Baroque Fireworks

(Photo and creation courtesy of Lorraine Mastalski)

Hello _FINALLY_,

Thanks for your patience while my non-stamping world has kept me away. I really appreciate that you keep checking back for new posts and haven't given up on me. A quick note of explanation....I am currently working three part-time jobs (in addition to Stampin' Up!). I've always had a few balls in the air but recently I was offered the opportunity to work part-time in my original profession of science. Paper-crafter and scientist - it doesn't have a poetic ring! But the offer to get back into the corporate world was too attractive to turn-down (I have the best boss in the world and I get a lap-top all to myself, no more sharing with hubby and kids) and is helping to keep my family in the manner to which they are becoming accustomed, i.e. lots of take-away food, an ironing lady, after-school care and a scatter-brain wife and mother. Just joking, it's not all bad. We have just bought a much-needed second car and are planning a holiday to Fiji later in the year.

Anyway, enough of me, you didn't come here for a soap opera but I felt some explanation was necessary and I thank you in advance for your patience until I get into a new routine. Today, I'm plugging a community event. If you're in Australia, do you miss Firecracker Night? Maybe you're too young to remember it but I have very fond memories of bonfires and crackers on our long weekend in June to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's birthday.

Schofield's Public School is holding their Annual Fireworks festival TONIGHT = Friday 29 May 2009. If you're in the area, and would love a kid-friendly afternoon/evening out, then take the kids along, and be sure to drop into the Stampin' Up! stall. Sadly, I can't be there (I'm working elsewhere) but my good friend and team member Ryn Gibbs will be there with a display, catalogues to browse, and paper-crafted treats to buy. There are also Carnival Rides, sideshows, entertainment, a BBQ and a Showbag Stall, so there is something for everyone! And you'll be supporting children's education while having all this fun.

Where: Schofields Public School - St Albans Road, near Junction Road. Click HERE for a map.

When: 4.30 pm - approximately 8pm (fireworks when darkness falls)

And lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to Lorraine Mastalski for her fireworks card (shown above) made with one of my favourite ever sets, Baroque Motifs. Visit Lorraine's website for more card details.

But you know me, I couldn't end it there, in my search I found this cute journal cover from Pat Sell. Thanks for sharing your talent Pat.

(Photo and creation courtesy of Pat Sell)

Well, my time really is up now. I'm off to make lasagne and butter chicken, I am helping my dear friend and new Stampin' Up! demonstrator Carolyn (note this is a link to Carolyn's Facebook Page, register or login to view) to cater for her Winter Warmers luncheon tomorrow. Have a good weekend, squeeze some stampin' in.

Love from Crafty Kim

Craftfest Sydney 2009

Coming up on Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 March 2009 is a New Craft Expo, located at Homebush in the middle of Sydney's suburban sprawl.

For more information, please visit the Craftfest web site but it seems all the "usual suspects" will be there. There will be a Stampin' Up stand but unfortunately I'm not working on it (sob).

I hope to get along to the Expo at some stage but if you visit before me, please pop in here and leave a comment to let me know how you found it. Thanks in advance.

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

Sydney Paper Crafts Festival

(Image courtesy of Creative Living Media)

Another quick note to remind you that the Paper Crafts Festival is on at the end of this week. Unfortunately I won't be sharing in the fun of being on the Stampin' Up! stall but Angela, Vanessa, Lin Mei and Teneale will all be there to meet you and showcase Stampin' Up! products. I think there will be a free make-and-take as well as prizes to win daily.

All the details about the Show, can be found here. I hope you can get along; I'm planning to go as a visitor on Friday so I might see you in the crowds.

Enjoy,

Love from Crafty Kim

Another Show Demonstration, the "One Sheet Wonder"

(Thanks to Sharon Davis for Card Designs and Photograph)

Well if you came along to the August Stitches and Craft Show in Sydney you would have seen either Sharon, Karen or Tracey demonstrating the One Sheet Wonder.

The So Swirly Jumbo Wheel and Priceless Stamp Set are perfect candidates for the One Sheet Wonder concept. So what is it? A very quick and easy way to make several cards at once or, to make a mini-book or even several themed larger pages. You take a 12 x 12 inch or A4 sheet and decorate it with stamping. In this case, the So Swirly stamp wheel was inked in Basic Black ink. Then it was wheeled across 12 x 12 inch Whisper White card stock diagonally because diagonally is much more forgiving if you're not perfectly straight. Of course, you can use a wheel guide if you need help to wheel straight. Then, after a few more wheels, let the sponging begin. Using an ink pad of your choice (such as Almost Arthichoke, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie - I think stronger colours work best with the black or brown), sponge colour onto the sheet and around the edges using sponges and daubers (you'll achieve a different look with each). The sample above is sponged with Purely Pomegranate.

The resulting sheet is cut-up according to a template and used to decorate and embellish scrapbook pages or to make cards. The co-ordinating stamp set Priceless is also used to adorn the pages or cards. Compared to buying decorative paper, it's quite cost effective.

And this month, it's even more affordable because of the Stampin' Up! Free Wheelin' Promotion. If you buy the very versatile Priceless Stamp Set before the 30 September 2008, you will receive the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel for free.

If you're interested in receiving the 12 x 12 and A4 templates to guide the cutting up of your decorated 12 x 12 inch card stock, please email me at ktonnet@bigpond.net.au

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

Another Show Demo - Chalk Board Technique with a Difference

Here is a card made with a technique that Teneale Williams was demonstrating at the August Stitches and Craft Show. Chalk Board is a really simple technique using Stampin’ Pastels (chalks) and White Pigment Ink.

First you stamp the Baroque Motifs image in white ink on to dark cardstock (Chocolate Chip, Night of Navy or Black work best). Load a sponge dauber with chalk, in this case I used the Brocade Blue Pastel. Then bounce the dauber over the stamped image, being careful not to rub or wipe. Brush the excess chalk off using a dry paint brush. This leaves the flourish and swirls a light blue colour, rather than stark white.

The small flower from Baroque Motifs was then stamped in Whisper White Ink. And here's the difference from conventional chalk board: using a Brilliant Blue Watercolour Pencil, I've coloured the centre of the flowers and I have also toned the edge of the Flourish using the pencil to add “light and shade”. It is amazing how much better the card looks with this extra touch.

Finally a greeting from the It's Your Birthday stamp set was stamped in Whisper White Ink. Worth mentioning here is that the white ink, being a pigment ink rather than a dye ink, takes some time to dry so be careful not to smudge it. A Brocade Blue Wide Grosgrain Ribbon was added to embellish the card and add dimension. Otherwise, it is a single layer card - so easy and quick to make.

Other suggested colour combinations to try are Chocolate Chip card with Regal Rose chalk and ribbon or Black card with Old Olive chalk and ribbon.

At the Show we had a special Chalk Board Kit available for purchase and I am offering this special to those of you who weren’t at the show or missed the Demonstration.

Chalk Board Show Special
“Baroque Motifs” Stamp Set (P. 98 of Main Catalogue)
Stampin’ Pastels 51 colours (P. 150 of Main Catalogue)
Whisper White Ink pad (P. 129 of Main Catalogue)
Pack of 12 Sponge Daubers (P. 150 of Main Catalogue)

Total (includes Shipping and Handling) $120 which is a saving of $10.

Purchase price also includes step-by-step Chalk Board instructions (with pictures), a sample card and further stamp usage ideas.

Please email me at ktonnet@bigpond.net.au if you want to take up this offer.

Thanks for visiting and reading.

Love from Crafty Kim

The Show is Over....Thanks A Bunch

Well I had a blast at the Stitches and Craft Show at Rosehill Racecourse last week. If you're visiting my blog for the first time after meeting me at the Stampin' Up!® stand, welcome. Thank you to all of my friends who came to visit me. I trust you enjoyed looking at the displays, demonstrations and I'm glad some of you had time to make a card.

I also want to say sincere thanks to the other Stampin' Up!® demonstrators who worked on the stand with me. I really appreciate the company and support of Teneale, Marelle, Sharon, Tracey, Karen, Kirrily, Sue, Noreen, Robyn, Sam and Lorna. Teneale's Mum, Barbara, kept the make-and-take table running smoothly and made us all laugh. And my own Mum, Robyne, deserves a medal for looking after my sick son and stickering numerous catalogues and forms while I worked full-time. Ashley was off school with a nasty virus for the entire duration of the show so his care was not an easy task.


After the show closed, I was thrilled to receive this big bunch of flowers and beautiful card from Sharon and Marelle. It's been a while since I received flowers (hint hint hubby, not that he reads my craft blog). Such a lovely surprise when I was feeling a tad tired.


And here's a close up of my card, a creation from the very talented Marelle Taylor. It uses bleaching techniques to give it a coloured-in look on dark coloured card stock. Marelle has generously shared her instructions so you can read all about it.

Marelle stamped and embossed an image in black ink onto Elegant Eggplant, and bleached out sections of it, and then water-coloured the bleached areas. The image is from "Oh So Lovely". She 'painted' the flowers and stems with bleach. You can use an old paintbrush (find one with nylon bristles, as the bleach will eat away at natural bristles), but we recommend the use of an Aquapainter filled with bleach. The bleach is less smelly that way, and you are less likely to spill any on your clothes. I've got an dedicated Aquapainter for bleaching (i.e. written BLEACH on it in big letters!), but I rinse it out after use and store it empty. The image starts to bleach out before your eyes, but wait until it's completely dry before you start to water-colour it. Marelle water-coloured with an Aquapainter (without bleach in it!) and ink taken from the ink pad lids (Purely Pomegranate for the flower and Always Artichoke for the stem). She also used a cotton-bud (Q-tip) dipped into bleach and ran it around the edges of the Eggplant piece.


The background for this card has been done using the background block in the "Oh So Lovely" set. Purely Pomegranate ink was stamped onto Pale Plum cardstock; just stamped repeatedly in one direction, and then the cardstock was turned 90 degrees and stamped repeatedly in the other direction. Marelle then sponged around the edges in Pomegranate ink.

The Crop-A-Dile made easy work of the eyelet setting! Here, the shiny black eyelets echo the black embossed image, and add a touch of class. The little tag is just a small oval punch, with the edges sponged, and another eyelet set in it. Matching Elegant Eggplant grosgrain ribbon completed it ready for me to enjoy.

Now if you have any questions arising from anything you saw or heard at the Show, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'll be sharing some more cards and techniques from the Show stand but I better get back to Father's Day with another post later today. So, until then, thanks for reading.

Love from Crafty Kim

Roll Up, Roll Up....It's Show Time

Just a quick reminder that I am currently at the Sydney Stitches and Craft Show, at the Stampin' Up! stand (460, in the Pavillion). I'm having a great time. We are offering demonstrations, give-aways, and a free make-and-take, which is a choice to make either this card:

Or this card:



With your choice of various greeting stamps. We've also got show specials associated with the products used in our demonstrations and make-and-takes.

We are fortunate to have the highly talented crafter and lovely lady, Teneale Williams, teaching a class every afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30pm. Teneale is a much published artist and experienced teacher. In fact, most of her classes book out fast, so this is a great opportunity to meet and learn from her. The project is called an Amazing Maze book which can be used as a scrapbook of photos or a quote book. Here are some pictures, first is front cover:


And here is a close-up of one of the inside pages.


This class costs $20 and includes all materials and use of tools so no need to bring anything. Just book and pay at the stand and turn up to the classroom. Easy.

Anyway, must get my sleep to get me ready for another day of fun. For more information on the Show, please click here.

Hope to see you Sydney-siders at some stage over the next three days.

Love from Crafty Kim

Please visit me at the Stampin' Up!® Stand at the Sydney Stitches & Craft Show

The Sydney Stitches and Craft Show has a huge variety of craft works and supplies on display. I'll be at the Stampin' Up!® exhibit, so please come over and say "hello"! You can join in our Free Make-and-Take. There'll be lots of ideas on display and fantastic demonstrations happening too...Crayon Resist, Faux Tearing, Stamp Wheels, Scrapbooking and more!


When: Wed 20 - Sun 24 August 2008, 10am - 5pm daily
Where: Rosehill Racecourse, Unwin Street, Rosehill (Sydney) NSW
Entry: $15 adult, $12 conc. (aged & student), Kids (5-16 yo) $7

For all the details, please visit the Sydney Stitches & Craft Show website. Don't miss out on our special SU! offers.

Love from Crafty Kim