Falling Flowers For the Global Design Project

HI everyone! It's midweek madness time! a bit of creativity to get you to the end of the week! lol!!

I really wanted to play along with the Global Design Project's challenge this week- its a CASE the designer project. I discovered Shawn De Oliveira a while back, when Carl started card making. It' s so refreshing to see men releasing some stress by creating. 

Shawn is an amazingly talented designer. I really enjoyed casing his design today.

Click here to be inspired by all the designers, and entries, cased from Shawn's design.

 I have only JUST got this bundle. 

Crazy I know. 

After I got the retiring list, I always check to see any bundles that are carrying over into the new catalog, and buy them BEFORE they retire (as bundles), because I know I will lose the opportunity to get the 10% discount on them as a bundle. The reason I waited so long with this bundle is because in last years (still this year I guess.... I've already transitioned!) catalog, there were SO MANY awesome flower stamps and dies. I think I got overwhelmed with my choices!!! LOL

I'm a little sad I didn't choose this set earlier though..... some of the dies are framelits (meaning they "frame" a stamped image) and some are stand alone dies-"thinlits" and they are so fun to play with!

A mix of the thinlit cut flower and images that are
cut with the matching framelits, from the Falling
Flower bundle.

Get the stamp and Die bundle while you can at a 10% discount-until May 31st.
After this is WILL be in the new catalog- but not as a bundle!!

Tips and Tricks- 

• As you can see in the picture of the Stamps and Dies below, there is this gorgeous "swirly" image. I clear heat embossed this "swirl" on both ends/edges of the layered card stock. I then applied the new Lemon lime twist with an aqua painter to these areas. I then layered this card stock with the lemon lime twist card stock.
• I then stamped and coloured the images (I coloured the berries, but not the leaves... just to "lighten" the design) I wanted to use, and I also die cut the page Thinlit flower image. I love that you can see the berries peeking through it!
• I then stamped a sentiment from the sending thoughts stamp set twice. (another retiring stamp set!!!) One stamped in lemon lime twist, and one in archival black. I was too lazy to mask the image to get a 2 toned effect, so I just die cut them both out with a stitched shape Framlit, and cut the lemon lime twist sentiment in 1/2 and layered this over the top. 
• I wrapped some seam binding white ribbon (retired) ribbon around the base of the card, and tied a bow, then arranged all the elements around the bow, glueing them down with either Tombo liquid adhesive, or dimensionals.
• I felt it needed a tiny but of bling, so I added one of the new Glitter enamel dots in the centre of the Thinlit cut flower. 

Falling Flowers bundle

I really enjoyed making this card today-I hope you enjoyed reading about it! 

Get in quick and get this bundle for the reduced price. The sentiment stamp set-Sending thoughts is at reduced price as well, because its retiring-get in quick!!

 Spend over $50 and Use this months Hostess code (May- AXHWKMJU) to receive the Lovely Lace embossing folder-FOR FREE as a gift from me! while stocks last)

Make a purchase in my store, using this months Hostess code,
and receive the LOVELY LACE embossing folder for free, as a gift from me!

Make today great, and CREATE!!
Petra x

Crazy Crafters Blog Hop with Nadine Köller

Welcome to our crazy crafter blog hop today with the talented Nadine Köller. 

If you haven't checked out her blog, click on the pic below to go and visit her blog. I highly recommend checking it out, even if you cant understand the language-it's well worth a visit-Nadine's photos and style of crafting are superb!!

Click this pic to visit Nadines blog! 

I loved the combo of crisp white and the new lemon lime twist-with pops of gold. It's a gorgeous combo. I decided to put the sentiment in the middle, and add the gold via gold foil card stock, under one of the die cut portions of the card front. because I really wanted the lemon lime to stand out, i added a thicker border.... Which I'm regretting now actually-I love that on Nadine's card the tiny peek you are getting actually emphasises it more- gorgeous! I also added for a little extra gold, some retired gold thread. Im in love with the eastern palace bundle, and I hope you can see its value and versatility too. 

Eastern palace card in lemon lime twist!

I loved her card that much I decided to make the cased version of her card my customer cards this month. I also made a quick video tutorial of how easy these cards are to make. In real time these 4 cards took me exactly 22 mins. Ive sped up the tutorial, and you will only have to watch 6 mins of me fluffing around, but all the things I used, and details of sizes of cardstock ect are in the video. I hope you enjoy it!

Please check out all the CASE-ed versions of Nadine Köllers cards in the entire blog. The Talented crazy crafters LOVE to honour talented Stampin up designers, all around the world. I KNOW you are going to love their designs too!

Kylies International Stampin Up! blog highlights- Masculine cards.

Welcome to Tailored Craftiness! 

I wanted to participate is Kylie Bertucci blog highlights this week (If you read my Wednesday blog post for last week, you will understand why... lol) But had no clue what I wanted to do...until yesterday, when I was looking at a card in which I used the new stamp set Eastern beauty- and noticed that one of the circle stamps when over lapped looked like a tennis ball! so I went with that, and created this unique masculine thank you card

Eastern Beauty stamp set, from the Eastern palace bundle.

It was very easy to create the tennis ball by layering and white heat embossing the circle stamp from the eastern beauty stamp set, and then die cutting it using a die from the layering circles die set, on so saffron card stock.

Along with the tennis ball, I used some retired Designer series paper, (Go wild) which I layered with crumb cake and Dapper denim. I created the "bounce" by tracing around 2 sized ovals from the Layering ovals set of dies.

Don't you love unique sentiments? The Labeler Alphabet allows you to say what ever YOU want to say-I love Puns- so its especially handy to be able create them whenever I want!

I hope you enjoyed todays post-Please void for me, so I can participate in the winners blog hop in a few weeks time!!!

If you like my project please VOTE for me HERE- My card is number 59! 

Stamping Sunday Blog hop- Lovely Friends Bundle

Welcome to our very FIRST super inspiring-Stampin Sunday blog hop!

 I was so Excited when I was contacted but the SUPER talented Sara Levin, a demonstrator from Pennsylvania, to be a part of this INTERNATIONAL hop which, highlights some of the amazing things from the new 2017-2018 catalog. 

It will be hosted by Sara every 2 weeks. I hope that you will Hop along with us- prepare to be INSPIRED by NEW products!!

Even though the Catalog isn't officially "open for business" yet-as demonstrators we get a brilliant opportunity to play with some of the new products early-this month we are starting with the AMAZING Lovely friends bundle. 

What I love about this bundle-

• Super large sentiments.
• I love the Stunning Fonts.
• Gorgeous two stepped stamping flowers.
• .... and top of my list of things I love-THE POP UP DIES!!!!!

The dies are to die for - Seriously. Here is my sample-

Lovely friends

How stunning is the font on this over sized sentiment? Swirly and girly-I just love it!

I  heat embossed the sentiment onto our lovely NEW Designer series paper, (called-Colour therapy) and layered this on to Old olive cards stock. To accent these I used some Old olive ribbon, and the NEW  glitter enamel dots.  (more about the DSP and embellishments next month.....) 

Lovely friends meets Best birds.

Lovely Friends Pop up wreath, (used a bit differently)

Its INSIDE where the magic happens though-the Dies create a pop up wreath or Laurel (like a wreath, but with a bit cut out) Its super easy to create the wreath-But I wanted to create something a little different. We don't use wreaths a lot in Australia-(maybe in the winners circle at a horse race... or occasionally you might see them on doors at certain times of the year, but not often, really) When I saw the foliage that the dies create, I immediately thought of pairing it with the best birds stamp and die set, fortunately its in next years catalog as well!

Lovely friends meets Best birds

Tips and tricks-

• I first of all attached 2 pieces of the same designer series paper that I used on the front of the card, one each side of the fold line.
• I then die cut ONE of the  laurel dies TWICE, and stamped randomly over the die cut foliage a  leaf image that comes in the set of stamps. It's not one that pairs with the dies exactly, but it creates the feeling of lots of greenery. 
• Positioning was a little tricky, because I didn't want my foliage to hang out of the open card (this wouldn't happen if you postponed it as it is made to be used. It's just that I was using it differently.) 
• I stuck one down with liquid adhesive, and then played with the other until I was happy with the position. (Liquid adhesive gives you that little bit of play time to get the positioning right. I didn't get it 100% right, though and in the end I trimmed a little bit of the foliage down any way. I don't  think it's too noticeable.) If you plan to do this-make sure you clean up the glue thoroughly afterwards-you don't want your card being closed and then being glued together permanently.
• I then stamped the sentiment on a 7 cm x 2.5 cm  (2.5" x 1' roughly) piece of whisper white, and then attached some old olive ribbon with a stapler on one end. I then adhered that with dimensionals to the card.
• I then stamped and die cut the small flower images out of the lovely friends stamp set, and  cut the 2 of the die cut bird images out of the best birds die set. Position these where you would like to on the "branches". I later glued a large flower over the middle connection- don't do this- it stops the mechanism working. place it to the left, or right of the middle only. (see picture below)
• The die cuts make great accessories for treat boxes and bags! (see picture below!)

if you want to add a large flower, add it off centre-
otherwise it will effect the pop up mechanism- lovely friends bundle

Lovely friends Gift bag punch board bag.

Carl took one look at the dies, and wanted to have a play- he saw a tri fold card. he made his own "designer series paper" by stamping the background randomly with some of the stamps in the set, then die cut the foliage out, and added the sprigs to the from of either side of the trifold card. then to finish, he added some bees from the dragon fly dreams bundle. the super large sentiment was added to the inside of the card- for a real "wow" effect. he added a bit of hessian texture by stamping the background stamp from the best birds bundle- cool huh!

Create with Carl- lovely friends tri fold card.

Create with Carl, tri fold card

What a great sentiment! Create with Carl, lovely friends bundle.

I hope you enjoyed todays post- Make sure you go and see all the lovely things you can do with this bundle by getting to all the blogs on the hop- you are sure to be inspired! Make sure you come and hop with us in a months time- For more peeks into the new catalog!

Weddings- Jar of love.

I did a silly thing-You will Laugh.  

Any one who knows me will shake their heads. I thought the international highlights were on this morning. 

As you know, Ive had visitors, and been very busy, and  I don't read things properly.... I skim read.(Kylie is going to laugh, because she knows this is true. Sorry Kylie.) 

They are NOT on this morning. 

The highlights were 2 weeks ago. and I completely missed them. The WINNERS of the highlights have a blog hop this morning, and, seeing that I didn't even enter this month, that DOESNT include me. LOL! 

Ive actually had a couple of weddings that We have been invited to, or wanted to send a card too, which is why the highlights theme has been in my head, I think.  

Any way, I made this card for the highlights that were on 2 weeks ago that I didn't enter, this morning. I got up specifically at 6am to create this card for the non existent highlights. so, enjoy. lol.

Jar of Love stampp set, wedding themed card.

Jar of Love stamp set. 

Jar of Love wedding themed card.

Tips and tricks:

• I used the "zip lock bag "smoosching technique" (in pink pirouette ) to achieve the background. It's a quick easy way to achieve a watercolour look background. 
• I added another layer of smokey slate over the pink pirouette, using the zip lock bag, I sort of sponged the smokey slate from the zip lock bag, over the top.
• I stamped the fern-y stems (below), and fine stringed bow image (up higher) from the stamp set, directly onto my background.
• I punched a 1 3/4 sized circle and layered my bouquet on to that. I, at first, glued directly to the circle, then added dimensional backed flowers for texture and hight. I then set the bouquet aside.
• I stapled the very vanilla lace to the background and then added my bouquet over the top, adhering with Dimensionals.
• Finally  I added my stamped and layered (with silver foil card stock) sentiment, some winkastella to the flowers, and pearls for effect.

I hope you enjoyed my post for today and got a laugh.
Want to see the ACTUAL international highlights winners Blog hop?
 -click HERE

Make it a great day, and CREATE! 

Petra

Eastern Palace therapy.

I haven't Blogged much this week-Carl's Dad from Western Australia came for a visit! It was So nice to see Dad and Mary again-Its been too long! 

As you can see by the photos, Winter has come a few weeks early to Tasmania- It snowed down to 400 meters last night- so it was Freezing when we went for a walk to the Evandale Markets! 

Carl decided he would like to do something creative after Dad and Mary left on the next leg of their journey, (Victoria)  and asked me to give him a challenge. I immediately thought of giving him the new Eastern Palace suite of products, to see what he would create.

Here are the bits I gave him to play with: some card stock and DSP, and the new in-colours, (well, the ones I have!) as well as the new eastern palace stamps and dies. 

 Carl decided to look for a sketch to help him along, and after googling "card sketches" he found this one by Susan Stringfellow, which he decided would be perfect. With Spotify on in the back ground, he began, and I left him to it!

Carl hard at work!

Carl eager to play!

This is his GORGEOUS creation-isn't it AMAZING?!?

Eastern Palace suite

 Well- after I saw what he made, I decided to have a go. Ive been a little flat of late-I have been so busy with work, and prepping classes, its been a bit overwhelming, and my mojo has taken a hit. Seeing what Carl created really made me have a go- I think the competitive side came out in me! lol.

Heres what I created:

Eastern Palace suite. 

 I like the effect that double stamping the sentiment had-It gave it some extra punch! 

The dies, as Ive said before, are superb-the Layering circles dies are a MUST for when you get this set-they more than double what you can do with them-I used them to cut circles of gold foil (only cutting what I needed-no waste!)  and layered them underneath those lacy cut outs that one of the dies from the eastern medallions Thinlit dies were able to cut out. its added some glorious sparkle to the card. 

The new catalog is on its way to all my previous customers, free of charge. Are you excited to see all the glorious new gear? I can honestly say the new suites are just phenomenal this year-you are going to love them!

Have you ben inspired, and would like to get this set? Its in the new catalog-but its available for PRE-RELEASE to the public from May1st-so its AVAILABLE NOW!!! 

I hope you have enjoyed my post today- and have been inspired to get Eastern Palace yourself. Remember to use Mays Host code- AXHWKMJU -when making any purchases for a FREE embossing folder-My gift to you! Have a great weekend- squeeze in some creative therapy for yourself too!