ESAD Autumn Winter 2011 Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the ESAD Autumn/Winter 2011 Blog hop. You may have arrived here from the lovely Pauline Bennetts Blog. Did she do an amazing job with our new product? Or perhaps you've just arrived at my blog all by yourself. Don't stress, just click on the link below to Sharlene Torres blog and on each blog you'll be given a link to the next and eventually you'll be lead right back here.

What is ESAD?

ESAD stands for Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators and it's an online group just for Australian and New Zealand Demonstrators for Stampin' Up!®

We so love what we do and not only do we love to share it with our customers, friends and wonderful blog visitors but we share our love of what we do with each other as Demonstrators. We run swaps, challenges, tutorials, product know how and cyberstamps and we are always there to help support each other when it's needed.

So if you are a Stampin' Up!® Demonstrator located in Australia or New Zealand please feel free to click here to join our wonderful group.

Right now that's the formalities over. Onto the interesting stuff.... so what have I made to show you today?

Firstly we have this cute little book box. How often do we collect buttons and have no cool place for them. I've made this little book to store my buttons in. I've decorated the front with images from the Sew Suite stamp set. If you are a sewer, you just HAVE to have this set. It's super cool.

Now to the buttons. I did include some of the Sweet Stitches Designer buttons on the front, however two of the ones on the front of the box were made by me. Yes, faux buttons. If you'd like to know how to make them, please click here to find out how.... don't forget to come back and do the rest of the blog hop though!



I made mine using the Sweet Stitches DSP. Isn't it just adorable? You can make these buttons using punches or in my case I used my Big Shot and the Buttons #5 Sizzlet Die.



The picture above shows how I held them while I was waiting for the Crystal Effects to dry. Below is a photo of a selection of them.



You'll notice in the photo above that some are shinier than others. This is partly due to camera angle and also partly due to whether I added just one or two layers of Crystal Effects

Card: Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Rose Red, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla
Ink: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise
DSP: Sweet StitchesTools: Big Shot, Buttons #5 Sizzlet Dies, Cyrstal Effects, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder
Ribbon: Twill
Stamp Set: Sew Suite

Okay so you thought that was enough... well no.... this mini is full of great items and I just have to show you a card I made.

This card is made using the Create A Cupcake stamp set and it's co-ordinating punch. Yes, we have the most adorable punch to make 'cutting' these out easier. I chose to use the punch to cut DSP for the cake patties and cardstock for the cake and cherries. I stamped the sprinkles on with Versamark and embossed them, so they are shiny. Kind of hard to show in the photo. I also used Crystal Effects on the cherries, so that they are all shiny! So cute! I've also used one of my own matching designer buttons on this card as well.

Card: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Very Vanilla, Bashful Blue
Ink: Rose Red, VersamarkDSP: Sweet Stitches
Punches: Build A Cupcake, Decorative Label
Tools: Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Cyrstal Effects
Ribbon: Blushing Bride 1/2" Stitched Poly Ribbon
Stamp Set: Create A Cupcake

Okay so now I have finished with my creations and it's time to say goodbye! It's been lovely having you here and please feel free to leave comments on what you like and didn't (is that possible?)

Now it is time to go on over to Sharlenes blog and check out her fantastic creations.

Till next time, happy stamping...

The one that got away!

Well you know how there is always a card that you saw and wished you had? Well that happened to me at Convention. I was out to dinner with my ESAD buddies and Claire Harrison had these stunning cards. Again I was kicking myself for not taking my swaps to tea - but I really didn't want them to get dirty!

Anyway I prayed that I would run into Claire the next morning and be able to grab one from her then. I did find Claire, however she had run out of swaps already. I was so sad. But the memory of this card was too strong and as soon as I got home, I started badgering Claire to blog her swaps - Hi Claire! Unfortunately for Claire blogger was playing up, so she instead sent me a picture via email - AND the ingredients. Wasn't she a gem?


Anyway I just had to make this card up straight away and here it is. The photo does not do this card any justice. The images are gold embossed and then painted using Crystal Effects and Re-inkers. So there is bling and shine to this card that was too hard to photograph.

I will not put the ingredients up as this is Claire's card and you can ask her for instructions if you would like them. That way she'll know she has inspired you too!

Till next time, happy stamping...

ESAD Summer Mini Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my blog.

Today you have either stumbled across or been informed about the Blog Hop that the ESAD group is having. So who is ESAD? We are a group of "Extremely Special Australian Demonstrators". We have our own yahoo group and we share ideas and provide support and friendship to other demonstrators. We have regular chats, challenges, swaps and tech talks.

If you are an Australian or NZ Stampin' Up! demonstrator you can join our group. Click here for more information. If you aren't a demonstrator and are worried about missing out, contact me and I'll can fill you in on many more benefits that you'll receive by being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

I am showcasing a card using the stamp set, Butterfly Prints, and co-ordinating punch from the Summer Mini. I just love that this punch also co-ordinates with Flight of the Butterfly from the Ideas Book and Catalogue.

I used the emboss resist technique to build this card. To do this, you need to emboss an image onto your cardstock using clear embossing powder. Then you go over it with ink. I used my brayer to ink this cardstock. I then used a tissue to wipe the excess ink off the embossed images. The best part is that the ink gets into the little cracks in the embossing and leaves a reverse image.



Card: Whisper White, So Saffron, Taken With Teal
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Taken With Teal, so Saffron, Versamark, Rose Red
Ribbon: So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain (retired), Elegant Eggplant 1/4" grosgrain
Punches: Butterfly, 1/2" Circle
Tools: Embossing Buddy, Embossing Pals, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder
Stamp Sets: Butterfly Prints, Short and Sweet

Be sure to remember to add a comment to every post that you visit on this blog hop as you may win some BLOG CANDY for your efforts! There are about 30 blogs in total to visit, so grab a cuppa, set the kids up something that will entertain them for a while and enjoy our blog hop. After you have visited every blog, you will end up back at the first. Once you are there and have commented on every blog, please email Leonie to be entered into the blog candy draw.

Alright the next blog to visit is the very clever Steph Pikes.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Cyberstamp Christmas Challenge

So things have been plodding along nicely for me last weekend. I was slowly getting through all the projects. I had made it my personal challenge to try join in EVERY challenge for the weekend. And boy, did I achieve a lot!

Tanya Kitto was in charge of the Christmas card challenge. She decided to ask us to make a Christmas card without using a stamp set designed for Christmas. Although we were allowed to use the greetings from a Christmas stamp set.




I love the Lovely As A Tree stamp set and haven't really had an opportunity to make all the things that I want to with it. I had been meaning to try this shadow look for a little while, so I thought this was a perfect time to try it out. I had to have a couple of goes before I got it right. I didn't have a tutorial or anything, so had to work through this on my own. Finally I came up with the look I was after.

Card: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White
Punches: 1" Circle, 1/2" Circle
Tools: Heat Gun, Clear Embossing Powder, Sponges
Stamp Sets: Lovely As A Tree, Snow Swirled

Till next time, happy stamping...

Easy Christmas card

Are you shocked like me? Have you suddenly realised that it's November and you haven't started on your christmas cards yet? Well I hadn't really either, so here is card number 1. I am running a christmas card making workshop this month, click here for more details.

I love the Ski Slope DSP, which is only available to end of this month. I know that I normally use DSP as a background filler, but I thought that this gorgeous DSP was begging to be embossed on. It certainly turned out better than I expected.


Card: Not Quite Navy
Ink: Versamark, Not Quite Navy
DSP: Ski Slope
Ribbon: Whisper White Taffeta
Tools: Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Silver Embossing Powder
Embellishments: Pretties Kit
Stamp Set: Snow Swirled

Till next time, happy stamping...

Fantastic flip flop cards

Using the watercolour technique that I made my "Watering the Rose" card with, I also made some blue irises. I wasn't happy with the way that they dried, so I got my blender pens out and used some of the excess ink to darken them around the edges and to also colour the stamens in. Then I was happy with the result. I just had to find the right way to showcase them.

I found the tutorial to these fantastic flip flop cards by Kim Burmeister on Youtube. Of course hers looks very different to mine.


On Wednesday I went out to visit a friend on a property and thought I'd make her a card for having us out there. What stamp set suits better than Rustic Rooster? I manually coloured him in using just about every marker in the Earth Elements range. I then embossed over the top of him and stamped the words over the top. The embossing resists the ink, so that you don't end up having words stamped over the rooster.

Below is a picture of the card half opened out. I think these cards can be left without sentiments if you like. I wrote a long thank you in the middle of this card (after I took the photo), so I didn't want to have a stamp in the way.

I think these cards are stunning, but so simple to make. You could make them without even stamping, if that's what you wanted. Just use some of our fantastic DSP!

Blue Iris card

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point
DSP: So Saffron, Good Morning Sunshine
Tools: Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Blender Pens
Stamp set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Rustic Rooster card

Card: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy
Ink: Versamark, Earth Element Markers, Not Quite Navy
DSP: Haiku
Ribbon: Natural Hemp Twine
Tools: Embossing Powder, Heat Tool
Stamp set: Rustic Rooster (Hostess set)

I'd love to promise that I'll be back soon, but I am heading back out to work for the next couple of days, so it may be a bit quiet.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Watering my rose!

Hello and suprise, I am back within a couple of days. I honestly thought that I only updated my blog yesterday, but it appears it was two days ago. Even still I am back in record time.

As promised I am show casing a card, using an apparently foolproof method of watercolouring. I am not 100% happy with the watercolour result, but it still looks good. Perhaps I am a fool!

For this card I used the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. Stampin Up is a wonderful company and I received this stamp set for reaching quite achievable goals in June and July. Although this set wasn't originally on my wish list, I know that I am going to make a lot of stunning cards using these stamps.


I also used our Build-A-Brads in this card, which I think adds matching style. Sometimes it is just impossible to find the right embellishment and with the Build-A-Brads, you can make your own to match your project. It certainly saves a lot of frustration!

Card: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Almost Amethyst, Rose Red
Ink: Versamark
Reinkers: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirrouhette, Tangerine Tango
DSP: Sweet Always
Embellishments: Build-A-Brad, Clear Stampin Emboss Powder, Heat Tool
Punches:Eyelet Border, 1/2" circle
Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Next month we have a new special for all customers who spend over $100. Stay tuned to find out more.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Silver and White Challenge

Well finally I am going to post a card that I have made myself. I am kind of cheating though, because I did it a couple of months ago for a challenge at my local craft shop. I love doing their challenges as they give you some horrible papers to work with and it really makes you think. I did like the materials this time, but seemed to have a hard time putting them together. Eventually I came up with this little beauty.



So as you are aware, not all of the ingredients are SU, but I thought I would show you anyway. The photo doesn't do this card any justice and one day I might get a new camera, as mine is about to stop working. I used my cricut to cut the "&" and word "Forever"

Card: White, silver and patterned - all non SU
Ribbon: White with silver edging - no SU
Punches: Circle, Scallop circle
Tools: Heat gun, embossing powder
Stamps sets: Always, Baroque Motifs

Anyway I have to dash, as I have to wake up baby and get to school for pickup in ten minutes.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Twisted Christmas

Again I have decided to try and make a card for Marelle's July Christmas challenge. This time I haven't cased the card and have made it up all by myself.


Of course, this didn't turn out as I expected. I was planning on doing a night time christmas tree, but the background stamp ended up looking like snow instead of stars.

I don't seem to be posting as regularly as I would like. I am still making cards and doing workshops and the like, but either it's for my secret sister or you've seen it all before. I will try and make some more new creations soon for you.

Card: Whisper White, Ballet Blue, Sage Shadow, Riding Hood Red
Ink: Sage Shadow, Versamark, Ballet Blue, Not Quite Navy, Blue Bayou (retired)
Tools: Clear embossing powder, Dazzling Diamonds, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Brayer, Sponge Daubers
Punch: 1" circle
Stamp sets: Lovely As A Tree, Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired), Snow Swirled

Till next time, Happy stamping

Faux metal challenge

This week on Extremely Special Aussie Demonstrators (ESAD) group we were challenged to make a card using the faux metal technique. Now I have recently learned this technique and thought that it would be a good opportunity to hone my skills. I really love Circle Circus stamp set as it works wonderfully with this technique.



I am also really enjoying the Best Yet stamp set which is only available to hostesses. Remember that during the months of June and July if you hold a workshop with orders in excess of $600 you are entitled to an extra $40 spending money.

Card: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Not Quite Navy
Ink: Summer Sun, Tango Tangerine, Not Quite Navy, Versamark
Punches: Scollop Circle, 1 3/4" cirle - non SU, Large Oval
Ribbon: Riding Hood Red Taffeta
Stamp Sets: Circle Circus, Best Yet (hostess set)

Till next time, enjoy...

Zindorf's Ocean

Well, as I stated in my previous post, I have been looking for something to try out my very limited brayer skills on.... and I found this little beauty on Michelle Zindorf's blog.



I attempted to follow Michelle's tutorial, however changed a couple of things to suit myself and the items I have in my craft room. I am very impressed with Michelle's work and find her tutorials very easy to follow. And if I can make something like this, as a beginner, then I am sure that you could too.

I will not put the ingredients up on this post as they are in Michelle's tutorial again. Perhaps my next entry will show something that I have designed, but I may be inspired again.....

Till next time, enjoy....

I've Been Zindorf'ed

For those of you who don't understand the title - Michelle Zindorf is a fantastic stamper and is well known for her stunning work. Michelle is the "Queen of Brayers". I happened to be browsing her site the other day, looking for some brayer inspiration, when I came upon her tutorial using our Rustic Rooster and couldn't help myself but try to give it a go. Unfortunately there is no brayer work on this card, so I will have to go back to the drawing board and look for another project.



And as I was trying to take photo's of this card to show you, I had a little help. My dd has decided that she likes it and it's hers. She especially likes the ribbon ties and brads.



As anyone who knows me will tell you, I can't follow directions exactly and have changed a couple of colours and stamps etc. So it's unique to me..... and if you look at Michelle's tutorial you will see her picture is a little different, but I believe that is what makes this journey so special.

Rather than put the ingredients on this post, please click on the link to the tutorial as they are there.

Till next time, enjoy!

Emerging Colour Technique

Cathy Clark, who is one of our technical advisors on the Extremely Special Australian Demonstrators (ESAD) group has shown us this week how to do this emerging colour technique. It is really quite simple and the effects are fantastic. This is my first attempt and I am happy and will definitely use this technique again in future.

Today I have used some retired and non-SU equipment to spice things up a bit. As much as I try, I still love the retired stamps sets and am not ready to give them up yet. I am sure that you understand. This was my first attempt with a brayer and it is suprisingly easy to use.

Card: Orchid Opulance, Pink Pirouhette, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Ink: Orchid Opulance, Pink Pirouhette, Tempting Turquoise, Perfect Plum
Ribbon: Purple - non-SU - I think I got it from my friend Julie.
Tools: Brayer, clear embossing powder and heat gun
Embellishments: Kaiser Rhinestones
Stamp Sets: In the Spotlight (retired), Most Appreciated (retired)

Faux metal technique

Well I decided to have a go at the Mojo Monday sketch 88, although I am not brave enough to enter it on their site. And here is my finished attempt

A close up of the faux metal that I made....

Yes this is another new technique from me. And another addition to my blog in such a short space of time. I have been housebound for the last couple of days with a sick baby - who's sleeping a lot, so I have found plenty of time to work quietly on my papercafts.

Faux metal is an incredibly simple concept and the results are stunning. You just need a little time, embossing powder, versamark, stamps and a heat gun. I will look at running a class in my home in the not to distant future, so if you would like to come please email me.

Card: Basic Black, Taken With Teal, Elegant Eggplant.

Ink: Versamark

Ribbon: Purple 1/4" grosgrain (non-SU)

Embellishments: Metallic eyelets (retired)

Stamp sets: Circle Circus, Best Yet (hostess set) and Rustic Rooster (hostess set)

Cuttlebug: That's my type - embossing folder

There are a couple of ways to get the hostess set and the first is to host a workshop, however if you can't do that, perhaps you could show the Ideas Book and Catalogue and collect orders, via a catalogue party. To order an Idea Book and Catalogue, just email me at soniagarbutt@yahoo.com.au

Out of my comfort zone

Well I have been busy over the past couple of days with a cybercamp for Australian Stampin' Up® Demonstrators. It has been full of challenges, discussions, ideas and online chats and quizzes. This really is a company where every demonstrator is out there to help each other.

This card is the result of one of the many challenges put up this weekend, by Leonie Schroder.

Card: Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouhette

Ink: Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouhette and Versamark

Ribbon:Theatre Ribbon Originals (retired)

Embellishments: Clear Embossing Powder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Punches: Square scallop and 1/2" circle

Stamp Sets: Baroque Motifs, Baroque Border wheel, Say it with Scallops and Always