'Because I Care' with Emboss Resist

As promised in my last post I am going to show you over the next couple of days some of the cards I demonstrated or created for make and takes at my workshops over the weekend.

I'm starting a bit topsy-turvy as these first set of cards were actually what I demonstrated at my last workshop of the weekend. 

On Saturday I was asked to run a workshop for a really lovely group of girls. I have only met most of them once before but they are so kind, friendly and welcoming that it really is like having a crafty afternoon with friends. Both the hostess and her sister are really experienced card makers (they could show me a thing or two I think) so I wanted to show the group a couple of a WOW techniques that they may not have seen before. I decided to demonstrate the emboss resist technique that Sharlene Meyer demonstrated at Convention. I also wanted to show how with just one stamp set (in this case 'Because I Care), a couple of colours of card and ink and some different techniques you can make a card that looks like you have spent hours on it, when in fact you haven't.

This is the card I demonstrated for the girls:

Funnily enough prior to preparing for these workshops I have not given this set much thought or use, but now I have to say I am quite taken with it. As you can see I used the emboss resist technique with the hyacinth on the main panel. After sponging on the Baja Breeze ink I also dabbed on some shimmer paint- so in real life it's got a lovely shimmer. As I said before I only wanted to use cardstock and ink on this card but wanted to show how even though no accessories are being used the card can still look anything but plain. To achieve this I used the hyacinth image as a background stamp too and stamped it tone on tone onto the Crumb Cake card stock. I also showed the girls the dry embossing technique on the bottom piece of Baja Breeze cardstock and how easy it is to achieve some texture just by scoring some lines. Instead of using ribbon to divide the Baja and Crumb Cake layers (my usual method) I created a thin strip that resembles ribbon by clear embossing  another of the stamps from this set and then emboss resisting with Early Espresso ink.

I was so taken with this card that I made a few more and gave them to the lovely hostess in a pretty card folder. Here are the others in Blushing Bride and Crumb Cake:

 I was really happy with how these cards turned out and will definately be trying more ways to create pretty cards without using lots of 'accessories' in the future.

See you back here tomorrow for some cupcake fun,

My Strength & Hope Biggest Morning Tea Party

Pheeewww.....have I been busy!!!! A morning tea party, more workshops in a week than I've held in a year, a nasty bout of gastro, catch-ups with friends and all the normal bits and pieces of being a Mummy to a two and a quarter year old.

Over the next few days I am going to show you the crafty evidence of my busy-ness. Some make and takes, demonstration projects and a couple of little gifts I have made. 

I'm starting today with photos from my Strength & Hope Biggest Morning Tea Party that I hosted on the 12th of June. This year the Mum of one of my oldest and bestest friends was diagnosed with cancer for the third!!!!! time. It is so just so awful for the person who gets this sort of diagnosis but also for the family and friends who care about them and who feel so helpless. I was one of those people who felt that I wanted to do something. So I decided that hosted a Biggest Morning Tea was a way of indirectly helping the Cancer Council in their mission to help those with cancer and find a cure. Wonderfully before I held my morning tea we got the news that all of Libby's (***Hi Libby***) cancer was removed in surgery. Fabulous news.

So on the 12th of June a dozen or so girls gathered at my house for my Morning Tea party. Mum baked and made all of the food- my Mum happens to be the very best cook around!!! The amazing company I am a part of, Stampin' Up!, had donated a mind-blowing box of stampin' goodies to be raffled and given as door prizes. I designed a make and take using the Strength and Hope set ($2 from the sale of every one of these sets is donated to Breast Cancer Research- so it was a very fitting set to use). I had made some cutey little cupcake picks to pop in the food on each of the plates using the new Create-A-Cupcake stamp set and the now retired 'Homemade' al-a-carte stamp. I had also made twenty or so Sweet Treat cup flowers to give as take-home gifts.

It was the most wonderful morning. There was such a lovely feeling in the room. I had the best of times and I am pretty sure everyone else did too. With donations on the day and from some lovely girls who couldn't attend plus the proceeds of the raffles (my Mum even ended up letting people take plates of the masses of food left over for a gold coin donation- hehehehe) I managed to raise close to $400 for the Cancer Council. I was so excited about being able to contribute in some way and felt so proud that the morning had been so lovely.

Here are some photos from the morning:

 Some of the yummy food my Mum made complete with cupcake picks

 Fabulous raffle prizes donated by Stampin' Up!

 Making the Strenght & Hope Make and Take

Ali and my Mum- so happy with her Simply Sent raffle prize

 

 Bec, Jaime and Kate enjoying the morning tea

 Make & Take using the Strength & Hope set- a CASE from mini catalogue

 Sweet Treat flower take home gift-a combo CASE of Cathy Clark & Nicole Derendorf

I hope you enjoyed my recount of this special day. Come back tomorrow to see some of the creations for my recent workshops.

 

 

A Circle Easel Hooty Card

Hello,
This week Bronwyn over at Just Add Ink has set a fun sketch challenge.

Exciting to have a round sketch. Quite a few of the Design Team girls had made scallop circle and circle easel cards and as I had never made one I decided this week was the perfect time to give one a go.


This card was inspired by this one I saw a long while ago made by Sharlene Meyer for her daughter's birthday. I loved the little banner made from the Party Hearty stamp set hats. I, of course, am still having a love affair with my owl punch so my little hooty made another appearance. Here is my card:

Cute or not??????!!!!!! The colours - Regal Rose; So Saffron; Baja Breeze; Pear Pizzazz and chocolate Chip are from Stampin' Up!'s current Nursery Suite and I love them. I threw some Pumpkin Pie in there for extra fun.

Here it is all closed up too. 

And here is the bottom part all stretched out.

Project Recipe
Stamp Sets:      Party Hearty; Well Scripted; Crazy for Cupcakes
Card/Paper:      Regal Rose; So Saffron; Baja Breeze; Pear Pizzazz; Whisper White; Chocolate Chip
Ink:                   Regal Rose; Baja Breeze; So Saffron; Pumpkin Pie; Pear Pizzazz
Accessories:    Circle Scissors Plus; Owl Punch; Scallop Edge Punch; Oval Nestabilities (non-SU); Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain (retired); Pink Diamantes (non-SU)
I love this card.... Well worth all the time it took to make........hope you love it too.


Oh and by the way when I had a look at my previous post today of the card I made for my friend Ali and for JAIChallenge 69 I was horrified by the state of the photos of my card. It rained for days this week and I just couldn't get good photos but today is lovely and clear so I took the photos again. If you would like to see what that card really looks like minus horrid photography click HERE.


Have a lovely Friday everyone.....