Surgery Day

Card: crumb cake, confetti white, pool party, soft suede, calypso corral, more mustard
DSP: SAB Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: soft suede, more mustard
Stamp set(s): creative elements, sweet shoppe lower alphabet
Ribbon: pool party ruffled ribbon, SAB calypso coral everyday enchantment organdy ribbon
Accessories: chipboard, alpha die, petal cone die, big shot, scallop circle punch, circle punches, sponge, clear buttons

A few weeks ago, I decided to have a go at the current JAI scrapbook challenge.  The challenge was to just add hidden journalling or memorabilia.  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to scrap some pics by brother took while I was in hospital recently.

The journalling reads: On the 23rd May, 2012, I had emergency surgery to remove a brain tumour.  The surgery went well but I was dizzy & unsteady on my feet for a few days...  My brother & his partner came through before the surgery & he just had to take these shots a few hours after surgery, when I came out of recovery...  It's special to have this record of where I have been & what I have experienced.  I'm amazed at what I have come through!

I was chuffed with how this layout evolved as it took ages to work out...!  I love the SAB DSP, and I added some soft suede sponging around all of the elements to add some depth and texture.  The hidden tag was a challenge as I usually add journalling that you can see on my layouts.  For this layout, though, it lent itself to hidden journalling because of the personal nature of what was happening.  I love how you can process stuff like this through scrapbooking!  I found it was very therapeutic to put this layout together - I have more pics of my hospital stay to scrap, but I wanted to do these first...

Best wishes!

Card: early expresso, very vanilla

Ink: early expresso, crumb cake (marker)

Stamp set(s): creative elements, silhouette sentiments
Accessories: early expresso bakers twine, sweet buttons embosslit, big shot

When Dawn shared her take on this project, I just knew I had to give it a go!  Dawn calls this technique triple time stamping, and her video is a must see if you want to give it a go.  I love how it creates so much depth and the layers are just gorgeous!  It's a very easy technique, but I would suggest you use dotto to hold the layers of very vanilla together before you do the stamping...
I didn't have the button that Dawn used on her project, or any others that matched, so I used my sweet button emposslit and layered up several buttons to create a cool embellishment.  I'm loving how this came out and I think I'll be using this technique lots :-)

Blossom birthday

Card: pear pizazz, blushing bride, confetti white, whisper white
Ink: pear pizazz, blushing bride
Stamp set(s): creative elements, so happy for you, mixed bunch
Accessories: perfect polka dot embossing folder, top note die cut, big shot, blushing bride poly-stitched ribbon

 A lady from church has a birthday on Saturday, but I gave this card to her tonight to help her celebrate, so I don't mind sharing this project.  I've used the top note to cut out the confetti white on the front - cool technique where you cut the main shape, then turn it 90 degrees and cut again to create an unusual shape.  I've just quickly stamped and mounted a scrunched up blossom, embossed the blushing bride, and stamped inside on confetti white (the confetti has a gorgeous flecked look).  The pearl and ribbon were added to finish.  A quick and easy project to make.  Happy birthday Gayle!

Birthday butterfly

Card: pool party, calypso coral, whisper white
Ink: pool party, calypso coral
Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted
Accessories: blender pen, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, big shot, pool party ruffled ribbon, pearls

This card just came together which was cool as it often takes me ages to make the decisions about colours, stamps and design...  I used my blender pen to add some subtle colour to the main image, and the ruffled ribbon and pearls add that touch of 'wow'.  I"m loving the pool party and calypso coral, and the fresh, bright look of this project.  Enjoy!

Wisteria wonder blossom

Card: wisteria wonder, pear pizzaz, whisper white, confetti white

Ink: pear pizzaz

Stamp set: creative elements

Accessories: perfect polka dots embossing folder, big shot, blossom punch, circle punch, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, brad

I was playing with some scraps that have mounted up on my desk, and came up with this card.  I've used the negative of the blossom punch, stamped the image, added ribbon and a brad.  I've followed the  colour scheme inside to make it a generic card to use for any occasion.  I have alway loved green and purple, and this is no exception!  Simple, but cute and elegant - done!

Elegant bird

Card: cherry cobbler, riding hood red, blushing bride, whisper white
Ink: cherry cobbler, riding hood red
Stamp set: creative elements
Accessories: elegant bird die-cut, big shot, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, pearl, whisper white organza ribbon, sponges

I had a play with the new elegant bird die cut at stamp camp a few weeks back, and decided to use it on a project today.  I wasn't too sure about it (which was way I wanted to have a play with it) but I quite like it, and the wings are gorgeous!  They could be used as a pair of angels wings, you could use the bird body by itself in lots of different ways...the possibilities are endless!  Something new to add to your wish list from the new mini!

I've stamped the blushing bride with the main stamp from the creative elements stamp set, and added part of it to the bird.  I've used two different embossing folders to add some texture to the wings and background, and the pearl just gives the birds a lovely eye.  And, of course, I had to add an inside panel for a special message. Elegant and feminine = gorgeous!

Wisteria sympathy

Card: wisteria wonder, pear pizzazz, whisper white

DSP: pear pizzazz patterned DSP
Ink: wisteria wonder, pear pizzazz
Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, so happy for you, creative elements
Accessories: blossom punch, wisteria wonder brad, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon

I was playing around with my new stamp set and the blossom punch that goes with the stamp set (both in the new mini catalogue!!), and love how this project evolved into a sympathy card.  I added an inside panel with a sentiment and image, but the brad sets that blossom off nicely.  A simple but elegant card to say "I'm thinking of you".

Birthday sparkles

Card: cherry cobbler, more mustard, baja breeze, confetti white
Ink: cherry cobbler, more mustard
Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted
Accessories: silver glimmer paper, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, big shot, blossom punch, fun flowers die cut, whisper white baker's twine, baja breeze designer button, sponge, whisper white organza ribbon

I still had some bits I played with at Stamp Camp, so I created this quick card to add to my stash...  The glimmer paper in silver is divine, and really makes this project pop.  I added a sentiment inside rather than on the front of card so it didn't distract from the flower detail.  I sponged everything in cherry cobbler, which added a subtle splash of colour, and created a little more depth in the flower.  I embossed the confetti white to add some texture, and added a button in the middle of the flower.  I used my colour coach to bring the colours together.  A quick card to make, but I like it!

Birthday wishes

Card: pear pizzazz, cajun craze, more mustard, whisper white
Ink: pear pizzazz, cajun craze, more mustard
Stamp set(s): creative elements, so happy for you
Accessories: whisper white organza ribbon, rhinestones

Today, I've been hanging out with Ruth while she's recovering from surgery...  It's been beautiful weather, and having an extra-long weekend has made all the difference!  I've pulled this card together and I'm loving the colour combo and my new creative elements stamp set.  I think the colours are fresh and give a sense of spring for someone's birthday.  Enjoy!

Turquoise birthday

Card: whisper white, tempting turquoise

DSP: tempting turquoise patterned DSP

Ink: daffodil delight (marker), real red (marker)

Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted

Accessories: real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, pearl, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot

I've CASE'd this from the current Impressions magazine, which comes each month from Stampin' Up! when you sign on as a demonstrator. It has fantastic ideas and projects to use in workshops, and today when I was looking through the April magazine, I loved this design and wanted to re-create it with my own person touch. I have added a tempting turquoise panel inside to give the card a little more stability... This would be a simple project to use in a workshop or to re-create in batches. I've also used a technique that I have used before, which is to brush a marker across a stamped image, and highlight some areas of the stamp in a contrasting colour. Pretty cool!

Get well soon, Ruth!

Card: daffodil delight, night of navy, whisper white

Ink: daffodil delight (marker), night of navy, old olive

Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, creative elements

Accessories: sponge, whisper white organza ribbon, pearl, blossom punch

Well, my sister Ruth and I have been down south, cyclying the Otago Rail Trail for a week, but to cut a long story short, on the last day of the trail, my sister fell off her bike and broke her ankle! I wanted to cheer up her day today, as she's been having a bit of a rough time, so I made this card for her this evening. I thought I would go for something bright, and my colour coach (love it!) told me to put night of navy and old olive with daffodil delight, so that's what I've done. I kinda like this colour combo, and with some bright flowers and the gorgeous background stamp from the creative elements stamp set, this cheered her up!

Chester layout

Card: crumb cake, soft suede, pool party, more mustard, very vanilla

DSP: spice cake dsp

Ink: soft suede, pool party, more mustard

Stamp set(s): creative elements, sweet shoppe alphabet lower

Accessories: blossom punch, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, sweet buttons embosslit, pearls, hemp twine, scallop trim border punch, white organza ribbon, sponges

It was exciting to run a workshop yesterday for a friend to celebrate the end of SAB. The hostess wanted me to run the workshop with a scrapbook page. This was what I came up with, and everyone loved the colour combo but made their pages their own by changing the design and stamping etc. That's what creating is all about, after all - putting your own stamp on your projects! I loved the chance to create a scrapbook page and share my love of Stampin' Up! projects with others. I even got another workshop booking out of it - yay!

Wisteria wonder meets soft suede

Card: soft suede, very vanilla, wisteria wonder

Ink: soft suede

Stamp set(s): creative elements, so happy for you

Accessories: decorative label punch, pearls

I haven't posted for a few days and I've been having withdrawals, lol! I found this project on Claire Daley's blog, and loved it, so I decided to CASE it for today. Love how the wisteria wonder "comes into its own" with soft suede and very vanilla. I only used soft suede ink here, to create a vintage look, but I also love the distressing and worn feel of this project. I just had to break out my new stamp set!