One of my new catalogue demonstration cards

this card was one I demonstrated yesterday at my new Stampin' Up! Ideas Book & Catalogue. It uses the vintage style stamp set Artistic Etchings. I stamped the circle stamp on our Brushed Gold card and the base of the card is also the Gold. The crown (turned upside down to create the bauble holder) was stamped on to the Brushed Silver. I used the Music Notes standard wheel stamped in Crumb Cake on to Very Vanilla. The DSP (design series paper) is Elegant Soiree - so yummy! I used one of the lovely new Antique Brads and the Modern Label punch - it's such a great elegant shape! A bit of paper tearing and distressing and its done!

This second picture is a close up of the yummy cup cakes that were part of the afternoon tea that we provided for those at the launch. As you can see I made cup cake holders by cutting card out, embossing it thru the Stampin' Up! Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and using the brand new Scallop Trim boarder punch. Again my talented 13yo daughter Kelly made and iced the cupcakes for me - didn't she do a great job!

If you missed out on my launch why not book a workshop at your place (or mine if it's easier for you) when I can demonstrate this card and might even be able to twist Kelly's arm to make some cup cakes that I can bring. Well actually we wont be twisting her arm as she fell off her Rollerblades last night and has her right arm in a cast (yes again!!) with a suspected fractured wrist! So like last school holidays when she had the same wrist in plaster after tearing a ligament in her thumb, she is spending the next two weeks in a cast. But I am sure we can still create something to bring! hehe

email me today julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz to book a date!

getting ready for Christmas!

these three cards I designed for a class I did yesterday at Bucklands Beach. They are all fairly simple in design but covered a few techniques which for most was the first time they had tried them.

The top one uses heat embossing on the two ornaments - one silver the other gold. The set we used is Contempo Christmas ($31.95 wood or $25.95 clear mount) for four stamps, there is a Christmas tree stamp and another sentiment which says "CHRISTMAS IS LOVE, WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS" - there's even a standard size wheel that co-ordinates with the whole set too. The gold card stock is part of a pack of three metallic card - gold, silver and bronze ($20.95 for 3 sheets of each colour). We used the new ornament punch to punch out the ornament - punches make life so much easier! (check out my owl punch art on a earlier post this week)

The middle card has a Night of Navy base. The stamp set we used is "Lovely as a Tree" ($58.95 wood only) which is SUCH a versatile set which you can use in all sorts of projects. We used the Stampin' Up! Big Shot Top Note die to create the stencil which we used to get the sponging in that shape. The cut out piece we placed inside the card to write your greeting on. We used Bashful Blue for the sponging and the background trees and Night of Navy for the sentiment and the single tree. Of cause we had to add 'bling' (Dazzling Diamonds) which makes the card glitter and look like snow.

The last card is using the lovely a' la carte stamp set called Dasher. This stamp is sold by itself for only $18.50. The card is Riding Hood Red and Old Olive - great Christmas colours! We used a crimper and the new scallop corner punch ($23.95) to create the lattice square - isn't it lovely! The sentiment is from the stamps set Perfect Punches ($48.95 wood, $36.95 clear mount) which has 6 stamps which fit perfectly with six different punches.

If you are interested in having a one off class at your home/craft group/church etc contact me to discuss options and costs etc. julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz

time for a morning cuppa?

I love this new set called Morning Cup. It covers both coffee and tea drinkers. So far this is the only project I have made with it. The backing card is Early Espresso, then I have layered it with the green - Wild Wasabi, and stamped directly on to River Rock. I used a Wasabi, Bashful Blue and Peach Partait to colour with a blender pen. I think it has a retro look. The thin ribbon usually has a light (cream or silver we can't work out yet LOL) edge to it which didn't suit the card so I ran it under my Early Espresso marker pen which took the harshness away.

I used the scallop oval and boarder punch to give it some more detail.

As you can see I haven't been able to use my stone background I usually take my photos on - we have had some really BAD unseasonal spring weather of late so no outside photography! At the moment we are being hit by the biggest storm in the world - it's about the size of Australia!! So hopefully it wont keep keen crafters away from the two events I have this weekend. I have a big class/workshop where 18 crafters are making three Christmas Cards today and tomorrow I have my new Stampin' Up! catalogue launch. I still have room for a few more people on Sunday for the launch (a FREE event) so if you are lost for something to do on Sunday afternoon and are in the Auckland, New Zealand area email me - julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz

my guitar hero

the first photo is a photo of my sons first gig last year (blonde on the far right) - he's now in a different band (The Third System) and is lead guitarist now so when I saw the new stamp 'Extreme Guitar' I KNEW I had to have it! This is the first card I have made using it - the base is Basic Black, and the ribbon is cream and black. The image is stamped on glossy white card after I had sponged it with Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait (man those names are so similar!) which are two of the new "In Colors" introduced in the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalogue.

The sentiment is from a fabulous stamp set called Word Play - it is a wonderful set full of lots of different sentiments like this one. I was luckily enough to earn this set for free because I did a presentation at my local Regional Training. Awesome eh!

That's the great thing with Stampin' Up! they always offering to up skill you and organise excellent events - so why not contact me to learn more about being a Stampin' Up! demo. There is still a great special available where you can get over $100 worth of brand new products FREE when you sign up. julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz

By the way - to get the shape on the card you place the card in the Top Note Big Shot Die and after it's cut once you turn it 90o and cut it again. Thanks to Brenda McLeish for telling me about this idea. To see more that you can do with this technique go to Kirsteen Gill's blog www.creatinwithkirsteen.com

I LOVE THE NEW OWL PUNCH!!!!!!

as you can probably tell - so we made up this display. 'We' is my 13yo daughter Kelly and me. Yesterday while the secondary school teachers were on strike and both my kids were home we made this. Well - Kelly made half of them and I made the other half. Kelly even invented the baby chicken herself and I invented the little dress on the coat hanger but the others were are all versions of other amazing designs that I found on the web. I am sure that there are plenty more critters out there to make!
It just goes to show how - you can use your Stampin' Up! punches for so many different things other than the original intention! I would love to see what you have seen or even made up yourself - so leave a comment with a link to some punchy goodness!

Mini Milk Cartons

aren't these the cutest things you have ever seen?? this is one of the new Big Shot dies from our brand new Stampin' Up! Ideas Book & Catalogue. I am having a FREE launch party this Sunday and I am giving one of these to every guest - and of cause they have chocolate in them!! hehe

The lovely OWL punch is also new and there is a fabulous stamp set that goes really well with the milk cartons - it has the OPEN and arrow you can see on them.

So if you would like to know more about my launch email me on julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz

thanks for visiting my blog - have a great Wednesday!

tent card

this card is called a tent card - I am guessing because from the side it looks a bit like a tent! LOL
I used the set Printed Petals which is new in the Stampin' Up! Ideas Book & Catalogue this year. I used a colour that I don't often get out - More Mustard. Sometimes you forget about some colours cause you are besotted with another - More Mustard often doesn't get to come out to play. Teamed with Whisper White (I used textured card stock for this) and a bit of So Saffron it isn't too bad. Sometimes it's good to create with colours or tools or even stamp sets that aren't your favourite. This particular set I got while I was at on Convention in Sydney so I have had it since May but hardly used it. Only fair it finally got a turn!
The other colour I haven't played with (at all I think) is Bravo Burgundy - so may that might be a challenge for me or you - I would love to see some creations with this colour!!

NOW don't forget I have my FREE launch for the new catalogue on Sunday 19th September @1.30 - come along and see all the great new products, have a play and enjoy some yummy refreshments with some other crafters. Just let me know that you can make it so I can ensure I have enough munches and FREE BEES!!!!!!!
Also I have class this Wednesday and we are making acetate cards. Classes are 12.30-2.30pm and 7.30-9.30pm $15.
Email me to reserve your spot at either events. julia.leece@slingshot.co.nz