the Extra Large Two Step Bird punch. This is such a versatile design (as you'll soon see!) and the new style punch is great; easy to push and locks flat for storage. Fantastic job, SU!

The first project I made using this punch is a wedding card, as one of my regular customers mentioned she needs a few wedding cards this year. It's a very simple design as I want my beginners class to be able to make it easily and I've also used the Textured Impressions Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder:

To add a bit more of a challenge, I used one of my favourite techniques - brayering. The negative of the punched out part is used as a template for sponging in the reflection of the bird.After seeing some fantastic work by Ann Fitzgerald where she uses layering and turns the simple bird into a gorgeous chickadee, I decided to have a go at making some birds we regularly see here in the Blue Mountains, rainbow lorikeets. These brilliantly coloured birds are often in our back garden and I adore their colours and cheeky behaviour! Now, I know I haven't got the right shape beak and I've ignored the feet altogether, but I'm quite happy overall with my lorikeets and their birdhouse (made with Becky Roberts' milk carton design). Yes, I did make many layers for the roof with the scallop edge punch, and yes, it did take ages! But it's worth it, I think; hope you like it too:
OK, so far so good, but when is a bird not a bird?

Well, firstly, it can become a tulip:

This card uses the new designer papers called Cottage Wall and the colours are Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence and Old Olive. The tulips were inspired by Julia Bettencourt and the vase can be made from the Holiday Windows Movers and Shapers. A "Teneale" bow and build-a-brad complete the ensemble.

Then the bird becomes a heliconia (also designed by Ann Fitzgerald). Did you know this is an Easter flower in Hawaii?

And lastly, this versatile bird can also become part of Chris the caterpillar:

Isn't it just the cutest? This is made from a number of punches and was designed by Gretchen Barron. Too adorable! My DD11 said "talk about puppy dog eyes: it's only a card and it could make me do anything it wanted!" LOL!

Well, that's all from me! I hope you have enjoyed seeing the versatility of the 2 step bird punch and that I've inspired you to think outside the box and come up with some stunning designs of your own.

Thanks for stopping by and please remember to leave a comment to brighten my day and be in to win some blog candy. Now it's time to see what gorgeous creations Fiona Harvey has in store for you (just click on her name).

Cheers!

Kez

List of blog hop participants (there's a link on each name to take you to their blog if you get lost):

Kerry Bunting (me)

Fiona Harvey

Teneale Williams

Liam Pucher

Marelle Taylor

Juliette Chapman

Sue Dean

Meighan Wheller

Chary Belfield

Nikki Stalker

Sharon Wilson

Kirrily Matthews

Robyn Irving

Sally Williams

Good Neighbour

My Lana Ladies are using the SAB set Good Neighbour in class this week. It is so cute and I love how you can create your own scenes with it! Lots of fun to play with, especially once you add some colour!

The first two cards we will be making I showed you earlier here, but this is the third one. I cased this from Lyn Put. Thanks Lyn for the gorgeous inspiration!

Stamped images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2010

Stinkin' cute! This one just might get sent off to DD17 in stormy Melbourne - hope the hail isn't too big for you today hon!

Materials used:

• card, inks and markers - taken with teal, rose red, pumpkin pie, old olive, whisper white
• papers - retired SU
• punches - scallop circle, scallop edge
• other - dimensionals, sewing machine and thread, 38 mm circle punch

Hope you like it. Thanks for dropping in today.

Cheers

Kez

Flutterby Tent Wonder

I was feeling adventurous last night and tried my hand at a tent card combined with a suspension card. It would have worked a treat if my brain hadn't scrambled and put the joining piece on upside-down, LOL!!! :) Oh well, it was Friday after all, and I've been sick, so I have an excuse! (hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

I used my fav colour, riding hood red, with pink pirouette and close to cocoa and the candy lane papers. The flutterbies were stamped on whisper white and again on vellum and a bit of bling to add some sparkle never goes astray!

The sentiment from my favourite SAB set, Whimsical Words, fitted perfectly and I just LURVE the houndstooth butterfly from Butterfly Prints - I am right into houndstooth at the mo - just bought some gorgeous ribbon and am busily designing a card to go with it!

Created by Kez. Stamped images copyright Stampin' Up! 1990-2010

Don't forget that the FREE SAB sets are only available until the end of this month (a frightening 25 days away!) so if you haven't already got some, what the heck are you waiting for?!!! LOL!

Hope your brain is in better working condition than mine and hey! thanks for stopping by!

Cheers

Kez

Bittersweet Day

Today is DD17's last day at home; tomorrow we're off to Melbourne to move her in to her new digs and in a week's time she begins her university life. She's excited, of course, and nervous too.

She asked me to make her a mini album like the I Wish Christmas mini album (see post here) in her favourite colours of blue and brown, as she loved the way it opens up with so many parts, so I have made her an album of family photos to take with her. I stocked up on Parisian Breeze papers before the spring mini expired just for this project, and I've had DD shut out of my craft area while "secret business" was afoot!

I decided to use ALWAYS as my theme and luckily there are a number of SU sets that fitted perfectly. To avoid too much bulk, I've kept things pretty simple. Here it is:

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2010 Stampin' Up! ®

I'll give it to her tonight at our Farewell Family Dinner and I am betting there are going to be a few tears ... preparation for when we say goodbye on Saturday ... pass me the tissues please.

Kez

SAB is FAB

Good morning! Welcome to another Monday - and almost the end of January already! Scary.

Today the SALE-A-BRATION promotion begins, that time of year when you can earn FREE stamps simply by buying the quality SU products you already love! What's a girl to do? Spend up big, of course! LOL! So I've made a couple of cards using my fav SAB set, Whimsical Words, for your viewing pleasure. What? Not more of that set you say! She's shown us tons already! Yes, dear readers, but you haven't seen anything like these ones before: for today Kez has followed the KISS rule. What's that? Well, I used to think of it as Keep It Simple, Stupid! But now I've decided that Keep It Simple, Stamper! is more appropriate! (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!)

Here they are, take a gander:

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2010 Stampin' Up! ®

Gorjamalicious! (loyal fans will note the use of Kez's fav colour on both cards!)

Well, now it gives me much pleasure in announcing my 10,000 hits Blog Candy Winner, who is:

(drum roll please) Cheryl

Congrats Cheryl; please drop me an email so I can get your snail mail details to send you your goodies! And many thanks to all you lovely people who left comments, they make my day!

That's all for now. Don't forget to go forth and spend up so you get your free SAB sets, and keep in mind my special offer on I (Heart) Hearts for the Haitian relief fund.

Cheers

Kez

Follow Your Heart

It's not long now until Sale-a-Bration begins and I just LOVE the set Whimsical Words - which you can probably tell, because I've used it a fair bit! The writing style appeals just as much as the phrases available, and I know this is going to be a set I simply cannot part with once the promotion is over. There are more sets in this style in the US mini, so here's hoping we get some in April ...

Anywhoooo, this is a card I made for a class next week. It's not intended to be a Valentine's card but I guess it could be used as one. I've put ribbon behind three punched hearts and have used one of my all time favourite colour combos. Here tis:

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2010 Stampin' Up! ®

Materials used (all SU):

• stamps - Whimsical Words (SAB)
• card - pink pirouette, chocolate chip, whisper white
• paper - riding hood red patterns DSP, Bella Rose DSP
• ribbon - pink pirouette really wide (Summer mini), choc chip grosgrain, riding hood red wide stripe (Spring mini), riding hood red taffeta
• other - 3 heart punch, scallop border punch, dimensionals, riding hood red ink, choc chip marker

Thanks for calling in to visit! Have a great day.

Cheers

Kez

Marching Onward

Christmas is over and life goes on and with two birthdays coming up later in the week that means cards need making! My SIL and one of my BFFs both celebrate their birthdays on Dec 31st and with the rain we are having (thank goodness!), I have perfect excuses to sit and "play" at my craft table, LOL!!!

Here's the card for my SIL. I was compelled to drag out Chef Henri, who you may remember from previous posts here, here and here. This time I watercoloured him and I think he looks rather spiffy! The colours and the simple design are perfect for my SIL, so I know she will like it.

Created by Kez. Stamped images copyright Stampin' Up!

The sentiment on the tray is from one of the Sale-a-Bration sets called Whimsical Words, available from Jan 25th, and I love how it pokes gentle fun at getting older. Not that I ever do such a thing of course .... ! :)

Materials used:

• stamps - Voila, Whimsical Words
• card, inks and markers - Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Blush Blossom, black StazOn
• other - dimensionals, adhesive pearls (Kaiser), photo corner punch

My BFF loves bright colours, so I immediately thought of the Kaleidoscope papers from the Summer mini for her. Only have scraps left, though, so the patchwork style background was the way to go. Now, you all know that I am definitely NOT a bold brights person, but these papers are growing on me, I have to admit! I stamped the daisies in Versamark and embossed in white first, then overstamped in tangerine tango slightly over to one side to get that shadowy effect. The family agree she will love it, so here is card number two:

Created by Kez. Stamped images copyright Stampin' Up!

Materials used (all SU):

• stamps - Upsy Daisy, Dreams du Jour
• card & paper - tempting turquoise, tangerine tango, whisper white, Kaleidoscope DSP
• inks - tempting turquoise, tangerine tango, Versamark
• punches - large oval, scallop oval
• other - white embossing powder, dimensionals

Hope you're not sick of easel cards yet! Thanks for stopping by; I hope you're having plenty of rain too!

Cheers

Kez