Australian Scrapbooking Cruise

Imagine yourself cruising around the Great Barrier Reef next November, paper-crafting between ports of call. Sounds fantastic to me.

I believe this is the first time such a venture has been undertaken locally (scrapbooking cruises have been on offer to US scrappers for a few years now).

I heard about this opportunity from two lovely ladies who operate Memories to Remember which will be the official on-board scrapbooking supplier.

Anyway, if you want to check it out, visit Crafting Cruises for more information.

Love from Crafty Kim

Notice of Holiday Period

Hello Everyone,

Well Christmas is almost upon us and the end of 2008 is near. I'm taking this opportunity to advise closure dates for Stampin' Up! which are as follows:

"Stampin' Up!'s offices and operations (including picking and shipping of orders) will be closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 24-26 December for Christmas and Boxing Day. SU! will resume all office operations starting Monday, 29 December until 3.00 pm on Wednesday, 31 December 2008. The office will again close from 3.00 pm on Wednesday, 31 December (New Year's Eve) and will reopen on Monday, 5 January 2009."

I will be at home and able to receive phone calls and emails during the above holiday period so you are welcome to place orders with me during this time but delivery is unlikely to occur until after Monday 5 January 2009.

On Thursday 8 January, my close friend, Leanne Jarmyn, and I are flying to Africa for the holiday of a life time, including a safari to meet Africa's wonderful wildlife. We'll return to our families on Australia Day (26 January) . Wish us luck!

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Summer Mini is here...

The new Stampin' Up! catalogue has arrived and contains beautiful things to tempt us.

Enjoy browsing through it online and if you would like your own "hard copy", please email me with your postal address and I'll pop one in the post to you.

I'll be posting pictures of cards and other items made using my new goodies soon. In the mean time, have a think about hosting a Stampin' Up! gathering in January or February 2009 when you have the benefit of both this new catalogue and the Sell-A-Bration promotion (more details of this soon).

Thanks for reading and please come back and visit again.

Love from Crafty Kim

Tell Stampin' Up! What You Think About Their Colours

Now I know you're all way too busy at the moment but if you're a fanatic about colour (like me), see if you can find 2 minutes to complete this online survey to give Stampin' Up! input on their colour offerings:

Visit SU! Colour Survey to participate.

Thanks in advance in your time and thoughts,

Love from Crafty Kim

Christmas Bargains

As well as the Stampin' Up! Marker promotion running until 9pm tomorrow (= 14 December 2008), Stampin' Up! is also offering 20% off selected stamp sets and accessories when you spend $20 or more on any Stampin' Up! merchandise.

Festive Favourites stamp set (p.27) was $45.95 now $36.76

Crazy For Christmas stamp set (p.28) was $39.95 now $31.96

Snow Flurries stamp set (p.29) $20.95 now $16.76

Tag Time stamp set (p.43) $53.95 now $43.16

Many Merry Messages stamp set (p.111) $64.95 now $51.96

12"x12" Days-to-Remember Calendar (p.133) was $20.95 now $16.76

6"x6" Days-to-Remember Calendar (p.133) was $18.95 now $15.16

Winter Bright Simply Scrappin (p.138) was $36.95 now $29.56

Three for You Punch Box (p.143) was $85.95 now $68.76

Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (p.146) was $14.95 now $11.96

Very Vanilla 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (p.146) was $14.95 now $11.96

White Square Aluminium Metal Edge tags (p.147) was $7.50 now $6.00

For full details of the promotion, please click here.

Offer ends on the 31 December 2008.

Thanks for reading,

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Markers Promotion Extended

(Photo and creation courtesy of Michelle Dyson)

Remember this post? Well the good news is that the Stampin' Up! Single Marker Promotion has been extended until the 14 December 2008.

My friend and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Michelle Dyson, has made colour selection very easy with her post called Bakers Dozen.

And thank you also to Leonie Schroder for compiling the following Marker Information Sheet which I've then "added my 2c worth to":

Marker Facts:
The Stampin’ Write Markers are water-based dye ink and come with two marking tips. The arkers with two tips are commonly referred to as "Dual Tip" markers, with one end having a durable, flexible nylon brush tip that provides broad coverage for general usage such as inking up a stamp, and another smaller end with a fine tip for coloring in tight spots of outline images or for hand-lettering.

The Stampin’ Write Markers offer exclusive coordinating colour families. All 48 colours come in card stock, ink pads, watercolour crayons and markers.

They are sold in colour family sets of 12 which include Soft Subtles, Earth Elements, Bold Brights, and Rich Regals. They also come as a complete set of 48.

These markers are odourless, acid-free, xylene-free, non-toxic.

Storing Markers:
Stampin’ Write Markers should be stored so that they lie horizontally. This way both ends will have an even distribution of inks to the tips.

Techniques to try:
• The markers work well with the blender pens. You can use markers instead of watercolour pencils. Stamp image in black. Outline the inside of your image with the markers and use the blender pens to pull the colors around. Or touch the tip of the blender pen to the tip of the brush end and color with that. Gives a lighter version of the color. It is much more subtle than colouring the whole design with the marker.

• Make a colour palette by coloring with markers on a piece of acetate and colour with a blender pen or waterbrush.

• Line the inside of your stamped image with the markers and use a wet paintbrush, or Aqua Painter to pull the colours around. This gives a lighter version of the colour and is much more subtle than colouring the whole thing with the marker. Looks like you used watercolors to paint it.

• Markers allow you to omit apart of the stamp. Just use them to ink up the part of the image you want to see once stamped.

• You can match the marker color with a paper color without having to purchase the matching stamp pad separately.

• You can colour in a stamp with multiple marker colours and then huff on it (note the technical term “huff” . . . meaning breathe heavily onto the stamp so that moisture from your breath re-moistens the ink on the stamp.) Then stamp on your card stock. In the example below, part of the stamp has been inked in Certainly Celery and part of it in Regal Rose:

(Photo and creation courtesy of Jayne Mercer)

• Use your markers to do the "Thumping Technique". Thumping is not what you do to your husband when he asks a dumb stamping question although this might have merit at times. Rather, thumping consists of inking up a solid stamp with a light-coloured ink. Grab two contrasting markers and open them to their brush tips. Hold the markers as you would drumsticks and thump away onto your stamp. If desired, you can add several more colours. When finished, reactivate the ink by "huffing." Stamp and enjoy.

• When you emboss on vellum and color in the design on the back of the vellum using markers, it looks like stained glass!

• Markers are great for colouring directly onto glossy cardstock.

(Photo and creation courtesy of Michelle Dyson)

• Ink up in a lighter colour and use a darker, same tone marker to "shade" on the rubber before stamping. In the example below, the stamp has been inked up in River Rock and then edged in Always Artichoke. This gives a similar result as rolling the stamp edges with an ink pad.

(Photo and creation courtesy of Marelle Taylor)

• Use the markers on Paper Clay after it is dry. Stamp your image, allow it to dry and then use the markers to colour in the image. This is useful when you are making Paper Clay ornaments, jewellery, etc.

• Use markers to write a personalized message or for journaling in your scrapbooks.

• Use markers to add shadow to a computer printed greeting by just highlighting on one side of the type (such as to the right of each letter.)

• Use the markers to draw lines or shapes on a brayer, and then run the brayer over your cardstock. You can make some great tortoise shell, leopard or gemstone looks on glossy card stock.

• Use markers to colour white ribbon to match your card. You can now have 48 colours of grosgrain with just a couple swipes of the markers. Be sure to have a piece of paper underneath as you color on top of it and rubber gloves might be an idea too. In the example below a white taffeta ribbon has been dyed with a Rose Red marker:

(Photo and creation courtesy of Marelle Taylor)

• Use fine tip to highlight/outline inside edge of panel cards. Cut edge of cardstock with decorative shears and colour edge by using side of marker.

• Use a Bordering Blue marker to show "shadow" around a portion of image. The example below is from my previous post.


• Use on sponge to add colour to stamped images or create specialty backgrounds.

• Use brush tip to make hearts, butterflies, leaves, flowers, raindrops and watermelon seeds.

• Use the markers to fix "mistakes". If your stamped image isn't complete, use a coordinating marker to draw the incomplete lines.

• Emboss with them. Ink the stamp using Versamark then colour on your stamp with the markers. Stamp and emboss with clear embossing powder.


Well that was L O N G but hopefully you've got some new ideas for using marker pens. If you don't have any markers yet, you really can't be without them. Please contact me on 0402 347 010 or email me before 9pm Sunday 14 December to take up this offer.

I'll try to come back later and edit this post to put some pictures in amongst the above notes so it is clearer.

Have a good day.

Love from Crafty Kim

Christmas Lights on Show

Hello,

I'm finally back. Thanks for your patience and I hope to be posting more frequently.

Christmas celebrations have begun and I wanted to share something special with you. In my local area, the Baynie family has created a wonderful Christmas light show in their front yard (at 47 Oakleigh Drive, Thornleigh) for all to enjoy. The display, which the family have been producing for a few years now, is dedicated to the memory of their daughter whom they lost to leukemia when she was aged only in her twenties.

Their neighbours have joined in as well so there are three houses to view. So if you're located somewhere in North West Sydney suburbs, it is worth the trip. Lights are on from sunset until 10.30pm. They are lovely people and most welcoming. While you're out this way, please take a tour of my suburb, Westleigh, lots of families have got into the act, including our family's modest efforts. Please email me for more details of the streets.

If you're not in my local area, there are other light displays all over Sydney. Please visit the 2GB web site for details of the Christmas Lights Hot Spots (make sure you scroll down past the advertisements to see the various homes and locations) and to vote for your favourite display (no prizes for guessing who I'm voting for).

I'll be back posting about paper-craft next.

Love from Crafty Kim