Finally, some cards!

It feels like ages since I actually put a card up here! Those of you who were able to visit the Stitches and Craft Show might find these ones a bit familiar. As I was on the Incentive Trip, I wasn't able to be at the Show, but some of the girls from my team were there, doing a fantastic job. A big thanks to Noreen and Sue, Karen, Kirrily, Lorna, Sam and Robyn for all your hard work!


We demonstrated a fun technique called Faux Tearing, and also showed off the One of a Kind stamp set and matching punch. We had a kit available for purchase at the show, and I'd like to offer the kit to those of you who weren't at the show. One of the best things about these cards is that to make one of these cards you only need 1 inkpad!

Faux Tearing Kit
Background Stamp of your choice
“One of a Kind” Stamp Set
Boho Blossoms Punch
Pack of 12 Sponge Daubers
Double-stitched Ribbon (13.7 metres)
1 Inkpad (colour of your choice)

Total (includes Shipping and Handling) $145 ...SAVE over $10!

PLUS Faux Tearing Instructions and sample card

Just email me if you would like to purchase the kit!

The colours I've used for these cards are Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Pale Plum, Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Blush Blossom, and Groovy Guava.

It's Show Time! (and more Faux Tearing)

It's that time of year again! A group of us are getting together and having a stand at the Stitches and Craft Show. It's THE craft show of the year, so make sure you don't miss it!
I personally won't be there (I fly off on the Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip next week), but some of my team will be there.

The Sydney Stitches and Craft Show has a huge variety of craft works and supplies on display. Look for us the Stampin' Up! stand, and come over and say hello! You can join in our Free Make-and-Take. There will be lots of ideas on display and fantastic demonstrations happening too...Crayon Resist, Faux Tearing, Chalkboard, Stamp Wheels, Scrapbooking and more!
When: Wed 20 -Sun 24 August 2008 (that's next week), 10am - 5pm daily
Where: Rosehill Racecourse, Unwin Street, Rosehill (Sydney) NSW
Entry: $15 adult, $12 concession (aged and student), Children (5-16 years) $7

Here's a sample of Faux Tearing to whet your appetite. You can come and see it being demonstrated at the show:

These are some cards that I had published in an Aussie magazine "For Keeps Creative Paper" a couple of months ago, and I never got around to showing you them on here. Alisa sent me a card with this colour combination, and inspired me to make more!
Here are the instructions. They are quite detailed as I had to send them into the mag with everything listed!

MATERIALS for all cards
Stamps: Bodacious Bouquet, Paisley, It’s Your Birthday, Simple Sayings II (retired)
Card: Elegant Eggplant, Orchid Opulence and Whisper White.
Ink pads: Elegant Eggplant, Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery
Embellishments: Celery Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware
Other tools: Paper Trimmer, scissors, sponge daubers, SNAIL adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Scrap paper, Sticky note

Faux Tearing Instructions for all cards:
1. Tear a scrap of paper that is at least as long as your card. This will be your mask.
2. Lay the torn edge along your Orchid Opulence card where you would like your faux tear to be
3. Use sponge daubers to sponge along the torn edge in Orchid Opulence ink.
4. Move the mask up a few mm and stamp Paisley Background stamp in Orchid Opulence ink above the tear

Smile card
Trim a piece of Orchid Opulence Card to 14.3 x 10cm. Create Faux Tear as per above instructions. Attach a piece of Wide Celery Ribbon and Hodgepodge buckle to left hand side of card with Sticky Strip. Adhere to folded Elegant Eggplant A5 card with SNAIL adhesive. Ink Large Bodacious Flower design in Orchid Opulence ink. Use a sponge dauber to ink the edges of the petals in Elegant Eggplant ink. Stamp onto Whisper White cardstock. Stamp large flower again onto a Sticky note. Trim around flower carefully with scissors. Place on top of stamped flower as a mask. Stamp 4 leaves over the top of your mask in Certainly Celery ink. Remove mask. Trim Whisper White cardstock to 7.5 x 6.5cm. Adhere to 8 x 7cm piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock, and then to base card with SNAIL adhesive. Stamp the word ‘smile’ in Elegant Eggplant ink.

Someone like you card
Trim a piece of Orchid Opulence Card to 14.3 x 10cm. Create Faux Tear as per above instructions. Attach a piece of Wide Celery Ribbon across the front of the card, and adhere to the back with Sticky Strip. Tie a knot separately on top. Adhere to folded Elegant Eggplant A5 card with SNAIL adhesive. Ink Large Bodacious Flower design in Orchid Opulence ink. Use a sponge dauber to ink the edges of the petals in Elegant Eggplant ink. Stamp onto Whisper White cardstock. Stamp swirly stem in Certainly Celery ink. Trim Whisper White cardstock to 6.5 x 7cm. Adhere to 7 x 7.5cm piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock, and then to base card with Stampin’ Dimensionals. Stamp the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant ink.

Long stem card
Trim a piece of Orchid Opulence Card to 14.3 x 10cm. Create Faux Tear as per above instructions. Adhere to folded Elegant Eggplant A5 card with SNAIL adhesive. Ink small bodacious Flower design in Orchid Opulence ink. Use a sponge dauber to ink the edges of the petals in Elegant Eggplant ink. Stamp onto Whisper White cardstock. Stamp stem in Certainly Celery ink. Stamp leaf in Certainly Celery ink. Trim Whisper White cardstock to 4.5 x 10.5cm. Adhere to 5 x 11cm piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock. Attach a Hodgepodge ribbon charm and brad to bottom right hand corner. Knot a piece of Celery Wide Grosgrain ribbon to the Hodgepodge. Adhere to base card with SNAIL adhesive.

Faux Tearing

This is the little card I was demonstrating at the Show (yes, blues and greens again!!). I was showing a technique called Faux Tearing, and also Watercolouring with Markers.

Here's how to do it:
1. Tear a scrap of paper that is at least as long as your card. This will be your mask.
2. Lay the torn edge along your card where you would like your faux tear to be
3. Use sponge daubers and your inkpad to sponge along the torn edge
4. Move the mask up over the sponged edge a few mm and stamp or sponge the cardstock above the tear

Here I stamped with the Paisley Background above my faux tear. The colours I've used here are Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue and certainly Celery. The "Merci" Sale-a-Bration set is so lovely to watercolour!

CaSEing Michele

This gorgeous card of Michele's has inspired me to do some more faux tearing. That Paisley pattern you see there is not stamped on a separate piece of cardstock and then mounted; it's actually just stamped straight onto the base card. It's a really simple technique and so effective. It makes me run my finger over the "torn" edge every time! You can learn this technique in my "Art of Faking It" class on 6th September. Email me if you're interested!
Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Cameo Coral, Whisper White
Ink: Taken with Teal
Stamps: Reason to Smile (Hostess), Paisley background, Polka Dots and Paisley
Other: Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Stampin' markers: Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery, Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise (stamped off once)

The Art of Faking It!

....Isn't that a great name for a class?? That's what my class is called that I'm running here at home on the 26th July. We'll be exploring lots of "faux" techniques. Here you can see faux eyelets and faux tearing, and we'll make 2 other cards which use 7 more "faux" techniques that you can use on your cards to save you time and money, and make your friends and family say "how did you do that?" As well as faux eyelets and faux tearing, there's faux linen, faux shaving cream, faux bleaching, faux stitching, faux brads, buttons and bows.

I still have some spots available if you'd like to come along .... just email me.

Card recipe:
Cardstock: So Saffron and Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Whisper White Craft
Stamp Set: Little Pieces, Birthday Best
Other: Almost Amethyst, Certainly Celery, So Saffron Stampin' Write Markers, Dimensionals, 1/16" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, Crystal Effects