for the love of sewing and card making!!!

Today is the last day for ordering things from the Autumn/Winter Mini Catalogue and so (or should I say SEW) I just HAD to use a stamp or two from it. First is the Pattern stamp that I used for the background paper. The paper is from the Hostess pack which come in the current 'In-colours' - this is Poppy Parade. It only had small dots on it so I stamped over the whole thing with the Pattern stamp creating my perfect DSP. NEVER be afraid of stamping on DSP to make it more what you want - customising it to suit what YOU want to do, not trying to work around something that's just not quite right!

The second stamp I used is from the set 'Sew Suite' which is one of my favourite sets from this mini. The mannequin stamp is so useful for lots of projects. Here I have used it as the base for my picture. To create the top on the mannequin I stamped the mannequin stamp on the back of the DSP paper and then cut the bodice out. The skirt is fun to make. It's made using the largest scallop circle and folding it on the scallops. To add a bit to it I punched the scallops with the hand held punch - I liked how it turned out.

The words are from 3 different sets - the first 'You're' is from a stamp out of "WORD PLAY" and I just coloured in the word I wanted using the SU markers. 'Wonderful' is from the 'WONDERFUL' stamp set and finally the 'S E W' is from the "DEFINING ALPHA" set. Again I inked these with the markers. I thought the stitching added a nice feel to it - as well as putting them on different angles. You won't often see me putting sentiments on an angle - it's one of my pet peeves to be honest - but I thought I could get away with it on this one! LOL (correct me if you think otherwise! hehe)

Another thing I like to see is a card finished completely which includes the inside of it. Here I went with a different piece of the Hostess DSP but in the same colour and it's matched up with the white the same size as the front of the card. By the way the 'dress and top' paper is also from the same Hostess DSP set. A really practical Hostess gift!!!!

I first saw these dresses on Sharlene Meyers BLOG the other day - they are dotted all over web now.

I have made a few more examples of these cute dresses which I will post over the next few days.

aren't these the sweetest little ladies you have ever seen????

The wonderfully talented Rhonda Fawcett designed some punch art country ladies like these one day over the summer holidays and posted them on her BLOG the other day. When I saw them I had to make some, just changing some bits but I even CASED her card design for the second one as it was SO perfect!!

I used the Hostess Pack which is exclusively for Hostess or single orders over $350NZ and they are 6"x6" and all in the current 'In Colours'. I love the rosey cheeks and the 'sweetness' to them. I decided to make one 'baking' as I felt they look like they would enjoy baking! hehe The bowl is made using a small oval punch and a medium circle punch - the wooden spoon is just freehand cut.

On the top one I used Stampin' Up!s little 'lunch sacks' which are a perfect size for a little treat (maybe even some home baked cookies?). I LOVE using stamps slightly different they they were made as. The little sentiment had other words on it - it said 'a little treat for someone sweet' but using the marker pens you can individually colour just the words you want - making your sentiment stamps even more versatile!!

Teenage boy cards are the hardest!!

I like most card makers we find some things 'challenging'!!! so for me it is boys cards esp. teenage boys but now Stampin' Up! are putting out more and more stamp sets that are so easy to use as boys/teens cards. Here I have used a variety of stamp sets to create the grungy look. The red piece behind the 'Happy Birthday' words was created by putting two label punch outs together - you can see it better on the close up photo below.

I find the best way to do these cards is to put a whole lot of elements together. I did make this with a teen in mind (happy birthday Sam for the 13th Aug!!) and he is interested in music, guitars and BMXing (hence the directional details) so just layer them up and BINGO you have a card. I have used acetate to give the appearance of more depth - it means that you can put details behind it like the coarse tape ribbon. Lots of hardware type things - eyelets, staples, clips etc - add to the masculine feel.

Thanks for visiting my blog - happy crafting :)

Cork/notice board card

I found some self adhesive cork the other day and thought it would look good as a mini notice board on the front of a card. I had a BALL making all the mini items for it. I used the All in the Family stamp set for the cat photo and the photo booth photos. The 'to do list' was from the Eat Chocolate set and the birthday card was made using the Lots of Bots set. Brads became drawing pins and TA DAH it was done.

Here's a close up of the board:

If this inspires you to have a go at making your own version I would LOVE to see them so send me an email with your pic or link to your blog - the possibilities for this could be endless! julia.leece@vodafone.co.nz

cracked windows

This is the fun card we made at my Manurewa class last Friday. I wanted to do a window scene for ages and came up with this. After fiddling around with different curtain ideas I thought this one worked best. The girls at the class were terrified when I said to put the embossed images in the freezer!!

If you would like to learn how to do this fun technique email me today julia.leece@vodafone.co.nz and we can arrange a class at your place with your friends - or at my place in my class room (saves you cleaning up after! hehe).

here are two cards today

Yesterday a friend said she was sick of looking at the same photo on my blog because I was being slack and not posting as often as I should (school holidays???) so LINDA here are TWO for you!! hehe

The first on was from a online class I did this week on Crafters Anonymous taken by the lovely Dee Sturgeon (visit her lovely site). These flowers are so much fun! I think they look best on the simple card. I LOVE clean and simple cards using Crumb Cake as the base. I drew the white lines by tracing around some coasters! Easy Peasy!!

Here's another one - this time I used the cupcake stamp from the Cupcake set to make the clouds. They are stamped in Whisper White Craft Ink. The butterflies and sentiment are from Flight of the Butterflies. I love the contrast between the plain card and the bright butterflies!.

start twist card

I can not believe it's been nearly a week since I blogged! where did it go?? lol

Here is a cool as card style that we did over on Crafters Anonymous the other day. The lovely Sharna Russell taught it to us.

It's made from a 12" x 12" sheet of card stock and it twists down to the lovely six point star you see here. To decorate I used the awesome Sew Suite DSP and the words from the Tote-ally Tess stamp set. The DSP has only 11 days left to be purchased so make sure you contact me before the end of the July so you don't miss out - as the Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue is finishing on the 31st July and ONLY the Big Shot items will be available after this date. Email me if you want to order anything or have further questions - julia.leece@vodafone.co.nz

Here is the inside of the card - I just used different size circle punches to punch out most of the buttons from the DSP. Such a fun card!!

Now is the time to join Stampin' Up!

and my team!

The benefits of signing up to be a demo are:

* Discounted product delivered right to your door

* Access to products before customers

* Exclusive access to Demo only magazines, websites, training and socialising (including camps) put out by Stampin' UP!

* Opportunity to meet new people and share the crafts that you love

* Opportunity to make money to either pay for your hobby/obsession or help towards the family income

* Be part of a great community minded company

* Hands on regular training with myself and my team, we are known as 'Stampologists' hee hee.

When you sign up you purchase a starter kit for $340 which is worth over $590!! - you get to fine tune the kit to your preferences!

NOW is the time to sign up so you are fully ready when our exciting new catalogue arrives in September.

I have a SPECIAL just for people signing up to my team before the end of July- a gift basket FULL of great Stampin' Up! products to help you get started as SOON as you sign up.

call or email TODAY!

My daughter made Featured Crafter on Crafters Anonymous!!!

This past weekend was my daughters 14th birthday and she made her own cake - a 'sorting hat' from Harry Potter - of which she is obsessed with! She LOVES cake decorating and is getting pretty damn good at it if I don't say so myself!!

After every online class on Monday nights on Crafters Anonymous the tutor gets to pick the featured crafter for the week and this week they picked Kelly's cake. She isn't a member yet but I put the picture of her cake up under the cooking and cake decorating section as I was so proud of her! Didn't she do well!! The icing was YUMMY!!! I couldn't eat the actual cake as it wasn't gluten free but the icing was gooooooddddd! hehe

thanks for visiting :)

last two days

Day 11 was 'something sparkly and I did cheat and bought Debbie this cool as makeup bag, it's not hand made by me but it was so lovely I just had to buy it for her! lol

Day 12 was 'a surprise' and so I made Debbie this frame. The background is the Presto paper which I sponged in old olive around the edges so the wording on the paper shows thru, the butterflies are made with the divine embosslite 'butterfly wings'. I added some lovely little pearls to the them to give them more 'wow'. The sentiment is from the amazing set 'word play' which is SUCH a fabulous set and one of my favourite sets!

It was such a fun time to do these projects for Debbie and I enjoyed receiving all her gifts for me which I show you soon.

day nine and ten

we are getting there LOL Day nine was 'something to stamp' so I made Debbie her own mosaic background stamp. I had some spare wooden blocks and then cut up bits of the left over rubber you get when you mount your Stampin' Up! stamps. I have made a few of these over the years- I have a stripey zebra one, an open mosaic like this and a tight mosaic one.

Then day ten was 'something to post' so I made a simple card pack, using Garden Green, Not Quiet Navy, Cherry Cobbler. There where 4 cards with 4 matching envelops.

days seven and eight

Day seven was 'something wintery' so I gave this lovely little hotty shaped in the heart -perfect for having on the lap while you work away in your craft room during cold winter days!!

day eight was 'something pretty' so I gave Debbie this flower brooch. You may recognise it from the New Zealand Woman's Weekly craft page a few weeks back as it is the very same brooch. Nothing pretty that pink flowers!!

something to make and something to tie

day 5 was "something to make" so I made up a jar of 'sand art brownies' - these make a fabulous gift - just layer the ingredient's in the jar and attach the cooking instructions. Here is the recipe for them off an old website.

day six was "something to tie" and so I made a silk scarf. These are fun and so easy to do. Just use Stazon ink and they look sensational!!

remade chocolate boxes

for day three of our mid winter Christmas swap the theme was "something chocolatey"! (my favourite day! lol) SO I decided to remake the 'favourites' box. I pulled the original box and used it as a template to create the Pacific Point one. I had to use more than one sheet of 12x12 textured card to get all the pieces out. I used some acetate for the window and you can't really see but I ran that thru the BigShot with an embossing folder. Added a few decorations and a bow and it was done. The bow was one I taught over on Crafters Anonymous a few months ago.

Day for was "something smelly" and as I didn't have time to make EVERY gift I bought this beautiful lotion.

MID YEAR CHRISTMAS GIFT SWAPS

Last month I participated in a Mid Year Christmas gift swap - you get together 12 days of gifts following a theme for each day. I wanted to share some of the gifts I made for my swap partner Debbie Dawson. Day one was 'something to hang' so I made these little earrings by stamping the Sew Suite stamps in Black Stazon on shrinky dink plastic. Once they are dry you use a heat tool and watch them shrink before your very eyes - way cool!!

The stamp set has the 'buttons' stamp which was perfect for making the earrings complete as a gift.

Day 2 was 'something altered' so I had a tin I altered (not SU paper :( LOL)

I will go thru the other gifts over the next few days..

Tea Caddy

over on Crafters Anonymous we had another cool online class last night. The talented Anne Brignall taught us this caddy which I have made for tea but you can easy enough put anything in it! mmmm chocolate would be good!! hee hee

the round tab punch worked well to make tabs for the tea bags. You just put adhesive in a strip down the middle so it doesn't affect the tea bag when you pull the tag out like the two on display. Also you can still see what flavour the tea is (green tea with jasmine for these ones!)

what a great pressy this would make!.

If you would like more info about joining Crafters Anonymous email me on julia.leece@vodafone.co.nz

Back to crafting - YIPPEE!!!

and why not start with a card for a new born!! This card is for my old (not in the age sense! lol although she IS one year older exactly than me! hehe) neighbour Joyce's son and daughter-in-law who had their first baby last week. As you can guess it's a little girl (Bethani-Grace to be exact!) and I went with the button theme. I LOVE both the Button, Button stamp set ($62.95 wood mount, $49.95 clear mount for 17 stamps) and matching BigShot Sweet Buttons embosslit ($26.50) which creates the 3D buttons. I used DSP from the Subtle's pattern pack ($45.95 for 40 sheets double sided) to make my card base which works great as long as you layer some card stock on the inside as well as the out side like I have here with Pretty in Pink and Whisper White. I popped up the pink buttons with dimensionals to give them of the 3D look.

Since I had the embosslite out I did a few more colours - Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Pear Parfait. This time I didn't do any stamping of buttons but I did pop up the blue ones to give some depth. Here is a picture so you can see the effect the popped up ones give.

Also this time I used Bashful Blue card for my base and added the DSP from the same Subtles pattern pack. The little 'Welcome Baby" is a single stamp called Sweet Unlimited ($14.50) and is perfect for baby cards and other themed projects.

**all prices are in New Zealand dollars.