Scrapbook Club with Circle Circus

Scrapbook Club started last night and everyone enjoyed it and also produced two lovely 12"x12" layouts which unfortunately I didn't photograph, but then they are very personal and everyone may not have wanted theirs on display.  You will just have to look at mine and accept that theirs were all very different but very well designed. 

If you missed it and were hoping to join us you can start the club at any stage.  At your first session you will receive the album of your choice and the materials for that nights double page spread or mini album.  You can then join in each month and add pages to your album.  If you can't make the date or time then contact me and we can try to arrange something to suit us both.

Thanks to everyone who came along.  I'm glad that you enjoyed the evening and am grateful for your texts and emails confirming it.  See you next time.

Hugs Zx

Moving On!

stampin' up! demonstrator zoe tant

I can't quite believe it's nearly the end of yet another school year. It only seems two minutes since Olivia moved up to 'senior' school back in September and soon she will be in year 8 and not one the first years anymore.  Charlie will move classes too and will go on his first residential school trip and of course if you have sons you know how quickly boys lose the will to kiss you goodbye at school each morning. 

Anyway the upshot is that I'm fast realising that the term will end sooner than I care to think about and I need to think about a few thank yous.  So yesterday I was playing about with a bevelled window pane that I had decorated using crystal effects and baja breeze glass glitter a few weeks back when I decided to put it together with a few other bits and pieces and turned up with a card that Olivia can give to her viola teacher.  My tinkering involved trying out a new technique which was featured in the demonstrators newsletter that we receive each month. 

Using an embossing folder, designer series paper, versamark ink and some embossing powder you can create the black and vanilla backdrop in the bottom of the card above.  Of course it includes my lovely new toy the Big Shot which is fast becoming my favourite tool.  I've also used one of the stampin' around standard wheels in the same way as a brayer running it over an ink pad several times to ink it up and in this case I was happy for the ink to slowly fade on each run across the cardstock.  The violin is stamped in basic black and the stamp is from a retired US set some years ago.

Strings of pearls added a little more glamour and some coordinating dsp from the subtles paper stack brought the colours together.  I also decided to decorate the inside and that's below.

If you'd like to learn more about this technique or the big shot and it's attraction, then consider joining my stampers 6 or stampers 10 groups where you can try before you buy and budget your purchasing over 6 or 10 months and also receive free product, free exclusive gift, monthly project and training and an idea book for this year and next.  To find out more contact me on 01507 525885.
Off to prep for my owl punch class now so have a great day and I hope you miss the showers.
Happy crafting.
Hugs Zx
Supplies
cardstock - marina mist, old olive, very vanilla
ink - basic black, marina mist, versamark
stamp sets - musical notes stampin around wheel, thank you kindly
accessories - bevelled window pane, crystal effects, pearls, old olive grosgrain striped ribbon, marina mist taffeta ribbon, sponge daubers
punches - scallop trim border
big shot
brayer
vintage wallpaper embossing folder

Summer Splash Octopus

Just a quick post as it's half term and we're keeping busy!  This is a take on a card from a US demos blog and I'm sorry, but I've lost it at the moment, but I thought it was fun. I've adjusted it slightly but the idea of taking a partial circle out appealed to me. 

supplies

Summer Splash stamp set

brights dsp

spiral, modern label and word window punches

real red taffeta ribbon

glossy white cardstock

surgical gloves

spritzer tool

real red, tempting turquoise, daffodil delight and pumpkin pie inks

Off for more games and shananigans!

Hugs Zx

Easter treats

It's always nice to share chocolate with friends, but it much nicer to present it packaged in Stampin' Up! finery and here's a simple but attractive project that some of my customers have made at recent workshops. 

You will need

medium cello bag

top note die

big shot

designer series paper stack colour of your choice here I've used peach parfait

peach parfait & daffodil delight cardstock

two way glue pen

dazzling diamonds

fun flowers die

modern label punch

a good egg stamp set

peach parfait ink pad

daubers

sticky strip

Cut a piece of dsp to line the bag.  Cut a top note shape as the topper for the bag and score it length ways.  Also cut the fun flowers and used the two smallest shapes to make the flower here.  You can distress it by scrunching which also looks good or just use a dauber to add a contrast to the petal edges.  Punch a 3/4" circle for the flower centre and cover with glue and dazzling diamonds.  Adhere to flower centre.   Stamp Happy Easter in peach parfait and punch out with modern label punch.  Adhere that and the flower to your topper.  Use sticky strip to adhere the outside of the bag to the topper.  Once your treat bag is filled add more sticky strip to seal the topper on either side of the cello bag.  You can then finish off your piece with a chick!  Of course this project is a year round useful gift presentation idea as you can change the theme and colours to suit the occasion. 

Have a go it's really quick and easy and will impress your friends or children at your child's birthday party.

Back with more soon.

Hugs Zx

Wow Nanny - great card

My mum always tells everyone how amazed she is that I am now a Stampin' Up! demonstrator as to quote her "She was never creative as a child and I don't know where she gets it from now!"

But I think I have an idea as look at this fab card my mum put together for Charlie.  She used the Loads of Love set and cut out trees from last year's Mini Paper Stack and what a fab card.  Another one to thrill Charlie.  I love how she also added pearls and ribbon to make such fun balloons.  I also like how she got around writing 8 using circle punches and rhinestones.  Even my dad commented and suggested she did a bit of colouring to make the truck stand out more. 

A great team effort!

Have a great weekend.

Hugs Zx

Birthday Wishes for Rosella

My children are currently at Rosella's birthday party.  I decided that whilst Rosella is such a beautiful name the chances of getting badges, mugs or anything with her name on would be limited and probably non-existant unless you make them yourself.  Having posted my dream sign on the previous post I started thinking what I could do beyond just a card with her name on.  Also one of the greatest things about being a demonstrator is that not only do you get all your stash at a  fabulously discounted rate you also earn lots of free stuff and don't always have the time to use it and so I decided to use up some of my retired as well as current supplies on this sweet little girl's birthday and make her a sign to hang in her bedroom.

A sign, I hear you cry!  Yes a sign because once opened she will be able to remove the bottom portion and it will turn into a sign with her name on because I used the perforator from our cutting kit to enable this to happen and attached a ribbon through eyelets on the inside of the card as you can see below.

I think it's kind of clever and I'm really hoping she likes it. Report back from Olivia today who has been to panto practice with Rosella.  She told Olivia "Your card is fantastic!" Good news!

The rest of the card is fairly simple and I've used the current Brights DSP stack to stamp the balloons and cut them out and attached them to stamped images on the card base allowing the strings to remain in tact.  Being a very girly, funky girl, Rosella that is, I've done a 'pink' job with sparkly rhinestones and dazzling diamonds glitter.  Rub-ons have been used for the sentiment with the spritzer tool and my own 'smudging' to finish it.

Now whilst I have used chipboard before I've not really covered it with dsp before or glitter so this is my try something new for a challenge on Shelli's blog.  I've also used my new crimper again and I got it straight this time remembering a tip from the lovely Pam Morgan at Convention; start to run the cardstock through a little then reverse slightly before you send the whole piece back through the crimper.

Have a great weekend and imagine that your only trouble this weekend is to browse the sale-a-bration brochure and decide which set you want to earn next!

Hugs Zx