INKYART

Festive Friday Challenge # 3

Another Festive Friday Challenge and the first Christmas card for 2012.  I do have a confession, this is a case of a card that I made and forgot to blog from last year - the original one was posted off last year. I have a very busy week this week (you know one of those weeks where there is something on every night) and as I am so determined to enter as many of these festive challenges as possible (that way I will have a heap of cards ready for sending in a timely manner this year) -  I needed something quick to make.

I was inspired by Carolyn Bennies shimmery poinsettia - the shimmer paint is so easy to use and adds a real sparkle.

Why not have a play along yourself, I'm feeling a little organised having made my first card and it's still January - whoo hoo!

Nikki

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Christmas Blog Hop

Welcome to our last blog hop of the year - a Christmas themed one of course.  Hop on board and be ready to be inspired (I am in need of inspiration - I've hardly made any Christmas cards this year).

I was inspired by my fellow blog hoppers Alisha Watson's Regional swap and  Judy May's recent JAI win, to try out the pop up Christmas tree using the Pennant Parade stamp set and matching punch.

Here's a sneak peek of a new A la Carte stamp from the upcoming Summer Mini - a single stamp called Stylish Star - isn't it cute.

The colours used are Lucky Limeade with either Riding Hood Red or Wisteria Wonder - ovely quick cards to make and the pop up posts well too.

Time to hop off now to see what the lovely Sue Madex has created.

Happy blog hopping

Nikki

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ps if you'd like a free copy of the new Summer mini and you don't have a demonstrator already, just send me an email and I'll pop one in the post for you.

 

Making Merry Monday

A friend told me this weekend just past that there are 8 weeks until Christmas.  Is anyone else as shocked by that little gem of information as I am?  OMG - that's not long is it.

Without further ado, here's a card that I was going to teach in a Glitter class.  Yes I am going to say WAS because this class is doomed I think!  I've had to cancel it so many times for all sorts of reasons, so I am thinking it is a sign - this class isn't meant to happen :o(

Here's a close up of the sparkliness (yes a new word for the 2011 festive season). And how do we do that?  

Well you stamp your image first.  Then take your Versamark pad and stamp this over the image - straight onto the cardstock - not onto the stamp - you need to cover the cardstock completely.  (Tip: I tend to stamp several images on one piece of cardstock and then Versamark and glitterise (not sure that is a real word either) the whole lot at the same time).

Cover the whole piece of card with some Heat and Stick powder - use a heat gun to melt this.  When the powder is moulton, sprinkle over Dazzling Diamonds.  Tap off the excess and heat again.  (Tip:  just a little flash of the heat gun this time - we are just setting the Dazzling Diamonds not melting it).

Hey presto you have some lovely sparkly pieces to make into cards.

This card uses the Delightful Decorations set and matching Ornament punch. Using a matching stamp and punch means you can churn a few of these out in double quick time - just what we need with only 8 weeks left to go!  The swirl is from Baroque Motifs.

Happy Making Merry Monday.

Nikki

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Making Merry Monday

Welcome to another Making Merry Monday.  I have been wanting to make these lovely flowers for a few months now.  So I 'invested' in a couple of punches and here's my first attempt.  I love it!

Who would have thought that wetting and scrunching cardstock would have resulted in such a lovely shabby chic flower?  Yes it really is just water and cardstock!  And when you've finished scrunching and squeezing you just add a spritz of Shimmer Mist and leave the whole lot to dry overnight - amazing.

So today's Christmas card is made with Cherry Cobbler cardstock, Mocha Morning speciality papers (this one is flocked and is lovely), and a piece of Whisper White which has been run through the Vintage Vogue folder.

Happy Stampin'

Nikki

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Making Merry Monday 2011

With it being October now - I thought it would be a good time to bring back Making Merry Monday. MMM was invented by Anita Meade a few years ago and the idea is that you post a Christmas idea every Monday (or you could reword that last sentence to read 'Nik is going to be super organised and have all her cards made in good time this year' LOL).  Here's the first one.

When I saw this set in the new catalogue it was top of my 'had to buy it now' list.  Beautiful Season is great for watercolouring and the little bird can be made into a little robin very easily.  The little sentiments in the set fit perfectly with some of the punches too, this will make it easy to mass produce cards if you need to - I'll have a sample or two to show you very soon.

Have you seen the new sparkles in the catalogue this year?  Glass Glitter (page 145) is so lovely, and I've used Sticky Strip to glue it into place.  And isn't the new Stripes embossing folder lovely - very Christmassy I thought.

What this space for more Christmas card ideas - this is the month to make a couple extra and donate them to a good cause - I make and collect cards the Defence forces serving overseas - if you have any cards you'd like to donate also please get in touch.

Happy Stampin'

Nikki

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AWOL

I feel like I have been gone forever and ever.  Fallen off the planet, shouting world stop ... let me off .... I haven't crafted for ages and I really do feel that this lovely hobby helps to keep me sane and balanced.  

I also know that sharing creations and being a part of the blogging community is something I love to do .... its been a part of my life for so long now, that when other things like my day to day working life get in the way (gggrrrr grumble grumble groan groan), I begin to feel empty if I don't make the time to 'Love what I do, and Share what I love.'  Have I told you I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator? 

So I'm here, back again .... and raring to go ... well almost .. there is a little tasks of finishing some swaps for a lovely group of ladies .... but for now I thought I'd share a Christmas card with you.  Yes girls, with less than 100 sleeps to go ... it is time to get festive.

This is one of those cards you can produce over and over again.  The technique is masking and if you would like to know how to do it, sign up to my newsletter and I'll include the instructions just for you.

I'll be back in a day or two.  I have launch night cards and news to share, a blog hop on Saturday and news of a product share (hands up who loves ribbons and sparkly brads)  .... so I have no excuses and plenty of things to create.

Happy Stampin'

Nikki

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Christmas In July again!

I love this card.  It was inspired from a stamping magazine - not sure which one but when I saw the tree made with the leaves from the two step bird punch I knew that eventually I would find the time to make it.  It really is very easy (yes Sharon I did write easy LOL) to place the leaves (tear off the stems) into a shape of a tree - and when we made this in the class last week we had trees of all different styles ... and they all looked lovely.

I've used the Vintage Vogue set to create the background - stamping tone on tone with Rich Razzleberry - and the pearls are a must have finish for the card.

Happy Stampin

Nikki

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Christmas In July

I've made a start on my Christmas cards.  How is that for organised?  I have started a monthly Christmas card class (waving hi to the ladies from Friday night) - here is the first of the three that we made.

Poppy Parade, Early Espresso and Whisper White .... lovely combination.  If you are wondering about that die cut - its the Top Note die cut once as usual and then you pop it back in the other way round to create a more square shape.

There are still a couple of places left in the August class - its on the 26th - and we are going to be getting glittery.  If you want to book a seat call or SMS 0428 254 952.

Happy Stampin

Nikki

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