A special ATC for Paperific

I was very happy to attend Paperific simply as a stamper this year - not working or running a stall. Ah, what fun!

I made some ATCs for swapping - wanna see?

Now, if you are keen of eye, you will notice that the stamps I'ved used here are NOT from the current catalogue. They are "retired" (that's so much nicer than saying "obsolete").

So here's my little essay on "retired" stamps.

It IS a nice thing to keep using your retired stamps, you know. You bought them because you love them, and old friends don't stop being old friends.

So when I'm representing Stampin' Up, or at a SU! function, or trying to sell you something (!) I'll be using all the latest and greatest. But when I just feel like tinkering with my lovely stamps, I'll be dipping into the old classics often. No wonder some older stamp sets become collectors items.

Oh, and you'll see, I managed to use that curly label punch on the day it arrived! That's Kraft card, and Old Olive ink, a classic combination, and behind the window it's Very Vanilla card and the same ink. I've added a little "drop shadow" in pale grey marker to the flowers - it makes them pop! And did I tell you SU! sponges are the best? I think I did. Well, they are.

Christmas Gift Giving - or maybe for you?

Have a look at the Gift Giving Guide Stampin' Up have released for the holiday season (I've added a link to it here, and it's on the Stampin' Up website too). What a great idea! If you spend just $85 on the goodies in the guide, you will score a FREE punch. A Square Scallop punch to be precise. Everyone needs that one.

But here's and extra bit of info - the offer's been updated - you can choose either the Square Scallop punch, OR the Boho Blossoms punch - that's the one with three flowers. Boho Blossoms features on page 95 AND page 153 of the catalogue ; it also goes with the "One of a Kind" stamp set on page 95. So that's awesome.

Second awesome bit if info is, I have worked out the absolute best package to get from the Gift Giving Guide (or "GGG" as we like to call it). It's what I bought with my first run at the GGG (yes, I'm planning another). If you choose the Curly Label Punch Bundle (that's a stamp set and punch that belong together), then add the Spiral punch (that's the one that makes "sprocket" holes along the edge of your cardstock, and makes pages that fit into our Art Journals), that comes to just over $85, and you'll get your freebie. So that's three gorgeous punches and a set of stamps for $85. Now THAT'S a Christmas present.

My first Bagalope!

Bag-a-what? A Bag-a-lope, of course! It's a little bag made from an envelope, a cool trick known to lots of stampers, and cultivated by Stampin' Up! demos everywhere, because they are easy to make and demonstrate.

I just had to be different though - couldn't make a straight forward one for my first one...

So I decided it would be a BIG one - made from a C5 envelope (that's the one that fits a piece of A4 paper folded once). You know, a smaller bag would be more sturdy - well obviously! But the person the gift is for needs a LOT of chocolates.

And instead of tying the top up with an elegant ribbon, I went for this cool handle. The secret's the tag punch, folks!

I've used stamps from the Hello Again set, and the Retro Remix wheel (wheels are the secret of bagalope decoration). Those stamps will be coming in the Summer Mini Catalogue, in December. And of course, my two favourite colours, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive.

Hmm, well, I'm sure I could do a fancier one, but I have to say, that was pretty fun and easy for a quick gift.

Pretties from Regionals - just a few of them

Here's one of the reasons we go to regionals - to find out what clever things others are doing.

The Sock Monkey stamps set has been a running gag amongst the Gail Force Stampers (I know, it's rude, but we thought it was just a bit of a silly one).

And then Danielle Scholtz makes this! A really appealing card using that set. I am just loving the bananas! The clever bit is, she's stamped onto two colours of cardstock, and assembled the results, for instant gorgeous! And she's managed to restrain herself to a fitting palette, which looks fab.

Here's another really awesome swap, by Kathy Faulkner, who CLAIMS it wasn't that much work. HAH! The card inside the stocking slides out to reveal a message. That's just a whole bunch of awesome. A very popular swap.

Introducing the Kimmie

In a fit of whimsy today, I created a new stamping form.

It's not an Inchie, it's not an ATC (Artist's Trading Card); it's a KIMMIE.

That's a 1cm square art work. No, it's not easy to make, or share, or even find, but it IS metric, and that counts.

The whole story of the creation of the kimmie is on my other blog, but here's the answer to the key question - where did that pretty butterfly stamp come from?

And the answer is - it's in the middle of one of those gorgeous oval stamps from the Oval All set from Stampin' Up. These stamps are the ones that go with the VERY popular oval scallop punch. They're in the current mini catalogue - which is only on sale until the end of November.

So if you fancy owning Kimmie the Tiny Butterfly, you'd better act fast! I'm takin' orders, but if you have a local Stampin' Up lady (or man), make their day today with an unexpected request!

And here's a scoop - Kimmie the Tiny Butterfly bears a familial resemblance to - something I'm not at liberty to talk about just yet. Something I expect you'll be able to buy soonish. I'm just sayin'

Regionals - the big day out 2

Here's what Stampin' Up! thinks is an "intimate" gathering - whoah, that's a lot of demonstrators!

Hollie gave an excellent talk about using photos in scrapbook pages, and how to pose for a nice photo yourself. Lean forward and stick your neck out to avoid double chins! After that, it was a festival of neck-sticking-out!


Here's Chris, sticking her neck out...







And here's Lizzie, sticking her neck out...


And here's Gina, sticking her neck out. Rochelle is thinking about the alternative method, putting something in front of you. I'm not sure that a large icecream was the best choice.

A big stampin' day out!

Oops, did I neglect this blog for a bit? Must have blinked in the this busy world! No matter, here's some news.

I went (with lots of other "Gail Force" girls) to Stampin' Up regional training day yesterday - that's "Regionals" to us. It's a day of talks, demos, making stuff, and lots of swapping, with a better-than-average lunch in between.

Lots of photos to share, but let's start with the most important thing. Me. Or my swaps, anyway. They certainly consumed my thoughts for the days preceding Regionals. Being, as you may know, a bit of a punch fan, I decided that was the way to go. I thought about making more cards like the ones I made for the Quilt fair (actually I thought about recycling the last few of them) but it felt like a day to do something NEW.

So, I punched out a few basic shapes and shuffled them around on the table until a new kind of Stampin' Up punch penguin emerged. And a li'l fishy too. My vellum supplies came in very handy as water.

So, Pauline, I hear you ask, how did you solve the adhering vellum problem? I don't see any brads or eyelets!

The adhesive is hidden under the "icebergs" - that mean the vellum is a pocket. Your penguin COULD be free swimming, for a fun interactive card. Cute, hey?

I managed to give away 35 of these little guys in no time flat. Swapping is fun, and well worth the effort (remind me next time, when I am trying to get out of it!).

Images © 1990-2009 Stampin' Up!®
Supplies used:
Stamp set: Trendy Trees
Ink :Pumpkin Pie
Cardstock: Whisper White, Black, Pumkpin Pie, Ballet Blue, Vellum, Very Vanilla
Other : Large Oval punch, Small Oval punch, 3/4 inch circle punch, 1/2 inch circle punch, 1/16 inch circle punch, Word Window punch, Scallop Circle punch, Stamp 'n Write journaller