For inspiration, ideas, tutorials, techniques and classes on paper crafting, card making, scrapbooking and more using quality Stampin' Up!® products. gerlach@iinet.net.au 0421 482 578
So when we go to Stampin’ Up! events we often get to do “make & takes” with new products – sometimes I run out of time or just plain don’t like the samples that we are offered to make up. This happened a couple of years ago as I don’t like cards that aren’t standard size so these little love notecards just didn’t float my boat and I filed the kit away in my craft room not to see the light of day for a while.
So we recently had a DiscoverInk Team Retreat for a weekend of crafty fun and this kit got turned into the below with the Little Ladybug Sale-a-bration set plus some extra cardstock. The feathers & a sentiment are from Positive Thoughts and I used Blends to colour in the ladybugs.
So what are your thoughts? An improvement on the original notecards? Anyways I was pleased to finally get this kit off my shelf and into something I can mail out and use to decorate gift bags etc.
Yes it’s all happening today – there are TWO new catalogues available PLUS a brilliant new offer if you join my Stampin’ Up! team during Sale-a-bration or host a party!
Firstly the new Handmade For You January – June catalogue is packed full of beautiful items and you can see them all by clicking on the cover image below to get the PDF or contact me and I will mail you a set of new catalogues.
The Handmade For You catalogue is designed with the experienced crafter in mind – but it still has lots of basic ideas, so please don’t let that deter you! It has lots of beautiful co-ordinating suites of products to make your crafting experience a lot simpler.
Handmade For You
My personal favourite from this catalogue is the Peaceful Poppies Suite – I could go on and on about the versatility of this suite, but I’ll let you watch the video below instead as a picture is worth a thousand words!
Sale-a-bration 2020
There are fantastic exclusive rewards for shopping, hosting and joining during Sale-a-bration (3 January until March 31st).
If you SHOP during Sale-a-bration you can be can FREE items for each $90 or $180 spend increment there are stamps, punches, embellishments and paper to get for free! The current hostess code is AJAVUPXB and you can go online and shop here.
If you HOST during Sale-a-bration and get together with friends to create and everyones orders before shipping and handling reach AUD$500 the you get this FREE super cute Little Ladybug stamp set which you can see more of in the video below
Little Ladybug Stamp Set
The final way to earn FREE stuff during Sale-a-bration is by JOININGmy team – by spending just $169 you get to chose the normal $235 in products of your choice, a business starter pack, free shipping PLUS you get FREE:
6″x6″ mini paper cutter
48 sheets of 6″ x 6″ double sided designer series paper from six different designer series paper packs in the new catalgoues (four each of 12 designs)
your choice of any value current stamp set (not including host or Sale-a-bration sets)
This is an incredible value offer (almost wish I could rejoin to take advantage of it myself!), but if you have any questions or would like to join please contact me or click here to join now and become part of a creative family. Of course if you’d like to try before you buy per se – you are welcome to come to my next team meeting on Sunday January 12th to see what we get up to.
Joining offer 2020
We are hosting a Sale-a-bration event on Saturday January 25th from 9.30am -11.30pm at the Yangebup Family Centre. Where we will be making 2 cards with matching envelopes and 2 gift tags for just $10 including a yummy morning tea. You can click here for payment details.
So amidst the melee that is my normal hectic spring work schedule (being a desert survival & venomous snake instructor) I am really looking forward to some stamping therapy next weekend when I get to enjoy 2 days of crafty time with some awesome friends.
Normally I’d be helping with the event set up or similar on the Friday, but the planets didn’t align that way this time so it means I’m free to catch up with some people I’d like to spend more time with celebrating my 10th Stampin’ Up! anniversary & then dinner with other Stampin’ Up! leaders. The Saturday will be a full day of business talks, creating, seeing new things and of course swapping…..the day will be finished off with an awesome dinner with over 35 fantastic Stampin’ Up! demonstrators…..so now you know why I’m looking forward to the weekend!
So what are swaps? Swaps are basically an excuse to go up to a complete stranger and say “Hi I hear you are creative like me” and exchanging a crafty item with them, normally it’s a card or 3D item and in the past I’ve done all sorts of different things. Sadly this year I’m a bit time anaemic and decided to keep it simple and do some badges with a crafty quote on them – one style for my awesome team members who are coming to OnStage and another for friends I’ve yet to meet.
My Discover Ink team swaps
General OnStage swaps
I didn’t really think through my swaps very well though as I ran out of badge components before I’d made the amount I’d hoped to make – ohh well I guess it means I was going for quality not quantity! I will try to get to make time to post the swap items I get in return for the badges – but normally I end up gifting most of my swaps so I don’t always get items in return and that’s okay with me as for me it’s all about sharing the inky love rather than expecting things in return.
So this year instead of just partaking in World Card Making Day which came about in 2006 by Paper Craft Magazine and is celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October, as a way to encourage crafters to get a head start on the Christmas season. This year Stampin’ Up! took it a step further and held the first World Card Sending Week – a whole week where we could not just make but send out greeting cards just because.
I’m sure I’m not the only crafter who makes cards and doesn’t always get them in the mail OR thinks I really should mail X a card to say “hi” or “I’m thinking of you” but life just gets in the way and it plain doesn’t happen…..so amidst my crazy spring schedule on several plane flights and in remote locations I made 23 “just because” cards and mailed out to all different people – some that I see regularly, others that I haven’t caught up with in years, but still think of kindly for whatever reason & no not all of the recipients are crafters, they truly were “just because” cards.
I also sent a special card to someone in the USA as I joined in Stampin’ Up!s card sending tree and in return received one from a demonstrator in the USA as well. All up the total number of handmade greeting cards that we sent as a company in the one week was 52519! That’s a lot of paper hugs isn’t it? I know how lovely it is to receive cards in the mail and that week I got two – one from the fellow demonstrator in the USA and the other from a lovely friend & both felt pretty special.
The Cow card I made to send out just because
The card was made using the Over the Moon stamps, coloured with watercolour pencils and die cut with the Stitched Rectangles and popped up on Dimemsionals. The designer series paper is from Bird Ballad and the embossing folder was Pinewood Planks with the base and layer being Pear Pizazz. The sequins were from the retired metallic range in the last catalogue and stuck on with the fine tip glue.
I’m looking forward to not only sending out more “just because” cards, but also planning on some sort of event to celebrate it next year so stay tuned for that!
So recently we did a crafting afternoon fundraiser for Homestead For Youth to help raise funds for their amazing work – but not everyone could make it on that day and not everyone is crafty – we get that. So as an alternative we have pre-made up the set of 6 cards from the afternoon and packaged them into a nice acetate box so that you can purchase it for your own use or give as a gift.
The sets of 6 cards come with matching stamped envelopes and are blank inside. They are $20 per set and postage is extra.
NB: the cards are handmade so there may be some slight variation from the cards pictured.
The statistics are scary:
1 in 7 young Australians experience a mental health condition
Suicide in young Australians is the highest it has been in 10 years
Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents
1 in every 2 of our youths are sexually abused, with research showing that this trauma leads towards mental illness
There is on average 6 suicides a day
Homestead for Youth has a focus on fixing the gaps in our youth development and mental health systems, Homestead for Youth works with innovative and holistic therapy approaches for young people and their families who fall in the bracket of “able to help themselves” but are not able to.
Join us on Monday June 3rd from 10am-noon at the St James Church in South Lake (corner Hackettiana & Elderberry Drives) to create two beautiful cards & tags using all new products from the new catalogue. The morning will include crafting, new catalogue (if you don’t already have one) and morning tea.
hand image
Plus you could go in the draw to win a brand new product retailing at over $30 – to get yourself in the draw you just need to bring along a new crafting friend or two (one entry for each new friend) or place an order (for each $50 increment you get an entry ticket into the draw).
To secure your seat and creative kit, please make payment below
For the month of May Stampin’ Up! is offering a limited release product medley called Everything Is Rosy. So what exactly is a product medley? It’s a group of co-ordinating products that you can use with your existing craft supplies (ink, paper, tools) to create some beautiful items. It is amazing – it has everything an avid crafter would love to use to create beautiful gift boxes, scrapbook pages, cards and home decor.
The contents of the kit are:
Everything Is Rosy Photopolymer Stamp Set—18 stamps; suggested blocks: a, b, c
Everything Is Rosy Dies—10 dies; largest die 7.3 x 2.5 cm
6″ x 6″ (15.2 x 15.2 cm Designer Series Paper Stack—48 sheets; 8 each of 6 double-sided designs
6″ x 6″ (15.2 x 15.2 CM) rose gold foil paper—8 sheets
Printed die cuts—2 sheets
Rose gold die cuts—4 sheets; 2 each of 2 designs
Rose gold adhesive backed mirror embellishments—60 embellishments 6.4 mm diameter
Melon Mambo 6.4 mm Ruched Ribbon—9.1 m
Night of Navy/Rose Gold 1 cm Metallic –Edge Ribbon—9.1 m
Rose Gold Shimmer Paint—15 ml
The product medley is only available during the month of May – or whilst stocks last, so if you want to order this box of creative goodness, you need to do so sooner rather than later. The product code if you are ordering online is 150059 and it costs $139.00 and if you are joining my team, it can be added to a starter kit.
Come create with us on Saturday August 3rd to help support Homestead for Youth and help change the outlook on youth suicide in our local community.
The statistics are scary:
1 in 7 young Australians experience a mental health condition
Suicide in young Australians is the highest it has been in 10 years
Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents
1 in every 2 of our youths are sexually abused, with research showing that this trauma leads towards mental illness
There is on average 6 suicides a day
Homestead for Youth has a focus on fixing the gaps in our youth development and mental health systems, Homestead for Youth works with innovative and holistic therapy approaches for young people and their families who fall in the bracket of “able to help themselves” but are not able to.
By attending our fundraising event, not only will you have a fun & creative afternoon, but this is where the money raised will go to at Homestead for Youth:
$25 will purchase a healthy, homemade meal for a young person who needs a safe home
$50 will provide a warm, safe bed at the farm home, in a cabin, for a young person to rest and recharge
$75 gives the gift of a therapy session where one young person can share their story with Homestead for Youth’s counsellors and be empowered with skills to face their mental health challenges
$100 helps a family who is going through challenges with a donation for a family therapy session at Homestead for Youth
$250 Lets kids be kids and enjoy a weekend at the farm camping, restoring cars, doing arts and crafts and enjoying the good safe farm life
$500 gives a troubled young person the opportunity to recover and find freedom in the farm for a fortnight so that they can recharge and get back on their feet
$1000 will change the story on youth mental health
$5000 allows a young person the freedom to graduate back into their community with life skills and work readiness and a new hope for life
Join us on Saturday August 3rd from 12.30-4.30pm where we will be sharing our creative talents to help change some local young peoples stories, so that they don’t become statistics, for just $35 your afternoon will include:
kits to create 6 beautiful handmade cards with co-ordinating envelopes suitable for all occasions
door prizes
$10 of Stampin’ Up’ product included with your kits – Tombow glue, Dimensionals & 2m of Bakers Twine, any unused is yours to take home at the end of the day
Thank you treats
Amazing afternoon tea
Plus on the day there will be raffles, games and a silent auction of donated goods, the proceeds from all of these will go directly to the Homestead for Youth fundraising tally. Plus any Stampin’ Up! orders on the day will not only enjoy free postage & handling, but also Sue & I will be donating our commissions to the event as well.
The event is suitable for people of all levels of crafting ability from zero to experienced, but is limited to children over 13yo due to the nature of sharp implements used.
If you are not crafty, but would still like to support the event you can purchase packs of pre-made cards (the 6 we will be making on the day) in a beautiful presentation acetate box (so they’d make awesome gifts) for just $20 (that’s less than $3.35 per card).
So as you can see there are lots of ways you can help support our Homestead for Youth fundraiser and start changing the statistics. Places are limited for this event so please book and pay early to avoid disappointment.
Follow us on the FaceBook page for this event to get regular updates and sneak peeks!
I first made these a long time ago….and decided since Easter Chocolate isn’t really that nice, I’d do some Easter gifts using bars of Lindt chocolate – these would also be perfect for birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s or Father’s Day just change the decorations to suit.
The template I modified from here to suit my chocolate block size and card stock that I had available. I used a 2″ circle punch to cut out the top circle, but did not slit the hanger to get it over the door knob like they did, as if you do that it will not stay hung up, it’ll just fall off.
The card stock that I used was 12″ x 5 1/2″ and the measurements that I used for scoring along the small side are 1/2″, 1″, 4 1/2″, 5″. I then turned the card stock and along the long edge I scored at 9″, 9 1/2″ and then cut out the tabs etc. as per the diagram in the link – sorry but by the time I would spend trying to digitally create a template for this blog post I could have blogged 6 other posts – so you’ll have to cope with their diagram and my measurements!
The Early Expresso belly band is 2″ wide and the Granny Apple Green insert is 6″ x 3″ in size. The stamps I used to decorate these are from Best Bunny with several being fussy cut (i.e. cut with scissors) and the leaves and other die cuts are from the Foliage Frames dies in Granny Apple Green, Garden Green and gold foil card stock.
You could easily adapt this for other occasions by e.g. using the presents from Best Bunny or flower punches or dies for Mother’s Day, you really are only limited by your imagination! You could of course over wrap the chocolate bar with designer paper to make it co-ordinate even more, although as I’d used real read card stock we found in class that the red milk chocolate or the brown dark chocolate Lindt packaging looked fine without the over wrap.
Change is never fun, however in order to make room the the next annual catalogue, released June 4th, for lots of beautiful new things, some of the existing items needs to retire.
From the 2018-2019 Annual catalogue these items are retiring – the shaded items are current wood/clear mount stamp sets that will be coming back as cling mount stamps….so they won’t actually be leaving us!
From the current Occasions Catalogue these items are retiring.
Please note that all items are whilst stocks last…I strongly suggest if you purchased the 2-17-2019 in color ink pads that you order the re-inkers for those pads NOW. There is of course also co-ordinating card stock and accessories should you have a colour that you can’t bare to part with.
You will see on the list that the Big Shot machine is retiring, this is correct. Stampin’ Up! will still continue to supply exclusive dies and embossing folders, but at this stage not a die cutting machine.
Also on the list is the paper trimmer, sadly the issues of blade quality and consistent supply have not been able to be resolved over the last few years, so the current paper trimmer is retiring and will be replaced with a new one in the future. As such I would suggest if you have a trimmer currently you get a couple of extra blades for it.
